[6th of Fall 510 AV] On the road! (Open)

[Lelio]

... And that makes thirty. Taking off the last hazelnut that hanged from the lowest branch of the big tree - climbing was of course an option, but Lelio just didn't feel like doing so at the moment. Yawning loudly, he stretched for a moment before rubbing his face with the back of his hand, resuming his long and seemingly endless walk. Well, I'll guess that'll be enough for today, he stated sleepily while shrugging to himself. Given that he had an impressively efficient digestive capability coupled with the fact that fox didn't need to eat much, the young lad could go on with very little food for a long time, though he only rarely did so. After all, eating was a simple pleasure that had to be rightfully enjoyed. Oddly enough for a fox, Lelio mainly survived on various nuts, fruits and mushrooms instead of meat - it primarily came down to a question of taste. And when he did need some animal proteins, he often settled down with laying some traps or fishing instead of actively hunting with a bow or in his animal form. Animal form which he almost never used since he didn't feel the need to. Walking towards his first trap emplacement, Lelio started peeling off his first victim, a little colorful hazelnut that just looked so delicious putting it in a bag would have been a crime. The young Kelvic enjoyed the taste for a while, before munching it to oblivion and swallowing the precious would-be energy needed for his long journey... Before stopping dead in an instant. Right in front of him, a rabbit leaving his hole was about to get in his snare... I knew that hole was a winner. Just a little more... Just a little more... Just a lit- AH CRAP! he yelled as the trap didn't do its job. The little fluffy ball went into a frenzy, running for its dear life, aware that danger was near. For danger there was - his target spotted, Lelio was now running at full speed behind his prey, turning jumping or doing both at the same time in order to keep up with the rabbit's erratic movements, drawing a path of complete chaos in the nearby surroundings. Never letting his eyes away from his furry meal, the young lad actually enjoyed the chase - primal instincts were hard to suppress, and the thrill of the hunt was a particular persistent one. Darting left and right, he quickly navigated around trees and vegetation in order to put his hand on that precious source of protein, delicate hazelnuts and juicy berries be damned - he needed that meat, and he needed it now. After quite a formidable chase, Lelio finally managed to throw all his weight on the fluffy mammal, catching him fair and square. The little one was still alive and kicking of course, but not for long - his hunting knife would do the trick. It wasn't long before blood started staining the leafy floor, as the young Kelvic started feasting upon his still warm victim. Damn it tastes bad, he said while spitting a piece of cartilage. As wrong as raw meat felt like, he knew he needed it in order to keep his body running and fully functional. Being healthy sure took some sacrifice, but he reminded himself that he still had a little bag full of hazelnuts to wash out the taste afterwards. Better start heading for the nearest source of water, he stated while starting to walk with the carcass in his hands. Tears of blood dropping from his mouth and carrying a gory mess, Lelio looked quite gruesome - even creepy, given the fact that his facial emotion didn't change the slightest bit from his usual smile.

[Lelio]

The sound of the clapping water now drew nearer with each step, as far as the Kelvic's sensitive ears could tell. Bones and gore littered his path as he finished his meal along the walk, and dry blood was now crackling with each of his fingers' tiniest movements. That's why Lelio hated to eat raw meat - taste apart, that is. He already had trouble keeping what few clothes he had clean, so with all that mess... Annnnnd there we are! Finally, should I add, he talked to himself. He started taking off his cape, shortly followed by his top, and got his hands in the water to wash the dried pieces of blood cake off his skin. The stream was lively with fish he noticed, though his stomach was already full (and churning) from his last meal. Once the last stain of dark red wore off his hands, he went on washing his face - the icy water wasn't particularly good to feel trickling down his chin, but walking around with blood around his mouth just wasn't going to cut it. He shivered for a bit, then put on his clothes and went on with his journey. Onwards to Sunberth! he exclaimed with excitement, happily patting his little side bag still filled with hazelnuts. The road was going to be a long one, but Lelio was never one to be in a hurry. Furthermore, he had nuts to prey upon. Peeling these little ones sure was going to be a great challenge.

[Lelio]

And so onward he went hiking through the forest at a relatively fast pace, and although he didn't seem to tire much the declining light over the clear sky was enough to make him reconsider walking a few more hours. Above him small white clouds were starting to wear a beautiful orange hue, and Lelio spent some time watching the already partially visible moon that loomed behind a now colorful sky. His attention then turned to his side bag, and he gave it a sad shake. The light sound that resulted was a clear indication that his hazelnuts supply was almost empty now. Maaah maaah~~ Perhaps I should have kept some more? he sighed while shrugging at the inevitability that now loomed before him. Soooo now, whatchama going to eat for dinner? he wondered aloud in a playful tone. Lelio wasn't particularly worried - not that he ever was anyway - about finding things to eat. He had lived long enough in the forest to know what was safe to consume and what wasn't. That yummy-looking mushroom for example? Not a good choice. Gave him a good stomachache last time, and he wasn't particularly eager to try again. This bush here? T'was too late to hope for its berries to show up at that time of the year. That tree there had nourishing roots, but they were bland and extremely unappetizing. Nah, this time he would go with these little red flowers that grew right next to a nearby clearing. Though it might seem curious to eat those he found not long ago that not only they smelled good, but also that they were also pretty tasty. Picking a handful of them, he started lazily chewing off the stem. Bee balm as he didn't know its name was a plant that not only was totally edible, but also had medicinal properties. And apparently, Lelio was good at picking the right plant to eat - either he was very lucky, or he had some kind of strange animal instinct that pushed him away from the dangerous ones. It wasn't long before he finished his meal - or rather, not too long. The young lad loved taking his time when savoring his food, and for a handful of flowers he took quite a long time. The sun had almost fully disappeared now and a blinding ray of light was shooting from the horizon, signal that night was oh-so-near now. Choosing between plethora of trees, he picked one that had a trunk which two meters from the ground split into three parts and proceeded to climb into the simple shelter that it provided. It was now time to rest.

[Panna Cotta]

Leilo Wilderness Survival 2 Observation 2 Running 1 Trapping 1 Lore of chasing rabbits Lore of catching rabbits Lore of taking a bath Lore of edible plants in the Cobalt Mountains Additional notes: Awarded experience with permission from Gossamer and Tarot. A wilderness thread isn't really my expertise so, should you have any reaction/s to my XP awards, feel free to send me a PM.