It's The Little Things in Life[Private]

[Baku]

34th of Fall, 510 A.V. Location: Sea of Grass It was a fine fall morning along the Sea of Grass as Syna began climbing her way out of the eastern horizon, spreading her light over the plains of tall grass still not yet willing to give in to the changing season. There was still a bit of a chill in the morning air as patches of frost clung to the swaying grass. Still, it had not yet fell to late into the fall season yet to require that those traveling in the open would need thicker clothing. At least not those who had been raised in such climates anyhow. A certain electricity of anticipation was among the group, as the grand hunt for the Endrykas fall season was coming near. Perhaps it was the anticipation, perhaps it was thought of sharpening their skills, or just the plain fact that some of them needed to get out on the plains, but the small group that had formed decided on an impromptu hunt. They wanted to do well in the gathering for their home, not only because of the pride and honor it would bring to those of their pavilion, but also to Endrykas in whole. And so they all set out, after checking equipment and rations, making sure they would have enough to safeguard them for their short journey into the plains, away from the safety and warmth of the great tent city. They did not plan to be long, nor did they plan to go far, but out in the great plains, even the slightest misjudgment could prove to be costly to the point of being fatal. For wild beasts were not the only thing to roam the grasslands. The question that would fill their minds right now, however, was what would they hunt? Not only that, but what could they gather? For animals were not the only source of food, after all. It would be something they could decide on as they rode, their horses parting the tall grasses like a ship skimming through the surface of a body of water. When they had decided, they would know where they could ride, and what to look for in terms of tracks and foliage. It would be then, that their skills would truly be tested. To say least of what else they may encounter in those vast plains.

[Kayiri]

Amongst these hunters was Kayiri, mounted proudly upon Serenity's back, his dog Aindreas walking alongside them as they trotted along. He was, for the most part, silent, his eyes scanning the wide open plains around them with the the precision of an eagle. Finally, he spoke, feeling somewhat safe for the moment.

"Now that we are free from the confines of the city, we may decide what our prey is on this day," Kayiri spoke, pulling the string on his bow back and releasing it, simply to get the feel of it. He then stowed it on his back, speaking swiftly to his dog. "Aindreas, hap-to," the dog obeyed, sitting down next to the stationary horse. "We can hunt the deer of the grasslands, or if we feel brave enough, an Olidosapux," Kayiri paused for a moment, thinking of what else they could possibly hunt. "Of course, if anyone here has creatures they hunt often, and know well, then I am willing to pursue those creatures."

Kayiri moved slightly on Serenity's back, moving the tunic slightly to make the ride more comfortable. His sword was strapped over his back. He had decided to leave the shield at home, considering he had yet to learn how to use it very well. Honestly, he just had to hope that it didn't cost him his life on this little excursion. With a subconscious movement, he brushed some of the hair from in front of his eyes, thinking as his companions spoke. A look of calm decorated his face, something rarely seen on the Drykas.

[Vanator]

Vanator sat comfortably on Backlash, swaying with the Strider's casual gait, his hand resting on his thighs. He turned his head to see Kayiri as the young man spoke. "Kayiri my friend, you don't do anything small, do you! This is a vacation for me, Olidos are too much work!" He laughed, turning his gaze out over the vast expanse of grassland before them, still golden as the sun's light stretched out across them. It was an inpromtu hunt that Kay had invited him to join, not having seen his friend since sometime in the Spring. There were still some unspoken things between them. Kayiri had been Pygmy's friend too, and surely known what had transpired between the Kelvic and himself, and of Van's sudden marriage to Kashik. "I was thinking more like antelope." Vanator liked to hunt the hardy, prong-horned herds that migrated through the plains. "Their passage is fairly easy to find in the grass. There is a watering hole not far from here where we may be able to pick up the trail of a herd." Van, twisted in his yvas to see the other hunters, looking for their reaction and ideas as well.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam merely nodded at first. He didn't know these people at all well, but he was trying to get to know other people while honing his skills. Of course, he was confident as a rider, but everything else he knew was rather haphazard. He might have offered to lead, but Kayiri seemed to be attempting to fill that role already. The anti-Drykas sat astride his new Strider, the mare Dohaina, who had come to him out of a storm on the Sea of Grass. He wondered if Zulrav was trying to tell him something. "I suppose," he said softly, "we should try that watering hole and see what we find." It seemed wiser to roll with whatever life threw their way rather than search endlessly and to no avail if their prey of choice were for whatever reason absent.

[Raylin Sunsetfeather]

"Depending on how long were going to be out here it might be to our advantage to know where a watering hole is." Raylin said calmly.

Iside she was bored. She just wanted to go already, but she didn't want to seem like an annoyance. She was out numbered after all, one of the few girls in the hunting party, this was going to be interesting. She looked over to the other girl. She had met her a few days earlier at her glasswork studio. She didn't seem to be much older then Ray was. Same with the boy who was beside her. From the looks of it, they were the youngest in the party. She smiled at them and then looked back at the rest of the group.

[Dymphna]

Being quiet when nervous was not Dymphna’s strong suit. Nothing made her more nervous than being away from the safety of Endrykas. That was likely why she’d chewed a few of her fingernails down to the quick by the time they stopped to discuss what they were doing. She was trying not to jump each time there was the slightest noise out in the distance, but it hadn’t worked the best for her. She hoped riding had at least hidden that a bit, and she was thankful that Dara, her Strider, had an even temperament and wasn’t prone to spooking. She didn’t say anything, because she didn’t have anything to add. Instead she just nodded along with everything everyone else said while wondering how her father had talked her into doing this.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon listened half-mindedly to Kay and Van as they spoke of their choice targets for this small expedition. Eldon himself took a moment to take a sip from his waterskin (which seemed endless due to his reimancy, that always felt good) and nodded lightly. His gaze was latched to the horizon as he scanned, it was still difficult to see as the sun had yet made its way to 'midsky'. He personally didn't care what they hunted. Eldon was simply happy getting out of Endrykas for a while. He needed a good ride to get back in the swing of things. To be honest, Eldon needed a good hunt to prepare for the Great Hunt, he probably could have used a dozen to be honest, but there wasn't enough time for that now. One would have to suffice. "You should try to be more calm. The grass can feel emotional upset. The animals can sense it." Whether it was true or not, Eldon firmly believed it was. To him it made sense that judgement and action would be a little less controlled if you panicked. He glanced at Dymphna and smiled to show that he wasn't angry or upset, but just tried to comfort her, for the group's sake. Eldon gave her a slight nod before allowing Vanah carry him a few paces ahead, stopping her there next to the only other female of the party: Raylin. "Doesn't sound like you hold much confidence in me. I suppose a watering hole would make my job easier (and safer) on me." Eldon chuckled quietly and shrugged. Chances were that they didn't even know he was Sapphire Clan, much less a Water Reimancer. It wasn't like he knew a single thing about them. Eldon actually wasn't even sure how he got here. It must have been Sam's willingness to come, and Eldon of course wanted to see what his cousin could do. "As long as you people aren't those desert camels, I can keep us hydrated for a few days. After that, you're on your own." Eldon offered another teasing grin as he glanced forward again, looking into the back of Sama'el's head as if trying to read his mind. So many things he wanted to know.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"But we can find tracks more easily from a water source, Eldon," he reminded his cousin, turning to smile at him. They must have kept him too busy with his water magic to go hunting as much as he should; no wonder he had been eager to join them. "Animals need water, so there will be plenty of tracks there. We just have to go and find something fresh that we can take down as a group." If only Aiken were there; he and the wolf kelvic had begun to learn how to hunt in tandem, and that was an exciting thing. Horse and now Dohaina were already extensions of himself, part of his herd. With Aiken and the wolf cubs, he had a pack too. But they had remained behind. Aiken was still injured and the cubs still too young to be left without supervision. And then there was Horse. Sam felt guilty leaving him behind, but he could only ride one horse at a time and he wasn't sure how things would go ... Striders would leave the poor Windrunner in the dust on the Cyphrus plain.

[Raylin Sunsetfeather]

"It's not that I don't have confidence in you Eldon, it's that I didn't know that you could supply us with water." said Raylin as she looked over to the man beside her. "Though Sama'el does make a good point about the trackes."

Raylin adjusted herself so that she sat up strait on Sabela. She looked around the see of grass when she heard something make a rustling sound. When she looked over to where she heard it, there was nothing. She looked back toward the group and a few minutes later, she heard it again.

"Did you guys hear that?" she asked

[Kayiri]

"Aye, and it was my dog. Apologies," Kayiri spoke, from atop his Strider. He shot a glance at his dog, who stopped scratching his ear and returned to his stationary stance. He nodded, and then returned his gaze to the group gathered around him.

"Bah, Vanator, Olidos are where all of the entertainment is to be had!" Kayiri said, sarcasm dripping from this statement. His laugh rang out, and then he though for a moment. "Antelope sound fine. Something that can actually run away when we shoot at them," Kayiri then declared, nodding with a certain certainty around him. "As Sama'el and Vanator both pointed out, we could indeed find the trails of the antelope to at the watering hole. For this moment, that seems our best bet to find and hunt down some less dangerous prey," Kayiri then explained, rolling his shoulders once or twice, just to loosen them up. "If you could be so kind, Vanator, I do not know where this watering hole is. If you could lead the way," he motioned for Vanator to take the lead, and then fell in behind the older man, whistling sharply for Aindreas to follow Serenity and himself.

"Loosen up, Dymphna!" he said jovially. "You have at least six others with you. I highly doubt anything will swoop from the sky without warning and devour all of us," a smile played across the young man's face as he rode past her.