PM to join Hunting in the Rain

[Jasmine Stormblood]

29th Spring 516 A.V.

Jasmine got up and stretched making sure that Haven and Lara were situated before grabbing her bow and quiver. This day would prove to be interesting for the woman as she tried to hunt with a new companion before the storms hit. Jasmine looked up at the sky and was met by nothing more than dark ominous clouds. She quickly gathered her things and got Chaser hitched up before mounting up. Clicking her tongue the pair skirted around the city heading to where they would find the hunters allegiance and their companion. Jasmine remembered the young woman from earlier in the season when they had met getting a drink at Baultime's Barrel. Shaking her head Jasmine tried to push the fat obnoxious man from the forefront of her mind.

“Don't need to be focusing on that while we try to hunt,” Jasmine said and shook her head.

The woman's head snapped up hearing the roaring noise above her head from the sky. It was not a promising sign from Zulrav. She bowed her head some to pray for his lenience during their hunt.

“Please Zulrav hold back just a little longer,” Jasmine said under her breath before picking her head up and jumping down.

She walked into the hunters allegiance to see the small crowd. Looking around she made her way over to the Hunter's allegiance hoping that Ixzo would already be there. The pair needed to leave as soon as possible to beat the rain that Zulrav had planned for the Drykas. Worried she ducked inside hearing the thunder roll above her head. Jasmine sat down at a table and listened looking out the door at the sky. Her foot began to shake as she sat watching the hunters who quickly went about their business. Most did not tarry long due to the weather. It was strange to see everyone in such a hurry normally the business is bustling true, but after a long hunt many would sit and speak with other hunters wanting news of their hunts as well.

The Clan is Strength.
The Clan is Life.

[Ixzo]

The cloaked sky above her was so dark, Ixzo was sure she couldn't tell if the sun had already risen. The wild woman didn't understand clocks, she had seen one in Kenash once, but the short ticks and long, thin arms meant nothing to her at the time. Still, her instincts told her it was not near sunrise yet. As a nocturnal animal, even with her odd diurnal schedule, she was wide awake. She had actually been for a few bells, but the huntress had decided to meet Jasmine at a later time, about four bells after midnight, instead. She knew the humans weren't as nocturnal as her, and was excited to see how the human hunted during the night.

The thought put a damp in her confidence, as she fingered the smooth wood of her bow. She was usually in her lioness form when she hunted at night. Still she could see as clearly as her Nightlion self, but she knew it was very different to hunt as a human than as a lion. It took far more concentration and suppression of certain instincts, a thing she didn't particularly like, but understood.

"Good morning, Jasmine." The soft purr edged her words at the sight of the light blonde. The cat wove between the furs to reach the tables, where she saw Jasmine. Ixzo lingered for a moment, always admiring the woman, she truly was elegant. Having been so used to the dark skin and eyes of her people, the shock of seeing all the light hair and eyed humans around her was almost enchanting. What was rare beauty back home was commonplace here, and yet Ixzo didn't yet take the mesmerizing light colored eyes for granted yet. Her own reflective eyes flashed away in the night as she glanced at the small crowd within the tents.

She was usually awake long before the Hunter's Allegiance or even the Spit Fire woke to accept the day's kills, but she now could see the use of all the people. Zethar had been up all night rearranging the weapons and furs, placing them in chests and wrapping them in canvas for the oncoming storm. Wet furs didn't sell and wet weapons didn't work. A soft glance across the tent one last time rang out the familiar faces of her fellow hunters. None would risk going out in this rain, whereas Ixzo was thrilled for the chance.

Unlike them she knew the patterns of the birds, where the critters would go, and most importantly, how the herds would behave. Rain was familiar to her. Ready? She signed to Jasmine, just as the thunder reminded her that rain was not her only other companion today. Makutsi was going to help her, but the thunder God might want to work against her this morning.

Once the two women had left the tent, getting their odd looks from the other hunters who saw their clear intent to go out for a hunt, Ixzo waved her south. She wanted to stay away from the watering-holes, she feared the flooding, and she knew any sane creature would be away from it as well, meaning little hunts.

Knowing they had a few miles trek, which Ixzo would be content to do in silence, or talking. It didn't matter with the loud thunder above them, threatening the rain that has yet to come. A thought, a regret, snuck into the back of her thoughts. She should have set traps. Finding the common rabbit trails and coyote dens would have been a few day's work, but if she had set them before the storm, she could have gotten quite a haul and be back before it rained. Still, she wanted to give fresh meat, especially when the city would be without it until the storm receded. It would be the best money.

"Good money, yeah? Hunt in rain, only one to do." She grunted to her companion, gently pressing through the tall grass. Conversation was not a strong point, and she didn't bother to explain, letting the two words hang in the air between waves of thunder. With her long human form, it was easy to leave a minimal trail, however she could do very little about her scent which likely remain, until the rain washed it away. She turned to look at her partner for a moment, eyeing her form. Jasmine was no stranger to the grasslands, this was true, but she couldn't help but notice small differences. Things that were so human, that Ixzo didn't understand. How she held her hands, where her eyes fell on the trail, things that a human would think to see that a lioness wouldn’t notice.

Pride and confidence quickly reminded her she was definitely the more experienced and efficient hunter in the pairing, but the rare humility that Ixzo encountered told her that she could never truly achieve that deadly human touch. The thing that set them on top of the food chain, even above her night lion kin, even above Glassbeaks.

After nearly a three mile trek, Ixzo slowed, taking a deep breath of the air around her. The familiar smoky and animal smell that encompassed the city was gone. Turning, she could see the dim pillars of smoke and illuminated tents in the distance, but they were so far she was sure Jasmine could not see them. They had gone far enough.

Still the pair stood in the valley of a few hills. Long patches of grass scattered around, yet the area surrounding them seemed mowed down by grazing animals which passed through. Come, look. She waved her partner over silently, kneeling easily down by some of the chewed grass. With nimble fingers in hands that were too large for her, Ixzo plucked a handful of the weed, smelling the fresh sprouts of the bottom layer of grass, the good stuff that no herbivore would willingly pass up. "See, it is only part eat. No aminal eat only part, some… thing…. " She stumbled with her whispered words, the thick accent not helping. Tapping a finger on her chin she tried to remember a word or a sign to help. Surprise. The sign flew from her finger tips, aiding her conversation.

Wanting to remain silent, she illuminated the trail for the other huntress, unsure if she noticed. Deer trails were not so evident here as in her jungle. Among the thick ferns and vines, animals had to create trails for themselves, but out here the trails were fleeting, always able to create new ones with so much space. "Aminal trail, it is… only here… then gone." She tried to explain to Jasmine as well. "It does mean the deer is close." She whispered as carefully as she could, standing slightly to make her way further down the trail. The eaten grass stopped only a few feet away, and it was clear to see the trampled grass where the deer darted. Ixzo counted two trails, one wider than the other, which told her there could be three, and possibly four, deer. Follow, guide.

The teaching role did not come so naturally to Ixzo, and it was further interrupted by the language barrier, but the Kelvic knew she was not working with a moron. Jasmine was not dim, and she was sure the Drykas would catch on quickly, even with the difficulties that arose.

Myrian | Pavi "Speech" Sign | Common | PC/NPC "Speech" Sign

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Timestamp:
Location:

Jasmine looked when her name was called off to her side. Looking over the blond smiled seeing the dark skinned woman walk over. It was such a rarity to see someone with such dark skin around Endrykas. When ever the blonde was able to catch up with the woman it always turned out to be a treat. She stood up and nodded hearing Zulrav roar with anger above their heads. Something told the woman that the weather would get worse before it got any better. Quickly she gathered her bow, quiver, and cloak before following the woman out into the stormy weather. Many of the patrons that had decided to mill around as usual watched stunned that the pair was actually trying to go hunting. Mounting up Jasmine stayed close to Ixzo as they headed out.

She looked down at the ground watched for any signs of prey. It seemed that the storms rolling in was driving all animals to find shelter. The pair may not have picked the best day to try the hunt, but neither was willing to go home with their tails between their legs. Sliding down she knelt where Ixzo was pointing. She was right animals never eat just half of anything. Mounting up again the woman spotted the trail and followed it right beside her. Confused when the trail ran out the blond instantly began looking around for where the animal could have gone. A lite rustling of the bushes caught the woman's eye. Something was out an about after all. Removing the bow from her shoulders Jasmine pulled an arrow from her quiver and just notched it before slipping down off Chaser's back.

Signing quietly to catch the other woman's attention she pointed towards the rustling bush. Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched the rustling start to pick up. Whatever was there was coming towards the hunting pair.

[Ixzo]

She was watching the growth of plants just as Jasmine was, although she was confused. Had they not chosen a far easier prey? Of course the quick herbivores were not easy, as hunting never truly way, but they did not attack back… Rushed, Ixzo opened her mouth as a reaction, taking a deep breath in, expecting to taste the air as she would in her lion form. But her weak human sense of smell did not help her, and she got nothing from the action.

She had been wary of the horse through the hunt, doing her best not to spook the beast. Surely the thing smelled her difference and did not appreciate the proximity to a predator. Still, Jasmine must have desensitized the thing, as he was a hunting horse. Still, when the heavy falls of it's hooves slowed, Ixzo glanced up at her companion.

Her bow was already out and pulled taut, and Ixzo wondered what she saw. No hunter would make such noise if they were its prey, and no prey would make such noise… unless it didn't think them hunters.

Ixzo crouched, long legs slowly maneuvering her away from the mounted hunter. Atop a horse, there could be no such thing as stealth, although they may use this to their advantage. A quick, sharp whistle flew from her lips. "Look here!" The shrill Myrian translation was quickly followed up in a clap of thunder, but it was enough to catch Jasmine's attention, even if she did not understand the war language.

We hunt. Stealth, Ambush. Her fingers cramped with the quick flashes of signs. These were words she knew on the hunt, although creating a sentence entirely out of signs was iffy at best for her. She motioned in the direction she was going, to the far east of the forest of tall grass ahead of them. Surely, Jasmine would understand her intent. Horse, surprise. She wove her hands forward and then put a palm up in the air, as if to show a sudden stop, she didn't know the sign.

Ambush it would be.

Once she had gotten some confirmation from the woman, Ixzo slipped out of her own large bow. Holding it parallel to the ground, she used the large weapon to guide herself into the tall grass. Stealth was harder now because she could not hear herself. The thunder and the pitter patter of the light rain masked the sound of her movements, but she did not fool herself into thinking her prey did not hear her. As a human she relied so closely on sight, but she knew other animals used their other senses much more.

Still, she took her time, shifting through the tall grass, utterly disappearing into the weed. Sharp blades nicked at her bare arms and cheeks, warning her that this was no grazing land, and she understood why their deer would choose this place. If he was alone, not with a herd, this would be the best shelter.

But if he was alone, he may be injured.

Ixzo froze when the movement began up near her. Extending back into a stand, she let her eyes settle just above the blades of grass, eyeing Jasmine. Now each was on either side of their prey.

Standing up more, she notched her bow as well. Now that she was well into the tall grass, it only reached her ribs. From her new vantage point, the indents in the grass were hard to miss. The deer was nesting, and there was two of them. She imagined Jasmine could see this much clearer than her, from the height atop a horse, so she didn't feel the need to point it out ot her partner.

Instead she clutched three arrows between her right forefinger and thumb, counting down with the outer three fingers. Before her count down hit one, Ixzo notched her arrow in a flash, a well-practiced move, and aimed for the circle, waiting for Jasmine's move. Knowing that as soon as the action started, there would be little time to aim.

Myrian | Pavi "Speech" Sign | Common | PC/NPC "Speech" Sign

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine looked more using her legs to appear almost standing on the stallion's sides. She could just barely see an animal hunkered down ready to wait out the pending storm. Glaring gently at the sky as it began to finally rain on the small hunting crew. Chaser snorted some and shook out his mane not happy about the rain or their companion this morning. Patting his side Jasmine slipped down and nodded signing her agreement. Watching which direction Ixzo went the woman went low and stalked the opposite direction so that in case their prey ran she could get a shot.

Slowly way down the blonde rolled her feet staying as silent as possible. Most anything unless completely certain of hunters would not risk braving the weather. A roll of thunder sounded over head as the woman stepped on a twig. Thankfully Zulrav's roar above hid her misstep well. Once in position Jasmine waited and motioned to the deer that Ixzo could not get a clear shot on as her intended target. Once the pair were sure of the targets Jasmine pulled back till the feathers of her arrow was against her cheek. Taking several deep breathes she blew a few drops of rain from her lashes. At Ixzo's call she released her arrow quickly notching another as the first soared through the air. The arrow embedded itself in the spine of the deer. The creature had startled at the call when the pair attacked. The female let out a warning call and attempted to stand, but her back legs would no longer cooperate with her. Lining up another shot Jasmine took her chance and pierced the lungs the second time.

Loading one last arrow the woman looked over and aimed in case Ixzo would need an extra arrow. She did not doubt the woman's ability, but if either was off by a single tick it would allow one of the prey to run.

[Ixzo]

The solid hit of the arrow shocked Ixzo. She didn't know Jasmine well, but she did think that short bows were a much lighter shot. She did not know her weapons well enough she supposed, for the small thing packed one Hai of a punch. Still, when the bolt slide into the deer spine, she did not hesitate to weigh the benefits of each bow.

Beside the female deer, a much smaller creature jumped out of the brush. She could see in the baby's reaction that it was confused between running from its fallen mother, just as she got herself another arrow in the side, or running to her for safety. Quick and callous, Ixzo pulled a single arrow back, following the newborn's skittish movements between the tall grass with the flint for only a tick before letting it fly. She did not want to ruin the pelt, nor did she want to make this more painful than necessary. The much larger weapon speared through the frail neck, skewering the creature near perfectly. It was too easy of a kill, but perhaps that was because Jasmine had handled the harder shot.

The mother stumbled and but her child stood his ground, wobbly legs spread wide as the blood splayed from his neck. Ixzo grimaced, she did not wish to see a child in pain, but it was better to kill him than leave him motherless. Instead she ducked back into her bow, slipping the remaining arrows back into her quiver at her hip. With the fluid movement stepping through the grass, which startled the stunned baby, and he stumbled back. She caught his ears in one large paw, then getting a good grip on the bolt, she yanked it from its neck. She let it fall to the ground, quickly puling her blade from her belt and relieving the animal from life and pain with a quick swipe. Too bad.

He might sell for delicate meat and leather, but he was not a kill she would have preferred. Letting the body fall back to the ground, she turned back to the mother, who had no chance once Jasmine was done with her. Still the thing was sinking to the ground, life bleeding out of her. She cared less if the mother, who had lived a full life, suffered so much as an innocent baby, but still it was not preferable.

She leaned down, grabbing the head of the mother in a much similar callous fashion. Systematically she exposed the clean neck, painting it with the blade of her knife and then letting the body fall back to bleed out. She would choke on the blood in ticks, that was all she could do.

"Nice!" Ixzo turned to look up at Jasmine, holding two thumbs up and grinning. Scattered in the bloodied tall grass behind her were carcasses, dampening the congratulatory mood she had switched on. She looked behind her at the trampled bloody mess, shrugging. "Little messy… but good." Her words were drowned out by a clap of thunder. The little dribble of rain that had been accompanying their hunt seemed to suddenly break. Fat droplets rained down, soaking through her braids and raising gooseskin on her bare arms. The pelts would be hard to sell soaked like this, but nothing was going to stay dry in this storm, so Ixzo didn't worry about it.

"You have kill, I have kill?" Split up. She asked, grabbing the mother's hind legs. With one powerful surge she lifted the deadweight up, giving it to Jasmine to clean and let bleed. Her partner had much more meat, although if Ixzo spun it right, she might get even with the hide of the baby dear. Still, she did not mind the split, and hoped that Jasmine would not either. Once Jasmine took it from her, Ixzo whiped her knife on her pant's thigh and then slipped it back in it's place. Next she grabbed the longbow arrow from the ground, setting it in the quiver backwards so she could clean it when she got home.

She would help Jasmine tie her deer to her horse, if needed, and if the strider wasn't too antsy about her proximity, and then Ixzo would simply sling the small body over her own shoulder, letting the last of its blood fall over her calves and be washed by the heavier rain as they walked home. It was sloppy, but neither of them were masters of their bows, as much was obvious, but it had been a good hunt, besides it.

Myrian | Pavi "Speech" Sign | Common | PC/NPC "Speech" Sign

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine smiled and walked over to the woman when she slit the doe's throat. The blonde was super excited to see what they would get at the hunter's allegiance. Well what Ixzo would get. Jasmine planned to take the mother to the pavilion and get Azmere to show her how to properly skin the deer. Whistling loudly Chaser trotted over a little to the side putting a little bit of distance between him and Ixzo. He knew better than to be too hard headed in the rain. Digging a rope out of the right yvas bag she tied it to the legs.

"If you will help me get it lifted on to Chaser. Once it wont fall I can tie it up from there," Jasmine said with a smile.

Her blood was still coursing through her veins from the excitement of the hunt. Once the two had gotten the deer situated the blonde began the annoying process of straping the doe down. If she was not secure that would cause her to either fall all the way off or drop down to hang in front of Chaser's legs making it difficult for him to walk. Pulling hard the rain finally caused the woman to slip in the mud and the rope to become slippery so that she ended up tail end in hte mud. Sitting up she looked to the other woman before bursting out in laughter knowing how stupid she must look. Calming down after a few chimes she got up and mounted up waiting for her partner. When Ixzo was ready the two made their way back to town.

[Aladari Coolwater]

Name:Jasmine Moonstone

XP Award:

• Tracking + 1
• Observation + 2
• Weapon: Shortbow + 1
• Riding + 2
• Stealth + 1
• Detection + 1
• Hunting + 3

Lore:

• Detection: Rustling Bushes Mean Life
• Tactics: Team Ambush
• Rain Makes the Ground Slippery
• No One Wants to Hunt in the Rain
• Stealth: Roll Your Feet
• Benefits of Hunting in a Storm, Zulrav's Sounds Hide Mistakes

Name:Ixzo

XP Award:

• Tracking +1
• Teaching +1
• Stealth +1
• Weapon: Longbow +1
• Land Navigation + 1
• Hunting + 3

Lore:

• Tracking: Trails are Faint in the Grasslands
• Teaching: Harder with the Language Barrier
• Killing a Baby Animal is Unfortunate
• Jasmine: Strong with a Shortbow
• Tactics: Team Ambush
• No One Wants to Hunt in the Rain
• Horses Provide a Better Vantage Point
• Benefits of Hunting in a Storm, Zulrav's Sounds Hide Mistakes

Penalties/Rewards :

Because you did not sell the pelts or meat in this thread, I did not award Mizas for it. However, feel free to add the deer products to your inventory, including pelt, meat, and bones.

Comments :

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