Closed A Simple Task (Zach)

[Myra Black]

36, Fall, 518 AV

The sun was just barely showing itself this morning and Myra was already out the door much earlier than usual. She was not one for mornings, much preferring to sleep in some. Today was different, as she was trying..hoping to get some assistance for a task. The kind elderly man who lived a few cottages down from her suggested she head over to the Hunter's Guild that opened up not too long ago. "I really should invite him and his family over for supper sometime" she thought as she walked. Once she's more settled into her home...and perhaps had more furniture. She hadn't met many others yet, she was too busy taking in the sights and learning about her new city. Myra couldn't deny that Lhavit did look just as, if not even more beautiful than mid day. She took in the sites of the skyglass all around as Knight, her brindle colored Elk Dog trailed closely behind her. He followed her almost everywhere. She enjoyed his company even if he wasn't always the best behaved.

Eventually with some effort Myra arrived at the right building. She was almost sure of it. "Stay here." She told her dog, leaving him outside the doorway figuring he wouldn't be welcome indoors.

The Hunter's guild. It was her first time entering the building so Myra wasn't sure what to expect. She paused near the doorway, taking in the sight of the huge fireplace and all the heads of different creatures displayed among it. Myra was never fond of hunting really, but it was interesting to see none the less. A few were quite large which in her mind reinforced that it was a good idea to come here for assistance.

"Hello." She finally spoke up, realizing that she was probably standing in the doorway oddly. Only one man was standing near the bar that she could see. Myra smiled as she approached him. He looked somewhere around her age, possibly a bit older with lighter and striking eyes. "Sorry to bother you, but I was told someone in here might be able to help me." She paused briefly. "I'm not familiar with the area and I was hoping to get a guide of sorts to take me outside the city. Nothing exciting, just collect some different plants, or whatever else I can find while learning the area a bit. Would you be able to take me or are you busy?" She asked, putting the stranger on the spot.

[Zach Grasswind]

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"Speech"

Syna had yet to properly show herself when Zach had set off to the Hunter's Guild that morning, the sky still mostly an inky dark blue. A few golden-orange rays were starting to peek over the horizon but they did little to light the streets that he wound his way through. He decided to set out particularly early today so that he could head out right at dawn and check on the snares he had set the previous day, and then have enough time to re-set and return in the afternoon.

Zach was early enough that he was the only person in the main hall aside from whoever flitted in and out to service the bar. The hunter was in the process of finishing the last bite of his breakfast bread when footsteps sounded behind him. He ignored them, figuring it was another Guild member coming to collect a weapon or find some breakfast. It wasn't until a feminine 'Hello' sounded from near the doorway that Zach turned to look.

A young woman was approaching him, one he had never seen before in the Guild, or the city in general. She had long dark hair and a pretty face, and Zach figured she was a little younger than he. He leaned back on the bar behind him as he waited for her to cross the room. He nodded his head a little, almost to himself, as her words conveyed that she was new in Lhavit or at least new enough to not know her way around.

Zach gave her a warm smile. "Sure, I can take you out. I'm heading a little way out of the city anyway this morning so its no bother." He hadn't planned to have a proper hunt this morning so the presence of the girl wouldn't disrupt his plans too much. Besides, Zach always enjoyed company. He pushed himself off the bar and held out his hand for her to shake, the smile stretching wider over his face. "Name's Zach."

He then headed for the door the girl had just entered through, expecting her to follow. There was a dog waiting patiently outside and he eyed the animal before turning to the woman again. "Yours?" On confirmation he would continue. "The wilds are huge and contain a lot of tempting things for a dog - be careful it doesn't run off, it'll be hard to find again."

Zach set off, motioning for the woman to follow. "Did you bring anything with you? Water, a knife? That sort of thing." Zach was of course prepared for the trip and would be willing to share his supplies, but he wanted to know what she had just in case she might need it. As they walked, heading out of the city gates and along a path that quickly turned to gravelly dirt, he kept up some small-talk. "I guess you're not from Lhavit? When did you arrive?"

Boxcode by Allassanachassanya

[Myra Black]

The young woman was glad he agreed to help, especially since there was no one else around at the moment and who knows if the next person who showed up would have said yes. Myra smiled with a bit of relief. "Thank you so much." What luck that he was also heading out and kind enough to take her along. "Myra" she answered back with her own name.

She followed him out the door she entered from, seeing he stopped and looked down to Knight. Myra stepped out behind him to kneel down and give her companion a few pats on the head. "You hear the nice man? Stay close to me and don't run off." She stood up straight once more. "He's usually well behaved and shouldn't cause any trouble." The dog looked to Zach as if to agree with what she said while also checking out the stranger with curiosity.

Zach asked about what supplies she had with her and she gave a slight nod. "I did bring water.." Truthfully she hadn't thought about bringing a knife or any sort of weapon. Even if she had it wasn't like she would be able to use it properly for defense. "and a few things in case of injury." Myra was far from being a doctor but she knew enough about different herbs and such that if something minor did happen she'd be able to help as long as she had the proper supplies on her. If anything else were to come along she hoped her new acquaintance would be able to handle it.

"Not long, arrived about the end of Summer." She answered as she glanced over to him. "And what about you?" Myra hadn't ventured outside the city since she arrived. Lucky for them it looked like it was going to be a nice day. Knight followed along behind the duo sniffing the air and taking in the sights while the two chatted. "So, what is it you were heading out this way to do? I hope I won't be much of a bother." Although she was grateful to have company she didn't want to ruin any plans he had for the day. "I'll try not to slow you down too much." The sun continued to rise and turn the sky a rich orange color. The morning was still chilly and she was thankful she brought her cloak. Leaves on the trees were already different shades of reds and orange and beginning to fall to the ground. With the weather changing and colder temperatures, she wasn't sure how many different plants and herbs she'd see.

(437)

[Zach Grasswind]

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"Speech"

Zach raised an eyebrow at the dog as it met his gaze. The animal seemed obedient enough and besides, he wasn't actually hunting so he wouldn't have to worry about it scaring off prey. Hopefully it was as well behaved as the woman said it was though, as he definitely didn't feel like going on a search and rescue mission today.

Zach gave Myra a nod and a small smile. "Okay, that's fine. To be honest we shouldn't really need anything else as we won't be going into the deeper forest today." Loose dirt and gravel crunched under the feet of the pair as they went, winding along the track out of the city. "I'm not expecting anything to happen but it's always best to be prepared." He gave her a smile. "It's good practice to carry anything you might need for any situation out here though. Accidents happen and the wilds are unpredictable."

Syna slowly rose into the skies, streaks of autumnal oranges and golds stretching overhead. The Drykas listened attentively to the woman as she answered his question. "Ah not long at all then! Where did you travel from?"
He gave Myra another smile for her queries, glancing at her sidelong. He raised one shoulder, shifting his bow across his back. "I'm a hunter, my usual job is catching animals for meat to supply the Jugged Hare."

Zach scanned the area ahead of the pair as they walked, keeping an eye out for anything untoward. There was never usually much this close to the city save for rabbits and birds, but as he had a woman and her dog accompanying him today he made a point of being extra vigilant.

"Don't worry, you're not a bother. I'm not actually hunting properly this morning. I set some traps last night and I was coming out to check them. You came into the Guild just in time to catch me." He watched the dog milling around them. "I'm not in a rush, so just let me know when you want to stop for any reason. I don't really know much about plants so I'll walk right past anything special if you don't tell me!"

After a few more chimes of walking, Zach motioned for her to follow him off the track and down across gently sloping grass. Further ahead down the slopes they could just make out the little forms of rabbits milling about. "So what exactly is it that you use the plants for? Your job?"

The hunter wound his way through the grass to nearer the tree-line. There was a particular warren entrance nearby where he usually had good luck with a snare. As they approached, sure enough a rabbit was caught up in the loop he had set the night before. The little animal was dead, and he hoped that his new acquaintance wasn't squeamish about such things. Zach quickly un-looped the snare from around the rabbit's neck, cleaned it on his trouser and tidied it away into his pack. The rabbit went into a small sack that he had attached to the outside of the backpack.

He straightened up from where he was crouched and turned to Myra. "See anything useful about? We can head into the trees a bit next, I've got another snare in there, and there might be some interesting stuff for you."

+560

Boxcode by Allassanachassanya

[Myra Black]

Myra was a tiny bit amused with how her dog and Zach seemed to look each other over. Maybe he wasn't a dog person? She gave a nod, hoping he was right about not running into any dangers. "That's good to hear." If anything did try to come at them she would have to resort to smacking it with her backpack. Not the most useful. "If something does happen, I am lucky to have my new hero accompanying me." Her tone was playful and she gave him the slightest smirk.

"From Ravok, it was quite a trip and Lhavit is so different from home. I love the change of scenery." She answered. Unsure if he knew of Ravok and what was going on there, she left it alone unless he asked. She suddenly seemed a bit embarrassed for asking and him having to state the obvious about why he was coming out here in the first place. "Ah, well that does make sense." She let out a soft giggle. Leave it to her to ask a silly question.

"Mainly for hobby, though I do work at a shop that sells different herbs. I just find it so fascinating how a simple object grown in nature can be used for different things. With the right plants you could help heal a person of various things or simply make them feel better." She smiled, leaving out the part that they could also be used in various poisons as well. She didn't need the man getting the wrong impression of her.

As Zach picked up the trap she spotted the rabbit and casually looked away. Not that dead things bothered her. She did enjoy eating meat herself but she didn't like to think much about where it came from. If it came down to it she'd be fine learning to hunt herself, but only if it was necessary. Myra took the time to look around as he asked. "Hmm.." She stepped away and took a look around but didn't see anything useful just yet. "I'm no expert so I could possibly be missing something, but I don't see anything just ye..oh! I see blueberries." It might not have been a medicinal herb but it was still something. She headed over and carefully picked them off the bush, placing them into her backpack as she thought of what she could make with what was there. Not enough for a full pie that was certain.

She stood again, brushing herself off and made sure her backpack was secure. She took one more look around, but spotted nothing else. "There is a type that is only native to this area and I was told it was fairly common. It would be wonderful if we could find some." She followed Zach further into the woods as she skimmed through her surroundings. "Have you been a hunter for long?" She asked, trying to make more conversation. By now the sky was bright which was good since now there were trees overhead blocking some of it. Myra took one peek back to make sure the dog was still following and hasn't ran off somewhere. He would stop to sniff one bush, and hurry off to another to see if it smelled any different but he was still staying nearby. Occasionally he'd hear something and look up, or stop for just a second to stare down a bird. "Stay close, Knight." She'd occasionally look back to remind him.

(578)

[Zach Grasswind]

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"Speech"

Zach had glanced at the woman sidelong, one eyebrow raised at her comment. His mouth twitched in a hint of a smirk and he was pleased to note that Myra had some humour in her after his initial impression of a somewhat serious character...


The hunter had just about reattached the little sack that now contained the rabbit onto the outside of his backpack when Myra spotted something that she knew. He glanced over, seeing her approach a small bush that held little blue berries. He straightened and wandered over to see, plucking a single fruit off to inspect it. "Can you eat these as they are?" If she nodded, Zach would pop the berry in his mouth and chew, surprised at the sour but pleasant taste.

As they headed into the trees, Zach took his bow from his back to hold it in his left hand. He wasn't expecting any trouble, but it was always best to be ready. "Okay, do you know what the plant is meant to look like? I can keep an eye out too." Truthfully, a lot of plants looked the same to him, but if there was anything distinctive he might be able to spot it.

The dog milled around the pair inspecting various trees and shrubs. The animal might prove useful if it managed to scare an animal out of hiding by accident. Zach still wasn't a pro at shooting among the trees, but it was always worth trying just in case luck was in the air. He flicked his gaze over at Myra at her question. "I've hunted all my life. Where I'm from, in Endrykas, we train from childhood and I did my first hunt when I was 13." The corner of his mouth hinted at a wry smile as he remembered the celebration his family had thrown when he had returned.

Zach motioned with his bow off to the left at a spot just off the main path. "I've got another snare over there, hold on a second." Zach jumped lightly up the small bank and moved over to his trap. The snare had definitely been triggered, but there was nothing caught in it but a scrap of soft rabbit fur. The Drykas sighed and placed his bow on the ground, fingers moving to delicately re-set the snare over the small rabbit trail that was just about visible thanks to the disturbed earth and broken foliage. He'd check it again on their way back through.

Zach made his way back over to Myra and the dog, motioning along the path ahead for her to continue on. As they went, sound of their approach scared a small-ish game bird from where it had been rustling about in the low shrubs, and it exploded out of the foliage with much flapping of wings. Zach quickly stepped in front of Myra to block her and grabbed an arrow to nock onto his bow. He aimed at the bird quickly before letting the arrow fly, but the bird had managed to get into thicker trees and he heard his arrow bounce off what he imagined was a tree trunk ahead. He shrugged, mostly to himself, knowing that he wasn't yet able to take advantage of opportune shots in the denser woodland.

They continued on, Zach veering off momentarily to retrieve his arrow. "So... where is Ravok? I've never heard of it before." The woman seemed quiet, but Zach had a feeling there was more to her than what one could see on the surface.

ooc :

Sorry for the delay, I got sick this week

Boxcode by Allassanachassanya

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[Ambrosia Alar]

Grades!

Myra

Skills

● If you return, please update your ledger. Your grade is done and waiting for you.

Zach

Skills

● Acrobatics +1
● Botany +1
● Foraging +1
● Hunting +1
● Land Navigation +1
● Observation +2
● Planning +2
● Socialization +2
● Weapon: Short Bow +1
● Wilderness Survival +1

Lores
● Lhavit Location (Sartu Peak): The Hunter's Guild
● Myra: New to Lhavit since Summer 518 AV
● Wilderness Survival: Keep dogs close at hand so they don't get lost or injured
● Wilderness Survival: Being prepared with supplies
● Wilderness Survival: Being extra vigilant with inexperienced people about
● Hunting: Place snares near warrens, dens, and trails
● Myra: from Ravok
● Myra: Hobby herbalist
● Botany: Blueberry bush appearance
● Zach: His first hunt was when he was 13
● Hunting: Setting a snare
● Hunting: Bow shots are harder to make the denser the forest gets

Comments

I hope I got everything in this one, but if you feel I've missed anything or would like lore phrased differently, just let me know. Myra, if you return and get your ledger updated, message me and let me know. Your grades are waiting. Please remember to mark your request as graded.