Closed Playing Games with the Game.

[Medhozic]

36th Day of Winter, 513AV. He shouldn't have gone head-long. Shouldn't have put aside his gut, his logic and his righteous judgement in favor of simply pulling out a kopis and running head-long into it. But he'd done it, just to see what the fuss was. And immediately, he'd realized his mistake. And vowed that he'd never, ever do it again for as long as he was forced to spend in this petching mortal body, in this petching mortal plane. It hadn't been too far off the seasoned trails that led deep into the Bronze Woods and beyond, passing the Sukina Geysers and onwards. He'd thought it was something relatively commonplace - something like a badgers grove, a small hole embedded deep in the forest floor with a small overhang of leaves, behind a few bushes and almost invisible - he'd been lucky enough to spot it as it was. But to find out what was inside, he couldn't just shoot an arrow down it otherwise the body could get stuck, and that was if (through some utter miracle of Syna) he managed to hit it without even being able to see what was inside. No, he needed to scare it out of its little hidey-hole and then shoot it down, which was going to be incredibly difficult.. but not impossible. It was times like this that he wished that he had more equipment to put to use in such situations, but he had to grit his teeth and bare with it. Except he couldn't. It hadn't been a badger or anything close. It'd been a hutch of rabbits, and a shyke-load of rabbits at that as well, all darting in different directions as soon as he stomped down on the top of the little hole in order to attract their attention, with his kopis at the ready to swoop down and slam into the forehead of whatever emerged. They ran loops around the curved blade, though. A combination of their superior agility and his inferior knowledge around the small weapon meant that out of the several stabs into the ground, the sweeping slashes and even a few kicks at the fleeing fluffy creatures, not one even came close. He spent a long few moments cursing fitfully at the now-deserted hutch afterwards, and kicking it for good measure, before turning back to the tracks in search of something better. As usual, he'd come to the forest for what he enjoyed the most. Hunting. Becaue hunting was important, for the Ethaefal's food by night and for the food of the great castle and all of its inhabitants. They required, they needed his wares. Not that there was a shortage of hunters ever around the castle. There were always those gluttonous pigs, however, who bought everything immediately and the wealthy merchants who bought and sold all - and yet wasted their profits on all exotic meats that could only be returned in literal shyke. Disgusting, how this system of loss and gain could corrupt and destroy the humanity of humans themselves. But he needed their money, regardless. Because those that weren't corrupt could make excellent weapons that he'd need to use to kill whomever wasn't corrupt enough to just take their money and forget they ever saw him. Shame the Knights weren't all like that too, but he could live with it well enough.

[Oriah]

She'd gone far. Too far. Had she heard the directions wrong? Mithryn post, Kabrin road, past the Avitar River, can't miss it. But when she had left the city walls, the path eventually split off in three directions and her informant had not specified south, east, or north.

Oriah stopped in her tracks and turned to look down the well worn road once more. She had chosen the middle path in hopes that she might come across a clue or two along the way. It seemed rational at the time, but now the Benshira was beginning to doubt herself. Should she turn back now and try again tomorrow? She had already been walking for a good bell or two now and it would be too late to return to the city and begin anew. A lone traveler out in the woods past dark was a death sentence waiting to be carried out.

The sack of food in her hand bumped gently against her thigh. Oriah looked down at it with frustration. It had been a simple plan in her head the night before. Get some supplies, go to the outpost, and share a merry meal with the squire as she told him the good news. But a thousand little things had gone wrong along the way. First, she had woken up late and arrived at the markets with less than fresh wares to choose from. Which meant no mushrooms, of all things. Who knew they were such a popular commodity?

"Customer before just bought the last ounce," the seller had informed a crestfallen Benshira.

Oriah fretted with uncharacteristic anxiety. What was she to do? Bangors without mushrooms? Would Marrick even consider it an authentic dish? In the end, the produce seller had felt sorry for her, what with the way the lass was wringing her hands, and fished out a single shroom that had been partially stepped on.

"Couldn't sell it," he shrugged, "but you'd likely be able to find a handful out there in the woods that look just like this. Though personally I think yer crazy, lass. Winter is almost fully upon us. Yer more likely to die out there than cook this silly meal you've been goin' on about."

Oriah flushed furiously. It was not silly, it was important. For the news, and not so much for the food. But she was grateful nonetheless for his help and thanked the man for his troubles. Half-crushed mushroom in one hand, sack of food and herbs in the other, and everything else in between born on her back, the Benshira set out for the Mithryn outpost without so much as a backward glance. She had borrowed a shortbow, some arrows, and even a bit of light training armor for the occasion. I'll be fine, she reasoned.

Except she was not fine. Far from it. She now stood before a guzzling rush of water she could only assume was the Avitar River. But where the hai was the outpost?

That was when Oriah did the unthinkable. She strayed from the path. If she could just get to a hill or boulder or climbable tree--anything at all--the seasoned traveler reasoned, she might be able to see something in the distance to aid her search.

Some number of chimes later, she came across a decent looking tree. Its branches were low enough for her to climb and the tree itself was high enough to give her some advantage in sight. Tying everything to her pack and hanging it one of the branches, she planted her foot against bark and heaved herself up. The Benshira was by no means experienced with climbing--there was little enough of that to do out amongst the dunes--but the old tree had plenty of branches to step and hold onto.

By the time she reached the top, she was panting with effort, but the view was worth it. From her vantage point she could see the vast stretches of the Syliran Fields, bare now with the arrival of Winter but unmistakable all the same. The outpost had to be somewhere in that direction, she was sure of it! Oriah jounced on the branch a little in her excitement, overwhelmed with relief that she was no longer quite as lost.

Only to have her fine mood marred by the resounding crack! of the branch under her feet.

[Medhozic]

His luck was hitting lower and lower. The further he moved into the forest and the more dense the woodland became, the more frustrated he became at the forest itself that he couldn't find a single shred of food around. He'd hit a relative goldmine and lost it all before he could even catch it; now he was dealing with the backlash. Not a boar, not a doe, not a rabbit or a stoat or even a small, measly hedgehog. Nothing at all, a barren land filled with outstretched and scrawny trees looking almost malnourished in the way that they swayed haphazardly around him, and barely any greenery to give it sustenance or colour - just a bland dried grey and light brown that matched his hair, all around. There were a few chatters and flashes of movement high above from some squirrels but he ignored them entirely - too fast. And he could hear some twitters of mice and other tiny rodents about his feet, scurrying about in the residue of the fallen leaves and the few unmelted remains of snow and other debris - too small. Although his mind was beginning to rotate around the possibility of picking out one of the mice and using them as bait to trap some larger, carnivorous creature.. perhaps a small wolf or a hawk that he could draw close with the temptation of fresh meat. He was. Until he saw the answer to his prayers appear out of thin air as if it had always been. A deer. A real deer. Not even one of the small, feeble and malnourished creatures that were often the only sight about the Bronze Woods. It moved gracefully between the trees like a whisper, much more so than he.. and he was lucky that it was a fair distance away for that very reason. But it continued unhindered through the trees, gently pushing some away and with its short and branched horns snapping some carelessly with a push of his head to make way. Proud thing, it was. He nearly tripped over his own feet, much to his embarrassment, at the first notice and immediately had to turn and place one of the large and old oaks between it and him, heaving for breath and trying to calm down his thoughts and make sound, logical sense. Plan - yes. After settling, he crouched and drew out the short-bow that had been looped around his chest. It'd be little good to try and just take the deer down in the middle of the forest with a single shot all that he could afford, however. Skill in short-bows was still something that he needed more of to get it straight on the neck or the vital organs - lucky, it would have been, to even hit the thing at all from the range that he was forced to work with. He couldn't get a good line of sight between the trees and it was carefully moving along, so he could try and pick out a place to make the shot and wait for it to move by.. but it was still too risky. One miscalculation and it'd be off again, just like the rabbits, if he hit it at all then it'd still run off most likely. He needed to be calm, assess the situation.. the day was still young, wasn't it? He could follow it until the forest grounds thinned out and he'd be able to get close enough to guarantee a shot.. so that's what he did. Slowly, with the utmost caution and a crouched stance, he followed it with the bow drawn but the notched arrow pointed down to the ground and the bowstring left loose. From the looks of things, anyway, it was heading down towards the Avitar River. Probably for a drink. Thank you Syna.

[Oriah]

Oriah stifled a scream, clutching instead to peeling bark as an infant would the neck of its mother. With every tick that crawled by she could feel the crack widening and the wood beneath her feet begin to give. Slow and cautious, she reached one arm tentatively out to touch an adjacent branch. If she jumped, maybe she could hang onto the branch with her upperbody and make her descent from there. Assuming, that is, this one wasn't just as weak, and that the noise caused by its predecessor didn't attract any unwanted attention awaiting her at the base.

Crack. It was now or never. The Benshira took a breath to steady herself. Then she leaped, arms outstretched, legs pushing off against the doomed, arborial limb.

Except she had waited a moment too long and fell with the branch part of the way before trying to jump for next, costing her to come at least a foot short of her target. Oriah watched in suspended belief as her fingers grasped for empty air. She wiggled them a bit in vain, mind still reeling with incomprehension.

And then she was plummeting, arms and legs struggling to find purchase as her body crashed closer and closer to the hard, forest floor. Fortunately, the broken branch cleared part of the way and lodged itself between two of its brethren. She landed somewhere amongst them, sprawled, dazed, and stunned with pain. Groaning, Oriah tested her limbs one by one. Everything, praised be Yahal, was in working order. Next, she carefully began rolling onto her stomach, knees, and hands, trying her best not to upset the precarious balance that had saved her from an untimely death.

She sent showers of debris, twigs, and unseemly noise as she moved about, but in the end the girl was able to climb down in one piece, albeit with shaking, aching muscles. Oriah collapsed onto the ground in relief for all of five ticks before she realized she was still under the unstable branch. With some effort, she crawled out of harm's way and leaned against the trunk of the old tree, panting in exhaustion.

A loud set of splashes drew her attention upwards. It was a magnificent creature she knew not the name of, and it was fighting violently against some invisible foe.

The Benshira got up to her feet, swaying a little and using the tree for support as she squinted at the beast. What was it doing in the middle of the river, tossing its head wildly from side to side? She inched closer, wanting to see for herself what was causing it so much distress.

Once she was right up against the banks of the river, Oriah saw what was wrong. It must have fled from the terrible noise of the crashing branch--and human--and run straight into the icy water. From the looks of the creature's mostly immobilized body, she guessed its hooves had been sucked into slush-like mud at the bottom of the river, and the freezing temperature of the water must be taxing its muscles sorely.

A pang of guilt stabbed the girl in the chest. She had, after all, been part of the cause for this beast's suffering. Perhaps she could help free it as recompense. Looking around, Oriah began hunting for something that might help loosen the mud around its legs.

She sighed. There was no way she was going to make it to the outpost now...

[Medhozic]

Cautiously, he slipped closer. It was right in front of his face. He'd been following the deer the entire way from the depths of the forest towards the smaller streams, and finally over the Avitar River. Of course, he'd had to keep his distance though to avoid making his presence known. Stepping quietly over fallen logs and trying to avoid all of the debris that could make noise. But after its journey of almost twenty chimes of shadowing the animal, it'd come to a stop on the edge of the river and bent down for a drink. With the trees parting and some space gained, he could lean forwards in the protection of the thin bushes and draw up the short-bow to line up a shot on the animals back. And he'd been ready, too. It'd been perfect - the day had been mostly useless until the deer had come along. This was, as far as he was concerned, the last chance that he had for catching something by himself. And then something startled it high above, probably a bird or something, and just as the arrow was about to be released it set off immediately into the river. And with the melting snow and ice, the rivers had become slightly overfilled and more rapid than usual - the deer must not have noticed these things because it charged straight in out of fear, and he soon feared the worst - that'd it get rushed off straight down the river and be lost. His meal, just gone. It didn't even matter if it survived, it'd be on the other side of the river and off into the forest long before he'd be able to catch up with it. And if it died, he wasn't about to risk himself jumping into the ice-cold river just for a bit of drowned deer and he didn't see any other way of picking it out. Surprisingly, neither of those things happened. It was stuck under the mud that had congealed at the bottom of the river, adhering to its hooves and leaving it trapped and struggling, probably drowning by the heavy gasps. There wasn't any need for secrecy anymore - he simply stepped out slowly from the bushes with the bow still drawn at the ready, and pointed it down at the dying creature. It'd be a mercy to end it here, so he did. The arrow was released, and shot through its thrashing flank. It took breath for a scream but was dragged under at the same moment, filling its lungs with a mixture of blood and water. It continued struggling until two more arrows were shot through its body, one after another. It wasn't a peaceful death. But he couldn't get any closer, and he couldn't get a good aim while it thrashed around unpredictably in death throes. It'd do. He still couldn't fish it out though - he just stood there on the bank for a long time, staring down at the lost meal now left in the mud and the water, trapped just beyond reach. Wasted. There were three arrows still stuck in its body. His arrows, that he should have had. And meat, that he should have taken. It was rightfully his, he'd been so close.. but it was all gone now. Unless he could find something to drag it out. "Petch."

[Oriah]

Oriah was growing frantic as the beast trapped in the river continued it's desperate thrashing. She considered the branch that had just fallen, but was forced to shake her head and dismiss it. The thing was too large for her to handle, let alone somehow drag from somewhere atop a tree she felt less than eager to reclimb.

She was still staring up at the old, gnarled branches, face stricken with worry, when a twang of a bow stole her attention. The noise behind her suddenly died.

Eyes darting wildly, Oriah whirled around to find that the creature was now sinking into the rushing river. An arrow protruded from its neck and its thrashing had all but ceased.

No! the girl tried to cry, but her throat was stuck with shock and disbelief as she watched the animal sink to its watery death. It must have been doomed either way, because even almost fully submerged its legs remained stuck in place. Water continued to sweep over and around it, indifferent and unswayed in its headlong course. The once lovely beast was quiet and still, now. Just a dark blob of an impression, obscured by ripples and currents. What an awful, awful way to die.

A realization belatedly struck her. Cursing in her native tongue, the Benshira scanned the treeline around her for the culprit. She regretted not having possessed the foresight to bring a small buckler as well. Death by arrows had not been on her list of concerns at the time, which consisted mostly of getting eaten or ingesting a poisonous mushroom.

Oriah considered her options. She could run, but that would mean getting lost again. She could try and fight, but if the hunter was hidden and presumably armed with more than one arrow, she would lose before taking two steps in the right direction. And she needed to walk along the river, to get to the other side while using it as a guiding landmark. It was of utmost importance that she find the road again, lest she risk staying until nightfall and ensuring her own death.

Yahal watch over me. There was only one thing she could do.

The girl collected her belongings from the overhanging branch with slow, quiet movements. Then, hugging them close to her chest, walked out into the clearing by the river, eyes narrowed, heart racing.

"Whoever is there," she called out, using the least threatening tone she could muster in her troubled state. "I mean no harm. Just passing by..."

Oriah inched along the banks of the river, hoping the next thing she saw wouldn't be an arrow betwixt her eyes.

[Medhozic]

It took a few moments before he made a reply to the voice, but for once, he was actually pleased that somebody had their wits about them. Not like all of the other petching idiots that he'd crossed through the forest - the ones that decided to remain hidden, unseen and to face his anger when they sprung up from behind. After all, how was he ever supposed to know if they were dangerous or not? At least one had the courtesy to introduce themselves and assure him that he meant them no harm. And who was he to give her trouble if he meant none either. "I hear you, traveler. I mean no harm - only a hunter and his prey." He spoke calmly, although he still had the problem with the deer stuck in the middle of a river and no way to reach it. Perhaps if he had some rope.. but no, he didn't. Maybe the traveler did, but he'd be resting his hunting on her shoulders - trust that he'd never put in another, after all of his time in the forest and all of his hardships. Not even in the times of struggle with natures worst creatures, he'd never depended entirely on the help of another. It was always an offering, a possible alliance that could be broken as easily as made, since he had enough hunting skill to keep aloft regardless. "Please, reveal yourself so that I can see that you mean no harm." Just because she'd spoken out didn't mean that she couldn't be a threat. But he kept his short-bow hung down by his side and limp, at least. "And, I am afraid that I require your aid, if you are willing to give it. It seems my meal has fallen in the river." He gestured, from the edge of the river to the fallen deer, although he couldn't yet see where the traveler was. He tried it anyway. "If you could offer your assistance, I would be most.. grateful." He had to pick his words carefully here - he didn't want to end up owing some madwoman with the death of her husband, or some ridiculous herculean task. And he didn't want to end up sounding like a pompous little shyke who wanted something for nothing, otherwise she probably wouldn't help him. But all the while he spoke, the deer was beginning to drift a little. The mud wouldn't hold down that deer forever, and if he didn't move quickly and get the thing out of the water, it was going to be washed downstream. And out of the top of his head, he couldn't remember where the river ended up.. but he didn't really fancy having to lose his meal out in the middle of a lake, or anywhere worse. She needed to make a decision - and he needed to find something to stop that deer.

[Oriah]

Oriah found a small piece of relief in hearing the hunter answer back. He--for he indeed sounded like a man--seemed earnest enough in his explanations. Of all the likely scenarios with which she had imagined her horrible, grisly death out here in the Bronze Woods, this one was much more preferable. So long as the hunter was interested in having the creature trapped beneath the river for dinner and not her, things were already leaning infinitely more in her favor of returning to the city alive and in one piece.

When the hunter asked for her to reveal herself, Oriah balked a little. How would she achieve this? She had no idea where he was. Nor any true sense of where she was either, for that matter. Doing some quick thinking on her feet, the Benshira looked over to where the blob of an animal still swayed beneath the rushing currents and decided to move herself in front of it. If this mysterious hunter had been tracking his prey and was positioned close enough to shoot it clean, he had to be nearby with the river in sight.

Slowly, the girl walked along the banks until she was standing almost directly in front of the watery carcass. She frowned upon it for a moment, then looked away to scan the treelines once more.

"I'm in front of your prey, I believe," she called out. "And I am willing to help you retrieve it, if you would be so kind as to return the favor and direct me back to the city. I fear I've gotten myself a bit lost."

She was also itching to ask if he knew anything of mushrooms at all, and how in the world he had shot that beast and remained hidden so well. But she would be lucky enough if he helped her with just this simple request. For now, Oriah settled with waiting nervously by the banks, wondering who or what might greet her if the hunter revealed himself.

[Medhozic]

The Ethaefal remained in front of the catch too, and watched her from the opposite side of the river with cautious eyes, if not a little curious. "I can see that. You are very lucky, as am I; the catch needs to be taken to Syliras regardless and you are welcome to join." His words were all too formal - then again, it was the best he'd done with anyone. She should have been happy that he wasn't insulting her, although there was little to insult. She was polite, and not a Kelvic. What more was there to like? "We need to be quick." Even as he spoke, the deer was uprooting itself more and more, bobbing with the currents of the water and threatening to simply disappear downstream. They could wait for it to dislodge naturally and then catch it on the way down, but that would be far too risky - one miss and it'd be gone forever. If they found something to get it out now, if they missed then they could try and catch it further down. But what to get it out with? Tree branches wouldn't be able to actually lift it out - dislodge it maybe but he highly doubted that they would take all of the weight of a deer carcass unless they came across a very sturdy one, or several of them. "Do you have any ideas that would help." She might have some equipment that he didn't - all he had was his kopis for cutting down heavy foliage and animals, and a short-bow with arrows. Oh, and a bag with some flint in it for making a fire to cook the body parts, and then hold them until they could get back to Syliras. If they had a rope, they could try and find a way to get it onto the animal or around it and drag it to the side.. he could tie a knot on the end of an arrow and shoot it into the deers side, and then drag it towards the ledge of the river to pull it out. But he didn't have any rope.. so maybe he could find some rocks or cut down branches to dam up the water and give some more time? The deer suddenly shifted and seemed to almost pull free entirely of the mud.. but one of its legs was still stuck and it seemed to veer out before thrashing a little, almost like it was alive, as the water pushed on its body and the leg held it in place. Petch.. they didn't have long at all. Even less than he'd thought they did. "Hurry." If they didn't get the deer out, he'd have to go out and find another deer to hunt. And that'd mean the woman would have to wait a while before they could return to the city - he wasn't going to go back empty-handed now was he?

[Oriah]

Oriah tensed as the voice spoke again, but eased her shoulders down when the hunter accepted her proposal with cordiality. It was somewhere on the other side of the river, though she still wasn't able to pinpoint his exact location.

The urgency was clear. Pulled downstream by the current, the catch, as he had called it, was being tugged inch by inch out of the sluggish mud. Her mind churned away furiously when he asked if she had any ideas how to help. She had no rope and, being a Benshira without the faintest idea how to swim, wasn't keen on jumping into the water either.

Oriah was in the midst of pulling things out of her pack for ideas when the prey suddenly lurched up out of the water. She gasped and scrambled back, thinking it was still alive. But upon closer inspection, she was able to see that it wasn't, merely ripped free by the currents. The Benshira began rifling through her things again, working with cold fingers to pull out articles of clothing. Only one leg kept the carcass anchored now. They were almost out of time.

With deft, determined movements, Oriah tied piece by piece her spare Ramie clothing. There was a tunic, a pair of trousers, a sash, and bits of other things. Once she had something resembling rope, she took off her coat and boots and edged closer to the river. Yahal save me, she muttered under her breath. It was going to be cold.

"If I get this tied around the body," she called out to the hunter, "maybe we can drag it out. Or keep it from floating away. I will need help though, I don't think I'm strong enough to pull it out by myself."

The creature shifted a little more under the rushing waters. Wasting no time, Oriah slipped in, bracing herself against the current and shock of cold water. She would have to tread carefully, lest she too become mired in the gloopy mud. Fast as she could, the Benshira wrapped the length of cloth around the torso of the carcass, grimacing as she worked. It was a bit tricky getting it all the way around but in the end she managed to drag the end back out of the water and triple knot it at the top.

Teeth chattering and limbs shaking, Oriah waded back to the bank and dragged herself out with immense effort, holding onto the length of clothing as she did. It took a moment for her to recuperate, but fortunately only her lower half was wait and her arms were strong enough to at least keep a hold on the Ramie.

The girl shrugged on her coat with one hand wrapped around the Ramie rope, forcing herself not to think about how cold her feet were. She needed to keep her wits focused in case the animal became tugged completely free. Her makeshift rope was barely long enough to run around the catch, so she was forced to sit by the banks, gripping it for dear life. She could feel the waters dragging it farther and farther. It was only a matter of time.

"You have to find a way to cross the river!" she cried. "I don't think I will be able to stop it if it pulls free!"