Solo Cloudy Day by the Sea (Part One)

[Turrin]

Turrin took off his armor and placed it back into the saddle bag. When he was finished, he secured his quiver to his back, his talon sword to waist, and grabbed his metal pot. Turrin walked down to the mouth of the river. There was plenty of rocks for him to bow fish on, so he would need to get wet. When he walked onto the sandy beach, he noticed the Syna started to light up the sky in different color tones and the clouds added a sense of peace to the Unforgiving. Turrin walked to the edge of the rocks and jumped onto the nearest dry rock by the shore. Looking at the river, it was slow enough by the ocean for the large rock not to get wet on the top. He didn't wanted to go further, so he took a fishing arrow from his quiver and placed it on his bowstring. The endal kept the arrow on the bowstring as he looked into the somewhat clear water. He could see a few weeds under the water and small minnows swimming with the current. Suddenly, he saw a large fish swim quickly past him, and he realized that he needed to get ready for the next fish.

Getting into his stance, Turrin pulled back his bowstring and aimed the metal tip of the arrow into the water. The arrow was barbed, so the fish couldn't get away, and he twenty foot twine to the shaft of his bow, so he could pull the fish back to him. Turrin kept the bow in the ready position as he scanned the bottom of the river for any types of fish. Suddenly, he saw a fish swimming slowly past him, so he moved the metal tip of the arrow along with the fish's movements and released bowstring. The arrow shot straight into the water, but when it reemerged the arrow was without a fish. Pulling in the arrow with the twine, Turrin shook the excess water off the feather of arrow. Getting back into his horizontal stance with the sides of his feet pointing towards the water. Turrin placed the arrow back on the bowstring and started to watch the water for any kind of movement underneath it.

Ten chimes past with no signs of fish activity, but suddenly, Turrin saw a fish about a foot long swim about seven feet from his rock. Lifting his short bow to take aim at the fish, Turrin lined up the point of the arrow with the silver side of the fish. The fish seemed to be shielding itself from the current behind another rock. Turrin smiled to himself because he wasn't going to get a better shot. Pulling back the bowstring to his cheek, he readjusted his shot back to the middle of the fish. Taking a shallow breath, Turrin released the arrow on the exhale. The arrow streaked into the water and into the side of the fish. There was a release of blood from the wound and the fish and arrow floated to the surface. Turrin pulled in the fish and noticed it was fat fish with large scales on it's side. It had large eyes and a mouth on the bottom of it's head. The endal thought it might be a carp, but he wasn't sure. He figured it was decent sized fish, and Aponivi would definitely eat it. Turrin put the fish on the rocky shore and pulled the arrow through the fish by the arrow head. Washing the blood of his hands and arrow in the river, Turrin looked at the fat carp and smiled at his successful catch.

[Turrin]

Turrin decided to take another try at catching a fish for himself. Leaving the used arrow on the shoreline, Turrin jumped back on the rock and retrieved another arrow from his quiver and tied it to the twine line connected to the shaft of the bow. Placing the arrow on the bowstring, Turrin lifted the short bow till the arrow was lined up with the water. Turrin watched the water for any signs of fish moment. It took him ten chimes until another fish appeared swimming away from him. The endal pulled back the bowstring to his cheek and aimed at the back of fish. Turrin did his best to lead the fish, but he needed to take his shot otherwise he will miss his chance. Taking a shallow breath, Turrin released the bowstring on the exhale. The arrow sailed through the air and into the water about ten feet away from him. When it reemerged the arrow had no fish, so he decided to call it a night.

Suddenly, Turrin a rustling in the bushes on the other side of the river and saw a large brown bear emerge from the thicket. The Myrian's eyes widened in terror, and he fought the reflex to go for a arrow to defend him, but he changed his mind since the bear wasn't even looking at him. Luckily the river was about twenty five feet across, so he would have time to get away if it started to chase him.Turrin started to slowly pull in his line hoping the large bear didn't notice him. The endal's golden eyes never left the bear as it approached the shoreline across from him.

Quietly, Turrin slowly stepped off the rock onto the shoreline and crouched behind some tall grass growing out from under a large rock. Turrin could feel his heart start to race as he fumbled with the knot tied around the arrow and the shaft of the bow. Turrin looked through the grass and the large bear was sniffing the air. Turrin immediately thought to himself with fear in his mind, Shyke...shyke...shyke! When he got his fishing equipment back into quiver, Turrin knew that he needed water too, but he wasn't going to risk it with a bear in the vicinity.

On his hands and knees, Turrin crawled to stay below the top of the grass. The Endal looked through the grass at the bear, and he could see the bear was preoccupied with the fish in the river. Turrin reached out from behind the grass and grabbed the tail of the fish and pulled it to him. When he had the fish, he grabbed the iron pot a pulled it to him. It was bad idea because the sound of metal sliding on rocks alerted the bear. Turrin grimaced and looked over at the brown bear. The bear was now standing on his hind legs trying to get a better few of the area. When the brown bear stood on his hind legs the bear must have been about eight feet tall. Turrin thought to himself, Oh hai no! I am not fight that monster!

The endal gripped the pot and stood up from out from the grass with the fish and pot in his hands. It saw him! The bear turned in his direction, roared in his direction, and dropped back to his four legs. The myrian started to back up slowly when the bear made threatening move towards him for about five feet into the river, stopped in his tracks, and roared at him again. Turrin knew if the brown bear started to chase him. He would have a chance to get away because he would have to get across the river. The endal would be long gone by the time the bear made it to his side of the river.

[Turrin]

Turrin backed up to the edge of the forest, and the bear seemed to be fine with him retreating back into the woods. Once he turned his back on the bear, he quickened his pace back to camp. By the time, he made it back to camp, it was already turning into dusk. Turrin decided since Aponivi was going to fish tomorrow. He should have the fish instead of him. Turrin walked up to the great eagle and said out loud, “I was going to catch a fish for me, but I was chased off by a bear.”

Aponivi gave him a look and respond mentally with some concern, Did the bear follow you?

Turrin placed the carp in front of Aponivi, shook his head, and said to Aponivi, “No, he seemed to concerned with protecting his fishing hole. I couldn't blame him because there was quite a bit a fish by the ocean. Enjoy your fish, I need to get some water and start a fire. Be right back.”

Turrin walked back to the path by the river and noticed a trail through the berry bushes leading down to the river. He figured that he was far enough from the bear to not have to worry. When he got to the shore, he noticed a metal stake pounded into one of the rocks. He looked at it curiously, and he wondered if someone could tie a canoe to it. Walking on top of a rock away from the shore, he figured the flowing water would be cleaner than the almost motionless water by the shore. Dipping the pot in the flowing water, he waited till the pot was full to pull it out of the water. When he got the water, he walked his pot back to camp. Setting the pot next to the fire pit, Turrin went to wood pile and grabbed a thin branch and started to break it apart with his hands and feet. When he got a small pile of kindling ready, the endal grabbed three logs and walked them to the campfire. Turrin placed the logs in the pit and made a small cone shape with the logs. When he went to grab the kindling, he saw his cone fell over in the pit. Turrin rearranged the logs back in the cone shape and started to put the small branches covered in brown pine needles into the cone.

[Turrin]

Standing up, Turrin looked around for tinder, and he noticed there was dry pine cones scattered on the ground. Turrin picked up a handful and placed them inside the cone. Grabbing his flint and steal out of the saddle bag, the endal walked to his cone, knelt down, and struck the flint and steal inside the cone. When he got a few sparks, the pine needles started to ignite first, so Turrin slowly started to blow air onto the tinder. The fire quickly spread to more pine needles and eventually got hot enough to ignite the pine cones. Turrin took a step back and watched his fire start to spread inside the cone until it enveloped the everything in the fire pit. Turrin started moving more of his fire closer to firewood closer to the fire. When he was finished, he packed everything into his saddle bags except his talon sword that he kept on his waist. Tosses his bed roll into his tent, he sat down next to fire. Behind him, he heard Aponivi move closer to him and the fire.

Turrin said out loud to Aponivi, “I will take first watch tonight since you must be exhausted from the flight. Could you wake me up about a hour before sunrise? I want to see if I can catch the large rodent badger thingy before it goes to sleep for the day.”

Aponivi set his head on the ground next him and replied in his mind, Yes when you leave for your badger. I will go fishing for Tuna. Good luck to you, Turrin.

Turrin patted the eagles head and leaned up against him. A few bells past, and Turrin waited till there was more coals in the pit to boil the water. Eventually, the water started to boil when the iron started to glow red from the heat. Turrin used a thick log to move it off to the side away from the fire to cool. When the pot of water was out of the way, he tossed a few more logs onto the fire to increase the light in the camp. Aponivi was fast asleep. A bell later, Turrin started to add less wood and the coals were burning white in the middle of the fire pit. Turrin tapped the side of pot with his finger and noticed it was cool enough to pick up. Turrin grabbed his water-skin and dipped it into the warm water. When it was filled up, he started to drink it and ate his iron rations throughout the night till he got tired. Filling the water-skin one last time from the pot, he put the water-skin in the saddle bag and went to bed in his tent allowing the coals of the fire to die on there own.

[Zhol]

GRADE AWARDED!

Turrin

 

Rewards

Experience

• +1 Acrobatics
• +2 Fishing
• +2 Hunting
• +1 Land Navigation
• +4 Observation
• +1 Planning
• +2 Riding (Wind Eagle)
• +3 Tracking
• +2 Weapon (shortbow)
• +3 Wilderness Survival

Lores

• Navigation from the air
• Jumping to dry rocks
• Barely getting away (from a bear)
• Animal: Badger
• Animal: Carp
• Animal: Brown Bear
• Bow: Barbed arrows for fishing
• Bow: Arrow on a string
• Bow: Underwater moving targets
• Bow: Waiting for a better shot
• Novice Mistake: Aiming for a gap in the clouds and missing
• Novice Mistake: Getting in the way of a falling tree
• Tracking: Bear
• Tracking: Using your nose as well as your eyes
• Tracking: Looking for your prey's food source
• Tracking: Waiting for prey where you know it will eventually be
• Wilderness Survival: Felling trees for firewood
• Wilderness Survival: Pine cones as kindling

Other Rewards

• None

 

Consequences

Injuries

• None (phew!)

Expenses

• None

 

Comments

Feedback
A lot of good detail in your flying at the beginning. I love looking out of plane windows and watching the cloud layer, and you conjured that up nicely. Showing that Turrin is a novice flier by missing the gap in the cloud cover was a nice touch, though I would have preferred a little more detail of what it felt like being in there: was it cold, was Turrin worried, was it disconcerting not being able to see for those few seconds, etc.

Nice little bit of CSI work with the half eaten fish, using the smell to help work out if the tracks are fresh; using the presence of berries to help track the deer; and knowing where the badger was going to be, and waiting out an ambush. I liked seeing Turrin using the knowledge he's previously gained lores for (boiling water, checking scat, etc) as well, and again you had some nice emphasis of your low skills. Something to consider for the future: at the campgrounds on the Synikas Road (described in the location description), they have a supply of dried horse droppings to use as fuel, since the Inarta use wood very sparingly - might be something to consider for a future trip.

Really great job on the archery fishing. You did a great job of describing how the process worked, and emphasising how tricky it was. Letting the first fish go so you could wait for a better shot on the next one was a nice touch. The bear was an unexpected surprise! Good job - looking forward to part two.

Please delete/edit your grade request, and don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions about your grade!

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