Completed To the Forest and Back Again

[Faolan Lundgren]

Faolan Lundgren Take a walk in the forest. 33 Summer 514 AV Faolan dumped his saddle and other gear rather unceremoniously onto the deck of the ferry, ignoring the strange looks he got from the other people that were getting on as well. He hated riding a horse and he was hoping that Drifter had taken off so that he didn't have to deal with it anymore. Then again the horse did make traveling easier as it could carry supplies and travel faster than he could on foot. He had worked for a stable owner back home in Zeltiva and had been given the horse instead of wages, he hadn't been happy about that, but in the end it was probably for the best since he had left his home city shortly after and had needed the horse to keep up with the merchants. Looking over the side of the boat as it pulled away from the dock he marveled again at the speed that the craft could reach. His thoughts turned to his hunt instead and he relaxed as the boat cruised along. The idea of being back in the wild where he could breathe easily again made him smile. He sat thinking over such things as the breeze ruffled his cloak lightly. Another perk of getting away from the city, he would feel much more comfortable not wearing the cloak anymore. He primarily wore it to help hide his eyes, which were the feature that gave him away the easiest. With it being summer he was constantly sweating when he had it on and he looked forward to being able to feel the sun on his skin again without the fear of someone noticing his eyes hanging over his head. A few bells later he picked his stuff up and hauled it off the boat, trudging towards the area he had let the horse loose in. He had to stop every couple hundred feet to set it down and rest, which frustrated him. It would be much quicker to ditch the stuff and just take off walking for the area he had in mind, but in the end having Drifter would be much more efficient to get back with his haul of meat. Once he was a comfortable distance from the outpost he pulled the cloak off and stowed it in his bag, smiling as he almost instantly cooled off a few degrees. Tilting his face to the sky and closing his eyes he let out a long sigh at the feeling of the warm rays on his face. He figured it had to be well after lunch time by the time he reached the area he was looking for. Dumping the saddle and other items on the ground again he let out a shrill whistle that traveled for miles over the grassy plain he was now standing in. Sitting down next to the saddle he picked idly at the grass as he waited to see if the horse would show up. His mind ticked over what he needed to get done before darkness set in. He needed to set up the tent, find water, and either find something to eat or dip into the rations he had so carefully preserved from his trip from home. The sound of thundering hooves reached his ears just then and he stood up, eyes scanning his surroundings. In the distance the outline of a horse appeared and he whistled again to call the animal to him. Patting the horse's neck affectionately before saddling him and making sure everything was secure he was still trying to get over how the horse hadn't just taken off on it's own. Then again it had only been a few days since he had last seen the animal so how far could it really have gotten? Shaking his head he clamored up into the saddle and sat there for a minute making a face at how he had to ride Drifter instead of just walking on his own feet. He knew it was better to just get over his dislike of riding and do it because there was no way he could haul a bunch of meat back on his own, not enough to make it worth the trip anyway. Nudging the horse forward he turned them towards the forest he had in mind, it would take him a few tolls of the bells to get there but he hoped it would be worth it. Drifter carried him to a remote section of forest that he had spotted in the distance on his way into Ravok. His nostrils flared as he tried to determine how many people were in the area as he would have to adjust his hunting practices if there were too many. He smelled more than he had anticipated and frowned, knowing it had to do with the scarcity of meat in the city driving more hunters to different areas. Guiding the horse through the trees he headed deeper into the forest, wanting to get away from the other hunters. It took longer than he would have liked, but he eventually lost the scents of the others and traveled a little further just for good measure. The light was beginning to fade as he pulled the horse to a stop and slid out of the saddle with a grimace, he was rather stiff from the ride. Stretching for a moment with a soft groan he glanced around and nodded at his choice of campsite. It was in an area with no dense underbrush, that would accommodate the size of the tent, and he could hear the steady flow of water close by so he would have a water source. Pulling the tent from the saddle he began setting it up in the lowering light, humming softly to himself a lullaby his mother used to sing to him. It occurred to him just how much he missed her then and he closed his eyes for a moment with the tent still in his hands to try and will that emotion away. Getting back into his work he got the tent erected and the tarp strung over it to protect it from any rain. He pulled the saddle off of Drifter's back and set it in the tent, taking the bridle from the horse's head as well he looped the rope loosely around the animal's neck and tethered him to a tree. There was enough underbrush within reach to keep him well fed. Scouting the area he gathered up firewood before clearing a spot for a small fire, just enough for show should he need it. As darkness began to thread it's way through the trees he pulled his clothes off and tossed them into the tent with a smile, shifting his form to that of the wolf. Shaking out his fur he stretched all four legs before trotting around the perimeter of camp, working in widening circles to spread his scent to the area. Usually the smell of the wolf would keep unwanted pests and other natural predators at bay, now unnatural monsters that lurked about were another story. Once he was a good distance out he made his way back, knowing he would never find anything to hunt in the dark as prey animals had a tendency to hide. He would be up bright and early to begin the hunt though so he pushed his way into the tent before curling up on the bedroll with his nose tucked under his tail and dozed off. And smell the wild air.

[Faolan Lundgren]

Faolan Lundgren Take a walk in the forest. 34 Summer 514 AV Blue eyes opened just before the sun would begin to color the sky and the wolf would rise to stretch and shake his fur out again before venturing out into the pre-morning darkness. Dawn and dusk were the best times to hunt, or so he had always found to be true. It seemed that prey animals were most active during those times so that's when he did most of his hunting as he had the greatest chance of actually catching something. He had been hunting on and off since he was old enough to actually run prey down, but he still had some improving to do. More often than not he would either lose whatever he was chasing or he wouldn't pay attention to where he was going and run into something or trip, it took more skill to hunt than he had originally thought. He had assumed that because he was a wolf it would come naturally, he had assumed incorrectly. Drifter looked at him quietly from where he stood a few feet away and huffed uncomfortably at him. The horse had gotten used to the wolf but still didn't trust him, and probably never would as it was in the animal's nature to be wary of a predator. Tilting his head back he tested the air with his nose to try and pick up a scent. Getting a hint of rabbit he turned towards it and trotted along following the scent. As the scent got stronger he slowed down so as to not to startle the rabbit before he could pounce. Letting his body sink lower his ears twitched back and forth and all of his senses were on high alert. A small rustling of leaves caught his attention and he paused, his right paw lifted in the air. As he waited, perfectly still, the rabbit hopped out in front of him and paused as if it knew he was there suddenly. The rabbit looked directly at him and then bolted, he lunged forward after it, muscles propelling him forward rapidly. He charged after the small animal, completely focused on the chase, but the rabbit was much faster than he was and it disappeared into its hole. Faolan jumped on the hole, plunging both his front paws into it and starting to dig. He wanted the rabbit so bad that he tore apart the opening to the den. After a few moments he looked around, tongue hanging out as he panted, knowing that the rabbit was well out of his reach at this point. With his paws still resting in the destroyed entrance to the den he tilted his head back again to search for a new scent. He spent most of his morning this way, chasing after some small prey that always managed to get away. Growing frustrated he went back to camp and switched back to his human form, pulling on his pants and grabbing the fishing line and hook from his bag before untying Drifter's tether and heading down to the water. He figured if he couldn't catch the things he was hunting he might as well try his hand at fishing, after all his stomach was snarling at him. Looping the tether around a low hanging branch near the shore of the small river so the horse could drink and leisurely crop at the growth near the bank he searched for a good fishing spot. He located a nice big rock that stuck out into the water and perched on top of it with his legs crossed in front of him. Figuring out how to get the hook on the line took him a few minutes, his clumsy fingers making more work out of it than really necessary. Once he got it tied to the line he scooted closer to the edge and dropped the hook into the water, staring down at it with a pensive expression. He sat there for quite a while before he finally got a bite at the end of the line and he yanked the fish out of the water rapidly, catching it in his free hand. Pulling the hook free of the wriggling creature he didn't even think of cooking it before he tore into it, spitting out small bones as he ate. When he was done he smiled to himself, happy with a partially full stomach. Leaving his rock he lead Drifter back to camp and put the fishing items away and tossed his pants away again. Shifting back to the wolf he resumed his hunt, a little more patient about it now that he had something in his stomach. He was by no means full but he wasn't running on an empty stomach anymore and that made all the difference. Stalking the scent of deer he proceeded carefully so as not to spook them. From what he could tell from the scent and the trail through the underbrush he had found he was tracking at least five of them, if not more. Spotting them a few yards ahead his body lowered towards the ground and he watched them carefully to see if they had noticed him yet. When it was clear that they hadn't he crept closer until he knew he would be detected if he moved forward any further. Lunging forward the deer looked up and scattered but he focused on the smallest of the group and after darting through the trees after it for a few moments he finally locked his teeth on the deer's flank. Hearing it squeal in pain he tightened his hold and brought the animal down. Letting go he moved to the throat and clamped down to end the deer's suffering. As blood poured into his mouth and over his muzzle he felt the hunger come surging back. Tearing into the stomach of the animal he devoured his way through much of the soft tissue that met his teeth. Sitting back after a moment he licked some of the blood off his muzzle and figured that the rest of the meat would still be usable. Shifting back to his human form he picked up the carcass and slung it over his shoulders, not caring that it doused him in blood. Walking back to camp he dropped it by the empty fire pit and then trotted down to the river to rinse off in the cool water. He came back and pulled his pants back on, grabbing his hunting knife as well. Shoving the branches he had gathered into the fire pit he retrieved his fire starter and got a good smoky fire going. Kneeling over the body he pictured what he had seen some other hunters doing, skinning. He knew that none of the skin he would get from this trip would really be usable for anything other than carrying the meat back to Ravok, but maybe he could get a little bit for it. Working around the area that he had already torn open he used the knife to trim away the meat that he had destroyed in his feeding frenzy, setting it aside to get rid of later. Next he worked at cutting the skin to remove it from the body, his lines were crooked and sloppy but he eventually was able to strip the fur from the body, spreading it out on the ground near the fireso the fur was lying against the ground he scraped it clean. Looking down at the stripped body of meat before him he sighed and went to work cutting the usable meat from it, placing it on the rolled out fur. Cutting it into thin strips he stuck the pieces onto the end of some sticks and propped them in the dirt so the meat hung over the fire. He knew that he couldn't keep the meat fresh if he didn't smoke it, as far out as he was he wouldn't be able to prevent it from spoiling before he got it back to the city. Besides, smoking it not only helped keep it from spoiling but it added a little flavor. He had watched one of the merchants do this on his trip, he had asked about the process and the only response he had gotten was that it kept it fresher before he was told to bugger off and mind his own business. Once he was done he gathered all of the bits he didn't want and trekked back into the forest to dump them a good distance away. Returning to the river he washed himself off again and the knife as well before going to camp and checking on the meat. It wasn't cooked but it was smoked enough to keep the bugs and spoiling at bay. Placing it all inside the cleaned fur he rolled it up so that it was sealed inside. Burying it at the base of the tree that Drifter was tethered to he looked up at the sky to judge the time. Nodding to himself he pulled his pants off again and back into the woods he went. He managed to catch a squirrel and a rabbit on this trip and carried them back to camp where he sloppily skinned and dressed them before smoking them and adding them to the deer fur container he had made. As the sun set he put out the fire before curling back up in the tent and dozing off again as darkness enveloped the woods. And smell the wild air.

[Faolan Lundgren]

Faolan Lundgren Take a walk in the forest. 35 Summer 514 AV Just before Faolan would have usually woken up the sound of rustling made his ears jump forward and his eyes opened. Lifting his head his nose twitched as he took in the scent of the animal that was trying to dig up his kills. Leaping to his feet and charging from the tent with a snarl tearing from his muzzle he took the raccoon by surprise, managing to get his mouth around the animal's back and crunching down. The sound of snapping bones and a squeal of surprised pain came from the smaller animal. Shaking his head back and forth he effectively killed the raccoon via severing its spinal cord. Feeling rather proud of himself for having breakfast before he even had to go hunting he went ahead and ate his catch. Happy with himself he scooped up the remains in his mouth and trotted away from the camp and dumped it in an area where it wouldn't bring other scavengers into his campsite again. Licking the blood from his muzzle he then went to hunt in a different section than he did the previous day, hoping for another deer or some other big prey that he could take down. Trotting through the woods with his nose to the ground he stopped dead in his tracks as he came across the scent of a human hunter and he turned around and back tracked towards his own camp. The last thing he wanted was to run across another hunter. Making his way back to camp he headed out in yet another direction hoping to stay away from the hunters and find something he could get a hold of. Trotting along searching for a viable scent he paused as he came across the smell of deer again. Tracking them through the underbrush he found them near the river and remained still as he watched them, sizing them up and trying to determine which one he could actually catch. This particular herd seemed to be in pretty good shape and he wondered if he could actually catch any of them, but he was here to try and so he would. Launching himself forward he charged towards the group of deer and watched them scatter, wheeling around towards one that seemed slower than the rest his pads and nails gripped the ground turning him quickly so as to keep on the deer's heels. He ran after it for a few yards before he realized there was no way he could catch it on his own. Slowing down to a stop his tongue lolled out of his mouth as he panted and looked around. A few moments later his head was tilted to the breeze so as to catch another scent and he was disappointed to find that there wasn't anything that caught his attention. Huffing softly he turned and trotted back to camp where he changed back to his human form, pulled on his pants, grabbed his fishing gear, and lead Drifter down to the water again. Repeating the same thing he did the previous day he sat on his rock for a few bells as the time ticked by, watching the water float by and not catching any fish. Sighing heavily he went to get up just as a fish took the hook. He pulled it up and took the hook out, examining the small fish that didn't even cover his palm. Frowning he tossed it back in and brought Drifter with him back to camp. Putting away the fishing line and hook he gathered some more wood, piling it into the fire pit for use later when he hopefully had some more meat to smoke. Sitting next to the pit he watched Drifter crop at the underbrush and hoped that he would get a little more luck later in the day. He rubbed his face tiredly with a heavy sigh, he knew that it was necessary to work on his hunting skills if he planned to get any better but he was frustrated with his slow progress. Then again he figured that he had to start somewhere, everyone did. Taking a little breather he enjoyed the warm air on his skin and the quiet peace of the forest. Closing his eyes he breathed in the fresh air and took in the sounds of the trees around him, allowing nature to wrap herself around him and calm him. Once he felt more in touch with himself again he got rid of the pants and once again transformed into the wolf within, shaking his fur out and stretching before trotting back into the woods to try once again. This time he returned with a few smaller animals, a rabbit, a squirrel, and a small fox. These were stuffed into his mouth and he carried them to camp hanging out of his muzzle. Setting up as he had the previous day he focused on the skinning this time, wanting to try and get the lines a little cleaner. After all he might as well practice as he needed to be able to get to the meat anyway. Scraping the furs clean he laid them out near the fire so they could dry while the meat was smoking. Sitting back he watched the meat smoke and when it was done he rolled it up into the fur, digging up his cache he opened it up to check on it and nodded as he saw that it was all still looking good. Adding his new catch to the rest of it he struggled a little to get the deer hide to roll shut as it was getting too full. Shaking his head he realized he needed to have another deer catch to make this trip profitable enough to carry him through until his next trip. Two deer would be ideal actually. He had decided to stay a few more days to give himself a better chance at catching more deer and he looked up at the sky to judge the time. The sky would begin to darken soon so he shed his pants again before trotting back into the woods on four paws instead of two feet. This time he would find himself a group of deer with an injured buck in their midst. He observed the limping animal carefully before he charged in for the kill. The rest scattered and the buck attempted to as well but in this chase it never stood a chance. Going right for the throat the wolf made his kill and dragged the buck down to the ground. Making sure it was dead before he changed yet again into his human form he hauled the animal back to camp, having to stop several times as it was heavy. Skinning, cleaning, and dressing the animal he set it all up to smoke and dry as he munched on a few raw bits for himself. He contemplated how to part the antlers from the buck's head but couldn't seem to think of a good way. It seemed that using his knife to saw it off would just dull the blade so he forwent that. Sighing to himself he decided that the antlers weren't really worth the trouble and he gathered up the remains and took them off to dump them away from camp. When he returned he did the same as he had with the last one, rolling the smoked meat up inside the dry hide and burying it in a different spot so that he had two different caches in case something happened. As the light faded completely from the sky he put out the flickering fire with some dirt. Making his way into the tent he made himself comfortable, opting to not shift back to his wolf form on this night. He had done a lot of shifting today after all and another one would just make him hungry again. All he wanted to do was sleep right now, dealing with a growling stomach would not be how he wanted to spend his night. Curling up he went to sleep almost immediately, snoring lightly as he did. And smell the wild air.

[Faolan Lundgren]

Faolan Lundgren Take a walk in the forest. 36 Summer 514 AV Faolan woke up and rolled onto his back, staring at the dark ceiling of the tent which was rustling lightly in a faint breeze, he wondered at what he was doing. Hunting as a profession was still a new concept to him and he had always enjoyed it, but using it to make sure he was employed was different. It added a dynamic that he didn't particularly care for. Sighing heavily he ran his hands up into his dark hair and continued staring at the ceiling deep in thought about his future and what it could hold. He didn't think he would be staying in Ravok much longer, the itch to move on was already there, the urge to wander into the wilds was hard to keep at bay but he knew he shouldn't try to make a trek to another city by himself. It was risky enough being out here hunting by himself, to travel alone would be asking for trouble to arise. The thought of taking Leiyuu along cross his mind, but together they still wouldn't be able to survive on their own. That and she was much too young to risk venturing from the safety of the city, especially without a caravan to travel with. Shaking his head to dispel those thoughts he sat up and untangled his hair with his fingers, he didn't bother with the comb, and wouldn't until it was time to travel back to the city. He could figure out what to do in the near future, right now he needed to get back to his hunting if he was to have any chance of leaving Ravok anytime soon he would need the funding it provided. Shedding his pants he switched over to his wolf form and exited the tent into the lightening morning. Trotting away from camp in search of a viable scent he hoped for a little better day today to help keep his spirits up and keep his thoughts from wandering off to traveling. He meandered through the trees and underbrush for quite a while, searching for something that would be worth the effort to chase down. Stopping in his tracks after a while he just stood there staring into the trees, wondering why he had allowed himself to wander for so long without actively tracking anything he had come across. Shaking his head he put his nose to the ground and began actively searching the area for a scent he could use. Not coming up with anything bigger than a squirrel he made his way back to camp where he flopped down next to the fire pit and huffed in disappointment. It seemed he was having a tough time getting back into his usual hunting mindset today. Much as he did the previous day he laid in the sun and calmed his mind so that he could get in touch with nature, and the freedom that it offered. Yes, he was there to hunt and to make a living but he was still free and he was still in touch with the part of nature that he longed for whenever in the city. Things weren't so bad he just had to remember that this is where he felt most at ease, even if he was there to make a living. Feeling better he got up and shook out his fur, stretched, and then took off in a different direction hoping for better luck there. He did manage to catch a rabbit, which he then ate but it took him until midday to catch another one and carry it back to camp. He dumped it next to the fire pit and gave an exacerbated huff of impatience. As the day progressed he managed to catch a squirrel and some sort of bird that he'd never seen before. He added these to the rabbit which he knew he needed to get started on dressing soon, but he wanted to try for something bigger before he did so. As the light began to dim at the end of the day he started hunting for deer again. Intently tracking their scent and trail through the woods he hoped that he could manage to catch another before it got too dark. It was ideal to have at least three to take back, but more than that would be great. After all he had to make this trip count otherwise venturing out here would be meaningless and a waste of time. Finally coming upon them he studied them carefully before deciding on one that appeared older than the rest, and in his mind that made it the most likely target. Running into the group of deer he ran down the older deer easily enough, wrangling it to the ground and killing it within a few moments of his initial charge. Changing back to his human form he dragged the dead deer back to camp and retrieved his knife and pants. Pulling the pants on he went to work on the catch for the day, skinning the animals and pulling all the feathers off the bird before slicing up the meat and smoking it. He wasn't so sure about the bird so he smelled it and examined it carefully as he worked on it, uncertain as to what it was and if it was edible. Not liking the scent he decided it wasn't worth it and so tossed it into the pile of what he wasn't going to use. Leaning back on his elbows as the light left the woods he sat watching the fire smoke his catch. When it was ready he rolled the meat up in the skins and buried it in yet another spot. Deciding that he had enough of a haul to only spend half the day hunting tomorrow he led Drifter down to the water in the dark to clean himself up and hydrate them both. Once back to camp he put out the fire and made his way into the tent, lying down on the bedroll and closing his eyes. He laid there for a while just thinking over what he wanted to do once back in Ravok. He wasn't sure, perhaps he could meet some other people and go on some other adventures like he had with Leiyuu, or maybe he could meet up with her again. He would see where he ended up when he got back he supposed. Putting those thoughts out of his mind he drifted back to sleep. And smell the wild air.

[Faolan Lundgren]

Faolan Lundgren Take a walk in the forest. 37 Summer 514 AV Rolling onto his stomach Faolan groaned as he opened his eyes to the pre-dawn darkness. He laid there for a few moments, listening to the quiet of the forest. Getting up he stretched with another groan before making his way out into the fresh morning air. Taking Drifter down to the water he stood with the horse and looked out over the river as the morning light started to trickle through the trees. He had decided to go ahead and head back to the city today since he caught himself another deer yesterday. He would hunt down some breakfast and see if he could catch anything extra, but he wouldn't actively hunt down another big kill. Leading the horse back to the camp he went ahead and began taking down the tarp and tent, rolling up the bedroll and packing it all up with the saddle. He didn't dig up his caches, not wanting to do so just yet. He would save that for just before he set out. Laying the rest of his clothes and his bag over the saddle he dropped his pants and shifted to his wolf form before jogging off into the trees in search of breakfast. Tracking down a squirrel he made quick work of it but knew it wouldn't last him until he got back to the city so he kept searching as the light grew stronger in the trees. Managing to catch a rabbit next he munched on it before heading down to the river to rinse his breakfast off his muzzle. Making his way back to camp he changed back to his human form, pulled on his pants and then dug up his kill, setting it all together near Drifter's tree. Picking up the saddle with a grunt he managed to get it on the horse's back and got it tightened down. Once that was done he worked the meat into the saddlebags carefully so that it was evenly weighted on both sides to keep Drifter comfortable. Sliding the bridle onto the horse's head he undid the rope and stuck back in its place in the bags. Slinging his backpack over his shoulders he made sure to scatter his fire pit and double checked that he had everything. Climbing into the saddle he and Drifter started their journey back to Ravok. Not in much of a hurry they worked at a steady pace, leaving the trees and heading out over the plains. As Drifter carried him towards the city it suddenly occurred to him that it was going to be a chore to get everything back to the outpost if he was going to leave the horse where he had last time. Frowning to himself he sighed as he had to try and come up with a plan for what to do, he didn't particularly want to have to board the horse in the city, that would be more than he was willing to pay. He decided he would just sling the bags over his shoulders and carry the saddle. It would be heavy and would make it slow going, but he could do it with frequent stops. He would offload his meat at the designated place and then continue on to where he was staying. Once he got rid of the meat things would go much easier. He decided to go ahead and forgo putting his cloak back on when he got closer since he would just suffer more wearing it. The last thing he needed was to overheat and pass out while hauling his stuff back into the city. Riding Drifter much closer to the city than he had last time he slid off the horse and pulled off all the gear. Patting the horse's neck and talking to him for a few moments he sighed as got the horse to wander away from him, back towards the forest from which they had come. Groaning as looked at the load he'd have to carry he secured the saddle bags to himself and wrapped the bridle over the saddlehorn before picking the saddle up. It was too late to change his mind now so he started working his way forward towards the outpost. He had to stop much more frequently than before and it took a long time to get to the outpost. Setting his bags down so the guards could examine his catch he ran a hand through his hair as they talked to him about it. Once they passed him through he gathered up his stuff and dragged himself to the dock. He was more than exhausted, he felt like if he sat down he would never get back up at this point, his muscles were sore and shaky from hauling his kill all that way but he hoped it would be worth it. Once on the ferry he sat on his saddle with his back against the side and leaned his head back. He rested there for the entire trip to the city, eyes closed, mind drifting as he recouped some energy so he could get to where he needed to go. Lurching to his feet at the other side he grimaced as he lifted his haul up once more, making his way into the city rather unhappily but doing it nonetheless. And smell the wild air.