PM to join Ebony Eyes and Empty Stomachs (Shakune)

[Kechaiya]

Timestamp: Fall 27, 514 Location: Woods just outside of the city Time of Day: Around the 7th Bell Kechaiya was awakened to the sound of her stomach grumbling. She hadn't had anything substantial to eat in a few days now. The entire city was running low on food, and it was going to get worse before it got better. If she wanted food, she was going to have to go outside of the city to find it. She did not know how to hunt, but she knew what plants were safe to eat. Getting up, getting dressed, she prepared her supplies for going out of the city. She put her herbalism, healer's, and sewing kit into her pack. In addition to that, she added her waterskin and her empty sacks. To the outside of her pack, she strapped her half-hatchet, splitting axe, and her chopping axe. Finally, she placed her dagger in the waist of skirt. She threw her cloak on, put her hood up, and put her pack on her back. She slipped out of her apartment, glancing around the street for any threats. When food became more scarce, crime would rise. She didn't need to be robbed today, that was for sure. She stuck to walls, kept her head down, her eyes checking every corner she came upon, watching every other person she came upon carefully. Eventually she made her way to the edge of the city, when she came upon something quite problematic. There was a small gang of men patrolling just between the informal city bounds and the tree line of the woods. Kechaiya crept into a deep shadow, to watch and wait, and hopefully not be seen. There were at least six of them, armed to varying degrees, and likely more that she couldn't see. If she wanted to get into the woods, if she wanted food. She'd have to find a way past them.

[Shakune]

The little brown and white dog bounded delightedly, yapping and sniffing so enthusiastically that the wooded area Shakune stood in echoed his snuffles and barks. ”There’s such a thing as subtlety, y’know.” She muttered under her breath, then smirked to herself. As if I know of such a thing.

She followed the scurrying dog, black eyes on his rough coated form as he bounded above and around trees, rocks and piles of leaves. He was not exactly a proficient hunter yet, but Shakune had witnessed Squidgle killing a rat in her apartment twice, and had received the three other mauled carcasses he’d delivered to her bedside on other occasions. He had the killer instinct, he just lacked the – finesse.

It was as rare day away from the city, and an even rarer day off for the half-breed. She usually detested such quiet days, where she would have nothing to do and be irritably bored by midday. But given the impending doom of starvation and lack of food, Shakune found herself lumbered with the task of training her hound – lovable though he was – to become a lean, mean, hunting dog that would chase down rabbits and tug them from their underground homes. ”Squidgle, stop eating shit.”

The training, needless to say, was not going well.

With a sharp whistle, she caught Squidgle’s attention and began to lead the dog back to the city. ”Come on, you.” Fondness encapsulated her words, and Shakune stooped down to brush her fingertips across her little dog’s back as he dashed passed her ankles. ”You’re a useless hunter, so we might as well head back.”

The two strolled towards the city, Squidgle trotting beside his master, tongue lolling out and tail wagging. Shakune halted suddenly when she saw a group of men sauntering near the edges of the city. They had not been there when she left a bell earlier, and their sudden appearance made her wary. Perhaps they were toll-men, already driven to the point of disguised robbery to provide for their family. She and Squidgle had not caught anything, but it was unlikely the men would let the two pass without some degree of threat.

She stood observing the men for two or so chimes, whilst Squidgle snuffled around her feet and eventually lay down. After weighing up the likelihood of being hassled (quite likely), and the likelihood of her actually giving a shyke (very, very unlikely), Shakune marched onwards.

She stopped sharply once more, her heart leaping to her throat and her stomach clenching. Squidgle glanced up to her, confused and worried for his master.

”Black eyes.”

She spoke in Tawna; a language she barely used now, and the foreign words made Squidgle tilt his head in response. ”Chaktawen.” A grin broke out across Shakune’s face, and she strode towards the familiar-looking woman, no longer paying the group of armed men any attention. Just let them try and stop her.

”I have not seen you before.” Shakune spoke loudly, to catch the other woman’s attention, ”and I feel I would have noticed you, if I did.” She grinned, sticking out a hand in a gesture of instant friendliness and welcoming. Strangers were always exciting, not least one with eyes like hers.

oocSorry for the delay!

[Kechaiya]

Kechaiya was studying the men between her and the woods. They didn't seem to be taking their posts too seriously. They were probably underlings of some gang or other, ordered to mug people coming or going into town. She had no intentions of direct confrontation with them. That would just get her killed, as a best case scenario. She hadn't the slightest idea as to how to get through, she wasn't sneaking through, and going around just wasn't an option, for there was no guarantee that anywhere else was any less guarded. And moving through town was a nightmare these days. Then she heard a woman speaking Tawna. Kechaiya turned her head, a more than obvious look of surprise on her face, to see a fellow ebony eyed individual. Standing up fully, Kechaiya took this time to speak in Tawna, which brought her a lot of relief, considering it was such a rarity outside of swearing. "There are very few of our brothers and sisters that come to this town. It is quite nice to meet one, it's been many seasons." She gently shook the woman's hand, finding the gesture oddly foreign. She'd honestly expected something more... personal. Men shouting forced her to look back out to the woods, seeing one of them pointing at the two women. Kechaiya cursed, which loosely translated to something similar to having hot sand between one's buttocks. The men began running toward them, in Tawna once more, "Run?" Kech turned and took off sprinting down the alley, hoping her companion would join her. She reached the end of the alley, took a quick glance left, then right, and then ran left. She continued along, pumping her arms, breath already growing shorter, when she saw what looked to be an abandoned building ahead, judging by the dilapidated wall and massive chunk of roof missing. She ran over to it, and hopped up about knee height on the wooden rubble. Her footing shifted to the left, and her balance was thrown, tipping her forward. She slammed straight down into the wood, jarring her right arm painfully. She pushed herself up, and ran over into one of the darker corners, and laid in wait, hoping the men hadn't seen her disappearing within.

[Shakune]

The language of Tawna sat uncomfortably in Shakune's ears as she listened to her companion. It had been many years since she had heard and spoken the language, and the lexical differences between Tawna and Common were somewhat lost on her. She would not, for example, consider entitling others of the Chaktawen race as her 'brothers and sisters', as this female had just done. It was probably quite common amongst her people, though.

It was the promise of running that instantly lightened Shakune's mood. With a grin, she nodded and followed her companion in hot pursuit after dropping Squidgle to the ground. Her feet battered against the cobbled streets, arms swinging backwards and forwards as she pushed herself into a sprint. Her footsteps were uneven, and Shakune stumbled several times as she followed the other woman. Long arms and legs flailed so clumsily that any onlooker would easily recognise that Shakune was not a frequent runner. Squidgle, however, scurried beside his mistress with complete ease. The small dog leapt energetically up ahead and burrowed his nose deep in a pile of something that looked suspiciously like faeces. Shakune paused, chest heaving desperately, to scold him. By the time she had dragged Squidgle off his pile of treasures, she had completely lost sight of the other Chaktawen.

"Shyke!" The curse escaped her lips in a growl, and Squidgel whined guilty beside his mistress. "Come on, you. I think she went this way."

Woman and dog set off running again, but her previous break had filled Shakune's lungs with frosty cold air. She had to stop frequently to gasp for air and cough. At the end of what seemed like the twentieth alley (but was more likely to be the third or fourth), Shakune half-collapsed against a wall. Her muscles burnt, her chest ached and her eyes streamed from the cold. Her black eyes shifted left and right, taking in the bleak light of each alleyway. The chance of her finding the woman was slim, if not completely nought.

With a grunt, Shakune set off towards the closest tavern. She could get drunk far better than she could run.

[Jashkataal]

“Heroes know that things must happen when it is time for them to happen. A quest may not simply be abandoned; unicorns may go unrescued for a long time, but not forever; a happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story.” ― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn

 

Shakune

Experience

• Animal Husbandry +2
• Observation +2
• Running +1
• Socialization +2

Lores

• Location: Woods just outside the city (Sunberth)
• Remembering the sound of Tawna
• Squidgle likes poop

Miscellaneous

• I would point out the way your ledger is formatted currently it will become unreadable at some point. Might consider a something different.

Sorry to see the thread abruptly end, looking forward to more Squidgle adventures. Well done.

If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to send a PM. Please remember to delete your grade request. The pleasure was all mine.

Regards,
~Jashkataal