[Quest] A Simple Game of Cat and Hunter (Closed)

by **Kulde** on February 18th, 2011, 2:10 pm

Kulde noticed how the red haired guy behaved around Keriay. His casual tone and his obvious attraction to the girl. Most of all, how Keriay reacted to the guy. It made something boil within the young hunter. Red rings of rage pulsating in his normally cold eyes as he looked at the two. Feeling a strong desire to shoot the Inarta where he stood. Or better yet, strangle the very essence of life from the guy. The lead hunter Keriay turned his mind away from these thoughts. As she explained that they were using a buddy system. Which probably meant she would partner the lesser hunters with the absolutely terrible hunters. Which meant Kulde would be walking around with dead weight. He only hoped he would get someone who at least knew how to keep quiet and stay out of trouble.

Few moments later, Kulde reconsidered going on the hunt. Kulde wasn't sure if he could handle going out on a hunt with someone he considered an airhead and that he felt a strong, very strong, urge to kill. But Kulde stayed. Feeling the need to go out on this hunt and prove himself. Perhaps plant an arrow in the back of the redhead. Kulde calmed himself down. Trying to remember his joy of hunting. But then he recalled one of the things he enjoyed about hunting was the solitude he found out there. Not the presence of a - Kulde's mind cut him short as the guy was suddenly standing before him. Introducing himself. Kulde resisted the urge to slug the guy in the face.

"I am."

His voice coarse from not having been used for a long time. He couldn't even recall having spoken that day. But they didn't have time for long introductions, for then they were off. To Kulde's joy. He had slowly been losing the will to resist slugging the guy. Kulde remained close to the guy, since they were 'buddies' and as such, he would have to keep an eye on the guy. Even though he forgot what place he was supposed to be at, Kulde stayed with the guy. Close to Keriay. Who Kulde played with in his thoughts.

These thoughts kept Kulde warm as he trudged along with all the other hunters. Trying to keep an eye out for any large figures moving around or any howls that could be heard above the howl of the wind.

by **Cheshire** on February 24th, 2011, 5:31 pm

It suprised Keriay a little bit to see the small girl so brave at the front of the line. "Its good to see you are with is then!" She looked over the girl with a skeptical eye and noticed with a bit of worry that the girl did not have any weapons. "Sage, do you have a weapon? It will get messy out there without one. Even unarmed combat might get a bit tricky without a weapon." She pulled her bag around and pulled a small dagger from it's depths. "Here, it is not much but I fear if I give you something bigger it might be to difficult to wield." Keriay would have to keep an eye on Sage but she thought about it in a positive way. The girl would get some practice in the wilds of Taldera. Hopefully the next time they were out the girl would be even better at combating the dangers that hid in the snow.

As the group walked forward it slowly became harder to see around them. The snow whipped around them, stinging their faces and pulling hard on their clothing. "Keep your wits about you troops. The cats could be anywhere." Keriay closed her eyes and listened to the wind around her. Everything around seemed quiet enough. A few snow hare scampered through the snow, making Keriay jump. The hare in Taldera were not like the ones in other parts of Mizahar. They were the size of a large dog. The rabbits rarely caused trouble reguardless of their size. There was something suspicious about them though. Their black tails were straight up in the air, a warning to the other hare in the area to run.

"Let's set up camp for a few bells. We are going to need to figure out each other's weaknesses and strengths while we are out here." Keriay pulled a tent from her pack and started to unroll it. "Can I get some help?" The wind pelted against her face. "The tent should be able to hold all of us. Thankfully some of us are smaller than others."

Once the tent was set up the group climbed inside. "I know it is not as warm as one would hope but at least we don't have the snow blowing in our faces now." Keriay gave a small smile to the rest of the group and began to wipe off Sienna's fur with a blanket. "So, lets all get to know each other. Aamu, you start and we will go around in a circle from you." Keriay patted her lap as Sienna trotted away from her and settled down next to Kulde. "That girl just can't keep from the guys..." She shook her head and sat up straight. "Well, I am Keriay Frostfawn. I am a Vantha hunter for Frostfawn hold. I have been hunting with Sienna, my dog for a couple years now. I am skilled in swordsmanship and hunting of course." She then motioned to Aamu. "Your turn."
OOCJust introduce yourself in the posting order please

by **Kulde** on April 13th, 2011, 12:02 am

NoteBeen well over a week since Cheshire's PM, so I am gonna go ahead and ignore the posting order.

The cold hunter scanned the area around the group. Still searching for any signs of animals circling them. He spotted the hares too. Noticing their behavior and immediately held his spear tighter. Looking around for other predators in the area than the group of hunters. Looking to their fearless leader and hearing her orders.

'Set up camp?'

Surprise colored the eyes of the young hunter.

'She must think it was us who caused the alarm in the hares... Still. Set up camp?'

Kulde felt it was strange to set up a camp, but he didn't voice his concern. She was a far more experienced hunter than him, so she knew what she was doing. Kulde climbed into the tent and sat down next to Aamu. Soon finding another female close by, one that Kulde was very pleased to see. His left hand reached out and scratches the wonderful dog behind the ears as a steady warm mix of yellow and green colors pulsated through his eyes. A rare smile crossed his lips. He really loved the simplicity of animals.

He listened to Keriya introduce herself to the non-Frostfawns in the group and also introduce her dog, who Kulde immediately acknowledged again by patting it on its strong neck. He didn't hear what Aamu said, nor did he realize if she had said anything at all. He just knew some time had passed and it was probably his turn to speak.

"Kulde Frostfawn - Vantha hunter. Skilled in the shortbow."

That was all he said. Before looking to the next in the circle. To indicate he was done talking about himself.

by **Fenilen** on April 23rd, 2011, 10:27 pm

The cold was, to put it bluntly, something Fenilen was used to. With his Katinu pulled around him, he trudged through the snow like every one of the dedicated Vantha around him, ignoring the fact that the icy particle whipped at his exposed, red face. Years spent on Wind Reach had made him accustomed to both the blazing heat of the volcano and the painful cold of the outside, and while he definitely preferred the former to the latter, he was familiar with the latter a little more than he would care to admit. Something he was not familiar with, though, and something that quickly presented it to himself as an issue was the fact that they had to pitch a tent. How in the hell did you pitch a tent? Fenilen scratched his cheek rather than his head, as that would require pulling down his precious hood, and stared blankly at the contraption before him. All he could really do to aid in its construction was hold something whenever he was commanded. He was fortunate that the others were learned enough in such things. Had they not been, this would no doubt end with him dead in a forlorn, snow-filled wilderness.

As soon as the tent was up, Fenilen filed inside the tent, plopping himself down farthest away from the flaps, the portal that allowed all of the cold to enter the tent. A quick shake of his head after his hood was lowered flipped his hair left and right. Thin arms, locked within his katinu, folded across his chest, and he hunched over forwards, making himself as small as possible to preserve the heat that was so precious. He could feel the warmth assailing him on all sides from the people around him, and welcomed it freely, even moving closer to Keriay to bask in it just a little more. When she began to speak, he processed the words methodically, and after deciding there was little of importance other than speaking order and her own skills, fell silent. Something bizarre happened, though.

As far as Fenilen knew, the man with which he had been paired was named Kulde, not Aamu. A quick glance at Keriay's face confirmed that, as she was in fact looking at a woman not near him in the circle around the tent, not the man that sat beside him. Either way, Fenilen could feel the eyes of the circle fall upon him, indicating that it was-- in fact-- his turn to share, now. It would appear that going out of order was customary amongst Vantha hunting parties. Curious. Either way, Fenilen had now been put on the spot by this sudden change in speaking order, and it showed in the look of slight horror and confusion in his face. Quickly, he blurted out a few sentences, opting for something shorter, similar to the man whom had just spoken. "I am Fenilen, from the mountain of Wind Reach, an Avora. I work glass. I also can use a sword and my bow," after these few hasty sentences, he fell silent, hunching over again, not even bothering to follow the flow of the conversation with his green eyes. All that mattered to him now was gathering as much warmth and strength as possible for the journey that lay before them.

by **Cheshire** on May 17th, 2011, 11:55 pm

OOCI'm gonna speed this up so we can get through with this. Sorry to have a cat burst in on us like this.
The beasts of the Reaches did not care about the weapons the hunters held nor the fact that they had a guest from Wind Reach at their side. What they cared for was prey and the ability to feed their starving young. Winter was always the hardest in Taldera. Food was always scarce and what could be hunted usually was. There were humans dwelling with them now. They would make a wonderful dinner for the cubs of the leopard who was now prowling through the snow. As she walked the ground seemed to bow out to her paws, leaving deep indents in their wake. She breathed slowly as her hunger clawed at her stomach. A weak sniff at the air hinted at hare but more importantly, people. They tended to be a bit stringy but they were closer than the hare.

As the hunters talked Keriay listened to the sound of the wind howling outside. Any noise could hint at a creature stepping closer to them. She was still young though. She did not know everything that the older hunters knew. Quietly she spoke after the Inarta. "Keriay Frostfawn, hunter, skilled in-" Her words were cut short at the sound of a hushed growl. Her eyes burst into a flurry of color. "Get ready now. The cats are here." Her voice was hushed and urgent but it did not matter. The leopard outside of the tent could hear much better than she thought. One's ears had to be very attentive when battling against the roaring Talderian winds. Pulling her knife from her side she slashed a hole in the side of the tent, motioning for the others to move out. They only had a few chimes before a large paw collided with the side of the tent.

Standing before the hunters was a cat larger than Fenilen had ever seen. The cats of Kalea did not get this big except for maybe a few stragglers from Taldera. Kulde would know of the dire size but his fear was up to him. The leopard stared them down, dwarfing the three hunters with it's massive size. If any of them had come in contact with a normal leopard they could see this one was twice the size. It did not wait for a move from the group. Instead, it let forward, pinning Fenilen down with a massive paw. The claws that adorned the beast's paw were thankfully on either side of the Inarta's body, leaving him unpunctured. The fangs were a whole other issue entirely. Then stood suspended over his face, dripping with hunger at his warmth. The Inarta would make a wonderful meal for her kits.

Looking over to Kulde, Keriay ran forward, her sword flying from it's sheath. The beast would be hard to take down but she could not lose the Inarta. Any Endal were the last thing the city needed. A blade slashed at the leopard's fur but it would be no use without the help of the others. No one could take down a Talderian snow leopard alone. Not if they wanted to return to town to tell the tale.

by **Lullaby** on August 13th, 2013, 2:44 am

Fenilen :

Ian :

Sage :

Elise :

Aamu :

Kulde :

Fordwen :