Completed Opportunity Knocks

[Khida]

Winter 3, 516 AV
early morning

The season had turned, yet heat still lingered in air and earth, even with dawn only recently passed. It wasn't entirely unseasonable, not yet -- just because the Watchtower stone had turned didn't mean the temperature abruptly plummeted to suit expectations of winter. But there was something about the air that prickled Khida's skin, made the hairs on her neck lift in human skin and her feathers want to fluff when falcon. Something about this weather didn't feel right. She just couldn't quite pinpoint what.

It didn't help that the city was unsettled for other reasons. Some who had left under a cloud had returned under a greater one, or so the Kelvic gathered from what snippets of gossip she could follow. She had seen their pavilion's encampment, from the distance of the high air; the lot of them were far more mellow in their behavior than matched with the evident prevailing opinion the city turned their way. Another strangeness. Fortunately that one was well behind her, behind a horizon of drying grass...

...and a trail of empty snares. Normally she could expect to find something in her traps -- if nothing else, Khida had learned to set many, the better to have even one succeed -- but not even a prairie dog had been caught, thus far. She had one more to check, towards which she now directed her Strider. Ambling at an unhurried pace, the only pace her rider could reliably sit, Sephra emerged from the tall grasses into a swath of shorter growth. They edged a region of rockier soil, dotted with more small-leaved brush than grasses. A change in Khida's posture -- a turn of her head towards the right, shift of her weight towards the left -- directed the horse around the rocks, towards a particular jutting outcrop of yellowish stone. Then another shift -- hips down, weight just a little back -- cued the horse to stop, a good four feet shy of that mark.

Khida dismounted, approaching on foot. There was the burrow she had seen yesterday, tucked right in the lee of the rock where it seemed just a darker shadow. And there was the trail which led from it, with the distinctive patterning from mismatched rabbit feet. Finally, there was the convenient sagebrush she had used to anchor her snare, spread open at rabbit-head-height across the trail...

...her unfortunately empty snare. Khida stopped shy of trail and trap alike, considering the situation, considering her options. She could remove the trap, but this had been one of her favorites of yesterday's line. The only environment better than a den, for laying a snare, was beside water -- and it wasn't often she had convenient anchors growing right by the trail. Ones which smelled strongly enough to cover any of her scent which lingered on the ropes and stakes, to boot.

She could tinker with the trap; maybe her placement had been off. But really, it looked correct; it didn't seem to have been disturbed, either, and if she tried to rearrange it, she'd get her scent all over it again. No, Khida decided at last, she'd leave it and return in the evening, hopefully to find something snared therein. Sometimes, one just had to keep waiting.

...which left her with having to fall back on things other than traps, this morning.

Rejoining her Strider, who whuffled amiably into her hair before Khida remounted, the Kelvic settled herself into the yvas and considered other options. Her best bet would be to turn back. There had been a prairie dog warren where she'd set earlier traps; surely she could pick off at least one of them. Or perhaps find a covey of pheasants; they would prefer more bushy shrubs than the thin-leaved, dry sage. If she continued forward, there might be grouse.

There were definitely pronghorn out amidst the brush, distinctive even at a distance. Nothing else quite looked like them. Khida studied them, narrow-eyed, and let her fingers trail over the bow case bound to the yvas... but no. She was still a terrible shot, and a terrible sneak, and the herd had abundantly clear views in which to see her coming. As much as she wanted to bring back a larger kill, this was not her opportune moment.

Sighing faintly, the Kelvic turned her Strider around, putting the pronghorns behind and her recollection of prairie dogs before.

Khida space Common | Pavi
other space Common | Pavi

[Brocton Firestone]

As unfortunate enough as it was- Morwen had not returned with her usual routine. The winter weather felt mildly warm, and it was... odd, very, very odd. The hunters of the Tent City kept talking about it as if it were something new, but Brocton didn't quite understand what this all meant, what was supposed to happen, didn't. This past year, with mysterious things occurring, Endrykas stirred restless almost, and everything was eerie, and dank.

If it set anyone on edge; it was the FIrestone's. De'anu had requested clothing prior to this Winter season, she estimated that this Winter was to come: a rough one. Alas, things had it countered with warm weather, it stirred the animals of Endrykas, and they've been acting weird. It's just a couple of days in Winter, and things were already seeming harmful.

Syna's light shown brightly, deeming the skies; hers, hers for almost eternity it seemed, not allowing the other Gods to have a chance to run with their time of the year.

That left with Brocton more time to hunt and settle for coming winter. Earnings would probably be more attainable at this time- right? Perhaps. Brocton had already mounted Jinx; a Strider, his Strider, she seemed unsettled, as if something were wrong. Brocton was a bit too zealous to realize if anything were the mattter; though, with Jinx he could understand.

The Drykas had his shortbow with him, his quiver full of arrows, his leather hunting armor, and his longsword, as well as his waterskin with some rations for the day that he gathered from his pavillion. This warm weather did seem odd to Brocton, though, the longer that it lasted, the better, he thought.

There was a great canopy of trees just a few miles amidst from where the two were; pacing at nearly of a comfortable stride; Jinx and Brocton both, they were taking their time. Early morning rides should not need to take so much out of them.

Eventually, the two reached their destination; the thick plated canopy of trees that were edged along the tall silky blades of the Sea of Grass were dressed with a coding of Syna's light. Winds flushed through the open lands as the two stood still, recovering their distance, Jinx patted her front hooves on the ground and snorted some. Brocton leaned over and stroked his calloused hands across the mare's neck, stroking the lock straight, and clean.

The hunter dismounted after a few ticks, his feet landed with a sudden thud as they made impact on the hardened ground, his boots dug deep into the soil, pushing some of the grass up as he moved around the mare to gather his things. He signed, stay.Hoping that she would, unless danger arrives; she'll be able to run away freely.

Taking a sip of his waterskin; he made sure to conserve it as he walked into the canopy; the hunter was sure that he could find something to satisfy his hunting. With a quiet sigh, he crouched, knowing that the woods would be a very treacherous and scary path to follow into.

These woods were empty; it was unsettling almost, as Brocton did his best to avoid any of obstacles; leaves, branches, twigs, etc... he made sure to find some extra game if he were to catch something. Step after step, Brocton began to sweat, and he was uncertain of the heat, dismantled almost, he didn't know why the heat was so... warm and tiring to endure. Though, after a few moments which almost seemed like a bell, Brocton heard a rushing sound; like water as he stepped around a boulder.

He hoped to find some animal soon, otherwise he would have to return empty handed. The hunter followed the noise to the best of his ability, he felt a cooling mist of air/water as he made way through a brush. Water it was, but no game. Brocton took his time to rest and sit near the water, it was a river, and it looked steep and quite uneasy to cross. The hunter knelt down and cupped his hands to get a nice long drink of water that traversed through this canopy.

He decided, after considering to head back to his Strider and remounted. Jinx snorted, as if she were asking what was wrong. Brocton just shook his head. After awhile of riding, Brocton considered, he stopped once again. This time, miles before a herd of... some kind of animal. He moved Jinx over behind a large boulder just standing there in the middle of open land. (Pronghorn). Brocton didn't know what they were, but he was sure that they seemed like good game- but even a fool wouldn't find himself in the middle of a herd. He noticed something from just the corner of his eye; another hunter, and not just any hunter, he wasn't sure if he was correct, but this woman's figure seemed slightly familiar and she seemed to be riding away from these animals. Brocton considered him waving her down, but he didn't know what would happen. He also didn't want to alert the animals in the herd. With him being just a novice hunter; he didn't really know too much, and obviously, not enough about animals. Perhaps he should do the same as this huntress, follow her. He carefully mounted Jinx and had her slowly ride towards her. As he came near, her figure slowly became clear.

It was, Khida. Once he found out that she was here, he comfortably strode Jinx towards her and her Strider. Khida,Brocton signed. He looked back at the herd of pronghorn. "By gods Khida." He signed, coincidence."What are those?" He pointed to the pronghorn as they were quite some distance away. It was a good thing to.

BROCTON FIRESTONE

[Khida]

As Sephra walked, another shape distinguished itself from the grasses about them -- larger than antelope, and alone, with the distinctive profile of a mounted rider. A Drykas, most likely another hunter. Khida would have left the other to his business, but his horse distinctly changed course to intercept hers; accordingly, the Kelvic waited, posture stiff and unsettled in a way that caused Sephra to halt. She was not accustomed to being approached while on a hunt; where there was interaction at all, it tended to go the other direction.

Ah, but this man was not a stranger. Not that posture, that profile, on that distinctively-patterned horse; so she could see, once he had drawn near enough for details to be seen. Khida would not go so far as to call him friend, not one so close as that, but they had stood together where few others had stepped forward in defense of their kin. That counted for a great deal.

Accordingly, she signed an unreserved, pleasant greeting once they were within conversational range. Sephra, too, welcomed his mare with a cordial whuff. He pointed towards the herd behind her, making a query the Kelvic had no difficulty following in its simplicity. Answering, however, was a slightly different question; the actual name of the beasts, in either of her languages, escaped her.

It wasn't all that often she needed their names...

Khida cast a glance over her shoulder, considering the herd, checking to ensure it was still the only significant thing in view. Sephra seemed to interpret this as a cue, somewhat to her rider's dismay and not at all by said rider's intent; the horse moved herself about to face the pronghorns, while the Kelvic reflexively reached for the yvas handles, then realized she wasn't anywhere near as unbalanced as her instincts wanted to believe. It was just an entirely unexpected motion.

Once that little episode had passed, her regard returned to Brocton. Fast prey, she signed. Run far, much far, much fast. The Kelvic indicated the landscape before them, its carpet of grass shorter, interspersed with sagebrush, the soil relatively dry and rocky. Small grass like, ground... Did she have a sign for stone? A spoken word? It sure wasn't coming to her. ...ground, here, this. See far, much fast run.

Khida space Common | Pavi
other space Common | Pavi

[Brocton Firestone]

Pleasant greeting.
Khida replied; Brocton signed, indeed."Wasn't Expecting to see you." Brocton responded, in Pavi. The hunter looked back at the herd of Pronghorn and was unsure of them still; he didn't want to get in contact with them yet if he has no information about these creatures.

Brocton steadied his strider*Unamed for now, regard the last posts of Jinx. For now, it'll be an unnamed Strider. As We; Prophet and I, are still going through details with our thread. Thanks!It calmed down, and snorted, it stirred it's head some, and whipped it's tail some. Run far, much far, much fast. Khida signed once more. What to do?Brocton signed, he stroked the stallion some and sighed a bit. Small grass like, ground...Brocton paid close attention to her signing.

..ground, here, this. See far, much fast run. Khida continued.
Come back... later?Brocton signed, and waited for Khida to continue. She then began to sign about the ground beneath them. Stone?
"Stone?" Brocton asked curiously? He nodded when Khida was explaining of the landscape. "Propose, you, idea?" Brocton considered an idea, but wasn't sure if his plan would work. He figured that Khida would most likely know more about this area.

BROCTON FIRESTONE

[Khida]

The man paid thoughtful attention to her signs, mulling over their circumstances. His query -- what to do -- seemed purely rhetorical to the Kelvic, particularly as it came in the midst of her own discourse, so she left him to his thoughts.

Come back later, he asked, a query which seemed actually in want of a response. Unfortunately, its lack of context only caused puzzlement for Khida. Confusion, query, her hands shaped, reflecting the timbre of her expression. Come back you, I? Come back prey?

The word stone struck her as familiar when he provided it; she didn't have complete confirmation that it meant what she intended, but offered yes and polite gratitude for it nonetheless.

At the end, he made another questioning statement. She again met the query with confusion, not following the man's train of thought. Did he want to make a proposal, or did he expect her to do so? The meaning wasn't clear at all... but since the gestures hinged on you, Khida chose to interpret it as a request for her plans. Which, at the moment, consisted of circling back and finding easier prey. I go. Small prey find, more cover, good hunt.

Khida space Common | Pavi
other space Common | Pavi

[Brocton Firestone]

Confusion, query

It was a response that Brocton wasn't expecting, he was expecting a different response, and he hoped that the Kelvic would understand. Though, perhaps it wasn't quite too clear, and Brocton needs to go more in depth and explain it to her.

"Come back you, I? Come back prey?"
"Come back... us? Find... distracted game?" Game as in prey. Or game as in to wait, a waiting game. Whatever the two needed to do to catch something. It'll be fine. As long as Brocton brings back something that would earn him more money and support the Firestone Pavillion well enough throughout the seasons. In the long run, it always comes down to the price tags, and what Brocton could catch could serve him plenty.

Khida thanked the hunter as she signed. Welcome.The Drykas responded. Brocton was uncertain if they should head back or at least travel across another path and seek prey somewhere else.

Look.... he paused, ...For easy prey?
"Travel somewhere else?" Brocton continued in Pavi.

I go. Small prey find, more cover, good hunt.
"I come to. We talk?" Asked Brocton.

BROCTON FIRESTONE

[Khida]

The man elaborated to say they should come back, perhaps when the pronghorn were... something Khida didn't quite catch, but she could infer general meaning. When they might have a better advantage. She looked past him at the brown-and-white shapes in the sage and grass, a faint doubtful frown clouding her brow.

Maybe, she signed at last. Returning was always a possibility, although she didn't expect to ever have much advantage against the fleet grazers.

He then asked to accompany her. To talk? Khida wasn't sure what there was to talk about, but she didn't necessarily mind a second pair of eyes. Yes, she allowed, simple and to the point.

A shift of her weight turned Sephra about; another sent the horse ambling forward. A walk only; Khida didn't ask for a faster gait, and now, the Strider didn't opt for one either. When the man's horse fell in with them, Sephra gave the other mare an amiable whuff, exchanging scents in polite equine greeting.

For her part, Khida kept her attention focused outwards -- on such landmarks as the Sea offered their route, on potential cover where prey might shelter, and also still very conscious of her seat on the horse. She felt she had little to say; they would find prey and work together, or they would not.

oocI'll leave the ball in your court for the moment, since Brocton sounds like he has a proposal... or maybe just questions. I can also expand this if you prefer, just let me know.

Khida space Common | Pavi
other space Common | Pavi

[Khida]

ooc...and Brocton retired, so it's solo time from here on out.

Eventually, the man interrupted her survey of the terrain to ask about going back. He seemed fixated on the pronghorns, on circling around or perhaps chasing one down. Khida was dubious whether she could be of any use in such endeavors; pronghorns were larger than a falcon might kill, swifter than her carefully aimed arrows. He would not be dissuaded, she would not be persuaded, and so their ways parted.

Left once again to her own devices, Khida cued Sephra forward, until they came to a stretch of short grass dotted with bits of stone and small mounds of disturbed earth. The tawny rodents whistled alarm and disappeared underground at the sight of horse and rider drawing near. She'd expected no less. Dismounting, signing for her Strider to stay, Khida snagged her bow and arrows in spite of the rodents' disappearance, on the off chance one might later emerge into her line of fire. Then she padded around the warren, making no great attempt to suppress the grass rustling around her. Everything already knew she was there.

There was the trap she'd stretched out with a couple of small rocks over a nearly horizontal burrow entry. It remained undisturbed; perhaps they didn't use that tunnel much? Continuing on, Khida detoured towards a clump of brush and the well-worn path which ran past it. Here she'd propped open another head snare -- prairie dogs tended to chew through foot snares, when their slim paws didn't slip right out. But the Kelvic found only frayed rope where it had been emplaced; something had chewed through that, too.

Disappointed, Khida removed the bit of rope and coiled it, tucking it in her sash. It was too little to be recycled for any other purpose, but there was no reason to leave it hanging off the shrub either. They could use it for tinder at the next camp, perhaps.

On the far side of the warren, she'd left a third trap. It, too, remained stubbornly empty. Khida contemplated the various burrows, musing over whether she should lay another. Perhaps; a few chimes spent in doing so wouldn't impede much and might yet be rewarded. She walked slowly between the various burrows until she found one she liked -- not too close to her earlier traps, tucked down at the base of a small stone. A bit of searching turned up a larger stone the Kelvic could use to anchor her trap; worms wriggled their disturbance in the hollow its removal left behind. The rock had a nice heft in her hands, and a rough surface which would secure her rope. She positioned it near her target burrow, behind the little stone that already shadowed the hole. A quick twist of cord around the rock and a knot pulled snug took care of that end of things. The other end of the cord received a loop and slipknot, with a bit of dead twig to hold it open over the hole.

The new rock would probably concern the prairie dogs for a little while, but with some time -- chimes to bells -- they'd ignore it. Either way, between her intrusion and the altered landscape, she couldn't expect much to happen with this trap before evening. Just as with all her others today.

Afterwards, Khida sat back and waited for a few chimes -- more than a few, really -- to see just how bold these prairie dogs might be. Unfortunately, they didn't do more than pop occasional heads out and cast suspicious glances her way, ducking back down before she had any chance to take aim. It would take more patience than it might be worth expending, when she already had traps set to do the waiting for her.

She still had hopes for finding pheasants, though. Or grouse. But not here.

Time to keep moving.

Khida space Common | Pavi
other space Common | Pavi

[Khida]

Turning, Khida set out to cut across the warren, heading directly for where Sephra idly grazed --

-- and froze several long feet short of the horse, skin prickling as a rasping buzz rose out of the grass before her.

A beat later, the buzzing continued. She hadn't gotten too close. Yet.

Khida squinted into the short grasses, sweeping her gaze methodically over the area from which the sound seemed to originate. And again. It took a third pass before she spotted it -- a looping coil which manifestly wasn't grass, though it did a good job of imitating earth.

Rattlesnake.

The serpent might have been five feet away by generous measure. Far enough she wasn't in immediate danger of being bitten, so long as nobody moved. Close enough that...

...well. Rattlesnakes were edible.

Could she shoot it at such short range? Maybe, with a little luck; Khida could actually hit close targets. Fiveish feet just wasn't a distance she practiced at. Moving very, very slowly, keeping one eye on the serpent's silhouette, she twisted her arm back... unslung her bow... and settled it into her left hand, back pointed in the direction of the snake.

The buzzing continued.

Her right hand reached oh-so-slowly down for an arrow from the quiver at her hip, bringing it straight up and laying it in place across the bow... still watching the serpent, now with the length of the arrow pointing straight towards it. Slowly, but smoothly, Khida drew the string back, feeling its tension crease her fingers.

The buzzing stopped.

She released the arrow.

Grass rustled and snapped and thrashed; the buzzing returned, louder and angrier than ever. She'd lost sight of the serpentine coils... but the thrashing seemed to remain confined to that general area, still several feet away from her.

It didn't come closer.

It didn't retreat.

It did, after a few chimes, begin to quiet down, at least in terms of flailing its surroundings. The buzzing faltered only marginally.

Cautious, curious, Khida leaned up on her toes, peering intently for any glimpse of the serpent's condition.

She saw feathers. Two feathers, split, on either side of a wooden shaft sticking up at an angle. Following the line down, she found the snake transfixed, the tip of the arrow evidently buried soundly in the earth. She had not struck head or even the forward part of its body, but any impalement for a creature that size was bound to be fatal. That fact just hadn't caught up with it yet.

Settling her weight back down on her heels, Khida waited. She waited until the snake's struggles became sluggish, its rattle silenced. Then she took out another arrow and used it to pin the head, easing her hands down the shaft until she had proper leverage to drive the bolt straight down into its brain. That certainly dispatched the creature, but she didn't remove either arrows until she'd folded the snake back upon itself and bound head to body in a way which prevented the jaw from falling open. It wouldn't do for her -- or anyone else -- to prick herself on the dead serpent's fangs.

Arrows removed, cleaned, and restored to the quiver, Khida picked up her prize and finally rejoined her horse. No matter what else happened today, she had something to bring back to Endrykas. And she'd dispatched it with her bow, too.

That was a personal first.

Khida space Common | Pavi
other space Common | Pavi

[Rufio]

　　　

g r a d e

xp

Riding: Horse +2
Observation +2
Teaching +1
Rhetoric +1
Planning +2
Trapping +1
Hunting +3
Detection +1
Weapon: Composite Shortbow +1


lores

Trapping: by dens & water are the best locations for snares
Trapping: sometimes one just has to keep waiting for prey
Re-purposing scrap trap twine into tinder
Pheasants: may be found in bushier scrub
Prairie Dogs: prefer to live in rocky areas with short grass
Prairie Dogs: identifying warrens by their small mounds of disturbed earth
Prairie Dogs: tend to chew out of snares
Prairie Dogs: wary of changes in their habitat
Pronghorn: very fast & can run long distances
Pronghorn: better hunted with stealth & cover
Rattlesnake: the distinct sound of the rattle
Detection: identifying the rattle of a rattlesnake before seeing it
Hunting: Killing a rattlesnake by bow & arrow

If you feel I missed anything shoot me a PM.
Don't forget to edit your grade request here -