The Hunt Begins [Ulric]

[Hawk]

3rd of Spring, 511 AV

The glistening light of the sun intruded upon what was another tranquil night in the high mountains that surrounded the peak of Mount Skyinarta and the secluded city within. The light shone through the broken peaks surrounding Mount Skyinarta down onto the city of Wind Reach home to the secluded people of the Inarta, home to the people that Hawk belonged too.

Hawk was already bright and ready when the red tinted light of early morning blanketed his bare chest as he stood upright and firm looking out over the mountains. The clouds looked like a sheet of puffy snow across the landscape, they looked so low from this vantage point and this is how outsiders often remarked the spectacle however those that dwelled in the mountain city knew it was because they where so high up above ground level. He blinked his eyes as they adjusted to the light as his lips curled into a satisfied smile, it was good to enjoy the spring suns once more, too long had they been plagued by the harsh colds of winter and too long have they been hold up in the city.

Today was a day he had been looking forward too for a long time, the first hunt into the lower peaks in search for game and it was once he would relish and remember for it would be the first hunt where he would be unsupervised by his old tutor Kyris. His last hunt had been near the onset of winter when he and his old master had come behind the retreating people of the Thunder Bay to catch a little more game before the onset of winter. Since that time he had been itching to get back out in the mountains for another hunt, and it was going to be exhilarating considering his partner for the hunt.

He gave a short smile before he turned on his heel and began to gather his things ready for day ahead of him. His small room was very basic and lacked commodities enjoyed by many of his status, but that was more because of his age for he was well aware that given a few more months he would be basking in the wealth of his profession. His mind was more focused on something else however as he pulled his boots on and began to gather his supplies, his partner for the day would be a warrior named Ulric from the outside world. The man had accompanied some priest on a journey to the city and they had arrived a few months prior just before the first snows hit the landscape, it was lucky for them though Hawk didn’t quite know what to think of this.

Now ready and prepared he stood upright and dusted himself off briefly as he inspecting his sturdy recurved bow of horn, his pride and joy as a hunter and as a warrior to those of the outside world. He felt more for this tool of his trade than anything else at the moment, though he could only hope that would change if a partner caught his fancy but for now he settled for the bow and quickly set it in his sheathe across his back as he moved swiftly out from his quarters.

Once outside he found himself inside a long winding corridor that would descend down to another level of the city, this was where people like him made their home along the winding corridors of the inner city deep within the mountain. He thought nothing of it, though he knew that outsiders often disliked the living they made within the mountain for they always either complained about the heat of summer or the cold of winter, though Hawk never really thought about it, maybe he was used to it. He dismissed the thought as he began to make his way through the city returning his thoughts to the hunt to come as he began to think again on how his partner would fair.

After some time he found himself standing near the entrance to the city, awaiting the arrival of his partner for the day so that he could attempt to guide him through the treacherous mountain terrain of the sacred mountain…

[Ulric]

NoteUlric is the only person in WR (apart from the eagles) who can see/hear his Gasvik
TimestampChanging to 30th of Spring for continuity

Ulric was in a foul mood. He had been informed the previous night that he would be joining an Avora named Hawk on a hunt, and like all missives he received from Ilish, he knew that his participation was not subject to negotiation. He would hunt or starve. “Does she think she can order us around?” he snarled at the Gasvik. “Oh, we know what she wants - what they all want. Nasty, spiteful children.” He hefted his armor, slipping the heavy, scaled cuirass over his head and starting to fasten its straps. “Have they set a trap for us, darling?” He crooned. “We knows they want us dead. Do they seek to get us in the open, where they can feather us from the backs of their eagles?” “Woem un aonadn hadn weon dosdkn,” said the Gasvik. It was sprawled on the thin, ragged pallet, and now it stretched lethargically, opened mouth displaying a pair of tusks. “What, you didn’t like having horns?” Ulric reached for his cloak, draping the furred garment over his shoulders. Every day, the Gasvik went through a subtle change in shape. It had been no larger than a mouse when they first met, but now it was the size of a small man. If the eagles realized what was happening, they would surely drive the creature from the mountain, or worse, try to destroy it. “Jawno wenk that dun adhub mowm tusk, weio tusk wubq. Aoion wnaeo and qubd omdab zod. Aomd petch qwunf yadi not huo fdad qowm.” Rising, the Gasvik spoke rapidly, his clawed, elongated fingers gesticulating wildly, but most of his alien tongue went straight through Ulric’s ears. “So… there’s a reason for the tusks,” he said mildly. It wasn’t worth getting worked up about. Ulric took a seat on the stool, his chamber’s only piece of furniture, and pulled on his worn, cracked boots, then rose and slipped the bearded axe through a loop in his belt. He took the round shield from its peg and slung it over his back, then reached for his heavy crossbow and its bag of bolts. Never a believer in finesse, he preferred to rely on tactics and cunning to gain the upper hand, and then brutality and sheer, grisly devastation to emerge as the victor. He was bigger, stronger, and more ruthless than any of the riders, who despite their talents with bows, often grasped their talon swords like ungainly toys. Any attempt at hand-to-hand combat would result in slaughter, which was precisely why they needed to flush Ulric out of the tunnels. “We must be vigilant,” he cautioned the Gasvik, although it was more for his own benefit. He knew that his familiar saw things that defied his own, meager capacity to comprehend. Leaving his cramped, dismal chamber behind, Ulric strode through the near empty corridors on his way to the gates, the Gasvik straggling along in his wake. A frightened Dek scurried into an adjoining passage as he passed, and one of the pudgier children, a Chiet, or perhaps an Avora, gave him a brief, suspicious glance. “We goes to kill beasts,” he grinned at her. “Hadj eon petch wakaid,” remarked the Gasvik. Eventually, the pair of them arrived at the gates, where a tall, slender man was waiting. He clutched a bow in his hands. Must be him. Ulric moved nearer, shifting his grip on the crossbow. "Hunter, we must go,” he spoke in clumsy Nari. “Need blood. Meat.” He switched back to his native tongue, a broad grin creeping across his face. “We have been longing for slaughter.”

[Hawk]

He was growing tiresome as the morning sun began to creep over the ridge that overlooked the main courtyard of the cities entrance, shadows began to disperse and retreat back into the depths of the mountain herself as the light of day began to stir the rest of the city. Hawk had been waiting for a fair time by now, standing ready idolly fiddling with the tied string of his bow as he awaited the approach of the outsider. He had not met the outsider before, nor did he think he should have for he was wary of anyone from outside of his peoples abode and he was not well accustomed to visitors, despite having a basic understanding of their language. He felt a feeling of impatience invade his already strengthened sense of anxiety, he did not like the thought of uncertainty and this hunt was definately just that, uncertain.

After a few more minutes of idol waiting his sharp ears picked up the sound of an approaching figure, and it was not a light one unless his hearing deceived him. His eyes shot in the direction of the city as a heavy set warrior garbed in a heavy cuirass of scaled design which lay beneath a long cloak of thick fur. He could barely believe his eyes, everything he had been taught about the hunt seemed to be directly opposed by this man’s attire, and the sharp edged axe at the mans side did nothing to quiet the nagging voice in the back of Hawks mind. He was to go hunting with a man that seemed almost ready to run in and cleave apart his prey, and that was not the way of hunter in the eyes of Hawk even if he was only just becoming of the hunters rank.

He straightened up as the figure approached, his grip on the haft of his bow tightening as he fought to quell the anxious feeling of having to cater for this almost barbaric looking fighter. He watched as the man altered his grip on a heavy bow like weapon, a mechanism he guessed was the equivalent of his own short bow but his attention was soon drawn as the man spoke "Hunter, we must go, Need blood. Meat.” The man spoke in a good if clumsy variation of Nari and for this he felt a slight respect for the man for at least trying to communicate with him with his own tongue. He gave a weiry smile and a short nod, and seemed to get a grin in return though he quickly attributed this with the mans next almost disturbing words, this time in common “We have been longing for slaughter.”

Hawk gave a slightly unapproving gaze as he gave a purposely short nod of his head, his lips remaining stoic without betraying his emotion as he spoke in clear Nari ”Your speak of this hunt as if it where a battle with an enemy, I think of it more as a great game, a chase if you will.” He paused for a moment as the edge of his lips curled into a slight smirk ”The object of this game, is to outsmart your foe, not hammer him to the ground. Perhaps you should adopt this way of thinking if you are to learn to hunt on our home ground.”

Without a second thought or consideration for his new found companions reply he turned sharply on his heel and began to stride at a brisk pace out from the front gates of Wind Reach, sheathing his bow of polished horn as he moved. He thought for a moment of his new friend, if that was a word to describe him, as battle worn he seemed he did not know the lay of this terrain and whether he liked it or no Hawk would be the guide on this foray into the Inarta Wilderness. Though he could at least cut the new comer a piece of slack, and decided to change to Common for ease of his partners communication even if it impaired his own slightly ”What name do you take outsider?”

[Ulric]

Ulric listened to the hunter speak, frowning slightly as the words melded together. He only understood a few, like hunt, enemy, and home, but it was clear the hunter wasn’t all too pleased to be saddled with his presence. Well, that made two of them. “You are hunter,” he shrugged. “Ilish say hunt, so we hunt.” Not so long ago, he would’ve wiped that condescending smirk off the hunter’s face, but the events of the past year had taught him the importance of keeping an even temper. He peered around, his features devoid of any trace of emotion, until the hunter turned and strode through the gates. The man didn’t bother to look back. Ulric followed him into the shadows, letting the gap between them widen so he could speak to the Gasvik without being under scrutiny. “What do you think?” he murmured, pausing for a moment. He didn’t need to elaborate, for his meaning was clear. “Onwean ean weon qwub dan om libewd aomd.” The Gasvik dipped its tusks. “That’s what I figured.” Ulric leaned his crossbow against his shoulder and strode out into the brilliant sunlight. He wasn’t going to rule out an ambush by the Endals, but at the same time, he hadn’t seen anything that convinced him that the hunter was part of any conspiracy. If the Gasvik says he is what he seems, then that is what he is. Ulric sighed, then hastened his pace until he caught up with the hunter, walking several paces to his right while the Gasvik straggled at the rear, searching the skies. For a time, they strode along quietly, each content to think their own thoughts. Ulric’s dark, empty eyes were constantly moving, capturing every detail of the terrain. He was unfamiliar with this region, but he considered each gully, each promontory of sinuous, toppled stones from the perspective of a tactician, determining the most effective choke points for ambushes even as he envisioned a chain of embrasures and redoubts. In his estimation, a force of heavy infantry and archers could negate the aerial superiority of the Endals by assembling into square formations, but after advancing up the pass they would no doubt meet with fierce resistance at the gates, drawing both sides into the sort of costly struggle that hadn’t occurred since Ivak had nearly destroyed the world. There were not enough survivors left to march to war, but the ancient conflicts still raged in the shadows. Of this, Ulric had the evidence of his own eyes. He was no longer aligned with any of the factions, but he had to remain wary. Finally, the hunter broke the silence, perhaps trying to defuse any tension that might have arisen. “My name was Ulric,” he replied, taking great pains to refer to himself in the singular. He was no longer a person, but an entity, his mind scoured by madness until it retained only a few, disparate shreds of humanity. Peering at the hunter, his lips curled in a thin, mirthless smile. Hunter, for how long have you tracked game across these mountains?” He spoke not out of politeness, but out of a desire to see how freely this man dispensed of his words.

[Hawk]

Secret :

Sorry for the slow reply, weekends tend to be very busy times for me so im not usually able to post. I have nay disappeared

The mountain was becoming noticeably more treacherous on the journey further down the mountain, soon evidence of plant life and the wildlife they sought was becoming more apparent, although Hawk was looking for very particular signs. His eyes scanned all around them as he judged every rock, every dirt packed path and every leafless tree for signs of recent activity, recent enough to still be around the area.

His art was dealing in death, necessary death to sustain his lively hood and that of his peers and it was indeed an art. He had to search for subtle signs of life from footprints or excrement to the simple marks on a tree that signified its use as a scratch post for a weary or tired creature. He didn’t care much for scavenging, there was no skill in taking from another hunter and that is why Hawk trained his eye day and night to pick out the subtle inconsistencies with his surroundings, for it was this regimented practice that would one day make him a great hunter of his people.

He took a step forward deciding to continue his trek down the mountain as his companion seemed to hesitate a moment before replying to his simple question. The man seemed to take great regret and pain in his words as he spoke ”My name was Ulric,” Hawk looked back at the grizzled man, noticing for a moment that same regret and pain he sensed in his tone of voice, there was more to this man than he seemed willing to reveal. He disliked the keeping of secrets, so decided it best not to dig too deep into this mans history, after all they where just out on a hunt and that was how it would remain for he had no desire to learn more of this man, the sooner they where parted the better in his opinion.

As they continued their journey further down the mountain, Ulric finally brought up a question of his own his tone seeming to mimic Hawk’s own feelings toward the situation ”Hunter, for how long have you tracked game across these mountains?” It was a simple question, thought Hawk did not take this man for one to engage in idle chatter and for a moment he suspected an ulterior motive behind the words. He slowed his pace for a moment as he turned his head to regard the man behind him, Ulric’s lips had curled into a thin joyless smile, it slightly unnerved the Inarta hunter. He gave a slight nod back to the man before he returned his attention to the path ahead of him ”This is my fourth season, however it is my first without the guidance of my past tutor in this art.” He enjoyed a short humorous smile before he added ”Perhaps you where, instructed, to judge my first hunt as the lead.”

He continued on for a while down the path they had been following for about twenty minutes, despite the time however the winding path had led them away from the sight of the city and it was around this point that game usually wondered if they where adventurous. Hawk paused for a moment as he turned back to Ulric, he loosened the grip on his bow for a moment as he regarded the warrior for just a moment. His expression was that of indifference and he had no intention of changing that, he was on a hunt against his will with an outsider of course and he would honor that if not enjoy it ”So, Ulric, what brings a man such as you to this mountain?” For this he was genuinely interested, for outsiders where rare unless at the height of summer when traders where few but still present.

His attention was drawn before Ulric could reply however as his eyes caught a detail, he looked past Ulric to the side of a small broken tree. The wood had split, the harsh winter had done its work and he could see where the ice had expanded and buckled the wood. His expression turned to one of concentration and intrigue, he barely paid attention to the warrior for a moment as he brushed past him hastily to kneel beside the broken tree of ashen colored wood. He placed his bow lightly on the ground beside him as he ran his fingers gently across the surface of the wood ”You see this? It has deep marks within the surface, it was used as a scratch post most likely to clear the claws of some manner of beast.” he looked back to Ulric, his lips curling into a wide smile as he added ”I think we may have a wild cat to pursue.”

[Ulric]

Ulric was not heartened by the hunter’s response. They have saddled me with a whelp, he scowled, knowing the Endals were probably snickering at him from the comfort of their chambers. It made his blood boil. He was going to kill them all one day, and then piss on their mangled carcasses. He would rape their women and destroy their homes, raising the weakest from where they cowered in pathetic servitude, so together they might stain the corridors red with blood. Do they expect me to wipe his arse as well? Ulric peered at the whelp for a moment, concealing his rage. “We do not judge,” he replied. “We – I – am not trusted to judge.” Looking away, Ulric cast his eyes over the valley again. This early in the season, there were still heaps of snow on the ground, but where the frosts had receded there were patches of glutinous muck. He knew that any beasts that had survived the winter would be half-starved, but a morsel of meat would be a welcome change from the fungus upon which he had been subsisting. It was nourishing, but tasted awful. “Wqom emn weom qwd iwo badnin fmgisd,” cautioned the Gasvik. Ulric peered over his shoulder, seeing an eagle circling around a distant peak. Too far away. He reached into the pouch in his belt, making sure that he had a spare cord for his crossbow. The whelp seemed content to guide him through the valley, heading to wherever game could be found this time of year. He might not be the most astute hunter, but it’s clear that he knows more than me, thought Ulric. It was hard to believe that only a year had passed by since he’d fled from Ravok to Syliras, and then escorted Glav to the other side of the world. After a while, the whelp made another feeble attempt at conversation. He doesn’t like this arrangement any more than I do, Ulric chuckled. He was more amused by the question than any discomfort that may have resulted from his presence. You don't want to know he reflected, eyes suddenly fever-bright, but the whelp seemed to be distracted by something near his feet. Ulric bent down, staring at a piece of wood that had been scored by a beast’s claws. That was readily apparent, but the whelp somehow thought he needed to provide a helpful commentary. Yes, but how long ago did the beast pass by this place? He wondered, not certain why they were going to track it down in the first place. It probably wasn’t going to be good for meat, though the pelt might be worth a few pinions. He wants to prove himself, Ulric realized, casting a sidelong glance at the whelp. That’s why he’s so eager to kill something. “Lead on, then,” he chuckled. It was better to pursue a beast that could fight back.

[Mercury]

Hawk Skill(s) Observation + 3 XP Tracking + 1 XP Lore(s) Enjoying the Spring First Unsupervised Hunt First Ulric Encounter Method to my Madness: I'm sad you left. I do hope you come back eventually. Ulric Skill(s) Observation +3 XP Tracking + 1 XP Lore(s) Earning One's Keep Plotting Wind Reach's Demise Wariness to the Point of Paranoia Method to my Madness: I'm sad this ended before much could happen. Also, if you are ever in Wind Reach again, just as a quick reminder, it takes a little more time to get to decent wilderness once outside the gates, without an eagle. You can address any questions or concerns to the little voice in your head. A.K.A. PM me.