[Windmount Stables] A Drykas by any other name (Open)

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"That makes sense," he agreed. "So you... you make your living by trapping?"

He nudged the toe of his boot into the dirt thoughtfully; sometimes his mind wandered. Horse butted him in the back with his nose, but all Sam did was start scratching him like the big puppy-dog he was.

"And what's good to hunt around here? I figure you have to move out a way from the city to where there's a lot of game, there's so many people here."

[Jaeden Kincade]

"Try to make a living from hunting and trapping," Jaeden answered honestly. "It's tough work, and you have to enjoy it in order to endure it's hardships. The Bathhouse will pay better, but that's just something else I'll enjoy doing." Jaeden then tilted his head back slightly, smirking as a visualization popped into his head. He then shook his the vision clean from his head before looking back to Sam. "Well, as it's the spring, there's plenty of game to be had in the mountains and wild lands. Small game have come out of hibernation, the deer a looking to get their mating on, birds are beginning to build their nests," Jaeden replied, answering his second question. "There's plenty to be had out there if you know where to look. On top of the wild game like deer, bore, elk moose, rodents and rabbits and birds, there's also various lakes, ponds, streams and rivers that are stock with fish after the snows melt. It's all there, just have to know how and where to look."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Don't worry about the bath house," Sam said. He reached out and patted Jaeden on the cheek. "I'll be your pimp and I'll take good care of you."

He smirked, but figured it'd blow over as good humor considering Jaeden seemed so chummy after just meeting him today.

"Anyway, I don't really have the means to preserve larger game so it'd be wasted on me. But like I said, if you want help, I'll do it. For part of the profits, of course. I have to keep Horse fed and taken care of or he'll start hanging out with the wrong crowd and you know what can happen then..."

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden nudged towards the city. "They sell preservation kits in the shops there, so you should be able to pick some up eventually. Aside from preserving it, you could just smoke the meat over a course of a few days to turn it into jerky, they buy it that way too," Jaeden informed as slowly took a turn to go grab his bow before running directly into Horse and knocking himself down. "Damn, gotta stop doing that." Jaeden picked himself up and dusted himself off. "As far as partnering up with me, it's a possibility, but I'll want you to get your own hunting gear," Jaeden said as he moved around Horse this time and retrieved his bow from where he laid it down. "That way, anything you snare will be yours free and clear. In the end, you should be looking to make your own way, rather than following me. I'm not the kind of guy that's good for such."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Well, I didn't mean I'd swear fealty or anything," he said, snickering. Jaeden got himself up before Sam could help. He was amused by Jaeden the way a child was by a clown, but he was wise enough to recognize good people most of the time, and it seemed like Jaeden would be a good person for him to know in Syliras.

"I'll get hunting gear and stuff before our next lesson. It's that whole, 'give a person a fish, teach a person to fish' thing. And it will work out because you need a lot of time with Horse before you won't be a danger to yourself and others when a horse is involved."

He paused to address something else Jaeden had said. "I don't want my tent smelling like dead things or bears and shyke will sneak up on me while I sleep. Maybe if I had a house with a smokehouse out back or something..."

[Jaeden Kincade]

"Well, you wouldn't take what you trapped and hunted into the tent with you, you'd keep it outside. Generally a good fire through the night will also keep most predators away. Unless they're man eaters to begin with." Jaeden said with an amused look on his face. "A home is something to look forward to I suppose, if you plan to settle into one place." Jaeden slowly looked up to the fading light of the sun. "I'll tell you what, we'll wrap things up here for today, and make a venture out into the woods tomorrow," Jaeden suggested as he slung his bow over his shoulder. "Give you a chance pick up a few snares and what not. I've got a preservation kit, and a body sled for transporting large quantities, so we can spend a couple of days out there and catch what we're able."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"All right, all right." Sam nodded and started strapping his scimitar back onto Horse. "But next time we work on the archery, too, right?"

He realized he might be getting the long end of the stick since all he had to offer was equitation lessons and a bit of help with Jaeden's work in the wilds, but if the man had no objections, Sam certainly wasn't going to raise any.

"Would you like to ride Horse back to the city gates?" he asked, perhaps to even out the scales a bit.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden slowly shook his head, giving the horse a slow pat along it's side. "Nah, I'm actually going to head outside of the city for a bit, get an idea of where to break you in at in the forests, I'll head back later," Jaeden replied, slinging his bow over his shoulder. "Just meet me at the gates tomorrow morning, just after dawn."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

He laughed at that and put out his hand to shake with Jaeden. "It's a deal."

That decided, he swung up onto Horse's back with a grace envied by just about everyone who wasn't of Drykas stock. Maybe it was no wonder Jaeden and Rhylen hadn't been fooled by the lack of braids and visible tattooing.

"Tomorrow just after dawn. And... thank you."

END

[Gossamer]

Samael Experience: 3 XP Scimatar, 1 XP tracking, 2 XP riding Jaeden Experience: 3 XP Longsword, 1 XP tracking, 2 XP riding Additional Notes: Nice thread. You made me giggle about the warm tracks though.