Timestamp: Spring 23, 512 AV A pair of ebony eyes opened suddenly, with no signs that they had been in a slumber moments before. Jaspayia listened before stirring, a trait one needs to survive out here. Especially after that time a few years back where she had awoken to find her tent surrounded by some curious jackals. She could hear a light wind outside, and she waited for it to abate. When it did, she held her finger tips out above her, like she had learned as a child. It wasn't necessary to do it like that, but she liked how her father had taught it. She felt for anything that could be moving both within and without the tent. Sensing nothing she very slowly peeled back her winter blanket, to ensure no snakes or scorpions had decided to hunker down for the night. Sure enough, down by her feet was a tan and brown set of coils. She slowly, pulled her legs up, and tucked her feet beneath her. She leaned closer to see if it was dangerous or not, while she pulled her dagger from her belt. She saw the tail poking out from the coils, and saw no ridged rattle, which crossed off many dangerous breeds, though it could still be poisonous. She couldn't think of any other way to discern until she got a view at the fangs. If it excreted toxin, then clearly it was poisonous. It didn't appear to be too threatened by her. She held her dagger in her right hand, and held her left at the ready, open. She leaned forward slowly, slightly, saying a mental prayer to Eywaat, asking to grant her the speed and dexterity of a hawk. Her hand shot forward and grasped the snake behind the head. It began to writhe in her hand, twisting hard, trying to escape. It began to hiss, a tail hooking over her arm. Then she felt the squeeze, not too tight considering it's size, but she was relieved. Squeezing meant that it wasn't poisonous at all. She thought about setting it free, but that would be a waste of a captured creature. She walked to the entrance of the tent, popped her head out to make sure it was safe. Her ebony eyes scanned the beautiful swept dunes. Satisfied, she stepped out into the cool air, sure to warm when Syna rose. She brought her dagger's blade up beneath the creature's head, just behind the skull. She said a quick prayer to Caiyha for the bounty, and sliced it off. She held out the severed neck, letting the blood run into sand. She didn't want the blood on her gear, it would attract unwanted animals looking for a free meal. After the blood drained out, she stowed it into a pouch on her belt. She could skin and eat it later, food, was not the most important thing this day. She quickly packed up her tent and gear, and slung her pack on to her back, noting that Syna was getting ready to wise. East, Syna always wakes from the east. She knew if she went slightly to the left of where Syna rose, she would eventually find Ahnatep. She could smell the coastal waters nearby, a coast she knew that lied between her and Syna. Which meant... that Ahnatep was north, up the coast. Her water trap got nothing the night before, and ever since the storm, the oases around Ahnatep were even more heavily guarded. She shook the waterskins that hung on either hip, too much sloshing. She had enough for the day. First rule of the desert, always have water. She trudged her way up a sloping rocky formation, and took a long look at the blue expanse of the ocean. She sighed, all that water, and they couldn't drink it. Laviku was a cruel kind of tease. But Makutsi, she would take care of her, she always did. Jasp decided to head north, maybe a new upwelling made a new oasis, less guarded. She had to try, she wouldn't die like some foreigner that came sight seeing in the land. She carefully made her way down the rocky formation and up the spine of a dune, to reach the top. She would always take the highest path possible, for quite simply, she needed to see everything. Her black eyes scanned the dunes to the west, not much but sand upon piles of sand. South was more rocky ridges, and east belonged to Laviku. She began at a brisk jog, not enough to force her to waste skin-water. She wanted to cover as much ground as possible before Syna's smile made such a task near impossible. Her webbed feet pushed her along the sand with a grace only her people could achieve, her legs carrying her far in their long strides. Once Syna's burning smile took over, she slowed to a trudging walk. She hadn't seen a damned thing since she started. She rose to the top of a particularly tall dune, when her fingers felt something, something moving. She couldn't quite tell what it was, so she stopped, focused on the current she felt. Several short movements... two sources, moving toward each other. Then a sudden stop. Then it repeated. She smiled. She knew what that feeling meant. Bokbaws. She knew the proper name was Bowbacked Goat, but when she was little she always called them Bokbaws. And it sounded like a couple of them were butting heads. Perhaps she'd found her water source after all. She crouched down low, and slowly made her way to the crest of the dune. She pulled her camouflaged tarp and wrapped it around her, blending in with the sun kissed sands. She edged up to the crest, careful not to bump it, and give away her position. She peered down and was thrilled at the sight of a handful of Bokbaws. However, they weren't alone. She saw a herder, an Eypharian keeping watch on them. She could try to kill him, but it would be a wasted death, she wasn't a cannibal like those to the west across the waters. She might be able to knock him out with one her small game arrows, but not at this range. She'd have to get closer, much closer. She examined the area, planning her point of approach. From her vantage point at the crest, the dune wrapped around the small herd and leveled out. There appeared to be some small shrubs and a bit of small, weedy foliage. An indication of water, but nothing that came to the surface. She didn't see much in the way of cover. She broadened her scope, and saw a small rise in the sand a ways off, but it would allow her to get out of the immediate line of sight. |