Completed The Hunting Games

[Alori Sai]

Season of Spring, Day 1, 512 AV Aela decided to take a day off from glassblowing and journey out into the forest. She still held fast to her dream of becoming an Endal, and would need to work out her bowing and hunting skills and more before she were ready. Perith agreed to allow her the time but only if she would come back and work the night. Aela didn't like the idea of the double load but knew that it was the only way to stay ahead. She headed out of the Sanika Gates and made her way down the pass and into the forest beyond. She carried with her the long bow given to her by her father. The leather pack for game meat,and quiver which held the arrows at her back and the thin strap across her chest, a dark contrast to the white Vinati she wore. Aela walked slowly, making careful steps as she moved deeper into the forest. It was the first time she had gone out by herself to hunt and a few years since the day she last came out. She only hoped that she was up to the challenge, knowing that failure here would only give Perith something else to lecture her about. Standing in the opening just before a crowd of bushes, Aela looked about her and took in her surroundings. It wasn't often that she got out of the city and she decided to take the moment to enjoy it. If she were to obtain her goal and become an Endal then she would spend much of her time out of the city, but that was yet to be seen. I can do this....if I can't make a catch, then I won't eat tonight. Many thoughts swirled through her mind as she looked around, the wind picking up, causing the braid trailing down the back of her neck to dance about and the black cloth of her Bryda to sway backwards and wrap around her slender legs. She focused her mind observing the calls of the wild. In the near-by trees, she could see squirrels running about and gathering their own supply of food. Further into the brush she spotted a dusk lop standing near a clearing. He was posed, leaning up right with his front paws cupping at his chest. He must be lost, I don't think dusk lop stay in this part of the forest..the owls would catch them. It was highly possible that was the case, the small animal had probably gone out in search of food and wondered too far out from it's home. Aela reached back over her shoulder and slowly pulled out an arrow as she raised her bow with her other hand. Moving closer, she slowed her breathing and raised her bow with the arrow head floating just above the leather wrapped handle and the rear of the arrow pressing against the string. Suddenly, as if spooked, the animal dropped down and raced off. Aela sighed loudly, her arms dropping to her sides in frustration. Of course it wouldn't be that easy! Aela hurried after the small fury animal, using the trees to hide behind in hopes of catching it off guard. Aela continued to track the animal until she reached another clearing. She paused as she looked around but sadly the dusk lop was nowhere to be found. Suddenly she heard a strange sound and spun around to see what it was. In the clearing much further out from where she stood, she saw elk grazing the land. Aela hadn't seen an elk since she was very young and found herself watching them for a bit. They were beautiful creatures, their bodies were broad and muscular, much more so than that of the sky goat and their antlers were long and wide, almost like fingers reaching for the sky above. When I was small, I remember these things looked like giants.

[Apola]

Apola opened her eyes and gazed up at the tree tops. She pulled herself from her sleeping bag. She had been tracking an animal for days, only stopping for food and sleep. She pulled out dried meat so that she didn't have to make a fire which could catch the attention of said animal. Her horse was grazing next to her small camp. Its coat was covered with mud to cover its scent. The smell of horses meant people and people meant death for animals. Apola herself was covered with a dappled green and brown cloak to cover her striking red hair. She quickly packed up camp in a brown saddle bag and jumped onto the horse. It took off at a slow trot so its master could track the animal she was trying to find. It was a perfect day for hunting, the weather smelled of rain and the animals would be focused on finding food and shelter. Apola pulled out her bow and led the horse with only her legs. She was close. The birds continued to sing, not realizing that a hunter was in their mist. Apola hopped off of her horse and looked down at the ground. Fresh tracks. She tied the horse to a tree and walked forward. There in the clearing, stood the animal she was tracking. Apola pulled back her bow and let an arrow fly. It went straight and true. It pierced the elk through the eye. It fell beautifully and magestically to the ground. She walked over, looked in it eyes then slit its throat. Apola was successful. Now all she needed was to bring the animal to town and sell it. The elk and lots of meat which would feed many people. She did her part and got her money. That was a bonus to her hunts. She got paid to do so. She would need to skin the animal before she got to the butcher so she could keep the skin for a cloak. She would smell like another animal. This would make her prey less tense and more relaxed. This way the meat wouldn't be as tense. The Elk

[Alori Sai]

Aela moved further into the clearing and watched the elk more. The dusk lop was long gone, but she was now presented with a better opportunity. With an elk she could sell the meat and use the pinions to buy more than just food. Aela took a deep breath, her fingers squeezed tightly around the bow as she raised it again. She brought an arrow to rest just above her thumb again and readied to pull it back against the string. I'm going to get this one.....steady Aela. Suddenly, she heard the sound of hovels prancing against the ground and lowered her bow. Looking further to her right, she noticed a cloaked figure riding a horse had appeared from the brush. Aela watched as the figure climbed down from the horse, the green and brown cloak covered the figure almost completely, and she couldn't tell who or what was hiding behind it. She continued to watch as the figure aimed a long bow in the direction of the animals and in one quick shot, took down a full grown elk with an arrow into it's eye. The other elk scattered as the injured animal collapsed to the ground. Aela sighed, realizing now that she would have to track the rest of the elk down if she wanted to make a kill since the hunter had spooked them. She decided to track the elk later as she was curious to find the identity of the person who had just ruined her shot. They stole my shot...Just who is this? Aela placed the arrow back into the holster on her back and made her way out into the opening where the hunter was finishing off the elk. From the way the hunter moved as they closed in on the kill looked feminine and she wondered if the hunter was female. She moved cautiously so she wouldn't frighten the hunter into thinking that she was a predator. It was a smart choice to make as she didn't know if they were friendly or not. She stopped a few feet away from the hunter and the elk which was just taking it's last breath. The animal's legs looked stiff and Aela was oddly drawn in by the arrow sticking out of it's eye. "That's a pretty good shot. Are you from around here?"

[Apola]

Apola heard the woman before she saw her. The woman walked like an ox through the forest compared to Apola, who walked as if she was floating above the ground. It was probably the shoes the woman was wearing. They were ugly things with huge thick heels. Apola wore her worn soft-soled leather boots, they made barely a sound. "I was, then I wasn't, and now I am again" That was true enough. She didn't offer her name. She simply went back to skinning the elk. She shivered as she remembered her past. Images of Her mother smiling, blowing glass, then her mother again, laying on her death bed. Of her stepfather destroying her mother's beautiful glass work. Young Apola saving only a mug. Apola being beat for saving the mug. Apola running away. Come back years later, and killing her stepfather in fear for her life. She was from around here. Then she wasn't. And then she was, again. Apola had used only her wits and her talent with a bow and arrow to survive those hard times in the Wildlands. She had been glad to come back to civilization, even though she was scared. Hunting was the only time she had a clear head. She focused on the hunt and all other thoughts drifted away like falling leaves in an autumn breeze. The sounds of the forest called her. The whistling of birds and chattering of small animals, hidden in the trees and bushes. The forest was her life, her home. She didn't feel as welcome anywhere else as she did in the forest. The city was nice for sometime, but she had missed the forest and came back. She was only slightly away from the city, unlike when she had run away. She still needed to trade what she caught for goods. Even with Apola's deep thoughts, she was aware the woman was still standing next to her, watching as Apola expertly skinned the deer from head to toe.

[Alori Sai]

It's a woman.. Aela thought after hearing the hunter speak. There was something odd about the way she spoke but Aela decided not to ask. She could sense a pride in the woman and a need to keep others at arms length. It wasn't a surprise, although most Inartan were somewhat sociable, there was those who'd rather be left alone. Aela folded her arms as she watched the woman and wondered if she should even bother to say anything else. If she's too busy to say a few words then I'll just leave her be. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw that the elk hadn't moved as far away as she had thought. In fact, they hadn't moved far at all which meant that there must have been more to graze in the area. She glanced back over her shoulder again toward the mysterious woman before going after the elk again. She moved quickly along the bushes and stayed close to the tall trees to hide herself. Once she was closer, as much as she had been before, she slowly moved in front of the tree and readied herself. She froze in place, looking out toward the grassy opening, there was a baby elk standing alone. It was still a short distance between them, but the elk was a lot closer than any of the rest. Aela held her bow downward and slipped her arrow in place. She paused a moment, killing the calf seemed wrong somehow, but it was a clear shot and one she'd be insane not to take. Wake up Aela, it's just an animal like the rest.. She raised the bow in front of her and placed the arrowhead on the calf. Just as she pulled back on the arrow, tightening it into the string, an adult elk stepped forward blocking her shot of the calf. It was the perfect shot and she didn't wait for a second before firing an arrow at the adult elk. The arrow soured into the grassy plane and struck the elk in it's side. A loud yelp could be heard as it spun around, bucking as it started to run. Aela stepped out into the opening slipping another arrow into place. With her eyes on the elk, she raised her bow aiming at the elk's neck and took the shot.

[Apola]

Apola finished with the elk and strapped the body onto the horse who flared his nostrils, but otherwise did not protest. He was a hunter's horse after all. His creamy coat shined with sweat as he grazed in the meadow waiting for his rider, his best friend and his protector. Apola watched the girl out of the corner of her eye. Her stance was clumsy, her footsteps loud. It was a wonder that the elk didn't notice her. Apola watched the girl try to shoot for the baby and silently scolded her for idiocy. The adult elks knew waht a bow was, they weren't stupid. Just as Apola anticipated, one adult saved the child. Now the stupid girl was aiming for the adult. She should know that an elk's neck is too tough to kill the thing, the elk will just get mad. However, the girl fired. The Elk did get mad. Really mad. It was a male and seemed to be the herd leader at that. There were many battle scars that odorned his tan hide. His antler's towered high, branched on a moving tree. He snorted and looked about to charge. Apola jumped on her horse and dashed over to the girl. There was only a few seconds before the Elk would hit her horse and she held her hand to the girl who tried to hunt, but failed.

[Alori Sai]

Aela looked on in surprise as the wounded elk turned on her. Two well placed shots had pierced the animal but it was still on it's feet. Although it was now in it's final moments alive, adrenalin kept it going. Aela turned and ran for the forest as the elk raced toward her. It was dieing and couldn't continue long, and all she needed was to create distance between them. Looking to her left Aela saw the huntress coming towards them on her horse. Her form was sloppy and it looked as if she were about to tumble off the horse at any moment. "What is she doing?" The horse she road wasn't much bigger than the elk that was chasing her and as the woman reached for her, Aela saw that the elk was about to ram into her horse. Reaching up, Aela grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her off the horse just before the elk slammed into it. Aela fell backwards and the woman with her, while the elk and horse tumbled further into the forest. Aela pulled herself up, she was bruised but she was still alive. "Are you ok?" After she checked on the woman, she turned and moved toward the fallen elk and horse. The horse flipped around until it was able to stand again but the elk laid still. Aela moved closer to the elk and placed another arrow into her bow and raised it a bit. She could tell that the animal wasn't dead yet and she didn't want to force it to suffer anymore than it had. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the arrow back into the string tightly then fired a shot into the elks chest. It's over.... Dropping her bow, Aela sat down on the ground. The hardest part was over but she would still have to skin and gut the elk. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she threw her head back, the adventure wasn't over just yet. Resting for a moment, Aela turned toward the woman and smiled, trying to lighten the mood. Almost being killed by a deranged animal would bring a dark cloud to any day. "Well....You came to save me, and I ended up saving you. What a day huh?"

[Apola]

Apola simply smiled and nodded her thanks. She then walked over to the elk and looked it over. The sunlight filtered down onto the still body, dappling it's pale pierced hide. She felt Traverisa butt his head against her arm and Apola turned and placed her head on the horses muzzle and whispered something inaudible and hugged him tight. She stayed like that for a while then stepped away. She righted her cloak and pinned it in the front. She bent down and grabbed her bag then looked over at Aela. "You need a ride? Traverisa can probably hold another elk if we walk." She removed the saddle and placed that on her shoulder. She flipped the bridal over his head and led the horse over to the elk. "I have a friend that can skin that for you. He'd nice. Cheap."

[Alori Sai]

Aela watched the huntress as she approached the downed elk. She looked on as the woman eyed the dead animal and wondered if she was going to carve it up. She smiled a bit once the horse had recovered and moved to nuzzle against it's owner. Aela was relieved that the horse wasn't harmed and flopped back onto the ground with a sigh. "Is hunting always this intense?" She sat up, when the huntress spoke to her and offered to help get her kill back to the city. "Yes, that would be a big help." She smiled and pulled herself back to her feet. She stood silent for a moment, this was all still new to her and she wasn't sure how they were going to get the animal onto the horse, but she figured the huntress had a plan. "Yea...sure," She said as she moved toward the woman and her horse. "I'm Aela by the way."

[Apola]

Apola smiled at the woman and her comment about the intenseness of it. If shw was going to hunt more, she would get used to it... hopefully. "Apola. Anyways, If you help me get this elk on his back, Travirsia will be able to carry them. We'll have to walk though. I don't think town is too far away." Apola was always very quiet, she said what was need to be said and nothing more, nothing less. Even though the forest was more of a home to her than town, she felt like the quiet song of the woodland should stay mostly untouched. Also being quiet was something a hunter has to do naturally or learn. Make to much noise and you'll scare away your prey. A noisy hunter goes to bed hungry. With the sun rising higher in the sky, Apola's cloak was getting hot. She removed it to reveal her sunkissed skin and deep green clothing. It kept her blending in with her surroundings. She was always on the hunt, wether gathering information, or actual animals. At one point she stopped at a tree and moved some branches out of the way. There, hanging from some twine, was a couple of squirrels. She tossed one to Aela. "I don't like being in a debt" was all she said.