Closed Game for a Hunt? [Pyren]

[Sliver]

The Kelvic balked somewhat at Pyren's question, but realized that it shouldn't surprise her. Even in a city so perforated with kelvic, why should everyone know their ways?

"A bond..." She paused, trying to figure out the best way to put it as they strode through the snow. "It is what we are made for...a Kelvic is not whole without a bond to another person, and it cannot be Kelvic. It is a connection, given by each participant willingly, a connection that..." Her voice broke and drifted off, gaze scanning the horizon. "I'm sorry, I am not being good with my...words. It's just that...I've never bonded. I know how I am supposed to feel, but...I do not know how it will truly be until it happens."

Dark eyes glanced back at Pyren. "But Kelvic, we were made with magic, and the magic that made us urges us to seek out partnership, for we are animals and humans, and our minds...our minds change and adapt to those we have bonded with, I hear that bonded pairs can feel through the connection, the feelings of the other, where they are, if they are hurt." Her words were wistful and sad. "I cannot imagine how wonderful...it must be." Her head snapped to, and when she spoke next her words were considerably more controlled.

"That is why the Icewatch works so well. Made up of bonded pairs, Dire polar bears and Vantha, they create unity and precision far above any other military one could possibly attempt to organize, and it is why they require all who enter to bond within a set period...one which I am swiftly reaching the end of, which is why I was so desperate to go on a hunt where I did not have to worry about...that pressing upon my shoulders." She looked at Pyren, slowing a bit. "So that is the story, as for why I do not marry? I do not need such a thing, if I am bonded, in a way it is like marriage, even if it is not the same. Bonds can be of companionship, love, commitment..."

She continued walking in silence for a time, eyes concentrated on the white horizon, flecked with small shrubs and trees, nose pricked for any relevant information sweeping over the horizon. Sliver realized suddenly how wonderful it was to talk to someone not affiliated with the Icewatch, not biased towards her and her decisions. She still clung to Morwen's words when they had met in the palace. Her kindness and acceptance carried the wolverine through trials and tribulations numerous, but this Frostfawn...it was nice to talk to someone she barely knew, and the Kelvic had none of the concerns for privacy that might hold others back from divulging such details.

[Pyren Frostfawn]

He listened attentively to the ways of the Kelvic. It seemed the bond was an unexplainable thing. From what Sliver said it seemed to be a feeling, albeit an intense one. It seemed like it were that of an intensely close relationship. Though from how Sliver told it she wanted one.

Sliver sounded sadened by the thought of a bond as well, Pyren thought. There was something else there in her voice too. maybe it was longing to be bonded...maybe it was something else. Pyren looked outward to the tundra before him in thought. The bond seemed like both a blessing and a curse in some ways. Those who were bonded sounded like they got a close relationship...those that didn't seemd to be almost like lost souls.

This was also the first time someone had ever spoken about magic and Kelvics to Pyren before. He thought that little tidbit was intresting. A magical urging to find a bondmate. He was glad that he could take the Kelvics mind off of this for a while with this little hunting trip. It seemed that the Iceatch may require a Kelvic to bond with another and that she was nearing the end of the date she must have a bond. He decided not to ask her when she needed a bondmate...or any more questions on the subject. Afterall, she was doing this to temporarily forget about all that. "Well I'm glad I can do your mind and the Icewatch some service. By the way...any idea what our targets are for this trip? Elk? Deer? Caribou?"

[Sliver]

The Kelvic was glad the subject could be changed to that of their hunt and away from her. She smiled and shrugged. "Anything we can get, the Icewatch is far from picky." It was true, the bears and Vantha alike took anything served to them, often picking through frost hawks if game was low. Sliver didn't much like the gamey birds, but they were a source of protein if nothing else. Of course they certainly weren't what the two hunters would be searching for today.

She grinned at him, exposing a sharp array of teeth. "Wouldn't mind chasing down a rabbit or two, either, I could use the exercise."

Her face became a bit more serious then. "Once we're a few miles out we can begin search for tracks, nothing comes so close to the city, as you probably know." Despite her statement her eyes occasionally scanned the ground for tracks regardless, but the pristine snow gave her nothing. Instead her gaze flicked back to the Frostfawn hunter.

"Have you ever left the City, Pyren?" She was always curious. Plenty of Vantha had traveled to the Spires, and many journeyed across the lands for stories, but many stayed in the Everwinter City all their lives. She was just the opposite, but knew Avanthal as home, and was curious as to his own past...plus, they had time to kill.

[Pyren Frostfawn]

Pyren consented to the fact that they were on a mission for pretty much anything. He saw that the Kelvic, despite what she said, was scanning the ground for tracks. Pyren of course had no skills in tracking but it was pretty obvious she was looking for the tracks of their prey. He decided he would as well. Unskilled at tracking as he was he thought he might be able to spot the signs of an animal track if he saw one.

His gaze turned to the Kelvic as she mentioned chasing down a rabbit. "Really? i would think they would be incredibly fast. How do you plan on chasing down a hare in mid run?" He said naturally curious. She most certainly wasn't thinking of doing it in her present form. "A better question would be what is your animal form of?" He asked. Obviously if her animal form were something like a snow leopard or the like she would be much faster in that form and more well adapted to catch a hare speeding off rather than if she were say a slug or somethign of that nature.

He thought about her last question. He had left the city a few times for hunting excursions mostly. He had never lived anywhere besides Avanthal though. He didn't even know of the other places outside of the city. He decided to tell the Kelvic that. "Only for hunting. i haven't been anywhere besides Avanthal and I don't even know the places outside the city. Not even by name." He said, his voice twinged with sadness. he longed to travel outside of Avanthal but found himself without the funds or means to go very far outside of the Everwinter City.

[Sliver]

After a bit Sliver bent close to the ground, examining something. The nice thing about the snow out in the tundra was that it was hard packed, and just as it was impossible for her to avoid leaving tracks, so too was it for animals passing by. Hoof prints dotted the ground, one simply had to catch the first pale indent to reveal the other ones nearby. The downside to these tracks was that it was also almost impossible to tell how long they had been there. Her nose got low to the ground, trying to catch a scent. There was a faint lingering, but she wasn't sure if it was the wind or the age of the tracks. She rose, deciding to follow them for now. At the very least one set of tracks might lead them to another.

Her head flicked toward Pyren as he asked her about her form. "I am a wolverine, and no if I had to have a race with a rabbit I would most certainly lose, but you might be surprised how fast we can go if our minds our on something."

Catching rabbits was rewarding for the successes that outweighed the often and inevitable failures, she thought to herself. Her head cocked to the side as he mentioned never leaving Avanthal for more than a hunt. "Well you have plenty of time, and since you haven't married, do not have the same obligations of many in Avanthal. The world is quite big...and not as cold as up here."

She smiled, setting into a brisk walk once again, pausing every now and then to make sure she was in line with the tracks. "It looks like a couple deer, but I do not know how old the trail I'm following is.." She informed Pyren as they continued.

[Pyren Frostfawn]

Pyren nodded as they followed the tracks of unknown age and origin. Pyren glanced at the tracks though Sliver definitely was doing the heavy lifting of the tracking. Pyren observed hoping to learn something. The sniffing he couldn't do of course...he obviously didn't have a wolverine's nose. He looked at the track itself. It looked like a hoof print. He'd been around animals enough to know a paw from a hoof any day. The direction was obvious too, so if anything he could have followed the track in the direction the animal went. Though Sliver already taught him something, why follow a track that was ancient? He would have to find out how to determine an old track from a fresh one.

"Well if nothing else you certainly seem interesting. And otherworldy pre..." He said stopping himself wincing at the last unsaid words. Inside thoughts Pyren, inside thoughts he said in his own mind. He always had a problem filtering himself, keeping thoughts seperate from words. He was about to compliment her appearance. He hoped she was too lost in her work to take notice.

He waited a few moments before trying to save his own butt and change the subject from his little slip up before. "Have you ever been out of the city? I mean Avanthal is nice but...what else is out there?" He said, genuinely curious of the Kelvic and her experiences.

[Sliver]

She in fact did not notice his almost slip up, for the win must have caught it and brought it away. Her eyes focused on the ground. She enjoyed the challenge of tracking in the ice, smells were whipped away, prints worn down. These tracks could be hours old...maybe a day, usually after that though they had a tendency of eroding away, that much she knew. They had to lead somewhere.

Her body straightened for a time, and she glanced at Pyren. "I have only been in Avanthal...well nearly a year now." She reflected somberly. "There is much in the world. I have seen just a little..."

She smiled a little to remember it. "I was born on an island made up only of mages, it is strange to me that those in Avanthal hate magic so much because of it. I have seen a sea made up entirely of grass." She chuckled. "Those who live there ride upon great horses who never tire no matter how far they run."

"But I was made for Taldera methinks." She grinned and peered down, checking their progress. The tracks were still there, leading over a rise. She hiked her way up it, breath frosting before her, legs feeling the strain of their walk as the yards passed them by. She was hoping for even the smallest copse that perhaps a herd could take shelter in, but the landscape continued on, unending and white. Sliver shrugged and continued onward, eyes peeled on both the horizon and the set of tracks they followed.

[Pyren Frostfawn]

I was intrigued by the wolverine Kelvic. She seemed to have traveled much by my own standards. Mages were not even on his mind. He had not experienced much magic except the man who stole from the archery stand in the Frozen Falls Market. I still didn't fully understand what happened to that man's hand or why he was in pain. The only explanation given was that his magic backfired on him or soemthing like that. Magic was confusing aas anything in this world that was for sure.

Sliver and I kept trekking on through the snowy expanse of the tundra like landscape. The tracks we were following seemed to be endless and there was no animals in sight whatsoever. "Why do you say you were made for the frozen north? I mean, is this island like Taldera?" I asked. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about these places she had talked about. An island of agic, horses that never tired...it all sounded too amazing to believe to be honest.

I sucked in a bit of air as my legs seemed to give a dull ache from the miles they had already seemed to walk. It was tiring to walk for such a long time and have nothing to show a product of any effort. The tundra seemed to produce no animals or plants of any kind, or they were poor trackers and hunters...either way the hunt was not producing a good result so far. I shook my head at these thoughts, Got to think postive, got to think positive I thought, waiting for Sliver's answer.

[Sliver]

oocI am SO SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY!

Sliver glanced at him as he asked the question. "Well...no. I have found nowhere in Mizahar like Taldera, and certainly not like Avanthal. The lands away from here are much warmer and less covered with sno-"

Sliver stiffened as they crossed the rise and grabbed Pyren by the shoulder, dragging him firmly downward so that they both fell into the snow. About a 100 yards ahead grazing nervously on some scant shrubs were a small herd of deer.

Sliver glanced towards Pyren, her voice low. "It'll be hard getting closer, but I doubt you can shoot form this range, no?"

And so the Kelvic began crawling on her hands and knees towards the deer, keeping low, waiting to see what they...and Pyren would do in response. It was the best chance they'd get for at least a little while...Why not take it?