Flashback [Northern Wastes] Experiment Fodder's Fodder

[Liyana Winterflame]

~th Of Autumn, 508 AV It'd be nice if she came here often. Liyana followed her father as they trekked out in the Northern Wastes. It felt good to be in the forest. Snow under her boots, tall trees all around her. Only her father, his friends, and her. They were agreeable folk. One of them was really quiet. He seemed really old, but father said he is just serious because he is thinking. Liyana wondered if the man also liked coming here because it was so peaceful. There was another one who kept smiling and joking. He said that it's "bring your daughter to work day" and that he's jealous because his wife hasn't given birth yet. He told Liyana she's welcome to come to the birthday celebration and his wife will serve some nice sweets. They didn't talk much after that. She thought they were getting tired but father told her they don't want to scare animals away. She took note of this. She would have liked to come hunting before but her mother said she was not old enough. Father once said he took her once when she was young and her mother was very angry. She watched them tracking. Father told her about traces that animals leave. Broken twigs, unearthed dirt, snow prints, droppings. It was not hard to notice most of these because the ground was filled with snow. However, animals preferred places without snow so they spent their time searching for patches of green and soft dirt. ------------ Klemend, her father, slowed down. When his friends looked at him he hushed them. He winked at the joking-person and smiled a bit, and then he pointed at the ground. "Liy, look here. What do you see?" He vaguely gestured at the earth, leaving her to scan it all. Liyana combed the ground carefully. She couldn't see any droppings. They would have been an obvious contrast against the white. She looked at the vegetation. There were a few bushes. She went over. "There's a few rustled leaves here. A few of them fell on the ground. There's also a twig that was turned over when it was stepped on from the side." She paused a bit to look at the distance between them. "But from they're too far apart. It can't be a small animal. Maybe a caribou? Or perhaps many animals walking together. And it can't be due to multiple passing because there would at least be a dropping somehwere.." Klemend chuckled a bit. "So what do you suggest we do, prophet of the wild?" "I.. let's just keep moving that way. I know there weren't any footprints but I feel these signs are recent." "I see." Klemend paused to ponder for a bit. "Guys, head over to check the traps near here. I'll go with my Liy in that direction to check out any more signs. Meet us back here when you're done. That's in about thirty minutes. If we haven't returned our footprints." Klemend couldn't risk wasting the party's time, even if it was to please his daughter. It wasn't a bad lead but it's just not orthodox practice. They could have just kept heading to where the forest is known to be greener. Liy kept walking ahead, meticulously glaring at everything. It was up to her now. The others are not here to look around with her. She began to feel excited and felt her new bow itching to get out. ----------------

[Liyana Winterflame]

"Liy, we can't keep going on forever. Wasting time would be hurting the hold." "Just a bit more. I promise.." She was still walking with her head looking everywhere. Ahead, around, down. She was not even bothering to think of the plants she could use for philtering. Her only hope, really, was to come across a wandering animal that made its home here. She noticed a dropping but it was cold. Days old. Any passing animal would be long gone. But it was big, which meant it was indeed a caribou. Or a really big fox. Or perhaps there was a stealthy jamoura prowling the forest. Large, silent, strong. Hungry for food. She began to feel anxious. She looked around and found her father struggling to keep up. Had he been calling for her? She stopped going forward with mad haste and stood still. It was no use. All for nothing. The wind was blowing to where she was going. Any animal could smell here for a mile away and escape. She had been so excited she forgot to check. She climbed one of the nearby trees to look ahead. It was difficult and she did not get very high lest she slip. She made sure she had good footing and that the branches were stable. She brushed off snow before they made big falls and ruined her balance. Just like playing in the park. She couldn't see anything, although she saw a bit of greener spaces ahead. It's a good sign but she needs more.. She climbed a bit higher. The branches became too bendy, and she had to stick to their stems. She kept thinking of slipping. Bad time to be wearing boots.. Once she was high enough she saw what she was looking for. Five minutes ahead were two large caribous. Wandering animals away from the herd. Perhaps there were more in that direction... She quickly slid downwards and almost twisted her arm. Her elbow brushed against the trunk and hurt, and her feet kept slipping down. She managed to grab things while she went down but still she landed heavily. She quickly leaned forward and managed to not break her legs. Her father reached her in time to see her. He was panting. "Liy. We've been too far away. We must go back. It's for the good of the hold." Liyana started to explain. "But dad.." She was cut off. "No.I'll take you here later for some hiking or camping fun. But I can't ignore calls of duty." She spoke quickly to fit it all quickly. "Dad I climbed up there and I saw two caribous ahead they are close we can go take them now it is worth it believe me i saw them just now.." Klemend paused for a bit. "Liy, are you sure? Maybe it was a bush formation, or.." "I'm sure!" She was too excited to be lying. Her voice was no longer pleading. She ran ahead before her father could say more. She did her best to not make noise. Snap. Kritch. Two mistakes. But they weren't blatant. She wasn't exposed. She took out her new bow -- a composite -- and an arrow to nock. --------------------------

[Liyana Winterflame]

As she approached she saw one of the caribou was closer. The other one was not in sight. Perhaps it went to forage. She crouched and slowly stepped forwards. She planted her feet slowly, balls first, gently, in order to feel anything that would break, before she touched the ground. She hid against the trees. She leaned on her knee and started aiming. She only had one shot. She wasn't strong enough to load another arrow before the caribou ran away -- if she missed. She steadied her arm and checked for the tips she had learned. Everything she had learned. She decided she would aim at the torso. She couldn't afford to miss, and this was the biggest target. No point in aiming at the head. She let go. The arrow flew and planted itself in the front thigh. A long way from her aim, and a near miss, but it'll do. The caribou can't get far now. She was still looking at the caribou, observing how it tried to wildly move around in circles and trip, when she heard a snap behind her. She turned around and saw a caribou was walking towards her. Fast. It must have gone into rage if it smelled the blood of its mate. Liyana couldn't draw her bow back fast enough. She couldn't manage to pick herself up and run away quickly enough. She felt the caribou gaining on her and starting screaming. " Help!" She heard a grunt from the caribou. She kept running, but when she heard no more steps behind her she hid behind a tree and look back. The caribou was on the ground with an arrow sprouting from its neck, near its chest. It was buckling wildly and flailing against the air as it lay. Her father was a few meters away from it, walking slowly and with an angry frown on his face. It wasn't a good sign. "Liy! Come here, Now!" He screamed, breathing deeply and with a flaring nose. "That was a silly thing to do. Always look behind you. If the animals sneak up on you then you can't expect to be a decent hunter!" There were two large caribou on the ground but they didn't seem to be making him more cheerful. "Follow me." She trailed behind him until they met up with the others. Klemend started talking. "We got us some two berthas down there. One's a cherry-monster." The quiet guy reacted first. His eyebrows drew up a bit and he smiled slightly. He could return home now. "That's some good huntin'." Klemend responded. His face was blank, still a bit tense and silent. He's still angry. "Yes. Good game." The jokester laughed then. "Ha! Two Bertha! How did you get past the cherry-monster? Did you dress up in furs and prance around provocatively? Honestly, Klemend, you should be more careful. They're not called monsters for nothin'." "No. He was just shot." The serious one interjected. Perhaps he noticed the tension. "Fair enough. Let's just load them up and carry them. We might have to gut them here to manage to drag the rest of body back." Liyana walked with them in silence. Perhaps it was too much, hunting in the wilds. She couldn't come here to get food for her mice often. She'd have to cancel that plan. But if she wanted to have some mice to experiment her philters on, she'll need food.. And she can't spend all her money on food.. Perhaps.. perhaps she'll stick to hunting small game closer to the city. Rabbits. And other mice. The mice will just have to stick to eating other street mice, at least for now. Or pigeons. She can even shoot some inside the city. It'll be way less scary than this. And she doesn't think her father will take her here anytime soon, anyway..