7th Spring 514AV
Goats. It was amazing the magic that that one word could work on a hungry population. For the rations to stop and the famine to come to an end the hunters needed to bring in food. That was easier said than done these days, game still an unusual sight on the mountainside. The animals were returning in drips and drabs but for the hunting population to hear about a herd of goats... well it was like declaring open season. The turnout was phenomenal Azira thought. Everyone who was capable of shooting a bow seemed to be getting their meagre rations together and heading out of the city. It reminded her of the time two seasons before when the city had turned out en masse to hunt the blue elk. This was different though. There was an even greater air of desperation now, the rush of activity of people who had felt long hunger.
It was too much of a temptation for the teen to resist and so she was going to be joining the crowd. There would be no hunting with a crowd of people for her though, whether Endal, Avora, or a mixture of the two. She was not good in group situations and while she knew that there were some things lacking in her hunting technique, she wasn't that willing to sacrifice the credit for bringing in meat. If she was in a group, she doubted she'd be the one to make the kill.
So the girl was going solo. Much of her morning rations were now in her backpack together with a water skin filled with good, clean water. While the water around the mountain seemed to be returning o normal drinking quality there was still some of the bad water floating about the place. A purchase that she'd made one market day was also in her backpack. It was a simple sack made of rough material but it would serve her well for the purpose that she had for it. Rather than sullying the inside of her backpack from meat moving about if it slipped out of the hide, the huntress had decided that such meat could go in the sack instead. Her bow had been checked over, ensuring that it was in good condition, and her arrows were examined for any sign of fault. The preparations had proved satisfactory to the young huntress and so she had set out with some optimism, a rare state of mind of girl.
Her mood had taken a nosedive once she headed for the Sanikas gate. There were a dozen hunters travelling down the same passage as her, their occupations obvious to the girl by the bows and other equipment they carried. Her mood didn't improve once outside either, instead sinking deeper still. Wind Eagles spiralled high above her head, circling the mountain in search of a quarry. As she watched, one dived at a place higher up the mountain, the figure on its back presumably wielding a bow. The Endal had an unfair advantage. Not only did they have a bird's eye view but had the element of surprise and access to difficult areas going for them too. It was no surprise that the huntress felt disheartened. She briefly considered heading down the mountain and away from the groups of other hunters but the thought of giving up was too much for her pride to bear.
But what chance did she have? Her tracking skills were mediocre at best and she was not the best with a shortbow in all truth. What she had so hastily written off earlier, the prospect of working with other hunters, suddenly became more appealing. Being honest with herself she knew that she probably couldn't carry a whole goat by herself with her small stature and if she killed a goat and someone came along she'd be likely to have it stolen. Everyone had a quota after all. Plus, she could do with someone with butchery skills and superior tracking abilities to her own. Where she'd find such an individual, or individuals was the question now. Her eyes scanned the groups of hunters who were quickly disappearing around her and spotted a pair coming out of the city. They were both older than her, a man and a woman. The woman carried a longbow with her, she noted. They were the smallest party she'd seen and she assumed that they must be skilled enough as a pair to not need the skills of others. They were her best bet. She just had to convince them that letting her tag along would be worthwhile.
Goats. It was amazing the magic that that one word could work on a hungry population. For the rations to stop and the famine to come to an end the hunters needed to bring in food. That was easier said than done these days, game still an unusual sight on the mountainside. The animals were returning in drips and drabs but for the hunting population to hear about a herd of goats... well it was like declaring open season. The turnout was phenomenal Azira thought. Everyone who was capable of shooting a bow seemed to be getting their meagre rations together and heading out of the city. It reminded her of the time two seasons before when the city had turned out en masse to hunt the blue elk. This was different though. There was an even greater air of desperation now, the rush of activity of people who had felt long hunger.
It was too much of a temptation for the teen to resist and so she was going to be joining the crowd. There would be no hunting with a crowd of people for her though, whether Endal, Avora, or a mixture of the two. She was not good in group situations and while she knew that there were some things lacking in her hunting technique, she wasn't that willing to sacrifice the credit for bringing in meat. If she was in a group, she doubted she'd be the one to make the kill.
So the girl was going solo. Much of her morning rations were now in her backpack together with a water skin filled with good, clean water. While the water around the mountain seemed to be returning o normal drinking quality there was still some of the bad water floating about the place. A purchase that she'd made one market day was also in her backpack. It was a simple sack made of rough material but it would serve her well for the purpose that she had for it. Rather than sullying the inside of her backpack from meat moving about if it slipped out of the hide, the huntress had decided that such meat could go in the sack instead. Her bow had been checked over, ensuring that it was in good condition, and her arrows were examined for any sign of fault. The preparations had proved satisfactory to the young huntress and so she had set out with some optimism, a rare state of mind of girl.
Her mood had taken a nosedive once she headed for the Sanikas gate. There were a dozen hunters travelling down the same passage as her, their occupations obvious to the girl by the bows and other equipment they carried. Her mood didn't improve once outside either, instead sinking deeper still. Wind Eagles spiralled high above her head, circling the mountain in search of a quarry. As she watched, one dived at a place higher up the mountain, the figure on its back presumably wielding a bow. The Endal had an unfair advantage. Not only did they have a bird's eye view but had the element of surprise and access to difficult areas going for them too. It was no surprise that the huntress felt disheartened. She briefly considered heading down the mountain and away from the groups of other hunters but the thought of giving up was too much for her pride to bear.
But what chance did she have? Her tracking skills were mediocre at best and she was not the best with a shortbow in all truth. What she had so hastily written off earlier, the prospect of working with other hunters, suddenly became more appealing. Being honest with herself she knew that she probably couldn't carry a whole goat by herself with her small stature and if she killed a goat and someone came along she'd be likely to have it stolen. Everyone had a quota after all. Plus, she could do with someone with butchery skills and superior tracking abilities to her own. Where she'd find such an individual, or individuals was the question now. Her eyes scanned the groups of hunters who were quickly disappearing around her and spotted a pair coming out of the city. They were both older than her, a man and a woman. The woman carried a longbow with her, she noted. They were the smallest party she'd seen and she assumed that they must be skilled enough as a pair to not need the skills of others. They were her best bet. She just had to convince them that letting her tag along would be worthwhile.
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