The Fall Hunt: Honourable Pursuits [Quest]

[Eldon Sunkiss]

43rd of Fall “For as long as we are far from the safety of our pavilions back home, we are family here. We hunt together, eat together, dream together.” Eldon nodded slowly as he listened to the voice of experience flowing over him. It was an honor for Eldon to be here, he could just feel it, he was happy being out here, with Zethar, with the valiant striders, on the Great Hunt. Eldon knew though that the danger would be high, his brothers and sisters (Eldon always thought of all Drykas so) would have significant chance of injury or death. As he listened to Zethar's words about their unity, there was a single unspoken phrase that rang in his head that sent chills through his body, numbing that feel of excitement and bliss he held only moments before. 'And die together...' Eldon, ashamed he would even allow himself to be so pessimistic about this, lifted a hand to his hand to his face. His palm rested across his eyes as if he was shielding himself from eye contact, glares from the sun, or to put pressure against a lightly aching head. Eldon wouldn't allow them to suffer, not as long as he was well enough to walk and ride.

44th of Fall Hand signs were perfect, he had studied and practiced Drykas Hand Sign Language since he was a boy. Although the signs were simple enough for him to pick up easily, regardless of his past training, he felt that he was well adept in knowing them. Hell, he could probably even communicate with the others himself with simple communication. ~ ~ ~ Silence was important. The striders sat upon their valiant companions as they watched the Olidosapux herd below. The day was new, clear, perfect for a hunt. Perfect for the Great Hunt. Eldon, sensing that Vanator was possibly the most experienced Drykas in the group over the past few days (excluding Zethar of course), waited for Vanator to glance at him, and with the Grass Land Sign, would question the elder Drykas. Where is the Heart? Eldon lightly patted his left bicep before pointing at the Olido herd. Olidosapux was a beast that Eldon had no experience with personally, and if he was to honorably kill them, it would be wise to know where to target the creature. The challenge was on then. Eldon stared bewildered as the Alpha male was challenged by another, younger bull. The first throw to the ground and Eldon thought the little brawl was already done, but the tenacity of the young male was beyond what he expected. Eldon could only smile in respect as they went at it again. What were they fighting for? Leadership? Eldon couldn't imagine himself ever fighting his own father for something so abstract as leadership, yet he could almost relate to it. Eldon was known for getting in a fight here and there, wrestling matches to prove his masculinity. They always seemed silly afterwards. Eldon was so engrossed in the challenge that it took him a moment to realize Zethar wasn't also watching the bulls, but he had seen something much more important. Lions. Eldon's eyes widened in surprise as he shot a quickly glance to most of the Hunting Party. Had they noticed it already? Probably, Eldon was probably being slow. Regardless, he held still, silent (though the urge to speak was fairly powerful). Eldon's right hand tightened on the wooden spear as he suffered in the torment of anticipation. What would they do? Their perfect hunt was quickly fading. Moments later Eldon was blazing down the side of the hill by Castin's orders. He and five others were to engage the lions. This game had just turned serious. Lions, Eldon respected them as well, but they couldn't be allowed to do this. If they could drive them away, that'd be good, perhaps even ideal. Eldon didn't want to kill them, but he would if it came to it. Sadly, that's how it appeared to be. With four lions staring directly into the Drykas, neither side was backing down. Unfortunately the other half on the lionesses managed to slip through and were barreling for the weakest of the Olidosapux herd. Eldon grunted lightly, he wasn't going to wait for someone else (and probably better suited) to chase them down. That could be a waste of time that couldn't be afforded to waste. Eldon turned his strider around. The horse would begin to speed directly towards the lions. Surely the five others could hold off four lionesses. It was unlikely that Eldon could single handedly best the four others himself. There was that time though, the incredibly valuable time. If he could buy the herd and herders more of it, they might just do this. Assuming Vanah could fly across the Sea of Grass faster than the Lionesses, which wasn't even a question to be honest, Eldon would be on the heels of the lionesses (the ones chasing the herd). With trusty spear in his right hand, Eldon would thrust outwards towards the Lioness closest to him, praying to no god in particular that Vanah, if anyone, would not suffer even a mild scratch.

[Aiken]

Cats. Always cats were the bane of Aiken's hunts, their lax nature leading him to believe them less feral than required. Lounging in the sun all day, hunting as they pleased. He had no issues being ordered to attack.

Claws met dodges, parries, counters. Aiken the wolf met their combat with rage just as any other fight, teeth aimed for throats, blind slashes and charges at any vulnerable opponent. He didn't care for honor in this, and every trick he could pull had potential. Hamstrings left unprotected, flanks open. Their cat's blood was of no importance to him, just the victory and continuation of their hunt.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam paid close heed to Zethar's words around the fire, taking especial note of his views on leadership for he was a leader and his views were respected by all Drykas. The young man's memories of his grandfather's leadership style were hazy and focused on other things, things of more interest to a young boy than what that young boy might one day become. He had never imagined he would become an Ankal. There were too many in his family closer to that nexus of primogeniture and ability when he was seven years old for it to be a thought in his little head. When they went to bed, he felt strange. It was, perhaps, the closest he had been to contentment in some time, and it was no longer a state with which he was personally familiar. The years of his freedom had been lean years where survival was his primary goal, both for Horse and himself. Now he had a Strider, a bonded Kelvic, friends, and family. It was a drastic shift in his fortunes. Among the furs, he slept with his hunting party, the Valiant Striders. He was used to Aiken being around to keep him warm, and Denen had shared their camp for a while. But now his cousin was present too, like a real pavilion, and Dymphna was distractingly close. Waking up with his arms around her had been a delightful, if embarrassing, surprise. The next day, he found himself following their leaders, observing their leadership style for later rumination. Soon enough he found himself charging a pack of lions. Dohaina responded to his silent commands almost as if there were some sort of psychic link between them, and it quickly became clear that he was one of their better riders, which gave him a secret thrill: he did have something to offer his people, even if he had grown to manhood away from them. He had to keep Dohaina from outpacing their six-person group, and thoughts of sleeping on lion pelts during the winter were quickly banished as the task at hand rose to contain the entirety of his focus. His shortbow was held at the ready, an arrow nocked and the strength of his legs the only thing keeping him in the yvas. Whereas the Syliran knights might have charged the lions directly, Sam intended to peel off after shooting a few arrows into the midst of the pack of hunting cats. If the time came to draw his scimitar, he would do so, but one of their advantages over the lions was the reach of their bows. There was no way Aiken could keep pace with charging Striders in Cyphrus, but Sam knew that he would slam into the lions like death Herself once they were distracted by the riders. And Sam would do his best to kill or disable as many as he could so Aiken could finish them off. With Dohaina pounding the ground beneath him, he raised his bow and drew the bowstring back to his ear. He sighted on a lion and tried to wait for that point where he was close enough and his chances of hitting one were best, and then loosed it. Quickly he followed with another two arrows before he was past them, Dohaina beginning to wheel around for another pass. Caught up in the primal pattern of the hunt, he loosed a challenging scream at the lions. These horned beasts belonged to them!

[Denen Sunsinger]

There was a lot to ponder. Denen had never felt that he fit in, and struggled even now, when Aiken and Sam had been so welcoming to him. He sat quietly, watching as the others spoke. He was touched by the poem, as all tales had a way of leaving their mark on his heart. He sat at last and pulled his knees up to his chest, watching in silence. He was fascinated. However, when the poem was finished, much to his surprise, he found Zethar seated next to him. His blue eyes went wide, and he watched the words with a sort of stunned awe. No one...No one had ever taken the time to sit with him and address his fears. His cheeks flushed and he nodded slowly. "Y-Yes, sir," he answered quietly. And then, Zethar rose to get himself something to eat, leaving the boy to think on what had been said. Everyone piled in to a tent that night to sleep, bundled up together. Denen did not wish to intrude between Sam and Aiken, and had slept on the outside. But during the night, he got too cold, and with a sleepy declaration of his chill, he crawled in between the two of them, cuddling up for warmth. Morning came, and with it, the Hunt. Denen felt sick with nervousness, clutching to Reth's mane with all the fear of one who had never known a horse's back. Still, he did his best to conceal it, knowing his horse had seen this before, and that the animal would do anything to protect him. He had expected this to be something that the others would tend to. After all, he was there to heal. He would ride along and do his part to herd the beasts, but doubted he would do any killing himself. He supposed he was more than content with this. A combination of horror and excitement struck him when the lions made their appearance. He gasped and reined Reth as best he could to try and steer their prey away from the lions. As the calves fell behind, his tender heart tore for them, and he immediately steered himself to try rounding them together and away from the lions. All the while, he cursed himself for thinking this was a good idea. Reth was old, but still fast. He simply prayed this wouldn't go too far. "Come on, c-come on!" Even as he spoke, a lioness rushed alongside him, making to grab at one of the calves. "S-Stop it!" He shouted, and before he realized what he was doing, he had removed his bag (which had a healthy selection of stones within, as well as herbs), swung it about his head, and brought it cracking down on the cat's head. His eyes went wide and he laughed aloud, hoping to steer the babies back in the direction of their herd. Thank you, gods, he prayed to himself.

[Dymphna]

Zethar had somehow known exactly what Dymphna had needed to hear, and she found a bit of peace sitting around the campfire talking to others. She sharpened her scythes. She looked over her medical supplies. It didn’t take too long for her to return to smiling and giggling quietly. The mixture of excitement and anxiety over the following day kept her up a little longer than she would have liked. She wondered if anyone else was finding they had the same problem she was with being awake. Fall was bringing in a chill, but she was too nervous still to get very close to anyone for warmth. Then Sam put his arms around her. She buried her face into his neck, unsure if she’d been pulled or moved on her own. Whichever it was, she was too tired to marvel over the sense of security that washed over her. The next thing she knew it was morning. She did what she did every morning for her own pavilion – Rush about to be the first person to get things ready for breakfast in hopes of taking some of the burden from others. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity to the young woman, the hunt finally came about. She completely lacked the confidence in bow skills, and she was pretty sure that she wasn’t able to hit one of these creatures. Even if they were dead and she was standing two feet away from it. Never mind riding on Dara with chaos all around. Where she lacked in confidence, though, she made up for with a clear head. She signed along as she yelled at her hunting partners, “Protect the mothers! Without them the calves won’t survive!” She wasn’t sure if the calves would have weaned by then, but the mothers provided their milk if they’d not. So without them both the adult females and the new calves would be gone – The young too weak to fight for themselves and prone to starvation. If the young perished, though, their mothers were of breeding age. The herd would likely recover. At least, that was her quick reasoning. She sent an arrow towards a lion, but she had no hope of actually hitting it. Especially in the head.

[Vanator]

As the riders watched the drama unfold in the valley below, Vanator wondered at its beauty. He felt some connection with alpha male Olidosapux as he sparred with the young rival. Just like an Ankal, the leading bull lead and protected his family with total, passionate commitment. Vanator only hoped one day he would lead as faithfully. The appearance of the lions proved to be a complication, but the Drykas heir would have to admit it also sent a thrill down his spine. Competition from natural born hunters. Vna realized the humans were part of a larger Cyphrus, an elaborate cycle ruled by Caiyha herself, the Drykas an integral part of its intricacy. And they were about to play their role in that natural dance of life and death. At Castin's signal, Vanator urged Backlash forward, surging down into the valley with the others in a thundering wave. There were few sounds more inspiring that the pounding hooves of Cyphrus Striders. Reaching the valley floor, the axeman heeded the Emerald huntress' sign and broke off with Kay, Denen, Dymphna and Zethar towards the herd. Backlash raced towards the front of the olids on the right, whooping and waving his arms along the way to stir the great beasts into a stampede. Van stayed close enough to compel the animals to move, but wary that they did not turn suddenly into him. Looking back, Vanator saw the lionesses nearing the rear of the herd. Denen and Dymphna turned their attention to the predators, attempting to engage the large cats. Looking across the herd to Kayiri, the Denusk yelled over the rumble of the charging olids. "Stay with the herd! We have to keep them moving!" Van knew the impetuous warrior well enough to know Kayiri would be be tempted by the chance to blood his sword against the lions. If Kay broke to engage the lions as well, there would be too few riders to control the group, and their opportunity would be lost. With at least one of them on either side, hopefully the beast's movement could still be controlled.

[Ryjaoka Windia]

She had decided to stay and fight off the other lions, knowing that the members of her team were already in pursuit of the the fleeing beast. She kept her mount steady while she hurried to aim her sword towards the remain beast. She watched carefully as their claws swiped at Parkas, backing him up some so the felines wouldn't hit a tendon or injure her Strider.

She found that she had to pray first, knowing that she should honor the goddess that gave them such adventures. Letting her eyes remain upon the cat she said a small pray to the goddess of nature before beginning her fight with the cats. She kept her sword honored using her abilities to work at the cat in hopes the beast would tier and she would be able to make a kill to end the creatures life quickly. Her hair was pulled tight behind her, her body tense while she swung. Having not been in a honorable kill in a long time, it made her nervous on whether she would be able to do this.

[Kayiri]

When Zethar was done speaking to the group, the proud man was first to respond. A fist thumped against his breast, whilst a loud, "Haaooh!" emanated from his lips. He grinned proudly at the elder man. Every little bit of knowledge was important, especially if it bettered their group, or made them more confident.

Whilst Castin taught the warrior, he listened intently, as he encouraged all of his students to do when he was talking. One could not be a teacher if they did not practice what they taught, no? When she finished with her lecture, he bowed his head respectfully. "I thank you, Master Hunter, for imparting your wisdom unto me. I shall do my best to honor Caihya and her creatures in this hunt, so that, by extension, honor may be passed onto the names of my Pavilion and myself. Though I am not of the Emerald clan, I owe the same respect and reverence to the animals with which She has blessed us," Kayiri uttered respectfully. A warm smile left his lips as his eyes met hers. Then, just as suddenly as he had arrived, he vanished, taking his ever-present dog with him. He vanished into one of the tents, quickly falling into a state of deep sleep. Odd, normally his sleeps were frighteningly light, especially when they were out in the Sea. Maybe being around so many combatants was comforting to him.

-------

Lions. They had come to steal their prey. This could not be allowed! This would not be allowed! This herd was meant for him and his companion's alone! Nothing would interfere with their hunt, not while he still drew breath, not even a God!

Wait. What was this madness? He had been assigned to the herding group, not the group that was to join into battle against the lions! What was this!? He was a warrior! The man scowled, but he would follow the orders assigned. He wouldn't follow them happily, but they would be followed. A movement urged Serenity forward. Together, they came up alongside the moving herd, Aindreas trailing not far behind. Poor dog, being left in the dust by the speeding horses of the Sea.

Look! Four lions had broken through! This was his chance to prove his mettle, to slay them and save the herd that was rightfully theres! Kayiri's tanned hand reached around his waist, fastening onto the hilt of his longsword. As his muscles tensed to pull it out, he heard a familiar voice, the voice of Vanator calling out to him. Stay with the herd! Think, Kayiri! If he were to leave the herd to engage the lions, they would have an avenue of escape. Still, he had to help the healers. They were not trained to fight like he was. If they could herd, and Vanator and himself could engage, things would be endlessly better. A scowl once more claimed his face. He would have to settle with supporting the healers from a distance. His blade would have to wait a bit longer to taste blood. Disappointing.

"Cats! Let's see if you can dance well enough to dodge arrows!" Kayiri's voice boomed out. The hand moved from the hilt of his weapon to his bow, drawing it from his back. He turned in his saddle to face the lions, pulling a single arrow from his quiver. Its notch on the base found its way to the string of the bow, his hand delicately holding the arrow above the fletchings. Deep breath. Pull back the string! The composite shortbow bent drastically as he pulled back the string. Aim! The arrow pointed towards its mark, a lion that seemed to be farthest from Dymphna and Denen. He did not want to hit either of his companions. Fire! His fingers retracted from the arrow. Twang! The string sung as it snapped forward, gracefully sending the arrow forth into the air. Determined eyes watched the arrow. Would it hit its target? He could only hope.

[Tundris]

The lionesses snarled and roared at the Drykas, immediately jumping into a state of threat and caught between lashing back at the blows and swings that came their way and chasing down the olidosapai cattle that were quickly being ushered away in fear. Their ambush on the herd had fallen apart, and they had not anticipated the Drykas intervention. A waterfall of arrows, sword swings, bags swipes, and razor sharp teeth rained down on the four lions that froze and hung back when the Drykas approached. One had its lung punctured, another’s neck twisted, a leg incapacitated. Castin jumped from her horse then and planted a long thin blade into the heart of one of the cats. Panting from the exertion of riding, she signalled for Ryjaoka to strike a final blow on the cat that had fallen nearest to her. Soon the four lingering lions were rendered limp in the grasses, followed by a series of prayers and thanks to Caiyha for the challenge the lions brought them. But danger was still amiss in the herd as the predators lunged at their prey while trying to avoid the Drykas assault from above. The spear that Eldon thrusted forwards and became lodged in the lion’s back, who let out a blood curdling scream and thrashed her claws in different directions. Vanah got caught in the cross fire and received a pattern of three claw slashes across the back flank. Blood poured from the wound but thankfully it didn’t cut any tendon, only damaged the surface of the large muscle found on the leg. The cat quickly slipped from consciousness, the tip of the spear having penetrated through its ribcage and started to fill the cat’s lungs with blood. Castin, who had leaped back onto her yvas after helping kill the lionesses before, bounded over to Eldon and flew down from her strider’s back to thrust her blade into the cats’ heart that flickered with dwindling life. She spun on her crouched legs and regarded the fallen Vanah, examining the wound and trying to steady the strider’s alarmed body. Denen had witnessed the fall after knocking the predator lion over the head. The lion lost her balance and coordination but didn’t veer into the herd right away. It leaped to the side and continued to run though slightly disoriented by Denen’s attack. Kayiri came swooping in behind Denen and nailed the disoriented cat right through the chest. It was as true a shot as could be, the kind of beautiful moment that the Drykas felt honoured to be capable of witnessing. The cat was dead in seconds as it bled out of its heart. The kill was marvellously clean with little damage to the fur or bones. As Kayiri triumphantly killed the cat, Castin beckoned for Denen to join her at Vanah’s side, “this is your time to shine healer,” she smirked. “ You need to stop the bleeding and get this wound cleaned up. Can you handle that?” She signed the command to Denen with patient clarity despite the chaos that ensued around them. Dymphna, who had launched an arrow with her unskilled arm missed her target completely, and the arrow sailed through the air past the cat and hit an unsuspecting female Olidosapai in the neck. The beast bellowed out before diverting from the herd and smacking into the cat between Dymphna and the cattle. Had Sam’ael not pelted the lion with his arrows, it would have surely latched onto Dymphna’s strider and brought her tumbling down into a mess of limbs In the distance, the Olidosapai skidded to a stop and tumbled over itself in the grasses. Far behind it on the ground with Sam’ael, Dymphna and Aiken, the predator gasped for air and struggled to move with its shattered shoulder joint and an arrow through its skull. When Aiken and Sam’ael slowed down to inspect the state of the cat, Uliskis zoomed by on her strider from behind and yelled to them “finish her!” before racing past them towards the herd that progressed ahead. The cat still writhed hanging onto its last breath; its life still needed to be snuffed out. The Olidosapai females slowed when the threat of the remaining lion almost snatching a calf overwhelmed them. They formed a circle around their young, enclosing them and lining the outside of the circle with sharp bloodstained horns and stomping hooves. One of the cats was left unharmed during the chase, but it panicked at the absence of the rest of its pack. These animals were not lone hunters and without the guidance of her kin, she was lost and scared. The lioness hesitated a moment as the Drykas circled around her, preparing to put her to rest. All of those who had bows notched them and aimed for the cat, but a sudden outcry from Uliskis halted them in their imminent assault. “This one lion is of no threat to us, leave her be and let her run back to her cubs.” More important than the pride of hunting and claiming rightful prey was the reality of the wilderness. The group of lionesses were dangerous but were merely trying to feed their young. Unless the cat was actively still trying to hunt the calves, they would put her down right then and there. But she was more frightened than threatening, and it was important to approach such situations with honour and respect for the beasts, prey and predator alike. A gap was opened and the lioness sprinted out, not looking back as it submerged itself beneath the rolling waves of the sea of grass. As for the rest of the lionesses, they were sacrifices to Caiyha so that the Drykas team could grow in their skills. No part of the hunt was a waste, no animal useless, no action unnecessary or wrong. There was an unseen, unheard flow of energy that didn’t so much guide their actions, but fuel and drive the actions they chose to take. Every part of life was an incredible learning process and with it, every doubt, fear and mistake was also integral to the development of their connection with Semele, Caiyha, and themselves. The herd of Olidosapai remained still but on alert, even after the rush of the lioness threat had passed. The Valiant Striders had done a superb (although unexperienced) job of plucking off the lions from the backs of the females. They had steered the herd in an arch around the bowl of the valley, keeping a good distance from the two duelling males. A handful of olidosapai casualties outlined the path they took, some bleeding from the first strikes of the cats but all in fair condition. A roar and growl pulled their attention to the two males and they watched as the alpha male speared the younger male in the gut. It squealed in horror but died very quickly and when the alpha male shook its body from the tip of its horn, a gush of blood and torn intestinal remnants dangled from its menacing face. But the alpha male was far from victorious with a major wound crippling its front left leg. It would be only a matter of time before infection would set in and it was obvious to them all that this was the male’s last chapter. Zethar pumped his fists in a pattern they all knew to be ‘circle and wait’ and they all (but Denen and Castin who were attending to wounded Vanah) warily surrounded the alpha male. “Work as a team and one of you will land the final strike that will release this beast from its body to join the spirit world. Choose your actions wisely and strike when you see fit. Be sure to expect a fight from him. ” Zethar announced their instructions and waited in silence for the first brave soul to take the lead and attempt to bring down the great beast.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

The lioness didn't back down, much to Eldon's dismay. He knew Lionesses hunted for a pack, not for themselves, there were others she was trying to feed, like the Drykas now. Their families in Endrykas. Eldon thrust the spear into the lioness, but it wasn't until he himself tumbled off of his horse, Vanah herself falling to the ground. Dazed, Eldon must have hit his head or something, because for a split moment he was unconscious. It was the slight slip of consciousness that is never really noticed by either the victim or observers as it was just so brief, quickly recovered, and seemed to be nothing more than a closing of the eyes or a moment, but it was there. Eldon sat up slowly as he gazed around the area, being quickly reminded of where he was, but he wasn't sitting on Vanah's back! Eldon spun around to see Vanah there, bleeding, and in a panic, Eldon rushed over to her, not even thinking to bring along his spear that was also downed in the grass nearby. Kneeling by the horse (and being so unfamiliar with the medical arts that he wasn't sure how serious it was), Eldon placed his hand on her head and stroked her lightly as he whispered to her in a soft voice, the most comforting he could manage. "Hey, come on girl. You can't let a small cat scratch take you out can you? We've been through worse. We've nearly been killed by glassbeaks, don't you remember? If you can survive that, this should be nothing." It didn't take long for Castin to arrive and jump to Vanah's side, after taking a brief detour to perform the coup de grace to the lioness Eldon had mortally wounded, yet forgot to finish off. A rookie mistake perhaps, but he was concerned with other matters. Castin, without so much as a word to him, beckoned for Denen and got to work on observing the strider. No words of assurance for Eldon, that deeply hurt him with worry. Still, it didn't seem to bad to his untrained eyes, there was blood, but not an excessive amount. There was pain, but not unconsciousness in her eyes. Eldon remained right there as Castin explained to Denen, almost casually, that he merely needed to clean and prevent infection of the wound. That was the phrase of reassurance he was hoping for. Once Denen managed to make it over to them, he embraced the boy, the Drykas that was practically a stranger to him up until this hunt, gave him a quick hug, a thanks for doing what he did, and with the Grassland sign, offered a quick "Thank You" before running off, and grabbing his spear from the ground as he did so. There was still a hunt, Vanah was safe with Castin and Denen, safer than with Eldon obviously. As Eldon fought to catch up with the group, who had now circled the final Lioness, Eldon could do little more than pant heavily. Running through the Sea of Grass was not his strong suit. There was a reason the Drykas were one with Striders. This was just one of those reasons. Still, Eldon found that he had subconsciously discarded all respect or care for the lioness. The lion babies she was trying to feed were forgotten, and Eldon even took a single step towards the lioness to charge in and thrust the spear through her skull, but he was stopped still as the command was given to let her live. Eldon's anger nearly overtook him and stained his blood with a dangerous sin of the Grasslands: murder of wildlife for vengeance was not looked highly upon. Eldon was ashamed then, knowing that his flaws were probably exposed. Moments later, back to the duel between man and older man, Eldon watched in awe, just as before when the Lionesses first revealed themselves, as the younger was slain. Just like that, a vicious horn and the thing was dead. There was one more though, the elder Olido was still alive, hurt, but alive. Eldon was in no position to step up, not without Vanah, he would have to sit and wait for now.