10th of spring, 515 a.v
late morning
There was a certain joy to be found in being quiet. At least, there was for Shahar; silence was where he was at his best. He was more alert, more observant and more careful. And more importantly, silence was where he moved at his most skilled. Silence was a joining of all things, and it was being open to all things. The world was ever-moving, if he was only silent enough to listen to it.
It was for this reason that Shahar took special care in his movements as he wound his way through the grasses outside of Riverfall, just in sighting distance of the vineyards. Predators were wary of being so close to the city, and they did not often come so close, which in turn meant that the prey-creatures lingered in abundance. It was the small creatures that held Shahar’s interest today; he had no need for pelts or money, only something to feed the camp when the sun began to descend.
It was for this reason he had chosen a boar’s trail to follow; while its hide was often marred and undesirable, its meat was lean and filling. And it seemed to have a taste for Riverfall grapevines, so Shahar was sure no one would mind if he slew it.
He took his care walking, although it hindered his movement speed; each step began on the outside of the foot and rolled in, which greatly reduced his noise as he walked. It felt a bit unnatural and was more taxing than normal walking, but it left his ears open to the rest of the world. The birds paid him less mind, the occasional rabbit was far slower to flee, and when he passed a coyote it regarded him with a curious gaze, but didn’t even get up from its seat. His stealth did not make him go unnoticed, but it did reduce his impact. He walked with the sound of an animal, and so therefore he was treated as one.
The boar had taken a wide path, angling unhurriedly for the vineyard but swerving and pausing whenever it found something to eat along the way. It didn’t know it was being hunted, and so it felt no need to go quickly; even at his reduced pace, Shahar would catch up with ease. Another fifteen or so minutes of walking, and then he would begin to sneak in earnest.
late morning
There was a certain joy to be found in being quiet. At least, there was for Shahar; silence was where he was at his best. He was more alert, more observant and more careful. And more importantly, silence was where he moved at his most skilled. Silence was a joining of all things, and it was being open to all things. The world was ever-moving, if he was only silent enough to listen to it.
It was for this reason that Shahar took special care in his movements as he wound his way through the grasses outside of Riverfall, just in sighting distance of the vineyards. Predators were wary of being so close to the city, and they did not often come so close, which in turn meant that the prey-creatures lingered in abundance. It was the small creatures that held Shahar’s interest today; he had no need for pelts or money, only something to feed the camp when the sun began to descend.
It was for this reason he had chosen a boar’s trail to follow; while its hide was often marred and undesirable, its meat was lean and filling. And it seemed to have a taste for Riverfall grapevines, so Shahar was sure no one would mind if he slew it.
He took his care walking, although it hindered his movement speed; each step began on the outside of the foot and rolled in, which greatly reduced his noise as he walked. It felt a bit unnatural and was more taxing than normal walking, but it left his ears open to the rest of the world. The birds paid him less mind, the occasional rabbit was far slower to flee, and when he passed a coyote it regarded him with a curious gaze, but didn’t even get up from its seat. His stealth did not make him go unnoticed, but it did reduce his impact. He walked with the sound of an animal, and so therefore he was treated as one.
The boar had taken a wide path, angling unhurriedly for the vineyard but swerving and pausing whenever it found something to eat along the way. It didn’t know it was being hunted, and so it felt no need to go quickly; even at his reduced pace, Shahar would catch up with ease. Another fifteen or so minutes of walking, and then he would begin to sneak in earnest.
