Merevaika
30th Summer 515
When he had asked her to hunt with him, she had been overwhelmed.
No, he had asked if he could hunt with her, something even better.
She had, of course, agreed, and the next day they found themselves out past the fringe forest, both mounted on glorious horses, although his was just a mix and hers a strider. The akalak, who called himself Hunter, carried a spear, sharp and deadly, with intricate patterns along the shaft, carvings of leaves and rabbits darting among them. It hung casually down one side of the horse, where he held it with the reins.
Merevaika clutched her own bow in her left hand, resting it on one side of the horse's withers, with her quiver hanging the other side, brushing lightly against Eryunt's legs as he walked towards the foreign horse. As they came closer, his ears flattened against his head and he snorted, stamping his feet. The other horse held the same posture towards him, but nipped him sharply. Merevaika nudged her horse a little, trying to get him to stop, but he continued pawing at the ground until the other horse stepped back in submission.
"Sorry for that, " Merevaika apologized, "Eryunt gets a bit dominating over other stallions sometimes. " What she didn't mention was that he only did it when their owners were troublesome too. She had never met a horse who he acted like that towards who had a nice owner. That wasn't the best sign.
She clicked with her tongue, guiding Eryunt away from the other horse and towards the hunt, nudging with her leg to guide him. It wasn't just her legs she used though. Her whole body moved with him, tilting and shifting position. They picked up the pace to a trot, then a canter, before breaking into a gallop. The akalak followed behind, horse following her own. Through the corner of her eye, she watched him ride, and didn't like what she saw.
First, he struggled to stay on, especially at the faster speeds. He also insisted in hitting and poking the horse with the spear, despite the fact that he was going as fast as he could. "There!" the man called out, pointing into the distance where they could just about make out a herd of deer. Merevaika shook off the thoughts of him riding, stopping her horse. It was fairly small, five deer at the most, but they didn't want more, so that was enough.
Merevaika started signing with quick fluid motions, before remembering that the akalak wasn't fluent in Pavi, so slowed down, the Grassland sign slower and more deliberate. You
west, I east. Drive north, then pick. He nodded in agreement, spurring his horse on. Merevaika clicked again, and she disappeared into the other direction, making a long loop round to avoid being down wind from the animals.