Wildlands
Spring 498AV
The ground was still damp with dew, he crouched low as he stalked through the brush. He focused on not stepping on twigs or any other dead foilage. The air smelled of spring, yet it still held a hint of winter. The cool air made his exposed flesh prickle. The grass which lacked dew, were the animal had been. As he climbed to the top of the hill his prey came into view. A young stag stood eating some of the long grass. He crouched down, and readied his heavy crossbow, his knee crushing a fallen twig. The stag looked up, and at him. He sucked in a deep breath and squeezing the firing mechanism. With a tang, and a swoosh the bolt flew, less than a moment later it was embedded in the flesh above the stag’s shoulder, the beast gave a small buck and flew into the thicket. A sharp sigh escaped his lips as he ran after the buck, his crossbow under his arm. He stopped where the stag had been. He spotted what he was looking for nice blob, of bright red blood and began to follow the trail. With the missing dew and the blood trail it was relatively easy to follow. He ducked under branches and thrashed through underbrush.
He spotted the wounded beast ahead, several meters from where he’d shot it. It lay in an awkward position. His hind quarters still standing while his front crumpled. It frothed at the lips, white mixed with red. It made a terrible gurgling wheezing sound. He approached cautiously, knowing that it could still kick. He set down his crossbow, and pulled out his kurki from the hem of his pants. He grabbed hold of its pitiful rack to stop it from jabbing him. He drew the blade across its throat, the blood spilled across the long grass. He let it bleed out for a moment, or two while whipping his blade across his trousers. He slid his knife back and drew his skinning knife. He grabbed the stag by its genitals made an incision and drew the blade down its stomach. Pulling the bolt from the beast, he went back to its stomach. Cutting back the flesh, he pulled the organs out with another few quick cuts they fell free. He’d leave most of them for the other predators of the forest. An offering to those who guard the wilderness. He cut around the front legs, and began to vigorously cut the leg from the body. A few hacks and the leg was separated. He set it to the side, and then went to the other leg, and did the same. He moved to the rear quarters and removed them quickly. He went back to the throat cut, severed muscles and tendons, and a few cuts, a sharp pull the head came free. Setting it to the side, he went back to the organs removed the heart and liver, and left the rest, though most could be eaten. He set them back in the empty cavity, and deboned the legs, removing the meat, then set it in the cavity. He did each one of these for leg. The meat and organs sat peacefully in body, he pulled out his rope, made two holes through where the shoulders and the body met. He made a mock harness and began to pull the body back towards his camp. It weighed a lot, the harness always dug into his shoulders he pulled the carcass for almost a league.