Solo Snakes and Rope Ladders

[Merevaika]

Merevaika

47th Fall 515

Something moved among the grasses, something long and green. She watched as Grey growled at it, batting at the creature with a front paw before jumping back quickly. The snake moved quicker, disappearing among the rushes, but Merevaika was ready with her bow, arrow pulled back and shoulder muscle tight. The arrow traveled a short distance before slicing into the snake, pinning it to the floor.

She had caught that blasted snake, and squealed with delight, not even glancing at the birds that erupted from the ground with the noise. Taking out her knife, she knelt beside the creature, slicing its head off with a quick movement. That darned snake, scaring Grey like that.

She had hunted for a while now, after Grey had got such a shock from it, and started to growl and chase it. He had come so close to being bitten so many times that she began to detest the creature that was putting her dog in danger. Thankfully, she had managed to get it before it did any real harm.

But that wasn't the purpose of the journey out into the wild. The snake had only distracted her from the real reason: a real hunt. And now she had lost the will to track and follow, and instead returned home with only a snake slung over her shoulder. She didn't even want to eat the snake meat. Merevaika knew that the meat itself wouldn't be poisoned, but she still didn't trust herself to eat it. It always left a sour taste in her mouth.

But as she neared her camp, two things happened. Both helped her learn more about her horse. Both showed her things, rather unintentionally, but did so nonetheless. And both things happened to involved snakes, ropes or a mixture of the two.

[Merevaika]

Merevaika

Grey started to growl again and this time Merevaika was ready to just shoot the blasted thing and get it over with. But this was too near her camp to be a wild animal, or the other dogs would have scared it off, if something had even dared to come near. Grey continued with the noise, a deep low rumble, until she spotted what he was growling at.

A long brown thing, in the grass, winding between the tufts. Snake. Her arrow missed this time, but surprisingly, the snake made no movement in response. She narrowed up on it, threading carefully, until the scales were clearly in sight. Or rather, the rope was clearly in sight. No scales. No head. No tail. A rope, discarded on the floor. That was all, nothing to be scared about.

But the resemblance to a deadly creature was striking, and Merevaika couldn't help think that as she gathered it up, swinging it up to join the snake on her shoulder. She dropped it chimes later, as soon as she entered her camp, and took a look at the horses. Meda was getting on nicely, running up to her owner as soon as she arrived with a sweet nicker. Merevaika scratched down her forehead, smiling at the horse.

Tachi wasn't. At sight of the snake, she bucked, rearing back and snorting hard. Merevaika, seeing her distress, took the snake in one hand and held it in front of herself. Was the horse that scared of snakes? Something seemed to click. Ropes looked like snakes when they lay on the floor. Tachi was terrified of ropes, even if they were just left on the floor. She was also scared of snakes. Did she believe a rope to be a giant snake?

Merevaika did not know what to do with that information. It wouldn't help her, but it was interesting to know. Of course, some of it must have come from when she was captured, for there must have been some use with restraining her, mustn't there? But this could just reinforce it.

Making sure to put the snake in a place inside her tent where Tachi couldn't see it, she collected the rope she had found in the grasses. The boys from yesterday had told her to use it to get the horse used to it. They hadn't known about Tachi's fear, but it was still good to get her used to it.

First, she simply approached Tachi, hoping to reach what she had reached the day before a lot quicker this time. She sat down, watching the horses hooves as she slowly made her way over, taking in the scent. Once she had recognised it, the horse lowered her head more, letting Merevaika place her hand against it and slowly rise, very slowly so the horse wouldn't get shocked. Tachi let her. Merevaika smiled. Time to start the next thing.