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21st Fall 517AV
the previous afternoon
The earth was too dry.
That was all the lone Drykas could think as he scuffed a boot over the patch of dusty ground before him, ruining whatever faint animal tracks he had been studying. He turned his face towards the sky to judge the time based on Syna's placement, left hand lifting to shield his eyes as they narrowed at the ball of light that hung above the horizon. Syna's heat had been his constant companion, unrelenting and unyielding, leaving him sweaty and uncomfortable as he had done his best to try and study the dry earth while figuring out where to place the few hand-made traps he had brought along. But now She was starting to sag in the sky - painting it in a variety of vibrant reds, pinks and oranges - and he knew he had to wrap things up now if he was going to get back to Endrykas before dark.
Dragging the back of his hand across his brow, he sniffed and then dropped his gaze back to the scrawny little path he had been eyeing. It cut through patches of thorny scrub and brush, some of which still possessed the odd green bud and leaf, and, judging by what little debris still clung to the thorny branches and edges of the dirt trail, he could tell that it had run like a river during the last rainfall. 'All run off', he thought bitterly, 'None of it soaked in.' No doubt the small beasts he was tracking were just as miserable as he was with the state of things. Those green buds wouldn't last long.
His gaze moved beyond the collection of scraggly foliage to the broken, pitted earth just east. Rabbits. Or so he hoped. There were so many crumbling holes – all in different states of existence – that he couldn't be sure these tunnels were even in use. But he had seen some tracks... and if there was still something to be nibbled on.. surely something would run through here again to take advantage.
He rose from his crouched position and took the necessary steps to bring him to the east-side of the scrub, each step drumming up more dust and dirt and it clung to his damp skin and caught in his lungs. He stifled a cough as he took a knee and dug out the last bit of rope he had left to begin making his snare.
He smoothed the length of the thin cord out before taking hold of one end to make a small, snug overhand knot that looked similar to the eye of a needle. He shifted the knotted end into his right hand and then reached for the other end of the cord with his left, bringing the two together and feeding the end through the knot to create a loose, open noose. His jet black eye then shifted to the scene before him: now to decide where to put it.
He couldn't be sure which of the holes were active so he went with what he felt was the best option: the part of the run that snaked between the brush. It was obviously not too narrow to deter traffic but just narrow enough to assist in feeding his quarry into his trap - or so he hoped. Leaning forward, he delicately draped one round end of the noose over a bit of bramble that reached out near the run - using the branch to keep the noose open and upright - before doing to same with the side that had the knot. His fingers then gingerly moved over the free bit of cord and secured it with a sturdy knot at the base of one of the shrubs.
He did his best to try and cover any exposed bits of rope - although he failed to mask his scent or much of what he had disturbed - and then righted himself, hands dusting down his pants before his eyes once more sought out Syna and her position in the sky.
She was low, too low. He had to be off.
Gathering what things he had, he turned and made his way back to where his strider, Varras remained, making sure to drive a thin, brittle branch he had found in to the ground to serve as a marker for when he returned. Mounting Varras, he gave the horse a few encouraging clicks of his tongue as he leaned forward and Varras responded in kind, moving into a trot and, once he had further encouragement, a canter until the pair were galloping across the plains in the direction of Endrykas.
That was all the lone Drykas could think as he scuffed a boot over the patch of dusty ground before him, ruining whatever faint animal tracks he had been studying. He turned his face towards the sky to judge the time based on Syna's placement, left hand lifting to shield his eyes as they narrowed at the ball of light that hung above the horizon. Syna's heat had been his constant companion, unrelenting and unyielding, leaving him sweaty and uncomfortable as he had done his best to try and study the dry earth while figuring out where to place the few hand-made traps he had brought along. But now She was starting to sag in the sky - painting it in a variety of vibrant reds, pinks and oranges - and he knew he had to wrap things up now if he was going to get back to Endrykas before dark.
Dragging the back of his hand across his brow, he sniffed and then dropped his gaze back to the scrawny little path he had been eyeing. It cut through patches of thorny scrub and brush, some of which still possessed the odd green bud and leaf, and, judging by what little debris still clung to the thorny branches and edges of the dirt trail, he could tell that it had run like a river during the last rainfall. 'All run off', he thought bitterly, 'None of it soaked in.' No doubt the small beasts he was tracking were just as miserable as he was with the state of things. Those green buds wouldn't last long.
His gaze moved beyond the collection of scraggly foliage to the broken, pitted earth just east. Rabbits. Or so he hoped. There were so many crumbling holes – all in different states of existence – that he couldn't be sure these tunnels were even in use. But he had seen some tracks... and if there was still something to be nibbled on.. surely something would run through here again to take advantage.
He rose from his crouched position and took the necessary steps to bring him to the east-side of the scrub, each step drumming up more dust and dirt and it clung to his damp skin and caught in his lungs. He stifled a cough as he took a knee and dug out the last bit of rope he had left to begin making his snare.
He smoothed the length of the thin cord out before taking hold of one end to make a small, snug overhand knot that looked similar to the eye of a needle. He shifted the knotted end into his right hand and then reached for the other end of the cord with his left, bringing the two together and feeding the end through the knot to create a loose, open noose. His jet black eye then shifted to the scene before him: now to decide where to put it.
He couldn't be sure which of the holes were active so he went with what he felt was the best option: the part of the run that snaked between the brush. It was obviously not too narrow to deter traffic but just narrow enough to assist in feeding his quarry into his trap - or so he hoped. Leaning forward, he delicately draped one round end of the noose over a bit of bramble that reached out near the run - using the branch to keep the noose open and upright - before doing to same with the side that had the knot. His fingers then gingerly moved over the free bit of cord and secured it with a sturdy knot at the base of one of the shrubs.
He did his best to try and cover any exposed bits of rope - although he failed to mask his scent or much of what he had disturbed - and then righted himself, hands dusting down his pants before his eyes once more sought out Syna and her position in the sky.
She was low, too low. He had to be off.
Gathering what things he had, he turned and made his way back to where his strider, Varras remained, making sure to drive a thin, brittle branch he had found in to the ground to serve as a marker for when he returned. Mounting Varras, he gave the horse a few encouraging clicks of his tongue as he leaned forward and Varras responded in kind, moving into a trot and, once he had further encouragement, a canter until the pair were galloping across the plains in the direction of Endrykas.
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