Completed Pretty prey

Liard and Raeyn meet because Liard can’t tell the difference between a hot guy and a deer

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The vast mountain range of Kalea is home of secret valleys, dead-end canyons, and passes that lead to places long forgotten or yet to be discovered.

Pretty prey

Postby Raeyn on September 6th, 2018, 8:16 am

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Raeyn age: 19
Liard age: 22

13th Spring 510
Deep into the Unforgiving


Where else could one be more completely alone than deep in the wilderness where only trees truly knew of one's existence? Such serenity brought the gentle wind that weaved though the dense forest of pine and evergreen. The smell of early spring buds caressed Raeyn's senses. Beneath his feet, in the remainder of the winter snow, little snowdrops marked his footsteps. Around him the world was coming to life only for the hunter to bring that life to an end. What a glorious time of year it was. A time of metamorphosis and ned beginnings. Summer had it's warmth, fall had it's harvests, winter had it's harsh and deadly charms but early spring was something else entirely. It was perhaps Raeyn's favourite time of the year.

He had made his decent down the mountain come early sunrise, with a backpack full of equipment, a bow across his back and a quiver full of arrows and a rested head. Beside him a year old pup frolicked in excitement over every single smell.

They followed the trail towards Port Tranquil quite far down before turning off the path where the forest had thickened and the dense darkness of trees would swallow them up. time flowed liberally as they tracked familiar foot paths carved only by them, keeping an eye on the position of the sun, the side the trees moss grew on, landmarks like fallen trees and particularly distinct rocks. Loosing one's bearings was far too familiar a fear for Raeyn. The wilderness wasn't a walk in the park, not for him nor any hunter in Lhavit. He had a healthy dose of respect for the dangers that lingered in the bush. As he walked, new born squirrels hopped from branch to branch overhead, unafraid of the hunter who could certainly not reach them.

The melting snow turned to sludge in the creviced of his shoe marks. The remaindered of it, once white and crisp, now browned and blanketed, lingered around tree stumps. Carefully did Raeyn have to carve out his path, so as not to slip on the damp ground. But at least the dense greenery of weeds and ferns that would sprout up later in the season had yet to obstruct his view of the forest floor.

The hunter and his dog soon came to pass a large log that had undoubtedly fallen during one of the past storms. Raeyn committed it's position to mind as her hoisted his body up and over it, the corner of his boot accidentally scraping off one of the mushrooms that had made it's home in the tree's bark for decades.
Last edited by Raeyn on September 17th, 2018, 5:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Pretty prey

Postby Raeyn on September 6th, 2018, 8:32 am

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As the trees thickened around him, Raeyn followed his feet and his intuition. He wasn't in a place completely unfamiliar. Last season he'd come here with his father thus now was only a matter of retracing steps of a somewhat faded memory. It took him till Syna's fiery orb had made it's arch across the sky and began to turn a warmer hue, dropping shadows around him in an elaborate display of wild beauty, that Raeyn had finally hit a familiar rocky wall.

As far as he knew there was no way around it, unless he wanted to waste another whole day on a fleeting hope. But he'd been prepared for this. Resolute, as only a hunter could be, young Raeyn had brought a few feet of rope. And tying a rock around the tip of it he spun it around a few times before letting the momentum hurl the weight up and around one of the branches that poked out overhead. Granted the first time he completely missed and the rock came crashing back down, missing his own head by merely a hair. A few more times it did take until luck had it that the rope went around the thick branch and back down, forming a loop that travelled the span of the cliff face. Just to make sure the tree wasn't rotted on the inside by now, Raeyn tugged on the rope with his whole weight. And it didn't give out or snap. Luck had his back, it seemed.

Ruru was the first one to go up. Wrapped up in Raeyn's shirt, whilst the boy, bare chested, shivered in the cold, The dog was pulled up to the top with only his paws dangling desperately in mid air. By the time he reached safety up ahead the dog wriggled out of it's harness gladly.

As the shirt fell back down with the tangles of rope that made the dog's haphazard Harness, Raeyn got dressed once more rubbing his hands together, returning blood flow and feeling to his chilled fingertips. He then knotted his bag onto the end of the rope, before making a harness for himself. granted it wasn't a very good one, crafted with poor knot work that would take hours to get out after. But it was better to be safe then sorry and make too many knots. That was his thinking.

Whilst it was still bright enough outside, Raeyn began his own ascent. Pushing himself off the ground with one foot on a tiny crevice in the rock, he jumped to grasp a ledge just out of his reach. And as fingers caught his weight, he quickly scrambled with the other hand to pull himself up onto it with considerable effort.Beyond that, the hardest part of the climb began.
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Pretty prey

Postby Raeyn on September 6th, 2018, 8:49 am

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It's was a very slight slope up. Not quite a vertical climb up, but close enough, and it was one that certainly was anything but safe. Raeyn's hands lead the way. Willing himself to not look down, in fear of meeting his doom shall his grip slip, he slowly climbed his way up the rocky face. He kept his body close to the rock, supporting his weight on little crevices and grips, alternating hands with each ascent as the strain on his muscles from the activity let itself be known. He gritted his teeth, ignoring dull aches from where he scraped his fingers, splintered his nails by accident from being something of a novice when it came to climbing rocks. If this was a particularly hard or tall one he would never have even attempted it. But in spite of the fact that a more competent climber would have bested this climb in a few minutes, Raeyn struggled for bells.

Lucky he was, that none of the grips in the rock face came loose, that he hadn't managed to terribly misjudge anything and eventually, by the skin of his teeth and sweating porously from the physical exertion and the fear of conquering the cliff, he managed to scramble up onto the safety of the ground above, managing to scrape his knee painfully in the process.

Shaking Raeyn could have kissed the ground, so happy was he to finally be safe with his two feet down once more. He dismantled the climber's contraption, retreating his equipment and finally sitting down with his back up against a tree, pulling up his trouser leg to examine the scrape. A dull ache it was. Not quite bloody but certainly would leave a bruise in broken skin. The hunter washed his wound with a little bit of rubbing alcohol, gritting his teeth and letting out a muffled moan as he did so for the sting was quite something, before dousing the whole thing with water and drying himself off. It was better to be safe than sorry, for loosing a leg to infection from such a small thing would be the end of him.

There was little time to rest however. With the sun slowly setting the hunter and his dog had yet more ground to cover. And thus the long walk continued until they came across a curious track just a short walk away from the cliff face. It was a deer hoof. Unmistakable it was, clear as day, imprinted in the muddy soil. Too small to be an elk, split in the middle with two toes on either side. It didn't take long for Raeyn to identify the track of one of his beloved prey animals. A challenge to hunt, delicious in a stew and plentiful in the forests of Kalea. And judging by how deep the track was, Raeyn wondered if perhaps it was a mother deer, about to pop. Excitement as the prospect flared up in the boy's chest as he followed the direction of the frack. Excitement at the hunt ahead.
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Pretty prey

Postby Raeyn on September 6th, 2018, 8:58 am

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Suffice to say, Raeyn wasn't the most proficient tracker. He had no idea how old the track was, nor had any ability to estimate it with his untrained eyes. But a quick look around lead him to find a few more such tracks, leading out into the woods. And so he followed them, counting on luck to have his back.

He came across broken branches, patches where there were more than two or three sets of tracks, suggesting that perhaps it was a whole heard he was following. Where the tracks cut off, he used Ruru's keen nose to link him to the next part of tracks. But by the time the sky grew a deep shade of maroon and navy blue, he had yet so hear any noises or signs of deer in the area. Likewise Ruru found no fresh scents. And it was just about time to start setting up camp for the night.

Disappointed, was Raeyn. Though it would have been foolish for him to expect such luck, that he knew. Still who wouldn't hope for the best in such circumstances?

But it was then that a rumble in the bushes caught his attention. A sound of a breaking twig somewhere in the distance. Quickly Raeyn pulled the bow off his back and knocked a single arrow onto the string, in preparation. Could it be, could he really have gotten so lucky as to come across a single dear at this time of the early evening? Perhaps not. Perhaps it was a bear or a mountain lion on it's nightly prowl. Either way he had to be ready and he had to be clever about it for alone in the wilderness, nobody would come to his rescue.

Slowly, softly, Raeyn walked ahead, with his kneed bent low to the ground, hunched over, and trying to be as quiet as possible. Following his training, Ruru disappeared to his right to go around the prey and heard it towards the hunter for an easy kill. Soon enough Raeyn lost sight of his companion. In low vision, his eyes strained to see though the trees, looking for the source of the sound.
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Pretty prey

Postby Raeyn on September 6th, 2018, 9:10 am

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Raeyn was as silent as he possibly could be. Far from perfect was he however. Accidental missteps and heavy breathing betrayed his presence. He kept his back against the trees, weaving though them, hoping for bushed to obscure his whereabouts, for the wind not to carry his scent towards whatever it was that lingered ahead.

But what he heard was a fast whistle though the air that halted his hear in it's beat.

Blinking for a moment, startled out of his wit, Raeyn looked to the side only to find an arrow buried deep into the trunk of a tree, just inches from his face. If he had not been so lucky it would have taken out his eye, shattered his scull. "What the -" he whispered, before instinct mixed with adrenaline took over and the boy ducked into the bushes just before another, slightly better aimed arrow came to lodge itself in the tree again.

Raeyn knew the taste of fear all too well. And this was it undoubtedly. As he rolled to the side, almost knocking himself off balance, he scurried though the bushes on all fours, trying to disappear into the forest floor. His bow in one hand, the arrow in the other. Behind a few thick trees Raeyn found some semblance of safety, a cover for his presence as he once again knocked the arrow onto his bow and aimed, his back pressed against the pine bark. Eyes wide open, following the tip of the arrow, hoping whomever fired those two arrows would make himself, or them self, known. Ears peeled, although the beat of his own heart in his throat obstructed his hearing.

Truthfully Raeyn would have rather found himself matched up against a bear than another human. For those were far more dangerous. The apex predator, at the top of his food chain and who knew what their purpose was. Was there more than one? Perhaps it was a group of bandits or slavers waiting to snatch the boy up? Perhaps a rogue mage wielding dark magics? Whatever it was Raeyn hadn't counted on coming out of this unscathed but he wouldn't go down without a fight.
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Pretty prey

Postby Raeyn on September 6th, 2018, 9:25 am

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There was a sound of footsteps walking towards him. And as they did Raeyn breathed what he was pretty certain would be his last breaths, pressing the back on his head against the tree and closing his eyes. A silent prayer to Syna escaped his lips. He begged her to spare his life. A desperation and deep fear filled the chambers of his heart before he pulled back the bow string and took aim.

Letting bow of the bow string and letting it reverberate though the air, Raeyn fired a warning shot of his own. One that seemed to halt whatever steps he was hearing in their wake. But it was then that he heard the aggravated yapping of his pup and all sense left him. Like the lunatic that he was Raeyn bolted out of his hiding place and towards the sound of the barking. It was fierce loyalty that carried his legs. A sacrificial stupidity of his own life for that of his fledgeling companion.

The scene his eyes came to see froze his heart. The pup, snarling and barking, ears peels back and teeth displayed ferociously. And ahead of his stood a hunter. Only a year or two older than Raeyn himself, the man was taller, more muscular, a short crop of auburn hair graced his head, plastered in mud. His bow string pulled tight, fear in his eyes as he aimed at the dog, holering bloody murder.

Without really thinking it though Raeyn bolted towards the hunter and his whole weight at the man, knocking him off his feet in surprise. Pale hands grasped for the hunter's wrists as the two of them struggled on the ground, each convinced the other was going to kill him had he the chance to.
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Pretty prey

Postby Raeyn on September 6th, 2018, 12:06 pm

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Out of the corner of his eye Raeyn saw the man's hand inch for a branch close by, just out of reach. Like a dog, powered by fear and adrenaline of the fight he reached out for it but was too late and before he knew it, he felt the slam of wood against his temple and saw the world turn to black momentarily, before finding himself on the ground. The tables have turned. And his adversary exploited his momentary incapacitation, jumping on top of Raeyn and holding the Inarta down.

A fist came at his face. A hard punch of knuckled that split the skin of his cheekbone. And then another. It was enough to turn the world to black once more and darkness took him. What happened next Raeyn wasn't aware of. His body turned limp on the ground and his consciousness left him. Only with Raeyn knocked out cold and his knuckles plastered with the boy'd blood was the stranger sure he'd be safe.

Above them the full moon came up in the sky, followed by a veil of constellations, turning the forest from a living vessel of timber to an eerie, cold place. The midnight mists rolled in. But Raeyn knew nothing of it all.
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Raeyn
...and the Wind Chicken
 
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Pretty prey

Postby Raeyn on September 6th, 2018, 12:33 pm

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A pounding in his head, like the sound of a gong, finally brought the Inarta to his senses. And as his eyelids finally cracked open, he'd come to see the blurry outlines of somebody's boots. A pleasant warmth caressed his face, a crackling of fire in the distance. And oh how very loud it was in his ears. Coming to himself slowly, the Inarta found fleeting memories replacing the confusion before an unfamiliar voice chimed softly.

"Are you alright, kid?"

Raeyn tried to prop himself up on his elbows, but as soon as he did so a sharp pain ripped though his body, causing him to let out a grunt of pain before falling back down where he lay.

"Easy, easy. You hurt your head pretty badly." spoke the man who shuffled to sit beside him, placing a palm on his shoulder, looking into his eyes with two glowing orbs of amber. A smirk on his face. And so strangely handsome, was he, though not the kind of refined, feminine handsomeness that Raeyn grew into in his recent years. There was a roguish beauty about this man. A wildness only comparable to that of the forest itself in sun kissed skin, short auburn hair and a slight amount of facial hair gracing his chin. Had Raeyn not felt like a wet rag, coming out of his confusion, he'd likely have blushed at the sight of beauty by his side. Alas, he had more pressing matters at hand.

"What's your name?" the stranger asked, pulling his bag a little closer, before having a long rummage though it.

"Eh, Raeyn." the Inarta replied, hearing his own voice little more than a fragile whisper over the sound of the crackling fire in the night. "What's yours?"

It was a little bit of a struggle but alas Raeyn managed to pull himself up into a sitting position, holding the side of his pounding scull with one hand, the other resting on his lap. He'd been covered by the furl lined cloak, which he slowly put back in it's place, draped over his shoulders and clasped at his throat.

"Liard. You can call me Li, if you want to." Pulling out the waterskin from his back pack and a white cloth, the hunter wet it, before grasping Raeyn by the wrist and moving his hand away from the cuts that now graced his face. Smirking softly he began washing away dry crusts of blood and mud that lingered there. "I'm sorry. I hadn't quite realised you weren't a wild beast until it was a bit too late. It's disappointing, that. You'd have made a mighty nice coat."

"That's not funny." muttered Raeyn.

"Oh it is. You just lack a sense of humour, kid. Lighten up a bit. I said I was sorry."

Raeyn was certainly one to hold grudges. And a simple sorry wouldn't quite cut it. "If your shot wasn't so shoddy, you'd have killed me." he grumbled, wincing as the other washed his wounds.

"Well aren't you glad I missed." chuckled Liard, clearly finding the whole situation utmost amusing much to Raeyn's discontent. He winked, brushing a finger beneath the Inarta boy's chin briefly, before coming back to rummaging though his backpack. The touch itself made Raeyn's innards churn. He'd just met the man. Pretty as he was, Raeyn certainly wasn't comfortable at this close a distance. There was only room for one in this bubble of his.
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Raeyn
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Pretty prey

Postby Raeyn on September 6th, 2018, 12:58 pm

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Moments later, Liard produced a bottle of spirit from his backpack, and wet his cloth with that too. Holding Raeyn's chin in place he gently pressed the cloth against his temple, feeling the boy trying to pull away and wincing from the sharp pain the alcohol brought to his wounds. But Liard was much stronger. And he decided to help, whether Raeyn liked it or not. "Stop being a baby. It's for your own good." he jested. There was a lightheartedness in his tone. A will to make the best of a bad situation and a grumpy grumpy Inarta. "If you think about it I saved your life so... your welcome."

"Saved my life?" Raeyn's voice raised. He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. Was this new acquaintance of his making fun of him or just plainly dumb. It didn't matter. Either of the cases were unforgivable. "However have you managed that?" he snapped.

"By not taking it."

If looks could kill... oh how Raeyn wished looks could kill. For, from beneath a red and white brow, he glared at Liard with such intensity of hatred that his eyes alone could splinter the man's throat.

"Fine. Be salty if you like it that way." Liard rolled his eyes, growing visibly fed up rather quickly. "It's not a great look on you." Once he was done with Raeyn's cuts he pocketed the spirit and left the boy to it, returning to where he had sat by the fire, turning around some meat from his day's hunt that was now slowly spit roasting over open flame.

And gods only knew, Raeyn liked to sulk. And sulk he did. Feeling the pain in his head subside a little, eventually, he shifted over to Ruru who had been patiently sitting by his master, at arm's reach, gnawing on a bone happily with his tail wagging every which way. Affectionally he ran his fingers though the animal's thick fur, glad that no harm came to his precious pet.

Soon enough however, he found himself the recipient of yet more of Liard's charity, as the man came over with a bit of cooked meat and bread. "Here." he said. "Ungrateful dickhead, have at it."
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Raeyn
...and the Wind Chicken
 
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Pretty prey

Postby Raeyn on September 8th, 2018, 12:33 pm

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Raeyn blinked a little, looking to Liard questioningly as the food settled in his hands. It wasn't the boy wouldn't have extended the same kindness should the other have found himself in similar dire straits. What confused him was that Liard swore at his repeatedly and yet his sharp words hadn't quite translated into action. It was a code of the wild that the other had followed. A code of mercy.

"Don't worry, princess. It ain't poison." said the mixed blood, sitting down beside Raeyn and ticking into his own food. From time to time he'd throw a scrap or two to the dog that now sat directly opposite the man, wagging his tail and attempting to look as cute as possible to get fed more. "So tell me a little about yourself. What's got you out here?"

Blasted curiosity of strangers! But it could be worse. Liard could have been asking about his white hair so at least there was that.

"I'm a hunter." replied Raeyn simply, wishing to not disclose much more of himself than that. "From Lhavit."

"No kidding." Liard snorted. "I went though your shyke already, kid. What I meant was; are you after anything in particular. Or just hunting rabbits like the rest of them?"

Once again Raeyn couldn't help but glare. "Well since you went though my things, why don't you tell me?"

"Pipe down. Seriously, kid. You need to chill." He looked at Raeyn with the kind of expression that personified how he took nothing Raeyn said seriously. To Liard, the Inarta boy was just a barking pup, no more than that. It was obvious from the scrap they had just bells prior. "I was going to offer you making yourself useful and coming with me, if you feel well enough in the morning. But honestly I'm quickly starting to change my mind about that."

"Really?"

"No!" said Liard, rolling his eyes. "Yes, really."

Raeyn shifted a little, biting into the meat to sate the rumbling in his stomach. He chose to give no definitive answer, knowing very well that come sunrise he may as well take the offer. Two heads were most certainly better than one. "What about you? Do you work at the Jugged Hare as well?"

"Yup. You know, I'm surprised we've never ran into each other. You're a hard face to forget. You know, with the white bits, what's with that?"

"I don't really know. Nobody really does. Just is..."
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Raeyn
...and the Wind Chicken
 
Posts: 343
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Joined roleplay: May 24th, 2018, 11:35 pm
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