Practice makes perfect [Solo]

[Hawk]

Day 7 Spring, 511 AV

White steam rose from the cracked rocks of the small hot water spring giving off warmth and a feeling of comfort, something definitely needed after the harsh winter months that had plagued the mountains in the past few months. It was spots like these that attracted creatures and animals of all kinds be them peaceful mountain goats, or predatory mountain cats. Of course these where not the only ones that sought to take advantage of springs like these, whether they where looking for just a place to relax and gather warmth, or stalk the latest meal of the day. Definitely a good place for a young Inarta to set up a spot to wait for some game.

Hawk knelt low hidden within one of the many rocky outcrops that surrounded this small spring, waiting for something to move into his field of view, but after two hours of waiting it was becoming difficult to just sit and hope something walks by. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched and it was taking all of his discipline earned through years of training to not get up and leave, however more than that was the simple thought of going back to the city without anything to show for this hunt. He let out a sigh to himself as he leant his bow against the rock before him, that was the one thing that he disliked more than being watched. Being stalked or watched by a peer was one thing, but the humiliation of returning home having wasted a day was something he simply could not accept. He was better than that.

His eyes where sharp and he could make out every detail of the scene before him, he could tell the difference between the ancient stones lucky enough to sit beside this mountain for thousands of years, and the young stones of obsidian that had lay here only since the last eruption from the sacred mount. He was watching for a distance of roughly ninety feet, and that was something that was learnt over years, it was something he prided himself on. Though even his eyes had missed the sight before him as he pulled himself from his trail of thought.

He saw it just then, the thick fur of a young male mountain goat walked slowly and cautiously toward the spring and Hawk had no doubt that this small beast had eyes superior to his own. Slowly his hand grasped the haft of his horn hewn bow and he very calmly removed a single arrow from the quiver at his back. He watched the beast as it scanned the surroundings and all he could do was hold his breath and try not move, that was definitely one thing he was thankful of that these beasts relied far too much on motion to depict a predator and it was something that would be this creatures undoing.

As the goat slowly moved forward to lower itself next to the spring, Hawk knew exactly what to do as he ran his fingers across the feathered flight of the specialized arrow in his hand and carefully knotched it to the bow string. Everything about his set up was about minimal weight and maximum flight, he lined up the arrow and very slowly rose the weapon up to maintain a clear line of site down toward his target so he could line up the shot. He had fifty odd feet to cover, not a massively difficult shot but he didn’t want to just hit, he wanted to hit the creatures neck specifically to severe the main blood vessels so the creature would die peacefully, and not tense up to tarnish the meat.

Everything seemed to slow as Hawk narrowed his vision onto his prey, he kept his ears keen as he lined up his shot and prepared to take it. When he was ready he slowly pulled back the string holding his breath as he strained to maintain the power behind the recurved bow, it wasn’t an easy feat but it was one he would endure and one he had done on countless hunts in the previous year. All thought seemed to slip from his mind as he prepared for the shot, and then he heard something on the edge of his senses.

Within a single moment from behind another outcrop of rocks on the opposite side of the spring, a creature leapt from cover with a subtle grace that was the envy of every Inarta. The speckled cat moved with speed unmatched in the mountains as its pale yellow fur seemed undisturbed, but even this creature was too late. With the surprise of the sudden movement, Hawk loosed the projectile and watched it with a gasp as it flew through the air only to strike his target in the upper left shoulder.

He gave out a curse, not so much at the fact that the cat had descended upon his game but because he had fired a bad shot. Without further thought he knotched a second arrow and clambered over the rock to stand full height. He pulled back the string and aimed this time toward the catch until he managed to gain eye contact. He looked at the beast, its yellow eyes of a predator regarding him and he could almost feel the creatures thoughts as he prepared to fire. The cat was weighing whether to pounce and kill him then and there, but it was not a young cat for he could tell that this creature was wise and had lived through many years of the hunt.

Hawk gave a slight curse as he lowered his weapon and replaced his arrow in his quiver, he shrugged slightly as he turned and made his retreat from the scene. As he pushed himself back over the rocks and back further up the mountain he mumbled beneath his breathe “You win this one, damned cat…”

[Hawk]

The morning hours where slowly fading as the sun held its position high above the mountain scenery, it was the height it would maintain only for a bare hour before it began to set again in the opposite direction it had risen. Hawk himself was growing more weary as the day wore on, since the incident with the mountain cat he hadn’t managed to find evidence of more game around the area. He was forced to move out of his regular hunting grounds and move into adjacent areas that where unfamiliar to him, after all , he hadn’t expected to be out for more than another hour or two and at this rate he could well be walking about for double that time.

He took in a deep breathe of clear air as he remained leaning back against a large well rounded boulder. He had been trying to find quarry but it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain his focus, especially with the still present biting cold that still lingered after the harsh winter winds. He shook his head as he gathered his fur cloak tighter around his form as he unfastened the lid on his waterskin, maybe this short break would give him some aid in his pursuit. Slowly he tilted back his head and allowed the cold refreshing stream of water to course down his parched throat, there was nothing quite like the water from the springs, it was so crystal clear and even though he had been drinking it for all his life even he could taste the quality. Of course, living on a Volcano had its advantages.

He wiped the excess water from his lips with the back of his hand before he slowly re-fastened the lid, and then something caught his eye. His vision shot over to focus on a small thin tree that lay on the corner of his sight, and what caught his attention was quite simply exactly what he had needed.

Quickly he pulled himself up and snatched up his bow from its position beside the boulder and at a fairly brisk pace he began to make his way to the tree. The plant was of the typical mountain tree variety, it was thin but tall and of a gray ashen color with sparce leaves on its branches due to the winter that had just retreated from the region but that was not what he was focused on. He knelt down beside the tree and ran his fingers gently across the surface, he felt grooves cut into the surface and to him it felt like this was used as a scratch post and judging by the width and shallow depth he guessed it was a small animal, not a predator.

This was the blessing he needed, a sign that at least there was something near by and with a smile he quickly began to inspect the area around him. There was not much, dead vegetation and stone covered grains but eventually he came across a disturbance in the ground. It was a clear footprint, so clear that even a commoner would be able to see it but he quickly set his small amount of trained to work as he began to follow the track and find several more like it.

Hawk smiled, finally a stroke of luck, although he still could not shake this feeling of anxiety. He was almost certain now, something was stalking the hunter.

[Hawk]

The hours where beginning to pass more slowly as weariness and anxiety began to grip the young hunter. He had found himself nestled within a small outcrop that overlooked one of the many wide passages to the foot of the mountains, it was passages like these that animals where often found for grass, bushes and even small trees grew alongside the small streams that ran from springs and basins near the top of the mountain, down to the sea. He had followed the tracks here, but he had managed to lose the trail when it crossed the stream multiple times making it virtually impossible for him track the beast. It didn’t help that every step he took he almost felt himself walking into a trap, and for now he was more observant of either a cruel peer stalking him to put him on edge, or a wild predator hunting him than he was of wild game.

And that was why Hawk sat near a large boulder, bow drawn with arrow notched, as he overlooked the stream bellow him. He was waiting for something to either reveal itself or stumble blindly into his killing zone, he was no longer enjoying the thrill of the hunt and simply wanted to snatch something to bring back to the city for despite his worries, he refused to go back empty handed.

Something caught his eye. He narrowed his attention down across the scene bellow him, some two hundred odd feet away from him something was stirring. He watched, his vision unmoving as a small modest creature slowly revealed itself from behind a stand of rocks. The creature was tall but thin, the harsh winter had taken its toll upon the animal which Hawk recognized as one of the elk that would often nestle themselves in large groups at the foot of the mountains, but it was unusual for them to venture this high away from abundant food sources. He dismissed the reasons for the creature being here, the important thing for him was that it was here and that gave him a chance for some game, nothing else really mattered at this point.

Slowly he brought up his stained horn bow level with his vision, his fingers slowly curressing the feathered flight of the arrow in his hand. The arrow was light, designed for long distance shooting which went nicely with his recurved bow which added weight to the shot, if he scored a hit it was unlikely that the animal would stay standing. However there was more to consider, the direction of the wind would effect the trajectory of his shot and he had to angle it perfectly in order to bring down the animal without causing it to tense, not an easy feat from this distance. He focused his vision down at the beast and slowly he curled his fingers tightly around the bow string, and slowly he began to pull back the string. He held his breathe, straightened his back and focused all strength to holding the bow string in place as he lined up his arrow to the target.

A sudden flash of movement in the corner of his eyes to his left caused him to lose balance, he losed the arrow feeling the soft touch of the flight as it skimmed his cheek. The arrow veered off wildly to the left as Hawk found himself pushed aside by an obscured creature, he could not find his balance as he lost grip on his bow and fell hard on the rock to his side.

Blinking to try and restore his vision he felt something apply pressure to his shoulder and he swiftly looked up to ascertain the identity of his attack. As he looked up he was met with the sight of a gaping maw of razor sharp teeth and without even thinking he clenched his right hand, took a very swift aim at his target and put all available force into striking the creature in the side of the head. He could barely see if the strike had hit, but he felt the pressure upon him release and so swiftly he scrambled to his feet, clutching the rocks around him to pull himself up.

Finally his senses returned and he looked around, to his left he saw what had attacked him. A white mountain wolf stood yelping after the sudden strike, and a second pounced from atop the rocks around him to sneer at him showing off its array of razor sharp teeth in a display of dominance. Hawk had little time to act, he looked around him and saw his bow not far off behind him, however turning around would only show his weakness so he had to stand and fight, but with only a small knife to hand he had little chance in defending against two wolves…