[Flashback] The Death of Fun

[Tuloth Kaervek]

Spring 511 AV - Day 27

The sound of tiny twigs snapping accompanied the melody of birds and the munching of leaves. The large deer was content with her meal. The big eyes of deep brown closed in the peace of the moment as the doe’s hunger was sated. A whisper on the warm spring breeze lifted over the tall grass. The doe raised her head towards the sound only to fall on her side as if the whisper had pushed her over. A blink and then the soul of the creature soaked back into the earth. Tuloth quickly broke from his position ten yards away. He ran to the fallen animal and knelt beside it. He set aside his short bow and shed the cloak of twigs and leaves. The greenish net was adorned with all forms of foliage from the region. It was something Tuloth fashioned fresh every time he hunted for long periods of time. The fiery red locks fell along Tuloth’s muscular shoulders as he leaned over the deer. His hands caressed the soft brown coat for a second. He drew a hunting knife from his belt and laid the sharp edge against the throat of the recently deceased. A single swift movement; a single effort of the Inarta’s arm and the blood of the innocent animal spilled on the ground. Field dressing a large animal is no small task but must be done to ensure the quality of food and fur for the cooks and tanners of Wind Reach. Tuloth set upon the task as he always did. This large doe was the fourth in two days since Kael had set him down and the fifth such trip since spring began. Tuloth rose from the carcass and hoisted it above his head and down upon his shoulders. He stooped and lifted his camouflage net and short bow. The hunter now began the long journey through the forest; to his home camp. As he walked, Tuloth found himself feeling pride. Being an Endal was an honor as much as anything else. The chosen who hunt for and protect the lives of those within Wind Reach. The wood of his short bow was warm to his hand. The bow was one of the finest in his group of Endal. Most chose to hunt with a long bow. It was naturally more accurate and much more powerful yet the long bow was far slower of a weapon. Tuloth had come to appreciate the reliability of his bow and the swiftness that it held over the larger and bulkier long bows. Tuloth’s father had used the very same bow for decades. The wood was smooth were the bow was gripped and on the ends where the line was drawn. Tuloth had reinforced the original arc with a few pieces of greener, lighter wood. The new pieces were bent with heat and pressure opposite of main stem. This created a huge increase and power as well as resistance on the draw back. Tuloth took one more look at his beloved heirloom and trusted tool then realized he had dazed off. The hunter had walked clean through his camp and so turned and walked some twenty yards back to his base. After several more days of the routine, the Endal had enough meat and furs to create a full load for Kael. The giant eagle was used to the week-long spells and would soon swoop down to his rider and carry everything back to the top of the mountain where they could unload their wares and take a few days rest before repeating the process. Tuloth began lashing everything together so that it would be easy to pack up. He was ready for the break and ready to be with his friend and relax. No sooner than the man had finished his task, a shadow dropped over the campsite. Circling high above was Kael, his distinct call let Tuloth know that it was his mount and not some random beast who had spied the massive quantity of food. Tuloth had six deer, five pheasants, and a dozen hares. Tuloth stepped aside as Kael gently landed. The huge talons dug into the earth under the weight of the massive creature. A final flap of the enormous wings sent all forms of debris scattering from the center of the clearing. The giant black eyes pivoted and Kael’s great head swung around towards Tuloth. With a smile of love, the Inarta stepped forth and welcomed his dearest companion. “Brother, I have missed you. I hope you weren’t off chasing women without me.” Tuloth grinned as he began to set pack after pack onto the large saddle that was strapped to Kael. The eagle blew a sharp exhale from its nostrils and flared its eyes at his rider. Tuloth laughed and continued with his task. “I know... I know.” Once everything had been loaded, Tuloth mounted the magnificent creature and took the reins in his hand. It was mostly habit to do this since Kael knew the skies far better than Tuloth did, but rider and eagle adhered to a strict routine. “Let’s go home.” Tuloth said softly. The massive bird hunched down and launched the duo into the air at an amazing speed. It was only a matter of seconds before they were in the clouds. A short jog over the water and it would be time for rest, mead, and fresh clothes. Tuloth was staring at the beautiful array of colors the setting sun made off of the moisture in the clouds. He was so enthralled by the sight that he did not notice the two small ships in the harbor. Kael let out a sharp cry and pitched to the left. He veered down and away so suddenly that Tuloth missed the initial cause. He spun his head around and grabbed his bow all at once. He was notching an arrow when he noticed a team of falcons; six or eight of them. They were weaving and diving and taking chunks of feathers from Kael’s right wing. Tuloth cursed at them and began to line up a shot but it was nearly impossible. The random dodges of Kael and the even more random attacks of the smaller birds made catching a line on one a dizzying task. Lower and lower the wind eagle flew and it was only seconds too late when Tuloth realized what had happened. A harpoon ripped into the left wing of Kael. It was true and sunk deep. Kael let a screech rip that nearly blew the endal’s ear drums. Tuloth rose in the saddle and began raining fairly accurate shots at the boats below but a second harpoon caught his friend in the tail. The eagle was being pulled down by the poachers and the pain was causing him to dive. Tuloth held on for all he was worth as all his catches began to come free and fall to the waters below. Tuloth whispered apologies to Kael and words of affection for the next few seconds. Darkness. No sounds. No feelings. Nothing. Tuloth blinked and gazed with cloudy vision at his surroundings. He was on the rocky shore somewhere on the south end of Thunder Bay. He slowly began pushing his way to his feet and found that his entire body ached. Tuloth only made it up to his knees when a coughing fit raked his battered form. Several swigs of the bay’s water found its way out of his lungs and back onto the beach. Tuloth put his right hand upon his head to ease the throbbing. The intense reaction to touch indicated some form of wound. The hunter took a look over his limbs and found everything to be in tact aside from some scrapes and bruises. A second time, he tried to stand but failed. This time a sharp pain shot from his left side about halfway up his rib cage. Upon closer inspection, Tuloth discovered a large gash torn from his skin in a straight line. It was not a cut for the wound was wide enough to assume something had peeled the strip of skin away. Tuloth was getting fed up with himself and ripped off his scarf. He quickly tied it around his torso to cover the gash on his ribs and keep pressure applied to it. The Inarta rose to his feet and stood still for a moment as he looked around to gather his bearings. Where was Kael? It was odd that the giant bird, friend, and guardian of Tuloth was missing. Tuloth scoured the tide line and started to see remnants of his possessions. He walked briskly to the first item. It was his family short bow. He also found a few arrows a few feet further down. Tuloth was relieved to have these back. He spotted more debris floating along the beach and went to investigate. The hunter was starting to feel more stable as he stooped to gather half of his left boot. He cast it aside seeing that it was in tatters. Tuloth turned quickly to face the opposite direction and the sudden movement jarred a flashback. Tuloth crumpled into a heap on the dirt as each painful moment flashed through his brain. His failure to protect his companion, his failure to punish those responsible, and the feeling of loss as the undertow ripped him away from Kael in the final moments all played through Tuloth’s mind. Tears poured from the man’s face. The only friend Tuloth had ever truly had was gone; his purpose in life was gone. Tuloth had seen endal lose their mounts. It left husks of the former hunters and warriors. Some tried their hands at a craft or skill but were never very successful. Most ended up as Dek; worthless and nameless. Tuloth scoured the dirt and sand beneath him and found a sharp rock. It would’ve made a decent arrow head but it would serve his purpose. He pressed the stone against his wrist hard enough to create an indentation but not so hard as to break the skin; yet. Tuloth looked away only for a moment so that he could spill his life onto the beach. The waves rolled back and a single gold feather stuck up from the dirt and sand. Tuloth dropped his stone and crawled over to the feather. It was from Kael. It was about nine inches long and in perfect condition which places it somewhere around his neck. Tuloth smiled and picked up the feather as if it was a newborn baby. He cradled it and smiled through the tears that the feather brought. The hunter rose to his feet and braided the giant feather into his hair. Tuloth grabbed his bow and the few arrows he had found and began the long journey up the mountain and back to Wind Reach. Along the beach, he gathered a few items and threw them in his backpack. He also gathered a waterskin. He didn’t know what he was going to do with his life now that Kael was gone. Tuloth only knew that life goes on as it must. He touched the gold feather and smiled. In his last moment, Kael had saved Tuloth’s life one final time. Tuloth wept on his journey home but was not sad or slowed in his task. He would find a purpose.