Hide and Seek (Solo)

[Rista]

Timestamp: 8th of Fall, 511 AV Location: Sanikas Valley Status: ClosedSian disappeared, so I'm turning this into solo thread instead., Solo It was with a purpose in mind that Rista left Wind Reach this time. It wasn't one of her normal escapes to find solitude, nor was it in company with another like the last couple of times. The purpose was in a way set on hunt, but not with the intent of kill; no, it was live game that she wanted to find this time. It was a pastime of hers to trap and sell small birds and animals, but the past summer she hadn't had time to go off for very long; there had been a lot of things going on, she had been injured and people had claimed a lot of her time, so not until now was she free to spend a little time on her own. She had convinced her teachers to let her off for a few days, so for what felt like the first time the girl was actually out on her own, with permission and no need to feel guilty for running off. Accompanying her on her trip was as always the comfortable bag she carried with her when leaving the Reach. It was packed with the necessities of staying outside; a blanket, some spare food, soap and a comb and other such practical things. For this trip the girl had included her trapping kit consisting of some vials of animal scent, thin leather rope and a hunting knife, and from the hand that wasn't occupied with her shortbow and quiver swayed a decent sized cage, in case she actually caught something. She didn't have time to go off for too long so the chances of catching anything better than a grounded fledgling weren't great, but one never knew; the yasi always preferred being on the safe side. Making good way even though she wasn't in a hurry, it was past mid day when the girl reached the tree-line and began to slow down, taking more care in where she placed her feet and how she moved. It would all be pointless if she started off with alerting all the animals around that she was coming. Letting her breathing slow down a little, the black eyes of the half-breed shifted between the ground and the landscape around her in search of good footing and easy paths. It was a good day for being outside. The sky was slightly clouded and there was a promise of rain hanging in the air, but aside from that it was fairly warm. There was no need for the katinu that hung rolled up on the outside of the bag. In fact, if it hadn't been for the slight yellowing of the leaves on the trees, Rista would have been inclined to think that it still was summer; the fall promised to drag out unusually long this year, and the Inarta were all intent on making the best possible use of it. The Endal seemed eager and energetic and flew in and out on their hunting trips, the Sanikas Road was packed with wagons rolling to and from the Bay, filled with fish and trade goods that would fill up the storages for the coming winter. It wasn't really a good time to run off and 'play' as the adults called it, but she had done well enough during the summer, and since it was close to the market day her her normal two days of freedom, they had been generous. Rista appreciated it; more so perhaps than she had let slip. Passing over creeks and following winding animal trails, the short-framed young woman moved quietly through the landscape, keeping eyes and ears out for the things she would need; a good waterhole for animals, rabbit trails and tracks of foxes or birds. This close to Skyinarta there wasn't really any larger animals; the area was over hunted, and in some ways it showed on the landscape. There was a lot of undergrowth coming up between the trees, lots of brushwood and dead branches that made it hard to move through. Those kinds of things were usually grazed off by elks and deer in the cold winters, allowing for softer grass and herbs to sprout between rocks covered with moss and lichen... But not here. Wise animals had long since branded the proximity of the tall, slumbering volcano as a death zone and avoided it accordingly. It was a shame, but as far as Rista knew it was inevitable. The people of Wind Reach had to eat in order to survive, and they had to have something other than fish and mushrooms.. As the animal trail the girl followed ended in a dense thicket of brushwood she cursed silently to herself, and began the difficult task of moving through without making too much of a racket. At one point a strap of her bag got caught in one of the branches, forcing the yasi to take it off her shoulders to untangle; gritting her teeth and praying for some patience, she knelt down and pried at the throng with impatient fingers. She was eager to keep going, she wanted to set some traps before it grew dark and also have time to find a good campsite. She'd need a fire, the nights were growing colder even though the days were mild and nice. Then her eyes caught sight of something just in the periphery of her visual field, making her turn the head in curiosity to get a closer look. It was the carcass of a rat; really small and barely noticeable as it was mostly devoured, covered with leaves and grass; the bones were pale against the green and brown of the earth, and ants were crawling all around it. Rista frowned a little and let her gaze make a wide circle around the unusual find, wondering what could have killed the rodent off. An owl would have swallowed it whole, as would many other birds. A fox wouldn't have left anything either, and neither would the Nivas cats... At a first glance there was nothing to see, and with her untrained eyes it was hard to catch anything at all. But after a while she noticed some small tracks in the soft earth. Blinking slightly Rista let go of her backpack and set her weapons and the cage down on the ground. Leaving them in the tangled grip of the trees for the time being she began to crawl closer, using hands and knees to get in between the branches and follow the disturbances. They were rather fresh, and seemed to come from a bird of sorts. The small indents of claws suggested it was young, probably a songbird of some kind, even if it looked a bit too big for that... A smile began to spread over Rista's face, and with a sense of excitement creeping up from within she followed the tracks, wondering where they might lead her.

[Rista]

A rustling sound came from somewhere within the bushes and drew the attention of the yasi. She paused and leaned back, resting on her heels and doing her best to ignore the yellowing leaves that tickled her face, black eyes scouring the ground for any sign of the thing that had caused the noise. There it was again. It was something small, hiding in the shrub just ahead of her. Rista forced back a smile and took a deep silent breath, lowering herself down on hands and knees and began to crawl forward as quietly as she could, making sure to stay clear of the branches that tried to tangle into her hair and clothes. Moist earth rose between her fingers as she placed weight on the hands, the musky scent of decomposing vegetation sharp and rich as she breathed in. It dampened her bryda and made her knees feel cold and soggy, staining the woolen cloth with earth and leaves, branches and undefinable things. Holding back her breath the girl moved slowly, softly placing own one hand at a time, one leg at a time brought forth. Slowly she got closer to the bush, she felt tension increase as the excitement grew within... A twig broke beneath her hand, and suddenly the bush seemed to come alive. She spotted something pale and small stirring within and tried to follow it with her eyes as it moved, making quite a racket as it scurried away, moving between the dense vegetation. At this point she gave up on following the tracks, there was no real point when she almost could see the little creature huddle in a thicket further away from her. A shy little thing, no doubt. Was it a lop? But no, it had been bird tracks she followed, so unless the lop had grown fangs and eaten the bird then it was unlikely. The thought made her smile to herself as she paused, halting where she were. It was best not to frighten the critter more than necessary, she didn't want to hurt it after all. She would never lift a hand against a bird, no matter what the situation called for. Careful not to take her attention away from the shivering little spot of pale she could see among the leaves, Rista relaxed and waited patiently. The air was warmer now, or maybe she was warmer from the effort of moving through the low trees. As a faint breeze found its way down between the branches she lifted her head and enjoyed the cooling touch to her cheeks, breathing in deeply the scent of the nature around her. Earth and trees, moss and water and grass, rich and vibrant as the colors that slowly changed in honor of the seasons change. It was enough to send goosebumps down her arms, she had to hold back a need to rub the bare skin of her arms and shivered faintly from contentment. This was how it should be. Free time, freedom to be where she wanted to be and do what she wished to do. It didn't get much better than this. Blinking slowly, the dark-haired girl slowly returned her focus to what she was doing and began to move once more, steadily making her progress towards the shrub that now was still and silent. It occurred to her that she didn't have a plan on what to do once she managed close enough to see what it was that hid in the thicket. Would she capture it, should she just let it go? Rista had been planning to catch herself a falcon or young hawk during this trip, she didn't have means to either capture or transport more than one bird at a time. Neither could she care for more than one at a time, not with her tight schedule and limited rations of food. The issue churned at the back of her mind as she progressed, ignoring the discomfort of grit and soil on her hands and knees for the simple pleasure in working towards a goal. Once she got close to the shrub she gathered her limbs up beneath herself, slowly steadying her weight on the balls of her feet before reaching out her hands, fingers forcefully kept steady as she gently parted the branches of the bush and peered inside... A surprised squawk greeted her along with a startling flutter of feathers. The copper-skinned mongrel fell backwards as a pale white bird suddenly took off and darted up into the air, the tips of the wings brushing over her face before the creature flew off, wobbling precariously in the air and scraping through the top of the low-growing trees in an attempt to escape. Rista shook her head and looked up, following the awkward flight of the bird with surprise written plainly on her face. A crow! Or maybe a raven, it was hard to tell from such a short glance but it was definitely within the family of birds. And it was white, pure white as if it had been dipped into flour or had the feathers dusted with chalk. She had never seen anything like that before, only magpies normally had white splashes on their wings. A wide grin spread over her mouth, the eyes sparkled as she scrambled up on her feet and stood, trying to see where the bird was headed. This was better than a falcon, no doubt. She had to catch it!

[Rista]

Excitement rose within as the yasi turned around and began to work herself in to opposite direction, hurrying to get back to her bag and the cage she had left behind. This time the branch that tangled with her bag didn't receive much mercy, she quickly dug out a knife from within the bag and cut it off, ignoring the leaved twig that remained attached to the pack as she slung it over her shoulder. Tucking the knife in beneath her waistband Rista picked up the cage and began to move, her pace as quick as she could manage it as she dived into the trees. Not for the first time in her life did she curse her short stature, sometimes it was just barely possible to look up over the top of the leafy branches. A few more inches hadn't hurt, at least it wouldn't have felt as much like she was swimming through a sea of twigs. She made quite a ruckus as she plowed through the dense vegetation, stumbling on roots and getting caught, one time almost twisting her ankle as she dipped the foot down into a deep hole some lop or tenacious mouse had dug. The pale bird had stopped about thirty yards ahead, balancing precariously on the very top twigs of a yellowing tree. Rista forced herself to slow down and breathed hard as she watched it, sweat beading on her forehead. The shape of the beak and the small stature suggested that it was a fledgling, quite recently out of the nest judging by the poor flight. The entire bird was pristine white, from the beak to the feathers and the feet, even the talons were pale and translucent where they gripped around the make-shift perch. Her breath caught in the throat as it looked her way, the girl bent her knees and lowered down among the trees in hope that it wouldn't see her. The bird was a beauty, the color so startling and almost obnoxious in its wrongness. She found herself appreciating it, she who always had stood out herself no matter where she went. The little crow let out another hoarse caw and had Rista chuckle and speak quietly, addressing her target even though it couldn't hear her. "Yeah, I know. Just you wait, little one. I'm coming for you, so stay still where you are, just stay..right there." A deep breath was taken, she slowly straightened the bag on her shoulders before beginning to move once more. Slower this time, she went back to the almost crawling pace, inching her way forward towards the tree and her new-friend-to-be. It felt like ages passed as she progressed step by step, every now and then pausing as the bird turned its head in her direction, praying silently for it to miss her approach. It was like the counting game, where one child stood with the back towards the others and counted, then suddenly turning around to see if any of the others had moved. Rista found herself almost enjoying it, the tickling excitement as she waited with frozen muscles and an expression to her face that must be quite hilarious. It was a good thing there was none but the bird around to see her. She had covered about half the distance when the crow suddenly cawed once more than stirred, wings stretching out and flapping wildly. The mongrel hiccuped and stretched her legs out in an attempt to increase the pace without moving faster, silently pleading the bird to remain where it was and not fly off. She almost cried out when the pale creature took off from its branch, looking like it was well on its way to leave; the girl suddenly through caution to the wind and burst forward, watching with pounding heart as the bird first launched into the air, flapped the wings hard and inched forward in the air. Only to abruptly dive down, the white feathers disappearing down between the slender trunks of the trees. The short girl didn't think twice before she threw herself down on hands and knees, peering through the dense vegetation in hope of catching a glimpse of the crow. Nothing, nothing, only shrubs and herbs and new sprouting trees, there really was a lack of elk in the area for this much leaves to be left intact.. There! Bottomless black eyes fixed upon something pale and moving that flapped at the root of a tree, and with the breath caught in her throat Rista scrambled forward, heaving herself up and forth with the help of her legs. One meter, two, three and then she let go of the cage, hands reaching out to try and clasp around the small body of the bird. Milky white feathers brushed beneath her fingertips, she could almost feel the tiny heart beat furiously under hot flesh... Then he slipped away and dived into a dense shrub, leaving Rista sprawling on her stomach, nose only inches away from the ground. Was she to laugh or cry? She had been lucky to get even this close, and now she had the bird trapped in the bush. Looking at it from her low position she could see the long thorns that grew from the branches, the oily leaves and bright red berries. Not a plant she longed to stick her hands into. It was time to change her tactics, somehow.

[Rista]

Slowly pushing herself up from the ground, Rista took a deep breath and tried to gather her thoughts. There was a need for a plan, a way to make the little bird come out and let her catch it. Once it was in the cage she could handle it well enough, but until then there was a great possibility to loose track of him entirely. Folding her legs beneath herself she sat down in front of the shrub, silently contemplating what to do next. She had the cage close at hand, she had the pack on her bag. Within the bag she had food, her trapping equipment, she had spare food and her warm clothes, a blanket in case it got cold during the night. Somehow she had managed to get the bow along with her when she gathered up the things, but to use that was out of the question, she couldn't harm the bird just to catch it. There had to be a better way. Maybe she could use a snare and try to startle it out? No, there was no way of telling where the milky creature would escape to and the risk of failing or accidentally harming it was rather big. Sticking her hands into the bush wasn't tempting either. She did have her gloves, but the long thorns were likely to scrape her arms and face badly depending on how deeply she would have to go, not to mention that the bird could peck her eyes out if she brought it out the wrong way. In fact, the less contact it had with her hands in the beginning the better it would be. There was nothing to offer but fear and potential pain so far, so as long as she didn't have any food for the bird... Her head suddenly jerked up as a thought struck her. That was it! If she placed food within the cage, then maybe the fledgling would be tempted into going in there. Rista hadn't seen any signs of other birds nearby, either he must have been kicked out of the nest or they were too far gone to be able to botch her plan by bringing food to the young bird. Either way he was sure to be hungry, so with a little temptation... With the plan still forming in her mind, the copper-skinned girl pulled the bag from her back and placed it in her lap, her attention dividing between digging through the contents and watching the shrub. It wouldn't do if the crow found a different way out without her noticing. It was with patient thoroughness that she set up the little trap. The door to the cage was opened before the small container was placed quite close to the hole where the bird had disappeared into. The yasi collected branches and plants from the nearby area and covered the cage as best as she could, hiding the man-made structures and making it look like a very tempting and comfortable nest - a better hiding place than the one little Milk had now. With the brow furrowed in deep concentration she then began to look through the vials with animal scents that she had brought along, only to discard them again. She wanted to lure the bird out, not scaring it away. Reluctantly Rista turned to her food rations instead and pulled out stringy dried meat, bread and a few dried fruits. It was good and long lasting food, perfect for several days in the wild where she couldn't be certain to catch any lops for dinner. It didn't give off any scents though, which was a problem in this case. She had to find a way to make it fragrant, alluring enough for a small hungry bird to leave a relative shelter. The girl weighed several options, but as she eventually didn't come up with anything better she soon popped the dried meat into her mouth, slowly starting to chew on it to make it soften. It was difficult to not swallow, the taste of the meat made her mouth water and caused the belly to growl demandingly. The sun was moving faster over the sky than she had realized, swiftly passing the midday point and beginning to lower. Rista looked up at the sky and sighed as she reluctantly pulled the meat from her mouth again, tossed it into the cage and began chewing another piece. She would have to catch this bird, or the long trip to the valley would be for nothing. It had been this day and nothing more, she'd rather not spend the entire next day looking for birds when she could try to hunt lops or slowly begin the walk back to the city. On the other hand, perhaps this little fledgling would be worth the trouble. The mongrel had always like the crows, in many ways there were more intelligent than the raptors, and their cawing reminded her of hoarse laughter. Once the cage had been baited with chewed meat and some bread moistened by liquid from the water skin Rista gathered up her things and moved back, settling comfortably in a place where she could watch the cage without being seen, where she would be able to move quickly and close the latch before the bird escaped again. Sending a thankful thought to Zulrav for the good weather she finally hauled up a piece of stringy meat for herself, chewing it slowly as she relaxed, preparing for a long wait.

[Rista]

A bell passed. Then another. The heat she had managed to work up during the chase slowly wore off as she waited and when the sun moved away from her chosen spot the girl began to feel cold. Nothing much happened within the shrub, she could see faint movements as the bird shifted within but it never made any attempts to come out. Rista shifted slowly where she sat, yawning and almost dozing off a few times... Waiting was the boring part in all hunting, and even more so when she wanted the animal in question as much as she did this white bird. As the day dragged on into afternoon the girl stirred and reached for her bag, pulling out the thick katinu and a few more lengths of dried meat to keep herself occupied. The skin coat felt good against her chilled skin, a quiet sigh of content passed from her as she leaned back and chewed on the food, eyes kept on the cage and the bush while thoughts wandered off to other places. She wondered how the bird had gotten that color on its feathers. It was the first time she had seen a crow without the black feathers, the milky whiteness was eerie and incredibly fascinating, the girl couldn't wait to get a closer look at it. Licking the last crumbs of cheese from her fingers she sighed and burrowed deeper into her hiding place, blinking a few times to keep the eyes open. She had to stay awake, couldn't miss this chance. Had to catch the bird... It was a sound that startled her awake, eyes snapping open and struggling to focus in the dim light. The sun had lowered on the sky and was well on its way to disappear behind the mountains, leaving the landscape in shadows. Rista shook her head and looked towards the cage, biting off a long line of curses when she saw something white slowly inch over the ground. The girl blinked hard and tried to clear her mind from sleep, muscles tensing as she held her breath and watched the little fledgling move towards her trap. It walked slowly and cocked the head from side to side in wary suspicion of this new object, no doubt tempted by the food within. Now and then it stopped, shifted the pale wings and cawed; that must have been what woke her up. Rista made a note to scold herself for falling asleep later on, she had been a fool for relaxing that much. Aside from the bird slipping away she could have been found by mountain lions or bears, or... But there was no use in whipping herself about it. So far she was alive at least, even though it would be difficult to find a camping site with the darkness falling. One thing at a time, however. Right now she kept her attention focused on the cage, ready to move at first sight of anything going wrong. Her pulse beat faster as the pale little bird inched forward, one step at a time. Now the beak reached into the darkness of her man-made burrow, and the head. Rista shifted and pulled the feet up under herself, freezing as a branch shifted over her arm. The crow stopped and looked back, blinking and shifting the wings slowly... then it seemed to relax again and turned back, the meat dangling at the back of the cage too tempting to resist. Once the feathers of the long tail passed the opening of the cage Rista leaped forward and reached her hand out, quickly smacking the door closed around the bird. There was a sudden shifting and cawing inside as the prey realized the trap, but the girl was quick to close the door with a simple twig, only to back off and throw her arms up into the air with a thrilled shout. She did it! She caught it, the trap had worked! Laughing loudly she threw herself down on her back, crashing down between the low trees and almost ending up within the thorny shrub in her victorious celebration. She did it! Grinning like a mad she turned to the cage and removed the twigs and leaves that had been placed around it, then lifted it up to inspect her catch. A clear blue eye glared back at her as she peered into the cage, followed by a quick stab by the beak. Rista laughed and took a steady grip around the now heavier container, her voice soothing as she began talking to the bird. Better start the impression right away, if this was going to work. "You're a pretty little bird, you know that?" she said and gathered up her back and bow, slinging them over her back before she began to walk, pace quicker now and with determination as she set her eyes on the ground, looking for a suitable place to set up camp for the night. "All white and blue eyed, you don't look like anything I've seen before. Did a white owl scare you into dropping your black feathers when molting the first time, did you stare up at Leth the first thing you did when pecking out of the egg? I bet your parents were really surprised when they saw you gain your feathers, you're a rarity now matter how I look at it. Don't worry about the cage tiny, you won't have to stay in it for very long. Only until we get back to Wind Reach and I can let you out in my room, so I know you won't be flying off again. It took a petching long time to catch you, so I would be sad to see you fly off again, you know?" It was hard to tell whether the bird was listening or not. The times Rista lifted the cage and looked inside, the little crow had tucked itself as deeply into the cage as it could get, head tucked in under a wing; it almost appeared to be sulking, but the girl suspected that it was more a case of mild shock over this sudden capture. She felt bad for it, better find a campsite soon so she could make a fire and make some food. Warmth and something to eat might make the young bird feel better; it definitely would help her, the stomach was gnarling after only a few strings of dried meat during the day.

[Rista]

Even though her eyes adapted to the light it soon became harder to see where she was walking. The sun was setting rather quick when there were no lights around, and Rista had to slow down her pace in order to keep on her feet and not stumble into holes or creeks. Carrying the cage and its precious content carefully in her arms she kept an eye out for open ground, preferably with rocks and water nearby. She considered several but soon discarded them, one being too soggy and the other lacking water entirely. When the sun disappeared entirely behind the horizon the mongrel sighed and turned around slightly to start heading downhill into areas with taller trees; finding a proper place in the birch forest was difficult, and now that it was growing dark for real she had to settle down soon or she would be left without a proper place to sleep or a fire. Her water skin was empty and had to be refilled, and there was a steady gnawing within her stomach that suggested dinnertime was well past back at home. She didn't care too much about checking her bearings as she walked, instead focusing on making good pace and cover plenty of ground. It wasn't hard to find the way in this area, simply walking uphill would sooner or later take her by a slither of the Sanikas Road - and from there the rest of the walk was child's play, albeit boring and tedious. As the trees grew taller and began to stretch well above her head, Rista had to slow down once more. Tiredness after a long day made it difficult to focus, causing her feet to catch onto roots and rocks and stumble forth. The bird in the cage didn't appreciate being jostled from side to side and squawked indignantly, the pale wings stretching and flapping as he tried to keep the balance. Rista apologized profoundly each time, her breath strained from the effort of talking and walking at the same time. "Sorry Milky, I didn't mean to" she panted after an especially bad stumble that almost brought her to her nose. "You must think I'm an awful person for doing this to you, trapping you and then shaking you around. You might be right. There are a lot that seem to think me a quean these days, always opening my mouth at the wrong time and saying what I think instead of what I should be saying. I've been snapping at so many people, acting all important and ungrateful just because they've been bothering with me, and I'm sure they must be feeling annoyed right now. Especially Kikue, my so called Talon instructor. That's what she said she would be, but it seems she needs as much training as I do, so now we end up taking classes side by side. How is that, a Yasi and Avora getting beat up together and pretending to be best friends! I'm not even sure that I like her, you know..." Her little speech continued as she pushed through a dense thicket, only to suddenly trail off, hands letting go of the branches and clasping tighter around the cage. The opening that she had stumbled into seemed familiar somehow, with a creek running to the left and a patch of grass stretching along the bank for a few yards, before the trees picked up once more. It was a good site for resting, with thickets around the edges of the trees providing shelter from the wind and a small barrier against predators, water nearby... The grass close to the middle of the small field seemed taller than the rest, and in the fading light Rista drew closer, curiously poking around with a shod toe. Seemed like there had been a campfire there before, now grown over with the ashes bringing nutrition to the grass and making it grow tall and lush. It was sad, but she would have to change that now. Placing down the cage onto the ground and letting the bag slip from her shoulders, the first thing she did was to go down to the creek with the waterskin. After filling it up and drinking herself unthirsty she dug around the bag and found some bread, soaked it with water and went to the cage, popping it inside the bars to feed her little captive. He'd get better food later, but this would have to do for now. Next followed the tedious task of building up the fireplace. Using her coat as a temporary bag, Rista went down and collected stones from the bed of the creek, painstakingly dragging them up to the old campsite and used them to build a ring where she intended to make the fire. She ripped off the grass that had grown up since the place was used last, and using a flat rock she dug up the ground as much as she could, trying to make sure that no roots could catch on and create wildfires. Then it was time for gathering wood. The task could normally have been difficult in the dark with the lack of light making it difficult to see, but here it was bright enough and the shrubs around the glen had plenty enough of dead wood to last her through the night. Rista could break off most of it by bending dry branches over her knees, and managed to build up quite a pile next to the stone ring. She worked quickly, hunger and tiredness forcing her to keep moving in order to stay awake and alert; once she had a fire going things would be okay, she could start on dinner and then try and gather something to sleep on. It strictly wasn't necessary with shelter at this time of year, the weather was clear and dry and with her katinu and a blanket she wouldn't be cold, but it was better to stay on the safe side. Zulrav sometimes wanted to play games around the mountains, bringing sudden storms or showers of rain when one least expected it.

[Rista]

The little mongrel whisked back and forth through the glen as she made her preparations, gathered water in a small kettle she had brought in the bag as well as building a small stove in the fireplace. Once she felt prepared enough she knelt by the fireside and began piling small twigs, dried grass and scraps of bark in the center of the ring, dug out flint and steel from a pocket on the bag and began the process of making fire, the clicking of steel against stone filling the darkening night. Now and then a spark flared, Rista gnawed on her lip in concentration and leaned in closer and closer, trying to aim the sparks for her little fire-nest. When a glowing spark suddenly landed in her pile of tinder she almost cheered, though instead cradled the grass with her hands and blew on it carefully, slowly breathing life into the fire that began to consume her little treat. Feeding the fire with sticks, first small and then larger and larger ones, Rista sat back on her heels and watched the flames flicker with a content feeling spreading through her chest. The crow stirred in the shadows of its cage and clicked worriedly with its beak, apparently uneasy when faced with the fire. The girl looked up, light dancing in her black eyes as she smiled at the little creature. "Hush there, Milk" she chirped soothingly and moved, walking over to sit by the bird as she placed the pot of water on the fire to heat and began to dig out the food items she had brought with her, along with the blanket and a dagger, just in case. The scent of smoke and cooking food could attract large animals, she'd heard more than one story of hunters being attacked as they skinned prey or cooked meals. "Fire is only dangerous if you get too close to it. It brings light and warmth, helps us prepare food and creates a home. My home is built on a sea of fire deep inside the mountain, it's what keeps us alive in the long cold winters. I like it, watching the flames dance and crack as if they're trying to say something, I like the feeling as my skin warms up and prickles when I get close, almost like it contracts around my face. You'll get used to it soon enough, since you're coming home with me, little Milk." The girl paused and thought over the nickname she had given her new pet, and chuckled a little at it. "I suppose I'll have to find a better name for you, but for now it will have to do. What do you think?" Only silence greeted her, and after a long moment the girl leaned over to peer into the cage. The bird had huddled up again, head ticked beneath the wing and chest slowly moving. Most of the bread was gone; good, at least it had eaten something. She'd give him more later, but only if he was awake and somewhat alert. From now on there would be a need to control where he got the food, so that he learned to trust her and realized that sticking to her would be a good idea. For now she left him alone though, and began to prepare a simple meal. Dried meat was cut into small pieces and set aside, along with pieces of dried apple, raisins, some mushrooms and a few fragrant herbs she had found earlier that morning. Digging through her bag eventually ended in curses though, her thorough packing had still managed to fail to bring a spoon and bowl along. The latter wasn't much to complain about, she could eat from the kettle, but the spoon... Muttering silently to herself the dark-haired girl pushed herself up on her feet, stretching the tired and aching muscles of her legs to find a suitable branch from a low tree. Upon finding one Rista went back to the lovely warm fire and settled down on the blanket, wrapping the katinu loosely around her shoulders before taking up the knife. A blacksmith would have cursed at her for using the sharp weapon for something like this, and when seeing her rough carving at the branch any artisan would have taken the tool away from her. But trying to make a spoon gave her something to do while waiting for the water to boil, the splinters in the fingers kept her awake - not to mention, while the progress was slow she actually did manage to create some sort of shape. She had found a branch from a young maple tree, about three fingers wide at one end and narrowing off towards the other, quite soft but not too wobbly. First stripping the branch of the bark, she began to slice off wood from what was to be the handle, shaping it roughly and whittling away the thinnest part so it got a decent size, somewhat longer than what would fit in the hand. Moving up towards the cupped part, she made it somewhat round by taking it in where it met the handle, making sure not to take too much on what would be the underside. Rista paused for a moment to pull the kettle away from the flames, the water steaming and seething as she popped in the ingredients for her simple soup, used a different branch to stir a little and then settled back again, quietly continuing to work. Digging out the hollowness of the spoon proved to be difficult. She slowly carved out tiny pieces, working from the middle and out towards the edges to make sure they didn't get too thin. It was hard to make it deep enough, and the surface was rough and chipped from the bite of the knife. She didn't have anything to smooth it out with either, it would take too long to polish with sand. Frowning slightly, the girl carefully scraped with the edge of her knife over the worst nicks, smoothing them out a little. Safe to say she wasn't a master at working with her hands, but even though it was rough and crude the spoon worked quite well. She tested it when she felt it was good enough, dipped it into the simmering soup; it was a bit shallow but she could fish up the pieces of mushroom and meat well enough, and the clear broth could always be drunk later. Once the meat had begun to loosen up and become a bit less tough she popped in the herbs and leaned back, groaning quietly as she stretched out on the back. Reaching for the waterskin Rista pulled out the plug and brought the tap to her lips, drinking lazily from the sweet-tasting water as she looked up towards the sky. It was completely black now, the light from the sun gone and replaced by the faint gleam of pearly white stars, so close it felt as if she could touch them. The velvet of the heavens stretched endlessly upwards, spreading out over the lands in soothing darkness. The young girl yawned and stretched the arms over her head, droplets of water escaping the bulging bag and dripping down her hand as she stretched her muscles. If only every day could be like this one. She had worked hard and accomplished her goals, managed to do what she set to mind. The award slept quietly in its cage only a stride away, warming her soul like the red fire warmed her body. A new friend. It was how she saw the little bird, even though the pale-feathered critter perhaps didn't agree just yet. This bird she definitely wouldn't sell, he was too special and unique for that. A white crow... It was something to spin a story about, something she could entertain the younger yasi with if she ever was placed to babysit them again. She wanted to know some things herself too, on the terms of caretaking and training of the crow. Rista had never had a bird of her own before, unlike other children she hadn't been gifted with one - who was there to provide her with anything, aside from what everyone got from the city? She had watched in envy, playing with others pets when allowed to and otherwise stayed on the sidelines, waiting for the moment when she would find a bird that could be hers, by her own might. Simply buying a captured one had never had any appeal to her, how could she justify keeping a wild creature locked up and tied to her if she couldn't take responsibility for its kidnapping? It took effort to pull herself from her thoughts and sit up again. As her hands reached out for the kettle and the long awaited soup, the mongrel bit back another yawn and felt her jaws creak from the force. Better eat and then get some sleep, there were at least two days of hard trekking ahead of her before she were home again. Some more days on her own would be welcome, even though the latter might see her with a sack of something heavy dumped on her by a passing Chiet as she managed the last stretch up the Road. A yasi was a yasi, not working yasi was a hassle and there were never an excuse good enough to slip away. Dipping her makeshift spoon into the kettle the girl blew on the thin soup and brought it to her mouth, lips sipping at the broth before she took a mouthful of it. A grimace was followed by a shudder and a sudden determination to her movements as she dipped the spoon for more. Burning her tongue was a cheap price for filling her stomach, and it couldn't really be helped that it didn't taste much. A taste of water and earth from the mushrooms, salt from the meat and slightly sweet, slippery pieces of fruit made it quite a horrible meal. A cool, minty taste from the green leaves didn't make it better at all, it was really only the warmth and the fact that it was food that made the girl eat it. Maybe she should have a chat with Eoin, the Avora would surely give her a few lessons if she asked nicely enough. She could make him something in return, or buy something on the next Market day if she made it back in time. Saving some of the horrible soup for the bird, Rista eventually set the pot away on a place where she couldn't reach to knock it over. She added more fuel to the fire and moved the pile so she could reach it without getting up, checked on the bird once again - he was sleeping quietly, huddled up like before - and then finally began to bed for herself, removing branches and rocks from the place next to the fire. She pulled on the katinu and kicked the shoes away from her feet, rolled into the blanket and pulled her knees up until the feet were covered by the woolen cover. A heavy sigh was followed by a tired yawn, the eyes closing as she burrowed the nose deep into the collar of her coat. Warm, free, content with the day... To fall asleep with the fire heating her face and the sighing of the wind as lullaby was among the best things she knew in life.

[Rista]

Nightly winds caressed the mountainous region with cool hands, invisible fingers reaching into the secluded valleys and hills and gently bending the thin branches of the trees. Leaves rustled and sighed softly as it passed, a thin mist coiling and stirring sleepily over the water-kissed meadows. The fire slowly died out as it was left attended, glowing red embers casting a golden sheen over the sleeping girl and her companion as they slept, now and then snapping and crackling as if accentuating a dream or sigh. At one point the white fledgling woke and stirred in its cage, blue eyes watching as a small banded fox slipped into the glen and padded down towards the creek on silent paws. It lapped on the water without a care in the world, either not noticing or not caring about the little human that slept only yards away, nor minding the heat that radiated from the dying fire. A rustle of the leaves made the small canine raise the head cautiously, wet nose dripping with moisture as it sniffed the air, ears twitching to catch any sound of approaching danger... Slowly it relaxed again, lowered the head back towards the water. A snap in the shrubs behind it caused a second jerk of the little head, a gleam of fear crossed the amber eyes and with a deft leap it crossed the creak, quickly disappearing into the thicket on the other side of the stream. The young crow watched silently from the safety of its prison how the bushes stirred, branches creaking and shifting to let out a large body, long elegant legs carrying the elk gracefully into the clearing. Soft eyes blinked slowly as it regarded the surroundings with thoughtful patience, an ear waved to ward off a buzzing mosquito. The sights of the horned old buck fell upon the sleeping girl, and for a moment it tensed. It had led a long life and the times when encountering the two legged beings had been many, too many to simply allow such a presence in its kingdom. Cautious steps brought the magnificent beast out onto the grasses of the glen, the head held low as the ruler of the forest approached the small camp, curious despite the alarms that suggested escape to be the better alternative. The bird clapped its beak and shifted closer to the latch, its pale feathers glowing eerily in the dark as it peered out, watching the happenings carefully. He saw how the girl stirred in her blanket and sighed, and how the elk consequently stiffened and froze in place, soft nose shivering from the tension of the moment. The dark-haired little human breathed in and opened her eyes slowly, some instinct prodding her awake under the intense stares of the animals. Sluggishly she turned the head, eyes as dark as those of the elk turned and brushed over the large animal, moved past it and almost closed again before the sleepy mind registered what she saw. The gaze snapped back and for a heartbeat two pairs of eyes met, soft and dark and equally surprised, the large buck close enough for the musky scent of his body to reach the nose of the girl. A heartbeat passed as they remained like that, locked in time as they stared at one another, her breath still passing in between lips in a gasp... His ear twitched and suddenly he leaped forward over the length of the human, her breath catching in horror as the large animal sailed over her head and touched down only a foot from her head. Rista rolled to the side and pushed herself up on trembling arms and watched as the elk landed and continued forward, hurried steps bringing him across the clearing before he disappeared in the direction she had come from earlier in the evening. Heartbeats pounded in her ears as the girl stared after the visitor, shaken and amazed by the encounter. It took a while before she registered the squawking and flapping of the crow inside the cage, and by the time she finally pushed herself up on her feet and slipped over to hush the fledgling her hands had somewhat stopped shaking. The yasi mumbled faintly to her little captive and reached for the kettle and the bread she had set aside for the crow, but her mind felt somewhat absent as she dipped the tough bred in the cold broth and held it towards the cage for the bird to take. How many could claim to have seen a live, wild elk in their lives? How many could say honestly that they had encountered one without a single thought of bringing it down, reaching for the bow or trying to follow it through the forest as it disappeared? Perhaps she wasn't cut out to be a hunter after all, because when coming face to face with the crowned buck, the only thing that had passed through her mind was how beautiful he had been. She watched quietly as the captured crow pulled away from her hand and hissed, feathers burring up so that he looked twice his actual size. Rista yawned faintly as she waited, her hand held still with the treat tucked inside the cage for the bird to take. He hesitated, the smell of food attractive but the presence of the human threatening. Heartbeats passed, bells dragged on without anything happening, and then finally he inched closer, step by small step. When he was close enough he tried to stretch the head out and reach the treat, but didn't get close enough. She smiled as he thought it over, shifting the weight from one taloned feet to the other, stretching and testing until finally another step was taken, the head reached out... There was a slight tug at the bred as the pale beak closed around it and quickly jerked it back, dragging the piece closer until he crept back to the other side of the cage. A smile spread over her sleepy face, and after watching the bird eat for a moment the girl stood up and moved back to her blanket. A few twigs was thrown to the fire, she blew on the embers to make it flare up again and as the yellow flames once more rose towards the sky Rista rolled herself into bed again, yawning widely. Half the night had passed, and with a bit of luck she would be able to get some more sleep before the sun rose. She should be moving again with the dawn, unless any other unforeseen things took place. Imagine, to see a living breathing elk so close like this...

[Rista]

It was the chirping of birds that woke her the second time, dragging her from the embrace of sleep with a promise of a new day. The world had brightened around her and a thin mist lay over the little glen, the grass gleaming and wet with dew. The fire had gone out during the night but Rista didn't bother with it as she groaned and slowly pushed herself out of the blanket, pulled up the hood of the katinu over her head and shuddered. It was raw and moist in the air, the sun was rising behind the mountains but had yet to reach a height that allowed for the golden rays to burn away the fog or the damp in the grass. Yawning tiredly and still rubbing the sleep from her eyes she stumbled over to check on the bird in its cage, smiling as she was greeted with alert blue eyes that regarded her suspiciously when she prepared another meal of cold broth and bread for him, this time including a few dried fruits and a strip of touch jerked meat that would keep the feathered companion occupied for a while. Making sure that every treat was taken from her hand, Rista then began the work on cleaning up after her self, chewing slowly on a length of meat as she poured water on the ashes on her fire and kicked the surrounding stones back towards the creek. It always seemed to go faster to clear out the camping site than to build it up, something she was glad for. The yasi had slept longer than intended, and by the time she was packed up and ready to go the sun had risen on the sky and seeped down between the branches of the trees, coloring them in vibrant emerald hues. Taking a deep breath and heaving the now lighter pack onto her shoulders, Rista took a moment to simply stand and breathe in the freshness of the morning, her mind quietly greeting the sun as its warmth caressed her face. Then she picked up the cage with the bird and took a final look around the glen, made sure that she hadn't forgotten anything important and headed off, her goal set for the high slopes of Mt Skyinarta and her home. Even with a decent pace, it took time to walk through the woods of the lower regions beneath Wind Reach. Rista followed the winding animal trails that cut through the area, making use of them when they carried her upwards and otherwise walking through the denser vegetation, slowly working her way over moss-covered rocks, patches of densely growing young conifers and little water veins. She made a point of looking at the plants she moved by, registering the location of mushrooms and other fungi, of small shadow-loving flowers and edible berries. Looking up she saw birds flitting from branch to branch in the trees, mosquitoes and other insects buzzed around her ears. At one point she noticed a fat snake basking on a rock and took a wide detour around it, since she was in no mood for closer acquaintances with it. It was a beautiful day, as close to perfect later summer weather as she could come. The mongrel hadn't walked for more than a few bells before the katinu grew too hot, she stopped for a moment and pulled it off, tucking it into the bag. A fierce chattering brought her attention to the treetops and made the yasi reach for her bow. The sight of a red squirrel leaping between the branches was a tempting target, Rista couldn't resist testing herself. She kept her eyes on the little animal as she stringed her bow and pulled two arrows from the quiver, nocking the first to the string and placing the other close by if she would need it. With the curious eyes of the crow resting on her she lifted the bow and plied it, aiming upwards and trying to get a clear shot on the rodent. It was difficult, the sky was bright and the little animal was quick, never sitting still for long before taking off again, running along the branches with jerky movements that were nigh impossible to predict. The dark-haired girl forced herself to remain quiet and patient, held her hands still and the shoulders relaxed even as the weight of the plied bow began to weigh on her arms. A bird suddenly took off from a nearby bush and made the squirrel freeze. Rista reacted immediately and locked her aim on the target, felt the string slip from her fingers and sent the arrow off with a sharp twang. As quickly as she could the yasi reached for the second arrow, nocked it and drew before she even knew if the first one had hit or now, returning towards the place where she had seen the little tree rat... She could hear the rustle as her arrow fell down between the branches of the trees, along with a distraught titter from the targeted animal as it scurried into a hole in one of the tree trunks. Gone. "Well petch on you too" she chuckled and slowly reduced the tension of the bow until she could remove the arrow and tuck it back into the quiver. Leaning the bow against a tree, she headed off to try and find the arrow, silently muttering to herself about quick little rats that should come down on the ground for fair fights. The miss didn't put her down too much, it had been a difficult shot to take and she had made it on pure impulse. More than anything she was just glad to get her arrow back, it would have been inconvenient if it got stuck in the trees. It took a bit of searching to find the stray arrow, and once she did another bell had passed. Slightly discontent with herself Rista headed off once more, trying to keep the pace up so that she could actually cover some ground. A few small pauses were made to collect water at swiftly flowing creeks, and once to feed to screeching fledgling that had started to realize that this was a very good way of getting food. Rista ate while she walked in order to get somewhere, reluctantly passing up on adventures or more hunting opportunities for the time being. She felt a need to get home now, Milk had to get out of the cage as soon as she could manage and the food was running low since she hadn't caught anything else during this time. On the whole, this little trip had been successful. She had spent some well earned time on her own, had managed to capture a bird to train and hopefully keep as pet, not to mention the surreal meeting with the elk during the night. Rista felt accomplished as she began to climb up towards the stairs, humming a faint melody to herself and the crow. A good few days, very good. And from here on the real work would begin, of bonding with Milk and juggling her normal schedule with his care, trying to make something of herself and keeping out of trouble... She had a lot to do.

[Indigo]

Character: Rista Skills: +2 Tracking, +1 Trapping, +1 Wilderness survival, +1 Firemaking, +1 Birdkeeping, +1 Weapon (Shortbow,) +1 Observation, +1 Strategy, +1 Carving, Lore: Living with hunger, Being different is something in common, Making a feathered friend, Nature appreciation, Notes: Great thread! Wonderful detailing and excellent descriptions! One of the best solos I've ever read! If you have any questions or comments about your grade, please don't hesitate to PM me.