[Bronze Woods] Hunting Party (Private)

[Abashai]

Shai watched Nya pad off, the sound of the giant cat's movement silent after only a short distance. As if reading his mate's mind, the Benshira looked up into the tree holding Nya's clothes. Replacing the arrow and slinging the bow back over his shoulder, he climbed up into the lower branches, roughly 10 feet from the ground. Removing the bow again and leaning against the trunk, Shai positioned himself to see clearly into the forest where Nya had disappeared. He did not like it that he could not see her and, nocking an arrow to the composite bow's string, he waited anxiously. The dense forest air was cut by the angry blast from the elk's throat, and the forest cat's fierce cry. The sound of the heavy pounding of the massive beast's hooves reached him before he saw Nya tearing through the woods, the bull elk crashing after her. Gods, it was close to her. The raging creature barreled closer to his bondmate, who was running literally for her life. He suddenly questioned the whole endeavour, wondered if his foolish male pride would end up getting Nya injured or killed. Training and instinct kicked in, and Shai raise the bow, waiting for a clear shot. He let the arrow fly from the powerful bow, already reaching for a second as the first streaked towards the elk and plunged into its neck, near the shoulder. The animal barely flinched. The second arrow was set and flew as Nya and the elk raced by, Shai stunned as the expanse of antlers actually passed him at eye level. The second missile struck the bull's hip and it stumbled slightly, giving Nya the edge to slip out of reach. Enraged, the beast braced to stop, debris from the forest floor sent flying as its hooves slid to a halt. It bugled again, throwing its head around, its massive rack ripping apart low hanging limbs overhead. Blood had begun to seep from the arrow wounds, staining its hide with crimson streaks. The elk paused for a moment in still silence, sniffing the air. Shai slowly slipped another arrow from his quiver and laid it against the string of his bow. As if the beast had spotted him, the giant elk turned his panting muzzle towards the man in the tree. With a sudden burst the creature launched himself towards Shai. Wide-eyed, he let his arrow fly with little aim, and the iron head grazed the elk across the face, opening a gash over its right eye.

[Nya Winters]

She trusted that he would shoot. She had too. But at the moment she scored the elks hind end and took off running, it was behind her in an instant - death on four splayed hooves. Nya didn't want to fight it. She didn't even want to kill it. She was big, but it was bigger. Sometimes, even apex predators took note and decided a meal wasn't worth it. Weren't mice a lot more fun to hunt? Weren't rabbits more filling? Nya turned and burned, stretching her legs out and screamed as she ran, warning Shai she was bringing the beast his way.

She went streaking by, digging her paws into the dirt, and pouring on the speed. Nya hoped it was enough. If the beast caught her, it'd tear her to shreds with just a horn. She'd learned that the hard way when she was younger. So she kept running, long after Shai had shot, not daring to look back until she was sure it was safe. Then she skidded to a stop, sniffed the air, and doubled back at a full run. If the creature was after Shai now, he was in mortal danger.

Nya retraced her steps, quickly, keeping her eyes open and her view alert. It wasn't long before she was back near Shai's tree, watching the beast study the hunter holed up high in its branches. The great beast pawed the ground, snorted, and tore at the underbrush with its antlers in a show of intimidation. Then, as typical of its kind, the elk charged. It wouldn't rest until one or the other of its tormentors were dead. Nya moved, terror in her heart for Shai, and lunged across the distance, having to move twice as fast as the beast in order to match speeds with it and overtake it. She leaped upwards in a controlled show of strength and bit down on the tender flesh just above the base of the elk's tail. She rent flesh with her front claws and peddled with her back trying to find and tear open the creatures hamstrings. The big Talderian Forest Cat knew only one strategy for killing the bull elks. Bleed them until they were too weak to fight. So she left huge gashes on its flanks and rump as she used her jaws to tear.

Her attack didn't go without resistance. The great beast repeatedly kicked backwards trying to dislodge her, one such blow landing solidly in her chest causing a rib to crack. Nya yowled and loosened her grip though she kept peddling with her back legs.

Her back paw got lucky on its hind offside, for she opened its leg up clear to the bone and severed a hamstring causing it to go weak on the right almost instantly. When she felt it falter, she loosened herself and released pushing back to pant and assess the situation. Shai had more arrows, and she hoped he'd use them as she circled the beast trying to draw its attention from her bondmate up the tree.

On the elks part, the wound above its eye partially blinded it from the blood oozing into the glassy orb. It blinked furiously and then swung around to face the attack that one moment was there ad the next had backed off. It lowered its horns threatening Nya even though she held her ground. Charging, it tore at the underbrush as it tried to circle, and catch Nya since all she did was move around it, not away from it. Her hope was to get Shai a series of clear enough shots to weaken it. It should have been evident from his first strike that he'd have to take an eye fully or shoot it in the brainpan to truly bring it down - if he couldn't reach the heart.

Nya hoped he was having fun because she was starting to regret this enormously with every step that jarred her bruised or cracked rib. The big cat should have done a better job talking her bondmate out of this silliness for sure.

[Abashai]

The bull elk was huge. Abashai had no idea it would be so massive. He realized it was larger than Nya, which became all too apparent when the Talderian Forest Cat latched desperately onto its haunches. She raked and gnashed at the beast desperately, stopping its charge at him, but turning its rage upon herself. The hunter readied an arrow, waiting for a clear shot. His head rang with his own words. "Bad idea, bad idea, your pride has put her in danger, now she is saving you." He should have seen her resistance, her hesitation. She was only doing this to please him. Fool. "Nya" He cried out as he saw the great hoof strike at the Kelvic's side. He contemplated dropping from the tree and charging with his tulwar. He wanted to be there with Nya. But that too would be foolish, at least until they could wound it. Raising the bow again, Shai strove to keep the arrow's broad head moving, over the chest, base of the skull, anywhere he could get a quick kill shot. Nya inflicted a crippling wound, and his mate deftly circled the animal, creating openings for his attack. Shai set his aim to follow the elk's chest, making an instant calculation to lead the moving target, then let loose. The arrow struck the chest deep. The behemoth wheezed and spun, looking again for its second attacker. Hopefully he had struck a lung, though he had missed the heart. Without hesitation, Abashai nocked another arrow, pulled back the string with a creak and watched Nya as she moved, seeing the direction she lead the elk and identifying the opening. The bull had turned its back to the tree, placing itself directly between Nya and himself. Shai could see how the beast's haunches bled freely from the gashes his bondmate had inflicted. It stood staionaary, wheezing more, its breathing more labored. But the vast antlers still swung dangerously around Nya, its heavy hooves stamping in anger. Shai let the next arrow go, praying Nya did not fall into its path should the animal suddenly move and the projectile miss its target. The arrow struck below the base of the skull, the intended target, but sunk into the creature's spine. It's legs wobbled and buckled as it collapsed with an audible thud. With a cry of thanksgiving to Yahal, Abashai leapt from the tree. The elk's head thrashed violently, the beast bellowing so loud it was almost defeaning. He glanced at Nya, his eyes almost apologetic. This was not the hunting trip he had expected. Abashai looked at the giant elk with a tinge of guilt. They didn't need his meat or hide, he could very well have moved on without causing any trouble. It was a majestic beast, almost as awe-inspiring as the giant forest cat who now met his gaze. The bull elk thrashed about, unable to stand, a victim of his folly. Abashai's gaze and the bond let Nay know that he would end it. It was not the trophy shot he thought he would make, it was an unnecessary mercy killing. He drew another arrow and set it to his string. Standing near its rear hip, out of range of the flailing rack of antlers but close enough for an easy strike, Shai raised the bow and aimed where its thick neck met its head. He let the shot fly, the powerful composite bow driving the iron blade into the gap beneath the skull to bury into the elk's brain. The head dropped with sudden finality. Abashai found his heart pounding, as he looked over the carcass to see Nya. She would sense his disappointment, the realization that had come too late.

[Nya Winters]

Nya stood staring at the elk as it went from a majestic creature to a pile of meat. They would eat well, that was for certain, for days to come. And if they got the meat back to town they could give it to the widows to disperse to those that needed it and it would feed a great deal of people. Nya couldn't carry the corpse herself. There was no way, but if Abashai butchered it, removed the head, and then quartered it up she could carry a quarter at a time while perhaps Abashai's desertbred could take on an eighth. They'd have to make multiple trips, but they could get it all back to town safely. When the beast finally died, Nya shifted back but remained crouched where the forest cat had been. Her arm was draped loosely over

"Shall I go get your horse while you start butchering?" Nya said, sharing her idea for spreading the meat around. "If we made multiple trips back to town, we could disperse the meat through the Widows and a lot of people could eat for quite a while on this bull." Nya said thoughtfully. She was tired, but not too tired to make multiple trips to town and back acting as a packhorse for meat. The closest she could come would be perhaps a copse of trees outside of the city gates, but from there she could take a message into the widows and one of them could bring a wagon and load the meat if she told them where to meet them. "Your horse could help haul some of it. I don't think I can carry it all, but I could if I made enough trips. I could perhaps carry a quarter at a time. I could leave it on the outskirts of town and take a note in to the widows telling them where to pick it up. It's a long way but better than leaving it here to rot." She offered, looking thoughtful.

Nya didn't really feel like talking about why they had to kill the thing. She really didn't feel like going to Abashai for comfort over the kick she'd gotten either. Her mother had always told her that some wisdom had to come through experience. Her life was full of such wisdoms. And she wasn't remotely mad or disappointed in Shai for this being one of his. She was just thankful they were both okay and the elk was dead. It probably needed killing because sooner or later it would indeed hurt someone somewhere - perhaps someone not as well equipped to kill it as Shai was.

If he gave her the okay, she'd set off with the first load of meat he carved up and retrieve his horse on the way back to help with the burden.

[Abashai]

Abashai's heart rate slowed, a cool breeze evaporating the sweat from the skin on the back of his neck. The hunt had not turned out as he had imagined. Looking at Nya, now in her bare human form, he knew he had pushed this hunt on her, foolishly. Maybe the animal needed to be taken down, but to turn it into recreational hunt, just the two of them, well, could have gotten them killed. As it was, Nya had been injured saving him. He didn't apologize to her, but she could see in his eyes, sense in the bond, that he understood what his pride could have cost them. He set down his bow and reached out to run his hand along the beasts hide, feeling the short, course fur. He was a magnificent creature, reduced to an awkward pile, to be devoured unceremoniously by scavengers and worms. The least they could do was prevent the meat from wasting. When Nya began to speak, Shai turned his gaze to her. He listened to Nya's plan, agreeing with her thoughtful use for the meat. It was more than he had ever anticipated, and he had not planned ahead well for the amount that could be harvested from the huge elk. His eyes surveyed the collapsed beast, then shifted back to his bondmate. "We could pack you and Sus up with the first load and take it to the city. Maybe Glav will let us borrow his cart again, the one we used for the Fire Festival. We could bring it back, and only have to carry the bulk of it from here to the road." Regardless of how they would deliver the meat, the Benshiran and Kelvic had a long day of work ahead of them. As Nya shifted and bounded off to fetch his desertbred, Abashai pulled out the tulwar and began to hack at the great beast's neck with the heavy curved blade until the head was severed and its blood began to drain out.

[Cayenne]

I'm glad to see that this thread was finished rather than left to wither. Well written, all of you, particularly Nya and Abashai. I think Abashai learned a valuable lesson here. I hereby award the following: Abashai Hunting: 2 XP Tracking: 1 XP Observation: 2 XP Climbing: 1 XP Weaponry - Short Bow: 4 XP Lore - Dangers of Talderian Bull Elks Nya Hunting: 3 XP Tracking: 2 XP Tactics: 1 XP Unarmed Combat: 4 XP Lore - Dangers of Talderian Bull Elks Kamalia Rhetoric: 1 XP Tracking: 1 XP Wilderness Survival: 1 XP Gromhir Tracking: 2 XP Wilderness Survival: 1 XP