78th of Spring, 510 AV - Early Morning
They had walked about a bell from Taloba in search of suitable prey, and a bell more after that when they discovered a trail left by a group of large, rodent-like creatures. They were stalking towards the herd just now, approaching from downwind of the creatures. Siiri was mud-covered and almost naked, having stripped off most of her clothes and leathers to lather wet earth over her body to mask her scent. She had left her clothes and her pack in a grove of fruit trees – a safe place, for it was usually watched by at least half a fang of Myrians for the place was excellent trapping and hunting grounds for creatures that fed on the fruits.
Despite her lack of clothing, the warrior was armed to the teeth, toting a sturdy spear aside from the greatsword strapped at her back and the numerous bone daggers strapped around her body. A tiger-roarer hang from her belt in case she needed to call the attention of nearby patrols. While she felt relatively secure being so near the city, she still thought it prudent to bring the item for one never knew what one might run across in the dangerous jungle of Falyndar. Besides, she was not traveling with her fang, only with her recently acquired bondmate. Any threat they encountered this close to the city must be dealt with swiftly.
Siiri, sighting the herd in the distance, dropped on all fours and pointed them to her companion with her spear. The giant rodents had settled in a sort of enclosure of shrubs to feed on the berries of the plants. There were about a dozen of the creatures, half of their numbers about the size of the hunting dogs Myrians kept in their city. With their bulky frames, these creatures were probably heavier.
“One for each of us,” she said. The ambient noise of the jungle covered any conversation they might make but she still modulated her voice to just above a whisper so the sound would not carry. She pointed at three of the largest in the herd - the dominant male with the prominent scent gland on its snout and the larger females - explaining her intentions to her bondmate. “We get one of the females each. Forget the alpha; I don't want to break this group by his loss; they will become easy prey to other predators without him. He will defend his females until they're slain so we have to be fast. But all of them will be dangerous in the scramble. Watch the teeth – they can tear a huge chunk of your flesh off.”
She paused, waiting to see if her companion had any questions before they proceeded.