A week of hunting:
11th of Summer, 512 AV
Absynia watched as Ashta winged away, rising above the trees, she waiting till even the barest black spot of his body was lost in the horizon. He was going to be fishing, whilst she was going to be hunting, there was a familiar clearing some distance away that she would meet him at come nightfall to take she had killed back to Thunder Bay. Meanwhile she would continue to hunt alone for the next week, save for camping in the clearing each night. It was unusual for someone to spend such lengths hunting, but she felt that it was necessary. It might be futile, but she tried to work harder than the rest since she had the biggest reason to prove herself. She often heard whisperings behind her back, of how many thought her rise of station a fluke, that someone like her who was born without a voice would fail for she lacked the ability to properly lead. Her being mute didn’t make her deaf or dumb, her ears worked properly, as did her heart for those things cut in to her deeply. The only person who ever had any confidence in her, the only one she could confide in and the only one she had that she trusted was her eagle Ashta.
He had confidence in her success and knew with certainty, telling her so, that she could lead others and that those who expect nothing save failure from her would be denied as he didn’t pick a failure to be his bondmate. He might not like being apart from her for so long, but he understood that for her to feel like she is proving her worth she had to hunt alone, to prove she had her own set of skills not based off her bond. She closed her golden eyes breathing in deeply the scents of the deep, lush, green forest. She made a few chirping whistles, calls that sparrows used to call to others of their kind. A pair of sparrows stopped fluttering about to take an interest in her. When she saw she had her attention she made a beckoning motion with her hand smiling, then reached in to a pouch at her belt placing some seeds in her hand and holding her palm flat. The female cocked her head to the side chirping, scooting from side to side with anxious curiosity. Because of her Gnosis that Eywaat had gifted her as a child she could understand, though not fluently talk to the young bird.
She had always loved mimicking birds, even before she was Marked, picking up since then sounds that could call, get the attention of, warn away and soothe the bird she wanted to pay attention to her. So while someone else would have heard chirping, what she head was:
|Whats that the human has! Whats that?|
She waited patiently making the same beckoning gesture to her, the small bird paying to with interest to the small pile of seeds, breadcrumbs and finely chopped berries in her hand.
|A gift? You want me to come and take it? What’s that?|
All of a sudden she couldn’t contain her curiosity and flew to Syn’s hand, moving about, fluttering her wings, eyeing her, then the food, nervous, excited and curious. Swiftly the little bird ate what was on her plam, taking great care to leave not a single beakfull left, but also careful not to harm the hand that had provided the food. With a full crop the sparrow settled down her little feet gripping one of her fingers tightly as she settled down. Gently arranging her fingers so only her index finger was extended she made soothing whispered crooning whistles.
|Tasty treats, kind human, likes you!|
She slowly used her free hand to stroke the chest feathers of the small bird gently. While knowing what a bird said certainly helped, she also had to build trust between her and the sparrow. The Gnosis allowed for them to trust her to a very small extent, usually just to get them to take an interest in her. It was how she held herself, her expression and whether or not she was relaxed that really allowed for her to spark enough interest to get the winged individual to actually come closer to her. Most birds didn’t talk in the way humans did, each sound registered in her mind as a single word, but in simple concepts. Small birds like sparrows spoke in even simpler terms, the sparrow for instance was very excitable, easily frightened and one wrong move from her could break the fragile camaraderie between them forever. It would also impact the rest of the flock she flew with as well for they would treat her like something to fear. That of course would make things difficult for her because if she scared one type of birdlife, she’d impact the rest for the sparrows were a talkative lot.
If she gained this one birds trust, the other birdlife through communicating, will learn she was a friend that gave treats and they would come to seek her out. She especially liked winning the trust of the predatory birds for they were the most inclined to help her hunt, especially if she shared a portion of her kill that she ate as a meal. Her system for hunting went thusly; if she caught six rabbits she saved tow for herself, sending the rest with Ashta later when he came. If she brought down a deer she of course would then hunt for smaller game for herself. She gave the largest portion of her kills to Ash to help feed others, if she didn’t find enough to feed herself and send as her tithe, she ate some of her supplies instead sending what she had caught ahead. Her first priority was to her people, not herself, in the long run it was better this way and she always came prepared. Her duty was first to her people and she would not hold back, she was could not bring herself to be selfish. The sparrow took flight after she had had enough, her partner flying with her, their excited chirping bringing with it a new set of sounds from the others.
All the birds would be keeping an eye on her at this point, she reached in to her pouch again placing more of the feed on a flat stone then walked away. After she had walked about fifteen steps four other sparrows eagerly arrived at the rock to eat what she had left behind. She grinned not looking back as she heard their conversation, the deeper forest was what she headed in to, this was when she did her best to become apart of it as a predator herself, for she had a job to do as well as enjoy whatever she may see. She was dressed in greens and browns, the best colors to aid in blending in, though greens were the primary colors. The cloak she wore was a blend of different greens and earthy tones, weaved together for protection, aid in camouflage and to provide extra warmth. She wore soft soled leather boots to best leave hardly any tracks, but to also aid her in climbing so that she didn’t damage tree bark should she take to the trees. Lamb skin leather pants, leather vest and gloves gave her protection, but the palms of her gloves were soft supple leather, whereas the leather along the back of her gloves, along the wris and to the middle of her forearm gave her protection from the talons of any predatory birds that sought a perch for a closer look.
There was tougher leather on the shoulders of her vest for the same reasons. She wore a green tunic under her vest and light cotton pants beneath the leather. Her cloak had a hood and if it rained she could have protection under it so she’d not get too damp. Other than her large pack carrying her supplies, she also had a longbow, shortbow and two quivers with the appropriate arrows. Usually she hunted with the shortbow, but if she needed to hunt and use a bow that would give her better range she used the longbow. The shortbow could be used in the confines of the trees, especially if she perched in a tree, but the longbow she could use out in the open if she found deer or elk. As she walked she readied her shortbow, her eyes on the ground when she spotted a well-traveled trail. She spotted fresh droppings from a deer, it was only an hour or so old judging from only the top most layer being almost dry when she inspected it with a twig.
She might not spot the animal it belonged to, but she was ready just in case, she walked off the track paying careful attention to her surroundings. Every now and then she’d freeze in place, listening to the sounds around her. She had a rule with deer and elk, she didn’t kill anything under four years of age, she also didn’t kill females. She also wouldn’t wear leather taken from any female creature and always the craftsman kept ledgers of what and when their stock was from and where it had come from. It was a personal preference, one of the things that marked her as unique amongst those who made the things she requested.
If she had no choice she would take what was available, but she preferred to wear things tailored to her specific desires. As she carefully made her way she eventually spotted a figure moving amongst the bushes. She made a soft whistle, a simple bird call, like the sound a bird would make in greetings to another. The animal lifted its head, it was a doe, she lowered her arrow purposefully stepping on a twig, the snap of the wood sent the deer running. She decided to hunt bigger game tomorrow, first she had to set up camp. She raced through the forest at an easy lope, it was a run designed to cover distance, but not tire out the runner. She had traveled through this part of the forest many, many times; she often felt that she knew it almost as well as she knew the city she lived in. The clearing she liked had a small stream running through it, it was a popular place to find small fish even frog and toads. While such tiny game wasn’t worth using for tithe, they could in a pinch add things to her meals. After she had found the perfect spot, clearing a place for a fire and then sifting through the debris for fodder for the fire and things she could use to set snares and traps, she made camp.
Once the tent was set up, rocks gathered for around the hole, wood she had packed set in the hole, she headed along the stream and around the clearing setting up traps for game. On each she places little bells, they would chime if anything was within them. The sound would also make anything curious wary and keep them away. The unusual sound wasn’t heard often enough to make things curious, as far as she knew she was the only one who used them. It was still early afternoon, she had plenty of time to hunt, but for now she’d take a nap and see if she caught anything in her traps. She was a lot more relaxed out in the forest, away from so many eyes, the only thing that would have made it perfect would be if Ash was with her, but he had his own hunting to do. Six years its been since she had bonded with Ash and while her teachers who had taught her all the things she had lacked, they hadn’t ever tried to do more than that, teach. They hadn’t tried to do more to cultivate more than the skills she’d need for her duty, it had been her bondmate that had helped feed the hunger she had.
If not for him she could not speak, if not for him she would not be where she was now and she owed it to him to prove herself to her people. Hunting took her away from it all, let her take some time to herself alone to refresh her spirit. Just as she was going to drift to sleep, a sudden chime nearby had her sitting up instantly, quickly on her feet. Along the stream she had caught something, when she saw what was in it she grinned, a lone hare. While she’d need several more to make enough for a worthy tithe, it was a start. Rabbits were more active during the night so as the sun went down she’d have better chances. She picked up her shortbow and quiver deciding she had sat long enough, she sprinted in to the forest burning off her sudden restless energy. If she killed bigger game she could eat the rabbit for dinner, but she had to find a worthy kill. Her yellow gold eyes scanned around her as she moved as silently as she could. The sound of cawing and the rustling in a nearby tree caught her attention, as soon as she looked she saw an elder raven sitting on a branch. When she held out her hand the large bird flew over to land, his feathers were not as dark as a much younger bird and his breathing sounded a bit too hard. His heart was beating so strongly that she felt it through her glove, he was most likely in his last season and would either die by fall or sooner.
Eyed her patiently, as if regardless of what she might do he wasn’t afraid, a brave old raven. He made a chuffing sound nibbling on her fingertip speaking to her:
|Help hunt, if share?|
She ran her hand along his back gently giving him a nod, he took off flying, launching in to the air from her hand. She did her best to keep up, he tried to fly slow enough to allow her to follow. She seemed to run for miles, stopping from time to time when the bird wanted to take a rest. Eventually he led her to the edge of a clearing where she crouched down watching. The grass was so tall within the meadow that it would go to her waist if she stood in it. It was perfect for getting close, especially if she got the bird to help bring prey nearer to her. At the far edge was a young buck, six years old and magnificent, she had seen some prize kills that had the animal at older, but she would claim his life to feed others. She looked at the raven showing motions of reaching towards the deer, and then pulling he arm towards her. She repeated the gesture a couple of times before he made it clear he understood. When he flew off she backed up a pace drawing an arrow standing in direct view of when the animal would come charging towards her. The elder bird dropped from the sky pecking at the animal’s rump, at first it twisted around swinging its antlers, but the wily bird was already out of the way.
Eventually the deer got fed up and started to run, when it tried to run away from where it was supposed to go the bird sprang up in front of its face herding it. Maddened in to a frenzy the deer raced on the course it was forced to go and an arrow found a mark within its chest. It dropped to the ground with a cry, its body eventually falling still, Syn moved to it kneeling beside the fallen animal running a palm along his side in silent prayer. From underneath her quiver she pulled out a coil of rope, she’d have to drag it closer to her camp. It was a long tiring process, the sun was just an orange glow on the horizon by the time the corpse was strung up in a tree and she and the elder bird were resting near her tent. While she had a dinner of cooked rabbit stew, the raven himself enjoyed a rabbit of his own. She had taken care of the bones and fur, leaving the interesting bits for her hunting partner. Eventually he took a perch inside her tent on a rock she had brought for him waiting outside for when Ash arrived. When full dark fell she heard the sound of wings and before long some ways from the tent near the deer she was hugging her friend happy to see him.
Missed me that much eh fledgling of mine?
She grinned up at him You know I did, so guess what!
He chuckled What?
I got some help from an old raven, he showed me a prime kill, the rest after might not be as good, but I got something better than small game this time.
Ashta looked down at her filled with pride, while his own successes might not compare this time around, she had brought something down that would add to what they would turn in this night. This time around you might have beaten me to a glorius kill, but I promise I’ll have claimed something that gives me proper bragging rights!
She grinned up at him taking him to where she had the deer strung up, it wasn’t long before she was dragging it out in to the open so he could swoop and take it away. She wasn’t going to keep him very long, she knew he was tired, while he could have rested where she camped she knew he’d have chosen a better roost for the night. With a parting hug she moved away letting him go so he could get proper rest, he’d also have the company of the other eagles. When he had left she walked back to her tent with a sigh, sometimes she hated the necessity of parting from him for these trips. When she made sure the fire was nothing more than glowing embers she moved in to her small tent careful not to disturb the sleeping raven perched on his rock next to her pillow. By morning she expected him to have left, since normally this tended to happen, but even if he wasn’t Ash, the company was nice. She drifted to sleep dreaming of flying on the back of her friend in the warm rays of the afternoon sun.
11th of Summer, 512 AV
Absynia watched as Ashta winged away, rising above the trees, she waiting till even the barest black spot of his body was lost in the horizon. He was going to be fishing, whilst she was going to be hunting, there was a familiar clearing some distance away that she would meet him at come nightfall to take she had killed back to Thunder Bay. Meanwhile she would continue to hunt alone for the next week, save for camping in the clearing each night. It was unusual for someone to spend such lengths hunting, but she felt that it was necessary. It might be futile, but she tried to work harder than the rest since she had the biggest reason to prove herself. She often heard whisperings behind her back, of how many thought her rise of station a fluke, that someone like her who was born without a voice would fail for she lacked the ability to properly lead. Her being mute didn’t make her deaf or dumb, her ears worked properly, as did her heart for those things cut in to her deeply. The only person who ever had any confidence in her, the only one she could confide in and the only one she had that she trusted was her eagle Ashta.
He had confidence in her success and knew with certainty, telling her so, that she could lead others and that those who expect nothing save failure from her would be denied as he didn’t pick a failure to be his bondmate. He might not like being apart from her for so long, but he understood that for her to feel like she is proving her worth she had to hunt alone, to prove she had her own set of skills not based off her bond. She closed her golden eyes breathing in deeply the scents of the deep, lush, green forest. She made a few chirping whistles, calls that sparrows used to call to others of their kind. A pair of sparrows stopped fluttering about to take an interest in her. When she saw she had her attention she made a beckoning motion with her hand smiling, then reached in to a pouch at her belt placing some seeds in her hand and holding her palm flat. The female cocked her head to the side chirping, scooting from side to side with anxious curiosity. Because of her Gnosis that Eywaat had gifted her as a child she could understand, though not fluently talk to the young bird.
She had always loved mimicking birds, even before she was Marked, picking up since then sounds that could call, get the attention of, warn away and soothe the bird she wanted to pay attention to her. So while someone else would have heard chirping, what she head was:
|Whats that the human has! Whats that?|
She waited patiently making the same beckoning gesture to her, the small bird paying to with interest to the small pile of seeds, breadcrumbs and finely chopped berries in her hand.
|A gift? You want me to come and take it? What’s that?|
All of a sudden she couldn’t contain her curiosity and flew to Syn’s hand, moving about, fluttering her wings, eyeing her, then the food, nervous, excited and curious. Swiftly the little bird ate what was on her plam, taking great care to leave not a single beakfull left, but also careful not to harm the hand that had provided the food. With a full crop the sparrow settled down her little feet gripping one of her fingers tightly as she settled down. Gently arranging her fingers so only her index finger was extended she made soothing whispered crooning whistles.
|Tasty treats, kind human, likes you!|
She slowly used her free hand to stroke the chest feathers of the small bird gently. While knowing what a bird said certainly helped, she also had to build trust between her and the sparrow. The Gnosis allowed for them to trust her to a very small extent, usually just to get them to take an interest in her. It was how she held herself, her expression and whether or not she was relaxed that really allowed for her to spark enough interest to get the winged individual to actually come closer to her. Most birds didn’t talk in the way humans did, each sound registered in her mind as a single word, but in simple concepts. Small birds like sparrows spoke in even simpler terms, the sparrow for instance was very excitable, easily frightened and one wrong move from her could break the fragile camaraderie between them forever. It would also impact the rest of the flock she flew with as well for they would treat her like something to fear. That of course would make things difficult for her because if she scared one type of birdlife, she’d impact the rest for the sparrows were a talkative lot.
If she gained this one birds trust, the other birdlife through communicating, will learn she was a friend that gave treats and they would come to seek her out. She especially liked winning the trust of the predatory birds for they were the most inclined to help her hunt, especially if she shared a portion of her kill that she ate as a meal. Her system for hunting went thusly; if she caught six rabbits she saved tow for herself, sending the rest with Ashta later when he came. If she brought down a deer she of course would then hunt for smaller game for herself. She gave the largest portion of her kills to Ash to help feed others, if she didn’t find enough to feed herself and send as her tithe, she ate some of her supplies instead sending what she had caught ahead. Her first priority was to her people, not herself, in the long run it was better this way and she always came prepared. Her duty was first to her people and she would not hold back, she was could not bring herself to be selfish. The sparrow took flight after she had had enough, her partner flying with her, their excited chirping bringing with it a new set of sounds from the others.
All the birds would be keeping an eye on her at this point, she reached in to her pouch again placing more of the feed on a flat stone then walked away. After she had walked about fifteen steps four other sparrows eagerly arrived at the rock to eat what she had left behind. She grinned not looking back as she heard their conversation, the deeper forest was what she headed in to, this was when she did her best to become apart of it as a predator herself, for she had a job to do as well as enjoy whatever she may see. She was dressed in greens and browns, the best colors to aid in blending in, though greens were the primary colors. The cloak she wore was a blend of different greens and earthy tones, weaved together for protection, aid in camouflage and to provide extra warmth. She wore soft soled leather boots to best leave hardly any tracks, but to also aid her in climbing so that she didn’t damage tree bark should she take to the trees. Lamb skin leather pants, leather vest and gloves gave her protection, but the palms of her gloves were soft supple leather, whereas the leather along the back of her gloves, along the wris and to the middle of her forearm gave her protection from the talons of any predatory birds that sought a perch for a closer look.
There was tougher leather on the shoulders of her vest for the same reasons. She wore a green tunic under her vest and light cotton pants beneath the leather. Her cloak had a hood and if it rained she could have protection under it so she’d not get too damp. Other than her large pack carrying her supplies, she also had a longbow, shortbow and two quivers with the appropriate arrows. Usually she hunted with the shortbow, but if she needed to hunt and use a bow that would give her better range she used the longbow. The shortbow could be used in the confines of the trees, especially if she perched in a tree, but the longbow she could use out in the open if she found deer or elk. As she walked she readied her shortbow, her eyes on the ground when she spotted a well-traveled trail. She spotted fresh droppings from a deer, it was only an hour or so old judging from only the top most layer being almost dry when she inspected it with a twig.
She might not spot the animal it belonged to, but she was ready just in case, she walked off the track paying careful attention to her surroundings. Every now and then she’d freeze in place, listening to the sounds around her. She had a rule with deer and elk, she didn’t kill anything under four years of age, she also didn’t kill females. She also wouldn’t wear leather taken from any female creature and always the craftsman kept ledgers of what and when their stock was from and where it had come from. It was a personal preference, one of the things that marked her as unique amongst those who made the things she requested.
If she had no choice she would take what was available, but she preferred to wear things tailored to her specific desires. As she carefully made her way she eventually spotted a figure moving amongst the bushes. She made a soft whistle, a simple bird call, like the sound a bird would make in greetings to another. The animal lifted its head, it was a doe, she lowered her arrow purposefully stepping on a twig, the snap of the wood sent the deer running. She decided to hunt bigger game tomorrow, first she had to set up camp. She raced through the forest at an easy lope, it was a run designed to cover distance, but not tire out the runner. She had traveled through this part of the forest many, many times; she often felt that she knew it almost as well as she knew the city she lived in. The clearing she liked had a small stream running through it, it was a popular place to find small fish even frog and toads. While such tiny game wasn’t worth using for tithe, they could in a pinch add things to her meals. After she had found the perfect spot, clearing a place for a fire and then sifting through the debris for fodder for the fire and things she could use to set snares and traps, she made camp.
Once the tent was set up, rocks gathered for around the hole, wood she had packed set in the hole, she headed along the stream and around the clearing setting up traps for game. On each she places little bells, they would chime if anything was within them. The sound would also make anything curious wary and keep them away. The unusual sound wasn’t heard often enough to make things curious, as far as she knew she was the only one who used them. It was still early afternoon, she had plenty of time to hunt, but for now she’d take a nap and see if she caught anything in her traps. She was a lot more relaxed out in the forest, away from so many eyes, the only thing that would have made it perfect would be if Ash was with her, but he had his own hunting to do. Six years its been since she had bonded with Ash and while her teachers who had taught her all the things she had lacked, they hadn’t ever tried to do more than that, teach. They hadn’t tried to do more to cultivate more than the skills she’d need for her duty, it had been her bondmate that had helped feed the hunger she had.
If not for him she could not speak, if not for him she would not be where she was now and she owed it to him to prove herself to her people. Hunting took her away from it all, let her take some time to herself alone to refresh her spirit. Just as she was going to drift to sleep, a sudden chime nearby had her sitting up instantly, quickly on her feet. Along the stream she had caught something, when she saw what was in it she grinned, a lone hare. While she’d need several more to make enough for a worthy tithe, it was a start. Rabbits were more active during the night so as the sun went down she’d have better chances. She picked up her shortbow and quiver deciding she had sat long enough, she sprinted in to the forest burning off her sudden restless energy. If she killed bigger game she could eat the rabbit for dinner, but she had to find a worthy kill. Her yellow gold eyes scanned around her as she moved as silently as she could. The sound of cawing and the rustling in a nearby tree caught her attention, as soon as she looked she saw an elder raven sitting on a branch. When she held out her hand the large bird flew over to land, his feathers were not as dark as a much younger bird and his breathing sounded a bit too hard. His heart was beating so strongly that she felt it through her glove, he was most likely in his last season and would either die by fall or sooner.
Eyed her patiently, as if regardless of what she might do he wasn’t afraid, a brave old raven. He made a chuffing sound nibbling on her fingertip speaking to her:
|Help hunt, if share?|
She ran her hand along his back gently giving him a nod, he took off flying, launching in to the air from her hand. She did her best to keep up, he tried to fly slow enough to allow her to follow. She seemed to run for miles, stopping from time to time when the bird wanted to take a rest. Eventually he led her to the edge of a clearing where she crouched down watching. The grass was so tall within the meadow that it would go to her waist if she stood in it. It was perfect for getting close, especially if she got the bird to help bring prey nearer to her. At the far edge was a young buck, six years old and magnificent, she had seen some prize kills that had the animal at older, but she would claim his life to feed others. She looked at the raven showing motions of reaching towards the deer, and then pulling he arm towards her. She repeated the gesture a couple of times before he made it clear he understood. When he flew off she backed up a pace drawing an arrow standing in direct view of when the animal would come charging towards her. The elder bird dropped from the sky pecking at the animal’s rump, at first it twisted around swinging its antlers, but the wily bird was already out of the way.
Eventually the deer got fed up and started to run, when it tried to run away from where it was supposed to go the bird sprang up in front of its face herding it. Maddened in to a frenzy the deer raced on the course it was forced to go and an arrow found a mark within its chest. It dropped to the ground with a cry, its body eventually falling still, Syn moved to it kneeling beside the fallen animal running a palm along his side in silent prayer. From underneath her quiver she pulled out a coil of rope, she’d have to drag it closer to her camp. It was a long tiring process, the sun was just an orange glow on the horizon by the time the corpse was strung up in a tree and she and the elder bird were resting near her tent. While she had a dinner of cooked rabbit stew, the raven himself enjoyed a rabbit of his own. She had taken care of the bones and fur, leaving the interesting bits for her hunting partner. Eventually he took a perch inside her tent on a rock she had brought for him waiting outside for when Ash arrived. When full dark fell she heard the sound of wings and before long some ways from the tent near the deer she was hugging her friend happy to see him.
Missed me that much eh fledgling of mine?
She grinned up at him You know I did, so guess what!
He chuckled What?
I got some help from an old raven, he showed me a prime kill, the rest after might not be as good, but I got something better than small game this time.
Ashta looked down at her filled with pride, while his own successes might not compare this time around, she had brought something down that would add to what they would turn in this night. This time around you might have beaten me to a glorius kill, but I promise I’ll have claimed something that gives me proper bragging rights!
She grinned up at him taking him to where she had the deer strung up, it wasn’t long before she was dragging it out in to the open so he could swoop and take it away. She wasn’t going to keep him very long, she knew he was tired, while he could have rested where she camped she knew he’d have chosen a better roost for the night. With a parting hug she moved away letting him go so he could get proper rest, he’d also have the company of the other eagles. When he had left she walked back to her tent with a sigh, sometimes she hated the necessity of parting from him for these trips. When she made sure the fire was nothing more than glowing embers she moved in to her small tent careful not to disturb the sleeping raven perched on his rock next to her pillow. By morning she expected him to have left, since normally this tended to happen, but even if he wasn’t Ash, the company was nice. She drifted to sleep dreaming of flying on the back of her friend in the warm rays of the afternoon sun.
