Completed Unexpected Hunting

[Daishira]

As Daishira and Kai closed in on the herd, from opposite sides, they started to scatter in panic, losing much of the pack mentality they rely on for protection. While most of the herd stuck together, some strayed away and Daishira picked one to target. The increasing volume of the thundering hoofs, mostly from the pack, created a deathly atmosphere mimicking war. Daishira chased one slow looking one. The loud rhythm filled his head. Boom bada boom bada boom Closer... Closer... BOOM BADA BOOM BADA BOOM Closer... Within claw reach... And... JUMP!

Daishira pounced on the animal and stuck his claw in its backside. He lost his footing after the jump though. Slowing down to regain his footing, the target created some distance but it was ok, Daishira told himself, it's now lame and surely slower now. He picked up the pace again. He saw the slash mark he had made on the target. It moaned in agony. Daishira used this to fuel his sprint. Closer again... and closer... drums in his head beating faster and faster... until... CHOMP! His teeth connected in the same place as the previous wound. Both animals rolled to a stop and Daishira leaped on the game once again to finish the job.

[Kai]

Kai and Papus circled the heard from the opposite side. A steady thundering gallop. She made sure not to strain her mount greatly, she had to carry Kai and the meat back home after all. The animal's scurried out of the way. The sound of the hooves pounding the dirt frightened them.

Pulling an arrow out of the quiver, Kai attached it to the bow string, just like her brothers had taught her. She pulled the string so far back that her arms nearly gave out under the tension. And for a moment, just for a moment she looked like painting; a perfect moon lit depiction of a warrior princess, with a bow at hand and wind in her hair. Papus moved with her as if they were one. A centaur with two minds. Aim... Steady... and shoot!!

The arrow missed, falling just short of an animal she had singled out for her victim. A smaller individual, who surprisingly was very fast.

Papus had increased speed. Seemed like she would not stand for a failed hunt. She darted though the Sea of Grass, Kai lifting and falling to the rhythmic drum of her hooves. Another arrow aiming straight into the spine of the animal.

The oldiosapux fell to the floor with a loud whine. The deathly screams tearing though the autumn air. Jumping off the mare in mid trot, Kai run over to it and lodged a carving knife in the animal's neck. Silence fell upon them as the wind took the place of the heard.

[Daishira]

As soon as Daishira had killed off his target, he heard a second cry so loud it almost shook the grass in the field. He turned and saw Kai dismount off her house via jump and the half second that she was airbourne looked picturesque. She fell with grace and finished the kill off like a professional. And she said she wasn't good at this, Daishira thought with a smirk.

He sat at his kill, like a good dog, and wagged his tail, waiting for Kai to come and collect the meat off his kill. Daishira makes a great obedient wolf. Kai looked over after she was confident her kill had been finished and went over to the posed wolf.

Whilst she was doing her stuff, Daishira's ears pricked. He heard something coming from the distance. Immediately changing body position to allow maximum information to reach his sense organs, he felt vibrations in the earth that had a rhythmic beat to it. Slightly different to the olidosapux, Daishira thought, but he couldn't be sure. He definitely heard something faint though... very faint...

Just then, an arrow skimmed past his coat, the tip touching the hairs, but not the skin, luckily. A small group of men armed with bows emerged, ripping through the tree line some two hundred meters away from Daishira and Kai's position. Daishira barked in reflexive response.

[Kai]

"What's this? Why are you shooting at us." demanded Kai without a tremble of fear in her voice. She now stood tall with the kind of look on her face, which seemed to age her by at least ten years. She gripped the knife firmly, the bow was attached to Papus' yvas, so the knife was the only weapon she had. She knew that she'd stand no chance against a group of armed men, so communication was the only true weapon she had.

[Daishira]

A flash of recognition subtly came across Daishira's wolf face as he knew that these guys were after him. 'Should've known they wouldn't have given up... Daishira quickly calculated all possibilties around this situation. The bandits will recognise him straight away as he was in the form of a wolf, so there was no way of lying out of this. Kai said she was bad at shooting her bow, so combat-wise, they were outmatched... Unless...

There were only four of them. If Daishira and Kai could distract them, or bring them close enough, so that he had enough time to eliminate them quickly without them retaliating effectively. Kai's negotiating skills were paramount now, as she had to bring them all closer. But how could Daishira tell her that? She didn't speak Wolf. He would have to rely on her completely as they let the small group approach.

As they came closer, Daishira's head lowered ever so slightly, so his eyes were looking just below his brow and put on an aggressive look, hoping that its fierceness would give him a slight edge in this conflict.

[Kai]

As no answer came, she wondered whether the men spoke common. Perhaps repeating the question in Vani or Pavi would help her communicate? But then again, what use was communication with men who were clearly not Drykas and clearly not friendly. Her slender arms grabbed at the reins of her mount, as she pulled herself on top. Flashing a look of desperation at Daishira, she backed up a little in readiness to flee at any point. She left the Yvas on the ground. No hunt was worth losing her life and that of her beloved horse. "Daishira, do you think we can escape them?" she asked whilst the group was still far enough that their arrows surely would not reach them, should they make a swift escape. Silence fell upon the Sea of Grass.

[Daishira]

Daishira nodded his head frantically, and retreated. Kai soon followed. So did the bandits. Once again, Daishira was at full speed. Steaming ahead. His paws gliding across the grass. The bandits were shouting in an unintelligible language and several arrows could be heard from behind them. One landed long of Daishira's head and the end of it clipped against his underside. The arrow put him off balance as he tripped, stumbled, rolling and badly grazing his leg. Dust curled up from the ground. Get up, get up!

As the tangled wolf tried to move, his right hind leg was pierced by an arrow. Letting out a howl, Daishira fell once again, creating a second mini dust storm around him. The bandits could be heard cheering the shot.

[Kai]

Kai's head spun as she pulled on the rains so sharply that Papus nearly toppled over. Suddenly hunting has turned into a nightmare. A living nightmare from which she would not awaken. And then there was the question, whether to aid his friend? Though she really didn't know how to. Or to flee and save her life and that of her precious strider?

Daishira was not Drykas. There were to ties binding her to him. He was not as precious as her strider and she did not know him for long enough to deem him her best friend. But he was a friend none the less, no matter how little she knew him. And he was a living being. And if she was to just leave him, he would return to her in her dreams to haunt her. What an impossible choice to make...

[Daishira]

Daishira managed to get up on a very shaky positioning of legs. His speed was significantly reduced. His only hope was Kai, the only other person with him on the hunt. He craned his head and looked towards her. She was some distance away, but if only he could hop to her in time. The bandits' shouts were getting closer. He had to move! Louder shouts. Daishira gathered all his strength and hopped to Kai. Each step hindering his speed further and increasing pain. Shouting again, louder this time. Agony built up in his leg. Kai was so close... her horse's silhouette getting more and more blurry as pain begged Daishira to faint. Just a few more meters. The shouting of bandits were creeping up on him but they soon faded to sounds similar to thundering. He gritted his teeth for the final few steps so hard they could shatter like a pane of glass striking concrete.

[Kai]

Daishira felt the soft muzzle of the horse, pressing against his own. Nudging him to consciousness. The arrow was not removed from his leg and it was nearly wrapped up in bandage. And the bandits were gone. In fact he was no longer in the Sea of Grass, but submerged in the safety of Kai's tent. He lay on blankets with some food in a ceramic bowl next to him.

There were two cats. A smaller one who was cowering in the very corner of the tent and a larger one who periodically hissed at Daishira, protecting its sibling from the big bad wolfie.

The flap of the tent opened and though came Kai, her face a little distressed and bearing a few scratches, but otherwise she was ok. Her long dark hair was pinned into a messy bun, so to refrain from obstructing her vision. In silence she kneeled beside Daishira and stroked his fur, putting on a delicate smile.