Completed An ethereal jaunt through the wastes. [Jasha & Silarial]

[Miria]

Winter 35, 512 "You can't call yourself a real archer until you've stalked your first prey kid." Already at the archery ranges Miria tried to concentrate as an older Vantha sized up a younger man. Aiming at the twenty yard target she bit her lip slightly as she slowly lined up the shot. The shot still took a bit amount of focus just perhaps a bit more time and she would be able to-THUD* The grip on the feathered shaft was released as the older man let out a bellowing guffaw without warning. Sighing softly to herself as she raised her eyebrows Miria looked back at the range to see where her shot landed. Seeing her arrow hit the outer blue of the targets, the archer shook her head before reaching for another shaft from her quiver. That wasn't anything to be proud of. The man's words were starting to reach her now as she aimed at the 10 yard target, the short bow's shape letting her get to a full draw quickly. "A man's worth is based on the length of his beard and girth of his belt. An hunter's is solely on one thing. The biggest, baddest beastie they wrestled with." Miria let her arrow loose as the image of a burly, bearded man, wrestling with various woodland creatures appeared. Poor bunny. Pushing the though aside setting another arrow before releasing. The ten yard target was the easiest but it still took time for her to set the bow in a position that felt just right. Soon the target was laquered with arrow shafts as she almost finished the arrows in her quiver. Three bullseyes the majority of themin the bright red circle outlying the bullseye four nearing the bright blue and two compeletely off the mark in the white zones. "Decent girly but you still haven't got your bearings yet." The gruff voice was addressing her she realized. Turning to take a good look at the older man Miria was surprised at what she saw. A powerful longbow hung off his shoulders with muscles toned from hours of drawing 60 kilograms of power. The owner of the longbow had been watching Miria closely as she was practicing. "Tooof wasted movement between shots. I can tell you haven't used those on a live target before." "What of it?" A curious amber shade filled her as she listen to his advice. "Trust me lassy. Go out there and hunt out in the reaches where the real targets are. You'll improve for sure." A exasperated look crept on Miria's face at the advice. Was he serious? I just heard him try that with the younger man not too long ago. Now he was doing the same to me. Though she did not want to admit it, the slight challenge piqued her interest.

[Silarial]

She knew she it. She shouldn’t have told her mom that she intends to leave Avanthal to see the rest of the world. “No. You’re not going anywhere out of Avanthal young lady. You’re a magnet for trouble. Heaven forbid what will befall you when I let you out my sight!” Silarial tried to keep her exasperation in check as her mother tried to dissuade her from her dream. She told herself she’s not leaving without her mom’s blessing. And now this. “Come to think of it, you’ve just turned 18 this season.” Oh no… This can’t be good. “I was thinking, instead of letting weird ideas run your head, maybe you should start thinking about marriage. You don’t want to become an icemaiden like me, do you?” No no no no. Not good at all. “Mom! I thought we talked about this before. I can’t marry until I achieved most of my dreams! Majority of that requires I set out into the world.” “Listen to yourself talk. You can’t even cook your own meals.” She wanted to say “Psh. Neither can you mom. That's why we always eat out,” but she refrained from doing so out of respect. “What makes you think you can do well out in the wilds fraught with danger?” “Mom, I can learn to cook if you’re worried about it that much. Besides, I know the basics of hunting or two. I can hunt if ever I run out of food.” Yes she knows some of the basics of hunting, but she’s never actually hunted before. She’s not telling her mother that, though. Areeyah threw her a skeptical look and laughed teasingly. “You. Hunt for food? Seriously sweetheart.” Silarial puffed her cheeks out in frustration. “I can most certainly do that! I’d hunt a rabbit or two for you if you want proof.” “No proof. You’re going to stay in your room until you realize how mad these ideas of yours are.” Her mother looked at her expectantly, waiting for her answer. Silarial let out a small ‘okay’ and Areeyah smiled. “I’m off to work now. You behave yourself.” Silarial smiled widely at her mother until the woman finally closed the door. Silarial waited for almost five chimes before rushing to her room. She’s definitely going to show her mom she can hunt for food and survive in the wild. She grabbed her whip and fastened it to the side of her waist, and she did the same to her short sword. She then proceeded to wrap her white fur cloak around her shoulders. Silarial’s eyes flushed crimson in excitement. She’s going out and no one’s gonna stop her.

[Jasha]

Yawning Jasha held his spear in both hands and stretched his arms above his head. Grimacing as his joint popped and creaked, he relaxed his arms, resting the polished wood across his shoulders. Vassi followed behind him, tongue out and tail wagging happily, as eager as his master for the trip ahead. Jasha was preparing to leave for another hunt and had stopped by the training fields to pick up some supplies and to get his short spear sharpened. His sisters had been bugging him recently to come and visit them, and if he was honest with him self he would admit that the sole reason that he didn't was because he missed having them around him. At the time living with three teenage girls had seemed like a curse, especially when they were particularly cranky, but now that they had all left and started family's of their own Jasha had begun to feel slightly lonely without their continues complaints and practical jokes. Frowning slightly he scratched at Vassi's ears as he came to a stop, pausing to watch the archers aiming at the targets. One in particular caught his eye, a young woman and an older man. The woman had been practicing and the man had been speaking to her. That guy again!? Jasha thought with surprise, recognizing the elder. A few weeks earlier Jasha had been approached by him and narrowly escaped being goaded into hunting the wastes. I guess i didn't really escape since i decided to give it a try anyway.

[Miria]

“Your kidding right?” Miria asked incredulously. “Not at all. Facing a live target is an experience all archers outta be familiar with. Why do you spend time here in the ranges otherwise?” The other man replied. The Vantha's eyes turned a slight green in hesitation as she considered the challenge set in front of her. It would be good to really get out of Avanthal and all she's been aiming at were mere critters and targets in the ranges. “It would be different to have something bigger to hit” Miria commented, slowly packing her equipment into her pack. Merely nodding in response the older man took that as her confirmation, walking past her. The archer quietly watched him leave before starting off in the opposite direction. Only a few steps forward and Miria noticed an unfamiliar face in the archery range. He wielded a spear, an odd weapon to be holding here. She took a moment to study the man's face before continuing on to the gates. If he wasn't an archer the two wouldn't probably have much to talk about anyway. Thankfully the gates were not too far as she ran a quick check through her bag for anything that might help her. A nagging thought started to form reminding her of the limited insight of hunting and tracking throughout the wilderness. It should be easy enough, the archer reassured herself as she played with her braid. Staring into the expanses meekly with her bow slung on her shoulder Miria slowly took a step out of Avanthal.

[Silarial]

Maybe she shouldn’t have been too brash about suddenly going out to hunt. Sure, she had ventured out every now and then to search for inspirations for her dances. But that was that. Silarial had never actually caught even the smallest of critters out here in the northern reaches. Just the idea of killing one innocent creature made shivers run down her spine. Silarial strode swiftly towards the Icewall gates, her eyes swirling in a multitude of colors. Should she go or shouldn’t she? Maybe she should just go back to her Arvinta and pretend like nothing happened. After all, her mom had told her not to go out hunting in the wild. She should probably just listen to her and be good at home. No. That’s not good at all. If she listened to her mom with this, it would be like accepting what she wanted, and what she wants is for her to stay in Avanthal. Silarial shook her head in defiance. She absolutely wouldn’t let her dream pass by just because her mom was worried for her safety. She would prove that she could take care of herself, no matter what it takes for her to do it. She walked past the gate, putting on a brave front. She continued walking, albeit hesitantly, until her eyes fell upon a girl about her age. A bow was slung on the girl’s shoulder shoulder. Silarial wondered if this person was a Frostfawn going on a hunt. She could probably ask for help from this person if that was the case. Maybe she could even learn a thing or two from her as well. Silarial slowly walked closer to the girl, her eyes melting into a dark blue. She wrapped her cloak closer to her body before she spoke. “Umm… excuse me! Are you out here to hunt? If you are, could you please let me come with you? Please?” She tried to smile, willing the girl to let her tag along.

[Miria]

And before she took another step she was ambushed! Miria watched back as a pair of eyes made their way closer to her. Her face almost smiling in disbelief in reaction to Silarial's presence. It took Miria a moment to process what the stranger was saying to her as her hand went instinctively from her braid to her belt. “Yes? No? Maybe?” Miria stammered slightly confused. Shaking her head slightly she closed her eyes in concentration before talking once more. “I don't think I will be of use to you is what I meant.” Miria explained as she relaxed slightly. “I can barely take care of myself out there.” This expedition did not seem like a good idea at all to the archer. However the man in the range seemed so adamant about experiencing real archery herself. Perhaps it would be best if she had someone along with her for the trip. This girl seemed willing enough and it didn't look like dangerous at all. Finally her desires beat logic as she tried to make nice with the newcomer. “My name is Miria. Coolwater. I'm not too keen on hunting but I went on a whim.” Miri explained shrugging slightly. “Do you have any idea where to go in with all this?” She motioned at the grand expanse around them. The first few miles outside of Avanthal was completely devoid of life, what could they possibly stalk in this area?

[Silarial]

Silarial tilted her head in confusion as the woman stammered, watching her reaction carefully. She chewed on her lower lips distractedly as she anticipated immediate rejection. Still, the Snowsong kept hopeful that the woman would consider bringing her along. “I promise I won’t be a dead weight to you! So… please?” She clasped her hands together in front of her as she pleaded. Two heads are definitely better than one. She fought the urge to jump for joy when the woman acquiesced to her request. Instead, she flashed the woman named Miria a bright smile. “Nice to meet you Miria! My name’s Silarial. A Snowsong.” The last part of her sentence was uttered almost inaudibly. It’s not that Silarial was ashamed of her Hold. It’s just not a very reassuring fact that someone who only knew how to entertain would brave the wastes with another woman who admitted that she was not an experienced hunter. “I’m not really sure where to start looking, but I know some animals Frostfawn usually brings back to the city. As far as I know, the Woollies are the most common find here in the wastes. There are some occasional snow hares too but I heard they’re really difficult to catch. And then the waste walruses… Actually, no, forget the walruses. Fellow Snowsongs said they’re really dangerous to hunt, even for larger groups.” Silarial was pleased that her knowledge about the animals surrounding the city would finally become of use. It was a good thing she liked frequenting the Frostfawn Hold.

[Miria]

Silarial's smile was dazzling Miria noted as she it returned with a shy smile. Miria was not sure what to make of Silarial. Miria waited politely for her to repeat what hold she was from. Either way Coolwater, Skyglow, Whitevine it was nice to have someone with her for her first time hunting in the wastes. “Well if that's the case we shall make an adventure out of it. Hopefully not too exciting.” Miria nodded, acknowledging Silarial's expertise. “I've always wanted to see a herd of woolies for myself.” Wandering aimlessly through the wastes Miria soon didn't recognized the area she was in. The land always being molded anew from falling snow nearly made it impossible to navigate for a novice like herself. At the least Miria knew she would probably be able to see Avanthal from twenty miles as long as they found someplace high. Of course she would rather avoid that. Almost eight miles out and finally some wildlife started to show. Though it might have been earlier. Miria couldn't be too sure with these types of things. She tried her hand at shooting hares that they came across but like Silirial said they were hard to catch. Miria drew on the bowstrings as she slowly moved into place keeping her quarry in her sights. Almost immediately the hares somehow noticed her perking their ears up before sniffing the air. Rushed the archer would release the arrow and the sound seemed to jerk the hares into action darting a second before the arrow landed next to them. This would happen three more times before Miria started to get frustrated with the process. Each time they jolted into action and each time it would be a near miss as they hopped away. It seemed impossible for the archer to track the hares as they erratically moved side to side out of sight after the first shot. Bringing her bow back Miria tried another shot at her latest target just to lose an arrow in a puff of snow. Pursing her lips slightly Miria's face grew warm as she resisted the urge to glance back at Silarial. Miria wasn't keeping track what her partner was doing at times. Perhaps she missed something she can point out? “What made you want to go out here anyway? Outside the walls is a dangerous place for us ladies.” Miria said as she tried to see farther out. Were they near those woolies yet?

[Silarial]

Okay so the real problem was this: Silarial was out here in the wastes trying to hunt the ever elusive snow hares barehanded. The process proved to be very grueling. She would run towards a herd of snow hares flocking together, but any attempt to close the distance between her and the furry animals ended in vain. Silarial tried jumping on them when she felt she could catch them by doing so, but she would only end up faceplanting on the snow. She chased and ran and tumbled on the snow in pursuit of the horribly cute yet terribly evil critters. They seem to know that Silarial would never be able to catch up even though she was already running as fast as she could. The snow hares would ran a good distance away from her then look back, perking their ears up and staring at her, as if to tease her for being such a slowpoke. Silarial was having fun the first few chimes she was playing tag with the hares. After a while, she was gritting her teeth hard in frustration, her neck and face flushed with all the exhausting exercise. She let herself fall on her behind, spent from all the running she did. The abominable little critters seemed to tire of their own game too. They were leaving in herds, many scampering away and a considerable number burrowing deep under the snowy ground. Silarial shook her head and laughed weakly, still panting hard from darting all over the place. She glanced at Miria, noting that the archer was having a hard time with her targets as well. She flicked her eyes around the white terrain, wondering where they could find easier games to hunt. As she was looking around, she noticed one snow hare standing still next to clusters of small rocks. Silarial stood up carefully and walked towards the lone hare with small, cautious steps. The animal’s ears twitched, but it did not move. Silarial itched to lunge at the animal but fought the urge to do so, trying to think about why the creature showed such a behavior. Even though she was larger than the animal, Silarial felt she shouldn’t come closer. The snow hare let out low grunting sounds, thumping its hind feet on the ground threateningly. Silarial slowly backed off, still staring at the hare and the hare back at her. She slowly made her way back to Miria, who asked her the reason behind going outside the city. “It’s actually quite personal. I want to learn how to hunt for food. Anyway Miria, there’s this snow hare over there that didn’t ran away like the others. I, umm, not really sure I wanted to get closer to it. The snow hare seems to be guarding something and it, well, looks quite ready to scratch me to death. Do you want to check it out or should we search for woollies instead?” Silarial motioned at the place where she encountered the intimidating critter.

[Miria]

It was nice to have Silarial's company Miria soon realized. Though the archer was many years older she still found her companion's actions charming still. Even better she said that there was a hare that didn't ran away the moment they saw them. “That's good. I remembered when I had to fend for myself the first time. It does not get easier mind you.” Miria stopped before putting a damper on the mood. “A stationary target? Sounds too good to be true. I can handle that.” Miria announced as she looked at where Silarial motioned earlier. Giving a confident scoff Miria drew a bead on the lone hare. Again it gave off it's guttural response and rapt it's leg threateningly. Was it seriously trying to intimidate the pair? Confused Miria tried to get a better look at what the lone hare was guarding. Nothing was behind him, perhaps it was what he was sitting on that was making it stay still. Miria hesitated looking back at the hare who was now giving her a baleful stare. “Unbelievable” The archer slung her bow over her shoulder, looking morose. Nothing that adorable should threaten or harm anyone. She flexed her fingers a few times before inching her way towards it. “I just remembered Silarial. We should first wrestle whatever we hunt first. Hunter's code, I think” Miria stated, though she was not sure about the last part. She waited for her companion to make her decision before making a half heartedly lunge at the critter.