Timestamp: Fall 69
It was the coldest day yet.
So why had she chose to come hunting today? Mohya had dropped her a few bell’s walk from the Bay, the smell of the salt from Water’s Reach and the subsequent Bay strong, and left her with the promise to pick her up in a couple of days while she went fishing over the water. The fall migration of various baleen whales had come around again and the eagles were out en masse to catch all that they could before the deep-divers abandoned these grounds for the southern coasts to the west.
Vira had dressed warmly since that first major storm earlier in the season and now wore a brand new Katinu with soft mink fur on the inside and slick, water-proof deer leather on the outside. A pair of fingerless gloves covered both hands and her bow was in her hand, an arrow notched and ready. Tulaj was soaring overhead, riding the cold winds and keeping his eyes peeled for his Inartan caretaker below. The woman had put her hair into its standard braid this time, but left her feather at home, not wanting to risk the bitter winds that were ceaseless from the Bay. Her bryda was form-fitting leather this time and the new set of clothing she’d received when rising into Endal included a new pair of knee-length boots, these heelless shoes clinging to her long legs like a leech to a bleeding cow. Her typical city-side vinati had been swapped for a longer-sleeved garment that hugged the neck and covered her middle entirely. All pieces of material were colored to blend into the environment, allowing a hunter the vantage of camouflage. Last of all, the young woman had her quiver settled between her shoulders and some rope around her waist for any small game she would catch as well as her hunting dagger which had likewise been purchased earlier in the season (namely after the embarrassment on the 18th of having forgotten hers).
Vira’s bowmanship had improved a good bit since Kovac had re-discovered her, and now that she had found her niche when it came to shooting, the teen had practiced nearly every day of the season, even when out on hunts. She took a handful of practice arrows from the Ranges for these occasions while using her natural arrows for the actual hunts, and slowly, the teen had begun to improve. She strived for perfection, something Kovac had recognized from the start, and when it wasn’t perfect, she pushed until her body gave out. Her fastidious nature refused to let her give in in these situations. It must be perfect. She was still far from an excellent shot and her ability to successfully hit moving targets remained to be seen, but she was familiar enough with the shortbow the Avora had gifted her last season now that her prints had been permanently engraved into the bow and the string had been replaced twice that season, though once had been from the storm on the 18th and the other from over-drawing.
And so, her targets today consisted of small game entirely: Rabbits, vole, weasels; anything that could be secured to her waist or stored in a cache until she was ready to drop her kills off at the Bay. Currently, she had caught the trail of some wild pig, the prints clearly marked in the undergrowth of moss and fern and mud. Occasionally, Vira would even bend to examine the tracks, trying to make sure they weren’t veering off course. What appealed to the young woman as she stalked the pig were the tiny prints surrounding the larger ones: this pig was a sow and had birthed a cluster of piglets at some point during the summer. It was these which Vira wanted to catch up to and kill.
Overhead, Tulaj screeched down at her and veered from directly over her into another direction. The teen looked up at him, monocular eye following his track and peering into the wood as he soared above the trees. They grew thick and shaded at this point and she had to squint to even see beneath the evergreens heavy branches. With a frown, the young woman stepped towards the shadowed grove and tightened her grip on her bow. Bear, wolves, big cat- there could be anything lurking in there! And what if a boar was with the sow? That would be double trouble; it would take more than one shot to bring an angry boar down, and that was for an experienced archer who had both of their eyes to use, not this one-eyed young Endal! What was worse was that she thought she heard something sound off down there…It wasn’t a pig, though. But what? It sounded vaguely bird-like, truth be told.
She frowned, staring into the shade with pursed lips and raging thoughts. If it was a bear, it probably already knew she was here; the wind wasn’t in her favor (or anyone’s, honestly) so it would be unwise to enter unawares. But her quarry was down there and she needed the haul after this bane-filled season. Lowering the bow to her hip, she tapped a fit in indecision and peered back up at the albino soaring above. Just as she did, the bird-like screech sounded again. That wasn’t just bird like. It WAS a bird. A bird Vira recognized from the general aeries in Wind Reach where Master Meera worked.
Meera had introduced her to her first golden eagle many years ago when Vira was still just a Yasi in training. Her affinity for birds had been apparent back then and Meera had taken an interest in the youth along with one other at the time, taking those two under her wing to teach them in their free time more about birds. She remembered the lesson of a Golden Eagle’s spirit and strength. They were not birds meant for the faint of heart. They were not for the weak-willed or insecure. A falconer who wielded a Golden in the field was profound and though there were larger birds out there that could be trained, many stopped at the Golden. They were beautiful and intelligent and more than capable of bringing down good sized game.
The screech that came from somewhere in those shadows was the same aerial cry of that nearly untamable beauty and Vira was captivated. Mohya had closed herself to the girl so she could focus on her hunting and let the young Endal do the same as she perused the trails so the Wind Eagle would not be able to sense the thoughts of her rider now. With a final glance to Tulaj, Vira moved into the wood, steeling herself for what might come…
It was the coldest day yet.
So why had she chose to come hunting today? Mohya had dropped her a few bell’s walk from the Bay, the smell of the salt from Water’s Reach and the subsequent Bay strong, and left her with the promise to pick her up in a couple of days while she went fishing over the water. The fall migration of various baleen whales had come around again and the eagles were out en masse to catch all that they could before the deep-divers abandoned these grounds for the southern coasts to the west.
Vira had dressed warmly since that first major storm earlier in the season and now wore a brand new Katinu with soft mink fur on the inside and slick, water-proof deer leather on the outside. A pair of fingerless gloves covered both hands and her bow was in her hand, an arrow notched and ready. Tulaj was soaring overhead, riding the cold winds and keeping his eyes peeled for his Inartan caretaker below. The woman had put her hair into its standard braid this time, but left her feather at home, not wanting to risk the bitter winds that were ceaseless from the Bay. Her bryda was form-fitting leather this time and the new set of clothing she’d received when rising into Endal included a new pair of knee-length boots, these heelless shoes clinging to her long legs like a leech to a bleeding cow. Her typical city-side vinati had been swapped for a longer-sleeved garment that hugged the neck and covered her middle entirely. All pieces of material were colored to blend into the environment, allowing a hunter the vantage of camouflage. Last of all, the young woman had her quiver settled between her shoulders and some rope around her waist for any small game she would catch as well as her hunting dagger which had likewise been purchased earlier in the season (namely after the embarrassment on the 18th of having forgotten hers).
Vira’s bowmanship had improved a good bit since Kovac had re-discovered her, and now that she had found her niche when it came to shooting, the teen had practiced nearly every day of the season, even when out on hunts. She took a handful of practice arrows from the Ranges for these occasions while using her natural arrows for the actual hunts, and slowly, the teen had begun to improve. She strived for perfection, something Kovac had recognized from the start, and when it wasn’t perfect, she pushed until her body gave out. Her fastidious nature refused to let her give in in these situations. It must be perfect. She was still far from an excellent shot and her ability to successfully hit moving targets remained to be seen, but she was familiar enough with the shortbow the Avora had gifted her last season now that her prints had been permanently engraved into the bow and the string had been replaced twice that season, though once had been from the storm on the 18th and the other from over-drawing.
And so, her targets today consisted of small game entirely: Rabbits, vole, weasels; anything that could be secured to her waist or stored in a cache until she was ready to drop her kills off at the Bay. Currently, she had caught the trail of some wild pig, the prints clearly marked in the undergrowth of moss and fern and mud. Occasionally, Vira would even bend to examine the tracks, trying to make sure they weren’t veering off course. What appealed to the young woman as she stalked the pig were the tiny prints surrounding the larger ones: this pig was a sow and had birthed a cluster of piglets at some point during the summer. It was these which Vira wanted to catch up to and kill.
Overhead, Tulaj screeched down at her and veered from directly over her into another direction. The teen looked up at him, monocular eye following his track and peering into the wood as he soared above the trees. They grew thick and shaded at this point and she had to squint to even see beneath the evergreens heavy branches. With a frown, the young woman stepped towards the shadowed grove and tightened her grip on her bow. Bear, wolves, big cat- there could be anything lurking in there! And what if a boar was with the sow? That would be double trouble; it would take more than one shot to bring an angry boar down, and that was for an experienced archer who had both of their eyes to use, not this one-eyed young Endal! What was worse was that she thought she heard something sound off down there…It wasn’t a pig, though. But what? It sounded vaguely bird-like, truth be told.
She frowned, staring into the shade with pursed lips and raging thoughts. If it was a bear, it probably already knew she was here; the wind wasn’t in her favor (or anyone’s, honestly) so it would be unwise to enter unawares. But her quarry was down there and she needed the haul after this bane-filled season. Lowering the bow to her hip, she tapped a fit in indecision and peered back up at the albino soaring above. Just as she did, the bird-like screech sounded again. That wasn’t just bird like. It WAS a bird. A bird Vira recognized from the general aeries in Wind Reach where Master Meera worked.
Meera had introduced her to her first golden eagle many years ago when Vira was still just a Yasi in training. Her affinity for birds had been apparent back then and Meera had taken an interest in the youth along with one other at the time, taking those two under her wing to teach them in their free time more about birds. She remembered the lesson of a Golden Eagle’s spirit and strength. They were not birds meant for the faint of heart. They were not for the weak-willed or insecure. A falconer who wielded a Golden in the field was profound and though there were larger birds out there that could be trained, many stopped at the Golden. They were beautiful and intelligent and more than capable of bringing down good sized game.
The screech that came from somewhere in those shadows was the same aerial cry of that nearly untamable beauty and Vira was captivated. Mohya had closed herself to the girl so she could focus on her hunting and let the young Endal do the same as she perused the trails so the Wind Eagle would not be able to sense the thoughts of her rider now. With a final glance to Tulaj, Vira moved into the wood, steeling herself for what might come…
