Closed [Thunder Bay] Commiserating Hunters Part 2

[Azira]

18th-20th Fall 513AV

Eyelids opening ever so slightly, bright light assailed her and the huntress moved her head aside, closing her eyes once more and groaning softly. The girl stretched her body out, limbs stiff from their curled up position. As she stretched, the material covering her shifted, cool air seeping into the pocket of warmth that had surrounded her. Azira flinched away from the chill, shivering and attempting to pull the material around her. Not all of the makeshift bed was warm and so as she moved she found the cold spots. Groaning again, the teen decided she’d be better of braving the cold so she sat up, pushing the blanket off of her.

When the cold hit her, she shuddered but it woke her up. The new feeling of awakeness brought remembrance of where she was. Storm. Trapped in a shack with a hunter. The girl remembered everything all right. The man should probably have been beside her (she had a vague memory of him coming back to the makeshift bed) but he wasn’t so presumably he’d awoken before her.

A fire was blazing merrily in the brazier and a glance towards the window, revealed Kovac standing watching her. She wondered idly if he’d been watching her sleep because that would have been very creepy. His gaze made her feel self-conscious and she automatically reached up to check on her hair. It was braided of course so not much could go wrong, a loose hair or two, sure and some of the braids had tangled together. The girl untangled her braids by pulling her fingers through them to separate and ran a hand over her eyes, wiping the grit out of them. When she was somewhat more presentable, the young woman looked up to meet the other hunter’s gaze.

”Uh... morning,” she mumbled sheepishly. A hand rested on the back of her head as she met his gaze steadily for a moment or two. Nodding in the direction of the fire, she asked, ”How’s the fuel situation? Do we have enough to keep going for a while, or what?"

x

[Kovac]

Kovac simply leaned on the table with his katinu held tight around him. His own hair was rather unruly, sticking up at odd angles, but the mongrel did not seemed concerned with his appearace. He made no attempt to look away as Azira worked through her waking, It was probably rude, but given the nature of the circumstances, and the closeness they had been forced to presume, the hunter allowed himself the liberty of the usually private moment. Besides, it allowed Kovac to see a very human side of the girl.

There was no allowance for niceties aside from a rusty 'morning', and Azira's next words addressed the immediate situation. Heat, would they have enough? Kovac looked at her and shrugged. "Well, I don't know how long we will have to stay here. We don't have enough for another night, I can tell you that. some of the larger buildings may have more fuel, or people who are better supplied than we are."

He glanced out the window. "It is still coming down, and I know yesterday's outing was a disaster, but I think we need to consider finding better quarters. Even if we can get to Phaurd's or other supply buildings, we can find food and wood, if they haven't been cleared out by everyone else." Turning back to the teen Avora, Kovac asked with some cheer, "How did you sleep?"

[Azira]

Kovac was watching her, a fact that made the situation very uncomfortable for her. She didn't like being stared at and he didn't seem to realise that or perhaps he just didn't care. The huntress scowled at him in an attempt to make him stop but he didn't seem fazed so she stared back at him in response. He looked as dishevelled as she felt but she probably looked more presentable because she'd actually bothered to clean herself up.

The reply to her question made her frown but her expression quickly became determined. The young woman stretched and stood up, smoothing out her clothing which had become dishevelled. Moving to collect her gear from beside the door where she'd left it the previous day, the girl spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, "Right then, well we'll just have to go out and take action, won't we? We need to get more fuel or better shelter, neither of which is going to come to us."

The teen looked thoughtful for a few moments then started digging through her pack. The pair had had difficulty walking over the ice the previous day and the huntress was wondering if there might be a way to make walking easier. As she searched for something that might work, she voiced her thoughts aloud. "If we go out there then we're going to slip and slide all over the place unless we can somehow get a better grip. Tying something to the soles of our boots might work. Something ridged maybe. Do you have anything on you or see anything around here? I don't think that I have anything," she explained, shrugging.

x

[Kovac]

"Ah, good idea." Kovac replied as Azira started to look for something that would give them some traction on the ice. Kovac went to his pack first, sifting through the contents. There was nothing suitable in his belongings. Then he went to the corner of the shed and began to rifle through the junk. he did find a wooden pole. It looked like one of the hook poles they used to pull boats together, or to dock, but the metal hook at the end had been snapped off, leaving a sharp end. He tossed the short pole out onto the open floor.

Kovac continued, pulling free several strips of leather, broken straps from something. These he added to the bar on the floor. More rummaging uncovered a small bucket of odd tools. The were flat pieces of metal, small punctures in them made sharp edges protrude on one side. They had had handles once, but were all broken off. Fish scalers. He brought the bucket out and set it on the workbench. Looking up at Azira, he smiled. "I have an idea."

He sat on the stool, taking one of the broken scalers out of the bucket and laying it against the sole of his boot, rough side down. Then he took the straps and tied it snugly in place. looking up again to the fiery haired huntress he presented his invention. "Ice shoes! The pole has a broken end that should bite into the ice well. One of us could use it as a walking stick." Should Azira find the idea acceptable, there were enough scalers and straps for her boots as well.

[Azira]

Her fellow hunter seemed to approve of her idea, a fact that made a feeling of pride swell in her chest. It was always good to be able to contribute something to a situation, good to know that if she was in this place alone that she’d be capable of some measure of independence. Her search was fruitless but she was hoping that Kovac carried something of value to use in her plan. Watching as he searched his pack, she waited expectantly for some useful object to emerge but it didn’t. The hunter turned up nothing, much to her disappointment but he wasn’t done yet. Moving to a corner of the shed, he began to look for something they could utilise. There’d surely be something to create traction there. The shed was used for storage after all and they were at Water Reach so fishing gear was certainly going to be available somewhere in the settlement so why not here?

A pole, jagged and broken at one end, was thrown out in her direction that might be put to some use later but the huntress didn’t know what yet. They probably couldn’t do anything with it to attach it to their shoes so she waited hopefully for some other object to be found by her companion. She would have helped him herself but the space he was working in was small and she’d only end up hindering him rather than helping him so she stayed put, picking up the pole to examine instead.

The pole was soon followed by a number of leather straps, which Azira only frowned down at. They couldn’t do anything with the material alone but if they found something of use it might work well for attaching one thing to something else. Kovac apparently had the same sort of idea as he returned to her side a moment later with a bucket full of things that rattled and a grin plastered on his face. The huntress arched an eyebrow in question.

”Found something useful, have you?” she asked lightly as the man proclaimed happily that he had an idea. She watched as she drew something from his bucket, some sort of metal tool that she hadn’t seen before. It was probably some tool unique to Thunder Bay, probably something to do with fish given their location. Whatever it was, it was rough on one side and it was this side that he placed facing outwards as he laid the tool on the sole of his boot. He secured it tightly to his boot and allowed her to examine what he’d created. It would provide just the traction they needed! The man had even come up with a use for the pole.

”Well done! Good to know that we can finally get out of here,” the huntress enthused, seating herself and starting the fiddly process of attaching a tool to the bottom of each boot. It was not as easy as the other had made it look, especially as she almost needed three hands to be able to secure it easily. A finger had to hold the tool in place while her other hand looped a strap over one end of it, pulling it tight to hold the metal in position before she could tie it. After the first strap, it was just a matter of looping a second strap around to secure it and then she had her own set of ice shoes.

Standing, she wobbled slightly on the now uneven boots. Without anything for the metal to dig into, Azira found herself a little unbalanced but she knew that once she was outside she’d be all right. So she hoped anyway. Moving to pick up the wooden pole, she handed it to Kovac with a smile before moving around to gather her stuff up, explaining her reason for giving it to him as she went.

”You’re better off having that rather than me. If you lose your balance, you’re more likely to go crashing down under your own weight. I have a better chance of staying upright if I teeter. I’m not heavy like some people.” She shot him a meaningful look, a slight smirk playing at the edge of her lips as if to suggest that she was trying to make some sort of joke. The humour passed quickly. ”To be honest, you’ll probably be able to put it to better use than I can. I probably wouldn’t even be able to get it through the ice, the point would just end up sliding around on the surface.”

Tightening her katinu around herself, the teen placed pack, bow and quiver upon her person and hovered by the door in readiness. ”You ready?” she asked. ”No point opening this and letting the chill in early if you aren’t.”

x

[Kovac]

The hunters shod themselves with the makeshift ice boots, standing awkwardly to get a feel for the odd contraptions. They were not perfect, felt uneven, but they were the best they could come up with in the little shed they shared. Kovac glanced to the fiery redheaded teen. He had noted a subtle shift in the huntress, a word of encouragement, the flash of a smile, even a jibe poked at him. That teasing alone went a long way with Kovac. Maybe Azira was beginning to relax around him, accepting him. This was good, for they would need each other to get to wherever they ended up next. "Well, then we better make sure I don't slip and land on you, I don't want to flatten you with my bulk." He replied with a wry grin.

Kovac too tightened up his garments, wrapped his katinu around him and donned his mittens. He slung his pack over his back, as well as his talon sword, quiver and bow. For a moment, he thought of using the sword as a walking aid, the sharp tip certainly able to penetrate the ice. But he soon dismissed the idea. Sliding around on ice with a bared sword blade was definitely a bad idea. Finally, he took up the stick and nodded to Azira that he was ready. "Let me go first, get a feel for the conditions, then you can follow, if thats alright. Then if you start to slip, you can grab hold of me, and hopefully I can steady you. Just don't pull me down on top of you! If I start to go, well, stand clear. Open her up." Kovac instructed.

When Azira opened the door, the wind immediately whipped in. Kovac stepped out into the storm, the sting of ice suddenly pelting his face. He lowered his head, the hood of his katinu protecting most of his face. He stepped gingerly on the icy ground, testing the ice cleats they had made. They seemed to provide some traction, though quick or sudden movement would negated their effect. The mongrel then dug the broken pole into the ice, or at least getting a dent, using it for additional leverage. He took another stepped and turned his head back to Azira, nodding and gesturing for him to join her. The male Avora turned again and tried to peer through the pelting precipitation for a destination. The shape of several larger buildings appeared to the left, and he turned again to Azira, lifting his voice over the wind. "I think we should head that way."

[Azira]

The teen rolled her eyes in the direction of the grinning hunter as she moved backwards and forwards on her new shoes, still testing them as she waited for Kovac to prepare himself. "Do you really think I'd let you land on me and flatten me? I like being alive you know so that isn't going to happen," she told him matter-of-factly, sweeping her braided hair into a tight bun so that it was out of the way. It gave her something to do while she waited for her companion to get himself organised. He was going a lot slower than she would have liked so she decided to make him aware of his current speed and her own impatience with it.

"Come on, old man. Getting outside today might be a good idea, you know. At the rate your going, we'll end up spending the night here again," she complained, shooting an exasperated look his way. It wasn't entirely serious however, the amusement at her joke shining in her eyes and evident in the slight upwards curve of her lips. He wasn't that old really. He was older than her though but she didn't know by how much exactly. She was sure that he'd be conscious of it though. Nobody liked to be considered old after all so it might encourage him to move a little faster.

The man was soon ready however, whether by her prodding or not she couldn't be sure. He seemed to be willing to assert himself now that he was ready though he suggested things rather than commanding them as she had done. Azira went along with his suggestion however as it made sense. He had the walking aid after all so he'd be able to walk better outside. If it was slippery out then he'd be able to keep his balance easier than she could. Kovac would help her balance if she should need it and that way they'd manage to get out of here without the disaster of the previous day.

Complying with Kovac's order, the huntress pulled the door open and was instantly assaulted by icy air as the wind rushed in bringing frozen rain with it. It wasn't snow, it wasn't sleet, it was just pointy ice shards. That's what it felt like at least. She found herself flinching back as it stung her and readjusted the hood of her katinu in order to protect her face. The girl wondered if she'd been too hasty in her desire to get outside but they hadn't really had much choice; they would have been frozen in the she'd otherwise.

She didn't envy her comrade for going out first but she had to follow him. She hung back while the man tested the ice shoes, taking slow careful steps and using the sharp pole for support. When he was a short distance ahead of her, she stuck her foot out on the slippery surface and felt the limb slide out from her. She held onto the doorway for support and regained her balance. This time she tested her footing a little more carefully and discovered that the spikes on her boots did help her grip, she'd just moved too quickly before it seemed. So no quick or sudden movements then. Following her findings, the Avora made her way further from the shed, keeping a short distance from Kovac. She was a bit too far from him to catch herself if she lost her balance but catching up to him would probably just make her slip so she stayed where she was at the same speed.

He called to her then as they got further out, indicating buildings off to the left. On a normal day, they could have reached the structures in a chime but in these conditions it was sure to take considerably longer. In this weather, they looked like they'd take an eternity to reach. "Yeah, you're right! We're sure to find people there," she called back, gaining on him as he momentarily slowed down to talk to her. "Best get to it then!"

x

[Kovac]

Kovac hunched, trying to protect his face from the pelting icy precipitation. For a moment he questioned their wisdom. Too long out here and they would be in real danger. But they had agreed staying in the shed was no better. Besides, they were hunters, outdoorsman and woman, they could handle it...most likely.

As the mongrel looked back at the bundled Azira making her way out of the shed, he stifled a smile. The cantankerous woman had seemed to cut him a bit of slack that morning, teasing him. The smiles and jibes were flashing glimpses between her usual somber or unamused countenance, but Kovac saw them, and it gave him a bit of joy. They were unwilling compatriots, but they needed each other at the moment, and it would make it easier if they could get along long enough to survive.

Once they found their ice feet, and agreed on a destination, they forged ahead. The going was slow, the ice cleats were not perfect, and they took each step with careful caution. Kovac would look back to the huntress often. He did not like that she was not close enough to hold onto should she fall, and he feared if she did fall behind him, he would not know it. He lagged a bit so Azira could draw closer.

The wind was no help. Whipping around and tugging them off balance. Soon, Kovac was very cold, his nose and cheeks going numb. The structure in the distance grew larger before them, but not quickly enough for Kovac's liking. Once Azira was able to draw nearer, he gave her a sober gaze. There was not smirk this time. He put his arm around her, drew her against him. "I think we should stick together." He lifted his voice over the roar of the wind, "four legs are more stable the two. Helps cut down on the effects of the wind too."

If Azira agreed, the hunters would resume the treacherous journey clinging to each other for warmth and safety.