Closed Forced Cooperation (Khara)

[Azira]

x

The game scout offered little comment as Azira went through the plan, only reacting when the huntress put a direct question to her. Her reply made the Avora frown, looking at the girl uncertainly for a moment. While she assumed that the teen meant that she could shoot the moose, her answer was ambiguous enough that she worried that she'd meant that she could shoot Azira. She'd give the girl the benefit of the doubt and not assume that she was threatening the Avora. Assuming that she had Khara as her back up, the teen focused on finding the right spot for their trap. She kept an eye as she scouted for the right patch of trees, somewhere in front of the moose. She could only hope that the creature didn't get too turned about before their plan came into effect.

She saw some patches that were too densely packed whereas others were just slightly too narrow for the moose to be able to pass through. It was Khara who spotted a suitable location first. Her head turned, following the gaze of the other. The area she'd indicated wasn't directly in front of the creature but it could be guided to it. At least it wasn't located behind the moose as Azira would have had to turn it around. Keeping an eye on the moose to ensure that they hadn't caught its attention just yet, the teen moved as quietly as she could with slow steps. She approached the first tree in the area that Khara had indicated looking from one tree to another to judge the distances between them. The spacing was adequate. Satisfied the girl made a hand gesture for the Chiet to come to her side, motioning for her to secure the rope at a point at about the height of Azira's knee.

"We'll want to loop it a round a few trees then bring it back along a similar path, double the chance of it tripping. If it misses the first bit, it shouldn't miss the second." Her words were softly spoken, the huntress ever aware of the nearness of her prey. It'd take time to secure the rope--the length of it making knotting awkward--but they'd get there and hopefully the moose wouldn't decide to head off in a new direction in search of a new feeding ground. The bush it was currently stripping looked fairly sparse at this stage, its leaves either littered on the forest floor or in the animal's stomach. They'd only have so long.

The teen chewed on a thumbnail, gaze flitting between the moose and Khara to check on her progress. She thought that the girl would never run out of rope but by the time she did, the Avora was edgy with anticipation. A hand motioned for the girl to come. She couldn't hide her fear but how she was feeling wasn't going to stop her from doing what needed to be done. "Get into position. I'll wait for you and then go and deal with this." An arrow was drawn carefully from her quiver although at this point making a sound probably wouldn't make all that much difference. The arrow was nocked, string drawn back slightly in preparation. Eyes moved to Khara searching for a sign that she was ready before the huntress stepped carefully over the rope trap that had been set. It took only a few steps to bring her out of cover, leaving her visible to the moose if it looked her way.

Her steps were careful but faster than normal--louder too--bringing her within 15 feet of her prey. A head moved ponderously, dark eyes fixing on her as she took another step forward, and another. 14 feet. 13 feet. The distance began to close between them, the creature growing alert with this new closeness. A rush of air came from its nostrils as the shortbow was raised, aiming for its broad chest. The projectile flew, wedging into the flesh beside its right front limb. It let out a cry, head lowering slightly as it took on a more threatening posture. Another arrow found its way into the bow and again she raised and aimed at the front of the moose. This time it struck the centre of its chest and it caused a bellow before the thing started running.

It had closed about half the distance between them by the time the huntress had turned tail and ran. Feet struck the ground heavily behind her, the rhythm telling her that the animal was moving much faster than anticipated. The distance to the trap wasn't that far but she was afraid that she wasn't going to make it, the threat of the beast catching her first sticking in her thoughts as her legs pumped as fast as she could push them. As much as she wanted to look back and check on the moose's progress the huntress kept her gaze on the terrain ahead, urging herself onwards as she spotted the ropes. When she reached them she jumped, landing clear of them with a slight stagger before darting to the side out of the direct path of the moose if it managed to clear the ropes. The teen stood gasping, breath rapid from exertion and fear. Her hand scrabbled for another arrow, ready to fire again at the creature, which had fallen for their trick. It had obviously tripped over the first set of rope but fallen and tangled its leg in the second. Now it thrashed trying to get free, calling fearfully as it found itself vulnerable.

The teen couldn't tell if the scout had managed to get off a shot or two but she focused on aiming her own arrows, firing at the writhing beast which wasn't making itself an easy target.

x

[Khara]

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We're both petching crazy was the last thought Khara managed as she readied her short bow, arrow nocked and waiting to be pulled back. A calming breath was taken and a small shake of her head to herself was allowed, Right. Let's be crazy, then, and she signaled to the huntress.

She'd taken up a position just slightly off to one side of behind where the animal stood, angled opposite the direction it was supposed to charge in. If anything, she figured it was a place she could best shoot from and have as little chance of hitting the Avora as possible.

As the huntress strode towards her prey, Khara raised just slightly from her crouch and drew the string back on her bow. An unnatural calm came over her, falling into a stance that was somehow comfortable while still remaining mostly correct. She wasn't focused on how she was standing, though. The Chiet's focus was solely on the moose as she waited for the huntress to take her first shot, her hand waiting near her chin, breath held as she waited to release. The sudden surprised, and probably painfilled sound that came from the moose was enough of an indicator, even if it in turn made her suddenly flinch. Her first arrow soarmed harmlessly into the surrounding bushes, missing both hunter and hunted.

The girl wanted to curse her luck, but instead pulled another arrow from her quiver and quickly set it into position once more. The huntress must have gotten another shot off in the meantime, being much quicker than the novice scout, and the moose suddenly charged. As she watched it move and brought her bow up to ready the shot, it occurred to Khara that she had no idea how to shoot a moving target. The angle she had kept it from straying too far from her center, but still, it moved. The urgency behind the situation gave her little time to question herself, though. As best she could, she aimed for what seemed the broadest part of the moose and forced herself to steadily exhale as she let the string and arrow slip from her fingers.

The arrow buried itself in the upper portion of the moose's back left leg. It was definitely not what Khara had been aiming for, but she did allow a tiny moment of pride in actually hitting the damned thing. The moment was scattered to the wind as the moose found the ropes and the scene dissolved into flailing limbs and more arrows being driven into the creature from the huntress' determined shots.

Reading another arrow the scout sprinted towards the downed creature and veered off to the side, placing herself at a 90-degree angle to where the huntress stood. She didn't know if it was where she was expected to go in that moment, and she didn't care. It kept the moose mostly with it's side in front of her and the Avora as far from anywhere that Khara would accidentally find an arrow going. As the Chiet finally got the courage to aim once more at the flailing moose she briefly wondered if she was expected to help or back off. A sidelong glance was quickly cast towards the Avora, Petch it. She'll be even more angry if it gets away. With that thought she refocused fully back on the moose and let the arrow go.
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"Nari" | "Common"

[Azira]

x

The huntress managed to pause for a moment, her attention momentarily diverted to looking for the Chiet. She found that she'd moved but that Azira could see her easily enough. As she watched, the woman fired a shot that stuck in the moose's neck. It made it writhe more, tangling itself up further in the ropes as it tried to twist away from incoming attacks and right itself at the same time. The beast had become well and truly tangled, three of its legs caught up in the ropes to some degree. It managed to get a foot beneath it and another but staggered as the ropes pulled and it collapsed in a heap again.

Another arrow found its way into the short bow and was bounced off its antlers. She cursed, reaching for another and succeeding in catching it at the side of its neck. The arrow didn't bury itself very deeply but it was enough to draw blood. There was a lot of blood, coming from numerous puncture wounds. She could see that one of the arrows in its chest had been pulled out in the moose's confusion and had torn a jagged path on its way out, while the other remained stuck in it, the shaft snapped. It was only going to keep losing blood with each new wound but it was still strong and it would weaken and die slowly. Better to put the creature out of its misery but she couldn't be sure that she could get close enough to slit its throat. Its legs were still thrashing and a stray kick would do a lot of damage to her, she was sure.

"Stop shooting," she called to the Chiet, repeating the order louder so that it could be heard over the sounds the moose was making. She waited for the rain of arrows to stop before taking a few steps into what had been the line of fire, drawing closer to her prey. She circled it, searching for some sort of opening so that she could lunge in and try to cut its throat. Its movements were unpredictable, erratic and there was no way for her to find a way in. She wasn't sure how much longer those ropes would hold and she'd never live with herself if it got away. They needed that meat, Wind Reach needed it. There wasn't going to be a repeat of last Winter's famine if she could help it.

The Avora would have to do something about its legs and she knew it. If she could tie them up somehow then she'd be less likely to be hurt and might be able to slit the thing's throat. The fact was that she needed Khara's help again and she was more than willing to put pride aside for the sake of future survival. Self-preservation came before pride any day. She traced the ropes back from the moose's legs to where they were tied. If they pulled one of its tied legs out then they might be able to wrap another section of rope, attached to a different leg, around it. She'd have to explain it to scout and hopefully the scout would get it.

"I need its legs out of the way so that I can finish it off. We'll have to try to tangle it more. Untie that rope," she pointed, moving her finger from the moose's back left leg to the tree it was attached to, "or cut it if you have to do it. Pull it and I'll grab another bit and wrap it round that leg again, maybe pull two of its legs together. It'll be a start." The huntress traced the rope around its front right leg back to the tree trunk that it was attached to. Drawing her hunting knife, she sawed at the rope below the knot with the blade. She moved her hand back and forth quickly, trying to keep the edge from slipping off the hemp but it still took longer than it should have. Once it was loose, she grasped for it hurriedly as the moose's movements almost tore it from her grasp. The hunting knife was dropped in her haste as she used two hands to pull the beast's leg towards her.

The creature was strong, making her stagger as she tried to hold her ground, which was easier said than done. She dug her heels in, gritting her teeth as she tried to hold it at the point she wanted it to be at. "Have you got that rope loose? Do you even have a blade? If you don't use mine and be quick!" she called, sweat beading on her forehead from the effort of the tug of war with the moose. "Pull your rope under mine and loop it around it."

x

[Khara]

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Hesitation was the enemy and in that moment Khara wasn't about to let it win. The order to stop shooting from the Avora was followed as soon as the words reached her ears, even going so far as to replace her bow so it was slung across her back once more. At first she thought maybe the huntress wanted to finish off the creature by herself, but the sudden explanation of what the Avora needed to do both relieved and concerned her.

If the initial plan was crazy, this may very well have been absolutely suicidal. Even tied up there was no way Khara would ever consider getting that close to an injured, frighted, and all together angry moose. Luckily, or unluckily depending on perspective, the huntress had declared she was the one who was going to finish the animal off.

Admittedly she wasn't entirely sure what the huntress was planning, she'd never seen an animal properly restrained before and had no idea if that was what she would be witnessing and helping with, but if it worked it would never be something she would forget. Of course, if it didn't that would be pretty hard to fully remove from her mind either.

Quickly the Chiet followed the rope back to where it was tied around the tree, trying to work as quickly as possible. She didn't have a knife like the Avora, a fact she silently cursed herself for. Luckily, the inexperience with properly tying the knots had left at least this one practically falling apart as she tugged on it. Truthfully, the scout was surprised it held out for as long as it had and cast a fearful glance towards the others.

The Avora's shout snapped her attention back and she undid the rest of the knot, cringing as the rope was tugged through her hands for a short length before she got a better grip. The sudden burning sensation that came from her palms refused to be ignored as she wrapped the rope around her hand to try and ensure it wouldn't happen again.

She hurried over to where the huntress directed her, well, as much as one could hurry while trying to keep from being pulled around by a flailing moose. It's loud frantic cries threatened to distract her attention as she realized she hadn't really been anywhere near a wounded animal before, never mind one this large! Still, she managed to keep hold of both her rope and her senses, looping the ropes as instructed before pulling back against the moose's resistance to it's legs coming together. Her own feet dug into the forest bed as she struggled to not slide forward as the moose continued to fight their efforts.

The Chiet eyed the tree nearest to her and wondered if she could tie the rope off or if it would just slip from her hands if she tried. If they were going to get a handle on the other tangled leg and get a chance to wrap the other they weren't going to be able to do it in their current situation, though. Indecision gripped her, maybe they were going to try and loop their ends of the rope around the moose's legs again? She hated to admit it, but she hadn't the slightest idea of what to do and even though she had a feeling it would annoy the huntress more than anything else, Khara waited for the next set of orders.
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"Nari" | "Common"

[Azira]

x

It seemed that the scout didn't have a knife, not that it was really to be expected. She was only supposed to track animals, not get involved in killing them. She managed to untangle the rope all the same, making her way over to Azira as quickly as she could. It wasn't that fast a pace but the huntress could understand her lack of speed. The moose was strong, pulling against its tethers and she was sure that it was going pull free soon if they didn't tie it up better. It was hard to hold one's ground when an animal considerably larger than you wanted to go one way and you wanted to pull it a different way. Her feet dug in as best as they could, her feet were placed about a foot apart in an attempt to spread her weight and keep herself standing.

Khara managed to wrap its legs together more tightly but its back right leg and its front left leg were still free. The huntress wasn't sure that she could tie up the other two legs but she could at least try to tighten the hold on the ones that were already tangled. She moved in the opposite direction to the one that the scout had gone in. There was no guarantee that it would do the job but the teen did it anyway, pulling it as tightly as she could as she moved around. She moved at a snail's pace, not willing to move to quickly and risk losing her balance and falling in a heap. If she fell she was sure that that moose would be able to drag her and she wouldn't be willing to let go of that rope. The teen managed to reach Khara's side and crossed the rope over the scout's and then under it. She didn't think that either of them could hold the beast much longer and glancing at her companion she realised that what they did next was entirely down to whatever the huntress decided.

"Okay on the count of three, pull on the rope as hard as you can and we'll wrap these ropes around the nearest tree and tie them, all right?" The huntress wrapped the hemp tightly around her hand, making sure that she had a strong, firm grip on it. "Okay. One. Two. Three!" The teen pulled as hard as she could. Her feet carried her slowly backwards as she tugged with all her strength. Her arms began to hurt, her legs grow heavy with tiredness at the effort but she managed to retreat back a few feet. It was a supreme effort, that was certain, but it was worth it. The moose hadn't been expecting such a pull from one side and it had keeled over, falling towards the pair. Not only had they succeeded in tying two of its legs together but they'd also managed to trap one of its legs under it. If they could just manage to tie it off then she was in with a chance. One leg would be much easier to avoid, especially as it was a back one and she should be able to manage to slit the creature's throat. They needed to tie it down first though.

The nearest tree was fairly close at hand but she wasn't sure how she was going to get the rope around it. There just didn't seem to be enough of it to wrap it around a few times. She kept pulling, actually walking around the tree in order to wrap it, avoiding walking into Khara as she did so. The moose gave a pull as it tried to right itself and the rope very nearly slipped from her hands, the rope burning the flesh of her palms before she could get a good grip on it again. It needed to be tied off now and the huntress wasn't sure that she could tie it very well either. The teen held the rope in place as best she could as she spoke to the teen.

"Can you tie it? I don't think that I can do it very well. Even if you can manage to hold it while I get close enough to the moose to kill it, that'd help." She'd have to run back around a retrieve her knife but she should be able to manage a kill at last. She hoped.

x

[Khara]

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The muscles in her arms burned, her hands had gone from simply stinging to feeling as if the rope was continually stripping her to the bone even when it wasn't moving, and she could feel an overall weariness threatening to take hold that was being kept at bay only by her stubborn refusal to give in. They were so close now, if they failed Khara knew the huntress' anger with her could quite possibly come second to what the Chiet would feel towards herself. She couldn't let that happen; wouldn't let that happen.

Against the strain and every bit of focus she could pour into the task, Khara heard the Avora speaking to her. She looked towards the huntress, and not trusting the sound of her voice, gave a swift and decisive nod. It had been her chosen method of agreeing or signaling the Avora so far and it seemed to work better than her rambling words ever did. It certainly expressed the need to accomplish what she had been asked without the undertone of uncertainty she was trying desperately to ignore.

Another silent prayer, not to any god in particular, more to any that might be listening rattled off in her head before she began to knot her end of the rope with the one in the huntress's hand. Once the first knot was successfully made and pulled snugly against the tree trunk, Khara jerked her head towards the moose. "Go. I'll handle it from here."

There was no edge to her voice, no shred of command, just a simple request for trust that she wasn't sure he had earned but knew had to happen. Khara wasn't entirely sure how to tie a knot that wouldn't budge, but she did know that she planned to keep a decent enough length wrapped around her hand, and if room, her arm. The moose's strength would test the knots, the wrap around the tree, and probably the girl herself, but Khara realized she rather suffer injury than let the damn thing go. There was always the infirmary waiting, but there wasn't always the opportunity to have helped bring back such a haul.
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"Nari" | "Common"

[Azira]

x

The scout took the rope from her grasp, the huntress moving her hold further down instead so that the girl wouldn't have to take the moose's full force on a second rope as well. One knot was tied and then a jerk of the head came from Khara, words signalling that she would take care of things at this end. She'd left the huntress free to go in for the kill if she dared. No pressure then. The teen gave a brief nod before jogging around to where she thought she'd dropped her hunting knife, giving their prey a wide berth for now. It took her about half a chime in her panic to find the knife and grasp it by the hilt with trembling fingers.

With the weapon in hand she froze in place. Her eyes traced over the form of the moose. The ropes that they'd managed to surround it with weren't as tightly pulled as they needed to be--a fault of the two women--and it was sure to escape their hold sooner rather than later. Even as she watched she could see how much give the rope had, how much room its prison seemed to afford the creature. The Avora would have to act now or else risk being kicked when it began to right itself. And if it got itself free, it was going to be rightly pissed.

The blade was pointed downwards but away from her body as the huntress darted in. The creature flailed, twisting itself as it made to kick the girl. She stepped back out of its range, evading its singular blows, bringing herself closer to its head. Just because she was out of harm's way where its legs were concerned, its antlers were still a concern. It still had enough freedom to move its head back and forth along the ground although the antlers weren't as much use to it in that position. One well timed movement and it could still do serious damage. She'd somehow neglected to take that into account but it was too late to do anything about it now. The girl circled its head, moving back and forth as she searched for an opening, an opportunity to strike. The ropes loosened more, the beast able to raise itself more than it had been able to before. With the new movement its head moved upwards, exposing its neck and the teen darted sideways towards it. Her arm flashed forward, wrist flicking and sliding across hide. Her grip on the hilt had remained firm so that it didn't skitter from her fingers, even when she was forced to jump backwards to avoid a retaliatory blow from a front leg that was beginning to come free.

The Avora had to stay out of its range, taking stock of the damage that she'd done. She hadn't managed to cut very deeply into its tough hide but she'd left her mark on its throat. Not a fatal blow but it was a bleeding one. She'd need to get in towards it again and cut into the same area again, cut deeper. Her steps were cautious, the huntress remaining on her toes as she made her approach again. A leg came out and she slashed at it with the blade, the movement aborted once it struck flesh, the girl not wanting it to pull from her grasp. It left a shallow wound, one that was enough to make the beast bellow and redouble its efforts to escape as Azira was forced to retreat once more. She moved around its head, taunting it to follow her movements. It attempted to roll, one mostly free leg left up in the air as it struggled towards her. She moved out of the range of its antlers, circling back around quickly in sideways jumping movements before making a last dart inwards, stabbing downwards into the side of its throat. The blade was twisted and pulled until it came loose, the teen diving out of the way to narrowly avoid a blow to the head from an errant hoof.

Her survey of the damage this time was more satisfying although she felt almost sorry for the creature. Her knife had left a jagged wound where it had entered and been torn out, blood spilling quickly from the wound that had ripped through close to half the front of its neck. She could safely stay away until it grew too weak, its rate of blood loss seeming to point to an inevitable death. When it couldn't fight any longer the teen would put it out of its misery. It took a few chimes--the Avora left catching her breath a safe distance away from it--before she risked approaching it again. It made a feeble attempt to kick at her but it was easy to avoid this time, the creature pitiful in its attempt to cling to life. Her hunting knife sawed across its throat, hot blood gushing over her hands as the last of the moose's life was drained away.

The creature was finally limp. Dead. The huntress let out a hysterical laugh. She finally had her prey. She wiped the liquid from her fingers, rubbing it off on the coarse hairs of the beast's hide. She ended up with little hairs stuck on her hands instead so she wiped them on her bryda. The huntress turned a self-satisfied smile the Chiet's way. "I told you I could kill it, didn't I? You probably thought I was mad. Well that's because I probably am." The girl's feet carried her to where she'd hidden her pack, retrieving the bag and bringing it back to where Khara was. Her hands searched through the contents coming back out with a water skin and a piece of fruit. The stopper was pulled from the skin, the huntress taking a generous swallow before restoppering it and throwing it back into the bag. An eating knife came out next, slicing a section off the fruit and popping it into its mouth. She sliced off another piece and offered it to Khara.

"Want some? I've some dried meat in there as well if you want some of that. I'll gut that in a chime or two." The knife was gestured towards the corpse as she spoke. If the scout was in any way squeamish then this probably wouldn't do any good for her stomach but the huntress didn't care. If the girl was put off by the sight of someone with blood stained fingers offering her slices of fruit and meat while waving towards a bloody mess of a corpse then the teen would be better off going elsewhere. "You aren't put off by that, are you? If you aren't then I can put you to some use."

x

[Khara]

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She's done it. Petching crazy huntress has actually done it. The thought wouldn't stop repeating in her mind as she watched the last bit of life leave the moose. Slowly she unwrapped the rope from where she had wound it around her arm an wrist. The rope had left angry looking red indentations that only stung as the scout ran her hands over them, probably just irritated skin that would hopefully fade by the time they got back to Wind Reach.

Without thinking she quickly took the offered piece of fruit, only now as the adrenaline began to subside did she realize how hungry the ordeal had actually left her. A mumbled thank you was given as her gaze remained fixed on the moose, disbelief in the numbers of injuries it had to sustain before dying gripping her. It wasn't out of any sense of horror though, pure fascination gripped the Chiet.

Khara had seen hunters make their kills before, but it always seemed so far away, always left back with the other scouts to wait and not get in the way. Her participation had left her feeling useful, maybe even a touch prideful. Nothing nearly as deserving as that which the huntress seemed to be experiencing in that moment. Even bloodstained, Khara couldn't help but envy the satisfied look and way that the Avora carried herself. The kill hadn't been the cleanest or neatest of things, but the Chiet still couldn't help but feel a new kind of respect for the other teen, one that wasn't entirely demanded of her.

Her own water skin was tugged from where the strap always left it hanging next to her hip. The liquid quenched her parched throat and a small amount was poured out onto her hands where she tried to better assess the damage the rope had done to her. Her palms hurt with every movement, the skin raw and angry looking, but she wasn't bleeding. Good. You can keep going.

The scout looked up as the huntress made mention of putting her to further use. The ache in her stomach that requested food was shoved aside for a far greater hunger. Khara had no idea if she would be bothered by such a thing, but if she ever hoped to one day become an Avora herself it was something she would have to get used to. The craving for knowledge overcame any possibility for squeamishness. "Just tell me what you need me to do," Khara replied, her eagerness only barely being able to be suppressed.

A thought suddenly dawned on her, draining a touch of the enthusiasm from her features and replacing them with a questioning look that flashed before a small amount of embarrassment crept in to take it's place.

"I-I just realized I don't even know your name." Khara looked back to her hands as she suddenly felt foolish for the remark. Maybe the huntress didn't want her to know it. If that were the case, she felt a fool for commenting.

Her shoulder shrugged in an attempt at indifference before the Chiet looked back towards the Avora and let her gaze continue on to the fresh carcass. "Not, that you should tell me or anything. I just figured it might be helpful if I'm ever going to tell anyone about the huntress who took down such a creature with only a rope, a few arrows, and a knife."
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[Azira]

x

Khara seemed to be in a daze. It could have been from shock, awe or a mixture of the two but it made pride swell in the Avora's chest. She'd caused such a reaction by bringing that moose down and she was pleased with herself for succeeding in causing the scout to act in such a way. Her eyes were all for the moose, the disbelief on her features plain to see as she stared at the dead creature. Azira watched her, trying to keep her gaze casual, occasionally turning a nonchalant glance in the beast's direction as she ate. The girl didn't seem disgusted by the sight of the dead creature so she might well be useful. She was sure that gutting the prey would be awkward. It was heavy, heavier now as a dead weight and would have to be moved and adjusted so that she could get at what she needed. It'd become easier the more she hacked into it, she hoped but it would be slow going and sure to be difficult at the start of it all.

The fact that the huntress would require her again seemed to set Khara's eyes ablaze as she turned her gaze to the Avora at last. She was eager, suddenly alive in the prospect of getting further involved in this. It left Azira wondering. Why was she so excited by the prospect? Scouts didn't normally get involved in hunts and while this one had, the most exciting part was past. Was it just the feeling of being useful, or was it something more? The teen shrugged it off. She was a Chiet, she'd have aspirations of the caste climbing sort no doubt and perhaps she saw this as a chance to gain the skills for such a climb. If that was the case, it was probably a wasted dream. People didn't normally go up in caste after Yasihood although they could certainly fall to the bottom of the hierarchy. Let the Chiet think what she liked about this, she was better off enjoying this opportunity while it lasted because it wouldn't come again.

The fruit was consumed and its remains flung into the undergrowth. The knife she'd eaten with was wiped on a clean section of bryda - a tricky thing to achieve - and put away. Before she could say anything, the other had started rabbiting on again. Her words surprised her. She frowned slightly, running over their interaction in her mind before shrugging. She hadn't told the Chiet her name after all. It hadn't been important or anything although she'd known the scout's name. That had been important though as she'd had to be sure that she had the right person after all. An excuse for wanting to know was put forward but Azira knew that that's what it was, an excuse. She was just curious about what the huntress was called who had dragged her out of her rooms to go on this hunt.

"It's Azira. Now enough of your chatter, there's work to be done." Her tone was kept cool so as not to encourage the girl into thinking that they were free to converse. Just because they had hunted together and knew each other's names did not make them equals. Khara was here for her usage and that was all. The huntress approached the corpse and considered how to begin. The ropes would have to go for starters. There was no point keeping it anyway, she could pick up more in the market so she set about cutting the moose free of its ensnarement. Once free, the teen struggled to move the legs into an arrangement that allowed her access to the beast's stomach. As she woke, she gave Khara a string of instructions.

"I need you to find something for me to put meat on and something to put organs on. Some form of plant, a fern or something if you can find it. You can pile it up there behind me but out of my way. Two separate piles if you please so nothing I take out ends up touching the ground then come back and see about keeping these legs out of my way while I work." The teen examined the wounds to the moose's throat, checking the depth to see how deep a cut was need to get through the hide. She didn't want to cut too deeply into the belly of the beast and risk causing unnecessary damage. She scored the flesh carefully in a curved line as she tried to follow the shape of the animal's underside. Cutting a rabbit open was so much easier, she wished that this would be as simple. Once she'd scored a line, she set about deepening it so that it would break through the hide altogether, to part it and reveal the animal's innards. Khara had better be ready for this.

x

[Khara]

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Khara hurried off after the huntress gave her instructions, darting back into the woods in search of something suitable. Fern. Right. Something like a fern. Her eyes scoured the forest floor as she walked briskly. The scout wasn't entirely sure how big or how much of the particular plant she would need, but if the size of the moose overall was anything to go by, she assumed it would have to be quite a lot. And just how were they going to bring the meat back? It wasn't exactly like they could fit it all inside their packs and just walk back to Wind Reach. Maybe they would have to build some sort of makeshift sled they could both pull. They had enough rope left intact they could lash something together, she was certain.

The theories and guesses were really pointless, she had to admit. Azira would know what to do for certain. Stop acting like you know what you are doing. You're learning, chick. Just do as you are told and pay attention! The last two words echoed within her as she redoubled her focus. A hint of brighter green among the foliage caught the Chiet's attention and she hurried towards it. The fern wasn't nearly as large as she hoped, but it would be a start. As she set to the task of breaking the fronds from the main plant her hands protested, making Khara desperately wish she had bought a knife at the last market day. Sad thing was she already knew that while it was on her mind now, come the next time she would be just as overwhelmed by all the booths like always and it would completely slip her thoughts.

She stripped the plant to just the stalk, the small bundle held closely to her with her arm more than hands as she hurried back to where the huntress waited. Just as instructed, she arranged the fronds into a pile within arm's reach of where the Avora worked but off to the side enough to not cause a problem. She made sure they overlapped enough to completely cover the detritus below but Khara couldn't help but frown at how small the patch ended up being. It would work for a little while, but another quick glance at the large animal was more than enough motivation to send her sprinting away once more.

Another fern was soon spotted, stripped for all it was worth. The larger plant would hopefully be enough to finish off the one pile, but the arrangement of the leaves made it seem near impossible to move. Khara had no idea if they were planning on bringing back the organs of the moose, she certainly hoped they didn't. A return trip and the new larger fronds were added, giving quite a decent amount of space for whatever the Avora needed to place there. The Chiet felt marginally satisfied with the one set, but the huntress had clearly asked for two piles.

Khara couldn't move fast enough to resume the search. The struggle with the moose had obviously been far more taxing than she had expected as the rest of her body began making it's displeasure with the day's activity level known. Push through it. There was no other option, after all.

"No way," the words slipped from her in disbelief and surprise. She could have asked for something better, more appropriate, but there was no way fate or luck would be that kind. Really the gods had been more than generous already, all things considered, but still Khara got the strange feeling this would all have to balance out later and she wouldn't exactly be thanking them at that time. Khara approached slowly, afraid it would end up being some sort of illusion or trap. Before her one of the pine trees in the forest had fallen recently. She didn't care for the reason, but what she did care was that in it's crash to the forest floor it had sheered off several of it's branches. She examined them one at a time, looking for the one that still seemed fullest of it's clusters of pine needles that wouldn't be too heavy to pull, especially with added weight. Her choice was made as timely as possible and she hurried back towards the huntress and her kill, stopping only to snag as many more leaves from ferns and other larger plants that her free hands could carry, tossing the extras in a heap on top of the splayed branch.

Once more at the Avora's side she set everything in place, the tree branch off to the side. Next came the bits of foliage, overlapped and stacked once more into another pile. They'd have to transfer the meat from the fern leaves at some point, and some pine needles were bound to stick but Khara figured that would be a problem for the processing center to handle.

A glance over the set of spacing she had created for the huntress' needs and Khara felt that they were about as good as she could make them for the time being, if they needed more she could always run and get some. One job down and the rest of Azira's words came back to her mind. The huntress had already begun to cut into the hide of the creature and Khara wasn't sure exactly what to expect next. She grabbed one of the moose's back legs that was closer to the Avora and gently tugged it back and out of the way. Her mouth opened to speak, to see if there was anything else that needed to be done, maybe attempt to retie the moose's limbs to nearby plants with what rope remained to keep the creature's belly as easily accessible as possible, but she quickly snapped shut again. This wasn't the time for idle questions, not with the sudden sight of blood as the huntress' cut went deeper, not with the loss of words that came when it began to split open. Khara's eyes widened and a new prayer came to mind: That she wouldn't suddenly become sick at the sight and make herself seem even more a chick. She wasn't exactly squeamish, and for that she was thankful, but really there was nothing that could have prepared the scout for such a sight.
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"Nari" | "Common"