Closed Forced Cooperation (Khara)

[Azira]

The scout had taken the piece of hide but Azira was interested to see what use she'd put it to. The pile of meat had been a substantial one and one that was perhaps too large to consider taking all of it back. No way could they manage to haul it back anyway, even if they did rig up something to bring all of it back; it'd be too heavy for them to manage.

Once Khara took the last of the meat the huntress stood, wiping her hands on the sides of her bryda, and surveyed what the other had made for the transport of the meat back to Wind Reach. It was far from pretty the sled that the girl had made but then the huntress wasn't going to comment on appearances; the moose had been a sore sight before and after its butchery. There was the branch that the girl had been clever enough to bring for them to use, once a lever but now forming the main body of the sled. The rope that had been used to tangle and trip their prey had been retrieved and put to some new use. What that new use was exactly was a bit of a mystery in the Avora's eyes, its arrangement looking remarkably like their trap but on a much smaller scale and with no clear purpose.

Azira approached frowning as she tried to work out what all the ropes were for. At this nearer distance she could see where the hide had gone. It had been spread over the smaller branches and twigs that came from the main body of wood, meat placed in the middle of it. It was uncovered for the moment as the scout was still adding to it and it was unlikely that there'd be enough left to wrap over the meat so they'd have to be a little creative. The huntress pondered it as she more closely examined the ropes and what they were attached to.

The ropes were holding the whole sled together! Sure the arrangement was a bit messy and there was probably more rope used in some places more than necessary but it wasn't purposeless and disorganised as it had originally seemed to her eyes. The ropes were tested carefully, the huntress tugged on them with moderate force to make sure that they didn't unravel as they had done in their trap. The scout's knotting was a bit better, a bit more secure this time with what appeared to be double knots in some places. They held securely although they weren't quite taut. Probably better that way. A little give in them would mean less constant tension and so less wear and tear. It'd be a disaster if they should snap after all so hopefully this would lessen the risk.

Her attention was turned back to the growing pile of meat, scrutinising it and the remainder of meat still on the ferns. Too much meat was going to be left behind with the way Khara was doing it. She was trying to make sure that there was hide left over to wrap over everything. The huntress worked it out logically. If they used something else to cover over the meat then they could allow the meat to spread out closer to the edge. That would leave the risk of it falling off or at least the run off of some blood. They didn't want a trail behind them. So they'd have to make a sort of wall around the meat. Could they use some small flexible branches? Green wood would allow a fair amount of bend but there was nothing to hold them in place once they were bent around the meat pile. So they'd have to secure it and... Best to put her thoughts to Khara.

"Do we have any spare rope? If we did then... we can use it to make a kind of fence out of some smaller branches. It could go around the meat and it could all be covered with ferns. It'd mean that we could bring more back because we wouldn't need hide left over to put over the meat," the huntress explained, frowning as she tried to work out the best way to attach everything. It was holding the branches in place that'd be tricky. Rope was thick, perhaps too thick for interweaving between branches and there probably wasn't enough of it for that anyway. Was there some natural rope, a strong plant? Ivy, maybe?

"I don't think that we have enough rope to wind all around the branches but if we could find a plant and wrap it through like ivy then maybe it'll hold the branches together in a kind of circle. And... we could attach the rope from one side to the other but maybe put it through the holes in the hide to go under it and back out again. Make a sort of basket." The girl's tone was uncertain but also a little hopeful. It might just be the thing that they needed but the teen was expecting some flaw to present itself. She ran over the plan in her mind, searching for any holes but couldn't find any although she wasn't confident that it'd work out as well in theory.

She nodded, coming to a decision. "We'll try it. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work but we'll have to be quick. Predators will have to show up soon and I want to be long gone by the time they do." Her knife, still bloody from its recent butchery, was offered handle first to the Chiet. "Go and cut some wood, green mind you, about an inch thick and maybe a few bits thinner than that so that they can be woven in between so there are no gaps. I'm going to go pull ivy." Unless the game scout offered any objections or suggestions the huntress would part ways with her once she took the knife and set off on the task that she'd assigned for herself.

Nari | Common

Template courtesy of Khara

[Khara]

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The new plan was listened to intently. She never would have thought to try and fashion some sort of edging around the entire thing! The assessment about the rope seemed sound as the Chiet had used most what remained already. Maybe, just maybe they'd have enough to try, but if not then maybe the ivy would do the trick.

It certainly wasn't the craziest thing they had tried that day, that was for sure. Khara couldn't help but wonder what any of the more experienced scouts or hunters would say if they found out exactly how it was the two teens had managed to bring in the kill. Given the haul that was spread out in the makeshift sled, the girl doubted they wouldn't really be able to say much about the method at all if it worked.

The mention of predators immediately snapped the Chiet's attention back to the present. No, there was no time to think about how anyone might react or even if the plan would work. Time was running out and if they took much longer not only would they be pulling a load of moose meat back through dangerous territory with tired and slightly bruised bodies, but they could very well be doing it in the dark. That notion was all that was needed for Khara to quickly accept the offered blade, the blood on her own hands making the grip slick at first and for a tiny tick she was terrified of dropping the thing.

"Green wood, inch thick, some smaller. Right." The instructions were repeated, solidifying them in her mind and hopefully letting the Avora know she had heard correctly and hadn't been entirely drifting away with her thoughts.

One last glance was cast in the huntress' direction before Khara quickly turned to head in the opposite direction. Her intention was to be as quick as possible with the task, returning to drop off what she could find every so often near the pseudo-sled. While the risk of actual predators was now firmly on her mind, she couldn't help but also be concerned for less dangerous but maybe just as aggressive scavengers that could be milling about. The last thing she wanted was to come back with an armful of wood to watch some of the moose's remains being dragged off by some pitiful creature that was far too quick to be dealt with. The scout wasn't sure how exactly, but she was certain if such a thing were to occur it would end up being her fault.

The search went relatively easily, most of the bushes and trees still showing new growth from the Spring that would work perfectly for what they needed. All in all Khara was glad they had traveled down into the valley as much as they had, any higher up and they would have started hitting the tree line and such things wouldn't have been in such plentiful supply. A branch was examined, tugged on, shoved, bent, anything Khara could think of to prove it was as springy as she expected it to be.

The actions caused another twinge of pain to run through her hands which she was forced to swallow down. Maybe she'd get a basin of warm water from the baths later and just let them soak. She'd probably have to pay someone for the privilege, far more than would be normal for someone of higher caste, but one look at the disheveled state of the Chiet and the pinions she'd have in hand and they'd take full advantage. It was okay though, Khara thought. It'll be worth it. Pretty sure I've earned it today, anyway.

Her grip on the hunting knife tightened as she set about trying to saw through the stubborn branch. There was no way she wasn't practically ruining the edge of the blade, something that caused her to visibly cringe at the thought that it wouldn't be sharp enough to keep cutting what she needed. Maybe Azira had a sharpening kit with her? Yes, because you have all the time in the world to sharpen a knife between each piece. A frustrated sigh left the Chiet as she pushed on, only hoping their luck held out.

The first thin branch came free with far more effort than the girl had wanted. It was fairly long though, so maybe they would only need one or two more to act as some sort of large base they could lash together around the edge and then use smaller on top of them. Khara tried to picture what they would attempt to put together in her mind but it didn't seem to work out. It kept taking on the form of some sort of woven basket that she had no idea how to put together. Even the basics of trying to weave anything together was a complete loss to the girl. How did you even start something like that? Maybe the huntress knew. She had to otherwise the suggestion wouldn't have even been made, right?

A nervous nibble at her lower lip and racing thoughts were enough for the Chiet's concentration to slip, along with her hand. A sudden flare of pain arced across the back of her left hand near where she had been holding onto the branch as her right sawed through it. There was no mistaking the line and fresh welling up of blood where she had sliced herself.

"Petch!" The curse left before Khara could hold it in and immediately hoped her voice hadn't carried too far. With all the drying blood from the moose covering her hands it was hard to get a good look at how deep the cut went and it certainly hurt enough as she flexed her hand but that may have been due to the fact it ran from the base of her thumb up along the edge to the first knuckle of her index finger. Whatever, not like my hands weren't in a sorry state already, the glum thought came to her. Now she really would need to try and bribe her way into the Infirmary.

With grim determination she finished cutting the second branch and set to work finding a third. If nothing else the fresh pain in her hand kept her more focused and didn't leave a lot of room for her thoughts to wander. With the larger branches secured she quickly hurried back to the kill sight and dropped them off. No scavengers seemed to have been anywhere near the carcass or their haul of meat, a lack of prints or anything seeming to be disturbed was noticed with relief.

Now for some smaller pieces, she forced herself to think before turning away from the sight and heading back to the nearby forest plants. Hopefully the huntress could begin to work with the few larger pieces she had brought back. Their collective length looked like it would have been enough to surround the edge of the sled which was good, but the Chiet certainly didn't want to keep Azira waiting for further supplies to craft whatever it was she had in mind.
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"Nari" | "Common"

[Azira]

The huntress knew that finding ivy wouldn't be much of a problem. It'd cling to other plants but it liked to snake up trees in particular, stretching up to the light. Trees were the best places to set about her task rather than having to bend to pull it out of bushes and other plants. She moved to the nearest tree with the greenery twining around its surface and tried to work out how to detach it. A tug showed where the many woody stemmed tendrils spread out but showed no sign of where they could be detached. A firmer tug that made the tendrils dig uncomfortably into her fingers. If she had her knife this would be much easier but there was one knife to do two of them and there was no way that wood could be gathered by hand.

The ivy was pulled more firmly, tendrils scratching her palms and her fingers before it finally snapped free and into a tangled mess. Wincing as she flexed her hand the young woman checked for any signs of blood. No, she hadn't cut anything in an obvious way but judging by the stinging she'd probably left lots of little tears in her skin. If she continued in this way then she was going to end up with her hands completely shredded by the time she was finished, those little cuts rent open further. No, her hands were going to have to be protected and she cursed herself for thinking it too warm for a katinu. If she'd had that then the material could have acted as a good barrier.

A flash of inspiration and she was hurrying to her backpack for once thanking herself for her over preparedness. A winter blanket was withdrawn, always kept packed on the off chance that she'd sleep somewhere overnight unexpectedly. Today it would have a different use: hand protector. Some of the material was wrapped around her palm, her hand covered in the cloth before she wrapped her thumb separately. Once that was done she approached her ivy tree again, tendrils still clawing up its surface, and grabbed. This time there was no hesitance in her tugging, the huntress wrenching the plant free one handed. That tree stripped of ivy that she could reach, she picked up what she had and deposited at the moose carcass.

A quick circuit was walked around the moose as the Avora looked on all sides for a sign of predators before she moved off to find a new ivy tree. The same method was employed as before once she found a suitable candidate, two hands needing to be wrapped this time though to allow for stronger tugging that didn't set her off balance. It was a good thing too because the plant that she'd chosen was a stubborn one. It didn't want to be parted from the tree with any sort of ease and so she had to fight with it. When it came away the huntress punched the air triumphantly and hurried back to her meat.

Figuring that she had enough ivy for now the girl went looking for a small length of rope to use for holding her basket together. Four or five feet was what she figured it'd take although if necessary she could work with less. She found two pieces still attached to the trees where their trap had been set, which would reach the right length when tied together. The knot could go under the hide so that it wouldn't get in the way but it'd still work just fine. Finding rope to use was the easy bit though. The hard bit was going to be working out how to weave the branches together.

Seating herself beside the sled, the huntress began to bend the branches that she had to make sure that they were flexible enough for the task that she had in mind. They'd bend into the semi-circular shapes that she wanted but unfortunately every time she let go they sprang back into their original shape. She wouldn't be able to do this alone that was for sure. She began trying to weave the branches together somehow trying to intertwine them somehow but she couldn't make it work with two. She tried three, trying to almost plait the pieces together but that didn't work well either. They couldn't wrap around one another but needed to wrap around something else first. She'd need to wait for smaller bits and then... do what?

Azira looked around for any sign of Khara's approach while she considered it. All the pieces horizontally weren't working but what if one of them was vertical. She set one of her longer branches vertically and placed two over it horizontally. She examined it for a minute and then placed one of the horizontal branches under the vertical one. One branch could go over a vertical piece and then under a different one and could be alternated like that. The huntress thought that it might work but she couldn't check; she didn't have enough wood.

When Khara reappeared the Avora was glad to see her. She waited for the girl to come close enough to drop off what she'd found before she addressed her, gesturing at the branch arrangement before her. "We want something like this I think but with shorter branches for the vertical bits. I think it'll work if you have a few vertical bits and you weave one branch over and then under and then over and so on and do the opposite with a second one. What do you think? Does it make sense? I couldn't try it because I didn't have enough wood." One of the thinner branches was taken up and examined. Her gaze went from the thinner wood to the thicker wood and back again. She bent the thinner wood as she continued. "I think we'll need to cut some of it and I think it should be the thicker wood. I don't know what I was thinking before but..." She trailed off. She didn't want to show that she'd had no idea what she was doing, not again.

Let the scout do what she would to make it work. Let her be the one to make mistakes although they'd most likely have to work together anyway.

Nari | Common

Template courtesy of Khara

[Khara]

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Khara had been fairly satisfied with the bulk of smaller branches she had brought back. Some had split when she had been removing them from saplings, the aggressive cutting she had been used to on the older trees needless against the fresher growth. She didn't mind that too much, though. The flatter edges may have ended up coming into use and if nothing else the thinner trips of wood would make for more flexible material. At least, that's what Khara hoped .

As sure as she was about the fact that she had brought enough wood to start with and could always run and get more, there was no stopping the quizzical expression that came over her as she listened to the Avora explain what she had been attempting to do. What did she think? The Chiet thought it was obscenely complicated, that's what she thought! She wasn't good at this sort of thing! All the finer crafts and intricate things that other Inarta could make and do with their hands had always been a loss to her. Fletching was about the only thing that had ever made any sense to Khara but that was because it involved learning how to make something she already loved work better.

Panic began to seep its way into the girl, leaving her with only the ability to mutely nod as she couldn't help but suddenly hear her pulse. Was it quickening? Was she as scared looking as she felt at admitting she didn't know what to do? Did the Avora notice? Was everything she'd done good at so far suddenly going to be completely knocked to the wayside because of a simple basket weave??

She dropped to her knees near the sled, heavier than intended but the daunting task ahead of her seemed to override any feelings of pain that wanted to shoot through her tired legs. The Chiet was overly aware of the sound of her breath and the way each movement seemed horribly slow as she began examining the pieces of wood, trying to picture how to put them together like the huntress had said.

Relax. Just focus on what you have to do. The thought made it sound so easy!

One of the larger branches she had initially brought over was tugged towards her. The length was obviously no real use despite her earlier thinking so she began cutting and using her hands to finish snapping off sections just a little shorter than her forearm, trying to keep them as even in length as possible. The branch only made four shorter pieces and the Chiet bunched the hide away from her slightly. The bottom branch was quite full still, twigs and pine needles making a rather thick base. She wasn't sure if it would be enough to hold but there was only one way to find out.

The first piece of cut branch was shoved as best as possible into the foliage along the edge, trying to wedge the piece between various twigs and limbs in an attempt to secure it. A small shake once it was placed proved it wasn't entirely fixed in place but it didn't immediately want to fall over, either. The same was repeated with the other three, trying to space them out equally while keeping in mind there was only two other such branches available to them. Once the vertical posts were in place she turned her attention toward one of the sapling limbs that had split down the length of the branch. Carefully, slowly, being forced to hold the vertical pieces as still as possible with her knee or other parts of her body, she wove the thinner piece of wood between the posts she had made. In front of the first, behind the second, back to front and ending behind the fourth. The ends were left long, hopefully with enough to reach the rest of the posts once they had been cut and put into position somehow.

As Khara let go she was terrified the entire thing would spring back on her and send the bits of wood flying into the air and for one very tense moment where she held her breath it seemed an absolute certainty. When nothing happened save for the shifting of one of the posts in place a touch as it settled, the scout allowed herself to relax for a moment and reached for the other piece of flexible green wood. Opposite, she said, the reminder came and not a moment too soon. The same slow careful motions were used again, this time starting behind the first post to her left and then zigzagged across in a similar way as the first had been. It once more took a bit of work to make sure everything stayed in place as she worked, but she didn't dare ask the huntress to lend a hand to help steady things. It wasn't a matter of pride so much as just asking for help seemed like it wouldn't be appreciated.

Another breath was held as she finished the second piece's arc around the last bit of vertical branch. With the lower piece trying to pull the entire thing one way and the upper attempting the same in the opposite direction everything stayed in place, more or less. Khara wasn't certain if it would stay that way for long or if it would all come undone when they tried to move the mass but for now it looked okay - Well, if she was honest it looked horrible - okay enough to keep going at least. A glance was finally offered towards the Avora to get her take on the small portion she had finished.
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"Nari" | "Common"

[Azira]

The look that Khara gave her as she tried to explain what she wanted to do didn't bode well for the attempt itself. Azira was trying to explain, she hadn't tried to make it overly complicated on purpose but the Chiet didn't seem to be getting it if her expression was anything to go by. It wasn't Azira's fault... then again maybe it was. Her avoidance of interactions with others at every opportunity hadn't exactly helped her communication skills. Her lack of communication skills could certainly hinder her from putting together an explanation that the other could understand. If only she could somehow project the images forming in her head into the other woman's mind. It wasn't possible unfortunately and so she'd just have to make do with what she had, maybe demonstrate so that she could understand where she was coming from.

The question of how to go about demonstrating was one that she didn't quite know how to tackle. Her eyes moved down to the pieces of wood, including the new thinner pieces that Khara had brought, trying to determine how it could work. Her eyes moved to the sled, gauging the height they would want to keep their meet in their little enclosure and when she looked back to the wood pile the Chiet was already setting to work. The huntress watched her uncertainly, not sure if she should intervene or not. There was no real advice that she could offer, the Avora as lost in this situation as the other teen was. There was no guarantee that her plan would even work. She hadn't been able to try it out and visualising it wasn't going to help her pick out the possible flaws.

One of the long, thick branches was quartered, the knife left beside the pile of wood as Khara began arranging her new posts for their woven fence. She remained perfectly idle as the girl attempted to hold the posts in place while weaving one of the thinner branches around them. It was with bated breath that she watched the construction released, unsupported by any of the Chiet's limbs. It moved, one of the posts tilted slightly before it righted itself and the fence work so far held. The question was for how long? It didn't look too stable and it was still possible that it could collapse at any moment. They needed more supports, they needed to start securing what they had and Azira needed to get up off her arse and do something.

As the scout began weaving a second branch into the fence, the huntress picked up the discarded knife and started sawing. The branch she chose to cut was held up for comparison with one of the existing posts before she cut through it, measuring carefully before each new cut. It was slow work, the hunting knife beginning to blunt from all of the wood cutting that it wasn't supposed to do. A trip to a weaponsmith to get it sharpened would be in order after they returned but for now she had to use an immense amount of force and vigorous arm motions just to get one section of wood to part from the rest. After a couple of chimes, the pieces had all been passed to Khara and the teen had set to work on the final thick branch. Again a few chimes sawing and muttered swearing were in order before she'd finished with the branch, leaving her hands full of wood splinters. The splinters were painful of course but she didn't have time to pick them from her palms right now. Instead she set about securing the parts of their fence together so it'd hold.

The ivy that she'd picked early was retrieved, disentangled from their lump and divided into ropy tendrils. The plants were wrapped clumsily around different points of the wood and tied in place. Ivy was wrapped around the posts, tendrils woven in and around the flexible sticks that made up the fence. In between the posts, she wove it in between each stick and then wrapped it around the whole, knotting it several times to ensure that it would hold. Despite all the ivy she'd gathered she found herself running out halfway through the process. This time the knife was taken with her, some instructions thrown over her shoulder to Khara as she set off on her ivy gathering once more. "Move that meat back onto the ferns. It'll only get in the way when we're putting the rope through the hide to hold everything together."

She was only gone a few chimes, the knife making the work go much faster than before in spite of its bluntness. It wasn't long before she had enough of the natural rope to work with and could return to securing the fence. Once she'd gone all around it, tucking loose branch ends into it as best as she could, the huntress gave it a tentative shake to see if it would hold. It wobbled a bit showing that it wasn't all that secure but it'd do. They just needed to attach the rope somehow and thread it through the hide to make sure that the whole thing wouldn't fall apart. At least that's what the rope was supposed to do but she supposed that it could just as easily make matters worse.

"Where should we attach the rope?" she asked her companion, holding the rope in question in her hand. "Can we attach a post on one side to one on the other side? Will it hold? I don't know how secure they are and if those posts come out we'll be in a whole world of trouble." The huntress walked around it, shaking each post tentatively to check how securely they were fixed. There was more than one that was more wobbly than it should have been. "I'll get some more ivy, fix the bottoms of these posts to the sled. You're in charge of stringing the rope from one side to the other. When you finish that you can start loading the meat in. Quickly. Very quickly. It won't be long until it's dark and we want to be well on our way before then. Understand, Chiet?"

Azira had returned to her original, impersonal treatment of the girl. She was there to be ordered around and nothing more. She'd served her purpose when the Avora had really needed her help and now that that need was coming to an end, any equality between the two of them could be discarded.

It didn't take long for her to come back with more ivy, the trees in the immediate area stripped fairly clean at this stage. It was more of a struggle to finish the work on the little meat enclosure now but she persevered. Her hands were truly beginning to ache at this stage. Not only were they full of splinters and rope burns from when they'd been battling with the moose but she also suspected that she might be allergic to the ivy. There were red blotches on her palms and fingers that were itchy but hurt when she tried to scratch at them. It was an effort to ignore the sensation but she knew if she scratched at her palms they were only going to get worse. It'd probably mean a trip to the Infirmary when they got back so that she could have all her scratches and splinters taken care of. Maybe she might even put in a word to allow Khara to be treated there just this once despite the fact that she was a Chiet. If Azira had sustained various injuries then it made sense that her companion would have too.

Once the posts were as stable as she felt that she could get them given the circumstances, the huntress stood up and took a step back to survey their work. Her fingers worked absentmindedly at removing a splinter on her left palm as she ran a critical eye over their creation. It had taken a lot of work and there was still a risk that it would fall to bits on the way back to the city but they'd still made it. Against all the odds they'd managed to not only find the bull moose but kill it, butcher it and find a way to transport its meat. If she could just get it to the mountain now she'd be more than content. The Chiet working in the Processing Centre were going to collapse with shock when she brought this haul into them.

Don't count your Wind Eagles before they're hatched. Get it there first then worry about what everyone will think, she warned herself.

If the Chiet still needed help moving the meat to the sled then she'd lend a hand and help her cover it up with the ferns. The plants were spread out in as thick a layer as they could manage, making sure that nothing poked out. A few bits of wood were left over from their fence making and the Avora stuck those on top of the pile, placing them in a way that would keep the ferns weighed down in case they had any intentions of moving while they were tugging this thing back to Wind Reach. When everything seemed ready, Azira moved to the ropes that Khara had left free to allow them to pull the thing. She picked one of them up, pulling it taut but not tugging in earnest yet; she would wait for the scout first.

"Well it's all uphill from here. Best make a move on. Let's go!"

Nari | Common

Template courtesy of Khara

[Khara]

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Rope and ivy had been secured as best as they would be, piles of meat had been unloaded and then reloaded, and all pretense - no matter how small - of the two Inarta teenagers being equal on any level whatsoever thanks to unfamiliar tasks was as far gone as possibly could be. It was comforting and terrifying all in the same moment.

Khara had held her breath more often than not as Azira had struggled with the ivy and the remaining posts and branches. Orders had been followed quickly, hesitation over doing something wrong lost over the overwhelming need to be obedient once more. The scout had wished they had two pieces of rope remaining, so they could have been crossed over, perhaps diagonally to the length of the sled so a big X would form under the hide and could possibly end about where she had secured the ropes they would be pulling from. The single piece however would only be long enough to stretch across once and so Khara opted to try to stabilize it across the width. One of the more stable posts had been chosen, the rope tied off around it and part of the "fence" the branches had been made before going for something similar on the opposite side. The second post didn't seem to be quite as secure, but hopefully the taught rope would help to keep pulling it towards the bundle rather than falling out.

They had worked in silence, which the Chiet wasn't sure if was actually a good thing or not, but eventually everything was in place as good as it was going to be. Another small prayer had left the scout when he huntress had moved towards the ropes left to pull everything by. It wasn't directed at any god or goddess in particular, just a general plea for everything to continue to work in their favor.

The scout hurried into position and took up the other length of rope, trying to keep her expression neutral at worst, somewhere between confident and hopeful at best. Her hands practically screamed in protest at being made to hold onto the rough material again, though and the Avora's words did little to ease the anxiety that wanted to well up in that moment. It was going to be all uphill, literally and figuratively. If their sled didn't work out, if the meat suddenly all tumbled to the ground, if it broke apart back where she had come across the zynx tracks, if anything went wrong their entire hunt would be for naught. Khara didn't doubt they could and more importantly would come up with some way of recovering what they could if the worst happened, but they wouldn't be able to bring back nearly the amount they were planning to.

The rope was looped and wound around the Chiet's right wrist, hopefully to give Khara a better hold on it with the small injures she'd sustained. One last glance given to the huntress and hey both stepped forward and began to pull. The entire bundle of branch, rope, ivy, ferns, hide, and meat didn't want to budge at first which caused another temporary flare of panic. It didn't matter if it would hold together if they couldn't move it!

Whether it was through stubbornness, perseverance, or just the knowledge they had to succeed, both teens continued to try and pull. Ropes became taught, the sled itself seemed to tremble and protest the exertion as if it was a living thing that was pulling back against them in the opposite direction. Wood creaked and cracked under the strain, a post came loose on the far edge from where the Inarta struggled, the branches slumped inward to rest against the contents, and for one agonizing moment Khara feared the entire thing would come entirely apart.

Then slowly, stubbornly, the weight shifted across the forest floor, finally giving in to the efforts of the huntress and the scout. Once it began moving it was easier to maintain as the makeshift sled was dragged forward. Not that it became easier. Khara felt as though every muscle in her arms, shoulder, back, and legs were being used. Each time the sled had to be moved in any direction but a straight line she found herself terrified it would come apart all over again, that if they stopped for anything it would never be made to move once more. Rocks, roots, and uneven ground in general became their worst enemy as they trudged through the forest in a silence that Khara doubted she could have broken if she needed to. The girl didn't consider herself to be in bad condition, but whereas the hunt and dressing of the moose had given her room to question her abilities, the pulling of the sled seemed downright determined to test every last bit of her strength and endurance.

She couldn't wonder if the huntress was in a similar state, or if wary glances had been cast in her direction by the much more seasoned Avora, even if her thoughts would occasionally try and grab hold of every doubtful thought. You'll never make it, they echoed. Something is going to go wrong and when it does... The thought had to be pushed aside, traded for encouragements that didn't quite drown out the more negative and far more likely end results. Still, there was nothing to be done but press onward.
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"Nari" | "Common"

[Azira]

Failure was a very real possibility as the pair tugged on the sled. It didn't want to move, refused to move and the huntress was terrified that the force necessary to set it going would break the whole makeshift structure in the process. Attempting to make it move was no mean feat either, the Avora pulling on the rope with a vigour that Khara seemed to match. Her right hand had been wrapped with the rope, followed by her left to try to minimise the chance of it slipping. It gave her a firm hold and it did stop the rough fibres burning across her hands and out of her grip altogether but it was still agony. Even before she had to pull anything her hands throbbed, the act of gripping the rope a new agony in itself but to try to haul the sled towards her was a different thing entirely. The connection to the sled was pulled taut, the pressure placed on the fibres as she tried to use that connection to drag it towards her. After a few chimes of huffing, puffing and pulling with all their strength, their contrivance finally moved into action, a post failing in the process. It held together though in spite of all the strain they were putting on it and Azira almost wanted to laugh to find that they'd been successful.

The willingness for mirth was short lived however as the struggle began again in earnest. It was moving now, it's momentum lessening the burden but it was still an effort to get it to keep a move on. It wasn't long before her hands grew slick and given the pain her hands were in she figured that it was blood rather than sweat but she didn't dare to confirm it. Instead the huntress just kept pulling until the skin of her palms and fingers seemed to grow stiff and unwilling to stretch, continuing on in spite of the pain. Her hands were important to her, vital in fact if she was to hold a bow but she needed them now too, there was no other option available to her. All she could hope was that someone in the Infirmary would be able to help her with a quick fix or at the very least do something so that her injuries wouldn't impair her work. The skin was already calloused and so she would have expected it to hold up better than it had but she had clearly been mistaken.

The terrain was difficult for the sled to navigate even with the direction of the two young women. They had to steer it where the trees would allow and also where the ground wasn't too rough, something that was going to become impossible to avoid once they grew closer to the city. That was something to be thought of later when the greater trials were upon them. Dwelling on them this early would take all their will from them and then they wouldn't be able to bring themselves to move anywhere on what seemed a hopeless endeavour. For now they worked their way back by the easiest route, moving on a path similar to the one they'd taken to get there. It wasn't exact but it was something that acted as their guide. As long as they didn't lose its position, they couldn't become lost. Even if they had they could have found their bearings again but such a thing would take time, a commodity that they were fast running out of. It would not be long before Syna's orb hid itself below the horizon and plunged them into darkness and made their difficult journey treacherous.

There path brought them by the river once more, it's banks having to be carefully traversed so as to keep the sled away from the softer earth near the water's edge into which it could sink if they weren't cautious. They didn't have the luxury of being to stop to find the way and navigate it more accurately because if their cargo stopped they'd have an extremely difficult time moving it onwards again. It was no mean feat to keep as far from the sticky mud as possible with pesky trees taking up the drier ground so as to make their lives all the more difficult. They got by without too much mishap although another of the fence posts shifted in position, becoming a bit more tilted than it had been.

Once they were passed that tricky spot they only had to contend with all the different points that were difficult for new reasons. It was a nightmarish path but one they were forced to traverse as best as they could. Obstacles that could be moved, mostly loose stones, were kicked out of the way by the Avora as she travelled ahead of the meat sled. On areas that were reasonably devoid of hazards she was able to glance in the scout's direction every now and then. Her body seemed to reflect some of what she herself was feeling, the physical exertion taking its toll on both of their movements. Her expression fluctuated, conveying different things depending on when Azira looked her way.

They couldn't keep moving continuously as much as they needed it. They'd been exhausted before they'd begun but now this toil would have only made matters worse for both of them. Taking a break was going to be necessary for them both but if they did it they'd be left with the struggle to move the sled again. It needed to be done though and they'd just have to worry about moving it again when they were rested.

"We're going to take a break now," she warned before she stopped pulling and dropped the rope. The sight of her palms proved her earlier suspicions, the skin stained with dried and fresh blood with a few wells of partly congealed blood where the skin had been broken. Her hands were burning and so she fished out her water skin and poured some of the precious substance over the skin, wincing as she did so. They were rubbed carefully together, cleaning both her hands somewhat without setting the blood flowing again. Once that was done the water skin was uncapped again so that she could take a drink.

"How are your hands?" the huntress asked softly. She doubted that Khara's hands were as bad as her own unless she'd sustained injuries as well. She might have splinters too from her wood cutting and maybe some rope burns but unlike Azira she hadn't dealt with the ivy. "We'll only rest for a few chimes because we need it but I know that we're losing daylight. It'll probably be dark by the time we get back to the city but I'd like to keep the time fumbling around in the dark to a minimum. Every bit of daylight matters." She sat down, feeling the relief of being off her feet almost at once. It wasn't just her arms that were under strain but her legs as well. Without thinking she patted the patch of ground beside, hissing as her hurt palm hit off the rough surface. It was lifted up for her to examine but thankfully it hadn't started bleeding afresh; that would happen once she went back to her rope. "I definitely need to go to the Infirmary after this. I'll have to drag you along for good measure, you know."

Five chimes was all the huntress was willing to rest. Hardly enough time for her body to recover much at all but it was all the time that she could afford. Once that time was up, she'd raise herself from the ground reluctantly and return to her rope and the second round of sled pulling.

Nari | Common

Template courtesy of Khara

[Khara]

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Words couldn't possibly describe the relief she felt as the Avora brought a halt to their movements. Despite the knowledge that it would probably be extremely difficult to get moving again, her bit of her had been begging for a rest. Khara couldn't help but wince as she let go of the rope, the earlier rope burns and slice from the knife had left her hands feeling raw but now they seemed almost reluctant to let go. Pain flared through her hand as she flexed and stretched her fingers of her left before she unwrapped the rope from around her opposite wrist. A new batch of grimacing and winces came as there too had the rope left it's mark. Despite the renewed stinging sensation she rubbed at the red indents in her skin.

The question from the huntress caught her off guard and the Chiet's head snapped up to look at her before looking guiltily back down at her hands. She didn't quite have an answer, not knowing entirely how bad everything was what with the dirt and grime from the day's activities, blood from the moose as well as herself, and splinters both from the rope as well as wood possibly impeded in her hands. It hurt that was for certain, but not as much as she expected. Whether that was a good thing or not though...

The huntress continued to speak as Khara noticed the patch of wet ground near where Azira had chosen to sit. It made her realize how parched her throat was and pointed at the obvious way of getting a better look of the state of her hands. The Avora's previous actions were mimicked while Khara listened, a drink of water taken from her water skin before she poured some over her hands to wet them enough to at least wash off he less stubborn stains and debris. A sharp intake of breath was hissed between clenched teeth as Khara attempted to keep the expression from fully showing. The Chiet was attempting to use her cropped fingernails to pull out what looked like a small piece off the rope from between abraded skin and broken blisters she hadn't even realized she had obtained when mention of the Infirmary was brought up.

It made her think back of he horrified look she had been given when she had tried to explain that Chiet weren't really supposed to make use of the place to the once-outsider who had become her friend. She had considered making use of his Avora status to gain her entry now without having to spent a small fortune of pinions, despite the fact it would weigh heavily on her conscience, but here Azira was, well... Not offering, but definitely made it be known she wasn't exactly planning on letting the Chiet fend for herself either.

"Thank you," Khara meekly offered. The words seemed insignificant. What good was her thanks to an Avora? "I... I normally would try and clean this up myself but I slipped with the knife earlier..."

The admission of incompetence caused as much of a wince as the movement of her hand that seemed to reopen the cut did. Only a trickle of blood left the wound and like a lot of things that day, Khara wasn't quite sure if that was preferable or not.

The Chiet looked back to where Azira sat, once more the knowledge that sitting would probably only make things worse when they decided to move again came to mind only to be brushed aside. It probably was a bad decision to not continue to stand, especially given how little time they would actually have to rest if they wanted to try and still beat the ever approaching darkness, but at that moment Khara didn't care. Gods it felt good to sit down. No doubt the moment would end all too quick when the huntress decided it was time for them to move onward.

Her gaze returned to her hands, a slight glance given towards Azira's as well before a slight laugh left her. She might very well ended up regretting what left her next, but in that moment the Chiet was far too tired to care. "I'm thinking a sturdy set of gloves need to be added to my work kits."
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"Nari" | "Common"

[Azira]

The scout was obviously uncertain what to make of the Avora allowing her to go to the Infirmary after this. Chiet weren't supposed to be treated there although she was sure that a few of them managed to slip in all the same through one way or another. It wasn't the done thing to stick your neck out for a Chiet but Azira was willing to do it. Her hard ass reputation might suffer some but that was something that could be fixed or so she hoped. The scout had helped her out far more than she was willing to admit, even to herself but without the other girl she would never have found the moose let alone be able to kill it and haul its meat back like this. She owed her for it.

The woman's remark on a need for gloves made her laugh lightly. "Oh I certainly need to invest in a pair of gloves all right. Hadn't thought that much about it before today but I do have a horrible tendency to have accidents involving my hands. Gloves would probably save me a whole lot of pain," she commented. The young woman winced as she picked up the rope again, forcing her aching fingers to wrap it around her hands once more. There was probably a better way of doing it but at this stage the damage was already done. No point in worrying about it now but just to think about getting the sled moving again. Syna's orb was go south fast, far more quickly than Azira would have liked. They were going to have to get a move on and they still had the worst of it all to come. They had to get up to the city. It would be no easy task that was for sure.

"Okay on three we pull together and we don't stop until I say so. Ready? One. Two. Three!" The rope was pulled taut, tense between the sled and the huntress as she tried to force the sled into motion. Signs of movement were small at first. The whole structure shook with the force that was attempting to draw it forward, the big branch that the sled was made from twitched forward little bit by little bit. The twitching changed to sliding, the sled moving forward an inch instead of a fraction of one. The distance it moved grew and the length of time that it was stopped shortened until it was in constant movement. Its speed wasn't great even then but at least it was moving. It wasn't likely to keep moving that smoothly for long though. Once they got to steeper ground it was likely that it'd be very stop and start in terms of movement.

It wasn't long before the ground began to incline, gradually at first before becoming rapidly steeper. It wasn't a slope that'd leave her puffing if she was walking up it but with the weight behind her, dragging her down it was suddenly the most difficult slope she'd ever had to traverse. The muscles in her arms and legs began to feel as tense as the rope seemed and began to ache. Her hands weren't too much better off either, the blood slick on her palms again. This time she didn't have to look to know what it was. Blood mixed with sweat squelching and oozing out of her grasp if she clutched at the rope particularly hard. The material should have been too rough to become slippery but was beginning to soften and become slick as it began to grow wetter. It was probably more sweat than blood if the clamminess of the rest of her body was anything to go by although it was entirely possible that she'd managed to rip open more of her skin.

A glance was cast in Khara's direction, the huntress regarding her with a glaze to her eyes from pain and tiredness. The Chiet had mentioned a slip up with the hunting knife earlier so she was no doubt in quite some pain depending on the severity of the wound the blade had made. It could have just have happened to her, which meant that gloves were a definite must for the future. They might not prevent her getting cut but they would definitely lessen the damage. The blood on the hands of the huntress were only from small tears but if the knife had indeed sliced into the game scout's hand then she was probably in more pain that Azira was in.

"How's the hand holding up?" she gasped, struggling to pull the sled over a pesky bump in the terrain. "You said that you'd cut it so I thought... I thought I'd just ask about it. Don't want you bleeding to death on the way home. That'd be a bit a bother for me." She laughed breathlessly but she knew that she'd probably said the wrong thing. The Chiet wasn't likely to find any amusement in the Avora finding it an inconvenience if Khara bled to death even though the huntress had tried to make it come across as light hearted. She'd probably overstepped a line, not that she hadn't done so already quite a few times. It was doubtful that the scout had taken kindly to the not so subtle threats that the huntress had made on her life earlier. Why causing offence to the other young woman seemed to bother her now though was a bit puzzling. Did she enjoy Khara's company? Not particularly, she talked too much.

Another bit of uneven terrain required some more enthusiastic pulling, no strength left in the huntress. She mused over why she didn't want to offend Khara. Did she want her for a friend? No but she might be useful as an ally. Perhaps ally was the wrong world but Azira knew that she could take advantage of the Chiet's skills in tracking. If the young woman could be persuaded to teach her, without really letting on to the fact that she wanted teaching then the other could be easily discarded. For now though she had to be kept sweet.

Nari | Common

Template courtesy of Khara

[Khara]

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Just as expected, getting moving once more proved to be a rather difficult task but the two somehow managed it. Their progress was slow, however, and Khara came to the unfortunate realization that there was no way they'd make it back to Wind Reach before Syna had fully retired for the evening. The only small blessing coming from the fact that with her leave so too went the day's heat. A cooler breeze whispered through the ever thinning trees, carrying the barest hint of the waters of Thunder Bay. While normally it would have been refreshing, the exertion of continually moving the sled coupled with the overall exhaustion of the day made it hard to really notice or appreciate.

The rope felt as though with each passing tick it was digging more and more into her hands and where she had wrapped it once more around her wrist. A quick glance to the side brought a cringe as she couldn't help but notice the red seeping around the huntress' grip on the rope. The cut in the scout's hand throbbed but had stopped bleeding for the moment, leaving her feeling a pang of sympathy for the Avora. Khara wasn't sure if she should push down the sensation or not, compassion was a good thing, but rarely something the higher castes wanted to experience from the lower. Khara couldn't really blame them, she wouldn't exactly want some drudge trying to ask about her well being, implying somehow that they saw a weakness in her that could possibly bring her down to their level.

That suddenly struck her as a strange thought. It wasn't that she had ever been outright cruel towards the Dek, but still the thought of dealing with them, with even being remotely considered equal among them? Khara couldn't think of a more detestable thought. The scout was no stranger to the same sentiment being leveled at her but Chiet were useful, at least. Not that the drudge didn't serve a purpose but it just wasn't the same. Was it? It can't be. We actually get to wear normal clothing, get a room , get to-

The line of thinking was cut off by Azira's question. Maybe it was just the strain of pulling the sled, but Khara thought she heard the faintest hint of concern in her voice. Couldn't be. You're hearing things, sparrow. Still, the huntress had asked and that added bit about her being bothered if the scout were to bleed out was more than enough to put a bit of doubt in her mind. She probably meant that she doesn't want to have to haul your dead body back as well. Or manage the sled by herself. Or something else. There wasn't any anger in the thought, no judgements made on the Avora's character, just the simple fact that those options seemed far more likely than the huntress actually caring about the Chiet, especially given the way the day had started. Even if Khara did secretly hope she did in some small way. The girl felt like she'd done a decent enough job that day, been helpful, actually proven she was worth something other than just an extra set of hands to help bring the kill back to Wind Reach. While any sort of recognition from the huntress was entirely unexpected, it wasn't exactly an unpleasant concept, either.

"It-It's okay," Khara struggled to say. As if she wasn't breathless enough from pulling the sled, the question itself wasn't exactly one she knew how to answer. She could be honest, she supposed. Tell the huntress that she was worried that she may have cut herself far deeper than she first thought, that the lack of pain she was expecting was due to nicking something important that let her actually feel that. It seemed like needless worry, though. Either it was worse or better or exactly as she expected, there was no way to tell until a healer either looked at it or the Chiet found herself with less mobility than she had before that day, or something worse.

A sidelong glance was cast towards the Avora, cut short as another wince forced itself upon the scout as a particularly stubborn patch of ground caused the rope around her wrist to coil a bit tighter as the two Inarta had to pull all the harder. A breath of a laugh left her, a slight cough following in its wake as it caught in her throat. Still, the edge of the smile tugged at her lips and a small shake of her head directed her attention forward again.

"Promise I won't collapse until we get back," Khara offered. She attempted to sound as lighthearted as she meant the comment to be, but the words came out through pants for air and the game scout couldn't help but wonder if it stole all the humor she meant away.

Another look towards the huntress was tested, eyes catching on the crimson stains on the rope near her hands. The Chiet had a feeling she would regret the next words to leave her, much as she did quite a bit else that day but whatever strength Khara had was being focused towards making sure she didn't stumble, or trip, or leg go of the rope, which left the vigilant task of keeping herself silent briefly unattended.

"What about you?" The question slipped before Khara could properly phrase it, a moment of panic flashed in her golden eyes as the boldness of the question and all the ways it could be misunderstood toppled over her.

"Y-your hands, I mean," She quickly clarified, accompanying it with another look towards the rope before her eyes sheepishly climbed back to look back to Azira without making eye contact. "They look kind of… bad."

An offer of help, of Is there anything I can do? lurked on the tip of her tongue before it was swallowed back. You're not a healer, her thoughts finally chimed in, bringing a halt to her babbling before it got out of control. Just in time too as the path became steeper once more. To think, she'd ran most of the way back to Wind Reach the day prior. Maybe next time they could bring someone else whose job would be purely to bring the meat back. If there's a next time.
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"Nari" | "Common"