Solo When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted

[Lian Windrunner]

Timestamp: 19th Day of Fall, 514 AV It was a crisp fall morning. There was a definite bite to the air, but Lian knew that it would get warmer as the day progressed. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, and the early morning sun held the promise of warmth to come. A light wind blew through the tents as Lian and Talise made their way to the edge of the tent city. "Are you ready, Talise?" Talise snorted, and tossed her head. Then she butted her head against Lian's chest playfully. The mare's antics made Lian smile fondly. It seemed as though his strider was in high spirits today, and that always put him in a good mood. Lian opened one of his yvas bags, and pulled out his curry comb. When Talise saw it, she butted his hand in an obvious demand, making Lian laugh. "Okay, okay, my friend. First things first, right?" Still chuckling a bit, Lian began grooming his strider. With slow, gentle strokes, Lian brushed the dirt out of Talise's mane. Talise leaned into each stroke, clearly enjoying the attention. She sighed in pure contentment. I wonder who enjoys this more, Talise, or I? Lian wondered as he continued to work on her mane. When he was done with brushing out her mane, Lian moved to Talise's neck. With small, circular motions, he ran the curry comb over her neck. Talise held perfectly still during his ministrations, so it wasn't long before he was finished grooming the strider's neck. From there, he moved down to her shoulders. Talise leaned into the touch, and sighed in contentment once more. Once he was finished with Talise's shoulders, Lian moved to her sides, and finally to her withers. Then he was done, and he patted his strider's neck gently. She turned her head, and lipped at his fingers in affection. Lian put his curry comb back into his yvas bag. Then he pulled up a generous handful of grass, and offered it to his strider as a treat. Talise took the snack eagerly, and butted his chest with her head again. It was one of the ways in which she thanked him. Lian put her yvas on, and made certain that it was tight enough to stay on without being so tight that it would pinch her, or feel uncomfortable during a long ride. When he was done with that, he attached his yvas bags to the yvas. Then he mounted, and they were off. Lian gestured with his legs, asking for a brisk canter, and he got one. When they were out of sight of Endyrkas, Lian sat back, asking Talise to stop. Both strider and rider looked around, alert for potential danger. A cold wind blew through the tall grass, but there were no other signs of movement. Lian could hear bird song hidden in the grass around them, and that relaxed him even further. If there were danger near, the birds would be silent. But wanting to be as certain as he could be that there was no danger nearby, Lian slipped into the Web. While floating among the welcoming glowing blue strands of the Web, Lian saw pulses of glowing light all around him. These were the living creatures that called the Sea of Grass their home. The smallest ones were insects, and Lian dismissed them. Insects weren't a threat, even if some could be an annoyance at times. The next smallest pulses were small birds, and rodents. These too were harmless. They weren't the prey he was looking for. Birds were too difficult for him to kill unless he was lucky enough to catch one on the ground, and take it before it could sense his presence and take wing. Especially birds as small as the ones these pulses of djed represented. So he dismissed them as well. Lian found a few pulses within the Web that were likely to be rabbits or ground squirrels. But they were far enough away that Lian didn't consider going after them. It was all too likely that they would be gone by the time he got to where they were. Further to the south, he found pulses of djed that felt like they belonged to a herd of deer. That was more promising, but Lian also wanted to work on his tracking skills. So he dismissed these pulses too, for the moment. If he couldn't find a trail he could follow, and try to track prey in the physical world, he would search for prey in the Web rather than return empty handed. But that would come later, and only if needed. To the south west, he found a cluster of djed pulses that had a different feel to them. They had the feel that Lian had come to recognize belonged to predators. Glassbeaks didn't run in packs, so these were likely wolves, or wild dogs. And judging by the direction they were moving in, they had either scented the herd of deer Lian had found earlier, or would do so soon. There were no dangerous predators nearby though, so Lian allowed his mind to slip back into his body once more. While Lian had been in the Web, Talise had stood rock still, so her human wouldn't be dislodged by a sudden, unexpected movement on her part. Lian patted her neck in thanks for sensing his need. Then he gestured with his legs once more, asking for an easy trot this time. Strider and rider settled into the ride, each enjoying the company of the other greatly. They rode until they reached a stream. As the stream came into view, Lian saw a couple of rabbits drinking. He sat back, gesturing for Talise to stop. She did so immediately, her ears flickering every which way, alert for the slightest danger. They were far enough away that the rabbits either hadn't heard them approach, or they had, but Talise's presence had convinced them that they weren't a threat. One rabbit stood on its hind legs, alert for danger while the other drank at the stream. Lian dismounted slowly, not wanting to startle the rabbits into fleeing. The wind had stilled for the moment, so there was nothing to carry his scent to his prey, and alert them to their danger. Lian moved slowly as he unslung his bow from his shoulder. He took an arrow out of his quiver. Gripping his bow in his left hand, Lian pointed it at the ground while he placed the shaft of his arrow on the arrow rest with his right hand. Still the rabbits had not noticed his presence. Moving slowly so he wouldn't draw attention to himself, Lian attached the back of the arrow to the bow string, fitting the string carefully into the notch at the end of the arrow. Using three fingers to hold the arrow steady, he raised the bow so that it was pointing at the his prey. He still hadn't been scented, so he judged the distance carefully. When he was ready, he took his shot. There was no wind to affect the arrow's path, so it flew true. His aim was good, and his arrow skewered one of the rabbits from behind before it could sense its danger. Lian quickly took another shot, but this one was rushed, so his aim wasn't as good. That combined with the fact that the now panicked rabbit was already fleeing, caused him to miss the second rabbit completely. He hadn't really expected to be able to kill both, though, so he wasn't too disappointed. Lian walked over to the dead rabbit, and claimed his first kill for the day. He placed it in one of his yvas bags. Talise snorted, not liking the scent of blood, but Lian stroked her neck gently, and spoke softly to her until she calmed down. Then he picked up his second arrow, dusted it off, and put it back into his quiver.

[Lian Windrunner]

With that done, Lian crouched down at the edge of the stream, and took a long drink. Then he cupped his hands, filled them with water, and stood to offer the water to Talise. She had sensed that he didn't want her to get too close to the stream, and had stayed back. After several ticks, Lian lost track of how many times he filled his hands with water to offer Talise. But eventually she had had her fill, and she butted his hands playfully, splashing him with the water he had brought her. "Hey!" Lian protested with a startled laugh. Talise nickered, and tossed her head. It was obvious from her body language that she was laughing at him. Lian plucked a generous handful of tall grass, and waved it in front of his strider enticingly. When Talise moved to eat it, he pulled it back a few inches. He teased her with the tempting treat for several ticks, before letting her have it. Then it was time to put all playing aside, and get to work. Lian squatted beside the edge of the stream, and examined the tracks he could see around it. Most were a muddled mess that he couldn't make any sense of. But he did see a large number of hoof prints. They looked more like they had been made by the hoof of a deer than that of a horse or a strider. But there were several distinct differences in the size and overall shape of the print. They also looked vaguely familiar to Lian. He struggled to remember where he had seen such hoof prints before, and what might have made them. Then it came to him - zibri! These hoof prints were larger than a deer would make. And they looked more like a half circle in the back, ending in a V shape in the front with a bit of a point on the two front segments of the hoof print. Lian wasn't sure if they were bigger than an elk's print would be or not, but he vaguely remembered that an elk's print was much like that of a deer, only larger. Lian stood with a frustrated sigh. If someone had brought their herd of zibri to water at this stream, the herd would have destroyed any tracks that might have been here before their arrival. Lian couldn't tell how long ago the tracks were made, but the zibri prints looked fresher, and clearer to his inexperienced eye than anything else. So that likely meant that they hadn't been here all that long ago. There was no use trying to find a trail to follow here. It was time to move on, and try to find another stream he could use as a starting point. Lian mounted his strider, and used his legs to request a brisk trot. He steered her to the east, and they were off. Fortunately he knew of another stream further away that he had heard some other hunters talking about. It was a larger stream than this one, and according to the hunters he had overheard, you could fish there. Fish didn't interest Lian. He knew nothing of fishing, and he didn't have the gear he'd need even if he did know how. But a larger stream meant that more animals would come to drink, and that was of great interest to Lian. More animals would mean more tracks. That would make it more confusing for him to try and find a trail to follow...but at the same time, it increased his odds of finding a trail that was clear enough for him to read. After slightly over a bell of riding, they found the stream Lian had heard about. Lian dismounted, and pulled his canteen out of the yvas bag he'd stored it in. Then he walked over to the water's edge, and refilled it. Once the newly filled canteen was safely back in its yvas bag, Lian began looking at the myriad of tracks surrounding the stream in the hopes he could find something he could work with.

[Lian Windrunner]

As Lian examined the tracks near the stream's edge, he found many that looked similar to those made by the dogs that ran throughout the tent city. These were larger than most of those, though. That meant that these prints had likely been made by wolves. Lian tensed, and looked around, alert for the slightest sign of danger. Some of the wolf tracks were older, and partly muddled by the tracks of other creatures. But some were far fresher than he would like. Talise sensed his sudden alarm, and snorted sharply in warning. Her ears fell flat against the back of her head, as she too went on the alert. Lian didn't see any signs of wolves in the immediate area. That didn't reassure him much, though. If the tracks were fresh enough for him to be able to read so clearly, the wolves must have been here recently. It was unlikely that they were far enough away that they were no longer a threat. The wind wasn't blowing at the moment, but if it did start, and it blew in the wrong direction, it was entirely possible that Talise's scent would entice the wolves to return. Still, there was no immediate threat of attack. As a result, Lian felt it prudent to allow his mind to enter the Web. Once he was floating freely among the welcoming glowing blue strands of the Web that encompassed the entire Sea of Grass, Lian extended his senses, and "looked" around. It took him a few ticks to get his bearings, and identify where he himself was. Then he began his search. Spreading his senses out, he "saw" thousands of pulses of djed. Each one was a life. And each one belonged in the Sea of Grass. A herd of wild striders grazed several miles to the south. A lone boar ran through the grass east of his location as it headed southeast. Countless flickering pulses of djed all around him represented the birds as they went about their lives in the tall grass. Even the grass itself contained djed that Lian could "see" all around him. It took several ticks for him to sort out what he was "seeing," and filter it out so he could focus on what he was looking for. Finally, he found it. Judging from the number of djed pulses, it was a good sized pack of wolves. They were far too close to the stream for Lian's comfort. But they were moving away at a rapid clip that suggested they had scented some prey. So even if the wind sprang up, and betrayed their presence to the pack, it seemed unlikely that they would return. Talise's scent might draw them, but his scent was that of another predator. It might well be enough to deter them since they already had other prey to pursue. That made Lian feel a little better about the situation. The fact that they were far enough away that Lian and Talise would be able to get away before they returned helped, too. Lian returned to his body with a slight feeling of reluctance, and a sigh of relief. They were safe enough for the moment. Still, it wouldn't be wise for them to linger near the stream for long. Lian turned his attention back to the prints at the edge of the stream. Not finding anything that would help him find something he could hunt, Lian stood, and walked several yards downstream. Then he squatted down, and began examining the stream's edge once more. He found a bunch of deer tracks this time. Better yet, some were as fresh as the wolf tracks had been. Possibly even fresher. They were just as easy for even someone with Lian's decidedly limited skill to read, and it seemed likely that the deer had arrived after the wolves had left. Deer wouldn't approach an area when there were wolves present, after all. Looking around, Lian could see the tall grass bent, and several deer tracks leading away from the stream. Lian quickly called for his strider. It didn't take long for Talise to find him, and when he did, he mounted her. Then he used gestures with his legs to request a brisk walk as they set off following the trail he had found.

[Lian Windrunner]

As Lian rode, he paid close attention to his surroundings. Although it seemed unlikely that the wolf pack would return to the river and discover their trail, they were still too close for his comfort. That was part of why he kept a close eye on his surroundings. But he also wanted to use his own tracking skills in order to follow the trail he had found. And given how little skill he had in tracking, it would take every ounce of concentration he had if he hoped to have any success. So his eyes darted around, as he noticed a hoof print here, a patch of bent grass there, and a tuft of brown fur a bit further on. Using these clues, he was able to make a reasonable guess that he was on the right track. Lian became so engrossed in searching for the tiny clues that would show him that he was still on the right track that he lost sight of everything else. One bell passed, then two, then three. Lian was determined to follow this trail as far as he could without resorting to using the Web to see if he was drifting off course. But in doing so, he forgot to enter the Web periodically to see if any dangerous predators were nearby. He was so focused on following the trail, and improving his tracking skills that his focus narrowed too much. He became oblivious to the rest of the world. A breeze sprang up, making the grass around him rustle. Lian barely even felt it. But he noticed when Talise stopped in her tracks abruptly. She tossed her head uneasily, her nostrils flaring as she took in the scents brought to her delicate nose on the breeze. Her ears swiveled in all directions, trying to catch the slightest sound. After a few ticks, her ears fell flat against the back of her head, and she snorted loudly. It was a sharp, short sound...one that conveyed a warning that even Lian couldn't fail to sense, as focused as he was on what he was doing. Lian frowned, and looked at his strider in annoyance. His concentration was shattered. "What is it, girl?" he asked as he looked around to see what had startled his strider. There were no snakes on the ground that he could see. No movement in the grass save for the gentle swaying as the breeze passed through it. Nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. "Come on, Talise, there's nothing there. I was finally starting to get the hang of following this trail!" he grumbled. Lian's voice wasn't especially loud, but it sounded overly loud in the quiet surrounding them. He frowned. Something wasn't right. It took him a few ticks to realize just what was bothering him. The air all around him was silent. No birds called back and forth as they usually did. Something had frightened them all into silence. Eyes wide with alarm, Lian all but flung himself into the Web. The abrupt transition left him reeling, and it took him several ticks to regain his balance enough that he could look around. To his horror, the pack of wolves he had seen in the Web earlier had doubled back on their trail. They were close...too close for them not to have scented him and Talise. And they were coming closer at a rapid pace. Fear spiked through Lian as he dropped out of the Web, and back into his own body. Once again, the abrupt transition left him reeling for several ticks until he could regain his mental balance. It took him a few ticks longer this time, because his had to grow accustomed to being constrained in his physical body once more, and feel comfortable in his own skin before he could move normally. Although he was riding Talise, she wouldn't be able to run freely without fear of losing him if his body felt stiff and unnatural due to a painfully abrupt transition back out of the Web. "Go, Talise!" he called as soon as he was ready. But it was too late. The wolves were in sight, and approaching rapidly. It was hard to get a feel for how many there were because they were moving so quickly, but Lian counted at least five wolves. One, a large dark grey creature surged in front of the others. Lian realized it had to be the leader of the pack. It wouldn't be long before the wolves were close enough to attack. Panic began to set in. Lian fumbled for his bow, and an arrow out of his quiver. He dropped the first arrow out of sheer nerves. He grabbed a second arrow. Talise trembled with fear beneath him as he attached the back of the arrow to the bow string, and took hasty aim at the lead wolf. Lian loosed his arrow. If it hit the lead wolf, killing, or injuring it, it would slow the pack down, possibly even convincing it to give up the hunt. And even if it didn't it hit its target, it would slow them down as the wolf had to swerve out of the way to dodge the arrow. Not waiting to see if his arrow would strike true or not, Lian quickly slung his short bow over his shoulder once more, and leaned forward so that he was crouched low in his yvas. "Go Talise!" he shouted again.

[Lian Windrunner]

Talise needed no further urging. The strider mare exploded into motion, and was soon racing back the way they had come as fast as she could. Like her human partner, she wanted nothing to do with the pack of wolves on their trail. Using her wind gait allowed them to quickly put some distance between themselves. and the pack. But Lian was not reassured. He remembered learning that wolves were vicious, persistent things that could follow a trail relentlessly for miles. They were far enough ahead now that they weren't in immediate danger, but Lian had no desire to lead the pack back to Endrykas, and the herds of zibri that they would see as perfect prey. Lian shifted his weight in response to his strider's movements, making it easier for her to carry him as she ran. When they approached the stream where Lian had first seen the wolf tracks, Lian signaled for a jump. It wasn't a move he and Talise had practiced at all, but desperate times called for desperate measures. The stream wasn't very wide...but it might not have to be. Lian hoped that the disruption in their trail would at least confuse the pack of wolves. When Lian felt Talise bunching up beneath him in preparation for the jump, he braced himself as best he could, crouching low against his strider's back in the hopes that his body wouldn't offer much wind resistance. Not trusting his ability to stay on without aid, he clutched the rings on the yvas firmly to balance himself, and hold him in place. The jump itself felt like a sudden jolt when Talise leaped from the ground. Then it felt like what Lian imagined flying to feel like. It was an incredible feeling, and a distant part of Lian's mind that wasn't focused on escaping the deadly predators that were hunting them wanted to experience that feeling again. Landing was another, stronger jolt. Lian nearly lost his seat, but managed to cling to Talise's back long enough to regain his balance. Once he had done so, he signaled Talise to stop, his mind racing with an idea that might help to throw the wolves off of their trail. He remembered...or he thought he remembered Lukar telling him that water, especially running water could interfere with the scent of a trail. So he urged Talise into the stream, and had her walk through it. The water was shallow enough to make such a thing possible. But Talise was still very nervous since she couldn't see where she was putting her hooves. As a result, Lian kept her to a slow, steady walk for as long as he dared. Then he signaled her out of the stream a good distance south of where they entered it. Lian hoped that it would be enough to disrupt their trail badly enough that the wolves couldn't follow it any further. Having done what he could, Lian signaled Talise into a brisk trot, and turned them towards home. As a final, added protection, he would choose a long, winding path back to the city, rather than taking the most direct route.

[Dravite]

Lian Windrunner

XP Award:

• Riding, Horse: 4
• Animal Husbandry: 1
• Observation: 4
• Horsemanship: 2
• Webbing: 3
• Weapon, Short Bow: 1
• Hunting: 1
• Stealth: 1
• Tracking: 4
• Intelligence 1
• Tactics 1

Lore:

• Talise: Likes to be groomed
• Sea of Grass: Birds fall silent when there is danger on the plain
• Talise: A reliable mount
• Talise: A great hunting companion
• Bow: Three fingers to hold the bow string and arrow steady
• Tracking: High traffic near streams makes reading prints difficult
• Tracking: Zibri hoof-prints are larger than deer
• Tracking: Elk prints are slightly larger than deer
• Tracking: A Zibri herd is good at covering existing tracks
• Lian Windrunner: Isn’t interested in fish
• Tracking: Large streams attract large game
• Tracking: Wolves have bigger paws than dogs
• Tracking: Fresh predator tracks are something to be wary of
• Webbing: Using the web unguarded is risky
• Tracking: Deer won’t go where Wolves have been
• Tracking: Hair, prints, and damaged vegetation offer helpful clues
• Riding: Listening to your Strider might save your life
• Hunting: Wolves can be very persistent
• Tracking: Crossing running water is a good way to hide your trail from predators
• Endrykas: Never lead danger home
  

Penalties:
Lian will have an upset stomach after drinking untreated water directly from the stream.
Lian will have sore muscles for the next two days due to the long ride.
Talise will need to rest tomorrow.

Loot:
1 x rabbit

Notes: Great thread Lian! I really enjoyed reading your posts and being able to award you with so much tracking lore for your efforts! Your attention to detail, especially while using the Drykas web is superb. Let me know if you think I have missed anything here and be sure to edit your grading request!

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