Solo Chasing The Wind

[Merevaika]

Merevaika 21st day of Fall 514 Denviel sat by Merevaika's feet, watching as she packed up a few belongings into the rucksack she was holding; torn, muddy and clearly not fit for its job. Merevaika let out a grunt of fustration as she struggled to fit her belongings in. The tent lay in a half crumpled heap beside her, with a few scattered possessions on top. Denviel looked up at her in a curious way. His mistress wasn't usually this desperate to go away, and he could sense her agitation. He wined as if to show he cared, then stood up. Merevaika bent down and scratched him behind the ears, in the spot he loved to be scratched. She then turned back to the hopeless task of packing. Merevaika gave up in trying to neatly organise her belongings into the bag, stuffing them into it instead. Her fustration had obviously reached both Denviel and Eryunt, who were looking at her differently than normal. "Oh, boys, don't mind me!" she laughed, letting go of the fustration. She knelt beside the tent, folding the material up to a neat square, before tying it onto Eryunt. Merevaika slipped the backpack onto her back, before changing her mind and adjusting it onto Eryunt's back as well. It looked strange, but would have to do. Merevaika turned back to the rest of her things, pushing them into the Yvas bag. She hated packing up, but the urge to break free, even for a little while, was stro ger than that hate. "Eryunt, you ready?" she asked him, slipping onto his back. He whinnied in response, and started to trot forward. Merevaika whistled to Denviel, and he bounced up beside them. She smiled, then slowly walked Eryunt to the main gates, winding in and out of some tents . They stepped out, a burst of wind suddenly whistling past them. Oh, what it was like to be free.

[Merevaika]

Merevaika kept the rising sun behind her back, heading west away from the city. She urged Eryunt on, pushing him faster and faster. Merevaika leaned forward, breaking into a gallop. The wind whistled around them, and Merevaika relaxed, letting her feelings go. Eryunt raced ahead, a Cyphrus horse on Cyphrus soil. She laughed at the joy of it, chasing the wind. Eryunt felt her joy, and raced forward, feet pounding against the dirt. For a second it was just her and him, together, chasing the wind. A bark came from begind, and Mervaika spun round, slwoing Eryunt. Denviel pounded behind them, struggling to keep up. Merevaika slowed Eryunt to a walk, winding him slowly between the grass, using her legs to guide him. Denviel slowed beside them, panting. He collapsed onto the ground in a heat, obviously exhausted. Merevaika stopped Eryunt before sliding off him. She got her waterskin out, pouring water into her cupped hand. Denviel lapped it up, his cold, rough tongue scraping across her hand. "I'm sorry boy," she whispered, before pouring him some more water. She gently stroked his head, letting him recover. Merevaika then turned to the sun, trying to work out her position. She must have been riding for several hours, so the sun would be...South-East? Hoping it was right, she turned to the direction Endrykas should be. Yes, she could just about see it, more of a black blur than anything else. She turned back ro Denviel, and, seeing that he had recoverez, mounted her horse again. "Come on," she said, clicking her tongue and squeezing her legs slightly. He trotted forward , at a speed Denviel could keep up with. They moved together as a herd, Merevaika leading as the other two followed. It might have been an odd herd, but it was one Merevaika liked.

[Merevaika]

At last Merevaika reached a suitable location to set up camp. It was behind a slight hill, sheltered from the worst of any wind. She set her tent up, leaving Eryunt to protect it. She then set of on a slow walked, counting her paces, avoiding the tallest grass. After a suitable distance, she turned her eyes to the ground, searching for a good place to fit a trap. There was a small patch of grass, clearly nibbled on, droppings scattered on the floor. It appeared to be almost a rest stop on a run, and Merevaika wasn't surprised. The grass did look a little greener, a little tastier. She dropped to the ground, her scent masked by the mud she had slathered over her. She started digging pulling the loose dirt away with her fingers. It was hard, but Denviel had decided to be useful, uprooting the grass in the spot she had chosen, trying to help. As a finish, Merevaika smoothed the edges. It wasn't too deep, only 30cm or so, but if a small rodent did slip in, it wouldn't be able to escape. Merevaika looked at her work, then realised what she had been missing. She needed some sort of cober, to hide the hole. Taking the grass that had been uprooted in the dig, she layered it on top, sprinkling dirt over it as a second layer. It wasn't too natural, and her scent was probably all over it, but it would have to do. Following the run further, Merevaika kept on the look out for a good place for a snare. The animal droppings and prints were everywhere, so she didn't doubt for a second that there wouldn't be animals there tonight, but finding the right spot would be hard. A large rock jutted out from the grass, and Merevaika secured some rope to it tightly, before lettting the short end with the noose hang just a little above the ground. If an animal got caught, it would hopefully strangle itself before it managed to escape. Bait. Merevaika got a little bread out, sprinkling crumbs around and beneath the snare. Hopefully one of the two traps would be succesful. As she went along the run, she placed little snares here and there, occassionally adding bait, and always trying to mask her scent. Merevaika came across a little stream, the end of the run.Animals would congregate there often, so she placed a few more traps. There were lots of tracks and droppings, a few recognised as deer and rabbit, while others not. There was a small mysterious ome, one she didn't recognise. It was the size of a rabbit, maybe, or hare, but looked almost like a human hand, but for the sharp claws extruding from each "finger". Maybe tomorrow she would try to track it, or another creature, but now it was getting late, the sun setting. Merevaika returned to the camp, and Eruyunt, before snuggling into the tent in a dreamless sleep.

[Merevaika]

The sun had not awaken yet, and when Merevaika crawled out of her tent, the only light came from the remains of the fire crackling in a small hole beside the tent. She stamped it out, not wanting to attract unwanted attention. This time she mounted Eryunt, following the path she had taken earlier. The first trap had been successful, holding a large mouse in it, cowering in the shadows at one side. She slipped off her horse, pulling an arrow from what seemed like nowhere. She owned no knife, but for a plain eating one, but she had never truly had the need for one. Her arrows did the job well. Merevaik scooped the mouse up, snapping its neck in one quick sharp motion. She had long forgotten the feeling of disgust, chopping the head off for Denviel to scoop it up and gobble it down. She wrapped the body in a little spare cloth, then hid it away in her pack, moving on to the next trap. The snares after were all empty. A few had been gnawed, the rope now useless. Merevaika heard her stomach rumble, and groaned at the small amount of catch. Finally, she reached the river, and beside the gurgling water, was a rabbit, twitching slightly. Its neck was entangled in the snare, and it was clearly struggling to breath. Merevaika grabbed it, snapping its neck just as she did with the mouse. This one, however, stayed whole, and was placed in her pack for further preparation. Merevaika splashed a little water on her face, watching as the sun rose, the huge sphere of fire peering out into the dull morning, illuminating the Sea of Grass. She sighed, watching as the colours grew more vivid, more radiant as the moments passed. She returned the way she had come, collecting her snares as she went along. Somehow another mouse had been entangled in her traps; lucky for her, but not for him. Having everything she had come with, and the extra food, she tunred back to where she had left Endrykas, riding towards the magnificent rising sun.

[Monsoon]

Character Name

 

Experience

• Riding - 2
• Trapping - 3
• Socialization - 1
• Land Navigation - 1
• Tracking - 1

 

Lores

• Tracking: Following animal droppings
• Tracking: Water sources attract animals
• Trapping: Digging a hole, simple and effective
• Trapping: Rope snares can be chewed through.

 

Additional Notes

A nice read, I enjoyed reading the little things that you included in setting the traps and walking the land. Even the little bit of angst at the beginning.

If you have been pelted too severely by grades and or rain and are seeking shelter, advice, or something I may have missed, let me know
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