Hunt on Horseback

[Colt]

She gave her word to his safety, and Shahar gave a quick nod of gratitude before settling himself on the ground. He motioned guard to both Akaidras and to Tuka, who shifted themselves to survey the land around them. Laying his head on the upturned earth, Shahar closed his eyes and called upon the space around him. Almost immediately he felt the shivering tendril of the Web nearby, and with hands that were not hands he grasped at it and pulled himself in.

The transition was jarring, to say the least. He felt the movement, felt the rip as spirit separated from body and climbed into the vast pattern of djed, and then he was something else. Words were not adequate to describe the plane of existence of which he was now a part; threads that were not threads, all woven of movement and ripples and noise that were too many things to count, and were also nothing at all. Voices of the past, voices of the present echoed throughout the weave, even as the movements of every flickering insect wing drowned the world in a sea of ripples and vibrations, low and high alike and chaotically, completely synchronized.

He clung the the Web in a manner similar to that of a spider, although he was not a spider, and for a moment he could only wait and adjust to the change. But then he was aware of a vast lightness, something that could only come from lack of limb and flesh and everything else that cluttered up the physical world, leaving him weightless and free. Rising from his stasis, Shahar circled, sensing the threads and movements of the world around him; there was Tuka and Akaidras, who he could recognize by familiarity, and there beyond them was the woman and her own strider, accompanied by the dog, and they were all so clear. Laughing without sound, Shahar found his own body, and then he felt the threads stretch into the south from where they had come. He couldn’t see them, for he had no eyes here, but he knew them nonetheless.

Wait, stop. He had come here for a reason. This was too big of a distraction.

Reluctantly, Shahar parted with the group and turned his attention to the ground around them. The trail was easy enough to find; there were twelve altogether, ripples strong with a recent passing. They wove here and there as this animal or that one had stopped to clip at the grass, but they were undeniably moving north.

Good. This would be easy.

He moved faster than he ever had in his life, sliding along the Web like a fish in a river. Each passing moment saw the threads grow stronger, thickening and brightening until––

––there! That was them! Shahar danced in between the pulsing bodies of his quarry, each throwing off waves of sheer existing that curled around him like warm water. But try as he might, he could not touch the sources; they were more ethereal to him than wind, and it was as useless as putting his hand into a wellspring. It was with both a joyful and heavy heart that Shahar left them to their grazing and turned, racing back to where he had left his body.

Tuka brightened when Shahar opened his eyes, rising to her feet and letting loose a high rumble in greeting. Blinking against the sudden light, the clanless hunter groaned and shifted; his muscles were slow to respond and tingled viciously, but he was altogether undamaged by his trip into the Web. He would just need a moment before they set off.

I know where, he said. That way, twelve, ten minute’s canter.

[Merevaika]

The man suddenly groaned and shifted to one side. So he was awake. Hopefully he had information, to aid them in their hunt. So now she was going to ask. Ask about him teaching her the ways of the Web. The words were at the tip of her tongue, at the movement of the hand, but, for some strange, unexplainable reason, weren't said, weren't gestured. Merevaika didn't do it. After the hunt, she told herself, after we're successful and he trusts me. Just a little longer. Just tiny little bit longer and she would ask him, just not yet. The coward's way out. I know where. That way, twelve, ten minute’s canter. The man shared the information, pointing to a northward direction. He waited a moment to allow him to gain complete control over his body then started. Merevaika followed, enjoying the speed of a canter. It seemed endless, flying past grass and grass and grass. A maze of sorts, exept this one was open, and there were no walls. It was incredibly easy to get lost, but Merevaika had ridden here many times. Alone, with family. She had been taught the way of the Amethysts, to navigate the Sea of Grass like a sailor navigates the sea. And it appeared that the man had learnt the same. They were closing in on their goal, black blurs visible in the distance. Merevaika pulled out her bow, gripping the horse tightly with her legs. Slowly, she managed to nock an arrow between the bumps of the canter. She wasn't very good at shooting upon horse back, but it was better to be prepared. Balancing on the horse while holding a bow was hard, but Merevaika had practised riding with no hands at all. Her legs gripped Eryint tightly, and one hand pulled the bow string back, the other clutching the bow and yvas tightly. Eryunt adjusted to the strange position she was in, falling a little behind. The shapes were getting bigger with the moment. "Plan?" she just about mangaed to convey to the man.

[Colt]

She gave him a moment to reorient himself, and a moment was all he needed. In another heartbeat he was signaling time to move to Tuka and leaping onto Akaidras’ back. The horse shifted to accommodate for the sudden weight, and then the group was off.

Though a bit slower than his journey in the Web, the canter was certainly fast enough for Shahar to keep measure of their distance. He was silent for their travel, asking no questions of the woman and remaining fixed on the task at hand. Still, he made a point to remain aware of her location as the two of them rode to their quarry, but it was a peripheral awareness that was meant to lay passive until it was needed.

He, too, spotted the dark forms in the distance, darker than the brown grass around them. He narrowed his eyes. They were almost... silver in color, with long, gently arcing horns and black horizontal stripes. Ah. The memory of the year prior came rushing back to him, when he’d encountered them without pursuing them. Oryx, he believed they were called.

Very well then, it was oryx they were hunting.

He brought Akaidras to a stop and turned to look at his companion. She had shifted, apparently trying to wield her bow whilst atop her strider, and Shahar was made aware of the fact that she was not greatly skilled with the combination.

Plan, she asked.

Shahar frowned in contemplation. If she was as skilled with horse archery as her posture let on, then it would be best for her to remain in place and not have to direct her mount while also firing. The herd needed to move towards her, and he needed to be the one to drive it.

Shahar held out a hand to test the direction of the breeze. Good, they were still downwind. He just needed to be able to sneak to the other side so he could coax them in the direction they needed to go for this to work.

You, stay here, he said. I’ll go around, other side of them. Make them move towards you. You shoot them then. With both of them shooting, it was entirely possible that they would find two kills amongst the herd, although Shahar had learned long ago not to count his chickens before they hatched.

[Merevaika]

He stopped, turning to look at her. She used that moment to adjust her seat more, preparing to shoot, not to ride. He was watching her, probably realising that she wasn't a good horse archer. She was a little ashamed of it, so straightened up and tried to appear an expert. He frowned at the mention of a plan, considering his options. Testing the wind, he considered their scent into the whole thing.

You, stay here. I’ll go around, other side of them. Make them move towards you. You shoot them then, he eventually said, and Merevaika nodded in agreement. Not too much riding and shooting then. Perfect.

Merevaika stayed on her horse, retaining the position to shoot. It was easier to shoot from higher, and if they happened to stray away, she could try to ride towards them. It probably wouldn't work, but still. And with the man chasing them, he would be able to kill one, maybe.

He rode of, and Merevaika sat ready, bow drawn. She held her arm straight, waiting for the moment. It was a lot of responsibility, but she could do it, couldn't she? Shoot at least one of the herd.

She took the moment to examine them. Silver grey, long horns and a distinctive black stripe down their back. She knew them, from a hunt a season or so ago. Not their name, but she didn't care. They could go with many names, yet still be the same.

The only problem was that the man might drive the creatures head on, creating a difficult shot. She needed a clear shot at the side and chest, and head on would block that area. Hopefully, he would chase them side on to her. Merevaika adjusted to face diagonally from the herd. Whichever way they would run, she would be able to turn and shoot. She beckoned Denviel out, ready to herd the close to her, and chase down any injured but not fallen. She was ready. All she had to do was wait.

[Colt]

She nodded in acquiescence, freeing Shahar to angle Akaidras northeast and signal to Tuka. Within another moment the three of them were moving into the wind, skirting around the herd to avoid detection. While one or two of the herd might have caught a glance of the horse and rider galloping in the distance, it wasn’t sight that they were trying to avoid––it was scent. And as long as Shahar remained aware of the wind direction, there was no need to startle them prematurely.

He ended up north of the herd, but far enough to the east that the wind passing him by curled away from his quarry. Narrowing his eyes, he regarded the way the herd held itself; movement, formation, pace, the direction in which they walked. They were loosely packed and seemingly relaxed, focusing on dealthin with the snow at their feet and assuming any potential predators to be doing the same. There was a lead member, although Shahar couldn’t identify it as male or female––he could differentiate gender by hoofprints, by sight both looked identical from a distance––but that one, too, seemed to be more focused on its immediate surroundings than its distant ones.

Shahar quickly mapped out the scenario in his mind; the woman was almost directly behind them, and so he needed to get them going in the exact opposite direction of the one they were already moving in. He would have to approach them from the side, but that would drive them west when he needed them to go south. If he went fast enough it was possible that he could change the course of the entire herd, but it seemed more logical to cut through them and direct the closer half towards his partner. That would lessen the confusion for both of them.

Signaling for Tuka to stay close, Shahar put his heels to Akaidras’ hide and sent the stallion surging forward, pulling out a javelin and letting out a theatrical roar. Immediately he saw heads go up and swivel his way; he knew on instinct what their reaction would be, which way they would turn…

… there. They were speeding up to slow trots, lumping and mulling together in an attempt to dissuade the dark howling monster that was descending upon them. Shahar bared his teeth; this plan wouldn’t work if they stood their ground. In a snap decision, Shahar chanced to stop his growling––and instead chose a loud, lilting whoop-and-cackle, a speedy back-and-forth of high and low pitches that teetered on the edge of maniacal laughter. It was his best imitation of the distinct call of a hunting hyena, and while it wasn’t perfect it was something he’d heard often enough to come close.

That, as it turned out, was more than enough to intimidate the oryx into bolting.

They packed together, but when Shahar came upon them with his whooping the herd split to let the horse and rider pass, forming two groups. One bounded off into the grass, but the other he wheeled in front of, crowding and pushing the herd to the side, forward, onward––on to where the woman was standing in wait.

[Merevaika]

The man rode around, examining the herd. It would be hard to change their direction, but it was needed to keep their scents hidden. He suddenly rode towards them, starting to growl before changing it to a yelp and howl, sounding what a hyena would sound like. It worked. He guided half towards her, and she blinked, almost forgetting the point.

But not completely.

"Closer!" she signalled to Denviel, who bounded nearer, teeth bared, low growl emmiting from him. He snapped at the legs of the herd, driving them into an almost single file line. The silver shapes bounded towards her, a disjointed wave of black stripes and long horns.

Merevaika, bow ready to release, didn't bother aiming. She had enough arrows not to be too careful, and at their speed there wasn't time to waste. Firing them with as much strength as she could muster, she tried to hit the shoulder area, but didn't watch to see the hit, knowing every second hesitated was a second lost.

After every arrow came another, pulled from where they had been tied to yvas, swung to the side with on rapid movement and with that movement pulled back to the ear and released. They flew everywhere, some over, some hitting the dirt and some into herd. Hopefully, some made there mark.

"Follow them! Some may be hit!" she shouted over to the man, firing another arrow. Her eyes lingered on that one as it somehow thudded into the animal's leg. It stumbled a little, allowing Merevaika another shot, hitting closer to the chest, although not enough to stop it.

"Denviel! That one!" she yelled, directing it to the man as well as the dog.

[Colt]

The herd thundered towards the Drykas woman, and for a moment Shahar was afraid she wouldn’t react––she blinked motionlessly at the oncoming mass––but then she was moving, hefting her bow, drawing arrows and letting them fly. Some pierced the throng, others flew high or pulled too far left, and Shahar had to break his concentration on the herd for a moment so that he could direct Akaidras away from her wild arrows.

The herd pulled away from the woman, plunging away into the grasses, and the woman shouted at him to follow. He checked to see that she wasn’t going to fire off any more arrows, then returned to the pursuit.

The herd was spreading out and congregating as individual members competed for the safer positions at the center. And as they did, one oryx in particular was left behind, struggling in vain to keep apace of its brethren.

It took less than a heartbeat for Shahar to spot the arrow in its thigh.

The woman shouted again, and in the same moment another one of her arrows landed somewhere between the beast’s shoulder and chest. It stumbled, but the wound was not enough to bring it to the ground; fatal or not, the oryx was still running.

Shahar rose in the yvas and Akaidras surged into a full gallop, bringing his rider upon their quarry until they were almost abreast. The oryx tried to zigzag and throw them off, but Akaidras’ speed and the fact that the animal was sporting two arrows in its hide made escape impossible. Tuka had appeared on the oryx’s opposite side, cornering and snapping whenever it tried to evade the horse and rider, and it was a matter of heartbeats before the two were running parallel.

There was no wait. No centering breath was taken to control his movements; the chase had sent his blood pounding, and there was no place for caution here. He hefted his spear, coiled towards the sky and plunged it between the creature’s shoulderblades.

The oryx let out a cry and buckled, causing Shahar to gallop wide before he could pull Akaidras back around. The wound, he knew, had been a fatal one, but not immediately; the oryx was still very much alive, kicking at the dust and snow as it tried again and again to rise to its feet.

[Merevaika]

The animal she had shot was slowing behind, the still running. Maybe it would stop eventually, but that could be miles away. Thanks goodness she had the other hunter with her.

He rose in his yvas, urging his horse on towards the terrified oryx, with grew slower with every footstep, trying to dodge the hunter. It wasn't long before he had caught up completely, running beside the animal like part of the herd. But in no normal herd the aim for one was to kill the other. The cat snapped at the animal's legs, driving them together.

One swift movement of the spear was enough to bring it down. The hunter stabbed behind the shoulder bome, breaking through skin and flesh to hit the organs inside. The injured creature crashed to the ground, letting out a loud cry of hurt. It thrashed at the snow and dust, almost hidden by it.

Merevaika trotted Eryunt nearer the animal, before letting loose her last arrow to end the job. After a few more pathetic kicks and cries, the noise stopped and the creature became still. A hunt well done.

Denviel scampered near, dropping the retrieved arrows. Glancing at them, she counted 5, but there were plenty more lying around. Signalling to the man to wait, she dropped off her horse, retrieving all but the three on the fallen animal and another missing three.

"Dead?" she motioned, starting to speak, "How should be divide it? To be fair. I do not need much, but not too little." She already had the rabbit she had managed to get from him, but Merevaika wasn't afraid of getting more. To her, the more the merrier! She watched him, ignoring the oryx on the ground.

[Colt]

Akaidras threw his head and whinnied, pulling into a tight canter and carving a wide arc back towards the fallen animal. The woman was already at the thrashing oryx’s side, and before Shahar could shout for her to stop she had sent another arrow into their quarry’s body, quieting the animal permanently. He let out a tense sigh of irritation; another hole in the oryx’s hide would be another chance for merchants to mark down the price.

Shahar coaxed his strider to a halt beside the oryx just as the woman signaled for him to wait before dashing off into the brush. The clanless hunter frowned and dismounted, coming to kneel beside their prey.

The last traces of life had only just faded from the oryx’s eyes, and when he rested a hand on its chest it was still as warm as it had been only minutes earlier.

He ran his hand over the creature’s hide, pausing at its shoulder and the arrow that had pierced it there. Carefully, meticulously, almost gently, Shahar twisted the shaft of the arrow until he could feel the head line up with the wound. It was not long before he had drawn it out completely.

Again he ran his hands over the silver hair, over the stomach and back until he reached the thigh that had taken the first strike. He repeated the process, and by the time his hunting partner returned there was only one arrow left.

He paused in his work as she voiced the first words aloud that the two had shared, and there was even a small jump at the unexpected shattering of silence. Another blink, however, and he was looking back at the oryx.

Not here, he signed, standing. Return home, then split; danger out here, blood-scent now, danger senses it and will come. Home, less danger.

The oryx had not been the largest of its kin, and so Shahar did not doubt Akaidras’ ability to carry the animal. The largest issue was moving it, but Shahar had walked this path before; rope was coiled in the bags of the yvas, which would be enough to at least get them back to Endrykas.

When the rope was in hand, Shahar set about to turning the oryx onto its back. He moved slowly as he did so, examining the body as he might have examined the trail. The oryx was thinner of limb than its herd-mates and its horns were a bit shorter, betraying youth; it was male, not possibly past its second year. Muscles were wiry, and the fat over its ribs was barely there; this one had been a less fortunate member of the herd, and had not had access to as much food as others. Had he been bullied away from the choice selection by stronger competitors? He had seen such behavior in other herd-beasts; it stood to reason that this one might have suffered the same. The oryx’s life was written out upon its body, and it was the curious eyes of a tracker that were compelled to read.

As he worked to secure the creature’s legs to a javelin, Shahar gestured to its hind hooves.

Help, asked, those too. Tie, easier carry, onto a horse.

[Merevaika]

The man seemed irratated at her finishing shot, having believed that his blow was fatal. Perhaps it was, but Merevaika wanted it done with. She had forgotten about the value of skin, never having enough to sell on. The rabbit fur she usually ended up with most often ended up repairing clothing or the tent.

When she returned from gathering her arrows, she collected the ones the other hunter had pulled out from the oryx. She motioned a thanks, tying them to their position on the yvas.

The shock of her words had broken the silence, and for a second he jumped, before returning his gaze to the oryx. She had spoken for this reason. For the silence to end. For the man to look at her, for a second, and achknowledge his hunting partner. The one who made the first and the final shot.

He spoke of blood and danger, being the sensible one of the two. Merevaika did little thinking, and at times it was hard to believe one that reckless could survive in the Sea of Grass.
But she did.

He turned the creature over without waiting for a response. She sighed with impatience, wanting to take her share and go, but the man had more interest in reading the creature.

He saw the oryx different than her. He spent time examining it, as if compelled to extract every last piece of information from it. To Merevaika, it no longer mattered. Maybe when it was alive, during the hunt, information could be useful, but now it was dead, all she thought was the money and resources.

They led different lives. The hunter was older, perhaps 2, 3 years which wasn't a lot to some, but to Merevaika it meant 2 or 3 years more experience. To Merevaika, food was food, whatever form. She had come to the point when she could no longer rely on her hunt and the remains of the money of her family and had had to start to search for other methods. To her, life was getting harder with the second.

He had it easy. Or so she thought.

In actual fact, she knew nothing, not even his name. Did he know hers? She didn't remember giving it. Lost in the daydream, Merevaika barely noticed his gesturing for help.

The huntress knelt beside the hind legs, taking the rope and javelin. She followed his actions, securing the animal as tight as she could without knowing how to secure it properly.

"I..." she whispered, voice low to avoid getting attention from dangerous animals, "I want you to teach me. Teach me things. Like tracking... And hunting. We could hunt more. I... Don't reply."

She was unsure what was going through her head, but felt so embarrassed. They still had to return to safer ground, divide the meat. He would never agree, would he? She wouldn't, in a position like him, not without payment. And Merevaika had nothing to pay.

"What now?" she signed, tilting her head. Would they both carrh ot, or one? Which would be the safest, quickest and easiest way? She did not know, and waited to find out.