Hunting on Commission 2 (Dravite)

[Lian Windrunner]

Timestamp: 45th Day of Summer, 515 AV Lian had heard Dravite's barely whispered mention of reincarnation before he had left, and it occupied his thoughts as he continued to circle the herd. He knew that it was possible that his older brother had been reincarnated as his son. Perhaps it was even likely. There had been signs that led him to believe that it might be true. It was why he had chosen the name Lukar for his son. Hearing someone else mention the possibility only confirmed his belief. Perhaps he would tell Dravite what he suspected...hoped to be true when their hunt was successful. And it would be successful. Dravite's certainty was catching, and Lian took strength from it. But thoughts and discussions of reincarnation were for another time. Lian had to keep his mind on the task at hand if he wanted to be successful. The heat was intense as it beat down on Lian. The air shimmered with it, a visible indication of just how hot it was. Lian tried to ignore the heat as best he could; there was no use in complaining about what was when there was nothing one could do about it, after all. But he couldn't help but wish for a breeze, even if it might betray his presence to the herd sheltering in the trees near by. One of the deer turned to stare in his direction. Lian froze, hardly daring to breathe for fear of alarming the herd before he was ready. After a few chimes, the deer lost interest in him, dismissing him as a threat as it went back to grazing. Lian sighed in relief, and started moving once more. It wasn't long before he reached the spot he was aiming for. If Dravite hadn't moved, Lian was directly opposite to him. With luck, the herd would flee towards him as it tried to escape Lian. Slowly but surely, Lian began edging his way towards the tree line, and the herd. He knew that his best chance to make a kill was with his first shot. Once the herd panicked, and began to flee, it would be much harder for him to aim his shot properly. And while he had a chance of hitting his target from his current distance, the chance of a successful shot would be greater if he could narrow the distance between him and his target. Once he got a little closer, he paused, and studied the herd. After a few chimes, he had selected his target. It was one of the larger deer in the herd, and it was busy eating the bark off of a tree near the edge of the tree line Lian was closest to. Better yet, it was standing at a spot directly in front of him. So when the herd fled in the opposite direction, they would be running right towards Dravite. With his target selected, Lian began edging towards the tree line once more. He tried to walk as lightly as he could, so the sound of his approach would not frighten the deer. When Lian had reached a spot where he was confident he could make a kill, he reached for his bow. The movement drew the attention of the deer he had chosen as his prey, and it turned to stare at him. Lian froze once more. The deer stared at Lian for several painfully long ticks. Then a rustle in the grass behind the deer distracted it. As Lian watched, a second deer moved passed his target in the search for more food. When it moved away again, Lian's target resumed eating once more. Ever so slowly, Lian reached for an arrow, pulling it out of his quiver, and nocking it in a single, even movement. He drew back on the bow string, and paused to take aim. When he was certain of his shot, he released the string, and let the arrow fly. The arrow flew true, striking the deer in its neck. It fell with a cry, and did not move. Terrified by the death of one of their own, the herd bolted. Lian felt a surge of triumph when he saw that they were in fact, fleeing towards the spot he had left Dravite. But he didn't let the thrill of success stop him from grabbing a second arrow, and taking aim once more. Unfortunately, he didn't allow enough time for him to aim properly. The arrow missed its target completely, and was lost in the tall grass. Once again, Lian grabbed an arrow, and nocked it. This time, he took the extra few ticks he needed to be certain of his aim before releasing his arrow. The arrow flew true and struck its target, but the deer was nearly out of his range, and the arrow struck the animal's side near its rear. It gave a cry of pain, but it kept running. Lian watched it go in dismay. He couldn't follow it, and leave the deer he had succeeded in killing for predators to find in his absence. So he slipped into the Web, and sent his mind flying back the way he had come as he searched for his hunting partner. When he reached Dravite, he warned him that the herd was heading towards him, and that one was injured.

[Dravite]

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The tear in the web was not long mended before Lian's voice came to Dravite through the woven strands, warning him about the herd of deer that were heading right for him! Lian had quickly explained that one of the deer was injured and instantly the man thought, easy pickings! He was seconds from leaving the web when a large djed pool drew his attention east. Dravite followed the web's main highway towards the worrying throb of energy and found that whatever it belonged to was making good ground and heading straight for them!

The horse lord returned to his form and got to his feet so quickly that he almost tripped over, reaching an arm out to grab at the yvas strapped about his Strider's middle. "Go!" He boomed, commanding his horse to push forward though he had barely managed to settle against the saddle of the animal's back. Cree's ears went back as he thundered forward with Lian's horse closely following. Dravite noticed the deer racing away from the tree-line and a particularly slow doe doing her best to keep up near the rear.

Dravite readied his spear as Cree stormed towards the herd, the mob darting either side of the giant Strider to let him pass through like the hills gave way rushing water. To maintain a healthy balance with nature, it was important to let the strong pass and take down the weak so that the following generation would be just as resilient as the first; this Dravite's mother had taught, these the lessons that would carry him through life. A stray that leapt too near to the hunter on horseback was an opportunity too good to miss and the rider tightened his grip on the shaft of the spear, driving it forward into the deer's chest with a powerful trust as the creatures forward momentum did the rest of the work.

There was no time to retrieve his weapon and Dravite was forced to abandon the kill just as quickly as he had made it in order to take down the wounded doe Lian had managed to catch with one of his arrows. Dravite, not knowing his hunting partner had already succeeded in making a kill, was determined to finish what had been started. He lifted the heavy Bec de Corbin from its attachment on the front of the saddlebags and swung it forward to try and get a good hold on the weapon. Lian's horse had darted ahead in search of her rider and almost bowled into the limping doe, causing it to divert its course and head back towards the tree-line.

Perfect, if this was a test of speed, there was no way the deer could outrun the man's Strider. The Bec de Corbin was a lot heavier than his spear and Dravite had never tested the weapon outside of the training ground before. The Crow's Beak was a weapon that needed to be used very precisely and unless the man was able the land a decent blow to the head, he wasn't going to be able to take down the deer as swiftly nor as cleanly as he might like. As he neared the fleeing animal, he used the strength in his right arm to raise the weapon and swing it down over top of the doe, relying on the weight of the weapon steer his strike true to its mark. The point of the steel beak grazed the doe's neck before lodging in its shoulder, stopping the animal dead in its tracks.

Dravite slipped from the back of his mount and threw his weight on the deer, wrestling it to the ground. The animal kicked and struggled underneath the man as he fumbled for the dagger on his belt, bringing to forward to cut through the animal's throat swiftly. It took a second stroke before he felt the doe go limp and with blood covered hands, he got to his feet. Sweat ran off his brow and rolled down the right side of his face as he stood staring at the lifeless form at his feet. "Blood for blood, life for death," the horse lord whispered to the wind, thanking his goddess, the first witch, for the successful hunt.

Victory, however, was short lived as from the corner of his eye Dravite noticed a blur of black and gold moving in the distance, and when he turned his head to make sure he was not seeing things, the man's heart stopped. A massive male Grass-bear was hunched over his first kill, tucking into the easy meal; how in the world had the animal escaped his notice, Dravite asked himself, taking the back legs of the doe at his feet to drag her towards the tree-line where he was most likely to find Lian and stay out of sight of the bear. It took all of his strength in the hot sun to move the deer to the edge of the trees and by the time he was done, Dravite was too exhausted to look over his shoulder and see if it was Lian rustling around in the thick undergrowth behind him or something far more terrifying.

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[Lian Windrunner]

Lian watched the herd flee. Once the herd was gone, Lian glanced down at the dead deer he had killed. If Talise were there, he would make a travois, and have his strider pull it back. But that wasn't an option now. So he grabbed the forelegs of the doe he had killed, and began dragging it back towards where he had left Dravite. It was hard work, and before long, Lian's arms ached with the strain. But he was determined to get back with his kill before the other man had to come looking for him. As he walked, his focus narrowed down to the burn in his arms and shoulders, and the sheer determination not to be a burden to the Watch member helping him on the hunt. The birds and insects fell silent as he passed them. Whether they were frightened by the noise he made, or the scent of blood, he wasn't sure. Every so often, Lian slipped into the Web for a few ticks to check for predators. He knew that the scent of blood would draw them quickly if there were any near enough to smell it. The intense heat sapped his strength, making his aching muscles feel that much worse. Still, Lian refused to set his burden down and rest. Stubborn determination kept him going until he saw Dravite at the edge of the tree line. That welcome sight gave him the strength to drag his deer the rest of the way, and he came to a stop not far from the other man. "You got one too." Lian said with a grin. "I wasn't sure I would be able to drive the herd towards you." It wasn't something he was used to attempting. When he hunted alone, he would make his kill...or try at least, and then let the herd flee. He wouldn't try to pursue it unless his first shot didn't kill his prey. Which was often the case, unfortunately. But actually trying to get the herd to flee in a particular direction had been an interesting challenge. Lian hesitated for a tick. "You look about as tired as I feel." he admitted.

[Dravite]

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No rest for the wicked. By the time Lian had joined the horse lord he was already hoisting his kill up into one of the trees using a length of rope he always kept in his saddlebag for those 'just in case' situations. Dravite let his whole body fall backwards, suspended by the rope, in order to raise the deer up another foot or so and then pulled himself forward using the strength in his arms, only to repeat the process until the kill was set out of reach of anything that might pass by. "This is just one of two deer I managed to take down," Dravite admitted, "Unfortunately the other just became breakfast for him." The man raised his arm to point out the large male Grass-bear to Lian.

Dravite wrapped the rope around the tree a couple of times to hold his kill before tying it off with two simple knots, nothing fancy, but strong enough to hold the deer in place. His Strider was on edge, Cree could smell the blood falling away from the doe, mixed with the strong musk of the Grass-bear. "He's big," Dravite explained, "and he has my spear; we don't have any chance of reclaiming that until he is gone, so if you want to ride back to Endrykas with your kill, I don't blame you." Dravite looked around for one of the landmarks he had taken notice of during the ride in and used this to determine the way home, "city of tents that way," he told Lian before taking a drink from his water-skin.

The horse lord didn't look at his hunting partner after that, but smiled as he climbed up onto his horse and gently guided his heel back against the animal's side to get Cree to back up, just like they had practiced at home. "Or you could join me for a real hunt," Dravite smirked, this time casting his stare at Lian, "and help me take down that bear." He wasn't the most persuasive man in the history of Endrykas, but he had a feeling Lian was sick of slinging arrows at child's game.

Of course, it was important for them to be careful and running in without thinking things through first could spell disaster for one of them, if not a Strider as well. Dravite waited until Lian had secured his kill before going over his plan, more than happy for the man to interrupt if he had any better ideas. "I'm new to using the Bec de Corbin," he admitted, "with only two lessons under my belt. That means I'll be relying on you to shoot at the bear from afar while I try and keep his attention. I don't know how smart they are, but sooner or later he is probably going to work out that I am not the one shooting at him."

The horse lord watch his companion to see that he was taking it all in; he didn't want to put his life on the line only to find that his co-pilot was going to chicken-out. "I watched my old pavilion butcher one of these bears at the end of spring; they have big fat stores in their arms, back, and lower body, so if you want your arrows to do any damage, you need to aim for the face, neck, and chest."

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[Lian Windrunner]

"Two deer? That's impressive!" Lian said with a grin. It was rare that Lian attempted to take a second kill after he had made his first. And it was rarer still that he actually succeeded when he did try. Once the herd was in flight, his chances at hitting a second target diminished greatly. Lian's grin faded as the rest of Dravite's words sank in. He looked in the direction Dravite was pointed, and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the grass bear. Dravite explained that the bear had his spear, and that he wouldn't be going anywhere until he could retrieve it. Then he said he wouldn't blame Lian if he chose to return to Endrykas without him. Lian scowled at this, and let his sharp, determined sign of negation be his response. There was no way he was going to abandon the other man, and leave him in danger while he fled like a child. He wasn't certain what he could do to help if the bear decided to attack, but surely his arrows would prove to be a distraction at least if the bear noticed them? Or...they could force the bear to notice them when they attacked it. Lian's eyes widened a bit again at the suggestion, but it was more out of startlement than fear. And as Lian considered Dravite's words, a feeling of excitement crept over him. It wasn't something he would dare try alone...and yet, he couldn't deny the fact that he was tired of being so limited in what he could hunt. Perhaps he could improve his skills, and learn some tricks that would allow him to hunt more dangerous game with Dravite's help. So he nodded slowly, grinning at the thought of a good challenge. Lian listened carefully to Dravite's next words. Then he nodded again. "Perhaps if I move after each time I shoot an arrow?" he mused. "I could circle around the bear while riding Talise, shooting as I went. Do you think that would keep the bear distracted enough? Unless I'm really lucky, and get an eye shot, I don't think my arrows will do much damage against something that big, but if I can keep its attention on me so you can cause some real damage...?" Lian nodded again, trying to commit Dravite's words to memory. Fat stores in the arms, back, and lower body would protect a bear from any real damage if injured in one of those areas. And minor injuries were probably likely to enrage the bear, making it even more dangerous than it already was. "Aim for the face, neck, and chest to do the greatest amount of damage. I can do that." He'd aim for other areas only if he needed to distract the bear immediately, and didn't have a good shot at any of the better targets.

[Dravite]

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"Brave move, rookie; you've got bigger balls than I originally thought," Dravite smirked; it seemed his little attempt at persuasion had been successful, "tell you what if we survive this, I wouldn't mind running with you more often... And if we don't, may The Mother's arms welcome us home with open arms,” he kissed his fingers and raised his hand skyward in respect for Semele.

The horse lord looked out across the plan at their target from the back of his Strider, "swift now as Zulrav's wind," he whispered to the animal and Cree pointed his ears back as if to listen. Of course he would not ride just yet, as one more search of the web would make him feel comfortable enough to give his full attention to the task at hand. Once he had tranced and slipped into the web, Dravite raced around the boundary of their hunting grounds with legs that were not his own and pushed his search out further still, traversing the fluorescent strands as quickly as he could, mindful that he should never turn his back on danger.

He came across a small pool of djed belonging to the deer that had fled the area north and far beyond that he found the wolf pack, still making good ground away from them; good, he thought, he could focus now. Finding his way back through the maze of web, he took one last look and the force of energy that the bear presented them with, reminding himself of what it looked and felt like in the web so that he would recognise it in future, and then returned to his form.

Eyes open, Dravite tightened his grip on the Bec de Corbin and felt the muscles in his legs expand as he held onto the middle of his horse to counter the weight he had to carry in his arms. "Don't shoot my horse," he warned, his last words to Lian before he was off across the plain, charging towards the bear like a runaway bull. As he drew closer and the thundering of his horse’s hooves against the dry earth echoed his intrusion, the bear stood up on its hind legs, ready to protect its meal. Cree gave a determined war-cry, a deafening sound that threw the bear off and made it step backwards just as Dravite swung his weapon in an attempt to connect with the bear.

In no time at all his Strider had put a good distance between him and the bear, who didn't seem in too much of a hurry to follow, torn between fleeing and finishing what it had started. Again the pair galloped towards the creature like a darting sparrow does at a cat, outweighed and outsized, but working with a swiftness most cats never expected. Cree had been trained for hunting and had perfected his charge, taking his rider close enough to make a shot, only to veer away at the last second so that they remained just out of reach. All Dravite had to do was try and stay on which sometimes felt easier said than done.

The man had already decided that if he was going to make a hit, it needed to be strong enough to stun the bear, especially while he seemed so torn about running or staying; the horse lord was all too happy to provide the bear with a real reason to run. He timed his shot, just as he had been taught during his training, counting the strides of his horse and judging the distance it would take the animal to close the gap before he raised the Bec de Corbin and gave it a mighty swing, aiming for the Bear's neck only to fly high and see the sharpened, heavy steel collide with the animals snout, smack, crunch, into his sharp teeth.

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[Lian Windrunner]

"I'd like that." Lian replied with a grin when Dravite offered to hunt with him more often. When hunting alone, Lian had to be careful. He could afford to take no risks that weren't absolutely necessary. He wanted to rebuild his pavilion after all, and he'd have a hard time doing that if he were dead. More importantly, he was a father now. He had to consider his children as well as himself in everything he did. Every risk had to be weighed carefully. Was the reward worth the risk? How bad was the risk? If he died, he had no family who could raise his twins. Their mother would still be alive, of course...but she wasn't Drykas. Her ways were not Drykas ways. And Lian wanted his children to be raised like the Drykas they were. To ensure that, he had to survive so that he could raise them as he saw fit. When Dravite entered the Web, Lian remained in the physical world. That way, he would be able to act quickly if a threat presented itself. With a bear nearby, it wouldn't do to have both of them vulnerable at the same time as they made the transition back to their physical bodies and dealt with the disorientation that resulted. Before long, Dravite was back, and it was time to make their move. Dravite made his move, rushing in to the attack. Lian was ready for him when he did. He urged Talise into a gallop as he raced to get to a position where he could draw the bear's attention from Dravite's attack. The bear rose up onto its hind legs to defend its meal. Lian was ready for it when it did. He let fly with an arrow, aiming for the creature's huge chest. The arrow flew true, and bit deep into the flesh near the bear's shoulder. But Lian was no longer where he'd been by the time the arrow struck. He looked for another chance to offer a distraction, but Dravite had made an attack of his own, and Lian was worried that he'd hit the other man instead if he moved suddenly. So he nudged Talise with his legs again, and circled around to another spot. The face was a smaller target than the chest was, but Lian had a clear shot from his new position. The bear was more than a little preoccupied with the weapon in its snout. So Lian allowed himself a few precious ticks to be certain of his aim, and then let his second arrow fly. It missed the bear's face, but it did strike the bear's shoulder before sailing off into the grass. Once again, Lian moved so he wouldn't be where the bear was expecting him to be.

[Dravite]

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The bear, Earth Shaker, roared so loud that ground birds and those nesting or foraging in the surrounding treetops darted from their homes and branches. That was too close, Dravite thought, watching the bear paw at his mouth and the shattered teeth the horse lord had left him with; now he was really angry and Lian's arrows, though doing well to find their mark, barely seemed to phase the animal who was now making a bee-line for Dravite and his horse. It wasn't until the man commanded his mount to slow in order for them to make a tight turn that he realised the bear had managed to catch up with him.

A heavy paw collided with Cree's rump, which saw the stallion rear up on his powerful hindquarters, tossing Dravite from his seat before he jumped forwards and lashed out at the bear with hind legs; his kick sending the animal tumbling backwards at it struck the creature's board chest. Dravite picked himself up quickly and grabbed for his Bec de Corbin; there was little time to do much else. He swung the weapon up over his shoulder and drove it down into the bear's ribs, throwing his weight behind the strike which was met with a loud cracking sound.

Without delay Dravite fled from the bear, his Strider already several paces ahead of him. The horse lord didn't look over his shoulder to check whether or not the bear was following him, instead feeling his mighty footfalls and panting at his back. The Watchman threw his weapon over his shoulder to try and slow the bear down or throw him off course, before darting towards the abandoned deer carcass where he would find his spear. Snatching the weapon up from the ground, the man ran as fast as his legs would carry him, fuelled by the adrenaline that saw his heart pound hard and fast. "Shoot!" He ordered Lian who he could see currently lining up a shoot.

Cree had put a great deal of distance between himself and the bear but turned back to fetch his rider, galloping close enough that Dravite was able to reach out and take the horse's mane firmly, using the last of the strength in his arms to heave himself up onto the Strider's back and throw a leg over. With the wind in his hair, Dravite was free to breath and reminded himself that he would not make the same mistake twice, especially if it put his horse in the firing line. He steered Cree into a wide, half circle, outrunning the bear with ease, though Cree would not be able to keep his pace for long as Dravite had already noticed the sweat on the stallion's neck and the way he misjudged a step every now and then, as if his foot kept getting caught on something, causing him to skip in order to stop himself from tripping.

With time to look over his shoulder, Dravite took the opportunity to check the damage to Cree's backside and breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted the small marks in the skin, nothing a spot of honey wouldn't clear up in a week or so. He had envisioned far worse an injury and was thankful the gods had spared his Strider this time. The horse lord caught sight of the bear that seemed to be targeting Lian now; whatever the man had done, it seemed to have worked because he now had Earth Shaker's attention. Of course he would not leave his newfound friend in the lurch and quickly drove his mount towards the pair, charging with his spear at the ready. He lined up a shot, aimed low, and thrust the point of the weapon at the bear's left, hind leg, leaving the spearhead buried in the muscle as he rode by, before twisting and yanking the weapon free to cause as much damage as he could while attempting to slow the bear down so that Lian could make a shot or a quick escape.

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[Lian Windrunner]

Dread stole Lian's breath away when he saw the bear land a blow on Dravite's strider. Rather than panic, the stallion reared, and unleashed a powerful attack of its own against the bear. One that threw Dravite off of his back even as it connected soundly with the bear's broad chest, sending it tumbling backwards. The fall didn't seem to stun the other man in the slightest. He was on his feet again in a matter of ticks, and launching an attack of his own. It was a good, solid blow to the creature's ribs. Lian was moving as well. He circled the bear tightly, drawing closer as he searched for a good shot. Talise trembled beneath him. She wasn't trained for fighting, and the urge to flee an enraged and dangerous predator was a powerful one. Only her complete trust in Lian allowed her to fight her instincts. Lian spared a tick to reassure his frightened strider with a few whispered words, and gentle pats on her neck. Then he renewed his efforts to find a good angle to shoot from. He found one, and readied an arrow swiftly. By then, Dravite was racing towards his spear. His strider was racing away as well. With man and strider putting distance between themselves and the bear, Lian had a clear shot. He released his arrow, and it buried itself deep in the bear's ribs, near Dravite's weapon. With a firm gesture from his knees, Talise wheeled away, circling around again so they wouldn't be where the bear expected them to be. Talise obeyed instantly. Lian's sharp eyes were intent on the bear as it whirled to face the direction his last arrow had come from. Thankfully, they were no longer there. The bear rose to its hind legs, and roared a furious challenge. There. There was the shot he was looking for. "Face, chest, and neck. Those are the weak spots." Lian muttered to himself. He urged Talise to charge towards the bear from behind. She snorted sharply in fear, but obeyed after a few protests. Lian's world narrowed down to the task at hand. Nothing else mattered but this one shot. Lian's eyes never left the spot on the bear's neck that he had chosen to target as he pulled another arrow from his quiver. Lian was unused to firing while Talise was in motion. Usually, she held herself motionless while he took his shot. But that wasn't an option now. Lian braced himself with his legs and seat, guiding Talise's charge as he tried to keep himself from falling. "Shoot!" Dravite's command registered in Lian's awareness, but only vaguely. The bear turned to face its attacker. Talise faltered, as fear overcame her, but Lian urged her on. She resisted for several ticks, fighting her instincts, then obeyed. Lian positioned his arrow, and took aim. The wind rushed past him with considerable force as strider and rider raced towards the bear at speed. Lian hesitated for a tick as he tried to compensate for the wind. Then he released his arrow. The arrow flew true, but Lian didn't waste any time waiting to see if it struck his target. With an urgent gesture from his legs, Lian ordered Talise to veer off to the right, breaking her charge. She did so gladly, and increased her speed without his urging in her desire to put distance between them, and the bear. The bear bellowed loudly in pain and rage, telling Lian that his shot had struck home, but had failed to kill the enraged creature. Now the bear was after him. The injured, yet still powerful creature moved with surprising speed. But its injuries were taking a tole on its strength. Lian and Talise were able to keep ahead of the charging creature. He kept them weaving and circling rather than running in a straight line, thinking it would be harder for the bear to follow them. It seemed to work, and Lian didn't have to keep his efforts up for long. Dravite charged the bear, giving it a new target to focus on. Lian put some more distance between himself and the bear, then stopped Talise to give her the chance to rest. Her sides heaved as she breathed heavily. Fear had sapped her strength more than her efforts had. As a result, she seemed to regain her strength as she slowly calmed down now that the bear was no longer after them. As Lian watched, Dravite got another good blow in, this time to the bear's leg. Lian gestured for Talise to approach the bear once more. She snorted sharply, letting him know what she thought of the idea, but obeyed readily enough. Lian pulled yet another arrow from his quiver, and readied it, wanting to be prepared if an opportunity came. The bear bellowed in pain as Dravite yanked the spear out of its leg. Then it stumbled, giving Lian the opportunity he was looking for. He had a clear shot of the creature's neck, and he took it, releasing his arrow quickly. The arrow flew true, but the bear recovered, and shifted its position. As it turned, the arrow caught it solidly, embedding itself deeply into the creature's left eye. It collapsed, and did not move again. Lian froze in shock, unable to do anything but stare at the creature. Had he really killed it? He, who had never hunted anything even remotely as dangerous as this powerful creature? Could it be possible? Still the bear did not move. Was it really dead? It seemed impossible. One chime passed. And another. And another after that. When the bear still did not move, Lian edged Talise closer. There was no reaction. Lian could hardly believe it. He had never managed an eye shot before. For him to have gotten so lucky now seemed too good to be true. And yet...it had happened. Lian dismounted. Drawing his hunting knife, he edged closer still. He had to be certain that the bear was really dead. But at the same time, he didn't want to take unnecessary chances. Cautiously, he approached even closer. Soon, he was close enough to touch the bear. He did so slowly, ready to act at a tick's notice if it reacted in any way. It didn't. The coarse fur felt strange under Lian's hand. His family had owned bear skin blankets when he was a child, so he was no stranger to the way bear fur felt. But he had never touched it while it was still attached to the bear it belonged to before. And still the bear did not move. Lian grinned as pride and excitement coursed through him. He had been a part of a successful bear hunt. Him of all people. Dravite had taken most of the risks, and done most of the work, but the kill shot had been his! "We did it!" Lian said as he turned to Dravite.

[Dravite]

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The shot had gone unseen by Dravite, who had been busy steering his mount away from such a dangerous strike as taking out the muscles in the bear's lower leg had been. When the two turned back to commence another attack, the horse lord caught the end of the bear's fall from grace and sat up in the saddle of his Strider's back, his mouth hung ajar; was that an arrow in the bear's eye? The two Drykas men sat silent on their breathless horses for a chime before Lian decided to edge closer, drawing his hunting knife for protection.

Still trying to catch his breath as the heavy bout of adrenalin slowly subsided; Dravite licked his lips and watched for any signs of life, ready to tell Lian to get back if that bear so much as moved a toe. When Lian set his hand on the bear and announced that they had managed to down it, Dravite gave a mighty howl of celebration, Cree joining in with his own war-cry, while poor Lian's horse looked utterly confused about the whole thing. Dravite urged Cree to gallop over to the kill and dismounted swiftly once they drew near, letting the stallion carry on and circle back to join Lian's strider.
"You did it," Dravite smiled, "look at that shot!"

Of course the bear was riddled with arrows that had splintered or buried themselves so deep in the fatty tissue where only the feathered ends could still be seen. Dravite took his dagger and stood over the bear's neck, lifting the end of the animal’s heavy snout to cut his throat while the blood was still warm and would race away from the giant's body. "Help me turn him over," Dravite smiled, dropping the head to lift a paw and pull with all his might; the task successful only when Lian joined in to help.

There was no way they were going to be able to get the bear home in one piece and make the delivery of both deer by sundown if they didn't start cutting the animal up into more manageable pieces. "We should smoke the meat," Dravite explained, "Smoked bear meat will fetch us more miza at market."

He rose and nodded at Lian's suggestion to deal with the deer first. The bear was something they could come back to. As Lian went to collect the two deer they had strung up earlier to the tree, Dravite ran across the field of thick, golden grass to see what was left of the bear's breakfast. Like most animals, the bear had gone for the soft underbelly and ruined both of the back legs with his massive jaw, but the top end of the deer looked relatively untouched. They couldn't offer it up for the wedding party, or sell it at market, but Dravite saw no problem in taking it home to preserve and dry out for the coming fall.

Using his dagger he cut away the lower half of the deer just below the ribs that had been mauled by the bear and tied the front legs together, making her easier to carry over his shoulder. Once he had finished walking back and the half carcass was fastened to Cree's yvas, he waved Lian off who was to deliver the food for the wedding that would take place the following day, and set to work on the bear. "That way is southeast," he called to Lian, pointing out the way home to Endrykas using the trees at their backs as a landmark to work from.

Dravite removed as many of the arrows as he could, leaving the eye shot exactly where it was for Lian to take out if he so chose. He cut down the centre of the animal's belly, folding the heavy hide back as he worked. Skinning was an art and Dravite had learned to work the flesh slowly in order to get the best result possible. He carefully cut up to the paws and event worked them off skilfully, rather than cutting around them like he usually did; this took extra time but the end result would be worth it.

While he took a break, Dravite ventured back into the web, mindful that he was alone out in the open working on a rather large source of food with the power to attract all types of predators. In the web he found that the herd of deer had moved on further north and it seemed as if they had finally crossed paths with the wolf pack who had chased them further out of the area. Good, the man thought; he would be safe to carry on uninterrupted. Just to be sure though, Dravite did a sweep of the area through the web before returning to his body and the task at hand.

By the time Lian returned Dravite had managed to skin the bear right down to his back. He would need to buy more salt at the marketplace for preserving the hide properly, but had enough to make a start, rubbing the small white grains into the wet pelt wherever he had already cut. Lian worked alongside him slicing away chunks of meat and butchering the bear as naturally as if it were a rabbit; only men did not smile like this over a mere rabbit. Every time Dravite caught a glimpse of his hunting partner and their eyes met, both would laugh, hardly able to believe that they had managed to bring down such a fearsome beast.

They took turns carrying meat back to Endrykas, taking the first trip together in order for Dravite to show Lian his camp and the place he called home. Everyone was out for the day but they usually started to trickle back into camp just before nightfall. By the time they had managed to get everything back, meat, bones, and flesh; the men made the final trip together, with Lian charged with delivering the pelt to camp while Dravite made a quick detour to pick up some more salt. When they were both finally settled at camp, Syna's light had all but faded from the sky, camp fires were burning and the cool of night was setting in.

Dravite stoked the fire and set his cooking pot down to start heating it up. He tested a sliver of bear meat, setting it down in the pot to watch it sizzle and curl up on itself. After taking a bite to trial the quality and cooking consistency, Dravite handed the other half to Lian, "I hope you're ready for a master class in cooking," the horse lord teased for he was no expert, "let's finish tanning this hide and then we'll get to work."

It was going to be a long night.

Ledger1000 oz of salt -1 GM
(at 1 cm per 1 oz)

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