Solo Rabbit Fever

[Colt]

83nd of fall
before dawn

The day had begun fairly normally. At least, as normally as Shahar’s recent life could have begun; the others were asleep, including Seirei and her two children, which added yet another set of ears to pass by as quietly as he was able, not to mention the fact that he had even more mouths to feed.

Snow flicked her tail at his stirring, but aside from a half-asleep acknowledgement remained sprawled as she was. Shahar rose before dawn, as was his custom, carefully navigating his way through sleeping bodies to get his clothes, get dressed, then to the more worldly possessions of his belt and pouches and weapons. Weapons likely wouldn’t be necessary where he was going––he wouldn’t be wandering far from the camp, and the camp was still part of Endrykas––but he brought them anyway, more comfortable with the weight of javelins on his back.

He stepped into the open air and Tuka roused herself from the usual spot beneath the wagon, shoving over her siblings to slip towards him. Shahar knelt with a fond greeting and scratched her behind the ears, just where he knew she liked it. A rumbling purr and a headbutt, and then the two were ready to begin their daily adventure of checking traps.

The first one was filled, surprisingly, with a still-struggling rabbit. Shahar dispatched it and hung it on his belt; a still-warm corpse would be a finer breakfast than a cold and stiff one.

Halfway to his second trap, Tuka chirped and exploded into a sprint, dashing off into tall grass before Shahar could even convey his surprise. He blinked after her, scratched his head, then continued onwards; Tuka was a young hunting cat. Young hunting cats chased things. It wasn’t the first time she had done so randomly, although it was the first time she had ever done it so early in the morning. He was surprised that she had the energy so soon after waking up; he certainly didn’t.

The second trap, to his even greater surprise, was also filled with a rabbit, although this one had been dead for some time. Two rabbits. That alleviated his worry for feeding everyone.

Shahar reset his traps and returned to the camp. Breakfast was made, the rabbits were stewed, and the organs were tossed to the cats. Shahar saved one of the hearts for Snow in particular, who licked the blood from her lips in consideration, then in satisfaction and settled down beside him happily. There would be more food for her before the day was done.

Actually, there would be more food rather immediately; Tuka returned to the camp just as the dishes were being washed and dumped a fat, warm rabbit in Shahar’s lap.

Shahar blinked, in the middle of putting the bowls away. Another rabbit? They were having suspiciously good luck with rabbits today.

Tuka didn’t seem to mind, especially when she got her heart as a reward.

[Colt]

The morning business was finished and Shahar split the new rabbit between Snow and the three cats. Snow expressed great pleasure at the taste.

With that business finished, Shahar retrieved his yvas and brushes and made his way to Akaidras, followed by a boundingly curious Snow.

Where go, horse ride?

Shahar began to brush Akaidras as he considered his answer.

People-place, he replied. Hunt, dead things, trade, get food, give food, trade food-dead-things.

You go?

Yes.

I go?

Shahar frowned. He still bore the initial reservations that he’d had when he had first acquired Snow five days prior, but some of those had eased with her introduction to his family, and to Seirei in particular. She had handled the young woman and her children surprisingly well. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad an idea for her to go with him to the Hunter’s Allegiance. She wasn’t all that large yet.

Conditional.

Yes? Hope anything.

Stay close. Many things, new, big, sound. Regardless, stay close.

Agreement happy go!

Shahar finished brushing Akaidras and then tacked him, by which time Tuka had made her way over and was bumping Snow good-naturedly. Shahar mounted, and the pup and cat took positions on either side of him as they made their way away from camp and into Endrykas.

Not ten minutes had passed before Akaidras snorted and shied as a rabbit flashed across his path. Tuka sprinted after it, and Snow tried to follow for a few strides before she was disappointed to realize that she wasn’t nearly fast enough.

Reassurance love, you are young, growing future.

Tuka eventually returned with fur in her teeth, but without a rabbit. The four of them continued on.

They carved a wide path just shy of the outskirts of Endrykas, as there was no reason to venture deeper; the Hunter’s Allegiance and its sister Spit Fire were on the edges of their districts, and so there was no need to cut through the thick of Endrykas. The city was settling into its daily routine as breakfasts were finished and cleared away and jobs were tended to, wares were set out and merchants set to hawking their wares. All things that Shahar preferred to keep as clear of as possible.

Halfway to their destination, another rabbit crossed their path. Again Tuka chased, and Shahar scratched his head. This was an unusual amount of rabbits to approach in a single day. Tuka returned this time with a baby rabbit clutched in her jaw, and was rewarded with a bemused well done.

They entered the Hunter’s Allegiance, only to be greeted by the low buzz of talking; the word ‘rabbit’ was thrown around at every corner, alongside ‘influx’ and ‘surplus.’ Something was certainly out of the ordinary. Shahar angled Akaidras towards the space just outside the Allegiance, determined to uncover this mystery.

[Colt]

Although Tuka was familiar with the motions and inhabitants of the twin pavilions, no such thing could be said for Snow. She was fascinated beyond measure, looking at everything they passed with curiosity and want to know.

What is? she asked of absolutely everything they passed by. What is, what is, what is? Things many, so much!

Stay close, Shahar reminded her gently. All explain later.

That didn’t particularly satisfy her, although she tolerated the explanation and didn’t go off to explore. Thank you, Shahar said. Love protect.

They slowed just outside the practice range, where two hunters were shooting at woven grass target. Strange; Shahar was used to seeing more practicing than that.

“But where did they come from?” a nearby hunter was asking. “No one can survive on rabbit and nothing else.”

“The last move,” a familiar feminine voice said. “We’ve settled in their territory; there were just as many here five days ago, surely, but now we’re here, too.”

Shahar halted and dismounted, tapping for Akaidras to stay here. Akaidras didn’t complain, and the Drykas moved closer to the small clump of hunters gathered around the dark hair of Uliskis Ravencrest, who seemed none too pleased with the entire situation. Shahar felt sympathy for her; she had similar feelings about crowds that he did.

Snow curled curiously around Shahar’s legs to watch while Tuka lazed back with Akaidras. Shahar scratched her ears with a brief be calm stay.

“You heard about that fellow this morning?” another huntress asked. “Poor lad had to send his Strider to Dira. Broke his leg in a warren.”

Uliskis nodded. “There are too many here, for certain.” Reiteration. This must not have been the first time she had said such a thing. “Consider it your sacred duty to thin them out.”

Of the three hunters she had been talking to, two of them nodded with proud determination and swore to do so, traipsing off to make it so. The third, a young boy that looked to be around eleven, toed silently at the dirt until Uliskis shooed him off to hunt rabbits. Only then did she catch sight of the lingering Shahar.

Greeting, she said. Then, upon noticing Snow, yours new?

Shahar nodded. Yes. New young.

Young yes. Pretty.

Pride yes, pretty. Uliskis was one of the only people Shahar knew how to properly small talk with, but there seemed to be a more pressing matter at hand. Hunt problem?

Yes. “Rabbits.”

Amused, I have seen. Everywhere.

Many, getting dangerous.

Danger?

Too many. Holes everywhere, kill plants. Must hunt. She emphasized the necessity.

Well, Shahar knew what he was going to be doing for the rest of the day.

More important other hunt?

Yes important. “Rabbit first.”

Shahar sighed, and Uliskis chuckled understandingly. Understand, I hunt too.

Know my pain.

She laughed at that, and after a brief farewell the two of them parted ways.

That who, person?

Hunter, much respect, all respect.

You hunter?

Yes, less respect.

Why?

Avoid do not want. Many eyes, many people, people talk always.

You no talk like?

No talk like. Hunt quiet supposed to.

Oh. She tilted her head. Where go?

Shahar turned back towards Akaidras and signalled intent to Tuka. Hunt rabbit.

[Colt]

They left Endrykas at a brisk trot, one that both Snow and Tuka could keep up with. Shahar was quickly learning that Snow did not have Tuka’s speed; even as a kitten Tuka had been faster. Not that they needed to go particularly far; the grasslands were positively crawling with rabbits. Tuka, with three sudden sprints behind her since she had woken up, decided that it would be best to wait before she tried it again and did not give chase. Snow, though found it endless fun to chase those that she saw, even knowing that she wouldn’t catch them.

A few minutes out of the city and Shahar pulled Akaidras to a halt to consider exactly what they were going to do next. The simple command to hunt rabbits was not at all detailed, nor really even helpful when it came to actually trying to fulfil such a demand. Shahar had killed rabbits with his javelins before, although he had not done so in a long time, and Tuka, when she had a good target, was capable of hunting them on her own.

Snow, however, was something different altogether. She was brilliantly white, for one, which made her far easier to spot than Tuka or Shahar, but rabbits relied more upon their ears than their eyes to detect incoming danger. He had seen night lions kills rabbits, and night lions weren’t particularly difficult to spot in the daytime, either.

As if to prove the silently musing Drykas’ point, Snow flopped through a curtain of grass after another rabbit, which startled and bolted. Snow slowed and watched it disappear, disappointment on her shoulders.

Shahar decided that he was going to do something he hadn’t done in a long time.

Snow. She turned to look at him. He dismounted. Come here.

Snow turned and trotted towards him, the barest traces of ashamed in her thoughts. Didn’t catch.

Shahar knelt and scratched behind her ears, where he knew that Tuka liked to be scratched. Of course no catch.

Inquiry?

First time. He sat down and pulled her gently into his lap. First time, everyone no catch.

You catch. Tuka catch.

Past, I chase many. Tuka chase many. Me, Tuka, many no catch. I had first chase, too, no catch. You young. Tuka young once, Tuka this big. Shahar made a shape with his hands to gesture how small Tuka had been when she was two seasons old.

That small!

That small. Tuka small, many chase. Many no catch. Seasons no catch. Tuka chase mouse, no catch mouse.

I chase mouse! Snow perked up. Catch mouse yesterday.

Yes. Shahar put his forehead against Snow’s. You catch, ability possess. But mouse not rabbit, rabbit no catch.

Downcast agreement.

You will.

Hopeful inquiry how?

First mouse chase, first mouse catch?

No…

First rabbit chase, no catch. Mouse dumb ears. Rabbit sharp ears. Rabbit you breathing hear.

Me breathing hear?

Yes. Foot, run, breathe, all rabbit hear.

Disheartened. How rabbit catch?

Shahar smiled. Chase very, very quiet.

How?

I show?

Snow put her paws on his shoulders excitedly. Show!

Shahar chuckled and stood. Come. I will teach.

[Colt]

Walking, Shahar said, drawing attention to the ground. Light dead grass, loud. He demonstrated by stepping on a pile of freshly deceased grass, which crackled beneath his foot. Dark dead grass, quiet. He found a decomposing patch of fallen grass and stepped on that, proving to Snow that it was much quieter. Also no grass, dirt. He stepped on an open patch of earth. Know steps, step quiet places. Know your sound always. He moved on to the next lesson. When step forward, step light, no weight. He placed one foot on the ground in front of him, but kept all his weight on his back foot. He wasn’t quite sure how the lesson would affect a four legged creature; it was certainly helpful for him. Perhaps it would be even more helpful for Snow. Wait until good step, foot down. Only foot down move forward. He moved all of his weight to his front foot, then turned to look back at an attentive Snow. Now you.

Snow looked at the ground in front of her, then very carefully extended one paw forward. It landed on a bit of rotten grass, which made no sound. With her second paw she chose another quiet place to step. Her back paws were not so soundless; since Snow lacked the ability to actually see them unless she turned and looked directly, one fell loudly on a dry leaf.

Disappointment.

One foot loud, three foot quiet, Shahar replied, shrugging without surprise. Can four quiet?

Snow looked down at her feet. There was a moment of silence, and then she looked back up. Hope.

Shahar smiled. Hope.

She tried again. Another step. Another carefully placed paw. Another crackle underfoot. A brief disgruntlement, and again she tried, creeping slowly through the grass with as little sound as she was able. Shahar followed, giving Akaidras a brief signal to follow as well. The stallion acquiesced.

Keeping one eye on Snow, Shahar scanned the horizon for the telltale movement of feeding rabbits. It was hardly a challenge; within seconds he had spotted one, and soon he had spotted another and another. It wasn’t as if they were scarce finds.

A small while of following Snow, and then Shahar gave a quick wait. Snow looked behind at him, and he had to catch his breath. Those eyes… again their familiarity pierced him to the core, and again he had to put thoughts of Hope away for later; there was a task at hand. He couldn’t let himself fall into that trap of thoughts; it was too deep and too easy to get lost in.

There. He directed her attention to a rabbit that browsed not far away. Kneeling next to Snow, Shahar placed a reassuring hand on her back. That you walk, quiet step. How close? See.

Snow tilted her head uncertainly. Her previous lack of success lingered in both of their minds, and she didn’t know about her ability now.

But no. She would not let that stop her. She shook herself. She would do it. She sank back into the crouch and left Shahar’s side, trying to get as close to the rabbit as she possibly could.

[Colt]

Snow stalked towards the rabbit, determination clear in every line of her body. Shahar watched her go, unable to help a bit of amused pride; she was certainly doing far better for her first time than he had. Was it an instinct, then, that had been waiting inside for her to begin using it? He had no idea. And it didn’t much matter, in any case. Not right now.

The rabbit’s ears twitched towards Snow, who froze in place. The rabbit looked up, glanced around, then went back to eating. Snow remained frozen, eyes trained on her prey, and remained so for more heartbeats than Shahar could count.

It did give him an idea, however. Shahar signaled for Tuka’s attention and bid her to come close, follow, by my side. Tilting her head curiously, Tuka did so, step neither cautious nor stealthy. The two of them carved a slow, wide circle around where Snow had only just begun to creep forward again, even more slowly than she had before. The rabbit noticed them, of course, perking up to look their way, but they were at such a distance that a few moments of contemplation had the rabbit conclude that they were probably not trying to kill it. They were walking in entirely the wrong direction, anyway, and so it ceased to worry about them and went back to eating.

Shahar and Tuka eventually came half-circle, and stopped opposite Snow in regards to the rabbit. Snow had claimed a few more feet of distance, but the rabbit had also moved a few feet forward in search of more food.

Frustration.

Understanding. Sympathy.

Shahar sank into a crouch, which was all the signal Tuka needed to do the same. This was their hunting-stance, which meant that they had quarry, and Tuka was not stupid. She could see that they were going after the same rabbit as the blue-eyed pup.

The Drykas, however, didn’t want to kill the rabbit. His form was sloppy as he moved, and for once, he was content to let it be; while Tuka was almost completely silent with her feet, the rabbit heard Shahar relatively quickly, looking up and rising to its hind legs to watch nervously.

You doing what?

Trust me. Continue.

The rabbit only got more and more uneasy as Shahar got closer. He didn’t know if it could see Tuka or not, but it could certainly see him. It took an uncertain hop to the left, and Shahar moved to compensate. Again it moved, and again he compensated. He could feel Tuka vibrating like a taut string at his side.

Finally, after gods knew how long, the rabbit couldn’t stand it anymore and bolted. Tuka burst into a flat sprint, but there was too much distance for her to simply overtake the animal, which was flashing its white tail as it fled into a brown blur over the grasslands.

It didn’t realize where it was going until it was too late. Snow leapt to intercept, and the rabbit smacked against her front legs and bounced, which was enough of a pause for Snow to clamp long, fanged jaws onto its back and seal its fate.

[Colt]

It wasn’t a clean kill, that much Shahar could see right away. Snow had taken a nonfatal hold of the rabbit’s back, and was snapping her head back and forth viciously to try and end the creature’s struggling.

Tuka leveled out from her sprint, slowing down to a lope and then to a trot, and finally to a walk and then a full halt near the excited Snow, plopping herself on the ground. The rabbit had been caught, and that was enough of a success in Tuka’s mind.

Snow managed to drop their quarry after a particularly powerful swing of her head, but had already dealt such damage to the rabbit’s spine that it was unable to run properly. Not that it didn’t try; the rabbit dragged itself away from the pup the moment it felt the ground, but Snow was not about to let it escape her. She leaped back over it, and this time she took a much stronger grip on its neck. She reared onto her hind paws, jerked her head, and then Shahar heard the telltale snap! of its neck breaking.

Dead, Snow, amusement, Shahar thought when Snow continued to thrash it.

Moving!

No moving.

Snow paused and looked at Shahar curiously, then realized that the rabbit had ceased to move. A moment of contemplation, and the pup dropped it onto the ground. Still it did not move.

Elation! Her tail wagged happily. Kill I did, success quiet unnoticed!

See? Shahar knelt and scratched Snow’s head fondly. First no catch, not bad. No catch not always.

Love pride see! Snow leaped into his arms, blood still smeared over her muzzle, and proceeded to stain Shahar’s chest with red.

Love pride I see. Thank you, Snow.

Eat?

Shahar laughed. Not now.

Hungry! She was always hungry.

Shahar looked down at her with a smile. He wasn’t sure how much of Tuka’s upbringing could be applied to Snow, but he did know that Snow was growing and learning. This was her first hunt, and what patterns he set now would set the pattern for all hunts to follow.

Eat-place, home. Rabbit back, eat at home.

Why?

Shahar nodded outwards, to the vastness of the Sea of Grass. Many eaters, out there. Far, close, all hungry. Out here, always listen. Eat, no listen. Danger. However, home, no danger. Eaters no come home. Home safe. And so, eat, no listen, eat home.

What eaters like?

Big. Shahar did his best to give her images of night lions and glassbeaks and grass bears. Snow yelped in fear and turned to look out at the open plains. Where?

Far now, reassurance. Shahar grasped the rabbit and gave Snow a brief embrace. Us, home, eat? Safe eat. After, out again, quiet catch more rabbits?

Fear fading, Snow wagged her tail in agreement. A loving lick of Shahar’s nose, and she left his touch, ready to go. Hungry. And, as always, hope.

Shahar stood and signaled intent to move for Tuka, who reluctantly stood and made her way over to the pair. The three of them returned to Akaidras, who was nosing around in the grass for something to eat, and the group set off for home.

- End -

[Tribal]

G R A D E S

Shahar Dawnwhisper

Experience

• Stealth: 3
• Animal Husbandry: 3
• Negotiation: 1
• Grooming: 1
• Socialisation: 1
• Riding, Horse: 1
• Hunting: 3
• Mathematics: 1
• Logic: 2
• Trapping: 1

Lore

• Tuka: Full of beans
• Endrykas Summer 515: Overrun with rabbits
• Leadership: Making sure there is enough food to go round
• Snow: Doesn't like being separated from Shahar
• Investigation: Looking into the rabbit problem in Endrykas
• Investigation: Eavesdropping in order to find out more
• Too many rabbits in one area can upset the ecosystem
• Snow: Loves to chase rabbits
• Snow: No natural camouflage
• Logic: Hunting, you never catch anything the first time
• Animal Husbandry: Teaching Snow to hunt
• Stealth: New grass is quiet, old grass is loud
• Snow: Determined to please Shahar
• Snow: First hunt, first kill
• Shahar: Teaching Snow the dangers of the grasslands

Notes

The relationship between Snow and Shahar feels really natural. I enjoyed grading this thread for you and seeing into their lives together. Be careful not to form too much speech with snow sentence wise; remember that she is telepathically sharing feelings and emotions with Sharhar, the odd word is fine, however! I laughed so much at Snow killing the rabbit and thinking it was still moving... my dog is just like that. Shahar is a really exciting, tangible character that comes to life every time I read your posts; I love that. Enjoy the rewards and as always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me.