PM to join The Meat Of The Issue (Erikal)

[Colt]

12th of fall, 515 a.v
midday

There was a heavy heat that hung over the grasslands today. Not as thick as the previous heat of summer, but hot enough that Shahar had chosen to go about shirtless, quiver strap sticking to his bare skin as he made his way through the tall brush.

At his right trotted Snow, ears perked and eyes roving over everything within sight; she didn’t usually come on hunts, but this morning had managed to convince her partner that yes, she was young, yes, she was inexperienced, but she couldn’t very well get any better if she just stayed at home and waited for him to return. Beneath it, though, Shahar could still sense a deep longing and worry; Snow didn’t like being left alone, because the others in the camp didn’t meet the same definition of ‘company’ that he did. She wanted to remain with him, and so he had allowed her to come on the condition that she did everything he said and asked no questions until they got home, at which time he would answer everything she wanted to ask. She had agreed happily, and now flanked him closely as he followed their lead.

Tuka was ahead of them, cutting a strafing pattern through the grass as she followed the scent of their prey. They weren’t quite ‘close’ yet, but they were gaining quickly; prints and signs of passage were appearing more and more frequently as they trailed the hunting cat, and Shahar was surprised to find Snow already putting her attention to it, vague inquiry directed at the ground. She didn’t ask any direct questions, but Shahar found himself answering her anyway.

That, he said, pinpointing a single hoofprint in the earth. The mind could say things that the mouth could not, and whatever bound him to Snow allowed him to break down every piece of the print, keeping the image in both of their minds even as they moved beyond the physical reality of it. He drew her attention to both dewdrop-shaped marks, and to the two dots below them. When she conveyed understanding of the print in its entirety, he flashed her a picture of deer, the very kind they were hunting. That deer that foot-print. He told what color they were, how big they were, the differences between male and female, and how that once one could tell the difference between the tracks of individual animals, they could determine gender by how they behaved. Snow met each thought with determined openness, absorbing every detail with meticulous resolve to learn.

Their silent exchange was halted when Tuka let out an excited chirp ahead of them; they were getting close. Shahar summoned Tuka back to his side and weighed how far they had come; he knew that there was a pond just a few minutes’ walk ahead, and he suspected that that was where the herd of deer would gather. The heat of the past days encouraged thirst, and not only would it be a place for the deer to drink, but the water would surely beget thick and generous plant life at its banks. The trail they were following was very fresh, and Shahar was relatively certain that the herd would linger at the waterbank for at least a small while. Long enough for them to catch up.

Flashing tense to Tuka and sending caution to Snow, Shahar stooped into a cautious, quiet crouch and began closing in.

[Erikal]

Galloping hooves trampled tall grasses and sent mucky clods flying when streams were crossed. Erikal systematically halted Korvas to read the terrain. He judged the prints to belong to a deer. A large buck by the looks of them. He let out a tribal cry of joy for anticipation of the hunt and raised his spear high. The Drykas slid his weapon into a special sleeve on the Yvas and sprung up onto his horse in one fluid motion. Erikal nudged his strider forth with a squeeze of his legs and soon they were accelerating across the prairie, toward a shimmering mark in the distance he took for a lake or pond.

The day was warm, but on his horse Erikal felt cool and relaxed as the wind whipped through brown locks. His gaze drifted upward to notice hawks wheeling about in the sky, intent on prey of their own. His plan was to take a deer once he got to the distant oasis. It was a tricky thing that would require him to be quiet until he was close enough to spur Korvas into a charge where he could deal a thrusting blow to fell the animal. His father was adept at the bow and could fire it on horseback nearly as well as on land. Erikal, however, found his aim off more than not when he attempted similar feats. It was definitely something he wished to improve upon in the coming seasons. The spear had always come more natural to him.

Erikal caught movement on the periphery of his vision off to the right. He brought Korvas to a rearing stop. There. Amid the brush where the land rose a fraction. He had expected the elusive deer, or perhaps a boar. But instead of this, he got a glimpse of white that could have been a dog or wolf, and alongside it appeared to be a fellow Drykas before the tall grasses swallowed them up with the dip in the land. Erikal thought it good luck to have found one of his brothers out hunting as well. He wondered if the man would take ill to his company though. He spat over the side of his horse and shrugged his shoulders. Erikal decided it was worth testing the waters. Two spears were always better than one. In any event, if the Drykas had objections, he would simply veer off and pick up the trail he had been following. What if those trails cross? Came the unbidden thought.

Tired of deliberating, the Sunspear warrior urged his horse forward and rode to catch up to the man and his alabaster hunting companion. Upon closing in on them, he halted a short ways off and hailed. "Greetings brother," he said, offering a sign of respect. "I see you are hunting. Mind if we join you?" Erikal inquired, his speech and manner both friendly and relaxed.

[Colt]

It was Snow who was the first of them to hear it. She raised her head curiously, ears pricked, while Tuka paused to turn and look quizzically into the distance.

What is it? Shahar asked.

Hoof-beats, horse coming.

Shahar asked her to come close as he considered the presence of a horse. How many?

One.

Then it was likely another Drykas.

Another Drykas what do? Another hunt-person?

Likely. Be calm. Stay close.

By now he could hear them as well––or rather, he could feel them through the earth as the heavy animal made its way between the infinite curtains of grass, no doubt bound for the same source of water that the three of them were.

Shahar knew that Akaidras was not far, trailing them until the time came to rejoin for the final leg of the hunt; the usual way of things was for Shahar to ride as he tracked and grew close to his quarry, then to have Akaidras wait when they arrived within fifteen minutes of their prey so that Shahar could walk and pay more attention to the nuances of the trail. His strider was within summoning distance, even if he was not currently horsed.

He could see flashes of their unexpected companion through the golden veil of the grass. Black and brown. Leather. Long blonde hair. A spear. Broken pieces of information that slowly matched with each other to form enough of a picture for Shahar to recognize the person as male, Drykas and armed.

And it seemed that Shahar was not the only one on the lookout for others of his kind.

The Drykas man had caught sight of the trio of hunters, and was soon altering his course away from the water source––straight towards them. Tuka, of course, was the least happy about it, pinning her ears uncomfortably and coiling up with tension, but Shahar put a reassuring hand on her shoulders to keep her from doing anything else. Wait, he said to her. Stay here, stay close.

Snow, on the other hand, was more curious about the stranger than anything; she watched him close in with a raised head and no fear in her body, not like the hunting cat; she was unaccustomed to strange Drykas just appearing from the grasses and waltzing up to them.

As the distance between them shortened, the man became clearer; he was lean, although not quite skinny, equipped with a spear and riding a dark bay stallion. He approached with the typical openness and greeting that Shahar expected from those of Drykas upbringing.

“Greetings, brother. I see you are hunting. Mind if we join you?”

Straight to the point. Shahar looked ahead, to where their shared destination lingered on the horizon. No doubt he was here for the deer, something that Shahar had no inherent need to contest, although suddenly having a second hunter present did drastically alter his plans.

No objection was Shahar’s first response, although it was overlain with pause, deliberation; he had no reason to not hunt with the man, but he had entered the hunt intending to do so alone. He hadn’t at all planned what to do with a mounted partner.

Change path, plan needed, sudden changes didn’t expect this. He turned to look at the entirety of what the man had come equipped with. You hunt with spear? It wasn't a weapon Shahar was familiar with, but he had seen it at work in the past. It would be an unusual weapon to plan into action.

[Erikal]

Erikal dismounted and offered the man his forearm in greeting. Thinking it would put the man at ease if they were on level ground and he not astride the monstrous Korvas peering down at him. Though he had only been in the man's company for a brief time, he already sensed a cautious spirit. The fellow Drykas had not accepted him with open arms, but nor was he openly rude. This careful man was not someone Erikal wished to tangle with; he looked ruggedly built with muscles hardened from long days hunting and his skin weathered from the unforgiving wind and sun. He was also taller than Erikal, though seemed less proud to bring attention to the fact. Aside from the man being sparse of words, predominately relying on sign to communicate his thoughts, he appeared also to be a spirit in tune with Caiyha's children.

Though Erikal hid his surprise well, he was taken aback by the sheer size of the wolf. Or was it a dog? Whatever the beautiful animal was, it was all sorts of huge and had one of the most strikingly beautiful white coats he had ever seen. The Sunspear warrior considered himself brave (some would say reckless) and thought it a prudent thing to befriend the man's animal as well to show he too believed in the harmony of all life in the web and Caiyha. Besides that, the wolf-dog was gorgeous and he longed to touch such a sacred and rare animal.

Crouching down, the young Drykas smiled and playfully ran his hands over the soft fur, lingering to scratch at the scruff of its strong neck. He liked the animal. It had an affectionate and playful way that reminded Erikal of the dogs in his pavilion kennel. He laughed jovially and patted the wolf-dog on the head.

Not wishing the man to wait overlong, his question unanswered, he peered up and said: "I do. I've a bow too. But I won't take any wagers in a shooting contest," he said with a wry grin. Hoping his amicable attitude and humor would allow the man to lower his guard just a little. "What is your wolf's name? I've never seen its like before," Erikal said, admiration clear in his tone.

"And who's this over here?" he asked, shifting his weight to turn and regard the hunting cat. It stalked about through the grasses, just out of reach. He could tell by the way the cat's ears lay flat on its head and also by the movements it made that it was not keen on any sort of touching. He propelled himself to a stand with a push off his thighs. Friendly, he signed.

The man had about him formidable looking animals, but oddly absent was a strider. Erikal found that very strange, but made no comment. Erikal led Korvas closer to the Drykas, happy to notice the bay stallion did not react badly to the large wolf-dog. In fact, the steed barely acknowledged the animals at all. Though he did seem to find the hunter worthy of appraisal before lowering his muzzle to snuffle about in the grass for tasty plant life.

Erikal ran his hand fondly across the horse's flank and up around its withers. Low mirth left his lips to see Korvas's usual aloof attitude in full effect. "This is Korvas," he said, to fully acquaint the man with his strider as it seemed the horse himself wasn't really into such trivialities. Strong. Fast. Too proud. Erikal signed in quick succession, stifling a laugh lest the horse become aware that he was taking the brunt of a joke.

Erikal's attention shifted to the distant shimmer of water; his prior destination and the likely resting point for a certain deer. The nomad gestured to the watering hole. Prey. Deer. I followed. "We should hunt the buck together. Caiyha may be generous this day and offer more bounty," he said thoughtfully. Syna's rays painting the vista golden around the two hunters.

The young Drykas was not one to lay tedious plans when it came to hunts. But then again, he was still young and had much to learn. Knowing the man before him to no doubt have far more experience on the Sea of Grass, he shadowed his eyes against the sun's light with a raised hand and spoke in deference, "I will follow your path and heed your warnings, brother. Lead the way."

[Colt]

The man dismounted, joviality echoing from every line of his body. He landed with a hearty thud that Shahar could feel through his feet at such close proximity; this stranger was not heavyset by any definition of the word, but neither was he skinny. But he was undoubtedly Drykas, and not just in the way of his easily seen bond with the bay strider; he was cheerful and open, ready to greet the group of hunters with an extended arm of friendship.

It was the extended arm of friendship that caught Shahar off guard.

It wasn’t as if it had startled him, exactly, and neither was it something he was unfamiliar with. It was a common gesture among friends who sought to greet one another, usually followed by laughter and traded stories and all those things that friends generally did together. And that was the root of Shahar’s single moment of hesitation: it was a gesture of friendship.

Shahar had many things, but friends did not take a very high place on that list.

The clanless hunter’s pause was the length of a heartbeat, and then he was moving before he even knew what he was doing, reaching out, clasping the offered arm in friendly greeting, and accepting the subtext of friendship.

And when he was done, there was another moment of hesitation as he tried to sort out what had just happened.

Which seemed just as well; Snow had sensed her partners dazed new what? and had moved closer to investigate, although she could sense that there wasn’t any real danger present for any of them. But the stranger’s attention almost immediately landed on her, and within moments he had approached her and was smiling, crouching, stroking her fur and scratching her neck.

For a moment, Snow’s emotions entirely mirrored Shahar’s own: this is new pleasant what where come from not normal. She didn’t respond to the stranger’s touch for a few moments, unsure what to do in the face of this entirely new experience, but soon enough was warily turning to reciprocate, leaning into the blonde man’s attentions and leaning forward to sniff his face curiously.

In simple truth, both Shahar and Snow were almost complete strangers to this sort of interaction. Neither of them were experienced with anyone wanting to be friends with them, just because; when strangers sought them out, it was because they wanted something, and when they had acquired it then neither would seek the other out until either something went wrong or they wanted something else. Although Shahar had observed this man’s kind of behavior before, it was always from afar, and never something he willingly involved himself in. It was never something others sought to involve him in. In a world of laughter and friendly competition and song and scuffles, he was a stranger. He was “that quiet one, the Dawnwhisper, won’t talk even if you try and pry it out of ‘im.” He was the odd one out, the one no wanted to wander too close to because in a society of noise, it was almost incomprehensible that a man should prefer silence. His silence made people uncomfortable.

But this man, he was so… happy. He didn’t seem at all put off by Shahar’s quietness, and went on to greet a very confused Tuka as if he hadn’t noticed it at all. He was loud, friendly, as excited to meet others as a Drykas man was expected to be… and entirely uncaring of the fact that Shahar was not the same way.

It was a completely unexpected thing that Shahar had never come across before, and he didn’t even think he disliked it.

Standing, the man turned to introduce his own companion.

“Korvas,” Shahar repeated, greeting the stallion. Then, to the rider; “Akaidras,” mine, strider, close, nearby, can should retrieve him if hunt together. He gestured to the oasis. My intention, before, “I planned to go on foot,” Get close, quiet, careful, “and kill from shadow.” Hidden, cautious, would kill only one. He looked at Korvas’ rider. With you, unnecessary, two riders, cat, dog, hunt-together different. “The deer will not leave water quickly. We have a small length of time.” He turned, gesturing to the west. That way, travel, somewhat close, just out of sight. “Three large rocks there.” Gather there, meet, to plan to prepare get ready to hunt. “I will return to my strider,” and then go there.

[Erikal]

Erikal was glad to see a subtle change in the hunter. Opening up to a degree and offering his hunting plans. He was relieved the quiet man had a strider close by. Two riders, by his estimation, would prove a dynamic force. There was also the interesting prospect of hunting with his countryman's animals. Erikal could well imagine their usefulness coming in quite handy. The wolf or cat could set a trap into motion. Instigate a chase and direct prey towards their ambush position. A grin spread across Erikal's face, an eager excitement bubbling up inside him for the hunt.

I hear and understand, he signed. "Don't take too long, brother. I fear the wolf spirit in me has little patience," he said with a joking laugh, clapping the other man on a broad shoulder. A few heartbeats later Erikal was once more atop the mighty Korvas. The horse gave a nicker in greeting and gave two quick snorts before launching itself westward. The Drykas raised his hand in a salute before disappearing in the tall swaying grass only to emerge ticks later much farther on, a brown smudge on the distant horizon.

Though Erikal was vaguely familiar with the area, he had never once been to the specific rendezvous. It was clearly a strategical place to be and Erikal was thankful he had met such a resourceful friend. Three rather enormous rocks situated amid waist-high grass atop a gentle rise. There was a fair bit of brush and other vegetation growing about the stones to lend itself toward one being stealthy. The Drykas slowed his horse and patted the horse once on the neck. Korvas assumed a walk, ears erect to any sound of predators in the new environment.

Once there, the warrior-hunter slid off Korvas, scaling the remaining distance with the strider treading behind him. He found a great vantage spot in the lee of a rock to peer down upon the sparkling body of water. Syna's light shimmered off the reflective surface of the pond below, partially blinding the Drykas. Squinting, he focused blue-gray eyes on her swerving banks. The shoreline was teeming with lush plant life. Buzzing with insects and he noticed a number of birds, actively hunting the shallows for worms or circling overhead in search of fish.

The Drykas saw no deer or other food source present on the bank closest. But as his eyes scanned the distant shoreline, they abruptly halted on a hazy four-legged form. He could just barely make out a powerful neck arched toward the water's edge and a crown of proud antlers. A magnificent buck indeed. Erikal exhaled a gentle whistle of awe.

Erikal squirmed out, returning to Korvas's side. He rested a fond hand on the steed's flank, peering eastward, eagerly awaiting his new hunting companion.

[Colt]

The man signaled that he understood and intended to carry out Shahar’s request, and in another moment was clapping a friendly hand on the hunter’s shoulder. This, too, was too unexpected and unknown for Shahar to react properly; he could only stare at the offending hand, but then the hand was retreating and its owner was mounting, gesturing in farewell and urging his strider into the grasslands.

Shahar watched after him a few moments, still a bit stunned by the entire encounter.

But then he blinked to clear its head, shoot himself as if to shed the confusion, and turned, summoning his four-legged companions to his side as they began to move back towads the last of their number.

Snow liked that man.

Akaidras was neither near nor far, and it took a few minutes’ walk to reach him; Shahar had asked him to guard this tree, with the complex addition of find me if there’s trouble. No trouble had yet appeared, and Akaidras seemed relatively surprised to see the three hunters coming back so soon; the black bay stallion raised his head curiously and snorted in acknowledgement of their presence, just as his rider sidled up to him and put a comforting hand on his strider’s shoulder. Greeting, friend, time to move, come with me.

This alerted Akaidras to the fact that they would be going somewhere, although he was still somewhat bemused as Shahar leaped into the yvas; was he to be hunting with them this time? Had plans changed?

Regardless of his befuddlement, the stallion did not fuss against Shahar as the hunter brought the other two to his side––Tuka on the left, Snow on the right, as if that was always where they had been meant to be––and started into the grass to rejoin with their new companions.

The trip was shorter on horseback than on foot; although they had to keep a somewhat slow pace for Snow to remain with them, the pup had long since proved that she possessed a remarkable endurance. She could keep up with their steady lope, and she could keep up seemingly without end; the journey to the rendezvous would not tire her at all. And it was practically a lazy jog for Tuka, who did not possess the she-wolf’s endurance but was quite able to maintain a pace that was slow in comparison to her usual speeds––the quartet of hunters reached the rising stone unwinded and with quite enough energy to continue on their neverending quest for food.

The dark form of Korvas was the first thing they saw, stark and off-black against the endless gold and tans of the Sea of Grass; another moment’s search and Shahar spotted the rider at the other stallion’s side.

Hail, greeting, Shahar signed once they came within the appropriate distance. News, has anything happened? Prepared to hunt, all ready, have a plan. Shahar gestured to the water source ahead of them. Prey, “They are on this side.” Against shoreline. “If we circle,” around, from the north, approach sideways, “We force them into the grasses.” Necessary, should do that, open area, flat, good to run. “In close trees, striders are not fast.” Closed in, too much maneuvering, slow, cannot catch. “On the plains, striders are fastest.” Open, room to run, nothing to dodge, fastest of all, faster than prey.

Shahar angled Akaidras towards the oasis. Go north, first, we together. Circle back, approach it from north. “One of us, each side of the water.” Push all herd out, into grass. “Otherwise, they will just go to the other side.” Once outside, free to move, best place to hunt. “In the grasses,” you and I, “join together. Find one deer, our prey.” One deer to chase, chase together.

It was a relatively simple plan, but they were only two riders; more time and traps could theoretically have brought them more than one target, but that was time Shahar was not prepared to spend. Not today. Today, half of a deer would be enough for him, and the other half would go to…

Wait, question, “What is your name?” It seemed best to know that before moving forward, especially since he knew the name of the strider and not the rider.

[Erikal]

Erikal saw a rider appear over a ridge of tall grass, two smaller shapes in close orbit. The Drykas grinned, greeting his new found friend with a lifted hand. His blue-gray gaze immediately went to the rugged man's strider. A black bay steed of imposing size that rivaled even Korvas. Korvas, for his part, raised his head from the earth to look upon the equine visitor. When the distance betwixt the two became insubstantial, both horses came nose to nose, and blew out their noses in a friendly greeting that held no hostility. Erikal chuckled, glad to see their horses were getting on well.

"Ha! I think Kor claims Akaidras as friend." The Drykas smoothed a hand over the steed's dark flank. "How old is he?"

It wasn't long before his quiet comrade turned attention to the north where the body of water shimmered in the midday sun, and began to elaborate on a plan. The young horseman listened intently. The idea was basically to flush the deer out onto the open grass where they could more easily ride strays down. They both would travel north together and then veer off, one to a side of the pond. The horsemen would converge on the southern plains and catch their prey together. Erikal thought it a sensible ploy, nodding affably. "I like it. Let us go then, brother."

Before Erikal could turn and mount up, His friend halted him with a question. He wished to know his name. He laughed, realizing they had been so caught up with the hunt and meeting one another's animal friends that they had left out a very simple exchange of names. "Erikal Sunspear of the Diamond Clan, friend. Who might I have the honor of calling brother this day?"

After pleasantries had been addressed properly, the two resumed the hunt. Neither man spoke much now. Erikal signaled to Shahar, careful. Ahead of them he saw something stir in the grasses, though he could not make out what it was. The pair of hunters traveled a safe distance from the water's bank so as not to alert prey to their presence. The time was not yet ripe to flush them south. The sound of breeze sweeping through the grass mingled with bird calls and the occasional distant splash of water. Erikal peered ahead. He thought he had seen a flash of brown dart westward. Perhaps a fox, he thought. There seemed to be no further evidence of anything along their path. Erikal signed to Shahar. I see nothing now. Maybe gone.

The duo made good progress. Nearing a point north that went beyond the water's edge to the southeast. They were nearly in position and ready to commit to the second part of Shahar's plan.

The southward charge.


NoteLoving the thread so far! Hope you don't mind my taking some creative liberties to progress the story. Onward we go!

[Colt]

Although Shahar had been prepared for Akaidras to act up in the presence of another stallion, he was pleasantly surprised to see that neither one of their horses held any particular animosity towards each other; when the clanless Drykas arrived at the rendezvous point, the two striders sniffed each other experimentally and then mutually decided that the entire range of today’s company was quite to their liking.

The other hunter only confirmed it by laughing good-naturedly and remarking upon the quick friendship between their bonded horses. Upon asking how old Akaidras was, Shahar replied with a noncommittal five years roundabout. This conversation was one that could easily steer away from productivity.

Upon hearing of his plan, the other hunter nodded and immediately made ready to move, mounting and gathering his effects.

Upon hearing Shahar’s question, the man laughed.

"Erikal Sunspear of the Diamond Clan, friend,” he replied. “Who might I have the honor of calling brother this day?"

Erikal Sunspear. A man that was apparently both friend and brother within less than an hour of company. The sheer vastness of Erikal’s amiability was truly astounding to Shahar; he was just so… chipper. Shahar found himself wondering if the man was even capable of sadness.

“Shahar,” he responded. “Shahar Dawnwhisper.” He volunteered no clan. He had no clan to volunteer. Whether or not Erikal had noticed the echoing lack of family colors adorning the quiet hunter was his own business; Shahar had given the full extent of his name and title, and there were no more introductions to be made.

They had deer to hunt.

They set off at a relatively calm pace, as they weren’t a vast distance away from their destination and neither wanted to startle their quarry prematurely. Tuka kept close to Akaidras’ side, well practiced in this particular style of hunting, although Snow was a bit more difficult to control; she was excited beyond belief, and her promise to not ask questions was weighing heavily upon her. She wanted to run, to smell, to listen, to learn everything there was to learn about what they were doing and how to help. Shahar repeated be calm, by my side every few minutes to keep her from sabotaging their hunt.

They approached from downwind, although they paused when Erikal flashed a sudden careful Shahar’s way.

What is, something you see? Snow, you hear?

Hear something, moving, beyond sight.

But no, whatever it was, it was soon gone, vanishing into the brush like a ghost.

Nevertheless, Shahar adopted another layer of caution. It was entirely possible that even if they did manage a kill today, they would have to work just as hard to keep that kill to themselves; there were plenty of animals on the Sea of Grass that wouldn’t hesitate to scavenge if given the chance.

They moved into position when they neared the water. There were deer lingering at the bank, ears perking towards the two riders as they caught sight of them, although they were far enough that the deer weren’t quite convinced that running would be necessary. The sight of them made Snow practically buzz with anticipation.

That way, Shahar signed to Erikal. You, that side, me, this side, both run, drive them out, onto flat ground. When he was sure that Erikal, understood, Shahar signaled for Tuka to get ready and began to move towards the edge of the lake.

The deer were uneasy, that much was clear. The presence of horses, other herbivores, was enough to keep them from fleeing immediately, but the sight of the wolf and hunting cat off-set it just as much; they began moving away from the approaching party, slowly at first but eventually breaking into an anxious trot.

It was when the first of them broke into a run that triggered Tuka’s frenzy.

The she-cat exploded from her position in a golden blur, and the deer began to run; a few went to the side and into the plains, while others went to the opposite side and tried to follow the shores of the water––but if Erikal performed his task then he would be in the perfect place to cut them off and push them into the open, and Shahar wouldn’t have to chase them in a never-ending circle around the banks of the lake.

[Erikal]

Erikal could literally feel a quake of excitement run through his body at the sight of the deer. He loosed his spear from its grooves on the yvas and nodded his head in accent to Shahar's unspoken message. Erikal only had to squeeze once with his legs before Korvas was moving at a swift gallop. He took care to keep some distance betwixt himself and the herd lest he frighten them off before the trap was set. He would be the 'hard place' to Shahar's rock for the nervous deer. The other equine bookend that would draw them out in the open. They had agreed that only one deer would be taken this day. As such, Erikal hoped to hunt down the prince of this herd. It was never the Drykas way to slaughter for sport. To leave a buzzing swath of death sickened Erikal to his core. Such a thing was a disgrace to his people's way and to Caiyha.

To an onlooker, it would appear as if Erikal had veered off, galloping away from his quarry. But that was just a feign. The cloud of dust he left in his wake covered his sudden change in direction. Erikal hugged his horse tight with legs to keep aboard, the wind whipping through his hair whilst he clung low to his strider. He was nearly in position to cut off any escape the deer might pursue. But as he approached, he saw the deer were already antsy, moving steadily away as they followed the contour of the pond. He didn't know what had them spooked, but he noticed a few deer had also bolted toward the open plain. It seemed to him their plan would be intact should they simply continue after those that had divided from the herd. Still, Erikal hoped to impress his new Drykas friend and follow through with his end of the bargain.

Knowing he had little time to lose, Erikal spurred Korvas to breakneck speeds. The grass slapped at his legs, flashing by in a brown blur as he sped off to intercept the fleeing deer. Though a few of the fleetest among them managed to bound away down the water course, Erikal and Korvas managed to put a halt to a majority of the herd, turning them around back from whence they came. Erikal raised his spear and whooped loudly, a fierce yet joyful expression written upon his features. The deer were corralled and brought back toward the southern water edge and onto the grassy plain. The stampede brought up plumes of dust, with Erikal right behind, hollering war cries, spear poised above him and ready to strike. His eyes scanned the deer for signs of Shahar and Akaidras, as well as his animal companions. He did not wish to strike until he knew for sure what course of action his comrade took.....