Solo Winter Honey

In which Aoife reduces cabin fever by following and running from birds

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Not found on any map, Endrykas is a large migrating tent city wherein the horseclans of Cyphrus gather to trade and exchange information. [Lore]

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Winter Honey

Postby Aoife Oakheart on January 18th, 2016, 7:30 am

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53rd day of Winter, Year 515 AV

Aoife woke at the crack of dawn (isn’t as impressive it sounds with the short winter days) with a smile on her face. It was cold in her sparse tent and not very inviting outside the covers but there was no too-familiar pitter-patter of rain which marked the day as being a good one. She mustered her courage then threw back the blankets and met the day with a shiver and stretch.

Her pack lay in the corner and she quickly rearranged it with things she’d need. The cabin-fever had been almost unbearable of late and she was going to do something about that. With the ground so soggy and rain so heavy Harv hadn’t wanted to move much and neither had she. There wasn’t much point to it either as she wouldn’t dare take much honey from any hives she found -- if she could indeed find them. That’s one thing her father taught her if nothing else, don’t take more than you need and leave them lots for winter. She was sure he had told her the actual amount at some point but she had probably been too busy picking flowers or the like. Just to be safe she made it her rule that they needed a lot and needed it much more than she if they were to survive the winter. That wasn’t even taking into consideration that Khyrmn would have a difficult time finding hives without bees buzzing around them anyway. No, winter wasn’t the best time for a beekeeper...or beefinder if that counted.

Despite all this she would go in search of a hive. The ground was getting better, there was no rain, and she couldn’t spend another full day stuck inside the River Flower. Aoife shoved half a crust of bread in her mouth as she shouldered the light pack and made her way outside. The pack only held the essentials for a short outing -- her beekeeping hat full with netted mask, her collection tools, the smoker (that did make the pack slightly more bulky than she would like) and her flint and steel. A pocket held a small clump of wax from the last hive she raided which would just have to do for the bird. She’d be back before lunch, just a quick trip, no need to pack food for herself. Across her other shoulder hung a worn yvas.

Aoife stepped into the even chillier air with an ever so slight wince. People were already moving through the campsite busy here and there. She nodded back to a few sleepy hellos but otherwise was unbothered as she approached Harv. Harv looked miserable. His tail flicked to say he noticed her but other than that he hardly looked up from the short strands of grass he was chewing on. He obviously didn’t share her enthusiasm for the day. She shook her head “Don’t make this difficult.”

She threw the yvas over his back and ducked under him to grab the other side but as she went to attach it he took a large breath, inflating his stomach. She scowled and looked at his face. He again pretended not to notice, but flicked one ear away from her.

The girl poked his flank. “We’re going, Harv. Nothing you can do about it.” He let her stand there for another couple of minutes attracting the half-curious glances of people passing before he finally breathed out and let her affix the saddle. She grinned and leaned over to kiss him on the nose before dragging herself onto his back. She just had one more task then she’d be set.

Aoife let out a loud whistle, two simple notes that cut through the campsite as she and horse began to weave out of it. The return call was met moments later by grey bird who landed promptly on her shoulder. “Goodmorning, Khyrmn, glad to see someone's ready to go.” She smiled at the bird, holding out a tiny piece of wax. The bird downed the wax then left her shoulder just as quickly as he had come, heading off into the grasslands leaving behind the same two-toned whistle. She tapped the horse’s flanks ever so lightly and he shifted into an uncomfortable trot.
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Aoife Oakheart
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Winter Honey

Postby Aoife Oakheart on January 19th, 2016, 6:29 am

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Though there was a lack of rain and the sun was out, there was still a grey hue to the grass. Everything seemed to still as soon as she left the camp behind. It was just her breaths, Harv’s hooves kicking up clods of dirt, and the odd call from Khyrmn which broke the roar of waving grass. Other than that, there was nothing. It almost had a calming affect. As a little girl her father had told her that the noise of the grass was simply it whispering among itself. “Whispering about you, Aoife, so make sure you always do the right thing. Even if no one else knows, the grass will. You never know who it will share its secrets with.” Though she wasn’t sure anymore about the grass telling its secrets to others (for it had never shared with her) she was still cautious. Something in the grass was always watching.

Khyrmn dropped from the sky with a single last call that she returned. She shifted her weight on Harv, expecting him to quicken the pace but instead he slowed and let out a quiet whinney. Then he stopped. “What’s wrong?" She asked with a frown. Her ankles tapped at his sides but he didn’t budge. Then his head swung to the left and he made to go back the way they came. “No-oo you don’t.” Aoife swung her leg over the horse and dropped to the ground. He grew increasingly irritated, throwing his head and stepping his feet in the spot. She moved around to his face, cooing at him to try and get him to still. “Something get caught in a hoof? You stay here then. I just want to check the hive then I’ll take at you.”

Aoife made her way to where the bird had vanished. The grass was rather thick and high, reaching to her shoulders. When she neared the spot though she frowned in concern. A large section of the grass was trampled down and crushed. She jumped at a noise right behind her only to let out a chuckle. “Don’t scare me like that, Harv.” She scratched the horse’s nose and stepped into the clearing. Khyrmn was busy picking through splinters of an old log and squaked as the girl shooed him away. She let out a gasp as her nimble fingers sifted through the splinters of wood and wax and honey and bees. A few bees buzzed unhappily around her head but there was no need for the netting. The hive lay in pieces, crushed into the ground and around it hundreds of dead bees all likewise crushed. “Probably died trying to save your queen, didn’t you?” She murmured to one bee who was upside-down and slowly grasping at the air with its legs.

The possibility of collecting honey from the hive was gone. The most Aoife could salvage were a few larger sticky chunks of wax. One in particular looked promising full of larvae which Khyrmn would love. Her braided bun was tugged back sharply and she spun to see the horse’s face directly in hers. “What’s the meaning of that? I said I’d get to you after I’m do-” Something just past the horse caught her attention. A reflection of light through the tall grass.

She clenched her jaw. Ever so slowly she shifted to Harv’s side. Ever so slowly she placed her sticky hands on his back and hoisted herself up.

Then, ever so quickly, the glassbeak emerged.
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Aoife Oakheart
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Posts: 13
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Joined roleplay: January 16th, 2016, 7:02 pm
Location: Endrykas
Race: Human, Drykas
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Winter Honey

Postby Aoife Oakheart on January 21st, 2016, 7:24 am

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“Hurry up and get to bed or a glassbeak will get you.” He would say when she was a child. “Don’t sneak out at night or a glassbeak will get you.” Came the refrain through her teenage years. Her father didn’t have a warning for himself though when he was mauled to death by one. At least that’s what she believed. The party who found him out in the grass said there wasn’t much left, not much evidence on what exactly was the killer as other animals had also visited the grisly site. She didn’t go looking for his body, telling herself that she didn’t want to see his remains. Her helpful imagination filled her in just fine.

The monster’s scream mixed with hers. Aoife’s held so tightly to the Yvas that she doubted she would ever be able to open them again. Her legs squeezed so tight to the horse’s galloping frame that she feared she would crush him. Whatever it took though. Whatever it took to not fall off as the horse ran for his life. For their lives. The glassbeak screamed again, a gurgling hungry sound closer now. Any time now, any time now, Aoife kept thinking. Any time now it could catch them and then they’d both return to the fields. Gone. Just like that. One false move, one simple outing and then no more.

Harv didn’t like grassbeaks anymore than Aoife did. He tried to tell his person but she could be hopelessly thick at times. Always following the bird. When the real trouble came though, it was always up to him to get her out of it. The honeyguide had conveniently vanished into the sky. That wasn’t Harv’s problem though. His problem was that his person was holding on far too tight and still she had a chance of falling off. His problem was that one of his greatest fears was catching up more quickly than was comfortable. His problem was that he didn’t really feel like being eaten alive and it was a sudden possibility.

What Aoife would have seen had she had her eyes open and dared a glance behind would be that the glassbeak was not in the best shape it could have been. What she could not have known was that it was the loser. Ousted from the pack. The fight hadn’t been long but it had been hard. This particular glassbeak was winning, about to give the finishing blow when it tripped and crashed into a log. Bees and honey and wax and splinters had flown everywhere, temporarily stunning him and giving enough time for his opponent to rain down blow after blow. The pack then ran off, with the new leader shouting his victory. And left this one behind. He had hobbled away until something, a far off noise had made him turn back and see the horse and rider. He would have their meat all to himself. He didn’t need the pack. Even beaten and broken surely he could bring down a single strider. Then the girl would be easy.

Thankfully for horse and girl, the bird was wrong. His steps were faltering. Blood drained from his wounds and with it he was losing speed.

The bird put on an extra surge. He would not lose two fights in one day. He would be victo--
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Aoife Oakheart
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Joined roleplay: January 16th, 2016, 7:02 pm
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Winter Honey

Postby Aoife Oakheart on January 22nd, 2016, 1:01 am

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Harv snorted and shook his head, flinging flecks of spit everywhere. He pawed the ground and moved in tight circles as the small crowd that gathered tried to calm him down. An older man, finally got him to settle, holding the horse’s head with one hand and wrapping his fist around the yvas with the other. “Be still, my friend,” he told the beast. “Still.” Another couple of onlookers stepped forward to try and pry the girl off of her steed but it was impossible. She was deaf to their words, blind to their actions with her eyes firmly shut.

Behind them the glassbeak lay in a crumpled heap. It’s eyes were open but unseeing. Two arrows stuck from its chest and one from its head, the finishing blow. A cry had gone up shortly before the great golden horse had reached the encampment as someone spotted the rider. At that point they had been too far away to know the reason for the flat out run but a few men had grabbed their bows nonetheless. As soon as the glassbeak was within range they shot.

Aoife could feel Harv’s body relax and it was only then that she came back to the real world. She had felt no sting but the rope biting into her hands. No claws in her back. She wasn’t dead yet. A concerned woman’s face looked into hers. “You’re safe now, hun.” The girl slowly un-pried her fingers and sat up. Colour raced to her face as she realized they had drawn a small crowd and all of the people were looking at her. The older man noticed this and shooed everyone not immediately helping away. The moved off but she could still feel the concerned eyes.

The woman helped her down off the horse, bracing her as her legs wobbled. “Oh, careful there,” the woman chuckled. “Which way to your pavilion?” Aoife pointed numbly in a direction that she hoped was correct. Her mind worked just about as well as her legs. Wobbly. Weak. She wasn’t even hurt and yet she was shaken to the core.

“Good thing your partner is a smart one,” the man said as he walked slowly behind the two leading the horse. “I’m surprised the bird’s noise didn’t attract its pack.” The woman turned her head to give him a glare that shut him up quick enough.

“You just need a bit of rest then you’ll be fine,” she smiled warmly. Aoife nodded.

“Uhm..actually, it’s that way,” the girl pointed.

After only a little backtracking they managed to reach her small tent and she dislodged herself from the woman’s grasp. “Thanks so much,” she smiled weakly. The pair gave her equal looks of concern but didn’t push anything more. “You come find us if you need anything more,” the woman told her. The man relieved Harv of the yvas and the followed away back into the crowd.

Aoife curled into a ball in her tent and stayed like that for what seemed like hours. She didn’t stir until Khyrmn woke her with a chirp. The bird stood on her bed and was rather nosily going through her pocket. She didn't stop him. His head appeared, seeming quite happy with himself and the piece of wax he was trying to swallow. She couldn't help but chuckle softly. “Break it into smaller pieces first.” She reached up and pulled the chunk away from him. She realized that her hands were still covered in the remnants of honey and thus was probably the rest of her and everything she had touched. Her tent. Her blankets. She broke the chunk into manageable pieces and dropped them one by one into the bird’s greedy mouth. “At least we know someone enjoyed the day.” If nothing else, a little more food for Khyrmn would have to do. The bird finished the last of the wax and proceeded to strut around the blanket, preening himself and babbling nonsense squawks.

Aoife looked across the tent to where her possessions lay piled neatly. “There has to be something I can do,” she told the bird. “It would be so much easier if we were stationary, if I had proper hives. Then I wouldn't have to worry.” For she was worried. What honey she had found during the warmer months had sure lasted her but even that didn't make it very far through winter. Supply and demand. There was definitely demand for it. All she needed was a better system for the supply. A better system that wouldn't have her ambushed by glassbeaks with nothing else to do but run.

“I could get a guard?” She asked the bird. He paid no attention to her words having now settled down in a little dip of a blanket. Her mind went to her funds and she shook her head with a sigh. “No, that wouldn't work.” Her gaze shifted over to the wooden frame that was acting as somewhat of a stand for everything else she had. It was a burden. Horrible to try and move around and yet she refused to part with it. It would come in useful one day, she was sure of it. Hopefully more useful than a rack for hanging things however. “We’ll think about it,” she told her companion. “Keep your mind open and let me know if you get any ideas." Again he didn't reply. She smiled and stood, stretching out her aching muscles and shaking off the last touches of fear from the earlier ordeal.

“Time to find some lunch.”
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Aoife Oakheart
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Posts: 13
Words: 13144
Joined roleplay: January 16th, 2016, 7:02 pm
Location: Endrykas
Race: Human, Drykas
Character sheet

Winter Honey

Postby Azmere on February 20th, 2016, 5:41 pm

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Player 1
Experience

  • Planning: +1
  • Observation: +3
  • Riding – Horse: +3
  • Animal Husbandry: +2
  • Falconry: +2
  • Beekeeping: +1
  • Socialization: +1
Lore

  • Khyrmn: Ready for work
  • Aoife: makes the most of it
  • Glassbeaks: The stuff of nightmares
  • Aoife: Resilient
Notes

  • Good thread, Aoife! The glassbeak had me worried for a second becuse a lot of people abuse them but you did very well. PM me if you have any questions.
Attn: GradersObservation is maxed. Thank you for all your hard work.


where do you go when you don't know who you are?
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Azmere
Seeker of the Lost
 
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