Flashback Risky Company (Caesi)

[Colt]

Caesi listened intently, and––Khasr assumed––took note. He wasn’t certain if she had a mentor like Khasr had Daha, but it seemed like new information to her.

She seemed intent to learn as a whole, though, which was a blessing; she at least tried to mimic his posture when he fell into a cautious stride, even though it took her a few seconds to succeed. Was it the first she had known of it? It seemed to be the case, whether for good or ill.

The sound of running water grew more distinct at the pair drew closer. There were birds in the trees overhead, hopping to and fro and eyeing the hunters warily but not quite distressed enough to ring out an alarm. On the other side of the stream, Khasr caught his breath as he saw a fallen, rotting tree trunk; there was almost certainly food to be found there, once they killed whatever it was they were going to kill.

Caesi was inching closer, which took up half of Khasr’s attention; physical closeness was not something he was greatly familiar with, but this wasn’t the place to push her away. So long as he remained aware of where she was and what she was doing, he could endure it until they finished their task.

The small tap, however, brought the entirety of his attention to her.

She didn’t speak, which let him know quickly that she had something to tell him. A quick gesture, and she directed him to the other side of the stream, where something small and furred was rummaging around in the undergrowth.

Khasr nodded, understood, and asked Caesi to halt. The creature was small, but not tiny, something round and gray with touches of black and white.

A raccoon. Finding its dinner, apparently.

Important wait, quiet, still, Khasr signed, slowly sinking to one knee. He reached for a javelin as quietly as he was able, and indicated that Caesi should be ready to move; but not yet. If the raccoon was looking for food, then they had an advantage; they had high ground in relation to the stream. It was possible that they could hit it from here, either with javelin or arrow, but it would be easier if they could just wait for it to finish.

It will come, Khasr said.

Raccoons washed their food. That must have been why it was so close to the stream. If they just waited for it to succeed, and remained unnoticed while doing so, the raccoon would find what it was looking for, and then it would come to the stream to wash its treasure, placing it squarely in range of Starguide and Windheel.

[Caesi Starguide]

.



Khasr understood Caesi asking her to halt. The girl stayed still as he look over to further examine the creature better. Once he was done he signed for her to wait and be quiet, that the animal would soon come, they just needed to wait for it. Caesi nodded and signed that she Understood. She shifted herself a little, so she was out of Khasr's way when he was ready to strike. Grabbing a hunting arrow from her quiver, she knocked it, pulling light on the string readying herself to let it loose when it was time. The waiting part was always the hardest for Caesi, it wasn't necessarily impatience, as much as over-excitement. The excitement of it almost being time, to provide for her friends and family. There was something about letting an arrow fly that was exhilarating to the young girl.

After a few chimes she loosened up on the bow, removing the arrow to stretch out her fingers. She sighed softly, looking down at her hands. They were no longer that of a child's as she begun to work harder to prove herself to the Starguide Pavilion. Instead they were rough, hardened, the nails were chipped with dirt underneath from all work and no play. She did not mind it, though at times she wondered what it would be like to dress up more often. Dismissing the thoughts of a young girl, she brought the arrow back up, preparing for the animal to come.

Finally the animal was done, it started to come to the stream. Caesi leaned down a bit more, pulling back her arrow tighter and looking over at Khasr, then back to the animal who was a raccoon that was washing his food. Such a cute creature but it would provide sustenance so she banished the pity for the creature. Instead she pulled back tighter on the arrow, ready to let it fly. When Khasr signaled it was time she would release the arrow, whether it hit its mark or not she did not know, but Khasr was there if it didn't and could quickly throw his spear-like weapon to finish or complete the task.

| Thoughts |

[Colt]

Caesi nodded, although she still seemed loathe to wait; time dragged on and she drew an arrow from her quiver, fitting it against the string of her bow. Khasr watched her warily; if she struck now she might get a lucky shot, but it was far more likely that she would miss and scare off the raccoon permanently.

She didn’t, though. A moment of tension hovered over her, but then passed; she relaxed her grip on the bow and returned to waiting. Khasr couldn’t help a small breath of relief.

Khasr returned to observing their prey. Whatever the raccoon had found, it was secured where it was; more than one breeze had passed by before the animal unearthed its prize and shuffled over to wash it.

Coming off summer’s bounty, the raccoon was plump and heavy. It was doing well on its quest to fatten up for the coming winter, although whether that quest was futile remained to be seen; it was within range, and it was paying attention to its own food.

Caesi drew her arrow, clearly waiting for the word to strike. Khasr thought quickly; her arrow would be faster than his spear, but he didn’t know how reliable her strike would be. He could try and cover the hole in the brush that the raccoon would likely escape to if it went sour, but he doubted he would hit it; if Caesi was to shoot first, she would have to shoot true.

Khasr drew a javelin and coiled, more to display solidarity than with any intention to hit anything, and signaled now!

apologiesSo sorry for my absence!

[Caesi Starguide]

.




Caesi inhaled and exhaled softly, calming her quickened heartbeat. The excitement and adrenaline were getting to her, as she trembled slightly. Inhale, exhale. She rhythmically breathed until the trembling went away, her heart beat going back to normal. She had her arrow drawn, staring down the shaft and aiming at the masked creature before them. She kept the string taught and pulled back, her elbow lifted slightly to keep the string from slapping her arm. The arrow rested on her index finger as she waited for the signal to let the arrow fly.

She peered over at Khasr who drew his javelin, readying himself it seemed, and signaled for her to let the arrow loose. She gave a quick nod, looked down the shaft of the arrow as she aimed for the raccoon. Releasing the taut string, the arrow soared through the air at a fast pace. Quickly it reached it's target. She was aiming for the head but it did not sink there. Instead it had struck in a meaty back leg, making the raccoon slightly immobile, but still able to freak out.

It's loud squeaks and chatters could be heard from their position behind the brush. It began to chase it's tail like a dog, seeking the arrow that laid into it's leg to remove the pain it was in. Caesi peered over at Khasr, to see if he would launch his javelin to end the creatures suffering. She had another arrow notched and ready to go if he did not want to, or could not do it. Time ticked by as she looked up at Khasr for guidance on what they should do next.

OOCIt is fine, personal life comes first, always.

| Thoughts |

[Colt]

Caesi was as tense as a coiled snake as they waited for the perfect moment. Excitement rolled off of her in waves, to the point that Khasr worried that she would shoot too soon or too overconfident, but the girl held herself in check. She remained motionless and held the arrow at bay until he signaled for her to let it loose.

The arrow abandoned the the bowstring for the open air, and as soon as it was free it came to thud smoothly into the leg of the raccoon. It wasn’t fatal––at least, not in the way of its own damage.

The raccoon shrieked and dropped what it had been doing, both trying to flee and to unlodge the wooden shaft that had appeared in its flesh. The shock and pain prevented it from running; the weight and length of the arrow made it slow and clumsy, and so all it could do was tear at its own flesh in an attempt to dislodge it.

As soon as he heard the shriek, Khasr was moving. He leaped over the stream, javelin switching hands so he could draw his hunting knife. Upon landing on the other side of the water, he flashed to the raccoon’s side and snapped the javelin over its back to pin it in place. From there, he could grab a massive fistful of the animal’s scruff to control its movements, flip it over and bury the blade of his knife into its throat. He wasn’t used to raccoons, so he did his best to estimate where everything was; he wanted to destroy the windpipe and esophagus and as many arteries as he could, to end it as quickly and cleanly as possible. Well, ‘cleanly’ in the sense that he only hat to make one cut; killing an animal in any fashion was bound to make a mess.

Stepping off the dying creature, Khasr flicked the blood off his knife and turned to the stream to wash it. Signalling finished to indicate that it was over, he allowed a trace of I’m impressed to fall over his shoulders.

“That was a good shot,” he said.

[Caesi Starguide]

.




Caesi watched with amazement at the speed of Khasr. He was over the stream and slitting the throat of the raccoon in fast movements. Caesi was feeling a little defeated, her aim was off. She wanted to make a kill shot and failed, worry covered her features as she stood up from where they two were hiding previously. She was unsure if he would be angry at her for her mistake, as she was a Cultakh for missing. Her shoulders slumped forward, her head held down low, and a pout formed on her young lips as she approached the older Drykas hunter.

He was slinging blood from his blade and then rinsed it in the small stream. She dared a glance up to see how angry he actually was at her. He signaled that he was finished and a small trace of being impressed seemed to fall in his body language, followed by complimenting her good shot. Caesi was shocked and a little taken back at the compliment, “But I missed..” She said in a small voice, letting the words trail off as she sighed. Her shoulders stayed slumped forward, her head tilted down, as the pout kicked in, “I was aiming for the head not the leg.” Caesi admitted to Khasr.

A corner of her mouth lifted up, not in a grin but in a defeated like look, as her head rose up, “You were really quick. If not for you, the raccoon would have gotten away eventually.” The young huntresses eyes lit up with admiration at the man, at his skill. She could only hope that one day she could be as quick as he. He knew how to survive and how to take down an animal with what looked to be no remorse. She too hoped to be the same, as it were the sight of slicing the raccoon's throat was something that still made her cringe. She was learning, knew it was a means for her people to live, she just had yet to grow cold to it.

“Maybe one day I will be as good as you.” Caesi said, smiling up at Khasr, looking at him like a young sister would her brother after he did something amazing. She looked over at the raccoon's body, “Now what do you typically do with your kill?” She inquired of the man, as it was different from pavilion to pavilion, person to person, as their preference of what they do with their kill. Caesi's pavilion would hang it from a limb to bleed out before carrying it to the pavilion to skin, butcher, and cook. However, some would go ahead and get all the dirty work down at the stream to rinse away the blood and gore, and make an offering to Caiyha and Semele for their gift of sustenance.

| Thoughts |

[Colt]

Caesi approached the scene of the kill much more slowly than Khasr had, eyes downcast. Khasr observed her with a tilted head, curiosity, what problem? written in his posture.

His compliment had landed upon deaf ears, it seemed. Caesi had decided that her shot was bad, and that she was therefore a failed archer. Khasr rolled his eyes dismissively.

“So?” he asked. “You hit it. If I hunt a deer, I do so because I am hungry. I may hit it in the heart, or I may hit it in the leg and be forced to run it down with more javelins.” No difference. “The meat will taste the same either way.” What does it matter? “If you only try and make perfect shots, you will always fail.” He swooped down to snag the dead raccoon from the ground. “You hit the raccoon and therefore you did not miss. Yes, it might have run away eventually… if we both happened to break our legs jumping over the stream. You would be surprised how slow an animal moves with an arrow halfway through it.”

Maybe one day I will be good as you.

It was a statement of hope, and of admiration. It gave Khasr pause, simply because he hadn’t expected it. He glanced hesitantly at Caesi, and the look she was giving him… she looked at him as if he had just slain a lion. And on top of that, she had given him a compliment––something he had very little experience with. He was barely around his family to earn a conversation, much less a compliment, and the thought of Daha saying anything encouraging was almost laughable.

But she meant what she said, he could see it in her eyes. She really meant it.

Looking away awkwardly, Khasr shifted his feet and thanked the Gods that she changed the subject. What to do with the corpse? Yes, that was a question, wasn’t it?

Hesitantly, Khasr looked back towards the two pavilions. The others… did he want to go back just yet? Did she?

He shrugged, leaving the decision up to you. “We could do either; skin it here or take it back. I don’t think we need to hang it up, though.” Raccoons were small enough to skin by hand, and their skin came off easily. “I know how, if you want to learn.” Offer.

[Caesi Starguide]

.






Khasr did not seem to think her shot was a failure. He mentioned that always trying for a perfect shot would only make her fail anyways. This struck a chord with the young girl, she never thought of it that way. If she always concentrated on perfect shots every time, she would only over think it and miss or fail. He was right, it did not matter, she did not completely miss she did indeed hit the raccoon which helped make the hunt a success. This only made the look of admiration she gave Khasr grow, which he looked away awkwardly, she did not mean to make him feel awkward. She spoke how she felt and her feelings were true. She did not hide her feelings like some did. She was bold and blunt, about most things. Her mouth spoke as soon as her mind thought, it was who she was.

Hopefully with the conversation change however, the man did not have to feel awkward too long. He answered her inquiry by leaving it up to her. She had no want or need to return home just yet, she saw no point in it. Besides he just offered to teach her how to skin the Raccoon properly. How could she pass up learning something new? She couldn't. With that settled she nodded her head, 'agreeing', to his offer. “I think we should do it here. I would love to learn how to skin it.” Caesi said excitedly as she peered down at the animal, then back at Khasr.

Sure the blood and gore was something she was still getting used to. She was still young and learning. Caesi was not that experienced at hunting, her understanding still vague. Her stomach turned a little at the thought of the knife digging through the now dead Raccoon, but she knew it had to be done. This was the way of their life. Food was needed to thrive and in order to get food you had to do your job right. Caesi wanted to do it right, she wanted nothing more than to please her family and pavilion by learning as much as she could. After all, wasn't it all young Drykas goal to please their elders? To have them look down upon them with pride? Well, for Caesi it was and it becoming a bloody mess would be worth it.

“So how do we do this?” Caesi inquired of Khasr, bending her knees so she was crouching down beside the lifeless Raccoon. “Is it awfully messy?” The young girl asked with a little cringe, though slight it was still visible. She had never skinned her kills before. Besides, she had only killed smaller prey than the Raccoon thus far and she would instantly run with her kill back to the Pavilion waiting for the praise, that rarely came for such a small kill. Caesi looked down at the Raccoon then brought her teal gaze up to Khasr. The excitement and will to learn danced in the orbs as she waited for him to show her how to properly skin the cute, masked, animal.

| Thoughts |

[Colt]

Caesi was quick to agree with his offer––they should skin it here, so he could show her how it was done.

Nodding in acknowledgement, preparation, Khasr took a seat next to the stream and motioned for Caesi to sit opposite from him, making a general indication of how much space would be needed. Skinning the raccoon directly between them would be the easiest way to show her what she was doing.

When they were both in the proper positions, Khasr took out his knife once more and turned the raccoon upside down, exposing its underbelly.

“For most animals, you will make the same cuts. Raccoon, deer, bear, anything with four legs, it’s the same. You start at the head.” He placed the tip of his knife under the raccoon’s neck. “If you want to keep the head attached, you start at the chin. I don’t usually do that, but I have seen my cousin do it when he makes otterskin bags, and the head is the flap. We won’t be making a back out of this one, so it is alright to start at the throat.” He made an incision, then slowly cut the raccoon open from end to end. “From the throat, you cut all the way down to the base of the tail. Once the animal is dead, it won’t bleed, but there is probably some blood from where you shot it with your arrow.”

Khasr took a moment to remove Caesi’s arrow and give it back to her.

“Next, you make four more shorter cuts––one on the inside of each leg. Go all the way from your belly-cut to the knees or the elbows.”

He demonstrated.

“After that, make circle-cuts around each elbow and knee so you can peel it off. Around the neck, too. The head and paws will stay attached to the body, but we don’t need those.”

Once he was done with that, he placed the knife down and set to work actually peeling the skin away.

“Do you see the belly? There is a muscle under the skin. We have one, too.” He tapped his abdominal muscles. “This is what keeps our guts from falling out. If you’re careful with your skinning, then you won’t cut the muscle open and the guts will stay inside the raccoon until you’re ready to deal with them.”

The flesh underneath the skin was mostly pale pink and unbruised, except for the leg that Caesi had shot––that was a red and purple mess. There were also a few sinews keeping the skin attached to the carcass, but the knife made short work of those.

“Raccoons are easy to skin,” Khasr said. “Their skin is loose. Some animals are harder, like deer. Deer must be tied somewhere while they are skinned because it is so difficult. I think that rabbits are the easiest animals to skin, but cats in general are easy, too. Dogs are a pain; they have so many sinews that you have to cut through.”

Realizing that he was about halfway done with the raccoon, Khasr paused. He tilted his head, looked at Caesi, and then handed the half-peeled raccoon to her.

“You do the rest,” he said.

[Caesi Starguide]

.





Caesi watched with curious and intent eyes as she watched him draw out his knife. He flipped the raccoon until it's belly was exposed, then he brought his knife down, explaining that you had to make small cuts starting with the head. She listened as he explained what he was doing. Telling her about whether to keep the head or not, and since they wasn't needing it they would start at the neck instead of the chin. She watched as the knife sliced the raccoon open, from neck to end. She gave a 'thank the Gods' expression when he told her it would not be a bloody mess.

She took the arrow Khasr handed to her, plopping it inside her quiver quickly, bringing her full on attention back to the man. Her mouth opened slightly, as she watched with a bit of an awe-struck expression, watching as he demonstrated how to make the cuts on the inside of each leg. He paused to explain what to do next, then started making circle-cuts around each elbow, knee and neck that way it would peel off.

Once he was done he began to peel the skin away, pointing at the belly and the muscles that laid underneath the skin. Caesi tried to act as strong as Khasr, but her natural reaction was to cringe and so she did. Khasr explained that you can keep the guts inside and deal with them after, if you make sure not to cut the muscle open. Caesi thought that was clever, so it would not get on the pelt and make for a messier butchering and skinning. The flesh he was exposing looked to be pink, except where the arrow had hit it on the leg. Caesi winced inwardly, hoping she did not damage the meat too much by her arrow.

Khasr continued at the task, telling her how it was easy to skin a Raccoon compared to a deer. When he got to how easy cats and dogs were, she balked at the idea of killing a sweet puppy or kitty. Then she wondered if he ate dogs and cats that he raised as pets or something. The thought almost made her gag aloud, but she shook it off.

When he was half-way finished with skinning the raccoon, he handed it to her, telling her to do the rest. Caesi looked down at the raccoon and gulped audibly. “I will do my best.” She said a bit uneasy by peeling the skin off. But she reached out and took the raccoon anyway, the best way to learn was to get hands-on anyway, or so she thought. The feel of the raccoon's fur was sickening. It was soft but wet as she began to carefully peel away the skin from the meat. The sounds it made as she pulled at it also made her stomach turn slightly, as she watched more of that pink muscle become visible.

She had to get her mind off the task at hand so she looked up at Khasr then back down at the raccoon, “So do you eat the dogs and cats you raise then?” She could not keep the thought from her mind. She could not imagine Khasr eating one of the sweet and protective animals raised for hunting and guarding. However, it was possible, people seemed to always be as who they first appear. She kept working at the skin of the raccoon, taking it slow and careful as she was afraid she would somehow damage the meat underneath if she went about it to quick or roughly.

| Thoughts |