PM to join A Bumpy Ride (Konrad)

[Ramona Silvertongue]

DAY, SEASON, 517AV

Hansel was quite cold, Ramona had thought she was being quiet. It seemed that when she was talking, it bothered him. She frowned, and shut her mouth and readied her arrow as Hansel wanted her to. Ramona was quiet when Hansel told her to ready her arrow. Out of nervousness, she notched the arrow. She was struggling a bit, but she had managed to get it rested against the string and the bow.

There was no three. Hansel just fired his arrow. Ramona took aim before the deer started to run. Her arrow flew just above the body of the deer. Ramona had thought she had hit the deer, but it seemed that Hansel was lucky and had hit the deer instead of her. She growled in envy, though she brushed the envy aside and figured that she could improve her archery with more practice. It might just be luck that he managed to hit the deer. Still, it was a good thing that someone had hit it, because now it was trailing a lead of blood. Wherever it went, they were bound to take it down sooner, rather than later.

"Let's follow it, remount."Ramona stated excitedly, and whistled Anthem over, before she mounted she went to retrieve her arrow that landed between two stones. Fortunately, the arrow was not damaged, and she wouldn't need to buy another arrow. The huntress remounted Anthem, and clicked her heels against the sides of her Strider, and Ramona began following. She didn't bother to wait, she'll wait when the deer stops. This time, they would catch it.

[Konrad Venger]

"Shyke!"

Konrad had barely got the whole word barked out before the deer was bounding away through the grass, terror and pain blasting through base biology. The same biology that was sending blood spurting into the air, arrow shaking and jerking in its ribs. It would be some time before it bled out, and until then...

He could already hear it crashing through the grass. Bleating and crying out. Getting fainter.

Ramona stated the obvious and Konrad didn't argue: tracking wasn't the issue now, time was, and it would take far too long catching up on foot. He swung himself up onto Yeh Bugger's back and notched a fresh arrow. He held the bow and arrow firm in one hand, the reins in the other, and followed Ramona as she trotted after their prey.

After the blood, more accurately. Arcs of scarlet painted brown and yellow and rare patches of green; a one-eyed man could have followed the trail, and even without eyes... they could still hear the crashing over the hooves of their horses. See the shaking grass and the flashes of fur and white-tail as the deer fled.

It didn't take long. Fear and desperation can take a body far in the heat of a moment, but biology always wins in the end. Konrad kept his eyes on the flickers of movement, skin tight on his ravaged face, hunger burning in his eyes... and annoyance.

Thirty feet, motionless target... you should have planted that sodding thing in its heart. But no. You couldn't even manage that.

"Not gunna happen agen."

His growl in Common would likely have been lost to hear, over the sounds of their pursuit, but even if she'd noticed, he'd not have cared. He had eyes only for their slowing prey, the way it was slowing down, stumbling, front legs now painted and slick with blood, until finally it fell... and would not rise.

"Easy... easy..."

Yeh Bugger eased back, slowing down even as he shirked and whinnied at the blood in his flaring nostrils. Konrad could smell it, too. Practically taste it. Not surprising, considering how much of it there was. The panting, wheezing deer seemed to be bedding down on its own fluids, body heaving but going nowhere.

Konrad had seen Drykas end wounded animals with daggers or spears up close, when they were this badly wounded. It was a respect issue, apparently. A tribute to Caiyha. Konrad could understand it, but he had his own way of showing respect.

He drew back the arrow, and spoke as he sighted down the shaft. He waited just long enough for Ramona to ape his movements, then spoke sharply:

"Make it quick."

Twenty feet. Motionless target. Mounted, but still nonetheless. The string twanged and the arrow flew and the hunters ended the agony in front of them.

[Ramona Silvertongue]

DAY, SEASON, 517AV

Ramona assisted with the killing of the deer. After Hansel had killed it off with his bow. Ramona told Anthem to wait, and she grabbed her rope to tie it on the back of the Yvas. She grew slightly teary-eyed as she prayed to Caiyha, and Dira. As she worshiped them greatly, and wished to see the deer leave into a happy place. A good place, yes that was it. The deer would leave into a good and better place. It would serve them well.

She used her arm, and wiped away the tears from her eyes.

"It's a hood sacrifice. The deer died so we can live."Ramona muttered under her breath. Her father had taught her what it meant to pray thanks to the Gods for keeping the Drykas alive with food. "We must hurry if we want to make it back before nightfall."Ramona said, and mounted Anthem. She clicked her heels against the sides of Anthem, and he trotted into a canter.

Ramona was sure that she could get some of the meat preserved for herself, it would be a good idea. As well a Bhug.

"Do you guys skin the deer yourselves? We can take it back to the Pridesun?"Ramona suggested as Hansel was catching up.

[Konrad Venger]

Whatever shortcoming she had a a brawler - and Konrad knew that by buggery, she had plenty - Ramona knew her shyke when it came to living and surviving on the Sea of Grass. He expected nothing less from a Drykas, and merely nodded when she mentioned getting back before it was dark.

Meaning she can tell it's getting late, so we should get a bloody move on.

She was no slouch with their bounty, either. While Konrad was still reclaiming his arrows, Ramona was lashing the deer's legs to her yvas to drag it back to Endrykas. Konrad waited for her to get a little bit ahead before following her at a distance. That way he'd be able to see any damage done to it scraping over rocks or bumps and, if needed, call her to whoa.

Syna was fierce and uncaring as they rode. He had to wait a few chimes to get his breath back, swigging down warm water and smacking his lips like it was from the rarest crystal springs... and then answered her.

"We get someone else to skin, they want something for it. Why do that, when we can do for ourselves? You know how to skin?"

[Ramona Silvertongue]

DAY, SEASON, 517AV

"No, I do not know how, and I never wanted to learn. It's too sickening to skin an animal. "Ramona said. "Normally, I'd take them to be skinned over at the Spitfire."Ramona claimed and used her heels again to increase Anthems speed.

"The least I can do is to hunt.
Like other hunters, I pray my thanks for the food I get. Summer is soon coming to a close. Without Morwen last winter, food would be harder to scavenge. No doubt." Ramona guessed. It seemed like a logical reason to hunt instead of sew, or something else?

Though, the summer sun doesn't drop until later in the night, Ramona knew that it was still getting close to late. She didn't want to wait around for the wolves, and she doubted that Hansel would want to either. The wolves outside of Endrykas can be quite menacing. It would be a foolish mistake to even stay up when the night was awake.

Ramona knew why Hansel wanted to stay closer in the back, it was obvious. She knew plenty of hunters who wanted their meat clean, or fresh and not cut and bruised. If Ramona had a wagon, she would be able to carry it that way. It didn't take too long for them two reach the Tent City. Ramona sensed the gates of the Webbing through the Djed. It tingled her skin.

"Finally, we're home."Ramona said with a sigh of relief. "How's our catch of the day doing back there?"

[Konrad Venger]

"Not gonna last long, with that attitude."

Konrad didn't bother mincing his words. He'd brawled with the women, hunted with her, and that entitled her to a certain level of honesty with him. He wasn't trying to wheedle or con anything out of her, so there was no need to charm her. As for the other, obvious reason for talking pretty to a woman... well... Konrad didn't think that likely. Not with how he looked and what he was.

Besides, they're always banging on about how men should "just speak the truth" to them. Well, here it is.

"What if you can't take it to be skinned?" He asked as they trotted along, the tent-and-pavilion smear of Endrykas getting larger as they went. "You have to know to do things yourself. Cannot rely on other people. It is not pretty, but it still needs to be done."

The wild grasslands became more trampled and chewed as they approached. The grazing herds of the city had already been rotated through that area, gnawing down the vegetation to the soil and even under it in places. Every ounce of grass was precious: the animals didn't know when the drought would pass, either, so didn't waste chance to eat.

"Animals hunt each other. They kill each other. Everything needs to eat," Konrad continued as the two victorious hunters arrived back in the city. He crushed the urge to smirk as whispering, awed onlookers eyed their bounty, all two hundred delicious pounds of it. "So do we. Not enough in the ground to feed us all. So animals have to feed us. That's the way of it. That's Caiyha."

Petching preaching now, boy?

Konrad almost flinched at that inner voice, which always seemed to sound like his father when it was critical of him. Especially when he was being so blatantly bloody hypocritical. Since when had he given a shyke about the gods? He'd never cared for them because, as far as he could tell, they'd never cared for him. But the last season... he'd seen them. Actually in the flesh.

And they cared. Cared enough that they were angry their children had disappointed them. Not only that, but one of them was angry enough that she was letting the whole world burn and denying it any cool, or cold.

"Keep eyes out," Konrad said, voice almost a growl, chided by his own mind and touching the sword at his belt. "Make sure no people try to steal out prize. And don't look at me that way. Famine always follows drought. Soon people will be starving."

There were plenty of avaricious eyes, but no questing hands tried their luck. Ramona dragged the deer all the way back to the Pridesun pavilion... and right there, with a smile on his ruddy face that Konrad couldn't help but return, was Sedon.

"Bloody hells!" The Pridesun cook said with an impressed huff, eyeing up the dirty dead deer. "You had a good day. That for us?"

"Half," Konrad said as he swung down from Yeh Bugger, leading the tired, sweating horse over to the water trough. "Lady helped me get it, so she gets half. Long as she skins the thing, too."

"Ah, well, fair is fair," the middle-aged Drykas said, sliding a little manly charm into his words as he approached Ramona. Konrad snorted as he signed politely, eyes sparkling, the old rogue. "And it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss...?"

"Oh, aye," Konrad muttered to himself in his native tongue, granting himself a touch more privacy, "Assume she's a miss an' available, yeh horny ol' goat."

[Ramona Silvertongue]

DAY, SEASON, 517AV

Ramona ignored the looks that the other Drykas displayed, as she and Anthem dragged the heavy weighing deer into the city. She was glad to have the job done, and done decent. The meat would have been less bruised if Ramona had a cart, or a wagon of the sorts, but at this point, she was just glad to get back home. To be safe.

Hansel explained more about Caiyha, and how they as people could starve just as well as the game outside of Endrykas, and the rest of the world.

Though, he also mentioned about having to be able to reply about her not wanting to skin the deer. He made more than one good point. Which annoyed Ramona. Why did he have to be right?

"When the time comes, I would have to. But never been taught how to skin a deer.
Or just ignored the teachings?" Ramona claimed with a conflicted point of view. When she was younger, her father wanted to show Ramona how to skin a deer, but she was to stubborn to learn, and to even want to understand the process. Ramona thought that as she grew up, she could always have someone else do it for her. Though, as Hansel thickly coated his explanation, he was still right.

Once they've returned to the Pridesun Pavillion, Soden, supposedly their cook for the family, was interested in Ramona. She cleared her throat, as she was going to speak in the human tongue, common.

"I've heard you."Ramona said with a heavy Pavi accent. She dismounted and escorted Anthem closer so that Ramona could untie the creature. "And the name is Ramona Silvertongue, of Silvertongue... Pavillion." She cleared hr throat again, and spoke in Pavi as she felt more comfortable with it. "I wouldn't mind some help, since I want that other half, I guess there's no other way oit of it then, to skin it." She sighed, and glared over at Hansel. "Though, I am goin to need some advice."

[Konrad Venger]

Sedon cocked his head to one side as the woman started speaking Common, wondering if she was just practicing it for Hansel's benefit or her own or... if she was just a little cracked. But before he could answer, the scarred man himself stepped between them, curved knife in his hand.

"Keep you glare and pay attention," he said, as unruffled by Ramona's glare as he would be one from an insect. "Do this, and you will get your half. We will even have it quartered and salted for you."

Sedon grimaced as the man cut the deer free from the woman's yvas and dragged it over to the wooden frame they used for such work. He sighed and collected his tools from the table he had set up outside his tent, talking as Konrad worked and he readied himself.

"Don't mind him," he said with a smile, as Konrad lashed the deer's back legs to the ropes on the frame, and started heaving it upright. "He grows on you, after a while..."

Steel gleamed in the grass, and Konrad stabbed his kukri into the hanging deer's stomach, then ripped straight down, gutting it from balls to throat. He stepped back as a deluge of guts, innards and steaming offal spewed out of the hole and into the ground.

"... kind of like a fungus."

"First thing you do, is take out guts." Konrad turned to Ramona and spoke like an instructor, business-like and calm, immune to the carnage he was busily wreaking. "Once they are out, then we cut up deer, and take off skin. You can keep the guts, if you want. Make sausage or stew."

He handed her a bucket, and smirked.

"Get started. Messy business, but has to be done."

[Ramona Silvertongue]

Ramona

Don't mind him, Sedon advised. He said Hansel grows on you? Did he say that, as Hansel pulled out the guts of the deer, Ramona burped, and clenched her hand in front of her mouth. It was revolting, to see someone pull out the guts. Nearly, disgusting- no it was disgusting. Ramona nearly threw her breakfast up. She felt the aftertaste in her mouth. Why did the insides of an animal have to be so disgusting, and gruesome?

She strapped her shortbow on the Yvas, as well as her quiver she didn't want it to be contaminated by the deers insides. There was a knife around their tent that looked thick enough to cut up the deer.

"Do you have any gloves?"Ramona asked in a wispy voice, her hand was shaking as she held the dagger. She's doing two things that she does not like to do, or even had hoped to be doing. "This is not fun, "she said as she did what Hansel instructed. "You should keep-"Ramona's stomach wasn't feeling too good, she stood up and went to the side of the tent, using another bucket from the neighboring Pavillion. With bloody hands, she picked it up, and vomited. Her stomach curled, as she realized what she had just done. Disgusting. She grabbed her own waterskin, and rinsed out her mouth.

She dumped out the bucket and put it back, hoping that the other Pavillion didn't notice anything. She hurried back to the Pridesun, and felt better. "Sorry,"Ramona said as Hansel was probably wondering where she went. "I just needed to um, ckear the area. "Ramona stated, and went back to skinning the rest of the deer."-You should keep the sausages."

.

Template layout courtesy of Prophet, and big thanks to him for letting me use his layout.

[Konrad Venger]

When first he saw it, he wondered why a Drykas would need a wood ax. After all, it was the Sea of Grass, not the Sea of Trees. They weren't exactly alien to the continent, but Konrad could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen a copse of elm or a clump of ash rising up from the horizon. So why bother lugging around something designed to hack apart trunks?

Then he'd seen Sedon wield it for the first time, and realized trees weren't all they could dismember.

"Toss me that, would you?"

Konrad glanced down and found the waterskin, then pitched it over to the sweating Drykas. Sedon gulped down a swift measure and wiped his brow, brawny arms dripping sweat. Three deer legs were at his feet; the fourth was in Konrad's lap, slowly being skinned. One hand was peeling back the skin, the other was working a hunting knife between skin and muscle and fat, slicing the top surface free as he went.

"Just the head to do?"

"Aye. How's the girl?"

Both men blinked when they heard the unmistakable sound of someone voiding their guts into a bucket. Sedon smiled softly; Konrad grunted and shook his head. The difference told an onlooker all they needed to know. Sedon went back to his task with grim focus, but the smile stayed in place. The girl was young, after all. She needed time to adjust, to learn, to harden herself to the brutal, messy realities of hunting.

Konrad had no such give to his spirit. This was not a place that allowed for weakness, or dainty morality. You did what you had to do, and you worried about your precious feelings afterwards. Her words when she came back only made him roll his eyes, as if his opinion was validated.

Turning down sausages? In the middle of a drought? Gods above...

"If you say so," he muttered, not even blinking when Sedon's ax came down with three meaty tchwacks! on the neck of the deer, the last one severing the spinal cord. The head plopped down into the grass, antlers-first. "Take that knife, and start with the body. Easier, now the legs and head are gone."

He nodded at the headless, limbless, gutless sack of meat and fur that had been a proud, lively creature less than a bell ago. Now it was awaiting their ministrations, and another bell from now, it would be nothing at all but an average pelt and a hundred or so pounds of chops and steaks.

Such is Caiyha's will, Konrad thought, going back to his half-skinned leg. And ours.