[The Rearing Stallion] Playing the Game (Closed)

[Rovan Dermane]

Rovan let out a slight "Oh", raising his brows as his interest seemed more pecked. Some of his former critic view on the hunter's tale had diminshed, replaced with genuine curiousity. He was in the search of heroes, after all: perhaps this one might just be the right man to fit in his list of requirements. It could be mere words of course, a boast of unperformed deeds - but one could often tell an invented story from a real one. He continued to listen to the huntsman's tale, his stool moved a tad closer to the table now.

[Jonathon DuFraine]

Jonathon's grin returned. He had captured his audience's attention. "The arrow sailed through the air..." (Jonathon used appropriate hand gestures) "...and went smack! into the boar's eye. But the damn thing wasn't dead; nope. It was angry. Angry as all hell."

"The boar came charging right up to my tree, smashing and butting the plant for all it was worth. This is why I had decided to take to the foliage; the boar couldn't climb, and wouldn't be able to get the two of us. So he just smashed the tree. But the boar was huge, the tree wasn't as sturdy as I thought it was... it shook and trembled under the boar's rage. I dropped my bow trying to hang on."

"I was hanging from a tree (which was slick from frost, by the way) while an angry boar pounded the tree I was hanging from into splinters. My grip was slipping. So, I pulled a rather bold move, if I say so myself; I climbed back on to the tree, and leaped off, landing behind the boar, on his new blindside. Meanwhile, Klyph shot the bastard, getting it to attack him instead."

"And there I saw my chance. I rushed in, grabbed my bow, and fired three shots at the pig." Jonathon forgot how many connected. "Erm... and all three hit the beast in the head. It wasn't even phased. What it did instead..." Jonathon grew quite. "Klyph had fallen out of the tree from the attacks and had tried to run. The boar was too busy chasing him to worry about my arrows; the boar punched a bloody hole in the man."

[Rovan Dermane]

Rovan grimaced. "Sounds like a mortal wound", he said quietly. He could well picture the blood and gore in that situation, the poor Klyph having his guts impaled by the boar's tusks. Suddenly he came to think of a predicament about the story. He lifted his finger and leaned in, as he asked the huntsman. "But, if you were behind the beast - how could you shoot it in its head?" he opened his eyes a bit more, regarding Jonathon questionly.

[Jonathon DuFraine]

"So it does, but Klyph was lucky.It only gored him in the thigh. He passed out, but he was quite alive." Jonathon thought a moment after the question. "Oh! When I say 'blind side', I mean the side that had an arrow sticking out of the eye. In fact, by the time Klyph had been chased down, the boar was perpindicular to me."

Jonathon finished the story with as much energy as he could muster. "I saw Klyph on the ground, bleeding, maybe dead. I pulled out a single arrow, prayed to Caihya once more for strength, and let it loose. Hit the damn pig in the neck, killing it instantly. Gone, just like that." Jonathon snapped is fingers, then yanked out of his pocket a single boar tusk, which he tossed with a clatter onto the table. "True story."

[Rovan Dermane]

Rovan looked at the boar tusk in a pause of silence. The tusk was definitely sound evidence. It did indeed seem this hunter had potentional behind his words. He protuded his lower lip, nodding slightly. "I am impressed. Facing Nature can often be a perilous act," he said delicately. He tried to imagine the size of the beast from the tusk, which to his judging seemed quite large. "But I suspect 'tis not boar hunt that has brought you here this day," the scholar said, the faint gleam of jest visible in his eye. He cocked his head to the side slightly, as he examined the hunter's black tunic appraisingly.

[Jonathon DuFraine]

Jonathon nodded. "Thanks. It's a dangerous job." Jonathon shrugged at his next question, sipping his mug. Things were getting too dizzy for his liking; he was a bit of a lightweight when it came to alcohol. I should totter on home soon. "Well, no. I came here for the drink and companionship." Jonathon grinned, his words a little slurred. "And I'm always on the lookout for hunting partners. Where else to find qualified men?"

Jonathon tossed payment for the drinks he had bought on the table, which included those he bought for others. He finished off his drink with a last gulp. "Anyways, it's getting late. Sorry to tell a story and run." Jonathon wasn't leaving quite yet, though. "Although, I suppose if you have a story as well, I'd be glad to listen to it."

Even through the haze of the ale, he had noticed Rovan's attitude. It seemed mostly normal, but he also caught the shrewd look of a businessman underneath. Could it be that Rovan had a proposition for him? But Jonathon wasn't looking for a scholar... "Or, if you have a business proposition...?"

[Rovan Dermane]

Rovan scratched his chin in thought. "No, no I fear I posess neither a story or proposition. But I shall keep you in mind, my good man, if I ever should come in the need of a huntsman," Rovan said, quirking a small smirk. He felt it due time to take his leave as well, as there could not be gained much more from the conversation. Mayhap he should even pay a visit to the Stone Gardens again. He arose from his own stool, before adressing Jonathon again. "I bid you farewell. May the Gods grace your tracks," he said artisticly, lifting his hand in regard to the huntsman.

[Jonathon DuFraine]

Jonathon nodded. "Goodbye, Rovan. I wish you good luck on your travels... may Caiyha watch over you." Solemn for a moment, he lightened the moment with a grin. With a wave, Jonathon left the tavern, leaving the scholar, the barmaids, the people, the drinks, the food, and the owner all behind. He took a deep breath of the cool spring night air, and headed for home.

(OOC: That's it, then. You can make one more post if you like. Then we should get someone to grade this...)

[Rovan Dermane]

Rovan smiled lightly in regard to the hunter's grin, watching the man exit the tavern. He could not help but try imagine how this cheerful fellow would be in those situations where he faced death. Mayhap he ought to have asked to join this huntsman in one of his hunts, to see if the man could deal with danger as professionally as he had told. Perhaps. The possibility would remain, if he should meet this Jonathon again. The scholar exited the tavern as well, pulling the hood of his robe over his head as he head out into the chilly night.

[Leviathan]

Thread Award! Vizyous   Skills Skill Gain Info. Observation 3 -- Anthropology 2 -- Rhetoric 2 -- Storytelling 1 --   Lore Racism: Being Feared for What you Are Storytelling: Vague Details Rovan   Skills Skill Gain Info. Anthropology 2 -- Observation 1 -- Interrogation 2 -- Rhetoric 3 --   Lore Racism: Fear of Symenestra (Minor) Lore of Symenestra (Minor) Jonathon   Skills Skill Gain Info. Observation 1 -- Anthropology 1 -- Interrogation 1 -- Storytelling 3 --   Lore Storytelling: "The Boar Hunt"

Additional CommentsAbdul: Just to make sure you know, if you ever read this, small one/two sentence posts aren't allowed on the site. We try to keep a certain standard for writing, which is at least a small paragraph minimum. Please try to write a little more in the future. Also, if you can remember this, try to stay in the order set up by those that joined the thread prior to yourself.