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Post by Tambri on Jul 27, 2020 19:49:37 GMT 1
OOC: Honestly, I didn't even notice the flirting until I just reread it. Woops.
Tambri hadn't gotten that impression from Keleero, but then she'd only just arrived and her conversation with the elf had been rather brief. Deciding to trust Mahrak on his interpretation of the elf's knowledge, she let her mind roam over the possibility. **It's been a while since someone's used their mouth and tongue for anything but talking...** She let the thought trail off as Mahrak suddenly dashed into a tree. She had been about to do the same but instead decided it was best to keep one elf on the ground for now. Spook continued to move around, circling where the scent of the prey was coming from. **I've never seen a white bear... Are they from where you come from?**
The mention of the size of arrow caught her attention, then the open send. Large arrow? Her hand reflexively went to her side, where many years ago in her youth, the day she discovered her ability to shape trees, she'd been struck by the arrow of a human. **How large is the arrow?** There was obvious worry in her send. She sent a quiet ping to the wolf, to have him scent for humans. He seemed annoyed that the hunt was being abandoned. **Humans are supposed to be at the base of the mountain, right? Not up here?**
Tambri was now close enough she could see the wounded animal. The wound was... fresh, but within hours fresh. It wasn't a killing blow, and assuming the branchhorn didn't mind the arrow shaft sticking out of his neck, it would probably survive it. Unfortunate. The beast was still alert, very aware that he was trailing the scent of blood. Slowly drawing an arrow from her quiver and knocking it, Tambri moved into position.
**Be ready... Best make this quick and clean, for his sake. He's been running for a while, I suspect...**
::Human scent::
Tambri's blood ran instantly cold when Spook finally scent what he found.
**HUMANS! Stay hidden!** Tambri scanned the surrounding area, keeping her body as low as possible. **I think we stumbled on a human's hunt...**
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Post by Mahrak on Jul 28, 2020 0:06:29 GMT 1
OOC: No worries - they're in the middle of a hunt, it's probably only Mahrak who has flirting as his top priority right now XD
IC:
Mahrak smirked at getting a little call-back to his flirtatious innuendo, though most of his attention was now on the branch-horn. Wounded prey was dangerous prey, yes, but also easier prey in some ways. They could track the branch-horn until exhaustion caught up with it, yes, but that would be a cruel death. Better to make quick work of it.
He nearly fell out of the tree when Tambri's sending of warning struck him. **Where? Where are they?** Other than the branch-horn, nothing but them and their bonds could be heard or seen around them. He held his breath and waited...nothing.
Then a idea of pure foolhardy mischief struck him. **Tambri, wouldn't it be great fun to steal prey from under the noses of these 'humans'? They're clearly poor hunters, these ones, having let prey as big as a branch-horn get away from them with an arrow in its neck. We should take this chance! As well as end the animal's suffering. Longsleep is strong and I can make sure the snow shows no signs of a blood trail, getting the carcass back to the holt.** His sending held self-assurance and giddiness, no thoughts of possible failure. He wasn't able to fully shape snow, but getting blood to fade deep down enough to cover their tracks would be possible.
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Post by Tambri on Jul 28, 2020 11:49:31 GMT 1
**They may not have given up on the hunt... they may be close...** Tambri couldn't share the excitement of stealing prey from a human hunting party. Mahrak had clearly no knowledge of their danger. **Do not be so eager to engage them... whether in a game or not...**
Looking around, sniffing the air, she couldn't scent where the humans were. **If you can do that then let's get this done quick. I do not have any desire to see another human.** there was fear in her mind voice. She was afraid of the possibility of humans being near.
Turning her focus to the branch horn, she drew the arrow back, stood and loosed without warning. Spook took the hint and lunged forward as well.
Ooc: I will let you decide how well her aim is or if she is too distracted.
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Post by Mahrak on Jul 28, 2020 22:22:53 GMT 1
**We'll be careful, don't worry,** Mahrak sent, still with complete confidence. **I'll tell you more about white bears once we're in a less tight spot, but trust me when I say they're a hassel.** An understatement if there ever was one. **If I can survive a white bear attack, I can outwit some humans.** When in doubt, go big or go home, and Mahrak had no intention of returning to the caves without a good share of fresh meat to show for his troubles.
**I'll keep eyes-high, you and our bonds take down the branch-horn,** he went on, silently scaling the tree to get an even better view of their hunting grounds. **Best of luck!**
Longsleep, with a nudge from Mahrak, began to sneak around to ambush their prey from the opposite side. He didn't make it all the way round before Tambri's arrow struck home, piercing the branch-horn's right eye. The animal gave a sharp bellow and staggered forward, attempting to run, before collapsing in the reddening snow.
**Good shot!** Mahrak cheered. **Nothing moving in on us yet. I'll come down to help you get the buck up on Longsleep's back. With us to steady it, he should be able to carry it back to the caves.** He began to climb down, all but humming in cheer. **No signs of other hunters yet. Can you share with me what humans smell like? So I better know what to be alert for.**
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Post by Tambri on Jul 29, 2020 3:11:19 GMT 1
Tambri moved forward immediately once the arrow was loosed. Spook was on the beast's neck as well, near where the human's arrow had struck. Well, he needed the practice. Shooing the wolf away with a stern growl, she glanced to Mahrak and nodded, moving to try and lift the front end of the branchhorn so that the tiger could get beneath. The branchhorn might be too large for the cat to carry but it was worth trying. Meanwhile she was on high alert.
**Sniff the human's arrow. Anything not branchhorn, wolf, cat or us is them. Musk, cooked meat, anger and fear...** She wasn't sure how else to explain it, but then she shared her own interpretation of the human scent. For her, she was terrified of them, and it was obvious in her send.
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Post by Mahrak on Jul 29, 2020 12:50:46 GMT 1
Mahrak darted over to Tambri's side, making sure to keep an eye out for sight or sound of other hunters. Nothing. Yet.
The branch-horn was larger and heavier than Longsleep, so it would have been much easier if they'd had a sled to put it on or if they could have butchered their prey on site. But Longsleep had practice in carrying things bigger than himself and they hadn't gone too far from the caves. It should be fine. Not perfect, but fine.
**There's a trick to getting the branch-horn off the ground and up on his back,** Mahrak sent as he got close enough. ::Longsleep, carry.::
The tiger heaved a long-suffering sigh, but braced himself while Mahrak began to dig in the snow. **We've done this before, him and I, so don't you worry.** It hadn't been easy and Longsleep would be more inclined to sleeping even than usual afterward, but it could be done. **And I'll make sure the snow leaves no traces of us once we've left.** Digging took less time when one had an affinity for water.
Tambri's description of the humans' scent was...unsettling. Mahrak wasn't sure if he'd gotten the scent itself or her reaction to it or both. **I'll make sure to study the arrow closely, once we're ready to move. Any sign of trouble?** Humans wouldn't be the only dangers the forest had to offer, especially when there was blood in the air.
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Post by Tambri on Jul 29, 2020 19:12:31 GMT 1
Spook had finally released the neck of the beast once Tambri had arrived, and began pacing. He was scenting the air as he always did after a hunt. Normally it was to scent for other predator animals while Tambri dealt with their kill, but right now, he was also aware she was uneasy with the other scent, the scent of humans.
**Spook will let us know. He's searching for it.**
OOC: Sorry it's short
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Post by Mahrak on Jul 29, 2020 22:12:44 GMT 1
**Good, good.** Mahrak put his back into digging, leaving a shallow hole for Longsleep to settle in. **Here comes the tricky part. Help me shove this, would you?** Using the water in the branch-horn's spilled blood to make sure their fallen prey didn't go through the snow as it was shoved toward Longsleep took hard work. Mahrak had plenty of sweat on his brow once the branch-horn's carcass was in place, and only partly from the effort of pushing it in place.
**I'll do my best to cover our tracks and I'll go back to make sure I got it all once we have this well away.** He was running on the waves of energy only a hunt and its aftermath could bring, every muscle aching with how he pushed them. He'd sleep well tonight! **Do you wish to keep the human arrow or should I? It might come loose if we leave it in the neck.**
To the end of that, he added an open-sending to anyone in range: **Tambri and I are bringing back a branch-horn. Could use some help. Like a sled.**
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Post by Tambri on Jul 30, 2020 9:13:55 GMT 1
Tambri shook her head at the offer. **I am not interested in anything that belonged to a human... but it can't stay here... Toss it in the fire when we get back.** She knew the others needed to know that a Human's prey ended up this close to the caves. With the open send, she nodded her head again. **I'll help stabilize on this side... Spook will keep an eye out for you while you work.** She mentally pinged the wolf to protect Mahrak. Spook perked and immediately ran to Mahrak's side.
**If he gets in the way, just tell him so. He may be stubborn, but he's smart. He'll understand.** She steadied the branchhorn's head, making sure it wouldn't accidentally gouge the tiger's side or get caught along the way on anything on the ground.
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Post by Mahrak on Jul 30, 2020 14:12:54 GMT 1
Mahrak sent silent thanks to the High Ones that he'd gotten used to having a wolf around through his moon-long friendship with Nightbird. Spook was nothing like her bond in personality, but being prepared for a friendly wolf-shape to appear at the corner of your eye had taken more than a few days to adapt to. **Then I'll take the arrow,** he answered Tambri and did so, snatching the weapon from the branch-horn's neck in a quick gush of yet more blood. **Bit of a trophy, I think.** He couldn't help looking on the bright side - his mother had said that had been his most irksome quirk since childhood and he couldn't argue with her there, other than the 'irksome' part of it. **I'm sure Spook will be of great help,** he went on, making sure not to look too long at the wolf or smile at him. That, he'd learned, was not advisable with wolves, especially not narrowing your eyes in a friendly tiger-smile. **Now, do you have any plans for this hide, oh mighty hunter? Since it was your expert blow that struck it down?** The praise was genuine, if teasing. OOC: Will have Choice meet up with them in a bit, since it'd make sense someone came to meet them when they're fairly close to the caves and bringing home meat. |
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Post by Tambri on Jul 30, 2020 19:42:26 GMT 1
Tambri grunted softly as the beast shifted slightly, pushing the head back up a bit. **I'm not much of a tanner, but the hide will be useful if there is one here. I don't know how to tan a hide so... That spotted fur female might need new leathers. Hers were... torn... and didn't look like leather. The hide might be able to make her at least a decent shirt.** Thinking back to the spot-furred elf, she hadn't known what to make of the leathers she'd been wearing. They were black, for one. Dye perhaps? But it didn't look torn like a hide would. It looked almost like a woven fabric similar to what some of the elves from Thornbrook had worn. It must be a woven fabric, then.
**Hope someone shows up soon. I--OW!** Tambri growled audibly and cursed under her breath. **Poked myself on one of the branches... Uhm, tree, not beast.** She hadn't seen the little upstart of a branch as she passed, so when she stepped down, it'd broken off and dug into her leg. She'd probably have to tend it when they got back. **It's not bad, but might be worth covering up that blood, too. It feels like it's bleeding, anyway, but that could just be pain response.**
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Post by Mahrak on Jul 30, 2020 23:56:29 GMT 1
**I'm sure they have a tanner.** Well, hopefully. The holt had, as far as he'd understood it, been thrown together by that strange magical stone they had stuck in the wall of one of the caves. Maybe they'd all have to learn tanning through trial and error. There were worse fates. **And yes, her clothes were quite broken and quite strange. Though she is also covered head to toe in fur and has a tail, so I'll admit I didn't look too long at her clothes. This place is captivating!**
The enthusiasm of going back to the holt brought a second wind to him. He was about to make further comments on the many fascinating elves he'd seen around the Sleeping Chamber - some were so tall and had such colors - when the faint echo of pain and the "OW" in Tambri's sending shoved him off that thought path. **Ouch!** he sent back in sympathy. **Will do. Are you good to continue? This is hard work enough without an open cut added in?**
They'd made it a good bit back toward the caves by this point, but still had ways to go. Mahrak had begun to doubt he'd be able to keep his promise about hiding tracks, if no one came to their aid soon. Longsleep looked a little better, but he only had to carry, not steady a branch-horn and work water-magic at the same time. Rough.
Thankfully, that was the moment Mahrak's earlier open-sending got a reply.
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Post by Choice on Jul 31, 2020 0:15:40 GMT 1
Choice, a bit out of breath, came running toward the two newcomers, the maned wolves Dance and Sneak not far behind him. He was pulling a litter.
**Greetings!** he sent out, utterly delighted by the sight of the large kill the new elves had brought down. **I've come to help out as much as I can. Sorry it took me a while, I usually sleep at this time of day.** He gave an apologetic smile. **I'm Choice. I do not believe I've heard your names yet.** He'd known there were new elves in the holt, had seen the red-headed one in the Sleeping Chamber and heard of the other, but there had been no time they'd been in the same place and awake at the same time.
**This might not look like much,** he sent, gesturing at the litter. **But it's held for branch-horns before. It will hopefully easy your burden a little.**
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Post by Tambri on Jul 31, 2020 2:09:39 GMT 1
Tambri glanced in the direction of the send and nodded. She noted the two wolves approaching as well. She just hoped Spook didn't play aggressive with these wolves... not right now. The white wolf growled at the scent of the new wolves, but he was also protecting Mahrak. He placed himself between the approaching wolves and the red-headed elf, growling softly, clearly being protective.
**I'll be fine. I'll b e happy to just get this branchhorn back.** She then heard Choice's send and returned with her own. **Tambri. The wolf is Spook... That should do just fine if it'll hold. Just a warning... We scented humans on the first arrow that struck this branch horn... No sign of them nearby and no other scent trail, but it is a human arrow... Mahrak is masking our path so they can't follow us.**
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Post by Mahrak on Aug 6, 2020 18:36:27 GMT 1
**Greetings to you!** Mahrak replied to Choice with sparkling enthusiasm despite his fatigue. It was exhilarating to meet another elf who seemed just as thrilled to meet him. **No worries about the time, you're here now! I'm Mahrak and this big kitten here is Longsleep. What in the world are your bond-beasts? They look like foxes wearing stilts!** He was more familiar with the white and gray foxes more common in The Far White, but he'd seen the red variety too. He'd just never seen anything like...that.
At the mention of the human arrow, Mahrak held it up in a shaky gesture of triumph. He hadn't been able to put it away, not wanting to let go of the branch-horn for a heartbeat in case it unbalanced. **I've been doing my best,** he sent, in reference to covering their tracks. **But I think I should circle back and make extra sure everything is as covered as I can make it, now that our rescuer is here.** He winked at Choice. **I'll just need to catch my breath first. Ready to tilt this over to the litter?** The last he directed at Tambri. Branch-horns were creatures of impressive size and thus not something you wanted to accidentally vault onto someone's foot or leg.
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