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Post by Sunset on Sept 26, 2014 1:26:14 GMT 1
Only half listening, the red-head slipped another stone into her sling and loosed it as the ravvit darted across her path. Adjusting for the underbrush, she quickly let another fly to ensure that the small animal went down. Pleased, Sunset gathered the second kill and laid it with the first, well away from the twitching mass of thorns. At least, while she had been alone, her hunting skills had not diminished. She'd needed them to stay alive.
Flashing her hunting partner a feral grin, she sent, ~**don't praise me yet. We have a holt full of bellies to feed, and I think that the more we bring back, the better.**~
Carefully she found a spot and settled into a relaxed stance, preparing herself. This trick would only work so long, and she was afraid of killing too many in a small space. What they really needed was larger game, but she didn't know what that was here and she was least equipped to handle anything bigger than a ravvit, anyway. She sighed to herself and resumed watching.
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Post by Slinker on Sept 26, 2014 5:11:05 GMT 1
~**True. We'll need winter stores soon**~, replied Slinker. He half-expected Ash to flush another ravvit from cover. He frowned when his bond whined, ash-grey ears pricking forward. Slinker raised a hand to signal silently to Sunset. Ash whined again, tail lashing back and forth. ~**Something is back there, Sunset. Wait a moment. I'm going to take a look**~.
Slinker ventured forth cautiously. Mindful of the thorny strangleweed. He approached a thick coil of the vines. He peered over a fat green tendril and saw something unusual. His eyes grew round when he spotted not one, but two branch-horns, a buck and a smaller doe, caught like mice in a trap. He beckoned to Sunset when the buck kicked and groaned. The doe was slowly being suffocated too. The strangleweed wrapped around her neck.
~**The strangleweed's caught more than just ravvits, Sunset. We've a pair of branch-horns here**~, locksent Slinker.
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Post by Sunset on Sept 26, 2014 15:47:24 GMT 1
It was as if the High Ones had heard her plea. She curled her toes in the dirt. ~**if we could figure out a way to distract the strangleweed, get to even one...unless this plant poisons, too?**~ hopeful at first, she quickly deflated as she realized that the two buck-horns may not be edible.
Just as important was the question of how to distract the carnivorous plant long enough to retrieve one of the dying animals. If Tinder were with them, her fire could maybe...but she wasn't, and Sunset wasn't sure she could handle more memories right now. To distract herself, she began looking for something to entice the strangleweed with.
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Post by Slinker on Sept 26, 2014 21:15:32 GMT 1
~**One way to find out**~, replied Slinker. He reached for his belt, untied the pouch he'd put there, and slipped his hands inside. He withdrew part of the strangleweed plant he'd severed, held it high over his head, and immediately took a small bite out of the still wriggling tendril. Slinker's eyes went wide, he chewed thoughtfully, spitting out thorns as he rolled the softer flesh over his tongue.
Moments passed in silence as Slinker contemplated why he wasn't dead yet. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he swallowed part of the strangleweed. He grinned at Sunset. ~**It's actually really sweet, like honey. Good going down too. Holds alot of juice. There's no stinging or numbness, just a little prickliness when you swallow because of the thorns. Once you spit them out, the rest is fairly good**~.
Slinker chuckled at the irony. ~**I think we'll be able to eat the strangleweed too, if we can harvest enough without getting pricked**~.
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Post by Sunset on Sept 27, 2014 1:05:57 GMT 1
Stiffling a gasp, Sunset watched Slinker with apprehension. Her stomach roiled, nervous, afraid that their small number had just become one less. As soon as he sent, she sighed mentally in relief and playfully slapped at his arm. ~**High Ones, don't DO that.**~ Try as she might, she could not hide her relief and fading fear.
She turned back to look at the strangleweed, which was recoiling slightly from where it had been cut, as if nursing its wound. Thoughtfully, she sent, ~**do you think we could get one of the branch horns by ourselves? Or should we send for help?**~
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Post by Slinker on Sept 27, 2014 11:35:35 GMT 1
Slinker retaliated playfully by spitting a few more thorns at Sunset's feet. He winked cheekily. ~**I'm still alive aren't I?**~, he teased her. He contemplated eating the last of the severed strangleweed. It really was a sweet treat for something so deadly. He found it ironic that what might eat them could be eaten itself.
~**Hmm. Ash could manage the larger branch-horn if we tied it across his back. I suppose we could haul in the smaller one by ourselves if we bind it to a sapling**~, replied Slinker. He frowned at the thought of encountering something unpleasant. ~**We don't know if we'll end up finding trouble before we return to the holt. I wouldn't want to come across a bear in these woods, or worse, a wild mountain cat or a pack of wild wolves. We'd be torn apart on sight if they're hungry enough to take our game**~.
Slinker pocketed the last of the strangleweed he'd cut away. He tied the pouch closed, and shook his head. ~**Best if we send for help. The least we'd need is a guard keeping us and the game safe. The best we'd get is a few more hands to share the burden of bearing it back to the holt**~. He nudged Sunset in the side. ~**If we do ask for help, well, the others will see that we had an excuse for leaving on our own. We might get a scolding from that grouchy healer, but we'd also bring back meat for all to eat. The others will complain less with fuller bellies**~.
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Post by Sunset on Sept 30, 2014 2:41:46 GMT 1
Nodding, Sunset subconciously moved closer to Slinker and Ash, suddenly aware of the chill. While running, she had been warm, but she was beginning to feel the temperature. Carefully she pulled her shoes back on, protecting her feet from the earth at the least. She crouched near the ravvits, reaching out with a send back to the holt. ~**Sunset here, with Slinker. We've found a batch of strangleweed that's caught two branch-horns.**~
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Post by Keleero on Oct 8, 2014 22:50:35 GMT 1
Keleero frowned at Sunset's sudden sending. Strangleweed? What by the High Ones was that? The image/memory of it that accompanied Sunset's sending looked very threatening.
Keleero got up and hurried over to the tunnel into the mountain. He'd better get to work before someone decided he should go help with that chaos. ~**I'm sure some of the hunters will come help you soon,**~ he lock-sent to Sunset, to make sure she didn't feel ignored.OOC: A timejump is on the way! Your elves have already been tagged in the new threads, so go right ahead and post there. We can say your elves got help with dragging the 2 deer back and maybe that you had to fight off some of the local wolf pack on the way, but I think playing it out will be a bit confusing with the new timejump in effect  PS. Remember that the weather currently looks like this so that strangleweed will be burried in a lot of snow. No dirt and grass here in winter.
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Post by No-Sting on Oct 8, 2014 23:02:16 GMT 1
No-Sting frowned. Strangleweed that was active during the White-Cold she'd never heard of! Had to be some twisted plant indeed. But there was food to be had and that was the most important part.
**I'll come and help you,** she open-sent for all to hear, but addressing Sunset and Slinker. **Watch out for the wolves here - they're good at sniffing out prey!**
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