Trial 17 of Cylus, 717
"I still don't know why I'm here." Navik sighed, scratching the ground with a stick. The fire in the Hunters' Fire Pit the only source of light. "It's not like I can hunt."
"You can hunt." came the answer, short, as always, but spoken with such a soft voice that Navik doubted his father was angry. "You might not hunt well, but you can hunt."
"Yes, well." Navik rolled his eyes, smiling. "This doesn't change things."
"The city needs the food, Navik. We can provide, and we should."
The scratching continued, as Navik frowned, refusing to look at his father. He kept drawing shapes in the ground, listen to the sound of the fire and the chatting of the ones who were gathered around the pit. He didn't really mind hunting with his father, even if he truly wasn't good at it. What was bothering him was that they wouldn't be hunting alone. His father never hunted alone on Cylus if he could avoid it, saying it was too dangerous. So he liked to stay at the Hunters' Pit, talk to others and sometimes schedule huntings together. Only this time he wanted to bring his son along with them. The scratching intensified, as the anxiety built up inside him. Hunts always brought up instincts and memories he would rather forget, and to have another one see him in this raw state was enervating. What if he ended up loosing control, yet again? Navik shuddered when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"I know it bothers you, but you will do fine. It's a chance to learn. And this hunter is a nice person."
"Everyone is nice to you." he whispered under his breath, but his father didn't - or pretended he didn't - hear, and Navik grew quiet again. There wasn't really much he could do, except to wait for this other hunter to join them and hope that his complete lack of skills with a weapon didn't ruin everything.
"You will soon find out that cooperation can make things easier, son. Even if it doesn't feel like it." his father squeezed his shoulder lightly, before removing his hand. "She is here."
Navik sighed, dropping the stick and taking his bow before finally rising up, wings trembling almost involuntarily behind him.
"You can hunt." came the answer, short, as always, but spoken with such a soft voice that Navik doubted his father was angry. "You might not hunt well, but you can hunt."
"Yes, well." Navik rolled his eyes, smiling. "This doesn't change things."
"The city needs the food, Navik. We can provide, and we should."
The scratching continued, as Navik frowned, refusing to look at his father. He kept drawing shapes in the ground, listen to the sound of the fire and the chatting of the ones who were gathered around the pit. He didn't really mind hunting with his father, even if he truly wasn't good at it. What was bothering him was that they wouldn't be hunting alone. His father never hunted alone on Cylus if he could avoid it, saying it was too dangerous. So he liked to stay at the Hunters' Pit, talk to others and sometimes schedule huntings together. Only this time he wanted to bring his son along with them. The scratching intensified, as the anxiety built up inside him. Hunts always brought up instincts and memories he would rather forget, and to have another one see him in this raw state was enervating. What if he ended up loosing control, yet again? Navik shuddered when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"I know it bothers you, but you will do fine. It's a chance to learn. And this hunter is a nice person."
"Everyone is nice to you." he whispered under his breath, but his father didn't - or pretended he didn't - hear, and Navik grew quiet again. There wasn't really much he could do, except to wait for this other hunter to join them and hope that his complete lack of skills with a weapon didn't ruin everything.
"You will soon find out that cooperation can make things easier, son. Even if it doesn't feel like it." his father squeezed his shoulder lightly, before removing his hand. "She is here."
Navik sighed, dropping the stick and taking his bow before finally rising up, wings trembling almost involuntarily behind him.

