• PM To Join • [Sweetwine Woods] Into The Woods We Go (Hunting Party)

[Pash Raj'oriq]

“When we’re no’ so worried ‘bout noise, eh? Aye, a’right, I can probably teach a song ‘r two.” Pash chuckled at the louder man’s invitation, finding it a request he was not opposed to, so long as hunting managed to be successful. He wondered what other noise they could at all be worried over the sound of music for, given Bear’s volume.

The tall Biqaj had to admit he wasn’t terribly keen on touching strange plants he knew nothing about, even though the small Tunawa requesting his assistance was both cute and persuasive, “How ‘bout you point out somethin’ y’ want t’ see ‘r, uh, taste an’ I’ll let y’ grab it. If th’ plants turn out t’ be somethin’ that would make one ‘f us sick, well, me touchin’ it sorta defeats th’ purpose, aye?”

He’d almost died enough in the past few ten trials. He was trying to take a break from all that madness.

Baya was welcome to stop him at any point in their walk. He paused a few places to look at the fruits and ask if she knew them, to see if any of them were edible and worth hanging onto or snacking on (for himself as well as for the Tunawa). He also asked Talilah, never one to turn down a new food if it was tasty, especially interesting fruits he wouldn’t otherwise be able to store and enjoy while at sea. Fresh fruit was a rare treat and he didn’t want to miss out on local cuisine. If Baya wanted a leaf or a petal or a piece of bark, he was happy to stop for her and balance her on his calloused palm, letting her pick or investigate whatever she wished, curious about what caught her eye and even more insatiably curious about what her kind was capable of doing.

The thought of throwing the little creature into combat was perhaps one of the most amusing things he’d had to think about in a fistful of trials. He’d have to keep that in mind.

“Flunnies? Nah.” The seafaring musician smirked. They were cute, it was true, “Maybe they’re good eatin’, but comin’ back into town with a brace o’ cute, defenseless creatures probably don’ make for th’ best o’ huntin’ stories.” Not that dying by being devoured by some giant bird-scaring unknown creature was any better of a story if you couldn’t tell it to anyone, but the thought of killing a bunch of flunnies did not strike Pash as at all glorious or morally sound, even if they may have been delicious or their pelts worth a few coins.

The excitement in Kali’rial’s periwinkle gaze did not go unnoticed by the salty bard, and he smiled, curious to see her in her element instead of in his, wanting to see what made her a huntress for her people instead of just what he saw of her with his own slightly biased view. Of course he was here for her, because of her, to be with her. He’d promised not to go on any stupid adventures without her ever again, and he could only assume the opposite was also true. So, here he was.

He could feel that she wanted a challenge, and it was quite obvious that flunnies were certainly not going to be anything difficult. If it was a larger creature Kali wanted to take down for the festival, it would be a larger creature she got. At least, as far as he was concerned, but he was perhaps more than a little biased in her favor and just as insatiably curious to watch her be her most unfiltered self as he was about Baya, if not mores.

“Looks like we all agree.” He nodded in the direction of where the birds had flown off, aware that was a sign of something having frightened them, just like a large predator in the sea scattered schools of fish. The phenomena was not lost on him, and while he doubted whatever scared them was just another peaceful plant-eating creature, he hoped for the best and waved that they should all head in the unanimous direction they felt would be more successful,

“That way ’t is.”

[Pegasus]

Sweetwine Woods

Bear looked at Kali and he could not help but grin at her. Perhaps he saw something of himself in the young huntress, or perhaps he simply admired her attitude. Talilah had looked a little horrified at her father's idea of a flunny in a stew, and so when Kali'rial suggested that they follow the bird-scaring noise, she smiled up at the Sev'ryn with a pleased expression.

That expression turned to Baya too and Talilah giggled slightly, just a little, at the thought of using Baya like a stick. That seemed, to her, to be a little rude but then Baya agreed to it. Was that still bad, the young girl wondered and then Pash agreed also. Talilah, and flunnies everywhere, all breathed a sigh of relief.

As they walked towards the direction from where the birds had taken flight, they saw some truly amazing sights. Tall, yellow trees with almost flat umbrella-like foliage, bright green snake-like fruits which seemed to be bursting with water inside them, maybe. Trees with what appeared to be coconuts growing from them, but which were definitely not coconut trees, it was an amazing, rich and diverse place.

Literally, they were spoiled for choice. Herbs and flowers, plants and bushes, trees and fruit, all of them here.

So, they made their way and they were careful and quiet. Talilah spoke, but Bear fell silent. She pointed out here and there, in hushed tones, things that were useful or interesting. Bear moved his hands and Talilah responded the same. If anyone recognised Common Sign, then it was that. After a movement from Bear's hands, Talilah motioned to Kali, and any other interested parties. "These tracks here," she said, barely in a whisper, "they look like deer tracks, but they're not quite right. Look, the shape of the hoof is just not right, like it's hooves are wider, somehow?".

It took a very perceptive eye to tell the difference, but once pointed out it could be seen.

They continued and moved quietly. Bear, for such a large and loud fellow, moved like the wind through the trees. If anyone was struggling with moving quietly, he would demonstrate. Slow, careful, watch where you're stepping, all that kind of thing. After another half a break of following these strange deer tracks which were off-and-on, not staying on the path but rejoining it, the came across a clearing.

In which, strangely, were four deer. Now, that is to say. They looked like deer. Except they were a bit bigger than one would expect. From this distance they looked about the right height (ish), but they were definitely more squat. Slightly higher foreheads, too, allowing the eyes to look around more. Four of them, grazing on grass in a clearing. Just ordinary deer.

Right?

!	Message from: Pegasus
	I'll post again on the 24th or sooner if everyone's posted.

[Kali'rial]

Kali smiled at the enthusiastic Tunawa, adoring the feeling of her nimbly leaping from shoulder to shoulder and making her own way around the group. Including Pash in her smile, the brunette gave him a warm look, delighted to have two of her special somethings on this trip with her. The Biqaj and a Tunawa. It was almost easy enough to close her eyes and feel like she was in Desnind, surrounded by the rich woodland and familiar sounds.

The fact they all agreed that flunnies were indeed not the game of choice turned her smile into a broad grin, looking at Talilah with a little fist pump. Oh yes, she thought, a hunting they would go. The young redhead and her hulking father made Kali feel a little nostalgic, in a good way. It reminded her of hunting with her grandparents, but it was less quiet and solemn, and far more full of smile and laughing. The Sev'ryn felt genuine delight and kinship with the duo they'd only just met yesterday, especially with the girl.

As they moved along through the woods, Kali occasionally reached up to pluck a berry that she knew. Morning Saviour, just the one, and lower down on the rotting logs at their feet, the tiny Bakers Wheatwort that grew like wildfire around Scalvoris. She handed these spoils to the Tuwana, curious to see if the tree talker knew what they were. Glancing at Bear, Kali noticed he had become quiet, deathly so. It was a sure sign that they were now on the hunt. This was her domain. Watching the father and daughter flick their hands at each other peaked the brunette's curiosity. It was clearly some sort of signal or sign, something that would be of irrefutable value to a hunter. Kali made a mental note of it as something she would need to discuss more with them both at a later time.

Scooting closer to Talilah, the Sev'ryn nodded, looking carefully at the tracks she'd pointed out. The brunette frowned in thought. Could be hafrein maybe? Her thigh ached with the memory. Straightening she moved forward on hunters feet, using her unshod gait to feel the ground under her and walking with a soft toe first step. As they moved, Kali walked beside Pash as best she could to help him with the steps Bear guided them on. Weaving back and forth, the tracks did eventually rejoin the path, leading the misfit hunting band to the edge of a clearing.

Kali crouched down, looking at the creatures before them. From this distance they appeared to be...well...deer. The brunette pulled an arrow from her quiver nocking it but not drawing, looking at the others with a raised eyebrow. The birds they had seen spooked to flight had been scared by a small herd of deer?

Yeah, right.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

The tall Biqaj looked and listened, feeling so terribly out of place in the forest as a creature of the sea. He was happy to let Baya explore whatever plant life she wanted, holding out a calloused hand as a convenient transportation device for the diminutive creature to investigate leaves or flowers or fruit. Kali’rial seemed familiar with some of the edible bounties he’d otherwise have never noticed, though there were plenty more he didn’t know. He’d perhaps seen some in the markets and even bought and eaten some, but to see them in their native habitat made Pash cautious to trust his own memory on what was safe to sample and what was not. Instead, he chose to listen to Talilah and trust whatever was handed to him, for if he found himself lost in the forest by accident, it was probably good to know what was safe to eat. Not that he planned on wandering the forest alone or anything—because he didn’t.

Bear tried, he did. Showing him how to walk silently, how to pick his way through the undergrowth, how to plan his next step carefully. Kali’rial tried, too, much to his chagrin, a patient teacher for the salty bard who preferred the rolling motions of the sea, the flapping of sails in the wind, singing and being loud. He fared decently enough, watching, chewing the inside of his cheek in concentration, his sandaled feet close enough to barefoot that his steps weren’t so offensive in their noise.

Pash knew nothing of normal deer. He’d seen them, once or twice. He’d probably eaten them. He’d never hunted, followed, studied, or stared at them. He’d never seen their tracks. They were land mammals and none of his seafaring, musical skillset required him to know a single thing about deer. Common Sign, he’d seen, though like the deer, he only knew of it and did not understand it. He dealt with sound, song, and voice. Not silence.

So, when Talilah said the tracks were abnormal and when they finally were gazing on the four creatures, the tall Biqaj didn’t see anything out of the ordinary in his mind. They were eating grass, as he figured they should be, and while they may have been a slightly different shape than he remembered, nothing ever seemed to be as expected on Scalvoris, so why should the deer? They certainly didn't look like creatures that should have scared birds away, however. Pash knew that much, he knew that like a school of fish, birds scattered to avoid predators or flew off when startled. These deer acted like they’d been here a while, munching. Deer didn’t eat birds, did they? No. He was kind of sure that he’d heard they didn’t, but, honestly, what did he know?

Did that mean there was another predator in the woods that both their little hunting party and the deer didn’t know about? Pash strained to listen, his more musical senses tuned to hear subtle changes in pitch and tone possibly useful, though the noises of the forest were unfamiliar to him. He at least could filter out the sound of birdsong and focus on the rustling of life around them hidden in the green growing stuff at their feet—was there anything else nearby? Would he know the difference?

Out of the corner of his tide pool gaze, Kali was preparing her bow. This was the part where he knew to stay out of the way, carefully repeating the process of stalking he’d been shown by the dark-haired Sev’ryn and by Bear to crouch in the undergrowth. While calloused fingers did come to rest on the hilt of a dagger, the seafaring minstrel simply settled into his hidden position to watch and learn, a flutter of excitement in the hull of his chest instead of pure caution.

Off Topic

Look. Pash can go a whole post without talking. Amazing.

[Pegasus]

Sweetwine Woods

The deer (if such they were) were grazing, acting like deer did. Their actions seemed to be the very epitome of deer-like. Yet Kali's caution was echoed by Bear and he looked at the Sev'ryn huntress with a shake of his head, a clear indication that he wasn't entirely happy with the situation. Like her, he drew an arrow and notched it, but did not yet draw and even Talilah did the same.

Pash, too echoed the caution the three more seasoned woodsfolk showed but one of them, and they couldn't possibly know which one, must have made a noise so slight that even Pash's trained senses did not pick it up as specific or unique or even important. But as one, the four deer turned and it was in that moment that the differences in them became somewhat more apparent.

Ears turned forward and eyes literally glowed red. Tusks like vampire fangs grew from the lower jaws of these creatures and, rather than the skittish behaviour one would expect from a deer, they each of them let out a howling, snarling hiss.

It was, frankly, a terrifying, unnatural noise which was designed to provoke fear.

And then, foaming mouths open in snarling, obvious attack, the four deer charged straight at them.

"SHIT!" Bear didn't feel the need to be quiet any more and he lifted his bow and fired; more than that, he hit. His arrow hit the throat and bounced off it, like it was armoured. It seemed that he'd just annoyed it more. From the appearance of it, they seemed to be charging at the four largest people in the group. It seemed, almost, tactical.

!	Message from: Pegasus
	I'll post again on the 28th or sooner if everyone's posted. Please note: You are in a combat situation - no time for chat.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

By Chrien’s foul luck, couldn't one trial on Scalvoris be just a tiny bit normal? Couldn't shrines be shrines or fountains be fountains or deer be damned deer? No. Of course not. Pash would either have to accept this as part of life or continue living in denial, the candle of hope for a trial without something unexpected happening, foaming at the mouth or buzzing or itching to kill him, would just not ever be. It was a desire he'd have to let go of, if he was to ever really embrace adventuring.

This trial was like all the rest. This was normal.

When would he come to terms with that?

From his position in the undergrowth and near a tree, unfamiliar as he was with the forest and its sounds, he had no idea who or what made the noise that made these not-deer aware of their presence. It was probably him, to be honest. For all he knew, the creatures who’d been munching away at the grass had always known their little hunting party had been in the forest and the sound was just a coincidence. That seemed just as likely, all four creatures looking up, eyes glowing, mouths foaming, fangs growing in the slow-motion sort of way that parents told in stories to keep their children in bed at night.

They made a noise that made the salty bard’s tanned, inked skin crawl, and Bear cursed loudly, revealing noise no longer mattered because they were already out of the frying pan and into the fire.

It was when the seasoned hunter’s arrow literally bounced off the not-deer’s neck that Pash felt something heavy settle in the hull of his chest: dread. Not only did the beasts now turn to charge them—one heading straight for him with antlers and fangs and foam—but they had hides like armor that he feared not even his dagger could pierce.

For a heartbeat, the Empath thought of the creatures and assumed they had some level of feeling. For a heartbeat, he knew that animals with emotions could be manipulated. But in that heartbeat, he also knew that this was not a time that feelings mattered, these not-deer were most likely far more determined than he could ever hope to sway, especially considering he knew nothing of their tangle. The learning curve was too high and too time consuming and the seafaring minstrel was forced to just act, and act quickly, in his own self defense.

The real problem was this—he was not an archer. The tall Biqaj’s familiar combat style was up close, personal, and, like most things in his life, involved touching. Contact. Vicinity. Could he manage to stab it in the eye? Did it have another weakness? He had trained his body to move against another’s within their reach, within their personal space, not from far away. He didn’t have a bow, and even if he did, he didn’t know how to use one. His daggers were not built for throwing. Though, the only projectile he possibly had at his disposal was a Tunawa who’d heartily volunteered to be thrown into the action should they need to.

And yet there was a tree behind him and a foaming, snarling, fanged beast charging him.

“Are all deer like this? This isn’t quite how I envisioned huntin’, y’know.” Pash hissed, reversing his grip on his dagger and shifting his body into the familiar, low-slung stance of his peoples’ hand to hand. He kept his eyes on the charging not-deer and shifted in his footing so that the tree he was near was directly behind him. What would have looked foolish to everyone else was just how long he waited, how close he let the beast get to him, his lagoon blue gaze steady on the rather twisted features of the animal that had no desire whatsoever to be their dinner.

He could practically feel it, almost smell it when he finally moved his body, bringing his torso down and to the left in a quick or low dodge, raising his arm with the dagger flat against his leather bracer to protect his face. With the momentum of his defensive downward motion, his free hand planted into the dirt first, followed only briefly by his fist curled around his weapon, and he heaved his whole weight into that same leftward motion and up into a one-handed cartwheel, an au de costas, legs swept back instead of up in the air and head tucked near his supporting arm while the same dagger arm stayed protective and his eyes stayed on the charging beast, hoping he was quick enough to toss his legs over his head before they became tangled in an antler or a horn or whatever those things were. His goal, however his evasive movement played out, was that he’d let the not-deer get just close enough that as he dodged to the left, to keep the foaming, fanged creature charging forward into the tree instead into his body all while staying out of reach of an ugly goring that had the potential to really ruin his day.

If he cleared the dodge, he’d quickly shift back into his lower stance and face the not-deer, keeping his attention focused on its next moves. Maybe the beast would get stuck or be stunned or just find itself disadvantaged enough that he could get a good, sharp, pointy blow into an eye. Right.

Off Topic

Because I don’t have time or brain cells to translate Portuguese moves into Rakahi right now in my life, bear with me as I try to paint a picture of capoeira a la Biqaj. An example of the motion, more or less, can be found here, though without the kick. It is just the cartwheel-like move and then back into stance, facing the four-legged meanie.

[Kali'rial]

“No they are not…son of a-“ Kali growled in reply to Pash as the deer very suddenly revealed their not-deer’ness. Like some sort of demon, they changed with all glowing eyes and nasty fangs. Oh, and hissing too, for good measure.

The brunette almost laughed. Was everything in Scalvoris out to kill? The huntress began to wonder if even the cute little flunnies might be evil death bringers in disguise.

Standing quickly, she watched Bears arrow glance off a well placed hit one of the not-deer’s neck like a bothersome gnat, leaving the beast even more enraged by the looks of it. Damn, damn, damn. A movement caught her eye, and with her heart in her throat she watched Pash move in a way that she’d never seen before. He was all flippy and slidey and…

Well pretty darn fantastic.

There was no time to appreciate the clever Biqaj further, as she had her own not-deer to deal with. Drawing her bow hard, the Sev’ryn narrowed her eyes, hunters brain calculating the right shot to take. The eye was possibly vulnerable, but it was a small target and Kali wasn’t sure she had the skill to make that exact hit. The body was clearly not going to take her arrow, not unless she could get the underbelly perhaps. That left, in her view, the open snarling mouth.

The other option was to throw the bow aside and charge the animal herself. This of course, had its pro’s and con’s, none of which seemed to be better than her current solution of aim and fire.

Breathing out, she released her arrow, aiming at the not-deer’s mouth and hoping for the best.

[Baya]

Baya liked these big ones! She liked them very much, almost as much as she liked the forest. The more she learned the more familiar it became, the more familiar it became the more she wanted to stay in it. It would be wonderful, surrounded by so many things that reminded her of home. Not to mention with their help she was able to gather a few small samples to stick in her collection kit, a little root of insomnus, a bit of purple peach, a small piece of snekvine, and a little bit of bakers wheatwort. There wasn’t room for much else in her little bag for more samples, she’d just have to come back! A thought that her and she found herself happily humming along, chattering to anyone who would listen about how to could try to grow these samples so she’d have more to play with later. Especially the delicious wheatwort!

The excitement didn’t dwindle even when she had to force herself to be silent as when they crept toward the clearing. But even silent her body couldn’t be still on Kali’s shoulder, wiggling this was and that, so much so that she nearly fell right off when they started hissing. Every bit of her tensed immediately after, it was as if she had aged a hundred arcs. Those were not deer, deer were nice and gave her rides just like the horses did, these were…going to eat them! The thought and Pash's quick hopping around, Kali drawing her bow startled her into movement but it wasn’t her that really had to move. Baya gripped Kali’s clothes so she wouldn’t be dislodged, did they deer even care she was there? She doubted it but she had no idea what to do to help either. The Tunawa wasn’t a fighter and she’d wanted to go hunting but she hadn’t wanted to, to do whatever it was the crazy deer and big ones were about to do. But maybe…

Maybe…

Baya opened her mouth and let loose a shrill scream, something like that of a birds death knell in the hopes it would startle the animals away, into stillness, in her even greater imaginings she hoped they’d be deafened and flee. But she’d had to do more, maybe she should let them throw her she could—oh! She could!

“Is throwing me! Throw at face! Yes!” The words were yelled as loudly as the Tunawa could manage, and if anyone agreed Baya hoped to be launched at a face of the deer. Maybe if she landed right she could cover its eyes so it couldn’t see then the big ones could…do whatever it was they did when hunting.

[Pegasus]

Sweetwine Woods

A number of things happened simultaneously. Pash moved, attempting to move out of the way in a very artful and acrobatic manner. However, his skill was simply not up to the speed of the not-deer and he didn't get out of the way enough or fast enough.

Which was not good.

Kali, however, took aim with a bow. Although, the issue there was that she took aim with a bow after she'd spent time admiring Pash, which ate into her aiming time a little, especially since Pash waited until the very last trill to move. Yet, Kali turned to her own deer and she fired.

Baya screamed, Bear and Talilah raised bows and fired, Bear firing again and Talilah taking more time than him by quite a lot. She was, if anyone stopped to consider, probably on par with Kali in terms of skill and speed, maybe a little faster. Bear, however, was a lot better.

So, a number of things happened simultaneously.

Kali felt Baya grabbing on to her clothes and heard the shouting in her ear, but Kali took a shot. It wasn't as good as perhaps she'd have liked it, but it hit. The (not) deer felt the arrow embed in it's mouth, but it didn't kill it. What it did do was make it stop and scream. It was a truly horrible sound, that scream and seemed almost otherworldly.

Which was strange considering the glowing eyes and stuff.....

Bear took another one, his two shots taking about the same time as Kali and Talilah took to make one. This one, took a deer in the eye and felled it.

But it wasn't the one charging at him

Pash had waited until the very last trill and he had moved. But in this kind of combat situation, at this kind of speed, his skill was not.. quite... there. And so, as Pash pulled off the move, as much as he knew he'd done the move right, he also knew that he was going to get speared on that deer. By that deer. Not deer. Oh, dear.

Except, it never happened. The deer charging Pash fell like a stone with an arrow in it's eye. It was dead before it hit the ground. Not from Bear, but from his daughter as Talilah ignored the one charging at her and shot the one about to kill Pash. Bear, for his part, saw it happening and he turned and fired, killing the one charging at Talilah.

And then, as the deer which was charging him contacted, it's impossibly sharp and very un-deer like antlers digging into his side and sending man and deer to the ground, Bear let out a howl of pain.

So, the situation was. Pash was fine, uninjured and with no deer coming towards him. Kali was equally uninjured, but her deer was still alive and unlikely to be out of action long. Talilah was in the same position as Pash and Bear was ....

well, Bear was in a very bad situation. The deer was on him, biting and snapping and he was trying to fend it off but as she turned and saw what was happening to her father, Talilah screamed at the blood. There was a lot of it. Screaming or not, she lifted her bow and strung another arrow but the look on her face said it all.

They couldn't risk shooting in there, not when man and (not) deer were in such close combat. But by the looks of things, Bear needed help.

Hmmmm....

!	Message from: Pegasus
	So sorry! I'd put the 29th in my calendar! I'll post again on the 2nd, sooner if everyone has posted by then!

[Pash Raj'oriq]

The tall Biqaj knew by his landing that his body had moved as it should have, easily shifting back into a comfortable, ready position. The problem, clearly, had been his timing—four-footed, glowing-eyed, foam-mouthed not-deer creatures did not move like a human-shaped opponent. They moved in ways he could not predict, and instead of preparing for another defensive move, Pash found himself forced to brace for impact, jaw set, heart pounding, lagoon blue eyes only able to focus on the sharp pointy things headed for his person. He did bring his dagger up into a more ready position, steeling himself for a retaliation no matter how painful the impact, only to watch the deer drop at his feet a breath or two sooner than expected—

Talilah had downed the creature: a quick, risky decision that had saved the seafaring minstrel a goring but as everything else unfolded proved to be more sacrificial than expected. Bear had, in turn, saved his daughter with a second arrow but had taken the goring instead, horns and fangs now in the much bigger man’s flesh instead of his own.

He didn't have time to help Kali, no matter how badly in this moment he longed to be in two places at once, but praying her second shot would be just as true or that Baya could leap to the assist somehow. He could only focus on his immediate surroundings, which happened to include their guide and his daughter first.

Pash was already moving once his attacking beast had fallen, tide pool gaze helpless to do anything but watch the situation become bloodied in the same heartbeat. The not-deer attacking Bear wasn’t facing him, but he was sure it didn’t matter. Clearly these creatures had senses that weren’t at all any more normal than they were. So, the salty bard would just have to do things that were necessary and hope for the best, leaping over the body of his opponent and dropping his one dagger, only because he knew he had a second. He prayed first, furtive and quick as he charged the not-deer still head-down in the side of their guide, struggling on the ground,

Zanik, Bear’s life matters very much to his daughter, and to us for his kindness. I still owe him a song, which of course will be yours anyway, so please give me the strength to deal with this creature and save his life. Give Kali strength too, to make her next shot count, as she greatly matters to me.

Instead of using the impact of his charge against the beast’s body to tackle it, lest antlers tear more flesh than they already had, Pash used his momentum to come up beside it, placing the not-deer between himself and the girl’s aim,

“Talilah, it’s goin’ t’ be a’right!”

Pash shouted encouragement through grit teeth, abandoning concern for his own tanned, inked skin as he did so. Then, planting his feet and reaching quickly, he grabbed for those bloodied pointy things with both hands and attempted to lift the creature’s head up and away toward himself instead of Bear, giving the man’s daughter a clearer shot if he could hold it still for just a moment, aware he could end up with the arrow and a very angry not-deer in his body instead. He hoped his swift, unusual move would catch the focused, angry beast off-guard enough to give a clear window for a clean shot, twisting the glowing-eyed, foaming, bloodied thing way too close to himself for a view he didn't want but felt necessary regardless.

Come hunting. Ride a horse. It will be fun.

Okay. Nope.

If any of his plan worked at all, if somehow for just a trill or two he was strong enough to hold the not-deer, to give Talilah a moment, he attempted to be ready for what was next, though he hoped both Kali and Bear’s daughter made their marks, not wishing to think ahead to the consequences otherwise, for Kali’rial more than himself

“Don’ worry ‘bout me, shoot th’ things—both o’ you!”