Vhalar 28th, 709
As a child the half-breed was never allowed the leave the rather small area she called home. The Master wouldn't dare let her out of his range of power, lest something bad happen. Make no mistake. He didn't care about her! But the closer she was to his grasp the more power he had over her father, and there were few things more worthwhile to the man than that.
So the day she started living with Icarus Athen had been nothing short of a shell shock. Not only had it been preceded by such horrible events as having to run away from home, something bloody that she had no interest in recalling, but he'd appeared from out of nowhere! Over the following two seasons she'd learned to trust the man who originally she'd had something of a distaste for thanks to just how odd he seemed. Now, all that trust, however, was being truly put to the test as she was thrown out into the world.
Well, not literally. This was more so a practical test of sorts so to speak. "This seems like a bad idea, what if I get lost?" The half-breed said with a trace of caution in her voice as she watched the back of the taller blond.
"If you get lost then find your way home," he replied simply. There were two maps looped into his belt. One for himself and one to leave with the girl who was to be abandoned in the middle of the woods. Overall, it didn't seem like it was going to be a very fun night.
"Why do we need to do this?" She continued her questions as though she thought she might be able to convince him out of the actions should she pester the man enough. Icarus just shook his head quietly and sighed heavily at the girl.
"Because, my dear, what if you are ever to get lost without me? The reason I've been teaching you how to survive on your own is so that you'll be able to actually, you know, survive on your own. If I don't ever make sure that these lessons are actually sticking then how can I be completely certain that you'll survive out here for more than a break without me. Now, to ease your nerves I'll never be too far away," he said as he turned around for a moment, placing a single hand on the head of the half-breed.
"Yay, I'm being stalked. That most certainly puts my mind at ease," she drawled in a less than enthusiastic tone that almost drowned in the sarcasm dripping from her lips. The man removed his hand, using it to pinch the bridge of his nose for a moment.
"I get that you're worried and scared, but please Nightshade," he said. Icarus was well aware of her anxieties. She woke up with nightmares on a nearly constant basis ever since he'd found the young child. Which was part of why he'd started teaching her various things like how to survive on her own as well as hunting. In case she ever ended up in a survival situation again. He didn't very well want her starving because she tried to reason with the rabbit. The poor soft-hearted creature. She'd never live down the way he first found her...
"Now then, as long as you remember everything I've told you then you should be fine. You can pass the test by completing one of two objectives. That's either by finding your way back home or by surviving out here for an upwards of 3 trials. IF you happen to fail the test, then you're not sleeping inside until you can pass," the man explained as he held up a finger for each option.
"But it's nearly Zi'da!" She crowed in disbelief. Making her sleep outside seemed a little extreme this close to the cold seasons.
"Then you best not fail," were the only words she received as a map was quickly shoved into her hands. Icarus truly did worry and care about the half-breed who he'd taken into his home. That much was obvious in most normal circumstances. Unfortunately, Icarus was one of those people who believed in the ideology of tough love. And while it was a good thing considering how stubborn the half-breed was, it was equally a bad thing considering how quick the young creature was to panic when situations went awry.
And with a speed unfitting of a man his age, Icarus disappeared as though he was a part of the scenery, leaving the half-breed alone with whatever supplies he'd seen fit to give her. While it wasn't much as least she had something to get started with.
Rule number one that Icarus had taught her was to always be prepared when leaving the home. Well packed supplies were far more useful than any amount of wilderness survival knowledge and the half-breed for everything she knew about the wild's was particularly inclined to agree. Pulling off the incredibly heavy backpack he'd left her with she rummaged around trying to take stock of anything she had. And honestly? It wasn't much.
There was no food in the bag Icarus had left her with. Which was one thing since the body could survive a while without food. But he'd only left enough water for not very long. She wasn't sure if trying to go 3 trials on a single water skin was a very good idea. Water was a top priority not just while trying to survive in the wildness but at all times in general. The man had told her that a lot of travelers died of dehydration before they starved or got killed by bandits and monsters. She wasn't too certain on the details but it seemed to make sense with all the nasty side effects he'd told her about dehydration. It had left her... somewhat paranoid to say the least.
The final item in the bag was little more than a waterproof tarp. Not even an actual tent. It would keep her dry but she'd freeze to death if she wasn't careful. Sighing heavily she looked over her equipment. Yeah, this was gonna be a problem if she tried to stay out here and survive. In this case, trying to stay in one place and wait out the 3 trials didn't seem like a wise decision if she wanted to 'pass'. She wasn't even sure what criteria Icarus was judging her on when it came to 'surviving' for 3 trials. So better not to take the risk and end up sleeping outside when Zi'da came along. Was he actually being serious or had that been a joke? She wasn't entirely certain she knew.
Closing the pack back up she slung it over her shoulder once more. Icarus had at least been kind enough to leave her with two very important pieces of survival gear. A map and a compass. A natural sense of direction could get someone far if they actually had one. Luckily it was something that could be developed over time, but the half-breed was still trying to develop hers. She hadn't been memorizing the direction she and Icarus came from since they were taking a long and twisty path. Most likely to confuse her. And while she had an inkling as to the direction she should progress, she didn't really want to take the risk of getting even more lost.
Sitting on the ground and trying to find a place where the earth was mostly even, she set down the map which Icarus had given her. One of the first things he'd taught her when it came to the wildness was how to read a map and how to apply it to her actual surroundings. On the map was a little dot with two words written next to it. "You're here" the words were scrawled in a messy common and the half-breed didn't need to think twice about it being the horrendous writing of her teacher. The man's handwriting could use about as much improvement as her navigation skills.
Sighing, she at least gave thanks for the small starting point. In the corner of the map was a small compass rose. She looked at her own compass quickly. There were two kinds of compasses depending on which 'pole' they were aligned with. The north pole or the south pole. There were some compasses they worked regardless, but they were a bit harder to come across and admittedly a touch more pricey. In addition, one had to take account for the topography of the map itself.
All of that taken into account, luckily Icarus had made her job as easy as possible and given her a good map and a good compass. There was a second little dot farther on the map. Bless the man, Icarus had also marked down the location of the home apparently, if the word home messily scratched on next to it wasn't enough of an indication. It was a relatively long and hard trek, the two having camped out multiple times on the way to the place where Icarus had ditched her. Made even harder by the fact that the half-breed's feet weren't the best made for walking. At the very least they were good at gripping when it came to rocky areas and steep inclines.
Lining up her compass with her map she turned the map slightly so the compass' north matched the north on the compass rose. Originally her body was pointing south. With that adjustment, she was finally able to get a good look at the direction she should be heading. Putting the compass back into the bag she stood up. Grabbing the map off the ground she looked off into the distance in roughly the correct direction, setting her sights on one tree in particular. She'd get to that tree and check the compass again to make sure she was still going in the right direction.
Best to start walking.
