Four adult Axe Beaks can be seen, but it is hard to discern whether any juveniles or chicks may be concealed among the tall grasses.
Kalig has difficulty finding recent prey tracks among the grasses, but she suspects that antelope may frequent these plains.
Seraphina is shocked when the leaders return with a small grouping of various Orc and Orc kin.
Wow, he looks so proud...despite the lack of arm. He must be the leader
Over the next few days, she starts to draw the proud Orcish warrior, who leads his tribe. She is proud of her finished product, but doesn’t dare show anyone be as she is still shy and is unsure how the new person would react.
She grabs a few berries and munches on them. She eats and gives some hardtack to her feline friend.
I know it’s not much Bae, but please eat it. You need to keep your strength up
Valentina furrows her brows, thinking about the situation before she speaks up. "You guys realize we could die, right? These aren't just harmless little birds. Is it really worth that chance, just for a few eggs?"
"Besides," she thinks, "Isn't it a little rude to kill wild animals and steal their babies?"
Dorick turns to Valentina, with an expression that suggests a certain strained politeness.
"Of course we could die. We could die from many things out here. Wild animals, bandits, thieves, eating the wrong berries, taking a fever, and many more. Everything we do out here involves risks and benefits. If I believed that I could defeat the Axe Beaks alone and take the eggs for our benefit, for steeds or meat or trade, I would risk myself. I will not press anyone else to do it though as it is dangerous, and alone I can not do it. 'Rude' is a matter for courtly intrigue, not in matters of surviving or thriving in the wilds. The wilds care not for niceties."
"Not that I totally agree with Sir... Dorick over there but the huntings been slim the last few days, and each one of those birds... not the eggs mind you, could feed a half dozen to a dozen folk each. I'm not one for the wilds, but i know which end of the blade goes into the beast, if there are enough of us it shouldnt be too difficult."
He added glancing at the feathers on the bird. He wondered if Noemie would like the feathers as decorations or something...
_HRF.jpg)
"Perhaps we could arrange to hunt one or two, rather than a whole flock. Take a few, and the birds can reproduce. Take them all, and that's it, no more birds." Soraya isn't much of a hunter herself. She's never TRIED to put an axe beak to sleep, but it should work in principle. She really hopes nobody is foolish enough to go after the eggs.
"These are predators, not prey, Francoix. They, like us, are made of meat, but I wouldn't call them good eating. If all you want is food, these creatures probably live on antelopes that roam the plains, and those would be much less dangerous to hunt and feed us with much better meat."
Kalig turns to Soraya. "These are like wolves, lions, or.... or... tyrannosaurs. You know how easy it is to capture and force wild predators to breed or do anything other than try to eat your face off? Not easy. If you want one to raise, you need to steal an egg and raise it from hatching."
She shakes her head and addresses the group. "Which is not something I think we should do. I mentioned it as a possibility so the group as a whole knew... I wouldn't want someone wandering off alone to steal an egg and no one else know why." She looks out over the plains. "If a nest was abandoned I'd take the egg and raise it. I'm not going to provoke a fight just to get a fancy new mount though. I'd rather my beasts of burden be plant-eaters--a lot easier to keep fed."
"And with that... I think I'll try to forage for something else. Do what you will do. If any of you want to join me, you're welcome to."
Kalig wanders off, looking for small prey (e.g., rabbits) or edible plants. If anyone joins her she'll track larger prey.
He raised one eyebrow at the half-orc druid and shrugged.
"You know there are ways to soften the meat right? I was taught how to cook at a lords hall, He enjoyed his wild hunts. We only brought supplies to comfortably feed those chosen by the Viscount, now we have more to feed. So far the only thing those hunting parties have brought back are roots, grains and a small bird or two and at most enough to only feed a mouth or two. But Bah, its fine I suppose at this point. Whats another few days of dry, bland trail rations."
He finished, taking one last look at the far off bird creatures and then turning to make his way back to the caravaned wagons and carts off in the distance.
"Then, by all means, hunt the thing that can easily carve you stem to stern with its beak." She grins, tusks poking out of her mouth. "It'll be fun to watch."
"As for those who joined us, they have contributed their food stores and their pigs. We can survive a few weeks of travel food to be able to farm better--and have better food--once we establish the settlement. I hope you'll figure out what you can contribute besides commentary and coltsfoot ash by then." She continues to head away from the group. "Are you coming, or just wanted to chat?"
"That was a little unfair, Kalig. Francoix would surely know how to render Axe Beak flesh palatable, if anyone here would. But as we've discussed, the risk to life and limb is great."
With that, he and Caragus move off, continuing to scout for dangers to the foraging group.
The hunting party leaves the Axe Beaks to their own feathery devices and seeks less dangerous game elsewhere.
The caravan's vanguard splits into two hunting parties - a blend of humans, hobgoblins, and orcs - to canvas the grasslands around the Axe Beak nest.
Your patience and discretion are rewarded, as youcome upon a sizeable herd of antelopes.
Working together to flank and trap them, the party is able to fell several animals and bring them back to the caravan.
Dorick is in good cheer on return to camp.
"Fresh meat is on the menu tonight!", he announces jovially, "Do we have beer or ale to wash it down with?"
He was very glad to see the hunting parties finally bring some game of worth in (well at least plenty) and he didnt hesistate in leading the others into preparring a nice dinner for the evening.
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
Kalig raises her eyebrows at Francoix. "See? Antelope, much easier, no one's dead, and something much more suitable to show off your skills with."
She will chat over food, do watch rounds, and tend to her donkey.
Francoix's cooking, a veritable feast, provides a welcome reprieve from dried trail food for the settlers.
Not only does this bolster their morale, but it facilitates a bonding opportunity with the newly joined orc-kin.
Alongside Fendir's tribe, Harkan's band begin to draw more welcoming looks and nods from the human settlers.
Dorick is glad to see the disparate groups starting to bond together. He seeks out Fergus and Melgus d'Beranza and Connetlie to see how they are faring.
Sera happily accepts the welcome change of food fare. She once again gives a nibble to Bae. Bae almost takes her finger off in her excitement over the fresh cooked food.
That was my finger Bae as she chuckles a bit.
She gets up the courage to go over to one of the orc-kin children and if will sits down next to one.
Hi, my name is Sera
()
Kalig, giving Matilda a rest from her pack saddle, clicks at Matilda, for what seems like the millionth time since she had begun this trip--and past events have involved Kalig pulling Matilda, arguing with her at length (whether she had speak with animals or not).
After a few tries, however, Matilda finally responds reliably to the click, walking alongside Kalig without Kalig needing to direct her with harness or crop. Kalig walks along with the donkey beside her for a bit of a ways, then offers her a choice bit of fruit or root she has kept from her foraging expeditions. "Well done, Matilda," she pats the donkey on the head.
As Kalig gets up to go somewhere else, the donkey obediently follows her... and then Kalig realizes she cannot seem to, at the moment, STOP the donkey from following her around. Various caravanners chuckle as they watch the donkey heel alongside Kalig as she goes to wash her face, to check on the food wagons, to help the cooks salt meat for preservation, to go put down her bedroll...
"I know you know when to stay put, you silly thing. Stop showing off."
After the caravan makes camp for the night, Viscount Aristide bids his retinue to break out a store of ale and he offers a toast to the cooperation that brought such a bounty to the settlers' supper.
"If you will be accompanying the hunters again tomorrow, you should know that I will be joining you," he announces to you, his arrogance only thinly disguised. He briefly looks to the sky, where his falcon wings through the night above. "Coldeye and I will have that hobgoblin huntress eating her words for questioning our hunting skills."
...
You find Connetlie dipping into his store of tanning supplies, applying one of the chemicals to his hair - apparently the source of its unusual color.
"I already announced my gratefulness for the improved food tonight, but I hear that you are partly to thank in that regards. No more complaints from me. I'll even wake up early, before we break camp, to finish prepping the animal hides for travel. I can't really do much more with them while we're on the move."
...
In the morning, the skies are wide and clear, with no hint of the other day's tornado left behind as a memento.
As camp is packed up, there is some disagreement about the caravan's heading.
Aristide, Harcourb, and even Harkan support veering back southwards to resume following the river, as it is the surest route towards the sea and provides a definite navigational landmark.
Natsagiin and Machus, as well as some of the hunters, support continuing along the current heading, as it may allow the hunting parties to continue following the antelope herds, and they suggest it may lead to the bison herds.
Valentina's contribution to the conversation about their next heading: Asking about the particulars! They're very important!
"How much food do we have?" she asks, "And what's the difference between the headings? It doesn't make much sense to me to go the wrong way unless we're literally running out of food."
Dorick replies to Melgus:
"How much have you hunted in the past? Just so I know your level of experience. If you are up for the task, certainly, come along."
And to Connetlie:
"You are welcome. We can all find ways to contribute and I am glad that you are readying yourself to task."
When the debate about headings comes up:
"I too would know the difference between the headings. Distance, terrain, and whether the prospect of more food outweighs other risks."
Soraya follows after some of the others, listening in to the debate about which direction to head. "Isn't this the reason we have a leader?" she says to no one in particular. She comes up to Valentina. "Perhaps you could remind the hunters that there's fishing along the river and plenty of animals come down to the river to drink."
"What Soraya said." Kalig observes. "We're in largely uncharted territory--at least recently uncharted. The farther from the river we go, the higher the risk we end up separated from our hunting parties, or lost entirely. Getting lost will lengthen the journey and shorten our supplies."
Amid much cursing in Common and Orc about waking up to donkey breath, Kalig does her usual scavenge for berries to cast the goodberry spell on, and as usual if she finds anything useful to eat while she is out there, she brings back a bucket full and reports her findings.
...
"We have about 15 more days until we reach the sea," Aristide states. "Even with Harkan's kin having joined us, we should have enough supplies for the rest of the journey without needing to dip into the stores set aside for once we've settled our village."
Natsagiin and Machus do not press the issue further, and they quietly accept the decision to turn the caravan back towards the river.
Elsewhere, Kalig finds another thicket of berries to enchant. While the berries themselves are mildly toxic without her magic, she also finds edible roots and legumes to also bring back.
.....
The wagon train rumbles onward, returning to the river's wide course through the plains. Although the game the hunters bring back over the next two days of travel is much smaller - rabbits, grouse, and bustards - it is bolstered by carp and trout caught from the river.
Dorick keeps an eye on Melgus and Coldeye, to see how they are doing as hunters.
Even with the lesser spoils from hunting, he is in good cheer. The journey has been mostly pleasant thus far.
Night falls, and the wagon train slows to a halt to make camp.
Fendir and a few others notice that one of the hunting parties - the one led by Axxa - has failed to return.
Dorick finds Fendir.
"Is Axxa not back yet? It is past nightfall."
Soraya grows a bit nervous about the hunting party's whereabouts. "Does anyone know which way they went? I could send Lucian here out to have a look, but I need to know a basic direction."
"We may need to pinpoint where they went once they left camp," Kalig says. "I suggest we track them a little ways and then send your owl to look. Who wants to come along?"
"I volunteer. I am not the best tracker, but I can bring lance and horse. There may be wounded who need to be returned here swiftly."
"I will accompany you all as well, though I am not much of a hunter." said Fendir, concern clear in his voice.
"Im not exactly comfortable in the wilds or in the dark even, but I can carry a torch and keep my eyes peeled."
He offered finishing wiping his hands on a cloth as he made his way through the folk eating and setting up camp as he wandered across the others.
Valentina nods. "Simple animals don't kidnap people," she says. "I think something has to be up."
"Well, they might not be kidnapped." Kalig smiles but then her face falls as she shrugs. "They could be lost, eaten, or killed by giants or orcs. Could be they just ran off because they were mad about sticking to the river, though I'd give Axxa more credit than that, she's a good survivalist."
"Anyway, everyone ready? Let's go."
Once the search party is fully assembled, Kalig tries to pick up Axxa's team's trail.
Dorick does his best to assist Kalig's search.
With Dorick's aid, Kalig is easily able to pick up Axxa's trail. It also helps that her party's tracks seem to follow a set of fresh antelope tracks, providing a clear way to find them.
After a few quarter-miles, though, Kalig discovers another set of tracks: large, lupine prints that seem to shadow those of Axxa's group. These are especially fresh - scant hours old - and offer an unnerving clue to this mystery.
Finally, you find a spur of rock jutting out from the grasslands, creating an overhanging shelf. Through the dim starlight, Fendir and Kalig can see several figures huddled in its lee. One of them spots your approach and frantically waves you over.
There, you find Axxa and her hunters. They are wounded, some badly, but alive.
Dorick holds his lance tightly as the group approaches Axxa and her hunters.
As he closes, he asks:
"Are the wolves still nearby?"
Soraya rushes forward to provide first aid to the wounded. Though she may not be much of a "woodsman," she is truly in her element when it comes to patching people up.
How big are the prints? Ordinary wolves, or something else?
Fendir takes a step to sprint towards the group of injured, but then stops himself and takes a deep breath. He then begins scanning for the wolves.
Kalig's knowledge of the wilds - not to mention her time spent among the orc raiders - leaves her all too familiar with the oversized prints, and she confirms what Axxa groans in Goblin.
Worgs.
"When I heard you approach, I thought they had finally tired of tormenting us and had come to finish their hunt."
The magic of Soraya's beneficent hex flows into the hunters' wounds, rapidly closing them and eliciting sighs of relief.
In the dark, among the tall grass, it should be difficult to read the tracks, but Kalig is able to conclude that four of the beasts lurk nearby on the darkened plains.
Despite his honed instincts and senses, Fendir is unable to spot these predators out in their own element.
Soraya focuses on managing the major wounds, trying to stay wary of their surroundings, lest they be attacked again.
"Worgs, and still close by," Kalig warns, low but intense in tone.
"Whats a worg again? Some sort of ugly wolf thing?"
He muttered while wildly looking about his voice trailing off as he searched for the hunters attackers.
"Forma circle around the wounded! No gaps!"
Dorick cannot see the worgs, but he can do this much.
"Wolfish. Big. Mean. Smart."
Kalig follows Dorick's lead and stands in front of the wounded, drawing her flail and shield.
Being unable to pinpoint the location of the enemy, Fendir joins the others in the defensive circle.
"What is the situation?" he asks.
Drawing her rapier, Valentina moves over next to Fendir, frowning. Sparing a glance over her shoulder to the wounded hunters, Valetina's eyes linger on their wounds. "I'm not excited about this," she sighs. "Can we all fight?"
"The first thing all Hobgoblins do when they are born is stand up and salute." says Fendir, who holds a serious face for a moment, then it cracks into a smirk.