Private Tales A Spine Tingling Tale

[Voe]

The mist settled early in the morning as they woke from camp.

The previous day and a half had been to get to the spot the creature was last seen. A road along the northern region of the Spine Mountain range that was frequented this time of year by those hoping to get the last goods and trade home before the snows started which made the pass inaccessible until high spring and the thaw.

Voe, having taken the last watch was on breakfast duty and did his classic mushroom and ham in a skillet cooked in fat with and laid on thick cut soda bread that absorbed the juices.
For a ranger he was dressed the part, his clothing was simple and effective against the coming cold days and rainy evenings and padded to provide modest security from the monsters which he often found in his journeys through the mountains though he often simply reported them for more experienced members, he had no desire to die too early.
Still when it came to finding such creatures he liked to think he was one of the more reliable choices which was of course in no small part to Otho who was waking to the smell of the frying ham, even before his mind returned from his dreams his nose twitched and his legs kicked in anticipation. The Blue Drake-hound had a nose unlike anything Voe had ever seen and he put it to good use. There was no quarry Otho could not find with a bit of time and a scent to follow, save those things that flew or swam.

Behind him, in the orange light of dawn, the tent made the noise of bodies rustling in their sleeping hems.
"You lot better hurry up. Otho is almost awake and I can't save your breakfast from him forever!"

Turning back he saw his pets large fin-like ears begin to twitch and he knew any minute now the little bugger would be up and bounding about, thrashing his blue tail for his breakfast with all a beasts demanding.
Until then he covered the skillet and cut the bread, laid it out on wooden plates for serving then he checked the tea, his supply was still good as he brought the rough dried bits to his nose and gave a sniff. Satisfied he dropped them into the pot of water and put the pot on the fire, replacing the skillet in one swift motion.

It wouldn't take long now.

The treacherous wind blew smoke into his bright yellow eyes and he blinked away the dry sting that made them water and run down the mottled green of his skin. Tieflings were not unheard of but they were uncommon in the Spine at least as far as he had seen and from what he heard some of them had very wide and long horns for which he was thankful his were short under his short straw-like hair and did not interfere with his daily dressing of himself. The same could not be said for his tail, which needed its own accommodations in his trousers, a discomfort he felt regularly when presented with a narrow backed chair but out here in the wilds he was very comfortable sitting on his little rock and cooking breakfast.

He thought of the monster they hunted. Its description defied anything he thought he knew. An insect, larger than a stag and with claw and many legs. He suspected it was merely a giant spider, but they rarely go out of their caves and least of all in the daytime. Otho came begging, roused at last by the smell of food and crammed his large head under Voe's arm which got him a rub on the horn and on the saggy underskin of his leathery neck.

"Good morning big lad. You dream of chasing tree cats? Yeah, I'll bet you did."
Otho's head had a single horn on its snout that let out a huff of impatience.
"Okay, okay alright."
With measured motions Voe picked up his own plate and served himself breakfast. Otho ate afterwards and while his big orange eyes pleaded as they always did and the great head lay on Voe's lap looking up pitifully, Voe knew better than to risk breaking what boundaries he had established. Otho could wait a few minutes longer to eat but Voe had to eat first.

Drake-hounds were clever and knew simple animalistic social rules, if you ate first it was because you deserved to. If you slept in the best spot, you deserved that too and their relationship was one of master and pet, not equals.

 

[Sigrith]

Otho's beastly social cues had previously saved him from a sound lashing by the oversized dire wolf in attendance. Darkstride lay at the outskirts of the camp next to the remnants of last night's kill: bones, mostly. A small mule deer would keep her belly satisfied for a day or two, so no plated morning meal was necessary for the wolf. Not that she partook in such things either way - it would hardly count as a snack.

In her typical silent fashion she watched the sliver of gold peek over the eastern horizon. Their vantage point in the mountains offered a morning view rivaled by little else, though the sinking chill of the oncoming winter did make her nostalgic for home. Though her thought had drifted often to the tundras in the distant north, the ether did not yet beckon her home.

It beckoned her nowhere as of late, and stagnation made for a rather perturbed wolf.

Stagnation in the company of others made it worse.

She'd had moved off already this morning were it not for the charges in her care.

HAW! said the wolf's herrevan familiar from a nearby tree, its three beady black eyes honing in on breakfast.

CRUNCH went the last of the evening's remaining bones in the wolf's massive maw.

 

[Cassiane]

"Can we not yell before that sun is fully above the horizon, please." Tired, and grumpy. Cassiane never was able to get a good night's sleep in when her own wyvern had taken to wrapping around the circumference of her tent. Cadfael was a snoozing beast, and his protectiveness over her meant she had to give up a good few hours of sleep each night. At least if they flew for long stretched, she could catch up with a few naps.

Cassi's eyes fell onto the food being cooked up, and suddenly her face was no longer frowny. "Oh ho, what we have today Voe?"

Tea, she knew, would be served as well. A fresh cup to start her day kept her pleasant enough.

 

[Andel Moon]

Andel awoke, his wavy caramel locks covering his face as he sat up, opposed to usual, the arcanobiologist looked rather funny with his bedhead and his usual beauty was masked by the lack of caffeine. For a moment he just sat there, staring at the ground in a disassociated manner before the smell of food reminded him he was with someone who cooked breakfast.

Without a word he tied his hair back and got up from where his bed had been made and came out of the tent, blue eyes scanning the area before stepping into the light of dawn. His blue shirt askew, pants rustled and groggy demeanor would put his mother to shame.

"Is the caffeine on or should I start it?" He asked, clearly having a set of priorities of a sane man so early in the morning.

 

[Voe]

A slim smile filled Voe's face as he finished his meal and tossed a piece of ham for Otho. The Drake pounced and gobbled it up in its wide jaws, chewing on it happily.

"Nothing too fancy Cass. Fried ham and mush on soda. Extra crispy."
His eyes flashed to Andel.
"With tea, should be just about ready for you Andy."
It did not matter if someone liked their nickname as far as Voe was concerned he was only able to remember so many names and shorter ones were easier for him.

Gently he passed out the breakfast saving one for later since Darkstrider got her own.
"Come let me know when you want this Stride!"
He instructed, wrapping it in cloth and knotting it at the top, like a little package.

The cups he laid out, three of them, and began to pour starting with the one closest to Andel. The dark hot tea chased away the chill in the air around the tin cups as they filled.

"Did everyone sleep well?"
He asked it every morning with the wondrous ignorance of rarely ever having a bad night's sleep himself, coupled with his status as an early riser it made Voe a definitive morning person.

 

[Sigrith]

"As I have said before," rumbled the wolf from her distant crunching on bone, "I have no need for your handouts."

And yet as soon as the little meal package was set aside, a surge of black feathers whooshed in from above and snatched it up with a raucous HAW HAW.

HAAA-AAAW!​

said the herrevan as it retreated back to its perch on a branch, settled among the chiaroscuro of shadows cast through the greenery in the morning light. There it began to pick apart the knotting with its beak.

HAA-ASTE NOT, HAUNT NOT!​

 

[Cassiane]

"Nothing too fancy Cass. Fried ham and mush on soda. Extra crispy."

"Crispy..." She perked up at the sound of that, and crossed over to take a seat.

Her gaze flicked to Darkstride, amused. She could not blame Voe for offering, for the lad enjoyed presenting his cooking to anyone that would like it. She had worked with him on many accounts, got along well with him because of his cooking. Cassi always ended up starving at different points of her day, and the next thing she would know was Voe offering her something from his ready bag.

"That's a compliment right there, Voe. Even nature is in dire need of your cooking." She spotted Andel's approach and offered a greeting in way of a nod.

Nature indeed was hungry. From behind her tent, Cadfael startled himself awake. For a terrifying featured beast, it took several moments, and she meant several, for the wyvern to come into himself. He shook his head, promptly bashing his head into the side of her tent and she watched it sag a little on that side... good thing they were packing up camp today to continue heading out.

"I shouldn't let him hunt down game while he's in this terrible condition of waking up." She grimaced lightly. "He'd wake up all sorts in the brush."

 

[Andel Moon]

"Oh, Voe, you really know how to get me going in the morning." He purred as caloused hands filled his cup with tea. A smile flashed at the Tiefling as he grabbed the food as well, knowing that if he didn't eat, the chef might get testy with the blond. And despite the innuendo, he actually respected the horned one.

"Darkstride, Cassiane." He greeted them with a slight bow as he sat down next to Cassiane, trying not to look too exhausted. As he drank his tea, Moon took out a bound leather book and took notes on various behaviors of Othos. The creature was odd and very interesting, so he sketched the Drake out and made notations on its shape, habits, diet, and the like.

"I slept fine, it was the waking that felt as if I were fighting shackles. How was your watch?" Andel asked, taking a bite of the crispy breakfast, chasing it down with tea. "Anything of note?"

 

[Voe]

"Handouts?"
Voe feigned a hurt look that turned into a startled surprise yelp as the herrevan snatched its prize up to the branches to feast upon. It took him a moment to compose himself again.

"You're right Cass."
He said picking up his own tea and warming his hands on the cup.
"It's nice to be appreciated. Even if it is by buzzards."
Throwing Cassi a wink made him feel better about getting startled and for good measure he tossed one at Andel as well then followed Cassi's gaze to Cadfael.

Otho was at the wyvern now, done with the ham, he danced about the other beast, nipping and nudging to encourage him to wake faster. Otho was in a chipper mood today, not rare but it seemed intense on such a slow morning.

"Nothing to report. The clouds broke just before dawn. I heard mountain wolf howl for it's mate, the mate answered from across the valley. I like to think they're snuggling up as we speak in a den built for two."
Getting back to his tea he took a long gulp, it burned him as it went down and filled his chest with warmth that seeped into his heart.

"I think we're close. At least if that caravan leader was right. Whatever attacked them should have a trail we can pick up today with a bit of luck."

 

[Sigrith]

Andel's bow got a side-eye from Darkstride and a pause in her bone-crunching.

"It's nice to be appreciated. Even if it is by buzzards."

That, however, earned the young tiefling a snort.

With the remains of her evening's meal well-picked, the wolfess finally rose to her paws and gave her black pelt a light shake.

"I will scout ahead," it would take them time to finish breaking their fast and cleaning up camp. By the time this lot was on the move, she might've found their quarry. Prowling past the campsite opposite the side where the wyvern presently awoke, she paused to give Andel a pointed look.

"If I find anything, the buzzard will tell you." Out of all of them, Andel was the most familiar with the wolf's connection to the oversized raven in the tree.

Not waiting for any parting goodbyes, Darkstride pressed through the brush and her great beastly form smoothly departed along their traveling route.

 

[Cassiane]

Cassi raised her brows.

"This is quite the team assembled." She admired, watching the wolfess move to scout. "Good fortunes ahead of us, we will see to it that this threat is seen to."

Her wyvern stirred, rising to his feet and crooning a low sound. Cassi and Voe learned a while ago that Cadfael only made those noises towards Otho in an attempt to communicate. The first time they had heard it, they both got to their feet and looked around as if a beast was approaching.

"Besides, I know Caddy is hoping to sink his teeth into something." She grinned.

 

[Andel Moon]

As the caffeine began to course through his veins, the difficulty of morning slid off of him like the blanket he wished he was still wearing. As he listened to the report of nothing, he ate his breakfast and continued to write down notes until the Wolf announced her intentions.

"Yes Ma'am." Andel nodded at Darkstrider, knowing that she was quite the scout and that when it came to the two of them, he would do what she said. Politely, he waved at the raven in the tree and finished his breakfast before shutting his notebook.

"Quite the team indeed, I feel sort of out of the loop as you all have such adorable friends with you." Speaking of Otho, Cadfael, and the 'Buzzard'.

 

[Voe]

Smiling as he did at Darkstride as she left Voe tucked his hand into his bag...
"Happy hunting Strider."
...and picked out a heavy lump of unprocessed ore, mostly copper mixed with shale.

"I expect he'll get his chance Cass. Just as soon as our bug expert works out what we're dealing with."
Otho made a trill sound in reply to Cadfael and shook his fin-like ears. A signal that he was happy and excited but this trill, it was reserved for Cadfael. What passed between them was a mystery to both masters but for his part Voe had accepted that, like himself and Cass, Otho and Cadfael had their own relationship, a secret language almost.

With a whistle to get Otho's attention Voe tossed the ore to the Drake-hound who gave a yip and gobbled it up from the ground.
Both Otho and Cadfael were related to dragons, offshoots of a primogen species that split many ages ago. Perhaps a part of them knew that origin innately. Some instinct of connection that made them recognize each other as distant kin. Voe liked to think so.

"It's a lot of work Andy."
He said addressing the scholar as he closed his bag.
"But they're worth it if you can put up with them."
A smile came to his face.
"Who knows, maybe if this insect monster has eggs you can take one home, raise it yourself!"
A dry laugh punctuated his joke. He did not expect to find any eggs or young. The report from the caravan did not sound like mating ritual or a hunt for food to bring back to a nest. It was just an attack, unpredictable and unprovoked and that's what worried him.

Again he gave voice to a concern he had not spoken of since they first set off from Crobhear and his tone became very serious.

"If the creature is rabid in some way we should be prepared and it may pass to Cadfael so don't let him off the leash before we know for sure eh Cass?"

Caution and knowledge were the best tools for survival. He knew Cass understood this but it was worth saying anyway and he reminded himself to keep Otho on a short leash as well.

 

[Sigrith]

While perhaps not so quick as a sky-bound wyvern, Darkstride could cover ground far faster than any man on foot, and with greater ease than most mounted horses. The hillsides of the Spine were not an easy traverse for a burdened beast, but she held no such limitations of rider nor luggage. Her great paws skated easily along the overgrown path, navigating the crags and stones until she crested a scabby knoll and paused to take in her surroundings.

The view from here came gilded in morning sunlight over sparse grass and shrublands sliced through on the eastern side by the encroaching stone of the mountain. She could see the trail they followed as it wound its way across the landscape, avoiding the areas of boulders and eventually crossing a wide, shallow stream bed. This creature they hunted had attacked on the main road only a few days prior. Two innocents lost: an older man and a young boy.

Hardly a full meal for the size of the monster they'd described. If it was smart, it wouldn't stray far from the main road now that it knew it could find easy prey there. But where would such a large thing hide?

Bright eyes rimmed in black peered beyond the rolling shrublands to an area farther up the slope where a line of light grey smeared down from the higher mountain slopes. A rockslide, perhaps? There would be plenty of cover within the large chunks of stone for their quarry so that is where she would begin her search.

Darkstride took a breath and set off down the hill, cutting a straight line through the landscape and the winding caravan path.

 

[Cassiane]

"If the creature is rabid in some way we should be prepared and it may pass to Cadfael so don't let him off the leash before we know for sure eh Cass?"

Cassi's chuckles were drowned with the deep grumble that came from her wyvern, who heard Voe loud and clear. The wyvern was obedient and cooperative, a rare thing found in the wyverns that occupy the region around Caster Dell.

"Oh don't fret. Voe knows you're a good boy!" She cooed with a grin.

She set aside her unfinished plate, having begun to lose her appetite when Voe spoke of bug eggs and Andel keeping one for a pet. The rider cleared her throat and glanced Andel's way. "You are a Yaegir, I don't doubt a companion would be hard to find. I do know of some organisations that save and rehabilitate small beasties and the like, save them from poachers and other low life scum." Cassi smiled, and the scar on her cheek twitched.

"I mean, after this hunt, I can tell you all about it!"

 

[Andel Moon]

Andel smiled softly and put his notebook fully away in his pack. He shrugged his covered shoulder and looked to Cass for a moment. His gaze was almost too steady, reading and watching as he grabbed for his bow and slung it over his body with practiced ease.

"Unfortunately, I don't believe the Monster we hunt now would make a good pet. It may make for useful research, though." He said to Voe as he straightened up and got himself ready to head out when Darkstrider's Raven made the call.

"Yes, Poachers are detestable. Monster infractions and freak attacks like this one are regrettable. However, if there is a balance here that needs to be maintained for the good of the ecosystem, we should weigh our options." Andel was a Yaegir, and he mostly specialized in ensuring that harmless monsters were not hunted to extinction, such as the Winged Horses.

"But please, Cass, I would love to hear all about it." He said, giving her a grin that belonged to a snake. "Swap stories, maybe?"