Fate - First Reply Ink Black Heart

[Apani]

"Apa, where are you going?"

A young girl froze in the shadows of the torchlight before whipping her head around to her little cousin. She did her best to hold back a biting retort as she would need him to stay quiet.

"I told you not to call me that, Oga. Be silent; I will return within three days." She quickly moved over to place her hand over the young boy's mouth. "I know, I know, but I need to do something. That's the second member of the tribe missing, and the other tribes have mentioned their own missing as well...Something is not right. I can feel it."

Before Oga could go to complain once again, Apani whispered in his ear. "If you say a word, then I tell Suni that you have a big crush on her." With that last threat, Apani slipped out of the tent and onto the horse that was waiting on her. Within seconds, she was riding off into the night.

---

Six Hours Later
​

As the first lights of the new dawn began to grace the sky, the lone figure of Apani silently, except for the clipping of horse hooves, made her way through the plains. All she had with her was her bow, arrows, knife, and water skin.

"So how are we going to do this Apani? You've never hunted like this before."

"Shut it. We will figure this out." She mumbled back to herself in an attempt to keep herself busy.

She was certainly not the best hunter or even tracker the Forty Feathers tribe had to offer, but she was the only one listening and willing to stop this. Every night, she could hear the spirits screaming. Something was wrong in the savannah; some sickly evil was hurting the land and her people. If she did not do something to stop this now, then it was only going to get worse.

 

[Hath Charosh]

Hath was aware of the human tribe several miles to the south. He was particularly careful as he traversed the savanna.

He was all on his own, no tribe around him. A lone orc was food to half of what lived in this land. To the other half he was a threat and it was best to kill him before he fetched more orcs.

Hath stayed quite still in the long grass. He watched carefully, looking for any more humans.

Content that there weren't any within line of sight, he knocked an arrow onto his bow. He wasn't planning on threatening the lone human, but she looked young and had a horse. Both were easily panicked and a horse could run him down. He hoped the arrow would dissuade any rash action.

He walked out into their path.

"Do not go that way," he called out. "Goblins in those rocks."

He did not know that the goblins were gone. Fleeing something unnatural.

 

[Apani]

Apani was an idiot sometimes, but there was just too much to do and she had no way of knowing how to accomplish it. She had to find the corruption. That meant tracking, which she was ok with, but if the spirits did not help her along then she was going to be in real trouble there. Then came the real problem, the corruption had taken several of their people including two of their warriors...Apani wasn't a warrior, so how the hell was she going to fight this thing?

All of these thoughts pounded in her head, making her worry, and also making her ignore the world around her. She didn't even notice when the horse tried to tell her something was nearby.

She was nearly thrown from her horse when Hath appeared, which seemed to her to be out of nowhere.

"Woah, easy boy." She soothed to her mount, while then focusing on the orc before her. Judging by his attire, he was one of the tribes, which she considered a good thing. Now the arrow aimed at her...that was bad. Oh Apani, father would kill you for being snuck up on so easily.

Goblins in the rocks? Could that be the corruption? No, goblins were common here, and nothing that would get the spirits so riled up. She needed to push forward.

"H-Hello, I am Apani of the Forty Feathers Tribe...I thank you for your advice, but I must go forward. My tribe depends on it...The Savannah depends on it...The Spirits demand it."

Every extra sentence added was an attempt at not only convincing Hath, but also her self that this self-assigned mission needed to continue.

Hath Charosh

 

[Hath Charosh]

"Spirits demand it?"

Five years ago his knowledge of the common human tongues had been barely enough to trade with small outposts. Now he had travelled from Elbion to Falwood and to the spine.

His tone was rather human and distinctly dismissive.

She didn't seem overly hostile. Humans were - in his opinion - rather prone to deceit. He let the strong down, keeping the bow at his side.

He left the arrow nocked.

"Spirits demand you keep going and get knifed in the back by a goblin?"

 

[Apani]

"What? No!" She exclaimed almost in shock that it would be implied the spirits would ask for something like that.

She pointed into the distance where Hath claimed these goblins to be. Even though she still was not sure what she was hunting, as she pointed, she could feel that it was the correct direction.

"The spirits...they called to me telling me something was wrong. People were being harmed and the natural order was upset...If I go that way, I can stop it."

Ok, when she said it like that, she did sound a little crazy but many of the greatest shamans were often called crazy by outsiders. However, the more she spoke with this behemoth, the more she realized she may need a plan.

"Are-Are you a hunter?"

Hath Charosh

 

[Hath Charosh]

Hath turned his head slowly. Keeping one eye on the girl, it was clear that he was nervous that the girl would panic and run him down.

He would believe the words she was saying, had they been spoken by an orc shaman. He didn't know any local tribes and they would be just as suspicious as a human tribe if a lone orc stranger arrived.

Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

Hath ignored her question. He looked back at her.

"I will walk you through goblin territory. They may not attack two."

It had been some time since he had given a pack of goblins a good kicking anyway.

 

[Apani]

Apani immediately broke into a grin, that was perfect. She was given a companion just when she needed the help. Normally, her tribe, and really any people, would be more suspicious of singular wanderers but Apani was different.

She had a good feeling about this orc as she could sense that the spirits like him, and that was good enough for her.

"Thank you very much...I'm Apani. What's your name?"

She had only ever dealt with goblins when in the safety of a tribe hunting party, while they held the initiative and the numbers advantage. It was this previous success that was giving Apani some much-unearned confidence when it came to traveling through goblin territory.

Hath Charosh

 

[Hath Charosh]

"Thank you very much...I'm Apani. What's your name?"

Hath grunted.

He turned and looked over his shoulder at goblin territory. He tried to decide if he was really going to do this. His travels, he thought to himself, had made him soft. He corrected himself. That was not right. Time spent with Pern and different cultures had made him a better orc.

"Hath."

He took three careful steps backwards and waved her forwards. He might have become more trusting, but not enough to turn his back on her.

"Why did spirits call for you?" he asked bluntly.

 

[Apani]

"May the spirits bless you Hath."

She was already urging her horse forward to continue the journey forward now with some reliable assistance. Hath did not seem likely much the talker, so she was surprised by the next question.

It, honestly, made her hesitate. She had asked herself that same question multiple times. There were far better warriors from her tribe. Hunters that could spot prey from hundreds of feet. Animal companions that could fight even the most vile of creatures that called the savannah their home.

"Oh, I...um, I just listen, so they call a lot."

Hath Charosh

 

[Hath Charosh]

Hath took a few steps to the side as she approached. He walked on a parallel path but with a little space between them.

He put the arrow away and shouldered his bow. Instead he carried his axe, Biter down at his side. If she turned out to be lying he could close the distance and cut off her nearest leg at the thigh. At least then if there was an ambush he would add a panicked horse into the mix.

"I know shamans who listen to spirits. They gain wisdom. Not the kind of wisdom that stops them being stupid if left alone in the wild. Maybe you are like them," he reasoned out loud.

An orc was not known for subtly hiding context in their words.

 

[Apani]

Apani looked at him sharply with annoyance. "I am perfectly capable, thank you very much."

He was just like her father, always assuming things. Oh, so she had to be protected, was that it? She doesn't have her own guardian spirit. She hasn't been trained as much as the other warriors. Her shamanism is only useful in talking to spirits. Screw all of that. Apani was just as capable as the others.

She increased her horses speed ever so slightly, before focusing back on the hill in the distance, that was her destination.

"Listen, someone has to do it. They weren't helping...You weren't helping. No one was helping, so I'll do it."

None of them could understand what it was like to have spirits constantly begging for help in their dreams. Not even Osa, the Shaman, was spoken to as much as she was. It made it impossible to sleep and it was driving her insane.

Hath Charosh

 

[Hath Charosh]

Hath grunted. He allowed the slightest smile to appear. She formed him into an awkward gait. He couldn't break into a run, but nor could he keep walking.

His comment had been particularly orcish, but most of his kind would have left it there. Hath had gone a short time crossing territory without the chance at a conversation, so he tried to elicit another response.

"Perfectly capable of riding into goblin territory on your own, yes," he said. His eyes scanned the rocks.

He didn't care about making noise. If the goblins were on watch they would spot a rider and horse.

"We will see one soon."

But they would not.

 

[Apani]

"Um...are you sure it was goblins?"

They had been riding for nearly an hour and had not seen anything. Not unless the goblins were just really big prairie dogs, and even those were scarse.

As much as Apani wanted to poke fun at the orc given the way he had doubted her, but the big guy didn't seem like the type to lie about things...That just made all of this feel a little strange.

Even the spiritual energy in the area felt dim, like they had been taken away...or fled. At that thought, a breeze carried down from the north and brought the smell of iron. No, this was a smell that every tribe knew of. This was the strong smell of blood.

"Maybe they are hunting."

She urged her horse forward in the direction of the wind. Whatever this was, it felt like the path she needed to follow.

Hath Charosh

 

[Hath Charosh]

"Yes I am sure it was goblins," Hath said firmly. "I will look."

Hath gave a shake of his head. With long looping strides he moved to their right and scaled a rock.

He was certain that they would be seen by the goblins eventually. Even so, Hath wouldn't normally have climbed high and made himself visible. He was determined to be proven correct.

Hath followed a parallel track to the human and her horse. Eventually he crossed the remains of a camp fire. There was a pile of small bones and a discarded broken arrow.

This was goblin territory, but they would never leave their lands unguarded whilst out hunting. There had to be some scouts watching, Hath decided.

But they had fled days ago.

 

[Apani]

As soon as Hath lumbered off, Apani was rue to admit that she suddenly felt a lot less secure. While the large orc was not an engaging travel companion, the sense of security he had brought was palpable. Now, she just hoped he returned.

As she continued to move forward, half focused on the surrounding area and the other half looking back to see when Hath would return, Apani suddenly felt a sense of vertigo as she nearly fell off her horse. She yelped as she clung to the mount's neck as she tried to steady herself.

What followed an unearthly screen that seemed to shake her very core. It was warped into a mix of rage and pain, like the mix of a dying creature along with the roar of an apex predator, also while sounding like the thing's vocal cords had been torn out. It was horrible.

Unknown to Apani, Hath would not be able to hear such a scream. Instead, all he would hear was the cry for help from Apani, "Hath!"

Hath Charosh

 

[Hath Charosh]

Hath turned a slow circle in the old camp site. He could see the subtle dips where bedrolls had been laid.

Hath slowly approached a mound of disturbed earth. He used the haft of his axe to disturb it. Buried under only an inch of soil, was a large bag of stolen goods. Bronze coins, hacksilver, jewellery.

Goblins had fled quickly enough that they'd left their stolen wares behind. They'd either abandoned them or been chased by something that wouldn't want the coin.

Unknown to Apani, Hath would not be able to hear such a scream. Instead, all he would hear was the cry for help from Apani, "Hath!"

Axe in hand, Hath rushed down the side of the hill. He saw the girl on her horse, but mother around her. He scanned the horizon.

"What?" he called out.

 

[Apani]

Apani managed to stop herself from falling off the mount, but only managed to steady herself right around the time that Hath returned. The large hunter's physique was more than reassuring, but it would be obvious to anyone that Apani was shaken.

She pointed a shaking finger into the distance towards a set of cliffs leading into a deep chasm. Although she did not know how she knew, when the scream had felt like it was all around her, but she knew it had come from there.

"It-It...something is there. Hath...something horrible is hunting. It's causing so much pain."

Even with the scream long gone, she did not know if she would ever be able to forget that horrible sound. Her hands gripped for anything that would reassure her. She still had to do this. Her left hand rested on the neck of her horse, while her right hand gripped the dagger that rested in his saddle.

Hath Charosh

 

[Hath Charosh]

"It-It...something is there. Hath...something horrible is hunting. It's causing so much pain."

Hath followed the line down her arm to the horizon.

"What did you see?"

Had he not passed through the abandoned camp, he would have assumed the human was panicking over goblins.

They had left the area in a rush and so he was more open to believing there was something dark in the area. He had seen demons walk out of darkness to taint the lands. He had seen the predictions of shamans come true.

"Do not worry," he said firmly, glancing at her hand. "I cannot see anything. Perhaps if it is hunting, we should set a trap."

 

[Apani]

Apani was still visibly shaken as her eyes would not leave that direction. How was Hath so calm in all of this?

"I didn't...I heard it. It was horrible. It did not sound like anything I had ever heard of before."

Could something like that be trapped so simply as Hath suggested? No, he was right. Apani was just scared right now. That fear was telling her to run away and not come back, but Hath was still keeping his wits. In the stories from when she was a girl, had not the heroes always set traps or other clever ploys to win the day? This was just like those stories.

"Yes, let's set a trap, but...what will we use for bait."

Hath Charosh

 

[Hath Charosh]

"If I say you I think you will be upset. So we will say me," Hath replied.

Hath looked to the horizon and frowned. He had not heard anything. He was starting to suspect he had met a mad, lone human.

"Here," went Hath, passing up his water skin. Perhaps she was not drinking properly.

"If I am bait I will need an escape," he muttered. Out here, there were plenty of creatures that would see a lone orc as a meal. Even if the human was mad he would still be at risk.

 

[Apani]

Oh, an escape plan, right that would be important. She looked around blankly realizing that she did not have much of a plan at all. Had she just been planning on running in here and then just shooting a few arrows at the thing?

"Um, you can use Eneri, and I will hide in the hills maybe even take a few shots when it is opened."

She pointed to her horse to indicate who the escape plan was. Apani wasn't even sure if the orc could ride a horse. Hath was huge and even a short ride would have Eneri straining under his weight. She would just have to remember to give her plenty of apples later.

Hath Charosh

 

[Hath Charosh]

"Hhmph. Right."

Hath hated horses and they tended to hate him. If it would tolerate him and if it was faster than the - potentially real - creature then he would cling on.

"There! Hath said, pointing to a gentle rise. Rocks on one side would limit where any creature could come from, assuming that it couldn't fly.

The other directions were flat, firm ground. Good sightlines and space to flee.

"Can you get up in those rocks?" he asked. "Any...idea how to draw it in?"

 

[Apani]

Apani could already see the look on her horse's face and could almost feel her thinking,

Really? He's huge!

She lightly patted her horse on the neck before sliding from her saddle and looking in the direction that Hath told her to hide. Her head bobbed up and down while her mind raced. She could use those rocks to climb easily and some of the big ones would even make excellent hiding spots.

"Um, yeah, sure."

She did not have surefire ways to bring the thing here, but it was hunting both the physical and the spiritual. They were the physical so they just needed to gather some of the spiritual.

Apani hurried to her pack and pulled out a small canteen of water and her fire started. She knelt down near Hath before gathering a small mound of dirt, pouring some of the water out onto the mound, and then taking a small stick and lighting it a fire. That was five elements, it would have to be food enough.

A soft whisper escaped her lips before it was swiftly taken by the winds, "I call to all ancestors and spirits who are being hunted. Come to me and we shall protect you."

Apani sprang to her feet and turned to Hath with a shrug, "I guess we just wait now."

Hath Charosh

 

[Hath Charosh]

Hath watched with mild interest as she set about her trap. He couldn't fathom what she was doing until she spoke. It sounded like a spell to him.

Magic was something he had no grasp of. A call to the ancestors sounded more like the shamanic work of his own people than the tinkering of human wizards. It did not send his hairs standing on end.

"Then we wait. Go, hide in the rocks," Hath said.

He took his quiver and set several arrows down on the ground to use quickly. Hath dropped to his knees with his ace laying on the ground beside him. He sat and he waited.

He hoped the human had some food. If he was going to sit around for a few hours for nothing, then at least he could get half a meal at the end of it.

 

[Apani]

"Oh, right."

Apani handed Hath her bag of supplies, only taking with her, her bow, quiver, and dagger before hurrying off to hide behind the rocks as he said.

She knew it was possible they might be here for a while, but every hunter was trained to be patient. While she may not be a hunter for her tribe, she had at least been taught the basics of it all.

Besides, if the creature was still hunting as they believed then the flood of spirits should draw the predator to them.

Once she arrived in her chosen hiding spot she waved back to Hath to let him know she was in position before she settled down to wait. She had no way to know whether spirits would come or not, but they usually heard her.