Private Tales Waking the Dreamer

[Weylin Kyrel]

Spring had come to the Spine after the snows finally melted. At least it had in the lower lands. The high peaks still stood white rising above the clouds. Green and blue took its place amongst brown and gray. Birds sang of the renewal. Rivers and creeks flowed full once more. Where there was not music there was the calls of mothers and mating calls of future fathers. This was the Spine that the folk of the Spine sung poems about. It was the season of heroes and fortune.

For Weylin spring meant he was having an easier time finding prey. The fall and winter had been rough on him and White. It had tested every skill the pair had learned from his late parents, late family, and now gone community. He had to draw upon both sides of his blood. He had to be of both the old and the new. Many strangers and dangers had crossed his path until now. Dragons, giants, undead. It felt surreal. Giants were not so strange just more unexpected sights, but giant lizards in the sky and beings of rot and bone walking the land they no longer belonged to had only been myth for him till now. He knew not how he was alive while dealing with them along with the natural hardships the Spine always seemed to bring.

After all of that the ease (although not easy) of hunting and foraging this season of growth had brought felt out of place for Weylin. Deer, elk, hares, and more all just seemed to be everywhere around him. Plants just sprung from the ground in what he felt was plain sight. It was not his first experience of spring in the Spine. His whole life had been spent here. But it certainly felt like it. He had always heard from elders and settlers how drastic the shift in seasons could be. The cycle from the waking to the dreaming for nature was always described as going from a feast to a famine. He had never understood just how deeply true this description was until now. It awed him as he felt for once his life was not in some kind of near daily danger.

=======

The young man drew back the string of his bow. Before him stood a stag distracted by his herd. His ever faithful companion was crouched ready next to him to rush down this prey as they had done for months. He let loose his arrow with a soft thump. Before even this slight noise might have alerted their prey but not in this season of sounds. Unaware the stag just stood proud. It stood proud until he wobbled and fell. The shaft stuck out of the deer's chest having slipped through ribs to pierce lungs and heart.

White was still waiting. Weylin did as well. Both were ready for the beast to leap forth after the shock and scatter all of the herd in every direction while it led them on a far too long and tiring chase. All that had happened was thud of the once proud male's fall. The doe and their new fawns looked on as confused as the pair of hunters for a few quiet moments. Then they took off in a single, organized direction. The chaos of winter had become an orderly spring.

Straightening from his shooting position, Weylin looked down to White. The dog glanced up at her human. He made a nod and the two swiftly padded over to their meal. Both were still shocked. It felt too easy. It felt too clean. But he was not going to complain. He just got his bow put away and drew his knife. Right away he went about prepping the corpse to be eaten. Rope was tied around back legs and then the whole beast hung from the nearest best branch. The neck was stabbed just right so the blood could flow out. And then the pair just had to wait. The whole event and ease of the hunt had made them both become rather complacent to what was around them.

 

[Mabess]

A glance between Ubabe and Sheeha was all they needed as they prowled behind the man and beast.
Sheeha notoriously already set an arrow in her bow, just to be intercepted by Ubabe. She shook her head and took one more glance at the human before convincing her leopard steed to move forward into the clearing.

»You're invading our hunting ground, human, « she started by explaining calmly, her feline now in full view as it circled before the human. Sheeha's panther followed soon behind, narrowing the distance between them in a single long leap and finishing snarl.

 

[Keraka Stormcaller]

Keraka had tailed her mother upon noticing her departure from their home, tailing her atop her summoned hellsteed, it's hooves, mane, tail and eyes wreathed in green demonic flame. She eventually caught up with her mother and the other two orcs, noticing they'd intercepted a new arrival. She coaxed her steed forward to join her mother.

"Another human in our lands? You've a knack for tracking them as always, mother", the young orcish warlock said with a soft chuckle.

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

The hunter hadn't paid much attention around himself after waiting for the deer to begin bleeding out. He had just sat down and cleaned off his knife. He didn't even have to put much thought into it as routine as it had become. Instead his thoughts drifted to the various events over the past two seasons. It had not even been a year yet he felt he had lived a lift fuller than most others he had known.

White, however, had stayed more alert than her human. It was her duty after all since he could get so lost in his tasks. Closer than she would have liked she picked up on the scent of the orcs when the wind shifted for a moment. She began a low growl and got herself into a low, defensive posture looking in the direction they would be coming from.

This warning instantly snapped Weylin out of his thoughts. It had been some time since he had heard his ever faithful companion give the silent alarm. In a smooth motion he came up from sitting into a crouch ready to flee or fight. His hand was on his hatchet's head, despite him having a sword strapped to his back. His eyes were fixed in the same direction as White's and it was no more than a second or two before the orcs burst forth.

They proclaimed this was their hunting ground and he was trespassing. How could that be? He had seen no markers. It was known to place markers over your hunting grounds. Other orcs did it. Spine folk and Old folk did it. Even the goblins and trolls did it. It was common practice!

But Weylin did not dwell on some made up rule of ownership. This was the Spine and all of it belonged to nature. They were just a part of it so allowed to take of it. If these orcs were claiming this place though he would not fight for it. He could just roam off to the next spot and fill his belly somewhere else. Better a growling stomach than a missing head.

Keeping himself in his low stance ready to move and his hand on his hatchet, Weylin said in a tone that was both submissive yet defiant, "I saw no markers. Take it though. All of it is there."

Weylin took a half step back to put just a bit more distance between them, even if an amount that would do nothing to aid in his escape. White kept her ears pinned back and had a low growl coming from her throat. She mimicked her human's movement of backing up half a step. His eyes glanced from the two orcs on cats to Keraka Stormcaller. On the youngest of the three his eyes lingered. She was riding a strange beast and had a different air about her. He knew those other two to be hunters and warriors. His father had a similar air about him when he was alive. This younger one though was strange. He could not place what she was and it bothered him.

Mabess

 

[Mabess]

Mabess softly smiled at her warlock daughter. »In due time, you too will see the path where man has went.« Keraka was very much like her father, even more so like his own mother, down to her attunement with the otherwordly magics. Even if Mabess herself could help Keraka little in her own personal quest, she still admired the budding of her once little girl from 'afar'.

-
Sheeha murmured loudly. » Are you blind, the sprays are everywhere. « We should just kill him for wasting a good stag, she thought to herself.
Ubabe shook her head while glancing at Sheeha. »He doesn't have a bargest or ash leopard.«

The last was the chieftain herself to appear on her barghest, on her head the crown of thornywood. »It would be not fair for us to take it.«
Her voice calmed the edginess on Sheeha and Ubabe returned her gaze to the human intruder.

 

[Keraka Stormcaller]

"The human has some talent, at least. Those are some fine kills. A lot of meat, too. Perhaps he'd be willing to barter, I wonder?", Keraka said with a smirk. "We do need meat for tomorrow's feast, and it'd save us having to hunt just by ourselves."

Keraka then inspected the human with her gaze, idly weaving a small tendril of green demonic fire between the fingertips of one hand.

Mabess
Weylin Kyrel

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

The orcs mentions sprays. What did they mean sprays? Weylin didn't like how foreign it was. It meant there was something he was missing and in the Spine that lack of knowledge could be fatal. He had crossed into their hunting grounds and no one could blame them for ending his life. Food was the most precious resource of all. But the naming of their mounts brought with it realizations. They used scent markings the same as many wild animals. Sadly he could not smell it the way their mounts could.

Weylin's eyes stayed more on Keraka Stormcaller than the other orcs even when Mabess, the clear leader, stepped forth to speak. She mentioned taking his kill would be unfair. That was nice but irrelevant. He had accidentally killed prey in their hunting grounds so it was their's by right. He was just handing it over as his due diligence as an unintentional poacher. Surely they could understand the unspoken laws of the hunt.

"Your grounds. Your prey. It is not mine so I won't keep it." Weylin said in response. His gaze had drifted to Mabess as he spoke.

The hunter's gaze drifted back to Keraka however as she spoke up. She complimented him and mentioned something about a feast. He and White could use one about now. The pair had managed to survive the winter fine and make enough smoked meat to get through it but it required some less than full bellies to happen. If they could use the help and were willing to let him keep part of the food then he would be happy to help with their hunts.

But before he could say anything the young one did something with her fingers and made a tendril of green flames appear. The young man frowned and took another half step back. White's ears pinned back even more, which was impressive that she could, and her growling grew a little louder. Weylin just made a soothing shush quietly and got her to drop it back down to before. The pair just stayed in the low positions ready to bolt if they felt they had the chance.

 

[Mabess]

Mabess nodded at her darling. It was a masterful kill. A deer would usually run for as long as it could before it would succumb to blood loss and other injuries. Her eye then shifted between her daughter and the woodsman as she began to inspect him.

» That is good, « she glanced briefly at Keraka before turning to Weylin, seeing his companion pinning their ears. » Perhaps you should attend us, we can give you some shelter for the night back at our camp, Shoragan.«

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

Weylin frowned a bit more as the young orcess spoke and his eyes darted from her to her mother when she spoke. What were they planning? He just wanted to leave yet they were trying to drag him back to their camp. For a feast. It sounded suspicious. What reason did they have to bring him there for a feast? No, it was all too suspicious for him.

"I'm no orc. I would be taking your food from your people. I must decline." Weylin said to Mabess then glanced over at Keraka Stormcaller for a moment.

The hunter and his dog shifted back another half step. They were both very ready to bolt but those predators they rode would make it difficult. If only he could get to a place their bulk would become an issue for them yet not for him and White. But none was available here. He would just have to wait and hope they let him leave. Maybe his declining of their offer and giving back their game would be enough to get that.