Youngmeadow Farm - 23 Oct 2019 - Caex
Oct 23, 2019 16:09:37 GMT
Ian (Menace), Queen Merla, the Sun-Blessed, and 1 more like this
Post by Caex on Oct 23, 2019 16:09:37 GMT
Caex returned to the rickety lean-to he had constructed, broken branches propped against the rotting remains of an old, fallen tree. A perfunctory and temporary protection against the worst of the elements during sleep. However, his latest hunt had provided the first materials for a hardier design. He unslung two large, grey pelts from his back, unrolled them, and laid them as flat as possible on nearby rocks. He had not hunted wolf before - they had been threatening, and no doubt a danger to the softskins, but Caex was a seasoned hunter, and had killed one in a single strike. The other had been killed by a small blue human, transformed into a bear. Caex had seen the shaman of his old tribe perform similar tricks, becoming snakes or crocodiles. Perhaps learning such tricks would improve his chances of survival in this new place. He had some small connection to the land that made him a better hunter - his weapons could cut deeper, he could move faster - but no magic like shapeshifting. If he saw Blue again he would ask how they came by that ability.
He was hungry, and had no stores of food. He set out to check his traps. All his collected meat and furs had been given to a dwarf up in the big town, in exchange for tools to work hide. While searching for food he had found a building full of all kinds of people, and read a note asking for a group to hunt wolves. Blue had been one of the hunting party. Little Wings had asked many questions, Big Pink had given many answers. Another human, able to create illusions, and an elf, another hunter, to whom Caex had told the story of his sword. They had arrived at the farm, south-west of the big town in a long valley with gentle slopes. Softskins were usually too weak to hunt their own food, so must keep animals in shelters, or trapped in enclosures. From a short distance they had seen that the inhabitants of the farm were being attacked by goblins. Caex had focussed on the biggest threat, a larger hobgoblin, but had also prevented a future threat by killing a goblin Big Pink had allowed to escape.
As he crept through the low water in this part of the swamp, Caex thought back on the goblins. He did not feel regret, but instead felt hungry, knowing that even goblin meat will do when desperate. However, Big Pink had buried the goblins in the ground before he could butcher any. He had asked Little Wings why this was done, but had not received an answer. Surely the bones and sinew would have been of use, even if the meat would be coarse and chewy.
Descriptions of the wounds which killed one of the farmers' tribe had prompted Little Wings to suggest a type of shapeshifter called a werewolf, apparently different to Blue and the old shaman, one which loses control and transforms without choice. Caex had assumed they were waiting until morning for the light and for the rain to stop, and so stretched out to soak up the heat of the fireplace. He had been oblivious to the conversation going on around him until, a short while later, the sound of the door made him look around to an empty room. Following the others outside, he caught up with them at the barn, in time for the revelation that one of the young females of the family was the shapeshifter, and had chained herself to a wooden post.
Caex had no wish to fight another werewolf. Magic damaged it, as did Little Wing's silver sword, but Caex's sword could not pierce its flesh, nor could the Elf's arrows. Little Wings clearly had no survival instinct, attacking the beast despite being the smallest of them. However the numbers around it had been distracting, and it took enough damage for Little Wings to knock it unconscious with her sword hilt. Caex would have explained that the beast should now be killed to prevent further threat, but seeing the group fussing over its now human form he suspected they would turn against him, and kept silent. He had no wish to fight Big Pink, the most threatening with her sheer size and bared teeth, though she had seemed the least inclined to kill. He had instead taken his prize, the pelts of two wolves which had arrived during the fight.
Two of his traps had been successful. A large frog and a small deer lay caught in the snares, both exhausted from their efforts to escape. Caex killed them quickly. He devoured the frog to stop his hunger, and carried the deer back to the shelter for skinning and butchering.
He was hungry, and had no stores of food. He set out to check his traps. All his collected meat and furs had been given to a dwarf up in the big town, in exchange for tools to work hide. While searching for food he had found a building full of all kinds of people, and read a note asking for a group to hunt wolves. Blue had been one of the hunting party. Little Wings had asked many questions, Big Pink had given many answers. Another human, able to create illusions, and an elf, another hunter, to whom Caex had told the story of his sword. They had arrived at the farm, south-west of the big town in a long valley with gentle slopes. Softskins were usually too weak to hunt their own food, so must keep animals in shelters, or trapped in enclosures. From a short distance they had seen that the inhabitants of the farm were being attacked by goblins. Caex had focussed on the biggest threat, a larger hobgoblin, but had also prevented a future threat by killing a goblin Big Pink had allowed to escape.
As he crept through the low water in this part of the swamp, Caex thought back on the goblins. He did not feel regret, but instead felt hungry, knowing that even goblin meat will do when desperate. However, Big Pink had buried the goblins in the ground before he could butcher any. He had asked Little Wings why this was done, but had not received an answer. Surely the bones and sinew would have been of use, even if the meat would be coarse and chewy.
Descriptions of the wounds which killed one of the farmers' tribe had prompted Little Wings to suggest a type of shapeshifter called a werewolf, apparently different to Blue and the old shaman, one which loses control and transforms without choice. Caex had assumed they were waiting until morning for the light and for the rain to stop, and so stretched out to soak up the heat of the fireplace. He had been oblivious to the conversation going on around him until, a short while later, the sound of the door made him look around to an empty room. Following the others outside, he caught up with them at the barn, in time for the revelation that one of the young females of the family was the shapeshifter, and had chained herself to a wooden post.
Caex had no wish to fight another werewolf. Magic damaged it, as did Little Wing's silver sword, but Caex's sword could not pierce its flesh, nor could the Elf's arrows. Little Wings clearly had no survival instinct, attacking the beast despite being the smallest of them. However the numbers around it had been distracting, and it took enough damage for Little Wings to knock it unconscious with her sword hilt. Caex would have explained that the beast should now be killed to prevent further threat, but seeing the group fussing over its now human form he suspected they would turn against him, and kept silent. He had no wish to fight Big Pink, the most threatening with her sheer size and bared teeth, though she had seemed the least inclined to kill. He had instead taken his prize, the pelts of two wolves which had arrived during the fight.
Two of his traps had been successful. A large frog and a small deer lay caught in the snares, both exhausted from their efforts to escape. Caex killed them quickly. He devoured the frog to stop his hunger, and carried the deer back to the shelter for skinning and butchering.
