[Samhain] Fox hunt game

[pinkdog]

Sophia was mystified at the sudden mist that rose up from the forest. Usually on a sunny day such things were unheard of. Perhaps it was a sign? Maybe she was indeed going to find something!

Following the path of the footsteps on the ground, she got excited when she saw something sitting out of the underbrush. On closer inspection, she gasped! It was a skeleton. but it was a beautiful skeleton and that rose... Sophia glanced back and forth to see if anyone was around. It wouldn't be too gross to pluck a rose from the eye of the dead beast would it..? It was dead after all...

Quickly she snatched up the rose, pricking her fingers on the thorn and drawing small drops of blood on the ground. She trucked the rose behind her ear, suck her finger in her mouth, and moved past the fallen beast. Now to find more tracks....  

[bobaTJ]

My, what a gorgeous little fairy circle... ah, well, "little" was pretty subjective, wasn't it? Gabriel cocked a brow and peered around them. Something was nearby. He couldn't know for certain what, but something.

Hopefully this wasn't to be his first encounter with a wolf.  

[I AM WOE]

The woman grins at the new discovery of tracks left in the dark mush, gently brushing debris out of the way in order to find the rest of them. It was, more or less, a perfect path. Hopefully leading to the fox's hole. Notching an arrow, the woman begins following it, ever alert.  

[Capricorn Sunchai]

The sign is a welcome sight to Thorne, who was still suffering looks of amusement from the guardian trailing after him. Taking a moment to analyze the hair snagged against the low branch he stood,and continued onward.  

[Eauo]

Stopping near a trail Elsbeth dismounts for a bit as she spots what appears to be a print. As she moves closer, she trips, and falls, cursing softly as she scrapes her palms. Kugrah quickly comes to her side, nudging her gently to make sure she's alright.

"It's alright, I just slipped," and she'd fallen on whatever trail she'd thought she'd seen, too. She sighs. This was not going as well as she had hoped.

"Let's keep going. It's got to be around here, somewhere.  

[L ii a t h]

Another shrub with the lower half of it's branches broken. Stephen mused on everything he had come across...the shrubs, the fox, the rabbit print...was he following a fox that was hunting a rabbit? And how did Fallon fit into that equation? If he was following the fox that followed the rabbit, surely he would have seen a sign of Fallon...right? Stephen sighed, hoping he wasn't just chasing shadows.  

[musicaloner7]

Today just wasn't Yusri's day. It wasn't like him to be off his game like this, and as clumsy as some skittish bovine. Dusting himself off again, he just stood there a moment, inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, before continuing on.  

[EchoLimaFoxtrot]

Sheryl rubbed the hair between two fingers. Not human, then...but that didn't mean the creature did not deserve any help. Looking up, she continued in that direction.  

[Ryuukishin]

Wardwood Mule

((Thank you! I'd love to go with #2, please.))

Another scream pierced the air. Frances stilled, though Caspian urged her onward, the direction of his steps taking them closer to the sound.

Eventually they reached a small clearing, empty save for the two beasts at its center. One had the lean form of a hunting hound; the other, a bushy tail of a fox. They fought tooth and claw to claim ownership of the rabbit between them -- or perhaps just for sport.

At the approach of the chosen and her guardian, they froze. Then, snatching the quarry, the fox darted off into the bushes and out of sight, leaving the hound to deal with his master's daughter.  

[As Told By Ginger]

Eloise wandered through the forest hoping to save some poor distraught creature from certain death at the hands of the hunter. She just hoped she wasn't too late.


((I'm on my phone so excuse the poor post. I want to get it in before I go to bed. ))  

[Soldier of Song]

Any other time, Kozel would have been outraged by Zharkov literally pushing him around and being so dismissive, but seeing as he was on the verge of a breakdown, he gladly let himself be herded away even if he couldn't understand how the other man could be so calm at a time like this. Nearly wailing as he clung to the dazed rabbit, he tried to describe the enormous proportions of the wolf, all jaws and teeth, he totally saw its teeth, and its eyes they were so cold you don't understand... Yes, it was possible Zharkov didn't understand, as Kozel had since turned to speaking frantically in his more familiar Katchian tongue, so close to Zharkov's own Okrainan language and yet, as any native from either rival country would be quick to tell, distinctly different. Or maybe that was just the stammering.

Mercifully, Kozel fell silent once he realized his friend had also abruptly stopped, and foolishly followed his gaze to see why. Even more mercifully, he managed to choke back the shriek building in his chest and the bile rising in his throat at the sight of the skeleton. Never mind that it was obviously not fresh—he knew that "wolf" he had seen had done this, and they would be next if they stuck around. So, he took Zharkov's suggestion, 'we should hurry,' and ran with it, literally, tearing out of the clearing without looking back. He didn't get very far, however, the forest apparently determined to lay the warnings on thick as he found himself stumbling, but not falling!, skidding instead to an ungraceful halt as he doubled over in breathless sobbing.

He didn't even care if he looked cowardly, in fact admitting it loud and proud as he declared his surrender. "No more, Zharkov, I can't take anymore. I want out of here, I give up, forget the tree I just want to leave." Tears fell onto the dazed and confused rabbit's fur, who only ever wanted some more mushrooms, uncomprehending of the foreign curses Kozel slung at the Wardwood. But, as adrenaline wore off, he began to collect himself again when he spotted a hair snagged on a branch. Terror giving way to indignant anger, he stalked over and snatched it up.

"The wolf! It was a playing tricks on us," he sniveled, dropping the hair and petulantly crushing it underfoot for good measure. "I have had enough of these games. We are leaving." He tried to sound sure, but embarrassment obviously tinged his words as he was unable to look at Zharkov, instead settling his gaze back down onto the rabbit as he stroked its back.  

[kamileunaire]

Zharkov had scoffed and rolled his eyes at Kozel's quivering description of the so-called wolf, and had begun to scold him as he babbled on. When the sight of the skeleton rendered both of them silent, it took a moment for him to gather his thoughts...but by then, it was too late. He almost fell over as Kozel tore off through the brush, and let out a growl as he watched the man flee. -Yes, just leave me here, I will surely be able to fight off the 'wolf' when it comes to get us.- Even his thoughts were steeped with sarcasm, and he didn't even believe that Kozel had seen what he claimed to have seen. He started off after him, as slow and careful as he'd ever been. "Kozel, slow down, you fool!"

Zharkov was glad, at least, when Kozel seemed to stop, amazed that he hadn't tripped and fallen. "Kozel, it was dead! Long dead!" He called, as if he thought it was calm the man's nerves somehow. When he finally reached his friend's side again, he was panting softly and seemed almost relieved when Kozel announced his resignation. The sight of his tears was startling, too, but Zharkov decided to be charitable and say nothing of it. "It certainly took you a long time to come around." he said slyly, unable to resist at least a bit of ribbing.

"Kozel, I am sure there are no wolves. They are much noisier than you think." He tried to reason as he watched the Katchian stamp the fur into the dirt. "That could be any fur." He mumbled, and allowed the conversation to fall into silence. While Kozel stroked the rabbit, he began to walk again. "Alright, let us go, then. I'm sure it won't take us all that long to find the way out."

He readjusted his hold on the hawk and waited a moment for Kozel, smiling weakly to himself. He was tired and cold, but there was no denying that their misguided trip through the woods had been entertaining. "Are you going to be alright?" He asked in a quiet voice, glancing back, and not being sarcastic, for once.  

[thyPOPE]

They came across it soon enough: a single golden leaf sitting rather innocuously in the middle of the forest, with not another like it around. Lucterius nudged it over with a little kick, and there it was again, a fox print neatly pressed into the ground. It looked like it came from a prim little fox: something that produced a clearly-articulated mark and carefully drew a leaf over it again. A flirt, maybe. Someone who toyed with humans, like...like whatever it was that had caused Lucterius to stop in his tracks and look up into the darkening canopy. Lucterius thought it was leading them somewhere. Else why would it be so simple to detect that coy little shape?

"She'll certainly like this story," said Gareth, again at his elbow, to interrupt his reverie. Lucterius nodded. Gareth was leading, now, and Lucterius' once-soaked clothes were now merely saturated and clung to his body. Slowly, steadily...  

[Wardwood Mule]

fluorescein

Mist began rising from the damp forest floor not too long ago; now it's all around you, muting the autumn colors behind a ghostly bluish veil. You can still see well enough to stick to the path you've chosen, but as you walk or ride on you begin to catch glimpses of something white showing through the sparse yellow leaves of a buckthorn hedge.

You investigate.

Unfortunately it is only the skeleton of a large stag, stripped of flesh but otherwise almost perfectly intact; time has bleached its bones to the stark paleness that distracted you. A single wild rose has grown up through one of its eye sockets.

You do not win or lose any points this turn.

Total points: 13  

[Wardwood Mule]

Wandering Rae

The earth is damp and in some places unstable. When you are forced by the dense, thorny undergrowth to step near a creek-bed, the ground gives out beneath you and you're dashed painfully against the rocks. It takes you some time to pull yourself upright and sort out your wet and muddy clothing. A salamander watches you the whole time.

You lose three points this turn.

Total points: 5