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 Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 4:55 pm
Jhin was on another patrol when a rogue group of bandits struck out at one of the merchant caravans that other rangers had been assigned to. When he heard the whistle and reported to the scene, unfortunately near the edge of the forest where an ambush had been waiting, the archer found a complete disaster. The wagon was tipped over, some of the contents spread across the ground haphazardly with one of the merchants discarded in a very unsavory fashion, and those who could stand were already tending to the injured. A curse left his lips as he surveyed the area. “How many?” He asked before looking towards Yaloh, a fellow archer.
“A good group with at least eight to catch us by surprise. Mostly from Sauti by the looks of it with a couple from Tale and Matori.” Yaloh managed as another wrapped up his shoulder with a bandage. “They got some of the goods before backup arrived and chased them off. Most scattered towards the west with the others giving pursuit. Friggin’ tall guy with pink spikes shot me in the arm else I’d be with them.”
Great. Still, Jhin simply nodded before heading on through the deeper forest. If they had been scattered in this area then it wouldn’t be unusual to see them heading towards the border of the forest that dipped down towards Sauti. He had already been tracking along the borders for most of the afternoon and was almost tempted to turn back until he spotted tracks that led him towards another Sautian. Was this one of the bandits? Jhin recalled Yaloh’s description as he stayed in the shadows, stalking his new prey. This bandit was going to be in for a rude awakening. That much Jhin could promise as he reached for an arrow from his quiver and sent it flying towards the stranger's foot, a warning shot to cause him to stumble more than anything else for now.
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 5:22 pm
Hargitt was spending his last few days in Sauti on a hunt. After agreeing to go to Jauhar with Rajani for work he wasn't entirely sure what to do with his time. He knew little of travel by caravan so the prep work was left to her, and instead Hargitt took the peace of the hunt. He'd been out here for two days now, the longest he'd gone without her since meeting Rajani, and while he did miss the company it was also nice just to get back to his roots.
They'd already made their way closer to the Tale border before finally giving in and looking for easier transport. To do that they needed coin, so Hargitt had strapped up with as much weaponry as he could, plenty enough satchels and rope for his kills, and a decent map in case he got too far from the settlement.
Hargitt was experienced enough to know when he was being followed. Unfortunately, what he wasn't experienced in was being followed by another earthling so what he'd assumed was a predatory creature of some sort was another man with a bow. The warning shot startled him, but not so much as he made a mistake. Instead, he raised his longbow and shot a resounding shot straight back into the woods. He didn't have time to mess around with s**t shots and if this was a pickpocket then he'd better be ready to put up one hell of a fight.
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 5:36 pm
Admittedly Jhin had fired the first shot but the fact that a return shot was sent his way made the ranger bristle. So was this truly a bandit then? He definitely hadn't hesitated to fire a shot after all. Jhin wasn't about to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, not after what he had witnessed this afternoon. The man was obviously decked out with plenty of weaponry and traps like those that had caught the caravan off guard. Jhin felt his temper rising as he barely had managed to duck in time, the arrow lodged into the tree right above his head but now that the fight was truly on the archer was better prepared. He didn't want to kill the man since he knew that they could question him about the whereabouts of the other bandits but it was going to be tricky to immobilize someone like that.
Already his mind was spinning with ideas. There was a ground trap up ahead that could collapse when someone stepped on it...perhaps he could lead him that way? Jhin's gaze narrowed thoughtfully before he gave into the idea. If that one didn't work then there were more around the area. Jhin knew most of them by heart so it would just take a good chase to lead the other man around. He notched another arrow before sending it flying towards the stranger and darting further into the forest.
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 5:42 pm
Hargitt rolled his shoulder and with a sharp jerk popped the bones in his neck. Whether it was a distance battle or hand to hand he was more than capable, but if it could be avoided he'd prefer it. With any luck whoever had fired that shot would either see that they'd made an error in their own hunt or if they were stupid enough to try and rob him they were thinking of leaving. The fact that he hadn't heard any other movement gave him pause though. Why weren't they moving? What were they planning on doing next?
And then it was on.
Hargitt barely dodged the arrow and by now he had passed irritated into pissed. The coward had the gall to attack him twice and now they were running away?! With a snarl the burly windling took off, caring less about keeping quiet in the woods and focusing more on his new 'hunt'.
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 5:53 pm
Perfect. Jhin could always count on bandits to be short sighted and short tempered. It would be easy enough to lead him into the trap that the archer had prepared. When he had first started working with the others he had wondered why they needed so many damn traps throughout the forest but times like these made him truly appreciate each and every one. Good bandit. Just keep being angry and chasing me. He smirked at the thought as he dashed through the trees, another arrow flying from his bow as he led them across the way towards were the net trap was set.
The giant man would find himself either hanging upside down by the ankle or falling into a pit depending on which fork he took. Both had been set up as traps just in case of emergencies like this. Soon enough Jhin could force the information from his lips and get revenge on all of the bandits that had hurt the others.
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 1:16 pm
Even as he ran Hargitt's hands were moving to a set of bollo balls strapped to his waist. As soon as he was in range of the assailant he planned on tossing them, ensnaring the jerk's legs and bringing him down like a capramel. He may have been aggravated, but Hargitt was far from stupid. If he got brought down he wouldn't be the only one. Dodging the incoming arrow was easy enough, given the advantage of being able to see where it was coming from, but it didn't strike him as smart to send one in return. At this point he would just be wasting ammo and Hargitt wasn't entirely sure this was the only attacker he would be dealing with.
Hargitt ran, faster and faster, until he was just at a point where he tossed the bollo balls-
-and subsequently felt the earth rip from under him. His head slapped down onto the ground before his entire body was lifted into the air.
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 1:30 pm
Admittedly things looked dire whenever the bollo balls found themselves wrapping around Jhin's legs, but at the same time he fell towards the ground another body was falling even further than his own. A groan of frustration left his lips as he pushed himself up from the ground, his annoyed gaze sent towards the cords around his legs before darting back towards the trap. At least he could get out of these easier than someone hanging upside down...
A much better option. Jhin smirked, the only celebration he allowed himself for this small victory, and after a few moments of struggling he managed to unravel the damn things from his ankles. Now that was taken care of Jhin had to hope that it didn't buy the bandit enough time to come up with some other plot. The archer was cautious as he finally decided to approach, his steps slow and meticulous as he studied the other man who was hanging in the tree. It was easy enough to fight someone but harder to anticipate a trap like this, especially in the deeper wilderness that was mostly barren of earthlings. He was just thankful that it had actually worked in his favor today.
"I'm not going to kill you." He called out finally, his pale gaze narrowed as he stood a couple of feet away just to be safe. "I just need to know where your companions are so I can bring them to justice and retrieve the stolen goods."
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 1:52 pm
Hargitt could have murdered.
He'd cracked his head against the ground hard enough to form a pump knot and a little trickle of blood weaved it's way through his golden hair. The friction of rope on the branch brought about several creaks and groans as it fought to keep his weight up off the ground. For a moment everything spun; both figuratively and literally. His body swayed and dipped until eventually settling into a languid hang where the huntsman's eyes could begin to focus.
"What the hell are you going on about?" Hargitt growled. When he started to swing again he lifted - or lowered? - an arm out to the ground to steady himself. His finger tips were nowhere near the ground, but the added weight kept him from spinning.
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 2:02 pm
"I'm going on about the theft that you recently participated in." Quipped back Jhin, his temper growing shorter as the pain in his legs started to throb through his whole body from his recent fall. The archer crossed his arms as he studied the other man and a frown crossed his lips. "You know...the one where you shot a friend and then ran away before the rest of the rangers could catch you and your group." His pale gaze was skimming over the features of the blond man, his expression shifting thoughtfully as he glanced at the crystal spikes and the obvious gear that the man was sporting. He even had a bow and had proven he knew how to shoot! How could he not be suspicious after what Jhin had been told?
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 2:21 pm
The what?
Maybe it was the blood pooling in Hargitt's head from the angle, but he could have sworn he was being framed for something by a delinquent of all people. Furrowing his brow, he raised his arms to shrug which was a much more comical gesture than it had any right to be given circumstances.
"The only friend I have is back in town scooping out a ride to Jauhar." Hargitt answered dryly. "I think I would have remembered if I shot her." Punch her, sure, maybe even go so far as to toss spices in her soup, but shoot? "I've been tracking a herd of aldabuck for the past two days; my stash of meat and fur is right about where you started screwing up my day if you'd like to verify."
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 2:34 pm
Oh spirits. Jhin let out a frustrated sigh, "I meant you shot my friend. What sort of bandit would shoot their own? Wait don't answer that." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he pondered the man's words. Either he meant his friend was looking for an escape ride or he truly wasn't a bandit. So this was really just some hunter? What were the chances? Jhin glanced over the man again and let out another sigh. Welp. Crap. The wind earthling glanced down the way before holding up a hand. "I'll let you down and you can lead me to your proof, hunter." He started, still slightly doubtful of the stranger despite everything.
"Just...just don't move." Jhin let out a sigh before taking a few steps back and nocking an arrow. One second later, after he verified that his target wasn't going to try to move, Jhin sent the arrow flying straight through the rope so that it would break and allow the man to fall back down.
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 2:48 pm
"I doubt she's your friend." If Rajani knew this p***k she would have bashed his head against a rock by now. Of course, at this point Hargitt was just being glib for the sake of it. He knew he was innocent, but talking his way out of it would be pointless. Whatever kind of decision this guy had made about him wasn't likely to change if he wasn't willing to look into things.
Oh, he could have just used a dagger and helped Hargitt down, but no. Hargitt tried his best to brace himself, but honestly, the angle wasn't helping and he ended up hitting his head again. With an all out snarl he sat up just enough to cup it and sent a scathing glare at the other windling. For a moment he thought about just beating him up right then, but Hargitt didn't mind playing the long game.
Instead, he slowly stood up to his full, hulking height and curled his lip. "Can I move now?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 2:53 pm
The smart mouth on the other man alone was enough to make Jhin keep to his decision to just shoot him down. At least that way he felt a little satisfaction despite the frustration of the whole situation. A brow raised at the snarl but he simply nodded at the question. "Lead the way, sir." He replied, his gaze narrowed as he kept an eye on the other man. If this turned sour at least he could try to guide them towards more traps and surely another patrol would be around soon enough....unless they were too busy catching the rest of the bandits. Jhin tried his best to keep his worries from showing as he took a few steps forward, "It was this way, correct?"
If anything even if it was just for proof the hunter would need his belongings least a wild animal get to them first. It was just slowing Jhin down more in his pursuit of the true culprits...that is if the man truly did prove his innocence. That attitude though was more and more like a bandit's roguish nature in his opinion. Or at least that was how he was feeling even though logically anyone would be irritable after getting shot at and trapped.
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 3:04 pm
Hargitt may have taken lead on the walk, but he didn't allow the other man to have full access to his back. He made sure that when he stepped forward he could still see him, just at his side, at barely a diagonal slant. Anytime the other stated to slow so would Hargitt and the hand that wasn't massaging his skull was clamped firmly on a dagger around his waist.
The trip back took a little longer than the initial run. While not exactly dragging his feet Hargitt also wasn't in a mad dash and thus was more careful around potential tripping hazards. Still, he made relatively good time going back to his camp and with a fairly jaded hand, he displayed his wares. There, in plain sight, was a small little encampment that had clearly been there for a few days with hides stretched out to tan. A pit had been dug and careful hidden by cool stones to keep the meat cool, as well as enough salt to preserve it.
"Satisfied?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 3:15 pm
"Unfortunately." Jhin let out a sigh as he studied the obvious evidence before him. It truly looked like an unfortunate event for the pair of them as Jhin had attacked him wrongly while this also meant Jhin had missed his chance to catch the bandits before they left the forest. The wind earthling rubbed at his forehead before holding out the other man's weapon towards him, the rope holding the bollo balls basically burning his palms with the memory of his actions. "My apologies but I was hunting a bandit who looked a lot like you." He managed finally his gaze slowly going back towards the hunter, "It's rare to find a hunter this deep in the area so I was not expecting it nor could I expect to kindly talk to a bandit first." Most stayed away from the forest though now that Jhin glanced about he realized that they were further out than he had believed.
Had he truly been so blinded by his desire to track down the other bandit that he had easily made such a mistake? Another sigh left his lips as he glanced around the area as if wishing for something or someone to emerge so that his time wasn't wasted. Of course nothing did and Jhin had to suppress a groan of annoyance. Out of all things...he noted the obvious head injury that the other man had sustained and he found himself pausing. "I have ointment if you would like for that. " Jhin finally offered as he waited to be chewed out for his mistake.
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