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 Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:36 pm
Even before the two of them reached the barracks, the door opened and a shadowy figure slipped out into the night.
"Gwaethir!" Arahad called out, picking up speed and running at full tilt to catch him before he vanished entirely. "Wait a moment!"
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:46 pm
To say that Gwaethir was a slippery one was an understatement at times Lin had thought to herself on many occasions as she hurried along side Arahad. The cold air filled her lungs as she attempted to catch up with both males.
"Gwaethir!"
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:54 pm
The shadow paused but stayed close to the building, waiting for the others but not going to meet them.
Arahad was the first to reach the hunter.
"Gwaethir," he said again as he caught up with him, "Mother wants to know what kind of trip you're planning today ... how long you're going to be gone, what you're hunting."
Pale eyes gleamed in the darkness. "As long as it takes," came the soft, accented reply. "I had been hoping for deer ..."
Arahad grimaced. "That could take a week or more ... Mother was hoping for something for dinner ... we're fresh out, what with more people to feed than usual, and Arwen and Roydon coming over so much more often now ..."
Gwaethir's eyes closed momentarily, and he nodded slowly. "I will check the traps," he murmured, "and see what small game there is ... but tomorrow I must hunt larger game ... winter is nearly upon us ..."
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:01 pm
Lin sort of wished she could go on that, but her mother would put her foot down at a week or more and she didn't know a thing about tracking deer. Only what she had seen that one time.
Though she did remember seeing him check traps as well... way back.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:05 pm
Arahad nodded and pressed one closed fist against his open palm. "Thank you," he said respectfully. "I will inform Mother. I wish you the blessings of the Valar."
And with a glance at Lin, he turned and headed back towards the house.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:11 pm
Lin watched as Arahad headed back, she could feel the soft tickle of what she assumed to be Fate crawling along the back of her neck. Blinking a bit she realized she was more awake than she had been previously, the run had done her some good.
Looking up at Gwaethir she asked, "May I come with you?"
There was a slight tickle in the back of her brain that told her, this was probably the first time she formally asked.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:15 pm
The tall hunter looked down at Lin, his expression entirely unreadable. One could not say that he was surprised - after all, had he not taken Lin with him on hunts before? But on the other hand, could one say that he was not? After all, to him it had looked as if she had been following after Arahad ... though he could think of no reason why she would be doing so.
He thought about it for a few moments. Now that he was simply checking traps, he had no reason to refuse her. She would not be able to scare away any game, and now that she was bigger than the last time, she would be more able to keep up ... she would not hold him back as much.
Finally, he nodded, a single jerk of the head; and then, without any further acknowledgment of her presence, he turned away, pulled his cowl over his head, and started once more towards the trees.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:30 pm
Most people would be put off by Gwaethir's attitude but Lin was use to it. It was what made Gwaethir, Gwaethir, he wouldn't be the same otherwise. Knowing this she followed after him silently, which amounted to little to no talking and as quiet as her feet would let her.
She never could figure out how elves walked without sound, she chalked it up to either they weren't actually walking on the ground (which might explain why some could literary walk on snow), or it was magic. The latter was more likely to her seeing as she knew for a fact elves weighed something, sure a lot lighter than what their height suggested but they did.
Maybe she should ask for an anti sound spell... that or a spell to increase her other senses so at least she wouldn't be caught off guard by them. (Magic sensing was a bust, she was utterly desensitized to magic because of them).
These thoughts flitted through her head as she considered the mystery that was also the man before her. She never did manage to ask more than two or three questions.
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:23 pm
The hours of the morning passed quickly, and though the sun rose high in the sky the air did not quite warm up. The leaves that littered the ground scattered as Gwaethir and Lin made their way all around the woods surrounding the ranch, and though they were together for hours, Gwaethir seemed to ignore Lin the entire time, saying nothing to her and only paying attention the the traps that he set and reset.
Each time there was a catch, he would either release the animal (if it wasn't good for eating) or else tie it to a line that he carried over his back, and by the time the afternoon was waning he had a rope of half a dozen rabbits, some bush birds, and a weasel that hadn't wanted to be caught and just about bit his finger off while he had been freeing it. In the end, he'd had to stun it before he could tie its muzzle shut and strap it to his rope.
Finally, when the sun began to sink in the sky, he gathered everything up and turned once more towards the ranch.
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:34 pm
Most wouldn't have thought it to be interesting, much less useful way for one to spend their time. Not when the person you're with doesn't talk to you, much less acknowledge that you're there. However Lin did find it useful, for starters she was able to watch how Gwaethir set those traps, she tried to put her own observations into why he didn't chose one animal over another.
She wondered what weasel was like... it didn't seem like a happy camper.
If her toes were a bit numb she didn't say anything she figured she wouldn't be able to feel anything anyways until she got inside. Besides, it was most interesting, and useful... if she chose to stay in one spot for a long while. She considered the pros and cons to this method for a while as they walked back.
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 4:17 pm
When they finally reached the ranch a while later, Gwaethir passed by the house and headed instead towards the barn. It was there that the animals would have to be killed and skinned or plucked, and the meat would be prepared for cooking.
"If you wouldn't mind telling Lady Haradhel that we have returned," he murmured to Lin, pressing forward.
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 4:21 pm
Lin paused for a minute, understanding where Gwaethir was heading. Besides, Haradhel did need to know that she was going to get meat tonight.
"Alright," she nodded before turning to head into the house.
Opening the door, Lin called in as she entered.
"Haradhel, Gwaethir and I are back, and he brought meat, he's heading to the barn at the moment."
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:31 pm
Haradhel was with Arahad in the kitchen, but when she heard Lin calling out, she broke off her conversation with her younger son and headed out towards the door to find Lin.
"What did you bring?" she asked, not surprised to learn that Lin had been with the hunter all day. Arahad had suspected as much, after Lin had disappeared at the same time as him that morning.
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:42 pm
Lin poked her head into the kitchen, she waved to the people inside.
"Let's see.... the traps turned up some rabbits, a few bush birds.. oh and one weasel."
She didn't know how one would eat a weasel who knew maybe Haradhel knew.
"I"m surprised your toes didn't freeze off," Toshiro commented as he walked in after her.
He had heard her call out, honestly whenever they were here she was harder to fine than usual.
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 2:25 pm
Haradhel nodded. "He can keep the weasel for himself, he always does," she murmured. "Arahad, go ask him for three of the rabbits, and all of the skins once he's finished with them - except the weasel. That's his."
Arahad chuckled and nodded, and slipped out the door without a word.
Haradhel smiled and turned back to Lin. "Thank you," she said warmly. "Dinner will probably be only an hour or so, you may want to wash up beforehand."
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