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In the morning, the Kin at the northern plains wake to a fresh blanket of snow, a cold, bright sun, and utter silence. Today, though, you break away from the gathering. Whispers of a Storm is waiting for you near the edge of the Swamp, watching you with inscrutable bright blue eyes. The black-and-blue gryphon at his side hisses, flicking her wings impatiently, before stilling at some invisible signal.
As you approach, he tilts his head at the Swamp. "Go. Find yourself whatever prey you deem best, and bring it down. Cleanly, if you can; you will need it later." He gives no other instructions; evidently, the rest is up to you.
The cold, biting winds have driven many of the animals in the Swamp into hiding, and it will not be easy to even find another creature out in the open, much less bring it down before it hides again. As you prowl through the trees, you might catch a glimpse of black-and-blue out of the corner of your eye; the judges are interested in your process as well as your result.
Luck is with you today, and before long, you spot suitable prey out in the open. How will you catch it?
Treacherous Snow stood precariously at the edge of a steep cliff, the snow falling in gentle swirls around her eerily still form. She stared with the blankest eyes off into the distance, unconcerned about the fact that her hooves were flush against the snowy edge and the slightest misstep would lead to her untimely and messy death. She seemed entirely unmoved by everything around her, even the snow that had only ever existed in her dreams now come to life to blanket the world she once knew in its dangerous cold. Suddenly, Cornice’s eyes went hard and sharp. Swinging her head around, she went still again, but this time her stance was that of motion, something rushing just below the surface of her pelt.
Pulling away from the edge, Treacherous Snow prowled silently over the snow, letting it muffle the sound of her steps. The wind shifted restlessly and when Cornice spotted her pray, she dropped down into a crouch and matched the ever shifting movements of the wind to stay downwind of the boar that was snuffling at the snow for food, a desperate bid for sustenance drawing it out of hiding. For all that the boar seemed docile at the moment when she was crouched low, looking likely patches of the ground showing through the snow, Cornice had also watched a boar slash through another kin's leg with its tusks. She had been patient, waiting at the edge of the cliff until she had been overcome by a stillness that only a predator, a true hunter could possess.
Creeping ever closer, the snow whispered beneath her belly as she watched the boar through slitted eyes as to not give away her position. She had been moving as best as she could, staying downwind, when all of a sudden, a wind from behind her picked up and swept her scent towards the boar. A moment of stillness, and then snow was kicked up the ensuing chaos. The boar leaped up and away and Cornice followed quickly, only needing that split second to tense her muscles and soar after it. Just as quickly, the boar rounded around to face her and, digging its hooves in, charged at her. Cornice feinted left before clearing to the right. Immediately after she charged as well, head down and horns ready with her fangs bared.
Even as the boar righted itself from its missed hit and prepared itself to face her head on, Cornice stayed calm, her heart speeding up only from the movement rather than any excitement or fear on her part. At the last minute, both veered slightly to the side, meeting chest to chest like a pair of fighting wolves. Immediately, Cornice butt her head against the boar's side, slashing at it with her horns before lifting up to snap down with her jaws. At the same time, she twisted out of the way of the boars tusks, only feeling them graze her side slightly. She was the more agile of the two of them and she used this to her advantage, contorting herself to maintain her grip on the back of the boar's neck while getting the rest of her body away from the mad thrashing of its head.
The boar continued to buck and even though Treacherous Snow knew that she could hang on until it died, she also knew that it might take a long time without the proper grip to snap the spine or any injury to the soft, vulnerable throat. Letting go quickly, Cornice pulled back into a fluid crouch and then stuck out at the boar's neck even as it tried to move out of her reach. Her jaws closed down around the tough pelted throat, but her jaws pierced that pelt and sunk into the soft throat. It crunched between her teeth and she waited as the boar took a few shuddering breaths before going limp. It was only then, that Treacherous Snow let go. Surveying the area around her, she saw how the snow no longer lay in a smooth blanket, but rather in a crashing flurry, and the snow was no longer pure white, but splattered red with the blood that had been drawn. Crouching low, Cornice pressed her shoulder against the snow. She barely tensed as the snow crunched against the wound. It had just nicked her on the shoulder, nothing to worry about and when she pulled away from the now reddened snow, Cornice stretched languorously, ignoring the slight pain. She looked down at the boar, it had not been killed as cleanly as she had hoped, two slashes from her horns and two sets of bite marks, but she had made the kill. Lowering her head, she grasped the boar by the back of the neck, settling her fangs into the punctures they had already created and dragged the boar through the snow, heading back to where she had started.
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When you've brought down whatever prey you can, you turn to find Shattered Sky watching you, blue coat bright against the snow. In the heat of the hunt, you might not have heard her approach. "Nicely done," she says, finally shifting her weight. "But to master a gryphon, you will need cunning as much as skill and speed. Come, then, and bring your prey to us."
She turns swiftly, barely disturbing the snow she stands on, and vanishes into the Swamp, leaving behind a single blue feather. How will you find her?
She turns swiftly, barely disturbing the snow she stands on, and vanishes into the Swamp, leaving behind a single blue feather. How will you find her?
Treacherous Snow bent down to where she had set the boar down when Shattered Sky had approached and taking it up again by the neck. She hefted it up higher so that she could see better and, taking a few steps forward, Cornice glanced down to see if the hoof prints would be consistently clear enough to follow, especially with snow still falling lightly. With the extra weight of the large boar to carry with her, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the other doe and, with the snow, the tracks might get covered up and lost. Making her decision, Cornice began trekking in the same direction that Shattered Sky had left, following the hoofprints for as long as she could before they tapered off and became indistinct because of the falling snow. At that point, Cornice paused and set the boar down to survey her surroundings. She took in the snow coated features of her environment. It took her moment because of the shifts in snow fall, but she was able to orientate herself using her knowledge of this area of the swamp.
Cornice shook off the snow that had accumulated onto her back and then went still as she cataloged the different places two kimeti and four large gryphons could lie together in wait. Perhaps they were separated, but it would seem more likely for the group to be together. If she couldn’t find them in the places that she knew would allow them to stay together then she would start moving on to places that could accommodate a kimeti and two gryphons. She would start with the better hidden areas before moving to the successively less hidden areas. It wouldn’t be a test if they weren’t hidden fairly well despite their large group but Cornice was confident in her knowledge of the area.
Taking up the boar again, Cornice started off towards the most logical area. It was a medium sized clearing of sorts surrounded by a dense wall of trees and where there were no trees, there was a stone outcropping that only would have occurred this far north. It was odd to find something so tall and wide of stone in the swamp, but here at the very edges of their once warm home, Cornice had found several places where stone and dirt were more prevalent than the soft bogs of the swamp and sheltering trees. There were other clearings that were surrounded well enough for hiding, but they were obvious. Along the way to the first area, a place that would be a very good hiding place, especially from those who were unfamiliar with this northern stretch of swamp, Treacherous Snow took a few detours to nearby sheltered areas, but they were not to be found at these more obvious areas. She carried the boar high, keeping it clear of her hooves as she trotted at the fastest pace she could with her prey.
*****
Treacherous Snow stopped in the clearing and set the boar down. It hadn’t been very long, but at the fast past she had set herself at, she was able to comb the area that had been in front of her when the hoofprints had trailed off. She had methodically picked out all the surrounding areas where a group of their size, or half their size, could conceivably hide and now she was at the very farthest reaches of the swamp, having already gone to the major hiding spots that she had thought they would choose. Despite all this, she had yet to find them. The swamp was vast and without hoofprints or scent to follow because of the snow, Cornice had decided to rely on her wits. Standing calmly in the center of the clearing, Cornice refused to allow something like snow keep her from completing her task. Smiling humorously, the doe once again took up her load.
Not knowing exactly where she was going Cornice took off and out of the clearing with the thought of following the edges of the swamp that she could reach because perhaps they were simply getting as far as possible. As she began picking her way along, lithely bounding over obstacles with the boar swinging from her jaws, it suddenly occurred to her that perhaps Shattered Sky had double back to throw her off. It had been logical to think that Shattered Sky had continued forward, especially because of the direction and pressure marks that the last hoofprints showed, but with the rest covered, it was conceivable that the other doe had eventually made her way back the direction she came. It was a guess, but Cornice didn’t get to where she was now by not taking risks. Her decision made, Treacherous Snow set a moderate pace for herself, too fast to be comfortable for kin unused to strenuous movement with the extra weight of prey, but not too fast to tire herself out unnecessarily. There was to be at least one more task in front of her and she wouldn’t let herself become too tired out from this journey, but she would still make it to the area in a timely manner.
Gracefully loping along, Cornice single-mindedly pressed onwards through the snow and as she approached the area, she slowed down and evened out her breath before taking measured, quiet steps towards the closed in clearing. It was especially hard to approach since there was only one way to the clearing and she hadn’t immediately thought of it because of the direction, but also the way that kin would gain access to it. It was through a dark tunnel of sorts made of overgrowth that finally led to a clearing that was completely closed in by trees and other plants. It would be a crowded place for the group, but they would definitely fit and it was a hidden area worthy of a test. Reaching where she had last found the entrance, Cornice set down the boar to nose around the undergrowth, finding the hidden entrance in good time. Picking up the boar, Cornice pushed through the growth that shielded the entrance and into the tunnel. She walked silently, the barest sound coming from her steps and the boar’s bottom hooves brushing against the ground. When she emerged from the tunnel, she found the group waiting for her. Treacherous Snow set down the boar and stood, silent and ready, for the next task.
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When you finally arrive at the clearing, exhausted by the hunt and the long journey, the two Kin who arranged it all are waiting. They have followed your path from the edge of the Swamp to this small clearing, somewhat sheltered from the cold by trees. The four gryphon hatchlings they took north are there, too, and when they spy you -- or rather, the unfortunate animal you brought with you -- they begin to clamor, keening hungrily as they eye the carcass.
"You have done well to make it this far," Shattered Sky says, with a hint of approval in her voice. "Tenacity is as valuable as strength and cunning. The last step, though, is not up to us. The little ones are hungry; give your catch to them and see what they think." How do you make your offering?
"You have done well to make it this far," Shattered Sky says, with a hint of approval in her voice. "Tenacity is as valuable as strength and cunning. The last step, though, is not up to us. The little ones are hungry; give your catch to them and see what they think." How do you make your offering?
Giving a short nod, Treacherous Snow paused briefly before picking up the boar she had set down. She stepped closer, step by step, until she had brought the kill halfway. It was then she set it down and took a single step backward, head held high and her eyes hard, unforgiving. For the briefest moment, the gryphons were still and they stared at her and she stared back. Then, suddenly, their crests rose, wings flared, and they all hissed at her with vicious intent. Cornice kept herself calm and stood her ground, completely unmoving as she watched impassively with a cold, unreadable look in her eye. They would come to her. As hunting partners, she would not submit to them and having already brought the kill partway to them, in order for them to start out on equal ground, they must come to her and meet her partway. If she had brought it right up to them, it would have been submission on her part, and if she forced them to come to her, no matter how angry they were, it would have been like submission on their part. No, if she were to have a hunting partner, especially with a creature as fierce as a gryphon, Cornice knew that there had to be an equal amout of give and take between her and her hunting partner.
Their aggressive display continued for several long moments, but they became increasingly restless and eyed the prey with more longing for stretch out moments of time before they seemed to give into their hunger. The gryphons came forth and, hissing and spitting at her still, began to tear at the boar. Treacherous Snow remained in close quarters, not backing away more than the single step she had already taken when she had first offered the kill. The close proximity served the dual purpose of letting her observe their movements and actions as well as making it clear to them that she was not one to back down and let them have their way simply because they hissed at her. She watched as razor sharp beaks and claws slashed at the boar. It was a beautiful sight.
