[PRP] Hunting beasts and ...ladies? [Mynshaka || Cerith]

[robot kitten]

Scarlett Arbuckle

feel free to have him run into her or her spot him first! Or have him getting stalked by some critter XD

Mynshaka, out hunting for food for for the village, sat crouched looking at a set of tracks that had him wanting to abandon his hunt and go hunting something else! Being responsible was hard! He had to go hunting... but this was a snaptrotter track! Fresh! I can always try hunting after I try for the 'trotter! He reasoned with himself before grinning. The tracks were too fresh and too small to pass up! A chance at catching a young one was too good an opportunity and he pushed off hunting food for later.

He had on him only a net and a simple primitive javelin; how he was going to capture the creature he wasn't sure.... but he was going to give it a try! Humming softly, he dashed off through the tropical bushes following the tracks. He was focused on the tracks and land just about him, ignoring everything else.... even things that may have been predators; when Shaka started something, he tended to get a one track mind and ignore all else. Which was not a safe thing to do int he wilderness!  

[scarlett arbuckle]

robot kitten

What in gods' name was she thinking, traipsing out here through the wilderness? As the girl first crept from the Oban settlement she'd lived in most of her life, and into the sandy dunes that shot east to Matori, she'd fancied the trip a short one. As a child, sleeping in a caravan that took her away from home, she felt the trip had been one of boring monotony, spent mostly resting and, as such, timeless and short. Now, however, the poor girl had been walking for far too long - stumbling across one tired looking village, who watched her warily.

She'd at least gotten some water and food, and direction home to Setal (north, follow the cliff as best you can) and off she went. Whenever it rained, she was caught between indignance at becoming soaked, and greedy thirst as she turned her face up and almost choked as she tried to drink the water.

Her body was made for surviving the sting of the ocean winds and the constant wetness, but her clothing was certainly not - it tugged at her skin heavily, soaked and rubbing her raw. But she continued on, resting when she could, but fatigued - because she simply wasn't used to travel in the least. Today she had had enough - and sat heavily in the wet sand, mixed with rocks from the shoreline. Taking a heavy breath she wrung out her wavy hair as best she could, pouting at how ruffled she must look and contemplating her sorry state of affairs - when she heard something. Looking up, she squinted, not seeing the cause of it. Slowly she stood, heart hammering as she wondered whether Obans had come this far or not - only for a boy to suddenly appear from the sparse thicket of trees, a javelin in hand pointed ahead, eyes fastened upon the ground. His appearance was so sudden, and the javelin so barbed and sharp, that Cerith jumped up with a shriek of alarm, raising her hands helplessly infront of her as he nearly barreled into her, hopping out of the way of the wielded points. "Watch out with that thing - you could have skewered me!"She accused, affronted but more startled than truly blaming.  

[robot kitten]

Scarlett Arbuckle

I almost wrote "so preoocupied he hadn't noticed until he was right on top of her" oh ho ho

Mynshaka was startled when he heard the voice. Jumping backwards quickly, he blushed furiously at having been so preoccupied he hadn't noticed a person until he almost walked into her!

"Ah! Sorry! Didna notice ye there!" He quickly righted the javelin so it wasn't point at the girl.Who was looking a bit bedraggled.... Not that he was one to talk! Considering the state of his clothes after leaving Oba and walking all the way here, he figured she was also newly returned to the mother land. She was quite attractive though, despite the wet clothing (... though that didn't detract from her looks at all...) and slightly messed up hair. She didn't look the type to be traveling alone really.... Why didn't anyone offer to accompany her home? He wondered, since it's not a completely safe area out here!
"Ah didna hurt ye did Ah?"  

[scarlett arbuckle]

robot kitten

hohoho indeed XD

It was... incredibly difficult to resist shouting, to resist stamping her foot in the sand and laying him out for ambling through the brush so carelessly. But instead, after looking him over with a certain amount of suspicion, Cerith forced her hunched shoulders and slightly sharpened features to smooth out, taking a deep, calming breath through her nostrils (which stung from the salty, ocean air that she was woefully unused to.) Her nerves were shot from so much change and stress and sleeping in the wilds, waking at every shift of sound, convinced she'd be eaten by a snaptrotter - and as good as it would feel to unload on this poor unsuspecting Matori, it wouldn't help her any in this situation.

If anything... judging by his hunting, perhaps he would stumble upon a catch? Cerith didn't know a thing about roasting or skinning catches, but any food sounded better than chewing hopelessly on seaweed. "Not just yet, no." Cerith responded, her tone tense but much more calm than it had been before. Clearing her throat, she turned her gaze over him, trying to judge him as subtly she she could, biting the inside of her cheek in thought. "...You're hunting?Are there... a lot of large creatures out here?" With a weapon that large, he should be looking out over the horizon for larger game - instead he looked like he was hunting for crabs or small rodents! Which was preferable - the alternative was that she'd been out here wandering around without a weapon, while large animals crept around nearby. The thought made her shudder at the thought, and the luck of coming across someone with a weapon, even if he was her age.  

[robot kitten]

Scarlett Arbuckle

Shaka grinned in releif as the lady didn't get angry at him.. or at least managed to hide it! He couldn't help think of her as a lady; not since she wore much nicer clothing than he'd seen on a matori before!

"Hunting? Uhhh... Ah was." He looked at his javelin. "Then Ah found some snaptrotter tracks! Ah was a-thinkin' of catching it! Not to eat but as a mount." his orange eyes gleamed for a moment. Having one of those around would be awesome! Not only would it be faster than Bumi his slow poke bushi, but it could fight and help defend should they need it! He thought for a moment about her question.

"Well.. we've got lots of bushi's and 'trotters here abouts. Sometimes a rare janarim swims the channels but not very often... otherwise not too many large ccritters." He said unconcerned about the prospect of large beasts. It was just a challenge and more meat!  

[scarlett arbuckle]

robot kitten

Snaptrotter. Ok. Cerith paled and swallowed thickly, casting her eyes about nervously. And this person was EXCITED for such a creature? "Even if you caught the thing, how in gods' name would you keep it from ripping you apart? It won't just let you climb on and ride it." It was so foolish! And yet, now that Cerith had crossed paths with someone, she was loathe to seperate or leave his company. Crossing her arms, she shifted from foot to foot, thinking, then finally forced a smile, leaning closer.

"There must be a village nearby - will you show me?" Maybe he would abandon this foolish errand for a snaptrotter, and take her onward instead. She could hope, couldn't she? But deep in her belly, Cerith felt it more likely the other Matori would instead press on towards his prize, rather than escort her.  

[robot kitten]

Scarlett Arbuckle

Mynshaka paused at her question; how would he tame it? Bumi had been tamed already; a escaped pet who fallowed him for food and music.

"Um.. Hadna thought that far." He said as he scratched his head. "Guess Ah was thinkin' it'd be like my bushi and uhh.. not dangerous?"


His face fell slightly; really he should escort her to his village, it was the polite thing to do! But.... but the snaptrotter! "But... Ah've never seen em this small afore. Means it ain't full grown and Ah oughtta have an easier time in taming it or catching it! Ye sure ye can't just.. follow fer now and I'll show you to my village after I try?"

If she couldn't, then he'd escort her then run back here at full speed. But he wouldn't leave her alone to wander about... girl didn't look like she was used to the wilderness!  

[scarlett arbuckle]

robot kitten

He hadn't-- hah! Cerith's lips twitched, and it took all the restraint she had to resist laughing - not out of any cruelty, but out of surprise that someone out here hunting was so naive about beasts. Although - Cerith didn't know the slightest thing about taming animals, nor about tracking - and this man certainly did. While Mynshaka silently pondered escorting her now, Cerith wasn't privy to his inner thoughts - and so she didn't want to risk pushing this offer of help aside, for fear she might be left behind here.

So, taking a deep breath, she pushed back her own concerns about what wandering aimlessly after a snaptrotter could lead to, and instead nodded her head, fighting to urge to moodily cross her arms. Instead, she clasped her hands together infront of her, letting her fingers tug one another nervously, appearing more a nervous companion than the impatient one she truly was.

"At least it is a small one." She murmured quietly to herself. Then, she forced a smile onto her lips and moved to follow the other prentice, tilting her head to look at the tracks he somehow saw in the sand. For her, she only barely made out tracks - and even then she didn't know how he was so sure it was a snaptrotter. "I'm Cerith, by the way. What should I call you, ser Snaptrotter Hunter?"  

[robot kitten]

Scarlett Arbuckle

He snorted in amusement; "Ain't really a hunter! More like a fool who's jumping in without thinking. Ye can call me Mynshaka, or Shaka." He offered her his extra javelin; "Want it? Dunno iffn ye can fight.. but is not like Ah can fight either!" He could throw them just fine.. but he'd ended up using snares or wrestling animals than actually killing them with javelins lately. Easier that way!

"The tracks are recent so it shouldna take too long, miss." He wasn't sure if he should call her by her name.. she seemed very fancy. "And there's no bigger tracks so there shouldna be any mama 'Trotters about to make it too dangerous!" He trotted off agian, going a bit slower and a little bit more cautiously now. It had been silly of him to charge along blind like before!  

[scarlett arbuckle]

robot kitten

I'm sorry it took so long for such a blah post ;_;

That wasn't very reassuring, but Cerith was dedicated to this course now. At least she had learned this hunter's name! She WAS surprised, however, to be offered a javelin, which she took eagerly - Cerith may not know how to use it, but she didn't see how having a weapon here would hurt. The weight of the staff was unfamiliar in her hands, and she hefted it lightly, eyeing the end of it uncertainly, before following.

"Why do you want to train this creature so badly?" Cerith asked after a moment. It was reassuring that he'd taken her concerns to heart and was moving with a bit more caution - a caution that she followed, best she could, despite her exhaustion. "I know Obans collected them for fun and fighting, but what use would trained snaptrotters be out here?"  

[robot kitten]

Scarlett Arbuckle

Shaka paused in his hunting to consider her question. He'd been considering the why's and hows for some time now but hadn't quite come to a single reason.

"Mostly... to counter the Janarim." He said after a while. "Obans got some nasty mounts... iffn-- when they attack us, we'll need to counter their cavalry." And they would attack, Mynshaka was certain of it. They were cruel, possessive and arrogant.. no way would they let their slaves go without a whimper! They'd pretend to be nice people but some time down the road their true faces would be revealed and he intended to be prepared for it!

"Plus Ah like animals... they're... comforting to be around." He shrugged; there were a few other reasons but mostly that. Someone to stay with him and be family while also helping him prepare for the Oban offensive.  

[scarlett arbuckle]

robot kitten

It wasn't the answer she had expected, but in retrospect it should have been. She took a deep breath at the response, pinching back the reaction of alarm that showed, briefly, on her face. She didn't know why - if it was alarm at the revelation that Oba may attack, or that Matori back home were raising resistance. It was true - they were cut off from their northern allies if Oba decided to retake them. And would the northern people want to risk losing more people just to protect Matori?

Shaking her head, Cerith gripped the javelin a bit harder, wanting so badly to argue - to point out that many Obans were kind and helpful, that she knew plenty of Matori who were people she despised. But now that he'd played his cards and admitted he was against the Obans, she didn't dare do the same - better to pretend she agreed. Otherwise he might find fault in her and leave her stranded in this place where Snaptrotters ambled about!

So she nodded, and instead responded to the latter part. "There weren't a lot of animals in Oba - in the desert, yes, or in cages. I saw more Perzi with their owners than anything else." Those big cats had been sweet, most of the time - she remembered having to take care of one while its owner slept in the inn she'd been staying at, and it had been pleasant company. Shaking her head with a fond smile at the memory, Cerith continued. "So... so forgive me for being so surprised that you want you catch something - a snaptrotter!! I don't think I'll be much help if it snaps your hand off, sir!"  

[robot kitten]

Scarlett Arbuckle

He saw the alarm flit across her face before vanishing. "Sorry bout that.. didna mean to scare you with my pessimism." He thought she was startled due to his words that the Obans would attack. "Won't happen fer a while so no real need fer worry... Ah just want to be prepared and ready. So that they don't enslave us ever again."


He let the subject drop though, no sense in trying to convince a stranger! Not one who looked as un-aggressive as her anyways; she probably didn't want to fight, just live a peaceful life, right?

He chuckled; "Point is to not get bit! If it goes fer the hand Ah can at least get a good shot at the snout... animals hate having their noses bopped! And why not go fer a big one? It's more dangerous! More thrills! And the prize is worth it." He grinned happily as he waved his arms around excitedly. "Ah've got a bushi already.... that one was half tamed already so no fun in catching... hoping for a good hunt this time round!"  

[scarlett arbuckle]

robot kitten

Yes,she'd let him misunderstand. She wanted so badly to argue, but she didn't - instead she laughed quietly at his suggested efforts. Turning her face away from him, she peered at the ground - they'd been so caught up for a moment that she hadn't been looking around to see if there were beasties about! "I'm... not sure a Bushi would be the same to tame as a snaptrotter, but good luck anyway!" Stepping forward a few paces to seperate them, she gripped the weapon and peered about, frowning thoughtfully. She didn't want to be useless, but she wouldn't interject herself either if he was wrangling a SNAPTROTTER of all things. "Mmm... so then, where are these little tracks you were looking at before?"  

[robot kitten]

Scarlett Arbuckle

Since she didn't respond to his ideas he dropped that topic; he knew that some of the villagers didn't agree but that was fine. He'd be there to defend them when things went bad!

"They're both beasts so... hopefully it ain't too different. Ah dinna have a clue how to tame. So it's gonna be a trial and error Ah guess." It didn't bother him too much though, he was certain that he could do it! And he needed to have the beasts before he could figure out how to train them right?

He crouched down by them and pointed.
"Here. Ye can see one partial, and there's disturbed and broken brush there." He pointed a little ahead. "So it's going that-a way. Size is small so its gotta be a youngster." He spread his hand over the track. "See how it's not bigger-n my hand? Adults have huge paws that're lager than my hand span."
He knew this cause eh'd tested it, he'd seen the large adults walking and tracked them till he could find a print to measure. It'd been a fun day, watching them and trying to figure out ow they moved and acted.