Lost but found with you

You're so cold

but you feel alive

It was still early when she stepped out of the misty haze of the portal and into the biting cold of Halo. Of course, Maea did not feel it. Though the wind howled outside the cave that sheltered the portal, and though her breath smoked in the frigid air, the girl looked utterly unperturbed, even in her thin hunters garb. The guards cast incredulous glances at her from their cooking fire. Barely taller than a child and thin enough to be easily mistaken for one, she looked hardly strong enough to actually draw the bow that hung at her back, nor indeed capable of wielding the daggers that hung from her belt. Pale and scrawny, with skin and hair to match the white snow outside, she seemed to breathe a bit easier in this clear air, and the smile she offered them as she deposited the gateway offering was bright and cheerful.  

Stepping aside to let her traveling companion through the portal, she carefully picked her way across the icy cave floor to the opening, and looked outside. For Halo, it was a beautiful day. Windy but clear, the sun was still low on the horizon and its golden light threw long, pale shadows across the landscape, covered in freshly fallen snow.

Unless the weather took a turn - and it could change quickly in this mountainous terrain - it would be perfect for hunting. Easy to track game, good light, and perhaps even a bit warmer temperatures than usual. Of course, compared to the LongHeat sun of the Hollowed Ground or Torchline, it was still painfully cold.

lay your hands on me

one last time

MAEA

don't you know i'm no good for you?

He’s always hated Halo, to be honest. But he might as well get somewhat used to the cold before the hunt begins. Besides, he also has a few notes to slip toward Peter and Weaver in regards to recent events, things he’ll need help with eventually. So he follows along, bundled up far more than Maea was, still looking at her curiously with what little she wears and how warm she is beneath it all when he’s chilled to the bone the second he steps through.

He deposits his own offer for entry, before slinking back toward Maea’s side, his own bow and arrow set at the ready and one of the daggers in his boots. He puffs out a sigh, pale and cloudy before him, steel gaze scouting the bright light of the sunrise as it begins to ascend, and he frowns lightly. But when he looks to her, he can see that she almost appears to be made for this place – just as he was made for Torchline. The shift, the difference, is immense as he scans her curiously before he begins to walk along the path of the Fangs.

“Where to first?” He asks, perhaps a bit quiet, the discomfort evident in the way that he seems to take an almost protective, predatory stance. As if an Ursur might pop out of the pale snow beside them and try to devour them all.

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA

You're so cold

but you feel alive

She looked up as he came to join her, a sullen cloud come drifting on this otherwise beautiful morning. Her wide smile softened in sympathy as she took in his many layers of clothing and the unease written in his entire aura. Hovering close by her; Maea wasn't sure if he wanted to protect or be protected from the wilderness beyond.

"Downhill, for starters," she replied, and reached out a gloved hand to pat him on the arm. "As soon as we get down to the tree level, we can begin to look for tracks. What kind of game were you thinking of?"

Adjusting the satchel that hung over a shoulder, Maea popped the lid open and gave the contents a final once-over to make sure - for the third time - that she had brought everything they might need. Food, waterskins, a blanket and tools for making fire had been neatly arranged to give room for a few rolls of yarn, leather strips, bait and a few other things needed to set traps. It had been a long time since she'd done it last, but hopefully some of her old skills were still in the fingers... If not, they'd have a good practice session with the bow.

"Alright, I'm all set. Let's get moving." She led them out of the cave, into the dazzling sunlight. It was bound to be a long day, but hopefully a good one too.

lay your hands on me

one last time

MAEA

don't you know i'm no good for you?

A nod is granted toward the notion of moving downhill, though his gaze does flicker over to her in some amount of uncertainty when she goes to pat his arm. “Prefer to stay away from Ursurs, hopefully just to get some Ningo and other less… Fighty animals.” He looks back out over the trail toward where they plan to go for the day, pausing while Maea goes through the bag she’s brought as he adjusts the bow on his shoulder once more.

They begin their walk and he slides the bow off his shoulder to hold within a gloved hand, tightening his grip on it with his gaze alert for any sort of movement they might find. “Jigano mentioned you’re more of a trapper?” He asks, head tilting toward her with a raised brow. Sunjata had rarely attempted any sort of trapping, too impatient, too brazen in his attempts to simply wait for something to come to him. Always wanting to be in the center of it.

He reaches up to shift the scarf around his neck, before reaching back to grab an arrow just in case.

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA

You're so cold

but you feel alive

Snow crunched beneath their boots. Glancing over with an incredulous look, Maea shook her head at him. "Of course we won't go looking for Ursur," she replied, halfway into a grin but not quite sure whether he'd seriously considered it. She kept her voice low, already settling into the stillness of the region, adapting to it.

"If we see tracks or signs they've been nearby, we'll go the other direction. There should be plenty of other animals around; far easier to find than in the Woodlands." Which was why she'd suggested coming here, rather than stay at home or go for the Wildwood. She was not sure what the Fae might think of Grounders picking off their game.

Out here? Hopefully no one would care.

"Oh, he did?" Maea looked surprised, as flattered as she was puzzled that the men had been talking about her. "Yes, he is right. I tried to make a living on it for a while, but my eyes were not good enough towards the end. Wasn't strong enough for my brother's bow, and he refused to get a new one just for me." One of the few things they had ever argued about.

lay your hands on me

one last time

MAEA

don't you know i'm no good for you?

A quiet nod is given back, though he doesn’t shift to look at her. So long as they avoid the large bears, he’d consider it a good day. Better even, if they avoid the frost giants. There’s a light shiver that courses through him at the thought of stumbling across any remains of Lusea as well, setting his jaw a small amount tight, focusing on a different topic to keep his mind from straying too much into the dark when the world around them was so bright, so full of light.

So he asks of the trapping, glancing to her to see the surprise wrought across her face. “Hm.” A quiet response, considering as he glances to the bow upon her back as well. “Well, I’m glad we could get you the right one, and now your eyes are fixed.” There’s a ghost of a smile that crosses his face with that, going to nock the arrow into place as he walks along beside her. His gaze slips back to the trees around them, to the open air, listening to the sounds of their boots crunch against the snow.

There’s a sound of a branch cracking, and Sunjata lifts the bow in an easily practiced motion, following the swell of the flapping wings and testing against the air – shooting the arrow with a bit of leeway to allow for the whipping winds. It lands dead center, and he can’t help the somewhat smug grin along his face at that, having already grabbed another arrow just in case. But the Ningo drops a ways away from them, the arrow easily seen within the center of the bird among the snow.

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA

You're so cold

but you feel alive

Sunjata was clearly not enjoying this as much as she was. A far cry from his usual confident mood and suave demeanor, the man had all but withdrawn into himself, his smiles few and the conversation kept to a bare minimum. Maea knew why, of course. Halo was the place where Lusea had died, where he'd spent miserable days with a miserable wife, the place where he would soon test his mettle - and the luck of himself and other companions - against a dragon, in the name of Safrin. If he was a bit broody and less than eager, she couldn't blame him for it. Nor did she let his subdued manners bring herself down; she kept smiling and settled into a comfortable silence as they trekked down from the elevated heights of the mountains and into the confierous forest that draped the shoulders of the range like a cold green cloak.

The worst of the wind died down as soon as they were in among the trees. Her eyes began to focus on the ground, on the trees and their bases to check for signs of animal activity. There were plenty, far more than she was accustomed to from her forays into the Woodlands back at home; in comparison this lonely forest was fairly teeming with life. Birds, foxes, the occational sign of hare or ermine... at one point she noticed Luxere tracks, but only pointed them out to Sunjata before moving on. Maea would never try to hunt or kill them, not even in an emergency.

She was not surprised when there was sudden sound of flapping in the trees up above them. Following Sunjata's lead she too pulled her bow and found an arrow, nocked it; but did not draw, as his first shot hit the white bird square in the chest.

"Nice shot!" she whispered to him, eyes bright, appropriately impressed and more than happy to see his grin.

Gazing up to the canopy again, Maea spotted a plump, white mass still perching on a branch; not exactly the same difficulty as his expert shot, but still challenging for her as a beginner.

Drawing her bow, she breathed a long, slow exhale to steady herself, and loosed. But just as the string twanged, the bird took off from its perch and the arrow clipped the bird as it zoomed past, scattering droplets of bright red blood on the snow. The bird was still alive, quite injured, and began to flap off in erratic zig-zags among the trees. Quickly she knocked another arrow, pulled and loosed, but this one missed completely.

Maea swore and began to chase after the Ningo, counting on Sunjata to follow. There was a sickening roil of guilt and pity in her stomach. Injured, not dead. A poor shot. She would have to find the poor thing and put it out of its misery, quickly.

lay your hands on me

one last time

MAEA

don't you know i'm no good for you?

She's bubbly in comparison to his dark brooding storm, and perhaps it's better that way — like a beacon to follow through the dark swells of his thoughts as they shift and flow throughout their walk. But he’s spotted the ningo from where it launches itself from the tree. He fires his shot, watches the bird sink to the snow before them, and the ghost of a grin crosses his face at that.

Though he heads near the bird to pick it up, to tie a string around its feet to carry along with the rest of them that they get during their hunt. He removes the arrow from the bird, cleans it quick in the snow before setting it in the quiver and working to tie the twine around the birds feet, when he looks up and notices Maea’s shot, watching it hit the bird at first but not quite enough.

He ties it quick, slinging it with his bow over his shoulder, quickly following Maea after the Ningo. “It’ll be easy to find it with the trail if it gets lost.” He offers quietly, shifting the bow over his shoulder and putting the ningo theyd already caught somewhere else so he could wield his own bow — nocked and ready in case she wanted him to try and take it down.

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA

You're so cold

but you feel alive

The crunch of snow packing beneath heavier steps than hers told Maea that he was indeed following. She tried to move as quickly as she could, but the drifts were deep between the trees. Sometimes she could walk atop the hard crust, and between one step and the next she had been plunged knee deep into a hole; before long she was sweating, breathless and with a heavy weight of urgency in her chest.

"True, but... I'd rather not drag this out for it. Damn, I should have waited for the wind to settle more..." A quiet lament, as she responed to his reassurance; she hated wounding her prey. Preferred to make quick, clean kills if possible... though of course, snares rarely were that efficient.

Following the sound of flapping wings and the distinct trail of splattered blood, she eventually led them right upon the Ningo. It had come down to rest on the ground, wings splayed and beak open as it panted frantically. The arrow had made a gash at the base of the neck and it was bleeding heavily, its white feathers stained with crimson.

Maea indicated for Sunjata to stay back - she had to do this herself, she felt - and hitched the bow back over her shoulder. Lowering down, she began to creep around the bird, to approach it from behind. With a swift grab, she caught it in her hands and held it firm as it flapped and squawked, frantic heartbeats spewing more heartblood out over her fingers, over its chest, down into the snow.

"Shhh, shh, I've got you, easy," she murmured, soothing and steady even though her heart was heavy with regret. Sliding her hands up, she caught first one wing, then the other, and eased the struggling animal down to the ground, holding it tight with one hand while the other slipped up to the neck. "Rae bless, your life has not been in vain. Mort keep you." A quiet prayer, mumbled to the bird, who stilled for the briefest of moments. As if it'd heard her.

With a quick twist, she snapped the birds neck. And sighed, heart heavy, pulse raising as she turned back to Sunjata with a rueful attempt at a smile.

"Not... as clean as yours, I'm afraid. But we got another."

lay your hands on me

one last time

MAEA

don't you know i'm no good for you?

He lets her chide herself on her mistakes, the only way to truly learn what to get better at it is to make them, learn from them, and be better next time. And so he follows her easily, remaining quiet, letting her take care of the ningo with all of her heart within it – the sadness and sorrow vibrating off of her as though he can taste it in the air.

While… When it came to him, he had never felt that deeply for it. Survival had taken most of the empathy from him when it came to his flight or fight, and Sunjata had always been more of a fighter in the end anyway. So he remains quiet, giving her the space she requires, before she breaks the birds neck, a small prayer given, his gaze softening on her as she turns back to him with a terribly sad smile.

He approaches, crouching down to grab the twine he’d used for his own, wrapping it around the feet of the bird and attaching it to the other, taking a bit of a cloth to wrap around it to prevent a blood trail that might lead to them as they continue on. His gaze flits over to her, an arm outstretched to pull her into him. “It’ll work.” He assures her, trying to squeeze her shoulder gently. “Even if it wasn’t clean, you still got it.” A soft smile to that.

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA

You're so cold

but you feel alive

She leaned into him, let him pull her close and allowed herself to accept the comfort he offered. Her head came to rest on his shoulder, and Maea closed her eyes. Breathed in his scent, not caring that the tang of blood was on the air to meld with it. Spared a moment to feel the weight of a life taken, to adjust to it... so that when she looked up to meet his gaze and see the gentle smile, she could smile properly again and feel content with her small accomplishment. It was a luxury she rarely afforded herself in the past... because who would have taken the time to actually listen?

"Next time will be better," she promised, both to him and herself, and to the bird that now hung plump and fat from the twine. Two out of two... not bad, so far. Her mood lightened again, the sadness fading.

Savoring his closeness for just a little bit longer, Maea eventually peeled herself away and pulled the gloves off. They had become soaked through with blood, the leather slick and uncomfortable to wear. Her pale hands were flecked with red, and she made some effort to clean it off with handfuls of snow. Somewhat absently, she hoped the bloodshed would not attract anything dangerous... on a day like this, the scent would carry far and wide on the strong winds.

"Where to now?" she asked, offering him a chance to pick direction this time. It was still early in the day, plenty of time to keep hunting. "Content with Ningos, or do we try to find something bigger?"

lay your hands on me

one last time

MAEA

don't you know i'm no good for you?

She peels herself away, and Sunjata goes to stand once more – knees popping with the gesture as he rises back to his full height, hooking the string of the two ningos to the pelt he wears to keep them close and his hands free. Her question of where to go has him looking out over the white expanse of the ground, lips pursing slightly as he squints against the light. He’s not sure entirely what else to go for – the only other thing he can think of is deer, something far less dangerous.

“We could try and trap something? Put your other skills to work?” He asks, gaze slipping back to her with a raise of his brow. He lifts the bow back onto his shoulder, ensuring he’s got everything he needs, before taking the lead toward a place where trapping might be better suited. The shadowed trail, hardly any deep paths of large tracks left behind.

He continues to step down the bath, feet sinking into the snow up to his calf, and the muscle in his jaw clenches, turning back to her to see how she’s managing. “There should be a clearing down at the end of this, might have something there.” He offers, turning back ahead to squint at the base of the small hill.

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA

You're so cold

but you feel alive

"Sounds good," she agreed. After pocketing her ruined gloves, the girl stood and brushed the snow off her hands, marginally more clean now than before, and followed him as he picked a new direction.

At first, she tried to simply walk in his footsteps. The snow that reach him halfway up the calves was knee deep and more on her. But after a few attempts she had to trail her own path, behind and little to the side of Sunjata; his legs were just too long, keeping to them would force her to skip along like a rabbit.

By the time he paused to check on her she was winded and sweaty, hair gone wild where it tore loose from the braid, clearly challenged by his pace and just as clearly refusing to fall behind.

Coming up to stand beside him as he turned back to study the path ahead, her arm reached out to hook around his waist, quietly lingering in his space even though her attention was mostly on the task at hand. "It's a good place," she nodded. "We could circle around it and set something up at the far end of it.

"Have you made snares before?" With her free hand, Maea reached into her satchel and pulled out a roll of thin leather cord.

lay your hands on me

one last time

MAEA

don't you know i'm no good for you?

She latches onto him, and he pauses in his pursuit, noticing how exhausted she is, the hair that pokes out of braids, the way her cheeks flush, bitten by the cold and the peeking sunlight. He wraps an arm around her too, slowing his pace and watching her curiously for a brief moment. “Are you okay?” He asks quietly, giving her a small squeeze.

His own cheeks are red from the cold, but he continues to walk with her toward the clearing when her question hits him and he dips his head a small amount with a hint of a smile. “Not for wildlife, no.” A small shrug. “We used to have to trap people if we wanted to get someone, but I’ve never been a part of animal hunting in that way.” A rise and fall of his shoulders, watching her curiously as she pulls the twine, waiting to see what she does with it when they get to the bottom of the hill.

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA