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."
"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
