[PQ] [Seasonal Event] early morning predators

At the beginning of every Deepfrost, Rory staged a few hunts. Most of his work was done with goat leather from his own goats, but with Long Night approaching, his hunt was of twofold purpose: to acquire food, and to take care of the animal hides he got out of it. If it was only him and his sister, he wouldn't need to hunt. They had enough dried goat meat to last them a lifetime. No; it was mostly for the others, those who came to help him. Many in the Settlement did not raise their own livestock, perhaps lived off of beets and other root vegetables harvested before the snows.

Cured meat—whether salted or smoked or something else—was the best way to survive the Long Night. No cooking fire, little chance of it going bad, relatively easily to prepare, if you had the meat.

And they'd always taken to hunting before the Long Night, so one year Rory had simply stepped in and decided to help those less well-versed in the art of hunting (and butchering). That it prevented such a loss of precious leather was a bonus, or perhaps his leading motivation—who knew.

At this point it had been a tradition for some ten years or so, and he'd already been out on a couple of hunts. Today was time for another one.

Participating in one of his hunts was easy: just show up at the farm before sunrise on any of the declared days, and bring your own skills, whether it be weapons or an Attuned nose or something else entirely. And that was where Rory was waiting now. His longbow and a quiver leaned against the timber wall, and the man himself—clad in warm, tight-fitting gear, having left his bulky greatcoat behind—was kneeling by the side of the goat pen, putting the finishing touches on a small fox snow sculpture. Overhead, the sky was starry and clear, slowly turning from navy blue to light blue. It was cold, breaths smoking into the air. Sunrise was still a ways off, and that was the best. The deer were easiest to hunt at dawn and dusk, and Rory much preferred dawn over dusk at this season.

He sat back on his heels, gently building the last ear on the snow fox. Studied it for a moment. Shook his head to himself, got up and back around to the front of the farm, and waited to see if he'd have any company today.

---

Personal Quest in which Rory goes hunting! You can assume you know of this if you're a Natural (and maybe overheard someone if you're an Outlander, or he told you if he likes you) because it's a bit of a Deepfrost tradition for Rory to take people deer hunting. The usual deal is that Rory gets all the hides - so don't mess up you shots! >:C - and maybe some meat, the rest can divide the meat however they want.

If you can post using only basic formatting (like this post) or nothing at all Cirago would appreciate it <3

Slots:
1 Jigano
2 Remi
3 Vervain

The snow crunched deliciously under little white paws as the fox sped through the trees, dodging underbrush and around trunks as if he had springs in his long, slender legs. His tongue lolled happily as he followed a scent that was becoming more and more familiar.

Rory.

His friend had a name.

And he had invited anyone who wanted to come out to his home for a hunt, Jigano had overheard people talking about it in the Rathskeller. Tracing Rory's path had been something he'd studiously avoided before this, wishing to give his friend his privacy. But he wouldn't mind, surely, if the fox showed up by invitation? That wouldn't be strange at all...

Well. It would be, but he didn't dare come in his two-legged shape. Rory knew him best on four legs, and perhaps he'd let the fox sit beside him for awhile and rest his hand on a silk-furred back.

He burst out of the trees like a fuzzy white arrow, moving low and fast until the buildings of the little steading rose from the snowbanks a little ways ahead. He skidded to a stop, throwing up a little shower of snow and panting from his run as he looked over his friend's home in the blue-grey half-light between night and dawn. There were pens for animals - all of those that he'd smelled on his friend's skin and clothes before - and sheds and a house for people and--

There, by the goats, a familiar blond head knelt over something in the snow.

Jigano tilted his head, chest still heaving with his exertions, considering how to approach. He jumped up and began to move with stalking grace, low and smooth as he eeled his way down to the farmstead and circled around to crouch behind a shed with feed for the sleeping goats, staying instinctively downwind of them. But by the time he got there, the blond had already left. Popping out with ears perked forward and muzzle wrinkled in disappointment Jigano trotted forward to see what had caught the man's attention and found--

Himself.

Smaller and distinctly less fluffy, but the little creature made of snow was undoubtedly a fox. Not me, necessarily, he reminded himself gently. There was every evidence that Rory just liked foxes in general. But it still sent warmth curling through his chest, an unexpected spring of sentiment welling up as he leaned forward to touch noses to the little totem. Watch over him when I'm not here, he instructed it softly, and for once the part of him that might have scoffed at such silly superstition stayed silent.

There was nothing easier to follow than fresh tracks, and finding Rory was the work of moments when Jigano turned his mind to it. On silent paws he ghosted to his friend's side and then sat, tail curled neatly so its tip just covered his front toes. He glanced up slyly at his friend, waiting for when he would be noticed and ready to join the hunt.

Look for the goats Rory had told him once and Remi had thought that was going to be a fairly difficult description to follow. As it turned out though, it wasn't at all. The farm was as modest and well-kept as Remi would have expected it to be from everything he knew of his friend. He could see as much from his vantage point in the skies. On tawny wings Remi glided overhead, sharp eyes immediately spying Rory—and two foxes?—below. Circling once Remi was amused to see that it was in fact only one fox, and a snow facsimile of one. The true fox was likely a shapechanger Remi reasoned. As kind and gentle as Rory appeared to be, the level of comfort needed for a creature like that to all but doze at the blonde's side seemed unlikely. Then again, new world, new rules. Spiraling downwards, Remi fanned his wings out to slow his descent. Shifting from hawk to man was something he had done for a lifetime now, and the well-practiced movements were obvious. Landing gently on his feet, colour high in his cheeks from the exertion and the altitude, Remi raised a mitten-covered hand in Rory's direction with a broad smile. Their first encounter Remi had been a hawk, and even though he thought his eyes would be useful for this hunt, he had still wanted to make an in-person arrival. That, and it was much easier to speak to Rory this way. "Hallo." Remi called out cheerfully stepping past a gate. And hallo to you. He telepathically sent towards the fox, his mental voice even more heavily accented than his verbal one.

Hunting in a party? Now that was something Vervain hadn't had the pleasure of doing in a very long time indeed. She set off at the appointed time dressed in her furs and leathers, wild curls pulled into a high tail and her blue eyes bright as the coming dawn. She had barely any of her original quiver of arrows yet, so the fletching was plain on most of them - some still bore the bright feathers of Northwind, though. Her bow, too, was slung across her shoulder, and she approached the little group and its snow-fox guardian with a grin.

Rory she hadn't met and the fox she didn't recognise, but Remi she would know anywhere. "I wasn't aware that you had hunting partners other than me these days," she chided him playfully, before nodding to the others. "A pleasure to meet you. Shall we hunt some deer?"

He was momentarily distracted by a circling bird—it was a bird of prey, that much he could tell from its movement, but it was difficult to make out the type in the awkward light (or lack thereof). Thus, he didn't notice the fox as it quietly made its way across, nor did the dogs—sleeping among the goats—notice it.

After a couple of seconds his senses pricked, something in him becoming aware of another presence. It could've been anything, really; a scent he didn't know he registered, the faint, faint warmth radiating off the small animal, the sound of its breathing... Regardless of what it was, he found himself glancing down, and—

There was the not-only a fox fox, as pristine and fluffy as usual and looking mightily pleased with itself. Rory snorted, amused. "Well, aren't you proud of yourself," he said with a grin, pulling off a mitten and bending down to offer it his hand and a scratch of greeting. Attuned or some weird spirit that had attached itself to him, it obviously seemed to enjoy the physical attention he gave it, and Rory shamelessly enjoyed giving it. At some point he had decided that if the fox didn't like it and kept fooling him into doing it anyway, then, well, then the fox was the idiot and not Rory.

But in his heart, he hoped that was not the case. He hoped that he was not being played for a fool.

Beyond that, he didn't know what he was hoping for.

He glanced up towards the bird of prey again, to see if it had disappeared yet, and to his surprise found it descending—a hawk, he could tell by the shape of its wings and tail—and coming rather directly towards them. Attuned? Either that, or it was coming to take his face off. Rory watched it warily, ready to throw his arms across his face, but as it came closer, it spread its wings, and...

And very, very elegantly turned into Remi, with his cheeks rosy and eyes bright.

Rory's emotions did something complicated. Envy, as always. He hadn't known Remi was Attuned, he had shifted out of hawk form before Rory had found them on their first day in Caido, but it was a familiar, though bitter, revelation at this point. Aside from that, well.. He chose not to think about it, and wished the fox was tall enough for him to rest his hand on its shoulders.

"Remi!" he said happily, only to be distracted by the sound of footsteps approaching. Turning around he found a stranger in his yard, but she looked ready, carrying her own bow and quiver with her. His eyes swept across her once, approving. She obviously knew Remi, greeting him first, which made Rory both feel a bit like a third wheel—in his own bloody home—and put him to the conclusion that she was an Outlander. Though, at this point.. she probably could've been a native that Remi had just gotten to know.

It wasn't unheard of, after all.

"Hello. I'm Rory. And yes, that is the plan. Make your shots count. I get the hides, you get almost all of the meat, divide it however you please among you."

And if they had issues with that, well, fuck 'em, he'd sic a goat or something on them.

Still, he laid his terms out rather pleasantly, just knowing from experience that it was better to say it now and have them work out any issues here, rather than have them start bloody fights over the corpses. It got real ugly when people were afraid, and only idiots weren't afraid of the Long Night.

Then again.. he doubted either of them had any sense to be afraid of the Long Night, not having experienced it for themselves. Rory shuddered slightly at the memories.

Barring any arguments, Rory led them out into the forest to look for tracks.

---

I am terrified of running this thing FYI, what if it ends up being *super boring*

Anyway. I'm guessing Remi will become the hawk and scout ahead? In which case he'll come across some decently fresh tracks, seems to be a group of 2-3 deer. Meanwhile, Jigano, Rory and Vervain won't find any deer tracks just now, but there's plenty of old smells and tiny rodents about.

With a smile as bright and cheerful as his cheeks and nose were red, Remi happily greeted his friend. Before he could say more, a familiar voice rang out behind him. Spinning around to see Vai, Remi's smile grew instantly and he happily slung an arm around the huntress with a wink. Anyone seeing the pair might immediately think them mother and son for all the familiarness in the gesture, despite the fact they looked nothing alike. "I am not sure if you have noticed, but now that you have a proper husband and a tavern, you have become a bit busier." That wasn't entirely true of course as Vai always made time for Remi. But still he chuckled and nudged his shoulder against her affectionately. As Rory outlined the scope of their journey, Remi nodded brightly. Something inside of him felt...excited and eager to hunt with his new friend. And, as a hawk and with Vai around, the alchemist was fairly certain that nothing could go too wrong on his end. "Vai and I have a signalling system set up already. She'll let you know if I see anything. Or I suppose I can let him know—" Remi said, nodding his head towards Jigano who, he correctly though unjustifiably, still assumed was a fellow attuned. Trotting forwards a few steps with his arms outstretched from his body, Remi jumped into the air. Rather than falling back to the earth his body shrunk and reassembled itself into the blondish body of the species of hawk that he was. With a piercing cry, Remi flapped his wings circling above the ground once before allowing himself to gain a good deal more altitude. With his sharp eyes peeled on the area below, Remi glided on whatever air currents he could find, flapping his wings silently when he could not. Scanning for movement below, Remi's sharp eyes spied imprints in the snow and the telltale signs of deer-rubbings. Following the tracks more swiftly than the group below likely would, the hawk spied a trio of deer grazing happily in the failing sunlight. Though the cry of a bird would likely not be enough to startle them, Remi flew high and then low down—a sign Vai would recognize as the hawk having found game and to proceed quietly.

Vai smiled and gave Remi an affectionate squeeze in return, tousling his curls and stepping back as he began to speak. "Busier, not too busy," she chided him playfully. "But it is good to meet some fellow hunters. Call me Vai." It made sense to introduce herself, at the very least.

She heard Remi out as he spoke, nodding and mentally preparing herself to keep an eye on the sky as they headed out, though he was right - the little fox would likely be much easier to communicate with.

Because of course Vai assumed the fox was an Attuned, simply from the alchemist's words. Remi took flight and she grinned in open admiration, gathering her things together and ensuring she had everything before setting off with the others. Make her shots count, the stranger had said. She had every intention of doing so.

Unfortunately, however, there were no tracks to be found. It was frustrating, and while she spotted some smaller game, that wasn't what they were here for. A swift glance up showed Remi's signal, however, and her eyes narrowed in satisfaction. "He's spotted something," she murmured. "We should stay upwind and be as quiet as we can."

Jigano fox-grinned up at his friend, opening his mouth to pant, blue eyes twinkling. He sniffed at the proffered hand in a peremptory way, already certain of who this was and what he was about. He was the fox’s friend, and his touch…

Was welcome. As simple and sweet as that.

Blue eyes closed as he pressed up into the scratch of greeting, letting the world shrink to the warm fingers in his fur and the friend at his side, and so he missed Remi’s descent – at least until Rory tensed, and the fox blinked back to awareness, seeking sounds and scents of his surroundings to find the source of the danger.

He followed his friend’s upward gaze just as Remi tumbled from bird to man. Jigano’s own emotions were a mix of conflict – surprise at seeing another person shift completely from animal to human; immediate exasperation at the young pup; admiration for his control; worry at how uneasy Rory’s body language was, leg still pressed against furry white ribs—

And hallo to you

Inside his head. Inside his thoughts, intruding and intrusive and not wanted.

The fox—froze. As still as the snow simulacrum by the goat pen, not even breathing as he pulled his thoughts – shrieking, raging, running – as deep inside himself as he could in that moment, taking refuge in instincts he rarely let control him. He dropped to a crouch, lips pulled back in a silent snarl as Vervain approached and distracted the two men. The pup gallivanted off to greet the woman Jigano knew as his boss and Rory watched them…

Remi oblivious, as was apparently his usual state, of the turmoil he’d thrown the lorekeeper into.

It took a conscious effort of will to unlock his muscles, forcing his lips back down over his teeth as he straightened again, but his fur was puffed out like a bottle brush and his ears were flat back in distress as he pressed against Rory’s side, instinctively seeking comfort and strength.

By the time Remi and Vervain parted Jigano was mostly on his own four feet again, though his joy in the morning had been lost. Rory’s description of the day ahead meant little to the fox – he couldn’t carry the hides in his current form anyways, though taking a little meat to stockpile would be wise. Mostly he was just there to help his friend, but with Remi’s hawk form soaring above, was his nose even useful?

At least the pup didn’t try to force his way into the lorekeeper’s head again as he transformed and winged upwards. The fox glanced up at Rory uncertainly—just in time to catch the blond’s shudder, there and gone again. Jigano whined softly in concern, leaning back against his friend’s calf to return the comfort he’d so recently taken, and continued to stay close as they headed into the woods – two humans and a white fox who blended right into the snow.

Vervain looked as impressive with her hunting gear as she had with her broom in the tavern. Jigano might have been more playful if they’d under other circumstances, but between Remi’s surprising mental intrusion and Rory’s presence, the bard had no wish to draw attention to himself. It wasn’t that hard to put things together and he was quietly, desperately anxious to avoid losing the unique bonds of trust and comfort that he and Rory had begun to share because someone innocently called him out.

So instead he ghosted along a little ways from them, keeping Rory between himself and the Rathskeller’s proprietress and staying largely out of sight. His light weight let him run on top of the snow to make better time than the humans, and his nose worked diligently to find fresh spoor, but like his boss he found only rodents and rabbits. Tasty, squeaky snacks he would have happily hunted on his own, but today they were after bigger game.

Vervain’s voice was soft but still clear to his ears – finally perked up again as time provided a cushion from his fright. He tried tilting his head to the side to look up, but it wasn’t a comfortable vantage and still couldn’t clearly see the hawk-boy through the branches. He didn’t quite growl his annoyance - must the pup make everything so awkward? – but turned to take his cue from the humans in silent exasperation that he had no idea what direction they needed to go.

He had much on his mind as he set off into the trees, leading the ground-bound hunters onto the familiar paths as the sun finally began to slip over the horizon. The fox's reaction to something—Remi or Vai, he didn't know, but the creature had suddenly pressed against his leg, ears flat. Rory knew the language well, and had looked down at it with a concerned frown, but.. what was he going to do about it? Oh sorry, give me five minutes to talk to this fox? While unhappy, the white canine wasn't making a fuss about whatever it was, so Rory felt helpless to do anything but bend down to touch a mittened hand to its spine as they set off.

And the elegant shift of Remi.. the image was burned into his mind of the man spreading his arms, leaping lightly into the air, suddenly all feathers and hollow bones. It was seared into his memory.

Then they were off, Rory having collected and strung his bow, snow crunching underfoot as the light started to slip between the trees. The lack of immediate deer tracks didn't surprise him—while they frequently had no qualms about passing close to the homestead, they preferred to stay further in. The scent of goats and smoke usually kept them out. Perhaps it was offensive to them?

Regardless, he trekked easily deeper into the forest, knowing where they were more likely to find tracks, all the while keeping an eye on both fox and hawk. He obviously didn't know what signs to look for from Remi, so he relied on Vai for that.

"He's spotted something," she suddenly said, and Rory drew to a halt, watching the bird. "Mmh," he agreed, moving his head this way and that, watching and listening. "Barely any wind. C'mon." Careful to not make too much noise Rory drifted towards Remi and where he circled, hoping his assumption of the deer's location was correct.

Soon he saw the trio of deer, and did his best to stealthily maneuver himself into a good position, waiting for Vai to take up one too. If they played this right perhaps they could fell two of the deer immediately, and Rory at least would be inclined to call that a good day's work. Signing, he indicating he'd go for the one furthest to the right, and slunk off a little further before nocking an arrow.

---

A sluggish hanging snake drops down gently on Vervain. If she doesn't notice and get it off it'll look for a pouch or something to curl up in.

The deer are wary, and seem like they might easily spook, approach carefully!

Honey, I don't mind if you sorta assume Rory aims and shoots at the same time as Vai, depending on how you write things out. That's his plan at least lol.

Rory's last touch was a comforting memory to take into the hunt, and the disgruntled fox trotted over the snow until the quiet of the morning and the nearby presence of two people he did like soothed him and settled his mood. He only wished he could provide more assistance, but his nose failed even in that. Still... it wasn't so bad, walking with his friends in the woods like this, even if the hunt failed.

But then Remi found something, or so Vervain said, and he followed the humans much as he had all morning - a little ways off to the side, paralleling their path but letting them lead him to the prey they sought. His nose worked constantly, seeking the scent he'd been promised, but the breeze was light at best, the air nearly still.

There--

He glanced over to his friend and the huntress, seeing where they were headed and then-- he broke wide, four paws moving in graceful synchronicity as he slipped into the skeletal underbrush, pattering silently over the snow, head and tail held low as he - harmless little fox that he was - circled the small herd. Just another denizen of the forest on a mousehunt, nothing to concern their antlered heads with--

Two white ears slowly lifted from behind a snowy log, followed by a little black nose and two sharp blue eyes. Jigano tilted his head, finding where Rory and Vervain had set themselves, still and ready in the growing light of sunrise. His tail floofed out in eagerness and then, with a sharp back of alarm, he leaped out from behind the log and charged the deer, a ferocious snarl that was half-laugh on his grinning canine face as he tried to scare them towards his two packmates.

Following after her companions, Vervain too spotted the trio of deer and let a victorious little smile flicker across her face. Raising an arm to the sky, she sought out Remi to inform him of their relative position before turning her attention to the departing fox and Rory beginning to take up a position around the herd. If he was going for the right, she would go for the left, the huntress keeping low to the undergrowth and sneaking into position as she readied an arrow to her bow.

Catching Rory's signal, Vervain signed to say she understood and motioned to her own target. She left him to his hunt, taking aim with her bow and aiming squarely at the deer's neck. A smaller target to be sure, but he had said to make their shots count and she wanted to damage the hide as little as possible.

Just as she was about to lease the arrow (the hanging snake remained utterly unnoticed), two little ears popped up behind a log, followed by an adorable sinister little nose and eyes. At the same time as their arrows left their bows, Jigano seemingly exploded across the clearing, charging at the deer as well. Unusual, but... hey, if it worked.

Jigano's tactic was one Remi had used many times and as it turned out, one he'd use again now in tandem with his not quite friend. Waiting until he was sure that Vervain had seen his signal, Remi dropped from his place in the skies sweeping swiftly behind Jigano. It didn't make sense for him to overtake the little fox given that the deer would likely be more spooked by one larger oncoming force than two sporadically timed. And so as the fox barked, Remi fanned his wings dramatically and trilled loudly. Great minds think alike. Remi chuckled brightly towards the fox, the amusement and energy in his voice clear. Back in Northaven this mental ability had almost been a way of sharing minds. When he'd spoken to others it was like a tether between them, one that he could feel his way across and into the other mind. This however was quite different. Though his mind was as open and easily accessible as it ever was, he could feel nothing coming or going from the fox. It didn't occur to the shapeshifter that he was wrong about the creature below not being just a fox. Instead he wrongly assumed there was some sort of warding magic at play, which was quite sensible he supposed.

Unsurprisingly, Vai took the left—between the two of them they should have a pretty good chance, even if the deer took off. Rory licked his lips, waiting with the bow still held across his thigh, watching the woman through the underbrush. He'd lost sight of the fox in the process but figured it was either doing fox things or .. fox things .. because what else did foxes do? What else did human foxes do?

He put the white little creature firmly out of his mind, focusing on the task at hand instead. He saw Vai raise her bow and take aim, so he followed suit, looking down the arrow and towards the deer as he drew the string back.

When—

The deer suddenly exploded towards them, startled by something Rory hadn't seen; in the chaos he saw Vai's arrow fly, joined almost instantly by his own, rapidly adjusted and recalculated to allow for the deer's sprint.

Only one of the trio bounded away into the forest, tail flicked cheekily up as a warning sign, but its two mates already lay bleeding on the white snow. He thought it was more than they had deserved to get under the circumstances, but he was a good shot and he guessed the woman was, too. She'd certainly looked the part, but he'd learned a long time ago not to trust appearances.

And as the calm settled he understood the reason the deer had suddenly attempted to flee: the fox and the bird, suspiciously close.

Rory frowned as he strode over to the two felled deer. He preferred targets that stood still.

Both deer had died more or less instantly from their arrows; Rory's lay with its heart pierced (he'd gone for the larger target, wanting to rather be safe than sorry), Vai's with its jugular torn from the arrowhead. He looked down at it. He felt .. impressed. "Bold shot," he simply stated, for it was: less skill (less luck?) and it would've bounded away with an arrow through its neck, and who knows how long it would've made it before they either caught up to put it out of its misery, or it died a lonely and prolonged death?

He'd barely got his knife into his hand (bowels and organs were best removed before moving the carcasses, after all) before a chorus of low, keening howls sent a chill down his spine.

Wolves.

---

Dice liked us, lol

Rory and Vervain both hit and kill their deer almost instantly

And is that.. wolves, approaching? (Spoiler: yes, it's three wolves approaching, likely they had already been tracking the deer)

Vervain's little freeloader has found a pouch or pocket to curl up in and will likely go home to the Rathskeller with her

No one was more surprised than Vervain to see that they had managed to fell both deer, especially given her ambitious targeting. She crunched her way through the snow after Rory as he approached the fallen game, her blue eyes still on the retreating survivor prancing away from them. She joined him her bow in hand and her breath misting the air, a crooked smile pulling at her lips at his comment.

"It was," she agreed. "Not one I'll be taking again too soon."

Then, of course, the haunting chorus of wolfsong filled the air around them, Vai swearing softly under her breath and glancing around to see if she could determine at least a vague direction. "Remi, can you see how far they are from us?" she called out, turning her gaze to the sky in the hope that the hawk had already circled back up into the snowclouds to scout.