[PQ] only take what is necessary

NOAH

set a fire for tomorrow
set it to your woes

The odds did not seem to be in their favor today. It all happened so suddenly that Noah couldn't even blink and wrap his mind around it. The herd scattered, bleating with panic. Hooves scraped and scrambled as the deer all split in separate directions. It might have been the sudden shift in the air, the time it took for Deimos to drop down in canine form. It might have been Cordelia's sudden shift, the nocking of her arrow and the whistle of it in the air. It might have been Noah's onward pressure, hard and steady and against the herd. Whatever it was, Noah hadn't seen a plan go awry like this in years.

Noah skidded, trying to block anything that he could. It was not fruitful, however, as two deer ran smack into him and knocked him to the ground, just as Cordelia's arrow flew over him and dove into the gut of one of the deer that hit him. The hunter scrambled and shifted, arms curling up over his head to protect himself from any more flying hooves or arrows. After a second, there seemed to be none, which was good. He sat up in the snow, blinking and looking around. Deimos seemed to have brought one of the larger, though it still scrambled and panicked beneath his paws.

Noah stood and moved to close the distance between them. "Cordelia got a gut shot. I saw it fly right over my head. The deer kept going." It was rather obvious what he was saying, but he couldn't stop the words from falling from his mouth. He unsheathed a knife, waiting at the ready for Deimos to ask for assistance if he needed it.

---

Deimos got a deer, but it is not dead. What will you do? Cordelia hit one, but it continued to run off into the wilderness! You have a choice: be satisfied with Deimos' catch, and let Cordelia's deer possibly be found by scavengers OR go track her hit!

feel defiance burning through my teeth
it's not enough to drag this blade across the day