He’d been walking for nearly a full break now. He’d long since lost the tracks, that not being a particular strong suit of his at this point. He was confident that the deer had fled in this direction, if only because he had to be confident of something. Breaking through the tree line into yet another empty clearing, he looked up and saw the sun directly overhead. The day was half over now. If he wanted to have a shot at being back before sunset, he knew he didn’t have much time to find his prey. Even then, as he thought through the idea of killing, tracking, gutting, and packing out a deer, he felt a sense of dread rising in him. It was going to be a ton of work, and he would likely be leaving meat behind if he didn’t want to be stuck out here all night. He hadn’t come with the intent to camp.
With that in mind, Han made the decision to break from heading in what he perceived to be the direction of the deer, hoping perhaps to find something closer or more palatable. He moved through the trees and fields just a little more gracefully than before, paying careful attention to where he walked and what he saw through the trees, doing his best to ensure that nothing knew he was there if he had a chance to get the drop on it. It was tedious work, but he knew the value of being tedious. What you force yourself to do a hundred times now becomes an incurable habit later, and if he could make a habit out of being good at his work, that was a habit he intended to form.
Not much time had passed when he again came upon a clearing, this one housing several good sized turkeys. Now that will do nicely. They were an ideal prey. Plump and meaty, big enough to feed several people heartily but not so big that they would slow him down or require him to leave anything behind. His mind made up, he began his approach. Watching every step, he maneuvered his feet into awkward but quiet spaces, masking his approach and staying out of direct sight of the birds. When he finally reached the edge of the clearing, he had to restrain a deep sigh, half of relief and half of anticipation. It was finally time for the kill.
Drawing out an arrow, Han slowly, gently, but firmly began to draw on his bow string. The line slowly grew firm and taught until the resistance was so great that he could hardly pull it further. He gripped tight on the line and arrow shaft as he raised up the bow to line up his shot. The arrow sat perfectly in its notch at the end of the bow, and he brought up the bowstring and fletching to rest gently on his cheek, placing his right eye almost directly over the arrow for the most accurate firing he could manage. He inhaled deep and slow, closing his left eye as he did. The turkey became the only thing in his focus in that moment, and though it was plenty far away, it was as if that was all he could see. For a moment, that is all that there was. The turkey and its several friends lounged about the clearing, gobbling to their hearts content as a gentle breeze rattled the trees and swayed the grass around them.
And then, an explosion of feathers and just a little blood came into existence where one of the turkeys had just been. The others burst into confusion and fled the scene with speed and fear, leaving the body of their dying comrade behind to satisfy the predator that had fallen upon them. As he watched the birds flee, Han lowered his bow, finally breathing again as a smile crept up his face. “Got em.” He said with a sense of real satisfaction. Emerging from the clearing, he quickly approached his prize. The arrow had pierced the breast, about as good a shot as he could ever have hoped for, and it had been worth nearly the entire day of work and trouble to make it happen. As he removed the arrow and got the bird ready to pack out, he hoped to himself that someday he would be a good enough archer and hunter to not have a simple turkey kill be such an excruciating ordeal. “Maybe someday.” He said to himself.
With a solid kill under his belt, Han began his trek back to Ne’haer. He knew the area fairly well and had little trouble navigating, being able to gauge direction well enough from the sun as most could. What worried him most when he was carrying fresh meat through these woods were the predators. Wolves and bears of course, and then there were the more bizarre inhabitants of the region, things like Skinbanes, Lurkers, and the like. He wanted no part in that business. In a way, fortune smiled on him on this trial. He was not to be beset by any beasts or monsters. But he would not return to Ne’haer without incident either.
Part way back to the city, things derailed from Han’s plan. He had intended to quickly beeline through the woods, unimpeded, and bring some meat back for the Kaelserad to feed to those filling their sick beds. That was the plan. Until something truly remarkable caught his eye. At first he had thought he was looking into a particularly dense, dark section of forest. He couldn’t see through it, even though it was not dark outside. It was odd, but not unheard of where the canopy was thick enough. But then, it moved. A slow lumbering, back and forth motion that could only be one animal- a bear. But not just any bear. This specimen was gargantuan, and slowly approached Han as it spotted him amidst the trees. It’s gait was slow, though. Gentle, not angry or defensive. Though at first Han had been filled with fear, he now knew what he was looking at. It was one of the legendary Ne’haer Bears- gentle giants of the woods.
After closing a small distance, the two simply watched each other, in anticipation of what would come next. Though he had never encountered one by himself, Han did know that the bears were very mild mannered creatures that generally didn’t attack unprovoked. It also crossed his mind in that moment that bears were of special significance to the immortal Ralaith. He’d heard this a few times in different ways and had been told that they fell under his domain- along with wisdom and bitterness, two things Han felt very strongly about. ’Maybe this is a sign. An opportunity? He thought to himself, looking upon the giant creature before him. Knowing already what he would do, Han tossed down the turkey he’d been carrying, leaving it lying between them, and walked away. “An offering for you, Ralaith.” He spoke aloud, unsure if he would be heard, but feeling he had done the right thing. If any immortal could understand him, it was Ralaith, and if he could send a message of his appreciation for that, he had an obligation. Although, he was glad it only cost him a turkey. As he walked away to the sounds of the bear consuming his days labor like it was mid day snack, he smiled, knowing he’d have to bring back twice as much food tomorrow.
