Vhalar 71 Arc 716
Grimvale
Grimvale
Continued from here.
Bits passed slowly, and Yana tried not to exhaust herself too much by focusing every trill of every bit, even though it in itself wasn't such a difficult thing for her. Her focus was something she did pride herself in after all. A whole three bits before the plan was to be put into action however, the bushes rustled, and the Yludih tensed. Slowly unsheathing her dagger, the woman shifted in her position, assuming one that would allow for a surprise attack and quick movements. A boot pushed through the leaves, followed soon by a torso and a head, and the Yludih relaxed slightly.
“Rayna!” Eliott called, staring right at her hiding place.
The false Human wondered if she was plainly visible, or if the Hunter indeed did have eagle eyes. The notion was cast aside not even a blink of an eye later, as she realized he'd not stuck to the plan. Obviously there was a reason, but why? Most likely-
“Our quarry's not here,” the Eagle Eye said, beckoning her.
She followed, abandoning her hiding spot, but not relinquishing the grip on her blade. Trust was not something she gave easily to anyone in this world. Especially in places like these, she did not think it wise not to doubt the motives of her companions.
Beyond the bushes lied the camp of the bounty, Kurt White. It was a small thing really, consisting only of a tent, a bucket, a line with washed clothes, and a circle of stones with ashes in their midst. Most curiously though, was a single trail running between the forest and a spot near the tree to which the drying line was tied to. A single boot sat slumped against the trunk, forgotten by its master. The Yludih frowned, something telling her this was not right. Something was amiss. But what?
“Eliott,” she called to her companion, “can you tell how long it has been deserted?”
The hunter stroked his chin, staring at the sky and the setting suns through the foliage of the trees.
“I'll try,” he said, “I cannot make promises though. Even I cannot track by night.”
Nevertheless, he got to work immediately, starting with the campfire. He prodded the ashes with his fingers, probably searching for any leftover warmth. Yana let him do his work, staring with her own investigation. She focused on the boot, picking it up and scrutinizing it for a brief moment, taking in all details she could. The mercenary was no cobbler of course, but the boot did appear to have been made from decent leather. There were signs of it having been worn for a long time, and it smelled kind of cheesy inside, but there was no real damage to the footwear. There was mud caked to the bottom and the sides, most likely from when the owner -Kurt White, she guessed- had been walking on the muddy ground of the Grimvale. Both her and Eliott's boots showed the same layer of mud. Most interestingly though, was the fact that the mud hadn't dried completely yet. Though it seemed possible the dew had kept it moist, it would have had to be dry by now, if the boot had been lying abandoned for longer than a trial.
Another question Yana asked herself was why one would cast such a useful and perfectly fine object aside. And just one of a pair no less! Surely no-one liked walking around with just one boot? If he'd thrown both away, then why wasn't there a second one lying around? The same was true for the shirt and trousers that hung on the drying line. Both had some small tears in them, but none too big, or unrepairable. She frowned, moving towards the tent, deciding to check it for the man's possessions as well.
Her companion was already in there, crouching near the inner left side of the small tent, apparently having discovered something. Yana entered as well, trying to take up as few space as possible, though her efforts did not help in making it less cramped.
“Look at this,” the hunter said, dragging a backpack into the small space between the two of them. From the opened compartments and the littered items around Eliott, Yana suspected he'd been going through the pack. “Even the unexperienced camper knows not to go trekking through the woods without their pack. You want your supplies with you in case anything happens.” He frowned, pointing his finger at the various items he'd pulled out of the pack, naming them one by one. “First aid kit, survival knife, flint and steel, rope, waterskin, and rations... If it were me, I'd not have left without any of these, let alone all of them.”
It was indeed quite strange. It did not feel right. Something was amiss. Both Eliott and her only needed to exchange a glance to come to the same conclusion, not even needing to use their voice. Someone or something had gotten to Kurt first, and had dragged him off after subduing him somehow. Yana crept back out of the tent, heading towards the tracks she'd spotted upon entering the campsite. Eliott was on her heels.
“So these are-”
“Marks left by dragging his body into the woods, most likely.” the Hunter nodded. “I first believed he might have hunted deer and dragged the corpse back here, but it just didn't add up.” The man stared at the single trail left in the dirt. “First, there's no blood. Second, the tracks lead into the forest, not out. And third, there's no cadaver here either.” He was mostly just talking to himself, muttering quietly under his breath. It seemed like it helped him focus.
“If someone had enough confidence in their ability as a survivalist to hide in the Vale, then they wouldn't have dragged any cadavers into their camp. Attracts the wildlife. There's no blood to indicate he was mauled by such either, nor a corpse. Bears or wolves wouldn't drag him into the forest...”
“If it wasn't those, then maybe another bounty hunter?” Yana suggested.
Eliott shook his head. “Now it's hard to see with the suns so low, but when I first checked the site, there were no traces that indicated a fight had taken place.”
“Perhaps they snuck up from behind and took him out before he noticed?”
Another shake of his head. “There was only one set of bootprints all over the site. Unless there was someone of similar height, weight and build, with the same size of feet, and the exact same boots, there would be some other prints here.”
“Maybe they just erased their-” she cut herself off before finishing the thought. Why would anyone do that? This was the Vale. Unless they were worried someone was coming after them, there would be no reason to hide their presence. Especially after they'd taken down Kurt White already. Heck, the only one who'd had reason to erase his prints was Kurt himself, and he hadn't because he was hiding in the Vale. No-one ever came into the Vale. Yana let a frown crinkle her brow, eye slowly moving around the edges of the camp, though in the darkening woods she could not make out anything.
“If it wasn't people, and it wasn't wolves or bears, then what did get to him?”
Eliott gave a sigh, looking pretty displeased with having to voice what was on his mind. “I have no idea.” He rubbed his scalp briefly, sighing even deeper than before. “I hate to say this, but it might be best to just call it a trial for now. I can't do shit in the dark. Tomorrow morning we can continue.”
Though she too wasn't particularly fond of letting it go for now, the Yludih nodded, understanding the futility of continuing this search in the dark. She was no expert on survival tactics, but she did know that there were a lot more dangers to walking around in a forest by night than there were by day. Not to mention that this was the Grimvale. Who knew what creatures roamed around under the veil of darkness?
