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Post by River on Jul 4, 2022 15:15:50 GMT -5
River stood very still, waiting in the shadows. She patted the three carcasses hanging from her belt. One more, she thought. After a few minutes, River’s patience was rewarded when a rabbit appeared from her left crossing in front of her. Before it made it two feet, River sent her knife flying, striking the rabbit for a swift kill. Glancing at the glove on her left hand, she sighed. River still felt childlike glee using her special glove to summon her knife back to her. Too bad summoning was wasteful when hunting game. With some disappointment, River walked to the downed animal, retrieved her knife the ‘normal’ way, and added the dead rabbit to her belt. She’d skin and dress them later.
River straightened, and stopped suddenly, hearing a loud crack in the woods behind her. It was either large game, or possibly another hunter. River moved into the shadows to wait and see, knife at the ready.
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Post by Riggs on Jul 5, 2022 19:57:25 GMT -5
Riggs had spent the early morning setting little snare traps around the wood before they went deeper into the wood to hunt the bigger game. After all, it was always good to come out of a bad day hunting to at least find a few rabbits or other small game. Even squirrels had some use.
But even that was a little disappointing. One snare did have a squirrel but Riggs let it go... after all it wasn't good to keep the pregnant ones. You still wanted squirrels for next year. For some reason not one Rabbit ended up snared in one of their traps.
The last trap empty made them sigh loudly at the sight as they bent down to test the snare to make sure it wasn't tied wrong... nope it was good. huh. They started to detangle it and take it apart to use another day instead.
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Post by River on Jul 7, 2022 15:53:30 GMT -5
Lurking in the shadows, River stood still, hoping to determine who or what had made the sound she had heard. Was it game or another hunter? The rustling continued so River moved stealthily toward the sound. As she moved out from the tree cover, she saw a figure fiddling with a trap on the ground. The figure was all bundled up, and River couldn’t make out their features except to know that it was a fellow hunter. “Hello there,” River said quietly so as not to startle. “Didn’t expect to see anyone else out here today. Any luck with your traps?” She patted the rabbits hanging from her belt, chuckling. “My knife caught a few rabbits today.”
River smiled at the trapper, and added, “It’s been way too long since I’ve run into anyone who traps or hunts like me. I'm River, by the way. It surely makes my day to make your acquaintance.”
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Post by Riggs on Jul 7, 2022 20:56:31 GMT -5
Riggs froze in place for a moment before they remembered that animals don't usually speak their language. The first thought in their head was the reason their traps might have been empty was because this hunter was so lucky with her knife... But that wasn't fair. Small game was supposed to be a bonus thing today... even if Riggs had ended up short handed.
"No luck at all really." Riggs took a moment to turn around after they stuffed the trap back in their pack. "Still. These were here for something on the way back... I was after a few stags today but it looks like they spooked off."
When they turned around though they saw a familiar face. One they mostly had seen lit in multicolor and from more of a distance. One that made them flush pink and their eyes sparkle.
"Oh yes River. I know! I've seen you play actually... At at the Cauldron. Wow... I had no idea you were a hunter at all..." They took a breath before continuing, "How do you do both? Who taught you all that stuff?" They looked excitedly up at River like she was famous.
"Oh... Uh... I'm Hjallrigg." They finally noticed they were babbling and sheepishly held out a hand.
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Post by River on Jul 9, 2022 1:51:05 GMT -5
As she watched them gather their traps, River felt a flash of guilt when she realized that she had probably hurt the trapper’s catch. She was intimately familiar with finding empty traps, and felt bad to be responsible for another hunter’s failure. But her guilt melted away quickly, because everyone knew that there were always more rabbits.
When the dwarf turned around, their whole demeanor changed. The dwarf, Hjallrigg, began gushing about her like she was a celebrity or something. She’d had that happen to her a few times in the past, but it had always made River uncomfortable. Blushing, River shook Hjallrigg’s offered hand. “Good to meet ya, Hjallrigg. Sorry about the rabbits, and the stags. I hate when I return from a hunt empty handed.” River paused, and made a quick decision. “Where you off to next? How about going for a drink? Always a good way to drown the sour taste of empty traps. I’m buying.”
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Post by Riggs on Jul 15, 2022 11:34:10 GMT -5
Than handshake was friendly and the offer took them by surprise. Riggs blinked up at River for a moment before starting and nodding quickly.
"Ah yes! Sorry... its been a while since anyone's invited me anywhere..." They smiled up at her nervously, "Usually I just sort of end up places.... and maybe I can buy the second round then!"
Riggs quickly looked back at where the snare was and scanned if they had left anything. Then they froze watching before slowly putting a finger up to their lips and looking back at River. A slow hand snuck into their bag and pulled out the little blue jar... because if this was what Riggs thought it could be...
Well... taking it by surprise was their best bet. The shadow of the four-legged beast was about the same height as Riggs... Easy enough for them to ride if they were lighter... Say a goblin. But if the Barghest was alone without any goblins about that meant it was let loose to hunt for its own meal. Whether it started stalking them or River... well there wasn't a way to know.
"I think we have a stalker... So maybe get some daggers ready." They said low and calmly as their hand grabbed onto the latch of the little jar. "And maybe don't stand directly behind me... this thing is powerful."
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Post by River on Jul 20, 2022 18:13:20 GMT -5
River frowned when Hjallrigg said they’d not been invited anywhere recently. She sure knew that feeling. When you were a lone adventurer, invitations were few and far between. River always enjoyed meeting new people and hearing stories, but she often yearned for community. She smiled, looking forward to spending more time with the dwarf. River’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Hjallrigg froze and pointed out the shadow of a beast lurking. Nodding toward Hjallrigg that she understood, she quickly moved away from the dwarf into the shadows to their right. Damn. A Barghest, River cursed as she saw it more clearly, only knowing of the creature from stories and artists' renderings. Were there others? she wondered, the blood pounding in her ears making it impossible to hear anything else. She'd heard how nasty and deadly these creatures were, and for a very brief moment, she thought of going invisible and running away. With a glance at the dwarf, she quickly banished the thought, pushing down the urge to use her usual manner of avoiding danger. River and Hjallrigg were in this together. She would stay and fight.
Making a quick decision that her knives would not be good enough against this beast, River pulled out her bow, and nocked an arrow in preparation. Hopefully, whatever Hjallrigg had in that little jar might just scare the creature away, but River was ready to attack if it charged.
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Post by Riggs on Aug 16, 2022 17:06:16 GMT -5
A quick look behind them to see that River had gotten out a bow and out of the way was all they needed.
"We might want to get up in the trees...?" They backed up so they were in the center of the clearing and waited. The Bargheist stalked in a circle with a few trees between them... as if for cover. But cover would really help with what was in Riggs hands. The moment the beast was in between two trees they opened the jar. A swirling gust of air shot out of it so fast that Riggs blew backward into a tree. Their back thumping against it... but the bargheist wasn't suspecting it... and flew back almost eight feet into its own tree with a loud thump followed by a yelp.
"Shoot it!" Riggs grunted struggling with the jar. "I'll close the jar in Three.... two... One!"
They slammed it shut and snapped the latch closed before dropping the jar for it to dangle from the chain around the neck of it from Riggs hip as they pulled their crossbow off their shoulder.
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Post by River on Aug 23, 2022 18:56:46 GMT -5
River took a deep breath as Hjallrigg counted down. Whatever the dwarf had in that jar was quite remarkable. When unleashed, the beast was pushed back against a tree with tremendous force, Hjallrigg was pushed back several feet, and River felt a blast of air slam into her body. Luckily River was far enough away that she only stumbled back a step or two. Quickly steadying herself, River aimed at the beast who was staggering from the impact of the intense winds, and let her arrow loose. It struck true, directly into the beast’s neck. Blood gushing from the wound, the beast shrieked in pain. Stunned and possibly severely wounded, it stared at them with a blinding rage. "Good idea. Up in the trees," River replied, agreeing with Hjallrigg's advice. Not certain whether the beast was about to charge or too injured to move, River quickly climbed the tree behind her with the ease of a spider(1). When she reached a steady limb, River notched another bolt into her bow, and fired again, this time striking the barghest in the stomach. It's scream echoed throughout the forest, but it was still alive, if only barely.
(1) Surface Scaling
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Post by Riggs on Nov 23, 2022 12:05:47 GMT -5
The blast of air left them both enough distance to get off shots. Riggs pulled back the crossbow and shot right after the arrow thudded into its neck. River's next arrow imbedding itself into the beasts stomach. The scream turned into a menacing growl as it noticed its only target.
Riggs rolled out of the way of its hobbled lunge and aimed a bolt at its eye that unfortunately got them just a glancing blow.
"Back of the neck! There's a tuft of fur there... if you get an arrow right under that it will die." They huffed and ducked behind a tree in time for the thing to swipe at just bark as its blood was leaving trails around the small clearing. Riggs had to run back out into the clearing though. To give River a good shot of the weak spot. They just hoped it was before the thing got to them.
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