dysproslogs | Hunting Honeybears

ntinWho: Haytham Kenway (

kingship), and Zoe Washburne (

someonetocarry) - CLOSED
What: HUNTING BEARS MISSION
When: Mon 24
Where: Woods south of Goldvale
Rating: PG13, maybe higher?

The guard sneered as the group passed through the main gate and turned in the direction of the woods but his sneer was returned with a cocky smile. They had a small history, Haytham and that particular guard, it was an extra bonus to find him on duty to witness the small group being granted permission to leave the city. The last time they had met that guard had been able to block him from getting too near the gate... this time he was entirely powerless to prevent it.

The woods south of the city of Goldvale were dense and the foliage partially covered most of the trails. It was only possible to find the honeybear due to the thick mud the creature's feet had left impressions in and the growls and grunts that could be heard from the bushes just ahead. The mud made travel slow and might add a level of difficulty to the hunt, these concerns were noted as Haytham turned to his travel partners. He had intended to confer with the others to plan out the best course of attack but the bear caught their scent in the air.

With a mighty roar the creature tore through the bushes and charged directly for the group of hunters.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Zoe was less than impressed at Haytham's attitude, to be honest. This was her first even halfway-serious mission since showing up here, and damned if she wasn't going to treat it seriously. She kept her face impassive while he smirked and swanned about, kept her mind on her work, and was already putting a round into her shotgun chamber at the sound of the animal up ahead, just in case. Zoe did tend to be the more soldierly of any group she was in.

So she, at least, was ready when it came pounding towards them. A quick shouldering, a quicker aiming, then a shot-- just a graze at the creature's side, was her aim. She wanted it turned aside, not killed, not yet. If it turned aside, she could get in a blindside, or it could decide they weren't worth the effort.

The touch of sightseeing and the cockiness displayed to the guard did not prevent him from being prepared when the bear made it's charge. His sword was drawn and ready when Zoe took her shot and had the bear not veered away, surprised by the sudden shock of pain, Haytham would have struck at it to prevent any of the party from receiving a mauling.

As it was the wounded animal barreled through the nearest bush trying to place some distance between itself and those who were hunting it. The creatures could move when they wished to! It was soon out of sight and the small clearing returned to the peaceful setting it had been before the brief encounter had begun.

"Should have taken the kill shot when you had the chance." Haytham spoke with no malice just a statement of fact, "Now we will have to track it down if we are to be done with this mission."

Luckily there was this trail of blood, no doubt from the injury the creature had just received, that they might follow to the animal's lair.

"Thought this trip was t'study, not t'mow down," Zoe commented. "It ain't hurt bad. Not somethin' that'll slow it down huntin'." Which had been on purpose. Zoe wasn't one to kill if she didn't have to, and this was just an animal, doing what it had to, in order to survive.

She glanced at their fellow hunter, and the man who'd hired them, then added, "Though if I've misunderstood, I'll make sure to take the headshot next time."

The one who hired them of course confirmed her impression of the mission, after he scrambled down from the tree he had climbed into.
The idea that this was a study had been understood but they had different ideas of what that meant. In 1755 there wasn't really a naturalist movement. Study a live animal? Why bother when killing the creature and dissecting it was so much faster?
So they weren't meant to kill it. What then were they supposed to... and why was that gentleman holding out a plastic baggie? Oh no. You can't be serious.

"I'll... just patrol the area, make certain that bear has left and your collection will not be interrupted."

Taking a sample of the animal's dropping was left entirely up to the gentleman or any of the rest of the crew who felt up to the task.

Zoe was less disgusted and more amused, but then, she was used to people like this. Fussy science types who needed people like her and Haytham to protect them while they did their fussy science things. Really, on occasion her husband was even like that. "Why don't I walk with you?" she suggested to Haytham. "Make sure that bear don't come back."

She clapped the naturalist lightly on the back and motioned for her partner in protection to lead the way.

"As you wish."

He didn't mind the suggestion at all and couldn't really blame the lady for wishing to avoid that portion of the mission either. People did have some odd hobbies in this world. They all held such trivial pursuits... did none of them strive for more than this?
Well, no matter. As long as this fulfilled one of their 'missions' the people could waste their time anyway they wanted.
Once they were away from the scientist who was busy collecting things to study back in town later Haytham spoke again.

"Enjoying the mission so far?"

"It's nice to get out of the city, I suppose," Zoe shrugged, keeping her gun ready. She switched her grip on it, and with a few metallic and wooden thunks, it shifted shape into a smaller and more mobile revolver, more suitable for closer range. "Nice to be doin' somethin' even remotely like what I'm used to, too."

She glanced over at him, briefly, before moving her gaze back to roving around their surroundings. "You?"

Haytham stopped walked to examine some very large claw marks that had been left on one of the trees. It looked, to him, like there might be even bigger animals out here. But of course he was no tracker... It was difficult to say for certain.

"It is a complete waste of time. Had I not decided I wished to leave the city and explore a bit of the outer grounds I would never have accepted the job."

Blunt, but very truthful. All of these missions were only a means to an end for him, he saw no reason to pretend otherwise.

"The people of this city are so caught up in their trivial pursuits when what we should be doing is finding out why that castle has become such a focus. If that is how we arrived then that might also be the way to return."

Well, no point in lingering here. He walked on, intending to do a full sweep around the area where the scientist was making himself busy.

"You did a lot of this kind of work at home? The way you handle that weapon, I can tell you are no stranger to it."

"Was a soldier, back in the day," Zoe shrugged, after making her own brief examination of the claw marks. Definitely not a honeybear, whatever it was. Too big. That was about all she could tell from it. She was picking some things up from the rangers she shared space with, but not that much.

"Done my share of shootin' before and after," she added. "It's jest somethin' I'm good at."

A lady soldier? There's a surprise. People actually progress to the point where that is allowed? In his time the men of a era tended to deny such a thing was possible, even though there were many women who were capable... one even that his thoughts briefly drifted to. But she wasn't here any longer, there was little point in lingering on the memory.

"I was a soldier too, for a time. Different era of course, the weaponry was no where near as advanced as you are accustomed to."

The roar of some far distant creature broke into the conversation.

"We shouldn't stay out here too long. The creatures here seem to be keeping their distance right now but there is no way to tell how long that might be the case. We should see how that fellow is getting along."

"Walk this way," Zoe suggested, jerking her head towards their left. It would take them back to their sponsor, in a round-about fashion. "Take the perimeter on the way back. Don't think that roar was anywhere close 'nuff to bother us jest yet."

And she suited actions to words, moving along the path she'd worked out in her head around the clearing where they'd been accosted. "What era you from, again, anyhow?" Small talk wasn't really her forte, but his surprise at her profession made her wonder.

Some how he always managed to end up this way, following a strong willed woman through the woods on a mission. He smiled ever so slightly as he nodded at her suggestion and fell in step behind her.

Small talk was not always something he cared for either but there were times when it was useful, like now, when you wanted to know more about the partner you had been assigned to.

"The year was 1755."

So he was pretty behind the times on so many little things, but also fairly adaptable. He would do what he could in this new situation until a way could be found to return to his true profession.

"You? Some time in the future, I should imagine?"

Hunting Honeybears

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