Hunting Honeybears

[orderispeace]

ntinWho: Haytham Kenway (orderispeace), Sinbad (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.

Comments

[orderispeace]

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."

[someonetocarry]

"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."

[orderispeace]

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."

[someonetocarry]

"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.

[orderispeace]

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?"