On the Hunt

[NDak 0]

Clouds rolled in from the distance. The gods were rumbling. In the distance the wind began to surge, rustling the leaves of trees and the blades of tall grass. The swirling winds would confuse the prey and make it unwilling to move, this was good.

 

Thalmaeix the Strong glanced to his spear before looking to rest of the hunting party. Eight of them sat out from the village when a young one spotted the Galnin beast on the outskirts of the village, and though the gods looked as if they would rain down water and thunder from the sky, he had not wanted to miss the opportunity to get such a prize that would feed them for many days, and produce a great fur to present as a trophy to the neighboring villages.

 

They had stalked the Galanin beast now for over thirty deko’a and he’d lead them into this wooded valley where it prepared to meet it the end of the cycle. Thalmaeix knew that brining down such an animal would not be easy, and though he was strong with spear, the hide of the beast would not pierce easily. To counter that, they’d brought with them spears tipped in Amberisol, the weapon of the ancient gods. Hopefully that would bring down the great beast before it could injure any of his men.

 

This was not a task for the old or lame and the make up of the hunting party reflected it, all eight of them were veterans of the hunt, save for Kobalx, son of Gaethir. He was the youngest of the group and decidedly the greenest, but Thalmaeix had decided it was time for the young warrior to gain a taste of the hunt. It was he who Thalmaeix worried for most, for he was young and inexperienced and the beast would smell fear in him and strike at him first.

 

Movement caught his eye and refocused his thoughts. That was not a Galanin beast…