| The Hunting Party |
| Summary: | In which a merry band goes hunting on the outskirts of Terrick's Roost. |
| Date: | 22/09/2011 |
| Related Logs: | None |
| Players: |
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| North Fork — Wilderness |
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| The road stretches north to south, long and worn. The further north one goes the more trees and large copses begin to spring up. It heads northward towards Tall Oaks and south to the roads between Stonebridge and Terrick's Roost. |
| Thu Sep 22, 288 |
In the early afternoon, a small party set out from Terrick's Roost, toward the woodlands thicker woodland area that lies north of the castle. The goal, one of those much-discussed by so far not-accomplished errands of hunting, hawking, and generally just wasting some time in the wilderness during the long summer. Most carry a hunting spear or bow, though a few have chosen to gird themselves with a bird of prey for hawking. Others just carry wine and ride along to enjoy the company and waste the day. There's no sign of game yet, but they aren't properly off the main road and into the woods at this juncture. Ser Jarod Rivers rides near the head of the party, singing snatches of 'Lord Jerold's Lament.' He seems to find it funny, though the entertainment value to the rest of the party is likely arguable.
Jacsen rides near the head with his brother, being one of those whom has accompanied the party for the sake of wasting time, and has occupied his hands with reins and a wine skin rather than the accoutrements of hunting some others sport. "Someone really ought to make a new song for you," he notes to Jarod as the man continues his frequent partial renditions of the Lament, rolling his eyes with some good humor.
"Call it 'Jarod Made the Eight' and he'll never stop singing it," Gedeon muses from where he rides a little behind Jarod and Jacsen. He has a bow over his shoulder, the weapon chosen fairly arbitrarily as he's no better with arrows than he is with a spear, so perhaps he, too, comes along more for amusement than for furry trophies. "Or perhaps he'll kill something today worthy of song and we'll all be spared."
Lucienne has brought with her neither bow, nor bird, nor beverage; she's just tailing her brothers beside Gedeon, riding for the most part in silence. Jarod's singing draws a smile from her every so often as it carries to her, the good humor rubbing off on his little sister. "It's not that bad a song, is it?" She pipes up. "Unless you're poor Jaremy."
Josse is definitely not along for the hunt itself; though the septon may be quietly good with some weapon or another (maybe) he's brought none along. Instead it's just him and his recognizable satchel, the sound of metallic clinks marking every step along the winding trail.
Caytiv is come a-hunting equipped with two spears in hand and a third in reserve at his back, crosswise with the point away from his throwing hand, and likewise his hunting knife at his thigh. He rides behind the brothers of the place, but near to the front of the party, such that he smiles over the discussion of musical accompaniment for the trip, but says nothing on it, keeping his eyes on the hounds ahead.
Anais has brought both bow and bird, though the bow is tucked away at her saddle, and the bird is carried by an attendant at the moment. "I remember thinking that there would be many more singers passing through the Riverlands than there ever were at the Banefort," she chimes in on the matter of Jarod's song. "I just thought that they might be /trained/." She grins at Jarod's back, her innocent expression already in place.
"Oh, he's trained, all right," Gedeon laughs. "Just not in singing." Glancing over towards Lucienne he allows, "It's not so bad a song. At last, not the first forty times."
"Oh come now," Jacsen remarks at that last from Anais, "My brother has… so sweet a voice, it…" He looks over at Jarod and cannot keep a straight face, laughing some. "Alright, the Lady has it, Jarod. Your skills do not lie in music making, I'm afraid." He takes a sip from his wine skin and then offers it towards Caytiv whom rides near he and his brother, as he has probably done before during the trip. "Ser Gedeon has the right of it, Enne. It's not so bad a song until you've heard it so many times you wake up in the dead of night repeating it to yourself." His dire expression is, more or less, feigned atop amusement.
Jarod is a spears man himself when it comes to hunting, from the look of how he's outfitted himself. "Pity Jaremy couldn't join us. Not sure what he's been up to lately. Least he let you take a bit of liberty, Cayt." Noted half over his shoulder to the squire riding a little behind him. To Jacsen and Gedeon, he snorts. "I like my song just fine, and I'm singing it the way the bards intended. Not my fault most audiences can't appreciate it. And what is this 'Made the Eight' business you're talking of? I don't believe I'm familiar with the term." The fakery of innocence - probably largely for Lucienne and Anais' benefit - is decidedly unconvincing. "How do these woods compare to the Westerlands?" The question seems addressed to Anais and Caytiv both. "They get thicker the farther north you get. If you take the path far enough you'll go toward Lady Liliana's home, in the Tall Oaks, though that's a far longer ride than we should have to take to find some deer. Or rabbits. Lady Anais netted a fine rabbit with her hawk not far from the castle."
The woods grow thicker as they go along, the shadows lengthening as the trees around them become taller and thicker along the path, branches stretching up to obscure the bright blue of the summer sky. There are definitely /sounds/ of animals around them - the twittering of birds for the moment mostly - but they're entering their proper habitat.
"A deer would be more sporting, considering the number of us," Ser Gedeon points out. "I'm not sure a rabbit would have much of a fighting chance. And deer have antlers, so there's at least a hint of danger." He considers, glancing over at the hawk, "Though I suppose those things would make him rather poor sport for Lady Banefort's feathered friend."
"And Ser Jarod's bird brought back a lovely squirrel," Anais adds to Jarod's tale. "Hopefully we can bring in a few more. I believe he was going to make a scarf of the tails." She laughs to Gedeon's words, turning a rueful smile on her Peregrine. "He's not really suited to taking on deer, I'm afraid. But I'll let you know when I find a dragon to keep around for that sort of thing. I will most likely let /everyone/ know when that happens, though, so don't hold it against me if you aren't the first," she grins.
Lucienne clamps her teeth closed tightly to suppress a giggle at Gedeon's concession, but it doesn't last long; Jarod's funny-business about making the eight sees her own laughter bubble past her lips. "You'll keep, Buttons," she tells him fondly. "If you don't stray to those terrible establishments in town, one can manage to go whole /weeks/ without hearing the tune, you know, Jace." There is likely no coincidence in the reminder of her virtue, there! As the woods start to grow thicker, her eyes start to wander though, to the shrubbery that grows in between the tall trees, and Lucienne falls silent again.
"Ay, an' I'm grateful for the leave," Cayt replies, voice somewhat distracted a moment longer as he watches the hounds, then, finally, turning to look to Jarod, then to Jacsen, he lifts his free hand from Ryande's neck and takes the skin for a draught. "Less sky," he reports, of the change in hunting venue. "I always reckon't it a wee mite eerie, how there's hardly a sky to be seen about, so. Just trees, so, and… trees like so," he gestures with the wineskin here and there. "Not to say there's no growth on the pass, ay? There's plenty a copse an' grotto. But betwixt 'em lies tall grass where there's no rock, and not this briary growth, knee-high. A different sort of place, is true." He looks over the group as Gedeon speaks of being sporting with the numbers. "Reckon we're enough men an' spears to take a bear, did we see one, ay?" he wonders of the lot of them.
"Bear doesn't taste very good, though," Gedeon opines sagely to Caytiv, "for all we could probably the lot of us jab it dead." He glances around at all the trees but then peers of at Anais. "A squirrel-tail scarf? I had no idea our Jarod Rivers was such a pinnacle of high fashion."
"I rather hope I did not miss seeing a bear," Jacsen observes at Caytiv's comment, holding his hand out to take the skin back when the squire is done with it. "I'm off the opinion that bears should make themselves rather obvious, better all aroun-" It's Gedeon's comments that have the Terrick lordling laughing, his shoulder shaking with the effort. "Oh, he'd look most fetching, I think, don't you, ladies?"
<FS3> Caytiv rolls Hunting+25: Good Success.
<FS3> Gedeon rolls Alertness: Success.
<FS3> Lucienne rolls Alertness: Success.
<FS3> Jacsen rolls Alertness: Good Success.
<FS3> Anais rolls Alertness: Success.
There are signs of bigger game than songbirds as they get farther and farther into the wild. Deer, most notably, the tracks of their hooves going off the path to the northwest and into the woods some. Though there are traces rabbits and foxes have made their way across the ground not too long ago as well, for those looking for such things. While it's off the main road, it's not terribly hard riding, largely flat on grass beneath the increasingly tight-grown trees.
Jarod is paying more attention to the conversation than looking for things to fling spears at, at present, so he doesn't immediately spot them. He does get a laugh out of Anais' words. "He was a rough beast, but my trusty hawk and I manage to overcome him. I'll soon have a dozen of them for my scarft, and they'll call me Ser Jarod Squirrel-Slayer. Make a fine song, that will, to add to my collection of ballads."
"It's only that Jarod is so fond of chasing after tail," Anais explains to Gedeon in her most innocent voice, only the hint of a smile touching one corner of her lips. For all they're meant to be hunting, she doesn't seem to be looking all that closely at the area, and perfectly content to ride and chatter the day away.
Lucienne's attention drifts back up as Caytiv mentions bears, and she says apprehensively, "A bear?" She blinks a few times, missing out on the amusement of the scarf jokes. "Do you think we will see bears? Please tell me you're joking."
Gedeon barks a surprised laugh for Anais's jest, grinning brightly at her. "Perhaps they will just call him Jarod Tail-Chaser, then. Or Squirrel-Wearer. Really, it's the bird that does all the slaying, though I can understand how it could be fulfilling, training a creature and then watching it perform well for you."
"Maybe not a bear," Jacsen says over his shoulder at Lucienne's question, his gaze catching to something on the ground as they move. He pays it too much mind to laugh as he might otherwise at the rather funny joke about Jarod and tails. "Anyone else see those?" he wonders, gesturing in a vague way at the forest floor.
Caytiv hands Jacsen back the wineskin, the flat, serious look that had been settled on his face yielding to a slow spread of a bright smile. "Ay. Ay, I see well. Looks as a mountain cat's been by this way, I reckon. Or panther, ay?" he looks to Jacsen as if for confirmation of the fact even as he urges Ryande to come up by the tracks so he can get a better eye for their bearing.
"Tail-Chaser I think I could learn to live with," Jarod says with a chuckle at Gedeon and Anais' naming of him. "Ladies would like it, I suspect. Don't worry, Lu. I don't think there're many bears this far south. Not so near the coast, at least, though we do get game wandering down from the Northlands sometimes if they're very much in search of food. Panther?" This intrigues him. He squints into the greenwood, in the general direction Caytiv's indicated. "Never hunted one of them before. What do you figure your falcon would make of one of those, Lady Anais?" The hounds, meanwhile, are also beginning to sniff at the tracks with greater interest.
Bruce comes upon the group of those hunting, hawking and drinking on a very average but strong looking rouncey horse. His helmet has been pulled off of his head and rests fastened to one of the tie points. Alongside him on a nearly identical horse is a much younger lad, in his late teens. While he isn't armoured like Bruce, he's fairly well equipped anyways. The two trot at a pleasant speed towards the gathering.
"Maybe not a bear," Lucienne repeats after her brother with much dismay in her voice. "Maybe. How comforting." She sighs as Jarod adds his two coppers, and turns her attention back to the surrounds, eyes narrowing slightly at Jace's question. "The raspberries?" For that's what she's spotted. Caytiv's suggestion causes her to blink and look again, and she murmurs mostly to herself about possibly having been better off staying home and dealing with the whispers back at the castle.
"My falcon can fly out of their way, so I don't imagine he'd be very worried about a panther," Anais answers Jarod with a brief smile, though she seems a little concerned. "I, on the other hand, am not certain if it's the best prey for our current party," she notes, looking to Lucienne and glancing to her bow. "As pretty as the pelts may be."
Tying his skin to the saddle, Jacsen nods at Caytiv's assessment. "Looks like it, though I think you'd recognize them better than I," he points out, a slight frown marking his features. "What do you think, Jarod? Might there be some truth to the fact that a panther is more cunning prey than our casual group might wish to tangle with?" His careful following of the trail of larger paw prints in the brush is interrupted at the sound of the approach of the Stonebridge pair, a sight that has Jacsen's brow rising. "Ser Bruce?" he calls, when the two men come nearer the Terrick party.
Gedeon leans a little sideways to try and get a glimpse of these tracks belonging to a more dangerous creature. "I think Lady Banefort and Lord Jacsen have the way of it. This isn't the right sort of hunting party for such quarry. I see plenty of tracks belonging to deer and rabbit going in a different direction. Why don't we follow one of those?"
Jarod glances back to Lucienne, and Anais as well. "I'm not terribly in need of a panther tail," he allows to Jacsen. "With the dogs, if there's creatures like that out here, they'll like as avoid us. Aye. Let's see if we can net us some venison. And perhaps Lady Anais can continue her streak of rabbit-slaying." He veers his mount a little away from one of the larger, clawed animal tracks, putting the horse's nose more westward. Where there are signs the deer have skittered. Though he doesn't ride off just yet, the sound of another approaching horse making him turn a little, so he can see who's coming. He grins when he spots Bruce. "Ser Longbough. Was afraid we'd lost you back there. Fancy something with antlers today?"
"A bear, there was, a bear, a BEAR! All black, and brown and covered in hair!" Ser Bruce sings in greeting to those present, slowing his horse, Maddock, with a tug on the reigns. The singing is not particularly pretty, but better than nails on a chalkboard. "Evening, noble lords and ladies. Aye, it's me. I believe Ser Jarod sent me an invitation, but there were some… er, issues. Before we left. Dealt with, of course. This is my squire, Brendan. He's Ser Ephrim Amos's son. Fought on our side at the Trident? With the Tullys, good friend of mine." This hunting talk further on ahead of him is ignored until Jarod questions him directly. "Eh. I'm not much of a hunter meself, but I can stick my spear in a deer well enough, I guess. They're a bit faster than sure footed men, though." He grins.
Caytiv is hardly gotten over the bright beaming of having come across some big cat prints when he looks up to any and all discouraging him from the pursuit he'd thought imminent. He can't quite manage to hide a moment of grumpy disappointment, but aloud he just nods in abrisk gesture of assent to the decision, and, with one last look on after the tracks, he urges Ryande around to go follow the deer, instead.
Delicate little Lucienne is still muttering about her lack of suitability for such a ride whilst she scours the forest shrubs, very tempted to dismount and pick some raspberries. In contrast to Caytiv, she's quite relieved that it's decided panther is not their target prey, however the wrinkle of worry on her forehead suggests the idea that one might be around still makes her nervous. She shifts a glance up at the sound of Bruce's bear song, though makes an effort not to scowl and ruin the jovial mood. Instead, she reins Ticker round to follow Ryande and the rest.
"I can think of plenty of uses for good rabbit pelts," Anais says with a small, comfortable smile as she turns away from the panther tracks. "But I don't fancy being eaten by a large cat."
"Hunters never much fancy being hunted," Gedeon agrees with a smile. "It's a wholly unnerving experience." As Bruce and his squire arrive, Gedeon turns a little on his saddle to offer them a nod. "Welcome, then, Ser Longbough. Glad to have another couple of able-bodied men about to jab at fleeing animals."
Jacsen edges his horse away from the panther tracks along with the rest of then group, though he spends a bit of time with his head turned to look at Lucienne, a thoughtful look on his own face. It doesn't last too long, though, and he is focused once more on the path ahead of them. "Good to see you again, Ser Longbough. I hope Stonebridge is treating you decently well?"
"The bear, the bear and the maiden fair!" Jarod picks up Bruce's tune. His baritone isn't awful, though it's suited to tavern or marching songs rather than anything pretty or complicated. And it's somewhat belting in a way that's likely to frighten the forest creatures. "Brendan. Pleasure. We'll not be spearing men today, I don't think, unless someone's aim goes horribly awry." And off they go, in the direction of venison for now. A quick look, and grin, to his lady sister. "Don't worry, Luci. We'll protect you from marauding wild cats and bears and rabid rabbits the like. I'll even see if I can net you a squirrel. Or a few, to make a little pouch out of for your coins and the like."
A couple of the dogs run ahead, sniffing at the tracks. They're onto something, it seems. At least they aren't - by all appearances - following the panther.
<FS3> Anais rolls Alertness: Success.
<FS3> Bruce rolls Alertness: Great Success.
<FS3> Caytiv rolls Alertness: Great Success.
<FS3> Jacsen rolls Alertness: Great Success.
<FS3> Gedeon rolls Alertness: Great Success.
"I just hope I don't break this new boar spear that I've got." Bruce grabs the spear from its 'racked' position, flipping it over a few times. "I don't even know if this is right for deer, but I didn't have anything else for hunting." He shrugs, in any case, and uses his legs to get Maddock to follow the rest of the group. Brendan, his shy squire, keeps quiet but alert.
"Thankyou, Jarod," says Lucienne a little distractedly. She's busy darting her eyes around looking for panthers or berries or deers or berries or flowers or bears.
<FS3> Gedeon rolls Marksmanship: Good Success.
It's not a panther that catches Gedeon's attention as he shrugs the bow off his back and reaches for an arrow. It's a small, brown thing darting across the leaves to his left. The arrow flies and there's a little, high-pitched shriek. And then the running thing is still. A rabbit, or the body of one, with an arrow in its side.
Bruce purses his lips in a frown as the opportunity to ride something down doesn't come up, really. "Ach, I'm not suited to this. Shoulda brought my javelins." He mumbles, and watches the other men do the killing.
<FS3> Anais rolls Hawking: Success.
As the dogs start to hunt, Anais takes her falcon from the attendant, removing its hood with a gentle touch. "Here we are," she murmurs with a small smile, shifting her reins to one hand and settling her seat just a bit differently. Two sets of sharp eyes - human and falcon - track the movement in the brush, until Anais lifts her arm. "Hunt," she calls, and the falcon pushes from her gloved arm to the air. It circles once, twice, then dives sharply, coming up with another rabbit, which the attendant goes to retrieve.
<FS3> Caytiv rolls Marksmanship-10: Success.
Caytiv uses his knees up push himself higher, drawing his off-hand to his right shoulder to take his second spear before he pulls back and chucks the first on down through the trees, far past the hounds and bunnies, impaling a flash of a red target and then sticking in the brush, its butt-end wobbling with the impact. When he spots the red still pinned to the spot, he lets out a whoop of victory before riding on ahead to retrieve his weapon and the fox.
Jacsen isn't prepared to take part in the actual hunt, despite his keen eyes in the woods, and so instead draws back on his horse ever so slightly, so that the hunters can move past and beyond him to begin their work. He leans in his saddle to retrieve the wine skin, and busies himself with another sip as the others work.
Jarod hefts a spear to hurl at one of the scurrying rabbits, though it's not the best weapon for such a small quarry. It sails over his apparent target, embedding itself in a nearby tree. "Huh," he snorts, shrugging, and sidling up near Jacsen to motion for the wineskin. "Wasn't really trying, anyhow. That wasn't a squirrel." Though he does allow a "Fine shot," to Gedeon. The smaller game Caytiv, Gedeon and Anais have netted is rounded up by the retainers. A low whistle escapes Jarod's lips as he spots Caytiv's fox in particular. "That'll make a pretty pelt, lad. Another rabbit, Lady Anais? Your bird'll be developing a taste for them."
And just like that, there's a bloodbath going on around her. Lucienne isn't much one for watching animals meet their ends, so she tugs Ticker back to pull up beside Jacsen too. "What's faster," she wonders of her lord brother, though loud enough that anyone else near enough might hear to answer, "A panther or a horse?"
He hands the skin over easily enough to his brother, though it's Lucienne whom receives the weight of Jacsen's attention. "Over a short distance? Likely the panther," he observes, though he is quick to add, "But there are few panthers if any so brave as to come into the midst of a group this large. If we don't let anyone stray too far alone, there's really not much to worry about." Well, he's pretty sure about that. It's been a long time since he did much hunting on his own.
"Eh, I like when the quarry fights back a bit." Bruce mumbles to his blond haired squire, Brendon, who nods but doesn't reply. Bruce reaches into the saddlebag to grab a skin for himself, and pops it open. He's not got much more to do than watch the little spectacle, as small animals all around are skewered. Mmm, breakfast!
"I suspect he already has," Anais smiles ruefully to Jarod, accepting the bird as the retainer hands him back. "But he's so very good at catching them, aren't you Brightwing?" she grins to the bird, brushing a finger along his chest feathers.
Caytiv blushes slightly as he rides up ahead only to have the retainers go on ahead of him. Right. Retainers. He holds up and lets the rest of the group catch back up to him, looking kind of awkward as his usual work is done by someone… tending to him. "A fine color," he agrees mutedly to Jarod. "If only the throw didn't maul it, so. I reckon an arrow'd be better for this manner a thing, but I can't hardly get the knack of it. Better with a spear." As has been amply demonstrated.
Gedeon nods to Jarod. "Thanks. Lucky shot, I think. Haven't done much with arrows since I was trained in how to use them." Glancing over at Lucienne, he adds, "I think a horse in fear for its life is faster than most anything, my lady. But I doubt it is a question that will be answered today."
Jarod gulps some of his brother's wine, while a retainer does him the favor of retrieving his spear. "Horse, certainly," he replies to Lucienne. Confidently. How he knows much about the varying speed of panthers is anybody's guess, but he certainly seems like he believes it. When he's taken (more than) his share of the drink, it's passed back to Jacsen. To Caytiv, he nods. "Might be able to get something fine from the skin once it's cleaned. But, aye, spears're better for larger game. Like deer. Which we've still to find." The tracks of said deer are still not difficult to follow, though there's no sight of the animal itself yet.
"We're kinna a big party for deer, inn'it?" Bruce asks of Jarod, motioning to the amount of people around. "They do tend to spook easily, I find."
Her eyebrows shoot upward at Jacsen, before Lucienne shifts a look over to Gedeon, and then back to dear Jarod. Dear, confident Jarod. She draws in a long, deep breath, and murmurs, "See that? Sometimes it's better to lie, Jace." A quick tug on the reins edges her horse just a little bit closer to her brother's.
Caytiv gets his spear back, blood diluted in a splash of water as the tip joins up with the other tip and he holds both in his hand up near his shoulder. "Ay, with a deer the head's not as like to come out the other side," he chuckles.
Jacsen takes the skin back from his brother and shakes his head. "Ah, what do any of us know of panthers anyways?" he remarks, before offering the wine towards Lucienne. "Have a swallow or two, you'll worry about panthers less," he suggests. "I know it is doing wonders for me…" His dry tone gives way to a warmer expression as he says to the others, "Besides, we've you skilled hunters to keep anything untoward at bay, it seems."
Jarod nods to Bruce, squinting into the shadowy trees where the tracks lead. "Aye. They are at that. Perhaps some of us should dismount. Track it on foot for a spell." He looks between Gedeon and Caytiv. "Well, some of you, rather. I'll stay here with my sweet sister. Help her pick berries and keep watch for panthers." His smile suggests he's joking about the panthers. Mostly. Probably. Almost entirely.
Gedeon considers and then he nods, bringing his horse to a halt before sliding off it. "Who'll keep a hold of this fellow, then, while we're of after deer?"
Anais looks among the others as there's talk of dismounting, brow arching slightly when Jarod declines. "And who does that leave, hmm?" she asks, smile quirking briefly. "You're going to send the Baneforts after the deer, is that how it's going to be?"
Wine? Fine. Lucienne practically snatches the skin out of Jacsen's hands, taking a most unladylike couple of gulps from it before she's overcome by a wince at the strong taste of the liquid. She'll have at it once more before offering it back. "Don't let me ruin your hunting trip, Jarod, please. Though if it's safe to hop down, those berries do look lovely…"
"Panthers are definitely faster than people," Jacsen remarks, in a light tease. Mostly. He takes a long sip from the skin and hangs it back on then side of his saddle, turning to watch the spectacle of the hunt unfold with the others taking part in the event.
Jarod crooks a brow himself at Anais, perhaps a little surprised that she puts herself in to go deer-hunting as well. But he's more amused than anything else. "Consider it an opportunity to show us the superior prowess of the Westerlands, m'lady. Though I hope Ser Gedeon can represent us Riverfolk with some valor." He motions to a retainer, who moves to take the reins of Gedeon's horse, to make sure it stays in place. He'll pick berries with Lucienne - he event dismounts, to show how very safe it is - while the others traipse into the woods after the deer.
The animal isn't difficult to track amidst the trees once they're afoot and it has less thundering warning of them coming. It's an impressive creature, a buck with fine, tall antlers that'll make a fine trophy for whoever bags it.
Anais slips from her horse with a crooked smile for Jarod, retrieving her bow and quiver as she does. "No telling, now," she cautions, placing a finger to her lips and looking around the party before moving to follow the others into the woods. When they come upon the deer, she quietly draws an arrow, sighting along its length to the deer's heart.
"I shall do my best," Gedeon promises, following after the smaller on-foot hunting party and pausing when the deer comes into view. He is gracious enough to allow the lady the first arrow, though he readies his own bow, should that arrow fall short.
Caytiv lets his Annie go ahead of him, following along not quite at her side, but close enough, holding both spears at his shoulder and waiting for her to let the shaft fly, and Gedeon, as well, lowering himself to set one spear in the brush and getting both his hands on the other, rising into a crouch, ready to rush the beast once it's stuck.
<FS3> Caytiv rolls Marksmanship: Good Success.
<FS3> Anais rolls Marksmanship: Good Success.
<FS3> Gedeon rolls Marksmanship: Good Success.
It isn't quite a /perfect/ shot. Anais may have aimed for the heart, but she hits just to the side, no doubt taking out a lung in the process. There's a small, yet triumphant smile on her features as she turns to look at Caytiv and Gedeon, though she remains silent save for the smallest squeak. Have to let the men do their thing, too.
Anais' arrow does find the deer in a nasty vital spot, though it takes long enough to stumble so Gedeon may need to also get off an arrow that lands not far from Anais'. They can argue over who actually gave it the fatal wound. Neither is an instant kill, however, and it will be up to Caytiv to rush the hurt buck and finish him off. Though what's left of the deer won't put up much of a fight. It will, however, make fine venison once it's hauled back to the castle.
Caytiv doesn't shrink from the task, but when the buck is wheeling and endeavoring a bellow with its one good lung, Cayt springs out from behind the archers, bounding through the brush and hardly seeming to bend a stalk but angling the spear so as to meet it point-on at the throat and shove the thing's neck to the ground, taking out the throat and grounding the buck.
