Caribou hunting

Everyone was excited, so naturally tensions were running high as the two handlers prepared their Tokotas for the upcoming hunt. This was Echo's first hunt, and Bael's first working with another Tokota, so it was a new experience for both of them. One that wasn't going to go very well if they didn't stop bickering, which finally led to their handlers having to step in and make them focus on the task at hand. Bael was grumpy at the best of times, and the younger Toko was thoroughly enjoying winding him up by nipping at his tail and legs as if he were livestock. It took some time to get them even moving away from home, but eventually they were taken into the wilderness, and Bael's tracking put to the test, though mostly to stop him snapping at Echo. An exchange of looks between the two handlers said that this was going to be a long day...

Once they had caught the faint scent of a moving herd, the handlers truly spurred the Tokos into action. At times it was as if their feet were barely touching the ground, as if they were flying through the forest towards their unseen prey. Bael led the race, he wouldn't have it any other way after all, probably some personality complex, at this thought his handler had to smile. Echo was much less experienced in manoeuvring about the forested area, so her footsteps were louder, more clumsy, but Mana was trying her best to get her to calm down. Her excitement could blow the entire thing, and scatter the herd before they even saw them, and that wouldn't be good at all. Perhaps Liam would be sympathetic, but he would have a hard time controlling Bael if he didn't get his way. The half mane had a temper. One that was best directed to more productive uses like hunting, rather than attacking her Tokota.

The herd had moved off quite a bit since the two handlers had last seen them. Their movement taking them across rivers, fields, very thick forest. The Tokotas just took it in their stride though, mostly at least. Echo complained a little at the river crossing, but it was only a small one. Mana had certainly been crossing her fingers that it would be after they had first heard the running water. Bael had prompted her forwards, and then they had been over it, with only a few wet paws and no temper tantrums. There was no guarantee that the way back would be so smooth though, as although he was focused and would pay attention now, Bael was very likely to take a dip and bring Liam along with him. Though Mana had never experienced it herself, Liam could say with certainty that riding back with water in your shoes was not a pleasant experience.

After the river, it was plain sailing from then on. The trees were more spaced out here, enabling them to move faster; and the ground wasn't littered with leaves, so they could move quieter. For once, even the wind appeared to be on their side, blowing the scent of the herd towards them, and their own scent further away so they could surprise the prey. But the wind also brought with it the sounds of various other animals which lived in the area, and though the Tokos were fine, Mana moved her hand to the grip of her spear, the other quickly brushing against Echo's mane, just to cool her own nerves. Most children in this area had grown up hearing horrible stories of bears twice as big as the biggest Tokotas, able to fell trees with a single swipe of their paws, teeth and claws as hard as steel, and blood red eyes. These demon bears had often kept her awake at night with their terrifying image, and had haunted her nightmares, so when the bear call was heard, all the hair at the back of her neck raised. Feeling her handler's fear, Echo whined a little under her breath, trying to be quiet and do as she was told, but also wanting to help in any way that she could. Of course Bael had no time for this, and moved on ahead to locate the herd and finally set eyes on them. Echo's whines drew her handler back from her nightmares, and after a quick thank you, they were once again moving at speed, this time following the trail set out by Bael.

Turns out he hadn't gone very far, as they had been closer to the prey than they had thought. The half mane had stopped in an area of cover, his handler had dismounted and had his hand on the male's neck to keep him steady. The tension in his body made it clear that if this hand wasn't there, there is no way he would have waited. Quickly dismounting and waiting beside Liam, Mana ran her fingers through Echo's mane, whispering softly to her to keep her steady, until Liam gave the word. The target had already been chosen, an older male who was lagging behind the rest of the herd. The caribou had sensed that something was wrong, they were growing agitated, but weren't yet sure why. Soon they would, but most of them would be safe. It took several minutes for the herd to be satisfied that there was no threat, allowing Mana to move Echo into a better position in the foliage, that way the two Tokos could stop their prey moving too far from the handlers. Just in case something went wrong, and they were needed, although it looked like it was going to be a successful hunt.

Bael made his move. He was a blur moving out of the cover of the forest, running directly at the herd and scattering the frightened caribou. They ran in every direction possible, but he was focused on his target, which allowed him to not get distracted by the chaos around him. The older male was frantic, moving between groups of other caribou, desperately trying to get away, but neither his endurance or his speed were any match for the Toko. Particularly when Echo was urged to move, blocking his escape and moving the small group of caribou they had herded together back towards Bael. Between the two Tokota, there was no where to go, but they tried. First running one way, only to be stopped by Echo, then the other way to be stopped by Bael. However fun it may have been for the Toko, they did have a job to do, so they closed the gap between them, then Bael went for his target. The terrified caribou didn't stand a chance as the Toko's jaws closed around its neck, snapping it quickly and cleanly, the body going limp against his form. Satisfied that his part in this was finished, Bael lay down, his jaws still possessively around his catch but knowing better than to start eating before his handler got back to him.

Echo on the other hand, didn't feel her job was done. She wasn't satisfied with a lesser role in this hunt, so although Bael's kill had scattered their small caribou group, she raced after them. She pushed herself harder and harder to catch up, closing the distance very quickly between her and her prey. The entire world slowed around her as she went in for the kill, catching the caribou by the flank and pulling it to a stop. Once certain that it couldn't get away, she copied Bael and went for the neck, piercing the throat instead of breaking the neck as cleanly as he had done. She was inexperienced and it showed, but she had made a kill on her own, and she was clearly very proud of that as she trotted back to her handler, ears forward and tail wagging slightly to match the grin that she looked like she had on her face.

It had taken a while to get the two Tokota to work together, but it looked like they had at least had a successful hunt. They would all be eating well that night, if they could convince the two to share their prizes after all of this. Echo appeared as though she was more than happy to share, showing off her hunting prowess at the same time, but Bael was insistent on keeping his close to him. Some things just don't change.

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Word count  - 1417

Word count HP - 7
Handler bonus - 2
Non-commissioned - 1
Hunting bonus - 2
(12 HP gained for each Tokota)