literature

One for the road

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“Why don't you come with us on a hunt today? If we're heading in the direction that you're going anyway then you might as well? Plus then you'll have more to take back with you.” Liam smirked, giving the anthropomorphic feline handler a friendly pat on the back. The action seemed to make the other handler jump a little as he hadn't been expecting it, but he smiled back despite his embarrassment.

“You make a good point...” He was still thinking it over, but he knew he was likely to agree with the other.

“Of course he does, he's good at that.”

The other voice caught him off guard, making him jump once again. Twice in as many seconds, how embarrassing. But neither seemed surprised. Had he even heard her approaching? Not really... She was absolutely silent.

The three had enjoyed their short time together, chatting away over the fire in the middle of the tribe camp grounds until late, or at least until they had all decided to go to sleep. But life has to go on as soon as the sun rises for the next day. The tribe needed more food and hides, so Liam and Mana needed to go out anyway, so they had suggested that Archer go along with them at least half of the way. Obviously not to return with them after the hunt though, that would be much more effort than was necessary.

Chatting a little more as they got themselves ready for the journey, taking their time as they packed their bags with the supplies they would need, the three handlers then went to fetch their Tokotas. Quebec had been on her own when she was called by her handler, though it was obvious that she hadn't been that way for very long. Her thick mane was covered in earth, as was her snout, but her paws were more or less clean. The culprit for the mess was clearly someone else then, but Quebec wasn't entirely innocent in the matter. Still held in her jaws was a shiny rock which she hadn't gotten around to burying yet, but she feigned innocence, handing it over to her handler as though it had been a gift. He knew better than that, but he thanked her with a scratch behind the ears nonetheless.

Calling for some of their own Tokotas, Liam and Mana smirked as the animals quickly ran over, excited to have been chosen for the hunt. The first to reach the handlers was Dyami. The yeti maned male bounded over to Mana and licked her face. She acted as though she didn't like it, and pushed him off, but the grin on her face said differently. Sure the wet Toko kiss was a little disgusting, but the yeti seemed so happy to see her that it was impossible to be upset with him. Next to arrive was Gwyneira. The curly maned van gogh female didn't quite hurry over as Dyami had done, but she seemed pleased to go out hunting. Her tail was wagging madly behind her, though her front half looked calm and peaceful. She buried her face in Liam's chest, snuggling in a little more when he wrapped his arms around her, then just stood there for a little while. This made Mana laugh a little as she watched, but Dyami soon cured that by sending his own madly wagging tail to collide with the side of her face.

The last two members of the group approached a little more cautiously. Or at least one of them did, the other was more just tagging along. Lysander stayed a little further back, away from the others. He was still a little nervous around them, particularly without his usual handler. The wolverine male had never been overly brave, but it was clear that he was trying. It didn't help that the strange half mane that had been following Quebec and Archer around was sticking to his side like glue, making him even more nervous. It wasn't that he was being aggressive or even unfriendly in the slightest, it was in fact the opposite. He was being too friendly and excitable, and Lysander wasn't sure about him. Although, as soon as the extended dun male had spotted the handlers, he dashed over, allowing the wolverine male a moment of peace. He made his way over to Quebec first, being loud and playful with her, which she tried to respond to, but it was made difficult as her handler was trying to get her clean and ready to head out. Not getting the response he was looking for from the barbary, he headed over to Dyami, who was more than happy to play with him while his handler prepared Lysander for the trip.

With their Tokotas wrestled into a state of half-decent preparation for this hunt, the group set off into the forests, heading for the ice fields where they were likely to find seals. Seals had a lot of meat on them, and their hides were good to sell or make things out of, so they were a good choice for their prey.

As the trees became more sparse, the group knew they were approaching their destinations. The more open areas between the vegetation left more exposed to the cold, so little by little, the ground was becoming more and more frozen. Everyone was feeling the chill, but none as much as Wrath seemed to be feeling it. The half mane had shorter fur than the rest of the group, so although he became a little more of a nuisance, Quebec tolerated him as he stayed close to her side to keep warm. Mana positioned Dyami on the other side of him, the yeti also possessing thick enough fur to attempt to heat him up a little. Lysander was nervous at first, but the cold forced him to stay close to the others, so he settled next to Gwyneira, the two of them keeping each other warm with their thick manes.

The ice fields stretched on ahead of them, the icy sheets reaching outwards where the group knew the sea was hiding. It was frozen over where it met the land, particularly in inlets like this, but it was thinner the closer you were to the open water. They knew they had to be careful. Archer in particular didn't really want to take another dip in ice cold water, he shuddered as he even thought about it.

Dismounting from their Tokotas as they reached the ice, Liam took the position in the front of the group, making sure the ice was thick enough for them before they all moved forwards. He knew he could handle a swim better than the other two could, so there was his reasoning. A little further back, but not too far away, Gwyn wandered behind him. Liam kept having to look back and make sure she was keeping her distance, because Gwyn didn't like being too far from her handler. But she was behaving for now. The rest of the group was clustered, though still spread out enough to not put too much pressure on the ice. Lysander had moved to the back on his own since Gwyn had moved forwards, but he didn't seem to mind it, using the opportunity to just slowly walk behind the others. Wrath was still cuddled up closely between Quebec and Dyami, though there was a little more room between them than there had been before. Dyami kept having to be steered away by Mana though so they weren't all stepping on one another. The yeti maned male didn't seem to understand his handler's reasons, but he did as he was told. Quebec on the other hand seemed much more in control of the situation and needed no help from her handler, but Archer stayed close enough anyway, just in case.

Against the emptiness of the rest of their surroundings, the air holes created by the seals really stood out. Now that they were at their desired locations, the handlers removed any tack they had with them so that it wouldn't get too wet, and set that to the side. The Tokotas were then allowed to go off and find their own space, as long as they were in sight. Which wasn't particularly hard as they could see for miles...

Quebec and Gwyneira went off first. The pair seemed the most experienced of the group, and quickly found the spots that they wanted and got themselves into position. They stayed together, at the same hole in the ice, but on different sides, waiting just on the edge of the hole so that they could spring on anything that got close. Then the wait was on.

Dyami wasn't quite as experienced but had done this before, just as it seemed that Wrath had done this before. Both seemed to know what they needed to do, but were a little slow to actually do it. Instead they squabbled playfully over the top of the ice hole, nipping at each other and making a bit of a racket. They were unlikely to be drawing in any seals with that tactic, but the handlers knew that they would calm down eventually, so they were left to it. They were far enough away from the others that they wouldn't ruin their chances, so they were allowed to play.

Lysander was left on his own, which suited him fine, but made it a little harder for him to hunt. He was the closest in position to the handlers, so after a little while Mana set her belongings down and moved to take up the position around the ice hole with him. She stayed a little further back, but close enough that she could move in if the wolverine male seemed to be struggling. He could probably do it on his own though, so she kept out of his way.

As it happened, the first seal that appeared was in Lysander's air hole. It cautiously rose to the surface to take a breath and was startled when it was grabbed by powerful jaws and dragged out of the water. Lysander had observed the others plenty of times, and his own handler had taken him out to hunt seals before, so he didn't make a fuss and simply did his job. The seal was killed quickly and cleanly then dragged over to where Mana had been standing. He had clearly had a little trouble getting it out of the water initially as it definitely wasn't a smooth action, but he seemed very proud of himself as he stood over his prize.

Gwyn and Quebec were the next ones to be tested. The hole between them was fairly small, so they knew it was going to be troublesome to work together, but somehow they pulled it off. The seal surfaced to breathe, unaware of the danger it was now in. Quebec struck first, grabbing it and moving to pull it up. Gwyn moved next, working around the barbary to get a much more precise grip on the prey and together they pulled it smoothly up onto the ice. Barely an extra ripple was seen in the water of the hole in the ice, the pair killing their seal quickly then returning to their positions in case another came along. Both were determined to do their best, and entirely focused on the task at hand, working together like a deadly machine.

Dyami and Wrath had their turn next. Though their teamwork was nowhere near as smooth as the barbary and curly maned females' had been. Their ice hole was larger, leaving the seal more room to move. So when it appeared and spotted the quick movement of the Tokotas, it turned and tried to swim away. Wrath had just managed to grab hold of it, but his hold wasn't particularly good, so he couldn't pull it up. Dyami attempted to help, but his position made it difficult, and he couldn't reach the middle of the hole, so instead he slipped into the water after it, managing to get a good hold on the seal and drag it closer to the half mane so that Wrath could also get a better grip. They struggled, but together they somehow managed to pull the seal out of the water through some combination of pulling from above and pushing from below. Dyami then removed himself from the water, shaking it from his fur and sending it flying everywhere. Though it wasn't elegant, the pair seemed proud of their hunt, and dragged the seal over to the handlers before laying down beside them. That was enough for them.

They stayed a while longer, Quebec and Gwyn managing to get themselves another seal after a long wait, but the mess Wrath and Dyami had made out of it seemed to have scared most of the prey away. Still, they had a few now. The handlers prepared themselves and their catches for travel, packing up and tacking the Tokotas again where necessary. This was where they said their goodbyes, not dragging it out but making it short and to the point. Archer and Quebec headed on their way back to their tribe, bringing a seal with them, the extended dun half mane trotting along behind them for a little while but seeming to double back when he realised the others weren't coming. Apparently he was staying with them a little longer.

The ride back to the tribe was pleasant. All of the Tokotas were a little tired from their hunting, so it went smoothly. Even Lysander stayed close, though everyone avoided being too close to Dyami. He was still wet and very cold, the reason why Mana was riding Lysander back. The yeti male didn't seem to understand the fuss they were making, but enjoyed his run back to the tribe nonetheless. When they got back to the tribe, the handlers would dry the Tokos off properly, but for now there wasn't much they could do. Still, the sun was up and casting light through the trees, and the movement alone was shaking much of the water out of the Tokotas' fur, so it wouldn't be too difficult a task to achieve.

They arrived back at their tribe in good time, packing away quickly and drying off the Tokotas that needed it (mostly Dyami really...). Archer wouldn't reach his tribe for a while, but at least he had some more supplies now though. He was much more prepared now.
-----

HP -
Word count (2428) -
12HP
Handler bonus - 2HP
Hunting bonus - 2HP
Non commissioned bonus (Gwyn, Dyami, Lysander) - 1HP

Totals -
16HP for Wrath, Quebec
17HP for Gwyneira, Dyami, Lysander

Link to import sheet: Quebec 9506
Link to (hunting/fishing/exploring) journal: Quebec Tracker
Items/Companions: None
Defects/Health Issues: None

Link to import sheet: Wrath 9558
Link to (hunting/fishing/exploring) journal: Tokota Hunting/Fishing/Exploring Journal
Items/Companions: None
Defects/Health Issues: None

Link to import sheet: Lysander 4242
Link to (hunting/fishing/exploring) journal: Lysander 4242 Tracker
Items/Companions: None
Defects/Health Issues: None

Link to import sheet: Gwyneira 3000
Link to (hunting/fishing/exploring) journal: Gwyneira 3000 Tracker
Items/Companions: None
Defects/Health Issues: None

Link to import sheet: Dyami 3701
Link to (hunting/fishing/exploring) journal: Dyami 3701 Tracker
Items/Companions: None
Defects/Health Issues: None

---
Owed HP -
Quebec - 51/50 - DONE
Wrath - 49/76
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Tagging taikunfoo imamongoose
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Comments3
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imamongoose's avatar
Haha, naked tokota. Sometimes when I write sphinxs/halfmanes I throw a sweater on them if it's too cold. But the cuddling was cute <3

You're halfway through, did you want one slot now?