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Yanni was determined, that day she wouldn’t stay at home with their mother. As much as she loved her mom, and as much as she appreciated the fact that she needed to learn her place at home so she could satisfy who ever her future husband would be, she also wanted to learn how to hunt. For years she watched her father and older brother go off into the woods and return with animals, and she had sat back and learned how to prepare the meat, and what to do with all the other bits so very little went to waste, but this time she was determined to go with her brother on a hunt. Her brown eyes shone with a stubbornness, one that her brother was likely to recognize from the few times he had seen her with such a look. When she had her mind set on something, it was very unlikely she was going to be talked down from doing it.
She set out to go and find her brother, figuring this time in the morning she would find him outside, preparing for his day, if he hadn’t left already. If he did, she would simply go looking for him even earlier the next day. She hadn’t told her mother about her plans, nor her father, she was old enough to decide she wanted to go hunting she thought. If her brother or father wouldn’t take her, then she would go out on her own. It couldn’t be that hard to figure out, could it?
Luckily for her, Gavriil was outside as she had hoped, and he seemed to be preparing to go out on the hunt, collecting the things he would need to bring them back some more meat.
“Gavriil.” She called out as she approached, her eyes locked on her brother. He was about to face a storm if he would try to deny her wish to accompany him.
“Are you going hunting? I want to come with you.” She stated, stopping when she got close enough to him, she folded her arms in front of her chest, as if to show she was not going to move in her demand. Her brown hair was already tied back in a careful braid to keep it out of her way, and she wore warm clothing to keep her from getting chilled on the hunt. She had seen her father and brother off on their trips many times in the past, so she at least knew what was needed in order to go out. It was what happened on the hunt that she was unaware of. Yanni loved learning new skills, and though she wasn’t sure she would ever need to hunt again, she thought it couldn’t hurt to at least learn about it.
Perhaps the knowledge would come in handy at some point in the future for her, even if it was just the ability to hold a conversation about it and know what she was talking about.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Yanni was determined, that day she wouldn’t stay at home with their mother. As much as she loved her mom, and as much as she appreciated the fact that she needed to learn her place at home so she could satisfy who ever her future husband would be, she also wanted to learn how to hunt. For years she watched her father and older brother go off into the woods and return with animals, and she had sat back and learned how to prepare the meat, and what to do with all the other bits so very little went to waste, but this time she was determined to go with her brother on a hunt. Her brown eyes shone with a stubbornness, one that her brother was likely to recognize from the few times he had seen her with such a look. When she had her mind set on something, it was very unlikely she was going to be talked down from doing it.
She set out to go and find her brother, figuring this time in the morning she would find him outside, preparing for his day, if he hadn’t left already. If he did, she would simply go looking for him even earlier the next day. She hadn’t told her mother about her plans, nor her father, she was old enough to decide she wanted to go hunting she thought. If her brother or father wouldn’t take her, then she would go out on her own. It couldn’t be that hard to figure out, could it?
Luckily for her, Gavriil was outside as she had hoped, and he seemed to be preparing to go out on the hunt, collecting the things he would need to bring them back some more meat.
“Gavriil.” She called out as she approached, her eyes locked on her brother. He was about to face a storm if he would try to deny her wish to accompany him.
“Are you going hunting? I want to come with you.” She stated, stopping when she got close enough to him, she folded her arms in front of her chest, as if to show she was not going to move in her demand. Her brown hair was already tied back in a careful braid to keep it out of her way, and she wore warm clothing to keep her from getting chilled on the hunt. She had seen her father and brother off on their trips many times in the past, so she at least knew what was needed in order to go out. It was what happened on the hunt that she was unaware of. Yanni loved learning new skills, and though she wasn’t sure she would ever need to hunt again, she thought it couldn’t hurt to at least learn about it.
Perhaps the knowledge would come in handy at some point in the future for her, even if it was just the ability to hold a conversation about it and know what she was talking about.
Yanni was determined, that day she wouldn’t stay at home with their mother. As much as she loved her mom, and as much as she appreciated the fact that she needed to learn her place at home so she could satisfy who ever her future husband would be, she also wanted to learn how to hunt. For years she watched her father and older brother go off into the woods and return with animals, and she had sat back and learned how to prepare the meat, and what to do with all the other bits so very little went to waste, but this time she was determined to go with her brother on a hunt. Her brown eyes shone with a stubbornness, one that her brother was likely to recognize from the few times he had seen her with such a look. When she had her mind set on something, it was very unlikely she was going to be talked down from doing it.
She set out to go and find her brother, figuring this time in the morning she would find him outside, preparing for his day, if he hadn’t left already. If he did, she would simply go looking for him even earlier the next day. She hadn’t told her mother about her plans, nor her father, she was old enough to decide she wanted to go hunting she thought. If her brother or father wouldn’t take her, then she would go out on her own. It couldn’t be that hard to figure out, could it?
Luckily for her, Gavriil was outside as she had hoped, and he seemed to be preparing to go out on the hunt, collecting the things he would need to bring them back some more meat.
“Gavriil.” She called out as she approached, her eyes locked on her brother. He was about to face a storm if he would try to deny her wish to accompany him.
“Are you going hunting? I want to come with you.” She stated, stopping when she got close enough to him, she folded her arms in front of her chest, as if to show she was not going to move in her demand. Her brown hair was already tied back in a careful braid to keep it out of her way, and she wore warm clothing to keep her from getting chilled on the hunt. She had seen her father and brother off on their trips many times in the past, so she at least knew what was needed in order to go out. It was what happened on the hunt that she was unaware of. Yanni loved learning new skills, and though she wasn’t sure she would ever need to hunt again, she thought it couldn’t hurt to at least learn about it.
Perhaps the knowledge would come in handy at some point in the future for her, even if it was just the ability to hold a conversation about it and know what she was talking about.
He’d been up since just before dawn. Jumping into his clothes, lacing up his boots, and tearing down to the kitchen to scarf anything the cook was willing to give him so early in the morning was routine for sixteen year old Gavriil of Dimitrou. Not quite at his eventual adult height, he was only an inch or two away but his recent growth spurt had left him ungainly thin, with long limbs and larger features that didn’t quite fit his face, yet. He would come to be more handsome in a few years, but at the moment, he was like any teenager - still maturing. With the last of a leg of cured chicken fixed between his teeth, making his cheeks puff out, Gavriil wandered out into the chilly air of the back courtyard.
As soon as he stepped foot out of doors, a large black dog barreled toward him, jumping up on hind legs. “Ge’-uff,” Gavriil mumbled around the haunch of chicken in his mouth and kept his head tipped back so that the dog couldn’t jump higher and steal it. Strapped across the young lord’s chest was his quiver of arrows and over one shoulder, his bow. A few bags were thrown carelessly over his other shoulder and he elbowed and stepped, trying to get the dog under control, accidentally dropping nearly everything in the process. He only just saved the chicken at the last moment from the dog and by the time his sister came out, he was pointing a finger at the dog and commanding a gravely, “Sit!” Only once the dog’s fluffy butt hit the cobbles did he look over at his sister. "Are you going hunting? I want to come with you." He looked at the determination etched into her features - something that had definitely made them fight when they were younger. Two siblings with wills of iron and even less interest in changing their stance about anything. Her hair was tied back, simple instead of the more fussy styles that their mother insisted on for her. He eyed her clothes and would have understood her intent even if she hadn’t said the blunt truth of what she wanted.
Gravriil bit into the chicken and chewed it thoughtfully before he bent down and picked up the bags that had fallen, still using his body as a shield from the dog to save his breakfast. “Don’t slow me down,” he said in true older brother fashion. “And don’t be loud. Can you even shoot?” he suspected she could a little, but then, he wasn’t sure. Being able to hit a target was hardly the same thing as being able to hit a moving one. Or knowing where to puncture a doe so that you didn’t have to follow her blood trail for miles. Then, because he was one of the nicer elder brothers in Taengea, he handed her two of the empty hunting bags instead of shoving them at her.
Glancing up at the sky, that could be seen as a gray patch rimmed with the tops of the pointed cedars that surrounded the Dimitrou compound, he dropped his gaze back to Yanni. “You need to get your own food from the kitchens.” He shook his pack at her, the contents of which was dried meat, fruit, and a skin of wine.
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Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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He’d been up since just before dawn. Jumping into his clothes, lacing up his boots, and tearing down to the kitchen to scarf anything the cook was willing to give him so early in the morning was routine for sixteen year old Gavriil of Dimitrou. Not quite at his eventual adult height, he was only an inch or two away but his recent growth spurt had left him ungainly thin, with long limbs and larger features that didn’t quite fit his face, yet. He would come to be more handsome in a few years, but at the moment, he was like any teenager - still maturing. With the last of a leg of cured chicken fixed between his teeth, making his cheeks puff out, Gavriil wandered out into the chilly air of the back courtyard.
As soon as he stepped foot out of doors, a large black dog barreled toward him, jumping up on hind legs. “Ge’-uff,” Gavriil mumbled around the haunch of chicken in his mouth and kept his head tipped back so that the dog couldn’t jump higher and steal it. Strapped across the young lord’s chest was his quiver of arrows and over one shoulder, his bow. A few bags were thrown carelessly over his other shoulder and he elbowed and stepped, trying to get the dog under control, accidentally dropping nearly everything in the process. He only just saved the chicken at the last moment from the dog and by the time his sister came out, he was pointing a finger at the dog and commanding a gravely, “Sit!” Only once the dog’s fluffy butt hit the cobbles did he look over at his sister. "Are you going hunting? I want to come with you." He looked at the determination etched into her features - something that had definitely made them fight when they were younger. Two siblings with wills of iron and even less interest in changing their stance about anything. Her hair was tied back, simple instead of the more fussy styles that their mother insisted on for her. He eyed her clothes and would have understood her intent even if she hadn’t said the blunt truth of what she wanted.
Gravriil bit into the chicken and chewed it thoughtfully before he bent down and picked up the bags that had fallen, still using his body as a shield from the dog to save his breakfast. “Don’t slow me down,” he said in true older brother fashion. “And don’t be loud. Can you even shoot?” he suspected she could a little, but then, he wasn’t sure. Being able to hit a target was hardly the same thing as being able to hit a moving one. Or knowing where to puncture a doe so that you didn’t have to follow her blood trail for miles. Then, because he was one of the nicer elder brothers in Taengea, he handed her two of the empty hunting bags instead of shoving them at her.
Glancing up at the sky, that could be seen as a gray patch rimmed with the tops of the pointed cedars that surrounded the Dimitrou compound, he dropped his gaze back to Yanni. “You need to get your own food from the kitchens.” He shook his pack at her, the contents of which was dried meat, fruit, and a skin of wine.
He’d been up since just before dawn. Jumping into his clothes, lacing up his boots, and tearing down to the kitchen to scarf anything the cook was willing to give him so early in the morning was routine for sixteen year old Gavriil of Dimitrou. Not quite at his eventual adult height, he was only an inch or two away but his recent growth spurt had left him ungainly thin, with long limbs and larger features that didn’t quite fit his face, yet. He would come to be more handsome in a few years, but at the moment, he was like any teenager - still maturing. With the last of a leg of cured chicken fixed between his teeth, making his cheeks puff out, Gavriil wandered out into the chilly air of the back courtyard.
As soon as he stepped foot out of doors, a large black dog barreled toward him, jumping up on hind legs. “Ge’-uff,” Gavriil mumbled around the haunch of chicken in his mouth and kept his head tipped back so that the dog couldn’t jump higher and steal it. Strapped across the young lord’s chest was his quiver of arrows and over one shoulder, his bow. A few bags were thrown carelessly over his other shoulder and he elbowed and stepped, trying to get the dog under control, accidentally dropping nearly everything in the process. He only just saved the chicken at the last moment from the dog and by the time his sister came out, he was pointing a finger at the dog and commanding a gravely, “Sit!” Only once the dog’s fluffy butt hit the cobbles did he look over at his sister. "Are you going hunting? I want to come with you." He looked at the determination etched into her features - something that had definitely made them fight when they were younger. Two siblings with wills of iron and even less interest in changing their stance about anything. Her hair was tied back, simple instead of the more fussy styles that their mother insisted on for her. He eyed her clothes and would have understood her intent even if she hadn’t said the blunt truth of what she wanted.
Gravriil bit into the chicken and chewed it thoughtfully before he bent down and picked up the bags that had fallen, still using his body as a shield from the dog to save his breakfast. “Don’t slow me down,” he said in true older brother fashion. “And don’t be loud. Can you even shoot?” he suspected she could a little, but then, he wasn’t sure. Being able to hit a target was hardly the same thing as being able to hit a moving one. Or knowing where to puncture a doe so that you didn’t have to follow her blood trail for miles. Then, because he was one of the nicer elder brothers in Taengea, he handed her two of the empty hunting bags instead of shoving them at her.
Glancing up at the sky, that could be seen as a gray patch rimmed with the tops of the pointed cedars that surrounded the Dimitrou compound, he dropped his gaze back to Yanni. “You need to get your own food from the kitchens.” He shook his pack at her, the contents of which was dried meat, fruit, and a skin of wine.
She stood there, ready to argue with him if he said that she couldn’t come. She wasn’t going to let him go without her, whether he liked it or not. She would just follow him out if he tried to go without his sister. Yanni wasn’t one to back down, and neither was he. Truly a family trait, one gained from their father, for he was the same as his two kids when it came to being stubborn and set in their ways.
But he didn’t argue, instead he told her not to slow him down and not to be loud. Obviously she didn’t plan on doing either of those things, but she bit her tongue to keep herself from saying so to Gavriil. There was no need in potentially starting an argument when he had already agreed to let her go with him, though he didn’t seem overly excited about doing so.
“I can shoot!” She declared, though she wasn’t entirely truthful about that. She had messed around with a bow in the past, but she hadn’t in a few years, her mother preferring her to stay away from such things, and she couldn’t exactly guarantee that her aim was going to be the greatest. But these were things that her brother didn’t need to know. She would make it work, she was determined to make it work.
“I already have food.” She said, slipping the bag from her back to show him she had come prepared with food and water as well. She had seen her father and brother off on many hunting trips in the past, she had a good idea of what they took with them and what would be needed. Or at least, she thought she did. She was just winging it at this point based on watching the two men go off hunting. She sort of hoped that maybe her older brother would be a little impressed with how prepared she was. Her brother was a sort of hero to her, though she would never say that to him.
She took the two empty hunting bags that he passed to her, slinging them and her own food filled pack back over her shoulders. She then turned on her heel and walked away, returning only a few short seconds later with a small bow that she had purchased in anticipation of making her brother take her out on the hunt. A quiver of arrows was also strapped across her chest and resting on her back. All of her equipment was brand new, and she wasn’t entirely sure how to work it, but she would figure it out on the way. Yanni was nothing if not adaptable and determined.
“Well, come on then. Lead the way. We’re wasting light standing here.” She said, arms crossing back over her chest, one eyebrow raised in a playful way. She knew that her brother could be considered a bit grumpy, but she knew him better than that. He was straightforward, but he wasn’t a jerk. Or at least not most of the time.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
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She stood there, ready to argue with him if he said that she couldn’t come. She wasn’t going to let him go without her, whether he liked it or not. She would just follow him out if he tried to go without his sister. Yanni wasn’t one to back down, and neither was he. Truly a family trait, one gained from their father, for he was the same as his two kids when it came to being stubborn and set in their ways.
But he didn’t argue, instead he told her not to slow him down and not to be loud. Obviously she didn’t plan on doing either of those things, but she bit her tongue to keep herself from saying so to Gavriil. There was no need in potentially starting an argument when he had already agreed to let her go with him, though he didn’t seem overly excited about doing so.
“I can shoot!” She declared, though she wasn’t entirely truthful about that. She had messed around with a bow in the past, but she hadn’t in a few years, her mother preferring her to stay away from such things, and she couldn’t exactly guarantee that her aim was going to be the greatest. But these were things that her brother didn’t need to know. She would make it work, she was determined to make it work.
“I already have food.” She said, slipping the bag from her back to show him she had come prepared with food and water as well. She had seen her father and brother off on many hunting trips in the past, she had a good idea of what they took with them and what would be needed. Or at least, she thought she did. She was just winging it at this point based on watching the two men go off hunting. She sort of hoped that maybe her older brother would be a little impressed with how prepared she was. Her brother was a sort of hero to her, though she would never say that to him.
She took the two empty hunting bags that he passed to her, slinging them and her own food filled pack back over her shoulders. She then turned on her heel and walked away, returning only a few short seconds later with a small bow that she had purchased in anticipation of making her brother take her out on the hunt. A quiver of arrows was also strapped across her chest and resting on her back. All of her equipment was brand new, and she wasn’t entirely sure how to work it, but she would figure it out on the way. Yanni was nothing if not adaptable and determined.
“Well, come on then. Lead the way. We’re wasting light standing here.” She said, arms crossing back over her chest, one eyebrow raised in a playful way. She knew that her brother could be considered a bit grumpy, but she knew him better than that. He was straightforward, but he wasn’t a jerk. Or at least not most of the time.
She stood there, ready to argue with him if he said that she couldn’t come. She wasn’t going to let him go without her, whether he liked it or not. She would just follow him out if he tried to go without his sister. Yanni wasn’t one to back down, and neither was he. Truly a family trait, one gained from their father, for he was the same as his two kids when it came to being stubborn and set in their ways.
But he didn’t argue, instead he told her not to slow him down and not to be loud. Obviously she didn’t plan on doing either of those things, but she bit her tongue to keep herself from saying so to Gavriil. There was no need in potentially starting an argument when he had already agreed to let her go with him, though he didn’t seem overly excited about doing so.
“I can shoot!” She declared, though she wasn’t entirely truthful about that. She had messed around with a bow in the past, but she hadn’t in a few years, her mother preferring her to stay away from such things, and she couldn’t exactly guarantee that her aim was going to be the greatest. But these were things that her brother didn’t need to know. She would make it work, she was determined to make it work.
“I already have food.” She said, slipping the bag from her back to show him she had come prepared with food and water as well. She had seen her father and brother off on many hunting trips in the past, she had a good idea of what they took with them and what would be needed. Or at least, she thought she did. She was just winging it at this point based on watching the two men go off hunting. She sort of hoped that maybe her older brother would be a little impressed with how prepared she was. Her brother was a sort of hero to her, though she would never say that to him.
She took the two empty hunting bags that he passed to her, slinging them and her own food filled pack back over her shoulders. She then turned on her heel and walked away, returning only a few short seconds later with a small bow that she had purchased in anticipation of making her brother take her out on the hunt. A quiver of arrows was also strapped across her chest and resting on her back. All of her equipment was brand new, and she wasn’t entirely sure how to work it, but she would figure it out on the way. Yanni was nothing if not adaptable and determined.
“Well, come on then. Lead the way. We’re wasting light standing here.” She said, arms crossing back over her chest, one eyebrow raised in a playful way. She knew that her brother could be considered a bit grumpy, but she knew him better than that. He was straightforward, but he wasn’t a jerk. Or at least not most of the time.
He’d expected a little kickback on the shooting question, but Yanni surprised him with her answer and made him incredulous the next second. Gavriil’s expression flattened when she declared that she could shoot. “Uh huh,” he said, doubt wholly entrenched in his voice. He wasn’t snarky, but he had little patience for antics - a trait he’d never outgrow. If someone said they could do something, they’d better be able to do it. He’d never seen his sister with a bow. Well...that wasn’t strictly true. He’d seen her try but unless she’d grown some supernatural ability overnight, he doubted she’d be able to shoot and kill anything. Still, if she was going to persist in this farce, he’d let her. She could dig her own grave with it. Gavriil was not about to stand here and argue with someone who’d make a tree sigh in exasperation if she took it into her head.
Gavriil took a few more bites from his chicken as he watched Yanni take off her bag to show him that she’d already come prepared. Inside the bag, she had her own wrapped packages that she identified as her lunch. That was good, he thought. It at least meant that he didn’t have to wait for her. Would he have waited, he reflected? Probably. But it would have been a good time to just turn and leave, letting her catch up if she could. She’d have practiced her tracking skills, at least.
The only thing he did have to wait for, and truly it was only a little while, was for Yanni to get her bow. Gavriil shifted his weight from one foot to the other, letting the dog eat the rest of his food and rubbing his head until his sister returned. "Well, come on then. Lead the way. We’re wasting light standing here." Yanni prompted and Gavriil merely looked at her from under his brows, his chin turned up in a stubborn tilt.
“It’s a lot of hurry up and wait,” he cautioned, suddenly concerned that she was going to prod him the whole day. But, without another word or backward glance, he turned, adjusting the strap of his quiver, and began to walk. Their dog, Black Dog, trotted along at his heels, tail wagging, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Black Dog followed Gavriil for the most part, but as soon as Yanni left the boundary of the courtyard with them, he found a renewed interest in Yanni. She was new! She was exciting! She was HERE!
Whipping around, Black Dog bounded over to Yanni and planted his dirty paws straight onto her chest, licking at her chin. His whole body wiggled in joy. “Black Dog!” Gavriil turned and grabbed the dog by his thick leather collar, pulling him off his sister. “Heel.” Black Dog dropped his ears and tail to obediently trot beside his master.
The three of them took familiar trails lined with ferns and moss. The forest welcomed them and all of Gavriil’s minor irritation with his sister melted as soon as they passed the first gnarled knots of exposed tree roots in the trail on the forest’s edge. Hunting did not mean a successful kill. If Yanni prevented him through accident or purposeful intent from shooting a doe, Gavriil wouldn’t be too angry. The point of going every day was continuing the ritual of his life. This was where he felt most at peace, most confident. He wasn’t the best hunter in Greece yet but he was on his way to being so.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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He’d expected a little kickback on the shooting question, but Yanni surprised him with her answer and made him incredulous the next second. Gavriil’s expression flattened when she declared that she could shoot. “Uh huh,” he said, doubt wholly entrenched in his voice. He wasn’t snarky, but he had little patience for antics - a trait he’d never outgrow. If someone said they could do something, they’d better be able to do it. He’d never seen his sister with a bow. Well...that wasn’t strictly true. He’d seen her try but unless she’d grown some supernatural ability overnight, he doubted she’d be able to shoot and kill anything. Still, if she was going to persist in this farce, he’d let her. She could dig her own grave with it. Gavriil was not about to stand here and argue with someone who’d make a tree sigh in exasperation if she took it into her head.
Gavriil took a few more bites from his chicken as he watched Yanni take off her bag to show him that she’d already come prepared. Inside the bag, she had her own wrapped packages that she identified as her lunch. That was good, he thought. It at least meant that he didn’t have to wait for her. Would he have waited, he reflected? Probably. But it would have been a good time to just turn and leave, letting her catch up if she could. She’d have practiced her tracking skills, at least.
The only thing he did have to wait for, and truly it was only a little while, was for Yanni to get her bow. Gavriil shifted his weight from one foot to the other, letting the dog eat the rest of his food and rubbing his head until his sister returned. "Well, come on then. Lead the way. We’re wasting light standing here." Yanni prompted and Gavriil merely looked at her from under his brows, his chin turned up in a stubborn tilt.
“It’s a lot of hurry up and wait,” he cautioned, suddenly concerned that she was going to prod him the whole day. But, without another word or backward glance, he turned, adjusting the strap of his quiver, and began to walk. Their dog, Black Dog, trotted along at his heels, tail wagging, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Black Dog followed Gavriil for the most part, but as soon as Yanni left the boundary of the courtyard with them, he found a renewed interest in Yanni. She was new! She was exciting! She was HERE!
Whipping around, Black Dog bounded over to Yanni and planted his dirty paws straight onto her chest, licking at her chin. His whole body wiggled in joy. “Black Dog!” Gavriil turned and grabbed the dog by his thick leather collar, pulling him off his sister. “Heel.” Black Dog dropped his ears and tail to obediently trot beside his master.
The three of them took familiar trails lined with ferns and moss. The forest welcomed them and all of Gavriil’s minor irritation with his sister melted as soon as they passed the first gnarled knots of exposed tree roots in the trail on the forest’s edge. Hunting did not mean a successful kill. If Yanni prevented him through accident or purposeful intent from shooting a doe, Gavriil wouldn’t be too angry. The point of going every day was continuing the ritual of his life. This was where he felt most at peace, most confident. He wasn’t the best hunter in Greece yet but he was on his way to being so.
He’d expected a little kickback on the shooting question, but Yanni surprised him with her answer and made him incredulous the next second. Gavriil’s expression flattened when she declared that she could shoot. “Uh huh,” he said, doubt wholly entrenched in his voice. He wasn’t snarky, but he had little patience for antics - a trait he’d never outgrow. If someone said they could do something, they’d better be able to do it. He’d never seen his sister with a bow. Well...that wasn’t strictly true. He’d seen her try but unless she’d grown some supernatural ability overnight, he doubted she’d be able to shoot and kill anything. Still, if she was going to persist in this farce, he’d let her. She could dig her own grave with it. Gavriil was not about to stand here and argue with someone who’d make a tree sigh in exasperation if she took it into her head.
Gavriil took a few more bites from his chicken as he watched Yanni take off her bag to show him that she’d already come prepared. Inside the bag, she had her own wrapped packages that she identified as her lunch. That was good, he thought. It at least meant that he didn’t have to wait for her. Would he have waited, he reflected? Probably. But it would have been a good time to just turn and leave, letting her catch up if she could. She’d have practiced her tracking skills, at least.
The only thing he did have to wait for, and truly it was only a little while, was for Yanni to get her bow. Gavriil shifted his weight from one foot to the other, letting the dog eat the rest of his food and rubbing his head until his sister returned. "Well, come on then. Lead the way. We’re wasting light standing here." Yanni prompted and Gavriil merely looked at her from under his brows, his chin turned up in a stubborn tilt.
“It’s a lot of hurry up and wait,” he cautioned, suddenly concerned that she was going to prod him the whole day. But, without another word or backward glance, he turned, adjusting the strap of his quiver, and began to walk. Their dog, Black Dog, trotted along at his heels, tail wagging, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Black Dog followed Gavriil for the most part, but as soon as Yanni left the boundary of the courtyard with them, he found a renewed interest in Yanni. She was new! She was exciting! She was HERE!
Whipping around, Black Dog bounded over to Yanni and planted his dirty paws straight onto her chest, licking at her chin. His whole body wiggled in joy. “Black Dog!” Gavriil turned and grabbed the dog by his thick leather collar, pulling him off his sister. “Heel.” Black Dog dropped his ears and tail to obediently trot beside his master.
The three of them took familiar trails lined with ferns and moss. The forest welcomed them and all of Gavriil’s minor irritation with his sister melted as soon as they passed the first gnarled knots of exposed tree roots in the trail on the forest’s edge. Hunting did not mean a successful kill. If Yanni prevented him through accident or purposeful intent from shooting a doe, Gavriil wouldn’t be too angry. The point of going every day was continuing the ritual of his life. This was where he felt most at peace, most confident. He wasn’t the best hunter in Greece yet but he was on his way to being so.
Yanni was not entirely confident in her shooting skills, but that was not something that Gavriil needed to know, especially not if she wanted him to actually take her out on this trip. She assumed if she would have admitted to not being good with a bow, he would have said she couldn’t come with him. So she would lie, and hope like hell if the time came when she needed to actually shoot with it, she would be better than she remembered being last time she had the chance to use a bow. Perhaps she should have practised a bit before making her brother take her with him. Oh well. Yanni was nothing if not resourceful in the moment, something she learned from their mother.
Yanni shrugged as he said it was a lot of waiting. She hadn’t expected to step foot into the trees and run right into some game and be done with it, often times her brother and father had disappeared into the trees for days at a time, she assumed that it was a time consuming task, and she was as prepared as she could be without really knowing what went on during a hunt.
Yanni was fine walking through the brush, but when the large dog decided it needed to jump up on her, she was nearly toppled over. She was a rather small woman after all, and the dog weighed almost as much as she did. She managed to keep her footing, and was attempting to shove the excited beast off of her when her brother grabbed it by the collar and yanked it back. She was never a huge fan of dogs. And could her brother have been more uncreative with it’s name? But she made no comment, instead she brushed some of the dirt from her clothes and continued on after her brother and the dog.
She kept quiet as they walked the first bit, looking around as she enjoyed the sights and sounds of the forest. She had always loved the idea of being out here, loving to spend as much time as she could out of the house. Unfortunately for her, their mother was not the same way, and instead of voyages out into the trees, Yanni was often dragged into the cities to see that side of things.
While she didn’t mind the cities and society that much, she did truly enjoy being out here.
She looked up at her big brother for a moment as they walked, the look on his face was a strange one. Serene. He was clearly at home here and Yanni felt a slight twinge of guilt intruding in on his time out here.
“Thank you.” She said, her voice low to keep from scaring anything off if anything was around. She knew she probably shouldn’t talk much, but she just wanted to show her appreciation to her brother for treating her like a person and not just a woman. She could imagine the words her mother would have for her once she found out where Yanni had been all day.
“What do you hope to find today?” She asked, unable to keep her curiosity to herself, she knew there were a few animals they could be hunting, from big to small, her father and brother had brought back all manner of animals for use as food and other things. She wondered if they were just going to kill the first thing they came across that day, or if Gavriil had a particular animal in mind when he had set out that morning, unaware he would have his sister in tow.
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Yanni was not entirely confident in her shooting skills, but that was not something that Gavriil needed to know, especially not if she wanted him to actually take her out on this trip. She assumed if she would have admitted to not being good with a bow, he would have said she couldn’t come with him. So she would lie, and hope like hell if the time came when she needed to actually shoot with it, she would be better than she remembered being last time she had the chance to use a bow. Perhaps she should have practised a bit before making her brother take her with him. Oh well. Yanni was nothing if not resourceful in the moment, something she learned from their mother.
Yanni shrugged as he said it was a lot of waiting. She hadn’t expected to step foot into the trees and run right into some game and be done with it, often times her brother and father had disappeared into the trees for days at a time, she assumed that it was a time consuming task, and she was as prepared as she could be without really knowing what went on during a hunt.
Yanni was fine walking through the brush, but when the large dog decided it needed to jump up on her, she was nearly toppled over. She was a rather small woman after all, and the dog weighed almost as much as she did. She managed to keep her footing, and was attempting to shove the excited beast off of her when her brother grabbed it by the collar and yanked it back. She was never a huge fan of dogs. And could her brother have been more uncreative with it’s name? But she made no comment, instead she brushed some of the dirt from her clothes and continued on after her brother and the dog.
She kept quiet as they walked the first bit, looking around as she enjoyed the sights and sounds of the forest. She had always loved the idea of being out here, loving to spend as much time as she could out of the house. Unfortunately for her, their mother was not the same way, and instead of voyages out into the trees, Yanni was often dragged into the cities to see that side of things.
While she didn’t mind the cities and society that much, she did truly enjoy being out here.
She looked up at her big brother for a moment as they walked, the look on his face was a strange one. Serene. He was clearly at home here and Yanni felt a slight twinge of guilt intruding in on his time out here.
“Thank you.” She said, her voice low to keep from scaring anything off if anything was around. She knew she probably shouldn’t talk much, but she just wanted to show her appreciation to her brother for treating her like a person and not just a woman. She could imagine the words her mother would have for her once she found out where Yanni had been all day.
“What do you hope to find today?” She asked, unable to keep her curiosity to herself, she knew there were a few animals they could be hunting, from big to small, her father and brother had brought back all manner of animals for use as food and other things. She wondered if they were just going to kill the first thing they came across that day, or if Gavriil had a particular animal in mind when he had set out that morning, unaware he would have his sister in tow.
Yanni was not entirely confident in her shooting skills, but that was not something that Gavriil needed to know, especially not if she wanted him to actually take her out on this trip. She assumed if she would have admitted to not being good with a bow, he would have said she couldn’t come with him. So she would lie, and hope like hell if the time came when she needed to actually shoot with it, she would be better than she remembered being last time she had the chance to use a bow. Perhaps she should have practised a bit before making her brother take her with him. Oh well. Yanni was nothing if not resourceful in the moment, something she learned from their mother.
Yanni shrugged as he said it was a lot of waiting. She hadn’t expected to step foot into the trees and run right into some game and be done with it, often times her brother and father had disappeared into the trees for days at a time, she assumed that it was a time consuming task, and she was as prepared as she could be without really knowing what went on during a hunt.
Yanni was fine walking through the brush, but when the large dog decided it needed to jump up on her, she was nearly toppled over. She was a rather small woman after all, and the dog weighed almost as much as she did. She managed to keep her footing, and was attempting to shove the excited beast off of her when her brother grabbed it by the collar and yanked it back. She was never a huge fan of dogs. And could her brother have been more uncreative with it’s name? But she made no comment, instead she brushed some of the dirt from her clothes and continued on after her brother and the dog.
She kept quiet as they walked the first bit, looking around as she enjoyed the sights and sounds of the forest. She had always loved the idea of being out here, loving to spend as much time as she could out of the house. Unfortunately for her, their mother was not the same way, and instead of voyages out into the trees, Yanni was often dragged into the cities to see that side of things.
While she didn’t mind the cities and society that much, she did truly enjoy being out here.
She looked up at her big brother for a moment as they walked, the look on his face was a strange one. Serene. He was clearly at home here and Yanni felt a slight twinge of guilt intruding in on his time out here.
“Thank you.” She said, her voice low to keep from scaring anything off if anything was around. She knew she probably shouldn’t talk much, but she just wanted to show her appreciation to her brother for treating her like a person and not just a woman. She could imagine the words her mother would have for her once she found out where Yanni had been all day.
“What do you hope to find today?” She asked, unable to keep her curiosity to herself, she knew there were a few animals they could be hunting, from big to small, her father and brother had brought back all manner of animals for use as food and other things. She wondered if they were just going to kill the first thing they came across that day, or if Gavriil had a particular animal in mind when he had set out that morning, unaware he would have his sister in tow.
In the Dimitrou forest, there were wide, winding paths meant for walking together amongst the stately trees. When their parents held infrequent gatherings, sometimes along the widest, straightest of the paths, lanterns were hung every few trees or so, guiding guests on a night tour through the forest, ending at an enchanting pool where candles floated and the water turned unearthly beautiful. This was not the foot path he took Yanni on. That path was where animals traditionally avoided. They didn’t like the permeating scent of the humans that moved through that part of the wood daily.
Gavriil stopped, dropped to one knee beside Black Dog, and patted his faithful companion for a few seconds, before giving Black Dog the command “Find the pig, buddy.” Because Yanni was with him, and because there was no way that he was going to be able to sneak up on deer, especially because he’d had to wait for a bit, they weren’t going to get in the ideal position. So, he thought of something else they could hunt. Something a bit more impressive and that Yanni would have a bit more chance at actually catching.
Black Dog dropped his nose to the path and began to loudly sniff, blowing puffs of dirt from under his nose as he wandered off into the underbrush. The dog was not sure to find them a boar, but he wouldn’t hurt, either. The other benefit to this type of hunt was that they didn’t have to be nearly as quiet. If they got close enough, the boar would find them.
Off the wide path Black Dog went with Gavriil trailing behind him. He watched the dog’s puffy tail slowly swing back and forth, the dog happy and distracted with something to do. Gavriil was especially pleased with himself for making this change to the plan because Yanni couldn’t seem to be quiet and asked him what they were looking for.
“Boar,” he said over his shoulder, reaching out to help her over an unstable patch of ground. They were now moving steadily down hill. It wasn’t terribly steep but if she took a tumble, it’d be a painful way to find the bottom of the shallow gully. He didn’t bother to explain that the animal was dangerous and had tusks. Every child knew that. It was one of the reasons not to go too deep into the forest alone. That and getting lost. If it wasn’t too arrogant a thing to think, Gavriil prided himself that his sister was as safe with him as she would be with their father; provided she didn’t do something silly.
“You have a knife?” he asked, patting the wicked one at his hip. She already had a bow, which would come in handy. But a knife would be a good thing to have, too. “I didn’t know you knew much about shooting,” he said, turning back around and keeping his voice low as he looked around the underbrush. So far there was nothing but a few birds sussed out of hiding by Black Dog, who had the sense not to bark at them. “You can shoot moving targets?” It wasn’t like he was around the house enough to be able to tell what Yanni was or wasn’t good at.
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In the Dimitrou forest, there were wide, winding paths meant for walking together amongst the stately trees. When their parents held infrequent gatherings, sometimes along the widest, straightest of the paths, lanterns were hung every few trees or so, guiding guests on a night tour through the forest, ending at an enchanting pool where candles floated and the water turned unearthly beautiful. This was not the foot path he took Yanni on. That path was where animals traditionally avoided. They didn’t like the permeating scent of the humans that moved through that part of the wood daily.
Gavriil stopped, dropped to one knee beside Black Dog, and patted his faithful companion for a few seconds, before giving Black Dog the command “Find the pig, buddy.” Because Yanni was with him, and because there was no way that he was going to be able to sneak up on deer, especially because he’d had to wait for a bit, they weren’t going to get in the ideal position. So, he thought of something else they could hunt. Something a bit more impressive and that Yanni would have a bit more chance at actually catching.
Black Dog dropped his nose to the path and began to loudly sniff, blowing puffs of dirt from under his nose as he wandered off into the underbrush. The dog was not sure to find them a boar, but he wouldn’t hurt, either. The other benefit to this type of hunt was that they didn’t have to be nearly as quiet. If they got close enough, the boar would find them.
Off the wide path Black Dog went with Gavriil trailing behind him. He watched the dog’s puffy tail slowly swing back and forth, the dog happy and distracted with something to do. Gavriil was especially pleased with himself for making this change to the plan because Yanni couldn’t seem to be quiet and asked him what they were looking for.
“Boar,” he said over his shoulder, reaching out to help her over an unstable patch of ground. They were now moving steadily down hill. It wasn’t terribly steep but if she took a tumble, it’d be a painful way to find the bottom of the shallow gully. He didn’t bother to explain that the animal was dangerous and had tusks. Every child knew that. It was one of the reasons not to go too deep into the forest alone. That and getting lost. If it wasn’t too arrogant a thing to think, Gavriil prided himself that his sister was as safe with him as she would be with their father; provided she didn’t do something silly.
“You have a knife?” he asked, patting the wicked one at his hip. She already had a bow, which would come in handy. But a knife would be a good thing to have, too. “I didn’t know you knew much about shooting,” he said, turning back around and keeping his voice low as he looked around the underbrush. So far there was nothing but a few birds sussed out of hiding by Black Dog, who had the sense not to bark at them. “You can shoot moving targets?” It wasn’t like he was around the house enough to be able to tell what Yanni was or wasn’t good at.
In the Dimitrou forest, there were wide, winding paths meant for walking together amongst the stately trees. When their parents held infrequent gatherings, sometimes along the widest, straightest of the paths, lanterns were hung every few trees or so, guiding guests on a night tour through the forest, ending at an enchanting pool where candles floated and the water turned unearthly beautiful. This was not the foot path he took Yanni on. That path was where animals traditionally avoided. They didn’t like the permeating scent of the humans that moved through that part of the wood daily.
Gavriil stopped, dropped to one knee beside Black Dog, and patted his faithful companion for a few seconds, before giving Black Dog the command “Find the pig, buddy.” Because Yanni was with him, and because there was no way that he was going to be able to sneak up on deer, especially because he’d had to wait for a bit, they weren’t going to get in the ideal position. So, he thought of something else they could hunt. Something a bit more impressive and that Yanni would have a bit more chance at actually catching.
Black Dog dropped his nose to the path and began to loudly sniff, blowing puffs of dirt from under his nose as he wandered off into the underbrush. The dog was not sure to find them a boar, but he wouldn’t hurt, either. The other benefit to this type of hunt was that they didn’t have to be nearly as quiet. If they got close enough, the boar would find them.
Off the wide path Black Dog went with Gavriil trailing behind him. He watched the dog’s puffy tail slowly swing back and forth, the dog happy and distracted with something to do. Gavriil was especially pleased with himself for making this change to the plan because Yanni couldn’t seem to be quiet and asked him what they were looking for.
“Boar,” he said over his shoulder, reaching out to help her over an unstable patch of ground. They were now moving steadily down hill. It wasn’t terribly steep but if she took a tumble, it’d be a painful way to find the bottom of the shallow gully. He didn’t bother to explain that the animal was dangerous and had tusks. Every child knew that. It was one of the reasons not to go too deep into the forest alone. That and getting lost. If it wasn’t too arrogant a thing to think, Gavriil prided himself that his sister was as safe with him as she would be with their father; provided she didn’t do something silly.
“You have a knife?” he asked, patting the wicked one at his hip. She already had a bow, which would come in handy. But a knife would be a good thing to have, too. “I didn’t know you knew much about shooting,” he said, turning back around and keeping his voice low as he looked around the underbrush. So far there was nothing but a few birds sussed out of hiding by Black Dog, who had the sense not to bark at them. “You can shoot moving targets?” It wasn’t like he was around the house enough to be able to tell what Yanni was or wasn’t good at.
Yanni tried her best to be quiet, but not used to hunting as her father and brother were, she wasn’t sure how quiet she should be. And she found her curiosity got the best of her. She wanted to learn to hunt, but she needed to know what they were hunting, and how they were to hunt it. She knew really only the basics of what her father and brother had spoken of while telling their tales of hunting trips, and not often did they speak in depth of the tactics to hunting.
She was careful to step where her brother stepped, trying to focus on his footsteps as much as she focused on the world around them. She knew that boars could be dangerous, knew that they could be aggressive, but she also trusted her brother greatly and did not feel as if she was in any sort of danger. Surely he would keep her safe, and the notion that he was there with her allowed her not to worry at all.
A knife. She didn’t have one. Should she have brought one? She had thought that her bow and arrows would have sufficed but apparently she had thought wrong. Perhaps she should have inquired about what equipment she would have needed. And here she thought she was fully prepared for this trip.
She simply shook her head in reply to her brother, flashing him a little bit of an apologetic smile. She was starting to wonder if she should have come on this trip at all, but she didn’t let her doubt show on her face. She kept herself calm and confident.
She kept her voice low as well, trying to match his volume as he asked her about her shooting skills.
“Well, I’ve never actually shot anything moving, but I’m sure I can do it.” She said, not letting her doubt or her brothers doubt get to her. She was determined to impress him, to take down an animal and take it home so that her father might also be proud of her. She knew that it was not really her place to do such things as hunting and killing animals, but mostly Yanni just wanted to see what the fuss was all about. That, and the idea that she might make the two most important men in her life proud of her definitely didn’t hurt.
She paused when he did, listening and looking, trying to hear or see any sign of a boar, or really any animal that was more significant than the small birds that the dog had scared off already. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was looking or listening for, but surely an animal as large as a boar would be noisy and would leave obvious signs that it was there. She couldn’t imagine such a large animal being overly stealthy.
From what she knew, they were some of the easier game to hunt due to their size and how difficult it really was for them to hide among the trees. Deer on the other hand were smaller and swifter, and they would be able to conceal themselves much easier she was sure.
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Yanni tried her best to be quiet, but not used to hunting as her father and brother were, she wasn’t sure how quiet she should be. And she found her curiosity got the best of her. She wanted to learn to hunt, but she needed to know what they were hunting, and how they were to hunt it. She knew really only the basics of what her father and brother had spoken of while telling their tales of hunting trips, and not often did they speak in depth of the tactics to hunting.
She was careful to step where her brother stepped, trying to focus on his footsteps as much as she focused on the world around them. She knew that boars could be dangerous, knew that they could be aggressive, but she also trusted her brother greatly and did not feel as if she was in any sort of danger. Surely he would keep her safe, and the notion that he was there with her allowed her not to worry at all.
A knife. She didn’t have one. Should she have brought one? She had thought that her bow and arrows would have sufficed but apparently she had thought wrong. Perhaps she should have inquired about what equipment she would have needed. And here she thought she was fully prepared for this trip.
She simply shook her head in reply to her brother, flashing him a little bit of an apologetic smile. She was starting to wonder if she should have come on this trip at all, but she didn’t let her doubt show on her face. She kept herself calm and confident.
She kept her voice low as well, trying to match his volume as he asked her about her shooting skills.
“Well, I’ve never actually shot anything moving, but I’m sure I can do it.” She said, not letting her doubt or her brothers doubt get to her. She was determined to impress him, to take down an animal and take it home so that her father might also be proud of her. She knew that it was not really her place to do such things as hunting and killing animals, but mostly Yanni just wanted to see what the fuss was all about. That, and the idea that she might make the two most important men in her life proud of her definitely didn’t hurt.
She paused when he did, listening and looking, trying to hear or see any sign of a boar, or really any animal that was more significant than the small birds that the dog had scared off already. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was looking or listening for, but surely an animal as large as a boar would be noisy and would leave obvious signs that it was there. She couldn’t imagine such a large animal being overly stealthy.
From what she knew, they were some of the easier game to hunt due to their size and how difficult it really was for them to hide among the trees. Deer on the other hand were smaller and swifter, and they would be able to conceal themselves much easier she was sure.
Yanni tried her best to be quiet, but not used to hunting as her father and brother were, she wasn’t sure how quiet she should be. And she found her curiosity got the best of her. She wanted to learn to hunt, but she needed to know what they were hunting, and how they were to hunt it. She knew really only the basics of what her father and brother had spoken of while telling their tales of hunting trips, and not often did they speak in depth of the tactics to hunting.
She was careful to step where her brother stepped, trying to focus on his footsteps as much as she focused on the world around them. She knew that boars could be dangerous, knew that they could be aggressive, but she also trusted her brother greatly and did not feel as if she was in any sort of danger. Surely he would keep her safe, and the notion that he was there with her allowed her not to worry at all.
A knife. She didn’t have one. Should she have brought one? She had thought that her bow and arrows would have sufficed but apparently she had thought wrong. Perhaps she should have inquired about what equipment she would have needed. And here she thought she was fully prepared for this trip.
She simply shook her head in reply to her brother, flashing him a little bit of an apologetic smile. She was starting to wonder if she should have come on this trip at all, but she didn’t let her doubt show on her face. She kept herself calm and confident.
She kept her voice low as well, trying to match his volume as he asked her about her shooting skills.
“Well, I’ve never actually shot anything moving, but I’m sure I can do it.” She said, not letting her doubt or her brothers doubt get to her. She was determined to impress him, to take down an animal and take it home so that her father might also be proud of her. She knew that it was not really her place to do such things as hunting and killing animals, but mostly Yanni just wanted to see what the fuss was all about. That, and the idea that she might make the two most important men in her life proud of her definitely didn’t hurt.
She paused when he did, listening and looking, trying to hear or see any sign of a boar, or really any animal that was more significant than the small birds that the dog had scared off already. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was looking or listening for, but surely an animal as large as a boar would be noisy and would leave obvious signs that it was there. She couldn’t imagine such a large animal being overly stealthy.
From what she knew, they were some of the easier game to hunt due to their size and how difficult it really was for them to hide among the trees. Deer on the other hand were smaller and swifter, and they would be able to conceal themselves much easier she was sure.
Gavriil sighed when she admitted through that ‘whoopsie’ smile that she did not have a knife. It would appear he’d be the only one doing any skinning today, or cutting. That was fine, he supposed, and hunkered down like a dully clad boulder to watch the brush around them for any hint of life. They were there for a minute or so before he heard her voice, low and nearly inaudible.
“Well, I’ve never actually shot anything moving, but I’m sure I can do it.”
Another deep, deep sigh escaped through his nose. That was fine. Expected. Not how she’d presented it, of course, but more in line with what he’d actually assumed. That meant she was here as more of a spectator and that he could deal with. His sharp, narrowed eyes swept the forest floor again and while he’d liked this particular spot a moment ago, he didn’t now. He smelled the air. It was too clean. They would be scented miles off.
With his first two fingers used as a pointer, Gavriil glanced back at her and made two quick ‘this way’ motions and crept forward. Their progress was slow but Gavriil knew where he wanted to get to and he felt that if his sister thought she could do this, then she ought to be able to keep up. The first half of the morning ended up being quite a lot of ‘Hurry Up And Wait’. They’d perch somewhere on the roots of trees or behind a bush or beside a large rock, wait, then continue. Even his legs were starting to burn from all the up, down, crouch, up, down, crouch, walk, crouch, up, crouch, walk, crouch, down.
By mid morning they came to the top of a gulley where Gavriil actually grinned. He could hear a snuffling, rustling, rooting sound. Crawling on his belly to the lip of the gulley, he peered over the dirt edge and saw a boar down at the watery bottom. A shallow creek snaked through the floor of the forest and the boar was making something of a leafy mud wallow. And it wasn’t alone. Another she-boar was nearby with a squealing mass of piglets in her wake. Gavriil looked over his shoulder at his sister and arched one serious eyebrow.
Ready? he mouthed at her and ever so gently pushed himself back just enough to where he could reach for his bow and into his quiver for a few arrows. He lay them on the ground in a neat line so that he could fire them one right after the other if necessary. The steepness of the gulley wall would at least slow the boars if they took issue with being shot for dinner.
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Gavriil sighed when she admitted through that ‘whoopsie’ smile that she did not have a knife. It would appear he’d be the only one doing any skinning today, or cutting. That was fine, he supposed, and hunkered down like a dully clad boulder to watch the brush around them for any hint of life. They were there for a minute or so before he heard her voice, low and nearly inaudible.
“Well, I’ve never actually shot anything moving, but I’m sure I can do it.”
Another deep, deep sigh escaped through his nose. That was fine. Expected. Not how she’d presented it, of course, but more in line with what he’d actually assumed. That meant she was here as more of a spectator and that he could deal with. His sharp, narrowed eyes swept the forest floor again and while he’d liked this particular spot a moment ago, he didn’t now. He smelled the air. It was too clean. They would be scented miles off.
With his first two fingers used as a pointer, Gavriil glanced back at her and made two quick ‘this way’ motions and crept forward. Their progress was slow but Gavriil knew where he wanted to get to and he felt that if his sister thought she could do this, then she ought to be able to keep up. The first half of the morning ended up being quite a lot of ‘Hurry Up And Wait’. They’d perch somewhere on the roots of trees or behind a bush or beside a large rock, wait, then continue. Even his legs were starting to burn from all the up, down, crouch, up, down, crouch, walk, crouch, up, crouch, walk, crouch, down.
By mid morning they came to the top of a gulley where Gavriil actually grinned. He could hear a snuffling, rustling, rooting sound. Crawling on his belly to the lip of the gulley, he peered over the dirt edge and saw a boar down at the watery bottom. A shallow creek snaked through the floor of the forest and the boar was making something of a leafy mud wallow. And it wasn’t alone. Another she-boar was nearby with a squealing mass of piglets in her wake. Gavriil looked over his shoulder at his sister and arched one serious eyebrow.
Ready? he mouthed at her and ever so gently pushed himself back just enough to where he could reach for his bow and into his quiver for a few arrows. He lay them on the ground in a neat line so that he could fire them one right after the other if necessary. The steepness of the gulley wall would at least slow the boars if they took issue with being shot for dinner.
Gavriil sighed when she admitted through that ‘whoopsie’ smile that she did not have a knife. It would appear he’d be the only one doing any skinning today, or cutting. That was fine, he supposed, and hunkered down like a dully clad boulder to watch the brush around them for any hint of life. They were there for a minute or so before he heard her voice, low and nearly inaudible.
“Well, I’ve never actually shot anything moving, but I’m sure I can do it.”
Another deep, deep sigh escaped through his nose. That was fine. Expected. Not how she’d presented it, of course, but more in line with what he’d actually assumed. That meant she was here as more of a spectator and that he could deal with. His sharp, narrowed eyes swept the forest floor again and while he’d liked this particular spot a moment ago, he didn’t now. He smelled the air. It was too clean. They would be scented miles off.
With his first two fingers used as a pointer, Gavriil glanced back at her and made two quick ‘this way’ motions and crept forward. Their progress was slow but Gavriil knew where he wanted to get to and he felt that if his sister thought she could do this, then she ought to be able to keep up. The first half of the morning ended up being quite a lot of ‘Hurry Up And Wait’. They’d perch somewhere on the roots of trees or behind a bush or beside a large rock, wait, then continue. Even his legs were starting to burn from all the up, down, crouch, up, down, crouch, walk, crouch, up, crouch, walk, crouch, down.
By mid morning they came to the top of a gulley where Gavriil actually grinned. He could hear a snuffling, rustling, rooting sound. Crawling on his belly to the lip of the gulley, he peered over the dirt edge and saw a boar down at the watery bottom. A shallow creek snaked through the floor of the forest and the boar was making something of a leafy mud wallow. And it wasn’t alone. Another she-boar was nearby with a squealing mass of piglets in her wake. Gavriil looked over his shoulder at his sister and arched one serious eyebrow.
Ready? he mouthed at her and ever so gently pushed himself back just enough to where he could reach for his bow and into his quiver for a few arrows. He lay them on the ground in a neat line so that he could fire them one right after the other if necessary. The steepness of the gulley wall would at least slow the boars if they took issue with being shot for dinner.
She didn’t miss her brother’s frustrations as she admitted that she did not have a knife, nor had she actually shot a moving target with a bow and arrow. His sighing was loud enough she was sure any animals around them likely heard it as well. She didn’t care though, he could be as frustrated as he wanted, she was determined and she was going to do it.
She followed his silent instructions, moving with him and staying as quiet as possible throughout the morning. She was determined to impress her brother and prove herself, though she would never admit to him that she wanted to make him proud of her. He didn’t need to know how much she actually cared about what he thought about her.
She had no problem crawling through the dirt with him as they approached the edge of the gulley and looked down at the animals. But a sudden gut wrenching feeling hit her as she saw the female and her babies. They weren’t going to kill her or her babies... were they?
She hesitated as her brother started preparing his arrows and bow, feeling dread at the idea of killing a mother and her children, even if they were wild animals. She hoped that her brother would simply be satisfied with killing the male boar and leaving the other ones to run and live.
But she wouldn’t voice this. She did not want her brother to think she was weak, though despite her unwillingness to bring her feelings to words, it was written on her face and in her eyes, something she was not aware of.
She was not yet the stone faced Queen she would one day become.
Her hands were shaking just slightly out of fear for the babies and out of nervous excitement that she might be able to shoot the male boar and her brother would be impressed with her skills, and in turn her father would be as well when they brought the meat home and Gavriil helped her tell him of her first successful hunt.
She knew this was not a skill she would need in her life, women did not hunt often, and she was destined to marry someone who would have the means to take care of her, but she just wanted to prove that she could do it. Whether she needed to ever do it again or not was irrelevant.
She lined her arrows up as her brother had, taking his queues and copying him much like a lot of younger siblings did to their older siblings. She knew that he was the experienced one, the one who knew what he was doing, so she would be stupid not to follow his actions.
She waited there for his next move, brown eyes looking over at her brother for direction. She didn’t want to take a shot unless he said to or something, worried she would do it too early or something and scare the animal off before he wanted it shot. She had no idea how this worked exactly.
Just as she was thinking her brother was preparing to shoot the animals, the beasts perked up and the female took off with her babies, the male following soon after and Yanni furrowed her eyebrows. She had been careful not to scare them off!
But she quickly realized it was not them that had scared the animals, and instead it was the large bear that came rambling out of the trees just behind where the boars had been, sniffing along the ground casually. It seemed it was following the small line of water, perhaps seeking out a larger body of water.
Yanni looked at it with awe, completely lost as to what to do in the moment.
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She didn’t miss her brother’s frustrations as she admitted that she did not have a knife, nor had she actually shot a moving target with a bow and arrow. His sighing was loud enough she was sure any animals around them likely heard it as well. She didn’t care though, he could be as frustrated as he wanted, she was determined and she was going to do it.
She followed his silent instructions, moving with him and staying as quiet as possible throughout the morning. She was determined to impress her brother and prove herself, though she would never admit to him that she wanted to make him proud of her. He didn’t need to know how much she actually cared about what he thought about her.
She had no problem crawling through the dirt with him as they approached the edge of the gulley and looked down at the animals. But a sudden gut wrenching feeling hit her as she saw the female and her babies. They weren’t going to kill her or her babies... were they?
She hesitated as her brother started preparing his arrows and bow, feeling dread at the idea of killing a mother and her children, even if they were wild animals. She hoped that her brother would simply be satisfied with killing the male boar and leaving the other ones to run and live.
But she wouldn’t voice this. She did not want her brother to think she was weak, though despite her unwillingness to bring her feelings to words, it was written on her face and in her eyes, something she was not aware of.
She was not yet the stone faced Queen she would one day become.
Her hands were shaking just slightly out of fear for the babies and out of nervous excitement that she might be able to shoot the male boar and her brother would be impressed with her skills, and in turn her father would be as well when they brought the meat home and Gavriil helped her tell him of her first successful hunt.
She knew this was not a skill she would need in her life, women did not hunt often, and she was destined to marry someone who would have the means to take care of her, but she just wanted to prove that she could do it. Whether she needed to ever do it again or not was irrelevant.
She lined her arrows up as her brother had, taking his queues and copying him much like a lot of younger siblings did to their older siblings. She knew that he was the experienced one, the one who knew what he was doing, so she would be stupid not to follow his actions.
She waited there for his next move, brown eyes looking over at her brother for direction. She didn’t want to take a shot unless he said to or something, worried she would do it too early or something and scare the animal off before he wanted it shot. She had no idea how this worked exactly.
Just as she was thinking her brother was preparing to shoot the animals, the beasts perked up and the female took off with her babies, the male following soon after and Yanni furrowed her eyebrows. She had been careful not to scare them off!
But she quickly realized it was not them that had scared the animals, and instead it was the large bear that came rambling out of the trees just behind where the boars had been, sniffing along the ground casually. It seemed it was following the small line of water, perhaps seeking out a larger body of water.
Yanni looked at it with awe, completely lost as to what to do in the moment.
She didn’t miss her brother’s frustrations as she admitted that she did not have a knife, nor had she actually shot a moving target with a bow and arrow. His sighing was loud enough she was sure any animals around them likely heard it as well. She didn’t care though, he could be as frustrated as he wanted, she was determined and she was going to do it.
She followed his silent instructions, moving with him and staying as quiet as possible throughout the morning. She was determined to impress her brother and prove herself, though she would never admit to him that she wanted to make him proud of her. He didn’t need to know how much she actually cared about what he thought about her.
She had no problem crawling through the dirt with him as they approached the edge of the gulley and looked down at the animals. But a sudden gut wrenching feeling hit her as she saw the female and her babies. They weren’t going to kill her or her babies... were they?
She hesitated as her brother started preparing his arrows and bow, feeling dread at the idea of killing a mother and her children, even if they were wild animals. She hoped that her brother would simply be satisfied with killing the male boar and leaving the other ones to run and live.
But she wouldn’t voice this. She did not want her brother to think she was weak, though despite her unwillingness to bring her feelings to words, it was written on her face and in her eyes, something she was not aware of.
She was not yet the stone faced Queen she would one day become.
Her hands were shaking just slightly out of fear for the babies and out of nervous excitement that she might be able to shoot the male boar and her brother would be impressed with her skills, and in turn her father would be as well when they brought the meat home and Gavriil helped her tell him of her first successful hunt.
She knew this was not a skill she would need in her life, women did not hunt often, and she was destined to marry someone who would have the means to take care of her, but she just wanted to prove that she could do it. Whether she needed to ever do it again or not was irrelevant.
She lined her arrows up as her brother had, taking his queues and copying him much like a lot of younger siblings did to their older siblings. She knew that he was the experienced one, the one who knew what he was doing, so she would be stupid not to follow his actions.
She waited there for his next move, brown eyes looking over at her brother for direction. She didn’t want to take a shot unless he said to or something, worried she would do it too early or something and scare the animal off before he wanted it shot. She had no idea how this worked exactly.
Just as she was thinking her brother was preparing to shoot the animals, the beasts perked up and the female took off with her babies, the male following soon after and Yanni furrowed her eyebrows. She had been careful not to scare them off!
But she quickly realized it was not them that had scared the animals, and instead it was the large bear that came rambling out of the trees just behind where the boars had been, sniffing along the ground casually. It seemed it was following the small line of water, perhaps seeking out a larger body of water.
Yanni looked at it with awe, completely lost as to what to do in the moment.
He didn’t notice his sister’s unwillingness to kill the mother boar but he might have guessed it, if he’d taken the trouble to do so. At the moment, all of his solid concentration was on the task at hand. All her anxieties and worries turned out to be in vain. There was a great swishing through the mass of tall ferns below. A swishing and snuffling. The male boar’s head raised, his tail shot straight in the air, and with a warning squeal of alarm, he took off. His lady did the same, squealing after him and Gavriil, meanwhile, lay on his stomach in the dirt, elbow sinking into soft earth, his chin in his palm. His sharp blue eyes watched dully as one, two, three, four, five piglets followed one right after the other into the underbrush.
He sighed.
Far down below, the bear shuffled into view. He could tell at a glance that it was female. Her great shaggy head quested side to side, her round little ears flapping. Her mouth hung open, lips drooping away from clean white fangs. She was young. Young but not that young. Gavriil stayed very still, his arm shooting out to grab Yanni and drag her against him. He lay a finger against his lips and looked meaningfully down at the she-bear.
Two little furballs tumbled after her, playing roly-poly with each other, making an adorable, lethal family. She knew they were here. He knew it as soon as she stopped and lifted her head, scenting the air. His fingers curled around the shafts of his arrows, gathering them quietly, attempting to put them back in his quiver. He’d hunted bears before but always with dogs and never with his little sister in tow. Where Black Dog was now...who knew? But Gavriil was glad the dog wasn’t here.
As though the thought drew the animal, he heard a happy panting coming towards his ear. Then a long, wet, hot tongue licked up his ear and into his hair. Black Dog prepared to lick him again but Gavriil waved him off, gritting his teeth.
Roooooooooooooooooooooooooar bellowed from down below. The she-bear raised up in her hind feet, her great paws settled against her chest, the talon-like claws debatabley less dangerous than her raw strength. Her small, beady eyes were on them. Even if she couldn’t quite see right where they were, her nose had already pinpointed them and so had her hearing. Abandoning his attempt at silence, Gavriil grabbed Yanni by the back of her shirt and hoisted her immediately to her feet at the same moment that Black Dog growled and the bear dropped to all fours.
“RUN!” he shouted, hurtling his sister in front of him and tearing after her. He didn’t dare stop to see what Black Dog was doing. Stones and dirt tumbled down the gulley walls as the bear fought her way up the gulley wall. “RUN!” he shouted again, terrified that they would both be caught, or that he would make it and she wouldn’t. He could not explain that to their parents. Would not. His hand tangled in her shirt again as he overtook her and he used the hold to drag and push her in front of him.
It was times like this that would make him realize later that he did like having a little sister. Liked that very much and definitely wanted to keep her in one piece.
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Sept 18, 2020 21:36:25 GMT
Posted In New skills on Sept 18, 2020 21:36:25 GMT
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He didn’t notice his sister’s unwillingness to kill the mother boar but he might have guessed it, if he’d taken the trouble to do so. At the moment, all of his solid concentration was on the task at hand. All her anxieties and worries turned out to be in vain. There was a great swishing through the mass of tall ferns below. A swishing and snuffling. The male boar’s head raised, his tail shot straight in the air, and with a warning squeal of alarm, he took off. His lady did the same, squealing after him and Gavriil, meanwhile, lay on his stomach in the dirt, elbow sinking into soft earth, his chin in his palm. His sharp blue eyes watched dully as one, two, three, four, five piglets followed one right after the other into the underbrush.
He sighed.
Far down below, the bear shuffled into view. He could tell at a glance that it was female. Her great shaggy head quested side to side, her round little ears flapping. Her mouth hung open, lips drooping away from clean white fangs. She was young. Young but not that young. Gavriil stayed very still, his arm shooting out to grab Yanni and drag her against him. He lay a finger against his lips and looked meaningfully down at the she-bear.
Two little furballs tumbled after her, playing roly-poly with each other, making an adorable, lethal family. She knew they were here. He knew it as soon as she stopped and lifted her head, scenting the air. His fingers curled around the shafts of his arrows, gathering them quietly, attempting to put them back in his quiver. He’d hunted bears before but always with dogs and never with his little sister in tow. Where Black Dog was now...who knew? But Gavriil was glad the dog wasn’t here.
As though the thought drew the animal, he heard a happy panting coming towards his ear. Then a long, wet, hot tongue licked up his ear and into his hair. Black Dog prepared to lick him again but Gavriil waved him off, gritting his teeth.
Roooooooooooooooooooooooooar bellowed from down below. The she-bear raised up in her hind feet, her great paws settled against her chest, the talon-like claws debatabley less dangerous than her raw strength. Her small, beady eyes were on them. Even if she couldn’t quite see right where they were, her nose had already pinpointed them and so had her hearing. Abandoning his attempt at silence, Gavriil grabbed Yanni by the back of her shirt and hoisted her immediately to her feet at the same moment that Black Dog growled and the bear dropped to all fours.
“RUN!” he shouted, hurtling his sister in front of him and tearing after her. He didn’t dare stop to see what Black Dog was doing. Stones and dirt tumbled down the gulley walls as the bear fought her way up the gulley wall. “RUN!” he shouted again, terrified that they would both be caught, or that he would make it and she wouldn’t. He could not explain that to their parents. Would not. His hand tangled in her shirt again as he overtook her and he used the hold to drag and push her in front of him.
It was times like this that would make him realize later that he did like having a little sister. Liked that very much and definitely wanted to keep her in one piece.
He didn’t notice his sister’s unwillingness to kill the mother boar but he might have guessed it, if he’d taken the trouble to do so. At the moment, all of his solid concentration was on the task at hand. All her anxieties and worries turned out to be in vain. There was a great swishing through the mass of tall ferns below. A swishing and snuffling. The male boar’s head raised, his tail shot straight in the air, and with a warning squeal of alarm, he took off. His lady did the same, squealing after him and Gavriil, meanwhile, lay on his stomach in the dirt, elbow sinking into soft earth, his chin in his palm. His sharp blue eyes watched dully as one, two, three, four, five piglets followed one right after the other into the underbrush.
He sighed.
Far down below, the bear shuffled into view. He could tell at a glance that it was female. Her great shaggy head quested side to side, her round little ears flapping. Her mouth hung open, lips drooping away from clean white fangs. She was young. Young but not that young. Gavriil stayed very still, his arm shooting out to grab Yanni and drag her against him. He lay a finger against his lips and looked meaningfully down at the she-bear.
Two little furballs tumbled after her, playing roly-poly with each other, making an adorable, lethal family. She knew they were here. He knew it as soon as she stopped and lifted her head, scenting the air. His fingers curled around the shafts of his arrows, gathering them quietly, attempting to put them back in his quiver. He’d hunted bears before but always with dogs and never with his little sister in tow. Where Black Dog was now...who knew? But Gavriil was glad the dog wasn’t here.
As though the thought drew the animal, he heard a happy panting coming towards his ear. Then a long, wet, hot tongue licked up his ear and into his hair. Black Dog prepared to lick him again but Gavriil waved him off, gritting his teeth.
Roooooooooooooooooooooooooar bellowed from down below. The she-bear raised up in her hind feet, her great paws settled against her chest, the talon-like claws debatabley less dangerous than her raw strength. Her small, beady eyes were on them. Even if she couldn’t quite see right where they were, her nose had already pinpointed them and so had her hearing. Abandoning his attempt at silence, Gavriil grabbed Yanni by the back of her shirt and hoisted her immediately to her feet at the same moment that Black Dog growled and the bear dropped to all fours.
“RUN!” he shouted, hurtling his sister in front of him and tearing after her. He didn’t dare stop to see what Black Dog was doing. Stones and dirt tumbled down the gulley walls as the bear fought her way up the gulley wall. “RUN!” he shouted again, terrified that they would both be caught, or that he would make it and she wouldn’t. He could not explain that to their parents. Would not. His hand tangled in her shirt again as he overtook her and he used the hold to drag and push her in front of him.
It was times like this that would make him realize later that he did like having a little sister. Liked that very much and definitely wanted to keep her in one piece.
Yanni was amazed by the sight of the bear, she had never really seen one up close, at least not a live one. It was a magnificent animal, majestic in it’s own way as it walked, the pure strength behind it’s frame clear as it made it’s place in the food chain known. The sight of the beasts teeth sent shivers down her spine, and she felt in that moment a complete and utter respect for the animal. This was something that was made to kill, a female who was not afraid to protect herself, and evidently her cubs either. Yanni watched as the two playful kids came wandering out of the trees behind their mom, tumbling and jumping and for a split second she forgot they were dangers animals, and instead marvelled at their playfulness as well as the bond with their mother.
Yanni did the same when she saw her brother quietly collecting his arrows, reality sinking in a little. Perhaps the bears weren’t just cute, and she needed to remember that the mom could most likely kill both of them before they could get any shots off on her. She had gotten so lost in the idea of the momma bear and her babies that she had really forgotten the gravity of the situation.
And then suddenly the bear was roaring and her brother was grabbing her, and they were running. She went as fast as she could, trying her best to keep up with her brother and not let the under brush and rocks of the forest floor trip her, but it was not so easy when she was also trying to move as fast as she could. Her lungs were already burning, but she knew that they could not stop. She could not slow down. The bear would be on them in a second, if she wasn’t already close behind them. The only thing she could hear as the rush of her own blood and her heart trying to pump it through her veins quickly, the sound almost deafening, the sound serving only to spook her and confuse her more.
She was barely aware that she had slowed enough that her brother was grabbing her shirt and practically dragging her along by it. She wasn’t really aware of anything in the moment except the fact that they needed to run. For how long? She had no idea. But she knew that she could not go too much longer, her body was not used to such things. She had never had a reason to run, not like this. Not out of sheer terror and not through the thick trees.
Finally they broke through the treeline and made it to their father’s property. Yanni didn’t stop until she was bursting through the door of her house, at which point she collapsed on the floor, away from the door so she didn’t block it for her brother, and tried to catch her breath and regain at least some thought.
“If you were trying to scare me from ever wanting to hunt with you again, it worked.” She stated when she started being able to at least sort of breathe and feel her legs again, though her breathing was still heavy as she spoke.
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Yanni was amazed by the sight of the bear, she had never really seen one up close, at least not a live one. It was a magnificent animal, majestic in it’s own way as it walked, the pure strength behind it’s frame clear as it made it’s place in the food chain known. The sight of the beasts teeth sent shivers down her spine, and she felt in that moment a complete and utter respect for the animal. This was something that was made to kill, a female who was not afraid to protect herself, and evidently her cubs either. Yanni watched as the two playful kids came wandering out of the trees behind their mom, tumbling and jumping and for a split second she forgot they were dangers animals, and instead marvelled at their playfulness as well as the bond with their mother.
Yanni did the same when she saw her brother quietly collecting his arrows, reality sinking in a little. Perhaps the bears weren’t just cute, and she needed to remember that the mom could most likely kill both of them before they could get any shots off on her. She had gotten so lost in the idea of the momma bear and her babies that she had really forgotten the gravity of the situation.
And then suddenly the bear was roaring and her brother was grabbing her, and they were running. She went as fast as she could, trying her best to keep up with her brother and not let the under brush and rocks of the forest floor trip her, but it was not so easy when she was also trying to move as fast as she could. Her lungs were already burning, but she knew that they could not stop. She could not slow down. The bear would be on them in a second, if she wasn’t already close behind them. The only thing she could hear as the rush of her own blood and her heart trying to pump it through her veins quickly, the sound almost deafening, the sound serving only to spook her and confuse her more.
She was barely aware that she had slowed enough that her brother was grabbing her shirt and practically dragging her along by it. She wasn’t really aware of anything in the moment except the fact that they needed to run. For how long? She had no idea. But she knew that she could not go too much longer, her body was not used to such things. She had never had a reason to run, not like this. Not out of sheer terror and not through the thick trees.
Finally they broke through the treeline and made it to their father’s property. Yanni didn’t stop until she was bursting through the door of her house, at which point she collapsed on the floor, away from the door so she didn’t block it for her brother, and tried to catch her breath and regain at least some thought.
“If you were trying to scare me from ever wanting to hunt with you again, it worked.” She stated when she started being able to at least sort of breathe and feel her legs again, though her breathing was still heavy as she spoke.
Yanni was amazed by the sight of the bear, she had never really seen one up close, at least not a live one. It was a magnificent animal, majestic in it’s own way as it walked, the pure strength behind it’s frame clear as it made it’s place in the food chain known. The sight of the beasts teeth sent shivers down her spine, and she felt in that moment a complete and utter respect for the animal. This was something that was made to kill, a female who was not afraid to protect herself, and evidently her cubs either. Yanni watched as the two playful kids came wandering out of the trees behind their mom, tumbling and jumping and for a split second she forgot they were dangers animals, and instead marvelled at their playfulness as well as the bond with their mother.
Yanni did the same when she saw her brother quietly collecting his arrows, reality sinking in a little. Perhaps the bears weren’t just cute, and she needed to remember that the mom could most likely kill both of them before they could get any shots off on her. She had gotten so lost in the idea of the momma bear and her babies that she had really forgotten the gravity of the situation.
And then suddenly the bear was roaring and her brother was grabbing her, and they were running. She went as fast as she could, trying her best to keep up with her brother and not let the under brush and rocks of the forest floor trip her, but it was not so easy when she was also trying to move as fast as she could. Her lungs were already burning, but she knew that they could not stop. She could not slow down. The bear would be on them in a second, if she wasn’t already close behind them. The only thing she could hear as the rush of her own blood and her heart trying to pump it through her veins quickly, the sound almost deafening, the sound serving only to spook her and confuse her more.
She was barely aware that she had slowed enough that her brother was grabbing her shirt and practically dragging her along by it. She wasn’t really aware of anything in the moment except the fact that they needed to run. For how long? She had no idea. But she knew that she could not go too much longer, her body was not used to such things. She had never had a reason to run, not like this. Not out of sheer terror and not through the thick trees.
Finally they broke through the treeline and made it to their father’s property. Yanni didn’t stop until she was bursting through the door of her house, at which point she collapsed on the floor, away from the door so she didn’t block it for her brother, and tried to catch her breath and regain at least some thought.
“If you were trying to scare me from ever wanting to hunt with you again, it worked.” She stated when she started being able to at least sort of breathe and feel her legs again, though her breathing was still heavy as she spoke.
Leaves slapped his face. His arms wheeled to keep branches from scratching their eyes. His footfalls were sure and swift but even Gavriil was afraid. There was no way he could take down a bear, alone, on foot from the ground. The two of them raced down familiar paths, never looking back, never stopping. But he didn’t have to look back. He could hear the enormous body of the she-bear crashing through the forest after them. He could taste the tang of her stench on the air, mingling with the coppery taste of fear in his mouth.
They stumbled and tumbled through the forest, long after he stopped hearing their pursuer. His legs burned. His chest ached. His ears roared and his knees went weak once he saw the walls of the compound. Somewhere through the woods, arrows had bounced out of his quiver and littered the ground, which he would have to find later. He didn’t discover that until he’d practically fallen through the front door with Yanni, the two of them panting and huffing on the tiles.
Gavriil slung his bow and quiver away from himself and lay flat on the ground, puffing. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on slowing his breathing down so that his heart could quit thundering in his ears. “If you were trying to scare me from ever wanting to hunt with you again, it worked,” Yanni’s voice sounded far away but Gavriil shook his shaggy head.
“No,” he licked his lips and finally opened his eyes to see the safe ceiling of their home. “That means we have to go again.” Sitting up, he massaged his calf muscles, pinning her with a sharp blue stare and a rare grin. It gave his face a cunning appearance. “Yanni of Dimitrou isn’t allowed to be afraid of a few bears.”
Their entrance had summoned their mother and Dorotheos, who looked crossly at the two of them, like their adventure should have been his adventure. Only his hair was still up in tufts from having just woken up. Gavriil’s grin dropped and he stood immediately, gathering his hunting supplies. “Nothing to worry about,” he told their mother, glancing at Yanni with the sort of narrowed gaze that told her to keep her mouth shut. This hadn’t been a long adventure, but he didn’t want it to be their last. Once she could actually shoot something, and provided they didn’t run into a bear next time, it might be fun to have company...from time to time.
"Morning," he greeted their mother and kissed her cheek before disappearing around a corner. Their mother frowned after him, arched a brow at Yanni, and took Dorotheos by the hand to get her youngest some breakfast. It seemed they were off the hook for this misadventure after all.
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Leaves slapped his face. His arms wheeled to keep branches from scratching their eyes. His footfalls were sure and swift but even Gavriil was afraid. There was no way he could take down a bear, alone, on foot from the ground. The two of them raced down familiar paths, never looking back, never stopping. But he didn’t have to look back. He could hear the enormous body of the she-bear crashing through the forest after them. He could taste the tang of her stench on the air, mingling with the coppery taste of fear in his mouth.
They stumbled and tumbled through the forest, long after he stopped hearing their pursuer. His legs burned. His chest ached. His ears roared and his knees went weak once he saw the walls of the compound. Somewhere through the woods, arrows had bounced out of his quiver and littered the ground, which he would have to find later. He didn’t discover that until he’d practically fallen through the front door with Yanni, the two of them panting and huffing on the tiles.
Gavriil slung his bow and quiver away from himself and lay flat on the ground, puffing. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on slowing his breathing down so that his heart could quit thundering in his ears. “If you were trying to scare me from ever wanting to hunt with you again, it worked,” Yanni’s voice sounded far away but Gavriil shook his shaggy head.
“No,” he licked his lips and finally opened his eyes to see the safe ceiling of their home. “That means we have to go again.” Sitting up, he massaged his calf muscles, pinning her with a sharp blue stare and a rare grin. It gave his face a cunning appearance. “Yanni of Dimitrou isn’t allowed to be afraid of a few bears.”
Their entrance had summoned their mother and Dorotheos, who looked crossly at the two of them, like their adventure should have been his adventure. Only his hair was still up in tufts from having just woken up. Gavriil’s grin dropped and he stood immediately, gathering his hunting supplies. “Nothing to worry about,” he told their mother, glancing at Yanni with the sort of narrowed gaze that told her to keep her mouth shut. This hadn’t been a long adventure, but he didn’t want it to be their last. Once she could actually shoot something, and provided they didn’t run into a bear next time, it might be fun to have company...from time to time.
"Morning," he greeted their mother and kissed her cheek before disappearing around a corner. Their mother frowned after him, arched a brow at Yanni, and took Dorotheos by the hand to get her youngest some breakfast. It seemed they were off the hook for this misadventure after all.
Leaves slapped his face. His arms wheeled to keep branches from scratching their eyes. His footfalls were sure and swift but even Gavriil was afraid. There was no way he could take down a bear, alone, on foot from the ground. The two of them raced down familiar paths, never looking back, never stopping. But he didn’t have to look back. He could hear the enormous body of the she-bear crashing through the forest after them. He could taste the tang of her stench on the air, mingling with the coppery taste of fear in his mouth.
They stumbled and tumbled through the forest, long after he stopped hearing their pursuer. His legs burned. His chest ached. His ears roared and his knees went weak once he saw the walls of the compound. Somewhere through the woods, arrows had bounced out of his quiver and littered the ground, which he would have to find later. He didn’t discover that until he’d practically fallen through the front door with Yanni, the two of them panting and huffing on the tiles.
Gavriil slung his bow and quiver away from himself and lay flat on the ground, puffing. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on slowing his breathing down so that his heart could quit thundering in his ears. “If you were trying to scare me from ever wanting to hunt with you again, it worked,” Yanni’s voice sounded far away but Gavriil shook his shaggy head.
“No,” he licked his lips and finally opened his eyes to see the safe ceiling of their home. “That means we have to go again.” Sitting up, he massaged his calf muscles, pinning her with a sharp blue stare and a rare grin. It gave his face a cunning appearance. “Yanni of Dimitrou isn’t allowed to be afraid of a few bears.”
Their entrance had summoned their mother and Dorotheos, who looked crossly at the two of them, like their adventure should have been his adventure. Only his hair was still up in tufts from having just woken up. Gavriil’s grin dropped and he stood immediately, gathering his hunting supplies. “Nothing to worry about,” he told their mother, glancing at Yanni with the sort of narrowed gaze that told her to keep her mouth shut. This hadn’t been a long adventure, but he didn’t want it to be their last. Once she could actually shoot something, and provided they didn’t run into a bear next time, it might be fun to have company...from time to time.
"Morning," he greeted their mother and kissed her cheek before disappearing around a corner. Their mother frowned after him, arched a brow at Yanni, and took Dorotheos by the hand to get her youngest some breakfast. It seemed they were off the hook for this misadventure after all.