[Yunari] Tiger Hunt
They broke through the foliage into yet another clearing, sun beating down on them from above. Yunari sneezed, muttered something that barely passed for obscene, and ducked back into the shade again. Tashorr, meanwhile, stood straight, casting an eye over the ground. Looking for tracks, probably. They'd been following the tiger since shortly after dawn, and Yunari was beginning to wonder if they were running in circles. The island wasn't all that large, after all.
Or maybe the tiger was tracking them.
Yunari licked her tusks nervously and glanced around the clearing, eyes beginning to adjust to the brightness. Tashorr was crouched over something on the ground now, but looked up to meet her gaze, shooting his wife a wide grin. "Scared, eh?"
Yunari scowled and shook her head, folding her arms over her chest. "Of course not." Even if she was a little worried--which she certainly was not, she reminded herself--she wasn't about to show it in front of her useless mate. He'd probably call off the hunt altogether if he thought she was frightened of the big cat, and then where would they be? Hungry and without a fur to show for their trouble at best, and at worst...
She sighed. Most of the village had already noticed how Tashorr seemed to defer to his wife's every whim, and returning now would only give them more to tease the pair about. Much of that teasing was her fault, to be sure, but if she hadn't ended up married to the village idiot, there would have been no need to order him around like an over-sized child in the first place.
"Yun! This way!"
She made a sour face at the nickname, and looked up just in time to see Tashorr plunging into the trees on the other side of the clearing. Wonderful. For all that he wouldn't stop talking most of the time, he moved swiftly and quietly now when he was focused on his prey, and if she fell too far behind she'd be stuck here. She hurried across the hot, bare ground, and into the shade again, trying to keep him in sight.
. . .
Tashorr paused mid-stride, a bit of color catching his eye. He crouched down to take a closer look, head cocked to one side as he considered the tuft of fur snagged on a rough patch of bark. The tracks earlier had been muddled and confusing, and he was beginning to think he knew why. For one thing, this fur was a much deeper, redder color than the tiger they'd glimpsed from the beach.
No need to worry Yun about it, though. He was fairly confident that he could handle both cats if need be, even if his wife was too damn lazy to use the dagger he'd given her. He looked back over his shoulder at her, watching the skinny female clamber awkwardly over a fallen log. She'd seemed so perfect at first, and he'd rushed ahead without even thinking to consider that her looks might be the only worthwhile thing about her. He really did need to work on thinking things through.
Maybe if he just kept coaxing her along she'd eventually amount to something.
Nodding to himself, Tashorr started off through the trees again, ignoring the yelps and cracking branches behind him.
. . .
She was lost, and she didn't even particularly care anymore. There was still some time left before nightfall, though the light cutting through the trees was growing dimmer already, and Tashorr would probably come back to find her soon. Until then, Yunari, thought, she would enjoy the respite from his sarcastic comments and inane questions. No, she hadn't spent much time hunting before, and what did her thoughts on raptors have to do with anything, anyway?
Yunari grumbled to herself as she edged along the branch towards a hanging vine that had caught her eye. Stupid troll, with his too-small tusks and his too-smart mouth. She wondered what she would do if the tiger they were tracking ate him. It would almost be a relief. Gripping the branch tightly with her legs, she took out her knife and began hacking at the vine, turning her face aside to avoid the sticky sap that spattered with each cut.
. . .
He'd lost the tiger. With a sigh, Tashorr bent down and examined the ground again, but it was no use. He really had been going in circles--he could barely make out the faint paw marks next to his own tracks. And where had that woman gone? She'd been here just a moment ago, walking quietly behind him.
He scratched his chin and frowned. Yun never moved quietly.
His ears twitched at a soft scuffing noise behind him, and he leaped to the side, raising his axe as a mass of fangs and deep reddish fur pounced on the spot where he'd been standing. The tiger skidded a bit, letting out a confused growl, then turned to him, yellow-green eyes gleaming in the growing darkness.
. . .
She hadn't minded at first. He'd seemed normal, really, right up until the first morning after they were married, when he'd insisted on cooking breakfast himself, dumped a pile of peacebloom in her lap, and started talking about how they should take a walk together and look at the ocean. It all went downhill from there, and she found herself growing even more irritated at the memory. He was constantly by her side, asking pointless questions, taking over her household duties as if she were incompetent, and acting as if her every suggestion was a command.
She had, Yunari reflected as she continued working on the vine, let that last part go to her head a bit. And he'd continued waking her up every morning with a pile of herbs on the bed. She'd turned to making potions to clear out the mess--if she hadn't, the small hut they shared would have overflowed with flowers.
The vine was almost free, and she tugged on it sharply, snapping the remaining fibers. With a satisfied grunt she began rolling it up to fit into her her bag. She ought to be able to find some use for it--even if it wasn't any use in her mixtures, it was quite sturdy.
Her stomach rumbled, and she looked around irritably. It really was nearly dark now, and Tashorr was nowhere in sight. She frowned, tapping on one tusk with a chipped fingernail as she considered. He wouldn't have forgotten about her, would he? Though he might have thought she was still following him, not thinking to look behind and see that she was having trouble keeping up. It was just the sort of stupid thing he'd do. Well, he was a skilled tracker, at least. He'd find her soon enough, and maybe then they could find something to eat.
Her stomach growled again, louder and more menacing. Yunari looked down, and noted (rather calmly, she thought) that there was a tiger sitting underneath the tree, gazing up at her and licking its chops. As she watched, another prowled out of the shadows, eying her just as hungrily as the first.
. . .
Tashorr started, looking up from the tiger he was skinning as he reached for his axe. That scream had definitely been Yun. He turned his head to the side, trying to determine where the sound had come from. Anyone should be able to handle just one tiger, but...
The scream came again, louder and more panicked, and Tashorr took off through the trees, feet and heart pounding.
. . .
"You were screaming like a little girl. They were just cubs, Yun." Tashorr poked at the fire with a stick, a disgusted look on his face.
Yunari looked away, trying to focus on the fish she was cleaning. She was still shaking, and the knife slipped, cutting into her palm. She stifled a yelp, and fought back the urge to try and explain herself to Tashorr. She wasn't a fighter, she could barely handle a pig on her own. His expression suggested she'd only make things worse by giving excuses, though.
He'd appeared out of nowhere, stilling one of the circling, growling tigers almost immediately and then launching himself at the other. He'd looked worried, she thought, almost frightened, but when he came to help her down from the tree she saw nothing but irritation and a hint of anger. He was probably right to be annoyed. She had, after all, gotten lost, been treed by a pair of kittens, dropped her dagger, and then yelled at him for being an idiot and wandering off.
He'd seemed hurt when she shouted at him, but maybe it had been more anger. She needed to be more careful about speaking her mind.
. . .
Tashorr grumbled to himself, grinding his teeth together as he watched his wife attempt to cook the fish. Hopefully the inside would still be edible underneath that layer of ash.
She didn't respect him. He had hoped she would. Before they had married, he had even asked a friend for advice on how to win over a woman. He'd been kind to her, showed interest in her, brought her gifts and flowers. He sighed. At least she'd liked the flowers. But to have Yun scare him like that, over nothing, and then hurl insults at him as he came to her rescue...
Clearly, what he had been doing wasn't working. Something would have to change.
Or maybe the tiger was tracking them.
Yunari licked her tusks nervously and glanced around the clearing, eyes beginning to adjust to the brightness. Tashorr was crouched over something on the ground now, but looked up to meet her gaze, shooting his wife a wide grin. "Scared, eh?"
Yunari scowled and shook her head, folding her arms over her chest. "Of course not." Even if she was a little worried--which she certainly was not, she reminded herself--she wasn't about to show it in front of her useless mate. He'd probably call off the hunt altogether if he thought she was frightened of the big cat, and then where would they be? Hungry and without a fur to show for their trouble at best, and at worst...
She sighed. Most of the village had already noticed how Tashorr seemed to defer to his wife's every whim, and returning now would only give them more to tease the pair about. Much of that teasing was her fault, to be sure, but if she hadn't ended up married to the village idiot, there would have been no need to order him around like an over-sized child in the first place.
"Yun! This way!"
She made a sour face at the nickname, and looked up just in time to see Tashorr plunging into the trees on the other side of the clearing. Wonderful. For all that he wouldn't stop talking most of the time, he moved swiftly and quietly now when he was focused on his prey, and if she fell too far behind she'd be stuck here. She hurried across the hot, bare ground, and into the shade again, trying to keep him in sight.
. . .
Tashorr paused mid-stride, a bit of color catching his eye. He crouched down to take a closer look, head cocked to one side as he considered the tuft of fur snagged on a rough patch of bark. The tracks earlier had been muddled and confusing, and he was beginning to think he knew why. For one thing, this fur was a much deeper, redder color than the tiger they'd glimpsed from the beach.
No need to worry Yun about it, though. He was fairly confident that he could handle both cats if need be, even if his wife was too damn lazy to use the dagger he'd given her. He looked back over his shoulder at her, watching the skinny female clamber awkwardly over a fallen log. She'd seemed so perfect at first, and he'd rushed ahead without even thinking to consider that her looks might be the only worthwhile thing about her. He really did need to work on thinking things through.
Maybe if he just kept coaxing her along she'd eventually amount to something.
Nodding to himself, Tashorr started off through the trees again, ignoring the yelps and cracking branches behind him.
. . .
She was lost, and she didn't even particularly care anymore. There was still some time left before nightfall, though the light cutting through the trees was growing dimmer already, and Tashorr would probably come back to find her soon. Until then, Yunari, thought, she would enjoy the respite from his sarcastic comments and inane questions. No, she hadn't spent much time hunting before, and what did her thoughts on raptors have to do with anything, anyway?
Yunari grumbled to herself as she edged along the branch towards a hanging vine that had caught her eye. Stupid troll, with his too-small tusks and his too-smart mouth. She wondered what she would do if the tiger they were tracking ate him. It would almost be a relief. Gripping the branch tightly with her legs, she took out her knife and began hacking at the vine, turning her face aside to avoid the sticky sap that spattered with each cut.
. . .
He'd lost the tiger. With a sigh, Tashorr bent down and examined the ground again, but it was no use. He really had been going in circles--he could barely make out the faint paw marks next to his own tracks. And where had that woman gone? She'd been here just a moment ago, walking quietly behind him.
He scratched his chin and frowned. Yun never moved quietly.
His ears twitched at a soft scuffing noise behind him, and he leaped to the side, raising his axe as a mass of fangs and deep reddish fur pounced on the spot where he'd been standing. The tiger skidded a bit, letting out a confused growl, then turned to him, yellow-green eyes gleaming in the growing darkness.
. . .
She hadn't minded at first. He'd seemed normal, really, right up until the first morning after they were married, when he'd insisted on cooking breakfast himself, dumped a pile of peacebloom in her lap, and started talking about how they should take a walk together and look at the ocean. It all went downhill from there, and she found herself growing even more irritated at the memory. He was constantly by her side, asking pointless questions, taking over her household duties as if she were incompetent, and acting as if her every suggestion was a command.
She had, Yunari reflected as she continued working on the vine, let that last part go to her head a bit. And he'd continued waking her up every morning with a pile of herbs on the bed. She'd turned to making potions to clear out the mess--if she hadn't, the small hut they shared would have overflowed with flowers.
The vine was almost free, and she tugged on it sharply, snapping the remaining fibers. With a satisfied grunt she began rolling it up to fit into her her bag. She ought to be able to find some use for it--even if it wasn't any use in her mixtures, it was quite sturdy.
Her stomach rumbled, and she looked around irritably. It really was nearly dark now, and Tashorr was nowhere in sight. She frowned, tapping on one tusk with a chipped fingernail as she considered. He wouldn't have forgotten about her, would he? Though he might have thought she was still following him, not thinking to look behind and see that she was having trouble keeping up. It was just the sort of stupid thing he'd do. Well, he was a skilled tracker, at least. He'd find her soon enough, and maybe then they could find something to eat.
Her stomach growled again, louder and more menacing. Yunari looked down, and noted (rather calmly, she thought) that there was a tiger sitting underneath the tree, gazing up at her and licking its chops. As she watched, another prowled out of the shadows, eying her just as hungrily as the first.
. . .
Tashorr started, looking up from the tiger he was skinning as he reached for his axe. That scream had definitely been Yun. He turned his head to the side, trying to determine where the sound had come from. Anyone should be able to handle just one tiger, but...
The scream came again, louder and more panicked, and Tashorr took off through the trees, feet and heart pounding.
. . .
"You were screaming like a little girl. They were just cubs, Yun." Tashorr poked at the fire with a stick, a disgusted look on his face.
Yunari looked away, trying to focus on the fish she was cleaning. She was still shaking, and the knife slipped, cutting into her palm. She stifled a yelp, and fought back the urge to try and explain herself to Tashorr. She wasn't a fighter, she could barely handle a pig on her own. His expression suggested she'd only make things worse by giving excuses, though.
He'd appeared out of nowhere, stilling one of the circling, growling tigers almost immediately and then launching himself at the other. He'd looked worried, she thought, almost frightened, but when he came to help her down from the tree she saw nothing but irritation and a hint of anger. He was probably right to be annoyed. She had, after all, gotten lost, been treed by a pair of kittens, dropped her dagger, and then yelled at him for being an idiot and wandering off.
He'd seemed hurt when she shouted at him, but maybe it had been more anger. She needed to be more careful about speaking her mind.
. . .
Tashorr grumbled to himself, grinding his teeth together as he watched his wife attempt to cook the fish. Hopefully the inside would still be edible underneath that layer of ash.
She didn't respect him. He had hoped she would. Before they had married, he had even asked a friend for advice on how to win over a woman. He'd been kind to her, showed interest in her, brought her gifts and flowers. He sighed. At least she'd liked the flowers. But to have Yun scare him like that, over nothing, and then hurl insults at him as he came to her rescue...
Clearly, what he had been doing wasn't working. Something would have to change.