Winds keep shifting the arrows aside
(OOC: Eilir right before the Rift snatched her.)
Eilir crouched behind a thick spruce pine and signaled to Astrid on her left. She signed: The herd is through those trees, about thirty yards ahead. John and I will go around right. Remind Rowan not to step upwind of them before we're in place. Astrid nodded. Walk with light feet, anamchara, she replied.
Eilir signed wishes of good hunting in reply, then quietly rose from her position and crept back to John. Around to the right, she signed. We are going to come at them from two sides. John grinned at her and took point. She watched him move though the trees and undergrowth as she followed. I'm always surprised how easily he moves through this growth. The woods here in Oregon are dense enough since the Change without being hindered by his height. He doesn't move like a bear, more like a large cougar, she thought. She admired his sure movement. And he's all mine. We've been married for a month and I still can't believe it.
They found a vantage point within easy shot of the clearing. Eilir checked the movement of the leaves to verify the wind hadn't shifted and nodded to John. He would whistle a bird call to let Astrid know they were in place. John signaled to her at Astid's reply. Ready?
She nodded and they rose out of the brush with their arrows already notched. She sighted a large buck, stretched and loosed all in one familiar movement. The string rolled off her fingers and hit her brace with a crack. Other arrows had already been launched from the far left of the clearing and she could see several deer had been hit before the rest of the herd fled.
Good, she thought, we'll have enough to add to winter stores. She looked over to see John grinning at her. He signed: Isn't it nice to shoot at your target without the worry they will be shooting back at you?
Yes, it is, she replied. The war had been long enough, but now they could focus on more important things. Like a family, she thought. Eilir smiled and watched John as he join the others to collect their bounty. She closed her eyes. Thank you, mother goddess for this plenty. We do not take from greed, but from need. Please send them to the Summerlands until they come around again.
Eilir ended her prayer and stepped out of the brush, into the clearing. She realized with a shock there was no clearing, only more trees. What? Did I turn around? She looked about in bewilderment. I'm not telling Astrid I was disoriented in our own woods. She'd never let me forget it, Eilir smiled. She walked a few paces and looked around again. Wait, where's the clearing? All she could see were more trees. There's not even undergrowth. And these trees aren't nearly old enough for our forest. Where am I? What's going on?
Eilir crouched behind a thick spruce pine and signaled to Astrid on her left. She signed: The herd is through those trees, about thirty yards ahead. John and I will go around right. Remind Rowan not to step upwind of them before we're in place. Astrid nodded. Walk with light feet, anamchara, she replied.
Eilir signed wishes of good hunting in reply, then quietly rose from her position and crept back to John. Around to the right, she signed. We are going to come at them from two sides. John grinned at her and took point. She watched him move though the trees and undergrowth as she followed. I'm always surprised how easily he moves through this growth. The woods here in Oregon are dense enough since the Change without being hindered by his height. He doesn't move like a bear, more like a large cougar, she thought. She admired his sure movement. And he's all mine. We've been married for a month and I still can't believe it.
They found a vantage point within easy shot of the clearing. Eilir checked the movement of the leaves to verify the wind hadn't shifted and nodded to John. He would whistle a bird call to let Astrid know they were in place. John signaled to her at Astid's reply. Ready?
She nodded and they rose out of the brush with their arrows already notched. She sighted a large buck, stretched and loosed all in one familiar movement. The string rolled off her fingers and hit her brace with a crack. Other arrows had already been launched from the far left of the clearing and she could see several deer had been hit before the rest of the herd fled.
Good, she thought, we'll have enough to add to winter stores. She looked over to see John grinning at her. He signed: Isn't it nice to shoot at your target without the worry they will be shooting back at you?
Yes, it is, she replied. The war had been long enough, but now they could focus on more important things. Like a family, she thought. Eilir smiled and watched John as he join the others to collect their bounty. She closed her eyes. Thank you, mother goddess for this plenty. We do not take from greed, but from need. Please send them to the Summerlands until they come around again.
Eilir ended her prayer and stepped out of the brush, into the clearing. She realized with a shock there was no clearing, only more trees. What? Did I turn around? She looked about in bewilderment. I'm not telling Astrid I was disoriented in our own woods. She'd never let me forget it, Eilir smiled. She walked a few paces and looked around again. Wait, where's the clearing? All she could see were more trees. There's not even undergrowth. And these trees aren't nearly old enough for our forest. Where am I? What's going on?