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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 10, 2008 22:55:01 GMT -5
"No more than the three of us can eat," Kokomai answered. "Don't worry too much; Gedeon has three stomachs." She smiled, but then realized that Elai might not understand this was a joke. "Not really, just a joke," she corrected awkwardly. The one time she'd made a joke in months, and she had had to explain it was a joke. Awful.
"We may have tea afterwards, we may not," she went on. "It all depends upon the herbs I find."
Gedeon barked, eager to get on with the hunt, and nuzzled Elai in affection, his tail flicking about excitedly.
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Post by FLICK on Jan 16, 2008 1:52:03 GMT -5
Elai's teeth flashed in a brief smile, followed by a quizzical glance and a second confused smile in response to Kokomai's joke. She didn't have enough understanding of what Koko was saying in the first place to place it as a joke, and so she just smiled slightly sheepishly and hoped it didn't require a response. She didn't really understand jokes - they were another piece of culture the tribe mostly did without.
Elai laughed and stumbled backwards when Gedeon rubbed up against her, and ruffled the fur around his neck in response. It was time to hunt. With another small smile, she bounded purposefully into undergrowth, with the merest whisper of leaves to signify her passing. She wasn't particularly sure what sort of game lived in these forests - she hadn't hunted in Hagakarin before - and decided that maybe the best approach would be to stop and see if Gedeon could sniff anything out.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 16, 2008 14:37:53 GMT -5
Kokomai took off at a slow pace. It wasn't often that she ran. She believed time was an illusion and therefore she paid it no mind. She only applied haste when it was crucial to the welfare of others. Kokomai knew that there must be the proper herbs here, she almost remembered seeing some not long ago, if memory served her right. She took into the trees, keeping her eyes on the ground as to find the small plant, though she occasionally threw a glance upward to make sure she wasn't going to run into any obstacles.
Gedeon hopped after Elai and the immediately began sniffing the ground. He walked forward, taking in the scents of the grass as he walked and trying to pick up something fresh enough to pursue. The vegetation grew thicker and taller as he walked along, but the forest was his natural home so it was not a problem for the wolf. He finally caught the scent of a fox and rabbit's blood, probably from a fox carrying its dead prey. A fox was no meal for him, so he only sniffed at that spot for a little longer before carrying on. Only a few steps further, and he smelled elk. Not just one, they were herd animals, and that was why the scent was so strong for him. He snorted at it and barked at Elai before trotting after the scent at a fast pace.
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Post by FLICK on Jan 17, 2008 18:59:05 GMT -5
Elai watched with an interested smile as Gedeon dropped his nose to the ground, sniffing furiously for the scent of potential prey. She knew that wolves generally hunted in packs - how had Kokomai come across Gedeon? More importantly, how would he react to the scent? A second or two later, her question was answered, and with a sharp bark he trotted quickly away. As she followed, Elai's eyes quickly picked up the signs of the animals' passing, which grew increasingly obvious as they got closer. Hoofprints, trampled leaves - it was a herd of something, at any rate.
Finally, through a break in the greenery, the herd came into sight. Large, antlered beasts were spread throughout a small meadow, heads down as they consumed the thick, soft grass. "Elk," Elai breathed to herself. She had never seen them before, only heard of them; they were truly majestic beasts. She wondered if an arrow to the neck would fell one of them. If not, Gedeon could leap for the throat, couldn't he? Unconsciously, Elai had taken out one of her arrows and nocked it. She allowed another second for aim, and fired.
The rush of air next to her face matched the rush of adrenaline in her heart, and the arrow shot forward. To her dismay, the shot that had been aimed at the throat missed its target as the animal shifted its head, instead embedding itself deep in the neck. The herd scattered in long, graceful movements, leaving their injured companion to fend for itself. It turned away with a curved body, exposing only the back of its neck and its back. Elai hesitated. She could shoot again, but a shot to either of those places wouldn't kill it instantly, and she would damage the hide.
She growled a command at Gedeon and dropped her bow, hoping the wolf's natural hunting prowess would be enough. She would be stricken if the wounded beast managed to injure him.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 18, 2008 11:12:15 GMT -5
Gedeon had waited for such a sign. He had denied charging into the elk and scattering them, instead moving around them as fast as he could so that he could kill off any that ran his way once she had shot. He had received his chance. An elk came his way and tried to leap over him, seeing him as an obstacle and not a threat as he remained still. As soon as it left the ground, so did Gedeon, springing off his back legs and latching his jaws onto a leg. With a quick yank, the large beast broke the leg, and the elk fell on its side. He then clamped onto its throat, shaking his head until he felt it snap.
It was then his ears picked up a wolflike sound. It was Elai and there was an elk that had not yet left standing where the herd had. He ran toward it, in doing so recognizing that it was already injured by the scent of its blood. It was dazed, staggering about but not going anywhere very quickly. Gedeon leaped and brought the beast down with his weight, breaking its neck in the same fashion he had the other.
Licking the blood from his lips, he returned to Elai, his tail wagging, to see if he had done well. Praise meant that he had, scorning meant that he had not. Nothing at all, well, he didn't quite understand that one.
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Post by FLICK on Jan 19, 2008 16:13:49 GMT -5
Elai dropped down to Gedeon's level, throwing her arms around him in a friendly embrace. Her larynx rumbled gratefully, and her hands rubbed at his fur. "Well done!" she praised, but there was an undertone of worry that she hoped the wolf wouldn't hear in her voice. Two elk? Would that be "more than the three of them could eat?" Elai knew it was far more than she was capable of digesting.
She made her way to the first elk - a female - and removed her arrow. She got out a knife to butcher it with, but paused. Maybe Kokomai would have her own way of doing things. Perhaps she should wait? So she just gestured to Gedeon again. When he arrived, she tackled him again, rubbing his stomach vigorously.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 21, 2008 18:49:45 GMT -5
Gedeon, rather grateful for all the attention he was receiving, nuzzled Elai and barked happily. He never bit, or even nibbled, when she tackled him, but he nudged her with his nose and rocked playfully. After he had finished wrestling with her, he padded leisurely over to the first elk he had killed and began eating. He could take a whole one to himself if he was hungry enough. Kokomai occasionally teased him about eating more than she did.
Kokomai had found the herbs and was picking them when Gedeon let out a howl, letting her know the hunt was finished. She began walking toward the source of the sound, trying to trust her ears.
Gedeon continued eating, letting out a howl in between bites to guide his friend. It was not long before Kokomai joined them. He ran to her, blood all over his mouth and front paws. The rubbed between his ears.
"Looks like you've done a handsome job, Gedeon," Kokomai praised, patting his back appreciatively. "And you as well, Elai. Do you want to butcher it or should I?" She walked to Elai, leaving Gedeon to run back his own supper.
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Post by FLICK on Jan 26, 2008 18:18:13 GMT -5
ooc;; I'm sorry this is so short and probably terrible! I'm still a bit sick and I'm really tired...
ic;; Elai smiled and waved her hand as Kokomai approached. She'd been told it was a gesture of greeting, and hoped she hadn't gotten it wrong. That would be embarrassing - like the time she'd mistaken the gesture with the middle finger for... well, never mind. She'd been chased out of town by a few thugs, but afterwards, when she found out what she'd done, she couldn't stop laughing. When she saw Kokomai had herbs, her heart leapt excitedly. Maybe they would be able to have the tea!
"Thank you," she replied, in response to Koko's praise. "And, I know not. Do you have... special way?" Elai asked. "Of butchering," she added, in case Koko hadn't understood. Huh, that'd be the day. When it was Kokomai who didn't understand.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 31, 2008 1:51:09 GMT -5
Kokomai shook her head. Of course there was a certain way to go about it -- Separating the edible meat from the... less conventional... meat and getting chopping away the organs after skinning it -- but she was sure Elai already knew that, and was simply asking if there were any different cultural rituals that one went about here. Her people were forest people, so of course they knew how to skin and clean an animal.
"No, that's something that is done similarly in almost every country," she said with a kind smile. "I'll build the fire and set the tea on." She look at Gedeon. "Sack, Gedeon. Get my sack." He understood the word well enough, and took off in the direction of the clearing. She watched him go. "Such a wonderful thing, he is."
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Post by FLICK on Feb 18, 2008 3:06:05 GMT -5
So her method would be adequate? With a satisfied smile, Elai bounded over to the elk her arrow had felled. The first step was to remove the arrow from it's neck. Once Koko had the fire on, she could clean the already-congealing blood off the arrowhead with hot water and it could be reused, but until then, she would just have to leave it by the elk's head, where she wouldn't forget about it. That done, she pulled one of the long bone knives from her belt and set to work butchering the carcass.
The first step was to insert the knife at the throat, then drag it downwards to make a long slit along the length of the stomach, from neck to anus. Then the entrails could be removed and the skin worked off the flesh. The head was little more complicated - but she'd better not get ahead of herself, or she could get confused and ruin the hide with a few misplaced strokes. It was unlikely, as the method had been drilled into her from an incredibly young age, but then she wasn't used to game this large.
As she practised with her knife, she also practised with her words - in the form of small talk with Kokomai. "We will have tea?" she asked. It wasn't the most eloquent of conversation openings, but it served it's purpose - and she would, hopefully, be able to taste the beverage she had such high expectations of.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Feb 18, 2008 10:02:32 GMT -5
"Yes," Kokomai answered with an amused smile, "we will have tea." She showed Elai the herbs. "These are for brewing tea. There are many different kinds, but this is the most common," she explained. She heard a bark and turned to see Gedeon padding up to her with a rucksack in his mouth. "Well done," she praised, patting his head appreciatively. Content, Gedeon went back to his elk to continue eating.
Kokomai reached into her sack and drew out a steel teapot before standing.
"I'm going to find some water and firewood," she told Elai. "I will be back shortly. Gedeon!" The wolf looked up from his elk. "I suppose you're thirsty, too. Come along." He took another chunk of the elk for the road and bolted after Kokomai.
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Post by FLICK on Feb 20, 2008 1:52:12 GMT -5
Elai glanced over, suddenly very interested. She recognised one of the herbs - it (or something very similar) could be gathered, though not without risk, from the forest floor of Win Dain Island. The others, though, were unknown to her, and she did her best to memorise the shapes and colours of the plants. And what had Kokomai said? There were different types? Tea, it seemed, was more than one thing - it was the title that encompassed a whole range of what Elai assumed were brewed drinks.
"Good bye, Kokomai," Elai said. It was, apparently, how people farewelled one another politely in Common - although it still confused Elai a little. It was almost like saying you were glad to be parting from them, which wasn't very polite at all. But if it was a custom, it was there to be followed. She rumbled a goodbye to Gedeon deep in her throat before turning back to the elk.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Feb 22, 2008 8:21:24 GMT -5
"I'll be back soon!" Kokomai called over her shoulder. Gedeon barked his farewell around a hefty chunk of meat. The sun had set and things grew darker as she traveled further. Gedeon had finished his food and was padding a few yards ahead of Kokomai, sniffing about for water, which he had learned was what Kokomai sought when she was holding that strange metal thing. She stopped every so often to break up a few of the bigger twigs and gained quite a collection by the time Gedeon sniffed out water. He let out a couple short barks, pinpointed the direction of the scent, and rose his pace as he followed his nose. It wasn't long before he could follow his ears, and not long after that that Kokomai could follow hers. She followed him to the stream and he instantly began drinking from it, eating all that meat had made him quite thirsty.
Kokomai dropped the wood alongside the water and filled the teapot, being careful not to get any of the cold water on herself. She sat the teapot next to the sticks, untied her obi, folded it in half widthwise, and looped it through the teapot. She then retied it, taking caution not to spill any of it. Being an excellent warrior meant having good balance, but it would take some time returning, she would have to be deliberate in her walking. Gedeon scouted ahead, checking for predators and frolicking. He loved the night.
The sun had sunk below the horizon before they found the campsite again. Gedeon ran up to Elai and barked his greeting. Sitting down next to her and nuzzling her neck with his great head. Kokomai soon joined them, first dropping the firewood and then untying her obi and setting the teapot down. She replaced her obi and began stacking the firewood in the best way for starting a fire and placing some grass in a nook under the wood that she left intentionally. She duck around in her rucksack and removed a couple of flint and began clicking the stones together, sending sparks over the wood. Finally, the ignited on the grass and began to burn, slowly but surely. Gedeon stood up and moved to the other side of Elai, not being a big fan of fire. He dropped his head in her lap, watching Kokomai with big green eyes.
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Post by FLICK on Feb 29, 2008 3:52:30 GMT -5
Elai kept working even as the sun set, her hands acting instinctively once it got to dark for even Elai, whose eyes were acclimatised to the darkness of thick forest, to see by. She had removed the intestines, propping them up on forked sticks to keep them off the ground and almost finished stripping the hide away from the skin when she first heard the sounds of Koko's return. It was painstaking work, gently easing the leather off the flesh with a blunt tool to stop it tearing, or being cut with the more precise edge of a knife.
Of course, once she first caught sound of Kokomai's quiet step and Gedeon's more boisterous movement, it was still a while before they arrived. When they did, Elai didn't speak, forgetting her voice due to curiosity. She let out a low rumble for Gedeon, but only watched as Kokomai started a small fire. The method was not all that different to what she had practised in the forest, but the stones confused her. That was, until a spray of sparks flew from the two rocks, igniting the wood easily. Elai was shocked, but admiring.
"Is this... sorcery?" Elai asked, gesturing at the stones, as Gedeon dropped his head in her lap. She twisted her fingers through the thick hair at his neck, but her eyes were still locked on the pair of stones in Kokomai's hands.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Feb 29, 2008 6:04:00 GMT -5
Kokomai looked at her quizzically, then back at the stones. She thought hard, trying to think of the best way to explain how the stones worked to Elai.
"No," she finally answered. "When you rub two things together, it makes heat. For example, when your hands are cold, you rub them together. The rougher the two things are, the more heat is created. These rocks are called flint and are very rough, so they make enough heat to create sparks." She clicked them together again as an example before holding them out to Elai. "Would you like to try?"
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