Kop
Sikla
Kerl Sentinal
Posts: 162
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Post by Kop on Oct 29, 2008 11:44:27 GMT -5
Kop laughed, amused by the rapid change in topic their conversation continued to take. Just like all varg her age Linnaea was eager to hunt, the young fae practically jumping about in anticipation for the lesson ahead. It reminded the gimpy brute of his brother Trile and the way he used to get before a hunt when their parents were schooling them on how to bring down prey. Briefly he wondered how his brother was fairing and where he had gone after departing from their mutual home in Ge-Rad, however remember that Linnaea was still awaiting an answer he quickly turned his attention back over to the young fae. “Of course we can little one.”
Hobbling back onto the bank Kop began limping his way further down river, signaling for Linnaea to follow him with a slight gesture of his tail. “Alright now, first lesson is tracking. I want you to tell me why we’re following the river downstream, after that I want you to sniff around and tell what you find.” It was a simple exercise, mostly something for Kop to gauge just how far along his students hunting skills were so that he might be better able to improvise to the situation at hand. Once he was sure she could track he would talk her through the various techniques she would need to sneak up on larger lera and other unsuspecting prey.
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Post by linnaea on Oct 30, 2008 2:47:58 GMT -5
“Hmm…. Um… downstream there is always a poll, and all Lera get thirsty?” She’d never hunted outside of Deor, and there weren’t rivers in Deor either, just a small pool of water. She thought very hard about other reasons, like why rivers flowed in a certain direction. “Is it also because of the wind direction?” She glanced up at Kop, her audits perked as if eager to hear the answer, in which she was. She was now in her learning mode. She wanted to know everything she could. When it came to tracking of course she knew well how to follow a trail. Months of finding her Papa in various games of hide-and-seek that he didn’t know about begot the product of her fine nose. While she waited for an answer she also tried to feel if the wind was certainly flowing opposite of them. It felt very still at the moment, or perhaps the water was distracting and causing the wind to move in another course, the tendrils did smooth through her thick pelt, but they moved in such sporadic pattern that she couldn’t pinpoint a for sure beginning.
Little Linn followed by Kop, neither walking too slow or too fast. She matched her pace with him, and even matched her posture. She didn’t limp, fearing that if she copied him totally he might become offended and think she were trying to make fun of his unfortunate accident, which briefly brought her mind bitterly to humans again. Though quickly she reminded herself to stay on track. If she wanted to bring down prey she would have to be fully tuned into her surroundings. She knew that from hunting in her pack. Always be aware, of danger, of your prey, of the wind, of all circumstances that might change. That was drilled into her mind. Keep on task, don’t dawdle, make sure you find the prey you can handle, don’t take the healthy ones, find the weak. Weed out the bad to make your food strong in order to better survive. There will always be sick and wounded. Find those ones, maybe not in all herds, but in most.
She remembered the words well, and if Kop was looking into her face, he would see the determination that she had to remain in the mindset of a hunter. She wanted to make herself believe that she was a starving Kerl, that this meal would determine how long she would last on her own in the wild. Just pretending like any other cub, but playing with the situation that might possibly arise in the future.
//Look it got longer! //
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Kop
Sikla
Kerl Sentinal
Posts: 162
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Post by Kop on Nov 2, 2008 22:32:51 GMT -5
Now this was a position Kop never thought he’d find himself in, in all the time he’d spent living by himself he never imagined that he’d end up taking an apprentice. The thought of training another varg to survive without a pack as a kerl was still foreign to him, Linnaea showed some aptitude for learning and tracking which promised to make his job a great deal easier but even so their lessons would have to be run on a trial and error basis. “Partly right, all manner of lera tend to accumulate wherever there’s water. So by following an abundant source, the river for instance, we’re bound to run into a something eventually. Factoring in the wind is always important but remember that if we’re going to be staying close to the river chances are the water will wash away or dilute any scents we might be able to use to our advantage. Part of being a kerl is knowing to use common sense, in this case water will always equal food in the summer.” Kop wasn’t sure how accomplished Linnaea was, as such he felt the need to go over everything he could think of that might prove useful in the task ahead and start his lessons from the beginning. With any luck he could avoid making any serious mistakes that might result in his student being seriously injured.
Gimpy leg setting their pace the moved along the riverbank in relative silent, Kop hobbling along the shallows and Linnaea loping gracefully behind. Glimpsing her through her reflection in the swift flowing waters Kop had to suppress an amused chuckle as he noticed the young fae mimicking his movements, matching his pace and posture to the very last detail save for the ungainly limp that impeded their progress. He could see the fierce look of determination shining in her eyes even from her increasingly failing reflection in the choppy waters, despite her earlier excitement she would not allow herself to be distracted. “When we find ourselves unable to track our prey through scent alone we must rely on our other senses to aid us, as vital as our sense of smell is hearing and sight can sometimes be just as important if not more so. However you must learn to tune out everything that might distract you while at the same time remaining ever vigilant to your surroundings for any unforeseen danger that might be lurking just beyond the corner.”
After a quarter of a mile he stopped, signaling for her to do the same with a brief motion of his tail. Ears swiveling atop his grizzled crown he listen carefully to the surrounding area, notched ear twitching visibly at the subtle disturbance in the delicate air current. Motioning Linnaea forward he whispered to her. “Tell me, what do you hear?”
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Post by linnaea on Nov 10, 2008 21:49:49 GMT -5
“Right, right. Water means food during hot seasons. We all need it to live after all. Something’s bound to be there.” She growled with a nod - it was such a simple conclusion. She was proud to have known half of the answer already. Licking her lips she thought carefully, feeling the breeze that was caused by the rushing of the river as it gently rippled through her pelt, she listened to the birds and the water as it ran - even their own pads as they trekked across the ground. Her claws lightly dug up some of the hard dirt beneath her toes, she still matched his gait, his posture. Kop - to her - was the perfect role model. A great teacher. Even if he hadn’t been teaching her for very long. She was more than interested. “Don’t rely on one sense…” She murmured to herself to engrave the hidden words that he’d spoken. Scents were great, but wouldn’t always help, sometimes you needed more than just that at your arsenal.
They traveled a while longer down the river, Linn slightly disheartened by the fact that they’d not yet run into anything to hunt, but a motion from Kop lead her to stop. She stood quietly, watching him, her audits mimicking his even though she wasn’t quite paying as much attention to the sounds. He motioned to her again and she moved forward to stand at his side, looking up at him as he whispered gentle instructions.
Tell me. What do you hear?
Her milky eyes gleaming, she closed her lids, blocking out any distracting movements. She concentrated, she could hear him breathing, and the liquid pouring down it’s path beside them. She could hear birds twittering in the trees and she could hear bugs too, buzzing about. Cicadas crying in the distance. She tried to block all these out, labeling them as unimportant. She listened, and the concentration was showing on her face as her brows furrowed and a deep frown formed on her black lips set into her creamy maw. As she listened Kop might notice that her head lowered to align itself with her spine and her tail dropped behind her too. Almost as if she was giving a submissively aggressive pose. But neither was true. She could hear it. The sound of some trampling the ground, grunts and restless movement. She stood erect almost directly after, astounded by what she’d accomplished. She looked up into Kop’s face, her eyes showing her glee and her face still showing her curiosity. “What are they? Is it a big group? Are they Herla, Kop?” She couldn’t be totally sure in they were very large creatures. Perhaps they were medium sized, but what she did know was that they were moving around and they weren’t too horribly far away.
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Kop
Sikla
Kerl Sentinal
Posts: 162
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Post by Kop on Nov 24, 2008 21:28:07 GMT -5
“Concentrate on the moment. Clear your mind of everything but the task at hand. Most importantly trust your instincts, they‘ll never fail you.” He coached, his words of encouragement coming out as a soft whisper. Taking a moment to regard her stance he smiled, noting the alignment of her head and tail in correlation with her spine. While not entirely necessary for the task at hand by altering her stance Linnaea prepared herself for just about any situation that might take place in the following seconds, Kop could only see a few things in her stance in need of correction. He wasted no time in rectifying any and all matters in need of adjusting, nudging legs apart about a paw’s length with his muzzle. “Space your legs out a little more, always keep them a tail and a half apart. You’re breathing too hard, at this rate anything under the sun will be able to hear you coming. Take slow, deep breaths.” He waited for her to adjust, watching as she became visibly excited moments into her exercise. Chuckling at her eagerness Kop waited for her to calm down before answering. “Chamois actually, they’re goat-like lera that usually inhabit the mountain ranges List. What they’re doing this far from the mountains though is beyond me.” Motioning for her to follow he resumed his trek, nose twitching as he rely on his keen sense of smell to guide him to prong horned ungulates that would serve as the subjects of his next lesson. “Alright, next lesson is hunting. I’m going to assume that you already know the best way to hunt is to go after the sick and weak, young and old, etc., but how do you know which lera to pick?”
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Post by linnaea on Dec 28, 2008 1:04:31 GMT -5
She smiled sheepishly and corrected her problems as he pointed them out. Spaced her paws, making sure that they were at least as wide as her body and just a little further. Then her breathing, she focused to slow it down, with it slowing her heart. Silent breathing was easy to master, but difficult to remember. She retained her enthusiasm, in fact it seemed to only grow the more she became closer to her first real hunt. The first hunt without her pack. What a joyous occasion. If it wasn’t for the fact that the Chamois were so close, she would’ve howled her happiness in a song. But no, she remained focused on the task at paw. Keeping everything he was telling her in her mind, it was difficult to remember it all, but she kept repeating. Silent breathing, paws evenly spaced, trust your instincts, listen closely, don’t rely on one sense, watch too, smell and analyze. It was so much for one mind to keep hold of. It would certainly take practice. She wanted so bad to catch that Chamois. His next instructions were simple, hunting lesson. What does one do to locate the best prey. “Look for ones that seem injured, walk with a limp, are stragglers if the herd is in motion.” Her voice was kept quiet the closer they got the more intense her attention became, she could see them. Very goat-like in their appearance, very tasty looking through the brush. She scanned the herd carefully, watching for the signs. “The one over there, between those females and past the left flank of the herd. She looks slow... perhaps sick with something. I think her belly is swollen though... we shouldn’t go for the pregnant right? They’re needed to keep the herd alive for later hunting. Right?” She glanced up to her teaching, hoping for praise.
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Kop
Sikla
Kerl Sentinal
Posts: 162
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Post by Kop on Dec 30, 2008 1:50:55 GMT -5
Following her gaze he smiled, nodding approvingly at her selection. “Very good, we can exploit that weakness and turn it to our advantage.” He watched as she adjusted her stance, shifting her paws around and adjusting her weight in preparation for the upcoming chase. Their short, hoofed legs adapted for the steep, rugged, rocky terrain of the mountains made the Chamois ill suited for the soft soil and flat terrain of the lowlands, the likelihood that the stout lera would be able to outrun his protégé was slim. This hunt would be an easy one. Eyes narrowing on the target in question he responded to her query with a slight grunt. “Not necessarily, if the doe is weak or injured then the same rules apply as if she were without kid. Prey is prey, regardless of its current condition and the kid in her belly will only provide a bigger meal for us once she‘s downed. Remember that we kerl’s don’t have the luxury of packmates to help us hunt so we must rely on our wits and take what we can get while we can. For example because of my leg I am not as quick as I used to be, if I were to mull over every pregnant nanny and kid I would likely starve. Therefore I must take advantage of each opportunity given to me so that I might continue my existence.”
Lowering himself to the ground he rest upon his belly, gaze still locked on the herd. “Time to see what you can do. You already know what to do, see how close you can get without being seen before rushing your target.”
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Post by linnaea on Jan 9, 2009 2:18:50 GMT -5
Linnaea nodded. A good lesson indeed. She was thinking of hunting in terms of being in a large group. That’s what it was to be in a pack after all, a large group working together to survive. She watched carefully, taking in it’s movements and those around it. She was watching for the scouts of the herd, pinpointing where they were so that she might utilize their blind spots. She needed to get into the mindset of a Kerl. “You’re right, I don’t have my pack behind me, so my chance of failure is higher.” She murmured softly, careful of the listening ears of the Lera before her. They weren’t being very careful though, and the sound of the trees above her spoke of the wind’s direction, and it was indeed in their favor. But winds could change.
She heard the order, watched as he laid down, he was not going to participate in this hunt. Of course she would willingly share her meal with her teacher, gratefully in fact. She nodded in response, calculating her path. She moved silently through the brush that they were hiding in, careful not to stir too many branches and leaves. Linn moved swiftly once she was out, keeping her eyes trained on her prey, she was determined to not let it escape. She was a good five tail lengths away from the herd - seven from her target before she heard their bleating alarm. It took the herd another tail length before they started stumbling away and by the time they were moving she was closing in. Exhilarated she was sure that she would catch her food. However she didn’t account for a brave young male that decided to charge forward and cut her off; but the male didn’t count that he should’ve been facing her when this happened for he simply went on chasing the stumbling female. Snarling, she switched her target to the male. Feeling the hunger pushing her and letting instincts drive. His mistake would be her glory. She made her move then, dashing forward to be at his side and latching her jaws on the side of his throat. She jerked her head so that he would fall, and as he struggled she closed her mouth tightly around his windpipe, strangling the air out of his lungs and disabling him from breathing. Her nanny might’ve gotten away, but she had a prime and healthy male idiot to feast from now. The herd would be glad to get his brains out of the gene pool. Mistakes were not welcome in the wild.
Once sure that the beast was dead she released it and stood proud, raising her face to the heavens she let out a triumphant howl that boomed in the clearing and pushed the other chamois into vanishing into the forest.
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Kop
Sikla
Kerl Sentinal
Posts: 162
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Post by Kop on Jan 17, 2009 21:16:01 GMT -5
Kop watched Linnaea begin her advance from his perch by the bank, observing her progress as attentively as any good teacher might and searching for any mistakes in her form or dangers she might have missed. He was impressed to see how well she was managing herself, pleased at how she paused regularly to note any changes in the wind. She was a natural, like Trile, executing her technique perfectly as she stalked silently through the brush, each step bringing her closer to the unsuspecting herd. Kop was pleased to see that Linnaea hadn’t been exaggerating when she had told him she’d had experience hunting, it would make lessons a whole lot easier on them both in the long run. A frightened bleat signaled that she had been spotted causing Kop to curse beneath his breath as the herd began to run. Picking through the frightened and confused lera he spotted Linnaea, singling her out from the rest of the herd as she sped along through the sea of ungulates after her prey like a silver bullet. Excitement coursing through his veins he leapt to his feet, ignoring the pang of pain that shot through his leg and focusing his attention on the hunt before him. Seeing her change targets he groaned, letting out a frustrated bark as he watched her sideline the unsuspecting Chamois.
Abandoning his post the Kop began hobbling after his eager protégé, by the time he caught up to her Linnaea had already dispatched of the young male and was in the middle of celebrating the success of her first hunt as a kerl. “Are you crazy, you could have been killed!” Kop barked, looking Linn over carefully. “There is a reason I picked out that nanny, it was an easy kill. By culling the weak we insure that the rest of herd survives by removing the weakness from the populace, it‘s not advisable to let the weak or ill go when that weakness might spread to the rest of the herd.”
((god this sucks))
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Post by linnaea on Feb 12, 2009 19:10:49 GMT -5
"He interfered with my target! Besides, you just said that when you're a Kerl you take what you can get! He was an idiot and came into my path, what am I supposed to do? Keep going after the girl when she's now sure to get away?" Linnaea was hurt, she'd thought she had done a fine job. Caught a wonderful catch. Even if it wasn't the original target. "He was dumb enough to be a hero, doesn't that make him weak too?" She looked pained, and suddenly she wasn't so hungry anymore. Her belly hurt. She'd done something wrong, something against the rules of the Putnar. "One strong won't cause an end to the herd..." She murmured finally, her head hanging, audits pressed against the back of her head and her tail dangling behid her. The one proud fae was now less than pleased with herself. She felt utterly useless. Second guessing her hopes of becoming a Kerl.
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Kop
Sikla
Kerl Sentinal
Posts: 162
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Post by Kop on Feb 16, 2009 19:48:34 GMT -5
Taking a deep breath Kop took a moment to calm himself down before speaking again, this time keeping his voice level so as not to disturb Linnaea further. “Dumb or not he was healthy, had he had a little more sense and decided to fight you off you could have been hurt. Where would you be then?” Seeing her grow dejected Kop considered foregoing his lecture to comfort her, but only briefly. Linnaea needed to learn how to be cautious in the face of the hunt, even when she held the upper hand. A mistake could be costly, even fatal. Kop had seen more than one varg killed by a stray kick from a frightened doe or desperate buck. He didn’t want to see the same thing happen to Linnaea. “Had you not broken off from your original target you would have caught her, instead you took a major risk. A risk which, I remind you, you cannot afford to make.” Pausing he took a moment to comfort her, nuzzling her brow and placing a gentle lick upon her forehead like he would Caiomhe when she was growing up “That Chamois was pregnant and injured, it is very likely that neither it nor it’s calf will survive the birthing process. Killing her now rather than letting her suffer would have been a mercy, if whatever injury that nanny has gets infected and she grows ill whatever sickness she gets could spread to the rest of the heard and by extension us and other varg as well. There is a reason the law of the Putnar exist.”
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Post by linnaea on Feb 16, 2009 21:34:05 GMT -5
Linnaea hung her head. She glared at the ground, her claws digging into the cold and rough ground. She took the berating, mostly because she knew he was right. But something told her that even though she'd made a mistake today, they would at least be fed, and they would thank the gods for providing them food. They would at least live another day. "But, Kop, this is the wild. Even without mistakes we can be hurt. It is impossible to avoid it forever, it'll eventually happen." She let her gaze rise slightly, looking at his legs, then it dropped again. Linnaea closed her eyes as he took a moment to comfort her, he could tell she'd learned he lesson, that she was regretful of the mistake. Truthfully she was more hurt that she'd displeased him as opposed to the lecture she was now recieving. "We can't put his sacrifice to waste." She growled, her stomach intruding the conversation, and her mind wandering to the thought of the fresh kill that lay there now, it's blood so tempting in it's scent, so alluring...
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Kop
Sikla
Kerl Sentinal
Posts: 162
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Post by Kop on Feb 28, 2009 1:17:04 GMT -5
Kop fell back onto his haunches, his leg troubling him. He regarded Linnaea momentarily, contemplating what she had told him. In many ways she reminded him of his niece, youthful, exuberant, eager to please. With a little time and patients, on his part as much as hers, she would make a fine hunter. So long as she learned from her mistakes anyway. “True but just because we can’t avoid that inevitability doesn’t mean we should be reckless and rush into it head on.” Letting his gaze fall over to the limp Chamois he couldn’t help licking his lips, stomach gurgling loudly at the prospect of eating. The matter resolved Kop gave her a gentle nudge, muzzle creasing into a light smile as her stomach mimicked his own and made a feeble demand for sustenance. For now the lesson was over, to be resumed once both varg had had their fill of the precious bounty laid out so graciously before them. “And so we shan’t my young apprentice. Go ahead and eat, you‘ve earned your meal for today.”
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