[Closed] Bit of a Boar

[Maro Seran]

11 in the Morning, 3rd day of Loshis

Rainy season was not Maro's particularly favorite type of weather, oh sure he realized the water it brings reinvigorated the forests and farmlands, thus in turn easing plants to nourish their thirst an grow proper whilst in turn letting animals and people know their food supplies grow steady. In fact it even helped them hunt as the lightly misty conditions helped masked their scent or so Maro was repeatedly told as he tracked the footprints of his quarry.in the muddy trail left behind.

Boar prints, while the creatures where shorter than deer their hooves boar quite a similarity differentiated by the width of the hooves themselves and the distance between their footsteps. The muddy steps gave an indication that it might have been recent but with humid conditions it was hard to tell, it could have bee a couple of hours since.

There being barley any light in the woods certainly didn't help any, the Wraithwood's was dark enough at the best of times, now with the rainy season and a light mist? It was a dim darkness that he and his hunting partner of the day were forced to go through as they followed the tracks.

Nanja, of his generation she was the youngest, but was a promising shot albeit she still needed work on her tracking skills. Maro felt it balanced out the fact he was a better tracker if a poorer shot in comparison, though a hint of irritation in the back of his mind told him he'd rather be better at both.


"The path goes here"

He muttered aloud, their steps taking them through a thicket, damp water sliding onto Maro's hands as he pushed away some leaves, their boots leaving a squelching sound in their wake

"The path goes here"

"I can see that mung, I've got eyes"

Maro withheld a sigh, opting to roll his eyes while she wasn't looking. Being called stupid was uncalled for he felt, he was just making sure she was on the right track even if it was obvious. Least she didn't use the words he didn't understand, Nanja was thoughtful like that, always sure to insult you in a word you knew in either tongue rather than leave you in the dark.

Oh he wished he could insult her back with words she didn't understand. Might even the score.

Instead he focused on the tracts, traces of mud upon the grass and overgrown roots giving them a destination to follow. grass soon gave to more dirt, dirt untouched by recent rainfall but definitely disturbed by the placement of the dirt if Maro had any judge of it, the creatures footsteps joined by another as they made their way somewhere, foraging for food perhaps.

"Well be happy to know that these hoofprints seem fresh, and that Maro is not guiding you astray"

"You mean like that time you tricked me into going towards a skunks den?"

"You asked Maro if he saw any dens for some small game, not my his fault you didn't ask which small game"

He defended smugly, which earned a slight smack to the back of his head by her bow. Worth it he felt, though he was sure she was overexaggerating. The incident was two years ago after all, and the smell only lingered a month!

Oh how little appreciation his fami shows him.

[Maro Seran]

In silence they continued there journey, for each step they travelled the tracks seemed freshed to Maro's eyes and no doubt to his cousin as they took quiet steps, trying to ruffle the foliage as little as possible, it was fortunate enough that the damp weather muffled the sense of smell, but their sense of hearing is another matter.

It took patience to be so quiet, something that tended to be diffiicult for Maro off of the hunt, on the hunt was another matter. All banter and words of jest being dismissed the closer they were, unslinging his bow and reaching for an arrow from his quiver, he nocked as he strained his ears to await the one sound that would vindicate their efforts.

And there it was, a grunt from the same direction of the hoofprints were leading to. Maro had no doubt Nanja heard it as well, habit taking over the both of them as she moved to his side and jutted her head towards the direction. Maro nodded as he stepped forward at a cautious pace, the prize was before them. Assuming there were two boars, there was one chance for each of them to bag one but only a single chance at all unless the boars charged them, after that they'd go to ground a thick thicket somewhere and would have to wait hours for them to leave it.

That was too much time to waste.

Soon what looked to be a clearing came to view, not one but three boars busying themselves upon the Wood's bounty unaware of the the two hunters. Maro narrowed his eyes, only one presented a clear target, He felt a tap upon his shoulder and looked to Nanja who pointed at the board presenting its broadside, then pointed at him.

So he would be the one taking that one, eh? Which meant Nanja was going for the harder job of moving around the clearing, trying to stay silent, and take one of the others. His brows furrowed that, it felt like she was trying to show him up, still he nodded. Much as it irritated him, his Da, Dao and not to mention his Daobrunno would tan his hide for wasting a chance like this over his own pride. He nodded somewhat petulantly and received a roll of Nanja's eyes in return before she left him.

He had to wait again whilst she moved to position, they only had one chance he reminded himself, resisting the urge to take the shot then and now, it was a fair distance, he could get a shot in he knew, mind recalling to his younger years as but a boch training with his other age mates, trying to shoot a badly made wooden target that arguably boar like.

Yes this wouldn't be too different..... but it was different all the same.

Again there was only that one chance.

His eyes scanned the trees around the clearing, waiting for a sign of Nanja. His eyes widened as he saw the shape of her bow from the side. This was the moment, he raised bow and breathed, pulling back the string as both eyes settled on the boar Nanja so generously 'gifted' him.

Best place to shoot was the neck or broadside, specefically between the shoulders. Either a clean kill or heavy wounding so that it may bleed out quickly, preferably the first. From the corner of his eyes he saw Nanja pull back her bowstring.

It was now or never.

One twang of the bow followed by a second heralded the flight of the arrows, their broadheads travelling quickly through the air. and piercing flesh, both struck true but one struck truer than the other. Nanja's board fell dead, as if tipped over like some statue by an unruly child, the other while struck deeply

Maro's ran followed by the third deeper into the woods. He cursed, it was still a lethal shot.... but not a painless one. Breaking cover Maro ran to follow, hoofprints and blood stains leading to him to the boar easy enough. The third having sensed danger ran off, the other....

Maro closed his eyes at the writing creature, slingling his bow over his shoulder he closed his eyes. For the Seran it was the mark of a poor hunter who doesn't end an animal's suffering quickly, his hand reaching for his single-edge dagger strapped to his waist. Taking gentle steps forward he approached the boar, female now that he had a clearer look at her, and knelt beside her.

She looked back at him with what seemed to be mournful eyes, Maro's own closed in self-admonishment and guilt. Its squeels filled his ears as he gently placed a hand upon the side of his head as he brought the dagger to its throat.



"Epaemo."

And with that he slid the blade of the dagger against its neck, blood draining quickly along with the life in its eyes... its pain over.

[Maro Seran]

The sound of a branch being stepped on alerted him to another presence, his eyes turning to look and see that Nanja was looking at him with a gaze that was decidedly neutral

"You look like your kicking yourself"

Tactful, that Nanja. Of course she wasn't wrong in her statement and he could only let out a sigh, Well at least she wasn't eschewing for not getting a clean shot, probably because he made sure that he made sure to put the boar out of its misery. Oh well, whats done with done and Maro, and he was sure Nanja, knew that.

"I'll be better next time"

He simply stated, sheathing his before leaning down to lift the boar's carcass over his shoulder with a grunt, its head dangling lifeless as he walked. He looked to Nanja with a questioning gaze, brow raised.

"And wheres your boar? don't tell me you got lost trying to find it, I know you to be directionally challenged but Maro likes to believe you can follow whats in front of you"

Her reply to him was in the form of a rude gesture that caused him only to smile. It had been sometime later before the both of them had returned to where the Seran had camped for the time being, Maro's feet felt sore but he ignored with the casual ease of someone who'd spent a lifetime walking for hours on end, their jaunt had been nothing compared to those. They brought the boar carcasses just outside the kint where the Seran stored their supplies, a scaffold and a table was set up, with a bucket in front of the scaffold

Maro watched as Nanja stepped up first, quickly he stood next to her to hang the boar she caught outside down. She used her dagger to split the boar open and letting the blood drain into the bucket. Maro then hanged his with Nanja's help, pulling out his dagger he did the same, granted with him having slit its throat earlier it would have been draining blood anyway but it was better to drain it of excess.

Maro soon found himself reaching in to remove the guts and organs of the creature, the parts they couldn't use they would throw away, but some they would keep to trade with other wicks who would then trade it to whatever locale they visited to sell as trinkets to some gullible fool. The meat was more important anyway, it would be easier to prepare the meat once they'd gotten rid of the useless bits. Admittedly Maro found this task to be his least favorite, no one in the Seran liked it really but it had to be done and everybody in the Seran who hunted has done this task more times than they cared to admit.

Maro had done so for both bores, leaving the actual skinning to Nanja. He stepped aside as he saw her bring the skinning knife, sliding the tip of the blade between the hide and meat, loosening them from the sinew before using her fingers to pull it upwards. Slowly she stripped the hide from the limbs, trying to keep it all one piece as she used the knife to make other cuts around it before starting to pull it away and the cut at the more stubborn sinews.


It was a lengthy process, but Maro always felt had he had to pay attention watching any of his kin work. Hunting was their lifeblood yes, but so was properly preparing the meat, either to trade or to keep as provisions. The pelts would be kept, his Da said they needed some new hats, and the meat they would trade in Dorhaven, though Maro suspected some of it would be given away, kint was kint after all.


but more importantly to Maro, and he'd been delaying it for years now, was that soon enough he would been on his own. Maro Seran always needed these refreshers, always needed to know what not to do and what to do because he had to prove himself. As he watched Nanja continue skinning the boars, he tightened his blood covered fists.

Someday soon, Maro would be alone.