A stroll by a mountainlake.
Michael James Watson
Shadow walking away from the Insane Crown Posse festival, with thanks from the booth owner. A hard walk away gets away from variations of the festival quickly. Off in the distance is a high mountain lake in an area that looks like the location of the festival once all the items of people and equipment were stripped away. The dragons fly freely, tugging out of pockets. They seem delighted but keep close to her. As she walks something feels differant about the boots. They seems incredibly comfortable. Something about them fit tight but comfortable. Looking down she note empty knife sheathes on the inside of the boot lips. And the color is interesting too. Somehow... they seem like they are.....hers.
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex smiles seeing the dragons flying free. Proud they took to the sky so quickly. Though she doesn't really know of course how fast dragons should start to fly. She keeps walking to the mountain lake. Having a good recognizable point to move away from again helps and perhaps the water is potable. Feeling the boots change she smiles so much better. Her own boots she had been tending to for years and they fitted like a second skin. While she wlaks and trusts the dragons to keep close Alex starts to sing a simple walking song. First reach the lake from there she will attempt to shift further into shadow.
Michael James Watson
A causal pace lets Alex work on her shadow walking. Not being chased, in no hurry. Dressed. As she walks past the lake, into a wooded area she thinks of her weapons and sees something up ahead. Reaching it is a man who has clearly been dead for some time. He is dressed in now bloody hunting gear. She sees in his hand a recurve bow, a quiver empty of arrows. Near to hand is a tube with arrows falling out. Looking around she sees 30 meters or so away the carcass of a dead bear. 12 arrows stick from it. 10 meters the other way is the remnants of a campsite long exposed to the weather. Looking over the gear she finds hunting knives but no firearms. A guy who took bowhunting seriously. More seriously then his own safety.
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex looks relieved to find weapons. She is not one to go happily shooting but, having means to defend oneself. She bows her head tk the long dead man before picking up anything. "I am sorry for your misfortune and death. Seeing you do not need weapons now i will take them and use them well." She had no clue how long this man was dead or his religion, but showing respect to those who died seems the proper way. Alex carefully takes the arrows out of the bear as well. Inspecting them one by one jf they are still intact enough to shoot again. After having gathered the weaponry, she does a quick search of the campsite if anything else could be of use. When nothing is, she looks up at her dragon friends "Alright seems we are getting in the right direction. Boots, hunting gear. Before we know it we have all which i lost. Or well left behind. " With that she stands and goes further in their journey. Trying to reach the jeweled road.... or perhaps just more of her gear.
At a point before she shifts shadow she takes pause and looks at the dragons. Now with a bow and arrows with her she could hunt for them. The hunting knifes make things easier as well. That man might not have been able to defend himself with that. But Alex of course grew up with that type of weaponry. Looking back at where the lake was she conciders a break in traveling it seems quiet and peaceful enough here to allow them to get some food and rest, no clue what the rest of the journey might bring and when next they can rest.
Michael James Watson
Taking a seat and looking over the weaponry, thinking about hunting, two of the dragons suddenly zip away in different directions. The white one crawls over to curl up in Alex's jacket pocket. Settling in the rest a bit and ponder for a spell time passes. In under and hour at a great distance she sees a bear running toward her. At almost the same time, in the other direction she sees a group of deer running at her. Behind each group she sees a tiny dragon flitting about scorching the bear on one side and on the other the blue one shooting tiny lightnight bolts herding the deer. She thinks both groups are likely to reach her in a few moments and at the same time.
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex checks the little white dragon if it is doing okey as it settled in her jacket pocket. If it is just resting she lets it be. Seeing the animals comming their way she looks shocked and immediately takes arrows and bow in hand. Notching an arrow. She had wanted to test out the weaponry first before using it on wild but she guesses it's no time like the present. First she wants the bear out of the way. Since she is the only archer she calls on her abyssal mark. Needing the extra deadly damage from the firetips. Alex takes a sprint out and in her run she aims for the neck of the bear hopefully with a firetipped arrow and releases the arrow. Notching another arrow right away she turns to sees the herde of deer. Aiming for the one on front. Then checking if the bear needs more damage done to go down.
Michael James Watson
The firetip arrow strikes the bear and the wound bursts into flames. The bear rolls. The red dragon lans and bites its ey, breathing fire directly into it. The bear rolls about wildly, thrashing. The first deer, hardly the biggest falls dead. The other 4 leap over it, still running, pursued by miniture lightning bolts
Amber Bronkhorst
Seeing the bear being busy with her little spitfire of a dragon she turns her attention again to the deer. With another arrow notched and the mark focussed in her mind she fires another arrow to the deer. Moves, notches an arrow and repeats. As long as the deer fall as easy with one or two arrows she makes sure the rest is down. Then she will turn attention to the bear again. If it is still alive and being scorched by the red dragon she ends it with a well placed arrow, or if she has a long enough blade she uses that. When the animals are down she directs herself to her young dragons. "Thank you but this is more then enough. You both did well. Though next time. One prey together makes the hunt faster and easier. "
Michael James Watson
Looking around she sees she has a surprising amount of game to clean. Big job by herself
Amber Bronkhorst
With a deep sigh she looks at the game and looks at her dragons also the one in her jacket pocket. "Soooo are you going to help me with cleaning. If i leave one deer for the three of you to eat? " She chuckles and walks to the animals. Pulling out the arrows she drags the animals together. She prepares a spot where she will clean them one by one. She starts with the deer. Skinning, gutting and using one skin to drag the trash away, to a place where she will dig a pit later. The plan is. Building a make shift smoker. If needed using remains of the weathered campsite. Skinning the animals. Leaving some raw hunches for the young dragons to eat. And a few for her to roast while she works on the rest. She will use the water in the lake to clean off the skins later and her tools. But she won't let the animals go to waste so she will take the time to clean, camp and use the time to get closer with the young dragons.
Michael James Watson
Time passes. The dragons understand"Eat this one" and dig in. They eat like its the first meal of their life, which it is. She is looking for wood at one point and finds her NP knife hanging in a tree. She thinks it transported itself rather then she shadowwshifting it to her.
Amber Bronkhorst
When they are feasting on the deer she trusts the situation enough to gather wood and other things to prepare a quick cleaning and prep station. Seeing her NP knife she inspects it seeing it is really hers she straps it on. Really useful to have now. First she makes a makeshift smoker then starts a fire under it. Using her NP knife to change into an axe to help her chop the wood. So she can roast meat for herself for now and smoke the rest for preserving. And since she has alot to clean she can do it in batches. While she is busy she keeps a close eye on the dragons eating and starts singing a few songs which she probably learned from her mother.
Alex absolutely does not feel rushed. Even though she is going somewhere. Having the chance to get to know her baby dragons, and knowing she won't be able to get to beasthold that quick anyway. She takes her time setting up a simple camp and cleaning and preserving area.
