Post by Caranir Elmheart on Jan 12, 2010 2:30:43 GMT 1
Caliyen wiped the water from her face, smearing it onto her already sodden armour. The rain had been falling heavily since mid-morning, turning swathes of the forest floor to mud while the dimming light now told of evening's passing. Stooping low to examine a mark at the base of a tree, Caliyen cursed the bow slung over her shoulder as it hampered her movements yet again. Standing once more, she glanced in all directions before moving off once again, well aware that she was by no means the most skilled tracker abroad in the forest.
A little further down the game trail she was following, a deep footmark caused her to pause and smile for a moment, baring her teeth briefly in a new and unconscious mannerism. Embolded, she set off through the forest in a new direction at a quicker pace, breathing quicker with the effort.
The footprint was unmistakably orcish, but quite uncharacteristic of the quarry Caliyen believed she was chasing. Until now the signs had been faint, scratches and scuff marks on firmer ground and sometimes a displaced plant; barely enough to keep her on course. The muddy game trail had been wide however, it was quite possible that the Warsong scout, for that was who she thought she was following, had tried to jump the mud and had fallen just short to leave the deep mark.
Her path now brought her to the bank of the Falfarren River, where the rain washed the exposed banks and cleared any sign within a few moments of it being formed. Frustrated, she backtracked for a few minutes into the forest but found nothing to indicate the quarry had turned back instead of heading for the river and the relative safety of Warsong territory beyond it.
Returning to the water's edge, she spotted the remains of the river cliff where a bear had collapsed the bank and fallen in. A few hundred yards downstream would be the place where she had tried to pull down another section of the river's edge to allow the beast to clamber out. Perhaps the rain today would wash away the traces of that failure along with today's.
With a vague heavy feeling in her heart, Caliyen turned upstream and started back toward her resting place. The route she left would twist and turn well away from her eventual destination before she doubled back, for there were more trackers than just herself abroad in the forest. With a sudden shiver and a furtive glance to the rear she quickened her pace, suddenly eager for the relatively dry bed that awaited.
A little further down the game trail she was following, a deep footmark caused her to pause and smile for a moment, baring her teeth briefly in a new and unconscious mannerism. Embolded, she set off through the forest in a new direction at a quicker pace, breathing quicker with the effort.
The footprint was unmistakably orcish, but quite uncharacteristic of the quarry Caliyen believed she was chasing. Until now the signs had been faint, scratches and scuff marks on firmer ground and sometimes a displaced plant; barely enough to keep her on course. The muddy game trail had been wide however, it was quite possible that the Warsong scout, for that was who she thought she was following, had tried to jump the mud and had fallen just short to leave the deep mark.
Her path now brought her to the bank of the Falfarren River, where the rain washed the exposed banks and cleared any sign within a few moments of it being formed. Frustrated, she backtracked for a few minutes into the forest but found nothing to indicate the quarry had turned back instead of heading for the river and the relative safety of Warsong territory beyond it.
Returning to the water's edge, she spotted the remains of the river cliff where a bear had collapsed the bank and fallen in. A few hundred yards downstream would be the place where she had tried to pull down another section of the river's edge to allow the beast to clamber out. Perhaps the rain today would wash away the traces of that failure along with today's.
With a vague heavy feeling in her heart, Caliyen turned upstream and started back toward her resting place. The route she left would twist and turn well away from her eventual destination before she doubled back, for there were more trackers than just herself abroad in the forest. With a sudden shiver and a furtive glance to the rear she quickened her pace, suddenly eager for the relatively dry bed that awaited.