Deaths breath....

[Vennidaar Moonshaft]

A cold wind cut down the brae pulling at the tabard on Vennidaar, whipping it up around his waist. He let out a quiet expletive and tucked the front and rear of his cenarion marked tabard tucking it into his belt as slowly as possible so as not to draw the attention of his prey. Not one hundred yards in front of him through the thick foliage was a large stag it's head lifted, nostrils flared sampling the wind for alien scents. There were none. Vennidaar had carefully positioned him self downwind of the powerfully built beast. This was the largest stag he had seen in the last two days he had been stalking in these hills and by bulk had nominated itself for sacrifice.
The proud animal lowered it's head to feed again and slowly inched forward to pull another tuft of lush grass from the bluff. The hunter closed his eyes and lowered his head, melding his spirit with thatof the beast. His breathing slowed, he could sense the animals strong heart pulsing blood round his body feeling the thrum of the blood in his large pointed ears. He and the beast morphed as one in his soul, with his eyes closed he could see as the stag did. As the beast raised his head and checked behind it offering him a panoramic view downhill to his own position he noted there was no visual trace of himself. He opened his own eyes slowly allowing the glow of the full moons glow to wash over the area. Elunes blessing bathed the area in a warm haze increasing the Kaldoreis vision.
His heart beat slow he raised his ancient bow and nocked an arrow. Breath held he fixed his aim just below the ear on the stags lowered head. He released his breath and the arrow simultaneuosly , his breath, deaths breath.

[Vennidaar Moonshaft]

Vennidaar leant over the felled stag placing his hand upon it's neck he said a blessing to Malorne thanking the creature for it's sacrifice. The stags body lies flat on it's side with it's neck twisted up from the earth due to it's large antlers stabbing into the earth, the arrow, the killer shot sticking out of it's throat. He pulls the arrow out and eyes the head and shaft to ensure there is no damage and when satisfied he returns it to his quiver strapped to his back. Now with senses returning to normal rather than the intense focus of the hunt he notices the cold wind again and adjusts his collar to keep the wind from his neck.
Drawing his dagger he starts to cut through the throat of the beast to remove the head before dragging it down it's belly steering the blade round the stags powerfull limbs. The animals pelt was then pulled from the beast and rolled up with the pelt inwards and placed into his pack and his attention turned to the head to remove the antlers when a strange sound pricked his mind. A voice perhaps, a low guteral noise, a reply now, at least two strange tongues. They sounds he estimated were no more than two hundred yards away and approaching slowly off to his left and further up the hill.
The kill should have been thoroughly butchered so as to pay homage to it's life but if his initial suspicion was correct there was no time before the interlopers would arrive. He quickly and silently sheathed the blade and collected his bow from the ground next to his kill and leapt silently into the undergrowth and padded his way into the forest parrallel to the opening were the beheaded beast lay and made his way fifty yards before dropping to a crouch behind a bushel that offered him a vantage point back towards his initial spot. Concentrating he slowly removed an arrow and nocked it into his bow and let it aim through the bush making certain he was melded into his cover.
The sound drew closer and his suspicions were confirmed as not fifty yards away two trolls entered the clearing, the were two full grown males and wore armour of leather and scraps of dull chain mail with bows slung from there shoulders and a small hatchet on there belts. It was obvious they felt there was no impending threat in these hills and woods as the seemed totally at ease untill they seen the decapitated stag.
Both of the blue monstrosities whipped the bows from there back and dropped even lower than there usual stooped walk and scanned the area. Neither paused on his position as the slowly went back to back obviuosly a practiced manuevre in times of potential ambush. Thoughts flooded through Vennidaars head, if he should not engage as was his initial wish they could return with a war party of any number and attempt to hunt him down which was entirely possible as he would have undoubtedly left signs as he was the hunter and not the prey upto not two minutes ago. With having left his mount two days walk from here he couldn't make a hastey exit either. To kill or be killed that was the question. There could be only one answer.
The trolls still scanning the area in a three hundred and sixty degree area offered him one chance, Vennidaar composed himself and drew his focus to his bow. He slowed his breathing and heartbeat as his vision tunneled into along the arrows shaft, as the two trolls pivoted round back to back he fired as one disappeared from view behind the other. The shot flew straight and true and from barely fifty yards it speed was frightening to behold. The arrows razor tipped head bit through the exposed throat of the first troll and exited the rear of his neck missing it's spine and impaled the second troll through the rear of it's neck. The trolls spun attached and slumped to the ground on to the first trolls left side, Vennidaar had allready nocked a fresh arrow and prepared to fore again as he stood to get an angle on the second troll. There was no need. He inched his way forward slowly until he stood over both bodies, arrow still aimed down and arm fully pulled back in tension.
The first troll was dead , eyes open but glazed but the second gurgled away beneath the other. Vennidaar used his foot to roll the corpse over slowly to expose the second troll making sure there was no weapon in it's hands. It looked up at him dieing, blue blood spilling from the arrow head bursting through it's throat at an angle. Hate filled it's eyes , undilouted hate. It tried to speak only to wince in pain, a second arrow pierced it's throat from a yard away and the creature lay still in death. A quick scan of the dead fiends revealed each wore a necklace of what looked like human ears , there could have been a larger pointed set there tonight thought Vennidaar bringing a shiver down his spine as he thought of what these evil cannabalistic pair would have done to him if the situation was reversed. He collected the hatchet from either corpse and placed these in his pack so as to show an Elder before making his way eastwards and away from the direction the trolls approached from. Thoughts burst into his head as he swiftly moved through the hills, what where trolls doing in this place called by the locals , grizzly hills.

[Vennidaar Moonshaft]

Vennidaars feet moved swift and silently across the dry earth, each footfall landing gently between fallen branches and leaves in a concious effort to leave only a modest trail for potential trackers. This he hoped would be enough to enable him to put a good distance between himself and any following trolls.
The nights darkness was fading and allready he could make out the suns orange glow starting to tint the clouds on the horizon,time was short. By his calculations he was still at least two hours from the camp he started his stalk from two days hence and what would now be a very comforting saddle on his mistsaber mount Fasheer. Stopping mid stride he dropped to one knee to survey the area behind him ,noting nothing he withdrew the small scroll map he had procured off a friend in the circle. The map was vague to say the least and showed only a rough coastline to the south west and a passage leading southeast to the fjord . A owl screeched in the night ,no doubt trying to make one last kill before the dawn and returning to roost for the day, a luxury Vennidaar hoped may be his to replicate.
Several horns now started to sound behind him albeit far in the distance and probably unhearable by human ears but with senses heightened by the chase they appeared almost deafening to the Kaldorei. There would be no rest today and although travelling through the day was bearable it wasnt liked by most of his kind. The rising sun would no doubt warm the day and dull his vision only adding to his problems. He let a small sigh escape from the corner of his mouth before returning the scroll to his belt ,he wished now he had wore his battle armour and had brought along his trusty wolf companion. Then they could turn and face the ensuing horde of cannibals but alone and only lightly armoured it would be a futile gesture on his part. He rose to his feet and continued on heading to the path and hoping that he would not have to pay the ultimate price for his lack of preparations to his hunt.