Herbalists' Cache in the running and slowing of time

set anytime after the march to Herbalist's Cache <3 

She looked back into the dense undergrowth, then back at the herd that now rested in the forest.

...Surely @Star Eater would not mind if she strayed a little ways from the den? 

Other Shore had laid eyes upon the caribou before, had seen their numbers rest and feed, had admired their vigorous march, had watched bulls and cows, young and old alike scatter as the distant outline of Saatsine wolves chased and brought down their prey. 

But never had she been so close to them until now, sitting near a bush not far from Star Eater's den. Never had she seen so clearly the grand and gracious curves of caribou antlers, the rippling dark and white of their pelts, the muscle and curve of the unassuming legs that had felled many hunters.

She had yet to run in many days, let alone hunt one of them herself. And she knew the moment her first caribou hunt began, she would savor it - she would drink in that thrill and that primal, ravenous drive, let it seep into her blood and control her every muscle.

But could she run yet? Or were her muscles still demanding rest? The strain and exhaustion had ebbed away over the days without much hindrance from the recent march. She could not be sure, and so, just for the moment, she remained a quiet observer.

hope this is good! <3

this girl was quiet. reticent. in the shadows of caribou he did not see her, had not truly looked at her before. not when the taking of captives and their new position consumed his thoughts. that day he was thirsty, and sought mouthfuls of snow, melting it in his mouth before he drank.

the girl watched the caribou, and sun eater watched her. comprised of stone-shadow and icemelt, it was her eyes which stood out against her pale features, vivid autumn in winter's depths.

other shore was young, yet had fit herself with determination into the saatsine. she had traveled on their hard march and devoted herself to star eater's work. the chieftain might have thought her lanzadoii had he known better.

an approach. he stood beside the other, joining her in silent watch over the caribou.

thank you for joining <3

He seemed to have seen her before she saw him. It was only by the lone drifting of a shadow, one that did not belong, did Other Shore notice her silent company. Sun Eater, the chieftain himself, both an unyielding statue and an intangible outline, now stood as a quiet observer of the caribou. Having heard whispers of Sun Eater's capacity for brutality unveiled by his rage, Other Shore found it hard to believe his silence here. Still he carried the air of authority wherever he went, but as time passed, she noticed it was less of fear that made people bow and more of reverence. Harsh, he was, but many found a leader in him, and for good reason.

For the first time since she had set foot in Saatsine lands, Other Shore took in Sun Eater's eyes. One, a grey-blue, neither too dark to grasp the sea nor light enough to hold the sky; and the other, an emptiness where an eye should be. Who, she wondered, could take an eye from him? She had seen him, time and time again, becoming a beast no longer quite a wolf, as he hunted the caribou. She could imagine him wearing death as he did his very pelt when doing battle against foes.

Other Shore, being as curious as she was, had an infinite wealth of curiosities. But none of them reached her tongue quite yet, leaving her to savor the still silence and returned her mind to the caribou.

Her mind quickly wandered, as it always did. She saw herself in the near or distant future, running, driving caribou into the jaws of death, bringing back hides for Star Eater. Her heartbeat accelerated at the thought, her legs itched to move, to run, to feel the thrill again, but she forced it into place and decided that, until the chieftain or even Star Eater gave her the permission, she would rest in the stillness.

ofc! :D

his consciousness ran to find her own, to press into what he felt was a belt of curiosity. did she want to hunt? her eyes certainly proclaimed it so, her mien steadfast and patient. a runner's build, he felt, carved for the life demanded by the lanzadoii.

young yet, barely more than a girl. it was at this age that her mother would be making arrangements, sending runners to other lanzadoii bands that might be a day's walk off, or ten, depending on who she sought. but this realm was not for sun eater and never had been; the marital practices of his kith were handled almost solely by women and band leaders, neither of which he had been till now.

and even as chieftain, it was not his niche. she was a girl. she would be a hunter. the rest belonged to star eater.

"come." his step was decisive, and he spoke a word in lanzadoii that other shore would need to know, to learn for herself. "we walk out. hunt another time. i show."

without waiting for an answer, the caribou man stalked off, almost directly into a herd of wild-eyed animals who scattered around him at once.

Sun Eater stood by her, in a state that appeared to be contemplation. What he saw in her, she did not know. A hunter, she hoped. Until this point it had been Star Eater that she spoke with, that she aided, that had guided her. But perhaps Sun Eater could see deeper within her than she could see within him. Perhaps he knew more about her than she herself.

His single eye, dull, candid, saw more than both her eyes.

The word that Sun Eater spoke, Other Shore did not know. Lanzadoii... must be Lanzadoii. He had correctly guessed that she itched to hunt - perhaps her thoughts were not as well concealed as she assumed?

Sun Eater walked right into the herd, sending many fleeing. The young and old alike were quite familiar with the chieftain, as it appeared. Many a time had they learned that these outsiders were accompanied with a ravenous want for their flesh.

Other Shore lingered for a moment, then followed the caribou man.

Resting on the ground was still-receding snow, and Other Shore felt its cool touch beneath her feet as she went, a gently numb interrupted by needles and leaves. It did not take a sprint to catch up to Sun Eater, merely a quick pace. She remained just a small distance behind him, footsteps quiet but laden with curiosity.

What is it that he will show?

"see." pregnant cows, fleeing runnels of snow. "not take them. bring new life to herds. herds give life to saatsine." a cycle must be fed. "see." ageing bulls lumbering away, though several turned as if to glare at the wolves. "old men. weaker. but not so weak. can kill hunters."

"see." young bulls who pawed the ground openly; one made a dash for sun eater, then pulled up several feet away. testing. testing. chieftain's cold snarl lit the air behind. "young men. fools. stupid. strong, can kill. but easier killed."

"see." how they raced together, how they stood in bands or apart. stragglers at the edge, and here he directed other shore's attention again. "bad hoof. sick stomach. blind eye." diagnosing them, cutting them out, setting them aside for future teeth.

he was silent, not looking to the young wolf but ahead at the caribou possessed by the sun clan.

Here now Other Shore found herself to be a fool. She had held the belief that the vulnerable pregnant cows made good prey - she had not considered what would become of the herd without these precious mothers. And again she had been spoiled by the well-honed hunters of the pack, having assumed that it was the older bulls that were the weakest. That, too, seemed to be false, as Sun Eater pointed out. Perhaps some Saatsine hunters were so skilled, they made their strong prey appear weak. 

Other Shore flinched at the bull that charged, and would have run, had Sun Eater’s snarl not grounded her. So it was not pride and overconfidence that felled only the young wolves, but also the youths of the caribou. If she had learned anything from her long journey here to the taiga, it was to beware of arrogance, the killer of many animals. Still now it held true. Still now it killed.

The chieftain guided her focus towards the full herd, then picked out the caribou, the ones who lingered dangerously at the edge. Other Shore stood and found herself in an eager trance as she watched him diagnose what she had failed to notice. Are those the easiest caribou to hunt? she asked quietly, knowing half the answer but wanting to confirm. The ones we should hunt?

"yes," he grunted, pleased with her quick understanding. "they bring weak to herds. we kill, keep weak from other caribou."

this was a law unstated among their kind, but the lanzadoii had made it their culture and reason. other shore was wise to observe the lesser members of the ranging ruminants; soon she would be among their hooves.

"before? you hunt?" curious as the chieftain was regarding her past, today was to see her limits and potential as a hunter. its first root was in seeing, and that she had done.

snow flew through the air. he exhaled a plume of hot steam. "a caribou in dying is —" he searched for the word and found nothing, finished instead with, "has danger. kick. sharp feet. can cut." eager young men of the lanzadoii, rushing forward to draw first blood, had fallen more than once to the death flailing of a fading animal, its razoring hooves slicing open the straining jugular, the large artery of the thigh.

not among his own. he did not wish to see it happen.

It was odd, she thought. Predator and prey, having a relationship that benefitted one another. In the time she had spent roaming, she never considered the possibility. Yet here it was. Wolves fed off the caribou, and the caribou no longer carry the burden of the weak for generations. Both thrived.

Other Shore made an attempt to recall what she could, and found little. Only little things, animals that could not harm her, were hers to hunt. Without a pack to aid her, larger prey became akin to predator. I have hunted, she responded, but only little animals. The likes of rabbits. 

The chieftain words were sharp, not meant to cut, but to reach a point. Weak caribou, easy to hunt, she noted to herself, not realizing she was muttering out loud. Dying caribou, beware. Simple enough, until that very principle became the difference between life and death.

The Lanzadoii, it seemed, rested on these straightforward fundamentals. Other Shore appreciated the simplicity. Not difficult to remember, and more importantly, this basis kept them alive. Well enough, at least. And hence the caribou man drilled it into her.

Must I learn to fight to hunt caribou? Other Shore asked. Fighting wolves and fighting caribou are not similar, no?

"have not tasted rabbit in many time. only caribou." the sinew, the fat, the marrow, the breath; what more did he need? what more did any need? even their pelts could be stripped for the eight-week settling.

fighting. he threw his gaze over her in scrutiny. there was no tinge to the girl which suggested she might be a warrior, but sun eater had learned not to underestimate. "in hunt, you learn fight. caribou and wolf. bone. blood. heart. breathing. hm? same. but only wolf have teeth. learn hunting and when fight come, you ready."

hunting required patience, a grasp of the surrounding world, an internal mapping of stars and terrain. demand of drag and clutch upon muscle built the body, and brushing pelts with death for each hunt made the saatsine brazen.

would other shore come to be the same?

he lingered here in their talk;

"you want learn? many bloodhunters to teach. i teach," grandly offered, a lash of his tail as he kept the one eye focused always on the caribou and their every movement.

She knew quite well a single caribou brought with it much more than a measly rabbit. Perhaps she had become too accustomed to chasing down those small things. She could not envision so much food, all taken from a single animal. And hides, too! No wonder the Saatsine found so much success, compared to the dwindling packs she had witnessed from a distance.

As Sun Eater stared at her, taking in her features, again she found herself wondering. What did he see in her? He spoke; she listened, and saw reason within his words. Both caribou and wolf had heart, had flesh, had blood. Death reached both the same. 

"Learn hunting and when fight come, you ready."

It was strange that this gave Other Shore a piece of confidence. Her, a fighter. Curious to imagine. A distant thing, she supposed. No mark of a warrior showed through her muscles, nor did her frame display aptitude for battle, being slightly smaller than those of her age. But distant was not impossible.

Again, though, fight later. Not yet. Hunt first, she decided. Better for her and the Saatsine. 

She would enjoy it. An unusual thing to say of a skill necessary to survive, but she would. 

I will learn, she responded, accepting the offer. A very generous one. She would appreciate it. After a pause, she added, I want to learn.

a low sound of continued amusement came from sun eater, though it was not mocking. "then i teach." he understood she had been recovering and did not want to annoy his mate nor overtax other shore. but he supposed there were other things that could be taught.

he moved quickly in abruption; sun eater turned to face the girl and widened his stance, demonstrating how to ready oneself for conflict. "you are young. woman. not tall. others, they see these things. not think of you as fighter. use this."

he motioned. "look at me. then make attack, hm?" look at him; observe. he wanted to see the plan moving in her eyes.

claws flexed in the snow, he waited impassively for other shore to make her move. he would assess there. her role was to adjust for her own weaknesses, but that also was a skill of its own.

Other Shore blinked, taking in the chieftain's stance. She tried what she could to mimic it. Spreading paws out, keeping eyes attentive. She did not think it was quite exactly what Sun Eater had showed, but it was close, she hoped.

Attack? She certainly could try, but she would accomplish little. Sun Eater seemed to know this quite well. Here he was, testing. Observing. Seeing what she could and could not do.
 
She obliged. Her gaze met his single eye - locked on it, for a moment, then flitted to the rest of his body. She could not decide what was easy to target and what would put her at an instant disadvantage, but quickly decided that she had little time for careful consideration.

Claws ready, tail rigid, tense, unsure. She lunged for his lower neck.

he brought his shoulder up, controlling where it might crash into the side of her mouth. a brush, however, happened all the same; a small collision he felt in his muscle there. it had been an apt attempt all the same, and he nodded.

"coxe." he punctuated the order, circling to one side, tail lashing. "harder. use teeth, more."

he had seen her think, he had seen her ponder;

now he wished to observe the wild biting that existed beneath the hide of any wolf. and to build such anger, sometimes one must fall more than once.

his eye dared her on.

She felt herself brush against his fur, and - for half a moment there - felt a twinge of something between excitement and frustration. So close, so close! But not close enough.

Other Shore caught herself, finding enough balance on her feet to not let her face meet the ground. A little stumble was inevitable, but it kept her standing. She recovered, putting herself back into the stance she had begun with.

"Coxe." Another Lanzadoii word she had yet to learn. The chieftain waited, observant, expectant. It seemed that he was ready for another attack.

She shifted a little. Perhaps she had put too much power into her front muscles and had neglected the natural strength of her hind legs. Perhaps her teeth had not been prepared to grip. Perhaps her tail had been too tense. 

She exhaled. Breath curled in the air. Her eyes focused on the chieftain, her tail flicked slightly, and again she lunged for his shoulder.

it was unfair; he sidestepped at the last, shoving hard to unbalance the warrior-aspirant. "not bite same place twice. make, ah. other. other ready, hm?" he attempted to communicate, circling round the snow which had become slightly beaten beneath their paws.

"watch." he dove at her, snapping toward shoulder, demonstrating a slam with his own that again did not touch, a snap to eartip. three motions in one. 

"one to hit. one to hurt. jump back, back, back," he exhorted, backing again and nodding at other shore.

"coxe."

the single eye glinted with the pleasure of the spar, his blood rising in zealous song.

Again she caught her balance after the chieftain shoved her. And again it was by sheer chance that she remained standing. 

She returned to her original stance again, and watched as the chieftain came at her - towards her shoulder, with a slam that nearly brushed the tips of her furs, then a sudden nip to her ear. All too quick to be dodged. A blur of motion, yet in full clarity - she knew very well that had Sun Eater wanted it, she would have been dead.

"Coxe." Again. 

She exhaled, envisioning an unknown strength giving her feet a lighter step. Attack not the shoulder this time, she decided. Claws dug into the ground; eyes locked on the target. Remember to jump back, fast enough to not be shoved.

Three swift motions. A step aside; then a lunge towards the flank; and finally, an attempt at a bounce back to recover.

three motions.

he could have cut her down, tripped her, but other shore had added an element of obstacle to her movements this time. "good," sun eater grunted, circling to one side. "you make trick, hit, get away."

"you learn to hit once or hit two time. see;"

lunging toward her, reined as before; demonstrating two blows to one shoulder before a retreat, staccato, harsh.

"you, now," the lanzadoii chieftain encouraged. she was doing well, promise shown in her quick mind and building speed.

She suppressed a flinch as the chieftain came, leaving blows - once, twice - then retreating sharply, his motions quick yet packed with strength. There was no injury, no pain, but still she felt his power. A deadly thing to behold here, let alone in the chaos of battle. She did not dodge - could not dodge.

Very quick. Sun Eater was quick. 

No "coxe" this time. 

The girl readied herself, grounding her focus. No longer did her eyes flit from muscle to muscle. The shoulder will not be the target, but rather a mere distraction, she told herself. And avoid the front legs best as she could. 

She lunged, a little ways to the chieftain's side. A hit to the shoulder, and a snap of teeth to the back. Then backed away swiftly with little bounce.

"good!" sun eater grinned, whirling to snap at the air where other shore had stood only a moment before. "fast. good learn." there was one more thing to teach, he felt, and that was how to take a bruise.

that was how one learned to fight. "other shore. attack with teeth. hard. i protect." he did not wish to hurt her, but the pain built a warrior; half-bites would not prepare her for the lethal slashing in an actual battling.

"try not lose standing," was the final instruction offered before he waited once more.

A stray spark of pride flickered in her at Sun Eater's words as she retreated and recovered. Her? A good fighter? Not yet - but she was proud to be getting there. 

She did not know what he intended for her next. He had told her to use her teeth harder… she needed better leverage on his body. An angle that would allow her to find a vulnerable spot and latch onto it.

"Try not lose standing." A daunting warning. But she would attack anyway.

Shifting. Eyes locked on the man. 

"Coxe" rang in her mind.

She lunged once more. Claws ripped towards the side of his neck; teeth aimed for the throat, hoping to be met by flesh and fur and find firm, harsh grip.

a new verve scorched in other shore's eyes, and sun eater lowered himself for the collision.

he did not spring aside nor evade; sun eater allowed the clutching pinch of seeking fangs, wishing the warrior aspirant to understand what it was she sought.

in the fibres of muscle, in the cords of sinew, a price could be paid for a heavy bite.

he brought his shoulder firm into the juncture of her chest and throat, twisting in the same motion. the blow was not meant to crush, but the connection would be felt.

offense. defense. offense, sun eater snapping up toward one ear.

She felt it. The flesh, the hardness underneath. Her teeth met something that twirled satisfaction next to the surprise -

And then it was ripped away from her in a split moment.

She was not thrown several wolf-lengths away, but felt the impact slam into her and send her collapsing away. Not hard enough to injure, but enough to leave the taste of shock. She could not tell if it was pain that she felt; if the blow had knocked the breath out of her; if her muscles felt like iron or like twigs. 

Other Shore saw the movement of the caribou warrior towards her, but only in time to register it - she did not move in time to avoid Sun Eater’s snap towards her ear. She felt something akin to a nip or a brush but could not tell if he had touched her ear or had merely grazed the tips of her furs.

Recover - she needed to recover! And so she willed her legs to rise and tried to establish what steadiness she could, despite the lingering strike between her chest and throat.

stunned, other shore clung to her footing, and sun eater nodded in pierced approval of this. to take a hard blow and to remain upright would be integral if it was truly warriorship she sought. fur floated down between them.

he retreated some short steps to regroup and lunged in the same pattern, shoulder, teeth in glinting motion. this time he would make a harsher connection, but sun eater saw in other shore the ability to anticipate.

it need only be cut out, be honed.

they were locked now in churned snow and blooming mud; all to be added, crimson droplets of first-blood drawn in a heating spar.

She looked up, and - the chieftain was moving at her fast. Too fast! 

She moved. She did not know how nor where she was moving. But again she felt something bluntly strike somewhere around her shoulder; again she felt teeth to fur and skin. For a brief moment there she wondered if she had dodged enough, if the hit had not hurt her too much, given that she was not being sent flying paces away as she had last time.

And then she got her answer through a sudden metallic pang and a warmth where no warmth should be. 

Blood. 

The realization did not cripple her, but it added a stumble to her footing as pain surged in. Not agonizing, merely unexpected. Her legs did not feel strain, but they threatened to collapse for reasons unknown to her at the moment. She refused to allow her knees to buckle, perhaps out of a passive spite. She had nothing against Sun Eater - she just did not wish for her weaknesses to be exposed by a drop of blood.

A shiver entered her legs as she regarded the caribou man. No wonder he commanded fear with such ease. No longer was he a hunter, a warrior, but rather ferocity itself.