Castus
Castus pulled the fur hide cloak tighter about his body, and fidgeted his feet in his winter fur boots. Though the snows had still not fallen, the wind was chilly. It had been nearly four weeks since he had sent out the sentry parties, and he had found that his crowded brain was pushed into over drive as old memories of defensive preparations came to mind.
He had set up a number of runes around the Moot, weaving the Wind into the runes to enact a concealment illusion around the camp. The runes would hold the energies for at least four days before he had to recharge them and it always left him a bit exhausted after; but at least now if any pegasi did fly over their location all they would see instead is an empty valley.
His sentry groups had also received a boon, in the form of a ward that would alert the hunters should a pony ever cross a set boundary. Of course, those also would need a constant recharging every few days. Then adding into the Life Sense ward he had set on a number of small stones that he had some of the camp weavers make into a necklace. That ward would alert him if any of the sentries were injured once they entered past the boundary of their camp.
Then his tasks of preserving food twice more with the Wind, and other smaller tasks, he was practically worked to the bone.
"You are pushing yourself to hard." Marcus said, looking at him with concern.
Castus grumbled, "Thank you mother. But I don't have a choice."
Marcus frowned, "You will be no good if you work yourself to exhaustion. A wise hunter knows when to stalk the prey and when to chase it down."
Castus couldn't help but smirk at the saying. While he wasn't sure if it fit, he did find it to be interesting to hear. He wondered when his people would start making all sorts of age old sayings like, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and what not.
"You are right." Castus said, and frowned now, "But we are facing a very difficult time. I can't help but worry, and my worry pushes me harder. This freedom we have, I don't want to see it taken."
Marcus was silent, but merely nodded.
Castus sighed, "How is the training progressing?"
"Well. Those slings you showed us have proven easy to teach." Marcus said as he looked down at the lines of people launching stones from their slings at wooden targets.
Castus nodded, "Still. Hitting a piece of wood and a moving target coming at you with blade and armor is a different matter. I hope their hearts are strong should we all need to fight."
The two were silent again, only the sound of stones striking wood could be heard.
Castus found that despite all the preparations, things were still peaceful. While he was sure that the pony forces were no doubt out there somewhere by now, so far no encounters had occurred. Maybe this winter would pass without-
"Agh." Casstus said as he felt one of the stones at his neck gain heat. He stood up immediately, and Marcus looked at him in surprise.
"What is it?" He asked.
Castus wove a Waygate, "One of the sentries is hurt. Bad." With that he ran through the Waygate and closed it behind him.
The moans and cries of pain were the first to greet him.
Valen
When the Fire Man had asked for hunters for sentry groups, he had felt a sort of eagerness he hadn't felt unless a hunting trip was called. Only this would be much more then a hunting trip. This would be like an adventure told in the stories.
The Huntmasters had told them that they suspected the pony people would send hunters after them. The Fire Man wanted the sentry groups to watch for them, and Valen had been one of the first of the young hunters to volunteer.
He had expected tracking ponies, and while he would not admit that he was afraid of the thought, but also of glorious battles as told in stories. It had made him excited and eager to go.
Sadly, it was not what he had expected.
So far nearly four weeks had passed, and all he had done was patrol an area around the forest his group was camped at and had seen no sign of anything. All he could do was tend to his bow and arrows, and sit at the fire cold with no stories to hear.
This adventure was frankly very boring. He could see that Torik, Ralof and Caius, three other young hunters as himself, felt the same. The only one who didn't seem bored was the leader of their group, an older hunter named Wulric.
Wulric would tell them that they were acting like children, but Valen still found the lack of action tiresome and boring. Worse, the Fire Man had told them that should they see ponies, to not go near them but come back to camp and wait till he arrived to tell him about it.
It was certainly no way to get into a story. What hero in a story waited and fled when he saw the enemy? Isn't that what the ponies were?
Valen was sure that he would be spending the entire winter, miserable and bored, until one day when he was out scouting with Ralof and Caius, the three of them lost in small fantasies that over the next bush or behind the tree was a force of enemies they would ambush with bows drawn and nocked, that they spotted something.
It was Ralof who spotted it first, But Valen and Caius soon also saw it when he pointed it out. Some rising over some trees not too far from their own location.
It was sure to be from a fire, though if it was from another sentry post Valen wasn't sure. All he knew was that he wanted to see for himself what the source was; as that adventurous part of his mind whispered to him that it had be ponies.
"Come, let us see what it is." Valen said, and began moving toward the smokes direction.
Valen was stopped by a hand to his shoulder, and he turned to see Ralof looking at him with worry.
"But...shouldn't we tell Wulric first? What if it is the ponies?" Ralof said.
Valen frowned, but then smiled, "We can't know that just by smoke. If we are to tell Wulric and the Fire Man anything, we should be confident it is something important."
"But...what if it is the ponies?" Caius asked.
"If it is, we will sneak back and tell Wulric. We are hunters, we should be able to avoid notice easily." Valen said, "Or if you want, go back to camp. I'll go ahead alone."
Valen started off again, and when he looked back he saw Caius and Ralof picking up the rear behind him. Perhaps things would finally be exciting.
The three of them had to trek through some rough patches of forest, but as they moved Valen began picking up noises that grew louder as they approached. And so, he and the others ducked down low and moved slower, just as they learned when hunting rabbits or other skittish creatures of the plains and woods. Each foot slowly stepping to avoid breaking twig or crushing leaf.
Finally, as Valen peeked from behind a tree, that he saw what looked to him like a camp, only this camp was larger; like the Moot. And filled with ponies.
Ponies walked in lines here and there, spears or strange bows like things. Others were pitching bright colored tents, made of something Valen had never seen before, while the sounds and smells of cooking and hammering of something filled the air.
Valen felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Ralof giving him a worried look and he whispered, "We saw them. We should go now."
Valen shook his head and whispered back, "A few more moments. We should try to get an idea of their numbers."
Ralof looked like he wanted to argue, but nodded and whispered to Caius. Then the two of them began moving off toward the sides, keeping low to avoid detection. Then they merely watched the camp.
Valen slowly counted the number of ponies he saw. It was difficult, since they all wore the same gleaming clanking clothing that he found it difficult to tell them apart. But he did notice something...odd.
They were females, they were all women, though he did see some who he could tell were male. But for the most part it was a camp filled with females. The ponies were using their women folk to hunt them?
'That is ridiculous.' Valen thought, and found the idea of being hunted by female ponies ridiculous.
He looked to Caius and Ralof, who each held up their hands with all fingers spread to show ten. That meant they each counted at least a hundred each. He added it to his number and came close to nearly three hundred ponies.
Though he wasn't sure if they had merely miscounted, but the camp stretched on a bit so it could be that....maybe even more.
Valen decided that they knew enough to go back and feel accomplished, perhaps even congratulated but as he turned to give one last scan of the camp he spotted a pony.
A pony that was looking right at him from the camp. The female pony's eyes widened as she turned and shouted something. The female pony aimed one of those odd bow things at him.
Something in the back of his mind told him to duck behind the tree, and Valen listened as he heard a thunk and something slamming into the tree. He peeked out and saw a short arrow like thing. Only it looked nothing like an arrow he knew. He ducked again as more started flying and more ponies started appearing.
He knew immediately that they were under attack and he drew an arrow from his quiver and nocked it before taking aim and letting fly. He saw Caius and Ralof doing the same, also now coming under fire from the strange arrows.
Whatever the strange bows were, Valen found them to be rather poor bows. The ponies had to crouch down and seemed to be moving their hooves around some sort of handle that spun at the base of the bow like weapon. He took this to fire several arrows at the crouched ponies and he saw his arrows strike against their clothing.
and bounce right off.
Valen felt his heart stop as he saw the ineffectiveness of his arrow. Whatever they were wearing was not like hide at all. But still he fired arrows, as he couldn't just do nothing.
It was then that Valen saw a different pony. This one wore a more brightly colored clothing, and held no bow but a strange looking spear. If the spear had only a short staff and a long spear point. It also glittered and sparkled in the light and was made of the same stuff as the strange arrows.
The pony, this one a male, seemed like the Huntmaster as he shouted things and the other ponies seemed to listen. Valen nocked an arrow and fired it at the pony huntmaster, only to watch as it seemed to strike air and clatter to the ground.
Now Valen began to panic. How could they fight if their arrows couldn't even-
A bright beam of something soon shot from the pony huntmaster's strange spear, and Valen barely had time to duck behind his tree, and see the strange arrow of color tear through the tree bark and leave a burn trail. Several more started firing, and more of the metal arrows.
They had to run, they had to-
"AGGGH!" He heard Ralof scream.
Valen turned and saw as Ralof feel back, his arrows and bow falling from him as the searing hot arrow of light tore across his side and he collapsed to the ground screaming.
"Ralof!" Valen shouted, and he ducked low as he rushed to his friend. He could feel the strange arrows fly past him, and he knew he was taking a risk; but he had to get to Ralof.
Luckily he managed to avoid being hit and grabbed his friend to pull him behind the tree. Ralof screamed and moaned, and Valen saw a burn tearing across his side. It was a deep wound, though no blood. Ralof moaned and screamed more as he covered the wound with his hands.
"We have to leave!" He shouted to Caius, and only just spotted Caius beginning to run back to the forest.
"Come on Ralof." Valen said, and lifted his friend over his shoulder. Ralof groaned and screamed in protest and pain, but Valen ignored him as he started running back into the woods.
Away. They had to get away.
The run back was difficult, as Ralof's weight made running difficult. Valen had to take extra care to avoid tripping. He was at least able to catch up with Caius, and the two kept together as they made their way back to camp.
Ralof continued to moan in pain. Valen worried for his friend and only pushed himself harder to get back to camp, and hope the Fire Man was there. He could save Ralof. He had to!
"Valen! Where were-By the sky! What happened!?" He heard Wulric shout as he rushed toward them as they finally made it back to camp.
"Wulric! Ralof is hurt!" Valen said, as he tried to carefully set his friend down.
Ralof groaned, and Valen kneeled close to him. Caius too.
Wulric frowned, but turned to the other young hunter who Valen didn't know, "Get some water boy. Move!"
The boy nodded and began running to a stream they had found some distance from their camp.
Wulric then turned back to Ralof, and looked at the wound. His fingers traced along the edge, and causing Ralof to gasp and scream in pain.
"Shhh. Shh." Wulric hushed, trying to comfort Ralof as he took his hand away.
Caius placed a hand over Ralof's mouth, and Valen did his best to keep his friend still.
"What happened!?"
They all turned and Valen felt his spirits raised as he saw the Fire Man.
The Fire Man looked at Ralof and quickly rushed to them. He pushed them away as he kneeled beside Ralof. His eyes to the wound.
"Damn it!" The Fire Man swore and held his hands over the wound.
Valen watched, and while he couldn't see whatever magics the Fire Man had he could see that Ralof seemed to be getting better. His screams had slowly stopped and only become groans. The wound itself seemed to be getting better, as it looked less burnt, though it still smelled.
FInally the Fire Man's hands went limp and he seemed to be breathing heavily.
"I've done all I can...now it-" The Fire Man started before shooting to his feet and thrusting his hand out toward the woods.
Fire engulfed several trees, and the boom of thunder as lightning struck the ground and dirt and stone flew about made Valen dive to cover Ralof. He didn't know what the Fire Man was doing, until he saw ponies rushing away, screaming in fear.
They had been followed.
The Fire Man continued to spread fire and lighting until the ponies were gone, and with a wave of his hand, the fires on the trees went out and left the burning husks. He breathed deeply as he went to his knees again.
"Where is the other?" The Fire Man asked.
"H-He is getting water..." Wulric said, staring at where the fire and lightning had rained down in awe. Even Valen himself couldn't help but look back.
That was the power of the Fire Man.
The Fire Man merely said, "When he gets back we are returning to the Moot. All of us."
The Fire Man looked at them all, and Valen shied away from the intense look in his eyes as he said, "And then. You are all going to tell me just what the hell happened here."
When the other hunter finally returned, he had returned without water, having rushed back from the noise. The Fire Man didn't seem to care, as he opened the strange shimmering window which they could walk through to the Moot. Valen and Caius went first, carrying Ralof carefully through. Wulric, the Fire Man and the other hunter followed.
Their return was met with a fury of voices. Ralof was brought to his family's tent and placed down to rest. His mother and father stayed close by him, tears in their eyes.
Valen had wanted to stay, but he and Caius eventually had to leave. The Fire Man was expecting answers.
The Fire Man looked at him and Caius with a glare that could freeze fire. Valen fidgeted in his spot within the Fire Man's tent.
They had told him what they had seen, and he did not look happy.
"And that is all you know?" The Fire Man asked.
"Y-yes Fire Man." Caius and Valen said at the same time.
The Fire Man sighed, "You should not have stayed. But I can't change that now can I. What you boys did was foolish and stupid...but at least something came of it."
Valen flinched at the words, but found he had to agree. It was because of him that Ralof as hurt.
"You boys return to your families. Go." The Fire Man said, waving a hand at them.
Caius nodded and left, but Valen stopped and looked to the Fire Man to ask something.
"F-Fire Man..." Valen said, worried he would anger the powerful being.
"What it is boy?" The Fire Man asked, looking at him critically.
"I...I...Ralof....w-will he be okay?" Valen asked.
It was a dumb question, the Fire Man had healed him. But still...he wanted to be sure.
The Fire Man frowned, and sighed, and Valen felt fear.
"I did...what I could. But I am not a healer. The wound was cauterized, and those a tricky. I did what I could, but now it is up to Ralof. If he is strong, he will pull through. But anything could happen." The FIre Man said, his voice more gentle.
Valen bit his lips, "C-Could he....will he?" He didn't want to say the words.
"Die?" The Fire Man said, "Possibly.....that was a magical injury, and it was deep. While he won't die immediately from the wound, it could become infected."
Valen bit his lip. He had seen what an infection and the eventual fever could do to a man. He felt tears welling up in his eyes. He nodded and quickly left.
He ran straight to his family's tent, all the while muttering prayers that Ralof will pull through. He had too. He had too. He did not want his friends death on his hands.