Long Form Roleplayers

Chara m'anama: Hunters of Talam

Read the first two parts of Hunters of Talam here: https://venus.chatfighters.com/book/204)

Part 3 - The Wolf Hunts

As you read, you may want to listen:

22:58 Achak_Bardulph: Beloved Ceadda,
23:03 Achak_Bardulph: The time we spent together four days ago now continues to haunt me with happiness. I have been anticipating your return from the east with great joy, for our hunt together. I did wander by your cottage this afternoon, hoping that you had returned, but found it shuttered. The neighbours have not yet seen you since your departure four days ago. I have returned to my smithing shop to prepare this note, which I will leave under your door. Please let me know of your return as soon as you can.
23:04 Achak_Bardulph: Your loving Achak.
23:08 Achak_Bardulph: It has been five days now, and there has been no sign of Ceadda. Reports of violent battles in the east of the land have begun to reach the settlement. I know that Ceadda's journey eastward was on errands he had promised to fulfill in honor of Einar, and I have begun to wonder and worry. It is evening of the fifth day now, and I am very anxious. He should not have gone alone. I should have pressed him to go with him. I am for him and he is for me, and we have exchanged our promises. How could I be so foolish?
23:10 Achak_Bardulph: I find myself pacing back and forth in the shop, unable to go upstairs and sleep
23:12 Achak_Bardulph: The decision seems to make itself: one moment I am anxious and pacing, the next moment everything is crystal clear. Tomorrow, before the sun rises, I will go in search of Ceadda. On the hunt.
23:20 Achak_Bardulph: I sleep uninterrupted through the night, and in the early morning, as the sky begins to lighten, I get up and put on my light armor, taking my staff and battle axe, along with a few knives. No need for provisions, the land will provide and the forests need culling.
23:27 Achak_Bardulph: As I enter the forest, following the paths leading eastward, my heart is light, but filled with purpose. It is not clear just how I will find a trace of you, but I am a hunter and it is good to be back on the land. My senses are thrilled at the sights, smells, sounds and textures of the forest, they vibrate with delight within me.
23:33 Achak_Bardulph: I walk for the better part of the day, at first seeing no signs or traces of your passage, or of anyone else's for that matter. The forest is beautiful and seems untouched. But as mid-afternoon approaches, there is growing evidence of violent and mighty battles: trees have been torn from the roots, the ground disturbed in huge gashes, evidence of blood and gore scattered here and there. My heart sinks as I sniff the air and I pick up your scent, and the unmistakable metallic odor of human blood, but mixed in with the overwhelming stench of various creatures.
23:35 Achak_Bardulph: It takes me a while to get oriented, but I can finally focus on your scent scattered on rocks and trees, leading ever eastward. Whatever else may be true, you were alive when you left this place, and living long enough to walk a great distance.
23:40 Achak_Bardulph: As evening grows, I realize I need to hunt for food and find shelter. There has been continuing evidence of battles, and I have found the corpses of some monstrous beasts in my path. But I can't journey though the night, so I must stop. The sounds of a roaring fire and the unmistakable voices of a feasting wolf pack attract my attention, and I follow them to a clearing where five young wolves, both male and female, are sitting and sharing a meal. I walk into the circle of light from the fire, and say "Good evening hunters of Talam, I am Achak Bardulph. I hunt alone this day, seeking to rejoin my hunting partner who has gone ahead of me. May I join you for the night?"
00:36 Eyolf: The wolf walks into the light of our fire. He is tall and very good looking, and carries himself with great nobility. From his armor and bearing, I see that he is one of the old ones, from before the chaos. He might be thirty years older than I am. I am glad for his arrival; I am always thirsty for knowledge of our past. We have lost so much, we younger ones who were born after the chaos destroyed our way of life. "Achak, you are most welcome. Come, sit with us and share our food, according to the Great Law of the Common Bowl." Trying to sound older than I am... stupid really. Some of the others smirk at my language.
00:40 Achak_Bardulph: The pack leader has forgotten to introduce himself. He is maybe..... five years..... beyond his true naming? He is an adult, but like so many of his age, without any formation in our ways. He tries to be formal, invoking the Great Law in a totally unnecessary way; his friends are laughing at him. I feel for him. "Thank you for your hospitality, hunter. What is your name?"
00:42 Eyolf: I could hit myself. Forget to give my name! AAAARRRGGHHHHHHHHHH. The others are enjoying this too much, I growl at them to shut them up, and immediately regret THAT. A pack leader should never use violence to lead. What a mess I am making of this! "My name is Eyolf, Achak. Forgive my lack of manners."
00:45 Achak_Bardulph: "I take no offence Eyolf, your welcome was most genuine, and I thank you again for your hospitality." This young one is eager, but has had no teacher. If only.....
00:49 Achak_Bardulph: Eyolf shares a large portion of their meal with me and we sit together sharing knowledge of the forest, the signs we have seen, the state of the wildlife, the species in need of culling, those that are suffering setbacks. This young group is impressive! They take their responsibilities as hunters seriously, and have gained much practical knowledge of the forest and its needs. "Truly Eyolf, and all of you, you impress me with your knowledge and your care for the forest and its life!" The group are clearly pleased at this compliment, and warm to our conversation. "Tell me, what have you learned of these signs of battle that have marred this section of the land?"
00:54 Eyolf: Achak is a seasoned hunter, and clearly possessed of a wealth of knowledge and experience of our old ways. How I wish I could learn from him. I am deeply pleased when he compliments us on our worth as hunters of Talam. One of the others catches my eye when Achak asks about the great battles that have taken place in recent days. She shakes her head, not wanting me to tell what we saw. We have argued for the last day about this: were we cowards not to intervene? The human was clearly a great warrior, but could he have used our help? Would he not have fared better, and with less harm to himself, if we had shown ourselves and given him our assistance? I was for intervening, but the others were against it.
00:57 Eyolf: I take a deep breath and make my choice. "Achak, we saw the battles. There was a human warrior, a great man, and he fought numerous monstrous beasts all through this part of the forest. He was wounded many times, but kept going. We followed for a while, debating among ourselves whether we should render aid." I lower my head in shame. "In the end, we did not."
01:00 Achak_Bardulph: I can smell and almost taste the shame in the pack, and particularly the sense of failure that hangs about Eyolf. But Ceadda was here! And he was alive, and strong in battle! My heart leaps for joy.
01:04 Achak_Bardulph: But it will not do for these young wolves, so talented and engaged, to believe that they have acted shamefully. "Eyolf, look at me. You did not shame yourselves by not intervening. Ceadda is a great warrior and the hunting partner after whom I follow. I have seen the carcasses of some of these beasts, and you would only have gotten in Ceadda's way, and in harm's way. You did well to observe, and now to share this knowledge with me. I am deeply grateful."
01:06 Eyolf: Achak's words are gentle and healing, and I hear the truth in them. I can see the others are also comforted. How much we have lost, not knowing the old ways, not having the resources to understand more deeply what happens to us in the forest and in our clan holds! "Thank you Achak. Your words are generous and they help us."
01:07 Achak_Bardulph: I smile and bow my head. "I will retire and sleep, if I may. Tomorrow I must hurry to catch up with Ceadda."
01:10 Achak_Bardulph: It seems my desire to retire has set off a chain reaction... The pack scatters the embers of the fire, letting it burn down slowly through the night, and all of us curl up for a good night's sleep. It has been a good long time since I slept on the ground. A wonderful sensation....
01:10 Achak_Bardulph: =============
01:12 Achak_Bardulph: When I awake with the dawn, on the seventh day since Ceadda's departure, Eyolf is already up, sitting pensively next to me. As I stir, he turns to me:
01:13 Eyolf: "Achak, would you... might you.... would you allow me to hunt with you today? I have so much to learn, and you are obviously wise, and...." I feel like a child again, asking for a favour. He will refuse, I know it.
01:14 Achak_Bardulph: "I would be honored Eyolf. You have much knowledge of this part of the land, and I would greatly enjoy your company."
01:15 Achak_Bardulph: We move quickly, leaving the rest of the pack to follow later if they wish. Our scent will still be obvious and they should have no trouble.
01:21 Eyolf: To my surprise, and relief, Achak accepts my offer gracefully. We set off quickly, and I feel a bit guilty leaving the pack behind, but sometimes a leader must go ahead of the others. They will follow if they wish.
01:27 Eyolf: Achak moves fast, and we walk in silence for many hours, only pausing to make sure we are still tracking rightly. Achak treats me as an equal, he respects my knowledge of this land and listens to me, taking my advice about the best paths and safest ground. Just watching him, I am learning so much. "Achak, how could we learn the old ways? I feel so lost and without purpose, aimless. I know there is great value in our hunt, in culling the forest and keeping the balance among the various forms of life, but I feel so short-sighted. There must be more!"
13:28 Achak_Bardulph: All morning, I have sensed that Eyolf wants to ask... something... I work hard to let him know by my behaviour that I consider him my partner in this hunt, so that at some point he will trust me enough to ask whatever it is that is burning him up inside. We share knowledge: he tells me of the ways of this part of the land, and I point out the practical uses of this plant, or what the flow of that small stream tells us about the ground underneath.
13:33 Achak_Bardulph: At long last, he bursts out with his question, and I pause. Such grief underneath! So much desire and thirst! I have thought that this might be the case with our younger ones. What he does not understand is how far he has already gotten on his own. So much comes just from observing the land and the forest. But he is right in one important way: the Common Bowl is not just food and hunting, but culture and wisdom to be shared. Perhaps I have failed by not connecting more with my own, to share what I have from the Common Bowl. There are so few of us who received from the Bowl before the chaos. We should be refilling it and sharing from it.
00:27 Achak_Bardulph: We have been standing at the edge of a clearing for just a few minutes when both of us prick up our ears and become alert. A strange scent on the air.... the slightest of noises... Something is stalking us! Stalking us deliberately, slowly. It feels quite large, and seems to be moving around us to outflank us and try to drive us into the clearing. I take my battle axe and I see Eyolf take up two sharp hunting knives from his belt.
00:30 Eyolf: Achak has paused and has been staring thoughtfully into midair, pondering my question. Before I can ask him what he is thinking, we both become aware of a huge presence approaching us, careful not to show itself but clearly trying to position itself so as to drive us into the clearing. I grab my knives just as Achak grabs his axe. I start growling low in my throat, and backing into the clearing to give us some room to maneuver when the attack comes.
00:31 Achak_Bardulph: Eyolf begins to back into the clearing, but I grab him and prevent him from entering further. Whatever that thing is, it WANTS us to go into the clearing, and we should know why before we do anything that could fulfill its plans for us.
00:34 Achak_Bardulph: I nod towards some dead branches on the ground near Eyolf's feet, and I lift up my staff, indicating to him that we should sweep the area in front of us, on the ground and in the air, as we proceed slowly into the clearing. He immediately understands and reaches for the branch, and we begin the slow careful sweep of the clearing, advancing step by step, but aware also of the rapidly approaching stalker behind us.
00:38 Eyolf: Achak motions to a dead branch at my feet, and I grab it and follow his lead. It seems achingly slow to proceed like this, with this thing coming up rapidly behind us, almost soundlessly, but displacing a massive amount of air. The clearing has become eerily quiet. As I sweep my branch through the air, about six or seven steps into the clearing, it tears into an almost invisible web of gossamer thread, incredibly sticky. The threads quickly shrink and wrap themselves tightly around the end of the branch, with such force that the wood splinters and bursts. If that had been an arm, our a body...... instant suffocation!
00:40 Eyolf: Achak stops our progress and peers closely at the open space in front of us.
00:45 Achak_Bardulph: "A spider web! incredibly fine, almost invisible, but stretched right across the clearing... Eyolf, we are being hunted by a giant spider... and this was its trap for us." I look around the clearing for a large bush or a leafy branch we could use as brooms to get rid of this web and give ourselves room to counter the attack that is surely coming. The air has stopped moving; the spider must be observing us, realizing we have discovered its trap, making new plans. Spiders rarely attack straight on, they want the advantage at all times. We stand a better chance if we can provoke it to come out into the open for a frontal attack.
00:56 Eyolf: I can see Achak looking around for something to clear the web from our path. I take my branch up again and try to light the web-wrapped end with my flint. The web fibres light instantly, and the wood catches flame. I sweep this improvised torch across the clearing, lighting the remaining strands of web and opening the clearing up completely.
01:04 Achak_Bardulph: The young wolf has much knowledge! "Well done Eyolf! Now we must get ready for the attack." I take up my axe again, and Eyolf his knives, as we carefully walk to the centre of the clearing. Then suddenly a huge spider bursts forth from the edge of the clearing, where we had been standing previously. It is easily twice as tall as I am, and its hairy body outweighs me on those six thick muscled legs. It is clearly angry and hungry, but hesitating as to how best to kill us for food. Finally, it lunges at Eyolf, its hard sharp pincer-like mouth claws clacking together trying to grasp him and cut him in half. He easily dodges and rolls away and the spider backs up for a second attack. It moves incredibly fast for such a huge creature!
01:05 Achak_Bardulph: Before I can think, a huge leg comes crashing towards me, and I narrowly manage to jump to the side to avoid being pierced or crushed.
01:07 Achak_Bardulph: We go back and forth like this for al long time, the spider going first for me, then for Eyolf, sometimes with those deadly pincers, sometimes with a leg. The legs strike at us and slam us around, but we manage to avoid serious wounds. We take swipes with knife and axe at those legs, but they are harder than if they were armor-plated!
01:10 Achak_Bardulph: The deadly dance continues, and we are getting tired, taking blows without being able to affect the spider in any real way. We have scored no real hits. It begins to dawn on me that there is a method to the spider's attacks... it is slowly trying to maneuver us towards its back end, towards those spinnerets that can shoot out the filaments of web. I realize that if it can get us there, the spider can entangle us in those deadly shrinking fibres, immobilizing us and then either paralyzing us with poison, or simply pierce us through with its pincers.
01:11 Achak_Bardulph: "Eyolf!" I yell out "Do not move towards those spinnerets at the back end of the spider, that is what it wants us to do."
01:15 Achak_Bardulph: Our only hope is that unprotected abdomen just behind the head. But how can we reach it? Breathing heavily from exhaustion and the heat of the day, I say "Either the spider has to come down to us, Eyolf, so we can breach its abdomen, or we have to get up to that abdomen to burst it open."
01:19 Eyolf: Achak's idea is sound to my hunter instincts, but how can we get inside the space between those legs? and once there, how to reach the abdomen? "Achak, if we split around and flank the spider from the sides, it won't be able to see us and we can get under the abdomen, but then we will have to move quickly, before it backs up."
01:27 Achak_Bardulph: "Keep the spider's attention Eyolf, I have an idea." I run back to the edge of the clearing and grab my staff, unwrapping the thick sinew cording that holds the stone at the top. Grabbing my axe, I wedge the handle in place of the stone and tie the axe firmly to the staff, making a axe-javelin. Eyolf is still dodging spider attacks, but I manage to grab his attention. "Eyolf, I'm ready. Look!" He sees what I have done and nods. "Once we get under the spider, I can ram the axe like a lance, to pierce the abdomen and hopefully slice it open. We won't have long, but as it falls, you will have to use your knives"
01:33 Eyolf: There is, of course, a major difficulty with Achak's idea: how do we not get crushed by the collapsing spider? But it is the only plan we have. I nod understanding, and we move quickly to either flank of the spider, diving through the legs and underneath the huge hairy body. Achak grabs his improvised axe-lance, and with a fierce growl rams it up into the abdomen. It flies true, and the pointed axe head slices deep into the abdomen, which gushes forth entrails as if the contents of the body had been under pressure. The spider stops, wobbles and collapses on its right legs, falling over to the side as we run in the other direction. As the massive body hits the ground it gushes forth more entrails. I move around quickly, just behind the head, where the head meets the thorax, and plunge my knives in deep, slicing the head partially off. With a massive shudder, the monster dies.
01:35 Eyolf: I look up exhausted at Achak, who is covered in spider mess, and we both fall to our knees. I get up slowly and go to him, offering my forepaw to help him stand. We grasp forearms for a moment in silent brotherhood. We are clan kin now.
01:37 Achak_Bardulph: Eyolf and I clasp forearms, understanding that we are now clan kin, brothers in the hunt. But I need to get this spider's innards off of me. The stench is awful.
01:40 Achak_Bardulph: We walk back towards a point in the trail where we had seen water, and I get myself cleaned off. We rest in the grass, recovering from the fierce battle. "Eyolf, you asked me about our culture, our ways, and I promise to you that I will share with you everything I have learned from the Common Bowl. But I want you to know that I believe you have already gained much worthwhile knowledge on your own already, and I believe strongly that you will have much to add to the Bowl to help rebuild our people."
01:41 Achak_Bardulph: We decide to spend the night by the stream, to recover from the battle and be fresh for an early morning start. we pass the night without incident.
01:41 Achak_Bardulph: =================
01:49 Eyolf: We wake early. The memory of Achak's words to me last evening is still resonating in me, filling me with pride and with hope.
02:00 Achak_Bardulph: As we begin to follow once again the trail of Ceadda, I turn to Eyolf and say "I have been thinking more on your question from yesterday. You asked me about ways, the greater values and purposes of the Hunters of Talam. Bears are keepers of the spiritual depths of the land, guardians of its deep wild life, the weyd betha. Men are builders and explorers, and in the past they served as the bridge among the various peoples of the land, until the king betrayed out trust. Perhaps they can serve this role again, perhaps not. The spider we fought yesterday: it is the reason we exist. The Hunters of Talam listen to and shape the forests, keeping back that which would destroy the balance of life in the land, and culling the forests to maintain the health of the whole. We prevent or overcome disorder and chaos. That is why the chaos that came upon us was so destructive, not just to us, but to the whole land, allowing monsters like that spider to thrive and wreak havoc."
02:02 Eyolf: What Achak says makes sense to me. "There is greater disorder here in the east than anywhere else in Talam, Achak. Could this be the source of the chaos that destroyed our people?"
02:08 Eyolf: I see Achak pause in his thinking as we keep walking, following the scent and traces of the one called Ceadda, the one whose father, I now realize, betrayed the trust of the peoples of the and. But I know he was also the source of healing, with his partner Einar as they became the new sceptre of peace. I feel drawn to give Achak one more piece of my knowledge. "Achak, I need to tell you one more thing. Three cycles of the moon ago, I was visited in a dream by a Great Wolf. At first, I thought it was Amaroq come to me, but this wolf was sly, and seductive in his ways. He never spoke straight, but always insinuated, suggested, proposed meanings he never quite spoke. He tried to convince me that I should turn away from my desire to learn more from the Common Bowl, that the Great Law of the Common Bowl is what had destroyed our people and made them weak."
02:10 Eyolf: "He wanted me to turn away from a shared life and defend only my interests, fight for my way. As he spoke, I could feel a confusion and disturbance grow in me, as if my mind and heart became turbulent and stormy. I realized, in the dream, that this wolf was planting the seed of chaos in me. I turned away from him"
02:14 Achak_Bardulph: As Eyolf speaks, understanding begins to dawn in me. I know now the source of the chaos, its root and the way it was seeded in the hearts of our people. It was not - in one way - an OUTSIDE force, but rather a force that worked from inside out. And I realize who put that force into motion: "Eyolf, you were visited by Amaguq, the trickster wolf, the shadow of Amaroq and his enemy for the hearts of our people."
02:17 Achak_Bardulph: Amaguq must be confronted and defeated, if the chaos is to be prevented from returning among our people. "You did well, Eyolf, to reject this wolf. He is the source of the chaos that destroyed our people and our way of life, and who introduced disorder into the land through our destruction."
02:17 Achak_Bardulph: But even as I say this, I realize it is the eighth day since Ceadda departed the settlement, and still we have not caught up with him.
02:19 Achak_Bardulph: We keep walking, following what traces we can find of his passage. In the afternoon, the earth begins to rumble beneath our feet, as if a great battle animates the stones themselves. There is a great crashing in the distance ahead, and I begin to run towards the sound.
02:22 Eyolf: The ground shakes, and Achak and I begin to run towards the sound ahead in the distance. As we approach, the clamour grows and the earth shifts even more violently. Three or four times, we are knocked down by the movement of the ground as it falls away from our feet. Finally, Achak turns to me:
02:23 Achak_Bardulph: "Eyolf, this is much too dangerous for just the two of us to face alone, you must go back and gather your pack, and bring them back here. Go!"
02:24 Eyolf: There is no contradicting the tone of leadership, and I know deep down Achak is right. But I hesitate to leave my new brother in the hunt alone to face whatever is ahead of us. "What will you do?"
02:25 Achak_Bardulph: "I must go ahead and see if this is Ceadda, and what help he may need. Go!"
02:25 Eyolf: I leave Achak and begin to run back along our path to find the pack, if I can.
02:28 Achak_Bardulph: Eyolf leaves, and I begin to creep swiftly forward, my axe in my hand. The landscape changes quickly, as rock and crag replace forest. The ground is broken by fissures and deep crevasses, and opens up in canyons. The shaking becomes more violent, and making headway become more difficult. But then there is a loud unearthly scream of pain and rage, and then.... nothing.
02:30 Achak_Bardulph: Everything is now perfectly still. Not a sound. No movement in the ground. I make my way towards the source of that scream. It seems to take forever. As I reach a kind of outcrop of rock, I look down and see the body of my Ceadda, broken on the ground. Is he alive? Is he dead?
02:31 Achak_Bardulph: My heart breaks open as I make my way down the stony path to the body of my Promised Warrior.

Published: 2021-07-15, viewed 32 times.