Winter Preparations (Open Starter)
Kathe gave a grunt as she hauled the heavy elk carcass over her shoulders. It was large, fat from a bountiful spring if feasting upon the Avarosan flora. While it had no doubt been about to start making its way farther south, traversing the passes of the Ironspikes for warmer climates and more food, Kathe had cut short its plans. It wasn’t the only one that had to try and survive the coming winter.
It was always a difficult time in the Freljord for hunters this time of year. Autumn marked the beginning of migrations of the various herds that they all relied upon so much, and they had to move quickly to capture enough game. Once the winter storms began, life would get a whole lot harder for many of them…
Kathe hauled her kill into the cover of the Avarosan forests, arms clamped tightly around the beast’s limbs. It would be a long trek back to her campsite, but the warmth of the fire would help her hand to not freeze as she cleaned this kill.Â
Better safe than sorry.
After all, she wasn’t the only predator seeking to get a fat belly before the winters arrive with a vengeance. The huntress kept her eyes peeled as she traversed the forests, senses on high alert for anything that might try to contest her kill. Thankfully, she was undisturbed for her entire trek back to camp. When she finally arrived, she let the elk fall off her back with a heavy THUMP, and sat down for a few moments to catch her breath. Strong as she was, it was still exhausting to lug an animal over roots and fallen trees. Â
Eventually, she surrendered to cleaning her kill, pulling her knife from her belt and setting to work. She was lost in it for some time, tossing entrails to the side as she carved the beast’s meat into easier portions to carry. The warmth the viscera left on her hands and arms made the job easier, and she might have rested for a few moments to enjoy it if she didn’t think about the predators that no doubt smelled her kill by now. She was about to make another cut when a sound from the surrounding forest caught her attention, and her teal eyes darted up.
She scanned in silence, pulling her knife from the elk’s belly with a soft “slurp” sound. Whatever was out there…She was going to fight it for this meat.
The wind was changing, just as it always had for the millenia of her existence. The great Cryophoenix angled her wings, her flight silent as she caught thermals and eddies in the air currents. Her ruby eyes scanned the ground far below her, forever watching, observing.
From mountain to tundra she flew. If anyone had asked her why she never got bored of the same terrain, she would’ve answered them quite simply: But it was not. The elements were ever-changing, and so each day presented a new visage of the same land. Anivia had seen her world ravaged by blizzards, the earth touched with a gentle morning frost, the forests kissed by the rays of the rising sun.
Movement caught her eye as she winged overhead, and the great bird circled, manipulating her wings with the ease of much experience. She angled herself as she began to lose height, passing over the traveler once, twice. A hunter, it seemed, dragging a kill to their campsite not far from here - a worthy prize considering the turn in seasons. The Cryophoenix found a relatively clear spot to land before walking her way over to intercept the other.
Hunters, she knew, were very aware of their surroundings - and wary in times like this. It was for this reason that she made sure to alert the hunter as she approached.
“I could not help but spot you on my flight,” she said by way of greeting. She paused to spread then settle her wings before continuing. “I was wondering if you had room at your campfire for another.”
