Ai laik Rid kom Trikru

23 - Hunter - Brother. Osir gonplei nou ste odon nowe.

[nikekomtrikru]

“I’m just a woman who knows what she wants,” Nudging him with her arm, Nike picked up the closest pelt to her and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Warmth. And I was joking. What do you want for it?”

[reed-komtrikru]

“Clearly.” He replied with a smirk, watching her take one of the pelts and wrap it around herself. “It’s fine, really. I have quite a few them to trade anyway, i’m sure one won’t be missed. Besides, i’ve heard many terrible tales about what happens when you get in the way of a woman who knows what she wants.” The hunter teased, hardly bothered about a trade once he knew she needed it.  

[shawkomtrikru]

You mean my friendship isn’t enough?

[reed-komtrikru]

Wait, we’re friends? When did this happen?

[faye-trikru-blog]

Faye had heard the voice before she even turned around. “Reed…” She said in a soft voice. 

[reed-komtrikru]

Reed couldn’t help the slight tensing of his shoulders as his sister’s voice carried on the wind, shifting his gaze to look at her after a moment. “Can i help you with something, Priestess?” 

[kirakomtrigeda-blog1]

Kira smiled warmly up at Reed; she hadn’t assumed the pelts were for her and she felt that honest work demanded honest return. Reed was their champion hunter: he had the marks to prove it. There’d been a winter where many would have starved were it not for him. She tiptoe’d and kissed his cheek. “Mochof,” she said. “I’ll have the skulls delivered to your home.” At the last question, the blonde canted her head to the side to consider. “Yarrow is always good—and if you happen to spy some yellowheads, either I or the cook will take them, I’m sure!”

[reed-komtrikru]

“Pro.” The hunter replied with a soft smile of his own in response to the kiss against his cheek. It was platonic and Reed wouldn’t have it any other way, but it was incredibly sweet of her. “If i end up with human skulls in my home by tomorrow then so help me...” He added as a jest, knowing full well it was likely that of animals but Kira was a Fisa after all. “Yarrow and yellowheads, got it.”   

[finnocallaghn]

“Let’s see…” the scout began, swinging her feet as she circled the hunter, one finger trailing a line across his back, the other twirling a feathered arrow. “A telescope. A lock of my hair. A secret. A kiss.” The scout stopped dead in front of her clan member, a small smirk tugging up the corners of her lips. “It depends on whether you’re more interested in trading for items of material value, or tangible value. Value after all is in the eye of the beholder. I could give you this–” she commented, her hands drawing behind her neck to unclasp a small chain, a steel wolf hanging from it’s end. “I found it by their ship only a month ago. I’m rather attached to it, but I’d part with it for two of those and a bottle of mead.”

[reed-komtrikru]

Reed raised a brow when the girl began to circle him, his gaze following her slightly but trusting her enough to be at his back without shifting to keep an eye on her movements. “Well that’s some list, though not one i can say i’ve never heard before.” He replied with a faint smirk of his own, taking a step closer once she was in front of him again. “Are you honestly telling me people believe tangible value compares?” The hunter questioned, knowing full well what Bama was like and not minding in the slightest, but two could play this game. Looking down at the small chain between them, he looked back at the scout when she spoke again. “A whole bottle? Well surely you’d need someone to share that with.” 

[tribeca-kom-sankru]

“There’s a big difference between a truce and friendship, Reed. You’ve clearly just gone soft for us.” She replied in the same tone, before following after him as he headed into the tree line. Distraction was good, it was her main priority right now, and she’d gladly take it in any form – Yet even so, the fact that she was following this man with no clue where they were going caused her to question herself, and she smiled slightly at the certain people who seemed to run across her mind at the thought.

[reed-komtrikru]

“Soft? Me? Hardly.” The hunter scoffed in a light tone. “I’m just more…tolerant, of certain people.” He added, slowing down his pace to walk beside her just in time to see the smile on her lips. “What’s so funny?”

[wolfteacreations]

[kirakomtrigeda-blog1]

Skulls sent over to @reed-komtrikru.

[reed-komtrikru]

Added: pelt given to Kira in the exchange under the cut.  

@kirakomtrigeda

[finnocallaghn]

“Anything it is in my possession to give to you, within reason, of course. Come, Reed, I’m sure you will not cut me a short deal. I’d give you my compass – but I need it far more than you.”

[reed-komtrikru]

“Oh I would never deprive our best scout of her compass, however would i sleep at night?” He replied with a smirk. “What exactly would you consider within reason, Bama?” 

[tribeca-kom-sankru]

Tribeca couldn’t seem to help rolling her eyes at him. “You know exactly what i mean.” She countered, before shaking her head at his question. She understood why people were acting the way they were, she truly did; if someone from Trikru just waltzed into Rockefell they would no doubt get the same treatment. The scavenger was simply trying to distract herself, and Reed had been in her line of vision. “No, let’s just get out of here.”

[reed-komtrikru]

Reed nodded at her comment, gulping down the last of his mead before getting up and ensuring she was in front of him until they were out the door. “So apparently we don’t actually have a truce going on, who would have guessed?” He smirked, before deciding that actually getting out of the village for a while might do them both some good. “I do know a place though, follow me.” He added, leading the way past the trees and hoping she would follow.

[nikekomtrikru]

Trade? Who said anything about a trade? I was just hoping one of those was for me. 

[reed-komtrikru]

“All take an no give? That’s no way to make a deal Nike, you’re lucky i happen to like you.” He smirked. “Which one do you want?”

[kirakomtrigeda-blog1]

I won’t need these for their marrow. They would look far better on you, just as these pelts would look far better on my bed, I wager.

[reed-komtrikru]

“Alright, you’ve got yourself a deal.” He replied with a nod, handing the pelts over to the woman. He had intended to simply give them to her after his first jest initially, but the bones sounded too interesting to pass up. “So is there anything in particular you want me to look out for when i next go hunting? Any animals or herbs you might need?” 

[gotatext]

The instant Bronx felt the press of metal against his neck, he knew he was on shaky ground. It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d felt the cold press of death against his neck, but something told him it wouldn’t be the last. There was fight left in the boy; there was life left in him, and he was hellbent on that life continuing. At the figure’s words, a soft sigh escaped the Sankru seken, his eyes falling to examine the dirt caught beneath his fingernails. “Not particularly. Between you and I, I can think of far better uses of my time than story time with the Defender of The Realm; but I suppose you’re going to tell me anyway, am I right?” 

It was true that his tongue was far more likely to get him killed than it was to get him saved, but for some reason, young Bronx had a gift for weaselling himself out of unfavourable situations. To almost anyone else, the threat of a blade against their neck resulted in panic, immediate action, which only ever worsened matters. Talk, on the other hand, allowed opponents to drop their guard. Careless jokes in the face of death were unexpected. Some would call it bravery, others may peg it as sheer foolishness – but either way, Bronx had not lost his head yet, and did not plan on losing it until he was into his early thirties, or at the very least his late twenties. 

“Please tell me it doesn’t involve carnal affairs. Only I’d like to know in advance so I can mentally prepare myself, you know?” The lad pressed, a short laugh fleeing his throat before in a sudden instant he had thrown himself to the left and rolled to his feet, arrow drawn and poised in a split second. His actions were so lithe, the boy surprised even himself, feeling a swell of pride in his stomach before he remembered his place, bow cocking dauntlessly at the other. “Go on, test me. I may look young, but I have a keen aim, if you want to find out. There’s no need for us to quarrel. I’m sure we can come to some soft of arrangement that does not result in you getting shot and me losing my head.”

[reed-komtrikru]

Reed shrugged faintly at the boy's words, trying to keep the smirk off his face at how completely unfazed he seemed. It was interesting in truth, the hunter hardly planned on going through with his threat, but he wanted to see the kind of person he was dealing with. "Oh I don't know, I'm more of a show than tell kind of guy." He added nonchalant, like he couldn't kill the youngon before him easily from this position if he had chosen to. Reed did respect the truce, and honestly he didn't believe they were as bad as some of his own made out, but that didn't mean them hunting Trikru's food source was something he was okay with. 

Before Reed even replied to the fair-haired boy’s comment, he had rolled out of the way of his knife. He couldn’t seem to help the smirk that ghosted over his lips when an arrow was suddenly pointed his way, and he nodded his head in approval. “Smart boy. Jokes in the face of danger to undermine an opponent, i know that one all too well.” The hunter snickered, re-sheathing his blade before walking up until the tip of the lad’s arrow actually met his skin. Granted, it was a way to show he wasn’t afraid, but that didn’t mean it didn’t also mask the fact his weapon would be far less effective without range and easier to block. Reed doubted he had anything to fear from the boy unless he attacked first, but you could never be too careful. “Well, Tribeca would never forgive me if any of you lost your heads i suppose -- so i’ll tell you what, since you seem so intent on using this bow of yours why don’t we shoot for it? A one off deal, but the best aim get’s to keep the kill... Unless you’re too worried about losing?”   

[tribeca-kom-sankru]

“Well that’s rude. No wonder you’re sitting here all alone.”

[reed-komtrikru]

“You must think yourself pretty poor company if you believe me to be sitting here alone.” He chuckled, yet was unable to help picking up on some of the looks they were getting from his clanmen. “Do you want anything before we get out of here?” 

[tribeca-kom-sankru]

“Surely the pleasure of my company would be more than enough?”

[reed-komtrikru]

“Oh please, you would have to do a lot better than that for something of this quality.”

[kirakomtrigeda-blog1]

I’ve got some cleaned bones you could use for adornment?

[reed-komtrikru]

Are you sure you will not need those bones to save a life, oh supreme Fisa? 

[reed-komtrikru]

Well that depends, what would you be willing to trade for it? 

[gotatext]

Strike true. The arrow is an extension of your soul. These were the words that stained, like spilled ink, the canvas of his mind. Hunting was a part of the young warrior as much as the daily trials of waking, washing, training and sleeping that pervaded his routines. Yet at the same time, hunting, above all, was the one unregulated system of freedom that enabled him to break routine. The immediacy of the act required complete presence. It was during that splinter of time, where nothing but the spirit of the moment existed, that Bronx felt most alive. His arm flexed. Steady fingers released an arrow into the wild. The strike of a fresh cut glinted from his cheek as the arrow found it’s home in the eye of a deer. One hit. It’s legs crumpled beneath the beast. Quick and painless, as was Bronx’s way. It didn’t even let out a sound.

His bow was returned to his back as the young Sankru warrior made his way towards his game, the pelt of a desert hare swinging from his waist. Soon, the jovial whistle that so often followed Bronx like a dog at its master’s heels sounded from his chapped lips once more as he dropped the rope from his waist, kneeling to string up the animal. A shadow passed over the boy, the sun’s rays no longer heavy on his back – and whilst a bold lad, Bronx couldn’t help the quicken of his heart. “If you’ve come to rob me of my game, then think again, sunshine.”

[reed-komtrikru]

Reed had been out tracking for the majority of the morning in order to distract himself from his run-in with Faye. The man had needed to make a few trips back to his home to ensure the kills he had already gained didn’t spoil from him being unable to carry them off the ground, so all in all he believed it was a morning well spent. The hunter soon found himself close to the border of Sangeda. He could just about make out the golden hills even though he was still well into the tree line, so he decided to venture back on himself to go grab some lunch and a drink at Housouda. That was, until he saw fresh prints in the mud. 

Never one to pass up an opportunity, Reed followed them until he reached the large male deer. He moved swiftly, ensuring he kept his movements light and silent underfoot as he positioned himself down-wind of the animal and aimed his arrow. Before he could release it from it’s bow, someone else beat him too it. He was about to congratulate them until he realised it was another clan and instead took advantage of the blatant fact the boy wasn’t covering his own back to sneak up on him, much like he would his pray. He only stopped once he was close enough that stealth no longer mattered. Reed scoffed at the boy’s statement, placing the tip of his machete again the back of the Sankru yongon’s neck. “Cute. But you do realise that the truce doesn’t entitle you to steal our food do you not? Perhaps i should show you what we do to thieves in Trigeda?”