Vulpinsula & Surroundings Call of the Hunt

[Minerva]

Minerva had great experience with hunting in the frozen tundras of her home. Her fur and clothes blended with snow well. She knew how to track whatever animals she wanted by scent or otherwise and most importantly, she was amazing with her bow. As a daughter of frost should have. She was defender of her lands, sired by the divine who enshrouded it and mothered by the greatest huntress of them all.

Most of that did not translate well into her living in the Vulpine Imperium. Hunting here was different. Land was much more densely populated, more brown and green, warmer and filled with many more scents. She could manage, but it wasn't her terrain. That was why she enrolled to the army in the first place, she understood that it would be mostly using her bow skills for the time being as she was re-learning. She was... gravely mistaken. Her life changed a lot and while she didn't like it much, one thing was true. She was using her bow a lot and her skills were valuable.

That being said, she craved the real hunt again. Meeting Marble, or Miothiyle as she was known, really got her mood up. Fellow huntress from a land so vastly different to hers was a great boon. More importantly, she too stated they were of divine following. Minerva didn't feel such connection to anyone in her life. She was a hermit after all, only knowing her mother for most of her life. She only ever spoke to any other beast after her mother have died.

Now the two huntresses arranged for a meeting in the forests outside of the bustling city. It was very early dawn, not a bother for a trained eye of a vixen huntress, gifted with nightvision. Minerva sat there at agreed spot, slowly getting accustomed to the plethora of scents this evergreen, fertile land gave. She was used to finding scarce traces of a scent through snow and blizzard. Here she had to find it buried among all the other scents. Very different task and one she was only getting ready for now. Speaking her prayers to her (alleged) father, winter itself, the Arctic vixen looked towards the road that lead from the city to this place, awaiting her hunt companion.

@Marble

 

[Marble]

The Vixen had been enjoying her time up in the Imperium so far, taking time to get used to the land and its surroundings. All said it wasn't that different from home up here, vibrant forests with plenty of life small and large with a temperature that was only slightly colder than her own home. Currently she hadn't really found a perminant place to put herself within the nation but for now she was happy.

Marble didn't have as much prestige as Minerva had. She was born to rather ordinary parents who didn't really care about the young fox and neglected her development until the day her farther died and her mother left. It was only when she joined the Huntresses of Artemis and they taught her how to live on her own, started teaching her to read and write, but most prominently they taught her how to use a bow and use it well. Tracking prey, how to properly prepare them, how to cook, make her own bow, survive in the wild and that made her happy.

So when Minerva offered to take them out hunting she was extactic to go out with someone from another culture and share skills with them. They would set out to where the other huntress said they would be and found herself wondering off the road slightly as she made her way out of the city. Eventually they would get to the agreed upon spot and would wave towards the other fox as she moved towards them, letting her bow slip off her shoulder and into her hand.
"Good morning. Seems like it's going to be a wonderful day for it. Clear day, little wind, excellent conditionds to find prey"

@Minerva

 

[Minerva]

Minerva too took her bow into the paw, raising it up towards the sun breaking the horizon. "Morning. The hunt calls, and our deities provide. Our prey will join the spirits by midnight." She offered with some reverence. For all her skill, any hunt should be blessed by the winter, even if it was not their time now. Minerva looked now at their companion, thrilled for the hunt itself and fond of the other huntress, but still not fully capable of trusting them. This outing would define their future relationship, that Minerva was sure of.

For now however, with a relaxed muzzle and excitement dancing in her eyes, Minerva closed the distance to Marble. "How do you wish to do this? Seek who can get the most? Or do we try to track something large together?" She asked while offering one of her arrows, an invitation to join from where she was. There was some will to compete here, see which huntress is better. But the idea of cooperating, just like she did with her mother before she died... that was an option Minerva preferred.

@Marble

 

[Marble]

She would take the moment to admire the early morning, with the forest starting to come to life as the sun began to rise further above the horizon, with rays slipping through the foliage, giving a nod of agreement at her words.
"Yes, we shall take only for our needs. This is my first time in this land and I would very much appreciate being with someone. Especially such an experienced companion such as yourself." Taking the arrow with a smile, she was happy to be back out in the wilds and even more so to be moving out alongside someone who would be as experienced as her if not more.
With a soft geasture of her head she began to move off towards the forest sticking for now towards the well worn path before breaking off into the dense bush.
"So I imagine the snow drifts are a much diufferent hunting experience then here in more temperate. I have heard it described as baren white expanse, would that be wrong?" She wanted to know more about this woman, since meeting them at the market during her first day, Marble felt a connection to the fellow huntress in that kinship. It would be a while before they got far enough from the well worked path for larger prey to be found.
"I have heard there are plenty of deer out here when we get further out"


@Minerva

 

[Minerva]

Minerva let out a chirp of approval and agreement as the other vixen stated to cooperate in the hunt and added to their shared prayer to two different divines. Miothiyle taking the offered arrow was exactly what the arctic vixen wished to see. But there was one thing to add before the two could depart into the wilderness Minerva had no experience of. "It is my first too in those lands. I am glad to have your paw alongside mine on this. Your experience with those 'forests' is something I will rely on and hopefully learn from."

Following the other vixen, Minerva was keeping sharp at all time. Both observing her moves and the way she navigated the lush greenery she herself had no experience with. It was both a lesson and admiration as soon Minerva caught herself staring at the strong form of her companion. Dismissing the thoughts born from loneliness however as soon as she was asked a question coming from genuine interest. Both vixens after all had vastly different experiences for sure and Minerva found the prospect of sharing them delightful.

At first the matter of the hunt came first. Minerva nodded at the mention of 'deer' whatever those were. She put an arrow onto her bow and kept herself alert, watching around already for any tracks or trails she could use.
Then Minerva elaborated further. "Ah, the north is not all snow and ice. Not all the time at least. By the coasts, where most tribes live, moss and small aajuju bushes grow. Only in the anninga... the month-day, they can be found more often than snow. In allatsiaq the month-night, the snow covers them too. It is deeper into the land that snow and ice are your only companion. White is the home of the Winter Spirit. And so white am I, to mask while seeking prey to survive and seeking enemies to destroy. His home must be protected from all who do not worship him!" Minerva spoke with rising fervour, finally reaching the end with a rise of her paw. She was proud of her heritage and her home, but there was certain look to her eyes, she sought approval, being alone in her zealotry, sometimes called insane even by other tribes. Such was the fate of huntresses, to serve as lone guardians of the Winter.

But more so she was interested in the other side of the story. Hers was bolstered with pride and faith, but known to her. "And you aalu qajaasua? What is your land? Is it like this? Are you the guardian of it like I am? Do not spare details!" She asked with genuine curiosity, one surpassing her usual lack of trust.