Ashan 34, Arc 716
Though she wasn't hunting yet, with Nika plodding peacefully along bearing her tent and other equipment, and she was on a fairly well used path frequented by the hunters, Tose was still on half alert. Makubwa Lori could be a dangerous place after all. It demanded respect, and those who did not honour it with respect might be ushered into their next life before their time. For all that there was always danger though, Tose felt at peace her. It was good to be home with family, blood and otherwise, but it was also good to be here and connected with the land. Almost unconsciously, her right hand rose to touch the tree tattooed on her left forearm. Seen and Unseen. Physical and Spiritual. Dark and Light. Life and Death. All things had their reflections, and their place in the grand scheme. So while Desnind was a place to be treasured, it could not be forgotten that it continued because of what Makubwa Lori provided, and just as it provided, it could also take.
They walked for several breaks, occasionally branching off to follow different paths. To one who'd grown up in other parts of Idalos, they were barely more than game trails. To Tose, though she was still learning to track, they might as well have been roads. It was silent in the way of forests, which meant it wasn't really silent at all. Wind blew through leaves, birds and other animals chattered. Nikas hooves thumped on the ground, You Bastard occasionally grumbled bad naturedly or hissed at things unseen that offended him. All of this wove together into the breath of Makubwa Lori. It might still have been recovering from the plague put upon it, but it was recovering.
Eventually they reached the Ojọgbọn. It would have been presumptuous to set up camp right below Mosekes first tree of course, but she felt no such compunction about setting up just beyond the reach of it's branches. There she felt she'd have the eyes of Moseke watching over her, and it was often used by the Hunters as a gathering point, so should one of the others decide to go out today as well, perhaps they would meet up and hunt larger game together. This would be good. If not she would simply go after smaller game. Meat was meat. Plus since the Hunters Roads were not precisely wagon friendly, she was limited to what she and Nika could carry on their backs anyway.
In easy silence Tose removed the gear from Nikas back, and began setting up. Tent first. You Bastard presided over this officiously, swaggering around and occasionally honking or hissing. He wasn't usually unnecessarily loud, as that would draw predators, but the sound restrictions were lessened somewhat during set up, since Tose was making enough noise on her own. At Ojọgbọn one was more likely to run into spirits than earthly predators anyway. Before long, actions made relatively swift but repetition many times before, tent was up, bedroll unrolled within. She cleared the ground where marks showed it had been done countless times before and prepared where her fire would be that night. It wasn't dry season yet, and as long as one was careful, a fire was a good way to stay warm and safe through the night.
She made sure Nika was comfortable and foraging in the general vicinity. You Bastard didn't require much checking on. The mare and tent told him where his territory was and he'd already started pacing the area out, defining precisely what was his and at which point interlopers would be challenged.
Tose looked over her camping spot once more, nodded in satisfaction at what she saw, and then took her bow, knife, waterskin and compass. It was time to get to work.
