Jinyel had planned to one day teach Elraya how to fly. The thairoch still believed itself crippled, and followed Jinyel through rocks, trees, and grassland with his wing-knuckles on the ground and his head held joyfully high. Jinyel had planned to stretch those wings out, or to teach Elraya to mimic motions and then flap his own arms, or any other number of other things to get the thairoch back in the sky. Jinyel had planned on having time.
He had not planned on wolves. Which was his own fault, really.
Jinyel and Elraya were an hour’s walk out from the village, on the hunt for spring fruits and vegetables now fully in bloom. Jinyel had laid traps the day before, and returned today to fight his traps torn to bloody shreds. That was the only warning he got before Elraya let out a screech of fury.
Because Elraya was much bigger than Jinyel, the young hunter was briefly spared the attention of predators. The thairoch was both injured and fattened from trials spent in recovery, which made him a much sweeter choice of prey. Jinyel had bow in hand and arrow to string before he’d even come back in sighting distance of Elraya, with twelve more arrows in the quiver if needed.
He’d left Elraya in a clearing, and two wolves let out startled barks when he emerged behind them.
Five wolves that he could see. Elraya in the center of the clearing, head low with wings and mane puffed out for intimidation. All wolves arranged in a circle around the thairoch, except for the two which had been startled by Jinyel’s arrival. Those two were young, unscarred, and cast confused glances at their elders searching for guidance on what do.
Their confusion lasted long enough for Jinyel to sprint past them at full speed. Another, older wolf leaped half-heartedly after him, but Elraya’s warning bellow was enough to keep that wolf at a distance.
Elraya accepted Jinyel into his personal space, and Jinyel clambered onto the thairoch’s back. Two more melted out of the forest to make seven. Now that he was in the middle of the pack, Jinyel saw a hundred other things he could have done instead of sprint into the middle of a hunting circle ― he could have climbed a tree, shot from safety, caused a distraction. Now he was unable to do any of it.
He only had thirteen arrows total. Against seven wolves, that offered few chances for mistakes. They were all arranged ten to twenty yards away, so they weren’t longshots, but the wolves also zigzagged as they tried to figure out how dangerous Elraya was. They had probably never hunted a thairoch before, considering most thairoch could fly away before a hunt ever got this far.
They had never hunted a thairoch before. The thought doused Jinyel like cold water ― We still have advantages ― and he managed to see through his panic. Wolves preferred to hunt running prey, and to attack from behind. Because Jinyel was perched on Elraya’s back, the thairoch could face the front while Jinyel faced the rear. That gave them a full circle of awareness.
Two of the older wolves herded their youngers sideways, to create a wide open spot in their circle. If Elraya had been a deer, that circle would have been a trap ― a direction to run, so the wolves could pounce on the flanks. But Elraya had also never been hunted by wolves before, and didn’t realize what they were doing, so he dug his knuckles into the ground and refused to move.
One of the youngers tried to attack from behind. It leaped onto Elraya’s back, and Jinyel loosed his arrow with a panicked yell. It found the wolf between the collarbone and shoulderblade, not a fatal shot, but one which crippled a foreleg.
The wolf tried to retreat with an agonized yelp, and through a haze of terror which bordered on madness, Jinyel decided that the most logical course of action would be to grab the wolf, drag it back onto Elraya, and strangle it before it could make another jump.
Three things happened, one after another:
One, Elraya had a reasonable reaction to a wolf on his back, and threw his wings to full span. With a mighty, unexpected heave of air, they all lifted off the ground.
Two, the wolf had a reasonable reaction to being shot and choked, and bit Jinyel’s calf.
Three, Elraya realized he could fly.
The thairoch’s wings beat the air again, this time with intent. Again he lifted from the ground. Jinyel and wolf were both thrown sideways. With one hand, Jinyel grabbed the thick scruff of fur which covered Elraya’s neck. With the other, he grabbed his bow and yanked it from the wolf’s jaws.
Elraya flapped again, and rose higher into the air. The wolf slid off his back, landing on the ground with an agonized cry. Jinyel hooked an arm through the bow and grabbed Elraya’s scruff with both hands. He’d already lost one bow and had been beaten black and blue to get this one ― he was not going to lose another.
As Elraya rose into the sky, the wolves learned a valuable lesson about why four-legged predators did not waste energy hunting thairoch.
He had not planned on wolves. Which was his own fault, really.
Jinyel and Elraya were an hour’s walk out from the village, on the hunt for spring fruits and vegetables now fully in bloom. Jinyel had laid traps the day before, and returned today to fight his traps torn to bloody shreds. That was the only warning he got before Elraya let out a screech of fury.
Because Elraya was much bigger than Jinyel, the young hunter was briefly spared the attention of predators. The thairoch was both injured and fattened from trials spent in recovery, which made him a much sweeter choice of prey. Jinyel had bow in hand and arrow to string before he’d even come back in sighting distance of Elraya, with twelve more arrows in the quiver if needed.
He’d left Elraya in a clearing, and two wolves let out startled barks when he emerged behind them.
Five wolves that he could see. Elraya in the center of the clearing, head low with wings and mane puffed out for intimidation. All wolves arranged in a circle around the thairoch, except for the two which had been startled by Jinyel’s arrival. Those two were young, unscarred, and cast confused glances at their elders searching for guidance on what do.
Their confusion lasted long enough for Jinyel to sprint past them at full speed. Another, older wolf leaped half-heartedly after him, but Elraya’s warning bellow was enough to keep that wolf at a distance.
Elraya accepted Jinyel into his personal space, and Jinyel clambered onto the thairoch’s back. Two more melted out of the forest to make seven. Now that he was in the middle of the pack, Jinyel saw a hundred other things he could have done instead of sprint into the middle of a hunting circle ― he could have climbed a tree, shot from safety, caused a distraction. Now he was unable to do any of it.
He only had thirteen arrows total. Against seven wolves, that offered few chances for mistakes. They were all arranged ten to twenty yards away, so they weren’t longshots, but the wolves also zigzagged as they tried to figure out how dangerous Elraya was. They had probably never hunted a thairoch before, considering most thairoch could fly away before a hunt ever got this far.
They had never hunted a thairoch before. The thought doused Jinyel like cold water ― We still have advantages ― and he managed to see through his panic. Wolves preferred to hunt running prey, and to attack from behind. Because Jinyel was perched on Elraya’s back, the thairoch could face the front while Jinyel faced the rear. That gave them a full circle of awareness.
Two of the older wolves herded their youngers sideways, to create a wide open spot in their circle. If Elraya had been a deer, that circle would have been a trap ― a direction to run, so the wolves could pounce on the flanks. But Elraya had also never been hunted by wolves before, and didn’t realize what they were doing, so he dug his knuckles into the ground and refused to move.
One of the youngers tried to attack from behind. It leaped onto Elraya’s back, and Jinyel loosed his arrow with a panicked yell. It found the wolf between the collarbone and shoulderblade, not a fatal shot, but one which crippled a foreleg.
The wolf tried to retreat with an agonized yelp, and through a haze of terror which bordered on madness, Jinyel decided that the most logical course of action would be to grab the wolf, drag it back onto Elraya, and strangle it before it could make another jump.
Three things happened, one after another:
One, Elraya had a reasonable reaction to a wolf on his back, and threw his wings to full span. With a mighty, unexpected heave of air, they all lifted off the ground.
Two, the wolf had a reasonable reaction to being shot and choked, and bit Jinyel’s calf.
Three, Elraya realized he could fly.
The thairoch’s wings beat the air again, this time with intent. Again he lifted from the ground. Jinyel and wolf were both thrown sideways. With one hand, Jinyel grabbed the thick scruff of fur which covered Elraya’s neck. With the other, he grabbed his bow and yanked it from the wolf’s jaws.
Elraya flapped again, and rose higher into the air. The wolf slid off his back, landing on the ground with an agonized cry. Jinyel hooked an arm through the bow and grabbed Elraya’s scruff with both hands. He’d already lost one bow and had been beaten black and blue to get this one ― he was not going to lose another.
As Elraya rose into the sky, the wolves learned a valuable lesson about why four-legged predators did not waste energy hunting thairoch.
