[Willow woods] A prized horse (Odd Job)

[Ti'niva]

Ti'niva

Off Topic

Here is the details of the odd job, including the reward for completion.

Arika Norcross wrote:
A prized horse escaped the stables last night and is due for a race in the Coliseum in a fortnight. Bring the horse back unharmed and you will be paid. The horse is no use to me dead.

Reward For Unharmed Capture and Return: 150gn
Reward For Time: 100gn

23rd Zi'da, Arc 716

Ti took each step with great care examining the floor as he walked, the tracks were deep and easy to see. He knew it was the race horse he was searching for and not a wild one as he could see the marking of the horse shoe in the tracks. They were deeply made in the moist soil and he could have traced them with his feet never mind his eyes. Tracking had gotten easier as he had spent longer in the forest, he noticed the more subtle hints that an animal had passed by, such as broken twigs on bushes and half grazed vegetation. However, in the case of this horse none of those skills were necessary, the horse had left a strong and easily followed trail that even a blind man in no shoes could have followed.

'If you were like me this would be much easier.' Áine said as she came out of the bush next to him. Her fur glistened and shined in the sunlight that breached the canopy above them. He placed his hand on the back of her neck as he walked tracking the animal. "Well why don't you just guide me to the horse then?" He inquired aloud. He was not used to mentally communicating with her yet. He could feel her amusement as he asked. 'And where would be the fun in that, practice makes perfect.' She said teasing him. She purred as she rubbed her head against his hand so he was behind her ear, she seemed to like it when he scratched behind her ears. He smiled as she cocked her head when he itched the area. His eyes still scanned the easy to follow tracks. There was only one was the horse could easily go, along the path which he was walking.

The forest was dense around them with many trees and bushes making it difficult to deviate from the path, this made his job much easier as it meant the horse was forced into travelling down a certain path. He thought back to when he had tried to find the horse earlier. He must have gone the wrong way from Treth on his search as he had ended up meeting Clementine in the forest near to the town of Bayward. He had only got two days left to find the horse now with having to travel back from Bayward by boat. He pulled the rope back up his arm as he stepped over a fallen branch and felt it slipping. He had bought the rope earlier than day and was disappointed to find the only length he could get was 50ft, it was longer than he would have prefered but it would do all the same.

'So when are you going to show me your home, I have never actually been there.' He smiled as she Áine mentioned his home. "We will leave soon, I just have to catch this horse so I can afford the trip." He said as he continued to run his fingers through her soft fur. "Then when we are back you can see Desnind, and my forest home." He looked down at her and smiled as she purred wit excitement. He withheld the fact that they would have to go on a very long boat ride to get there. 'I look forward to seeing the forest of our ancestors.' she said purring louder. He continued walking the tracks were still clear and he was having no trouble with following them even when he was distracted by Áine.

Deductions

1x Hemp Rope (50ft) -1gn

[Ti'niva]

Ti'niva

The tracks continued down that same passage through the dense forest, and he followed them for about a kilometer before they left that same path. They did this in a small clearing, having left it going in a northerly direction rather than easterly. He continued to follow the hoof marks that were scarred into the flesh of the earth, they were strong and hard and suggested the horse had been moving fast still at this point. He decided it must have been truly spooked to run off like this and to have still been going fast at that point. What did it see, a snake, a wolf or something worse? He did not want to know, he would rather avoid any run ins with big scary creatures especially without his bow.

He was tired of the exercise already, there was little challenge to following this horse. Even though it was easy money, he still relished a challenge when one represented itself. Today it appeared was not one such day, yet he needed the money, he did not need a challenge. So he continued to walk following the tracks threw the calm and quiet forest, petting Áine as he went. "It is awfully quiet." He wondered if this was normal this time of year, he had expected more animals to be preparing for Cylus and hibernation. It felt strange for a forest o feel so empty, yet, then again, the Makubwa Lori would get very quiet in the colder months too, but not quite this quiet. 'Maybe everything sleeps, it is cold out after all.' He still wasn't used to how her voice could come through a sort of mental connection.

He shrugged at her comment and continued to walk, his feet itched slightly due to the cold, but it was not yet cold enough to force the use of shoes. He hated shoes, detested them, they were uncomfortable and took him away from his connection with the Earth below his feet. His connection to Nature was terribly important to him, without it he felt, sort of, empty. They came to a creek and the horses tracks went directly into it, but not out of the other side. Finally he was presented with a challenge in his search, a small dribble of excitement bubbled inside of him. He had wondered when an issue was going to present itself.

He knew he could not track the horse in the water, all of its tracks would be washed away. Yet he could look for other clue, such as disturbance of the branches that hung over the river, or, the tracks where the horse had left the river. At first he struggled to spot anything, but with a longer and closer inspection of the branches he found one that appeared to have been broken by something hitting and bending it. He also observed damage to the leaves of a branch just a little further up the creek. He concluded that was the way which he had to go, it was the only evidence he could find that the horse had gone either way. So he followed it.

[Ti'niva]

Ti'niva

He followed the creek for about 50 metres before he found the tracks leaving the river. The prints were the same as the others before and he resolved to follow them. As he stepped up onto the dirt he could feel the moisture left there, it seemed like the horse had recently come through this creek. He followed the tracks carefully from the creek, the forest was a little more open there and the horse was not funneled so directly into a certain place. Therefore it was more important to follow the tracks at this point, he didn't want to lose the trail. The marks were not as strong here, as if the horse had slowed to a walk. Whatever had spooked it must have been far enough away now.

He followed the tracks for a while, in silence not wanting to risk alerting the horse to his approach. He doubted the horse truly wanted to be caught, but he was sure it would be compliant once he had captured it. His feet moved gently over the floor, every step revealed a marking that lead onto the next. The forest appeared to be coming towards a clearing now, as he saw the trees open up and the green of a flower and grass filled clearing approaching. He slowed his walking even more, as he tried to remain quiet and unnoticed in case the horse was inside the clearing. He moved off of the more beaten path and stood behind a tree as he peered into the clearing. Lo and behold, there, grazing in the centre of the clearing, was the horse. It snorted and stomped a few times as he watched it and waited.

He was luckily down wind from the horse and, so, unlikely to be smelt by the defensive beast. He could see why his owner wanted him back, he was magnificent. The horse stood tall and strong, its powerful leg muscles would twitch frequently and it was clearly a powerful creature. If he kept horses and had one as stunning, he would feel sad to lose it too. He checked the loop of his rope making sure it was secure and ready to be put around the horses neck and used for a lead rope. He breathed calmly as he prepared to pounce and launch his attack. The horse was unaware of his presence in the trees behind it and so he had the element of surprise on his side. He sprang from the bushes and behind the tree, his feet slamming into the cold ground as he pulled the rope over its head.

He felt it go around the neck of the horse and he gripped on tight making sure the horse would pull free of him. He spread his feet slightly and pulled against the horse as it attempted to pull away. It snorted and neighed as it tossed its mane around, Ti struggled to grip the rope as it slid and burned his hand a little. Ti grunted as the horse finally began to calm itself and give in to him. He sighed with relief as it stopped struggling and he let a looser rip with his burning hands. He barred his teeth as he looked at his right hand, the flesh red and torn. Sore to the touch and he regretted not acquiring gloves.

[Ti'niva]

Ti'niva

He had him, the horse was now secured in the rope which was safely wrapped around Ti'niva's arms and held in his strong grip. It was now Time to travel back to Ne'haer and collect his reward, this money was crucial to him getting home before Cylus. He tugged the rope and began to guide the horse, pulling it's stubborn body when it refused to follow him. 'You handled that rather well.' Áine said purring with satisfaction. She was clearly happy with his work, he had hoped she would approve of his method. Catching horses was new to him and he was impressed with himself. He had had his doubts previously, but he had gone on and proved them wrong, the horse was now in his possession and all he had to do was get it home. He followed the tracks the horse had left in reverse, it would be these tracks that allowed them to move quickly.

The path back through the forest was easy to follow and they had soon made it back to the edge. It was early afternoon and Ti estimated making it to the city before nightfall. He was walking quickly and the fields and small patches of woodland were easy to traverse as he headed back towards the city. His speed seemed to have increased knowing now that he would be paid and would be able to afford the boat journey home. He felt invigorated, even as his hands burned and itched as the skin rubbed more against the rope. He was ready to head back to his forest home soon, and he knew that Áine would be happy to get there too, he could feel the longing she felt for the place that he also missed.

...

He arrived back at the city finally, the sun was low on the horizon and his estimate had been correct. He wandered with the horse in tow heading for the stable from where it had escaped. He was ready to hand this nuisance of a horse over to its owner, he would be glad to get rid of it. He felt a strange amount of discontent to it for burning his hands, yet, could he really blame the horse for wanting to be free. He for sure knew that he wouldn't want to be tied up and rode around all day, at least not if it was against his will. Part of him knew that had this been back in Desnind or had he not needed the money, he would have never taken the job. Part of him longed top let it go and be free, but, that part was suppressed by the need of his. "Sev aji kïnä buga horse, sev ɗäukä av lushivu tä ashan ọsïsẹ tẹ olorijori teyrpin ọyä oya ke’u ke’ua ijoko, hefitswo ailewu teyrpin ọyä sev olorijori jama'a ar akoko ke’u miov." He had never prayed to Ashan before but a part of him had always felt a connection to the immortal of freedom. He had learnt of the Immortal from his father who had worshipped him when younger too.

The stables came into sight and Ti felt a little glum for the horse, but excited for himself. The mix was very strange, how could somebody feel down and up at the same time. He patted the horses neck apologetically as the man who had employed him and lost the horse saw them approaching. "Oh Ti'niva welcome, I see you have him, and he is looking relatively healthy." Arika Norcross said as he reached out to take the rope from Ti. Ti nodded as he handed over the rope to the man and stood patiently as he awaited the man's return from putting away the horse. He was carrying a pouch, in which Ti assumed was his pay. He also carried Ti's rope, but he shook his head and pushed the rope back to the man. "You keep rope, I no need." he said not wanting to have to carry it around. The man seemed okay with that and just handed over the money. "Enjoy that lad, well earned money from me to you." Arika Norcross said. Ti nodded, "Thanks." He turned and began to walk away from the man. He felt the same urge to help the hose. 'There is nothing you can do.' Áine reassured him as he left the stable in his wake money in hand.

Translation

"Sev aji kïnä buga horse, sev ɗäukä av lushivu tä ashan ọsïsẹ tẹ olorijori teyrpin ọyä oya ke’u ke’ua ijoko, hefitswo ailewu teyrpin ọyä sev olorijori jama'a ar akoko ke’u miov."- I am sorry dear horse, I send a prayer to Ashan that he may one trial grant you your freedom, who know one trial I may come and free you myself.

[Pegasus]

Ti'niva

Points!:

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: NA (solo thread)
Structure: 5/ 5

Knowledge:

Animal Training: Horse: Horses often don't like ropes being put around them.
Animal Training: Horse: Tethering and leading
Detection: Spotting specific marks in the ground.
Detection: Looking for environmental clues of movement.
Detection: Signs of moisture
Hunting: Horses leave distinctive hoof prints
Hunting: If a horse has shoes, their tracks are different.
Hunting: Environment often forces the direction animals travel.
Hunting: The depth of tracks gives clues to the emotional state of the animal.
Hunting: Tracks aren't the only thing which give directions
Strength: Pulling against a horse is not an easy task.

Loot:

Injured hand: will take about 8 trials to heal completely. Payment for job received as per Odd Job notification. Please amend your ledger accordingly.

Fame:

+1 (good deed), +2 (timely delivery of goods)

Devotion:

+1 Ashan

Magic:

These points may NOT be used for arcana

Overview:

General comments. Well done, got the horse! A well written and interesting thread to read which was as much about Ti'niva's internal process and relationship with his Familiar as with the odd job. Great work!
Story A lovely little story, a pleasure to read.
Structure No problems


Please do PM me if you've got any questions