With the hunt sponsored by House Grayson, there's no surprise that there's a spirit of adventure in the air; of course, given that the other sponsoring House is Valardin, it's also not a surprise that the hunt begins with a prayer calling upon Petrichor's blessings by a godsworn priest. A long prayer.

The hunters are turned loose into the forest under the watchful eyes of Grayson's master hunters. As much as the hunt is for fun and for sport, there's still care taken to be sure that no one is left to wander alone in the dark of the woods. Spring's bright green bursts from the trees as life returns to the forest. It's not long before hunting parties are flushing out and bringing down deer, which are carried back to the feast-to-be at the main camp.

Small hunting parties have had fair to good luck in the past few hours, and the chatter of voices is as likely to frighten off game as the baying of the dogs. A fleeting glimpse of something large and dark has sent this hunting party charging to the east. The hounds are on the scent, and the game is on, in pursuit of the broad bulk of shadow that crunches through tree and brush.


During the prayer, Tatienne politely pretending she was asleep. Once things got going, she made sure to fasten her brand new armour and got on her horse. Now a dagger may not be the best hunting weapon, but it's what she knows to use, and to the prodigal merchant, this seemed like a great excuse to mingle with the rich and powerful, particularly the rich part.

Cristoph, Jael, and Norwood have ridden the hunt side by side for most of the day. He keeps alert for the prey, but seems just as engrossed in their conversation. "I am sure the Duchess would be rather upset if the boar managed to //boar// you. Are you sure you want to get in close?" Suspicious Norwood as he looks sideways at Cristoph to try to catch Jael's eye. "Though, I suppose Jael or myself could catch you this time." So deadpan.

You know who never does well at stuff like this? Cristoph. You know who also keeps showing up to stuff like this? Cristoph. "Yes, of course I want to do that!" says the man who's wearing remarkably little armor and about to face off with a boar, possibly. "I don't know. Have you been working out, Norwood? It would be terrible if you dropped me on the ground. Again."

"Boars gore, not boar," Jael remarks to Norwood, swaying easily in the saddle of a dapple-gray retired warhorse. "You're supposed to stay out of their way." Armor? Who's wearing armor? "It would be poor should the boar gore."

The day's dwindled on and Harlex, for what its worth, seems a bit more alive when he's out in the wilds. A short spear is kept at his side, red bladed and well used. He rests it low, choking up on the grip as he rides along on his speckled warhorse. Prays had come and gone, a pretense before what he was really after, and heading out into the woods with the others he set his sights on that rumored, bulky shadow. The dark-clad Sword kept to himself, but really that isn't too unusual. "Stop shoutin'," he says, as an aside.

Tatienne checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 15, rolling 27 higher. Tatienne rolled a critical!

Cristoph checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 15, rolling 13 higher.

Norwood checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 15, rolling 27 higher.

Harlex checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 15, rolling 58 higher.

Berenice is absolutely dressed to hunt: boddy-hugging one-piece suit of sheer umbra with very carefully-positioned vines of gilded velvet, a similarly styled cloak with a wide hood, heeled riding boots of black leather that lace up the front to the thigh -- oh, wait, is that not a hunting outfit? No matter. It's decent enough for riding, it would seem, and that's what she's here to do. Hanging back from the hunting party nearer the event organizers, enjoying the thrill without involving herself in the kill itself. She is the fanciest of spectators astride a remarkably beautiful mare from the Velenosan stables. Do not ask her to do any fancy riding. DO NOT.

Jael checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 15, rolling 19 higher.

"It would produce quite a bit of gore and not at all be... boaring." Norwood reaches for that one as he squint-eyes at Cristoph. "I assure you that I have worked out //quite// a bit. Eadric would make a terrible Duke right now."

Clop,clop,clop

Friend and Jeffeth have been together for a long time. Friend is a good horse. Jeffeth is a good knight. Well, most people would say he is, anyway. Probably. But sometimes a good knight gets distracted in the hours and hours of travel through the days Knights of Solace must take. And so Friend has become quite adept at just, Doing Her Thing.

So towards the middle of the pack a giant black drafthorse is surging forward with a giant bull saddled atop it. The Bull Knight is currently fussing with some saddlebags. The spears strapped to Friend's side getting in the way. Jeffeth is rummaging around in the saddle bags, before pulling out a small parcel. After some minor struggling, Jeffeth nears Harlex On His Own. The man looks up, going to push up the faceplate of his bull helm. "Hey." He grunts. "Junie made me some snacks." He continues fumbling with the straps as Friend just continues to go wherever that happens to be where Jeffeth wants to go. "You want some?"

Jeffeth checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 15, rolling 46 higher.

"I'm so glad we allowed you to spend time with Jael as a child so you could educate her on /rhyming/. This hunt is very enlightening," Cristoph says and then does a bit of a finger shake at them both. Note, he does not fall off of the horse. For now. But there's still plenty of time left in the day.

"It's puddin'." Jeffeth adds, in looking up at Harlex with the sweetest smile.

Whether it's fortune or skill, Tatienne manages to get her steed to behave properly for the hunt. She's not the best, regardless, but she keeps up and approaches the Laurents, listening to their conversation a moment before greeting, "M'lords, M'lady." She greets them softly, "Good hunting."

Samithel stands in the brush, quietly adding a flint arrowhead to an arrow shaft and sliding it into a quiver across her back. Her bow is already strung as she looks the horse over with more than a measure of apprehensiveness.
"Longbows are not designed for horses," she says quietly, then approaches the creature. "Truthfully, neither am I."

Samithel checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Harlex sneaks a look back toward Berenice looking so pretty in the saddle. Distracted by the clop, clop, clop of the Bull Knight as he arrives at his side. He tugs on Scout's reins a bit, looking over toward the parcel of snacks then back up at Jeffeth's face beneath the helm. "Well," a pause and then a nod, "Sounds alright. Could use a snack."

The sun is shining. The forest is bright with promise. Although no one has brought out a flute yet, it is really not a quiet group of people that rides amidst the trunks of the trees while hounds sniff along the loamy earth. A few hounds lift their heads, bannering as a few flags -- white or green -- lift and pennant in the gentle breeze.

AWOOOO!

All in all, it's a nice spot of riding for several of them, winding through the woods in pursuit of the bulky shadow that they are targeting. For a moment, it is visible at the crest of a hill: massive, shiny-eyed, with fierce tusks jutting viciously from the heavy bone of its jaw. Then, rather than charge at the cheerful hunters in pursuit, it barrels forth, disappearing into the trees-- OR CAN IT?

A few of the hunters are really quite skillful in managing their mounts on this first leg of the chase, and the flicking tail of the angry, grunting creature does not vanish from the sight of Harlex and Jeffeth near the front of the pack. Yet none have lost it, nor had any riding mishaps. Oodalolly!

"Your father was a wise man in that regard." Norwood manages to look down his nose at Cristoph. "Did you know it is improper for a Duke to waggle their finger?" Just a random aside for anyone who wondered about that. "Then again, it is also improper to imply that the Duke might fall off of their horse." The conversation will have to break off as they have to focus on riding. "Jael, do you see it?" Calling out to the other Laurent.

"Allowed?" Jael is all astonishment. "Papa /paid/ him to spend time with me and you know it. Not that I'm complaining." She adds this last to Norwood hastily. Then, to Tatienne with a faint incline of her head and a smile, "Mistress Lachance." It's about all she gets out before the pursuit is on. Her horse is perhaps a bit large and heavy and old for this sort of thing, but he manages to stay with the pack. "No!" his rider calls back to Norwood.

The big man is about to unwrap some rome road pudding but unfortunately, there is a boar. Jeffeth lets out a bedraggled sigh. "After we get it, suppose." He gives an apologetic grunt to Harlex before going to the hassle of putting that pudding away in the saddlebags once more. It takes a while, and Friend is already on the chase! By the time Jeffeth gets it squared away, he and Friend have fallen behind a little bit, but the knight reaches up to pull down the faceplate of the bull helmet. "Alright." He calls out. "Let's get it Friend. Puddin' will have to wait!" The Bull leans in to go into a gallop, pushing the monstrous steed towards the woods after the boar.

Samithel's hands almost shake on the reins of her sleek gray horse--it is clear the animal knows what it is doing more than its rider, and the slight archer continues the ride in blank-faced silence.

The quarry is found, Tatienne spurs on her horse and places steel between her teeth, to free up her hands for the reigns. This, of course, means no more talking for a bit, quite hard to chat with a dagger clenched between your teeth.

"I'm pretty sure he enjoyed every minute of it. You're practically twins," Cristoph accuses the pair of them, gesturing between Norwood and Jael in mild exasperation. He'd respond to that thing about improper finger wagging, but there's a boar! And he's still on his horse, moving it with mild competence through the forest. When Tatienne approaches them, he flashes her smile and nods his head, "Mistress Lachance."

Looking ahead while Jeffeth gets some road pudding (oh my god) out for them to share, he spies that great beast before the glint of light deepens the shadows of its hide. When it barrels into the woods, Harlex is already taking off after it and lowering in his saddle. The red spear choked up in his right hand while he keeps at the reins with his left. There's a fierce and rather unsettling delight in his sharp green eyes, taking off after such a fearsome creature. Is he /smiling/? Hard to tell, as he puts everyone behind him, heading toward the boar.

The boar is in its home territory and it is clear in how it runs, its hooves kicking up dirt occasionally as it tears across the countryside. It attempts to lose its pursuers by thrashing across a narrow brook, but its pursuit is too close for the trick to work, and it SCREEKS in noisy, squealing outrage as hooves pound near at hand behind. As the tree cover grows thicker, it takes more skill to maintain pursuit, but the boar is also coming upon fewer places to pursue its flight, and the snapping teeth of the hounds keep it herded.

Tatienne checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

Harlex checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 33 higher.

Norwood checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 30 higher.

Jeffeth checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 51 higher.

Samithel wields a hemp-strung yew longbow.

"Not at all. There is a strict professional relationship here." Norwood is lying through his teeth lightly about that as he responds to Cristoph's accusation that he and Jael are twins. When Tatienne comes close to the Laurent trio he bows as is PROPER despite being on his horse.

Cristoph checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 12 higher.

Samithel checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 15, rolling 50 higher. Samithel rolled a critical!

Jael checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 15, rolling 19 higher.

Within sight of the beast, Harlex rides fast to get at its flank. The low hanging branches barely missing him as he keeps his head down. There's a swift, brutal stab to the flank of the boar hoping to slow its momentum as it tears through the forest. Eventually he has to break the spear-tip loose, riding ahead and back around to circle it and keep at its side.

Between the hounds and the hunters, the boar finds that it is cut off, and it rounds on the array of swords and spears. Its flank bears the scoring bite of Harlex's spear. An arrow -- soaring with near perfect aim -- slices through the wiry hair that tufts it dark back and, sticking out at an akimbo angle, leaves it only more ferocious. Rounding on its pursuers, it surges forward, screaming with sudden fury. At close range, the size and weight of this formidable beast become suddenly all too clear, and it seems as likely to eat the hunters as they are to eat it. Suddenly some of the horses are rearing and dodging out of the way despite the command of their riders, as the tusked beast thrashes through the pack of them, taking slices and jabs to its thick hide as it bores straight through and back to the stream that so many of them just jumped. Its fresh blood has been spilled... but the beast is, if anything, more threatening now than it was before.

Norwood checked stamina + ride at difficulty 30, rolling 28 higher.

Harlex checked stamina + ride at difficulty 30, rolling 28 higher.

Cristoph checked stamina + ride at difficulty 30, rolling 13 higher.

Jeffeth checked stamina + ride at difficulty 30, rolling 30 higher.

Jael checked stamina + ride at difficulty 30, rolling 32 higher.

This is typically where Cristoph would fall off of his horse. But despite all of the ribbing he received earlier, it turns out that he doesn't actually fly off of the horse like a ragdoll at the drop of a hat. That's for later. He clings on for now, patting his steed on the side and regaining control over the anxious animal.

"I'm prettier," is Jael's reply to her brother as they weave after the boar, or more accurately the riders after the boar. She manages to fire an arrow in the fray, then the boar is rounding on them and she hauls on her horse's reins to swerve him out of the way.

Tatienne checked stamina + ride at difficulty 30, rolling 17 lower.

Darting forward and thrusting his spear down into the boar, the bull shoves it down firmly into the boar. When the boars response is to get all pissy, Friend steps back a little but Jeffeth is able to keep the saddle fairly easily. The Bull looks like he is tempted to just dismount and wrestle the boar. Though he does not. Yet.

Norwood is hard on the heels of the two Laurents as they take off through the forest after the animal. Steadfast lives up to his name under him as they dodge throuh the undergrowth. Norwood has a part of his attention on Cristoph and calls out a, "Well done!" to both Jael and Cristoph.

"Easy, Scout," Harlex swings the warhorse aside as those tusks go flying, its blood still dripping off the end of his spear. Once he has the mare under control, she shakes her head and huffs. He starts at the beast again.

Samithel checked stamina + ride at difficulty 30, rolling 19 lower.

10 inflicted and Samithel is unharmed.

5 inflicted and Tatienne is unharmed.

10 inflicted and Tatienne is unharmed.

The boar has not escaped. Several of the horses easily make the jump over the brook, and the beast is still pursued. Blood drips from a few of its wounds, and Samithel's broken arrow is still sticking out of its back. It chuffs and snorts, moving in fits and starts, rolling a chary black eye back towards its pursuit as it weaves past this tree or that. It paws the ground, threat blazing in its eyes as it stares back towards its pursuers. This proud beast is definitely one that appears to be planning a last stand.

"Well done Mistress!" Norwood calls out to Samithel as he sees that arrow there. His horse is pulls up as he eyes the beast before them with a more serious eye. "That is an unhappy creature."

Though the arrows fly true, longbows are not designed for horses. A miscalculation, an error of size and strength, and Samithel is sent flying from her steed. She crashes to the ground and rolls, woman and weapon coming to rest at the base of a tree.

Harlex readies his mount to charge at the boar as it eases into that final fury, all that ingrained hate filling its dark eyes. He does look aside to Samithel as she goes THUNK against a tree. "You alright over there?" Is called, but he keeps his attention on the prey.

Turns out hunting from horseback with no weapon other than a dagger is a bad idea. Tatienne is fortunate, at least, that she invested in good armour and is spared from wounds to ought but her dignity.

The big man is pondering getting off this old horse even more. Though Harlex's call has him looking over his shoulder. The Bull knight canters into a circle, keeping a distance frome the boar while Jeffeth can survey those that done fall'd off can un-fall.

Jael pulls her horse up short and lets him get his bearings, another arrow nocked and ready. "This would be a really bad time to fall off," she asides to her brother.

"Yes, please avoid that." Norwood adds in.

Slowly, the archer stands, takes stock of her surroundings, and winces.
"...I believe so, my lord. Thank you," Samithel says, heading back towards her nervous mount and clambering awkwardly onto the saddle once again.

Norwood checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 19 higher.

Harlex checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 34 higher.

Jael checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 15 higher.

Jeffeth checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 49 higher.

Cristoph checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 1 higher.

Tatienne checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 1 higher.

Samithel checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 3 higher.

There-- the moment comes. The boar lowers its head, and screeching a squeal of fierce defiance at the hunting party, it charges, snorting and steaming as it charges directly at the horses near the front -- Friend and Scout, held tight to rein by their respective masters, who wait ready with spear and sword. Arrows sing through the air, falling upon the charging beast, but they do not bring it down.

No, the final blow that fells it must come in close combat. Maybe it's Jeffeth's horns that attract the directness of the charge, you never know.

Jeffeth checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 35, rolling 32 higher.

Spurring Friend forward, Jeffeth reaches out to pull out the second hunting spear in the quiver at Friend's side. Riding forward, the Bull leans forward. As he pushes the large horse forward, one leg slowly starts to lift off the side of Friend and.. Friend will Do Her Thing. As the pair charges forward, the man with the alaricite horns dismounts and launches himself off the saddle.

With a short flight, both gauntlets gripping the haft of the spear as Jeffeth hurtles himself plus his spear at the boar, aiming to drive it with all his considerable weight and momentum into the boars flank.

Then maybe some wrestling if it all works out.

"What an exciting experience!" Cristoph tells Norwood and Jael with boyish enthusiasm. "Oh, look. There's Sir Jeffeth! I think he's going to stab-wrestle it to death with his spear. Very impressive. Aren't you glad that's not me, Norwood?" he calls to the baron as he draws his horse up and runs a cloth over the blade of his weapon.

Pulling up beside Cristoph Norwood follows suit in taking care of his weapon. "The Duchess will be pleased to hear that it is not you." Norwood neither confirms nor denies that he might have orders from Nicia to keep Cristoph safe.

Harlex waits after Friend and Jeffeth take off after the charging boar. He waits because he has an inkling of whats about to happen. And it does. The weight of the armored knight crashing into the flank of the boar makes it much easier for Scout and the Sword of Lenosia to move from its path.

A quick step brings them toward the reeling pig's side and clenching his thighs to the saddle, he thrusts the red spear forward into the neck of the black beast offering his strength to Jeffeth as they hook their prey and force it down toward the ground -- and unto death.

Jeffeth checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 42 higher.

The boar screams as Jeffeth more or less impales it in his hurtling impact, and it thrashes and squeals, its tusks scraping as it writhes against his armored body. As he contains its wild thrashing, though, that enables the others to get close enough to it to help finish it off. Between Jeffeth's strength and Harlex's spear, it's all over for the Black Boar.

With the boar being thoroughly wrassled, the tension in Jael's shoulders and back eases and she puts her bow away. "Well. That was thrilling." She dabs delicately at a splot of boar blood on her cheek. "Well slaughtered."

Once the boar is on its side, Jeffeth's entire body goes down on top of it. Harlex stabs down and Jeffeth literally wrestles with the dying boar. Some hooves strike powerfully into his armor, but the lightweight alaricite proves adequate protection. As the large man struggles on the ground with the flailing boar and everyone starts to finish it off, at one point one of his bull horns accidentally sticks into the boar. Which provides for a very comical segment as Jeffeth with a crooked neck tries to unentangle himself from the now-corpse of a boar.

Harlex removes his spear about the time that Jeffeth gets his horn stuck. He gives him a look of utter sympathy. Aw, buddy. But the hunter turns his horse aside and dismounts, striking his spear into the dirt. He stops briefly, at the corpse of the dead boar, and crouches low and rest a dark claw over its wide and scornful eye. "Good hunt," he murmurs, taking a moment, before moving to help the Bull Knight untangle himself. "Easy there. Stop movin' around."

Carefully, the archer leads her horse nearer to the slain boar; the fingers of one hand still grip an arrow. Samithel reaches over her shoulder to place the unused projectile in its quiver, then unstrings her longbow and also dismounts, helpint disintangle live man from animal carcass.

"I'm not." Jeffeth grunts. He is. Eventually however, he stops long enough for Harlex to hold the body long enough to pull his horn out.

"Did... he just... headbutt the boar?" Norwood, off to the side, provides some light commentary.

"The battle rages on, even in death," Cristoph comments to Norwood.

"I am not sure that is what his instructors meant when they told him to use his head." Norwood replies, shaking his head oh-so-slowly.

The boar is definitely the PRIZE of the afternoon, particularly once Jeffeth's head is no longer unfortunately attached to it; but there is other game for the hunters to find, be it deer or hare or fowl, and it is a meat-laden party that circles up, headed back towards the cheery crackling fires and noise and music of the Feast to come.