Zandria Reclaim - The Great Stag Hunt

By mid-morning with the sun bright as noon, though the air was cool and windy, they were at the East Gate. Ikrah was holding the reins to Taye's dapple gelding, which was saddled and equipped with all the things needed for hunting. Herself, she was dressed in leather jerkin and pants with heavy quivers strapped to her back and side. A spare short bow was slung aslant her torso. Taye was petting Aquine's black stallion as they conversed privately. Each was dressed for hunting. Their quivers were strapped to the saddles of their horses respectively. They were strapped with daggers matching their weapons of choice, short sword for Taye, and a long sword for Aquine. They all looked up when the King of Tarenne arrived, dressed in samite decorated in a lattice of studded leather tunic and riding on a ashen-bey stallion. The Royal Guards escorted him by the dozen. They were fully armed with helmets and plumes, almost as if ready for war. Legran greeted the youths with a gracious smile. He gestured to Ikrah with a beckoning finger. She strode up to him with a curtsie, bowing fully with her arms spanned and palms up in the courtly manner of Falshiren customs. At first glance with how the sunlight bounced off her white sleeves, she resembled a damselfly to him. "Did you sleep well, daughter?" "Yes, Sire." "Excited for the Hunt?" Her reply was a nod. She rarely smiled, though she looked up to him with admiration. Of that, he sensed clearly. "I haven't eaten. You will at least bring me quail or rabbit today." He was only joking, but she nodded devoutly. He nudged his horse to move forward. "One last thing," he spoke loudly, "from this day on forth, you are my Squire. Always, you may come to Tarenne's Halls with your grievances." The promoted page could only stared up at him as she strode alongside his mount, shuffling a step and half to keep up. This gesture was for her protection. The serfs were watching from the streets hearing those words. Stirs of mutters were already beginning as they approached the East Gate. Aquine and Taye mounted onto their saddles grinning with congratulations to Ikrah. Taye even reached out a hand for her. She hesitated until the King nodded. She then stepped on the stirrup and gripped the saddle. In one motion, she launched herself up with Taye's help and mounted into place behind her mentor-roommate. Legran halted beside them closely. He pulled a black ribbon with the embroidered emblem of a red and blue shield at its center from his vest pocket proffering it up. Ikrah was urged to bow forth her head by Taye. The King tied it to set the emblem on her forehead, then to secure it, he did triple spiral dead knots around her braided hair. It was tight, pulling on her hair with some pinching, but she didn't complain. "This will do for now. It will be official come Tempest Rite." "Yes, Sire." Ikrah nodded with happy eyes. "Thank you, your majesty." He shook his head, "Sire. I prefer hearing that." "Sire." They rode out to hunt in the wild forest rather than the Emperor's quartered acres. The sound of their collective set of hooves pounding on the ground rumbled reverberatingly through the courtyard and echoed on the walls of the extended postern gateway, which spanned two-hundred meters. The forest was alive, lush with thick greenery. Pollen was spawned in the air only to be blown north and south by winds that seemed to come from a confused sky that whitened into noon. They rode on a trail that led into a clearing where they made break to allow the horses to rest. Though no one seemed to notice Ikrah's hair had changed to a dark auburn under the bleaching of sunlight, they felt she had the look of a northerner with how that ribbon dressed her head. They proceeded to start tracking for game combing through the forest. Before long, Ikrah spotted antlers appearing between the low hanging branches. She alerted Taye with a wave gesturing in the animal's direction. Together, they set forth with their arrows. Aquine climbed a tree for cover at a vantage point. The Royal Guards stayed behind, except to remain close to the King who was eyeing the scene. Something spooked the animal into trotting away. They gave chase, taking cover behind the trees. Ikrah kept her eyes on that creature bounding in leaps skipping steps above ground without realizing how light she was. Whips of wind merged with her movements. Before long, the buck emerged from the thickets into a clearing, paused to look back before dashing off into the shadows of a dark forest where conifers walled up the rest of the landscape. Disappointed in having lost sight of that creature, she found herself standing there alone in that field of pine cones and needles. She could hear others calling her name echoing through the mountainside, but they sounded so far away. Searching for their origin, she wandered into the unknown, unsure how she could make it back. She saw a rabbit cutting across her path and running off under the bushes. Without much thought to objecting Legran's words about bringing him rabbit today, she chased after it. Brambles of blackberries appeared out of nowhere hedging her off. She struck at them with her bow, careful not to touch the thorns with her bare hands. Useless, she thought. Looking around, she searched for a way to get through. That large rabbit made it through somehow. She wandered around and around until she lost sight of the sky altogether. The canopy of tall pine trees sealed that off like a dark, very dark green ceiling. Light was diminishing to a dimness, causing her to panic fearing the darkness enshrouding her. Sweat poured from the pores of her skin, soaking into the ribbon on her head. The heavy scent of pine overwhelmed her breathing, suffocating her. She grew weak, her limbs struggled stagnantly to keep moving, until they gave out eventually. Collapsing against the bed of pine needles, she was on her way to breatheing her last when the sweat from her face dribbled onto the ground, pooling around her into a shallow pond. The water entered her mouth waking her enough to swallow, sustaining her, though she couldn't get up. White Mane entered the thicket, garbed in a green knee-length tunic with black pantaloons tucked in sleek boots. Chains and studded leather wrapped around her waist over the hip like a half skirt. She walked over to the sleeping girl who lay protected in that pond that let off a warming steam to purify the air keeping her breathing even. Her silver-blue eyes gleamed with fury as they narrowed focusing on that girl. She crouched low, extending an arm and was about to touch Ikrah's head, when a dozen crows cawed out overhead, swooping between the branches above. As she looked up, grey mountain rabbits appeared crawling out beneath the brambles. A snowfox jumped out of the brambles hissing at her with low menacing growls. She scowled curiously, annoyed to be confronted by all these animals. Angrily, she stomped her foot on the ground, sending the brambles into breaking up the wall around them splintering into an explosion of thorns and thistles striking at the creatures into running away. She flung her right arm directing the briars to whip at the snowfox that bounded out of the way. She gestured with her left arm sending another briar vine to catch it. Again, she channeled nature to her will until that snowfox was caught by the foot and tail. She wasted no time constricting it to death, breaking ribs, squeezing blood out of the mouth and nostrils. Suddenly, a dart flew past her ear nicking her jaw as she pivoted her head. She turned around seeing a youth with black-raven hair, eyes the color of raw emerald, skin that matched her own complexion. She withdrew her channeling, making the barbed vines recede from the lifeless snowfox. "What manner of sorcery is this?" she demanded darkly. "I should ask the same of you," he retorted, taking on a guarded stance with his hand over the hilt of his sword. "How dare you! Such insolence to your elder!" "I care not for your age, Lady. You were preying on this innocent girl." "These are my hunting grounds. She has trespassed upon my land." White Mane circled the pond and he matched her strides. Soon, a blonde maiden Squire appeared from the side after cleaving the hedge apart and pushing her way through. White Mane laughed. "Two against one. This should be interesting." "Squires, stand down." Legran appeared from behind the hedge, mounted on his saddle. Aquine and Taye looked in his direction in puzzlement. "Bow on your knees in the presence of her Imperial Majesty, the Empress." They recovered from their shock soon enough to do as he ordered. She smiled coldly running her eyes over them until her gaze settled on Legran with his guards in tow. "Well, the young inspire heroes. King of Tarenne, you flatter me with such talented Squires at my feet." He smiled curtly with a reply. "They are not at your disposal, Empress. But whatever infractions they may have incurred, you need only speak to me. I will discipline as I see fit." "This one," she pointed at Ikrah. "She trespassed on my Hunt." Aquine reacted solemnly with an arched brow, catching her notice. He corrected himself into lowering his face. Legran stepped off his saddle, leaping a wide somersault over the briars. He saw his new Squire laying there pale as the moon. Patiently, he sighed coming to her side. As he lifted her to sit up, water spilled out the corner of her lips as if she had been relieved of drowning. "This child is not yours, White Mane. She's mine." Legran scooped the girl up effortlessly. "Therefore, she is my jurisdiction. You may not punish her. If you wish to punish anyone, try me. I brought these children here with me." "Legran, you dare!" "No, White Mane," he snapped. "You may control the Earth at will, but you don't own the mountains. They belong to the Goddess. And I would appreciate you keeping this embarassment from the Emperor's knowledge." He leapt in the air over the hedge. After laying Ikrah across the saddle, he covered her with his cloak. "Let's go," he called to his other two Squires as he tugged on the reins for his mount to move with him. The hedge of briars parted and shrank allowing them safe passage. They rose to their feet to follow the King quietly, obediently. White Mane could only stare after them, seeing their backs as they grew small in the distance until the mist shrouded over any visibility. She stepped back, picking up the dead snow fox. Her Unicorn appeared behind her and lowered itself for her to climb on it's back. She straddled onto her Soul Spirit, grasping hold of its mane and rode off the other way.