HSI: The Island

"I would hunt with you, Fafnir. A good hunt is indeed healthy, and a worthy challenge."

"That sounds really good Gwydion. But look here, I don't think we can have too much food and we need to explore the island anyway so I say we chase the other wounded bird. I'm with you Fafnir. You others stay back and prepare the feast. We might even find berries or other food to add to the banquet. One thing though. If we start a fire and anyone else is on this island, we will have company for dinner."

Mauve tests her bowstring, making sure the salty sea air hasn't frayed it, or her sliding around belowdecks hasn't knocked things askew. Satisfied she stands ready to follow Fafnir and any of the others coming along for the pursuit of the giant bird.

"No reason we can't share the food with the crew of the ship, either. They're not like to make trouble, but I'd rather see them survive than otherwise."

Gwyndion begins to prepare the large bird. Hafnir, you lead Halor & Mauve into the long grass. There is a definite trail of blood entering, but tracking the bird beyond the first few feet takes skill. The ground is thick with vegetation and while the jungle floor is soft, it's spungy. Tracks are hard to come by. You note the broken stalk of a fern branch. Further ahead there is some blood on a thick vine. You are certain you are on the right path.

After pushing forward for about 15 minutes, you hear the familiar screech of the bird. It echoes off the trees around you making the location hard to determine.

Fafnir silently stalks forward. Confused at the direction of the bird's screeches, he turns to the others and gestures to them to see if they can tell its direction. Then he tries once more to listen.

If they cannot determine the direction either, he will call for an end to the hunt and head back.

The screech seems to come from somewhere up ahead, but you can't place the direction. As you work to identify the location of the first call, a second rings out from behind you in response. The call from behind is a fair distance from you (distant). The call from ahead is closer (faraway).

Mauve stoops and raises a hand to silence everyone. "They are talking to each other ...the birds," she whispers. "We better find the wounded bird quickly before it calls all its friends."

Mauve looks around for more evidence of a trail, more broken foliage, imprints in the spongy ground, blood, or even an errant feather.

After handing Fafnir the bow, quiver, and handful of arrows, Gonnar stays with Gwydion and starts making a fire. He’s watchful of the surrounding jungle and water as he gathers wood for the fire, then sparks a flame.

Halor tries to fulocus on not the cry of the bird, but the surrounding foliage and how it might be directing the sound. He sticks a couple fingers in his mouth and holds them up in the wind. When one of the others gives him an odd look, he shrugs, "Saw a tracker do it once, no idea why. Figure I'll take all the help I can get." He sniffs at the air, picks up his hammer and jaunts forward. "Quickly! Just up ahead!

Gwydion takes far more care skinning the bird than any butcher would do. As a skilled anatomist, he tries to preserve what he is removing as much as the meat. When he is done, the breast and leg meat have been removed and ready to cook while the skin, skeleton and entrails are to the side for Gwydion to examine. "Wish I had a cauldron of water to boil the bones." He remarks to Gonnar. "This really is an amazing specimen. I'd wait for nature to do the work for me but who knows what giant scavengers this would attract."

FAFNIR, HALOR & MAUVE

---

The creature ahead cries out again. This time Halor pinpoints the general direction, "Quickly! Just up ahead!" With that, he pushes his way through the dense foliage. After a minute or two, you see something duck in behind a tree nearby. It emits a loud screech. You can tell immediately that it's one of those large birds. There is a response from the jungle behind you. The one behind you has made up ground (Faraway).

GWYNDION & GONNAR

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Gonnar collects plenty of deadwood from the beach to last the night. He gets a decent sized fire going just as Gwyndion finishes preparing the bird. There is plenty of life in the jungle around you. Birds call to each other from the trees. Movement pushes through the grass nearby, but nothing exits the safety of the vegetation.

"I knew it! It's getting closer. Let's finish this one quickly," Mauve signals and whispers to get her point across. "I'm going to stand out in the open and lure the bird while you two get ready to finish it off."

Mauve nocks an arrow and aims toward the tree hoping that the men are up to the task.

Halor grins. "It seems a fight is upon us!"

Fafnir draws Gonnar's bow and quietly offers a prayer to the Old Gods, and to Halor's god even though in the heat of the moment he's forgotten his name. Hopefully his god is the understanding type, he thinks and then chuckles quietly to himself. Who am I kidding? They never are.

"Let's make this quick, indeed!"

FAFNIR, HALOR & MAUVE

---

The bird peers out from behind the tree. Mauve draws back her bow to take a shot, when a screech calls out from behind you and echos off the trees. Birds erupt from the canopy above. You turn and see something rushing through the ferns and other foliage. Whatever it is, it's racing directly at you. All of a sudden, it bursts out of the brush and leaps into the air at Mauve, it's vicious talons aimed at the thief.

Fafnir, you turn back towards the other bird behind the tree. It screeches in response and dashes out from its spot, directly at you. You are amazed by its speedGONNAR & GWYNDION

---

The savory smell of cooked bird meat has you both salivating. It's been a long time since you've been able to eat cooked meat. You've both had your fill of salted meats while on the boat. Fresh cooked meat is going to taste so good. Unfortunately, the others have not returned yet. Tracking a wounded bird should not have taken this long. Still, the group is made up of capable adventurers.