Bait was the right idea. Ceren nodded her head at Caro and turned to the wagon. Esme was soon there was well, climbing in. Ceren gave her a smile, recognizing the look on her friend's face. She was puzzling out a solution to the problem Caro had given her.
"Back in a flash." she said, shouldering a coil of rope and hopping back down.
Andor was preening himself, perched on Rabbit's saddle. Ceren pulled a sugar cube from a pouch on her belt and fed it to the horse. When Andor cocked his head to gaze at her with one of his large eyes, she shook her head at him. He'd not want the sugar anyway. When Rabbit finished, she gave him a few firm pats on his neck and encouraged him toward the wagon while holding her other arm out. The eagle stepped sideways along the saddle before hopping off and landing on her arm. She let the limb lower with his weight until his head was level with her own, then allowed him to fuss at her own short hair for a moment with his beak.
"Enough of that. I had a bath just a few days ago, didn't I?" she grumbled, leaning her head away from him. "You heard the boss. Go find us some goats."
She gave him a boost to his lift off by pushing her arm upward against his weight and Andor let out a cry as he pushed skyward. Caro was right, it wouldn't take long, but she was still wary of Andor flying too much right now. Better to get the job done as fast as possible. So she set off as well, disappearing quickly into the brush.
Within minutes, she'd found a trail and began to follow. Above her, she could feel Andor's gaze as he spied through the canopy. She heard his cry a few minutes later, ahead and a bit south. Picking up her pace, she was rewarded by the bleating of goats. She gave a sharp whistle and Andor's shadow settled onto a branch far overhead. Slowing, Ceren took the coil of rope in hand, tying a lasso as she stepped silently over rocks and through brush.
Just ahead of her, the ground dipped down slightly toward what appeared to be a trickle of a stream. By it, a billy and two nannies were idling, two kids hopping around them. Ceren crouched, studying them for a few minutes before deciding on her move. One goat would maybe do. But a few? That just might be irresistible.
Tying the back end of her rope to a sturdy, but small tree, Ceren took the lasso end in hand. She moved in, feet making no sound at all as she swung the lasso to gain momentum. At just the right moment, she let it loose and it landed around the billy's neck. He startled and made to bolt, but the lasso tightened and his legs flew out from under him when his slack ran out.
The other goats were running and bleating now, confused and scared as their protector flailed. Ceren sprinted and jumped onto one of the nannies, grabbing it by its small horns and wrestling it to the ground. They splashed into the stream, the nanny kicking and wild eyed as Ceren got her arm around its neck. Not far away, Andor had downed one of the kids, but was shrieking as he was menaced by the other nanny. She pulled the smaller bit of rope she sometimes used to hobble Rabbit and deftly wrapped the nanny's legs, leaving her unable to run. She then jumped up and chased down the other nanny, allowing Andor to stand guard over the exhausted kid. Its fellow bleated, too terrified to even run.
When Ceren returned to the group, she was wet, muddy, and sporting several bruises and a cut on her left cheekbone. With her, were five goats in various stages of anger and exhaustion.
"Genthus!" she called out as the wagon came into sight. "I think this one's horns rival yours!"
"Back in a flash." she said, shouldering a coil of rope and hopping back down.
Andor was preening himself, perched on Rabbit's saddle. Ceren pulled a sugar cube from a pouch on her belt and fed it to the horse. When Andor cocked his head to gaze at her with one of his large eyes, she shook her head at him. He'd not want the sugar anyway. When Rabbit finished, she gave him a few firm pats on his neck and encouraged him toward the wagon while holding her other arm out. The eagle stepped sideways along the saddle before hopping off and landing on her arm. She let the limb lower with his weight until his head was level with her own, then allowed him to fuss at her own short hair for a moment with his beak.
"Enough of that. I had a bath just a few days ago, didn't I?" she grumbled, leaning her head away from him. "You heard the boss. Go find us some goats."
She gave him a boost to his lift off by pushing her arm upward against his weight and Andor let out a cry as he pushed skyward. Caro was right, it wouldn't take long, but she was still wary of Andor flying too much right now. Better to get the job done as fast as possible. So she set off as well, disappearing quickly into the brush.
Within minutes, she'd found a trail and began to follow. Above her, she could feel Andor's gaze as he spied through the canopy. She heard his cry a few minutes later, ahead and a bit south. Picking up her pace, she was rewarded by the bleating of goats. She gave a sharp whistle and Andor's shadow settled onto a branch far overhead. Slowing, Ceren took the coil of rope in hand, tying a lasso as she stepped silently over rocks and through brush.
Just ahead of her, the ground dipped down slightly toward what appeared to be a trickle of a stream. By it, a billy and two nannies were idling, two kids hopping around them. Ceren crouched, studying them for a few minutes before deciding on her move. One goat would maybe do. But a few? That just might be irresistible.
Tying the back end of her rope to a sturdy, but small tree, Ceren took the lasso end in hand. She moved in, feet making no sound at all as she swung the lasso to gain momentum. At just the right moment, she let it loose and it landed around the billy's neck. He startled and made to bolt, but the lasso tightened and his legs flew out from under him when his slack ran out.
The other goats were running and bleating now, confused and scared as their protector flailed. Ceren sprinted and jumped onto one of the nannies, grabbing it by its small horns and wrestling it to the ground. They splashed into the stream, the nanny kicking and wild eyed as Ceren got her arm around its neck. Not far away, Andor had downed one of the kids, but was shrieking as he was menaced by the other nanny. She pulled the smaller bit of rope she sometimes used to hobble Rabbit and deftly wrapped the nanny's legs, leaving her unable to run. She then jumped up and chased down the other nanny, allowing Andor to stand guard over the exhausted kid. Its fellow bleated, too terrified to even run.
When Ceren returned to the group, she was wet, muddy, and sporting several bruises and a cut on her left cheekbone. With her, were five goats in various stages of anger and exhaustion.
"Genthus!" she called out as the wagon came into sight. "I think this one's horns rival yours!"
06-19-2024, 02:17 PM
