The Hunting Trip 3

The cool wind drifted around Zindrafel as she strode into camp. There would be rain later if her nose was correct, and it usually was. She crossed the dusty ground, not caring who she kicked dust over, heading straight to the central camp fire. She had a young deer draped over her shoulder, testament to her hunting skills, hers and Wolf's anyway. The animal strode along by her side, the look of pride in his eyes verged on unbelievable. It wasn't the biggest animal they'd ever taken, it verged on scrawny even but for the time of year, it was a bounty fit for many.

"Hey Alistair." The young paladin was sat at the fire, poking it with a stick to keep it burning. He wore his thick gambeson and chain over it but his heavy armour was stashed away elsewhere. He looked up at her then, his amber eyes smiling.

"Good afternoon my Lady." He said.

"You want to give me a hand with this?" she asked, indicating the deer on her back.

"Of course." He replied. He dropped the stick into the kindling and rushed over. "Let me take that." Wolf growled low as he took the kill from her but Zindrafel hushed him with her hand. They walked away from the fire and the warmth and over to the edge of the camp reserved for such purposes as this. Zindrafel produced her skinning knife and motioned for Alistair to drop the carcass. She plunged the knife in and began sheering the pelt from the body.

"I'll make you a warm cloak if you like." She said.

"I have one thank you."

"That? That won't be enough when the winter comes you know. It's going to be a rough one this year, I can feel it coming already and it's only just kissing autumn." She said as she worked.

"Don't you need one yourself?" he asked, "I wouldn't want to take something as lovely as this pelt away from you."

"Alistair. I have enough furs and cloaks to last me a lifetime of winters, you Wardens are short of supplies and I don't want you to freeze out here." She said, "Take it for what it is."

"Then I thank you once again." He said, "Can I do anything to help?"

"Sure, start cutting this into decent size bits so we can use some and store some. It cures well so we can use it in the slow months." She said handing him the legs she'd already sliced off. "I'm going to gut this now, might want to hold your nose, it's going to stink." He nodded and moved off to the side while she sliced the belly of the deer open. Wolf next to her yipped as she pulled the inedible bits out and handed them to him, he made quick work of them. Once done, she began hacking up the deer into cuts, just as Alistair was doing with the legs.

"How can you do it so quickly?" he asked.

"Out there a kill like this will attract all sorts of predators, you have to do it quick or risk getting eaten by a mountain lion, or worse." She replied.

"Makes sense." He nodded, she handed him some of the cuts and hoisted the rest into her arms.

"You can go and find a stew pot to stick those legs in if you like. I'll get this hung and curing and then join you back at the fire if you like." She said.

"Of course." He said, she watched him head off back in the direction of the other fires. She took a moment before heading to the cabin where the meat was hung.

Half an hour later she was sat next to Alistair, poking the fire with a stick, it burned high and strong, warming her face. "Would you take me with you next time?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Will you show me how to hunt in the forest?"

Zindrafel turned to look at the young man sat beside her. His strawberry blond hair was cropped close to his head but stuck up in an endearing way. His eyes betrayed all the eagerness to learn of a young puppy. The angles of his face were pleasing to her eye and she couldn't help smile back at his open enthusiasm. "How could I say no?" she said. "I want to spend a night in camp though before heading out again."

"So we can leave tomorrow some time?"

"Not too early. We'll have to sort your equipment out as well, there is no way you can come into the forests with me dressed in all that metal." She said, "Everything edible will hear you coming a mile away and we won't catch anything at all. How good are you with a bow?" she asked

He pushed a large hand through his hair in an attempt to flatten it down, it stuck straight back up again and he flicked his gaze into the fire, "I'm not brilliant but I can hit a barn door for fifty paces."

"Well, that's a good start." She said, "Leather armour at the most, none of this chainmail, what else... Bring a blanket and standard kit; we'll be sorted with that. Do you have permission to go off with me like this? Won't Wynne worry about you?"

"She worries about us all, I'll let her know I'm going and we'll be fine." He said.

"Good. Be a good idea to get an early night tonight then. We'll be walking a long way tomorrow." She said arising.

"Are you turning in now?" he asked. A smirk crept across her face.

"Why were you planning on joining me?" she asked raising one of her delicate eyebrows.

"I... Uh... I..." He rubbed the back of his neck with the palm of his hand as he stammered and looked at the floor.

"I'm messing with you Alistair." She said with a sigh, "Don't fret." She gave him a reassuring smile before turning and leaving him by the fire.

Despite what she'd said the previous evening, they left early, before most of the camp was up. The morning has sent in a thick mist that dampened all sound they made as they passed through the dense trees. Zindrafel decided to take Alistair up into the higher part of the forest, it meant they'd be gone for a good few days but the game was always better up there. The mist would clear as well, giving them a clearer view of the surrounding area, always useful in a hunt. At the moment though, they tramped along one of the clearer game trails, it was going to be a lengthy trek.

Wolf loped out in front of her, Alistair behind. She carried a small pack of supplies with her, nothing but some dried meat for chewing, some hard bread and some cheese. It would go well with the berries and roots they'd find on the way. It would be a good challenge for Alistair to see if he knew what was edible and what was poisonous.

"How long will we be out here?" he asked behind her.

"A few days." She replied, "There's better hunting further afield and it's nice to have some company for a change, may as well make the trip worth it. You never, know, you may even learn something." She said, a laugh escaping her lips.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course not." She said, "It's a good opportunity for the both of us."

"How come?"

She rolled her eyes but bit back a sigh, she didn't want to belittle his inexperience too much, she didn't want to spend the entire trip with him sulking with her, "You get to pick up some trail skills and I get your company."

"How is that a fair trade?" he asked, stepping over one of the bigger puddles of mud they'd encountered." Wolf chose that moment to bark as he came loping back towards them. ZIndrafel stopped where she was and put her hand out, motioning for Alistair to stop too. Wolf padded over to her and circled around her before finally sitting and panting. He cocked his head to one side and seemed to smile at her.

"Enough of that, get going." She snapped. The animal snorted before striding off once more.

"What was all that about?"

"He does it to be funny sometimes." She replied, pushing her long dark hair out of her face, "Ignore him, we need to get moving."

It took them nearly all day to clear the mist, when they did, the sun shone brightly, making Zindrafel feel warm for the first time in what seemed like months. The ground sloped gently upwards and she continued to lead Alistair into the sunlight. It was just clipping the horizon when they reached the clearing she'd been aiming for. "We'll stop here tonight." She said, setting her pack down on the floor.

Glancing around the clearing, Alistair could see that she'd brought him to an already established campsite. There was a fire-pit surrounded by stones in the centre of the clearing with a new fire already set up inside it. A pile of spare wood was stacked nearby. There were three large logs placed back from the fire, they'd been worn smooth on top, where people had used them to sit on. There was enough ground between the logs and the fire for sleeping on with the added bonus of having the fire for warmth. Still, he shivered at the idea of sleeping without a tent.

"Can I do anything to help my lady?" he asked, turning to see Zindrafel already stooping own to light the fire.

"There's a small brook over the rise, can you fill the small pot stashed over there with water please?" she asked. He willingly obliged and returned with a full pot moments later. "Stick it in the fire." She said. He did so and she walked over to him. "What do you know about herb lore?" she asked. Was it him or was she standing a bit closer than before. He bit his bottom lip before answering with a shake of his head.

"Not much." He replied.

"I thought so. Here's what we'll do," she said, throwing some of the tough meat into the water. "We'll go through what's around here while we cook up some dinner. I'll hold some up and you tell me what they are, I've gathered them as we've been walking today."

"Alright." He nodded. She held the first one up and handed it to him. At least this one he knew, "Willowbark." He said.

"Very good. Good for curing headaches as well as bolstering any meal. How about this one?" she said. She inched a bit closer to him so he could see it properly. He swallowed hard as he became aware of her thigh, warm against his own.

"Gypsophila." He replied. She nodded and he threw it into the water. "And that one's Marjoram." He said pointing to the next one.

"OK." She said with a small smile on her perfect mouth. "How about this one?" She held up a root, which to him, looked like any other root.

"Uh..." she handed it to him and he turned it over in his hands a couple of times, it still looked like a root. "I have no idea." He said shaking his head.

"This is a parsnip." She said with a snort. He narrowed his eyes at her, "It's just wild which is why its forked like that. It's in its natural form, rather than what your used to buying at the market." He felt a smile tugging at his lips and he let out an exasperated laugh.

"You tricked me with a parsnip." He said. He laughed harder when he saw the winsome smile spread over her features.

"You find these in all sorts of places, if I see any tomorrow, I'll show you what to look for." She said as he brushed off the mud and broke it up into small pieces. "Stick it in the stew; it should give it a bit more flavour."

"I really appreciate you showing me all these things." He said, hoping it didn't sound too lame.

"It's my pleasure." She replied. He felt a shiver run through him and he inched closer to the fire. "It's going to be a cold night tonight." She said looking up at the clear sky, the first few stars were poking out and he shivered again. "We may well have to keep each other warm."

"Is that so?" he asked, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

"Unless you want me to freeze," she shrugged.

"Never my Lady, how could you think that-"

"That's settled then." She said dragging one of the blankets out of her pack and spreading it on the ground. He looked on, not knowing what to do, "With the other blanket and our cloaks, we should be fine." She said. He nodded and looked at the cook pot in the fire. His stomach growled at him and his mouth flooded with spit. He hadn't realised how hungry he was. "It'll be done soon." She said, "Unfurl the rest of the gear and we'll eat."

"Of course." He handed her the other blanket, he also retrieved the hard bread and cheese, "Do you want these now?"

"We'll have the cheese tomorrow." He put them back into the pack and pulled out a couple of plates and broke the bread in half. "All right, let's eat." She said, smoothing the other blanket into place. She took one of the spoons from him and dished up the food. Alistair took the offered plate and dunked his bread into it. It tasted wonderful.

After washing the pots and packing everything away, Zindrafel fed some more wood onto the fire. The heat was enough to be felt while sitting on the logs, the warmth was beautiful on her skin, it was the best she'd felt all day. Wolf loped into camp and snorted when he saw the blankets spread out. He sat on the opposite side of the fire, his eyes glowing in the light.

"So tell me about your family." She said eventually.

"You know it mostly, my father sent me to the Chantry when I was a boy. They've been my family ever since, there really isn't more to tell than that My mother died bringing me into this world, I never knew her." He said with a shrug.

"What was it like growing up with them?"

"Life was hard, but then, what life isn't? Every walk of life has its trials. What about you?" he replied, "You ask about me but never speak of yourself."

"Well, I never thought you'd be interested in a simple being like me." She said, a smile creeping onto her face. "I was brought up in my clan in the forest. My father was a hunter, like me, before he passed on. My mother is still there now." She explained. "I miss them but I have to find my way in the world too. I expect I will return one day."

"Why did you leave them?"

"Darkspawn taint." She said, "I don't want to talk about that though."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It brought me to the Wardens and to you. For that I am grateful."

"Are you serious?"

"You're a good friend Alistair, maybe a bit more than that, I don't know yet." She said, feeling heat rising on her cheeks and she looked away. "I'm not sure why I said that." She mumbled looking away.

"I'm glad you did." He said. She looked up at him then and he glanced away, turning his face from hers. She'd gone and embarrassed the poor lad; she wanted to reach out and pat his knee for reassurance but didn't want to do more damage than she'd already done. She yawned and arose from the log she sat on.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you." She said. She stretched her arms and arched her back, "I guess I'm just tired from the long walk we've had today."

"Really?"

She frowned but wasn't sure if she could detect any sarcasm in his voice, she decided she couldn't so pressed on, "Of course, we came a lot further than I had hoped we would, tomorrow we can start picking up some game trails and do some actual hunting rather than just trekking."

"I'm looking forward to it already. Do we need to set watches?"

"Out here? Wolf and the fire will do the work for us, we should get some sleep." She said. She didn't want to strip off in front of him so she flopped down onto the blanket. She spread her cloak out on the top and snuggled herself in. The blankets were already warm from the fire so she had no trouble getting comfortable.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Alistair asked, an unsure note trembling in his voice.

"Just get in Alistair," she said with a small sigh. She heard him moving around as she faced the fire. She refused to look at him as he faffed about with the blankets. Then, when she least expected him to, he slid next to her and wrapped his strong arm over her. Despite herself, she wiggled against him, his warmth creeping into her. "I could get used to this." She whispered her voice nothing but a small breath. She heard him sniff her scented hair and she smiled.

"Me too." He replied.

The dawn painted the sky a brilliant fiery red, the wind dug icy claws into the surrounding hills, ZIndrafel shuddered under the pile of blankets, snuggling closer to Alistair. He muttered something inaudible before draping an arm around her, pulling her in. Her hair snagged against one of the buckles on his armour and she pulled her head forward. "Wha..." Alistair said.

"Keep still, I'm caught on you." She struggled with it for a moment before Alistair's hand joined hers.

"Hang on a moment." He said. His hand batted hers away and seconds later, her hair came free. "Better?"

"Yes, thank you Alistair." She said, "I'm sorry to have woken you. I was just getting warm."

"There's no need for us to get up just yet, there's hardly any light to see by." He said drawing her back against him. He smoothed her soft hair back first, so as not to have it catch again. She purred and wriggled into his firm body, his warmth found its way into her and she sighed. His hand rested on her shoulder with a tenderness she was surprised to feel from him. She wasn't sure why, he'd been getting friendlier as they'd travelled and now they were alone it seemed like the perfect time. He smelt her hair, like he had the night before and a smile exploded onto her face.

"I'm surprised you can abide the smell of it." She said, the laugh creeping into her voice.

"It's not so bad as all that, hardly any trace of blood and certainly no gore." He whispered, a gentle laugh in his voice. She patted his hand with hers and held the fingers with her own. "I could get used to this you know."

"I don't ever want to."

"Want to what?"

"Get used to it, every moment we snatch is one to be remembered."

"Do you mean it?"

"Why would I lie about that Alistair?" she said twisting herself round. She tried to make sure the blankets didn't follow her, when she failed; she pulled them back over them both. She searched his amber eyes for any trace of mockery, finding none, she swallowed hard. He maintained her gaze for a moment before turning his attention to the fire.

"I believe you really do mean it." He said. She took his chin in her hand and pulled his gaze back to her. She saw his lower lip tremble, his eyes shook as he watched her. Her heart thumped in her ear and she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Growling resounded around the clearing, ZIndrafel sat up, glancing around. Wolf stood just off the blankets, his hackles standing straight up. "What's the problem?" she whispered. She followed his eyes and saw a huge stag through the trees. Wolf growled again and she arose from the bed. "I think we have our target for the day Alistair." She said.

"There and I was hoping we could have stayed here all day," he said arising from the blankets.

"Oh Alistair, remember why we are here in the first place. If we go back with nothing to show for our hunt, everyone will know what's going on." She said.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, but I just can't cope with Zevran's mocking smiles right now."

"I see your point." He said.

"Leave the blankets, we'll be stopping here tonight as well. We have the full day to track the stag and bring it down." She said. "Bring that bow with you, and your belt knife. We're going to have some fun." She added with her best smile.

"You do know I can't hit anything with this right?" he said, picking up the bow she'd let him borrow. It was made of fine wood, that much was clear but he wasn't sure how much good it would do them.

"Don't worry about that, the stag won't get away from us today." Zindrafel replied, she's make sure he took the animal down one way or another. She shouldered her own weapon and made to follow wolf. "Leave everything here for the day Alistair, we'll return later and it will be safe. There won't be anyone around for miles." She said.

"Only if you're sure," he replied.

"Come on, stop worrying, everything will be fine." With that, she turned into the forest and hoped he'd follow her. There was no way she was going to wait for him to stop faffing around with the gear. Thankfully, she heard him crashing after her. The stag had leapt off the moment it had seen Wolf, it would offer a great opportunity to teach Alistair about tracking. She stopped at the spot she'd seen the stag at and Alistair joined her a moment later. "Tell me what you see." She asked.