Hunting Death- Departure
#3 of Hunting Death
Departure
When one of us starts off on our pilgrimage it is always a rather somber affair. Everyone gives one last farewell to the one leaving, most giving some words of advice, but almost every one of them knows that they will likely never see that ever again. This time is certainly no different. Once everyone has said their farewells to me my mentor leads me to the exit of this place where some supplies have been prepared. After helping me put the pack on my back he advises me one last time. Amongst other things he tells me that I should never reveal what I am to other people and above all else avoid those that would probably kill me if they knew what I was. And with that he turned and left with no more motion than if I was just leaving to go hunt some rabbit.
Once out of view of all my friends and family, the reality of my situation finally sinks in. It is so overwhelming at first that I have to stop and try to regain composure. It has never been our way to run from this pilgrimage, but it doesn't change the fact of having to come to terms with the reality that in all likelihood I am never going to be able to see any of those people again. With a heaved sigh I adjust the pack on my back and begin moving again. As I walk I look around me and admire the forest the way I've never done before. It is well doing this that I notice it.
A scent up ahead of me causes me to stop dead in my tracks. It's not an unfamiliar scent; I have encountered traces of this species while hunting in the forest before and have been told what it is and been told numerous times that I should avoid them at all costs. Though elves have never hunted us down and attacked us in our homes they have been more than known to attack us on sight and have thus always posed a constant threat to our people. And their ability to hunt us is vastly superior to our ability to potentially drive them out, not that we'd have any drive to do so even if we could.
Still, this elf somewhere up ahead seems to be rather stationary to the extent of being in the same location for almost half the day already. This is one of the beautiful things I have always loved about my ability to smell, that not only can I tell if someone's there, if I concentrate I can find out how long they've been in that location and what direction they came and left. Of course using a simple sensing spell certainly aids significantly to this effect.
Curiosity getting the better of me I decide that it could be fun to investigate. My blood only started burning last night so it should be far too early for my death to be caused by peeking in on an elf that isn't moving. Even still I make sure to stay close to the ground so as to not draw any attention to myself. If I can find out what this elf is doing and then leave without the elf even knowing I am even in the area then so much the better.
As I approach I can make out a few details from his scent, primarily that this elf is a young male, a little overweight and from the motion of the elf and the way the ground and air feels is not using any sort of magical skill or ability. Elves typically hunt by using magic to feel their surroundings to know where everything is nearby. I know they can do this because it is how we hunt as well and such a spell does leave traces that anyone can decipher if they know the spell. But that means that this elf isn't hunting either. Using the sensing spell I can tell that the elf is completely alone and not acting as a sort of bait while his companions wait until I am in range to shoot at me.
I can just almost see him now and he still seems to have no clue that I'm even here, which makes me even more curious to what might be wrong with this elf. But as I lay eyes upon him finally my blood starts to burn again. My whole body is suddenly wracked with an extremely uncomfortable sensation. It is not exactly painful though it might as well be. It is a sensation that the best way I can describe it is every drop of my blood within my body has started to run hot, scorching me from the inside yet I know when it passes it will have no lasting effects. But the headache and nausea that it cases is so great, so unexpected and I am still unused to having to deal with it that I end up losing my breakfast in response.
I half groan as I look at the liquid now on the ground before me as my blood begins to calm back down, having fulfilled its purpose of telling me that this elf is apparently either someone that can help me or will lead to my death. If I was starving I might have tried eating my vomit back up but as I am not the image only disgusts me so I start moving away from it a bit, chewing at some clean grass to try and get the taste of bile out of my mouth. It is while doing this that the elf speaks up, suddenly reminding me that he's there at all.
"Hello? Is someone there?"