It was still dark out, but that was expected. Both Fang and Hildegund needed a trip outside, and with that done, she prepared her gear and dressed for the day. After their tumultuous moot, she wasn't sure how much food was really left to their lodge, and her reasoning of the night before still stood, anyway. She was consuming, yet was recovered enough from her injuries to start contributing again.
The birds were getting more scarce, of course, and there was some snow visible in the hills when the light came. The passes home – not that she was sure what "home" really meant by now – were long since closed by snow, of course, but those were much higher. These little hills around the Chetwood were barely high enough to have their own weather, despite being named for it. Yet there was that dusting, despite the rain that had been all the forest and towns had seen.
She managed to get a fair set of birds despite having to look harder for them, but then, she was good at it. She may not be able to bring down boars like Faron did, and through a winter that could matter, but deer and birds she could get. Well, deer would still have to wait for further recovery of her leg, of course. She couldn't carry one back yet. But soon.
Bears might be even worse than boars with her current equipment, even if it weren't for having Ljota with them. And she really needed to try to speak to the skin-changer, as well as to Nightingale and Home-Wright, to explain and to apologise, no matter how hard it was going to be to string words together in a way they'd be understood.
Either sort of larger game really wanted better, fancier spears than she had. Most of her equipment was still not even made with metal, and the cross-pieces and heads for boar and bear spears needed to be far more substantial. Her birding arrows were even mostly just fire-hardened, and not even horn-tipped. Would working on that have been a better use of her day? But no – the game was getting scarcer, and the winter was a better time for that, despite being only so capable right now while her leg was still healing.
She stopped by the trapper's camp again once she'd got her braces of birds. It was late enough in the morning by then that surprising sleeping birds wasn't happening any more, and most of the trappers were out checking their lines, so she didn't have to deal with so many people.
Ored was there, and greeted her warmly. This time, though, it was Jess who was with him. She made many of their traps, and was good at it, but unlike the rest of them, she seemed to resent the hunter, though she wasn't overtly hostile.
"Good to see you, ma'am!"
She waved to Ored. She was still limping along on her spear, but it wasn't so bad, and she commented, "Mostly better."
Jess simply grunted, and didn't turn from what she was working on. It wasn't a glare, either, though, and the hunter had often experienced worse back in the Vales.
Hildegund took a brace down from her pack. "How much sell these?"
The man hemmed and hawed a bit, and she raised her eyes. Usually, she wouldn't look even a friend straight in the eyes. She wasn't sure why people didn't like it much when she did it, but were fine with it from other people. She knew why hounds didn't like it. But this time, it was right even if it was taken as a challenge. "Look at birds. Not leg."
Ored didn't quite blush, but he did look rather sheepish over it. "Caught us out after all, did you, ma'am? Well, I can give you six pennies each for those."
She glanced over to Jess, who was predictably bristling, but also looking at the birds. She nodded her grudging agreement, perhaps without even seeing the glance.
"Thought so." The hunter had prepared her attachments for just this eventuality, and brought down two more. "You take these, too. Yes, one make up price. But was long time before I notice and come to fix. Not want friends' trade hurt by be nice to me." It wasn't quite as good a job as she'd tried to rehearse, but it was much better than she managed without such preparation.
Jess couldn't quite justify a glare at the blonde woman, and wasn't sure just how protective that hound was. She turned to Ored instead. "What did you do?"
Hildegund winced and stepped back. The volume was more than she wanted to deal with. Fang was confused, since he saw no threat, but stood in front of her anyway.
"Her leg was all tore up, Jess! She limped in here, bleeding into her boot! And it was clear wolf-marks on her leg. She still had two birds, and we bought them. Yeah, for eighteen pennies instead of twelve. But she was like to need a healer. Nobody deserves being turned away when hurt like that!"
Jess sighed, looking at him sourly, and then at the hunter, who nodded to what she thought was an implied question.
"Did not know could see bleeding." She'd felt it then, of course, just as she felt the faint breeze on her arms and heard her heart beating. She'd have to be a lot nearer to dead not to have noticed. It hadn't seemed that much, though. Then again, her trews leg had been only tatters.
Jess threw up her arms and turned away with an exasperated near-growl, and returned to her trap-building.
Ored shrugged, turning back toward Hildegund, and started counting out coins from his pouch. He held them out to her, but she held out the other two birds.
"Need be sure you take."
He grunted, and gave her a small smile. "I suppose I can't blame you, ma'am. I'd rather only take one, though."
She shook her head. "Not know how be good friend. Need do this."
He started to try to argue it again, but Jess snapped over her shoulder, "Take it! You're insulting her if you don't!"
The hunter flashed the other woman a quick smile. She didn't care whether it was any indication of a change of heart, or just wanting her to be gone sooner. She appreciated the support for her position either way.
The man nodded, and took the entire collection of birds, then held out the coins again. This time, Hildegund took them, and smiled up at him briefly. "Thank you."
"Thank you, ma'am, for all you drive a hard bargain."
His tone was teasing, she thought, so she didn't let the words bother her. "Will try keep more fair next time." She hoped her attempt to tease back didn't get taken the wrong way.
Ored chuckled, nodding to her again. "Fair enough, ma'am. You staying?"
She shook her head, surprised she didn't see Jess's back stiffen. "Need get home. Make more arrows. Smoke birds."
He nodded. "Well, I'm glad you stopped by. Good to see you recovering."
"Could use more teaching. Of reading. Later. When convenient."
He nodded again. "I'll let folks know, and we'll be looking forward to seeing you."
While she did hear Jess mutter something suspiciously like "Some of us, maybe," her heart didn't seem to be so much in it this time as on previous occasions. This was something to mull over on the way home.
She gave them a small wave, almost forgetting and having to turn back to do so, and hobbled off.
