Master Of None

Chapter 200 - 200. New Prey

With their new enemy taken down and the party adequately on alert Gil led them slightly out of the way to avoid the larger number of horned rabbit tracks. "The worst thing about the spring in the plains is that the horned rabbits come out in mass. They spent all winter in dens sleeping. Their young should have been born and they will all be coming out too."

"Where did you learn that?" Since Gil was acting all know it all Remey felt the need to fight him on his knowledge, 

"Didn't you ask the warriors in the rabbit tribe about the monsters in the area when you went out hunting? Or did you just spend your time threatening to punch them?" Hitting the nail on the head Remey puffed up her cheeks in frustration. Normally she would run to hit him again but instead she held back knowing Gil was right and not wanting to admit it. Gil had really made the most of his hunting while with the tribe, he had taken many chances to learn the insider tricks to hunting.

Gil was about to share more about his learning but was interrupted by another two horned rabbits in the distance. The two were jumping at each other trying to stab the other with their horns. "Walker, the two seem to be fighting over territory, should we pass or try to take them out?" Gil already had an arrow in his other hand waiting for the word to take a long shot at one of them.

Walker couldn't see the harm in getting some more experience and also gaining a bit more meat for the journey back to their kingdom. With a nod Gil had taken aim tracking the larger horned rabbit. It only took a moment for him to have his sights set and to let the arrow free. The party watched as the arrow soared in the air and hit the larger rabbit in the back leg completely stopping its ability to jump. The other horned rabbit took the advantage and stabbed in to the larger with its horn finishing the job for the party. 

The rabbit now victorious aimed at the party since it was now the owner of this territory and wanted to defend it. The horned rabbit showed it's running prowess but bursting toward them. It's back legs giving it massive back leg muscles pushing its speed much faster than expected. Gil had already released his second arrow and missed his target due to misjudging the speed. Making adjustments his third arrow managed to hit the horned rabbit making it lurch to the side, however there was no time for a fourth arrow due to the rabbit not slowing enough. The now very aggravated horned rabbit was aiming for the closest person, that happened to be Su who could not move because she was defending Maria. 

The horned rabbit proved too fast for Su and as it jumped forward managed to scrape by her arm. Su was adept in deflecting blows now but speed was still her weakness, the blow to he arm was enough to draw blood but should not have stopped her. The problem was that Su had faltered slightly, this was a female horned rabbit and had just gotten some of its paralyzing poison in her. 

Walker saw this hesitation and started to move himself. Midnight was much faster though, she jumped in to the side of the horned rabbit pushing it away and tearing into it with her claws. Walker expected Su to be completely incapacitated however she soon regained some balance and stood strong in front of the scared Maria. The poison resistance skill was really paying off, as the horned rabbit had recovered and aimed at Su again. She blocked and deflected the horn causing it to stumble again. It had started to loose too much blood from Gil's arrow and Midnight's claws. This was the perfect chance for Remey to land a defense breaking palm, she had been thinking about how to properly work it in to her fighting style since the tournament. Her palm hit the shoulder of the horned rabbit causing a sickening crack to ring out as it cracked bone. The horned rabbit fell to the ground completely defeated. 

Walker was already next to Su using a light heal spell on her to fix up her arm. "Lisa is going to be so angry at me tearing the winter clothes she made me." Of course that was what Su was worried about, not the fact that she had just been poisoned. 

"You know she will fix it up no problem, but your arm won't always be able to be healed like this, if it had been somewhere else it could have been permanent." Walker used a stern tone to draw his point home. She may be the defender of the group but he would not tolerate avoidable injury. 

Su understood this was coming out of kindness and not anger so she nodded, she did still feel a bit bad. Remey was comforting Maria who was not going anywhere near the horned rabbit that Walker had yet to store away. " They are definitely dangerous, it is good to be afraid. But you don't need to worry, we will keep them well away from you." her words seemed to be doing the trick, "Plus they will taste good roasted tonight." Maria grew a bit wide eyed and maybe more afraid since she did not expect they would be eating something like the horned rabbits. 

After storing away the nearest horned rabbit Walker and Midnight headed to the larger one noticing it had some strange injuries. They had clearly been made by some sort of teeth and not from territory fights between other horned rabbits. Motioning for Gil to come take a look Walker had hopes that Gil had heard something from the rabbit tribesman. 

"Ohh that doesn't look right." Gil knelt down looking at the partially healed wounds on the horned rabbits back. "These are definitely teeth of some sort, they don't look like those wolves we battled before but I would say it's similar. Maybe a speckled fox?" Gil was wracking his brain on every word the warriors had told him and could only come up with one possible outcome.

"I have actually heard of those!" Walker had seen one of the pelts in the tribe and managed to ask what it was. "The speckled fox usually raids the dens of the horned rabbits to get at their young before they can get out in the plains to run away, my guess is this rabbit was lucky enough to to fight one off." The white and grey speckled fur was where the name speckled fox came from. They were an interesting monster having a wind and earth affinity. They could easily dig out a horned rabbit den but also use a unique skill called air step. The skill air step would allow them to use the very air around them as a foot hold to attack at strange angles. This made them very hard to hunt making their fur very rare and expensive. 

Gil was recalling these things as well and a small smile had started to appear. "You know these are supposed to be a pretty goo challenge to hunt, and since one seemed to be around the area maybe i should try to do a bit more scouting." Walker knew exactly where this was going, he stored the horned rabbit away giving Midnight a look. 

"Let's go Midnight, we can leave this hunting maniac to find his fox by himself." Surprisingly Midnight shook her head and huffed at him. 

"Sister says she will catch a fox before Gil will." Gil raised an eyebrow at Midnight.

"You're on, the first one to catch a speckled fox gets to sleep during their night watch!" The two went off in opposite directions completely ignoring Walker's attempts to make them stop and return to the group. 

Walker cursed them as he went to set up camp, since the two had run off he figured it was safer to stay in one place for the night even though it was a bit early. Gil was very confident that he would be the first to find one since he could follow the tracks wherever they lead. However he was underestimating Midnight's ability to smell around and track a scent.

Midnight had already taken the chance to small the horned rabbit and was following the scent around the areas it had traveled earlier in the day. Gil was running off following a set of tracks made by a horned rabbit in the hoped that they would lead to a den that was hopefully being stalked by a speckled fox. The two had headed off in completely opposite directions, who knew which one would reach their goal first. 

Su and Remey had spoken to Walker about setting up camp and all agreed that when Midnight and Gil returned they would be in charge of splitting the watch at night just the two of them. That would teach them to place a bet and rush off alone.