Worst Hunting Trip. Part #1 WF28 Taming attempt

Leilani woke up hours before dawn to head out on a long hunting trip. She had been planning this trip for months, saving supplies, and holding things back from her market sales. This was the last month of winter and she wanted to bring back as much caribou as she possibly could. This would also be Navin’s first big trip! She usually only brought him on trips that took one or two days, three at the most.

Leilani groggily sat upright and wiped the grit from her eyes with her cold fists. She gave a massive yawn and smacked her lips. She winced. The taste in her mouth was stale and dry. She reluctantly threw off the covers and rolled over to the edge of the bed and placed her feet on the freezing hardwood floor. She leaned over to her right to pick up her boots and bring them closer to her. She slipped on her bearskin boots and laced them up. Yawning once more while stretching out, she got up from her bed and went to her closet. She put on warmer small clothes and began to put on her winter hunting clothes. A caribou long sleeve shirt, bearskin pants, coat and cape, and a fox shawl that she wore around her waist. She pulled out a big deerskin duffel bag that was prepackaged the night before. She opened it to double check. Tent tarp, check. New steel rods, check. Four water canteens, check; and so on so fourth.

Leilani closed the bag and ran to her front door. She quickly ran outside, towards the barn where she housed her Tokotas. It was pitch black out and she tripped over an unlit lamp post not five feet away from her porch and knocked it over. She felt around for the lamp and felt around in her coats pockets. She fingered a deer antler lighter she had made a few months ago and brought it out.

She then felt around for the lantern’s wick and kept a finger on it. She unsheathed a knife and scraped the magnesim side, then struck the other side lighting the magnesium shaving. The wick caught fire and burned brightly. Leilani pushed the lamppost upright and pulled herself up. she brushed herself off and turned towards the barn once more. She was met with a facefull of fur. She jumped and shouted out. The young huntress readied the knife she still had in her hand and blinked to focus on the creature. She eased up to see the first Tokota she ever owned, Rhaegal, standing proudly in front of her, grinning eagerly with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

“What are you doing out here? How did you get out here?” Leilani questioned the tawny beast. The Tokota yawned and snorted. Leilani unhooked the lamp hanging fro, the pole walked past Rhaegal to the barn’s doors and saw that the wooden plank the lock was attached to was chewed in half. The globs of saliva covering it told her it had been gnawed on for quite some time. “Really? I have to carve a new one! You know that, right!” She groaned at the bearmarked Tokota. Rhaegal whined and flattened his ears, looking sheepishly at his owner. Leilani rolled her eyes and pushed the doors open wider. The other three Tokotas she owned, Aya, Narcissa, and Navin, still slept inside the barn. Leilani smiled at the sight and walked towards them. “Time to wake up guys! We have a long trip ahead of us! Rise and shine!” She paused, “Not really shine because it’s still dark out!”

She nudged Navin with a booted foot. The piebald Tokota yawned and blinked three times. His yellow eyes reflected the lantern’s bright light and glittered like gold. The young Tokota clumsily lurched to his feet and bowed to stretch, making a massive yawn, and then shook himself off, sending hay strands everywhere.  Narcissa snorted in annoyance and reluctantly rose up. Aya was the last to rise, slowly getting to her feet.  After the Tokotas shook off their sleepiness, they stood in a row awaiting instruction. Leilani snapped her fingers twice and whistled, indicating it was time to eat. In the next instant they were all rushing to the large aluminum trough on the far lefthand side of the barn anxiously waiting to be fed. Leilani made her way over to a lever next to the trough and pulled down on it.

A small door opened and gum-ball sized pieces of food, similar to dog kibble, poured out. Leilani made this food herself, using the excess cuts from her meats and grinding it up, mixing it with various ingredients she grew herself so she wouldn't have to feed them meat exclusively and run out constantly.  This way she could also put in more supplements to boost their health.

Once the door shut and the rest of the food finished pooling into the trough, the four Tokotas ate ravenously as if they weren't fed in weeks, despite being fed twice a day, every day. Within a minute or so, not a single piece remained and the bin was licked clean. Leilani laughed at her Tokotas and went over to the racks where she kept the saddles and other tack pieces. She heaved Rhaegal’s saddle off the hook and called him over. The tawny Tokota strutted over to his owner and she threw the saddle over his back and fastened the strap underneath him. She called the other Tokotas over and strapped bags and other cases to them. Leilani had already packed away enough food for her Tokotas and was almost set. She hurried back to her house and grabbed her hunting bow and quiver, slung them across her back, and put three knives on her belt.

She was ready! The young hunter rushed back outside, slamming the door behind her. She whistled for Rhaegal, Navin, Aya, and Narcissa, who were already standing outside, ready to go. Leilani dragged a heavy wooden plank to the barn doors and used it as a temporary lock, then turned to her Tokotas. “Let’s go!” she yelled with excitement as she pulled herself onto Rhaegal’s back. She gave His side a soft kick, and he took off. The other’s followed closely behind, eager for the hunt.

Once they reached the beginning of the woods, Leilani held her lantern high and inspected the area for any danger. Seeing none, the hunting party continued on.

The morning sun had just begun to show itself over the peaks of the mountains in the distance, making the sky different shades of orange and pink. Leilani marveled at it’s beauty. To her right, she heard movement. She drew a knife and turned her head around. Narcissa snarled took a defensive position. The rest of the Tokotas did the same. Rhaegal’s mane bristled as he growled a warning to the threat that opposed him.  The loud rustling grew louder and closer. Leilani based herself for a bear, but instead, a dark brown, barbary mane Tokota came bounding through the trees. Leilani didn’t put her knife down. The wild Tokota froze, and stared at the snarling Tokotas and the hunter. She then leaped to the left, then the right, wagging her tail from side to side, then ran in a circle three times and barked. Leilani eased herself and sheathed her blade. The wild beast watched her every move with wild, curious eyes. She then began howling loudly, keeping eye contact with Leilani.

“Are you alright?” The girl asked, covering her ears. Rhaegal, Aya, Narcissi and Navin all straightened up and flattened their ears, looking somewhat worried. The wild Tokota continued to obnoxiously howl and Leilani decided she had had enough and kicked Rhaegal’s side. He sprinted away and the others followed, including the wild Tokota, who barked madly at the hunting party.

The chase went on for what seemed like ages, until the reached the other side of the woods, and bust into a wide valley.

On the far side of this valley was a herd of caribou, already aware of the Tokotas presence,  tense and ready to run. “Oh no!!!!” Leilani growled under her breath. She grabbed Rhaegal’s reins and turned him around immediately. The others followed even though confused. The wild Tokota was still following them, still making noise. “Will you please stop! You’re ruining everything!” Leilani cried in frustration. The wild beast did not stop.

Leilani reached in her pocket and grabbed a few treats and threw them at the Tokota. She stopped making noise, bent down and sniffed the biscuits. Deeming them safe, the wild Tokota swallowed them whole. Leilani looked on in confusion. “You are the strangest one I’ve ever met.” She groaned in relief having finally shut the beast up.

The wild Tokota looked up at Leilani once more and began to bark. Leilani grew frustrated again and threw more treats at her. Navin whined, wanting a cookie for himself. “I’m sorry boy, but I’ll do whatever it takes to silence her!” Leilani sighed. The Tokota sat down and starred. Leilani gave Rhaegal’s side a gentle kick and began guiding him away and back towards the valley and the herd of caribou. The wild Tokota remained in place.

Rhaegal broke into a fast trot and slowed at the edge of the valley. The herd had moved a few hundred feet, but was still in sight. Leilani looked behind her to see If they were followed, and sighed in relief when she did not see the wild Tokota. She slid off Rhargal’s back and grabbed her bow off her back. She ran close the the edge of the woods, trying to get closer. She signaled for her Tokotas to go ahead of her and make it to the northern side of the clearing. She made it to a large pile of rocks closer to the herd and readied an arrow. She scanned the perimeter for her Tokotas. When she saw them in their correct positons, she made a bird call and they took off towards the herd. Before they could begin picking them off, the wild Tokota burst out of the woods, faster than any of Leilani’s Tokota’s and took the lead, barking hysterically. “NO!” Leilani shouted as the caribou began to scatter. She released her arrow and hit a caribou in the thigh. She cursed under her breath.

The wild Tokota bounded through the caribou haphazardly, scaring them off. Narcissa managed to catch up with the caribou Leilani had injured, and brought it down. In a few seconds, the rest of the herd was gone. Leilani got up from her cover and stomped over to Narcissa. The wild Toko trotted over to her, wagging her tail, looking proud of herself.

Leilani was fuming. “Why would you do such a thing?” She shouted at the wild beast. The feral Tokota just stared back at her and barked.