Khan moved into position like a lion hunting for his prey, stalking the grass along with his canine pet. He remained in place until the game was close enough so that he could launch an attack.
That he did, and with ease. He charged first and his hound ran second, spooking the quarry into the direction of the other hunters that waited patiently. The deer bounded over the stream and into the forest.
All hopes of escape were utterly crushed when the archers loosed their arrows upon the unsuspecting prey. Nets were thrown in too, trapping them into a helpless state like a spider’s web.
Lycus remained hidden behind a log that shielded him from the sight of his food. He lay there, breathing steadily and waiting until the right prey came in his direction. He could hear the pounding of its hooves, the frantic beating of its heart and the fear-induced squealing it made.
The Imperial brought himself and his spear up just as the deer ran by. He threw the weapon like a javelin and watched as it made its mark. Any normal man would’ve hit the deer, and the beast might have made a few feet away and ran into the forest, dropping a trail of blood.
This one though . . . this one was hit with such a forceful impact that it fell to the dirt and offered not so much as a final cry. It already died.
Lycus’ eyes brightened with satisfaction at the dead buck. One of the larger males, undoubtedly. The other was killed by Khan.
He wasted no time in waiting. He rushed to his prey and fell upon it, as the other men around him all claimed their kills. He pulled out his knife and began skinning the animal, taking out the heart and the other edible flesh from within its body. The rest were left for the wolves.
The rest of the hour was of the eager tribune leading the men deeper into the forest to where the ogres were said to have been. Lycus had to admit he knew well how to use the bosmer scouts to look out for any trouble that may pose a problem.
They returned with somewhat bitter news and as expected Khan went over a plan. His idea to send in the spearmen and then the sword-wielders and the archers was simple and effective. Lycus had to nod at this.
He was no military leader but he knew the plan was an efficient one. His time as a slave gave him enough insight on how to plan attacks. True, most of his later days were of leading marauding men into heavily-guarded manors and Dunmer estates to pillage and murder.
Typically coming in and subtle worked well. Slit the throats of the men, dispatch the rest with arrows and invade the premises.
Now, the animals were something different. They can smell danger. But these boars were dumb brutes and easy to kill, providing they weren’t allowed to get too close.
Hjalbir added his own thoughts and decided to switch the positions of archers and swordsmen, another well-thought plan. Lycus kept silent throughout the conversation.
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And yet I am, and liveā€”like vapours tossed. I long for scenes where man hath never trod A place where woman never smiled or wept There to abide with my Creator, God, And sleep as I in childhood sweetly slept, Untroubling and untroubled where I lie The grass belowā€”above the vaulted sky.ā€¯
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