(514-07-12) Nothing Like a Pack
Summary: Master Huntsmen Erylys comes out to Steeple Langford to help Perin and Evae deal with a local situation
Date: 514-07-12
Related: None yet
erylys evae perin 


Mid July is about what one would expect it to be in Salisbury. Certainly warm, certainly some bugs about, certainly plenty of green growth close to the rivers. Sir Perin de Steeple Langford had sent word to Sarum, in need of a huntsman involving a wolf perhaps. Earl Robert would of sent the new master huntsman to investigate and help as needed.

Expecting someone along, Perin was out near the front of the manor, near the millhouse of the estate, waiting for whoever comes from the Earl. Most likely in the presence of Evae as well. He is dressed ready to move at least today, boots, breeches and traveling shirt along with sword. Looking overhead at the large billowing white clouds that stand as lazy looming giants in the sky, he says to Evae, "I don't think we need more rain … but I'm hoping just the same for a sudden storm." Half a turn to her with a grin from the man.

A small group will soon be seen, heading towards the manor. Erylys with another, an apprentice, if you will, who helps her with the dogs that ride in the small wagon that the apprentice drives. The young lady is dressed in pants and tunic in forest colors, both bow and spear strapped to her saddle. As they reach the manor, she draws up on her reins, soon to offer a nod towards Perin and the Lady outside, "Good day, sir and milady.." Polite and well mannered is the huntress.

For some reason, Perin's words bring a light blush to Evae's cheeks and it has her tilting her head back to look at the sky above them, and the billowing clouds. "A storm would be nice, just need to stay away from the gullies." A smile curves her features, but it fades briefly, at the reminder of the reason they were here. Hearing the greeting, she turns and offers a warm smile. "My lady," she greets, dipping her head.

A grin from him, looking down to the curve of Evae's smile, then up towards the approach. He joins in with a nod of his head, "My Lady." Approaching her, he waves a welcome, towards the manor proper and horses welcome to be brought in as needed by others in the group. He moves towards Lady Erylys herself, "Good day indeed, welcome to Steeple Langford, I'm Sir Perin, this is my wife, Sir Evae." A pause, for intorductions at least, but he doesn't keep the issue away ither. "I do hope it proves to be a good day.. A few of the folk around here have been reporting something getting at their livestock. Maybe a wolf. Some suspect a pack even." A slight shurg of indifference though, "Sorry to have you all the way out, but I admit I wouldn't be able to find the beast to stop its from getting more of our animals. We are in need of some help."

With the guidance of the horses, the young huntress thanks them before sliding from her horse's back, handing the reins off to a stablehand. Turning to the two, she ohs, bowing her head respectfully, "Sirs.." A blush touches her cheeks before she offers her own introduction, "Lady Erylys de Berwick St. James, one of the Earl's huntsmen, at your service." As Perin explains the issue at hand, she nods again slowly, "If it is a pack, then we do need to take care of it, or you'll loose a lot more of your animals. If it was merely one or two, or a mother with pups, that would be different." Though one can see that the idea of finding pups, would be quite exciting for her!

"My own hunting skills are abysmal," Evae concurs with the general issue, neither could hunt the wolves without outside help. When he does relay the reason why she was asked to come, Evae offers a nod, motioning to the general direction of the pens. "So glad you could come, Lady Erylys." Dipping her head again, admiration in her gaze for her particular profession.

A grin from Perin at the introduction, but a slight shake of his head at Evae's account of her skills at least. He's sure its not that bad. "Ah, Berwick St James," he returns to Lady Erylys, "How is Sir Aeron these days? Last I heard there was some business during the Saxon seige, I regret not having time to have asked earlier." About his where abouts. Sincere in that thought, the hint of excitement for finding pups leads Perin back towards grinning though. "I am glad as well. Let's hope it is these pups, sounds like an easier task to deal with." Then again, he's not so certain.

"My cousin is doing well enough, I believe, though I admit I've been at Sarum helping out since the raids there." Erylys answers, though glances to Evae, "I'm sure your other skills make up for it, and likely far better than mine in some areas." Like with a sword! Turning back to Perin, she sighs, "If it's a mother with pups, it means we only have to deal with one or two older hunting wolves. If it's a pack, however? Then we're dealing with however many are part of the pack.." A game of numbers.

Aeron was one Evae had briefly met but wasn't as familiar with, so she remains silent between the exchange, glancing off towards the trees and the possible hiding places of the suspected wolves. "It sounds dangerous either way," she offers quietly. A smile is given the huntress, "Thank you, My lady. I am glad you're here to help."

A nod from Perin, slow, taking in the news of her cousin, and noting of course her relation to the man. "I think we've all been busy of late, ever since." That day implied of course, not to assume what others are doing, but lots to do in general. Taking in the words of the situation, he folds his arms a moment, as if pondering lone wolf/couple and pups versus pack. "That I'll have to leave to your determination. If you like, we can show you the most recent attack …" A slightly arched brow of course, but then one hand unfolds and points to a nearby house belonging to one of the locals. Its within fifty yards at most. A slight slope up from the River Wylye, close to Steeple Langford, towards a house with a small pen for animals. "Yeah, dangerous indeed, I'll be sure to be ready for this." Instinctively, he moves to stand between Evae and the fields beyond the manor, as if to keep her away from danger, as he heads towards that house.

"I'm glad to be here and offer my services to both of you." Erylys offers, then nods once more as Perin speaks of showing her to the most recent attack, "If you would?" Turning to her horse, she fetches the quiver, bow and spear from the saddle, her apprentice already climbing out of the wagon to unleash one of the dogs within - a large mastiff-like dog that is brought forwards to Ery. "Shall we then?" She asks of the two knights, a brow raised upwards. "Aerona here will help us sniff the trail.."

The protective gesture isn't missed and Evae gives him a reassuring smile, a glance given to the fields also, protective of him as well. At the offer from Perin, she looks towards the pens, then the hunter, letting Perin lead the way. "We were with the chickens the other day, gathering the eggs when one of the women told us about some missing piglets and other smaller animals."

"Yes, that's the first we heard of it, don't know if anything was taken before that," offers in Perin as he leads for the small nearby home and hearth. "Nothing at the manor itself, and don't know where they are even coming from." Complete agreement with Evae on that front. "Hopefully Aerona gets a good trail, and you can determine how many we're talking. Would be good to know if we need more to join us to be safe."

The pen is behind the house and yes, looks like something dug in around there, near hogs and chickens. A bit of mud near the wood, dried from claws digging at dirt and fence even. And behind that, some shrubs too, a good place to sneak in from. Could stand to be cleared some more one might think.

"Hmm.." Erylys offers at their words, each piece of information taken in. As they reachthe house, and then walk about to the pen, she studies the lay of things, "Might want to speak to the farmer about clearing the bush back a little more. It's too easy for the wolves to sneak in with it so close here." A hand is gesturesd to those areas where the bushes are so close to the pens. "Wolf can just duck in and out again, and you'd never see them. Same with fox and the chickens.." Either predator would make the most of the covering.

With Aerona still on leash, she leads the dog closer to the woods, crouching down to look at the prints left in the mud there, taking note of perhaps any differences she can pick up on in the prints to get an idea of how many might have been there.

Success
Erylys checked her hunting of 15, she rolled 8.

"That's a brilliant idea," agrees Evae, with a look to Perin, that is something they could both help the owner of this home with even. She stands quietly as Erylys starts to look closer in the area for prints and such with Aerona.

Perin nods, "Right away, once we deal with the wolf issue. Prevent more from coming here looking for easy pickings too." Agreed, he watches as Erylys and the dog do their work even. "If we were better, we might of taken a few swords and followed. I'm thinking that wouldn't of been the best idea." For them at least, not without a hunter with them.

While it looks like two or three did the work near the pigs and the chickens, looking further at the ground would indicate a few more individuals. Its definitely a pack, and Erylys and Aerona have the trail as well. It leads off north into open field and terrain. Tracking more now could reveal more of the pack size, or location possible.

"Small things to do to better protect your animals from predators. The wolves merely see them as easy pickings, especially when we've had so many of us in the woods looking for Saxons. Makes hunting harder for them when game is scared off." Erylys says as she studies the ground, brows soon to furrow slightly as she takes in what she finds.

She soon points out a few traacks, "There's at least two or three different wolves here…" Rising, she walks off towards the woods, following the prints, finding more, "And a few more here. We're dealing with a pack.." Turning to the two knights, she soon says, "While we have the scent, we could go after them, but I would rather go with more people than just us? That's at least 5-7 wolves. Likely all experienced adults. Not something you wish to go after with a small party."

"We might need someone to look around Steeple Langford likd that," offers Perin about the idea of how to be better protected from nature itself, or predators at least. Just a comment givenn, not to detract from the observations of the currrent home and figuring out the situation with the wolves.

He moves a little closer as she begins to look at and point out tracks. As if to help himself learn hunting even. Observing, or trying to observe the tracks. "That many, I agree, a few more. If you could give us a day, I think I can muster the arms to go after this wolf pack. Any pups would be yours," he throws in, only interested in being rid of this pack as it is, not having to deal with mews/kennels. "That's enough time to keep the trail fresh? Or would you like to observe more before we make such a decidion?" More looking at Erylys rather than the tracks

Failed.
You check your hunting at 7, you rolled 10.

"Think of it like this…" Erylys begins, looking to the knights, "An animal can use the same cover that an enemy can to get close to your home. Even less in some ways. So you want to keep the bushes and all cut back, easier to see anyone or anything approaching, yes?" A brow lifts ather words, "Same thing for the animals. Don't want to make it easier for them to get what they want."

Pausing there at the edge of the woods, Erylys considers her options, then nods, "We could go a little further, if you want? Get a better idea of just which way their den lies before bringing in others to hunt them?" If they're up for that, she'll prepare them all for tracking the pack into the woods a little ways. The offer of any pups for her own has her grinning, "Thanks.. I'd gladly accept that as payment."

A nod from Perin, and a hand lifting in probably the wrong direction. "Yes, lets take a further look, get a better idea of what we're dealing with. Might help in rounding up a few hands to help deal with this mess." He does look back towards the manor nearby, consideirng bushes cut back and clearing the approach to where the animals of the main manor are kept. All good advice even. His eyes turn baco to focus on Lady Erylys. "Perfect, hopefully they'll be just what you need then. I am already glad the Earl has taken you in as a huntsmen," he returns, having gotten some of that news about recent positions lately. Offering a hand to Evae so they can follow the lady and the hound, he makes good and ready to look for further evidence of the situation at hand.

Success
Erylys checked her hunting of 15, she rolled 10.

Eyrlys manages to hide the smile as Perin points off inthe wrong direction, and doesn't say anything but merely steps forwards in the right direction. "Thank you. I'm glad to be working with the Earl.. it's been a hope of mine for a while now, to be taken in as one of his huntsmen." Proud is the young lady for gaining something she worked for. Deeper into the edge of the woods they might follow, the dog on it's leash snuffling the ground, tugging on the leash in the direction the prints go.

When they've gone fifty yards or so into the woods, she pauses, once more to crouch down to read the tracks that show in some dirt along the stream bed, "There's more of them.. a fairly large pack." Rising back to her feet, she turns to him, "We'll need a party to go after them. I'm guessing at least ten wolves, perhaps as many as fifteen or so. With as many tracks are here, I'd say their den is likely nearby and they use this stream for watering.."

A slight clench of jaw, and a sigh, Perin reels in his gesture to some other point on the horizon and moves instead to follow Erylys. "You're clearly the obvious choice," he offers honestly, despite his lack of skill at tracking even and his pride there, she is quite skilled. As they move further away from homes and fields, into woods. He pauses and remains quiet while she investigates. When she stands again and explains, he looks at the stream itself in consideration. "This is something we could use to help us?" Just a stray thought, "I'll see to it we have enough to deal with this, the quicker the better. But if there is anything you think we should do to prepare, or that you'll need when we are all ready …" Implied, just tell him so he can make sure its there for them.

"Do you have any mastiffs or wolfhounds in your own kennels at the manor?" Erylys asks of Perin, "We'll need them. I only brought my own.. " The two others she left in the wagon besides Aerona at her side. "Beyond that, there are some who believe in drugging the wolves to make them easier to hunt by lying out meat where they might find it." A gesture is given to the stream, "If you have some sides of meat to spear, that can be done tonight, and when we hunt them tomorrow, they may be groggy.. or even dead." Depending on whether one decides to drug them to sleep or poison them to death.

"We can try that," says Perin in consideration of the drugged meat. "No dogs that big in my kennels. I fear hunting was never truly my interest." Now birds on the other hand would be a different story, not that it would help in the current situation. He looks around the woods as if expecting the wolves to be out there listening now. Knowing the size of the pack too, he isn't so sure about remaining here indefinitely either. At least he hopes Aerona would sense or smell something first. "Do you think we should wait for more hounds, or enouth sword arms good enough to manage the situation as is?" He looks back the way they came, ready to go of course.

Erylys nods once, then turns, "We can leave. I'll come back later with my apprentice and we'll lay out the meat. We'll want to do it before dark so they find it instead of any more of your animals at or around the manor." The young huntress answers, soon to guide the two knights back the way they came through the woods, "My dogs should be enough then, especially if we manage to drug them." She makes careful note of the way they came, leaving a few easy to track signs for the next morning - some Xs on the trees where bark is rubbed off with a knife from her belt.

"It sounds like a good way, but I want to make sure no other animals that might be food would get hold of the meat." Evae looks back towards the prints, suppressing a shudder, "So many so close. We're lucky none of the children have been taken out too." It had been heard of happening! Slipping her hand into her husbands, she treks back at his side, "At least there's an experienced hunter on the trail, we can't thank you enough."

"I agree, we couldn't thank you enough," agrees Perin along the lines of Eva. A serious look given to Evae about the children being in danger. Those in the small community and future even, a long look for later talk even, who knows. But he agrees, and his hand can point the way back at least, that much he knows. "Good, we'll find what we can to help poison, let you do what you need to Master Erylys." Master huntsmen. "I think we should invite you and your cousins to join us come fall harvest that are families might feast together before the snwos of winter come."

"No worries on that. My apprentice will stay up in a tree to throw rocks at those that might come near the meat other than the wolves." Erylys offers, having already scouted out a good size tree for her nimble apprentice to climb and stay in the night. Lucky boy! AS they walk back, she might be seen to blush a little, though she studies the two knights, "I am but doing my job, Sirs. " A wry smile is given before she ohs, "That would be wonderful. I'm sure my cousin would enjoy that as well.."

Catching the look from Perin, Evae gives him a reassuring smile. The later talk would come, she was sure of it. Her hand gently squeezes his before she looks back towards the huntsman. Hearing the plan, she nods again, "It is a sound plan. And a feast together would be fun!"

"Aye, it would be," agrees Perin, and if her hand is anywhere nearby, he reaches to give it a squeeze. Liking the enthusiasm, matching it himself any. "You could take us on a real hunt for the feast. I'm sure Sir Aeron wouldn't mind getting the birds out for some casual hawking as well." It sounds more festive, enough to forget about the heat of mid July even. Seeing as they are walking out of the woods towards the manor once more. Though to help remind of said heat, the sound of insects out there in the fields can be heard once more. That light drone as they talk back and forth. "We might have to turn your ear for news from Sarum of course." Seeing that she probably gets more being closer to the Earl.

Erylys smiles, "I believe some hawking would be great." She pauses with her words,a glance to them as they catch hands to hold. Awww. There's a note of curiosity in her gaze, but their happiness seems to be catching as she proceeds to fill them in with the news from Sarum, from the recent marriage bans that have been posted, to news of the upcoming Summer Tourney in Sarum. "I mean to speak with the Earl to see if he might wish to host a few hunts for the visiting diginitaries from outside Sarum as part of the tourney events.."

"Oh I think that's a wonderful idea, Master Erylys, hunts for the visitors. It would be something to provide food and sport at the same time." Evae does give up her hand to Perin as they walk towards the manor and Steeple Langford proper. "Thank you for coming all the way out here and you are welcome here anytime."

"That is a great idea, and with your knowledge of the area, you could show them more of Salisbury than most of us probably know." Perin likes that idea too, would be interesting to go along,but such hunts may be reserved for a few better individuals than himself. Still, the though tof it is intriguing, "Any time. You are welcome, I've always found Sir Aeron agreeable, its good to know this is the way of his cousins as well." Liking Berwick St. James more and more now. "Any idea what you may try to hunt with the visitors?"

"Thank you both, both for the invitation and for the words.." Erylys murmurs, still smiling as they approach the manor once again, "I would say there would be several hunts, for different game.." When asked, she supplies, "I have seen the ruttings of several boar that I know have not been caught yet, and even a bear.. " That would be beyond the usual small game, right? She finally does turn, head tilted as she murmurs, "Would I be correct in offering my own congratulations to the two of you?" She did catch on the fact he introduced her as his wife, and with all the information after the raids at Sarum, she does recall his new wife had died. But they at least look happy! Which is always a good thing.

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