A new day dawned over Or'Sol with the cold fresh sea air rushing over the steep cliffs and gentle sloping hills before gracing the clan with the fresh morning scent. Novato, however, was already stressed before the dawn was even a whisper on the wind. Dragging himself out of the comforting warmth of his home and into the biting winter winds, Novato donned his warmest cloak, which still somehow let in just enough cold to make him miserable.
Far'lan was already waiting at the ranch by the time Novato trudged there; Impatience written all over his face.
"What took you so long?" Far'lan gruffed.
"What do you mean? It's dawn just now!" Novato was incredulous. Where was Artaygo when you needed him….
As if summoned by the very thought of him, a rather excitable looking Artaygo appeared; his happy mood seemed to foul those of both the gruff dark Far'lan, and the usually chipper Novato.
"Hey! Over here!" Artaygo called, extending an arm through the part in his cloak to wave over his father and son. His voice carried over the wind and the excitement was palpable.
"Wow, he really thinks we cannot see him…" Far'lan snorted under his breath, gaining a barely stifled chuckle from Novato. Far'lan cleared his throat and turned slightly as if to hide his own smile.
The pair trudged their way over frozen grass which crunched and snapped as they stepped; an oddly satisfying sound which joined the Mireh mid-Kerah morning symphony.
"Glad you both could make it so early! The Hojenst are mostly barely awake so now is the prime opportunity." Artaygo began to explain before being interrupted by his father, Far'lan.
"Remind me why we're going rushing after a wild herd when we have our own breeding stock right here?" Far'lan's voice was filled with annoyance despite his genuine curiosity.
"Well this year has been hard on our herd, and the breeding season did not go to plan…" Artaygo's voice and gaze drifted off as he became lost in the images of his mind. Novato quickly picked up the pace though.
"The calves we have are barely enough for the clan next season. If we can find wild Hojenst for the Royal Aerobics then we can help them out without actually impacting our own stock."
Far'lan's brows furrowed at the news "what do you-" his question abruptly cut off by a panicked Novato shaking his head. He paused a moment to rethink before continuing "What do we need to take with us to capture the wild Hojenst?"
Novato gave an approving subtle nod and smile. Emotional crisis averted. As if shaking off the images playing in his head as well as replacing his prior chipper mood, Artaygo grinned at the pair and led them to the storage barn to equip themselves.

---

The trio trudged through the shrublands over the thin but inconveniently crunchy snow which stubbornly refused to melt despite the suns rising in the sky above, and rising temperatures. The wind, which was gentler among the shrubs, maintained insistence that any warmth was immediately carried away as it managed to permeate both cloak and gear. Fortunately their boots were keeping their feet from the frozen ground below. Novato stopped suddenly with a raised hand signalling for the others to follow suit. Not one of them made a sound as they halted in their tracks with well practiced precision. Novato slowly crouched and signaled for both Far'lan and Artaygo to follow suit but approach his location.
As if having rehearsed this precise moment in advance, Far'lan and Artaygo gently and quietly doffed their extra gear next to where they stood before slowly and carefully moving up closer to where Novato had signaled; crouching as they approached and peering out over atop a very shallow hill. Before them was a small herd of Hojenst grazing among a noticably lush patch of grasses and shrub - the area clearly signalling to their trained eyes that the water table must be close to the surface in this area as there was no other evidence of water bodies nearby.

Artaygo whispered cautiously to not alert the herd "Novato, you have outdone yourself. This is one of the herds I had spotted, but not the one I would have gone for."
"Not now" hushed Novato, his trained tracking instinct demanding silence from the hunters. "Grandpa- I mean, Far'lan... your hunt."
Far'lan was renown in Or'sol for his incredible hunting prowess, having had primary influence in training most of the hunters within - and beyond - the clan.
"Novato, do you think you could get to that ridge over there?" Far'lan gestured with his head. Following the lead, Novato nodded and quietly went off to take a long and slow way around the herd to the indicated ridge, which was barely a rocky outcrop but did give coverage for someone to hide among.
Far'lan shuffled a step closer to his son, Artaygo, and explained the plan given that both he and Novato had hunted larger fauna together before, but Artaygo was well out of practice. "Novato will spook the herd which will direct them roughly our way. Our role is to take down at least one as they stampede past. Let the first one to pass you get through, after that single out the slowest, weakest, or youngest. Keep an eye on me and I will keep an eye on you. If you cannot grab any, join me to get mine. Understand?"
"uhhh"
"Great, we are ready."
"Wait..."