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<blockquote data-quote="dshai527" data-source="post: 365770" data-attributes="member: 4469"><p><strong>Ander and the Bear: Part I</strong></p><p></p><p>Thanks once again to all of our readers and a special thanks to those of you who choose to post and let us know how you feel about our story. (Yes we do sometimes sit around the table and talk about which posters we think are the coolest. Sorry Spider but HULK bumped you from my top spot, I am afraid he will smash me if he isn't) </p><p></p><p>We really enjoy reading all the feedback on the story or just chatting in general, so if you read please post. Even if its just to say HI. Frankly, we crave the attention.</p><p></p><p>Oh boy Tip o' the Day time...I don't get special effects like Letterman or Leno...today's is more of a reminder than a tip</p><p></p><p>"Remember September 19 is National Talk Like a Pirate Day"</p><p></p><p> <a href="http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/dave_barry/4018055.htm" target="_blank">Talk like a Pirate Link</a> </p><p></p><p></p><p>Well on with the show</p><p></p><p>Our first installment of the History of our Heroes</p><p></p><p>**************************************************</p><p>Ander and the Bear</p><p>Part 1 of 2</p><p></p><p>Snow creaked under the young woodsman’s feet as he bent low to examine the trail. A soft flurry of new flakes floated silently around him, making it hard to determine the trail that he was investigating. Instinctively, he pulled the woolen cloak tighter about his body and shivered at the cold. The white landscape and the bitter temperature reminded him that he was a long way from the land of his birth, but he knew he would most likely never see it again. In fact, with all the snow around him, he doubted that he would ever feel the warmth of the sun again. </p><p></p><p>Shaking his head, Ander, the self-proclaimed woodsman, tried to get his thoughts back on the task a hand. The snow was falling too quickly and was covering any tracks that the little girl may have left. Though she had only been missing for a little more than half a day, Ander knew he had little chance to find her. He was new to this forest that the locals called Orloff’s Woods, but since he was given the sole rights to hunt and trap in it he felt responsible for any persons who disappeared or found themselves lost in it. He did find it odd that the Trapper family had given him charge of the largest track in the area, but he figured they were just comfortable with their usual grounds. Small village folk tended not to like change, he guessed. </p><p></p><p>Ander sighed and started to move to his left down what he thought was an old logging path when he noticed a patch of undergrowth sticking up through the snow. The other areas showed no other signs of underbrush, as the heavy snowfall weighed it all down and packed it under. The woodsman knew that only movement in that area would make the brush stick up through the snow again.</p><p></p><p>Knowing that he might be following the path of some woodland creature instead, Ander set off following the sparse trail of oddities that formed in the direction indicated by the undergrowth. A tree with no snow packed to its truck, as if someone or something had sheltered there, showed that the trail turned north heading near one of Ander’s usual trapping lines. Ander swore under his breath, hoping that the little girl hadn’t wandered into one of his winter traps. He was already an outcast in the tight community of Icemist, and this would not help his image any. Worse, his traps were humane enough to kill instantly: if he found her in one of his traps, she would already be dead.</p><p></p><p>Ander picked up his pace and raced along the hunting trail avoiding the hidden traps and snares that he had lying throughout the thick forest. His boots crunched through the snow, echoing loudly in the white silence. Suddenly the woodsman’s feet were jerked out from underneath him, and the world flipped upside down as his feet were yanked above his head. His body was hoisted into the air as he witnessed a snow-covered sapling bending upward to straighten itself. </p><p></p><p>The woodsman felt his feet slip from his hunting boots and he tumbled heavily to the ground forcing his breath to leave his body like a fast winter wind. For a moment the southern ranger lay in the snow catching his breath trying to piece together the strange incident: he knew that he hadn’t laid any traps in this location and he was sure that the locals honored his rights to these woods, almost as if they were afraid of it. Ander sat up to examine the snare, trying to divine some clue as to its origin. It was a simple tree snare with a rope loop, and with all the snow he had not seen the bent over sapling. It was only luck that he was breaking in his new, a bit too large, hunting boots. “Black Lord’s Bones,” he muttered to himself in his native tongue. “You’d think I was new at this.”</p><p></p><p>Ander stood up feeling the cold snow on his now bare feet. Shivering he moved to collect his boots from the simple snare. Jumping up he grabbed hold of the rope noose and pulled down with the weight of his body. He quickly removed his boots from the now loose hoop only to find that there was only a single boot left in the trap. The other must have been flung away when the tree snapped back after he fell. A quick scout of the immediate area showed no signs of the lone foot covering; the icy ground was beginning to burn the skin on the young woodsman’s feet.</p><p></p><p>Ander knew the danger that he was facing and immediately slashed at his cloak with his curved hunting knife creating long strips of the wool. He replaced his lone fur lined boot on his coldest foot and wrapped the other using the strips of cloth. He knew it was a temporary solution but it should last long enough to return him to his cabin. </p><p></p><p>As he turned to start back, Ander heard voices over a small rise to his right. The young woodsman froze when he realized they were not speaking the common tongue of this region, something he had only recently mastered himself. Crouching down he wormed his way on his belly to the thick evergreens that topped the rise.</p><p></p><p>Peering out from the thick needles, the woodsman learned the answer to his questions about the snare trap. A pair of short fur-covered humanoids wandered down a fresh pathway. They had skin the color of red-hot embers showing through the gaps in their hide armor and open-faced helmets and they chatted at each other with words that caused their mouth to open wide, emphasizing rows of sharp teeth. They carried short hunting spears along with a pair of javelins strapped to their packs. One of the creatures even had coils of rope hanging from his back, as well as a set of iron jaw traps. </p><p></p><p>Ander waited under the cover of the great pine tree allowing his heart to slow after what he had just witnessed. He knew that a trip back to his cabin would have to wait: if creature like those found the child before he did, she wouldn’t have a chance. Once he was sure that the creatures would not double back, he rolled out from the covering and began tracing their steps. </p><p></p><p>***************************************************</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="dshai527, post: 365770, member: 4469"] [b]Ander and the Bear: Part I[/b] Thanks once again to all of our readers and a special thanks to those of you who choose to post and let us know how you feel about our story. (Yes we do sometimes sit around the table and talk about which posters we think are the coolest. Sorry Spider but HULK bumped you from my top spot, I am afraid he will smash me if he isn't) We really enjoy reading all the feedback on the story or just chatting in general, so if you read please post. Even if its just to say HI. Frankly, we crave the attention. Oh boy Tip o' the Day time...I don't get special effects like Letterman or Leno...today's is more of a reminder than a tip "Remember September 19 is National Talk Like a Pirate Day" [URL=http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/dave_barry/4018055.htm]Talk like a Pirate Link[/URL] Well on with the show Our first installment of the History of our Heroes ************************************************** Ander and the Bear Part 1 of 2 Snow creaked under the young woodsman’s feet as he bent low to examine the trail. A soft flurry of new flakes floated silently around him, making it hard to determine the trail that he was investigating. Instinctively, he pulled the woolen cloak tighter about his body and shivered at the cold. The white landscape and the bitter temperature reminded him that he was a long way from the land of his birth, but he knew he would most likely never see it again. In fact, with all the snow around him, he doubted that he would ever feel the warmth of the sun again. Shaking his head, Ander, the self-proclaimed woodsman, tried to get his thoughts back on the task a hand. The snow was falling too quickly and was covering any tracks that the little girl may have left. Though she had only been missing for a little more than half a day, Ander knew he had little chance to find her. He was new to this forest that the locals called Orloff’s Woods, but since he was given the sole rights to hunt and trap in it he felt responsible for any persons who disappeared or found themselves lost in it. He did find it odd that the Trapper family had given him charge of the largest track in the area, but he figured they were just comfortable with their usual grounds. Small village folk tended not to like change, he guessed. Ander sighed and started to move to his left down what he thought was an old logging path when he noticed a patch of undergrowth sticking up through the snow. The other areas showed no other signs of underbrush, as the heavy snowfall weighed it all down and packed it under. The woodsman knew that only movement in that area would make the brush stick up through the snow again. Knowing that he might be following the path of some woodland creature instead, Ander set off following the sparse trail of oddities that formed in the direction indicated by the undergrowth. A tree with no snow packed to its truck, as if someone or something had sheltered there, showed that the trail turned north heading near one of Ander’s usual trapping lines. Ander swore under his breath, hoping that the little girl hadn’t wandered into one of his winter traps. He was already an outcast in the tight community of Icemist, and this would not help his image any. Worse, his traps were humane enough to kill instantly: if he found her in one of his traps, she would already be dead. Ander picked up his pace and raced along the hunting trail avoiding the hidden traps and snares that he had lying throughout the thick forest. His boots crunched through the snow, echoing loudly in the white silence. Suddenly the woodsman’s feet were jerked out from underneath him, and the world flipped upside down as his feet were yanked above his head. His body was hoisted into the air as he witnessed a snow-covered sapling bending upward to straighten itself. The woodsman felt his feet slip from his hunting boots and he tumbled heavily to the ground forcing his breath to leave his body like a fast winter wind. For a moment the southern ranger lay in the snow catching his breath trying to piece together the strange incident: he knew that he hadn’t laid any traps in this location and he was sure that the locals honored his rights to these woods, almost as if they were afraid of it. Ander sat up to examine the snare, trying to divine some clue as to its origin. It was a simple tree snare with a rope loop, and with all the snow he had not seen the bent over sapling. It was only luck that he was breaking in his new, a bit too large, hunting boots. “Black Lord’s Bones,” he muttered to himself in his native tongue. “You’d think I was new at this.” Ander stood up feeling the cold snow on his now bare feet. Shivering he moved to collect his boots from the simple snare. Jumping up he grabbed hold of the rope noose and pulled down with the weight of his body. He quickly removed his boots from the now loose hoop only to find that there was only a single boot left in the trap. The other must have been flung away when the tree snapped back after he fell. A quick scout of the immediate area showed no signs of the lone foot covering; the icy ground was beginning to burn the skin on the young woodsman’s feet. Ander knew the danger that he was facing and immediately slashed at his cloak with his curved hunting knife creating long strips of the wool. He replaced his lone fur lined boot on his coldest foot and wrapped the other using the strips of cloth. He knew it was a temporary solution but it should last long enough to return him to his cabin. As he turned to start back, Ander heard voices over a small rise to his right. The young woodsman froze when he realized they were not speaking the common tongue of this region, something he had only recently mastered himself. Crouching down he wormed his way on his belly to the thick evergreens that topped the rise. Peering out from the thick needles, the woodsman learned the answer to his questions about the snare trap. A pair of short fur-covered humanoids wandered down a fresh pathway. They had skin the color of red-hot embers showing through the gaps in their hide armor and open-faced helmets and they chatted at each other with words that caused their mouth to open wide, emphasizing rows of sharp teeth. They carried short hunting spears along with a pair of javelins strapped to their packs. One of the creatures even had coils of rope hanging from his back, as well as a set of iron jaw traps. Ander waited under the cover of the great pine tree allowing his heart to slow after what he had just witnessed. He knew that a trip back to his cabin would have to wait: if creature like those found the child before he did, she wouldn’t have a chance. Once he was sure that the creatures would not double back, he rolled out from the covering and began tracing their steps. *************************************************** [/QUOTE]
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