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Description

For the Reindeer roundup!!!

This was a lot of fun to do! Every since sealle started doing arts in this style I have wanted to give it a go (also the movie was amazeballs). Granted I don't think I've ever worked with so many layers in my life!

So anyway, first bit of art with my new OCs! YAY

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The overnight snowfall had blanketed the foothills of the mountains. Tiriaq’s sank to his ankles and left furrows behind him but he didn’t seem to mind. Kayu sat easily on his back, a hand wrapped in the long hair between his shoulders to steady herself as the tokota followed some unseen trails.

Pines reached for the sky and dwarfed them as they walked between them. It was still dark within the forest; the dawn’s light struggling to make it through the dark clouds that still hung in the air, promising more snow. A herd of deer watched them, their wary huffs steaming in the air before they sprung away. Tiriaq paused to watch them bound into the undergrowth but a gentle nudge from his rider’s heels sent them on their way again.

They wound their way around the edge of the forest, Kayu checking on the traps she’d set up the evening before. It had not been a busy night, but with the full moon she hadn’t expected much. The night had belonged to the predators, their prey being more cautious than usual. Still, she had two hares swinging at her back and they would do for the evening’s meal and she needed the hide to patch up her boots. Hell, she probably should invest in new ones before winter set in. But that was a problem for another day, she was far north and far from any settlements that she knew of.

Tiriaq lifted his head and looked to the west. His body tense.

“What is it?”

Then she too heard it. What was that sound… bells? How was that possible? It’s not a sound she had heard in years and in this isolation it was probably one of the last sounds she expected to hear.

Tiriaq chuffed and changed course. Kayu let him, her own curiosity awakened. The tokota jogged through the trees, until they reached the edge of the forest. He lifted his head and smelled the air to pick up a scent.

Kayu picked up a series of soft grunts between the ringing of bells. Tiriaq set off again, following the crest of the hill, his nose low to the ground. At the bottom of the low valley Kayu could make out the winding parallel furrows of what she guessed was a deer or caribou – but of only one animal which seemed strange. Still, the animal was likely wounded or old so she loosened the hunting knife she carried from its sheath. She hadn’t intended on hunting large game so far from their winter shelter but if the opportunity arose…

Tiriaq bounded off, the scent he was following getting stronger. She could sense his excitement at the prospect of a hunt. Kayu settled low over his withers, a hand on the carved handle of the knife.

They climbed a hill and there was their quarry. The animal bleated in fear as it saw them but Kayu called out for Tiriaq to stop – which he did, albeit unwillingly. His icy eyes never left the reindeer.

Kayu frowned. A lone reindeer? She peered through the snow and saw it bore a bright red collar that was also the source of the bells. It was clearly someone’s but there was no sign of people - Tiriaq would usually warn her if there were. What was even stranger was that the reindeer’s behaviour… It leapt into the air as if expecting to fly away?

Tiriaq cocked his head as he watched, clearly as confused as Kayu felt.

Kayu edged Tiriaq closer. The reindeer snorted and looked up, clearly agitated that it couldn’t fly away. A grunt sounded from… above?

Both rider and tokota looked up. Kayu's mouth dropped open. Above them floated another reindeer, its nose shining bright against the grey sky.

“How is that even possible?” Kayu asked the wilderness. Only the wind howled in response. Santa’s reindeer were real? She was sure that the fact would make millions of children across the world incredibly happy but it only made her question her sanity. Perhaps she was finally losing her mind after three years navigating the wilderness by herself.

The next question Kayu asked after convincing herself of the reality of what she was seeing was what on earth was she supposed to do with the reindeer in the snow? Which one of the nine was it anyway? As if that mattered.

Tiriaq let out a low growl and looked north, Kayu followed his gaze and saw a narrow column of smoke coiling against the clouds, barely visible. Well, it was as good a lead as she could hope for. The reindeer in the snow flailed around some more. Kayu sighed and quickly tied a noose in her rope. Tiriaq edged closer, causing the reindeer to now try navigate the deep snowdrift to try escape. Kayu swung the lasso and managed to get it over the reindeer’s antlers.

Tiriaq managed to haul the reindeer to more solid ground and then Kayu nudged him towards the smoke so that she could return Santa’s reindeer – which was the most ridiculous thing she had done in her life.

Word count: 856

Link to import sheet: Tiriaq 1487

Link to hunting/expedition/summary journal: Tiriaq 1487 Tracker

Art (c) Natalia Banasiak

Description

For the Reindeer roundup!!!

This was a lot of fun to do! Every since sealle started doing arts in this style I have wanted to give it a go (also the movie was amazeballs). Granted I don't think I've ever worked with so many layers in my life!

So anyway, first bit of art with my new OCs! YAY

---------------------------

The overnight snowfall had blanketed the foothills of the mountains. Tiriaq’s sank to his ankles and left furrows behind him but he didn’t seem to mind. Kayu sat easily on his back, a hand wrapped in the long hair between his shoulders to steady herself as the tokota followed some unseen trails.

Pines reached for the sky and dwarfed them as they walked between them. It was still dark within the forest; the dawn’s light struggling to make it through the dark clouds that still hung in the air, promising more snow. A herd of deer watched them, their wary huffs steaming in the air before they sprung away. Tiriaq paused to watch them bound into the undergrowth but a gentle nudge from his rider’s heels sent them on their way again.

They wound their way around the edge of the forest, Kayu checking on the traps she’d set up the evening before. It had not been a busy night, but with the full moon she hadn’t expected much. The night had belonged to the predators, their prey being more cautious than usual. Still, she had two hares swinging at her back and they would do for the evening’s meal and she needed the hide to patch up her boots. Hell, she probably should invest in new ones before winter set in. But that was a problem for another day, she was far north and far from any settlements that she knew of.

Tiriaq lifted his head and looked to the west. His body tense.

“What is it?”

Then she too heard it. What was that sound… bells? How was that possible? It’s not a sound she had heard in years and in this isolation it was probably one of the last sounds she expected to hear.

Tiriaq chuffed and changed course. Kayu let him, her own curiosity awakened. The tokota jogged through the trees, until they reached the edge of the forest. He lifted his head and smelled the air to pick up a scent.

Kayu picked up a series of soft grunts between the ringing of bells. Tiriaq set off again, following the crest of the hill, his nose low to the ground. At the bottom of the low valley Kayu could make out the winding parallel furrows of what she guessed was a deer or caribou – but of only one animal which seemed strange. Still, the animal was likely wounded or old so she loosened the hunting knife she carried from its sheath. She hadn’t intended on hunting large game so far from their winter shelter but if the opportunity arose…

Tiriaq bounded off, the scent he was following getting stronger. She could sense his excitement at the prospect of a hunt. Kayu settled low over his withers, a hand on the carved handle of the knife.

They climbed a hill and there was their quarry. The animal bleated in fear as it saw them but Kayu called out for Tiriaq to stop – which he did, albeit unwillingly. His icy eyes never left the reindeer.

Kayu frowned. A lone reindeer? She peered through the snow and saw it bore a bright red collar that was also the source of the bells. It was clearly someone’s but there was no sign of people - Tiriaq would usually warn her if there were. What was even stranger was that the reindeer’s behaviour… It leapt into the air as if expecting to fly away?

Tiriaq cocked his head as he watched, clearly as confused as Kayu felt.

Kayu edged Tiriaq closer. The reindeer snorted and looked up, clearly agitated that it couldn’t fly away. A grunt sounded from… above?

Both rider and tokota looked up. Kayu's mouth dropped open. Above them floated another reindeer, its nose shining bright against the grey sky.

“How is that even possible?” Kayu asked the wilderness. Only the wind howled in response. Santa’s reindeer were real? She was sure that the fact would make millions of children across the world incredibly happy but it only made her question her sanity. Perhaps she was finally losing her mind after three years navigating the wilderness by herself.

The next question Kayu asked after convincing herself of the reality of what she was seeing was what on earth was she supposed to do with the reindeer in the snow? Which one of the nine was it anyway? As if that mattered.

Tiriaq let out a low growl and looked north, Kayu followed his gaze and saw a narrow column of smoke coiling against the clouds, barely visible. Well, it was as good a lead as she could hope for. The reindeer in the snow flailed around some more. Kayu sighed and quickly tied a noose in her rope. Tiriaq edged closer, causing the reindeer to now try navigate the deep snowdrift to try escape. Kayu swung the lasso and managed to get it over the reindeer’s antlers.

Tiriaq managed to haul the reindeer to more solid ground and then Kayu nudged him towards the smoke so that she could return Santa’s reindeer – which was the most ridiculous thing she had done in her life.

Word count: 856

Link to import sheet: Tiriaq 1487

Link to hunting/expedition/summary journal: Tiriaq 1487 Tracker

Art (c) Natalia Banasiak