When the Piper family had received the invitation to go Grouse hunting with the Hurst's Nathaniel had been thrilled, even more so when his father said that he would not be attending, and nor would any of his sisters. Tobias was a close friend of his, and now that he would be traveling alone to see him he could express his true distaste for the arrangement that his father had set up for him, which he couldn't have done if any family had been present of course. He had always been taught that he was to respect the family elders, so expressing his chagrin would have been immediately frowned upon.

Nathaniel had set out early, while it was still dark and ridden swiftly, his hound at his side as he took a treacherous route through the woods just for the thrill of it. There was something so exciting about never knowing just what one would encounter that Nathaniel adored and tried to experience whenever possible. He'd seen a stag, though nothing more, but that was enough to have his heart racing with pleasure, and it lead him to looking even more forward to the afternoon with his friend.

When he arrived there was as always someone there to take his horse, and he thanked them with a smile after being told where Tobias was. He had of course been invited in for something to eat and a rest, but Nathaniel didn't feel the need for it, and really just wanted to get out. He did however take five minutes to let his dog have a drink of water and a quick bite as it would be important for it to have all the energy it could. After much pushing he finally did except a small food parcel, and deep down he was thankful for it as he slipped it into his satchel.

Finally on his way Nathaniel had his gun over his shoulder as he trudge across the grass, glancing around at the sun and feeling the wind, it truly was a perfect day for a hunt, and the crisp air did nothing but add a slight rose colour to his cheeks. He was far fonder of winter than summer anyway, and being able to feel that the season would soon be upon the country just made him smile. Really, today there wasn't much that could bring him down. And who knew? Perhaps Tobias had invited other families that would bring in a few females that would be to his liking, a woman who could enjoy a hunt was his type of woman after all, and of course if Tobias had invited them they would be the type of woman his father wanted to see him marrying.

The smile on Nathaniel's face only spread when he saw Tobias and he motioned for his dog to stay where he was, then slowly moved up behind the other man, careful to be quiet as he leaned in as close as he could get.

"BOO!"