At Hilda's suggestion, Imenry nodded and glanced around, judging the distance of the creek they had passed on the road not long before stopping. Heading in that direction she let herself fall into step beside Hilda.
"It would certainly be nice if we could catch a deer at this time. But the creek is likely to attract plenty of animals as it is. We should get something."
The moon was shining overhead but when they slipped out of the clearing and beneath the dipping foliage of the clustered trees Imenry paused a moment to allow her eyes to adjust. Bits of silvery light slipped through, painting patterns over the forest floor and dancing a camouflage over their skin as they moved beneath. The fact that they were hunting necessitated that conversation halt. The murmur of their voices would warn the animals of their approach. So for the moment, Imenry fell silent. There were things she wanted to ask the other woman, curiosities she had, and mere thoughts that were on her mind that bared sharing. Once they had found prey and dispatched of it readily they would be free to talk once more.
Her worn boots were quiet as she moved through the forested area, avoiding twigs and bundles of leaves that would make too much noise. In the dark it was harder to see animals than during the day, but in Imenry's mind no harder than trying to spot a white-coated leopard in the snowy mountains. She remembered an occasion when one such leopard had taken out two of the village's finest hunters and was encroaching closer and closer to the small town. The watchmen had spotted her at night, prowling in the peaks. It was likely she was desperate, the game in the mountains had been scarce that year, and if she was providing for kitten she needed meat badly enough that even human would do. But she'd been a danger to the people, and so the village had rounded up a hunting party to take her out.
Imenry remembered the feeling of being out in the open, eyes scanning this way and that, looking for any sign of the creature, complete silence and stillness settled over the mountains in that unnatural way. Then suddenly the snow had burst up from her left with a howl and she'd swung around, crossbow firing as the leopard leapt at her. It had hit home, blossoming red across the great cat's white coat and she'd howled in pain and though Imenry had known that the shot had saved her life, she had also regretted taking the life of such a fine animal.
Today's hunt was about survival of a different kind. There were still some days until they reached Redcliffe and fresh provisions. The party needed to eat. If they didn't they would be weak for more attacks, lethargic. Hunger could sap the strongest person of their power.