Hidden in the branches of the grand oak, the slim figure crouched, waiting for her prey to fall into her ambush. She drew her bow and fitted an arrow, her delicate, pointed ears listening for any sign that something was approaching. Her armour was light and fitted her form perfectly, the colours helping to hide her in the many branches and leaves.
The sound of hooves on the grass below told the elf that her prey was approaching, it would soon be within her range, she took a small whistle, carved from the tooth of a spirit wolf, from the chain around her neck, she sounded it only once before a howl sounded from behind her prey. The elk charged through the clearing, followed by two others. It went down with an arrow protruding from it's neck. Another landed in the grass with an arrow in it's flank. The third was out of range before the elf could fit another arrow to her bow.
A startled squeal from further in the forest told her she didn't need to hunt for the last of her prey. A triumphant howl sent small shivers down her spine. She collected the two arrows from the lifeless bodies of her prey and returned them to her quiver. She tied the two elk together with rope and sat in the small clearing to wait for her companion.
The elf was not waiting long before the soft thud of paws on earth gave away the almost silent approach of her companion. The silver-coated wolf padded into the clearing, the last elk clamped securely between it's teeth. The elf nodded once to the wolf, feeling little need for words, elf and wolf left the clearing side by side, the faint smell of blood and the elk tracks the only sign of their hunt.
Dalish elves never stayed in one place very long, as a rule, the longest any clan spent in any place was three nights. Hunting was done each night, the job would fall to the quickest most agile elves in the clan, groups of two or three would go out into the forest, picking herbs and catching deer and elk. This clan, however, needed only one elf, for she alone was Hunting master, she needed no help from any elf as long as she had her wolf companion close. The two were always together, night and day, neither slept in tents, both preferred to see the stars above.
"Tonight has been an easy hunt, Shaalei, I was hoping for a challenge tonight." the elf commented to her companion, the wolf dipped it's head in agreement, the elf hardly ever spoke, but when she did, her voice was soft as the summer breeze, gentle, yet everybody listened to that voice, even the animals.
"Laurani!" the elf turned at the sound of her name, not many of her clan spoke to her by name, only the keeper, Shaalei and Tamlen, her friend of many years. "Tamlen, my friend, what brings you away from your bed so late?" she asked, curious, as the moon was already at it's highest. Tamlen sighed and looked at her intently. "I wanted to know what you and Shaalei brought in, of course." he answered as if she should have expected his response. She smiled at him and hugged him. "You could have waited until the rise of the sun, like everyone else, but then, where's the fun in waiting?" she asked, Tamlen grinned and nodded, Laurani showed him her catch and together they added it to the stores. "Time for you to return to your tent Tamlen." she said pushing him gently in the right direction, as she turned to her own bedroll and lay down, Shaalei under her head as a pillow.
Laurani was awake before the sun rose, Shaalei before her, the Silver wolf looked towards the forest and then back at the elf, she nodded, slung her bow over her slender shoulder, fitted her quiver to her hip and together they made their way into the forest. They returned to camp as the sun rose over the distant hills, two more elk and a pouch full of herbs adding to their catch from the night.