Cook's Bounty on Sundari (Kaden Farr)

[Silas Mantis]

Si’buir

The word would hang in his mind long after he had ruffled [member="Kaden Farr"]’s hair in response. “You’re not too shabby yourself Kade’ad.” He said with a smile, unsure of what to do with the surge of positive emotions he hadn’t felt in some time, or ever now that he thought about it. Regardless he and Kaden had now firmly established something to call one another. “I’m not scared little wolf, and how about we get her the tools and leave the personal aesthetics to her. Now, you best stop with this kissing business before I have you two help clean the dishes after the feast tonight.” The man teasingly threatened [member="Yasha Mantis"], with not the slightest bit of sincerity in the ultimatum.

“We’ll go as often as we are able, I’m sure everyone will appreciate a break from the soup.” He joked with the two as he clambered out of the speeder, pulling the wolfskin hood over his head, grabbing up a rifle as his niece climbed up to ride on his shoulders.

“I’m glad someone likes it, and I love you too ad’ika.” Silas replied warmly. He was going to keep his promise to Aditya, and make sure Yasha was well cared for, and he wouldn’t ever let her forget that her family valued her, and the same went for the other pup now leading their hunting party with rifle in his hand.

Silas’ rifle, unlike Kaden’s, wasn’t meant for their prey. The M45 was a weapon of war, designed by [member="Preliat Mantis"] himself, and the younger of the brothers brought it along out of necessity, even a moment such as this had the potential to be interrupted in a war like the one they now waged.

He had to be ready at all times to protect the young he sheparded, and the Death Watch as a whole.

 

[Kaden Farr]

All Kaden could think about right now was hunting. Silas had no way of knowing Kaden was used to being part of hunting parties. What they were going to find on the plains was uncertain. Whatever had survived the bombing would have to be resiliant and likely pretty dangerous. Kaden was hoping for something like a deer or gazelle. Plains animals like that always tasted so good, and Dxun didn't really have anything like that. Maybe they would have to settle for a large Nerf or something, whatever it was, Kaden was going to show them both how good of a hunter he really was.

He eyed the pair.

"It's time for us to be quiet now. The animals will hear us, and smell us."

Kaden put his blaster down and reached his hand into the dirt. He took a handful of dirt and scrubbed it into both armpits of his shirt, the crotch of his pants, and then rubbed it into any of the exposed flesh he had.

"On Dxun they told me that you have to make yourself smell like the ground..."

He picked up his blaster once he was done and looked to the other two as if encouraging them to do the same. Hunting was not clean work, but Kaden enjoyed it. Maybe when the war was over he would hunt more often, or make that part of his job. He also hoped his verd'goten would be a hunt of some kind. There were many things it could be, and while that was three years away, Kaden wanted to prove himself.

"We don't want to scare them off. We want to lure them in, and when they don't suspect... kapow!"

[member="Yasha Mantis"] | [member="Silas Mantis"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

"Not the dishes!" Yasha squawked, clutching her hands to her chest. "I runned out of happy smelly lotion stuff to stop my hands from being all dry and cracky! I'll do anything to stop the dishes!"





She flung herself down on Silas' head, pretending to keep a serious groan on her face. "I'll even.... not use... glitter!"





Yasha pretended to bawl, flopping down into Silas' arms with the faith that her Uncle would catch her. Her little arms went around his neck, and the girl-child smiled up at him, her goggles a mass of colour and brightness on her face.





"Uncle Silas?" Yasha started on [member="Silas Mantis"]' shoulders. "Uncle Silas, can I play in mud? [member="Kaden Farr"] said... he said... I won't smell like nothing but mud. Can I? Can I? Can I?"





A small stream filtered not far off, its' bank a shallow path of sand. Yasha sniffed the air, puckering her lips as she hopped off Silas and crouched low in the tall grass.





Kaden looked so brave. It was only right that Yasha's best friend was brave, like Yasha and Uncle Silas, and Daddy and Ra-Ra. Yasha sunk into the grass, disappearing as she crept through the undergrowth. Once in a while, a bit of grass wobbled, yet the girl was near impossible to track.





In the distance, Yasha gave off a low whistle, Shatual roamed on the edge of the forest. Her head poked up for a mere second, before the girl went back down and disappeared.

 

[Silas Mantis]

Silas nodded in agreement with his ward, the boy seemed to already have a good idea of what to do. He'd have to ask about that later. "Just be safe adi'ika." Technically it was a response to [member="Yasha Mantis"]' request to go into the mud, but it went for [member="Kaden Farr"] as well. Dropping into a low crouch in the grass he kept his rifle at the ready and let the two pups go on their hunt.

The little wolf seemed to fade into the shrubbery around him, like a phantom, whilst his ward was still in sight. His eyes set on the creature in the distance, and he knew already that Yasha crept towards it. The Shantul was blissfully unaware of the pint-sized killing machine creeping towards it, or the young boy who would likely claim it's mate, who had just joined it, soon after the girl had taken it down.

Silas was impressed by the two children constantly, they never seemed to disappoint, but he found himself focusing more on the area around them rather than their prey. He had to be sure the Shantul were the only things being lead to slaughter, and to do that he had to remain vigilant. He had to protect them. That was his purpose in life now, and it would be until his dying breath.

 

[Kaden Farr]

Kaden was pleased that Silas would stand watch over them and not rob them of the kill. He smiled as he watched Yasha prepare herself then disappear into the tall grass. Kaden did the same shortly after she did. The animal could be seen, and another came along side of it. The buck and doe would not know what happened to them.

He let Yasha ahead of him. She had the gauntlets Kad Tor made for her. His were on the way. He knew that if he fired his blaster the animal he did not kill would run, and Yasha would not keep up. The children were there to kill. Other warriors had frowned upon their participation in battle even though it was acceptable in their culture. With so much death around them the children were not seen as the warriors they truly were. Perhaps this hunt would prove they belonged in battle with the adults.

Yasha moved first. She was quick and agile, though her movements starteld the doe. Of course Yasha went for the larger beast. It wasn't like her to go after something so small.

Kaden stood from his perch in the grass and sighted in the doe. He led it a bit as he taught to do on Dxun. When he squeezed the trigger, the beast hit the ground, and Kaden pumped his blaster in the air.

"OYA!!"

He turned back to Silas.

"Did you see Si'buir!? I am a good hunter!"

[member="Yasha Mantis"] | [member="Silas Mantis"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

The grass felt crisp under her boots.





"Woohoo" Yasha whispered, scampering into the muddy river. Kneeling in the mud, Yasha splashed and squished mud in her fingers for a moment of pure childish fun before rushing off. Her hair, face and clothing clung with mud. The first hundred metres were fast as a river flowing downhill. Once she got closer, the wind shifted. The smell of their Shatual wafted grass-like and pungent into her nose. She ducked until her belly scraped against the dirt.





Hooves click, clocked on the ground. A branch snapped under her gauntlet. Yasha snapped her head up, unused to the weight of the metal on her forearms. The doe went off, Yasha left it for [member="Kaden Farr"].





She sprinted to the buck, releasing her gauntlet blades as she ran and leapt onto his flank. He bleeted and charged [member="Silas Mantis"], the mud covered eight year old climbing up his body with punctures into his ribs and up to his neck. The buck thrashed as he rushed into the forest, crashing down as Yasha slashed into the back of his neck. She severed the arteries, sliding down and landing in a crouch.





The Shatual hit the ground. Yasha hopped up and grinned, her teeth the only clean part on the child.





"Oya!" Yasha yelped. "I did it, Uncle! Lookit! Look! I hit the arberamry!"





She stood in front of her kill as proud as could be, "I got him in one cut so he didn't suff-fuh-fer."





The girl giggled and put forth for the next hunt. She crouched on the ground, hand splayed on the dirt.

Kaden...





Was too clean.





"Oya Mando! Chaaaarge!" Yasha shouted, springing with a charge to knock Kaden over and raised her fist toward his hair. "I hunt-te-ded you!"

 

[Silas Mantis]

He couldn't help but feel a since of pride in both the pups under his watch. "Well done, both of you." He praised with a smile of approval, rising up from his crouch in the grass to approach the prey of the little wolves of Clan Mantis. Both of them were quick an efficient, neither made any error that would lead to unnecessary suffering from their quarry. Silas was both proud that the two children could appreciate the idea of mercy, and saddened by the knowledge both had been exposed to ungodly amounts of a lack of it. "With aim like that Kaden, how could you be anything but a great hunter?" He inquired rhetorically, beaming proudly at his ward before turning to his niece.

​"You did spectacularly Mand'alor!" He smiled, playfully teasing Mand'alor the Small as well as praising her efficiency. Before he could commend her on her mercy, she was already taking Kaden to the mud with what he suspected was glee. It was childish fun now, but he remembered to really make sure he kept an eye on them when they were older.

Chuckling the Mandalorian decided to let the two play while he drew the curved knife from his back and approached the male Shantul's lifeless body first. He would skin it himself, as while he was sure both of his charges were perfectly capable, he didn't wish to interrupt their reprieve from the reality they lived in. To see them at play gave him some semblance of hope for the future of their broken people, it made him believe that when this war ended and Ra Viszla ruled Mandalore once again that they might truly be restored.

Silas could only hope for as much, and fight with every ounce of strength he had to ensure it, for [member="Yasha Mantis"] and [member="Kaden Farr"]'s future if nothing else.

 

[Kaden Farr]

Kaden was beaming at the compliments coming from [member="Silas Mantis"]. None of the other adults before had ever given him a compliment about his skills. When it came from someone that meant a lot to him, his smile could not be any wider. The boy was beginning to feel family again, but more this was pride that they had gotten enough meat to feed those camping at Sundari. Kade and Yasha has done what no one believed they could, well Silas had believed.

That was when Kaden was tackled. His face hit the mud first, and as he pushed up on his hands to find [member="Yasha Mantis"] there ready to push him back into the dirt he rolled into his back quickly. He smile up at Yasha, his white teeth the only part of his face not covered in the mud. The smile faded into a mischevious grin as he grabbed Yasha by the arm and wrestled her into the mud.

Kaden laughed.

”Now I got you!”

He didn’t know how long they wrestled around in the mud, but by the time they were well and dirty, laying breathless in the mud, making mud angels, the two were more than dirty. Kaden rolled his head over to look at the girl who was laying on her back. He smiled. This was fun. Yasha was fun, and Kaden was happy to have a friend like her. They’d hunted together, stollen war machines together, and now they were muddy. The whole time Silas had just let them play while he skinned the animals.

He tapped Yasha and pointed.

”Si’buir is skinning the animals without us,” then he whispered to Yasha. ”Let’s tackle him!”

 

[Yasha Cadera]

"We did well done!" Yasha hip hopped around in the mud, pumping both fists into the air. "I am your Mand'aloooooor! WAUGH!"





Kaden knocked her to the mud, and the Mand'alor'ika splashed, knees squishing in the sodden ground. "Oh you're on!" She tackled him again, slinging mud and laughing as she squished and squashed her way through her favourite new game.





"Teeheeheeheehee..." Yasha's laughter trailed off as she sighed and splattered her arms out on either side of her body. Rubbing off the mud from her goggles, the girl glanced over at her compatriot. They could get into so much excellent, well deserved trouble. The mud angel beneath her got spoiled as she turned on her side, cocking her head as [member="Kaden Farr"] whispered.





Uncle [member="Silas Mantis"] was indeed far too clean. Yasha's answer included rolling onto her belly and crawling on her elbows and toes. She snuck into the overgrowth of grass, nodding Kaden down beside her. The girl moved like she was a born sneak, stealthy in a way most Mando'ade were not.





Don't get mud on the meat... but Silas? He was their new fair game.





"For Mantisalore!" Yasha whisper-shouted, pouncing up onto Silas' back. His. Armour. Would. Be. Muddy!!





"We're Mudalorians!"

 

[Silas Mantis]

"We're wha-" Silas hardly had time to turn his head from where he was carefully skinning the animal, trying to get a feel for the prosthetic. The second he caught a glimpse of the children, the knife dropped from his hand, he didn't want to accidentally let one of his charges leave with a rather unfortunate stab wound. Letting the two children barrel into him, the Young Wolf couldn't help but chuckle as he was taken to the ground by the two children.

Putting up a faux-struggle, Silas attempted to lift his niece from him as he let out fake sounds of exertion. "I am defeated!" He cried out with a grin, mud clinging to the plates of beskar across his body. They'd earned this. There was no denying the children the joyous glee they exuded now, they deserved this reprieve from pain and anguish. "If you get the meat muddy, you'll answer to that Rodian in the kitchen." He threatened jokingly.

Attempting to squirm his way free Silas dragged the children through more of the mud with his prosthetic, the gleaming metal being dirtied as the muck clung to it, not that Silas cared in the slightest. It would be coated in worse, that much was a certainty, but he was happy to settle for the mud right now.

[member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Kaden Farr"]

 

[Kaden Farr]

When Kaden and Yasha pounced a gleeful laugh cake out of Kaden. Silas was now dirty and their mission accomplished. It was an odd thing to have a family again, but Kaden didn’t dwell on it. He had Silas and Yasha, and the two were all he needed. Their family was the best, Yasha was the best friend anyone could ask for. They had already done so much together and the boy couldn’t wait for their next adventure. For now Silas had been right. If the meat got muddy they wouldn’t be able to claim victory.

”We need to get the meat back and be everyone’s favorite. Save them from soup!”

There was a chuckle as Kaden stood to his feet, not much of his skin was untouched by the mud. His hair was a matted mess. Maybe a shower was needed before they delivered the dead animals, but Kaden didn’t want to wait. His smile faded a bit as he wiped some mud out of his hair.

Kaden picked up the knife which Silas had tossed to the side and handed it back to him. He liked it, but realized it was a bit heavy for him to control. Kaden no longer had his hunting knife. He lost in when Silas lost his arm. It was a casualty of all the war in the children had been exposed to, but it was better his knife than his sense of fun and humor. He got to be a kid again, despite the desire to hunt, and he was grateful for it.

”We need to do this more often. More hunting!!”

[member="Yasha Mantis"] | [member="Silas Mantis"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

"He is defeated! Go! Go! Go!" Yasha yelped, lifted up then tackling back down to her Uncle. She swung in the mud, slip-sliding around and clinging to his prosthetic arm. It was cold on her skin, mechanical and whirring like her Daddy’s leg.

“Rawr! I am a terror biwd!” Yasha pretended her hands were a beak, chomping down on Silas’ metal arm. “Om nom nom! I will eat you in pieces! Oh no! Watch out, Kaden! Their talons are poison! Waugh! AUGH! Ono! The epicanthity!!”

They played until Yasha flopped over on [member="Kaden Farr"]’s shoulders. “Not the meat! Nooooo! I’s been hit! Carry me to safety, Kade-ade!” She giggled and threw her arms around Kaden’s shoulders, letting the rest of her body go limp.

“We gotta help the others eat more than soup!” Rolling off Kaden, Yasha yanked a beskad from her belt and handed it to Kaden. “Here. I took it off that guy we killed, when we rescued Marev. I got Mama’s.”

Yasha brushed her hands together, until they were somewhat clean, then trotted to Silas. “We piecing it out by muscle groups, Uncle Silas? Can we hunt more often? Pleeeaaassseee? Do you think Daddy would come with us one time? Maybe [member="Ra Vizsla"] will come! I can show him my stabbity skills! One slice and dead! No Sufuffering! I promise we won't go hunting without parbental spuper-vision!”

Yasha began to piece out the feasible meat on her hunting kill, cutting along cartilage and working with a muscle memory built on survival. “[member="Joanes Quez"] taught me how to butcher a turkey! I got to help on the farm, it was so neat! Sure beat takin’ little bits of meat when we could get it.”