Immaculate
Copyright© 2025 by Daelyx Len Auphydas
Chapter 9: Spoils of the Hunt
“Lay the beavers out here, then you can go put away the supplies.” Tavr dictates. “I’ll make sure the corpses are properly chilled out here and get started preparing them. Just come right back, so I can show you how to skin the beasts.”
As soon as he is given the signal to put the beavers down, following Tavr’s instruction, the beavers are laid out, cut bellies facing skywards, on a large sheet with old bloodstains on it set aside for that purpose, presumably to keep dirt out of the meat. The carcasses look different than when they’d started; all gutted and bled out, they look almost withered, as if there isn’t enough flesh to fill out their pelts.
Vekt motions for Alunya and Antares, some of his normally boisterous attitude having returned since his experience earlier that day. Antares sighs with relief as he rolls his shoulders; Even if the beaver got quite a bit lighter with the blood drained and viscera stripped out, it is still heavy for the twelve year old to carry.
“You’ve never been hunting before, huh? You guys are in for a treat.” Vekt announces, opening the door to the stone house and stepping inside along with his two guests.
Yuvia and Risa were sitting down at the table, working over a belt loom protruding forwards from themselves.
Alunya immediately forgets whatever else he is supposed to be doing and prances over to the table before they can say anything, eyes lit up. “Ooh! Are you weaving? I asked Mom to show me how to, but she wouldn’t show me anything beyond stitching!” Alunya announces, eagerly.
Antares groans and places his head in his hand. Oh boy. Not this again ... He shudders to himself.
“Why would you want to learn to weave anyways? It’s boring.” Vekt says, judgmentally, before hesitating. “At first I thought your mother made you do this stuff, or you were just too weak to do a man’s job, but you’re actually a great shot with a bow. Are you really just that weird...?”
Antares glares fiercely at Vekt for the insult, but Alunya just looks up, pondering. “Well, it’s fun to make things! You should try it sometime.”
Vekt crosses his arms, looking away. “Well, it’s not fun to me.” He peeks out at Alunya with one eye, suspiciously. “ ... Is this just you trying to buddy up to my sister again?”
Alunya just stares at Vekt. Man, he really is a pain. I really should’ve just let that beaver eat his throat. The cold, standoffish look Alunya gave must have had some impact on the boy, because he just flinches and looks away.
“Alright, alright boys! Settle down!” Yuvia barks out. “I know you’re all excited from your day out hunting. Since you’re already back, should I assume you caught something?”
Vekt pauses in thought. “Well ... Yeah, we caught two beavers upriver.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful! I guess our two guests got to see my son’s hunting prowess, then, huh?” Yuvia winks at her son, who shrinks away.
“Well ... I mean...” Vekt starts, uncomfortably.
“I took one of them down!” Alunya announces cheerfully, completely oblivious to Vekt’s discomfort.
Yuvia blinks in confusion. “ ... What? Don’t be silly, you barely know how to use a bow.” She starts.
Antares takes up his place by Alunya, who is trying to subtly edge his way over to where Risa is to see how the loom works. “He did! After Tavr took down a younger one, its mother showed up and attacked Vekt, and Alunya got it in the throat!”
Yuvia looks at the boys with consternation, as if suspicious. “ ... Vekt? Is that true?”
“I-I mean, I’m sure Dad would have gotten it! but ... Yeah.” Vekt mutters in an increasingly low voice, hanging his head in shame.
Yuvia’s concern deepens as she hurriedly looks over Vekt, looking for any injuries. “My goodness! Well it’s a good thing Alunya was with you then, I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you! Did you get hurt at all? Those beavers have nasty teeth. It didn’t bite you, did it?” She straightens out his outfit and brushes off the dirt.
Vekt dodges away from his mother’s attentions. “No, mom, I’m fine! Alunya shot it in the throat before it could do more than knock me over. I just got a little bruise, nothing worse.” He brushes it off, his embarrassment growing
Yuvia sighs with relief and looks up at Alunya. “Well, I guess I’m glad you went with my husband, then. And you’re home early enough for me to make dinner! You two will be joining us, right?”
Alunya glances at Antares, who shrugs. They didn’t really know what the plan was, they just knew they were there to go on a hunting trip and now they had. “Um, sure, I guess.” Antares responds.
“Good! I’ll go talk with my husband, see what cut I’ll be cooking tonight, then get a fire going.” Yuvia announces.
Vekt makes sure that Yuvia gets the two blood gourds before she leaves, and then puts the supplies away. Alunya and Antares leave their own satchels by the door for when they would leave later. When Vekt returns from putting the supplies away, he finds Antares trying to pull Alunya away from studying the loom that Yuvia had left behind, trying to figure out how it works.
Antares puts a hand on Alunya’s shoulder and tries to pull him away. “Um, Alunya. Wouldn’t you rather go learn how to skin the beaver with Tavr? That’s why we’re here after all. And you did say... ‘You killed it, you should be the one to take it apart’, right?”
“Oh, right! Yeah, let’s go, that sounds more fun!” Alunya announces cheerily. Vekt just stares at him in utter confusion.
“I just don’t understand you. One moment you’re acting like a housewife, the next...” Vekt trails; Rather than just mocking, there is a note of awe in his voice at Alunya’s strange behavior as he follows Alunya outside.
“ ... There you three are. You sure did take your sweet time.” Tavr says to the group pointedly, as they step back outside.
“Um, Mom wanted to talk to me for a bit.” Vekt explains, but Tavr just shakes his head.
“Don’t make excuses, boy, just own up and get over here. Now watch me closely. I’ll show you how you skin the beast.” Tavr apparently had gotten tired of the detailed explanations, as he simply set to work with gusto, tugging and slicing at the skin until he had pulled the whole thing from the beaver. It was already bled, mostly, but there was still some liquid that leaks from it as he works.
“Ooh, can I have the pelt from my beaver? Maybe I can make something from it!” Alunya asks, his eyes shining, but Tavr simply shakes his head sternly.
“Are you kidding? I’m going to fetch a great price for this. Just because your mother roped me into watching over you two for the day, doesn’t mean you’re getting my quarry.” Tavr rebuffs, almost incredulously.
Antares furrows his brow and steps up. “But, my little brother was the one who shot it! He got it right in the throat!” Antares protests, while Alunya looks down glumly, disappointed.
Tavr laughs. “And well he did, but who was it who gave him that opportunity? Just be grateful I agreed to take you two along.”
Alunya raises his head momentarily. “Can I at least try skinning it...?” He asks, almost meekly.
Tavr just shakes his head again. “Not a chance. I’m not having your amateur work ruining my pelt.”
Alunya visibly wilts, and he barely pays attention while Tavr removes the pelt from the second beaver.
While there is more work to be done on the beavers to preserve them, cutting up all the different parts of the beaver for smoking, Alunya and Antares return inside to wait in a warm room while Yuvia cooks up dinner. Alunya drums his fingers on the table, pouting; Not only had he not been allowed to help butcher the beavers further than the initial slaughtering, but he wasn’t even able to help cook dinner!
Not fair ... When else am I gonna learn how to cook beaver tail... Alunya’s mouth scrunches up in disappointment.
“C’mon Alunya, cheer up- We came out here to hunt, and you did a great job.” Antares encourages.
“I guess...” Alunya murmurs glumly. “Wish they’d let me do more though.” Alunya perks up. “But, maybe when we’re older you and I can go on our own and I can cook it up!” Alunya pauses, scrunching up his face. “ ... If I can figure out how to without any experience, that is.”
Antares sighs. “C’mon Alunya, don’t be like that. We’re gonna be having a tasty dinner tonight, don’t be so glum. It’s your birthday dinner!” Antares pleads, putting one hand on Alunya’s.
“Yeah ... Alright.” Alunya acquiesces after looking up at Antares for a long moment. It’s fine, we had a good time hunting. So what if I didn’t get to try as much as I wanted? Alunya reasons to himself. Antares is right, I should just relax. Alunya makes a concentrated effort to smile.
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