There was a full moon in the sky that lit up the ground across plains as a cold breeze blew the dust into the air, a shadow could be seen walking in the distance.
The plains were empty as Kerdal walked in the darkness kicking the dusty ground as he went, he had never ventured this far at night on his own but he knew that the Orc he had found injured at his camp wouldn’t survive the night without treatment. With his eyes peeled in search of herbs he kept walking with his hand close to his belt ready to defend himself.
Kerdal was always nervous when he moved around the plains at night, the vast amount of empty land with only the moon light to guide you would make even the largest Tauren feel insignificant as they walked. Nothing but dusty ground and the remaining carcases of other creatures that had fallen here remained, it was a harsh environment that he had managed to live on for many years but he always feared the night. He moved slowly towards to patch of bushes that was a rare sight in these plains but was not a sight that came without risks, Hyena and raptor roamed these parts of the land and not to mention the centaurs that patrolled picking off stragglers. He kept his eyes peeled when a bush started to move and a small Plainstrider poked its head from inside. With a sigh of relief he walked towards the plainstrider and knelt down to gently pat its head when he noticed the Silverleaf behind it. He placed the herb in his satchel and sat next to the plainstrider, it was odd to find such a young plainstrider alone so far out here as once it had been separated from its mother there was little chance it would survive.
As Kerdal sat he looked around the ground for any signs of food or supplies he could take as the small plainstrider watched him, as he crawled on his knees he found a trail of larger Plainstrider that was still fresh. Since a young age he always had a talent to finding a story from the tracks in the ground, he stood up and rubbed his chin "Maybe the plainstrider was abandoned" he said to himself quietly under his breath as he carried on following the trail when it suddenly changed. The plainstrider tracks became further apart, something was not right. As he followed the trail he started to pick up the claw marks of a raptor that wouldn’t be more than a few inches smaller than him, his heart started to beat much faster as he turned and ran in panic back to the bushes for cover.
He crouched down in the bush with his hands shaking as he held on to his small axe, his head darted around frantically as he searched for any signs of the raptor. A large set of claws stepped out into the open and the raptor lifted its head out and began to sniff the air. It had already enjoyed a meal with blood and feathers pasted around its mouth and Kerdal stood silently as he didn't want to be its next.
The raptor began to slowly move away without noticing the small Tauren to search for more pray, Kerdal sat patiently waiting for it to move out. If he stepped up and tried to run now there was no way he would escape it so he just sat and watched. As he started to relax the plainstrider from moments ago stepped out from the bush, Kerdal quickly reached out to grab its leg but it slipped from his hand. The raptor lashed its head around and its eye lit up as started sprinting towards the tiny plainstrider. Kerdal leaped out of the bush and raised the roots from the ground entangling the predator.
The large Raptor screamed out in pain as the roots from the ground wrapped round it's legs and forced it to the ground, the roots grew unit they had reached the Raptors chest and it shook around furiously in a desperate attempt to break free to chase it's pray. The infant Plainstrider quickly left the scene as Kerdal moved in slowly to deliver the finishing blow to the beast. He pulled a light axe that was attached to his waist and made quick work of the Raptor as the roots withdrawn back into the cracks of the ground and the corpse fell to the dusty floor. The small Tauren threw the axe into the bush and started to run quickly away from the body, other beasts would smell the body eventually and he didn’t want to be around when that happened.
He looked up to the sky as the cloud started to disappear it would be sunrise soon and he had to make it back quickly.
Subject: Growing up in the plains