2018-05-25 Hunting the swine

It was a quiet night. Too quiet.

Artemis, a wry smile on her face, stepping into the clearing. It was a special night for Linda--tracking and hunting. A boar the size of a bus had left the south side of the island and was ruining crops and livestock, And Artemis had chosen to bring Linda along for the hunt. Artemis was dressed in the cloth tunic she wore in the arena, and carried a spear. Linda had been given her own spear.

And apparently, she was expected to use it.

They had traveled over a mile, Artemis challenging Linda to see where the beast had gone, and explain how she knew. She helped, but grudgingly, giving Linda an insult or two if she gave the wrong answer, just like she did in training.

Linda comments softly to Artemis, "Generally, when looking for something like this, I fly over the area at high speed. Tracking from the ground is different. We start with the basics, the animal will have to drink, so watering holes and streams in the area are a good place to start our search. The creature will need to sharpen it's tusks, so we look for trees and rocks in the area it may have scraped against. We check the ground at these places and the places it has raided for tracks, which will be large and deep. It will have to be canny to be so large, so it is likely to move to rocky ground where the tracks will be hidden, and also be hiding it's scent by walking along moving water and crossing through strongly scented areas like mint or onions."

Artemis gave a grunt of approval, then pointed to the clearing, filled with tall grass. "All right, then. Go and show me where the animal left this clearing and which way it went."

The thing to remember about boars is they are omnivores, and are canny, there is a decent chance that the boar is lying in wait for hunters. Before moving into the clearing, Linda surveys the area for anything that could give a large beast cover. She moves forward cautiously, looking around both for signs, ranging from "fewmeets" to tracks to areas the boar might have dug up for edible roots, and for any sign of attack. She is careful where she steps, so a not to disturb any clues.

Some things are obvious. Some places the trees are too close together for a large creature to pass. After eliminating those, and also places that are clearly not trampled, Linda can concentrate on the remaining ways out of the clearing. If the ground is not as solid as a rock, such a large creature will have to leave visible tracks. If the ground IS that solid, there is likely to be very few trees and only small amounts of underbrush, if there is any brush the way it went, it may have been tramples, if there are any loose rocks, they might have been flipped over (which should be visible by a darker color). Also, on the trees and large rocks, if it brushed against any of them, there is a chance some bristles were scraped off.

It was about the point where she realized that A. She was about to step in pig poop, and B. the clearing was surrounded by dense trees and underbrush when she hears the sudden TROMP TROMP TROMP of the boar moving towards her from her left, bristles up, hoofs stamping into the soft ground as he increased speed to slam into Linda, gore her with the sharp tucks, lay her out in moments. It shook its head from side to side, the tusks swaying...

The boar is, as expected, canny. Since Linda was expecting a chance it would be lying in wait, she is not surprised by its arrival. The one thing the boar can not expect is someone strong enough to stand up to its charge, and fast enough to dodge its attacks. Linda holds her position, bracing herself for the strike. Waiting for the last moment, she lowers her spear to pass just under the chin and penetrate the neck with the full force of the boar's own weight. Then, she dodges the tusks (well, not completely...its head is so big that it was already upon her before her spear penetrated, but she dodged ENOUGH that she will only have a bit of a scrape, not a serious wound). Thank goodness for a super tough body or that would have hurt a lot worse.

The boar drives itself into its own end, the momentum driving itself onto the spear. Its foul breath washes over Linda as it shudders once, then drops to its knees, then falls on its side.

Artemis walks up, smiling broadly. "Well...it seems you live to see another morning. You learn quickly."

Linda keeps here eyes open, even as she responds, "I read much of Greek Mythology in preparation for my visit here. I was aware a boar hunt was a possible challenge one might have to face. However, boars often have sows and young nearby. It is not unknown for boar hunters to fall prey to an enraged sow."

Artemis chuckles. "This *is* the sow. I killed her mate last month, but she didn't cause trouble until now. I am sure we will deal with her children, and their children, when they leave the safety of the valley." She looks to Linda. "The males cause trouble first...as they always do."

Linda states, "The boar...pardon the sow, may have been hunted before, if it had, it would be expecting a foe to dodge to the left or right and try to strike from the flank. Whether trying for the eye or the heart, any normal foe standing in front of such a beast should expect to be gored or trampled. The strike I used would be suicidal for most, and thus would not be one it would have faced before." Some of the Amazons might be fast enough, but of those she has met only Artemis, Diana, and Hippolyta have the physical strength to have succeeded. She adds, "Swine are much like humans in many ways, no doubt why Circe chose to turn men into them."

Artemis chuckled. "She didn't change them into pigs, she just showed them for what they were." She reaches down, then lifts the sow, five tons of dead weight, as if it were as heavy as a duffel bag filled with clothes.

Linda could easily carry the pig, put right now her job is to guard the one doing so. She says, "I imagine we should take this to the farms that were stricken. The meat, properly cured, should last them long enough to recover from the damage done."

Artemis nods. "We'll carve it up proper at the butcher's, then send it out to those handling the farms. Alariel will handle it. She watches over those who are unable to fight. You'll know her by the eyepatch. Kraken took it from her, spoiled her depth perception."

"Out of curiosity, what percentage of the population are unable to fight? Are they all those hurt in battle?" From what she has heard, the Amazons classically were warrior and hunters, not farmers.

Artemis shrugs. "There are many who fight and fulfill other roles. Scholars, teachers, builders...and farmers. It is only after Diana's role as our ambassador that we have been able to indulge these other roles with greater freedom." She begins walking, the rear legs of the carcass dragging in the dirt behind her. "We have learned that there is great potential in some. We even have some scientists here, now."

"There is much that can be learned from the outside world. It is flawed, but they have progressed far in many areas. One has to admit, however, that much of their progress is because of flaws such as greed and hatred. Would they have advanced as far and fast without their flaws, who can say? All that is known for certain is that it would be a far different world," responds Linda. Actually, she knows who could say...but has not seen him in years...not in person anyway.

Artemis snorts. "The Queen has said that we could have guided them, if we so wished. But we did not." There is a note of doubt there, as if she does not believe it. "I feel that it would be a better place...with us in charge, of course." She winks.

Linda shakes her head, "It would not have worked, not to disparage the queen, but there are simply too MANY of them. They would have resented your guidance and have overwhelmed you." People resent being told what to do, even if it is the right thing they are being told. It is something she has observed.

Artemis laughed. "Linda, you have much to learn. You don't have to outshine men. You just have to out think them. It is easier to suggest an idea and let them think it is their own."

Linda says, "When that can be done without them realizing the idea is not theirs, it is not a bad thought. The problem tends to be that any idea one person espouses, another opposes. It is hard indeed to get any single idea to spread far."

Artemis smirks. "You would be surprised. Some of the great battles have been won through subterfuge and guile as much as military might. The male mind is just another battlefield."

Linda smiles, "I recall a story from one of the World Wars, about warfare in the African Desert. When the Axis tried to overrun the lands the allies held, the found signs beside all the water sources saying Danger Poison. After the war was over, one of the Axis commanders spoke to an Allied commander about it, asking if it was not against the rules of civilized warfare to poison the water sources. The Allied commander replied, 'Yes it, but there is nothing in the rules about putting out signs SAYING there is poison.'"

Artemis nods. "Diana saw some of these. She told me her Consort, Trevor, said there was a trick hidden in the signs to let the Allies know it was safe, but he never said what it was. But that is a good example. Not that Hitler, we would never have accepted appeasement. We would have sent a warrior to deal with him personally. I even told Diana to do just that, but she declined. She told me Trevor said that if the Amazons went in and wiped out the man, too many nations would wonder if we would do the same to them. I was angry at the time, but in retrospect, I can see how it would have caused more problems than it solved."

Linda says, "Hitler held the Spear of Destiny, many heroes, including Diana, could not set foot onto lands held by the Germans without coming under it's control." This was true in the DC universe, things were different in the other world, but there were far fewer allied heroes in that world also.

Artemis hmmed. "Well, that may be true. Diana may have left out some details at the time." She smirked. "I think she understood us well enough to tell us just enough to dissuade us."

"Quite likely true. You know, I could deliver the pig to anywhere on the island in only minutes. I am curious why you are doing it this way," Linda inquires. There is likely a reason. Possibly there are harpies who would spoil the meat if she carried it by flying or some such...it would fit the logic of the place.

Artemis chuckles. "It gives us time to talk, Linda. Conversation is what elevates us above the animals. Sometimes a quiet discussion before battle eases the body, turns the mind inward and towards wisdom."

Linda states, "There is some truth in that, though many animals have some ability to communicate. Science has shown that...and some out there have the ability to speak with animals..." Well, so she has heard. She can not say she has met anyone but Aquaman and Hawkman who actually claim that ability.

Artemis grins. "Diana can speak with all animals. Even men, with are simply the most dangerous animals." She snickers, then points to a building at the edge of the city. "We'll bring her there. The butcher can harvest every last morsel from her, mark my words."

Linda laughs, "There was once a butcher of pigs whose motto was, 'we use everything but the squeel.'" One of the oddball things she read once.