Beasts in the Caves of Semele

[Merevaika]

oocThis thread continues from a thread that is partially started, outlining the details which are: Merevaika kills her nephew at a horse race, is chased out of Endrykas and kills several of the men chasing her. On her person: Simple shirt and pants, undergarments, boots, belt with scabbard and knife, amethyst necklace. On her horse: Yvas, fancy cloak.

89th Winter 515

The storm smashed around her. She had run from Endrykas yesterday yet she still couldn't stop, heart pounding with too many emotions. Fear, anger, guilt, disappointment merged into one. Water ran down her face, tears that hadn't come when they should have. There was no thunder nor lightning, lacking the very things she had compared herself to that morning before the race. Before the killing.

But the rain came down, soaking her to the very core and masking her vision. Everything was either mud or a misty haze that rose up from the ground with the heavy rainfall. It was hard for Eryunt to move in the mud, pushing through it as he shivered in the cold. They couldn't continue like this. It was cold, wet and dangerous. One wrong move and they could slip and fall, or be swallowed by the mud.

They couldn't move any further anyway, for the pair stumbled across a cliff, barely spotting it in the poor weather. Large waves smashed against the side, showering them with even more water. Eryunt reared, moving back in the mud but finding his hoof stuck in the ground. It was firm, the ground grasping it tightly as his back leg sunk in, almost reaching the joint. He reared again, neighing loudly and knocking Merevaika to the ground. She slipped onto the mud, sinking in it. It tried engulfing her too, but Merevaika fought it, pushing herself up onto a drier section. Quickly, she hurried forward, only just managing to make her way over to Eryunt without getting caught in the mud.

“Eryunt, stop!” she yelled over the torrent of rain, barely audible. She reached out, trying to calm Eryunt. He struggled with his hoof, managing to pull it out before rearing again, moving back with the voice.

“Eryunt, stop!” she yelled again, moving forward to grab the yvas. He stopped, starting to shiver with cold. She pulled off her cloak, wrapping it across his back to keep him warm from the rain. Hair clung to her face as she wrapped her hands around him, holding him tight. The two stayed still, concentrating only on the warmth of the other and their beating heart that somehow stood out in the rain.

“Eryunt, I love you. I really do,” she said softly, bringing a hand softly across his forehead. Her throat caught as she realised what she was planning. Laivku could take her body and let her start a new life as a new person. “I will never forget you.”

She pushed him away, slapping him to get him to run away, further away from her, to safety.

Then she turned towards the cliff, walking over carefully and peering over the edge to the waves below. They smashed against the cliff face, taking large chunks with them, swallowed by the churning currents below. Merevaika took a deep breath.

She couldn't do it. She was here to return. To get revenge, to prove herself worthy. There were people she knew needed her. There were her dogs, her horses, left all alone.

There was Eryunt, her strider. She couldn't leave him alone.

And finally she felt real tears come from her eyes, almost lost with the rain. Her shirt clung to her body, showing off the curves that had brought several men to her mercy that season. Her long hair, matted with wind and wraps, stuck to her cheeks and neck, once a mighty mane. The proud woman shook to the bone. “Eryunt! Wait! I'm coming!” she yelled, turning to see the mighty stallion had come back and was watching her.

She made a step forward to reach him.

And a large wave came forth, bringing the earth she stood on down. Merevaika screamed, lost in the rain and wind. The water pulled at her, pushed at her, churned her. She felt her lungs go weak, no air in them; her legs tried to kick out, but she had no sense of up and down; her arms reach out and feel stone and dirt moving around her. The waves moved her up, up towards the holes in the cliff that she couldn't see, but that were there. They pushed her in, bringing stones and rocks behind her to seal the way.

She smashed against wall after wall, feeling it cut her skin. Cloth was torn, her thigh was deeply scored, Merevaika herself smashed against the base of the cavern. Then the rains stopped a little, the waves subsiding, placing her gently on the ground.

Merevaika was alive. But only just.

[Merevaika]

She awoke painful all over. Her leg felt numb, weak and sore, the muscle strained from the strange shapes she had been contorted into by the waves. A splitting pain in her head and across her thigh forced her to open her eyes. Darkness encased her then light. A glowing white flickered past, followed by an array of colours. She grasped out wildly towards them, watching as they scattered, diving into the dark depths. Water ran down her hand, salt stinging the cuts. There was a piercing pain on her thigh, Merevaika letting a shrill cry ring through the cavern.

A mournful singing filled her ears, long and painful. A howling noise joined it, wind whipping through the caves. Caves. Wet and damp caves. Trapped. She was lost. The events of the days before flashed through her mind, splattered with the black of death. Haunting faces peered through her mind. She had killed. Not in a way like before, killing slavers or those who endangered her life. She had killed a child. Her nephew, her only nephew, who had been named after her, her responsibility.

She had been throw out of her home and couldn't return. A true outsider.

Another bout of searing pain caused her to yell out uncontrollably, grasping at her thigh. Her salty hands gripped the open wound tightly, pressing it against her chest. Her mind echoed with the events of the past but the pain of the present hurt more, much more. It hurt on the outside as well as the inside. It stung hard, matched with dull aching across her body.

Attempting to lie down, she tried to elevate both the thigh with the cut and the strained leg muscle, knowing that it did her good. Her head sunk underwater, pulling water down into her throat and lungs.

Merevaika gasped out for air, spluttering with the mix of salt and rain water in her mouth. A metallic taste; was it blood or the caves? Both, it had to be both. Something long and smooth slithered past her foot. She couldn't see it, but didn't want to. Nails clawed out, leg too weak to move, pulling herself up on a small sliver of land. Not dry, but not flooded either. The woman flipped to her back, gasping for air, for help.

Moments passed like that, staring at the darkness of the roof of the cave. Then something happened, something magical and entrancing. Lights opened up, slowly growing brighter and brighter. It was still faint, but she could see the cave now a little better. The mushrooms opened completely, clumps lining the walls. She let out a breath of amazement. She could see strange, alien fish, moving through the water. She could see the abnormal plants, glowing or winding in the damp, dark conditions. She could see rain pushed through the tunnels, water ever rising.

“Laivku,” was a name she seldom used, but still knew, if faintly, “Don't let me drown.” The prayer was out of place, unknown to her. She didn't pray to the gods, not anymore. They had abandoned her just like she had abandoned them. It was more of a thought out loud, a hopeless, even sarcastic statement. What god would choose to save her? What worth was she in their eyes?

None, that was for sure. But Merevaika didn't need the gods. They had never helped her. She didn't need her family. She had lived without one for so long. She didn't even need Endrykas. She was a lone ranger, wild and free. So what if she was trapped in these caverns? So what if she couldn't return? Merevaika was stronger than all that. She was no longer a Stormchaser, or Drykas, not truly. She was just Merevaika, the wild woman. Alone and stronger than ever.

She grabbed at the knife that still hung at her belt, blade wet and cold. It reflected a little light, enough to see the rough and cut face and scraggly hair.

She took the mane in one hand, gathering every strand, every wrap. Every memory of the past and belonging. The knife sawed at it, watching long locks fall to the floor. The tooth charm fell, a rising feeling in her stomach. It rolled away before she could change her mind, lost to the darkness of the caverns. Years of never being cut hair fell away. a soft bed of the brown forming around her. It was done. Her past was gone, lost to these waters. When she emerged, she emerged anew.
But the loss of hair and wraps did nothing for the pain, Merevaika letting out another moan. She tried wrapping it with a piece of her shirt, but the cloth was dirty and wet, nothing to help her. She tried binding the strained muscle as well, trying to compress it. The pain rose and fell and eventually she gave in to rest, laying almost dead among the scraps of hair and cloth.

Something on her stomach caused her to wake, clawed feet digging in a little. Merevaika batted at it, feeling her muscles scream for help. There was a caw, the crow bounding off the side. It cawed again, before wings took off, in a flash. It leapt towards her face, reaching forward, landing on her eyes, scratching them and tearing them.

Then it turned to a wolf, black fur and red eyes starting at her, growling. It opened its mouth. Teeth, red with blood, raked across her face, her chest, her hands. A pain rose, more than ever before. You killed my family. Then you killed yours. Murderer! Murderer! The accusations turned back to the cawing, loud, ever so loud. Wings flapped over her head, a crow again, moving over her.

A howl. It wasn't her dream, not the twisted nightmare brought by the pain of her cuts and bruises. It echoed through the cave, not like before with the wind, but a voice calling out, begging for help. She flipped to her stomach, searching once again through the darkness. The howl resounded around and Merevaika strained to locate it. Slowly, she wriggled forward, pulling a dead weight body behind her. The howl. Stones blocked the way, Merevaika shifting them a little to move forward, onwards.

It was getting clearer now but Merevaika's lost mind couldn't distinguish from here or there, faint or loud. She couldn't understand why she was approaching but she needed to. Life was here, not the strange alien life of the fish and plants, but like in a form she recognised. And at the moment, she needed it , dangerous or not.

A final howl, then silence. But she had already discovered the source. The cave sunk low, blocked off with large rocks wedged in place years ago. A small gap, deep with water, trickled through, fish swimming back and forth. Merevaika pressed her ear against the water, fresh and cold. She could see through, see the small cavern that lay beyond. See the red eyes staring back , thin body, lacking outline.

See the strange eyes, red, piercing red, red like her dream. But there was green too, strange sunbursts around the pupil. Intelligent eyes. Eyes that were both dangerous and scared, wild and tamed.

The dog whined a little, then growled, confused. A paw brushed forward, scratching at the rocks that trapped it as it asked for help. Then it bared its teeth, growling, snapping at the human. Merevaika fell back, eyes filled with desire and sympathy. She wanted it. Or she wanted to help it. The distinction was unknown to her. She couldn't focus on that. She just had to help it.

She had to help herself.

She fought everything, forcing herself to drink the water. Her throat burned, wanting it out, but she needed the energy. She needed to fight this pain. Merevaika pushed herself up, standing for moments until dizziness overcame her. A sudden pain came from the strained muscle, her leg too stiff and weak. No, she wouldn't let that stop her. Merevaika rose again, stronger, sharper, more secure. The rocks supported her as she balanced on one leg, the injured one hovering above the ground. she took deep breaths, letting oxygen reach her mind. It made her thoughts clear, her priorities set straight. She had to help this dog and it would help her. She knew it.

Her body hurt, it needed rest but she needed to fight it. It repaired, on its own. The cut on her thigh seemed to get better, protected if only a little by the cloth that bound it. Pus built up, redness and rash but she cleaned it often, draining it from infection. It worked well. It didn't stop all the pain though. The strain hurt too, but she made sure to keep it compressed and elevated, hoping that it would work.

[Merevaika]

Whether it was days that passed, or weeks, or simply bells, was something Merevaika didn't know, couldn't know, and didn't care about. Time was gone in these caverns, as was so much more. Everything changed, the feeling of life and of space. She felt so much stronger, waking with the luminescent mushrooms, resting, surviving of the water, however horrid.

Every time she woke, she rose, stood, tried to move. The pain left with her fighting, muscles hurting with work not with battering. She had been so lucky. So incredibly lucky. But that was how things worked with her. She was always lucky.

Merevaika learned to sit still, leg resting on a stone to keep it up. She learned to wait quietly without moving. She had nothing better to do, so sat on that tiny patch of ground, upright, legs crossed, watching the fish move. Water passed over her, ever rising and sinking with a constant flow. Merevaika sat there watching the water ripple past. She learned to wait, to not act straight away. And she learned to fight pain, fight natural instinct. She fought with ever part of her willpower.

The woman sat still, breathing slowly, conserving her energy. It was still in the caves. The howling was gone, the wind gone. No one around, only the dog scratching gently at the rocks occasionally. It begged for her help, but refused to let her near, so she ignored it, the best she could. It was hard but for now she had something to do. The dog was only part of the reason.

She let her mind focus on the drifting light, the alien fish in the water. Her stillness brought it closer, her presence unknown. On her lap sat a knife, palm resting on the handle and other on the blade. It moved closer, closer. She couldn't close her eyes. She felt tired, but couldn't sleep. The woman could only watch it swim, watching and waiting.

Then lightning struck.

The movement was fast. It hadn't even noticed the knife through it. Luck, perhaps, but stillness was part of it too. Pure hunger, pure wilderness, helped her movement. She was running on natural instinct. No longer truly human. The glowing fish grew fainter in her hand, but this Merevaika no longer cared about the light. Her eyes had grown accustomed to the dark. She knew what she was doing without the light.

The knife moved to the belly, slitting it, guts falling out. Then she broke it in two, soft fish flesh breaking easily. Her plan was in action. She crept over to the dog, inching over carefully. Hand grasping the fish tightly, she pushed it through the gap. The dog had its own hunts to eat, the fish it killed itself, but it was hungry. They both were.

A muzzle felt her hand, hot breath on her fingers. A tongue licked it, moved over the skin and onto the fish. It slid off, snatched by the hungry animal. Then it looked up at her, those strange eyes curious. Then they turned wild, snapping at her fingers. She snatched them back just before the sharp teeth caught her. Still, it had worked, if only a little.

Merevaika returned to the meditation, slow and steady breathing. She peeled the fish she had into small strips, devouring each slowly. It wasn't nice, but nothing would be better. This, at least, was food. All she could ask for.

It was cold in the caves, Merevaika wet through, but it wasn't like she had anything to dry herself with, anything to warm herself with. Instead she took the wet layers off, shivering in bare skin, but more bearable. She got a cold, sniffing and snuffling, but thankfully nothing more. Her leg was already too injured to be able to cope with another problem.

Merevaika tried to list essentials for surviving: food, water, shelter and fire. Out of them, she barely had two. There was no way to make a fire, not in this wet cavern, and she couldn't call it shelter when it did nothing to shelter her from the endlessly rising and sinking water. The water she drank was barely drinkable and the food...

There were several fish in the waters, she could see or feel their shapes drift past. The water was muddy and clogged, though, and while she managed to catch one fish with her method, it seemed to be a fluke. The current was too strong to let the fish stay near her long enough for her to act, so Merevaika was forced to try figure out another way of catching them.

She noticed how they stayed in the shallower pools, where the water was still, so the woman limped over to where they swam, trying to figure out how to bait them in. She had a little of the first fish left, which could be used as bait, but now all she needed was a hook.

Her hand moved to her neck, where the copper necklace still hung, forgotten. She always wore it, as a good luck charm. Now it would save her. The copper formed small hooks around the amethyst, perfect for this very task. Merevaika placed it on the ground, taking a stone and smashing at the copper, watching the hooked piece fall off. Merevaika quickly snatched it up, putting the necklace back on.

She found her shirt, taking a loose thread caused by it ripping when she was pulled into the cavern. She wrapped this around the copper, bending it to be secure before adding a small piece of fish to the end and dangling it in the water. After what seemed like forever, something caught, a small fish not bigger than her thumb.

Merevaika tore it in half, however small, giving one half to the dog and eating the other, leaving a small amount as bait for the next fish. Not ten chimes in, she felt nauseous, knowing instantly that the fish hadn't been good for human consumption. Merevaika threw up, feeling light and dizzy. Her muscles felt even sorer, but that didn't put her off continuing the process.

Her time was spent like this: slow attempts at gaining food and giving half to the dog that would take it willingly yet try bite afterwards. Each time, however, the dog seemed a little friendlier and a little more trusting. Each time she would stare at it, trying to understand what it had been through.

And each time she realised a little more.

The dog had scars across her face, white marks barely visible under the white fur. She had been a hunter or a fighter, lived part, if not all her life in danger.

The dog had traces of a leash, tiny hairs of rope still around her neck, still light indents where it had held her. She had been tame once.

She remembered not to fight Merevaika, not to bite her. Slowly, the woman gained the creature's trust, enough to know that she wouldn't attack. And finally, she decided that it was time to release the dog from her confines.

The rocks in the way weren't large, many a little bigger than her fist. The woman grabbed them, wrestling them out and watching as the wall fell, tumbling into the darkness.

The dog emerged, cautious and curious. She growled at Merevaika, careful not to get too near. Merevaika had planned for this, prepared with a piece of fish which she extended towards the dog. She made her way over slowly, sniffing the fish and eating it, licking the woman's fingers clean.

She was hesitant to do anything else, such as letting Merevaika near her other than to give her food. They spent more time sitting opposite each other, watching the other hunt. Neither were very successful now, but it did reveal more to Merevaika.

The dog limped, a cut on her leg from when she scraped it against some stones. Merevaika shuffled closer, holding her hands out to show that she meant no harm. When the dog growled, she slowed her pace, but still continued onwards. Eventually, the dog let her near, and Merevaika tore her shirt, bounding the wound.

Once done, she released the paw, the dog bringing it to the ground quickly. She then looked up, stepping forward and licking Merevaika's hand as a way of thanking her. She barked lightly, simply to make a noise to fill the silence.

[Merevaika]

The dog then locked gazes with her. Strange red suburst eyes met vivid green ones. Something strange overcame Merevaika. Human urges, natural urges, wanted her to stop, break free of the gaze, but she knew that the dog wouldn't hurt her. She knew that the feeling was crazy. Instead, she stared straight back, watching the mesmerizing sunbursts. They drew her in, asking for help, paying for help.

Then something happened, the dog's paw moving to her lap. A faint line, green and red, joined between them. She felt something in her mind change, her eyes open a little more. There it was, a glowing line joining the two. A cord, sturdy and thick that transferred pure energy to Merevaika, forcing changes. Her eyes widened, hands moving to grasp the dog's shaggy fur. The animal didn't protest, stepping even closer. Eyes trained at the other's, this link unbreakable, the glowing light unchanging.

Lines appeared everywhere, not from the fish and plants but rather behind them, tracing their paths. Lines filled the cavern, lights she had never seen before. Merevaika wanted to examine them, marvel in them, but her eyes remained locked with the dog's, unable to look away. She didn't want to look away.

Until she felt weaker and weaker, feeling the string that tied her to her life loosen. A raging pain erupted inside her, churning her insides like she had never felt before. Her eyes strained to stay open, burning inside and out. They watered, everything becoming blurry and faint. Her vision was fading. It was going. And this strange burning ate her mind, trying to take everything that made her human. Needles poked into her eyes, stinging too like smoke from a fire. It burned and hurt, pain all over.

Merevaika let out a cry, nails now digging into the dog. She looked seconds longer, then the beast closed her large red eyes, releasing Merevaika from the grip. She closed her own, feeling sight pour back into them, life pour back into her. The woman moved her hands to her knees, grasping them tight and beginning to sob. In that moment, the moment she believed she couldn't see, she had seen in other ways. She had seen the future or what it could hold.

She was to be always trapped in this cave, never to feel Syna's rays again, never to feel Zulrav's breath. Alone but for the alien inhabitants and the dog with red eyes. She would go crazy if she hadn't already. She was lost.

Merevaika yelled out, casting arms out in desperation. She started screaming and yelling for help, but her voice was simply swallowed in the great expanse of the network of caves and tunnels. The woman clutched her face, sinking low to the ground in sobs. Then she remembered the strange glowing lights and her eyes moved upwards, letting the same energy she felt shift to her eyes. Something changed, revealing lights tracing everywhere, glowing pathways left behind every creature.

Merevaika reached out to touch them, but her hands passed straight through. The dog watched her curiously, stepping forward and leaving a bright red trail behind her. Merevaika examined it, trying to touch it. There was nothing there – she couldn't feel it. Yet she could see it clearly , like a trail of footsteps she would use to hunt, only... only much more magical.

Closing her eyes, she tried to force the magic away, scared. That realisation scared her so much. Magic was a dangerous thing, this seemed dangerous too. She couldn't have it. How could a dog give her magic? A simple creature, not even human, able to grant magic, not only use it.

This was the Sea of Grass, or below it anyway, and other creatures here used magic. Striders could use the magic of the web. They could tie those bonded into it. Why couldn't this dog join her to another magic, a different one? Her thoughts were a mess, collapsing everywhere. She couldn't focus, she couldn't concentrate. Everything ached, inside and out. Slowly, she opened her eyes, peering through the crack made by her eyelids. The paths were still there.

This time, she forced them shut with more effort, gluing them together as she pushed the magic away, letting herself relax and not concentrate on the magic. This time, the magic was gone.

The dog looked at her expectantly, the starbursts in her eyes glowing. Merevaika found herself wanting to see the paths again, once again closing her eyes and concentrating, this time for another effect. The dog barked, moving towards a glowing line, a glowing fish. She followed it, following the path it left behind. Then, all of a sudden, she turned, following her own trail. Merevaika could see it clearly, even when the dog disappeared from view. All other trails started to fade until this was the only one left.

It was strong at first, easy to follow, until the water grew. Merevaika splashed through it, thrashing in the dark black with only the red line in sight. It grew fainter the more they travelled, heading back towards the small cave the dog had once been trapped in. By there it grew patchy, disappearing until paces later, then not appearing at all. It was gone. Faded with time, just like a normal track.

What did the dog want from her? Why had she given her this magic? Merevaika didn't know. She followed her own trail back out, hands and feet feeling her way in the darkness. Slowly, every step a limp, she pressed herself against a wall of the cave, struggling to turn this vision off. Her eyes drifted close, Merevaika not even sure if she had managed. Whatever had happened, it had brought her to the best sleep she had had in days.

When she awoke again, she was hungry. Merevaika stared out into the darkness off the caves, trying to see if anything lurked that she could catch with her simple knife. Nothing could be seen. After waiting for whatever time passed in those caves, not a living soul in sight, she gave up. Slowly, she focused on the magic from yesterday, curious and drawn to it. Lights lit up, less than before. The marks of the dog trailed clearly though, reminding her of her companion.

The vision was gone in a few seconds and Merevaika released a low whistle through the caves. The noise of splashing came towards her, the dog bounding through the water. She pressed her muzzle against Merevaika's fist, sunbursts glowing. The woman stared at them, feeling her own eyes start burning a little as the magic was brought back. It stung, the overuse, the pure amount of paths in sight.

[Merevaika]

“I can't do it, not yet,” she whispered to the dog, sinking to wrap her hands around her. Then it dawned upon her. This skill – she could use it to escape. She saw trails left by creatures – what if she worked backwards from one of the fish, that seemed to swim back and forth from the entrance to the caves. It was better than nothing, anyway. Merevaika was stuck here.

The problem was that she couldn't bring the vision back, eyes stinging. She was scared to, too scared. She looked at the dog, whose sunburst's still glowed a little.

Perhaps if the dog could teach her, the dog herself knew it. Perhaps the dog knew the way out, because she could see these trails, maybe even see the trail Merevaika must have made when she had been swept in.

“You can,” she stated, “You know the way out.”

So why hadn't the dog left? That was clear too. The dog had been trapped by rock fall, which more than certainly hadn't just affected that section of the Hymnal caverns. She couldn't move the rocks that blocked her path, even if she saw the right way to go. Merevaika could.

“Save us. Take us out. Please.” Her eyes said everything and by some chance, the dog understood, moving away quickly. Merevaika pressed her hand the beast, following closely.

They winded through the caves, noise of footsteps and splashing joined by the hymns of the wind. They moved in circles, tracing everywhere where this creature, whoever they were following, had gone. Merevaika could see little in the dark, guided by the dog's own vision, both magical and mundane.

Then they reached their obstacle, the dog beginning to whimper and howl. As far as she could feel and see, there were rocks, large rocks, blocking the way, tiny gaps of light and fresh air through them. They were close. Very close. But Semele stopped them and Merevaika wasn't certain if she had the strength to move these rocks.

She had to try. The woman scrambled, one leg pulled behind, towards the top, finding a gap already large enough to stick her fist through. With much effort, she managed to grab the smallest stone possible and heave up trying to dislodge it. It shifted a little, scattering dust and pebbles to the floor, but didn't do anything to help. She tried pushing it, pressing her shoulder hard against the stone. It rolled a little more, a bigger effect this time.

Merevaika pressed both palms against it, forcing it to roll forward inch at a time. Then, it gave way, both it and several rocks around it tumbling forward. A blast of light and fresh air stunned Merevaika, stinging her eyes even more. She pulled her arm forward, blocking it as she sat there for chimes, waiting to adjust.

She closed her eyes, forcing the magic to reach them, turning the Iraso vision on, slowly and rather painfully. A dull aching came to them. When she opened her eyes, she saw faint lines tracing the sea and narrow ledge in front. Ticks later, her eyes began to burn, Merevaika smashing them shut again. She only looked again when she was certain that it was gone. Later. Later, when she didn't feel like throwing up, when her thigh was better, when her muscle wasn't as strained. Later.

Then she gave a whistle and stumbled over the rocks, leg dragged behind and scraping on the sharp edges. She didn't care. She was free

oocEmerges on the 91st
Words: 5349

[Pulren Marsh]

A Grade is Coming
Your Wave

Quite a journey. You emerged with several new things: Pathfinding, a dog, a new haircut and some serious injuries.

 

Merevaika

XP

• Pathfinding 2
• Animal Husbandry 2
• Swimming 1
• Medicine 2
• Observation 5
• Endurance 3
• Fishing 2
• Wilderness Survival 2

Lores

• Pathfinding: Initiation by Animal
• Medicine: Keeping a Wound Elevated
• Wilderness Survival: Stay Dry to Stay Warm

Miscellaneous
Well, you have the dog as a companion, so please submit an NPC writeup. Keep in mind the age of the dog and be aware there is probably an equal rank or higher Pathfinder in the area or something like that. As far as Pathfinding, you can't really mention Iraso because there is no way you would know anything about that ancient order. While you do have the skill, getting it from an animal will leave it as something to be learned naturally and intuitively. Finally, your survival chances are slim, but it's possible. Please make sure that you make it to a healer in a day or two or that wound is going to turn. Blood loss and drinking salt water for two days aside, stitches and a healer should come soon.

Your Grader,


Pulren Marsh