[Flashback] 1st human encounter (solo)

[Silvy]

Last day of Winter, 411 AV A little over 5 clicks from outside the gates of Avanthal, a young silver cub hopped and bounced through the forest, testing her enormous paws. A squirrel scurried a few inches from her and she zipped after it with lightning reflexes. The clever creature burrowed into the snow drift with nimble feet and Silvy came up with nothing more than a mouthful of snow. Futilely, she dug at the drift and buried her face into it, trying to reach the little thing. After ten minutes of persistence, she gave up and looked around, still panting. The day she turned six months old, little more than a week before, she'd made her very first change into a wolf. The strength and speed she gained in this form was sheer exhilaration! She could jump, and bounce and run for hours without getting tired. And she no longer needed those itchy, noisy clothes either! She adored grooming her front paws till they gleamed pure white. Too bad she didn't realize that the rest of her was filthy! Silvy was a scrawny little cub with big paws and long legs that didn't match her compact, stringy body. Pine pitch still lingered on her left flank and one tufted ear, frozen to the fur by icy winter breath. She was 6 months old as a wolf cub, 6 years as a human, and totally ignorant of the danger she was in. A solitary cub makes an easy meal for the vast amount of predators roaming the outskirts of Avanthal, two-legged and four. This was her first taste of freedom--and her first taste of gnawing hunger! A week without food was making her desperate. Silvy was never taught how to be a wolf, nor was she taught to be human. She knew she'd only survive by instinct and if that instinct led her wrong, it would be a quick death. The half grown cub lifted her little black nose to the sky, and abruptly caught two scents! A deer and a hare! She could never take down an enormous deer but the hare--well maybe -this- time she would catch another one! They were so fast but hunger might give her the keen edge she needed. She turned in a circle, undecided where to start. She clambered up a large, fallen tree that had frozen to the massive drifts on each side. The gentle snow fall became thicker and the young cub felt time racing by. The hare smelled tantalizingly close so she turned her furry ears this way and that, seeking that quiet hop in the deep snow. She peered into the steady white vista before her, searching carefully for movement. There it is! Silvy sped swiftly toward her prey on velvet paws, her stride lengthening as her head stretched forward. The falling snow luckily masked the sound of her desperate race for food after a week of starving. The hare's cry was cut short as the young wolf seized it by the neck and shook it fiercely, carefully keeping those long paws from scratching her eyes. Her heart pumped adrenaline and she trembled at the sudden end of the hunt. The scent of the hot blood coursed through her senses in a heady mix of joy. Silvy tore into the hare, taking the steaming entrails and other choice bits first. She laid down and gnawed some of the bones, savoring the crunch and power of her new adult teeth coming in. After the meal, she indulged in a thorough grooming of her front paws until they blended with the snow. Just a few yards off in a copse of snow laden trees, a magnificent stag appeared, looking and listening for something. 'It must be something very big to frighten such a large deer!' she thought, laying quietly and safely camouflaged in the mounds of snow. Abruptly, an angry whistling sound whipped through the silent forest! It sounded like a swarm of bees moving fast! Silvy froze in position, too terrified to move at the unknown sound. With an earth shaking thud, the handsome stag dropped to the ground dead and bristling with a half dozen arrows!! Breathless with terror, she jumped up quickly and moved to crouch behind the nearest tree for cover. The cub quivered but remained completely silent, watching with huge eyes. Someone shouted in victory at the kill and a hunting party moved toward the fallen deer--and a half hidden Silvy.

[Silvy]

Silvy thought she might be safe, but then she didn't remember she'd left large paw prints exactly to her location. These were Vantha hunters--the best of the best, and nothing got by them. Especially an inexperienced wolf cub. "There's a set of wolf tracks nearby. Smaller than the usual ones around here and still fresh--there's no snow cover on them yet." A large man with dark hair quickly followed the tracks and was nearly on top of her! The trees blocked her back and side escape and the large hunting party blocked the front. Silvy was trapped! She instantly grimaced in submission. The Kelvic flattened her ears, lowered her silvery head quickly, baring her teeth and tongue. She was very careful not to raise her lips on her upper teeth and she tucked her tail under. She growled a series of warnings that she would only attack if he forced her to.

[Silvy]

The Vantha weren't stupid when it came to reading animals and he took a couple passive steps back so the wolf wouldn't feel so cornered and threatened. Silvy crouched tensely in snow up to her chest. She was terrified and her thin little body shook with fear. 'They killed that huge deer!! I would be easy prey for them!' The thought swept as quickly through her mind as the terror that raced through her small frame. She stayed tense and waiting, ready to fight or flee at any second. A female Vantha of the hunting party called out to the tallest one, near Silvy. "That's the scrawniest, smallest excuse for a wolf I've ever seen! Let's leave it the deer's heart and liver. It looks like it could use a meal or three." He nodded and slowly walked back to his friends, all the while, keeping a close whirling purple eye on the skinny cub. The hungry ones were the most unpredictable. "It's mother's probably dead. Those prints only belong to that cub so it must be alone. I doubt it will survive much longer on its own." He answered in a calm voice, knowing that given the chance, the young and solitary wolf cub would rather run than fight. The moment the tallest Vantha took his 3rd step away, Silvy made a mad dash for the cover of the nearest trees. In less than a full chime, she was perfectly camouflaged among the icy trees, brush and mounds of snow. She watched them with wide eyes as they they slit open and gutted the carcass efficiently. Fresh blood and raw venison perfumed the air and Silvy drooled. Hidden well, she took note of the party as they quickly skinned the hide, rolled it up and placed the fresh meat in the parfleche on each person's back. Their movements reminded her of a wolf pack with their efficient killing technique. She almost whimpered aloud when they deliberated placed the heart and liver on the snow where the stag fell. The moment the hunting party walked out of sight, Silvy leapt toward the food, bolting it down in rapid bites. Who knew when she'd get to eat again? -end-

[Cheshire]

. Character: Silvy Experience: Running +2, Hunting +1, Tracking +1, Climbing +1, Intimidation +1, Camouflage +1, Observation +1 Lore: A Taste of Freedom, Fearing for Your Life, Vantha Generosity Additional Note: Great solo! PM me with concerns.