[Bronze Wood] Wandering (Sturlin)

[Skye]

Timestamp: 21st of Spring, 510 AV

Once again I was out in the woods. It felt so nice to smell the earthy scents and hear the birds chirping and small animals rustling in the brush. To be in my wolf form again was also a great thing. My human form was fine but it didn't have the movement the wonderous feeling that being a wolf provided.

I walked around the large rock to the entrance of my den. The rock most humans would say was a rock hill. It was built near a lone cherry tree in front of a hole in the rock. The hole went deep into the large rock and had enough space for me in my human form to stand up straight. I had some furs lying down on the far end and my clothes were on a natural cubby on the wall above it. There was a strange lychen that lined the walls that gave off light so there was no torches.

I shifted and changed in a matter of secounds. I would be out for the remainder of the day. It wouldn't be as fast as in my wolf form but I also needed to practice using this form. I had already learned the motor skills of my wolf form but the awkward hands and feet of my human form were still strange to me.

I decided I would get a small nap in before I went hunting and I walked out of the den to lay in the sun. I proped myself up against the cherry tree and fell asleep.

[Sturlin]

The sound of Sturlin dragging his broken body through the underbrush echoed loudly in the quiet trees. He was now only a few hours from Syliras and he could not wait to arrive. With his right hand he gripped the lead to his horse, and he leaned heavily on the horse as he walked. A small, pink, hairless cat followed behind him as he traveled.

The hunter wore a leather vest, bare chested beneath, leather pants, high boots, and the bandages for his wounds. All of the skin visible was scratched, torn, or already scabbed over. His head was bandaged from a scalp wound and stained with blood. The man's left arm was in a sling, and his stomach and thigh were both bandaged as well. From frayed and battered state of his leathers he had been in a tussle with some clawed beast. The oil from its feathers and the blood from its body was still clinging to him along with his own.

The magician's body language gave the air of a man who was ready to kill at the slightest provocation. Given the state of his body this could either be unnerving or comical. It would depend on how much experience a person had dealing with desperate men. Adding to his already haggard appearance was the old and heavy scarring on the left side of his face which was now shadowed with his dark expression. As he staggered, his feet dragged on the stones near Skye's den, scattering them noisily.

[Skye]

Skye woke to the sound of groans and pebbles dragging against the rocky ground. She sniffed the air quickly and smelled blood. A lot of blood. Worried she stood up and ran over the ground quickly.

Coming off of one of the trails onto the rocky surface leading to my den was a man, a horse, and a small cat. The man was bleeding heavily and would soon be unconsious. He looked half crazy from the bloodloss and there was killer intent in his eyes. Slowly she approached him and asked "Hello..Do you need some help?"

[Sturlin]

Upon closer inspection it appeared that Sturlin would be in more danger of passing out from exhaustion than blood loss. His wounds, while tended inexpertly, had been wrapped tightly enough to get him to Syliras at least. When the woman approached him he straightened his back and stood next to Francis rather than leaning on him. Raising his good hand he held it facing her, palm outward. "Let's not get any closer than that."

He blinked his eyes rapidly to clear the fog from his mind. Assistance would be welcome. The three may or may not be able to finish the trip to Syliras, of that he was not sure. Had he not just spent a full day limping and napping fitfully he would have been more likely to accept her aid. Both Sam and Miharu had turned out to be trustworthy people. His eyes narrowed as he considered whether or not he should ignore her offer for help.

When Mr. Pickles walked forward and rubbed against the legs of his injured master Sturlin seemed to relent, though he kept his hand up and facing her. "What sort of help are you offering?"

[Skye]

The man stood taking his weight off of the horse and I realized that the man was not bleeding as heavily as it appeared and that it was from exhaustion that he leaned upon his horse. I took a few more steps forward before he stood up tall, raised his hand, and told me "Let's not get any closer than that."

I stopped quickly and watched him carefully. I could see him thinking my offer over but he still hadn't lowered his hand. The small pink cat that had been following close behind him rubbed against his leg. He finally asked me "What sort of help are you offering?

I grinned and told him "My den is nearby if you would like a place to sit and rest for a bit. I'll go check my snares for rabits if you would like some meat. I can redo your bandages for you and get you safely to Syliras on the fastest route."

[Sturlin]

Once again he paused to ponder her statement. A small voice inside of him, the part of him which had helped him survive his attack by the beast, urged him to ignore her offer and cut her down if she were to block his path out of this area. A cautious optimism overcame that voice. He would watch her carefully throughout this encounter, and at the first sign of trouble he would defend himself.

"A rest would be welcome," he responded in his usual baritone, made deeper and more gravelly by exertion, "Where shall I sit?"

[Sturlin]

Didn't quite work out the way we'd hoped, and now Skye won't be playing for some time. After consulting with Dusk, consider this thread wiped. Going to clear it from my thread list as well.