[Una] Back to Nature

[Ruby Majalenka]

Ruby kept her body as small as possible against the freezing wind of Avanthal while riding along the city wall. It was ominously silent, moreso with the presence of cluster of trees that felt as if they had invisible eyes following Ruby as she passed. Liovri, her horse, snorted loudly to mock her master's paranoia. Startled, she would've fell were it not for her hand tightly wrapped by the reins. "It still feels petching cold even in winter." she started wryly. "How do you feel about sleeping outdoors tonight, Liov ?" The horse gave another snort, this time of defeat. A few days ago when she stopped by Frostfawn Hold Ruby saw a stack of smoke from the direction of the trees surrounding the hold and went to investigate in case it was a fire or other things needing help. As she walked through the copses of trees it was made clear the smoke was from beyond the walls. In any case, they'd be sleeping under the stars tonight. Today Ruby planned to camp out somewhere for past's sake. A place where she could still see the city would be nice, maybe the smoke was even from fellow campers, she mused while glancing at the survival equipments she bought the other day. She'd taken an immediate left going out of the city gates. Not knowing exactly where to head to nor what to look for, she let her horse stumble as it desired. "I do hope you know where you're going..." She fixed her seating position after feeling that she was slipping to the side, again. She could never fully calm down on the idea of a big living creature between her legs. It appeared that Liovri knew where she was heading, or were attracted to something. The latter proved right when Ruby spotted a lodge. The lodge was a plain three-story wooden building with balconies on the upper floors and a tree near the entrance. The main door was protected from snow with a canopy supported by two columns. Ruby tied her horse to the tree near the entrance on which were already docked several other horses, some male. "Uwah, you're as bad as my mother..." Ruby sighed, heading inside. Inside it was by no means luxurious as the exterior suggested; The floor was of cold stone except a small wooden platform in the corner for occasional performances, if any. The only light source was the slightly blinding sun from the large windows though there were small lanterns that hung on ropes from among the dark overhead columns, giving the room its monochrome feel that might've been unsettling were it not for the jolliness with which some hunters recounted their tales over an elk grilled over a spit. When her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she saw the wall held a collection of head hunting trophies. There were a waste walrus whose last glare implied the ferocity it carried its proud death with, a waste mammoth with tusks as long as two and a half metre, an unfortunate frost hawk who Ruby mused could be used as a form of warning to other frosthawks if it was to be impaled on the area facing the sea, and a dire Talderan Sabretooth (also of old age judging from the gleaming ebony tusk) that may had been easily 2 metres wide when still whole, but no Frostfawn deers. At this point Ruby had figured out that this was a hunter's lodge. The specific measurements and implied informations of the animals were of course lost on Ruby due to her hunting inexperience, though not the impression that lingered in her mind. She spotted what looked like a notification board and approached it, hoping to be able to catch any knowledge she could before mingling with the crowd present.

[Una Tanta]

OOCThe 6th would be perfect! Also don't forget to ask Lullz for permission to self moderate here Una slipped out from under the covers carefully. The red ball of fluff that was Sizzle was still perched at the end of the bed deeply asleep. They had been dug out of the library early this morning and Una had rushed home to take care of Sizzle. As she had guessed the puppy was shouting at the top of his lungs when she arrived desperate. Letting the puppy out she'd walked him around the freezing paths the snow piled almost to her shoulders on either side. After he'd had his washroom break Una had returned to her cabin and to Jack. Glancing over at the tussled blankets they'd fallen asleep on she didn't deign to look at the librarian in the light. In the safety of the darkness they had fallen into each other. His eyes in ecstasy were as blue as Cy's and with the dim candle light his hair had glowed golden like Cy's. In the brightness of the light his body was a foreign map. The tawny colour of his skin like light syrup and his black hair brushing across his cheeks windswept by their night. Tiptoeing through the room Una slid her breeches and brocade shirt over her white lithe form. Built for swimming she didn't have any of the lumps and bumps of human women. However she also had none of the mammalian breasts that made human women so attractive. Naked she appeared in human terms like a permanent adolescent devoid of hair or womanly figure. It was the narrow waist and delicately curling tentacles that made her effeminate to Charoda. Her white tentacles moved slowly along her collarbone their tips thin and delicate, the suckers pink. She left her headdress on the table this time as she pulled on the red leather boots the buckles making a soft snapping as she did them up. The red leather gloves fit over her webbed fingers uncomfortably but kept them warm. Layer upon layer. Each item was lined in fur which unlike the material didn't suck the moisture from her body. "Sizzle." She called quietly trying not to wake the Vantha sprawled in her home. Gently petting the dog she whispered a little louder till he gazed up at her bleary eyed. Seeing the leash in hand he leaped off the bed barking with delight. "Shhh! Shhh! Sizzle!" She shushed, hurriedly taking him outside as he continued barking. Once outside and safe she clamped her gloved hand around his muzzle. "No. No barking." Una demanded awkwardly. She didn't know how to discipline a dog. Sizzle rolled onto his back nibbling and chewing on her gloves in response. "Helpless mutt..." She muttered to him playfully withdrawing her hand. The pup was always a nuisance in the morning before he was walked but once his energy was expended he was a very dignified boy. Unlike the other puppies she often saw prancing about and tugging at the end of their young owners leash Una never had to worry with Sizzle. He always walked by her heel. He ignored the other dogs on his path never rising to their demands for play or war. "Little King, this way." Una spoke as she set off on their usual walk around the cabins. It was always interesting to peek into the windows of the other cabins as she walked by. The Vantha always slept in their holds so wandering around here gave her the opportunity to see anyone foreign like her. When they were finishing their meandering journey Una hesitated at her own cabin gazing down the path. Jack was in there,likely awake by now,and even if he wasn't... Una was quiet, not for fear or shyness but simply because she had little to say most times. When she did wish to say something she rarely hesitated or considered the consequences, but every once in a while there were moments. Moments were she stood and looking inside found fear for words. The moving shadow in the small window sent her skittering down a different path. "I can't do this. I can't speak to him. Sizzle...I have no idea what to say..." So she avoided going home continuing her walk around the cabins for several hours until when she returned to the cabin she saw the imprints of boots from the door and out of the Savintar Warrens. Sighing heavily she slid inside the heavy door. "It's his day off today Sizzle so we should probably stay in and away from where we might run into him." Sizzle tilted his head and padded around the floor looking for a place to nap, "you're right...he might come back...Should we go out to the hunters lodge? He's unlikely to be there!" Sizzle perked up at the mention and instantly sat at the door waiting to go out. Una had been told abut the hunters lodge by the gate Iceguards. She often visited them to have time with the Kelvics. They worried when she wandered, obviously inadequately prepared, outside the walls and had shown her it as a safety net should she wander too far and get lost. The Hunters lodge wasn't easy to find if you didn't know it existed but because it was hidden within a copse of trees in the middle of tundra it was easy to spot when one knew to look for pine trees. Leashing the dog after she had slid the backpack over her shoulders Una crept toward the gates keeping an eye out for Jack. Smiling to the guards as she left she promised to bring them some hot cider from the lodge. Winter had been bitterly cold so far and as prepared as they were for their duty goodwill did not go unnoticed in Avanthal. Marching through the deep snow Una watched Sizzle bound around her. Ever the distinguished puppy he dove through the snow as majestically as one could when they disappeared after each leap. After last nights snow it was so deep that Una only saw him appear at the pinnacle of his jumps, otherwise disappearing into a puff of snow. She wadded through the knee deep snow her muscles begging her for a swim. She bathed frequently to keep herself moist but it was a long time since she had been to the ocean or the hot springs and moving on land was so different from swimming. At first it had been easy, as the air offered less resistance. But the deep snow held her back. As she left the gates behind her the heavy weight of Jack released its grip on her back and she was able to move more easily in mind and in body. Sizzle didn't care much for her she knew. He tolerated her presence and a quick learner knew words to get excited about; Hawk, Spirit, Lodge, Walk. and he certainly let her pet him but his attention never turned to her when there were other things about. Even in the lodge he wandered about the place as if it were a stranger to smell only turning to look at her when she fed him. When they went to feed and care for the Frosthawk he would catch the smell of home and Una struggled to keep him with her as he strained toward Spirit's room. Yet, Una found great comfort in the little creature. He was a beautiful startling red that reminded her of home in Thunder Bay and both his appearance and attitude were so removed from Cy that being around him reminded her of no one...he was just himself. Shaking the snow from her boots and coat in the same manner as the puppy beside her she smiled at the large building with relief. Everyone was competitive with each other in the lodge always vying for the bigger elk or the better hunting story but there was a deep thread of camaraderie amongst the hunters do depended on each other for survival. Una could smell the spices and blood of the cooking meat in the air. Though the smell made her vaguely nauseous Sizzle loved it here and it was the only time the puppy held it's attention on her...she just had to bribe it with a little bit of the bloody stuff. Taking a seat with the hunters she had exchanged stories with at an earlier date they all smiled at her and slid over a plate with a few pieces for Sizzle. Though they had thought her vegetarianism silly before, a practical joke which involved slipping meat into her soup that had led to hours of puking had settled the matter rather permanently. Deep into their previous conversation Una held the meat above the puppies nose. "Sit Sizzle." Sizzle Sat. Una gave him a piece. "If only you listened so easily when I wasn't feeding you." Una teased sticking her tongue out at him, his tongue lolled back making her laugh.

[Kenna Frostfawn]

The faint sound of footsteps resounded from behind the wooden door that separated her from the world. Wrapped up in a cocoon of warmth, Kenna did not dare removed the covers from her body. Knowing clearly that if she did so, the cold was gently caress her bare legs easily sending shivers up her spine. Despite her own true nature being a wolf, she was supposed to stay warm but those abilities were never constant in her human form. Today was the big day and she couldn't help but want to prolong her journey towards the Savant Lodge. All the hunters of Frostfawn who believed they had what it took always spoke excessively of the place itself. Kenna had found a mutual interest in the place from the many stories they had spoken to others and herself. She should have been excited and ready to go but there was almost a hollow feeling residing in her chest. Savant Lodge was located to the left of the Icewall gates, with small hints around the area to signal the person they were going the right way. Though, with all the snow piling onto the ground it would be much harder to notice these things. Suddenly a sharp knock banged against the wooden surface of her door, causing her to jolt at the sudden sound. Kenna groaned loudly, placing a pillow over her head to drown out the sound, "Come on Kenna, time to get up! Today's the big day and you don't want to be late, the snow is getting worse. Alright, you don't want to answer me? Well I'm coming in!" With a loud bang, the door shot open causing Kenna to fall out of her bed head-first followed by a loud amount of laughter. Looking up from the mess Keriay had created, she couldn't help but grin at her best friend before getting up. "Don't you know how to make an impression, aye? I swear if you weren't a good friend, I would have hit you or something." Keriay chuckled at her before shoving her clothes in her face and shooing her off to go get changed. The two had known each other for a long period of time, both sharing the same grief that they had to carry each day. At first when the two had met it was very complicated as none of them knew what to say but hateful words. After a while the two had grown accustomed to each other and a friendship had bloomed. Though Keriay was older than her, Kenna would've liked to think that she was the older one due to maturity. "Come on, we have to go! It's your first time at the lodge and I can't wait to hear all about it." If it wasn't for Keriay, she wouldn't have gone therefore in a way she was thankful for her help. After quickly tugging on her pants, boots, and jacket, Kenna was pushed towards the hallway and then dragged out of Frostfawn. Once exiting the Hold itself, she was instantly hit with a wave of chills as her body was adjusting to the temperature of Avanthal. Their feet reaching knee-high deep in snow, the two trudged through the pathways of Avanthal until they reached the Icewall gates. Keriay stopped at the gates nodding to her with a small smile on her face,"So this is goodbye for now, yeah? Be waiting in the my arvinta so I can tell you all about it." There was nothing more to say therefore she turned around waving an aimless goodbye, turning left towards where the lodge allegedly was. On her path towards the lodge, she assumed that she was going the right way by the simple but subtle carvings marked on the tees. With all the snow from the previous night, most wouldn't be able to see it but luckily she had caught it. The two ends of her lips seemed to turn up in hope as she continued to struggle through the snow, her gaze remaining stationary. From here to there she'd look from left to right, maybe up or down in hope of seeing signs of anything else. Luckily, within good timing she finally saw the puff of smoke that Keriay had spoken about. A surge of electricity bursted with happiness within her body as she hastily quickened her pace. By the time she knew it, she was standing before the lodge, "It's now or never Kenna, you have to do this." Shaking her head slightly she finally felt her boots scoff against the hard surface below her. Shakily her hand grasped itself around the door knob and turned it, her head peeking through curiously. Quietly maneuvering through the small space, her eyes widened considerably at the amount of people in the lodge itself.

[Una Tanta]

Content with his morsel Sizzle slid under the table. Chin on his paws he gazed up at her from under his brows his golden eyes in shadows. Whimpering quietly he reached out laying a paw gently on her foot. Smirking, Una shook her head at the puppy before turning into the group.

"...And then, the creature fell...." The rest of the boys cheered and Una frowned, she hated coming into the story at the end. It always made her feel like she was missing out and the storyteller in her whimpered with longing. "What!? What happened?!" She begged. The storyteller winked at her, "Oh lass, you know we can't simply tell you, you'd have to listen to the entire story!" Placing her chin on her hands Una pouted at the man, "Aww...won't even make an exception for me." She emphasized each word, her bubbling accent drawn out. Her accent always made even the burliest of men blush or chuckle.

"Not even for you lass..." The storyteller replied chuckling. "Well I have a story, and if you can focus long enough miss Tanta you wont have to pout like that." Una laughed halfheartedly and glared playfully at the man. Though the men didn't respect her as a survivor they respected her as a fellow storyteller. Besides, the bigger the audience the better.

"Well, just last week we were out on a small hunt with the family," he wiggled his eyes suggestively and grinned, "just a little trek around Avanthal. Far enough that it was out of sight of the kids and they felt the thrill of adventure. The Icewatch was barely behind the horizon..." "Yah yah yah, we know! You've told this story a hundred times!" The grizzly bearded hunter moaned his eyes rolling into the back of his head. "But I haven't heard it!" Una prompted, "Do tell!" "See! I still have a captive audience!" "No you don't!" The grizzly man warned, "I'm sure none of us will be sticking around to hear the load of junk again." "Fine..." The man muttered under his breath glancing at Una apologetically.

"I think I'm going to get us some more cider, " Una offered, standing to leave. There was an oppressive atmosphere descending, obviously he had been about to tell a story that revealed a secret only the hunters knew. It seemed like there were a lot of those. Una desperately wished she could know them, understand the secrets of the tundra they were such a part of.

[Meville Brightshade]

Goodies!

Please make sure to edit your posts in the requests thread to let us know who has been graded! Thank you!

I posted this grade in the wrong thread! I'm sorry for the confusion! Empyrian, if you've already graded this, just PM me and I'll delete this grade in lieu of yours! So sorry about the confusion!

Name: Una Tanta
Experience gained:

• Socialization + 1
• Observation + 1
• Seduction + 1
• Animal Husbandry + 2

Lores earned:

• Dog Training: The Hand Muzzle
• Jack: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Final Comments: :

One day, you're going to get to finish a thread, and it will be lovely. Haha. Still, well written; especially Una's interactions with Sizzle. He's a lively little git! I was considering giving you a lore about sleeping with Jack, but I wasn't sure. If you'd like it, I can edit it into here, just PM me. Other than that... Seduction for at least trying to get the hunter to tell you his story, if that was confusing at all. Good work!

Questions or concerns? Send me a PM with "Grade" in the title, and we'll chat it out!