"Should we not stay in pairs?" Frjya asked as she watch Orm go to gather fire wood. "I must say Nadya, I am no outdoors woman like yourself so I shall ask may questions." She said with a small chuckle.
"I can keep an eye on him," Freyr says as he absently rolls his shoulders. "If we run into more troublemakers on the way, I'll grab the kid and come back." The snow crunches under his feet as he follows after the young man. "And don't hesitate to call me if trouble finds you instead," he mentally projects to his sister. He tramps after the child, letting him gather up the firewood, but keeping him well in sight. It would do the boy good to contribute to the group's trip, and hopefully keep his mind off of what he had lost.
Nadya nods to Frjya "Yes pairs is best but he has spent a lot of time in the woods and will stay close. Of course company is better."
Freyr follows after the boy who clearly just wanted to get a walk in the woods. Orm looks back seeing he is being followed and deflates a little but he continues on.
After some time there is movement in the underbrush that catches Freyr's eye. After a moment he can see that it is a white furred wolf lurking about watching. Another wolf quickly bolts from one bit of underbrush to another. From where you are it does not appear that this movement disturbers the snow.
"Of course brother. Let me know if you need anything."
"Forgive me, I've spent all my years locked in my mother's ice palace. I cannot complain of course to those who have made a living from the land! Winter is not kind to any but walls of ice keep the wind away." Frjya admitted. "What... is it like?" She asked. "The wilds I mean."
Freyr notices Orm's unhappy look at have a babysitter, but it was better that he be a bit unhappy than to run into some kind of accident on his own. Being stuck on in the frozen wilderness was a death sentence even for someone a great deal older and stronger. His eyes dart to the side as he sees movement in the bushes and after a moment her recognizes on of Irrisen's many wolves. Well, it was better than fairies or more birds at least. "Orm, don't go too far!" he calls out to the boy. "There are wolves out here." He hurries to catch up to the child before he gets much further away. "It seems there's a wolf out here," he silently projects back to his sister. "I only see the one, so it may be alone, but I'll try to drive it off." He growls and loudly rattles his gauntlet against his chainmail. "Begone! There's no food for you here!" While the wolf likely can't understand him, unless he had managed to mistake a winter wolf for a more common variety, hopefully the noise and loss of it's stealth would startle it into leaving.
Frjya gasped as she looked towards the direction Freyr and Orm had gone. "Wolves." Frjya told Nadya. "My brother just told me there are wolves."
Kleora traveled with the group and kept her eyes open as they went and saw when the kid moved off to find firewood followed by Freyr. Things seemed peaceful enough, at least until Frjya spoke of wolves. Kleora was not particularly interested in animals but her Mistress did have a thing for predators and wolves would certainly qualify.
Kleora focused her mind on finding the animals around her and released her power as a magical effect. A pale green image of a third eye appeared on her forehead and opened as she looked in the direction that Freyr had gone. She focused for several seconds before turning to face the way they had been walking and did this to complete a circle around herself.
The visible wolf pauses mid step as Freyr growls and shouts. Giving a little yelp its tail drops and it, along with three others, trot away from what is clearly an alpha predator.
Nadya quickly catches up with Freyr and goes to the boy.
"This is why I don't like you running off. Your learning but you need more training to travel away from the group." SHe turns to Freyr "Again, I have you to thank it seems. No tracks, they were Boreal Wolves then. We may be clear but normally they will follow a group looking for anyone alone."
Freyr you can guess they would not continue to follow you at this point even if that is their normal action.
You were the only one to spot that multiple hawks have flown you and success on the Nature check tells you that it has been the same bird more then once.
The rest of the day goes without incident as does the next morning.
Freyr lets out a small sigh of relief as his display does its intended job and the wolves decide that they can find easier prey somewhere else. He was certainly able to fight off a few mundane wolves, but keeping a child safe at the same time would have been a more complicated situation. "Just doing my job," he says with a small nod of his head to the concerned mother. "I've spent my whole life trying to keep my sister safe, so I'm glad that my skills are applicable in other situations." It's hard to tell if the taciturn man is being serious or if it's meant to be a joke. "We have rarely traveled without escorts in the past, so something as simple as hungry predators isn't something we have to deal with very often. I don't think they'll return any time soon, after their attempt to find prey failed, but we should keep one eye open, just to be certain."
"Wolves indeed can be a threat. Let us hope they do find other prey else they might get desperate enough."
He slightly scowled for just a second at the mention of traveling with escorts. He understood the principle of it, he just wondered how all the folk would have been safer if those guards had been made to patrol the lands the witches governed instead. Those werent grudges against these two though. He had to try to remember that and the geas....
He nodded to Freyr wise words.
"We will keep our eyes open for them m'lord. Wolf pelts are good for cloaks."
He added.
As they continued on Kleora had noticed how several hawks had flown over them during their trek and she realized, eventually, that they were all the same one! She looked at her companions and said softly, "There is a hawk that has been flying over us repeatedly. I thought it was a different one each time at first but now it is obviously the same one."
Freyr manages to keep himself from twitching at their newest ally's words. "Just Freyr, please," he replies. "I've had enough formality to last several life times already." He frowns as Kleora distracts him with a more pressing concern. "More spies perhaps? Birds do make for excellent watchers. There may be trouble waiting for us ahead."
"Trouble waits as well as trouble follows. I don't think the Lady of Graves guided me across you folks for you to fail in the wilds of these lands. Is there a plan for when we get to where it is we are going?"
He asked calmly. There had been a pause at the end of his question, it had seemed a m'lord or m'lady was about to slip from his lips but he managed to stifle it.
"Indeed, my mother herself has a bird familiar" Frjya said as she picked up snow tear in her arms. "Many small animals are overlooked."
"You're still nervous around us aren't you Kvell?" She asked gently with a slight pained expression on her face. "I cannot blame you... our kin have standards they live up to after all... my twin and I are black sheets of the family." Frjya half chuckled.
"If I'd known there was this much wilderness on this side of that portal, I don't know if I'd have come."
"I'm more of a city girl at heart."
"We'll be on our way to the city soon enough," Freyr replies. "Whitethrone, for all its faults, is a fairly grand city. As long as you don't mind having to clear the way whenever a witch and her entourage need to pass by, on pain of death." His tone makes it abundantly clear what he thinks of the situation.
When Freyr made the comment Frjya stopped in her tracks. "Brother! You're brilliant!" She decreed.
"We could easily get into Whitethrone! We just have to be quick to ensure Sister doesn't find us! Our eldest sister, Princess Cassisoche, is the duchess of Thronehold and lives within Whitethrone. She's dedicated her whole life to mother! She's never married nor had any children of her own. Almost ever Duke or Duchess is either our sibling or our niece or nephew. If you all are willing, you can be my entourage! We could move through the city swiftly with that!"
The day passes as you travel, talk and plan. You see the falcon one last time before night falls and you make camp for an uneventful night.
Rising early you have time to prepare for the day and move out. The snow gained a couple of inches yesterday and today to travel is slow going even with winter gear. Still the group continues and only sees the falcon one time.
Near mid-day mulitiple falcons can be seen circling and the crack of a branch alerts you just before a voice calls out.
"Coming from the Pale Tower we see. This is as far as you go."
Two archers set out from behind trees with bows at the ready, arrows ready to fly.
Off to the side there is movement as a large white wolf steps out from behind the tree and speaks.
"Do I get to feast on royal blood at the end of this hunt. I will have to thank the witch."
_________________________________
11am / 8 inches of snow[u] Stat Tracker [/u]
Global Combat Condition: NONE |Freyr HP: 38/38 - AC: 17/15/12 Status:
Tayanalla HP: 18/18 - AC: 18/14/14 Status:
Kleora HP: 16/16 - AC: 12/12/10 Status:
Frjya HP: 16/16 - AC: 16/14/12 Status: MAGE ARMOR
Kvell HP: 17/17 - AC: 18/10/16 Status:________________________________
Red Winter Guard Falconeer AC: 15/12/13 HP: 14
Green Winter Guard Falconeer AC: 15/12/13 HP: 14Wolf
He began to scowl as the wolf showed up and threatened them... in particular the lord and lady. Normally it was a bad idea to do anything to a winter wolf...however he didnt think there would be any negotiating with this one.
"Begone wolf, before his lordship here has a new cloak."
He stepped in front of Fryja trying to shield her from the archers. He had a feeling they would try to eliminate the magic users first, and he wanted to give Freyr freedom to attack their foes.
"And you fools, do you think they will let you live knowing you caused the death of even unfavored royalty. You do this, you are dead. they wont let your loose lips even accidently spread word of such things."
"I would not be so bold if I was you, unless you heard it from the Queen herself." Frjya began as she stood tall, quarterstaff in hand like a royal scepter. "I am Frjya Elvanna! Youngest daughter of Queen Elvanna, 14th Queen of Irrisen to whom you own your allegiance!" Frjya projected her voice boldly.
"Winter wolf, you stand before the blood of the Old Crone. Will you turn your back upon the pact?" Frjya asked him. "Or shall we make a deal as your kin made with mine so long ago?"
"Pretty words but no deal. The pale tower has gone quiet but you are known."
He glances at the falconers with him.
"Move to the side surround them"
They glance at each other but the one in red slowly shifts his position looking to get around you five. As anyone of you glances at the humans the wolf moves in.
Bold may act
Tayanalla, Freyr, Frjya
Wolf
Kleora, Kvell
Green, Red
[u] Stat Tracker [/u]
Global Combat Condition: NONE |
Freyr HP: 29/29 - AC: 17/15/12 Status:
Tayanalla HP: 18/18 - AC: 18/14/14 Status:
Kleora HP: 16/16 - AC: 12/12/10 Status:
Frjya HP: 16/16 - AC: 16/14/12 Status: MAGE ARMOR
Kvell HP: 17/17 - AC: 18/10/16 Status:
________________________________
Wolf HP: 45/45 AC: 17/10/16
Green: HP: 8/8 AC: 14/13/12
Red: HP: 8/8 AC: 14/13/12
Freyr clicks his tongue as he draws his blade and moves to stand between the winter wolf and the rest of the group. He's hunted beside their number enough to know exactly who the greatest threat is right now. "I think I quite like my current coat, but it never hurts to have a spare. A savage wolf's pelt makes for a fine enough one I suppose. Come and face me if you dare wargling."
"I tried to save your life. Please know that this isn't personal." Frjya said with a sigh before she stared down the winter wolf.