"Nu! Auryel, departe!" Arvanya's screams as the wyrm tears into him. Fearful at the sight of his blood, she reflexively reaches for her glaive but realizes she is much too close to make proper use of it. With a snarl of her own she unsheathes one of the long, curved hunting knives from her belt. Gripping the white, antler handle she all but dives at the creature that seems determined to hurt Auryel.
It's long, serpentine body squirms quickly out of her reach; however, it evokes an image of a twisting snake, like the enormous anaconda her mother used to tend. "Alerga!" she hisses at Auryel. The wolf's eyes glow a vivid yellow and his body seems to lengthen as he squirms away through the deep snow drift.
[ooc]Not moving is fine, especially with reach. I hope this thing will be dead before we actually achieve flank.[/b]
On her Freyja stops singing (letting the song hang in the air) and moves 5 feet to her right before stabbing at the creature. As a swift action she imbues the weapon with a part of her magic. The snow slows and inhibits her though and her strike is not clean.
At the head of the column, Astrid curses as the creature emerges from the snow, snapping into an about face and struggling through the drifts to get it within reach of her spear's point.
After a couple seconds, the snow around the chest melts. It takes a couple more seconds for the wet rope to catch fire and breaks apart which activates the trap. With a thunder-like sound, the spiked log descends along the trail, moving back and forth like a pendulum for a couple more seconds before falling into the ground when the ropes securing it break one more time... it wasn't the more subtle approach but for sure no one will fall pray to that devious and deadly trap in the future.
With the creature threatening to tear her apart, Blaze moves away from it even if by doing so she opens herself to that very possibility. The wyrm-like creature bites at her but she is able to dodge easily despite the heavy snow. She then aims at the creature and scorches it with her inner fire. The creatures shrieks.
From her position as in the front of the group, Astrid tries to return to the middle of the group to assist in the combat but there is too much snow in the way. Commanding Auryel to retreat, Arvanya draws her own dagger and tries to stab the creature but it is too fast for her.
Evelina finally reaches the creature from its flank and pierces it easily. From the creature's scream, it seems that she hit some important or specially painful organ. Taking advantage from her reach and the wounded state of the creature, Freyja impales it, finishing the rare specimen as warm and dark blood rushes through her extended spear... it wasn't her most perfect strike but it was just enough.
Having all but leapt at the serpent, Evelina rolls into a nearby snow bank as she yanks out her rapier from the creature's back. Raising her buckler to try and avoid the blood spray from Freyja's strike, she doesn't even try to catch her breath before leaping up and turning to Arvanya. "Auryel? Is he okay?!?"
Taking off her furs to shake off the snow and straightening her hair and clothes underneath, she tucks the them under her arm as she walks next to Arvanya to observe Auryel's state.
Not a moment is lost before Arvanya is herself diving into the snow, driven by desperate concern for her friend. Although his white fur conceals his snow-shrouded form to a great degree, his blood is easy to spot. Droplets in the snow, a smear across his coat, and the wound itself. The blood is a shocking spectrum of hues--cherry and rose, crimson, ruby, and garnet.
Like the currant-red lipstick of her mother.
That color. She hates that color, for it simultaneously drowns her in her own violent history and reminds her of the unrelenting brutality of the present. It leaves little hope for the future as well. She hates that color.
"Auryel, Auryel, Auryel," she repeats, cradling his head in her lap and whispering to him in her native tongue. "Ești atât de curajos . Eroul meu, Auryel." She quickly determines that the wound is only minor, however, and unwinds her red kapenia scarf from her hair, wrapping it securely around his front shoulder. After a time she stands, wiping her eyes, and approaching the others.
"Yes, yes, fine!" she says cheerily to Evelina. "Strong animals are made for fighting. As are we, eh?" She picks up her skinning knife from the ground and replaces it in its sheath at her waist. She fidgets with her now-untamed hair, securing it with a simple length of twine. It cascades down her back like a dark waterfall, collecting fresh snowfall in its strands.
"We should be more careful. They sense that we are coming."
After nullifing the trap, Blaze moves up slowly to check the contents. She looks it over carefully first, in case it is a trap within a trap.
Something about the way Arvanya cradles and coos over the wounded Auryel tugs at her heart strings and she feels moisture stinging her eyes. Is that what it looks like when a mother holds her child? She wondered to herself. In a voice that sounds more choked than usual, she said "I am glad he will be alright."
Once again she feels the need for something to do and so she kneels down to inspect the body of the wyrm. Not liking to see anything go to waste, she looks over the teeth, claws and scales and tries to determine if she might make use of any of it in her art or for piercing flesh. She thought she might be able to grind up the scales for an iridescent white powder.
"Astrid, could you help me take the wyrm'ss skin. I think I could make something with the scaless."
Blaze settles down close to the fire, gazing into it as she thinks about the events of the day. The image of Arvanya lovingly cradling and bandaging Auryel appears frozen before her minds eye and she pulls out her bundle of leather and begins to work on committing it onto the surface of one corner. The look of caring concern on the Varisian woman's face, her dark hair spilling down over her shoulders, framing her face. The look of complete trust in Auryel's eyes as he gazes up at her. She focused on their faces, not including the wolf's wound to serve as a reminder of pain.
Muttering up a storm as she presses through the rest of the drifts to the fallen wyrm, Astrid kneels, examining the corpse closely as she pulls out the cold iron knife she'd received in Heldrun. It is a curious creature...but its hide should come off like any other, she answers Blaze's question, starting to carefully separate hide from muscle.
It is hard to say if this creature was purposely left here for us to come across, or simply caught up in the strange weather, the trapper responds as she works on harvesting the hide. But you are right, Arvanya - a bit of caution would not go amiss. Though traveling in a pack as we are, concealing our approach is likely a losing task, and if they realize we are pursuing, nothing shall change that. We may be better simply to make all haste we can, and trust in our strength at arms to protect us.
It takes a couple minutes in the snow to Astrid finish her work with the skin but she manages to skin it without damage (more) the already pierced piece. Blaze also is able to retrieve a couple claws and teeth.
Moving along, you walk for a couple more minutes along the trail, that now changes its course to northwest. Feathered bundles and strange fetishes hang from the lowest branches of the trees in this part of the forest, swaying and shifting in the wind. All are stuck through with small pins holding pieces of leather bound around them. A closer inspection reveals that the frozen fetishes are actually the frozen corpses of dead crows, pierced with tiny arrows, a clear evidence of some malevolent presence filling the Border Wood.
"Thiss iss not good..." Blaze says when she sees the dead crows and the tiny arrows. "Watch out! We have company! Spritess! Look for their glow!"
She makes the now familiar pulling motion, gathering power from the environment and preparing to blast another fan of flames.
"Ow! Stupid mosquitos...", Evelina exclaims as she feels a sudden biting sensation in her neck. Reaching to feel the spot, she is surprise to find blood dripping onto her hand. Ok...maybe not a mosquito.
When Blaze declares that they have company, Evelina quickly tries to search the tree line. However, as she turns her neck to look around, the suddenly feels as if someone had poured a bucket of ice cold water down her back. Her whole body shivering and her heart beating slow, but hard, she mumbles, "I don't feel so good..."
Still managing to make out a single glowing blue light, Evelina sluggishly points towards the creature.
There is one now!
Speaking to the tiny creature in Sylvan Freyja tries to calm the situation. Agarde pequenos. Non somos o inimigo. Por que atacar? Negociar coa xente no seu lugar. Temos agasallos para ti.
Wait small ones. We are not your enemy. Why do you attack us? Trade with us instead. We have gifts for you.
Arvanya hisses and grasps at the places where she feels bitten, confused by the pain. Her curiosity turns to horror at the sight of her own blood. Jerking her eyes up, she spots two tiny fey-like creatures flitting between the trees.
"Fey!" she whispers. "Sprites!" she shouts. "Among the trees. They are armed with bow and arrow!" She barely speaks the words, reaching for her longbow, when a strange wooziness overcomes her and the everywhite world begins to spin.
_______
success
success
The sprite that was spotted by all of you laughs at Freyja's suggestion. "Da! Felly rydym yn eu cymryd oddi wrth eich cyrff!"
________________________________
Evelina - up [staggered]
Freyja - up
Blaze - up
Astrid - up
Arvanya - up [staggered]
Auryel - up
Sprites
Blaze looks to Freyja for confirmation, but she thinks from the tone that diplomacy is not working. She releases her fan of flames aiming it at the sprite she can see.
A slight thump against the thick hide draped over her arm shakes Astrid from her focus on the trail she follows. Tracing its trajectory, she finds its source - a tiny blue human-looking creature darting among the trees, with a little-bitty bow shooting what amounted to little more than sewing needles. But from the way Arvanya and Evelina react to the barbs that manage to find their way into flesh...these sewing needles pack a punch. Moving forward between the struggling Arvanya and the fey creature, Astrid jabs forward with her spear, hoping Yuln was right about cold-forged iron burning them.
Seeing the others move in for the strike, Evelina doesn't hesitate. "What did you do with Lady Argentea, you little twerps?!?" she shouts angrily. Seeing that the only one she sees has a bow drawn and she doesn't want them to escape, Evelina decides to bring the fight to them. Rushing forward as fast as the snow will allow, she runs up the white mound in front of her and vaults over the top. Sliding down the other side feet first, she pulls out her cold iron dagger, ready strike at the nearby sprite. However, a chill spreads through her body once more and she suddenly feels winded. Urgh...something is definitely wrong...I know I'm not this out of shape...
Catching her breath and recomposing herself, she positions herself to take advantage of any attempt the sprite makes to flee from her or attempt to shoot it's bow.
Arvanya places a hand on her forehead to slow the spinning. The shouts of her companions sound far-off and muffled. Even Blaze's fire seems cold and distant. She manages to make a psst noise and gestures toward the floating sprite to the north, spurring Auryel to dive forward through the snow. The wolf comes 'round the other side from Evelina, jumping up and grabbing at the floating sprite with his teeth.
Meanwhile, Arvanya unsteadily grasps her longbow, fumbling for one of the cold iron arrows.
_______
her face resigned Freyja once again begins to sing. She drops her spear and pulls her cold iron blade. Her song this time is of duty and doing what you must do even if the task seems cruel.
Evelina vaults over a slippery snow-covered rock and lands on the other side, almost in front of a tiny faery with a bow. Freyja draws Yuln's blade and Blaze sends once more her flames towards the enemy, hitting faeries, trees, and snow... if not for the snow it would have the risk to put the woods on fire.
Aside from the faery Blaze aims, she luckily catches another one with her flames and both of them scream in pain, completely terrified and perhaps not used to feel pain at all "Tân! Im 'yn llosgi!". Astrid thrusts with her spear but the targets are too small for her. Auryel moves around another rock and bites at another enemy.
The sprites fly upwards, intensifying their natural glow and then, from each one of them, three more "glowing sprites" appear, flying around in every direction. Taking advantage of her spear, Astrid is able to hit one of them before she is able to retreat and the badly wounded sprite falls on Evelina's shoulder, burnt in many places.
Freyja almost knows what happened but is not sure.
They flee. Good job Blaze! Be ready to burn them again if they return. Calling after the fey Freyja says Felly nawr byddwn yn dewis yr eitemau oddi ar gorff marw eich ffrind. Y tro nesaf peidiwch ymosod rhai sy'n cynnig cyfeillgarwch!
So now we will pick the items off your friend's dead body. Next time do not attack those who offer friendship!
Evelina feels a shoot of pain in her neck, as the sprite bounces of her shoulder and into the snow nearby. Taking off her scarf and putting it in her bag, Evelina braces herself as she quickly yanks the tiny arrow out causing a sharp intake of breath. Quickly she moves her other hand to cover the wound and stop the bleeding.
As she tosses the arrow away, she notices the sprite still lying there. Kneeling down, she gives it a few pokes, before remarking to the others, "Uh, guys...I think it's still alive..."
Springing forward, Astrid grabs the fallen fey from next to Evelina, taking it by the hands and feet in one fist and shaking it ungently. Hurt, badly, but it'll pull through - it's not getting any worse off, anyway. What do you think: worth using a prayer of restoration on it to get some answers? Or do we just bind it and keep it with us until it wakes up on its own? Her long spear drops to the ground, and her thick, rounded, claw-like nails come to the fey's throat. Or...do we simply make sure it causes no one any further grief?
Arvanya places her hand against a tree, steadying herself as everything comes back into focus. She eyes the leather satchels hanging above them warily, then beckons Auryel. "My mother did say sprites are mischievous and not to be trusted. No doubt it will only speak lies. Still, I think we should at least try to talk to it." She cups her gloves over her hands and breathes heavily, trying to warm her face, which is growing numb from the cold. "Later. We have neither time nor resources to spare for it now. When it wakes up, we will try. Let it talk to Blaze. They seem to dislike the fire."
I can speak its language at least. And if we have the ill tempered sprite with us then perhaps its allies will leave us alone. What gear does it have?
Blaze smiles wickedly at Arvanya's comment. "I will be happy to talk with it, when it wakess. I cannot speak the language of the fey, but I know well the language of fear." She said, a torch-like flame springing forth from her hand. She stops a moment and uses her knife to cut a long strip of thin leather from her bundle of material. "Bind it with thiss. Make sure the wingss are tucked in as well. It will know the plight of these crowss if it livess."
We bind it and take it along, then. Astrid takes the leather strap from Blaze and wraps it several times around each of the fey's limbs and its torso, trapping the gauzy wings in the binding. By the time she's finished, the creature looks like a Kuthite mummy, with only its head visible outside the tight hide wrappings; unceremoniously, she stuffs the creature into one of the large outside pockets of her pack, tying the ends of the leather strap to her bag's drawstring. They carried bows, I think we know too well; other than that, they appeared to carry little. Arvanya, Evelina, can you continue?
Evelina takes her hand off her neck, observes the blood, then touches her neck once more. Determining that she doesn't seem to be bleeding much anymore, she replies, "Yeah, I'm fine. I think it looks worse than it really is...Although I think those arrows mighta had something on 'em. I felt pretty weird after I first got hit. Like I was really tired and couldn't stop shivering..." Waving away any concerns, she adds, "But I feel fine now..."
Turning to Arvanya, she asks, "How 'bout you? Looks like you got it worse than I did..."
In the excitement, Arvanya has almost forgotten her wounds until Evelina points them out to her. At the thought, the wooziness threatens to return, but she quickly kneels in the snow next to Auryel. She stares at her blood in all the white and again notes its glistening pink color.
Is there more blood to be shed before our search is over? Will the whole snow-white forest be stained a horrid shade of pink? Will it be our blood, or that of our enemy?
"I think you are right," she says uncertainly to Evelina. She pulls off her gloves, exposing her naked hands to the air. With the index finger of one hand, she draws a simple pattern into the palm of the other. A soft blue light glows in her palm, and she shuts her eyes with a small, almost imperceptible smile.
She stands, now steady on her feet. "But, I am feeling much better. Is sprite secure? Good, then we should move on." She reapplies her gloves, flexing her fingers to stimulate the return of her blood.
_____
Freyja looks a little sad as the group continues. I always thought my first encounter with fey would be, well, nicer. Sure I know they play tricks, sometimes nasty ones. But these were nasty little murderers. Still I am glad we did not kill any of them. I would have been their friend if I could have.
When Evelina picks the sprite she notices that the fey's skin is of a sickly bluish cast, marked with spidery white veins like hoarfrost on glass.
Astrid is able to tie the creature tightly and it remains unconscious.
You continue moving northwest when you find a narrow game trail that winds its way through the trees and undergrowth here. Hoofprints mark the underlying snow, leading in both directions. From the distance you notice a big creature in the middle of the trail. As you come closer you notice the silhouette of an elk and, surprisingly, it starts to talk to you!
"Good day, my good people, good day indeed, even if colder than you two-legs like! I find it refreshing!" It shakes its head and antlers, dislodging small amounts of snow from them.
Evelina blinks twice in confusion when the elk starts speaking. Well, I've seen a lot of weird things today, but this might take the prize! At least it seems friendly...
"Uh, hey there..." Confused and not really sure what else to say, she awkwardly replies, "So, uh...you come here often?"
Freyja regards the elk.
Er, good day sir elk. Freyja starts off. Hey guys, is this natural? I have never encountered an elk that could speak. We are following some bad men and hope to save a nice lady. Have you seen them?
Freyja looks a little sad as the group continues. I always thought my first encounter with fey would be, well, nicer. Sure I know they play tricks, sometimes nasty ones. But these were nasty little murderers. Still I am glad we did not kill any of them. I would have been their friend if I could have.
Blaze could not help but smirk at this, poor dear, first fairies she meets do not match the tales but she befriends a tiefling instead. To comfort her, she says, "Spritess are not good by nature, but nor are they evil. We may have trespassed and offended, or they may be under a witch'ss thrall."
Blaze narrows her yellow eyes suspiciously. Speaking low for her friend's ears alone, she says.
"Someone thinkss they are being clever. That voice iss not the elk'ss, it iss being thrown somehow."
You know, usually, a sprite's skin is not this color. Something, a winter witch I am guessing, has changed it somehow and might even be controlling it.
Ahah. Freyja begins to look about. Good joke. she proclaims aloud and asks Come out and speak with us. Let us trade news and stories. I have ever so good stories...
"Uh, hey there..." Confused and not really sure what else to say, she awkwardly replies, "So, uh...you come here often?"
"No, not often, but still here am I... just a traveler like you." The stag comes closer to talk to you.
"Er, good day sir elk." Freyja starts off. "Hey guys, is this natural?" "I have never encountered an elk that could speak. We are following some bad men and hope to save a nice lady. Have you seen them?"
"We are uncommon to the common folk... and all men could be bad, bad for the woods and the nature around us. I've seen many men, most of them bad."
"Ahah." Freyja begins to look about. "Good joke." she proclaims aloud and asks "Come out and speak with us. Let us trade news and stories. I have ever so good stories..."
"This is indeed a pretty good joke! It is called gored intruders!" The stag lowers his antlers and charges Astrid! Caught by surprise, Astrid isn't able to defend against the powerful gore attack and has her chest pierced. She also fells her weapon shaking in her hand... but nothing happens. In front of her appears another diminutive fey, slightly different from the sprites, having dragonfly wings instead of mothlike ones.
________________________________
Fawfein
Stag
Arvanya - up
Auryel - up
Blaze - up
Freyja - up
Round 1
Fawfein
Stag
Arvanya
Auryel
Blaze
Astrid
Freyja
Evelina
Blaze is getting tired of tricksy fey and seeing Astrid hurt inflames her temper. She hurls a ball of flame at the fey creature.
Auryel growls menacingly at the stag, and even if she didn't give the signal, she knows what his target would be. He dashes through the snow, agilely dodging its hoof and lands to its flank, sandwiching it between himself and Astrid. Meanwhile Arvanya skirts the periphery of the battle, zeroing in on the diminutive blue fey and sending a cold iron arrow straight for its frigid, beating heart.
_______
Edited: stag. Not moose ;)..
Astrid had let the far-more-likeable Freyja take the lead in speaking with the...elk...this wood truly has grown strange in the last week. So distracted is she by the exchange that the stag manages to take her by surprise - and it's this, perhaps more than anything, that infuriates her. I should never be taken off guard! With the stag too close for her to make use of her spear, she lashes out with her long, sturdy nails, trying to rake at the elk. Arvanya's arrow and Blaze's fireball converge right before her eyes at the tiny fey, causing her first swing to go wild, but her second attack comes much closer.
"Thiss one iss odd too. Wrong color again. Should be green. Not lucky... thiss color."
Freyja begins to sing again as she draws her cold iron sword. She sings of the cowardness of ambushers and how brave souls put them down and how that is right and good.
Arvanya is quick to nock an arrow into her bow and lets it fly towards the fey, almost impaling it thanks to the cold iron metal. Meanwhile, Auryel moves around the stag avoiding the animal's powerful antlers, an easy task for such magnificent predator... flanking and hunting in packs was in his blood. The fey wasn't able to fully analyze her wounds before she was struck by Blaze's ball of fire and soon there was a charred and smoking faery falling in the snow.
You can hear Freyja's song once more and the boosting effects are instantly felt. The stag, with its antlers still bloodied, turns its attention to Auryel, attack with his antlers and both hooves. The animal was able to hit Auryel near his neck but luckily the wolf was to fast for the stag's slow hooves.
________________________________
Fawfein [16 dmg; dying]
Stag
Arvanya - up
Auryel - up
Blaze - up
Astrid - up
Freyja - up
Evelina - up
Allowing the song to linger Freyja draws steel and steps to offer flank to the wolf. Nice Shots she says as she moves.
Fully wanting to believe that they had finally met a friendly creature in these woods, it takes Evelina a few moments to react to the sudden turn of events. However, Auryel getting gored by the stag quickly brings her to her senses.
"That was not a very nice thing to do!" Evelina says indignantly, like someone telling off a naughty child.
Stepping forward and drawing her weapon, she tries to stab the creature in its side.
Arvanya cries out as the stag's antler tears into Auryel, but the wolf is doing well for himself and bites back viciously. Against the stag, she figures a normal arrow will suffice. But her nerves have the best of her, and she fumbles her shot. The arrow flies harmlessly into a snow drift.
_______
In a matter of seconds the stag is also down, torn apart by Auryel's bite, Astrid's raking claws, and pierced by Evelina's thin blade. A shame, such a beautiful creature.
Arvanya is able to retrieve the first arrow she shot against the faery but the second one hit a rock and was destroyed. Looking at the badly burnt faery, you notice that it is still alive but not stable.
Freyja swiftly bends over the small fey and tries to stop its bleeding out. I feel I must try to save it. Perhaps it is compelled to act against us.
The runt started it, Astrid replies sullenly. It would have killed us, were we not its better. If it was compelled before, it remains compelled still. Better to die than live under another's control - and it would likely agree. You waste your time. Glowering, she leans against one of the trees.
Oh, we do not have to be gentle with it Astrid. Freyja says as she begins to disarm and tie up the creature. And perhaps it will want to "sing" for its freedom.