Oona and Freyja are both a little off today; each of them steps on the odd branch here and there, making far more noise than they intended. Fortunately, the road is sparsely traveled today, likely due to the hobgoblin takeover of Phaendar and the bridge being out. You manage to escape notice.
This area of the forest is relatively flat and passable, which is probably why the road was built here. While this means you are able to explore the area relatively quickly, it also means that it is quite picked over by travelers. You do manage to find a small apple orchard far enough from the road to be untouched; you can pick it clean today for 5 Provision Points. Freyja estimates there will be enough growth in 5-7 days to return here for more.
"Mm," Oona says, lips pursed as she picks apples. "The day is young, yet. There are dangers in these woods yet unseen. And we should hurry; we're too close to the road for my comfort." She hastens to finish the task so they can continue.
It is barely mid-day as you set off northwest to explore the next nearest area to your temporary camp . You are still close to the edge of the forest and the Nesmian Plains, so the terrain is still relatively easily passable.
As the forest opens up into a clearing ringed with berry bushes, Katia forgets herself and exclaims "OH!" excitedly. You immediately hear an angry snort from the other side of the clearing. A wild boar has heard you and is currently charging at you.
Freyja (31/31 hp)
Boar (0 damage)
Oona (29/29 hp)
Mac (24/24 hp)
Katia (25/25 hp)
Bold may act.
"Look at all that meat!" Freyja says excitedly. She steps into the open to get a clear shot and fires at the boar.
Freyja's arrow hits the charging boar in the chest, but barely seems to slow it down. It continues its dash toward the party .
Freyja (31/31 hp)
Boar (11 damage)
Oona (29/29 hp)
Mac (24/24 hp)
Katia (25/25 hp)
Bold may act.
Oona charges up to the boar, drawing her scythe as she goes, and hacks down at the beast's neck.
At Oona's command, Mac races up to the boar. While the oread distracts it by harrying its flank, Mac goes for its throat.
The boar just had a really bad day. Its defenses were lowered by a particularly nasty stinkeye from Katia, then Mac tore viciously through its tough hide. Then Mac, despite being much smaller than the boar, pulled it down to its side on the ground.
Freyja (31/31 hp)
Boar (27 damage, -2 AC [8 rounds], prone, 1 con bleed [0 so far])
Oona (29/29 hp)
Mac (24/24 hp)
Katia (25/25 hp)
Bold may act.
Freyja moves to an open spot in the clearing and readies a shot that she will loose when the boar stands up and presents a larger target.
The boar stands up, drawing attacks from Oona, Mac, and Freyja. It protects itself from Mac, but cannot get out of the way of Oona's scythe. It attempts to gore Mac with its tusks but Mac is too quick.
Freyja (31/31 hp)
Boar (36 damage, -2 AC [7 rounds], 1 con bleed [1 so far])
Oona (29/29 hp)
Mac (24/24 hp)
Katia (25/25 hp)
Bold may act.
Mac lashes out at one of the boar's legs, hoping to drop it to the ground again.
Oona bears down with her scythe one more time.
The boar is taking a beating and it staggers, but manages to stay standing.
Freyja (31/31 hp)
Boar (45 damage, -2 AC [7 rounds], 1 con bleed [1 so far])
Oona (29/29 hp)
Mac (24/24 hp)
Katia (25/25 hp)
Bold may act.
Freyja's arrow takes the boar in the flank. It squeals in pain and begins to lunge to gore Mac, but then falls.
Freyja walks to the boar, kneels next to it, and places her hand on its flank. She bows her head and whispers to it, "Thank you for your sacrifice so that we may live."
She spends another few moments in that posture, then stands. "This beast is the size of a horse. It will feed all of us for at least two days. I can butcher it, but we're going to need help to get it back to camp."
Freyja nods. "Yes, but take Oona with you. She is... ah... less likely to get lost. Oona, will Mac stay with me? I will start butchering the boar so it's easier to transport. Bring as many strong people as you can without leaving the camp unprotected."
Oona does her best to hide her smile behind a cough when she sees Katia's hurt expression, then pulls a dressing knife out of her belt, its handle made from carved deer antler, and hands it to Freyja. "We will return shortly."
She leads Katia into the woods, toward camp.
Oona begins leading Katia back to camp, but it isn't long before she gets turned around. Katia gets them back on the right track, though, and it's not long before you arrive. You speak with Aubrin briefly about what you found, and she sends 6 men back with you, including, as luck would have it, the town butcher's apprentice, Peter.
Butchering a beast as large as a dire boar is time-consuming work, and, even with Peter's help, it takes nearly until dusk for Freyja to finish. In the meantime, the refugees are able to help pick the berries from the bushes, and make runs back to camp with cuts that Freyja and Peter have completed.
By the time you arrive back at camp, it is full dark. Jet has been cooking up a storm, and it smells amazing. The mood is actually quite good, and there is even some campfire singing to go along with the pork dinner.
Everything is looking up. Surely it will stay that way!
Oona enjoys a richer meal than she's had in a long time; despite eating until her stomach hurts, she still has enough left over from her serving to share with Mac. She watches the wolf as he gnaws happily on a femur the size of her forearm and drifts into a pleasant sleep.
|
Katia eats a smaller portion, mostly picking at her food as she watches the others in the camp. She's glad to see people's spirits lifted; she just wishes the day's success had lifted her own.
She finds herself scowling in Freyja's direction multiple times during dinner, then quickly looking away again with colored cheeks. Just get over it, girl. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it.
Despite her efforts, she goes to bed that night utterly distracted, and her rest is spotty and fitful.
Everyone is still alive!
After her morning ablutions to Magdh, Oona meets with the others, Mac padding quietly at her side. "I am ready. Shall we see what there is beyond the boar's den in the northeast?"
Freyja normally leads the party's travels as she is adept at finding the least difficult path through the forest undergrowth. Today, however, she hangs back a bit, keeping Mac at her side, occasionally absent-mindedly reaching out her hand to pat his head or feed him a piece of jerky. She seems to be working up the courage to speak about something.
After about a half hour of travel (and before they reach unknown territory), she finally turns to Oona. "Can you explain to me the nature of your relationship with Mac? He seems to be more than a mere pet to you."
Oona laughs. The sound is rough and brittle, like plates of stone grinding against each other. "Indeed. Sometimes I think I am more of a pet to McAnally than the other way around. Or, perhaps it is more accurate to say 'pup.' He obeys my commands, mostly, but at his core he is still an animal. I think he sees me as a young packmate. Never mind that I am probably older than him by a good sixty years." She frowns at McAnally as she walks, eyes pensive. "Then again..." After a moment, she shakes her head. "Anyway, he was sent by Magdh to be my companion, of that I have no doubt. Our bond is strong, and I daresay it has gotten stronger in the past few days. As to the exact details of that nature..." She shrugs noncommittally, absently moving a small branch away from her face with the shaft of her scythe. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Mac listens to them chatter away with only half an ear, understanding almost none of it. His wolf tongue lolls out the side of his mouth in a doggy grin, trotting happily next to Freyja and awaiting his next piece of jerky.
Oona closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "We are not lost, Katia. We are fine. We are not even past the boar's den yet. Relax."
Freyja suppresses a smile with a cough, then her face turns thoughtful again. "Madgh? Must a companion come from a deity? I suppose Gozreh is mine, but not out of any particular devotion."
She pauses and shakes her head. "I am sorry for the questions. I don't know why this is weighing on me lately, but I feel as if I should have a companion like Mac. I can't explain it."
"No need to apologize. Curiosity is good. It means you are paying attention to the world around you." She purses her lips. "I don't think a patron is required in order to receive the gift of companionship. Many of the druids in the circle where I was raised had animals much like Mac, and none of them worshiped any deity, even Gozreh. They were dedicated to the Green Faith, the worship of life itself in its myriad verdant forms. Powerful in its own right, but not a deity.
"In fact, I do not worship a deity either. Magdh is not a goddess, though She is immensely powerful. She is one of the Eldest, the mightiest beings of the First World, and She holds sway over the strands of Fate. She is the patron of the Norns, and it was a Norn that trained me. She was known as The Herald, and she was infinitely wise. She taught me of the power The Three holds over the Skein of Fate, and how through Her blessings, I could also touch and influence the Fate of others--to a vastly lesser degree than Magdh Herself, of course."
She places a reassuring hand on Freyja's shoulder. "If you truly believe that a companion should be at your side, then I believe it will happen, in time. But know that even if it never does, you are not alone. I am with you, as is McAnally."
Freyja nods but says nothing. She retakes her usual position slightly ahead of the party, and seems lost in thought.