Littlejoy had changed her long used cub name to Dirk, and she had become
more like the weapon she named herself after. Eyes that had been somewhat
carefree now flashed like light off a blade, and she now was quickly
suspicious of everything; humans and trolls most of all. Stalker was no
longer a cub but a member of the pack, with the sharpest eyes among the
wolves. So many changes, changes that forged her into who she was now.
Regretful but also unavoidable here, with dangers living like a neighbor
amongst the elves.
Dirk laid an arm across Stalker's tense body as they crouched down in the shadows. The injured bristle boar kept looking behind every now and then but couldn't see its pursuers. At the moment the wind favored the hunters but she didn't know for how much longer.
Cautiously, they followed it, waiting for a chance to strike and Dirk almost growled in frustration when the bristle boar caught wind of something and got defensive. What now? she asked herself exasperated while she searched for the source that had alerted their prey. The smell of humans, a lot of humans, made her nauseous at the same time while wanting to howl in frustration.
Elf and wolf were a distance off but she didn't want to lose her meat to THEM. Pride and anger fussed together and she quickly calculated how to catch her prize and still escaping the round ears. If this doesn't work the Chieftess is going to kill me. Her or those misbegotten sons of trolls, she thought with fatalistic tinted humour as she launched herself at the bristle boar.
Her throwing dagger hit its aim in the boar's side a few moments before Dirk and Stalker broke cover. Now it squealed loudly and turned to meet its tormenters with its tusks. The humans heard it and headed towards the sound. Elf and wolf split to attack the boar at different angles in such fierce yet quick battle that Dirk had only a vague memory of how her sword ending up through the boar's jaw into the brain or when the boar tagged her in the sides.
The pain throbbed heatedly along her left ribs but she sheathed her sword, retrieved her throwing dagger and as swiftly as possible, dragged the carcass away before the humans got there. Stalker trailed ahead of her uninjured to most extents. He kept pausing to look in the direction where the humans where approaching with the noise that heralded them growing louder. Dirk looked about in something close to panic and had to calm herself sternly in order to think more clearly.
Okay. I've got a dead boar and a whole pack of round ears closing in. Think, think. What's around here; that dreamberry patch three stone throws but in the wrong direction. I don't want to head remotely towards Them. Okay, fine. That crocodilian infested river outlet is not far and it's ahead, not behind. Could have killed me if Stalker hadn't seen them moving and alerted me. I can hear the water now if only somewhat faint. But can I carry this, that far and that fast? No choice, she grimly thought to herself as she hoisted the boar up. It already felt almost too heavy to carry now without taking a single step, but she stubbornly kept going. No way was this prize going to those clumsy killers behind her!
She staggered forward as quickly as possible almost by will power alone. Sweat already appearing and her skin was getting hot despite the small, cool breezes brushing by her skin. Muscles strained with the promises of reminding her of this treatment over the next hand of days. Putting her trust in Stalker to both guard and alert her when the humans got close she narrowed her focus into getting this heavy burden to the crocodilians. One more step lead to the next step, and so on for what seemed like forever until she almost walked right into the water. It startled her enough that she jerked back, the boar over balanced and she fell quite quickly. Oh, that's going to leave bruises, she thought as she sat up and glared at the water.
Stalker whined as he came up beside her, briefly pushed her arm with his nose before focusing beyond. The crashing and angry tones of the humans as they came far too close to elf and wolf for comfort seemed loud to Dirk's sensitive ears. Ignoring her protesting body she got up and with a mix of pushing and rolling, to the edge of the water. Crocodilian eyes watched and drifted closer, at least two of them that she could see.
Stalker bit her left arm brace and tugged Dirk in a clear warning to get out of here. Tired, sore and not wanting to get caught by angry round ears that felt cheated of prey, Dirk abandoned the bristle boar and mounted Stalker. He knew what to do. Without hesitation he turned in the direction that angled away from the water and the humans, racing back to the Holt. Dirk just clung on tight to stay on and trusted him. She didn't have too much energy to really do anything else.
Dirk caused a stir when she arrived. She lay completely exhausted upon her wolf-bond. Purehaven was called by worried tribemates as they gently helped her off. Well, gently at first. Her grip on Stalker's fur took a minute to get it to let go. She protested any movement with inhaled hisses of pain and clenched teeth, but only slightly. They didn't know she'd pulled a lot of muscles recently and probably shouldn't have been moved.
The gash in her side did show what she'd been doing and explained to a point her condition.
Dirk was concentrating to stay awake while the urge to sleep was taking its toll. Somehow it felt like a very full and exhausting day today. I wonder why? she thought with grim humour. Another thought followed quickly after. Wonder how Wildstar is going to kill me? Tan my hide? No, she'd say it was worthless after this. Loudly tell me what I did was wrong? Nay, that's too quick. Ah, I know. Glare at me and speak few but sharp words. A few nights of 'looks' from everyone else until I redeem myself in their eyes. Especially to Snowspear, she thought, cringing inside.
Dirk knew she deserved all the pain and the talk with the Chieftess but it didn't mean she was totally sorry about it either. She'd tracked and injured that bristle boar; it would not feed the humans a bite if she had any say in it. A hand touched her shoulder lightly and then suddenly the muscles didn't hurt as much. Her side gash was still sore but healed enough to stop bleeding.
Dirk raised her green-blue eyes up to see Purehaven next to her. There was worry in the air. She could almost smell it from everyone. I'm not going to go slaughtering the whole blessed forest again so soon, she thought resentfully. Or endanger the tribe.
Ignoring the healing, she turned her head away from Purehaven, closed her eyes and tried to ignore everyone. Images played back the events of today and she felt a self-satisfied grin come upon her face as she drifted off to sleep. The last thought she had before becoming oblivious was, And I'd do it all again. Just me, myself and I. And she had no doubt she'd be explaining herself soon enough.
Dirk laid an arm across Stalker's tense body as they crouched down in the shadows. The injured bristle boar kept looking behind every now and then but couldn't see its pursuers. At the moment the wind favored the hunters but she didn't know for how much longer.
Cautiously, they followed it, waiting for a chance to strike and Dirk almost growled in frustration when the bristle boar caught wind of something and got defensive. What now? she asked herself exasperated while she searched for the source that had alerted their prey. The smell of humans, a lot of humans, made her nauseous at the same time while wanting to howl in frustration.
Elf and wolf were a distance off but she didn't want to lose her meat to THEM. Pride and anger fussed together and she quickly calculated how to catch her prize and still escaping the round ears. If this doesn't work the Chieftess is going to kill me. Her or those misbegotten sons of trolls, she thought with fatalistic tinted humour as she launched herself at the bristle boar.
Her throwing dagger hit its aim in the boar's side a few moments before Dirk and Stalker broke cover. Now it squealed loudly and turned to meet its tormenters with its tusks. The humans heard it and headed towards the sound. Elf and wolf split to attack the boar at different angles in such fierce yet quick battle that Dirk had only a vague memory of how her sword ending up through the boar's jaw into the brain or when the boar tagged her in the sides.
The pain throbbed heatedly along her left ribs but she sheathed her sword, retrieved her throwing dagger and as swiftly as possible, dragged the carcass away before the humans got there. Stalker trailed ahead of her uninjured to most extents. He kept pausing to look in the direction where the humans where approaching with the noise that heralded them growing louder. Dirk looked about in something close to panic and had to calm herself sternly in order to think more clearly.
Okay. I've got a dead boar and a whole pack of round ears closing in. Think, think. What's around here; that dreamberry patch three stone throws but in the wrong direction. I don't want to head remotely towards Them. Okay, fine. That crocodilian infested river outlet is not far and it's ahead, not behind. Could have killed me if Stalker hadn't seen them moving and alerted me. I can hear the water now if only somewhat faint. But can I carry this, that far and that fast? No choice, she grimly thought to herself as she hoisted the boar up. It already felt almost too heavy to carry now without taking a single step, but she stubbornly kept going. No way was this prize going to those clumsy killers behind her!
She staggered forward as quickly as possible almost by will power alone. Sweat already appearing and her skin was getting hot despite the small, cool breezes brushing by her skin. Muscles strained with the promises of reminding her of this treatment over the next hand of days. Putting her trust in Stalker to both guard and alert her when the humans got close she narrowed her focus into getting this heavy burden to the crocodilians. One more step lead to the next step, and so on for what seemed like forever until she almost walked right into the water. It startled her enough that she jerked back, the boar over balanced and she fell quite quickly. Oh, that's going to leave bruises, she thought as she sat up and glared at the water.
Stalker whined as he came up beside her, briefly pushed her arm with his nose before focusing beyond. The crashing and angry tones of the humans as they came far too close to elf and wolf for comfort seemed loud to Dirk's sensitive ears. Ignoring her protesting body she got up and with a mix of pushing and rolling, to the edge of the water. Crocodilian eyes watched and drifted closer, at least two of them that she could see.
Stalker bit her left arm brace and tugged Dirk in a clear warning to get out of here. Tired, sore and not wanting to get caught by angry round ears that felt cheated of prey, Dirk abandoned the bristle boar and mounted Stalker. He knew what to do. Without hesitation he turned in the direction that angled away from the water and the humans, racing back to the Holt. Dirk just clung on tight to stay on and trusted him. She didn't have too much energy to really do anything else.
Dirk caused a stir when she arrived. She lay completely exhausted upon her wolf-bond. Purehaven was called by worried tribemates as they gently helped her off. Well, gently at first. Her grip on Stalker's fur took a minute to get it to let go. She protested any movement with inhaled hisses of pain and clenched teeth, but only slightly. They didn't know she'd pulled a lot of muscles recently and probably shouldn't have been moved.
The gash in her side did show what she'd been doing and explained to a point her condition.
Dirk was concentrating to stay awake while the urge to sleep was taking its toll. Somehow it felt like a very full and exhausting day today. I wonder why? she thought with grim humour. Another thought followed quickly after. Wonder how Wildstar is going to kill me? Tan my hide? No, she'd say it was worthless after this. Loudly tell me what I did was wrong? Nay, that's too quick. Ah, I know. Glare at me and speak few but sharp words. A few nights of 'looks' from everyone else until I redeem myself in their eyes. Especially to Snowspear, she thought, cringing inside.
Dirk knew she deserved all the pain and the talk with the Chieftess but it didn't mean she was totally sorry about it either. She'd tracked and injured that bristle boar; it would not feed the humans a bite if she had any say in it. A hand touched her shoulder lightly and then suddenly the muscles didn't hurt as much. Her side gash was still sore but healed enough to stop bleeding.
Dirk raised her green-blue eyes up to see Purehaven next to her. There was worry in the air. She could almost smell it from everyone. I'm not going to go slaughtering the whole blessed forest again so soon, she thought resentfully. Or endanger the tribe.
Ignoring the healing, she turned her head away from Purehaven, closed her eyes and tried to ignore everyone. Images played back the events of today and she felt a self-satisfied grin come upon her face as she drifted off to sleep. The last thought she had before becoming oblivious was, And I'd do it all again. Just me, myself and I. And she had no doubt she'd be explaining herself soon enough.