Southward Bound

[Alegretto]

((OOC: Tags to Ickedu. Can always change things if there's not enough context or ways to enter for you))

The forest was characteristically loud for the middle of the afternoon. Not really what you expect from a forest, but the Connlaothian winds were blowing strong today, as they usually were, and the gusts of air made tree branches rustle with surprising volume.

Turnrin tried to dampen the noise from his attention as he stalked his target. He was glad that the sound was there to help mask any of his errant movements, but it was a bother to his focus. He stopped suddenly. His quarry had halted it's motion, and was still.

He watched the cougar with an intense stare, waiting to see any signs of it noticing him. He almost breathed a sigh of relief when the animal lay on the ground and put it's head in it's head down. Good, hadn't spotted him. It was just going to sleep. Good.

The animal lay in a clearing, and Turnrin approached the perimeter of it's resting place slowly. Carefully and quietly, he pulled out his notebook and charcoal. He lay down himself in some underbrush outside of the forest clearing and began sketching the majestic creature. He was working for several minutes, and had made some progress, when his arm cramped up from his poor drawing posture. He shifted to relieve the pressure, and heard the snapping sound of a twig breaking under his shifting weight. Uh oh.

He saw the cougar's ears perk up, and it slowly turned it's head towards the underbrush where Turnrin was lying.

Well this wasn't good.

[Ickedu]

Felinn loved it.

The harsh winds that played with her hair and let the golds and reds dance in them. The forest that roared with life in the winds. The signs of wild animals everywhere around her. The freedom without any obligations towards the so-called civilization. And....

The Hunt.

It had been a couple of days ago that she had found the dead animals. About a dozen deer. It had been clean kills, the marks of the teeth clearly visible at the back of the neck. The claw marks at the side of the prey. And most of the carcasses untouched, abandoned for the following scavengers. Clearly the work of a  overzealous cougar.

It was not abnormal. But now Felinn was also here. And she was dependent on finding enough game to hunt for her own survival. She could not tolerate this other hunter any longer. And the hunter itself would be a good prey for her intentions: Enough meat to last a while. Sharp teeth for use as tools. Warm hide against the coming winter. And a new challenge for her own hunting.

So she had followed the trail of the cougar for the last few days, and the signs got stronger that she was approaching his home camp. Now she was slowly sneaking through the brushwood, expecting to see her prey every minute. By now she could even scent the cougar, so she had to be really near.

She adjusted the short bow on her back, again checked the arrows in the quiver, assured herself of the dagger in her belt and ducked down even more into the underbrush. Another scrub and bolder later she could finally see her prey. It was apparently resting and seemed to be comfortable.

Felinn hesitated a moment, her hand already began to reach for the bow on her back, but she held it back. Instead, she unsheathed her dagger. She again began to move when she could hear a quiet sound of another creature close-by. She stopped to watch for the cougars reaction. It apparently also had noticed the sound and raised its head.

A very hushed growl escaped Felinns mouth. Who disturbed her hunt? Another prey? Another hunter? She resumed her movement in a slight arc nearer and nearer to the cougar, paying attention that the wind could not carry her scent to the cougar and always hidden in the underbrush and tensly watching and listening for further signs who was here.

But the cougar also had risen. Probably also to check for the intruder who was maybe unwanted, maybe just in time for lunch. Sniffing, it turned around and took a few steps to get a better scent or view of who was there.

[Alegretto]

Turnrin froze in place, praying to Kia that the cougar would overlook him. He/she must have been busy because the carnivore started approaching his hiding place. He considered. Should he make a break for it? Had the animal caught his scent yet? If he went invisible could he get away? Did cougar's climb trees?

Suddenly, he was out of time to think. The cougar let out a low growl, and Turnrin decided that bolting while invisible would be the best option. He cloaked his presence with his magic and slipped out of the bushes as quietly as possible.

He began sneaking away, but he heard something snap underneath his feet. He looked down to see a bisected twig. How many dry twigs were there in this forest?!

He checked behind him to make sure he was still losing the feline. He wasn't. Even as the cougar pounced on him, Turnrin made a mental note: Cougar's have an excellent sense of hearing. It would be a good addition to his catalogue, if he survived long enough to write in it.

[Ickedu]

Felinn got indignant. The cougar was hunting! And this even though she was here to hunt it. And she couldn't even recognize what it was hunting! Her hair flashed even more red in anger and the growl in her throat began to rise.

This was when she could hear another sound from a fleeing creature. And when she looked into the direction her ears had told her, she believed to see a faint flicker. But she was not the only one with a high attention. The cougar also had noticed it and another moment later it leaped for the supposed position of its prey.

But that was too much for her hunting self. That had to stop! She was the hunter and her prey had no right to turn the tides. And while she herself began to sprint, her fist closed around the dagger, her anger overcame her and with it the low growl raised to a loud roar, bigger and loader than her slim body seemed to allow. And with the roar, the life in the near surroundings came to a halt. Most creatures without a particular strong will stopped what they were doing and appeared to listen for a moment. Even the cougar hesitated for a second as soon as it reached firm ground directly at its prey.

The moment didn't last longer than the twinkling of an eye. But it was enough for Felinn to reduce her distance to the cougar. And with a short leap, she sank her dagger to the hilt into the side of the cat, where she believed to find its heart.

[Alegretto]

The shock of the animal's body taking him to the ground forced Turnrin to drop his invisibility. He was sure he was going to die, right up until he heard a massive roar. The sound was huge, and the monk was suddenly worried that he'd wandered into bear territory.

Well, he was until the cougar quite suddenly left it's place. Something had removed the creature from on top of him, and he heard the cougar cry out in extreme pain. He was winded, and it took him a bit to recover his breath. When he finally did, he looked up to see what had attacked the beast.

It looked was a human, he was pretty sure, and a woman at that. What was she doing out here. And why was she wrestling with the cougar. He tried to stand, but he was still too winded to get up properly.

[Ickedu]

Felinn had hit her target quite closely, but the cougar was a tough opponent and would not go down without resistance.
Already wounded it wasted no more time, turned around and sank its fangs into Felinn's arm.

With a loud cry Felinn let go of the dagger that still stuck in the cougar's side, reached for an arrow in her quiver, drew it and stabbed it into an eye of the wild cat. The cat returned the favor and struck with its claw to Felinn's head.
But this time, the woman was faster and could dodge the strike so that it failed to find its mark. She for her part forced the arrow even deeper into its eye.

With a big shudder the cougar finally collapsed, not without tearing a chunk of flesh out of Felinn's arm.

Felinn remained standing, but a moment later her body also began to shudder slightly. The reds and blacks in her hair vanished and gave room for a blunt grey-blond. Blood dripped from her injured arm.



The Connlaothian winds were blowing strong again and drowned the forest in its noise once more. The noise of the wind then mixed with a vague sob. Felinn knelt down and bowed over the cougar. Then she whispered a few quiet words which were fortified by a tear out of her eyes.

She straightened up again, her body hard panting as a result of the strain of the fight, and remained kneeling silently at the carcass of the cougar that had been bustling with life just a few moments ago.

[Alegretto]

Turnrin watched in awe as the woman wrestled with the cougar. She displayed amazing strength and agility in the short skirmish, and the monk began to have doubts about his saviors actual species. His uncertainty grew stronger when her hair color spontaneously changed color. A magical creature in Connlaoth? He needed to investigate.

That thought gave Turnrin the strength necessary to stand again. He looked himself over, and noticed that he had some minor wounds, not to mention some tears in his robe from, all from the beast's claws. Luckily though it all seemed superficial. He turned away from his own wounds to consider his savior He saw that the woman was kneeling over the cougar's broken body in what could only have been a prayer.

He walked slowly and with reverence to where she knelt. He saw no hint that she noticed his approach, and he felt that it would be wrong to interrupt her, so he waited until she straightened and finished her ritual.

When he perceived that she was finished, he started speaking. "Excuse me miss. I must tell you that you have my humblest thanks. Without your assistance, I would surely be grievously injured or even dead. I, Brother Turnrin, am in your debt."

[Ickedu]

Startled Felinn tensed up and turned around when she heard the foreign voice. But after she had eyed him for a moment, she relaxed again, though still remained silent and looked him over intensely for some time.

She herself wore typical Connlaothian practical clothes, a short tunic made from linen, a jacket made of fur and breeches made of leather. Everything tight fitting, simple and partly wrapped with long leather strips to keep it down against the strong wind. Her feet were covered with simple moccasins. All here clothes looked very worn down and seemed to be patched up multiple times.
At her left forearm where the cougar had bitten her, the sleeve was torn and more and more soaked with blood.
On her back she had her shortbow and quiver, the dagger was still stuck in the cougar. Aside from that and a small pouch at her belt she didn't seem to carry more equipment with her.

The moment of silence dragged on an almost awkward time, but then finally she seemed to rate him as harmelss and a small smile could be seen on her lips when she answered him.

Or rather she tried to answer him. But first only an inarticulate, croaky sound could be heard. She breathed deeply once more and cleared her throat before she finally answered, still with a hushed, hoarse voice: "I.... it's fine. .... I just wanted to... to get it." For a moment she turned her head back to the dead cougar before she again looked at him. "I'm..... sorry. I didn't want to..... disturb you. I...." she hesitated for a moment. "I.... hardly noticed you were there."

She stood there kind of awkward and apparently didn't know what to do right now.

[Alegretto]

Turnrin pulled at his robes nervously as the silence between them stretched on. Was she going to speak? He was seriously considering filling the awkward space with more words when she finally spoke up. Her speech was, awkward, to say the least. Like someone trying to remember how to communicate.

He listened to her articulate her words, and waited a bit longer after she had finished to make sure that she had nothing else to say. It seemed imprudent to rush her, and he only began speaking again when he was positive that she was done.

"Disturb me? Why, you did anything but. You saved my life. I feel that I must repeat, I am in your debt. Whether you noticed or not, you've earned my thanks and my admiration."

He stared at her for a moment, specifically at her hair. "And my curiosity. You have certain, how should I say, traits that are not commonly found in Connlaoth," he looked at her inquiringly. "I understand that you might be uncomfortable discussing your, uniqueness, but I assure you that I hold not prejudice against those who are different."

He was about to stop to allow her to craft a response when he realized that most clergy the girl was experienced with were likely to be of a certain persuasion about magic. "And uh, you don't have to worry about my beliefs about power of the...well... mystical type. I follow... um... different teachings, than many of those in this nation."

He might be in a bit of trouble revealing that here, but the girl had saved his life. And her condition made it such that Turnrin thought he could trust her. Then again, the monk had a habit of being a trusting man.

[Ickedu]

,,Oh... this..." Felinn raised her arms and timidly tried to hide her hair behind her shoulders and head so that he could see less of it. But because of the length of her hair it hardly had any effect beside that her hair was now messed with blood from her wound and turned even more gray.
With a hushed voice she continued:  ,,I... did not do this, I am... not able to help it or... stop it."

She hesitated a moment before she continued: "And.... my mother.... was not born here, but..." Uncertain she lowered her eyes, but as soon as she got a glimpse of the dead cougar a bit of the golden color returned to her hair, and she sounded considerably more confident when she looked up again and continued: "Are you hungry? I think... I have enough for the both of us and there still will be enough leftovers for me."

[Alegretto]

Turnrin was going to ask her more questions about her heritage, but sudden concern prevented him. He barely heard her last few words and began speaking again almost before she was done with her last sentence.

"You're injured," he said with sudden seriousness. "Why didn't you tell me? No, that's a stupid question, how did I not see it?" those last few words were directed at himself. "Come here," he was speaking to her again and he accentuated his words with a gesture, "Let me take a look."

He knelt down and unshouldered a knapsack. "I have some experience with dressing and bandaging wounds," he said as he worked. It took only a moment for him pull several clean, white linens and a couple poultices from his bag.

He looked up to her and gestured again for her to come over. "Now come over here so I can treat you or I'm going to go to you," he threatened mildly.

[Ickedu]

Felinn knit her eyebrows when she heard his 'threat' and looked at him intensely for a moment. "...You will?" But then she looked at her arm, sighed lightly and nodded hardly noticeable.
"I... that would be good I think. But it is.... not as bad as it looks. Let's find some water first. There should be a small stream.... just a few paces away." She pointed in a north-eastern direction, where the ground declined slightly.

And without waiting for an answer or objection, she already bend down, pulled her dagger out of the dead cougar, cleaned it roughly at a tuft of grass and put it back into her belt. Then she began to pick up the dead body to put it on her shoulder.

[Alegretto]

Turnrin was going to object, they didn't need to get to water for him to treat her, but something stopped him.

Maybe it was the efficient way in which she cleaned her dagger. Or perhaps it was the prodigious strength she demonstrated by effortlessly lifting the cougar's corpse. It might even have been how little regard she showed for what he would consider a serious wound.

Whatever the reason, the monk was suddenly less interested in telling her what to do. Best to allow follow her on this.

He looked in the direction where she had pointed, and listened to see if he could hear running water. He didn't seem to catch anything, but that didn't mean much. His hearing was almost as bad as his eyesight.

"How big is this stream?" he asked as he waited for her to take the lead. "Does it run or is it stagnant? If you want to clean the wound with the water than it'g gotta be moving. Still water is not very good for cleaning. Or, that's what I've read anyway."

[Ickedu]

The cougar was not the biggest of its species, but was still of considerable weight. So when Felinn finally lifted the dead body up, this required most of her strength. She was trained well and she knew how to handle dead animals with great efficiency, so for an outside observer it might have looked like effortless. But sure it wasn't. An attentive observer actually could have noticed that her exceptional strength and agility that she had demonstrated while fighting the cougar now had left her.

When she stood up again with the cougar on her shoulder, she even struggled for a short moment and had to find her balance again, before she began to walk into the direction she had pointed earlier.

But still, now she seemed quite confident about herself. When Brother Turnin was questioning her about the stream, she just looked at him for a moment, smiled, and then silently continued her way.

There was no real path they could follow, but the underbrush was not too dense and the slope was not very steep, so they could make their way fairly easy. Felinn continued  to approach her target silently without further regard to Turnin. She probably didn't respond even if Turnin tried to talk to her.

After only a few dozen steps, the bottom of the slope could be seen. The forest got a little thicker down there, and in fact now the lively burbling of a small stream could be heard.

And it was just in time. Now that the hunt had completely left Felinn, her wound began to trouble her. Her pace got more unsteady and her breathing became more strained. It was not yet alarming, but it was obvious that she couldn't go on like this for very long.

When Felinn finally reached the stream she just dropped her prey to the ground and sat down at the water, quiet and slightly panting.

[Alegretto]

Turnrin followed the girl a bit peeved that she didn't answer his question. Regardless though he made several more attempts at conversation over the course of the short walk. Each time he brought up a new topic however, he got no response from his new acquaintance.

He was starting to get just a little frustrated by the time they arrived at the stream, and he was about to voice his annoyance when he noticed that something seemed off with the girl. She sat down heavily, and she looked out of breath, almost exhausted.

The monk's irritation at her was replaced almost immediately with concern, a well as a certain ire towards himself. How had he have missed the signs that she was pushing herself? First her injury and now this? The brothers back at the monastery had always told Turnrin that he had a nasty tendency to not pay attention to the people around him. They were, he was finding out more and more, accurate in their assessment.

Quickly he knelt by the girl, "Let me see that arm," he told her sharply. "I told you I should have treated it back there. Why were you being stubborn?"

[Ickedu]

Now after the both had reached the place Felinn had chosen she eased up a bit. When Turnin asked her for her arm, she willingly held it out to him, smiled at him again and answered, still a bit out of breath:

"It's better... to go on as long as you still can. Once you sit down, it gets even harder to stand up again." She pointed to the environment with her intact arm.

They were at the bottom of a small vale, where the stream lively burbled over little rocks and around some bigger boulders. The water was about six feet wide and it seemed possible to wade to the other side at many places.
The vegetation was more dense down here at the water, but still spread out enough that you could see when something should come near.
You could still hear the roaring of the Connlaothian winds, but because of the situation in the vale and the vegetation they were not as strong at the resting pace.

"And... we have less wind, fresh water. We can stay here for the night."

((modified post to add description of the environment))

[Alegretto]

Felinn's words made Turnrin look away from her arm to scope out the environment. The sheltered clearing by the stream did seem like a good place to stay.

Grudgingly, he had to admit that she had a good point. "Alright I see what you mean. But please give me reasons like that beforehand. It helps to explain things so that we can avoid misunderstandings, okay?"Once he was sure that Felinn understood, he moved on.

"Alright. Now, let me take a look at that arm. Can you take off your jacket for me? I can't see your injury properly." He stood up. "While you're doing that, I'm gonna go grab some water."

Turnrin pulled out a clean linen from his pack and walked over to the stream. The running water looked clean, so he decided to use it. He soaked the cloth in the stream and then walked back to Felinn. "You ready?" he asked her.

[Ickedu]

While Turnrin went to the water, Felinn began to unwrap the leather strip that she had bound around her arm. When she came to her wound, she clenched her teeth and stopped breathing for a moment while unwrapping it further, but no sound of pain was heard from her.

After the leather strip was loose, she carefully took off her jacket, put it away where it would not be in the way and rolled up her sleeves.

The wound was at her left forearm, the cougar had teared a chunk of flesh out of it, the bite marks clearly could be seen. Now that no more cloth and bindings were around her arm, the wound again began to bleed. It sure did hurt, but at first view the bone seemed to be uninjured and the wound seemed to be not too severe.

When Turnrin came back she looked at him and nodded slightly to his question. For a moment Felinn drew breath and nearly started telling him that he did not have to do this, but then she just smiled and nodded again.

[Alegretto]

The woman didn't give a vocal response, but the smile and nod was enough for Turnrin. He carefully, grabbed her arm and set about inspecting the wound. There was a bit of flesh missing, and it was bleeding pretty badly.

Gingerly, Turnrin used the damp cloth to soak the wound a bit, before setting it down. He then grabbed one of his poultices, spread it across the injured area and let it set in, before finally reaching for more clean cloths. He wrapped the bandage around her arm, perhaps a little inexpertly but it got the job done.

"There," he said. "How's that?"

[Ickedu]

"That... that's good... I think." While the expression on her face had been strained during Turnrins treatment, she now smiled slightly again. With her intact arm she tugged a bit at the bandage, until she was happy.

Then she looked to the dead cougar that laid on the ground a few steps away and sighed quietly. "I think... i will see to it right now so it doesn't.... go to waste."

Felinn stood up and walked over to the carcass. Her movements appeared exhausted, but she forced herself to go on, to do what had to be done before she really could rest. "Do you.... have to go on? Or will you stay for a while?"
She looked up and down the stream for a moment. "If you stay... I will do it downstream a few paces... Or the drop-offs will attract other beasts of prey to our rest place."