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OOC
This is a little something for my DnD character
IC
Ash couldn't sleep.
She lay in her bedroll, staring up at the stars, broken by leaves. She was tired, and aching, that was for certain, but she couldn't sleep, even with the fur under her cheek, that still carried the tangy scent of burnt flesh.
Something moved under her breastbone, tried to fill the emptiness within. Her breath caught in her throat, and she sighed, carefully easing herself out of her bedroll. She shrugged into her fur stole, and silently slipped away from the camp.
She wandered through the wood, her bare feet making no sound and leaving no trace. The air was slightly chill, damp with the promise of dew, and smelled of good, clean rot that comes of nature, not the rot bought by demons. She shuddered involuntarily, feeling the memory of the spores of the vrock burrowing through her, and smelling the dretches as they slashed with their jagged claws, gibbering and hissing. To soothe herself, she drew the calm of the night air about her- they were but memories now, their bones submerged in drying mud, the vrock gone- back to it's master?- with empty threats of revenge.
So she walked, greeting each plant with a touch, passing by creatures that only came out at night, a part of nature, yet apart enough to appreciate its beauty- and try and work out what had driven her from her bed.
She paused, sitting down against a tree, revelling in the scent of the forest at night. She closed her eyes, for what seemed to be just a moment, before the realisation came upon her- something was watching her.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Ash's eyes came open, and looked across the slight clearing into another pair of eyes. There she saw her lonliness reflected, the space in her heart throbbing at the need of this like soul. She rose to a crouch as her gaze drew back, and saw a bear, fur as black as the shadows surrounding him, head canted to one side, almost in question. Underneath his front paw was a branch, heavy with nuts.
She stood, and took a step forward, and then another, bodyline low, hands spread, never letting her eyes leave the bears face. Eventually, she reached out and touched the bears jaw and ears, running her hands down it's neck, and pressing her face against his. The bear snuffled against her, and made a deep, contented noise. She didn't even realise she was crying until she felt the damp in the bears fur.
She whispered softly, voice cracking, but still understandably the tongue of beasts.
Hello, darkfur, sharpclaw, mighty shoulder.
Hello, fourlegsontwo, tree singer, sister of the earth. You smell of ash and blood.
Her laugh came out as a sob as she touched the smeared mess on her face.
Yes, treefeller. I do.
He snuffled the fur on her shoulders, almost reverently.
What was his name?
Rowan, best of hunters, best of brothers.
You are lonely now. You are not whole.
Yes. I am half now.
May I come with you?
Her brow furrowed and eyes clouded, as she remembered fighting beside another wild brother, and cradling a lifeless body in her lap.
It is dangerous. Very dangerous. Being with me made Rowan die. It is safer to stay in your den.
I do not care. All things die. May I come with you?
She sighed with relief, with sorrow, letting go in a breath.
Yes. Yes you may, you are welcome to come. What is your name?
And the bear told her his True Name, and she told him hers. Carefully, she took a handful of nuts, delicately twisting the shells apart. For each piece of nutmeat she ate, she placed one on the ground for her new companion, which he took with a smile, mouth stretching, tongue lolling out, looking very pleased with his night's work.
Ash laughed, and together, slowly, getting used to one another, they made their way back to camp.
~*~*~*~
In the morning, Ash's travelling companions were much confused to find her curled up, fast asleep, with a large black bear. Even Daelenar and Connor had not heard them return. They looked at her curiously as they broke camp, at the face that had been washed clean in the night, and in turn, she looked at him as he smiled his bearish smile.
"His name is Briar, and he is part of me."
And all was Good and Right
This is a little something for my DnD character
IC
Ash couldn't sleep.
She lay in her bedroll, staring up at the stars, broken by leaves. She was tired, and aching, that was for certain, but she couldn't sleep, even with the fur under her cheek, that still carried the tangy scent of burnt flesh.
Something moved under her breastbone, tried to fill the emptiness within. Her breath caught in her throat, and she sighed, carefully easing herself out of her bedroll. She shrugged into her fur stole, and silently slipped away from the camp.
She wandered through the wood, her bare feet making no sound and leaving no trace. The air was slightly chill, damp with the promise of dew, and smelled of good, clean rot that comes of nature, not the rot bought by demons. She shuddered involuntarily, feeling the memory of the spores of the vrock burrowing through her, and smelling the dretches as they slashed with their jagged claws, gibbering and hissing. To soothe herself, she drew the calm of the night air about her- they were but memories now, their bones submerged in drying mud, the vrock gone- back to it's master?- with empty threats of revenge.
So she walked, greeting each plant with a touch, passing by creatures that only came out at night, a part of nature, yet apart enough to appreciate its beauty- and try and work out what had driven her from her bed.
She paused, sitting down against a tree, revelling in the scent of the forest at night. She closed her eyes, for what seemed to be just a moment, before the realisation came upon her- something was watching her.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Ash's eyes came open, and looked across the slight clearing into another pair of eyes. There she saw her lonliness reflected, the space in her heart throbbing at the need of this like soul. She rose to a crouch as her gaze drew back, and saw a bear, fur as black as the shadows surrounding him, head canted to one side, almost in question. Underneath his front paw was a branch, heavy with nuts.
She stood, and took a step forward, and then another, bodyline low, hands spread, never letting her eyes leave the bears face. Eventually, she reached out and touched the bears jaw and ears, running her hands down it's neck, and pressing her face against his. The bear snuffled against her, and made a deep, contented noise. She didn't even realise she was crying until she felt the damp in the bears fur.
She whispered softly, voice cracking, but still understandably the tongue of beasts.
Hello, darkfur, sharpclaw, mighty shoulder.
Hello, fourlegsontwo, tree singer, sister of the earth. You smell of ash and blood.
Her laugh came out as a sob as she touched the smeared mess on her face.
Yes, treefeller. I do.
He snuffled the fur on her shoulders, almost reverently.
What was his name?
Rowan, best of hunters, best of brothers.
You are lonely now. You are not whole.
Yes. I am half now.
May I come with you?
Her brow furrowed and eyes clouded, as she remembered fighting beside another wild brother, and cradling a lifeless body in her lap.
It is dangerous. Very dangerous. Being with me made Rowan die. It is safer to stay in your den.
I do not care. All things die. May I come with you?
She sighed with relief, with sorrow, letting go in a breath.
Yes. Yes you may, you are welcome to come. What is your name?
And the bear told her his True Name, and she told him hers. Carefully, she took a handful of nuts, delicately twisting the shells apart. For each piece of nutmeat she ate, she placed one on the ground for her new companion, which he took with a smile, mouth stretching, tongue lolling out, looking very pleased with his night's work.
Ash laughed, and together, slowly, getting used to one another, they made their way back to camp.
~*~*~*~
In the morning, Ash's travelling companions were much confused to find her curled up, fast asleep, with a large black bear. Even Daelenar and Connor had not heard them return. They looked at her curiously as they broke camp, at the face that had been washed clean in the night, and in turn, she looked at him as he smiled his bearish smile.
"His name is Briar, and he is part of me."
And all was Good and Right
