Till I Collapse (solo)

[Emily Valor]

46th day, Winter 511 AV

Cold air tears at Emily's lungs harshly as the slender woman jumps forward to better avoid tripping over an over-grown root. She runs for her life once again. If it wasn't for her small size and easy ability to carry herself quickly, the young soul would surely have died long ago. Being born and raised in Sunberth will surely give you a few tools needed in surviving the harshness of the world, be it criminals or the bitter cold of winter.

Emily throws herself against a tree, trying her best to calm her rapid breathing and racing heart. Several feet behind, a small group of amateur thieves find themselves trying to catch their breath.

"Damn, where did she go?" says the group leader. Shaggy brown locks fall over his eyes as he bends over, hands clasped upon his knees, to better recover from such a long jog.

"Just let her go, boss. Ain't worth it. She probably don't even have a purse to keep her coin." One of the group members chimes in after brushing the back of his hand across his forehead to wipe the sweat from his brow.

The group look to each other after several moments of silence. The leader finally nods to the other before turning around, beginning their journey back to Sunberth. "Alright! You win this time... but if I catch you in Sunberth again, not only will I take all of your gold... I will slit your throat!"

Emily closes her eyes, taking in his hateful words. This man was supposedly friends with her very own brother. How could he deceive her like this? After waiting several long moments, and listening to the woods surrounding her, she deemed it safe to move. Exhaling slowly, it felt like she held her breath for days. Her lungs hurt too much. Her legs shook from exhaustion and fear. But she kept moving.

[Emily Valor]

A hand moves to better adjust the bag slung over her shoulder, the strap extending to the other side of her torso, so that the bag rested upon her bum. Locks of brown hair fall past her shoulders, a few strands flow across her face as a cold, bitter breeze floats past her. She hated the winter most. She hated the cold. It made her lonely life even more lonely.

A sigh passes her lips as she pulls herself up a large pile of rocks, heading toward the Konti island. She had heard good things about the location and thought it wouldn't hurt to check it out. Food would soon be hard to find and it was that time of the year where she would have to find a place to settle down, use the earnings from the warmer months, and wait out the cold. It would be a few days journey before she would reach her destination but nothing, as far as it concerned her, would stop her.

A long red ribbon flows in the wind with her hair, the piece of cloth wrapped and tied firmly around her head. Arms twist around each other as she rests them just under her chest. A brown jacket is pulled over her shoulders, buttoned down her torso tightly, offering a small amount of protection against the cold. She told herself she would surely buy at least ten more layers of clothing if she came across another traveling merchant. Thoughts of a warm fireplace helped keep her mind off the cold.

Soon the howl of a hungry wolf would fill the air and Emily realized it was getting late. Green eyes quickly scan her surroundings, noting the small trees that surrounded her. None of them would do. She needed a big tree to climb into and hide safely from the several animals that might wish to make her their next meal.

A frown pulls heavily upon her lips as she begins to turn around, eyes still searching for a good tree. Nothing here. She would have to keep going. Chills, not from the cold but from fear alone, began to make their way up and down her legs. It wouldn't be her first encounter with a wolf but wolves usually came in groups. Not only did her own presence give reason for appetite, but tucked safely in her bag, rested a few pounds of dried out dear jerky called to be eaten.

Sounds of shuffling caused Emily to freeze in place. She looked around slowly. If it weren't for those bandits, she would have already found a safe place to hide for the night, but it was too late for that now. A growl soon alerted Emily to flee, and she did just that. Muscular legs pulled her forward, feet pounding against the ground as the lone woman sprinted for her life, yet once again.

Another howl filled the air and the chase began. Luckily for Emily, the predator at her tail was also alone. The wolf snarled at her as it quickly caught up to her pace. Nipping at her heels, the beast barely misses. Emily forces back the urge to scream. That would only give more cause for attention. Attention that she didn't need.

[Emily Valor]

Green eyes maneuver quickly, examining the environment as it swept by. Soon, her eye would catch the glimpse of a very large oak up ahead. A smile pulls at her lips as she looks to the small trees surrounding it. Without hesitation, Emily stops dead in her tracks, allowing the wolf to run right into her. Hoping this would knock the wolf back, and it does. The animal yelps with surprise, toppling over itself. She takes this moment quickly run to the smaller tree next to the oak, pressing her foot against it to giver her the boost she needed to jump up and grab hold of the lowest branch on the large oak. Before the wolf could pull itself up, Emily pulled herself onto the thick branch.

Exhaling rapidly, the woman grins down to the wolf as it scratches at the trunk of the tree. Whimpering with frustration, the animal begins to pace around the oak. Emily moves a hand up to the bow that hung off her back. Pulling off, the other hand moves to an arrow that rested within the quiver that also sat upon her back. Before long, the arrow flew down toward the wolf. If it missed, the animal would most likely run away. If it hit, the beast would be wounded, or better yet dead. This would enable her to make her escape, or next meal.

The arrow flew through the air, soon piercing through the animals scull. "Ooooh!" Emily couldn't help but cheer in victory. A hand moves to her mouth, silencing herself as she looked around. The wolf fell to the ground, instantly dead. Not even a yelp sounded as the arrow hit.

Emily jumped down from the tree, making her way to the deceased animal. A smile lingers upon her face before kneeling and beginning to skin the creature. She would use its pelt for something, either to sell or have someone make her something. And the meat, she would have to cook tonight. She lacked the necessary ingredients to make jerky.

After gathering some wood and setting the fire, she began to cut the meat from the body and place it on the fire. Having created the fire in a hole with rocks surrounding it, she was able to place the meat on sticks and lay them across the fire. After waiting the allotted time, she would eat, drink from her wineskin, and fall asleep next to the fire. She would only sleep for a small while. The woods weren't safe. Not on the ground next to a fire anyway. A wolf just tried to kill her after all. After the fire died down, and she had her nap, she would move to the large oak and make herself comfortable for the night. It wasn't safe to travel alone in the darkness.

[Templar]

Emily Valor: Running: 3 – Stealth: 1 - Climbing: 1 – Wilderness Survival: 1 – Cooking: 1 – ”Archery”: 1 Lore: Outsmarting Wolves – Cooking Wolfmeat Storyteller note: Your skill ”Archery” will have to be more specific (Type of bow she is proficient with. Examples: Shortbow, longbow, composite longbow ... etc.) Additional notes: Many apologies for the lateness of this grading, if you think I forgot something, feel free to PM me.