Land Dogs

[Jette]

2nd of Spring 510AV With the small group she had set out to travel with, Jette and her three companions set off from the safety of the shore into the thicket of the forested areas of the Sylira Wildlands. The earthy architecture of tree canopies floated above the long necks of their trunks, buttressed together by swooping branches and vines. The shade that was offered chilled the air, on the verge of crystallizing the dew drops that lingered on broad leaves and in flowers with trumpeted pedals. It was all so much to take in at once, and even on their third day caution remained high as they constantly scanned the bushes for the hungry eyes of predators. They had no knowledge of the place and so stayed close to the path they were advised to take by a friendly traveler. "I'm thirsty. And hungry!" one of the girls squeaked, pumping her straight arms against the sides of her body impatiently. "You'd best shut it child, or we're all in trouble." Jette spoke firmly to the girl, meeting her eye only once before continuing to move her way through the wild foliage, carefully pushing them aside as she weaved through them and being careful not to break their surfaces - such things gave away where a person had traveled through. The familiar sound of a horse drawn wagon drew their attention to the road, from where it could be heard hopping down the path, it's spokes clicking against rocks that were picked up by the shifting dirt beneath the wheels. Of all the impatience in the world, the girl inquiring about water took the cake, and she set off on her own out of the bushes towards the passing wagon. Not everyone who followed the road was trust worthy, which was the reason that Jette deliberately avoided walking too close to it and instead fought through the brush next to the road at a slower pace. Better slow than dead. Jette had always advocated taking charge of situations and jumping at opportunities but the girl didn't even give Jette time to get a look at the drivers of the wagon. She impulsively jumped out, perhaps in a delirious fever, and waved down the cart. Jette and the others crouched in the ferns, observing the scene on the road from a safe and concealed distance. When the two others had started to follow the third, Jette stopped them, raising a finger to her lips and ducking into the brush with them in tow. "Well hello there pretty tart" came the voice of a particularly devious looking character who gripped at the reigns and stroked his nether regions as he looked the girl over. She smiled playfully and began to make a sultry comment when she was lifted up into the wagon by her arms and hair, screaming and kicking as they tied her up and gagged her mouth with a cloth rag and rope. If she had taken a moment to look at who she was waving down, she would have noticed the illicit nature of their cargo, and that their appearance gave away their thug profession. "That is what happens when impatience and greed overcomes you my ladies. Learn from this and you will live to old age." Jette could have made the decision to save her, there were only two bandits and four of them, but justice was being served and Jette did little to interfere with the natural balance of such things. If the girl hadn't gotten them killed then, it would have happened later on and possibly at a more critical time. As the leader of the pack, Jette pronounced the girl as a sacrifice and a lesson to learn to keep them going until the next town. As Jette always taught the girls, every experience had the potential of becoming an important lesson towards growth of skill and ability; if one was not appreciative of such a way of things, they were poisonous to the progression of her people. The road would eventually lead them to Ravok the traveler said, but he warned them of the dangers of the place, to which Jette merely stayed unchanged in her expression, although she felt both fear and eagerness. Bells slugged by and the girls' feet ached, their empty stomachs screaming to be fed, and their bodies begging to be soothed with rest. Even the steadfast Jette was feeling weary as she pushed on through the thicket of green that followed the road. It was well past midday and the sun threatened to leave them to fend for themselves in the dark. So they walked until the sun did just that, disappearing beneath the horizon like a flaming torch submerged into water. The road wound back and forth for ages it seemed, and they had managed to slip unnoticed as shrieks of prey being devoured erupted through the forest trees. A hill jutted out in front of them, leading it to the top if they were to continue off the beaten track. Dangers that lurked in the bushes seemed equally as threatening as the ones that barreled down the road in search of slaves - a fate worse than death. Jobs were assigned to the girls to begin pulling together materials for a fire. The three of them located dried and broken branches, leaves, twigs that could be used for fire wood, and rocks were dug up to be laid out like a bed for the fire, protecting the surrounding grass from catching the playful flames within the fire pit. A decent search for food yielded two bundles of fruit unknown to them of which they cautiously inspected to make sure none were poisonous. The trick was to find fruit that had portions picked at and mangled - if the animals ate them, they were edible. Far enough from the path not to draw attention but close enough not to get lost, the three of them huddled together and spoke in whispers - a clearly habitual reaction to living in fear together as slaves for so long. In a way, their support system was all they knew and worth protecting by any means. Even worth attempting to survive out in the wild for. When they awoke the next morning, it had just been Pythe and Jette. The other girl seemed to have vanished, and the uneasiness that flowed between them was as eerie as the deceptive calm of the surrounding forest.

[Puck]

Jette_______ Skills Wilderness Survival 1 Leadership 1 Lore of... Cruelty born of Necessity The Road to Ravok Notes_______ I like the Jette's disposition and philosophy about the sacrifice of others here, it's an interesting character trait. A good quickie.