Stop running little wolf (solo)

Character sheet · by **Lyam** on March 3rd, 2012, 8:47 am

Spring 2nd, 512 av

I've being running faster than ever for many miles now. Nadya had given me four days to do my journey. Four days for me to run to my hideaway, where all my things were laying and then return, in my human form of course, because I wanted to get them back in Zeltiva. Now that I had a place to be - a room in the Zeltiva University - I wanted to have all my equipement at hand.

I quitted Zeltiva before the sunrise. If I wanted to be back at time, I would have to cover a huge distance in the minimum of time as a wolf. Because, obviously, it would take me two days and a half to return by foot... if I only stop to sleep not more than five hours. It was quite impossible and very exhausting, but this was the kind of challenges I loved.

Character sheet · by **Lyam** on March 3rd, 2012, 10:15 am

Spring 3rd, 512 av

I thought I was lost. I was supposed to reach my hideway hours ago but nothing in the landscape looked familiar too me. The big storm had done much more damage that I'd thought. The huge trees I used to use as landmark were lying on the floor, derooted by the power of the wind. All the villages looked the same and the rare survivors were obviously too shocked to tell me things that could have helped. Moreover, I didn't want them hunt me in my wolf form, and I didn't want to shift, cause without any clothes, I would be naked and vulnerable to the humans hain. So I carefully avoid entering villages.

I was looking for my way when I suddenly smelt something like fish. Fish meant water. Water meant river or lake. I was back on track. It took me few minutes to reach the tiny river that snaked between rocks and shrubs. I followed it until I reach the lake. My lake.

Despite the storm, I recognized it with ease. The turtle form of the lake where a deep blue-green water was resting peacefuly. The waterfall was still there too, just much more intense because of the surplus of rain-water. My snout on the soil, I was looking for my proper smell. Here we were. I digged with my paws and soon found the chest where all my stuffs were. I shifted to get it out of the earth easierly. I opened it without any troubles and rediscovered my belongings.

I sighed with relief when I saw a black pant lying at the bottom of the chest. I forthwith sliped it, and so did I with the curious belt that allowed me to carry the two-bladed sword of my father. It was not really a belt but more a kind of harness. Two straps were crossing on my back and chest, so that the sheath was well fixed and I couldn't be hurted by my proper sword when I mooved, but still draw my blade with ease. It was just perfect. But without a shirt, I could feel the leather of the straps burning my skin because of the friction. I shighed, knowing that I would have to endure it for a while. I took my piece of armor and put them on my bag. It was too little, so that I could no more close it properly but I didn't mind. The chest was now empty; I could go back.

Character sheet · by **Lyam** on March 4th, 2012, 9:59 am

Spring 4th, 512 av

I was starving and tired to death. My last proper meal was in Zeltiva, just before going. Two long days ago. Since I quitted the town, I've fed myself with berries and one poor and tiny rabbit that made the mistake to cross my way. Nothing else. First because, as a wolf, I was not hungry and had to be quick. Then because as a human, I was a terrible looser when I tried to hunt. And finally, because there was no more life in this land of desolation because of the terrible storm. My stomach was growling, and I tried not to ear it. It was the sunset, and it rested me only on day and a hlaf to reach Zeltiva.

I was half walking and half running, trying to be as quick as possible, without exhausting me too much. But obviously, it cut no ice. If I was right, I had already done a bit less than a half of my way, that had taken me an entire night and day. But now that I was no more very late, I thought that I could rest a moment and sleep. So I walked a bit more, using my wolf vision and the palness of the moon to not fall somewhere, and finally found a standing big tree. I climbed it, found the larger branche I could, and felt asleep immidiately. I had not seen nor smelt the huge predator few miles away.

Character sheet · by **Lyam** on March 8th, 2012, 4:42 pm

Spring 4th, 512 av, middle of the night

I woke up only few hours after having fallen asleep. Suddenly, I felt I was in danger. The deep feeling of the predator that for once had become the pray. Perfectly awake in a second, I peered at the prairie, trying to see what caused my instinct to panic. But despite my very good wolf vision, I could not see anything. I sighed, thinking I was wrong, and tried to find a better position to sleep. But when I finally closed my eyes…

I heard it a second before I smelt it. Bear. I felt shiver down my spine; it was just down my tree. I could not flee anymore, it was too close. My branch was high, too high for the bear to catch it but it seemed being starving, otherwise he would not have tried to hunt a human. I should be the only food few miles around. And a starving bear was obviously able to wait hours long that its pray decided to quit its hide place.

As I was starving and parched myself, I had no choice but to fall down and face the beast before being too tired and weak. I took my two-bladed sword on my back. I hardly knew how to use it, but a bare handed fight was not a good way to stay alive against a bear. I thought a moment that I could shift and run. As a wolf, it would be easy to let the bear far away on my back. But I had done this all journey to take my things back to Zeltiva, not to lose them in the middle of nowhere. Sitting on my branch, I hesitated during long minutes. If I felt down, I could not flee as a human: too slow. If I was to fight, I had no good chances too. God, it was a bear! And I could not stand there waiting for a providential help. It cut no ice.

I looked at my bag. Would I be able to hold it on my wolf jaws? Certainly not without breaking my teeth and this was out of the question. All right then, it left me only one solution: ruse.

I took my bag and threw it the further I could. It felt few feet further with a metallic thud and caught the beast attention. I did not wait any longer. As quick as I could, I jumped from my branch, swiped along the trunk and rolled in the grass, my sword pressed on my palm. The bear turned its big head and looked at me with its tiny black eyes as I stood up. Suddenly, my bag was no more interesting to him and I saw him standing on two paws, growling. He was much huger than I had expected, much more underfed too. I knew I was not able to kill him; my only chance was to hurt him on its paws, so that he would not be so fast while running. And if ever I was to be beaten, I could always shift at the very last second, even if it meant loosing my only belongings.

The bear attacked before I was ready. At the very second, I parried its claws with the tip of my sword, cutting no more than some fur. Half-scared and half-ready, I was waiting for the bear to attack again, to find a break on its defence and turning around it, jumping and dumping to avoid being hurt by its huge paws that could kill a man with one slap. This strategy enabled me to wound it twice on its back paws and I was quite sure that it left knee was now unable to bear its weight. But as I was to injure it one last time, its muscle paw hurt me on the shoulder as I had been unable to duck in time. Covered with blood, my shoulder became fast very painful. It was no more time to check if the bear could run or not. I had to flee, right now, before having lost too much blood.

Turning carefully around the bear, I ducked very fast to catch my bag and without another look, I showed a clean pair of heels. My sword on one hand, my bag on the other, I ran as fast as I could, straining my ears to know whether the bear was behind me. It was not. It tried to follow me few feet long, but soon its knee injuries threatened it to much. I thanked all the gods I knew for that chance.

More scared than exhausted, I ran a mile or two, until my legs could no longer hold me. When I finally stopped, I looked at my shoulder and grimace: the wound looked terribly bad. I torn a piece of clothe of my pan and tried to dress it as I could. It burned evilly.

“I shall not stop” I said to encourage myself.

I pushed my bag on my healthy shoulder and put my sword back on my back. In the horizon, a silver line was growing. The last day of my journey had just begun.

Character sheet · by **Lyam** on March 9th, 2012, 1:55 pm

Spring 5th, 512 av

I had been very lucky. First of all, because my wound on my shoulder was very superficial, so if it hurt a lot, no muscle had been cut and it soon stopped bleeding. Moreover, I did not meet anything or anyone during the rest of my journey, what enabled me to arrive in Zeltiva without falling in more troubles. The snag was that I was both starving and parched, and that I could not feel my arm anymore. In the entrance of Zeltiva, I hesitated. I could not go to the university the way I was; I needed medical help. But with the recent storm, no doubt that the already rare doctors in Zeltiva were more than busy. I turned to the right when I finally arrived in the main street, suddenly decided. The solution was obvious; I should go to Nadya.
“Oh, Lyam” she said when she saw me in front of her door “Come in boy, I’ll take care of you”
I followed her in the store to the lab’ where I knew she got hundreds and hundreds flasks and potions able to cure almost everything.
“Put your stuffs there and sit” she ordered me “and please don’t move your arm anymore!”
Tired to death as the adrenaline was taking a backseat to hunger and lack of sleep, I obeyed without complaining. I was half asleep when she cleaned the wound and sewed it before putting a strange and stinking cream on my shoulder.
“All right boy, it was not so terrible than I had expected. Would you explain me?”
She looked at me carefully and added “Maybe you’ll eat something before, aye?”
I nodded with gratitude and thanked her for all. I spent the two last hours of the day with her in the store, explaining what had happened to me, and answering many questions about the landscape out of the city.
“The storm did even more damages than they let us know…” she whispered, lost in her thoughts “Anyway, fortunately you came back in time and did not get spoiled too much. May I see you tomorrow?” I nodded and thanked her once more.
“You’re welcomed Lyam, it’s my job after all.” I smiled, took my things and the stinking cream with me and said goodbye.
“See you” she answered first, then, after a pause, she added “Where did you get your sword boy?”
She peered at my sword with some suspicion I could not understand. I didn’t know why, but I decided to lie “I bought it to an itinerant.”
She did not believe me, of that I was sure, but she decided not to show it. But I knew it was not over. With a sigh, I went out and found my way back to the university. Fortunately, Siarak was not there what allowed me to fall directly on my bed and sleep.

by **Paragon** on March 12th, 2012, 6:25 pm

Adventurer's Loot

Lyam's Loot :

Fun little solo, I especially loved the fact you integrated the storm's aftermath into the thread. That's what we wanted to see - if you have ANY questions or concerns about this grading, don't hesitate to PM me.