[Bronze Wood] The Trouble with Bears (Aiken)

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam put the brushes away and washed his hands in the stream again, knowing the waters had rushed the remains of the rabbit carcass downstream and offering him clean water. Unless someone had dumped the remains of a carcass in upstream to bump against his hands... he had always wondered about things like that as a child... but it would have been diluted and so he figured he was safe. "I was a Drykas before I was a slave," he said, wondering at how easily the truth came these days, like it wanted to be known, like it was preparing the way for something -- perhaps that something or someone for which or for whom he was waiting in Syliras. He unbuckled the leather cuff around his left wrist to show Aikan the delicate, intricate windmark tattoo. It was small, but it was supposed to be the beginning of a story that would travel up his arm and across the rest of his body if he lived a long and eventful life like his grandfather the Ankal. "I suppose we were more like a pack, our pavilion, and we had our herds that we shepherded. Because we could fight. But the herds were part of us too... so a herd with teeth, then. Or a herd and a pack working together. I don't know. It doesn't really matter anymore. They came upon us in the darkness and our teeth weren't enough." He felt a hot rush of tears welling up, but he choked them back down, not wanting to break down in front of the strange kelvic. Likely it would be best to remain stoic. If his nature was more lupine than human, he would not respect weakness. "Anyway, I'll eat meat, too. I just have to cook it. I can only manage raw when I'm starving." With that, he went about gathering wood.

[Aiken]

Aiken looked at the mark. He thought he recognized it, but couldn't be entirely certain about it. It was definitely the start of an intricate design that would have deeper meaning than visual, and one that Aiken probably wouldn't understand.

"I know how it feels. Really." He did his best to empathize, but it wasn't anything he was used to. Wolves felt pain, they felt pain as deep as any other being. But there was no time for sympathy in the wild. The beasts would still rip you to shreds, uncaring towards your sadness or anger.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam glanced back at Aiken, a couple branches already cradled in one arm. Sometimes a gruff sort of compassion could be far and away better than an effusive embrace and shared tears. He smiled. "Thanks, Aiken Bear-killer." And then he wandered off to find more wood. END

[Kelpie]

Sam'ael: +2 Riding, +2 Scimitar, +4 Rhetoric, +3 Medicine, +1 Climbing, +1 Trapping, +3 Skinning, +1 Food Preservation Lore: Curved-Sword-Bear-Stabber,Makeshift Medicine for a Wolf and a Horse, Making Use of a Bear’s Corpse, Kelvic Shapeshifting, Unexpected Friendships Aiken: +1 Tracking, +2 Hunting, +2 Unarmed combat, +2 Persuasion, +1 Swimming, +1 Skinning Lore: Saving a Boy and his Horse, Frailty of the Human Form, Human Hospitality, The Comfort of Companionship Mod Note: That was such a sweet and wonderful thread. Great read, enjoyed it!