A lot of her day is spent with Blixen around her. Learning what it takes to be cheka while she still has purpose as shilkru, for if there are others she will be their lead. She is close in age to Eske when she earned her place and she doubts it’ll be too long before her daughter has properly earned her keep. And so, when the low call is made,
@Blixen is with her mid-discussion but it is enough to put a halt to their work. Brows knit together and she exchanges a look with her daughter before spinning on her heels and trotting quickly through the redwoods and out the other side.
The message of the call is unclear, but concerning, and eventually she breaks into a run when she realizes they are head south toward the sound. Whether or not the shilkru has followed behind, the woman breaks away from the tree-line into the clearing, locking eyes on Eske immediately before they’re darted off in the background, a lumbering grizzly headed toward wanlida. Thuringwethil surges forward and barks, hoping Eske knows what’s heading right for her and to alert her of her presence. Between two of them and the large predator, they don’t stand a chance, and pulling the other wolf away is a priority.
In the process, her nose goes up and she releases an urgent call back toward Drageda, hoping to reach ears nearby for help should they not put enough distance between them.
Branwen was not far when the call was made. She had taken to familiarizing herself with the pack's territory and the surrounding land, finding herself drifting just past the borders when she heard Heda. The urgency in the call was apparent, compelling the girl to take off at a sprint in search of the source. She picked up the scent trail quickly and followed it past the stretch of trees to a clearing. And— oh, shit.
Of course the bear caught her attention first. In what world would the bear not catch her attention first? She slowed for a couple beats, hesitating; her gaze flicked to Heda, then to the unfamiliar target of the creature's advances. Branwen swallowed hard and pressed further forward, hackles lifting as she directed a few of her own growling barks at the bear though she kept a sane distance for now. She assumed distraction was the first priority— if the hulking figure reached the unknown packmate, her fate would be sealed. There was just no fighting something of that size— not on your own, not once it had hold of you. She hoped for more of the pack, then; numbers would scare the beast away, surely.
Armor was still knew to this land, but had found it easier than most to settle in. With Rose's help he had been making a slow, a very slow, recovery. He was no where near better, the lip still evident of the fact. However his instinct toward Heda was aboslute. So when he call rang out he travelled as fast as he could. Which he admitted wasn't very fast, his only saving grace was his closeness to the border. He had been curious of the pack that had made it's home alongside Drageda, and couldn't quite understand why Heda had allowed it in the first place. But she must have had her reasons.
He was most surprised to find the grizzle bear. He hadn't encountered one before, and was glad for that fact. This beast was dangerous, for all of them. They would need more than four to drive this thing off, he was huge! He looked to Heda for direction, as he got closer. Armor's own bark came forth, spittle flying from his jaws. Alerting his packmates to his prescence and perhaps startling the creature.
eske's howl steals her focus, following quick at nomi's heels toward the sound. adrenaline rises through her before she even knows what they're running for, a low swooping joy in her belly at something to do that isn't mope about her ex.
and then she sees the beast. blixen has never seen a bear in the flesh -- it is so, so much larger than she could have imagined. but she does not feel afraid -- she feels excited. a growl starts in her throat, fur spiked out as she flanks nomi, watching the lumbering creature making it's way toward eske. her other packmates arriving are barely noticed if at all -- she wants to fight, antsy as she waits for a cue to launch forward, all youthful arrogance and exuberance.
To the first howl, an indeterminate note from Eske, he had paused mid-step to listen then soothed suspicion down well enough to begin to carry on with his patrol once done. It sounded like it didn't concern him yet, but he would intend to keep the littler details in mind. Since it came from the direction of the Sound, he could make a few good guesses, and he wanted to know if that was something he should be worried about or not soon.
The Drakru guardian knows he's already on edge, and already anticipating something when his tireless patrols turned up nothing of note here with them--it has been quiet despite all that loomed, and his mate's litter is due any day now; he knows the way it can go, and now would just be the perfect time for something to go awry. For months now he's had his beliefs that their neighbors were going to be the next issue, and maybe... if not quite in the way he had once anticipated.
The second, that of Heda's voice hitting the winds with a more precise message about, came soon after and from the same direction that there was no overlooking it this time. Already on edge (largely thanks to Portia's litter due any day now), he doesn't hesitate to go find out more and be there for his pack's defense--however that may entail. He wasted no time, and with a quick turn of foot, he took off past their outskirts until he found where the ursine menace approached wanlida.
His hackles were up at the mere sight of the bear and by the time he got there, the commander had already called to Eske and others had come too as reinforcements. The wocha did not immediately join the sides of the others--not when he approached the scene from a different angle anyway, but his sights were trained on the bear--ready.
Roll for first injury on a d20 die:
14 (click). Minimal damage; scrapes, bruises, etc.
Thuringwethil does not realize all who has shown up until she sees Dio out the corner of her eye. Her focus is primarily the distance between the bear and Eske but she spares one look to her left, then right, and noticing those that have followed. Drageda has always been strong but she’d be loathe to admit they weren’t in prime shape. Two wolves she barely knows escorts her on either side and she can only hope Trigeda has done their service in preparation.
A bear alone is terrifying, but against numbers he’ll tire easy if they stay out of reach and confuse them. Creatures that are not terribly smart, relying on brute force, gets them short distances but between six other predators playing their cards right, they can make it easily enough.
Thuringwethil barks for Eske’s attention a second time for her to fall back and reassess. The bear’s attention on the wanlida can fall to their advantage. She turns to Dio and points with her nose behind the bear, and then to the other two.
“War em daun!” she shouts, thankful all that have arrived know enough of their tongue.
“Du nou git raun!” she tacks on with a growl as reinforcement. After that, she leaves the decisions up to the other wolves on who does what so long as they spread out, terrorizing the creature from all angles.
rolled a
20; no injury
also please don't even read this 2am garbage post thx
More of the pack joined them; not a massive amount, but enough to ease her apprehension slightly. Still, they faced a bear— and Branwen was undeniably terrified. She was nonetheless quick to react to Heda's words and gestures. There was no room for hesitation.
Branwen darted around the bear, barking a few times; she kept a distance between herself and the creature, but as she rounded towards the rear end she dared draw a bit nearer. She had no hopes of making contact with it; rather, she risked closing some of the distance in hopes of goading the creature into turning around. Distraction, right? And surely if she kept a reasonable distance (for a bear fight, of course) she could avoid injury. She hoped.
His ears twitched at
Heda's instructions, and gave a nod more for his own comprehension than for any confirmation.
Wear it down. Easier said than done, he thought briefly, as he takes a spot on right of the giant creature. He made sure to try and keep space between himself and his packmates, making it more difficult for the bear to focus on any one of them.
He barked at the creature trying to distract it and confuse it with the noise. His concentration proved to be his downfall as he wandered a little to close to the bear, within in dangerous range of the massive apendages. In combination with his persistent leg injury, Armor would have major difficulty trying to retreat and miss any advances the bear might make.
rolled a 10 out of 20. a moderate wound or few but not direly so + bruises/scrapes/etc. i'm flexible short of death/major bad though.
It takes but a heartbeat. The wocha sees what they have, sees who is raring to go, and when the bear stands poised to hold its ground, unfaltering before their mere presence, they are a force not lacking fury--but their foe is a massive one, as put on full display as it rises to heights he's not used to looking up to.
He had run for its back, aiming then for potential blindspots if he could ever have any hope of them when others were not already upon them. Their numbers granted them several angles, but he couldn't say if this would be enough yet. They had a lot to do still, and while in motion around the bear, he joining in on the trying to distract with barks, snaps, and other commotion that would surely irritate and distract from the other attacking wolves. It became a flurry of motion and bodies, claws and teeth--so fast, and so soon after the beginning too. His hackles stood tall and he at least had the experience to know enough to look twice.. even if this meant seeing his comrades falter.
Sounding a vicious snarl of his own and he lunged in close.. closer than he wanted to be precisely when he saw the streak of red fur, but his hide was not leaving here unscathed and he would not let Blixen charge in all alone. He mirrored her move on the opposite leg, hoping that if anything, the brunt of any answering retaliation may not all find her--but backing his snaps, he knew to dodge away too if the circumstances did not align for him out of self preservation; last thing he wanted was this behemoth to get a good true grip on him.
Roll: 11 Moderate-ish injury. Big scrape/concussion, anything like that! If I misunderstood the attack on Thur, just lemme know.
Eske does not get back in time to stray away from the bear’s hit and she barks a second time, this time directly at the beast. Her attempts at distraction garner Eske a good enough escape and not-so-deathly blow of his paws but her own feet don’t pedal fast enough to move out of reach as he comes for her one fell swoop. The slap of his paw is met with resistance as she latches on to the inside of his arm, clamping down with all she has while he shakes her free. Her grip on muscle is torn away when she finally hits the ground, shaken loose as some minute pest to the creature.
The ground doesn’t soften the blow and Thuringwethil is quick to her feet, ignoring whatever injuries she’s acquired in the process, and turns just as the bear sends Blixen flying. Her own surprised yelp escapes her throat and she rips a snarl from her jaws, disregarding the initial plan and from a wide angle, throwing herself foolishly back into the fray.
rolled a
9; not super severe but i'm cool w most anything otherwise
Her initial luck only boosted her confidence somewhat; though Branwen managed to avoid the bear's swiping claws, her packmates were not as lucky. Even the brief feeling of victory in the form of flesh and fur between her teeth hardly touched the cold sinking feeling in her chest. She wondered, morbidly, if there would be casualties.
Then Blixen went flying, and horrified guilt flashed through her, as if her thoughts had willed it into being. Heda's advance on the bear, combined with that moment of guilt, spurred Branwen's own. She dared another lunge nearer in hopes of making contact again; this time, her focus was spread partially over her packmates' positions and movements, concern gnawing at her in the worst possible moments.
Together they rallied against the threat to their nearby territory, driving in to make their strikes and the bear in turn doles out its hits in turn to answer. Great swings of its claws and muscle push them back, send them flying--it's quick into a blur as one thing goes into the next. In a single second, they are on offense, the next swatted away, then back again. From his position, he cannot say for certain how all their wolves fare; it's his singular goal to rend on mind until he does find purchase with his teeth.
It lasted hardly an instant, though he intended to spend it with a true grip. Satisfaction rushed, he drove and twisted--or aimed to, but the price to pay comes as the bear sends claws his way. They rake across him, curving off the arc of his shoulder and with the momentum packed, he let go and did all he could to minimize the hit--and get out of there. Blixen had already been flung aside like he was nothing, so he isn't intending to see what else it could do.. if he could help it.
Pain bloomed hot and stinging across his shoulder onto his back, and still watching the bear with a savage growl bubbling anew, he steadily circled closer. Adrenaline coursed, dulling the pain so long as he kept in motion, but this wouldn't be a sustainable approach.
The wocha looked upon the fray with narrowing eyes. Seeing the commander make her next move just ahead motivated him further, and pushed the ache back even more. A few paces behind, he veered in for his own return, although he was less forward this time--and did not immediately dive straight in to the worst of it. Somewhere, he hoped he could open better opportunities for others too. As he circled closer, he snapped for whatever piece of bear he could reach, and aimed to feint away until any chances for better posed themselves. His next strikes would need to be well-aimed.
Blood leaked from the bear as his teeth sank into the ferocious creatures hip, he was glad to have contributed in some fashion. His excitement was perturbed by a large paw aimed for him in retaliation for the bite. The large sweeping arm struck true, hitting Armor in the shoulder and drawing blood as the beasts claws racked his frame. Letting out a painfilled yelp, Armor was knocked back.
Shacking his head to try and dispell the dizziness that had overcome him, he saw the great Heda take charge once more as Blixen was knocked away. Barking at the bear to try and distract he approached with more caution. Blood dripped down his shoulder and his cheek, and he found his lame leg almost impossible to stand on. He joined the circle once more dispite his injuries, his warrior heart pushing him to carry on.
rolled a 8. moderate wound/damage but nothing fatal, please! :-)
eske is fortunate. the bear lumbers towards her and as it's massive paw takes it's swipe it's claws scrape the surface of her muzzle causing her to recoil back quickly, but it is nothing that she cannot brush off. in lieu of the adrenaline that rushes through her blood stream the wanlida barely feels it. in return, though, her attack outright misses and the bear moves onto the other drakru as they deal and suffer their own attacks. their diversion gives her time to think. with the lumbering beast temporarily distracted eske surges forth with the intention to attempt an attack at an exposed area.
They were met with no mercy, and showed none in return. One after another, one swing after the next, the bear fought them off. Drageda persisted, bloodied and determined, with him among them. When claws sailed through the air within his reach, his teeth dug through fur, met flesh, and his grip rang true. His focus pinholed and he only had himself and the bear in these fleeting seconds. But for all his force, the bear outmatched him with such remarkable ease. One swing of its arm and he felt his own weight going with it. He was forced to let go, although he hoped not without damage to the details of its paw. He didn't care how, or what, but all he wanted was for the wretched ursine to be gone--a thought that magnified tenfold as the other paw met him, lurching him back in a way few forces did.
Hooked and raked on his flank, he was knocked aside, weightless, to finish in a harsh thud that he had to remind himself to breath after. In that instance, he lost track of the rest of it all--how the other attacks went, who else would suffer. Some rush of adrenaline mixed with fur, and bear fur in his bloodied teeth, rolled him upright quick after his initial discarding but pain came hotly to life with every single motion that followed. He had no time for worry now, and instead, when their foe loosed a sickening warcry, his blood iced. The wocha was sure he could not reach anything, nor anyone, in time, although hauled himself to his feet. Once up, he was still catching his breath.. and ignoring his hurts was proving more difficult.
His eyes set upon the ugly scene, he searched his reserves for hope of a new charge, or the right opportunity to retreat.
Apologies for: I did not realize it was my turn, for how long it took me to notice, and how bad this post is. And given this thread's age and how much has happened since, maybe we should wrap it up?
She garners a good bite before he knocks her lose, stumbling on the ground and landing in a heap. Breath partially escapes her but she wheezes and staggers back to her feet a few seconds later. The chaos around her swerves over her head as the bear rampages onward but finally settling on the fallen one: her daughter. She beckons to Armor and Branwen (if able) to distract the bear and barks toward Dio as he gathers himself and Eske as she does the same before running off toward the knocked out girl.
Her running is stunted as she struggles to keep her balance, dizzy from the swipe to the ground a moment ago but she does her best to get there before him and take her by the scruff. Frightfully, her eyes turn upward, uncertain what she’ll see as everyone moves about.