"soon bears will be hunting again. mountain lions will be beginning to roam once more."
germanicus stood before his small but robust legion. they would grow.
"these beasts may enter the canyon. they must be treated as any other enemy and driven out."
he turned to arsenio. "this man served in akashingo. before that, he was a mercenary. he has seen battle. and while he will climb in mereo the same as any of you, he is a source of wisdom."
back to the subject at hand. germanicus gestured to where the canyon tapered. "can anyone give me an example of a tactic that might stop a mountain lion?"
Kallik sat with the other auxillia and listened as the imperator told them of bears and mountain lions. Apparently the spring may bring more dangerous intruders.
His cold gaze studied Arsenio when introduced, quickly returning to the imperator when he asked them for a tactic to stop a mountain lion.
The first tactic that came to mind was to turn and run the other way, but he figure that was not the answer Germanicus was looking for. He had no other answers, though. His stormy mood hadn't relented when he returned home. If anything, it was easier to sink into the role of soldier and let himself become numb to it all. Gradually his gaze drifted to the red behind the imperator, focused on nothing.
The Roman spoke of bears and cougars who would be seen prowling around their territory. The thought of a wildcat prowling through their canyonland brought an unsettling feeling to the Greek’s stomach. He did not like the image in his mind.
When Germanicus spoke of him, referencing him as a source of wisdom in the matters of war and mercenary work, Arsenio grinned sharply. The ice of his eyes found the pale form of Kallik, wondering if this was one of the soldiers that Tamar had spoken to. He wondered, too, if the quiet stranger was one of the Auxillary who had spoken out against the addition of civilians in Mereo.
Wildcats are sharp and swift. If you can hold their gaze, you will be safer than turning to retreat.
Arsenio would not wish to meet a cougar in battle. Their claws were like razors, and they tore through flesh without a challenge. It was never wise to lose the eyes of a mountain lion. It would mean they had gained the upper hand.
The curiosity brought Aquene to observe and join with the auxiliary. She lingered on the outside, watching though she was not sure if she was fully welcome to be listening. Bears and mountain lions sounded terrifying, and it brought a more survivalist view of the soldiers who so fiercely defended their home. Arsenio was introduced. He had been a mercenary, and then had served Akashingo.
Aquene considered his question. She had never studied the anatomy of a mountain lion as she had a wolf, but in that moment she looked around the canyon. “Speed? You could lure a mountain lion to a precipice and let it run itself to it’s own death?” She piped up, knowing it was likely not the explanation the man was looking for, but it was the only one that came to mind to her. It did not involved directly fighting the creature which was why she knew that it was wrong.
germanicus nodded toward the red wolf. "these animals are used to being feared. continue to fear them but learn not to show it. it catches them off guard."
aquene. "it is unlikely that a cat would lose its footing given its claws. however, if the edge of a cliff is crumbling, use this to your advantage. understand, however, that a cougar in the clifftops is in its element. you will always be weaker in this situation. work with this in mind."
the imperator paced before them and then turned to face the wolves once more. "bears. have any of you encountered or faced one?"
He had been silent until now, watching each of them. Listening. Being less inclined to answer any of the questions - more to test the others than anything, but also to avoid the limelight.
The talk of cats bored Glaukos; it was when Germanicus brought up bears that something shifted within him. He did not think before he opened his mouth and answered with the haste of a know-it-all, They are giant beasts not meant to be feared, but respected for their space.
Too late he realized what he'd said, and that perhaps eyes were upon him.
He was frowning at the thought.
Larger than any wolf, and ferocious like us. They can be appeased with offerings.
This he knew from the teachings of his caretakers, and of Merrick, but the boy did not speak of Ursus now. He fell silent after and watched Germanicus as the man paced.
Aquene listened intently to everything the warriors had to say, a particularly interested focus on the Imperator and the way he corrected her. It was it’s element, not her own… she nodded to show that she had understood. At the mention of a bear, she nodded. “Once… in my birth pack. I had a set of guards with me and they fought it off… with much consequence to them.” She admitted, remembering the day as she put one to rest and treated the others with what she could find in the woods they had been in. Thankfully, many supplies had been on hand and it had been the height of plant growth... though she was not certain that it was what the Imperator intended either. She had simply observed, admittedly scared a little shitless, while the men had done all of the hard work.
But that was part of the reason she was there, to learn. She wanted to become a master at any craft she took up, and that now included strategy and fighting. Glaukos chimed up and she turned her head to finally note his presence. The man was massive, and every time it took her by surprise.
There was a newcomer who had words to offer about bears, just as Germanicus had brought the large beasts forward in their conversation.
Arsenio’s gaze swung to the dark-furred figure with scrutiny.
When the man spoke of offerings that would please the bears, the redstone wolf did nothing to hold back the snort that erupted from his nose. The man’s cheeky grin did not fade as he turned his sights away from the darker wolf and back toward the others who had gathered.
Perhaps a sacrifice. You would never catch me doing something so foolish as giving gifts to bears. Their claws are large enough to take what they please.
Arsenio had seen it on more than one occasion. Bears were vicious fighters and they were powerful protectors over what they considered as their own. Would Germanicus have them begin making gifts for their hostile neighbors? What a mockery.
Something about the healer's presence made it easier to focus while his insides were in turmoil from the bomb that had just been dropped on him.
His eyes focused, and he looked to the imperator as he continued. He spoke on what had been said and then asked if any of them had faced a bear.
What Glaukos said had Kallik looking over at him briefly before returning his focus on Germanicus. What a strange thing to say. Bears did not care if you respected them or gave them offerings; they would still kill you where you stood.
It seemed everyone had seen more experience with bears than he had. He hadn't ever seen one up close. The auxillary remanied silent, now taking in the words of the others to see what he could learn.
germanicus chose not to comment specifically upon what glaukos had said.
it was intriguing to him and perhaps a conversation at another time.
"it is unlike that a bear would be stopped by a prayer. but they can be distracted. this is why auxilla travel in pairs, as your guards did, aquene. it does not mean you cannot be maimed by a bear. it means that you are able to in a small way affect the size of the damage that will be dealt."
there were only one set of wolves he knew which might give offerings to the beasts.
"they are most dangerous in the summer and the beginning of spring. a bear awake in the snow is a starving animal. a mother awakes with multiple cubs and by the time they descend from the mountains where they den, it has been three weeks. she will kill and eat anything she is able to catch, including wolves."
"cats are solitary animals. they attack threats in what they perceive as their territory. a canyon of this size would be space enough for a male cougar's range." he paced before them again. "bears are larger than you and cats possess more speed. a bear can kill a wolf upon impact. it is important to understand all aspects of your foe."
There was a safety in numbers. Germanicus confirmed as much by talking about the advantages. She offered a nod to show that she understood but nothing more. She didn’t know how to cross creatures so much bigger. She was just now learning about how to take down wolves…
So instead she listened. Instead, she learned. They were most dangerous in the summer and beginning of spring. It made sense. “The maternal instinct would only add to that as well, right? The drive to protect your young.” She piped up, the analytics. “I’ve seen even wolves take reckless action to protect their children.” Hell hath no fury like the mother of a threatened child. The idea of the bear striking her down with a single blow was enough to intimidate her. She knew what the body could sustain.
The fact that the body couldn’t sustain a single blow from the creature? Yeah, she never wanted to come across an angered bear.
fading this!
"mother bears are more dangerous and even fiercer than their male counterparts. if you spot a cub, it is wisest to move immediately in the opposite direction. she will not spare you or be dissuaded by your training."
germanicus cleared his throat. "we will speak again upon this matter another time."
he gave a nod of his head as a warm dismissal.