Blackfoot Forest The stream will take us home

@Takiyok

roll log -for reference

           

She returned once again, like a moth returning to the flame, the young woman had once again returned home. With a soft sigh she stubbornly continued on her path, ignoring the pesky emotions that tried to pry themselves from the holes Padma had thrown them into.

Winter had so far made her lean and mean, the life of a lone wolf difficult for a young yearling such as herself. She had still not grown into her lanky limps, and was starting to worry that she truly had adopted her parents worst combining features. She pictured her sister at her own age, gracefully dance in the meadow, her namesake. Or her strong and sturdy brothers mirroring her father. And then, then she compares herself to them, and realize why they left her. Her legs as long as her fathers, but her body as short as her mothers. Leaving her with legs much to long for her figure.

Her yearly flogging was underway, as she made her way back to the crust covered plains where she had been born. To see if maybe this year they would return, this year there would be someone. Anyone that would give her any inkling toward the family she had lost.

She had left the hollow again, needing to escape the suffocating feeling of the place. She hated that Mahler had made the home she loved so much a place she could no longer stand to spend large amounts of time in. For the sake of her son, she tried never to be gone longer than a day or two. But she always dreaded returning home. She knew soon the women of Diaspora would begin to grow round bellies, and she wasn't sure how she would be able to stand being there for any period of time. Just the sight of the hollow in the distance as she returned home caused dread and despair to swell in her stomach, sometimes so strongly that she thought she might vomit. But, she had survived worse, and she would get through this somehow. 

She made her way slowly through the trees, glad to be able to breath again. She, of course, took up her normal task of searching for signs of her missing children; it was second nature at this point, she had been searching for so long. The scent of a stranger filled her nose once she had made her way fairly deeply within the forest. She followed it, wanting to know who was hanging around so close to her territory. She found the young woman after some time, and she stopped a short distance from her, releasing a short chuff to alert the stranger of her presence. She looked young but older than her own children; old enough to cause problems, for sure. She fixed her with a cold, shrewd stare as she waited to be noticed.

           

It didn’t take long. Somehow, she always attracted others, like bees to honey. No matter how hard she tried to avoid the pack lands that surrounded her, or the other lone wolves. They always, always, found her. Turning her head with a calculative gaze, Padma observed her latest companion.

She offered no words, instead she tilted her head. A silent query. After everything she had learned from her mother, Padma knew better than start first. Instead she silently observed. Taking in everything from the woman’s large frame, to her snow white pelt, and her vibrant fiery gaze almost a similar shade as her own.

Taki stared back, silent for a few moments as she gathered information about the stranger. She was rough looking to put it nicely. Scars littered her neck, telling anyone studying the girl that she had suffered from many deep wounds that did not heal properly. The scars were not even the worst part—the girl's ear was missing as well, and Taki wondered if she could even hear from it. She was thin and her legs appeared disproportionately long. But, none of that mattered really. Scars and youth would not stop the Kapitän from protecting her home, no matter how miserable she was there. You are wandering very close to claimed land, she said flatly. Explain yourself. Maybe she was just passing through, but she could do that somewhere else that wasn't so close to Diaspora.

           

She couldn’t just continue on her merry way. No, the woman decided that they would have a conversation. Padma let the words hang between them, continuing her observation. While Padma’s skills in combat had grown drastically from the last time she was in the Wilds, she doubted she could take on the giant woman. And so, words would have to be her way out.

Frowning, and quirking her head, she offered, “Very close, isn’t the same as trespassing.” in answer to the question(?), well there hadn't been a question, it had been a command. Padma threw in a shrug at the end for good measure. “I don’t have to explain myself to you, I haven’t done anything wrong.” The young woman got the impression that this lady had a stick up her ass, and a violent temper simmering below the surface, she was quick to bite her tongue to stop the mouthing off that was about to ensue.

It's close enough, she pointed out, eyebrow raising. This was how most reacted when she confronted them about being too close to what she considered hers; she was, in no way, ruffled by the girls words. You haven't technically done anything wrong yet, she continued. But I have no way of know what your intentions are, and since you're so close to my territory, I'm naturally suspicious. Her judgmental gaze looked over the stranger again. She had a mouth on her, it seemed, and she wondered if that was why she was now missing an ear. Her expression stern, she rested her gaze on the girl's face again and waited for whatever she had to say next.

           

“Suspicions and accusations are easy to confuse.” A mischievous glint gleamed in her eye, “Technically I’m just out for a walk.” Padma’s lip curled delicately into a rigid smile. “But I truly haven’t decided my intentions, yet” She couldn’t quite clip the lip of her words, the ambiguity of her tone easily interpreted as insidious.

“Pampered pack wolves.” Padma tutted in a mutter, rolling her eyes and taking a step away. Although she was careful to remember her mother’s words and never turn her back to the stranger. “Find someone else to amuse you.” The woman had no right to demand anything from her, and Padma was no longer accustomed to surrendering.

What a brat and an idiot. She was the one too close to claimed land, and she had the audacity to speak to her that way. Did she not have a mother or father to teach her to be respectful to pack wolves when she was so close to their claim? She thought of Ego and wondered if he was alive somewhere getting into to trouble because of the lessons she never got to teach him about the world. She almost felt sympathy for the girl. Almost. She was young but not a child, and she should really know better by now. Anger flared in Taki's chest, and her hackles raised as a low, ominous growl rumbled from her chest. You have one chance to leave now. She took a slow step forward, tail lifting to curve over her back. Otherwise, you'll learn today what you should have been taught as a child.

Padma’s health (for my reference) = 20
Wow a 9 on my first roll!

           

With a narrowing gaze Padma’s amber gaze once more roamed the woman, but this time was different than the last. This time her eyes sought for a weakness, anything would do. Just enough to give her an edge against this monstrous creature. “I learnt enough.” Despite the confidence in her tone, and the shifting in her stance Padma was nervous.

Deciding that speed would be her only advantage Padma launched herself at the offending woman. Aiming for the loose fur around her neck, Padma fought to gain purchase.

Starting HP: 20
HP: 20 - 7 = 13

rolled: 7 (+ 2 modifier for mercenary) = 9

Taki was willing to bet that the girl hadn't learned nearly enough; the disrespect alone told her that. The attack actually took her by surprise, though, giving the stranger an advantage and a chance to sink her teeth into the loose skin on the side of her neck. The hide there was thickened from old fight scars, but the bite still hurt and caused blood to stain the snowy white of her fur. Taki slid back a little from the force of the impact but was quick to react. She twisted in her opponent's grasp, trying to get her to let go. While doing this, she also threw her weight into the girl, attempting to throw her off balance and knock her to the ground, her own teeth snapping and attempting to catch some part of the other wolf and sink into her skin to return to the favor.

Padma’s Health = 20 – 7 = 13
rolled: 4 - 5 damage to taki

           

Her teeth slipped clasping together suddenly as Takiyok twisted sharply. Swung around, Padma lost her balance, falling hard onto her side. She let out a strangled yelp as the air was forced from her lungs. The larger canid stood atop her, the teeth of the pale woman snapping close to her remaining ear.

Finally the woman sunk her teeth into the fleshy skin of Padma’s cheek. Giving a scream of both pain and rage, Padma shook violently. Bucking and flailing and doing everything she could to get this gigantic POLAR BEAR OFF HER CHEST.

sorry for the wait <3

HP: 13 - 5 = 8

rolled: 4 (+2 modifier for mercenary) = 6 (5 damage to Padma)

The girl collapsed easily beneath her, and she soon felt her teeth sink into flesh. Her bite was quickly followed by a pained cry from her opponent. She felt the other wolf struggle beneath her. She flailed and writhed under Taki, her back legs eventually able to slip between them and deliver a breath-stealing kick to her abdomen. Taki was momentarily taken back by the feeling, and she stumbled back a little, enough that the girl would be able to extract herself. The kick would leave her sore for a few days, but she quickly pushed the pain from her mind like she had been trained to do. Almost immediately, she lunged forward, teeth bared and snapping as she sought to barrel into the other wolf again.