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Wolves on the Hunt

Started by Wildfire, June 27, 2006, 08:25:11 PM

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Wildfire

Kym offhandedly said, "Well, we're not too far from the..." Kym's words hung in the air. She turned her head to look at Maccabeus and finished her thought in a question, "...valley?"

She looked away to the south with an expression of revelation and shock on her face.
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"War?" Maccabeus echoed. "No. Violence? Yes." He seemed to consider for a moment then.

"Well, perhaps we really do." He conceded at last. "There are generally no campaigns that we tend to think about as war, but I suppose it is war. My folks are at constant odds with the giants and their kin that come out of the mountains. Clan friction isn't unheard of, of course. But our brand of war is motivated not by someone owning something of a piece of land; it's just survival, and the stupid prejudice of the giantkin who come for the sole purpose of killing. They would kill whatever they run into, I suppose, it just happens that we dale gnomes and our allies are the first unfortunates that they come upon. And wildlanders too."

He changed the subject then. "But the presence of ancient ruins intrigues me. I have to wonder if foullings aren't looking for something that has been lost for centuries. I wonder what might be hidden amongst the shattered buildings. I wonder what they might think might be hidden amongst the shattered buildings. I wonder what might happen if they find something of use, or something that they might be seeking."

He looked sidelong at his companion after he mused.
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Wildfire

Just as Kym was about to charge out she stopped. "There are lots of ruins out here in these woods. Some may have been sacred. I'm not really sure. The history of this area has been filled with a lot of violence and destruction. In the last Shadow War Threshold was left as a pile of rubble and the Kingdom of Vychia was cracked. In time Threshold was rebuilt. Then the Arcane Wars brought to it more devestation. Through all of that most of the records and people that lived here have either perished or were lost."

Kym looked at Maccabeus quizzically, "Do you see much war in your beloved Dale of Wolves? Oh, the name of that place...well, it just fills me with hope."
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

Maccabeus perked up as Kym spoke. "Are you saying that there are sacred ruins up here? Of what sort?"
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Wildfire

Kym was looking to the south and said, "Yes, beyond that range is the Valley of Mist. Aside from ruins there's nothing out here that I know of that is sacred. Of course that doesn't mean there isn't."

Kym instinctually checked all of her equipment. Maccabeus noticed that she certified that the bronzewood bow was still on her back more than a few times.

"I don't know much at all about the foulings or their plans. But this place seems pretty remote. Perhaps they're looking for such a place to build strength without attention. But that's what we're here to find out."

Kym called out to Alpha, "Lead the way, my brother!"
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

Maccabeus nodded and grunted his understanding as he stared out to the expanse to the south. "I take it that the Valley of the Mists is on the far side of that range?" He asked, confident of the answer. "Are there any sacred things or places up here, Kym? It seems an odd place for foullings to work their atrocities."
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Wildfire

The pack bounded back into the forest. The terrain was becoming much more difficult to navigate. maccabeus knew that this was a certain sign of the mountains beginning to climb.

They climbed a high hill that quickly turned into a cliff. Wolf was in his glory. His run seemed unimpeded by his cargo as he climbed the steep hill. It was testimony to the strength he possessed over the rest of the pack. Arriving to the top the pack continued on.

Maccabeus's origins had taught him that judging by the rockyness there was a cliff nearby. Alpha charged on. The pack came upon the suspected cliff and began to run along the edge. The view was spectacular! Green forest filled the river valley and to the south Maccabeus could see a wall of sharp, snowcapped mountains. He knew full well that they were a few days march from where he stood. It looked just like home.

Kym barked out and Alpha slowed to a stop as did the rest of the pack.

"This is where we leave the other behind." Kym said to Maccabeus in a barely winded breath.
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"Aye, there be shades of tha' lass, t' be sher." Maccabeus lapsed into his northern brogue as he vaulted upon Wolf's strong back. "Tho' it's a certainty that I be much less a man than me gran'sire." And they were off once again, Maccabeus leaning low over Wolf, blending with his solid brother.
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Wildfire

"That's a fine idea, Maccabeus!" Kym, literally, barked out orders relating the plan of the hunt. The five loyals listened intently to what she was saying and when she was done waited to once again be running over the tree shelterd ground.

"They will do as I've commanded." Kym said cinfidently. "Y'know Maccabeus, I feel like we're retracing old steps of our sires. Don't you?"
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"A-ya." Maccabeus agreed happily. "Although perhaps they can accompany another sprint or three so that should the calling be needed they won't be spent upon arrival, but yet be back enough to be out of reach of the giant's club as it were." He nodded thoughtfully; that plan sounded wise and workable.
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Wildfire

Kym cocked her head to the side slightly and looked out with thought. It was a bizarre thing for Maccbeus to see a human behave and act so much like wolf. He had seen this before within the Dale Gnomes but to see it outside was just unexpected.

"Alpha has to go with us. He knows exactly where it is. I'm sure we could find it but I don't want to take the chance of missing the mark and ending up in foul company. Besides, he's my baby. If we went without him he'd get all depressed. As you know, a depressed wolf is...well, it's unbearable!"

Kym scratched Alphas neck.

"The other five will stay here and if anything happens we'll call and they'll quickly arrive. What say you to that?"
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"I know exactly what you mean." Maccabeus answered. "If Wolf is nervous, then I know that there's a real reason to be fearful and alert. They have that uncanny sense about them."

He cast about for a moment, his eyes narrowing, his brow furrowing, and his upper lip disappearing under his lower one. "You know, there's no real reason for all of us to go." He suggested. "I just want to have a look so that I can locate the area and assess whether it's still an active cell of foullings. My thinking calls for running before fighting." He looked into Kym's dark eyes. "It might be a good idea for us to just take Wolf and Alpha...or just Wolf. No need to place any of these other fine mates in jeopardy. As I said before, I think that this would warrant a visit from a larger number of the Protectorate, but right now it's just scouting."

He looked at her questioningly, trying to divine her thinking even before she began her answer.
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Wildfire

Kym admiring the view to the north snapped out of her reverie and said, "Oh..uh...that's a good question. Let me ask."

Kym went over to to alpha who was casually inspecting his troops and knelt before him. As Maccabeus watched it struck him that these two were bonded the same as he and Wolf. she had an uncanny way about her when it came to wolves. She truly preferred their company to all others except maybe her family.

Alpha licked her happily on the cheek and she kissed back. She then began her odd chatter with the him and at after a slight bit of time stood up. She approached Maccabeus and said, "Alpha tells me that it's about five hunting sprints to along the river and then away from the river. What that actually means that it is a little over a mile towards the southwest."

"He's nervous Maccabeus. I don't like it when he's nervous."
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

Maccabeus hopped down from his comfortable spot atop Wolf's broad back and surveyed the lands descending below. Kym offered to him a water skin, and suggested that they must be due west of Threshold now...an observation that Maccabeus filed away in the event that it might be useful later. "No thank you." He gently pushed the water skin back to her. "You forget that I am doing nothing other than riding. It is the rest of you that are doing work." He smiled up at his companion.

Kym rather abruptly nudged Maccabeus and drew his attention to a barely perceptible line that wandered through the thick trees far below. She explained that this was the river that became the hammer in the south-east part of Threshold.

Maccabeus couldn't understand why, after such a long, uphill, energetic run, the young lady was not appreciably winded, and why she smelled somewhat of sweet tilled earth.

"So, do you have any idea of where Alpha is leading us, or how high Kossuth sun might be when we arrive?" He asked curiously.
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Wildfire

Alpha ran alongside and slightly ahead of Wolf and Maccabeus. He was going to navigate the hunting pack to the location of vile scene. The bramble, opened up it's great thorny walls and laid down a green road of grass to west at speed with Alpha. The other five hunting wolves followed close behind. Kym kept charge of the rear of the pack.

The trees were sprinkled with Kossuth's light and danced in the wispy mist between the boughs. The dew drops that laced the tips of the darkening leaves twinkled in the newborn daylight. There was a perfume scent of damp ground and old leaves that hung in the sylvan air. The forest floor was thinned of bushes and underbrush and made the passage a bit easier to navigate.

The wild rythme of the packs paws was like a quiet thunder. Soon after leaving the wooded glen, Alpha guided the pack to the south west. The ground began to get hilly and rocky forcing quick dodges and jumps.

Looking back, maccabeus could see that Kym was indeed keeping up with the pack. She was ducking and spinning her way with grace over , under, and around rogue branches and rocks. It looked as though she was dancing her way through the woods making sure not break a single twig.

The Pack climbed a steep hill and arrived to the top. The top of the hill was bare of any trees and all were able to overlook the forest at the break of day. Though ne rest was essential, the hunters of the pack took the opportunity. Two sat down, two scouted the area sniffing, and one remained by Alphas side.

Kym broke open her water skin and took a few deep swallows letting some of the water run down her face. she then handed the skin to Maccabeus. "Alpha wants to let the others rest a bit. If they're winded and we come across hostiles then they'll have a hard fight." Kym looked around and then looked to the east. "Allowing for some degree of error, I'd say that we're due west of town."

To the east the foothills rose sharply into small mountains. Kym kneeled down and got alongside Maccabeus and Wolf. Thrusting her arm over his shoulder she pointed and said, "If you look you can see a dark shadowed path cutting through the trees over there. That's the swift stream that feeds The Hammer, the waterfall behind Hunter's Lodge. I'd guess were about a mile, maybe more, from town."
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity