ThumperJack 923 Share Posted April 7, 2022 Spoiler It was an early morning for the bearded mali’ame known as Eònan Norväyn, rising out of bed to don leather foot wrappings, gambeson, and a dark half-robe over deep green half-plate. His mind awash with thought and worry amidst this practiced armoring ritual, muttering prayers to his wild gods and his creed as he fitted his robe on, deciding to leave his ilmyumier-marked arms bare. His eyes drifted to the sleeping form of his partner, the Bruin. Worry mingled with pride in his gaze of burnished gold, a reluctance to leave her and their newborn child’s side. However, tradition demanded he take to the wild. He leaned over to press his lips against her temple, murmuring softly, “Rest well, my loves. Oh Bolomormaa llean, ehya llytan, nae’leh ahern kae illera.” He spoke in a gentle hum as he spoke the single line of prayer. He gripped the edge of the covers to pull more snugly over her shoulders, turning to step out from the room into the main living area to very quietly prepare a stew of chopped beef, vegetables, and various other spices he had slowly collected in his travels over the years. He has never before had a reason to stop and cook a hearty meal for more than himself before now. Once the stew had been set to heat over the fire, he picked up an ironwood spear from the wall with a brief flourish to test the weight of his old weapon. He had become accustomed to carrying his thanhic polehammer, the bec de corbin named Mordu Fer’bilokina, into combat. Despite his growing adoration for the larger weapon, he relished this chance to pick the piercing polearm as his primary. His favored recurve bow and quiver of broadhead arrows were slung over his shoulder, followed by a tomahawk and shortsword strapped to his belt. Eònan made his way out from the village with his spear used as a walking stick, coming to a halt just past the massive, overgrown log that served as the Vale’s bridge. He swept his gaze from the dire wolf that waited for him back toward the looming, floral and fungal walls of the Vale itself. Reluctant to leave, he unclipped his helmet from his belt and dropped it onto his head, eventually turning to mount the wolf with a small huff, “‘ey buddy.. What kinda’ shoe does a bear like ta’ wear?” He asked of the dire wolf named Liam, who simply snorted out a butterfly from his nose. Unphased by this lack of a response, the Norväyni warrior continued: “Heard she prefers ta’ go bear-foot.” The pair traveled for the better part of two days into the deep wilds, traversing the great forests of the realm in search of their specific prey. The trip was becoming one of nostalgia by the end of the first day as they bedded down for the night, finding a decent outcropping of rocks to nestle into. Liam curled up against the stone wall as Eònan, still wearing his helmet, laid back against the wolf’s ribs, gradually allowing himself to slip into a nap. Liam’s attentive gaze kept vigil over the sleeping warrior, occasionally nestling his snout into the crook of the Mali’ame’s neck before immediately lifting back up with ears perked in the direction of one sound or another. A few hours pass until Eònan’s eyes flutter open beneath his T-shaped visor, reaching across his chest to pat Liam’s shoulder. The wolf laid his head down more firmly in the soft grass beneath them, drifting off to sleep while Eònan took up the next watch. His golden eyes slowly fell to watch the resting canine, a gentle smile coming across his lips. It had been many years since he and the loyal companion had traveled in such a manner, yet the routine came back to the both of them with ease. Eònan allowed himself to indulge in thinking back to simpler times. Times when he had no need to worry about darkspawn burning his home down, nor if his kin were outfitted to the best they could be. His expression had become one more of tired stress, further heightened by each new issue or threat that reared its head. In summary, he enjoyed the reprieve. It was on the third day of travel that they had finally found their quarry’s lair. Another outcropping of rock in the midst of a thick forest gave way to a small cave in the center, nearly filled with leaves and natural debris. Prints in the leaf-strewn mud that surrounded the rocks gave Eònan the impression the bear had been coming and going recently, so he and Liam shacked up in the bushes nearby to watch and wait. Hours passed by and there was still no sign of their ursine prey. The pair of hunters settled more comfortably into their hiding place while they waited for anything to happen, canine eyes staring out into the brush alongside a T-shaped visor shrouded by deep green steel that melded with the surrounding vegetation. Another hour passes and drops of precipitation begin to fall through the canopy, giving only a minute’s warning before the become an utter pouring rainfall with thunder rolling in the distance. Just as the noise of rain and thunder began filling the forest, Liam’s canine ears perked up as his head whipped toward the rocks they had been keeping vigil over all this time. A low growl emanated from within the wolf’s throat, causing Eònan to slowly rise up from his seated position with his spear gripped in hand. “Think so, llir?” He asked quietly back to his companion who could, in fact, not understand what he said but gave a huff anyways. Eònan reached back to pat his shoulder to ease the beast, “Right then.. Stay here. I’m about ta’ do somethin’ stupid.” With that said, he crept out from their shared hiding place toward the rocky outcropping where the bear’s den lay. Raindrops pattered constantly against the green steel of his helmet, the beat of his heart picking up speed as he crested the first rock that overlooked the den. A chill ran down his spine and the face beneath his visor paled. The den was empty. Not a moment passed as the discovery hit him that the sound of a wolf’s howl filled the air and the bounding, heavy falls of paws were heard coming from behind and straight for him. “Ffffo- AGH!” Eònan’s deep green and black figure is thrown out from the rocks, landing unceremoniously in the thick mud and leaves that surrounded the den as the roar of a grizzly bear sounded from where he came. Groaning, the Norväyni warrior picked himself up with a stumble and a near slip across the slick, muddy surface he was thrown into. His left arm ached from the awkward landing and he already noticed the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He squeezed the digits of his right hand, only to realize with a start that his ironwood spear was no longer in his grip. The weapon stuck out from the mud a few too many meters away from where he had landed, the onpour of the storm making the journey to retrieve it more and more hazardous. The warrior broke into a run anyways, skidding and sliding across slick mud for his lost spear just as the large grizzly came trudging out from its natural fort. Spotting the fast, stumbling form of Eònan as he moved across its muddy yard, the bear broke into a charge. The muscular ursine shoulder rammed into Eònan’s body, knocking him flat to the ground with a loud OOMPH as the air in his lungs was released upon impact. The grizzly was on top of him in an instant, great paws slapping against his helmet and chestplate and pressing him deeper into the mud with its weight. Claws slashed across his exposed arm, hooked under his robe and gouged a hole through his gambeson. Blood was beginning to leak and mix with the rainwater and muck as Eònan struggled beneath the bear’s onslaught, the strength of his left arm waning. Just as the struggle began to feel hopeless for the trapped Norväyn, another howl rang through the storm. Out of the corner of his eye and through the debris that covered his visor, he could just barely make out the running form of Liam moving through the treeline. The grizzly’s attention shifted momentarily from the warrior to the dire wolf, paws lifting up to settle into the mud in preparation to meet the other animal. Yet the wolf never approached. Eònan took the chance to roll away from the bear’s mass, churning up more mud and aggravating his already hurting arm more. However the grizzly was not so easily escaped, whipping back toward the fleeing Norväyn to swipe its claws across his less armored leg, tearing three long gashes that reddened with ichor quickly. Luckily, momentum gave him the boost he needed to reach his spear, grappling onto the weapon for support with a gasp of pain. He ripped the weapon out from the mud and leafy debris that it had been stuck out from, spinning it in his grasp with a brief flourish while the grizzly ripped and tore through the mud in pursuit of Eònan’s bleeding, battered figure. The Norväyni warrior spun around to face his ursine adversary, eyes behind the cracked visor settling on the bear with a glint of stoic acknowledgement as his heels dug into the mud, his arms pulled his spear back into a prepared thrust. Only a few words left his bloodied lips when he finally leapt forward to strike. “Narnsae ito iyl.” Three more days passed until the hunter and his canine companion returned to the wild walls of the Vale with the corpse of the grizzly tied and dragged on a makeshift sled behind them. Eònan released his rope to rest a moment while waiting for one of the Greenblades to enter the gatehouse, leaning onto his spear with a low, exhausted huff. He was almost reluctant to step through the rising gates, a hidden yearning for the road and the wild tugging at his heart. Yet, that yearning disappeared as the second gate lifted up and his muddied, bloodied, and wounded figure limped into the main concourse of the village where other mali’ame went about their day. His cracked visor stared ahead at the short form of his partner and their son in her arms, then to the kin around them. That scene is why he stayed. These people that he loved and watched over like the father he had become. His chest rose and fell in a soft breath of fresh air and immense pride, and he murmured with a smile. “Narnsae ito iyl.” Spoiler Just a little story I felt like writing. IRP duties + IRL leaves little time for personal, introspective RP for Eonan so I put all his inner thoughts, worries, etc. into a story. Hope folk enjoy 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borin 5245 Share Posted April 7, 2022 Spoiler dw. you're still on the #road to #500. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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