Fable - Ask Kill or Keep

[Dante L Damasque]

Forest by Andead​

---

Along the Northwestern edge of the wilds,
On the border of the Damasque holds,
Mid Spring,

"You'll see, stags as big as trees, little Dante,"

Dante scoffed. "Come on Ein, a little too old for those old bed time stories, wouldn't you say?" they pad through the woods, their guide, a half elf, brown of skin and eye, stalked ahead of them, spear in hand. Quiet.

Einri smirked, the pair of brothers dressed in tailored hunting leathers. Boar spears in their hands, and swords at their hips. "Well, we'll see if the old tales come find us tonight, won't we, little Dante?"

Dante huffed. "And please, stop calling me little?" he smirked. "I'm only a year younger than you, and last I checked, I was taller,"

Einri laughed. "You'll stop being little when you start doing something worth feeling big about, little Dante,"

A groan from the younger brother. "Right,"

The elfen guide stilled. Motioned for them to halt.

"Ah," Einri said in hushing voice. "Quarry?"

Dante's lips pressed into a flat line.

The elf lowered himself and went into the reeds. Vanished.

Quiet settled around the third son of the Damasque. His heart beat faster. "Einri?" he whispered, voice tight with worry. His hand re-gripped the shaft of his boar spear. Remembered that he still had his wand at his waist.

He could do this.

Nasrin Fyldirae

 

[Nasrin Fyldirae]

Rin moved through the woods on silent feet, a bow in her hands with an arrow nocked. The squire was on a mission with a few other knights, but had split away from the group momentarily to hunt for their dinner. She crept through the trees on the lookout for a few rabbits. They didn't need something so large as a deer, not for the four of them and not when they'd continue on their journey tomorrow. She'd already gotten two and they hung from her belt as she moved through the brush.

A rustle ahead stopped her in her tracks and she crouched by a nearby tree, waiting to see what came out. A hare leaped from the grasses and the squire let her bow sing. Hitting the creature with little difficulty. Rin smiled and went to collect her kill, silently thanking the forest for it's gift before moving on. One more and that should be enough for the small group. Though if the rumors around the Monastery were to be believed then perhaps she should lean to the side of caution in that one of the Knights she was traveling with quite the ferocious eater. Better to have a little extra. The cooked rabbit would keep fine for a day and they could even eat it in the morning.

She continued through the forest at her slow and steady pace, when she heard a voice speak. One that sounded full of anxiety and fear. Rin didn't even hesitate before moving toward the voice. It was her duty to make sure everyone was okay. It wouldn't be very knight-like to ignore someone in need. Especially since she was nearing the moment when she would be knighted. Pushing through the undergrowth, she came upon what appeared to be a small hunting party. She was just about to ask if anyone needed assistance when out of the reeds ahead of the group came a quite large and very angry bear.

 

[Dante L Damasque]

Through the gaps in the trees came the roar. Loud and hot, it tore through the air with a savagery born to those things of the wilderness. It was instinct that had Dante reach for his wand, holstered neath his cloak. Years of training, had his mind already tracing the lines of geometry within the clouds of his thoughts.

"Dante! Come on now, little man! You'll miss the death's blow!" Einri called out from ahead.

Dante pushed out a hot breath, regripped his spear's shaft. Right then.

The bear's roar ripped through the air once more. Smothered what little valor had stirred up at being called little by his brother yet again.

But Einri laughed.

No, he would not be called yellow bellied. Dante rushed forward, boar-spear still in hand. Branches and twigs snapped as brambles scratched and tore at his clothe and armor. Once he broke through the thickets, he arrived at a clearing, the bear, already with a spear stuck in beneath its foreleg, blood spilled in hot trails across the earth. Dark, near black.

The bear roared, and swiped a claw toward Einri and the elf. Far too short. Far too slow with so grave a wound.

Dante stared on, wide eyed and horrified.

Einri grinned ear to ear. "Dumb thing never heard us coming!" he laughed, carefree. Jabbed his spear back at the bear, as if only for show and play. The beast stumbled back. "I will say though, elf, you are well worth every copper!"

The young elf said nothing, stern eyed as he watched the bear, knees bent low, hands out as he balanced on the balls of his bare feet.

Nasrin Fyldirae

 

[Nasrin Fyldirae]

Poachers.

Rin felt anger and sadness build in her in equal measures. This forest was protected, specifically by the Knights of Anathaeum. This wouldn't be the first time that rich noblemen ignored that claim. No one was supposed to hunt in these woods without permission. It was a delicate balance between over hunting and population control. The wood was meant to flourish and live. This indiscriminate and joyful slaughter for the fun of it had no place here in the wilds.

It wasn't too late for the bear, not yet. Though the dark blood that streamed from it's leg was an indication that it was already losing it's life blood and if she didn't hurry then it would be just another pelt in the pile that these noblemen had collected.

The elf that had chased the bear into the clearing had already frozen, being the first to see her. Knowing that the Knights of Anathaeum did not take kindly to poachers. She had a moment of surprise for the rest. Calling on her elementalism, she drew at the water she could feel lurking underground. The earth beneath the feet of the noblemen, the bear, and their guide turning muddy quickly. Rin hoped that by sticking them in place with the earth that they would stop trying to kill the bear and she'd have a chance to heal it and let it return to the woods in peace. She wasn't particular skilled when it came with working with wildlife, but she could calm the beasts rage. She could heal it if she could get close enough.

"You are trespassing here. Hunting illegally." She spoke from behind the group, her own bow held with arrow nocked in place. She moved slowly in an arc around the group toward the bear. The young squire wanted to run to the bear to help it before it was too late, she knew better than to rush in when she thought the situation was in hand. The one young man held a wand in his hand, no telling what he could do with it.

 

[Dante L Damasque]

"What, what witchery is this?!" Einri cried out in disgust, as he tried to pull his boot from the muck that sucked about its ankles. A frustrated breath. "Elf! Elf! Shoot that witch, and I'll double your pay,"

The young elf's eyes widened. His eyes looked to the forest, darted back to the bear, whose wide paws and powerful mass were able to muscle through the muck. But it's mind was so full of survival, the rage to live on, that it thrashed in confusion of the newfound terrain. Spear still stuck in its haunch. Blood still sprayed.

Dante's eyes were wide. "There is no king in this land!" He barked back with anger in his voice. "Nor border to honor a lord's hold!" he raised his spear up, and aimed for the bear. A wide grin on his face.

Flower peddlers, and witchlings in disrepair. Who were the forest dwellers to tell a son of Damasque where he could and could not hunt.

With aim, he threw the spear at the bear.

 

[Nasrin Fyldirae]

Did these young lords understand nothing? She kept the arrow resting on her bow, held in place by skilled fingers. Rin felt the anger as they so easily disregarded the order of the Wilds. The Knight's responsibility for the forest. Disregarded that they were the keepers whether they chose to believe so are not. Why must they always fight it?

"These are not your lands." The knight snapped the two fingers not holding the arrow in place and the wooden shaft of the spear sparked into flame burning quickly. The metal head of the spear, without the weight and balance of the shaft fell into the mud with a hiss.

"You'll have to live if you want to collect that pay." She said threatening the elf. "Or you can leave now." She hoped that the elf would choose self survival over a fight with a knight, but she was more than willing to give him a fight if he wished.

The Knight wasn't skilled with how to sooth the animals of the force, but she could do the basics. A simple feeling that she meant the bear no harm that, that she was it's ally allowed her to step close enough to the bear that it at least didn't try to swipe at her. The beast was still not calm by any means. She would have to remove the spear before she could heal the gasp and stop the blood and dangerous game with three hostile figures around her. If the elf hadn't chosen to run at least.

 

[Dante L Damasque]

Dante's brow furrowed. His eyes narrowed and he fixed his stare upon the elf that was their guide. "We have paid you, and we will not forget any slight upon our house," he warned, and turned his eyes up to the young woman who defied them.

The elf looked between the two parties.

His hand reached for his blade-wand, the narrow point of the rune-run dagger aimed at her and the bear. "You've raised your weapon, and wielded your devilry against us, witch," Dante spat.

'Oh, come off it, Dante!" Einri shout. Grunt as he pulled his foot out of the muck with a yank. He grunt and buffed. "Just zap her already!"

Dante stared sharp at the knight, his hands outstretched, And his dagger aimed with purpose. With a push of breath, he whipped his hand up and back. Sliced forward as runes flowed hot along the wand's steel. The point aimed at the knight. A blast of kinetic force struck towards her. Leaves, dirt and debris kicked up and away by the power of the spell.

Nasrin Fyldirae

 

[Nasrin Fyldirae]

The hunting party still struggled in the mud and their elven guide seemed torn between which side to choose, so Rin turned her focus to the bear. At least momentarily calm enough to let her reach out to grasp the spear. Her other hand reached into a pouch at her side to pull out a stone runed, reaching to the bear's flank gently pulling the spear out while weaving a spell of healing beginning to knit together the torn blood vessels and muscles. So focused was she in her work, that the blast knocked her from her feet the spear pulling out in a yank that sent the bear raging with a great roar.

The bear charged, it's great paw swiping toward the ground where Rin had fallen and the young woman rolled out of the way, just missing being smashed beneath the heavy limb. This was the worst possible chain of events. The bear angrily attacking, she didn't blame its desire to survive, but in addition the poachers attacking as well. At least they were largely still stuck in the ankle deep mud. As she dodged another swipe trying to get to her feet, she couldn't see what happened to the elf guide.

"Adon Ebrath, sal ennamar wish lor." She urged the beast in elvish, thought she doubted that she'd get through to it at this point. The bear just roared in returned, swiping at her again causing her to leap backward. Perhaps if she ran, the bear would follow after her and she could leave the poachers behind for now. Except that they needed to learn from their hubris. To know that they couldn't continue to hunt in these woods.