2949: A nightly adventure

[Vladim]

(OOC: Original content by Diofant, thesloth & Vladim)

As the bear-lord promised, when the sun goes down, there is a light rapping noise on the door where the companions slept, and one of Beorn's prized dogs enters the hall and attempts to pull Idunn along with it, lightly nudging both with its great shaggy head and pulling at their cloaks. Dahr-Ol knows of his chief's habits and of the nights Beorn spends in his bear form, wandering in the company of spirit-bears - those he'd among the Beornings whom he'd taught how to do so - him included. Usually it was some simple scouting or wanderlust that drew the bear-lord but not this time. A horse - one of Beorn's - awaited Idunn at the entrance, and waited patiently for her to mount up, even kneeling to make things easier on the huntress. The gates to the town had been left wide open, and a great many eyes stared from the darkness, large glowing shapes moving around one large one that did not. It was time to leave for Idunn, and time for Dahr-Ol to leave his body behind and join the spirit-bears.

[Vladim]

Dahr-Ol grunted and pushed at the hound. "I will wake her before the master leaves."

Dahr-Ol shook Idunn's elbow, "Wake quickly, you are the recipient of a rare honor. Beorn wishes you to join us on a jaunt. A mount awaits. Do not wake the others, as blood kin to Merovech you deserve a chance to ride with us. If I know my master we seek orc tonight."

[Vladim]

Sleep was difficult to come by after such an eventful day, but the exhaustion of carrying the dead back to Beorn’s house, combined with the sorrow of the funeral, had strained Idunn’s body and spirit greatly. Long past sun-down, sleep finally came to her, but it was troubles and light. She was quick to rouse when Dahr-Ol approached.

’Very well.’ she said plainly, nodding to the Beorning. ’I would ride with you and your lord, if you would have me.’ she added, recognizing how great a favour Beorn had bestowed upon her when he allowed her to join the hunt. She knew what was coming: she had listened to the old tales, and she had witnessed the Beornings’ powers. Indeed, Thane Odo, while he still lived, had used this very ability to help them track down Cenric the thief, two years earlier.

’Yet I take it that you and your folk are not riding into the hunt.’ she said by way of admitting what she knew, or at least guessed, about the nightly hunt. ’How will I know you? Not all bears are alike, yet to my eyes it is difficult to tell one from another.’ She was nervous about the entire endeavour: she did not know how the spell would possess these Men and their Chieftain, but she thought she was expected to ride by them. And although the huntress had undertaken many hunts before, this was unlike any other. An ally and a friend would be welcome now.

 

OOC

Actually Idunn would have lots of questions about other news from the lands of the Beornings, as well as from the lands of the Viglundings to the North (which serve as a kind of rival to the Beornings in this setting). Moreover, if she learns that Dahr-Ol traces his ancestry to the Hill-Men of Gundabad, she’d have lots of questions about that region also. However, it seems that now the moment is not appropriate, as they are all setting out for the hunt. Also, I don’t know if Dahr-Ol can talk while in bear-shape. So maybe later she will ask all this, and focus on the hunt for now.

For now, she is just asking for a description of Dahr-Ol in bear-shape. She's also a bit worried about the Beornings going berserk while in bear-shape, so you can use that too if you wanna build on the dialogue / narrative / characterization a bit.

[Vladim]

"You were kin to Merovech and clearly a huntress and warrior in your own right. That deserves consideration.

As for me, I have no idea how I look in bear form. Beorn will be the largest amongst us. I am barely average I suspect. Since we lose our powers of human speech in that form, perhaps the best solution will be for me to look for you. After I shift, if you need me look to your left. I will be there. You can speak to me normally, I will simply be unable to voice a reply.

Agreed?"

[Vladim]

'Agreed.' said Idunn with a nod of her head, relieved to have Dahr-Ol join her in this hunt. She much preferred having someone she knew, however briefly, by her side, as she had not hunted with the Beornings in this way before.

[OOC: Nothing too interesting here, but I am happy to have Diofant move us forward. Or I can just describe Dahr-Ol in bear-shape in the next post, by assuming that we have begun the hunt. Either works for me!]

[Vladim]

Dahr-Ol laid back down and closed his eyes. Having practiced much in the preceding summer Dahr-Ol was able to send out his spirit quickly. The bear rose from Dahr-Ol, gave itself a great shake and obediently took it's place by Idunn's left hand.

[Vladim]

As Idunn made her way into the clearing beyond the gates, what greeted her was an irregular sight: the clearing was filled with bears whose fur glowed slightly, almost as if it reflected the moonlight. Some had been larger than others, but mostly, they looked how one might expect a bear to look, apart from the coloring of the fur. As she reached the end of the clearing, where a lone horse grazed near a small hill, it became apparent that it was not a hill. Beorn's bear form had been enormous, greater still than his human form. There had been some silver in the fur around his great head, but nobody would doubt that this being was somehow less capable because of it. The bear studied Idunn for a moment, then turned its great head towards the horse and grunted, getting up and beginning to trek towards where the companions have come from, sniffing at the air and looking around, as if allowing the huntress time to gather her thoughts and mount up. After she had done so, the bear gave a low growl and took off towards the river at a speed that its bulk did not suggest it had.

One by one, each of the bears had also headed after Beorn, the ground shaking under the weight of their steps. It seemed that Beorn's first stop was going to be the river band where the corpses were found - there the trail would begin. Now, it had been quite visible that without a horse, there would simply be no way to keep up with the Beornings - and any other horse would have been frightened by this unnaturally large troop of bears. Beorn gave a short roar, at the head of the group, and several disturbed birds took off from the trees - strangely, some did not fly away but towards him. Here and there, large silhouettes of deer appeared, moving beside the bear-lord for a short time, then disappearing, some unspoken understanding passing between them. Over time, all manner of animals had crossed Beorn's path - from the smallest to the largest, though none stayed for long. The only one keeping him company was a single great raven, his head also marked by silver feathers, suggesting his old age. Going at this pace, the troop reached the river in perhaps a tenth of the time it took the companions to get to Beorn's.

[Vladim]

Dahr-Ol loped along at Idunn's left. He ranged farther or sometimes closer but always on her left. With the river bend coming into view his pace slackened and he took longer breaths, holding the air and sifting the scents before exhaling. His quarry may not have left a trail that Dahr-Ol the human could see, but his other senses were now available to him.

[Vladim]

After she had overcome her initial fears, Idunn was awed by the magnificent sight of this bear-moot, with its great chief. Only now was she able to fully appreciate what great an honour Beorn had granted her, and she felt elated to join the bears in their great night-hunt. She knew that no host of orcs, however great, could withstand them, and at once she felt confident that the killers would pay for their crimes, and vengeance was soon to be had.

Often by her left side marched a grey bear, large, yet not amongst the largest. Unlike the man, this bear seemed old, much older than Dahr-Ol himself would have looked, if his age was counted in bear-years. It seemed strange to the huntress that this would be the shape Dahr-Ol would choose, but quickly she realised that he had no power over his own appearance, otherwise he would have known it. Amongst his brethren, black-coated and brown-haired, he stood out, and thus it was easy for the Woodswoman to observe his comings and goings. But the colour of his fur was not the only thing that made him different. At times, the old grey bear would turn and look at her, and under the light of the stars Idunn would see that its snout and neck were covered in scars: wounds where sword-blades and axe-heads had bitten bitterly in the past. One such blow must have claimed the grey bear’s left eye, but the other still shone with mannish intelligence… but also, something else. Idunn could see that there was something wolf-like in that eye, the glow that she knew in the eyes of the predator, one who kills for food. The thought frightened her, but she quickly shook it off. Perhaps she was seeing too much into this; perhaps she was too weary and too distressed.

She turned her attention back to the hunt.

[OOC: Ok, I hope you don’t mind the description. If you do, I am happy to edit! I tried to put a few things from Dahr-Ol’s background into the bear – the age, wisdom and experience of his father; the metaphorical scars from his eventful childhood, and his (somewhat dark) Hill-Men ancestry (given that it is rumoured that Hill-Men are capable of sorcery and can spirit-shift like the Beornings, but they change into wargs).]

[Vladim]

The Beorning chieftain walked around the riverbank, the great heavy head of the bear bent low as it examined the tracks. He moved to the area Dahr-Ol and Annungil had emerged from, diving a disgusted snort at the discovery of goblin corpses. Turning them over with its paw, the bear examined them, then returned to the river and walked slightly into the river - just enough to wet its paws. The bear raised its head and gave a loud growl, almost a short roar; for a moment, nothing had happened - but the next second, the surface of the river boiled with a swarm of silvery forms as fish swarmed to the surface, leaping out of the water and landing back into it for perhaps five seconds, the moonlight playing upon their scales. This strange occurrence stopped as quickly as it began, and the surface of the water was still once more.

The great bear turned its head towards the south and remained silent, then turned west, snarled once - a terrifying sound that made leaves shake on the nearest trees, and charged across the river. Its bulk practically displacing the water as it moved, leaving an enormous wake that made it easier to cross. The other bears had followed their lord, racing across the river. It seemed that Beorn had caught the trail of the intruders. Strange, however, that they moved west: Mirkwood lay to the east, and could have provided an easier refuge. Still.. perhaps there were things even orcs are wary of.

[Vladim]

Dahr-Ol watched in envy as his master communicated with yet another species, Beorn taught skin changing to those who could among his people. But there was much more that only Beorn could do. Dahr-Ol hoped fervently that this was merely a function of age and time. Seeing his master catch the trail Dahr-Ol rose to his hind legs and grunted at Idunn, shaking his head and bobbing it in the direction Beorn was moving. He set out at a medium lope, falling to the middle of the pack and crossed the river. Upon gaining the far bank he waited to ensure Idunn's mount could follow.

[Vladim]

It seemed to Idunn that she was falling behind: despite her steed's efforts, she struggled to keep up with the bears, but she pressed on desperately. Her strength was renewed when she saw Beorn find the trail again, and for a while she forgot her wearyness. She nodded to Dahr-Ol when she passed by him, and clenched her fist aroung her spear-shaft. Battle would soon be upon them, it seemed, and the huntress was derermined to claim some orc-heads: she could take no better weregild, so the lives of these cursed creatures would have to serve...

[OOC: I am running out of internal monologue ideas, so I am happy to move to the next scene of this hunt ]

[Vladim]

With Beorn leading them, the troop of bears, Idunn trailing near Dahr-Ol, have dashed across the countryside, a strange spectacle to any who'd seen it. After what felt like several hours of non-stop running, the horse Idunn rode began to tire, its pace slowing. Thankfully, it seemed that the end was in sight, as Beorn slowed his pace, and lead the way into a large grove of trees, moving nearly silently for such a large being. Without so much as a signal, the troop of bears had split into three - a small part that went with Beorn, and two flanked either side of the grove. The bear-lord advanced into the middle of the grove of trees, until he reached a small clearing, walking around it with a near-inaudible growl that reverberated throughout the grove, the leaves on the trees shaking slightly. With an almost casual motion, the great bear lifted its paw... and struck the great tree's side, angling its paw in such a way that the claws did not scrape its bark.

Orcs fell from the tree like ripe acorns, if acorns could emit the terrified screeching that the servants of the shadow had. Their ambush - if it was an ambush, and not simply an attempt to hide - had failed, and they knew full well what awaited them as bear after bear rushed between the trees, cutting off all paths of escape. There had been perhaps a dozen of them, the first practically buried into the ground with the mighty strike of Beorn's paw, a second caught in his jaws, flung about like a rag doll; but ten more remained for Idunn and Dahr-Ol!

 

OOC

You wont be taking damage here, simply because the orcs have utterly no chance to win, and this is more of a cinematic narration than anything else. You are considered to be in whatever stance is most favorable to you, as the TN to hit does not matter - the orcs are attempting to escape, at the cost of sacrificing one another if necessary, knowing this is not a fight they can win. In this combat, you are considered as having an extra d6, and may roll your feat die twice for attack rolls. Advancement Points will not be earned for skill usage. This scene is purely to see how many of the orc heads that decorate the spears outside Beorn's house belong to you two.

[Vladim]

The goblins scattered, screaming and attempting to flee through the gaps in the ranks of the bears - but such a hope was soon met with a bloody end, as the great beasts the Beornings took shape of lashed out seemingly beyond their reach, and ending the life of another slave of the Shadow. This wasnt to mention of Idunn's spear, the reach of which exceeded the bears', and which she used to put down three goblins. Dahr-Ol did not stray far from the huntress' headcount: these lands were Beorn's, and he knew them well, while the goblins did not - with the great strength bestowed upon him, goblins flew left and right. Beorn himself was less an individual and more of a walking death from which the goblins fled in mindless terror. After a few brief moments, there were no living goblins left in the clearing - not one had escaped the vengeance of Beorn. With the battle done, Beorn had stayed at the site of the battle, while the bears began to vanish, one by one. It was time to return home.

The large bear, meanwhile, had sniffed around the site of battle, and ran off into the night at a speed that clearly showed just how much he'd slowed down so that his horse and the rest of the bears could keep pace. While vengeance had been done, the chieftain still had to find the traces of the prisoner - something that would require traveling a great distance, and likely not a thing that the horse would have endured. Perhaps morning would bring welcome news - or at least clarity.

[Vladim]

The sight of the orcs filled the huntress with an all-consuming, violent, bloody rage. Paying no heed to her bear-shaped companions, nor to the fact that she knew nothing of fighting from horseback, she charged madly into the fray. She easily struck a handful of fleeing orcs dead with her spear. The cowardly creatures had their backs turned to them, and thus this was no battle: only cruel sport at best. Yet in that moment Idunn laughed grimly inside, though her outer appearance would not betray it. This was vengeance. This was justice. There was no weregild great enough for the life of Merovech, but the lives of these evil creatures would begin to pay for it at least.

But in charging so madly she over-reached, for she had not taken her meager skills from horseback into account. She had pushed her mount too hard, and though the horse tried its best, it could bear her no longer. It neighed loudly and stood on its two back legs, and the huntress, inexperienced as she was, tumbled from the saddle and fell to the ground with a loud crash. She could do nothing but watch as her steed escaped into the night. She felt shaken, and now worried that she may have cracked a limb, but before she could get up and take stock of the situation, she saw the orc out of the corner of her eye. The creature grinned, showing its sharp, blackened teeth: soon the bears would be upon them both, and with them certain death for the foul creature, but now, in this brief moment, it was the orc's turn to seek vengeance. Turning towards the downed Woods-woman, he raised its crooked sword before she could react...

[OOC: @ thesloth - all yours!]