A wide ravine where a shallow, gentle river flows. Years of drought and silt deposits have built this area into a fertile delta. The river remains low and dry most of the year, staining its waters brown and creating muddy shores.
The good thing about being a main hunter is that your sense of smell becomes quite good.
The bad thing about being a main hunter is that unfortunately, no amount of training will make you smell past water.
Sure, he caught Dos' scent crossing over the river - common sense would dictate she didn't just melt into it and never emerge - but water washes away any musk or sweat one has, and it takes a while for the scent to become whole again.
He didn't want to give up on finding them, and made it a personal challenge to keep tracking them until either a certain amount of time has passed or until he actually finds them. They're around here somewhere... The scent is fresh.
He carried around on his neck Dos' gift. It was a scarf strewn from the pelts of three rabbits. He tried to keep the fur matching between all three, and was able to extend the length by cutting each pelt in half, so it would be able to cover Dos' entire neck even when she grows into her full size. He had even rubbed some herbs on it to make it smell good, but decided not to imbed those scents into the fur itself in case she wanted to make it smell different. All in all, he was very proud of himself for having made his first scarf. It looked a little small on him right now, but it would fit Dos well.
(Perception roll:
Success: Gabriel tracks and finds Dos
Failure: Gabriel is still left looking
(Dos/Aon can ignore the outcome of this roll and choose whichever)
Character Diceroll 1: Successful Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Perception.
551 was added for Level 1.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
Dos hummed happily to herself as she sniffed through the wet grass, today on the far side of the river.
Her dark nose gently unsettled the soft dirt as she released a practiced huff of air, keeping the mud from getting caught in her nose. She extended a dark limb, pawing at the little hallow she\d dug up. Hunting for bugs and grubs wasn't something she did often anymore now that she was an older fox capable of hunting rabbits all by herself, but sometimes it was just really fun to dig up a bug or something! Plus, some of them didn't taste half bad - the fat white one with a pale orange head she'd managed to dig up. It wriggled and flailed in a kind of gross way but the vixen easily unearthed its hiding spot and snapped it up.
She coughed a little - she should've let it be washed off a bit more.
Dos drew her tongue across her muzzle reflexively, using a paw to begin the process of cleaning the mud from her face she heard the crunching sound of twigs beneath the paws of the something heavily, the vixen curiously tilting her head. Her large cone-shaped ears swiveled back and forth, trying to pinpoint exactly where the sounds was coming from, leaving her in easy view of anyone passing.
---
Text. Speech. Thoughts.
I figure you can decide how the stags come after them
Soon enough, his nose would eventually lead him to where he wanted to be. Large frame would part the undergrowth below him, revealing the vixen whose gaze was already looking in his direction. His head would rise from sniffing the earth and double-tails would wag in greeting, a smile upon his face, "I vound you," he'd say, glad his nose hasn't led him astray, "are you busy? I bring your gift," he would begin to take the scarf off himself, keeping it suspended in the air so it wouldn't touch the muddy ground, "it's vaterproof, so it can air dry."
"Oh! Dos said, distracted from whatever it was crunching deeper into the woods. It wasn't really all that important given Mr. Gabriel was approaching her and oh! He had something! She yipped her greeting to him, wagging her twin tails happily as she happily started bouncing back across the rocks to the inner side of the shore. Her paws slid in the mud on impact, sending her skating a bit forward, but she had expected it this time and let the momentum carry her just slightly past the horned wolf. "You found me! I was catching bugs - they're so squirmy and hidden in the dirt, and it's fun to try and find them. And some of them are yummy!"
Dos gasped dramatically at the sight of her gift, happily moving forward, so the fabric could drape around her neck. She had to toss it around a couple of times since it was wayy long than she was at the moment, but she managed it anyway. The vixen posed proudly, raising a paw and curling her tails over her back in a smug manner.
His tails continued to wag upon seeing Dos' jovial response. When he saw them begin to slip on the mud, he instinctively leaned forward and lowered his head to try and catch them in case they fell, but it wouldn't be necessary - Dos had it.
Gabriel wasn't really a fan of the squirmy kind, "I zink ze crunchy ones are better," came the casual jest. for the rare moments when he actuallydoes eat bugs. They're a good source of protein when meat is out of reach.
He'd let gravity lower the scarf around their neck, leg lowering back to the ground as he watched Dos wrap it to better fit. A small, deep chuckle is given at the pose, "you look fan-tast-stic. Hmm, maybe I should have hunted redder rabbits," as it was, it didn't blend in to their fur all too well. But, maybe the colors not matching is actually better? He wasn't a fashion designer.
"Aside vrom keeping you varm, it could also help you hide your necklace. In case you're around people who may try to steal vhat zey can," then they'd just try to steal the scarf instead. But better the scarf than the necklace hiding underneath, right?
Looking around, all Gabriel could see was pebbles, wet earth, and the muddy river. Clouds overhead kept the area cool with a low breeze. The breeze caused the various foliage to give off the soft swaying noises, which hid the sound of approaching scuttling noises...
"Oh! Where do you find those ones?" Dos asked curiously. She'd only discovered the grubs in the ground by accident - digging through the earth and rolling in the mud as a much younger kit and scraping one out of the hole she'd dug. The creature had gotten caught beneath her claws and she'd licked it free from the edge of her claws and discovered the bugs were actually pretty good - so she'd never actually tried eating any crunchy bugs. Except ants, she supposes. Dos had licked up a few trails of ants when she'd tried catching mice and failed a few times before she learned how to stalk properly. "The squirmy ones are big, and you can find them everywhere!"
"I think it's cool," Dos said enthusiastically. She doesn't want him to think she doesn't like the gift just because it didn't match her fur! She sat down, tilting her head in the other direction as she listened - she didn't wear articles like this often, her mother never saw the point. Their fur was thick and plush and very good for handling most weather conditions - at most, clothes would just make them hot. And admittedly, Dos could already see where she was coming from given her thick, winter coat was starting to come in, but she also didn't want to take the scarf off. Sneaking a glance at her reflection in the river made her puff up a little in pride. "Oh! I didn't think of that! That's a good idea - even if stealing my stormbead would be bad for the thief too."
Dos giggled at the idea of a thief attempt to snatch it from her neck, only for the latent electricity caught inside the bead to immediately explode out and shock them.
Her large ears remained swiveling around, trying to pick up all the sounds around them at once - Dos wasn't exactly a 'still creature.' Even when she sat down, her ears were on the move, always picking up on the sounds around her.
"Yeah, this time!" Dos said happily. "I was super happy that mama and Uno came with me! I like this forest a lot - there's more prey here, and I don't have to go super far to chase rabbits, the fields are close, and I can make lanterns and chase mice-"
"around here? I have no clue. It's been a vhile since I've snacked on a bug," he said honestly, twin tails wagging faintly behind him. Continuing with the silly argument (if you could even call it that), he'd add, "but, all ze more reason why ze crunchy ones are better. Mother nature cannot produce such vine quality grub all villy nilly."
It reassured him to know she likes the scarf anyway. Regardless, now he knows to definitely make something more matching next time. It was all a fun learning experience. He got to practice making a scarf, and practice making unique gifts to people.
At the mention of the stormbead, Gabriel assumes she alludes to being a formidable fighter. He's never seen her fight before nor knows the true meaning of the necklace's existence, so he doesn't even ask her to clarify, "right! Let zem try to take vhat isn't zeirs. Zey'll regret it." he lowers in head and squints his eyes, as if the mentioned thief might spring out at any moment. And it's a a good thing he does, too. He didn't even get a chance to follow up on his question.
~Fight begins~
The attack comes suddenly and without warning. Gabriel has only a few moments for his ears to pick up the rapidly rising volume of scuttling noises before it reaches an alarming volume.
Part of his view is obscured by the bushes and brambles that surround the muddy river's territory, but the rest of his view is unhindered and covers the river itself. It comes in from their blind spot - a large, iridescent beetle just as tall as Gabriel at his shoulders. It charges in and, using its long, singular sharp horn, attempts to ram into the wolf and then subsequently turn its head to slam it into Dos' body.
"watch out!" he shouts, simultaneously attempting to use Shield to protect Dos from its attack. Having remained standing to avoid the worst of the mud, Gabriel was given that slight bit of extra time to try and dash out of the way, hoping to end up side by side next to Dos.
Regardless of the outcome, Gabriel would recuperate and put his defenses into position: Legs splayed, head lowered and ears folded, mouth agape to expose his long, saber fangs.
Gabriel
Health: 7/7
Constitution (Use Shield)
Success - Shield blocks the next 1 point of damage Dos would receive
Fail: The Shield doesn't show up
Dexterity (Dodge the beetle's attack)
Success: Gabriel dodges
Fail: Gabriel is knocked back away from Dos by the attack, falls into the river, takes -1HP
Character Diceroll 1: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Constitution.
518 was added for Level 4.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
8 was added for B. Homeland Buff.
Character Diceroll 2: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Dexterity.
538 was added for Level 3.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
5 was added for B. Homeland Buff.
Dos tilted her head curiossly, listening intently for any instruction about where to find the crunchy bugs. She wasn’t too upset when he couldn’t produce anything – that was fine! It would be a fun adventure to seek out the apparently yummy, crunchy bugs to make a snack. Maybe she could even catch a bunch for her mom and Uno! She kneaded the ground excitedly, wagging her tail as Gabriel talked, adjusting the scarf to rest comfortably across her shoulders once more.
”I’m too quick for a thief,” Dos boasted proudly. She was quick and nimble and agile and a bunch of other fancy words for ‘fast’ – no thief would get her stormbead! All they’d get was a little static shock, then Dos would run away where they couldn’t get her. “And I-”
She yelped, ducking back reflexively at the site of the massive beetle slamming harshly against the barrier created by the older wolf, eyes wide with surprise from the sudden attack. Ohhh - that’s what she’d been hearing in the undergrowth – she’d just assumed it was wind. Or a deer. Or a rabbit. It could’ve been a lot of things – wait, she was supposed to be fighting now. Oh! Oh! Her first real adventure against the wilderness!
”That was cool!” she told Gabriel enthusiastically, even as she began channeling the internal energy buzzing through her limbs. The scent of ozone filled the air as electricity jumped across her dark fur, crackling and sparking in a threatening display that was usually enough to dissuade more cautious predators. ”Go away!”
The beetle seemed unfazed by her warning, however, turning towards her in an angry, lumbering fashion. It snorted, clearly preparing to charge again, but that was fine – she only needed to scare it off.
She thinks her aim had gotten better but she’d rarely been in proper fights rather than just aiming at leaves.
She glanced at Gabriel, mentioning in a chipper voice, ”Early sorry if I shock ya too!”
Then she released a bolt of lightning.
---
Text. Speech. Thoughts.
Success - Dos manages to hit the beetle and not shock Gabriel, for -1hp hooray! Failure - Dos might hit the beetle but the feedback shocks Gabriel too
Note - the shock to Gabe doesn't have to take any health from him, it's just an example of why Dos needs the beads
