Time moved slowly when Enya was alone in the wilderness. There were the standard guests that one would expect when a wolf roamed solo: hunger and danger for example, but it wasn't enough to help pass time as fast as the viper would have liked as she roamed the lands. This was worse than exile, she had promptly decided after being away for only a few days. With exile, she had the opportunity of knowing that she would never be going back. With exile, her responsibilities were left at the territory borders. With this, she knew that she would be returning to her home. She knew that she would have to face her responsibilities eventually, and this was only delaying, making matters worse for her. To hell with this 'personal journey' she had voluntarily gone on. Fuck all those shamans who'd told her that this was the best choice for her.
After many days later of kicking rocks for entertainment, Enya had decided that she would contribute to the kingdom in her own way while satisfying this stupid journey bullshit. She had already made a point of never straying too far from her home's borders and for reason. She lingered in the territories surrounding, searching for vagrants who lived close by or for Verdantis who might be looking for an opening. Her searching had introduced her to several faces, some new, some old, and some shocking. There was one face, however, that Enya had hoped to encounter while she traversed and had yet to come across.
A thin layer of snow crunched beneath her paws. An early winter storm had dusted the lands overnight giving way to an enchanting scene as morning came. The plant life, still dressed with its leaves, had been frozen overnight. As the sun breached the horizon between the mountain peaks, crystals sparkled on the foliage and across the ground. Bright blue water ran in a river through the valley of the mountains. Steam rose from pockets of water scattered off to the sides, while in other sections the warm water flowed and cooled downstream, only to be mixed with fresh hot water further beyond. Enya had heard of the steam geysers to the east of her kingdom. She hadn't expected them to be quite so gorgeous, though.
She was drawn to the water and without caution, stepped forward and into it's soothing embrace. The air temperature was bitter cold, but Enya did not shy away from the cold or the water. This was her element and just for a moment, she let herself enjoy the tranquility of what she had found as the water rushed past her four limbs, occasionally splashing up onto her scaled underbelly. Maybe the stupid shamans had been right a little bit.
Unbothered by the sulfurous stink, Urna picked her way through clouds of steam. She drew to an abrupt halt when one of the pools burbled loudly and took a few respectful steps back. A spray of hot water erupted, spattering back down on the rocks like scalding rain. Across the landscape, other white plumes shot up intermittently. Puddles of thick mud bubbled as she passed. Mats of color ringed the hottest pools; Urna gave these a wide berth as she stepped down the side of a caldera into the cluster of springs she'd been seeking.
The night had been cold, but where the steam blew at the edge by the river, it left a damp shadow of melted snow on the ground, the grasses, the nearby trees. Approaching one of the springs, Urna lowered her head and sniffed, whiskers brushing the cloudy surface of the water. Not dangerously hot. She dipped her tongue in the water of the pool, crinkling her muzzle at the mineral tang. That's the one, all right. Unslinging her bag, she reached in—and happened to glance up right as the steam thinned.
There was a wolf in the river across from her. And not just any wolf. Urna took in the red fur, the flash of blue scales at her throat. Enya. Even as her hackles rose, she felt an unexpected twinge of—eagerness? excitement?—some sort of anticipation in her belly. Withdrawing from the water's edge, Urna skirted the pool to trot towards the warm-water river. Her lips peeled back in an expression halfway between snarl and sneer. "Duskorna," she called as she approached, scanning the tree line to be certain they were alone. "Long way from home, aren't you?"
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Quick perception check:
Success: Urna's confident that Enya's here alone.
Failure: Hard to tell with the steam and the smells and the sounds. Could be more Duskornans just out of sight.
Character Diceroll 1: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Perception.
509 was added for Level 2.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
Her tranquility was disrupted as her Kingdom's name was suddenly called out to her by a known voice. Her eyes snapped open in response, an ear rotating back to listen for the sound of quick-approaching steps, the sign that she was under a sudden attack. Her turn towards Urna was deliberate as she faced the hyena. She saw how she looked at her, with her lips pulled back. Enya grinned at Urna in return.
She held her position in the shallows of the river, though she lifted her head and tail higher at the approach of the other. "Not really" she replied casually. "Not as far as you are." What was she doing all the way this far north? She studied the hyena for a moment, thinking about how she wanted to handle the situation. Urna had been eager to fight before and had been the one to suggest taking her as a captive. There was little doubt in Enya's mind that Urna might try her again. She was alone, after all. She couldn't say the same for Urna. No, she had to remain nearby the river. It was her best chance at surviving if Urna had company. "I figured your kind would freeze solid in the cold." Her tongue worked the air, trying to sniff for others as it flicked from between her jaws. "What brings you so far north?" If it had anything to do with her, she figured mind as well get it out and onto the table now.
Perception: sniff snoff for other verdantis
Success: Oop she's alone
Failure: enya you might be in big trouble
Character Diceroll 1: Fail Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Perception.
493 was added for Level 3.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
