Hey guys, I been having a bit of trouble which editing this thing so since crew and up can edit posts I would like you guys to fix up what you think should be fixed Maybe put chapter 1 in or something like that to organize it better. Anything to help. Also I don't want you guys posting on this thread I will be posting the novel up here piece by piece so if you do edit something, highlight what you edit and in (( )) Put your name and anything you want to say. beside it.
Part 1: Kilawli's Fate
Ellian Mountains ~
"Hm..." The wolf grunted he was standing out on the edge of the cave, looking towards the direction of the Ellian Mines. 'Something’s happening.' He thought, staring in the direction more intently, now focusing to the point where he could faintly feel something. 'Destruction...'
'Clap clap clap clap' the sound of Jing's feet walking across the cave floor made the wolf's ears perk, and he turned his head to face his foster daughter. "Is something wrong?" He asked her, his eyes flashing for an instant as he looked up at her. Jing was silent for a moment, and then looked out in the direction he was staring so intently at before. "What is it?" She asked him finally after a few minutes of silence, her eyes still looking for what could have held his attention for so long. "You have been standing here for hours..." With that she finally looked at him, her eyes probing his for answers. 'Thankfully she has some intuition... but it still seems to dim to sense anything wrong...' The wolf made a motion similar to a shake of the head, turning around completely and trotted deeper into the cave. "It's nothing that concerns us." The old wolf growled, as he brushed by Jing's leg. "Now leave it alone and let us carry on with our lessons.” Unconvinced, Jing concentrated outside again, now focusing all of her will into finding what bothered Lykourgos so much. "Jing!" The wolf barked, causing her to jump and lose concentration. Without giving it another thought she turned around and hurried back into the cave.
The lessons passed without any disruption, the two sitting in the center of an inner sanctum that was located in the far back of the cave. The sanctum itself was lit with glowing moss, and crystals that seemed to almost take in the light as much as it gave it off. Because it was lower than anywhere else, the floor emerged in water that went to even Jing's knees. In the center, there was a single and large stalagmite. It was there the two held all of their lessons. Due to some event of the past, the stalagmite had broken off, so the top of it was flat and smooth. When Jing was young, she asked Lykourgos why the sanctum never filled completely with water, if the water was constantly being gathered in this spot. "That I do not know the real reason for, but I have ideas that there may be a small fissure, or crack somewhere ((Kiln Aro Malac: Changed from someone)) above ground level. When the water rises and meets that crack, it seeps through and goes somewhere else." He answered, his eyes glowing brighter in the Moss-Light. Now, they sat in complete silence facing one another. As of late, the two no longer held verbal lessons. Instead, it seemed, Lykourgos was trying to focus her mental strength. He had her sit in the same position for hours on end, only allowing her to breathe. When they first started these motionless lessons, she would twitch and shift. Lykourgos would then n** at her, making her jump and him n** again. She learned quickly to bite down on the pain and aches, and keep still at all costs.
"Jing." The ancient wolf said, closing his eyes and moving past her. "Yes?" She asked, not turning her head under the impression she would be nipped at for doing so. "I will be leaving the cave for a few days." As he spoke, Jing could hear the sound of his body entering the water. At his words hit, Jing felt like an arrow had been embedded into her chest, and she whirled around on her hands and knees. "What?! Leave, you never leave!" She exclaimed, her face now full of worry. 'Something is wrong...' She thought, her mind going back to earlier. "I must. There is a gathering of old friends, quite possibly news ones, and I am an important figure there." He said, already walking through the tunnel that would lead to the cave entrance.
In the sanctum there were two tunnels, one that led to the entrance, and another that led to a room filled with stalagtites and stalagmites. The room itself was like being in the mouth of a monster with a million teeth, even a strange warm air blew within the room was like a bear breathing on ones body moments before it bit. From that room there were interconnecting tunnels that could take them all over their home, and then eventually lead to the cave entrance. It seemed now that this gathering was important enough for him to leave straight away, though why he never told her sooner Jing would never guess.
"Your leaving so soon? Can't you wait just a little longer before leaving? Will you allow me to come with you?" She shot the questions off one after another, her voice sounding more desperate then she had meant or even thought possible. Lykourgos had never left the cave for more than a few hours, and only((Kiln Aro Malac: Removed ever)) when he was hunting. She knew that one day he would leave, whether it be to the Other World or to travel the lands, but his sudden announcement made her realize that she wasn't ready for her foster father to go. ((Kiln Aro Malac: Removed eventually from before leave and fused the two sentences.))
Hearing the desperation in her voice, the wolf was turned around and within an instant his paws were pushed into her chest and she was lying flat on the ground. "Who are you?! Did I not raise you to be reliant?! Did I raise you to sound so weak and in need of someone to watch your every step?!" He barked, his fangs bared and his snout centimeters from her face. The two locked gazes, Jing's full of worry while Lykourgos' was full of agiation.
Now calmed, Jing closed her eyes and shook her head. "Forgive me father, I... let fear overcome me..." Lykourgos gazed stayed boring into her face for what felt like hours, but was probably only moments. Jing kept her eyes shut, determined not to open them and meet his gaze, just knowing she would lose herself again.
Sighing, he removed himself from her and walked to the edge of the stalagmite. "Forgive me Jing, it was wrong of me to react this way. It was also wrong for me to not tell you I was leaving beforehand." As he spoke Jing sat up, her eyes looking towards the water and at her reflection. "I would take you with me if I could, but where I am going you are forbidden to follow. To even suggest allowing you to come would lead to my exile from my tribe..." He spoke, his voice clear, not even a single echo resonated in the sanctum. "For that reason I ask that you stay here, and wait for my return. You shall carry on with your lessons by yourself... and.. before I leave, I ask one last thing of you... to stay in the cave at all costs." Jing didn't need to nod, speak, or make any movements for him to know she understood and would agree to his requests. "Thank you Ji... no.. My Daughter." With that he was gone without a sound, no sound of the water stirring, or even his nails clicking against the ground. Jing took one breath, having held it in the entire time he spoke, and looked towards the exit with a sad look in her eyes.
For the first two hours of Lykourgos' absences, Jing spent all of the time within the Sanctum. Originally she had planned to sit and wait patiently for her foster father to return, but immediately she knew that wouldn't be possible, nor would he have allowed it had he been there. Though for the first hour of the time spent in there, she did spend it sitting on that lone stalagmite facing the direction in which he had left (supposedly/assumed).
For the second hour she came to terms with the above, deciding it wouldn't be possible to sit in place for the few days he would be gone. She than got up and slipped through the water, attempting to move through it without making a sound, reaching the other side of the Sanctum to the Room of Many Teeth. [Remember this room is the room with what seems like millions of Stalagmite and Stalactites.]
Passing through the room, she spent a short amount of time standing and observing the many teeth. Mostly so the warm air that blew through could dry her wet legs, and so she could warm up. She spent little time in the cavern room, and left even before her legs had finished drying. Leaving the area, she navigated herself, rather unconsciously since she'd spent years running through these tunnels, to the one area in which she could safely call 'her room'.
Lykourgos knew quickly that she would never be able to survive long, as a baby, naked. So the first thing he did after bringing her to his Cave, leaving her in the Room with Many Teeth, was go out and steal moccasin clothing furlined and made for a baby of her size. For the first few years he mostly kept her in the cave, occasionally letting her go out so she could watch him hunt their food, stealing clothing for her as she grew bigger. Now however, in the comforts of her home, she wore ((Kiln Aro Malac: Tense Issues. Changed from wears to wore.)) moccasins and a cloak that she fashioned from the skin of various bears((Kiln Aro Malac: Changed from bearskins to bears. If a bearskin is an animal, please diregard, but I don't think it is.)), pinned together from the claws and teeth she took from their bodies.
Jing's "room", as we shall call it, was probably one of the smallest of the rooms in the cave. The floor was strangely the driest and roughest in the cave, and on the ceiling there wasn't a single stalactite, nor were there any stalagmites to be found on the floor, and upon entering the room, one would quickly note, upon close observation, that animal skins had been thrown around.
The reason being because Jing did not like to waste, so when she hunted and killed, she would make use of whatever she could from the animal. Bones, fur, horns, claws, fangs, and meat were all kept and stored in a special cavern. At a young age, seven if Jing could remember correctly, Lykourgos taught her how preserve meats by smoking them, and then salting them. However that was the trick, the only times they were ever able to salt the meats was during the spring. Lykourgos explained that during the winter, of other lands, the land would be covered with snow. When winter became spring, the lands would melt and somewhere there must be a large deposit of salt, for every spring a stream, which usually clear and fresh water, would become salty, and even on occasion bits of rock salt would drift down which Jing would snatch up and also keep stored. Because the salt only drifted down the stream once a year, unless a huge storm passed by in which they would have no information of unless they went to drink from the stream and instead drank heavily salted water, they (she) could only successfully salt and preserve the meat once a year. So basically whatever meat she didn't eat went to waste.
As Jing entered the room, the first thing she did was collapse onto the ground. The long and quick paced strides she took getting here exhausted her more than she was willing to admit to herself. Turning her head over, she faced a wall that was adorned in skins she managed to peg. When she had first started collecting useable, starting with furs, Lykourgos was against the face she kept them thrown. Now however, after years of seeing what her room looked like with various furs, antlers, and claws, he didn't even grimace but claimed she was going through "a stage". When she questioned him about what he meant, the old wolf just chuckled and told her. "One day Jing, I will have you leave these cold lands in search of a mate. Maybe then, you will know the pains of parenthood."
Thinking on it, Jing was so sure she wanted to leave her home. Here was where she grew up, and it was here she had planned to stay until she eventually passed away. She sighed and turned over again, curling into a ball and letting her warmth gather into her chest. These few days would feel like months for her, that she knew.
Sighing again she sat up, a sudden resolve building up in her now. She made a decision she would probably regret, but one she felt was an important and needed one. Getting to her feet, she decided to think fast and grab whatever she could. Going to the corner, where a large pile of furs lay, she began throwing armfuls of furs to the side. Underneath the bundles of fur, lay the clothing, folded into a pile, given to her by the elder who provided her with information of her parents. Taking the bear cloaks off, and putting the outfit on, and stood and stretched her limbs. The clothing still fit like a glove, and the skirt would definitely allow her full mobility. Bending down again she picked up the sword that had been used long ago to avenge her parents. Though she had no real swordsmanship, with her strength and speed all she would have to do was swing and hope that she didn't get hit. Turning around and picking the thickest and warmest of the fur cloaks she had, she threw it and the sword over her shoulder.
"Forgive me Lykourgos, but I shall not wait..." She whispered to herself as she slipped out of the cave with the cloak drawn tightly around her. She did not know where he could have gone, nor had she the knowledge of the world outside the Ellian Mountains. Still, she felt suddenly drawn to the world outside, despite her past resolves, and maybe it was Lykourgos' gathering was the chance that she needed to get out. Taking a step into the snow, a slow one, she stopped and turned around. She had a feeling she would not see this cave for a long time. Sigh and closing her eyes, she faced away from her home and was off.
Jing stopped for of the forest, looking up at the vast size of the trees that towered over her head. Even from where she stood it seemed like the trees reached out into the sky. Exhaling air, she looked back down and into the depths of the trees. When she was young, just a child of six, she asked Lykourgos why she felt such despair whenever she looked at the forest. Lykourgos explained: "The Wald von Dunklen Ice, is a forest of despair. I can assure you many humans don't go into this forest and come out alive. The few that do come out, are shaken and driven insane. Even fewer that come out are changed in ways uncomprehendable." He spoke, his eyes flashing as he gazed into the forest. Jing didn't know how long he had spent in the Ellian Mountains before finding her, nor did she know his relationship with humans. But it was obvious he had knowledge, and was not without experience. "It is a place I would hope you never enter... unless I myself felt sure of your safety."
Thinking back now, she had been a child, but over the years she had grown strong and become a more capable person. Surely now he could approve of her entering the forest, for it was without a doubt the fastest route out of the mountains. From her cave, there was this forest, and a small trench that acted as path to the village in which she was born in. She had explored the area surrounding her small village many times in the past, and she was already sure there was no definite way out of the mountains in that direction. So she was left with two choices, cut through the forest of Dark Ice and hope that it not be in vain and she find some sort of way out of the mountains. Or cut across the mountains themselves. She could already tell that she wouldn't last long if she attempted the latter. Yet she didn't feel like going through the forest was any better of an idea, but it was clear her chances of survival were greater.
Loosening the cloak around her, she pulled the sword from off her back and took a step closer to the forest. For the first step, nothing. She took her second step, still nothing. By her third, her heart started to beat a bit fast. By her fourth it was beating much faster then before. Her fifth she had to stop and look up at the trees that now loomed over her so much she couldn't see the sky. The forest, to Jing the slowly growing pressure as she took each step closer was like having invisible hands push down on her. Her breathing became harder, and her heart pounded so hard now it felt like having a drum and a powerful man banging hard and fast upon it's surface.
Stopping to catch her breath, she looked back from where she stood before. Not even teen feet away, she could still make out her tracks from where the snow didn't make them invisible to her eyes. Looking forward she saw that she only had a few more steps left before reaching the forest. Taking a deep breath, and holding it in, she forced her feet to move forward. Her eyes glowing brighter with each step she took forward.
When finally, she reached the tree trunks, and the base for the large forest wall, the pressure almost seemed to disappear completely. And yet even though she could feel the pressure gone her body still felt like it had been physically put under the pressure. Collapsing on the ground, she doubled over on all fours and could taste the putrid taste of her last supper having been digested and forced out of her body.
Jing wasn't sure how much time had passed since she fainted, the area outside the forest was still bright so she assumed she wasn't out cold for long. Sighing, she stood up and brushed the snow off from herself. Brushing herself dry the best she could, she then started to spit the remnents of what vomit remained in her mouth, even putting snow and melting it in her mouth, sloshing it around for rinse. Picking the sword she had dropped earlier, she faced her path and locked her jaws in place. This time, she wouldn't stop for anything.
*Ffffpt*
From cliff to the nearby valley floor. A male with Jet black hair, and grey coloured skin that worked like armour, glanced around suspiciously as he sensed the nearby presence of some... creature. *Ffffpt* He leaped a few hundred yards to the west, in the not so far distance Wald von Dunklen Ice loomed as it always had. Suddenly the mind fell silent. His dark eyes scanned the forest's trees for any sign it might have left behind.
*Ffffpt*
Closer the crushed snow providing a wary testimate that someone had indeed passed this place. Of course by this time the Assassin's eyes fell upon the girl's body fallen in the snow the faint stench of bile clinging to the otherwise crisp winter air. 'Still breathing' recognized the sentient mute. Certainly a closer examination of this creature would prove beneficial.
*Ffffpt*
From the black limb which towered over the creature called Jing perched the hawklike figure dressed all in white, piercing black eyes bore down on the female. This was Delfian, he was an expert assassin, capable through his talents of slaughtering the residents of an entire castle before even one man had time to see the other drop. These thoughts brought a sharklike grin to his lips between each long bounding leap. His ability to instantaneously leap from point to pint without traveling the space between was as far as he knew unique to himself on this planet, as even the clan of warrior monks could not explain this strange ability to themselves.
'So fragile, so vulnerable.' He thought silently. There was no cause to destroy her, after all if she felt such effects on the fringe, surely observing her inside these dark twisted woods would be entertaining. And so, Delfian perched himself far enough back to blend into the snow with practiced precision. Silently and without movement he would watch and wait each moment increasing the strength of his camouflage. This man's breath was no warmer than the air around himself as he was truly unique from other living creatures, Delfian's body is entirely inorganic.
Meanwhille Jing continued to trudge along through the snow, completely unaware of the eyes of Delfian. Her head was held high, and her eyes open and taking in everything she saw in the forest. Had it not for being raised in a cave the majority of her life, she would never have been able to see, much less walk within this forest without walking into a tree or tripping over the roots that grew out from the ground like hardened worms tangled with one another. Not that she had to worry about walking into trees, even if she couldn't she. The trees at points in time of her walk would suddenly cluster together, forcing her to squeeze between them or walk around them, while most of the time they were spaced far away from another giving her a good survey of the area around her.
The forest itself was completely silent to her, not the sound of birds, or even the sound of animals making calls. It was as if the forest itself had robbed her completely of her ability to hear, or it was the forest had robbed the life of anything capable of making noises. The very presence of life itself seemed to be absent in the forest, the trees having no more life than rocks. There was, however, one presence she sensed within the forest. A presence that was she could feel had undeniable Fury, and a clear bloodlust. As she walked the presence neither seemed to grow closer, nor distant, but it seemed to engulf the entire forest itself.
'Is this why the forest is still? Is it the protector of the forest?' She thought to herself, stopping for the first time since she entered the forest. Pulling the bearskin cloak tighter around her, to conceal her weapon and keep her warmth from escaping, she looked around now, examining the area and making notes in her head with as much detail as possible. It was clear to her she wasn't walking in circles, and yet it felt like she wasn't going entirely straight either. Looking up, the trees limbs prevented her from seeing the sky, the black bark and dark green leaves covering any bit of the sky from her view. 'Yet there is plenty of light...' She thought to herself, facing the way she was walking from earlier. 'Just what is this forest?' She thought to herself.
It was then, she heard the first sound of any other life forms since her arrival in the forest. Unfortunately it was a sound she probably would have chosen not to hear. It was a sound that made her blood run cold, and her heart stop beating for what felt like a moment. A powerful roar shook the trees around her, and the life she thought nonexistant began all moving in the what she quickly assume opposite direction of the roar, and the origin of the one that cause it. Birds and strange animals she'd never seen even in her dreams ran passed her, ignoring her being there, and were obviously desperate to escape whatever was coming. Jerking her head, and her body in the direction the roar came from, she threw the cloak away from her body and drew the sword she would now have to use in what would be a struggle for her life.
As she began mentally preparing herself for whatever she was about to face, she could suddenly begin to make out the shape of whatever was coming from the trees ahead. It was as if it had always been there, watching and waiting for her, and she had failed to notice it. Seeing the creature from the distance, and lack of light, it seemed like a large lumbering black shadow. The eyes were very apparent, even glowing a red color that seemed to give off its own light. As the lumbering black shadow continued to approach her, Jing began to feel weak and her heart began pounding hard against her chest. She quickly realized what it was she was facing, but couldn't believe it by it's size. She had fought many of it's kind since she was a child, all under the watchful eyes of Lykourgos, yet for this large creature to be a Bear, Jing was sure she was seeing things. As the bear finally reached her, standing now barely ten yards away, the monster made a sound the sound of a tree groaning when tipping over, and stood upon it's hindlegs, now towering over Jing like the trees that surrounded them. The two locked gazes, her blue eyes full of uncertainty and fear, it's red eyes full of things she couldn't imagine. When they finally moved, it was at the sight of two large icicles, probably due to the animals that ran overhead, dropping from the tree and landing between the two. Without paying any attention to the now suddenly raining icicles, eyes locked on Jing, the bear fell forward onto it's front paws and charged. Giving Jing a split second to decide whether to run and hopefully survive, or fight and most likely die.
Lykourgos' head perked up, and he looked in the direction of 'Home'. A sudden cold feeling washed over him, and for a moment he felt fear as he'd never felt it. 'Jing...' He turned his head back around and continued his slow trot, knowing that whatever trouble Jing faced, she would overcome it no matter the costs.
All was still, save for the man's eyes which carefully focused on the girl. In fact Delfian had no interest in the creature, a creature which he had dealt with several times before without injury. The creature had not enough speed to match Delfian's experience. Then as the roar shattered the silence with a deafening resonation The snow slipped from his body and he knew that even his own movement would go unnoticed now. Instantly with the same quiet *Ffffpt* The male form jumped to a better position to observe the potential this strange girl possessed.
Jing's first reaction as the bear's claws came out to meet her face, was to duck and fall back. As she ducked, she could feel the air rush past and her loose hair seemed to get pulled back and invisible suction. Jumping backwards, she once again narrowly avoided the bear's second attack as it's other paw came down. When the paw hit the ground, the impact was so great that it was like an explosion had gone off in the earth itself. Dirt, snow and even rocks came flying up, blowing Jing back even farther then she had expected.
Tumbling for a second, she jumped to her feet and her eyes shot around looking for her dropped sword. Seeing the hilt of the sword sticking out of the snow, she dodged the bear's next attack and dived for the sword. Landing by it, her hand shot out and grabbed the hilt, and as she stood she unsheathed the sword by swinging her arm in an arc and stopping suddenly so the sheath would fly off.
The sheath flew forward, shooting out really, the end colliding with the bears head, by some chance landing in the bear's right eye. The bear let out a powerful cry, the trees shaking again and more icicles falling from above like deadly knives. Dodging the falling ice formations, she decided to take advantage of the lucky-hit to the Guardian by attacking while it's paws covered it's own eyes. As she neared the Guardian, sword shooting out to pierce it's neck, the bear suddenly struck out.
'Trap!' She realized, reacting too late and already feeling the impact of the backhand and being sent flying back. Colliding with the tree behind her, the impact made her vision flash and she felt a sharp pang in her ribs. The wind knocked out of her, she stayed crouched by the tree, her eyes rolling and vision shaking. She could make out the bear as it approached, seeming to take it's time as it made it's way to her. When her vision returned and she regained control of her breath, she looked up to meet the gaze of the Guardian.
Locking eyes with the bear, for what felt like the hundredth time, and it was then she realized that she was no longer feeling fear. Her pounding heart was now out of excitement, an adrenaline rush she had been unfamiliar with while hunting other animals. No this was a completely new feeling to Jing, and even as she was being stared down by the powerful creature she couldn't help but smile.
What happened next surprised Jing. With the sword still in her hand, somehow never having let it go after being hit like a ragdoll, she swung the blade and managed to pierce the bear through the head. Entering in from the bottom jaw, the blade continued to travel through until the guard impacted with the skin. She hadn't expected the movement from herself, nor did the bear from it's reaction. It roared, the roar now seeming like a roar like any other she had heard from a bear. Now angry, and still very much alive, the bear charged her again, colliding into her chest and pushing her into the tree with enough force to knock the wind out of her again. Coughing, she clutched her stomach and moved out of the way of the suddenly rampaging creature. She watched it as it rammed its head into the trees around it, it's paw going up and attempting to hook onto the guard and pull the blade out by force. It seemed she had missed stabbing it's brain, but with luck she had managed to distract it. Now was the best chance to leave, if she planned to live. She could already feel broken ribs, and with the adrenaline rush now slowing down she was feeling the aches of being tossed around and jumping.
Leaving her cloak, and her sword embedded into the raging bear, she turned and left. She ran in a random direction, not really picking one, deciding that any direction would work as long as she could get away from the bear.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Determination, Courage, skill. None of these traits had shown through as he watched the fighting ensue. Instead of these common fighting spirits Delfian settled upon a stubbornness which prevented her from taking the obvious action.
*Ffffpt*
As soon as Delfian had changed vantage points there was no doubt the choice had been wise, the treetop he had been observing from instantly rattled with the impact of Jing's body, three ribs had broken two more had cracked immediately as the immense bulk of the animal attacked in succession. And, as suddenly as the confrontation had begun, it had ended, the Great bear fumbling at the inaccurately thrust blade. The victims both stumbling away from eachother.
*Ffffpt*
From his position high in a tree limb Delfian observed the stunning transition in the snow, the beautiful crimson threads. The crushed blanket cushioning the Bear's shoulder as the adrenaline had worn off and the pain and blood loss had begun to set in. Delfian half expected the girl to collapse similarly in mere moments. Broken ribs have always seemed to hurt excruciatingly.
*Ffffpt*
Without a single moment's pause Delfian drew out the long silver blade which had rusted in spots as though it had been in severe disuse. Only a slight twinge of resistance flashed forth from the animal which instantly tumbled back to the snow. The bleeding would probably stop before the animal died, however as Delfian was what he was, he'd never bothered to concern himself with Medicines. From his experience blood flow from such a wound would normally only be deadly if increased when the steel was removed. This being said he cast the, as he saw it, scrap metal off into the snow. Now how far would the girl have managed?
*Ffffpt*
The Bear had been left in a mound of shallow breathing flesh where it had fallen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The presence of the Guardian had disappeared, not even a few minutes after Jing rammed her weapon through it's head and left it in the small clearing to rampage. After pressing on for a few more minutes, the pain in her ribs finally proved to much, and Jing collapsed onto the ground filled with both relief and shame. She had been seriously worried that she had merely angered the creature even further, if possible, and in doing so was merely post-poning her death. Yet at the same time she didn't fight and win in a way she felt honorable.
When it came to fighting, and survival, feelings of courage and determination weren't necessary. This was something Lykourgos taught her when she was young, that she should be an Honorable fighter only when her opponents were equally honorable. If they fought dirty she had as much right to. Yet above anything else, Survive at all costs. Since coming to the forest Jing had felt her energy drained away, even the strength Lykourgos considered out of this world for a human was gone. Even though she would have wanted to fight the Guardian honorably
'Was it when I entered the forest? Or was I really still trapped in fear and didn't realize it?' She thought, biting down on her lip and she pushed herself off the ground, ignoring the pain, and stood. She couldn't stay in the forest, even with the known danger out of the way. For her, it felt too easy that she could get away, and she knew that the Guardian could have probably killed her within those moments she was in it's reach. She sighed, leaning her back against and tree and her eyes shut and beginning to feel the cold bite at her now that she no longer had her cloak to cover her. She would have to go back and get her cloak, and retrieve her only weapon. With or without IT being alive. For now though, she remained still and quiet, drifting to sleep and dreaming quietly.
~~~~~~~
*Ffffpt*
The stoic assassin watched with great intrigue as Jing pressed onward despite the pain and obvious effect the forest was having upon her. He doubted that she understood that if she had taken gradual steps and entered with care the forest's effect would have served as less of a burden for obviously she had never pressed into the thick weld before.
For some time Delfian, perched atop a lone tree branch thought about the proper course of action. The girl had shown great valor after all, however he had never before attempted to rescue the life of even his own squad members. Then again, he had not needed to. And in like manner his mind fell to debating this topic. Until in a poof of smoke he decided.
*Ffffpt*
Delfian was gone. however draped around the girl was the thick fur cloak she had been originally wearing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unaware of how much time had passed, Jing now took as long as strides as she could, ignoring the now aching pain of her ribs. Though she was set on getting to the other side of the forest, her mind couldn't help but go back to who could have put the cloak on her. There wasn't a scent on the cloak, other then her's and Lykourgos, and she was certain no one else could have been in the area surrounding her without her knowing. 'Whoever it was, I owe them a debt... I shall be hoping to meet them again, under better circumstances if possible.'
Finally pushing the thought out of her mind, she focused more on her current task. Getting out of the forest. She had been walking for at the least two hours, and without any way of telling night or day in the forest she could not tell whether it was late or early. 'The wind doesn't even blow here...' She thought, noticing that she had yet to come across any source of water since she'd arrived either. She was curious as to how the trees even grew without water, especially with their great heights. As she walked, the thought of water made her realize how thirsty she was. She had been smart enough to bring a 'pouch' of food she had jerkied. She stopped walking, and leaned against a tree tenderly feeling her ribs. 'If only Lykourgos were here...' She thought, knowing that he would have some sort of way of helping ease the pain, or even fixing the broken ribs. Though he would probably say something along the lines of; "You put yourself into the mess, and now you know the consequences, deal with them." She sighed and reached into the pouch tied to her waist, pulling out a slender but thick piece of deer meet. She bit into the jerky and chewed slowly, finding that her jaw hurt more then she realized.
She sighed, closing her eyes and swallowing, wondering if she were silent enough if she could hear something, anything, that could indicate life, and hopefully point her in the right direction. Licking her fingers, she let her head drop and her body relax, now letting all of her energy go into hearing. For moments she strained her hearing, already greater then most if not all other humans, in search of any type of sound. For the most part everything was silent, even the snow falling to the ground was as if they weren't there. Then, faintly, she could hear something... She pushed quickly away from the tree and began looking around, her eyes peering into the trees looking for the maker of the footsteps she heard. 'The Guardian lives!' She thought, knowing it's death had been to easy. 'There's no way I can fight him in my current condition...'
As she strained to sight the giant bear, she failed to hear the very same creature approach her from behind, his eyes flashing red as he caught full sight of her unprotected back. For a moment, it seemed like he could have charged forward an ended her very existance. It was obvious she was poorly trained in the ways of fighting with a blade, and had probably never come into contact with a being such as himself. As he approached her, purposely coming in quiet and slow, a scent came up and around him, a scent he recognized instantly. "Lykourgos!" The Bear boomed, being so surprised by finding the scent upon the 'child' that he fell over.
Jing jumped at the sound of the bear's voice, not even catching what he said, and when she whirled around and saw the bear now toppled over, her first reaction was to run. She was in no condition to fight, and it was clear to her that he had been attempting to kill her from behind, though why he gave himself away was unclear to her. Taking one last quick glance at the Guardian, she turned and made to bolt, and just as she was beginning to move past the trees she heard a voice shout out. "Wait!"
"Wait!" The Bear called out, his voice deep and booming, and his red eyes dimmer then before. The presence of Fury that seemed to seep from the Guardian was gone, and in place of it Jing could see an ancient creature with centuries worth of wisdom. Although Jing's instincts were screaming for her to run, the logical and thinking side of her was telling her to stay. She could get something out of this. "You... are dead?" She asked the Bear, deciding to think of him as a he. "How are you here?"
The Bear sat back on it's rump, paws resting in between his legs as he looked to her. "That is something that can't be explained, how I am here and how I am able to stand before you is something incomprehendable in many ways. What I can tell you, is that I am an acquaintance of the Silver Wolf Lykourgos, who I can clearly smell on you, and I am in debt with the Wolf
"I do not like to be in debt, young cub, so I shall make a deal with you... allow me to guide you to the other side of this forest, something no human could do alone, and repay my debt with him by ensuring your survival until then." As the bear spoke Jing took his words in and rolled them around her head for tricks or lies. The bear spoke truthful, as far as she could tell, but she still doubted that the bear was just willing to guide her to the other side of the forest without a cost. "What sort of debt are you in with Lykourgos?" The Bear was silent, watching her through what she assumed to be half-lidded eyes. He suddenly yawned and fell to the left, the ground shaking violently as he landed. "That is something between the Wolf and myself, however I am willing to help you in order to free myself of the debt I am in with him. We are both gaining something from this, what is wrong with just accepting my kindness?" He rumbled, now rolling over onto his back. Jing stared at the bear incredulously as she watched the bear roll over. "I will... accept..." She said, relaxing herself and walking slowly towards the bear, but the bear raised a paw as he began to sit up. "No stay there, we need to walk in that direction anyways." He grumbled, now standing on his hindlegs and walking to her. Jing stared up at the bear, him towering over her now. Now standing beside her, he looked down at her, his eyes still a dim red glow. "Now, young cub, let us go... stay close to me and I promise that you will reach the other side."
Jing trailed close to the Bear, silent and keeping her eyes on him wearily. She had learned that his name was Kani, though that was most of all she was able to learn from the bear. "We are apart of an ancient race, a dying race of creatures who all like their privacy." He growled, now walking on all four of his paws as he spoke. When Jing mentioned 'The Gathering' he simply grunted. "I'm well aware of the gathering, and I am also very much so aware many are forbidden from knowing other then those of our race." She took that in, noting that Lykourgos had said something similar. "Is it possible for me to find out where the gathering is?" She asked the bear, her voice calm as she spoke, knowing the answer already. "Child, if you were to find The Gathering, you would be killed on the spot, to suggest such a thing is foolish. But I will not stop you from searching anyways, simply to repay my debt, but I hope that fate takes you elsewhere." He grumbled, stopping suddenly and sitting back. "There..." He said, raising a paw and pointing forward. "If you continue going straight you shall come out of the forest. If you wish to leave the mountains and seek the lands for Lykourgos, I suggest you continue to travel straight until you come to a great gorge, from there travel within the gorge until you come to the other end. From there you are on your own." He said, staring blankly into the trees. To Jing it looked no different, as if she were to keep travelling she would still be within the forest. But she had the sense that the Kani was telling the truth.
Walking past Kani, to the direction he pointed, she stopped and turned around, looking the bear in the eyes. "I thank you deeply for leading me this far... and apologize for any harm..." She said, stopping as the bear made a strange rumbling sound that she assumed to be a laugh. "Child, Lykourgos has affected your head wrongly, if anything you should worry about your ribs..." He made a strange grin, his teeth a flashing white and looking just as dangerous as before when he attempted to take her life with them. "You know, I rather find it a shame I didn't find you, I think I could have raised you more properly." With that, the bear leaned forward onto his front paws and turned around, lumbering away. Jing watched him for just a moment more, before turning around and walking the pointed way.
