The Kingdom of the Emerald Hills

The Roar came from nearly directly behind Nichiro.

With the alert he pulled his sword with a clockwise rotation pointing the tip towards the charging bear. Huge, furry and full of rage, 'Might I have stumbled upon him/her while I was trekking up the mountain?'

'Possibly.'

The autumn leaves gave a nice scrabble as they alerted the presence of wolves behind him.

'Nicely set ambush. That means...'

'Yep, Were-bear. Can I come out?'

'NO.' The Bear charging was the most danger considering he was the one that started the ambush means more than likely the leader of the wolves.

The bear lunged for a quick killing throat. Nichiro spun counter clockwise and with a quick silver swipe missed the hind quarter of the bear.

Now all the attack is on one side, 4 wolves and a were-bear. The wolves still running fanned out in a normal hunting formation semi-circle, and rushed. Tightening the circle quickly they jumped in on their prey.

Stepping to the left Nichiro sent his sword into the chest of the far most wolf and removed it quickly. The wolf fell as the others stumbled over the sliding heap of wolf pelt. A quick coup de grâce ended one other wolf. The roar was to close for comfort.

The shadow of the bear was all to bad for this to be a dream. The Half moon light was blocked out by the bear mauling. Nichiro rolled away, the trick with the leather strap on the sword hilt wrapped around the wrist would have been a great time now. The sword stayed in the ground and he got away with only a nice slash down his right bicep.

Kneeling on the ground he looked to the silver shine of his sword in the ground and the two wolves dead by it not a foot apart, yet in the way was the were-bear and now two wolves. Pulling his nearly useless right arm up to his chest he pulled both daggers with his left hand and set one in his right hand and the other in his left.

'End this quickly. your arm won't hold up much...'

"Yea I know." his voice made the bear look around slightly for somebody else to come out, "You want blood? Here it is come get it!!"

The wolves jumped at the chance and with the opposite step as before he slaughtered the one on the right with his left hand, direct chest shot piercing the heart. the other landed just before the dead one and with a slight step back and flip of the dagger it's tip through met the brain stem just behind the skull of the last wolf.

"I guess that leaves you." he sends the left dagger into the ground at his feet and switches to the other dagger out of his right hand. Right arm still up on his chest throbbing with pain, and blood oozing with what seemed no end.

The blade was laying on his forearm, he released his grip slightly and caught the dagger again by the blade. Nichiro starts running at the were. The were-bear presently does the same. Just before they met head on Nichiro slides down and flicks his left wrist spinning the blackened steel dagger just enough to get the tip pointed towards the stomach cavity as the were runs over him without thinking twice about what just happened.

'Um that wasn't a silver dagger.'

'Yea I know. but that was the only thing I could think of.' Nichiro stands to his feet and trots to get the silver sword. Pulling it out of the ground quickly he turns to find the were look him in the eye from about 20 feet. Holding the silver sword like he would a dagger with the blade on his forearm he shines the silver glint to the were.

"Should we try this again??" He braces for another run as the bear seems to not notice the dagger still in his stomach, blood oozing from that wound and the wound of his arm fills the clearing with the coppery metallic smell.

_________________
~Tread softly when passing a sleeping dragon, for ye are tasty when fried and dipped in chocolate.~

Kyto Nichiro "Cheeto" is the name.
Enjoy fighting all day a living the ache the next day.
He who talks to a ring.

Through the blood-red haze of battle frenzy, the bear sized up his opponent. He had dispatched the wolves with disturbing quickness, not that he had expected them to be more than a distraction. Wolves were never as tough as they claimed to be. The dagger fell to the ground as the healing wound expelled it, already forgotten by the bear. He began to pace clockwise around his opponent, looking for an opening. This one seemed to know more than a bit about fighting the changing ones. Maybe his habit of speaking to non-existent allies meant that he was touched by the moon itself and had been given some of their secrets by their always mercurial mother. Either way, he had been wounded......

The bear grinned, looking more like a snarl as he forced vocal chords not meant for speech to form words.

*HUNTER* he half growled, half roared.

The hunter seemed taken aback that this beast would actually speak to him.

*WELCOME TO THE PACK*

The bear charged....for the edge of a cliff.

_________________
Lord Malran Singollo
Duke of Dreadmoor
Patriarch, House Singollo
Lettusio-Rex, Dreadmoor Fey Jackalope
Member of the House of H.O.P.S.

Nichiro pivoted as the bear circled him looking for an approach, showing none the bear had to change tactics.

Just when he thought the bear was going to come in for the finale the bear spoke. Startled by the speech of the bear lost his guard as he relaxed a little to much. The bear ran for a cliff that lay opposite from Nichiro.

He ran after the bear shouting obscenities and curses that seemed to not even make the bear turn. The pain finally caught up to him as he stumbled and just caught himself with the pommel of the sword just before his hand. Blade pointed up and away from his body he rolled slightly to laying on his back. The weight of the bear made the ground tremble till he jumped off the small cliff.

'Bout time to heal.'

"Yep." releasing the sword handle his left hand began to glow with white light as he touched his right arm and muttering words barely legible. The blood stopped flowing out of the wound, the flesh started growing the gash together, the blackened color of bruising did not go away. He let his right arm go, as it landed on the ground something cold touched it and the bruising pain started. 'AHH. What the hell?! the bruising didn't go away. Damn Lycanthrope.'

'Did you really forget that?'

'Yea kinda.' Nichiro touched his right arm again with his left, his hand glows with a green tent, with few words and much thought the bruising slowly went away, with much pain. 'Wow I forgot how much pain was involved with healing a lycan wound.'

'Does it really still hurt? with as much as you use to get attacked in the Wetlands you'd think you would learn to control that pain.'

'Yea it's been a while since I found Lycans. This is actually the first time up here in the Emerald Hills. And it seems there will be more showings of their force. Considering they now think I will become one of them.' Nichiro stood to find he landed right next to his dagger 'heh, what luck. He didn't run off with it. It was stuck in there quiet well if I say so myself.' He picked up the dagger and wiped the blood off then sheathed it. Picking up his sword with his left hand he began to look for the second dagger.

He walked over to the heap of the last two wolves and grabbed the dagger out of the ground wiped it clean and sheathed it also. 'How big do you think their pack could be?'

'Considering they attacked us and followed us from unknown distances could be quiet big. So are you done with your walk?'

"I'm kinda tired, could use a nap." he says slightly smiling and slowly nodding his head in sarcasm.

'HAHA You only wish you could nap after that. We need to get back to the caravan before getting a nap.'

Nichiro laughed and nodded in agreement. 'Come let us see about some tracks for that were.' Nichiro looked down the cliff. 'Nice drop...' He thinks for a moment, "...lets start with pelts." said as he turns and heads over the the wolves to gather pelts for garb in the winter.

_________________
~Tread softly when passing a sleeping dragon, for ye are tasty when fried and dipped in chocolate.~

Kyto Nichiro "Cheeto" is the name.
Enjoy fighting all day a living the ache the next day.
He who talks to a ring.

The fall from the cliff was long and an offending oak grew close enough to the wall to pose a problem with the landing. The bear wound up rolling through a collection of fallen branches and stones, the bruises and broken bones healing almost immediately. The bear savored the feeling of his flesh reshaping itself into it's proper form before ambling off into the night.

The path he took would ensure that the hunter didn't discover him again and he traveled much faster without the constant delays that the inquisitive wolves posed. Always stopping to sniff some scat or dead thing. The bear made his way to a cave where he had left his possessions for the time that he had been trailing the caravan.

Once there, and in his "more respectable" form, the were-bear trotted through the fall-ripe orchards to a well appointed hunting lodge. The windows of the lodge were lit and the chimney gently puffed smoke onto the crisp autumn air. The smell of cooking stew caused the man's stomach to rumble with the anticipation of dinner. Once to the long porch, he cleaned his boots as the door opened and a tall figure blocked the light from within.

"What's the news?" rumbled the voice of the figure.

"The caravan is just a day or so down the road. They should be home very soon. But we have a problem."

"What problem?"

"Hunters, and well trained if the one I dealt with tonight is any indication."

"What do you mean, 'dealt with'?"

The figure grinned from under his wide-brimmed hat as he stood to walk inside. "It won't be long before he's finding his loyalties challenged. Mother moon will call him when next she's full."

"Wonderful. More competition..."

The two friends walked into the lodge to take their dinner.

_________________
Lord Malran Singollo
Duke of Dreadmoor
Patriarch, House Singollo
Lettusio-Rex, Dreadmoor Fey Jackalope
Member of the House of H.O.P.S.

'Wolves have become to easy to skin now a days. These may be my last.' As the knife gracefully cuts through the fur and around the meat.

'Still dont see why you take so much pride in keeping the meat away from the pelt. Your not going to eat it.'

'Your right but it is much easier to deal with if there is nothing to scrap while treating the fur.' Nichiro shrugs as the last wolf's carcass falls limp to the ground with a bloody wet thump. 'Now time to get home.'

Nichiro debates the fall, climb, down the cliff to possibly track the were.

'Ok that would be a good Idea only if I was out, but look at the sky. Daylight will be here momentarily.'

Nichiro turns and walks back down the way he came. Deciding that the trek around the mountain would be worthless he continued back to the caravan. With the pelts on his back flopping up and down. 'Now look at the blood dropping behind us. Is there any?' he stops and looks back.

'Ok whats your point.'

'You wanted to know why I take pride in no meat on the pelt.' Nichiro laughs, turns, and continues to travel back to the caravan.

'...yea.'

==================================================================

Nearly 45 minutes after sun up Nichiro walks into camp with dried blood caked on his right arm, sword sheathed handle clean, daggers belted and handles still bloodied, and one full timber wolf pelt freshly scavenged and wrapped around the other three in bundle on his back. He hands them off to one of his house members and says, "We have Lycans about us. Treat these and get them ready for garbing. I need to clean up before breakfast."

((ooc: Now I'll see bout getting other peoples here.))

_________________
~Tread softly when passing a sleeping dragon, for ye are tasty when fried and dipped in chocolate.~

Kyto Nichiro "Cheeto" is the name.
Enjoy fighting all day a living the ache the next day.
He who talks to a ring.

((ooc: I don't know How ya'll treat the Double postings but here I go again.))

The travelers return to the Caravan with the hopes at what they have done will help the demons from taking the Emerald hills. Nichiro stride out of the group and trots to the wagon for the household of hunters.

The ring continuously shouting at him, 'I mean come on did you think that the Lycans were going to jump out and get you?? Nothing happened there you and everyone else was safe.'

Nichiro shook his head 'No the Lycans were there I could feel it but I couldn't find them. Just as I thought I was getting closer to one of them they eluded me. It's ok I made many allies there hopefully they will come through in the end.'




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A few days past and the Evening came where Nichiro had to Decide on going to the Kingdom's event.

'You know, you should go. Still dont think the Lycans will show themselves thee either but you know I'm not feeling threatened by them anymore.'

'Yea me either but the thought of them still being out there is what makes me hope this small caravan stays safe.'

A smaller man come trotting up to the wagon and pokes his head in. "Nichiro. Are you coming with us to the event?"

'I guess you need to decide.'

Nichiro thinks heavily about the choice. "Konda, go on with out me I will make sure this caravan keeps safe. Give my regards and hopes of safe travel to all that are going. I must make a swift patrol around to make sure nothing is around." With out another word from either or Nichiro grabs his equipment and jumps out of the wagon and treks quickly into the evening woods to make a perimeter.

Konda looks slightly confused considering he will not be coming back and his path does not lie with the others or the Caravan any longer.

_________________
~Tread softly when passing a sleeping dragon, for ye are tasty when fried and dipped in chocolate.~

Kyto Nichiro "Cheeto" is the name.
Enjoy fighting all day a living the ache the next day.
He who talks to a ring.