Spirit of the Wilds

[Rhonya]

A light breeze moved through the trees and the orange leaves, almost like a soft whisper if one would listen carefully. Two shapes moved under the large, twisted branches of the Eversong woods, quiet in their going but talking softly to each other as they went. One was male, a large and broad figure, actually seeming not to fit in the environment he was in, between the elegant and autumn colored trees. His skin was a green hue, his eyes a deep, vivid red, and as he laughed to something the female said to him, some birds took flight in surprise as reaction to the booming, deep sound of his voice.
The female was small in comparison to him, her head just reaching to his chest as she gently stepped over some fallen leaves on the ground. Long white hair flowed behind her, moving gently in the whispering winds that surrounded them as they moved, another sound now filling the air. Water streaming.

A waterfall came in sight of the two, and the female pointed towards a place near it, a rock jutting out, looming over the falling water rushing down below. Carefully Rhonya made her way across the slippery wet rocks to a dry place on the large, flat boulder. The male, Rargnasha, helped her step carefully in her long flowing robes, before climbing on the rock himself. He was clad in his armor, even though Rhonya still found it madness he went everywhere in the heavy garments.

“So what now, sister?” Rargnasha asked her in his deep voice, while settling on the rock. He peered over the edge down, it was a long way… Shifting his gaze towards the female who sat next to him, he smiled.

“Now? Well.. I warned you this might be boring for you. I am not sure how much will happen, if anything will happen.. and if it does, you might not even see it. But you wanted to come.” Her voice was soft, gently, though there was a teasing tone in it at the moment as she looked at the big green orc with her own blue eyes. Sitting next to him like that, with him in his huge armor, it looked like he could crush her easily if he’d want to, the she-orc looking pretty fragile in her robes.

Rhonya made herself comfortable on the rock, facing the water. Her bloodbrother nodded at her in answer, shifting a bit himself so he could sit comfortable in the heavy armor. It made a scraping noise against the rock as he moved.

“Even though we’re in Horde lands now, does not mean it’s safe to be out alone, sister. Especially not in meditation, when you can’t react quickly. And there is a Troll village nearby. I’ll stay here to watch over you, whether you like it or not. “ His tone didn’t leave any room for argument. He was the Chieftain, and used to be obeyed, even though his sister tried to test those limits once in a while. It kept him on edge, so it wasn’t that bad, but he would not let her know that, of course.

“Fine, fine…Don’t blame me though if you get bored. You could always go and take a swim or such, if you want to. Get some of that smell off.”

“You mean to say I stink?” Rargnasha’s eyebrow raised at this, before he lifted his arm and sniffed.

“You’ve been wearing that armor for a while now, can’t tell me you smell nice.” She said, in a playful tone, before looking a bit more serious and continuing.  “I’m happy you came though. Should something go wrong, at least you’ll be there. As long as you try not to disturb me too much.”
“I wouldn’t dare, sister.” He said, his words followed by a subtle nod and a smile as he reached out a plated gauntlet and patted the fragile female on her shoulder.  “You do what you need to do, I’ll be here. Good luck.”

“Thank you… I might need it.” She sighed softly, before turning her attention away from him. The wind was playing with her hair, blowing strands in front of her face on occasion, and soft spatters of water reached them sometimes from the stream rushing down beside them. She didn’t mind, the sound and the water was comforting to her. The place she belonged, the place she felt safe and whole, calm… The rushing water was almost like it took all her stress with it, her worries floating away from her on the waves and rushing streams, tumbling down to crash onto the rocks below, foaming in anger.

Water… It was such a double edged blade. But it was a blade that fit in her hand perfectly, like an extension of her own arm, a part of her. Calm and gentle, but at times harsh and unforgiving. She hadn’t come here for the water though, she had come for something else, the place only needed to calm her so she could focus.

Casting one last look on the male sitting beside her, she smiled and nodded.

“I suppose I’ll begin then…”

Rhonya had tried this several times before, but she had always been denied, ignored. She hoped it would be different this time. Reaching into the satchel she’d taken with her, she prepared the incense and lit it with a soft word, smoke twisting up from the dried herbs  to be taken by the wind. The smell filled her nose, making her relax more as she closed her eyes and began the familiar journey of meditation, pulling herself back into her own mind.

This time Rhonya did it slightly different though, instead of reaching for the elements inside herself, she reached out, feeling her surroundings and the things in them.  Presences in the woods, spirits around her.

Spirit of the Wild…I ask humbly for your attention. I know you have deemed me unworthy in the past to receive your word, your gifts. But I ask you to reconsider me this time. Changes have been made, wise spirit, demons have been exorcised, death has taken me and returned me. Spirit of the Wild, you granted me life again that day. I ask you now to also grand me your approval.

For a while it remained silent, apart from the water rushing at her side, birds chirping in the trees and the soft breathing of Rargnasha behind her. For a moment she thought she’d failed again, that the spirit she’d never been able to reach, would deny her once more… But then, everything suddenly went completely black. The sounds disappeared, silence pressing on her, darkness overwhelming her…

Rargnasha could see his sisters form starting to fall over, threatening to drop right off the rock down the waterfall. Swiftly he reached out for her limp form. “Rhonya..?” She didn’t respond, but when he checked her breathing and pulse it was stable. So with a sigh he simply laid her as comfortable as possible next to him on the rock, her head resting on his lap. He moved some strands of hair out of her face with a caring gesture. “Stay safe, sister..”

Light… There was light. A small speck of it, growing brighter. Lazy eyes blinked, lifting her head. It felt strange, her vision was different… But also this felt natural, the way it should be. Slowly she moved up to her legs, noticing she had four now. Long, muscled but slim legs, ending in four hooves firmly planted on the rich forest earth. Her vision was black and white, and she could see more than she used to, a wider vision. Ears moved front and back, sounds everywhere.
The tiniest movement of the mouse beneath the leaves at her hooves, the bird moving between the branches of the tree next to her. Suddenly she heard something nearby and she quickly turned, before a calm filled her as Rhonya saw the figure stepping out of the bushes. A magnificent stag approached her, and his smell was familiar to her. Her family, her herd. Great antlers crowned his head, a male in his prime, caring for his females in the woods. He stepped closer in elegant movements and nuzzled his nose against hers a moment, before pressing the side of his head against her neck. A sign of affection, she knew, and she returned the gesture.

The male moved away again, leaving her alone in the clearing once more and she started to follow him. It was as if she’d always been like this, the deer in the wood, living here. She spend some time foraging, before deciding to try and find her herd again, not feeling comfortable alone. However, before she could move far, a sound broke the silence and the bush beside her suddenly exploded in movement. All she saw was a flash of fur, before instinct took over and she jumped into the air, bolting, teeth snapping right next to her leg.

The cat didn’t give up that easily though. Fear filled her, and she ran, ran! Rhonya ran as fast as she could, not wanting those sharp teeth to reach her. Bolting through the trees, jumping agile over the branches and through bushes, she thought she’d make it. The fear drove her on, gave her adrenaline to keep going, stay alive, stay alive…

And then a pain filled her being, a pain in her hind leg as jaws closed around her calf, ripping the flesh and making her trip. The deer fell, stumbling and crushing down, the long thin legs not able to carry the weight anymore. The cat was on her in moments, taking the opportunity to put his claws in her stomach, ripping. Pain, pain.. it hurt so much! Panic filled her. This wasn’t supposed to happen, she should be safe with her herd! Long sharp teeth locked around her neck, and her airways blocked. Gasping, struggling, kicking out, she tried with her last strength… But it was no use. It was over, and she realized it as things went black again…

Blood filled her mouth. It tasted great, and her stomach rumbled in response to the rich scent that filled her nose. The great cat had finally managed to get a kill again. Rhonya felt great, alive, though very, very hungry. Eating had to wait though. Shaking her head a last time to make sure her prey was dead, she opened her jaws and let the deer head fall on the ground. Stretching, the huntress licked her lips before setting to the great task of dragging the deer corpse through the undergrowth of the woods.

In a while, Rhonya reached her destination. Soft mewling sounds greeted her and she dropped her prey close to one of the bushes, poking her head inside to check on her cubs. There were three of them, soft little fur balls which pressed their cold noses against her, begging, playing. One by one they came out of the bush, not yet looking like the great Lynxes they’d be one day if they survived for that long.  These three were her pride and joy, and she nuzzled every one of them in turn as they made their way towards the freshly killed corpse of the deer lying next to the bush.
The great feline laid herself down next to the deer and started working on opening the stomach. Warm, rich blood started to pour out, steaming in the morning air as she pulled out the softest parts of her kill for her cubs, who attacked the meat and organs hungrily, making soft growling noises as they fed.

They would live again another day, not starving today at least.

Suddenly her vision shifted once again, looking down on the scene of a lynx mother with her three cubs feeding on a freshly killed prey. This was to no interest of her though as she hopped along the branch she was sitting on. Spreading her tiny wings, Rhonya flew out, down below, soaring straight towards the cat to pluck some hairs straight out of the fur. The cat swatted an annoyed paw at the tiny bird, but she was too fast, and flew off with a strand of hairs between her beak. Flapping her wings, she took flight again, higher and higher, riding on the ever changing drafts of wind. The forest spread out below her, the trees tiny speckles on the ground.
This was her domain, the air, the wind bringing her where she needed to go. Rhonya made her way towards one particular tree and landed on the beginnings of a nest she was making, tucking the hairs between the twigs and leaves that made up the small nest. It wasn’t done yet, but she still had time to work on it. This was her focus now, the nest, food. A simple but rich life, repeating itself year after year.

The nest disappeared from her sight, and suddenly she was herself again, the orc female clad in robes. But Rhonya wasn’t on the rock with her brother yet, it was dark around her, nothing to see, nothing to hear. She could see her own hands, her body, but that was it. Confused, the female started to look around. Something was approaching… She could feel a presence, something far greater than her, looking at her, judging her.

Shaman.

Rhonya tilted her head at the single word, standing up more straight. The voice filled her with a feeling of life, death, and everything in between.

“Yes, honored spirit.” It was her only answer, since she wasn’t sure yet what to say exactly, or how to act to this spirit she didn’t know yet.

You have seen the way of things. Lived from being prey to hunter and onlooker. This is the way of life, of the wilds. Living, death, it is all a part of it, every creature playing a role of its own, no matter how small or big. Before, you were tainted. I sensed destruction in you, an evil.

Rhonya nodded, before suddenly the presence came closer, smothering her, threatening to overwhelm her. It filled her entire being, she felt herself being pushed away, disappearing, taken over.. Before it suddenly stopped and took distance again. Her body shuddered and she was panting.

There are still some traces. But the entities are gone. This pleases me… Tell me, Shaman, why would I deem you worthy enough? Why would I listen to you, help you in times of need?

Her tone was hesitant at first as she answered, but Rhonya raised her chin. “I do not think I need to answer this, great spirit. You’ve seen me, you know me. You know my bond with the other elements who’ve deemed me worthy.”

It was almost as if the presence laughed at her.

Cheeky. But yes, I know you better than you know yourself, probably. Very well, little shaman. I will keep an eye on you. You shall have to learn though, from scratch. To call for the gifts I offer, the animals that might help you. Learn their mind, their way. They will not do anything that goes against their nature, unless it is an emergency. Do not misuse these powers, shaman, or I will take them away again… and perhaps more too.

“I will not disappoint.” The female spoke as convincing as she could, before she felt herself being ripped away again, darkness coming one more…

Water rushing, birds chirping… Something was hurting her head, it was lying on something hard, cold… Rhonya opened her eyes, blinking confused a moment before she realized she was back on the rock at the waterfall. A hand moved off her head as she tilted it, and she looked straight in worried red eyes. A short moment those deep red eyes filled her with a fear before she recognized them as her brothers eyes and she relaxed.

His deep, rumbling voice filled her ears as he spoke softly.
“Sister, you’ve returned… Did it go well?”

“I…” she said, thinking on her words before sitting up completely. “I think so. It spoke to me, it made me see… Hrm.. It’s hard to explain right now. I think I need to think about it first…” The memories were overwhelming still, the things she’d seen, felt. Being one with the animals, knowing how they thought and felt…

Rargnasha nodded, understanding, though he still looked curiously at her.
“Then perhaps you can tell me later, when you’ve thought about it some more. I’m glad you’re back though.” He spoke while standing up and stretching himself out with a deep grunt, glad to finally be able to move his muscles again after sitting still for so long. “Are you able to move? All this sitting still and watching over you made me very hungry. I say we go and find ourselves something nice to eat.”

Rhonya nodded, accepting the hand he offered to help her stand up and got to her feet, carefully stepping off the rock again, Rargnasha following at her heels as she began the walk back to the spire they used as home for now.
“No deer, though… I’ve had enough of that for today. I’ll settle with some salad or such.”

Rargnasha looked at her as if she’d gone crazy, confused and took a step away from her in feigned fear. “Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly gone vegetarian on me. Think of all the bacon you’ll miss!”
The female laughed at those words, and shook her head, taking her brother firmly by the hand to keep him close. She still felt weak, and secretly she just used him to lean on a little.
“No, no, don’t worry. I just need to figure some things out, is all. I’ll be fine.”
“Good. Because I can’t have a vegetarian sister. It’s not natural.” He moved his other hand to mess up her hair and laughed his deep booming laugh as she responded by swatting his hand and grunting deeply.

“You know what’s not natural..? Your smell…”  She responded teasingly. And so they kept on walking and arguing the way back to the spire, Rhonya’s mind busy with the memories and thinking about what had happened. She’d have to work on this, as the spirit had said… She would.

Rhonya would show that she was worthy of it.

[Rargnasha]

Awesome story. It need bacon pictures though.

[Rhonya]

There you go.

[Gridish]

Great story Rhonya! Such a good read  .

[Groshnok]

There you go.

It's totally healthy!