Dedication (Nina / BlueSlime)

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina shifted position on the battlefield, keeping clear from the bear's wrath by setting the opposition between her and the raging ursine. The lost maid manages to cleave a crossbowman's weapon in two before the bear's claw tears his face open, a spray of blood erupting from the lethal wound as he hits the ground. A female poacher that is getting to Nina's case also gets taken out as the bear lurches forward and sinks it's teeth right into the woman's face, lifting her up and giving the vainly-struggling poacher a few shakes to end the struggling. Now, a single poacher remained between Nina and the bear.

Tiger moved away from the enraged bear to assist the rangers, tackling one of the four people harassing them in the back and pushing them down so the uniformed pair manage to to take them out before being forced to cross blades further with the remaining three.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The poachers were going down fast. Nina was happy about that, but soon the bear would present a very real problem. She' better get herself and the uniformed pair of rangers away from here once the poachers were dead. She worried about Tiger staying with them, however.

She attempted to slay the remaining poacher while his attention was divided between herself and the ursine, and then would withdraw, attempting to avoid the beast's attacks.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The last poacher standing against Nina was faced with a serious situation, having two enemies that pretty much overpowered him. Once the aspiring maid came forward to strike at him, the man backed away straight into the claws of the angry bear. The huge animal tore him apart in a fountain of blood before turning it's attention towards Nina.

The rangers manage to down two poachers more, the remaing one trying to flee but getting chased down by Tiger. Now it was only the so called good humans, a dog and a bear left. Nina would now need to make a decision about what to do.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina backed away from the bear, her shield up and her sword leveled low near her hip. She knew there was little hope of reasoning with an enraged bear, but it had slaked a lot of its anger on the poachers. It was possible that they might be able to get away somehow without killing it.

"If you two are hurt, you might want to get away while I distract this bear," Nina told the two people in uniform. Unsure of how they would react or if they would trust her.

She remained on the defensive, attempting to circle away from the beast and wanting to disengage from combat if it would let her.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The bear still seemed rather furious, the bolt sticking out from it's side and still leaking a little bit of blood. The great beast reared up once more, but before it could bring a claw to bear upon the maid girl's defenses, a sudden attack pulled it's attention off from her. Flailing around madly, the animal was struggling to rid itself of a tenacious Tiger, who had literally bitten into it's rear. The bear finally managed to solve the situation by trying to sit down on the dog, who quickly released it's grip and taunted the bear with a few sharp barks. After giving a further harassing bite, Tiger got the bear's attention fully, starting to lead it away from the humans.

As the smart doggie lead away the bear, Nina was left there with the rangers. They sheathed their blades, but didn't make a move towards the girl. Eventually, the female in the uniform moved in to give treatment to her partner's wounds, the ones he had received from a poacher's axe.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina flashed a worried grimace as the bear sat down, but breathed a sigh of relief that Tiger had rolled away in time and led the angry bear away from them. Bears could be fast, but so was Tiger, and she figured the dog would be able to stay nimbly ahead of the beast long enough for Nina to figure out what to do here.

She ripped a piece of shirt from one of the felled poachers and set to cleaning her blade efficiently but with the care to detail that Iris had taught her by example. She then sheathed her blade, so as to give no sign of aggression towards the two rangers.

"I do not wish to overly trouble you, but I am in need of someone to get me to a nearby town. I've been brought to this forest against my will and I need to find my way back home. I fear that I am far away indeed, for my home is in a desert land, nothing at all like this place," she said soberly, hoping against hope that they would not merely think her crazy.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The older man took up the mantle of speaking as Nina addressed them, letting the younger ranger tie up his wounds. "It's not a problem at all, lassie. It's a ranger's job to help people lost in the forest." the man says, quickly giving instructions to his partner. "..a little less tight, now..." he guided the younger girl before turning back to Nina. "The desert? Well that's not terribly far away, it's a neightboring region. The one governed by Lady Einzbern, I presume?" the middle-aged ranger pondered, briefly stroking his beard.

Once his wounds were patched up, the ranger stood up from the tree stump he had been sitting on, taking off his hat and giving Nina a bow. "Where are my manners...? I'm Senior Ranger Keene, this perky girl is a new recruit in our organization, Lucia is her name." the graying man introduces both of them, the auburn-haired young woman giving Nina a small bow as well. "I'd suggest we move to the outpost for the night, I need to do a report on this incident. And the town is still some distance away, I don't think you can make it unless you go through the night, which is not a move I'd recommend."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina inclined her head in greeting to both of them. Though she addressed Keene primarily when she spoke.

"My name is Nina, I am a servant within the Lady Einzbern's household. I'm pleased to know that this forest is not far from my lady's lands. I know next to nothing about this place, so I will trust in your guidance. If you would allow it, I left a captured poacher from from a previous fight bound against a tree. If she has not run off during the melee, I should probably fetch her and turn her in to your authority."

She also worried about Tiger, but the dog had her scent and probably could follow her trail once it was done losing the bear.

She quickly led the rangers to the place where she had left the captured poacher. If the woman had run off bound as she was, then she wouldn't waste time pursuing her. It would have been a bold move by the woman, and dangerous as well, given the dangerous nature of these woods. But perhaps being led around by a deadly maid was less preferable to the unknown danger of the woods.

After retrieving or discovering the woman to be gone, Nina would follow Keene and Lucia to the outpost. It was nice to be traveling with people she felt like chatting to. She asked them about their land and what sort of kingdom this was, and why there were so many poachers living out here in the woods. She would answer basic questions about herself as well, going so far as to tell them that she was a household servant and swordarm for the Lady Einzbern. She would also ask if there were any powerful magic practitioners in this land that might know how to deal with a possessing spirit - and then relate to them the tale of Patch and the mysterious spirit that had been turning her desert estate into a tundra last she knew.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"That explains a lot, I wasn't quite sure if you were right in the head at first, traipsing about the forest in that fancy get-up. One of us will see you to the town tomorrow, and we'll take that lady poacher in our temporary holding cell until some other authorities arrive to move her into the city for proper judgement. Heck, if a wagon comes over to retrieve possible prisoners you can get a faster ride next to the coachman." the graying ranger says as they go back a bit to find the woman still there, leaning against the same tree. Lucia picked the woman up wordlessly, leading her along as they started to move along towards the outpost.

Keene had a listener's ear as Nina started her usual outbursts of chattiness, his waryness going away as the lost maid girl started opening up to them. "Hmmm, this land of ours? It's a forested realm for the majority of the landmass, our regional leader is a mysterious man who's only been called Grimhorn by the people who talk about him. I've never met this man in my 20 years of Ranger service, but it seems people are happy by the decisions he makes towards the region's future." the senior ranger said, taking a quick pause before continuing. "This forest has a lot of exotic animals roaming it's wild paths, naturally this causes some people to go and hunt them for furs and other body parts like horns. The Tamdur forest is a ridiculously large area, so they think it's easy to hide from the authorities. But a magician you say? Hmmm, if that's a pressing concern, I'd suggest trying the capital city. These forest-border towns are not a place for mages to gather in, it's mostly us Rangers and other skilled foresters and hunters around here."

Just as Keene had finished his sentence, Tiger appeared from a nearby bush and took his place at Nina's side like nothing had happened. "Oh, is that your dog? If it is, I'd like to give my respects for choosing such a powerful and loyal breed." Lucia spoke up for the first time, her voice a bit lower than one would expect from her small frame.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Thanks!" Nina said cheerily to Lucia. "But, I didn't choose him. It was more the other way around. Some poachers, were giving him some trouble, and I intervened. He seemed to appreciate it, and now he's following me. I've called him Tiger. Seemed appropriate because of the stripes." Nina grinned and lowered her hand to pet Tiger along his head and scratch him behind the ears.

"I'm honestly torn up about what to do," Nina confessed to Keene, switching back to her original subject. "I want to get back to my lady as quickly as possible, because I left her in the midst of such a terrible moment, but I fear that if I go back directly, I might not be able to do anything to save her once I get there. But if I had some magic or some understanding of what that spirit was, I might be able to banish or pacify it before it could do any more damage."

Nina frowned and pushed away the thought that she might be too late to save Iliana or Iris. No... the game wouldn't be that cruel, would it? There had to be a way back to them, and she'd find it.

"Perhaps I should go to your capital city, to ask for proper help with this matter."

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Really.. you're very lucky, that dog there is a kaitora, or a "Tiger of Kai" as they originally were known as. It's an extremely rare species these days, strong, smart and utterly fearless breed of dog. One couldn't wish for a better companion on the hunt, it's a good thing that you've earned one's loyalty." Lucia gave a little piece info on Tiger's nature as they walked.

"I can understand your feelings Miss. Though I'll give a little bit of advice, forget about the capital. It'll take you at least two days by wagon to reach the city, and by the time you've gottent there and back, the thing threatening your home is long done with it's work. I fear it might be too late already, to be brutally honest about this. I'd recommend you go to the town tomorrow and arrange a wagon to the Einzbern region as fast as possible. I'll even help you with this by writing a paper that allows you to pass through any possible waiting times in getting one, it's the least I can do for helping us." Keene replied once Nina had finished, a somewhat worried expression on his worn features.

They arrived at the outpost shortly, which was a wooden cottage big enough to comfortably house five people. Inside, the estabilishment had a large common room with a set of four hammocks to sleep on, a small office-like space with some papers, and a separate, primitive barred room for temporary containment. A third ranger was waiting for them there, another huge man in Nina's journey. "This is Lennart, he's been my partner for a good five years." Keene introduced the man to Nina before letting her relax in her own peace. Lucia released the woman from her bindings before locking her up behind bars, the younger ranger eventually laying down on a hammock to rest.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina didn't like the thought of the possessing spirit "finishing with its work." But she also agreed with the lead ranger's second assessment, that it might already be too late. But if so, then what was the point in rushing? If it didn't kill them immediately, perhaps it was trapping them for some other purpose. Wouldn't she then need an exorcist?

Oh my lady, if that thing has harmed you, I swear I'll make it pay! Nina thought fiercely, regaining some of the fire she had when dealing with that first group of poachers. She thought of Iris too, her pale frame, and the way she had shaken in fear of the spiritual entity within Patch. What fears might the possessing spirit exploit within Iris? The mental promise of justice went double for Iris as well.

When they reached the outpost, Nina took a look around, then down at her own clothes, which were sprayed with the blood of battle. She walked over to Lucia, who seemed to be very knowledgeable about dogs.

"Excuse me, Lucia. But I think it's high time I got out of my maid uniform and into some more proper traveling attire. You seem to be the only one of this group close to my size... I don't suppose you have some spare clothes you could lend me? I promise to pay you back. The Einzbern estate has more than enough resources..."

Tiger padded up to Nina and the maid stooped down to pet him some more and give him attention.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

As Nina lowered herself down to show Tiger some attention, Lucia rose to a sitting position on her hammock. "That chest over there, it's here just for these kinds of situation. We've stored a small array of different plain but sturdy sets of clothing in there if one of us needs them." Lucia said to Nina, pointing to a large chest near three wooden closets. "You should be able to find something suitable there. It's packed with stuff and I don't think even Keene there doesn't completely know it's contents." the younger ranger continued on, getting a sigh from the elder ranger who was already writing a report at the lonely room.

Soon, a delicious smell drifted across the room as the big ranger Lennart busied himself over a pot set across a contained fire in the corner of the room. The pot was carried over to the table briefly afterwards, and Lucia suddenly up as if nothing had happened. The girl was the first at the table, getting herself the first portion. After a small chuckle, Lennart asked Nina to join them. "Surely you want to eat too Miss? We're not having any fresh meats at the moment, but the dried one isn't all that bad once it's gotten enough time in the pot." the big ranger said, taking a few strips of the meat from a nearby table. "And give these to your canine friend. He'll appriciate it, I think."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina opened the indicated chest and dug around inside for some clothes that were similar to the garbs the rangers were wearing. Mainly earthen tones of greens and browns, but it was sturdy fabric as Lucia had promised it would be.

When she had taken an outfit for herself she glanced around for a place to change. If there was an obvious place to hide herself from view, she'd take it, otherwise she'd move outside before stripping down and putting on the new clothes. She folded the bloody maid uniform as best she could and then returned to the hammock area to place it beneath her chosen resting spot. She'd need to find a backpack to carry it in.

When the offer of food came up, Nina gladly took a seat, tossing a few of the dried meat strips to Tiger before she dug into her own meal. It was good enough for her, and she discovered that she was hungry after all the exertions she had been through that day. She easily downed her first portion and was ready for a second within minutes.

"Thanks," she said to the man who'd prepared the stew. "It's good."

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Tiger catched Nina's throw from the mid-air, eagerly gobbling down the meats as the girl herself ate with the rangers. Keene too joined the table shortly afterwards, now possibly done with his report. The greying ranger set down a scroll for Nina. "Show that to the wagonmaster at the station in town, it'll tell him that you're on diplomatic duties and allow you to take the very first wagons wherever you see fit to go."

Once the food was all gone, Lennart gathered the dishes in a pail of water and exited the outpost. "I'll be out washin' the dishes at the stream, Keene." the large man said as he closed the door. As the man exited, silence descended upon the outpost. Keene was still at the lone room doing some official papers no doubt, Lucia looked after her equipment briefly before lying down on the hammock to rest. Tiger heeled near Nina, looking up at her whenever the lost girl turned her attention towards it.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

At the mention of a stream, Nina remembered that she had been through quite a lot without having a proper bath. The stream would probably be quite chilly, but it was better than nothing. So she would search for an extra towel from the chests and if yet to find one would ask if such things were available here at the outpost, for she did want to wash up.

After finding a towel she and Tiger would go down to the stream.

"Lennart, I'll be bathing upstream," she informed the ranger who was washing dishes. That way he wouldn't accidentally stumble upon her for some reason and also might be able to tell her if there was any particular information she needed to know about the area.

Assuming all was well, she would strip down and wade into the stream, splashing herself with water and rubbing her body down as much as she could. She was still a bit sore from her last night with Iliana, having never gotten the opportunity to take advantage of Elise's offer. She still bore the love welts of Iliana's whip over her body. Seeing them made her miss the red head.

After her bath she'd dry off herself and then Tiger as well if the dog had splashed about in the water too. Then she would head back to the outpost and attempt to rest. The hammocks looked comfortable enough and she was certain she had a long and bumpy journey ahead of her.

Back within the confines of the cabin, she'd break the silence once again.

"Lucia, why did you join the rangers? These woods don't seem like a very safe or desirable place to be at first glance."

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The chests did have a towel for Nina to use in their confines, but it took a little rummaging to get to them. Once she had it, the girl left for her bath.

Along the way, Lennart was steadily cleaning up the dishes, not looking quite like a ranger when he did it. The big man gave a quick look at Nina as she went by. "Alright. Don't take too long, the water is a bit chilly at the moment. Also, there might be animals taking a drink along the way, but the don't usually pose a threat." he said, almost done with the pile.

When the green-haired girl finally got to her select area of the stream, there was relative peace in the air around her. Only a few animal calls could be heard as she entered the water, which was cool as expected, and was over waist-deep at the spot where Nina went in. Tiger too decided to go for a dip, taking a huge leap into the water and splashing some on Nina. The dog swam circles around her as the girl washed, getting out before the girl and shaking himself furiously to get rid of the water. Even so, the doggie let his seemingly new mistress rub him with a towel briefly. Now, Tiger looked puffier than usual, his fur standing straight.

Once back at the outpost, the two of them settled down for a rest. Lennart had returned from his washing mission, and was now putting new firewood in the fireplace. Once that was done, he went through the chests briefly and eventually came to Nina with a blanket and pillow. "Use these Miss, it'll get a tad chilly in the night-time." he said, leaving the offered items near the girl's hammock if she didn't want them.

Once asked, Lucia didn't spend time thinking about an answer. "Animals. I like them. And the way of life here, in the nature..." she replied.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Thank you Lennart," Nina said, taking the blanket and pillow gratefully. "You're quite a gentleman," she said after she had set the pillow behind her head. Is there a quilt for Tiger as well? I know he's got his fur, but I think he could do with more warmth too.

When Lucia had made her response, Nina nodded. "That makes a lot of sense. It is quite beautiful these woods. But it is dangerous too. You faced pretty long odds earlier today. Are you not bothered by that?"

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Lennart just smiled, briefly going back to rummage around these seemingly anything-containing chests and getting a large sheet of cloth for Tiger to lounge on. The striped canine looked happy enough as he poked and pulled at the quilt, partially folding it over his furry body.

Lucia kept a brief pause before replying. "Well, you have to be prepared for such situations in this line of work. I'm still a bit nervous about those kinds of events, but I'll get over it with enough experience..." the auburn-haired young woman replied from her hammock. "It'll never be enough to keep me away from the forests though, I assure you that much. City life is too much busybodying and hassling about, nature is for the most time serene and quiet. And I've got my superiors here as company, couldn't ask for more..."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Really? You can get by with just Lennart an Keene for company? Don't you..." Nina paused for a moment midsentence, wondering if perhaps there was something between Lucia and Lennart or even Keene, though the latter man was old.

"Don't you ever get the urge to, you know, date?"