Michelle
*Deep within the forest, Juna walked across the soft layer of grass that lined the edges of the trees and plants that made up the area. There was a quiet sigh of relief that had escaped her, becoming more accustomed to the wilderness she tried to keep to, especially now with finally having made her way back after the encounter with the owlbears she had faced not too long ago.

The fight hadn't left her unscathed, though to any passing eye it wouldn't have been obvious. However, as hidden as it seemed, there was no denying her exhaustion. A line of sweat had surfaced itself atop her forehead, her ears sat flat against her head as she let out a huff of effort. 

The area where the owlbear's claws had hit her at her side was marked with a partial tear in her shirt. The wound revealed by the tear didn't seem much more than a small scar now, though despite it, Juna could still feel an internal burning that it used to keep her aware of its presence.

In her arms, a Jackal sat half-sleep. Jace too had his share of battle scars, especially where clumps of his fur seemed more tattered than the rest, but any sign of him having a deeper wound had been patched up with Juna's use of healing magic.

Juna was grateful that Jace was alright at the very least, but having to carry him all the way back had proven to be more work than she would have expected. Several times, she had to take a break and sit the Jackal down before picking him back up again and resuming her journey back. It wasn't all too bad though, every now and then Jace would loll out his tongue in the rare goofy grin of his or even provide a small tail wag of encouragement. It was all he could do at the moment, but Juna would have been happier with him being able to walk more of the way. It didn't matter now, they made it back and their camp wasn't too far from here. Finally, they could get some actual rest.*

*At least, that's what Juna would have figured had the moment's pause not been interrupted by a low growl in her stomach. 'Hungry, of course...' She thought to herself as she slowed to a stop by the base of an overgrown tree.

Part of Juna wished she had hunted something before she went off to face a bunch of magical feathered bears, but the thought of fighting with a full stomach was all the less appeasing to think about at the time.

She gazed down at Jace and ran a hand along his back in a more soothing way and seeing him look at her with that same lazied grin, she knew she'd be on her own for this one.*

"Don't worry Jace... I'll catch us something..." *She said quietly to her Jackal before lowering him to the ground to rest at the base of the tree. Juna crouched down beside him and instinctively Jace tried to force himself up as if expecting something to happen. A low whimper rose in his throat from the stings of injuries that still pestered him. It was almost too low for Juna to hear, but yet she did and with a twitch of her ears, she stood back up.*

"Stay here Jace..."

*A whine of protest came from him as he rolled carefully to his stomach to stand up, too used to assisting his huntress when it came to catching animals to sit still while she got something on her own.*

"Stay." *She said more sternly, holding her hand out to emphasize it more for her Jackal to understand. Jace kept himself low to the ground, almost looking up at her in a pleading way, but Juna only gave a light shake of her head before turning to the forest. 

The sounds of nature echoed in her ears, fairly soothing in a way as she went to begin her search for prey.

Jace remained at the roots of the tree, sitting up with more of a slouch to his posture as he gazed around the area he was in. His nose could still trace the scent of his owner as she slowly began to create distance between them and though he made no move to follow, his fur still prickled in anticipation.*
Heather
*Equally deep within the forest, a different person travelled. This one, Brackard, did not move with the easy pace or the quiet swiftness of Juna as he instead thumped along the dirt with a heavy pack upon his shoulders. Fortunately, he was not as loud as he could have possibly been, as the Orc's precious armor had not joined him on this outing. He instead wore only his steel war axe, knife and arming sword upon his belt, with a strung Yew longbow clasped firmly in his left hand.*

*The green-skinned man walked between the trees, often having to duck to avoid the lower branches as his tall figure prevented easy movement through the harshest of the thickets. While he moved, he removed a small piece of jerked beef from his pack, beginning to break off parts of it to eat. Though he was not a skilled tracker, Brackard was relatively sure that there were no substantial populations in the area, and so he planned to camp soon.*

*He had lived in the capital for a few months now, and while the food of the inner city was in many ways better than he could make, Brackard felt compelled to find a fresh catch to spice up his food stocks. Plus, he reasoned, he could get some extra practice with his bow. The orc had not had the opportunity to practice archery to a degree he felt satisfactory, and so he looked forward to the chance to accomplish two tasks at once.*

*The warrior walked for several more minutes before he heard a subtle whine from the base of a nearby tree. Not that of prey, but that of a canine creature in some form of distress. Brackard stopped mid-bite and let one black eyebrow raise above the other. He began to slowly step towards the whine, gradually coming into view of the wounded Jackal. He smiled at the sight of the animal, before furrowing his brows as his eyes crossed over its wounds.*

*Brackard responded by setting his bow and pack to the side, whereupon he took a moment to furrow around inside his pack. He removed another strip of jerky and began to slowly creep forward, palms down with the jerky forward in slight caution. He knew that seemingly injured creatures could be skittish, so hopefully the offering of food could let him get close enough to check out the animal.*
Michelle
*Jace swiveled his gaze as his ears picked up the sounds of something drawing near. The fur along his spine began to raise up instinctively from where he laid slouched at the base of the tree. He kept himself low to the ground, ears twitching back and forth before he finally caught sight of who was causing the noise.

An orc, and a tall one as it may seem, though of course size never mattered much to the hard-headed Jackal. His lips drew back in a snarl at the man, his clear mistrust from another newcomer who he had not yet met before and, with his owner away, there was no one to stop him from lunging at him. Well of course besides his injuries and lack of energy that prevented him to do much more than stand his ground.

The aroma from the jerky had reached his nose, causing him to pause only for a moment while his gaze traveled to the food the orc was holding. Jace wasn't one to pass up the opportunity of free treats, but as cornered as he was, the Jackal didn't seem too fond of the idea of eating it straight from the orc's hand. Jace took one tentative step towards Brackard, his ears flat on his head while he held a threatening stance. A low growl came from his throat as if daring the orc to try something despite the disadvantage the Jackal was at. Jace didn't seem like he was bracing for a fight so much as warding the orc off.

Some distance away from them, Juna walked through the forest with her bow held in hand. She wasn't quite sure how far she trekked from her Jackal, only knowing how strong the scent trails were to leading her back. With any luck, maybe she could get a good shot on a rabbit or two before heading back. However, the thought hadn't fully crossed her before the disturbance passed through. A snarl or rather a growl. Juna turned her head back the way she came, allowing her ears to raise up attentively as if checking for what could be the source of it.*

"Jace..." *She whispered to herself.* "Please... Not again..."