Eddie
Even here, out in these border regions, the civilization that *Her friend Alcuin* Knew must've felt *So far away* - even though it was likely no longer than a day's walk at most, and, of course, he was the author of his own experiences. Nonetheless, whereas winter had steadily gone to leave the ancient elf forests - trees old as time - it still held this locale in its steady grasp. It wasn't necessarily more northern than the realm of Velaris. But the mountains and altitude painted a landscape that seemed built around those vertical slopes: large hills with gentle slopes and tall mountains topped with eternal snow. The gentler trees of Velaris, which always seemed to have something *Mystical about them*, steadily gave way for vast swathes of pine and oak, those hardy giants that *Thrived* In these colder conditions.

But even here, travellers could feel the gradual onset of spring. The frozen-over lakes and rivers steadily *Thawed*, and little water funnels managed to press through the ice and create a flowing current— water pristine and pure, delivered straight from those mountain tops mentioned earlier. The snow, which blanketed nearly every region of this land some month or two ago, now turned soft and *Wet*, the forest grounds muddy and moist. And the wind, howling at times - whistling at others -, carried forth a *Chill* From the northern reaches .. But also the gradual warmth of the south.

For the moment, the weather appeared to have turned to allow for a mild snowfall to manifest. Not the type that would last and collect on the surface. But the sort that danced and fluttered gently upon the occasional gust. It left the otherwise brown and grey landscape of trees, mud and rock tinted with a sheen of white. A faint blanket that had steadily covered *Her* And *Her companion* In much the same manner. 

It had been some time already. Yet, **He** Didn't seem to have awoken yet - for reasons that she did not, *Could not* Understand. The blood she'd drawn with claw and teeth had now long crusted, tinting her otherwise brown fur with a streak of red here and there. And given that she could not cleanse his body of it either, the taint and stench of those foul little green men still clung to them. A putrid scent, like .. Putrid eggs and sweat, and.. Rot, but also, a stench of **Wrongness.**

It was an annoyance, to be sure. But one that, for the moment, she ignored. Under ordinary circumstances, she would have efforted to warm him with a *Fire*. And, perhaps, a blanket if she had one to spare or found some materials to make one. Yet, it was another impossibility at the moment. Thus she resolved to try and warm him in a much simpler fashion; should he wake, *Alcuin*..

Her friend. Companion. Alchemist and healer. Fellow monstrosity, if their last encounter was anything to go by-

If he woke, he'd find himself lodged against the massive frame of that creature he stared down the first time around. It was no fire, but her fur provided ample protection against the winds and the cold. And beneath that, she was *Warm*; like an overgrown heater. The elements didn't bother her *In the least*. And this way, she ensured that they wouldn't bother him, either.

Perhaps because of .. Instinct, or something they discussed earlier, or a mention on his part, she had found where they needed to be—needed to be? Alcuin probably explained it at some point. Given her habits, it probably also wasn't a massive surprise to him(?) that she HADN'T PAID ANY ATTENTION AT ALL. Despite that, even with her animalistic instincts taking a center stage, she somehow *Felt* .. *Knew*, that she had to go somewhere. Even the most basic of creatures knew to identify their territory. And while she didn't understand the REASONS for it ..

They were here. Waiting for?.. Well, the day was steadily passing them by. By now, a soft red gleamed through the misty clouds, of a setting sun and- less literal than that- of an adventure that awaited all of them. It appeared that if they **Wished to venture south** - to the realms of Men, ancient structures, and *Gods*, they would do best to travel *South-west* - or, loosely in that direction. Undoubtedly, each of them had a different reason. But for the moment, all of those reasons also seemed to culminate together: a journey from the Elven forests, *Through* The mountain reaches of Mistrion, and then? ...

They could decide that when they got there. In the here and now, however, something required far more attention. It *Was* .. The meeting place, as had likely been decided. However, there was no *Camp* To be seen- nothing that alluded to a journey in the making! And a *Fool* Would've failed to notice the pungent smell that figuratively choked the area. Not just of the *Goblin blood*, which laced passing winds with a strong scent of *Iron*. But also something earthier. Something reminiscent of moss and freshly upheaved earth. Something *Deeply penetrative*, that the keen woodsman would identify within an instant: its territory, its presence, and what *All of that meant.*

Her approach had not been subtle either, carrying additional weight for one - but also trodding on with the recognition that they had **Won**. This place was HER territory now. And deep paw-prints in the snow and mud, leading up to the forest clearing, hinted toward a feeling of *Confidence.* Or foolishness. Because no beast, ursine or otherwise, would make themselves *So obvious.*

The meeting place did appear to be something like a small clearing in the forest. It directly bordered a river of running water, which separated two massive forest halves with a gentle stream. The flow of water was a constant in the background. And for all the slopes, hills and mountains around this place, it seemed remarkably flat, a piece of steady ground that gradually gave way to hills further ahead. Without a doubt, if there was a place that one could call the 'point of no return', it was this. Trudging on further, along forest trails, would inevitably lead into the Mistrion mountains proper.

Whether the *Third member of their party* Would arrive, whether he would notice the signs, was entirely up to him. A fool would've walked straight through them, directly into an irreversible situation. But one attuned with the wilds, one that knew the animals and the good sides and the bad sides - they would *Be able to tell.* That scent. That shadow in the distance. The claw marks on trees — ripped open bark —, the size of which indicated a *Young adult* Of that particular breed, and probably not a male either. Those tended to be *Larger.*

A clumsy beast, if the experienced woodsman would be the judge. The issue with her type of animal was that she had *Strength* And *Resilience* To spare. That meant that even without the size of a fully grown male variant, she still had a size sufficient to give eight out of ten competitors a run for their berries. Alcuin had stumbled into much the same! The type of beast that DIDN'T KNOW YET that it *Wasn't* The most dangerous creature around. Yes, she had more than enough power to give those eight out of ten competitors a challenge-

But those last two tended to be **Forest trolls** And **Ogres** And **Other nasty creatures.** She just .. Probably didn't have the 'pleasure' of running into one yet.

A young adult brown bear. And not a small one, either! Certainly not the largest. But she looked like she put on a decent amount of fat, even during the winter months.

She seemed to be squatting RIGHT on the meeting spot for the moment. And a keen eye would reveal that she wasn't just squatting on their meeting spot, but she was .. Focused on something? Fixated?? Wrapped around a vague, Humanoid creature. A... Human? No, no..! An Elf! Recently caught prey, perhaps?
Eugene
Alcuin hadn't been one to dream much prior to the last few months. At least, if he did, he hadn't remembered them. But the dreams he was having of late were nigh impossible to forget. They seemed to have no root in any particular time, a smattering of things past, present, and future. Sometimes it was people he'd never seen before, sometimes it was himself, as subject of the dream. This felt somewhat different, though. A mixture of worse and better than sleep. Worse because the dreams were so vivid, so real, and flashing by so quickly that he was vaguely aware of feeling dizzy. Better because he was resting so deeply and so completely, like he hadn't in months, like he *Needed* To. 

Mostly he saw scenes pass by that, at first, felt like watching a play. Scenes of war, of daily life, even of romantic moments he dare not think more on... Then it suddenly dawned on the observer self watching his dreams. He'd met that white-haired man in the tavern... Pride, wasn't it? And the woman...*It was Alekhya!* A thousand times more innocent, more reserved, *Good*...He felt a bit stunned at the drastic difference. And who was this dark-haired man, who was even more beautiful than the other two combined?? Alcuin didn't have long to consider before he found himself in control in the dream.

Looking down at himself, he was wearing robes of black and white accented with black feathers, much like Alekhya's own clothing. They were of quite fine quality and, with his limited magical knowledge, maybe enchanted, somehow? He was brought out of his musings by his patroness, Alekhya, putting a clawed hand on his shoulder and cooing in his ear, making him shudder, *Thou should pay more attention, Little Rabbit,* Her long finger pointing ahead of him. He looked in front of him in time to see and hear the charge of some soldier brandishing a blade.

With no time to think, he just reacted. And with Alekhya so nearby, his power felt nearly limitless. His eyes burned red, shadowy long lashers erupted from his back, and he unleashed unholy fury, only realizing a few moments later that one soldier had turned into a horde. For a time, he fought them off excellently, as if he was born to wield this power. But upon turning to look behind him again, Alekhya was gone, and with her so was his power. He was overrun in mere seconds, bloody, battered, and nearly dead. The horde dispersed, and crouching to loom over him, one on either side, were the two versions of Alekhya he'd seen. The sweet, innocent girl was weeping silently. And the demon, smiling deeply, reached over a clawed finger to slit his throat.

Yrsa would have noticed Alcuin's body jolt, one hand knotting itself deeply in her fur, his brows furrowed and a frown on his fine features, eyes still closed in something much deeper than sleep.
Linda
It certainly was cold, Tolius thought to himself as he walked through the forests. Though the snow was melting quite rapidly and the mud seemed willing to steal one of his books, it was still quite cold for Tolius. Not that he necessarily despised the cold - it was simply something he noted. Besides, he had remembered to layer his robes - he knew they would be close to the mountains, and that would mean frigid weather.

He used his staff to help him walk through the mud - it would leave his boots muddy and he would have to find somewhere to wash them later, but for the time being he embraced the mud. Why be worried about some mud if it is unavoidable? It wasn't like he was going to meet royalty anyway. Though after a few little slips and slides that almost led to him falling, he felt as though it would be best to go slow and steady with his staff, which made a horrible sucking noise when it was pulled from the mud.

While he walked he hummed to himself. He was quite concerned about Alcuin and the state he may be in, but there wouldn't be anything he could do until he got there. As much as he worried, he kept reminding himself of that fact. 

Tolius' eyes darted around the trees as he walked, making sure he was still on the right path. Thought it had been some time since Alcuin had told him what direction to go in and the paths he should take, the man remembered them as if he was told that morning, even though he recalled looking quite distracted when the young man explained it. As he approached the camp, he raised a brow. He knew that his eyesight was beginning to fail him - but, there was no mistaking the large brown shape and the figure with it. Typically there weren't many large brown lumps in the woods that weren't a creature. With a smile, Tolius approached the camp. "That looks mighty cozy."
Eddie
The older man's kind smile was almost grandfatherly, resonating deeply with the vast number of years in life and *Experience* He likely had at his beck and call — yet, the eyes that looked back at him foretold of nothing more than **Pure wrath.** A set of icy blues, verging more toward grey than something of a more substantial coloration, as if they mirrored the frosted lakes and snow-covered pines from which she hailed. This creature might not have been home in the swamps that the man presumably called home, .. But the Forefather of the Bog would probably have wisdom beyond any ordinary tracker. And it wasn't entirely unheard of that its kind, this type of **Beast**, wandered into his realms on occasion..

That's why he approached this situation with leisure, was it not?.. It was a scene that would've turned aside even the bravest, even those with vast knowledge of their ilk; there was no escape. Even the fastest Humanoid runner would inevitably fall short of the pursuit that would come their way. She had the POWER, the SPEED .. The MIGHT to pursue ELKS, DEER, and HORSES. Claws, each as long and sharp as daggers. A set of front canine teeth fit for lacerating sinew and molars built for chewing through **Bone.**

It was, typically, the smell that hit people first—a point of no return. For them both. Because Tolius would likely be able to identify it immediately; .. A **Her**, without a doubt. She was pretty sizeable but didn't have the size of a full-blooded male. More than that, her inexperience seemed ever on the fore. Where an experienced adult would've noticed the elderly man from *Leagues away* Through scent alone, his merry 'That looks cozy!' comment earned a glare born from surprise as much as it was wrath.

Out of all the species of bears and their close relatives, it was *Her* Type that tended to be the **Most** Dangerous. And not because of physical might or what have you. But because of the unpredictability. They took risks that no adult would have and tested the waters where an older member of her species would've known to turn around. One example was that her kin usually gave **Any sort** Of Humanoid a wide berth. To even SNIFF a Human or Elf in the environment was a clear sign to them to make themselves scarce. There was an apparent reason why *Elves*, not *Bears*, ruled these forests.

And that, again, is what made her dangerous. As Tolius' eyes took in her form, he would come face-to-face with it—that young adult, filled with vigor, not yet acquainted with the LAWS of these realms. A man of the Forefather's stature would likely notice, in an instant, that she was not a native to these forests. She was a brown bear, and those did occasionally visit these parts. But even in these mountainous regions, where it tended to be a little colder than the Elf forests, her fur was remarkably *Dense* And *Thick* — suited more for forests where the snow and ice were eternal. Her size accounted for that, too, storing a great deal of *Fat* For the winter months and those that followed.

Maybe that held a clue? The stench of spilt blood hung heavy in the air, and her fur was tinted with streaks of crimson. Not only that but the one she huddled beside was equally tainted with that bloody dye. It wouldn't take much to misinterpret that she wasn't PROTECTING this Elf, but ..

She was eating him. The elder had walked **Right** In on a young adult brown bear amid her feeding session. Or so it must've seemed ..!!

That wasn't entirely the truth. But what was the truth, and what stood as a fact, was that the man intruded on a place she CLAIMED as her TERRITORY. More than that, she was **Protecting** Something .. She was keeping it WARM. Maybe she wasn't a mother protecting cubs, but the maternal instincts were **Almost identical.** An OGRE could've shown up, and she would've tried to wrestle it. *Just by being in her presence*, the man was messing with her CUB—.. Friend? **FRIEND..* And she**Wouldn't have it.** Her massive body lumbered to its paws, and she gently nudged the dreaming Alcuin toward the tree so he wouldn't come to harm. But when she finished that, her attention went toward one thing alone.

She drew out a huff. Then, she clicked her teeth together and fixed them together afterwards — clenching down ..!! Looking upon Tolius with a level of fixation that would almost feel.. —

There was something WRONG about it. Tolius would surely notice that as someone in tune with magics. The anger flowing through her ursine veins was more than just an agitated bearing, but something that almost appeared to radiate off her like a shroud! Like something or someone was shadowing her, not so much in the *Physical realm*, but in the *Realms beyond.* 

Something ancient.

 But there would be no time to contemplate it. Tolius could see that she was going to attack. She dragged one paw through the muddy soil, leaving thick gashes in it, and her body arched forth a little — a telling sign that she would charge at him. HE, with his experience, could probably see that sort of thing. But for someone that COULDN'T - it was usually already too late. She wasn't the *Fastest* Animal around, but she could bridge this paltry distance between them within **Two or three seconds** - perhaps less than that!
Eugene
It was so *Very* Cold. His mind swimming through thick blackness, Alcuin couldn't recall *Why*...He was vaguely aware he had been sleeping, thought that he had been dreaming, but he couldn't really remember the dreams. His mind yearned to recall, but only one thing came back to him with sharp, terrifying clarity: the image of two versions of his new demigoddess, one weeping and one... Killing him. The cold felt as if it had seeped into his bones. What had he accidentally gotten himself into? As more consciousness returned to him, he sighed inwardly; no use asking questions like that now, what's done is done. He'd just have to find a way... Try not to lose himself, at least not entirely...

The elf was beginning to register various sensations but wasn't quite able to place them. Warmth, fur, the smell of blood, then a shift of his body that led to more cold, bark, the crunch of snow. His brows knit together with the effort to make his brain work better. He thought that voice sounded familiar... And growls? If it was going to be like this every time he used Alekhya's magic, what was the point? But again, a useless line of thinking. He'd made a promise, and he'd keep it if it killed him. Hopefully this was only a result of overdoing it, or from using her magic for the first time.

A loud, undignified groan escaped him, followed by a sharp inhale and a hand going to his head. He had the feeling he'd slept off a pretty bad headache. And though he was able to heal off any serious injuries, most of his body still felt sore. Maybe he just wasn't made to contain such power. Once he finally managed to open his eyes, all the things he'd felt before made sense. He must have been leaning on Yrsa, then she shrugged him off. Alcuin's eyes darted to who or what she was growling at, and that was when he remembered giving Tolius directions; so much had happened since they met, he'd forgotten entirely!

He cursed himself and his feeble mind, struggling to stand, gripping the tree behind him. Yrsa was shifted and clearly agitated. He rather believed Tolius could likely handle himself, and he was certain Yrsa could, but if Tolius misunderstood the situation, Yrsa might get hurt. Alcuin still felt weak but not completely drained anymore. He was a little unsteady but able to walk. He stumbled over to Yrsa's flank, knotting a hand in her fur again, both for balance and to try to use his measly weight pulling on her to signal to the intelligent part of her brain to slow down, maybe.

Alcuin patted her and tried to fight the instinct to speak softly, using what energy he had left to inject authority and command into his tone, **"Yrsa, no!! He's my friend, too. Please..."** He slipped into a gentler tone, almost pleading, **"Don't hurt him, he can help us."** The same trick might not work twice, but speaking to her with some confidence when she was a bear worked before. And if she wouldn't listen, then she would drag him with her for as long as he could hold on.
Linda
The sight really was startling, at least for a moment. Tolius was not someone who fared well with the sight of blood, but he knew it was often a necessary sight. With the amount of blood on the bear and the strange circumstances required for this kind of bear to be in this neck of the woods, the man worried for the creature. Perhaps it was hurt, or something had attacked it and his was why it was so on edge. The bear didn't seem to want to hurt Alcuin, though, which seemed a good sign. 

The bad sign was that this bear seemed **Aggressive**. Tolius held onto his staff, but did not raise it. He held it only like he was using it as a walking stick. The old man had no intent to hurt the bear, but he knew that self preservation may override concerns for wildlife. "Easy there." He said calmly, his voice smooth and kind. "I see you know my friend, Alcuin." He nodded towards Alcuin.

The phrases pleaded by Alcuin implied to him that the two knew each other, and that they were at least somewhat close. Tolius raised a brow. Yrsa, an interesting name. "Yrsa, I know Alcuin. He asked me to come here. I bring you no harm. I assure you, you do not need to worry about me." In truth, Tolius was prepared to cast a quick spell if he absolutely needed to, but he would prefer not to do anything drastic. There was only a simple misunderstanding, and he didn't want any creature or person to be hurt because of a misunderstanding.
Eddie
Such was the chaos of their encounter with the Goblins that it must've slipped the Elf's mind because of that: a few *Dozen* Of the green little men that almost brought them to the brink and back - and, therein, perhaps, lay for Alcuin a breadcrumb trail with which he could identify the *Why* And the *HOW..* .. And, most importantly, the cues that might come to the fore in the future. They had stepped off the battlefield, proportionally speaking, only *Recently*, only a few hours ago. And for a beast set primarily on her instincts, the adrenaline flared up in her body as if it hadn't yet left. 

Yrsa had severely downplayed the threat, and it was perhaps miraculous that they managed to escape relatively unscathed. But if that hadn't been the case, then Alcuin surely would've told her—they didn't expect to come to this place battered and exhausted. And that also contributed to the entire situation. A less tired mind would've been more RECEPTIVE, more OPEN..

The situation also showed how special it was that Alcuin managed to stop her the first time during their first meeting and just how close that one got to a more violent outcome. He pulled off a miracle. And not because he necessarily did anything *Wrong*, but because - as Tolius, with his vast repertoire of experience, managed to tell - there was a streak of aggression within her system.

Her icy blue eyes flared and glistened with it. A deep, primal **Hate** That whispered - .. No, no, more like **BEGGED** For her to give into her claws and teeth. Alcuin also had the advantage that, up until that point, she hadn't spoken to an Elf yet; she didn't know what to make of him, which made her *Curious*. Her curiosity effectively removed some of that tension, some of that hyper-aggression;

But Tolius didn't have that. He smelled Human. Like a.. Strange sorta Human. But still Human. It was still a scent she recognized and associated with something- .. He was a HUMAN. A HUNTER, wasn't he?! BRINGING HIS .. POINTY STICK ... AND POINTY-STICK LAUNCHER. He even was HOLDING something like a pointy- .. A stick?! Most definitely a STICK. Her teeth ground together, her jaws clenched, and her form slowly rose as she erected herself upon her hind paws. Even for a female variant of her species, a young adult, and all those other things, standing on two legs had her tower over even her Elven companion. She stood almost at seven to eight feet!! Her rotund physicality, like this, fully displayed the muscle she had to her: limbs thicker than even an *Orc's*. The light warped around her, casting forth a tall shadow that seemed to consume everything within the almost supernatural rage she felt.

It was a posture designed to intimidate. Yet the bear's body had already switched between fight or flight. And with the recent battle still fresh in Yrsa's system - as mentioned, still tired and pumped up on adrenaline - the choice for the former was more accessible. Plus, if she **RAN**, she would have to forfeit her cub.

**Not in a thousand years.** With a rattling growl, she lowered her body back to the ground. The impact of her front paws crashing back into the earth, with all of her weight behind it, forced the adjacent area to just briefly *Tremor*, and her back legs tensed to RUSH at—..

Suddenly, she felt something touch her side. Its .. Its scent was familiar. As was its presence. She knew it! But wasn't he sleeping?? And he spoke too! Did that mean he was feeling better? Her mind tried to *Wrap* Around what he was saying! He was SAYING something, wasn't he? In that weird .. Way of ... Ah, right!! YES! This cub had a problem with relaying his intentions! That's why she was taking extra special care of him!! She understood some parts of what he said, and then some parts left her puzzled!

'No.. Yr.. Friend—'

With his hand knotted in her fur, Alcuin could FEEL that her body instantly turned less tense. She moved less rapidly, and much of her attention went to him. Especially his attempt to dissuade her from attacking held her back a little; it sowed a tiny seed of *Doubt*.

But.

Even if that is what ran through her limited mental processes..

That didn't override the subconscious nor the instincts that fuelled it. Alcuin could feel her SLOWING, but likely even outside of *Yrsa's* Perception, she had already settled into a full-blooded bear charge for Tolius' position! And even with her slight reluctance and doubt, it was murderously fast. Given that Alcuin kept holding on, she would probably carry him with her, though that also seemed part of why she wasn't going full out! By putting HIMSELF in harm's way - or, at least, making himself part of the equation -he forced her to slow down because her ultimate goal here was to ELIMINATE the threat and PROTECT him! She couldn't well end up trampling him herself!

Of course, there were many ways to handle this! A good spell or two probably would chill her out considerably. But as an animal lover, Tolius might recognize this moment! She was charging at him, but that didn't necessarily mean she wanted to tear him to shreds *Yet*. Maybe if he found a way to make himself less of a THREAT .. Make himself less of a potential danger, then, ..

Then again, all of this depended on split-second reactions.
Eugene
It dawned on Alcuin with great trepidation and some horror that Yrsa was beginning to stand. She had been growling, gnashing her teeth; he knew she was still probably in some kind of adrenaline-fueled instinctual animal mode. But he had to try to stop her. He wouldn't quite say he was friends with either of these people yet, but for the first time in forever, he felt like the *Possibility* Was there, and he wasn't going to let go of it. He felt like he had to do everything in his power to keep them both safe. But that was incredibly difficult with a large raging werebear. It wasn't that he didn't believe Tolius could handle it or that the old man would intentionally hurt Yrsa. But he felt responsible; after all, they both followed him here. His exhausted mind scrambled for a solution.

A wild idea came to him as Yrsa's feet pounded into the ground. The tremors felt like they shook his very skull. This idea would be a gamble, in several ways. First, it might not work. Second, it might not work correctly. And third, it might maim or kill him. But he was desperate to stop this and with Yrsa running full speed, he had to act fast with the little power he had regained from his brief sleep. He closed his eyes, wrapping his arms as tightly as he could around the werebear, willing her to be targeted too. He focused his mind on what it looked like when Alekhya had woven and unwoven herself into and out of shadows as she moved. He pushed all the power he had into it and with his eyes squeezed tightly shut to help him focus, he didn't actually see what happened.

Tendrils of dark shadow slithered out of him, seeming to simultaneously envelop and erase him and Yrsa from the spot. The shadows coalesced and swirled further back from their campsite, still in the more sparse part of the forest they camped on the edge of, with the two appearing out of thin air. Tolius was a small figure in the distance, so they hadn't gone terribly far. With that expenditure of power, Alcuin lost his grip on the bear, sliding off and hitting the snow with a thud. He was barely able to prop up on his elbows as he shook. Suddenly, he was wracked by a terrible cough, feeling as if he'd breathed all the air left to breathe, gasping desperately for more. After a few minutes of this, he coughed up ribbons of blood and spit, with not even the strength to wipe it from his mouth. He tried to look up and find Yrsa, but found that he could see nothing. It was eternal darkness, as far as the eye could see; with a sinking feeling, it reminded him of the border lands.

The elf heard a sultry but irritated whisper in his ear, *Little dove, thou should not make thyself a nuisance, lest thou lose thine usefulness. Then thou would feed me, rather than the other way round*. He felt a terrible pain in his head, like the migraine right before Alekhya appeared to him. He used every ounce of strength he had left to at least drag himself into a sitting position, both hands on each side of his head. As he stared blankly at the ground in front of him, what his friends would see, but he wouldn't know, was that his eyes were entirely black.
Linda
Tolius was not unfamiliar with the wild action of beasts. As much as he wished he could communicate effectively with animals as is, it simply did not always work. The minds of animals and men were separated - and they could not be joined without supernatural means. The thought always saddened him.

But he did not have much time to grieve the barrier between the worlds of men and beasts. This bear was charging him, and he would have to act quickly. This bear was full of a rage - a suspicious one. *There must be a reason*, he thought. Bears did not attack simply out of want. There was almost always a reason. Tolius lifted his cane - it was no time to get lost in thought. Even as Alcuin began to use his power, the man was focused on the face of the bear barreling towards him.

With a booming voice that echoed through the trees around them, Tolius began to chant the words of a spell. The words were in an old language, unknown to many. As he chanted, his form began to shimmer slightly, as if he was becoming *Blurry*. As he saw the shadows beginning to cover the bear - he encountered a dilemma. *To finish the spell or not*. 

He chose to finish the spell. Ending it too soon may result in an accident, and he would be incredibly embarrassed and possibly maimed if Alcuin's power did not help him. As the bear charged towards him, suddenly the man's form shrank. At first glance, it would look as though he may have disappeared. But where he stood now sat a small rabbit with brown fur, standing right between the path of the bear's paws, praying that it would charge *Over* Him instead of *Onto* Him.
Eddie
In a culmination of adrenaline and primordial instinct that drowned out **Everything** Else, *Yrsa* Closed in on the elderly wizard — again, a matter of split seconds that Tolius seemed to have anticipated *Well.* Even so, the timing seemed extremely precarious; would he get the spell off in time? Would Alcuin manage to get through to his matron and intervene before, before .. —!! It must've almost seemed like time dragged itself to a standstill. The wise elder, by now, surely must've uncovered that the bear's aggression came from treating her Elven companion as part of her sleuth.

Even if everything went wrong here, even if neither of them had been on time, she probably wouldn't have done more than maul him a little. She wasn't hunting something. She wasn't trying to kill something actively. The creature just tried to scare Tolius off—to set the boundaries of her territory and keep him well away from what she considered hers. 

Unfortunately, the size of her claws and teeth still could turn that lethal. She was only what must've been a pace or two away from him, the full power of her charge brought to the fore, her muscles twitching and her right paw lifting. Alcuin was still impeding her, and his continued efforts elicited an agitated groan from her like one of those maternal complaints to get him back in line. It would've, likely, told him just how far gone she was - and, probably, .. Why she tended to be so carefree back in her *Human* Form.

Because .. Doing the opposite, allowing these sorts of feelings - they inevitably turned her into a monstrosity.

Thankfully, this time, they were fast enough. As mentioned, the bear's right paw had raised, and she was ready to strike. Her massive body still carried her forward. And using her hind legs to power a brief spurt of mild elevation, she sought to strike down her claws toward Tolius. That ensured the ENTIRETY of her weight was behind it - a blow fit for taking down a fully adult male BISON. A smack that would've shattered bone and crunched through armour if it had to-

But then, the world **Shifted**.

If ever there was an expression of TOMFOOLERY and DUMBFOUNDEDNESS in the realm of ursine creatures like herself, she had it all over her. It felt like the world turned to pure black for just a moment and then- and.. Her claw— ..??? She STRUCK, but kinda just .. Passed through NOTHING and that unbalanced her which in turn had her crash into the ground. Of course, her biology meant that she didn't really stumble so much? But she did lurch forward a little. And then a... Rabbit??

She clacked her teeth together dangerously the initial second after Alcuin had translocated them. Her gaze went from side to side, looking ALARMED by WHATEVER THE HELL just happened. She then spotted the rabbit and stared at it momentarily, and then Alcuin was ..?

What in the name of HONEY WAS GOING ON HERE.

Her shoulders eased a little, and some of the tension in her body went away. It could have been more of a hunch; creatures like herself communicated more through changes in posture and other minor cues.

But they could clearly see that their combined effort worked brilliantly. If Alcuin had *Only* Teleported them away, it wouldn't have been hard for her to reassert her gaze on Tolius and think that HE was to blame for it. That would just have led to more aggression. She would just charge straight back at him until he **Removed** Himself. But that wasn't the case! Instead of the weird HUMAN she smelled, she saw a RABBIT and that- like, she LIKED rabbit. She HUNTED rabbit. But she also wasn't exceptionally hungry right now. And while she was much quicker than a rabbit, they were still very fast. In other words, chasing after it would've left ALCUIN behind, so her instincts didn't switch over to 'FOOD'.

Trying to eat the rabbit was more of a hassle than just letting it be. In other words, Tolius was no longer a threat. And like a switch, her entire demeanor changed in an instant. Her shoulders relaxed. Her vocalizations stopped. Her breathing, more of a mildly exerted pant at the moment, slowly returned to normality. She still stared at the rabbit in *Confusion* But that also helped because it kept her focused on .. Whatever the hell this was rather than aggression.

And then there was the matter of Alcuin. She didn't get it yet. But, also, she couldn't really understand **Any of this**, which slowly, SLOWLY.. Got the gears in her mind to *Turn*. She was trying to *Comprehend*. But for now, she settled on her previous duty. She tried to prod him gently by thrusting her head into his frame. If that didn't wake him up, she'd position herself around him again, returning to her job as windshield and glorified pillow. Which might bring him back to the land of the living again, too, because she was drooling all over the place, and her spittle smelled disgusting.
Eugene
At the prodding from Yrsa, Alcuin initially jolted away for a brief second. It was too reminiscent, in his state of pitch black vision, to the nudges and near misses he'd experienced beyond, as he ran for his life. But the feeling of her fur, her gods awful musky smell, were familiar and comforting. He blindly patted around, trying to get one hand on each side of her large head. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke, **"Thank Calisto, I must not have hurt you."** He tried to keep her head pointed at him, willed her to look at him *Very* Well. **"Yrsa,** ***Listen***. **I can't see right now, I'm** ***Blind*** **."** He moved one hand to try to emphasize by waving it in front of his face, then by gently finding her own eyes. **"I need you to guide me. I'll hold on to you, but please don't run off. I won't be able to follow."** 

Taking handfuls of fur on her flank like handholds, he felt and pulled his way to standing beside her. He kept one hand firmly knotted in her fur. He absolutely didn't trust her not to bolt off. Once he found his feet, he was wobbly, but able to stand. He called out, **"Tolius? Tolius!!"** The lack of an answer concerned him. But also he had no idea quite *Where* Or how far he'd taken them. His guess would be not far, since he was a novice and clearly couldn't hold much power. He'd just have to let Yrsa guide him and wait. 

The new warlock guessed he had severely overdrawn from his demonic demigoddess. He shuddered at how far she'd gone to punish him. Though, he supposed, it wasn't entirely undeserved. If he weakened her, that could be the difference between life or death in an even fight. He whispered, feeling she could hear him somehow anyway, **"I'm sorry, mistress... It won't happen again."** At least he'd endeavor for it not to. He certainly couldn't deal with a condition like this for long without danger. But he acted because he felt he had to. Though he was trending towards a path of darkness, it hadn't consumed him.

He still wanted to protect others, especially those he could call allies... Friends? That felt like a stretch, perhaps, but a small part of him found he would like it to be true. Alekhya's presence within him helped him feel less alone. But these two he'd met along the way, they were warm brightness, like the sun, compared to her cold comfort, like the moon.