The hills offered many opportunities for Sheema, a time to reflect on her life and a time to hunt. One aided the other, for as she stalked the hills near the city she allowed her mind to mull over one of the recent talks she had with her new<span style="font-style: italic">Mentor</span>Ian. A brave and honorable man to be sure and with a lot more wisdom than one would have thought, Sheema had found being in his company was far more pleasant and educational. He knew more of the honor system of this world than she had as of yet been able to devise on her own. Ian had remarked that she should try and make herself more<span style="font-style: italic">approachable</span>, just to help people trust her more despite her people being a rarity in these parts.<br/><br/>These were the thoughts and questions that had wracked her mind the point that the manor she now called home felt too stuffy and far too stifling. Air was needed and lots of it, so it was that she packed her gear and headed out to do some hunting, which was what she now attempted to do. The grass brushed against her face, tickled her nose there and caused her whiskers to twitch. Just as she lined up a shot for a small deer, a cry went out which drew her attention.<br/><br/>Prey now forgotten, she knelt there in the grass with her head up, her ears flicked and turned, to and fro as she tried to pinpoint where the sound had come from. Another outcry and she sped off in the direction it came from, with the words of Ian playing in her mind about being more available to people. After all it was the honorable thing to do and she was bound my honor to assist those in need. As she drew closer to the sound she could hear more yelling and another cry, this time one of pain as well as what sounded like wood being splintered.<br/><br/>The easy trot that she ran at slowed to a walk as she approached a rather distressing scene. At a glance she speculated some kind of bandit raid. A large wooden cage sits in a mostly broken heap, having fallen off a large wagon. The horse that is attached to the wagon lies on the ground, smoking from a horrible burn wound that covers most of its neck and body.<br/><br/>A pair of humans, a half elf, and a dwarf are all that remain of what used to be a larger party. Six bodies lie strewn about the clearing.<br/><br/>As she approaches she appears to startle those gathered by mostly her appearance than anything else, but finally the dwarf speaks up for the group.<br/><br/>"What do you want?" He asked.<br/><br/>Not seeking to startle them further, Sheema decides to not draw her axe, though her hand is close enough to it that should she need it she could easily grasp it. "I am Sheema, Daughter Azraga, second in the Abd-al-Matin tribe. I heard your cries of distress and came to offer my aid," she looked about the place again just to take stock of the damage. "What has happened here?"<br/><br/>The dwarf looked her up and down before finally seemed to decide that he could trust her.  He shook his head, he kicked at a splintered piece of wood.<br/><br/>"This is what I get for being clever." He muttered. "We were bringing an ankheg from the west, hoping to rear it as a bit of a farming assistant. Y'see, when they make their tunnels beneath the ground, they enrich the soil with their droppings. The idea was to settle it beneath the farms, keep it fed with livestock, make a profit when the farmers yield increases. But, it had other plans, it seems. It waited until it could make an escape, then spat acid over our horse, broke out of its cage, and took out a bunch of our companions. It dragged one of the handlers off with it."<br/><br/>One of the humans scoffed, then drew a crossbow from a case and picked up a case of bolts before speaking.<br/><br/>"Yeah, and now that it has a taste for more intelligent fare, I doubt that any farmers are going to want it burrowing underneath their land. We should go kill it. Maybe we can collect the difference on its carcass."<br/><br/>The dwarf looked to Sheema, eyeing her axe as he stroked his beard.<br/><br/>"Sheema, right? You look like you know how to handle that weapon. Care to help us take care of a bit of a bug problem?"<br/><br/>Later she would have to prey to the spirits and thank them for this opportunity, for it was surely as if favor was shown to her on this day. Plagued with earlier thoughts from the talk with Ian, she now had the hunt she had craved and the chance to help those in need. There was truly no reason for her to not help.<br/><br/>"I can track the beast for you that would make it faster," she offered without another thought and went to examine the area where the beast had been.<br/><br/>It did not take long for her to pick up the scent of the creature, given it was unfamiliar it was an odor that stuck out above the rest. With the aid of those there, who had seen roughly where the beast had run. Through the trees they ran, often they came across thick trails of blood that eventually ended in a clearing. Within the clearing there was a rocky protrusion that held a cave within the base. From the edge of the clearing they could see a coat of webbing that clung to the cave’s mouth.<br/><br/>Sheema advanced to the last bush and knelt there to maintain cover, and gazed more carefully at the cave. "Are spiders of this size common in this area?" she asked the group in general hoping that one of them had some form of knowledge that could be helpful in this situation.<br/><br/>"It's kind of hard to tell what's common around here." The dwarf remarks. "Seems like we encounter one type of beast on one expedition, a different type entirely on the next. Might be elves in the forest, meddling with things. Might be some mad mage living out here."<br/><br/>"I've seen big spiders before." The half elf remarks. "Big angry bastards the size of a dog, crawling around their webs. We used to get them in the storehouses whenever it got cold or wet enough outside."<br/><br/>"Might also be that it's just a legion of tiny spiders, laying web down for months." One of the humans adds.<br/><br/>With the knowledge offered she nodded, “Alright, we approach cautiously. Those with bows be at the ready, I would rather not get tangled in the webbing unless there is no other choice.” When she was certain they were in agreement she hefted one of her javelins and approached the cave slowly. As they entered the cave, she took immediate note how her foot stuck slightly to the floor, which slowed her movement. There were no other signs of spiders, but the fresh blood that was smeared on the walls more than concluded they were in the right place.<br/><br/>Following the blood, they entered a larger cavern and it is there that Sheema gets the first look of her prey as it engorged itself on its prize. The moment they entered it snapped its focus right at them and let loose a shrill cry as it stepped over the bloody remains waving its claws aggressively. Without hesitation Sheema roared a challenge back at the beast and hurled her javelin then got her greataxe out and at the ready. "Don't let it flank you!" she shouted to her companions. "Mind the spider webs and don't get hemmed up in it!" The beast was pissed, that was easy to see and she was not about to have her companions get harmed during this. She took up this position to help them and others, which is what she fully intended to do.<br/><br/>Her javelin had been thrown with such force that it passed clean through the beast to embed itself within the dirt wall of the tunnel. The others took up positions, with the crossbowman taking a shot, before ducking behind the other man, who sets his spear against the ground, the tip pointed at the large beast. The dwarf readied his battleaxe behind a heavy wooden shield, and the half-elf readied a bottle of vibrant orange liquid.<br/><br/>Pissed from the Javelin throw the beast reared and lunged right for Sheema, who brought her arm up to guard her face and was rewarded with a sharp bite along her arm as the creature tried to lock onto her. A roar of pain spilled from her lips as she jerked her arm back, “Don't worry about me! If you get a shot! Take it!" she shouted to the others in the group, as her life was not more important than stopping this beast from hurting some other innocents in the area.<br/><br/>The dwarf attacked from the side, his battleaxe biting into the ankheg's thorax. It squealed and leaned away, only to be struck by the other human’s spearpoint, which scratched a line into its underside; the halfling lobed a vial into the air, which breaks over its back, spilling acid over its abdomen and burning it.<br/><br/>A final jerk she managed to get her arm free, her battleaxe now raised high above her head she brought it down with all her might and nearly cleaved the beast in two. A final thrashing of its legs is their reward before it finally gives up and dies. With the ankheg dead, the rest of her temporary companions pass solemnly into the space, regarding the badly-chewed body of their ally.<br/><br/>After a moment, the dwarf returns to you, holding up a ring that bears the image of a paw print.<br/><br/>"Thanks for your help. We'll deal with the remains. This ring bears the symbol of our guild. If you ever need the help of our Rangers, show this ring to a hunter, animal trainer, or woodsman. They might know where to find one of us." He also offered her a pouch containing 200 gold pieces, saying that it would cover her portion of the profits that would come from selling the beasts remains.<br/><br/>The ring is taken with reverence and a slight bow of respect, "Thank you. I am most honored with this gift and will continue to strive to be worthy of it." She slips the ring on and then takes the offered pouch of gold, securing it to her person.<br/><br/>"May I assist with the burial? Your friend died honorably and I would like to help in laying them to rest and honoring them for their sacrifice this day," tone filled with nothing but the utmost respect as she regarded the dwarf before her.<br/><br/>"Your offer is appreciated, but the burial will be taken care of by her surviving family. Even we won't be present during the burial itself." The dwarf scratches his beard. "But, if you want to pay your respects, you could probably stop by the Bayton cemetery in a few days. It'll take some time to make burial preparations, and the family might like to hear from you, considering your help here. I'll make a point to be there around midday for a few days after the burial."<br/><br/>"I will do that," she nodded. "If you ever have need of me again, I am staying in a private estate outside of Bayton. The knight there is a friend of mine and he will give me any messages should I not be there when you stop over," she said with a small smile. "Take care and hunt well," she said as she offered her hand for a friendly handshake.<br/><br/>Once the exchange was done, she left and returned to Bayton to inform Ian of her adventure and see if his clerics could not heal her.