The Rain of the Samurai

He lost sight of her as she moved up and assumed she was getting into position, then he stepped out of cover and stepped out into the open. He didn't say a word but brought his weapons together with with a crash and pointed with katana at the obvious leader.

They were sniveling creatures that didn't deserve to be challenged, only slaughtered. But seeing a lone human with shine weapons for then to steal they abandoned their game and some scrambling over the body made for him. The leader joining in the charge for the human.

"Come on little demon creatures. Come and see if you can touch a samurai."

forest-encounterturn2.jpg
 
Rain lay in wait. The goblins were still too far away for her to effectively pick them off before they took notice and attacked her. The warrior was still too far away to be able to do much if they did. So she watched them closely and decided that she would attack the cutter closest to her when they were within striking distance of the warrior.

(Rain delays her action. When the cutter closest to her is within striking distance of the warrior, she will attack it with Elemental Spirits, namely Lightning.)
 
Takahiro stepped forwards to meet the goblins as they barreled towards him cackling and gibbering their makeshift weapons blandished with vigor.

"Lets see if you die like rats or dogs." Takahiro challenged them before the leader among them threw a javelin at Takahiro but the point glanced off his armor and the shaft broke.

(Takahiro moves closer and the goblins continue their charge, the warrior throwing a javelin at Takahiro but failing to do damage)

forest-encounterturn3.jpg
]
 
Rain lay still. So close ... they were so close! Anger was coursing through her but she bit it down. She had to focus on punishing these goblins--with the warrior's help, of course. If she didn't, they would both be doomed and the poor deer ... She glanced at it. The poor thing was so still and in such pain! She made a quick silent prayer to the primal spirits.

(Rain stays where she is. Her trigger to attack with Elemental Spirits, namely Lightning, will be Takahiro making a charge action.)
 
Wordlessly he charged forwards swinging his sword and gritting his teeth, with a flash of steel the air was filled with a shower of black blood that drifted in the wind towards the ground. The two goblins in front, both caught bye the swing collapsed to the ground.

"Rats..."

Takahiro's eyes turned to the warrior who had thrown the javelin and he grinned, payback would be satisfying.

forest-encounterturn4.jpg
 
The joy of felling one and then the rest of the goblins, except the warrior, brought her a small measure of comfort. But she wanted to take them all down and that included the warrior. She advanced forward and unleashed Swarming Bats on him--but to no avail. She watched him disappear and lowered her head. She had failed the deer and the primal spirits.

The deer! She ran for the poor creature but she was no healer and she none of the potions offered by settlements outside of the forest. She turned to the warrior and attempted to ask him if he had any. She pointed to him and then at the deer and then, with palms facing upward, moved her hands up to show the deer getting up. Then she made a drinking motion with one hand and pointed at the deer.

(Rain moves forward 6 squares. She uses Swarming Bats on the goblin warrior but he gets away. Battle ends.)
 
He saw he concern ans slowly, regretfully shook his head. It was the only answer he could give. He sheathed his katana and walked up to the deer, leaning down and ran a hand over the creature's spine. He would be lame and was beyond his skill to fix. Wakizashi in hand he held it up, then looked down at the deer his hand taking hand taking hold of the deer's head and holding it against the ground it's throat exposed. Mercy was all he could offer the creature.

The sadness in Rain's face was surprising, he had never known anyone or anything to show such love for mere animals. And there he waited for her permission to continue.

(Combat ends. Rain and Takahiro receive 100xp each)
 
Rain's eyes filled with tears as she watched the warrior kneel and expose her throat. She stroked the deer's soft hide and didn't bother to wipe away the teardrops. She had to be strong but ... it was so hard! Such a noble creature and--and she had failed it! She knelt on the ground and took a deep breath.

The deer was beyond her help. She would avenge it and ensure that her death was not in vain. She nodded and didn't bother to watch the act. She threw her arms around the deer's body and stroked the hide, whispering to it that everything was alright and she could rest now. No more pain, no more sorrow, just peace and love and a reunion with the primal spirits.
 
A slash, the tensing of the body, then relaxation and it was over. He cleaned the blade and sheathed it looking in the direction the goblin had fled in. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked down at Rain. "I will kill every one of them that I find. This is a promise. A samurai does not go back on his word." He stood and stepped away giving her her time and looked down as the new scratch on his armor, it would remind his of what he was here to do.

Taking out a water skin he took a drink from it as he sat. Once Rain was done mourning, he would do the best he could to track the creature and put him down. This was now his duty.
 
Rain looked up at him. She still couldn't understand what he was saying but she could tell he was serious and he wanted to help. She felt better and she smiled slightly and nodded. But before they could hunt down the goblin and his kin, she had to ensure the deer's death was not in vain. She pulled one of her daggers out and made quick work of the body.

When she was done, she packed away what she would use in a bag and the rest she left out for the predators that roamed the forest. She said a quick prayer to the primal spirits, asking them to take the spirit of the deer in their embrace. She picked up her bow and nodded to the warrior. She was ready to avenge the deer.
 
She looked ready and he stood. "You care deeply. You are a good spirit. Lets find him and bring him to justice.." he headed in the direction the goblin had disappeared in and looked for some kind of trail but let her lead the way, she knew these woods better than he did. The best he could do was stay alert and draw his katana in case the creature was waiting in ambush.

This was the Takahiro his father had taught him to be, devoted and ready to unleash fury at a moment's notice. But unlike Kiyoshi, Takahiro wouldn't charge in blindly.
 
Rain smiled slightly. She couldn't understand him but he was being nice. His tone of voice said so. But for now, she had to focus on finding that goblin. There were caves nearby. They might be hiding there. She began moving along the ground and in the direction the goblin warrior had gone.

The forest was unusually quiet. She wondered if the creatures nearby somehow sensed what was wrong and were in hiding. She did not blame them. She paused at the goblin warrior tracks and peered ahead. The tracks continued. In its rush, the vile weakling hadn't bothered to mask its trail. She slipped through the brush and lifted her head. There might be sentries stationed nearby but so far she didn't see or smell them.
 
He followed her and kept his hand on his sword hilt. He was in unfamiliar territory and in the hunt of small creatures that had upset the creature he was fallowing He was beginning to have second thoughts about her being a spirit, but she had killed three of the creatures with one arrow to he had to continue assuming she was. He wished he could say something she understood to comfort her but talking while in pursuit of prey that she couldn't understand was stupid and dangerous.

They went for a while and it was starting to get late and in his heavy armor Takahiro was slower than her. "Rai-n." he called out and gestured for her to stop. They would need to rest, there was no use in them arriving exhausted so he slipped the pack from his shoulders and pointed to a small clearing. "Rest..." he mimed sitting "Food." he mimed eating. Her revenge could wait, he was only human, and he needed to eat, drink and have at least and hour or two rest out of his armor.
 
Rain stopped and turned at the sound of her name. She sat back in a crouched posture as the warrior began to take his pack off and pointed. She tilted her head and then it dawned on her. She so badly wanted to catch that goblin but he was right. They needed to rest at least for a little while.

"Mwowr ..." Then she slowly nodded and followed him to the clearing. She glanced from side to side, ears twitching but after a few minutes, she relaxed. No goblins or vile creatures around. She sat down across of him so she'd be able to see anything behind him and he could see anything behind her. She rummaged into her pack but found only raw meat. She couldn't make a fire ...

"Tah-ro?" she asked, pointing to him. She decided she wanted to learn more about him and his strange language.
 
His pack was off and so were the bracers of his armor as he worked on removing the chestplate. He looked at her as he pulled the flexible slatted piece and placed it down then started undoing his shin-guards. He didn't have full armor, traveling in full great-armor would be impractical. "Rai-n?" he questioned. Maybe she was hungry again, maybe thirsty it was impossible to tell without more.

He sat and gestured her closer wondering why she wasn't trying to preserve the meat, maybe she needed help.
 
"Mwowr ..." Not being able to understand him would prove to make the task of punishing the goblins harder than it would be on its own. She wasn't sure if she was up to the task on her own. As he removed his armor, she went through the pack again. She had quite a bit of raw meat from the deer and it would take awhile for her to preserve it.

She tilted her head as she looked at him. Maybe he could help and she could teach him some Common at the same time! She cut a chunk of the deer meat and offered it to him. "Tah-ro? Help. Make. Meat?" She began showing him the motions with one hand while holding the meat with the other.
 
She was holding out and mean and gesturing but he didn't quite get what she meant. He took the mead from her and looked at it, it was raw and bloody and needed to be cooked. So he handed it back and walked to the edge of the clearing to break a dead branch from a tree, then break it smaller, the start of firewood. Smoking and drying the meat seemed like the smartest plan. But it meant they would be spending the night. Not a huge lossit they picked up the trail in the morning. Supplies were always welcome.
 
Rain took the meat back and watched him. Even without his armor, he was still a large human. He certainly wasn't an elf. And he was too handsome to be a half-ogre. What a shame they didn't speak the same language. "Mwowr."

Meanwhile, the sun was beginning to set and the air was getting cooler. She watched Takahiro at work, cooking and smoking meat. She reminisced about how she used to watch her mother and her sister do this. She used to chew on raw meat but they would gently scold her and show her how to dry the meat.

Her legs clasped against her chest and her arms around her legs, she didn't realize she was dozing off.
 
It was something he had done countless times, though he usually didn't travel with meat sometimes he'd meet hunters or happened to get something himself. It was getting darker, and colder, and he had his waterskin next to him as he cooked. Rain however seemed to be dozing. When at last the meat was dine he carefully wrapped it in straps of cloth and placed it next to her pack then looked up at the darkening sky.

It will rain tonight." he said with a certainty in his voice pointing up at the sky before looking around for shelter. This land's climate was colder then the empire's if it was going to rain he wanted to be out of it.
 
Her eyes fluttered open as the warrior moved and placed the meat next to her. Her ears twitched and she looked up at the sky. Instead of looking for shelter, she smiled as she placed the meat into her pack. Yes, rain! She loved the rain! She got on all fours and stretched, then followed Takahiro.

It was a small pleasure of hers to play in the rain. It had often baffled her elven family as she stretched and rolled and just had fun in it. No matter how soft or how hard the rain became, she found herself in the thick of it. She wouldn't trade the experiences for anything in the entire world!

"Tah-ro, play in rain?" she asked.