While summer had been in full swing in the southern continent, Talyssa had rarely strayed far from home. But now with the season change upon them, she was keenly aware of the thaw that was likely getting ready to begin in Boreas- if it hadn’t already. That morning, she had geared up for the long haul, taking enough supplies that she could be out and about for a few days and not have to return. A few morsels of food, a piece of flint, a small steel knife borrowed from the kitchen, some charcoal in a small box, and most importantly some of her incomplete maps rolled up in a capped tube for protection during transit. Everything was individually wrapped and tucked into a small messenger bag- one that she had draped casually over her shoulder.

Early afternoon she found herself taking a few moments to rest at the side of an ocean inlet, where it had cut deep inland. The water here was fresh and safe to drink- and she would gladly take her to fill. She had set her bag down away from the rippling bank for safekeeping so she could wade out a bit without fear of it getting wet. Content with its placement, she continued to the river’s edge to satisfy her thirst. But unfortunately, the opportunity never came.

With a sudden roar and an aggressive splash of water, her attention was immediately drawn toward the opposite bank where an enormous grizzly bear was crossing the fjord, a clear intention to its angry gaze as it headed straight for her.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

Ohhhh, well now. Wasn't she a pretty thing? Quill had begun to make his way north, searching out the area that his family now called home. Pity they weren't still on the island. His walk would have been much shorter in that case. Ah, but if they had been on the island, he wouldn't be able to stalk this sweet, young thing before him. Quiet as ever, the mottled man tailed the earthen fae, eyes eating up her supple little frame hungrily.

As the young fae made her way to the waters edge to drink, Quill settled down in the foliage, using the shadows to his advantage. There was no reason to rush the game. Each moment spent stalking was another granule of sugar added to the mix. Catching her would be so sweet. That was, if something else didn't eat her first...

The roar of a bear was accompanied by it's stench and Quill instantly curled his lip up in a grimace. Bears were disgusting things. It looked as though the beast was going straight towards the woman, so Quill stood, shook out his coat, and made his way out into the open. The man's fur bristled, making him appear larger. Lips peeled back from his teeth and the big brute snarled loudly, stalking towards the edge of the water to meet the bear. The grizzle thundered onto the bank and Quill was ready, dodging the bear's first blow and skirting to the side to sink his teeth into the sensitive flesh of the bears armpit. The bear roared in pain and began to spin, but Quill had already let go and was a few paces away, resetting himself for the next attack.
"Quill"

Why couldn’t she get her legs to work?  MOVE! A voice screamed in the back of her mind, but it didn’t sound like her own. Talyssa stood blinking in place, watching the massive predator crossing the inlet with a surprising amount of agility. Her paws were slow moving- stuck in place as if trapped in mud- the anxiety of an impending struggle causing her to blank. What to do? She needed to move. Why couldn’t she move? When the grizzly finally pulled itself out of the water, she had managed to stagger back a few steps- but it simply wasn’t enough.

What she hadn’t been expecting was the sudden presence of another. A large sterling brute plotted his way into her line of sight. Almost casually- as he moved to intercept the bear. He was a good bit larger than her, a bit older- and appeared even more so as he bristled in defense. It was a display that had definitely caught the bear’s attention just in time for it to make land fall. It took a swipe at man- she cringed as she anticipated the impact of it’s massive paw. Though the man was ready, and quickly dodged out of the way with ease. But with the same push of momentum, he landed a blow of his own. One that clearly angered the beast further.

During the entire first round of exchanges, Talyssa stood awestruck. Not really believing what her eyes were seeing. Frozen in place as she fought to process what was happening. The draw to help was certainly there, but part of her was afraid of making things worse. But in the ended, she decided it was the least that she could do. If a distraction was all she could be, then maybe that would be enough. On shaky limbs, Talyssa bounded forward at an angle. Moving towards the bear’s hind quarters- snapping at the fleshy part of it’s back leg just above the hock.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

Had he not intervened, the girl would have been killed instantly. In his peripheral vision, he could see her, still standing frozen. All he could do was keep the bear away until she snapped out of it. With the grizzly focused on him, it was easy to do. Blood coated the man's maw and it dropped onto the group below the bear. He'd gotten in a pretty good strike to that sensitive elbow skin.

Quill had placed himself between the bear and the water, but he wasn't worried about it. There was enough space behind him to sidestep if need be. He wouldn't need to do this since the girl snapped out of her catatonia. She bit into the bear and the grizzly spun, turning his attention back to her. Wasting no time, Quill ripped into one back leg, damaging the Achilles tendon with his strong teeth and jaws. A groan rolled from the bear and it turned again, its beady eyes back on the marbled man. Quill's gaze darted about, searching the landscape for any advantage that it might give him.

There. A loose boulder on the edge of the fjord. If they could lure the bear beneath that boulder, he could shake it loose and crush their foe beneath it. "The boulder," he growled out, stalking backwards towards it so that he could keep his gaze on the bear. Hopefully the fae was smart enough to understand that she would have to be the distraction that pulled the beast close.

"Quill"

Even though she had made contact with the bear- her teeth grazing its flesh, but doing no real harm other than aggravating it- she hadn’t really been prepared for the consequences of that action. With an earth-rumbling roar, it turned on her then. She could see the hate in its blacked gaze as it whirled around to address her as a threat. The desire to kill in a kill or be killed situation. It was written so plainly, that she could practically read it down to the fine print.

As it drew its massive paw back to swipe at her, she tensed her muscles in preparation to shove herself as far out of harm's way as she could get. Though, the need never arose. She could hear the surge of pain and had a fairly good idea of what had happened without having to see it. Ultimately, it was recognition that she was not the threat. The brute was. Mind reading for a solution, her attention settled on a nearby boulder almost at the same time she heard the masculine tone of the stranger’s voice shouting at her over the bear’s grumbling. The boulder. While she might not be perceived as a threat, perhaps she could make herself seem like the easier target. Crying out as if she had been the one that was wounded, she raced towards the designated landmark hesitating just long enough to ensure that she had attracted the predator’s attention.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

The young woman understood her role in this play of life and death and, whimpering sweetly, she put herself in the grizzly's line of sight. Quill simultaneously dropped back, curling back and behind so that the bear would no longer see him. The earthen fae continued her act, backing towards the boulder and the bear stalked forward. Perfect.

Quill had enough time to make his way up through the foliage and onto the stony outcropping that hung out over the fjord. It wasn't terribly high, but it would be high enough and heavy enough to trap the bear beneath. The man waited, pale eyes watching the scene unfold. One step. Two steps. It flashed through his mind just how easy it would be to let the bear kill the woman. He could watch from his seat up above as she was torn to shreds, eviscerated, disemboweled. Good thing she was so pretty.

As the bear finally came into range, Quill launched himself forward and leaped, paws planting hard on the boulder as he pushed off of it. The little pebbles holding it in place gave way and the large rock went falling, falling, falling down. He didn't see the bears end, but he heard it. A sickening crunch, a pain filled roar, then the waning sounds caused by the movement of a dying animal. The whole play had been acted out to perfection. Curtain close.

Quill Quilin Klein

Her cries were akin to prey, and that was exactly how she was interpreted. Once the predator’s attention was locked on her, she could feel its beady eyes burning into her flesh as she made a display of running away. It roared out of anger- frustration- anticipation. And there was a moment that she became cognizant of the fact of how devastating her fate could be should she stumble. As fate would have it, Talyssa maintained her balance and made it to the chosen point. For what, she wasn’t entirely sure. Though she would trust the brute with her life that he had come up with some worthwhile solution.

Once she had crossed the threshold of the vantage point, she slowed her pace. Allowing the grizzly to close the distance between in remarkable time. If she hadn’t been watching, she would have missed the grand event entirely. In a flash, the giant rocky fixture tumbled off the ledge it had perched on, and made its descent down toward the fjord. Whether the grizzly bear saw it or not, she wasn’t certain. Perhaps it didn’t even have time to register the sudden assault. Regardless, the weight of its impending demise had been too great. A disgusting crack, followed by visceral cries. And from then … it was only a matter of moments before the entire scene went silent.

Breathing heavily, she watched the bear’s unmoving carcass, now trapped beneath stone for several moments, before glancing back up to the rocky ascent above. It was difficult to see anything, looking up towards the glaring afternoon sunlight, her vision had become spotty as she narrowed her vision in an attempt to gain clarity. “Thanks for saving my life!” She called out with a little uncertainty audible in her tone. Not that she wasn’t appreciative. But she didn’t even know if the man was still around to receive her gratitude.

"Talyssa Carpathius"