Post by Wren on Dec 7, 2004 3:06:33 GMT -5
Sacien was progressing steadily into her fourteenth year, and she was becoming increasingly adept with her throwing axes. She would practice with them all day long if she had been allowed to, but she had to make sure her chores were done first. Her mother expected Sacien to keep the firewood bin full, and if needed she had to chop wood to replenish the wood pile. She didn’t mind the work; she looked at it like another way to train, for it required good aim to hit the crack in the wood, where it would split like butter. It also helped to build her arm muscles. She was beginning to take an interest in using a battle axe, but as of yet it was a little too heavy for her young arms. It wouldn’t be long though.
Today though was her day free from chores, and she decided to take a picnic lunch and head into the woods with her throwing axes for some practice. She loved being in the woods among the trees. The mossy path felt soft even under her booted feet. She brushed back a strand of her long, glossy black hair and began to look for a target. She found a hardwood stump that was at least as tall as her shoulders; it was wide enough to provide a good space for her axe, and it had a fungus growing right in its center.
She drew the first axe back over head with both hands and heaved the axe with all her might, aiming at the center of the stump. But her aim was slightly off, so it hit just above the fungus without disturbing it. Her next throw was true, and she cleaved the cloud’s ear fungus right through the center. She practiced all morning until she began to grow hungry. She hit her target more often then not, and all-in-all she was pleased with her workout.
She laid out an old woolen blanket, and began to lay out her the contents of her picnic basket. She had her mother’s baked bread, some cheese from their own goat’s milk, and some fresh cider from apples she had picked last year in their apple orchard out back of their house. For dessert she had a small basket of strawberries. She had just taken a bite out of her cheese and was chewing contentedly, when a huge hulking figure stalked out of the brush. She swallowed the half-chewed lump, gagging as it caught in her throat. The creature came out of the shadows and dropped down on all fours it was a huge bear with brown, shaggy, fur and long sharp looking claws. He began sniffing with his nose working furiously.
Sacien was not about to let this bear steal her food. She shouted at him and waved her arms wildly trying to scare him away. It seemed the bear was not going to leave the food without a fight, for he was unimpressed with her attempts to frighten him. He stood up on his hind legs giving him a height double that of the girl. He opened his mouth wide and let out the loudest roar she had ever heard. Something within Sacien seemed to break loose, and instead of cowering in terror at the monstrous bear. She charged into the oncoming bear’s attack, and she hadn’t even had time to grab either of her axes for they were still stuck in the stump she had been using for a target.
As the girl and bear were rushing toward each other, an outward change began to take place within the girl. She could feel a power welling up within her, a wild fierceness beyond her control. She could feel her body growing and lengthening. She screamed as her jawbone lengthened. Her teeth also grew and became sharp as razors. Her feet changed into great paws with long claws as lethal as that of her opponent. When her body became covered in fur her mind filled with panic, but the battle lust was upon her, and she could not deviate from her destiny. Sacien and the bear clashed head on, tooth to tooth and claw to claw. She bit and tore as savagely as the other. But unlike the bear who was just a bear with a bear’s intelligence, Sacien retained her human intellect though her physical form was that of a bear.
The bear’s evil claws tore deeply into her shoulder, raking down the length of her arm. In retaliation she all but tore the bear’s ear from his head with her teeth. She growled fiercely at the would be thief, and in his own tongue she warned that her picnic was not worth dying for. The bear was shocked at the change that had taken place in this mere girl, and even more surprised that she could speak to him in his own tongue, but he was a stubborn brute and was not about to give way to this child. He crouched back on his hind legs, and sprang suddenly at the girl. She could feel his powerful weight crushing the very life out of her. She felt his hot breath against her neck, and a drop of salvia from his angry mouth dropped onto her cheek. She was powerful in her own right, however, and positioning her legs up and beneath the bear she heaved him off of her. He landed on his back, and before he could roll over and rise to attack once more, she launched herself at him. She grasped him by the throat with her own bear teeth, and growled menacingly. The big bear knew he was about to die, so in the language of bears he spoke to the girl. “Release me, and let me go. You have indeed beaten me. If you spare my life I will grant you this gift. From hence forth you will have the respect of all bears. If you are ever in need you have only to call us for I am a prince of the bears in this realm. You have earned my respect, and I will leave you to your picnic.”
At his last words the girl thought she detected a slight chuckle. She removed her teeth from his neck, spitting out fur as she backed away. With the intensity of the battle leaving her bloodstream, she once more regained her human form. The huge bear stood up on his hind legs, and bowed to her. Then he dropped to all fours, and waddled off into the forest leaving the young maid to make sense of what had just happened.
Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. She pulled her axes loose from the stump, and stuffed the remains of her almost untouched lunch into the picnic basket. Then she marched back through the trees towards her home. This time she didn’t notice the soft moss under her feet. She couldn’t understand how she could have changed shape like that. Just this morning she would have thought it impossible for a man or woman to turn into a bear. Such a thing was for legends and tall tales to put children to sleep at bed time. Her shoulder began to ache, and she noticed for the first time the blood dripping down her arm. She yanked open the door of her house, and barged in on her mother in the kitchen who was rolling out some cookie dough. Her mother looked up in surprise as her daughter came storming in. She took one look at the blood running down Sacien’s arm and let out a loud scream. She grabbed her daughter and sat her down in a chair near the fire. For in truth, Sacien was beginning to feel faint from the excitement and the loss of blood, but she was too angry to pass out.
Her mother’s scream brought her father running in from the shed just outside of the kitchen. In her confusion she shouted at her father and mother, “What is happening to me? What is going to happen to me? How is this even possible” She demanded.
Her father responded calmly all the while her mother was washing the arm and stitching up the wounds. “You were attacked by something, possibly a bear, and you are bleeding, but you will soon be alright, for your mother is stitching you up.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.” She retorted.
Her mother nodded. “I’m all finished here, why don’t you and your father take a walk. I believe he has a tale you will be interested in.”
Wearily she nodded her head, and with her father’s arm around her good shoulder the two went for a stroll in the gardens. “Let me tell you a story my dear about an ancestor of yours. His name is Beorn and he was once in the Battle of Five armies…”
Today though was her day free from chores, and she decided to take a picnic lunch and head into the woods with her throwing axes for some practice. She loved being in the woods among the trees. The mossy path felt soft even under her booted feet. She brushed back a strand of her long, glossy black hair and began to look for a target. She found a hardwood stump that was at least as tall as her shoulders; it was wide enough to provide a good space for her axe, and it had a fungus growing right in its center.
She drew the first axe back over head with both hands and heaved the axe with all her might, aiming at the center of the stump. But her aim was slightly off, so it hit just above the fungus without disturbing it. Her next throw was true, and she cleaved the cloud’s ear fungus right through the center. She practiced all morning until she began to grow hungry. She hit her target more often then not, and all-in-all she was pleased with her workout.
She laid out an old woolen blanket, and began to lay out her the contents of her picnic basket. She had her mother’s baked bread, some cheese from their own goat’s milk, and some fresh cider from apples she had picked last year in their apple orchard out back of their house. For dessert she had a small basket of strawberries. She had just taken a bite out of her cheese and was chewing contentedly, when a huge hulking figure stalked out of the brush. She swallowed the half-chewed lump, gagging as it caught in her throat. The creature came out of the shadows and dropped down on all fours it was a huge bear with brown, shaggy, fur and long sharp looking claws. He began sniffing with his nose working furiously.
Sacien was not about to let this bear steal her food. She shouted at him and waved her arms wildly trying to scare him away. It seemed the bear was not going to leave the food without a fight, for he was unimpressed with her attempts to frighten him. He stood up on his hind legs giving him a height double that of the girl. He opened his mouth wide and let out the loudest roar she had ever heard. Something within Sacien seemed to break loose, and instead of cowering in terror at the monstrous bear. She charged into the oncoming bear’s attack, and she hadn’t even had time to grab either of her axes for they were still stuck in the stump she had been using for a target.
As the girl and bear were rushing toward each other, an outward change began to take place within the girl. She could feel a power welling up within her, a wild fierceness beyond her control. She could feel her body growing and lengthening. She screamed as her jawbone lengthened. Her teeth also grew and became sharp as razors. Her feet changed into great paws with long claws as lethal as that of her opponent. When her body became covered in fur her mind filled with panic, but the battle lust was upon her, and she could not deviate from her destiny. Sacien and the bear clashed head on, tooth to tooth and claw to claw. She bit and tore as savagely as the other. But unlike the bear who was just a bear with a bear’s intelligence, Sacien retained her human intellect though her physical form was that of a bear.
The bear’s evil claws tore deeply into her shoulder, raking down the length of her arm. In retaliation she all but tore the bear’s ear from his head with her teeth. She growled fiercely at the would be thief, and in his own tongue she warned that her picnic was not worth dying for. The bear was shocked at the change that had taken place in this mere girl, and even more surprised that she could speak to him in his own tongue, but he was a stubborn brute and was not about to give way to this child. He crouched back on his hind legs, and sprang suddenly at the girl. She could feel his powerful weight crushing the very life out of her. She felt his hot breath against her neck, and a drop of salvia from his angry mouth dropped onto her cheek. She was powerful in her own right, however, and positioning her legs up and beneath the bear she heaved him off of her. He landed on his back, and before he could roll over and rise to attack once more, she launched herself at him. She grasped him by the throat with her own bear teeth, and growled menacingly. The big bear knew he was about to die, so in the language of bears he spoke to the girl. “Release me, and let me go. You have indeed beaten me. If you spare my life I will grant you this gift. From hence forth you will have the respect of all bears. If you are ever in need you have only to call us for I am a prince of the bears in this realm. You have earned my respect, and I will leave you to your picnic.”
At his last words the girl thought she detected a slight chuckle. She removed her teeth from his neck, spitting out fur as she backed away. With the intensity of the battle leaving her bloodstream, she once more regained her human form. The huge bear stood up on his hind legs, and bowed to her. Then he dropped to all fours, and waddled off into the forest leaving the young maid to make sense of what had just happened.
Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. She pulled her axes loose from the stump, and stuffed the remains of her almost untouched lunch into the picnic basket. Then she marched back through the trees towards her home. This time she didn’t notice the soft moss under her feet. She couldn’t understand how she could have changed shape like that. Just this morning she would have thought it impossible for a man or woman to turn into a bear. Such a thing was for legends and tall tales to put children to sleep at bed time. Her shoulder began to ache, and she noticed for the first time the blood dripping down her arm. She yanked open the door of her house, and barged in on her mother in the kitchen who was rolling out some cookie dough. Her mother looked up in surprise as her daughter came storming in. She took one look at the blood running down Sacien’s arm and let out a loud scream. She grabbed her daughter and sat her down in a chair near the fire. For in truth, Sacien was beginning to feel faint from the excitement and the loss of blood, but she was too angry to pass out.
Her mother’s scream brought her father running in from the shed just outside of the kitchen. In her confusion she shouted at her father and mother, “What is happening to me? What is going to happen to me? How is this even possible” She demanded.
Her father responded calmly all the while her mother was washing the arm and stitching up the wounds. “You were attacked by something, possibly a bear, and you are bleeding, but you will soon be alright, for your mother is stitching you up.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.” She retorted.
Her mother nodded. “I’m all finished here, why don’t you and your father take a walk. I believe he has a tale you will be interested in.”
Wearily she nodded her head, and with her father’s arm around her good shoulder the two went for a stroll in the gardens. “Let me tell you a story my dear about an ancestor of yours. His name is Beorn and he was once in the Battle of Five armies…”
