[FIN] Serious Business [Bee]

[Dark]

Though she would never admit to it, the crazed muttering had begun to work its way under her skin; the canine was completely unhinged, and Myfanwy found it increasingly unpleasant to be in so close proximity to such an individual. The change of pace, when it happened, was welcome.

The half-dozen projectiles would have been of greater concern if they had been anything other than ground-based, or if she did not possess the capability of flight. Not proper flight, of course--her wings were not big enough to handle the task, sadly--but she could hover quite effectively.

Myfanwy launched herself into the air, and watched as the attack went hurling past beneath her feet. The projectiles left furrows of disturbed earth in their wake.

She scowled. The magical attack made her uncomfortably aware of her own deficiency in that regard. It was something, with time, she was hoping to remedy. It was a weakness that she could not afford.

[Bee]

Reisz was rather proud of the girl for the aerial movements; there was little doubt that her lass was probably always going to be at a size and strength disadvantage, but she liked to hope she's prepared the girl with a few other useful tools, like cleverness and resourcefulness and, when it came down to it, some plain old dirty fighting.

Of course, it was possible for anyone to get caught off guard. Happened to the right best of them. Had happened to Reisz herself, once or twice, though she had more than enough jaw strength to make anyone regret getting in close.

She saw the movement of the fight like an approaching wave. The wolf hefted, using superior Club strength, the fallen door, directly at Myfanwy. There was no way to elegantly dodge that. The wolf flew forward at the same time, in the direction the lass was angling to move, to catch her in a tackle and bring her to the ground.

[Dark]

Her awkward dodge of the suddenly airborne door brought her right into the path of the wolf, and they collided with a snarl. Myfanwy allowed momentum to carry them over, snapping with her teeth--which sunk satisfyingly into a fleshy bicep--and with a well-timed shove used the same momentum to knock the male off before he could pin her.

Her saliva, mildly toxic and wonderfully fast to take effect, worked its way into his system. He struggled to stand, wobbling unsteadily. Myfanwy looked around for a weapon.

The door had burst apart upon impact, and she scrambled to pick up a hefty chunk of wood before rushing over to where the wolf was still struggling to stand. The poison wouldn't last long.

A measured blow to the back of the head. The wolf slumped, unconscious. Myfanwy poked him with her impromptu weapon to verify the results. Success.

Myfanwy looked in the direction she knew Reisz to be watching.

[Bee]

Reisz proffered a large, lopsided grin. "Dispatched by not quite done," she said, approvingly, though she didn't imagine the poor mad fool was going to have a very long lifespan after they brought him in. "I'd rate you did well."

She felt a small twinge of dissatisfaction, though it had nothing to do with Myfanwy's performance. If this had been a final exam of sorts, who knew what the girl was going to get up to after graduation? Her own damn call, of course, but she had rather liked having a companion over the last few years, a friend, and if she decided to bolt it would...take some adjusting. She shrugged the thought off. She was very adaptive.

She clapped the girl on the shoulder, decided she deserved more than that, gave her a brief, hard hug, and said, "All right, let's bind this rotten little geck and haul him out."

[Dark]

They delivered the wolf without incident, and returned home. Myfanwy picked at her supper.

She had done well, and should be pleased. She was. Today had proven without a doubt that she was capable of protecting her siblings. But that was just the problem. Protecting her sisters meant she had to leave. In the five years she had resided here, the Veldt had become home. Reisz was her mentor, and friend, and it was almost physically painful to think of leaving her. But she'd made a promise; she had a duty.

Myfanwy squared her shoulders. Reisz would understand.

"Reisz," she spoke, "Mine sisters... It draws time to return, methinks. I..." I will miss thee.

But warriors did not blubber about how much a person meant to them, or collapse in undignified tears over a change of location. They would still be friends. It was only a road that would separate them, easily traveled.

[Bee]

Reisz afforded her a curt, solemn nod. She knew about the lass's sisters, of course. Her entire rationale for living under Reisz's wing was to one day return to protect them. It was easy to forget people hundreds of miles away, people she'd never met, but the girl wouldn't have put them out of her head. Of course she was going to go back to them. Would have been selfish of her to ask her to stay here when she had duty elsewhere, despite how welcome she'd be.

"Ye know, of course, that ye can come and go as thy please." She thought it a tidy speech; both (unnecessary) permission to leave, and an open-ended invitation to return. She'd even like to see the girl's sisters. It sounded like all of them were disgraces to their Suit through terrible fault in upbringing, but they all sounded good-natured. She even entertained the notion of going to see Myfanwy in the capitol, but she had a rather overwhelming feeling that that just didn't suit.

When they were done with supper, she went to a small, shoddy-looking chest. She opened it and plucked out her prize. She offered it to Myfanwy with a small, fond smile; in her paw was a large, crystallized insect much like the ones that hung in her own ears. "Reckon it'll offset some of yer pink."

[Dark]

They pierced her ear before bedding down for the night, and Myfanwy spent a long while admiring the new adornment before falling into restless sleep. She woke long before the dawn, and methodically packed her meager possessions into her kit.

Reisz was up early as well, and they shared a silent breakfast. Myfanwy helped wash the dishes, partially out of habit, but mostly out of a strong desire to put off the inevitable. After, there was nothing left to delay departure.

The earring jangled as she moved, and she felt lighter for having it. The parting was still bittersweet, but--not an ending.

Myfanwy gave Reisz a tight hug, clinging to the older woman longer than was strictly necessary, before picking up her kit. A soft whistle brought Brynjar to attention.

She exited the humble abode that had been her home for so many years, and took a deep breath of Veldt air--warmth, and hay, and dust--and set off at a brisk pace towards the Capitol just as the sun was beginning to crest the horizon.

It was time to go home.