How+he+found+Mari

Mari ( Moonsong's Wolf )

Erevin looked over the bloody scene, 3 adult wolves and 2 pups smashed, ripped and torn their blood splashed and sinking into the snowy white, mountain side. He studied the wounds and paced off the attackers tracks. The small pack must have been half starved to try and take on a bear this size. He moved up the mountain side following the massive paw prints etched in blood. He pulled his bow free and pulled his hood up to try and keep the snow out of his face. The Rangers fur cloak and boots had been enough to get him this far, but here at these heights the wind was beginning to cut through, he would need to find shelter before long.

The tracks continued up the ridge and appeared to be quickening. Erevin moved up along the rock face and found an outcropping and took it as a high point. Then he heard it, a great growl followed by smaller cry. Erevin launched himself in the direction of the noise. He ran through the thigh deep snow, pulling an arrow from his quiver. He slid beneath the branches of a large pine tree to see the Black Bear had cornered the last pup from the pack. The bear was huge, 8ft standing up, the pup was hopelessly out matched she was small tired and underfed. The pup having no where else to run turned and regarded her attacker with all she had. The fur on her back stood up on end and she bore her teeth at the beast. “Such heart” thought Erevin who alone would witness this. The bear stood up again and roared, such anger and hate, it was here when Erevin saw the pink flecks of blood stained foam falling from the bears mouth. It had gone mad with disease and needed to be put down. Erevin loosed an arrow and then another and another. Each finding its mark in the beast’s back. It howled again this time the rage had turned to pain and it wheeled around to find this new attacker. Two more arrows founds the bear’s chest, blood flowed from the bear, it roared again before spotting Erevin, and charged. Its weight and strength shook the ground with each stride. Arrow after arrow Erevin tried to slow the beast then when it seemed it would ram and knock over the tree he hid beneath. The bear fell and slid to a stop and the Rangers feet.

Once the bear had fallen Erevin could see numerous broken off arrows that still penetrated the bears back and sides. Many of them old, the open wounds infected and rancid. To wound an animal and not hunt it down and put it out of its misery is the mark of a poor and unskilled hunter. He pulled one from the bear’s hide to inspect the arrow, “Orks” he spit, and tossed it to the ground.

Looking around he found the pup lying on the snowy ground, tired cold and completely drained from the attack and chase. He scooped up the pup and carried her back to the shelter beneath the tree. With the large bear serving as a wind block and the tree to protect them from the snow he started a small fire and made a camp for the night. With warmth and food, her strength returned fast, instead of running off, she too felt that this could be the start of something very good.

He would eventually name her Mar’i when she joined him in song before the nearly full moon. Too young to serve as a hunting partner now, but soon enough she would grow and serve him well.