Waking in a strange world

Posted on Thu Nov 19th, 2020 @ 2:44pm by Divine (Level 1) Wijen Leafwalker

Mission: Undead Cabbages?
Location: A cold clearing
Timeline: several hours after Small and smaller.

Sarah stirred with a groan. Her face was cold, and her head hurt. It smelled like rain had fallen inside her bedroom. She could feel she wasn't lying on her back, but more of sitting against a big fuzzy pillow. A blanket that was just as fuzzy was lying over her, keeping the rest of her warm. She opened her eyes and reached for her glasses, but then she realized she could see outlines of stuff in starlight. Her eyes looked up. She could see a few pinpoints of light above her. It took a moment. She was sure she hadn't started out like this. She looked to her feet and saw the blankets were piled high and now she could tell they were heavy. "I'm Camping?"

She lay there for a moment, trying to think of the weird dream she had been having. "We were in a car. Clown fell on me. Then some woman...How did I end up camping?" She shook her head. "Can you have a dream while in a dream?" As she sat there talking softly to herself, the pillow behind her moved slightly. This made her freeze. She could hear the pillow breathing. Hot air was blowing onto her uncovered leg. That's when she realized the wolf from before was actually lying on her feet. She was using the wolf as a pillow.

Her first thought was to run. Yet with her legs trapped by the massive mound of fur, that wouldn't work. She had dealt with larger animals before. Always keep your head she was told. Fear is the enemy. She began looking around for a way to escape. As she looked back to her giant furry blanket, she noticed it had it's eyes open. Blaze yellow orbs looked at her.

Wijen had to think. Why was she still alive. Why here. And what was this beast going to do. She began thinking back to what that horned woman in her other dream had said. Finally she tired to talk to the beast, fighting to keep her fear down. “You're big. You could have ate me at any time... Are you going to hurt me?” She asked the wolf who was lying down. It let out a low series of whines, as it lifted it's head.

“I don’t understand you. I can’t speak wolf.” She said, while lying there. Then it shook it’s head in no meaning.

“I’m safe? But...Your eyes. You’re a dire wolf?” Then it nodded for yes. There were so many questions to ask, but she had to figure out what to do.

Wijen moved and then sat up slowly, then stood. She began to stretch, then to pace. After a moment of thinking, she looked to it. “You’re my boon? My mount?" Gahhhh. I wish you could speak!” Without knowing it, she released a bit of power, this made her slightly weak in the knees. She put a hand out, catching the large beast for support. But a moment later, she heard a voice in her head.

“You, tiny friend. Part of a pack. You, me, packmates.”

Wijen blinked as she heard the voice from the whine of the large animal. "I heard you?"

"You power. Nature power."

"Druid. That's right. I can speak with animals." Sarah said with a nod. "May as well enjoy this dream." She looked down. In the moonlight she could make out the leather armor of the druid.

"Yes." The wolf replied. "We go." The wolf looked at her, then around towards the trees.

"How? I can't run as fast as you can."

"You ride. I carry tiny nature." The wolf stated.

“So you don’t mind me riding on you?” Wijen asked.

The wolf was massive on the ground, a giant load of floof. but as it stood, it towered over her head. Then it hit her. “Wait...” She could easily see under it’s belly. And also couldn’t see over it’s back.

Her hands went to her ears, then she groaned and broke into swearing. “Really? You messed up honred jerkhead! You made me a Damned halfling? A tiny fucking halfing?!? Like I hadn’t been short in my last life?!? You damn jerk!”

Wijen stormed away, swearing for a few moments. She had to get her anger out. After all, this dream was so bad she couldn't even get to be taller. A few minutes passed as the clouds moved across the night sky. The wind lightly blew across the meadow. And the whole place had a bad feel to it. She felt the increasing need to leave as fast as possible. Wijen went to her mount. “You know how to get to that Saint Ignace city?” She asked. The wolf nodded.

“Yes.” It said to her.

“Is it many days from here?” She asked, but the wolf shook it’s head.

“We arrive there soon. Must go. Bad things are coming.”

"What do I call you?" Wijen asked.

"I am shadow." The wolf said to her.

Off in the distance there was a roar. The dire wolf’s head snapped to that direction. Then it looked to her and motioned with it’s head to a pack on the ground.

“What?” Is that roar something bad?” Wijen asked. The wolf nodded again. “Like really bad?” The roar came again, sounding a bit closer, and the wolf nodded again, using bigger head motions.

“Bad.” The voice from the wolf said to her. “You grab stuff. We go fast.”

She followed the wolf over and saw a pack, plus a bedroll attached to it and a Staff laying across it. “This pack is mine?” She asked. Again the wolf nodded. "Can I put some of this on you?"

"You carry bag. Stick goes in Strap. You ride." The wolf said as it turned. Across it's back was a single leather strap. But on one side of the strap was a small holster. She slid the staff into that, then slung the pack onto her back.

The far end the moonlight meadow erupted into chaos. A large, lumbering creature moved into the clearing. Several wolves and smaller humanoid creatures entered the clearing. "Is that a troll?"

"Giant. We run." The wolf got as low as it could. Wijen jumped up, with the pack on her back and she slid onto a spot so her feet could be near the leather strap that encircled the large beasts waist. Then it let out a howl before turning and running away. She held onto the strap as the wolf ran for the meadow's edge. She was not prepared for the speed the wolf could use. And a part of her was reminded of the motorcycles a friend of her fathers had used to take them on rides the year prior.