Quote from Aroc_of_Eaf >>

...Clenching his teeth, he stands up and turns his back on the wolves, "Eithne, do you still want her?" ...

Eithne is shocked by the behavior of the she-wolf, incomprehensible to her; however, when Lucian asks her if she still wants the beast, she looks at him with thoughtful azure eyes and replies: "Perhaps many of us, if judged superficially, by the first impression, would be condemned. Yet perhaps instead we deserve a chance. That's why I would like to give this she-wolf too and her cubs a chance. If she can't be tamed, if she'll still prove to be a danger... we can kill her later. But I'll be glad to know that I tried to avoid spilling blood. The fact remains that she trusts you, not me... you will have to try to put the leash on her. And she will have to trusts me, when you pass the leash to me. Otherwise..." she shrugs "I won't be able to do anything for her anymore. Barovia is already dangerous enough without one more untamable hungry she-wolf around".

Nodding, Lucian turns around and looks back down at the wolf. He isn't sure if putting the leash on her would be the greatest way to try and make her get along with Eithne, but he knows that it would be better to have her somewhat restrained until they know they can trust her. "Alright," he says, voice a little less shaky. Kneeling down next to the wolf, he motions to Eithne, "Could you bring me the leash then?"

If Eithne will bring the rope over, Lucian takes hold of the scruff of the wolf's neck to ensure that she doesn't lunge towards Eithne. If the wolf growls at Eithne, Lucian will shake her scruff and scold her. Taking the leash he will slip it over the wolf's neck. Assuming she doesn't protest, Lucian looks her in the face and says, "This is your alpha now. Do as she says." He points at Eithne as he says this, and then hands over the leash. He feels rather silly talking to the wolf, he doesn't even know if she can really understand him. But perhaps she would pick up on his meaning through the tone of his voice. He doesn't let go of the wolf's scruff until he is sure that she won't do anything. 

Animal Handling (If needed): 20

If the wolf continues to act aggressively towards Eithne he will say hesitantly, "I don't want to keep her with us if she only listens to me. If she won't let anyone else handle her then..." He lowers his head, "Pietrovich can do as he wishes. ...I just, don't want to be here for it." 

If they manage to calm the she-wolf and get her to walk with Eithne,  he says, "I... I'll stay close for now... To make sure she doesn't try anything." Then, he will turn his attention to the puppies...trying not to look at the dead one. "I'd rather not put leashes on the pups. I doubt they will go anywhere without their mother," he says, once more picking them up and placing them in his jacket. He still doesn't like the leash, but he understands its purpose. The wolf needs to learn to respect Eithne, and the rest of the company as well. If he let it simply follow him, he doubted it would learn that. 

Once that is figured out, he will approach Chara. "Um...Are...you alright?" 

"How honest do you want me to be?" the she-devil asks with a less-than-convincing smile, still feeling queasy.

She sighs heavily, taking a few deep breaths before doing her best to give Lucian a truthful answer.

"This whole situation is like a bad dream," she says at last. "I... I know what the smartest thing, and maybe even the kindest thing, to do is... but seeing the mother just throw away her own child... I just..."

Chara lets the statement fade away; she can't put her thoughts into anything resembling coherent words anymore. There is a turbulent ball of emotions inside her. She hates the thought, but she knows that the most logical thing to do is to put the wolves out of their misery and move on. But her heart is telling her to allow no such thing, that it would be nothing short of evil to slay the beasts when they are at the party's mercy. And the fact that one of the pups was just killed by its own mother reinforces both positions in a horrifyingly brutal way. And... it reminds Chara far too much of how her own mother discarded her, even if she wasn't physically harmed by the event. The she-devil's emotional distress is far too strong for her to even try to hide.

Quote from Aroc_of_Eaf >>

... "Alright," he says, voice a little less shaky. Kneeling down next to the wolf, he motions to Eithne, "Could you bring me the leash then?"...

 

...If they manage to calm the she-wolf and get her to walk with Eithne,  he says, "I... I'll stay close for now... To make sure she doesn't try anything." Then, he will turn his attention to the puppies...trying not to look at the dead one. "I'd rather not put leashes on the pups. I doubt they will go anywhere without their mother," he says, once more picking them up and placing them in his jacket. ...

Eithne promptly gives the leash as requested. If they manage to calm the she-wolf and get her to walk with her, the savage stranger will reward the beast with some food. The last of the dusk elf maidens listen to Lucian and agrees: "I'll follow your advice. You seem to know your way with wolves".

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

..."This whole situation is like a bad dream," she says at last. "I... I know what the smartest thing, and maybe even the kindest thing, to do is... but seeing the mother just throw away her own child... I just..."...

Seeing Chara in distress, Eithne doesn't know what to think or say... The mother killing the cub has been disturbing for her also (and for a chorus of voices in her head as well), but... well, it's so easy live disturbing experiences in Barovia... She would have not expected the she-devil to be so vulnerable. The scene must have touched something deep in her!

"You still are not alone" she finaly manages to try to comfort her, putting an arm over her shoulders. "As long as 'who do you know' lives," (she doesn't dare to speak Stradh's name here, openly, while Pietrovich might hear) "there will be a lot of nightmares around. But we are trying to earn the right to dream, are we not? Let's be strong. Things will get better".

"Cruelty has ruled Barovia for so long, it is now what even the wild animals expect," says Nikolai.  "She thought a sacrifice was expected of her to live, and she provided one.  Is it any wonder that the Evil that has ruled here for decades, perhaps centuries, has infected the beasts of the field?"

Before she realizes what she's doing, Chara has wrapped her arms around the elf maiden in a tight hug, clinging to her friend like a security blanket. The she-devil doesn't trust herself to speak at the moment.

You seem to know your way with wolves... Lucian shakes his head slightly, though it is unclear if he's doing so in response or if he's pushing away unwanted thoughts. 

Turning his attention to Chara, he hesitantly puts a hand on her shoulder. "I know..." He wants to say more but can't find the words. This is a first for him...dealing with wolves, dealing with the body of a child, seeing so much of himself in these events...he understands exactly what Chara is going through. 

Looking down at the pups he's carrying, he finds himself wondering what he's supposed to do with them. It wouldn't be wise for him to keep them for himself--not that he wants to anyways, these pups need to learn to obey everyone in the party. Perhaps it would be better to give them to someone else. Either way, no wasn't the time to ask. Not with Chara's distressed state, or with this mother wolf still skittish around the rest of the company. So he will wait. 

He looks to Nikolai, pondering the half-elf's words. Was that the reason behind the mother wolf's actions? Or had it been because she thought Lucian didn't want that one...because she thought he couldn't take care of it. One action was selfish, the other was perhaps a mercy. In spite of this cursed connection he seems to have to these animals, he sure doesn't understand them. 

Initially surprised by Chara's sudden embrace, Eithne soon reciprocates, bringing her arms on her back and behind her neck and holding her in turn, whispering to her softly, in a caressing voice: "Yes, don't worry... Everything will be fine in the end... We'll take care of it..."

By 'we' the last of the dusk elf maidens meant the party, but the voices in her head must have felt themselves included, because they mutter their assent back into her mind, one after the other... They too (like the savage stranger?) need to believe that something can be done to change the atrocious daily life of Barovia.

Chara clings to Eithne for a few more moments. She feels Lucian's hand on her shoulder. Slowly, her frayed nerves settle enough for her to speak again.

"Thank you," Chara whispers as she finally forces herself to let go of Eithne. When the she-devil pulls away, it becomes clear that she was crying; her yellow eyes have become red and puffy.

She looks at Lucian and does her best to swallow the lump in her throat. She notices the puppies that he's still holding. There's only one thing Chara knows for sure right now, she doesn't want to see more innocent blood shed. Even if her more logical side is still telling her that they should leave this whole thing to Peitrovich and wash their hands of the situation, she knows that she can't bring herself to do such a callous thing. Chara won't even try to guess if the she-wolf can be tamed now that she's not only hunted and killed a child, but snapped her own pup's neck... but the remaining puppies in Lucian's arms are still innocents. Chara hesitantly reaches out a hand toward one of the puppies, ready to pull it back if they try to bite her.

Looking all around her at her allies in mourning while she says her funeral rites, Onika creates blossoms on every deceased wolf's body, extending this service to them.

Pietrovich spits on the ground. “This one,” he points at Nikolai, “has right of it. These beasts belong to Devil that rules this land. They are hard, cruel, ruthless. Wolf killed the cub because she thought you wanted it. Is what her mate would do if taking another pack. These are not pets, are not wild, are like the land, beholden to the dark Lord. I won’t stop you if you want to try taming these wolves, but I think it is better to kill. It is said they are the eyes and ears of the Count.”

(OOC: so did the she-wolf let Eithne lead her on the leash?)

Lucian visibly cringes at Pietrovich's words. He has heard it said that wolves are Strahd's minions. Yet what did that make him? Clenching his teeth he turns to the hunter, "I do not believe that. He can't have control over every wolf in the land. He can't." He swallows, holding the pups a little tighter with one arm. "I know he can't," he says quietly, more to himself then anyone else. 

Looking up, he loosens his hold on the jacket, and lets out a halting breath. "Whatever her reason for killing the pup, she did it because that's all she knows," he says shakily, looking down at the she-wolf. "If it cannot be trained out of her..." He clenches his fist, which is still red with the blood of the other wolf, "I... I will kill her myself." He sounds more confident then he feels, and tries to ignore how shaky his hands are. In spite of this, he means what he says. If the wolf cannot be trusted, he cannot hesitate to keep his friends safe. Does he believe it will come to that? No, not at least until the wolf interacts with his other half. If that happens...well he doesn't know what would come of it. 

He looks to Chara, who had attempted to pet one of the pups, "Would you be willing to take at least one to care for? I don't want to be the only one they trust. It isn't safe that way." He speaks quietly, not wanting Pietrovich to hear. 

"Y-yes, I can do that," Chara whispers back, her voice still a little bit shaky. "I'll do whatever I can to try and make this easier on all of us... the pups can ride with me in the cart so we don't have to worry about them wandering off or getting hurt while we travel."

Chara hopes that Pietrovich is just being superstitious, but she can't quite shake the nagging thought that his recommendation, while heartless, is still probably the wisest course of action. After all, in these lands many superstitions aren't unfounded...

Still, her heart has won this time over cold logic, and it seems that her companions (excepting maybe Nikolai) are in agreement.

(So, if the she-wolf accepts that Eithne keeps her on a leash, we can resume our journey...)

(Chara is also more than ready to leave this mess behind her and continue with the actual mission, assuming that Pietrovich is satisfied and the child's remains have been recovered... I don't think we ever did establish with any certainty that the body we found was actually the child)

(Lucian is ready to head out too. If he wasn't still worried about the she-wolf, he would already be back at the cart by now lol. He just wants to hurry up and get away from all this.)

As Lucian attempts to put the leash on the she-wolf, she whines and struggles, but ultimately allows it. When the leash is handed to Eithne, the wolf appears docile. But when Eithne begins to lead it away, the wolf leaps at her, attempting to get at her throat. Two arrows swiftly strike the wolf in her ribs, rendering her dead before the jump can finish, the wolf falling at Eithne’s feet. As Pietrovich walks over to retrieve his arrows he says, “Is sad, but necessary. These wolves are no good. Mebbe pups turn out alright. I dunno. Is sad though.” He spits into the bushes.

Pietrovich views the remains and, shrugging, gathers them together and wraps them tightly in a sheet he has brought. “For family,” he explains.

You all walk out of the forest, walking to the wagon, the road, and your original journey. When you return, you learn that Hornbuckle has been busy in your absence. There are several rabbits on spits, cooking over a fire. There are also a couple of rotting corpses by the side of the road, dead far longer than the period you were gone. Hornbuckle is cheerfully dragging one of the carcasses off into the woods when you arrive back at the wagon. He gestures to the fire, inviting you to eat, while disposing of the body himself.

After you all eat, Pietrovich and Hornbuckle gather their things, including the child’s remains, and start back toward Vallaki. You once again arrange everything in the wagon, including Chara, and return to following the road. You lost a couple of hours hunting for the child’s remains, so evening will arrive before you reach your planned camping spot.As dusk approaches, you have to make a decision: continue onward or stop to camp once night falls.

"Thanks,"  Lucian replies to Chara. "I really appreciate it...and... I still need to talk to you, and everyone else after we are back on our way..." He trails off, not really sure how to continue.

When the wolf lunges at Eithne, Lucian prepares himself to strike it down. Yet the arrows are faster, and Lucian stands there wide eyed as the wolf crumples lifeless to the ground. He looks from the body to Eithne, then to Pietrovich. He has no words for what just happened... so he turns away and focuses on the pups he's holding. 

When they return to the cart to find Hornbuckle roasting rabbits and hauling...corpses? Lucian eyes the bodies warily, "What? ...what happened?" He frowns, then shakes his head, deciding he doesn't want to know. He keeps the pups close as they eat, sitting apart from everyone else for the time being. He knows better then to not accept food when its offered to him, but he feels rather out of place considering everything that just happened. He shares his meal with the pups, finding that he himself isn't that hungry. 

When they prepare to head out, Lucian places the pups in the wagon with Chara, creating a small nest in the blankets to help keep them together for the time being. He will take the first turn pulling the cart if no one objects. As night draws near, he looks to the others, wondering what they will decide in terms of stopping. He still has a lot on his mind, but is unsure how or when to bring it up. 

"I agree..." she tells Lucian. She would have said more, except that she is interrupted by the she-wolf lunging at Eithne, followed by the sound of two crossbow bolts striking the animal down.

The she-devil winces when Pietrovich shoots the wolf, but she has nothing else to say about that. When it lunged at Eithne, there was sadly little else that could be done.

Upon arriving back at the cart and seeing the... unusual scene, Chara nearly comments on the corpses, but decides against doing so. She still doesn't want to attract any unnecessary attention to herself. Nor, to be honest, does she really want to know the answer to the unasked question any more than Lucian does. Speaking of Lucian, she notices the elf sitting away from the rest of the party. Chara decides to join him, using the shared meal as an opportunity to let the puppies become accustomed to her presence in the hopes that it won't be quite as difficult a transition for them when Lucian leaves them with her.

"I think we should talk to Eithne before calling any kind of group meeting," Chara tells Lucian quietly as he places the puppies in the cart with her. "I have a feeling she'll be able to help plan our next move. I'm not sure yet how the others will react; I don't think Onika will be angry, but I won't pretend to know how Len and Nikolai will feel." (Chara is unaware that Nikolai already knows of Lucian's condition).

Chara will use the time spent sitting in the cart for a Short Rest to replenish her spell slot.

Lucian looks up as Chara comes to join him. He's got his jacket back on how, keeping the pups in or close to his lap as he shares his food with them. He doesn't say anything at first, clearly still shaken from everything that has happened. After a moment, he picks up the pup with the darkest colored fur and places it in front of her so that she can feed it. "I thought... this one could be yours," he says quietly. "Eithne can have this one, and Nikolai can have this one... if he...wants it..." He points to each pup in turn, then trails off. 

He nods when Chara is finished talking, "Oh... um. Nikolai heard, so... he knows." He shifts uncomfortably, "He says it doesn't matter to him...but I don't think he realizes that...well..." He lets out a breath, "I can keep it from coming out sometimes... most of the time... well, I haven't gotten into a lot of fights but..." He shakes his head, "Once I... it... happens. I can't control it." He fingers his overcoat, which has been mended multiple times---it looks to have been torn up and fixed again and again. "Thats why you all have to know. If I turn..." He shutters, then wraps his hand around the pocket watch that's hanging from his neck. "On the full moon I'll leave. I'll go far enough away that I won't be able to hurt any of you. But if it happens before then... you've all got to be ready. ...I'm sorry. I should have told everyone before we left. I meant to its just... I hate it."