Athene unnocks her arrow and emerges from behind the tree. She scans the skies for the aarakocra. "Gone. What was that exchange about?" Seeing the dragonborn try to climb over the log to get at the wolf cubs, she approaches. "Leave it. You can't ease everyone's suffering."

Eylf hissed in response, " So why didn't you leave me?"

"My mission is to assess threats. They seemed like a threat." She glances towards the origin of the noise. "Wolf cubs. Motherless. They will learn to survive on their own, or they will die. Nature gives, and takes, regardless of our feelings."

" Cubs? Babies? We have to help them.  They'll just get eaten by this black goop.  Can we at least take them with us until we are clear of this *blergh*?", Eylf was on the edge of tears.

Athene tries to maintain a stoic facade, but she can't hide the way her eyes glisten and her lip quivers. She takes a slow breath to try and calm herself. "If they'll let us. The mother's body is nearby, they may not want to leave it." 

Eylf breathed a long sigh of relief....worried that Athene would abandon her as well if offended...

" Thankyou. Truly. Now....I just need to get there without dying myself...."

Athene guides the stranger back to where she saw the wolf cubs. "Young," Athene says. "Likely won't survive the year." Her tone is clinical, but her voice wavers

Quote from fistofcurry >>

Athene guides the stranger back to where she saw the wolf cubs. "Young," Athene says. "Likely won't survive the year." Her tone is clinical, but her voice wavers

 " So we take them with us then?  There must be someone kind nearby who would give them a home? Perhaps somewhere there is an overabundance of deer?"

" Or they can stay with me.", she was fairly sure this wouldn't be allowed by the Academy but figuring that was a problem for the future.

" Are they still nursing?", she said worriedly.

Eylf had never actually seen a wolf before but she had seen a dog and had read a lot about wolves in books....so she figured she was going to be fine.

The pups have taken notice of you both and are pawing the air, in clear indication that they would like very much like to get to you. As if trying to speak, they begin to make gurgling, mewling noises. They appear very weak, but one of them, the smaller of the two, lets out another squack. It's like its trying to howl but doesn't quite know how to make the oooo sound required.

Athene your keen eyes pick up that while the pups are on a large, dead wolf that has likely succumbed to the mold that surrounds it, neither of these animals bear the the tell tale signs of the stuff themselves, but you would need a closer inspection to be certain of this rather unlikely fact. What is fascinating is that if this is indeed the case, it would mean that these pups somehow knew better than to touch the sickened earth and have been waiting, starving, thirsty, since the wolf succumbed to its injuries. How long ago is impossible to say, but one thing is clear:  they would not survive much longer without a miracle of their own. 

Nature gives and Nature takes. Athene knows this well. These are not the first animals orphaned by the forces of nature, nor will they be the last. The way of the Vaelahryn was to be indifferent to the suffering of others. 'Pity is a weakness,' Strigia's voice echoes in her mind. 'The hungry weasel has no pity for its prey. It does what it must to survive.' Athene pauses. She tries to close her heart, but the sound of their mewling, and the desperation she saw in the dragonborn's eyes, pries it open once more. She leaps down and grabs the smaller of the two. "Too young to hunt. They need us to provide." She scans the trees. "I won't take another life to save theirs. That's not my place. We get them away from here, find something they can feed on. Better yet, find another pack that will take care of them."

Eylf clapped her hands together, "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"I can carry one in this pouch....all the rations are gone so theres lots of room."

As you hold the pups, you can feel them trembling despite how warm it is in this boggy forest, feel their ribs rubbing against their fur. Despite this, they both wriggle with excitement or fear or starvation, unclear--but they both wriggle in your hands. Eylf yours especially: it's trying to climb up to your face. You have a hard time holding it still, keeping it from falling in the mold, as you try to put it in your ration bag. Roll animal handling please and thanks:)

( Eylf Animal Handling:- 19 )

( If possible Eylf is going to throw herself under the pup, not worrying about the danger to herself to try and attempt to stop it from touching the Blight. Is a roll possible? )

Hm, sure. Maybe give me an acrobatics check?

Acrobatics: 9

( ****, this is going to break her...and possibly me...)

omg your rolls are so bad :( 

I'm trying not to be biased here but I feel bad for your rolls so I am thinking of potential solutions. Do you think Athene is standing close to you? Wonder if she could help at all. My logic being that if I were standing next to someone trying to wrangle a small animal, I would instinctively try to help out (even if I were holding an animal myself)

Athene reaches out to keep the Dragonborn from falling into the Mold.

(Using the Help action)

Thanks Fist<3 

Eylf roll acrobatics again, representing your ability to catch the pup (10+) or keep the pup out of harm's way using your body (15+)