(Roxana Initiative: 21)

Roxana is about to raise her hand to point out the movement she had seen. But Gaer had already alerted the group.  She starts to move for her bow, ready to fend them off. 

(Rash Initiative: 21)

"Nine hells," the half-orc mutters, brandishing his staff. "More beasts trying to eat us... just what we need. Anita, stay behind me and try to give us some cover fire with that crossbow! And Kunnari... um... try not to get eaten, I guess."

OK, since the clash seems inevitable, I roll the Initiatives for NPCs and Monsters:

Anita: 9
Kunnari: 3
Gaer/Rubybreeze: 15
Dawnborn: 5
Zentromya: 14 
Aedion: 6

Dire Wolf 1 (white spot on the forehead): 7
Dire Wolf 2 (bloodshot eyes): 12
Dire Wolf 3 (fur dirty with mud): 18
Dire Wolf 4 (foul smelling): 11
Dire Wolf 5 (fat belly): 4

OK, rolling Initiatives for Spira and Aidwyn also:

Spira: 22

Aidwyn: 17

Round 1

Roxana, Rash and Spira are the fastest to react and are up! Any order!

Combat Stats (those interested can peek):

Rash will go ahead and start by casting magic missile at Bloodshot Eyes Wolf, dealing 9 Force damage.

Round 1

The force bolts hit the large, ferocious beast even though it tried to crouch at the last moment. The fur is now stained with a little blood, but the answering growl by Bloodshot Eyes Wolf (BW2) sounds more like anger than pain - the resistance of these beasts must be remarkable.

Roxana and Spira are up! Any order!

Combat Stats (those interested can peek):

"Aedion, fly up to where these wolves can't get you," Spira calls telepathically to the little couatl, "and where you can see what they're all doing and tell us things we need to know.  Just call straight to whoever needs to know it ... like if one of them sneaks up on Kunnari, for instance.  But if you hear a voice inside you, or a feeling, that you think is the whisper growing within of whatever god's voice you were born to follow, follow that.  I've learned that your people have magical powers, but beyond this talking mind to mind I don't know what they are.  That's something the voice inside will have to teach you.  But Uncle Gaer and I have powers too, and we've used them together before this to scare off other dire wolves.  Or fight them sometimes; though that was only when they were starving or some dark power was driving them on."

As she finishes the last words of her maternal guidance to Aedion, she is already beginning to put them into action. Leaving her crossbow and mace dangling by her saddle to be reached for at need, she casts thaumaturgy three times.  With the first, she makes the ground shake under wolves #3 and 4 for a full minute as if an earthquake were imminent.  On her subsequent turns (unless a companion is endangered), she will use a second casting to create a splitting peal of thunder in the midst of the attacking wolves (Held Action) that also lasts a minute; and if there hasn't been any significant change in the situation she will use her action the third turn to amplify her voice and cry out commandingly to the wolves, "HEEL!  GO OFF AND HUNT YOUR RIGHTFUL PREY INSTEAD!"

And naturally, if she herself is damaged the fire in her tiefling blood will be unable to refrain from boiling up and putting a ready response at her fingertips she does not even have to think about to access (hellish rebuke).

Round 1

The tiefling cleric's maternal recommendations are quite detailed, but fortunately telepathy is a very fast method of communication, so she still manages to act before Foul Smelling Wolf (BW3) and Mud Dirty Wolf (BW4) attack. As large and ferocious as they are, the fake earthquake visibly worries them and they stop for a moment, looking into each other's perplexed eyes.

Roxana is up!

Combat Stats (those interested can peek):

(OOC: how detailed is the map?  are those stone formations actually there, or is that part of a generic backdrop filled in by whatever map generator you used?)

[[ OOC: The stone formations have been generated, but I mean them to be there... Let's say they are boulders in the forest ]]

Bow already in hand, Roxana draws an arrow and fires it at the same wolf Rash had hit with his magic.

(Shortbow Attack: 20, Damage: 8)

She then directs her horse back, away from the wolves as much as possible.  (I think 60 ft, trying to go straight south.)

Round 1

Bloodshot Eyes Wolf dashes aside and the girl from Longsaddle's arrow only grazes him, but Roxana thus gains enough time to distance herself on Snowshine's back.

[[ OOC: Yes, a warhorse's movement is 60' - 12 squares. Since the terrain is somewhat dense forest, with possible ice or snow every now and then, I would consider it difficult terrain, therefore movement of only 6 squares... but this will also apply to the wolves, obviously. ]]

The feral creature, enraged at having been the object of several attacks, launches itself against the group, starting to undermine the hocks of Spira's horse!

Anita, however, had the time to take up her Light Crossbow and quickly takes aim at her, while she mutters: "Troublesome beast!"

Anita's Attack: 19 Damage: 10 (piercing)

Round 1

This time Bloodshot Eyes Wolf (BW2) is less ready to react and the ex-Zhentarim's bolt takes off his left ear!

Now, Aidwyn is up!

Combat Stats (those interested can peek):

Round 1

[[ OOC: Taking Aidwyn's turn ]]

Aidwyn has the horse that is secured to the cart... useful situation when traveling, but inconvenient in a fight in the middle of the forest. The young heroine then frantically frees the horse from her cart, trying to keep an eye on the battlefield.

It seems to her that Spira's side is reasonably well defended, so she goes to stand in front of Rash instead, hoping to intercept any wolves interested in a half-orcish meal.

Fortunately, Foul Smelling Wolf and Mud Dirty Wolf, confused by the fake earthquake unleashed beneath them, are slow to act.

Fat Belly Wolf (BW5), however, advances determined and tries to bite one of the valiant heroine's legs...

Fat Belly Wolf's Attack: 18 Damage: 15 (piercing)

Round 1

But Amazon's Guardian is quickly interposed and the ferocious teeth bite only at shiny Mithral - without making a dent.

Dawnborn lets himself slide behind her, off the horse's back, to try to possibly stay out of her reach from the large predators, then targets Fat Belly Wolf with her light crossbow.

Dawnborn's Attack: 11 Damage: 5 (piercing)

Round 1

The target, however, despite its fat belly, demonstrates reasonable agility and moves at the last moment. The bolt is planted in the ground at the side.

White Spot Wolf, undisturbed, joins his wounded companion, preparing to launch a coordinated attack.

Gaer dismounts to get in Roxana's way less and takes aim with his crossbow to finish off the already wounded wolf.