(And they say gender segregation doesn't exist anymore... ;) )

 Then if Kelric is in favour, the 3 of us depart on a hunt.  What kind of terrain are we in? Is there a forest nearby?

North of the hamlet is a small oak forest, it's trees bereft of leaves and life. A small congregation of human and halfling children follow at a distance as you enter the forest.

Survival check.

Survival check: 24

Meanwhile on her end, Jill tries to have a conversation with Misha. "He was only trying to be nice. I know that he tends to have un baton dans le cul, but he's trying to help. I don't believe that he's trying to get between you and Natasha, he was just trying to be a gentleman. You didn't need to pull your hammer out and you don't need to insult his penis. Not while he's trying to be one of us. You should apologize and try to provoke less confrontation with him. But if he becomes hostile, you can crush his tiny pecker with your hammer all you like." 

((this is what i get for having a life god damn it xwnkjdcel))

Natasha was about the thank Oni for offering the cloak and just as she was about to reach for it, Misha had stepped in the way causing her to quietly squeak out a strained 'no' in protest. Words got caught up in her throat to a point where she couldn't even interject when Jill had given her the opening to and when Oni walked away with her possible only chance of coverage, Natasha could have cried. She stood there with a look of disbelief, her hands motioning towards Oni as if trying to grab him and bring him back.

"A-ahh... W... Why...?" She managed to choke out as she watched the disguised tiefling walk off. "Misha... I," Natasha looked over to the paladin now, her look changing to that of dismay. "Misha, I appreciate you protecting me, thank you," She begins, her bottom lip quivering just a tiny bit. "But Oni was just trying to be nice. I could have really used that cloak of his, I... I'm not... Comfortable like this," She gestures to her simple shirt and, of course, the shorts. "No one will take me seriously if I continue to walk around like this. At least with his cloak I could've covered up, save me some of the little dignity I have left, not be gawked at, you pay attention." Natasha looks defeated, tired. "I'm not mad at you! Just... Disappointed." She blames herself mostly for not speaking up when given the chance and turns away from the paladin with a frown. "Let's just go... See if we can find the rest of the guys." The elf starts to make her way in the direction of where Oni had walked off to, not entirely sure where they went.

Grum finds tracks belonging to an abnormally large wolf specimen leading deeper into the forest. 

"Those're Grimjaws' tracks." A halfling child of about ten declares, stepping forward. "Are you gonna kill Grimjaws?"

Is Oni familiar with Grimjaws?

Nature: 14

Also was I able to procure a shortbow from a villager?

 ((Would Grum know what a Grimjaw Is? How big they are, etc?))

Never mind, Oni beat me to it. 

Misha watched Natasha walk away, and was confused. Then Jill spoke, and broke her train of thought.

”Perhaps. It is feeling in gut. Something is off about that one.” Misha said about Oni. “Do not trust him. Is like..is hiding something, reclusive, secretive. Did not think he make move on Tasha, no. It is something deeper, and is why I acted way I did. Take moment and see from my eyes. Do not know him well, so first instinct is untrust, not know his intentions, he no normally act that way. Perhaps was too rough, or no pick up signals, but I protect Tasha like I would protect you, or others. I have been nice to others, but him, he act strange. Back home taught to be feared, respected, not liked. Am different than you. Probably lack social skeels at that moment, but warriors gut is important, too. Keep eye on that one, Jill, if he act against us will crush him under my boot like insect.”

Misha wasent programmed to do things like apologize, or feel bad. She was created to conquer, to fight, and stand up for what she believed in, for what Bane believed in. If someone got hurt because of it, so be it. Bane did not teach her to be weak, to be pushed around, threatened, or to stand down, and those who did not earn her respect would know it, and be treated as such. The weak, dishonorable, and unglorious would be crushed. 

This is what she knew. But maybe there was more she could learn? Jill made her think.

"I share your concerns. I believe that if we are going to survive together, we should not be keeping secrets with each other or go running off. But so far he has been on our side and until that changes, we must coexist with him and not threaten him and insult his manhood, or lack thereof. Now let's go catch up with everyone before they get themselves lost."

Misha nodded, and followed.

Oni and Grum, from what you gather from the child, Grimjaws is a massive wolf that has been terrorizing the local farms and carrying off livestock. No hunter has been able to take him down, but the lad proudly claims that his father sheared off one of Grimjaws' ears with an arrow.

(I wasn't aware that you returned the encampment, but if you did one of the villagers would have gladly lent you a shortbow.)

As Oni, Kelric and Grum walk towards the forest, Oni looks to allies. ”Everyone has shared their past and what lead them here, except me. I’ve only been alive for 18 years but it has felt like an eternity. I was born in a small town to human parents, though my birth was difficult on my mother and she didn’t survive the days after. In a bloodline of all humans, I was the only Tiefling, and my father believed I was cursed. I didn’t see sunlight until I was 10, I felt nothing more than pain, starvation, and loneliness in those years. My horns never fully grew, my father made sure to file them down in an attempt to “humanize” me. On the 10th anniversary of my mother’s death, my father came home more drunk than normal and came down to the cellar to beat me. For the first time, I felt clarity through the pain, I concentrated on my hatred for him and the dark room filled with a bright crimson light. My hand was consumed by light that crystallized into this crystal,” as Oni takes out his crystal to show them. ”In anger and confusion I charged at my father and felt a handle formulate in my hand. I didn’t know what the outcome would be but I knew that I wanted him dead. After my anger momentarily subsided, I looked down and my father had a jagged dagger in his heart. He looked at me with horror and fear for a few brief moments before passing, and I finally felt something more. I felt acceptance. I took the blade and as I put it in my pocket, I felt the crystal reform and radiate warmth. I left my house and just started walking.” Oni was so concentrated on reliving his past he didn’t notice the little halfling listening to his story the entire time. ”Sorry little one, you shouldn’t have heard that. Grum, do you think we can take a beast of this size or should we regroup with the others? I don’t mind going back to find them.”

Are Jill and company able to track down the hunters and the children?

"I don't want by to go back in case I lose the tracks. I think we can probably take it. Let's keep moving, but slowly and carefully."

All the time, Grum has deliberately been leaving tracks that would be fairly subtle for most, but that he knows another ranger like Natasha would be able to follow, not knowing if the others would want to join up again as a larger group, but making sure the option is there in case they do.

Grum sends the children and other townsfolk back to safety. 

((RE: the shortbow, we went back to the townsfolk to find Kelric))

Survival:15

Jill has no issue picking up Grum's tracks. "With tracks like these, they might as well have just told us where they were going. We will catch up to them in no time, mes amis."

((Jill beat me to it!))

“Nice work,” Natasha gave a shy smile over to Jill. “Sure you’re not a ranger too?”

"No my friend. The people who helped me gain my powers also trained me in tracking and surviving in the wild. They mainly taught me how to track the undead and other creatures that would make the blood run cold, but in a pinch I can follow the tracks of a more mundane creature."

"Even Misha see tracks. Just..not as good as Jill!" Misha lets out a hearty laugh that would scare the birds away, if there was any nearby. "Not so good at tracking beasts. Other things, yes. So, I follow you two. Just point if find something to smash with hammer."