[b][u]Jonrik[/b][/u]

"Ugh," the blacksmith grunted as he regathered the bundle of leafy boughs he had lost hold of when he tripped over a rock. The moist environment and his work had plastered his hair to his neck and face with light sweat, and he was tired of hauling materials to the shelter. Jonrik was not one to complain, though, and continued his task with only a slight grimace. As he neared the shelter, Jonrik started and almost dropped his parcel as he heard Audrunar calling through the trees. 

"[b]I think this is a fine spot, Jonrik. Not the spot I had in mind, but I guess this spot will keep us from travelers' stinging eyes.[/b]" Jonrik made it to the shelter and dropped his bundle near the unfinished wall. Audrunar was burdened with logs, most wet from the environment: not that it mattered much. Wet wood could burn, it just took a little while to ignite and when it did the smoke would be darker than normal. Alva had not yet moved the camp here, though he suspected she would start on that at any moment, so Jonrik didn't object when Audrunar dropped the bundle near the shelter. He inspected the shelter and the area more before continuing, "[b]I am guessing you'll want some spruce twigs after this, to cover the sides? Should I get them for you?[/b]" Jonrik hadn't been paying too much attention to the types of branches he had used, but it sounded like a good idea to use different types. 

Audrunar started on getting spruce limbs before Jonrik answered, but he called to him, "Yeah, that's a good idea," just to keep comradery alive and not to seem rude. The blacksmith went to crouch near the unfinished wall and continue to intertwine branches to their optimal efficiency, but his eyes happened to glance toward the direction of camp to see a frightening sight. From where the shelter was, one could look and see where they had stopped on the riverbank through the trees and foliage. There was still a distance between the two spots, but he had the feeling if he yelled Alva could hear him. As he glanced over, the sound of a primal roar echoed from the bank, and he saw a large brown form hurtling toward the figures in the distance. From where Jonrik was, he could not see the camp as well as Audrunar, but he was still alert and heading off to his wife at a jog before the other said anything. Audrunar's words were lost to the wind as Jonrik finally realized the danger Alva was in and launched himself in the direction of the river.

Jonrik ran past Erika as she came to him and Audrunar, caring little for her plaintive cry in that moment. The beast had turned to Alva (and Faen too, but Jonrik paid him as little thought as Erika) and the fearful anger that pooled in his stomach was almost unfathomable. He noticed as Faen put himself between the woman and the bear, but the sight didn't comfort him and he hefted his ax as he got closer, watching as Faen chucked his catch at the bear's snout. It didn't do much but make the creature flinch, but it gave Jonrik the time he needed to swoop in and save Alva. As soon as he was close enough, the smith roughly shoved, more like threw, the woman in the direction of the woods. He quickly spun on his heels and waved his arms at the bear, moving a little bit farther away from Faen to give the bear more choice in target. Foolish, but Jonrik wouldn't blatantly abandon the man who would've saved Alva's life. Intentional or not Faen had indebted the blacksmith to him. 

[b][u]Alva[/u][/b]

Alva smiled widely when Erika returned to camp, looking past Faen to take in the sight of the fortuitous catch. "Audrunar cannot take much longer to simply gather firewood," she said cheerfully to Faen. She leaned back to the firepit, but felt a deathly cold fear grip her bones as she caught sight of a huge brown bear striding, slowly but with deserved ease and confidence, toward them. As she opened her mouth to warn her companions, the whimpering sound was completely dominated by the thundering roar of the bear coming for the group. Alva scrambled to stand as the bear took a sudden lurch forward, barreling forward to Erika and her kill. Alva gasped in horror, backing away now that she was on her feet, as the beast swung at the huntress, missing only because she tripped over the prize of the evening: the buck. 

Thunder rumbled in the distance, a minuscule concern in the face of immediate danger. Standing near Faen because of their previous proximity, Alva visibly flinched when the bear turned its dark, beady eyes for the pair. She pulled a shuddering breath to her lungs as she looked into the bear's eyes. Small and impossibly dark, they held no traces of thought or emotion, not even anger. Alva didn't object when Faen put himself between her and the bear. An effluvium of carrion and animal musk wafted from the creature, making it that much more horrifying and disgusting. An impossibly long moment stretched as Alva quivered, petrified. She didn't hear Faen's out-of-place laughter, only the bear's heavy breathing and her own terrified gulps of air, or see Jonrik and Audrunar returning from the forest, just the matted fur and rippling muscles of the brute in front of her.

The moment ended when Faen launched his trout at the bear's face. Alva would've laughed too had she not been so rooted by fear. Faen took the moment to shove her from the bear's path (not that she minded much, she was more than grateful to not be alone in that moment). She pranced away, keeping her balance until Jonrik came in from where she hadn't seen and tossed her farther. Then she had to clamber on her hands and knees to stand. When she finally reoriented herself, Faen and Jonrik were in front of the bear. Jonrik taunted it by waving his arms, and the sight of his ax reminded Alva to draw her shortsword. She reached to her hip and pulled the blade out in a smooth motion, but looked down at the object uncertainly. She doubted that her shortsword would be much help. Or any of their weapons for that matter.