A Reluctant Warrior [mild language alert]

[Ookami Aya]

I can barely feel the rough bark against my back through my cape and padded tunic. I had considered armor before heading out, certainly, but that idea flew right out the window as soon as I tried some actual armor on. That stuff is heavy. I am kind of puny. I may or may not have fallen over almost immediately after getting it on, and Seraph may or may not have laughed at me for it. (I still don't speak dragon so it's really hard to say.)

But I digress. Refocusing my mind on the matter at hand, I cautiously poke my head around the tree and peered into the clearing, not too far into the forest west of Durem.

Yup. Still there.

I pull back behind the tree and breathe out in a quiet, high-pitched whine. I'm not sure what I was expecting -- it's not like a herd of grunnies were going to just disappear if I wished it hard enough, but I find myself vaguely disappointed regardless. I really don't want to fight them. I really, really don't want to fight them, and not just because I dislike violence so immensely.

Damn my maternal instincts! Why must they apply to vicious bloodsuckers that don't even vaguely resemble human children, not even a little bit? I really don't want to fight them, but what else can I do? They've been attacking Durem in waves, and I seem to have stumbled across some sort of breeding ground, close enough to civilization to be worrying and just far enough away that I can't get a cell phone signal. If I leave, I may not be able to find them again. I am completely alone.

And damn it all to hell, the little furry bastards are adorable.  

[Ookami Aya]

I can do this. I can do this. Just lure them away one at a time and kill the blighters. I can do this.

My mental pep-talk honestly didn't help much, but I know one thing: I have to do this. I am in a position to prevent people from getting hurt. I don't have to like it. Just turn yourself off for a bit. I can freak out later.

I peer around the tree once more and spy a grunny moving away from the herd and towards my less than brilliant hiding place. It hasn't seen me, though, and is sniffing the air around it, tiny nose twitching madly. I pull back. It smells me and is coming over to investigate. Perfect. I can work with this.

I draw my rapier -- lightweight and sufficiently stabby -- and stand poised behind the tree, ready and waiting. As soon as the grunny comes into view, I thrust the rapier downward. There is a sickening squelch.

Enemy: Grunnies
AC: 10
HP: 40

Rolled AC: 14
Rolled Damage: 16

Attack successful.

Remaining enemy HP: 24
Remaining daily attacks: 1  

[Ookami Aya]

Ohgodohgodohgodohgod- It wasn't lethal but it did a fair bit of damage... more than enough to severely gross me out. I withdraw the rapier, and while I whimper at the blood dripping off it, the grunny pulls itself together and turns towards me, red eyes flashing dangerously. Too busy freaking out to attack, I regain myself just in time to dodge its attack.

Enemy: Grunnies
AC: 10
HP: 24

Rolled AC: 5
Rolled damage: 5

Attack unsuccessful.

Remaining enemy HP: 24
Remaining daily attacks: 0  

[Ookami Aya]

((By the way, if anyone has any comments on my roleplaying, feel free to pm me! I will reply eventually. Ahh, but I'm so out of practice, you know. Haven't written much besides poetry and schoolwork for ages.))  

[Ookami Aya]

I feet the grunny's fur graze my leg as I stumbled aside. Hoshit that little dude is fast. I am uninjured, but my dodge was hardly graceful, as I pinwheel my arms to keep my balance. As it happens, one of those arms is attached to a hand that holds a rapier, and is brought to a halt as said rapier runs into something. I fall in that general direction, but manage to wedge the rapier in the ground and shift my weight onto it to remain standing, more or less. As I use both hand to pull it out, I notice the grunny limping a bit with a fresh wound. Huh.

Enemy: Grunnies
AC: 10
HP: 24

Rolled AC: 10
Rolled damage: 7

Attack successful.

Remaining enemy HP: 17
Remaining daily attacks: 1  

[Ookami Aya]

The grunny is a bit disoriented from being attacked so rapidly and unexpectedly! And I use "attacked" very loosely. Either way, it's a bit stunned, so this is my chance. I run towards it, rapier out, to prepare what could be the finishing blow if I were the slightest bit competent. At the last second, I realize I'm going to miss... but low and behold, the grunny stumbled into my clumsy stab.

Enemy: Grunnies
AC: 10
HP: 17

Rolled AC: 10
Rolled damage: 11

Attack successful.

Remaining enemy HP: 6
Remaining daily attacks: 0  

[Ookami Aya]

By now the thing is bleeding like nobody's business and it's pretty gross. It's nearly dead, and I marvel that I managed to find the one grunny less competent than myself. That thought suddenly makes me feel sorry for it, and I don't have the heart to attack.

Enemy: Grunnies
AC: 10
HP: 6

Rolled AC: 9
Rolled damage: 8

Attack unsuccessful.

Remaining enemy HP: 6
Remaining daily attacks: 1  

[Ookami Aya]

No. No, I have to. It's a little monster. I move to stab it, but it is so half-hearted that it ends up more of a poke.

Enemy: Grunnies
AC: 10
HP: 6

Rolled AC: 11
Rolled damage: 1

Attack successful.

Remaining enemy HP: 5
Remaining daily attacks: 0  

[Ookami Aya]

Now I feel really bad. I can't do this. I pull out a magic crystal, channel my energy into it, and heal the poor thing. It hops off in either fear or gratitude.

Enemy: Grunnies
AC: 10
HP: 5

Rolled AC: 18
Rolled damage: 19

Attack successful.

Remaining enemy HP: 0
Remaining daily attacks: 1  

[Ookami Aya]

The Daily Show will be on soon, but I plan on working on this.

Enemy: Grunnies
AC: 10
HP: 40

Rolled AC: 10
Rolled Damage: 6

Attack successful.

Remaining enemy HP: 34
Remaining daily attacks: 0