Dirk and Daisy had a point, although Valira doubted that a proud and haughty dragon would even make the effort to take care of something personally, no matter how close by it was. Whether he was right on that score or not, Valira hoped that she would indeed be irrelevant to the upcoming confrontation with Garam. Potential alliances notwithstanding, Valira would rather avoid dealing with another fire breathing dragon if at all possible. After all, Sakara was a new and dangerous element added to an already volatile mixture. Valira seriously hoped things wouldn't blow up in their faces, or burn them off, given the nature of their enemy. As for the gift she was given her potential paramour, that was indeed quite troubling indeed. Whatever it was, something told Valira they would have to do their best to keep it out of Garam's greedy claws. Anything that could give him an edge would have potentially disastrous consequences for the group, and Valira did not want to take the risk. That was something to worry about for the future though, Valira still had a story to finish.
Valira smiled at Dirk's curiosity, not surprised that he had picked that particular detail to zero in on. It was a rather impetuous decision on her part, incredibly brave or incredibly stupid depending on one's perspective. Valira thought it was a healthy mix of both, not exactly proud but not exactly ashamed of her behaviour either. To be fair, that was mostly due to how relatively well things turned out in the end. If things had completely gone to pot Valira assumed that she would be singing a very different tune indeed. But she was getting ahead of herself, the story was just getting started after all. She would leave it up to her friends to decide what they thought of it when it was finally over. Whether it was an endearing story of heroism or a cautionary tale about thinking things through and obeying ones elders, would be up to them to decide.
''Indeed I did, in fact I didn't even hesitate for a second when I made the decision. I didn't want to upset or aggravate my father and mentor, but it was something that I was convinced I had to do. I needed to prove myself and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. I knew they wouldn't understand, but I justified it to myself by imagining that any anger they felt towards me would be outweighed by the sheer pride in what I had accomplished. In my mind there was no way I could fail, despite the fact that Asharan cave bears are more than twice the size of a brown bear and have a hide quite a bit thicker to boot. It usually took multiple warriors working in tandem to take one down, hence my fathers plan to bring a decently sized hunting party along with him. Looking back it seems insane that I could be so confident in victory, but I was younger then and considerably less experienced than I am now. I was brash and arrogant, I have been humbled quite a bit since then. At any rate, one fateful morning at dawn I set out, in my best armour and wielding my best sword, not the one I have now mind you but still quite a fine weapon indeed. I left early in order to avoid any awkward conversations with my parents, choosing a day that was entirely free of the training that usually occupied most of my time. After all, I may have been absconding on a potentially suicidal mission against my families express wishes but I drew the line at shirking my lessons.''
Valira chuckled at that, once again taking a big gulp of water and allowing for more questions/interjections should the others have them. Storytelling would normally not be such murder on her throat, but given all the screaming she had done earlier she needed all the help she could get in order not to lose her voice. Valira needed to be able to speak, a chatterbox like her lived and died by her voice after all. Valira could see that Daisy was equally invested, thinking that she was joking for a moment about her mother before the look on her face told her otherwise. She knew that Daisy wasn't trying to threaten her, more making a statement of fact given how dangerous her mother no doubt was. Valira returned the were rabbits smile as she continued her tale.
''It went rather well all things considered, although it wasn't nearly as easy as I had hoped it would be. I made my way to the Kelding woods on horseback, aiming to conserve as much energy as possible for the battle ahead. It was a short and rather uneventful journey, which combined with the rather placid weather I chose to view as a good omen. Arriving at the mouth of the woods, I dismounted my steed and tied her to a nearby tree, before making my way into the Kelding woods with my sword raised. I was on edge, ready for anything as I my feet crushed through the forest floor. I worked myself into quite the frenzy looking back on it, a mixture of nerves and anticipation. I kept assuming that I would be ambushed, either by the cave bear or something else, and I swore that I would not be caught with my pants down. This wasn't mere paranoia for as I got closer to its territory, I had the distinct feeling that I was being watched. Breathing heavily, my heart pounding in my chest, I just barely managed to get out of the way as the beast came barrelling towards me out of nowhere! Skidding to a stop, I held my sword aloft as I stared down the animal down. It was huge, densely packed with fat and muscle, with razor sharp claws, a muzzle full of teeth the size of daggers, shaggy brown fur and last but not least eyes that seemed to be full of pure malice. It let out a loud and sonorous roar, the pair of us sizing each other up before starting the fray in earnest. Finally it moved, bounding towards me like a runaway carriage. It was as fast as a horse, and this time I could not dodge its assault. The beast crushed me under its weight, jaws gnashing and claws swiping as it desperately tried to gut me like salmon. I used my sword to plug up the beasts mouth, angling my body so it couldn't get a good slash in. There weren't many options available to me without my weapon and a headbutt wouldn't do much to dissuade the creature, so with all the force I could muster I kicked the thing straight in the nether regions. As you know, that is agony for males of any species and the howl of pain that emanated from the beasts throat was unlike any I have heard before or since. Distracted by its agony, I was able to remove my sword and extricate myself, but not before the beasts claws slashed at my side. I grit my teeth, doing my best to hold back as a scream as the searing pain filled every inch of my body. It had gotten quite deep you see, the wound dripping blood at an alarming rate. Weakening moment by moment, I knew I needed to finish the battle fast. Adrenaline is an amazing thing, I think that and my own stubborn pride was what prevented me from going into shock. It still hurt like hell though and I aimed to return that to the bear tenfold. Finally recovered from my previous attack the beast stood on its hind legs and slashed at me, but I still managed to dodge everything it dished out with only a few cuts and nicks to my face for my trouble. I knew I couldn't keep up that pace for ever, my vision was getting blurry and I was mere moments from unconsciousness. With a single shout of rage, I used all of my remaining energy and focus to cut the beast right down the middle, digging my sword into its flesh like you might skewer a fine piece of breakfast meat. The creature bellowed in rage and pain, its spittle hitting me in the face and still doing its best to kill me. The smell of its viscera hit my nose and I nearly wretched, its guts hitting the ground with a wet plop as the beast's growls turned into a pained whine and it nearly collapsed on top of me. Luckily, I was able to get out of the way before I was crushed by its giant corpse. Breathing heavily, I seem to recall a delirious smile gracing my lips before I let out a war cry that pierced the heavens, a monumentally stupid decision as it made the agony wracking my body return in full force. I'm not quite sure how I prevented myself from collapsing right then and there, but somehow I made my way back to my horse. Pulling myself onto my faithful steed, I smacked its flank as a command to move, only then did I allow the sweet embrace of unconsciousness to take me. The next thing I remember I was in my own bed back home, the relieved faces of my parents and mentor standing above my bed. Apparently my wonderous mount had walked all the way there with me on its back, whereupon they had brought me to the healer who had used several high quality potions to completely heal my wounds. It was touch and go but I had pulled through, in fact I didn't even have a scar from the ordeal. As you can imagine, I got quite the scolding from my rescuers, I have never seen my father and mother use such language! I was fortunate my older brother Eldas wasn't there or it would have been even worse. Sir Revin was less harsh, opting for dry sarcasm which though it did not cut as deep, was still quite annoying. I knew that they said these things out of love, I had worried them sick and I felt utter shame at that fact. I apologized profusely and swore that I would never do something to foolhardy and reckless ever again. I could tell beneath it all though that there was a measure of pride and respect for what I had done, I did kill the bear after all even if I almost killed myself in the process. Still, I needed to be punished and the restrictions I was placed under, as well as the extra harsh and intense training I was forced to undergo, were more than fitting accoutrements to my guilt. My father's men had retrieved the corpse and it had been mounted and stuffed in the interim, after a very thorough cleaning of course. It still stands in my family home, an eternal reminder of one of the bravest yet simultaneously stupidest moments of my life. I may not have physical scars from that day, but that bear and the memories it evokes are spiritual marks that will never leave me as long as I live. Looking back on it, it was one of the experiences that made me the woman I am today. It humbled me, turning me from a brash and arrogant youth, into a circumspect yet confident adult. That is my story, I hope you enjoyed it and that it has given you a deeper understanding of yours truly.''
Valira smiled warmly at the others, a slight blush to her cheeks as she finished her tale. It had been a long time since she told that story, and reactions had been mixed at best. Still, she knew that her friends would not judge her youthful indiscretion too harshly, happy to have been so honest with them about one of the more controversial moments in her life. Valira felt closer to everyone of them as a result, eager to hear what they thought and to listen to any anecdotes they had to bring to the table. The light of the fire danced around her face, seeming to illuminate her flashing eyes and large grin as the smell of the meat cooking wafted through the breeze and the wood on the pyre crackled harshly. It would soon be time to dig in and Valira couldn't wait to do so. All that talking had made her even more hungry, if such a thing was possible, and her mouth watered at the prospect of devouring the goat legs that were so tantalisingly close and yet were not quite yet finished. The anticipation was killing her, but the delightful company was definitely taking the edge off of the gnawing agony that filled her stomach and made it growl louder than the cave bear she had fought so long ago.
