ღ Cassi's Journal ღ

[Cassi]

Personality & Background

Primary Motivator:   Achievement, to overcome obstacles and succeed

Emotional Disposition:  Calm

Moodiness:  Even-Tempered

 

Core Traits

Outlook:  Trusting

Integrity:   Pragmatic

Impulsiveness:  Focused

Boldness:  Daring
Flexibility:  Adaptable

Affinity: Empathetic 

Comportment:  Charming

Interactivity:  Listener

Disclosure:  Reserved

Conformity:  Free Thinking

 

Secondary Traits

Sense of Humor:  Cynical

Favorite Topics:  Humor, Adventure, People

Quirks, Habits, & Oddities: Daydreaming, Lip biting, Tree Climbing

Hobbies & Enjoyments:  Storytelling, Swimming, Music, Reading

Personality Notes:  Can read and write because her father taught her, comfortable with a dagger because her Uncle Edrick taught her.  Can annoy her grandmother because of her tomboyish ways.

 

Birthplace

Cassi was born on a small farm on the banks of the Bellemere River, near the village of Pinewoods.  Pinewoods is a small village that is economically dependent on the local sawmill.  Barton and Kressara Grim own the sawmill, with the help of their four sons:  Errine, Bharat, Esiao, and Derex 

 

Family

Her mother, Helenia, died in childbirth, leaving the young baby in the care of her father, Adham Hawklight.   Cassi was the only child produced by the union, and her father has never shown any interest in bringing another wife into the household.  Cassi's grandparents, Brinley and Gavina, live a half-day's walk from the Hawklight farm.   Cassi likes to make the journey at least once a fortnight to learn cooking, sewing, and other skills of running the household for her father.  

 

Her mother's brother, Edrick, was a soldier in the Great War and regales Cassi with stories of his great adventures.  Edrick is the person that Cassi credits (and her father blames) for planting the dreams of adventure in her head.

 

Duties and Obligations

Cassi feels great obligation to stay with her father and take care of him, although her heart longs for great adventures.  She knows her father wishes for her to marry Derex, the youngest son of the owners of the sawmill.  Although Derex and Cassi are great friends, there is no great love between the two.  

 

[Cassi]

The bite of the ice wolf caused intense pain to radiate up her arm.  She cried out once, as she quickly retracted her hand to her chest and began backing away from the agitated animal.  The wolf continued to advance on her, snapping his jaws at her.  It was clear that the wolf had no intention of ceasing until he had ripped her to shreds.

 

Suddenly, from behind the wolf, a mighty sword fell heavily across the thick fur of the wolf’s neck.  With a final yelp, the wolf dropped to the ground and into eternal stillness.  Cassi’s eyes quickly followed the blade of the sword and up the arm of the hand that held it surely.  A tall, broad warrior furrowed his brow at her, before speaking in a deep tenor, “Are you alright, m’lady?†  He wiped his sword across the leg of his pants and sheathed it at his hip. 

 

Cassi let out a sob, before turning and moving to the gentle brook that flowed near where the wolf had attacked.  Falling to her knees, she plunged her arm into the cool waters that flowed.  Cassi was not sure if the tears flowed out of her eyes at the same speed that the blood flowed from the puncture wounds in her arm. 

“M’lady,†said the warrior, softly, as he knelt by Cassi, “please allow me to assist you.† He pulled a small cloth from his satchel that he had pulled from his horse.  He wet the cloth in the stream and then gently took her arm into his, cleaning her wounds with great care.

 

Reaching back into his satchel, he pulled a small vial out, removing the cork from the vial between his teeth and spitting it out into the grass on the embankment.  “This will sting, m’lady,†he said, “I am truly sorry for that, but we must neutralize the venom from the wolf.  If we don’t, you will lose your arm, if not your life.â€

Cassi nodded in understanding.  She turned her head away from the wounds and gritted her teeth so tightly she thought her teeth might shatter in her mouth.  A small sob escaped her mouth as the contents of the vial seeped into the wounds on her arm.  

After several moments, the warrior blew softly on the wounds and then produced a salve from his bag.  He dabbed the salve on each of the punctures and watched as they closed up before his eyes. 

“There.  You may feel a bit weaker for the next few days, but you should have no lasting damage,†he said, still in a soft voice.

 

“Thank you, ser,†she finally said, her voice barely a whisper.  “I don’t know what I would have done if you had not happened along when you did.â€

 

He reached his thumb to her cheek, using the pad to swipe away the tears that still trickled down her face.  “Yes, it was quite fortuitous,†he said.   Suddenly, his voice turned a little more stern, “What in damnation are you doing out here without your escort?â€

Cassi sighed, realizing that he mistook her for nobility and not the commoner she was.  She gently brushed the dirt from her frock, “Wildberries, m’lord.  For pies that I am making for my father’s birth celebration.â€

The warrior walked back to his horse, giving her a wary look.  As he reattached his satchel to the saddle, he continued, “Still, a fair maiden should not be unaccompanied in these woods.  Certainly you have someone that could come with you.  There are far too many wild animals and bandits for you to be alone.â€

 

“Thank you for your concern, m’lord, but my father’s farm is just beyond the tree line.  As it is only my father and I in my family and he must work the field this day, there really is no one to accompany me.  Besides, I have played in these woods my entire life and have never had any trouble before today.â€

“I’m sure,†he said, giving her a tight grin.  “Well, for my own peace of mind, please allow me to escort you home today.â€

“If it pleases m’lord,†she said with a curtsy.  “And, I would offer you a seat at our table for supper tonight, in gratitude for your help this afternoon.  I have prepared venison stew this morning and will bake fresh bread and pies before supper.â€

This time, the warrior gave her a genuine smile, “That sounds delicious and I would be most grateful.  Let me wrap the wolf and put him on my horse and we will head to your home.â€

 

Introduction

Welcome to my battle log.  I'll be tying a story in with my battle log (and challenges, when my first one starts,) as I want to force myself to use the more creative side of my brain.  

 

I’m Cassi.  I’m a 30-something living in Georgia.  I work in the finance industry (which I hate) and hope to make a life change in the next 24-36 months, depending on debt payoff.  Basically, I’ve trapped myself into not having the freedom to leave a job I hate because I have too much debt to take any pay cut. 

 

In parallel to my story, I was attacked by a German Shepherd that belonged to a friend of the family on July 10^th.  I was visiting their home and as I stood in their living room, the dog (which I’d met before) approached me in curiosity.  I extended the back of my hand gently toward the dog to allow him to sniff my hand.  He sniffed once and then attacked.  It took only about 20 seconds for my friend to get control of his dog, but the damage was done.  I have puncture wounds on my wrist and a tear across my wrist that mimics a suicide attempt. 
 

I’ve since learned that they don’t stitch dog bites (risk of trapping bacteria in the wound.)  Im on a regiment of antibiotics.  And, my workouts have been sidelined until 1) the wounds close and heal and 2) I finish the antibiotics.   The dog is current on all shots, but is currently under county-mandated quarantine to monitor for any health issues and aggression.  

 

Diet-Wise, I follow IIFYM.  I’ve only been doing this for a few weeks, after taking six months completely off from all dieting.  I randomly checked my calorie counts in late June and realized that some days (not every day,) I was only getting about 900 calories.  Although, I blame the heat making the idea of eating just not appealing, the level of my workouts demanded that I put some structure back to my diet.

 

Workout-Wise, I’m a CrossFitter.  It is the core of my workout scheme.  I supplement CrossFit with The Cube Method strength training and one Olympic Lifting class per week.  Currently, I do no traditional cardio workouts.  

[Cassi]

While the warrior bound the wolf tightly to the bag of his horse, Cassi found her basket of berries and picked a few more for her pies.   Softly, she hummed as her fingers dexterously picked the berries from their thorny bushes.  Finally, she licked the remnants of the berries from her fingers and stood from the berry bushes.

“M’lady,†spoke the voice from behind her, “if you’re ready to leave, we can head to your home.â€

She nodded and walked toward the warrior and his steed.  She extended her basket to the warrior, “Would you care for some?â€

He gave her a crooked grin and took a handful from her basket, dropping them into his mouth. 

As the two began to walk toward her home, she softly said, “You know, we have not even been properly introduced.  I do not even know the name of the fierce warrior who saved my life.â€
 
“I am Cilalin of Moonbrook.  Fierce warrior, adventurer extraordinaire, and completely happy to make your acquaintance.† He said, giving her deep bow and a wicked grin.   â€œThis here is Rupert, my headstrong steed and favorite travelling companion,†he gently tugged on the Rupert’s reins to cause the horse to almost bow his head.    
 
Cassi gave him a laugh, “Cassi of Hawklight Farm, m’lords,†she said giving both the warrior and his horse a courtesan’s curtsey.               
 
Cilalin threw his head back with a hearty laugh.  Cassi finally took a moment to study her new companion.  He was very tall.  Cassi would guess he would have to duck to enter the front door to her home.  His shoulders were wide enough that she thought he might have to turn sideways while he was ducking to enter the house.   His skin was weathered from spending his life as a travel.  She wouldn’t say he was classically handsome, with his crooked nose and scar across his left cheek.  She liked his eyes because in the short time she’d known Cilalin, she had seen them go from fierce and angry to soft and gentle.  She would guess the man was around her father’s age, but she knew he could be younger because the life of a traveler was a hard one.
 
“So, why are you wandering in my woods?†she asked.
 
“Your woods?  I thought these were King Allain’s woods,†he said, jovially.
 
She gave him an exasperated huff, “Well, of course they are King Allain’s woods.  I just meant mine because….well…â€

“Calm down, little one,†he said, “I know what you meant.  I’m on my way to Whitewood for the Festival of Trees.  I heard rumor of a dwarf named Ogirn Yuracko that is looking to put an expedition party together to go into the Goldbrire Caverns to find some lost treasure.  He’s promising a handsome reward for the right people.  He’ll need a protection detail and that’s what I’m good at. “

“Goldbrire Caverns!  But, it’s full of Dormud Hags!†she exclaimed.
 
He laughed, “That’s what I hear.  Dormud Hags are no problem though.  You just have to separate their bodies from their heads.â€
 
Cassi’s bright green eyes widened at the idea of decapitating even a fearsome creature like a Dormud Hag.  Cilalin laughed at her again, “Oh little one, I like you a lot.†        
 
“Where are you coming from now?†she asked.
 
“I just left Aerossilia a fortnight ago.  I had been there for the spring, healing up from a nasty infection in my leg that I took from the spines of a giant echidna, the nasty little buggers.  I was exploring a cave in the eastern woods when I happened across a whole parade of them.  I guess the sow thought I got too close to her puggles and attacked me. 

As soon as she attacked, I headed toward the cave entrance.  I barely made it out before I collapsed from the fever.  I’d guess it took me a day or so to crawl back to the road, where luckily a traveling merchant and his wife found me.  They took me to the healer in Aerossilia.â€

“Is true they use leeches to suck the venom of the echidnas out?â€

“Very true.  Of course, leeches don’t hurt much; just uncomfortable and not for the faint of heart.â€
 
“I’m not faint of heart,†she said, boldly.
 
He smiled at her, “No, I didn’t think you were.  You barely made a peep with the wolf bite, and I’ve seen grown men writhe on the floor when oil of dragon’s breath is poured into an open wound.  You just gritted your teeth and whimpered a couple of times.â€

Cassi smiled, proudly, “Once.  I whimpered once.â€
 
 
 
Still no workouts.  Honestly, I'm struggling to eat on plan the last two days.  Very much a "fuark it" attitude about everything.  My Olympic Lifting coach called a couple hours ago.  He'd just read my email about the dog bite and that I wouldn't be in class tonight. He invited me to at least come hang out and see what was going on in class.  Technique by Osmosis, I guess.  

 

Not working out feels like the wheels are coming off.  The wounds are still open (I changed the steri-strips this morning.)  That's just frustrating.  I'm considering just implementing some sort of walking schedule until things get back to normal.  When I'm not working out, I'm not eating right.  It's just a vicious circle.  

 

I'm working on my specific goals for the next challenge.  I am capricious with the things I want to attempt, and so nailing down specific goals is hard.  I want to do "all the things," from endurance sports to martial arts to firearms training to competing in powerlifting.  

[Cassi]

Adham Hawklight lifted his head to inspect the movement coming out of the tree line.  He’d expected his daughter, Cassi, back several hours earlier.  He’d tried not to worry about her, knowing that she’d grown up in those woods.  But since she was his only child and the only piece of his beloved Helenia he had left, worry was only natural for the farmer. 

 

His brow furrowed deeply when he noticed that although his daughter was emerging from the woods, she was not alone.  A tall, broad man was at her side, leading a very large, russet colored horse.  He thrust the hoe he had been using into the soft earth deeply enough that it stood upright on its own and began making his way toward his daughter and her companion.  His pace was quick, feeling an urgency to get to his daughter’s side.

“Cassi,†he called out, warily as he approached the two.

 

“Father!†she exclaimed, running a head of her companion and grasping her father tightly around the waist.   He took the brunt of her impact in stride, and held her as tightly as she clung to him.

“Is everything alright?â€

“An ice wolf decided to take a nip at her arm,†spoke Cassi’s companion.  He’d pulled his horse up to a stop and gently stroked the neck of the animal. 

 

“An ice wolf?†asked Adham, “Surely you are mistaken.  There aren’t any ice wolves this far south.†

 

Cassi’s companion reached for the canvas covering the carcass of the wolf on the back of his horse, and lifted to reveal the snowy white fur of the slain beast.   â€œI was as surprised as you are.â€

Adham’s face reflected how deeply troubled he was at the sign of the ice wolf, but he quickly turned his attention back to the man standing before him.

“And, who are you?†he said, enunciating each word for emphasis.

 

“Father, this is Cilalin of Moonbrook.  He happened along at quite the right moment and saved my life. He is on his way from Aerossilia to Whitewood for the Festival of Trees,†she interrupted, excitedly.

 

The traveler bowed his head at the introduction. Adham took a moment to study the intimidating man standing next to him.

 

“Why would you be so far off the main road, Cilalin of Moonbrook?†asked Adham, suspiciously.

 

“My map shows the road wraps around the forest here.  I thought I might cut a day or so off my journey by travelling the way the crow flies, instead of following the road.  Unfortunately, my bearings got a wee bit disoriented yesterday morn, and I’m afraid I’ve spent most of the day trying to turn myself around and fighting wolves.†  Cilalin gave Cassi a playful grin and she beamed a smile back at him.

Adham eyed the traveler, not sure if he should trust him.  His daughter was quick to trust, but he was much more reserved with strangers, especially strangers with weapons. 

 

Cassi playfully slapped her father’s arm, “Oh father, I offered him a warm dinner in gratitude for saving my life.  Not only did he kill the wolf while the wolf was attacking me, but he neutralized the venom and healed the wounds with salve.† She extended her arm to her father.  He noticed that although there were no open wounds, her skin showed bright red marks in the exact pattern of the jowls of a wolf.   Adham ran the pad of his thumb over the red marks.   

 

Adham sighed, “Oh, Cassi.  If something had happened to you,†his voice trailing off.  He was momentarily overcome with emotion.   Finally, he spoke again, turning to Cilalin, “My apologies, ser, we do not get many visitors out here on our farm, and well, you can understand my apprehension of someone like you travelling with my only daughter.â€

 

Cilalin nodded in understanding, “I have not taken offense, ser.  I likely would have met a companion like myself with a blade to the jugular.â€

“Cassi, why don’t you show our guest where he can get cleaned up and I’ll come in and help you with dinner.â€

Cassi nodded as she grabbed Cilalin by the arm, “Come on, I’ll show you where Rupert can sleep and where you can bathe.â€

 

Adham watched as Cassi drug the large man across the field toward the stables, where he’d be able to stable and feed his horse and bathe.  A cool breeze, untimely for this time of year, swept across the farm, bringing goose bumps to the back of Adham’s neck.  Adham couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that a shift in everything he knows is coming and coming quickly.

 

 

 

Only four more days of antibiotics.  I told my coach to expect me back on Monday.  That may still be too soon, but I'm sure I can do something on Monday.  Any more time off and I'll be quite the grumpy girl.   

 

Food is still kinda hit or miss.  I'm working on just trying to make smart choices, instead of not smart choices (like cookie dough.)  I have a lot of work to get done in the next couple of days, including a trip to the office that is not on my normal day.  Hopefully, these things will distract me from eating all the foods.  Or at least distract me from eating all the calorically dense, but not filling so I just want to eat more foods. 

 

Need to work on my goals for the next challenge.  I know it's a few days from starting (and that the current one hasn't ended yet) but I want to be raring to go when the gun goes off!