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Post by No-Sting on Apr 24, 2014 22:12:09 GMT 1
(( OOC: Continues from the "First called by the Beacon"-thread. Tag Swift-Wind and Silverthorn - sorry that No-Sting isn't saying anything to Silverthorn here, she too wrapped up in all the changing and wanting to protect her sister at the moment + I didn't want to god-mod and make either of the elves immediately follow her.)) IC:The world outside the cave was so very different and yet eeriely familiar from home. No-Sting took in the trees - the right kind of trees, but they shaped a forest she'd never visited before - the mountain behind her - towering high enough to touch the sky it seemd, standing this close to its root - the snow and the stars. The stars were the most unsettling part. Even when exploring new territory the stars would follow you, like a blanket above with small lights you'd known and seen figures in since you were a kit. These ones were all wrong, all placed haphazardly. No-Sting could see no known patterns up there, not the Troll Hammer or the Light Step Hunter. Not even the Center Star. Shivering more from unease than the cold, No-Sting lock-sent to Swift-Wind: ~**I fear we are far, far from home sister.**~ |
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Post by Silverthorn on Apr 26, 2014 11:06:00 GMT 1
Stepping outside - staying close to No-Tail's side, just in case the wolf decided to act against his normally calm nature and attack the great cat he was forced to walk with - Silverthorn took a deep breath and pulled his back strong and straight. A completely unknown territory. He had never in his life been in a place he did not know, alongside strangers. He looked at the two dark-skinned elves for a wary moment. How did one talk to strangers?
"I'm Silverthorn," he said after a moment, "chief of the Longvale elves. My bond's name is No-Tail. What are you two called?" That seemed like a good place to start, before setting out. It would at least be good to be able to call out a warning.
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Post by No-Sting on Apr 26, 2014 13:31:11 GMT 1
"No-Sting," No-Sting said, as curt introduction. "My sister Swift-Wind and I are from the Tuftear Clan." She brushed the hair on the tip of one of her ears to emphasize her clan's name. She thought to ask what 'chief' meant, but it didn't seem like the right moment to start asking questions that could have long, complicated answers. They needed water and they needed food. Questions could come later.
And speaking of water, her ears were picking up the sound of rushing such. It wasn't close enough to be seen, but there was no mistaking the sound of a river - a rather large and harsh one, too. That could mean fish. She hoped it meant fish.
"I'll scout ahead for a moment," she said. Her stomach was rumbling and she needed to distract herself from it. "Be back before you know it." And with that she was off, scaling a tree like it was a small hill and jumping from branch to sturdy branch, following the scent and sound of water.
((OOC: I'll have No-Sting bring up her confusion about the word 'chief' again later - just taking No-Sting out of the thread while i'm in Tokyo so I don't hold up the game. Back by the 5th of May!))
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Post by Swift-Wind on Apr 29, 2014 13:01:51 GMT 1
Swift-wind looked around in wonder. This place was something else. She could not place it and realized this was nothing she'd seen before. Still it was not that strange. There were the same kind of trees as back home, it could not be that far away, could it?
She heard her sisters message then and responded to it ~**I hope were not. I know the stars are different, but the trees look basically the same. Can't it be some kind of magic trick? **~ Swift-wind lock-sent to her sister.
Out loud she merely said "And my name is Swift-Wind, as my sister said". At the same time she noticed her sister hurrying away from there alone.
She looked at Silverthorn, as though noticing him from the first time. He looked quite odd, so light-skinned and with that strange animal always running about. She could not help herself from asking, her curiosity taking overhand, " What is, or where is Longvale? I've never heard of it before." As soon as she'd said it she regretted it.
*I must not to let my ignorance show, that can be a fatal mistake*, she thought as she petted Eager almost as if doing that would protect her from her mistake.
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Post by Silverthorn on Apr 29, 2014 14:32:29 GMT 1
Silverthorn's first instinct was to instruct No-Sting to stay close. Scouting alone in an unfamiliar territory was not a chance that he would take with a tribemate... but she was not that. He understood, just as instinctively, that neither she nor any of the others had any reason to obey him. He was not their chief nor proven to them. He could only hope that they were wise and capable enough.
He looked back at Swift-Wind. The brown of her skin was a pleasant shade, like the bark of a healthy tree, and her different-colored eyes were not something unknown to his own Wolfriders. The tufts on her ears were small enough not to call too much attention. She looked strange, but not an ugly or unnerving strange. Not like a human.
He smiled at her slightly.
"I can't say where my tribe's home is, travelling from here," he said with a shake of his head. "We live in a narrow valley that runs through a plateau. The forest is not so different from this - but the stars are. We must be many, many hands of days away." A sigh rose in his throat, but he didn't let it out. It was too early to become dispirited. "What of your folk? You have a strange look, with that color, and the fur in your ears."
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Post by No-Sting on May 5, 2014 15:34:04 GMT 1
(OOC: Anna had to pull two of her wisedom teeth recently so she's a little out of it at the moment and might be a bit slow in replying. Also, I'm working on a map of the Beacon Call Holt right now that I hope will be helpful. I've made it so that some of the forest slopes downward from the mountain and some stays level for about 5 kilometers before dropping straight down in the form of a cliff. If our elves follow the river they'll spot that cliff and if they climb up it they'll be able to see out above the trees and see the sea and human village by the coast, about a day's ride away on wolf-back.)
IC:
**Water!** No-Sting sent out the moment she spotted the river in the distance. It was an impressive one too, wide with challenging rapids. Not the easiest fishing place, but sure to yield great rewards.
**Just follow my sending, you can't miss it!** she sent to Silverthorn and Swift-Wind before she began her approach. Cautious, of course, keepinng to the trees. Not wise to rush into new territory like a kitten, no matter how hungry you were.
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Post by Swift-Wind on May 7, 2014 20:49:37 GMT 1
(OOC: It's true I had to pull out two of my wisedom teeth just recently and has been quite out of it. So I apologize for being slow to reply. Still isn't ok, but better, so hopefully I will be a tad faster now).
IC: Swift-Wind was thankful, as Silverthorn did not to seem her question or remark strange at all. In fact he answered quite nicely she thought. *Maybe I can trust him?* She allowed herself to think for a moment.
In fact she started to like his sort of forward way and ability to take charge. * He's eyes seem kind and full of life* she thought as started to answer his question.
"Well, I'm beginning to think I'm quite far from home" she said, trying to hold of her sadness over this. "But my home is not either so different. We don't have these huge forrests, but the trees seem similar enough. The stars being differently aligned is what points most to us being far from home. And well, all of my folk have this colour of skin and the tufts on my ears I have because of this friend her" she continued as she patted her lynx-bond-friend.
She was about to continue, when she recognized No-Stings sendning. **So there is water nearby after all. We're coming** She answered on both her and Silverthorns behalf without really thinking.
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Post by Silverthorn on May 9, 2014 14:08:38 GMT 1
(OOC: Ouch, I hope you'll feel better, Anna!!)
"We're all of us far," Silverthorn muttered, but then shook his head again. No. Stick to the Now, as a Wolfrider should. He squinted a little as the great cat that she called her friend - at his side, No-Tail was still giving the other animal unhappy looks.
"But cats don't run in a pack - " he began, the question bothering him too much to entirely let go, when No-Sting's sending reached them both. Perhaps a good distraction, he thought, alert at once and pleased that the search was so easy. Water was the most important thing - for survival, as a natural border for a territory, and a river was a natural path to walk along as they explored. **Good!** he sent, pushing ahead. Yes, he could hear the rumbling of rapids in the distance, and now catch a glimpse of the river as well. White-waters - good, maybe they'd have salmon in them, too, like the Longvale rapids.
**How much further can you see from the treetops?** he sent to No-Sting, wondering if he should climb himself.
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Post by No-Sting on May 9, 2014 15:58:57 GMT 1
**The ground seems to be sloping downward from the mountain we came from,** No-Sting sent back to Silverthorn. **I can't see where this river ends, too many trees in the way.**
But what a river it was! Too wide to jump even between the branches that grew out over it frim both sides and the sounds the water made as it rushed forth was overwhelming this close. Where a smaller stream would have been mostly frozen with the weather as it was, this river had only a few patches of ice, which kept breaking and carried away down stream.
**Did you bring your fishing hook?** No-Sting sent to Swift-Wind. **I have mine, though I don't know what good it will do here.** The rapids looked strong enough to tear the hook from the string, should it snag on anything.
To Silverthorn she sent: **Do you know much about winter fishing? My sister and I know how to fish well enough, but our people mostly fish in lakes when the White-Cold is upon us. Should we go farther down stream to find a calmer place, if we want to fish?**
((OOC: Anyone have any tips on what kind of fish would be in the river during winter? I think salmon only travel by river during summer and keep to lakes or the sea in winter. I'm on my phone right now and won't have my computer until Sunday, so my research abilities are currently limited.)
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Post by Swift-Wind on May 10, 2014 0:32:10 GMT 1
((OOC: Thank you, yes, much better now. And Sofia, I tried to google it right now, but did not find anything really useful. Probably didn't search well enough though. If it had been ice fiching my colleagues might've know something.))
IC: Swift-Wind heard by the voice of Silverthorn that he probably was frustrated or sad or something. *Not strange* she thought *that one would be sad or anxious or uneasy. I am too. But hopefully he won't let affect his behaviour towards us*.
She continued to walk and eventually she saw the waters as well. It was no small little pond or river. It was a large, flowing, rumbling one. *This is a good sign* she thought happily *it means we won't have any problem with survival. Sheknew there might be other obstacles and difficult tasks, but she could not imagine any one of them being worse than not finding waters.
She heard No-Stings messages and happily replied to the one directed towards herself. **Yes I did bring it, might not be of the best use here, but perhaps later on.**
Swift-Wind began to investigate the river. Looking closely at it, as if it would give her a hint of how to get fish from here. Then a thought hit her; *What about Eager?*
She immediatly sent the others a message **I know you can't see far enough ahead to know how the river continues, and it might be unwise for us to rush on. Even though I'm light on my feet, who knows what may be out there. But we have Eager. Might I send him on ahead to scout?** she asked the two others.
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Post by Silverthorn on May 11, 2014 14:40:16 GMT 1
As the treeline receded before the banks of the river, Silverthorn slowed, his senses alert and feeling No-Tail's own wariness at his side. Open ground was always more dangerous, and his ears and nose both switched slightly every few seconds as he tested the air. But the rumbling rapids and scent of fresh water didn't seem to conceal anything more frightening. In the end he came out onto the bank and climbed up a rock overlooking the steepest fall of white water. He could see far down the river, and all looked well. **My people fish in our holt's river all year round. I bet salmon jump up those rapids, and carp as well,** he sent back, though part of him wondered why they were planning for another season. It didn't matter how fair this land seemed, none of them had come to stay, he was sure. **But we should follow the current and see what more we discover. I'd like to find a crossing.** There was another thought at the back of his mind, as there always had been these past few turns. Never discount the possibility... **Yes,** he answered Swift-Wind after another moment's thought. **Send him, and I'll send No-Tail as well. It's much less risky for them to encounter humans, than it is to us.** New land or not, one couldn't be too careful with humans. ((OOC: I'm really not the person to ask  . But I'll do more searching, I've discovered that carps can also jump rapids, so there is that...)) |
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Post by No-Sting on May 13, 2014 21:56:14 GMT 1
(( OOC: Sonja came up with some tips: In winter it is better to look after predatory fish, because the “normal” fish are near on the ground when it gets colder, some even dig themselves into the ground. Fishes we could catch are: eel, barbel, chub, pike, roach, perch and pike perch. We should try it in places where: -warmer water flows into the river -on the ground of deep places (more than 6 Inches) -in water lying branches and trees -calmer places of the river -places without ice Also, I found this fish that I think would be believable to have around here, if we "modify it" to fit our world - this isn't Earth after all - and which you're supposed to fish for in winter time, huchen.)) IC:
No-Sting sent her wordless agreement to the choice of sending the bond-friends off to scout. It was a common enough habit among their clan's hunters, spreading out and keeping track of both what lay ahead and what could sneak up behind you. You never knew when a bear's winter sleep failed and they woke up hungry. But Silverthorn's sending confused her somewhat. 'Humans'. What were humans? The word was sent to here so there were images and sensations accompanying it, but nothing she could wrap her mind around right away. **What kind of animal are humans?** No-Sting sent, jumping down from the trees to join the other two on the river bank. **Are they some kind of naked bears?** That was as far as she'd been able to interpret the images, but it didn't feel like the right description nonetheless. **We don't have them where we come from, that's for sure. Are they aggressive? And why would they care less about wolves and lynx than elves?** **Swift-Wind and I both have fishing tools, should we need them,** she added as an afterthought, doing her best to keep how hungry she was out of the sending. She'd spied some fish in the river, big fish, and her belly rumbled for them. But just settling down to fish in new, unknown territory was a kitten's mistake. She refused to have her stomach make her look foolish, or possibly put herself and the others in danger. Not if there were furless bears running around. |
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Post by Swift-Wind on May 20, 2014 16:01:00 GMT 1
Swift-Wind was quite happy she had thought to send Eager, and thought it even better to send both him and the animal of Silverthorn, No-Tail. It was good to have them help each other. You should never make the mistake of just sending out one animal in a new territory.
But the talk of humans confused her, and her sister as well, she noticed. What could it be? She too had to ask Silverthorn about them, since it seemed som natural for him to talk of them:
**Yes, what are those humans you speak of?, They're not elves and they have no fur like bears and they like lynx and wolves?** she sent as she looked around for a place from where they might catch fish.
She noticed her sister looking at some, but could also sense, what she believed to be, her fear. ~**Do you believe it is safe to fish here. I mean there are fish over there, but I guess the furless bearlike animals could be dangerous?But we need food.**~ She lock-sent to No-Sting, just to make certain Silverthorn would not start think them scared and frightened.
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Post by Sofia on Sept 7, 2014 21:16:43 GMT 1
OOC: Tagging Silverthorn whenever you have the time  Either we can have Silverthorn explain humans then timejump to the three of them finding said humans, or we can just agree on what was said and done and close this thread.
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Post by Silverthorn on Sept 17, 2014 22:37:40 GMT 1
(OOC: I'm cool to continue this if you want! Since it's become relevant to the current gathering thread too...)
For a moment, the two's questions left Silverthorn too stunned to answer, and he stopped where he stood so suddenly that even No-Tail nudged his mind with confusion. What are humans, indeed! It wasn't so much the idea of a tribe of elves that had never encountered humans that amazed him. Up until too-short a handful of turns ago, the Longvale wolfriders were such a tribe themselves. What stopped him in his track was the sharp recollection of a time in which he, himself, enjoyed this blessing of not knowing his mortal foes. The threat that the humans had posed to the Longvale tribe was so dire that it had almost erased the memory of that peace. More than anything he was surprised at his own surprise, that not knowing humans would be such a strange thing.
**Humans are not bears,** he sent back to both sisters, and the sending was full of his loathing and dread. **They're far more dangerous. They speak, wear clothes and use weapons like us, but they're nothing like us. They kill us whenever and wherever they can, kill our wolves, breed like rabbits and deplete our hunting grounds. They'd destroy my tribe if they could. If we find any, we must avoid them at all costs - or kill them all if they're few enough.**
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. But I'll do more searching, I've discovered that carps can also jump rapids, so there is that...))
