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Post by SL2657F on Jun 20, 2020 8:22:33 GMT 1
SL2657F tilted her head toward Mahrak as he entered, seeing the tiger. Another elf with an animal. There was a lot to get used to. She remembered the conversation the night before, about taking the collar off. Her hand went to the collar before she resumed sipping the soup. If she was free... she didn't want to risk it accidentally triggering. She didn't know if there was some kind of battery that kept it operating, but without the regular maintenance she wouldn't be able to ensure it kept powered, keeping the poison from being injected. She estimated she had two weeks to make that decision. No, one. She had her maintenance early in preparation for the assault on the mountain. "<Shinefind...>" She looked up at the bug. "<Ask that one...> Mahrak <if he is willing to talk with me and a... healer... privately? About my necklace? But ask him quietly. Please?>" Shinefind perked up. "<Shinefind help! Shinefind do!>" The preserver flittered over to Mahrak and Longsleep, staying just out of lunge-range of the tiger. "Is morning! Spotfur-Highthing ask if Wetdance-Highthing want talk with Spotfur-Highthing and Healy-Highthing! But want quiet-place for soft-speak. Shinefind soft-speak ask Wetdance-Highthing." It nodded as if it had just fulfilled the request. Despite not having asked quietly at all. SL2657F sighed, staring into the bowl. Perhaps asking the loud bug to be quiet was too much. Her ears drooped slightly before she sipped the soup again. At least the food was good here. Could use some spices. |
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Post by Tambri on Jun 20, 2020 8:37:17 GMT 1
Tambri glanced over at the newcomer and the tiger. Spook perked and immediately began growling protectively, rising to his feet. Tambri set the bowl aside and also moved to her feet, more in case of a fight between the bonds. She kept a hand on the back of the wolf's shoulders, the white fur standing on end. "Easy, Spook." This was the first bond-animal he'd ever met before. Assuming the tiger was a bond.
**Is that a bond-animal?** She asked in send at the same time as she spoke to the wolf. The wolf wasn't backing down, however. As far as he was concerned, Tambri was in danger.
Shinefind chose that moment to flitter passed and move right over to the tiger and the other elf.
"See, Spook? We're all friends here... Right?" She glanced at Keleero and Flint.
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Post by Keleero on Jun 21, 2020 0:06:40 GMT 1
Keleero was very distracted by the arrival of Mahrak and how the presence of his beast set Tambri's off. Keleero had previously heard such noise from other wolves in the holt and had from the first recognized it as a noise of threat and anger. He sat very, very still, not daring to answer questions or move. He cursed himself for not sleeping, for allowing himself to fret away precious energy. What would attack first, the smaller or larger beast? Would their elves come to blows too?
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Post by Mahrak on Jun 21, 2020 0:08:07 GMT 1
Mahrak, amused more than worried, waved a hand at Longsleep who flopped down on the ground more in laziness than out of obedience. **He's indeed a bond-animal,** he open-sent, though mostly addressing the one who'd posed the question. **My bond to be exact. Do not worry about him, he's gentle as a kitten and loves sleep above all other things. As long as your bond stays friendly, he'll pose no threat.** Like all predators, Longsleep could do damage, but outside of hunts Mahrak had never seen him willingly fight anything. Mahrak accepted the bowl of soup from Flint with a grateful smile. "Why thank you! Warm food is always the thing when it's cold outside." He paused. "It is cold outside, isn't it? I could swear I remember someone mentioning snow last night, but my mind is a bit fuzzy." Then the preserver from the night before came fluttering over and shrieked its message. "Oh." Mahrak glanced at the cat-like one, whose name he hadn't been able to pronounce. He recalled she couldn't send, and with the preserver having belted its message for all to hear, being subtle seemed pointless. "I'm willing to help, as long as there's a healer on hand, should something go wrong." He took a sip of the soup - not what he was used to, but tasty - and gave the cat-like one a puzzled frown. "I'm sorry, I not used to meeting new people. What was your name?" OOC: Haven't heard from Mindlight and Panaetha's players yet, so I'm not sure we have any healers in the holt right now. I'm thinking about bringing in a healer character (unless someone else wants to make one!) so the holt won't be without a healer, but I'll wait for the end of June, so we know for sure if we've got healers left here or not. |
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Post by Flint on Jun 21, 2020 14:41:32 GMT 1
Having seen much worse horrors than some growling animal and with Longsleep not having attacked him yesterday either, despite Mahrak and him being dropped here at the same time, Flint took the situation with calm. He was of course ready to intervene, shift the fire in a line to keep the two animals from each other, hand slightly raised to react faster, but he trusted the elves to keep their bonds from trouble.
“No one here means harm.” he confirmed Tambris words. “But I guess the bonds need as much time to adapt to strangers as we do.” Not only different kinds of elves met her, Flint was sure that some of these animals never saw each other back in their world either. They'd have to learn, as there wasn't enough room to keep everyone apart. Since Mahrak and Spotfur had their own conversation going, the boy glanced at Keleero, who seemed quite frozen at the wolfs display of threat.
(OOC: In case your muse for the healer leaves by July, I'd also have an OC healer that I could easily adapt for here!)
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Post by Tambri on Jun 22, 2020 3:15:32 GMT 1
Tambri kept her hand on Spook's back, watching the feline. Knowing the cat was a bond-animal set her at ease. It was now Spook she was worried about. He was young, and had not experienced the variety of bond animals that she had. She'd seen bears, cats, foxes, hawks, eagles, wolves, jackels, and even a no-hump as a bond! The wolf slowly started to calm, clearly receiving reassuring emotions from his bond. He slowly stepped forward, tail up, ears up, hackles still raised. He sniffed the air a few times, pausing every few steps. Tambri stayed with him, her hand on his back. She normally wouldn't get involved with a fight between bonds, but this was hardly a pack. Which reminded her...
**A pack... is a group of wolves... Sort of like a tribe. Considering your question... Is Spook the only wolf here?** She sent, mainly because she was too focused to speak and didn't want to set the wolf off. Once they were close enough that Spook could sniff, just out of paw-reach, the feline, the pair stopped. Then it happened, a slight wag of the tail. Tambri immediately seemed to relax, taking a deep breath. **Tambri... Sorry for not responding sooner... I was... preoccupied.** She smiled and nodded her head in greeting to Mahrak.
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Post by SL2657F on Jun 22, 2020 3:20:10 GMT 1
The tense standoff between wolf and cat had caught SL2657F's attention. She was staring, unsure what she should, or could, do. She wasn't paying any attention to words being said. She saw the threat, which wasn't toward her admittedly, but it was a potential danger anyway. She'd never seen beasts like these in a situation like this. The only time she'd ever seen beasts with elves... She was fighting them. When things finally seemed to relax, she realized she'd been holding her soup in front of her face, frozen. She looked at the bowl then sipped the liquid again.
She glanced up to see Shinefind glaring at her. "<I apologize... What did you say?>" What proceeded from there was a very long-winded, many-worded rant about being rude before the preserver reassured her the two... growlers... were now friends. They didn't look to be friends, but at least the wolf seemed to be calmed. The large cat didn't seem to care one way or the other. Perhaps the preserver knew better, so she decided she'd just trust its words.
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Post by Keleero on Jun 22, 2020 21:36:29 GMT 1
Keleero let himself breathe easier as the bigger beast lay down, possibly to sleep. The danger wasn't over, but it had at least become less immediate. This let his memory catch up with his mind.
"Ah, I do not think you'll need to worry about the walls coming alive here, Flint. I haven't sensed any issues in this mountain." And he had been looking. He knew of what had happened at the base of Steepside Mountain, of the spoiled magic that had been pooled at its roots that had done so much harm when unsuspecting shapers had stumbled upon it. With the beacon here, who knew what other magic might have been left here too? "I will of course keep a eye out for any irregularities, but we've slept here for more than four hands of days and nothing ill has happened."
He kept silent on the issue of the beasts and their supposed needs to adjust. He had no idea of how much of a mind, if any, a beast had, so he thought it wise to not involve himself in that. He received Tambri's sent explanation on what a pack was passively, sending only the briefest of acknowledgements of understanding back and a short **There are other wolves here too.** He was too tired to open his mind to others right now - it was too risky.
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Post by Mahrak on Jun 22, 2020 21:45:09 GMT 1
"Not to worry," Mahrak replied to Tambri, keeping a casual eye on the wolf. He hadn't studied wolves too closely, it being wiser to avoid them in his experience. Some tigers did hunt wolves, but Mahrak had never wanted to risk his own bond taking on another predator that preferred to dwell in groups. Wild boar and elk were dangerous enough to hunt. "I'm sure we're are friends here. You sound like you're as new to this as me though. Rough morning?" He answered her smile with a playful grin and saluted her with his bowl of soup. As no answered seemed to be forthcoming from the cat-elf, Mahrak raised an eyebrow at Shinefind, who let out a tiny "Oh!" sound and fluttered back over to the cat-elf, to say: <Wetdance-Highthing help Spotfur-Highthing if Warmglow-Fly-Highthing or Redfierce-Highthing there too!> It didn't bother translating the question about a 'name' since to Shinefind Spotfur-Highthing was Spotfur-Highthing and that was that. OOC: @ Sonja - it'd be great to have another healer in the holt! I don't feel a super huge need to play any more characters right now, so if someone else wants to bring a healer into the holt that'd be great  |
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Post by Flint on Jun 22, 2020 22:55:47 GMT 1
“Just because it hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it'll never happen.” he commented on Keleeros words. Flint wasn't overly suspicious of his surroundings, took everything at face value while keeping the possibilities in mind. Relaxing hadn't been a big part in his life, the best defense to not be surprised by changes. Between his sense of magic happening and the gliders rock-shaping he trusted this cave to be safe, but that would not let him forget.
Since Mahraks request of a name for the cat-elf seemed to have gone unanswered and Keleero appeared too out of it for more than basic answers, Flint chimed in: “We're calling her Spotfur, like the bug does. Her other name is too complicate to use well.” Since there had been no objections to it, he assumed it was fine with Spotfur.
(OOC: I'd happily bring them in here! Will write it up over the next couple days)
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Post by Tambri on Jun 23, 2020 6:56:27 GMT 1
Tambri nodded her head. "I... woke up here. Though that one," she motioned to SL2657F, "seems much more... uneasy about being here... and speaking the Five-Finger tongue... That's unsettling to me. I am not one to like magic transporting me to a strange mountain cave, though. At least Spook came with me..." She didn't seem overly worried. She'd been alone a long time with no sign of elves for years. Being around elves was a huge relief to her. She had begun to wonder if she was alone.
Spook sniffed the cat a few more times before he flopped down as well. He was still alert, but at least he wasn't growling anymore.
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Post by SL2657F on Jun 23, 2020 7:04:51 GMT 1
SL2657F nodded her head slightly and then continued to eat the soup, otherwise remaining silent. She was on such an emotional roller coaster that she wanted to flee out of the cave, to try and get back to her camp, but she also wondered if what was said is true, that they're somewhere else entirely. Perhaps a different world for all she knew. Then there was the fact that the radio signal was still reaching the collar even though she was apparently outside Dengali lands. The fear of it shutting down on its own, or being triggered, the possibility of having it removed and living? Too many different possibilities to consider. In the past she'd find one thing to focus on. In the current time? The fleeting sense of hope that she could actually be free, something she's never experienced in her life.
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Post by Keleero on Jun 23, 2020 21:44:45 GMT 1
"Of course," Keleero acknowledged Flint. It was good to have someone else around who took the possible threat of magic seriously; though Keleero hoped they'd never have to encounter the sort of chaos Flint clearly had survived. He chimed in with a, "Yes, Spotfur is what we've ended up calling her thus far. She's...hard to parse."
He adjusted his grip on his soup bowl, searched for fitting words. "As far as I've understood things, she's been kept by humans until she came here." He kept his words fairly neutral, only allowing himself a dash of emotions at the word 'kept'. He didn't dare imagine what Spotfur's life must have been like. Flint described a harsh, nightmarish life, but Spotfur's misfortune had been Keleero's personal nightmare since childhood. So horrific!
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Post by Mahrak on Jun 23, 2020 21:45:57 GMT 1
Mahrak nodded his thanks to Flint and Keleero, took another sip of the soup, and turned his attention to Tambri. "Same as me then. I arrived here last evening, sans one traveling companion sadly. At least I have Longsleep still." Despite the loss of his first ever brand-new friend he couldn't help but be more giddy than saddened; he had after all reached his goal in a way that exceeded all his expectations. "Now, what are Five-Fingers? I think I've heard them mentioned before, but I've no clue what they are. Are they are tribe? A place?" He admitted his ignorance with a smile, eager to learn new things. If elves could be covered in fur or fly, why not have five fingers too? Strange that they should have words different from others elves but the world was full of mystery and all that. Longsleep blinked lazily at the wolf, then closed his eyes to feign sleep. He'd not spent much time with Nightbird's bond-friend, but long enough to not be alarmed by a wolf if his elf and other elves weren't. If there was danger, his bond would let him know. Mahrak chuckled at Longsleeps' theatrics, then gave Spotfur his full attention. Since preservers were poor with names, he pointed to himself, said "Mahrak", then pointed at her and raised an eyebrow in silent question, ignoring Shinefind's exasperated comments on "Spotfur-Highthing being Spotfur-Highthing". Sometimes simpler was better. OOC: Looking forward to meeting your new character, Sonja! |
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Post by Flint on Jun 23, 2020 22:39:34 GMT 1
„I left my brother behind“ he added quietly to the topic of bonds being taken along at least. Sapling was more than just a member of his family, an completion of his self now missing. Being with other elves was nice of course, learning all about the history lost, it just could not quite replace a bond forged in constant danger.
Humans were a complicate topic, did Flint shook his head slightly. “They are not elves. But I don't know much else, for they are long gone in my world. There were... long fights between elves and them. The remains of it still affect the lands.” He was glad to stay out of the topic of names, did not like the one the bug gave him, too close a hit to some painful memories. Having already finished his soup he rummaged in his bag till he found some thread and a weirdly grown thorn to use as a needle, started fixing the many holes in his clothes. Keeping him warm enough, they still were barely more than long worn scraps.
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