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Post by No-Sting on Jul 29, 2020 21:30:21 GMT 1
OOC: Evening on day 33, about a day's travel from the holt. IC:No-Sting squinted up at the suddenly darkening sky. The sun had set a good while ago, but there had been plenty of star- and moonlight to help them see their way through the sparser and sparser forest. She looked back at her companions; her sister Swift-Wind, the lovely Badger , the not too talkative Juniper , the helpful Jaseio and the loudmouth Mahrak. They'd split the group in two right before sundown, thinking to flank the pronghorn herd to get a better chance at taking down a number of prey that would make the long path to the hunt worth the travel. The others - Edgerunner , Greywing , Mindlight , Panaetha & Sunset - were well out of sight now, having gone toward the forest side while No-Sting had led her group to go nearer the mountains. This...this could be bad. **Storms heading in,** No-Sting sent, hoping she'd reach the other group loud and clear too. **We'd better hunker down and ride it out. It looks like a bad one.** Swift-Wind had her eyes on the sky too, frowning in worry. It looked like a proper blizzard, heading right for them at breakneck speed.
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Post by Mahrak on Jul 30, 2020 22:55:16 GMT 1
Mahrak followed No-Sting's gaze up to the threatening clouds. He'd seen the sky turn like that before and it didn't bode well.
**Shelter sounds like a good plan. Should we send to the other group to do the same?** They'd likely come to the same conclusion, but it couldn't hurt to check in with them. And speaking of creatures being alert to danger-
"Icicles!" Mahrak cursed as distant thunder of hooves. Apparently their prey had taken note of the changing weather and left their grazing in the valley. By the sound of them, they were heading up into the mountains. Wonderful. No flanking them now, since they weren't in position yet and the other group had taken up position on the forest side. What bad luck had grabbed hold of them for this to happen??
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Post by Badger on Aug 24, 2020 18:18:21 GMT 1
"Looks bad...", Badger mumbled with worry, as she pulled her furcap better over her ears. And then she took a note of the herd fleeing away from the place they had tried to corner them. **And no sense following the prey, now, eh...**, she sent then, her disappointment evident in her mind words.
**Maybe we could still reach the caves...** she then suggested, unsure if they'd manage to get enough shelter in the wild. **Although it looks like there will be a storm over us quicker than a flick of tail, so...**
The maiden shrugged lightly, looking at others -- she was not the leader type, at all.
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Post by No-Sting on Aug 27, 2020 20:13:28 GMT 1
No-Sting nodded in agreement with Badger and Mahrak both. They'd need to ride out the storm before they could even think about continuing the hunt, disappointing as that was.
**We're seeking shelter,** No-Sting open-sent to the other group in the hunting party, **you should probably do the same.** After an open-sent acknowledgement, she turned her attention to her own group. They were closer to the mountain than the other group was, but that didn't mean they didn't have ways to go before they could hunker down.
The mountains played funny tricks on the ears. She could almost swear the herd's hoof-beats had changed direction, coming back toward them. But why would they-
A low rumbling of distant snow falling far too fast sent a bolt of pure panic through No-Sting. On instinct she open-sent **AVALANCHE!** and grabbed the elf nearest to her, already rushing for the caves. The forest might have been a better option, but the stampeding pronghorns wouldn't be heading for holes in the mountain and they had a better chance out of the snow's path, even if they ended up having to dig themselves out of a cave.
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Post by Mahrak on Aug 27, 2020 20:16:43 GMT 1
Avalanche. Mahrak knew that word far too well. He set off after No-Sting the heartbeat she sent, knowing it best to follow and follow quick.
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Post by Crispin on Feb 27, 2021 17:47:13 GMT 1
She didn't wait for any encouragement, reaching out far as she could to everyone: **Anyone in need of help due to the storm?**
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Post by No-Sting on Feb 28, 2021 22:24:01 GMT 1
No-Sting's legs carried her at break-neck speed along the side of the mountains they'd been keeping close to, deafened by the approaching avalanche from above and her own panicked heartbeat. She had no idea who she was dragging behind her by the hand, had no idea of who else was still on their feet; all she knew was the need to get out of the way of the deadly wave of snow and the fleeing herd of pronghorns. Crispin's sending caught her by complete surprise and she had no coherent response to give. On pure reflex, she pushed her usual mental limits and sent back panic, fear, confused images of fleeing pronghorns and the rumbling sound of the avalanche. OOC: Feel free to have it be Badger No-Sting grabbed hold of or not - if it's not Badger, No-Sting grabbed Swift-Wind instead  |
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Post by Mahrak on Feb 28, 2021 23:22:24 GMT 1
Mahrak felt Crispin's sending, but was too caught up in the danger to fully register it. Instead his attention stayed on the avalanche and his fellow hunters. This wasn't his first time caught in the path of far too much oncoming snow and he refused to die crushed by it. In a few heartbeats, he sent out all experience he could share with the others, unsure of who knew to take a deep breath and hold it, to dig a small hole to breathe and not panic if trapped.
Then the wall of snow came upon them.
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Post by Badger on Mar 3, 2021 12:47:08 GMT 1
Badger was grabbed by No-Sting, and a good thing too. The wolfrider had originated from temperate forest area, as much as she knew about blizzards, avalanches were a whole new chapter in her life — and by the looks and reactions of others, it was something Badger would not have liked to know at all.
To Crispin, she sent just the feeling of horror and panic, as she ran with No-Sting, lungs burning with the cold air and the muscles straining to try and save her from the snow.
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Post by No-Sting on Mar 3, 2021 22:39:48 GMT 1
The rumbling drew closer far too quickly. No-Sting kept running, kept pulling her companion along, kept hoping for a way out.
A cave! Not ideal, but better than immediately being crushed by snow. No good decisions to make here, only gambles, and No-Sting made a choice on pure reflex.
Squeezing the hand she was holding, No-Sting inhaled sharply, holding as much air as she could inside her lungs and darted inside the cave. Hopefully it would be deep enough that there'd be space enough for them too while the snow poured inside.
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Post by Mahrak on Mar 3, 2021 22:57:20 GMT 1
Mahrak followed No-Sting and Badger in to the cave, heartbeats before the wall of snow came down on them. Trapped in darkness, pulse thundering in his ears, he had no idea if he'd made it and even less of an idea if Jaseio and Juniper had managed to get in behind him. Not daring to let out his breath yet, too full of panic and fear to actually feel his own body, he sent instead of spoke: **Who's here with me? Is anyone you hurt? Trapped?** OOC: Since Jaseio's player is on hiatus, I suggest we have her be unconscious and very trapped under the snow, and that anyone standing help dig her free. No-Sting and Mahrak are "fine" (aka trapped in the cave but not injured, because the entrance is fully blocked by snow) but feel free to have Badger or Juniper be partially or fully trapped under snow! Even with Badger being ahead of Mahrak, she might have tripped or he might have sped up and gotten past her in the last second or something |
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Post by Badger on Mar 5, 2021 14:30:40 GMT 1
Badger had managed to get inside the cave in the nick of time, but she had difficulties catching her breath. It felt like her heart had jumped up to her throat and she was on the floor of the cave on all fours, trying to regain her senses and breath.
**I'm...** she sent to the elves present, **Fine. Just...** it was hard to explain, but she was still in full on panic mode.
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Post by Juniper on Mar 5, 2021 14:36:44 GMT 1
Juniper had ran with the rest of them, but he was not as good in deep snow. He had tripped and fallen, managing to make a small pocket of air before the snow crushed him beneath. He felt surprisingly calm, but his mind's voice ran out: **TRAPPED!!** and that voice was way different from calm. Juniper was worried, not for himself only, but for his Recognized Greywing. Even if he did not agree to the bond of the souls between them, and did his best to avoid the maiden, being cranky and mean, his death was way too cruel of a fate for her. He locksent out to the maiden: **Rak... Rakte?** |
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Post by No-Sting on Mar 5, 2021 23:28:44 GMT 1
No-Sting steadied herself against the cave's cold wall and tried to get her bearings. She tried to reach out to Reefshadow, who'd followed the hunters to seek better fishing grounds and hopefully would be easier to connect with than those still back at the holt, but she found nothing. Juniper's sending hit her before she could truly dwell on that, quickly followed by a desperate mental plea from Swift-Wind. Trapped. Both of them, trapped! **Start digging!** No-Sting open-sent, forcing panic aside and succeeding only partially. She threw herself blindly at the heap of snow that had blocked them inside the cave and began clawing at it. **Keep sending! We'll free you! We'll find you both and dig you free, I swear it, just keep sending!** OOC: Quick reminder (mostly to myself XD) - Edgerunner's life will be lost here, while the rest ( Panaetha , Greywing, Mindlight, Sunset) are planned to disappear in accordance with their players' wishes or at least their deaths will not be confirmed (Reefshadow has also vanished - he's not a hunter but is nearby to make this make sense). Sunset's cheetah kitten is still back at the holt and I am a wuss when it comes to animal death so unless someone vetos it, I say Edgerunner's horse and Jaseio's horse had been left a while back so they wouldn't alert the pronghorns during the hunt. No-Sting and Swift-Wind left their lynx in the woods too, to be a "drive back the herd from the woods" back-up plan for the hunt. Where Skulk and Trotter are is completely up to you, Mia |
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Post by Mahrak on Mar 6, 2021 0:22:40 GMT 1
Mahrak dug in with both hands and magic, willing the hard-packed snow to shift. Dealing with snow was far hard than shaping liquid water but he could do minor adjustments at least. He managed to find two elf-shapes inside the heap, using his watershaping to guide his digging and the soft blue shine of it to give them a little light in the pitchblack cave. **We've got you,** he sent to Juniper and Swift-Wind, feeling his own heart slow its racing now that the worst had passed. **I can sense you. You're not that deep - the cave isn't that big - so you'll be back in the fresh air in the leap of a fox!** Not that being buried under a crushing weight of cold frozen water gave you a great sense of time, but he hoped his genuine optimism for getting them out safe and sound would be soothing. ::Longsleep?:: Mahrak tried to reach out to his bond, but couldn't put enough effort into the sending for it to stretch far enough. Hopefully the big lump of fur had listened to him and stayed away from the open field. Longsleep was no inexperienced kitten to be lured in by the stampeding pronghorns. Though he wouldn't know for sure until they'd left the cave. Distracted by this attempt at contacting his bond, it took Mahrak a moment to register that there were three shapes inside the heap. On rather tall one at that. One that hadn't sent to them. Jaseio! Panic nipping at him again, Mahrak focused a sending on where he sensed the silent elf's form. He gasped in relief when he eventually got a faint reply, as if from someone deep asleep. Nothing more than a brush of life, but life still. ~**I think the snow got Jaseio worst of all three! I'll focus on getting her out first; she can't have dug herself any space to breathe or held air in, so I don't think she has long.**~ This last he lock-sent to Badger and No-Sting only. No reason to heap more stress on Juniper and Swift-Wind. |
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