[PRP] Seeking... something. {Mountain Briar x Protect} ~ [Fin]

[Izaeah]

[imgright]https://res.cloudinary.com/jdbeckett/im ... lowers.png[/imgright]
Months. Long, long months and still, the sight from the smoke crept into her dreams. The sight of the brambles, of her thorn skin, the ache from the healing, the terrible luck she'd had with hunting and keeping herself fed. All of that because she knew she was aloof. She knew she kept mostly to herself but she was still an open ear, a willing shoulder for those who needed it.

Even now, as she sought to find fresh new growths to add to her dwindling collections of herbs, her mind wandered. Her collection wasn't been very big, it had never really been, but she'd spoken with someone she could perhaps call an acquaintance more than a friend and had learned of a few things she could keep nearby in case it became a necessity. She hoped it didn't. Still, her little home now had a corner dedicated to a few different herbs and mushrooms, most dried.

Spring was in the air, she knew that it would be a time during which there would be plenty of frolicking happening and likely plenty of little ones coming about soon. It was the season for love and companionship and the thought made something sour in her. She didn't know that she wanted permanent companionship, so used to being alone, but...

No, no. She couldn't rightfully let that vision from the fortune-telling remain with her forever this way. It wasn't right and she had been careful, she'd minded where she'd been walking (mostly), and there had been no walls of briar anywhere to be seen and--

Briar found herself stumbling over a root and dropping harshly on the ground. This, well this wasn't all that unexpected since last winter but it wasn't what made her freeze. It was the grunting noise of the badger not too far from her that did.

@Lirilei

[Lirilei]

Protect was happy for the warming air, the thawing ground, the growing plants. It meant looking for food was easier, and more pleasant than in the depth of winter. Which was why he was out and about today. He was looking to get some fresher food. Oh sure he had plenty of dried things, but fresh would be wonderful.

He could hear the unmistakable sound of an animal not far off, and he decided he'd better proceed a little more cautiously. Who knew if it it was mad, and if something had set it off. He didn't want to possibly come face to face with two angry animals. He moved closer, eyes looking between the ground, and the area ahead. He was trying to make sure he didn't step on any sticks and branches on the ground, or crash into anything. He didn't want to alert the animal... a badger he realized as he got closer, to his arrival.

From the corner of his eye he caught sight of something that didn't belong in the area, the pink and white noticeable among the surroundings, and he did his best to get a better look, spying the doe laying there. Was she injured? Had she been attacked? Protect looked around to find a way to get to her, that didn't put him closer to the badger. He found a log that had seen better days and he carefully climbed up it, mindful of moss and rot, not wanting to fall through or slip until he reached a position he could jump down to the ground safely, and began to approach the doe, speaking softly. "Hi, hello. Are you okay?" he as trying very hard not to alert the badger.

@Izaeah

[Izaeah]

Briar belonged closer to fields of blooming flowers than this particular area, so it was likely that she stood out. That, as a whole, had never bothered her; there were plenty of others who stood out even more than she did and it was no competition, in the end. Her pale, flowery coat had never been a problem for her and as she'd more often than not been on her own, it hadn't been brought up either.

Even as she tried to keep her breathing even and her gaze on the growling badger, she was aware of another sound, though it was faint. The words, when they came, didn't startle her quite as much as they could have and her main and primary reaction had been to flick her ears just slightly in the direction they had come from. Her gaze shifted slightly, though it mostly remained on the angry animal. She'd never cared much for badgers and at this very moment, she was glad that her usual companion was not at her side, she would have worried for the crane's safety.

"I'm all right." her words low, so quiet, "I just... I tripped and, well now with this one there..." She didn't really dare move, that was the problem. If she moved, she worried that it would charge her. She was sure that she was nimble enough to get away but not if she had to get up first, that really was the problem.

She'd seen others with badgers like this one as their companions and she just couldn't wrap their mind around the kind of relationship it required; most she'd come across were usually always rather angry. As far as she was concerned, her crane companion was just fine.

"Maybe.. if something could distract it..." she felt as though nothing actually was hurting at this point, there were no aches and pains, so she was sure she was fine.

@Lirilei

[Lirilei]

"Distracting badgers isn't easy. There was this booth at the winter market, and I hear a kin there had a badger, that needed distracting so it's owner could get to food stores. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn't. Still, I'll do what I can do distract it so you can get up. Easier to avoid it on your hooves, than laying down."

Well really it did make sense to distract the animal so she could get up and not worry about making a loud sound, drawing it's attention, and being attacked. That wouldn't have been a good thing, or sat well with him in the end.

He glanced around, keeping between her and the noises from the badger, and he eyed a rock near his hooves. "I'm going to kick this off to the side, so it'll hopefully chase it. Be ready to get up onto your hooves, and to run away if you can. I'll hold it off." he'd spotted a broken branch that he could maybe use for defense if it wasn't too brittle, and he hoped to the MotherFather it wasn't!

"Get ready.....three, two...one..." and there he kicked the rock off through the underbrush waiting to see if the badger would take the bait and follow it, or if it would charge at them.

[blockquote]Rolled 1d10 : 6, total 6[/blockquote]

(Odds it chases the rock...at least for the moment, evens it charges them)


@Izaeah

[Izaeah]

"I've heard of that booth." Her words were still low, her attention still mostly on the badger. It seemed even more agitated now, as though it was aware that something was about to happen though it still seemed to keep its distance, merely growling louder if that was even at all possible. Briar found herself shuddering slightly but that was the most that could be seen of her motions.

This situation, it almost made her think back to the fortune-telling and she tried hard as she could to not focus on that. Now was not the time. She was neither stuck in a prison of brambles nor was she starving. The only trouble they seemed to be facing was that of the badger. She felt no aches in her bones or any of her limbs and she knew with some certainty that she was fine if a little shaken.

Briar didn't dare move her head, not even to look at what this was. All she knew is that he was going to kick something off to the side so she could get up. She waited on his count, she heard him kick something but she didn't even wait to see what it was or to check if it clattered away or even distracted the badger; she scrambled to her hooves, managing surprisingly quickly, but it wasn't enough. She almost sensed more than realized that the distraction hadn't worked for more than a heartbeat and by the moment she'd been standing, the beast was charging them.

Surprisingly, she didn't scream or yelp; she did breathe a startled little note and took off in the opposite direction. Her heart was hammering away but she still was trying to keep an ear open for the buck, almost desperate to make sure that he wasn't still back there with the beast. They could get away, she knew. There was a body of water nearby and her mild familiarity with the badgers told her that they avoided swimming if they could help it. They could swim but didn't care for it, one way or the other. It was the way she was heading.

@Lirilei

[Lirilei]

"I heard of it too. It sounded like... something that's for sure." he wasn't sure if he'd keep a badger as a companion, because they were just too unpredictable for his liking in the long run. No he'd need a much more mellow, predictable pet in the long run. Still to each kin their own he reasoned.

He grabbed the stick in his teeth, uncaring if he got jabbed by splinters in the tongue, or gums, or anything this was more important and he held it ready. The badger was charging after the doe, and well himself, thanks to his proximity, but he wasn't going to let it get to her. Nope, not a bit. So he swung as hard as he could at the badger, and while he connected with something, it wasn't the furry menace. Still the hit was enough that the branch he had broke with a loud crack, most of it falling to the ground at his hooves, a small portion held in his mouth. He spat it out with a "Oh crap..." he jumped back out of the way as the angry animal swiped at him, barely missing the long claws as he quickly turned to run after the doe, spying her just ahead of him.

"Don't stop! The rock didn't work, and my stick broke!" he yelled to her.


@Izaeah

[Izaeah]

Briar was quite happy with her crane companion, really. She was even happier than it hadn't come along because this situation was a bad one and she'd have worried even more for her feathered friend than herself and that likely would have not worked out well in her favour.

The sound of breaking wood wasn't lost on her and it nearly made her stop but she kept her pace, fast but not an all-out run. This place has roots and rocks in places, tripping had already happened once, she wasn't going to let it happen a second time, no thank you. She still kept part of her attention behind her, her heart's pace easing a little when she heard him. No matter that it was clear his plan had not worked out as well as it could have. Still, they were on their way hopefully away from the beast and she knew the water was close, so close.

His words however, they rang in her mind and had it been any other moment, she could have laughed at them. There just was something about a stick breaking that was currently funny to her but it might have more had to do with the currently somewhat terrifying situation more than anything else.

"There's water nearby!" she called back to him, "I hope you can swim!" Oh dear.

@Lirilei

[Lirilei]

He could hear her words clearly, and he wondered if the water would be of any help to them. He knew little about badgers, else than they could be bad tempered at the best of times. That was enough for him. Still, he decided it didn't hurt to trust her, what else could he do after all?

Peering back he could see the animal chasing after them gaining ground and he picked up the pace, inching closer to her. "I can, yes! We need to hurry it's getting closer!" which was just very, very bad honestly. He didn't want either of them to get bitten, or clawed if he could help it, really.

He heard the water, before he saw it, and he took that as a good sign, especially since her earlier words implied they weren't slowing once they hit the water, but would merely start swimming for their lives.


@Izaeah

[Izaeah]

She considered telling him why they were heading for the water but she kept herself from that just then, they needed to save their breaths. She could hear the badger still a little too loudly and that only made her move all the faster, while still avoiding all she could of roots and rocks as they were plentiful.

Briar couldn't help but feel slightly exhilarated, however. This wasn't something she'd do for fun but there was something about running this way that felt good, even if it was for a terrible reason. It was a strange sensation and one she didn't dwell on much at that particular point. Later, most likely. She knew the water was just there, within their reach and she gave herself a hard push, all four hooves leaving the trampled ground. "Jump!"

Well, not quite yet, but when he'd be where she'd been. There was a slight drop into the water and it was surprisingly deep from there. It was on the other side that it was shallower and they would be able to get out easily.

She landed with a loud splash and kicked as she could to surface and swim further away to give him all the room he'd need, though there was plenty to be had, she wasn't worried. Once close to the halfway point of that particular body of water, she stopped and made herself turn around to face him. She desperately hoped the badger wouldn't follow them but she had a fair idea that it wouldn't, it was for the best.

Once all was said and done, she was sure she'd laugh the situation off but for now, her heart still was beating faster than she was used to.

@Lirilei

[Lirilei]

It was for the best she didn't tell him why they were running for the water, it didn't really matter at this point, and as hard as he was running he was likely to not hear her well. If at all, really.

He did hear her yell jump. Too late. And rather than jump he sort of floundered off the edge of the spot he should have dropped, though at least he was still far enough away from the ground to not hit himself on anything. He just sank like a rock for a moment before kicking for the surface, and swimming away as quickly as he could in case the badger decided to fall into the water after him.

The fall into the water had hurt a little, but he'd deal. For now, swimming away and towards the doe was the more important thing. He wasn't willing to risk looking back to see if the badger followed, though she was looking so he figured if it was, she could start yelling a warning or swim away quickly. It'd be sign enough.

@Izaeah

[Izaeah]

Oh but Briar winced slightly at the sound he made when he landed in the water. That sounded like it was bound to hurt and she just hoped that he would be all right. She heaved a slightly relieved sigh when she heard him surface, though she'd still been kicking and swimming until she'd been at the midway point.

From there, she watched him; she watched him but mostly she watched the higher up edge of the drop, still listening to the sound of the badger as it seemed to be coming and coming and-- no longer coming. She watched as it skidded to a stop barely fast enough; she saw the back legs struggle to kick their way back up and avoid the water. She saw the beady little eyes looking their way as though trying to decide whether or not it was going to follow them. Only when she saw it turn and leave, but not without a growl, that she felt some relief creep its way into her very skin and bones.

She then simply waited, a small, faint smile playing over her lips until the buck had made its way to her. "Are you quite all right? I'm sorry for the belated warning." Well, she was.

It was with more relief that she carefully turned around once more and started to slowly swim her way to the other shore. She was in no hurry now. "Badgers avoid swimming if they can. I mean, had it tumbled in, it's possible it would have followed us but I took a chance."

@Lirilei

[Lirilei]

He wouldn't lie, hitting the water as he had, had stung but he'd take that over being attacked by the badger. So he swam despite the sting to his body. It would fade quickly enough he was aware even if currently it felt like it wouldn't ever fade. Swimming to the does side was easy enough though, and as he came along side her, her question in his ears.

"I'm okay. Won't lie, stings a little where I hit the water, but it'll fade." he peered up at where they'd jumped (or in his case more or less fallen) from, and saw the badger retreating and breathed out a relieved note. "Well I'm glad one of us had a plan that worked out well." he gave a low laugh as he said that, before continuing on to the shore he was facing.  "Are you okay? You're the one I found laying on the ground after all." he looked at her in concern as he kept swimming, only stopping once hooves found purchase on ground and he started to walk out of the water, shaking himself as dry as he could. It would have to do.

@Izaeah

[Izaeah]

"I wish my warning had come a little earlier, but I suppose that some sting, compared to the idea of indeed being maimed by the badger, isn't much to complain about." Her words were quiet, thoughtful as she slowly swam to the other shore, indeed pausing as she found some footing. She couldn't recall last she'd had a dip in water like this, it was refreshing, even if the reason for the dip clearly wasn't a good one. She breathed out a faint chuckle at the thought as it crossed her mind.

Though she did shake her head somewhat at his question, even as she eased from the water, shaking some of it out of her fur. The rest would dry on its own, she wasn't exactly worried about it. "I tripped, mostly. I admit that my mind has been somewhat all over the place as of the last few months but that is my own problem to deal with and I wouldn't want to bore you with the details."

Well, it made sense to her.

She gave herself a harder shake to get a bit more water out, another faint laugh escaping her. "It wasn't so much a plan as knowledge put to good use. I knew there was water nearby, and I knew that badgers avoided to swim if they could, so it was really little more than chance but I'm glad it worked out in our favour."

Finally, she was turning to look back the way they came once more and she shook her head with a low sigh, "I do thank you for your attempt to help me. Without it, I would likely not really be in quite as few pieces and I don't think that would work out very well for me. I like being whole."

@Lirilei

[Lirilei]

"It's alright, I can handle the sting of hitting the water, compared to the teeth or claws of the badger." so really a slight sting that would fade quickly was just fine in comparison, honestly. He could have been so much worse off in the long run.

"Well at least it was something simple that had you on the ground and nothing serious." that wouldn't have been a good thing, and her trying to run injured then swim would have probably been difficult. So tripping? That was a relief. "It happens, when you're lost in thought, and get tripped up. I've done it before." so he could understand, really.

"I'm sorry my attempt didn't work out better." there was a sheepish laugh. "Not really living up to my name now, am I?" he paused a moment, a sheepish laugh from him. "Though you wouldn't know since I never introduced myself. I'm Protect."



@Izaeah

[Izaeah]

"I don't think I can understand those who befriend these dangerous animals." Her words were quiet and thoughtful though there was a small smile from her as she took a few steps further away from the shore. She looked back in the opposite direction and nodded somewhat to herself. She felt they were safe for the time being. "Though I suppose there could be plenty of reasons for it, it still baffles me."

Nothing serious indeed, merely her mind being what it was and drawing her into itself and lost to the world that surrounded her as it happened. It was one of those things, she knew. There was no helping it though she would have wanted to. She wanted to go back to the way her life had been before that fortune reading; it seemed an impossible task.

She offered him a laugh in turn, that small smile turning into a grin at learning what his name indeed was. "I think that's a fine name and the simple fact that you've actually tried to keep myself, and yourself in the process, safe from the badger, speaks plenty. It may not have been a success at first, but here we are, quite safe away from the beast and I feel rather protected now."

Her tone was genuine, she wasn't merely playing with words or telling him things he might have wanted to hear. That was for others to do, it just wasn't something she had any use for, not really. "I'm Mountain Briar, though the few people who know of me seem to shorten the name to Briar and that's quite all right by me."

@Lirilei