Skirt the others.

That’s what his mind told him. It was easier to avoid others than to answer their questions on his appearance. He didn’t want to answer questions he had no answers to. Nothing he could recall. He felt movement on his back and he flicked an ear towards the foxbun riding there, a sort of inward smile given as he moved away from the noise he could hear not far ahead. He really, really didn’t want to get near others.

----

[imgright]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... uncert.png[/imgright]There was a glow in the woods. Flitting between the trees, Echo kept an eye on it as she moved ever-closer to the source of the glow. Was this a pet of some sort, or perhaps a cluster of fairies? She'd been carrying a carefully-webbed globe for long enough, she'd appreciate a new contribution of light to the cave systems that she and her brother curated, especially given her serpent had hidden something foul in the caves, and the stench of it rotting had made an entire branch of the warren perilous to enter.

Just a buck, was the first thing to cross her mind, when she'd finally tracked down the source closely enough to ascertain who it was. But a second glance showed that he was a comely buck indeed– and...

...and a scarred one, at that. How had he gotten them? What stories did he have to tell? She moved to take a roundabout path to cross with him, hoping he hadn't noticed her stalking, and that she could pass this off as a chance meeting.

----

There was a soft noise from his small companion but he opted to ignore it. After all Repeat tended to be easily excitable over the stupidest of things. The wind, sometimes rain, a stray leaf. So the slight noise of agitation was ignored as he continued to move along, farther away from the noise he could hear, the slight lights he could see.

He paused a moment, head low to the ground as if searching for something when in reality he was merely trying to listen. To take a path that led to quietness and solitude. Things he was far more used to than any sort of actual companionship, foxbun excluded. After a moment he was walking again, noticing the noises were fading away and he breathed a low sigh of relief. Still too close to stop for the night. Must keep going. He wouldn’t risk being found when the light got brighter the next day.

----


There. She seemed to have escaped unnoticed– hooves crossed, and a little hop for extra luck– and she was thusly free to approach. She let her hooves fall less carefully, more naturally, and stirred at the dead leaves still clinging to springdead branches for good measure.

Better she be noticed than startle him– her greeting would depend entirely on his reception of a strange doe approaching. 

----

His head lifted in surprise as he heard what sounded like hoof fall nearing him, and he closed his eyes thoughtfully a moment trying to listen harder to discern if it was a wild animal or if it was something more. That sounds like more than animal.

The first instinct to come over him was to flee, but he didn’t know the area well enough to do that, and it was growing too dark to run recklessly. His luck he’d run into a tree and break his neck. That left the one option he didn’t want, and that was to stand his ground. Repeat was shifting on his back as he took a step backward, then a second as he found himself bumping against a tree.

This is good. I think. I’ll have something to put between me and whatever… though for as wary as he was of what he could hear coming his way there was a small hint of curiosity wiggling away in his brain. He wondered what, or who was there as much as he almost dreaded finding out.

----

He was quiet, but she was fairly certain he'd noticed her, by the way he startled, and then moved against a tree. Is he scared of me? the doe thought privately, before slowing her pace, and picking up her head in an obvious look around. What to do, then, if he was quiet and still like that? She supposed she'd have to take matters into her own hooves.

"It's okay–" she called out– "I'm not a crocodile. Besides, you'd have to fall down some cliffs to the east before you found any of those."

----

That’s..she’s...telling jokes? He stared at her a moment stunned really. She was he realized, and there was something of a laugh from him as he accepted she was joking and trying to put him at ease. She’s the prettiest doe I’ve ever seen. Why is she talking to me!? Repeat was of course of no help in this matter, having chosen that moment to not only hop off his back but away in search of who knew what.

“Traitor.” Word grumbled to his friend a moment as he looked back to her and there was finally a response aimed at her. “I-I know you’re not...I mean t-t-to say there’s not...I’m not worried about cr-crocodiles. Not here.” He stammered his response out shyly, ducking his head slightly in embarrassment. He wasn’t used to talking to others and he felt out of practice.

----

Well, there he was, laughing and even talking to her in response. All was not lost! "I'm a little surprised that a big strong buck like you would be worried about them at all," she gently ribbed.

"I'm Echo... and you're about thirty paces northeast from a sharp drop into mangrove brack, fair warning."

----

“I-I’m what?” He frowned and came a few paces forward not wanting to fall into anything, or off of anywhere for that matter. “Echo.” he repeated her name to himself a moment, though her words, calling him a big strong buck made him blink in utter surprise and he gave a little laugh. He felt anything but big and strong.

“Thanks for t-the warning. I’m Flawed.”

----

"Well, aren't we all? He wasn't turning away– though that stutter made her worry that she was coming off too enthusiastically. Her voice softened as she continued. "Yeah– the ground rises here, but it's actually going out to a sea inlet– and there's mangroves before that. There's a pretty stark little drop close to here," the doe confirmed.

"If you tell me where your destination is, I can probably lead you through here," she offered, then paused. "Though... we might want to wait until morning unless somebody's waiting on you."

----

“Oh. Thank you.” He gave a slight smile, looking around some. “No one expecting me. Not trying to get anywhere either really. I’m just passing through.” He looked down at a rustle at his hoof and he lowered himself a moment, his foxbun friend up on his back again and he stood again.

He stared at her a moment, trying to work a thought loose and finally there was a quiet. “If...if you could show me somewhere I can settle for the night? Though right here seems fine….” He looked around a moment looking ready to indeed settle down right there. 

----

The doe gave a curt nod, and moved to trot around him, beginning to lead him off in the rough direction he'd been heading. "I've got just the place, if you'd like to follow me?" she offered him.

----

He nodded and shifted his weight slightly making sure not to drop Repeat. “O-of course.” He trotted along a step behind her once again marveling at how pretty she was and still more than a little amazed she was talking to him. It’s dark enough she can’t see the scars. That’s why. In the light… he didn’t have high hopes for a good reaction.

----

The doe was happy to trot along, leading him down the easiest path to the warren. "I hope you don't have any objections to swimming–" she offered– "because the place I stay has a water entrance." It wasn't as if she could lead him into the caves– the dragons would make his poor, startlesome heart give out, if he could even stand the noise– and she knew that she couldn't stand it.

----

He followed along easily enough since she knew the area and the way and he himself did not. The question was a surprising one but he gave her a lopsided sort of grin and shook his head. “N-no. No problems with swimming. Repeat might be a little annoyed, but can deal.” and his companion would he knew. Even if his head was perched on for awhile, he didn’t mind. As they walked, he stumbled slightly over something he couldn’t quite make out. Exposed root, slight rock, either way it caused him to lightly bump into her and earned a “Ahh..s-sorry about that!” as he got his footing stable once more.

----

My, he really was a terribly jumpy buck. The doe leaned in to stabilize him, nosing at his side and neck to try to indicate that it was really fine, see? "Easy now. I'm not sickened by contact, I promise you. There was no harm done." She paused for a moment, letting him gather his bearings.

"Are you okay?"

----

“I’m okay.” he gave a nod of his head, the nosing at his self did help him relax a little more and he nosed back at her with a soft whuffle of breath. I hope that’s the case when she can see me clearer… He would be glad to be settled somewhere for awhile. Once they reached the water he looked to her then. “Lead the way, I’ll follow.” Still he was stepping into the water then. That much he could do right off.

----

"There's going to be a bit of a swim here, then," the doe warned. "Not for too long– just keep your head up." She moved to wade past him, the cool water offering passive resistance to her movements as she squeezed past the buck, and moved to make a very sharp turn, back towards the rockface, hugging it until she came to a break in the stone, and then moving to press on.

In she disappeared, the sound of water softly splashing as she towed her body past the deepest part, until her hooves caught purchase on submerged rock, and she could stand. "I'm on the other side, now," her voice offered. "Whenever you're comfortable?"

----

“A-alright.” he stepped into the water, feeling Repeat climbing up onto his neck and then his head as he stepped into the water. It was actually slightly refreshing at least as he started to follow the path shed taken. It wasn’t too bad a swim at least, a little awkward thanks to the  foxbun on his head but he was managing it none the less.

He was still relieved to find the ground again and he got himself out of the water after a moment of pausing, Repeat hopping off his head and scrambling over by Echo then, turning to watch Flawed with a ‘What’s taking you so long?!’ kind of look. He was out a moment later and shook himself a bit. “T-that wasn’t so bad.”

----

"Just enough to keep unwanted visitors out," the doe replied softly. "This is a safe haven– you're safe here. Your pet... you may want to keep him close– he's in no danger, but he may not like some of my friends." She strode in, moving to push past hanging moss to the cave, where little patches of glowing mosses and fungi had been carefully cultivated to keep the main path visible even in the darkness of the night.

"Come on, then. Follow me."