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 Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:52 pm
 
How could he have screwed up so bad?
Emmerich ground his teeth and dragged his sorry corpse toward Homewood, limping heavily on his left hind leg. A nasty gouge oozed blood from his hock, already sticky and black. He swatted the flies that buzzed near it. Eager for an easy meal, little ********. At least he’d proven he wasn’t that.
He should have seen it coming, though. Sniffed it out in the shadows even if he couldn’t see it. He never watched his back properly. Elsie nagged him to bring someone out with him when he patrolled the ruins, but he rarely did. The few noulicorns he trusted to stand their ground with him had their own tasks to deal with. And the others had at him about his preference for the ruins, rather than the bog where he’d be more help clearing out the poison fumes.
He did that too, of course he did, he knew how important it was to use his gift. But everyone knew what the dangers were in the bog. Getting sucked down into the muck and not being able to pull yourself back out again. Or spending too much time taking in lungfuls of the noxious air and getting yourself a bad case of the cough.
The ruins were different.
They were dangerous because they were unknown. Too many secrets hidden behind doors and under rubble. Emmerich wouldn’t let Homewood face a surprise that might kill them.
He snorted aloud at that. If he couldn’t keep himself from getting his leg half-eaten how was he supposed to protect Homewood?
He knew he needed to find a healer to fix his leg. The pain shot up his fibula with every step, red hot and stinging worse than snake bite. The healers he knew best would be past his own nest, past Elsie and every other noulicorn that knew Emmerich’s name. And they’d know. Watching him limp along like a sad sack.
They’d know he ******** up. They’d know he was no real protection for them, edging along past his prime.
Emmerich stopped. He had a long way back to the wood and a lot of time to think about how he was going to manage this. At least he’d kept to the ground level this time, he wouldn’t have to worry about his footing. He stuck near the decrepit habitation hubs, flanks brushing the overgrown walls. Partial protection from any other predators stalking the area.
He wrenched his gaze back to his messed up leg. Maybe he could figure out some way to fix it on his own. <******** carnivores.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2020 10:57 pm
 When a couple of his friends, Berek, a young adult buck, and Keti, a similarly aged doe whom he happened to know that Berek had developed a thing for, had approached him the previous evening to ask him to accompany them to go out exploring. Dousan had readily said yes. After all, why not? The more, the merrier and he never needed an excuse to spend time with some friends. His initial impression, or the one his friends had given him, was that they'd likely be going to see what there was to see in the Barrens or in the Blackbriar Bog. Each friend respectively had recently interested in focusing their attention in those locations; one having recently received the Botanic gift from the Grandfather Tree and the other having lost a family member to the sucking, noxious terrain of the bog. Needless to say, the announcement that was made when they gathered first thing that morning that they'd be heading east out of Homewood to explore the Ruins had been a bit of a surprise.
The Ruins of Erli. It was a place that Dousan didn't really visit, so while there was curiosity, there were greater degrees of caution. Keti and Berek were more inclined for risks, for testing partially blocked passages, pushing their own limits, trying to glean new insights for their own journeys or to bring back home to share what they've found. He totally understood! Dousan really, truly did. Expanding understanding was an admirable thing to do, however, when it was done carelessly? He'd gladly play the fussy foil to them if it meant keeping them safe.
It had worked for a few hours. Suggestions for more clearly marked or better lit paths had been considered. Extra scouting for safer, more stable routes to known locations had been done. Maybe the height of the sun had emboldened their resolve, or they opted to ignore his sometimes subtle and sometimes not so subtle nudges for care to be taken. It had been fine...until they decided to try to leap across a span that had outwardly sloping edges. There was a bridge to cross, Dousan had said. It was only a little further ahead and a bit lower down. No. They didn't want to wait and they wanted to get higher. His first companion, Berek, had made the jump easily, then turned to wait for them to follow.
Keti took the leap, but hadn't quite made it to where she could catch the flat opposite ledge and had started back sliding down the metallic incline! Berek yelled for her and Dousan made the leap to land just below Keti, using his heavier weight to slow then stop her desperate, scrambling slide. He hadn't been about to let her just slide into the cluttered, darkened void below them. Softly urging her forward as he braced his shoulder against her from behind, Dousan had focused everything on getting her to level ground. Keti had collapsed upon reaching the top, shaking like a leaf. Dousan's heart had hammered in his chest as he caught his breath, adrenaline causing his pulse to hammer in his ears. Berek fretted over Keti as she recovered. Once she had caught her breath, she tried to rise only to feel a jolt of pain shoot through her. Likely a pulled muscle or something strained, potentially even torn, as she had fought against her slide. Dousan put his hoof down. They were done for the day. He wasn't the gently chiding friend any longer. Both were rattled and their wide eyed gazes told him that he needed to take lead.
The journey to ground level had been slow going, Keti leaning heavily against Berek. Take her straight home, he had instructed upon reaching the actual soil. Either to her home or to a healer to get her looked at. There were so many unknown dangers and secrets just laying about that the buck felt the need to check things out for himself. With assurances of his own safety, that he won't be much longer, that they'd be fine if they just followed the straight path to Homewood, Dousan was left to his own devices.
The air moved oddly through the Ruins, he thought. The long abandoned buildings funneled the air strangely, or cut its flow off entirely with dead ends and deep rooms. Sounds carried and echoed unlike anywhere else Dousan explored. He had spent enough time climbing today, so his explorations were kept on or very near to ground level. On certain surfaces, he used his horn to scratch brief warnings or note for observed, scented things ahead and behind. Once again, the air shifted, a gust buffeting between the buildings he was passing, sending his two tone mane fluttering about him. He froze. There was a subtle metallic tang on that wind. Blood. It hadn't come from the direction he had sent his companions. This was someone else. Another noul if he could tell correctly.
Concern bubbled up in his chest. There could well be predators about, but if someone was hurt, he had to do something! His Solar gift wouldn't be of much use to the injured, but it was better than carrying on in this place hurt and alone. Dousan left his task to seek out the source for his worry. Turned out, he didn't have to travel too far before it became ******** carnivores."
A masculine voice. Closer now, he couldn't hear or smell anyone else, predator or otherwise. Better make myself known sooner rather than later, he thought. Emerging out from a small, overgrown alley between two of the ruined structures, Dousan softly sucked a breath through his teeth. ******** carnivores, indeed. The darker buck had an injured hind leg, the blood tacky and dark there. He kept a respectful distance.
"Excuse me. Pardon the intrusion, but would you like some help?" He frowned and shook his head. "I don't have any ability to heal, but I'll do what I can to assist you...if you'll have me." The buck was clearly a big, sturdy fellow. Dousan didn't want to presume to force help on him. Wounded prides sometimes stung worse than physical injuries. He'd lend aid if the other so wished it.[WC: 1042]
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 5:07 pm
Something else was out here.
Grass stirred somewhere to his left. Emmerich turned and braced himself, lowering his horn. His injured leg wavered in the air before he forced himself to set it down, biting back a wince of pain. Another cat-creature come to finish him? He’d give the beast a run through that would leave it worse than limping. Emmerich snorted, digging his hooves into the unforgiving cement. And then…
It was only another noulicorn.
Emmerich hadn’t noticed the smell over the cacophony of noul scents, old and new, muted out by the rust and metal tang of the Others. He dropped his stance, shifting his weight from his injured leg. Relief swam cooly through his veins like a breeze. He bit back a grunt and scrutinized the other buck.
“I’m all right.” He took a step forward to prove it. His limp might not have given off the intended effect, but hey, he could walk. Would’ve been a ******** dream if this guy had been a vivify user. Emmerich would rather face his embarrassment with one noul out in the ruins than traipse through Homewood with a wound that flashed his failures. “Got caught up with a predator.”
A damned cat-beast. Seemed like a lot of them creeped around the ruins looking for easy meals. Assholes the bunch. Emmerich wouldn’t be surprised if the creatures were a curse left behind by the Others. He hadn’t been on guard enough, hadn’t been paying enough attention. It had been shadow quiet and still as stone until Emmerich strolled directly beneath it. He’d felt its claws on him before he’d ever caught sight of it. But this wasn’t Emmerich’s first time fighting a predator. What could’ve been an easy meal with a young or frightened noul had turned into a nasty scrap. It sunk its teeth into his hock and in repayment, Emmerich kicked the damned thing hard enough to hear bones crack. Emmerich may have shouted in pain, but the predator’s screeching yowl did a good job of drowning it out.
He’d taken care of it, but that didn’t mean more weren’t out here.
“What are you doing here? It’s not safe-”
He recognized that noul. Wasn’t anyone he knew personally, but he’d seen the buck around Homewood here and again, heard plenty of talk about him. What did they call him? The companion? Mind healer? Escort? ********, Emmerich couldn’t remember. Everything he’d overheard made Emmerich think soft, and the ruins weren’t forgiving of soft. They tracked it down and masticated it into a pulp. This… helper (what was his name?!) was exactly the sort of noulicorn Emmerich patrolled the ruins to protect. To keep the dangers from encroaching into Homewood and gobbling up those that couldn’t fight.
“It’s not safe,” Emmerich repeated, steadier this time. “Did you come out here alone?”
Maybe he hadn’t. Maybe there was some other noulicorn trapped or injured out here, meant to be this buck’s protection. Emmerich twitched an ear, straining for any noise around the maze of dilapidated buildings.
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 8:27 pm
Stubborn, Dousan mused. Good. All the better to make back to Homewood, especially considering the fact that he had no clue how long the other buck had been limping along with his injured leg after his close encounter with a predator. He gave a soft thoughtful hum. "I'd hate to see the state you left it in." This fellow clearly had a lot of fight in him, so it'd stand to reason that he hadn't just fled from his attacker. He closed some of the distance between.
There was a sort of searching in the other's gaze. Not hope, more like recollection. He himself couldn't think of a name to match to his face, so the dark buck wasn't anyone he had had dealings with before. Sure, he was fairly certain he had seen him here and there, but that may have been the full extent of it.
"No," Dousan agreed simply. "And no. I sent the companions that I had initially came here with home. They decided to ignore my urgings for caution and one could very well have gotten more seriously injured than she did. No broken skin, but likely pulled something. Made sure they got safely to solid ground and then sent them back to Homewood. Apparently they're still young enough to feel like they're immortal. Well, I figured if they were feeling more foolhardy than being terribly interested in hearing me out, I could spend some time leaving warnings around for those who'd actually look to heed them. Unstable terrain, pitfall, predator sighted or scented in the area. You know, those sorts of things etched into wall and pillar where they can be seen for those who may venture in after." A task that would mean future return trips to update with new information, freshen his little carvings, among other things.
He turned to face in the direction the other buck was heading in. "Now, I don't believe we've met before. My name is Dousan. If you need to lean on me, please, do let me know. Otherwise, I can at the very least be an extra pair of eyes and ears on the way home. Or an extra able body if need be." Dousan himself was about average in height for a noulicorn buck and edged just a bit on the side of soft seeming stockiness. However, his movements were very fluid, his step light. The ability the Grandfather Tree had given him along with his gift had allowed him to more easily take forays into the Barrens especially, but he wasn't one to shy away from a challenge. After all, it simply wouldn't do to not rise to the occasion.
[WC: 444]
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2020 10:14 pm
Emmerich did what he did because he wanted to, needed to, to know Homewood was protected and any noulicorns foolish enough to venture out here would likely live to see another day and magic another flower into blooming. He didn’t do it for gratitude and he’d made himself out to be surly enough to keep most strangers from engaging with him. Genuine praise, when it happened, was rare. Emmerich wrestled the urge to preen under the buck’s suggestion.
Yeah, he’d kicked the damned things a**.
No one liked a big buck that boasted, though, so he kept his mouth shut.
Mouth shut, but ears wide open. The urge to berate the stranger nipped at the tip of Emmerich’s tongue, but the longer he spoke, the more Emmerich’s reprimand abated. He’d expected the companion to be frightened of a place like this, sensitive and insensible, spooking at shadows and losing his feet under the unfamiliar footing. He hadn’t expected…
This.
“Emmerich.”
Dousan. Now that he heard it, the name did seem familiar. Elsie must have twittered about him at some point. She was gregarious, as talkative and friendly as Emmerich wasn’t. She made up for all his shortcomings.
“That’s good work,” he said with a steady jerk of his chin. With an eye on Dousan, Emmerich turned back to the path to Homewood, keeping a good few feet of space between them. Even with a limp Emmerich wouldn’t resort to leaning on someone else. He could carry his own weight just fine, and if he tried to adjust his pace to disguise how much his injured hock hurt, what of it?
“Can’t stop everyone from exploring, but that’ll keep them from breaking their legs.”
More than no warning would, but Emmerich knew plenty of noulicorns that would ignore warnings for their own benefit. Or to prove that they could handle the challenge. Curse the barrens, Emmerich himself had been just that sort of foolhardy foal once upon a time.
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 9:14 pm
Yes, he definitely didn't recognize the name, but it was always nice to put a name to a known, even if vaguely so, face. "Emmerich," He echoed with a nod to the other buck to help secure Emmerich's name in his mind. Dousan recalled occasionally seeing him standing guard in clearings or along rivers, in passing along the Homewood outskirts likely keeping an eye out for especially ballsy or desperate predators that might have ventured too close for comfort. Very strong, very dedicated to his craft. A lot to be proud of.
"It's the least I could do," He answered softly. At the very least, it made him feel slightly better about how the the morning had gone. He'd definitely have to check in with his two friends, perhaps tomorrow, and talk them through his thoughts and actions, and work things out with them. It would be okay. Dousan didn't push the space Emmerich set between them, keeping his distance and just as easily adjusting his pace and stride to keep alongside the other buck or even very slightly behind. Emmerich would set their pace. A guardian at heart, injured or no, would probably take some degree of offense at being lead home.
"True enough. It's a simple hope that those who may follow after will heed the warnings. If not, they may end up lessons, painful or no." Hopefully lessons learned not too late for the particularly adventuresome or immortal feeling nouls that doubtlessly venture into the ruins. He sighed at the thought. "I don't mind the undertaking. If it helps more nouls make it home, it's worth it for me to at least try."
[WC: 276]
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Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:08 pm
“You do enough for nouls already.” Nothing useful to Emmerich’s line of work, tulips and daisies and feel-good emotional bunk that Elsie droned on about when Emmerich got bit by the surly bug. But it was work, and Dousan earned himself a reputation. Leaving etchings was useful, and Emmerich appreciated it, but it seemed a waste to put one more noul in danger when he had something better to contribute to Homewood.
Braving the ruins for danger was scout’s work, not meant for softer bucks like Dousan. He should leave that s**t to stags and does like Emmerich, all wiry muscle and miles in scar tissue. Hooves and horns hardened from cracking skulls, in the figurative and literal. This chunk out of his leg one mark in a myriad of others, and more to come no doubt.
“Can’t stop you either, though.” Emmerich snorted and glanced over his shoulder at Dousan. The sunset in front of them turned the landscape to a hazy golden glow, glinting off the blood-copper Ruin’s rust. “But if you’re gonna do it, grab a scout to watch your hide.”
Self-loathing burst an acid bubble around his gut, turning his confidence into a careful facade. Emmerich wasn’t a viable candidate for guardian. Oh sure, the big strong buck with the nasty attitude could talk all he liked, but he went and got his hock torn up by a damned cat beast. He was toeing an edgy line of hypocrisy.
Emmerich snorted at himself, ears snapped back. “Not far now.”
The sweet, earthen smell of Homewood tiptoed through the air, infiltrating the harsh metal tang left by the Others.
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:43 pm
"I do know better than being out here on my own." Dousan gave a soft half-chuckle and sighed. "Honestly, part of my fussing about out here after I sent my friends home was for my own benefit. I had gotten so frustrated about how things went and leaving those etchings of warning made me feel a little better about today. Visual warnings, while still might be ignored, linger longer than uttered urgings. Risky, yes. Foolish, one might say, but I'll be better able to rest a little more peacefully knowing what I've done today." He shook himself and nodded in agreement. "I do agree. I swear to you that this endeavor will no longer be carried out alone, Emmerich. Today will have been my only solo working here."
A quiet settled as they walked on toward Homewood. Dousan's pace easily allowed him to keep an eye on the path ahead as well as an eye on the larger buck. The quiet wasn't exactly peaceful, companionable silence. Dousan could tell that Emmerich was deep in thought and clearly not about terribly positive things if his body language was anything to go by. Pricking his ears forward, the companion angled his head as he pondered over what he could do for him. Emmerich deserved a peaceful end to his own day, just as much as he, himself, did, if not even more so.
The alert of proximity to home snapped Dousan from his musing. The welcome familiar fragrances of Homewood swept out to greet them, even at their distance. An inkling of a thought came to him and it brought a smile to his face. It could very well work. He'd have to work quickly though. It wouldn't work so well if he waited until the two of them actually reached Homewood's borders. There were scouts and guards within the borders. Space was good in this case.
Dousan trotted a little head of Emmerich and half turned to stand between him and Homewood. "Emmerich, this might seem a little unorthodox, but I'm going to need you to wait here for a few moments. Now, I won't be long. You'll see. I promise that I'll be right back. Please, don't move. Okay? Okay," He seemingly answered himself, without really waiting for the other to get a chance to response in the affirmative or not. He turned and cantered off toward Homewood.
He knew exactly where to go. A somewhat regular visitor of his was a skilled vivify adept, a healer. Dousan resolved to cash in a bit of a favor for Emmerich's sake. A well shaded glen, seemingly all the darker for the fading light, was his destination. A moment of worry alighted in his chest when he drew nearer. At first, he didn't see the noul he was looking for. "Ohtli?"
A smoky black splash snowflake appaloosa noul emerged from the covered den at the core of the glen, the red markings of their rank spread across their face. They looked both surprised and curious as to his arrival. Dousan sighed in relief and apologized for disturbing them. "Ohtli, my dear friend, I have a favor I must ask of you. Would you please come with me? I will tell you about it as we go, but we'll have to go quickly." They gave their assent and hurried off along Dousan's side. "It's important that we act with the utmost discretion, which, I know, is one of your many strong suits. Here's what's going on..." The buck spoke in hushed tones as they hastily made their way back toward the edge Homewood.
With Ohtli fully filled in on the situation, Dousan trotted ahead once more to make certain Emmerich was where he had left him. Fortunately so! Closing the distance between, he bowed his head apologetically. "Emmerich, I'm sorry to have raced off on you as I did, but I've brought someone who can help." He glanced back and stepped aside to allow the arriving Ohtli space to draw in close. "This is Ohtli. They've been sworn to secrecy. What happens here, shall remain so."
They set to work immediately, giving Emmerich's hock a once over before dipping their head, a warm reddish glowing mote of light grew from their horn and drifted to envelop the injury. The mote seemingly dissipated and faded into nothing against Emmerich's dark coat. They stood. "I've taken the liberty of cleansing as well as healing your wound. Nasty things out there. I prefer to be safe. Now, that should do it for you. If any pain or anything persists, do come find me or let me know now. I try to make the rounds most days." He nodded to Emmerich and stepped back to wait for Emmerich's answer.
Dousan beamed and trotted next to the healer. "Oh, you're simply a dream, Ohtli. Thank you! So sorry to have interrupted your evening routine. I shall see you next time. Do have a good night." He appreciatively nosed the other noul then watched quietly as the healer nodded the two bucks a farewell and turned to return back to their secluded glen. When it was once more the two of them, he shifted his blue violet gaze to Emmerich. "Feeling any better?" It was a twofold question, weighted, layered as his inquiries sometimes were. Physically, was he no longer in pain? Mentally, was he feeling any more at ease?
[WC: 901]
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:53 pm
Damn. At first, Emmerich didn’t bother looking back at Dousan while he talked. Kept his eyes on the trail ahead, glancing in shadows to sneer at unknowables lurking there. Despite the enticement of fresh blood, their walk remained peaceful. Nothing untoward slinked out of the bushes to pounce. But the more Dousan talked, the more Emmerich’s interest squirmed in his gut. Finally, he cast an appraising glance over his shoulder.
He’d expected a stammered excuse or puffed up courage and contumacy. Not… this. Rational agreement. There wasn’t a damned thing to say in response, so he turned away and kept going, chewing his thoughts. He should quarter the ruins and sets marks down on known dangers. Barrens be damned, he found all the worst spots in Erli anyway, wouldn’t take much searching, just careful footwork and neat writing. Wouldn’t stop the adolescents from daring each other into breaking their legs, but it’d help anyone who came with purpose.
Yeah. He could do that.
Emmerich would have said as much when Dousan cantered ahead of him and ordered him to stay. Emmerich’s ears snapped back against his skull, lips pulling back to reveal a flash of teeth before he collected himself, snorting. Dousan was down the trail in moments, and Emmerich’s buggered leg wouldn’t let him match that pace.
So… he stayed.
If that buck was bringing back a gaggle of gossips, Emmerich would- He’d-
He wouldn’t attack a Homewood noulicorn, no matter how much they pissed him off, but he’d give them an unforgettable fright.
The sound of two sets of hooves darkened Emmerich’s mood further. His tail snapped, and he raised his head, staring down the length of his long nose. A string of curses stewed at the tip of his tongue.
A healer?
Emmerich recognized them. That flash of sparkling red adept mark was impossible to mistake. He remained still as stone except to follow Ohtli with his gaze, blazing blue twisted to slits. Emmerich grit his teeth at the touch of horn to his wound, sheer stubbornness holding back a reflexive kick. The pain throbbed, then faded, leaving a warm ache at his joint. Emmerich stretched his leg back, flexing the hock to find it stiff but painless.
He kept his eye on his wound’s ghost and muttered stilted syllables. “You didn’t need to do that.”
Dumb thing to say. Dousan was aware and did it anyway. What was this? A bribe? One fast favor to sit on a ledger until Dousan needed something from a scout? What did it mean? Emmerich would have gone to a healer when they’d gotten back. He knew a couple in Homewood that patched up the scouts on the regular, but he’d need at least an adept to handle a wound severe as this. Nouls would see him. They’d watch him limp between the trees and know he’d failed. Every step a black mark screaming that Emmerich wasn’t good enough, fast enough, strong enough to keep them safe.
Maybe Dousan did this to spare him. Keep this a tiny secret hidden between them.
Emmerich put his weight on the hoof, the nothing stark relief to the sharp pain he’d be limping with, and set his gaze firmly on Dousan.
“Just like new.” He looked away. “Thank-you.”
Dusk settled long shadows over them, turning Homewood midnight green. Emmerich started for it, eager to shove this mess of a day behind him.
“If you want to go through the ruins again, I’ll watch your back.” He paused, flexing his jaw. “You’ve got good ideas. I think you could carve a chunk of danger out of this place.”
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2020 11:06 pm
Dousan keenly watched Emmerich's initial testing stretches, for signs of incomplete healing, pain, anything outside of the norm, not that he doubted Ohtli's healing ability in the slightest. He just wanted to be absolutely certain that everything was okay. He straightened some when the other buck spoke finally. He blinked almost surprised, but relaxed into an easy smile. Truly, the companion was delighted to be of assistance. There didn't appear to be any hitching of twinging tendons or aching muscle. Right as rain! Excellent!
"Good, I'm glad," Dousan spoke softly, shifting to give Emmerich space to lead the way into Homewood proper. "Happy to help." The dusk deepened and the first chirring of the night bugs rose about them. Welcome sounds of home. He fell into pace alongside the darker buck, once again keeping even or very slightly behind.
After a few moments of quiet walking, he focused his attention to the scout when he spoke. The offer touched him. Dousan beamed at Emmerich and nodded, pleased. "Oh, Emmerich, I'd really like that. You can rest assured that whenever I'm next stricken with the mad need to leave Homewood to check on or update my etchings, I'll be sure to seek you out first thing. I'd love to have some help. If you'd like to, of course. I feel like so much more could be done, so much more ground can be covered if it were more than just me fussing over things out there. Otherwise, it would be most comforting just knowing you'd be there to help keep me out of trouble." His pace slowed, peering around at the increasingly familiar landmarks. His den was near and, oh, how he could hear the siren song of restful sleep after a long, trying day.
He sighed and refocused on the other buck. "Well, I'm afraid this is where I must leave you. It was good to meet you, Emmerich. Rest easy. It's been a long day." He moved to start heading down the way to where he resided before half turning back to the scout. "If you'd like to chat sometime, or to just check in, I do try to keep myself available. I'm around," He vaguely tipped his head side to side to indicate Homewood in general before stilling and smiling, dipping his head in a slight bow. "You have a good night, Emmerich." With that, the companion turned and slipped into the growing dark of night to follow one of the few more well worn paths to his den.
[WC: 421]
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 12:07 am
The mad need. Emmerich laughed, a rough roll of his voice, and swished his tail amicably. “That’s the word for it, alright.”
Dousan was right, of course. Work in the Ruins would never be finished, too much ground to cover for the handful of noulicorns that put it in their patrols. Too many hidden places underground, too many winding hallways and rusted staircases ascending to Grandfather Tree knows where. Emmerich sometimes came out with another scout or two, better to have a second pair of eyes watching for back with cat beasts around, but a change of company might be nice. The psychological insights of a companion could prove handy.
And he didn’t want this buck - anyone - wandering out here alone.
The rest of their journey was comfortably quiet until the comforting scent of Homewood hit Emmerich’s nose. Rich green, fresh air, the musk of other noulicorns. Even at dusk quiet conversation murmured between the trees. The tension slipped from Emmerich’s muscles as he turned to face Dousan.
“Can’t say I’m always in Homewood,” he admitted. “Patrol takes me wherever I’m needed, but if you give me a little head’s up, I’ll make sure I’m free to watch you- your back in the Ruins.”
He jerked his head at a northerly path. “My den’s up that way and my sister’s always around, if I’m not. Stay safe.” He paused, then added. “Dousan.”
Emmerich watched him leave, brow furrowed and tail flicking with a nervous energy he couldn’t pinpoint. The shadows of Homewood swallowed Dousan up and Emmerich was forced to turn down his own path.
It had been a trying day, but he didn’t feel quite so tired as he should have.
End.
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ll Grandfather Tree ll generated a random number between
1 and 100 ...
54!
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 7:31 am
BUGGHNRAHK
you found a stone!
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ll Grandfather Tree ll Vice Captain
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ll Grandfather Tree ll generated a random number between
1 and 100 ...
50!
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ll Grandfather Tree ll Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 7:36 am
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