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Tsetsiliya squeaked in surprise as Rain fell in a clean faint, and watched as Belladonna rushed forward. Looping her own wreath around her arm, she pushed through the snow towards the two of them. This was no time to be standing around and gawking! Especially after all the trouble that Rain had gone to to take care of them, she had to at least do something for her in her time of need!

"I will take here!" She stuck herself underneath Rain's other arm and heaved upward. It was a struggle, but with Belladonna taking up some of the slack, there seemed to be progress. Progress was a good thing. "C-come!" With that, she started forward, struggling under the taller girl's weight.

Julian rolled over onto his face and slowly heaved himself out of the snow into a wobbly standing position. His face softened a bit when he saw Bella help Rain up out of the snow, thinking the undead girl had a good idea. He hadn't gotten hit as often as she had, but that one blow... It really hurt and he felt it as he tried to shuffle back to the group, if only to set up his own tent, his present tucked under one arm.

He bent down to pick up his lights as he passed them, but his legs gave out and he found himself face-first in the snow again. Against his better judgment, he used a tree trunk to heave himself back up into a standing position.

"I m-may need a b-bit of help, too." His voice was still pretty quiet, he was relying mostly on someone else seeing him struggle. He was surprised that he wasn't going back into owl form. Normally stress would do that. But he wasn't going to be picky, since his form was skipping so badly.

Merope looked in the direction she pointed. To him, it looked just like any other direction. Except it wasn't flattened by his passing, not yet at least. "Looks good to me!" He said, "Here, I'll go first and flatten a trail. If I can." He raised his forelegs and began to walk over a bush, too big to try and walk around it.

"Go.. help.. him," Rain mumbled, face in the snow, trying to point in whatever direction Julian's voice had come from. "I'm ok. I don't know what happened but I'm ok." Exactly what had happened? Oh.. yeah. She got attacked by a giant smiling tree trying to smother her with love.

She was a little disappointed that Merope hadn't returned but deep down, she knew he wouldn't. She'd yet to meet anything more stubborn than an undead and the males seemed more pigheaded than the ghouls. "We need to find Merope before he reaches the lake or he won't be able to ferry anyone across if needed."

She pushed herself up with her good knee and stood awkwardly for a minute or two. Her damaged leg felt weak but was she was able to stand and put some pressure on it. She was lucky that she could still walk at all, even if she'd have to drag the leg more than pick it up. She still wanted to assess the damage but they had wasted enough time. She'd look at her leg once she caught up with Merope and they had time to rest for a bit.

"If you can't trust one other to help you through any obstacle that comes our way, then.. then you're welcome to go the other way." She wasn't talking at anyone particular. She seemed to have addressed the entire group, at least what was left of them.

She dragged herself over to her tent and began to pack it away. When done, she also grabbed Julians without thinking and slung them both over her left shoulder. Refusing to look back, she walked off, heading towards the direction Merope had gone. She hoped they would follow but she couldn't control them any more than she could control him. They'd have to decide for themselves.

Right or wrong, it was anyone's guess. The map that Hellma's shadow had shown them wasn't exactly accurate, and in a forest where you could get easily turned around... Merope sighed. He missed the water. At least underwater things didn't exactly look the same most of the time. Until you swam too high. Then things got messed up.

As he made his way between two trees, something pulled him short. "Oh barnacles," he cursed. "Um. I don't think I got your name, but I'm Merope. And I think I'm stuck." He tried to pull his way through. "Bleeeegh!"

As soon as Mei-Xiu came around in front of him, Merope kicked with his hindlegs in an attempt to push himself through. "Ergh! I don't know, actually." The dragon considered twisting around to take a better look, refraining when he recalled his wings. If he twisted now, chances were they would get ripped. "I'm really, really starting to not like this trip," he grumped, "I think it's the trees. Maybe the bush I'm kinda flopped over two, but the other bushes have been rather easy to get over."

"Go right ahead," He rumbled, bracing himself as she stepped onto his back. "Don't trip! My tent's tied to my back." Surprisingly enough. Cyrilla did a good job of placing it there, though he wondered what would have happened if the tent came with shiny buckles. Would his fellow dracolich taken the buckles and left him to carry the tent around in his mouth? Blech!

But now he was unhooked. Merope wiggled as his backlegs flailed for purchase in the snow, success coming with the dragon stumbling free. Hey, at least it wasn't accompanied by an obnoxious cartoony pop! sound effect.

"Whew! Thanks," he said, shaking himself free. "The sooner we get out of here, the better I think. Um. Shall we go straight ahead or...?"

She had had enough. It took a good deal for the stone girl to get angry, but all of... this! was just about enough to get her tiffed off a bit. Trees attacking; people yelling; wanting her to SWIM! She was made of STONE jackdammit - rocks sink!

Igneous regained her feet and whirled around using her wing as a battering ram. She was quite happy to hear a THUNK from the tree as she made a hit.

Good, maybe that would be enough to hold it for a bit while she talked to everyone.

"Rain, I will follow the group, but please... PLEASE... keep in minde that just as some of us cannot abide heights, or bright sunlight, or the color pink - others truely cannot deal with deep water." She glanced at Julian as she said this. Igneous had a feeling his fear of dark waters was as strong as her own.

"But I will be willing to carry anyone who is injured or can't walk that I can manage to lift or who can perch on me," she shrugged. "The one thing I am is strong - not fast or brave or smart like some of you but I can carry things."


Iggy HP: 25
Damage rolled: 4