[ORP] The search (OPEN)

[Sikukuu Pride]

((Just a tiny mule post to keep the RP moving. If anyone else would like to roll to see if they could recognize Wing you may still do that. Just roll 2 d6))

Looks like we better get over there and check up on Wing. There's a place downstream where several large rocks are half submerged in the water. Feel free to notice it and brave the rushing water...

exclaim Skip, hop, splash? Roll 1-6 to see how the crossing goes.

1: Whoah! You miss a jump and end up in the water. Luckily you manage to hang on to a rock and scramble to safety.
2-3: Well, you get to the other side, but it wasn't graceful and your legs are pretty soaked.
4-5: A few close calls, but you stay on your feet.
6: That wasn't difficult at all... You can't see why some of the others are having a hard time crossing...  

[Rennekae]

Nisha felt as though a crocodile had it's jaws clamped on her heart; Wing seemed disoriented and hopeless, and her attention seemed caught by something Nisha couldn't see.
Scanning her surroundings again, Nisha caught sight of a line of a rocks sticking out of the water. They were large enough to cross on and that was all that Nisha's brain cared to register. She raced downstream to them and flew across them - hardly noticing as water soaked her legs and belly fur in her less than elegant crossing.

One last leap and she landed hard on the opposite bank. Giving herself a shake, she took a heartbeat to get her bearings and re-locate Wing. Spotting the mud-covered cheetah she padded over swiftly. Upon reaching her, she followed the despondent line of sight to....
No.. It can't be.. Nisha shut her eyes tightly to try to erase the image, then stepped in between Wing and the fallen tree. And what lay under it. This wasn't something the poor female needed to keep staring at.

"Wing... Wing, are you hurt?" Nisha tried to distract the Vuli's attention while cautiously sniffing for any scent of blood under the grime.

 

[Annchen]

"Score!" Paean said to no one in particular. He'd just spotted one of Ester's gourds. Luckily this one had a vine tied to it to make carrying the gourd easier, and the vine was tangled in a bush. Who knew where the gourd would have ended up if it hadn't got stuck here? After some poking around Paean managed to loosen the vine and loop it around his neck. That way he could carry it comfortably.

It took him some time to spot the cheetah on the opposite shore, but he did recognize her. Nisha called out first, however. It was worrying that she didn't reply so he followed the leopards lead when she spotted the half submerged rocks. He hesitated for a moment before starting to cross.

The large lion was obviously not as sure footed as the leopard had been, and soon he slipped and fell into the cold water. The current tried to suck him downstream, but Paean wasn't having any of that. He dug his claws in hard enough to mark the stone and finally managed to get up on the rock again. He somehow managed to get to the other shore without any further incidents, and finally had solid... uh... mud... under his paws. He coughed and spluttered, trying to sort out his own issues before checking on Wing.

((First dice - Wing, second dice - crossing))  

[SilverLutz]

Splashing distracted Wing for a moment, and she tore her gaze away from the small body to watch the little hunting party cross the river. Some lingered on the other side, and she didn't blame them: the current was strong, and Paean nearly was swept downstream. Her already aching heart leapt into her throat, but he made it across safely.

Turning her gaze to Nisha, her sorrow returned full force. The concerned look on her face and her hesitant approach let her know that she had seen the small cub that lay lifeless just a few paces away, and she did her best to keep a mournful noise from leaving her mouth as she spoke.

"Not physically," she said weakly. "Just...just a bit dirty is all. But N-Nari is-" She cut herself off, too emotional to even say it. She couldn't. She knew he was gone, but saying it would be too final. Too real. She shook her head and lowered herself to the ground, covering her head with her paws, wishing she'd wake up and find herself in her den with her small son curled against her for protection.  

[Rennekae]

Nisha's gaze caught Paean's briefly as the earth-colored lion noisily made his way toward them. Ears folded mournfully against her skull, she flicked her tail slowly at Nari, hoping Paean would understand and retrieve the cub's lifeless body. It would need to be brought back to the pride for a proper burial.

Feeling as though her heart was being shredded by thorn-sharp claws, Nisha used her body to completely block Wing's view of her lost cub. She breathed a quick apology, voice cracking with emotion, into the cheetah's ear as she nudged her gently, encouraging her to stand. She wasn't sure how they would get the despairing mother back to the rest of the group - it seemed unlikely that she would have the strength, or concentration, to cross the river the way Nisha and Paean had. All Nisha knew was that she needed to get Wing away from staring her son's body and to someone who could help her to heal.

Annchen

SilverLutz

 

[Sikukuu Pride]

The rest of the group had managed to make their way over the crossing without being swept away by the rushing water. The body of Wingu's son Nari was muddy and hadn't been visible from the other shore, but once everyone was over they could both see and scent that there was no hope for the cub. Those that haven't noticed the tragedy yet will soon hear a whisper about it from someone in the group.

Heimdall placed his large paw on Wing's smaller one in an attempt at wordless comfort. Staying here was not an option. Heim was no medic, but he knew that cold and shock could kill an otherwise healthy adult.

"We should get you somewhere more comfortable," he said to the cheetah.

He looked at little Nari, saddened that the cub never had a chance to experience the joy of his season. He wondered if Wing would be willing to leave him here to be reclaimed by nature, or if she'd want to take her dead cub with her for now.

"We'll have to try to get up to the dens on this shore," he said, and he hoped that there would be no nasty surprises up ahead.


But wait! Someone is walking towards the group on this shore. It's a very muddy hyena, and some might remember seeing him during the festivities if they have a good memory for faces. He must be one of their visitors! His fur is in a mess from all the mud, but you can tell that he probably has a green pelt... Perhaps he can tell them if they can reach the dens that way?

krusnik05

 

[krusnik05]

It had been a long night. In which that was an understatement because it felt like an eternity in the dark and stormy night that brought on such a great disaster to this pride. Having worked all night long digging and pulling victims from mudslides and out of their caved in dens left him in a state of exhaustion. His body shook from it and the muscles were tense with soreness….But Bojan couldn’t rest now. Not yet. There was still much to be done and when things were truly showing that they were resolving then he would find a spot to lay down and not get up for a day or so.

Walking down the pathway he looked up at a group of lions coming his way. Of course he didn’t know any of them by name but by face, if he could recall them during the celebrations that had been going on. Though that wasn't important...What was important was that he saw some measure of life and that was a relief.

While Bojan would have liked to not look like a mud monster it couldn't be helped. At some point his green coat and bright blue hair would show themselves, but for now it was his muddy coat and bright blue eyes that were still sharp with alertness. Giving a small smile he stopped and waved a paw at the group. "Greetings!"

 

[SilverLutz]

A warm body beside her, nudging her, and a large paw on hers brought Wing up for a gulp of air. Her eyes were watery but no tears fell any longer - she had cried herself dry. Standing with Nisha's help, she leaned against the larger feline as her legs wobbled beneath her. Her exhaustion was taking its toll on her. Lifting her head, she gazed up at the large blue lion, a whimper leaving her lips.

"Please don't leave him," she said weakly. She couldn't stand the thought of leaving him there, for the river to wash away. He needed a resting place that could be safe from future disasters such as this. Her gaze moved to the newcomer wearily, her mind racing now that help had arrived. Everything was coming back to her now that the shock of finding her cub was wearing off. It was almost as if a memory was trying to push its way to the front of her mind...

"There was something...something downstream," she said weakly, trying to be heard. "During the flood there...there was something big that rushed by in the water. I found a tree to hang on to but...whatever that was didn't. It was larger than me but I can't remember if it was alive or a part of a tree.."  

[Annchen]

Paean wasn't sure how to deal with Wingu's grief and the dead cub. Luckily the others seemed to have it under control, so he focused on the new arrival. He took a few steps toward the hyena and smiled back at the friendly creature.

"Hello," he called, "Nice to see you."

It was nice to find someone that was alive and well after the violent storm. The hyena was covered in mud from tail to nose, but his movements suggested that he wasn't injured.

"I take it it's muddy up ahead?" he asked. Hoping that they wouldn't have to drag themselves through mud to get up to the den area. "We're trying to get to the dens."

krusnik05

 

[Sikukuu Pride]

1. Nisha
2. Bojan
3. Wingu

question Is that another gourd over there?

Rennekae

Look at that! Nisha found one of Ester's gourds in the mud.

 

[Rennekae]

Nisha's heart nearly split at Wing's whimpering plea for her son's body. She laid her ears back and shut her eyes tight in an attempt to fight back her own tears - the grieving mother needed Nisha and the others to show the strength she couldn't be expected to.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nisha caught sight of what looked to be one of the missing gourds half buried in the muck. After making sure that Wing was steady enough to support herself, she rushed over and yanked it out, returning to support the weakened cheetah just in time to catch her next words. The leopardess had to strain to hear but when Wing finished speaking, Nisha was immediately alert.

Torn between staying to comfort Wing and going to find whomever it was that needed their help - if anyone even did - Nisha turned her distraught gaze to Heimdall.
"What should we do?"

 

[krusnik05]

Annchen

Bojan smiled at the lion who greeted him and nodded slightly. "It's somewhat muddy. It's not doubt possibly alot better than some places to travel." The hyena commented before perking up with interest. "To the dens? If you would like I can accompany you up towards the den. As a precaution because of the trail upstream. You never know when the ground will finally give in." Which he hoped such things were at a true end so that this pride and it's members could recover from such a harsh blow.

(Very sorry, I had taken on extra shifts at work and school ate me up v.v)  

[Annchen]

((Sorry for dropping the ball for a while there guys. I'll try to wrap things up as soon as I can to avoid dragging this on more than necessary. The plan is a final post in about a week, so you've got time to get some more RP posts in))

Heimdall nodded, without questioning Wingu's request. He frowned a little when she described something big in the water, but didn't ask any follow up questions. For now they needed to find a way to honor the mother's request.

"Could you please help me," he said to Nisha, "I can carry him on my back, but I'm not sure I could get him there."

He lay down in the mud next to the cub, to make it easier to transfer Nari to his back. The little cub couldn't weigh much, and anyone in the group could probably handle his weight, but Heimdall figured that the road might be a bit difficult up ahead.

"It would be very helpful if you could lead the way," he called to the hyena.

Paean couldn't be happier that they were going to move again. The entire situation was creeping him out. He wasn't stupid enough to think that this was the only casualty of the storm, but he kind of hoped that he wouldn't have to see any more up close.

"I'll help you check the ground ahead of us," he quickly offered, making himself useful in a way that didn't involve bodies. Heimdall was a bigger lion than him, offering to carry the cub like that. "I'm Paean, sorry about the state of my season's festivities... You're here visiting, right?"

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Rennekae

krusnik05

SilverLutz

DraconisSiirexus

 

[Sikukuu Pride]

The road ahead is muddy, but not as muddy as one might guess from the state of the hyena's fur. It looks like it'll be possible to get through it without getting muddy from nose to tail tip... Better walk carefully now!

exclaim It's time to get going. Roll a 6-sided die.

1: You slip and manage to face plant in the mud. Soft, squishy mud... And it's all over you... Even in your ears, eww!
2: You stub your toe on something in the mud. It's more colorful than a rock, and you fish out a gourd from the muck. Score!
3: The trip is pretty much uneventful. Walking in mud wasn't all that bad!
4: The ground starts to slide away when you step too close to the shore. You manage to jump to the side, while a piece of what you thought was solid ground slides into the water with a splash.
5: One of your feet gets stuck in the muck. Roll a 6 sided die again, along with a RP post trying to get unstuck. You need a cumulative score of 6 to succeed. Others may help you by rolling and RPing trying to help.
6: A bird suddenly flies out of a nearby bush, chattering. You must have scared it!  

[SilverLutz]

Wing oversaw the transport of her son to Heimdall's back, no more tears left in her for the moment. She was glad he wouldn't be left here to be swept downstream, or eaten by something that took advantage of the carnage the flood had brought. Once she was sure he was safe, she turned and began to walk behind the hyena, head low. She was careful where she stepped, making sure not to step in anything too deep, but her paws did get a bit dirty.

Her tail bumped a bush as she walked and a bird burst out of it, making her look up in dull surprise. It flew away without so much as a peep, though, and she went on her way, continuing to pick a careful path. She was exhausted, and the last thing she needed to do was fall back in the river.