With a little squeal of terror, Brisk scrambled backward away from the mud bug. He tripped all over his tangled legs but managed to dart away and regroup back at the edge of the mud path. The beetle bug was still clinging to the tree, and he was just about to chastise himself over fleeing from a dumb old bug when it CLICKCLICKCLICKed again and raised a clawed leg as if it was going to come down the tree.
"NOPE." Brisk turned tail and RAN headlong back down the forest path and SPLOT right back into the mud. He harumphed, but the alternative was to go back to the bug, so forward was the only option.
After some slogging and slipping, the little kit saw he was nearing the clearing where they had started this whole pointless endeavor. He paused, debating his options. That Captain Angry was probably not going to be too happy he was coming back so fast. Looking around, he thought he could probably stay and hide in the brambles for a while longer so it looked like he made an effort...but it was getting very cold just sitting around covered in mud. Maybe he could slink around the edge of the clearing and make it back to the warren and safety? Well, relative safety anyway. Better than this at least, so he decided to risk it.
Brisk flopped around a little more, really coating himself in the muck on purpose, then patted some twigs and dried leaves on to himself to help camouflage. Quietly as he could, he slunk through the brambles, staying low and avoiding the edge for fear that Maze might still be out there watching for him. He eventually made it back to a warren entrance cold, miserable and tired, only to be told he could not come in until he had cleaned up. Pouting and grumbling, he spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning caked mud off his fur and hating that cursed monster beetle... and the captain that convinced them to go looking for it.
wc: 341 // twc 518 did it rofl
