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 Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:22 am
 Mishu stepped forward to test Patience's success. She noted that her hand still firmly gripped the knife. She wondered if a non-threatening appearance might be mroe successful, but she decided she wasn't going to risk it. She chose to keep it ready for the draw.
"Excuse me," she said tightly as she approached Ysa, but the woman didn't move.
Outside, Creseyda snuffled at her companion, questioning her state. She too was starting to get nervous. Very few persons approached them, but those who did had a bad smell to them. Not that they were dirty, but they... intended foul things. It was therefore not entirely shocking when the net dropped down from a nearby roof onto them. She squawked loudly and reared, but she couldn't get it off.
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Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:53 am
As the net fell, Ambrosia shrieked in outrage at such trickery. Her infuriated struggles quickly ceased, but she crouched sullenly with her fur and feathers fluffed out, her ears flat against her skull, hissing. Her blue-eyed glare was malevolent, and made it quite clear that she would hold this personally against each and every human being involved in it, and probably a great many who hadn't been. She was not a reasonable creature.
Patience, naturally, heard the ear-splitting shriek and looked sharply at Ysa. "This is a very bad idea," he warned her, not quite sure how he could make good on that semi-threat.
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Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:29 pm
"What is not a good idea is sullying the holy animals with your corrupt touch. Kept here they will be honored and prayed to." Ysa looked back at him, meeting Patience's gaze.
Then suddenly Mishu was between them, her knife held to Ysa's face. "I won't go into the billion problems with your logic because I know you won't listen and I'm too angry to do it. Whatever you're doing to the griffins out there, stop and undo, unless you want to start losing parts of your face."
Creseyda refused to give up, even though her squirms and clawings and stretches entangled her further. She snapped or scratched at anything that got close, making a great deal of noise as she went.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:44 am
Patience suppressed a smile to see Mishu brandishing the knife threateningly. Well, there was another one of his female acquaintances who could take perfectly good care of herself when the situation called for it. It was refreshing not to have to worry about others, though it felt almost neglectful.
Seeing that Ysa's attention was definitely focused completely on Mishu's blade, Patience walked to the door and opened it. He met with no resistance as he did so and so walked out into the open air. Somehow he had expected the door to be locked.
"Ambrosia," he said in his soft voice, the one he used to give commands, "Hold."
The griffin, surprisingly, obeyed him and stopped struggling completely, though she continued to exhibit a foul temper. Patience slid one of his own knives from its place in his boot and stood slowly to show it to the people who had dropped the net on the griffins. He guessed they would not be impressed that he was armed, but on the other hand, they probably didn't know how much training he had had with weapons, either.
"If you'd be so kind as to release the griffins, I can guarantee no one will be savaged."
He couldn't actually guarantee that, but he supposed he could keep Creseyda calm until Mishu could deal with her. He had no problem dealing with griffins, calming them. He wanted to give the men a chance.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:09 am
((trying to decide on a good color for Cressy, blue isn't ... right))
Creseyda recognized Patience as he came forward, and seeing Abrosia calm down she relaxed a little, though she didn't quiet much. She focused on biting the net instead of simply struggling.
Ysa simply glared back at Mishu, which made her even more angry. Mishu didn't like to hurt people, and she had no stomach for torture. She only wanted to kill if she had to -- which wasn't yet. Instead she grabbed the woman's wrist and twisted it around, so her arm was behind her back. She made sure she oculd still feel the long knife was there. "Out. And tell them to let the griffins go." She pushed Ysa out the door. "You can see how angry they are. They are clearly not pleased with what you're doing."
"They're testing us," Ysa said simply.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:27 pm
Outside, Patience was turning his powers to a use he had sworn off long ago, but which he fell back into with startling ease. He had only used this particular skill a few times in his life, though it was very close to the healing abilities he made constant use of. In fact, it was really just tweaking the same powers so that rather than take pain away and repair damage and restore health, he gave pain and dealt injury. Those with previous wounds found them worsening, and those without developed internal difficulties which could be fatal if Patience was forced to exert too much energy into the activity.
Using this ability felt sick, wrong to Patience, but he would not allow anyone to be treated as he and Mishu and the griffins had been. In all honesty, he might have bourne the treatment had there been no others, but even Ambrosia's presence would have caused him to rebel against Ysa's actions - he was certain Ysa was behind this. He could also tell that he would be useless for the next several hours if he was forced to keep this up for much longer.
In the mean time, the men and woman who had been securing the nets to the ground with pitons were suddenly ceasing in their motions as scars dealt the same pain they had when they were acquired and small cuts opened up and bruises formed hematomas. It was not pleasant, really, and Patience could only imagine what someone would see if they didn't know what was going on.
Ambrosia noticed that the people around her were not paying enough attention, being distracted, and she took several raking swipes tha drew blood, wounding far beyond what such an attack ought to have done, courtesy of Patience's interference. Noticing the effects of her attacks, she began to lash out with more vigor and ferocity, forcing her captors to be ill far from her reach.
You will all be sorry, she screeched. I or my human will make you sorry.
She didn't even notice herself refer to Patience as her human, she was so angry.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:49 pm
Mishu stared in wide-eyed wonder. She could see Patience was doing... something. But she couldn't for the life of her begin to understand what it was. The people were collapsing, some crying out, others moaning, some simply with pained expressions as they were hurt. She stood, nearly slack-jawed, until she felt Ysa resisting.
She quickly became aware and tightened her grip on the woman's arm. "You think your gods want them to be hurt?!" she hissed. "You think this is a test? Order their freedom or your whole village will suffer, because of you!"
Creseyda noticed that Ambrosia was no longer peaceful. She renewed her struggles as well, though she could do little. She had entangled herself too much in her previous attempts.
Ysa scowled. "Then we die martyrs."
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:08 pm
Patience was not reassured to hear how strong Ysa's convictions were. He certainly wouldn't kill anyone. The only killing he ever involved himself in was hunting or mercy killing. Disgusted, both with himself and Ysa, he stopped and cut the griffins loose before anyone else could think to interfere.
His hands trembled as he wielded the knife, but he took care to hide that. He hoped he didn't look as sick and drained as he felt. He felt like death warmed over, and if he looked like that, Ysa and the others would know he had absolutely nothing left, and even his skill with a blade would be adversely affected. He had over-exerted himself badly this time.
He used the normal methods at his disposal to sooth Creseyda so that he could help her disentangle herself from the confines of the net. Ambrosia had shaken her restraints off easily after he cut the bindings at the pitons. Creseyda was a beautiful griffin, he noted, and in fine health, a thing he always appreciated in griffins. He felt guilty still for Ambrosia's slenderness, though he knew it to be none of his fault.
"Martyrdom isn't all it's made out to be," he said softly to Ysa. He knew that from personal experience.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:25 pm
Mishu pushed Ysa down to her knees. "You know, your gods, whoever they be, did test you today, I think." She was fairly certain they could get away without being pursued. "They wanted to see how you valued life, how you dealt with the people you were responsible for. And you failed, Ysa. Failed entirely."
She hit the woman over the head with the butt of her knife, knocking her senseless. Then she helped Creseyda extricate herself. "Are you ok?" she whispered to Patience. "You look... like hell."
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Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 10:21 pm
Patience smiled weakly at Mishu.
"I'll be fine," he assured her.
He wasn't entirely sure how long it would take him to recover from this. He knew he would recover, but that was the extent of his knowledge, really. It was only because he was afraid he would collapse if he let himself do anything but what he was doing that he remained on his feet, really.
Ambrosia ambled over to Patience and bumped her head against his shoulder affectionately. Ordinarily the action would have gratified him beyond measure, but in this case it nearly unbalanced Patience and forced him to grab at her feathers to keep his footing. It was not the desired result for the griffin, nor for the human.
"Good girl," he murmured to Ambrosia. "Very good girl."
Ambrosia was pleased at the praise, considering the stressful situation she had just been in, and preened visibly. Then she remembered the other griffin, Creseyda, and looked over her shoulder at the crested tan creature.
Is all well? she asked. You and your human are unharmed?
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Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:39 am
Mishu watched Patience try to keep his balance. "I can tie you to your griffin, keep you from falling off," she offered. She had questions she needed to ask him, but she knew they had to wait till they were out of this place
Creseyda clicked her beak. We're fine. She flashed angry looks at anyone who stood near. I can fly and she can walk. I knew I smelled something bad here. A gutteral squawk came from her as she examined Ysa.
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Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:29 pm
Patience shook his head as he walked with the others out of the disturbing place, one hand on Ambrosia's shoulder.
"I wouldn't try it. Ambrosia's not exactly mine. She permits me some familiarities, but I don't think she would permit me to be tied to her, physically."
I wasn't sure, Ambrosia said. And I let bad things happen to my human. This fact shamed her all the more because it was true, and because it had been witnessed by another of her kind.
Patience did not walk more steadily over time, but he made it out of the village, though by the time he did so he was leaning heavily on Ambrosia, and she had to hold one wing awkwardly to help support him. He was a little surprised that she bothered. It seemed uncharacteristic. He knew she still mourned Niko's death.
A safe distance from the village he found himself a convenient log and sat. Ambrosia pressed against his shins and chirped anxiously. He patted her head absently and let his head drop to his chest, exhausted.
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:41 am
Mishu knelt in front of him. She held out her canteen for him to have a drink. She tried to look him in the eyes to see if he had any signs that he was going to pass out. His movements seemed like it.
She hesitated to speak, but she needed to know. "Patience, where did you learn that magic? I know it may be prying, and you don't have to answer. But I haven't... seen it in a long time."
Creseyda approached Ambrosia. The other griffin seemed agitated. She ruffled her feathers and stretched her wings slightly. Are you ok?
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:37 pm
Patience allowed Mishu to feel like she was doing something useful, though he needed no assistance. He truly just needed rest. And possibly food. But rest would be better. It just took longer. Fortunately, he was on no real schedule except that the longer he delayed the longer it would be until he saw Silence and until Ambrosia could be given to this Gethsemene person.
Ambrosia nuzzled his knees with her beak and answered Creseyda, I'm fine. He isn't.
"I'm amazed you've seen it at all," he said. His weariness was evident in his voice, but he was used to working through exhaustion. It was always hurricanes, and never breezes, as the saying went. "To my knowledge, it can only be used when one has special abilities, and that it's only used in the mountains now."
He was mostly speculating, but that was what he had gathered from others.
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Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 6:33 pm
Creseyda flicked her head, clicking her beak. Will he be well?
"I don't know how it worked with the one I knew." she said slowly, not wanting to give away her past. "He..." she stopped, not feeling as if she could talk about it. "So there are others like you in the mountains?" She wasn't sure if that made her want to go there or not.
She sensed something though. He had someone to return to. She realized that made her jealous, and not for the reasons she would have thought. True, she was on her own -- but she wished she could have learned more about him.
"What can I do?" she asked finally. "I'm not comfortable being too close to that village longer than we must."
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