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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:58 pm
The horse-man shrugged his hairy shoulders. He'd never dealt with pregnant women before, how should he know? "I... guess? Women seem to know how to deal with these things... I didn't even know this was possible, what with everything happening to us... I wonder what the labs will do..."
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:36 pm
"I... I... I d-don't know! I... w-w-woo-woo-woo-what if... wh-what if they c-c-cut her open?? Wh-what if they d-d-do something hor-hor-horrible??" He squeaked with a sudden look of horror.
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:45 pm
Gaius winced. Crud, he hadn't thought of anything like that, at least not in such detail.
"I... I hope they don't... I mean, if they do try anything..." He shook his horse-ish head, mane flapping with the movement. What had been guilt and shame moments before was hardening into a resolve, a determination to right his wrongs no matter what the cost. "If they try anything, I'll stop them. But, how I'd know if they did... I don't know." His ears flicked up suddenly as he looked back at the underbrush Emerwyn had disappeared into. "Crud, I should have gone with her, escorted her or something!"
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:49 pm
"W-w-woo-we c-could s-s-still... po-po-po-possibly c-catch her!" Newt urged, terrified of the what ifs and possibilities that rolled through his paranoid mind. "Wh-what if th-they... they... c-cut it out and... and p-p-pu-pu-put it in a jar and... or... or k-kuh-kuh-killed her or t-tuh-tested some... some chem-chem-chemical on her or-" He was getting himself riled up, eyes wide and dilated and sopping wet with tears. He rubbed his bear arms and tugged at the ties of his swim trunks desperately.
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:57 pm
"Eugh..." Gaius made a grimace. Newt's words were painting an all-too-clear image in his head - the smell of sterile chemicals, the white room, the metal scalpels, Emer's eyes wide with that shocked look, the same one she'd give him...
"Enough! Enough, Newt!" He pushed himself up to his knees and grabbed the side of a nearby tree to help himself up. "Come on, we have to find her and make sure the labs aren't able to get their hands on her! I'm not going to let anyone hurt her or her baby..."
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:09 pm
Newt was quick to leap after with an urgent croak. He stopped once he landed heavily beside the horseman, though, swallowing deeply as he gazed at the jungle, "I.... I h-hope sh-she's n-n-not too deep..."
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:20 pm
"It's thick, I doubt she'll make very good progress..." Gaius said, beginning to make his way through the trees. "But be careful, we don't want to startle her off! And... we don't want to attract anyone... less friendly..." he added in an undertone. Though he had begun venturing farther into the jungle, there was still that ever-present fear of the she-wolf lurking out there. But they were close to the village still, that was reassuring enough for him and he led Newt in amongst the trees.
What he hadn't taken into consideration was how agile the deer was, and she had a far better knowledge of the jungle paths than either of them. Within minutes, it became quite obvious there was no sign of her anywhere around them. Still, Gaius plodded straight ahead, bound to his mission now.
"We'll catch up with her eventually, can't be long now..."
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:23 pm
Newt left after Gaius, staying close to his furry ankles and occasionally getting a flick of a tail in the face. His heart was in his throat. He hadn't gone into the jungle much since being used as bait, save for just the outer skirts. He didn't know how far gone the predators of the woods were, but he was thankful to not be in his uniform. As they moved, he felt compelled to say something, at least, if only to get his mind off of mad scientists and pregnant deer. "Ah... s-so... so... er... y-you're.... er... y-you.. ah... th-that is... um... y-your... er..." Although it was a difficult subject to bring up.
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:29 pm
The scratch of branches on his already itchy legs combined with the fact he had not a sign of Emerwyn to follow and Newt's irritatingly close proximity behind his feet - he was practically on top of him! - did little to lift Gaius' mood. So when he spoke up, it was with a shorter tone than he'd intended. "What is it, Newt?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:41 pm
"I... ah!" He croaked, lowering his gaze from his friend to the jungle again, "N-n-nuh-nuh-noth-nothing," He whimpered, backing off a few inches in his pacing at least, but still kept close. Why did he follow? He should have stayed behind. Gaius could have found her on his own. But what if the wolf came after Gaius?
Was Thom still around? Watching him and protecting him? Or had the snake just been lying to him to get him to cooperate? He could hop fast, though, even in the thick brush of the jungle. He could serve as a distraction at least to let Gaius escape? He gave a second, slightly more unhappy croak, praying their trek wouldn't come to that.
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:06 pm
The horse-man groaned inwardly, rolling his eyes. It wasn't Newt's fault, after all, he shouldn't take it out on the guy. The frog had enough problems already.
"Sorry about that... just worried about Emer and all... upset with myself too." Pushing past a bush, Gaius stopped suddenly, finding their way blocked by several trees growing close together. There was no way he could squeeze past, especially not with his grown wings, and Newt was equally stuck with his rotund shape.
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:31 pm
Newt had been carefully timing his leaps to land just behind Gaius, and so when the horse man stopped short, Newt's hop was cut short by a face full of Gaius's rear. He crumpled to the ground behind him with a startled "KrrKIT!"
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:36 pm
"Gyah!" Gaius lurched forward under the impact of the man-sized frog. One of his slender feet caught on a root and down he went, face-first into the bushes. Prickly branches scratched and caught at his hair and limbs, it was with some difficulty he pulled himself back out, sticks still tangled in his long hair. He shot a glare over his shoulder, but the frog was on the ground as well. Grumbling, Gaius pulled himself back onto his haunches, rubbing at a scrape across his sensitive nose.
"Blast it... We can't go any further this way. Do you, uh, know where she lives...?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:45 pm
"Ah! Ah I'm s-s-so sor-sor-sorry!" Newt yelped once he had scrambled back upright from where he had lay sprawled out across the path they had made, "I... y-you st-st-stopped and I c-cuh-couldn't ah.. s-stop my h-hop and...!" He babbled, trying to explain. It took a moment for him to calm before he noticed the natural blockade and his brows furrowed, "Ah... I... n-n-no... I've only ever... er... s-seen her in puh-puh-puh-passing."
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:56 pm
"It's okay! It's okay, really!" Gaius said quickly, holding up a hoofed hand to stop the frog's apologies. Catching sight of the strange limb, he felt suddenly embarrassed and lowered it again and busied himself with getting back up.
"Um, er..." He glanced around. There was no sign of any passing of the deer, and he was no tracker, it'd been too long since his years of camping outdoors with his father. He couldn't admit that to Newt, though, not when the guy was so clearly frightened and dependent on him. Lifting his head, his nostrils flared as he sniffed at the air, ears erect for any sounds. It was useless, he couldn't make heads or tails of the information his nose gave him - the jungle was too full of smells. What was he even doing? Berating himself, Gaius lowered his head. Acting like some kind of animal! How could he have slipped that far?
"I-I think she went this way," he said, doing his best to sound sure as he led them to the left. "Can't be far."
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