|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:24 pm
Several minutes passed as Robin continued to stare down at the icy blue depths of the stream. The archer had learned to fish long ago, however it had been awhile since he last used the skill and it was certainly not in these conditions. He did not plan to sleep during the winter like most of the other residents, but he needed to hunt while food was still available in "appropriate" hunting conditions such as this. This proved to be more challenging than he imagined as his thoughts were side-tracked by a particular predator that he had met only recently. The bobcat in question was a very peculiar character who seemed to see life and the balance within it from a different perspective. The awkward part about the bobcat was that Robin wasn't entirely sure whether it was a he or a she. The look Cheshire gave him nagged at the wolf since the last time they talked, as if he was missing a critical aspect behind those golden eyes. It seemed that the cat harnessed a knack for keeping others guessing.
A flicker of movement beneath the water's surface adverted Robin's thoughts. He crouched down, still for a moment before lunging his torso into the chilled stream. The fox-like wolf quickly pulled himself from the frigid water, his long, green, now sodden tunic clinging to his upper body. He spat out the cold water from his mouth disdainfully as he failed to catch the fish. To make matters worse, his shirt was wet and cold from dipping into the stram with it. Muttering something to himself in old English, the small wolf slipped out of the shirt and slung it over a low, dead branch where his hat, belt, and dagger (something he decided to bring along in place of his longbow) lay.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:15 am
"You look good without your gear on. A sort of, return to nature kind of feel. I never really understood the fascination some creatures have with wearing human-things. But, to each their own, I suppose," a soft voice hummed around the small wolf and gold eyes slowly opened in the water. Chesh's face was actually reflected in the chilled surface, however it was a nice affect. With the hushed sound of the breeze through the trees and a small swirl of pink, the Cheshire Cat materialized near Robin, scratch healed, smile returned, and a soft flush beneath the pale pink fur on the cat's cheeks. Apparently even extraordinary creatures such as the cat also suffered from the cold.
Chesh had been off on normal duties. The Priest had been quite busy with family affairs (That seemed to be happening more often now that the pups had been born), though this did not bother the Cat much, for there was always the small one, or to do the job oneself. Chesh preferred the latter as a last resort, however. The Powers That Be might take exception... Wait, Chesh was one of those powers, in a way...
The cat chuckled a bit to itself over this inward jest before licking its upper lip a bit. The one thing Chesh hated most about the winter was that it was so dry and thus made everything else dry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 9:17 pm
The wolf slowly tilted his head to the side, catching a glimpse of Cheshire's phantom reflection on the water's surface as he listened to the delicate drone of the cat's voice around him. He turned in time to see Cheshire materialize next to him. Grinning slightly, Robin dipped his head courteously in greeting. "You'd be amazed at what crafty material the humans come up with just to keep themselves unseen while out of their natural environment." he explained with a small smirk. "Camouflage or no, I suppose my outfit doesn't really suit the surroundings now that the frost has claimed most of the foliage," He indicated to the forest and thin blanket of snow along the ground with a small wave of his paw. "Though I may look dashing wearing white, I doubt very much that it'll conceal my rather blazing fur." he chuckled. The Cheshire Cat, on the other hand, had a rather distinctive shade of pink fur. However, the cat also had the gift of dissapearing at will.
Robin, who looked like either a large red fox or a small maned wolf without his attire, licked a paw to smooth out his spiked, wet fur. "Good to see that cut all patched up now," he noted wryly. "How's the situation with Evil? No more disturbances in the force, I hope." Despite his preferences for Old English terms, the archer had to admit his liking to some of the classic phrases used today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:38 pm
Chesh chuckled with a shake of the head.
"She and I have decided to avoid one another for the time being. She is licking far greater wounds than eye, some not even my doing, but that is a story for another time," the cat said and walked around the spikey wolf-fox, thinking.
"Oh, I'm sure we could cover all of it, but I'm not sure you'd want that. Sometimes it's the things that make us stand out that are most important," Chesh added and laid down, curled up. If Robin was watching, he would have noticed that when Chesh was walking around him, though there had been the illusion of walking, there had been no pawprints left behind in the snow. Despite having lived in England for a time, the Cat was not fond of the cold of snow against paw-pads and thus took full advantage of the floating abilities it had by hovering an inch or so above the snow.
"Quite cold, isn't it?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:03 pm
Closing his eyes for a moment, the archer tapped his nose thoughtfully with a wry grin. "I have to agree that the differences in individuals are what make us who we are, however it is the same differences that can reveal our weaknesses, whether we've show them to others or not." Robin yawned, taking note of how the cat left no tracks in the snow. "No one is perfect, but perhaps life is better that way."
Making sure none of the cold moisture still clung to his fur, the small wolf's ears perked slightly at the bob's question. "I have to admit, it is. To think, it's technically not even winter yet," he chuckled softly. "How do you fare during these cold months?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:12 pm
Chesh considered the wolf's question for a little while, debating on how to answer, or to change the subject.
"I have a place, untouched by the elements. It's... not exactly around here, but one can get to it from here," the cat replied, smiling with the thought of the place the cat called home. It was a lovely place, a piece of Chesh's home that had been brought with when the cat moved to a place that may have needed it. It was such a pretty place, and no one had ever seen it besides the golden-eyed cat curled up beside Robin.
"What about you? Do you have a place to go when the weather turns bad?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:13 pm
Robin stretched contently, the sun feeling warm on his exposed back. He blinked curiously at Cheshire's answer, wondering what was meant by 'not exactly around here'. "Is it not located here, in the reserve?" he asked.
Yawning, the wolf lay in the snow next to Cheshire, peering over at the bobcat's question. "Indeed, I have a small den in my territory not far from here. It's not much, really, but it keeps most of the cold out." He shrugged closing his eyes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:59 pm
"Not... exactly. It is difficult to explain," Chesh replied, avoiding an actual explanation. The cat didn't know how to describe it even if it wanted to. A place that wasn't a place just wasn't easily accepted among other creatures. But then, a lot of things Chesh knew and did weren't really accepted.
"Most? Not too cold, hmm? Not good for the body, I've heard," the cat continued the idle banter, its mind wandering to warmth and peace and... And how was he not cold? He was mostly wet, after all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:59 pm
Robin looked at the cat curiously, but shrugged it off, not wanting to press the subject any further.
"Yes, I hear hypothermia can be a bit of a nasty mess if left unattended for too long, can't it?" He disregarded Chesh's statement being directed towards him. Between his sodden fur and the frigid snow beneath him, the archer already felt numb. He hated when it was bloody cold out like this. However, he suppressed every shiver and showed no apparent signs that he was cold. The wolf was stubborn like that. He was the type of bloke who could have an arrow lodged in his shoulder and would refuse treatment for something such as a 'mere flesh wound'. Ironic, considering that was exactly how King Richard died.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:33 am
Chesh stood and stretched, back arching as a yawn escaped from the cat's mouth. Chesh reached paw over to pat the wolf's head.
"That it can b-," the cat began to reply, but when paw actually contacted head, the cat jerked back, eyes wide in surprise.
"Robin, you're freezing!" the cat exclaimed, ears folded back slightly and fur fluffed a little with the surprise. Chesh's mind worked at unimaginable speeds, trying to figure out what to do about this. There was a good possibility that the cold would make him sick, and the cat didn't want that. But no where in the area that was there a warm, other than Evil's den, but there was no way Chesh was taking Robin there. That only left somewhere far away, or... No, Chesh was not bringing another into the sanctity of its home...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:46 pm
Robin peered up warily at the bobcat's shocked expression. "Yeah, brilliant idea it was to go fishing in a freezing stream." he murmured with moderate amusement. 'Bugger,' he thought to himself, 'better if Chesh wasn't so panicked right now...' The small wolf went to speak again, but instead only released a shallow breath. 'I'll be damned if this body goes into hypothermia,' Robin growled inwardly. Despite his labored breathing and stiff paws, the archer pulled himself into a sitting position, shaking his head slightly as he steadied himself. "Ah," he concluded casting a toothy grin to the other predator. "I think I'll live." But even Robin wasn't convinced by the tone of his own voice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:32 pm
Chesh looked at him, not believing a word the wolf said and sighed. There was no helping it, the cat had no other options.
Chesh padded away from Robin's side, to a tree. The cat looked up into the branches and paw anxiously at the trunk, like a cat that was begging to be let inside a human's home.
Slowly, part of the trunk swung inward, showing a dim area beyond. It was dark beyond, but dim shapes could be seen faintly and tendrils of hot air rolled out in soft tendrils. Chesh turned back to Robin and walked to his side, rubbing against him a bit.
"Come on. It's the warmest place I know. I know it's dark, but it's safe, and it'll be light once I get in there," the cat said, hushed but insistent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:20 pm
Robin turned slightly to watch Chesh. Normally the archer would doubt going near a morphing tree. But considering the abnormalities that often occurred when Chesh was near as well as the current drifting state of his mind as his body considered shutting down, today he could make an exception. Breathing now heavily in slow, shallow rasps, Robin prevented himself from wincing as he forced himself to his paws. "Where exactly... is there...?" he breathed, eying the tree warily.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:56 pm
Chesh sighed heavily and glanced at Robin's things hanging on another tree. A flick of the cat's short, bobby tail, and the items faded away, taking up a similar position within the warmth of the cat's home.
"Home," Chesh said and looked to the wolf. The look in those golden eyes was quite uncertain and almost scared, but also the look of a creature with no other real options.
"Please, Robin, just come on. Before I change my mind."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 6:30 pm
"Chesh, I told you I was alright..." he rasped, but paused as he noticed his bearings vanish from the branch. With a reluctant sigh, he took a steady step towards the opening in the tree trunk before stopping abruptly. His numb paws felt heavy as lead, yet so fragile as though they would crumple from underneath him at any moment. Every muscle in his body was screaming at the wolf to give up and just fall into a heap already, but he was not willing to give in so easily. After staring warily at the tree for a moment, he cast a weak grin to Cheshire. "I suppose... I'll be needing to go in... to retrieve my belongings... then?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
