[DEADLY PREMONITION] Weeping Words

[Whippie]

Babble's eyes lifted with the rising sun. Even though she had had a late night, she eagerly awoke to the new day, and the possibilities it brought. Her mind skipped back to the previous night and the many kin she had encountered. A large group of traveler's had crossed her path in their travels and they had shared camp with them. There had been so many kin to talk to that she stayed up later than usual, and it seemed the travelers had left while she slept.

Suddenly, Babble noticed how quite it was. Why was it so quiet? Slowly, she came to the realization that, although her lips moved, no words were emerging from her mouth. This was odd. Since the moment she had first spoke, she had never stopped talking, but to sleep. What could have caused such silence? Taking a mental inventory, her mouth still moving all the while, she noticed an odd kind of fuzzy numbness in her throat. She trotted over to the water to get a visual, but everything looked fine. What happened to her voice? Through out these thoughts, she had managed to stay calm,but now a small ball of panic was beginning to unfurl in the pit of her stomach. She had to find her voice again, and soon.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 65
Chosen familiar: Eagle - does 1d10 damage once, then flees
Clues acquired: none
Section notes:

 

[Whippie]

Babble took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and visibly collected herself. She had to calm down if she was to determine what in the world was going on. Opening her eyes, she took note of her surroundings. She was in a valley of jagged rock and smooth earth. There was a a small stream that came and left through small crevices in the surrounding rock walls. Surrounding the subsequent pooling off water was some sparse foliage and grasses. The thing that seemed to be thriving was a wall of vines cascading down one rock face. This was not where Babble recalled bedding down. It was no wonder that the travelers weren't there, as she wasn't even sure where "there" was.

Babble walked the perimeter of the valley, searching for a pathway out. There was no way she'd be able to find out anything if she was stuck in a hole in the ground. As she followed the length of the wall, she found no paths out, until she reached the cascade of vines. Upon closer inspection, the vines were found clinging onto a natural arch of stone, beyond which, a path rose. The vines were to thick and many to push aside, so, with out thinking, Babble gripped the vines in her mouth. Recoiling in pain, her mouth tried to form a cry. Drops of blood fell to the dusty earth. Must watch out for thorns.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 62
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired:
Section notes:

 

[Whippie]

Moving with caution this time, Babble carefully placed a portion of the vines, not covered in thorns, in her mouth and tugged. Almost too easily they loosed their grips on the archway and fell free. By this point, sunlight has left the valley, startling Babble. Had time passed so quickly. Determined to continue, she passes forward through the arch. What she hadn't seen before when she peeked through the vines, was that the ground sloped down before it rose up. At the trough of this slope was a lazing river. Slowly, the murky water made followed it's course. Looking at the water gives Babble chills. This bodes ill.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 62
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired:
Section notes:

 

[Whippie]

With a nervous bubbling in her stomach, Babble approached the river. She swung her head in both directions only to meet with disappointment; there wasn't another way across. She would have to go through. Slowly, she waded into the water. The river had a swampy quality to it. It was warm and the air was sticky. Gnats hovered over the water in swarms. It was a wholly unpleasant experience.

Through her discomfort, that ball of nerves still stayed firmly planted in her stomach. Something felt wrong. It was quiet and still. Babble felt a sudden sharp pain as something clamped onto her leg. Kicking out, her leg escaped the grasp of what she now identified as a pike. It wasn't done with her yet though, and that bite hurt!

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 58
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired:
Section notes: The pike is at 7 HP.

 

[Whippie]

The pike came after Babble again, drawing blood from her once more. With a silent scream of rage and pain, Babble swung her neck around and clamped down, hard, with her canines. The pike fought to free itself from her grip and only succeeded at the cost of it's own life. The pike fell, limp, from Babble's jaws. Babble endured and her pain and quickly strove to remove herself from the water. Pulling herself up onto the bank, she stared up the the steep slope and collapsed in the mud.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 52
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired:
Section notes: The pike is dead.

 

[Whippie]

After a short rest, Babble once again rose to her feet. She looked at the steep incline and wondered how earlier it had looked like a gentle path. Shaking herself mentally, she decided no time is better than now. Not to mention, she wanted to get away from the river in case she encountered any other friendly creatures.

Starting up the incline, the going is tough. The muscles in her legs rebel their use after being damaged only moments, or was it hours, before. Still, she managed to make it a quarter pf the way up. Taking a breather, she leaned on a branch and discovered something peculiar. A small sack was caught at the base of the wood. Upon closer inspection, she found it had been emptied, but it held the scent of flowers or herbs. She decided to carry it with her. Standing once again, she continued her climb.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 52
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired: A small sack - scent of herbs or flowers attached to it,
Section notes: 5/20 feet

 

[Whippie]

Babble was so busy focusing on moving that she failed to notice the rat's nest in her path. Angrily, the creature sprang out of it's home to attack her. Babble successfully dodged, but unfortunately, this caused her to slide back down the slope.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 52
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired: A small sack - scent of herbs or flowers attached to it,
Section notes: 2/20 feet

 

[Whippie]

Once again, Babble returned to her upwards battle and managed to climb another quarter length up the hill.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 52
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired: A small sack - scent of herbs or flowers attached to it,
Section notes: 7/20 feet

 

[Whippie]

Five steps forward, three steps back. Once again, Babble managed to stumble unto an angry rat's nest, causing her to back pedal once more.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 52
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired: A small sack - scent of herbs or flowers attached to it,
Section notes: 4/20 feet

 

[Whippie]

Another RAT! How many could there be?!

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 52
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired: A small sack - scent of herbs or flowers attached to it,
Section notes: 1/20 feet

 

[Whippie]

Finally, Babble seems to making headway once more. Cautious of rats, she picks her way up the incline. Taking a protruding branch in her teeth to pull herself up she finds something else odd. Another kin had passed this way by the looks of it. A clump of hair was caught on the arm of the branch. It was long and purple. Where had she seen that before? No time to reflect on it now. She placed the hair inside the sack she gained earlier and continued her climb.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 52
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired: A small sack - scent of herbs or flowers attached to it, clump of long, purple hair,
Section notes: 6/20 feet

 

[Whippie]

Another branch was coming into view. As she approached this protruding root, she could smell the same scent that had come from the sack she now carried and traces of the "herbs" smeared onto the branch. It seems like they had been mixed with a liquid of some kind. Either the kin who passed through here was extremely clumsy or they had a thing for branches because they seemed to have found every one, Babble mused. Either way, this was odd. Did someone give me a poison? Why would they?
Babble collected some of the spilled herbs and placed them in the sack. She then continued on.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 52
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired: A small sack - scent of herbs or flowers attached to it, clump of long, purple hair, herbs - found mixed with a liquid of some type.
Section notes: 11/20 feet

 

[Whippie]

Babble maid steady progress up the incline. Thankfully, there were not any rats, but neither were there any branches.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 52
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired: A small sack - scent of herbs or flowers attached to it, clump of long, purple hair, herbs - found mixed with a liquid of some type.
Section notes: 16/20 feet

 

[Whippie]

Spoke too soon. Rats again.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 52
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired: A small sack - scent of herbs or flowers attached to it, clump of long, purple hair, herbs - found mixed with a liquid of some type.
Section notes: 13/20 feet

 

[Whippie]

Almost to the top. Rather than a branch, this time a stump occupies the path. Lying atop it are the corpses of dozens of flowers. The petals and innards are torn apart and a sticky sweet syrup partially coats both the stump and the remnants. The petals are almost a blood red, unsettling. The syrup smells wonderful though. Odd. Babble collects some broken flowers with the syrup and gingerly places them in the sack. Almost to the top.

OOC Footnote

Current HP: 52
Chosen familiar: Eagle
Clues acquired: A small sack - scent of herbs or flowers attached to it, clump of long, purple hair, herbs - found mixed with a liquid of some type, torn up flowers - blood red petals - covered in sticky sweet syrup,
Section notes: 18/20 feet