[PRP] Come Crashing Down [Swarm/Revenge Taken]

[Ruriska]

Swarm slid down the muddy embankment, carefully halting her process to peer down the wide gaping hole that had been created during the recent rainstorm. She stood at the edge, watching a thin stream of water trickling merrily down into the dark.

Somewhere above, Brother and Sister had settled into the treetops, enjoying what little sunlight there was. Swarm let them be and instead stared into the hole, wondering how far down it went. It could be one Kimeti length or a thousand; it was hard to tell in the gloom of the swamp.

JesterJinx

 

[Pigxels]

Revenge stepped gingerly to avoid slipping on the saturated grass, and sighed, enjoying the rainy air and cool breeze after all the hot humidity. She shook herself, and took a deep breath of air and the wet-tree smell that permeated the wood. She wandered toward the edge of a small hill, headed right where she always sat under a large, drooping willow to ponder nothingness, and noted a doe standing next to a massive hole just at the bottom. Her first reaction was to recoil, and she lifted a hoof to leave immediately.

Her second reaction however, was curiosity. She'd never seen such a sinkhole before, not as large as this was one was, and right next to her favorite tree, too. She peered over the edge, stretching her neck as best she could before her back hooves and rump began to lift off the swamp floor. Her eyes widened, and she silently tried to regain her standing at the top of the hill, but her front left hoof only slipped on the mud, and she was all but thrown down the bank... right into the doe, and down straight into the pitch dark.  

[Ruriska]

It turned out that the hole was not the length of a thousand Kimeti; two and a bit maybe, but certainly no more. Not that Swarm had much time to consider this fleeting bit of information as by the time she’d come to terms with the fact that she’d just tumbled unwillingly down into the dark, was also the moment she realized her head was stuck in the mud.

She flailed and scrambled, not entirely sure which way was up and almost set to panic, before finally pulling free with a ‘shloooop’ sound. Still blinded, she tumbled back against the side of the hole and caught her breath, chest heaving and ears perked to catch any sounds. She knew there was another kin with her, well obviously, someone had swept her off her hooves.

JesterJinx

 

[Pigxels]

Revenge rested against the opposite side of the hole, panting for breath and trying to control her shaking legs. She blended in almost entirely in the dark minus her intimidating glowing red eyes, and occasional visible red marking. It wasn't too hard to spot the other doe though, legs flailing all over the place and the wet skloosh of her head popping out of the mud.

She ducked her head, unwilling to speak, but decided she must at some point in order to get out of here. She cursed herself, and glared up at the opening bitterly. As if on cue to somehow make fun of her, the trickle of water dribbled onto her head, making her simply frown more. She peeked to the side, every which way for a possible way out to avoid saying a word, but all around was just mud. Except for the thick tree branches that hovered just above the edge of the hole.

She perked up then, and then turned to the other doe. "If you manage to be able to see again... I have an idea as to get out of here," she said, and then sighed, trying her best to calm her nerves. "Also I apologize... I slipped," she mumbled under her breath and then contemplated how they could actually reach the branches above their heads. The hole was two-kin high. Noo, she thought to herself, heart sinking. Do we really have to do that?

Ruriska

 

[Ruriska]

Swarm stiff, rigid, clearly unimpressed. She still couldn’t see anything but she inclined her head towards the voice, a little pulse in her jaw jumping where she was clenching her teeth together. But her anger passed quickly and she turned her focus to wiping the mud away. Being upset that she was in a muddy hole was not going to get her out of it.

She used her leg to wipe away enough of the mud to allow her to see again, blinking it away and turning to regard her to companion. "You have an idea," she finally rasped, encouraging, even as she looked up and tried to make her own plans. Unfortunately flying out wasn’t an option.

JesterJinx

 

[Pigxels]

One last look at the branches solidifed Revenge's thought organization. She choked off an inward groan. "We're going to have one of us climb on the other's back, stretch up, and grab one of those branches with their teeth. Then claw their way out along the bank's side. Then turn around and stand on one of the lower bigger branches hanging farther over the hole for the other to grab, and try to walk along it to the top." It was dangerous. A slip, and they could injure themselves.

Revenge knew that if she were stuck down here for long, her tribe would find her. But she wasn't so sure about the other doe. She made a hard choice then, swallowing her pride, not particularly caring about the mud all over her so much as the other doe seemed to. "I'll be the one to stand on the bottom, and let you climb on top of me to reach the first branch," she said cautiously. "If your weight can't hold the larger branch down, I have a tribe who may be able to find me in time," she sighed, unable to give out names of who her tribe members were. Her pride though as leader didn't allow for her family members to see her in the situation she was in. For now, at least.

"Think you got it? I'll have to move in order to stretch up to give you a better reach on my back, so you're going to have to stay steady... and try not to step on my nose."

Ruriska

 

[Ruriska]

Her nose crinkled; her expression full of doubt. Swarm eyed the doe and then the branch, then back to the doe again, clearly dubious about whether the other female would be able to hold her weight. Swarm would have been happy to have taken the bottom stance but it wasn’t her escape idea, so she nodded and said, "I’ve got it."

She moved closer and calmly studied the situation further. "You should stand sideways against the wall," she suggested. "It will help." That would give the other doe something to lean on and the sides were jagged enough to still have purchase when she stood on her hind legs.

"I am ready."

JesterJinx

 

[Pigxels]

Revenge braced herself against the side, glowering at the jagged rocks as if they had particularly done out of their way to irritate her, and then sighed. "I'm ready too. Make sure after you have a good grip on the branch that your hooves don't slide against the side." Falling would be so wonderful. Fantastic. She rolled her eyes at the poking-rocks and resisted the urge to kick them.

She pressed herself as close to the wall as she could then, and craned her neck so she could see behind and up to see where the doe would be when she reached for the branch, making sure she was standing at just the right spot. "Good luck," she mumbled.

Ruriska

Sorry, I could have sworn I answered. ಠ_ಠ This happens to me sometimes.

 

[Ruriska]

Swarm didn’t reply; she simply got to business.

It was a bit of work even getting on top of the other doe, with a bit of cooperation and kneeling necessary until Swarm was standing awkwardly, half-braced against the side of the pit. It was uncomfortable.

She was used to physical contact with wasp and kin felt entirely different. Too warm, she thought.

But she did what she needed to do, standing tall, expecting the doe beneath her to take her weight without complain or without flinching. She just need to streeeetch- yes!

Swarm snagged the branch in her teeth, testing it against her weight. The branch pulled down but didn’t snap when she applied pressure. With no warning to below, she began her ascent in one great heave, raining mud and rocks down as she pulled herself up and out.

JesterJinx

oops, sorry for the wait!

 

[Pigxels]

Revenge winced and ducked her head away from the rocks and mud, gritting her teeth. She expected it, but it still made her miserable. She peeked up with one eye to see if the doe had caught the branch and actually sighed with relief when she had. "Oh good, you made it," she said, and straightened her neck. "All you have to do now is stand on it, and then I should be able to reach it from down here to climb out myself. Then you can go about your business, and no one has to know of this embarrassing endeavor," she sighed, and then glanced around, hoping the doe would uphold her side of it. If not, it'd be a while before Behalf would even saunter through here, but at the very least she wasn't injured by the fall. Things could be a lot worse right now, she thought.

Ruriska

It's okay, I'm on my last week of work and up until now it's slowly gotten busier. ;0; 5 days left!