The Prosperos Quest

[Sakura]

Musical Ambience - Fireflight, Stay Close
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Shardis was dying. If the four of them shouted for help or cried out, no one would hear them. The blizzard wind whipping at Ethel's ears reminded her that sound traveled poorly through snow. She was praying now, murmuring and whispering soft spells under her breath. Her hands were beginning to glow. The colors in her faerie wings were slowly fading to a translucent glow, merging to a bright white. Her eyes were clearing up as well. The once amber colored orbs were turning silver. I want to save Shardis. Her hair was flying, curls slipping past her cap and dancing into the wind behind her.

The feeling of being left out in the cold snow, alone. Old memories echoed in Ethel's mind, giving her strength. The stranger nodded and moved over to Shardis. For the moment Ethel closed her eyes, waiting, pensive.

There it was. The sickening sound of wood tearing through flesh as the woman ripped the branch out of the felleon's back. Almost immediately, Ethel knelt forward, tears dripping from her eyes as she placed her glowing hands over the wound. As the white glow touched the felleon's skin, torn arterties and ruptured blood vessels began to reform, finding their links. Blood pumped quickly though the felleon's body. Almost a few minutes passed like this, with sweat droplets dripping along the sides of Ethel's face.

Suddenly, she could feel the cold around her. Stronger than ever. Her hands were trembling, her ankles frozen. Ethel's entire body was feeling the full brunt of the cold, but she pushed herself, biting her lip and letting the magic surge through her body. Ever so slowly, the skin began to reform and the large wound went from a gaping hole in the felleon's body to a large gash. When it was close to a gash, deep enough to be dangerous if infected, but healed enough to allow the cat free movement, Ethel stopped. The white glow faded away into the landscape of snow and the girl's eyes slowly returned to their amber hues. She had done what she could.

"The matter of wrapping the wound.." Ethel mumbled. She gestured to Keyvnor and he understood. The hummingbird flew back to her, ripping strings of cloth from the bottom of her dress with his beak. The material was thick enough to wrap around Shardis' wound. Ethel had never dressed a wound before, so she struggled with wrapping the cloth, awkwardly slipping it below and above the cat's body in order to cover the entire gash. When she was done, she sighed, reaching up to brush frozen bits of her hair out of her face. Even the sweat on her brow had frozen. She felt like an icicle.

But before she could rejoice, Ethel remembered Medwick. She pushed herself to her feet. Unsteady, she stumbled ahead for a moment, managing to take some uneasy steps towards the stranger. Her knees gave in and she fell, between Shardis and the mound where the stranger was uncovering the scholar. She didn't have the energy to dig. Her arms and legs felt numb. Her vision was flickering, lights and reflections becoming distorted with the snow. She squinted at Medwick as the stranger dug him out. She had a bit of magic left in her. She prayed he wasn't seriously injured. Shardis was in terrible condition and if possible, Ethel wanted to use the last of her energy to heal the large cat's grave wound.

"Medwick!" Ethel breathed, relieved to see his face, "Are you hurt anywhere?"
[/DASH]

 

[Asmodeus]

"BLRAAAGH!!"

Like a spring uncoiling, Medwick twisted to his knees and flailed dramatically. A lungful of snow was ejected and splattered his crow, Carval, but the bird simply blinked with a quiet exasperation. Shedding layers of loose whiteness, the mage stared wild-eyed at Ethel and Caoihme. "PLUH-HAAAGH... HRHHM....urrr..... oh gods, what year is it?!"

He turned on his knees and looked to the east where the storm was closing from the ocean. "Ah, excellent..." Then he looked back. "Shardis! Get up!" Then saw the blood. "Oh..."

A pair of hands punched through the snow beside him and gripped his shoulders. "AAAAAAAAAGH!!"

With another miniature avalanche, like a homage to the first, Aerie crashed down beside them. She had been digging at a different angle and was partly concealed by the rise of the snowdrift until Medwick's thrashing dislodged her. Human and Avian lay on their backs and blinked at one another.

Then Kana and Kal appeared around the other side of the mound.

"ALRIGHT!" Medwick yelled while climbing uncertainly to his feet. He pointed down at Aerie as he got his balance. "NO MORE ATTACKING THE AVIAN!"

Snowflakes began to fall, borne upon a harsher, cutting wind. The misty front of the snowstorm had reached the foothills and was tumbling up the mountainside. It would not be long now. Throwing a glance to it, Medwick limped heavily to where Ethel slumped beside the bandaged Shardis. It seemed his friend was not the only one in peril - for Ethel and Aerie had both lost their capacity to fly from the icing of their wings. Medwick squinted to the ledge of ruined cliff they had fallen down, where a few soldiers and elders remained, waving frantically. He returned the signals then called to his crow.

"Carval! Fly back to Captain Anders. Tell him to leave us and get the convoy to shelter. There's no time to get us all up that cliff again before the storm hits. We'll make for the ravines and meet up with them at Durlow Point tomorrow."

The crow shook the snow from its feathers, stared at its master disparagingly, then took flight and spiralled up into the blizzard. And as it departed Medwick yelled to another figure beyond the snowdrift. "TEGOL! Get over here! We need something to make a sled from!"

The soldier hurried to join them, and Medwick re-strapped his sword and backpack as he addressed the others. "Right everyone... the angry rabies-stricken mother of all storms is about to hit this mountain, so we better be under, inside or between something when it does. Unless you all want to become beautiful ice sculptures I suggest we head to that crevasse. It should get us to the next valley, if memory serves."

He nodded to a crack in the mountainside, a few hundred feet on from the ice cliff. The ravine seemed to almost cut the mountain in two and twist in and out of darkness. Perhaps it linked to the cave system that the convoy were sheltering in above; or perhaps it went deeper into the bowels of the mountain. There was no time to confirm. Slipping a bracelet from his left arm, Medwick knelt beside Shardis and pressed the trinket into her hand. It was the bracelet that held a dozen small thermic gemstones - the hardest ones to enchant. This... as well as the way he helped the Felleon curl her paw around it... were sure and subtle signs of the affection he held for her.

"Hold onto these, Shar. Keep them against your core. We're going to build a sled."

The mage looked up at the others and hoped they would lend credence to his promise.

And beyond them, as the snow fell faster, the crevasse awaited.

​

 

[Hounds]

Tegol trudged through the snow as fast as he could, looking down at Shardis a chill went up his spine. "Shit this is just what we need." Looking down at the branch a thought came to mind, looking around he notice the roots of a capsized tree. "I could make a sled out of the roots and branches from that tree over there but I'd need something to bind them together with. If you can find me something to bind those with I can have one made in a few minutes. Just bring it to me once you've found something." Before Medwick could reply Tegol was already on his way over to the tree again trudging through the deep snow as fast as he could. Once at the tree he frantically began shoveling out the snow that had buried the upper half of the evergreen. There were plenty of roots he could use to make the frame but they he'd also need some of the branches to make it sturdy enough for the felleon.

Looking back he could see the other trying everything they could to help heal Shardis, this was just what they needed and injury in the middle of a raging blizzard. If they didn't get her inside somewhere soon they wouldn't have to worry about blood loss, the blizzard would finish her off before she'd even have a chance. Focusing back on the task at hand Tegol continued digging out the tree.

 

[lynzy]

The felleon took a deep breath and winced, moaned, then made a failed attempt to get up. Shar made a soft growl and winced again then noticed that she was on her stomach on a fur on the ground. Everything was blurry and spinning. Once again she put effort into focusing... what was in her hand? Shardis lifted it toward her face slowly and squinted at it. Medwick! It was his charm that kept him warm. Her heart beat faster and she inhaled rapidly to get her adrenalin flowing. She had to find him and give it back! He would freeze out here...she had to...had to..giv..it...




Garthon watched as Shardis came and went from consciousness, never really noticing the commotion or words spoken to her. People worked around the felleon like ants would around an item they were trying to move. He had given up on anyone paying him the slightest bit of attention. They ignored all his questions and walked past him like he didn't exist at all! He sat motionless on a bolder close to her and waited and watched.

 

[DotCom]

Avians would not known for their grace or navigational skill on the ground. Less so when stunned and freezing and also pissed, because a giant cat had caused an avalanche, and now they could bloody well fly.

It was just a shit day all around.

But Aerie felt particularly stupid -- or would have, if the human who was friends with the troublesome feline was even remotely likable -- when it turned out she was digging in the wrong place completely. Well, almost completely. She had unearthed, it seemed, the wrong nuisance. Also, the nuisance had sort of unearthed himself. One minute, Aerie was shivering and cursing and digging, and the next, she was on her back, her currently very sensitive wings behind her. And, of course, the human was to blame. Again.

She stared at him reproachfully through narrowed eyes as he made his pronouncement. "Oh, good, he's bloody figured it out," she said brightly, though the effect was ruined by her chattering teeth. "'Twas declared the happiest of days, and there was much rejoicing."

She righted herself with a wince and shook her wings to the best of her ability. She was losing feeling rapidly and it made her nervous. Which made her irritable. Or sarcastic. Whichever. Whatever.

"Your friend is dying. Looks like you two were nearly taken out by the same tree."

"The bird and the cat and the tree," Aerie said dryly. "There's a joke somewhere in there." Then, realizing what Pyre had said, "Wait, what? How fucking selfish of that furry-faced bitch. I think everyone here heard me say I was going to exact revenge for her clawing at me, and the fucking tree gets in first? No. No, I object. Where are we going? What are we doing? That cat is going to live, and then I'm going to gut her. And then I'm going to say something very witty. I've got it all planned out, and I'll not be put off now."

It was then the human went on to say something about storms and rabies and crevasses, none of which sounded good to Aerie. The storm was obvious, as was their need to seek shelter. The idea of being encased in frozen water, however...

"I don't suppose there's a second option?" she mumbled.

Pyre was hovering next to her shoulder, watching her lips turn blue. Her wings had drooped to brush the snow. She seemed unaware.

"I believe that was the second option," he said coolly. "You'd best get over it and help with the sled, otherwise no one will be alive for pussy vengeance."

Aerie made a face as she stumbled through the snow on clumsy legs, falling several times before she reached the pseudo-sled. "Don't say it like that," she corrected. "I don't want to fuck her. I want to punch her in her stupid cat face."

 

[E.T.]

Caoihme leapt back suddenly as Medwick extracted himself violently from the snow causing a mini avalanche and depositing Aerie roughly where Caoihme had been crouched only a few moments before. Withdrawing further at his yelling at everyone not to attack the Avian. But, her attention was caught by Galra, the otter had been carefully keeping her distance so as to avoid the spray of snow that Caoihme had been throwing back, now drawing close to weave nervously between her lopos arms that were planted securely into the packed snow. Pausing only to position herself as deep under the protection of Caoihme's figure as she possibly could. About to ask what was the matter her question was answered by a sharp blast of wind that froze droplets of sweat to her face and caused her to squint her eyes against the flurry of snow. Looking up she felt a growl bubble up into her throat at the sight of the dark dangerous clouds positioned just over the cliff edge threatening to pitch forward and tumble down onto them. Her deepest instincts told her just to make a run for it and leave the others to fend for themselves, that if they were strong enough they would find a way to survive. But, her heart told her to stay and held her pack.

She was a little shocked when she thought as these people in context with that word. Shaking her head she though to herself firmly "No, these people are not my pack, a group that simply accepts each others presence will never be a pack." Shaking her head to get it back on track she glanced back at Medwick as he called for the construction of a sled. She had spent enough time around the dogs and their sleds so she wondered if she should help out there but, it appeared that another got a head start on her so she went for a different coarse of action. Making her way over to the trees she concentrated on the branches, more specifically those that were to short, crooked, or broken to be of much use. The cold had long ago made the wood brittle so that snapping sticks off in to roughly even, manageable pieces was not all that difficult. Even if they reached shelter and even with the aid of the thermal crystals it would be a long, bitingly cold night. One in which a fire would be most welcome.

Shrugging off her pack Caoihme undid two off the straps on the top of the bag, drawing back with a grimace of pain as a breath of warm air warmed her injured hand, the heat waking up the nerves and causing it to smart fiercely. She had almost forgotten the egg nestled warmly in her sleeping bag. Warmth, sometimes she doubted that she would ever be warm again. But, she couldn't let herself be distracted so she set her teeth and quickly attached her bundle of sticks to the top of her pack. Repositioning her now top heavy bag back across her shoulders she cast a glance around to see what the pothers were doing. That did not last very long as something attracted her attention, tangled amongst the tree's roots. Upon her approach and closer examination she was very pleased to discover an old shriveled bush growing right up against the tree, so entwined that it had been pulled down with the tree when the cliff had given way. Digging around the roots of the smaller plant yielded six tuberous growths each about the size of a large potato. These she carefully cut away from the plant, making sure to leave enough root attached so that it would be easy to handle. Not really wanting to take off her bag again and not trusting these frozen tubers to not freeze the egg to death she instead tucked them into her jacket. The bottom of her jacket was pulled tight, originally serving to keep snow out, now keeping the roots in. Now with wood topped pack and a pregnant looking belly she paused looking around at the group, checking to see if there was anything else she needed to do before she would head towards the crack.

 

[DrPepper]

Everything was happening so fast. Medwick was up again soon, barking orders and it turned out the only person her trusted around here was dying, great! "Yes...a p-perfect way to st-st-start a journey..." He mumbled under his breath watching all of the events unfold.

Kal clenched his injured shoulder and shivered as he sat idly by. He had no inclination to help anyone except Shardis, but by this time she was already being helped by someone more capable than himself, so he just did a little searching about. "What's she got, Kal?" The red serpent slithered toward Caoihme, flicking his tongue at the air. "She's shoving some plants into her coat. Should we check it out?"

"No th-thanks." Kal said through chattering teeth. "I don't c-c-care about any st-stupid plants...If they were th-thermal crystals, however..." The forst kin winced as a pain shot through his arm. "Ah! B-b-b-blast! D-damn this th-thing hurts..." The area was fading into white from all the snow. It was getting harder and harder for Kal to see. He would need the aid of Sarrthas.

"C-c-can you please j-just lead me to the s-s-sled they are w-working on?" Kal was not about to turn into an icicle. He watched for his red serpent as it gave an annoyed hiss and eventually started slithering in one direction.

"Come on, come on, it's this way..." The serpent was more annoyed than anything. It hissed angrily at Kal. "No loot, then. Hope you're happy." Sarrthas coiled up on a log and awaited time for departure.

Holding his arm so that it was obvious that he was injured, Kal looked around hoping to find a healer. "I can work if someone can mend my arm!" Kal was being honest, he didn't care about getting anyone else out of here, but he did want to get himself out of here. It had been a long time since Kal had been so charitable, frist with fighting the dragon instead of running, now helping build a sled for this group. It was awkward for him to think about, but in the end he just chalked it up to the situation benefiting him and the others getting lucky that they needed the same things.

 

[Sakura]

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"Right everyone... the angry rabies-stricken mother of all storms is about to hit this mountain, so we better be under, inside or between something when it does. Unless you all want to become beautiful ice sculptures I suggest we head to that crevasse. It should get us to the next valley, if memory serves."

Beautiful ice sculptures... Ethel was relieved. Medwick spun into his usual barking of orders and tucked a thermal crystal into Shardis' frozen arms. Ethel pushed herself to her feet, listening to the hustle bustle of the people around her. The avian from earlier came tumbling down the snow and a soldier worked under orders to build a sled. She watched Tegol move through the snow and uproot some tree branches. She watched for a few moments before rising to her feet. It was a bit of a struggle, but she pushed herself nonetheless. When she finally managed to gain some kind of balance, Ethel considered the situation. Tegol said he needed something to bind the branches. She looked around. "Kevynor," she called. The hummingbird came zipping to her shoulder, squinting through the increasing storm. "Do you think that pieces of cloth can be tied strongly enough to hold a sled for a short time?" Kevynor regarded her quietly. He wasn't sure if she was being desperate, but even he could see a lack of material. Unless they wanted to freeze while waiting for the others to build the sled, they ought to try something.


"No harm in trying, Ethel." Kevynor's temperament was becoming more and more solemn. Ethel's energies were fading, the colors in wings and the light in her eyes was dimming. Whether he was worrying excessively or out of serious concern was unknown. Ethel herself seemed unaware. She knelt to lift the bottom of her winter coat and attempted to tear long strips of cloth from her skirts. She was wearing a two-layered dress with thick, woolen leggings. The dress was made of a material suited to cold weather. It was difficult to rip with her frozen hands so she took out a small knife and slit the hem four or five times until she had several strips of cloth. With shaking hands, she twisted and knotted the pieces of cloth into several long, rope-like structures.

Having done this, Ethel looked up to see if Tegol had returned with branches.
[/DASH]

 

[Elflady]

In a tumble of snow the two freed Medvick only to have another small mound of snow flow down as an avian pushed through from the other side, relieved that everyone had survived albeit wounded and tousled she worried about Shardis, despite having the large wound healed almost completely she wasn't safe yet. Putting back her thermal crystal inside her jacket she looked up to see Medvick take command again once he was up and free from the snow Kana watched for a few moments as a soldier started to gather long branches for the sled and Shardis laying face down in the snow with her wound, her thoughts on how to help vanished in the instant as Medvick spoke again. Take shelter in the ravine, a thin passage in between high walls of ice, the mere thought of being trapped between walls with no way to reach the outside except by the end of the ravine, if there was one, sent her mind reeling for anything that could work as an alternative. Anything but the ravine. But she realised that staying outside with out shelter spelled death and there were no other place nearby that offered the same protection but still she protested with her entire being.


"Raeus, is there any other option," she asked half heartedly, feeling quite certain of his answer already. The tiny gryphon shook his head slightly, "no, the only other way would be where that caravan is heading." She had figured as much but she wanted to be sure, gripping for the tiniest straw to avoid heading into the mountain. Deep inside she knew it was a fix idea of hers but in all her ftries she had not gotten over her phobia.

Shrugging Kana concentrated on the present for now, it was more important and it kept her from working up a panic. The fae nearby had started to rip te hem of her dress in strips, resorting to a knife at the thick fabric, her colours were dim and she didn't seem to fare well in the cold. In the cold every muscle and joint protested and worked a bit slower but as Kana realised that the fae maybe was trying to make some bindings for the sled Kana reluctantly loosened her thick coat somewhat so she could unwrap her long sash that she had tied around her waist, clumsily with her gloves still on but soon she was warm again, or not freezing as the sharp snow flakes couldn't get inside anymore. Walking up to the fae Kana held her white sash securely in one hand as it whipped around in the wind. "Do you think this will help? It can't hurt to have some extra bindings keeping it together."

 

[Hounds]

Tegol gathered as many braches as he could carry most of which were the up turned roots that had been jutting out of the ground he did manage to get a few of the buried branches but only a few of them looked sturdy enough to be used a supports the rest would have to be used a padding for when they laid Shardis on top. Once he was with the rest of the group he dropped the pile next to Shardis and Medwick "Alright this is as much as could salvage most of the branches had splintered from the fall and tree roots don't typically grow large enough to be of any use. Luckily though there was enough to get at least the frame together, how'd you guys do on finding something to bind all of this?" Looking around he noticed that a few of them had sacrificed some of their wardrobe to help, looking over the sash and knotted fabric. It didn't look to be enough really at most he could probably make about half of the sled and still have it sturdy to support Shardis. "It'll have to do." Taking the sash and fabric he began taking the larges branches and roots and began tying them in bundles for the outside edge; once he had made it long enough he began on the area that they would be laying Shardis on. Just like he'd predicted though he only had enough to make about half of interior section. "SHIT, this won't do if we tried this we'd dragging half her body through the snow. Is there anything else anything at all that you can think of that we could use for this?" Looking down at his own winter clothing he thought about using the fur robe he'd brought along for the expedition. Ripping a piece from the bottom him he tested the materials strength by tugging on the two ends of the strip, it gave almost instantly. Cursing he threw the piece on the ground. The coat had been his fathers, he'd had it since Tegol was born and was given to Tegol after he'd been accepted into the Blue president's security detail. Needless to say the fabric had seen better days. "Well that won't work." he cursed under his breath again this time kicking up some of the snow as well.

 

[lynzy]

"hinum...dserflubva..aswadirf!" Shar pulled an arm from under her body and reached out to someone only her delirium filled eyes could see.

Even though he had given her nothing but grief when she was healthy and whole, Garthon came to her and huddled close as if he could warm her with his ethereal form. "I am here, rest easy. We will be safe soon." Worriedly he looked up at the sky, watching the snow fall.

It made him dizzy, some of the flakes were large and swirled by his snout, while in the distance they were smaller and were not so tame in their movements. Humans wouldn't enjoy this weather even in a warm home. It carried with it a feeling of foreboding that made the skin crawl, the hair stand on end on the back of the neck, the breath quicken with urgency. Garth new in that instant they were in very serious trouble if they didn't get moving soon, very soon....

 

[Asmodeus]

"Fine!" Medwick cursed while shrugging off his backpack. "She's already dropped me off a cliff and sabotaged my expedition - what's another backpack between fri¬¬?" His words were drowned in the howl of the storm. Upending the backpack, the mage tipped out a clutter of maps, lanterns and ration packs and left them in the snow. Then, with a hunting knife, he began slicing seams and severing straps.

There was no time to be sentimental about equipment.

Within minutes, and with as swift and unified a motion as possible, they lifted Shardis onto a canvas stretched across the frame of cloth and branches. Temperatures were dropping by the second and it was only their labour that kept them from freezing. A few hundred feet away, the mountainside was lost to mist as the coming storm picked up snow and debris. And by the time they started running the sky was eclipsed. It was like fleeing inside some hellish snow globe.

Tegol did the pushing, with Kana and Caoihme hauling by leather straps cut from the backpack. Then the injured ones took up the rear: Medwick with his leg, Kal with his arm, and the two carried what maps and provisions they had scooped from the snow. Led towards the crevasse by Ethel and Aerie, the party moved with a haste only impending doom could muster.

A breath of hesitation from Kana was the only preface to them plunging, as one, between the walls of the canyon.

All was blurred movement, racing breath and sweat. They got as deep as they could before the sides of the sled jammed the walls, and with this jolt the party seemed to fall like dominoes. Slumping in an alcove, their last views were of aenigmae dropping over them, curling against them, and overhead the storm crashing like a great white wave upon the mountainside. It struck like thunder. They almost felt the mountain shake and crack. Then a single flurry of wind and snow shot down the crevasse and blanketed them in oblivion.

​

The next hours were lost from memory. Some remembered regaining consciousness and, with tired movements, getting comfortable in the little alcove they had found. Medwick himself awoke to the crackle of fire. Tegol had broken down the sled and managed to ignite it with a healthy dousing of lantern oil. Shardis lay nearby on a bed of fur and canvas, her thermic gem clutched. And the aenigmae were busying themselves, with that quiet intent of the soul, in keeping their masters warm, licking faces, making conversation - anything to keep the blood pumping.


Sitting against the ice wall, Medwick squinted up to see a natural overhang. It sheltered them from the worst of the storm, which howled above and around them like some surreal ocean. The black and star-flecked sky could be glimpsed at times between the gusts. He wondered if the rest of the convoy had similar shelter this night.

His crow, Carval, landed softly on his knee... his bad knee... and through that twinge of pain reminded his master he was very much alive. Medwick peered, groggy-eyed, at his aenigma. "Captain Anders?"

Carval stared back for a long time, then looked away and pecked snowflakes from its feathers. "I got the message to his fox."

"And did the fox get the message to him?"

The crow said nothing. Carval was not the type to continue a conversation beyond a single answer. Nor did he need to. The aenigmae had both been at the limits of their range, and if the crow had gotten back to Medwick, then he just had to hope the fox had gotten back to Captain Anders. The plan could not be changed. They would rendezvous with the convoy at Durlow Point before sundown tomorrow.

The only real topic of debate was how they would get there in one piece.

To keep his circulation, the mage busied himself going over the dregs of his provisions. Sodden maps, broken lamps, iced rope, spilled rations. He would be relying on the others from now on. Medwick thanked the gods there was at least one soldier here. Without Tegol they would all be dead right now. And the healer, Ethel, was another tentative godsend. The two human women, Kana and Caoihme, were strangers to him, but had demonstrated remarkable physique in pulling the sled. And the Avian... she would likely be as much trouble as Shardis in the days ahead.

And then there was the convict. It was another cruel joke that Medwick should be saddled with Kal. One-part prisoner and one-part ambassador, the President had ordered Medwick to bring the boy along, for they would need his help to navigate the Black City. Only Kal could speak the Thieves' Cant of the border tribes, and without his tongue the journey south would be a perilous one. The Prosperos Quest, it seemed, would rub shoulders with all races and moral standpoints before it was through.

And Medwick wondered how much he himself would be changed by it.

"You..." he called across to Caoihme. "Your hand... it needs tending to."

With this, the fellowship had begun, and their lives were in each others' hands.

 

[DotCom]

There were a lot of things Avians did not like.

Uppity, avalanche-causing cats, for one. Self-absorbed and bossy humans for another. Then there was all that nonsense about dignity and the importance of restraints, so on and so forth, Aerie saw no use in bothering with that.

But the one thing they shared was an intense loathing of closed quarters. It was loathed even more than water, for some of their kind had learned to swim, using awkward wing strokes, rather like flying through the sea. Aerie herself did not understand it, and still held the dying cat in contempt for soaking her wings through, freezing them and making them utterly useless, and the Avian herself really fucking cold.

But closed spaces, to a creature built to fly -- it was a prison of body and soul, and for all her bravado, Aerie was terrified. She could not have flown even if she wanted to, and she so desperately did. Just to see if she still could, just to check, just to assure that all which made her her was still intact.

But, no. The damned bloody human had led them into a cave, and she could feel all the weight of the world pressing down upon them, closing in from every side. The frostbite in her wings was forgotten. The storm outside was forgotten. Aerie wanted -- needed -- out. She needed to fly. Now.

She stood abruptly and fell. She was cold and clumsy, and, though she did not realize it, dizzy with oxygen deprivation caused by hyperventilation. The others were sitting around a fire, talking over the befouled feline, playing nice. Pyre buffeted beside her, attempting to beat the warm air into her face, cold decorum for once forgotten. She ignored him.

Without a word, Aerie stood again, and, bracing herself on the too-close wall of the icy crevice, started further into the dark.

 

[Elflady]

With Medvick offering his entire backpack there were just enough to tie the sled together, hopefully it would hold when dragged through the snowy landscape and for Shardis weigh. After moving the large felleon to the makeshift sled, doing so both swiftly and carefully under a building snow storm was not the easiest of task but soon they were on the way towards the looming icewall and the sliver of darkness that showed the ravine. Pulling for all her might together with Caoihme as Tegol pushed Kana couldn't help but draw parallels to the battle with the enormous dragon who'd been tied down with ropes held on to by puny humans.

The struggle towards safety was eased by the labour itself that kept her warm although it would be ever colder once they stopped. The storm seemed to push them towards the ravine and together with the task at hand was what pushed Kana through the opening and further into the darkness that enveloped them and the violent echoes of the storm crashing against the outside walls.

When the sled scraped the walls, too wide to be dragged further in Kana removed her spear that had been strapped awkwardly to her back during the day before she slumped to the ground, Raeus flew down into her lap, curling up against her chest to seek and give comfort as well as give what warmth he could give his lopos. With walls towering alla round Kana could feel the weight that loomed above and around, her heart rate sped up, her breath uneven as she concentrated on anything but their surroundings, the barely visible sky high above did little to ease her when the mountain itself seemed to shudder as the winds crashed over it. The crackling of a fire that spread much needed heat woke Kana from a sleep she didn't know she had even entered, stiffly she sat straighter and crossed her legs, Raeus moved around to be more comfortable as Kana found her spear, it wasn't any taller than herself but it made it easier to handle than some of the longer spears.

To busy herself and keep her fingers from stiffening she looked it over for damage and secured the cover over the blade but it was done all too soon. Placing it back on the ground she turned her dark eyes to the fire, burying her gloved hands under Raeus wings, their wordless communication gave more strength than words and with the light from the fire it helped keeping the overwhelming fear at bay for now, how long this would work was another problem.

 

[Sakura]

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[DASH=#F5C4D4]
In and out of consciousness, Ethel was blinking at the red hues of a fire somewhere close to her vision. She could remember little of what happened after entering the cave. There was shuffling, people falling to the ground, strings of curses and words of relief. She only remembered the feeling of being so terribly cold, so much so that she could no longer feel her fingers when she bent them. Now, as the warmth seeped through her veins, Ethel opened her eyes fully to look around. For a moment, she was still, absorbing the situation.

"You..." Medwick was saying, "Your hand... it needs tending to."


Someone's hand is injured....Then, suddenly, her senses returned to her. Shardis! The girl let out a small squeal of fright as she sat up, straightening herself. She gave everyone an almost frantic look until she landed upon the sleeping feline, still atop the makeshift sled. The sled was close to the fire, giving Shardis the needed warmth to heal. Ethel crawled towards her, clearing her mind in case there would be a need for magic. And the girl who had dug the others out, Ethel's eyes wandered to her as well. Her hand was going to become infected if the wound didn't close. Ethel realized she ought to do something about that before examining Shardis.

It was then that someone moved, stumbling towards the mouth of the crevice. The avian, Medwick had called her. She was the cause of the misunderstanding on the cliff that caused the avalaunche, or so Ethel understood. The girl was weak, falling over as she attempted to leave the cave that was their refuge.

"Kevynor," Ethel hissed. The hummingbird lay on it's back on the ground, it's wings curled over for warmth. He had been glad for a bit of rest and shelter. For that he thanked the scholar's quick mind. "Kevy-" Ethel was about to repeat herself, but the bird opened his eyes, "Yes, I hear you. Yes, you should go stop her. She'll freeze out there."

Ethel couldn't understand the girl's woes, but she knew her wings would not withstand the cold. Already injured from the tumble earlier, the avian didn't look like she would able to fly through a storm of such proportions. Ethel rose, making her way around the others to where the avian stumbled towards the dark. She put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Please, don't go. It's dangerous out there."




[/DASH]

 

[E.T.]

As soon as the sled had grounded to a halt against the ice walls of the crack Caoihme released the strap from her frozen grip and moved a little off to find a little niche in the alcove they had chosen. For the life of her she could not see why those camp dogs got such a kick out of pulling a sled, the running she could see, just not the pulling. The last thing she could bring herself to do before she settled down for a quick rest was to pull off her pack, holding it securely to her chest with her face buried into the top. Her rest was a rather short one, between her heavy fur parka, the gentle heat of her aenigmae, the breaths of hot air from her back, the uncomfortable roughness of the sticks she had stuck on top of her pack, and the roots in her shirt which she had ended up lying upon she was soon prodded into action. Tegol was making a fire out of the broken down bits of the sled and after the initial groans and complaining muscles she found just enough energy to help out.

Detaching the bundle of wood she had brought from the top of her bag she brought it over to where Tegol was working and laid it in a pile next to him. She was about to move off again when she paused as though thinking and grabbed three long thin sticks from the pile. Then moving off a little way she untied the bottom of her jacket, the six tubers tumbling out onto the floor. Setting the three sticks and the roots together in a pile, while waiting for the fire to get a bit hotter, she went back to her original spot to retrieve her pack. Even in that short trip the fire was already starting to fight back the painful cold that had come with the storm. Reaching under her coat again she carefully drew out her stone knife, placing it on her knee ready for use. First she used the blade to sharpen and smooth out the sticks. Once that was done she speared two of the roots onto the end of each of the sticks, and then using the aid of her knife she stuck the other end of the sticks into the snow. It was a bit of a balancing act, she could not have them too far from the fire or they would never cook, and they couldn't be too close or they would burn to nothing. Then there was also the fact that the snow was not the easiest medium to use and each of the sticks took a bit of coaxing to stand upright and not be in danger of falling over into the fire.

To let the heat of the fire dry her clothes, at least somewhat, Caoihme started to removed some of her outer most layers. First she took full advantage of her cloak, laying it out with the waterproofed outside pressed into the snow sitting on top of it so that she was up out of the snow and out of danger of having her inner layers soaked through with melting snow. First she removed her gloves dropping them next to her, then moving onto her boots, and then to her jacket. Her boots she placed a little closer to the fire than everything else as they were placed off her cloak. It was still pretty chilly but, the fire meant that she was not in danger of freezing. As she moved about she started to notice a throbbing in her hand and when finally she had removed her jacket and spread it out next to her she looked to see an angry red welt, forming around her still slightly oozing cut. The cold had numbed her hands allowing for her to forget about it for a brief period of time. With the fire radiating enough heat to wake up the nerves her hand definitely was not happy about having been severely rope burned and then subjected to further abuse.

She started a bit when Medwich spoke, calling out to her. For a while she had just been zoning out, hardly noticing as the others around her started to stir. Her first response was to retract her hand, closing it and pulling it in towards her chest. In the wild, any weakness was a chance to be exploited and so she had learned to be very defensive. But, she knew in the back of her mind that they were right. Her hand was still throbbing painfully and not lost any of its redness, in fact the red almost appeared to be spreading. Shifting so that she could easily stand up she tenderly moved her pack from where it had been resting in her lap, the top flap opened and the even curves of the egg showing even through her sleeping bag. Standing up she moved a bit closer to Medwich still keeping a bit of distance between them but, close enough for easy communication.

"What do you suggest?" She asked softly.

 

[Asmodeus]

He did not answer at first. There was a squawk as Medwick's knee bent and his crow went soaring up between the ice walls to scout. The animal was a picture of haste beside the sluggish, weary movements of its master. Silently, the mage found his feet and crossed the ten foot gap between them.

His hand went out. Caoihme flinched. He sighed, looked her in the eye then, more slowly, curled his fingers around her own while answering her question. "I suggest... that you trust me."

Pulling her hand up level with his chest, he peered at the wound - half rope-burn and half ice-graze. It was bleeding again: a thick, bright discharge with coagulant specks. The blood was trying, and failing, to clot. It would need the right persuasion.

Medwick's other hand came up and hovered over Caoihme's palm. She saw a turquoise sheen beneath his fingernails, as if he had been digging for gemstones. Yet as the colour diffused in a subtle, shimmering steam, she knew it for its true nature.

Mana.

"Contrary to the beliefs of dullards..." Medwick muttered as he focussed intently on the girl's hand, ...a Shield Mage is not a conjurer of brick walls and diamond bucklers. He works with what is there. He shapes the existing into the advantageous."

She felt it like pinpricks on her skin - the tingle of magic as Medwick arranged the half-formed scab tissue of the wound. He moved each flake of dried blood like iron filings, like sand particles, like ants. It was a lesson in micro-management. And each flake was bound to the next by a hair-breadth of eldritch blue.

"This is only a sealant. It will not heal the wound. You'll have to see Ethel about that. But this... this will stop your hand from contracting Norsigal Rot and dropping right off your wrist."

The lattice-work scab, almost black, was sealed in a web of mana. Then Medwick draped one of the cloth scraps from the sled over it, looping it a few times before leaving Caoihme to finish tying it. He moved past her, stepped around her backpack, and missed completely the outline of the dragon egg. He was watching Ethel go after Aerie. "Sorry you got dragged into this, my dear," he said over his shoulder to Caoihme. "But this was never going to be a simple errand."

He drew an ice-axe from his belt and slammed it into the wall, a few feet from the fire. Then, shivering, he began peeling off his half-frozen robe to hang upon the axe shaft. Getting dry was now the priority of the night. And as he undressed he looked over at Kal, who sat the other side of the fire.

"And you, Convict. Does your arm still work?"

 

[DotCom]

Ethel was perhaps fortunate Aerie and her new comrades had only just survived an avalanche and were now only just surviving a storm. Anyone else who grabbed the Avian, particularly in such a vulnerable position as the ground, in a fucking cave, no less, would have had their flesh flayed from their arms by her not-so-delicate wings. Aerie was no combat specialist, but she was fast, and her wings were her most valuable possession.

This, coupled with the fact that they were currently uselessly frost-bitten and dragging through the snow, made Aerie turn with a sort of sardonic apathy, as opposed to the rage she was feeling. She was too tired, and it was too cold for anger.

Sarcasm, though. Well, no one had ever put a weather limit on sarcasm.

"Dangerous out there?" she repeated softly. Pyre took up a perch on her shoulder, shrewdly studying the small fae's aenigma. The other girl's wings were frozen, too. It gave Aerie pause. Briefly. "Dangerous out there?" she repeated. Then, blithely, "Pyre, the fae says its dangerous out there."

"I heard her." He was looking at the hummingbird as one might eye a potentially poisonous snack.

"How can you stand to be in here?" Aerie said. It was an honest question. She reached out to the other girl's wings, but did not touch them. That, in Avian culture, at least, was a slight far beyond even what Aerie could stomach. "There's no room to fly. I can't even spread my wings. The cold's frozen them through, what more can it do to me?"

Aerie was annoyed and tired, and quite done with the simpering faerie-thing, but her breathing had also slowed. She didn't notice. Pyre did, and switched his gaze from the bird to the girl.

"Do you know what's in here? A dying cat, the little bitch who caused all this, and her troublesome human. An insane woman and a criminal, and all this encased in ice, you and I unable to fly, never mind flap a bloody wing, and you're telling me it's dangerous out there? I think I'll take my chances, friend."

 

[DrPepper]

Kal had pretty much been ignoring everyone once the group reached safety. In all honesty, his head wasn't quite clear from the avalanche and from crashing into the crevice. He had simply been stealing as much warmth as he could by the fire, trying to stabilize his falling core temperature. He only glanced over to see the avian attempting to flee. Whatever. He turned back to the fire and held his good hand out closer to it. His ears twitched at the word "convict." He had been called that more times than he could count. "Convict" was a title of his now, a curse of his now.

"Hm?" Since settling down, the forest kin's adrenaline had started to wane, and pain soon settled into the shoulder he had injured. It made Kal irritable, the constant annoyance of dull pangs shooting through his arm. "Oh...yes...my arm. I think it's at half capacity." He tried to move his arm in a circular motion and stopped, wincing before his arm was able to fully extend. "Ah...yep...still hurts to move..." Kal's irritation was obvious.

Feeding the irritation was the idiotic bird arguing with the overly concerned fae. "For the love of the Gods let her freeze if she wants!" Kal blurted out of sheer annoyance. "What good is she to us if she's so stupid as to want to be outside in this frozen hell?" His voice reverberated off of the walls surrounding them.

With a sigh, Kal turned back to the fire and looked at Medwick. His charisma was failing him at the moment and he didn't expect Medwick to show him any sympathies for his injury. The look on his face was bitter, and the only voice of reason at the moment was a serpent who knew the disadvantage of making enemies and having such an injury.

"Please forgive Kal." The serpent hissed. The serpent was usually the one in need of forgiveness, it would seem that Kal and Sarrthas had switched roles for the time being. "I think we can all attest to being slightly irritated, given the circumstances. I assure you, he's much kinder than he is letting on." Kal had taught Sarrthas, through example, how to coat his tongue in silver. The serpent doubted it would help much, but maybe it would help just enough to win aid for Kal's arm. "Please help mend his arm, or at least dress it," the snake hissed to Medwick.

 

[Asmodeus]

Well well... that was unexpected...

Medwick raised an eyebrow as the snake hissed at him. It was a rare thing indeed for an aenigma to speak to a lopos that was not its own. In some cultures it was considered the highest taboo - an act of indecency and dysfunction. For after all, the aenigma was the showing of the soul, and to have another mortal interacting with it was tantamount to touching someone without permission. Medwick had seen it in lovers, and in lifelong bonds between mentors and students. But to have the snake of a convict and a stranger speak out to him was a revelation indeed.

Yet as a man of academia, Medwick was not one to shun novelty.

"Scant assurance can a criminal's snake give, Sir. But I appreciate your eloquence."

He nodded at the aenigma while hanging his coat on the embedded ice axe. Now in just his under-robes, Medwick shivered savagely and crept closer to the fire. Already the few words with the snake had been strange enough, so the mage fixed eyes back on Kal. "As I'm sure you appreciate... the arm we mend is the arm we own. You are a vital part of the plan, Kal, and we cannot have you betray us. I could spend all night threatening you, as I'm sure many have done. But instead, I ask you to consider the pardon you have been promised. The President will keep her word, and in Pegulis you will find a progressive and enlightened people to enjoy your freedom amongst. So think on it, before you slip your bonds in the night."

He had spoken every word sincerely. To see Medwick's eyes was to know that he believed whole-heartedly in the ideals of his nation.

Crouching over the flames, the mage leaned out to shout past Kal's shoulder. "Ethel! Come back to the fire. You must restore your mana. Let the Avian leave the shelter and die if she wishes. We've had our fill of foolishness today."

He took a waterskin from Tegol. The little mana he had used on Caoihme had already dehydrated him. He drank deep, and while doing so placed one hand on Shardis' shoulder, squeezing it as the Feleon lay in half-slumber.