WEST [Wher Search Thread], [Maebyl, Maesk, Norion, Sanders, Sansk]

[Ferret]

The trees thinned out somewhat here, although that’s a bit like saying, ‘well, at least the water isn’t too wet’ while standing waist-deep in a river. Judging by the mist in the air and the roaring in the distance, the comparison was completely appropriate. The trees slowly gave way to soft ferns and flowers.

Overhead, branches hung heavy with fruits waiting to be plucked. Some of the earliest trees and bushes had already dropped their bounties, making the way paved with… well… fruit.

The river itself was still full from spring rains and didn’t so much flow through the jungle as it did crash. Fish glittered just under the surface. Spring was past, but some fish were still doing their yearly migration from the sea up into freshwater to spawn. Many of the fish were fat with eggs yet to be laid. Small bones littered the side of the river, signaling that at least one creature was making good use of this river. The waters were deep; it wouldn’t be easy to get across, but there were some rocks, all shiny and slimy with algae.

Better be careful.

If someone fell into that river, they could be swept away.

[Pensword]

How had Sanders gotten stuck in the group with the girl idiot enough to piss off a wher? Even if it was a white Sanders had heard of Iantsk, and that girl was an idiot. Currently he was glaring at the back of her head, tromping along and occationally growling at plants that snagged at him and giving a kick at the fruit lying about on the ground. He would've preferred to have gone with the gold, green, and sensible girl. Of course Sanders knew that would've left the color balance ridiculous, but he would've liked to have chosen so himself, instead of a absent minded Go with Maebyl and Maesk and that squirming compulsion shoving his body towards the group.

Sanders checked his rifle over for about the twentieth time since they had started out. Something needed to happen soon or he was going to start getting pissed he had agreed to this in the first place. He supposed if it were Sansk though, he would want people to look for them, and so he tried to suppress his anxiety and annoyance to a low broil.

Sansk was anxious too, but more with nervous excitement than anything as hissy as his bonded's thoughts. The connection was putting Sansk on edge though, and he kept bounding ahead of the group, alert and quivering and straining to see and hear everything, up until the point where Sanders called him back to the group.

Back. Sorry. All here... Sansk beamed to the group, bounding back from his minature excursion, getting some impressive height on his final hop before settling down next to Sanders and matching his pace. Sansk leaned heavily against Sanders, and Sanders grunted, shoving his weight back against his wher casually to support Sansk.

[Kestalì]

The Bronzepair moved through the terrain with the ease and confidence of familiarity; Maesk wound through the jungle with an eye for paths big enough for his bulk and, consequentially, Sansk's, pausing to let his handler hack through tighter spots he couldn't go around. Though with how the Blue was bounding around it didn't seem to matter much if the Bronze took an easy path or not, the younger Wher just ended up making his own trails anyway.

Maebyl kept her eye on the other humans, Norion in particular and Sanders with amusement. "Ease up there, lad," she called, sensing the tenseness coiled about him like a tunnelsnake waiting to strike. Spying a nice-looking bunch of fruit on a low branch, she paused to jump up and yank a few free. "We'll come along something soon," she added. Famous last words, right? "Catch." And she chucked one of the oblong pumpkin-orange noms at him in underhand, biting into her own palm-sized fruit and holding the last out for Norion. "Want one? They're sweet and tangy, watch for the pit."

She looked relaxed but alert, and was constantly stretching her senses as far as they could go, as was Maesk. The area looked fairly friendly overall, but you never knew on this island and it paid to be cautious. The river was already loud even well within the treeline, and promised to grow still louder as they moved ever closer. <Water big,> Maesk commented to all, turning to look back at the others and looking a little comical with his ears poking up through ram-curled horns and twitching about at the slightest noise. <Sounds fast.>

Would be a bugger if they had to cross it. Probably would have to, too, considering the simply wonderful run of luck Nightwatch had been experiencing lately.

[Firebird]

Well this was fun. Norion didn't know Sansk or whether he would be grumpy at her over the whole "insulting a wher" thing. He and his handler were behind her, even, and walking backwards to keep an eye on them would probably be a really stupid thing to do. The last thing she wanted was to step in a hole and twist her ankle for real. Well okay, the last thing she wanted was to get charged by a wher again, but messing up her ability to walk was a close second.

At least she hadn't been ordered back to the Weyr, though, and the trees were at least pretending to thin out a bit. Also, fruit. Free food was always nice, especially with the rationing going on. "Sure, I'll take one," she told Maebyl before taking a bite. Ooh, that was sweet. The fruit vanished pretty quickly.

Be polite to the girl with the big bronze. "Thank you for that." Attagirl.

That river looked suspiciously dangerous. She wouldn't want to cross it in the day, considering how fast it was moving. At night? Shards no. "I think we ought to walk alongside it. Go downstream a ways."

[Blight]

Do you want to ford the river, caulk the wagons and float across, hire a ferry, or wait to see if conditions improve

Over the sound of the river, it was difficult to hear anything at all. But there were other senses and a wher's sense of smell was especially sharp. A recently killed fish, not even half-eaten, lay alongside the river. Roe rolled from the fish corpse.

Something had been here.

Its meal had been interrupted.

It was probably still hungry.

Just behind Sansk came a long low growl.

[Pensword]

I'd wait for conditions to improve but this is Nightwatch. Calk that motha it's more than 2.5 feet deep right?

Sanders gave a Sansk a solid affectionate thump on his side. He looked up as Maebyl spoke to him, two little words Ease up. Ease up? Ease up!? They were hunting goddamn potential wher killers. That was not a situation in which one was supposed to kick their feet back and relax. Sanders opened his mouth to say something even as he felt his muscles relaxing and shoulders dropping from their tense squeeze.

"Don't tell me what to do," he said snippily giving her a glare and eyes sharp even his his body was more relaxed. Sanders didn't flinch as she tossed the fruit at him, one hand coming up and deftly plucking it from the air as his other shifted his rifle against his shoulder. He spoke again, voice half annoyed and half at least somewhat light "Yeah, but as Maesk said water big and you're not supposed to eat before you-"

Sanders was cut off as Sansk suddenly whirled around. The wher had been next to Sanders and as he spun around he knocked his bonded down to the ground. Sansk snarled suddenly "wings" flaring and puffing his chest to make himself look bigger. He lowered his head the heavy metal horn on his helmet glinting in the moonlight.

Who there! Snarl growl Mine! Out out! Sansk bellowed mentally, punctuating it with a noise half a roar half a snarl. His claws dug into the ground, ready to find purchase and thrust him forward with maximum grip and force at a moments notice.

Sanders meanwhile hit the ground with a heavy thump, but Sansk had already broadcast to him what he had heard, and though he hit the ground roughly, in a second he had scrambled to a crouch, lifting his rifle up towards where Sansk was facing. He felt Sansk's projected sensations and running through his head at a frantic rolling, but constant, pace. He also felt a tender bruise on his hip where the blue lug had slammed into him with his shoulder. Sanders was used to it though, the awkwardly proportioned wher didn't know his own strength and was overt in his expressing happiness. There was an understood hum of the little accident being a non-event between the two of them.

[Kestalì]

I'd hire a ferry but who the heck would be waiting around in the middle of nowhere with a ferry waiting for random people/Deep Ones to show up? Caulking seconded.

The Bronzehandler glanced curiously at Sanders, noting the changed posture and increased hostility. A brow quirked at the stark contrast. "Was just some friendly advice, lad," she replied mildly, finishing her own fruit and smiling back at Norion while regretfully ignoring the cheerful, chatty flame sitting square atop the girl's head. Wasn't good to talk to hallucinations while others were around to cast weird looks, she reminded herself. "Tension only wears you out and makes you stiff, after all, but 'tis your choice. I - Maesk?" The big Wher had abruptly doubled back and was already herding her and Norion between himself and Sansk with wings and tail when she heard the sound, and felt her chest vibrate with the Bronze's answering growl as he moved up to flank the Blue.

Dark lips peeled back in a vicious snarl, enhanced by the tongues of fire licking about his horns. The Bronze's blood was up from the excitement of the hunt, and his handler's acrid fearscent stung his sinuses even as she drew both spear and axe from her back and sank into a defensive stance. <Bad thing stay away [vision/sensation of Maesk and Sansk ripping-tearing-flaming threat], Maesk protect kill destroy!> Very eloquent of you, Maesk.

"Stay close to the whers," Maebyl told Norion tightly, slashing the ropes holding the extra firestone to her partner's back so it slid to the ground with a thud. She forced herself to relax so she could move freely at a moment's notice. "If we run, ride Maesk." The Bronze could carry two in a pinch, for a time, and she assumed (hoped) the Blue could probably carry Sanders at least. If not... Well, fighting was what whers did. Who was she to deny them some "fun"?

A familiar brush against her mind. <Bring on.> Hah. Well-said, boy.

((Note the fire Mae sees is sentient isn't real. Carry on.))

[Firebird]

Thirding. No way that thing can be forded.

Enemies now? Enemies now! Or at least something dangerous enough for the whers to take notice of. Either way, something exciting was about to happen and Norion wanted in on it. Too bad she was being ordered near the whers and couldn't just run up and shoot whatever-it-was. Wait, that would be a bad idea even without being ordered not to, wouldn't it be? What if it was a wild wher? Antagonizing two whers in one night would strain even Norion's standards for recklessness.

Norion moved to stand so she could see around the bulk of the blue, but since the only nearby light source was being carried by their group she couldn't see anything. Just shadows and movement that could have been a branch swaying and was more likely her brain screwing around with her. She still held her musket ready to fire just in case, though.

"Got it. Wonder what stupid thing here would disturb a pair of whers, though. Feline, maybe?"

[Blight]

You chose to caulk your wagon and float it across the river. You lose:
8 sets of clothing
1 wagon tongue
1 wher

Ohshit.

They were looking the wrong way.

The growl raised into a rasping roar as the whers spoke to her. She didn't like that. Not at all. A large shape burst from the foliage from behind the group, launching herself at Maesk. The Feline was easily eight feet long and stood around four feet at the shoulders. Island gigantism had been kind to the Felines, but, even with all her weight, so was nowhere nearly as massive as the bronze wher.

But he was the greatest threat, currently.

He had to be neutralized.

All the while, the growls kept going, seeming to come from every direction at once.

[Kestalì]

It's ok, I think we have an extra wher around here...

"Don't know, maybe - " Whatever Maebyl was going to say was drowned by the sudden roar.

The Bronze barely had time to react to the - new? - threat, and was only half-turned when several hundred pounds of teeth and claws landed on his back. <Bad wildfur!> Maesk yelped, and twisted, thick tail whipping about dangerously as he moved slightly away from the group, snapping viciously at the unwelcome passenger. His neck was too thick and short to flex far enough, so instead he folded his wings tight and threw his weight to the side, trying to slam the cat against the nearest treetrunk. <Wildfur off now!> he roared back at it physically and mentally, prepared to slam again or roll if the first time hadn't dislodge the feline.

"Don't shoot!" Maebyl cried out has her Wher fought to rid his back of the feral, fear for her partner leaking into her voice. If they tried to take a shot at the cat, there was a good chance they'd hit Maesk instead; melee would be better, but then they'd risk getting trampled or something by the two large predators.

The growls didn't stop, and the handler tightened her grip on her weapons and moved closer towards where the Bluepair had been last, ducking under a wild tailswing from her wher while golden eyes darted between Maesk's struggle and the surrounding forest. This was bad. Did felines move in packs? Or was the feline just coincidence and something else had used it as a distraction to approach undetected? Either way, they were far too vulnerable here, where anything could leap out at them. If they tried to break for the river, they wouldn't be as fast on foot as on wherback, but the water would guard their back and the trees, if memory from years back served her, thinned out significantly toward the banks and they could move around freely and see what was coming. But she couldn't just leave Ma -

Maesk broke her line of thought by shoving the sound of rushing water at her, too focused on his own fight to articulate anything more. Alright then. "Make for the river," she called to the others. "Can Sansk lead?" Assuming something hadn't attacked him, too. Then they'd really be in a pinch.

[Pensword]

Can we trade Norion with fellow travelers for another wher?

Sanders whipped around rifle raised at the sudden commotion. He nearly shot as those hundreds of pounds of feline muscle threw themselves at the bronze wher. His finger squeezed the trigger but stopped just short of actually pulling a shot off at the now tangling forms of the wher and cat. Sanders saw Sansk twirl around, bunching down and preparing to jump into the fray and defend the bronze with a snarl.

Sansk no! You'll just get in the way and hurt Maesk! Sanders quickly ordered the wher mentally. Sansk halted, still crouched down to the ground, long legs coiled and eyes whirling orange and yellow.

But-

I know you're worried, Maesk can handle himself! Sanders ordered, torn on which way to face his rifle when the growls were suddenly all around them. Maebyl shouted at him not to shoot. Yes he knew not to shoot at his allies thank you very much and he didn't need her giving him the insatiable urge to not shoot at all even at the enemy. Maybe Sanders really should've explained his particular blight to his companions to avoid any unfortunate orders such as those. Sanders' hard head would not admit to his own faults though, and so Sanders chose to respond very maturely to that and now the order to head towards the river.

"WHO DIED AND MADE YOU LEADER?! I'll do what I fucking want!" Sanders yelled, at the same time actually heading for the river as told to.

Sansk protect! Sansk kill the growlings! the blue growled eyes flashing red for a moment. The bulky blue was trembling in tense energy and fury, and Sanders tightened his mental connection, murmuring calming phrases, as the blue surged ahead a few meters to assure the pathway was clear.

[Firebird]

I don't know if they'd take her. Maybe we could strap her in front of the wagon with the other wher?

It was probably a good thing Maebyl gave the order to not shoot, because the moment Norion noticed the feline-bronze tangle she put her musket to her shoulder and started looking for a good shot. At the bronzehandler's shout, she lowered her arms and moved away from the pair to stand by Maebyl.

"How deep would you say the-" she started to ask, only to be interrupted by Sanders' yell. Yes, yelling was clearly the thing to do here. She hoped the noise wouldn't attract more large predators, though from the sound of all those growls there were enough already there that one or two more wouldn't make much of a difference.

"She has the big-ass bronze. That makes her the leader," she said to Sanders in a tone that was clearly trying to be snappish without raising her voice. Still, she followed him to the river. Maybe they could drown the big feline or something? Get Maesk to hold it under?

[Blight]

The growls----all of the growls----were cut off by a gasp when Maesk smashed the Feline against the trunks. Even as the noise seemed to come from every direction, there was only one voice. The Feline got air back into her lungs soon enough and clawed her way to the whers back, searching for better purchase. Normally she would have gone for the neck, a quick kill, but that was impossible with the way the creature was thrashing around.

Her roars raised in urgency as the others started to vanish towards the river, but she didn't dare abandon her prey. She'd already lost the element of surprise. She started to bite at Maesk's wings instead, knowing that wherry wings contained large veins. Just one wrong bite and it would be bye-bye Maesk.

The Feline's grip was looser than she would have liked. Unfortunately for her, Maesk's Blight was affecting her paws already; she snarled as blisters started to form on the pads of her feet. WHAT WAS THIS?! THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.

~~~~~~

It hadn't been visible from further away, but now that Sanders, Sansk, and Norion were closer, something was obvious: there was something very wrong with the way the reeds lay along the river bank.

For most of the river, the reeds and other plantlife were perfectly normal. But, in one section, they were all lying down, as though some great weight had been placed on it. A small furlough lay right in the middle. The river was calmer there, the perfect place for someone to moor a boat, if only for a short amount of time.

There were other signs too, but only if a person looked closer. It would have been easy to think that the fruit fell naturally from the branches, but it generally didn't have human bite marks taken out of it. The fruit was browning around the bite, though. It had been here a while.

[Kestalì]

"Well sorry for trying to keep us alive!" Maesk snapped back at Sanders, not taking her eyes off her wher even as she backed in the direction the others were going. Maesk, roll! she sent when the tree-slam didn't work, tensing despite her will to be ready and relaxed. Watch your wings!

<Wildfur OFF NOW!> Still yelling at the feline - maybe it'd be scared off? - Maesk followed his handler's instruction, and with a roar threw himself to the ground, grinding his back and hopefully the cat into the dirt for a few brief moments before lunging upright again, unwilling to expose his more vulnerable underbelly for longer than that. <Mine run,> the Bronze pushed at her, hissing warningly at both the cat and the stinging pain of soil gritting in the scratches and slashes on his back courtesy of the feline.

Not until you do. Maebyl hadn't missed that the voice was - or seemed to be - singular, despite its transdirectionality, and felt just a little tension ease out, though she didn't drop her guard. Maybe they'd make it out of this in... Well, mostly whole, at least. Maesk had already lost a few pieces thanks to "wildfur's" claws.

[Pensword]

Sanders honestly didn't think they should've left the bronze and his handler alone to deal with that giant wildcat, but there had been an order and Sanders couldn't disobey so he would obey as hard against his better judgement and Maebyl as possible. If he had thought that there was real serious danger to the wher he might've been a bit less petulant about it, but he didn't so nyehhh he could do whatever he wanted... within the parameters of the order his blight bent him to.

All childishness aside, Sander's attention was turned back to the river. Okay, going to the river had turned up something interesting but that did not make Maebyl the default leader, nor should the size of her wher as Norion suggested. Sanders could a guess as to how she had insulted the white wher. Sanders cast a critical and weary eye around before he moved towards the bank and it's flattened reeds. He tried to surmise what he could but he was more comfortable reading rock and its composition than trying to read plants and reeds and mud. Maybe there was a campsite nearby if they had docked here.

"You..." Sanders said, failing to recall Norion's name as quickly as he would've liked, "Keep an eye out and your gun ready. No surprises when my back's turned, I'm going to have Sansk see if anyone's around..."

Yes! Sansk! What do!? the blue wher perked up tail wagging hard enough to make his hips wobble back and forth as he came up to Sanders, the wherhandler climbing out of the bank.

Alrgiht Sansk, I need you to use your nose. Smell around where those reeds are flattened out... DON'T fall in the water. You're looking for people that are not in our group. Who you don't smell around the weyr okay? Then come up here if you don't find anything and smell around these fruits... Sanders picked up the piece of fruit he had noticed with the bite mark out of it, holding the bite up to the blue's blunt nose.

Yes yes good will look and smell! Sansk said with a loud snort and huff. Sansk snuffled around the fruit and Sander's hand nipping him gently once before he began shuffling down towards the bank, head lowered. It wasn't very hard to lower his head, as his hind legs seemed to tip him all in that direction anyways. Sander followed a few steps behind, his rifle in his hands. He kept his eyes mostly on the river and far bank, though occationally glancing the length of the bank on their side. He was putting his faith in Norion to be alert enough to catch anything on their side of the bank and jungle before it became an issue.