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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 13, 2009 19:32:33 GMT -5
Malphorius didn't like being dragged, but it wasn't like he could stop the girl. She lay him down against a tree and he nodded in thanks. He figured that he was conscious as he was going to get for the moment so he started looking around. No one seemed terribly injured, or if they were they were to proud to show it. He resolved to start asking around... as soon as he had the strength to move his legs. He spent several minutes trying to stand, but finally sighed in surrender to his body and sat still in the shade, watching.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jun 15, 2009 20:00:09 GMT -5
Rick pulled Kira up onto the shore a bit farther down the beach from most of the other survivors. His stomach was reeling, but he first made sure his half-wild lynx was breathing. Kira coughed, stood up and coughed up a water-ladened hairball. She then shook herself and mewed pathetically at Rick as if to say, "what did you do that for? I hate getting my fur wet!"
Rick lay back on the sand and patted her head, "I know, girl. I hate swimming too." After a few moments of resting Rick struggled to his feet. "Come on Kira, let's go see if anyone needs any help."
Rick led Kira down the beach to where a young woman was helping an old man. He looked around to see if anyone else needed any help.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 15, 2009 20:07:00 GMT -5
Malphorius, feeling well rested at last stood up and slowly made his way out of the shade and further down the beach to where the majority of the passengers seemed to be gathering. He scanned the crowd. No one seemed to need any help, but he was old and couldn't trust his eyes anymore. He spotted a young man with a cat of some sort and walked up to him. "Excuse me. I'm a doctor. I'm also old. Want to announce that to these folks so that I don't have to risk losing a lung over it?" he asked confidently. He didn't like dealing with people, but knew how to when it was necessary.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jun 15, 2009 20:21:46 GMT -5
Rick grinned at the old man. He thought of quipping something about that being obvious that the man was old, but didn't think the old man would quite like the humor. "Sure." he said instead. He turned to the survivors gathering on the beach and called out, "Is anyone injured? Our friend here is a physician."
He turned back to the old man, "Name's Ranger Greenriver. Most folks call me Rick."
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 15, 2009 20:23:48 GMT -5
Malphorius nodded, extending his hand for a shake. "I am Malphorius Lymph. A ranger, eh? I haven't seen any of you folks in a long time. Tell me son, what's the corps like these days?" He tried to put on a genial expression, but he didn't really care. He just knew the value of having a ranger as an ally.
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Post by ivory on Jun 15, 2009 20:24:10 GMT -5
Someone was following her.
Ivory didn't change her pace or look over her shoulder because she didn't hear anything. She only sensed something. She'd always been able to do that and though they'd always been right, she never trusted them. She liked using her actually 'senses.'
So she waited for a sound, a smell, something to prove her right even as she searched the terrain for drinkable water.
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Angel kept her footsteps silent unaware that she was doing so. She unconsciously let her job become her life. She continuously scanned the terrain, taking care to look above and behind her, slipping from shadow to shadow without even thinking about it.
She closed the distance between them and came up beside her. "Looking for-" She didn't get to finish.
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Ivory got what she was waiting for. The slight movement in the shadows had her attacking before she figured out exactly what or who, it was. She brought her elbow slamming back even as she brought her other hand in a palm-strike toward the face.
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Angel grabbed the elbow aimed at her and dodged the blow to her face. Before the girl could attack again, Angel was stepping behind her, grip still strong on the elbow, and snaking her other arm around Ivory's neck. She then released the girl's elbow, but only to wrap her arm through the crook of it, yanking her arm up to twist behind the girl. Angel gripped the girl's opposite shoulder, keeping her firmly in place.
"Water," she finished.
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Ivory stilled at the familiar voice, instantly placing it as the woman who'd saved her. She knew how to get out of her current position, but she didn't dare move. She couldn't quite trust herself to attack without going for the kill. She'd been killing for so long, it'd become her life.
"Yes," she said, answering Angel's split question.
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Angel released her, knowing that she'd realized her mistake. They turned to face each other and Angel nodded in understanding before they began to look together. Neither spoke a word as they each saw the signs, making their way to a small stream which they followed to spring where they silently collapsed...albeit half-way gracefully...quarterly...tenthly?
They cupped the elixer [OOC: just a metaphor] and drank their fill before making their way back toward the beach from which they'd come.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jun 15, 2009 21:13:20 GMT -5
Rick shook Malphorius' hand. "Pleased to meet you. Wish I knew where we landed. I think we were blown a long ways off-course by that storm."
Rick picked up some driftwood and then took a look at the bedraggled survivors of the shipwreck. "Better get a fire going. Looks like that spot up near the trees would be good for now. Looks like it is well above the high tide line." Rick looked the old man over. "If you are ok, I am going to go gather some firewood and start a fire."
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 15, 2009 21:19:35 GMT -5
Malphorius nodded, looking at the spot that Rick indicated. He turned to him and said, 'Yes, yes. Be sure to put it where the trees will protect it from the wind. There's a tight arc there," he said pointing with his feeble, wrinkled arm. The movement made him ache. He didn't show it. He turned back to the crowd. No one was coming to him for first aid. It irked him, being useless.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jun 15, 2009 21:46:40 GMT -5
Rick nodded. "You know how to start a fire? I could keep gathering fire wood while you start it if you'd like. Looks like no one is hurt too badly." Rick then remembered Malphorius' question about the Corps. "Oh, the Ranger Corps is quite lively these days. I tend to get moved around a lot. Filling in for rangers in different fifes when they go on vacation or are sent on a mission." Rick was picking up firewood and ambling towards the spot they had picked out for the fire. His arms burned with the strain of the wood. Even though he was in excellent physical condition, the battle with the sea in trying to keep him and Kira afloat had taken a lot out of him.
Suddenly Kira streaked towards the trees and Rick watched her anxiously. "She must be hunting something." He waited to see if she would come right back.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 15, 2009 21:50:35 GMT -5
Malphorius raised a suspicious brow at Rick's request. Surprised he answered, "Of- of course. I'll get started immediately." He started walking towards the spot as quickly as possible, though that wasn't particularly fast for a man of his age and physical condition. He hoped no one noticed his attempted haste and immediate failure.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jun 16, 2009 5:43:27 GMT -5
Rick gathered some more wood, looking for some dryer stuff and also brought over some dry grass he'd found in a thicket. He sat them on the ground near Malphorius and took out his szxe knife and shaved off a bunch of tinder from one of the dryer pieces of wood. "Everything is damp. I hope we can get it going." He handed Malphorius his flint and tinder kit. "Here, this should help. I am going to go get more wood and see what Kira is up to."
Rick entered the woods where Kira had disappeared, but saw no sign of the lynx. He wasn't too worried about her. She had always come back before, usually with some type of food. Her favorites were rabbit and grouse. This is just the sort of thickets the large birds preferred too, thought Rick.
He found some more wood and headed back to the firepit. This batch had been sheltered from the trees and it was dryer than the stuff right on the beach, though still a bit damp. He used his saxe knife to break it up into smaller pieces and helped Malphorius get the fire going.
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Post by Tandar on Jun 16, 2009 8:39:28 GMT -5
Rip used the prickly palm tree to help himself up. His muscles screamed in protest, but he ignored it. The mast had broken off during the storm, but the rigging still held it to the ship, providing a sort of ramp up to the deck from the sandy beach. The assassin eased up the makeshift gangplank. Though his ribs ached, he forced himself to go on.
Since The Sweet Maiden was beached at an angle, the deck sloped to the starboard side. Rip managed to cross over to the stairs with little difficulty, but saltwater had made the steps slippery. With little regard for his own safety, Cannon climbed down two at a time. About halfway down, his foot slipped and he nearly tumbled the rest of the way down had it not been for the handrail. Rip gripped it tightly to steady himself.
The assassin had to bribe the captain in order to get Rift on board. Even then, the captain insisted that the white tiger be caged. Cannon hated containing Rift, but he had complied because he had no other choice. Throwing aside some empty crates used as cover, Rip revealed the large cage holding the big cat. Rift had been lying down. At the sight of his master, Rift stood and silently met his gaze from behind the bars. Rip inserted his key into the lock and released the animal.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 16, 2009 12:29:23 GMT -5
Malphorius set down the flint and tinder kit that Rick had given him and started piling the wood. It would have to be wide and tall if they were to use it both for warmth and as a beacon for any potential rescuers... Rescue. He hadn't thought about it since the crash but what would they do? How long would it take for someone in Seacliff to notice that they didn't arrive on schedule? If someone sent out search parties... Would they know where to look? Well, it didn't help to worry so Malphorius decided to think later and work now. He decided that a pyramid shape would likely best suit their goals so he started with a wide, triangular base, stacking in ever-shrinking layers of wood. He wondered if the ranger would understand what he was doing. They were the intuitive type and he didn't feel like explaining.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jun 16, 2009 13:49:17 GMT -5
(OOC: From the cat's point of view:)
Kira hated getting her fur wet. She was cold and dripping and her hair clung to her sides instead of being all fluffy and glossy. She shook out the excess water, but it didn't help. It tasted awful when she tried to lick herself dry. Well, she thought, If I run it might get dry. Kira took off into the trees hoping the wind of her running would dry her fur.
She pelted through the underbrush, barely making a sound. It was so good to get off that smelly thing that floated on the icky water. She didn't understand why the two-legs were acting so strangely. Maybe they didn't like being on dry land.
Kira stopped and sniffed, she had caught a wiff of something... She turned her head back and forth, testing the air. There! Coming from that way, the smell of birds. Kira slinked closer, making sure not to step on a stick or stir the branches. She was approaching down wind so the bird should not be able to hear or smell her.
She slowly pushed her nose through some brambles and sniffed. The smell of grouse was strong here. As she pushed her face on through, she saw that there was a nest with two plump hens sitting on eggs in the middle of the bramble patch.
Kira crouched and her nose twitched and she couldn't help swishing her tail slightly in anticipation of the juicy meal. She loved grouse, except those tiny bones that liked to get stuck in her teeth. She knew her Two-Leg liked the birds too. They had shared many a meal and he kept the feathers for his pointy sticks that flew through the air faster than her eyes could follow.
She waited, making sure there were no other preditors waiting to steal her kill. She tested the air again and could smell nothing but the scrumptious birds. It seemed to be safe. Once her mind was made up she moved so swiftly the birds hardly knew she was there before the first one was dead, it's throat snapped with the clamp of her jaw.
The second hen squawked once and tried to leap into the air. Kira reached up and snatched it before it reached even a foot in the air and deftly snapped it's neck too.
She picked both birds up by their broken necks and headed back to the beach where her Two-Leg waited for her return as he always did.
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Post by ivory on Jun 16, 2009 13:49:19 GMT -5
Angel and Ivory came back to find a fire getting started and shared a look before splitting off in opposite directions. Angel headed over to the man with the intention of telling him about the fresh water in the woods.
"We've found a spring in the woods. Since you're starting a fire here, we can get people to bring water down." She looked around her, seeing that there was few things washed ashore from the ships besides the people and whatever they had on their backs. "If we can find something to carry it in that is." She didn't see him as the leader type because of his age, but since he was building the fire she figured she'd better tell him before he got it too far started. "Or we could have two seperate fires. One for a signal and the other for warmth at the camp. Wherever that may be. Maybe between the the water and the fire?" She was used to thinking allowed, aware that it made it easier for people to follow her and thus made them feel more involved. She'd learned that doing so eased a lot of tensions, especially among those that didn't like to be ordered.
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Ivory headed in the opposite direction, toward the major group of people. She searched the faces, looking to see if she saw something familiar. Or rather, someone. Though it'd been over five years now, the faces of the murderous bandits were forever seared into her mind.
There he was.
She forgot her fatigue as her emotions ran blank as they always did when she started to close in for the kill. She wouldn't kill him now though, knowing that chaos upon chaos was never good for the rest of the party, especially if they were stuck on an unknown island. She'd wait, plan, and make it look like an accident. But first, she needed to scout the island, see what she had to use.
She didn't like company, but she'd been raised as a Lady for the first ten years of her life and one of the virtues had included common courtesy and a helping hand. Ivory made her way to the beach to help the exhausted up to the wood's edge and out of the blaring sun.
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