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Post by ivory on Jun 20, 2009 12:50:22 GMT -5
Badger'd watched him climb with a slight nod of satisfaction. Climbing was good, though he needed to work on not moving any of the leaves or limbs as he did so. A major point of being a ranger after all, was 'being a ghost' - silent and unseen.
"We work." He climbed up the tree next too Monkuta's current roost, slowly so as not to move a single twig. His ranger cloak allowed him to 'meld' within it and he doubted that Stella would be able to see him even if she was standing at the front door which was only a mere ten paces away.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 20, 2009 12:57:21 GMT -5
Monkuta walked across the branch towards Badger. It supported his weight and small stature easily, even when he reached the end of it. Jumping, he joined Badger on the other tree.
"How?" he asked.
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Post by ivory on Jun 20, 2009 13:00:37 GMT -5
"Patience."
He wondered briefly if the boy even knew what that meant, but decided not to ask. Stella had the sharpest pair of ears and what she didn't hear, she had a certain way of finding out.
He moved once again, stressing the patience factor by moving slowly.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 20, 2009 13:04:00 GMT -5
Monkuta, learning from their contest inside, copied his movements to the best of his ability. However, moving slowly, he constantly lost his balance and had to save himself from falling to the ground. That irked him. Why did they have to move so slowly. He contemplated pushing Badger to get him to move faster, but then he remembered that rangers killed people.
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Post by ivory on Jun 20, 2009 13:08:09 GMT -5
[lol]
Patience it seemed, was definitely not in the boy's vocabulary. Neither he learned, was 'stealth'. They'd be lucky if the neighbors - who lived well away - didn't come over to see what all the racket was about.
Face unchanging, he picked up his past, but only ever so slightly. The lesson here after all, was patience, though he was losing a little of it himself.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 20, 2009 13:13:48 GMT -5
Monkuta, though relieved by the faster pace, was still failing this challenge. He waited a moment and slowly leaned over so that he was on all fours and continued that way. He grinned when he noticed how little noise he was making, even at this pace. He leaped to another tree, connecting with the branch where it joined the trunk so that it would very little noise when he landed. He followed Badger in this manner for a long time.
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Post by ivory on Jun 20, 2009 13:20:43 GMT -5
After traveling over a hundred paces, Badger decided it was time for a little change. He lowered himself slowly before dropping lightly on the ground. He looked up in wait for Monkuta to drop down along side him.
The boy had possible potential, shown by his taken to a different approach to his problem. Badger had kept quiet, fully believing that by working out one's problems on his/her own strengthened not just the mind, but the ability to adapt. Monkuta definitely needed adapting, especially to silence.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 20, 2009 13:22:56 GMT -5
Monkuta, less than half the size of Badger, decided not to jump to the ground for fear of breaking bones. He climbed down the trunk and stood beside him, looking up at him with a furrowed brow and a wicked grin that said, 'I can take anything you throw at me.'
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Post by ivory on Jun 20, 2009 13:31:44 GMT -5
Badger read the smugness in the boy's lips and thought of the saying of taking anything one could throw. He'd never believed the saying since he knew many could throw a fairsized rock a fairsized distance, and given Monkuta's current statis, he didn't doubt he could do the same.
He didn't say anything though, instead walking off in random directions until he believed themselves to be lost. He looked around the terrain in satisfaction. He only knew which direction was home because he'd trekked through these woods more often than not.
The next lesson was to begin. "Lead home."
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 20, 2009 13:36:09 GMT -5
Monkuta cocked his head. It took a second for him to get it, but when he did he spun around, looking for the house. It was nowhere to be seen. He frowned and started walking back the way they had come. He backtracked a fair distance before his memory gave way and he looked up at badger, dumbfounded.
"I think we're lost," he said simply.
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Post by ivory on Jun 20, 2009 14:17:46 GMT -5
Badger was sure of it, he was lost himself and he lived here, well around here. He turned in a circle, looking for the honest signs of nature. They had about another hour and a half before sunset, well enough time to find their way back.
He turned to face the direction they'd come and scanned the ground and its surroundings, following their trail back to the spot they'd come down from the trees. He went a few feet before coming to the same conclusion of having to talk. Regretfully, he did so.
"Bent grass, pressed down moss, scrape on the tree root." He waved his direction toward his findings. "Means someone or something went through there. Since we know that that was us, we can just follow the path back to the trees we'd come down from and from there, we'll switch tactics." he paused before adding, "So go ahead, lead us back." Since his stomach was growling again, he decided that if Monkuta started to get stumped, he'd speak up.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 20, 2009 14:25:31 GMT -5
Monkuta perked up, examining the things that Badger described. He narrowed his eyes at them and grinned. Without a word, his eyes followed the trail and soon his legs followed. He ran off as fast as he could, leaping over rocks and fallen branches. Soon enough they were back at Badger's house and Monkuta started clapping for his own achievement.
"Wow! Did you see that?! I got us back! I followed the moss and the grass the roots and the dirt and here we are back at your house again! That was awesome!"
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Post by ivory on Jun 20, 2009 14:58:05 GMT -5
Badger gave a nod and walked past him as he headed back into the kitchen. The boy had a good eye for detail. He dropped a kiss on Stella's cheek before sitting down and fixing himself a plate as his wife turned to great Monkuta once again.
"Have a good time dear?" she asked with a smile.
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Post by JezusBagels on Jun 20, 2009 15:02:45 GMT -5
Monkuta smiled at her as he walked inside and nodded quickly. His hair flipped over with the motion, covering his eyes until he pushed it out of the way.
"We got lost and I got us back. I'm good at this, huh?" he asked, turning to Badger. He hopped up onto a chair at the table, not realizing how hungry was from all the activity.
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Post by ivory on Jun 20, 2009 15:09:51 GMT -5
Badger swallowed his mouthful before answering. "You like to rush things and doing so is likely to get you killed, especially in your future line of work, if you make it. You have to learn to be patient, move slowly; learn to be silent, listen and don't speak." After a meaningful flicker to his beloved so she wouldn't cut in, he went on to add, "But you're not too proud, able to adapt to another's teachings. You also have a good mind and an eye for detail. We'll work on the rest, starting at dawn tomorrow so I suggest you rest."
The bright smile on Stella's face made it worth it to break the silence for so long. Grinning at his thoughts, he turned back to his meal.
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