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Post by Firehead on Mar 8, 2010 12:57:31 GMT -5
(OCC: Private Dalin/Ben)
Rule 18 in the Ranger's handbook: Just because your apprentice ran and hid (because he is either trying to be annoying, obstinate, or dodging doing his chores), doesn't mean that you are allowed to ignore your surroundings while looking for him.
Ben forgot that rule. Dalin had vanished away again, putting it up to Ben to find him....again. Ben scowled as he tramped through the woods, following his apprentice's trail. Why that boy has to be so stubborn is beyond me. Though he is getting better at leaving very little trail. Ben peered closer at the ground, concentrating on the tracks as they faded. "Remind me to give that boy a thrashing." he muttered to himself.
Hunched over as he was, he nearly walked to his death before he realized the danger that he was in. The only warning he had was the odd-sounding grunt from directly in front of him. Looking up he found himself face to face-- and closer that he would have liked-- with a wild boar. Being used to troublesome situations, Ben could well appreciate the danger that he was in now. "Awww, damn." he spoke softly, as he reached for his knives, even though he knew they weren't going to do much good. The best he could hope for was a clean stab to the eye of the beast. Subconsciously, he noted that despite being the same size as him, the boar was small for its species. Though that's not much help in the present situation.
He gave a quiet sigh as he and the boar eyed one another without moving. As the minutes ticked slowly past, with still no movement from the boar, Ben decided to try sidling away. But at the first step that Ben made, the boar snorted loudly, lowered its head, and lunged forward. "Ops." Ben muttered, lunging backward in the hope of avoiding sudden demise. Vaguely, he thought that the animal must be near-sighted.
It was pure luck that he avoided the boars tusks in that first lunge. The boar's shoulder banged into Ben's chest, knocking him backward to the ground. He twisted in an effort to roll away from the boars hooves as it barreled past, and came to his feet, turning to keep the boar in his line of vision. Several yards away, the boar spun lightly on its back feet and came charging back toward his antagonist. Ben thought he was ready-- indeed, he was prepared to leap to one side as the boar raced past, but he didn't expect what the boar did next.
It all happened in a blur. The boar, almost on top of Ben, ducked first to one side, then dodged back, and Ben, unready for that unexpected maneuver from a boar, was knocked off his feet again, as the boar thundered past. One of the boar's tusks hooked Ben in the side, opening a deep gash. Ben tumbled to the ground and lay on his side, stunned by the blow. "Ops." What a lousy way to die. Getting killed by a boar that's too smart for it's own good. Ben knew that he should do something to avoid the boars next charge, but he couldn't move.
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Post by Cutebabys on Mar 9, 2010 7:26:34 GMT -5
Dalin hadn't planned to run away again. This time, he had gotten lost in the forest. That had been stupid. He lived here for some time already, more than a year and this was the first time he got lost. Stupid boar... he muttered. He had seen some boar tracks and decided to find the boar. It didn't look too big, by the size of it's tracks.
Trained to be sharp for even the smallest sound, he heard a grunt. He didn't know which direction it came from, so it took some time for him to locate the boar. He heard some other weird sounds, like thumps. This has not gotta be good... he knew something was wrong.
Then he saw it. The boar. And...Ben! That was Ben on the floor. His mentor. The one he thought to be infallible. For a second he was stunned. Realizing there was no time for that, he nocked, drew and shot an arrow. It didn't hit where he aimed at, but it did hit the boar, although the arrow bounced off it's thick hide, causing little damage.
At least he took the attention away from his mentor...the boar turned his head, charging towards Dal.
(OOC: PM me if I take too long to reply)
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Post by Firehead on Mar 9, 2010 11:41:57 GMT -5
At the end of the rules list in the Ranger's handbook: Should you forget any of these rules, you will pay a high price. (Should your body be found, it will be given a decent burial.)
Ben wondered if there would even be enough left of him to be given a decent burial. The boar slowed as he approached Ben, and Ben wondered if the boar had started to lose interest. Not hardly.
The boar stomped forcefully over Ben, slashing with his tusks, planting each hoof on a different part of Ben's body. Ben felt the boars tusks slash his shoulder, and felt ribs on his left side give way as the boar trampled over him. Something hard connected with his head and blackness closed in. Had he been conscious, he would have found that Dalin had distracted the boar at the same time as Ben had been clipped on the head.
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Post by Cutebabys on Mar 15, 2010 11:15:19 GMT -5
Dalin freaked out. His mentor was unconscious and the boar was charging towards him like a madman. But his training took it's part and he nocked another arrow. He aimed it well, and this time it hit the boar with a loud smack. The boar fell to the ground, dead.
Even Dalin was surprised. Though there was not much time to be. He ran to his mentor, ignoring the boar behind him. "Ben! Ben!" he shouted. Was he dead? No he couldn't be! Dalin wasn't strong enough to carry his mentor back, so he was at a loss. He couldn't leave Ben alone here...yet he needed to get help. Fast.
The horses! With the help of the ranger horse, he could easily bring Ben to get a healer. He whistled for his horse, which came next to him quickly. He pulled Ben on, then got the horse moving towards the city(?)
((OOC: sorry i took so long to post and the quality of this post isn't exactly my best...um just post as if Ben woke up and a healer helped?))
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Post by Firehead on Mar 18, 2010 10:47:08 GMT -5
Ben came to feeling as though he were lying on a bed of hot coals. Every breath he took felt like molten fire in his lungs. Gradually, he became aware of someone else in the room, talking.
"...six cracked ribs and four broken ribs, and it's a miracle that he's even still alive....He'll have a concussion, most likely, from the look of that lump on his skull. He's lucky to have such a hard head....Oh, and a broken leg that won't be healing any time too soon, after the way its been mangled....That won't make him a happy camper either.....Not mentioning the tear in his side... deep enough that I had to put in stitches....Didn't bleed to death....Torn shoulder muscles will take a while to heal as well... Now what was he doing messing around with a boar for, again?....You aren't exactly sure..."
The voice faded, as it traveled to another room, and Ben was left to himself and his pain. "...Now if he wakes up here, in the near future, he'll have a running chance at living--- Oh, good! You're awake. How splendid!"
The speaker turned out to be a tall, slim-built, middle-aged woman whose expression brooked no argument and no foolishness. Long dish-water blond hair streaked with silver was tied back at the nape of her neck by a small bit of cord. Silvery gray eyes studied his own as she assessed whether or not he had any chance of living to enjoy old age.
"Well.... you might make it...If you cooperate." She turned away to someone standing behind her. "Go fetch a bowl of that broth out there, and we'll see just how badly this old Ranger wants to keep on living." She turned back to Ben. " Well now then, I'm Delores, but you probably already know that. So, tell me, how do you feel?"
You actually expect me to waste breath answering that?
"Although I'd say that that's a moot point, really. Where does it hurt the worst?"
All over.
It was as though she were reading his thoughts like she would read a book. "Be specific."
All right, if he had to choose just one.....Another thought popped into his mind "Apprentice."
Delores frowned a moment, until she realized what Ben was talking about, then explained. "To the best of my knowledge, your apprentice saved your life. Shoot and killed a boar before it killed you, and then packed you several miles until he reached my place. He's been a great help. You should be proud of him. Now I believe I asked you what hurt the worst---is it your leg, ribs or head?"
All three were close runners, but Ben chose the middle, as he was reminded of the pain every time he took a breath. "Ribs."
"Ah. Excellent."
Excellent?
She glanced over at him. "In a manner of speaking, that is."
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Post by Cutebabys on Mar 18, 2010 11:55:56 GMT -5
Dalin was outside Delores' house, pacing around. She had been like a mother to him, although he had his own mother who loved him very much. But taking care of four children AND working wasn't easy...his mother didn't have that much time for these things. Many a time he had come over just to seek her comfort. When he was in distress and needed most help, it was natural for him to come to her. He hadn't seen her for some time already...since the beginning of his apprenticeship in fact. He could trust that Ben was safe in her hands.
He didn't want to hear any bad news. He wasn't prepared to face it. "...six cracked ribs and four broken ribs, and it's a miracle that he's even still alive....He'll have a concussion, most likely, from the look of that lump on his skull. He's lucky to have such a hard head....Oh, and a broken leg that won't be healing any time too soon, after the way its been mangled....That won't make him a happy camper either.....Not mentioning the tear in his side... deep enough that I had to put in stitches....Didn't bleed to death....Torn shoulder muscles will take a while to heal as well... Now what was he doing messing around with a boar for, again?....You aren't exactly sure..." That was what Delores had said. Maybe it was all wrong. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't so alive after all. And Ben wasn't responding to anything. He sighed again, pacing around. He fingered his bow...Thank God he made me practice the way I did... he thought.
It was getting dark. He turned back to the house, deciding to see how things were coming along. He walked into the room where he was resting. "Ben! You're awake!" he shouted, only to be shushed by Delores. (OOC: is delores your character? will i be godmodding by putting "only to be shushed by delores"? if i am, ignore that last part...)
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Post by Firehead on Mar 18, 2010 12:58:41 GMT -5
(OOC: No, Delores is just an NPC that I made up for the occasion. So no, you won't be godmoding. )
A short time later, a young girl brought in a bowl of steaming broth, and handed it to Delores. After shooing the girl home, Delores returned to Ben's bedside and slowly spoon-fed him the broth. It was a long process, broken by lengthy intervals to allow Ben to catch his breath, but eventually Delores concluded that he had eaten a satisfactory amount, and was in no danger of dying though malnutrition. She set the bowl aside and checked his forehead for fever. "Hmmm. Tad warm." She reached for a large bowl of water and retrieved a wet rag which she wrung out and placed on his forehead.
She checked his injuries, using care to avoid causing him pain, after which she checked his temperature again. " Hmmm." She might have said more, but Dalin walked into the room, and upon seeing Ben awake shouted, "Ben! You're awake!" only to be shushed by Delores. "For the moment, he is. In a few minutes I hope he falls back asleep. It will be good for him, as it indicates that the needed healing is beginning to take place." She gave a wry smile in both their directions. "However, if you would like, you can keep him company until he does."
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Post by Cutebabys on Jun 22, 2010 9:28:04 GMT -5
Dalin pursed his lips."Yeah yeah whatever...at least he's awake..." He didn't mean to sound grumpy, but he had been worrying for so long he couldn't help but just dismiss whatever Delores said. His mentor still didn't look too good. "Will Ben be okay though?" He asked, worried. The news certainly did not sound good. "How is he now?"
He looked at Ben and sat on his bed. "How do you feel?" He said. It was unusual for him to show concern for Ben. It was usually the other way round, in fact. Him getting into trouble and...it would be too much to say Ben did the same for Dalin. He usually shouted. A lot. But that was his fault. In fact, this was partially his fault as well...not entirely, but still.
He felt a lot guilt for Ben's injuries. But the full impact of it would only come later.
He remembered something else. "Delores...what of Ben's duties as a ranger? God knows what could happen while he's injured!" He looked up to her for advice, as he had done many times in the past.
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Post by Firehead on Jun 30, 2010 7:45:16 GMT -5
Dalin sounded grumpy at first, as he replied to Delores. "Yeah yeah whatever...at least he's awake..."
I'm still trying to decide if that's a good thing or not. Ben thought. He gazed up at the rough wooden ceiling, trying to distract his mind from the pain of his injuries. A good thing Red was not here--his life would be misery if that prankster were around. He'd never get anything done around the fife--.... Ohhh, damn. Now I've blown it. As though to rub it in more, Dalin spoke from where he had perched upon Ben's bed. "How do you feel?"
Ben scowled as he thought about his answer, then gave up on finding an appropriate one and simply replied, "Like the devil stomped on me." He frowned as his mind turned back to his now-immediate problem--With himself out of action for the next month at least, who would take care of the fife. He had the distinct and unhappy feeling that the answer to his question was sitting on the edge of his bed. Studying his apprentice, Ben realized that he would have to seriously consider the idea, no matter how off-kilter it appeared.
So he thought about it. Dalin could certainly get into enough trouble on his own...but could Ben rely on Dalin to get himself out of trouble on his own without Ben's help? Ben let that question stand as he continued to think about Dalin's qualification. He was fairly good with a bow-- for all that he got into trouble; his knife work wasn't too bad....and he could ride well enough. And he would have Ben himself and Delores to go to for help and advice.... Ben decided he'd just have to cross his fingers and hope that Dalin could do this on his own and stay alive in the process.
"Delores...what of Ben's duties as a ranger? God knows what could happen while he's injured!"
A good thing he'd just figured that out, Ben thought as he answered, his blunt reply blending with Delores'. "You'll do it."
"I think it's up to you now, Dalin. You are the Ranger's apprentice, after all."
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Post by Cutebabys on Jul 2, 2010 11:38:02 GMT -5
Dalin was stunned. "Me...?" he asked. Was such a thing even heard of? He was a mere apprentice, not anywhere near promotion to a full-fledged ranger yet...him? He hadn't been much help to Ben when he was still up and healthy - how could he be of any use when Ben was bedridden? And he'd make mistakes, he'd make so many mistakes. He sat down for a while, considering the thought. He'd be taking over the entire fief. I'm sure I'll fail! he thought. A war was raging in his head. If he didn't do it, no one else could. He knew the fief quite well (having run away from Ben a few times). He knew people around, though they knew him more from his family and his status as a ranger's apprentice. Yes...I can do this. He didn't feel adequate, but yet he knew this was his duty. He had to. And it was partially his fault Ben was bedridden right now. Eyes hardening in determination, he nodded, slightly weakly. "Yes...yes I'll do it." ((OOC: Anyone causing chaos around here? ))
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Post by Firehead on Jul 23, 2010 10:31:55 GMT -5
"Me...?"
"Yes, you." Ben answered. He added, "You won't have to do it all on your own. You'll have me and Delores here to give you advice, and tell you what to do, and when to do it. You'll do fine. " He hoped.
He watched dalin closely, as his apprentice thought about it, then with a look of determination growing in his eyes, nodded, saying, "Yes...yes I'll do it."
"Of course you will! And like Ben said, you should do just fine." Delores spoke as though she had never once doubted that Dalin would say yes. Which she probably hadn't.
Ben added his two bits worth. "Good. If you hadn't agreed, I would have ordered you to do it anyway." He closed his eyes, and sighed, relaxing as he drifted toward sleep. Hopefully, the lad would think that Ben had meant that he'd never had the slighest doubt about Dalin's ability to take care of the fife.
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Post by Cutebabys on Oct 20, 2010 0:30:57 GMT -5
He'd try, certainly, but how could he do it? This was a job for a full-fledged ranger, and Dalin hadn't even spent three years as a ranger's apprentice yet! Ben was the one who was supposed to get Dalin out of danger, the one who was supposed to be his mentor. With Ben disabled, who'd make sure he didn't get killed by some stray bear?
No one. He knew the answer, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He faced the truth: he'd have to stop fooling about. This was no longer a game, but a fight between life and death. This was a fight for survival - not only his, but also that of the entire fief.
A great burden had been dumped on his shoulders, that was for certain. He stared at Ben for a bit, watching as his mentor dozed off once again. Then he turned to Delores. "You two are serious, right?"
He was afraid, and had every right to be.
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Post by Firehead on Nov 12, 2010 11:16:09 GMT -5
"You two are serious, right?""Yes, Dalin, we are serious. Don't worry, we'll be here to help you if you need it. I'm sure you'll do just fine." Delores turned and busied herself with folding some fresh linins and putting them away in a drawer. "You know, I'm sure that deep down inside, Ben is very proud of you, Dalin. And while he probably wasn't the most thrilled man in the world when he learned that you would be his apprentice, he did put his mind to teaching you thoroughly and properly how to be a Ranger." Turning back to him she added, "So don't worry if you happen to run across trouble in the fief--you have a thorough background in Rangering. Things will work out fine, I'm sure." ---------------------------------------------------- Ben awakened sometime later, to find that the room was darker than it had been previously. it was probably night-time. He thought he heard Delores moving around in the next room and, steeling himself against the pain that was sure to come, called, "Tell Dalin that he'll need to write the reports, too." Delores entered the room and checked his temperature, then his injuries, before nodding and saying, "Of course. He's out and about at the moment, but I'll tell him when he returns." (OOC: You want to come up with some trouble for Dalin, now, so that Ben can worry needlessly? )
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