I draw myself up straight, hadn't known I'd slouched till now. "Rainey, don't panic." It's good to see everybody here, I do a quick count - looks like it's everybody, excepting Tin-Girl and Zeus. And August. But I knew that. I don't like seeing…
"Over here! I'm okay but Sounder's hurt bad!" I call out to them. "Stick together, and don't put your back to a tree!" Will they even find us? But Bon and Cujo found us. But they haven't found us yet, and we didn't go that far. "Go back to th…
I'm about to haul Sounder and Chance up and run when I see it's Bon and Cujo coming through the woods at me and not more slimy flood-forsaken vine men. Chance gets a quick arm up while I feel my relief.
I help Bon carry Sounder wherever, even if I…
Well, I would kill a person coming at me like this, makes no difference if they feel it or think about it. The way the vines are part of their body, that's something to be scared of because I don't know what to expect.
I have a couple thoughts, li…
Yeah, no, no touching, that seems real moist. I jump back, swinging my arms back and out of the way. Gross. What are these guys?
Wish I could be confident these were the only ones, then I'd just line em up like the dumb muckers they are and shoo…
I'm not turned around? I dunno, but if I'm confused..I point out the shamblers to Chance. I whisper, "Vine men?" I'm not skittered but maybe noise is bringing them to us. Or I'm seeing things. You know, either way it's good to be sure.
I tight…
"Looks like we got turned around?" I look at the tree I rounded to get to this spot. I chopped up a bunch of green to get here, kicked up a whole fuss. It should be there.
When Sounder's feeling up to it I help her to her feet. We got her whist…
I stay close to them and low, eyes open. "Blades out, it's vines in the trees!"
::Away from trees, back.::
I kind of want to chase this trouble, but Chance and Sounder need me here.
Most fun I had in the pit, actually, was rope fights. You and …
I jump up with a grunt and reach for a branch to brace myself up there with my free hand. With the other and my blade I make a swing for the vines above Sounder.
I'd grab her but that's much more like to hurt her. If I don't have the height to ma…
I think of the corpse in the vines. "Chance, shush! Get down!"
Aw, flood. Flood, flood and blood. I don't waste time getting to where Sounder was, and I draw my machete.
Probably whatever's got her is above, close on that tree or doing a dra…
I don't stay where my footing is bad. Not a place to stand or fight.
My eyes follow Sounder while she grabs attention with noise. I hunker down and try to guess where whatever I saw might have hid next. How big they might be. How they hunt.
I put my heavy jacket back on, it's cold at first and then a little warm. ::We got a creeper, Arrows.::
I move towards the sound, steadily, trying to bring up in my mind where everybody is. Could just be Tin-Girl or Zeus splashing with us. But m…
I spit out the water that got in my mouth in a stream and laugh with Ace. I wipe my hair out of my face and tip up my bucket onto her.
There's not much in it, so it's empty real quick and instead of more splashes I haul Ace over a soggy shoulder…
"I'm not gonna force her to stay, but we do need to talk to her. See where her head is at, why she ain't here." I look the way Cujo and Bon went, too. I sigh. "I don't want to lose her, but telling people they can never leave, that's rotten man-…
I nod to Bon. ::I let her try and fight it out, didn't work. Yell if you need me.::
"They're working things out." I smile and pat Rainey's shoulder. "Not the first time Cujo and me got tangled up, right? I'm gonna stay here, you guys fill up."…
Why not send me a runner about it first, Cujo, 'bout how you like tackles? I move my feet a little further apart.
::This is not pointing forward.:: This isn't how I was taught to be an Arrow.
I sink my machete deep into a tree at my side. I need my hands free, but I don't fill the air with sign-chatter. I see 'stupid' and probably 'murder' and 'bloody'.
I flick a piece of wood at the back of Cujo's head. A light one, goes 'tonk'. Cu…
Hey now, I've heard running water before, swum in a stream with August, even. Seen big lakes and the bloody sea. Seen big floods and little pissant rains. My head clears and it's point-time.
"Don't touch nothin'." I tell anyone moving into the …
I don't know if I made things better for Bon or not. As she's comparing us I wonder if I've made her mad, or madder, I don't know. Bon can be wrapped up so tight. I let out an embarrassed, lost sort of laugh. Her words, they make sense, but I ha…
"It ain't fair. I know it." I push a branch up out of our way as we go, letting Bon pass under my arm. "Hearts ain't fair. But she'll be owed some riding lessons when we get back and your people are healthy."
I check behind us again like I've b…
I nod to Bon as she leads eyes to the forest with a hand. There's a pull to relax here, there really is. I take another deep breath of green-scent.
Glad Bon hasn't kicked up a fuss about the big ride, even if she felt kinda stiff most of the way.…
Rainey's doing okay this morning, so she's here. I been keeping an eye on her.
Cujo is here because talking her out of a ride was too damn hard, but she's been finding more fun at Swill's than I like. Something's gotta give there.
We're pretty s…
I believe August will be coming back. It's not like we've lost track of Joey or Mox or Shy. I don't like how we haven't gotten a sign of her, but it's better than some things, and I know it. I will be happy to see her again, I hope it's soon.
Ad…