Tracy
•
Triumvirate
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
|
Post by Tracy on Jun 29, 2017 20:04:04 GMT -5
It wasn't as though Ripley was particularly unhappy or unpleasant at Salamandastron, but it wouldn't take someone very long to find what really made her happy. After months stuck at the mountain doing work that was unfulfilling and unrewarding for a creature with her skill-set, being back out on a mission was like breaking a very long fast. On the road she shone, she thrived. She lived.
The mountain had received word from one of their scouts of a shipwreck down south. Bodies were found, exclusively of the vermin variety. When asked if they had any reason to believe there were survivors, the scout had relayed that the bodies had been pilfered, but no one found in the area. This led to the obvious concern that there may now be corsairs dallying about in Mossflower.
The commanding officers couldn't really assign a particular scout rotation to investigate further, because they didn't exactly know where they should be looking. Enter Ripley. The haremaid was only too happy to accept this exciting opportunity. Solemn! Solemn, important, duty. Yes, she understood what she was looking for. Yes, she understood the locations she was required to check on. Yes, of course she would check in with the acting Long Patrol troop on the South Path at the designated time.
No. No she did not understand why an officer would be accompanying her!
She tried being confused about it. She tried being angry about it. She even tried to argue the point politely and logically. When they'd made it clear she would have company or not be assigned at all, she had to let it go.
The confusion and surprise returned anew when Ripley found out her companion would be Cordin. Did he... had he ever even been a scout? Ever? She was initially inclined to argue this assignment, but she stopped herself when she realized how much worse it could be. Cordin might still outrank her, but based on the small amount of time they'd spent together, she assumed that wasn't going to matter. She could probably make this work.
Now they were making their way through a mountain pass south of Salamandastron, following the river inland once they'd reached the inlet. Typically on her trips to Mossflower, Ripley preferred to go north to the River Moss and follow it in, but this trip required them to start on a southern trajectory. The shipwreck that led them on this journey to begin with was south of the inlet, but she'd been given enough information form the other scout not to want to ford a river just to investigate it again.
It was the middle of the day on their second day traveling now, and it was quite hot. Although they were sheltered a lot of the day by the mountains, the sun now sat high in the sky, beating down on them in the summer heat. This was the perfect time to stop and have lunch and maybe a nap until the sun went over a bit. Ripley led them a bit away from the river toward the rocks, finding a cool, shallow little cave for them to take shelter for a bit from the heat.
|
|
|
Django
•
Traveler
Posts: 98
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by Django on Jun 29, 2017 21:59:54 GMT -5
Cordin knew he wasn't welcome on this trip. He'd been privy to the arguments against his coming along. Not that he cared once they were out on the road. Together. Alone. He trotted beside Ripley like a happy dog, all that was missing was a jingle of tags on his neck. His little tail was perked up high, as were his ears. Summer sun was reenergizing him. Not that he particularly needed it, as he was filled with energy most of the time. But he was solar-powered.
And he was going to make the best of it. True, he hadn't been off Mossflower in this direction before. He'd been to the north plenty of times as a kid to see his cousins, but that was family business, not military. Searching for vermin. Fun stuff. He hadn't fought many beasts other than hares in a good while. This mission didn't promise a fight, but who knew what would happen out on the open road? Alone. With Ripley.
As she led them into the cave, Cordin stopped in the shade, taking deep breaths of the cooler inside air. Ripley's what fur seemed to glow against the backdrop of the cave mouth, still reflecting the natural light from outside. What a beauty. He smiled to himself as he took off his rucksack and unbuttoned his uniform shirt. No senior officers to egg him about "looking official" on a mission when he was too far away for them to see him. He tied the sleeves around his waist.
"Ready for some vittles?" he asked, sitting on the stone floor and opening his pack. "Should eat light, I s'pose. No cooks on this trip, eh?" Wow. That was pathetic. Thanks, Corporal Obvious. He cleared his throat. "Er, anyway. I'm honored to be here with you, Rip. I mean, er, be on this mission. With you. Not like--" Stop talking. "Good experience, wot?" He stuffed an apple into his mouth.
|
|
|
Tracy
•
Triumvirate
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
|
Post by Tracy on Jun 30, 2017 18:24:10 GMT -5
Ripley undid the scabbard from her belt, sliding her rapier off and setting it down next to her as she dropped to a seat. She rummaged through her own supplies and pulled out an oat farl and some dried fruit. Settling back against the rock wall, she stretched her legs out in front of her, crossing them at the ankle. "No worries here, we won't go hungry in Mossflower," she said with a smile, taking a bite of the farl. Between her knowledge of where to find food to prepare and acquaintances in Mossflower willing to feed her, the haremaid often traveled with bare minimum food.
Her gaze flickered up as Cordin dressed down. "Don't feel bothered to layer up in uniform on my account," she said seriously. She herself was not dressed to be recognizable as a Long Patroller. The fact that she was an armed hare was likely enough of a hint. Other than that, the only part of her attire that linked her as a member of the regiment was the silver buckle of a running hare she always wore on her hip.
As Cordin did his level best to express his gratitude for being along the mission with her, Ripley did him the favor of ignoring the lack of eloquence as he sputtered it out. "Mmm," she answered noncommittally. "You're keeping up better than I thought you would, so we're off to a good start."
As she finished off the oat farl and started on a handful of dried fruit, she grabbed her pack and slid it behind her back. She slid herself down to a bit of a lounging position against it, resting while the waited out the hottest part of the day. "Do you have any family at Salamandastron?" she asked. Ripley was particularly good with familial ties at the mountain and she felt sure his parents had been Long Patrollers, but she couldn't place them and assumed they must have left. "Or are they all from the north and you just came down?" she added, in case her assumption was wrong. Cordin just didn't seem like a Northern hare, or even someone raised by Northern hares.
|
|
|
Django
•
Traveler
Posts: 98
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by Django on Jun 30, 2017 18:47:57 GMT -5
"Do you have any family at Salamandastron? Or are they all from the north and you just came down?"
Cordin nodded, finishing the bite of his apple. Ripley liked to know family trees. Her knack for remembering names frightened him sometimes. When he was teaching the cadets, he was lucky if he remembered how many were in the class.
"Mum 'n Dad both fightin' hares," he replied, patting the hilt of his halberd, which lay next to him. "Dad's Major G. M. H. Dorchester, called himself 'the Magnificent Montague,' handed this halberd down to me. Sergeant V. F. L. Dorchester was mum. Both retired, spend most o' their time travelin'." Due to the sheer amount of family names in his, well, family, Cordin often used initials. He was pretty sure Rip knew them by their rank and end surname, anyway.
"Mum's from the north, but they raised me here," he went on. "In the mountain, I mean. Don't have Mum's bloody accent, you know. It's really only me cousins who stay up north. I visited, but home's where the heart is, an' all that. Me heart's at the mountain." He finished off his apple, storing the core to bury it later. Didn't want to leave a trail of food waste.
He looked out the opening of the cave at a fantastically blue sky meeting the distant horizon. What a good season for travel. Winter came with storms and dreadful cold, even near the coast, spring blew pollen into your nose, and autumn was just a warmup (coldup?) for winter. Summer was hot, sure, but it didn't impede you from moving.
"What about you?" he asked after a moment. "What great Contarelle lineage do you hail from? Parents in the force?"
|
|
|
Tracy
•
Triumvirate
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
|
Post by Tracy on Jul 1, 2017 18:09:54 GMT -5
Ripley slid a sideways glance at Cordin with a lifted eyebrow. "Well, Brigadier Shaften Contarelle... would be my father. Mum's not a soldier. My brother Nathan is a sergeant. I don't even know how far back my family goes back at Salamandastron, but my father's convinced it's about as far back as the Long Patrol itself. All of my grandparents were in the Long Patrol as well."
She watched Cordin for a few moments, wordlessly. It wasn't as though she wasn't social enough, but she definitely spent more time alone than not. Particularly when out on a mission, she was almost always alone, at least until she rustled up company in Mossflower Wood. Being around groups at Salamandastron made it easy enough to join conversations, or at least easy to blend in and just listen and observe without anyone realizing she wasn't contributing much. Ripley hadn't quite figured out how to handle this much one-on-one time with someone else. It was clear that the was not a problem Cordin had, but she still felt somehow responsible for keeping him... what? Entertained?
"I've never been to the Northern mountains," she finally said, volunteering some unasked-for information, something she didn't do too often. Ripley was not necessarily secretive, she just preferred knowing more about others than they knew about her, so she played it a bit close to the vest.
Ripley considered herself well-traveled. Most beasts considered her well-traveled. She'd been more places than most Long Patrollers, but it was still mostly Mossflower Wood. It surprised her that Cordin had made multiple trips to the north; it was not an especially easy journey. "When was the last time you went?" she asked, her way of again of trying to get some information. It was unusual for her to talk of a place when she wasn't the one describing it.
|
|
|
Django
•
Traveler
Posts: 98
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by Django on Jul 1, 2017 20:00:09 GMT -5
Ripley' dad was a brigadier. Huh. That suddenly explained a lot. Her family was old Long Patrol, too. He wondered how much say she had in matters of the mountain. Apparently, not much, considering she hadn't gotten her way entirely on this mission. That was food for thought. Though, he'd probably forget it later. Ripley was always going to be intimidating to him, and this new information wouldn't really change his opinion, just reinforce it.
"I've never been to the Northern mountains... When was the last time you went?"
"Oh, Lord, let me think," Cordin was immediately attentive to new conversation. "Years ago, now, eh? Possibly ten? I weren't even a cadet yet, I don't think." He drew a paw across his chin. "How bloody old am I?" He waved dismissively. "Doesn't matter. Been a long time. Unforgettable place, though."
He gestured as he spoke, "Fog year-round, grass like the land is tryin' to choke the life from it, rocks like the backs o' whales on the sea, and cliffs you'd be tempted to throw yeself from just to feel the sea wind in your face." He chuckled, "That's, er, mostly Mum's words. But she isn't wrong, y'know. Everything's so..." he waved around for a word, "old, but you can feel it when ya walk on it. When ya touch it. Bloody miss the place."
He sighed, stretched his arms over his ears, showing off his oh-so-toned biceps, and then folded his paws behind his head. Nice memories. It was interesting that Ripley hadn't been that far north before. She'd been so many other places. He glanced over at her indigo eyes. Boy, could he get lost in those. They looked to inquisitive and intelligent. And intimidating. He focused on the sky outside again.
|
|
|
Tracy
•
Triumvirate
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
|
Post by Tracy on Jul 2, 2017 15:31:20 GMT -5
Cordin's description of the North was more... poetic than Ripley had expected from him, and she gave him a look of surprise as he spoke. Well, she supposed she ought to find a way to get to the Northern Mountains sometime soon, even if it was just to add it to her repertoire. She went quiet as she thought about it for a few minutes, finishing off the bit of dried fruit.
Readjusting herself a bit against the pack, she closed her eyes. "We'll let the sun go over just a bit and head back out soon," she finally said to him, getting comfortable for a short nap in the heavy air of the cave.
~~~
They were again protected a bit from the sun by the surrounding mountains as they made their way along through the pass in the late afternoon. The ground was damp, the air cooled a bit by a brief, light shower that had passed through during their stop for lunch.
"Depending on how late we travel, we might get out of the pass tonight," Ripley said, as if she was working it out and talking to herself, but speaking loud enough to include her partner in her spoken thoughts. The haremaid was currently amusing herself by hopping from stone to stone along the edge of the river. It was fun for her, but she also took the opportunity to look for any edible vegetation growing beneath the rocks, and also keeping her eye on parts in the river where it would be easy to ford. She'd already made a couple trips across, just to check the other side of the river for evidence of other recent travelers. Once they were out of the pass, the river would be too wide through Mossflower to easily cross. No natural bridges of rocks or trees that far inland.
"It would be rather late, but there's a small otter holt that lives just outside the pass, and it would probably be worth it to spend the night with them." They would also be near a rather large bat colony that was pretty indiscriminate with friend and foes, but their mountain lair was on a little distance south of the river from where they would be, and she didn't expect them to be an issue. Especially if the two hares kept company with the local otters.
|
|
|
Django
•
Traveler
Posts: 98
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by Django on Jul 3, 2017 19:49:05 GMT -5
Cordin watched Ripley amuse herself, and by extension him, by hopping over the stones. No great feat of agility, but he dared not try it himself unless absolutely necessary. His uniform shirt was still tied around his waist. The heat and Ripley's earlier comment had made the decision for him. Undershirt for the rest of the day.
He wiped sweat off his brow with the hem of his shirt, making sure Ripley saw the rest of his really cool scar on his torso. He knew she'd just roll her eyes or ignore it, but what was he supposed to do around a cute girl? His mates all made displays of themselves around pretty haremaids, so he was experimenting to see if it would work even a little bit on Ripley. He wasn't sure what he'd ever get out of it, but in a way it made him feel like he wasn't just uselessly staring at her bum whenever she was in front of him. Which was often, her being the faster one and the better traveler.
"It would be rather late, but there's a small otter holt that lives just outside the pass, and it would probably be worth it to spend the night with them."
"Righto!" Cordin said, wiping a sweaty paw on his shirt. The summer was already relentless. But he loved to sweat. Made him feel alive. He envied Ripley's white fur, took in less heat than his. The top of his head was burning. He moved to the river's edge and knelt down, splashing his face and ears to keep cool. He shook his head of loose water droplets, and stood back up. That wasn't meant to get Ripley's attention. He was just warm. But if it did get her attention, then, bonus!
"Y'know I've only met one otter in me whole life," he mused. "Rugged ol' chap lived near my cousins, never spoke much, but he was 'salty sea dog' incarnate, wot? It's the sea otters have the white faces, innit? He only had one eye," here Cordin covered his left eye and made his right one really wide, "an' claimed he lost it to a shark. I was only a kit, so o' course I bloody believed him, and then I met a real life shark, and I really believed him." He chuckled at his own joke.
|
|
|
Tracy
•
Triumvirate
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
|
Post by Tracy on Jul 3, 2017 21:27:23 GMT -5
Ripley didn't miss Cordin's little performance with his shirt. She didn't spend too much of her time with her eyes on him, always seeming to be in scout-mode and dividing her attention. It didn't seem to be a coincidence that he picked a moment she looked over at him to show off his bare torso along with his scars. Pausing on one of the stones, she opened her mouth, about to make a teasing comment, but stopped herself.
Ripley was accustomed to flirtatious attention, but she didn't know Cordin well enough to know how he'd react if she actively responded to it. It was a bit too early in this little trip of theirs to test him, not wanting to make the rest of their journey through Mossflower awkward. So she uncharacteristically checked herself until further notice.
Instead, she hopped down from the riverside stone to walk with the other hare for a bit. She kept walking on when he paused to splash water on himself, only slowing her pace a little so he could catch her back up. As he spoke about the otter he'd met, she looked over her shoulder back at him, eyebrow lifted incredulously. "How could you possibly have met only one otter?" she asked in disbelief. Otters were probably her favorite creatures to encounter in Mossflower and were part of the reason she followed rivers on her inland trips. Aside from the obvious need for a source of fresh water in this heat, it was also useful in trying to run into Guosim shrews.
When he went on to mention his encounter with a shark, so quickly after flashing her the scars from said shark, she finally gave him a wry smile. Fine. "How long ago was that anyhow?" she asked. She knew what happened, but not how long ago. "It seems like a wound like that would take somebeast out o' commission for awhile." Ripley even gave him a suggestive up-down glance, her way of letting him know she'd seen his earlier display.
|
|
|
Django
•
Traveler
Posts: 98
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by Django on Jul 4, 2017 19:49:02 GMT -5
Cordin had to admit, he'd led a very sheltered life. Between training, visiting the North, and teaching, lands beyond the mountain were, well, pretty beyond his reach. He hadn't chosen to stay. It was just how the cards had fallen. He was out now, and he was evidently going to meet more beasts, so it really didn't faze him much.
It seemed Ripley had finally noticed his displays. He could feel the slight annoyance emanating from her as she said, "How long ago was that anyhow? It seems like a wound like that would take somebeast out o' commission for awhile."
Cordin nodded, his gaze falling to the ground. "Got bloody cabin fever in the infirmary, eh? Think I were no more'n 20 when it happened. Didn't get out of the infirmary for a year or more." He waved a paw in dismissal. "Oh, I did some things, but they didn't let me back into training proper for what felt like flippin' decades. Luckily, it was just a 'tasting bite,' is what they told me. Not a 'true bite.' Apparently I wasn't good enough for a meal, wot?"
He stopped at the water's edge again, splashing himself once more. Of course, the real pain had been losing Silas. Shark bites were nothing compared to that. As he straightened, he fiddled with his ever-present pendant, flashing Ripley a smile.
"Can't keep a fightin' hare down, though, can ye?" he laughed. "Not even the beasts o' the sea can get rid o' me!" He shook himself of water and asked, "Any nasty scars on you, mate? I wouldn't be surprised either way, y'know. Ye can handle yourself in a fight right well, eh?"
|
|
|
Tracy
•
Triumvirate
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
|
Post by Tracy on Jul 4, 2017 22:29:36 GMT -5
"Any nasty scars on you, mate? I wouldn't be surprised either way, y'know. Ye can handle yourself in a fight right well, eh?"
"Um. Well," Ripley started slowly, not sure how to answer that. "No, no noticeable scars." As far as the second part of his question, that was a little more difficult to answer. She was definitely skilled with her rapier, and she didn't have much problem with proving that among her peers and in training sessions at the mountain. It was a skill she nurtured and Ripley was the type of creature that was good at whatever it is that she wanted to be good at. She was a focused, hard worker.
"I've really only traveled alone and I avoid fights since there's no back-up. I don't exactly have a death wish," she answered honestly. "Fortunately, I haven't found myself in a situation where I needed to fight for my life." Ripley had noticed many Long Patrollers seemed to define themselves by some great fight or battle they survived. There was nothing wrong with that, but it didn't bother the scout that that wasn't the case for her.
"I had a few run-ins with vermin when I was younger before I learned to fight, but even then I could at least run." She looked at Cordin with an impish grin. "If we run into trouble, I guess you better just hope I'm as good as I think I am."
~~~ It was getting rather late now, and they would have to call it a night soon one way or the other. A bright, waxing moon high over the pass had bought them a couple extra hours of travel, but they would be losing the moon behind the mountains soon. Just as she figured they would have to give up on trying to reach the otters before they stopped for the night, she could make out a point of flickering light ahead of them. It was recognizable as a fire the closer they got, and slowly the sound of voices started floating down to them.
"Oh good, we made it. That should be them right up-" Ripley stopped talking and walking abruptly. Her black-tipped ears swiveled a bit, and she turned toward the river, evidently hearing something. After a pause, she walked tentatively closer to the water. "Do you hear so-EEE!"
Ripley didn't have time to react as a large creature jumped out of the night-darkened water and grabbed her up. "Hah!" the beast, a burly male otter boomed in triumph. "Caught a sneaky li'l hare!"
"Cordin!" Ripley shouted quickly, "Don't try to hurt him! It's just a thick-skulled son of a holt leader that thinks he can sneak up on soldiers in the middle of the night." The haremaid said this last part to the otter that still had Ripley in his arms, having scooped her up like she was a leveret. She tried to sound disapproving, but her look of amusement utterly belied her tone.
The large otter seemed to only just notice Cordin now, and he offered the other a big, friendly wink. "Don't just think it - 'parently I can! Never seen Rip bring a bodyguard 'round b'fore," he said jokingly before looking back at the haremaid who was only looking at him silently with raised eyebrows.
There were several beats of silence before Ripley finally cleared her throat. "Joggo, put me down. Thank you."
|
|
|
Django
•
Traveler
Posts: 98
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by Django on Jul 4, 2017 22:53:54 GMT -5
"Oh good, we made it. That should be them right up-"
Cordin stopped an instant after Ripley did. He pricked his ears, reaching for his weapon. Quietly, he slipped his halberd off his back, silently getting into a fighting stance.
"Do you hear so-EEE!"
"Rip!" Cordin raised his halberd for an attack, unable to see much from the splash.
"Hah! Caught a sneaky li'l hare!"
Didn't sound like a vermin, but he wasn't taking any chances. "Unhand my--!"
"Cordin! Don't try to hurt him!"
The male hare didn't lower his weapon just yet, his eyes adjusting to the sight before him. A burly otter held Ripley aloft as though she was just a babe. Despite himself, Cordin began to laugh.
"It's just a thick-skulled son of a holt leader that thinks he can sneak up on soldiers in the middle of the night."
Returning his halberd to his back, Cordin laughed in earnest, "Oh, is that who it bloomin' well is, eh?"
"Don't just think it - 'parently I can! Never seen Rip bring a bodyguard 'round b'fore."
Cordin gave a leggy bow, "Cordin Dorchester. Never seen anybeast sneak up on ol' Rip before. Kudos, wot?"
"Joggo, put me down. Thank you."
"Aye, thanks for the welcome there," he was still chuckling. "Just glad it bloody weren't me that time." He shook off what residual splash had landed on him, surprised at how much splashing he'd experienced today. "You greet all your guests like that, mate?"
Joggo laughed heartily as he set Ripley on her own two feet and led them to the holt. Cordin had never seen so many creatures unlike him in one place. He immediately liked the otters. Their energy was brighter than their crackling fire, and it seemed like the never stopped smiling.
"I really ought to get out more," he muttered to Ripley.
|
|
|
Tracy
•
Triumvirate
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
|
Post by Tracy on Jul 5, 2017 18:38:30 GMT -5
At least a handful of the otters in the holt of a little under two dozen recognized Ripley on sight, and a few others still at least knew her by name. Joggo, the adult son of the chieftain, immediately set about getting bowls of food from a large pot suspended over the fire. While he got the hares food, the scout went about saying hello to many of the otters, fielding questions about her long absence, and taking questions about her traveling companion as opportunities to introduce Cordin to them.
Finally, she joined a group of them near the fire, needing now to dry off as Joggo had effectively soaked her through in his sneak-attack. It was difficult to make out in the darkness, but the otters' home was in a lovely glade just outside the mountain pass. The holt made its home in a level change in the terrain where the river dropped into the pass, and it was easy to hear the bubbling and rushing of the river as it fell down slowly sloping falls.
"I really ought to get out more."
The haremaid smiled at that, but responded without looking at him, her attention divided by the excited otters. "I'm hoping by the end of this trip, you'll understand why I can't be bothered to stay in one spot overlong."
Ripley turned to a young female otter who seemed to be the haremaid's junior by a couple years. "Don't see Udras, is he about?" the scout asked the ottermaid who'd taken a seat next to her.
The otter shook her head. "He an' a few o' the others went t'Redwall for their summer festival," she informed Ripley, of the chieftain.
Nodding her understanding, Ripley turned to accept a bowl that was being handed to her by Joggo. "Thank you, as always!" she said brightly. Without bidding, the young otter next to Ripley handed her a small canteen with a wink. Ripley smiled a little and accepted the canteen, tipping a small amount of the liquid into her bowl of soup and returning it to its owner.
As she went to take a sip from her bowl, she slid a sideways glance at Cordin. Ripley had a sneaking suspicion that her companion was unfamiliar with otter's hotroot soup, and she had absolutely no intention of warning him about what he was about to consume. Her own bowl had just been tempered with a concoction of honeyed lemon vinegar.
|
|
|
Django
•
Traveler
Posts: 98
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by Django on Jul 5, 2017 23:15:27 GMT -5
Cordin made fast friends with the energy-filled otters. He liked Joggo a lot, and almost felt like he was back among his mates in the mountain with all the joking and tussling going on. He got into a bit of a wrestle with one extra burly brute, smiling like he'd won the championship the whole time.
Another otter broke up the play fight with the promise of food. Cordin was delighted to eat. He hadn't had anything since he and Ripley had stopped for a quick break before sundown. He'd also never had otter cuisine before, so he was intrigued at the fragrant bowl that was given him.
"Say, mate, wot's in this, anyhow?" he asked one of his new friends. The otter, a friend of Ripley's, noticed the haremaid pouring the honeyed lemon into her bowl, but didn't mention it.
Giggling, the otter simply said, "Try it, you'll love it!" and took a big, head-thrown-back gulp of his soup.
So Cordin did the same with his bowl.
Eventually, he did come to love it.
The spice caught him in the roof of his mouth, the back of his throat, and somehow also all along his ears, which flushed a mighty shade of red. His panic response was to swallow, and then the spice made a field day of his esophagus.
"Bloody--!" was all he could say, as the otters around him guffawed. He panted, tongue lolling. He looked over at Ripley, expecting to see her in a similar state, but alas, she was not. Of course she wasn't. She was a traveler. She had known what was in her bowl. She probably requested no spice, or something. Cordin grabbed his water canteen and drank, almost emptying it. With grunts of disdain, he playfully punched the otters around him.
"Oy, give a poor lad some warnin' next time, eh?" he huffed.
"Haha, sorry, mate," said the otter next to him. "Want somethin' t' cool ye down?"
"No, no, that's quite all right," Cordin sniffed, eyes watering. "I'll just try a-bloody-gain!" He caught Ripley's eye, picked up his bowl, and took another big swig, keeping eye contact the entire time. This time, he was expecting it. That didn't necessarily make it hurt less, but he at least felt a bit of retribution was had by voluntarily eating it now.
|
|
|
Tracy
•
Triumvirate
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
|
Post by Tracy on Jul 6, 2017 19:59:09 GMT -5
Ripley's eyes went wide as Cordin decided to throw the soup back without even testing it and she almost spit out her own food at his reaction. She burst out laughing, using the heel of a hand to wipe away tears that were partially from her own spicy soup and partially at Cordin's plight. Laughing along with her otter friends, she shook her head and just managed to gasp out a "Sorry!" that didn't sound especially remorseful.
"Oy, give a poor lad some warnin' next time, eh?"
When she stopped giggling, she finally shook her head. "Not a chance," she grinned. "Trust when I say I've had the same thing done to me. I just wasn't... do you want to say bold? Bold enough to inhale a good I wasn't familiar with." She took a small sip from her own bowl of tempered-but-still-spicy soup, lifting her eyebrows at Cordin over the rim. When she lowered the bowl, she looked like she was still having trouble not laughing.
The young otter that had given Ripley the honey lemon concoction leaned back to look at Cordin from behind the haremaid, watching him as he went in for a second try at the hotroop soup. She held aloft the canteen and wiggled it a bit in the air, "I can make it a mite easier on you if ya like."
~~~
After some time socializing, many of the holt retired for the night, as it had already been rather late when the two hares arrived in their glade. Some of them only went to bed after making Ripley promise they would still be there to join them for breakfast; apparently the scout was known to disappear at sunrise during visits.
The haremaid now sat a bit away from the fire that was being allowed to die down in the warm summer night, the smoke helping to keep away the riverside bugs. Her fur was slightly damp again as after dinner she'd cleaned up a bit in the rocky area of the river nearby, taking the opportunity to change and rinse her tunic, now dressed in her alternate gray-blue tunic while the green one was hung up to dry.
She sat with Cordin and Joggo, knees drawn up so she could rest her head on them, evidently fighting off sleep herself. Before resting for the night, she wanted to get the business part of their visit out of the way. Explaining why the two were on this mission, she described the shipwreck on the western shore.
Joggo listened attentively, not seeming ready to retire for the night anytime soon. He scratched his chin and neck, frowning in thought. "Haven't seen anythin' suspicious lately I don't think," he said slowly. "If ye'll be followin' the river though, I can get a message to ye quick enough if that changes."
|
|
|