Featuring Baeric and the lovely Scathach
Early Spring, 765 NA
Widows Hollow, Blackwood
Scathach:
The snow had melted, sparse greens peeking from cracks and round boulder edges, grasses and mosses and berry bushes springing back to life. Little birds and insects fluttering and crawling from their homes, all things beneath the canopy of the mother’s would praising the return of warmth.Scathach herself would be singing those praises if not for the impossible task she’d set for herself; locating more King’s Beard. Kolt had been surprised when she arrived with the rare moss, praising her for her keen sight, he’d ended up fighting her tooth and hoof not to throw it into the first potion mixture she thought of. Some days she felt sorry for the poor stag, having to put up with her ideas and whims. Some days. Most of the time their days spent on her lessons were filled with bickering and dark sideways glances. The occasional swear floating on the air from Kolt’s training hollow was not uncommon to hear, usually in the timbre of her very own voice.
Thinking back on where she’d found the elusive plant, her thoughts then slid to Baeric, she hadn’t seen him in awhile. And even though their meeting was short, she sort of missed him, and his sweet shyness. Well if luck was on her side perhaps she’d run into him today, since she had little more to go on than that he lived aways away from the herd. Getting lost tracking someone down was not her idea of fun, she’d done it enough times before to let them finding her first, be the safest method of meeting. Though for him she was tempted to look rather than wait. The sooty pearl doe snorted at herself and continued forward, she hadn’t gotten lost in years, and she would not get herself lost just to find one stag. No matter how cute his stuttering was.
Baeric:
The winter seemed to have crawled by for the older stag. He had resigned himself to his hollow most days, the cold and the wind not exactly something he cared to face if he had a choice. Most days he slept in, hating the long, deary days full of ice and howling winds that drifted down from the great ridge. He dreamt of summer, longing for the warmer days and shorter nights.
His great antlers soon grew dry and shed, the stag grateful for their loss as it signalled the approach of spring. However the only thing he did dread as the days grew ever warmer was the shedding. His long winter coat began to fall out in clumps, the stag spending close to an hour a day along rubbing on anything with a coarse enough texture to help pull out the loose hairs. He looked a mess and, for once, hoped the doe Scathach would not find him. He thought of her often and, on a few occasions, dreamt of those emerald green eyes. They had been the same color as the new born grass that fought its way up through the still frosty earth to breathe in the spring sun.
That particular day he found himself on a familiar path. He was headed back to the hollow, not having been there since that fateful meeting in the harshness of winter. He had traveled back several times after that day, hoping to meet the sweet doe again but each time failing to do so.
He knew it was...beyond foolish to hope so much. To see someone he had shared just a few moments with but...he did.
He questioned his frail mind, questioned the dreams. Had her eyes really been so green?
Scath:
Her thoughts were so intent on not looking for him, that she walked right into something, a tree. ‘Yoooou’ she hissed at the thick trunk, ears pinned back at the sharp stinging across her nose. “How dare you leap in my way when I’m not looking!” She growled as tears welled up from the slight of the tree daring to be in her way, so rose the frustration she felt, she just wanted to scream. At least until she realized the loud noise in her ears was in fact her own voice. How silly she must look, screaming at a tree for her own clumsiness. It didn’t stop her from kicking and cursing at it
Satisfied with her rant, Scathach turned around to find a stag staring at her. An embarrassed warmth shimmied across her skin realizing they’d probably just seen her acting like a fool. “I… uhh.” Round green eyes shifted from the scored tree to the stag. “Ehehe… I ah... ran into it.” She swore her skin was boiling. The tusked doe couldn’t help cursing her luck, she had always been careful not to let anyone see her fits of temper, always wanting to appear level headed. Always wanting to be the sweet and sometimes clumsy creature she usually was. Only five such individuals knew of her wrath, knew of her sometimes violent impulses when incensed. It didn’t matter who was in her path when angry. She coughed and started to sidle away, avoiding eye contact as she did so.
Only when she was almost free of the stag’s gaze did she recognize the scent wafting from him. Baeric? Bright green eyes widened and turned towards the stag, was it really him? Was it really the stag she’d been thinking of not moments before? And he’d just seen “That” side of her. Oh how she hoped she hadn’t just scared him away.
Bae:
The first thing he had heard was a ‘thunk’ a soft, easily missed noise had he not been listening to hard. He halted to a stop, snorting softly as he looked around before he heard a voice ring out a soft hiss. They sounded mad and, despite his better instincts he moved to see…
He caught the tail end of the does little fit but it barely registered. He knew those tusks anywhere! It was Scath! It really was her. As she continued her assault on the tree he stopped, waiting for her to get it out of her system before the smallest, amused chuckle slipped his lips. His expression softened considerably more when she recognized him.
He had feared for a moment she had forgotten...after all he was pretty forgettable. He had won her an herb that MIGHT have been King’s Beard but surely she had hordes of stags bringing her much better gifts on a regular basis.
“Well you taught it a fine lesson I’d say.” He mused softly, eyes wandering around to see the bark peeling away from the trunk. It was a fine reminder that no matter how beautiful she was, she could still land a solid blow. He wasn’t a stranger to such outbursts, knowing them rather intimately himself.
“Besides your small scuffle with that pine there...how have you been Scath?” He couldn’t help but ask, taking a few strides forward so they could talk more easily. It was hard for him to not...appear so eager to speak. To see her and be with her again but he was.
The winter had be long and empty for him.
Scath:
She smiled sheepishly, nose wrinkling as she peered at the damaged tree once more. He had laughed. A genuine laugh, a genuine smile. Rather than be dismayed, he was amused by her. Dark tipped ears flicked forward, noting the excited tone in his voice. “A lesson I’m sure its family will take revenge for later.” Giggled the doe. She might as well laugh about it, there was no harm in that was there. “Trying to learn my potions, trying not to poison anyone. Wonderful I could say!” She squeaked slightly, cutting off her voice before she could say what had crossed her mind, that she felt wonderful that he was here. She could never say something like that aloud, well, she had once but never again after that.
The wolf sooty arched her neck, watching him creep closer, he looked as happy as she felt right now. “How have you been? Since winter, I mean.” Again she squashed the words threatening to tumble out, the ones that would let him know she got a bit worried, not seeing him after that day. That maybe she thought that had been his last day, that she’d asked a friendly necromancer to check the spirit world for her. She felt herself flush again, her traitorous heart picking up speed just a bit, Scathach couldn’t tell him that. Would not tell him that, they didn’t know each other well enough, even though she was certain he was a fine stag. A fine servant of the Mother, nope, not now, not yet. Not before she had a chance to be friends with him.
Ears wiggled in thought, what should they talk about? She could throw ideas out, but that hadn’t worked too well last time, she should just pick a topic to discuss. That would work! But what… She didn’t want to bring up magic again, he’d fairly fled around that last time. Maybe it was just their magic he didn’t want to talk about, perhaps he’d be more open to magic from another herd? She blinked realizing he’d said something during her internal monologue with herself. Oh dear… She hadn’t heard a word, what if it’d been something important?! Her mouth opened silently, “Umm… What?” Scathach squeezed her eyes shut, head tipping to the side, ears splayed outward. She really needed to listen better, her mind just tracked off too quickly at times.
Bae:
Bae had never been one to appreciate chatter. It usually just ended up sounding like noise to him which in turn made him anxious. However when Scath started to spout on about her adventures and joke about the tree’s he was left chuckling. He even held a more genuine smile on his face as his eyes stayed on her. Her words didn’t sound like white noise either, rather he felt himself hanging on the words.
She seemed to have missed his own question and as her head lowered in embarrassment he just smiled again.
“Allow me to answer your question first.” He assured gently. “Winter was...plain. Just like any other. Cold and boring.” He hummed, giving a small shrug. “Haven’t seen any King’s beard since then though.” He offered in tease, tilting his head some as he watched her and listened, his “good side” turned towards her a bit more as not to miss anything.
“But I had asked how your own winter had fared actually.” He smiled lightly, finally stopping around 2 steps in front of her. “You seem well...full of strength.” He chuckled, giving another small glance towards the decimated tree.
Scath:
“That’s good! Not the cold and boring part I guess… But peaceful, maybe? Unless peaceful isn’t something you’re into that is. Oh, I haven’t seen any either. Kolt actually looked surprised that I found it. Guess he doesn’t put much stock in my perceptiveness.” She didn’t seem to miss a beat, switching gears to the topic of King’s Beard, and babbling right on into talking about Kolt, all without missing a beat. If the poor stag wasn’t confused yet, he soon would be. “He asked me if it fell on my head or something equally silly, of course I said I found it on the tree. And asked how it’d get down when frozen anyway, to which he said something about steam from my ears. Which I informed him wasn’t possible except for maybe Silverthornes, though I’d have to test that theory, but who’d want me staring at their ears for hours, right? They didn’t seem to like my pestering anyway, something silly like steam from their ears would definitely not go over well.”
Scath paused suddenly, he’d asked how her winter had been, not what she’d been up to all this time. “Oh, ah. Sorry, I do that.” Babbling again, she really needed to stop doing that, not everyone wanted to listen to her chatter senselessly about wherever her train of thought happened to go. Ok, winter, her winter was good. Put it into words Scath, not that hard. “Not much… Visiting family, friends. Prepping for spring, making sure everything’s out of reach for Kiaran. Modifying traps for water ra-er.” She nearly said it out loud, no one could really know. Setting traps for the elusive Oakferns meant she planned to catch one alive, what use did a Blackwood have with a water rat aside getting rid of it? None at all. An Oakfern sighted was hunted, a good Oakfern was a dead Oakfern. Not something to be caught and tested, not that she couldn’t handle one, her magic would help that. Realizing she’d gone silent, Scath quickly stammered. “Usual stuff you know.” Be careful Scath, remember how upset Eris was about your plan, no should know but you.
Bae:
She really was one full of words it seemed, Baeric perking his ears to listen as he did his best to try and keep the chuckles down. Just to imagine having a world so full of sights and interactions that she had so much to say about it...It was bewildering to him. Regardless it made him smile, maybe even happy to hear she had so much going on in her world. His was just so boring. Plain. It reminded him that he was taking on the life of an old hermit rather well.
“Well I am gladdened to hear that it was Kings Beard after all...even if it was a touch frosty.” He smiled, having thought about that entirely too often since last he had seen her. At the mention of her ears though his eyes went to them, however briefly, before he took her green gaze again.
“I don’t see anything wrong with them. How cruel to pick on you for them.” He half joked. He liked her ears, even if they were perhaps a touch on the long side. It made her look sleek and sly…
“No need to apologize.” He added, smiling a bit more brightly this time as she realized she had been going on and on. “I don’t mind.” He assured before her last but...well…
He lifted his head curiously, tilted it some as one of his own ears flopped over slightly.
“Water Raer? Don’t know that I’ve heard of anything like that before.” He confessed, brow raising curiously. “Are they dangerous creatures?” He asked. It sounded almost like she had been about to refer to an Oakfern but…
Scath:
She couldn’t help wiggling her ears when he said he didn’t see anything wrong with them, his good eye traveling up to look at them before meeting her gaze once more. “Kolt is a bit of a mean one.” She giggled, but if the dark stag was any other way, their ability to work together wouldn’t have lasted. He didn’t mind her quirks, praised and encouraged them for the most part.
“Eheh, I’m glad you don’t mind, not everyone is so forgiving of my babbling.” Her ears drooped slightly, but quickly perked again only to tip outwards as he caught her slip. He questioned what a water raer was, asking if it was a dangerous creature, should she just tell him? But would he want anything to do with her after that, he didn’t seem the type to just ignore someone for their curiosity. “Well… quite yes, small, sharp horns and or fangs, poisonous creatures, terrible for fawns to encounter.” She was certain what she said was a dead giveaway, who couldn’t guess what she was referring to now. What would he say now, would he accept this oddity of wanting to capture one or would he turn tail and run, acceptance seemed unlikely. “I like learning about the other herds and… I um… I like magic, we don’t exactly have a surplus of… you know, water magic users.” Her green eyes locked on his, waiting to see his reaction, worrying that he’d think her crazy or something.
Bae:
He stifled a chuckle as he watched her ears again, a smile spreading on his lips though as she explained this character named Kolt. He sounded a like a pretty typical stag, or well...he could only assume so. The only stags he had ever dealt with had been challengers back in his youth and they had never been very nice…
As she began to expand on this...creature he did start to connect the dots. Water raer, more like Water Rat. She was talking about Oakferns. While he had grown up with the stories he had never really taken them to heart. In fact, he couldn’t recall ever even seeing one in the flesh. He gave a nod as she mentioned her affection towards magic, understanding that one all too well… He kept his own remorse to himself though, not wanting to turn the conversation towards that rather despicable part of his life.
“Have you seen one before? In person?” He asked curiously. “I’ve only ever heard the tales..then again I’ve never traveled around the western borders. I’ve mostly contented myself by traveling around the northern line and eastern parts of the wood.” Particularly because most of the herd avoided these parts of Blackwood which meant it was safe for him and most importantly them.
Scath:
Scath could almost see the light go on, her words tangling her, she half expected to have to dart away. Before she could flee, true surprise struck as he asked if she’d ever seen one, she hadn’t unless a trophy pelt in her mother’s den counted. “I haven’t actually. Not live anyway.” She admitted slowly, her only fault in her attempts to find one for study, tiny hooves were her only link. “I’ve been near there, stalked open tunnels that the warriors haven’t found, yet. Not that many remain within my knowledge, our soldiers are diligent.” She nodded, the most traveled tunnels had been sealed just as they should be, but she couldn’t help her disappointment finding them. One or two had been reopened last trip, she’d made sure to set a good trap next to them. She hoped to find something next trip over near the mountains.
“Do…” She stared at the ground, dare she ask, yes. “Am I strange… wanting to capture that which could kill me? Mother certainly thinks I am quite mad…” Her question was sincere, dark tipped ears drooped lower, “I told Alastair of my plans, he thought me mad, said it would be safer to bring a dead one back, but how am I to understand their magic when it dies with them?” Scath’s bright energy had been drained, rarely did the pearl doe allow herself to sink, her wont for understanding would lead to ruin eventually. That much was sure. “I just want to know… Is that wrong?” She felt very small right there, felt the same as when she was younger, when she asked Eris for a live Oakfern to keep.
Bae:
Again he took to listening to her, his smile remaining as his eyes even softened. She was so passionate about it, so inquisitive and there was something wrong with that in his mind. After all, what better way to understand the “enemy” than to study them up close? It seemed somewhat logical to him though rather dangerous considering their infamous attitudes.
“I don’t think you’re any more crooked than the rest of us. How many other herds hunt that which hunts them?” He pointed out with a weak chuckle. “You forget, a butterfly didn’t leave me with these mementos.” He added, turning his back side to her again. “A little water rat seems like easy enough prey. Their magic may be tricky but at least they lack claws and what tines they may have are surely as small as they are.” He snorted, the idea rather amusing to him. Nothing that small could be threatening.
As he saw her mood drop though he frowned, not liking that something she had seemed to passionate about was causing her to grow so sorrowful. “I don’t think it’s wrong at all Scath. How else can we truly understand our enemy? Corpses only tell so much, I don’t care what the necromancers say.” He snorted, giving a small eye roll since...well...he was one. He felt the talent was rather overrated. Corpses never talked.
He did inch closely though, hesitant and almost weary before lightly pressing his nose to her cheek in hopes of bringing her out of this slump and back to her bubbly self. She had nothing to feel ashamed of!
Scath:
She felt better listening to him, his words made perfect sense. “Certainly no butterfly I’ve ever seen.” She giggled softly, green orbs travelled over the dull pink lines crisscrossing his coat, as if anything so tiny and delicate could leave those scars. Surely it was a magnificent fight that brought those trophies about, her own little scraps with the wolves were nothing in comparison, an ice bear leaving its special mark? “That’s what I thought as well, my teeth are certainly sharper than any horn upon their brow.” She licked them for emphasis, it probably ended up looking more silly than anything. “The difference in reach is definitely to my advantage.” She smiled at him, not vividly bright as normal but better than before.
“That’s what I said! Corpses are very limited and ghosts hate to talk.” She frowned crossly, tail lashing slightly with temper, “Necromancers…” She muttered. The wolfy sooty doe jumped, surprised by the nose against her cheek, teeth automatically reaching to nip at him. Ears swept forward and back as emerald eyes widened, “Oh no, I-a habit… sorry.” She stammered. It was a game she and her siblings played, they’d poke at her and she’d nip them, they ran away giggling and she’d chase, cackling like the crows above and enjoying herself, before long they’d trip and Scath would pounce and tickle their sides. “Sibling games.” A small rueful smile playing at her mouth.
Bae:
His eyes slipped to teeth when she licked them, the stag letting a chuckle slip then as smiled. He had admired those fearsome fangs for awhile now so it was a little amusing to see her acknowledge them so.
“Worst than the sharpest set of antlers, surely.” He nodded
After that though things were a bit of a flash… He knew the touch had been a bit of a stretch and not exactly...his normal sort of gesture so he wasn’t all that surprised when she snapped. Hell, he didn’t blame her...it wasn’t typically a friendly gesture, it was usually more affectionate..but he hadn’t been able to stop himself. However as expected as her reaction was, he couldn’t stop his own either.
He reeled back, tripping a little on his own legs before he finally caught himself. He laughed weakly, head staying lowered as his ears pinned back.
“No..its...alright. I should know better.” He muttered, head so low his nose was practically touching the earth. He felt so embarrassed...what had he been thinking…
Something snapped in the brush across from them then, the stags head snapping up as he gave a loud, threatening snort. All their chatter...they hadn’t been listening to the forest…
Scath:
He pulled back faster than she could have imagined, could only watch as he stumbled away, she hadn’t meant to, she wasn’t pushing him away… He looked so upset… All because of her stupid twitch. “No, really I…” She trailed off, her attempt to explain cut off as she turned towards the sound as well. A low rumble and audible snuffling proceeded their visitor, a thin looking bear pressing through the brush, even in its current state it could be problematic to fight. Scathach felt her mouth drop open as it reared on it’s hind legs, she’d never seen one so close up, nor breathing. It towered above them a roar escaping its drooling maw…
She honestly didn’t know what to do, would her magic even be of any use against that thing?! All her practice had been on small animals, it was a more subtle art, willing the victim to be her friend rather than enemy.
Had they really been so careless?
“Baeric?”
Bae:
Baeric went stiff, not exactly...fond of any predator in Blackwood but especially not bears. He locked his jaw as the beast teetered out, his good eye locking on the sickly looking creature as it roared out a threat. He refused to let his legs shake and pushed them forward, moving himself between the hungry monster and Scath.
“I’ll handle it…” He huffed, his confident tone betraying his disbelief in himself. “Go. Get away from here.” He nodded, eyes narrowing at the bear as he tossed his head and cut at the air with his tines.
His eyes were beginning to glow green, his own magic starting to pry and push into the bears mind as he seeked to possess the creature. His mind ached as it battled that of the bears. It had been so long...so many years since he had used such an overwhelming force of magic. It made his head ache and his heart race but then...then it became easier. The burning, almost addictive high that came with the use of the power...Yes...yes he remembered now...
He would make it leave...maybe even walk off a cliff and watch as it feel into the stoney floor to its death.
The warmth the power brought to him was almost suffocating but at the same time the high it took him too overtook the screaming he felt in his bones. He had missed this...
“Go ON!” He shouted to Scath again, something about his tone….off. His ears pinned back as he kicked his front legs out at the bear, something else starting to whisper in his mind…
‘You could make it eat someone else...anyone else. Maybe there is a patrol nearby...it would be soooo easy…’ The voice coaxed, tone so smooth and satin like it made the stag smirk outwardly at the approaching danger.
Scath:
She didn’t want to leave him, not alone with this giant creature, but, his voice. Something didn’t feel right, the feeling was familiar somehow, but unplaceable in the current situation. Scathach did the only thing she could do as the air hummed with magic, she fled, ran like a scared fawn with its tail between its legs. It felt wrong, went against everything she’d been taught about standing her ground, never leaving a fellow herdmember alone and in danger. She didn’t know how far she’d run towards the herd, until a sentinel’s voice caught her ears, ‘Something wrong, Scathach?’ The sooty doe skidded to a halt, spinning towards the voice, a bulky stag loomed out of the trees. Dark bay and full of scars, thickly muscled, he could help.
The doe’s mouth opened and closed, she knew him, this stag, but couldn’t recall his name. His name didn’t matter right than, he needed to go help Baeric. “A bear! It attacked us, my friend he stayed back to slow it down, please help him!” She stammered, the stag nodded and took off past her, calling to another stag that quickly joined him. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too late, that Baeric hadn’t fallen beneath those claws, a cold shiver raced through her, dread filling her gut.
She hadn’t just lost the first friend that truly understood her, had she?
AGAIN
