[Memory] Hide.
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2020 3:43 am
78th of Glade, 113
It was meant to be a standard gathering session. Arkash would go to the nearby woods outside of the city to collect some firewood and tinder. He'd hoped to be home before the rain came, so proceeded deeper into the woods in search of a tree that was thinner and easier to fell, only to wind up caught in the rain anyway. Once he'd resolved to return home, he came face to face with an enormous wolf, which he then hit with his axe before fleeing. He was covered in mud, drool, and cold rainwater. In fact, since he'd come face to face with the predator, he hadn't stopped drooling. It was far more drool than when he was normally frightened too. His body was ready to bite the other predator, but his mind wasn't.
So, Arkash ran. He ran and led the wolf into a thicket as it was gaining on him. He'd managed to dive through a more narrow gap in the trees that the wolf wound up caught on. He'd used the opportunity to scramble further out of reach, but the cold was getting to him. His arms and legs became very stiff, and it almost came to be that he wasn't bending his knees at all when he ran. He couldn't keep up, the wolf was too fast.
When it came to be that he doubted his ability, he looked over his shoulder to check the distance he'd made between the wolf and himself. It had somehow scrambled around the saplings in its way and clambered through the twisting foliage that aided the smaller Rathari in his escape. But that didn't mean he could rest. The wolf would catch him if he slowed down... and with how waterlogged he was, slowing down was inevitable. He had to hide, but how? Wolves had great senses of smell, as he'd learned from his mother. The beast would catch up to him with ease, then rip him apart. But he couldn't run forever.
He approached the end of the thicket ahead of him, but the rain in his eyes made it hard to see what laid beyond. Huffing and puffing, desperate for air, Arkash lifted his muddy claws to his long muzzle and wiped at the water that clung to his scales, only to transfer the muck to his muzzle. He could see a bit better, but a damp earthy smell stained the inside of his nose with every breath.
Finally, he pushed through the last if the saplings and paused only to look around at the surrounding landscape for an out. The evergreens were thicker in this part of the forest, taller too. Arkash had wandered far from Nivenhain, and while he didn't know if he'd be able to make it back or not, his most pressing concern was the wolf behind him.
He had to move, he had to get away from the beast, but which way did he go? The sound of clawing and snarling caught up behind him, and Arkash looked upward. The trees. Wolves can't climb, he thought. So, the skinny lizard stumbled to one of the trunks, where he was sheltered from the rain, then gripped two of the low, spear-like branches and willed his arms to lift his body. His limbs felt like stone but steadily shifted to his command. Once he was high enough, he brought his leg up to grip another branch, and pushed himself upward, where he grabbed another skewering, barren limb.
At one point, Arkash tried to lift both his arm and leg at the same time, only to lose his balance and grip the bark with his claws. His teeth were bared and his heart was beating out of his chest. Everything felt heavy and rigid. His muscles burned with nonexistent fatigue, and the strain put pressure in his head; pressure so severe that his head threatened to burst, but he still pushed.
Finally, the wolf's snapping jaws snarled and barked at his feet. The beast reared up on its hind legs, and dove to bite at the rathari while he dangled, but Arkash managed to lift himself in time, fully out of the monstrous wolf's reach. He'd made it, all he had to do was not fall. Given his lack of experience climbing and the ice in his joints, such a thing was far easier said than done.
Arkash took a moment to catch his breath, then very steadily clambered to one of the higher branches, then sat upon it with his legs on either side. With a raspy, ragged exhale, Arkash held on tightly to the coarse bark, and carefully tried to pull his hand away as the raw, cold pain of his exploits set in. He'd lost a few scales; torn off in his desperate maneuvers. It was too soon to shed his hands, and the scales beneath were tender and sore. Furthermore, his whole body ached with unbearable cold and fatigue.
As he looked downward at the snapping wolf, the lizard clung even tighter to the tree, then sighed deeply. The monster continued to growl and bark at him. Part of him wondered where the wolf's pack was, or why it had chosen a skinny lizard for lunch of all things, but it didn't matter. His eyes fell shut, and he pressed his head to the bark. The rain was letting up, but it didn't matter. His body heat was gone. he couldn't just make more.
Arkash sighed, then steadily succumbed to the lull of an exhaustion-and-cold-induced sleep.
He woke to a pull. Nothing grand or spiritual, but the feeling of another's warm hand around his shoulders. He could barely open his eyes, and his heart had slowed to a crawl, nothing was working right, not even his ears. The muffled call of a distant voice rang around him from nowhere in particular. He couldn't make out what was being said, and didn't particularly care. All his functions were dormant, and the stimulation of the world beyond did little to pierce the lethargic stupor that covered him.
This was due to his body's long dormant survival function; hibernation. With his slowed heartbeat, blood circulated slower, and oxygen was distributed at a far lower rate to his organs and muscles, which brought about the feeling of fatigue and weakness he'd prior experienced. It also meant that other functions of his brain were dormant, and he couldn't process the world around him with more consciousness than a vivid dream. While effectively in stasis, the Rathari was helpless to resist the pull of the wolf that pried him from the tree.
He hadn't the capacity to fear, let alone resist. Barely conscious, he fell into a warm embrace, not the rip of teeth. The smell of blood licked at his nostrils, but it wasn't his own. Again, Arkash fell into unconsciousness and idly floated through the wilds in the grasp of another. Still, he was unable to differentiate between reality and the vivid dreams that rolled and cycled in his mind. Darkness came again, and light didn't return for some time.
He didn't know just how much time had passed since he'd fallen asleep, but the smell of burning graced his nose. Steadily, Arkash's eyes fluttered open, and a blur of browns met with his unfocused eyes. The lights in his vision began to differentiate as his pupils narrowed, and the blur receded. He was home, laying in his furs beside the hearth's fire. He was groggy, tired, and heavy, but somehow alive. Cold was still embedded deep in his chest, but the warmth of his home gradually conquered the frost and woke him.
A flick of his forked tongue heralded his consciousness, and a soft hand ran across the side of his head where he laid. Finally, he drew a shaky breath, and his whole body began to shiver as he pulled his achey limbs inward and attempted to preserve his heat. His internal thermometer had been restored, along with the majority of his functions.
"Mom..." he called weakly while his jaw trembled and his teeth chattered. She was there, it was her hand on his head.
"It's alright, sweetie. You're safe," came her reassuring voice. Another brush of her hand ran along his scales, and the young Rathari startled as confusion set in.
It was only when his memories returned that he began to comprehend what happened. "MOM!" he called loudly, and shot up in his furs.
"Calm down!" She called as she settled her blue eyes on his, and carefully crawled toward him where he rested. "You're okay," she spoke again, and drew the trembling, fur-wrapped lizard into a hug. "I've got you," she spoke softly.
There, in her embrace, he began to tear up. He could still smell blood in her fur. "I was so scared," he choked, and rubbed his eyes while he stayed there.
"I know, baby," she hummed. "You were dripping venom all over the place; it's how I found you. But you're safe now, I've got you."
Liu's voice never failed to soothe him, but even so, Arkash could hardly believe he'd survived. That was when he peered over her shoulder, and spied the massive carcass of the wolf that hunted him. Its neck was matted red, torn up even. It held the same scent that clung to Liu's chin. Even though it was dead, the sight of the beast still frightened him. "How did you..." He started, voice hushed.
"Hm?" She looked to where Arkash's gaze rested. "Oh, big guy should've known what happens when you get between a momma and her pup." She smiled, more than proud of herself.
Arkash continued to stare in disbelief, then hesitantly looked up at her "I'm not a pup anymore, mom-."
"-You'll always be my pup."
It was meant to be a standard gathering session. Arkash would go to the nearby woods outside of the city to collect some firewood and tinder. He'd hoped to be home before the rain came, so proceeded deeper into the woods in search of a tree that was thinner and easier to fell, only to wind up caught in the rain anyway. Once he'd resolved to return home, he came face to face with an enormous wolf, which he then hit with his axe before fleeing. He was covered in mud, drool, and cold rainwater. In fact, since he'd come face to face with the predator, he hadn't stopped drooling. It was far more drool than when he was normally frightened too. His body was ready to bite the other predator, but his mind wasn't.
So, Arkash ran. He ran and led the wolf into a thicket as it was gaining on him. He'd managed to dive through a more narrow gap in the trees that the wolf wound up caught on. He'd used the opportunity to scramble further out of reach, but the cold was getting to him. His arms and legs became very stiff, and it almost came to be that he wasn't bending his knees at all when he ran. He couldn't keep up, the wolf was too fast.
When it came to be that he doubted his ability, he looked over his shoulder to check the distance he'd made between the wolf and himself. It had somehow scrambled around the saplings in its way and clambered through the twisting foliage that aided the smaller Rathari in his escape. But that didn't mean he could rest. The wolf would catch him if he slowed down... and with how waterlogged he was, slowing down was inevitable. He had to hide, but how? Wolves had great senses of smell, as he'd learned from his mother. The beast would catch up to him with ease, then rip him apart. But he couldn't run forever.
He approached the end of the thicket ahead of him, but the rain in his eyes made it hard to see what laid beyond. Huffing and puffing, desperate for air, Arkash lifted his muddy claws to his long muzzle and wiped at the water that clung to his scales, only to transfer the muck to his muzzle. He could see a bit better, but a damp earthy smell stained the inside of his nose with every breath.
Finally, he pushed through the last if the saplings and paused only to look around at the surrounding landscape for an out. The evergreens were thicker in this part of the forest, taller too. Arkash had wandered far from Nivenhain, and while he didn't know if he'd be able to make it back or not, his most pressing concern was the wolf behind him.
He had to move, he had to get away from the beast, but which way did he go? The sound of clawing and snarling caught up behind him, and Arkash looked upward. The trees. Wolves can't climb, he thought. So, the skinny lizard stumbled to one of the trunks, where he was sheltered from the rain, then gripped two of the low, spear-like branches and willed his arms to lift his body. His limbs felt like stone but steadily shifted to his command. Once he was high enough, he brought his leg up to grip another branch, and pushed himself upward, where he grabbed another skewering, barren limb.
At one point, Arkash tried to lift both his arm and leg at the same time, only to lose his balance and grip the bark with his claws. His teeth were bared and his heart was beating out of his chest. Everything felt heavy and rigid. His muscles burned with nonexistent fatigue, and the strain put pressure in his head; pressure so severe that his head threatened to burst, but he still pushed.
Finally, the wolf's snapping jaws snarled and barked at his feet. The beast reared up on its hind legs, and dove to bite at the rathari while he dangled, but Arkash managed to lift himself in time, fully out of the monstrous wolf's reach. He'd made it, all he had to do was not fall. Given his lack of experience climbing and the ice in his joints, such a thing was far easier said than done.
Arkash took a moment to catch his breath, then very steadily clambered to one of the higher branches, then sat upon it with his legs on either side. With a raspy, ragged exhale, Arkash held on tightly to the coarse bark, and carefully tried to pull his hand away as the raw, cold pain of his exploits set in. He'd lost a few scales; torn off in his desperate maneuvers. It was too soon to shed his hands, and the scales beneath were tender and sore. Furthermore, his whole body ached with unbearable cold and fatigue.
As he looked downward at the snapping wolf, the lizard clung even tighter to the tree, then sighed deeply. The monster continued to growl and bark at him. Part of him wondered where the wolf's pack was, or why it had chosen a skinny lizard for lunch of all things, but it didn't matter. His eyes fell shut, and he pressed his head to the bark. The rain was letting up, but it didn't matter. His body heat was gone. he couldn't just make more.
Arkash sighed, then steadily succumbed to the lull of an exhaustion-and-cold-induced sleep.
He woke to a pull. Nothing grand or spiritual, but the feeling of another's warm hand around his shoulders. He could barely open his eyes, and his heart had slowed to a crawl, nothing was working right, not even his ears. The muffled call of a distant voice rang around him from nowhere in particular. He couldn't make out what was being said, and didn't particularly care. All his functions were dormant, and the stimulation of the world beyond did little to pierce the lethargic stupor that covered him.
This was due to his body's long dormant survival function; hibernation. With his slowed heartbeat, blood circulated slower, and oxygen was distributed at a far lower rate to his organs and muscles, which brought about the feeling of fatigue and weakness he'd prior experienced. It also meant that other functions of his brain were dormant, and he couldn't process the world around him with more consciousness than a vivid dream. While effectively in stasis, the Rathari was helpless to resist the pull of the wolf that pried him from the tree.
He hadn't the capacity to fear, let alone resist. Barely conscious, he fell into a warm embrace, not the rip of teeth. The smell of blood licked at his nostrils, but it wasn't his own. Again, Arkash fell into unconsciousness and idly floated through the wilds in the grasp of another. Still, he was unable to differentiate between reality and the vivid dreams that rolled and cycled in his mind. Darkness came again, and light didn't return for some time.
He didn't know just how much time had passed since he'd fallen asleep, but the smell of burning graced his nose. Steadily, Arkash's eyes fluttered open, and a blur of browns met with his unfocused eyes. The lights in his vision began to differentiate as his pupils narrowed, and the blur receded. He was home, laying in his furs beside the hearth's fire. He was groggy, tired, and heavy, but somehow alive. Cold was still embedded deep in his chest, but the warmth of his home gradually conquered the frost and woke him.
A flick of his forked tongue heralded his consciousness, and a soft hand ran across the side of his head where he laid. Finally, he drew a shaky breath, and his whole body began to shiver as he pulled his achey limbs inward and attempted to preserve his heat. His internal thermometer had been restored, along with the majority of his functions.
"Mom..." he called weakly while his jaw trembled and his teeth chattered. She was there, it was her hand on his head.
"It's alright, sweetie. You're safe," came her reassuring voice. Another brush of her hand ran along his scales, and the young Rathari startled as confusion set in.
It was only when his memories returned that he began to comprehend what happened. "MOM!" he called loudly, and shot up in his furs.
"Calm down!" She called as she settled her blue eyes on his, and carefully crawled toward him where he rested. "You're okay," she spoke again, and drew the trembling, fur-wrapped lizard into a hug. "I've got you," she spoke softly.
There, in her embrace, he began to tear up. He could still smell blood in her fur. "I was so scared," he choked, and rubbed his eyes while he stayed there.
"I know, baby," she hummed. "You were dripping venom all over the place; it's how I found you. But you're safe now, I've got you."
Liu's voice never failed to soothe him, but even so, Arkash could hardly believe he'd survived. That was when he peered over her shoulder, and spied the massive carcass of the wolf that hunted him. Its neck was matted red, torn up even. It held the same scent that clung to Liu's chin. Even though it was dead, the sight of the beast still frightened him. "How did you..." He started, voice hushed.
"Hm?" She looked to where Arkash's gaze rested. "Oh, big guy should've known what happens when you get between a momma and her pup." She smiled, more than proud of herself.
Arkash continued to stare in disbelief, then hesitantly looked up at her "I'm not a pup anymore, mom-."
"-You'll always be my pup."
