[PRP] New experiences [Wayward Son/Whispers of Death]

[Beejoux]

It had taken very little for Whispers of Death to get Death's Timeless Embrace to agree to keeping an eye on his younger sisters. He was only too eager to lend a hoof to his mother, surprised and pleased to see the usually solitary doe spending more time with the living than the dead.

Omen, of course, was unwilling to leave the doe's side, ever the protective presence, but she didn't mind his quiet company as she made her way towards the little clearing she'd met Wayward Son in the day before.

She wasn't sure if he'd be there already waiting for her -- the doe had departed early in a bid to prevent that -- or if she'd be waiting herself, but she was prepared for the latter. They hadn't set a specific time to meet up.

[doomsayer]

He was shocked to find Whispers of Death already in the clearing waiting for him when he arrived. He wanted to keep making a good impression on her, so he decided to head for their meeting place earlier than he usually would even think of being awake. But obviously, he was not early enough.

He smiled thinking that her being early meant she was eager. At least he genuinely has her interest. It would make starting the trip go smoother. They were in for a quite a walk after all.

"I hope I didn't have you waiting too long. I would be devastated to know that a beauty such as you was left lonely in this clearing because of me."

[Beejoux]

She looked up when she heard hooves approaching, and Omen swooped down to circle around Wayward Son with a loud caw before flying back to perch on a branch above the dark doe. A pleased smile pulled at her maw.

"No, not long. I, too, had not wanted to leave you waiting, so I left early." Hopefully that the offer had been in earnest, and not just pretty words meant to impress.

"So tell me, where are we headed first?"

[doomsayer]

He spotted her little crow perch on a tree branch above them. It irked him somewhat that he wouldn't have her completely alone, but what distraction would a crow be able to feasibly conjure up anyway. Besides, he figured he would introduce Whispers of Death to one of his own familiars along the way. It was only fair that she had one with her.

"The place I want to bring you is quite a ways away, at the place where the swamp meets the plains and close to where there are many cave openings that lead underground. But I do have a few interesting places to show you along the walk. Tell me, have you ever been out of the swamp before?"

[Beejoux]

Her ears perked, and she gave a small shake of her head. "I haven't, but I've heard stories of far away places that are much different from here." More so lately, she noted idly to herself. And many of those stories came with mention of an obelisk.

"I would like to see these places, they sound fascinating. I've only stumbled upon a few caves in the swamp, but I did not get to venture inside. They had been claimed as dens for other kin."

Her tail sway slow but steadily down by her ankles, her eagerness bleeding through that calm stoicism. "Shall we go, then?"

[doomsayer]

He did not fail to notice her ears perking up and her tail, albeit still slow, but swaying faster as he spoke of where he would be bringing her.

"I'm quite excited to show them to you. These caves are different from those you've seen other kin claim as dens, I guarantee it. Let's get going then."

He leads her out of the meadow, making sure to measure her normal pace so that he could walk at a speed comfortable to her.

The early morning sun's rays were still pleasantly warm and put him in a mood to make some small talk. "Along the way, I have Cloak of Shadow, my Cheetah familiar, clearing a path of pests for us. You and your crow won't mind the additional company, would you? Also, does your crow follow you everywhere? How long has it accompanied you?"

[Beejoux]

Though Whispers would not have considered herself the adventurous sort, she was certainly curious, and could not deny the draw of seeing something new. The caves he was speaking about sounded very intriguing, and she fell easily into step beside him, with Omen fluttering down from the branches to perch carefully on one of the doe's horns.

Not fast, but not slow, her pacing was measured and steady, comfortable and easy to maintain.

"Oh no, not at all." Well, she couldn't speak for Omen, but she knew she herself wouldn't be bothered by the addition of Wayward's familiar.

"He does follow me everywhere. At least so far. We've not been together long. I found an egg one morning, after offering a bit of carrion to another crow."

very sorry for the delay!

[doomsayer]

He raised an eyebrow, surprised that a creature gave up their offspring as trade for food. Was it a lack of filial instincts on the part of that one crow? Or maybe it was commonplace for crows to have their children imprint onto larger creatures to establish some sort of symbiotic relationship? Regardless, he was curious. Perhaps, like his other familiars, he could obtain a crow cultivated with his red and gold markings as well.

"It just... gave you it's egg? That's odd. Did you ever see the parent again? Would you have any idea why it would offer you its offspring so freely?"

They walk at her comfortable pace, with him gently directing her to paths with a lot of shade as the sun was getting high up in the sky and he so despised the glare of its shine in his eyes.

[Beejoux]

Whispers smiled. "Strange, I know. Perhaps she guessed I would provide well for it after offering up such bounty." Hard to say, really. Birds didn't speak to her, not in a way she could understand. Not even dead ones.

"I did see the parent again. Often, actually. I became quite close with the doe they had bonded with." She was easy enough to guide, more absorbed in their conversation than in what direction they were taking. Trusting of him to lead her on safely. A foolhardy belief, perhaps, but true all the same.

"The egg was given before that, though. So I'm not sure that had much to do with it."

very sorry for the slow responses, still struggling with hand and wrist pain.

[doomsayer]

"Quite interesting creatures. Perhaps when your crow lays eggs, I may be present to receive one, if you wouldn't mind of course."

She was an enjoyable travel companion, willing to go to an unknown place with a buck she barely knows, unquestioningly following him through paths less taken regardless of how dark or perilous the way would seem. He would not allow any harm to befall her on their journey, of course, but she had to have placed a considerable amount of trust in him to let him guide her through the dodgy locales they have passed through so far.

After emerging from the darkness of a tunnel made of thick brush, they come upon the edge of the swamp. This location is marked by the telltale sign of a dried up river. Here, they are met by a cheetah sporting coloration and markings similar to Wayward Son.


"This is one of my familiars, Cloak of Shadow. I've asked him to clear a way in advance for us through the corpses so that our hooves don't get too dirty as we pass through."

It becomes obvious as they walk closer to the dried up river that it is lined on both edges with corpses of small animals. Wayward Son explains to Whispers of Death that this river is called "the dying place" by the locals that live nearby. During the wet season, it flows deep and clear, providing all the wildlife nearby with a steady and reliable source of water. But when the dry season comes around, the river dries up and poison from below it leeches into whatever water is left, killing those that drink from it. The river's waters during the rainy season usually have a powerful enough undercurrent to wash away the poison, but the dry season brings with it stagnant and fatal waters.

"The larger, smarter animals know to avoid it by then, but the smaller animals of the region seem to flock to the waters as though they wish to perish. That is what creates a carpet of corpses to cross the river on."

The cheetah leads the to a path cleared of animal corpses.

It's okay, don't force yourself if it's too much. I'm hoping for your quick recovery!

[Beejoux]

"I don't mind, though it's not entirely up to me, of course.“ Whispers new her children were also enamored of Omen and wished for their own, whatever eggs the crow produced would be highly sought after. And so long as those eggs went to good homes, Whispers was alright with relinquishing them. She didn't need a whole flock, not like Shank had acquired.

Wayword seemed more than capable of handling a crow chick. She was finding his company on their journey enjoyable, and it was easy to follow along where he led, trusting him not to lead her astray. So far he'd given her no reason to question him.

"Oh, yes. He does belong to you," she commented, amused, as his cheetah found them. Similar in color, in marking. It was always a curious delight how often familiars bonded with kin they complimented visually. "Hello," she offered the cheetah as Wayward introduced him, head dipping to smile kindly.

Dark ears perked at the warning, and she looked up at him with wide, bright eyes. "Oh, I've never heard of such things. So much death in such a relatively small area." Would those tiny voices have lingered? A cacophony of gentle whispers and chittering? Cloak had cleared a path, but would their be bones? Some hint or clue to the dangers there.

She followed eagerly.

[doomsayer]

With the Cloak of Shadow leading them, the two kimeti walk down to the edge of the river to a gap in the carpet of black, wet, rotting detritus. The cheetah looks to its master confidently as Wayward Son inspected its work, eventually earning the feline a nod of approval.

Looking back to Whispers of Death, Wayward Son warned, "Let's walk slow here. Though the poison is only fatal when ingested, getting a lot of it on you would still cause some itching and burning. And the next source of water to wash it off with is a significant distance. Avoid the rainbow colored puddles as much as you can."

Even with the necrotized flash and hair cleared from the path, it was obvious from the texture of the soil itself that it was composed mainly of a mix of sand and bone; crushed fine from the strength of the current and the relentless power of water to break down all things. The mud was squishy underhoof and water from beneath seeped on the sides of where they stepped as the weight of their hooves marked the riverbed.

Observing her reactions pleased Wayward Son. He wanted to put her in a place where her mysterious abilities could be put to use. And the light of interest in her eyes as they scanned the riverbed stoked a desire inside him. "So, are you hearing anything here? Do you think you can glean why these small critters all gathered here to die?"

[Beejoux]

The doe was very interested in the river and all the many bits of dead and decaying creatures that were too small for the cheetah to have removed them. She'd never heard of such a thing, and she found herself captivated by the notion of something that crucial to maintaining life being so deadly as well. It was at odds with itself. How wonderfully twisted.

His soft rumble of a voice pulled her from her own thoughts, and Whispers looked up, ears flicking and focus drifting for a moment. "So many cries of despair. I can't understand what they're saying, if they're saying anything specific, but the sense of it is clear it. Hopelessness, fear, doom." Her ears laid back, and she dipped her head to better see the shape of a small rodent skull half buried in the mud.

"They came for life, and found only death." She smiled, and it was soft and sad. "It's tragic, but it's also amazing that such a place exists in the swamp."

[doomsayer]

He smiled, pleased with himself that he could elicit such fascination from her, "Where I aim to take you is still a considerable distance, but on the way I have one more place I want to show you that I'm sure you'll like."

They crossed the river slowly, him keeping any eye out for any deep puddles or mud pits that might surprise them and cause them exposure to what was killing the woodland creatures in the area. This speed also allowed Whispers of Death a good look around to see what else could catch her eye or ears in the area. From across the river, they could spot a small settlement just outside of the swamp's influence. Mostly inhabited by Kiokote with the occasional Acha and Totoma, these "locals" looked at them with much trepidation--some looks even felt hostile, as if silently willing them to move on as soon as possible.

"These locals are very insular. They fear the ache, so they express that by being borderline hostile to those of us that live in the swamp. Yet they have found themselves gathering here at the edge of the swamp, where one false step could render them prisoner to the influence of the ache. The logic behind is baffling, but interesting at the same time. It's as though, even without having the ache, they are already being called by the swamp itself."

[Beejoux]

"If itcs as fascinating as this stream I'm sure it'll be worth the journey," she remarked serenely, moving cautiously along the bank and the shattered bones that littered the waterline. She wondered if she'd be able to find this place again on her own. Or perhaps Wayward would indulge her and bring her back again.

Omen was circling protectively over head, cawing sharply of she wandered to closely or forgot the Buck's warnings and tried to lean in for a closer look. Finally landing on one of her horns so they could nip at her ear. Eventually she schooled her curiosity, letting the remainder of their trip onward be less stressful for the crow.

"I'm not sure I've ever been this close to the boarders of the swamp,“ she admitted as they neared the outliers along the fringes, ears laid back as she noted the way they were being stared at. "Are they dangerous?" Perhaps only if they stepped far enough for the ache to reach them.