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| Bewitched Beasties [Complete]; [P] Shananigans | |
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| Topic Started: Wed Aug 31, 2011 7:33 pm (454 Views) | |
| Vivianne | Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:53 am Post #31 |
 
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The girl circled the druid, her feline features pulled back in a feral snarl. Vivi knew that as soon as she got close enough she would easily be able to defeat the druid, but she did not want to hurt Hermes' body by charging directly into another arrow. Hephaestus was still in the woods, extricating his bulk from the wreckage his wild charge had caused. When Shan changed his melody she did not notice it immediately, although the old woman quickly showed the adverse effects of the enchanted tune. Her features twisted in pain and her fingers spasmed, releasing the bowstring. the arrow flew through the air so close she swore it had actually brushed her fur, shooting off into the forest as the druid dropped her weapon from the pain. In a flash the cheetah leapt onto the druid, paws slamming into her shoulders and forcing the insane woman to the earth. Shan stepped out of the woods, still playing his music as he spoke to the woman. Apparently his music was far more powerful than the skinsharer had suspected; he possessed the ability to punish those who were of the evil alignment with his talent. The girl growled as she stared down at the woman, her golden eyes fierce. The woman would be writhing in pain if she was able to move freely, but the cheetah would not permit her to so much as squirm. With her focus interrupted the druid's concentration eroded, her spells fading as she was wracked with agony. The creatures surrounding their location seemed to realize suddenly the rather unusual situation they found themselves in. Wolves and deer stood side by side, predators and prey standing so close their sides were almost touching. The animals around them began to scatter in every direction, the bushes rustling as they fled. The skinsharer lowered her head, staring directly into the woman's eyes. The druid met her fierce gaze, suddenly cackling. It was difficult for her to speak through the pain of Shan's enchantment, but she still managed to cough out a word or two. "Ah see... what ya' are..." The druid spat at her, the glob of spittle striking her muzzle and trailing down her fur. "Abomination." Vivi lowered her head, sank her teeth into the druid's throat, and ripped her jugular out in a spray of blood. The skinsharer pulled herself out of the feline's skin, sinking back into her own body with some difficulty. It was uncomfortable to return to her own form when it was injured, but she did not want to share Hermes' skin when the animal was ripping the flesh from the woman's bones. Vivi weakly sat up, clutching at the arrow protruding from her shoulder. "S... Shan..." Her voice was weak and faltering, but there was a vengeful glimmer in her emerald eyes. |
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| Shan Orison | Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:57 pm Post #32 |
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Shan winced when Hermes ended the problem with a wet, meaty ripping from the woman's throat. The forest was filled with rustling, but this time it was the sound of animals running away as they suddenly recognized they stood next to potential killers or meals. "I...would have settled it with less of the killing," Shan said. "I mean, I guess I don't know could have been done, but she really wasn't right in the head, so I feel a bit bad." "S...Shan..." he heard from the side. He turned to see Vivianne sitting up, her shoulder wound wet with blood. Her face was racked in pain, but also grim triumph. Shan chose to focus on the pain. "Oh, dear, better deal with that..." Shan said, rushing beside her. "Stay still, Vivianne, alright?" He examined the wound. The arrow had thankfully gone all the way through her flesh, meaning removing it was a simple matter of snapping off the arrowhead and sliding it out. Shan apologized when the snapping caused the shaft to jump about, but he was glad he didn't have to attempt any major surgery. He doubted he could do more than get her to a proper healer in that case. "This is pretty bad, though. Hang on." He layed her down again, padding the wound with a spare kerchief. "This'll be awkward." He rested a knee on her shoulder and raised his violin once more. He began to play a soft melody. "It has a Mending enchantment," he explained in between hums, "Augments Life magic. Should also mend that hole in your shirt, at least if I play long enough. He hummed his healing spell, sending waves of magic through his knee and focused into her wound. Slowly, it began to close. It still looked sore and raw, but at least there was no longer a bleeding hole. He stopped and pulled away. He stood and moved to Huffy, who's own hide and the angle of trajectory made his would painful, but much less deadly. "Um, I'm not sure...I think I might have to cut out the arrow. It's in a bit deep to just yank it out," Shan said, looking the boar over. "Sorry, I only know a bit if first aid from watching my mother. I was always more interested in music than practical lessons, or so she'd say." He looked back to the body of the dead woman and the cat whose face was covered in her blood. "So...um, should we do something with her body? I mean, like final rights or something?" Shan gave into his nausea and looked away. "I mean, she really did think she was doing the right thing. Well, I know she wasn't, but she thought she was helping, as twisted as her reasoning was...I guess I feel rather bad about it, that's all. So...perhaps if I sterilized my knife, I could get the arrow out. Would that work?" |
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| Vivianne | Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:22 am Post #33 |
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The skinsharer winced as her companion snapped the shaft of the arrow, the movement causing a fresh spike of pain to pound through her skull. Even that sensation was nothing compared to the agony of the bard slowly pulling the wooden shaft out of her flesh. The girl tried to stay silent, but failed within moments and cried out, her fingers curling into fists. Although Shan managed to pull the arrow out quickly, the sensation of the projectile being dragged out of hers kin seemed to go on forever. Only when the missile was completely extricated was she able to relax, falling onto her back and releasing her death grip on the earth. Vivi had completely forgotten the musician's healing abilities during the battle, but at the moment she was glad for his skills. The magic flowed through her, white lines of arcane power spiraling around the hole in her shoulder and slowly reconnecting the torn edges of skin. When he was done playing there was only a scar where the injury had been, even the holes in the fabric mending by the spell. Although moving the shoulder was still painful, she could tell that the bard had managed to fit several weeks of healing into a few moments with his soft melody. "Thank... Thank you Shan..." Vivi rotated the shoulder slowly, wincing at the sharp pain. The limb still functioned, but she would have to be careful with it for a while. The girl sat up once more as Shan walked over to the boar, kneeling down next to her pet. The cheetah was sitting next to the slain druid, calmly licking the blood off of his muzzle and paws. Vivi shakily stood up and waled over to her pet, her green eyes never leaving the woman's corpse. The gaping hole in her throat was still oozing blood, the red liquid pooling in the grass underneath her body. The skinsharer absentmindedly ran her fingers over Hermes' fur, remembering the acrid taste of the woman's blood as it had splashed into her mouth. She had hunted in the cheetah's form before, but she had always left the cheetah's mind in the instant before it made a kill. What was more alarming to Vivi was not the taste of the blood, but how satisfying it had been to end the woman's life with her own jaws. Any of the confidence that had filled her in the cheetah's form abandoned her now, and she felt sick just looking at the prone form. The girl's face drained of blood, turning her features into a wan mask as she walked back away from the corpse towards the bard and her dreadsnout. "Leave her... The forest will take her body, in time. It will nourish the plants and the animals that she endangered." The girl knelt down next to Hephaestus, running a hand over the boar's snout. She could sense the animal's pain just by looking into his eyes and clicked her tongue reassuringly before reaching towards the arrow in its flesh. Shan was right; the projectile had sunk deep into the muscle and would require being cut out. Vivi took a small pellet out of a pouch at her waist, offering the snack to the boar. He gratefully snuffled up the treat, chewing noisily on the small combination of herbs and medicine. It would dull the pain of the wound as she did what was necessary. "Get ready Shan..." The girl pulled the small blade out of the sheath on her hip, flipping her grip on the blade so she could dig into the boar's flesh. She had cut arrows out of animals before, although having a bard nearby who could heal was a nice change. She could cut the arrow out as soon as the musician indicated he was ready to heal the boar's injury. |
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| Shan Orison | Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:09 pm Post #34 |
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Shan readied his violin, placing a knee on Heffy's flank. He needed to learn how to heal without tactile contact at some point. Either that or find a way to play his violin with one hand. He nodded to Vivianne. She worked quickly as she cut through Heffy's thick hide to pry the arrow free. Shan suspected she'd done this particular surgery before, and Heffy managed to hold still despite the pain he must be in, understanding that jerking about would only hurt him more. As soon as the arrow was free he began to play and hum, pouring all he could into the spell, soothing the pain and closing the flesh. Heffy ended up with another batch of scar tissue, which was a grand improvement over an ugly laceration. "Nice work," Shan said, pulling away from the boar. "Have you thought about studying healing? With your empathy for nature, you could be a fantastic animal healer. Um, just a thought if you need a means to make money." Shan stood up after ensuring Heffy looked free of open wounds. "Could we, um, maybe head away from here? This place is a bit...corpsey." Shan looked around the forest as a means to avoid looking at the dead woman and perhaps Vivianne. "Um, well, whenever you feel up for leaving, that is. I wouldn't mind a guide out of the forest, at least. Um," Shan wrung his hands, wondering how to ask the question bouncing in his mind. "Before she...um...that woman said something to your cat right before...I don't know what she said, but it didn't sound nice. I don't think it was a spell, but I thought you should know, and I kind of wondered if you heard what she said when you were doing your...thing..." Shan was, if nothing else, polite. At least he attempted to be polite. His curiosity and bardic nature screamed at him to find out the entire story, to find out exactly who Vivianne was and what she did when she passed out and aided her animals. He wondered what the crazed druid said. He could only hear the tone, which was cruel and cutting. He wanted to know if what she said lead to the viciousness of her demise. However, politeness dictated that at this time and in this place he shouldn't be asking any questions of her. "Um, not that it's important. Forget I said anything. So, um, should we go?" |
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| Vivianne | Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:01 am Post #35 |
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Vivi winced as she thrust the blade into the boar's muscle, working the tip of the knife through Heffy's flesh to get at the arrowhead. She constantly murmured soft words of encouragement to the animal to keep him from bucking or umping. All of the skinsharer's animals were well-trained, and even though the dreadsnout snorted in obvious pain it did its best to not jerk. Blood flowed over the girl's fingers as she dug the knife deeper, working its edge around the circumference of the arrow's shaft. When she thought she had managed to dislodge the missile she pulled on it tenderly, smiling grimly as it shifted easily. She gingerly drew the arrow out of the animals' shoulder, whispering gently to Hephaestus as she dragged the weapon out. Shan began to play as soon as she had completely removed the projectile, the bow singing out the same melody he had used to mend her injuries. Vivi watched in amazement as the hole in the dreadsnout's skin knitted itself together, stopping the bleeding and leaving the boar's flesh smooth and flawless. She giggle as the pig squealed happily and rubbed its snout against the bard's leg, careful to avoid scratching the man with its sharp tusks. "He's trying to thank you, Shan!" The girl stood up, throwing the bloody arrow towards the druid's corpse and wiping her hands on the grass to clean off some of the gore. When the musician suggested she should study healing the girl shook her head sadly. "I wish I could... but the hedge witch who raised me said I didn't possess a drop of magic. All I can do is skinshare." She looked over her shoulder and snapped her fingers at Hermes. The cheetah instantly stopped cleaning its muzzle and bounded over to the girl, rubbing its head against her hip. She smiled slightly and rubbed behind the feline's ears in the way it liked. "I think I got the better end of the bargain." Although Vivi had seen the miracles magic could accomplish first-hand, she would not trade her gift to share the body of an animal for anything. How many archmages could claim that they had seen the world through the eyes of a hawk, or stalked through the forest in the form of a cheetah, or barreled through the underbrush as a relentless dreadsnout? No magic could compare to her affinity with animals. Vivi simply nodded when Shan suggested they leave the clearing and followed the bard back into the forest proper, keeping a watch on Heffy out of the corner of her eye. The boar was still limping slightly, but it seemed like the pet treat she had fed him had dampened the worst of the pain. The girl was so distracted by her pet that she barely noticed when the bard spoke, asking her about the druid's final words. She clenched both hands into fists, feeling her fingernails dig into her palm as she remembered. Abomination. That couldn't be true! Skinsharing was such a wonderful gift. It did not corrupt the will of animals, as that woman had done with her magic. Surely Jeyne would have told her if she thought that sharing the body of an animal was such a heinous crime? The wizened hedge witch had mentioned that she had heard of skinsharing before, although in her old age she had never been able to recall where she gleaned that knowledge from. What if it had been from some text of forbidden arts, or something else equally despicable? Vivi tried to keep the worry from her features as she glanced away from Shan's back, biting her lip before speaking softly. "I d-don't know, Shan... I cannot u-understand the Common tongue w-w-when I am sharing a b-body with an animal." She wrung her hands together, hoping that the bard would not see through the lie. For some reason it was important to her that the musician did not know she had slain the druid in a fit of anger. |
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| Shan Orison | Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:26 am Post #36 |
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Shan nodded at the reply Vivianne volunteered. "It sounded nasty, whatever it was. It makes me feel, I dunno, I still feel bad about what happened, but the fact that she was helpless and still acting like that, maybe it makes it easier. I don't know." The two walked through the woods in silence for a time. Shan thought he saw a rabbit, but it vanished into the foliage, fearful at their passing. At least that bit of wildlife acted better. "You know, it's an old art, but you can learn to be a healer without using magic," he said to break the quiet tension he felt growing. "There's still a great deal of folks who refuse to allow any magic used on them, so the art never really died out. There's even injuries that work better with mundane methods, like Heffy's arrow wound. If I had just used magic, his flesh would have healed over the arrow, and he'd have that caught in his body for who knows how long. We needed to get it out first, and the best way to go about that requires no magic at all. It's also amazing what you can do with various flowers and herbs and use their innate healing magic with what you know. Um, well, not say you have to. I'm just pointing out that magic isn't the only way to do it, and sometimes its the worst way." A thought born from one of Vivianne's earlier comments simmered in the back burner of Shan's mind and finally boiled over. She was a skinsharer, she said. He had no idea what that meant, but it seemed familiar. The way she seemed to faint, almost like she suddenly died, how she said she could guide her animal friends like that, the very name "skinsharer"... "Skinsharer, skinsharer...Ah!" Shan struck his eureka moment. "That sounds like Borrowing. Um," Shan paused, realizing she probably had no idea what that was. "Some of my mom's friends have this ability where they can...leave their bodies behind and sort of "borrow" the mind of an animal, and, well, sort of see the world through their eyes. According to Mom, the etiquette is you don't force the animal to do anything. You just nudge their thoughts a bit to get them to do something. From what I've seen "Skinsharing" seems to be kind of like that. It's a rare ability. Well, not rare, but hard for most people to do. They either can't let go of themselves or they can't separate themselves from the animal's mind. Mom says that's a major danger in the fall. Someone will get inside the head of a goose and just stay as they fly south...Sorry, um, lost myself there. And I'm probably totally wrong on what skinsharing is. Don't mind me. Um...but I could use some food...But I can wait. Sorry. And sorry I'm saying sorry so much...I'll be quiet." |
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| Vivianne | Wed Sep 28, 2011 4:58 pm Post #37 |
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Vivi smiled nervously at the bard's insinuation that there was some hidden venom in the druid's final words. He had been kind and helpful in every way, not only escorting her through the forest despite his obvious trepidation but also healing her and her animals whenever they accrued injuries. Without Shan the battle against the wizened woman would have been a great deal less successful and taken significantly longer to recover from. She followed behind the musician silently, still squeezing her fingers together with enough pressure it was actually painful. The word abomination kept reverberating in her skull, a constant drone that was impossible to block out. She could not even begin to fathom if skinsharing was actually a hideous art, but she desperately hoped that was not the case. If such a thing was true, what would that make Vivianne? When Shan began to speak of non-magical methods of healing she forced herself to snap out of the funk, although she still spoke quietly. "I know a little about healing... How to clean and bind wounds, but little more. Animals who are too seriously injured are often killed by predators before I can find them." It was the rule of nature that those animals who were wounded too badly to recover still served as food for their fellow creatures. Still, it would be useful to have a broader understanding of the healing arts. She already knew how to combine herbs and berries into pellets that energized and healed her companions; perhaps with further study Vivi would be able to help even more creatures. "That is a good idea, Shan. I can try to learn how to heal... But I don't know who could teach me." The girl knew that there was a healer who operated in the Norwood Village, but the last time she had entered the treetop town it had been to free the animals from a sickening menagerie. She doubted that she would be welcome there, even if she didn't bring Hephaestus with her. Besides, the elf medic used magic more often than mundane healing tactics so she doubted there was very much she could learn from him. She was still caught up in the difficulties of learning how to treat injuries in non-magical ways when Shan suddenly began talking about something he called 'borrowing.' However, after he rambled for a few moments the girl perked up, her emerald eyes alight with keen interest. The bard knew someone else who could skinshare? Vivi dashed forward, darting around Shan and turning to face him, her eyes bright and her lips pulled back in an ecstatic smile. "You know someone else who can do this?" She was practically bouncing with excitement at the prospect. For her entire life the girl had known no one else who shared her ability to inhabit a creature's body as if it was their own. She had been forced to teach herself how to utilize the gift, as well as how to get an animal to accept her consciousness without any loss of motor functions. If Shan knew other people who could do this, she had to meet them! "Who... Who are these Borrowers? Where are they? Can you take me to them" In her excitement the girl completely missed the musician's muttered words about being hungry, her mind completely focused on the information he had revealed. |
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| Shan Orison | Wed Sep 28, 2011 11:26 pm Post #38 |
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Shan stopped short as Vivianne grabbed the front of his shirt and literally bounded with excitement at his musings. First, she was actually listening to him. He'd gotten use to talking and people tuning it out for the ramblings they were. Second, the sudden blossoming of joy and excitement was a new and, Shan had to admit, attractive addition to her features. The gold of her green eyes almost looked as though it was shining. It took a moment for Shan to speak, and he wasn't sure how to answer her onslaught of questions. "Um," Shan said as an opening statement, "I'm sorry, I can't say off the top of my head. I mean, I could have known, probably, but I was a lot more interested in, um...Well, I'm sorry I can't tell you. But! But..." Shan said, hoping to stem any disappointment Vivianne was feeling, "I could ask my mother about them and, um, well, find out about them that way. I mean, I write to her a lot, and I could try to find out what I can, though I'm not sure how long it'll be until I get a reply, and I need to send that letter first, and it sometimes takes a while to get there, and then I don't know how to get back in contact with you to tell you I'm sorry I'm rambling." He took a deep breath. "But, yeah, um, if you aren't scared of witches, and you said you were taught by one so...they could maybe help you more with learning about skinsharing. And non-magical healing too, really. My mother's coven is rather big on not using magic if it isn't needed. That and tea. You'd have to expect tea if you go. I'd just need time to find out if they'd help. Sorry." |
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| Vivianne | Fri Sep 30, 2011 12:36 am Post #39 |
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The girl’s features crumpled a little with disappointment, although she managed to keep from looking outright sad. For some reason she had hoped that Shan would say that these ‘Borrowers’ were not only close companions, but nearby as well. That was obviously not the case. Vivi let go of the bard and stepped away, blushing slightly at her presumptiveness and rudeness. ”I-I’m sorry Shan! I did not m-mean to be rude… I’ve just never m-met someone who can a-a-also skinshare…” There was a wistful tinge to the admission, and she looked down at the ground with an odd expression that melded disappointment and discomfort. I have to find out… What did she mean by calling me an abomination? The druid had, undoubtedly, in her final moments recognized what Vivi was doing. She must have heard of skinsharing before, or even seen it in practice. Why would she call it an abomination when she had also altered the natural behavior of animals? The girl glanced up at her companions, Hermes and Hephaestus pushing through the undergrowth with Artemis perched on the dreadsnout’s back. She knew all of her animals like they were her siblings; she could tell their moods at a glance. Why would it be a crime to share their bodies and mind? It wasn’t like she imposed her will on them… Vivi listened carefully to Shan’s offer, nodding slowly. ”I would very much appreciate it, Shan… I think I need to meet these women.” For the girl, that was a huge understatement. Now that she was plagued with doubts she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to skinshare at the moment, a feeling she had never encountered before. ”I hate to ask you do do this… But could you introduce me to the… c-coven?” It sounded like Shan’s mother would have several answers that she needed. |
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| Shan Orison | Fri Sep 30, 2011 1:25 am Post #40 |
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Vivianne looked disappointed, and Shan couldn't blame her. He knew what it felt like to be the odd one out, and now he wished he had been more involved with his mother and her friends, but playing the fiddle had always taken precedence. Shan gave her a smile at her flustered apology and request. "It's okay. I guess I did drop that a bit too casually. I guess it really isn't seen as that common an ability, even among my mother's friends. I'll write to her, though, and ask for her help. I'd just take you over there, but its a ways away, and just dropping in with a guest might be rude...Don't worry. She's interested in magic of all kinds, and learning that someone learned borrowing-or skinsharing- independently is sure to spark her interest." He gave another nervous grin, hiding the idea that showing up at home after his abrupt departure with a beautiful woman in tow would certainly turn awkward. "Don't worry. They're nice people. They're just...rather strong personalities. But magic is a passion of theirs. I know that. Maybe you could even teach them a thing or two. "Um, if you could just give me a means of contacting you again...like an inn you frequent or if you just live in these woods...I'll let you know as soon as I get a reply from home about it. Alright?" Edited by Shan Orison, Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:21 pm.
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| Vivianne | Sat Oct 1, 2011 6:23 pm Post #41 |
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The girl nodded thoughtfully, trying to think of the best way for the bard to reach her. "I just live in the forest, and my home is rather hard to locate..." It was a rather big issue. Although Vivi still lived in the hut that Jeyne had left her, the girl had a habit of spending her nights out in the woods, curled up with her animals in some cave or copse of trees. Her foraging voyages could last for weeks, and she doubted that the musician could feed himself off of the land while he was waiting for her to return to the small, ill-supplied shack. Her face lit up as she realized that Shan had the prefect means of contacting her. She nodded to herself before sharing her revelation with the man. "Just play that sound I taught you in the woods... Any animal that hears it will recognize its power, and I'm sure I'll find out about it soon." Although she did not share a special connection with any specific creatures besides her trio of pets, word moved quickly throughout the woodland animals if one knew how to listen for it. "I should go... I need to make sure Heffy's wound is fine and make him rest." Vivi smiled shyly at Shan, her emerald eyes bright. "Shan... Thank you. This would have been impossible without you." The girl turned away without another word and walked into the underbrush, her green and brown attire fading into the surroundings within a minute. The three animals followed her silently, although Hephaestus did stop and snort happily at the bard before wandering off into the trees. Vivi scratched behind Hermes' ears as they walked, the feline purring softly in gratitude. Although she had tried to appear happy for the bard's sake, the girl was still disappointed that he had not known more about 'borrowing.' She wasn't entirely sure what to do now. Skinsharing was out of the question; every time she recalled the druid's tone when she whispered the word abomination her stomach tied itself into knots and she felt like throwing up. In this state she could not slip into the minds of her animals; they would sense her discomfort and it would probably only make matters worse. Vivi sighed heavily and continued through the forest, working her way down animal trails and paths so small they could barely be seen. Her shoulder was still sore, and maybe if she rested all of this mess would seem better in the morning... |
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5:11 PM May 22
