Closed A Child's Freedom [Cricket]

Curiosity doesn't always bring about bad situations...

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Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

A Child's Freedom [Cricket]

Postby Reven Heath on April 5th, 2014, 9:52 pm

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Day 76th of Spring, 514 A.V.

How strange it was that time seemed to slip so quickly past her, didn't the season just change? Reven experienced more than what she thought her life could handle within the Spring season yet, somehow, she was able to make it through okay. The Kelvic was content, peaceful, she was happy and in love with the man she sought after fiercely. Reven had a home at the Sanctuary, a family she cherished with many children she adored, and a job she enjoyed. She was so relaxed in her day to day life style that fear of the world around her began to dissipate. Strong and sturdy, the feline was, but she had changed from that to something more, someone deeper, intuitive, optimistic, a thinker of sorts. Her curiosities propelled her further into a world far different than the one she lived in and because of this, the Kelvic had been gifted with more than a bond and a family. Nysel, the God of dreams, looked upon her now with expectations that Reven committed herself to uphold even after death. Even Vanator took it upon himself to educate her on magic and bless her with the ability to manipulate it.

Reven was stronger than she was before.

This thought didn't persuade emotions of cockiness, or arrogance. She would not misuse the gifts she'd been given. Instead, the Kelvic viewed them more as powers to be wary of, burdens of sorts that could launch her into a world of darkness if use irresponsibly. Warnings were given to her, through and through, constantly reminding her of such dangers and for this, she was less inclined to venture into that other world. The world of Reimancy and Dreamwalking. Fear gripped her, not for the unknown but for the fact that Dira could easily take her life and that was something the feline refused to allow. Reven would not leave her family, could not leave her love, and wouldn't accept death until the goddess saw fit to rip Reven's very soul from her unnatural body. At this point, it didn't matter if it was the bond causing her to feel so tightly attached to her family, or the commitment she made to Kavala at knife point, but the cougar vowed to be reasonable with her gifts to ensure her life would continue on.

Normality was something Reven craved today. The recent, drastic changes she'd experienced in the past several weeks called for some vacation to regular, average life. It was a life she had been raised in, though the Kelvic struggled to make ends meet, a normal, day to day routine was something she missed. Not that she longed for such a life again, but at that point in time, everything the world was composed of was regular, where there were good days, bad days, meet and greets with Akalaks who questioned her about children, and animals and hunters that attempted to maim her out in the wilderness. Maybe not so much an average life, she thought, but it was ordinary. Without the knowledge that Gods and Goddess existed, truly. Or that magic, Res, existed.

Reven awoke that morning with the goal in mind to spend the day by herself, doing normal things. Like shopping, or reading a book, maybe even going for a walk. With a parting kiss to her bondmate, Reven ventured out of the Sanctuary toward Riverfall, a hunting knife strapped to her upper, right thigh while a small leather pack rested against her back. It was supplied with typical items, her coin purse, and some fruits and smoked meat, just in case the cougar had an urge to eat along the way. Dressed in a sleeveless leather vest with fitted cotton pants and boots, the cougar was out on the road before the fourteenth bell was struck.

It didn't take the Kelvic long to reach the main gates of Riverfall but before entering, she stopped upon seeing a crowd of people veering off toward the Orchards. Curious as to what could be so popular to attract attention, she bounded for the blooming trees. Coming up to them, however, it appeared that a small, outdoor gathering was taking place and if she looked closer, it seemed as if followers of a certain religion were there to worship. Indifferent, Reven turned to leave but paused, looking around the trees.

The cougar could sense there were animals around. She knew by the small scratches on the trunks and the tiny prints on the ground. There was another oddity, she found, where upon further inspection appeared a flaky, film-like substance, as if it were skin being brushed off the branches of the trees. Was that a snakes skin? Journeying deeper into the Orchards, Reven eyed the branches further till finally, she spotted one. Barely able to decipher the color of the snake between the blooming leaves of the branches, Reven could tell there was a very large serpent strung up upon natural wooden beams. It didn't look aggressive, from what she could tell, but nonetheless, it made her unease.

The feline guessed the snake was the reason hardly any animals were around the Orchards and if there was one, there were plenty more lurking in the quiet, pleasant shadows. Frowning, the Kelvic turned to leave, not wanting to remain in the Orchards any longer.
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A Child's Freedom [Cricket]

Postby Cricket on April 5th, 2014, 11:00 pm

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OOCI have changed the date to make it appropriate to accommodate Reven's leaving and still recover the character for new plans. Let me know if there are any problems with this.

26th of Spring, 514


The orchards were coming alive much sooner than she had anticipated that day. Tucked in her home tree, far enough away from civilization, a small beast lay curled behind the most luxurious of tails. Her body, as small and frail as it was, was completely covered by the natural blanket her body provided. The morning dew gathered on the tips of her hair, making it appear like she had not moved in bells. A shiver wracked her body, and droplets falling down as the creature stirred. Big, brown eyes peered out of the tree hole from underneath her tail. The sun was already up, and having no concept of time, Cricket was not even sure how long she had managed to a peaceful sleep.

Standing up, the squirrel teetered back and forth, stretching out her tense muscles. Then, rather rudely, her stomach reminded her she had not had a decent meal in some time. Moving to the entrance to her hollow, her curved nail reached for her neck. Crusty blood and matted clumps of fur greeted her, for the collar had always been a nuisance. She scratched absent mindedly for a time, until the scabs began to fall away and the pain started. Wincing, she pulled her little paw away, blood already clotting beneath her nails. Freedom had come with a price. With little knowledge on how to survive, little idea where she was other than in a small orchard, and no means to dig up the pack or remove the collar, it would not be long before Cricket wound up dead in her tree.

Sure footed, she descended the trunk of the tree to a nearby branch, walking along to the tip to see what the day was bringing. Already she was alarmed, noting a rather large gathering of the two legged creatures off to the west. They were still gathering, as more showed up. Curious, Cricket decided to go for a closer look.

The droplets on the grass jumped off their stalks as Cricket bounded off the trunk of the tree and headed to the gathering in graceful leaps. Up and down her little body bounced, forward and backward as she teetered and tottered from her back legs to her front legs. As she got closer, she moved up the nearest tree and began jumping between trees. Loose leave broke off and fluttered to the ground as her weight shifted from one branch tip to the other. Finally, she settled in a tree that she already deemed "too close" to the gathering, even if it was across from the road.

ImageBeautiful colors, tall and short people. They were unique in every way that Cricket could imagine. Which was not very much since sometimes she even questioned how much her pea-brain could compute. All she knew was that she could not understand and she really wanted to understand. It was the desperation to understand and to belong that made her incredibly frustrated. With this yearning, she began to absently scratch at her wounds again, her conscious trying to draw her back to reality. Before the pain seared through her body, a sudden movement caught her attention. Freezing, she watched a single two-legged creature venture into her territory.

Instinct told her to remain still and quiet. Curiosity trumped that rather quickly. Cricket followed at a distance, keeping to the trees. Apparently something had caught the woman's attention. Eventually the woman stopped, but Cricket kept going. In the new tree, she watched and watched. There was something strangely comforting about this person, but Cricket could not put her paw on it. She moved differently, far more fluidly than any of the children had when she had been locked in the bird cage. It was only a few short chimes before the woman was no longer interested and moved to turn away. That's when she felt it. The uncanny feeling that she was in trouble.

Turning, Cricket came face to face with the tree snake that the girl had been watching. Although she had zero clue as to what it was, she could tell the look in its eye was not a nice one. A high-pitched squeak escaped her as she backtracked down the the branch she had landed upon, haphazardly leaping to the tree she had been previously in. Her aim could have been better. Instead, she barely caught the tree branch with her two forelegs. There she swung, squealing in fright. What was that thing? Why did she get the feeling that it had wanted to eat her? Now, she was in a predicament.
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Last edited by Cricket on May 5th, 2014, 11:21 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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A Child's Freedom [Cricket]

Postby Reven Heath on April 6th, 2014, 3:04 am

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The trees were blossoming, leaves and petals drifting down freely with the wind while pollen swirled about in the air. The trees themselves were low, however, their branches extended a great distance out from the main trunk of the tree, nearly every branch entwining with the branches of the other tree. If Reven wanted to, she could reach up and pick at the budding leaves of a branch since most of them nearly brushed her scalp. The cougar was tall, several feet tall, and had no difficulty reaching for things others struggled to obtain.

She had started to walk away when a sudden noise paused her step and she stopped, listening, looking, watching. Did she hear a scream? Or was it a squeak? Frowning, she turned back, hazel eyes scanning the ground, the area around her, and the branches above. Instinct told her something stirred in her vicinity that she should have notice but Reven didn't see a thing. The Kelvic was about to turn and leave, feeling strange about the area, when suddenly a thin branch dropped down on her head causing her to look up. What was that? Another constrictor? Odd, the feline didn't think such a thing would try to attack her.

Reven was completely wrong. There, just an arms length away from her was what appeared to be a tiny, red squirrel hanging from a branch for dear life. Eyes gliding over, she could see the snake from earlier slowly moving across the branches, its eyes fixed on the small animal above her. The cougar didn't like interfering with the workings of nature. Survival of the fittest, that's what it was. If you could not defend yourself then you would be eaten alive. As the animal struggled, something shined off it's neck that made Reven squint. Did the creature have something around its throat?

The snake was just upon the red squirrel, examining it, knowing that the animal was stuck and preparing itself to strike when Reven saw a metal collar around the squirrel's neck. A collar. A shining, black metal collar... Her mind processed it slowly as the events that had taken place earlier in the season, when she had almost been kidnapped by traffickers, cycled through her mind. The cougar remembered having rope tied around her throat to prevent her from changing. Realization fell upon wide eyes as calloused hands reached out and latched onto the body of the squirrel, knowing full well she was opening herself up to be attacked by the smaller, tiny animal. The snake's body curled back just as Reven pulled the squirrel away from the branch, saving the small animal.

Turning, her feet took her away from the snake. Reven was sure if she didn't move a small distance away, the constrictor would persist to make a meal of the twitchy, red squirrel. Holding the small rodent away from her as a precaution, the cougar looked closer at its neck and confirmed that it was indeed a collar. Either this was someone's pet or this was a Kelvic slave... Sadly, Reven was hoping the squirrel was someone's pet.

“Hey,” She called to the animal softly, hoping it would continue to act like the feral rodent it was. Her heart would break if this little squirrel, still almost a baby, was indeed a Kelvic, “It's okay, it's okay.”

Reven could see caked, clotted blood around its neck and knew it had tried to get the collar off, or remove it somehow, but was miserably unsuccessful. The raw flesh could have gotten infected at this point and, if Reven didn't do something, she knew the squirrel would start to get sick within the next few days. Her hands opened up to release the squirrel, hoping it would act as any normal animal would and scurry away from her, but if it stayed, Reven would settled down onto her knees and begin looking over the metal collar. “It's okay,” She would coo again, trying to settle the animal, “It's alright, be still, it's okay...”

Predator hazel eyes would look on at the squirrel, the cougar's presence obviously dominating but Reven tried to relax away from that. She didn't want to scare the creature. The collar would make it sick and she needed to get it off. Thin, calloused fingers picked the tiny animal up close to her eyes so she could better inspect the collar's lock. It looks as if the latch to release the clasp had been broken at some point. Quickly sliding the knife from her thigh, Reven would bring it close to the squirrels neck, fighting around the animal if it felt the need to fend off her hands and the knife, before she would attempt to wedge the point of the knife into the clasp and pop it open.

If the squirrel would allow her, the collar would spring open, blood that was caked to the metal band slowly pulling away from its skin, possibly tugging at scabs that might have been stuck to its neck. Reven would gently help the metal contraption off of the squirrel's throat before settling the animal onto her lap. “See, not as bad as you thought.” The Kelvic mumbled, sliding her backpack off her shoulder to see if there was any water to clean the squirrel's neck with. Reven wasn't sure if the animal was Kelvic or not and proceeded as if she was dealing with a regular animal from the Sanctuary. After a chime, she would begin to clean the tiny rodent's neck with a damp cloth. “Ugh, how the petch did you get that on your neck..?” It was a rhetorical question that she expected no answer to.
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A Child's Freedom [Cricket]

Postby Cricket on April 6th, 2014, 5:26 pm

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This feeling that was welling up inside of her made her incredibly uncomfortable, and somewhat nauseous. Fear had gripped her, and practically paralyzed her as the snake moved from the tree for its easy meal. If she had been asked what she was feeling, she would not know how to verbalize it, being so young and under-educated. All she knew was that she did not like it. Just when she thought her life was over and she was going to be snake chow, two very ominous shadows covered her.

Yanked from the tree, a new fear gripped her. What was going on? What happened to the light? Her squeals multiplied, but she was too frail to lash out at her new cage. Just when she was getting used to the darkness and the bumping up and down, the light shattered her world again. Instinctively, she curled up into a ball, sheltering her eyes with her fluffy tail. A noise, one that sounded like the words the children from the caravan used, caused her to peak her nose out from under her tail. Unfurling her tail just a little bit more as the two legged creature settled down to inspect the squirrel, she observed her captor some more.

The eyes told her she should run. Such predatory eyes, very similar to the snake that had wanted to feast upon her body, made her slightly uneasy. Once she had a good overview of her captor, she realized this had been the woman she had been following. The one that strangely looked different than normal humans. Of course, she still couldn't place her paw on why she was different. Sitting up, she flicked her tail around, looking around to see where they had gone. Thankfully, they were still in the orchard. It took her a moment to figure out how far from her home tree she was, but she was able to do it. Finally, she looked back up with those sunken eyes of her. What greeted her was the point of a dagger.

Naivety was probably her saving grace. She had seen these daggers mostly do great things. Having never seen death, fighting, or blood other than from her own incessant scratching, she did not know how dangerous the weapon was. So she waited, wondering what her captor was going to do. The point advanced, poking into the collar's lock. There was a brief increase in tension as it worked the lock. Then suddenly, it popped open. While her captor was working it off her neck, Cricket was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

Freedom.

She did not care that it hurt as it was pried from her skin, scabs and fur falling away with the collar. Cricket most certainly did not care as fresh blood sprang up from the open wounds, dribbling down into fresh fur. All she cared about was the taste of freedom - true freedom - for the first time in her life. A squeal of excitement left her mouth, and she bounced around her captors hand. Front legs to back legs and back legs to front legs, she was absolutely wired on life.

Sadly, the cool water brought her back to reality, the pain singing up her neck. Cricket shied away from the cloth, resistant to the coolness that was sparking the fresh pain. Danger did not seem to be an issue anymore, but Cricket wanted out now. So, she jumped from the woman's hand to the ground, joining her iron collar. She sniffed the contraption a moment before lifting it up. Had it always been that heavy? Cricket let it go momentarily, before trying to drag it towards her home tree.

Then, she got a devious idea. Maybe she could convince her new found "friend" to bring it to her home for her. Again, naivety was not helping her protect her secrecy and identify, but obviously she did not care. Taking a few bounds away from the collar in the direction of her home tree, she looked back and offered a squeak. Essentially, a follow me if you would. Then she bounded back, tugging on the collar and again left in the direction of her home tree. Another insistent squeak said 'Follow me and bring that thing with you.'

Without even waiting, Cricket bounded off, doing her graceful leaps. She was practically flying. Even though her malnourished, extremely frail self should not be able to pick up this kind of speed, her sheer joy compelled her home. This was probably the happiest she had been in her life.
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A Child's Freedom [Cricket]

Postby Reven Heath on April 8th, 2014, 9:09 pm

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Every tick that past only further confirmed her suspicions that she was dealing with more than just a helpless, baby squirrel. The animal was too still, too calm in the hands of its captor to be something of a pet. No creature this young could act so... civilized while a weapon was upon them. Even when she popped the clasp open and cleaned away at the wound, the squirrel was fidgeted, but remained. Reven was tempted to see the creature off and walk away. She wasn't sure if she could handle another sad story, much like her own. A bastard child, unloved and forgotten...

Reven kept the squirrel close, even as it tried to climb out of her lap. The damp rag was upon the creature against, taking time to clean the scabs and the fresh blood that was starting to sprout from reopened wounds. Gently, softly, she took care to dab and press much like she had done to her own wounds. The squirrel would have scars around its neck for the rest of its life, Reven could tell. An unfortunate mark from such a simple thing as a metal.

Finally, her calloused hands release the creature and pulled her pack to her, stuffing the rag back to were she kept it. Hazel eyes fell onto red fur, watching as the squirrel twitched and sniffed, whiskers shaking as its nose took in the scent of its own blood and flesh. It would pause, smelling, then jitter closer, halting again, sniffing. It was odd, the way it moved and roused a small chuckle from the Kelvic woman.

“Go on.” Reven tried to wave the squirrel off, “Go.”

But it would not. Instead, the red colored creature grabbed onto the collar as if inspecting it, another oddity that proved the animal was most likely a Kelvic. Then it started dragging it. Reven raised a brow at this before reaching her hand out to pluck the collar from the squirrel, eyes narrowed, “Hmm...”

Its movements were sporadic as it bounded off for a brief moment before returning to the cougar, beckoning Reven with squeaks and noises, its tail twitching. She knew it then, when the squirrel tried desperately to get her to follow. Words were caught in her throat as the smaller Kelvic took off, not waiting any longer for the cougar. Cursing, she hauled her backpack up and followed after the squirrel, hazel eyes watching it quite easily as Reven jugged to keep up with it.

Running after the red furry animal was a slight challenge for the cougar. She didn't move as fast in her human form as she did when shifted and was out of breath by the time she reached the creature. “Wait..! Stop..!” Pushing a hand back into her hair to tame her messy mane, Reven spotted the creature, calling to it, “Little one, come back. I know what you are... How old are you?”

She didn't know how to approach the younger Kelvic but Reven tried her best to be gentle. It's wound still needed attention, “You're hurt... Change and let me talk to you, I promise I mean you no harm.” Her hand was still wrapped around the collar, offering it back to the squirrel. “Do you want this? It's not safe in these trees, especially for you, little one. There are many more snakes than that one and I can tell you're not strong enough to escape them all.”

Pausing, Reven waited, coaxing the squirrel, “My name is Reven. Would you mind telling me yours?”

The cougar wished she had brought Cadra or Larik along, another Kelvic who was use to dealing with young children. From its appearance, the squirrel was still a baby, not even mature which brought on another concern. Had it bonded yet? Growing up with Mutaldi hanging over her shoulder, Reven understood that bonding at a young age was a problem. She ventured to think that she knew why, but wasn't completely sure. Nevertheless, this tiny Kelvic would have to come back to the Sanctuary with her, if it would.
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A Child's Freedom [Cricket]

Postby Cricket on April 9th, 2014, 3:05 am

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Cricket was flying across the orchard, not really knowing just how fast she was going and how slow the human was going in comparison. Several trees later, Cricket saw her home tree. Picking up the pace, she sprinted up the trunk, dashing into the nest she had called home. After rolling around in excitement on her bed, finally freed from the contraption, she poked her head back out to find her new friend huffing and puffing at the base of the tree. The woman was speaking, and it took her a moment to remember what words were. Slowly, she deciphered what was going on. Having been talked to through the cage often and been unable to reply back, she knew this woman was asking her for things she was not sure she could give. Slowly, gripping the trunk with her curled talons, she crawled down the trunk.

Now, somewhat more wary then she had been because clearly this person knew that she was more then just an animal, Cricket stayed close to the base of the tree. Reven, a few small steps away, was not holding out the wretched collar for her. Maybe the woman was like her, or maybe she was another captor. Now that she knew what Cricket was, or had a good suspicion of what she was, Cricket wasn't necessarily keen on getting close to the collar. What if the woman planned on putting it back on? Cricket had just attained her freedom. She was not going to give it up easily.

Reven. Her name was Reven. Cricket thought back, wondering what a name was briefly. Had it really been that long since she had been out of contact with real people? She took a couple of hesitant steps forward, but a sudden movement caused her to flee. A bird had snapped a branch, causing it to fall into a pile of leaves. With hair standing on end, Cricket dashed around the side of the tree so Reven could not see her.

Then, she did something she had not done in a long time. She allowed herself to change. The warmth she had always felt deep within her seemed to glow as she permitted the change. For a moment, she closed her tiny squirrel eyes. When she opened them, she was staring at human hands. She squinted, trying to get used to the amount of light she was suddenly taking in. Shifting, she became aware of how different the grass felt on her naked backside. The trunk was rough against her back, and the open wounds on her neck seemed to flow more freely with the change. Moving her hands to get a good look at them, she realized just how dirty she was. Her hair was tangled, almost matted in some areas where it had possibly been in contact with the blood. Somehow, every inch of her was covered in dirt.

"...Would you mind telling me yours?”

The words were quiet, much quieter then before when she had been a small mammal. Taking in a deep breath, Cricket moved onto all four, crawling out so Reven could see her. Naked and dirty, Cricket looked incredibly pathetic. Maybe slightly less so then when she had been an innocent squirrel, but she was not too far off. It took her a moment, as she tested her lips with her tongue. Wetting them, she looked at Reven almost guiltily, as if something was wrong with her standing on all fours in the nude.

"Cricket," was all she said.

She let that sink in for a moment, before turning to the base of the trunk. Cricket back to claw and pull at the grass and dirt, as if she were digging for something important.
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A Child's Freedom [Cricket]

Postby Reven Heath on April 11th, 2014, 3:07 am

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It was only a matter of time before the Kelvic woman witness the familiar light of transformation behind the trunk of the tree. She smiled softly and waited for the child to come around to her but after several ticks, Reven wondered if they had run off. Nonsense, she would have heard them, seen them, do so. Then, just as she was about to round the tree, red, loose, wild hair poked out slowly. The cougar halted in her step, not wanting to alert the child and scare them back into their animal form. She needed them to stay, to trust her, so she could help them.

Then the child came around to her. Cougar not knowing how to feel, Reven braced herself for the emotions that invaded her upon the sight of the Kelvic girl. She had been a slave, that much was apparent by the collar she was discovered with. In human form, the markings around her neck appeared as deep cuts, most likely from her nails. The feline needed to check the girls nails... Did she break them open? Were they not properly sharpened? What about the wound? Was it infected? All of these questions made valid reasons why Reven needed to convince the child to come with her.

Overwhelming need to care for the little girl fell onto the woman's shoulders. Reven suppose it was because of her own upbringing and the fact that neither her mother loved her nor her caretaker wanted to claim her. She had been alone just like the little Kelvic, only the child was placed into much worse than what Reven experienced.

Slavery...

She hated it, loathed it, the Kelvic woman didn't feel the need or want to understand it and its existence.

Attention on the young girl, Reven bent down to her level, leaving comfortable distance between the two. The young Kelvic was naked, something Reven was accustom to but understood it was inappropriate to be in the nude, especially this close to the city. She needed to find something for the girl to wear...

Crouched down, the child picked at grass till she spoke her name for Reven. Cricket. So that was her name? Such an odd one...

“Nice to meet you, Cricket. Do you remember how you got here?” She asked softly, watching her. “Is there anyone that's looking after you? Maybe they have some clothes for you?”

Reven sincerely hoped there was no one looking after Cricket because, if so, she would need to bring Vanator along to keep her from throwing punches at the person. What person would leave a child to fend for themselves?! Especially in such a place where there was hardly any food and lots of predators around to gobble Cricket up for breakfast. The child must have been quick on her feet, however, if she survived this long in the Orchard.

“How long have you been here for? Did you have anything else other than this thing?” Reven was still holding onto the tiny collar, gesturing to it, “Would you like this back now?”
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A Child's Freedom [Cricket]

Postby Cricket on April 11th, 2014, 3:31 am

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The vast number and complexity of questions made her head hurt. Instead of responding with her limited vocabulary, she shook her head vigorously to the first set of questions. As far as she was concerned, she knew she came from a pair of Kelvic parents, and was sold a group of people. The one girl she was supposed to make happy was not happy with her, and a savior came and released her. If she was lucky, no one would ever come looking for her, and she could thank that little boy for that if she ever did see him again.

Plucking more vibrantly at the dirt, she began to actually dig a hole at the base of the tree. She remember that the boy had left a gift for her down beneath her home tree, and she wondered if there was anything in it of value. Her fingers were sore and bloody from having spent so much time scratching her neck. Cricket slowed down in her digging, looking up to Reven when she mentioned having something else.

"Bag." She stammered out rather forcefully, going back to rooting around at the base of the tree. With or without Reven's help, she would continue digging until she found the rucksack. As soon as she did, she would pull at it, loosening the ground; however, she was too weak to pull it from the hole without all the dirt. Exhausted, she fell back onto her naked rump. Sweat lined her brow and she panted rapidly from her exertion to get the bag out. When she remembered, Cricket reached over and took the collar from wherever Reven had placed it. She held it tightly in her hand, the sticky and clotted blood squishing between her fingers as she clutched it. It would serve as a constant reminder for her captivity, the cruelty she had suffered by women and children.

It was then she realized that Reven was a woman. Even if she had helped her remove the collar, there was no knowing what would happen now. Fear, one of the basic instincts she had and knew very well. Suddenly there was a new fire in her chest. Yanking the back out of the dirt with new found strength, she started running in any direction away from the woman. She would not be captured again. The orchard blew past her and she only stopped long enough to dig through the bag and put on an over-sized shirt. Then, she headed for the city where she might be able to find a better place to hide.

OOCReven has left Mizahar. I have rewritten this post so that I can recover and change the character. The time stamp has been changed! Just pay attention to that in my first post.
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Race: Kelvic
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A Child's Freedom [Cricket]

Postby Gossamer on June 19th, 2014, 5:51 am

XP AWARD!
Thanks for threading in Riverfall.



Character: Cricket
Experience: Climbing +2, Observation +2, Planning +2
Lore: Being Wounded, Having a Kelvic Collar, Having a Kelvic Collar Removed, Reven: A Kelvic who rescued her from a tree snake, Being Interrogated

Additional Note: I tried to award what I could. The thread had a cute premise, but not much content and there was a lack of detail to award skills too.

Please remember even though your PC is a Kelvic, without Wilderness Survival there’s no way she can survive on her own with five points in the skill. So you couldn’t, for instance, say you were living in a tree in an orchard, and have that be a way the child could survive. The writeup on Wilderness Survival is clear in those regards.

Also please remember Kelvics always know other Kelvics.

It is likely since your character had wounds received from being collared and other wounds that were bloody and matted, unless you got treatment you’d be rather sick by now from infection.

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