Closed The Dynamic Duo Part 1 (Rhy)

[Gianne Basete]

11th Day of Fall, 512 AV Late Morning The Sanctuary She was hunched over uncomfortably, Gill's right front hoof wedged firmly between her thighs. Gianne dug fiercely with a hoof pick she was borrowing, trying to scrape out the little stone that was stuck underneath the gelding's shoe. He stood leaning calming, pressing his weight against her side. That wasn't making things easy, and she'd tried several times to shove him upright. "Stand up straight!" But he wasn't budging. So she took the pressure grudgingly, shooting him baleful glances out of the corner of her eye. She dug a little harder, hearing the continuous scrape and click of metal on stone. The blasted pick just wouldn't catch. Unhappily she realized she was going to have to remove the shoes. Of course she could just have them reset later; they were in good shape, but it was still bothersome. She carefully set down his hoof and took the leadrope that had been wrapped loosely around a post, led him to the round pen and let him loose inside. As she went back to return the pick and get a pair of pulloffs, he meandered to the middle of the pen and rolled in the dirt, kicking up a cloud with a few violent thrashes and tosses of his body. When she returned he was smeared with dust. Gianne stopped and stared at him in dismay, then threw up her hands in exasperation. "You love giving me more work don't you?" she complained to him when she entered the pen. He peered at her calmly, of course not answering. "A horse of few words," she mumbled, picking up one of his front feet. She gripped the shoe on his hoof with the pulloffs, holding his foot tightly between her thighs. She squeezed the handles with some effort, making the sharp teeth of the tool pry underneath the iron. She did this all the way around the shoe until it was nice and loose, then yanked it off and set his newly naked hoof down. Gianne repeated this with each shoe, then examined the little rock that had been lodged underneath the last. It was flat and rounded, and she didn't really know how it had gotten stuck up in there, but it had. She tossed it over her shoulder without a second thought and gathered the discarded shoes. Then she went to put the pulloffs back, and went to her room to store the shoes for reuse at a later time. He would be fine without them. She sat on the edge of her bed to go through a mental check list. Rhy and her were supposed to go camping; a two day trip. The idea excited her immensely. Not much time had been spent with the Kelvic since the first day they'd met, and she was surprised by how much she missed her. What should she take? Gianne went through the items in her mind for a while until she thought she had it all down. Rhy could be here at any time; it wasn't set in stone, so she gathered up what was in her room that she'd be taking and jogged back outside. Then she fetched Gill's tack and set it out to start packing the gear. In the saddlebags she stored extra clothing and provisions, trying to balance the packs as much as she could. She decided a half food half clothing distribution should work. Her small tent and bedroll were tied on the back of the saddle behind the cantle. Rope was slung over the pommel, her bow was tied in its own place close to where her leg would be, and then Gianne decided to tie her lute on as well. Some practice and entertainment would be welcome when sitting next to the fire. The rest was packed into her backpack. At the last second she remembered her fishing kit. She ran back to her room to fetch it then tied it down on top of her tent and bedroll on the back of the saddle. Hands on her hips, she stared down at the the gear attached to the saddle and backpack setting on the seat. Seemed like that was everything. Now all Gianne needed to do was wait, so she fetched a brush and old rag to groom Gill with. As she drug the stiff bristles across his body he hung his head lower, automatically relaxing. His weight shifted to one foot as he slouched, and she smiled. "You're such a big baby," she crooned to him, scratch his neck as she scrubbed at his hide. Once his body had been brushed she wiped it down with the rag, taking off the rest of the dust and smoothing his hair out so it gleamed. After taking the items back and once again returning to the round pen, she clambered slowly up onto the railing and sat to wait. Other workers milled about, doing their duties or just moving to another building, and she called hellos or waved when they greeted her along the way.

[Rhy]

Rhy is late. She had wanted to burst through Gianne's door at the crack of dawn to begin their little journey. But she had fallen asleep under an apple tree in the Orchard, and woken up hours after she should have. Then there was the task of washing, dressing, and retrieving her goods from their hiding place in a freshly dug hole in what would eventually be the Sanctuary's gardens. Now, despite her fervent protests, Syna is making her way across the sky at what she can tell is record speed. But thankfully there is only one obstacle left, unfortunately it is also the hardest. "Clear off! Sorry guys I'm not here to stay- Eh! Move aside! What is wrong with you!" One hand held in front of her, Rhy attempts to fend off the Sanctuary's dogs as she makes her way to the horses paddocks. They really are a friendly pack, and she holds good repore with them, but the hand above her head holds her well worn backpack. She has already established a long time ago that this pack is hers, and she would tolerate no one else getting their dirty paws on it without swift retaliation. So, naturally, they all want it. "Ink, I'm getting through this courtyard whether you want me to or not and if you so much as naw on my hand I will swipe every piece of kibble Kavala gives you and replace it with the chicken feed!" Ink, easily the largest dog in the lot as the only male Imperial Watcher, dances around her and makes teasing attempts to swipe the precious bag. And all Rhy can do about it is make half hatred attempts to push away his massive muzzle and hiss like an angry goose. The words might be lost on him, but the intent stands out like the snake in the birds nest. And growing up as the largest dog in the pack comes with some established hierarchy. With a snappy bit of aggression the large dog stops directly in her path with the high, set posture you can only get from show dogs and alphas. Rhy, trying to shake off the grabby little Ghost Dog that found the hem of her breeches, runs straight into him. There is an audible 'oof' as the dogs thick nose gets her squarely in that soft spot below her rib cage, and an almost immediate cry of rage as one of the Imperial bitches takes the opportunity to make off with the backpack from her loosened grip. "I will END YOU!" she barks, now thoroughly enraged. And rightly so, that bag contains absolutely everything she owns. "Give that back or I will be replacing your kibble with gods-damed salad for the rest of your life!" The bitch, immediately recognized as Inavi, does a two step dance and tosses her head with canine victory. And recognizing the tone of Rhy's voice, lowers herself to playful bow that says, quite clearly, 'come and get it'. Late, frustrated and bristling with the bold lack of respect (something she will rectify immediately once she's back, she promises herself) she doesn't even hesitate before throwing herself at the massive dog. Despite Inavi being an easy two-hundred pounds of alert, tense muscle, she is caught completely off guard at the suddenness of it and can't even get up before Rhy flattens her. This dog could plow a full grown Akalak to his back and trip a horse without breaking stride, but dogs are notoriously bad wrestlers. Something Rhy knows intimately and makes great use of. A massive cloud of dirt and a volley of excited barking from the pack heralds a brief but furious brawl. Rhy latches both arms around the dogs neck and both legs squeeze at her ribs as she goes for a bite to the scruff of her neck. The bitch bucks and withers like a wounded deer in a vain attempt to break the hold. Every time she tries to get up Rhy pitches her weight to the side and sends her sprawling again. And when she rolls over her back to try and crush her Rhy just holds on tighter, since a dogs spine is placed in such a way that makes it impossible to actually lay on their back, even with a human as a backrest. The spat could have gone on longer, but a charge and sudden deep, booming bark from Ink makes them stop. He doesn't like anyone getting rough. Rhy immediately lets go and Inavi gets to her feet, and just like that it was as if it never happened. Tongue lolling and tail low and sweeping in calm contentment Inavi joins her mate, and the rest of the dogs only keep a low key interest in Rhy. Well pacified and her pent up frustration released, Rhy sets the same example and sweeps up her bag and leaves the courtyard at a trot; completely and blissfuly obstruction free. Maybe establishing her own rank won't be that hard after all. A few minutes later she is traversing the winding paths between the paddocks on the lookout for Gianne. And its not long before she spots her perched on the railing and offering a friendly wave to a worker. "Gianne!" She calls in a way of greeting and, jogs the rest on the way to her. Rhy's freshly washed clothes all seem to be covered in a generous layer of red dust, and her hair sits like a stack of hay in what used to be a neat braid. All and all she looks like she was dragged here behind a team of Seme's, but she's smiling wide and glowing as she meets her friend.

[Gianne Basete]

Her head raised at the sound of her name, eyebrows knit together curiously. She looked around for the source and had to double take to spot Rhy. She was finally here. Gianne's face split with a giant smile as the girl jogged up, and she dropped down off the rail to meet her. Without a second thought she yanked the Kelvic into a tight hug, picking her scrawny companion off the ground in delight. "I've missed you!" she felt the need to say, then held her out at arm's length to look at her. "How have you be-" But cut off mid sentence. "What the petch happened to you?" Gianne asked, making an extreme effort not to laugh. Rhy was covered with dirt, and her hair was an absolute mess. She had to cover her mouth to bottle up the snort that almost burst out. Then she caught sight of her own sleeve; it had some of the dirt on it too. Fearing the worst, Gianne looked down at her clothing. "Shyke!" Dirt from Rhy had transferred down her whole front during the hug. And then she burst into laughter. Gill snorted as if to say, I'm not supposed to get dirty, but when you do it's all nice and funny? Hypocrite. She smiled again at Rhy while she dusted herself off, managing to get most of the dirt taken care of. There hadn't been a whole lot. "Sorry, I'm just in a really good mood today. I'm excited about our little trip. I actually thought you'd be here sooner, but that's no problem. I'm already packed I just need to get Gill saddled and we can head out." There was an excited light in her eyes, like a little fire. "Come here for a tick and let me clean you up a little. Heading out filthy will make things uncomfortable." Gianne motioned for Rhy to sit next her saddle, and she crouched to grab her waterskin that was lying on top of it. She also fetched her comb and brush from inside her backpack. Experimentally she shook the waterskin; it was pretty full but would need filled before they left. Then she took the stopper off the top using her teeth and held it in the corner of her mouth. When Rhy sat she poured a little water in her hands and began to wipe away the dirt smeared on her face. It took a few minutes because she went out of her way to make sure all of it was taken off. Then Gianne wiped her hands on her pants and examined the Kelvic's disastrous braid. "You don't mind if I redo that for you do you? It's going to bother me seeing you look all... rumpled," she said with another smile, her voice distorted and muffled from talking around the cork between her teeth.

[Rhy]

Apparently Gianne feels the same way. A tremendous greeting is dispensed on the grinning Kelvic, bringing with it the sent of scorched cinnamon and clean horse that the she is quickly beginning to associate with the human. "Ha! I missed you too." A kiss to her forehead confirms this. "What happened? I just sacrificed my sanity and risked life and limb trying to get through the courtyard. Dogs," she says knowingly, rolling her eyes with a smile. Gianne bades her sit and Rhy crumples into a cross-legged pose that just serves to kick up more dust. And with her tongue lolling she submits to the gentle cleaning under the humans hands. A languid smile tugs at the corner of her lips as her eyes close reflexively. She has always liked the human touch in either form. "Hmm? Sure," she laughs with the lightness of it as Gianne asks to redo her hair. Its such a silly, girlish thing they are doing. But she is secretly thrilled that she is being cared for in this small way. With sure hands she reaches behind her head and unravels her braid. Her hair immediately springs to life once out of its bounds. Thick tangles of ringlets and soft flyaways reach her mid-back, all coated with that same red dust. She's always been particularly fond of her hair, thick and soft as it is, but its never been very manageable. She quickly passes a hand over her scalp, feeling the cackling of the tangled mess. "Good luck with this", she adds sheepishly, trying to discreetly run her fingers through the mess. She turns her back on Gianne to allow her better access to her hair, and pulls off her own shirt to better beat it clean again. "And can I hitch a ride with Gill too? Im not overly thrilled with running to that crater. It'll take a good two to three hours on a horse, but four hours for me if I attempted to run it." The shirt is laid against her knees and she tries to brush it back into that clean white colour it was this morning. "And we better hurry if we want to keep the daylight", she shoots a impish glance over her shoulder. "Lets make the most of your vacation. How did you get it anyway? Its not like there is a work shortage here."

[Gianne Basete]

Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she flashed a crooked smile. Rhy turned her back and let loose the mass of hair tumbling down her back, and it crackled with electricity as she tried to run her fingers through it. Gianne raised her eyesbrows and heaved a little sigh at the sight, not realizing it was going to be that bad. "Shouldn't take too long," she mumbled, setting the brush aside and starting in with her comb at the very ends of Rhy's hair. Gianne spoke up again as she gently picked at the locks, slowly untangling them from the bottom up. "I should have guessed that all that racket was your doing. I heard them barking, but I didn't put two a two together." Her smile grew at the thought of Rhy fending off the energetic pack of Sanctuary hounds. She picked at a particularly stubborn snarl, brows furrowing in concentration. As it came loose she combed higher into the mess. Already the bottom half was done, ready to be went through with the brush. "Of course you can ride along. I can't have you being so tired when we get there that you nap the whole time. You can sit behind the pack tied on the back of the saddle, but you'll have to wrap your arms around me." Then she paused, considering the question of her two days off. "Well, you could say this is a mini mental vacation. We did almost get killed by wolves over the summer after all, and I didn't take a break after that. Went right back to work. So this is more of a much delayed period of RNR." Gianne glanced over Rhy's shoulder at the shirt she was dusting off. It obviously wasn't white anymore. "So," she said very casualy, "who won that battle?" If the Kelvic could see her face she would notice that her lips were quivering with a suppressed smile, making it obvious that she was joking. But her voice was level and completely devoid of any sarcasm. The combing process was now done. Rhy's hair was in much better shape than before, but still exceedingly dusty. Feeling a need to have the girl extra clean, she made her tilt her head back then poured some water into her hair, letting it get soaked to wash out all the red dirt. She carefully went through it with the brush then, getting out the rest of the tangles as well as quite a bit of the water. With skilled fingers she redid the braid. This was an easy thing for her to do; she braided her own hair all the time. Then, feeling a little inspired she coiled it up and knotted it into a bun. This would keep the wet hair off of her shirt once she put it back on. Funny how after their first meeting Gianne was so quickly getting used to seeing Rhy's naked skin. She quickly stored her brushes back into her backpack then stood and brushed off her dusty hind end. "Well," she said with an air of finality, "how about we get ready and head out? Like you said, we don't want to waste daylight. Plenty to do today. Find a site, set up camp, hunt down some meat, etc. etc. I've only packed some bread, fruit, and cheese. If we don't have any luck hunting I have my fishing gear packed to bring along so I'll try and catch something." Gianne held out a hand to help Rhy up. "Sound good to you?"

[Rhy]

"I won, obviously" Rhy simpers victoriously, rolling her head back as Gianne prompts. The tangles worked out and brushed clean, there is a tugging sensation as the woman works to rebraid her hair, and wrap it around the back of her head in a coil. Rhy hands automatically reach behind her to explore the work with her fingers. "Thanks, its lovely," she intones brightly. Once done she gets up with a bit more pep then you would usually find on her this early in the morning. And after one last shake of her shirt she wrestles back into it and ties it about her waist. "Alright! Lets go. And you don't need more water, I know exactly where I'm going. There is water aplenty there." She remembers well, few weeks ago she had stumbled on a crater a few hours outside Riverfall while tracking deer. It had impressed her immediately and she's eager to get back and explore it. As she remembers it, its deep and almost perfectly circular, with strange rock formations protruding from the bowl and low, stubby trees. A small lake (or big pond) bubbled up from the lowest point, maybe sourced by an underground source, but she wasn't sure. She sweeps her backpack up from where she dropped it and slings it over Gill's back and secures it into place. And once Gianne is on, she climbs up after her behind the packs. This is only the second time she has been on a horse, and isn't really sure what to do with herself. She grips Gills' side hard with her knees, but swings her bare feet up behind her to hook over the horses rump to check her balance. Next throwing her arms around Giannes waist a holding a little harder then is completely necessary. "If you have any riding tips now is the time to give them", she mumbles into the woman's hair.

[Gianne Basete]

Once Rhy had her backpack secured Gianne moved forward to mount. She slipped a foot into the stirrup and hoisted herself up easily, re-straightening the saddle once she was seated. Then Rhy clambered up. Gill stood placidly despite having someone climbing all over his hindquarters, which he got a stroke on the neck for. "Good boy," she murmured, then looked back to grin at her companion. "Okay, you need to relax. Your body is too tense and if he would stumble or spook you're going to come right off like a salted leech. Don't hold onto either of us so tightly, just loosen up and feel his movements. Keep your hips nice and supple. I don't care how you've got your legs that's fine for where you're sitting, especially since you've got me to hold on to if you feel like you're slipping. You're going to be just fine." She adjusted the girl's arms her so they were looped securely around her ribcage. "Ready now?" she inquired absently, tapping Gill's sides lightly with her to send him into a walk. At the horse gate she unlatched it without dismounting and had him sidepass against it, pushing it open. Then she did the same to close it, latching the lock securely back in place again. "Off we go," she called in a singsong voice to no one in particular. Gianne inquired the direction of the crater just to be sure then checked Gill's position, turning his head the right way. She tapped his sides twice and he tossed his head, breaking into a slow trot the speed of a human jog. She looked over her shoulder quickly to make sure Rhy hadn't already come unglued because of the faster gait, then satisfied that she was fine, looked back ahead. This gait could be kept up for very long time, and would eat away the miles faster than people might think. And that's just what happened. They passed over grassland, through a portion of the forest, then again grassland. Gill kept up the pace easily, though every bell Gianne would give him a break to walk out and occasionally stop to let him eat for a few chimes. Once Gianne was sure she saw a line of riders on the horizon, most likely Drykas because they were moving at the very alarming speed that only their Striders could hope to reach. They appeared to be chasing something equally fast, but she couldn't be sure. Too far away. So again she focused on the destination. It wasn't too long after the Drykas sighting that they reached it, thanks much to the guidance from Rhy when Gianne would get off course. She reigned Gill in close to the edge of the bowl and raised her eyebrows, impressed by the sight. It was... well, it was a crater. "Wonder what formed it?" She couldn't see the bottom where the sloping walls ended. Trees grew all around them then also down into the depression. They were shorter inside the crater, like chubby children surrounded by soaring adults. Gianne eyed the odd rocks that stuck out of the crater's slopes, all strange but seemingly natural. "Quite the location you have picked, Rhy," she mumbled, urging her gelding a little closer. After so far down everything ended up cloaked in shadow. It was a little past full day now, so they'd better get started else evening and then darkness would quickly be upon them. "Dismount. I don't want to risk him tripping on this slope while carrying the both of us." Once Rhy was off she followed, swinging heavily to the ground with a low groan. Walking would be very good now to stretch her legs. "Wouldn't happen to know a good spot already to set up camp would you?"

[Rhy]

Soft posture, supple hips. Rhy repeats the instructions like a mantra, occasionally checking her balance on Gianne's waist and shoulders. But when Gianne clicks Gill into a faster gait and it seems as if the entire shape of the horse shifts. Demanding that she sit in a different position lest she sacrifice her tailbone to the suddenly bouncing gelding. She sits as straight as she dares, and learns to lean from side to side with his movements from watching Gianne's hips. The ride immediately becomes much smoother. Still not her favourite way to travel, but she's learning. They don't talk much on the journey, other then Rhy giving brief instructions for course changes, but its not a heavy silence. Its an incredibly natural companionship. One Rhy hasn't felt in a long time. The hours pass quickly in a landscape of grass and forest until they reach the crater. "I'm not sure what made it", Rhy responds to Gianne's question, looking thoughtful. "You can find these all over the Cyphrus if you know where to look. But I bet some of them have turned into dangerous pools of dijed since the spring storm." Rhy's dismount is just as graceless as her mounting, now with the added bar of a bruised seat and bowleggedness. But she manages somehow and pats Gills flank in a silent thank you for not kicking her off during the ride. Upon mentioning a campsite, Rhy just gives her a blank look until she catches sight of the woman's bags. Tent included. Guessing the 'find the softest piece of ground' idea won't really work, she beckons her down with a wave of her hand. "Er, not really. Lets go lower. We can find someplace to tie Gill up near the far side where its not as steep and he can get out if he needs too." She doesn't say it, but she's thinking about the attack of wolves and the dangers of keeping a horse closed in. "And somewhere away from the pool, just in case we get some grass bears or Olidosapux's who want a drink. I doubt we will, but just in case." A few chimes of weighing pros, cons and arguing, the trio find themselves under the shelter of a couple jutting rock on the far side of the bowl. The ground is level and the stones make for a rather lopsided three walled tepee , far enough away from the pool to go unnoticed and sheltered enough to keep a fire mostly unseen. Rhy throws her pack down and stands with her hands on her hips, considering. "I'll grab us something to eat. There must be rabbits or something down here with all the foliage. Then we can have ourselves a proper feast." She turns on the spot and marches back down to the centre, intent on some food. As she leaves she calls over her shoulder, "set up camp and get a fire going, if you can. I won't be long!"

[Gianne Basete]

She nodded compliance and gave a playful bow, sweeping her hand toward the lip of the crater. "After you then." It wasn't that long of a walk, and the crater was definitely a sight to behold. Gill grunted occasionally with the exertion caused by lumbering downhill, slipping a few times on an unseen stone. And the funny thing about the whole time finding their camp was the way Rhy was now walking. Obviously riding had taken a tole on her poor legs. She wobbled, bowlegged, in a hilarious gait. A few times she had to bite her hand to muffle the snickers threatening to ripple from her lips. The Kelvic did do a good job of finding them a camp, even though they had argued at a few different spots on whether a couple other locations they'd passed would be good or not. This though was the best they'd found. Sort of like a rock tent. They would be protected on 3 sides by any cool fall winds, and if it happened to rain tonight their camp would be relatively dry. Rhy threw her pack down and declared her search for food, and Gianne nodded, already starting to unpack Gill's saddle. "Sounds good to me. Don't worry, there will be a cozy camp when you return. Good luck catching something and be safe," she called back, fiddling with a particularly stubborn knock tying the tent down. Eventually, Gill was unsaddled. She tied her 50 feet of rope between two trees then tied his lead rope, attached to his halter, to the tie line. This would give him sufficient room to walk back and forth to graze. The knot was tied so that it could slide from one tree to another, which were about 4 horse lengths apart. Now time to set up camp. First she pitched the small tent. It was a simple structure; a single piece of canvas and a few wooden posts to make the frame, then 4 stakes. 2 on each end. The entrance flap could be tied shut with rawhide strings running down the inside. It was small, but it served its purpose well. With the tent done she searched the immediate area for stones that would act as their fireplace. The crater had a plentiful supply of those, so it was an easy task. After the rocks were set she fetched kindling and wood. She always refused to collect from trees themselves, so she scoured the area for fallen sticks and branches, then pine needles and leaves. Much to her luck she came across an old nest still clinging to the low branches of scrubby young tree. Gianne pried it out before making her way back to camp, smiling as Gill snorted a greeting then returned to his foraging. She set all the larger branches aside next to the fire pit. Peeling the nest into a loose bundle, she stuffed it with leaves and pine needles then set it in the middle of the ring. A handful of small sticks were then laid over top of the kindling, then a few more even larger portions of limbs. Quickly fetching her flint and steel, she hunched over the debris and stuck once, scraping steel over the block of flint. A shower of sparks sprayed over the wood but nothing caught. So she put the flint closer to the kindling, almost touching it and struck once more. A few of the sparks held strong to the old dry nest, starting to blacken the long dead roughage. Hastily she tossed the fire starters aside and ducked close to the baby fire, cupping her hands around the smoking embers. With a satisfied smile she breathed life into the flame, coaxing it to grow and eat away the kindling faster. It obeyed, climbing higher to claim more oxygen and natural material. Her blowing grew in strength as the fire did until it caught the dead leaves from one of the bigger sticks. After that no help was needed. Wood started snapping and bark curled as the heat intensified. Gianne had to rear back onto her haunches to avoid getting her eyebrows singed off. She hooted with laughter and clapped her hands once, startling Gill's head into the air. He peered at her accusingly and she smiled, shrugging her shoulders. "What? Look what I did! I'm sure you're impressed." His ears flicked once and he turned his hindquarters toward her, ducking his head toward the waiting grass again. "Well fine. Be that way. You cut me deep, Gill. Really cut me deep." But she said it with an uncaring air. Groaning, she pushed herself up to her feet and examined the dancing flames of the happy fire. I wonder how Rhy is faring? Hopefully she can catch something good, I really don't feel like fishing at the moment. Wistfully she wished she could have gone along and gotten some hunting and bow practice, but then rationalized that if Rhy had been left to set up camp, there wouldn't be a camp at all for them tonight. She stretched her arms up high and sighed, chuckling to herself at the thought then suddenly shivering as a particularly cold gust cut its way through the branches of the young forest surrounding the little camp. Winter was on its way, knocking at fall's front door. Soon being outside would be a miserable experience, dictated by sleet, blistering winds, and icy slush. Shyke.

[Rhy]

As Rhy kept walking away, back down the slope of the crater, she stops every once in a while and looks back. Her straight black brows furl in the centre as if she's looking for something, but she keeps walking. Now that she's getting farther away she feels as if a pain in her chest was being washed away. She's had this for a while, but never so clear. The closer she is to Gianne the more she is aware of it, as if some old wound she didn't even realize she had is making its presence known. Its a strange sensation. Like she's been opened up, scrubbed out, and put back together. Once she gets to the bottom of their crater the ground starts getting heavier. Its rich with water and dark soil, spurring on the tangles of lush grasses and roots. Large, flowered dandelions dot the circumference of the small lake like sparks of fire. Rhy rubs her hands together in glee. A feast there will be! She rolls up her shirt sleeves and starts to dig around, pulling up handfuls of dandelion heads and carefully pulling up clusters of cress from the root. Maybe there arn't too many animals down here or such food would have been picked clean by now. The only reason she knows they are good food is because she has followed animals and eaten the springs herself. She pulls off her shirt and ties the end to make a sack for her salad greens. Ending with a small mountain of the yellow flower heads, four big bunches of cress and two peppery stalks of cattail fished from the shallow end of the lake. Not a bad haul, is she says so herself. But now is the matter of meat. And she's not going back empty handed in that department. A fierce hunter like herself coming back with nigh a quivering rabbit? Never! So she walks past the lake, which is alive with fish and frogs, she sees. But she can't catch fish, and she's not sure which frogs would be safe to eat, so she moves on. Up the slope the climb starts getting harder, for its much steeper then the side they transversed down, and there is not much she can do on account of the noise when she dislodges a pebble or slips on a tricky patch of grass. On a particularly tricky step one such stone rolls her ankle, and hissing with pain she sits heavily on a nearby rock formation, massaging the swollen joint. Now what, she thinks sullenly. I probably scared away everything worth-. Her little mental conversation is suddenly choked off when she notices who she shares her seat with. Sunning itself on the last of Leths rays, and groggy with cold, sits an ugly, horned snake. Forgetting about her injured ankle, Rhy vaults to her feet and neatly topples to the other side when her foot doesn't support the weight. The thing is no longer then her arm from wrist to shoulder, but its nearly as thick as her wrist. The rippling brown scales don't even shift through this entire transaction, but its not dead, she's sure she saw the eyes blink. She sits up and brushes herself off, her brows back to that line of concentration. Now that the shock is over, she can start entertaining a new train of thought. Snakes are editable, after all. A wolfish grin spreads across her face. Maybe hunting isn't necessary after all! On her hands and needs, Rhy starts searching for a suitable rock. Something heavy, relatively flat, something- aha! With a little one handed wrestling to pry it out of the the hill, Rhy unearths a good sized rock that will do the job quite nicely. Shaking out her ankle to regain some feeling, she climbs unsteadily back to her feet with the lopsided weight of the rock pressed to her side. She aims carefully , holding her weapon with both hands. "Hup." With one fluid motion she tosses the rock. There is a clack as stone meets stone with the sorely pulverized mess of snake head in between. Crooning with pleasure, Rhy lifts the stone and pulls out the snake, now quite dead. There is quite a bit of meat on the thing, but armed with her new rock-weapon she goes out in search of more snakes. Why only be full when you can be really satisfied? The whole trip takes less then half a bell. And when Rhy hobbles back to camp she carries her bag of greens, her thick, brown snake and two more of a muted green colour. All displayed proudly draped across her shoulders. "I'm back. Told you I wouldn't take long." She smiles as she sits cautiously by the fire, carful to extend her swollen foot. The camp has come along beautifully, now that it really does look like a camp, and the edging stones around the fire throw off a brilliant warmth. Now that she's back, the hollowness is starting to creep back in. Like she's only missing something when she is with Gianne. But she also feels lighter, somehow. Like she's suppose to be here. The self reflection gets too twisted, so she runs with a different train of thought. "How about we eat. Lets not let Gill have all the fun." She nods to the horse, still clipping away at his lush grass.