07-13-05

Characters involved: Lily, Keita, Grim, Zeraph, Ralai,

Western Shore

The sunset always looks nice from the coast, the orange light shedding a golden glow on everything it touches. The seagulls have turned in for the night, and the evening remains quiet save for the sand crickets humming along. The mountain looms not far away, but the small figure roaming along the dunes hardly looks up at it's massive form. The rugged looking doe mutters to herself as she gathers up shells from the sands. Not even the prettiest shells. Some that are thrown into the woven basket are broken, and covered in barnacles. Lily makes her way slowly among the rolling piles of beach, paying no heed to anything around her.

Apparently leaving her home hasn't been such as easy thing, because rather than staying in the safety of the mountain, Keita is wandering the shores outside of it, and is wandering in the general direction that is Halyard. A paw is pressed lightly to her side as she moves along, and she has yet to pay Lily any mind. Seeing as how she hasn't noticed her, yet.

Lily clutches her basket, the sound of sand shifting from the other side of the dune reaching her sensitive ears. She turns her head to the side and scuttles up the side of the dune, almost expertly missing the sliding of slippery sand beneath her. Once she reaches the top she peeks over and squeaks in surprise to see a familiar hare. Lily teeters over the edge for a better look, her mind concentrating on the lost name for this other. Without warning the dune sand shifts and Lily tumbles forward, rolling down the side right towards Keita. Her basket goes flying and she lands on her back not but a few paces from the other doe.

Grim sits on a rock near the water's edge, he splits the quiet of the night with the sound of a small flute, the tune it's self is a bit odd and sad sounding, the haunting melody has the potential to travel far along the beach as he sits with out notice of the hares within the area.

Zeraph happens around the mountain just at this moment, seeming to not mind the sand as it sinks under each of his footpaws as he walks along the beach perhaps to go around to the entrance of Salamandastron. The buck still has the metal collar around his neck, where it was never taken off and he couldn't really take it off himself anyway. The fighter sees Keita first and his ears perk straight up on his head, pausing before a smile spreads across his muzzle. He's glad to see that the doe is alright and got away fine and is actually about to say something when suddenly Lily comes rolling down a dune. Zeraph jumps back in surprise..

Ralai had decided to go on a walk when he sees the gathering of beasts he smiles and hails them with a hearty "hello!"

Grim's eats twitch at the sound of Ralai's greeting, his tune skips a bit as he realizes now that he isn't alone, but still, he continues to face the sea and play.

At Lily's sudden entrance into Keita's consciousness, the doe's ears dip backwards in surprise and she takes a couple of steps backwards and away from the tumbling form - only to trip over her own feet and take a tumble to the ground, as well. As she hits the ground, her sore ribs give a cry of protest, and as a result so does she, immediately doubling over with paws held to her side. "Aw bloody 'ell!" Gritting her teeth, she looks up and looks through narrowed eyes towards the source of her pain. Heh. She doesn't immediately recognize the mess of fur and limbs to be Lily, though, though she does recognize it to be a hare of /some/ sort. Blinky.

Lily staggers up, her eyes narrowing to slits as she backs up. Her memory registers this creature as familiar, but whether that's bad or good is left in mystery to her. Her worn fur and tattered Patrol uniform is much different from the well-groomed hare that Keita last saw. The cry of pain sends a shock of fear in the doe, and she stumbles back a step or two. Her eyes dart to the basket and scattered shells not far away. "Stay 'way, y'hear? My basket! My shells!" Lily calls out, not yet noticing the others around.

Ralai moves a bit closer saying "would you like help recollecting those miss?"

Zeraph stares at the two does in confusion and his ears start their quivering again, before he steps towards the familiar hare, not having ever seen Lily before. "K, are you alright?" He states, offering an arm to help her up with an accompanying smile, before he glances up at the disheveled doe and then her shells.

Grim stops playing, to hide his presence, he now listens in silence to what's going on around him.

Ralai walks swiftly towards the group of hares a friendly smile on his face

Keita's attention is riveted on Lily - because yes, there is something familiar about her - until the very moment Zeraph offers a paw down to her. Her eyes cut to him in preparation to endure another shock, but instead it's a rather nice surprise, and her ears immediately perk. "'Raph! Ya made it out!" She takes his paw and gingerly stands, with a nod. "Great, 'm great." She grins, but the grin slowly fades as her attention is brought back to Lily, and then to... a /badger/? The doe blinks hard at the sight of Ralai.

Lily lets her eyes swivel around the group, her ears snapping down to the back of her skull. Her nose wiggles and her whiskers twitch... well, what's left of her whiskers, anyways. Shakily she kneels down and gives a snarl towards to Ralai. "No help! Y'jus' stay 'way! My shells, y'hear? Shoo!" Lily's eyes keep flicking over to Keita, a confused expression settling on her face as she swipes the shells into the basket quickly.

Zeraph smiles at Keita as she stands herself back up. "Good to hear, good to hear..I'm fine enough as you can see." Then his eyes turn back to Lily, staring at her unbelievingly and confused as if he is trying to figure out the doe. His ears lower back to his head and he looks in between her and the badger. Wherever /he/ came from the buck looks a bit lost for now.

Ralai smiles and bows before the hares saying in a humble tone "hello sirs and ma'ams i am ralai, visitor of salamandastron"

Keita looks as if she almost didn't hear Zeraph's response. Instead, she's back to staring at Lily and staring hard she is. Giving an absent-minded pat to Zeraph's arm, she steps away from him and towards Lily without even a glance to the buck. Her eyes narrow further. "... Lily, is that you?"

Lily tucks the basket into her chest and keeps her eyes on Keita. For every step taken towards her, Lily takes one back. At the sound of her name, however, her ears twitch and turn just slightly. "What... what d'yah want?" She demands, in a slightly less panicky voice. Lily glances just slightly at the badger, but the sight of him makes her jump slightly. "Don't want no trouble, hear? Jus'... jus'... leave me be!"

Grim returns the flute to it's place of hiding within his sash like belt, he decides to take his leave of this gathering, staying to the shadows near the shore line he makes his way northward.

Ralai looks at lily saying "i would rather not have any trouble as i am a gentlebeast"

Zeraph doesn't seem to mind that Keita's mind is elsewhere at the moment. The buck just watches her move towards the other doe and then his ear turns to Ralai. He nods to him, then looks back to the situation unfolding in front of him. He just hopes that Lily won't get so panicky that she turns violent to anybody present.

"Lily...? Lily, what's happened t' ya?" Somehow this feels backwards, like folks in her life ought to be asking /her/ what's happened, not the other way around. Then again, Lily looks a good deal worse, now doesn't she?

Ralai decides to step back and let the hares talk without a hulking mass like him in the way

Lily feels her upper lip sliding over her teeth in a snarl. "Who are you?" The doe asks in a barking sort of voice. The off tufts of badly groomed fur puff up in fear and realization. She looks the other up and down. "K-Keita?" She mumbles in a lapse of sanity. It sadly doesn't last long. "No! Tck! M'not goin' back! Vermin... Ruingate!" The doe shudders and looks around wildly. "Not in th' Patrol! Halyard... ferret tried to eat..." Lily tries her best to focus on Keita. "You! What do you /want/?"

Zeraph stares. His one ear twitches in a worried fashion as he watches this sad display of slipping sanity unravel before him. The buck shakes his head and looks concerned, brows furrowing and stepping back a little to give the two does room as well. The fighter gives another glance to the badger, then looks between Keita and Lily again, his attention resting here for a while.

"Keita! That's righ'!" Keita moves forward again, holding up a paw to the other doe though the other remains firmly at her side, where here already sore ribs seem to have been rattled more by the fall. "Don't ya know me? What's wrong?" Then, last and sharply, to try and snap her out of it. "Lily!"

Lily flinches at the familiar name. Things are starting to float back to her mind, the memories darting around in her noggin. Her insanity seems to move aside for a flash of anger. "Keita!" She repeats in a scornful tone. "You... you tricked me... s'why I left... Ruingate..." The doe begins to tremble all over. "Rory..." Lily jerks her head to the side and drops her basket. "I know you!" She finally agrees, glaring at Keita. "You... you ruined my life..."

Ralai watches the two warily hoping this doesn't end up like he thinks it will

Zeraph stares, then goes to step forward. If this gets any worse, then someone might end up getting injured and he just wants to be there to help if need be. His ears have gone back to their anxious quivering and he looks past Keita at Lily looking concerned. He doesn't ask any questions yet, the buck remaining quiet.

Keita jerks her paw away at the accusing words as she's been burned. "Lily, I..." She shakes her head slowly. "What're ya talkin' about? What, Ruingate? ... What?" Er. The doe glances at Zeraph as he steps forward.

Lily breaths heavily, her bloodshot eyes darting so quickly that the veins blur together in a midst like red. "Ruingate!" She cries in a rather scared voice. "Slave... rats. Running away." The doe says in a jerky voice. "From /you/!" Lily accuses, pointing a paw at Keita. "Not wanted... 'nywhere. Not th' mountain. Halyard? No no! Vermin live there now. Rory lived there." Her eyes twist up to the looming mountain.

Ralai takes a step or two forward but he still has teh friendly smile on his face

Zeraph gives a glance back to the mountain as well with the confused look still encompassing his features, before turning his gaze on Keita in the questioning way. His ears lay back against his head and he stares at the doe for a moment, before turning all his attention back to Lily as if trying to figure out what to do about her. She seems to need help of some kind.

"... Ya went t' Ruingate?" They're just a bunch of hares with their ears back - save one badger type, of course. "Lil'..." The nickname falls into place without much thought. "Lil', aw, why'd ya have t' do that? Not Ruingate..." She gives the other doe a mournful look and raises her paw again, taking another step forward. Apparently she's not going to be much help to Zeraph in the "finding anything out" way of things.

Lily studies Keita with a frightened expression. "Got caught. Was a slave." She counters, her foot stepping on a fallen shell. The doe winces and lifts the hurt paw, dangerously swaying off balance. This, of course, prevents her from moving away as Keita steps forward. Lily looks terrified now. "Stay 'way! My shells!" She yelps out, holding her paws up and gingerly lowering the pained foot. If Keita dares take a closer look, large whelps and scares are visible from under the fur. The others are given a quick look over, but she keeps most of her attention on the other doe.

Ralai looks at lily saying a bit worried "are you alright miss?"

Zeraph glances off towards the mountain again and half sighs, then he sets a paw on Keita's shoulder, before heading off to Salamandastron. The buck is soon gone.

Keita doesn't abide the warning and instead continues towards the other doe, her eyes wary but determined. She gets within range, and does her best to touch her paw to the doe's wrist, to calm her and get her to lower her paws. "Lil'... darlin', calm down. Please?" She has noticed Lily's general condition, and it's worrying.

Lily tenderly places the hurt paw down, though it's jerked back up in a fit of pain. She feels a shard of shell in there, the only thing keeping her from darting away as she so very badly wishes to do. The nickname for her is sending a whole new flood of memories into her mind. Her eyes are widened all the way, and she leans back almost to the point of falling over. The touch is given a mumbling of nervous squeaking. "Don' hurt me! Not ah'gain!"

Ralai moves forward saying "miss are you alright?" a bit louder this time

"Shh... I'm not goin' t' hurt ya, Lil'. Promise." She gently takes hold of Lily's paw, clasping her fingers around the doe's wrist. "Lil'... woncha sit 'n' let me look at yer paw, there?" She glances to the side at Ralai.

Ralai stops as it seems keita is already doing what he was going to and backs up a little...

Lily is shaking much more than a leaf in the wind by now. "Not..." The doe says, catching the key word. The badger is given a look. "Big! too big... I've seen y'before... stay 'way from my home!" Lily snaps at the badger, slowly falling into a seated position, though more on the account of her losing her balance than anything. "S'nothing... jus' hurts... don' touch!"

Ralai raises his eyebrow at the hare saying "i have no reason to go near your some ma'am"

Keita looks relieved that Lily has taken a seat, and she slowly - /slowly/ - crouches beside her, taking the doe's ankle gently in one paw while she takes a look at the dirty pad of Lily's footpaw. "Ya got somethin' in it..." This she says pityingly as she glances up from the doe's foot to her face. "Ya want that I should...? I promise it'll hurt less once it's out."

Lily keeps her eyes glued to Keita as she lowers down next to the spooked doe. She lifts her head, craning her neck trying to see her paw. The footpaw retracts slightly. "No! S'fine." She insists, her voice calming just slightly. "S'gonna hurt. No more pain. Too much, already." Lily mumbles under her breath. Lily glances up at the badger, another flare of fear growing. "Too big for m'home! No reason to go! Don' wanna see you there! Shoo!"

Ralai makes himself as small as possible saying "i am sorry if you see me as a threat..." looking a bit unhappy about the fact he is scaring anybeast

"Badgah," Keita says through slightly gritted teeth. "Couldja... crouch or sit down or somethin'? Yer scarin' her." She then returns her attention to Lily with that same old charming smile, though she doesn't feel particularly charming at the moment. "I'll fix yer paw up 'n' it'll be all bettah, I promise... I just have t' take this out now. Please, Lil'?" She applies gentle pressure to the doe's ankle, looking askance.

Ralai lays down promtly

Lily wilts slightly under the charming smile. This was something that she defiantly found comforting in all the rather dreary ones. Her eyes tick over nervously to the badger, though it seems their tactic has worked and she returns her attention to Keita. "Uh... yes! I... well, hurts. Much." She adds in her chopped up sentences. Lily holds out her footpaw slightly, her toes curling up in fear. "Lil'. I 'member this..." Her head tucks to the side in thought. "At th' tavern..." She frowns at the thought. "Ran away."

Ralai smiles at lily glad she isn't afraid of him anymore

"I know... I remembah." Keita can't help but chuckle at Ralai's prompt compliance, but she keeps her eyes on Lily - and then on her paw - as she gets to work, grasping the shard of shell very gently between two fingers. She then holds out her other paw, towards Lily. "You can squeeze m'paw as hard as y'need to. Ready... here I go." She begins pulling on the shard, slowly but steadily.

Lily nods slightly, her eyes falling down to the offered paw. There is a pause as she thinks about it, but as the shard is getting pulled Lily is forced to grab the paw and squeeze. Her eyes narrow and a small whimper emits from her throat. "Don' leave me ah'gain." The doe whispers in a hoarse voice, a wall of tears forming in her eyes.

Ralai moves forwards slowly and goes to set a comforting paw on the hare

Keita returns the squeeze to her paw with a soft, sad smile - the sadness fueled by guilt, and, well.. general sadness. "I won't, deah, I won't." The long, thin shard comes out the rest of the way, and Keita tosses it away with something akin to hatred. She presses the flat of her palm to the doe's footpaw, to stop the bleeding. "There we go, now."

Lily wiggles her toes slightly, a depressed frown pressing itself on her features. The doe hisses through her teeth as the shard is removed, but the comforting feeling of a paw there for her relaxes her slightly. Until, of course, the badger touches her. Lily starts to scramble up, as best as she can with Keita holding her paw and foot. "Help!" She squeaks, looking frantic again. "Gonna die. Big vermin! Gonna hurt...!"

Ralai sighs and says gently "no i'm not gonna hurt you i don't really like hurting anybeast"

"Shhhh...! He's not a vermin! He's a /friend/! Righ', badger?" At his confirmation, she nods. "He's a friend, shhhh..." She keeps hold of her paw and foot, squeezing both comfortingly. "Shhh..."

Lily struggles weakly for a moment, though she still scoots away from the badger and closer to Keita. "Friend? Tck. Big... wi' th' claws." She comments in a timid voice. Lily looks rather pathetic, trembling and trying to sink down as much as possible. "You... you aren't in Halyard." There is a pause. "Vermin there. Bad 'uns. Stole m'food."

"I know..." Keita smiles faintly. "I had t' get out. Escape." She slowly removes her paw from the doe's footpaw, which seems to've stopped bleeding for the most part. "I'm stayin' in the mountain fer now. Will ya come? Stay with me?" Lily's fragmented sentences are catching.

Ralai shows blunted claws to lily

Ralai then backs away slowly and a bit sadly

Lily cringes down into the sand at the badger. "Th'... th' mountain?" The hare asks, her eyes turning once more to the mountain. "Not... not welcome there. Left th' Patrol... why did I?" She groans and digs her paws into the sand below her. "I... have a.. a home!" Lily glances back at an ugly little worn down shack up the dunes.

Ralai continues to back up saying "i did not wish to scare you ma'am..."

"Please, Lil'...? I promised not t' leave ya, but I need ya t' come t' the mountain with me so s'I c'n keep that promise." Keita holds out her other paw to the doe, and then glances towards the retreating Ralai before returning her attention to Lily. "Stand up?"

Lily lifts a paw, but pulls it back slightly. "Wha-what ah'bout... Rory?" She asks quietly, her eyes settling into Keita. The badger is fearfully ignored. His sheer size is enough to spook her no matter how much they tell her that he's a friend.

Ralai stops moving and says "you know you should get o know beasts before you decide you are afraid of them ma'am..."

Keita sets her jaw firmly, but doesn't look away from Lily. "I don't know where she is, Lil'." she continues to offer her paw out to the other. An ear is flicked in Ralai's direction, and she finally does look away from Lily long enough to look at him. "She doesn't mean any offense, lad. Don't mind 'er."

Lily finally takes the paw and stumbles up to stand. She looks slightly dizzy. The doe looks at her basket and the bits of shell and seaweed spilling out. "Mah dinner." She says miserably, leaning down to pick up a bit of dried seaweed. The doe nibbles on it and shies behind Keita as the other doe talks to the badger. "Big." She mumbles and lets her chipped ears fall about her shoulders. "You don' wanna go. Go to my home. Right there." Lily points up to the little shack.

Ralai pulls a rather large piece of bread out of his bag and offers it saying "here,nobody deserves to eat so little"

Keita tucks an arm around Lily's shoulder, despite her tender side. "She holds out her other paw for the bread offered by Ralai, as she imagines she'll have better success giving it to the doe than he will. "Bread... 'Tis bettah than that."

Ralai relinquishes the bread to keita

Lily leans slightly away from Keita as she touches the timid doe, but Lil' doesn't make an attempt to get away. She watches the bread cautiously, her paw still gripping the seaweed. "Ah got dinner." She insists, holding up the seaweed. "Not want some?" The doe asks, offering some out to Keita and ignoring the bread. Bad badger bread, bad.

Keita shakes her head, and takes a small bite of the bread before offering it to Lily. "Tastes much bettah, I promise."

Ralai gives a friendly smile to lily not a hint of anything besides worry and friendliness in his eyes

Lily leans forward to sniff at the bread gently. "I..." She starts, but reluctantly takes the bread and drops the seaweed. "Can have?" She asks, holding the loaf up. "To take home." Lily's ears turns to the beach shack.

Ralai nods saying "of course" in a gentle friendly voice surprising for his size

"Would ya take it home t' the /mountain/...?" Keita asks of the other doe gently, keeping her arm around her shoulder and gently trying to steer her in that direction, away from the shack.

Lily whimpers slightly and clutches the bread to her chest. "H-home?" She repeats, her wide eyes staring up at the large formation of rock. Lily makes a few feeble attempts to escape, but she finds herself getting steered there anyways. "Not in th' pah'trol..."

Ralai says in that soft gentle voice "i'm not either and they are letting me stay"

"Well, I'm not in the patrol eithah, so ya c'n keep me company..." Keita continues with the gentle steering, and looks to Ralai with a small grin. "And he's not, eithah, so... we'll all just keep each othah company, righ'?"

Ralai's face is quite gentle looking as he says "i am ralai a wanderer until halyard is freed then i shall live there assuming i'm permitted of course"

Lily frowns and strains her neck around, trying to get one last glimpse of the shack. "An'... an' mah shells?" The doe asks fretfully. "They'll... steal them! Like my food an'... home!" The doe rambles randomly and glances at the badger. "Yes... Halyard. Used t' be home. Long time ah'go."

Ralai smiles softly saying "if you wish once halyard is freed i will try to help you get your home back"

"And I'll come back 'n' get yer shells for ya..." Keita adds, looking to Ralai gratefully as she continues steering Lily towards the mountain.

Lily gives a fleeting look to Keita as Ralai speaks. "I... don't belong. Not there." She finally murmurs. Her feet drag slightly in the sand and she gingerly munches the bread as she's taken to the mountain.

"Ya do," Keita inists as she continues towards the mountain, dragging feet or not.

Lily mumbles sadly, her ears back. "Wonder where Rory is." She finally says aloud and remains silent for rest of the short trip.

Ralai moves along with you two saying "may i inquire your names ma'ams?"

"Keita 'n' Lily," Keita provides in answer, before she too falls silent, making the rest of the short trip in silence.