Darklett Odyssey - An Unlikely Beginning
Padpad, pad pad padpad, pad pad, padpadpad... The irregular beat of footfall on sand along with the heavy, but regulated breath of two Long Patrol hares jogging down the shore blend well with the subdued roar of the cresting waves of the ocean. One of the two, Darklett, is slightly behind the other, Taye, keeping an eye on him as he runs.
This is probably one of those cases of going the pace of the slowest runner. Which is... huh. That's interesting, considering the source. There is sweat on Taye's brow, which is also interesting. The buck is powering on, though, doggedly and stubbornly. Got to get his /endurance/ back up.
Darklett's pace does indeed match Taye's. Considering how long he's been out of commission, the endurance really isn't /that/ bad, so it isn't like Darklett's not getting any workout out of this. Still, though, he keeps an eye out. Not that he doesn't trust Taye to admit when they should stop and turn around, but you never know what might happen.
That point is quickly approaching, if Taye's increasing limp has anything to say about it. He's starting to slow, too, just the tiniest bit. His paw jerks up, swiping across his brow. Sweat in your eyes, it's irritating.
As Taye slows, so does Darklett, and he calls out, "Taye." The major keeps jogging behind the lieutenant, but speaks between breaths. "You need a break?"
Destination or not, the hares happen to be fast approaching something - a sizeable youngster of a something. Akylas is sprawled in a less than graceful manner across the loose sand with his wings spread out slightly as if to help keep his balance. He has heard the footfalls before he sees the two Long Patrollers, but it is only when they come into the osprey's view that he lifts his head more and his crest ripples upward in something of a mohawk, golden eyes looking on sharply and then a hiss is offered as feather fluff out along his body. His head ducks down towards his chest and he has puffed up to make himself bigger.
Taye slows, slows, and stops. Whether it's Darklett's words or the large bird ahead, who knows? He clears his throat. His breathing is pretty regular - that's a thing of practice, right there - but he bends, slightly doubled, while keeping his eye on the bird ahead. He gestures at it. "... Bird."
Darklett stops at Taye's side, eyes on that bird ahead, too. "...Think... we should leave it alone?" After all, injured lieutenant and under-armed (never unarmed!) major.
Bird. Unhappy bird. As the hares stop, the osprey unevenly shifts around in a circle to fully face them, crest fully lifted and beak very near to the sand. This is clacked in a threatening manner, but despite all his ferocity Akylas stays rooted to the spot, not getting any closer to the two officers. He is watching them carefully.
"I... think we should." Taye has even backed up a step. Not fond of the sea birds, is Taye.
Darklett nods. "Don't think the bird wants us here." And he waits to back up fully. No sudden movements?
"... Ya think?" What was his first clue, the freaky mohawk of death or the hissing? Maybe both! He takes another, careful step backward.
And then there's a sharp call from somewhere above them. A second osprey, larger, wings spread as he drifts down a little on an air current. A fish is clutched in Marquis's talons.
It is like a miraculous transformation. Akylas goes from hissing out his disapproval - hunched up like a fluffy vulture with little clacks of his beak - to suddenly beginning to straighten up curiously. His feathers smooth down and his eyes go skyward at the sound of the other osprey. He chirrups hopefully, refolding his wings with a fluttering motion. The hares are ignored for a moment while he goes to trundle unevenly over the sand towards Marquis.
Darklett stands still, looking up. "Don't know if we can run as fast as they can fly, Taye. And... I'd much rather not fight birds." The major smirks, taking a step backward along with Taye. "So... Slow, and steady."
"Yeah," Taye agrees, his eyes on this second and larger bird, now. He is like in slow motion, not making any sudden movements. At all.
With a few wingbeats Marquis skims low, and lands. Behind the hares. There's a sudden whoosh of air from his landing and his wings stay partially spread, the fish left in the sand, pinned under one clawed foot. It's about the size of Darklett, actually. He gives a noise of questioning to Akylas.
Darklett's ears flick back against his skull and he turns around to face Marquis. "...Okay, so..." The major glances towards Taye. "Let's just go around them. In a wide circle."
"A really, really wide circle." Taye's paw lowers, slowly, to his waist. Rests near his dagger. Just in case. "Why are birds so bloody /big/?" he mutters to himself.
Circling might be kind of difficult, because the younger bird seems to be dead set on getting in towards Marquis for a moment. He chirrups again, going to move right through the hares to get to where he is going. It's as if they don't matter anymore.
Darklett's paw shoots out to Taye and he steps in front of him, his own paws going to his waist... Not drawing yet, and mostly because the osprey's not... Walking towards /them./ Past them, more like it.
Marquis keeps his talons possessively over the fish while Akylas comes toward him, ready to defend it against anyone until the younger osprey gets to it. His head angles, and he eyes the hares. A sudden lunging motion is made toward them, a threat, and his hooked beak clacks, feathers ruffled along the bird's back. They're too close.
If Taye didn't feel like wetting himself right at the moment, he might be embarrassed or offended by Darklett's protective stance. "Dark, maybe we should just. Move. Faster?"
Darklett nods. "Maybe." The major backs away from the lunging motion of the osprey, and keeps walking. "Don't think... they're interested in us."
Akylas crees out a sound of uncertainly only when Marquis gives that threatening lunge and he halts for a second while going up completely straight, head tilting with his eyes widening slightly. Then he goes to do a hop jump for the rest of the way, bridging the gap between Marquis and him. He ends up settled into the sand again, close to the adult osprey's chest, watching the hares, then going to peck experimentally at the fish.
"Good." Taye takes a quick step back and - of course, this /is/ our Taye - he stumbles. And paws backward at Darklett while crying out in surprise.
Marquis lifts his foot from the fish, and edges back to let Akylas have his meal. His wings flap once and fold in against his sides, but the stumbling and sudden noise from Taye gets a quick, instinctually protective reaction from the larger bird. He lunges with a beat of his long, long wings against the air, hissing, swiping at the pair with one taloned foot.
Oh Taye. Darklett reaches out to try and catch him by his collar to keep him from falling, but... He ultimately misses, and reaches down to help Taye up. This is abandoned when he sees the charging osprey, not having much to do besides fall backwards himself to avoid the swiping claw.
Hey, that's a big giant claw swiping within inches of his face! Oh. Crap. He freezes.
Ruffling and looking more worried than anything, the younger bird begins to flap his wings as if trying to get into the air. This does not exactly happen as he begins to give screeching sounds of upset, beak open and his stomach ending up pressing flat into the fish as he pushes into the sand.
Marquis goes a few feet airborne in a hop, wings out, beating them for momentum and shoving his weight into Taye, with a loud, harsh, "Kree!"
"Taye. Taye, run run run RUN!" Darklett tries to /kick/ the bird right in the neck as he flies towards them, scrambling to his feet.
Oh, heck. Taye's eyes widen and he unfreezes at the last moment. He rolls out of the way with a terrified squawk. Waitwait, who's the bird here? Marquis will have fun squashing the ground instead of him.
Akylas is tense, to say the least. His wings are spread once more in an attempt to make himself bigger and then he makes an ungainly bolt towards the action with a shriek of displeasure. He stops before he closes in though, just doing a lopsided circle dance before puffing up and panting. Stress.
Marquis's talons sink into the sand. He emits a short screech lunges again, not the most graceful of motion. His wings are spread and he swipes talons after the hare again.
Darklett gets to his feet and runs over, trying to /haul/ Taye upright. "/Run!/" And he tries to shoulder-tackle the bird to get him off of Taye's trail.
Taye draws his dagger, /slashes/ it at the oncoming talon. And then his arm's being hauled on and he's pulled out from under the uncoming bird. Oh hey Dark, thanks. He staggers to his feet, and backpedals.
A squawk escapes Akylas, who bristles at the sight of the dagger and the manner in which it is wielded in an attack against his protector. That is finally when the adolescent osprey gets it in him to launch at Taye, to try to bowl him over. He is mainly aiming to butt the top of his beak straight into the buck's chest - not really thinking much on the fact that the weapon can be used against him.
The big osprey doesn't get slashed, only because Darklett has collided with him. One wing sweeps in a quick, hard motion as he hops back, the force of the oncoming blow aimed for Darklett before two hard wingbeats get Marquis airborne. He rises, rises, then tilts in the air and /drops/ in a short dive at the Major. His talons extend, striking out.
"Taye, if they chase us off they'll stop attacking!" Darklett shouts, swept aside and to the sand by the sweep of the bigger bird's wing. He gets to his feet pretty quickly, and starts running, only to find the osprey diving in at him. He stops, reverses directions, and hits the sand once more, diving face first into it to try and make the bird overshoot him.
Wow, birds pack a lot of punch. Taye grabs at the bird as he is headbutted, just kind of. Hanging on, fingers gripping into the bird's feathers.
The osprey's head dips somewhat at the weight that now hangs from it, tugging uncomfortably at his feathers and causing the adolescent to squeal out a sharp noise. He goes to bite at the hare's tunic, catching it in the hook of his beak while whuffing out an upset noise. His wings flail at first, then begin beating rapidly, sending sand flying around them.
Marquis doesn't overshoot, though. His weight thumps hard down into Darklett, both claws catching the hare as he does so - one around the middle of his body, one on a leg, and then Marquis wings up again, lifting the Major with him.
There's a ripping sound. That's Taye's tunic, not his flesh. It's a good thing. He twists the dagger he clenches in his paw, to stab it into the adolescent's neck.
Darklett feels himself being clawed at-- only not clawed at. He's being lifted off the ground. And he flails, his paws trying to swing backwards to hit the bird, or anything to get him to drop him. His paw goes down to his belt to get a knife, but he's really got nowhere to cut.
Unfortunately for Akylas, the lieutenant has plenty of places to cut. He tosses his head with kreeing sounds of unhappiness, but instead of getting the hare off of his skull the youth gets a dagger into the base of his neck. The osprey shrieks in pain and thrashes, talons digging into the sand and kicking it about before pawing towards Taye as he more desperately aims to separate from the buck, panting with an open beak.
One talon plants into Taye's side and that is enough. Crying out, he drops and thuds into the ground. His dagger gets left behind. He rolls over onto his side, curling up. Protecting what he can, what with being so close underfoot.
Marquis's tapered wings cut the air. It only takes half a dozen beats or so, to bring Darklett way, way high up over the beach. He releases with one talon, twists, and /flings/ the buck outward away from him. Where he lands doesn't seem to be of any concern to the osprey, who sweeps back over, tucks his wings, and drops downward. He lands near the struggling combination of Akylas and Taye, lunging in, bumping the adolescent bird out of the way in his haste to get between Akylas and his aggressor. A jerk forward aims his beak at Taye, then he hops and, again, tries to pin Taye down in the sand under one of his feet.
Darklett feels himself flung through the air, the buck closing his eyes and, as he falls through the air, bracing for impact. When he finally does impact, it's with a big splash, as he hits the ocean at a high speed.
.. but it seems like the adolescent isn't trying to attack Taye. He tosses his head about in an attempt to get the dagger out, then he beats his wings to kick off the ground after being rammed into by the older bird. He is airborne only for a moment though, uselessly flapping those appendages as if they are just paper before plummeting to his chest with his feet kicking out to the side of him. He is digging his neck into the ground by rubbing his head into the sand, smearing blood across the grit while squawking in pain and fear. The weapon is sinking deeper into his neck and cutting in a sawing manner as he flops the unpinned wing in a pathetic manner.
Taye doesn't have to roll out of the way, this time. The best he can do is cover his neck and face with his arms, his legs curling up against his stomach. Fetal!
Marquis's foot catches against Taye a with a downward shove of his weight the big bird pins him in the sand. A kreeing noise is aimed at Akylas as he does so, a note that says for him to calm down - because a quick look in that direction shows that the adolescent's struggles are only making it worse.
It almost sounds like Akylas is crying, wailing out unhappily as he ends up burying his beak in the sand somewhat while huffing and panting in that same stressed manner. It is only after a moment that the bird begins to go still, his chest heaving with those ragged breaths and wings sprawling out in an uneven fashion. He almost seems to be hyperventilating with anxiety and fear at the moment.
But Taye's eyes are on the adolescent. Which he clearly is. He winces. "I can- I can help him," he chokes out. He has no idea if they can understand him or not.
Marquis is prickled out with anger, feathers ruffled, a distinct crest of them apparent along the top of his head and going down his back. His weight shoves down and his head lowers, beak near Taye's head. The wickedly curved tip touches the Lieutenant's neck, pressing, his mouth open a little. Taye is /so/ close to being separated from his neck, before the big bird gives a sharp, loud call. "... help him," he says in a sharply accented voice, "or I'll kill you."
Taye sees his life flash before his eyes. Hey, that was kind of short. Taye doesn't nod. He's too terrified to. His Adam's apple bobs. "... Okay. Okay. I'll help him." And he gets his arms under him, to push himself up. Slowly. SLOWLY.
The young osprey is clucking little sounds of distress while forcing himself to stay still - but maybe it is mostly fear that is seizing him now. Since he was flailing around before there is blood streaked darkly over the sands in his immediate vicinity, coming from the deep wound in his neck. He trembles slightly and curls his talons in pain.
/Where/ is Darklett?
Marquis's weight eases off of Taye to let him stand. He steps back, wings spread a little, gold eyes pinned on Taye. "If you try to hurt him," he warns.
Yeah, where is Darklett? Taye's eyes shift in the direction he was thrown, eyes scanning the water while he can. But soon enough he is approaching the adolescent. He holds up his paws, trying to be non-threatening. "I'm just going to... I'm sorry I stabbed you. I'm going to help you, now." And he tries to step into range, and rest his paw on the bird's neck.
Apparently Akylas doesn't appreciate being approached, especially now that he has been hurt. Instead of lashing out intentionally, though, he kicks and flails once more while trying to right himself - eyes wild with fear as he attempts to get away from Taye. Odd to see such a big creature - no matter how young - afraid of the buck. His wings beat once more, heart rate and breathing picking up as he wails. The adolescent ends up in the air again, beating his wings desperately to stay there and then sailing away from the officer for a bit.. before going down again. Whumpf. Kraw. His back has ended up to the others, wings spread still, even with his belly in the sand.
Taye kind of cringes away from the flailing bird. He glances back at the larger bird, for some sort of help. "I... I can't help him if I can't get close."
"Akylas," Marquis says, gentler, and gives a low cree of reassurance. He steps close to the younger osprey, wings a little out still, tail splayed and body tense. One eye stays on Taye, cautiously, while he leans and bumps his beak against the side of Akylas's head gently. "He'll help you. Be still."
Blood is soaking the feathers at the side of the bird's neck and running down over the curve of his chest. He chirrups pathetically, but mostly he is quiet again, focusing on those panting breaths with the dagger sticking at an odd angle out of his flesh. It has ripped into him due to his flailing and rolling, the gash worse than it had been before and the blade imbedded deeper - though nearer to his wing now. He gives a clucking rattle in his throat, saying nothing to Marquis.
Once the bird seems calm, Taye comes forward again. He's ripping at his tunic as he comes, tearing off a strip which he bundles up. Tentatively he reaches forward, to press this to the gash. He aims to get a hold of the dagger hilt with his other paw. "Don't jerk," he warns. His eyes flicker briefly towards the ocean, again.
Every instinct has Akylas trying to squirm away from Taye - especially since he happens to be the one that hurt him. As soon as the buck touches him the bird goes about trying to belly his way away between the hare and the older osprey, chirruping and groaning. More blood runs down over his chest as it blossoms from his gash wound and soaks into the bundle of tunic against it.
"/Akylas/," the big osprey says more firmly. He pushes against the scared youngster, one wing flexing out, draping across his back lightly. Bird-hug! Kinda.
Okay, let's try this again... Taye grits his teeth and moves forward again. He presses the cloth to the wound and simultaneously pulls the dagger out of the bird's flesh. He then tosses this away and, for the moment, just applies pressure.
When more of Marquis's weight ends up leaning into him, the younger osprey stays still, eyes closing tightly and forcing himself to remain there. The dagger is pulled from his flesh and he shakes his head before lowering his beak with squawking sounds again, rippling from his chest.
Now what? Taye keeps the pressure to the wound, his eyes wandering seaward once more. Dark, where /are/ you? He looks back, lifts the cloth away, to check the flow of the bleeding.
By this point Akylas is staring unblinkingly at the buck out of the eye that happens to be on that side of his head, crest lifted in that crazy mohawk and feathers tousled from his ordeal. There is still apprehension and panic in those golden orbs, his tongue apparent past a parted beak as he fights for breath.
"... I'm /sorry/," Taye murmurs to the bird, wincing slightly.
Marquis makes a crooning sound of affection near Akylas's head, settling in the sand with the wing still over him. He nuzzles his head against that ruffled crest, eyes half-shut. "Fix him," he tells Taye in that sharp tone.
Akylas whimpers and tilts his head more towards the older bird, taking in a shuddering breath before his eyes close completely. His whole form is tense, the bird looking uncomfortable while the buck is allowed to try to stop the blood flow. It has lessened some, but after a moment of the cloth being lifted away from it, the blood rises dutifully to the surface once more - only made worse due to his heightened heart rate.
Taye siiiighs. His side hurts and Taye is pretty sure he's bleeding. But he ignores this fact. "I need t'sew him up," Taye finally says, having pressed the cloth back to the wound once more. "But he's probably just going to rip the stitches out again..."
"Do it then," Marquis states curtly. "Do what you must to fix him. If he needs to be still afterward, to heal, I'll see to that." His wings ruffle a little as he folds them in to his sides.
Right. Taye just nods. He ducks his head, digging in yet another pocket. He pulls out the necessary implements, along with a small vial of something. This he pops open and pours over the wound, then pokes the large, curved needle in and then back out of the bird's flesh, working as quickly as he can.
Akylas keeps his eyes shut now, though he chitters unhappily and anxiously when the touch becomes more intense. The feel of the needle in his flesh has the adolescent rumbling again, a low kree behind this tone as he flexes his wings. For now he is still anyway. The tug of string through his skin has the osprey prickling.
Marquis gives a gentle 'krhk' near to Akylas's head, comforting, and he says in a low, low tone, "Be still love, be still..."
The sewing up job is done as quickly and efficiently as Taye can. It lessens the bleeding considerably, but once done he presses the cloth back in place. "Will he let a bandage stay on?"
Marquis ruffles out his tail feathers and eyes Taye thoughtfully. "We'll see," is his reply.
Taye sighs out through his nose. He just nods and pulls out a roll of bandages. He unravels the end and starts to wrap this around the bird's neck.
Ah, what're they doing now? Akylas tilts his head more away from Taye before he begins to feel the bandage tightening around his neck. The adolescent begins to sit up suddenly, eyes flashing open again as he hisses out angrily - the portion of his throat under his beak swelling with the sound.
Marquis chirps. "Be still," he repeats, "be quiet. He's not hurting you."
The juvenile osprey hisses once more even as his surrogate father tells him to settle down. He doesn't seem to like the fact that the bandaging is going around his neck. Akylas beats his wings weakly. The injury and - more importantly - the resulting blood loss has gotten to the youth.
Well, Taye is working as well as he can. Eventually he manages to get the bandage secured, though it's understandably something of a sloppy job. He stands back with a sigh. "... It's done."
To calm the juvenile Marquis edges closer, and begins to groom through his ruffled feathers with his beak. He pauses with a look at Taye, and nods. Nothing is said, but it's a dismissal. Taye has lucked out. He will not be eaten.
... Well that's always good. Taye looks from one to the other and just. Turns. And heads towards the water. He's limping, but he ignores it. He's got a search to put on.
As he is preened - and the close proximity of Taye's form lessens - the adolescent begins to settle back down. After a moment his eyes half close and he lowers his head more, looking weak and tired. It's been a rough night and unfortunately he's just not hungry anymore. Actually he is quite sick to his stomach.
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