The Quiet Is Broken!!(Salamandastron Ambassadors Log)

• 2-3 Days After The Crow Attack*

The last 2-3 days have been quiet, the weather a little chilly now as the 3 friends move along. The flatlands are not that interesting; well there are some hills but still not interesting. They had rested a couple days so Zinnia found a short cut, a safe one that may have them end up a day further down the beach but it avoids other not so good areas.

Leon walks alongside the badger. Before they left he had made sure wounds gotten from the crows were doing ok and healing ok. He does glace up a couple times and then back ahead on the trail, “I rather not see any birds, well crows anyways."

DoraRose is still a little groggy from having gone Bloodwrath in the crow attack, but she's alert enough to walk in a straight line and fight off anyone who dares attack them. But her tiredness has also brought about some grumpiness, which so far she's done a fair job of hiding so far today, although she has acted a touch impatient a couple of times already, but nothing too bad. Right now she growls, "Stupid birds. I hope they choke on their lunch."

Zinnia listens to Dorarose and frowns, but she doesn't reply as they walk along she folds and unfolds her paws. She had helped, with hot root of all things, she kicks a rock and lets it bounce ahead of them onto the path, she had studied the map a good deal so she doesn’t think she will need to look at it again for least couple hours maybe.

Leon walks silent, well mainly cause the others have been silent, he clears his throat "Well...they did find the joys or not joys of hot root, that was fairly cool right?"

DoraRose nods. "They deserved it. Stupid crows." She stares oddly at the badger, then adds, "Didn't they, Zinnia?" She switches her axe from her right paw to her left one as they walk along.

Zinnia nods at Dorarose as she keeps walking and stops to look at two paths and takes one on the right, making sure they are following. She adjusts her pack at her side.

Leon watches Zinnia, he has gotten use to the quiet, in fact very use to it but it's still bothersome, " Not that we...really needed it..I mean, did we even use it at all? For cooking that is?" It does seem odd, bring something and not use it, but he decides to not question that fact.

DoraRose purses her lips and stops in her tracks. Crossing her arms as best as she can while holding a battleaxe, she glares at the badger. "Yeah, it is kind of weird, but not nearly as weird as almost DYING and not saying anything about it."

Zinnia frowns as she looks at Dorarose and shrugs, she mutters, "Not.....good subject." She looks over her shoulder and back to them as it seems she rather go on down the trail, they only been walking a couple hours after all today.

Leon almost bumps into Dorarose and steps back " I wouldn't worry about dear, we should get moving. Good news we are not too far I believe, it’s this area and some dunes then the sea coast if remembering the map and from what was told before."

DoraRose shakes her head resolutely....or rebelliously. Whichever it is, she is not having a good day, and why suffer alone? "No, Leon, I'm through with this. Zinnia, talk to me! Normal beasts need to talk after almost dying. Didn't you feel /anything/ after the attack?"

Zinnia just stands there, she does nod but seems she rather not talk about it. She doesn't mention she would of let the crows kill her if it mean they got away, she stays silent. She has seemed a little slow after the crows in fact, but she has held back tears and held back much fear, she shrugs again. “One...died.." Maybe it was 2, or more she didn’t brother to see when they ran after she threw the hot root pouch she carried with her. she knew it would stop the birds and confuse them as it did help them get away from the crows.

Leon frowns and looks between them, "Does it matter. We survived the crows, we could of easily died back there, but we didn't..we are alive that’s what is important"

DoraRose growls and slams her axe into the ground, which causes cracks in the soil. "It does matter!! As far as I know, those crows were the first beasts that she had killed!! I've never known a beast that didn't need to talk about it after they killed their first beast!! She's been silent for too long, and I'm SICK OF IT!!"

Zinnia takes a couple deep breaths, fine she will speak a little..."S..SO?...It..." She looks away, she knows she did it out of protection, she did it as a last resort as it was going to kill her friends and maybe even her, she takes another deep breath “It was....now let’s go..." She coughs a little and starts to move, hoping it ends there. For the first time in weeks she fights to hold back a tear and barely manages to do so.

Leon nods "Maybe she just needs..." He turns as he hears her say more than a word here or there. "Ok..." He says quietly. He looks to Dorarose, "Sometimes it’s not easy thing to talk of for some." He looks at the badger, “If you had not killed the bird, it would of killed us, and that hot root may or may not of killed them but it distracted them, that’s for sure."

DoraRose balls her paws into fists. "She's been silent for weeks!!! I was okay with it right after.....after Zork.....but now more stuff has happened, and I need to know what's going on in her mind!! Do you /know/ what a beast can think after killing their first beast?! She's been silent for too long, and I am NOT going to move on until she talks to me!!!"

Zinnia stops and slowly turns around looking at Dorarose, "I'm....ok...not" She sighs " Not talking." She looks like she rather not speak to either of them and rubs one of her eyes and gets out the map to look at it, yes study the map and calm yourself.

Leon sighs "I know Dora but this is not a good time maybe after we have found a better place to rest what if we draw unwanted attention?"

DoraRose waves her paws around in some combination of agitation and pure frustration. "I don't care!! We'll be fine!! If we get attacked, I'm upset enough that they'll instantly regret it!!" She whips around and points accusingly at the Recorder. "No!! You're not okay!! You haven't been okay since your father died!! But you won't let anyone help you become okay!! You need to talk to us!!!!"

Zinnia backs up a little, she doesn't like the getting yelled at, "Please....rather not talk..its" And she doesn’t like rethinking what happen that day, she had managed to block it out and just be numb and now Dorarose is making the images and feelings come back, "Just....shut up" The words just slip out and she frowns after saying them and turns away.

Leon blinks and backs away a little as well, this could get ugly fast, he feels sorry for any vermin who walks in to try and kill them right now, "Umm..why don't we...walk and chat, huh guys?"

DoraRose stomps her foot. "No, I will not shut up!! I think that maybe you NEED to talk! Zinnia, do you have any idea how LUCKY you were to be able to say good-bye to your father before he died, and you were even there when it happened! I hadn't seen my parents for SEASONS when my /brother/ told me that they had died shortly after I had left....and he told me that /after/ we almost KILLED EACH OTHER!! YOU NEED TO TALK TO US!!!"

Zinnia listens and frowns as she backs off, she has managed to hold back tears and she hasn’t cried since a few days after her father died. Yeah she was there but...she growls low “STOP!" She gets out, "You..you don’t know ho....how..f..feels.." She takes a couple deep breaths and looks like she rather not speak more but it comes out, uncontrolled it just stumbles out all at once. “Don’t know how I felt! He..he was fine...fine that morning. Joking about hot root and flicking the oatmeal at me that had the hot root! I only left 10 mins,....10 MINSSS!!" She now has some tears, just a little as she tries to hold them back. The badger takes a breath and still talks, wow more talking?! "I didn’t get to say...ANYTHING TO HIM!!!....I came back and saw him get up from meditating and..and he fell and he didn’t get up and I run over to help him, but...but.....I don’t even know if he knew I was there, his eyes were all...dazed and then they closed and he went limp!" Whoa she is making up for quietness now, "I screamed for help but it was too late and he.." She points to Leon, "He....he.." She frowns and growls again as she stumbles backwards and coughs, "Not able...started to help but...then he just said nothing, he just looked at me and that...that look, and it dawned on me...Papa would of been pushing him away or least said..said something by then!!" She shakes her head "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!" She punches a lone tree, hmms a dent sort of and a bloody paw, oh boy!

And it's only getting started. Dora growls and takes a few steps closer to the badger, which may not be a good idea, considering the now-injured tree. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO KNOW YOU /WEREN'T/ THERE WHEN YOUR PARENTS DIED???!! I have wished and prayed and hoped that I could go back in time and change my decision! I wish that I had been there for my parents!! I wasn't there for them, and now I will NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN!!! I can't even remember if I said good-bye because of my stupid head injury! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW THAT FEELS??!"

Zinnia growls low, "Back...just..." She looks at her now bloody paw and coughs a little, so many feelings she rather just keep in, why relive that day, why? "WHATEVER!" She sniffs and looks away. "Never gonna see my father anymore either ya know....." She looks at Leon and frowns.

Leon looks unsure whether to speak or not, but he does, "Zinnia...I tried to save your father, but...he was..." He sighs "He was already dead, I even doubled checked his pulse and breathing, I checked his eyes even, ...he was gone, he was dead before I got there. I..I don't think me or Angela could of saved him if we had been standing there when he did ...lose consciousness or maybe he died then. His heart stopped Zinnia..it just..." He looks down “I am sorry..Healers are not magic savers of beasts, I don’t save everyone..I was too late for Zork and I wasn’t able to help Anomen either"

DoraRose is furious. She goes to shove the badger, she's so angry. Her eyes look like they may have the slightest tinge of pink to them, and her common sense seems to be leaving her rapidly. "But at least YOU got to say good-bye!! I NEVER GOT THAT CHANCE, and I've been so JEALOUS OF YOU EVER SINCE!! I wish that I had been there when my parents died!!!" A tear trickles down her cheek, unheeded, as she goes to shove the Recorder again.

Zinnia is in a bit of shock as the first one moves her slightly and the 2nd one she holds her ground, “Stop...STOP!" She goes to push her away from her, a little rough as she snorts some. “I NEVER ..did anything to you why do you hate me suddenly!!"

Leon gasps and looks between them "No...NO Stop fighting, this isn’t the thing to do, abbey beasts don’t fight!"

DoraRose goes to keep pushing on the badger, her muscles bulging. "BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW LUCKY YOU ARE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAY GOOD-BYE!!!" She roars, her eyes slowly becoming more pinkish. "I wish that I had had that chance!!! I am so JEALOUS OF YOU!!!" If she was calm, she would be assuring the Recorder that she doesn't hate her, but she's too mad to be able to tell the difference between anger and hate right now.

Zinnia feels the tears start to fall now and backs up, almost stumbling in fact.."I...I....." She goes to shove the mouse away before she goes to back up, "FINE..YOU BOTH HATE ME..I....." She then goes to ran, "I'm....getting out of here, you probably wish I was dead or something!" She rushes off in tears, sobbing and those are real tears, she trips and yanks off her knapsack and backpack dropping them to the ground and keeps going, she won’t stop for a good half an hour and she will get lost.

Leon frowns as he watches this "Dorarose..please!" He looks to see Zinnia rush off "Zinnia wait no come back! We have to stay together!"

DoraRose is knocked backwards, the badger's claws scratching her a tiny bit. She watches the Recorder rush off, her sight clearing. She gasps and covers her mouth with a paw. "Oh my heavens, what have I done?" She manages to say before she starts weeping. So, yeah. That went well.

Leon frowns and starts to go after Zinnia, but stops himself as he looks to Dorarose and goes to put an arm around her" It’s..its ok, I'll go try and find her stay here." He does look at the claw mark and applies a little bit of herbs and a bandage real quick and is off, he comes back half an hour later and sits down "I..didn't find her and it’s getting dark love, lets. Let’s hope we find her, she couldn’t have gotten that far..right?" He will likely fall asleep soon beside Dorarose.