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(( open RP ))
Cay wished she had brought more lamp oil having given most away to that nice lizard she saw a few days ago near the workshop. Wondering what time it was, she figured it was soon too late to get back before Felix arrived. He probably thought she felt better and left to get some herbs, hopefully. It was pretty hard between the bouts of morning sickness to sneak away because he was so worried, most of his time was spent with her. Yet she just had to get the wedding present at the harbor. It took a lot of thought and effort to have it made and she had wanted to surprise him when they finally could have the wedding feeling guilty it was again called off. Nothing should delay it anymore!

Cay's biggest worry was being seen by someone then distracted from leaving yet finally managed to get past the guards having a break, listening to them joke between themselves about their lives was interesting yet she had no time to hear more.Just outside the gate her hands reached in the bag only to realize there was no coin for the teleporter yet the lamp oil should be enough if the shortcut was taken and she was sure she could still run there and back in time, possibly even get the portal Felix had given her that she kept in the harbor depot if time was running short. It felt good running again as the walls of town seemed to close in on her the past few days missing her excursions to the forest for herbs. The fresh air of the night was invigorating as not even a rare herb could stop her progress. Smiling as she thought of how Kitten would love her gift, she couldn't wait to give it to him...he would be totally surprised and it had been very hard these past few days not to say anything even as sick as she was. Hopefully, she would feel as good tomorrow as she did right now.

Finding another little path that seemed to cut her time even more was exciting until she fell in the hole. Immediately the light went out. Had she passed out, there was a sharp pain in her leg, where was she?

The young Nordodaj cursed under his breath. He had followed that wolf pack for two days now, but when they had reached the river, their tracks had been eliminated. Two days, for nothing.
Agrimur ran through his scrubby blond hair, flattening the lose strands between his several, randomly distributed braids. His bright green eyes rose from the ground in order to examine his surroundings more carefully as he had done before, when he had concentrated on the wolf-tracks. He stood at the banks of Troll's Vein, not too far north from the Farmer's Union actually, although on the opposite side. Realizing his plans had just vanished in thin air, he decided to take a bath, and swim over to the other side. After he had hidden his few belongings - a cloak that seemed to be made of wolffur, the little Skraja-axe he always wore at his belt, his dagger, a pack of clothes and his shortbow - he sprang into the icy waters of the small river, enjoying the sudden, tingly pain on his sweaty skin as he submerged.

Agrimur swam like an otter, splashing and diving and fooling about. When his wiry muscles grew tired, he finally did the crawl towards the other side of the river, climbing up the bank and laying down in the grass, enjoying the pale sun on his even paler skin. From here, it was not too far into a small forest, full of paths and bushes and possibly the one or other rabbit to catch for evening meal. Suddenly, Agrimur realized he was not only tired, but also quite hungry...

Cay's lips purse as a strange noise like a puff of air escapes. Again she tries as another noise emerges yet not what she wanted. Sitting as eyes blink a few times trying to see any light in her surroundings she mutters to herself in a whisper "Well, Grams said to whistle when frightened, now I just need to learn how"...giving a barely heard, nervous giggle just once before she gasps suddenly feeling the pain in her foot. Untying the leather strap holding her shoe gave so much relief she sighed with pleasure removing the shoe totally as hands assess her enlarged foot the same time wiggling her toes again whispering "Alright, just strained maybe?" Cays voice becomes slightly louder "Hello?" before she stops moving altogether while listening to the sounds still unable to see anything in the dark. There was dripping noises, a faint sound of water rushing in the distance then nothing ...was that a call, or an echo? "Hello?" Pausing with a frown hearing the same noises, yet realizing she had landed in some kind of large cavern, Cay stands using a makeshift cane from the cherry branch Felix had cut for their wedding vows. Holding her hand out blindly, she slowly limps one step at a time leaving one of her shoes behind while again moving toward the sound of water knowing there had to be an inlet and outlet for the stream, yet also hopeing to relieve her parched throat. Stopping only once at the sound of a splash seeming to come from behind yet deciding it was another of the strange echoes heard, Cay continues until her one dry shoe lands ankle deep in a chillingly cold stream.

Even the thought of a freshly roasted rabbit's smell, combined with a warm fire and the few remaining sips in his beer-bottle made his mouth water. There was no time to be lost. He stould up, naked as he was, and shortly wondered whether to do the crawl to the other side of the river first, get all his belongings and swim them over... or just hunt the rabbit as he was. Oh, the fun of hunting once more without any weapons suddenly seemed too great. But on the other hand... he had no idea where the wolf pack had gone. Possibly back where they came from, but the might also be somewhere around.

"Arrr..." Grinning all over the face, he imitated Borgate's favourite word. There wouldn't be any fun without risk. Why waste his energy on a double swim over the river, when he could have so much fun instead? Maybe it was the absence of his sister that made him so impulsive, maybe it was just his own big head.

And so the Norodaj crossed the road and entered the small forest. Whoever might have seen him might have been very disturbed... A Norodaj hunter, completely naked and unarmed, but grinning foolishly all over his young, scrubbily bearded face. Quite a sight to behold!

Time only will tell whether these actions were a huge mistake...

Was it near morning? Her stomach doing a small flip protested it may be yet the morning sickness seemed to not follow the time of day so far. Satisfied for now with just water, Cay places her hand again in the stream finding the direction of flow then turns upstream attempting to follow the same path on the theory the water has to come from somewhere above. Maybe she could get out the same way?

Squeek, click, squeek, click

...were the only noises heard except for the running stream as her one wet shoe alternated with the click of the branch used to take weight off her other foot. After a time the lack of noise began to wear on her mind as beginning in a whisper gradually becoming louder a song in perfect pitch echoed in the cavern.

What marvel is it which without I saw,before Delling’s-door?
Were twain briskly,and breathless withal.boiling a wand-of-wounds.
Aright guess now this riddle, Heithrek!

Good is thy riddle,Gestumblindi,and guessed it is:
they are the smith’s bellows; they blow but have no breath!

What marvel is it which without I saw,before Delling’s-door?
The white fliers on the flagstones bounded.but the swart ones sank in the sand.
Aright guess now this riddle, Heithrek!

Good is thy riddle,Gestumblindi,and guessed it is:
they are hail and rain; because the hail beats on the flags, but the rain drops sink in the sand and go into the ground.

What marvel is it which without I saw,before Delling’s-door?
Upward it flies with eagle’s voice,and hard grip its claws the helmet.
Aright guess now this riddle, Heithrek!

Good is thy riddle,Gestumblindi,and guessed it is:
that is the arrow.

Hearing the sounds of splashing for some time then seeing more light ahead, Cay clambers over rocks as best she can, sometimes resorting to stepping waist deep in the cold stream. Not sure what was making the splashing, she was hesitant to call out, then hearing the strange noise sounding like...

Arrr

..she decided to remain quiet fearing it was a monster or some strange animal. Peeking around a particularly large boulder, Cay's eyes travel up to finally see the full moon as a deep sigh of relief escapes her lips before turning toward the forest. Was something there, surely it was a monster though all she could discern was a very brief glimpse of moonlight on a furless backside of the creature. By the time she blinked, the vision had disappeared.

Shivering and with foot throbbing, Cay limps south in the opposite direction while keeping to the edge of the forest and finally lays down to sleep in a tree hollow tucking her wet skirt around bare feet as the cherry branch lays at her side.

Thank you Ushura!