Entanglement

[Yvonne]

OOC: Open to persons named Felicity Rhyolite only.

Dheathain. Tha most intimidating name ta have caressed me ears. A drizzle of death, a pinch of pain and stir gently. Heat tha heathen at a tropical temperature for eighteen hours, rest for six hours and then heat again until meat be overdone.

Adaptation to the humid and oppressive jungle climate would require plenty of time-investment on the grey dwarf's part. A bewildered foreigner in this deceptive, precarious land for a smattering of months, the journey had become more difficult over the time she had spent here. Difficulty here though was a strain she had never encountered in her decades of life. It was a balmy temperature one moment - an ambush predator the next. A sweat rash in an unwanted place and suddenly a plummet down a volcanic abyss.

Only the mild discomforts did she have the time to contemplate, formulate thoughts of protest about. The hot conditions she could condemn, the skittering crickets she could curse. On the other side of the coin the dusky dwarf was too busy with panic - hanging by a thread, fighting for her survival - to grumble and mutter. In those dire moments time was here and now, all and nothing. Focus and decision-making was keeping her alive, little more than those. A peppering of luck.

Yvonne was unquestionably living her life to the fullest, challenging her limits, pioneering relatively uncharted terrain. More precisely, she was re-exploring a time-lost isle, neglected by the pages of history. There was a noticeable lack of maps concerning the area - how does one even begin to make notations for this labyrinthian-tangleweed quagmire? The plants and weeds here slithered about to capture their prey. The earth itself quaked and rumbled from time to time, ever-changing.

The next best idea to aid her in finding her way was a local guide, of course. A dheathain fae, an enchanting species inclined toward one of the five worldly elements, who could make clear the way from Talmhaidh to Donnalaich. She had paid him appropriately for the task, coins exchanging hands, so only the small matter of the trip remained. He had taken the grey dwarf across the water, to the island where the ancient city supposedly lay hidden. He had brought her to the beginning and disappeared, an elusive and capricious individual who took as much payment for as little effort as possible. She would not make the mistake of trust again - half payment in advance and half payment when the task was done from here on out.

Why had a sel darthirii-dwarf come to this place? What purpose could she possibly have here in this untamed, unforgiving land? She was far, far from the hovel of her home and from the subterranean cavern-city of Kachuck. She didn't belong here, had nothing in common with the locals or the locale. Every time she turned around something new and primeval was attempting to slay her. These were perceptive questions to be sure, worthy of an answer.

Yvonne had learned so much from her mentor, Abel, but if there was one concept she would never forget from his wisdom it was this: the most successful traders place themselves in reach of the most profitable opportunities. Great distances matter not to acquire lucrative wares and they will bring those wares from across the world to barter with the highest paying customers.

Dheathain was a lucrative opportunity indeed. Traders which had an attachment to a healthy, continual existence sought their fortunes elsewhere, on safer, well-worn roads. Places where the population counts were higher and the demands were greater, certainly, yet here Yvonne could discuss sources for unique products the mainland had never seen at their markets. Her businesses would be the only providers of exclusive goods.

If she could locate them the entrepreneur could arrange business cooperatives with sentient races, races which most common peoples thought were faery tales. Species such as the drakari, descendants of the legendary dragons, or the dheathain fae which she had already learned would be problematic to deal with. The dusk dwarf had also heard of a race of pygmies who lived much deeper in Dheathain, a people so out of the way even the drakari ignored them. Now they could be the pinnacle of trade opportunity if she could win their approval.

Focus. Ye must focus. This daydreaming will be tha death of ye. Listen. What can ye hear?

The trickling water flow of a quiet, sleepy creek. Buzzing wing beats of giant dragonflies hovering near to the mostly-stagnant water. Mating calls of a rainbow-feathered bird on high in the tree branches. Rustling shrubs and shimmering grasses in the distance, a potential predator skulking through the dense coverage seeking a warm-blooded bite to eat. She could also sense a change on the wind, a clue from far off. Perhaps another of the jungle's well-known monsoons soon to break and catch her out, alone in the wilderness.

With a stretch and a twist of her long black hair Yvonne extracted the sweat from her strands, casting the filthy droplets off in disgust. It was early morning but this heat was already intensifying. Her black skin was sunburned everywhere she was exposed to the light, her silver eyes all she cared to protect. Her bronze goggles helped a little and she was using her fur scarf as a headwrap to keep the sun from blinding her. Fur was warm, thick material though and it was causing sweat-issues of its own.

Walking through the swampy unsettling terrain was beginning to get to her. Yvonne decided to take a moment to gather her composure, setting her crossbow and backpack down to get the weight off her shoulders. Relief tremors rippled through her upper body and she sighed with a simple contentment of the little pleasures.

Close-by she noticed one of the most beautiful, unusual flowers she had ever seen in her apothecary career. It had bloomed huge purple petals that gave away an astonishingly attractive scent. The grey dwarf had to investigate, taking up her sickle to see if she could collect the lovely flora without damaging it. She approached it right up close, settled next to it on her knees and looked to ply her little cutter at its stem.

Careful, careful...

The petals recoiled, flaring open in self-defensive aggression. The flower literally hissed with hatred, its tendrils and vines tearing out and grabbing her. Shocking, to be seized by a plant, Yvonne was stunned at first and scarcely knew how to react. The vines coiled around her like pythons, preparing to suffocate and squeeze the life out of their prey.

Finally finding her voice the dusk dwarf screamed, "No! Get off me! Let me go, get away!"

The colossal fly-trap bared its plant-jaws open even further, hissing low and irritable as its vine-grip gradually pulled her closer. She was going to be consumed.

[Flamebird]

Felicity loved exploring. She enjoyed the outdoors, running through meadows and scaling mountain tops. Whether it be the snow, desert, or prairies; she had this thing for adventure. It called to her. It begged her to step out, to feel and see the wonders of nature and ancient ruins. The mystery of magic, the puzzle of science. The rush of adrenaline, the heart pounding threats of danger and excitement. To truly feel alive.

Yet, she never expected to venture this far out...

Dheathian. It was a place like never before. Technically, it was considered a part of the Althanas secture of the world. However, on the maps it was closer to the enigmatic Kebiras. This was the closest to that shrouded land Felicity ever got... and she swore, if the humidity was even worse there than here!

The one thing Felicity despised more than anything else was the unrelenting moisture that eternally hung in the air. Fallien was hot, yes, but at least it was dry. Here, liquid misery clung onto the oxygen, almost choking the winter borne teen. She had grown up in the crisp air of Eiskalt and the coniferous terrains of Corone; she had never experienced anything like this. Even for someone as energetic and wild as herself, the humidity vacuumed a sense of life out of her. It was only manageable, barely, thanks to the endless curiosities this jungle provided. It was the carrot hung over the girl's nose, calling her deeper into the eccentric rain forest's depths...

Whether it be the plant life, natives, or an odd twist on the laws of physics, Dheathian fascinated her. It hypnotized her, the magical sparkles that danced around a brightly colored flower. The incredible wildlife, from giant lizards to lithe felines she never caught sight of before. She filled three of the four journals she brought with observations and fangirl enduced dribblings, and she did not even make it to her destination yet. - Donnalaich, a fae inhabited city which sat over the ruins of ancients of old. It had a magical affinity which rivaled that of Raiaera's ruins or Eiskalt's wilderness - at least according to legend - which the half-Neanderthal wished to study and explore to the absolute highest.

She could of hired a guide to help her through the jungle wilderness, yet the drakari were elitist and closed to outsiders. The fae, well, Felicity understood that they could be trouble. Thus, Felicity instead opted to buy several maps and go it alone. While a lack of company was a risk to her mentality, the previously unexplored frontier proved to be enough to keep her out of her head.

Oh, how she despised entering her own head.

Today was the fourth day of the third week. It was midday. The sunlight could barely battle to shine through the thick canopy anymore. The ground was tangled with vines and ferns. Many dangers lied in the venomous snakes or strange plantlife at her feet. Felicity had to watch every step. This place proved to be a mental challenge, and she was mentally stimulated by the brain games this island played. She wore thick traveling boots, sweat drenched pants and a shirt. The only reason she did not wear shorts and a tank top were safety reasons, as well as her strong sense of dignity and morality. Her jacket was wrapped around her waistline, the heavy packs on her back challenged even this heavyweight lifter after two weeks straight. The sword at her side was always ready, always, for danger. Her alchemist's kit hung over her rib, handled with extra care, as the uncomfortable redhead looked down at the map. She was close to her destination.

Wiping the sweat off her forehead would only make it worse, with how her arm was coated in a wet lining of salty body water. Thus, she had to let the sweat drip over her green eyes as she squinted to read the map.

"Okay," she panted aloud, her words mumbled in exhaustion, "I literalliterallyonly-ly-ly have 'bout half hour's until left dest'nation-"

"-No! Get off me! Let me go, get away!"

Felicity's face shot up like a small rodent snapped into alert. Her eyes widened as a voice called from the palm branches beyond. Was that another traveler, calling for mercy? Felicity's chronic hero syndrome kicked in immediately. She completely dropped her map as she drew her delyn arming sword. She bolted through the shrubs with no mind to her surroundings. After falling over a tree stump here and twisting an ankle in some vines there, she limped into another part of the forest where... it was odd. A species of person, obviously not native to this weird and wonderful continent, was grasping for air as a carnivorous plant entangled the small, stout female in vines.

Felicity was wondering if this torturous humidity was making her see things.

As several flies comically swarmed around her head, the half delirious teen carefully dropped her bags and stalked towards the plant from behind. She had just twisted her ankle in a rush, she only had one shot at this. As she balanced on her good right leg, she lifted her sword. She hoped that she could cut the plant from its stalk in a single swoop. She could literally bench approximately six hundred pounds! How hard could this be?

Very.

Very hard.

Seconds before her heavy strike, the plant turned its attention to her. Her hand had been bleeding sweat, so as the vines grappled her, the teen dropped her prized weapon. The vines pulled the child up, slowly coiling around her neck. Always the hero, that Felicity Rhyolite. Now, she needed saving too. For one of the select few times in her life, she vulgarly shouted "oh thaynes!" as she slammed her fists against the vines. Raw endurance and strength kept her kicking, her powerful bones were uncracked under the pressure. She could smell her own panic in her doubled sweating as she used her unkempt nails to dig into the plant's vines.

Felicity was becoming frustrated, fast. Furious even. No way. She could not die today. Not by a stupid plant! She shouted unformed words as she kicked the vines with her one good leg. No! No!

Then, a spark of fire caught on the plant's stem. The plant recoiled and shrieked in horror as it immediately dropped the struggling half-breed females. Much quicker than it naturally should of, the plant flash burned into ashy nothingness, just like that.

As her still panicked heart raced violently, Felicity looked up from the ground to see a tiny, brunette creature with pointed ears and a mischievous dazzle in his pink colored eyes. It was a fae.

The puny, lively creature turned to the young woman Felicity had been trying to rescue in the first place, "Please dun die on me. I still need the other half of your pay."

[Yvonne]

Dragged across the jungle grasses, sluggishly but surely, Yvonne kicked and thrashed to free herself from the stubborn plant. The grey dwarf was a denser, heavier feed than it was accustomed to, but her size would be just so when it came time to gobble her down. If the carnivore-herb had eyes they would have been bulging with anticipation. If it had a tongue it would have licked its trigger bristles. In place of such a tongue was a major organ that appeared almost identical to one of its long vines - but thicker, sinewy - and it was retracting back down its stem-throat, drawing its sustenance ever closer.

Yvonne's black leather boots were the entrée. She couldn't kick anymore - the tendrils were too tight. Squeezed inside its maw, decomposing secretions very gradually began to dissolve the leather. Yelling at the grappler obviously wasn't having much effect on it - plants don't speak with the likes of dwarves - however she did achieve the attention of a stranger who looked to be human at a glance. A red-headed lass - younger, taller, stronger, braver than she was - had arrived to save her, brandishing her blade.

Ohh, thank all that glitters golden...

The gigantic fly-trap predicted the warrior's imminent sword swipe, pre-emptively clutching her saviour by the neck and hoisting them aloft.

Ohh, curses on ya seedy sproutlings!

The hungry plant was getting to its main course, Yvonne's sable legs, the harsh secretions the first hint of how painful this was going to be. The sel darthirii-dwarf gritted her teeth, struggling feebly against her constrictions, ignoring the pain as best she could. This really wasn't how she had imagined her own death, but here she was, on the brink.

Fire seethed into existance beneath her, materialized from nothing but air, erupting up the stem of the murder-blossom. A piercing, hair-raising shriek stabbed her ears, impaled her mind as the deadly-vegie writhed in fiery, scorching torment. Yvonne would have pressed her hands to ears, the sound was so shrill and slicing, if her arms weren't strangled by vines. The plant let go - practically spat her out into a mucus mess on the grass - had enough. The magic-fire spread quickly, burning up the predator in a matter of seconds, leaving naught but smoke and ashes. The grey dwarf didn't know who was more horrified, the fly-trap or herself.

A familiar voice chimed in, jingling in her ears, "Please dun die on me. I still need the other half of your pay." It was the dheathian fae guide, returned from gods-know-where to collect his coin.

"I had one condition, ONE..." Yvonne seemed to be yelling a lot today, clearly on edge, incensed and afraid, "...and that condition be nae magic spells. Did ye uphold yer end of our agreement, fae?" Her breaths were deep, swift, rapid as she left the question hanging.

She was hyperventilating. The Alerar-born's phobia of magic had come to the fore, her silver eyes wide with dread over the little creature and his sorcery. "Of course not! Ye could've set me ablaze! What would ye have done then? Magicked up a stormcloud and rainy downpour over me head?! I could've been permanently magically scarred!" In, out, in, out, her breathing was getting carried away. Yvonne's hands frantically untied the coin pouch from her belt, fumbling from fluster, finally loosening it. Once she had it free she threw the purse at the fae, socking him one in the belly. "Keep yer hexes to yerself."

The fae sputtered, speechless.

"Ye and I be done. Thank ye for bringin' me this far. I'll find me own way to Donnalaich now." Hurriedly the grey dwarf shouldered her backpack and quiver, swooping up her crossbow as she turned on a heeled boot. Decisively, she just picked a direction, truthfully not having more than a cursory idea of where the fae city was.

Yvonne looked the disarmed warrior woman square in the eyes as she approached, and walked by her. The pupils of her silver eyes were dilated with a fight or flight response, fear plain as day. The grey dwarf couldn't hide it, not after her royal tantrum that unfolded before the saviour-to-be. She couldn't keep it from her face or features, so instead she tried to wear it proudly, back straight, puffing up her chest as she passed her by. Keeping her gaze steady, her expression still very distraught, she offered the human an apology, "I'm sorry ye got tangled up in all this."

How embarrassing. Yvonne tried to avoid letting her get a word in and kept on walking.

[Flamebird]

That… was interesting.

Apparently, the plant was not the only thing up in flames over the fae. Felicity watched, speechless, as the odd looking dwarf thing spat venom at the fire fae, disgusted over the use of magic. As she passed, oh, as she passed Felicity she looked her square in the eye. Silver eyes were dilated back in rapid panic. Her copper skin was coated with sweat brought on not by the blasted humidity – but by fear.

Yet, in a bold attempt to keep an appearance, she kept her head up. The creature strode right past.

Felicity turned her head over. She watched as the small humanoid stomped into the forest. Shocked, jaded, slightly offended as a magic user, the redhead snorted. She turned her head back to the crime scene, hoping to thank the fire fae for saving her life, yet – the Dheathian native had vanished. Absolutely zero evidence of the trickster species was there. Suddenly, Felicity was alone in the jungle again.

The ferns hid the girl’s frame. Her own panic died down as her heavy breaths slowed. She needed to move on. Yet, as she stood up, a light hiss escaped her. Oh right, her ankle had been sprained.

How splendid.

In a foul enough mood as was, Felicity tried to limp over to her sword. Her body was resilient, sturdy; yet even her incredible skeletal structure was not happy with the state of her physicality. The teen was exhausted, sweating, and probably dehydrated. While Felicity had several canisters of water, it was lukewarm, when ice cold was preferred against Dheathian’s wet heat. As the girl fell to the muddy ground, her tangled hair covering her face, she realized that she was in no position for set backs. It would take time and energy to fix her ankle. She could not run, leap, or even walk straight with her lower leg unnaturally twisted. In the middle of a dense rain forest, Felicity was in a danger zone. Another map was in her bag, although finding her way was not the problem. Surviving Dheathian’s wilderness with a sprained ankle was.

She became more aware of her surroundings again. The edges of the tropical plant life, ferns and palms, shook as smaller wildlife rummaged through it. That familiar scent of water in the air annoyed and tormented the daughter of Eiskalt. Flies flew around her as she eyed the unfamiliar plants at her feet and hands. Hopefully, they were not poisonous. As the calls of jungle parakeets echoed through the trees, Felicity’s eyes darted from plant to plant. She shook, paranoid of predators. Felicity turned to see several rodents and reptiles already scavenging her bags.

“H-hey!” Felicity erupted, throwing her arms. She pulled herself up, making it several feet towards the bag before crashing down again. The thud caused the animals to scurry and scatter. In the borderline unbearable moister, however, Felicity let out a rather pathetic cry.

She needed help.

Luckily, she had recently met some folk.

Her sword still lay across the forest floor. As long as she was unable to move freely, she was in danger. Whether it be from predatory beasts or poisonous plants, Felicity was vulnerable. She disliked being vulnerable. By chance, one of the travelers was still close enough as she, reluctantly, shouted for help. The weakness of a child was heard in the cries, as well as the humiliation of a warrior.

[Yvonne]

I warned him. I did. "I'm terrified of magic," I said, "I've nothing against ya or any other fae. Fae be an extraordinary people," I said. "I'm afraid of what it can do and tha consequences of its misuse. Please do not use it near me," I said. So what does he do? Practically uses it ON me! Am I a wee bit mad over this turn of events? Ya bet yer granites I be. Was I too harsh on the wee fella? Mayhap. I don't know.

Yvonne had stomped her way into the rain forest, thoughtless to the noise each tread taken was making. At least the vibrations would keep the snakes at bay, especially out here where the snakes might have been bigger than she was. The ebony-skinned woman had read many books during her childhood and one of them described reptiles in detail, basilisks among them frightening her the most. Dragons, leviathans, medusae and naga were well respected runners-up, all considerably concerning snake types. Was Dheathain's warm climate and overgrown underbrush the perfect home for any of those lethal creatures?

Best not think about it.

Creating distance between the sorcerer and herself helped to calm her mind however time would need to calm her ego. Yvonne's breathing was back in the realm of control, nice deep breath in, long soothing breath out. The whisper of the air passing her lips was relaxing to hear, the lush scents of the jungle pleasing to smell. Everything looked foreign, every shrub, every blade of grass and that was worrying. Something to use as a landmark, to set the foundation of her way... that would have been really useful, to gather her wits on where she was.

Hmm, if I be a mischievous flock of rascals where would I build my city? The grey dwarf recalled her memory of the city she was familiar, the dwarven mine-shaft metropolis of Kachuck. Home. Even the word itself made one feel safe. Yvonne felt better. It was a highly unlikely place to build a city, excavated deep within a mountain - some of the tunnels were dwarfcraft, others were carved naturally by underground rivers that had eroded away at the rock for millenia. Food was scarce in the winters if her people hadn't stored enough in time, and water... if it wasn't for the freely flowing underground river Kachuck would have never become a city at all.

Was that the secret to finding the fae? Follow the water...

A shout caught up to her on the wind. Chasers of cries for help came to her pointed ears, from whence she had come. Yvonne knew immediately who it was. The voice matched with a shout she remembered from their encounter with the fly-trap. The grey dwarf knew even from here that the fiery red-headed warrior hadn't moved much since she'd left her. Something is wrong. Guilt stabbed her stomach like a vicious dagger strike, twisting in her guts. The warrior had risked their life to protect her from certain death and how had they been repaid? A skimpy apology and a cold shoulder. I have to go back for her.

Yvonne turned on her boot-heel again, hurrying back through the rain forest. She ran as fast as she could go - carrying a bulky backpack and a crossbow weighing her down - which was not fast at all, mind you, with her runty little legs. She remembered where the fly-trap nest was though, and the warrior's humiliated cries straightened her course every time she heard them. She knew that state of being well... and wouldn't have wished it on anyone, not for all the jewels and gemstones of the dwarves.

Pushing the last ferns aside Yvonne uttered, "Don't worry. It be me. I've come back," so that she wouldn't confuse her with an ambushing wildcat. She'd found the poor lass, prone upon the grass. It seemed the human woman had not even retrieved her sword, instead struggling helplessly with her leg. The grey dwarf placed her crossbow near the blade so that she'd have use of her hands, and knelt down next to her to get a better look at the injury. Grimacing, she offered, "I'm sorry I left ye like this. I didn't know it be this bad."

She may have been looking at a dislocation here. Her leg just didn't look quite right, twisted out of shape somewhat. Yvonne wasn't entirely certain of the physiology of humans, but she was fairly confident human legs weren't supposed to look quite like that.

"Listen, I'm very good with my hands. I know, I know, we haven't been acquainted for long, but--" Yvonne went with it. Better to ask forgiveness than permission. She began to massage the red-head's leg above the injury at first, and carefully eased her finger-tips downward toward the ankle. Not too close. She was feeling for any completely broken bones and there didn't seem to be any, but fractures were basically impossible for Yvonne to detect and there could still have been one of those. Closer and away, nearer and away, the pressure would have been building in her ankle as her dark hands soothed her pain.

"Ya know, usually I like ta get ta know someone before I be this nice ta them. Yvonne Mythrilmantle, at yer service. What be your name, lass?" Time was up. Yvonne popped the warrior-woman's dislocated ankle back into place. Ooh, that'll smart.

[Flamebird]

Thank goodness help came back! It was the tiny dwarf… thing.

She swiftly worked at massaging Felicity’s leg. As she worked to feel her ankle for damage, she continued to speak. Her dialect was distinct, like the differing accents of different populations per culture. Her speech patterns were peculiar yet familiar to Felicity, who once upon a time had a terrible lisp. As she introduced herself with her name, she suddenly popped her ankle back into place. Thanks to her tough physiology, it did not hurt as bad as it could. It did still hurt, however. The mud human hissed sharply as vibrations of pain rippled through her body. Her veins slightly bulged for a moment, her heart beat amplifying the flow of her impure, toxic blood.

As the forest birds squawked, as monkeys shouted in the treetops; the teen pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around her knees. After the initial pain, she felt better. A thankful smile coated her features, “Thank you.” She then offered up her name, “I’m Felicity Rhyolite.”

The sound of squeaking across the forest floor caused her green eyes to widen. The little ragechild turned annoyed, her eye twitching, as she cautioned with her hand, “Just a sec.”

Already using her leg like nothing ever happened, she bounced up and stomped towards her bags. She went from zero to sixty, her entire body tight and tensed in unusual, unhealthy anger. Clouds of dirt swirled at her feet, violent footprints left behind. As the girl shouted, a family of rodents evacuated from Felicity’s bags, disappearing into the sea of ferns beyond.

Felicity pulled the packs over her back again. She turned to the young woman with a smile, “Sorry about that.”

Felicity had been observing this Yvonne’s stature this entire time. She seemed like a midget New Elf, with her acorn skin and arrow tipped ears. Her height and mesomorph frame only seemed too reminiscent of the stories she heard of dwarves. Did dark elves not have superiority complexes? Why would a dark elf get romantic with a dwarf – if that was the case? As of now, it was a mystery. The hybridization of two opposing humanoids herself, Felicity was biased towards the probability of Yvonne being a half-breed. It captivated her.

Felicity wiped the sweat on her pants, walking over to pick up her sword, “I have a map to Donnawai – Donnalaich, if you need hewp.” In her more delirious state, her lisp was back. She shook her head, upset over her own immature speaking habits. “I mean, I’m going ‘ere too.”

She was sticky, worn out, as well as thirsty for fresh, cold water. The canister in her luggage would have done, but she was running out of energy to rummage through her equipment. In vain attempts to pull her energy up again, she pulled her last hyper protein bar out of a front pocket. She eyed Yvonne, “I have more food. Sorry, tawk can’t correct'y. Dumb humidity.” The heat was getting to the young adventurer. She took a bite, subconsciously aware of her off putting behavior. Subconsciously, she hoped it would not drive her away. She was tired, though she still needed to focus on the outside world. The world inside of her was her worst enemy. She was always running from it…

She needed some form of company. To keep her head above her stormy waters.

[Yvonne]

She was a tenacious human, this Felicity Rhyolite. Yvonne had snapped the warrior's ankle back into its appropriate socket, and even for many dwarves that would have been something to howl in pain about. Not this one - she hissed, yes, the sound of repressing the agony through force of will. It was as though she acknowledged the pain and decided to crush it, like a candle aflame extinguished between finger and thumb.

Yvonne couldn't decide whether to be inspired or concerned. On the one hand, wow, that was incredible, and on the other hand, yeesh, that can't be healthy.

"Yer welcome. Teach me ta do that sometime," Yvonne joked, inspiration winning the day.

The grey dwarf was cautioned with a hand gesture, and instinctively she snatched up her crossbow once again, ready to defend herself if necessary. There were far too many meat-eaters in this jungle for her liking. You couldn't rest on your laurels if you had survived one measly murder-blossom - there were always more threats, skulking around every shrub. Yvonne watched Felicity tensely as she rushed toward her backpack, prepared to give her some crossbow cover-fire as soon as the predator revealed itself.

Turned out it was Dheathain rats. False alarm! The crossbow-woman pulled back her weapon, resting it against her shoulder. Rodents. Interesting. Don't they like to congregate around civilization? We might not be so far from Donnalaich after all.

Yvonne caught on to the fact that Felicity was analyzing her, studying her, the focus of her emerald eyes upon her sable skin and elven ears. Not much escaped the deep dwarf's notice. She returned her gandering with a goggle-eyed stare of her own, pulling a face for amusement's sake. "I can see ya might have a question or two about me," she asserted, smirking. "I have a few of my own for ye. I be willing ta trade our questions for answers, if ye be."

The deep dwarf continued, "Yer right though. We should keep moving or we'll not make it ta Donnalaich before our food and water runs out." Yvonne was rather surprised to learn that Felicity had a map of the local area. She had tried to garner some basic directions from some folk back in Talmhaidh, but all she'd received was a piece of paper with some child-level scrawl on it. The red-headed heroine had a genuine map? What were they waiting for? This would be a cinch! Mayhap. No, probably not.

"C'mon, I think I could hear a river or a creek in this direction. We might be able to cool off some or have a drink." Yvonne closed her eyes and wiped the dripping sweat from beneath her head-towel, the sweat-beads bothering her enough to risk the light for a moment. Happy with that, she took off at a steady fast-walking pace, unwilling to run with Felicity's most likely bruising, still-injured ankle.

[Flamebird]

Yvonne started to move. Felicity took a moment of silence to listen. Indeed, the sound of boisterous streams just barely grazed her eardrums. Felicity shoved the high protein bar into her mouth and followed the older woman’s lead. As they cleared a path through the ferns, Felicity felt a throbbing ache in her previously wounded ankle. Through the last several weeks, Felicity had battled hazardous weather, rabies infested animals, and the worst danger of them all, the humidity. Yet now, this miner annoyance of joint pain slowed her down? Banish that sort of thought! It was laughable to think that just a sore ankle could deter her!

Well, she was not stopped by the pain. It did, however, slow her steps. The girl subconsciously started to limp. Her treading was careful, her steps over rocks and tree roots were tedious. With Yvonne still maintaining a slower pace, Felicity kept her complaints to herself. However, Yvonne’s comment about her willingness to answer questions came back to mind. Felicity turned to her major coping mechanism for all pain – blissful distractions.

The teen pushed a tall fern aside. Stepping over a tiny, uprooted tree, she looked towards the dwarf. Her large bag jingled as she awkwardly hobbled along. “Yeah, if you don’t mind me asking, what are you?”

She had to take a moment to rest. If it was any other pain, such as a cut rib or broken arm, she could manage. This was her leg, however. She needed it to walk. The wet, energy sapping air provided no relief as she shoved her sweaty palms into her knees. The luggage she carried only made it worse. She heavily seethed, managing a cautious smile, “I mean, I've seen various human ethnicities, neanderthals, many elves, cat people, fauns, but not you.”

She tried to wave annoying bugs away, “I’m a hybrid, so I'm interested in other humanoids, I guess.”

Felicity pushed herself up, churning pale. She refused to rest until they reached the river. She could not be falling into malnourishment yet! She just ate her superpowered bar! Her distinct body needed boatloads of food to survive. Majorly eating a high protein, wholesome vegetable diet, she needed more than that massive three thousand calorie bar. She forced her concerns aside as she listened to Yvonne speak. They started to tread downhill. As she attempted to maintain balance, the river came into view. The tremendous pressure her stalky body put on her leg caused her to finally shout. She had to grasp branches to stay standing on the steep hill.

Finally, they made it to the river. Felicity fell to her knees, on the muddy jungle floor. Random objects such as her metal blue bird, other map, and journals fell out. She sighed, started to pick all but the map up. The map stayed out.

[Yvonne]

Felicity had fallen to her knees, had taken a moment to rest and to give her ankle the reprieve it was aching for. The red-headed lass had kept the pace and made it to the river - well, more of a babbling little brook than a real river - though she'd limped most of the way. It was obvious to her newfound dwarven companion that she was suffering through it, struggling to walk on it much at all.

While the warrior was busy picking up the pieces from her gear, Yvonne, ever the opportunist, was busy removing Felicity's boot. Bet ya didn't expect that.

Before Felicity could object and protest Yvonne shook her head and waved her down, saying, "I be borrowing it for a moment only. I want ta try an old trick we dwarves like ta use." The black boot-snatcher wandered away out of reach, leaving the bootless one to mutter and continue picking up her other belongings.

Yvonne began to answer her companion's question as she came to some particularly lush and green moss-covered rocks, not so far from the creek's edge. Her reply was honest and straightforward, much like Felicity's phrasing of the question. She could appreciate her friend's blunt - let's get right down to it shall we? - attitude. It seemed like few people had the courage and fortitude to simply say what they meant. There was no beating about the bush with Felicity Rhyolite and hopefully that never changed.

"I'm a mongrel. I be dark elven and dwarven both," she replied matter of factly. Yvonne wasn't facing her larger and stronger friend, but still speaking to her clearly, well within earshot. She was multi-tasking their conversation and carefully sickle-scraping some moss from the rocks, peeling free some good swathes. Talking about who she was and working with plants reminded her of home, that she should send a letter someday soon and check in. "I've not heard that word before... I'm not sure what a 'high-bred' be but it sounds important. Ye wouldn't happen ta be royalty would ya?"

Yvonne placed the moss strips into the sole of the boot, forming a natural padding that Felicity could walk on. Who knew, it might absorb some of the impact of her steps as they made the last leg of their journey today. It was no health potion, that much was certain, but out here you had to make do with the resources available to you, and the skills you had up your sleeve. Most dwarves knew all about gems and rocks, whereas Yvonne knew a thing or two about herbs and plants.

"Try this on for size again. It be cold and squishy on yer foot, ye I hear ya," the deep dwarf smiled as she handed Felicity her moss-laden boot back. "Yer great at ignoring pain so a little unpleasantness ought ta do ya no harm--," she pointed out, continuing, "--and it pains me ta know ya struggling with yer ankle. It'll be like walking on a cloud."

[Flamebird]

It felt weird, not having a boot on. With the boot temporarily removed, her foot was only wrapped in messy, dirtied bandages. As the young woman spoke, she strategically collected moss and filled Felicity’s shoe with it. She spoke of being a half-breed between a dwarf and dark elf. That, combined with her paranoia of magic, confirmed origins from Alerar. Her eyes sparkled, herself intensely engaged with the words she spoke. She had no idea such radically different species were comparable. Previous half bloods she came across, such as her half-elf mentor and herself, had parental species far more closely related.

The trick with the moss and boot dazzled her as well. Even for an alchemist, she never knew to do that! Maybe, it was because she had focused some much on potions and medicines instead of survival. Right now, her mellow moaning ankle echoed for relief. Hopefully, this trick would give it a pillow like padding.

“Hybrid,” Felicity shoved her metal bird into a bag pocket before collecting the map, “Another word for half breed, half blood…”

As Yvonne helped her get the boot back on, Felicity thanked her again. She smiled, using one arm to pull it on right. The other held the map. Felicity, who already trusted her enough at this point, held the map out for her to take. Smudges of dark, cool mud covered the girl now. It felt… refreshing.

“I’m half human, half neanderthal.” The burnt out teen fell onto her side, “And this mud feels nice.”

Indeed, the sound of the lively, peppy trickling of water through the stream was relaxing. With her eyes closed, she heard the babbling waters and felt the tar like, wet dirt. This was serene… yet noises called from within her own mind. Shadows of figures, the color red, briefly replaced the vision she closed herself off from. Veins protruded from her neck as her heartbeat raced again. There was no rest as echoes of words long past invaded her memory. Her dilated eyes flashed open. She pushed herself up again. She left hand prints in the mud, her legs no longer relaxed against the rain forest floor. She was already ready to push herself to her feet. “We need to get some water and purify it.”

She pulled the bag off her back, then reached into the clutter. Muttering unenunciated words as she searched, she eventually pulled it out. It was a small device, yet it worked just as well as Alerar's steam machines. She willed her hand to her canister. It shook briefly. She forced herself to grip it. Her words were unintentionally hasty, slurred, and peppy. “You put the water into a jug, pour it through this thing. Then put it in the canister. Boom! Clean water!”

How obvious had her flashback been? She did not know. She brushed past it, however. She wanted to see Yvonne to the town as soon as possible, she really owed the half dwarf one. Regardless of her eminent collapse, she kept pushing.