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Chance Meeting
Buttons — 03/19/2023 11:30 PM
The wind whipped against his face, ruffling his hair and tossing the ends of his scarf that refused despite all efforts to stay tucked in to the neck of his robes. The boy huffs, breath making a small cloud in the air, and he attempts to shove the ends back in to the garments.
Once he's certain the scarf will stay in place, he returns his hands to the bow slung about his back, slipping it free from its holster and plucking an arrow from the quiver at his waist. With careful steps he makes his way through the plains of the Steppe to a copse of trees.
The snow would begin falling soon, he could practically taste it on the wind, and he was hoping to find a little bit more game before it did. His mother had not necessarily asked him to, but he knew that if his father were with them he'd be hunting until the first flake fell.
So that is why the boy finds himself so far from camp, slipping between the roots and gnarls of the barren trees, searching for tracks.
He finds the small steps of rabbits in the frost, and they seem fresh. He knocks an arrow, and proceeds deeper in to the pocket of trees, green eyes wide and scanning for the rapid movement of a winter hare.
Space Coco — 03/20/2023 6:22 PM
She'd bring her back home.
That was a sentiment that Tsuruyo had believed with all her heart for so long. She had waited there in the same spot where her Mother had left her, certain that any hour, any day, any week now She'd come back arms open, a smile upon Her face, and sweet words that would explain away all of this. When food became harder to come by, the child would move a little farther out. A little more each time until finally with each malm she came to realize that her Mother would never come back.
What had she done wrong?
Yotsuyu's father had been hitting his own daughter and wasn't that a bad thing to do? Her Mother had always talked about creating a better world where no one needed to suffer, and couldn't that only come about by stopping such things?
Tsuruyo didn't understand. She didn't understand at all, and all the work and time needed to simply survive kept her from ever being able to figure it all out. The little Raen had attempted to make her way back home on her own but she only ended up getting lost. Twice she had encountered people but something about their comments, the way they looked at her, the ominous noises coming from the wagon had made it clear they weren't to be trusted--something confirmed when they had given chase and it was only her small size that allowed her to fit in places they couldn't reach that had saved her.
As the days grew colder, her traps gathered less and less game, her foraging ventures brought little more than handfuls of the hardiest of berries. Little by little her skin began to stretch tighter around her bones, with no food the unclean water she was forced to survive on began to effect her more, and the lack of contact with people began to rob her of her voice and mind.
[6:22 PM]
Today she woke up.
Breathing was hard, and with each inhale she could hear the rasp, feel the bloody phlegm that rattled in her lungs.
It was only habit now that had her crawling, dragging with her a sharpened stick as she went to check on her snare.
Empty.
She stared at it for a long time, as if simply doing so would magically cause some animal to be caught it in, when a noise had her looking away.
A hare.
Outside of the trap.
If she could still feel it, Tsuruyo would almost be insulted. She knows she wouldn't be fast enough to catch it but perhaps if she stands still and it gets close enough....
Before it can reach her, however, something else enters the opening.
Or rather, someone else.
Buttons — 03/20/2023 6:43 PM
His steps are slow, cautious, careful to use as little pressure as possible to start his step, avoiding twigs and leaves that may crunch and give away his hunt.
His eyes snap to the movement almost faster than him registering the movement to begin with, tracking the hare as it hops along the frost-covered ground. The bowstring makes it's audible sound as he pulls the arrow, the rabbit's head perking up but not fast enough as Lavanda releases his fingers.
The arrow is a deadly accurate shot, going through the hare's eye and lodging firmly in the tree behind it. A clean and most importantly instant death. Lavanda holsters the bow upon his back, standing from his crouch and walking towards the plump game that would serve to fatten up his mother's stew for the coming storm.
His one hand rests on the tree, the other grabbing the shaft of the arrow and yanking it free from the tree. He was still too young to take down deer (at least, that's what the elders say), so he contends himself with small game such as this. He ties the rear legs to the leather strap that hung from his back hip, joining three others. Definitely enough for a hearty stew, and hopefully enough for the storm that threatened to begin at any moment.
He cleans the arrow on the grass, before tucking it back in to his quiver and standing, making to head back to the camp.
Space Coco — 03/20/2023 8:52 PM
A man. At least by her delirious and youthful assessment. She watched as he easily ran the rabbit through with an arrow and felt a surge of jealous rage. Why should he get one so easily? He has many in fact and here she had been struggling for days. It was unfair. It was unfair.
...
Food. He had food. For a brief moment she considers asking him for some, but dismisses the thought as idiotic. Why would he give her his food? The only one who had ever given her food was the dango seller and once she had thought him so nice for that. Yet her time out here had made her reassess so much of what she thought to be true. He only did it when there were leftovers at the end of the day he hadn't managed to sell. A sweet that would have ended up spoiling anyway. He gave her stale dango instead of helping her or Yotsuyu.
People weren't that kind.
Her hand tightened on the sharpened stick. If she was to get any of that she would have to take it by force. He was bigger and stronger than her, but because she was so small he probably wouldn't consider her a threat. All she had to do was let him get close enough and if she could shove it through his throat...
Using what little remained of her strength Tsuruyo pushed herself to her feet and began to follow him as quietly as she could.
Though 'quietly' in her addled mind meant stumbling after him, sometimes fall, not realizing how much she was coughing. Her feet dragged through the thin layer of snow crunching it harshly and sometimes kicking it up.
Buttons — 03/20/2023 8:59 PM
The rustle of something bigger than a rabbit behind him made him spin quickly while pulling his bow and an arrow free (the same one, he'd note later, that killed the rabbit). Ducking low, he pulls the bowstring taught and is ready to fire.
Only to find himself facing not a creature but a girl. She was an Au'ra, or at least he thought so, but her scales were pale and skin dirty. Perhaps ... maybe she was so cold, the color faded from her scales?
Given the way her clothing fell from her emaciated frame, dirty and cover in blood, dirt, and Gods know what else, she must have been out here for a while. Her hacking cough sounded bad, and he imagines that the cold cannot be helping.
Slowly, he relaxes the string of his bow, the arrow returning to the quiver. "Are ... where's your tribe?" They had to be close, right? Who would just leave a little girl out here with only a stick to defend herself? (edited)
March 21, 2023
Space Coco — 03/21/2023 9:23 AM
She froze when he whipped around. When had he notched that arrow? It was as if she had blinked and he already had the weapon fully prepared.
Wide eyes stared up at him from a huge mass of bushy, tangled hair as her skeletal arm gripped the stick tighter. There are some patches along her arm where the white scales have fallen off, and if the brownish-red scabbing was any indication it hadn't been a natural shedding.
Vaguely she hears that he's speaking to her and she can parse some of what he's saying but she has no idea what he means when he talks about "tribe."
She takes a cautious step back, eyes never leaving him and opens her mouth to speak. A mistake. She hadn't spoken in months and the effort it takes to try and do so sends her into another coughing fit, this one more vicious than the last--it rattles her ribcage and has her doubling over until she begins to paint the snow beneath her with bloody phlegm.
Buttons — 03/21/2023 9:41 AM
Oh, that's very bad.
Lavanda gets the sinking feeling that this girl had been abandoned out here - whether because of getting lost, or because she was sick, he isn't certain. He did not see any sign of another tribe in the area, so she must have been here for a while.
He can't just leave her here.
"Hey, it's ok," He approaches her carefully, like he would a startled animal, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder and then her back; he hopes that rubbing along her spine (and he hates that he can feel it so prominently) will help calm the coughing fit the poor girl was in. "It's going to be alright." He promises, feeling the conviction with every fiber of his being.
Space Coco — 03/21/2023 11:55 AM
When he touches her back all the alarm bells go off in her head and she's immediately hissing. She doesn't parse the soft touch, she doesn't hear the kind words or tone.
Adrenaline pumps through her body and with everything that she can muster she jabs the stick in his direction wildly. She hasn't the faintest idea if she hit her mark or not because once again her body is wracked with coughs and she doubles over, falling to her knees as her vision begins to spin.
She twists around on the ground, starting to try and crawl away from him before the last of her strength finally fades and she collapses to the ground, chest rising and falling rapidly.
If she could she might have cried then, but she had be wrung dry of all her tears month ago.
Buttons — 03/21/2023 12:25 PM
"Woh, woh, ok, I'm sorry!" He dodges the weak and wild thrusts with the stick, eyes wide and hands up in a show of peace. He supposes he shouldn't have touched her when she was so wary in the first place, but he couldn't stand leaving her there to hack up a lung while he thought he could help.
When she collapses he kneels at her side, ripping the scarf free from about his neck to wrap over her head and around hers, like he's seen the older women of the tribe do. He hopes the added warmth will help. "Can you hear me? You don't have to speak. Just nod."
Standing he quickly removes his belt and bow, letting them drop to the ground as he shucks off the heavy winter robe, leaving him in his normal clothes. Replacing the belt around his waist and the bow at his back, he kneels again to wrap the girl in the robe, gingerly tucking skinny arms in the arms of the garment and binding the front as tight as possible. It was way too big on her, but far better suited to the snow starting to fall than her scant rags.
"Alright, I'm going to pick you up. Don't try and kill me this time." He slides a hand under her chest, then scoops an arm below her thighs, lifting her to his shoulder and draping her there the way he would one of the younger children from the tribe. "It's alright, I'm going to get you home."
Space Coco — 03/21/2023 2:20 PM
The sensation of the faintest bit of warmth for just one second gives her a moment of hope, but just as quickly it is squashed by cynicism. No one helped anyone. No, there had to be some sort of ulterior motive to all this but she no longer has any fight in her. She's been fighting for moons and she's tired. So, so tired.
While she hears what he says it takes a while till she is able to parse it and even longer before she can summon the wherewithal to give the faintest jerk of a nod.
The warmth brought on by his robe feels unlike anything she's ever felt before. She had forgotten what warmth felt like and it was almost suffocating in how wonderful it felt. The clothing is humongous on her cadaverous form and the sleeves feel like weights onto themselves.
The rest of what he says she doesn't hear as consciousness finally slips from her once more.
Buttons — 03/21/2023 2:25 PM
Lavanda frowns, turning and quickly leaving the copse of trees and heading back towards the camp. The snow is falling, and it's quite the hike, but carrying the small girl helps keep him warm.
When he returns to camp he's sweating and his hair is soaked from snow, entering the yurt he knew his mom would be in tending to the stew for the clan. He unhooks the rabbits with his free hand, handing them to her before setting the small girl down by the fire.
Without pausing a moment for himself, he finds the bucket of water for washing and brings it over to the girl, and kneels beside her with a cloth.
"Lavanda...?" He looks up to his mom at the question in her tone. He sighs.
"I wasn't going to leave her out there." He says as an answer, before beginning to carefully scrub the dirt and grime from the small girl, unwrapping her from his own coat in small sections to keep as much of her as warm as possible.
March 23, 2023
Space Coco — 03/23/2023 8:45 AM
Namuunaa's brow furrows in concern and she turns one of her fellow clansmen, whispering some quick instructions so they take over the soup. She hurries over to her son and kneels down besides him and gasps at the state of the child. She almost thinks her dead with how emaciated she and still she is, but the stuttering rasp of her breathing lets her know otherwise.
She presses the back of her hand to the child's forehead and her frown increases--she's positively boiling. This was very bad indeed.
"Where did you find her?"
She sets about peeling back the rest of her clothing--they were practically tatters anyway and considers her hair. It's a massive, tangled mess that engulfs most of her body. Namuunaa pushes it back away from her and is displeased that feel that there are most certainly critters to are crawling around there. While she's reluctant to do this to someone who is asleep right now this girl is on the precipice and health is more important than vanity, so she pulls her knife from her belt and carefully sets to cutting it off.
Buttons — 03/23/2023 8:52 AM
Lavanda moves to the side to allow his mother to work, continuing to clean the girl's legs. He provides extra caution around the scales, mindful of the scabs from ones torn off, and gingerly cleans ones that are cracked.
"When I went hunting, I hiked to a treeline I was aware of. She was alone there with nothing but a stick." He is extraordinarily tender about her feet, picking away stones and debris before scrubbing the abused soles.
Standing, he quickly rushes to the basket holding his clothes and pulls free a pair of knitted socks, coming back to the girl and gently sliding them on her feet to help her keep warm.
Finished with cleaning the girl, he looks to his mother and then to the girl's hair, wincing in sympathy as Namuunaa cuts the damaged locks away. He grabs his bucket and moves to kneel at her head, beginning to scrub her scalp and the remaining hair clean.
Space Coco — 03/23/2023 9:16 AM
Here? In the Steppes? Namuunaa had assumed he must have found her somewhere outside their lands and had the circumstances been different she might have chastised him for venturing so far.
"What is a Raen child doing in the Steppes by themselves?" She wondered outloud, bafflement clear in her voice. She must have come from Yanxia, that's the only thing she can think, but very few Domans ever enter their lands. Some come to the border to trade with th Khas but Namuunaa can't recall having a Raen visitors as of late.
She's cut the child's hair to her scalp and gathers the bushel full of twigs, leaves and only the Mother knows what else to dispose of it outside. When she returns its with ointments, bandages and some medicaments ready to be prepared.
"Did she say anything? Or did you find her already unconscious?"
Buttons — 03/23/2023 9:22 AM
He's not exactly sure what a 'Raen' is, but he trusts his mother to know what's best, so he holds his questions for later. While his mother is gone he carefully picks up the girl and sets her back against his chest, hoping that being more upright would help with her labored breathing. He keeps the robe about her, and faces her towards the fire.
When Namuunaa returns, Lavanda looks to her. "She had tried to, but she started coughing up blood. I did not expect any more after that." He begins rubbing the girl's chest and neck, hoping to help soothe her.
Space Coco — 03/23/2023 10:34 AM
Tsuruyo whimpers in her sleep face screwing into an expression of distress but she shifts in his arms, one hand weakly catching his sleeve before she settles back down, pacified by the rubbing.
Namuunaa uncaps the ointment capsule and holds it out to Lavanda. A minty smell wafts from it. "Here. Place this around her chest, neck and a little under her nose. If she has any cuts avoid those areas."
Hearing that she coughed up blood was a very, very bad sign and Namuunaa doesn't have much hope but she'd be damned if she didn't try her hardest. Despite the situation she looks at Lavanda proudly, gladdened to see the strength of his heart.
While he does that she starts to tend to the girl's cuts and bruises now that they have been cleaned.
Buttons — 03/23/2023 10:41 AM
The ointment is placed on his hand, and quickly applied as his mother instructed, avoiding any cuts or missing scales. "Hey, it's going to be ok. Mom's gotten some medicine, and you're by the fire, and once you're feeling a little better we'll give you some stew." He speaks to the girl, uncertain if she can really hear him. "Mom makes the best stew in the clan. I'll even make sure you get the tender meats."
Space Coco — 03/23/2023 1:46 PM
As he does so her breathing becomes a little steadier, but there is still the telling sound of it being almost watery which speaks to how filled her lungs must be.
Limb by limb Namuunaa takes count of all of the child's injuries, cleaning, sterilizing (which would sometimes cause the child to jerk) and bandaging them all up. By the time she's finished the Raen is almost completely wrapped up but between the hair cutting and washing she's looking a little better in some aspects...and worse in others.
Very, very carefully, so as not to wake her Namuunaa pulls the child's lips back a little to try and look at the inside of her mouth. Her lips have a slightly bluish tinge to them which causes her to examine the girl's nails to see they are similarly colored. Next she examined her nose and nodded.
"We'll need to flush out her mouth and nose often."
One of the village doctors appeared at the entrance to the yurt--when she had gone out for supplies she had sent one of the children to fetch him and Namuunaa quickly got up and went to talk to him. As the two whispered by the entrance both their expressions became steadily more and more grave until they returned. The doctor began to examine the child as well, doing much the same as Namuunaa before sighing and shaking his head.
"We can make her comfortable but with our current supplies and tools...I'm afraid to say she's too far gone. We'd need someone with healing arts to save her now."
Buttons — 03/23/2023 1:56 PM
Lavanda looks more and more dour as his mother's face falls, and when the doctor comes in with such a dire proclamation, well, he finds that completely unacceptable. The girl already suffered so much, it was clear to see based on the state of her body, and it is incredibly unfair to have her come so close to being saved only for there 'nothing to be done'.
He bites the inside of his cheek. He knows they have no one with specialties in healing - he absently notes that's why his father died - but he knows the other clans do. There's the Dotharl, but they would rather fight than lend aid. The Qesir might, but their encampment is often overrun with foreigners who pay in coin which he knows they cannot. But there are also the Mol, who resist all forms of fighting. Surely they'd have a healer among them?
While his mother is occupied in confirming with the healer Lavanda slips away from the girl, bundling his bedroll up to keep her head elevated as he heads to the basket again, pulling out his spare robe and some other clothing.
"Lavanda?" Namuunaa asks when the boy swings his bow on his back. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to go to the Mol and ask for aid from a healer." He states the words with the same conviction he had told the girl she'd be alright. Namuunaa frowns.
"It's a blizzard outside, child."
"I know, but I helped guide our caravan through that last one. I know I can do it." There's words that remain unspoken. It's what Dad would have done. (edited)
March 25, 2023
Space Coco — 03/25/2023 6:49 PM
A small whine escapes her when he does so and weakly she reaches out for him.
Namuunaa and the doctor exchange looks. They both know Lavanda well enough to know when the boy has made up his mind. The doctor seems more skeptical about the whole affair but while worried Namuunaa knows her son's capabilities.
She also know how hard it would hit him if this child died so she just gives a nod.
"It's going to be difficult. She might pass before you return with the healers." But taking her was equally dangerous, were the words left unsaid.
"There are shortcuts but the terrain is treacherous. There could be beasts out there who can better navigate the blizzard." The doctor reluctantly admitted.
Buttons — 03/25/2023 7:02 PM
Lavanda wraps the spare robe tight around him, feeling for his scarf before remembering it was also around the girl. A spare is grabbed from his basket, bundled tight.
"I know." He answers finally, plucking up his bow and quiver up from the ground, swinging it on his back. "Just keep her alive until I get back."
With that, Lavanda all but marches to the flap of the tent, disappearing in to the blizzard.
The wind whipped against his face, ruffling his hair and tossing the ends of his scarf that refused despite all efforts to stay tucked in to the neck of his robes. The boy huffs, breath making a small cloud in the air, and he attempts to shove the ends back in to the garments.
Once he's certain the scarf will stay in place, he returns his hands to the bow slung about his back, slipping it free from its holster and plucking an arrow from the quiver at his waist. With careful steps he makes his way through the plains of the Steppe to a copse of trees.
The snow would begin falling soon, he could practically taste it on the wind, and he was hoping to find a little bit more game before it did. His mother had not necessarily asked him to, but he knew that if his father were with them he'd be hunting until the first flake fell.
So that is why the boy finds himself so far from camp, slipping between the roots and gnarls of the barren trees, searching for tracks.
He finds the small steps of rabbits in the frost, and they seem fresh. He knocks an arrow, and proceeds deeper in to the pocket of trees, green eyes wide and scanning for the rapid movement of a winter hare.
Space Coco — 03/20/2023 6:22 PM
She'd bring her back home.
That was a sentiment that Tsuruyo had believed with all her heart for so long. She had waited there in the same spot where her Mother had left her, certain that any hour, any day, any week now She'd come back arms open, a smile upon Her face, and sweet words that would explain away all of this. When food became harder to come by, the child would move a little farther out. A little more each time until finally with each malm she came to realize that her Mother would never come back.
What had she done wrong?
Yotsuyu's father had been hitting his own daughter and wasn't that a bad thing to do? Her Mother had always talked about creating a better world where no one needed to suffer, and couldn't that only come about by stopping such things?
Tsuruyo didn't understand. She didn't understand at all, and all the work and time needed to simply survive kept her from ever being able to figure it all out. The little Raen had attempted to make her way back home on her own but she only ended up getting lost. Twice she had encountered people but something about their comments, the way they looked at her, the ominous noises coming from the wagon had made it clear they weren't to be trusted--something confirmed when they had given chase and it was only her small size that allowed her to fit in places they couldn't reach that had saved her.
As the days grew colder, her traps gathered less and less game, her foraging ventures brought little more than handfuls of the hardiest of berries. Little by little her skin began to stretch tighter around her bones, with no food the unclean water she was forced to survive on began to effect her more, and the lack of contact with people began to rob her of her voice and mind.
[6:22 PM]
Today she woke up.
Breathing was hard, and with each inhale she could hear the rasp, feel the bloody phlegm that rattled in her lungs.
It was only habit now that had her crawling, dragging with her a sharpened stick as she went to check on her snare.
Empty.
She stared at it for a long time, as if simply doing so would magically cause some animal to be caught it in, when a noise had her looking away.
A hare.
Outside of the trap.
If she could still feel it, Tsuruyo would almost be insulted. She knows she wouldn't be fast enough to catch it but perhaps if she stands still and it gets close enough....
Before it can reach her, however, something else enters the opening.
Or rather, someone else.
Buttons — 03/20/2023 6:43 PM
His steps are slow, cautious, careful to use as little pressure as possible to start his step, avoiding twigs and leaves that may crunch and give away his hunt.
His eyes snap to the movement almost faster than him registering the movement to begin with, tracking the hare as it hops along the frost-covered ground. The bowstring makes it's audible sound as he pulls the arrow, the rabbit's head perking up but not fast enough as Lavanda releases his fingers.
The arrow is a deadly accurate shot, going through the hare's eye and lodging firmly in the tree behind it. A clean and most importantly instant death. Lavanda holsters the bow upon his back, standing from his crouch and walking towards the plump game that would serve to fatten up his mother's stew for the coming storm.
His one hand rests on the tree, the other grabbing the shaft of the arrow and yanking it free from the tree. He was still too young to take down deer (at least, that's what the elders say), so he contends himself with small game such as this. He ties the rear legs to the leather strap that hung from his back hip, joining three others. Definitely enough for a hearty stew, and hopefully enough for the storm that threatened to begin at any moment.
He cleans the arrow on the grass, before tucking it back in to his quiver and standing, making to head back to the camp.
Space Coco — 03/20/2023 8:52 PM
A man. At least by her delirious and youthful assessment. She watched as he easily ran the rabbit through with an arrow and felt a surge of jealous rage. Why should he get one so easily? He has many in fact and here she had been struggling for days. It was unfair. It was unfair.
...
Food. He had food. For a brief moment she considers asking him for some, but dismisses the thought as idiotic. Why would he give her his food? The only one who had ever given her food was the dango seller and once she had thought him so nice for that. Yet her time out here had made her reassess so much of what she thought to be true. He only did it when there were leftovers at the end of the day he hadn't managed to sell. A sweet that would have ended up spoiling anyway. He gave her stale dango instead of helping her or Yotsuyu.
People weren't that kind.
Her hand tightened on the sharpened stick. If she was to get any of that she would have to take it by force. He was bigger and stronger than her, but because she was so small he probably wouldn't consider her a threat. All she had to do was let him get close enough and if she could shove it through his throat...
Using what little remained of her strength Tsuruyo pushed herself to her feet and began to follow him as quietly as she could.
Though 'quietly' in her addled mind meant stumbling after him, sometimes fall, not realizing how much she was coughing. Her feet dragged through the thin layer of snow crunching it harshly and sometimes kicking it up.
Buttons — 03/20/2023 8:59 PM
The rustle of something bigger than a rabbit behind him made him spin quickly while pulling his bow and an arrow free (the same one, he'd note later, that killed the rabbit). Ducking low, he pulls the bowstring taught and is ready to fire.
Only to find himself facing not a creature but a girl. She was an Au'ra, or at least he thought so, but her scales were pale and skin dirty. Perhaps ... maybe she was so cold, the color faded from her scales?
Given the way her clothing fell from her emaciated frame, dirty and cover in blood, dirt, and Gods know what else, she must have been out here for a while. Her hacking cough sounded bad, and he imagines that the cold cannot be helping.
Slowly, he relaxes the string of his bow, the arrow returning to the quiver. "Are ... where's your tribe?" They had to be close, right? Who would just leave a little girl out here with only a stick to defend herself? (edited)
March 21, 2023
Space Coco — 03/21/2023 9:23 AM
She froze when he whipped around. When had he notched that arrow? It was as if she had blinked and he already had the weapon fully prepared.
Wide eyes stared up at him from a huge mass of bushy, tangled hair as her skeletal arm gripped the stick tighter. There are some patches along her arm where the white scales have fallen off, and if the brownish-red scabbing was any indication it hadn't been a natural shedding.
Vaguely she hears that he's speaking to her and she can parse some of what he's saying but she has no idea what he means when he talks about "tribe."
She takes a cautious step back, eyes never leaving him and opens her mouth to speak. A mistake. She hadn't spoken in months and the effort it takes to try and do so sends her into another coughing fit, this one more vicious than the last--it rattles her ribcage and has her doubling over until she begins to paint the snow beneath her with bloody phlegm.
Buttons — 03/21/2023 9:41 AM
Oh, that's very bad.
Lavanda gets the sinking feeling that this girl had been abandoned out here - whether because of getting lost, or because she was sick, he isn't certain. He did not see any sign of another tribe in the area, so she must have been here for a while.
He can't just leave her here.
"Hey, it's ok," He approaches her carefully, like he would a startled animal, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder and then her back; he hopes that rubbing along her spine (and he hates that he can feel it so prominently) will help calm the coughing fit the poor girl was in. "It's going to be alright." He promises, feeling the conviction with every fiber of his being.
Space Coco — 03/21/2023 11:55 AM
When he touches her back all the alarm bells go off in her head and she's immediately hissing. She doesn't parse the soft touch, she doesn't hear the kind words or tone.
Adrenaline pumps through her body and with everything that she can muster she jabs the stick in his direction wildly. She hasn't the faintest idea if she hit her mark or not because once again her body is wracked with coughs and she doubles over, falling to her knees as her vision begins to spin.
She twists around on the ground, starting to try and crawl away from him before the last of her strength finally fades and she collapses to the ground, chest rising and falling rapidly.
If she could she might have cried then, but she had be wrung dry of all her tears month ago.
Buttons — 03/21/2023 12:25 PM
"Woh, woh, ok, I'm sorry!" He dodges the weak and wild thrusts with the stick, eyes wide and hands up in a show of peace. He supposes he shouldn't have touched her when she was so wary in the first place, but he couldn't stand leaving her there to hack up a lung while he thought he could help.
When she collapses he kneels at her side, ripping the scarf free from about his neck to wrap over her head and around hers, like he's seen the older women of the tribe do. He hopes the added warmth will help. "Can you hear me? You don't have to speak. Just nod."
Standing he quickly removes his belt and bow, letting them drop to the ground as he shucks off the heavy winter robe, leaving him in his normal clothes. Replacing the belt around his waist and the bow at his back, he kneels again to wrap the girl in the robe, gingerly tucking skinny arms in the arms of the garment and binding the front as tight as possible. It was way too big on her, but far better suited to the snow starting to fall than her scant rags.
"Alright, I'm going to pick you up. Don't try and kill me this time." He slides a hand under her chest, then scoops an arm below her thighs, lifting her to his shoulder and draping her there the way he would one of the younger children from the tribe. "It's alright, I'm going to get you home."
Space Coco — 03/21/2023 2:20 PM
The sensation of the faintest bit of warmth for just one second gives her a moment of hope, but just as quickly it is squashed by cynicism. No one helped anyone. No, there had to be some sort of ulterior motive to all this but she no longer has any fight in her. She's been fighting for moons and she's tired. So, so tired.
While she hears what he says it takes a while till she is able to parse it and even longer before she can summon the wherewithal to give the faintest jerk of a nod.
The warmth brought on by his robe feels unlike anything she's ever felt before. She had forgotten what warmth felt like and it was almost suffocating in how wonderful it felt. The clothing is humongous on her cadaverous form and the sleeves feel like weights onto themselves.
The rest of what he says she doesn't hear as consciousness finally slips from her once more.
Buttons — 03/21/2023 2:25 PM
Lavanda frowns, turning and quickly leaving the copse of trees and heading back towards the camp. The snow is falling, and it's quite the hike, but carrying the small girl helps keep him warm.
When he returns to camp he's sweating and his hair is soaked from snow, entering the yurt he knew his mom would be in tending to the stew for the clan. He unhooks the rabbits with his free hand, handing them to her before setting the small girl down by the fire.
Without pausing a moment for himself, he finds the bucket of water for washing and brings it over to the girl, and kneels beside her with a cloth.
"Lavanda...?" He looks up to his mom at the question in her tone. He sighs.
"I wasn't going to leave her out there." He says as an answer, before beginning to carefully scrub the dirt and grime from the small girl, unwrapping her from his own coat in small sections to keep as much of her as warm as possible.
March 23, 2023
Space Coco — 03/23/2023 8:45 AM
Namuunaa's brow furrows in concern and she turns one of her fellow clansmen, whispering some quick instructions so they take over the soup. She hurries over to her son and kneels down besides him and gasps at the state of the child. She almost thinks her dead with how emaciated she and still she is, but the stuttering rasp of her breathing lets her know otherwise.
She presses the back of her hand to the child's forehead and her frown increases--she's positively boiling. This was very bad indeed.
"Where did you find her?"
She sets about peeling back the rest of her clothing--they were practically tatters anyway and considers her hair. It's a massive, tangled mess that engulfs most of her body. Namuunaa pushes it back away from her and is displeased that feel that there are most certainly critters to are crawling around there. While she's reluctant to do this to someone who is asleep right now this girl is on the precipice and health is more important than vanity, so she pulls her knife from her belt and carefully sets to cutting it off.
Buttons — 03/23/2023 8:52 AM
Lavanda moves to the side to allow his mother to work, continuing to clean the girl's legs. He provides extra caution around the scales, mindful of the scabs from ones torn off, and gingerly cleans ones that are cracked.
"When I went hunting, I hiked to a treeline I was aware of. She was alone there with nothing but a stick." He is extraordinarily tender about her feet, picking away stones and debris before scrubbing the abused soles.
Standing, he quickly rushes to the basket holding his clothes and pulls free a pair of knitted socks, coming back to the girl and gently sliding them on her feet to help her keep warm.
Finished with cleaning the girl, he looks to his mother and then to the girl's hair, wincing in sympathy as Namuunaa cuts the damaged locks away. He grabs his bucket and moves to kneel at her head, beginning to scrub her scalp and the remaining hair clean.
Space Coco — 03/23/2023 9:16 AM
Here? In the Steppes? Namuunaa had assumed he must have found her somewhere outside their lands and had the circumstances been different she might have chastised him for venturing so far.
"What is a Raen child doing in the Steppes by themselves?" She wondered outloud, bafflement clear in her voice. She must have come from Yanxia, that's the only thing she can think, but very few Domans ever enter their lands. Some come to the border to trade with th Khas but Namuunaa can't recall having a Raen visitors as of late.
She's cut the child's hair to her scalp and gathers the bushel full of twigs, leaves and only the Mother knows what else to dispose of it outside. When she returns its with ointments, bandages and some medicaments ready to be prepared.
"Did she say anything? Or did you find her already unconscious?"
Buttons — 03/23/2023 9:22 AM
He's not exactly sure what a 'Raen' is, but he trusts his mother to know what's best, so he holds his questions for later. While his mother is gone he carefully picks up the girl and sets her back against his chest, hoping that being more upright would help with her labored breathing. He keeps the robe about her, and faces her towards the fire.
When Namuunaa returns, Lavanda looks to her. "She had tried to, but she started coughing up blood. I did not expect any more after that." He begins rubbing the girl's chest and neck, hoping to help soothe her.
Space Coco — 03/23/2023 10:34 AM
Tsuruyo whimpers in her sleep face screwing into an expression of distress but she shifts in his arms, one hand weakly catching his sleeve before she settles back down, pacified by the rubbing.
Namuunaa uncaps the ointment capsule and holds it out to Lavanda. A minty smell wafts from it. "Here. Place this around her chest, neck and a little under her nose. If she has any cuts avoid those areas."
Hearing that she coughed up blood was a very, very bad sign and Namuunaa doesn't have much hope but she'd be damned if she didn't try her hardest. Despite the situation she looks at Lavanda proudly, gladdened to see the strength of his heart.
While he does that she starts to tend to the girl's cuts and bruises now that they have been cleaned.
Buttons — 03/23/2023 10:41 AM
The ointment is placed on his hand, and quickly applied as his mother instructed, avoiding any cuts or missing scales. "Hey, it's going to be ok. Mom's gotten some medicine, and you're by the fire, and once you're feeling a little better we'll give you some stew." He speaks to the girl, uncertain if she can really hear him. "Mom makes the best stew in the clan. I'll even make sure you get the tender meats."
Space Coco — 03/23/2023 1:46 PM
As he does so her breathing becomes a little steadier, but there is still the telling sound of it being almost watery which speaks to how filled her lungs must be.
Limb by limb Namuunaa takes count of all of the child's injuries, cleaning, sterilizing (which would sometimes cause the child to jerk) and bandaging them all up. By the time she's finished the Raen is almost completely wrapped up but between the hair cutting and washing she's looking a little better in some aspects...and worse in others.
Very, very carefully, so as not to wake her Namuunaa pulls the child's lips back a little to try and look at the inside of her mouth. Her lips have a slightly bluish tinge to them which causes her to examine the girl's nails to see they are similarly colored. Next she examined her nose and nodded.
"We'll need to flush out her mouth and nose often."
One of the village doctors appeared at the entrance to the yurt--when she had gone out for supplies she had sent one of the children to fetch him and Namuunaa quickly got up and went to talk to him. As the two whispered by the entrance both their expressions became steadily more and more grave until they returned. The doctor began to examine the child as well, doing much the same as Namuunaa before sighing and shaking his head.
"We can make her comfortable but with our current supplies and tools...I'm afraid to say she's too far gone. We'd need someone with healing arts to save her now."
Buttons — 03/23/2023 1:56 PM
Lavanda looks more and more dour as his mother's face falls, and when the doctor comes in with such a dire proclamation, well, he finds that completely unacceptable. The girl already suffered so much, it was clear to see based on the state of her body, and it is incredibly unfair to have her come so close to being saved only for there 'nothing to be done'.
He bites the inside of his cheek. He knows they have no one with specialties in healing - he absently notes that's why his father died - but he knows the other clans do. There's the Dotharl, but they would rather fight than lend aid. The Qesir might, but their encampment is often overrun with foreigners who pay in coin which he knows they cannot. But there are also the Mol, who resist all forms of fighting. Surely they'd have a healer among them?
While his mother is occupied in confirming with the healer Lavanda slips away from the girl, bundling his bedroll up to keep her head elevated as he heads to the basket again, pulling out his spare robe and some other clothing.
"Lavanda?" Namuunaa asks when the boy swings his bow on his back. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to go to the Mol and ask for aid from a healer." He states the words with the same conviction he had told the girl she'd be alright. Namuunaa frowns.
"It's a blizzard outside, child."
"I know, but I helped guide our caravan through that last one. I know I can do it." There's words that remain unspoken. It's what Dad would have done. (edited)
March 25, 2023
Space Coco — 03/25/2023 6:49 PM
A small whine escapes her when he does so and weakly she reaches out for him.
Namuunaa and the doctor exchange looks. They both know Lavanda well enough to know when the boy has made up his mind. The doctor seems more skeptical about the whole affair but while worried Namuunaa knows her son's capabilities.
She also know how hard it would hit him if this child died so she just gives a nod.
"It's going to be difficult. She might pass before you return with the healers." But taking her was equally dangerous, were the words left unsaid.
"There are shortcuts but the terrain is treacherous. There could be beasts out there who can better navigate the blizzard." The doctor reluctantly admitted.
Buttons — 03/25/2023 7:02 PM
Lavanda wraps the spare robe tight around him, feeling for his scarf before remembering it was also around the girl. A spare is grabbed from his basket, bundled tight.
"I know." He answers finally, plucking up his bow and quiver up from the ground, swinging it on his back. "Just keep her alive until I get back."
With that, Lavanda all but marches to the flap of the tent, disappearing in to the blizzard.