Perry noticed Ely's concerned gaze and it caused a little redness to creep up his neck and on to his cheeks. He was embarassed that he couldn't keep his emotions in better check, or let the past go quicker. He was still wrestling with other feelings he had around her too. That was part of why he'd skipped off to the job, if he was honest.
When he'd rolled into town and bumped into her again it had been great, then he'd found out she'd made a life for herself without him and that was less than great, and it was still eating at him. He smiled sheepishly at her, as if to say he'd talk to her later before putting his mind to the task at hand.
"Yeah, food, warmth and shelter. That'll be what she'll be after. Probably should try the market districts first. Plenty of warm baker's chimneys to snuggle against and scraps from butcher's shops to scrounge." He knew that from experience.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Jax's childish voice was a little stronger this time around. He turned to look at Perry, though he hadn't moved from Dani's side.
"She's very skittish even before the pups. I'm not sure she would go into town. Maybe a farmhouse, they are familiar to her. But, certainly not past the city gates. The crowd would scare her."
Jax looked worried now and his voice tailed off, the vigor in it fading away.
Ely gave a swift nod to both Dani and Perry before speaking.
"Alright Jax. We'll hunt for her in the local farms. Don't worry. I'm sure we'll find her."
She tried to project as much empathy into her voice as possible. But, Ely, who had boundless amounts of optimism, was starting to worry.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
She started walking in the direction the boy had come from, firguring that would be the way to the local farms. She kept the boy's hand in hers and matched her pace so that he could easily keep at her side without running on his much shorter legs.
"Perhaps we should start at Jax's family farm? There may be some tracks we could find that would help us find her."
She looked over at Dominic as she walked to answer his question.
"Honestly, I am not quite sure WHY I am here. The Elders of my village told me I should come and present myself to the local House of Galena. I assume for training, but they did not say. And healing is not exactly my strong suit..."
"I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my eye.
I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my mind.
I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart."
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
(Apologies for not posting sooner, I literally thought it was Ely's turn. For four days. Fhhhngh!)
"Ah. Healing an the like. Well. All the herbalists need herbs. The doctors need specimins to work on. I'm told that wild pigs make excellent practice for students as they're remarkably similar to most humanlike beings...and just as cantankerous when you try and stick them with some needle or apply a chilli pepper poultice to their sores."
Dom chuckled, but he was always somewhat in awe of those with the talent to heal. He saw such people as being in the same business as him, making people feel better. Only they were enviably direct in their methods. He couldn't heal a broken arm or stitch a wound with words or song, even with the gifts he'd been given.
"And as for why here? Well. This place seems to have its own pull. Anyone who comes here seems to boomerang back sometime. Maybe not call it a home, like me, but definitely come knocking more often than not." He twitched his head toward the steady, even footfalls of the dark haired sharpshooter beside them. "This guy couldn't stay away."
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Perry ponders finding the dog. His brain was still ticking over in a mode that was more akin to battle readiness than home. He mentally smacked himself upside the head for letting paranoia to get in still. He was just a kid looking for a lost dog, and going out to an isolated farm just happened to be part of helping him. Nope. Definitely not going to be any kind of ambush. Still, though, his eyes and ears were alert for anything suspicious. Or anything dog-shaped.
"I'll keep an eye out for any tracks or signs of dog leavings. Maybe bits of food." He chuckled slightly "And since I'm small I bet I'm the one who's going to have to crawl into the inevitible little space she's squeezed into and get mauled trying to get her out." He cast a cheeky glance sidelong to Ely. "I still think you should use your tail as bait though. I'm sure she'd go for that, quick as a whip."
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Ely glared at Perry. She was sure he was only joking but still it had her reach out and gather up her tail. She smoothed the fur down, something she rarely did in public and only when she was afraid her temper would make her do something foolish. The tail slipped out of her hand and made a couple quick snaps in the air quite close to Perry's wrist.
"Maybe we should tie a hunk of her favorite meat off your belt instead."
Ely twisted around and walked closer to Dani and Jax. She offered no other comment or gesture to Perry. But, she was still angry at his quip. The mental picture she conjured up with the meat and his belt did nothing to alleviate that anger either. She blew a hot breath out which caught strands of her hair and threw them to either side of her face.
"The first farm is Mallory's I think. Is that right Jax?"
The young boy nodded at her and the expression on his face was more than confused. He looked scared, too. That look forced her to rethink and she tried to put the irrational anger at Perry away.
"Okay, we'll try that one. I'll go ask at the door if they mind us searching their buildings."
Ely darted up the short path that ran from the main road to the house. When she returned her good mood was back.
"They have not seen her, Jax. But, the farmer's wife gave us permission to search the barn, shed and chicken coop."
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Dani looked down to Jax with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Jax. Just because they have not seen her doesn't mean she's not here. Which direction is your farm from here? Perhaps that might help us to look for tracks."
She began to walk further into the farm with the boy beside her, ready to veer in the direction he pointed and which ever of the structures were closet to that side.
"I doubt she'll be in the coop, or we would be able to hear the hens pitching a fit from here. But probably best we look anyway."
"I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my eye.
I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my mind.
I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart."
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom sidled along, keeping his ears peeled for any canine sounds. The farm was pungent, as most were, of animal manure, crops and fresh water. The earthiness of it was always something that struck him, as a city-boy by most rights. Smoke and stone were more the scents he was used to.
He felt a little useless, in fact, and was more wandering along to just have a nice chat and a mini adventure. He returned to addressing Dani.
"I'm sure they had a purpose in mind for you. Everyone's got some talent, some strength that can be useful. I mean look at me..." He grinned, gesturing at himself "...I started out with very little more than a love of stories and music, and now I'm rambling around just bein' awesome." His smile turned softer and more genuine "You'll find your purpose. It might come to you, even, and might not be anything you'd expect. I'd not worry too much about it if I were you."
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Perry felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Sick, right to his stomach. How could he be so off on lightening the mood? Had he changed that much? Had she? Worry gnawed at him as he ambled along and he tried to hide it as best as he could. He looked over to Dani, perhaps to engage her in converation about archery or somesuch, but it seemed Dom was taking an interest in her and he didn't want to be two for two on social faux pas.
"I'll go check the barn then. Maybe she'll think I look tasty." he quipped, trying to sound breezy before taking off that way. If he found the dog then maybe he, himself, would be out of the doghouse. All the while his senses were sharp for anything out of place.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Dani and Jax were headed toward the chicken coop and Ely followed them. She could have chosen to search the barn it would have given her a chance to speak to Perry alone. But, she was angry and he was being weird. She had almost forgotten about Dom, until he spoke, too. Which only showed her how much she was paying attention. Jax's dog could have zipped past her feet. Ely scuffed at her face and tried to compose herself better.
Dani was right about the chicken coop. There were no tracks of the dog anywhere about it only chicken scratches and discarded straw. There were no chickens either.
The barn, on the other hand, showed signs of a small animal. The family cows were out in the meadow and Perry could see stacks of hay bales taller than he was. At the bottom of those bales were small white hairs that could have come from a dog or possibly, a fox. He would have to look harder to determine which kind of animal.
As for Dom, who had been speaking to Dani and probably had the best ears of the bunch, he heard nothing but the low sounds of the feeding cows and cheerful birdsong. How strange was that in the middle of bustling farm?
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Dani looked up from her search of the coop to watch Perry walk off towards the barn on his own. She wished again that she had not been so bold with her words as clearly they had effected him. She would have gladly gone to him to make things right. To find some way to repair the damage she had done to whatever friendship they could have, but she just could not think of what to say or how to do it.
So with a sigh she returned to her search as she spoke to Dominic.
"You sound like one of the Elders yourself, Dominic. Perhaps you should take up sending young adventures out to expore the great wild world."
Her search of course turned up nothing and she could see the worry in Jax's eyes over the fact, so she took his hand again in hers with a reassuring smile.
"It'll be ok. We knew she probably wouldn't have been here anyway. The barn would be much nicer."
But oddly neither were the chickens. That was strange. Why have a coop if you didnt have something to keep in it. She gave a puzzled look to Ely and glanced about the ground once again for signs of the missing fowl.
"I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my eye.
I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my mind.
I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart."
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dominic couldn't quite contain the guffaw that rumbled up from deep inside his chest. It was a resonant, joyous sound and he leaned against his staff. "Hey, I'm not spring chicken, but I'm not quite over the hill yet. And you can always teach an old dog new tricks." He tilted his head a few times as if listening intently.
"Yeah, nothing here...say...seen any farm-hands? And why are the cows out in the field in this weather?" He scratched his chin. "After we find little Jax's lost doggie I think we should maybe talk to the farmers. I like iced cream as much as the next guy but it shouldn't come out of the cow frozen."
Another chuckle before turning his head toward Ely "Didn't you say we could check the shed too? Maybe we should go there instead. Perry will shout or come get us if he needs us." He inhaled deeply. Yep. Still smells of cow poo.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Perry moved very gingerly. Breathing controlled, motions slow. He wasn't any expert in stealth, but he was nimble and had a certain functional grace about him. He crouched, reaching down to pick up a few stray white hairs, bringing them up to inspect, trying to identify what they came from.
(Using Survival to identify hair type)
He peers at the base of the hay bails, it would make a snug place to birth pups. His ears are pricked for the whines of a dog, who might well be under there. If he came bounding back with the mother and her pups, if they'd been delivered, maybe he'd feel like less of a scumbag than he did right now. He casts his eyes about for any blankets that could be used for transport.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
I will be on hiatus for at least a week due to a recent illness.
(Perry, your survival skill allows you to recognize the hairs as much thicker and sleeker than a dog. While you could not possibly tell the breed apart, a fox's pelt is a good deal more dense which made it an excellent trade fur. It is up to you whether or not you want to inform the others. Dominic a little more intent listening would have you realize that other common farm noises are missing, too. Dani you can spot several feathers a few feet away from both the chicken coop and the rest of those gathered around you. Investigation is up to you, as is letting Jax know. )
You can all write your responses to that information. Assume Ely is doing her search through magic. She has moved away from the rest of you after Dani spoke. You may mention her behavior in your posts if you like. Also, I do not mind if you converse among yourselves or to Jax while I am gone. I will pick it up when I return.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Something definatly was not right here. A dog, or anything else for that matter, getting into the chicken coop may be possible, but such would have brought the farmers running. Where were they?
She tried not to look concerned as she turned to Jax and placed both hands on his shoulders, being sure to stand between him and the feathers she had noticed.
"Jax. I'm going to go have a look around. Why don't you stay here with Dominic while I do so. I'm sure he has plenty of stories he could tell you."
She gave a smile as she finished that she hoped looked genuine, but again that nagging feeling of something being...off kept pulling at her.
She turned Jax to face Dominic and would have given the man a worried look over the kids shoulder, had he been capable of sight. Instead she turned to walk over and investigate the feathers, looking for tracks both human and animal.
"I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my eye.
I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my mind.
I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart."