Whisper Marsh No Vacancy Hotel

In retrospect, she realized she should've stopped when the smell of the marsh caused her to balk. The scent of the ooze had curled her lip and raised some of the fur along her spine, but she didn't want to waste the time going around when she could simply cut through. She'd passed through smelly marshes before without incidence and had assumed that this time would be no different, even if a downpour the night before had made the ground even in the thick woodlands a bit squelchy. She loathed herself for making the decision to cut time and go through the marsh. The amount of time it would have taken her to go around was now less than the amount of time it was taking her as she tried to free up all four of her paws.

It had happened too suddenly for her liking- one moment she'd been walking along in the mud and the next she was knee deep and it became a struggle to pull even one paw free at a time. Naturally, she'd assumed it was only a small patch of sticky mud and had continued forward, but she was tired now and the mud had gotten deeper. She now stood a full ten feet from the closest safe patch of ground, up to her chest and ribcage in mud. He shoulders were sore from prying one paw at a time out of the mud, only to step it back into the thick ooze as she tried to free another foot. She rolled onto her side to try and spread her weight out but felt herself sinking in sideways- and the last thing she wanted to do was to become smothered by mud.

She was at a loss for what to do next. Panting, she stood still to regain her strength. Every once in a while she'd buck and lunge but would not free herself any further than her elbows before she gave up and slowly sank back to shoulder-depth. A harsh, frustrated squall was emitted by the mud covered sterling female; this couldn't be her end. She had a son. She wouldn't let herself give up, but she was running out of options.

Avatars by Arla!

ooc. Sorry for such a crappy post!

she doesn't care how she gets there, as long as she gets somewhere she knows... Usually she avoided the marsh while hunting, but today she was in search of something in particular that she knew the marsh was full of; frogs. Minka knew that soon the pups would be starting to eat bits of meat, so she had been trying to bring all sorts of prey home, so they would have options and get used to all the different smells. The fae was somewhat of a mother hen, and she wanted to do all possible within her duties to help to raise these pups, so this is what drove her as she stalked the edges of the marsh. She had two frogs already placed beneath one of the surrounding trees and was hoping to catch one or two more to bring back to the cache. The tawny head snapped into the air distracted when the guttural sounds reached her ears. Minka's head tilted to the right as she searched for the maker of such screeching sounds, but she didn't have to look long. It was what somewhat appeared to be a wolf, though it was hard to tell as there was more mud than wolf in the large pit of bog that it seemed to be sinking into. The sight caused a flashback to early April, when she had rescued Kyadi from the lagoon after she had fallen through the thin ice. The remembrance was short lived though as her instincts took over, she had to get this wolf out before it was too late. Golden eyes scanned the area surrounding the marsh as she called out, "Don't struggle, you'll only sink faster, hold on, I'll try to get you out!" The sound of her voice carried determination, it was fierce with the want to save this wolf, though she did not know who it was. Finally her sights fell on a small tree that had been knocked over in a recent storm and she fled to the bough. Resting her front paws upon the base she pressed all of her weight down suddenly, causing the remaining wood to crack and fall away from the stump. A grimace fell upon Minka's face as the bitter sap filled her mouth, but she ignored it as she put all of her efforts into dragging the sapling closer to where the wolf was sinking. Breaths came in pants and the moving was slow going, slowly but surely though she made her way across the land that was becoming increasingly wet. The femme released the tree and rushed to the other end, now pushing the plank in front of her. This isn't quite long enough, I'll have to enter into the bog if I ever hope in pulling the stranger out. The thoughts were shortly followed by actions and she found herself walking into the sticky mud, sinking to just below her knees in the reeking stuff. Her eyes portrayed her plan, if the stranger grabbed the end of the tree, which was about a foot away from her Minka would pull her out. The only problem was getting the stranger that last foot to reach the bough without sinking further.

table by mimi

click!

What a disgrace. To be found as she was, in her prime, stuck in the mud. Though the ground was firm beneath her feet, it didn't mean she was not in peril. She could have easily died from thirst or hunger if she couldn't free herself, and she knew that injuring herself in a struggle could have meant a slow, agonizing death sentence as well. A wolf which was unable to hunt would mean its own, slow demise and a much quicker one for her son. It wasn't that she feared her own death, but that of her infant son.

Oddly, she found herself wondering what would become of him if she wasn't around. It was a macabre thought, but it found its way into her mind nonetheless. She knew Naira was the selfless sort who would feed him and raise him, but what would she tell the boy? His first mother was a sinner, his second was a fool. Would she raise him and love him as her own, or would he live forever in the shadow of her two daughters? Would he be exiled from the pack when he was old enough to take care of himself? She couldn't tell. Her tension led to these strange and twisted thoughts and it was only when the female spoke that the wild sterling female snapped to attention.

"I'm not sinking." She said flatly. It was a soft point and she wasn't sure why she said it- probably because she hated being seen this way. The innocent female was trying to help her and she scurried off to break off a small tree which she then carried back. Sagacity knew at once what she was supposed to do when the sapling was edged near enough. Wisely the stranger was careful about her own footing and didn't come too close. Sagacity's teeth clicked as she leaned as far as she could toward the tree's tip which had been pushed toward her. She struggled and fought to get closer, but couldn't manage it. "Too far. Just a bit closer," She said, continuing to stretch toward the sapling.

Avatars by Arla!

she doesn't care how she gets there, as long as she gets somewhere she knows... The woman's reply had been flat and sarcastic and Minka felt it wound her pride, she was only trying to help her, wasn't anyone grateful anymore? Or maybe she had been trying to reassure her that she was no longer sinking? The fae assumed it must be the second one and her pride was repaired as if it had never been bruised by the words. The stranger's voice was what had made it clear that she was a woman, before that there had been too much mud for the tawny femme to be sure. The mud was thick around her feet, like it never planned on releasing the women from its depths and she grimaced as she moved forward. The bough hadn't been close enough so the fae moved closer, the filth now up to her elbows though it didn't bother her, her whole being was focused now on helping this woman. Straining forward she shoved the sapling closer, maybe 6 inches closer now than it had been before. Around them the marsh buzzed with unseen insects and the occasional throaty call of a bullfrog, and they were surrounded by cattails that reached far above their heads, they would be unseen to any passerby's sight. Minka could feel the tightness in her jaw muscles, the tree was heavy for the woman to carry and she knew it would only become worse once the stranger locked on so she shifted her hold. She found that the sap was now leaked between her teeth, filling her mouth with a disgusting bitter taste.

table by mimi

click!

[

Almost tentatively the young tree was pushed closer to her and Sagacity reached out again, snapping her jaws only to find that they clicked together. She growled in frustration and wanted to tell the woman to push it closer and stop being a pansy about getting her feet dirty, but she knew that the last thing they needed was to be each other's company while they both starved to death. She pulled back a bit, shifting as much as she could in the muck.

With all the strength she could muster, Sagacity leaned backwards onto her haunches, struggling to free both of her forelegs. Slowly and steadily they pulled out of the mud until she found herself with both paws, slick with mud, but out of the bog. She did what she could to remain as upright as possible, trying not to push in with either front foot very much as she steadied herself. Once relatively stable, she lurched forward, the mud around her hindquarters making a sucking, squelching sound as she pulled free from her previous resting spot and moved forward enough so that she could reach about four inches above the end of the sapling.

She grabbed on and kept her forelegs spread to avoid sinking in too deeply again. A determined growl was given as she then began to work her back legs, doing her best to push herself out of the mud, hoping that the woman would have enough strength to pull her out.

Avatars by Arla!

she doesn't care how she gets there, as long as she gets somewhere she knows... Minka heard the growl from the woman and let out a grunt of exertion as she strained her muscles to push further without getting herself stuck in the mud. The squelching sound was followed by a weight added on to the already heavy sapling and the fae could feel herself sinking further into the muck, the weight pulling her down. Moving slowly so as to not lose her footing and send them both back into the bog she moved each of her hind feet back, using this new position to give a great tug on the sapling. She was able to pull it forward about half a foot before having to move her forepaws backwards as well, panting around her grip on the wood. The sun beamed down on them, sapping the energy from the fae must faster than if it had been night, there was no mistaking it, summer had arrived. The mud squelched around her paws attempting to suction them into place as the tawny woman once more moved her back paws backwards. The mud only came up to her ankles now and she found she had much more movement, but the sapling was long and she knew she still had a ways to go before the woman was free. She gave another great tug before changing tactics, shifting her grip on the bough she turned her body sideways and began a crablike walk. Instead of a start and stop this allowed her to move the bough in a slow but constant motion, finally finding her paws along to surface of dry ground that had no give she flicked her vision back to check how deep the woman was now.

table by mimi

click!

With the wood clenched between her teeth, Sagacity soon began to understand why the female'd been making faces every time she bit down on the bough. The tree she'd chosen was a softwood and therefore oozed sap whenever the bark was perforated. Teeth did just the job. Sage curled her tongue to keep from tasting it but felt some of the sticky substance slide down her teeth to her gums and beneath her tongue. She gagged slightly on the unnatural taste but didn't allow herself to let go, not when the female had started to pull.

She did her best to push every time Minka yanked on the tree and felt her hind legs coming somewhat free, though her teeth were beginning to ache from all the tugging Minka was doing. Fortunately, her companion shifted her body and began a steadier pull, which gave Sagacity a much better chance at pulling herself out and with a grunt she pulled one hind leg free and then the other, using her front legs quickly so neither would sink in too deep. Progress was slow at first but after taking a few steps forward, things sped up and with a squelching noise, she let go of the branch and bunny-hopped forward on her own, using her strength to free each leg with each slow, laborious bound until she hit solid ground.

She moved past Minka several steps to get even further away from the mud before she turned back to glare at it accusingly. Panting, she lay down and didn't even begin to clean herself- she was too exhausted yet. Knowing it was proper, she exhaled a short "Thanks" before she set her head down on the ground, breathing heavily, and waited for her strength to return.

Avatars by Arla!

she doesn't care how she gets there, as long as she gets somewhere she knows... They had reached dry ground and Minka released the bough, gagging slightly as one final spurt of sap reached her mouth when she pried her teeth from the bark. As the stranger ran past her mud splattered onto her side and the fae shook her coat reflexively, freeing her side but not her legs from the muck. Walking slowly a few lengths further the tawny woman found much of her energy had been used and her body now felt hot and sore with every step that she took. Laying down she nodded to the stranger at her thanks which was appreciated but not needed, "Don't mention it," was her simple answer. Finding that even the few shorts words took much of her oxygen she didn't elaborate or force anymore conversation, content to spend some time resting and regaining her strength. Setting to work she began to clean her front legs, though the mud tasted vile in her mouth she knew it would be better to get the majority of the added weight off of her limbs. A couple of minutes passed and Minka was happy with the amount she had removed, knowing the rest would dry in the baking sun and fall from her fur as she moved. Her breath had returned to her so she turned to the stranger, "My name is Minka Leigh, may I ask what I should call yourself?" The words were polite and kind, the woman did not have to answer though the fae hoped she would. The smell of the mud was almost overpowering but the femme could now take scent of the other woman and was slightly confused by what she smelled. She does not smell of a pack, but she smells strongly of another who has a somewhat similar scent to her own, and she's well fed. She was curious but she didn't pry, it was the stranger's own business and if she didn't want to share it Minka wouldn't stick her nose in it.

table by mimi

click!

One more post outa you and one outa me and we should be good! Thanks for the thread! <3

Fortunately, the female was neither too concerned with starting a conversation nor was she anything but modest. Sage knew she owed the stranger for having freed her, but she wasn't about to bend over and offer the female her life. She was grateful, but she felt more relief than gratitude, to be honest. This tired, she didn't feel like being social and she was frustrated with herself for having gotten stuck in the first place so while she was aware it was rude, she intended to high-tail it out of there as soon as she'd caught her breath. This female was kind, almost too kind. It made Sagacity feel awkward, knowing that she herself was not of such a charitable nature.

She introduced herself as Minka and Sagacity knew immediately from the way she spoke in a formal, friendly way that she'd judged the woman correctly- selfless, kind, thoughtful. The kind of wolf Sagacity wasn't. She felt the pull to leave hit her even more strongly now, and when asked her name, Sagacity sat up and nodded her head. 'Sage." She realized how tense she looked and though the mud was still sticking to her legs and sides- something that should've been attended to already- she was more itching to get out of there than remove it and spend more time with hr company, no matter how pleasant she was. "I meant it- I'm grateful- but I've gotta go." She said. She felt awkward, as though she owed the female more of an explanation, which she did- she owed her big time. But she couldn't do it- she was frustrated and homesick and wanted to get back to her son. She did hesitate, however, not wanting to completely run out on the female, lest she take offense. But the urgency in Sagacity's voice and the tension in her stance conveyed the necessity that she leave. As a favour, she gave a two-word explanation. "My son..." She said, and halted, hoping that Minka would understand.

(This post was last modified: Jun 24, 2013, 04:19 AM by Sagacity.)

Avatars by Arla!

she doesn't care how she gets there, as long as she gets somewhere she knows... Minka could see how tense the woman was, she seemed awkward and anxious though the fae did not know why. Her eyes conveyed that Sage could open up to her if she wished, but the tawny woman didn't ask of her any questions, she was here to listen not to bother. She smiled when the woman introduced herself, 'Well Sage it was nice meeting you, but I wish it had been upon better circumstances," the sentence was finished with a laugh, the sound like bells ringing around the marsh. Golden eyes watched as the woman sat, she seemed to be having some kind of internal battle, finally announcing that she had to leave very suddenly. The smile was gone now from the femme's face but her expression was still kind as she nodded, "I understand, safe travels," there was no offence in her tone at the woman's abrupt need for departure, only concern and well wishes. The explanation had been short, only two words, but those two words were enough to make Minka understand everything she had been wondering. The other scent upon her had been her son's and that was why she was so anxious to get going, she had a child waiting for her to return to him. The tawny head nodded once more, "He needs you, you should go home to him," smiling once more she added, "But Sage, if you ever need anything don't be afraid to return, my den is always open." Minka stood now, smiling once more to the woman she had pulled from the swamp before turning away. Her limbs still ached as she moved so she settled for a light trot as she headed back towards the caverns, back towards her family.

table by mimi

click!