[PRP] Ranger, To Thy Task (Icpitl and Kamala)

[Geyser Eelborn]

Rangers guarded their patch of land against those who would spoil its beauty. Rangers helped travelers through their land should they be lost. Rangers preserved the balance of their land and never, never, ever considered it to be "theirs" in perpetuity. Icpitl knew this in his heart, even if he didn't know exactly how he knew it. It was just a certainty he'd had since he he'd first awoken in his forest. He'd opened his eyes, and he'd known exactly what the creator had in mind for him. Sure, there'd been a surprise or two along the way, but for the most part, he knew what he was here to do.

So he began the morning with a quick patrol around his patch of woods. He left tufts of his fur tangled in the bushes--a way to signal to passing strangers that there was someone around to help. He checked his traps and had a snack along the way. Then, he checked his creeks and streams, noted any disturbances, spent time with anyone around, patrolled, ate, and slept. It was a busy day, but the routine gave him comfort. And, of course, it was always to be disturbed in the case of someone who needed his help along the way. That was just what he did. It was his job. He expected no recompense--he needed none. Not a job, then, more of a...a duty. Yes. A duty that had him scenting the air and picking up the pace at the scent of another B'alam.

He wove in and out of the undergrowth. He was about a fifteen minute's journey from the border of his patch of woods; that was the good news for whatever traveler he was about to meet. The bad news was that relatively few cats traveled through this region, so the paths were poorly trodden and hardly marked at all. It was easy to get lost here. Icpitl made sure to approach the traveler from what he assumed was her front so that she would have a good sight of him instead of startling her from the side. "Good morning, ma'am! Can I help you?"

CaliWolfe

 

[CaliWolfe]

Merchants like Kamala were always on the move. She had only a few items on paw at the moment, yet she knew deep within her soul that these items were valuable, and that others would be willing to pay a decent price of some sort for them.

She was fascinated with all the items she found, but with no use in keeping them Kamala had no choice but to sell them. It was then that she was approached by a Champion of the Bayeux Clan, and recruited to be one herself. Kamala didn't mind. In fact, it only gave her more reason to go out and find more and more objects that were shiny and worthy of being "bought" by other B'alam she came across.

Only this time she wasn't sure where she was. Kamala had a poorly made bag filled with stones, gems, interesting tasting foods and more assortments of items. Items she liked and deemed interesting enough to give to others. She had wandered deep into this forest to find them, but now could not find a way out.

"Hello!" She was pleased when another showed up. Kamala was often a very chatty being and longed for socialization. "I'm lost, do you know where the exit is? The forest sooo big and green and easy to get lost in so that's why I got lost to begin with." She paused to take a breath in. "You know the way out right? I mean you look like you live in this forest or something but if you don't I'm sorry, I simply assumed!"

Geyser Eelborn

 

[Geyser Eelborn]

There appeared to be a crude sack around the nantlil's neck. Through the gaps in the stitches he could see something glinting from within. Stones? Crystals? It looked hard like rocks. Icpitl couldn't see the point of carrying stones around one's neck, personally--the only useful rocks were the hard ones like flint and obsidian, nappable, sharp; or the soft ones such as chalk or gypsum, to be used in making marks on trees and rocks without damaging the plants or lichen that grew all around. Why would anyone be carrying rocks, he wondered? No matter. She was in his forest, and she needed help. Wherever she was going was her own business, right? Right.

Icpitl smiled at her. "No, no, it's alright. I'm not offended at all. I do live in this forest--I always have. My name is Icpitl. May I know your name, ma'am?"

He lifted his head to the air. Where were they? Right, the edge of the forest. But of course, it wasn't as simple as that. Where was she going? How long had she been here? Which direction had she been traveling? "The forest ends about fifteen minute's journey from here--near a stand of big oak trees with scattered bluish rocks, covered in pale green lichen. Does that sound familiar to you?" It took a few seconds for his brain to catch up with, well, the other part of his brain. His ears helped--they relayed what he'd just said into context. Well, viewed in that light, what he'd just said made no sense at all... "What I mean," he added quickly, "is that I don't want to lead you to the edge of the forest only to find that I've landed you back at square one, so to speak. So, which way are you going? I can show you the way. Er. Which direction were you going in?" Yes, that would probably be more helpful, now wouldn't it?

CaliWolfe

 

[CaliWolfe]

Geyser Eelborn

"My name?" She looked surprised, but blinked it away with a friendly face. "I'm Kamala, please to meet you!" She had to practice her greetings more frequently now. Kam was charged with the duty of being a merchant now, and she had faltered when grasping to remember such. Yet she still smiled on, pleased to be in the company of another.

She placed a paw on her bag that she wore loosely around her neck. Soon, she would need something else to assist her in carrying her wares and objects of delight. They certainly weighed heavy upon her neck and spine and had she not practiced to avoid such, they would have made her droop her head. From all those trinkets she no doubt carelessly shoved into her purse of treasures.

"hmm..." She thought hard for a moment as to the location she had first seen when entering the wooded area. "Yeah, I think I know where your talking about..." She struggled to remember the precise details of such an area but the way Icpitl described it made her dismiss the idea that she had come from anywhere else. "Yeah, I definitely know where that is." She nodded.

"And I'm heading... Uh... Which way was it? N-... North." She was pretty sure her initial goal was to head north. Kamala simply had become so indulged in her surroundings that when she lost her barring she also had forgotten the direction she wanted to head in. Step two for how she had managed to get lost to begin with.  

[Geyser Eelborn]

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kamala," Icpitl said with a smile. "I can take you north. It'll only take a few tail-widths of the sun's journey to get there." Privately, Icpitl found himself glad for once that his beat was so small. He usually wished there was more forest he could protect and keep safe, but in reality, the space he had right now was just barely enough for him to be able to cover in a full day, assuming he picked only one route along the forest a day. Someday he hoped to have more forest protected, but for now, it was a relatively small chunk. It would probably seem quite large to Kamala, though. "This way!"

With that, he stepped foot on the narrow forest path in the direction of the northward section of forest. It was quite a lovely day, with the sun shining and the breeze light in the tree tops. Bird song was exchanged from tree to tree, but it still felt so...quiet. He should talk to his guest, though what about? "Where are you from, Miss Kamala? Is it far from here?" That seemed nosy enough for the moment. He would have asked more, but really--was it any of his business? It didn't matter who she was, and what if she didn't want to share? Oh, well. It was polite to talk, he was sure. And he felt more comfortable asking her where she was from than asking why she'd tied a sack full of rocks to her neck. It looked uncomfortable, ungainly, and, well, impractical. What did she need the rocks for? And wouldn't a shoulder bag or a harness across her back be more practical?

But anyway. Icpitl's tail stuck out behind him, brushing aside brambles so that Kamala could pass, and sweeping aside beetles that shone in the morning sun. Such cute little critters, but some people could get freaked out about them. Same with snakes and lizards; he ushered them along their way into the undergrowth as he encountered them, gently using his paws.

CaliWolfe

 

[CaliWolfe]

Geyser Eelborn

"Excellent!" Kamala proudly stated. It was really quite wonderful this B'alam had showed up when he did, otherwise Kamala would probably still be going in circles, horribly lost. "Oh me? I'm from a clan named Bayeux- er that is, we're not really a clan per say..." They were kind of tiny right now. Only a handful of members consisted of the 'clan' but that would change, Kam was sure of it. They'd soon grow to become strong and impressive. "We're more like a small village. I'm a merchant! A traveling one but a merchant nevertheless!"

My, but today was really quite lovely wasn't it? Much better than when it rained, which Kamala found was really quite not-as-lovely. Rain had it's perks of course, but it was strange. The gloomy grey of the clouds made her feel sadder, like the day wasn't as wonderful as when it was sunny! Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Kam didn't like getting her wares wet. Yes, had to be that. When soaked with rain they grew heavier and slowed her down even further.

She really, really did want that new bag soon. Her neck was already starting to feel uncomfortable...

"Oh! Your shoving the little creatures aside?" Kamala wondered aloud. "Do they bother you?" She asked, thinking perhaps Icpitl found them annoying or something. They didn't bother her, snakes left skins that could be collected, bugs were lovely with their wings that she could model objects after. They really didn't bother her, in fact they sort of inspired her. Yet that didn't mean they weren't bothering her guide, now did it?