[PRP]...Again? [Kaldru+Zeylla]

[artificial bones]

You again? Well...okay.

in the fronds around Zeylla's hive

 

[artificial bones]

The evening started early for Zeylla, with her usual rituals. After waking and getting carefully dressed, she would wander the vast caverns of her hive and after meandering at her own pace, thinking through her morning thoughts, she coming upon her bare bones nutrition block. Softly glowing fungi clung to corners and walls with more prolifically in this area, to help her see better as she made a minimalist breakfast of fruit and grains she had gathered from the fronds around her.

After eating, she would take another winding route, with less anticipation in her step than before, to the center of her hive, where her lusus waited.

The entrance to the area where she resided was far larger than any other entrance in the hive, and had at one point housed the sickly queen of a dying horde of wood eating monstrosities. Now, ironically, it housed another queen(in her mind) of perhaps a different kind of sickness. She was wound in a writhing, gleaming mass of bioluminescent fungi lit white, and as Zeylla entered, she shifted and raised a eyeless head that seemed to know exactly where Zeylla was. Rows of teeth appeared as the skin of her mouth pulled back as she came to a stop at the edge of the great leechbeasts dais.

Hungry. Now.

The voice was cold, and lacked compassion or caring. It was only wanting of one thing. Zeylla held back a sigh, having hoped that the feeding she'd given her lusus had sated her longer than the few days it evidently had. Now, instead of perhaps sneaking off to Four Fronds, she would spend the evening hunting and blooding and lugging back food for her lusus. But she didn't let the disappointment show on her face. That would only incur the anger of Leechmom, and she wasn't willing to go through the punishment involved with transgressions like that.

"Of course, mother," she said instead, putting her disdain and irritation in check with a curt bow towards her lusus before slipping out of room.




The air was fresh and welcoming as she stepped out the front exit of her hive, and Zeylla stretched her arms out, welcoming the evening breeze and the sweet smell of the fronds. At least she could enjoy the outdoors while she did her chores. After spending a moment more with her eyes closed and arms stretched out, Zeylla brought herself to and shifted the rope around her shoulder(for hanging the beast for bloodletting), grabbed the simple bow and arrow she used for incapacitation and made sure her stiletto(for the kill) was on her side. Now fully prepared she stepped into her lawnring, expecting the usual empty fire pit and her lonely single sitting log.

What she wasn't expecting was the small blueblood she had met just a few days before to be perched on her sitting log. Zeylla stopped in her footsteps, a confused and marginally annoyed frown on her face. She was not a troll used to company or repeat visits from trolls. Occasionally a troll stumbled upon her land, and her curt and rude nature usually sent them off without a thought of coming back. But here was a troll she had, like the others before him, not expected to be.

"...Is there a reason why you are here?" no politeness, no friendliness. Not even a hello first. Nope that wasn't Zeylla's way. She liked to get right to it, no beating around the foliage. Life was easier that way.

quiet delegation

:V SORRY IF ITS NOT THE BEST > >

 

[quiet delegation]

"I came for more lessons!"

Kaldru wasn't an easily put-off sort; while he'd gotten quite frustrated with his attempts upon meeting the anon-blood, he'd also learned a good deal. More than that, she'd put up with him, which despite her stoic facade (or perhaps nature) meant there was some sort of friendliness within her. At least, that's how the little troll felt about it, and that was the same reason he'd found himself wandering back through the twisting paths of the woods on his next visit to the area, hoping he remembered how to get back to the lonely hive he'd accidentally discovered before.

Obviously, he had, and he'd parked himself on the same log she'd sat on before. He'd wandered around a bit before, and even tried knocking at the entrance, but the slight sound had likely been muffled and swallowed up by the wood itself. As such, the chatty little blueblood had simply opted to hang around on the lawnring, hoping that his 'teacher' would eventually make her way out of her hive; he was clearly excited when she did, face lighting up into a bright, happy smile. He even waved vigorously with one arm before popping up off the log and trotting over towards her; he clasped his hands behind himself and rocked on his heels, grinning playfully.

"You didn't say I couldn't come back, so I thought it might be okay! Where are you going? You know how to use a bow too? That's really neat! I tried making one once but it didn't shoot right~ Are you gonna go hunting? Can I come?"

A million miles an hour was, apparently, how Kaldru lived; even in the quiet of the wood he was ready to go at a moment's notice, bursting with energy and eagerness that, really, few could sustain for an extended period of time. It seemed his, at least so far, was limitless, particularly as he began to hop impatiently in place. There was so much to do, so much to learn - how could he sit still?

stringency

hahaha it's fineeee

 

[artificial bones]

The instant he said he was back for more lessons, Zeylla felt the urge to turn around, drop her stuff at the door, shut said door and tell Leechmom she could wait another day to eat, and hide. But she didn't, she just sort of sighed and shifted her gear as Kaldru started up in high gear. She told herself she didn't go back inside because Leechmom would be mad....

But then why wasn't she just telling him to shut his trap? He was standing there, asking more questions in a second than she could answer, and yet Zeylla let it happen. She just watched him with that same, basic stony look and shifted her rope to the other shoulder as she waited with neither patience or impatience.

And when he was done speaking, she waited a moment more, as if she was hoping he'd just give up if she stayed silent and leave, before heaving one more sigh and responding, "If you come with me, you need to be quiet," she would have nothing to bring home if he couldn't do that, but she had a feeling he might do well enough, so she added, "If you can do that, you can come. But slow me down and I will leave you," she eyed the boy before her and then offered him the rope. He could be useful if he was going to tag along.

"Carry this and come along," she semi-barked, letting him slip the rope onto his arm before starting off at a light pace towards her usual hunting grounds.

quiet delegation

:3c awwww she let him tag along. and only mildly threatened to leave him in the forest. someone like a kid.

 

[quiet delegation]

"Yes ma'am!"

Kaldru gave a too-serious salute, though a stupid grin plastered itself on his features as he took the rope and shouldered it as best he could. He'd been perhaps expecting a simple lesson, more knots or something simple, like a stew or even fire making ... But to be allowed to go along with her! The little troll's chest swelled with pride, and he trotted along as quickly as he could beside her.

"Where are we going? What--"

He remembered what she'd said, and in being obedient he dropped his voice to a whisper. It didn't stop him from talking, unfortunately, but at least he did so quietly ... enough?

"I've been practicing those knots! I've tied 'em um, um, a million times! Um, okay, maybe not a million but a lot. I think I'm getting really good at them! I didn't forget the loops this time, either!"

stringency

s-sorry for taking a few days, i've just been burnt from work ; w;

 

[artificial bones]

Zeylla had hoped for real silence after her warning, but Kaldru did not seem capable of true quiet, and at first the greyblood was worried he didn't know what volume was either! But he quickly toned down his voice, though the chatter kept coming...at least it was at a high whisper now. She still let a couple seconds linger between them before responding. This way perhaps he would pick up(please pick up) that she was a less then chatty troll.

She could feel his eyes on her, waiting for an answer even after nearly thirty seconds of silence, and she internally sighed, "I'm glad you have retained that knowledge, it shows drive and good memory," while she had no big interest in speaking, she had to admit she was proud that the blueblood was so determined to learn. Even if his chattery nature left her desiring peace and quiet, she found herself putting a little notch in her respect bank.

She paused soon after her...compliment, and crouched down to look at some muddy ground before them. She held a hand out to Kaldru, already sensing his questions bubbling up. She hoped that the single finger raised towards him would come across as 'wait, just wait' before reaching down and touching the prints pressed deep into the moist earth. They were still soft, while the mud around the prints had gained a thin, crusty layer. Fresh tracks.

She glanced at the kid beside her, and motioned him to come crouch beside her, "Tell me, are these fresh?" she quizzed, wondering just how much the boy knew about tracking, "And, which way do you think it headed?" she added the last part, having noted already a bruised sapling just to the east of the tracks before them. She made sure to keep her eyes off that hint though, curious as to how observant Kaldru really was. Instead she kept her eyes trained on his face, watching as her questions sank in. Even though she wouldn't admit to it, she was quite confident in the blueblood before her to pick up on these things just as quickly as he had the knot.

quiet delegation

4/20

so just roll 1d6 and we will aim to hit 20 before they find their quarry * V * LET'S SEE KALDRU'S TRACKIN' SKILLS!

 

[quiet delegation]

Kaldru was pleased as could be at any sort of praise, but the next step of his lessons, as they were, was something he was not terribly familiar with. He had no idea about freshness or surroundings, and was lucky enough that he could even orient a paw or hoofprint most days.

Still, when questioned he was quick to go quiet (for a few blessed moments) as his brows crunched together in serious thought. He squatted down, staring hard at the tracks. For all his gazing, however, the secrets were unknown to him, and at length he finally sagged a bit before lifting confused, defeated eyes to the greyblood.

"Um... I think they're going that way," he murmured softly, indicating a direction somewhat off a more reasonable guess. "I ... I dunno how to tell if it's old or not, though. How're you s'posed to tell that from just the mud-print?"

stringency

apparently he's awful at it 8D

5/20

 

[artificial bones]

There was a moments satisfaction as Kaldru went silent in thought. So, he was capable of marginal quiet. She would keep that in mind for later use. But her satisfaction was short lived as the little bluebloods face crumpled into defeat and he gave her a rather dejected look. For a moment, Zeylla felt the urge to pat him on the head....reassure him? It was a strange feeling, and she quickly tucked it away without acting on it. She wasn't here to coddle, she was here to...well hunt, but impromptu teaching was seemingly in order.

She could tell he was guessing as he made a vague attempt to point out which direction they might go, and while he was off, he wasn't too far off. Of course, close only counted in hoofbeastshoes and hand explosives, so she gave him a look that said, 'nice try' as he asked his question.

"It's fairly easy if you are observant, which may mean taking a moment to...clear your mind," he was an evidently diligent troll, so she knew he would at least try to follow her advice, "but to tell a fresh track from an old track works as such," she again pointed at the mud before them, finger sliding from the mud around the print to the print itself as she spoke, "See the crusted layer on the mud surrounding the tracks? It has had time, left undisturbed, to harden, but the print itself still has a shiny, wet consistency, telling any knowledgeable tracker that a creature has come through here within the last twenty minutes, as there is little to no drying of the tracks. And if one were to follow the line of the tracks," she raised a hand from the tracks out tot the tree line, and just off to the left was the sapling she had noted earlier, which she pointed at as she continued, "You'll come to find another sign, may it be more tracks, scat or bruised or bent, sometimes broken, flora, like a sapling," as she finished speaking, she stood and adjusted her gear before moving in the direction she had just pointed out.

As they passed the sapling, Zeylla glanced at Kaldru and added, "Don't be nervous to try again, see if you can see anything useful as we go," was that supposed to be confidence boosting? Zeylla didn't do it well, but it sure seemed like she was making some sort of minor attempt.

quiet delegation

ITS OKAY KAL YOU WILL LEARN ZEY WILL BE GUD TEACHER.

8/20