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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 19, 2015 0:26:07 GMT
Caoimhe had only just gotten comfortable on a bed of moss near the shrine, preparing at last for the nap that had been put off. Of course, she was also trying to put from her mind the fact that the irritable stranger was probably going to be wrapped up tight in silky strands while they drained him of tasty liquefied nutrients. All because she hadn't been stubborn enough or daring enough to force him to come with her instead of right into the spiders' territory.
So, really, it was something of a relief when she heard the faint cries for help just as she was dozing off and beginning to dream of a purified forest, safe for all. Her head jerked up and she glanced around, wondering if at first it had been part of the dream. But, no, she had heard it after all, and not terribly far away.
There was just the problem of getting to whichever trap he was caught in without drawing the attention of the spiders. She crept out to the edge of the meadow and listened carefully for the quiet scuttling of arachnid feet. A few more steps, and another pause to listen. Move progressively through the trees, she finally stopped at the edge of the pitfall and peered down into it, casting a pearly light that stretched only a few feet. "I told you there were spiders."
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Venison
Aug 19, 2015 0:35:21 GMT
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Post by karaikou on Aug 19, 2015 0:35:21 GMT
"Just get me out!" He snapped, shooting her a hot glare as if he didn't have time to talk, but that's because he didn't. The tunneling trap spiders had their prey and it didn't take much for the larger spider to press one big leg against Tyarnach as it's greedy nature desired the glowing antler creature for a snack. It was larger after all, let the hatchlings eat the smaller prey.
As Tyarnach tumbled further and down to the next layer of webbing he made short desperate cries for the spider's newest victim. It crept towards her from the cave beneath, eager to pull Kee inside. Venomous fangs wriggling in anticipation.
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 19, 2015 0:50:43 GMT
"You really should work on your attitude," Caomihe muttered half-heartedly, trying to keep her mind off the idea that a single mistake against these creatures could mean her own death as well. Nor was there an option to reason with them. They were hungry and doing what came natural, something she wouldn't fault them for if she weren't stubborn about being helpful.
"Look, I've been really nice about you guys living near the shrine and all. I'd really appreciate if you'd return the favor and not try to eat me. Or that thing." She indicated with her antlers towards Tyarnach, not just in her futile attempt to reason with the spider but as a warning. The prongs of her antlers were still sharp and well suited to goring and fighting like a normal stag's. "You're going to have to find something else to eat. And really, you shouldn't be greedy, everybody else is struggling to find things that aren't tainted."
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Venison
Aug 19, 2015 1:07:46 GMT
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Post by karaikou on Aug 19, 2015 1:07:46 GMT
The clearly hungry, awful spider stopped where it was, so close that it was just short of Kee's antlers and stared at her with each of its eight eyes before turning in the funnel slightly to get a look at the struggling blue creature that was unfortunate enough to stumble into their nest. "You make a good point, spirit, But you can see we have many brood to feed. Corrupted or not, some days we go without, some of us starve. You argue for one things life. How is that worth more than our own?" Small baby spiders were all too eager to make Tyarnach their first kill and had already begun to move in, even as the larger spider seemed to be willing to discuss reason and perhaps exchange.
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 19, 2015 1:19:51 GMT
"I offered it my aid before it wandered into your web. Your lives and your offspring's lives are as meaningful as the lives of your prey," Caoimhe agreed in a much gentler tone, seeing the adult was at least willing to reason. "There are many predators that live outside my haven, tainted and corrupted beings beyond my power to save, but not beyond your ability to eat. If you let him go free, I will help lure the predators into your webs whenever I come to visit the shrine. The bigger ones will keep you fed for days, and the smaller ones will be suitable practice for your young." She cocked her head in the direction of the enterprising little spiderlings. "But you will have to convince them to give him up."
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Venison
Aug 19, 2015 1:37:16 GMT
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Post by karaikou on Aug 19, 2015 1:37:16 GMT
Tyarnach wasn't too pleased with being discussed especially when he was already embarrassed about refusing Kee's help in the first place. But his life was ultimately up to the spider who could easily deny the deer's bargaining. In a bid to save his life he whined loudly, "I'll help too! You'll have all you can eat, please just let me go!"
One meal wasn't enough to satisfy the hundreds of eight legged predators that called these caverns home, but trusting someone to help them obtain more food was a risk, especially if they let go of the only meal the managed to capture this week. The adult turned back to Kee and asked, "We have not had a good understanding of each other in the past, what's to say you will keep your end of the deal? When this forest is finally rid of corruption do you plan to starve us? I will secure the safety of our family before I give up food."
It might have been a way to waste time, their conversation, as below Tyarnach found it harder and harder to move as he was massed by the day old spiders and their threads. However if the spider was indeed being sincere it would benefit all the pure creatures and boost population numbers greatly. An opportunity for relief that Kee could not risk losing. Not after her futile hard efforts.
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 19, 2015 1:52:09 GMT
"If the forest is rid of corruption, it should flourish once more with pure creatures, and you will once more have a means of hunting. I would not starve or punish you." Caoimhe lowered her head down slightly into the pit in a gesture of trust, and because she was trying to sniff at the elder spider as it spoke. "You and your family are part of nature and part of this forest. I can't fit you in my haven, but I can still help bring food to you. All I ask in exchange is that you free the one in your web now, and let us pass unharmed by your family. Cleansing the forest serves us both. When the corruption is gone, balance will return."
Although she felt a bit of pity for Tyarnach, stuck down in the web with a small army of freshly hatched spiders, it also amused her a bit to see the enterprising nature of the very young and newly born. It also gave her an idea that she hoped would seal the deal, so that he could be freed before it was too late. "I will stop clearing your eggs from the meadow around the shrine, as well. As long as none of your kind tries to hunt me down during my duties, I will let them use the space. I can't promise against other predators attacking the eggs, however."
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Venison
Aug 19, 2015 2:06:35 GMT
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Post by karaikou on Aug 19, 2015 2:06:35 GMT
"I suppose it is a deal then." The adult crawled back down the web to retrieve Tyarnach, the young spiders however seemed disappointed and reluctant to let go of their meal. "I'll make the others aware of this treaty but do not expect us to retrieve anything else that falls in our webs for you. We will avoid hunting pure creatures if it can be helped but should they tumble in that is their own stupidity." Placing Tyarnach before Kee he funneled his way through the web and into the dimly lit caverns below leaving the fugitive creature traumatized as he tried to break loose of the webbing, this time to more success, small spiders scurried from his fur.
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 19, 2015 2:12:43 GMT
"Thank you," Caoimhe called down the hole with sincerity. It was a step in the right direction, as far as she saw it. Luring the corrupted creatures to the spiders would feed them and trim the forest of its dead nature. She would not argue against their eating pure beings if chance brought them into the web - just as she would not stop a wolf from eating a rabbit if it got the chance.
Looking over at the freed Tyarnach, she helped encourage the baby spiders from his fur by scooping off those that were still high up and depositing them with her nose at the edge of the pit. When at last they were back home in their proper place she gave Tyarnach something of a stern look. "I would thank you for bringing the opportunity to make a deal with the spiders, if not for the fact I had to rob them of food for it. I told you there were spiders in the forest, too." She tilted her head and dragged a prong from her antler against his fur, combing out the web and rubbing it into the dirt to get it off. "I suppose now you'll listen to me?"
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Venison
Aug 19, 2015 2:18:27 GMT
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Post by karaikou on Aug 19, 2015 2:18:27 GMT
He shivered at the contact and the moment he was able to move, he did, stumbling away at to a short distance. "I'd be grateful for your rescuing if you didn't trick me into falling for one of their traps!" His fur bristled, "you did not warn me of their size or pits! And no." He sat, crossing his front legs defiantly. "I listen to one being and that being is not you, you creepy spider fanatic!"
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 19, 2015 2:22:58 GMT
Caoimhe gave him an irritable look, exhaling sharply at his stubbornness. "I told you there were spiders, and I offered to help you recover. It's not my fault you charged off without even listening. I also just happened to save your life, not that you're grateful." She was not prone to being harsh, but she was prepared to meet his obstinance with her own. "You're either going to come back with me so you can rest and drink, or I'll leave you here and tell the spiders you changed your mind about going along with me. I'm sure their young would enjoy having you returned to them." She wouldn't of course, try to return him to the pit to be eaten. But that didn't stop her from making the suggestion with a set jaw and staring at him persistently.
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Venison
Aug 19, 2015 2:28:29 GMT
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Post by karaikou on Aug 19, 2015 2:28:29 GMT
The second option wasn't something he was willing to consider, especially since he felt his skin crawl as if spider hatchlings were in his mane. But still, he pretended to give the options a thought before rising to follow her. "This better not be another trick." If she was true to what she offered, Tyarnach would recover quickly. Something he needed to do in order to get back on the road.
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 19, 2015 7:05:49 GMT
"Why would it be a trick?" Caoimhe asked in an exasperated tone, though his agreement was heralded by immediately heading off towards the purified area. "I saved you because you're a living creature, you're obviously not doing well, and you're not corrupted. This might be hard to believe, but I'd really rather get you feeling better." In a gentler tone, looking at him over her shoulder to ensure he was following, she added, "I don't know what happened to make you think someone would just do that to a stranger, but I'm not going to hurt you. As long as you give me the same courtesy, I can help you. You're probably hungry and thirsty, right?"
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Venison
Aug 19, 2015 7:20:21 GMT
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Post by karaikou on Aug 19, 2015 7:20:21 GMT
He followed along at a slower pace, not quite as fast as her and kept his head down as if it were too heavy to hold up. "Dehydrated, yes. Hungry, not particularly. I ate what was left of the caravan guards. I don't eat a big deal so that'll last me a few days, perhaps almost a week if I fail to eat on the journey."
His white tail fur was grey and dusty as we're his back paws from much dirt dragging. "So why did you save me? After my stubbornness, I have a feeling you don't do that for everyone who trends down a spider hole."
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Post by sparklemuffin on Aug 19, 2015 7:26:45 GMT
"I have clean water, and I'll find food if you decide you want it. There are some pure creatures still left in the forest aside from the spiders." Her tone was calm and pleasant, done scolding his stubbornness and now focused on leading him through the dense trees towards her temporary home. "You can sleep safe from danger there, too. It's protected."
His questions made her tail and ears twitch and she glanced back at him curiously. "I told the spiders, I had offered you help before you fell in that hole. It'd be neglectful to just let you die after all that. Besides, you called and asked for help. If I ignored that, I'd be as good as a murderer. Come," She urged him gently. "We're almost there."
It was true - the purified area where her small companions lived was already in sight through the trees, and with it she could feel her power increasing, making her feel safe and competent. The small well of water she had created on her first night was a tempting target, not just for him. It was cool and clean, and a source of rich green weeds that she enjoyed snacking on.
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