[017] - OOM - In Berinhed's Forest (Adventure II)

[tristranthorn]

In Berinhed's Forest Tristran outfaced on of the great, tawny eagles, who would have carried them both back to its nest to feed its young and was afraid of nothing at all, save fire.

Stardust, p.168 (Graphic Novel)

The star asks him where they are going, where they were. This is the only way Tristran will really know the names of places -- if someone asks him directly. He has no idea how he knows, but he knows.

"Up ahead is a forest," he answers her, "Berinhed's. We are on the path leading directly towards it; you can already see the trees."

He readjusts his shoulder-bag, getting lighter and lighter as the days pass by, and shrugs. "Unfortunately, I am running out of provisions. I do hope that there is a village somewhere on the other side of the forest."

Comments

[an_evening_star]

For a moment the tone of his voice alone is enough to make her back up slightly - but only for a moment and just enough to comply to getting behind him in some sort of fashion.

"If you think that I am going to abandon you, Tristran Thorn," she replies stubbornly, hands bracing out to her sides and chin tilting. "You have another thing coming, you bloody moron!"

The thunder alone makes her shake and she doesn't precisely have any idea how one should go about being helpful in this sort of situation, but she's not leaving either.

[tristranthorn]

"Yvaine," he starts, turning to look at her briefly.

He really ... well, he appreciates it, but he would rather she be safe and sound (and not to mention, she does have a broken leg that isn't fully healed yet), and being behind him is the last place to stay safe as far as he's concerned.

"Please, Yvaine. You'll be safer out of harm's way. If the eagle tries to grab you --"

Well, he really doesn't know what he would do.

[an_evening_star]

"Then it tries, Tristran," she snaps right back at him, voice sounding far more secure than she particularly feels. "I am not going to break - gods know that if I haven't yet, I am not going to now."

She peers forward at the looming shape, lips curling into a smirk, "Not over some over-sized feather pillow with an attitude problem, at least."

Very large pot of eagle chicken soup? Meet unnecessarily shiny kettle.

[tristranthorn]

He lets out a deflated sigh just as the eagle tries once more to clutch at them. Tristran quickly pushes him and Yvaine forward, barely missing the large claw, then straightens, slashing his sword at it. It swoops up slightly, screeching its irritation.

"All right," he concedes with another sigh. "Just...stay close to me."

[an_evening_star]

"Thought that was the point," she quips and scrabbles backward accordingly - eyes flickering from the rather pressing concern in her immediate view to skitter along the ground for something (anything) of use.

"Do you think it will just get bored?" she winces in her own irritation as the sky rumbles ominously once more ands then sets itself alight. "I mean, we are rather scrawny."

Probably don't even taste any good.

[tristranthorn]

"I don't think it'll likely give up, if that's what you are implying," Tristran tells her, turning his eyes to her briefly before slashing once more at the eagle with his blade. He is more or less successful, until it swipes at his arm, leaving a gash in his jacket.

And then out of no where, another eagle appears from the opposite direction, squawking in kind to its companion.

This is not good.

[an_evening_star]

"Oh, come on now - we are hardly even bite-sized!" she turns - shoulders stiff and back pressing to his, one set of fingers twining into his coattail. "I do hope that we make you violently ill."

The rain starts then, droplets heavy and cold, as startling as the thunder itself - catching on the tawny feathers of the eagles and sending a shiver down her spine.

[tristranthorn]

Tristran swings his blade at the eagle before him, just as the other one comes and grabs his arm, lifting him above the ground.

He lets out a surprised yelp, swinging his legs slightly and blinking the rain out of his eyes.

[an_evening_star]

Her grip tightens and she lets out a noise of her own - half startled and half furious. This is not supposed to be happening.

The star's voice rises shrilly as the eagle now behind her lets out another threatening screech.

"That is it!" she fumes, words punctuated rather neatly with a sudden bright flash as lightning strikes a nearby tree, splitting the trunk down the middle and setting the wood ablaze.

[tristranthorn]

As the flames begin to lick and consume the tree, illuminating the dark with red and orange and smoke, the pair of eagles suddenly shriek, flapping their wings frantically.

The extra wind only increases the size of the flames as they grow, spreading to the next tree, and soon the next despite the heavy rain.

Another screech, and the eagle holding Tristran lets go. He falls to the ground, sword clattering somewhere next to him from the surprise of being dropped.

[an_evening_star]

The star was being brave and indignant - yes. Very brave and very very indignant and brave people don't stand stock-still, not breathing, because of a little cosmic light show.

She is a cosmic light show.

She swallows a bit shakily and drops down to her knees beside Tristran (ignoring the protest from her leg) - eyes still trained upward at the sudden flurry of desperate motion from the large eagles hovering overhead.

[tristranthorn]

Tristran sits up, rubbing his head. It could have been worse, and at least he made it alive.

"How did you do that?" he asks, turning his head to Yvaine.

[an_evening_star]

Alive is good.

Yvaine is a staunch supporter of being alive - and remaining alive. Even for him.

"Do what?" her voice is quiet again, a little uncertain as she blinks wide blue eyes back at him. "I didn't do anything."

[tristranthorn]

"The lightning?" He gestures to the trees, now slowly spreading more and more flame as it dashes from leaf to leaf.

The two eagles have begun to swoop in panicked circles, squawking loudly as though frustrated that they came so close to capturing proper prey.

"You didn't...do it?"

[an_evening_star]

"Make lightning?" her head shakes slightly, letting out a slight, wavery laugh. "I am a star, Tristran. Not a witch."

The fire spreads wildly, the lightened rain doing little to stop it's sweeping path, flames leaping higher - much to the continued agitation of the birds overhead.

[tristranthorn]

"Ah." He nods, giving her a slightly embarrassed lop-sided smile. "Okay, then."

He raises his head up to the sky, watching as the eagles circle the trees for another moment as though weighing their options. A branch falls to the ground, covered in flame while the distinct crackling of wood as it is chemically changed sounds in his ears. The wind picks up and with it, the flame stretches higher into the sky, closer to the eagles, forcing them further up.

"We ought to get out of here before the entire forest is consumed by fire," he says. That would definitely not be good.

[an_evening_star]

"I would like to think of it as being born with an innate ability for perfect timing," she grins back and curls a hand over his shoulder to lever herself upward, managing to stand back up rather successfully. Nothing shakes anymore and though her legs protest she remains upright and breathing and altogether alive. Not too shabby at all.

She holds out her hand instead this time, head canting to one side.

"Shall we then?"

[tristranthorn]

"Yes," Tristran says, taking her hand and bringing himself to his feet.

He then proceeds to bend down and grab his sword, re-sheathing it, then tilting his head to the sky once more to see the eagles circling one last time. They swoop further up, appearing to have gotten fed up with waiting for the fire to die down.

He approaches her once more and grabs her hand -- so they won't lose each other, of course. "Let's really get out of here."