[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

[tristranthorn]

As though quite unsorry to burst in on the star and the half-mortal boy's awkward fun, the shadow becomes a whole lot more solid as something swoops into the trees, rustling leaves, snapping branches and screeching in a high tone.

There are tawny brown feathers, Tristran distinctly notices (once he's past the fact that he can practically kiss the star right now), and other unmistakable birdlike qualities about this very, very large creature. And if they don't find some place to hide fast, they'll be spotted.

He pulls her towards the trees and forces Yvaine down to the leaf-covered ground quickly, just as the bird swoops through again -- all by instinct, really -- and manages to be ... well, quite on top of her at that point.

[an_evening_star]

Yvaine is finding lately that her life is rather like a series of very unfortunate sets of circumstances one after another with very little time in between for proper contemplation upon any of them. It's really not all that terribly fair.

She'd really like to whine, or cry, or just scream - oh, but life is having none of that. Life is utterly wretched and enjoys finding new and creative ways to mock her.

"Correction," she murmurs, low - breathing labored and eyes unfocused from the sudden vertigo and the fact that he is still much too close. "It is a very very big bird."

She doesn't know what to do with her hands - or with the fact that certain death is doing it's looming thing once more and all she can think of is what he would do if she kissed him.

It's vaguely problematic. The bird is rather big.

[tristranthorn]

Tristran raises his head slightly, staring upwards, eyes scanning the immediate environment around them, searching for sight of a wing, or something.

Then something lands with a resounding thump a short distance away from where they are hiding, clawed talons landing against the soft, dry ground.

They move slowly, one confident foot after the other. He can spot it through the space through the foliage.

Tristran glances back down at Yvaine, far too something to be aware that he has never been this close (or in this compromising a position) to the star before.

Instead he gestures for her not to even breathe a single word, one finger touching her lips lightly.

[an_evening_star]

See - that there? That with the sharp beak and the inhumanly large, pointy, dangerous-looking talons stalking about not too far away? Yeah, that just about sobers her up neatly.

Not to say that some corner of her mind isn't mildly intrigued by the fact that her lips are tingling. They're obediently silent for once, but still tingling.

'Lovely,' says the overjoyed arc of her raised eyebrow. 'Just lovely.'

[tristranthorn]

They wait in complete silence for a moment as the bird stalks past them, Tristran barely even breathing until his blood is pumping in his ears and he thinks the bird has gone off somewhere.

He straightens a little, scrutinizing the space between the leaves, and then once the coast appears to be clear, he sits up and lets out a breath.

[an_evening_star]

The star just lies there for a few more moments, flopping one arm across her eyes and reminding herself about the importance of breathing. And of personal space - she's fond of personal space.

Really she is.

"Our luck," she mumbles, propping herself up - voice barely loud enough to reach him. "Is either horrid or astounding - I am not precisely certain which."

[tristranthorn]

He swallows, looking back towards the star's direction, still too much in fear to remember what had just happened (and we are not talking about the bird here).

"We ought to...I don't know, make a run for it or something, before it comes back," Tristran suggests, whispering.

[an_evening_star]

Yvaine's fine now. She's got this breathing thing down and she can see straight and her hands don't itch to fit places anymore.

"Do you think?"

She shifts herself forward, peering around his shoulder and frowning thoughtfully when she doesn't see anything that wants to eat them.

"I suppose we could."

[tristranthorn]

He nods.

Right, then. He doesn't want to stick around here any longer, that's for sure.

Straightening to his feet, he holds a hand out to the star.

[an_evening_star]

Her hand is in his before she even gets the chance to think about it and the complete ease of the gesture makes her shake her head in amusement.

"Very chivalrous of you, Prince Charming," she grins, words quietly murmured into his ear as he tugs her upward. "Now shall we continue down the path of not dying?"

[tristranthorn]

It is weird how it happens like that, how his heartbeat seems to suddenly quicken to a point of becoming uncomfortable as she murmurs into his ear and he isn't sure just what to do about it.

His hand does unknowingly tighten over hers, however, and he nods dumbly, clearing his throat.

"Yes," he replies, voice low. "Let's do just that."

[an_evening_star]

One quiet step forward and the star's eyes are already trained upward warily. She's still rather fond of the idea of her internal organs remaining internal for the moment.

Well, for more than the moment - but she figures she'll just take this one step at a time.

"Is this to be a fleeing sort of run," she inquires, still whispering. "Or a leisurely stroll with intentions of ending up very far away?"

[tristranthorn]

They have already begun walking, more or less hidden in leaves still.

"Can your leg handle a short run?" he inquires, concern reaching his eyes.

He wouldn't want to over-exert the star, after all.

"If all else fails, I ... I suppose I could carry you on my back."

[an_evening_star]

Her eyes widen for a moment - cheeks pale and lips parted noiselessly - before she shakes her head (perhaps a bit too forcefully).

"No, thank you. I mean, I will be fine," she glances at him, then quickly away and back up. "I will not break, Tristran."

[tristranthorn]

Tristran nods. He grips her hand properly so they won't lose each other, then begins leading her towards the path. He looks from left to right then up, to make sure no feathery giants are nearby.

They could remain hidden, but doing so would only mean they'd be running aimlessly through trees with no clear destination. He might be good with directions, but he isn't that good.

"Okay, let's...get out of here, then."

[an_evening_star]

"Okay," she agrees almost reluctantly - fingers tightening accordingly and sucking in a deep, steadying breath. This ought to be fun.

It's barely a few steps before the breath comes back out in a hissed whimper, eyes slitting to accompany the mental commentary of, 'Ow, ow - fuck - ow!'

No one ever claimed that Yvaine had a particularly pleasant mental commentary. She figures that it's a sign of maturity that it remains mental.

... or at least it would have if another loud screech hadn't prompted a yelped reiteration of some choice bits.

[tristranthorn]

Tristran doesn't hear any of the mental commentary voiced aloud, as he is very much preoccupied now with his own less vulgar choice of words.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," he mutters, more to himself, before he searches around for any sign of the owner of that screeching.

He pulls the star along anyway, never stopping, even as a shadow passes over them.

[an_evening_star]

There's a swift swipe of something sharp and pointy dangerously close to their heads, followed quickly by a loud rumble of thunder from the now-dark sky.

"Oh, now that's necessary," she grits out - stumbling slightly and hissing out another painful breath, the fingers in his tangling tighter instinctively. "If we die now, I am going to be very displeased."

[tristranthorn]

Tristran lets go of her hand for a moment. "Find somewhere safe to hide," he tells her, completely taken over by some strange thing called Heroism.

It's probably the sword.

-- Which is being taken from its sheath now. He turns to the giant bird which has now spotted them and isn't quite willing to let go of possible prey -- her children are hungry, after all. It tries to swipe at the two of them, talons attempting to grasp at Yvaine.

He might not be at the same level as Alberic, but he can still handle the sword with relative ease.

"Quickly!" he tells the star as the bird lets out a deafening screech.

[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.