|
|
Post by Beekeeper on Oct 9, 2015 1:19:07 GMT -5
Dmitri had slept very little that night, within sight of the red building. He’d stumbled upon the structure as he wandered through the woods near the road (can you call yourself lost if you don’t know where you were going anyway? It was a thought Dmitri had had plenty of time to mull over recently, but he wasn’t very comfortable with either conclusion). Now, as morning light crept through the trees where he hid, he carefully approached the wall again, craning his neck up to see the top. Without knowing what manner of creature inhabited the place, it could be dangerous to approach openly...but he was running low on food, and desperate to be out of the wilderness.
Still reluctant to act, he decided to give it a little more thought over breakfast. The provisions he’d made off with when he deserted the horde had run out a while back, but he’d managed to scrounge together a bit of food here and there, mostly stolen. Sitting down against a tree, Dmitri glanced around warily, then pulled out the last scone and broke it in half. He hesitated, then put one half back into his bag with a sigh. Who knew how long the little food he had left would have to last.
As the rat munched grumpily on his meager breakfast, he thought about the small group of travelers he’d stolen it from. He really hated having to resort to theft--it felt...beneath him, somehow--but at least he turned out to be alright at it. It was a couple days ago now that he’d heard the murmur of voices ahead, and after sneaking forward, found a group of two mice and a squirrel sitting around a small fire. When they finally went to sleep, Dmitri was able to slide into the camp silently and snatch some of the food they’d left unfinished. It wasn’t much though, and his stomach was definitely protesting the fact that he hadn’t spent more time rummaging through their packs. Without thinking, he found himself looking at the nearby stone wall again, somewhat wistfully.
|
|
|
|
Post by oxfordlunch on Nov 18, 2015 18:40:02 GMT -5
Brigg did not consider himself a pampered beast, but even he had to admit that spending the night tucked under one bush or another was getting very old. Probably he was too young to be waking up every morning with his back screaming with pain.
He rolled over, stretched, flexed the cramped muscles in his arms and legs and neck. With no breakfast on the horizon, it hardly felt worthwhile to rise with the sun, but it was a habit he'd had no luck in breaking, born of long years labouring on the farm. His stomach grumbled. He let himself lie with his eyes closed for a moment in the dawning sunshine, fantasizing about a hot bowl of creamy oat porridge, fresh bread, ancient crumbly cheese sparkling with little crystalline pieces. His mum's cooking. He missed her terribly. And his Da. Marlo and Nan and Pip and the rest.
He blinked his eyes open, blinked the thoughts of his family away. He knew it wouldn't do any good to dwell on them.
Loneliness was settling deeper in his soul with every day that passed. Brigg was a creature who needed company, thrived on it. Who was he without the little ones to look after? Without Da needing him to help with the plowing and planting and the threshing of the wheat?
When he stood up, he took a confetti of leaf litter and pine needles with him, the mess having worked its way into his fur as he slept. He brushed himself off, tutting at a cluster of burrs he found over his forearm. When he finally glanced around to see where he had ended up last night (it had been long dark when he settled in to sleep), the sight of the enormous red stonework wall looming up close by caused him to start.
Even more alarming was the slim figure of a strange rat standing some yards away, staring at the wall in silence.
Brigg froze. Strange rats were to be taken with caution, he knew, even if he happened to be one himself.
|
|
|
|
Post by Beekeeper on Nov 21, 2015 22:51:57 GMT -5
After finishing his breakfast (though he was loathe to even call it that), Dmitri threw his pack back over his shoulder and started to examine his situation again. A red building, with forest around at least this side, not too far from the road...it did sound familiar. Hadn’t he heard stories about a big place with red walls? Yeah, some kind of--
His train of thought was interrupted by a noise behind him. Startled, he made an effort not to jump, and to turn around without looking too nervous. He almost pulled it off too, but the look in his eyes kind of gave him away before he spotted the other rat and composed himself. The truth was, Dmitri wasn’t really used to life out here on his own, and was barely scraping by by the grace that he hadn’t run into anyone that actually wished to do him harm. He wasn’t completely defenseless, he could fight alright if he had to, but victory was hardly a guarantee. And frankly, Dmitri kind of hated violence. If this other rat was unfriendly, hopefully he could just talk his way out and escape.
Looking the other rat up and down for a moment, Dmitri quickly evaluated him. He didn’t really look dangerous, mostly just disheveled. Almost like he’d spent the night in the woods, too. Maybe this would work out alright.
Without moving closer, but certainly looking more relaxed now, Dmitri called out to him. “Hey there!” he said, then nodded toward the wall. “Do you live in his place? I’m not very familiar with the area.”
|
|
|
|
Post by oxfordlunch on Dec 16, 2015 18:07:41 GMT -5
Brigg winced. He hadn't meant to startle the other rat. He nudged the brim of his cap up away from his eyes and listened as the newcomer called over to him. His words were non-threatening, and Brigg relaxed, his shoulders loosening up and a polite smile touching his lips.
The red-walled place was unfortunately also unfamiliar to him. "Ah, no, sorry mate," he called back. "I'm just new 'round these parts meself."
He wondered if he would make the other rat nervous if he were to approach him. Instead, he decides just to offer his name. "I'm called Brigg."
|
|
|
|
Post by Beekeeper on Dec 16, 2015 23:46:54 GMT -5
Dmitri watched Brigg with a neutral expression for another moment before making a decision. Approaching the other rat, he returned the smile, ruefully. “Well damn, I guess we’re both a little out of our element here, then, eh Brigg?”
From this close the evidence that Brigg probably had slept outside last night was more readily apparent, and Dmitri chuckled, pulling a remaining leaf off of him before offering a friendly paw. “I’m Dmitri,” he said. “Are you traveling somewhere?”
Perhaps this Brigg had somewhere worthwhile he could take him. And at the very least, if Dmitri got friendly with the larger rat, he might have a bit more protection--and company--along the way. It wasn’t like he couldn’t abandon Brigg later, if he wanted.
|
|
bye!
