| Logs |
2002 September 01
| Idlewild |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Idlewild Logs |
September 1
Soleil leads the group at a trot, nowhere near the speed greyhounds are known for-- but then, he's not following a quarry by sight, either. For a gazehound, though, he's pretty clearly got a scent up his nose, and it makes sense to him-- of course, so did howling madly. All that anyone can do for now is follow, or abandon him to his fate alone, for he is clearly determined to go somewhere.
After several minutes of trotting through the woods, the terrain grows rockier, and boulders start to appear, dotting the landscape. Footing is less certain, and everyone must pay more attention.
At one point Steven trips on a rock he failed to spot in time, but fortunately his training kicks in. All those fall drills come in handy.
Aiden seems pretty intent on following Sol, he does however, manage to sidestep a hole just conveniently big enough to wratch a person's ankle..
Steven rejoins the upright mammals quickly enough, and they continue on through the rocky terrain, Steven paying better attention this time... until both men fall. Neither is hurt, but..
Steven grimaces as he pulls himself up, wincing. "Blast... where'd those rocks come from?" He shakes his head. "This is getting treacherous."
Aiden gets up and can't help but laugh. He dusts himself off. "That'll teach us to pay more attention." He continues on after Sol.
Sol and Lotte both escaped unscathed; Lotte pauses to wait for the others, but Sol does not stop, forcing the bipeds to move faster in order to catch up again. The dog pulls ahead by twenty feet.
Aiden forgets that he's supposed to be watching where he's going almost as soon as he reminds Steven that they should be more careful. He trips over something again, goes flailing a little bit, swings his arms and manages to get back on his feet. He looks around, takes a bow and says, "I should've been a dancer. Forget parks work, ballet is my true calling!"
Steven doesn't see the next hazard; a moment later he's again on the ground, muttering to himself. My teacher'd be screaming at me by now. From his position on the ground where he feels a new bruise swelling on his knees, he silently and wryly applauds Aiden.
Steven ceases his applause, as the rock he tripped on scurries away, making a snickering sound. He just stares at it for a few moments, before looking to Aiden to make sure the other saw it. "Uhhh...." he says intelligently.
Aiden blinks at the rock that Steven tripped over scurries away, snickering. He rubs his eyes, "Please, tell me you saw that.."
Steven nods his head slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I saw that...."
More of the rocks start giggling.
Aiden looks over at Steven and says, dryly. "I believe they're all laughing at us now... and I seem to have dropped my pride somewhere."
Steven deadpans, "Let me look for it for you while I'm down here...."
One of the cuter rocks flips over, revealing a face and tiny legs, and says curiously, "Why you not mad? Other folk we trip mad, with other dog."
Aiden looks over at the .. uh .. 'cute' rock. "We're looking for those folk.. We just have a sense of humour, you see. They don't."
Steven blinks startledly at the rock. Since he'd already accepted that it was local fauna rather than something geologic, he isn't too broken-minded. He glances up to Aiden, and nods quickly in agreement.
The faux rock giggles, pointing a tiny finger at Aiden. "You good sport! Give you directions if want. Those other ones no fun, didn't get joke."
Aiden grins at the rock. "We'd really appreciate directions! It would help us very much to find our friend."
Steven carefully pulls himself up, brushing himself off, and trying, hard, not to think how bizarre this conversation is.
The rock-person adds, "Prettier though. All wolfy elfs. --Oh, is easy. Even you guys be okay. Just follow dog, he on right track." It snickers and scampers off, quickly hidden among other rocks.
Aiden gives Steven a 'it just made fun of us again' look. He picks himself up, but doesn't bother to dust himself off, convinced he'll be back on the ground again before this is done. "Shall we?"
Steven blinks, and looks to Aiden. He nods. "Yeah, let's follow Sol." After a moment, he asks, "'Wolfy elfs?'"
A smaller rock flips over and says in a surprisingly deep voice for its size, "Not mind Nate. Give you better hint-- when dog stop, answer is down."
That rock scurries off as well, and the giggling stops.
Aiden looks over at where the rock was. "Thanks!" He turns to Steven and spreads his hands, shrugging. "Not sure what they meant by that.." He starts off after Sol.
Steven nods slowly. "Thank... uh, thank you." Nate. The rock's name is 'Nate'....
Sol and Lotte, carrying Penny, are at the far edge of Steven and Aiden's vision by now, but they don't seem to be going any farther. When the men arrive, Sol is pacing and whining disconsolately. Lotte looks at the arrivals and says, "I think the scent is gone."
Steven glances to Aiden. "'When dog stop, answer is down,'" he repeats, hopefully in a helpful tone.
Aiden nods at Steven. "Yep. He's right. We need to go down from here. The rocks said so."
The terrain, if anything, has grown a great deal more rocky, including several sizaeble boulders now in a group nearby-- the cluster is almost as big as a Volkswagon. These are not, however, laughing.
Lotte gives the two men a very dubious look.
Steven looks around, trying to see a cave, or a hole, or a downhill stretch, or something in a general 'down' direction.
Aiden kneels down where Sol was sniffing and feels at the ground for a hole or something.
Aiden stands up and looks around. "I don't see anything.." He moves a few steps over and kneels to try again..
Lotte frowns and joins the general search, but sees nothing remarkable, like everyone else... until Aiden's second attempt in a different spot yields surprising results.
Aiden kneels on the ground, feeling around. He's not sure what he's feeling for, until he finally feels it.. with his knees. He gasps and disappears. "Ahhhh!"
Aiden manages, somehow, to land on his feet. No one is more suprised than he. He looks around up and down, and notices some glowing patches on the floor. He kneels and tentatively touches one.
Steven sees Aiden simply disappear. He blinks. "What the--!" He almost but not quite runs over, pausing several yards away from where Aiden disappeared, and thinks. Very carefully, he kneels down, and starts creeping forward, poking at the ground for any hidden pits or openings.
Aiden stands up and looks up. "Steven.. Get down here! We need Sol to find the path!"
Aiden's voice is a little echoey but clear.
Steven blinks. "Uh... Aiden?! are you far down? Is it far enough to jump?" He looks on, wonderously, as his hand goes through one spot as if it simply wasn't there.
Aiden looks around again. He can see, though can't make out colours very well. Those patches are moss and there is a tunnel leading off from here.
Aiden shouts up. "It's about fifteen feet down. I was okay. You should be careful."
Aiden smirks to himself.
Steven half nods, then grimaces. "Wonderful. Thanks for the advice." He looks up to call over Lotte and Sol, warning them to keep clear and be careful. "Aiden... do you see any way of climbing out of there, before I myself oh so carefully get myself stuck as well?" =
Aiden looks around. "We could, uh.. No. I don't see any way back up, unless you can grow wings."
Steven nods, grimacing. He looks up to Lotte and Sol. "Is there anything we could use for rope back at the camp?"
Lotte blinks at Steven. "I didn't bring any... we could cut up the tents?"
Steven grimaces. "Blast. No, we shouldn't do that. But whomever went in that way had to have a way to get out as well...."
Aiden says, "Guys! As much as I like languishing in the dark like a mushroom.. don't you think we should maybe worry about getting out when that's the obsticle in front of us? The more we stand around talking about getting out of the hole, the further away Lua is getting.."
Steven sighs, "You're right, Aiden, you're right. All right... I'm going to start lowering myself in."
Steven only a little reluctantly, he turns himself around, getting a good grip on the ground as he lets his legs slide down into the... hole. Illusion. Thing. No, best not to think of it as a 'thing,' that conjures up images of big nasty teeth...."
The hole in the ground accepts Steven, and does not bite or laugh at him.
Steven pauses, and frowns. He probes around the edge of the hole a bit with his feet, wondering if there's not also an invisible way down as well as an invisible door.
Lotte has apparently had the same idea, but is looking in the rocks at the surface. Sol just whines, eyes the invisible hole, and jumps in.
Lotte sighs and comes over to the hole to crouch across from Steven, hands empty.
Soleil comes flying through the darkness and lands like a giant housecat near Aiden, shakes vigorously, noses Aiden's hand, and starts nosing the floor.
Aiden looks up impatiently. "It's only fifteen feet. Unless you land on your head, it's not going to kill you."
Steven's half-flailing feet suddenly find purchase on the wall, and bit by bit he manages to clamber down the wall by way of a series of handholds and footholds set into the wall. "Sorry," he says quietly, "but with the luck I've been having today, that's exactly what would happen."
Lotte calls down, "Uh, Steven? How'd you do that?"
Steven winces. "Oh, forgot. "Over on the side of the pit I went down, my feet found some footholds...."
Lotte's melodious voice says dryly, "Thanks for mentioning it," and a few moments later she drops down from the ladder's end to join them.
Steven looks sheepish, "I'm sorry about that...."
Lotte says, "S'ok."
Soleil whufs deeply, and starts toward the tunnel leading deeper downward.
Aiden nods at Sol and starts following.
Steven follows along after Sol and Aiden, unhesitating.
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