[PRP] Lonely or Alone? [Swanscream / Ferns at Dusk]

[The_Great_Book_Wyrm]

Scream was profoundly alone. She had been traveling for days now, but she had been alone for much longer than that. The moon had waxed and waned several times since the last time she had spoken to another Kin, and though she hadn't eaten well in days and was rather thirsty, it was the deep discomfort that twisted in her belly that truly drove her forward.

About a day ago she had started seeing signs of other Kin - broken branches to make way for someone larger than a mongoose or eaglehound, scratches on tree trunks, and sometimes Scream even thought she could hear singing on the wind.

She realized that approaching unknown Kin might not be the safest idea, especially if there were potentially more of them than there were of her - but she pressed on.

Motherfather, how she wanted to just talk to someone!  

[subducting]

The summer was loathe to give up her kingdom, it seemed, mused Ferns as he picked his way through the undergrowth. Lifting his dark head, he sniffed the air, tasting the decay of autumn on the breeze. Soon, the sucking mud would grow cool and the water would ice over at last.

Ferns was made for the cold and darkness. The lazy summer months were all well and good, but those endless evenings were so tedious. One day bled into the next, and time grew tacky, like flowing sap. When it was dark, and quiet- then, one could truly think.

As he bent his head to sniff a plant, Ferns heard a noise and turned, staring intently towards the source of the noise. He was a fast runner and a fair fighter, but he stood his ground as he listened, watching with detached interest to see what would come through the undergrowth.  

[The_Great_Book_Wyrm]

Scream pushed through the last of the denser vegetation, and stumbled to a halt at the sight of the buck. Though she had wished for company a second ago, she was unsure of how to approach a stranger.

After an agonizingly long minute while she tried to gather her thoughts, Scream finally decided to start simple. "Hello," she croaked, voice cracking from not being used for so long. "My name is Scream, may I know yours?"

subducting

 

[subducting]

Ferns glanced up calmly and gave the doe a long look up and down, expression impassive. "Ferns at Dusk," he said at length, his deep voice neither warm nor cold. She was polite, he thought, perhaps a little young. Certainly intimidated, judging from how abruptly she'd pulled up upon seeing him. Or maybe she'd simply been alone a while. He flicked an ear and turned so he was fully facing her. "What brings you to this part of the swamp, Scream?" he asked, his voice perfectly polite as he gazed at her.

A wanderer, a weary traveller- there were those who might try and mould Scream to their own designs, to try and sway her this way and that. Honeyed words and soft tones- Ferns had no time for any of it. But as inconsequential as the doe surely was in his own mind, he waited to see what she would do before deciding to abandon her to the swamp. He was in no rush to be anywhere, and fortune had ways of weaving lives together in a way that they were meant to be. What that meant for this encounter, Ferns was willing to be patient to find out.

The_Great_Book_Wyrm

 

[The_Great_Book_Wyrm]

The buck's calm demeanor both reassured and unnerved Scream. Suppressing her cough, she answered, trying to relax and match the stranger's tone, "I'm sorry to say that no particular reason has brought me here - I've been simply wandering."

Her stomach grumbled loudly, reminding Scream of her hunger and thirst. She truly needed to eat, but she didn't want to stop taking to the buck. Deciding to take a chance, she "Would you like to join me in searching for berries?" Scream hoped that the buck wasn't a complete carnivore - she didn't have the energy to actively hunt right now.

subducting

((Feel free to have Ferns refuse, or refuse without something in return, etc., whatever you think works best.))

 

[subducting]

Ferns was surprised into a deep, rumbling chuckle at the sudden interruption of Scream's stomach. Flicking an ear, an amused expression on his face, he nodded, still grinning. "I know a place they can often be found," he said, indicating with his head through the trees, before nodding politely to Scream and taking the lead. He walked slowly and deliberately, glancing back and forth through the swamp as they walked. "I would say," he said at length, glancing back at Scream, "That wandering is a particular reason. The swamp is here to be appreciated, after all." He paused to sniff at the base of a tree. "Has the swamp shared anything special with you whilst you were wondering?" he asked, turning his intense gaze back onto her.

The_Great_Book_Wyrm

sorry for the delay!!

 

[The_Great_Book_Wyrm]

Scream nearly jumped for joy, too elated to feel embarrassed. She didn't have to go on alone! She happily trotted after Ferns, not before issuing a heartfelt "Thank you!".

She took special care to catch everything the buck said, and took a few moments to think on her answer "You're right, I think. If nothing else, I've realized how truly vast the swamp really is. I never knew, not when I lived in one place. It makes one feel - small. Lonely." After another pause of deliberation, she finally added, "Although I'm not sure only the swamp is responsible for that last one."

"Do you ever feel lonely?"

subducting

im so sorry, uni just choked the energy out of me for a while :''')