There was something incredibly satisfying about just standing there in the utter dark, watching the little beaver chip away at its project. It was not a real animal, so it knew no fear of the monsters prowling around them: it knew only its task, and though Rory had channeled his need into it, it didn't hurry. The red light of the antlers illuminated the curve of its back. Somewhere beyond them were the monsters. Closest was Amalia, warm and steady, some of his blood probably soaking into her clothes.
Because it kept on dripping, trying to exit his body, though he thought it had probably begun to clot by now. A fox bite wouldn't kill you on its own, even if it had been deep and badly situated.
Amalia formulated a plan, and Rory's hands tightened around the antler. It seemed solid enough, aside from the throwing bit: there was no way, any way, she'd be able to hit the ring at that distance. They'd have to weight the rope, and the force needed to swing it that high would mean accuracy went out the window...
It was a night for faith, but not even Rory could believe in that.
Then she turned on his fox friend, and even though Rory had just had its teeth in his shoulder, he felt a little bothered by Amalia telling it to shove off. He could see the logic of it: what good was a fox in this situation? And what good had it done? Not much; it had bitten both of them. "It's my emotional support animal," he mumbled into Amalia's shoulder, but it wasn't a reprimand, more an effort to light up the mood as the monsters began to throw all sorts of debris at them. It was about as well-aimed as any attempts to throw the rope would be.
To his surprise—he'd been thinking about birds, if maybe he should try to think some into existence now that the beaver was done with its task—he heard a croak. Rory blinked and allowed the beaver to fade out of existence, but the bird he finally focused his gaze on wasn't his. It was a raven, white, blue-eyed. The Attuned.
The girl had some choice words to say about it, but then the raven took the rope and flew to the top of the perch—albeit a bit unsteadily, or maybe that was just Rory swaying—and pulling it through the ring, before returning and handing it to the girl, who had some more choice words about the whole ordeal.
Well. Time to hoist. Leaning on Amalia the duo crept close enough to grab onto the rope, though... With two ruined shoulders and a tendency to flicker out of consciousness when the pain overwhelmed him, Rory was close to useless. With Amalia still shadowing him he grabbed the leftover length of rope coiled on the ground—so basically the part that wasn't pulled taut by Edy—and looped it around Esaia, working only with his right hand, the left one still firmly grasping the antler. He gasped and nearly collapsed against the pony each time he was forced to move his shoulders more than just a little.
He looped the rope once around her barrel, then he turned it back through itself, across her chest, and tied it to itself again on the other side. It would be uncomfortable, it might cause rope burns, but she'd forgive him if it mean they survived. Still with Ama close, watching over him, he began to urge the pony to help pull, to add her strength to Edrei's.
"Because this world runs on faith," he mumbled in response to Edrei, ducking his head against the debris still being chucked at them by the monsters. "And if we can do this .. we can do anything."
Was he entirely aware of what he was saying?
Probably not.
Rory dismisses his beaver when it's done, and wobbles over with Amalia to try and haul the beam back into place. He grabs what lose end there is over behind Edrei and very crudely ties it around Esaia, to put her strength into it as well.
Because it kept on dripping, trying to exit his body, though he thought it had probably begun to clot by now. A fox bite wouldn't kill you on its own, even if it had been deep and badly situated.
Amalia formulated a plan, and Rory's hands tightened around the antler. It seemed solid enough, aside from the throwing bit: there was no way, any way, she'd be able to hit the ring at that distance. They'd have to weight the rope, and the force needed to swing it that high would mean accuracy went out the window...
It was a night for faith, but not even Rory could believe in that.
Then she turned on his fox friend, and even though Rory had just had its teeth in his shoulder, he felt a little bothered by Amalia telling it to shove off. He could see the logic of it: what good was a fox in this situation? And what good had it done? Not much; it had bitten both of them. "It's my emotional support animal," he mumbled into Amalia's shoulder, but it wasn't a reprimand, more an effort to light up the mood as the monsters began to throw all sorts of debris at them. It was about as well-aimed as any attempts to throw the rope would be.
To his surprise—he'd been thinking about birds, if maybe he should try to think some into existence now that the beaver was done with its task—he heard a croak. Rory blinked and allowed the beaver to fade out of existence, but the bird he finally focused his gaze on wasn't his. It was a raven, white, blue-eyed. The Attuned.
The girl had some choice words to say about it, but then the raven took the rope and flew to the top of the perch—albeit a bit unsteadily, or maybe that was just Rory swaying—and pulling it through the ring, before returning and handing it to the girl, who had some more choice words about the whole ordeal.
Well. Time to hoist. Leaning on Amalia the duo crept close enough to grab onto the rope, though... With two ruined shoulders and a tendency to flicker out of consciousness when the pain overwhelmed him, Rory was close to useless. With Amalia still shadowing him he grabbed the leftover length of rope coiled on the ground—so basically the part that wasn't pulled taut by Edy—and looped it around Esaia, working only with his right hand, the left one still firmly grasping the antler. He gasped and nearly collapsed against the pony each time he was forced to move his shoulders more than just a little.
He looped the rope once around her barrel, then he turned it back through itself, across her chest, and tied it to itself again on the other side. It would be uncomfortable, it might cause rope burns, but she'd forgive him if it mean they survived. Still with Ama close, watching over him, he began to urge the pony to help pull, to add her strength to Edrei's.
"Because this world runs on faith," he mumbled in response to Edrei, ducking his head against the debris still being chucked at them by the monsters. "And if we can do this .. we can do anything."
Was he entirely aware of what he was saying?
Probably not.
Rory dismisses his beaver when it's done, and wobbles over with Amalia to try and haul the beam back into place. He grabs what lose end there is over behind Edrei and very crudely ties it around Esaia, to put her strength into it as well.
