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 Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:49 pm
Far peered ahead, waving a hand in front of his face for a moment as though that might dissipate the fog. This stuff was really horribly inconvenient. Eyes narrowing, it took him a moment to identify the creature. "Wolf..." He breathed, loudly, but only just loud enough for all of them to hear, though the animal probably did too.
If it was close enough to see in this mess, then it likely wanted as little to do with them as possible. Going forward would be a risk, but...to try anything else would likely to get themselves lost further. "Wolves aren't generally aggressive towards humans, especially humans in groups..." Glancing about at his fellows, he moved forward so that he would be better heard. "But it's still a risk."
Pursing his lips, he thought a moment, struggling for an idea as he waited on the opinions of the others.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:53 pm
"We can't go back," replied the British youth instantly, as if he was more afraid of that prospect than the wolf itself. In a way, he was. Going back meant something bad, possibly dangerous, maybe losing what little ground they had. Besides, didn't a wolf, a living one, mean that there had to be other living things nearby? Even if a wolf was wandering alone, it would still be near something living, not daring to go far enough from anything that would keep it alive. Animals were all about survival, just as much as any human was.
He huddled up with the others, glancing at the beast momentarily, as if staring it down would help. It was probably watching them, probably waiting. No matter how low their voices were, it would hear them. Was it aggressive? Wolves weren't generally hostile were they? Farlest didn't seem to think so.
"But we can't... exactly just walk right by it... that wouldn't be smart." Nathaniel spoke slowly, thoughtfully, trying to assess the situation. His skills weren't handy here. He was a man of science and chemicals, not animals and weather. He wasn't comfortable here and it showed. He was doing everything he could to overcome his social problems and get help, since he couldn't afford his own arrogance today.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:09 pm
The eyes of the youth addressed the figure as it was brought up and identified. They stayed, locked with the thing for as long as possible before blinking, wondering exactly the same things as his companions. How were they to address this new, strange, obstacle? It was true that wolves were hardly aggressive toward humans, but regardless of that, there had been reports of provoked animals attacking people. For all he knew this creature was starving and hadn't eaten for two weeks at which point it would have done anything to get a scrap of meat.
"Do we have something to throw?" he said suddenly, looking through his pockets. "Maybe we can distract it. Or scare it off." His hands fiddled about, searching for something that might be useful. Anything would do...anything they were willing to give up. At this point that could be everything.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:18 pm
Edward had to agree that going back didn't seem like the best idea. They had covered a bit of distance already, and going back didn't guarantee a better means of reaching the White Tower. But the wolf still proved to be a major obstacle for the group. He had a walking staff, but against a wolf, he doubted that would be much help as a weapon. It would be best for all of them to avoid the wolf as best they could. If they left it alone, it might not bother them. But it wasn't always wise to put a lot of faith into an "if" statement.
His thoughts were brought up short when another of the boys spoke. Something they could distract the wolf with? That might work. "I have some beef jerky in my pack," Edward offered. If the wolf was hungry, it might go for that and leave the alone. He could hope, at least. The jerky, however, was the only food that he had brought with him. If they gave it to the wolf, he would have no food. But in this situation, he thought it might be better to give up the food in order to pass by the wolf.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:34 pm
Far's eyes lit up at the mention of beef jerky. Snapping his fingers as best he could with gloves on, he went to dig through his pack again. "Of course!" It was as though he felt stupid for not having thought of it before, as he should, in his personal opinion. "I have some too...if we like...wrap it up in a cloth or something, then perhaps we can toss it his way? It's winter and I'm sure he's hungry, and if he scents meat, then he's far more likely to go for that instead of us. "
It sounded feasible, and then, he held up a ziplock baggie full of the strips of jerky. Offering it to Edward, he smiled faintly, "There you are, though I suppose we should ask who's the best throw in the group...if everyone's ok with that idea..." Turning, he scanned the faces of the others.
In a group, after all, it was best to get a sound agreement on the matter.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:38 pm
Nathaniel's eyes widened a bit at the idea, adjusting his goggles as he did so. Something to throw. Beef jerky. It all seemed a little bit risky. Not only would two people be giving up quite a bit of their food supply, but what if it didn't even reach the wolf? What if it only made him hungrier, more hostile? Was that really the smartest of ideas? He didn't really know, couldn't really say. Folding his arms, he gave another glance at the beast and then at the jerky Far was holding out to Edward.
So while they were discussing it, he figured he might as well bring up his concerns. "What if he doesn't go for it? Or it doesn't reach him? It could be risky and he might still prefer us over what's sitting before him..." These were the natural fears and worries of someone not familiar with animals or the winter. Or the effects of beef jerky.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:51 pm
Edward rummaged through his own pack, shoving around clothes and water bottles and other things until he found the bag of beef jerky. Between his bag and Farlest's bag, they had a fair amount of jerky. As he took the bag from Farlest, Edward looked over to the other boy.
"It does have some risks in it," he agreed with a frown creasing across his face. "But going back might lead us into an even worse situation. Pressing forward seems like the best option to me. Do you have a better suggestion to get around the wolf?" He was willing to hear any suggestion the others might have to get them past this obstacle. Especially if that suggestion avoided any risks in dealing with the wolf. Unless they all agreed on a method of proceeding, they would be unable to move forward.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:56 pm
Elijah lit up as the others offered the beef jerky. It was so bluntly convenient that he felt some odd twinge of relief tugging at the back of his throat. Logic, however, didn't allow him to get high off of hope, not when Nathaniel addressed the very idea that seemed to but some stopper on this moment of excitement. What if the wolf didn’t' go for it? Well, then they’d have a problem. All the same, he crossed his arms, and watched the others. 'We have to at least try. If it doesn't go for the jerky we'll have to think of something else,' he thought, watching the animal, 'if it doesn't go for the food, maybe we can scare it off with something heavier.' Edward had verbalized his opinion.
Observing Edward and Farlest, he wondered just how good of an arm anyone else had. Elijah presumed he wasn't the best throw. Sports, or anything of the physical persuasion was in no way a forte of his; but he wasn't terrible either. Looking at the jerky he had to wonder if he had been foolish during his packing. Taking more practical provisions seemed logical and having gone to China it was almost as though he could have predicted something of a similar nature would occur. Maybe had something he could offer at a later time.
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:55 am
Far slowly nodded, eyeing both Nathaniel and Elijah. Questions from one and seeming silent agreement from the other. All right. Fair. A smile touched his lips again, and he dipped his head to Edward, "Well, I guess you get to make the toss, though we should all be ready to move just as soon as you do so..." A sheepish grin, "I don't think any of us are particularly willing to take extra risks to get past this obstacle."
Tilting head toward Nathaniel, he stepped close to clasp the other boy on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll prefer a nice meat snack to something that has the potential to fight back. We're a pack, all right? Just for now, and the wolf is the interloper. He might be hungry, but I suppose in wolf logic it would be foolhardy for a loner to attack a pack of other creatures. We'll make it." A reassurance, before he drew back, to take his place in line, readying himself.
Mad dash here we go.
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:14 am
Nathaniel watched as the others began to gather jerky and cooperate, realizing that he really had no handle on such matters like socializing or teamwork, or anything like that really. All he knew was how to give orders and so this was more a test for him than anything else. Except this wasn't practice, and if he lost it meant his life, which wasn't exactly something he wanted to be gambling with. But what could he do? This was how it had turned out.
As the other clasped him by the shoulder, he gave a look to Farlest, wondering if that sort of logic would really work with a hungry wild animal. The skepticism leaked into his eyes but the poison green kept it at bay, hiding it, boiling it. He had to have confidence in this people. The random tourist not so much, but he wasn't a useless kid, it would be all right so long as they stuck together. So he nodded. What else could he do? He was proper enough to know right from wrong.
"All right, I understand." And it was with that comment, that he too took his place next to Farlest.
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:18 am
Edward couldn't be entirely sure that he was the best candidate for this job, but it seemed the others were resting their hopes on him to get it done. He couldn't back out now. He had to believe he could succeed. Pulling out one of the extra scarves from his pack, he bound the two bags of beef jerky together. He wasn't so stupid as to throw the two bags unbound. If he did that, one bag might reach the wolf while the second bag fell short. Both bags needed to reach the wolf in order for this plan to work.
Once he had finished with that, he looked up to the other boys again. "Okay. I'm ready to throw," he announced, sounding as confident as he could in this situation. "We all need to be ready to move after I make the throw." He knew that should be obvious to the other boys by now - Farlest had already said as much - but he needed to confirm it in his mind one last time.
He took a deep breath. He pulled back his arm as he stepped forward with his left foot. Then he hurled the bounded up jerky as hard as he could in the direction of the wolf.
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Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:51 am
Nathaniel watched as the other boy took the bags of meat, for that was what they were, strange though that may be, and tossed them in the wolves direction. He wasn't quite sure if they should run first and watch later, but he figured if nothing else the bags either would hit the wolf or land close enough to distract him! So onward! If they didn't work, then they'd be trying to outrun a wolf and Nat prayed it didn't come to that, especially seeing as he wasn't athletic at all.
"Run," he whispered as soon as the sacks landed and took off with a push, knowing full well his teammates weren't stupid enough not to follow him. But could they make it? Would they make it? And where would they end up after they did?
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Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:27 pm
You've made it past the wolf! Apparently, the jerky looked tastier than you did. But now you've come to a very large mountain, too large, in fact, to cross. There's water to the west! Do you go towards the flatland and the water, or do you go to the east over the foothills?
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Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 4:58 pm
Edward ran as fast as he could with the rest of the group. He made a quick glance toward the wolf. It seemed their plan had worked! The wolf was going for the jerky instead of chasing after them. That was a great relief. But Edward didn't slow down until they were well enough away from the wolf. He didn't want to be around if the wolf decided the two bags of jerky weren't enough to fill its stomach.
But it seemed they weren't finished dealing with obstacles. He tilted his head up and stared up at the mountain. There was no way they were climbing that. Their only choices were to go around it. But which way should they go? To the west, he saw water. He didn't like that option. Freezing cold weather and water could spell bad news if an accident occurred.
"What do you guys think?" he asked the group. His opinion wasn't the only one that mattered in a situation like this.
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Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:53 pm
When they finally stopped, the British youth leaned over and took a breath. He wasn't used to this kind of exertion, in fact Nathaniel wasn't used to much. With an exasperated sigh, his poison green eyes looked around. His systematic approach was getting out of his hands. He was in the middle of nowhere, his boyfriend was missing and he had no idea what to do next. It had been a very long time since Nat had felt so lost. He frowned a little, hating this entire thing and wondering what they could do.
He looked around, not feeling like taking charge or giving another useless opinion. All the same, he pointed to the water and then turned the other way. "We're trying to get to a tower... why would a tower be near the water? I just don't think that's the right way to go at all... we can't go over the mountain, but there are some foothills that way..." Not that I want to try and conquer those either, he added to himself frowning. Nathaniel sighed.
All this physical labor was going to kill him. He was sure of it.
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