Back to Work (Bones)

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock looked the cage over, scratching her head. She hadn't thought about that part. She was used to things happening according to her schedule. Shouldn't the wolves be more considerate and just show up on time!? She shrugged and said, "She's got wheels. Oy, watch..." She climbed up on top of the cage, wobbling a bit as she perched on the wooden frame. It was sturdy, but she hadn't taken the time to really make it level and smooth out the top. She pulled out her saw and cut off the branch she'd looped the rope over, pulling the rope off and momentarily letting the cage doors close. Then she nailed the branch vertically on the center of the top of the cage. She cut off a couple more branches and nailed them diagonally to the central piece as braces, ensuring it would be held straight. The end result of a job some chimes long was a Y-shaped brace she was able to thread the rope across. She adjusted the length of the rope a bit until she could prop the doors open, with the rope running from one door, over the top and threaded through the brace, and to the other door. Then she looped it back again, and for the moment just tied the tail end of the rope to the central brace. She'd need a few minutes of work to set things up once they found the location they'd be trapping the wolves, but the entire thing was now mobile. "See?" she said, grinning with pride. If there was one thing she was good at, it was improvising. "Jus' make sure I's got a couple o' chimes fer ta set the ropes again when we done founds 'em, aye?" She braced one of the ropes over her shoulders to pull the cage. It was heavy, and she'd probably need Bones's help to set a good pace, but since it was on wheels they could take it anyplace where the terrain didn't get too rough. As they started moving, a belated thought occurred to her. "Ya think if'n we done toss a slab o' meat in the cage, one'd 'ead on in?" she shrugged. It might be worth a shot. There were kinks to be worked out, sure. But Tock was somewhat sure she could work some of them out on the fly. Worst case scenario, they could still just beat a wolf down until it was unconscious, then put it in the cage just for the walk back to town. But she preferred the idea of using bait to lure the wolf in. She'd even use herself as bait if need be, getting chased through the cage and slamming the door shut behind her. "Maybe we find us some tracks, git on close up in the right general area, 'en set up the cage 'ere, toss some fresh meat in 'ere... 'en what we can 'ide out in a tree o' somethin' what if'n we needs ta. Wait an' see if'n one comes 'long. An' if'n 'e don't done wanna go in an' chows down, 'en we can does the chasey plan, o' if'n we really 'as ta, beat one down what til 'e's out cold..." She still considered the chance she could magic up some tracks with aura-reading, but her experience with Auristics was so poor right now that she wasn't sure she could pull it off.

[Ssafirsotibones]

Bones watched, glad to see the Tock was not being hard headed, and was listening as he showed her possible flaws in her plans. Some people were such that, they would not listen and correct even if a glaring problem in their plans was visible. It was good to know that she was not one such person, and that she was flexible enough to change on the spot. She climbed up on the cage, and did some odd stuff involving cutting off branches, hammering them in, and such. He was not really sure what the point to it all was, but he assumed she would tell him in time. But soon enough it seemed she was done, and spoke to him. He had absentmindedly been checking the looseness of his newer gladius in its sheath. He did not want it to be stuck in there, were it could not come out. But neither did he want it so loose, it simply slipped out. She startled him as she suddenly spoke, and he pulled out his blade a inch further instinctively, before realizing she was not saying there was a threat. Calming down, he slid it back in, and came over to inspect her work closely. A slab of meat? Were did she plan to find that? It seemed a bit unlikely. Not to mention, they would more likely notice the sent of the fresh human nearby, or the scent of Bones, and either not approach, or go after them. "Do you have a ssslab of meat to ssrow in ssere? I don't. Plusss I don't ssink getting covered in blood would be a good idea at ssisss point. Plusss, it would likely ssstill sssmell usss, even if sse bloody meat drew ssem in." Bones listened to her idea of a battle plan... Well, she was not really much of a fighter, what could he expect. She did not know much of scents and blood, and such. And carrying bloody meat would make them easy to find, even in a tree. And he knew well of scents, having hunted by it often enough in his snake and dhani form. It was not so easy to disguise ones scent. "Well, if we are going to hide, and not be found, we mussst hide our ssscent firssst. Which meansss eisser rubbing ourssselves all over wiss dung, or sssome osser ssing ssat isss equally pungent. Not exactly fun. And don't worry, we wont need to beat it unconsssciousss. Jussst let me get one in a headlock, and I will choke it out, make it passss unconsssciousss from lack of air. Ssat won't ssseriously harm it, asss long asss I let go after. It isss a sssimple enough fighting move."

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock shrugged and nodded to Bones's battle plan. "Yer the expert," she said. She was a builder, not a fighter. She'd let the big man decide what to do about the wolf. After they traveled a bit further, she had to stop and take a break. All the activity was making her stomach sore. She stopped and pulled her shirt up slightly to prod at the red, bruised flesh. She had a nice jagged scar from where the blade had hit her, and while the stitches were removed and the skin closed up tight, it was still sore and painful when she moved around too much. It was probably for the best if she didn't have to do any running or heavy fighting. After the hours of building work she was stiff, sore, and it pained her to bend over. She rested for awhile until the ache subsided a bit, then they continued on the way. A few times she spotted something she thought she could get a reading off of, whether it be a pile of dung (eww!), a paw print she couldn't identify visually, or a tuft of fur. Each time she stopped, leaned close (though not TOO close, in the case of the dung), and concentrated on pushing Djed through her mind to read the object's aura. Finally, after hours of searching, between periods of rest, as the daylight was fading they came across something curious. A mangled carcass of what looked like a deer... which had clearly been something's dinner. Tock knelt down to examine it, searching for clues. She saw something that seemed out of place... when she pulled it out, she found it was a chipped piece of a fang. She held it up, squinting at it. She couldn't tell one animal fang from another, so she focused on its aura. She concentrated hard, pushing the Djed forward, watching the aura slowly expand in her sight. Red and black. Sharp. Feral. Wet with blood. With slow focus and concentration, her mind delved into the fang, Djed pushed forth with great effort to read into the object's properties. She sensed the jagged edge where the fang had snapped off while chewing on a bone. She sensed a cavity in it, rotted with age. Her head throbbed and she started to feel breathless, but none of this was telling her what she needed. She focused harder, leaning very close so the Djed from her mind didn't have far to go. Visual data streamed through the aura. The texture of the fang, the hue of the blood stains. Useless information. She closed her eyes and pressed the fang directly against her throbbing forehead, trying to block out the visual data and focus on the emotions attached to the fang. Feral strength. Pride. A ferocious hunter. But that could have been a mountain lion or something. Her hearing started to feel clouded, like cotton stuffed in her ears. Mild overgiving... she'd need to stop soon. But she needed more information. She continued to push the Djed with increasing strain, searching the aura for something more distinct. Something... something... was there, further than she could see. She didn't know how to probe that deep, that far. Sighing, she released the Djed and gave up, tossing the fang to Bones. "Any idea what she's from?" she asked. She sat back and leaned against a nearby tree, rubbing her temples. She felt exhausted now, and needed another break. At least half a bell. The sun would be down. But if Bones knew how to identify if that was a wolf's fang, they might have their trail.

[Ssafirsotibones]

After awhile, Tock seemed to become interested in various things on the ground. Finally, he caught her staring at a tooth... Which seemed a bit odd to him. Whay exactly was she trying to do? He did not know. As she tossed the fang to Bones, for him to inspect it, he gave it a closer look... Though he was by no means a expert on teeth. Though he did wonder what was Tock's deal. She had simply been staring at a tooth, and she was acting like she was exhausted. Odd. Bones gave it a closer look, speaking a summary out loud for her to hear. "Well... It isss definitely from sssometssing ssat eatsss meat... And it isss to sssmall for sssomessing really big, ssat might be out here... Like a bear or sssomessing bigger... And I know bear teess... I would sssay a dog or a wolf mossst likely... Maybe a overgrown cat." Bones darted out his tongue a bit, tasting at the air... Smelling the fresh blood, and the taste of the chewed beast... It would be useless to attract anything new, as it was so long dead, and most of the meat was gone. He doubted it would attract much of anything. He looked down close to the ground, looking for tracks... Off in one way, he saw some disturbed ground... But... Off in another, not that was it, the tracks. It looked like several animals had gone this way. And it was not old and over ridden either, so perhaps these were fresh. "I ssink ssisss isss sse way. Looksss like a lot of sssomessing went ssisss way... We ssshould try off here."

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock nodded silently, her eyes growing distant for a long moment. Those thoughts she'd been running from all day were trying to catch up with her. She kept seeing Mikey's face and... She growled and shook her head. She couldn't let herself think about that. Numb and cold, she rose and followed the path Bones indicated. She moved silently, struggling to pull the wheeled cage, her stomach starting to ache from the strain. She needed frequent breaks, and each time she had to sit and rest, her eyes grew distant again, staring at nothing. But each time she grit her teeth and forced herself to get up again. She had work to do. And she couldn't stop just because of... because of what happened. Life had to go on. Finally, after awhile more of searching, the trail started to get fresher. The tracks, such as Tock could tell by her limited understanding of them, were newer. When she leaned down close and focused her mind, channeling Djed, the faint aura left behind in each impression in the dirt started to get brighter. She still couldn't be sure how to tell the difference between the aura of a wolf versus a dog or a mountain lion, or hell, even the aura of the dirt, filled with life and worms and fertilizer. But when every dozen chimes or so she leaned down to study a new print, something in the faint glow she sensed grew stronger. She wasn't sure quite what that meant. Whether the stronger aura meant there was 'more' to sense in these patches of dirt, more that she couldn't understand or interpret. Or whether it meant the lingering trace from the creature that left the tracks was more recent, the aura less faded. The latter made a lot of sense to her, so she picked up the pace to catch up. Finally they reached a clearing, and she stopped the cage in the center. The fine hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. She felt... like she was being watched. She slowly started setting up the rope that held the cage doors open, tying it to a tree at the edge of the clearing and setting Choppy in place. Naily she made hide by the tree, and she told him to, "Stop." He froze, unable to move at all until she ordered him otherwise. He'd be safe that way, when it all started. She checked the rope and made sure it was set. Choppy was lined up again. She wasn't sure how this would all go down... Maybe Bones would just knock a wolf out, and the trap wouldn't be needed. But if it was, if she could find a way to lure a wolf into the cage, then one command to Choppy to 'chop', and the rope would cut, and gravity would make the cage doors swing down and slam shut, trapping the creature inside. It was quiet in the clearing. She heard a rustling here and there, but she didn't know the difference between the wind blowing through the trees or an animal moving through the bushes. She stayed near the cage, at the center, hand on her dagger. She drew Grippy and held him in the other hand, scanning the darkness around her. The sun had fallen while they traveled and searched, and she couldn't see very well. She hadn't thought it wise to bring Eyes, her Automaton spectacles, with her. But after a long wait, she spotted something in the bushes ahead of her. Something that looked eerily like the shine of eyes reflecting the moonlight... multiple pairs of eyes.

[Ssafirsotibones]

It was not to hard to pull the cage. After all, it did have wheels. Though as he moved, there was a small twinge of pain in his leg, from were he had been injured... It was not going to give out on him, but it would make it hard to run, or to kick with that leg... Which was a fact he needed to bear in mind. He was not upset though over the breaks. He was not in a big hurry, and it was pretty easy traveling with Tock, since she liked to take frequent breaks. He usually took a swig from his waterskin, or just sat for a bit. Occasionally checking on his weapons, to make sure they were both still good. As they walked along, he kept an eye out for the tracks of the beasts, noticing them getting less and less old. The first ones he had found were pretty vague, but these seemed a bit clearer... He could clearly see the paws, and they were more or less undisturbed... Could make out the depth, and the size of them... They certainly did look like wolf tracks... It seemed they were going the right way. "I ssink we are on sse right track..." It was not much longer, when Tock ordered a stop, and she set up the cage. Setting off her little tools, to do as she asked... Those things were a bit odd really. Bones drew out his pair of gladius, his fathers in his left, and his new one in his right. He was not to good at using both at once. He tended to forget one, and only use one, and would recall a bit late that he had both. It would be a bit till his mind and body was trained, to think and use them both in unison. It was just after the slick of leather on metal, as he drew them, that he noticed something... Eyes... Tock was staring at it... He heard a howl, and then a large wolf came barging out of the wood line... Followed by three more... Clearly this first one was in charge... Hmm... He held his weapons at the ready, trying to decide how to react... He only needed one alive... And he could knock one in the head with a pommel, and knock it out, if he had to... But he would likely first need to lop a few to bits... Taking a step forward, he made a slash at the lead one with his right, and once that was done, a slash with his left at another wolf, keeping them back. Then he made a stabbing thrust, right at the lead wolves head with his right. If it hit, it would be a serious blow, possibly fatal. And if he managed to kill the lead wolf, likely the others would fall in line, and possibly not attack. Or at least not as well led or directed.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

As Bones stepped forward and started attacking, Tock pulled her dagger out in one hand, holding Grippy with the other. She didn't know how to handle this kind of fight. She was a bar brawler, not a hunter, nor a warrior. She was mostly relying on her big friend to keep her safe, the way he had been since they met. After all, what good would a dagger do against a hundred and twenty pounds of lean, fast, deadly grace. While Bones was engaging the front two, the others started circling around. Wolves were pack hunters, and would try to surround their prey and take him down as one. The circling wolves were getting closer to Tock, and she knew she couldn't rely on Bones to handle four at once, no matter how skilled he was. She needed to do something quickly, before they pounced. Uncertain what would work, she grabbed a stick off the ground with Grippy, and tossed it into the cage. "'Ere boy!" she called out. "Fetch!" The wolves head turned to watch the stick fly, then it turned back towards her, ignoring the would be distraction. Tock backed up, and stepped up into the cage herself. Maybe, if they pounced at her, she could jump out of the way, and lock one inside. Except that there was one on either side of her now, and if they came at her, they'd be blocking both of the cage doors. Damn. Maybe she should have thought this through more. Though there was a part of her, just a small part, that almost wanted it. Wanted them to end it. After the last few days... After... She grit her teeth and shook her head. No. She had babies to take care of. They needed her. Needed their Mommy. And they were going to have a new brother or sister soon, once she got one of these wolves home. She just had to figure out how to catch one, and hope Bones was handling the others on his own.

[Ssafirsotibones]

The blade sank into flesh right through his eye, cracked a hole through his skull with such force it did not even slow, as the blur of the tip was thrust into its socket. A spurt of blood, and it kept going, with nearly the entire thing sinking in down to the hilt. As he felt the sudden resistance, that was his blade tip hitting the other side of the inside of the skull. Finally he stopped, and yanked back, making a wide spurt of blood come out to splatter wide across the ground, as chunks of brain and gore slid off his blade and out of the gaping hole were the wolves eye had been. It fell to the ground dead, nearly instantaneously. He blinked and wiped some blood out of his eyes with the back of his hand, and noticed only one more wolf remained before him. Taking a step at it, he lunged as it jumped in the air. His left arm coming up defensively to ward off the paws of the wolf, and to knock it back, and then his right arm sneaking up on its side, and thrusting the blade into its side, cracking a rib as it pushed its way in. One of the good things to a gladius, due to its short size, it could be used in such ways that a normal sized sword could not. They were far to unwieldy and long and could not be brought around for such a thrust, while this weapon was the perfect size for such close up combat, short and stocky and good at being thrust like a stiletto, or slashed like a dagger, only better. It was so light, it almost felt like he was not even holding this new weapon of his. Though his normal gladius was also pretty light to him. But this one felt like a feather, and handled well due to its crafting and balance. That done, this wolf slid off his blade, to fall to the ground. Not dead, but blood gushing out of its wound, grieviously injured. He looked around, and saw the other wolves, trying to corner Tock. He let out a war cry, a big hissy yell, and came running at them, dropping his weapons on the way. He jumped on the nearest ones back, catching it around the neck, as it tried to twist and bite him. But the way he was seated on it, it could not manuever and get him. One arm across its neck, and the other locking that one into place, he tried to choke it out, cut off its air till it fell unconscious. But he had lost sight of the other wolf. Perhaps it had lost interest in Tock, and was circling around to attack him from behind. For some odd reason, animals often decided to go after him, once he got in a fight, even if there was other prey.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

While Bones was taking down the first two wolves, Tock was still in a tight spot. The two wolves by her were about to pounce, and she didn't have the first clue what to do. But then, the moment Bones moved closer, the two wolves seemed suddenly focused on him. Tock didn't understand why, but it was almost like they were somehow drawn to himeffect of his maledicted boar tusk. The momentary distraction gave Tock an opening, and she seized it. She aimed Grippy at the nearer of the two wolves, snagging a grip of its fur in the Automaton's claw. She touched the handle to give the command to retract, and started pulling it towards her while she backed away. The wolf was off-balance for just a moment by its unexpected distraction, and so all it did at first was pull back from the tugging on reflex. Growling, digging its paws into the dirt, it tried to pull away. By herself, Tock was no stronger than the wolf, but the mechanical strength of the extendable arm was aided by both physics and magic. The spinning gears in Grippy's handle and claw added more force to the pull, like turning a crank to reel in a rope with a heavy load attached. The mechanical advantage thus granted let her pull the wolf forward, like reeling in a fish, until it was nearly in the cage. While Bones was, thankfully, tackling the other wolf, Tock released the wolf and called out, "CHOP!" The released wolf, no longer having to pull back against the unwanted tugging force, shifted to try and pounce on the redhead, only to slam face-first into the cage door as it slammed down. The ropes, severed by Choppy, flung about wildly with their released momentum. Tock then aimed Grippy at the second rope, the one that was fed through the doors to hold them shut. She closed the metal claw around that rope, then retracted the arm, pulling the rope taut. The second rope was wrapped around the cage and attached to pulleys on both doors, so when she pulled it tight, the doors were braced shut. Her head spun around, eyes frantically searching for her friend, until she found him wrestling with the last wolf. Or, what she had thought was the last wolf. Her eyes widened when she saw a fifth closing in at a run from behind Bones. It must have been circling around in the shadows, unspotted by either of them until now. "Be'ind ya!" Tock shouted, running forward. She touched Grippy's handle to let out some slack in the extendable arm as she ran, so she could continue to hold the rope while she flashed her dagger in the other hand. Since Bones had the wolf held firmly, she had an easy shot, and took it without question. She stabbed the blade into the wolf's exposed chest, just under the neck. Her blade didn't sink nearly as deep as Bones's had, however, though it did draw a gout of blood. Uncertain if Bones could stop the last wolf behind him in time, Tock called out to Choppy, "Choppy, left, forward... CHOP!" The axe hobbled over just as the wolf was mid-pounce, taking a clumsy swing that took out a non-fatal clump of fur and flesh off the animal's rump.

[Ssafirsotibones]

Bones had been trying to do as Tock had asked. To catch the wolf without harming it. Since he had killed the rest, he figured this would be the one. And choking it out was the least damaging way he possibly could. It was the reason he had thrown down his gladius', and taken this thing on close up. If he just wanted to kill it, he could have done so himself, with his own weapon, instead of sitting here wrestling with a wolf that wanted nothing more than to sink its teeth into him. Really if he wanted it dead, he could have just snapped its neck right then and there. He had enough strength to do so, even in his weaker form of a human. He had not noticed Tock capture the other wolf, and so when he saw her come up and sink her dagger into the beast, injuring it as she had told him not to, he was a bit annoyed. Bones brought his elbow down swiftly on the neck of the wolf he was holding, knocking it pretty good. He was not sure if it was his blow or the stab, but when he rolled to the side off the wolf and onto his back on the ground, the wolf fell, dropping to its stomach. He looked up to see another wolf approaching, no time to do much to react or fight it. Acting on instinct, he fought back, using the only limb he could at the moment, his feet. The automaton cut at the wolf, giving it a bit of a wound on its rear, and bringing up some blood. Bones used this distraction that angered the wolf, and got himself into position, and brought the heel of his foot down on the beasts nose, knocking its face down to slam into the ground. Lifting his foot up again, he slammed his heel down again on its snout, which now had no were to go since he was already on the ground, and the force went into his snout, to the sound of breaking bones and bits. His snout had been flattened and crushed.