Closed Lost in a Vast Sea of Grass

[Moirah]

Thread Stamp: 81, Spring, 513 AV Location: Sea of Grass (Near Riverfall) Moirah A young konti, resting in the tall billowing grass, twirls a small silver locket between her fingers. She lays against her large saddlebags and watched her non purebred strider graze hungrily. Her muscles ached from travel and she had an eerie feeling of being watched. Moirah had this feeling for quite a while. Currently, she was lost and it did not make the situation any better. Moirah slowly pushed herself up, groaning as her body screamed to move. She put a hand to her head, her body woozy to sleep. Moirah decided that it was still early in the day to even think of setting up camp, so she just pulled a bedroll out of her bags. She lifted the bedroll high over her head and it unraveled quite quickly, dust flying as the end of the roll slapped the earth's surface. She plopped the bedroll down and lowered herself to her knees to smooth it out. Atka, her horse whinnied and turned his head slightly, ears perked. Moirah stared at her horse until it begun to graze again. "That was weird." She murmured, but didn't dwell on the negative. Her heart started to pump up as she listened to silence. She laid down onto her bedroll, not interested in getting a blanket out due to the sunny weather. Only a few clouds dusted the bright blue sky. Moirah heard a rustle, sitting up quickly. Her breath quickened and her senses heightened to possible threat. Atka was even getting nervous, pawing the ground with his hooves. He trotted away from whatever he must be hearing that Moirah could not. "Atka, you silly filly, don't stray from me." She called, her voice more quiet than usual. The horse ignored her and kept his ears perked towards the sound. The way her horse revealed its fear, created a coerced paranoia in Moirah. "Atka-" Another rustle made Moirah go silent. She slowly stood up, looking subtly for her backpack. A part of her screamed to get out the eating knife to defend herself but she violently pushed the thought out of her system. Moirah assumed whatever was stalking her wanted food. She would throw some rations if it were. Doubt ate away at her conscious. Fear really had a grip on her now. Moirah, gripping the strap of her backpack, expected to see a glassbeak and it terrified her. She inched closer to Atka, whom was stubbornly moving away. Was Atka trying to leave her for dead to survive? Smart horse. Two long, large horns popped out from the grass, it wasn't a glassbeak most definably. Moirah stood on her toes to see the thick head of a Olidosapux. She let out a sigh of extreme relief. However, it was unsettling to see it alone. Olidosapux rarely travel alone! Atka was now a few yards away from Moirah. She loosened her grip on her backpack, wondering if something had happened to the Olidosapux to have it appear here. Moirah quietly approached her dump of a camp to grab her things. She didn't want to disturb it. Hopefully it wasn't too aggressive. They shouldn't be aggressive! Rolling up her bedroll once more, she got a better view of the Olidosapux. It was a scrawny male with few gashes on its hide as if it had recently battled another male and lost. Moirah pitied the Olidosapux and took out very little bits of her low rations out of her pack. She couldn't help but feel the need to aid the Olidosapux. Moirah slowly slithered closer to it, and it seemed to notice her. It huffed and nodded its head once, taking a few steps back. "No, no, I'm friendly." She pleaded quietly, too stubborn to realize she was making it feel threatened. Atka whinnied in the distance, activating the Olidosapux's defenses. It lowered its burly head and swiped at the ground as Moirah was just a few feet away. Moirah's violet hazel eyes widened in mostly shock. Was it about to charge at her? She froze in place, unable to move as her joints locked up on her. The young Olidosapux made a horrible noise and charged at her, leaving little to no chance of jumping out of the way. Moirah screeched in terror as its horns grazed her skin, but it's head thudded against her ribs, tossing her to the side like a doll. Moirah hit the ground, her world shaking and her lungs begging for the air that had rushed out of her. She could barely curl up into a ball, tears squeezed out of her eyes but it hurt to breath or let out a moan. She expected to be trampled by the beast but it kept charging away, it was a fight or flight response. It had must have chosen both. She took small gasping breaths, but even this hurt immensely. Moirah feared that her ribs have been fractured, or worse broken. Stranded in the sea of grass, she knew she was going to die. She was going to die alone. Moirah shakily put a hand to her rib to feel where most of the pain was directed. She felt horrid jolts around her lower left ribs. If it were fractured it could cause serious damage to her diaphragm and make it hard to breath. She diagnosed herself, having symptoms of flail chest and hard time breathing definably. Moirah had the urge to cough but she desperately held it in. She prayed to Avalis to send a wanderer or anyone to save her. Treatment for rib fractures were a bit hard to do to on a person so this made it impossible to treat on herself.

[Fox Starseer]

Fox had seen the attack just as it happened. He was already charging toward the Olidosapux as it hit Moirah. He brought Moondancer, his Strider, around towards the side of the attacking animal, which had turned around to charge at him. When they where close, Fox with his sheild ready to catch the blow, the Olidosapux turned and ran from him. He moved towards the girl who was attacked, knowing his victory would be meaningless if he didn't check the injured party.

He pulled his shield up and over his shoulder and slid his sword back into it's scabbard and knelt down. He saw she was still awake, and alive. "You seem badly injured, possibly a broken bone of two....we need to gte you back to Endrykus...but first...we need to bind your chest so we don't do more damage" he said. He had no first aid supplies on him, at least not right now. He quickly looked at the girl's supplies and grabbed a blanket. "This should do" he said. He sat her up carefully and started to wrap to blanket around her arm where the broken ribs where, and under her arm on the other side. "What's your name?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

[Moirah]

Moirah The pain she felt was completely unbearable. She continued to take short, quick breaths as her vision blurred and more fiery bursts of pain echoed in her ribs. As Moirah felt she were to slip into the unconscious, she saw a man approach her his lips moving but the sound of his voice started to lower and around her the colors faded to sepia. Was this a flashback? Everything moved quickly around her. Visage on his face went from concerned to an emotion she could not define. It looked like he was chasing her and strange men were roughly escorting her away rather quickly. What was going on? Moirah found herself screaming, lips forming the man's name but no sound, just the wailing of fear. What trickery was this? Moirah viewed herself, her features have morphed to an appearance that matched the man chasing her, they were twins. Usually, Moirah would believe flashbacks like these were actual memories of her past. However, this time she could distinguish that this was not her memory but rather the man's instead. Color reformed and she was violently returned to reality. It felt as if she fell back down into her own body. Moirah's flashing eyes blinked to see the man aid her injuries by using a few of her supplies for make-do. His voice returned and she had caught his last sentence. He asked for her name. The young konti could barely whisper but the stranger deserved to know if he was wasting his time on her. Speaking of which, how did he discover her? Was he passing by when this happened? How unlikely... Praise Avalis! Her luck with her beloved goddess prevailed! "Moi..." She began shaking vigorously, the pains in her ribs did not reside. "R-rah." Before she could prevent herself, she coughed and she whimpered as her whole body struck, then numbness. It took her a moment to realize she didn't die from it. Her attention returned to the man. How kind this stranger be. She could only wish to ask for his own name but it hurt to speak.

[Fox Starseer]

"Nice to meet you Moirah, I'm Fox" he said. He helped her up onto the back of his Strider, Moondancer, and tried to coax Moirah's horse over to them. He looked at the girl and smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She has really soft skin, it's quite nice he said, smiling warmly, he then went back to trying to get her horse to return to them.

[Moirah]

Moirah Moirah mustered a pained expression as she was lifted. Thankfully, the man named Fox, was kind enough to attempt at lightening the situation. At least he was doing the right by interacting with her. It was a way to keep the patient clinging onto consciousness and other things. In fact, it sort of helped her. His hand grazed her cheek as he moved her hair out of her eyes. It lifted the veil and she could actually see the man's face without haze. He had features that seemed to match the race of Inartas. But what was an Inarta doing here? Moirah's unfaithful, stubborn horse kept an eye on Fox, keeping its ground. She knew, however, that Atka was nothing but a coward. Not that it kept her from loving that silly horse. She loved it to death! The man approached Atka slowly but instead of running away, like it usually did to strangers... The horse trotted over to him! Moirah's darting eyes rolled to glance at the horse she was lifted upon. It was the same type of horse that Atka was, a strider. She couldn't help but wonder if it was pure-bred or not. The inarta man might be a mixed blood if he was so good with horses. It would give a good reason why he would be in this region. Maybe he was here for the same reason Moirah was. To find family. That must have been the cause Moirah received that vision for. Atka was merely a few centimeters away from the Fox man. Moirah felt slight relief in the midst of anguish. At least she knew her horse would not be left behind. Atka has sentimental value to her. Moirah kept still, cursing herself for trying to cure her own throbbing torment. She had the urge to massage the shooting pangs away, of course she wasn't stupid. Instead, she kept her stature, just keep breathing and everything will be okay...

[Fox Starseer]

Fox brought Atka in beside his own horse. "This may hurt a bit" he said, as he helped Moirah onto the back of Atka. He climbed onto Moondancer's back, after putting Moirah's belongings securely onto Atka's back behind Moirah, and lead Atka and Moirah back towards Endrykus, holding onto Atka's reigns. "Are you a Konti?" he asked, looking at Moirah. I hope I can get her back to Endrykus before her she passes out he thought.

[Moirah]

Moirah Moirah's eyes closed for a moment, unable to think with the panging throbs. She felt arms encircle her body and lift her from the horse. She squeaked but went deathly silent. Making sounds hurt more than being quiet. From calling out, it had shot up her body. She didn't dare want to move or speak ever again. She stilled herself as she was settled down onto her familiar. Her ears twitched as she heard his voice. Could she nod without hurting? She rather lipped the words than move at all. Her lips could read, "Yes." Even with no voice to carry out the deed. Atka snorted and shifted in the grass. However, her horse was more gentle. The man must have made him comfortable and his care towards her injuries made it as if the horse tried to model Fox. If she hadn't hurt so bad, she would have gushed over how cute it was.

[Fox Starseer]

Fox saw Moirah mouthing the words, and nodded. "My grandmother's a Konti, lovely woman. In charge of medicine and healers in my family pavilion" he said. Keep them talking, make sure they don't fall alseep, it might cause more harm then good with the rolling around in their sleep he had been taught.

As they approached Endrykus he placed his hand on Moirah's and gave it a friendly, reassuring squeeze. "We're nearly home, almost safe" he said, looking at her, a smile appearing on his face. Although, under the smile, behind his eyes, he was worried. Worried the travel time and movment of lifting her onto the horse, and the natural bouncing in the saddle, might have caused some problems for her. He hoped not though.

[Moirah]

Moirah Moirah's violet hazel eyes threatened to roll back into slumber but she fought to stay awake. Her eyes fluttered a bit, something to move as her body could not. Fox's lips moved and his voice came out as a whisper. What? No! Don't fall asleep! Don't lose consciousness! She nodded feebly, to show she was still listening. Atka, whom was following besides Fox's horse, was oddly calm. It was possible that Atka liked the man's 'aura', as baloney as it sounded. Atka's smooth trotting on the hilly land barely hurt, it was just mostly Moirah's own breathing that was painful. The longer they rode, the more aching she felt. Moirah prayed to Avalis to keep her alive until they got there so she could be treated by Fox's grandmother. In the middle of the desperate prayer, She felt his hand encircle her own, a tender touch she hadn't felt since she had seen her mother. She felt hollow tears brimming at the corners. She didn't think she could cry anymore. Moirah let out a short-lived sigh as he speaks to her. We're nearly home. Nearly home. Home. They moved in slow motion, her eyes closing, his smile the last thing she glanced at before falling into the unconscious. The last thing she wanted.

[Fox Starseer]

Fox noticed she had lost conciousness. Damn not good he thought. Other then urging Moondancer onward, he decided to use an act of faith. "Zulrav, hear my prayer, give us the speed to make it back to Starseer Pavilion before this young girl gets any worse, allow us to travel like the breeze across the plains, quickly, yet gently, towards our destination" he prayed quietly, his head turning up towards the sky. He had always worshipped Zulrav, the God of Storms, as did most Drykus. He also worshipped Zantila, because of his grnadmother, but also knew the time and place for which to pray to which diety for help. And Zulrav was the one for this time and place.