Who's Pond Is This Anyway?
Characters: Aikuen, Moyle, Kentar
Location: Moledeep
Moledeep: Dibbun's Garden
Aikuen is in the pond! Yep. Finally got the pond all to himself. Bout time it seems. He lays on his back slowly putting around the water. Using his rudder to propel himself about. He whistles a light tune. Being unaware of most anything. Just max and relaxing. His tunic and sword are leaning against one of the posts. His trousers are on... for now. Just a moment alone before he has to go back to wife and kiddos. The old otter yawns at that fact.
SPLASH! The swan that just invaded shakes her tail after landing, rippling to her wings as she settles into the water. Sure, she's seen the otter, but considers it a small problem. A quick groom, and then a look around. Spot that pesky otter infestation. And hiss! Hiss! "Hiss!" Moyle, well, hisses, at the otter, paddling fast in his direction.
Aikuen hears the splash. Probably just another stoat. But... The splash was awfully big for just a stoat... More perhaps? He blinks toward the splash. And he is stunned. Swans are one of the things that this otter is terrified of. Which is saying something. His heart begins to race as his mind finally kicks him in the crotch, and makes him move. The bird is coming after you foo! The otter scrambles to the side of the pond, quickly going for his blade. Still stunned somewhat, he crashes to the ground. He scrambles quickly and holds his blade up. Still stunned to say anything or do anything.
Moyle comes to a stop and sends a little wave over the edge of the pond, but refuses to leave the water. Smugly she halts, eyes Aikuen, then starts to preen herself. Her long neck arcs over and around, nuzzling at her left wing, near the shoulder, one eye continuing to sight the otter while the water begins to settle beneath her.
Aikuen breathes heavily as he eyes the bird. He slowly backs away from the bird. Maybe try and make a break for the tunnel. Then he realizes. His tunic... He blinks at both object and swan. He wont let her have it! With his blade still up... he walks very slowly back toward the post. Try to seem like he wont try to hurt her. Not like he could if he wanted to.
Moyle watches the otter, very suspiciously. She stops preening and just stares... Beady eyes doing nothing but looking right at the otter, all the way. As he gets closer to his goal, the swan arcs her neck forward and hisses again.
After having finally gotten Chris to agree to go outside for a swim, Kentar and his son head into the garden. "But daad, I don't wanna swim." he frowns. "But its good for you! Your supposed to do things that are...good...for you." he stops and stares at Aik. And then the Swan. "Why is there a swan in our pond?" he asks to himself. Chris just oohs and smiles. Never having seen a swan before, the little stoat starts to move over towards it. Kentar doesn't notice as he searches his shorts for a dagger or something, realizing that his weapons are inside. .
Aikuen reaches out for his tunic. SO CLOSE! And then the swan arcs her neck and hisses. If Aik wasn't so healthy. He might have had a heart attack! He jumps back like 6 ft. Landing in a big ottery pile, his sword flung somewhere. Lost. He scrambles back to his feet and he hears Kentar, "Chris! Get away!" he runs toward him, and sweeping up Chris.
Moyle seems oh-so very smug at the otter jumping like that. She then, though, sees stoat. Hrm. The big one's stopped over there. Good. But the little one's still approaching. And, bizarrely, Moyle doesn't seem to know what to do about it. Almost like she's puzzled. There's no hissing, arcing or surging. Just watching. Until the otter runs. Cue a very loud and angry sounding noise.
Kentar's ear perks up as he hears Aik. The stoat looks up and blinks. "Chris, get..." he watches as Aik sweeps his son up. The stoat frowns and starts to slowly go over to the big bird, keeping a safe distance away. Chris smiles at the bird and stops a little bit away, raising up a paw and waving. "Hiya..." he blinks as all of a sudden the swan gets further and further away. "Hey! Hey, let go." he frowns. Kentar just calmly raises up a paw, trying to calm Molye down. "Shh..we're not going to hurt you, alright?" he says, pointing towards Aik's tunic which he spotted a few moments ago. "Just going to get that, okay?" he slowly moves towards it.
Aikuen holds Chris tight against his chest, "Listen Chris... The bird... no... is... bad.. okay?" he tries to explain it. Kinda hard when he cant get into great detail to the things he has seen. He goes back to look at the swan, and his mouth drop as he sees what Kentar is doing.
Moyle surges forward when Kentar does, hissing, but going for the tunic. Not Kentar. Unless the stoat gets ahold of it first, she's going to have it in her beak held high as her neck will let her. The otter and mini stoat forgotten for a moment.
"But didn't attack me...let goo." Chris frowns. Kentar blinks and dives completely out of the way, letting the swan get the tunic. "Alright, you can have the tunic." he nods before thinking. "How to get a swan under control. Hm." he pauses, blinking, getting an idea. But he just sits on his rear, watching the bird before he does anything else.
Aikuen puts a paw on the little stoats head, "No-no... Ill explain it later. Your dad knows what to do..." At least more than the otter does. His eyes glance toward his sword on the ground, just a bit way off from where he is. He whispers, "Come on. Lets get me sword... just you and me..." he tries to pacify the little one.
Moyle holds the tunic high. And then flings it toward Kentar. Perhaps she knows Aikuen's occupied with the mini-stoat. Or perhaps she just doesn't know or care what the tunic is. And just returns it to any old mammal. She turns to stare at Aikuen, then back to stare at Kentar, tail feathers twitching. She's starting to look agitated again.
Kentar blinks as the tunic hits him square in the face. The stoat pulls it from his face and then smiles a little as he stands. "Thank you." he nods slowly as he stands, backing away slowly. "I'll be back in a sec." he nods, taking off back to the hall. Chris just frowns and pushes Aik's paw off his head. He folds his arms and tries to walk back toward the swan, being pretty much as stubborn as his father. He just wants to meet her, not thinking there's any harm in it.
Aikuen slowly walks toward his sword on the ground. Then he realizes there is no stoat with him. He blinks and quickly looks around, and he curses quietly. Stupid stoat! He glances toward the swan then the little one. Where did Kentar go? No time to think about it now. He quickly runs toward the little stoat and slides on the ground, picking up the little one, once again. But... he comes very close to the swan. The otter begins to shake as he looks up at the bird, mouth hanging open. Instinctively he covers Chris, as he sits on the ground.
Moyle seems to be very little bothered by the small one. Chris gets stared at. But not hissed at. The otter so close, however, is a totally different matter. Out go the wings in a huge arc behind her, though not outstretched, just sort of bristled into an arch. Her neck goes straight and she hisses far more ominously than any snake, before her wings stretch full, making her rather huge and angry looking.
And that's Kentar's cue. He threw something at the swan from where he came running from. And its a fish! Its one of those fish that they kept dried and such for whenever. "And that's why I like living with otters." he mutters to himself, taking out another and holding it up. Chris smiles a little. "Helllllll...." he can't finish his hello when Aik covers him up, the stoat getting very annoyed. "Come on, want another fish?" he waves it slowly.
Aikuen almost passes out when the swan does that. He closes his eyes and covers the little one as much as he can, "Please... Please... Don't kill him..." or him for that matter. The otter doesn't try to run, or try to fight back. Just do what he can from the position he is in. Then his ears hear the thing with the fish, "Another fish?" he mumbles, going to peek out from his arms.
Moyle is hit by a fish. And lets it drop into the water. Confused, but not impressed. She bends her neck to examine the object. And even hisses at it now, before slowly turning her gaze on Kentar as he waves another fish at her. Again, she doesn't look impressed. One more bend and a quick flick sends the first fish hurtling back toward the larger stoat. But at least she's turned from the otter and little stoat.
Kentar blinks and gets hit in the face with the fish, falling backward again. He shakes it off and then draws one of the throwing knives he got on his way out. "A sea bird who doesn't like fish. That's a new one." he blinks and looks towards Aik and Chris. "Why are you two still here?" he asks before going to give the knife a hard throw. "I'm sorry." he mutters quietly. But unlike Aik, he doesn't burst into tears at throwing it.
Aikuen doesn't need to be told twice. When Kentar gives him the go ahead, the otter is up and running toward the hall as fast as his paws can take him. When Chris in his arm. Going to drop him off with Garnet before going back to support Kentar. With or without his sword.
Being a river bird, and a vegetarian species at that, Moyle's somewhat insulted by the fish. Who knows if she heard or understood the 'sea bird' slight. Best to hope not. She does understand the knife though. And doesn't look happy. But doesn't back off, in fact making herself look big again. The knife lodges in the bird, somewhat close to her shoulder, but it doesn't seem a kill wound. Just a painful one. She lets out a hoarse whistle, then tries to arc her neck to get the thing out of her, and unhappily, finds herself unable to reach it. A grunting whine follows, frustrated.
Chris just frowns and folds his arms as he's carried off. Kentar blinks as it hits. He rarely misses and he can't help a small smile at that fact. "I'm sorry." he says, standing up quickly. "Let me help." he nods, pointing at the knife, slowly going closer, one paw up, the other to slowly reach to pull it out. "I can help..." He's either insanely brave, or insanely stupid. "Please, just let me help."
Aikuen after making sure the little stoat would not leave Garnets hold. He is back to the garden. Still weaponless, but here. He runs up but stays a good bit away. Blinking at what the stoat is doing. Aik thinks he is just insanely brave. But... It might work... He gulps a few times. What cant he be less scared of swans...
Moyle snaps her head back up and hisses as Kentar gets closer. She's not happy about it. But she can't get that knife out. She hisses again, but it turns back into a hoarse whistling and she sags slightly. "Help... Noh hurt... Yisss?" Wary, and eternally angry looking, but apparently prepared to let the stoat get close.
Kentar hear's Aik come back. "Stay there Aik!" he calls out before nodding. The stoat smiles lightly before nodding as he slowly gets closer. "Yes. Help. No hurt." he nods, slowly going to put his paw on her lightly, his other one wrapping around the knife handle. "This is going to hurt, alright...I'm really, really sorry." he nods, as he quickly yanks it out and then throws it away, but he doesn't move. He puts some pressure on it to stop any bleeding and then smiles lightly. "See? I didn't want to hurt you. I'm sorry." he nods.
Aikuen stops getting closer and puts his paws down, "Alright Kentar... Be careful..." he gulps. When greets when the knife is pulled out and he asks, "Does... Does... Does she need a healing kit?"
The swan has turned her head. She's wary of that otter. And, also, hoping he's not close enough to hear them. "I no talk." She tries to tell the stoat firmly, before hissing loudly, wings extending as he pulls the knife out. She calms though, and watches, though doesn't seem to believe him. The stoat did throw a fish at her and a knife. One an insult, the other painful. She lets out a lower hiss, not understanding why he's still so close and not liking it.
Kentar looks over the wound and shakes his head. "Yeah. Just some bandages or something." he nods slowly before nodding at the swan. "Don't talk then." he smiles a little bit, patting her lightly to try and make sure she stays calm. "Quick Aik, I have no idea how long I'll be allowed to stay here."
Aikuen looks between the stoat and the swan, "Ayeaye... then..." he runs back into the hall. After a few minutes he returns with him a brown leather bag. He goes to stand were he was before, and calls to Kentar, "Umm... I'm thinking you should do it... She doesn't seem to care too much about me..." he blinks. He also doesn't want to get to close. Unless it was absolutely necessary.
The swan beats her wings. She's getting more and more agitated. She looks from Kentar to Aikuen, and seems to know the otter has something that the stoat seems to think she needs. And thus, the swan hops from the pond, charging across the garden now, toward Aik'. Sooner they've fixed what they've done to her, the better. She's angry and dangerous, but apparently aware enough that, this time, they're trying to help. Aik' may be less comfortable to have a swan charging toward him, though.
Kentar gets hit as she charges, the stoat falling over. "Aik! Throw me the bag, quick!" he shouts. "And then run." he nods, standing up. "Hey, swan! Stop! We're trying to help you! Help...no hurt!" he frowns.
Aikuen blinks and falls back as the swan charges him. Must get over this fear. Come on Aik! He stands up slowly and says, "Hello... My name is ... uhh... Aikuen..." he quickly pulls out a roll of bandage and holds it up, "Im gonna... Gonna... Bandage you up..." then following what Kentar is saying, "No hurt... promise..."
Moyle halts, right in front of Aik. She towers and looks very stern and more than a little angry. But then, without saying a word, lowers herself. No words but a low warning hiss all the same. She looks angry, suspicious. But she's not attacking.
"Oohh, Aik!" Kentar frowns, turning away and closing his eyes. A couple of moments pass, and he hears no screams or death or anything like that. So he peeks out from around nothing and blinks. He just starts to hold his breath, very calmly and slowly sitting down on the grass to watch.
Aikuen gulps and his eyes dilate to an extreme. This is probably the closest he is ever wanted to be near a swan. He now concentrates on not fainting. He says, "Okay..." he puts a paw very slowly and very gently on the swan, "Im gonna start now..." he lets go and unrolls a bit of the bandage, "Now... Now this is gonna hurt just a bit..." he gets ready, "Three... two... o-one..." and he goes in slowly starts to bandage the swan, if she doesn't kill him by now
Moyle lets out a soft grunt. A strange hiss-honk that isn't very loud. And her eyes narrow. But she doesn't kill him. She waits. Hissing ever so slightly, menacingly, while she waits for him to be done with the bandaging. At one point, her neck curls to cast a wary glance at Kentar, like she's suspicious he'll try something.
Kentar can't believe Aik is actually doing it. He smiles and then shudders when she peers at him, the stoat just nodding very slowly and backing off a little bit, almost falling into the pond at one point.
Aikuen finishes bandaging the swan and he backs up a bit, showing only the leftover of bandage in his paws, "Okay... All done." he gulps, "Were sorry..." he says as he backs away a little more.
Moyle straightens. Towers. And beats her wings, making that signature noise as they thrash the air. She hisses at Aik', arcs her neck like an extended nod and then goes to charge back to the pond, past Kentar and into the water. Waggling her tail and huffing to herself as she paddles for the tall reeds, recognising them as comfortably familiar. They even, almost, conceal her rather well. Though snatches of white give the huge bird away.
Aikuen drops the bandage and then follows to land on his knees, "Holy..." and he curses the king of all curses. He blinks and rubs his eyes. His heart is finally beginning to settle since this whole thing started. He looks up slowly and nods at Kentar, "Least you weren't in the water when she landed..." he is stuck on the ground now
Kentar hums and nods, looking at the otter as he starts to head over, kneeling down next to him. "Yeah, thankfully." he nods as he tilts his head. "You okay?"
Aikuen shakes his head, "No... I am afraid of one thing in my life..." he points at the hidden bird, "And..." he noticeable shivers, "... Oh boy... I cant seem to move anymore..." he chuckles weakly.
Kentar nods slowly and chuckles a little bit before going to give the otter a tight hug. "Thank's for protecting Christopher." he nods slowly. "I'd have never forgiven myself if something had have happened."
Aikuen smiles and manages to put an arm around him as well, "You do the same if it was my kids... And thanks for thinking quickly. I still cant think clearly..." he sighs, "Stinkin swans..." he muses.
Kentar nods slowly and smiles. "Yeah. I would have." he chuckles quietly before looking to where the swan went off. The stoat stands and offers out a paw. "Come on. Lets get inside before it comes back for us."
Aikuen picks up the kit and bandage. The he goes to use the paw, and stands up, "Yep. My legs are like jelly..." he chuckles, "Aye... lets go please... And we have to tell the others to not go near the pond until the swan is gone..." oh great, "I hope the kids understand it..." he grits.
Kentar nods and sighs. "Yeah. I hope they do too. I just convinced Chris to swim and now." he sighs, shrugging. "Remind me to talk to him about swans and such later."
Aikuen nods a bit, "Right. I might bring Ella and Venei along too. Get the all the kids aware, that a swan has decided to make homage in our pond," He sighs, "This is gonna be fun... I haven't seen a swan since Fira's holt... Then way long before that. Don't think ill ever get over it..." and down the entrance they go, "Least this one... well.. didn't kill us... just seemed angry." he shivers.
The stoat nods and starts towards the hall again. He stops and turns away, grabbing his throwing knife and then heading back towards Aik. "Can't forget this can we?" he chuckles. "Alright, lets get inside."
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