badger and the rat

[badger]

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badger and the rat

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The rain went pitter patter on the leaves before dripping desolately down onto the ground, gathering amongst the blades of grass and then soaking into the soil. It wasn't a really heavy rain, it was that annoying type of rain that wasn't quite sure whether it wanted to be a fine mist or a steady drop, intermittently light and fat but managing to chill you down to your bones. It was persistent. The midday sky was dark and stuffed with fat gray clouds that leaked into one another, the occasional burst of sunshine sneaking through a gap that hinted at an end to the dreary weather.

Water pooled where it could, seeking small cracks in the hollowed out tree trunk that served as the halflings shelter and dribbling down the sides of the roughly hewn walls, moistening the ground beneath her and irritating the occasional earwig. She didn't seem too bothered by this eventuality, her clothes darkened in patches that indicated she had been caught in the worst of it, a small wet pack motionless at her side while her hands fidgeted with a piece of string. As her fingers twitched she hummed and occasionally sang a few snatches of song, the casual observer taking away the impression that it had something to do with a hedgehog that didn’t particularly care about anything. Strange that, hedgehogs were considered to be a very caring species - particularly when it came to roads.

The string shivered and shook and took on a weblike shape over time, carefully spread between her fingers. Some people said that if a cats cradle was made in a time of need with the contents of your pocket, you could gain a great insight into the goings on of various magical influences as it catches the moment. But so far the most she’d ever managed to see as she peered through the lengths - as she did just now - was a tangle of string, a few feathers and the end of her finger slowly turning an alarming shade of purple.

Which, one supposed, was an important bit of information. But hardly magical in nature.

The earwig blinked at her as she stuffed the string back in her pockets, wriggling her fingers to get the feeling back into them, and moved on.

Looking out of the hollowed tree, she watched the rain drip from the lip of her shelter and sang a line or two as she waited for the clouds to stop leaking their mess all over the forest she had been traipsing through. It had been a lovely day up until that point but it couldn’t last forever and at least it wasn’t another blasted heatwave. A slight rustling caught her attention and a turn of her head showed her a plump sodden and very pilose rodent rapidly shaking its body in an attempt to get rid of the worst of the water, running its paws obsessively over its ears and nose and head and looking just a little cross.

“Wet, is it?”

The rat jumped.

“Sorry. You were preoccupied, didn’t mean to startle you.”

The rat glared at her beadily, returning to its ablutions with fervour.

Glancing at her neighbour occasionally she took the string back out of her pocket and fiddled with it, weaving various shapes between small fingers while being careful not to cut off the flow of blood with an errant thread. The rat ignored her for the most part, tiny hands running across its fur to encourage the worst of the water to wick away from the little hairs, giving a full bodied shake every now and then. The halflings eyes were focused on the work between her hands.

“You are awfully large for a rat. Is it a species thing?”

Silence.

“I don’t mean you look fat! Far from it. I’m sure you’re adequately proportioned for a member of your race.”

Silence.

“Do you think the rain will let up?”

Silence. Rats don’t talk, what exactly were you expecting?

“Tch.”

Fingers moved faster as a frown clouded her face, eyes narrowing, the cogs in her brainpan slowly creaking along as she seemed to struggle with a decision. Mouth twitched slightly, tongue extracted just enough to bite down on, the rat pausing in its vanity to eye her curiously.

OnlineHost:     *** You are in "Badgers Willpower". ***
OnlineHost:     badgers rage rolled 1 20-sided die:  17

The silence was broken by a low steady rumble, the sound of an irritated bear prowling the woods that had the misfortune to step on something sharp and then - to add insult to injury - toppled face first into a cold stream while all the fish laughed.

The sound came from the approximate regions of the halflings stomach.

The rat looked at her.

She looked at the rat.

Blink.

Her eyes gleamed.

Mud and leaves were kicked up in a flurry as the pair of them went into motion, the rat leading the way as it ran for the door with the halfling following in quick pursuit. Rain hit them both as they left the relatively dry depths of the hollow tree and into the forest proper. The sky was growing darker as the clouds thickened and the sun moved across the horizon making it harder to see by normal standards, but halflings have terrific low light vision so she was more than capable of making out the rodents frenzied trail. Water streaked down her face as she leapt over rising tree roots and grassy outcrops, her mouth split in a grin with laughter bubbling in her throat, feet pounding the ground, enjoying the thrill of the chase even as her stomach complained that it was dragging on a bit too long and honestly when was the last time we had a good bit of meat over the fire I mean really? There was some good nourishment in a healthy rat, and that one had certainly looked healthy in the safety of the tree.

Every now and then the rat would vanish from her line of sight, darting into a bush or around a rock before reappearing perhaps a few paces ahead of her, its pink tail bobbing straight out behind its rump and taunting her. She made a swipe at it, nearly tripping over a misplaced bit of ivy and stumbling forward before regaining her balance and dragging from her core another burst of speed that would close the gap between the two, her fingers reaching out and grazing the tip of its tail just as it dived into a bush ..

.. and she was flying.

“What?”

Her body twisted with alarming dexterity, the wind rushing past her ears as she turned her head to spy the rat hanging grimly onto a thick plant with its mouth wide open and its gaze fixed on her, the sight of the sheer cliff face confusing for a minute before the back of her skull came in contact with something hard and unforgiving.

She bounced.

Hitting the ground again, a sharp pain lanced up her arm as it was twisted into an unnatural angle behind her back, bits of stone digging into her skin as she began to roll down the hill feeling more than a little nauseous before a friendly tree decided to step in and halt her progression wherein her head got another nasty shock and her vision erupted into a series of pretty lights that gradually faded to black.

Time passed.

Slowly words faded in and out of clarity, the sound appearing to come from a long way off or as if she was at the bottom of a lake or under something particularly heavy and stifling like a barrel of squirming puppies. If she concentrated she could make out the occasional phrase, but out of context it made no sense to her so more than a few slipped by without taking root. Something prodded at her face and neck, turning her head to one side and poking her behind the ear. She lifted her hand up to slap it away but realised that her arm was perfectly incapable of moving and the merest attempt sent a flare of warm pain through the limb. This got her attention and she found herself opening her eyes and facing a ceiling she had never seen before. For one thing it was clean. The act of opening her eyes dislodged the cotton wool blocking her ears and the words began to make sense, in a roundabout way, considering that she wasn’t paying much attention to them once she had noticed the unfamiliar face hovering over her.

“I said, how are you feeling? Are you all right?”

Male. Humanoid. Concerned. Slightly plump.

“Mhhhz.”

She tried to sit up but found the man had placed a hand on her other shoulder and was encouraging her to stay down - which was when she realised she was definitely on her back, on a bed or bed-like object, indoors, and her body hurt like a mother hubbard. Her arm was also tied up so that it remained as immobile as possible.

“Best that you don’t move too fast, from what I heard you took a nasty fall. Can you say your name for me? How many fingers am I holding up?”

“...zz Badger .. an’ you aren’t.”

“Oh.”

He moved his hand.

“s’Three. n’what happened to’others?”

“Long story.”

“Mmph.”

She closed her eyes tightly before opening them again, looking around she noted that she was in a small room, with the occasional humanoid passing through the open door. Her eyes dropped on one particular individual who stood over to the far side with an almost anxious expression on his face. Very angular face, that. She could almost see whiskers.

“Where’am i?”

The first human gave an approximation of a smile. She noticed that he was wearing simple practical clothing without adornment.

“Where are my manners. This is the Enclave, home to the druids of the Old Faith. I am Durumu.”

Inwardly she groaned .. druids.

[badger]

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badger and the bear

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“The Old Faith was founded in Arith by Eigra the Gale. She was an offworlder originally from Oerth that found herself stranded in the Ways. Soon bereft of supplies, she eventually came upon a Gate that was not barred against her like the others but when she stepped through it, it was not the destination she had in mind originally - but a megalithic circle near Scourcone forest. It came as a shock, of course, but the Gale was ever the adventurer and she decided to find out as much as she could about this ‘new world’ before returning home.”

The man called Durumu crinkled his nose slightly, his deep voice taking pause.

“She never did of course. Died a natural death at the age of 104 (or so she said), but not before passing her knowledge onto the few men and women who were curious enough of her past and beliefs and wished to learn.”

They were walking sedately through the Enclaves gardens, partly because one did not rush through such a pretty place and partly because Badger’s body was still complaining with every step taken. It was a queer sight, the three foot nothing halfling barely reached the waist of the massive Durumu, but no one seemed to care as they bustled from one part of the Enclave to the other with their own concerns. Floors needed swept, bread made, water drawn, clothes mended. And there was such a level of diversity here that she would have been floored if she hadn’t already decided she’d spent enough time laying down thank you kindly and was that really a dwarf?

While her face remained impassive, internally her mouth was hanging open and catching flies. She had never seen a dwarf before, only heard about them from her village Elders, rumoured to be almost as small as halflings but twice as wide and three times as ornery. Unless it was about food. No one ever stood between a Hinfoot halfling and their five course post lunch pre dinner snack and escaped without some degree of internal bleeding.

“Wait .. the Gale? You’re saying she was predisposed to wind, like?”

Mouth worked as her brain focused on the unusual humanoid until the figure rounded a corner and Badger nearly smacked into an apple tree, Durumu snickering under his breath as she had the grace to look embarrassed. Which was to say, no grace at all while the scowl twisted her face.

“No. Its a naming convention the Old Faith requires as Ovates enter the First Circle of Initiation.”

“Wuzza?”

Badger rubbed the side of her head with her free arm, looking a mite confused.

“Naming convention. As in .. how we .. name .. things?”

He appeared genuinely bemused, even more so when thunderclouds passed across her delicate features.

“Oi! I understand very well what a naming convention is you stupid berk! I’m not a friggen idiot! What I don’t understand is your talk of Ovates and Circles! On top of that, what’s a Way - and I could hear the capitalization perfectly fine before you get snarky with me - and I’ve never heard of a megalithic circle before in my life either!”

Badger drew herself up to her full height - which wasn’t very much - and bullied herself up to Durumu in a fashion that would have been comical at any other time if it wasn’t for the fact that she looked like she was about to rip his throat out with her teeth and beat him to death with his own legs, fractured arm be damned! Her eyes blazed and her thick crest of hair seemed to stand up of its own accord. If there was something she didn’t like, it was being talked down to like a child. One of many things she didn’t like as a matter of fact, but we didn’t have all day and infinite supplies of ink.

“Calm yourself lit .. er .. Badger. I didn’t mean anything by it. You’d be surprised how many people get through life without an education and stumble when confronted with the least common words.”

His hands were held palm up, his voice rumbling down in a soothing manner.

“I can’t go into detail on everything you understand, as some information should remain only with those of the Enclave. However I can give you the basics of some of what you asked, is that acceptable?”

Still bristling, Badger backed down and turned back towards the garden. Durumu received this as a sign of acquiescence.

“Eigra was called the Gale because she had an affinity with the element of air, and to a lesser degree with aerial creatures. The Old Faith encourages Ovates to take an appellation based on an aspect of nature that resonates with them personally, symbolising their dedication to the neutral path. Eigra the Gale, Lowri the Swift, Marlais the Rat - I believe you met him, terribly apologetic of the whole ordeal he is, kind of lost his head in the moment as it were.”

He turned his gaze onto the halfling for a moment, allowing a small smirk to cross his lips, he looked more than a little smug.

“I’m sure if you joined us, you would already have your appellation picked out before you even got to the First Circle of Initiation, Miss Badger ..”

Silence. He cleared his throat.

“.. Anyway. Someone who has just joined the Old Faith is called an Ovate, and they often take apprenticeship underneath a Druid of the Order. After Ovate, there are nine Circles of Initiation, and once you’ve moved through that well .. you have your Druids who answer to the Great Druids of which there are only nine at one time, who are directly assisted by at least three Arch Druids each. After which you have your Grand Druid who is ultimately the head of the Old Faith. Still with me?”

Tilting her head, she rolled her eyes quite directly at him. Though she wasn’t about to admit that it was mightily confusing, and later on she was going to take charcoal to paper and work out the weblike hierarchy if she was able to retain the information long enough.

“Quite. As for everything else .. the Ways are roads we walk, not much else I can tell you there, and the megalithic circles are quite simply large stones that have been standing in a circular formation for as long as time can remember, we tend to feel they are important.”

“.. Why the Old Faith?”

She asked this quietly, and clearly that was something that had her puzzled since she had first heard it shortly after regaining consciousness a few hours prior.

“Because it was Old when it was born, even though it is new to these lands. Tradition I suppose, Eigra could have called it something else or even incorporated it into the Six of Arith. We could have once she died. The Old Faith is designed to be adaptable however, and once you get down to it we all follow the same deity - or none at all, if you like - they merely answer to different names depending on who you ask, or are actually the different faces of the same being. It explains why direct worship in the Old Faith still works despite the location. Breory the Oerth Mother is merely Diti the Rock of the World or Ahalya the Queen of the Storm, if you ignore the deeper philosophy that the Six aren’t deities as such but the embodiment of primal forces .. but then, the deities of the Old Faith are viewed by some as aspects of the seasons, which are themselves primal forces. And that’s even before you enter the eternal debate of what exactly makes a deity? Aren’t some human mages gods themselves after centuries of study and power? Why ..”

Durumu cleared his throat a second time. It was clearly a favourite topic of his and he was in some serious danger of setting up camp in the garden to chew this bone down to the gristle.

“But anyway. Enough about that I’m sure .. You are welcome to stay in the Enclave until your arm heals, its the least we could do thanks to Marlais’ lack of thought. Shouldn’t be longer than a couple of weeks, our bonesetter said that it wasn’t a serious fracture but we should keep an eye on you in case there’s any signs of concussion .. you really shouldn’t be walking about discussing theology though!”

Badger shrugged a shoulder, taking care not to jostle the one in the sling in case it lengthened her recovery time. Aside from the fact that it would bloody hurt, she didn’t fancy the idea of spending any longer with these hippy tree huggers than strictly necessary. She had a life to lead outside the Enclave, and the sooner as she was done sponging off these wet hens the better.

“m’Fine. If I feel like I’m taking a funny turn I’ll let you know. Just needed to get out of that stuffy room.”

Eyebrows knotted in the middle, the halfling glancing up from her study of a daffodil and turning her full attention to Durumu.

“But who in the blue blazes is Marlais? You mentioned him a couple of times, but you’re the only one I can remember speaking to after I got here?”

Durumu appeared quite surprised, going so far as to voice a little laugh despite the fact that it brought out the thunderclouds.

“But you have! Didn’t you know? Marlais the Rat .. I thought it was obvious?”

“Humour me.”

“Haha well ..”

Durumu looked away, a meaty hand rising to scratch the back of his head, a little embarrassed.

“Marlais was the rat you were planning on having for lunch. Surely you noticed he wasn’t particularly .. standardised .. for a rat? I’m surprised he led you on a merry chase in the first place, I suppose the animals base instincts for survival took over, he isn’t very good at this sort of thing yet but you know how it is, trial by fire is the best tool for learning sometimes. He was standing by your bedside earlier ..”

She thought about it carefully. The thin, reedy, angular looking humanoid. Anxious expression. Kind of twitchy.

“Ah!”

“Yes, exactly!”

“... but he didn’t LOOK like a rat when I saw him last. Bit too tall. Bit too human.”

“Well no, he wasn’t shapeshifted at that point.”

Badger blinked a few times, thoughts of baby stealing werewolves and their evil kin rising unbidden to the surface.

“... you harbor a lycanthrope in the Enclave! Aren’t they dangerous?!”

“Nooo no no no no. Well. Most aren’t. The reasonable ones. Most of the time .. depends on when you speak to them ..”

Durumu trailed off, gripping his chin between his fingers and scratching at the dark thick bristles that covered the skin before coming back to reality with a start.

“But no! No he’s not a lycanthrope of any kind. Its a druids speciality, taking on the physical form of an animal you feel a particular affinity to. Most of us can do it, Marlais is just new at it and couldn’t separate himself from the animal well enough to avoid that whole debacle.”

Huh.

“So .. most of you can do it?”

“Yes.”

“And .. you can too?”

“Yes.”

Badger thought about this for a minute, the itching pains of her arm momentarily forgotten as she appraised the man.

“Durumu, what is your appellation?”

The larger humanoid grinned brightly, pulling himself up to his full height of just over seven feet. It was rather an impressive stance even with the simple clothes, perhaps the reason why the other people inside the Enclave hadn’t bothered them as they wandered through the garden was the sheer force of Durumu’s personality .. and other attributes.

“Well Badger I am glad you asked .. I am Durumu the Bear.”

[badger]

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badger and the dove

---

“Come on .. do it .. do it .. Please? Be a pal .. go on .. go on .. Please? Just this once? I won’t tell a soul I swear! Pleaaaaaaaaase? Just for a little while? I won’t ask you to do it again, swear down on my heart and my dear great great great Nana’s grave maysherestinpeace, just this once! Pleaaaaaaaaaaaase? Go ooooooooon ..”

Hanging from the back of the massive chair with her good arm, she peered over the lip of the backrest and wheedled, cajoled, begged and even whined as the hapless Durumu tried to get his way through the pile of paperwork on his desk. It had been a few days since Badger had first arrived at the Enclave, and while at first everything had been so shiny and new she was growing restless in her convalescence. Every time she attempted to insert herself into their ways and help out around the place with a few chores she received a swift rebuttal. Each broom she grasped with her good hand was taken away, each cloth she stole to wipe a table quickly vanished, and should she even dare to enter the kitchens she was set upon by a flock of floury cooks and chased out the room! Though that in part could have had something to do with the bread and cheese that had gone missing .. and the crumbs found under her bed. Some humans really didn’t understand the heights a halflings appetite could go to! Badger had stuck her nose into every crevice that the Enclave could offer without being inappropriate (though the meaning and degrees of that word varied differently between halflings and the rest of Arith) but she was bored out of her mind!

“Come ooooon .. pleaaaaaaaaase? Pretty pretty pleaaaaaaase?”

A deep grunt was her reply, the broad shouldered man applying the best defence he could when dealing with a whiny halfling if you weren’t prepared to meet its (often embarrassing) demands .. you ignored it until it got bored and went away, or something shiny came along to distract it. There was no reasoning with her at this stage, ever since he had revealed his appellation she had taken it upon herself to ask each day for a show! She wanted him to shift into his bear form and prance around like one of those dancing bears at a circus! It was demeaning. She was the guest however, admitted under their roof due to a mishap caused by one of their own, so no matter how satisfying it would be to throw her into the wall - and he was sure she would bounce and just come right back anyway - he must resist these urges and weather the storm until it passed. Bears were very patient and intelligent beasts. Especially this one. Tossing her into the wall would just increase their debt and her healing time and they’d have to play host with her for longer. She’d probably be even more insufferable.

“Badger. Its time to check your progress.”

The voice came from the doorway of the cabin, and while Durumu would never be so crass as to openly display his relief at such a timely interruption, you could see how his eyes shone as they met those of his saviour.

“You heard the woman, off you go.”

‘The woman’, as he so aptly put it, was Myvi. She was the Enclaves healer, the bonesetter Durumu had mentioned on her first day. Setting bones was just one of her many talents but you had to hope you never got seriously damaged enough to warrant her using them. Legend had it that a young man had once had his stomach sliced open with his guts hanging out for all to see, dangling there like so much laundry on a washing line, and she had simply pushed them back in and sewn up the rent as quick as you please, and he was back to work after lunch. Whispered rumours also said that it was Myvi that had done the slicing. A striking woman in her silver years her lengthy steel gray hair was tied back in a practical braid looped in on itself to keep it out of the way, her face was marked with the tell-tale signs of age and blue eyes that looked like they could kill a man with a stern glance. This look was levelled on Badger as she waited patiently in the doorway, encouraging the halfling to meekly drop herself from the back of Durumu’s chair and slink off quietly.

Myvi nodded as Badger drew alongside her and they made their way to the sick bay. While Myvi was a stern looking woman she displayed a genuine concern for the welfare of others, stopping to speak to the occasional Ovate or Initiate or even Druid to ask after their own healing from various scrapes and illnesses. Inside the sick bay there were several rooms, but it was only two that she was familiar with. The first was long and held many beds for patients stricken with ailments that weren’t contagious or dangerous in nature, only two of the beds were occupied with the rest empty and waiting with fresh linens and firm mattresses. The air was filled with a scent that could only be described of as ‘clean’. The second room was where Myvi brought Badger. It was an examination room of sorts, her own personal office stocked with locked cupboards and a large desk, various books and scrolls kept in a neat and orderly fashion, surgical instruments carefully lining various other surfaces that told tales of her skill set. A bed with unusually long legs was aligned flush against the wall, and it was here that Badger was encouraged to sit with the help of a stool left to its side for just this purpose, otherwise she would have needed a leg up. Myvi went to a large stone sink in the corner and washed her hands as Badger scrambled onto the bed as best she could, drying them before returning and giving the halfling a brisk appraisal.

“So. You were bothering Durumu again weren’t you? How many times has he told you that he is not a sideshow to be gawked at? Hmph. Please turn around.”

Badger frowned, finally rediscovering the location of her tongue as she turned on the spot, baring her back to the older woman. She felt her shirt being lifted carefully with firm but gentle hands so as not to jostle her other arm overly much, the various small and large scrapes she had gained during her acrobatics examined with a discerning eye. There was a sense of coldness as something wet was applied to her back, causing Badger to breathe in sharply with a small hiss as a sting worked its way along the skin before fading into a pleasant warmth.

“I don’t mean anything by it! Can’t help being curious by a fellow who can turn into a bear. How many bears do you get to see up close in your life without getting eaten? Not many I’d wager!”

“Hmph. Think of your own situation girl. Poor Dyvan had to lay down with a damp cloth over his eyes for the rest of the day after the fist you threw at him, and only for asking if all halflings were as short as you! And it was only because he was scared out of his wits and he wouldn’t hear a word said against you that you are still here to grace us with your presence. Turn back please.”

Myvi’s tongue was as sharp as her scalpel. Badger scowled. That wasn’t all Dyvan had asked her but he’d paid for it with a stern crack to the temple and relocation of a tooth so she considered the debt paid in full. Scooting around so that she now faced the woman, she let her gently untie the knots that held the sling together and put the material to one side. Her arm had been held immobile with several long sticks tied together with linen, this linen was what the healer turned to next, unwrapping the splints and removing them carefully. Between thumb and forefinger she encouraged Badger to extend her arm as far as she could, her other hand gently feeling along the length of her forearm and the bones within.

“That is not the same. This is how I was born, whereas Durumu learned how to do something interesting and he won’t share!”

“Tch. Like a petulant child faced with her brothers favourite toy. Didn’t it ever occur to you that we view these changes as something very spiritual, very personal to us? In fact that this is how we were born, and like how you learned to walk not long after leaving your mother's teat we learned how to do something that comes as natural to us? Now wriggle your fingers, how does that feel?”

You could tell with the tone of her voice when Myvi had switched the topic, but she was more than capable of carrying on two conversations at once. Badger moved as bidden, wincing slightly as her arm flared but it was not as bad as expected. Where Myvi prodded the skin there was pain, but it was reduced.

“Well. It would seem that you are a fast healer? I suspect it is natural to your race, given your tendency to stick your nose where it does not belong. The instauration of your fracture will not be long in coming I think, and then you can escape our Enclave and be free of our do gooder tree hugging influences hmmm?”

Badger blinked a bit.

“Uh..”

“Oh I know well what you think of our group, girl. I’ve seen you curl your lip when the others discuss their findings, how you’ve rolled your eyes when Iorath tends the garden. You are entitled to your opinion Badger, but I’ve also seen how you gripe at Durumu to shift into the bear and how you blatantly stared at Hirwen as she summoned brambles from a patch of ground, and Arianwe for communing with the birds. There is more to being a part of the Order than cuddling up to a bit of bark, girl, don’t think you know everything there is to know after being in our midst for but a few days!”

As she spoke she gathered clean linen to reassemble the splint as it was before. It had only been a few days since Badgers tumble, but the fracture was healing at twice the rate she had predicted. It was entirely possible that the splint wasn’t even necessary any more, but there was no way of telling for sure until Badger had worked out the stiffness from her arm to gauge her full range of motion without pain, and when some more of the swelling had gone down.

“So, what’s your appellation?”

Badgers question came out of the blue, catching the older woman by surprise though her level of focus and concentration meant that no such hint flickered across lined features.

“Oh? Do you really think that after all that has happened you actually have a right to this information?”

Her voice was clipped, a piece of wood held carefully against the halflings arm as a length of linen was wrapped around it, another being moved to lay against the other side of the limb before more linen was used. She left the fingers free, though looped a bit of cloth around her thumb to discourage the bandage from slipping down very far. When she turned to look back at Badger she was a little surprised to see the halflings cheeks had turned a bright shade of crimson. So far she had come across as very brazen in her dealings, but perhaps she was actually embarrassed for a change?

“... You’re right, I'm sorry.”

Perhaps that was even more surprising. Either way Myvi merely raised an eyebrow and took up the final length of linen that was to make up Badger’s sling - whatever she felt about her healing rate, perhaps reusing the sling for a little longer would hobble the halfling somewhat - tucking it under the halflings arm and looping it around and up and over the shoulder where it would be tied, taking hold of the corner and giving it a little tug before it was folded in neatly. Gathering up the old pieces of linen and such they would be bundled onto a little pile for laundering later, moving on to pack away everything else and then wash her hands carefully.

“Well, we are done here girl, you’re free to go. Just do us all a favour and keep your nose clean - figuratively as well as literally - and give Durumu a break hmm? He may be remarkably patient but sooner or later he will lose his temper if you keep ignoring his requests, and you don’t want to be the straw that breaks his back. There are reasons why we choose our appellations as we do, not simply because they are ‘pretty’ or ‘interesting’. Some of us embody them more than others.”

A sigh.

“Though if you must know, mine is the Dove.”

Badger nodded her head meekly, swinging her legs to one side so she could drop herself to the floor. As she did so the door burst open without nary a knock (which in some instances, such as this one, is a death sentence), nearly startling her out of her skin and encouraging Myvi to spin towards the offender and quite openly glare.

“Do you mind I am with a patie… Oh, Penri its you. Well what’s the matter boy, come on spit it out!”

The boy in question looked to be no more than twelve years old and quite visibly shaken, harried by the other woman’s reception and stalling for a moment where it seemed like he’d forgotten how to talk or why he had come - which didn’t help matters - before everything came out in a jumbled rush.

“Myvi you’ve got to come quick the scouts are back an’ they’re seriously hurt the burial grounds have been ripped apart an’ they’re coming to the Enclave the druids have gathered an’ everyone’s in a horrible mess an’ .. an’ .. an’ ..”

Myvi had gone pale, a hand fluttering up to her throat momentarily before she regained her composure. Nodding briskly she picked up a large leather satchel and marched towards the door.

“I understand. Go back to Asaff, he'll give you further instructions. I trust they are in the Hall? Good. No no I can make my own way there you just run along.”

She carried on in this fashion before stopping abruptly and turning to face the momentarily forgotten halfling. A hand raised, her index finger pointed out in front of her like a sword, her eyes widened as she commanded Badgers undivided attention - Penri taking this as his cue to scarper quickly.

“And you! This might be an alien concept, but stay out of trouble!”

She had barely heard the muttered agreement before spinning around in a flurry of skirts and marching quickly off to the aforementioned Hall. What was this .. Scouts harmed? Burial grounds? Someone coming?

Badger gave it some serious thought she really did, unfettered hand tugging softly on a braid, face working, lip chewed. Well. Myvi did tell her to keep out of trouble .. but really, how would she know what trouble to keep out of or where it might be? In order to find that out why, she'd have to follow Myvi to the Hall. Keeping a respectful distance of course. Wouldn't want to trouble her. Made no sense otherwise, didn't want to just go charging into trouble out of ignorance. Could get you seriously hurt, that.

Her eyes gleamed.

Yes. She would stay out of trouble.

[badger]

---

badger and the plants

---

“The ground was breaking up, earth and rock flying everywhere. Didn't know what was going on until we saw them .. horrible things .. they were dragging themselves out of the rent like rats leaving a sinking ship - begging your pardon Marlais - I nearly soiled my breeches .. not entirely sure if I didn't actually .. One of them nearly got me, but another got Bradach. Is he ok? Only I don't think he was breathing ..”

The panicked ramble trailed off as the scout ran out of steam, concern for his partner evident as his body shook in the chair. There was a drink in his hand though he had yet to take a sip, wanting his mind and words clear as he related the news he had hastened to bring. Blood mixed with soil on his practical clothes, and it was hard to tell whether the majority of it was his or someone elses, but his wounds weren't too serious and so after a quick yet thorough examination Myvi had pronounced him fit for interrogation as she carefully cleaned up the blood and saw to the worst of it. They were in a large room that like the rest of the Enclave was made up primarily of wood with a bit of stone thrown in, though the shape did not scream 'man made'. Rather, it appeared as if the wood and stone themselves had been carefully molded like damp clay and left to set; while you could see the individual knots in the wood, there was no evidence to suggest that a saw had come in contact with any part of the room, nor a chisel or lathe.

And Badger, was outside with her ear pressed keenly to the wall.

The scout - a ranger called Geraint - and his partner Bradach had been north-west of the Enclave on a routine mission. There had been talk of a disturbance in the area as one of the known wolf packs had started to venture outside of their mapped territory and the scouts were to determine exactly why, the balance of Sarkotos' forested lands being a vital matter to the Enclave. As it happened, the scouts discovered evidence that the river Sirc - a major water source for the area that fed into the lake and originated from the north most mountain range - had become polluted. It wasn't just the pack that was on the move but obvious signs that a herd of fallow deer, a few beavers and a family of otters had all decided to look for a more reliable body of water. It was a simple fix so did not require a report back, but it was time consuming and had taken the better part of a two day to complete with but two working bodies no matter how hale and hearty they were. As a result they were late leaving the site and decided to save time by traveling during the small hours, eager to return to warm beds a dry roof and hot food. Because of this they were able to witness the desecration of the Enclaves sacred ground as it occurred.

“How many?”

The new speaker was older than the scout by many years, tall and regal though seemingly frail as a bird, his body swathed in thick robes that graced the floor but seemed unable to hinder his movement as he paced the Hall, navigating his way past chairs and tables. Beard and hair were a light grey but like Myvi his eyes were bright and sharp and cutting in their glance.

“Must’ve been at least twenty, didn’t get too good a look after we put some distance between us - barely managed to do even that, caught us by surprise they did. How is Bradach?”

The older man nodded to himself.

“Durumu. Ready the other Initiates .. Fourth circle and higher, everyone else should stay in the cellars. Myvi. We’ll need supplies .. flasks, potions, anything else you have on hand in the stores that could benefit us. Carys. We can’t yet leave to determine the extent of the damage until Alys’ group have returned, but we can set a watch to keep an eye on things, send a ranger down who can handle this.”

He paused.

“Geraint .. Bradach will be fine. There is someone with him now.”

A small smile was given to the distressed ranger as Myvi finished dressing his wounds and packed up her things, soothing words offering a degree of reassurance before he steeled himself and pulled from the room to see to the others without even a glance for the Badger scurrying around outside the door. Myvi was not so generous, reaching down to grab the wriggling halfling by the scruff of the neck and lifting her to her feet, dragging her along as everyone else left the Hall and off to their various posts and tasks with a sense of urgency.

“I suspected you would! No sense of self preservation. Come along, you may as well give me a hand with the carrying, I’m sure you can manage even that much.”

Myvi reasoned that if she could keep an eye on the halfling, it meant she wasn’t somewhere else messing with something even more important and potentially life threatening.

“Oi oi oi oi oi oi!”

Squirming, Badger pulled herself free of the older woman's grip, hands sent down her clothes to send dust scrambling away from the garments. A look of righteous indignation was stamped on her face, and her hair was sticking straight up like a roosters comb.

“What do you mean give you a hand with the carrying? I barely have a single hand to myself let alone two I’ll thank you to remember!”

“And if you want to keep that much, girl, I suggest you do as you're told and come along! We barely have enough time as it is!”

Myvi didn't even turn to look at the halfling as she hurried off in a bustle of skirts, each word slung over her shoulder like a sharp stone dripping with contempt. Well. Badger couldn't very well let that lie could she? So she scurried off after the older woman with pursed lips. Together they crossed the Enclave and returned to the sick bay, heading to one of the doors Badger had not yet been privy to. From around her waist Myvi produced a set of heavy keys, sorting through the assortment of metal until she found the correct one that slipped into the lock easily, granting them access.

“Come on, and for Beory's sake don’t touch anything!”

Despite Myvi's proclamations about her self preservation instinct, Badger did know when not to press an issue, and so firmly stuffed her free hand into her pocket and flashed a winning - supposedly disarming, though Myvi believed not a bit of it – grin.

The room that they entered was packed from floor to ceiling with shelved cases stuffed with a variety of bottles, flasks, jugs and phials. Each one was labelled accordingly, a small placard affixed to the shelving in question and filled with tight neat handwriting. Badger could immediately see why such a door was locked against casual entry, there were stacks of potentially harmful materials and goodness knew how much expense had gone into its creation. Potions of healing, flasks of strength, poisons and venoms and decanted diseases filled the walls to the ceiling, some covered with dust whilst others looked as if they had been used recently.

“I SAID DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING.”

Badger jerked back quickly, surprised to find herself with a small bottle in her hand marked 'Elixir of Giant Growth'. Embarrassed, she returned it to its spot on the shelf in front of her.

“Sorry. Reflex.”

Her response was a sharp clicking of Myvi's tongue and a shallow box was stuffed into her hand. Into that box went various potions to do with health and healing, a few buffs and more than a couple defensive elixirs. Myvi held a box of her own which soon rattled with the fragile contents, the older woman jerking her head towards the door once it was filled.

“If necessary, someone will come for more. Though I really hope it isn't.”

Badger took her cue and left the store room, the sound of hinges behind her followed by a loud click indicating that Myvi had locked the door securely. Wordlessly she trotted behind, balancing the box carefully against her injured arm and surprisingly managed to reach their destination without dropping it or pilfering the contents. They joined up with a group of people in the centre of the Enclave, some of which Badger had seen during her stay there, and some she had not. There were a few forest elves, a dwarf, some burrow gnomes and even a dark elf. The majority species represented in the Enclave however was human. Regardless of race each one looked nervous to some degree, fidgeting in place or compulsively checking the fastenings on a leather bracer, running a whetstone over the edge of a blade. Myvi indicated that Badger should move towards the back of the group, and to put the box down. With a few quick words a supply line of sorts was created; everyone given a basic potion of healing to use in an emergency, while some others were rationed flasks with status effects of varying strengths and capabilities. Badger didn't understand the method used to determine who got what, to her untrained eye everyone surely was in the same situation, but Myvi must have known them all personally because it was to their strengths and weaknesses that she catered, making sure no one was left out, until the boxes were almost completely empty.

Except Badger.

“Come on! Surely I can help out in some capacity? I've been in a scrap or two in my lifetime, its not anything new!”

Myvi was off to one side and though a frown momentarily flitted across lined features she was concentrating on her own task and didn't spare a reply, arms held aloft with fingers spread as if to encompass the whole group. Though no words had fallen from her lips, a soft green glow enveloped her hands and was gradually echoed within the others gathered nervously, gentle auras growing around their bodies with a faint pulse before dissipating from sight. Even Badger felt it, a sense of strength and wellbeing sprouting in the pit of her belly that hinted at a promise of this being the best day of her life.

“Yes, you can stay behind the casters and keep out of trouble.”

The deep voice rumbled and Durumu came out of an adjacent building with a small group of men and women. Each one was almost as big as he was and they were joking together as if it were a game or field exercise, they smacked of confidence and strength. Durumu though was quietly serious, giving Badger a small shove with his hand that nearly knocked the much smaller woman flat on her arse.

“I know you want to stick your oar in, but this isn't going to be some brawl in the streets. This is our fight, and while you're under our protection for the time being you have to understand you are not one of us. If I thought it would do any good I'd force you into the cellar with the others .. but you'd probably just hurt someone down there.”

A rueful grin.

“Just stay at the back.”

He pushed off with his group, Myvi returning and moving amongst the others to check their status. Badger was about to plead some more on deaf ears when a terrible cracking sound split the air. Glancing around wildly, she located the source as coming from the Enclaves perimeter .. the walls were being breached!

“Everyone to attention!”

The enhanced voice boomed across the Enclave and shook the leaves from autumnal trees, the robed figure from before striding purposefully from the depths of the building. And he was not alone. Flanking him moved two very curious creatures, giant plants just taller than your average human and reminiscent of colourful freesias with striking blue petals and the greenest of leaves, they swept across the ground as if they were skating across smooth ice. A few murmurs met their appearance, but as no one seemed overly bothered Badger did her best to appear nonplussed by the idea of walking bouquets, and shut her mouth with a snap after realising it had been catching flies.

“SHIELDS! Shift your forms and remain at the front! MELEE! Stay behind the shields! CASTERS! At the back with the healers! HEALERS! Keep your focus on the shields as much as possible!”

The cracking grew louder, a great groan of pain as wood was split and discarded, the Druids and Initiates each moving to their positions as the elderly man stayed at the back, though the freesias moved to key points next to and just a step in front of the shields.

“Remember. These are not your brothers and sisters. Do not let their physical forms sway you!”

Chunks of wall were scattered across the ground, dark lurching shapes moving in the shadows cast by a setting sun.

“For Beory the Oerth Mother! They are upon us! Defend your homes! REPEL THE ABOMINATIONS!”

A loud cry swelled within the ranks and overtook their throats, a primal scream of rage and defiance.

It had begun.

[badger]

---

.. versus the zombies

---

Whoever waxed poetic about the calm before the storm, the tense silence before battle, was talking a load of bollocks.

It wasn’t silent. Badger could keenly hear the hurried breaths of the Druids and Initiates around her, the sound of magical energy crackling in the air, joints popping as nervous bodies were flexed and pulled in a very last minute warm up. She could keenly hear the groans of the aggressors as they shuffled against each other, trying to get through the gaps in the perimeter made by their predecessors. The sharp crack as more of the barricade was ripped from the ground, smashed as arms stronger than its defence sought entry, and eventually gained it.

It was horrible.

Badger soon realised that the people hinted at in the message relayed by Penri were actually the stuff of nightmares. Humanoid in shape, their flesh was stinking and rotting in some places and in others was simply not present at all, you didn’t need a keen eye to catch the shape of bone underneath tattered garments. They moved faster now that they had gotten through the perimeter, while their bodies lurched and shuffled they weren’t slow about it and it wasn’t long before they were close enough that Badger gagged at the stink of the grave. A few cries broke out amongst those of the Enclave, a loved one long dead recognized by a relative, friend or past lover, and it was then that Badger noticed that the tattered garments were similar in design to that of the people she stood with. Penri had said the burial grounds had been ripped up - he had meant the Enclaves? Was that what the elder had meant?

In front of her there was a flurry of motion, the giant plants that had gently swayed from side to side by the shields suddenly spitting out a fine blue mist from the center of their petalled heads, a mist that slowly drifted across the grassy divide. Its nature soon became apparent as the first of the undead that came into physical contact with it suddenly stiffened and slowed, its movements winding down as if it had encountered a tactile barrier - or it was simply too cold to move.

“FIRE!”

Badger turned in time to see a flight of arrows leave the roofs of the Enclave and spray down on the group of undead, vibrating like the many quills of a porcupine but hardly registering in their movements. The casters took this as their cue and arcs of lightning and lines of fire flew overhead, walking corpses lighting up as their skin caught aflame and spreading the stench of burned rotting meat. A druid to badgers right waved her arms and vines erupted from the soil to ensnare a nearby zombie, lifting it high in the air before it was brought brutally to the ground, bits of limb breaking off as it was smashed against the earth, still twitching in its unlife. Another druid calmly made several hand motions while muttering under her breath, a pair of wolves made of translucent blue light forming to tittup either side of her before a twitch of her fingers made them evaporate, reforming several paces away in the depths of the undead group where they would attack one in tandem.

“SHIFT!”

A roar went up as the undead got within range of the shields, the large men and women at the front rapidly changing. Fur bristled across skin, bodies lengthened and grew, claws broke through flesh and razor sharp fangs erupted from their jaws as a line of bears and one massive worm - that Badger would later learn was a jormungar - soon stood in their places ready to meet their enemies.

“ENGAGE!”

The shields leapt forward as one, roaring their defiance as massive paws were brought forward to smash into the bodies of the undead, knocking them to one side and drawing the attention of their fellows. Large bodies with thick skin absorbed the impact as the undead retaliated, attempting to sink their teeth into the thick hide only to find that it wouldn’t be as easy as that. Other druids transformed into various animal shapes, a wildcat leaping over the other humanoids to sink its claws into a body, a wolf snapping and snarling as it ripped its teeth into a zombies legs and pulled it over before tearing out its throat and nearly removing its head. Not everyone chose to fight as a creature of nature, swords were brought to arm as they flanked the undead and struck at their backs, quarterstaffs used to unbalance their opponent while another swept an axe to rend it in two. And still there was magic flying through the air, green bolts of energy erupting into the chests of the zombie horde, another conjuring a series of dark clouds that would float across the enemy side and rain down lightning upon their heads, a third taking a slightly more defensive route as a harsh wind was summoned to knock a wave backwards whilst another released a fireball.

It was chaotic, and not everything went according to plan. There were screams as a druid let down their guard and was brutally attacked by an uncaring corpse, an arrow accidentally finding its home within a living body as the druid was knocked to one side by a fellow ally after being thrown across the ground. But the healers were on standby, arms held aloft as they summoned soothing energy that would repair the damage as best it could to hold off death for another day, Myvi standing at the forefront of the group as she summoned a giant circle, glowing blue lines forming beneath the feet of both allies and assailant to heal those who could stand within its confines, while it slowly sucked the unnatural life force from the undead.

“OI!”

Badger leapt backwards a few paces as a zombie got too close for comfort, a small dagger finding its way into her palm, fingers gripping it tightly. She stared up into its face and time stood still. What could have only been the rest of its face was leering down at her, its teeth clearly visible though its mouth was closed, part of its jowls having rotted away to nothing. Its eyes were surprisingly bright for a corpse, glinting with malice and intelligence which Badger found very odd, wasn’t this supposed to be a mindless puppet? And for that brief moment she knew fear. Smashing it between the eyes with her forehead would accomplish nothing as it didn't feel pain as others did, and she had nothing more deadly than what amounted to a toothpick in human hands. Her skin grew clammy and her throat constricted. She felt her legs tremble. She was afraid.

But she'd be buggered if she'd go down that easily!

“Fine. If that’s the way you want to play it ..”

Grinning broadly she squared her body and leapt forward, pulling her free arm back and preparing to drive the dagger straight down its rotten throat - before she felt a massive weight crushed into her side and knocking her over mid-flight, the halfling tumbling end over end before coming to an abrupt stop. At least it wasn't another tree. Sitting up, she soon realised that a giant black bear had knocked her from her intended trajectory while another druid quickly engaged her target with a series of vines sprouting from his hands. Badger shook her head to clear the fuzzies from it, which proved a futile exercise as the bear then advanced on her dropped body and cuffed her.

She glanced up.

“What?”

The bear simply rolled its eyes and growled something unintelligible before it turned and flattened the tangled zombie, crushing its skull beneath its paws and spurting ichor onto the grass.

Rotating her shoulders she stood and took a few more paces back so that she was clearly behind the healers, taking a stance next to the remaining potions and brandishing her dagger menacingly. Myvi glanced over and smirked while another circle was drawn beneath the combatants and erupted in a flurry of green and blue sparks that would fade into the druids bodies and heal on contact. A pair of spirit wolves darted through the line of casters and took down a skeleton that had attempted to flank them. A burly man with a bushy beard lifted his mace and caved in a zombies skull before falling underneath a group of undead spewing green liquid from their mouths. A woman with a large guisarme twirled in an elegant circle knocking back a group of undead that were soon engulfed in flame. The freesias danced through the combatants before finally succumbing to a massive abomination with a split rib cage that acted as a surrogate mouth, ripping petals from stems. A panther dragged a zombie to the ground with its back legs tearing chunks out of its rotting body. Green sparks leapt from combatant to combatant as their strength was reinvigorated.

Badger couldn't keep up. All she could do is stand and watch as bodies fell and the stench thickened.

The frantic energy around her gradually quietened as the Enclave began to run out of targets. Bodies littered the floor but the battle had ended in their favour, though there were scars left upon the druids both physically and mentally - the sound of quiet weeping heard as someone knelt over the corpse of what could have been a loved one some years past. No one needed to lay witness to such a desecration. They wouldn't be able to rest easy tonight.

“Badger.”

Myvi strode over, the halfling noted that there was blood covering her dress and her lengthy braid was in disarray.

“Take the potions and distribute them amongst those who need them. Those not the worst for wear should just get cleaned up and assist those that need it.”

Lifting her head and raising her voice, she called loud enough for it to carry across the entire Enclave.

“Those of you who suspect you have been bitten, or otherwise infected, come see me for further treatment.”

The others looked somewhat nervous about that but nodded. As Badger lifted the box of potions and went around looking for those who would benefit from a sip, a group of druids got together and started to gather the bodies of the fallen undead, a gruesome task as they were in various states of solidity, but it had to be done to stave off disease and the risk that they would rise again during the night. A pyre was soon built from bits of the barricade and the bodies were stacked high and set alight, the crackle of flames sharp and somehow soothing in the relative silence.

“Still alive, then?”

Durumu had lost his fur but retained a wild look about his eyes, loping across the grass in a lazy fashion. The rest of his team were helping with the heavy lifting, tossing bodies onto the pyre or assisting the more gravely wounded back into the building for thorough treatment. Badger merely shrugged her shoulders in response, a finger prodding a half empty potion bottle.

“Yeah. Thanks for that bash by the way.”

Durumu appeared puzzled for a moment before the clouds across his face cleared and he barked a short gruff laugh.

“Oh, that was Janai. I'm not the only bear in the forest you know!”

Lifting his arm, he indicated a large woman on the other side of the clearing helping someone toss the large abomination into the fire. As she straightened her dark skin glowed with reflected firelight, a hand swiping thick black locks from her eyes. Noticing the attention she flashed a grin at Durumu, lifting a hand toward Badger and rolling her eyes exaggeratedly before returning to her task. Badger had never seen a woman so tall; she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous actually. Giving her head a brisk shake she returned her attention to Durumu.

“Well, I'll thank Janai then, when all this is over.”

Durumu nodded, a momentarily grim expression on his face.

“See that you do.”

Turning away he strode to the pyre to lend a hand, leaving Badger to ration out a sip at a time. As she moved amongst the wounded she offered it to those that she thought needed it, and while there were plenty of wounded she had yet to see any dead on their side .. either things had progressed even better than she imagined or they had already moved any fallen druids to another part of the Enclave. Badger found that she wasn't all that curious when it came to that after all. She saw plenty of pain in the faces of the other Initiates, not everyone had escaped this engagement with only a few bruises to speak of and she felt her heart constricting, a flush of guilt that all she had to show for herself was a dull ache in her side and a dodgy arm from running into a tree before this had even happened. There had been so much energy flying through the air but minutes ago, energy that was both magical and emotional, fear and loathing running thick through the Enclaves inhabitants - but now they only looked physically and mentally drained. And all Badger had was a mostly empty box of phials that weren’t even hers to begin with. What else could she do? Her lip was pulled into her mouth and chewed. There was more to healing than a fancy potion.

“Synod, convene!”

The booming command rolled across the Enclave and a few individuals separated themselves from the overall crowd, Myvi and Durumu among them, each striding purposefully towards the Hall with grim, tired expressions stamped upon their faces. As they pulled closer, Myvi separated from the small group long enough to catch Badger’s attention. Like the rest she was tired, but where others looked wilted Myvi seemed to sharpen her edges and grow harder and stronger. Arguably she had the most strain on her at this moment, her battle was not yet finished.

“Badger. Stay here and see to the others. Show some restraint, this is no time to be listening at doors.”

The older woman pursed her lips at the halfling, crossing her arms and almost daring her to argue .. her expression quite shocked when Badger merely nodded in silence and lifted one of the last potions from the box.

She was needed elsewhere, and found she wasn't all that curious about the contents of the meeting. There would be time for that later when everything else was finished, but for now she had to do what little she could to help those that helped her.

[badger]

---

badger and the druids

---

A pair of scissors snipped through the bandage as she pulled at its length, tugging on it firmly and wrapping it around the limb held in front of her. The blood that had flowed from the wound was clean, untainted and bright so there was no concern of infection but the rip in the girls arm was jagged though shallow, and needed to be pulled tight so that the edges could meet and begin to knit together. The bandage would not be enough on its own. Frowning, Badger then glared at the wound as if it had personally affronted her, insulted her mother, screwed her husband and spat on her cat (not that she had any of those .. except the mother .. lads she's still single!) before deft fingers rummaged through the tidy wooden box at her side and she pulled out a spool of what looked like thick thread. Carefully it was unravelled and the unusually sticky stuff was pressed against one side of the wound, the fingers of her free hand pressed against the other side and pushed.

“Relax ...”

Her patient gritted her teeth and muttering slightly Badger pulled the thread and encouraged the flesh to meet, letting the sticky material rest against the skin proper as another piece was ripped off and the action repeated until a series of lines were spread across the damaged area, two to either side to keep the threads anchored. Rummaging through the box again she would remove a small jar filled with a jelled substance of a greenish shade and after twisting off the top, the pungent contents were carefully smeared across the damaged skin. And finally the bandage was taken and wrapped tightly around the girls arm so that it would be carefully covered and remain free from dirt until the wound was healed enough to benefit from nothing more than the air that surrounded them. After tucking the ends away neatly what little tools she had used were carefully packed away and a bright smile levied at her patient.

“Just go back to Myvi tomorrow afternoon, though should be fine by then right?”

The girl thanked her and stood, a little shaky on her pins but not all that worse for wear. It had been five or six hours since the scuffle with the undead had reached its conclusion and things were only just beginning to wind down. Badger had been assisting where she could, first helping to clear the debris left by the rampaging corpses and then taking it upon herself to apply treatment. The potions had to be rationed carefully and were only used to assist others in keeping death at bay or for the more grievous of wounds – they were not cheap, and Badger had come to learn that the Old Faith encouraged you to heal at your own pace outside of the heat of battle, to let nature take its course and allow your body to develop its own immunities. A little magic to keep you from the edge was one thing, but too much and it would only hurt you in the long run when the source runs out, if you never learned to stand on your own feet you would soon get a nasty shock when perched on the edge of a precipice.

That was a sentiment Badger could get behind.

The sick bay was mostly empty now, the more serious cases had been carried to Myvi while the minor stuff had been waiting for their turn to be called through. For whatever reason Myvi seemed to prefer to work alone – or at least, sans Badger, no idea why – and the progress had been slow if steady, which was why Badger had decided to take it upon herself to help out. Otherwise she'd have been bouncing off the walls while the wounded cluttered up the place. Heaving a sigh, she grabbed the handle of the case with one hand and moved over a few beds to have a look at one of the remaining patients.

“Removed your sling I see.”

Oh that tone of voice spoke volumes, and the freezing gales that rolled across the barren tundras of Alzorc couldn't be colder.

“And helping yourself to my supplies even .. ? How bold.”

Badger laughed brokenly, the nervous sound jumping and hitching as she turned to face the imposing figure of Myvi, her free hand rising to spread fingers across the stubble of hair at the side of her head, rubbing it reflexively.

“Well .. didn't think I needed it any more you know? Was getting in the way, like. And that was your kit? Yours? Didn't realise .. was just left lying around you know? Anyone could have picked it up?”

Eyebrows scaled the older woman’s forehead with every word that dared to leave the halfling's mouth until they all but merged with her steel grey hairline.

“Left. Lying. Around. That was locked up in triage! And how did you know what to use, unless you've been holding out on me you have no formal training! Very few are aware of woundbind. And the feverstave .. weren't even aware you could read.”

“.. dumb luck?”

Myvi rolled her eyes. That was only part truth in all honesty. When you grow up scrapping more than playing you tended to get a basic idea of the principles of first aid, and Badgers mother had made sure she knew even that much – patching up your daughters scrapes got a bit tiresome when it could happen as often as five times a day. Woundbind had just seemed like a good idea at the time, after everything everyone had been through Badger had at least that much sense to realise that the victims might not fancy the idea of a halfling they barely knew coming at them with a needle and thread .. and when she saw how sticky the woundbind was, well! As for the feverstave ..

“Something that stinky just had to be beneficial I reckon!”

A broad earnest grin. Badger could read quite well as a matter of fact, and the instructions had been clearly marked on the jar thanks to Myvi's own brand of meticulousness. But why not run with a joke when you could? After everything that had happened, she could do with a laugh. And there was something enjoyable about pushing Myvi as far as she could before her head was torn from her shoulders.

“Hmmmph.”

Badger took that to mean that all was forgiven as Myvi spun around and stalked back into her office, the halfling turning her attention to the befuddled looking gentleman that had sat between them.

“She doesn't mean it.”

He wisely chose to keep stum as Badger examined the wounds in his leg, the unfortunate result of getting between a wolf and its target by means of being thrown back by an overzealous bear (wasn't anybodies fault really). The man was soon sent quickly on his way with the happily trotted advice of drinking a cup strong of tea, eat a slice of blackberry pie and returning to Myvi in the morning if you could thank you kindly. That was advice Badger wanted to take, but it wasn't until the sick bay was empty an hour or so later that she could listen to the angry sounds of her tummy and pack away Myvi's things, pushing them back into the cupboard she had found them and fixing the lock. As she stepped outside into the gardens she braced herself against the chill autumnal breeze of early morning, the sun barely attempting to crest the horizon in its sluggish fashion but casting its light against the trees and other plants. Most of the wall to the north had been destroyed. The garden was patchy with burn marks, evidence that an acidic substance had eaten away at the organic matter, various plants having been uprooted in the scuffle. It wasn’t as pretty as when she had first arrived, but it could be repaired. Sighing, she found herself sitting on the steps and reaching onto one of her many pockets for a small waterproofed pouch, dragging from the insides a tiny square of tobacco that soon found itself rolled within a thin scrap of paper. It was a time for introspection, a match lit and discarded as a thin plume of smoke lazily wound its way above her head. She was tired. A down to the bones weariness but her mind was galloping along like a thoroughbred racehorse in its heyday, her eyes bright but the lids drooping as a hand supported by an elbow against her leg propped up her chin.

A lot had happened over the last week.

While rummaging through the forest on a whim she had been caught out by a spell of rain. As always her actions were governed by her stomach and she had chased a rat and injured herself, though luckily nothing too serious, and that rat had turned out to be an Initiate by the name of Marlais, which was how she had been admitted to the Enclave. Otherwise what would have happened? She’d have remained by that tree until she woke up, likely dragged herself off to some shelter to lick her wounds, then gone to the nearest village to raise all sorts of hell down the pub.

Wouldn’t have been nearly half as fun though.

She’d met a plethora of people. Durumu. Myvi. Geraint. Marlais. Penri. Hirwen. Arianwe. She had seen others whose names she had yet to determine. Almost seamlessly she had inserted herself into life at the Enclave, no one had questioned her presence nor her actions - that good old halfling luck and charisma allowing her to integrate herself into any situation if she could only be bothered. She hadn’t been challenged as she meandered around the sick bay applying first aid to the patients Myvi had no time to see to. And perhaps even more worryingly, no one had questioned her presence during the battle itself. What was a civilian doing hanging around the druids as they prepared for war? Why hadn’t they insisted that she be in the cellar with the those incapable of joining? Durumu had made a joke about being a danger to those kept safe, but that wasn’t really true. It was almost as if she belonged, had always been there.

Behind her a door creaked open, the sound of footsteps making their way from the hall  loud in the silence of daybreak. Badger turned and recognized the people that had been called for the Synod, though clearly Myvi had left in the beginning to tend to the wounded. The group separated with Durumu trailing at the back, Badger rising to her feet and stubbing out her tobacco before making her way over. Durumu smiled at her and sighed, rubbing a hand through his beard as they slowly meandered across the Enclave and headed towards the kitchens.

“Well. They think there’s going to be another attack. The rangers reported back not long ago with signs of movement back at the sanctuary, only a few stragglers, but there was talk of sending a group across to deal with it before they took it upon themselves to go down to the village. I don’t know .. I’m too tired to deal with this right now, but at least there’s time to rest until it needs to be dealt with.”

His deep voice rumbled, a worried bear with too many thoughts in his head and not enough sleep to process it all. As they neared the kitchens, Badger kind of lifted her shoulders and focused on Durumu from the side.

“You know, I could help out a bit? No one’s better than a halfling at sneaking about!”

“You really, really couldn’t. You’ve already done enough, but this is our business. What if you got killed? You should leave it to the Enclave, go back home. Your family must be worried by now.”

Durumu sighed, the look he gave Badger one of pity, a hand rising to pat her on the shoulder before he pushed open the door to the kitchens. A wave of comforting warmth rolled through the door, the sound of activity as the cooks dealt with the morning bread, water bubbling over the hearth and the promise of a hot breakfast and stiff mug of tea.

“No.”

Durumu turned with his hand propping open the door, facing Badger with his body half positioned in the doorway.

“I’m not going home.”

Her hands curled into fists, the little woman standing tall on the path as she squared her body, preparing for a fight. Her chin was lifted high, eyes shining with emotion, a gentle breeze displacing the locks of her mohawk. Her voice was firm and strong, though it quavered momentarily on the last note.

“I’m going to stay. I want to join the Enclave!”

She lifted her chin higher, her bottom lip wobbling a little as she dared the man more than twice her size to say any different.

“I am going to help, and you bloody well can’t stop me!”

It would have been laughable, this woman with the figure of a child standing her ground against the bear if it didn’t look as if the halfling was about to cry. It had been a stressful twenty four hours. She had made friends. She had possibly lost friends she had yet to meet. She had seen the undead rise from their place of rest and try to wreck bloody havoc across the Enclave. She had seen complete strangers fight on her behalf, getting hurt in the process, blood spilling across the grass. She had seen people defend their home with every inch of their being. She had stared death straight in the face and seen the malice in its eyes, and knew she was powerless to stop it. She had watched Durumu grow and shift into a deadly beast capable of ripping a man’s head from his shoulders, and had seen that same man treat a companion with gentle compassion. She had seen how capable these people could be, and she wanted to see how capable she could become.

She wanted to fly.

“No need to be so dramatic dear girl, I honestly thought you already had. Perhaps I was wrong?”

The halfling jumped out of her skin and Durumu nearly pushed the door into the speakers face - turning quickly to see the aged man that had called the Synod standing in the kitchens, looking out quizzically at the pair of them. There was a half smile on his face and an eyebrow lifted partially, a mug of steaming tea in his hand that he would lift and take a small sip from, opening the door fully and forcing Durumu to step back as he himself stepped forward to take in the pair of them with sharp eyes. They mouthed at him, watching him sip from his mug until he chose to break the silence himself.

“I was wrong? Oh dear. But I was sure you had already taken your appellation Ms Honeycomb. Brianna the Badger, was it? No? Nevermind. Should start from the beginning after all, that would be best. Hurry up now, the tea is getting cold and the cooks have just finished a fresh batch of bread, should get it while it is still warm.”

Smiling brightly, the old man swept past the pair without another word said and disappeared around the corner, presumably to his chambers for a bit of shut eye. It took a minute but whatever spell had been holding them finally broke, Badger lifting her head to stare at Durumu with a question on her lips.

“Uh .. Who was that again?”

Durumu looked down at Badger as if she had sprouted a second head.

“The Archdruid Wyre .. ? Head of the Enclave .. ? The most powerful druid here .. ?”

When that got no response he simply threw his hands up and stalked towards the kitchens. It had been a long day and he needed something in his stomach before he got down to explaining the basics of the hierarchy again! Badger on the other hand looked after where the Archdruid had disappeared, chewing her lip thoughtfully, before following Durumu’s lead. There was bread to be had, she could worry about the fine details later.

She was in the Enclave!