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Post by Red on Aug 25, 2014 4:35:02 GMT
R'ver grumbled to himself as he moved through the marshy bog. The only reason he wasn't stomping in his dislike of this place was because doing so would splash the murky water up onto him and he wanted as little of this place to have to wash off as possible. It was bad enough that he was out here in the first place. Usually collecting herbs was an apprentices job, but the ones he was looking for today only grew fairly far out into the swamp, far enough that dragon transport made things so much easier. Also, R'ver and Alexith happened to know one of the few large and stable bits of ground around here, a spot which was large enough for the small amethyst to land with ease and be able to rest and wait for her rider without risk of getting any of the swamp onto her. Though she would be demanding a bath later anyway, since she would have to carry R'ver back and he would inevitably have bits of swamp on him which would then transfer to her.
He could feel Alexith's amusement at his predicament as he tried to find a way through the bog that wouldn't result in him being stuck in the mud up to his knees. This isn't funny He complained to her. Yes it is She replied Every time we come here it's the same thing. We both know your going to end up muddy and we'll both need a wash when we get home Yes, but there's muddy and then there's muddy He replied, carefully darting across a section of bog, finding his footing slippery but solid.
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Post by Lynn on Aug 25, 2014 4:42:32 GMT
You DO realize this will mean a bath later, yes?
But of course, cheri'. It ALWAYS does.
The mental conversation halted as a pale form, soft white in shade but toned with the lightest of blues, settled nearby. Remind me why I agreed to this again?
Because you like him.
A soft sigh was the only reply to that, then the rider of the white creature-a blue-toned Quartz, padded forwards. "Hail, R'ver. How goes the hunt?" he called lightly, jet eyes intent on both Amethystrider and marsh at the same time. Wouldn't do to slip and make himself look like a fool after all. And this doesn't already apply how? Oh shut it.
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Post by Red on Aug 25, 2014 4:54:34 GMT
R'ver looked up at Alexith caught his attention, seeing a slightly blue tinged white form appear in the skies, circling down to land next to Alexith, who curled herself in to ensure there was enough room for both of them.
"It would go better if Lady and Duke hadn't abandoned me" He called back to the other rider. "They at least know what's good for them" He fixed an unhappy look at Alexith, though there was a quirk to his mouth which said he wasn't actually upset with his dragon. "What are you doing out here? No-one sane comes out here unless they have to"
Spotting a clump of what he was looking for, R'ver carefully navigated a stretch of particularly watery space. "Stupid damned swamp herbs" He muttered to himself as he wrapped one hand around a branch of a convenient tree, using it to balance himself as he collected his prize.
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Post by Lynn on Aug 25, 2014 5:08:11 GMT
A smile quirked his own lips, and the Quartzrider-no more than a Weyrling really, but a near graduated one-nodded. "They never wanna come to the swamp," he returned lightly. "My own won't touch it with a hundred foot pole." Seeing as H'quen had an Amethyst Flit, this was not a surprise, really. "So just how rare is this plant we're hunting for anyways?" he asked as he watched R'ver retrieve some of it, admiring his ease of movement.
He looked up as a sound caught his attention, watching as the swamp nearby burbled some and spat mud a few inches into the air. The smell was not BAD, but it would certainly cling, he thought wryly.
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Post by Red on Aug 25, 2014 5:24:46 GMT
R'ver noted that the other rider hadn't answered his question of why he was here. He didn't push for now, being more focused on getting the herbs without falling into the mud.
"Depends on how you think of it" He replied "Finding where they grow is a pain in the tailfork, but once you've found them they grow like weeds. In fact, if you didn't know better, you'd probably just dismiss them as being exactly that" The leaves and mossy patches he was collecting weren't exactly impressive looking even when they were green and growing. It was easy to dismiss them as just another bog-plant, but they were very useful things, if you knew what you were doing.
R'ver? Alexith piped up Yes? He replied Your hair appears to be trying to eat something Grumbling R'ver reached up, confirming that his curls had indeed escaped their ties and wrapped around a section of leaves. With a huff he hooked his collection bag around his elbow and reached up to try and de-tangle his hair and tie it back again, rubbing as much of the muck on his hands off on his pants as he could before he touched his hair, not wanting to get any more dirt and ick into it than was absolutely unavoidable.
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Post by Lynn on Aug 25, 2014 5:34:40 GMT
He chuckled as he saw the leaves he was trying to untangle from his hair, but made no move to help him, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. Looking around them, he saw another patch of the herb and made a beeline for it. Saurith tried to warn him, but... His leg sank into a bubbling mess and he winced as he abruptly found himself on his behind. Sorry... the Quartz said, truly meaning it, and H'quen sighed. It's alright, love. I'm fine. He was too, but his pant leg was now covered in muck to the knee. "Ugh. Clumsy me, not watching where I'm going," he grumbled, even as he moved forwards more cautiously.
He made it to the plant, but then faced the challenge of getting it to let go of its perch of moss, muck and grime.
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Post by Red on Aug 27, 2014 3:56:47 GMT
"If you fall in any further than your knees I'm making you fly home straight" R'ver called to the other rider as he caught the man over balancing into one of the patches of mud. As he watched the other man out of the corner of his eyes, he mused that at least Saurith's rider had managed to pick a section of swamp which was fairly solidly mud rather than brackish water and thin mud which would suck you down and make it difficult to escape. R'ver had lost count of the number of times Alexith had been forced to take to the air to pull him out before he had learned to navigate this place with the ease which he now had.
R'ver paused as a murky brown firelizard landed on a tree branch next to him. "Oh no. Duke do not-" Before he could finish, the firelizard shook itself off, bits of swamp muck going everywhere. R'ver had lifted an arm to protect himself and his sleeve now was decorated in patches of brown. Lowering it, he glared at what had now been revealed to be an orange-gold toned topaz. "You are not as clever as you think you are" He said to the firelizard, who chirped happily in response. "What were you thinking you idiot creature" Despite his words, R'ver had stretched out his arm to give the firelizard an easy way down to his shoulder. "Just, Oh I'll go for a swim in the mud and then come back and get it all over my person. You are a menace, an absolute menace and I do not know why I keep you around" Duke knew better than to take R'ver seriously, an settled himself on the man's shoulder with a pleased sound.
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Post by Lynn on Aug 27, 2014 4:08:34 GMT
"Because he'd too damn useful otherwise?" H'quen said, his voice a little tight as he battled with the roots of the herb. He finally got it loose, cursing as he AGAIN ended up on his rump, though he managed to avoid landing in more mud this time, finding one of the few patches of grass. Sighing, he held up the herb and stood, wincing as his hand connected with a patch of solid mud with a wet, squishing noise. "Ugh." Moving, he put the herb in his pouch and began hunting for more, watching his companion from the corner of one eye. R'ver was a pretty guy, H'quen would not deny that at all. Probably beyond his reach though.
Oh come now. You're here because you do not believe that anymore than I do, Saurith said smoothly, and his lips twitched in response. The Quartz was right, of course.
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