Ravensblood Forest Rain, Rain Go Away

@Nishu Inte - since they are away from the Sunspire for the BWP I figured we could still have fun with it

They were headed from Stravenger Bay and towards Blacktail Deer Plateau. Rain was  ecstatic about the success they had made with Stravenger Bay regarding her Healing training. By the end of this travel she should have the trade. She had learned a lot from the kind healer there, and hopes to be able to return the favor at some point.

Rain tilts her nose up to the treetops, sniffing the air. It was beginning to feel heavy Like a storm was rolling in. She could tell from glimpses between the branches that the sky was darkening quickly. She looked to Nishu wondering if they should find shelter. A small drop dripped on her ear, she flicked it away. Another few landed on her back, and then the rain showered down on them heavily. The wind began to pick up, bending the trees slowly back and forth around them. The motion of the trees increased until it seemed they would all start breaking. She heard a branch snap from somewhere and then a loud struck of thunder that made her jump in fright. "We need to find shelter!" She yelled to her charge over the terrifying wind. This didn't feel like an ordinary storm, it was making her very on edge. 

A few paw steps ahead of them, something bright flashed, splitting open a tree within seconds. Half of the tree fell to the ground, the other half stood with burn marks. Rain blinked away the imprint that the light had left on her eyes. They needed to get out from beneath the trees. But where? She knew that mountains laid on either side of Ravenbloods forest, but she couldn't be certain that there were any caves they could take shelter in. They would have to try though. "Head left!" She yelled, hoping Nishu could hear her over the sound of the storm. Immediately she took off, dodging around trees with her eyes squinted against the rain. Her heart was pounding against her chest, her tail set between her legs in fear. 

Something hit her back. She yelled out in pain and surprise. A large branch had landed on her and now pinned her to the ground. Rain struggled against the force but it refused to budge. "Nishu!" She howled desperately. Had he been with her? Pain laced one of her back legs, she couldn't move it without feeling like fainting. Had it been broken? Water was flooding the ground. Already it covered the grass, she tried to keep her head above so that she wouldn't drown. The river ran partly through this forest, so she knew that eventually she wouldn't be able to keep her head above the flood. The waters from the river would quickly add more water to this area.

Everything went well. Rain was safe, she got to learn what she wanted so it felt that the main task was completed. There was still more to do like check the diplomatic situations with other packs. A simple task when paired with Rain. He the protecter while she commands and leads. A Knight is at it's strongest while following a king. Nishu wondered a few times if he should explain to Rain the real purpose of a Knight and the requirements nesscary to lead one. She was doing fine as it is now and he'll happily follow but what would Rain be like if she understood everything about Knights and their ways? He wondered about for a while that he only realised that he was facing a storm the moment Rain demanded that they find shelter.

The sound of thunder put him on the alert. This weather was unlike another other he experienced. Normally he wouldn't care much about the storm and continue as if it was a normal day but this one was ripping trees apart. With branches breaking from the wind there was no way to ignore it. It's clear that staying outside was unsafe and shelter needed to be found, but Nishu didn't know these lands at all. To find a hole to hide in would be like gambling with a low chance of winning. Finding a shelter might not be possible unless lucky. The worst they would have to do is tough out the whole storm. Before Nishu could react Rain took off as if she had an idea or plan so Nishu followed the best he could.

The falling water was blinding but Nishu has been put in a similar situation in his trainings. He was still able to get a general idea of what's around him but his reaction time would be slower compared to being able to clearly see and listen. Without much of a warning a large branch was falling towards Rain, he wanted to warn her, he wanted to push her out of harms way but he didn't have enough time to react, Suddenly Rain almost disappeared into the flood with the branch. He was shocked to have not be able to protect her but thanks to Rain's call to him he was able to shake his head and get into the fray. It's not over yet, he can still save her.

Without wasting any time he dived his head into the flooding waters to get next to Rain under the large branch. The moment the branch was on his back he pushed up with everything he had, lifting the branch while the other end remains on the ground. With all the weight on his back he stepped backwards to drag the branch away from Rain. But as the rain continued to pour the large branch was only getting heavier. He was only able to take a few steps before being unable to move with the weight. He felt he was about to collapse but he couldn't allow that to happen! He lowered his hinds and then with one large growling effort and pushed again as hard as he could to just slightly launch the branch off of him to where it splashed behind him.

Nishu was already out of breath but he couldn't stop here. He took a few steps to return to Rain's side, hopeing that she was ok. "Rain are you hurt?! Can you still move?!" He asked worriedly. Without really giving her the time to answer he went back into the water to get under her so she could get on his back. "We can't stay here! We need to avoid the flood and get to an open area!" He yelled when his head got out of the water. There has to be an area where branches can't reach and won't get flooded, it would give a better chance to survive the storm but finding a shelter would be better if possible. Nishu was trying to pay attention to the felling branches. There was no time to think, He was going to move quickly the moment he felt he could start moving with Rain wether it was on his back or on foot.

She blacked out as Nishu reached her, only returning to consciousness when she heard him yelling. The branch that fell on her had been removed. She tried to get to her paws, but cried out and feel as pain raced up her right hind leg and across her back. She again attempted to stand, holding the injured paw off the ground. Even the effort it took to hold her leg up was too much. She would have to suck up the pain and try to limp to safety. Rain used Nishu as a crutch, leaning against him so he was on her wounded side. Would they be able to make it out of the storm fast enough? She was worried. He couldn't possibly carry her. Could he? 

Rain made her first step, allowing the weight of her bad side to push against her charge when she needed the leverage. It was still painful, but not completely unbearable. Her face seemed to be contorted into a permanent wince as she limped onward with Nishu. To her, the storm seemed to be increasing in strength. Winds tore tree's from their roots, the flood waters increased in height so that it now reached their knees. Rain believed that the water from the river had broke it's banks. 

Each jostle of her leg had her clenching her jaws together. It was hard to concentrate on anything else but walking. She was nervous about them being hit by a tree or swept away by the flood waters. A large burst of wind threatened to knock her over. "Nishu!" Rain cried fearfully. She locked her jaws around his neck in hopes of using him to keep her standing. But would the wind take them both below the flood waters?

It was clear that Rain was injured. How badly was still unknown, there wasn't a chance to check. He needed to get her to some place safe. But Rain will be slower with an injury, which would make it harder for her to survive this crazy weather. To make matters even more difficult the storm was only getting stronger, the worst had yet to come. Nishu can not fail here there was no second chance if Rain falls to the storm. Right, time to stay focused. As long as he remains up there is hope for the both of them. Nishu was determined to pull through the storm with Rain or else it all ends here.

Wind, water, and wood. Together can prove to be deadly but even so that wouldn't stop the pair from taking steps forward. The wind blew hard, Rain was having trouble and had to grab on to Nishu's neck. He was heavy but the wind managed to throw him a bit off balance. Luckily he was able to keep on his paws. He can't let all this stop him, staying here is too dangerous. He must push forward with Rain no matter the force that opposed them. 

Together they managed to get to higher ground, defeating the waters. That left the wind and the remaining trees. The ground was turned into a muddy mess which made taking steps difficult. Without any time to rest a tree gave in to the winds. It's trunk was falling straight towards them. 

Nishu didn't hesitate to launch Rain forcefully to the side if she didn't make a move first. But the thrust was hindered by the mud, Nishu didn't move far enough. Within a second he rolled onto his back and the tree slammed litterally right next to him. He would have lost all his legs in one go but instead he got extremely lucky. There was no time to think on it. He turned to look at Rain who was next to him. More concerned about her than himself "Are you alright?!" He asked. Then he noticed the tree that fell was a lone tree on a small hill. It appeared that way but other trees fell or continued to hold, the forest seemed to have lost half it's trees. He was already feeling exhausted. At first he didn't mind the storm but now he wanted this to be over.

She hadn't noticed the tree falling towards them, so when Nishu shoved her to the side she was startled and fell. Water rushed over her head, but after a few terrifying moments of stumbling around to get back on her paws, she managed to get her head above the water and watch Nishu dodge the tree that had almost crushed him. He asked her if she was all right. Rain nodded her head saying, "I'm fine. You were the one almost crushed!" Blue eyes looked him over, but he seemed unharmed. Her leg was radiating with pain from being shoved, but it was better to suffer through the pain than be dead. Rain turned her head to see where they were at and spotted the start of the mountains just through the trees. They were close to shelter. "There!" She yelled to him, motioning with a nod of her head. 

Hopefully they wouldn't be crushed beneath a tree before making it to a cave . There had to be one there somewhere. She wasn't sure what they would do if there was no spot for them to shelter from the storm.  She hoped that they could find a cave up the mountainside to get away from the flood waters. Any one that they found along the bottom would be filled with the muddy water. That would not serve to be a very good place to hide from the storm. 
 
Leaning against Nishu once more, they pressed onward. They were so close to mountain that she felt something may happen to stop them from reaching it. Her eyes stayed pinned to the trees around them, worried about another one making an attempt on their lives. She drew comfort from Nishu, pressing as close as she could to him. She also tried to draw warmth from him. Her body was starting to shiver from being soaked by the flood and rain.

"Stay focused! Our best chances of surviving this is by sticking together!" He said as they pressed on forward together. Up ahead was the mountain base which Rain spoted before Nishu. That means the chances of finding shelter was better but then again there is a chance that there was nothing for them to take cover in. The rain was still blinding making it difficult to spot any kind of shelter from afar. It was best to just go up so they could avoid the floods once and for all. 

Trees continue to break but none came close to falling onto the two. It was time to climb once they reach the base of the mountain. The rain made rocks more slippery so going too steep would be too dangerous. The easiest path was flooded by water flowing down form the mountain. This could be more dangerous than falling trees. One wrong step could easily be the end from this point on. Nishu wouldn't be so worried about this situation if Rain wasn't injuried.

They were high enough to keep away from the floods but now they were at the point where the mountain was getting a little steep. To make it easier for Rain he was thinking of going on ahead to see if he could find something. "Going up these rocks in this rain is very dangerous, even more with an injured leg. I could go on ahead to see if I can find something or we stay here where the floods and trees can't reach us and wait for the storm to die down." He said in a loud tone so Rain could hear clearly in the storm. Nishu didn't want Rain to go up, it was too dangerous but he also understood that standing out in the storm like this isn't comfortable. It may not be great but he'd prefer staying here in the wind and rain than to risk Rain's life for a shelter that might not even be around. He left the final decision to Rain. For now he remained close to her, sharing his warmth and support. It's better than nothing.

They started to climb when they finally reached the mountain, she was relieved that they had made the last stretch without any incidents. Unfortunately, climbing was much more difficult for her. She slipped a few times, wincing as the sudden movement jostled her paw. At some point, Nishu stopped to discuss the best possible way to go about finding shelter.  She felt terrified at the thought of him leaving her alone as he mentioned it. The mountain was slippery, what if she fell? But Rain also didn't want to keep walking. She was losing energy and fast. "I'll stay here. Go ahead and see if you can find anything!"  

She was worried that it would take him a while to find a cave. She didn't want to have to face the storm alone, but she could always look for a temporary shelter until he returned. Glancing around, she searched for for a small over hang, or hole that she could use while he was gone. But her visions was hindered by the rain. She snarled at it, hunching her shoulders against the cold.

Nishu nodded "I'll be back!" and then started to climb up cautiously in search for something like a shelter. He kept in mind of Rains position. There was no way he could leave her for long so he continued to search quickly. For some strange reason the area was starting to feel familier. Like he's been here before. He took careful looks around and proceeded slowly. It was too familier. He stopped to think about what was going on. This place.. this is close to the location of Ankyra Sound. That means there should be that cave around here somewhere. Before long he found a cave yet it was a bit different compared to what he remembered. It was hard to see the surroundings but it reminded him too much of that one pack. He won't admit it but he really didn't have a clue as to where he was at. Anyway the cave looked clear and suitable so now all he needed to do was to hurry back to Rain.

Retracing his steps he got back to her without slipping until the end. Upon trying to go down he slipped and slammed onto the solid ground next to her. He landed on his shoulder, it hurt but that didn't stop him from getting up. The pain felt like it was going to stay for awhile but he was going to ignore it. "Rain there is a cave up there not far from here! Head upwards, I'll help you!" He said. This was the last effort needed to finally be clear of the storm. He was ready to assist Rain and guide her even with a shoulder in rough condition. It wasn't likely but he was a bit worried about being near the a dangerous pack. He had to be ready for them and needs to make sure Rain avoids contact with them for now.

Thankfully, Nishu returned not long after he left, informing her that he had found a cave. He provided his shoulder for her to lean on as he lead the way to the shelter. Rain slipped a few times, struggling to make her way up the steep incline. She was in terrible pain. Each time she slipped it forced a cry from her. A few times she swore that she would pass out. But determination kept her going.

A sigh of relief slipped past her jaws as the shelter came into view. Rain picked up her pace, falling to the floor of the cave as she entered. She was exhausted. So much so that she could scarcely keep her eyes open. "Thank you, Nishu," Rain said gratefully before giving in to sleep.

Everytime Rain slipped his heart skipped a beat. The thought of seeing her slip and fall down the mountain would be unbearable. He stayed focused enough to not make any mistakes in his paw-work as the pair made way to the cave close by. It bothered him that they could be close to enemy territory but there was a good chance they wouldn't do anything during a storm but once the storm passes He and Rain should move out quickly to some place safer.

They reached the cave almost together, Rain made her way first and suddenly collapsed, giving a shock to Nishu. "Rain?!" He said worriedly. He shook his furs before dashing to her side. Was she still alive? She wouldn't just die like that right? It's not possible right? Upon examination he noticed that she was still breathing. What a relief it was to see that. Without warning it started to hurt here and there his body. He examined himself, It seems that he took quite a beating without really noticing. Nothing major but plently of scratches and his shoulder is bound to be a bit bruised up. 

He sat up straight at the cave entrance, far enough to avoid the rain. He looked at the storm then towards Rain. Honestly, no matter what injuries he would sustain nothing would compare to the pain he would feel if he loses Rain. She seemed to have struggled much more than him until his exhaustion finally cought up to him. His whole body felt heavy. The storm really did push him to his limits. But he'd go beyond that if it kept Rain alive. Still Rain was injured, which meant he didn't do his best. "Im sorry.. I'll do better next time." He said quietly. He still needed more training. He looked outside again and suddenly had a crazy idea.

This.. is his best chance to go beyond his limit. Even exhausted he still had the will to push on. He whispered to himself "I have to get stronger.. for Rain's sake." This was the greatest chance to go beyond his limit. Without hesitation he went back into the storm and disappeared from Rain without a trace.