Wapun Meadow Slow down It's a science

Date: 05/10
Setting: Sunny. Warm. Breezy

She'd lost @Abaddon. 

Her white knight had taken such good care of her, keeping his word and hunting her down a good meal. And another. And another. As she got stronger she grew more adventurous and energetic. Honestly she wondered if she talked too much? Surely he would've waited...

She'd just wanted to catch him something for once. So she'd told him she'd be back and ran off forgetting that they'd wandered far enough away it was easy to be thrown off track. Thankfully after several panic attacks and exhausting herself bolting in random directions she found a familiar sight, a meadow of orange and yellow flowers in bloom. The sun beamed down and the breeze blew cool, noticed only because she paused stricken by the beautiful sight. It reminded her of snuggling with Polaris in fields of flowers and suddenly she was too tired to continue and found a spot where she could be fairly out of sight, laying down and resting her chin on her forelegs with a slow sigh. She'd find him again....after a much needed nap.

Well, this was a little bit of a pickle.

Somehow, someway, D'Artagnan had managed to get a thin yet strong vine wrapped around both his head and the entirety of his beak, sealing it shut. Most likely as a consequence of having to quickly flee through the foliage of a nearby forest. How was he supposed to know a fox had been watching him while he foraged around on the ground? It had been a swift attack, though thankfully Dart was quicker, and with a surprised screech he had immediately taken flight just as the fox's claws raked through his tail feathers.

Out of immediate harm's way now, the raven landed in a sun drenched field, no worse for wear save for a racing heart and a tied up beak. Soft, anxious warbles sounded within his breast as he begin to walk through the flowers, unsure how to get out of this predicament. He scratched at his head with a foot a few times, claws scrabbling at the knotted vines, but to no avail. He needed something sharper, something more precise, something like...

He perked upright as he saw the half-hidden form of a dark wolf lying in the grasses just ahead of him. Ah, wolf fangs! Perfect! With a skip in his step, Dart hopped the remaining distance between himself and the lazing creature, slowing as he closed in. His mother had told him never to disturb a sleeping wolf, but this was an emergency! And this one didn't seem too bad, she was small and looked rather young, at least. Still, the raven was cautious as he approached, letting out soft, inquiring gurgles as he inched closer to the maw of the dozing female.

The warmth of the sun had brought her the most peaceful sleep she'd had, the soft warbles of the bird slow to rouse her though she did blink open weary emerald eyes. As soon as she saw the odd colored bird she gasped and tensed up though she didn't move, breathing soft and slow as she simply peered at him in awe. Then she saw the vines wrapping around his beak and her features softened ears pressing back as she held her chin level to the ground, peering up and slowly revealing her fangs with a friendly wag of her tail behind her. The poor thing needed to be freed and Lainie hadn't the heart to do anything other than other her help, he was clearly brave to come close enough for it.

It took a few moments, but finally the wolf began to rouse. Dart eagerly bounced from foot to foot, glancing this way and that to keep an eye out for any who might intrude on this serendipitous encounter. Finally, as he brought his attention back to the woman, he saw her eyes blearily blink open, revealing a bright emerald colour. He almost let out a squawk of delight before suddenly she gasped, to which the raven uttered an equally surprised chirp.

There was a moment where the two simply stared at each other, green meeting blue, before the girl slowly seemed to begin to understand his dilemma. She leaned forward, maw splicing in two as she revealed a shiny row of razor sharp teeth. If it weren't for the gentle expression and waving tail, it might have been seen as a threat. Yet Dart fluttered happily at the offer, letting out muffled chirrups. Just as quickly, he stilled, scratching once at his beak before hopping closer to her jaws and leaning forward, giving her the honours to snip through the pesky vines.

His small chirps and cute behavior caused a soft peal of laughter, childlike fascination leaving her enraptured. Lainie found him to be absolutely magical but she was wary of being a predator, not daring to move a single hair's length in case she scared him off. There was a tense second before he scratched his beak and leaned in and her ears shot up eyes bright with delight. She was truly surprised he'd accepted but she didn't waste a moment and inched forward so she could see the vines better opening her jaws and leaning in.  Getting her fangs pinched into the vines she huffed as a soft soft breath of laughter slipped out at the feeling of his feathers brushing against her gums. After that she was quick to cut through the vine with a snap of her teeth pulling back she sat up to see if she had done the job holding her breath.

Success! He was glad this wolf he had stumbled upon was all too happy to relieve him of his unfortunate circumstance, the giggles indicating that she even found him funny! Or, at the very least, an amusing sight. He wasn't too bothered either way, for with a gentle snip and a huff of laughter, the girl's sharp canines sliced through his trappings and he was free!

Both pulling back in the same moment, Dart scrambled away from the nasty vine that now fell limply to the earth. Filthy thing, he would have eaten it had he a taste for greenery. With a few test clicks of his beak to make sure it was in working order, the raven then gave a soft croak of satisfaction. He looked to the wolf then, his savior, an unassuming adolescent who had unknowingly made a friend for life just now.

"Blessed be! Blessed be!" Dart crowed with a low bow in her direction. "Am forever in your debts, ma'am, gracias."

It was a pleasant surprise that as he hopped backwards he did not fly away. Instead he bowed and to her steadily increasing delight spoke to her joyfully, thanking her in an odd manner but one that was just as charming as his silent antics had been.  "It's no problem, who wouldn't?" she asked and then stared into space internally cringing for a moment realising probably just about everyone would have taken him as a free meal. "what's your name? I'm Lainie" She asked him curiously while also wondering just how serious he was about owing her. It would be neat to have someone with a pair of wings to help her track Abaddon from the sky, he could go out and look and bring back news. White wolves were common but at least it would give her direction when his scent began to dwindle as she got too far behind. Not wanting to be rude and ask for anything quite yet she simply fixed him with a warm look while waiting on what to call him.

Who wouldn't? Oh, Dart could think of some dastardly few who absolutely would have taken advantage of his predicament and refused to lift even a toe to help him, though thankfully they were far from this place. Instead, lady luck had favored him in his time of need and, in place of wicked fangs and hungry looks, he was awarded a gracious being with a smile as wide and warm as the sun.

At her words, the raven gave a soft trill. "Am most pleased to meet you indeed, Miss Lainie!" he greeted, once more bobbing his head in a small bow. "Am named D'Artagnan! Or Dart, if one desire." He followed his own introduction with a wink of one blue eye, before he straightened himself up and shifted slightly, drawing a single foot around in the dirt sheepishly. "Am much sorry to disturb your rest, Miss Lainie."

Deciding that she would stick to Dart-it was a cute nickname for a lovely creature!- Lainie returned the bow with a curtsy that was clumsily executes, shakily pushing her hind end up and sliding her forelegs out with a dip of her chin and a playful smile "The pleasure is mine Dart,mon amie" she marvelled at how smoothly the french came to her and then.....sadness. Straightening up and peering off back toward the Taiga forlornly she was thinking about how much she regretted leaving her father behind. Was her life to only be filled with regret? Dart's apology gave her reason to focus on something else and she gave a smile, this one less bright than before "Don't worry about it, I'm trying to find someone anyway" then a brilliant idea came to her. Ears shifting back against her head she looked down at the snow white raven and then away paws scuffing the dirt and seeming very much sheepish herself "Do you think that you could help me with that? He's got white fur and red eyes that have blue rings around the pupils and black spots over them. Looks really spooky at first but he's handsome and kind enough" she ended up babbling a bit dreamily about the man who had saved her life by taking her under his wing.

At the french tacked onto the end of her own greeting, Dart gave a soft caw of delight. Ah, a woman of culture as well! In truth, the raven knew of only a small smattering of phrases and words picked up from various wolves on his travels, but that didn't mean he still couldn't pride himself on being so cultured! His pleasure, however, was short-lived as his friend was overcome with what looked like sadness. The brief, far off look cast over his head was not missed, but Lainie was quick to resume their conversation with a smile and tantalizing offer.

The description she gave of the man wolf was constructed in Dart's mind quite haphazardly, taking on a spookier form than what was probably intended, but the bird leapt up excitedly all the same. "Why, of course, of course!" he crowed. Anything to help his new friend! "White wolf much easier to find when no snow about!" Another wink, before he looked to Lainie with a curious glint of one eye and tilt of his head. "He friend?"

Energy renewed now that she had a tracking buddy Lainie leaped to her paws, tail wagging like crazy behind her "True! He sticks out just like a rabbit!" she gasped immediately her ears pressing back and gave him an apologetic look. That probably didn't earn her too many points on the buddy scale but she couldn't help what she was. Meat was how she lived...just not bird meat. Being young she didn't realise that ravens ate meat too and often scavenged carcasses.  "maybe...tell him you're with me just so you don't spook him?" she knew it would likely be the other way around, that Abaddon would spook the pale bird by attempting to catch him unless given a reason to be a friend. Not wanting to make the man seem too bad she offered "He's a friend to me" and moved in the direction she remembered the scent trailing off to motioning for him to follow.