Haunted Wood ransom captive israel

Fog rolled thickly between the trees in the forest just south of the caldera. Undeterred, Raven walked beneath the bare boughs, her paws crunching in the leaf litter. She wasn't looking for anything in particular today, though she kept an eye out for anything that might prove useful. This was just a simple stroll through the woods.

It ended abruptly when the earth gave way beneath her feet. Raven let out an involuntary cry as she tumbled, then a grunt when she hit the ground. For several beats, she was disoriented. She lay still, letting the feeling of having the wind knocked out of her slowly ebb. When she sat up, she saw that she had fallen into some sort of pit.

She drew in a long, steadying breath and then stood on slightly wobbly legs. She checked herself over for a moment—nothing appeared or felt broken—before glancing up at the chunk of blue November sky she could see from down here. Raven gave herself another minute, then tried to leap out of the hole. She didn't make it and slid back into the pit.

A sense of panic began to creep in but Raven swallowed it back. With a grunt, she jumped again. She made it slightly higher, her paws hooking over the edge. But the soil crumbled under her weight and she toppled backward, narrowly avoiding landing on her back as she twisted in midair. Her heart was beating so hard and fast that she could feel her entire body throbbing with it.

She wondered if her pack mates would hear her if she called for help. With only one way to find out and nothing to lose, Raven took another deep breath and howled.

@Fox @Elwood @Eljay @Kaizer @Trick @Gannet @Whip @Finley

Nothing made sense anymore, and Trick wasn't even trying to find it. No more did he lie awake at night with questions, because he had found a way to just let it all be; he did not care. He did not care why he felt so strongly for Raven - did not care that his friend had died and certainly did not care about his looks anymore. Spiked and roughed up he wandered, having filled a cache just that morning before the call for help hit him. He stopped in his tracks, muzzle pointed to the ground. It was Raven, he could tell, but why did he not move? Had she come for you if you would've called? The nagging voice in his head earned an angry scowl as he still did not move. 

His green eyes scanned the floor as he weighed the chances and efforts in his mind. Soon he found himself sprinting, his thin, agile legs carrying him to where the annoying yet intriguing female had fallen. How she had managed it, he did not know. How the hell did you do this? He asked with a mad chuckle. He wanted to help, but seeing her stuck like this brought out a side he had kept hidden for some time.

After sending out her distress call, Raven made another attempt to jump out on the other side of the pit. There was barely enough room to turn around, let alone get a running start, so she fell back with a small cry of frustration. She then sat and closed her eyes, willing her racing pulse to calm.

They peeled open when she heard someone rushing in her direction. Raven tipped her head back and saw... "Trick," she breathed his name. "I fell," she answered simply. She got lost very easily, so it followed that she must not pay enough attention to where she was going. "Can you help me out?" she asked, rising onto her feet again.

Aww, she had remembered his name - even though it wasn't his real one. See, he could befriend others. He did not need Warbone or Peregrine or even Teagan. All he needed was someone to show the tiniest amounts of interest in what went on in his life, and he'd return that kindness. That was friendship, right? Oh well, guess he'll have to practice.

But you look cuter down in the dumps than me. He chuckled again, lying down with his petite paws crossed and slightly hanging off the edge. he smirked down at her playfully, feeling good now that he was actually needed for once. Was anyone else coming to save the poor Raven that could not truly fly? Something about seeing her so helplessly down there got him into a good mood for the first time since at least a few weeks.

Rather than make any move to assist her, Trick draped himself over the lip of the pit and gazed down at her, evidently entertained by her predicament. Raven gaped up at him in surprised disbelief as her own pulse continued to echo in her ears. She felt her fur prickle slightly, particularly in response to his rather galling comment, but she schooled her expression.

"Can you help or not?" she asked evenly. It bothered her that a pack mate would treat her this way but Raven didn't exactly have any recourse at the moment.

While it was dark and misty, the amount of disbelief that was evident on her face let him to chuckle once again. He had always been cold to her, and here she expected a knight in shining armor to come rescue a flightless little bird who had fallen into some pit? He was no part of the Redhawk family - they had made that clear with the way they had treated him, even if it had been nice. He had no family here or elsewhere and only one to guide him; himself.

I could. He replied with a roll of his shoulders. He began thinking, but actually had no idea how to get her out of the pit. She could not grab a hold of him with no thumbs, and there was no water to let stream into the pit so she could swim out. It seemed she had gotten herself extremely stuck. How do you want a tiny man to rescue you from a pit? He asked her.

Her jaw tightened slightly as he continued to toy with her. Raven wondered what Fox would make of it if she informed the Alpha female of Trick's behavior toward her. She pushed that thought aside when he finally started talking logistics. That was a good question, actually, but she had already thought of a hypothetical solution while waiting for help to arrive.

"I'm going to jump and you're going to pin my legs down for leverage, then I'll hopefully hoist myself out," she explained. "Do you think you're strong enough?" It wasn't a taunt but a sincere question. If Trick didn't think he could hold down her weight for a few seconds, then perhaps it was best if he fetched someone else to help instead... assuming, of course, that he wouldn't just turn and leave her to rot.

Trick did not see his actions as trickery or even as wrong. Others had toyed with him and his problems, and even though those others did not include Raven, he felt it his right to mess around every now and then. It wasn't like Raven was in any kind of real danger anyway - she was just stuck, and he had offered to help. So far, he was the only one to have even come to do just that. No Elwood or Fox -just him and his troubles, and he guessed she just had to deal with it. After this was over, she could go back to hating him again.

Do I look weak to you? He asked with a smirk. He did not take it as an insult - rather foolishness. The small ones still had the power to do stuff - even faster than most, for they did not have to carry a heavy body around. Though, he did doubt he could hold her down without tumbling forward... Oh well. Well, come on, let's get you out of there. He said as he got up and readied himself to get Raven out of the pit.

She bit the inside of her cheek to stop from retorting. Hadn't he just called himself "tiny man" a moment ago? Raven remained silent and watchful as Trick finally positioned himself. For a long moment, she did not move, suddenly wondering if he would feint away at the crucial moment, then mock her some more. She didn't have much of a choice, though, and her only option was to trust him.

"Here goes," she mumbled under her breath before backing up and then making an upward leap, slender legs grasping at the rim of the pit.

Permission to PP: granted! Whether he grabs her or tosses her back in is up to you! ;)

Wylie was a trickster, but he was not cruel. Throwing her back in could hurt her badly, and that would look very bad for him. Being the daughter of Peregrine, his friend's blood flowing through her veins, he doubted Fox would go easy on him if he hurt another part of her family. Besides, he rather enjoyed Raven, even if that didn't show. Some would say he hated her so much that it could be called something more - something better, and that  is what mostly confused him. 

As she got ready to jump, he got ready to catch. His tiny, thin legs landed on hers as he pushed down so she could perhaps find a grip on the side of the pit. for at least 2 seconds could he hold her, but soon he lost his balance - making a dangerous tumble forward where he landed on his side - expecting the weight of Raven to follow soon after. It barely hurt - that's how fast it had gone, and he had to close his eyes to get back to reality.

This scene reminds me of this:

She felt him grab onto her legs, his claws digging into the stringy muscles and sinew. Raven grunted, oblivious to the pain as she scrabbled for purchase with her hind feet. Just as she was about to push off and hoist herself out of the pit, Trick tumbled forward, somehow managing to pitch over her head and backward into the chasm. With nothing left to hold her, Raven also slipped backward into the hole, landing partially on top of her pack mate.

As quickly as she could manage, she jumped up and moved off to one side, though there was barely room to turn around with the both of them in here. "Are you all right?" she questioned, either forgetting or ignoring his attitude problem as she surveyed him with a critical, concerned eye. "Does anything hurt?" She tried to decide whether it would be easier or harder to make a medical assessment in such close quarters.

When Trick is basically based a lil' on this guy;

Gasping for air, he felt Raven fall, and his body tensed up - trying to make the blow as painless as possible. He partly succeeded, but let out a grunt of both exhaustion and pain. He lay still, focusing on every part of his body that might have been broken by the fall, but luckily did not feel anything out of place. He was bruised up, for sure, and he would feel them for at least a week or so, but for now he was happy to be alive.

When she moved away, taking her warmth with her, he grunted again. He blinked his green eyes open to see her on the other side (if one could call it that) and he pushed his upper body up into a sitting position. I'm... I'm okay, I think. He managed, still trying to catch his breath as he got over the shock from falling down. Could've been better - could've been a lot worse too... He mumbled softly. He wondered if it was time to call her a fat-ass now, but he found it better not to anger her now they were so close together.

I kind of hurt everywhere, but nothing broke, I think - how... how about you? He informed her, for the first time displaying concern for her well-being as far as his memory went.

He seemed to be all right, though she listened carefully to his self-assessment. He was okay; he hurt everywhere; but nothing was broken. Raven made a small heh sound, then shook her head. She was perfectly fine, as Trick had largely cushioned her fall. He didn't need to be concerned.

"Are you sure?" she pressed. "I can check you over if you want. And once we get out of here, I can give you something for the aches and pains." Raven stalled there, yellow eyes drifting from Trick to the four earthen walls of their shared prison cell.

How were they going to get out of this pickle? Perhaps she could have climbed on him to get out, only she wasn't about to harm him in the name of escape. And that would leave him still trapped. She was not a vengeful wolf, so there was no appeal in leaving him here, even if he might deserve it a little bit.

"Any bright ideas?" she asked, staving off a resurgence of panic. "Should we try calling for more help?"

Following the distress call at a reckless gallop, Kaizer arrived only in time to see the back end of Trick disappearing below the line of sight, swallowed whole by the ground. Panic seized his lungs, but it did not stop his legs as they flew him to the edge of the pit. Though he was looking for Trick, it was Raven he saw first -- serving him a jarring cognizance of the situation that reminded him to inhale -- and his thoughts began whirring to find a solution. "Are either of you hurt?" he asked, unable to hide the tension of anxiety in his voice.

"I can get you out, I just need a... Give me a minute." His face disappeared from the mouth of the hole. Though stronger and heavier than Trick, it would be unwise for him to attempt the same technique his packmate had tried to free Raven with. The edges of the pit were too soft, and could very well give in and swallow him too before he had a chance to save either of them. He needed some leverage, and the best he could come up with was a long, fat branch hanging from one of the decrepit trees of this forsaken wood. He yanked on it, breaking it from its already half-decomposed base, and he brought the three-foot limb back to the source of trouble.

Dropping it, he looked back over the ledge. "I'm going to pull both of you up with a branch -- but I have to  dig on this side first, to make into more of slope. Close you eyes, cover your noses."

When he said he hurt everywhere, he meant on the inside as well, but he had had enough of his self-pity. He was stuck in a pit with a lady he definitely did not like, or maybe he did, and no one had come to help them. Not Fox, not Red Ear - not even Elwood had showed up to coem check out what had happened. And somehow, Trick was okay with that. At least he could not flee his fears anymore now.

He let out a relieved sigh as she said she was okay, but soon straightened himself out and tried looking himself over. I'm sure. He mumbled as he tried to move a little, but moving was not really a good idea here. With his head he hit the side of the pit, glaring at it angrily as he continued. He let out another sigh. Why do you even bother with me anymore? He asked in a rumbling tone, licking his one paw that had gotten the most damage. 

I am a genius, not a magician. He rumbled. Of course he had no idea how to get out of here, and part of him wanted this to last. He felt comfort in being trapped. Soon though, the concerned head of Red Ear was leaning over the edge. Trick raised a brow. Great. We're fine. He rumbled a little louder to Red Ear, not pleased with needing to be rescued from a damned pit.

When the warning of Red Ear rang through the air, Trick's instinct brought him closer to Raven so he could cover her if she had not heard him soon enough, closing his own eyes to expect sand to go ABSOLUTELY FUCKING EVERYWHERE.

Before she had a chance to make good on her suggestion or reply to Trick's moody remarks, a face appeared above. Raven felt a rush of relief when she saw Kaizer. Talk about a sight for sore eyes. Nearly as quickly as he came, he disappeared again, only to return a short while later with a sturdy branch. Instead of dangling it down for the two of them to grab, he warned them that he needed to dig at the pit's edge to make his plan more workable.

Raven didn't get an opportunity to react before Trick shielded her with his body. She crouched, staring up at his chin. You're giving me whiplash, she thought, lips pressed together as she squeezed her yellow eyes shut, waiting for the onslaught.

Kaizer's tactic was to create a small incline so that the side of the hole wouldn't put as much pressure on the stick and bid it to snap before he could expel his packmates from their confines. He had either suffered through a similar predicament before, or simply thought that quickly, but either way he seemed to know what he was doing.

He started shoveling in at the soft side of their trap, showering the captives with dirt and pebbles loosed by his almost frantically driving claws. Once he had made a slope satisfying enough, he grabbed the branch and draped himself carefully against the low incline. "A'rrite -- wun atta time," he growled through the clamp of his teeth, clearly having no real concept of "ladies first," as he angled his head to turn the other end of the stick to them.

He was too far in to retreat now as Raven crouched and prepared for the dirt to cover them, and he closed his bright green eyes. As Red Ear dug, of course Trick felt irritated. It was something for Raven to be the damsel is distress, but not him. Plus, Red Ear had not even shown respect the first time or so that they had "spoken" to each other, though Trick was sure he had been looking for something more than just talking. One pebble hit Trick right between the eyes, even though he had turned his head away. Just my luck, even the voice in his head was now rumbling.

As the dirt shower stopped, Trick carefully blinked his eyes open again, removing (as far as that could) himself from the dame as he looked up to see the branch Red Ear had found dangling for anyone to grab - Trick, however, had a manners. He turned to Raven with a cynical smirk. Ladies first. He rumbled, leaving no room to argue as he made place for her.

Mostly because of her makeshift shield, Raven didn't find the dirt shower too bad. It did make her sneeze once, though, which caused her body to flinch against Trick's. By the time she collected herself and staved off a second sneeze, Kaizer was ready for one of them to grasp the branch. She glanced at it, her yellow eyes sliding sideways when Trick urged her to go first.

She didn't argue or say anything at all. She simply opened her mouth and took hold of the proffered stick, holding on tightly. "'Eady!" she called out to Kaizer, then braced herself, coiled hindquarters brushing against her pack mate.

As he felt a new heft to the branch when Raven clamped down firmly onto the tool meant to save them from perpetual pit-living, Bluesummer adjusted his own grip tightly and began to pull. The soft soil started to give with their combined weight, his feet sinking into the ground like quicksand, but the wolf was strong enough to pluck his feet out of the pliable loam as he continued to train backwards and tow his packmate with him.

The branch held better than the ground seemed to, but it bowed and curved anyway as wood tends to do, fortunately remaining intact until Kaizer had hoisted the first pit-victim out of the hole.

Trick witched Red Ear pulling Raven out of the pit with more effort than he would probably lift Trick out, and saw the dangerous bend of the branch. For a moment, Trick thought it might have been a better idea to go first since his tiny frame would not put much weight on the branch - but luckily it was still usable when Raven was out. Trick sighed and walked toward the wall of the pit.

He stretched his neck, but was too small at first to reach - so he placed his paws on the side and gave himself a boost. He clamped his jaws shut around the branch. Got i'. He tried to speak, but hopefully the sounds he was making were enough of a sign as well. 

In a matter of seconds, Raven was freed from the earthen cell. She let go of the stick so that Kaizer could reuse it to help Trick while slithering away from the edge of the pit. She gave herself a once-over, then pushed herself into an upright position. Drawing in steady breaths of the open air, she turned and stood beside Kaizer, ready to offer help in case they needed what little strength she could add to the equation.

Dutifully, he was quick to readjust his grip on the released branch, glancing Raven up and down with a concerned eye before jotting back to the edge of the pit and lowering the stick once more. He didn't need help— or rather, didn't ask for it— and soon, using the same technique as before, Trick was too freed from their unfriendly, doom-laden pit. Just in time, because as Kaizer released the branch last, he realized that it had earned itself a permanent bend to its dead texture, and would have snapped if he had taken any longer to pull either one of them out.

Shaking himself, he looked over his male pack mate, remembering unpleasantly when he had been stricken by Fox's heat and had wanted to mount the little devil. Kaizer licked his chops, turning a thoughtful look unto Raven. He didn't seem to be looking for a thanks or anything— in fact, he was already angling himself back towards the caldera. "Careful next time," he mumbled dismissively, taking up a steady trot back the way he had come, unconcerned with whether they followed him back or not.

Last post from me :)

Okay, so, MAYBE Red Ear was a good guy. But that did not make his actions in the past any better. When he was finally out the hole, the other male seemed determined to go as fast as he had came. It was weird, really, that he did not ask for anything in return - Trick would have, in a joking manner. But there was a lot that Trick did not know, even if he didn't act like it.

See you around. He said to both Raven and Red Ear, giving a wink to the lady before turning to leave too. An eventful day - but a nice one? That was debatable. 

Within moments, Raven stood alone. She meant to go after Trick and ask him if he wanted her to give him a quick checkup. But she remained rooted to the spot, yellow eyes trailing over the pit. She shrugged lightly. Maybe she would find him later. Certainly she intended to catch up with Kaizer and thank him. Perhaps she might even catch him some game to show her gratitude.

She, too, meandered off into the fog. Raven almost walked back to the caldera but remembered her earlier task and continued scouting through Haunted Wood.