Within a small clearing, they stood. The stones. Smooth pillars of copper granite birthed from the ground ages ago though no plant life grew within the perfect circle they made. Reaching only twelve feet into the air, they were like stoic sentries protecting the condensed magic that blossomed within, dampening the nearby ley lines like a vacuum.
Wood nymphs and other inhabitants gathered during solstices with offerings of honey and flowers from the vines that bloomed nearby. Pure water was gathered from the pristine pool and used to anoint runes and symbols upon the stones to further direct magical energy outwards in protective defense of all those walked above the massive root system that connected the trees to one another.
The Dance protected the small female when she first arrived... fell. Falling so far and so fast from the airship that if the energy ball of magic hadn't been within the center of the stones, her body would have impacted the earth at terminal velocity surely shattering every bone and snuffing the life right out of her. But, instead, the energy coalesced around the creature to soften the descent leaving her with only a fractured arm and severe concussion.
Darkness did not deter the whispers from coming through though the voices were hushed and gentle, near inaudible like fighting parents not wanting their children to overhear. Once the moon began to rise high into the night and the nocturnal beings roused from slumber, the rhythm of the Grove changed and fluxed going from a symphony of percussion and brass to more soothing strings and woodwinds. It was the whispers that brought Sile around. The tempered volume that drew her to a serene consciousness instead of a startled awakening.
Green eyes blinked awake to a plethora of strange, beautiful faces that oddly frightened the pain addled feline into blacking out once again. Childish expressions and joyful giggling twittered forth. “It can’t fly? It fell!” “New!” “What is it? Check! One of us?” “She can be one of us soon!” “It came from the sky but has no wings?” “The circle protected her, she must be special!” The Grove responded to the nymphs with their ever present telepathic link, “Let her rest children. We will take care of her.”
Moon flowers had been plucked and blanketed the hybrid feline like snow while delicate roots emerged from the rich soil below Sile’s body, cradling her petite form. Nourishing vines complete with tiny leaves twined around the broken arm and skull. Pain diminished. Swelling reduced and in time, the bones knit all while the Grove kept Sile asleep. Once the plants relinquished their hold, she woke outside of The Dance. Close enough to feel the humming vibrations but unsure of what it was.
“Hello? Anyone there?” Sile rasped, her throat dry and strained. “Anyone?” Another whisper crept out but gained no response. For the second time in her life she was alone. In a strange wood.
Wood nymphs and other inhabitants gathered during solstices with offerings of honey and flowers from the vines that bloomed nearby. Pure water was gathered from the pristine pool and used to anoint runes and symbols upon the stones to further direct magical energy outwards in protective defense of all those walked above the massive root system that connected the trees to one another.
The Dance protected the small female when she first arrived... fell. Falling so far and so fast from the airship that if the energy ball of magic hadn't been within the center of the stones, her body would have impacted the earth at terminal velocity surely shattering every bone and snuffing the life right out of her. But, instead, the energy coalesced around the creature to soften the descent leaving her with only a fractured arm and severe concussion.
Darkness did not deter the whispers from coming through though the voices were hushed and gentle, near inaudible like fighting parents not wanting their children to overhear. Once the moon began to rise high into the night and the nocturnal beings roused from slumber, the rhythm of the Grove changed and fluxed going from a symphony of percussion and brass to more soothing strings and woodwinds. It was the whispers that brought Sile around. The tempered volume that drew her to a serene consciousness instead of a startled awakening.
Green eyes blinked awake to a plethora of strange, beautiful faces that oddly frightened the pain addled feline into blacking out once again. Childish expressions and joyful giggling twittered forth. “It can’t fly? It fell!” “New!” “What is it? Check! One of us?” “She can be one of us soon!” “It came from the sky but has no wings?” “The circle protected her, she must be special!” The Grove responded to the nymphs with their ever present telepathic link, “Let her rest children. We will take care of her.”
Moon flowers had been plucked and blanketed the hybrid feline like snow while delicate roots emerged from the rich soil below Sile’s body, cradling her petite form. Nourishing vines complete with tiny leaves twined around the broken arm and skull. Pain diminished. Swelling reduced and in time, the bones knit all while the Grove kept Sile asleep. Once the plants relinquished their hold, she woke outside of The Dance. Close enough to feel the humming vibrations but unsure of what it was.
“Hello? Anyone there?” Sile rasped, her throat dry and strained. “Anyone?” Another whisper crept out but gained no response. For the second time in her life she was alone. In a strange wood.
The ripples of excited gossiping fae reached out across the network of the Grove, mostly whispers easily ignored by any denizen who chose to, and lapped at the shoreline of Radmut's conscience. It tugged at her curiosity and pulled the beast away from the rounds she made so consistently around the forest territory bordering the railroad and Cheyenne.
With no urgency to the whispers there was no rush to get to the scene, each step measured gracefully despite appearing to be a rather ungainly creature. The mutant reached the clearing and wove between the stones just as the Grove was withdrawing its veil of sleep from the woman and settled on the edge of the forest outside of it as she awoke. A beast of green and brown, looking strangely unthreatening thanks to the influence of the trees in this area despite all her rough edges.
In a deep rumbling voice, like a storm far off in the horizon, she spoke.
"Here, you are never really alone."
With no urgency to the whispers there was no rush to get to the scene, each step measured gracefully despite appearing to be a rather ungainly creature. The mutant reached the clearing and wove between the stones just as the Grove was withdrawing its veil of sleep from the woman and settled on the edge of the forest outside of it as she awoke. A beast of green and brown, looking strangely unthreatening thanks to the influence of the trees in this area despite all her rough edges.
In a deep rumbling voice, like a storm far off in the horizon, she spoke.
"Here, you are never really alone."
The Dance's power would vibrate along Radmut's very being in a constant push and pull of natural energies that would strengthen the growth of plant matter along her frame. Tiny blossoms would furl outwards, releasing heady scents of jasmine before retreating back again as if they had never woken at all.
Sile's massive ears would shudder and flex, able to hear the voices but instead of the sweet harmony that the woods sang, it was a cacophony to the newcomer even though only the dredges of her concussion lingered. The feline rose to her feet in sudden awareness of how little she wore. A large male's jacket was all that kept her modesty and she made sure to secure the silver buttons, fingers shaking until the beast's voice thundered, causing a high pitched yelp of fright.
Hands dove into pockets laden with tools, baubles, and bits of paper; the lass trying to find a ready weapon and finding a large five pound crescent wrench to wield. "One can be alone even in a crowded room." Voice shook, trembling like a small kitten.
Sile's massive ears would shudder and flex, able to hear the voices but instead of the sweet harmony that the woods sang, it was a cacophony to the newcomer even though only the dredges of her concussion lingered. The feline rose to her feet in sudden awareness of how little she wore. A large male's jacket was all that kept her modesty and she made sure to secure the silver buttons, fingers shaking until the beast's voice thundered, causing a high pitched yelp of fright.
Hands dove into pockets laden with tools, baubles, and bits of paper; the lass trying to find a ready weapon and finding a large five pound crescent wrench to wield. "One can be alone even in a crowded room." Voice shook, trembling like a small kitten.
Radmut watched as the woman startled, glowing golden eyes drinking in her pose and mannerisms, as well as the heavy weapon. Then, slowly, almost lazily, the beast stood by pulling herself up from the shoulders, hips hardly off the ground before careening forward in a winding path. An attempt to continue to portray herself as no threat to Sile. In fact, she mimicked the gait of an old lethargic farm dog.
The only thing that did not follow the slow beat was her ears which spun and danced and sorted out all of the strains of conversation in the forest.
"Not here."
Her head canted to the side as she took up a position just outside of the wrench's reach and heavily plopped her lower half to the ground, propped up by strangely lengthened forelimbs that let the monster twist her upper body skyward. She studied a few overreaching branches as if there was some sort of delicious tidbit just out of reach. "They said you came from the sky." It was not a question, but she waited with anticipation for some sort of reply.
The only thing that did not follow the slow beat was her ears which spun and danced and sorted out all of the strains of conversation in the forest.
"Not here."
Her head canted to the side as she took up a position just outside of the wrench's reach and heavily plopped her lower half to the ground, propped up by strangely lengthened forelimbs that let the monster twist her upper body skyward. She studied a few overreaching branches as if there was some sort of delicious tidbit just out of reach. "They said you came from the sky." It was not a question, but she waited with anticipation for some sort of reply.
Sile's massive, overly fluffy ears swept back and forth rapidly, trying to listen to the sparse words given to her while keeping caution on the whispering din that like white noise in her mind causing further upset. Tail bristled, increasing in volume to nearly twice her own body width as it swept to and fro in a hasty blur. Bitterness rose briefly in want to have the same easiness the creature portrayed but the knot of anxiety kept tightly clamped in her abdomen.
Hybrid took several timid steps backwards, gold flecked irises but a thin shimmering ring, pupils remaining dilated. Her grip on the wrench was sweat slicked, knuckles starting to ache from the tight hold but relaxed some with the easy statement giving her an opening. "I'll... I'll tell you if you can get them to stop talking. Stop, stop!" Even as she plead, the chorus crescendoed to a near deafening roar causing her to drop the tool and clamp both hands over her ears though it had no effect.
Hybrid took several timid steps backwards, gold flecked irises but a thin shimmering ring, pupils remaining dilated. Her grip on the wrench was sweat slicked, knuckles starting to ache from the tight hold but relaxed some with the easy statement giving her an opening. "I'll... I'll tell you if you can get them to stop talking. Stop, stop!" Even as she plead, the chorus crescendoed to a near deafening roar causing her to drop the tool and clamp both hands over her ears though it had no effect.
A pity swelled up from the beast's gut as she leapt from her seated position, coming to land just beside the girl. Elongated talons hit the earth first, and though her physical body was stopped by the force and continued on to curl possessively around the girl, something more spiritual continued on into the roots of the Grove's Network. It was something she had never tried before, and the effort it took to force an effect on her surroundings was obvious in the contorted muscles across her snout and arched spine. She managed to grimace though an open jaw, tongue lolling out to cool a body that had limited sweat glands.
Sile's reaction had tugged dangerously on the beast's empathy and protective nature. Radmut pushed through the network with a resounding shockwave of a bark that rolled into a thunderous roar that seemed just too big for her physical body. However, Sile would only hear the echoes: the force pushed back the chitter of the Grove's denizens and whispers of the trees to create a sort of miniscule bubble of solitude. No bigger than Radmut herself, but with the feline fixed at the center pivot.
It was a feat, judging by the expression on Radmut's face afterwards. The mutant hardly ever used the connection with the Grove for anything besides receiving messages or supplement her diet. So there she stood in shock, chest housing great lungs heaving from the effort to such a tiny thing.
Sile's reaction had tugged dangerously on the beast's empathy and protective nature. Radmut pushed through the network with a resounding shockwave of a bark that rolled into a thunderous roar that seemed just too big for her physical body. However, Sile would only hear the echoes: the force pushed back the chitter of the Grove's denizens and whispers of the trees to create a sort of miniscule bubble of solitude. No bigger than Radmut herself, but with the feline fixed at the center pivot.
It was a feat, judging by the expression on Radmut's face afterwards. The mutant hardly ever used the connection with the Grove for anything besides receiving messages or supplement her diet. So there she stood in shock, chest housing great lungs heaving from the effort to such a tiny thing.