knowledge is power [sorcha]

[Royce Raider]

It was a bit after midday, and the autumn heralding clouds in the sky were just beginning to blot out the sun. Which Royce was thankful for, as he and his current tenderfoot company walked up to the Delica Park, in all its rusting glory. They were still making their way through the trees around it, however. The quiet barn owl shifter studied the ground through his sunglasses as he kept the rhythm of the tenderfoot walking behind him in the back of his head.

He was taking Sorcha out today to help feel out where her place in the ring should be, and as head of border patrol, it was kind of in his job description to do so. He had matured a considerable amount since taking up this title. He didn’t know if he liked it or not. He figured he was good for the job, though. He had been here considerably longer than most of the rest of his ring. He knew the expanse of the Menagerie like the back of his hand.

“How are you doing back there?” he called to the shifter that was not so far behind him, in his usual soft-spoken voice. He didn’t like to raise his voice a lot if he didn’t have to. It was a nuisance. He could see the line where the trees broke out into the clearing where the swingsets and other playground-esque things still stood. By now, the sun was not threatening as much pain to Royce’s eyes, so he pushed his sunglasses up on top of his messy layers of dark hair, and reached up with one hand to rub his already irritated eyes.

There was an odd scent in the air as the two got closer to the playground area, and Royce was slightly suspicious, because the scent seemed to be organic. But it definitely wasn’t any wildlife. He couldn’t place it. “I wonder what that is.” he mused out loud, more to himself than to the girl beside him. He swore that if there was some sort of attack or ambush waiting for them, he would just about give up. He knew he should have warned Sorcha that he had about the worst luck in the world.

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comment; once they get out into the area they can find the injured person; you can write that
words; 380
muse; 4/10

[SORCHA]

It had taken almost three years, but finally they’d had a talk with her. You are a part of this Ring, and you spend most of your time God knows where. It’s time you contributed. Simultaneously it had made her guilty and irritated. On one hand, for the most part Sorcha was self-sufficient. She rarely took rations and when she did she offered her help amongst the other ring members … she fed herself, took care of herself, and she was fine with that.

On the other hand she had taken up with the Ring in order to exist under their protection, and on more than one occasion had been either saved or sheltered by them. As a result, here she was sent out with this person, Royce. She knew very little about him other than that he was the head of Patrol.

It occurred to her that she had met but a few of her fellow Ring members, and most of them … were birds. Sully was a bird, and she was told Royce was a bird of some sort as well. Her inner feline stretched in excitement, but settled just as quickly. They were both raptors and she was a very small cat, in a battle of any sort she’d be the meal.

For this mission they were checking out their newer territory – Delcia Park, which she had been informed use to be middle territory before the Fulsi took over. They’d been walking for a while now. Royce was a bit strange, but so was everyone in the Menagerie. He wore goggles, and bright light seemed quite bothersome to him. Sorcha filled away each fact neatly in her mind for later reflection, for now she simply followed and did as she was asked.

Royce called back inquiring after how she was doing, and she made a noncommittal noise in response. She stopped for a second to shed a layer of clothing when he uttered something else. In the same moment, the scent hit her nose and she froze. Her head tilted as she sniffed the air, and her brow furrowed, yeah … what was that?

[Royce Raider]

Royce didn’t know how he felt about Sorcha just quite yet. From what he had observed and heard from others, she had been in the Menagerie for quite a long time, yet was still a tenderfoot. He didn’t know whether this was because the rest of the ring had something against her, or whether she was just useless. Which, Royce argued with himself, happened with some shifters. They just couldn’t hold their own very well. Sorcha didn’t seem like one of those.

It almost unnerved him that she was more quiet than even he was. When she made a mere noise of slight acknowledgement to his question of how she was doing, he blinked blankly back at her before continuing. The others that had assigned her to Royce didn’t seem to have a set opinion of her one way or the other. Perhaps it was because they didn’t have anything to base that opinion on.

Royce paused just inside the line of the trees, looking around the park in front of them and focusing on the scent that came to his nose. It was another person, yes, most likely a shifter. A small, warm breeze came by and brought another, better strain of the scent, and instantly, the barn owl shifter recognized it. “Blood.” he stated softly, taking a step forward out of the line of the trees and peeking around. His sensitive eyes would pick up any sign of movement just as it was happening. And it did.

“Over there.” he nodded in the direction of the movement, pausing to focus in his vision to assess from afar. It seemed to be another person, on the opposite side of the playground from them, down on the ground. Royce wasn’t close enough to smell a ring or shift on them but they were definitely injured… Even if they were Carna or something else hostile, they wouldn’t pose much of a threat. He knew that Delica Park itself was pretty close to Carna territory. There was a much larger chance that they were the ones who did this rather than them being the one injured.

There was a glance to the side to Sorcha, to communicate that they were going to get over there, before Royce lifted off of the ground an owl and soared silently over to the injured shifter. He had a good feeling that Sorcha would follow, but he wasn’t entirely sure. She should follow. His shifting was swift as he landed back down on the ground a man again, kneeling next to the injured one. From here, he could tell that this was definitely Fulsi. Royce’s detection of movement spotted the blood sources, which were several gouges to the shoulder (probably from claws), some smaller ones on the bottom of the torso, and a pretty badly torn up arm.

Royce wasn’t exactly sure what to do. He had no medical background, nor did he have a shift that was capable of carrying a body. Unless the shifter in front of him happened to have a small shift. “What happened?” he asked, his voice a bit more firm than usual, trying to get the injured shifter’s attention.

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comment; boop boop
words; 546
muse; 7/10

[SORCHA]

Blood.
Sorcha’s chin lifted slightly in concentration as she sampled the air again. Yes, she had smelled that but there was something else too. Royce eyed her, the silent communication that they were to head over there was clear, however when he shifted without warning it made the girl jump and shift as instantly as he did. Wide, blue-green eyes darted to the body across the playground and after a moment’s hesitation she was off. The wind hit just right, and in combination of the circling bird’s lack of warning (for she was sure he would have signaled if there were danger) and the scent of a fellow Fusli the black cat made short work of the distance.

Royce landed only a second before Sorcha shifted a few feet away back into the form of a girl, and she went to her knees beside the injured man. Pushing long dark hair from her way she went to work instantly, assuming Royce would be observant enough to know to stay from her way but help if she needed it. It was a reflection of the time she had spent on people – often Doctors lost sight of the people around them in favor of their patient. To them, the patient was more important than their helper’s feelings.

The girl went quickly to work. Pulling the scarf from her neck she pressed it to his arm and grabbed Royce’s hand. ”Pressure, keep firm pressure,” she instructed. Her face had acquired the stillness of concentration, her hands deft with competence as she ripped open the man’s shirt sleeve and carefully evaluated his injuries. Her eyes flashed to his torso and dismissed it just as quickly, for the scrapes were more cosmetic than anything.

Laying the arm carefully back down, Sorcha tilted his head to look in his eyes. He was pale with the loss of blood and his eyes fluttered with exhaustion. Sweat covered every inch of his body … suddenly the smell that had filtered through her feline nose hit her mind in realization: fear. As long as she’d been a shifted she’d had little help and was learning more about her feline shift constantly.

Gently, she checked him out. The blood-loss concerned her more than anything as well as infection. He was dehydrated and needed his arm splinted … what he needed was a healer. Sorcha’s eyes rose to Royce. ”We’re not going to get much out of him here, and he hasn’t been here more than a half-hour. There still could be things around,” The man gasped on the ground as he tried to move and Sorcha shifted around to rest his head in her lap with care.

Pulling a bottle from her side she slowly drizzled a small amount of water into his mouth that gaped like a fish. ”Shhh,” she whispered, fearful of anything hearing them. ”We’re here you help you. What’s your name?” She started with simple things, and he murmured something that sounded like ‘harlo’ and Sorcha instantly knew it was ‘Carlos’ and she smiled. ”We're going to get you home Carlos,” she said with weight and looked up at Royce.

”He’s lost a lot of blood, and needs more water, his temperature is running high and I need to set his arm, but … I’m not a vet. I can’t guarantee once he shifts that I’ll be able to help him – especially since I don’t know what he is,” the girl said quietly. It was that moment that the lesson of her earlier lecture sank in. I don’t know what he is. Maybe if she’d been around her Ring more, she’d know …

Pushing the distraction away she looked around. ”Did you see anyone around while you were up there?”

[Royce Raider]

Royce had barely noticed Sorcha following him over to the injured shifter, and when she was kneeling down next to the man like Royce was, he could tell that she meant business. He observed her as she went to work, quickly placing a scarf over the worst wound as if it were a second instinct. He was so intrigued that he nearly jumped at the sudden physical contact of Sorcha taking his hand and directing it, merely nodding in understanding at the command. If Sorcha knew exactly what she was doing, he was in no place to argue.

The barn owl shifter pressed a substantive amount down on the man’s arm, firm and unmoving as he continued to watch the girl next to him. She moved with practiced determination and obvious skill. Royce’s heart was beating quickly, and he realized he was afraid. It was a familiar feeling, but he still hated it. He hated not knowing what to do, but at least someone here did. His eyes were already on the woman when she looked back up at him. There still could be things around. His brow furrowed and he nodded again, looking up and past the line of the trees where they were at, his sensitive eyes waiting for any sign of movement. He scanned, but the only movement he picked up was a breeze running through the leaves of the trees. So in a fluid movement, he had stood and shifted, taking off up into the sky as an owl with small goggles.

He soared far above the trees and the playground, searching for movement in between the leaves. He cut through the air quicker than the average owl, and scanned over the thin border of territory between the Fulsi’s Delica Park and the beginning of the Carna’s lands. He didn’t see anyone. Perhaps if he was one of those shifters with the Keeper’s enhanced scent ability, he could tell better if there was anyone there. Royce headed back down and alighted next to Sorcha a man again.

Carlos, as the injured one had been named, was probably a Fulsi hunter. Royce watched Sorcha tend to him, like she had been doing this her entire life. And as far as Royce knew, perhaps she had. He listened intently to the status report she gave. The nearest fresh water was too far from here, and Royce didn’t know a lot about setting injured limbs. He understood the woman’s insecurities about tending to an animal rather than a human, but a human wasn’t portable. “If he has a small shift, I can carry him back.” he offered, kneeling back down beside them. “And you could just wrap him in your scarf like a sling.” Royce wasn’t opposed to being an owl delivery service for injured shifters, and even though the scarf was now soaked in blood, what was a little blood on the fur (or scales or feathers) if it would wash off?

He shook his head to Sorcha’s question. “It looks like we’re alone.” he responded. He rethought it for a second; the border situation, the location of Delica Park in relation to Carna territory, the state in which someone left this Fulsi. “It looks like a message.” he added idly. By the look of the shifter’s wounds, if the offender had wanted to kill him, they would have.

“Does he even have enough energy left to shift?” he asked skeptically. If he wasn’t regaining any energy soon, they had better get him to shift now if they were going to get him to shift at all. That way he would (have a chance to) be portable.

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comment; sorry, i couldn't think of anything else to do. definitely tell me if you want me to do/change anything else
words; 620
muse; 7/10

[SORCHA]

It was an uncommon moment when Sorcha regretted that her shift weren’t a larger animal, and this was one of them. Her mind generated and discarded idea after idea, and settled on the best option. She really didn’t want Carlos shifting, but it seemed they had to try.

Her hand cradled his jaw and gently turned his head to impress her need for his attention. Once his heavily lidded brown eyes settled on her, she spoke evenly and clearly.”Carlos? Are you smaller in your animal form than now?” - a yes or no question, easily answered. After only a second of hesitation the man swallowed hard and nodded.

Whether or not Carlos’s damaged state was a ‘message,’ whether or not there was a threat nearby, this man’s life was her only concern now. The corners of her mouth lifted sweetly in encouragement, a tender look a rare few had ever witnessed consuming her eyes. ”Good job. You need to shift. Once you do you can go to sleep,” his fearful expression caused her features to soften further and she leaned over to kiss his forehead gently. ”We will watch over you, I promise,” her tone brooked no protest or lack of confidence, and it was only a few minutes before the pained man shifted into the form of a small brown dog.

Every ounce of self-control slammed breaks on Sorcha shifting and bolting that instant. Never a fan of dogs, her alter shift was even less thrilled with them. I promise. Sorcha had always given her utmost effort not to break promises, and that would not change now. The brown dog that seemed some kind of terrier mix whined and Sorcha’s hand scratched his head in a wonderful act. ”Good boy. Sleep,” she commanded softly.

Once unconscious Sorcha took her scarf and immobilized the dogs leg as best she could, then stepped away to lock almost frightened eyes on Royce. ”Best I can do,” she said her voice almost a plea. Where before she had been confident, now one might think the harmless dog on the ground were a cobra. ”Can, can you please take him back home?”

[Royce Raider]

Royce continued to watch in slight amazement as the tenderfoot tended to the man before them. She was quite fantastic at this, anyone could clearly see that (if anyone were around to see). And Royce wished they would. From what he knew about Sorcha, she wasn’t all that interested in being all that active in the ring. But perhaps if she could do this... It looked like something she could do so naturally. And yes, Royce was curious as to how or why this seemed like second nature to her, but he really wasn’t one to go prying. At least not in a dire situation like this.

There was a relieved sigh released from the barn owl shifter at the affirmative answer that Carlos gave. They at least had that down. But smaller didn’t necessarily mean light enough for a barn owl to carry, so they just had to hope and pray that he was small enough. He nearly paused and thought about just who to pray to, but there were things happening before he had settled upon an answer. The owl’s curious gaze beheld the dog before him.

Carlos was small, yes, but he wasn’t quite what Royce had in mind. He had been hoping for another bird, at least. Something light. Or a small rodent of some sort. But the dog in front of him wasn’t too big, and with the right amount of speed upon takeoff, he could definitely carry it back (at least to someone else who could carry it the rest of the way).

Royce’s breath came quickly in anticipation of his daring feat, and he took a couple steps back as he watched Sorcha wrap the injured dog up in what would act as a sling; both to station the dog’s leg and for the owl to carry it. There was a millisecond of eye contact between the two still-conscious shifters before Royce was nodding a firm understanding. “I’ll be back.” he said, and then tilted his head a bit as if deliberating what he had just said. “Hopefully.” And then he was up in the air, a dainty barn owl, flying in the opposite direction he needed to go.

As he turned a wide circle in the air, he gained up what he thought to be a moderately high speed before he dipped down to snatch up the dog in the scarf like he would a rodent that he intended to eat. The dog was heavy; heavier than anything he was used to carrying, but he could definitely do it. He flew high over the trees of Delica Park with a silent wish for Sorcha to stay safe, and he was on his way.

His wings and lungs and feet were burning with the exertion of carrying this injured shifter by the time he actually reached anywhere that there would be medics. They received him well, and Royce explained to the best of his ability what had happened. He wanted to stay, watch the medics do what they do; maybe observe a few new tricks for tending to situations like these. But he had an obligation to return to the tenderfoot waiting on him, like he’d said he would. He stopped long enough to take a breather before he was off again, in the direction of Delica Park.

He made the trip back in a fraction of the time he had made it before, considering his speed and the fact that he was unencumbered by a satchel of injured shifter. Royce arrived unceremoniously to the place that he had left from, alighting as a man once again and turning his attentions to Sorcha, breathing heavily from the exertion of his flight. “I got him to safety, and to the medics.” he said, pulling down his sunglasses so that they were once again over his eyes. “I’m pretty sure he’ll be okay."

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comment; sorry that took so long
words; 670
muse; 7/10

[SORCHA]

Sorcha watched as he leapt to the air, then swooped and scooped his burden before disappearing over the tree tops. The breath she’d been holding was released in a gust of relief, and her whole body relaxed a touch more. The smell of dog hit her nose again, and she shot air through her nose and shook her head much as she would in her feline form. Ew... dog, she thought as if downwind from a trash barge.

Turning she realized quickly she had been indeed left to her own devices, and the second smell of old blood touched her senses. It was never good to linger where blood had been spilled. On instinct, the girl turned and began to walk towards the trees in the direction she had Royce had come only a short few minutes before … closer to safety whilst on her own was the best option, though she did not go out of sight of the park.

Picking a sturdy looking log she sat, pulling her knees to her chest to wait for Royce’s return. Though it was not cold her arms wrapped around herself, her hands rubbing at her arms as she looked about. The breeze shifted past her, pushing leaves across the forest floor in a light roar. Light sea-green eyes shifted here and there, trying to remember the last time she’d been this direction. It’d likely been when she’d run into East. It had been a while since she’d seen that crazy cheetah. The thought left as quickly as it had come, and she pulled a book from her pack to read while she waited.

Time eked by slowly, but thankfully it was not too long before white flashed in her vision above and Royce. He was quiet, and had Sorcha not been expecting him she’d never even noticed his flight over her head. She closed the book, and replaced it in her pack - then walked over to where Carlos had lain. Royce spoke of the injured shifter as his fingers repositioned his glasses, and a small polite smile spread Sorcha’s lips and she nodded.

She waited. What now? This was Royce’s mission, and she would take her cue from him. Would they go back? Continue on? Wait for more shifters as it seemed a bit of a precarious situation? What about the others that had been part of Carlos’s group? …. But no. None of these questions passed her lips, she only waited patiently for his next move.