(16:17:50 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: kneeling beside his pack, he opens it and draws forth the tarn-goad... the tarn flinches a bit as it sees the goad, its right wing instinctively flapping at the air, stirring up a small breeze... he steps away from the pack, ten or so paces from the bird, standing casually with the goad in his left hand, held low to his left side, still watching the tarn
(16:17:59 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: after several long moments, the tarn realizes that he is waiting for something... calming down noticeably, but still breathing heavily from exertion and exhaustion, the beast lowers its head toward the ground and begins to munch noisily on one of the dead larls, rending it apart with claws and beak before consuming its meat
(16:18:07 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: for the span of an hour, he stands there in the clearing, watching the tarn eat the larls, one after the other... it hesitates a moment at the third body, as if unsure whether it would deign to consume the shared kill, but hunger got the best of it, and before long the third larl was just a messy collection of bones, picked clean by the bird
(16:18:15 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: as the bird eats, he is able to examine it closely... he estimates its wingspan to be about 40' long... its feathers are the color of the desert, and it looks as if it had been spun whole from a sand dune... its beak and legs are golden, its talons ebony beneath the encasing steel... its chocolate brown eyes constantly steal glances at him as it eats... a broken harness is around its neck, but no saddle adorns its back... clearly it is a trained bird, not one of the wild tarns of the jungle, and far from its home
(16:18:22 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: the tarn finishes its meal, and settles back, as if waiting to see what will happen next... unable to fly due to the damage to its wing, its pain is evident, but it makes no move to escape the clearing into the deeper jungle
(16:18:29 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: taking a step forward, he flicks the goad ON with an audible hum, extending it slightly before him... the tarn flinches again, shuffling on its claws, but stays put... he steps forward again and flicks the goad back to OFF, advancing one step at a time, now within the claws' range... the bird knows enough not to challenge the holder of the goad, and he moves to the bird's side, taking a deep breath as he takes hold of the tarn's injured left wing with his right hand, gently encouraging the tarn to extend it
(16:18:37 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: with a whimper of pain, the towering bird unfurls its wing, extending it fully, still eyeing the goad... he takes a close look at the wound... clearly the mark of another tarn's claws... this tarn must have been amazingly resilient to have withstood this wound, escaped, and survived in the jungle this long without flight... the wound was perhaps four days old, and it was clear that the bird hadn't taken a moment's sleep in that time, fending off the predators of the forest in a desperate struggle to stay alive
(16:18:46 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: with a newfound respect for the tarn, he pulls his waterskin from his belt, uncorking it with his teeth and pouring the cool water over the injury, washing the dirt and grime from it lest it fester with infection... the bird flinches a little but holds begrudgingly still, beginning to sense that he was not intent on doing harm
(16:19:02 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: emptying the waterskin completely, he backs away until he reaches his pack, dragging it closer as he returns to the tarn... pulling his medical kit from the pack, he takes a deep breath... steeling himself, he sets the goad on the ground, needing both hands to work on the wound... if he has misjudged the tarn, or the tarn has misjudged him, he would have no chance to avoid those flashing claws, that hooked beak... but the tarn makes no move to attack him, even after the goad leaves his hands
(16:19:11 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: whispering soothingly to the creature, he pulls the largest needle he has from the kit and strings it... holding the rent caused by the claw closed, he pushes the needle through the thin flesh of the bird's wing, beginning to stitch the wound shut... the tarn never ceases to watch him with one chocolate eye, but holds its wing still, not making a sound as the needle pierces its skin again and again
(16:19:20 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: working quickly, he manages to get the wound closed, smearing some medical salve over it, the cool cream helping to dull the pain of the injury... repacking the medical kit, he returns it to his pack and pulls out the fresh leather harness... carefully he unhooks the tatters of the existing harness from around the bird's neck, then replaces it with his own
(16:19:30 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--in the jungle East of the Exchange Point--
to ALL
: seeing that the bird's energy is beginning to fade, he scoops up his pack, leaving the heavy saddle inside it... he picks up the goad in his left hand again and places his right hand on the four-strap at the beast's neck, using it as a lead to guide the bird to follow him, beginning a slow walk through the jungle towards the camp's tarn cots... fortunately, the clearing is near to the cots, hidden in the deep jungle
(16:19:41 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--a path that leads to the Merc's tarn base--
to ALL
: weaving his way over now-familiar ground, he leads the tarn to an unoccupied cot, then inside, through the gates of the large structure... the jungle foliage draped atop the building is designed to conceal it from prying eyes in the air above, and he's certain that he'll be able to care for the tarn uninterrupted while it heals
(16:20:37 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--an abandoned tarn-base, hidden in the East Jungle--
to ALL
: guides the tarn to a large perch, onto which it climbs, latching on with its talons... he secures the tarn's legs to the perch with the attached hobbles, drawing a worried look from the bird... a stern answering glance is enough to preempt any protest from the exhausted tarn
(16:20:48 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--an abandoned tarn-base, hidden in the East Jungle--
to ALL
: using his grip on the harness, he coaxes the tarn to lowers its head to his level, running his hand over its beak, then patting the feathers on the crown of its head... he smiles, seeing that the tarn has accepted his presence and his authority... he draws out the tarn hood from his pack, pausing a moment as he watches the bird's eyes, drooping half-closed with exhaustion
(16:20:55 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--an abandoned tarn-base, hidden in the East Jungle--
to ALL
: he had considered the question of what to call the beast from the moment he had it under his control... its mighty stature, resplendent wings, and powerful frame led him to recall a tale told to him by a desert nomad, of a fearsome wind that would often race across the desert, whipping up sand so violently that all creatures would be forced to run for shelter... as he looks over the light, sandy coloration of the tarn's feathers, he could not be more certain of his choice
(16:21:03 )
- The Blade's Edge -
Drax Kernien
Drax Kernien
† Mercenary †
PClaw, WM
--an abandoned tarn-base, hidden in the East Jungle--
to ALL
: he leans close and whispers softly to the tarn rest well, brave Sirocco... soon that wing will be whole again, and we'll fly out of this place together... sliding the hood over Sirocco's head, the jet-black fabric slipping easily past already-closed eyes, he feels his own exhaustion beginning to set in... returning to the cot's entrance, he closes the gates behind him, then finds a dark corner of the building to stretch out... with visions of his new tarn flashing through his dreams, he sleeps soundly through the night
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