Ah, the Wonders of Between… (Crevy and Crevesk)

[antinanco]

It was a quiet night, quiet enough to make the soft pop of something coming out from between audible over the slight breeze that brushed the long grasses of the field.

A bulky, mutated figure blinked into view, gliding on stubby wings for a few feet before landing. Part of the shadow detached from the whole and it became apparent that one was actually two: man and wher. What they were doing on a field just outside of Selenitas Hold’s farming fields was still up for debate, though, especially since the Hold had no male wherhandlers.

The pair had landed on the top of the rolling hills, the height a necessity for betweening, but now they moved into the dip of the curved mounds to make an attempt at remaining hidden.

Rinnel remembered this spot. He and Ieoha had camped here many turns ago before finding the Hold. From there his life had only gotten better, eventually moving to Selenitas Weyr and settling down into a normal, abet boring, lifestyle. This spot marked the beginning of his entrance to Southern civilization. It only seemed fitting that he returned to it to mourn the passing of Shmee, who had ushered in that era that he had developed into.

While her handled plopped down onto the earth and lay quietly, Risk stood at attention next to him. Since whers were territorial, she was doubly on edge: once because she had left her territory and twice because she had entered another wher’s territory. She scented the wind, trying to pick up any identifying smell. But it held no answers for her. Either the wher was downwind, a horrible quirk, or there was no wher, a lucky fluke. Her bulging muscles relaxed just enough to let Rinnel meditate without any shared feelings of anxiety.

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[dragon]

The pop of something emerging from between snatched Crevesk's attention in a hurry. Lifting her head from where it had been resting on her crossed forelegs, she turned her head. Inhaling, she could smell the other wher ... it was definitely not one that she recognized. And it was awfully close to her herd.

If it was thinking of stealing some of her animals to eat, it was in for a world of hurt! Turning her attention back to where hers was busily braiding grass together into a long snake, dotted with random pretty stones, she rumbled ever so softly. They were no longer alone.

Crevy's head shot up, and she looked around. "Really? Where?" She asked. She spent so much time alone that it wasn't funny, and was eager to see anyone that would come around. Anyone at all was better than nobody. Scrambling to her feet, she looked to her wher again. "Take me."

Crevesk sighed ... that wasn't what she had meant, but oh well. She remained as she was, as Crevy slid aboard. Then she rose to her feet and started trotting upwind, toward the strange wher she had heard and scented.

Cresting the last hill, Crevesk lifted both of her stunted wings high, and trumpeted a challenge. And then hard on the heels of that cry, came a distinctly human one. "Ahoy, there! Who're you?!" Crevy called, looking down on the wher and handler. She, too, did not recognise the wher ... or the form that was plopped next to it. Though the lighting wasn't the best ... it was night after all ... she guessed that the wher was another green. Not surprising, really ... greens outnumbered all the other colors put together, regardless of species.

Sliding off of Crevesk's shoulders, she walked down the hill toward them, with her wher hot on her heels. Crevesk didn't trust either of the newcomers, and was completely tense: a stark contrast to the relaxed, easy movements of Crevy. The girl was far too open and trusting, in her Wher's opinion.

Crevesk was a bloodthirsty wher ... in the hold she was known for her ruthless protection bent. She was not above slaying anything, and she had the scars to prove it.

[antinanco]

At the sound of a challenging bugle, Risk immediately stepped over Rinnel’s prone form and bugled a low friendly, if not defensive, reply. She had had her own share of fighting long ago up North, but time and an easy life had softened her fighting edge. It was in her best interest to avoid a fight, despite the fact that she was trespassing on the other’s territory, an unjustifiable offense.

Meanwhile, Rinnel was almost completely oblivious to the danger. “Wassit?” he grumbled as he crept to his feet. The wher responded with a heavy huff and an anxious shake of her head not unlike a wet dog’s. Not Selenitas Handlers, but then again, that was pretty obvious.

“I could ask the same thing of you!” the greenhandler cried in response to the inquiry, “But then your wher would probably have a good ole’ time with us. And as pretty as she is-“ Conspicuous cough. “-I’m here for business, not pleasure. I am Rinnel, green wherhandler from Selenitas Weyr, son of bronzerider J’ral and Weyrsinger Kelivan from Benden… and this is Risk.” He jerked a thumb at the green, who twitched in response. The entire introduction was dripping with bitter sarcasm, especially the over pompous interdiction. He wasn’t doing it to be funny; he was just in a really, really bad mood. His movements were nearly as jerky as his green’s.

“Now if you’d kindly give us a single moment of peace, we’ll be on our way and you can go back to watching your wherries or whatever riveting task you, like every shelling handler, are always assigned to.” Rinnel almost spit on the ground, but figured he was already on thin ice with that little tirade. As much comfort as the quivering bulk of muscle next to him gave, he had no intentions of getting anything more than a bloody nose tonight.

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[dragon]

Crevy's mood got a lot darker all of a sudden, as she listened to the snarky comments coming from the fellow ... yes, distinctly a fellow ... down there. Normally a bright and cheerful person, she was really taking exception to this kind of thing.

It sounded distinctly to her that he was peeving over being bonded to a Wher. And that was just wrong, in her oppinion. It was amazing his Wher was caring about him at all! And then all the rest of that ... totally uncalled for.

Though the name drop of 'Benden' gave her pause of alarm, and Crevesk growled deeper, with new meaning.

Spies? Attackers? Scout party? Who was this twerp?! Crevy crossed her arms over her chest, as she scanned the surrounding area with her eyes breifly. She didn't see anyone else ... but then she was not a Wher, either. Before she could even blink, Crevesk was off and moving. Suspicion from hers was all she needed to launch into action. Barreling down the incline, to a startled shout from Crevy, Crevesk drowned out her handler with a thunderous roar of her own.

The over protective and very violent minded wher plowed straight into Risk, doing her level best to knock the other wher over. Scooting past the wall of moving flesh, Crevesk tried to snatch Rinnel up in her jaws, and scoot away again, quick as a striking tunnelsnake. Unfortunately for Rinnel she missed. Her lower teeth snagged his arm instead of his midsection, and the jagged weapon punctured into the meat of it and ripped a wide slash through the meat, leaving his side drenched in blood and his arm exploding in pain - it had by no means been a neat slash. He had been ripped as much as cut by the tooth.

Growling darkly at her lack of a successful grab - and emboldened by the hot, metalic taste of human blood, she struck again, even as she continued to barrel on past. She lashed out with her tail instead, intending to know Rinnel down to the ground, and possibly break his leg at the knee.

Once past, Crevesk rounded again, and leapt at Risk, trying to land on the other Wher's back. She dropped her jaws open wide, roaring thunderously as she lunged for the back of the other green's neck. If she could get her teeth in that ... Risk would be hers.

"NO!!!" Crevy shouted, running forward, toward the bloody scene. "Crevesk! Stopp!!!" She shouted. "LOOK OUT!!" She fairly screamed, as she saw the wher lunging at the back of Risk's neck. She had seen Crevesk kill before. She knew that her wher would not bluff. She was the real thing, and would not pause at killing one of her own kind.

(((Anything need tweaking, poke me! )))

[antinanco]

Rinnel cried out as his arm was effectively ripped to shreds, echoed by his wher as she was knocked off balance. At the explosion of pain, his body jerked instinctively and he clutched at his wound. The fact that he was drenched with blood didn’t even register.

Then the blood-thirsty wher came back for seconds. Thankfully Rinnel had gone limp after the initial shock, so he rolled with the force of the tail, tumbling roughly away from the wher’s rampaging talons. This involuntarily movement, however, managed to send clods of dirt driving deep into his wound. Biting back a sharp cry, he curled into the fetal position and waited for the end to come.

It didn’t. Though Crevesk rounded again, this time it was for Risk. And now she was ready, injected with a massive shot of adreline from the shared pain.

Rapidly she ducked out from under the other’s leap, but not quickly enough for her tail to avoid Crevesk’s claws, which dug into the meaty appendage. Risk hastily yanked it away, only to rip two long slashes in her flesh. A roar of pain and defiance ripped through the air. Now her own grey-green ichor splattered the ground and mixed with Rinnel’s blood, a pure red that perfectly matched the shade of her beady eyes.

Her turn.
Risk turned to Crevesk, her stance wide and sturdy, her breathing shallow and quick, her tail still dripping with ichor. Bellowing a deep-throated battle cry, she rushed the other green and attempted to rear up on her side, digging her claws into her rib cage. If she did, then the next step would be to sink her teeth into her wing, jerk her head back and rip it out of the socket. If she didn’t, then at best she’d try to knock Crevesk off balance, giving her an opportunity to go for a leg.

“Get your sharding wher under control!” came a horse scream from the now-shirtless Rinnel, who had managed to climb into a sitting position and attempting to dress his wounds with the torn rags of his tunic. His bandaging was a messy job at best since his hands were shaking from pain and shock, but it was enough to keep him from bleeding to death. Wincing with every muscle in his face, he tightened the bandage and attempted to tie a knot. The task was difficult enough with only one hand, nevermind the fact that that one hand was slippery from being blood-soaked and still shaking. Needless to say, he couldn’t do it.

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[dragon]

Enraged at only having caught a tail ... a tail! ... Crevesk roared again, trying to chase Risk down and catch her properly. But it was not to be so ... Risk was coming at her, in turn. Ah! A fight worth participating in!! Crevesk was more than willing to leap into battle with the other wher, and tear her to ribbons.

Or, so she thought. The blow in her side made her ribs groan and creak, and feel like they ought to have been broken just then. Losing her balance, she flailed for a moment before thudding heavily onto the hard packed ground, barely missing landing on Rinnel again. She flailed there, too, thrashing limbs and tail churning the area around him but miraculously never striking him.

"Crevesk! Stop! This instant!" Crevy yelled, from half way down the hill. She was going to kill them, she just knew it. If she couldn't get her battle-happy wher called down... "NOW!!" She continued to hurry down the rather steep incline of a hill. "Are you okay?!" She called, as she sensed her wher starting to listen to her.

But still on the ground and flailing randomly, Crevesk kicked out at Risk to get the other wher away from her, and then scrambled back to her feet, backing away. She swung her rump around quickly, so that she backed toward Crevy instead of in another direction, intent on making sure hers was safe from that Benden wher.

Crevy scooted past the swaying rump of her own wher, ducked underneath her belly, and scooted to a halt next to Rinnel to help him fasten the bandage around his arm. "Are you okay?" She repeated, in a more sane volume, even as Crevesk hovered nearby and continued to snarl at Risk dangerously.

For now, she was not actively attacking. But if something happened, it wouldn't take much to tip her back into her crazed blood lust.

[antinanco]

The green wher barked as one of other green wher’s green kicks greenly lashed green out agreenainst her green hind green leg greenly. Though it was only a glancing blow and did not draw blood, it was enough to send her to the side to avoid the other’s flailing.

Once Crevesk backed off, Risk was all over Rinnel like he was Benden White at a wine-less Gather, nuzzling him and curling her body around him and even possessively mouthing him. None would have her handsome but her! He was hers! But her handsome pushed her back mentally with a fair amount of concentration that made him grimace again, a trick he had only gained after six turns of practice. Three turns too many, in his opinion, since he had arrive on the Southern Continent. But apparently things never changed, he thought bitterly, especially with Shmee’s passing.

“I don’t know. Does getting your arm ripped to sharding shreads by a green wher sound okay to you?” Rinnel spat as she fixed his wounds, pouring his biting, sarcastic anger into any source available. “Shells!” Another paroxysm of pain came and his hand clenched spastically. “Br Faranth, if this hurts my hand permanently I’ll, I’ll…”

Rinnel tried to come up with a good threat, blankly staring into the nonexistent horizon for a moment, but he couldn’t think of anything truly useful that he did with that hand. His mood soured even further.

Grunting a command, he tore a piece of his pants with his good hand and passed it to Crevy. “Make a sling for me, will you? I need to get to a healer.”

Meanwhile Risk hover nearby as well, on the opposite side of the handlers as Crevesk was. She, however, kneeled down onto her front elbows as if bowing, waiting for her handsome knight to mount her and ride away from these two disgusting women. So what if she was bleeding? Whers were much hardier than humans, she would deal with it.

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[dragon]

Crevy hesitated, before taking the strip of pant leg. "Why are you here? Benden has no business here. And I think you well deserved to get your arm blasted, like that." She jabbed him in the chest with a stiff finger of the hand that was holding the rag. "Blasting in here uninvited like you did, unannounced, and then spouting off insults and some really rather not nice things to say?? Just who do you think you are, anyway, huh??" She snapped, before slapping him across the shoulder with his sling. "You're lucky I called her off!"

Crevesk growled dangerously again, mincing from foot to foot, at the tones coming from the two handlers. Things were definitely not freindly, and to her not friendly meant enemy. Enemies meant killing enemies. She didn't understand why Crevy was keeping such a tight hold on her, and not letting her kill them. They ought to be killed!! Enemies!

Grudgingly, Crevy finally tied the strip of material around his neck, and stuffed his arm into it - though she wasn't overly careful about doing it. She couldn't decide what to do about Rinnel, anyway. If he was Benden ... as he said he was ... and she aided him in any way... she could be implicated in assisting a Benden attack! And that was a bad thing in more ways than one. Even if no one knew. She'd know. Knowing that she could possibly be assisting the destruction of her home ... it was a hard thought to swallow.

She ought to just let Crevesk eat him.

But for some reason... some reason that she couldn't quite put a finger on, a feeling she couldn't understand ... she didn't. She didn't let Crevesk eat him, didn't let her send Risk between. For some reason, despite what he'd said, she suspected that he wasn't actually Benden. How, she didn't know. But for that alone, she didn't let him die, and tied up his arm for him.

"Where are you going to go to find a healer? They're all asleep, this time of day." She said, with a little bit of a softer tone.

[antinanco]

“Wha—jays, woman! I said I work at Selenitas Weyr! Did you not hear me, were you too busy sending your wher after m—ow!” Rinnel grabbed the finger she jabbed him with and fixed a stern look at the other greenhandler. “Just ‘cause I’m from the North doesn’t mean I ally with them. If anything you should pity me for having to even put up with those bastards my entire childhood!”

“Ow-ow! Easy!” he growled, twitching uncomfortably as Crevy roughly fashioned a sling for his arm.

“Tch. We can go back to Selenitas, I know there’s a healer with a wher—she’ll be on duty right about now.” He neglected to mention how the healer he was talking about had a wher who had recently chased Risk, which had reduced her to a quivering pile of nothing. Plus, Risk hadn’t even chosen her wher anyway. A sinking feeling in his stomach made Rinnel think that she wasn’t going to be the most gentle healer, if he even made the journey back between. But unless Crevy knew a healer off hand, that was the only option.

“And you’re coming with me, to make sure I don’t pass out after ‘blasting’ out of between. I dunno how well I’ll hold up with all this blood loss, nevermind with that unbearable cold. So if I pass out, the least you could do is get me to the Infirmary.”

Now Rinnel slowly and painfully hoisted himself to his feet. Once in a standing position, he swayed from side to side, getting dangerously close to falling over. “Head’s light,” he murmured, holding his good hand to his forehead. Thankfully Risk moved for him, instantly by his side and again offering herself as a mount with a low croon of concern.

After a moment of rather pathetic struggling to get on his wher, the handler turned to the other. “Little help? You can hop on too, unless you want to take that blood thirsty thing.” Though his words spat venom, his tone was consistently getting weaker and meaker, eventually gaining a tired, aged quality. Rinnel needed to get to a Healer, fast, but he couldn’t do it by himself.

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[dragon]

"Selenitas??" She asked. "Oh ... I'm sorry. I never heard you say that. I am not even sure you said that, actually. You know ... going around spouting the name Benden in conjunction with your own name is not a good way to go about life ... she might not have attacked you like that, if you hadn't. She's ... well ... she's big into the defending thing. When you associated yourself with Benden, you painted yourself as an enemy to her." She pointed out. And with Crevy's understanding of what was going on, Crevesk calmed right down again.

"Yes .. yes ... I'll take you. Um ... not on your wher, though. She's ... well ... just ... come here." She finished, finally, without ever really completing the thought. And with that, she pulled Rinnel over to Crevesk, careful to support him through the walk. He looked really ... wobbly. And with that, she boosted him up onto Crevesk's sturdy, thick shoulders, and then clambered up after him. Wrapping one long arm around his middle to make sure he stayed on, she nudged Crevesk's mind, as to where they wanted to go.

"You'll have to follow!" She said, to Risk, before Crevesk took off running up the hill again. Her thick muscles launched her forward with every stride, making for a rather jerking but quite powerful, speedy ride up the hill. At the top, she jumped with all the energy she could harness. Spreading her dimunitive wings, she arced into the air, and vanished between directly.

~~~

At Selenitas, Crevesk appeared again from between. She pulled her wings forward, stretching the membranes tight to catch as much air as they could, to cushion the landing end of that leap. The landing was jolting, with that much mass crashing down onto two front legs. But Crevesk transfered much of that energy into forward momentum, shifting straight from a landing into a forward run.

She issued a bellow, announcing to any other whers in the area that she was there. So that they would know that she wasn't trying to sneak in on thier territory. And without pausing a step, she reached out to Risk's mind, asking for directions to the infirmary. She had been to the Weyr before, but never to the infirmary.

[antinanco]

Rinnel didn’t have enough energy to argue who his mount was, even though right now he vehemently wished it was any animal other than Crevesk.

Too late—they were off, bounding up the hill, blinking into between, all too fast for the handler to gather his wits and tell Risk to follow. Instantly the bitter chill of between was biting into his wound. He tried to scream, but all the air from his lungs was wrenched out of him the second he opened his mouth.

As instantaneously as it had begun, it was over. The three popped out above the bank of the still dwindled river, Rinnel giving a strangled gasp from the shock and pain. How he had managed to stay conscious was a testament to his stubbornness and stupidity. Instinctively Rinnel looked down to his arm as he realized he could no longer feel it. From what he could tell, it didn’t look good; blood was seeping through the make-shift sling at a much faster rate now that they had aggravated it. Looking back up again, the greenhandler had just enough time to see the ground greeting him before his whole body jarred with impact. His head whip lashed, his tongue was bitten and if not for Crevy’s tight squeeze of thighs he would have been tossed off the mount.

Finally, everything went black.

---

Risk didn’t need to be told to follow. She was already right on Crevek’s tail, nearly landing on top of her as they arrived at the Weyr. But, squishing the other wher would mean squishing Rinnel too, so she resisted the urge to try to squash her nemesis.

As her handsome blacked out, the green snuffled at him worriedly, sticking her snout into his collapsed arms and nibbling his relaxed abs. He was still alive. They had time. Turning, the wher too bugled a welcome to her brethren, happy to be back home, but still her welcome had a much more urgent tone to it. If they were lucky, they’d come across Meisk before the Infirmary, so they could give the Healer a heads-up that they were coming. Either way, Risk took off across the bank, ordering Crevesk to follow with a heated snort. It wasn’t long before they were directly crosswise from the Main Hall boating dock, where plowed into the water and began paddling out.

Now all they needed to do was cross the river. It shouldn’t be too hard, since it was still dehydrated with drought, but keeping unconscious Rinnel from drowning was going to be a bit more difficult than usual.

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[dragon]

Thread moved to infirmary.