Leaving the Camp Site

As the cowpig whispered into his ear, Shoe stared straight with a focused expression. What the cowpig had to say, Shoe very much had an interest in.Food.
"Hmm.."

Shoe took pride in knowing that he was the only one FlipFlop would let ride him willingly. Yet he didn't want to abandon Keomai on the ground, sensing how frightened she had become. He quickly scouped her up, and held onto her bridal style, as he climbed onto FlipFlop, sitting so his legs were on Flip's shoulders and out of the way of his wings. With Fawsew still planted firmly on his shoulder, he knew FlipFlop would atuomaticly follow Dog.

Since Arrow was a fairly large bird, he covered more ground with his long strides, even if he was just walking. He kept a steady pace as he walked behind Dog, his eyes focused directly in front of them, but still alert of everything around him. Everynow and then, he would look back and chirp at Flipflop, then turn his gaze back in front of him.
The bell that was around his neck rang softly, it wasn't one of those loud annoying bells, but it had a soothing, quiet ring, but everyone could still hear it. Jur and Arrow were already used to the sound, and it was very comforting to the two for many reasons. The bell held a symbol for many things, but nothing Jur would talk about.
It seemed that both Arrow's and Jur's stomach growled, they hadn't eaten since early that morning, and they both groaned, and now all that ran through there minds was food, and patching Jur up.
Jur was still haunched over, eyes semi open, scarf still covering his face. He was having a painful time breathing, but didn't bother to speak to anyone, he just wanted to ride and get these injures tended to.

Trailing behind the group, Jinyu just fellow the group, not speaking nor was he listening. Instead he was focus on such an abnormal state of the incoming rain. There was no smell of rain, in fact it held no smell at all besides the smell of the forest around them. He can not feel anything from the rain clouds, no magic, no spirits, in fact, all natural element of the rain storm is missing. Instead it was a void, a void of all life and energy. And the worst part about it, he is drawn to it. Like a black hole, the rain clouds is trying to suck him up, sapping energy from him, stripping him of his energy. He quickened his pace and he shot front of the others. Now he think about it, the forest is quite unusual too. Besides it's usual greens and plants, it was silent. It held no life, no birds, no animals, not even a bug can be found. In fact, besides the soft black soil which they stood on, there was nothing but trees and trees. The forest, in essence, was void of life. Feeling worried now he look back at the slow paced group, it felt as if this whole area... can it be? Can it be that this incoming rain is cursed?

Dog outstretched an arm as Jinyu tried to zip past her, catching him by the chest. "Hold your pants bucko. I'd like to see you try and find the hut without me." It took not but a few more minutes until they reached the tree house. skipping the descrip. basic look . yyyaaaaay.

Keomai curled up in Shoe's lap. Her ears were shaking, and her tail curled up and around herself and shoe too. "W-when we get there... Shoe... mm..." She trailed off.

pushes Keomai's tail out of his mouth spitting some fur out

"PTTWY" hey says sticking out his tongue "watch where your waggin that thing >8P"

Fawsew looks up to see a giant tree fort fawsews eyes glistened

"8'D shelter... FOOD!" fawsew stands on shoes shoulder with his hands & feet & points with one hand to the treeford

"SHOE FOOD!" sniffs the air "i can smell something cooking already... & it smells mouthwateringly gooood!!!"

sits back on shoes shoulder almost bouncing of joy

Though Shoe was glad to be heading to the fort, something was nagging him. Something was telling him not to stop, not to rest just yet. He could see Keomai's face but he couldn't hear her words, only the thunder in the angry clouds above them. He watched her lips move, and didn't question why he could not understand her words. He simply stared, with a lost look, but none would probably realise why. ...Don't stop, not just yet...

Fawsew's happy bouncing snapped him back however. He looked at the cowpig, as he pointed and said that magical word. 'Food'. The boy raised his head with groggy looking eyes to see the impressive house that hung itself among the trees. It was different from the ones of his tribe, but the idea behind the structure was the same. Shoe hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday and in his book that was a BIG no.

"Good." he said tiredly hanging his head. Being hungry made him feel sluggish. "You're lucky Fawsew, if we hadn't found something any sooner, you'd be roasting on a fire with a damn apple in your mouth." He said, obviously joking. The relationship between the two was often involved with Shoe wanting to eat him. And to Fawsew's dismay, Shoe found this hilarious.

Arrow's eye flashed to the building in the trees. He had never seen such a thing before, and he was absorbed in it's oddness.
It would probably take him some time to get used to the site. He looked back at Flipflop again, but only for a heartbeat, then turned back to Dog, and chirping at her, slightly pushing the fact that Jur was still on his back.
Jur though, was completely out of his, his eyes looked even more fogged over, and his face was pale. He was using so much energy to fight the pain that was pounding his body.
His breath was becoming more rough, but he was still taking in normal amounts of air. His hands slid down the griffons neck, now resting limply near Arrow's wings, his entire body seemed like nothing but jello right then....

Keomai sighed a little, looking up at the tree house, shifting about in Shoe's lap sitting up a little more, getting a better look at the place. She was much more interested in a different sight. She looked back up at Shoe for a few seconds, before another boom of thunder crashed through the forest, She cringed and curled up, hiding her face in his chest.

Dog looked to the group, then to Arrow. She smiled a little, then let it fade quickly. "Wait here. I need to pull down the walk way.." She squeezed her hands together and the claw like metal weapons shot from her gloves, aiding her as she climbed up the tree. Seconds later a large wooden platform dropped down, looking as if it were MADE for the gryphs to walk up. She came down it, waving her hand. "come on."

Shoe looked around, a very content look on his face. He hadn't seen a place like this since he left his tribe. The nagging in the back of his mind continued to remind the boy that there was a place he needed to go, somewhere he needed to be, but he bluntly pushed the thought aside for now. As Keomai had dug herself into him, He slowly wrapped both arms around her, sinking his fingers into her clothes in a reassuring and protective way. He hadn't noticed her looking at him before. Shoe was skilled at riding FlipFlop, and was able to ride him just as smoothly with no arms as he would if he were hanging onto his collar.

He couldn't help but sense a painful tiredness hanging in the air, and it bugged him. It could have just been the storm, but everything was simply..less brighter. Everyone had been so quiet.

No matter, Shoe didn't much care. And giddy Fawsew's antics were enough to lighten anyone's mood.

Arrow quickly walked to the ramp, his talons clicking on the wood below him. He kept glancing behind him, attempting to look at Jur more clearly, but only saw his limp body just barely. He was growing impacient with Dog, he wanted his friend help immediantly, but he knew that they were lucky enough to be found by the people....or Jur would have been in danger.
Arrow ceased all movement besides turning his head and squawking at the slower group behind him.
Jur's eyes were semi open, he of course had worse injuries before, but this one was effecting his breathing and making him work more than ever to keep the pain from reaching his mind.
His body was beginning to shake as the rain began to fall and drench his clothes, making it harder to breath and focus on ignoring the pain.

Dog opened the large door and moved out of the way, staring directly at Arrow. "Get in." She had no time to wait for the others, stepping inside, going straight for cabinets with one hand pointing around with another. "over there. Set him on that couch. I know you want to be with him but I can't tend him while he's on your back." A small, golden ball of fluff and feathers was planted in one corner of the couch, looked like a fancy pillow of some sort.

Keomai fidgeted for a second more, but perked when shoe wrapped his arms around her. She looked back up at him, slipping up closer to his face. "Shoe..." A bump in the terrain though, knocked her back down, and knocked silence into her.

He lowered his eyes but not his face, unsure of what she may have wanted. Keeping his balance as FlipFlop asended the griffon-walk-way and into the fort. Now out of the rain, he felt it ok to release Keomai from his hold, and allow FlipFlop to explore the house. Riding a griffon was for outside anyway. He slid off the beast and onto the wooden floor with a hollow, light thud in his steps. Placing Keomai on the ground with ease so she may stand on her own now.

He explored the place with only his eyes. not moving from his spot just yet. FlipFlop padding off to explore the scents of this place, and Fawsew still planted on his shoulder, thowing him a 'you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?' look.
Shoe knew damn well what Fawsew was thinking about. The clenly cowpig wanted a bath, and food. And Shoe couldn't lie to himself, his high energy body was demanding some nourishment. However he thought it rude to ask Dog for anything as she seemed busy tending to Jur. And Shoe knew that Jur was in need on this attention.

He looked back at Keomai. With a questioning or conserned look on his face.
"You said my name before.. Was there something you wanted?"

Arrow stood there for a moment, but then gently slid Jur onto the couch, making sure he wouldn't fall. He back away from the couch, claws clicking on the floor still.
As soon as he was far enough from the couch, he layed down, his silvery eyes watching Dog carefully.
Jur grunted quietly and gritted his teeth, his hands once again clinching into fists. His breathing began to be more clear to be heard by human(or not) ears. Though he laid motionless on the couch, everthing seemed to be turning and his sight slowly blacked out...

Sinca was now lost in the forest for an entire day after she left the Bed'n'breakfast this morning. She had to calm down after discovering a new tattoo on her tummy after waking up with no idea opf what she had done the night before. Plus when she tried to touched it 45 minutes ago, her head went blank and it suddenly started to rain. She was more then confused about all this and she just hated that tattoo.

As she was trying to find a shelter from the storm she heard glimpse of conversation between strangers and some weird Skreeing. She tryied to find these people and after some time chasing after them she heard a door shutting. Maybe she could ask them for hospitality ? She runned for it and stopped right before a giant tree holding between his branches as if holding a baby, a huge treehouse.

Unfortunately seems like there was no access to the door, but she noticed the ramp marks on the ground. Hurrying under the rain she got her whip out and looked for something to hold it onto. She finally found a wood log near the entrance and used her whip like a rope to reach the door.

Standing before she thought about it a moment and knocked at the door...

Keomai looked down at her feet making sure she had her balance, her tail moving about some. It took her am second to notice that shoe was talking to her, but when she noticed it she looked up to him and blinked. "huh..?" She looked around, rubbing the side of her face. "I uhm..." she looked down not aware of what she wanted now. "I dunno.."

Dog went to work right away, before looking at the 'pillow' Jur's head was now laying on. She cracked another smile, before getting serious again, before taking his scarf away, pulling his shirt out of the way again. "Just sit still. this'll take a second." Setting her hands hovering over his wounds. The sound of her door being knocked on was odd. All this intrusion was annoying. She waved her hand a little. "Someone answer that, you're welcome to the fridge just be quiet." She put her hands back over them, trying not to stare in the wrong way. Her hands finally started glowing green, closing up the small open wounds.

Jur's eyes opened again, there was a tingling pain in his chest and he could now feel his head rising up and down.
"Why....is my head moving?" he gasped out, thinking he probably cut off her consentration. He decided to let his question go, and he relaxed, he could now realize why his head was moving, the breathing and the way that the body moved was very similar to Arrow's when he was young.
'A griffon? I'm not sure...' he thought, feeling as his breathing was becoming easier and open. His vision though, was still dark, though his eyes were open and they seemed to be looking at Dog unintentionally.
Arrow's head turned towards the door and he stood, the feathers on his neck puffing out, he was standing close to Flipflop, but made no movement to look at the other griffon, his ears were pressed forward and his eye watching the door closely. Who would be knocking on the door to this place?

Shoe turned his head as he threw everyone in the room a quick glance. It seemed everyone was either too busy or uneasy to open the door. He couldn't shake the feeling that everyone was giving him a mental stare to do it. '...Well don't everyone jump up at once..' he thought to himself, as he gave a slow shake of the head with a dull look.

"..."

He walked to the door, opening it in a rather casual fashion, and stepping to the side to let this person in, even though he didn't exactly know her himself. He assumed she was a friend of Dog's.

Sinca looked at the door opening surprised that someone finally opened it after some time. She was standing in front of it wet from head to toe. The stranger who opened her the door seemed to be a year of two younger then her and has almost the same height as her.

He stepped aside to let her in while not even knowing her, Sinca started to think that in this house they were really imprudent not even asking where she was here and all..... Plus the house was in a tree and there was no access to the door...... Sinca stepped in the house and outside the storm started to calm down, being less and less violent and soon enough it was only raining.

Sinca took a look around the piece noticing a handful of strangers and gryffins. Feeling uneasy she looked at the floor and simply said : "Hello, I'm sorry to ask for your hospitality so suddenly, I'm lo... I have no where else to go ,"

Shoe sent a small glance toward Dog with only his eyes. Apparently this person was new. And Dog was too busy to be a hostess just yet. Shoe desided to step up to the plate, she seemed like a nice girl.

"You don't need to be sorry." He said with an open-minded look.

"I'm Shoe, of the Susa Tribe." placing a hand on his own chest as he did when he met Keomai. Most likely a custom of his tribe to do so.

Sinca looked at Shoe and made to sure to remember his name. She slight bow her head and introduced herself : "My name is Sinca, I'm from a city no longer on the maps."

She kept her head down remembering the desaster which occured in her hometown. She breath-in breath-out three times and was head up again, looking at shoe.

With confusion on his face, he simply stared at her. No longer on the maps? What ever for? Could same thing that happened to Fawsew's village have happened to the Sinca's home?

His hand clentched into a fist, obviously kept to himself. Though he didn't want to pain the girl further by staying on the subject of her lost home, there was something he had to find out. A lead to where this 'Fire Dragon', Fawsew had seen cook his cowpig village, may be.

"Wait, did a dragon distroy your city? With fire?" He said with a grim determination in his eyes, which flashed wildly as if he didn't really want to know the answer, but had to.

Sinca's eyes blinked, How did he knew ? She opened her mouth twice before finaly answering :

"Yeah, our entire village was destroyed by the red dragons. It was a calm land called Windmill Valley, I wasn't there when it happened, but I recall going back to my parent's house after work and discovering the burning ruins of the entire place....."

She sigh and seemed to search for something in her bag. She got a rolled canvas out of it and gave it to shoe.

"It's a paint I made, of my village before it was destroyed you can look at it if you want..."

The boy took the painting with care, looking it over with interest. Shoe had never been outside of his tribe until this journey started, so of course he couldn't recognize anything in the picture...

However, Shoe had a peculiar taste for art. He enjoyed seeing all the fine details, the images the hands could create.
"Wow... this is good." He said tossing her a quick glance before looking back at the picture.
"..So where was this place?"

Sinca looked confused and answered : " Heh since I dunno which way is east or north here I'll just say heh..... Not so far from here since I left 3 days ago......."

She got out her home-made map of the area she create while traveling after the desaster and looked at it.

"Well supposing we're here (points a "unknown forest area") and that my home-town is there (Shows a point on the map) We must be South-west of it at maybe......... 40 to 50 kilometers ?

He examined the map, watching where she was pointing. He had been traveling northeast thus far, and being only southwest of the recent attack ment he was dangerously close. The blood boiled in his veins as he intently watched her work the map. Perhaps he should keep moving...he had to..

But Keomai. She didn't seem to enjoy the rain, as Shoe thought over his options, he glanced at her. Able to see her unease. So much so that she wasn't able to finish speaking before, and couldn't remember what she had even wanted to say. And he wasn't planning on leaving her behind.

A quick glance to Jur and Dog followed. These people, how could they keep up now? The attack happened three days ago, he couldn't stop now! Not once he's so close! But these people...

They needed some support for now.
...His goal would have to wait.