Time to Move On? [Kota, Lukasse, Open]

[meixiaotian]

Dragonfly stood on a small dark rock, the noon sun glinting off of the water and her scales in bright sparkles. The reptile's eyes had adjusted from standing on her stone for a couple hours and watched the river dip to a lower land. She could see it stretch out before her with stiff reeds lining its edges, their tips leaning to the center with the hopes of catching more sun. She had caught enough sun, so she glanced down in front of her. The water shone too much for her to see anything, especially the camouflaged fish.

She moved forward to cast a small shadow in front of her and clear her view. There was a low chance of anything being in the small area, and her luck ran out with getting a wet lunch. Oh well, she wasn't averse to having a meal of plants in the shade of a tall fern. She bent down to take a small drink of water before jumping into the cool river. She swam to a low stone to her right, slightly downriver. She could have walked, but she preferred to have most of her neck and head above the water. The stone was the best way to get through the heavy wall of reeds to the ground beyond the river.

The copper reptile shook herself and splattered water everywhere. On instinct, she suddenly looked up to make sure nobody was around to receive the water coming off of her. There wasn't anyone, so she continued on to reach the land so she could look for a patch of angel ferns. She didn't know exactly where her friends were, but she had left them that morning with the knowledge of where she was going to spend the day. A large patch of moss served as a snack while she searched. Dragonfly didn't want to stray too far from where she had said she was going to be, so she brought her feast of fern stalks and pods to the stone jutting into the river. She munched happily on a stalk, her mind drifting.

She and her friends had been wandering through the River Garden for a while, learning what was good and what was not. They'd even made a temporary home among the reeds upstream. As much as she enjoyed the river, she was ready to find a new place. Dragonfly knew there was more in the world, so she had been thinking about exploring more. She was ready, very ready to move on to more glorious places. Her nature had pushed her to memorize and learn a large portion of the river, but it wasn't enough anymore. She had to go past the watery plants to whatever lay beyond.

[Deleted]

The midday sun spilled golden rays across Kota's muscular, blue-grey frame. The warmth sent a purr of contentness rumbling through his broad chest, making the smooth, round rocks beneath him quake. He wasn't sure how long he and his two reptilian companions had enjoyed the riverbank, but it was long enough to set his mind at ease. Most days, he still wondered why they had helped him, but he could hardly complain about it. They had shown him how to live: what food was, how to eat it, where to find it, as well as that water was for drinking and everyone required sleep. He had also inquired more about their missing companion, the one they had mentioned upon meeting him, and learned abit more about her. Yet the other creature never showed up to reunite with Lukasse and Dragonfly, thus leaving them all to male feline. And though he questioned their antics, he still enjoyed their company. He had no idea where he would be right now without them, and didn't want to imagine it.

With thoughts of his companions suddenly assaulting his thoughts, Kota decided that his time for relaxing was over. So, he slowly peeled one of his bright blue eyes open, and gave a lazy scan of his surroundings. Nothing but the landscape greeted him though, making him open his other eye and lift his head to get a better look around. When the second, more effective, scan yielded nothing new, the blue-grey male began to worry. He tensed, pulling his outstretched limbs in and then under him so he could stand. Once on his paws, he gave an anxious flick of his half-tail and twisted his large, fan-like ears about to catch any sounds. Nothing but the rush of water and the rustle of wind through the foliage could be heard though. With another flick of his tail, the feline started forward slowly, wracking his brain for where the two females were last and what they had been doing. Only a few steps forward, a memory of Dragonfly nudging him as he slept and saying she was going somewhere downstream hit him. Now that he had at least some clue, and a general direction, the male turned around and headed downstream.

Kota picked his way carefully across the smooth, flattened rocks of the riverback. Though time had worn them dangerously smooth, moss also grew on some them, adding a trechery all its own. More than once he had lost his footing, and he didn't care for it to happen again. Landing on his bum, or shoulder, or hip, time and time again made him learn pain a little more than he would like. Thankfully, his bulkyness seemed to soften most blows, and he was back to trekking along in no time. There were no accidents today though, at least not yet. The storm hued male placed each large, flat paw carefully, in no hurry now that he had a mission. Little did he know, that he would soon have a very different purpose.
With his electric blue eyes staring ahead, Kota didn't even notice the lizard until he was upon it. The fact that its long, much longer than him in fact, body seemed to blend in with the patch of flowers it had probably been eating didn't help either. The reptile looked slightly similar to his friends, in the way that it had scales. This creature seemed to hold no form of intelligence in its beady black eyes though, nor did it stand on two legs. Though he felt obligated to apologize, somehow he knew it wouldn't understand. So, the feline attempted to take a step back, instinctively seeking distance from this other creature.

His movement seemed to have startled the lesser native though, since it lunged forward on its front legs and snapped at him. Kota reeled back on his back legs as fast as he could, but the lizard was able to clamp down on his right foreleg, above his paw. With a yowl of pain and protest, he reared his other paw back and smashed it across the larger creature's face. The force of his blow, and the sting of his claws, sent the lizard reeling back and scurrying off into brush, away from the river. Kota sagged as the adrenaline seeped out of him, and cradled his injured leg against his chest. All thoughts of finding Dragonfly and Lukasse were forgotten as he tentatively lifted his wounded appendage, sniffing along the bite and licking at the blood that was already pulsing to the surface.

[Deleted]

Lukasse stumbled ahead, more or less following the river as she sniffed around for her breakfast. So far as she knew, she was the last one awake. She was still groggy, but it was time to be up. They would have to get together and figure out what to do with their day, and that required her being present and preferably fed.

It still felt weird, being out of the orchard. She’d spent the better part of two years in the safety of the life-giving trees. She knew she eventually had to leave, but she’d been scared to. It wasn’t until she’d the creatures that would become her friends that she finally felt brave enough to venture out into the world. She was still scared of a lot of things, but with them around, she felt like she could be brave. She could face down a foe. She could handle a disaster. Not easily, perhaps, but it wouldn’t send her running and yelping back to the orchard like it might have if she’d managed to venture out alone. There was just one problem – Artemis still hadn’t joined them. After all this time, it was doubtful that she would. It was too bad…Lukasse had liked the boldly-colored reptile. Maybe they’d at least meet again someday. In the meantime, she had her other two best friends to focus on. They were a bit of an odd group – two female reptiles and a male feline – but they got along and looked out for each other. What more was needed?

Something scurried in front of her and disappeared in a clump of reeds. Acting as quickly as she could, Lukasse lashed out. There was a squeal of alarm as her teeth crunched on a small body, and soon the rat was hanging limply from her jaws. It was the smoothest catch she’s made all season, and that lifted her spirits. Rat wasn’t exactly her favorite taste, as uncommon as it was in this area, but food was food and kills shouldn’t be wasted. It was disrespectful to leave a kill to rot.

Figuring she could eat once she found her friends, she set off, heading to where Dragonfly said she would be. Practiced steps carried her safely even in the places where the water reached her knees. That was as deep as she’d let herself go. She loved to swim, but…not with food in her mouth.

Eventually, she spotted Dragonfly, and she took a few steps toward her before a yowl cut through her mind, shocking her and almost making her drop her catch into the river. She turned and sprinted – well…what passed for sprinting in the river – toward the source of the yowl, looking around frantically. That had been Kota, hadn’t it? What was going on? Were they under attack?

It didn’t take long to spot the feline. Lukasse dodged a lizard as she made her way to him, gaze still searching the landscape. There were no other creatures that she could see, but Kota seemed to be hurt. He was cradling a leg that seemed to be bleeding.

Lukasse dropped the rat in front of her friend and sniffed at his wound. “What happened? Who attacked you? Where did they go?” She lifted her head to search Kota’s body for other wounds. “How bad is it? Is there anything you need?”

[meixiaotian]

As Dragonfly was munching, she saw Lukasse with a small rat in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed quickly, then opened her mouth to greet her friend. A loud cry left her words unspoken. The copper-tan reptile stood up quickly in fear. She'd heard similar yelps before, from her or her friends when one of them fell. This was much louder and she recognized Kota's voice. Her head stretched in hopes to see the feline, but he was too far upstream to see. She could still hear him, loudly, so he couldn't have been too far. Only her small section of the river was clogged with reeds, a bit farther upstream was clear. She wasn't going to struggle against the current, however slow it was, when she could run up the gently sloped ground. She dashed to firm ground and disappeared in the leaning reeds for a moment. She ran as close as she could to the river in hopes of seeing Kota quickly.

As she ran she spotted a bit of red. Her pace halted as she looked behind her, in case she had somehow overlooked her companion. For a moment, the bright color seemed to have disappeared, but she found it quickly among the bright green grass. A lizard stared up at her from a couple feet away, blood on its mouth. She didn't know what it was called, like an "oak tree" versus a "tree," but it was obviously dangerous. If it had bitten something, or more likely, someone, its victim couldn't be far. She continued on her path and heard Lukasse saying something. With a burst of speed, Dragonfly ran past the wall of reeds to find her Kota with a bleeding leg and Lukasse inspecting it. She stood nearby, but she didn't feel like getting close to the wound herself, and all the questions she would have said had already been asked.

[Deleted]

Kota didn't stir from his pain induced stupor until a small, dusty colored, dead creature was dropped before him. His bright blue eyes widened in surprise, and then quickly narrowed in suspicion, before he finally noticed Lukasse. And it was only because of her barrage of questions that he even did then, since he was staring at the lesser native, trying to figure out what it was. It didn't look like the thing that had biten him, nor did it look like a fish, or a bird. When the familiar voice of his companion bombarded his ear with noise though, his head and gaze jerked up to stare at her. He slowly trudged through her words, pain numbing his usually sharp senses and thoughts. After a few moments, he figured out at least most of what the two-legged reptile had asked him, and parted his thick jowls to respond.

"Some kind of reptile...like you two but...different. It was on four legs and....I don't think it could talk."

Kota spoke as slowly as he thought, and couldn't help but feel warmth rising to his face in embarassment. He knew how weak he seemed, he could feel it after all, but it felt wrong to show it in front of others. He lowered his head to sniff at the wound again, and gave the bleeding holes a few timid licks. It both hurt and felt good to do so, which confused it. Touching the area at all hurt, but his rough tongue seemed to make the blood go away. Deciding that licking it more might make it stop, the blue-grey feline bent his head and began to clean the wound. A few minutes of his efforts lessened the bleeding, but it wouldn't stop all the way. With a sigh, the male pulled his head back up to look at Lukasse, and noticed Dragonfly standing nearby. He gave her a single nod of acknowledgement, but could manage no more than that. He hoped she understood.

The taste of the blood in his mouth began to turn the feline's stomach, and he instinctively went to stand so he could walk to the river. As soon as he put the slightest pressure on his injured leg, a jolt of sharp, crippling pain sent him yowling again. He jerked his leg back up to his chest, and plopped down on his rump sullenly. The fact that he had tried at all embarassed the blue-grey male, but it also confused him. How was he supposed to take care of himself if he couldn't even walk? Glancing over at Lukasse, Kota suddenly figured out the rest of what she had asked him, though when he replied, he was no more capable than he had been moments before.

"It ran away from the river...in the brush. I'm not sure how bad...it hurts a lot to move....and set down. I don't know what to do."

[Deleted]

Movement behind her startled her, but a glance back told her it was Dragonfly. She was glad that the brownish reptile had responded to the yowl just as she had. It was a comfort having all three of them together. Kota was hurt, but since there were six pairs of eyes and ears and nostrils to monitor the surroundings, they were safe now. She flicked her tail toward Dragonfly, beckoning her over. She needed to see the wound too. Maybe she’d know what to do about it. Lukasse was at a bit of a loss.

Kota seemed to be disoriented. It took him a bit to respond, and his speech was slower than normal. She frowned. They had to do something to help him! What though? She watched as he started licking the wound, eyes widening. Did that help? After a few minutes, it seemed to be, though he was far from healed.

He then tried going to the river, but one step caused him more pain and he quickly gave up. She frowned and cast a helpless glance at Dragonfly. She wanted to help. She did. She was the oldest of the three, and it felt like she should be in charge of this situation, but it was just as new to her as it was to them. New and scary. It made her want to find somewhere safe to stay for a while. Maybe it was time to settle down somewhere, at least temporarily. Where, though? Where would be safe?

“We need to get away from here so the thing doesn’t attack again…” she mused, half to herself. “Can you walk at all? Without using that leg?” She glanced at Dragonfly again. If not, maybe they could carry him, somehow. It’d be awkward, but worth it to get their friend somewhere safe and comfortable.

[meixiaotian]

Dragonfly let out an almost silent nervous whine as she listened to Kota. Something about his slow speech was very wrong. Lukasse kept glancing back at her, so Dragonfly finally inched forward to look closer at the bite. It was bleeding and the couple times she had cut herself, it had stopped quickly. So the bite was a bit deeper, probably more than just a bit. They had to stop the blood, that was very important. How? They could put something on it, like a leaf, but how would it stay on. She ran through the plants and animals that lived in the River Garden. She'd spent so much time there, she had to have learned something applicable! Her head swung around, looking for something she might remember something useful. The bank on the other side of the river was covered in moss. Moss!

"Um, the moss on trees is sticky when chewed up a lot, maybe we could use it on the bite." She shook her head at Lukasse's words. No, there was no way for them to move Kota, it had just been proven. Then again... No, they couldn't. They weren't large and strong enough to move him without causing pain. She remembered the lizard had been a bit away and didn't feel like attacking her. Was it scared of reptiles? Maybe it would stay away, she was pretty sure Kota wouldn't be able to move for a while. "Maybe we can keep it away, I don't think we can move for now.

"One of us should stay here, and..." What else was needed? If they were going to stay, he'd need to be comfortable. That meant food and water, definitely. She glanced at the rat. That was plenty of food until he felt like eating, and she still had a large lunch not far downstream. They were right next to the river, water wouldn't be a problem. What else? Uh... Shade? She glanced up at the sun, directly overhead. Maybe if they uprooted a large fern... That wasn't as needed yet. He'd need to be comfortable, so a good nest would be useful. "Um... The moss," she flicked her tail to the moss across the river, "it could make a good bed..."

[Deleted]

Along with Dragonfly's low, nervous whine, Kota let out a half huff, half moan of pain. He was glad for his friends' concern, but he couldn't help berating himself over the whole ordeal. How could he not have seen that lizard, it was nearly a tail length longer than he was! And yet, through his muddled thoughts of stupidity and pain, he remembered its scales changing color as he came upon it. One moment there had been the long, green leaves of the patch of flowers, their brightly colored bulbs reaching overhead, and then there had the lesser native, its beady black eyes staring into his own bright blue ones. It couldn't understand that it was all a mistake, but had there been something else he could do? With another huff, the feline leaned down and licked at the puncture wounds just as Dragonfly crept up to Lukasse's side.

With both of the female reptiles in front of him now, Kota raised his head away from his wound and lowered his leg enough so they could both see. Their expressions didn't comfort him much, but he understood that this was new. Losing fur or scraping one's scales from a fall was quite a bit different than getting bit by something. At least they knew it was possible now though, the blue-grey male thought, before he silently swore to himself that he would be more vigilant, for his and his friends' sakes.
After a moment, Lukasse suggested that they should leave the area, which Kota had to agree with. He didn't want to stay somewhere that those things lived, even if he and his companions had been by the river for so long without seeing them. It was bountiful and comfortable here, but maybe there was somewhere safer, the feline wondered, all the while apparent that he would have great difficulty moving anywhere. So, when varicolored female asked him if he could walk without using the injured leg, Kota could do nothing but shrug and try.

He kept his leg tucked up to his chest as he slowly pushed off with his hind legs and tried to balance himself with one foreleg. It took more effort than he had imagined, but after a moment, Kota was able to stand at least. Since it seemed like an achievement, the feline smiled at both Dragonfly and Lukasse, and then listened as the brown hued reptile suggested putting chewed up moss on the bite. Cocking his head to the side, he tried to imagine how the sticky, wet substance would stay on his paw, and all he could figure was that he would have to be laying down and still. Since that didn't jive with the idea of leaving the area, Kota shook his head, but stayed quiet since Dragonfly went on to suggest that the moss would also make a good bed. Giving another short shake of his head, the blue-grey male smiled gratefully at his friends before saying,"I would prefer to leave, so that you two don't have to worry about facing that thing and we don't have to worry about it at all."

Kota paused to catch his breath as the effort of standing on only three legs started to take its toll, as well as speaking through the throbbing pain that was coming off his leg. He continued after a few deep breaths though with,"Maybe going on the other side of the river will help, I can wash it off. You can two can go ahead, to look for somewhere else, and I'll follow along as fast as I can." With a huff, the feline finally finished his short speech, and looked from Lukasse to Dragonfly to see what they thought. He didn't want to hold them back, or put them in any danger, and he didn't like seeming weak. Yet there was no doubting he would need help in the coming days.

[Deleted]

Dragonfly whined and Kota huffed in pain. Lukasse frowned and started to pace. Not the most productive of activities by a long shot, but she didn’t know what to do, and not knowing what to do in a crisis filled her with anxious energy. This whole thing was a first for all of them. It wasn’t like tripping. With tripping, there was a bit of pain and the most minor of minor wounds that usually healed before the end of the day. This wound was ar more serious, and none of them knew what to do about it.

At least Dragonfly was getting ideas. She mentioned the moss and the possibility of using it on the bite. That might help…it’d trap the blood in, at least, and make sure nothing could get in. She then suggested they stay, since she didn’t think Kota was fit for travel. That was a fair point…

But then Kota tried walking again, keeping off the injured paw. It seemed to work, though he was slow and clumsy. Well, it was better than nothing, right? He then responded to Dragonfly, saying that he’d prefer to leave and he could go to the other side of the river so the water would wash the wound. If he thought he could make it, that would be good, but Dragonfly had a point, too. What should they do?

“Maybe if we walked beside you across the river,” she mused out loud. “To make sure you reach the other side safely. Then we can put on the moss and look for a good place to stop and heal a bit? We can take it slow after reaching dry ground, and one of us can scout ahead to pick the softest or most level path…”

[meixiaotian]

Dragonfly winced in fear, but he seemed to be okay if he kept his injured leg off of the ground. Could he walk though? Maybe... If reptiles always used two legs, Kota could probably spend a few days on three. She didn't want to move too far and the lizard wouldn't chase them across the river, as far as she could tell. She could feel herself becoming calmer and she thought she might have panicked because Kota had been confused and slow. He seemed to have mostly recovered from that, whatever caused his... Slow reactions... Maybe it had been the initial pain. Though maybe it was still doing something, since his suggestion of washing in the stream didn't sound like a good idea. It was still bleeding and the water would probably just take the blood and stop it from clotting. His tongue would work well enough to clean the bite until it dried, right?

His suggestion of leaving him to go on was a foolish one. DId he really think they would leave him when he had just been bitten by something? She still felt the lizard wasn't going to return to attack or finish Kota off. It hadn't already, but maybe it didn't like felines and would follow. It wouldn't follow across the river, that was one thing she was sure about it. She nodded at Lukasse's suggestion. It was a good compromise and it wasn't too different from what they'd already been doing. It was just much slower, really.

"That sounds good, but I'm not sure it's the best time to wash it in the river." She decided not to mention her fear of him more or less bleeding out since it could be stupid in the end. "We should keep heading downstream, Not too far down, there's a small fall and we can have a good view of the land we're going to." Her earlier thoughts of leaving to somewhere new returned even though it wasn't a very good time to mention it. Later.

Notes: Random question, do you see them on the right or left side of the river if you're looking downstream? I personally imagine them on the right.

[Deleted]

Kota focused his bright blue gaze on Lukasse as she began to pace, stepping a few paces in one direction and then whirling to repeat her steps the way she just came. It was strange to see, and something he didn't quite understand. Was this what you did when you were uncertain and worried, he silently wondered. Obviously, he wouldn't be doing that no matter the fact that those very feelings boiled inside him. His whole leg throbbed with pain now, though it was a little better than the hot, piercing pain of the initial bite, he admitted to himself. If he could deal with it, then he would be able to go back to being at least mostly normal. And his companions...well, one look at them told him that they were taking up his offer to leave him as he had hoped. It wasn't because he wanted to be a part of them, of course, just that he hated for them to suffer because of his injury and see him in such a state. If truth be told though, what could be worse than them seeing him on his first day ever, ignorant to everything about the world, and awkward about meeting others. Reassuring himself with that thought, Kota twisted his large, fan-like ears toward Lukasse as she spoke up, his gazing once more focusing on her as he pulled himself out of his thoughts to consider her suggestion.

Since the plan involved Dragonfly, Kota turned to look at her, wondering what she thought. Her expression seemed doubtful, though whether it was from his words or Lukasse's, he didn't know. That is, until the dusty colored reptile spoke up. She agreed with her fellow reptile, saying that it would be better to go across the river to travel, but she didn't so much like Kota's idea. He nodded along to her words about washing the wound, trying to see what she meant. If he stuck it in running water, then the blood wouldn't be stopped any, the wound would just be clean for a second. In fact, the blue-grey feline wondered if the water would help the bleeding, since his life blood seemed to flow much like the clear liquid of the river. Suddenly resolved, Kota nodded more firmly before saying,"Alright, sounds good."

Now, with most of a plan made, Kota figured it was time to set out, and that his companions were waiting to see how he would move. First, he made sure he still had his balance on three legs, and then he stared at where he would normally take a step. Only having one front leg was quite a predicament though, since he figured he'd have to step with a back leg and hop with his foreleg as he stepped with the other rear one. It looked, and sounded, good in his head, but the first time the male feline tried, his front appendage crumbled beneath the added weight and he fell flat on his broad, already squished looking face. The bump hardly compared to the bite of his leg though, which he had kept tucked up tight against his chest in order not to fall on it. With a huff, Kota pulled his one good foreleg under him once again and pushed off with it to get back on his paws.
Without even looking at his companions, the aboriginal feline stared at the same spot on the ground and tried what he saw in his mind's eye. It at least worked this time, with all three of his paws landing as they should, but his front leg did wobble dangerously. He leaned left, then right, but somehow straightened himself. Once he was good and balance again, he turned back to the two reptils and said,"I've got this. Come on!"

@reeddragon

OOC// I image them on the right side as well

[Deleted]

The other two seemed to like the compromise she came up with. She was glad of that. Having a plan made her feel a lot better about everything. She still wished Kota wasn’t wounded, or that she knew how to treat the wound. Was there even a way? Other than time, of course.

Dragonfly spoke then, saying that he didn’t want the wound washed in the river. She suggested they head downstream to where they could have a good view of the land. Kota agreed to this, and Lukasse nodded. It would help them to know where they were going before they get very far.

Kota then tried walking. He looked awkward at first and managed to fall on his face. Lukasse took a step forward, but he was up again before she could do anything to help. She watched as he tried again. He still wobbled a bit, but seemed able to keep on his feet. When he urged them on, she nodded and stepped beside him. “Don’t be afraid to lean on one of us if you need to. We want to avoid any further injuries, I think.” An obvious statement, but true.

She then turned to Dragonfly, expecting her to either take the lead or come up on Kota’s other side. Either way, she’d probably be the one to guide them. She was the one that knew where to find their current goal, after all.

((Same here. XD That’s epic.

I’ve evolved Lukasse, but for the purposes of this thread she’s still an aboriginal. I’ll evolve her in the prompt and play her as an occult from then to the next evolution.))

[meixiaotian]

Kota seemed to be okay, except for the pain and bleeding, of course. She doubted he would be... Out of it again, or at least that's what she hoped. Dragonfly watched apprehensively as Kota attempted his walk. It was more of a hop, really, and it wasn't very secure, judging by his sudden but harmless fall. It still worked, slow and insecure as it was. He'd get better with practice. They just needed to go slowly, take a couple breaks, be cautious, and it would be okay, especially with Lukasse there to support him.

She glanced around for a couple moments, thinking. They weren't going across the river anymore, at least not yet. They were going downstream on land and would encounter the spot she had settled down earlier. She still had a good supply of plants there and it had an excellent view of downstream despite the reeds. They'd take a break there, see and plan out their path, then go on. The reptiles could share her ferns and Kota could have some meat. He'd need more than just plants to heal quickly, after all. For a moment, she wondered if someone would have to go hunting. Then she remembered Lukasse had already hunted and there was the dead rat right in front of her.

Dragonfly picked up the rat in her mouth and walked farther into the land, to the right. They'd have to avoid the reeds and the lizard that had decided to rest among the tall stalks. She went slowly and glanced behind to make sure her friends were fine and nothing drastic had happened the minute or so she'd turned away. It was unlikely, but just in case.

[Deleted]

Kota didn't notice that Lukasse had moved up beside him until she spoke. When she did, his head jerked about in surprise, but he relaxed once he realized what she was saying. "Thank you," he said softly as his bright azure gaze moved between Lukasse and Dragonfly. He meant it both of them, and hoped they realized that. Whatever their reasons for helping him, they didn't seem like they were going to stop, and he was grateful for that. They didn't have to be with him, he was sure of that. Every day and night any one of them had the chance to slip away unnoticed, and be pretty far before anyone would notice, he thought. And yet, they didn't. Before today, each of them might go exploring or hunting in a different area during the day, but he at least saw them and got to converse with them. Perhaps they were waiting for the best time to leave, since he might have noticed before, Kota thought suddenly, before shaking his head to discard the notion.

Dragonfly moving was a welcome distraction to his own thoughts, so the blue-grey male focused on that instead. He watched the dusty hued reptile step up to the rat that he vaguely remembered Lukasse dropping in front of him earlier, and picked it up. Then, turning about, she set off downstream at a slow trot. Kota frowned after her, embarrassed that he was holding everyone back. After glancing over Lukasse though, he remembered that she would help him if he stumbled again, and Dragonfly was probably just showing them the 'fall' that she had mentioned earlier. The word was foreign to Kota, but it implied a certain image in his minds eye that he thought might be it. Falling water, he assumed, but from where? The majority of the river that he had seen was shallow, though the middle was usually deeper and the whole thing swelled after a rain. With a huff, he resigned himself to having to find out later, which meant he had to move.

Screwing up his face with concentration, Kota hopped forward, but tried to keep up his momentum instead of stopping after one step. The first few tail lengths was fairly unstable, but the feline was able to keep on his paws. After that, he found a good rhythm, and hobbled his way down the riverbank quite ungracefully. The smooth rocks that lined the water's edge didn't make his efforts any easier, but he made sure to keep his gaze on the ground in front of him instead of at the horizon. If another one of those four legged reptiles was hiding, he planned to see it. As well as see every moss covered rock that might slip him. On instinct, he tried to lower his wounded his leg and use it to propel him forward, but the instant it stretched out the jolt of pain sent it curling back to his chest.

Faintly, he noticed Lukasse keeping stride, and once or twice he paused to look up to see Dragonfly. Other than that, he stayed as focused as he could on moving forward, pushing himself to not drag down his companions and ready to be somewhere that didn't have aggressive natives.

[Deleted]

Dragonfly glanced around, and then picked up the rat that Lukasse had forgotten about and started to lead them. Lukasse was grateful for that – picking up the rat and taking the lead. The last thing she wanted to do was waste prey. A creature had died so they could live, and the best way to honor that was by consuming it and not forgetting it where it’d rot and be wasted. Also, with Dragonfly in the lead, they’d know exactly what path to take before making their steps. With Kora’s injured paw, that was certainly preferable.

She seemed to have startled Kota. She flinched as he jerked about. But then he relaxed, and she did as well, nodding as he thanked them. “It’s what friends do, right?” Not that she’d had any before Dragonfly and Artemis showed up. Thinking about the regal reptile made her sigh. She wasn’t going to see Artemis again, she was fairly certain. She still missed her, though.

Kota hopped forward, and Lukasse did her best to match his pace. It was a little difficult at first, but got better as his pace evened out. Lukasse glanced from Dragonfly to him from time to time, just to make sure there was no chance of leaving him behind. She noticed him watching the ground for most of the trip. Was he worried about tripping or getting attacked again? That was understandable, but he was safe now. She wasn’t going to let that thing hurt her friends again, no matter how scary it might be.