|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:06:16 GMT -6
Rabbit could only practice patience when it came to this particular issue. Fortunately, with time, the creature did come around somewhat from his original position of staunch opposition. The pain must have abated after a moment, and having realized this, he eventually begrudgingly acquiesced when it seemed as though she was not going to give up the idea.
There might have been something like trust forming between them now. It was early yet, but she had not harmed him, and she had been at least willing to respect his protests as they occurred.
Once the salve was applied, she bandaged him back up with fresh bandages. These he took with relatively good grace, which was to say he very nearly ignored her.
With that job done, she returned once more with a platter of raw meat, and another bucketful of water. She set these down within easy reach of him, then took her leave.
(15)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:06:44 GMT -6
(Start: Lick Wounds)
Like this, they settled into something of a routine as the days went on. She came in daily to bring food and water, and to change his bandages. The wounds healed slowly; many of them were old, and some had been in a bad way by the time Rabbit had gotten to them. The creature did not seem particularly ill, but given that he had been in this state for some time, perhaps he had simply grown used to it. He did not grow more affectionate, but he did allow her to handle his wounds with less fuss as time went on.
One day, she laid her hand upon an unmarred patch of scales, letting it rest there for a moment. The creature, sensing that she wasn’t moving, turned his head to look at her, as if asking what she was doing.
She surveyed his face for a moment, then brought out the salve.
(16)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:07:00 GMT -6
The creature growled, not in threat but in displeasure. She had gained some measure of his moods from tending to him, and could tell the difference now between true anger and alarm, and signals that were only warnings.
“It is good for you,” she said.
If he understood this, he did not seem the least mollified by this explanation. But then, she supposed he never had, even if he had appeared to accept it, however reluctantly.
It was funny, that. He didn’t want the salve, and Aster didn’t want to give it to him. Aster was still inclined to refer to the creature in mostly disparaging terms, but given the fact that the barn had yet to burn down…
A thought occurred to her, however, and she set the pot of salve down. The creature’s eyes followed her movements with guarded curiosity. This wasn’t the way that things normally played out, and Rabbit suspected that he was wondering if he could really get out of doing this.
(17)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:07:55 GMT -6
Rabbit held up the bucket of water instead.
The creature looked from the bucket to her and back again. He seemed as though he didn’t know what she meant by it. Rabbit dipped her fingers into the water, then brought it to one of the bigger wounds. The creature watched, but did nothing.
Rabbit tried again, this time dipping her hand into the water, then bringing it to her face, where a mouth might have been if she had one. Then she touched the wound, again. When the creature had no reaction to that, she brought her face close to the wound. Only then did the creature growl, and Rabbit backed away.
It was difficult to explain the concept of licking when one could not really mime the action oneself. Many creatures’ saliva had certain healing properties, and at the very least, the action could help keep their own wounds clean.
(18)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:08:32 GMT -6
She wondered if this creature was unfamiliar with the concept, or if he simply didn’t make the connection based on what she was doing.
She reached out with a hand towards his face. He immediately snorted and lifted his head up, looking at her as if to question her sanity at trying such a thing. No, she didn’t think he would allow it either. In the short time she had known him, even she could see that he was a proud creature.
She settled for pointing at his face, then at his wound. He did understand pointing.
Finally, something seemed to click. The creature slowly bent his head, one eye watching her the whole time, and lapped gingerly once at his wound. Rabbit nodded at him. “Yes,” she said.
The creature licked a second time, then wrinkled his nose in distaste. He huffed in the direction of the jar of salve.
(19)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:08:43 GMT -6
“But you cannot taste it,” said Rabbit. “I have already cleaned your wounds.” If he understood what she said, he gave no indication. After a moment, she said, “Very well. If you will clean your own wounds, I will not apply it.” As if to drive her point home, she pushed the pot away. The creature followed it, then looked back at her.
She pointed to another one of his wounds.
He made a noise of protest--- or perhaps of dismissal--- but as soon as he did, she reached for the salve again. He liked that even less. She pointed at the wound a second time. The creature stared her down, and for a moment she wondered whether he would really do it. Her authority, such as it was, was fragile indeed if he really meant to fight her. But he did not; eventually he did give in, and licked once or twice at his wounds. She insisted until she was satisfied before they moved on.
(20)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:08:56 GMT -6
In this fashion, they went through all the injuries that he could reach. When they came to the ones he couldn’t, he made an impatient noise, turning around to nose at his restraints. Then he shot her a significant look.
She knew what he meant. She did not doubt now that he was intelligent, even if his ability to understand her speech was still difficult to determine. Pantomime had gotten them through a great deal of their interactions. It was with that in mind that she felt his request--- or rather, his demand--- had more weight than it might otherwise have had.
Trust was well and good, but what would it say about her now if she refused? She could hardly justify it to him through pantomime. But if she released him, and his first act was to revenge himself on the nearest settlement, they would have to do what they could to stop him.
(21)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:09:16 GMT -6
It was not necessarily an impossible thing; a Thundergug whose distress was guided towards a target was a force to be reckoned with, and Grunty had some combat training if Avander’s efforts did not suffice. But that would do nothing good for their relations either.
The creature made an impatient noise.
“... Very well,” said Rabbit. “But…” She fought to find the words she wanted to say to him. ‘You must not harm me’? She could hardly demand such a thing. In the end, the words did not come, and she merely reached for his restraints in silence.
She would have to hope that this goodwill between them, however much there was, would be enough.
The creature watched her with an intensity of focus that she hadn’t felt since that first day when he had been fully lucid. One by one, the ropes and chains binding it were loosened until they dropped away.
(22)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:10:29 GMT -6
Rabbit hadn’t expected the creature to hold so still, but he did not move throughout the whole process. In retrospect, it might well have been for her benefit; she was doing what he wanted, and perhaps he understood enough to want to make it as easy for her as he could. When the last of the restraints fell away, however, he did not wait for any signal from her. As if he knew it had been done, he stood at once, and shook himself off as if freeing himself from a cloud of troublesome insects.
At his full height, he was something more intimidating, though to her relief, she saw that he was no taller than a very large Equillion. Indeed, perhaps not much larger than some of the Sarane--- not Avander, who was first-tier and small for his kind, but perhaps Aurelius, or Albion when the latter had been in the peak of his growth and condition.
(23)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:11:05 GMT -6
But it became clear, too, that the creature had not eaten well in some time. The armor did an admirable job hiding it, but when he stood, it was easier to see the faint outlines of ribs, the way his stomach tucked in a little too sharply. She had been feeding him, but even so, it wasn't something that could be reversed in a matter of days.
He looked down at Rabbit, who was still kneeling, as if watching for a reaction. But if he had been hoping for one, he would have to be disappointed. Her face remained as it had always been, impassive. She had no feelings to show him, and even if she did, her steel face would not have allowed for such a thing.
She merely pointed at a different wound, one that he could not reach before. If he meant to use this as an excuse to be freed, then he may as well make good on that premise.
(24)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:11:25 GMT -6
She saw what might have been incredulity flash over his features, which slowly turned into displeasure when she brandished the salve at him again. He growled at her, taking one step towards her as he did. His head was lowered, and at this distance, from this angle, his array of horns seemed a very real and present threat.
But strangely, she was not alarmed. Even more strangely, there was the feeling of having been here before, or at least something like this. This is a test. It did not follow from any sort of real logic, but the words themselves came to mind all the same.
This is a test. If she balked now, she would fail, and there would not be another opportunity.
She did not move. The creature moved in until they were nearly nose to nose, his pale bright eyes staring into her visual sensors.
(25)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:12:05 GMT -6
She didn’t know how long they stayed like that. But as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. The creature turned away as though he had lost interest, with only a slight huff. Rabbit waited another moment longer, at which point he had begun to look at her sidelong again, before pointing to the same wound she had indicated before.
The creature blinked, then blew out a long breath almost like a sigh, and lapped once, symbolically really, at the wound.
Rabbit nodded at him. He had done as she had asked, if only nominally. They could debate the specifics of what that ought to entail at some later point. Aster had said as much, when he had been talking her through the basics of teaching the creatures anything.
When they were done with the rest of the wounds, she bandaged him back up, brought him his food and water, and left.
(26)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:15:01 GMT -6
(end: Tolerance)
They settled into a new routine like that. Rabbit had been concerned that, with his new freedom, the creature might emerge from his barn quarantine to cause trouble, but for the moment, he seemed content to stay where he was.
She wondered at his motives, but as this worked in their favor, she did not wonder it aloud. Perhaps he did understand, and she didn’t want to give him any ideas if he didn’t have them yet.
She was surprised, too, that he allowed her to touch him as she had before. The next day, when she came to inspect him, he allowed her to do so. In retrospect, it should not have seemed so strange. He was able to get away from her even when he had been bound, after all. It just felt as though something had fundamentally changed that day, and she was waiting to find out what the nature of that change was.
(27)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Apr 14, 2019 20:18:30 GMT -6
(end: Lick Wounds)
She still didn’t know. It was impossible to quantify. If she found out, it would be at some point later down the line. Possibly, something as strange as their stare down would happen again. She could only hope she might understand it better the second time.
But he did seem happy enough to exchange the salve for his own cleaning of the wounds, for a given value of 'happy'. After a few days, he began to tend to them on his own when she changed his bandages, without any prompting or threats on Rabbit’s part. By then, all but the very worst of them were closing over anyway, and Rabbit no longer had to replace as many bandages as she had been. His body was showing signs of filling out too, with the food doing him as much good as it could in the two weeks he had spent here in the barn.
(28)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on May 5, 2019 11:19:10 GMT -6
The creature’s convalescence was by no means a straightforward project. Rabbit didn’t know what she had expected, but upon reflection, she had been ill prepared for the realities of dealing with a creature of such intelligence. All this to say that one day, not long after that strange moment of almost confrontation, she walked into the barn to find the creature collapsed, snarling fit to scare off all the local wildlife.
Rabbit could only piece together what had happened from the evidence she had. There were claw marks on the walls, and along the dirt floor of the barn as well. One of the creature’s wings were askew. From the position of his fall, she wondered if he had landed badly on it. The few scant things that still remained in the barn had been thoroughly knocked about, including the water bowl, which had been summarily tipped over. Its contents were still seeping into the ground.
(29)
|
|