The wood nymph watched the newcomer to the woods with no small amount of distrust, hiding behind a thick tree several yards away from where the person idly sat, busily skinning a freshly caught animal in their small makeshift camp before proceeding to hang the meat on a spit over the campfire which was flickering merrily, the crackle and pop of the flames sounded louder than normal in the peaceful quiet of the forest.
Gwilwilethneth narrowed her green eyes at this person, taking an instant dislike for intruding upon her space and killing an animal in front of her no less as though its life meant nothing. She pondered a bit on what to do. Attacking the person seemed completely foolish as they were armed to the teeth and her companions were not currently with her at this time. She didn't worry about them though, she would be able to sense if her friends were in any danger. This person before her however needed to be taught a lesson on respecting the forest and its creatures... She did not abide the needless killing of animals, it was atrocious.
The druid continued to watch the person silently to see what else they would do and if she needed to intervene at all. Finally she decided enough was enough, and stepped out from behind the tree, glaring at the animal slayer. "How dare you intrude here and kill a helpless animal no less! I should show you what happens to those who disrespect Nature!!"
Kurbur, who was simply minding his own business, was suddenly being screamed at for hunting a animal. He continued to watch in awe, was this little druid telling him what to do? Whatever the case Kurbur almost felt like changing to his minotaur form and scaring her off. Instead, he look at her and said,"Listen here missy, I need this meat to live...so unless you want to be the one over this fire i'd watch that silver tongue of yours!"
As if nothing had happened, he turned back to the boar he had captured and carefully poked at it with his massive ax. He then began to slowly turn the dead animal over in the fire as he stuck his hand into the fire and quickly pulled it out with only a few minor burns along his arm and palm. It didn't seem to bug him as much as it should, like he's done it many times before. He then turned to see that the same person who had just yelled at him was still there, so he smiled a little and said,"Well, why are you just standing their? You want a piece or something?"
Gwilwilethneth's eyes flashed in anger. "Look here you big hulking brute!" she screeched at him. "This here is a sacred place in these woods, and I am one of those in charge of looking after it! There is to be no hunting allowed! Need I call on my brethren to pound this fact into your thick dense skull?!" The druid was enraged. How dare this excuse of a person talk to her like that! Well, she would show him!
Mentally, she called to her kin and her companions. Quickly they appeared behind Gwil, three other druids, one of them her older brother, and the other two another faun and another nymph like herself with her companions Talon the she-wolf and Twinkle the butterfly by her side. "You called Mistress?" the butterfly Twinkle asked innocently. Talon only growled menacingly at the big man, baring her sharp fangs threateningly.
"Hold on a moment there, dear sister of mine", her brother cautioned Gwil. "I think this man may not be all that he appears. Best to be cautious."
"I care not!" the wood nymph shrieked angrily. "He has defiled this sacred grove and he shall pay!" Her brother sighed wearily, as though this sort of thing occurred quite often. "Gwil, listen to me please. I'd rather not risk the lives of our people, and really what harm is he doing anyway?"
"What harm? What HARM?? Are you completely out of your mind dear brother?" Gwil continued to yell, some birds nesting nearby in the trees above, being scared away by her shrieks. "He will move his arse out of this place, I swear it! By all that is natural and sacred, he will rue the day he came here!"
ooc: Faun (not to be confused with fawn) are goat-like creatures, similar to a satyr. The male version of a nymph.
Kurbur watched as the two siblings argued, while they were doing so he took a moment to examine the small crowd that had came. He looked at the growling she-wolf and sighed, he just wanted some time away from the madness. Kurbur than looked back at the cooking boar and decided to take it off the fire, he then chose to draw his sword. He said with a look of annoyance on his face and said, "call of the little group and I might leave, although I have grown quite attached to this place..." whatever kind of group this was it didn't seem to be the most organised, it looked like it could pull its own weight sure, but there was something off about it.
Once he was done getting his look at the group he settled on the ground, sword still in hand. He then said with a bit of a growl, "you think you can get me out off here? Try it smart arse..."
Gwil started to advance towards the man, spear clutched tightly in her hands as her companions began to follow suit. "Hold!" her brother called out. Gwil whirled around to face him. "What is it?!" she hissed at him. Her brother only rolled his eyes at this and said to her, "Must you be so bull headed?" he questioned. "I say we let him leave with a warning. If he agrees to leave in peace, we will let him, under the condition he follows the rules of this place the next time he may come around."
"Not on my watch!" Gwilwilethneth turned to look at the big brute. "Go on, get out of here! Your very presence is upsetting the sanctity of these woods!"
"Must you be so dramatic, Gwil?" her brother sighed.
"Must you be so unconcerned with your duties brother?" Gwil countered.
The faun instead looked to the man with the sword poised in his lap sitting on the ground and said to him, "Please excuse my sister. She can get rather....testy about the safety of these woods. She means well, but Gwil is as stubborn as they come!"
Gwil only scowled at these words. "Do not speak for me, brother! I can do so myself!"
"Yes, and a fine job of that you are doing too." he replied amused.
"Pftt." the druid only muttered. The brother looked to the man still watching them with a bored, annoyed look and said, "What say you stranger? As said, these woods are sacred to my people, and as such the natural order must be maintained. We do what we must to keep it that way."
Kurbur turned his attention to Gwil again and said,"Now, couldn't you of just told me that instead of pointing your spear at me?" When he heard the remark about being "bull headed" his expression changed to that of a bit of anger. He decided to calm down as he rested his elbow on Gwil's spear, he knew it wasn't directed at him, but it was still offensive to him.
He had finally turned his attention back to her brother and bargained"well, if I try not to hunt anything would still be allowed to stay?" He then continued,"you can even have miss nature over there keep an eye on me..." He opened up a small bag and pulled a fresh apple to began to eat it, he finally turned back to Gwil and said,"thanks for the armrest." He knw that Gwil would get upset, but he had his elbow right on the spear tip and it didn't seem to bother him at all, he wasn't very intimidated by Gwil or her spear.
Gwil bristled and yanked her spear out of his reach. "You think this is funny, do you?" Gwilwilethneth circled around him, surveying the man as though he were garbage in her eyes. "Well, let me tell you mister, don't think weapons are the only thing I am capable of! Need I demonstrate?" And with that, vines began to snake up from the ground underneath the big man, starting to crawl over the insolent male's feet.
"Gwil..." warned her brother, but the nymph paid him no heed. She continued to circle around him, eying the hunter like he were a parasite. The others stood off to the side, the other faun and nymph remaining quiet as though they weren't sure what to do here. Talon growled again at Kurbur, hoping to wipe that smirk off his face. Twinkle fluttered in the air nearby, watching the proceedings with interest and silently rooting on her mistress.
"I can make these vines do as I wish." Gwil continued on, making the vines grow a little higher, still continuing to creep towards the brute. Her brother watched and shook his head. Sometimes Gwil just could not be reasoned with at all.... "I can make them grow higher, bigger, and I can command them to choke the living daylights out of one like you. Tis' but a simple thing."
The others watched warily, standing still where they were. If the need came to act, they would. But for now...
"And this is not the extent of my power." the wood nymph continued on, piercing him with her green gaze filled with an inner fire inside their vivid depths of color. "There is much, much more that I can do, I am after all in my element!" she hissed at him.
ooc: The vines are near Kurbur but have yet to entangle him. Gwil is merely trying to intimidate him.
Kurbur watched the vines creeping towards him. He sighed and began to focus as a large tail like that of a bull shot out from his lower back. He smiled as he looked at Gwil with a devious smiled and said,"You want to intimidate me, now I turn the tables..." although he wasn't in his full minotaur form, he was sure that she'd get the idea. He stood up and snorted like a wild bull as he grabbed his ax and swung it directly into the vines to cut them clean in half. His smile suddenly faded as he looked at Gwil with sharp eyes and said,"Now...can I be by myself for a while, I've been trying to get away from all the things that I hated, not dive headfirst into them."
He then turned as his tail cracked like a whip to look at Gwil. He knew she would hate him, but for the moment he just wanted to rest. His tail and attitude seemingly disappeared as he dragged his ax behind him and threw himself into the log he was sitting on. He was still mad, but managed to keep his anger under management for a while. He then grabbed Gwil's spear and said,"If you try anything....Anything! Things will get a lot uglier, we clear?" His grip then tightened on the spear as he pushed it away from him. He then said,"Now let me be!"
"A minotaur!" Gwilwilethneth gasped. She watched as he partially changed form, most likely telling her to buzz off and to intimidate her as she did to him only seconds before. It wouldn't work though. Gwil replied in a steely voice, "Your kind is not welcome here. LEAVE foul beast!"
The nymph druid looked ready to do or say more to the minotaur, but her brother quickly grasped her arm and guided her over to one of the trees so he could talk with her quietly. "Listen to me, Gwil. I don't like him being here any more than you do, however I only see needless bloodshed if we do try to force him to leave. He seems intent on staying put. As long as he obeys the rules of the forest here, he should be left to his own devices. And I will talk to him," he said a bit louder as it looked like his sister were about to protest this notion.
"Might I say something on the matter?" the other nymph named Fleur asked in a quiet tone. The faun motioned his head in consent, as did Gwil albeit with a frustrated sigh. "I think your brother Thothor is right." she glanced at Gwilwilethneth before she continued. "I know he is a minotaur and all, but I think you're being too hard on him. I don't agree with his hunting here either, but he did say he would stop once we informed him of his error. I'm sorry Gwil."
"I tend to agree." the other faun named Lastor gave his input. "We don't need to cause violence here over one mistake."
Gwilwilethneth looked ready to argue but after a moment her shoulders slumped, and she relented grudgingly. "Fine!" she snapped, possibly more harshly than what she had intended to. "But I am to watch him to make sure he behaves!" her voice getting louder so that the minotaur probably had heard what she said.
She stalked over to Kurbur and said, "We will allow you to rest here, on the condition that you respect these woods! That means no hunting, no flaunting your weapons about, no cutting down the trees, or any other kind of treachery on your part or we WILL kick you out!" Gwil took a breath, before she prattled on. "And no urinating in the sacred spring! In fact, you shan't even be allowed over there, you will stay here and I am to watch you!"
"Gwil..." Thothor began. "He is allowed to drink from the spring, you can't tell him otherwise." The nymph gritted her teeth.
"Oh, fine, for the love of the Green Mother!" the druid exclaimed. "But no urinating there or anywhere else!" She smirked at the minotaur as she said this. Thothor merely rolled his eyes again.
"As my sis has so kindly stated, you are allowed sanctuary in these woods, provided you mind the rules that is." Looking once more at Kurbur, Thothor said to Gwil, "We'll be nearby if you need us. Come my brethren, let us leave." Both Fleur and Lastor followed Thothor, leaving Gwil and her two companions to watch the minotaur. Gwil only narrowed her eyes at him once more, standing there with her arms crossed over her chest.
OOC: And the others have names! Finally. They needed them, I got tired of saying brother, brother, nymph, and the like continuously.
Kurbur laughed and said,"Oh come on...don't be that way." He reached into his pocket and took out a small peach. He offered it to Gwil and said,"Take it if you want." He knew she wouldn't answer him, so he simply set the peach down and sat with one hand behind his head and another holding his sword, which he had already sheathed. He let go of his sword and put the other hand behind his head as he murmured to himself,"As close as I'm ever gonna get to some peace and quiet..."
He then turned to look at Gwil and her remaining companions. Their presence really didn't bother him as much as they used to. He looked at the small group tasked with watching the minotaur and tapped the large log he had put his head on and said,"Take a seat, relax a bit nature girl." It felt good to finally rest for once, but Kurbur knew that soon enough his peace and quiet would be ruined soon enough.
The nymph simply glared at him, as though trying to bore holes in his head. She continued to do this, hoping to unnerve the resting minotaur. Talon merely settled down on her haunches and relaxed her head on her massive front paws, the gray of her fur looking both smooth and rough at the same time. Twinkle landed on Gwil's shoulder and the two of them communicated telepathically for a second. Gwil went over and picked up the peach, examining it carefully before taking a bite out of it. It was sweet as peaches were wont to be and she took small bites of it while still watching Kurbur rest on the ground, his head on the felled log. She finished the peach, then resumed her watch, not taking a seat near him as he had offered. She chose to continue standing where she was, continuing to stare at him with a scowl on her face.
Kurbur looked up at Gwil and lightly chuckled to himself. He scratched his head as he watch the she-wolf resting as well. He joked as he said,"See, she has the right idea." The minotaur then poked around the dirt a little with his boot and decided to let his tail hang out for a while, he could use this rest anyways. He wanted to change to his full form, but didn't mind staying in his more human form, but chose to let go of some of the magic to let his tail hang out.
He looked back at Gwil and kept patting the fallen log. He then said,"Even the wolf knows when to relax for a moment...I'm with her on this one." He then slid further down the log and got his head better adjusted with the log. Maybe his peaceful time would be ruined by "forest girl" after all.
Gwilwilethneth eyed Kurbur with disdain. She knew what he was trying to accomplish, trying to get himself off the hook like that, acting all easy-going. But it wouldn't work on her. The nymph's duties were clear and this big guy wasn't about to make her change her mind so easily. She stayed where she was, Talon resting nearby and Twinkle had settled herself on a nearby tree branch, fluttering her wings as she got comfortable there on the smooth bark.
"I do hope you weren't expecting to stay long." she quipped, breaking the silence between them. "You will conclude your business here and then you will depart soon after, do you hear me?" The nymph briefly considered using her ability to charm the minotaur, but quickly declined on the idea. Normally she had no issue with doing such, it was natural to her after all. However, for some reason unknown to her, she chose not to. At least not right now.
The wood nymph settled herself on the ground, her back against the tree trunk on which Twinkle were resting on and stared pointedly at the minotaur-man. She had to admit he looked rather amusing to her right then, his tail spread out underneath him while he still maintained the generic visage of a man. However she schooled her features to look stern and completely unimpressed. This was not exactly how she had planned to spend her day, babysitting some minotaur-brute. Gwil let out a soft sigh at this.
Kurbur began to doze off for a moment and said nothing to Gwil. The next thing he knew his eyelids had crept shut. He seemed to be relaxing a little too much. He then murmured, "eh, you need to calm down....I won't be here too long." His tail then shrunk until it was no longer there. He continued to murmur simple things in his daze. He murmured how he wanted to change to his full form and maybe get a little bit of water from a nearby river, or going to get some fruit. He even murmured about a good fruit tree, but it being too high. The next thing he knew he had fallen asleep! He snored like a bull and his arms dropped to his sides and he continued his loud snoring, it looked like it would take a lot to wake him up, and he won't be too happy to be woken up.
Gwil was starting to relax against the tree, but still kept her eyes on the minotaur. Not too much later, the minotaur had fallen asleep! Gwil blinked for a moment in surprise. And dear Mother Nature, was he loud!! Gwil had rarely, if ever, heard such loud obnoxious snoring before. After a while it began to grate on her nerves. The nymph blew out an exasperated breath, blowing some strands of brown wavy hair behind her back as she did.
A minute passed. Then two. Then three. Kurbur was still asleep and snoring. Finally, after another five minutes of that awful snoring, Gwil had had enough. She marched right over to him and shook him as violently as she could. "Wake up you big brute, time's up!!" So, it probably was not the smartest thing on her part to do then, but honestly Gwil didn't have such intelligent thoughts on her mind at that point. She just wanted that ridiculous snoring to stop! He still slept on. Finally, Gwil raised a hand with the intent to smack him. Maybe that would wake him up!
Surprisingly, Kurbur managed to stay asleep. Once the shaking had stopped the minotaur fell on his chin, slightly skinning it, and stirred for a moment. He the murmured in his sleep,"That you smart arse?" And begin to lightly snore and fell back to sleep. He seemed to be slowly changing in his sleep as his tail came out yet again. It began to stir in the dirt and he seemed a little mad already even if he was asleep. It looked like a smack might actually get spooked like a horse as he continued to slightly change and his tail continued to grow.
Gwil was shocked. The shaking nor did the sharp smack she gave him did anything of the sort to fully rouse him from slumber. The wood nymph pondered for a second on what to do, before her eyes lit up and she smiled a wicked grin.
She stood up, the woven leaves of her forest garb rustling slightly as she did so. The nymph began to conjure some icy cold water from her hands, drawing upon the enchanted magics of the woods they were in. She quickly held out her hands, palms facing down over the unsuspecting, changing form of the minotaur and unleashed her magic.
Kurbur, who was just trying to sleep, was finally in his full minotaur form. When he was suddenly doused with icy water. He suddenly threw himself up and began kicking and bucking in not only fear, but anger! He suddenly calmed down enough to get a good look at Gwil's little smile. He snorted in anger, actually forcing the gold nose ring to move from the sudden gust. Even though he was still on all fours he managed to calm down enough to roar,"What is wrong with you!?" He then continued and said,"Give me one reason why I shouldn't ram you!"
He then stood up and picked up his ax. He spat on the ground and said,"Don't follow..." He then growled and began to walk away from the area he had just been in, the only way things could get worse would be if someone jumped on his back to try and take him for a ride.
Gwil's amusement faded fast and her eyes widened in alarm. "Just where do you think you're going?" she yelled at his quickly retreating back, his axe in hand. "You get your minotaur butt back here, right now!"
Around the nymph, she could hear the creaking murmurs of the trees in response to Kurbur's rage and his axe at the ready. The ground underneath the wood nymph was humming more strongly and alive, preparing itself for what might happen. She was now both afraid and incredibly angry at what he might do. "Stop right this instant, for the love of Nature and all Her creatures! Oh so help me Mother of the Earth, I will strike your ugly minotaur arse down if you do anything disrespectful!"
And with that, she ran after him, intent on stopping him fully before any damage was done.
The raging bull turned to see that Gwil was trying to catch up with him and threatened to strike him down if he didn't stop what he was doing. He then roared and yelled,"Strike ME down!? Be lucky my horns don't go through your little brain!" He then threw his ax and roared, "Begone!"
He needed to blow off some steam before he decided to go after her. He saw a large tree and instinct took over. In a fit of rage, Kurbur threw himself onto all fours, showing his thin back the looked more along the lines of a space between a camel's hump. On all fours, kurbur looked more like a really angry bull than a actual minotaur. He then began to scrape the ground with his massive hand and the opposite hoof repeated this action. He then roared before ramming his massive horns into the tree, almost knocking it over in one go. Kurbur then wrenched his horns out and back up again. This hit would knock over the tree if it landed. He began to scrape the ground with his hoof again, getting ready to really blow of some steam.
Gwil ran after him, the force of her speed making her hair gust back behind her as she ran to stop the raging brute. She became aware of her companions at her side, not just Talon and Twinkle but also Thothor, Lastor and Fleur as well. "What is happening?!" Thothor yelled as they ran, the roar of a minotaur being clearly heard reverberating through the forest.
"Idiot bull is trying to harm the forest! He must be stopped!" Gwil screamed back. They all fully agreed. "Why is he doing this?" Thothor yelled back. "No time to explain, we must hurry!"
They soon came upon the area where the minotaur was crouched on all fours, rearing back about ready to plunge his horns into the trunk of a massive tree. "Nooooooooo!" screamed Gwil in panic, and they all sprang into action at that point. "Stop this madness!!"
The very earth shook around the minotaur as all druids present called upon their magic to try to stop him. The air grew heavier with the scent of magic being unleashed as Thothor called to the trees around them, "Awaken brothers and sisters of the woods, you are needed in action!" The ground creaked, cracked and moved as the trees uprooted themselves, taking on Treant form, going out of their dormant stage into action to protect their home. A deep depression formed in the ground right underneath Kurbur, about twelve feet deep and three feet wide, courtesy of Gwil's magic. The sky also darkened in response, due to the other druids' powers, as a storm began to rage high above. The minotaur would most surely regret his actions, Gwil was counting on it.
((Alright, I hope that reads better now. As we agreed, Thothor will issue the signal to stop once Kurbur falls into the hole.))
Kurbur had tried to jump out of the way of the massive sink hole, but it had already swallowed him by the time his feet had left the ground. He soon fell flat onto his back, creating a large mass of dust in the hole. NOW kurbur was beyond angry. He snorted, bucked, rammed the wall, and many other things in this fit of rage. He now officially hated Gwil, if it wasn't for her he wouldn't be in this mess! Furiously, kurbur drew one of his daggers and tried to throw it out the hole, he succeeded but couldn't tell where it went. Kurbur then went back ti the roaring, kicking, and ramming, now running around like a crazed bull on all fours. Soon he would calm down, soon.
When the hole formed in the ground underneath the minotaur and Kurbur fell in, Thothor held up his hands and shouted "Cease your attacks!" Everyone did, even though Gwil was enraged at this, and both siblings whirled to face each other even as loud thuds and roaring could be heard from the deep depression. "That was not necessary Gwil, and you know this! I know you do not approve of his being here, but we are not trying to kill him, merely teach him a lesson! Your thirst for violence is wearing on me! Look what you've done, you've angered him beyond belief! Now there's no telling what he'll do!" he shouted at her.
Gwilwilethneth clenched her fists angrily and yelled right back at him. "Look what he did to the tree, Thothor! You can't possibly condone that! He deserved it!" the nymph fumed.
"And what brought all this on anyway, hmm??" her brother questioned. Gwil froze and then hung her head a little, before looking back up again. "Look, I apologize brother, I didn't mean to anger him! I just didn't think--"
"You never think Gwil, that is the problem! You just act without thinking of all the consequences! What exactly did you do to make him that way?"
The nymph sighed, and glanced around her at the others. The trees had stopped and were wandering around aimlessly, apparently waiting for a command on what to do next. Lastor and Fleur were simply shaking their heads, amazed. "I--I might have dumped ice water on him with my magic while he was sleeping." she said quietly. "But he was snoring so loudly, I could not stand to listen to that racket any longer!" Gwil said in defense. Talon was quiet, not uttering a sound while Twinkle merely flapped her wings in the air.
Her brother sighed and shook his head wearily. "What am I to do with you sister?" The pounds, thuds and roars could still be heard as Kurbur attempted to get out. He was still a moment, thinking, and glanced into the hole briefly spotting the pissed off minotaur. "Let us just hope he calms down soon. You've done quite enough, Gwil, really!" Shaking his head still, Thothor glanced towards the hole again before looking at his sister. "I am to stay here and watch the both of you now!"
"What about the tree?" Fleur asked him quietly. Thothor glanced at it, saddened. "I do not know at this point." he replied. The felled tree would have to be worried over later. Right now there were bigger problems to deal with. "I cannot really blame him for what he did if you angered him sister. You are also at fault here."
Sighing, he commanded the treants to transform back to their dormant selves which they did without complaint. Just then, a sharp object came flying out of the hole and hit Gwil without warning. It was a dagger. Gwil's hands went to her side as the weapon embedded itself in her flesh, and she cried out in pain falling to the ground as she did so, hands clutching the wound, blood pouring out.
"Gwil!" everyone cried out, alarmed and they rushed over to her side, her animal companions also going to her.
Kurbur stopped his bucking and roaring for a moment when he heard a scream of pain. He knew that he had thrown his dagger while in his fit of rage, but it seemed that it had hit Gwil! He then took out another dagger that was hooked and very ragged he then yelled,"That's what you deserve you smart arse!" He then went silent as he sat in the farther side of the hole, barely out of view. He then tried to rest, maybe now he wouldn't get water doused on him. He wasn't snoring surprisingly, it just seemed like he had stop talking altogether. Finally, he got what he wanted, peace and quiet.
Gwil lay on the ground holding her side, the dagger still embedded. Thothor and the others rushed over to her frantically. Her eyes showed pain as well as rage within them. She thought she heard Kurbur yelling about how she deserved it, but the pain was blinding her senses too much to be sure of that.
Her brother knelt at her side, and examined the wound carefully. "Hold still, Gwil. I need to pull the blade out." He did so quickly, discarding it on the ground next to them, as Gwil screamed in pain at this. He quickly held his hands over the open wound and poured his healing magics into it, watching as the wound closed up, the blood stopping altogether. Once that was done, he sat back on his hooves and sighed. "Now, will you try to be more careful?"
Gwil chose to say nothing, eyes still shut as she tried to calm her breathing. Slowly, she sat up and then threw a glare full of immense hatred into the hole where the minotaur was, although she could not clearly see him from this vantage point. "I want him GONE!!" she screamed in utter rage.
Kurbur began to crawl out from his little crevice and had completely ignored what Gwil was yelling at him about. He actually seemed to be enjoying himself down in his hole, he then grabbed a piece of straw from his bag and began to recline while holding it between his teeth. He wasn't as mad as used to be and eventually stood up.
He snorted a little and spat out the straw. An idea had just struck him! He grabbed his other massive dagger and murmured, "I hope I don't break this..." he then walked over to the wall and threw his dagger not to far up from him. He then put his hoof where it would fit and grabbed the dagger for extra support. Thanks to the jagged design of the blade, he could stick it in with ease and not shatter the blade. He slowly continued this process, almost falling back down twice. He was now finally back to the surface!
He walked right by Gwil and her brother with a blank look as he picked up the other dagger he owned. The blade of the dagger that had stabbed Gwil was straight, but also curved like the one kurbur currently held. He picked it up without noticing Gwil or her brother as he wiped the dagger clean of Gwil's blood and sat down by the tree he had knocked over. For some reason he sat alone, in a odd stance with the jagged dagger to his right and the lighter and straighter dagger to his left. He then decided he would name the jagged dagger "Vengeance" while the other would be named "Temperance". He was happy with these new names and lowered the daggers as he sat alone, hoping he would have time to regroup with himself.
While the others walked over to the fallen tree to pay their respects, bowing their heads as they did so, Thothor looked at Gwil sternly. "It would not be wise to anger him again, sister. I know you two hate each other, but there needs to be some understanding here!" Shaking his head, he glanced over to the others and the dead tree as they put their hands on the smooth bark to give the fallen tree a blessing and a farewell. Glancing briefly at Kurbur, he turned back to Gwil who was still fuming at the minotaur. If looks could kill, Kurbur would be dead ten times over. Dear sister of mine...what am I to do with you sometimes... the older brother thought to himself.
"Come, let us say our farewells to our fallen brother." Thothor motioned with his hand for the nymph to follow, and she did so but not before throwing the minotaur a completely nasty look, one that would normally wither anyone's confidence and resolve. Gwil hated Kurbur with a passion, and all she wanted now was for the atrocious thing to get off their lands and leave.
Kurbur could care less if Gwil was staring, he stood up with both daggers in hand and began to walk away from the scene. He went back to his makeshift camp and threw both daggers into the downed log he was sitting on not too long ago. He simply sat on the ground, still angered by what Gwil had done. He couldn't take it anymore and actually felt like stabbing his horns through her. He knew he shouldn't think that way, but he couldn't help it! He was still mad at Gwil and won't be forgiving her anytime soon.
Gwil watched with narrowed eyes as Kurbur walked away. She quickly paid her respects to the downed tree, and then headed off after Kurbur soon after. She was planning to watch him to make sure no more harm came to the woods. Thothor followed Gwil as she ran lightly towards where she had seen the minotaur go. He was going to keep an eye on both of them, minotaur and sister nymph alike. This wasn't the first time he had had to bail his sister out of trouble, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.
Soon, both nymph and faun arrived at the makeshift campsite.
Kurbur chose to leave the dagger where he had embedded them. He had begun to pitch a small tarp to give him a area to rest in. He was soon finished and cautiously stepped inside of the large straw tarp. He only had his sword to rest on, which of course didn't bother him as much as it would any normal person.
He then got up on all fours and left the small tarp to admire his own handiwork. It needed a few more dead branches that Kurbur couldn't find, it's not like he was allowed to mow down anymore trees with his horns. He then stood up on his hooves to see that Gwil and her brother were already coming to check on him.
Kurbur was done with the both of them as he grabbed his massive daggers. He then grabbed his sword and slashed a massive line that was about twenty feet away from Kurbur's small tarp. He then said,"You stay over there, and I stay here" as he pointed to the his small camp for one. He then held both daggers as he said,"Oh, if you try and cross you better watch out, or else you might cut." He then threw both daggers back into the log and hauled a large rock he had found into the doorway of the tarp to cover the entrance way. Only someone with immense strength like Kurbur could lift such a large rock.
As the two arrived on the scene, they noticed Kurbur putting up a tarp to rest in. The wood nymph's companions Talon and Twinkle soon arrived as well, with Talon sniffing the area briefly and growling some at the minotaur. The wolf also strongly disliked the large creature for what he did to her mistress. Twinkle perched herself on the nymph's shoulder and Gwil stopped glaring at Kurbur to offer the butterfly a small smile of gratitude. They were always there for her when she needed them.
Talon nudged Gwil's hand softly, and Gwil turned to look at the large wolf expectantly. You want me to take a bite out of him? the wolf asked her telepathically. Gwil smiled and shook her head. As much as I would love that, I do not think that would end well for either of us. She scowled at this. The ugly brute was severely intruding on her peace of mind today. She didn't like it one bit. Talon then sent Gwil a mental image of the minotaur falling off a cliff and to his death far below. Gwil laughed at this. Yes, it would certainly show him. He deserves it! Talon rested her head on her paws and gave to Gwil what looked like a cheeky grin--as much as a wolf can grin that is. Gwil laughed again, and rustled the wolf's fur affectionately.
She turned to look at her brother who was perched on a nearby tree branch. He merely shook his head at her and pointed to the space that the minotaur had claimed for himself. Gwil noted the huge boulder that was planted in front of the entrance-way and snarled like a feral thing. He certainly was not subtle about wanting to be left alone. she thought with disgust. She hoped in vain the minotaur would rot in there, but the chances of that happening were not very likely. Needless to say, it looked as though Mr. Minotaur would be staying awhile as an unpleasant guest.
Kurbur sighed for a moment and stayed in his small tarp ALONE. When he peeked through a small crevices in the tarp he could see Talon and Gwil with devious smiles. This of course got Kurbur mad, but not to his boiling point. He removed his eye from the crevice and sighed. Maybe I should stay here over night he thought to himself. He could finally relax for once. He pulled a fresh, red apple from his pocket and began to eat it. To him it sounded normal, but to others it sounded like a loud crunching and about three other minotaurs were making that noise. Maybe tonight won't be as peaceful as he had hoped.
At the sound of loud crunching as though the minotaur were munching on something, Gwil turned her head sharply to the offending noise and its despicable owner. She gritted her teeth, but did not do or say anything else. Thothor glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, as though to subtly make sure she didn't do anything rash. Gwil simply rolled her eyes in annoyance. The sooner the brute left these woods, the better it would be.
Gwil listened attentively to the woods around her, hearing the spirits of nature murmur quietly about the recent turmoil that had taken place. They seemed somewhat agitated as well, but were trying their best to accommodate for the disturbance. Gwil sighed and idly began twirling her woven flower crown in her hands. The artistry of it was beautiful and she loved it dearly.
The crunching sounds continued. Gwil, fed up with this, put the crown back on her head, stood up and yelled to Kurbur, "Keep it down you cad! Must you be so rude and loud?!" The nymph sat back down then, and began playing with the tendrils of grass at her feet, trying to stay calm.
Kurbur stopped chewing when he heard Gwil screaming. He then slowed down his chewing, but in turn made a even louder crunching. Finally, Kurbur had eaten the apple, core and all, and simply dropped the seeds outside by pushing the massive boulder out the doorway.
He then put his back to the rock and tried to relax while holding a bit of straw between his teeth. I think I might just spend the day here I kinda like it here. He stopped the thought and got off of the rock to go rest on the ground. He looked out through another crevice and saw that it was getting dark, but it couldn't he night yet! He squinted his yellow eyes and managed to make out large storm clouds ans said,"Good thing I got this built when I did." He then laid back on the ground and his tail snapped around like a whip for a few moments and then started sweeping itself on the hard dirt floor. Kurbur simply laid back again and said to the group,"I'd find shelter if I were you."
The two siblings noticed the approaching storm but neither were overly worried. "You forget that we live in nature all the time, we have little need for makeshift shelters like others do. Whatever is around will suit Gwil, her companions and I just fine." Thothor explained to Kurbur.
To Gwil, he said quietly, "I suggest we leave the minotaur here for the meantime and go find one of the caves around here." As the nymph's apparent look of protest on her face showed, her brother quickly added in, "Do not worry about him, I doubt he will be going anywhere in this storm." Gwil pondered this, then nodded to him. "I believe you're right brother, but I would not suggest leaving him be for too long. Nature only knows what other damage he might cause!" This last part was stated more loudly, probably to both warn and irritate the minotaur at the same time.
"He wont." Thothor stated with confidence. "Will you minotaur?" his voice rose, directing his question towards Kurbur. The four of them, Talon and Twinkle included, all made to go to one of the nearby caves to wait out the storm. It looked like it would be a fierce one.
Kurbur could hear both voices. He growled at Gwil's smart remark and simply said,"yes...I'll be fine." He then began to scrape his dagger on the ground as an attempt to calm himself down.
He wanted to go out and yell at Gwil but continued to growl anyways. It really bugged him, even to the point where he lost his appetite. He then picked up a peach in his bag and murmured, "Well, there must be some animal having a harder time than me..." He then opened the massive boulder a small inch and dropped the peach outdoors, maybe a animal would scamper by and take it.
He then closed up the gap and simply did some poking around in his bag, but couldn't find anything to keep him busy for a moment. He was beginning to get bored, so he simply laid on his massive back and waited for the storm to come. Hopefully, he would have a chance to be on his own without a nagging Gwil always riding his back on how she wanted him out. Won't be too long before she actually jumps on he jokingly thought to himself. It would be nice to finally get away from all of his troubles.
A brown bunny scampered by Kurbur's tarp and went over to sniff the peach dropped on the ground before a deafening boom of thunder sounded, the lightning bolt that followed very near these part of the woods, promptly scaring away the rabbit as it fled to safety. Without the peach.
A second later the sky opened up, the rain pouring down in massive buckets of drenching water. Everything around quickly became soaked as the sky darkened even more, grey and black thunder clouds unleashing their wrath upon the land.
The wind tossed the tree branches around, lightning still striking overhead, with thunder booms sounding soon after. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck one of the trees nearby, splitting it down the middle! Very near where Kurbur was camped out at. The electric charge in the air remained for quite a while.
Meanwhile, in the cave...
Gwil listened to the sounds of the storm taking place and heard very clearly the massive boom as it struck somewhere nearby, presumably near where Kurbur was situated. Hah! she thought with some amount of glee. Perhaps the storm will strike him down and I won't have to! It was a lovely thought, one which brought a huge smile to the wood nymph's face.
Thothor noticed this, and said "Why the smile, sister?" Thinking for a moment, he went on, "Or do you hope the minotaur will meet his end in this storm?"
Gwil turned to him, not really alarmed by her brother's correct assumption. "You know me too well, brother." She scowled, glaring at the cave walls as if it were the brute himself. "That minotaur has caused too much trouble here lately! I would be most glad to be rid of his presence. In whatever way is possible." she finished.
"Oh and I suppose you are completely innocent in the matter too, sister?" Thothor countered, raising a bushy eyebrow at her.
"Oh, never mind you!" Gwil scoffed and sat back against the cave walls, the coolness of them somewhat soothing her irritation. "Whether I am or not, does not matter. The brute does not belong here. And that is final!"
Thothor wisely chose to say nothing and kept quiet, idly sharpening his weapon on the whetstone he always carried around with him. The four of them sat out the rest of the storm in silence, the wolf resting against Gwil's legs and the butterfly on her left shoulder.
After a couple hours, the storm concluded and the sky gradually began to lighten, the rain slowing to a drizzle before stopping altogether.
Kurbur stood calm, that was until he saw the giant bolt of lighting strike a tree straight down the middle. It had sliced it most of the way down the middle! After that, the storm seemed to lighten up until it had finally stopped. Kurbur then chose to emerge from his tarp and go examine the tree with his ax in hand.
When he had finally reached the tree he could better see that the tree was slightly burned, but surprisingly sliced. He then gripped his ax and said,"Maybe now I can dry off a little..." and began to hack away at the tree with his massive ax. It wasn't too long until the first half of the tree fell, then the other half soon fell as well, leaving a stump. Kurbur could tell that at the very least there were no creatures inhabiting the tree while he was cutting it down, that much he could be absolutely positive of. He then hacked the large trunks down into smaller, easy to carry logs and simply tossed the logs over both of his shoulders with a great heave.
Kurbur had finally reached his camp when he dumped the logs onto the ground and said,"Well now I got enough of these to last me a good while..." He then grabbed one of his daggers and a flat rock. He then began to strike the two together until he got a quick spark to form along the bottom of the stack. It soon lightly ignited, slowly covering the rest of the logs. He began to blow on the logs to help the flames spread through the logs and soon the whole stack was burning as a nice and warm camp fire. The minotaur then reclined a little and felt the warmth along his wet fur and clothing, slowly drying in the warmth.
After the storm had passed, Gwilwilethneth and her brother went their separate ways, Talon and Twinkle following on behind the wood nymph as the quartet left the cave and back into the magnificent forest all around them. Thothor went the other direction to see to some other matters while Gwil headed back in the direction towards the annoying minotaur and his tarp.
The woods weep. Gwil clearly heard and felt in both her head and in the depths of her soul. A sense of sadness permeated the air around her and she herself felt like crying in its somberness. Dear Blessed Mother, what is the matter? she questioned silently to the voice of Nature. Another brother has fallen, it continued in that melancholic voice, the likes of which heard only by nature folk such as herself. A tear formed in the nymph's eyes and she hurriedly made her way toward where Kurbur was situated. "What has he done now," she muttered angrily, running now at a fast pace, her companions right behind her. Mistress? questioned the butterfly, concerned. Both companions also felt the pervading sadness and felt its loss. They were concerned about Gwilwilethneth and what she might do next.
When the trio arrived on the scene, the wood nymph at first couldn't believe her eyes. Where a tree once stood, now in its place lay only a dead stump, cut off from its long life of beauty and majesty. By the tarp blazed a crackling fire, orange flames licking the air merrily and next to it....was the minotaur, the foul beast of destruction himself. A huge pile of logs that could only have come from the downed tree sat beside the fire a little ways away from it.
The sense of loss and despair was too unbearable to her in that moment, of a life now gone, and she shrieked a high pitched wail of sorrow and extreme rage, hate filling her very being at this thing before her.
Kurbur continued his slicing of the dead tree when out of nowhere he hears some massive shriek! He flinched at the sudden banshee scream. He turned his head and in a sudden huff he yelled,"Shut the hell up you stupid Banshee!" At that moment he threw his axe into the stump of the tree and yelled,"The lightning was the one that killed the tree, not I!"
Before he would have to put up with her again he left his axe buried deep inside of the tree and went straight back to the area where he knew he should of stayed, right back into his makeshift tarp. He grabbed the massive boulder and slammed it against the doorway, for a moment it seemed as if the whole shelter might collapse, but somehow managed to keep together. He didn't want to hear it from her, he really didn't. He simply laid down once more and tried to drown out the awful sounds Gwil was making.
Gwil was completely enraged and as a result failed to hear what Kurbur had said about the tree. Furious, she stomped over to the minotaur and was about to launch herself at him when he went back into his little tarp of his, most likely to get away from her.
She clenched her fists angrily, and then went over to the campfire and unleashed a bout of water that quickly extinguished the flames that burned. The wood now wet, but Gwilwilethneth was far from satisfied. She picked up the logs and promptly threw them at the tarp, albeit with some difficulty as they were heavy! However she did not seem to hit the brute as she'd hoped.
Huffing in frustration, Gwil shrieked again in his direction, ready to unleash hell as soon as he reemerged from his stupid hideout, the boulder blocking the way or else she would have charged at him with her spear and magics.
"You cannot hide in there forever, disgusting creature!" she yelled at him. "You will learn to respect nature, by the Earth Mother's fury you will!"
Talon and Twinkle were nearby, ready to act and aid the nymph if needed.
Kurbur was starting to get sick of Gwil, he really was. He remained perfectly still in his tarp until he noticed that she had started to throw some of his logs towards his tarp! The next thing he knew a small rip had formed at the corner of the tarp. He looked at the small rip and sighed, the last thing he needed was for Gwil to notice the small tear in his tarp. He then realized that he had left his axe buried right in the stump of the tree that he cut down.
Kurbur suddenly had no choice but to go out and grab his axe, but with Gwil standing right in his way it could be hard. He would have to put up with her for a moment longer to retrieve his lost axe. He left the tarp and stared Gwil down for a moment and he walked over to the stump to remove his axe. He hunched over the stump, yanking and pulling as hard as he could to get the axe out. Hopefully, this simple process of retrieving his axe wouldn't spiral out of control like everything else already has.
When the minotaur emerged from his tarp, Gwil seethed inside and was ready to attack him when she noticed that he was going to retrieve his axe. Oh, no you don't! she thought, and began casting her magic to root his feet to the ground with twirling vines. Hopefully he would be stuck there for awhile and not be able to get his axe free from the tree it was embedded in. Provided he didn't just simply cut away the vines from his feet and charge at her instead. The druid had a plan in mind if he tried that so she wouldn't get hurt again.
Kurbur continued to advance towards his axe until he was suddenly stopped by vines trying to tie his legs down! He snorted and worked furiously at the vines with his massive hands until he managed to rip them into pieces. He stared at Gwil and clenched his teeth. He was about to ram her, but instead he grabbed his axe and pulled it straight from the stump. He then turned to look at Gwil and roared,"Do that again, I dare you!" He was getting closer and closer to his boiling point with each passing moment.
Gwilwilethneth glared at Kurbur. She was not intimidated by him in the least. Just then Talon and Twinkle came over, Talon nudging her hand with her snout hoping to calm down the nymph. She was worried for the druid, knowing that in a fight with the minotaur one of them would get hurt and it probably wouldn't be the minotaur. At the wolf's gentle interference, Gwil calmed down a little but was still angry.
Mistress? the butterfly inquired, also concerned. How about we leave here and go somewhere else for awhile?
Gwilwilethneth sighed and smiled wearily at Twinkle. As much as she was loathe to leave, the butterfly had a point and frankly the wood nymph was getting tired of babysitting the ugly git and even more tired of seeing his face and annoying gold nose ring that moved whenever the brute got angry. Which, thanks to Gwil was quite a lot. Gwil also knew that Twinkle was worried for her as well and only wanted to help before things got out of hand.
Talon sent Gwil a mental picture of Kurbur being attacked by crows while restrained by vines and that cheered her right up and she laughed giddily. The nymph still felt anger and sadness over the tree's loss but it was fading to a more manageable degree. She decided to plant another tree in its place, and do the same with the other felled tree. Spotting a few acorns she picked them up and set to dig in the soil to plant one of the acorns. Covering it with plenty of dirt, she harnessed her magic and blessed it with vitality and nutrients that permeated into the soil and then with her hands conjured a bit of water to moisten the earth where she worked.
Satisfied with her handiwork, Gwilwilethneth straightened up and smoothed out her forest garb. With one last withering glare at Kurbur she and her companions went to the other part of the woods where the first tree had been cut down to repeat the process. After all, she couldn't let this beast ruin her sworn duties to the enchanted forest. It was stressful to her nerves to say the least to deal with him. The nymph could only hope that he would not cause any more damage. She would kill him if she could, but restrained herself from doing so.
Kurbur watched as Gwil and her companions left. As they left he yelled, "Good riddance, you annoying little druid!" He heaved his massive axe over his shoulder and sat down right atop of the stump, almost trying to taunt her. He then simply sat and stared up at the sky to try and forget what had just happened. He still couldn't believe all of this had happened, especially over something as simply as lightning striking a tree.
When the minotaur yelled his retort, Gwil was tempted to turn right back around and do something rash but stopped herself. She debated for a couple more seconds whether or not to go right back and magic him into a hole in the ground like before. But the wood nymph recalled what happened last time and then with a huff, she and her companions continued on like before. She clenched her fists together in indignation. How dare he? she snarled inwardly. This here is my home, he does not belong here! Perhaps there is some way...
Her thought stopped when she returned to the first fallen tree. Apparently Lastor and Fleur had already taken care of it, for she sensed the beginnings of new life already stirring in the ground beneath her near where the dead tree was. The ground had also recently been dug into, which was a further sign that the job had been completed. She sighed, running a hand through her dark brown locks and sat down on the ground near the downed tree. The group of them would all need to help move the tree out of the way so that the new one could grow in its place. But that was for later.
"What ever am I to do with that annoying brute? I can't continue like this!" she screeched in exasperation. "He must leave!"
Kurbur saw Gwil clench her fist as she left. He then stood up, dusted himself off, and started to return to his tarp. He stopped half way there when he heard her screeching again. He tried to listen in on what she was saying, but she was too far off for him to hear much. The only words he could make out were He must leave! Kurbur sighed as he heard this and murmured,"Typical..."
Gwil laid down in the grass for awhile, her companions by her side. She needed some solace from the current happenings, and a solution to present itself to get the minotaur to go away for good. But of course, no solutions were readily forthcoming. Sighing in exasperation, Gwil had the urge to shed her clothes and go soak in the waters of the stream nearby. It would certainly calm her nerves doing so. To heck with that blasted minotaur! Gwilwilethneth desperately needed some measure of relief now.
So the nymph proceeded to ditch her garb on the ground while her companions Talon and Twinkle contented themselves with their own peace of mind, enjoying the light breeze that came by. The druid thought in delight all the wicked things that could possibly befall the minotaur as she bathed in the rushing, shallow waters. If fortune favored her, at least one of those things could happen.
Kurbur sighed, he couldn't stand being here anymore! He then stood up and unsheathed his axe, he needed to hit something. He walked over to his tarp and swung his axe right down the center of the roof. Since he was considering leaving, he may as well take care of any spare wood he could find. He then smiled, maybe he could stay a little longer. Once he finished his chopping, he sat back down and put his hands behind his head. Before he knew it, he eventually laid back on the grass and said,"Well, it looks like I have some time to myself."
The wood nymph bathed in the spring a while longer, enjoying the sensations of the water's coolness on her lightly bronzed skin. Green eyes opened underneath the small waterfall and she gazed out content, her worries with the minotaur temporarily forgotten for the time being. The voice of nature spoke all around her, and she reveled in its comfort and familiarity.
Sometime later she got out and re-dressed, Talon going up to greet her with a nudge of her cold nose. Gwilwilethneth laughed jovially, happy for the company. She glanced over to where her butterfly companion was situated on a white flower, gathering what nectar she wanted from it, insect legs moving as she did so. All was quiet and peaceful now. That was until Gwil remembered Kurbur and all the trouble he had caused. Instantly stiffening, the wood nymph let out a few exclamations of irritation before she decided it was time to pay the brute a visit. Definitely time to up her attempts to get him out of her home.
With that in mind, Gwil stalked over to where she had last seen the beast and his makeshift tarp, Talon following suit. Twinkle was content to stay where she was for now, and Gwil let her. With an annoyed frown on her fair face, the druid concocted a plan as she walked over to that section of the woods, her mood lifting once more as she pondered what problems she could make for the beastly warrior. Then, and maybe then he would leave and for good. Gwil could only hope.
Kurbur continued to enjoy his moment of peace, he loved to have this time to himself. He reached up and slowly began to rub his horns before saying,"Hmm...they still got a few more head rams in them...I'll sharpen them up later." He then lowered his arm and continued to relax, enjoying the little time he had to himself.
Kurbur's rest wouldn't last for much longer however. As Gwil drew nearer, she gestured for Talon to hide and she did the same, dashing behind a tree before she began the nature chant underneath her breath to conjure a small earthquake that would shake the ground upon which the minotaur lay, effectively disrupting his 'beauty' sleep. A hand gesture later, the ground began to shake and rumble, but not overly so. But it would definitely jar the beast from his little nap. Gwilwilethneth grinned a wicked smile, adamant about getting him to finally leave.
Kurbur suddenly snapped from his daydream when he felt the ground shaking. He quickly stood up and shouted,"Aye, Is this your work Nymph!?" He then drew his axe, he might need it later.
The only response from the wood nymph was the ground shaking even more, so much so that the minotaur would have trouble remaining upright. The ground then began to sink underneath Kurbur, filling up with water as it did. The 'hole' was only a foot or so deep though. But Gwil was only getting warmed up here. The brute would leave and she would be the cause of it. And hopefully he would never return.