B e l o w Z e r o
the cold never bothered me anyway
Oooh-ooooooooohhhhhhhhh The call had the mare pause, unfamiliar with the sound, as her finned ear flicks towards it, eyes blinking, before they searched the land around her for the source of the noise. Her primary eyes scouted the majority of the area around her, the secondary, back pair attempting to get a clear view of behind her, turning her head slightly to check her own blind spots. The call sounded again, this time deeper, lower, harmonized between the first, and a second creature. Bel's heart started to quicken, uncertain by what it was. Her tail whisked through the air, before started to head deeper into the Plain, away from what ever that sound was.
The call came again, closer and to her right. Her eyes spun in that direction, and atop her back, her bonded sat up straight, determined, worried, Caution, Treader? I fear something is stalking us, and I'm not as powerful on my own when we're not in the water. And you have no fighting experience. Bel scoffed softly, even as she smiled back at her bonded, "Relax, Yuki-love. I'll be fine! I've outswam a Kraken! I've headed off a hammerhead. I'll be okay. But . . . just in case, let's avoid the area." She offered, and started to trot off again, before a sudden growl halted her, as a large, thick furred creature stepped out in front of her. Bel froze for a moment, even as Yuki straightened up and screeched back, ice crystals crackling angrily, Bel took a step back as sharp fangs flashed in this creature's muzzle, and she silently heard Yuki's plea for her to run whispered through their bond. Bel nodded, spinning to take off, only for another creature to block her path, snapping at her ankles.
A shriek left the mare's muzzle, the sound a high pitch mix between a whale's cry and a dolphin's screech of warning. She spun away from the two hungry creatures, dodging a second lunge from the newest beast. Leaping over it's back, Bel took off, unaware she was being herded by the two creatures, even as Yukime tried to warn her through the bond. It was when the first got too close that Yukime abandoned her perch, launching at the creature with fangs wide open, and claws extended, the ice surrounding her collar and head seeming to sharpen natural as she attacked to drive the creature off. It would be mistake as Bel froze to call her back, and in that moment, the second creature lunged, catching Bel's back leg and hip, claws ripping through skin and the blubber underneath.
A second cry left Bel, as she herself whipped her head around, her jaw opening wider than normal (an action usually limited to hunting for fish in the depths) as razor sharp teeth, curved back, caught into the neck and back of her attacker. The creature yelped in response as Bel ripped it off from her, using her tail to smack it away with the flat of her fluke. Her leg screamed however, buckling and forcing her to stand on three limbs as blood dripped down the ivory and cyan fur. The first creature was now running away, whimpering as it escaped a frenzied serpent, and Yuki turned towards Bel, her eyes going wide at the injury before clacking her icycles angrily at the returning wolf still hoping for an easy meal. Bel whinnied, the sound a little higher than normal, a little more stressed as she primed her tail for another whack if need be. Yukime had other plans however, as the serpent twisted her body, pushing off with her forearms and leaping at the creature who smelled of her bond's blood. Teeth and claws met teeth and claws as two predators rolled and fought for control, and the moment that Yukime rolled the wolf close enough, Bel let out a shriek to warn her bonded away (an action instantly obeyed, and her tail slammed down with all the power the thick appendage had for diving and swimming through the depths and currents. A snap was heard before the wolf yelped and ran, limping after it's already escaping partner.
Bel turned to Yukime, stepping towards her bonded, only for her leg to give out under her, almost sending her to the ground, she only just barely was able to keep her feet beneath her. BEL! Her bonded's voice over their connection had Bel offering a reassuring smile, even as she laid down at her bonded's urging, wincing as the serpent touched the ravenged flesh, inspecting the deep claw marks on her legs, her hip. Bel winced faintly, looking at the wound and offering a faint smile, "Well, at least I'm not with the pod anymore. I'm pretty sure this would be a serious enough injury for banishment." She commented with grim humor in the situation, silently cursing her complete lack of knowledge for any healing, even as the vapors from her spine lowered in temperature, soothing cold water vapors easing the pain as the water molecules settled on her pelt to hydrate her, as well as beginning to slowly wash the blood away, leaving tiny streams of red-tinted water criss crossing over her limb, helping Bel see the wind a little better, and grimacing. "Be honest Yukime, how bad does it look?" The bonded was nudging the flesh, sniffing it slowly, before serpentine tongue helped to lick the blood away, grimacing at the taste of her bonded, You won't lose the leg, but it will take time to heal . . . but we need to find you a healer . . . . Don't give me that look Treader. You could easily find yourself in dangerous waters with a wound like that . . . . But for now, rest. Perhaps rest will give you the strength to return to Terrastella. Later, we need to work on your defense, though. I turn my back for a few moments, and you're down for the count. Your time on earth has clearly weakened you Treaders. Bel made a face at the serpent, before dropping her head to her limb, eyes narrowed at the wound, "Fine, a little rest. But not too much. It'll get better if I use it. You either walk off the wound . . . or you're no longer useful." She could almost hear the heartless tone Ice Shard used when he told her those very words about her own sister, but it's hard to ignore the way you're raised . . . and Bel had been raised in that environment for a lot of years.
"Bel"
Yukime
@Luvena
Notes:: Let's do this! Time for some character development for Bel, and healing practice for Lu
The call came again, closer and to her right. Her eyes spun in that direction, and atop her back, her bonded sat up straight, determined, worried, Caution, Treader? I fear something is stalking us, and I'm not as powerful on my own when we're not in the water. And you have no fighting experience. Bel scoffed softly, even as she smiled back at her bonded, "Relax, Yuki-love. I'll be fine! I've outswam a Kraken! I've headed off a hammerhead. I'll be okay. But . . . just in case, let's avoid the area." She offered, and started to trot off again, before a sudden growl halted her, as a large, thick furred creature stepped out in front of her. Bel froze for a moment, even as Yuki straightened up and screeched back, ice crystals crackling angrily, Bel took a step back as sharp fangs flashed in this creature's muzzle, and she silently heard Yuki's plea for her to run whispered through their bond. Bel nodded, spinning to take off, only for another creature to block her path, snapping at her ankles.
A shriek left the mare's muzzle, the sound a high pitch mix between a whale's cry and a dolphin's screech of warning. She spun away from the two hungry creatures, dodging a second lunge from the newest beast. Leaping over it's back, Bel took off, unaware she was being herded by the two creatures, even as Yukime tried to warn her through the bond. It was when the first got too close that Yukime abandoned her perch, launching at the creature with fangs wide open, and claws extended, the ice surrounding her collar and head seeming to sharpen natural as she attacked to drive the creature off. It would be mistake as Bel froze to call her back, and in that moment, the second creature lunged, catching Bel's back leg and hip, claws ripping through skin and the blubber underneath.
A second cry left Bel, as she herself whipped her head around, her jaw opening wider than normal (an action usually limited to hunting for fish in the depths) as razor sharp teeth, curved back, caught into the neck and back of her attacker. The creature yelped in response as Bel ripped it off from her, using her tail to smack it away with the flat of her fluke. Her leg screamed however, buckling and forcing her to stand on three limbs as blood dripped down the ivory and cyan fur. The first creature was now running away, whimpering as it escaped a frenzied serpent, and Yuki turned towards Bel, her eyes going wide at the injury before clacking her icycles angrily at the returning wolf still hoping for an easy meal. Bel whinnied, the sound a little higher than normal, a little more stressed as she primed her tail for another whack if need be. Yukime had other plans however, as the serpent twisted her body, pushing off with her forearms and leaping at the creature who smelled of her bond's blood. Teeth and claws met teeth and claws as two predators rolled and fought for control, and the moment that Yukime rolled the wolf close enough, Bel let out a shriek to warn her bonded away (an action instantly obeyed, and her tail slammed down with all the power the thick appendage had for diving and swimming through the depths and currents. A snap was heard before the wolf yelped and ran, limping after it's already escaping partner.
Bel turned to Yukime, stepping towards her bonded, only for her leg to give out under her, almost sending her to the ground, she only just barely was able to keep her feet beneath her. BEL! Her bonded's voice over their connection had Bel offering a reassuring smile, even as she laid down at her bonded's urging, wincing as the serpent touched the ravenged flesh, inspecting the deep claw marks on her legs, her hip. Bel winced faintly, looking at the wound and offering a faint smile, "Well, at least I'm not with the pod anymore. I'm pretty sure this would be a serious enough injury for banishment." She commented with grim humor in the situation, silently cursing her complete lack of knowledge for any healing, even as the vapors from her spine lowered in temperature, soothing cold water vapors easing the pain as the water molecules settled on her pelt to hydrate her, as well as beginning to slowly wash the blood away, leaving tiny streams of red-tinted water criss crossing over her limb, helping Bel see the wind a little better, and grimacing. "Be honest Yukime, how bad does it look?" The bonded was nudging the flesh, sniffing it slowly, before serpentine tongue helped to lick the blood away, grimacing at the taste of her bonded, You won't lose the leg, but it will take time to heal . . . but we need to find you a healer . . . . Don't give me that look Treader. You could easily find yourself in dangerous waters with a wound like that . . . . But for now, rest. Perhaps rest will give you the strength to return to Terrastella. Later, we need to work on your defense, though. I turn my back for a few moments, and you're down for the count. Your time on earth has clearly weakened you Treaders. Bel made a face at the serpent, before dropping her head to her limb, eyes narrowed at the wound, "Fine, a little rest. But not too much. It'll get better if I use it. You either walk off the wound . . . or you're no longer useful." She could almost hear the heartless tone Ice Shard used when he told her those very words about her own sister, but it's hard to ignore the way you're raised . . . and Bel had been raised in that environment for a lot of years.
"Bel"
Yukime
@Luvena
Notes:: Let's do this! Time for some character development for Bel, and healing practice for Lu
![[Image: i-jTNwWx8.png]](https://photos.smugmug.com/BelowZeroNovus/n-X9d9fZ/i-jTNwWx8/1/e09fb6c3/O/i-jTNwWx8.png)
