---

Western Shore
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shore ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A sea of sand surrounds the magnificent mountain now to your side. The golden sand is flat and hard, easy to walk on. You stand directly between the volcano and the sea. The refreshing sea spray tickles your face as a tropical wind from off the sea whisks it in your direction. The serene roar of the blue-green waves and perhaps the call of a distant gull are typically all that can be heard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exits: [W]estern [S]ide of the [M]ountain, [Sh]allows, [U]pshore, [D]ownshore
With:
[IC] Nivik
[DYN] Marie

---

Marie is pushing her way through the sands, walking stick out front, tightly rolled canvas bundle lashed to her back, and dragging the sack that contains her food, and likely other things as well. She's tiring quickly, but seems determined to prove to someone, if only to herself, that she's independent... and fine.

Nivik, meanwhile, is trekking his way away from the mountain and towards the blessed woods, away from all this stinking sand! Until he catches sight of a particular mouse. His course changes, and he lifts up his pointy stick, "Oi!"

Marie halts when the sound reaches her. She turns to look over her shoulder, then sighs, seeming to like the idea of stopping for a respite... now that she has an excuse. She drops the sack, and rolls her shoulders around even if she doesn't drop the bundle of what seems to be her tent, though it's an amazingly small bundle.

Nivik slows to a more lesiurely pace afte he's sure he's got her attention, padding up slowly with a shake of his footpaw, "Mm. Heyahiya. Sorry 'm late?"

Marie shakes her head. "You're not late. I never told you when I was leaving." She thinks about that for a moment, then amends, "Moving. I've found a spot, I think. So far I think the place is deserted."

Nivik grins, "Yeh...well, I wern' around to tell, were I?" He takes posession of her bundle, hefting it with a slight grunt, "Is it near the woods, perchance? And a creek?"

Marie shakes her head. "Spring, but no creek." She looks at him, considering the statement, then decides, "Would you like to head inland? I haven't spent time in the woods... in awhile." Like a true Mossflower-ian, the word 'woods' brings a faraway look to her eyes.

Nivik chuckles, "Would I? Y' cannae know. All this sand sticks in m' fur, I really need ta bathe."

Marie laughs. "And ye say ye're a traveller..." she shakes her head at him. "If'n ya feel like helpin' ne tote this stuff upshore, we'll head inland from there."

Nivik chuckles and nods, heading in that direction with the sack he subverted from her, "Mos' certainly do. I travel more inlan' usually...stay away from the beaches. Even 'te wastelands are more dusty and dirty, less sandy."

Marie sighs at herself, moving slowly. "I *used* ta travel where I wished. Boats, sand, inland, woods..." Longing starts to fill her voice, so she abruptly breaks off. "It's not far."

---

Western Shore
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shore ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hot golden sand stretches north beyond the horizon. It seems as if you are walking on an endless beach, except that the tip of a mountain peeks over the southern horizon. The fresh, salty air stings as the ocean winds challenge you. There is nowhere to go to the west, for the sea merges with the sand. If you look carefully out over the water, you might just spot a ship.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exits: [S]hack, [Sh]allows, [U]pshore, [D]ownshore

---

Nivik chuckles as he walks, shaking his head, "Why don't ye now? Injury?"

Marie nods, sighing again. "Aye. Sand is a killer on my energy. Don' have enough anymore." She points off slightly inland, where there's a dark blotch on the sands. It's slowly becoming recognizable as a smallish house. "There. I won't use it, in case the owner returns, but there's a spring behind it."

Nivik hmmns, and nods, peering, "Yeah...I see it. An' don' worry, I think sand kills everybeast's energy 'xcept hares...anyways, you an' I arn't built for it."

Marie shrugs, forcibly keeping the pout from her face. "I used to do fine," she tells him, and a bit of a whine makes it past her shielding. "Let's get rid of this."

---

Beach Shack: Backyard
Here there is more prickly grass than sand as you move away from the beach. There is a narrow ditch dug into the grass filled with clear fresh water trickling down from the trees a little way away. This trickles all the way down to the sand, and is the source of the shack owners fresh water. The water looks lovely, you could 'drink' some if you like.
Exits: [F]ront [D]oor of [S]hack
Contents:
A canvas (tent) with evidence of a campfire.

---

Nivik laughs softly at that while, gently patting her shoulder, "Well, no worries. Jus' use me as a pack mule, seein' as I'm gonna be about for a while." He grins, and nudges her side with an elbow, "I c'n even travel with ye in spring, mayhaps. Depends on how things go." He slips the sack off his shoulder, setting it down with a soft grunt.

Marie grins, setting her tent bundle down with a heaved sigh. "Aah... Perhaps. I'll be gone by spring, like as not. I have trouble staying in one spot too long. I was only at my last campsite for... six days." She stretches her arms out wide, ignoring the popping and cracking of her joints. Though she winces as her muscles stretch, she heaves another sigh. "Much better." She kneels down to begin pulling apart her tentroll... which has a lot more to it than it would have seemed when on her back.

Nivik watches, sitting down for a few moments as his tail flicks, "Mmm...shame. Yer an alright gal." He pulls a face, "Hate ta hafta make a choice between yer company an' snow. Vile substance."

Marie laughs at this, shaking out the tent canvas. The poles fits together nicely, three sections per pole making nice long sticks, much more flexible than one long piece of wood. "You're one of the first to say that. But then..." she sighs. "I usually didn't give them a chance." The tent goes up in seconds once the poles are together, lifting free of the sand. She heaves the sack underneath, then starts kicking piles of sand to hold the edges down, keep them from flapping around.

Nivik gets up and moves over to help in the sand-kicking exercise, laughing, "'S 'cause I'm odd, an' more interested in carryin' stuff than gettin' smashed with ye."

Marie stares at him a moment, then bursts into laughter, bending in two as she clutches her sides. Unfortunately, this doesn't appear to just be from merriment, as she stops laughing shortly and remains clutching at her sides. Her breathing sounds harsh before she straightens and takes a deep breath. Her eyes don't meet his as she suggests, "Should we head for the woods?"

Nivik chuckles with her...until it seems she's in pain, at which point he winces a little, nodding and patting her shoulder again, "'Sides, it seems y' wouldn' stand up well ta the sideeffects of mutual drunkenness." His tail flicks, and he picks up his javelin, which seems very dull in the tip as opposed to yesterday, "Lead the way...yer pace, no hurry."

Marie shakes her head. "I'm fine." The comment is almost more to herself than to him.

---

Small Clearing
The stifling closeness of the trees abruptly gives way into a small clearing. At the centre is an old stone building, the left side of which has collapsed, leaving a gaping hole. Ivy and moss engulf the building. To either side can still be seen the remains of a broken, rotting fence. The door of the building has long since rotted away, leaving nothing but rusted hinges. A glimpse of what was once a garden can be seen around the back, long since overgrown with weeds.
Exits: [A]round the [B]ack, [E]nter [D]oorway, [G]ap in [T]rees

---

Marie slowly but surely leads the squirrel into the woods, seeming as if she knows where she's going. When they break into the clearing, it seems as if she might. The building is useless, but there is a small stream running through the clearing.

Nivik looks about, and chuckles with a nod, his tail swishing, "This'll serve right nice. Stone fer a fire-pit, creek ta bathe in. All around good campsite."

Marie laughs. "Without the camp, though. We left my food back in my tent."

Nivik rolls his eyes, and chuckles, "It's not hard ta scavange at this time of year...'s part of what I do." He shakes out his tail, and hmms, "I'll head upstream a ways ta clean off. Be alright here?"

Marie nods, quickly seating herself. "I ain't goin' anywhere." She seems relieved to be on the ground, rather than holding her own weight, as she was yesterday when she lay in the sand. "I won't watch."

Nivik laughs, and nods, "Eh, I don' particularly mind. Not that I'm perverted or anythin', it's just a squirreltribe lives a bit different, modesty isn't so important. Summer down there 's too hot fer clothin'. I'm just bein' considerate fer ye." He leaves his coat, slipping off to the east, upstream, to get the sand out of his fur.

"In that case, I don't care..." she calls after him. But after he moves off, she sighs, slumping to an odd position. She pulls her shirt from it's neat tucked-in position, and her paw runs beneath her shirt. She winces, pulling the shirt further up so she can look down at the scars crisscrossing her stomach. One is red and puffy, and as she pulls more of her shirt from her pants, it becomes obvious that it's not just one, and not just on her stomach. While all are healed well, none of the scars looks happy. She's doing too much.

Nivik just chuckled as he left. He doesn't take a whole lot of time, returning dripping, with damp clothing, wringing out his tail as he hums to himself. Looks like he just dunked, scrubbed with his paws, rinsed his clothes, wrung them, and started back.

Marie doesn't hear him returning, seemingly intent on her side, where one particularly angry scar is clearly giving her problems. She has a finger on it, gently testing the skin, as if trying to figure out where it hurts. From her face, it hurts everywhere.

Nivik winces as he catches sight of that, continuing over to his coat, picking it up to shake it out, "Y' should rest here fer a few days and let yourself recuperate. 'S not good ta push so much."

Marie drops her shirt the instant she hears him speak, blushing and ashamed that he saw that. She's far too proud to enjoy another's pity. "It's just the skin... now." She shrugs. "I'm fine. I've been far worse."

Nivik doesn't seem to be offering pity so much, actually...he shrugs, "Maybe. But it's really not good for ya. Do ya have anywhere you despirately need ta be, or something that absolutely can't be put off a few days?" He gives his coat one last, good shake, before setting it back down, and sitting in the grass, giving you a look, "I never learned m'self a whole heckuva lot about healin', but if ya got some downtime, it's best ta use it."

Marie sighs, looking at the ground. "I've spent the past season doing nothing. I've had more than enough downtime. I can't just sit idle any longer." She looks up at him. "Please tell me you understand that." Her eyes beg him for a moment, then close. "You're also one of the few who knows I'm alive, and one of two, now, that have seen the scars. I'd appreciate a bit of silence."

Nivik gives a nod, smiling a little, "No worries. 'Tis your choice what you do, after all. Just offered m' view." He starts to comb through his tailfur with his claws, setting the fur strands all in order.

Marie smiles, rubbing her side before tucking in her shirt. "I appreciate the consideration. But... I've done enough of that. I'm looking for a place where I feel comfortable staying for awhile, letting myself rest some more." That seems to be the end of her thought, but then she adds, "I haven't found it yet."

Nivik shrugs with a soft chuckle, "Well...I've found that barrin' temperature or terrain, it's more about the beasts that live about where yer at. If y' can't find decent beasts, y' wander a lot."

Marie shrugs, shifting as if to get up, then decides against it. "I find decent beasts, but I'm looking for something." She smiles down at her lap. "It would help if I knew what it was."

Nivik pulls a face, and mmphs, getting up to sit down next to her, shaking a bit of water from his eartip, "I know how that goes...it can get a little overwhelming."

Marie slumps downwards, seemingly getting lower and lower to the ground each time she moves. "The world is overwhelming. I just wish I knew. I doubt I will find rest until then."

Nivik looks over, and shakes his head with a bit of a smile, gripping her shoulder lightly, "Hey, now. Don' worry about it. Everyone's lookin' fer somethin'. Problem is, a lotta times, y' may skip over what it is in yer drive ta find it. Slow down a little, an' it'll come to you."

Marie laughs drily. "I think I'll die if I move any slower. I don't move any faster on solid land than I do on the sands. I never have trouble with the sands, I'm simply that slow always."

Nivik twitches his tailtip, "Y'know what I mean, though, right?" He lies back in the grass, and stretches out, "If ye can't move so fast through the world, give it a closer look-over while ya move to make up for it."

Marie nods, crossing her legs in a loose version of a tailor's seat, slumping oddly, her left shoulder lower than her right. "I do what I can. I've made the mistake of not looking around before this." Her stare into space drifts further and further away from him, until she doesn't seem to realize he's still there.

Nivik looks over, and shakes his head a little, tilting his head to one side to let the water drain out of his ear, before chirping softly, "C'm back t' the present, dearie."

Marie keeps staring for a good thirty seconds more, then blinks, as if it finally went through her head that he said something. "What?"

Nivik mms, and smiles, "I asked ye ta come back to the present." He looks up into the foliage of the trees, "Past is a crappy place t' visit. I seen nasty things there, so I try 'n keep a lock on it." A sigh, and a wriggle of his pawtoes, "Seems I been all the places you've been, 'xcept fer the wounding."

Marie winces at this. "I'm sure you have, as you mentioned the north." She pauses for a long while. "You know Redwall, I'm assuming?"

Nivik mms, "I mean' mentally...but yeh. I do know Redwall." He looks over, looking rather silly, being wet, "Why ya ask?"

"Then you know Kevarr." It's not really a question, pretty much anyone who knows the Abbey, save those recently, know Kevarr.

Nivik frowns slightly, nodding, "Aye. 'Ad some run-ins with 'er, tried ta assist 'er up northwise when she was locked up."

Marie winces. "So did I." The words, as well as the full-body wince, speak well more than she needs to.

Nivik looks up with interest, and appears to cycle quickly through his mind, before blinking as he comes to a conclusion, "Giant sword mouse?"

Marie shakes her head. "I wish. I was alone, and I found the caves they were keeping her in."

Nivik ahhs softly, and nods, twitching his tail, "Unfortunate..."

Marie nods slowly. "It wasn't a great idea, in case you haven't noticed." She gestures at her body, then points in particular at the scars he had seen. "This is nothing."

Nivik nods in agreement, sitting back up, "I can imagine, sadly...'ve been party t'e a war or three." He nearly does the same spacing-out excercise she did, but sharply shakes his head, and coughs, "Anyway...why did ye mention the marten?"

Marie shakes her head. "I had a feeling you'd know the situation up north. That's all. I dislike having secrets. It's not the way I am." She shrugs, one shoulder rising.

Nivik ahhs, and smiles, nodding a little, "Same, usually...Amiveri'fehrad." He offers his paw in, supposedly, a handshake.

Marie smiles, extending her own paw to take his. Her grip is gentle, though whether that's a choice or not is debateable. "What was that?" she asks quietly.

Nivik squeezes a little, and smiles, "The fletching that purifies the corrupted arrow. 'Tis my birthname."

Marie smiles slowly, nodding. "I'm pleased you would honor me with it." She leans over to kiss his cheek. "S'fitting."

Nivik smiles, ears flushing a bit at the kiss, "'Twas moreso 'fore I became sick an' lost m' fur. I was grey and white...the name came fr'm the fact that archery ran in m' family, an' the white with the grey provoked the image of the white having an effect on its inverse, neutralizing it to grey." He takes in a deep breath, and lets it out, "Not many know it."

Marie nods. "I'm sure. In case you were unsure, it will remain so." She smiles at him, thinking. "I see why you recognized my bow. Are you an archer, by trade?"

Nivik smiles, "I trust ye with it. Nothin' crossed my mind otherwise." He flicks his ear, and chuckles, "Not rank and file...I'm the sort that stays still fer days ta take off an important target, or selects the important beasts in a large battle. Not the most liked trade, bowsnipin'. I make bows, too, custom ones. 'S how I make m' coin."

Marie smiles, "I should've asked you to finish my bow, then. I have slowly gained experience, but I don't know how to do it right. Arrows I know." She chuckles lightly. "That was the first thing I could do when I got out of bed. I have thousands stored in different places. I'll never wont for arrows. But a decent bow..."

Nivik smiles, and nods, "I c'n do that for ye. Or make ya a complete new one. Since y' don't need a good pull, I c'n burn in some interesting designs that high-pull bows lose performance from." A grin.

Marie grins as well, though she looks at him sidelong. "Interesting designs? What might these designs mean? I've had weapons with stories written on them before."

Nivik mms, and chuckles, "They won't mean anything to anyone up north of the wastelands...but, they coul' mean anything y' like. Lifebows are a tradition."

Marie closes her eyes, her smile like the sunshine as she reaches behind herself, pulling an ivory-handled dagger from her belt. She grips it for a moment, then opens her eyes. "Take a look. I doubt you could read it, but it was the story of the mouse who raised me. I don't even know it all, though he taught me to read the first bit. He gave it to me before I left." The weapon is sheathed, and the ivory is carven with darker, possibly burned, designs. On the blade are some form of letters.

Nivik removes the weapon from it's sheath, twirling it nimbly before somehow getting it to rest on the back of his paw, to give it a good look-over, "Mmmm...it's interesting, to say the very least...nice."

Marie nods, her smile fond as she gazes at it. "I wish I knew all of the symbols." Gazing at the carvings, she nods. "Someday perhaps, I might ask you for a story. But for the moment I need a thin and flexible bow that a dibbun could draw. I don't want you to spend such time over a bow that I will... that I *hope* I will progress beyond."

Nivik smiles, and nods, "Lighter bows are easier, luckily for both of us. Just a tad bit of yew and twine." He rrfs, and shivers a bit, "Ah, I shoulda waited 'till mornin' to bathe...'s cold. But yeh...I imagine that with persistance, y'll eventually get at least most of yer strength back. Just so long as you keep a balance 'tween retraining your body and aggrivating your wounds."

Marie rolls her eyes at him. "Don't start. I've heard more than enough of that for a lifetime, thank you very much." Then she grins at his shiver. "Come back to my tent. I can offer you a blanket if you want to dry off... or a couple if you feel like staying. They might smell of pastry..." She grins.

Nivik laughs and nods, "I unnerstand...oh? Nice of ye!" He smirks, "Love ta stay. I'm afraid I might be a bit cuddly in m' sleep, though."

Marie's lips press together as if she's trying desperately to repress a smile. "Well... I'm sure I kick hard enough to discourage you." As she stands, she glances back over, grins, then winks at him.

Nivik snickers, and winks back, "No worries. If I dry off well, it shouldn' be unpleasent 'nuff to kick over. 'M not indecent in m' sleep after all...just say that I got a floofy, cuddly tail an' I like ta share the warmth with everyone."

Marie laughs. "There's nothing wrong with sharing warmth or blankets. And if it's unpleasant to kick you, I'll just have to survive your cuddling, won't I?"

Nivik picks up his coat, and slings it over her shoulder, grinning, "'S what I'd suggest. An' it sure beats curlin' up on your lonesome, even if there isn' any romancin' involved."

Marie laughs, blowing a kiss at him over her shoulder as she heads off in the direction they came. "Who's to say there won't be?"

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