From the Pines

[Stag]

Stag paid no mind to the posturing, looking away and down to where the crocodile's voice had come from. Taking offense wasn't necessary when some hot-head kid decided to rear their head- but, could Stag blame him? Their eyes flicked away as they searched into the bramble, in the direction they were pulled to, a shiver running up their spine.

The crocodile revealed himself and, at both his and Ganymedes's words, they nodded, nostrils flaring for only the briefest moment as they huffed.

Now, that was over. Thumb-claws tapping into the ground, Stag turned away once more to cut through to the west, raising a paw in investigation before slicing down onto the plants to shove them aside. Thorns prickled in their thick paws, but it was a clear way- the only other one they'd seen besides the one the thorn beast had taken.

"It was odd, yes," Stag agreed on that front. Another slice, another step as they cleared the path. "But we are not like many others, either." Slice, step. "Perhaps it, like us, was drawn in this direction- which is why I wager you were here in the first place, as well?" Stag's head pointed back to Jagged, if only briefly, before clearing through an opening and continuing forward.

They weren't aware of the lake. How old were they now- hours? A day? A lake seemed natural for a beast like the crocodile to be, however, and they turned their ear to Ganymedes at that. "There may be water further in." They offered, matter-of-factly. "Was there water where you came from?" Stag's head turned back to Jagged again, pointing to him with the question.

Jagged

Find a way through the brambles safely.

Rolling 1d20: 16

[Jagged]

A thorny creature. Well, was it so odd that plant-life came to life? Maybe it finally got damn tired of being so close together, got up, and left! He just had to remember the plant smelling thing, it probably couldn't me eaten, nor did he want to bite on thorns.

"Yes I...wanted to see here, I don't know why. Water is where I came from, but I don't want to go back, but forward." The croc's voice had lowered considerably, almost a little nervous as he tried to put words together that seemed to come out of thin air. "I am trying to find far water, it just seems right.." He wanted to find something in greener land, more speakers like him, perhaps? A little lonely to be the only like you in a lake, wasn't it?

Stag Ganymedes

When I speak.

When I think.

[Ganymedes]

Ganymedes watched the two of them converse and felt their ears droop. Of course... they weren't needed here.

"... Should I just leave?" they asked finally, after a minute of contemplating.

"I've never been outside of these woods before, and I have very few memories, but my paws traverse the brambles like they have memories of their own," they said, before shaking their head, "So I'm not sure I can help."

Dull eyes glanced at the two of them, waiting for an answer.

Stag

[Stag]

Stag's eyes moved from Jagged to Ganymedes, ears flicking back briefly. "There is nothing to help with." Their head jerked to Jagged, again, in indication this time. "I can't guarantee we'll find any water, and I don't have sense for it. If it's found along the way of whatever's pulling us, good, but otherwise? We can just keep going."

They huffed, barely stepping back. They looked back to Ganymedes. "But that doesn't mean you can't come with? It's..." They sucked in through their teeth, grimacing briefly. It was a long moment before they continued their thought- one that was filled with them turning back to the west, thinking, contemplating in turn. "It's an itch. I'm going to scratch it whether I'm accompanied or not." They looked back again, stamping slightly as they moved in place. "This will be new to all of us, if you are going to follow."

They huffed again with a small shake of their head and waited a moment before turning fully, trudging further and pushing into the brambles. They could follow, they could not- it was their choice, and it was no hindrance on Stag either way.

Whatever was in there, Stag had to know.

Jagged