Chapter 7: Art Appreciation
Gericault slept fitfully, his rest interrupted not by screams, but by the terrified gasps and low wails. Tossing and turning, Gericault looked up at the sky and decided that he wasn't going to get any more sleep. Bane and Rince had left the dark ferret tied where he/she could be watched. Bane and Rince were sleeping nearby, apparently content to leave the ferret to nightmares while they slept. Gericault made himself known to the hallucinating creature, because he'd rather face whatever demons and apparitions with another creature, even if the other creature were hostile. At least it would give him someone to work against.
"Hey, you."
All Gericault got in response was a low moan.
Gericault knew that by now, unless Bane or Rince had given too large a dose, the ferret should have been coherent by now. Gericault got on his knees and examined the ferret's eyes closely. They weren't dilated or out of focus.
"Well that's inter-"
*Crunch*
"Yahhhhhgg!"
Gericault's snout had been broken by the ferret, he realized through a white, electric flash of pain. He'd been overconfident, getting close, like a fool...
Gericault's yell woke up his friends. Bane, seeing him bleeding next to the captive ferret, thought the worst.
"I'll skin you alive!"
"Bane! It's all right! I've got this handled." Gericault reassured
"Yeah? Doesn't look like it."
"Things rarely are what they seem to be."
The ferret had finally spoken.
Swill grimaced for some reason. Thomas, Rince, and Bane were now watching the ferret intently. Gericault was patching up his broken nose. When he was done, he looked at the silent gathering around him. Gericault looked the ferret in the eye.
"I've got some questions."
"I might have answers."
"I'm willing to trade." posed Gericault. He'd play the game for now.
"I'd prefer to barter though. I'd like some of my own questions answered."
"I won't disagree to that."
"Me first?"
"Go right ahead."
"If you insist…"
"I do."
"COME ON ALREADY!" Rince interrupted.
The ferret sniffed disdainfully at Rince, which was a feat, considering that he/she was captive, and Rince was towering over him/her.
"Alright. Firstly, why are vermin and woodlanders travelling together?"
Gericault didn't want to give too much away, but he had to if he were to get answers.
"We're on a mission."
"Really?"
"Yeah, my turn. Why are you interested?"
"It's my business to know things. I'm a messenger. My turn now. How did you catch me?"
Bane answered.
"I smelled you when the wind shifted. Then I feigned like I was gathering water while you were spying on the camp. That's when I set the trap with the vine."
"Crafty."
"I try."
Gericault asked his second question:
"Are you male or female? None of us can tell, with that odd garb you're wearing."
Odd garb it was. It looked like a tattered, hooded tunic, with baggy pants, and a balaclava hiding what the hood couldn't and muffling the voice enough to make it unspecific.
The ferret laughed.
"I'm female. Not that it really matters."
"It does when you're trying to figure things out about another creature."
"True. Were you involved with that explosion a while ago?"
"Yeah. Rince's fault."
"Fault?" Rince asked quizzically.
"Yes." Thomas answered. "Everyone everywhere has seen it. First Swill's holt, now her."
"Didn't hear you complain when you didn't have to drag the bodies away."
"Whatever." Gericault interuppted."Who sent you to investigate?"
"My boss, Ori. He likes to keep an eye on things, makes sure everything is stable. An explosion isn't his idea of stable, so he sent me."
"Hold it." Bane cut in. "Do you mean Captain Ori? Thought he died a while ago."
"Yeah, he's been called Captain. Here's my last question. Will you let me go?"
Gericault took the initiative. "Sure, as long as Ori doesn't bother us."
"As long as your friend doesn't blow us up, we'll leave you alone."
Rince stepped forward. "Yeah, I'll keep myself reigned in until I'm out of this area."
Rince bent down and severed her bonds, then pointed to where her confiscated things were.
"Thanks. I-OW!"
Gericault had forgotten about her foot, still sprained, bruised, and swollen from the beating it had taken from last night.
"I'll take care of it. Sit back down, please."
Gericault got his pack and laid everything he would need down. Splints, bandages, painkiller, something to keep the swelling down...
"All right, I'm going to have to reset your foot. It's going to hurt like hellgates, but it's got to be done."
"Do it."
Gericault did it. With a sharp tug, and a snap that made everyone wince, and the ferret's face pale in pain, her injured foot was reset.
"Hard part is over. What's your name, anyways?"
"Feri."
"Sounds... good. Didn't expect it to be that feminine, though."
"You thought it's be something barbaric didn't you?"
"Yeah."
Feri laughed, Rince and Bane smiled a bit.
Gericault quickly finished fixing Feri's leg.
"You're good to go now, just take it easy."
Feri got to her feet hesitantly, testing her bad foot. She seemed surprised it held. She hopped on one foot to her things and gathere them up. She attempted to hobble out of camp on her one one good leg.
Gericault walked up to her, holding out his javelin.
"Use this as a crutch."
"Isn't this yours?"
"It's a sharpened stick. If I need another one, I'll make one. Don't stab anything that you don't want to. It'll paralyze anything that's alive."
"...Thanks." Their eyes met for a moment.
"Sure."
Feri walked away, her progress faster. Soon she was out of sight.
Bane, Rince, and Thomas were giving him slightly mocking smiles.
"What?"
"Nothing. I thought you liked that sharp stick of yours?" Bane said, his grin seeming to widen.
"She needed it more than I did." Gericault answered.
Bane grinned wider.
"You looking to get yourself a lady friend?"
"WHAT? No!"
"I wouldn't blame you. She's quite a looker." Bane gently prodded.
"How could you tell?"
"I can tell if I know what to look for. I'm quite the appraiser."
"..."
"You should have seen your face when you were bandaging her up, brother, it was priceless." Great, now Thomas was laughing.
"I was focused on patching her up."
"I could tell." Rince cut in, barely suppressed laughter obvious in his voice.
"Oh, be quiet." Gericault was starting to get annoyed.
"You should take that chance, Jerry. I'm not always going to be here to snare the ladies for you." Bane said, causing everyone but Gericault to start laughing.
"Oh shut up. We've got ground to cover."
Thomas, Rince, and Bane couldn't stop laughing.