OOC: table code, image, and Filler © Jacoby; 1613 words
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Marik had kept himself busy the past few days. And it wasn’t really acquainting himself with the land as he should. Sure, he took a couple of trips to Halifax on his brother’s suggestion but he hadn’t done much else. He hadn’t even gotten through the mansion yet. All he had seen of that was the straight shoot from the front door and up the stairs then down the hall to his brother’s room. That was the one room that he had learned the layout of. And it was thanks to his brother that he had gotten that far at least. Cotl had been sort of clingy the past few days. But he couldn’t blame it all on his brother that he hadn’t gotten out and about. He knew that he should but his mind had been kept busy with other thoughts. He had been thinking of how to make himself useful now that his brother didn’t really need him. At least not in the way that he had back in Germany. Cotl fitted in here and had all the friends. Marik had no one but his brother. The other coyote that he had met in Inferni he had scared off. Not such a good thing for him. Especially since it turned out to be his brother’s friend. A friend he was allowed to look at but not touch. And actually he wasn’t really allowed to look either. Life had been better back in Germany for Marik. But Cotl had requested that he stay here, with him. And should Marik hint at going back home then Cotl would cling to him and beg him to stay, make him promise to stay and not leave him alone. So because he felt out of place, uncertain of his worth now that his older brother didn’t need saving anymore, he had been spending a lot of time reassuring his brother. And to think that Marik had come with the intentions in mind to take his brother back to Germany so that he could watch over him again. But he couldn’t do that now. Not with Cotl being happy to be here. Not when his sibling had finally found a place where he fitted in. Such a thing had never taken place in Germany, not for Cotl.
Marik had told his brother that he was taking off and headed out of the mansion. He still hadn’t found out what the other hybrid did while he wasn’t around but it wasn’t too big of a concern. Maybe one day he would ask his brother what he did. Maybe when he finally finished his present and presented it to him. Actually it was that present that had drawn him out and away from the mansion. That present that had him disappearing into the forest yet again. But then again he always traveled through the forest to get anywhere. It just sort of surrounded the mansion after all. Which really was a good cover for Marik. He wanted this gift to be a surprise. So it wouldn’t be weird at all if his brother happened to notice him heading out through the forest. But he wasn’t about to leave the forest either. He had managed to find a quiet little spot near a creek. The area had provided everything that he needed for the present without Marik really having to travel to get all of the things that he needed. Well, aside from tools. He had find a sharp rock but had traded it in for the knife he had obtained in Halifax since the rock just damaged the skins and made it so that he couldn’t end up using them. And the other thing was a large abalone shell that he had found on the beach when he had arrived. The shell was great for scraping down the hide. But other than those two things he had everything he needed right in the forest. It was just a matter of gathering them and making them into working items. And well, Marik was good with his hands and had managed such a thing.
Right now the skin was tied up between a couple of trees. He had scraped it down already and was waiting for it the dry some. He had caught and skinned the rabbit when he had first gotten to Inferni. The hide had been soaking for three days and today he had finally gotten to work on it. He was glad that the weather was working with him. He just hoped that it would hold out for the rest of the time. Just long enough for him to finish it up so he could give it to his brother. He just needed a couple more days. But yes, he had soaked it in water for three days and night and had finally tied it up today and scraped it down as best as he could. Marik had even managed to catch a rabbit that was close enough in color to him. The fur was a mix of gray and white, the rabbit having been in the middle of changing coat colors when the coyote hybrid had come across it. Once the hide was dry enough so that he could see if he had missed anything he would check over it before letting it soak in the mixture of brains and water. Actually he had just added the brains of the rabbit that he had saved to the water. Which was it was a good thing he had found the place by the creek. And it was luck that it had a rock formation that allowed him the ability to soak his hide in. The rock was deep enough to act as a bowl but wasn’t too large for him to move around so that he could spill out the old water and put in clean water when he had to.
Marik had taken up a place with his back rested against one of the trees that the hide was tied between. His head tilted so that he could glance up at it to check it out but it was still too dark to tell anything just yet. If he couldn’t tell soon then he would just have to trust his judgment and let it soak once again so that he could get to actual work on stretching it and softening it, and hopefully even smoking it, tomorrow. If he could get all of that done, especially the smoking part, then he could sew it up and give it to his brother when he headed in for the night. He hoped his brother would cherish the doll that Marik had taken all of the time and effort to make for him. Well, he was pretty certain that Cotl would like it, even if he wouldn’t outright say so. But he planned on trimming his winter coat enough to be able to stuff it with. And also that way his brother would be able to carry around something close to a mini Marik with him always. He meant for it to soothe his brother’s anxieties. To let his brother know that he would always be with him in one form or another.
So unable to do anything with the hide right now Marik worked on another project instead. Or not really a project. It was just something to do to pass the time. Like how the first night he had cooked the rabbit meat and dried it to make jerky so that it would last and wouldn’t go bad. Sure, he could have just eaten the rabbit then and there but he knew that the process would take days, nearly a week give or take a few days, and so he wanted something to snack on during that time. Hence the jerky. He had rested the meat strips on the rim of his rock bowl, one piece having been chewed on and a couple of others still whole. But right now his attention wasn’t on the jerky but what he held in his hands. What he was working on again made his glad that he had found a set of knives. He had selected a smaller one for the task and saved the bigger ones for skinning. After all he wanted to do something with deer when they were more abundant again in the spring. But for now he was fine with the rabbit he was turning into the doll.
And in his hands the piece of wood that he was widdling away at. It had started out as nothing but a short, fat stick. He didn’t even have an idea in mind when he had started on it but now it was shaping into something. Realizing he wouldn’t need all of the stick he broke away a portion of it and dropped the unused part to the ground beside him. He could use it if he messed up. At least that was the thought that he had in mind for it. But for now he worked on finishing carving out the hole that he had made in the small round piece of wood. But it looked so plain and had the hybrid frowning. It looked like a piece of stick with a hole in it. So he started to shave away the outer layer of bark from around the outside of the ring that way he would have a smooth surface upon which to put some sort of design work on. Maybe just simple scroll work? Or perhaps an ivy like design? He had no idea what yet. Just anything to make it not look so plain anymore.
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