02-20-2012, 05:47 PM
The ache had been building for days, he never thought his paws could hurt this much but after three weeks of solid walking his pads were suffering. Yet it wasn't his paws that was causing him the most irritation; the constant chatter of his brother had been wearing on his fragile nerves for an hour now.
He flicked his ears back and laid them against his head in an attempt to block out Brans voice, but this only resulted in him eliciting an annoyed 'mew' from the large, fluffy kitten that was perched on his shoulder. Niernan chuckled as his cat, Ciaran, scrunched up his face in annoyance at being flicked with an ear. "Sorry Ciaran, he's starting to really get on my nerves, he's not even talking sense."
The Maine coon mix meowed in agreement and snuggled into his owners shoulder, Niernan chuckled again as the cats long fur tickled his cheek. He settled back into the rhythm of trudging on, his mind drifting back to his aching paws. He pulled his haversack further up his back and let his thoughts dare to waver over to the dangerous idea of proposing a break, or even striking camp.
He was just considering the idea of cooking some bacon for dinner when his foot paw hit a knobbled root and he staggered, nearly sending himself and Ciaran flying. The young cat sank his claws into Niernans shoulder, making the young man yelp in pain. Brans constant rambling stopped for a brief second before the lighter furred wolf burst into raucous laughter.
Niernan reached up and carefully extracted the terrified cat from his shoulder, cradling him in his wire corded arms. He shot a despairing glance at his brother "Glad to see you're amused, brother. Let's stop for a while, I think I broke a claw on that root." He silently thanked and cursed the root at the same time; it had given him an excuse to stop, but had caused a painful cracked claw.
"Alright Nier, set yerself down and I'll have a gander." Brans strong, Irish accent made his words sing. He swung his haversack down off of his shoulder and placed it by a boulder next to the road. Niernan sank to sit on the rock, moving Ciaran back to his shoulder as he knew that his brother would always want to be as far away from the cat as possible.
He stuck his foot paw out and his brother took it gently in his hand paws. "Aye, you've cracked the two middle claws, they're sheared right off. Ya daft bugger Nier, ye'll have to rest it awhile, yer bleeding all over the place." He put Nier's paw back down on the floor and straightened up, wiping his hand paws on his dark grey shorts, leaving a bloody streak down his left leg.
Niernan sighed and sank to the dirt floor, stretching his legs out in front of him, spreading his toes as wide as they would go. He laid his head back against the rock and was about to propse dinner to Bran when he caught a scent on the wind. His head snapped back up again and he snuffled at the new smell.
The smell was odd; a mixture of fresh and old grass, sour sweat and wolf. He flicked his ears forward, canvassing for new noises, the sound that he caught was new to him, a strange dusty thud sound, like walking, but much heavier. He heaved himself to his foot paws and limped to the middle of the road.
He raised a hand paw to his brow and shaded his eyes as he squinted down the road. His azure orbs focussed on two large shapes plodding towards him, both dark in colour. He now recognised the musty hay smell of horses and called to Bran, "There's someone coming up the road Bran, They're on horses. What do ya think? Hide or stay?" For his answer Bran simply reclined on the soft grass at the verge of the road.
Niernan smirked at his brother and moved back to his boulder, "Lazy sod, ain't he?" He muttered to Ciaran, the cat simply twitched his whiskers, Niernan assumed that he agreed with him. He sank onto the boulder and pulled his haversack towards him, fishing around for a stick of jerky. "Well, let's just wait until they come to us, eh? Take the easy life."
He flicked his ears back and laid them against his head in an attempt to block out Brans voice, but this only resulted in him eliciting an annoyed 'mew' from the large, fluffy kitten that was perched on his shoulder. Niernan chuckled as his cat, Ciaran, scrunched up his face in annoyance at being flicked with an ear. "Sorry Ciaran, he's starting to really get on my nerves, he's not even talking sense."
The Maine coon mix meowed in agreement and snuggled into his owners shoulder, Niernan chuckled again as the cats long fur tickled his cheek. He settled back into the rhythm of trudging on, his mind drifting back to his aching paws. He pulled his haversack further up his back and let his thoughts dare to waver over to the dangerous idea of proposing a break, or even striking camp.
He was just considering the idea of cooking some bacon for dinner when his foot paw hit a knobbled root and he staggered, nearly sending himself and Ciaran flying. The young cat sank his claws into Niernans shoulder, making the young man yelp in pain. Brans constant rambling stopped for a brief second before the lighter furred wolf burst into raucous laughter.
Niernan reached up and carefully extracted the terrified cat from his shoulder, cradling him in his wire corded arms. He shot a despairing glance at his brother "Glad to see you're amused, brother. Let's stop for a while, I think I broke a claw on that root." He silently thanked and cursed the root at the same time; it had given him an excuse to stop, but had caused a painful cracked claw.
"Alright Nier, set yerself down and I'll have a gander." Brans strong, Irish accent made his words sing. He swung his haversack down off of his shoulder and placed it by a boulder next to the road. Niernan sank to sit on the rock, moving Ciaran back to his shoulder as he knew that his brother would always want to be as far away from the cat as possible.
He stuck his foot paw out and his brother took it gently in his hand paws. "Aye, you've cracked the two middle claws, they're sheared right off. Ya daft bugger Nier, ye'll have to rest it awhile, yer bleeding all over the place." He put Nier's paw back down on the floor and straightened up, wiping his hand paws on his dark grey shorts, leaving a bloody streak down his left leg.
Niernan sighed and sank to the dirt floor, stretching his legs out in front of him, spreading his toes as wide as they would go. He laid his head back against the rock and was about to propse dinner to Bran when he caught a scent on the wind. His head snapped back up again and he snuffled at the new smell.
The smell was odd; a mixture of fresh and old grass, sour sweat and wolf. He flicked his ears forward, canvassing for new noises, the sound that he caught was new to him, a strange dusty thud sound, like walking, but much heavier. He heaved himself to his foot paws and limped to the middle of the road.
He raised a hand paw to his brow and shaded his eyes as he squinted down the road. His azure orbs focussed on two large shapes plodding towards him, both dark in colour. He now recognised the musty hay smell of horses and called to Bran, "There's someone coming up the road Bran, They're on horses. What do ya think? Hide or stay?" For his answer Bran simply reclined on the soft grass at the verge of the road.
Niernan smirked at his brother and moved back to his boulder, "Lazy sod, ain't he?" He muttered to Ciaran, the cat simply twitched his whiskers, Niernan assumed that he agreed with him. He sank onto the boulder and pulled his haversack towards him, fishing around for a stick of jerky. "Well, let's just wait until they come to us, eh? Take the easy life."