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Siffrin was the lead of the group for a reason, they are the one to set off traps, look out for enemies, and finds the easiest paths. This comes with risks of course, the fact that they’re looking out for traps means there’s traps out there.It was during the kings walk to house of change where the people of Vaugarde laid down traps in hopes of slowing his progress. It obviously wasn’t enough as he’s currently taken residence in said house. Now that many of the people have went back to their families to celebrate or morn the last days. There’s still many traps active.So far many of them have been easy to spot with how hastily they were put down. The biggest tumble Sif took was in a simple pit, would’ve been easy to avoid. Apparently having half your visual usage he didn’t notice it. Thankfully wasn’t lethal. Left them with a few bruises and a sprained wrist.They simply shook their hands out and laughed it off. For some reason nobody in the party joined him. Mirabelle fretted over their injuries, while Isabeau and Odile just watched on the sideline talking in hushed tones. Bonnie while already distant seemed to pull away from Siffrin further.After the initial event while the tension eased down, they took a break from their travels for the day. Bonnie made a sparse dinner with what little reserved food they had from the last town. Still delightful and Siffrin made sure his opinion was known. Little response from the little chef, Siffrin genuinely doesn’t know why they hatted him so much.After to what Siffrin considered an awkward dinner they set up the tents and headed to bed. They really wanted to stay outside, the stifling energy everyone was giving off was making them nervous. Looking at the stars for the night sounded amazing.Isa let them, only after they were made to agree to having a ‘feeling talkie talk’ at a later date. Siffrins hopping that he’d forget an not really hold them to it.A night under the stars was nice, something about it that left him feeling empty. Like he’s forgotten about something important but trying to remember it was like reaching blindly into a void. Anything they caught fights back, mauls his hands and evidently gets out. Better not to think about it.But Siffrin keeps thinking about it, even under the gentle metaphorical embrace of the speckled sky they can’t sleep. He considers going back to Isa and ask for a psychical embrace. The thought made their skin crawl, no there’s a reason Isa doesn’t touch him. Better not guilt him into it.So they opt into taking a walk, something, look around camp for a sadness or two would be nice. Something or anything to get his mind off the gnawing idea of forgetting something important. Feeling hollowed.The night air was nice, with the surrounding forest only occupied with crickets and rusting leaves. Interrupted by Siffrin’s gentle foot fall, adding to the rhythm of the night.Siffrins own addition was cut short when their boot hit something.
And snap!It happened so fast that it took them a moment of looking down at their leg to process what happened. A rusted bear trap’s teeth toor the edge of his cape, through his pants, and straight into their skin.
Then the pain, it hurt! It hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt!
They had to breathe.
In.
And.
Out. A few more times and they are able to real in his shock.Ok this is fine, doesn’t even hurt as much as their eye. They can handle this. They push down the levels and slowly the jaws open. Their out, but everything hurts and Siffrin can’t remember where camp was. The sun’s coming up they can’t follow the stars, their lost.
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Isabeau likes to fancy himself as being aware of others needs, being able read them. Sure he can see Mirabelle’s anxiety of being the chosen one, and Bonnie’s newly developed guilt for putting their teammate in danger. Odile was harder to read, he could tell she was looking for something. He came to the idea of ‘research’ early on, but that didn’t really seem to fit. Isabeau is still working on figuring that out.Tonight he is worried about Siffrin, after their tumble earlier it reminded the group that Siff now has half their sight. While the traveler was good at playing it off and taking the groups mind off the handicap. It doesn’t take away the fact that what their supposed to look out for poses a threat.Isa was even talking with madam about him taking Siffs place. But they agreed that doing so could scare them off. While they joke about him being a ‘skittish feral animal’ it’s not far from the truth. At times it felt like walking on eggshells to keep them close.Like tonight, Isabeau understood he wanted space. He just couldn’t shake the feeling Siffrin was going to make a run for it.Isa hears him pace outside the tent for a while, stopping by the door and standing there for what felt like hours. Before a shift and swift steps away from camp. Isa feels a pit in his stomach, there they go they’ve ran off.But Siffrin’s defiantly coming back, he had too, there’s nowhere around for miles, but isn’t that what they were doing before. Just aimlessly wondering around. What’s stopping them from just continuing that life style. No he has to come back.Isa can’t fall asleep, he hasn’t heard Siffrin’s footsteps reproach the camp. His nerves are making him restless, starting with pacing around his tent but that wasn’t enough. The sun was rising and still nothing.A quick walk around camp, he’ll be back before the rest of the group wakes up. Well Odile’s probably up already, a note, he’ll leave a note so she won’t have to worry. The note was simple and precise, no reason to dance around the point with Odile.He thought of taking her with, but he was already leaving the tent, he didn’t want to wait any longer.Siffrin is well known to cover their tracks when they travel. So the fact that Isa can see a clear track leading into the woods made him anxious. He followed the trail deeper, after a while he comes across a patch of grass worn down and displaced dirt.There was a struggle, at the center a bear trap that was set off, there’s blood. Crab. Crab! Where’s Siffrin!? Anything that remained of his calm demeanor left as he frantically searched the surrounding area.There only a few feet away under a tree, it took far to long to find him. The traveler slowly looks up to Isa, his reaction was wrongly slow.“Isa!” They sat there zoned out, “you bear-ly made it in time, I uh...” Zoned out again. Isabeau takes in his teammates physical appearance. Most pressing matter was his still bleeding, other than that they just looked exhausted.First things first Isabeau creates a basic bandage for the wound. Sadly he didn’t have any water to wash it out so just a covering that can apply pressure. From what he saw it wasn’t too deep, the trap wasn’t teethed, it could’ve been so much worse.“You got this Siff, let’s just get you back to camp.” He wanted to hold his hand back, he wanted to pick him up and carry them. But he knew they didn’t like touch, so as much as he wanted to butt in and help he was going to wait.No never mind, Siffrin barely made it a few steps before tripping. So he offered his hand and after some hesitation they accepted.Midway back to the camp they ran into Odile. Who while looking calm Isabeau could tell she was mentally running through any and all possible outcomes.“Isabeau, Siffrin. Glad too see you both in one piece. Wish I didn’t have to muck through the shrubs to find that out though. I have to wonder why I was told through a note and not personally.”While he couldn’t apologize he had more pressing matters. Being the smaller person gradually putting more weight on him. So instead he just ignores it. For now.“Can you go wake up Mirabelle? We’ll keep making our way back to camp, not sure how far we’ll be able to move.”“And why don’t you just pick them up?” Odile asks with a smirk. Yet something else he’s going to ignore.She leaves back to the camp, you can’t be too far off but he wants to take it slow and not rush Siffrin. Helps right around the corner so no need to heighten ether’s anxiety.By the time they saw Mirabelle Siffrin was nearly completely collapsed in his arms. She helps carry not carry their traveler back to camp. Where Bonnie was buzzing around them asking more questions than what Isa could process before Odile was able to force their attention to something else.Isa’s original observation of the injury was confirmed to not be life threatening. At worst Mirabelle thought Siff was at risk for an infection from the dirty trap. There safe, Isa’s going to try to keep them away from the front line of fire. But he’s going to have to talk with them, not forcing them out of their place. Hopefully finding a middle ground, this is going to be a hard feelings tally talk.