(M) The Sliding Tavern

[Tikkeni]

Sir Tikk settled down to a lonely whine as he snuggled his bulk around Leonie's neck and head.  "You can't leave me, we're both alone, well not alone alone, but...you know what I mean!"  He whispered softly in her ear as he fluffed himself as much as possible.

[Merlin]

Peter felt the grip on his ankle with relief, tightening his hold on Pippin, then felt a different hand -- a warmer hand that he could feel through his hiking boots. Slowly and steadily he was dragged back up the tunnel. When the back of his shoulders hit the sides of the mouth of the tunnel, he said loudly, "You might want to tug a bit harder -- my shoulders are stuck."

[Aisling]

The Demoness was very strong, doing most of the pulling.  Still, Aisling tried to do her part and keep a firm grip on the human's ankle.

She heard something about his shoulders being stuck.  That didn't sound good.  She kept pulling, though.  Hopefully that wouldn't tear or break anything in the human.

[brucedabold]

"Okay, Peter?" Red calls to the stuck man. "I want you to take a deep breath on the count of one, then on the count of three let it all out. Got it?"

"One.... Two... THREE!" Red yanks Peter.

[Merlin]

"G-got it," Peter called back, tightening his grip on Pippin's ankles and taking a deep breath.

He tried to steady himself, knowing he was probably in for a world of hurt. When he heard Red start to say "three", he began to exhale, then he was suddenly popping out of the tunnel like a cork from a bottle. For a moment he lay on the rocky ground in shocked surprise, looking at Pippin's supine body in front of him, before the pain penetrated the cold that had seeped into his body, and he curled around himself with a gasping cry. The skin of his shoulders had been torn and rubbed raw, both from going down and coming back up, and was bleeding profusely.

**Pete!** Reggie wailed, trying to lick Peter's face. The young man tucked his head into his crossed arms to avoid the dog's tongue against his chilled cheeks.

[Aisling]

Aisling gritted her teeth a bit after the human popped out.  She hadn't heard any bones popping or cracking, but as he curled up and gasped, she had to figure he was feeling some pain. 

The demoness' strength was impressive. 

[Tikkeni]

Sir Tikk carefully rearranged himself so that he draped just so without being in Leonie's way for breathing or anything before settling in and purring as loud as he could.

[brucedabold]

Red is relieved that Peter came out with only minimal damage. She turned to hobbits. "Give me one of the torch - light thingies that I gave you."

Frodo looks up as he checks on the others. He nods and fishes out the strange light. "Here Miss," he offers.

Red takes it and turns to dog. "Here, Reggie, take this down to Leonie. Put it in her hand or in a pocket or something."

[Merlin]

**Thought you'd never ask** Reggie said, though he had no idea if Red could understand him or not. Peter was the only person he'd met who could. Giving Peter a last quick lick as the man began to slowly uncoil himself, he took the light in his mouth and bolted down into the tunnel to Leonie's inert body, curled into a cramped fetal position. Her arms were drawn tight against her body in a vain attempt to keep some spark of warmth, her hands in tight little fists.

Sir Tikk was draped on her body, purring and trying to share warmth, and Reggie stared the cat in the eye anxiously. **Back up, Tikk. I need to climb on her and you're blocking me**

[Tikkeni]

Tikk hesitated then rubbed his head against Leonie's cheek real quick before backing off.

[Merlin]

Reggie crawled over Leonie's head and down onto her torso, then began nosing around at her hip. After a moment he located her back pocket, and dug at it a little with his front paws.

**Gonna be tricky** he breathed. **Hey, Tikk. Can you hook the pocket with your claws, so it's not laying flat? I gotta put this thing in her pocket**

[Tikkeni]

Sir Tikk moved back in and with a bit of finagling was able to hook the pocket open. 

[Merlin]

**Yeah, yeah, perfect** Reggie murmured, as he placed the light on Leonie's hip in front of her pocket, then nudged it inside with his nose. **Great! We make an awesome team! I think the walking cot's gonna come and get her now, so I'm gonna get out of the way. You might want to come with**

Backing off Leonie's body, Reggie turned around and scampered back up the tunnel, giving Red a sharp bark as his head popped out.

[Aisling]

Aisling was almost going to volunteer to go down and help push the human up, but she saw that the demoness was getting the dog to do something.

She looked down at the other human, wondering if she should offer some light healing, but she usually only cast it on herself only when necessary, and she wasn't sure what was injured on him.  He didn't seem to be seriously injured, but then, she wasn't a trained healer.  She knew about death, and he didn't seem anywhere close to death. 

Her own arm and shoulder was feeling a little over-stretched, but nothing painful.  She suspected humans might have a lower pain threshold than fae, though.

Undecided, she stood back to see what else may happen. 

[Tikkeni]

"Oh!"  Tikk quickly shook and twisted his paw to get unhooked from Leonie.  "I'm going to wait to make sure, I don't want her to be alone."