"Determination." Ruby said bluntly.
"I am determined not to make you any sicker." Reaper told her.
The two locked eyes their gazes a silent battle.
Both looked away at the same time.
"We can go back once we have gotten the branch." Ruby said.

The echidna shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Reaper got up, "Let's hurry then it might rain."
Ruby got up a bit wobbly but kept up.
Reaper slowed the pace.

Knuckles slipped off the branch and brought up the rear, not wanting to take any chances in strange territory.

Reaper lead them to the tree, "You want to try knocking off a branch Knuckles go right ahead."
"Bad idea." Ruby warned.

The echidna nodded, and expertly scaled the trunk. When he found a good sized branch, he tried snapping it off. It didn't budge. With a grunt, he hurled a fist at it.

He winced as the shock of the impact traveled up his arm and made his quills rustle. "O_ww_ww....." He complained.

"I told you not to and do you listen no." Ruby told him.
Reaper just laughed, "I warned you."

"That's much harder then iron....." He said quietly, eyes squeezed shut.

"Told you." Reaper said in between laughs.
"Knuckles move now." Ruby warned. The sky had started to get dark.
Reaper stopped laughing and looked up, "Get to cover now!" He pulled Ruby to a small trench.

Knuckles glided down from the tree (experiencing some turbulence from the wind) and got down low on his stomach, casting a glance at the clouded sky.