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| Trail of Blood; Traitor!!! | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mon Nov 8, 2004 7:20 pm (670 Views) | |
| Selena Starling | Mon Nov 8, 2004 7:20 pm Post #1 |
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Selena crawled across the muddy path in the mountains, dragging her hurting limbs with her on the way. She was at the end of her strength and was only this much to collapsing entirely. But her bitter anger still kept her going. How could this have happened? That was the question she had asked herself many times over. Until it became an echo in her head. Whispering and taunting her. How? Simply how? How could she have been so foolish? How could she have been so naiv? How could she have trusted someone she didn't even know and let him even be her guide? Her guide for crying out loud! She groaned as her right leg brushed up against a rock. As she touched the wound on her knee, her shoulder began to bleed again. And heavily too. She had to get away from here. But how? Where was she to go? That man, that traitor surely had made sure in situations like this that she wouldn't be able to get far enough. To be able to get away from him and his men. She scoffed as she thought of them. They were fools too. Believing in such a man like him. That brutal and mindless murderer. He was nothing more than a phycopath on a power trip. But she had to get away from him. So, she had to keep going. Wherever, just out of his sight. Out of his power. She was too weak now anyway to take him on. He'd blow her over like a piece of paper. Not that she even possessed the strength to stand at all. She cursed under her breath as she admitted that to herself. She hated herself now. This helplessness, this whole situation. But she herself had landed her in the middle of it, so, she would also be the one to undo all of this terrible mess again too. She'd make him pay. She'd make them all pay. The lot! Because if they thought she was going to let Imythess go under withtout her fighting for it, and fighting a fair fight at that, they couldn't be more wrong. She would get better. And then there'd be hell to pay. For all of them. Him and his entire club of unintellectual followers. All of those stupid, little men with their stupid, little masks covering their stupid, little faces! She grinned as she thought that. But then even her head began to hurt. She groaned again as she rubbed it, then noticed her hands ware stained in blood as she looked at them again. ''Great. Seems like I'm done for today,'' she managed to joke as she slipped into the bushes that grew next to the path. The last thing she did before she closed her eyes and gave in to the pain thumping throughout her body was casting the invisibility spell. At least now she could make sure he and his nitwits wouldn't find her. Because after all what the hell would all of her 'perfect planned' escape route bring if she would end up waking up in his private head quarters anyway? |
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| Jarreth | Mon Nov 8, 2004 8:37 pm Post #2 |
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"Hold Juine, hold," came a slightly muffled but generally audible voice as Jarreth brushed the neck of his mount. The chocobo came to a halt entirely willingly, especially since the muddy roadway had begun to cause dangerous slips and loosened rocks across the path. Jarreth had ordered the stop instinctually as he felt his friend falter ever so slightly. They had not travelled all the way to the icy reaches of the North only to fail this close to home. Jarreth could not bear the thought of risking life and limb in the frigid snow country during the winter only to slip and fall down a mountainside thanks to a little mud. The large, armored figure dismounted and landed in the same slick surface that Juine had been trying to pass for some time now. Even above the sickening sucking sound that followed the implantation of his metal boots into the wet dirt, his armor clanked and jostled at the joints and his scabbard shifted across the metal. Keeping firm hold of his shield on his left arm and placing his right hand on the hilt of his sword, he peered down through the opening in his helmet to evaluate the ground closely. It would be more than unwise to try and coax the tiring chocobo further, especially with a heavy load. For the sake of both their lives, Jarreth reassured Juine and began to lead him forward on foot. The thoughts of what he had been through on this trying journey filled his head as he used instinct and experience to test potholes and rocks on the trail. The rythmic tapping of a deathly black horn brought his mind further into the past; it was slung across his back under his cloak, and it competed with the metal of his breastplate with each step. He recalled finding the instrument, among other items, after his treacherous quest to revisit the Legion of the White Souls. Passing through the familiar reaches of the Norwood Forest, a few cities, past these Dragonspine Mountains, and then reaching the still familiar wastes of the North, he was struck with the realization that nothing new had been discovered during the months he had been walking. Having been raised in the arctic North, when it was more populated across the outskirts, and having to survive in the temperate South after being abandoned, both seemed like home. It was specifically the stronghold of the Legion that was out of place. Specific memories filtered in of his interactions with the Legion enlisted and the officers, but before reliving specifics he was brought back to reality. Across the muddy trail, barely visible, there appeared to be a large line of blood. Its age could not be determined due to the terrible conditions of the path and the generally wet atmosphere, but it was undoubtedly blood. Jarreth, holding up an armored hand in front of Juine to get him to stop and wait, stepped forward and leaned down to take a closer look. The possibilities of animal attacks were abound, so he loosened his longsword from his scabbard just in case. If the hungry animals were to return, he would at least be armed in an instant. A frown marked his face as he thought about the dragon population that thrived at the tallest peaks of the Dragonspine Mountains. Out of curiosity, he followed the red markings. They led far down the path in one direction, but one end appeared to rest in a nearby bush. Human nature was too much to ignore and he shifted over to the bush, pushing a few large branches to the side and looking inward. He saw nothing. |
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| Selena Starling | Mon Nov 8, 2004 9:09 pm Post #3 |
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A bright ray of sunlight made Selena awaken from her pleasant slumber. When she sat upright she remembered why she had felt so at ease before...because she hadn't felt the terrible tingling sensations of hurt and her heartbeat which she could feel beating as loud as the footsteps of an elephant in her throat. A bright ray of sunlight made Selena awaken from her pleasant slumber. When she sat upright she remembered why she had felt so at ease before...because she hadn't felt the terrible tingling sensations of hurt and her heartbeat which she could feel beating as loud as the footsteps of an elephant in her throat. She blinked a few times and squinted her eyes to shield herself from the bright sunlight. Otherwise it would only make her headache worse. And she really didn’t want that to happen. She started rubbing her head again, very slowly and softly and decided to investigate if her shoulder and leg were still bleeding. When she looked down she saw, to her great relief, that this was not the case. At least, her body had started the healing process already. She smiled, her eyes half closed and her mind mostly blank. Then she suddenly noticed something else. A shadow moved. Shifted. But not like a cloud would do. It’s impossible! He couldn’t have retraced my steps that fast! Not even with an entire army at his side! She thought, worried, and still very weak, pulled her blade of chaos, hoping desperately to be able to defend herself. But it was hard enough to maintain balance in her legs, which caused her to move, nearly falling over, from her left to her right. Because she was still protected by the invisibility spell, it merely looked like there was a sword waving from side to side. But she knew Rhaon could see her anyway when she was using magical assistance, so she decided there was no reason to hide from him. She muttered something and the spell was immediately undone. ‘’So…we meet again today,’’ she said to him. ‘’I thought that since you already found me, I could at least have the decency to face you.’’ She grinned sheepishly, her eyes blinking poorly. Still she was trying to hide in what a bad shape she was. That was, if he couldn't tell already. Selena casually threw her hair back with her free hand. An action that, though she smiled bravely, demanded an utmost amount of strength. ‘’So…please…do tell me, Rhaon…how do you wish to die?’’ With one big, uncomfortable movement she launched her sword forward, heading for her enemy. But even before she could get two steps ahead, she tumbled to the ground, face down, her sword still in her hands. She shook her head and wiped the mixture of snow and dirt out of her face. She then quickly, at least according to her way of thinking, turned around. She now lay with her back on the ground. She tightened the grip on her sword and held it up with a lot of trouble yet determination. ‘’Surrender now…or meet your end, my friend,’’ she mumbled, trying to fool even herself she believed she was capable of such a threat at a time like this. But then she looked more closely. And to all her relief this man, this warrior that was standing in front of her, was, in fact, not Rhaon at all! It was a totally different person. Not the dark priest. And, as she felt almost 100% sure, therefore not nearly as dangerous to her too. She still wobbled from side to side, her sword gripped as tight as she could. She thought this through for a moment. Why wouldn't he come himself? Why would he send one of his black knights instead? What use could that be? Couldn't he locate her himself or something? Or did he... Then it hit her like a brick. He had probably known she would feel completely powerless and tired and worn out in every possible way right about now. If not worse. And that she wouldn't be a threat to him at all. And he just probably didn't feel like it was important enough to come and get her. Selena repeated that sentence in her head again, slowly and clearly; He just did not want to come and get me. The smile was wiped from her face in an instant. A serious look of utter disgust replaced that and her mouth fell open wide, like she had just heard pigs actually could fly. He just did not want to come and get me? she asked herself. He just did not want to come and get me?!!! Selena felt most insulted as she ever had in her entire life. The slimy scoundrel! she screamed out loud, her eyes looking like they were about to shoot fire. In an impulse she gripped her sword with both hands and jumped forwards like mad, swashing, striking left and right, uncoordinated yet very aggressive. She would teach him, all right! But though she had no doubts at all in her fighting skills, her body couldn't help but do. After all, she had just walked numerous miles under these terrible conditions. She could maybe fool the knight she was facing, but not at all herself. She noticed that, too, as she launched for the third time. But she didn't care. If she would have to go under, she would go under in battle and fighting for her life. Though she hadn't meant 'going under' in such a manner.... Selena felt her consciousness fade away as she lay, yet again, face down in the snow... |
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| Jarreth | Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:16 pm Post #4 |
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Jarreth's eyes opened wide in horror and surprise as a floating sword appeared as if from nowhere and began to hack violently at him. He despised magic. The weapon cut through the air before his face with a whistling sound, a protest from the very breath he was breathing in during his gasp. While he was not cowardly, he had no inclination to stay near such a horrible object. Managing not to topple backwards as he stumbled away from the bush, he tested the limits of his plate mail by attempting movements not permitted by the solid metal sheets. He could not believe his eyes as he tried to correct himself and stand up in a vaguely defensive position. It was if he had frightened the sword and it was now angry, its thirst for blood aroused. That was all he could assume, it being a hovering sword. What else would cold steel desire if not a smooth coat of warm blood to temporarily satiate its lifeless shell? He felt it ironic that his hand instinctively fled to his own sword as his back foot was planted into the mud and his weight steadied and centered. The clear ring of unsheathed metal rang outward as Jarreth's weapon acted as a barrier between himself and the possessed opponent. He idly wondered if his own sword would suddenly spring to life and cut him to shreds just for being so presumptuous. Juine blinked slowly and stared off at an unknown speck in the distance, entirely oblivious to what was happening right in front of him. Jarreth's heart threatened to stop beating once again when, without warning, a woman blinked into existance. He was slightly relieved to see a hand firmly attached to the sword, but watching a person magically appear was not a common sight for him. At least not in the past ten years. His tongue lept into his throat and prevented him from saying a word, but that did not stop the woman from unleashing her own. She forced out venemous words and death threats to some man named Rhaon. He was not Rhaon, but he was convinced that she thought he was. His stance tightened to a normal defensive position now that he had a few moments to adjust to the muddy ground, and he was just prepared enough for her next assault. Her lunge was short of his body, but the tip came close enough for him to try and deflect the tip. She had hit the mud-covered ground before there was a chance to mount a defense. He stepped backward, entirely sure that the woman was insane, and watched her from beneath his helmet. He waited as she laid on her back, the possessed sword just hanging in the air from an outstetched hand. It was over. Until she screamed louder than he heard and she managed to regain herself and lunge at him with terrible force. His own blade stopped strike after strike, a berserk frenzy of untimed and uncalculated blows. Chaos was a difficult opponent. Two times her sword glanced off his armor with a scraping sound and he grew wary that in her fury she might find a kink in his plates. He did not want to harm her and counterattack, she was injured and delerious, but he would do no good dead next to her. At the very last moments of his patience, a second before he had no choice but to end the battle, she ended it herself. With a repeat of history she found herself a spot in the mud, exactly one moment before Jarreth realized what was going on. His voice had not even come back from the initial shock and it had ended. He looked down at the woman as his longsword, Talon, was placed back into its sheath. An armored boot swept across her arm and her weapon was disarmed, pushing it just out of her reach in case she had the intention to wake up and attack again. Relatively assured that he was safe, he bent down and rolled her over onto her back, making sure she did not drown in the thaw mud. She was in terrible shape. After taking a moment to dig into his supplies that remained in Juine's saddlebags, he returned with a waterskin and a roll of cloth. They were not bandages by any means, but he had put them together as a substitute until he could locate a merchant willing to sell them. Washing off the mud and grit from her most grevious wounds, he took care trying to wrap them without adding mud to the cloth in the process. He was thankful that nothing was too threatening across her chest, which would have proven a terrible awakening should he have been forced to tend to them. Time passed slowly and he worked with the skill of a combat medic; not formal, but someone who had tended to enough field injuries that death was at least stifled if not stopped entirely. The truly difficult task ensued after the bleeding had been stopped. He could not carry her, nor could he drape her over Juine, and she definately could not survive alone. With a very depressed facial expression he dug into the large saddleback on Juine's right side and pulled out a huge length of beautiful, dark blue curtain. He had been able to take the curtain from his old room in the Legion of the White Souls as a reminder and just because he had never seen a more stunning shade before. He nearly cried as he laid it out in the mud and tied it off to the back of Juine's saddle. Carefully lifting the woman off of the ground and placing her on the sheet, he returned to his task of walking Juine forward. The only difference was the fact that he was now dragging a woman behind him, over mud, on one of his most prized possessions. He was entirely not pleased, but he was driven by his need to help this curious assailant. |
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| Selena Starling | Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:23 pm Post #5 |
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(great post, really must say!) With the wind whispering in her ears and a strange, continuing sound of something that was being dragged across a sandy, filthy path in the background, Selena dared to open her eyes again. She groaned and, concerned, tended to the loud and rhythmic throbbing in her forehead. She then swallowed and took her time to take in the environment in which she found herself. What? How could that be? Trees. She saw trees. And they were moving. Rocks too. Or, no, mountains. Moving mountains and trees? Hey, even clouds. Great, it's official, I've gone completely insane... Selena said to herself, only now finding out that her voice was weaker and softer than she had first expected. She blinked a few times, looking more closely. The edges smoothened and the environment around her became very much more detailed and clear. Like often was the case when you had been sleeping or had closed your eyes for a bit. Though now it was getting a bit dark already and Selena couldn't even remember falling asleep to begin with. This concerned her. I guess I was just tired then. From all that walking and running just to make sure they wouldn't find me... Then, like a flashback, it came to her. The memories of just a few hours ago. Her hiding in the bushes, using the invisibility spell, charging at her enemy who later on turned out to be on of his enemies, her falling down...twice...until she could fight no more and her weakness overcame her. Like a film in her head. She smiled. God, that was foolish. It's one of the first things you learn when learning to fight; never attack in anger. And I never do. And not at all when facing a black knight. She sighed. Ah, well. You learn from your mis... She gasped. It suddenly felt like the ground was moving underneath her feet. Almost like it was being pulled away from her. As far away as possible. Now she felt like she was floating. How could she have been so foolish?! Moving trees? Clouds even?! Some strange noises in the background. Hmm, yes, almost like something being dragged! She cursed under her breath, trying to sit up straight, angry at herself for losing focus and her opponent for having won the fight. Fight, she thought I couldn't even hold my blade properly... She cursed again as she failed to get up. She was tied up it seemed, making it almost impossible to move at all. Great, this is just great. Now I can't even get my blade to help me out of this. And I am too weak to use my magic already... What in Heaven's name can I do then? She kept wrestling with the soft blue fabric, failing time and time again to escape. Oh, what kind of idiot is he? Did you actually trap me in his mother's curtain?! She screamed loud and clear, hoping that whoever was riding this horse would hear her. Because, unarmed or not, she could still just provoke him. If she did a good job he'd be sure to release her to be able to fight her himself. And maybe she could run away then. Well, that's what she'd like to think. After all, that was better than being dragged all the way down to Rhaon again. Oh, just the thought of seeing his smug, arrogant face staring at her from above, looking down on her like a worm unable to move, nearly breathe, sent shivers down her spine. |
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| Jarreth | Tue Nov 16, 2004 6:31 pm Post #6 |
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A polished helmet rested upon the horn of a saddle as time wore on. The opening forged in the front of the steel plate sat empty, imbedded into a dark expanse of nothingness within; its sightless gaze staring unblinking, unjudging, uncaring at the passing scenery. Thick mountains of immovable rock and stone scraped the heavens above, above where dragons roamed and searched and fought and slept. Trees grew and died, decayed and were birthed anew, all under a constant brush of snowfall. The occasional sphere of frozen water drifted back and forth across the sky, verring into or onto that lone helmet, only to be ignored by that which had no thoughts. Or perhaps they were brushed away by another, someone lacking the vacant tranquility possessed by the inanimate. Jarreth's hand, only covered in gloves for the time as his gauntlets had been removed with his helmet, brushed away the moist collection of icy droplets while his own eyes searched and scanned the horizon. He was not unjudging, rather, he was judging all. Everything had meaning and purpose, a downfall or a blessing depending on his own perceptions. His brow remained folded in deep concern as he occassionally thought of a dragon above. Riding atop Juine once more now that the thick, sloppy mud had turned into a more manageable slick path, he considered what had happened and what was to come. He was nearly livid at times when he heard a scraping sound of unseen rock across the underside of his valued cloth. His foul mood was cooled only slightly by the brisk air and chilled snow, which now moved through his hair after removing some of his heavy armor. He remained in breatplate and pauldrons, arm-guards and a ready shield on Juine's side, but he had no reason to restrict himself with helmet and gauntlets. His ears were getting numb but it was not his primary concern. Then, he heard that voice. Once again she screamed at him and once again he thought her insane. He had not sacrificed so much time, effort, and materials to be thanked in such an insulting manner. He would have ignored her calls if he did not feel her tugging on the sheet, which would most likely tear away if she struggled too much longer. He turned at his lower back for part of the rotation and then let his neck continue the rest of the way. A weathered face stared down into the eyes of the strange girl without expression as he considered her for a moment. His lips made a perfect line across his face out of indecision: he could not decide whether to welcome her back to conciousness or scold her for her attitude. He chose what seemed the most productive conversation he could have. "My lady," he began in a tone to signify that he was not showing respect but rather insisting that she listen closely, "I will have you know that no mother owns a curtain such as the one you are laying on and I insist that you stop struggling before you ruin it. If you must have your way, I will leave you on the side of this path and try to find a seamstress to fix the damage you have already caused. I only have spare cloth to bind your wounds for another change, and that will last you only a few hours if you insist on moving as much as you are right now. I would rather not have someone find you dead on the road out of bloodloss, but that is your decision to make." Jarreth turned back without waiting for a response to watch the road again. He shook his head slowly and could only imagine the poisons that would shoot forth from her throat this time. He hoped she would become more pleasant, either by calming down or passing out again. A large sigh pushed outward from his lungs and released into the air in a white mist. It was a cold thaw, but at least there was no likelyhood of a blizzard. He craned his neck for an instant and recognized a few rock formations off in the distance. Hoping to calm the upset woman, he turned back for another moment and added, "We have almost reached my campsite; if you would please cooperate for a little longer I can at least give you some food for your long trek back into the mountains." |
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| Selena Starling | Tue Nov 16, 2004 7:44 pm Post #7 |
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Selena's mouth felt dry as she tried to shout, but shout she did. She had to be heard. She had to be released. She wouldn't go back to him. To Rhaon, that thief of good intentions, that scoundrel. Not ever in a thousand lifetimes. She cleared her voice, ready to protest some more. And she did, as loud as she could. That was, until she heard that voice. Not only it's tone and charm surprised her, but also its message. She swallowed and tried to think of something to say. But she couldn't. Her mind was a blank. Partly because she was still a bit confused and tired of before and partly because this wasn't as bad as she had expected. So...I am actually being helped? she asked herself, clearly shocked by the mere thought. But...that's odd. Though it makes for a nice change. I had honestly thought he was evil too. A black knight sent my Rhaon to come and get... She bit her lip, frowning. I won't say or think that ever again. She breathed deep, thinking about what to do. Maybe I should thank him? I bet he did an awful lot to get me this far. And inside this fine cloth too... Oh, I bet he doesn't like me one bit. First I attack him from out of nowhere, scolding him for no apparant reason, saying I am going to finish him off and then I pass out, leaving him alone with his concience, just lying there. She started feeling really embaressed for what she had done and scoffed. He could have just left me there...but he didn't. He didn't. That's...rare in life. Especially in men. She searched for words. Good words, kind words that showed respect and understanding. She didn't want him to think ill of her. Or for him to think she was completely out of it. But just when Selena had found the courage to speak, her helper, the good knight, turned away his face again. Just as sudden as he had managed to turn it to her. He looked out, past the mountains and up high into the sky. When Selena followed his example she saw dragons fly there. Roaming the air, circling around. Like they always did when they had their eyes set on their prey. Selena gulped. She had completely forgotten the Dragon Spine Mountains were close to Rhoan's hide-out. And she hadn't really mapped out a route to follow as she was fleeing from her recent battle with him, so, she hadn't at all thought about the possible consequenses her escape route could bring. Yet, so she thought now, if she would have taken another route, maybe more safe and therefore more convenient, she wouldn't have come across this knight either. Then she'd have been all on her own. In the cold. She looked at the back of the knight, trying to make out what kind of person he was. He must be a good type of person to take her with him and care for her wounds and all. Indeed, the least she could do was thank him. Right? Yes, so, she would. I guess that's why his black knights didn't come after me, though. They probably didn't think I'd take this path. Because it is the most dangerous around. And I was wounded when I fled, they saw that. They're not that stupid. Selena smiled at her foolish action. Really, she hadn't given it much thought, but it might have just saved her life. Or extended it anyway. For the Black Might would be looking for her for many months, maybe even years to come. The things she knew about them was to valueble to them to be known for the entire world. Only a good thing I escaped them then. A good thing I took the shortest route there was. Selena stared at the knight that rode his chocobo again. He at least was a lot more exciting than the backside and bottom of the creature of which she had full view. Though it was a shame that she never had really seen his face. She had been to upset and to busy with herself and her own problems; getting herself out of the damn velvet curtain thing, to have been able to take in the colours of his face. Also, her head still hurt and she had a splitting headache, so, trying to focus her attention anywhere above her 'lying' perspective only made matters worse and her neck feel like it had been broken into a million pieces. But just like he had said, they had nearly reached the camp now. She'd get the chance to explain and appologize for the whole trying to kill him scenario sometime soon. Oh, and of course thank him... |
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| Jarreth | Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:57 pm Post #8 |
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The piercing screech of a large hawk broke the silence that had descended upon the group of travellers. It's brown body, covered in large, sleek feathers, swooped down less than twenty feet infront of Juine's face and snatched up a small rat which had been nibbling on the exposed root of a tree. Juine continued forward as if nothing had happened, either because of disinterest or simply not understanding that something with claws had just jumped infront of him quickly. Jarreth's eyes followed the bird on its flight back up into the wind channels above as he appreciated the serene stillness that followed. He had apparently said something right, or perhaps terribly wrong, that caused the woman trailing behind to stop yelling at him. He hated when women screamed, especially shrill screams that brought back memories of raided villages. She did not have that particular pitch in her voice, but he did not like to feel as if he had done something terribly wrong. He nodded almost invisibly to himself as he clarified his own thought: he did not like to feel as if he had done something wrong when he had, in fact, done something right. It was a moot point and just something to pass the time while his gaze fell on the same rock formations that caught his attention awhile back. He had set up a moderately full campsite on his initial journey to the North as a rest point both there and back. It was practically the last spot to even pitch a tent if there were going to be supplies nearby, and it was definately the safest. He could see man-made outlines appearing past several bushes; he had reached the site. Placed half way within a small, dug out hole in a gigantic boulder, a half tent ran in the open from the ground in a single slope to be held by a pair of tied supports. It was an inclined rectangle with no sides, a terrible place to sleep, but that was not its purpose. Snow and wind, drawn in a single direction by the canyon's geometry, bounced off the sheet and lifted upward, out and over the rock. The small bits of snow that trickled down from the sky marked this as not a single flake touched the ground past the sheet. This sheet was about six feet from being flush with the boulder, and within the tiny indent was a prepared firepit. Stones ran in a circle with cleared dirt, dry dirt, in the center. At the inside of the cave, stacked neatly, were logs that had been kept dry and free of rot. The entire site was barely visible to the untrained eye, at least at first, since the tan coloration of the sheet matched the rock behind it very well, and there was plenty of woody vegetation around to make two poles insignificant. Juine stopped as he reached the side of the windbreak and began to peck at unseen and non-existant bugs on the ground. The same calculating eyes that were keeping watch on the trail now inspected the upkeep of the area. He was generally impressed that nothing seemed too damaged given how long he had been away. There was always a threat that a campsite could be destroyed completely by an unlucky storm or a curious animal. This was especially true when it was left unattended for over a month. The season had melted all of the snow which had continually covered the ground in the area when he had first set out; given the convenience of the season, he scanned the easily impressionable mud for any stray animal tracks. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary; something the size of a deer had walked through the area recently. This was good: he had hidden the smell of food well enough to keep scavengers disinterested. There were several stores of supplies in the camp that could not be carried all the way to the Fort, so they were left in hopes of being collected in the future. The intention was to have a good, hot meal and then restock fresh supplies for the final leg of the journey. He was happy to have enough extra food to share with his unplanned guest. Jarreth dismounted with a clanking sound of metal, leaving his helmet on the horn and his gauntlets hanging off the side for the moment, and walked around the side of the bird to encounter the woman. He tried to ignore the terrible mess that had collected on the fabric while he offered her a gloved hand with a forced smile. He could see red stains peeking through her bandages, but he avoided looking at her wounds as much as he could to keep her from doing the same. Instead, he looked into her eyes. "We have arrived," he said, able to regain some of the inherent kindness in his voice. The sound of a trickling stream could be heard not far off in the distance. |
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| Selena Starling | Wed Nov 17, 2004 9:12 pm Post #9 |
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Clouds passed, treetops too, as Selena was dragged along the ground by the stranger. She tried to stay calm and to get some rest. It was the best she could do. To pick a fight with him would be useless. And, after all, he had said they were very nearly there. So, it couldn't be long before they would reach the campsite and he would let het sit down or stand up -if she could- properly. Let's just hope the campsite hasn't been ruined by the animals or some curious travellers. He does look like and inventive person, having wrapped me all up like this, so, no black knight could have found it. The sun was going down more and more as time went by. Selena tried to make out what time it was. Should she ask him? Would he know? She shook her head. Would he even answer? Then she chuckled, understanding. Would she if she were him? Probably not. That question is about as annoying as to ask 'are we there yet?' But just as she had thought that, she noticed the choboco was moving along somewhat slower than before. Like its master knew his way around her very well. Like they had almost arriver. And it appeared she was right. After mere seconds the creature slowed down more and more until it finally stopped completely. She heard the youngman jump off his trusted friend's back and landing on the ground. He looked around, inspecting the environment, probably making sure everything was how he had left it behind before he had continued his journey. He seemed satisfied for he walked up to her with a smile on his face and helped her out of the beautiful curtain. Though Selena could clearly see it had lost most of its beauty along the way. After that he kindly offered his hand. Selena took it with a soft mumbled ''thank you'' not knowing if she would be able to stand up by herself. Yet when she stood, she found that the earth beneath her ground had grown more massive and strong again and she could move and turn her legs just like she could have done beforehand. Good, she thought. Don't also want to be a criple. I've had a bad enough day already... Selena shivered as she stumbled towards the entrance of the camp. ''In here?'' she asked to make sure. She waited for him to lead the way, finding that was probably the most polite thing to do since he had made this camp from scratch and had brought her here. ''Did you really do all of this yourself?'' Selena asked though she already knew the answer. She just felt silly, just standing there. She looked at him, trying to look casual, which was a hard thing to do since she didn't even know the man. ''I bet that took quite some time...right?'' she went on, looking around, nodding, then placing her hands on her hips. |
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| Jarreth | Sun Nov 21, 2004 8:52 am Post #10 |
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The man in steel watched as the woman he had taken from the side of a muddy pathway regained her feet and moved closer to the wind screen with more than some difficulty. At least she could walk, he thought, which was preferable to keeping her on the cloth. Once again his mind drifted to the terrible blue and brown mess that now rested in a large dirty heap behind Juine. Before his face grew darker and his mood followed once more, her voice, definately different now that it was not shouting, drew him astray. With a terse reply, he stated, "Yes, toward the ring of stones past the wind break." Moving to meet the woman, he moved beside her and bade her continue forward by pointing his open palms the direction she needed to continue in an "after you" manner. While he was not entirely thrilled about this stranger's company given the circumstance, he had to be someone civil due to her condition. He had hoped that her bad mood came from whatever befell her before his arrival; he would despise knowing that she was simply that angry at the world all the time. Given the lack of screaming now that she was not being dragged, he took it as a good sign that her mood was improving. Her initial question was followed by more and he gave slightly more lengthy replies this time. "I made most of this camp; nature helped carve out the boulder. Since most of the time was spent by erosion, it was easy enough to finish the remainder within a day. The most difficult part remained in digging the pits," he explained with a hint of a riddle; there were no pits in sight. Rather, the ground looked naturally flat and even. There was a gentle slope downward leading toward the trickling sound of a stream and there did not appear to be any large gap in the underbrush. Having satisfied himself with the answers given, Jarreth moved into the camp and past the fire pit. Rustling ensued as he reached into a thick patch of tall bushes next to the boulder. Within a minute he had successfully unwedged two cut logs that were rolled out and tipped to act as stools. With a nod he motioned to Selena to sit if she so desired. He had stashed the logs in the brush to help protect them from rain and snow, which would be partially diverted by the leaves and branches above. It had taken him two good hours to find a tree of decent diameter to work the two seats, and for the sake of comfort he had made good effort to protect them from rot. He was not sure why he had decided to waste energy rolling down stoops, but he had half a hint when he was finally able to sit down and not be annoyed by cold snow on his pants. Looking back at the woman, he evaluated her, still trying to make a final decision of what he thought about her. She was rather striking in a way, particularly noticeable now that she was not swinging swords at him or pummeling him with insults. He thought she might be quite attractive once she was not bloodstained and generally disheveled. Moving back on track, the thought of bloodstained reminded him about the makeshift bandages that were beginning to require changing. His eyes grazed the ground and then settled on Juine, specifically the visible saddlebag. The woman's sword hilt was still safely tucked away inside, this being seen by a lone hilt sticking out above the leather container. Running his fingers across his own weapon, he made a decision that it would be safe for the time to remove his armor. It was necessary. Now standing behind the wind shield and the dry ground, he unlatched his arm plates and breastplate, allowing them to rest on the dirt carefully so that no loose particles of sand could make their way inside the tight fitting items. His leg plates were next after unbuckling the leather straps on the hind side. He shivered with an instantaneous chill that crawled down his spine; the breeze could now find ways into his padded tunic and pants much more easily. Luckily, he would get warmer soon. Winking at the woman without a word, and mainly without noticing if she was watching him at all, he stepped out from the cloth a few paces and then bent down. His gloved hand brushed across the ground a few times to move about half an inch of material away to either side. Amazingly, a piece of iron was uncovered. He continued the movements until a two foot by two foot lid was unearthed, a large iron handle resting across its surface. With a grunt, Jarreth lifted the heavy box out of the ground. It was slightly higher than a cube, perhaps three feet deep. With eyes showing much more happiness now that one of the storage vessels had been recovered, he looked at Selena with a slight smile. "I suppose it is time to get your wounds treated properly, m'lady," he began. "And definately time to escape this aching cold." ((OOC: December 24, 2004, I removed this thread from my post tracker. If you reply to this topic, please PM me with a link to make sure I see the update, thank you :))) |
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7:03 PM Jul 11

