Percy relaxes against Hobbes. The portion had done the trick and she gives him a little kiss on the cheek in thanks."Ya feel better?" Hobbes says hiding the grin on his smug face.
Very. Whatever that was certainly did the trick. Now, let's gather up the food before it attracts attention.
You gather up a large amount of roasted raven. Between this and the previous attack, you have enough food to last for weeks. The rest of the day passes by uneventfully.
"Good to hear." Hobbes will help gather up the food and put it away before it went bad and before Hila ate it all.
Looking over the dead ravens all Neverhome can do is arch an eyebrow in a cringe as Hobbes gathers them up to be eaten later.
Percy rests while they travel. The last few days have been trying like nothing she has experienced before, and she could use a little down time.
After a while, Sigrun nudges Lyosha. "We'll take the first watch while the rest of you get some rest."
Lost in the morbidity Sigrun's nudge jostles him at first but he quickly recovers and nods to everyone else. "Da. Rest well."
Allie rides, quite awake now after the ravens attacked until she hears Sigrun and Neverhome speaking about watch. "If Zses doesn't mind, we can take the watch after you two." She puts her hand over Zses' and squeezes softly.
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"Sure thing!" Zses says merrily, squeezing Allie's hand back.
Let's hope that we won't get attacked tonight too...
Oh, someone's gonna get attacked all right...
As the others rest, and they jog alongside the Slaygon, Sigrun smiles over at Lyosha. "So tell me something about you."
"Oh!" surprised though he shouldn't be at her question he lets his thoughts race alongside as he keeps pace with Sigrun and the Slaygon. Scratching his head he tries to think of something to tell her but then simply decides to try and mirror what she told him earlier.
"I was born to Jadwiga Marzanna Elvanna. She kept me for few years before sending me off to mine. Troll mine. Luck or fate eventually led revolt and I left with revolters, moving about wastes until I met..." as he stops what little color leaves his face. "Um, I don't like sweet things, but I like tea. Uh, sorry I just... sorry..." whatever he meant to say next merely broke down into incoherent mumbles.
Looking down at his hands as the flames leave, and the smoke that remains. He takes a slow, deep breath and finds a place to lay down, throwing a blanket over his body.
He looks to the group for just a moment.
"I'll need time to recover the magic I've used. If someone will wake me for one of the last shifts...I would...appreciate it."
After letting the quiet pass Neverhome lets out a sigh and resumes speaking. "My apologies, I let my thoughts drift... If I may, may I try again? Is there anything specific you want to know about me or my life? I must forewarn though, is certainly not as noble as your and your parents'."
Allie sat nervously across from Zses. This was the first time they have been alone together and she was definitely feeling it. She fidgeted with her necklace, the one he gave her. As Little Allie sat perched on top of the slaygon, also keeping an eye out. Little Allie was also fidgety, cleaning his feathers are scratching his belly.
"So.. Zses.. What do you remember from your past? Maybe I can help you recover more? I'll tell you about mine if you wanna know, but you can't tell Percy. She doesn't know some things..." Panged with a sudden sense of guilt, she ran her fingers through her hair, slowly making the ends glow a magnificent red. The pain was clear on her face. "How about it? I haven't told anyone. I think its time to tell someone... I trust you Zsestrian. You and Percy... But there are just some things you can't tell your sister, ya know?"
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Thinking for a moment Neverhome shows her a tranquil smile. "Thank you, but now all my memories are painful. My time with Marzanna. My time in mine. My time with... Those memories, happiest I ever had, are now most painful to me."
Keeping that smile he continues "I cannot recount like you, is selfish of me. But I will tell you anything and everything, just ask, please ask me, and I will tell you. Please."
Visibly cringing as Sigrun mentions Alma's name some of that tenseness fades away falls away as she moves over and takes his hand. "Is... How I said back in tower. Her arrow missed moose and struck me, just a little bit more to right and I wouldn't have gotten up. She was horrified and ran over to check on me, finding me laying in snow scowling. The way she was fretting and apologizing... Was really cute."
Allie and Percy look very close...I really can't think of something she wouldn't tell her.
Allie nods slowly. Looking into the fire, she sighs. "A good many years back. Before you were born I would venture to say, I dated this human... Everything seemed fine. We had a nice relationship, I thought. Even going to get married..." She kicked snow around absentmindedly, keeping her eyes glued to the fire. The dancing flames illuminated her soft skin, making shadows appear and disappear as quickly as the came. "We hadnt even kissed..." She looked up, smiling sheepishly. "You were my first kiss... Anyway, I guess taking it slow wasn't working for him... I screamed but he didn't stop... I should have been more clear, I guess. I was saved by this druid and he took him somewhere... I havent seen him since." She puckered her lips in concentration.
"But Percy knows some of that... What she doesnt know is worse.. I think its why sometimes I cant remember doing things... One night, Percy decided to take her hatred of book casters to a whole new level. She found a wizards home and set it on fire. He knew who Percy was, and it was already a dark time for Percy.. They came for her the next day. They wanted to take Perc to the dungeons... I couldnt let that happen. Before she could say anything to the contrary, I showed them that I was the 'only one' who could cast fire spells in he house...
They took me instead. For many years... Percy knows some of the lesser evils that happened. But she doesnt know of the constant torture that they put me through. I told her that they hurt me sometimes. But never went into details... I will spare you them as well. Lets just say I spent a lot of the time in darkness and cold; a lot of the time in horrible pain... They would hurt me until I passed out.. Then revive me and do it again..."
Allie was crying, though she didn't realize it. Little Allie abandoned his post and took the form of a bunny. He curled up in her lap, crying too.
"I guess the wizard had ties to the dungeon... Wanted to make Percy pay for everything that fire destroyed. I don't know. All I know is I was supposed to be there for eight years... I only remember three of them. And even that is a bit spotty. Something changed in me. I changed... Im scared, Zses.. All the time... Of what might happen to people. I dont let myself care about others and I show that fear through fire. I didnt even use much fire before that! I liked to push things around hard..."
She quietly sobbed, tears making her face sting with cold.
Neverhome shrugs with a slight chuckle. "Was awhile ago, but still happened sometime after we first met. We were married longer than what I've been with this group."
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After Allie finishes talking, for a second the witch is only able to stare at her, at a loss of words. He then gets up from his seat, sitting next to Allie and hugging her tightly.
"You shouldn't have bottled it all up for all this time. People that cares for you are there for that: people like Percy...or me." Zses says without letting the gnome go, kissing her on the forehead. "I can't change the past, and I'd be lying if I said I know how you're feeling but...but I swear I'll make it so no one else ever hurt you again like that. And I promised you, remember? You don't have to be scared of hurting anyone: I'll make sure that doesn't happen, too."
I only met her days ago...but I mean what I'm saying. I never felt like this for someone...
Zses gently raises Allie's chin with his hand, looking the gnome in the eyes.
"Okay?" he smiles sweetly.
Allie only feels Zses when he raises her face to meet his. She sat there, numb to what she was saying, feeling everything and nothing. Her breathing slowed somewhat when she sees his face. Her own softens as he speaks to her, first feeling far away, then coming back slowly. It felt like he was pulling her back to earth, anchoring her right then and there. She gently puts a hand over his hand placed on her face and snuggles into his palm. Tears still stain her cheeks, but for a different reason. They felt warmer and didnt hurt her face when they fell. She could feel her whole body warming, actually. She did nothing other than hold his hand to her face for a long time. Looking up into his strange dark eyes with her vibrant green ones.
What is happening? He is a human, too, right? Wont he hurt me the same amount..?
Allie... Shut up and enjoy the moment... He is okay in my book. I dont think he will hurt us. If he does, I will kill him for you.
Allie lost it. The sobs she was holding back quietly errupted as more tears rained down on the ground. She grabbed Zses tightly and lept into a hug, her eyes so burred with tears she couldnt even see five feet in front of her.
"There, there..." Zses hugs back Allie, smiling softly. Closing his eyes, he focuses on nothing but the gnome's warmth, momentarily forgetting his fears for both the future and the past.
when the camp was set up he quietly went about starting a small stew, using a very small about of the puloined vegetables from the tower with fresh snow to start a small amount of stew, to be handed out with some of the purloined bread as well. It wasnt bound to be his best work, but its not like they had a whole lot of things on hand to begin with. It would be warm and filling couldnt ask for much more.
The stew done he busied himself with the horses, taking down the harnesses, and rubbing down the horses. He moved them to as sheltered a spot as he could find. Making mental notes about building possible wind breaks or a temporary coral for the horses. something that could help hold in body heat and keep them warm.
That finished he grabbed his bedroll and laid it down carefully by the horses. He wanted to be close in case something tried to attack the defenseless noble creatures again.
Around two hours before dawn, a solitary Polar Bear passes by close the the slaygon. It sniffs the air for a few minutes but seems reluctant get too close to something smelling of so many two-legs. it leaves you alone and wanders off after 5-10min.
Just for you little Hila
Hobbes, seeing the bear looks to Hila to make sure she behaves. It was far too early to be fighting bears.
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Having stayed up for first watch Neverhome blissfully slept snuggled up to Sigrun, not having to worry about her daring him to go punch a bear at the moment.
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Sigrun cuddles up to Neverhome, enjoying the sense of safety and peace.
Percy feigns sleep while the bear is in camp. He clearly isn't hostile, just hungry and looking over the curious contraption with two leggers inside and the kitty who slept with horses. He said so himself.
But that wasn't the only reason she was awake. She heard her sister sniffling in the night, but not out of fear or hurt. Something was developing between her and the witch. Something Percy couldn't stop without harming her sister more than she was willing to risk.
She really didn't like it. At first she was worried about magic being enslaved by the idiot mages. Now everything had changed. He would make her sister a slave too.
Allie sat up and rubbed her eyes, her cheeks still sticky with tears. She looked over seein Zses still sleeping. She smiled a small tired smile. Suddenly he hears a rustling noise. She looks over and jumps slightly at the large bear. Then she shrugged. No reason to bother it. It doesnt look like it will hurt anything...
The memory of last night left her with bitter-sweet feelings. She was happy to finally get some of this pain out, but the pain was still there nonetheless.
A new day begins!
With the arrival of dawn, came a new day, but stoic silence from the felinerai. He gathered his things, and packed them back up like his namesake, before turning his attention to the horses, checking their state, giving them a good pat down before once more moving them to the slaygon, hitching them to the appropriate spots, that done, he rummaged through their food stuff, grabbed a quick bite, and moved to Mule preparing the noble steed for the day.
As soon as he was able he mounted and off, skirting around the campsite looking for any strange track or danger, never staying out of visual of the slaygon for long. When everyone else appeared ready to leave, he kicked Mule torwards the direction of travel taking care this time to look up as much as around.
Hobbes passes out more roasted bird so everyone can have breakfast as well as some canteens of coffee that he pulled from his seemingly magical bag. He then nods for Hila to get moving as he boards the Slaygon.
Holding back whatever thoughts he had on the subject Neverhome wordlessly gives Sigrun his share of bird.
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Vashti moves off slightly from the others, not out of sight, but enough to give her some room.
Her morning devotions consume her thoughts for an hour.
She remains kneeling in prostration until the group lets her know they are prepared to move on.
Most of her spare time during the trip is spent quietly chanting litanies to her Goddess and fasting.
Her face holds a calm look, rapt and devout in manner.
Tears roll from her eyes at times, whether in joy or sadness you could not tell.
When needed for tasks at hand she complies, but looks like she is walking in a dream, much of her powerful persona elsewhere.
The morning starts off uneventfully. It's a pleasant day, and the Black Rider's blessing keeps you protected from the cold.
He came riding up in a hurry.
To Arms! Another patrol approaches, a half dozen all on foot with sword and bow!
He called to the others when he rode up. He pointed their general direction then once more wheeled about on Mule, unlimbering his bow. He did his best to shadow their movement back, trying to stay 500 meters or so away at all times, enough time to give him a chance to react to any strange developements while the others got ready.
About to call out something to the cat when he sees him charging back Neverhome bites his tongue one Silence announces who are headed their way. Any gripe or sarcasm he had died in his troat as he nodded to the samurai as he drew his greatsword.
"You just know how to make my day, don'tcha kitty." Hobbes sighs and draws his bow.
The elf wakes himself from a bit of relaxation.
"I should not be surprised at this point.." Releasing his weapon from its sheath, he grins and prepares for the coming enemies.