Better headless than heartless [Ethereal-Star]

[Ein]

It was a sunny noon in the Riverlands of Serendipity
and so the headless horseman stopped his mount at a riverbed to settle down a little. He took off the most heavy parts of his black armor and stretched his limbs. Even though he was an undead sunlight would not be able to harm him - it was actually a pretty great feeling, when the warmth of the sun touched his cold skin.

He decided to lay down for a bit to relax. Knowing that an occasional encounter with a human being could easily end in a fight he placed his sword right beside him. Eventually he dozed off listening to the sounds of waves and his horse chewing.

[Ethereal-Star]

Meanwhile, a girl with orange, curly hair and knee-high black boots came bounding down the path, slightly buzzed from her latest tavern outing with her best friend Becky. Her friend was still at the tavern, drinking away and flirting with whoever caught her fancy, while Scarlet herself wanted to get some fresh air before heading back that way.

Spotting a river up ahead, she hastened her steps, making her way towards it when she noticed a dark figure lying down on the grass nearby, as though dozing off, with a horse grazing next to the person. There was something strange about him, but right now the girl didn't know what. She couldn't really see him that well from her vantage point. For she assumed it was a he. Or it could just possibly be a really large 'she' too. Scarlet had seen female orcs before so the off-chance the person was female was entirely plausible, according to her.

However as she got closer, Scarlet could now see it was definitely a he. She got within close range of him, walking over to the side and frowned. Okay, where's the dude's head? she thought, utterly confused. He's gotta have a head! But no matter how much she squinted at the figure, no head suddenly appeared where there should rightfully be a head. Huh. Now, THAT was something to tell tales about at parties. Of course, those who didn't know Scarlet would probably think she was lying. Her, a liar? Hah! No fat chance of that!

So, she went straight up to him and loudly cleared her throat, tapping her boot expectantly on the ground to get his attention. "AHEMMMM!"

[Ein]

He couldn't sense the presence of the girl approaching him and so he noticed her not until she gave sound. He wasn't too surprised and remained motionless as he tried to figure out what just had happend. Apperently this girl wanted to talk to him.
He thought about playing dead for a moment. Since he was completely still - no breathing nor a heartbeat to reveal him - the woman might just leave him alone. Then again he sensed that she was a rather interesting person and hell she had some guts to address him so he decided to test her a little.

"What is it you seek, woman?" , his dark, ghastly voice echoed through the air, while he was still lying there completely relaxed.

[Ethereal-Star]

At the sound of his deep voice that seemed to suggest further that the man, or whatever he was, was of a sort of creature Scarlet had yet to come across before now, her curiosity was only peaked more. She also now noticed something else, something which Scarlet was surprised to have not seen right away. That something being a thin trail of smoke coming from out of his neck, as though the man's neck were a chimney.

At his question Scarlet responded, rather upfront with her words. "Yes, I seek to know two things. First off, what the devil are you? And second, what exactly are you doing just lounging on the ground like that?"

With only a short pause, she went on to say the one thing that Scarlet wouldn't be Scarlet if she didn't say such. Her words? "Did you know that you're missing a head?"

[Ein]

He wanted to comment on her first two questions but he felt that she was going to say something else and so he waited only a few seconds to hear those foolish words. "Did you know that you're missing a head?" He couldn't resist to laugh out.
Still chuckling he stood up, picking up his sword as well. "Now that you mention it!.. I might chop off your head to carry around instead." He raised his sword to her cheek before bursting into laughter again.
"You want to know what I am? Some call me devil or demon or nightmare, but really; I am just what you can see: A headless horseman to your service. So tell me now, woman, who are you?"

[Ethereal-Star]

When the headless horseman raised his sword to Scarlet's face, she flinched a bit but prattled on anyway. "Look, it was an honest question. No need to lose your head about it."

She smirked at what she had just said, and in an effort to rephrase that particular response Scarlet further put in, "Of course the previous statement obviously does not apply to you. So, let me ask you this. How does that even work anyway? Y'know, not having a head and all. Because last time I checked, having a head was a fundamental part of a fully functional anatomy. The way I see it, you shouldn't be able to talk, much less walk. No mouth you see with no head on the shoulders, you shouldn't even be alive! But let's just say that you're some weird undead guy which you would have to be. Still doesn't explain how you're able to go around without a head."

Scarlet paused to take a breath then, looking at him to determine some sort of reaction, but minus a head it was downright impossible to do that. "Most people would be freaked out by this, but then again I am not most people, and BY THE GODS I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M HAVING THIS CONVERSATION! With a headless dude no less! Something like this defies all logic!" Scarlet took some deep breaths, trying to calm down a bit. "I don't suppose you were just resting your eyes, considering the above..." she let the sentence trail off into oblivion and simply stood there, hands on her hips before she remembered he had asked who she was. "Oh, and my name's Scarlet by the way..."

[Ein]

The girl was indeed a rather talkative person, but the fact that she was amusing as well saved her from shearing his experience in non-head-surviving and so he put down his sword and listened.

"You are a foolish creature - claiming to know the boundaries of reality; of what is possible and what's not. There are other abominations lurking in the shadows of civilisation far more dangerous and darker than a headless man; creatures not even the most sinister mind could imagine.

To be honest the two of us aren't even that different. We both are.. -what did you say?- "Not most people". Perhaps I had a head of my own once but I guess I lost it at some point and -lucky me- it did not end up killing me.. permanently."

[Ethereal-Star]

Scarlet let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when the headless creature put down his sword. His words, while harsh, were honest though and Scarlet had to admire that in him. So she said to him, "I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me. I mean, it's not everyday I come upon a guy missing a head. Sure there are plenty of others who come close to it, but actually, literally missing their head. Now, that's a new one for me."

Pausing a couple seconds to digest what else he had said, Scarlet continued on, "Perhaps you're right about other, more sinister things out there. I mean after all, if you're here then who knows what else might be out there?"

Looking at his horse, she piped up with a further comment, "Are you going to let your horse eat all the grass there?" pointing her finger to where his horse was still grazing on all the grass, a few bald patches of ground already showing here and there.

[Ein]

The girl seemed to calm down a little. However he wasn't sure rather she had been afraid or simply excited. This circumstance actually made him somewhat curious about her. She was different in a refreshing way and he was sure that he could have some fun with her.
Scarlet however was tirelessly asking more and more questions but Beowulf was willing to answer them - he hadn't talked to anyone since ages after all.

As she mentioned his horse he flinched slightly. "Grass would never satisfy this devilish creature. Even if it might not look like it - it's desire for death and misfortune always leads me to the most twisted souls. It won't leave me alone as well. It might look like a horse but it is my shackle."

[Ethereal-Star]

"I don't understand. What do you mean, 'your shackle'?" Scarlet was confused.

Looking at the 'horse' again, she now saw something she had overlooked. Its eyes unlike a normal horse, seemed rather unsettling, as though they looked right into one's very soul gauging a person's very character. They also had a slight, otherworldly glow to them, but only in the right light could one really tell.

Scarlet was a little unnerved by this. After all, horses were supposed to be gentle creatures. "That's actually disturbing." she commented, without missing a beat. "Its eyes I mean."

Eying the demon horse a little while longer, Scarlet returned her gaze to Beowulf. "I don't believe I got your name. Unless you prefer 'headless horseman?', that is?"

((OOC: Let me know if the horse's description is alright. If not, I'll edit my post.))

[Ein]

This time the headless horseman did not answer her. Even if he tried to explain himself how could she understand? She was -even if amusing- nothing but a naive human, already confused by something like a man missing his head.
He felt a chill, when she realised that he wasn't joking nor lying. He caught himself feeling disappointed because of the change in her mood - maybe he wanted her to be more brave, more reckless.

"You might call me Beowulf." , he said rather thoughtful.

"Do you want to go for a ride?"
There wasn't a face to show his emotions but in his words lie a grin.

[Ethereal-Star]

The feeling of being unnerved left almost as soon as it came when Beowulf, as he said his name was, asked her if she wanted to go for a ride. "Would I ever!" Scarlet responded positively. After all, how many times did she get that opportunity? To ride with a headless horseman? This was the first time obviously, and it would definitely make an interesting story to tell Becky when Scarlet returned. She figured Becky wouldn't be too worried over her extended absence as long as she wasn't gone too long. Scarlet would for sure tell Becky all about her encounter when they next met back up. Becky would find it both hilarious and interesting as well, although at first she might have a similar reaction that Scarlet had had after hearing about a man with no head. They would discuss it over a round of drinks later, she decided. Perhaps Beowulf could join them but for the life of her, Scarlet didn't think he could join in with the drinking for obvious reasons. Nonetheless, the idea was intriguing.

"And while we're riding, you can answer the question you so deliberately avoided." Scarlet said this in a firm tone, brooking no argument on the matter as she would have none of it. Honesty was a most crucial trait to uphold, no matter what as dishonesty was plain disgusting to her. She walked right up to Beowulf and his horse, awaiting further instructions from him before she climbed on.