Spirits of the Earth

The pole arm was mostly made of metal, and it, like the rest of her, looed pretty. Even though there was no time for pretty on a battle field. No one said you had to be practical to get the job done, and that  was what Rai'nish was good at. Being impractical and still getting the job done.
The rocks made that delightful crunching noise when she walked over them, and her hair swing back and forth with all the doo-dads and tassles that hung from her clothing. The metal bits shone in the sunlight, they were polished and shiny and barely had a scratch on them. Sure that might have been a tell of how simply green she was at fighting, but no, to her that said that she was fast. Too quick to get hit.

Or something.

Rai'nish was new to this place. Wasn't new to fighting. A few scuffles. She could hold her own against someone her size, maybe a little bigger provided they weren't bigger and faster. She scrunched her nose and adjusted her weight, she was here at he right time like she was supposed to be. She was already a Hawk, just not a tested one. She'd have to impress the masses. Or the one important fellow.

Which ever came first.

Today was an important day for Dram.  New recruits meant fresh new flesh to fry and though he didn't always look forward to seeing what meat bags came in today, he knew that it was better to have them trained as best as possible than to have them be useless thieves.  Even if they could rob, if they couldn't fight, they were completely useless to him.  And right now, he was what was most important.

Dram came  first and was already waiting for her by the time the new recruit arrived.  There was an obvious scowl on his face, as if he hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before.  He stood there in his training trousers and boots and a loose sleeveless tunic that showed his arms that were promptly crossed over his chest.  "You're late," he remarked.  "Put that pole arm down.  You may think you're ready to work.  But to me...you're just another meat bag."

Dram walked over to a wall beside him and took out a set of training sticks.  They were short-short sized, and waited with bits of steel to feel more like the real thing.  He grabbed one and tossed it to the rookie.  Then took one for himself.  "All right, meat bag.  Gimme your best shot!"

Meat bag? Rai'nish pursed her lips and shifted her stange to the side. Her legs looked long and her shape was curvy, but there was muscle. Underneath the appealing curves, there was the ability to kick someones teeth out. With a disgruntled look she tossed the pole arm to the side, a little peeved already at having her weapon of choice taken away from her.

Sure it wasn't practical for theiving, but pah! It looked good! It gave her range! It was lethal! Her only real weapon when without that was her legs. Oh well. She was good enough, at least she thought she was. She'd see. Careful to snatch the training stick from the air she tossed it between her hands a few times, getting the weight for it before she took a few steps to the side.

Meat bag. Her eyebrow twitched. She hated that. She was not a meat bag. She was beautiful! She was fantastic and she could break his neck with her thighs if she really wanted to. She didn't know the mechanics, but she was sure she could do it. The lack of real pants would help out with that part. With narrow apple green eyes, which looked bright against her skin and her bright blue har she lunged.

It was hard to give her best shot against a stationary target when she didn't have her best weapon. But chucking the stick at his head while she made a tackle for his midsection didn't seem like such a bad idea.  "My name is Rai'nish!"

Dram twirled the wooden weapon in hand and absently saw the sorry excuse for a weapon she threw to the ground.  The polearm, a coward's weapon.  Though he would never admit it, he only said that because he couldn't wield one himself.  He'd heard tales of certain people with insurmountable skill with the weapon and all its variants, but he couldn't believe it unless he saw it.  Dram would start with something simple.  If she could handle herself against a barrage of blows, then she had some potential.

He frowned at her smart ass remark, but looked at her sinisterly, and spun the weapon again, facing her with his dominant side.

"So the meat bag has a name.  Well, Rai'nish if you can block these blows, or evade them, you'll have earned the right to be called your name.  Until then you're just another meat bag."  With that Dram jumped at her and prepared to slam the training sword right on top of her head before spinning on his heel and using his leg to drop her to the floor.

She squinted and felt her lips pull up to expose her sorry set of feral teeth. They weren't feral at all, could cut through skin with a lot of pressure from her jaw, but nothing fancy and no fangs. Damn she wanted herself a pair of fangs. That would be cool. As it were, all she had were her bright apple green eyes and bright blue hair.

And the fact she was practically naked.  That was a nice distraction. Well, maybe not for this fellow. He didn't look like he played for the right team. Whatever that meant. When Dram frowned her lips turned up and she blew him a soft kiss with a loud pop for emphases."Meat bag has much more than just a name, Darling." Now was the fun. Now she could show him her stuff.

Now she could barely dodge the stick that swung down at her head, feel it graze her shoulder and then felt the dirt at her back with her chest heaved occationally while she tried to remember how to breath. Was she dying? Oh god she was dying. Rai'nish quickly rolled over, on her hands and knees before she stood up, glaring, still catching her breath.

Instantly the stick was out and she was ready again. Mouth open, lips lush, bleeding knees and red palms.  Eyebrows were drawn together in a clear 'unamused with this shit' expression. He was cheating. Or something. "One more." Rai'nish changed her position, keeping farther back. She'd be able to see him coming if he wasn't right in her face. That would work. Or, hm.

Rai'nish chucked the stick at his head,as a distraction of course, before she lunged for his middle section, ready to hook his ankles with her own in some small effort for him to fall down. Screw fighting, now she just wanted to get him on his back. The jerk.

Dram grinned satisfied that she had fallen down on her back and he stepped away, twirling the weapon in his hand as if it were some kind of toy rather than a training weapon.  He designed most of them anyway, for what he knew would best prepare his grunts for battle.  The meat bags always complained.  It was too heavy, too unwieldy, too big, too small, too short, too long, blah, blah, blah.  That was until they were beaten and trained so hard that sweat was dripping from their eyeballs.  He'd have this one dripping from her eyes soon enough.

Dram did not expect her to throw the stick at him.  It hit his shoulder and knock him a little to the side, but saw her dive coming from a mile away.  He jumped and whirled over her as she would lose her balance and crash into the rocks and dirt.  "Think you're good?  Think again.  Now pick up that stick before I put it in a place where you'll cry for weeks about."

He stood back, letting her stand at least before rushing at her and aiming to knock into her with his shoulder.

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shitohshitohshit. Tuck and roll. tuck and roll. Rai'nish wanted to cover her face with her arms, but she did as her brain demanded and she managed to do a somersault. Landing back on her feet again before she turned quickly, arms out and glaring. Of course she snuck and grabbed the stick, careful to keep her eyes on him. Just incase.

He was a cheater. Hmph.

Maybe he could read her mind? What were they called? Who cared. Rai'nish frowned before he barked at her after which she stood up straight and while standing moved a hand from her shoulder, down over the area between her breasts, down over her exposed stomach, down over her hip before she licked her lips and looked at him. Going back into stance she wiggled her hips and smiled at him. "Mmmm, I'd like your stick in places."

Ha. Seduction. She was awesome. Her knees hurt and she could feel the blood dripping down from her first tumble, but that was besides the point.

Rai turned into water, not literally of course, but she moved back with him while he charged and twirled off to the side, trying to smack him in the back with the stick. Provided he didn't try to trip her in the process.

Dram rolled his eyes as it seemed she tried to seduce him.  It wasn't uncommon for new recruits to try to well, wiggle their way through the ranks and into favoritism.  He had no favorites, all the regulars knew that.  But this one, well she thought she could distract him with that body of hers?  She was nothing special.

Dram did get smacked in the back and felt flushed with anger as he regained his footing.  "Good, you learn fast meat bag.  Maybe I won't have to beat some sense into you after all!"  He gave a snarling smile, showing sharpened teeth and he circled her like an animal to prey, looking at her like he was gonna eat her alive.  Though he didn't grow up in the tribes, he knew that some Umbraeons made it a habit of cooking up their enemies like a meal and sending them as rations as an insult.

"Think you're hot stuff, don't you?  Why don't you try coming at me?  C'mon I dare you!"  He spat at her and continued to circle her until she came at him.  "You don't have the guts, meat bag.  Nothing but a coward, aren't you?"

Oooo.

Her attention was taken. Attraction panged through her middle and she tweaked an eyebrow up at the realization. Who knew sharp teeth were a turn on. Rai'nish smiled back to his sneering teeth-showing whatever that was supposed to be, throwing in a wink and darting her tongue over her lower lip.

Then he began to circle her and she frowned at him, waiting for him to strike. She turned, sorta. Her head. Shifting her weight. "I already tried to jump you once, Sexy. I'm far from a coward." Rai'nish smiled before she got into stance and moved at him again, the stick held over her head, she'd sweep it at his head while her leg moved between his. Throw him off balance. Even if that meant going down with him, as long as she got him off his feet she'd be happy.

If only she'd been smart enough to do what any good new recruit did, and take this whole thing seriously.  Her games only annoyed him further, all the ploys that she thought were going to land her some points.  The fact of the matter was, if she was going to try to impress him, it was going to be here and now with her skill in combat, not licking her luscious....er, he meant just her lips!  She was gonna get the beating of a lifetime if she didn't straighten out soon!

Dram stopped circling her just as she came after him and even though he'd been ready for her sweep to his head with that heavy training stick, he didn't see her leg in time to shift his weight.  Soon he felt his back hit the ground hard, wiping the breath out of him.  She fell on top of him.

Anger coursed through him even more and he growled at her in irritation.  His free hand held her there on him, trying to squeeze the breath out of her as well.  Little shit!  Until he threw her off him.  He got to his feet again, this time clearly pissed.  "You got lucky!" he spat dangerously and came at her with a barrage of head blows that would come too fast for her to block all of them.  All before grabbing her by the hair and smashing his head into hers.

When he was done, he looked at her.  "You did okay for you first time, runt.  Now we go for a run."

Helloooo, nurse. Rai'nish almost laughed maniaclly when she got this masterful master of fighting on his back from a simple trip. And then she went down with him and she was suddenly much less impressed with everything. Rai'nish took the squeezing like a man and winced slightly before she was pushed off, she rolled carefully.

Carefully but it still hurt. It was either those or the things hitting her head. Rai'nish was sure t cover her face and most of the blows while to her head, hit her arms which were up and covering her head. That didn't stp him from grabbing her hair and headbutting her, Rai'nish saw stars and she felt her eyes roll into the back of her head. What a strange feeling, she couldn't place what it reminded her of, but pain was front and foremost in her mind.

"You son of a fuck hole!" Her voice was higher than usual, but entertaned, her hand, which had a bleeding knuckle pressed against her forehead palm side down to rub at the part that ached. Could foreheads bruise? She'd see. Wincing slightly, if only for the ache of where the sticks hit and where his head smashed into hers.

"Running?" Rai'nish parroted, staring at him. Looking down at herself, "Yeah, that works. I don't run with my arms." She sretched, cracked her knuckles and moved her legs, showing off each shapely long leg in turn. They didn't go on for miles but they went on for long enough that they were obviously nice legs. "I can put these puppies to use for somethng more than being on  my knees."

She may have been practically infuriating, but he had to admit her curses made him grin that snarl, scoffing grin again, that showed he'd been amused significantly.  But he didn't stop there and began to walk backwards to watch her follow him.  He stopped at an open tent and went inside, pullout a shortened log, wide enough to hold on your shoulders, but not long enough to be an entire tree trunk.  No doubt the object had to way somewhere between fifty to seventy-five pounds.  She had to be able to run with this thing for as long as possible if she was going to impress him.  The weight was no problem to him.

Dram practically threw the log at her, expecting her to catch it.  And turned around to retrieve a heavier log for him.  He emerged shirtless and put the heavier log on his shoulders.  "I expect you to keep up, runt.  And remember, this is a distance run, not a race.  If you pass me up and get lost, don't even bother trying to find your way back."  With that he started off in a jog and kept on running.  This was going to be an interesting day indeed.

Did he want to play fetch now or something? Rai'nish shifted her weight, moving a hand to rub at the aching bump on the back of her head. She wasnt' his damn pet, she was not going to play fetch and not with a log that was that huge. He had to be kidding himself. But oh no, it was much worse. She had to run with it.

"You're shi---Oof."She caught the log, pillowing it against her significant and well placed personal pillows, if she could kiss them she would. Grumbling she held onto the log, it was a bit heavy but nothing worse than her pole arm. While that was lighter, carring it at odd angles all the time helped with carring one plain weight.

One plain log weight. Seriously. A log. Rai'nish snarled at him gave his torso an appreciative once over then mimiced what he did with his own damn tree and put it on her shoulders. If only she had a cool chest plate, she could have just stuck the damn tree on that and let her whole torso do the work instead of her shoulders. "Did you read this in a damn book or something?" She grumbled before she started to jog after him. She could do the jogging thing. Distance, not a race.

Rai'nish found that inside happy place, it was deep deep down and maybe a shirtless Dram doing the hula was in there somewhere too. It made her smile to herself, and hey, there was his butt. So, for the job, Rai'nish made sure to keep Drams butt in her sights because she could follow that fine. And his legs. He had nice legs.

Distraction from aching shoulders and soon-to-be burning lungs was a glorous thing indeed.

The distance run.  It wasn't as easy as it sounded and because Dram was an Umbraeon, that gave him a special, often unfair advantage when it came to the task.  But it was all for a good reason.  Obviously if she was going to be a Hawk, and a good one at that, she was going to be doing a lot of running.  Everyone under his command knew that and made it their daily habit to keep it up.

But sometimes it was the best lessons that were the hardest to learn.  When she grabbed the log, obviously she was reluctant just like he knew she would.  But he had a feeling that if she kept it up, she'd thank him for it later.

"Not in a book," he admitted as he set the path, knowing she was right behind him.  "Out in the field.  If you're going to be a bandit, obviously you'll have to be a good runner.  If you can keep up with me, you'll do just fine.  Understand, runt?"

He made the path easy at first before he started to run a little faster, and the trees started to get a little denser.  He would see how she handled that.

Out in the field. Rai'nish squinted at his butt, glaring because that was easier than lifting her eyes. Who decideds it's a great idea to run around with a log on your back? An insane person, that's who. An insane person with a nice ass to be exact. Jerk.

"Oh, I understand." Her words were shaky, soft, not a lot of oxygen put into them because said oxygen was needed in other places like her burning shoulders and burning calves. This wasn't fun at all! Whose great idea was this anyway? Hey, lets run with fifty pounds of tree hanging out on your back, it's great fun. Build up your endurance.

She saw what he was doing. It was easy before, now it was harder, now concentrating on his ass and his back and his legs was getting harder and harder because she had to notice the surrounding area, and the ground. The ground was getting more tricky. Sweat beaded her forehead and she didn't bother closing her mouth anymore, made it easy to breath.

"Know..." breath, "What else builds..."breath, "Endurance?" Her voice was airy, her face was red and she had so much damn hair trailing after her that  right then she'd cut it all off to at least make the tree feel lighter. "Marathon sex. We should..." breath, "try that next time, Cap'n." If he turned around she'd see her cat with the canary grin, which she still managed to breath through.

He thought he felt eyes on him, but he didn't have the patience to look back at her.  She was already annoying the hell of him with all her complaining, but that was something to be expected by all the fresh meat, right before all that rotted away with the amount of training he'd make her do.  If she didn't like it, then she could just very well be on her merry way out the door

Dram wasn't going to put up with any babies in his ranks, they'd all been past that stage and he needed people who were going to be able to keep up with him.  It just wasn't right that a wimp should be allowed to even be in his presence.  But so far, she was doing well to surprise him.  Even if he did find it fairly annoying.

He was too busy plotting a harder course to really pay attention to what she said but he looked back only for a moment and he stared at he with wide eyes.  "What did you just say?!"  He couldn't be sure he heard her right, but if she said what he thought she said, she was in a world of trouble when they got back.  "What the hell is wrong with you, woman?  And take that goddamn smirk off your face, meat bag!  And run!"

She was running! She was practically riding his ass, how could he not tell she was running. One foot in front of the other, running so that  her lungs were on fire and her feet hurt and her shoulders hurt and she was quick to snap a quick sing-song "Nothing" after he asked what she said. Nothing that would interest him.

Rai'nish knew it. He was fighting for the other army. Should have guessed, all these men around here. One would turn to that side eventually. Slake their lusts and all that. Rai'nish gave a mental shrug, oh well. Wouldn't hurt to still try, for sure. The smirk came back and she was quick to put on a theatrical frown. Which looked more like a pout.

"I am running." She yelped back, her breath was heavy now and her hair stuck to her face. She was not having fun, she probably smelled just wonderfully ripe now. It was a good thing she was nearly half naked to begin with. So, she took in a large breath before she consentrated on the sound of her feet, of his feet.

"Are we there yet?"

They were indeed almost there and he grunted in response, far to pissed off to beat her senseless and leave her here in the thickened threes to get eaten by bears or dragons and other various wildlife.

"Yes," He answered when he finally stopped, sweating and breathing hard as they had run around the camp at least six times in all that time.  It was a long course and she managed to do slightly better than he expected.  At least she didn't die.

"Now we can rest for a bit, I know your kind need that a bit more."

Rest for a bit. Her kind. Sure her eyes were the colour of apples but that glare was a very unhealthy glare and if looks could kill, his immune system would be shot and poor Dram would catch some horrible disease because of it. That was a nice way of going around his death that wouldn't lead back to her at all. Besides the whole glaring bit.

Her breath dried out her mouth and she was more than happy to finally stop, even though she sort of felt like puking. That couldn't be healthy. Deep breaths, gods this sucked. Rai'nish eventually caught her breath well enough after dropping her log onto the ground to sit with  her legs spread and with her head back.

"My kind." Rai'nish scoffed, "What are you?" She gave him his minutely once over, her eyes lingering on bits of him he would probably find inappropriate. She stood up slowly, her arms were trembling and her legs were shaking but if there were two thing Rai'nish was unable to do, it was do a hand stand and give up.  This man made the best obsticle, he was such a hard ass that she had to prove him wrong with every fibre of her being.

"You look like a drow. Only you're bigger. And out in the day time." She looked at his eyes then, making a face before her own eyes flicked to his nose, to his chin, down to his collar bone, "And you're hair is red."

Dram couldn't give half a shit about her being tired.  New recruits were always tired, always had excuses, always complained and in the end either stuck with it with their mouths shut or were kicked to the proverbial curb.  Well, in this case, she'd be thrown off a cliff.  She seemed to be impervious to everything else he tried to stress her out with.

He was busy getting back his own breath when she suddenly started talking.  He shot killer eyes at her, and wished for his kopis in hand at that moment.  He felt uncomfortable for a whole minute with her weird, staring, but other than that, his anger was all encompassing.  "I am an Umbraeon," he said plainly irritated.

"Ain't you heard of them?  Looks like a drow, but is a million times better than them at every turn.  Those stupid slime balls don't have a thing I got.  And I could beat you senseless if you keep running your goddamned mouth like that.  Now get moving!  The break is OVER!"

Dram stalked away toward the obstacle course.  She was really starting to get under his nerves.

Rai'nish simply stared at him while she caught her breath and calmed her body down. A sort of meditation that didn't envolve meditating. It was perfect. She hated meditating. She smirked and shifted her weight, crossing her arms over her chest and pushing some of her wayward hair over her shoulder. This was golden.

The urge to say 'duh' swept through her and, thankfully, passed before it could leave her mouth. That would have been bad for various reasons, the most obvious being that Dram might be violent. Was probably violent. Rai'nish tried not to smile, she kept her face straight and she tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips.

"Geeze, you're stressed, aren't you." An idle observation. Stressed. As a bandit. Did they even do things when they weren't off... Banditing things away? Rai'nish shifted her weight again and gave him a lazy salute, "A'corse, cap'n!" And she followed him, she didn't know her way around yet. She was sure that once she did she'd learn to go the opposite direction Dram was going.

"You know. You should take a long warm bath. I bet you're tense."

He was incredibly tense for the situation was enough to drive him into a murderous rage.  And if he didn't know any better he would have just lopped off her head with his sword.  But sadly that too was back at the main camp and while his own troop was busy training and getting better, here he was wasting his time with this piece of smart ass trash that needed to be taken out and kicked to the curb!

IF THERE WERE ANY GODS THAT EXISTED IN THIS PITIFUL, HOPELESS GARBAGE CAN WORLD, WOULD THEY STRIKE HIM DOWN AT THAT MOMENT!  He waited...and waited....and waited some more.  But nothing happened.  Damn the gods, he cursed.  They were pointless as always and he scoffed as he tried to cool off.

But she just kept egging him on.  Suddenly Dram whirled on her and locked onto her jaw with a flying fist, connecting faster than she could have had to react.  He then plucked her up from the ground and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of mouthy rocks and marched off towards the obstacle course.  If she was dizzy for a while, he couldn't blame her and she'd recover after a few minutes and a cup of water.  She and her mouth needed a break after all.

It had been like she got punched like a large dark tree with scary red eyes and fire for hair. Which was close enough because before she knew it his butt was close to her head and her arms were down and she was being carried around like a sack of mouthy rocks. She wasn't passed out so much as seeing stars against the curve of his butt and she frowned and moved her hand to his lower back to steady herself while she regained her ground.

The ground that was upside down. Poor bastard was tense.  Her hair dragged through the dirt behind them and she groaned quiety before she wriggled a bit and then closed her eyes. Dizzy. Because of where the ground was and how her face was hurting and had she done that? No no. The tree did.

"Yer a jerk, treeeee." Her voice slurred and she frowned and pouted at his back, her hands moving to wrap around his middle to keep herself steady. "m'sorry! put me doooooooown."

Dram had no regrets.  She completely had it coming though and he wasn't sorry not one single bit.  If she kept on talking some more, she'd get another one and this time he'd leave here there!  He wasn't going to have any foolish, mouthy brats on his squad.  Unless they had real skills that were worth a damn.

They reached the course, one that looked long and rigorous just from the start with multitudes of scaling walls and windows and barbed traps, and tricks and holes burrowed through it and almost everything that was designed to test any physical skill you could think of.  Dram set her down like she asked and walked over to a water bucket before producing two tin cups of water.  One, he splashed on her, and the other he handed for her to drink.  "Here," he said simply, shoving it in her hands.

He sat beside her on a fallen log and pointed out to the course.  "If you can make it through there in under five minutes, you pass.  If you don't, you fail.  Simple.  Now look at it this way, five minutes seems like a long time.  But not for what you're going up against.  When you're ready scale that first wall and I'll start timing.  Good luck.  You'll need it."

He put her down and she pressed her forehead to the dirt to gain back her composure.  She'd sat up with her eyes closed before she felt the sploosh of water on her face, drip down her chest. It sort of made her wish she wore a different type of top. The kind that wasn't white and thin. Which made it cling to her chest and leave little to nothing to the imagination.

So she drew his attention to it after he mentioned the course. Easy. A quick look over her shoulder and she put her hands on her hips after she stood up and brushed the bits of rock and dirt that clung to her legs. "Look what you did to my chest clothing." The fabric clung like a second skin to her breasts, and was see through.  

Rai'nish took the drink of water and swallowed it gratefully after, placing the cup beside Dram with a quiet and strangely polite thank you.  She gave some perfunctory stretches before she threw a smile over her shoulder and blew him a kiss, and she was off. For someone who looked so hilariously out of place and in awkward clothing, Rai'nish did a good job. She was up and over the first wall, she'd wiped out once but was up almost instantly.

Of course she'd regret all of this later, she'd be sore and she knew the scrapes on her calf elbow would bleed for a while even after she was done. Not one for actrobatics, she was less than graceful going through some of the obsticals, but she got the job done.

She was out of breath, she was sweaty and one of her long strange ponytails had come undone the fabric wrap left in one of the ditches she had to leap over. Rai'nish took it more like a race with things to jump over, but she didn't cheat.

And it took her less than three minutes. Of course she felt like puking, but she just breathed before looking at Dram, her chest still heaving. "Di- ah du ieh?" It came out in a rush of exhaled breath, the concept of oxygen far too important to be wasted on proper words.

Dram knew she wouldn't make it!  She couldn't.  Even with five minutes, most recruits could barely make it over the first wall in half that.  A good thief need to be fast, and nimble, could climb and scale and leap without wasting precious time.  Getting the mark was only half the battle!  Getting away was always just as important.

But this girl had her head on at odd angles at all times and he couldn't wrap his mind around her one way or another, and he just stared at her chest when she told him too and felt an angry blush rise in his face.  Dram got up and shoved her in the direction of the course.  She was pushing him too far.  He had half a mind to cleave her in two if she didn't settle down and get in line like the rest of them.  But the last time that happened, Seranth got pretty pissed off.  Reminding him, they'd scare away good and new recruits if they treated them like that.  As much as he respected his commander, he wasn't gonna let this one get away with her antics.  She'd get what was coming to her somehow.

Dram kicked at the cup she handed at him and watched it sail through the air, huffing and puffing angrily.  "Get the molasses out yer ass, Meat Bag!" he yelled and turned his back on her.  He didn't need to watch her!  She'd be out in a ditch on the course somewhere in a few minutes.

When Dram finally did turn back, he saw Rai'nish before him, heaving and looking like she was just about ready to die where she stood.  All he could do was stare at her in amazement, shocked.  That was disturbingly fast.  "You little cheat!" he said fiercely.  "I had my back turned for one goddamned second and you run off the course!  That's the only way you could have done it in under three minutes.  Explain yourself before I cut your fucking head off!"

Cheat? Rai'nish felt her face go pale and she looked so extremely disappointed that it made her chest feel all hollow. "Chee?" Still painfully out of breath she swallowed, tried to swallow, though her mouth was so dry. "I'd never chea--" Another deep breath, "Cheat!"

A chunk of hair fell into her face and she turned away to stare at the obsticle course, about half way through, maybe a little more, in a spot that couldn't have been cheated to get at, lay the fabric she used to tie back that particular hunk of blue hair. "See?!" She pointed frantically, her finger jabbing. "I didn't cheat! I am not a cheat!!" How rude!

Rai'nish felt insulted. A cheat! Her! "I may..."breath," May be mouthy! And snarky! But... I don't cheat!"

Dram clenched his fists and shook them at her.  "Nobody's made it through that course in under three since I ran it back in my induction day!" he said sternly and looked like he was about to commit cold-blooded murder. "To make a time like that, you either cheated, or must be some kind of super freak.

"You tell me how you made it through or I'll pummel your goddamn face in!"  Dram was about to send a good fist flying at her when one of his subordinates caught his attention.  "Captain wait!"

Dram paused and looked at the man.  He was a skinny fellow with curly red hair and a bad tan that made him look like a roasted piece of chicken, and called himself Tannon.  "What'dya want?"

"I was watching her the whole time.  She's not lying, sir.  She made the time.  Even I was surprised!"

Dram looked at her and nearly had his hands around her neck.  After a few moments, Dram stood away and looked at her with a discerning eye.  "Alright, alright.  Take a breath there, meat bag..."  Dram didn't want to accept the possibility that she actually did complete the course in the same time he had when he first ran it, but he couldn't have another reject on his hands.  They could always use a good bandit when they found one.

"Well," he said bitterly, putting his hands on his hips.  "Looks like you passed...but you're still a meatbag.  What do you say we get some drinks then huh?  To celebrate your...time"  That last word tasted like bile and he spat angrily into the ground.

They could use a good bandit when they could find them, and she wasn't so good at stealing as she was at getting away. But she could learn the sneaky stealing part. and apparently she was so awesome the captain thought she was a cheater! Rai'nish of course winced away when he made to punch her, but she stood dumbly when his hand went to choke her, staring at him while breathing heavily.

Tannon saved her hide. Sorta. What a silly name. She grinned widely and tried to make Dram feel better about her being just as fast as him. "I easily weigh at least a hundred pounds less than you do!! That makes me faster! I'm not as strong as you!" What else could she say? "Nor as handsome!" That should make him feel better right? Being called handsome?

Even if he did have creepy eyes. Rai'nish avoided eye contact for that fact only. Creepy, creepy eyes. "Aww, I'd love to celebrate with you Cap'n!" She puffed out her chest and put her hands on her hips, moving them to one side to focus her weight on one leg which was much more comfortable for her than standing up straight.

"I'm sure you'll be able to drink me under the table, right? You're a man's man and mans men can drink!" Without missing a beat she whipped around and began to walk in the direction she thought the drinks would be. Somewhere in the camp? Surely a bunch of bandits could steal some kegs and then get drunk off of it. Seemed like a bandit-ie thing to do.

She was enthusiastic that was for sure and though he was well and thoroughly pissed off at having his own record matched by this pipsqueak of a girl who couldn't even take a good sock to the jaw.  But she sure as well could run if anything else.  Dram didn't know whether to be happy about this or put her eight feet under.  He could dig an eight foot hole in no time, and throw her in it if she didn't watch that mouth of hers.

So far, she was doing a wonderful job of skirting the line between life and death with him.  And he'd at least had to give her props for the gall to even look him in the face.  She met his gaze, if a little warily it seemed and he looked at her threateningly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said and grabbed her shoulder to show her the right way towards the drinks.  "There's only one place to get a good beer around here.  And that's on the otherside of the camp.  Now follow me and don't be such a smart ass."  His voice was bitter and he yanked her to go along with him.

"Now tell me about yourself.  Where ya from?"

Rai'nish pursed her lips and was dragged along like a bad puppy. That was cool. She could be a  good boy. Girl. Dog. Whatever. He sounded grumpy and Rai had to resist the urge to goose him because he'd probably turn around and smack her upside the head again. She could already feel a bruise forming on her chin, so she was a good initiate and kept quiet.

For now.

"I'm from Serendipity." She said simply before she frowned and went quiet. Why did he have to go and ask a question like that? She didn't talk anymore of that, simply stayed quiet and kept her head raised high while they walked. She was still jittery from all the running and she was sure her hands were trembling.

Only this guy would get mad at her for being fast. What a jerk. Once they got into the right area, Rai'nish was hesitant and waiting for Dram to make the first move. Didn't want to get a mysterious arrow in her eye or anything.

"Serendipity," he echoed after her and looked bitter while saying it.  He didn't much care for the differences between nations.  And he didn't like to think about it either.  Politics and diplomacy were never his thing and deep down they were all the same no matter how they conducted their business.  There was the law, and then there was the other side of it.  He was on the other side, the one that got treated like a dog, and thrown into a cell with idiots, and never had any real rights.

And he liked his life of freedom that had been afforded to him.  You had to make your own way in this world, there wasn't much different between people in that, and Dram knew that as well as anyone.  It didn't matter where she was from, even if he didn't care for her homeland country.  But he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, for now.

"This way," he said and led her to the would-be tavern tent that was extended down to a flagon hallway and the smell of fresh ale and beer wafted in the air.  Despite her previous assumption, Dram was not a big drinker and it was rare for him to even make an appearance here at all.  The dark elf was a solitary sort, everyone knew that.  So, naturally, when they saw him peer through the doorway with a rookie on his tail, many found it was prudent to stare with awe in his direction.

He would look at them with a snarl and immediately they would look away just as they should.  Dram took a seat at the bar and offered the seat beside him to Rai'nish and signaled for the bartender to throw two cold brews at them and sliding down the counter came two cold mugs filled with ale.  He slid hers toward her and leaned on the counter.  Dram, in a show of masculinity, tossed back half his round and slammed the mug down on the counter and wiped his mouth on his arm.  "So...you drink much?" he said with a bit of a challenge in his voice.

She was about to get all up in his face with her chest out and her arms out and her chin forward, but she didn't. Because he was quiet and after the echo of the word serendipity it was quiet and that meant he didn't want to start a fight. That and he told her to stop being so mouthy, so not being so mouthy might help with that part.

Rai'nish was no fool, so she noted the stares with a smirk of her own before she watched Drams back. She sat beside him and waited quietly, giving the area a quick once over to see all the faces that weren't staring anymore. So. These were the hawks. She took the brew between her own hands and watched Dram down half of his in one go.

So she waited for him to finish and she smiled at him widely, "Like a fish, Cap'n." And she downed half of hers too,  pausing for a moment for a breath before finishing it off. "Whoa. I didn't even realize how thirsty I was! All that running really makes you want a drink!" And some food, but she wasn't about to push her luck now. Maybe before she finished her drink. "That's not too bad, either." She said, somewhat surprised while she checked out the bottom of her cup.

Yes, these were the Hawks.  The only real family Dram had ever known and even if he had his place among them, they knew well enough not to bother the Red Hawk or they'd get his kopis stuck in their head somehow.  He was an angerprone man and while he did his best to control it, it was well known that liquor only made it worse.

Dram could only stare as he saw Rai'nish just down her ale like it was water, his eyes were wide and he gripped the mug in his hand in irritation.  Damn, she was gonna drink him under the table!  This wasn't gonna look well, not just for him, but what would his troop think when he was done.  He knew they wouldn't dare ridicule him; he'd set them straight before long, but there was always the chance of one wise ass saying something smart.  And sometimes that was all it took.

Dram tossed back the rest of his drink and slammed the counter for another.  Two more came and he looked at Rai'nish dead in the eyes before he tried to down his too like water.  He choked halfway but kept drinking until it was finished.  He wasn't going to let this chump show him yet again.  And she even had the gall to mock him with all that running again.  She'd run another marathon tomorrow if she wasn't careful.

"No," he said dangerously, having another glass slid to him, and watching her carefully.  "It isn't bad at all.  But be careful, runt, you're drinking with the big boys now.  We don't play games here."

She was such a lady. She even covered her mouth when she opened her lips to burp. It was a quiet noise and she still had the good graces to blush after the incident was done with and she looked thoughtfully at her next thing of ale before she heard Dram choke. Her hand went out ready to smack him on the back because she heard that, for some strange reason, hitting backs made people okay.

Or something. Rai had never really paid attention to the whole deal with the back smacking.

After he drank his down in one long gulp she watched as another was passed to him and she drank hers too. It would taste like piss if it were warm. Couldn't let it go warm. She smacked her lips and gave a stretch, her arms going into the aiir and her chest pressing against the not-see-through-anymore-but-damp cloth that made up her top. Or at least made up the part of her outfit that hid her breasts.

"So. What makes this the big boys?" Rai'nish winked and eyed his waist line. "I assume it's the broad shoulders and big belts?" Was anyone even wearing a belt?

Dram rolled his eyes as she tried to be all ladylike.  What a weakling, he thought and tried to down the other beer only to stop a quarter of the way in.  He didn't have the belly for all that drinking, and was already feeling dizzy with two mugs all by themselves.  He looked at her with quickly moving eyes and he leaned in close, trying to intimidate her with his glaring, irritated gaze.

"Big boys?  We're the best of the best!  We've got better skills than any one thief alone.  I make sure that we're all ready for anything at a moment's notice."  Dram leaned his head on the counter, almost as if all that talking was too much for him.  With a sigh and the leaning of his ice cold glass next to his head, he was relieved and felt better.

"We don't wear belts...unless they're used for stealin stuff!  Or hold up our pants!" his words were slurring slightly.  "What the hell are you doing here anyway?  How did you even get inducted!  You're too scrawny to be a good bandit.  But...at least your ass can run."

Ah... Rai'nish stared at him while he slowly put his head on the table top. Was he supposed to be doing that? Was he sick? She pursed her lips and smiled before she downed her third glass while listening to him patiently. At least her ass could run.

"I'm good at running." She said softly before she flagged down the man wth the drinks to get another. Of course that went down quickly too and she was feeling a little fluttery in the head area before she rested her head down on the table. A sort of mimic to Dram.

"Cap'n. Why're you the cap'n?" She paused for a moment, "S'it 'cause you're so meeeean?"

Barely on his third glass and he was already starting to feel the dizzies, if he kept his eyes open the room would feel like it was spinning.  And these weren't even swivel chairs!  Dram held onto his glass and tried to look at her threateningly when she rested her head down like him but already he felt his ego begin to go up in alarm when she started to get another glass.

"Look here, woman," he snapped, and grabbed her by the shoulder, pulling his head up from the table.  "If I'm too meeeean for you, get your tail outta my camp!  Can't take the heat?  Is it all a little too much for you?   I'm Captain of this squad 'cause I get the goddamn job done!  That's right.  You got a problem?  You wanna fight!?"

Dram aggressively drank the rest of his glass and downed it like water.  He snatched hers too and downed that until the coldness of the liquid froze his head and he groaned in agony.  "What's your name?  Rai'nish?  You're trying to make me look bad aren't you?  With all the drinking and finishing your glass first!"  Dram slammed the glasses down and signaled for more.  He was getting drunk far too fast, but he wasn't going to let her show him up.  Not again.

Ha. Rai'nish stared at him with her mouth slightly open in a sort of smile which kind of showed off her white teeth. He said 'meeeean' that was funny!  While he was getting angrier and angrier she just smiled and stared at him with her large green eyes and she blinked owlishly and then rose her head and stared some more.

She wasn't hearing anything. But he did have nice lips. And the scar on his face was kinda sexy. Mmm, scars. Rai'nish tilted her head when she heard her name through all the mumbling, saw him slam her glass back down and then frowned when he said something about making him look bad.

She was not!  She was trying to fit in! "I'm... Just drinkin', Cap'n! With the big boys!" Rai'nish thumped her chest once with her fist and then downed the next drink that they gave her and then turned to Dram with a proud smile. "You know," she leaned in after looking around suspicously, "You have a nice butt."

Dram was getting aggressive.  Drinking always made him aggressive and he whirled around in his seat, dropping it as he tried to stand he put his hands on Rai'nish' shoulders to steady himself.  He like he'd been running for days and while he was was never like this after a run, his head was spinning like he hadn't slept, or eaten or drank.  He grumbled something about losing his seat and dizzily tried to get the stool back on all fours again.

When that was done, he sat down again, almost falling over.  "Butt?  You trying to call me an ass?  Look here, girly!  I've whooped.....oi, whooped more....ASSssssssssssss, than....Oh gods, my head is spinning."  He leaned on the table and looked at her with glazed eyes.  He stared at her chest with a snarl when she thumped it with her fist, and a stray hand reached out to grab on of them.  "Too big," he muttered bitterly, still feeling her boob.

Rai'nish pursed her lips and smiled at him. What a light weight. Sure she felt a little dizzy, but it was the brain sloshly kind. Where everything was cool, the world was right and everything tingled. Esspecially her one boob.

She frowned and looked down. Oh, it was a hand. "Heeeey." She pat at his hand to make him pull it back. "Just because I'm not a man doesn't mean they're too big." Rai'nish almost pouted, looked down at her chest. It wasn't too big! If anything it was too small! Only a little dizzy herself she slid off of her seat and moved closer to Dram. "hey, hey Cap'n." Her voice was hushed, "Lets get you to your sleepy-place."

Rai'nish poked her head around before she wrapped an arm around Drams back, ready to sort of maybe try to support his weight. "If we go soon I'll even let you touch my boobs more!" Even if that wasn't really incentive considering he liked men anyway. But it was worth a try.

Dram couldn't hold his liquor well and he knew it.  Furthermore only an idiot tried to drink hard and heavy when they knew they got drunk easily, especially when said idiot tried to challenge a woman that drank with the big boys.  He was a big boy!  He was!  He could drink with the best of them!  Or maybe he was trying to compensate his dignity with stupidity.  Her breaking his three minute obsctacle course record did not sit well with him at all.

Dram felt like falling over, even with the few drinks he had.  His hand slipped away when she brushed it away and landed lazily on the table, banging the glasses and making one spill over.  He was breathing softly and grunted when she moved closer, uncomfortable but he stood when she coaxed him and he nodded like a dumb, drunk bum.  "Sleeping....er, quarters," he slurred.  "Are...er this way.   I think."

Dram didn't really catch that last part, he was too busy trying to keep his balance, but he held onto her anyway and steadied himself as well as he could.  Still his feet staggered out of the bar and to where his own private quarters were.  Something about boobs rung in his mind and he groaned like he was too tired to care.  "Boobs...ha..." he laughed.

They soon made it to the wide, expanded tent and he stumbled through the flap.  There a comfortable cot awaited him that he tried to walk over to, he sat down, holding his head.  His quarters were simple and almost bare except for a few cushions and a place to drink and a large trunk where he kept his personal things.  He looked up and pointed to the tent flap when she entered.  "Close the clasps, shut.  Err....just button them up I think."  Boy his head was really turning about.

Hmm.

She was in his tent.

And he had a nice butt.

And he was pretty drunk. Rai'nish smirked and wandered over to fix up the flap-things, bending over to put on a sort of show. Once those were done up she stood up and looked around, almost disappointed by how bare it was. Dram was obviously a ... Not a nice guy. Or something.

Poor guy. He had a hard day. First she out ran his time, and then she out drank him and she even managed to hit him a few times with those stick-things! Which reminded her that her helberd was still out there somewhere. Probably stolen by now. Damn bandits. "So." Rai'nish put her hands on her hips and stood directly in front of Dram. "Did you have any other tests of stamina in mind or was the drinking the last one?"

No...not really.  He wasn't that much of a nice guy.  Dram didn't have many friends outside those of the bandit headquarters.  Not that he could afford to have friends.  People weren't exactly about to get in a friendly mood when you stole things from them.  So there weren't many visitors that were constantly coming out or in of his tent, aside from the usual suspects.  And everyone knew not to bother him when he'd been drinking.

Dram took a deep breath and tried to clear his head, slapping his cheeks and rubbing his face to make sure the butt he was staring at while she closed the tent flaps was real and not just a figment of his imagination and his face was starting to feel really warm.  He blinked and looked at her, recalling how she closed them from this side, and not the other side.  Oh that's right, he forgot to tell her to leave.  Well, he could do that in the morning.  He blinked again.  She was still here...  It wasn't morning yet?

Right right...  Stamina, something about stamina.  Dram grinned at her and stared at her chest.  "What dya mean?  Like running?  We can't run in here.  Not...enough room!  Unless you're talking like wrestling?  There's plenty of room for that...."  Stamina, wrestling took stamina right?  He hiccuped.  Psht, she'd probably beat him at that too though.

Rai'nish felt her mouth drop open and she stared down at Dram. Maybe he was more far gone than she thought. Which meant an actual conscious agreenment to knocking boots was out of the question. But, say  he didn't remember everything while he was wasted. Now, that could make for an interesting story to tell the next morning.

The grin on her face felt more devilish than she'd hope it looked. But she took Drams arms and gently guided them so his hands rested at the top of her bottom and she moved closer, resting her knees on to the bed so his face was nearly smooshed against her chest. Then she pushed him so his back would hit the bed. And then she sat on his lap.

"I'm more awake so I get an advantage." Her mind was working like the insides of a pocket watch and she wriggled on his lap before she rolled off so she was laying beside him. She was evil! Genius! And kinda tired. "If we're going to have a sleep over after we wrestle you should know that I sleep naked."

There was a woman...in his tent.  That never happened.  Dram was still trying to figure that out when he suddenly got a facefull of boobs and he had to turn his face away so that he could breath.  He gasped in sharply and confirmed in his mind that they were indeed too big.

He fall on his back and closed his eyes at the sensations on his legs.  What the hell was going on?  This wasn't wrestling at all!  Unless...she meant naked wrestling.  Dram's eyes snapped open.  Was that what she meant.  He could do that.  Dram crawled over to her, if a little dizzily and looked her in the eye.  "What a coincidence.  I sleep naked too."  He wasn't kidding, but the smile on his face might have sent the wrong message.

"If we're gonna do this,  you're gonna have to take your shirt off too," he said as he sat back on his legs.

Creepy.

Rai'nish decided Dram looked creepy when he smiled. Kinda hot when he frowned. Maybe it was that scar. Rai tilted her head to the side, her hair falling behind her like a big cloud of blue needed-to-be-brushed hair.

Without any questions Rai removed her top and then gave a stretched and a yawn, and then she crawled ever closer. And what was supposed to be a heated kiss that led to other unspeakable things turned into a rather violent headbutt that she yelped and reeled away from with her hands over her forehead and her eyes while she hissed quiet noises that sounded like 'ow'.

In a flash of blinding white, the last thing Dram remembered was a top coming off and soon he was out fast on the bed, the drinking at last having done him in.  Okay maybe the headbutt helped too, but he didn't know wherefore or why he was suddenly unconscious.  Just that he was asleep and sleeping soundly at that.  The cot never felt so comfortable before nor so warm, almost as if there was another body in there, but that was completely ridiculous because NOBODY ever went in his tent bother him.  Why would somebody want to share his cot?

Well, the only solution was find that out in the morning, which he preferred would come a lot sooner rather than later.  He wasn't used to having to share his quarters and he wasn't sure he liked it.

One second he was awake. The next... He was... Not so awake. Almost peaceful really. Damn. Rai'nish sighed and stared down at her sleeping Cap'n. Good thing he mentioned he liked sleeping naked, otherwise she'd have tucked him in with his clothes on! And then he'd wake up grumpier than he was already going to.

She knew he'd be grumpy. He seemed like the type to always be grumpy. Maybe it was because his skull was made of metal. Rai'nish rubbed her forehead and went about the perfunctory going abouts of undressing her poor wasted cap'n and tucking him into his cot. From a soldiers point of view, he was a well build solid man. From a womans point of view, she very much wanted a peice of 'dat ass'. Maybe later.

The idea of taking advantage drifted through her brain but she thought better of it, she'd already tucked him into bed and it'd be a waste to ruin it. Her top was off, the sun was down and there was a single candle lit. After she removed her own clothing, folding it neatly and tucking it beside her boots politely, she cuddled up against her sleeping cap'n and made sure the lonely candle wouldn't do a suicide mission and light the whole tent on fire.

She placed a chaste kiss on his cheek, sure he was a jerk, but he was so endearingly awful at everything! The sounds of birds chirping and the heat of the sun through the tent woke her up, a mild headache but the hand she had tucked between her thighs (lower thighs, not upper!) wasn't hers and the arm her arms were wrapped around wasn't hers. And the shoulder her head was pillowed on wasn't a shoulder.

It wasn't until she saw the shock of red hair that she remembered. She'd used her dear Cap'n Dram as a body pillow all night. Hm. It would take some effort to sneak out, and she'd managed to carefully unwrap herself from his arm before she heard any change in breathing. And she froze, and waited.

He must have been slamming his head against the wall or some hammers or something because his head was pounding like it'd been to a blacksmith's shop, dashed against an anvil.  His head throbbed and ached at the slightest sound and while he was a very light sleeper, he sensed movement beside him.  Who the hell was in here?

"ooooooh," he groaned in displeasure, a great deal of it in fact.  "My head is fucking aching....."  He massaged his temples and finally opened his eyes, letting his vision focus in before he sniffed and saw someone sitting beside him. Oh it was just the new recruit.  What was her name again?  Oh, Rai, that's right.  And she was naked.  Why was she naked?  Hm, curious.

He looked down, seeing he was naked too.  That was even more curious than why she was naked.  He blinked and suddenly inhaled sharply as the realization started settling in.  "Holy fuck! Holy FUCK!  HOLY FUCK!  We had sex?  We had SEX?  WE HAD SEX!!!  WHY?  WHY DID WE HAVE SEX?"  Dram stared at her horrified and unsure what to say next, but one thing was sure on his mind.  He had sex.

Rai's mouth fell into a little 'o' shape and she kept it like that because his reaction was priceless. Instead of crossing her arms over her chest in a modest manner, she held them both by her head in a 'hey I have no weapons' display. Because she didn't. Well, any physical weapons.

Knowledge could be a weapon. Rai'nish could end everything right there by telling him that no, they didn't have sex. He passed out after she tried to kiss him and then she was just too lazy to go back to her own bunk and didn't really care for modesty so she shucked her clothing after tucking him in.

But no. That would be easy. "Well." Rai'nish started, "You kept begging and begging so I finally said 'fine' and then we did it and then we fell asleep!"

"Begging?!" he was incredulous and could hardly believe what she was saying.  Who the hell did she think she was?  "Begging!?  No, no, no, no, no, no!  I don't beg.  You're mistaken you swine!  You took advantage of me!  I don't beg!"  He whined like a child and slammed his back down on the cot when his own voice was far too much for his own head.

He gripped his skull in agony and looked at her.  He'd been drinking again, he knew he'd been drinking again because his head never hurt this bad in the morning even when he'd taken a beating.  He didn't remember anything!  Maybe he did beg and she was all high and mighty enough to say yes and then they did it.  It was highly possible that she was right!

Dram looked at her with red, angry eyes, and his face was hot with embarrassment and shame.  "Oh, what have I done!?  This never happens...never!  This is all your fault, godsdamn you!  You got me drunk!  It has to be your fault!  Oh, shit, shit, shit, shit.  What am I gonna do!?  Well......" he sighed and tried to slow down his brain.  "Was I at least any good?"  He had his hands covering his face and he peeked at her through his fingers.

ooo. He was angry. It was then that Rai'nish decided that she was a bad, bad person. And she loved it. She didn't bother covering herself, if they'd done the nasty that meant he had his hands on her boobies, and there would be no point in covering them up now. The more he was convinced that she had her wicked wicked ways with him the funnier this would be down the line.

Assuming Dram had a sense of humour. She wasn't so sure yet.

It took a lot of will power to not burst out laughing when he peeked out through his fingers and asked her the age old question. Instead she kept her face straight and put her hands on her hips. "You were a tiger, Babe. A tiger." And she wiggled back and out of the bed and slowly put on her clothing, double checking all the clasps and ties before she went about putting her hair back up.

He burned with embarrassment and confusion and anger, a lot of anger.  He wouldn't be able to look at her in the eye with respect, and even if she irritated the hell out of him already, at least he'd been able to do that.  But no more.  What would Seranth say?  He knew King Hawk slept around whenever he wanted and with whomever, but Dram wasn't like that!  He prided himself in being tempered, restrained except where his temper was better used to solve matters.  He wasn't a manwhore!  But...she, treated him like one!

What would his troop say?  What would the other Hawk captains say!?  If they found out, that he slept with a recruit his career would be ruined!  Dram furrowed his brow in anger as he waited in every agonizing second for her reply.  Then she said what she thought and he groaned loudly as if she were stabbing a knife through his heart.  "Oh gods!  OH NO!!!"  It was worse than he imagined!  Nobody would find out!  They wouldn't!

Dram, face red and eyes shot with rage, his hands ready to strangle her if she dared to hold this over his head, stood straight up out of bed stark naked and grabbed her by the arm and yanked her close.  "Listen here, girly.  This doesn't not leave this tent!  If you so much as tell anybody we slept together, I'll cut your fucking head off!  You understand?  You better, or else.  Now get out of here before the scouts start the morning rounds!"  Pushing her toward the tent opening, to get her out of here as fast as possible.  This was the most humiliating thing that happened in his life by far!

Her jaw dropped down when he stood buck naked and she gave him an appreciative once over. She was almost afraid, almost and she had to not laugh with how mortified he seemed. She wasn't that bad looking! She was a good catch! Sure she was loud and a little annoying, but he could do much worse!

He could--- maybe. Rai stared at him while he ranted at her to get out of the tent flap. Maybe he was so horrified because she was a woman. And the idea of sleeping with a woman... "Did you only ever sleep with men before?"

This woman.  Was crazy.  Period.  There wasn't a doubt in his mind and his rage only compounded over itself like a backflip gone wrong and if he could kill her by looking at her, she'd be dead a thousand times over.

Dram's unclipped nails dug into the palms of his skin.  It wasn't just what she said...it was that she had the very gall to say it period!  She thought he was...he was... that he was gay!!!

"WHAT!  WHAT!?" he shouted at the top of his lungs.  He rushed over to his personal chest and tossed the lid open, pulling out his kopis and unsheathing the blade without so much as a second thought.  "NEVER...IN MY LIFE!"  He stalked back to her menacingly and crushed his mouth to hers in an angry kiss before giving her a shove through the tent flaps, opening them as they went through.  "GET OUT OF HERE!"  He raised his sword threateningly as he stepped out with her, still very naked and still very angry.

Okay, so maybe he hadn't been with men. She was even about to back up with her arms up, palms out to show that she wasn't a threat and that he should but his shiney sword-things away. Never in his life. Well, at least that explained why all the things she'd assumed sounded like loving men actually meant what they really meant.

Which was the not-loving men part. Whatever that was. She couldn't remember. Then there was a face very closed to hers and unfamiliar pressure on her lips and she was pushed backwards to which she moved with a yelp and stared wide eyed. Shocked. Silent. Sure he screamed at her some more and sure she had the upper hand because she was just shocked.

But really! Waving around a sword! Well, his sword-things. Whatever those were. "Well, Cap'n." Rai bowed politely, keeping her eyes on him. "You were good for a virgin and you're still naked, so you might want to get dressed before you start running around!" She eyed him before licking her lips and blowing him a kiss before she slowly backed away, still facing him. Just in case.

Dram was seething!  Clearly and thoroughly well over pissed off.  He didn't even know how he could still be breathing by the sudden hotness of his skin from all that anger.  She was dead!  MORE THAN DEAD!  Double dead!  If that was even possible.

He noticed her words and looked down and seeing that his bits were still exposed.  She was right, the little shit and blushed harshly and visibly when the eyes of scouts came to look at him.  He turned around, ashamed, humiliated, and naked.  "What the hell are you all looking at, worms!!!!!?"  he said before running back through the tent flap.  This wasn't good.  Not at all.

Oh he was more than humiliated.  He wanted to die!  He could just end it all right now, he thought as he stared at the sword.  He was desperate and pissed and even more desperate.   But he put the sword away bitterly and thought he wanted to cry a little bit.  But he was Dram, he was a man.  He didn't cry if he didn't have to....  So he sucked it up and got dressed, not appearing outside the tent until a half an hour later.  If everyone was smart enough, they'd mind their own business and not speak of what they'd just seen.  But smarts were in short supply these days.

Sure there was a very occasional hoot or holler. But Rai didn't pay attention to it, that'd be silly. They died down when Dram was near by and Rai was quick to skirt behind an edge or duck behind a bush or hide behind a tree . That only lasted a few hours and it was a lunch-ish time before she meandered her way over to Dram to stand directly beside him, ready to dodge some flying limb that might possibly have been aimed for something that would hurt later. "So.  Cap'n. I need to talk to you about something important."

Dram munched thoughtlessly and kept to himself.  Nobody approached him all morning and everyone shut up, just like the look in his eyes told him to.  He wasn't in any mood to be fussed with today and he certainly wasn't going to take anyone's bullshit.  The only ones he talked to all day besides that little rat-bitch of a recruit was a few of the scouts.  But even those knew to keep their phrases laconic and to the point.

He did not, of all things, expect to hear Rai's voice again the rest of the day and he froze in sheer shock that she'd have the audacity to come up to him once again.  Something important, eh...  Dram snarled as he turned to face her.  "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face after what you did.  I have half a mind to throw you right out of this camp....and maybe I should.  If you've got something to say, make it quick, I don't need to be seen with the likes of you for more than a few seconds at a time!  Hell only knows what everyone is saying already."

Her mouth opened in shock. What she did! It was obviously what he did to her! She gave him a reputation of a tiger lover and something something. She was sure it was good. She even made a point of walking funny for the better part of the morning, and while her thighs did hurt from all the running yesterday, the people didn't have to know that. It was a win-win! She stroked his manly ego to his troops and she... Well she was sure she got something out of it besides nasty name calling.

"Cap'n." She leaned in, "No one is saying anything bad, per se. And I helped it along, walked funny all morning and it was your fault, too!"  Rai'nish leaned back and put her hands behind her back. "Anyway, Sir, I have an important fault to mention." Taking every ounce to look regal and with her back straight, "I cannot fish, but I have heard that you are good at it. So, I decided to seek out your tuta...e..lage. training. Ing. In the art of fishing. I was hoping you could teach me, Cap'n." It was all bullshit, she hadn't heard anything, but if she had him figured out like she thought she did, he wouldn't say no to being better at her than something! and then she could talk to him. Without all the various shaped ears around here.

Dram wanted to hit her.  Hit her hard enough to bury her face in the dirt and leave her there for a week!  Let the rains come and wash her out!  Dram just gazed at her with narrow, mad eyes, feeling himself get madder and madder.  Just knowing she was just gonna say something stupid or rub it in his face!  She didn't know what she did!  How she humiliated him!  But then, what was this!?.....Fishing?  What the hell did that have to do with anything?

"Don't you want to have lunch here?  Food's hot and fresh," he muttered motioning around him.  But she seemed rather insistent and he looked at her like she was strangling a chicken.  "Fishing ain't that hard, girl.  But if you're too dumb to figure it out yourself, I'll show you how.  Get yourself whatever stuff you think you might need, and let's go."

Rai cleared her throat and leaned in. "Sir, it's very important that I learn how to fish. There might be a time where I am stranded and there will be nothing but rivers of fish and I won't be able to get one." The look of pure joy on her face when he agreed to it. Pure joy with a hint of evil sneakiness. Rai'nish didn't get much, packed a small backpack with another pair of clothing, some gloves and a well worn piece of cloth that could be used as a towel of sorts.

It took her all of three minutes to get her things and return a look of determination on her face. Once she got him away from here she could apologize properly. Or annoy the living crap out of him again. It would depend on which seemed like more fun at the time.

Won't be able to get one huh?   And suddenly Dram grinned internally at a thought that satisfied him more almost as much as beating the hatchling at something.  Here was a perfect opportunity to leave her there!  And let her do or die on her own!  At least then he wouldn't have to be further humiliated by her.  He didn't want to have to murder her, so abandoning her in the wilderness for her to survive on her own seemed like the best bet to getting rid of her short of bloody murder.

When Rai came back, Dram was ready and waiting at the edge of the camp, with nothing more than his kopis and his utility belt around his waist.  He had his arms crossed over his chest and when she came up into view, he smirked sardonically.  A grin that quickly faded into his natural frown.  "You sure take forever.  C'mon it's a long walk to the waterfall, we better get going."  He motioned for her to follow before walking down through the trees.  After a half an hour of silence, Dram looked back at her and said, "Are you sure you really don't know how to fish?"  A little suspicious.

Forever? Rai glared for a moment before she schooled her features into a nice less-than-grumpy look in which she turned to Dram. A sort of smile. "Yeah, those three minutes sure took a helluva long time, right Cap'n? I think I was going at a snails pace I took so long." She followed him like she was supposed to, only occasionally checking out his butt. Gods above protect from him if he ever caught her doing it. He'd probably turn her face inside out.

Him talking startled her and she stared at him with wide apple green eyes before she opened her mouth and no words came out. "Yes. I really don't know how to fish. And you seem like you know lots of stuff, and you're the only friend I have here..." She used the term friend lightly, he wasn't her friend at  all and she knew that. But he didn't know that she knew that. Maybe she could see just how friendly she could get him to be. It was like a project! What fun. Rai'nish moved closer, pressing the side of her breast against his arm and her left against his.

"So. You'll still teach me how to... Fish... Properly, right?"

Dram looked at Rai with incredulous eyes as she had the gall to touch him, let alone talk to him!  After what she did!  Dram didn't even want to look at her, he didn't want to be within an inch of her but there she went anyway and he flared in an odd mixture of embarrassment and anger.  He wanted to wring her neck right then and there, but he instead cross his arms over his chest and grit his teeth together.

He stepped further away from her, at least three feet and visibly relaxed, setting his arms down and began the uphill climb that would take them to the fishing spot that he preferred to hang out in.  It was actually well secluded and better off than most.  It gave him a place where he could be at peace and enjoy a bath or a swim without being bothered by anyone.  That was...until he brought the pest along.

"Yeah, yeah yeah, I'll teach ya," he muttered irritably, just barely buying her explanation for not knowing how to fish.  "Now stop talking the rest of the way!"  He snapped at her and went on ahead.  About a half an hour passed before they reached the massive hill they'd been climbing that grew steadily uphill the further they went.

The sound of rushing water met them and the sun was high in the afternoon.  He appeared through the trees and motioned for her to take a look at the waterfall that poured into the pool below.  "Well, what do you think?"  He, himself, didn't wait long for an answer before he dashed toward the edge and somersaulted off, diving into the water below.  When he resurfaced, he looked up at the cliff and motioned for her to come down.  "Hurry up!  Ain't got all day you know!"

Rai kept her trap shut the whole way, except for a few times to open her maw and take in a deeper breath, but then she'd cast a quick glance over to her Cap'n and close her mouth again. When they finally got to where they were going, Rai didn't know until Dram asked his question and then jumped. Off a cliff. Her jaw dropped open, was she that terrible that he had to jump off a cliff to get away from her!? "Dram!" The word left her mouth before she could really help it and she skidded to a stop when she heard the distinct noise of a splash.

That meant water.

Which meant he didn't dive into rock to get away from her, which was a slightly comforting realization. Rai'nish frowned as she leaned over to look at the water below with a rather strange expression on her face before she rolled her shoulders and closed her eyes before taking a few steps back. She could do this. No problem. If only she'd opened her eyes. Rai'nish managed to step on a rather rounded rock, and her leg shot out from under her and with her eyes still closed she hit her leg against the side before she slipped down. Holding onto the edge while her eyes were wide and her breath came quickly. She was going to die. Her leg hurt and her fingers aching.  

They slipped, and before she knew it cold water covered her face, her back stung and she couldn't breath. Which meant the first thing her brain made her do was take in a deep breath, a deep breath of delicious water. Which made breathing harder. Her hands grasped out for anything, for something and they lightly stroked Dram's thigh before she went limp, her body rolling over so that her back was to the surface before she floated to the top. Her bright blue hair looked pretty with it clouded about her head while she slowly drowned.

Dram did not expect her to come down so fast and in the such an ungraceful manner.  Here he thought she was some hotshot who didn't need any help with anything.  She was already better at everything else he tried to get the upperhand on her!  And that infuriated him to no end, but he suddenly looked at her with wide, surprised eyes when she hit the water with a flailing splash.

When she resurfaced on the water with her back up and face down he grinned and laughed aloud.  "Okay, Rai, jokes up, get out of the water now," he said after a moment.  Another moment and he frowned.  "Okay woman I said get up now, that's an order."  When she didn't he looked at her with narrow, speculative eyes and swam to her.  "Shit!" he cursed and grabbed her out of the water.  He turned her over and checked for breath.  There was blood rising to the surface of the water and he grew even more concerned.  "Shit, shit shit.  If another recruit dies on my hands, Seranth is going to be pissed.  C'mon meat bag wake up!"

Dram same to the edge of the water and dragged her up with him, laying her on her back on the shore and slapping her face.  "C'mon!  Show me something!  Anything!"  He hoped he didn't have her mouth to mouth but he was quickly running out of time and options if she didn't at least open her eyes soon.

Rai could see the light. Her chest felt tight and she wanted to move her arms to tear away the whatever was keeping her from breathing, but she couldn't reach it. She was trapped in her own body, and she didn't know what to do. The smack on her cheek stung and she felt her head roll to the side. Was she dying? She was dying. Rai'nish simply laid there while her brain screamed for oxygen and Dram tried to smack her awake.

Dram smacked her face as hard as he could short of punching her, but nothing was working!  Why was nothing working!?  He grimaced and looked at her mouth.  "Damn you, gods, for making me do this," he murmured and started pumping his hands at the center of her chest to get her to cough up water.  Then he leaned down and paused as he tipped her head back and opened her mouth.  "If you remember this, meat bag, I'll beat you until you forget it!"  Then pressed his mouth to hers and blew a deep breath of air into her lungs before starting the process over again.

It took a few breaths before her body remembered how to cough and the water gushed out of her lungs. Soaked was a good word for what she was at the moment. Soaked and sick looking.  She felt the tingle of pressure from her lips and let her eyes open to stare up at the sky. In an effort to get more air she was breathing heavily and she turned her head to the side to cough some more. She was on her hands and knees before she finally finished coughing.

A loud gasp and she was on her butt again, only this time she was clutching her leg. "Ah! I broke my leg!" Rai'nish gasped and let her mouth drop open to stare ahead, shocked, her hand came away, the palm covered in blood. Well, it wasn't covered so much as there were a few streaks, but it was more blood than she usually had on her hand, so it caused her to panic. She swallowed to keep her throat from hurting and she looked up at Dram. Of course she knew he saved her, and she knew his character well enough already that he would kill her for having to give her CPR. So she kept silent.

"Cap'n! I broke my leg! Falling down! AND," Rai'nish wiggled, "my back feels like I got slapped fifteen times." Landing on water from that height would hurt, Rai'nish just never realized how much.

Dram spit violently away when she finally woke up and coughed water from her lungs.  "Blah, bleh, blaaacchhh!" he spat and rubbed his mouth clean.  He didn't believe he had to do that, but it was better to have her alive than dead.  Well, at least for now it would be.  If she died, it would either be in active combat or alone in the woods and far away from him!

Then she started going batshit crazy and Dram looked at her with wide eyes as she made her display.  "Let me look at that!" he said savagely.  He examined her leg carefully and pursed his lips at the amount of blood that had resulted from the wound.  "What are you talking about broken?  It's just a scratch!  But just wait a moment, I can dress it for you.  You crybaby."

Dram reached for his belt and pulled out a bundle in an oilskin.  He sat down and put her leg on his lap.  Unwrapping the oilskin he pulled out strips of cloth that were free from the water and he cut a long strip with his sword.  Setting that aside, he pulled a vial from his belt and poured a few droplets of a blue serum onto her leg.  "That's to prevent infection.  It stings a little so brace yourself," he said carefully.  He then grabbed the cloth and carefully wrapped it several times around the wound, making sure it was snug enough to put pressure on the cut.  He knotted it in front and pat her leg. "There.  That's better, isn't it?"

"NO." Rai'nish stated, calmly, quietly. Okay, she was loud and she had squeezed her finger nails into her palms, that stung! It stung on her already hurting leg! He might as well just shove his fingers into the cuts. "No, it is not better!" Rai'nish didn't move her leg from his lap though and closed her eyes, flopping her forearm over her eyes to keep them closed while she kept her breathing even.

"It stings." She whined quietly before she sat up, her leg still in Drams lap. "Cap'n." She swallowed and looked at his lips before she looked into his creepy, creepy red eyes. "I have a confession."

Man she had a mouth on her.  Dram rolled his eyes and ruffled his Mohawk, drying it out a little.  "You're such a whiner!  I was doing you a favor and all you can do is complain.  It's no use trying to help people when all they do is cry and moan about stuff!  You got a real big mouth on you, you know that?  Don't you ever once have anything grateful to say?"  Dram didn't want to hear about anything she had to say about any confession and he slapped the newly dressed wound so that it stung.

[whoops!]

"I am greatful!" Rai'nish called looking offended. She didn't call him any names! Or cuss him out! Of course being polite wasn't her number one objective but still! Rai frowned and crossed her arms over her chest before she glared off to the side only to jolt when he slapped the wound. "Mother ffff-" Rai'nish squiggled away, glaring at him, "Well now I'll never tell you! Even if you ask me to! That confession? Ain't no confession anymore!"

She stood awkwardly after she managed to, her wounded leg just lightly touhing the ground to keep her balance while she wobbled anyway and glared at her captain. "Thank you for dressing the wound, but you don't have to be so damn angry all the time!"

Confession, schmession!  Dram didn't really give a damn to hear what she had to say because she was being more ignorant than he was!  And he knew ignorant!...  Wait.  That didn't really mesh together!  Fuck it, it didn't matter.  Dram was still pissed and he wanted to beat the crap out of her but that was because he just needed something to take his anger out on.  Instead he just cursed and punched the ground and looked at her as she tried to stand.

Then his anger melted away and he stood, frustrated with her. He caught her at the waist and put one of her arms around his shoulders.  "Look, okay maybe I'm wrong.  But when someone's trying to help you, even after humiliating me like that, it wouldn't hurt to show it once and while, you know?  Sorry for hitting your wound, but it really isn't that bad.  You're not going to die....not right now at least."

"I didn't mean to humiliate, you if it's worth anything." Rai'nish cleared her throat and looked at Dram. Why was he so close? Rai'nish smiled and leaned her head away, while not trying to be rude. Sure she slept beside him naked, but they hadn't actually gotten jiggy with it. Dram didn't know that though. Did he think that he was being all cuddly because she wanted it? Oh no!

So, Rai'nish leaned heavily on him, pressing her side against his and looking down at her still see-through top. Well, he didn't appear to be putting any moves on her, so maybe she was just being paranoid. She'd have to tell him eventually that they didn't screw. Eventually. Maybe when he was over it. That'd be a relief then, right? Right! Rai'nish maneuvered herself to press her forehead against Drams chest. Might have been weird, but it was how she'd learned to show gratitude. If he wanted to he could easily break her neck.

"Thank you. For all the help. And I know it's just a scratch, but if I freak out over the little things I won't freak out so badly if I got stabbed or if my leg got sliced off. " Rai winced at the idea of losing a whole leg (As opposed to just half of one) and then she moved her hands to Drams waist and stayed. "Just... stay quiet, and take in the sounds. And just... Know that I thank you, because while the scratch wouldn't have killed me, I would have drown and... You saved my life. I'm indebted to you."

Dram looked at her with funny eyes as he realized something from this angle.  He could definitely break her neck if he wanted!  Oh...and he could get away with it too!  No one would come looking for her!  Well, with the exception of Seranth and maybe some of the other trainees and stupid meat bags.  But nobody in Dram's troupe would dare question him or his judgment.  Not if they didn't want to run laps for the rest of their lives.  He thought about it for a moment and after looking at Rai'nish and that damn look in her face, he grimaced and accepted something he would never openly admit to anyone: he was actually starting to respect her.

She leaned heavily on him and he wasn't sure he was comfortable with her presence as close as it was.  He was just trying to keep her from letting her face get a taste of the ground, but he sure has hell wasn't above letting it happen now that he thought about.  Would definitely be worth the laugh.  Dram was still and stared away at the water with wide, confused eyes when she moved her hands to his waist.  He froze, not know just what to do.  He certainly wasn't used to be touched so gently.  If it was a punch or a slash or a stab, he could handle that.  But gentle embraces were not his forte.

It was a good five minutes before he even found a sound to make.   He was getting such weird tingling feelings all over him and in his belly and he wasn't sure he liked it, but he found himself hugging her back, if a little awkwardly for he didn't really know her out there except that she was a cunning manipulative shrew that seemed to be bound to make his life a living hell.  Dram looked at her shirt and just stared at them before he cleared his throat and let go of her.  There back to normal!

"Damn right you're indebted to me!  If you wanna stay in my troop, you're going to have to prove yourself even harder.  I bet you've never even been in a real fight before, have you?  I bet you don't even have the scars to prove it!"