~`Peach Child`~

[Anonymous]

This was where the travelers in the caravan had told her she'd find him.
The one who could protect her.

The sandy air buffeted her as she sat atop her strange mount. It probably drew more stares than her own small form did. It was large and very reptilian in appearance, though it stood on four legs that were straight under it, not bent like a lizard's. It's once shiny gold scales had been turned to a sandy brown by the desert as they had traveled. The creature was glad for a chance to stand on solid ground, it's fairly slender feet not made for sand.
This was a creature meant to gallop across the plains from whence it and its rider came.

Finally, the form atop the great beast jumped down, landing on booted feet. She had draped herself with the brown cloak she had bought from the caravan, so that nothing showed save her eyes, which were a gentle yellow color.
Taking the reigns of her mount with a gloved hand of a darker brown, to match her boots, the short female led it through the streets as she looked about. She had been told the man she was looking for was hard to miss.
He was tall, with black skin and white hair.

She was pretty sure she could pick him out of a crowd.

Still, it was nerve-racking to wander through such a strange, desert town with nothing but a bland discription of the person you needed in order to survive. Trying not to let her fear and apprehension show in her gaze, she continued to walk slowly down the main road, glancing back and forth, looking for this person.
Dark Arrow...
Should she be worried what he'd be like...?

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately someone else found the girl first, and they did not have good intensions. A man watched her intently as she walked by. A small woman, not from the area and not paying attention. Perfect. He weaved through the crowd slowly, until he was close to his target. The thief struck once she looked away. He grabbed her wrist, and pulled out a knife, holding it her throat as he smiled evilly. “Alright girl! Hand over the-�

“Excuse me,� a deep voice said from behind him as a black hand swiftly latched onto the thief’s wrist. The speaker was a tall man, wearing a cloak similar to the girls, but there was a green band of cloth where his eyes would have been seen. Long white bangs covered the right side of his face from under the hood. Under the cloak he wore a white shirt, dark green vest, brown pants and boots and arm guards of a matching dark brown.

Wow...it was the guy she was looking for…how strangely convenient…

Dark Arrow pulled the thief’s arm back easily, twisting it into a painful position. “That’s not very nice.� The man was out in one punch. He let the thief fall to the ground, somebody would move him eventually. Dark Arrows attention turned to the girl, his voice much more kind now, “Are you alright miss?�

[Anonymous]

She didn't even see it coming. A small squeal of alarm escaped her as a gruff hand took hold of her slender wrist, pulling her away from her mount. The reptilian creature bellowed, tossing its head at the sudden movement going on just feet from it.
She felt the distinct, cold press of metal against her throat, and nearly passed out just then.
It couldn't end so soon! They couldn't have found her already...!

She expected him to ask for the artifact in her posession, but whatever he WAS going to ask for, she never got to find out, for he was cut off by another masculine voice.
Within moments she was free of the dagger, and stumbled forward quickly, stopping once she hit the scaly hide of her mount.
She turned around in time to see the stranger take out the thief with one punch.

Those pale eyes then traveled all the way up to the face of her rescuer, her slender hand again on the reigns of the reptilian creature.
Wait...
Tall, white hair, dark skin...
Could that honestly be him??
"U-uh, yes, I'm quite alright. Um..."
Guess there was only one way to find out...
"Sir, you wouldn't happen to be Dark Arrow, would you...?" She took a hopeful step forward as she spoke, her voice soft and seeming as though it had never been risen before in her life.

[Anonymous]

He blinked under the green cloth, tilting his head a little. Dark Arrow had not expected to be addressed that way. A young soft speaking woman in need of his services…this did not bode well, what could she have gotten herself into? Dark Arrow sighed sadly, hoping the girl wasn’t in too much danger. Which might be too much to hope, he was a bodyguard for hire after all.

He pulled away his facemask and the hood to reveal a gentle black face and short white hair. Around his neck was a white tattoo of a simple pattern that mimicked a choker, circling around. Dark Arrow made no attempt to remove the band from his eyes however, as removing it would not improve his vision. He gave the girl a kind smile and made a small bow. “I do indeed, happen to be him,� he took the girls slender hand into his own and kissed it softly. “How do you do?�

[Anonymous]

She waited nervously for his answer. If it wasn't him, she could always ask if he knew of Dark Arrow...
If he even really was in this city...
His answer, however, swept all those doubtful thoughts out of her mind.

Joy and relief welled up within her, and she could feel the muscles in her neck and back loosen. She had found him...
She would be safe. She had to believe that he could protect her.
He would...
...

She blushed as he took her had and preformed the strangest greeting. Even though she was wearing those dark brown gloves, the fabric wasn't thick enough to keep out the feeling of his kiss.
Was that a normal thing for people to do??
She really couldn't say. She had never been outside the temple before today. There had never been any males there, and she had never encountered such a greeting before.
And to her, his features, though quite handsome, were exotic. But of course, to others, hers were exotic as well.
"I uh...I am well." She bit her lip, the gesture hidden by the cloak, not exactly sure how to proceed with this greeting.

Oh well, she had more important matters to discuss with him. She pulled back the hood to her own cloak, just to be polite. Out fell a mess of brown hair that literally looked like it had been chopped so that it came to be chin-length. The color wasn't particularly attractive, just a bland dirt brown color.
Her skin was the color of red clay, strange to be sure compared to most people's skin. And there were still those pale yellow eyes, which looked over the green cloth that covered his.
He couldn't be blind, could he? Blind people did not move around as easily as he...

Turning, she quickly dove into one of the side packs on her mount, and pulled out a considerably large sack of coins. She came back to Dark Arrow and bowed, pushing the soft sack into his hands, the coins easy to feel inside.
"Please sir, I request your abilities as a bodyguard to protect me. I can't say when you will be free of this task, but I promise to pay you well for as long as I am in need of your service!" Even now, her voice was soft, and her footsteps were ones of grace, though there was a trace of stiffness in them.
"My name is Clover, and I am dearly sorry, but that is all I can tell you."

Please, please, please let him accept...

[Anonymous]

He smirked as he heard her nervous answer, letting the girl have her hand back. She is ether very shy or not accustomed to such greeting. But then not many greeted a woman they didn’t know that way. It was a very polite gesture and usually given to a woman of  high status. However, Dark Arrow said hello like that for all women, out of kindness and because they were all technically of higher status than he.

Though he was blind his movements were as if he could see, looking down at the bag she had given him. Dark Arrow felt the coins easily and frowned a little. So she did need his help, a lot of it by the weight of the bag and her words. How unfortunate, she seemed a kind and gentle person. He immediately tried to memorize her scent, but stopped knowing if he tried that now he was likely to pick up other smells and end up confusing himself. Dark Arrow nodded, “Very well. If I may,� he handed the bag back to her. “We need not speak of money at the moment, it would not be safe to anyway as you can see,� he kicked the still unconscious thief lightly in the side. “It would be much wiser to discuss this else where. Come, I will take you to the inn I am staying at.�

He took her hand and led her easily through the streets. The fact the he was blind might have been forgotten, as he never tripped or bumped into anybody. Soon they arrived, he took her to the stable out back first to let her strange mount rest and then he took her inside. Still leading her the hand, his other ran along the wall, counting the doors until he found his room. Dark Arrow opened the door for her and locked it after him, a habit in his line of work. It was small, only one bed, a chest of drawers and a chair. His actual belongings were in view as well, a backpack rested by the chest of drawers and on the opposing wall were two small, curved swords. The scabbards were white and the same pattern on his neck ran down the sides in black. The cross guards were black and the handles bound in a white clothe. Next to them lay a large, currently unstrung ebony bow and a green quiver full of black arrow with white feathers.

Dark Arrow hung up his cloak. He was a bit on the slender side and was well built. His clothes were form fitting, he was usually wandering about forested areas and did not want to be caught by stray branches. He gestured for Clover to sit on the bed, as now it would be hers, while he pulled the chair to sit in front of the bed. “So then, it is fine that you cannot tell me everything. I do not mind, but I still have a question. You say you do not know how long you will need me, does that mean you have no particular destination?�

[Anonymous]

Well, Dark Arrow was right on both accounts. She was very shy, and unaccustomed to such a greeting. She couldn't help it. She was used to living in a temple full of priestesses. She had never been outside its walls before...

This was going to be an interesting experience.

Clover blinked as the bag was handed back to her, and it took her naive mind a moment to understand what he meant. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't think..."
She quickly stuffed the bag back into one of the large side packs on her mount. They were probably being stared at now by a number of interested thieves...
She hoped she had not caused more trouble for Dark Arrow by her waving that money around...

The slender girl blinked as he took her hand, not at all used to such contact. Then again, she'd never really had any contact with males before to start with...
She followed after him, leading the large beast along behind her. The creature had to be a good 5' 5" tall at the shoulder, and far longer from the tip of its tail to the tip of its nose. Most people were put off just by its appearance...
She supposed she should be thankful for that...

Once at the back of the inn, a small problem ocurred. She had to get her things out of the packs on her beast...
Breaking contact with him gently so as not to be rude, she quickly dove into the side packs and started pulling out her belongings. Her breathing was labored by the time she had finished, having to stand on tip-toe just to reach into the bags. Soon she had on a thick backpack, a roll of white cloth, and another bag that slung over her shoulder that was stuffed with sacks of gold coins.
Then she took his hand again and was led back to his room, all her belongings now safely in her possession.

Once inside, she paused, not exactly sure what to do. She had been puzzled by him counting the doors, and knew she would eventually have to question him about his sight. Finally though, he gestured to the bed, and she shuffled over, biting her lip as a small whimper of pain bubbled up.
She dumped all of her heavy bags onto the floor next to the bed, and then gingerly lowered herself onto it, still biting her lip and breathing through her nose as she fought off the wave of pain.
As he came to sit before her, she quickly regained her composure, hands placed on her lap, one over the other.

His question earned a blink as she realized that she really didn't have a destination.
"Oh...No, I suppose I don't..."
Drat, she hadn't had time to think about that when she had to flee. Where was she going to go??
"I just know I need to get as far from the Serha plains as I can."

[Anonymous]

He gave a small smile as Clover announced she did not know where she was going. That must mean she left in a hurry. Dark Arrow nodded, a slight frown coming to his face as he thought. From the Serha plains…north of here… hmm…that doesn’t leave much. If she had run north she would have more places to hide. But we cannot risk traveling through the area to do that. The only place to go is further south.

“Oh, and you can ask me for help you know.� He had a kind grin, “I may be blind but my hearing is better than most, I’ll help you with your bags next time.� Then Dark Arrow got a bit of an awkward and embarrassed look on his face. He placed a hand on the back of his head and gave a nervous smile. “That’s another thing. Since I can’t see, I have to recognize you by other means. It won’t take me long to memorize your voice, but I need to know more than that. So…I need to ask you to stand up.� He got out of the chair as he said this last part.

[Anonymous]

Clover jerked upright a bit at his words, then quickly blushed. "I-I'm sorry...I mean...I didn't think it appropriate to ask a bodyguard to carry my things..."
She shifted lightly, the pain finally receeding to the point where she was again comfortable.
So he really was blind...?
She would not have guessed if it were not for that eyeband. He moved so fluidly, as though he could see perfectly fine...

She blinked pale yellow eyes at his sudden embarassment. Other means...?
Tilting her head at his now standing form, she obliged him and stood, still in her thick brown cloak.
Realizing she was still wearing it, she quickly pulled it off over her head, and at a lack of a place to put it, laid it over her bags.
Under she was wearing the clothing she had also bought from the caravan. It was a simple light brown top with short sleeves that was a bit baggy on her small form, and brown pants that were darker than her shirt, but lighter than her boots and gloves. These were also a bit too big for her, and she had tucked them into her boots to keep the ends out of the way. That meant the only skin showing was her arms, face, and neck.
"Um, alright...What do you need me to do...?"

[Anonymous]

Dark Arrow gave a soft chuckle at her ramblings. “Not at all, I’d be happy to.�

He was a little puzzled at the sounds of cloth rustling, not knowing she was removing her cloak. Dark arrow gave another awkward smile as she asked. “Just stand. I am sorry, if I make you feel uncomfortable, just tell me to stop. I have no ill intensions�

He reached out and placed both hands lightly on her shoulders. His hands slowly flowed down her arms until he reached her hands. Dark Arrow held them gently for a moment and then let go of one hand. He took the glove off her left hand and tossed it to the bed. He then felt her hand, feeling the creases in her palm, her slender fingers and her soft skin. Dark Arrow smiled gently before letting go and continuing. He again placed his hands on her shoulders, but went under her arms this time. His hands trailed down her sides, pressing lightly to find her body under the baggy clothing. He continued this to her thighs and then pulled his hands away. Once more he touched her shoulders, following her collarbone for a moment before continuing up her neck until he cupped her cheeks. Dark Arrow let one hand fall as he felt her face with the other, warning her to close her eyes. His hand was a little rough but he touched her gently, feeling her lips, nose, where her eyes were, to her forehead. From there his hand reached her hair, Dark Arrow followed a lock from it’s roots to the ends. He gave another kind smile. He then pulled Clover to him pressing her soft body lightly to his, it was his way of appropriately feeling her front. At the same time his hands skimmed up her back, not going lower than her waist. Through all this his face was focused, his only thoughts being to know her shape as he could not see it.

Dark Arrow stepped back a little and felt the top of her head, comparing her height to his. “It seems you are a beautiful woman. Oh, I need to do one more thing. Again, I apologize,� he stepped closer and gently lifted her chin. He brought his face close to her neck and took in her scent, memorizing that as well. Then he took a couple steps back, feeing he had invaded her space long enough.

[Anonymous]

She bowed her head softly before remembering he couldn't see it. "Alright...if you don't mind..."
She really would like..well, more like she really needed the help with her bags. She wasn't used to any sort of physical labor, not to mention her pains...
Pale eyes only blinked at his instructions, and she was at a complete loss as to what was about to happen.

Until it happened.

What was he doing??? Clover went rigid as he ran his hands over her, her mind racing as to a reason for him touching her. She trembled as his hands brushed over her skin. She couldn't help it, she'd never really been touched by a man before!!
It wasn't until she was told to close her eyes (which she did) and felt him feel her face, that it finally clicked.
Oh right, he was blind. This must be the only way he could get a visual of what she might look like.
With that knowledge in mind, she did relax...marginally.
It was still embarrassing for the young lady!

The poor thing literally squeaked as she was held to him, going rigid yet again, not at all accustomed to being held by a man. She simply rocked back a bit as he finally stepped away, unable to unlock her muscles just yet.
It was then he complimented her appearance, and she blushed furiously.
"U-uh...th-thank you..." She meeped, and was once again put in an uncomfortable spot.
Was he...smelling her??
Under the smell of travel, she had a simple, airy scent. There was the slight cling of perfumes, the kind she had used in her temple.
And also there, closer to her hair, was the smell of something unnatural. The smell of many ingredients mixed together, almost an acrid scent.
There was, of course, a reason behind this.

Once he stepped back, Clover fell limply back into a sitting position on the bed. Well...
...
She was left speechless for awhile. Finally, she thought of a random question to ease out of this stiff silence.
"S-sir...is Dark Arrow the name under which I should call you...?" Her voice still trembled lightly with the shock of his previous actions.

[Anonymous]

Defiantly shy, he commented to himself, noticing how she had gone rigid when he touched her. He found the many scents on her interesting. He was grateful to be able to isolate her actual scent from the perfumes. What was really interesting were the smells coming from her hair, those were not natural. They could not be from a shampoo, those were meant to smell nice, it was something else though he could not tell exactly what. Dark Arrow heard the bed give and assumed Clover had taken her seat again. He sat down as well, crossing his arms and a gentle smile on his face. It faded a little as he heard her voice again, the tremble in it clear to his slightly pointed ears. His focus had not been suggestive, but it would be a lie to say he hadn’t enjoyed it a little. Dark Arrow did not have such thoughts often, but he was still a man. Though he pretended not to hear it for her sake.

He smirked, “Dark Arrow is a name given by reputation. You may call me by my real name: Duweit�

[Anonymous]

What would the others at the temple think if they had seen that happen?? She could only be all too glad they hadn't seen all that, for she was sure she'd have been met by a number of embarrassing comments and looks from the other women.
There had only been a few men that had ever visited her temple, and they had been the lords of their region, simply coming to introduce themselves to the head priestess.
Needless to say, she knew very, very little about men in general, or their connection with women at all.
And this had literally been the first time she had ever been touched by a man, at all. She had never been one of the ones to personally be introduced to the visiting lords, as she had been too young at the time.
Perhaps there would have been a time when the older women would have explained some things to her, but ah...
...that hadn't happened yet.

Oops.

Clover was surprised by how much she liked his name. Duweit.
Duweit Duweit Duweit.
She almost wanted to giggle as she played around with it in her mind, too shy to actually practice saying it out loud.
Of course, at  this point, she wasn't sure if she could trust him enough to give him her real name.
"Thank you. I will call you by that name, Duweit."
Yep, she liked it just as much when it came out of her own mouth.

Clover shifted a bit as the pain stabbed in her again, and remembered they still had price to discuss.
"Would you mind discussing price with me now...?" She felt a little bad bringing it up, but she had to. She wanted to employ him as soon as possible. Maybe then she could sleep easier for many nights to come.

[Anonymous]

He grinned as she said his name, liking the sound of it in her voice. Of course he just plain liked her voice, it fit her well. Duweit heard the shifting, and wondered if it was from nervousness. He shrugged and uncrossed his arms, giving a small gentle smile. “As you wish. Normally I am paid when the job is done. But this is a little different as we don’t know when that will be.�

“Hmm,� he scratched the back of his head and looked down. “How about you just give me the amount you handed me earlier and that would be it?� Duweit smiled playfully. He had no issues with money. To him money was a luxury, he didn’t really need it. He grew up in the forest, so he was at home in the wilderness. Though he did admit that a bed was much more comfortable than the ground, he honestly didn’t care which he had.

[Anonymous]

She nodded as he spoke, understanding that perfectly well. She honestly couldn't say when this job was done...
What if it never was?? What if they continued to chase her until they eventually caught her???
No, she couldn't afford to think like that! She had to keep hope within her, had to believe that she would get away.
The religion of her people, and their fates, were resting with her right now!

"Oh! I am not sure...I mean, is that really alright with you, to be paid that? I honestly cannot say when this job will be over, or how much danger I could be putting you in." She silently made a vow to make sure to pay him more if she were to burden him for longer than she felt appropriate. She had brought all that gold simply for the task of hiring a bodyguard and the bare necessities.
Wincing a bit, she leaned over, and dug around in the side bag, pulling out the sack of coins like she had before. She set them in his lap as it was, and then straightened with an airy breath.
Riding all day must have made things worse...

Clover looked at his face in time to see the trailing end of his playful smile. She blushed lightly, though not entirely sure why, and looked away, sitting stiffly on the bed. She waited for the pain to receed before daring to speak again, her voice softer than usual.
"Where do you think we should go, Duweit?"
Since she had no idea...might as well ask him.

[Anonymous]

Duweit waved a hand, his smile widening, “I’m sure. I have no great need for money, and danger is not really an issue as long as it’s me and not you.� He sat up as Clover searched her bag, his ears picking up the jingle of coins. Duweit listened as she came up to him and put the money in his lap before he could say anything. He again blinked under the cloth, it sounded as if she was under a little physical strain. Duweit had heard it earlier, but didn’t think much of it, as he had also heard the weight of the bags when she set them down and thought it justified. He’d remember to help her as much as he could. He took the bag in hand and walked over to his backpack, putting the money inside. Duweit sat down again as she asked a more important question.

He nodded once more, “Well there would be many more places to hide in further north. But to do that we’d have to pass the plains, which would not be too bright. So the only thing to do really is continue south. There is desert, a few small towns, more desert, and jungle. If you are very concerned we could arrange for a ship and even stay off land for a while if things get bad. We will go as far as you want to.�

[Anonymous]

She bowed her head a bit as he spoke, realizing she had made a dire mistake by choosing south instead of north. Well, to be honest, she hadn't really known just which direction she had been going, and running into that caravan in the desert had just been dumb luck.
Good dumb luck, but dumb luck all the same.
"The sea?" She perked up a bit, smiling. "I've always wanted to see the sea. I read about it in books back at..." She stopped before spilling the word 'temple'. She was still wary of him, for only the reason that she couldn't be sure who was working for the invading nation, and who wasn't. "Back home." She finished, looking away, the smile having fallen from her face, a gesture invisible to him.
"I really do not want to travel through any more desert. My mount isn't suited for it. And I think I have enough coins to get a ship...maybe we could use that to sail north...?" She offered up timidly, quite aware she had no idea what she was talking about.

It was then her chest twisted in a pain far more intense than what she had previously experienced. Here eyes widened, tears pricking behind them with a stinging sensation and she clutched at her shirt.
Soon enough both hands were at her mouth though as she doubled over, feeling something warm and liquid spill into her palms as she wretched.
Blinking back tears, she pulled her hands away to see crimson staining her flesh.
Oh gods, no, she was bleeding! From...from the inside!!
She hadn't known it would be that bad!
She stared at her hands in disbelief for a moment, fingers trembling as the blood cooled, then straightened, and somehow spoke in a totally calm voice.
"Where is the restroom?"

[Anonymous]

True, Duweit could not see her smile fade but he heard her voice do so. He tilted his head a little, slight frown on his face before realizing it was a trust issue. He got that a lot, being a bodyguard for hire and all. Duweit blinked a couple times, his face confused. Then he laughed, ruffling his hair a bit, “Thank goodness one of us has a brain. Sure, we’ll head west, get a boat there and head north.�

Duweit stiffened, feeling a sudden tension. Then his sensitive nose picked up a familiar scent. He got up and came to her, “Clover?� He reached a black hand out and touched her hand, feeling a liquid on his finger he pulled it back. He smelled it again and frowned, Duweit tasted it to be sure. Blood. He looked down as she spoke, he nodded and took her wrist. He led her out of the room and to the end of the hall, opening the last door to reveal a bathroom. He leaned silently against the wall when she was inside. She couldn’t have been bleeding and not said so, it just started. Why would it be in her hands then? …the blood came from her mouth. She must be bleeding internally. Hmm…I still have some herbs, I could give her those. He waited worriedly, hoping she wouldn’t faint. He silenced his thoughts and listened to keep track of her moments.

[Anonymous]

She had hoped he wouldn't notice. But of course, that was stupid. He had already proven to have a good sense of smell, since he had taken in her scent earlier.
She simply did not move as his finger brushed the liquid in her palms, only watching with petrified eyes as he smelled and tasted it carefully to make sure.
Tears ran down her cheeks unchecked, giving off a faint fruity aroma.
She wasn't human, after all...

She rose as he took her wrist, her entire body stiff with both pain and shock. She hadn't though it would be that bad...
Without realizing it, she had come to the bathroom, too zoned out to have paid attention to her own footfalls.
Clover's mind was totally devoid of thought as she rinsed her hands free of the blood, the calm that had settled over her only masking her internal fear and pain.
What was she going to do, what was she going to do...

She felt it then, a bubbling in her head, and her world went white as a faint buzzing started up in her hearing.
"Duweit..." She whispered, grasping, before she fell backward.
She was out like a light.

[Anonymous]

Duweit came to life immediately as she called his name. With no other thoughts he opened the door and stepped in, “Clover!?!� Then he felt a weight against his chest and grabbed her around the waist before she hit the ground. Good thing it was a small bathroom, having her fall on him was lucky.

He cursed and picked her up, an arm hooked under her knees and the other about her shoulders. Duweit came back to his room and laid her on the bed, turning her head to the side. He reached inside his backpack and brought out a bowl and a leaf from one of the herbs. The bowl was placed on the chest of drawers, he ground the leaf up in it and grabbed his flask, adding water into the bowl. He mixed it quickly and came to the bedside. Duweit slipped his arm under Clover, so his hand was between her shoulder blades, and lifted her up slowly. He parted her lips and tipped the bowl a little, wanting to save some for later. Soon he pulled back and set her softly on the bed again, turning her head as before. Duweit sighed and set the bowl on the chest of drawers again before sitting in the chair. All he could do now was wait.