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Sand and Stones May Break My Bones (P)(Marakai)

Started by Blink, June 13, 2017, 03:43:30 PM

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Blink

"I'd like to see them try" a silent thought bouncing off the confines of her mind in regards to someone ever trying to take what was hers. However, when he said he was happy he got away from them it made Jaela wonder if he really did associate with such a crowd. His attitude though only made the always present smile on her lips grow wider.

"Bird" internally she laughed at his placement of the word again.

At his return with a cloth and water as she requested Jaela clapped her hands in excitement. "Finally!" Immediately she wet the cloth and rubbed some soap on it, before applying the cloth to her face. Even if it wasn't a bath it was a welcomed feeling nonetheless. Ringing out the rag she was suprised to see how much of a darkened pigment it held. Was she really covered with that much grime?

After about a half hours time Jaea had managed to not only wash all the dirt and sand from her face but her neck, arms and stomach as well. Obviously there were some parts she could not clean to perfection considering the circumstances but still she looked like a whole new person. Washing off the filth also revelaed the severety of her wounds as scratches and gouges were easily seen in comparison to her pale complection. She was actually kind of happy she couldn't see her face right now as she was sure it didn't fare much better.

"Sand and stones sand and stones" she muttered to herself as she had during her travels as she wiped away at a bit of dirt on her knuckles. When she was done she set the rag at her side and her eyes once again rest on the bottle she had set on the ground. Okay so maybe he really did not intend to poison her. Why else would he take the time to clean the wound on her leg and bring her water? Seemed like a complete waste of resources if he actually planned on taking her life.

Reaching down she uncorked the bottle and brought it to her lips, quickly taking down the contents within it. Her face puckered at the taste of the aweful concoction and she choked a bit as it slid down her throat. "Uck!" Afterwards she made sure to place the bottle back on the ground in the same position so that hopefully Itachi wouldn't even notice she took it.

Next Jaela would look at her coat still laying in the dirt next to her. It was all but ruined as far as she was concerned, even noting the blood stains on the collar. Her face fell serious for a moment as she thought of throwing the jacket away. It was more than just a jacket to her, it was a symbol of who she was supposed to be, the essence of someone who was important. The death guard was  no more and so maybe wearing that stupid thing was just her way of living in the past.

Placing her hands in the dirt she pushed herself up as she left the jacket behind. Standing seemed slightly easier than before, her head seeming a bit more clear than when she had arrived. The pain was still there of course, but at least she didn't feel like the world was constantly spinning.

"Aye Itachi! The princess is ready to do something other than sit on the rocks!" 

Marakai Trin

'So maybe princess wasn't the greatest word to use....now she's going to be full of herself. Great.'

Itachi sighed to himself and stood. "Get tha' done so she c'n eat. She's prob'ly gonna be aroun' for a bit till she's healed up an' good ta go. Get used to her."

Somehow he wondered if he could follow his own advice. He ran a hand over his face, brushing his odd gray-blonde hair out of his eyes as he did. He turned away from the fire and went to retrieve Jaela.

"Glad to see you on your feet..." he said, a vague and small smile on his lips. "The boys are putting something together for you to eat. And, you uh...seem to have forgotten something, there." He gestured to her jacket lying there in the dirt.

Blink

Leaning against a stone for support Jaela turned back to see what he was talking about. "Oh, that! Silly piece of fabric always got in my way anyways..." Hobbling back around to face him she stood with her bad leg held up a bit from the ground.

"So I've been thinking since you oh so rudely left me alone to play in the dirt.." She was referring to the time he had given her to wipe away the dirt.

"I shall forever be known as Princess Bird... effective immediately of course."

Marakai Trin

Itachi tilted a brow and shrugged. "Well, suit yourself, then. Seems like a waste, though...especially out here, with the sandstorms and whatnot. Though.....I may have something you could use. 'Princess.'"

He chuckled a bit, and shook his head slightly. "And if its the same to you, I think 'bird' will suffice. It might confuse the dullards as to who's in charge around here." He grinned, and tilted his head towards the flickering light of the campfire.

"Let's go get you fed, hmm? And...I'm sure you heard, but you're invited to share camp while your leg heals. I'll need to keep an eye on it to make absolutely sure the infection doesn't come back."

Blink

She still wasn't quite sure what to make of Itachi. Even she was struggling to decide which front to throw at him. Crazy Jaela, funny Jaela... confused Jaela.

"I appreciate the invitation but I will be leaving by morning. I have things to do, people to see, and errands to run." Naturally, she wasn't even thinking of how she would manage to pull all of that off and in all honesty she had nothing to do, no one to see, and most importantly no errands to run anyways.

"Princess's like myself are very busy." So yeah, she was going to play on this as long as she could.

Jaela managed to hobble towards the fire just fine, only tripping up a few times before finding yet another stone to rest her body against as she waited for food. "Wonder how long I can keep acting entitled before they throw me out."

Marakai Trin

The bandit blinked at her response, and chuckled at the way she hobbled and tripped herself up on the way to the fire. "Yeah, an' yer gonna make such great time hobblin' through the desert like a old woman. Yer I'm no condition ta wander through the desert wit'out supplies an' such."

He followed her to the fire, grinning the whole way. "'Sides. We're no' stayin' 'ere too long anyway. Might as well be travellin' wit us, eh? Headin' back up to Adela in a couple days, anyway. By then, ya should be good ta go on yer merry way, yeah?"

He grinned as he looked over his men.

"Whaddaya say, boys? Ya wan' th' pretty bird ta stay, yeah? Or ya wan' her ta die alone in th' desert?"

All in unison, as one:

"The princess can stay!"

Itachi slapped his palm over his face. "She's no' yer fuckin' princess, dammit!"

Blink

"I suppose you lot are not the worst company to keep." Jaela shrugged from her spot on the ground. "Gets boring only having myself as entertainment anyways."

When all of them spoke in unison Jaela then laughed, cracking her head back and placing her hands on her stomach as her body shook in complete and total amusement. Her laughing was so intense it even caused pain in her stomach but it was completely worth it.

"So what concoction did you all manage to cook up anyways?" Jaela grabbed a bit of dirt in her hand and lifted it up, letting it crumble in her hands before it fell back down to the ground. "Nothing here but dirt, sand, and rocks."


Marakai Trin

"Well, yer part'lly right. I'm no' worst company ta keep." He gestured at the fifteen other men around the fire with one hand and a crooked grin.

"They are. AIN'CHA YA WORTHLESS LOUTS?"

"Aye, boss!" again, in unison. The grin on Itachi's face grew wider, as if he were trying to split his head in half.

"Usel'ss, bu' pretty damn loyal, yeah?" He turned that grin on Jaela, and stood.

"I'll getcha some rock an' san' souffle, bird, an' ya can be th' judge, eh?" He chuckled as he walked off to find a clean bowl.

In a moment he returned, having stopped at the large pot hanging over the fire. "Lookee 'ere, then. Venison an' vegetable stew, wit veggies as fresh as ya can expect in th' desert. No' half bad, if'n I say so myself."

Blink

For a second Jaela seriously thought that Itachi was going to serve her just what he had said... sand and rocks. Thankfully though when he ladled from the pot was no such thing. She could smell the vegetables before he even mentioned them and already her stomach was churning in pure excitement.

She would have gotten up and taken the whole pot if she were able but unfortunately, her injuries made that impossible. Not to mention she guessed that maybe a bit rude.

She waited for him to bring her a bowl and happily took it when he presented it to her. Immediately she dug in, holding the bowl to her lips as she let the liquid first enter her mouth. She didn't swallow right away, instead, she opted to savor the taste for as long as she could manage before she finally gulped it down.

"Best sand and stone souffle I have ever had."

Already she could feel she was getting better. Her leg, although it hurt, didn't ache as badly as before. Her mind was already clearer and sharper than when she arrived even if she didn't show it. Not to mention the water and now food offered seemed to re-energize her as it provided her body with what it so desperately needed.

Jaela made quick work of the bowl and before long it was completely empty, every last bit of its contents now sitting in her stomach.

Marakai Trin

Itachi watched her eat with an amused expression, arms crossed over his chest with a smile. His green eyes glinted oddly in the firelight.

"Y'know, I 'ad planned on gettin' ya a spoon 'r somethin' ta eat it wit', bu' tha' works too." He chuckled a bit, and took a seat on a rock nearby.

"If'n yer still 'ungry, help yerself. There's plen'y ta go 'round, an' mos' of us 'ave already eaten."


Blink

The thought of getting more did cross her mind but Jaela did not want to push it. She hadn't had a proper meal in days and chances were if she over indulged she would just wind up making herself sick.

Setting the bowl beside her Jaela's eyes then traveled across each of the men. In any other circumstance, she would have loved for all of the attention to be on her. However, right now it was almost making her uneasy.

Not to help matters any Jaela was also growing tired. She didn't know how long it had been since she slept peacefully. The last few days were nothing but a blur and she honestly couldn't even recall most of what had happened. For all, she knew she could have stood for a day talking to a rock as if it were a person.

It was at this time that while all the men chatted amongst themselves Jaela began to drift off right where she sat. At first, it was her eyes that began to close and before the end of it, her head was slightly slumped forwards while her arms lay like dead weight at her sides.

Pretending to be crazy all the time sure was exhausting.

Marakai Trin

Itachi kept a close eye on her for several moments,  noting how she suddenly grew quiet. He smiled when she slumped forward.

"Quiet, ya louts. Th' bird fell asleep. Need ta ge' her in one o' th' tents so she don' freeze tonight. Any takers?"

Naturally, every man stood, anxious for a pretty thing like her to share a space with. Itachi grinned.

"Yeah, tha's wha' I thought. Tha's why she'll be in my tent. An' don'tcha be gettin' any ideas - I'll be ou' here by th' fire till mornin'. So get th' idiot grins offa yer idiot faces, mind."

He stood up, looking over the fire - it was rather comical, watching these men who were all nearly twice his size, cowering in fear. His grin was predatory.

He stepped over to Jaela, his evil grin softening drastically. He knelt down, slipping one arm under her knees and the other behind her head, and lifted her easily. Despite his small,  thin frame he was decently muscled, and lifting her was quite easy.

He walked as slowly and carefully as he could, so as not to jar her with his steps, and carried her towards his tent, a ways away from the others. Easily small enough to step inside without stooping, he entered and lay her on top of her bedroll.

"Pretty bird...I'll take care o' ya," he whispered, and stepped out again into the night.

Blink

Hours had passed and the night was already upon them when Jaela's eyes finally flickered open. Immediately she sat up to find herself inside of some form of a tent with blankets and a bedroll that was not her own. "What in the hell" she whispered to herself as she began to access the situation.

She was still in pain but it seemed that with each passing hour her body had begun to heal itself. Part of it could have to do with where she was, a place full of an element she could pull the energy from. Another part could be from the sheer will she carried to not be so vulnerable. Whatever the case, she was happy that she could move around a bit more freely than before.

Then she picked up on an eerie and familiar sound from outside the tent. It wasn't the sound of snoring men or the crackling of the fire, but a heavy wind barreling in their direction. She could feel it, the sheer power of it coming towards them at great speed. Of course, Jaela could run and protect only herself but Itachi saved her so she guessed she owed them the favor.

In a flash, she was rolling out of the tent with peridot eyes scanning the horizon. It was dark and the only thing insinuating the oncoming doom was the heavy wind now ripping through the camp. Where everyone was she did not care, her only concern being that she wanted to protect the camp as a whole.

Running to the opening between the rocks Jaela could feel her leg screaming at her with each step along with the warmth building under the bandage. Her wound had reopened and the blood that had clotted the wound shut was now dripping down her leg. "Everyone take cover!" she screamed, her voice no longer the sarcastic high pitch she had been carrying all day.

By now the storm had already begun to hit and sand was blasting past Jaela as it went through the rocks like a wind tunnel. Falling to her knees Jaela slammed one of her palms onto the ground and began to chant as her eyes and tattoos seemed to glow.

At first, it seemed like the sand had stopped but the wind was still ripping past all of them at a high speed. "Dammit!" she screamed as she held one palm in front of her while the other remain pressed against the earth. She could push the sand back but the wind, that was an entirely different element. In fact, the wind was so strong that even Jaela had begun to skid against the ground backward, her knees and palm digging into the dirt as she was pushed in reverse.

Turning her head to look at the camp behind her Jaela found a new sense of determination. As her hair whipped at the sides of her face she turned forwards again to face the storm head on. "Dammit dammit dammit!" she screamed in frustration. Normally she could just hold up like this, keeping the sand from burning her skin as a storm passed by. However, the wind was so strong that even this method seemed useless.

Finally, Jaela placed both of her palms in the dirt, the sand picking back up as she was no longer holding it back. Her eyes were now closed and her head lowered as she placed all of her focus on the earth beneath her. With eyes squinted shut Jaela's lips moved again as she chanted something unrecognizable to anyone who wasn't an elemental. And then it happened...

The ground began to shake just in front of her and cracked before slowly new rock formations began to take shape. Tensing her muscles Jaela willed for the rock to build up to protect the camp. She wanted it just high enough to redirect the wind above all of them and strong enough to stand trial against a storm as severe as this. Very slowly the rock climbed higher and higher until it was standing at about 15 feet tall and as long as the opening in the original formation.

The moment Jaela felt the wall was good enough she lowered ever further onto the ground, pressing her forehead against it as she breathed heavily. It had been a long time since she conjured up something this size against something so strong.

Rolling on her elbows Jaela made it to where her back was now flat on the ground as she lay sprawled out. She was physically exhausted, acting as if she had just run 5 miles without rest. Slowly she lifted a hand in the air to make a point to anyone who may be watching her.

"If anyone is wondering... I'm okay!" she laughed.

Marakai Trin

It was surprising how little the bandit boss really needed to sleep. He'd nodded off, perhaps for an hour or two, beside the fire. And then, seemingly without reason he roused from slumber.

Something felt wrong. Obscenely wrong.

The first thing he did - after stretching and popping the kinks out of his back and neck - was check on Jaela. He merely poked his head in, and nodded in satisfaction - she was sleeping peacefully.

He stepped back away and moved to the perimeter of camp, climbing up to his perch.

Sandstorms in this area were usually fairly uncommon, though when they crept up they could be fairly devastating. He'd chosen this spot - an area the Craol had used as camp for years on the way to Essyrn - just for that reason.

He hadn't wanted to tell Jaela just when they had planned on leaving, because of her injury and the fact that she really didn't need to be heading anywhere in her condition. They had originally planned on leaving the next day.

Well. That wasn't happening. And now...well. Hell was coming. And there would be a reckoning.

When the wind finally started, starting at first as a few hot, dry wisps and gradually growing to hurricane force, Itachi began to worry. Clouds of sand began to pop up here and there, and the bandit practically disappeared into his coat to protect himself from the stinging particles. Yet, he didn't move.

Grey-blonde hair whipped madly in the storm, yet he didn't move. He could see the storm coming, and he'd face it - if he and his men were to die, he'd be the first to go, their first wall. He'd not watch them die, not for his mistake.

And then...

"Everyone take cover!" he heard, and his head whipped around to find Jaela some ways off, facing the storm in the same fashion as he.

"Stupid...stupid girl...THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, GIRL!?  GET BACK TO THE TENT!"

And apparently he went unheard, because she stayed. And she surprised him.

Even as he felt the sand ripping at his skin, he watched wide-eyed as she appeared to be stopping the sand itself. And immediately he smiled, wide and crazy.

And then that crazy smile nearly ripped his head in two when she seemed to rip the very rock from the ground to form a wall. "Gods...this girl..."

He was wide eyed. He was ecstatic. If he was romantic, he might have been in love - luckily for the women of the world, he had no such inclinations.

When the wall formed around the camp, he bounded to her side in relative safety, a massive grin on her face.

"If anyone is wondering, I'm okay!" - he walked up just as she said this, and he stopped immediately behind her.

"Yer more'n okay, bird. Yer fuckin' amazing."

Blink

Despite how exhausted she was Jaela managed to laugh at Itachi's comment. "I know I am.." Her usual perky demeanor back in all its glory.

"Could you do me a favor though since I just saved your life?" Perking her head up she still lay on the ground as she attempted to meet his gaze. "Could you maybe take a look at my leg. I think it's still there but not really sure."

Jaela than kicked her leg up before letting it hit back on the ground, causing more blood to drip from underneath the bandage. "Yep, it's still there."

After that she let her head rest back on the ground again as she attempted to catch her breath. "By the way what kind of idiot doesn't take cover in a sandstorm?" Jaela then thought about what she herself had just done. "... nevermind..."

Marakai Trin

"Ha! Y'know, I think I know two idiots tha' don't give a damn 'bout the weather. 'Ere I was, plannin' on starin' the sand down till it ripped the skin fro' me bones, an' here ya come all....you!"

He laughed again, the sound echoing off the newly created stone wall, and then he knelt down to pick her up, like he had when she was asleep.

"Hopin' ya don' mind, bu' I carried ya ta me tent so ya could rest. Ain' the first time I've 'ad ta move ya." He glanced down at her, his green eyes smiling.

"Le's getcha patched up again, yeah? Then I'll break ou' tha' rum I mentioned."

Blink

At first, she wasn't sure how she felt about Itachi carrying her. It wasn't because she was bashful or anything but just hated being weak enough to need it. Not to mention that for as long as she could remember no one had ever taken care of her like this. Jaela was so used to dealing with things like this on her own, even if it meant dragging herself across the ground to safety.

"Rum sounds delightful" she chirped as she placed an arm around his neck to help keep her weight balanced while the other lay on her stomach. I guess now was a good time to be so short, even though Itachi really wasn't much taller than her if at all.

"Thanks for that drug earlier by the way. I think it helped a lot." In that moment her voice was again not so high pitched just as when she shouted for everyone to take cover. "I never told you I took it so I just wanted to say thanks ya know?"

Immediately she went back to smiling like a cheesy idiot as she had been all day.

Marakai Trin

"'Ey, no problem. Now, 'specially now, I know ya deserve it. Ya done wen' an' saved me life, an' the' lives o' me men. Yer worth more'n just what's in me doctorin' box, methinks."

He smiled down at her again, just as they entered the tent. Gently, he laid her back on the bedroll, and sat in front of her on the ground.

He drug his equipment box to his side, and spoke while he opened it.

"So. Ya said errands, eh? Now, who'd ya be doin' errands fer tha' needs tha' kinda power, eh? Must be makin' it worth your while."

Blink

Again as he opened the medical box Jaela's eyes studied all the instruments within it. It really was a useful skill to have and she was almost jealous she never looked into it further. It would be so nice to not have to worry about something as simple as a scorpion bite.

Her attention though was brought around in full circle when Itachi asked a complicated question. Jaela was chosen, just as the Black-Hearth's used to choose everyone they involved themselves with. It wasn't even her sand tricks that got their attention either, it was something else. She knew she was one of the best at what she did, it was drilled into her brain for years.

As for making it worth her while, that was another story. At first, it wasn't even a choice, it was what she was told to do. Jaela wasn't a slave per say, but freedom was never an option. And now that the family she worked for had fallen and only three remained, two of which estranged before the incident had even happened, Jaela found herself bored more often than not.

"Iguanas" she joked, finally answering his question with a lie... sort of.

Marakai Trin

Itachi had been digging around for his pouches of herbs, and his hands stopped when she replied.

"....iguanas. Really, now." He smirked, his eyes having never left the box, and he continued to rummage through until he picked up a four marked bags.

"Somethin' tells me yer not bein'...entirely truthful. Any iguana I've met didn't have much of'n interest in havin' people work for 'em." He dumped some water in a small pestle he kept in his case, and then dropped a liberal amount of herbs into it.

"Feverfew, embereyes, glow weed, an' golden serfina. Remember tha', bird, in case ya gotta do this y'self. Good fer pain, good fer healin', and good fer infection. Th' glow weed 'elps to 'old it all together."

He smashed the mixture together, the water soaking into the pulverized mush and bonding it together.

"So, then. I've been nothin' but honest wit' ya, bird. When're ya gonna quit dodgin' me questions? I don' judge - every'un's got skeletons in their metaphorical closets. Sometimes they're even real."

He began to unwind the bandage on Jaelas leg, the mixed herbs still lying beside him.

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