Forever on the Run [DragonSong][M]

Zero · March 26, 2019, 07:32:43 PM

He'd done it! Again.

Mikhail had lost count of the times he had run away from this master, let alone the number of times he had run across every single master that had owned him the last decade. It never mattered how many times he made a break for freedom, it was always snatched away from him far too quickly. He was bitter about that fact, among so many others.

The dark metal collar around his neck felt like a giant weight, the few links of thick chain hanging from it rattled as he ran through the forest, red eyes well suited for seeing in the deep dark. Behind him, and gaining, were the howls and bays of hounds. His master hadn't wasted any time sending hunters to fetch him back. They were annoyingly persistent, and he was flagging with exhaustion. It was entirely the stupid collar's fault. He could never truly escape unless he could find a way to get the blasted thing off his neck. It drained his strength and blocked his magic power.

Mikhail heard an alarmingly close howl and turned his head, eyes darting through shadows behind him, trying to spot his pursuers. Those few moments not paying attention to what was in front of him caused him to stumble right over a bank, falling to his hands and knees in a creek, breath coming out in ragged pants.

His thoughts had been so consumed with fleeing the slave hadn't even noticed that he'd run straight towards someone's camp, apparently. Mikhail looked up, noticing that there was someone there, and cried out in fright.

"Please, help me!" Asking for help wasn't something he relished doing, but what choice did he have? He was desperate enough to hope this stranger would be willing to aid him.

DragonSong · March 27, 2019, 07:11:43 AM

Though Theoden was normally a deep sleeper, the howling of dogs and a desperate call for help were enough to wake anyone. Jerking upright, the hunter looked around blearily, already grabbing for the serrated blade he kept tucked beneath his bedroll. "What in all hells?!"

His eyes flashed, lighting on the origin of that cry for help.

What the absolute fuck?

He got to his feet, kicking dirt over the glowing embers of what had once been a campfire to dull the glow.

"Hold up." He caught the running figure by the shoulders, looking over his shoulder into the darkness. "What the hells is going on?"

Zero · March 27, 2019, 09:23:00 AM

Mikhail shuddered slightly as fingers gripped his shoulders. The person he had found seemed pretty displeased with the intrusion. Also, who the hell was that tall? He had to look up to peer at the man's face in the dark.

"P-please. I can't go back. Please don't let them take me again." Instinctively his hands clutched to the arms holding him, looking up at the stranger pleadingly.

The young man had learned a long time ago to trust no one, but he was certainly desperate enough to bed someone he didn't know for help. He didn't have to trust the guy camping in the middle of the woods, he just needed him to be the sort of compassionate do-gooder that would take pity on a bedraggled boy running away from people that wanted to hurt him.

If he was lucky the man would be some kind of slave sympathizer, although it was just one guy, what if he couldn't help him? He could hear the hounds getting closer.

DragonSong · March 27, 2019, 03:25:57 PM

"Take you? What're you--?"

Another bay from the hounds cut him off. Cursing under his breath, he released the younger man to grab up his pack, rolling his bedroll quickly and shoving it inside before slinging it over his back.

"C'mon." He grabbed the stranger's wrist and took off, dashing into the trees. His eyesight was better than most in the dark, and he knew these forests. There was a stream not too far away, and if they could reach it they had a chance of losing the dogs.

Questions would just have to come later.

Zero · March 27, 2019, 05:03:59 PM

There wasn't exactly time to explain the situation in great detail. A flicker of terror and despair crossed Mikhail's red eyes as he thought that the man wouldn't even try to help him. Not that he would have really blamed him, the stranger owed him nothing.

He was surprised when the very tall person let him go and started packing up his things. Did he want to get away too? It would make sense that he wouldn't want to get pulled into trouble by some stranger from the woods. He almost turned to try to figure the best direction to flee from this point, but gasped when he was grabbed and pulled through the forest.

Mikhail could see very well in the dark, but he didn't know where he was going. All he could do was hope that wherever he was led was better than where he had fled from. Anywhere was better than back in chains. His collar clanked as he ran, a cold and heavy reminder.

It was hard to keep up with the long stride of the man dragging him along. He felt exhausted, having run quite a ways already and the enchantment in his collar draining his strength.

DragonSong · March 27, 2019, 05:51:17 PM

He could feel the boy flagging, and he realized they weren't going to get very much further before the dogs were on them. The stream was just up ahead, if they could just make it there...

"Yes," Theoden huffed under his breath, splashing into the cold water and dragging the stranger behind him. "Come on, almost there," he grunted, pausing a moment to get his bearings before he turned and ran a few yards upstream, gritting his teeth against the chill.

Once they'd made it to a copse of willows he jumped up onto the opposite bank and turned to pull the younger man up behind him. He looked the kid over-- kind of a scrawny thing-- then muttered a quick, "Look, I'm sorry 'bout this, but we don't got time to be polite."

Ducking, he easily tossed the kid over his shoulder, holding him like a heavy sack. He straightened with a grunt and turned, immediately starting to climb a nearby oak. "Hold on tight," he puffed. "I'm gonna do my best not to drop ya, but I make no promises."

Zero · March 27, 2019, 06:11:10 PM

If he wasn't running for his life, Mikhail might have been bothered by the cold water as they ran right into the stream. He immediately understood what the man had in mind when they stumbled upstream a short ways. What luck that he had stumbled upon someone so very woodsy and helpful!

Mikhail wasn't sure what the odds were that he would just happen to cross paths with just such a person exactly when he needed them. He was willing to bet the chances were pretty slim.

He was huffing by the time he was pulled up on the opposite bank. Why was he looking at him like that? Hadn't he ever seen a slim, out of breath man running through the woods being chased by dogs before? Most likely not, but he didn't have to be rude. Now what was he saying? This wasn't the time for chatting!

"Wha - ack!" Mikhail felt the world kind of spin as he was hauled from the ground and suddenly thrown over a shoulder. He immediately tried to cling to his carrier. Was he climbing a tree with him slung over his shoulder like a damn sack?

...that was actually kind of impressive. "You're pretty strong."

DragonSong · March 27, 2019, 06:55:12 PM

"Thanks." Theoden managed to bite the word out as he pulled himself up, branch by branch. Bare feet skittered against the bark of the trunk and he paused a moment to catch his breath. "Ge' off," he grunted, nodding to the wide berth of the branch. "Take a second and-- and you can climb on again, more secure. Put your arms around my neck, sorta piggyback."

As he spoke, he shifted his pack around so he carried it on one side, leaving his back open for the smaller man to cling to as they finished the climb.

Zero · March 27, 2019, 07:34:59 PM

Even a few moments to catch his breath was kind of nice, even if he was being hauled up a tree like a bag of dead weight. Mikhail squirmed down off the guy's shoulder when he was told, stepping carefully onto the branch. It might have been a short ride, but it was appreciated.

He was surprised when he was told to get back on. The change of positions would make things easier for his rescuer, but he wasn't sure why the stranger was willing to carry him.

"Oh. Okay." Mikhail wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. At least not right now, he was too tired to fight or argue with anyone. It wasn't as if he'd asked to be carried - the man had taken it upon himself to pick him up before, and told him to climb on again now.

He carefully moved around the rather bulky male, he looked like an elf, maybe. Mikhail hadn't really taken the time to notice before now. His arms slid carefully around the other's neck and he gently hooked his legs around his waist too, making sure he was nice and secure. He really didn't want to fall out of a tree on top of everything else tonight.

DragonSong · March 28, 2019, 08:50:44 AM

With another soft grunt for the effort, Theoden set about making the last leg of the climb. He managed to get them relatively high into the forest canopy, but once the branches started to creak under their combined weight he stopped.

"Here's good," he muttered, tossing his pack to hang from a slightly higher branch and finally allowing himself to rest, leaning with one shoulder against the trunk. "Shouldn't be able to smell us from up here, even if they did keep our scent through the water. We just gotta wait 'em out."

Twisting to look over his shoulder, he narrowed his eyes a bit and demanded gruffly, "Now who the hell are ya, and why are ya runnin?"

Zero · March 28, 2019, 10:51:55 AM

They were up pretty high when the elf stopped again. Looking down was not the best idea, because Mikhail felt his head spin dizzily as he looked at the ground way down there. He didn't think he was afraid of heights, exactly, but it was certainly unnerving being so far in the air while feeling weak and helpless.

He turned his red eyes to look at the man when he finally asked the important questions. Mikhail tilted his head, listening to the sounds of the men and dogs that were still hunting for him. Very carefully he unwrapped himself from around the elf and settled himself onto a branch instead, lightly clinging to the tree as he looked down and felt that dizzy feeling again. No more looking down for him, he decided.

"My name's Mikhail." The young man lowered his eyes and looked away, one hand unconsciously fiddling with the broken chain attached to his collar. "I ran away. They want to take me back to my master."

Anger and embarrassment caused his pale face to flush as he clutched the chain tightly. "I won't go back again. They can't make me do this anymore."

DragonSong · March 28, 2019, 12:32:36 PM

"Ah, gee." Theoden rubbed the back of his neck and let out a long breath. "You're a-- you were a slave?"

Okay, probably a stupid question, but he was tired, damnit!

He sighed, eyeing Mikhail's collar, the broken chain dangling from it. "You'll have to go somewhere to get that taken care of," he rumbled quietly. "Maybe a blacksmith or something."

Not that he'd have the chance to handle that for a while. They were probably going to be stuck up in this tree until daybreak.

Zero · March 28, 2019, 01:20:53 PM

"Mm." It was more of a noncommittal hum than a true reply. Technically he had been a slave all his life, but Mikhail refused to view himself as such. He was no one's property or play thing. Even considering it was insulting to his very existence.

"Y-yeah. I guess." A blacksmith was a good idea to get rid of the collar. He brought his head back up, turning to look at the weird guy that had carried him to safety. Who did something like that?

His fingers relaxed from their death grip on the chain to fiddling with it idly once more. Clearly this man was not hostile or an enemy. It didn't mean Mikhail trusted him - not by a long shot - but the slave relaxed a little with a sigh. He wondered how long they'd be stuck up a tree. By the sounds of the searching hunters it might be a while.

"So...what's your name?" Might as well know the name of the person that saved him.

DragonSong · March 28, 2019, 07:24:01 PM

"Theoden," he replied gruffly, then winced. Great. Now he sounded annoyed. He wasn't, really, just tired, and more than a little confused.

Not to mention pretty far off his intended trail for this particular hunting trip. Shit. He'd have to reroute by about two weeks to get the kid to safety, wouldn't he?

"Uh, Theo," he added a little belatedly, rubbing at the back of his neck again. "If that's...I dunno, easier?"

Zero · March 28, 2019, 07:39:35 PM

"Theoden." Was the soft whisper, allowing himself to roll the name around on his tongue as he memorized it. Remembering the man's name was the least he could do, considering he kind of owed him one.

Big time.

"Do you like Theo better? I think your name is nice either way. And, uh, thanks for helping me. Some people would have turned me over hoping for some kind of reward or something." Mikhail winced, realizing that if that thought hadn't occurred to Theoden before, well he had just gone and put it in his head.

DragonSong · March 31, 2019, 11:52:01 AM

He shrugged, already starting to feel uncomfortable. Oh boy. This guy was a talker. That wasn't bad, necessarily, he just...didn't really know how to do that.

"Either one is fine," he muttered, hunching his shoulders a bit. Then he started and twisted to face Mikhail front on. "Hold on now, you don't think I'd just-- I'm not a monster! I'm not gonna toss you back to slavers for a handful of coins."

Zero · March 31, 2019, 12:34:31 PM

"Okay." It wasn't like it really mattered what he called Theoden, as long as it didn't piss him off. He instinctively leaned away from the rather huge man when he turned to him suddenly. Mikhail had to grab the branch again to keep from falling.

"Well how am I supposed to know that?" They had never met before. He was just some stranger he stumbled upon in the woods. He had no way to know what kind of person Theoden was. "I didn't mean to offend you or nothing, but I've never met someone that didn't just send me packing right back to a master, market, or slaver."

DragonSong · April 03, 2019, 07:15:17 AM

Theoden grumbled a bit to himself and adjusted on the branch, leaning back against the trunk of the tree. "Well... I won't," he muttered eventually. "Look, kid, why don'tcha just get some shut eye, and we'll worry about where you're headed in the morning."

He nodded to the ground far, far below them. "No telling how long your hunters will be prowling around. May as well rest while we're stuck up here."

Zero · April 03, 2019, 12:11:10 PM

Mikhail nodded slightly, but that didn't mean that he was sure he believed Theoden wouldn't turn him in with the right motivation. It just meant that he accepted what he said for now because there really wasn't much other choice for now. At the moment the elf fell into getting the benefit of the doubt by default.

"Sleep. In a tree. Way above the ground." The runaway looked down, eyeing the ground far below with a healthy dose of mistrust. His hunters were down there somewhere, and he wasn't convinced he wouldn't fall to his death awake let alone asleep.

"If you can do that, more power to you." Mikhail wasn't going to be getting any sleep while in a tree, that was for sure. Of course he didn't mention that it was too dark to sleep.

DragonSong · April 03, 2019, 03:24:39 PM

Theoden gave him a droll look, one eye already closed. "We're secure up here," he assured. "'Less you want me to tie ya to the tree or something."

He shifted a bit and relaxed deeper against the trunk, letting his eyes close fully. "Try to rest yerself, even if ya can't sleep. Probably a long trek in the morning."