Scrub a Dub Dub...

[Winters-Feather]

The seconds and few short minutes that Akenu  waited in anticipation were awful. She spent the whole time being on guard, waiting for Dram or one of the riders to follow her tracks to the point. She hissed as Marik gave out a cry and flapped his wings, restlessly. He was reacting to something he had heard, she knew, but it was what that was the question. The same energy seemed to sweep over Elyin, as well, as she whinnied softly and stomped, though the mare knew better than to make a loud fuss.
Hurry up, Akenu thought; she was rather restless, too.

After what seemed like an eternity, Marik began to sniff the air and nip at Akenu's ear.
"Ow," she muttered, though the woman took it as a sign to get on her horse. Sheathing her knife and pulling out her bow, Akenu gestured her head for Marik to lead the way. The dragon lead her less then a quarter mile to a part of the clearing that they had passed through. In the middle of it was a figure on one of the rider's horses. It took a moment for Akenu to process that it was Dram.  A wave of relief rushed through her as she solemnly put away her bow.
"You took your bath too soon," she said, wrinkling her nose at the sight and smell  of the blood. Her eyes scanned his face, arms, and torso for wounds, landing on the gash on his left shoulder.

[Lion]

Dram saw her coming towards him and loosened the tightened grip he had on the reins, ready to bolt in the other direction if need be.  The horse underneath him chuffed and whinnied lightly at the sight of another horse and trotted forward.  Upon meeting the young filly nuzzled noses with Eylin and wiggled her nose in excitement.

Dram looked dazed a bit and shook out of it when she spoke.  "Can you sew?  I have some needle and thread to take care of that gash, but I'll need you to do it.  I needed one anything.  But blood is good for the body.  We should get away from this place as far as possible.  I think I'll keep this filly.  Less weight on your mare."

[Winters-Feather]

OOC: where's the map of the world, again?
IC: Akenu also watched, somewhat amused at the two mares getting to know each other, but she was more focused and worried about Dram. She nodded curtly at his question.
"Yes, but can you wait for a bit? Put some pressure on the wound; let's go," she replied,  ignoring his  comment about Elyin. Of course she was heavier; she was bigger and a bit more muscular, and that was all right with Akenu. It was also a relief to her that there was less weight on her mare, though she said nothing about that, either. Instead, she clicked her tongue, and started to pick up a brisk pace. Nothing frantic; they weren't being chased by the nose. However, they needed to put some distance behind them before she attempted to fix Dram's wounds.

Finally, after a while, they broke out of the dense forest. The sight of some mountains was beginning to break in the horizon.
We should be in Serendipity in a week, Akenu mused.
It was a relief; the villages in the north were rather isolated. Bounty hunters shouldn't trouble them as much, or , at the least, the people wouldn't have been warned of their faces. Akenu pointed to a small settlement in a clearing up ahead. It looked to be of a small farm of sorts.
"We could ask them for shelter in the night, if you'd like. Get you fixed up," she suggested.
She gave Dram's face a thoughtful glare. His face was more recognizable then hers was. Especially those ears...Maybe they could hide them, somehow?

[Lion]

[ Here's a really old and outdated one.  Not sure when the new one will be up though.]

He nodded.  She had a point.  Dram could ride just as well with one hand as he could with both and held onto his shoulder with the other before nudging the horse off again.  The trees were starting to look more and more similar or maybe he was just getting tired of the terrain.  He cursed himself for not bringing his stupid bird along.  At least they could travel faster than these four legged beasts.  He wondered how Akenu would react to flying.  But that was a thought for later.

As he looked up, blood seeping through his fingers even as he put pressure on his wound, Dram looked at her with some exhaustion in his face.  "That place is as good as any.  Look, there's a barn over yonder.  We don't need to ask permission to hide from people trying to murder us.  Just break in, it's easier.  For all we know, these people could be in on it too."  Maybe it was just the delirious paranoia speaking, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

[Lion]

[whoops!]

[Winters-Feather]

OOC: Thanks! My geography in the real world is iffy , let alone this one.
IC:
Akenu shook her head, thoughtfully.
"We have two horses with us; they're bound to notice," she said.
Suddenly, she had an idea. The woman turned towards Dram and gave him a grin.
"We don't have to hide," she said.
The woman rumamged through one of her sacks, briefly, and threw it to Dram.
"Put this on, and hide your ears. Keep your head bowed at all times; don't let them see your eyes are red. Keep quiet, and be polite."
Slowly, the woman rode them towards the farm. They were greeted at the door by a gruff and hard worn man with a wife behind him, and two, wide eyed children.

Akenu gave him a professional looking nod.
"Hello," she said, "My names Yari, and my hubby there is Darren. We're merchants on our  way to Summervale."
She tsked and gave Dram a worried glance. Yari and Darren was a couple her parents were friends with. They were the only names she could come up with at the moment. The woman tried to conjure up how Yari spoke.
"Poor dear, we had a bit of a run into a pair of bandits."
"Bandits?" the man stiffly asked.
Akenu bobbed her head, her eyes widening up as she reached out for his shoulder, which he reluctantly let her touch. His wife drew the children inside.
"Yes, and they had bounty hunters on their tail. They came to rescue us in time, thank goodness," she replied, "Luckily, the idiots are headin' towards Ketra, so the hunters told us, though I'd keep a weary eye out, if I were you."
"How do I know you're not one of those 'idiots'?" the man replied, eyeing her weapons, Marik, and her somewhat muscular figure.
Akenu scoffed and pointed to her bags.

"I told you; we're merchants. And Marik here is harmless. He's friendly. Anyway, you can check our ware, if you like. Mostly in locked boxes, though I'll happily open them for you folk. Mostly herbs and jewelry. I fancy myself as a bit of a tattoo artist, myself."
Akenu ran towards Elyin's side, opened a satchel, and carefully pulled out her box full of piercings. She then approached the gruff man , unlocked it, and turned it towards him.
She could tell he was impressed by such items, but only nodded. Akenu grinned in return; this was the response she needed. Quickly, she shut the box.
"Anyway, we were wonderin', my husband and I, if we could please take shelter in your barn?" she asked, pleadingly, "He's hurt, and I need to attend to him. We'll gladly pay."

The man looked back at his wife, who nodded. She said something, though Akenu didn't quite catch it, and ran back into the house. The husband sighed, and turned back to Akenu.
"Just tonight," he said, outreaching his palm in which Akenu slipped in several copper coins.
"We're forever in your debt," she replied.

[Lion]

Dram would have been quick to defend his thought.  He thought it was a pretty good idea himself.  Why not?  It was a little risky sure, and it wasn't exactly honest, but it left you with a place to sleep and a roof over your head for no cost but your discretion.  He was beginning to see that Akenu was one of those honest types that was probably going to clash with his increasingly dishonest behavior.  He didn't mean to be that way, it was the only way he knew how to survive.  Why pay for something when they could save a few coins and get it for free?

But before he could contest her decision she threw something at him that resembled a hood and he looked at her with some perplexity.  Hide his ears and eyes eh?  Pfft, what did she think he was, a constant face on a poster?  The nerve of this woman.  But he did it anyway, pulling the hood up over his eyes and keeping his head down, watching the ground as they made their way to the house.

The air began to grow chiller as afternoon faded overhead and a light rain began to fall.  Little more than a drizzle but it made Dram shiver nonetheless.  Throughout her explanation, Dram did as he was told, keeping his head low and his eyes half-lidded, viewing only the feet of the farmer who owned the house and the wife, who stood a little more back from the door.  Behind her he vaguely saw the two little feet of the children that hid by her apron skirt.

He held his breath through all the questioning, feeling the cold was making his nerves a little more on end than usual.  When the husband finally disappeared from the door, Dram glanced carefully up at her from his hood and made a face.  "Husband?" he questioned harshly.  If there was ever a terrible lie it was that.  He'd never marry someone like her!

[Winters-Feather]

Akenu scoffed at Dram's perplexed expression, and shrugged.
It was clear that she didn't much like the idea, either, but it was at least a respectable alibi. Besides, it was all she could think up of, on the spot like that. He should be grateful that she got them lodgings!
The woman began to lead both his and her mare to the stable, when the wife came running out of the house, lantern in hand.
"Here, take this," she offered, "It's dark in there."
The woman looked half startled, and peered at Dram's hooded face  before  returning back into her home.
"Thank you," replied a somewhat confused Akenu.
She hoped they wouldn't be bothered again; talking this much was tiring her.

As the rain began to pick up, the woman bowed her head as she quickened her pace; she didn't want to get caught in the incoming rain, either.
She opened the barn's door and allowed the creatures to go into the dark barn. It wasn't empty; a  cow was resting in it's corner. When she found a suitable camp in the back corner, the woman carefully set down the lantern and unload Elyin's back.
She gestured for Dram to get off and sit somewhere, as she began to rummage through her belongings for a suitable needle, tread, a water pouch, rags, and medicine to numb the pain.

[Lion]

Dram kept wondering to himself when the insufferable married couple would just go away, so he could take this damned hood off and get warm in someplace dry.  He only grunted a thanks in response to the woman, nodding at her when she tried to look at him.  Thank goodness for the falling of the light and the darkness of the hood.  He kept his eyes low so even they would not reflect their redness to the woman.

Once they were in the barn, Dram let out a sigh and finally took the hood off as he dismounted from the filly.  The horse shook itself all over as Dram went around to get the equipment off her back as Akenu was for Eylin.  "You need a name, bubby," Dram commented, smiling at the animal.  He pat the filly's hide firmly and brushed her face.  The animal turned about and walked toward what fresh hay was in the corner.

He'd done all that mostly with one arm and used that same arm to undo the straps of his sheathe that clung to his back, dropping that by the filly's saddlebags.  His shoulder hurt like a son of a bitch and he made a face from the soreness of the wound.  The cold didn't help and he had chills all over.  Dram had trouble pulling off just the shoulder of his tunic so he just settled for taking the whole thing off, having a seat beside Akenu.

He saw the items that she was getting out and eyed the medicine suspiciously.  "No," he gestured to the medicine.  "Nothing to numb it.  Just sew it.  But the metal first if need be, but I can take the pain.  Just get it over with."  The gash had widen from all the movement, and the bleeding had yet to cease.

[Winters-Feather]

Akenu made a disapproving noise at his discontent  at the medicine, but she said or made no other gesture to go against his wishes. If he wanted to be all macho, that was fine with her, but the woman didn't want him  rolling on the ground with angst. She took the clean rag and damped it with water and began to clean his wound, her blue eyes narrowing as she began to focus on her work.  To disinfect the needle, Akenu opened up the lantern and heated the needle carefully over the flame. When the needle started to become uncomfortably hot, she pulled it out in a sharp gesture, and waved it a bit to cool down.
Even with her keen eyes and the lantern, the barn was dim, and it was hard to properly thread the needle.

With a sigh, she scooted herself closer to Dram, bringing the lantern to a more favorable angle. Brushing her hair out of her face, she used her left hand to apply pressure to his wound with the rag while also keeping his arm in place.
"Try not to move," she said, almost gently, and then pierced his skin with the needle. Akenu worked as swiftly and steadily as she could. In the end it had taken her nine stitches to completely close the wound. She cut the thread with her knife.
"Where are you bandages?" she asked as she finished cleaning the wound, knowing better this time than to search for them herself.

A knock on the barn door interupted them, once again. Akenu gave a moan and looked down at her soiled hands. Taking the rag with her, she approached the door and opened it to find one of the children, the elder boy, with two large bowls of broth. His tawny face was covered in freckles and his nose was sun burnt. His black hair was wild and his eyes wide and innocent. The boy couldn't have been older than nine, and he looked at her hands with interest.
"Ma told me to bring this to you, ma'am," he politely said.
Akenu gave the child a weary smile.
"Give her my thanks," she said.
The boy nodded, though he seemed hesitant about something. Marik flew out of the barn, and landed on Akenu's shoulder, peering at the lad.
Not now, she thought, but the boy seemed delighted by the creature.
He reached out to touch him, which Marik gladly obliged to.
"I wanna become a dragon rider, one day," he boldly declared.
Akenu had trouble lip reading him, for his attention was all over the place. So instead of giving a response, she just silently walked back to Dram and handed him a bowl.

[Lion]

It wasn't a macho thing if that's what she thought.  But Dram couldn't be bothered to explain it to her.  He may not have been very grateful to her, or been kind at all now that he thought about it, but he realized that she'd shown him enough kindness to last a year of his life.  He was no used to generosity, or congeniality.  The world he knew was dog eat dog, and it was usually the smaller dogs that got eaten first.  He used to be one of those, he used to be the one of the wasted ones.  Maybe he was more of a jerk than he thought he was.

Dram had a high pain threshold and when she stuck the needle in him, he made only a face and said not a word as she sewed the gash shut.  It stung like hell but at least it would be closed up.  Dram did not move his shoulder after she finished and only looked down to admire her work before she asked for bandages.  He produced the from his belt, a smaller roll than he'd last remembered.  He set it aside before the barn door was knocked upon.  Instinctively, he hid in the shadows, looking out beyond them warily towards the boy that appeared when Akenu opened it.

Brief words were exchanged and Dram held his breath again.  Damn he hated all this hiding and counted down the seconds until the boy was gone.  Dram appeared a little when Akenu returned and took the bowl in their hands.  It was warm and he was honestly starving after all the traveling they did.  He sniffed it suspiciously at first before scarfing a good chunk of it down and eying Akenu with an apologetic look.

He set the bowl down on his thigh and picked up the bandages.  "I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time, Akenu," he said, the words of an apology feeling so strange on his tongue.  "You do good work, patching me up.  And I'd like to repay for all the trouble I've caused you.  And will probably cause you more in the future once we get to Serendipity."

[Winters-Feather]

After the boy left, Akenu returned to Dram's side and placed her bowl down. The woman carefully scooped out a few chunks for Marik, but gave him a look that clearly said punishment would ensue if he touched the rest. She cleaned her hands with some more water from the skin before reaching out for the bandage's in Dram's hands.
The woman was startled at his sudden apology. She wasn't used to such situations, either, and right now was certainly a mixed bag.  On one hand, she was shocked that he had actually addressed her by name and that he was actually being... polite. On the other, there were some things time was needed to blow over, and possibly ruining her chances to freely roam her birth kingdom was one of them. However, with a sharp, if not confused breath, the woman nodded and began to awkwardly work on wrapping his arm.
"'Repay me'?" she repeated with a questioning glance.

This part had been easy. As soon as she was done wrapping the bandages around  his arm, she picked up her own bowl  and began to eat it properly, remembering her manners, if not a bit rushed. The bowl was large and the broth good. As she ate, Akenu observed Dram's new mare. She was younger than Elyin, though rather lean and muscular. She was built for speed and endurance, that's for sure.
"What's her name?" she practically whispered.
A hard day's journey , surgery, and good food  all combined often did make one sleepy. Her voice was also growing wary, though Akenu usually strained it more during market days. She suspected she only felt exhausted from all that excitement.

[Lion]

Dram actually felt embarrassed for having muttered those words to her and immediately regretted them right after he said them.  He blushed and thanked himself for the darkness of his skin that concealed it.  There were few people he could ever be thankful for, and even then he usually never voiced it.  He preferred to speak through actions.  Maybe that would have been considerably less embarrassing than speaking it was for him.

He huffed and got over his flustered feelings, observing his surroundings.  He had a careful eye when he wasn't in the heat of the moment, and he had always been a quiet observer.  At her repetition of his offer to repay her, he only nodded and said nothing more of the fact.  He always paid his debts, no matter who they were for and what it entailed.

Dram finished what was in his bowl, warmed from the heat and no longer as chilly as before.  He looked at her and actually grinned.  "I don't know.  I've never actually owned a horse of my own before.  All I've ever ridden is an eagle for the past century or so.  His name is Bane.  He's a big lug of an idiot, you'd love him.  But I don't know where he is," Dram said to her, making sure he was looking at her face to face.

"Maybe Sascha."

He admired the horse for a few moments longer.

"How do you that thing with your hands?" he asked in abrupt curiosity.  "I don't think you like reading lips all the time do you?  Could you teach me how to...what did you call it 'Sign'?"

[Winters-Feather]

Akenu nearly choked on her next gulp of her food at the mention of Dram's eagle named Bane.
What!?!?
The woman could only gawk at the elf in wonder. She had seen eagles before, and thought them to be majestic creatures. Of course, the woman was born in the land of dragon riders and thought them to be just as fine steads. However, had always been a land based creature and never really took to the skies. Besides, she loved her Elyin, and traveling by ground suited her just fine. Still....she had never heard of an eagle big enough to act as a steed. And Dram...as a rider? How did THAT happen?
Akenu narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" she quietly asked, getting out of her initial shock.
How could he lose a friend like that, if they traveled together so? Did Dram not take care of him?
Unlikely, the woman thought , observing the way he admired his horse. He was alright around animals. Marik liked him enough, anyway. She frowned at the memory of him spanking Elyin with his sword...twice.
Maybe not that great.

The woman tried to pronounce the name he had given his steed. "Sc" combinations were always tricky.
"Sa...cha?" she slowly whispered, when she was addressed with yet another shock.
Before, Dram had insulted signing. Now he was actually...being kind and asking properly. However, she was grateful for his question, and glad to have a willing student. After all, he was going to have to learn, sooner or later. That she had decided earlier, right?
"I don't mind reading lips," she replied, "It's just a bit tricky at times, is all. And , yes, I did. Here..."
The woman slowly spelled his name out loud, while signing it with her hands.
"You try."
She figured she should probably start with teaching him words they would need to tell each other in a bind as well as names.

[Lion]

Dram just smiled at the question.  "I mean I ride an eagle.  I do not lie, Akenu.  Not if I can help it.  I might be a thief, but I do my best to remain an honest one," he said simply.  

Dram paid attention to the signs she made with her hands as she spelled out his name, though he did not know his name.  He followed suit, messing up on the second and fourth letter, making what looked to be more of an obscene insulting gesture without meaning to.  He blushed and tried again, having closely studied what she'd done.  "Like that?  What does that mean?  Was that a whole sentence or just one word?  How do you sign your name?"

[Winters-Feather]

Akenu tried not to judge Dram too harshly as he messed up terribly on his name. She bit her bottom lip in an attempt not to laugh as she shook her head.
"This is mine," she said as she slowly spelled it with her hands.
"Let's start with yours, again..."
The woman reached out for his, and helped the so called honest thief again sign out the letters to his name.

She then proceeded to teach to teach him how to spell Marik's, Elyin's, Andreya's, and Sascha's, though she had accidentally left out the 's', making it "Sacha".  Further, she started to teach the elf signs for words, such as pronouns and things like "Good morning" and "thank you". She also started on phrases such as "someone is coming" and which direction, "Stay still", and  "hurry". The woman  supposed she should have had taught the alphabet, as well, but by the end of the lesson, the candle in the lantern had almost melted the entirety of its candle.

Akenu had been yawning every so often throughout the session, but now they were coming more and more frequently, and her eyes were getting droopy.
"That's enough for tonight," she said as she rolled her neck and rubbed it a little before getting up to retrieve her bedding in one of her sacks.

[Lion]

Dram was a quick and diligent study, listening carefully to everything she taught him.  At first he had his doubts about this 'Sign' thing.  He didn't understand it, how it could possibly be useful, but this definitely was the first time that he'd ever really come into contact with a deaf person.  Could she truly blame him for being so close-minded before?  In the same turn, however, he was rapidly learning, absorbing everything that she had to teach him.

He nodded when they were done, though he didn't feel tired enough to sleep.  "You go to sleep.  I'll keep watch for tonight," he said, nodding to her.  He leaned against one of the barn pillars and practiced the signs to himself little by little, going over in his head what she had directed him.

After a while, putting away what he'd learn in his mind, he glanced over at Akenu.  A curious gaze went over him, as he recalled the number of tattoos on her body.  She seemed to have quite an inclination toward ink and piercing, though he wondered why.  Carefully, a stray hand reached out to her hip as she slept where he recalled seeing a tattoo there on her belly.

[Winters-Feather]

Akenu gave Dram a questioning glance at his desire to keep watch. The day had been exhausting for both of them, and who knew what the next would hold. Rather, all of them, for the animals were already asleep. The horses slept next to each other on the other side of the barn, but Marik perched himself on a board over head, occasionally sneezing or tossing his tale about. Dram wouldn't be hugging her back anymore, now; she needed him alert during the day. However, the woman decided it was best not to question his attentions. After all, he knew better than she the limitations of his body. Security would be a nice thing to have, too. So instead of protesting, she set down her bed roll, made sure all her equipment were by her bed side, and pulled her good cloak over he shoulders, using it as a blanket. She signed good night with a small chuckle, and closed her eyes.

The woman was a quick sleeper, and drifted off within minutes.  Akenu often started off sleeping on her side, her head cradled in her hands. She didn't wake up from Dram's touch, not yet. Instead, her arm moved, as if to brush him away. Under the cloak did her body rustling a bit, as if shaking off something. She made a soft moaning noise, somewhat similar to the ones she made when she was annoyed with Marik's activities. It was probably why the wanderer didn't wake up in the first place, so used was she to her dragon companion.

[Lion]

Dram took his hand away momentarily as he looked at her as she brushed him away, thinking little more of it.  He was warded off only for a moment before he looked over her again.  He touched the tattoo on her hip once more, tracing the lines of it, curious as to its origins and wondering what it meant to her.  In a way he was almost envious.  Having never known his native home, a part of him always felt as if he was missing something.  Inspecting her tattoos was a part of that something he felt was vacant inside him.

Dram adjusted quietly, saying nothing after he no longer inspected the tattoo by her hip, and moved to look at the one on her back, moving up the cloak to get a better look.  Here was one much larger than the leaf on her hip.  He pressed a cool hand up to the small of her back, tracing the lines again with a curious gaze.

[Winters-Feather]

OOC: Post 100 :D :D
IC:

It was the combination of the steady, light pressure on her back from Dram's fingertips, the coolness of his hands, and the absence of her cloak over her legs that slowly rose the sleeping woman. She blinked in the darkness, temporally  dazed, before she started to draw conclusions. Akenu jolted upright and faced Dram, panting softly from the fright he had caused her. Her icy blue eyes were narrow and hardened.
"What...the...hell...were...you...doing!?" she whispered, signing the words with a frenzied anger.
She hoped it wasn't anything vulgar; she wouldn't be able to sleep in his presence, and he really didn't want her sleep deprived. Akenu supposed he could have been just waking her up, but if so, why touch her lower spine and not her shoulder, like normal people did?