Forever on the Run [DragonSong][M]

Zero · April 03, 2019, 03:46:04 PM

"Please, no tying." Mikhail's voice had dropped low and he shuddered at the very thought of being tied up and helpless. His hand instinctively went up to the collar around his neck, readjusting it uncomfortably. It didn't matter how much he fiddled with the metal, it never rested comfortably.

Giving up, he sighed and hugged the tree branch. He was tired, but not sleepy. The dark made him restless, it always felt more natural to be active in the coolness and shadows of the night. Sunshine and brightness was what made him drowsy. Not that Mikhail had much choice in when he slept or worked. Free for now, he still wouldn't have a lot of choice.

"Good night." It was going to be a long night.

DragonSong · April 03, 2019, 07:36:57 PM

Theoden briefly considered the likelihood of a hole simply opening in the fabric on the universe and swallowing him right there. Deciding that was verging on less than one in a million, he glanced down and debated the pros and cons of allowing himself to fall out of the tree to avoid the crippling embarrassment of what he'd just said.

Yeah. That probably wasn't his best option either.

With a sigh, he settled for an awkwardly mumbled, "Right, kid. Sorry. No tying."

Kicking himself internally, he turned onto his side, resting shoulder and head against the tree's trunk and closing his eyes. "Get some sleep."

A long night indeed.

Zero · April 04, 2019, 08:52:34 AM

Getting comfortable in a tree was a lot harder than you might think, and most people were smart enough to think it was hard to begin with.

Mikhail was quiet as he shuffled and changed positions several times over the next few hours, but he did his best to let Theoden sleep, since the elf seemed to have a much easier time settling down for sleep than him. He was almost envious.

Almost.

By the time the sky started lightening, Mikhail had just managed to get sort of not terribly uncomfortable. Mainly by laying along a thicker branch on his stomach, limbs curled around the surface beneath him, hugging himself to the perch as he dozed fitfully.

DragonSong · April 05, 2019, 10:08:04 AM

It was clear simply by the fact that he managed to sleep through the night that Theoden was either used to strange sleeping positions, or used to sleeping in trees specifically.

Eventually, soft morning light began to filter through the trees and he groaned softly, turning his head slightly in an effort to avoid the light before finally admitting defeat and blinking his eyes open.

He glanced to the side and couldn't help the little huff of laughter that pushed from his chest. "Oi. Kid." He reached over to prod Mikhail's shoulder lightly.

Zero · April 05, 2019, 10:35:47 AM

Mikhail was definitely not used to sleeping in trees, and hadn't been asleep very long when the prod to his shoulder made him jerk away with a startled cry. He scrambled to cling tighter to the branch he had been laying on, heart racing as he felt the familiar terror of possibly falling.

Once he was sure that he wasn't falling, the young slave shot a glare at the one who had dragged him up in the tree to begin with.

"I'm not a kid." Mikhail huffed softly as he sat up and rubbed at his eyes tiredly.

DragonSong · April 07, 2019, 07:19:09 PM

"Whoa, easy." Without thinking, Theoden grabbed the younger man by the scruff of his neck to help him keep his balance on the branch, pulling him up a bit so that he was settled back toward where the branch was thicker, connected to the trunk of the tree.

Then he realized what he'd done and quickly snatched his hand back, blushing and clearing his throat. "Uh, right, ki-- you. Sorry. Not a kid, got it."

Zero · April 08, 2019, 09:38:46 AM

Being grabbed really didn't help much, in fact it only made Mikhail flail a little and almost fall again. "Will you stop!"

He didn't want to sound ungrateful, not at all, but he was extremely uncomfortable being so far from the ground. Not that he was afraid of heights or anything stupid like that! That was definitely not the reason he was clutching the tree for dear life now.

"Can we please just get down now? Please?" Mikhail wouldn't properly relax until they were out of this tree - and he was never climbing one again!

DragonSong · April 14, 2019, 04:23:23 PM

"Sorry, I'm sorry, I--"

Very red in the face, Theoden backpedaled quickly, holding his hands up to show he wasn't going to try to touch him again. "Right. Yeah, we can get down. Doesn't look like those people after you hung around," he muttered, already turning to start climbing back down through the branches of the tree.

Zero · April 29, 2019, 04:32:13 PM

Mikhail sighed and pressed his forehead against the trunk of the tree. Even with his eyes closed he really couldn't pretend that he wasn't high off the ground, clinging to a stupid tree like a baby. It was insanely embarrassing that he was almost more afraid of being stuck in the tree than being caught by his hunters on the ground.

At least Theoden seemed to think they were gone.

He wasn't able to follow his companion immediately. It took more steadying breaths than he was willing to admit to before Mikhail was able to muster the courage to actually move. At least when clinging he was less likely to fall than while trying to get down.

The young man did eventually will his limbs to work. His descent was slow and painstaking. It was painfully obvious how uncomfortable and fearful he was.

DragonSong · April 30, 2019, 05:03:49 PM

Theoden waited at the bottom of the tree as the younger man climbed.

And climbed.

And climbed.

Dear gods I'm gonna get old waiting for this kid.

"Hey, uh, Mikhail? Look, you're nearly to the bottom now-- if you wanna just jump, I'll catch ya," the hunter offered, hoping to move things along a bit.

Zero · April 30, 2019, 08:00:10 PM

"Jump?" Mikhail asked a bit disbelieving, pausing his climb down to gawk. He looked down, it probably wasn't all that far now, but to him it still looked like a long way. Damn he felt like a coward as he clung to his current branch and stared down at the elf with wide red eyes.

Sure he was moving slow, but was it that bad? The escaped slave closed his eyes and gulped. "You promise you're not going to drop me or something?"

DragonSong · May 01, 2019, 08:04:02 AM

Almost despite himself, Theoden felt a smile twisting at the corners of his mouth. "I promise," he replied, keeping his voice steady and sure. "You can trust me, okay? I'm not going to let you get hurt."

He took a step closer to the trunk of the tree, watching as Mikhail seemed to deliberate above him.

Zero · May 01, 2019, 08:11:16 AM

Mikhail didn't trust anybody, but who could blame him for that?

"Right, okay. I'll jump." His heart was hammering away against his rib cage. Jumping was scary, but it meant he would be out of the tree that much quicker, and there was nothing he wanted more at the moment than to get out of this tree and never climb one again.

Ever.

Awkwardly he positioned himself in preparation of his leap of faith, breath and shaking limps unsteady. "Okay, on the count of three?"

"One." Oh gods was he really considering this?

"Two." Mikhail squeezed his eyes shut.

"Three." He let go of the branch and dropped towards the ground and waiting Theoden.

DragonSong · May 01, 2019, 11:54:55 AM

Theoden surged forward, a hunter's reflexes working almost as much as critical thought as he reached up to catch Mikhail.

"Uff." The breath left his body in a sharp huff and he staggered slightly, but managed to keep his feet. Suddenly grinning, he looked down at Milhail and crowed, "See? Told ya it'd be fine."

Zero · May 01, 2019, 12:16:19 PM

He couldn't open his eyes. Mikhail grunted when he impacted with something, but it wasn't the ground. His hands had come up to cover his eyes, entire body trembling slightly as he processed what had just happened.

Mikhail slowly peeked out from behind his hands, eyes looking up at Theoden in a mix of relief and terror. He had just jumped out of a tree!

"Thanks." He squeaked, quickly looked away with a blush. The young slave didn't think he'd been this embarrassed in quite a long time. This completely stranger had seen him bedraggled running through the woods, had carried him up a tree, and now had caught him out of that same tree he'd dragged him up the night before. He could only imagine what the elf thought of him and the whole situation.

DragonSong · May 02, 2019, 08:05:59 AM

Theoden's grin quickly faded as his new charge blushed, and he felt an answering flush of heat rise to his cheeks. Right. Most people didn't just tell someone they'd just met to jump out of a tree into their arms, did they?

"Um, yeah. No problem." He quickly set Mikhail on his feet and took a few steps back, rubbing nervously at the back of his neck.

Zero · May 02, 2019, 08:23:01 AM

Mikhail was set back on the ground and immediately fussed with the rags he called clothes, trying to cool the edge of his embarrassment. It was far less about being in Theoden's arms briefly and much more about being seen to act so cowardly over something like heights. As a slave he had experienced true horrors, things worth being fearful of, and he did not consider a fear of being off the ground to be among acceptable fears.

"Thank you, again. Not just for catching me, but for last night. They would have caught me if you hadn't helped." Mikhail turned to Theoden and bowed deeply to him. "I owe you a great debt and I will pay you back as soon as I am able. You have my word."

DragonSong · May 03, 2019, 08:11:46 AM

"Whoa, uh..." Theoden just blinked at him, shifting uncomfortably. He wasn't used to being bowed to, and he didn't think he really cared for it.

"Look, it's not a big deal, ki-- Mikhail. Any decent person would have done the same," he muttered, glancing away and rubbing the back of his neck again.

Zero · May 03, 2019, 11:31:26 AM

"Then I haven't met any decent people before." Mikhail grumbled softly as he straightened from his bow, looking over Theoden and how uncomfortable he looked over being bowed to.

"I owe you regardless, and I'm both grateful for your help and sorry for causing you trouble. I really can't ask for you to do more than you already have. If you could just point me in the right direction that would be enough." He had no idea what direction would take him towards freedom and away from slavery.

DragonSong · May 13, 2019, 10:45:37 AM

Theoden could believe that the skinny young man in front of him had come across decency only rarely in his life, if ever. With a huff of breath, he shook his head and muttered, "You don't gotta apologize or anything..."

He glanced down at Mikhail, then off into the trees, then back again. A long, slow sigh pressed from his chest and he starting gnawing on his bottom lip, a habit when he was contemplative. "Look...I'm not super comfortable with ya just-- just walking off. I can get you to the next town, at least."