A Sentence of Solitude

[Lion]

His hold was steady until she was upright and he kept his hand only on hers because he had failed to pull it away. And even still he didn't want to. Her touch was soothing, after all it was she that roused him from his self-loathing.

He smiled and brought her hand to his belly, vaguely grasping it closer to his heart, as if it were an endearing thing, and he blushed as he carefully let it go. "I'm okay," he nodded to her. "Maybe we should look out for each other on the water yeah? You wash my back, I'll wash yours. Hm....maybe less figuratively than I meant."

He maneuvered around behind her and saw her back.  "Oh...you haven't had a bath in a while huh?"

[Zero]

There had been a faint rosy tint to her normally pale cheeks already, but that was due to the laughing and sting of the cold on her face. As he pulled her hand against his stomach she felt her face flush a little for an entirely different reason - even more so when he blushed and let go. It took a moment for her to pull her hand away, but for the first time since undressing she felt shy and a touch awkward as she looked away.

"N-no. I've been out here alone since..." Well he knew since she'd been abandoned, but she didn't know how long that had been. A few days? When had been the last time Victor had let her enjoy a bath before that?

Alison blushed even harder, finally feeling self-conscious as she looked down at the water with embarrassment and wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't like being dirty, sorry."

[Lion]

"Don't be sorry. You have every right to be clean. And if you're going to serve me, we'll both have to make an effort on cleanliness, no?" Christer offered and washed the dirt off her back. "It'll keep the both of us... Or just me I guess, relatively alive.  And that's good for you if I heard you right."

He scraped off anything that was too hard to get and although his touch was gentle, it was firm enough to get the job done.

"There, all grime free. At least there.  Now, you get my back?  Makes the washing easier, yes?" Christer said and cleared his throat. Because he'd been staring at her back for a few minutes, and just south of her back was her behind.  Which he only briefly touched with a quick swipe of his hand to pluck off a pebble that had gotten stuck to her left cheek.

[Zero]

"I am alive." Alison protested softly, "But yes, you alive is very good for me. I can't stay alive if you aren't." She still kept her arms wrapped around her front sheepishly as his hands swiped away the days of accumulated filth from her back.

When he plucked away the pebble from her behind she blushed and only jumped a little. A sigh of relief rushed out of her when he declared she was done, and she turned to look up at him.

"It's kind of nice to have someone to wash your back. Even if the water is very cold." If they had access to a warm bath she doubted they'd be helping each other bathe, though. Christer seemed a bit shy about the whole idea of seeing her naked at first. They'd have probably taken separate baths.

Alison carefully circled around behind him, holding his arm to help keep her from slipping again. She used enough water to loosen any dirt, blood, or sweat, then gently and thoroughly wiped it away. Like him, she made a point not to go too far down his back, but she did give a quick look to make sure that he didn't have pebbles stuck to him. There were a couple small ones she dusted off quickly. "You're going to have a big bruise on your backside. It's already darkening a little."

She didn't laugh, because she knew she probably was going to have one too.

[Lion]

While she was busy thwacking rocks off his butt, Christer jumped a little at the contact, and flushed furiously. Easy now, he chided himself.

"You think so?  Is my backside big enough for a big enough bruise?" he asked and turned his head to look over his shoulder. "I think I got so used to standing in one place, I didn't even know the bum could bruise like that."  He chuckled, trying to push away the awkwardness of it all. Really though, he was the only one that was embarrassed.

"Okay then. With our backs washed, I guess I'll take care of Checkers," he said, gesturing to the horse. "Um, thanks, Alison."  He didn't walk away just yet, and turned to face her, smiling small. He didn't quite know how to finish a conversation like this. So he did the only thing he could think of and leaned in to quickly peck her on the cheek before maneuvering himself over to the horse.

[Zero]

"Oh yes, it is as easy to bruise as any other part of a person, but don't worry - you don't have a big butt. I mean, for a man. I...guess? I haven't looked at a great deal of them to really compare..." It just wasn't something you went around doing. Alison didn't make a habit of staring at men's behinds, as a general rule.

She blinked up at Christer in confusion when he thanked her. He didn't have to thank her for anything, as her master it was her duty and, in his case, pleasure to help him in any way that she could. She even got so far as to open her mouth to say as much when he bent down to kiss her cheek.

Alison's pink eyes widened slightly and her cheeks flushed. It was such a sweet, innocent gesture. She wasn't used to affectionate attention, although she supposed it shouldn't have surprised her from him. He was so nice to her.

When he went over to take care of Checkers she hurried over to her clothes and started pulling them back on. She was cold and they would help some. Snuggling against Christer while they rode father would be even warmer. Were they even going any farther tonight? "Should we...try to find an okay place to sleep and try to find a town in the morning?"

[Lion]

Christer shivered a little coming out of the water. He wasn't sure if it was because of being wet though. His flushed skin was cooled in the chilly air and he wandered over to Checkers to brush him down and massage the sores in his back. He supposed if they had to camp at some point. Checkers gave him an expectant look as if there were still apples in the saddlebags.

Where there some?

"I don't really know where I'm going," Christer admitted, looking at the stream and the direction it flowed. "But I think we could probably find something within traveling distance down that way."  He got redressed and shrugged his tunic back over his shoulders.  He placed the belt back around his waist, securing it tightly and looked sadly at Checkers.

"Sorry, bud. We're going to have to go riding again before we'll get some good hay for you, okay?"  Replacing the saddle back onto the horse, he climbed on and pulled Alison up along with him. "So, you're from Moonspear right? What was it like, growing up in Serendipity?"

[Zero]

"I don't either." Alison sighed softly, because she was just as lost as he was. This was unfamiliar territory for her. They were much too far north for her to recognize anything at all. She'd never been so close to the Connlaothian border before. "Yes, following water is usually a good way of finding more people."

She watched him saddle the horse again and felt bad that the poor thing didn't get to rest and eat before being put to work again. It couldn't really be helped, she guessed.

Her mind was completely taken off worrying about Checkers when Christer pulled her back into the saddle. With a sigh she resumed snuggling against his chest. He really was so warm to her. Alison hummed softly at his question, thinking it over before speaking quietly. "I doubt it was that different from growing up most anywhere else. I had two older brothers, and three older sisters. Mother made me take lessons and Father doted on me. Aaron and Samuel picked on me because they were brats, but they also would have beat anyone else up if they ever made me cry. Molly, Sarah, and Annie taught me how to embroider and dance."

She trailed off at the end, going quiet and just thinking back to her family. It was so easy to see them all again now, in her mind. Alison tried to forget that they were all dead. She forced down the sadness as best she could. "What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

[Lion]

Her response was something to listen to while they traveled to. And he relished the pressure she left on his chest. Even if it had felt awkward at first, he settled into it, and didn't see any reason to fight it. There wasn't any harm in letting her relax against him. Her hair smelled like the river.

"Hmm, I had a brother. Gratien," he said gently as Checkers flicked his ears as if he were listening too. "He was a soldier in the Connlaothian army. Serving the Grand Duke. But he died not too long ago. I miss him a lot. He used to tease me about wanting to be a knight, but I knew secretly he was proud.  Our father was a knight. Erikur. And my mother was Farrah. She went through a lot between the two of them...  Funny, until now, I never thought about not being able to see them again. It does leave me a little forlorn."

He felt himself unconsciously squeeze Alison tighter to him and he curled his shoulders into her. "Sometimes I feel like my brother is watching over me. But that's a silly thought isn't it?"

[Zero]

Alison's reaction to the extra squeezing was unconscious as well, pressing into him and seeking comfort from him. Perhaps a little selfishly, but Victor had never been a comforting presence for her.

"I don't think it's silly. It would be comforting to think any of my family was still watching over me. I'm sorry about your family Christer." Losing her family had been hard, so she could empathize very well with being forlorn, as he put it. She's just had a lot more time to adjust herself to the loss, even though it still hurt if she thought about it too hard or too long.

Absently one of her hands stroked his upper arm, hoping that she could be a comfort to him as much as he was for her.

[Lion]

For him it had been just the opposite. No time to adjust, no moment to truly fathom what had happened except to deal with it. Christer had lost everything he knew that was his life in a matter of months, and he knew that if he took a moment to stop and think about it, it would all coming flooding back to him.

And for now he'd spent enough time feeling sorry for himself.

Eyes flicked to her hand on his arm. It did, and a gentle chill trembled up his arm and back.  He relaxed against her as Checkers picked his way down hill and when the sound of wood creaking nearby snapped his attention, Christer looked up, and saw a waterwheel slowly turning against the flow of the stream.  And just as if he'd predicted it, there it was.  A village.

Small and a little squat, but it's quaint appearance was a much needed relief and Christer smiled for the first time in a long time. "At least we can get some real food here," he said. "I'm sure Checkers is real tired too."

The horse only glared at him.

[Zero]

They traveled in relative silence, but Alison didn't feel like it was awkward at all. She was weary and cold, but snuggling against Christer helped with both. So much so, that she drifted asleep there in the saddle. Creaking wood didn't wake her, but the sound of her master's voice did.

Sleepily she opened her pink eyes and looked around, catching sight of the village and making a soft sound of surprise.

"Food and rest would be good." The frail girl yawned, before reaching down to lightly pat the horse. Maybe Checkers wasn't fond of her, but she wanted to try to get along with her master's horse. "Thank you Checkers. I'm sorry you had to work so much tonight."

[Lion]

No Checkers was not happy. No, Checkers was not content to simply let the pair ride him while he had to do all the work. And yes, Checkers was really REALLY irritated that out of all the things that Christer managed to salvage from the burning caravan camp, it was the silly useless girl, and not his apples.

The horse only made a soft whinny in response to Alison's patronizing touch and words, flicking an ear and turning his gaze back forward. Christer dismounted and kept Alison on the horse as he entered through the slumbering village, the daylight having grown stronger and only one person coming out of their home now. 

The building with the waterwheel had a short plump woman come out of it and when she saw the trio, she spooked, and stared at them with horror.  "Oh you poor dear!  You look terrible!"  Her round form flew far and fast on tiny feet and she met them just at the bridge that crossed over the stream.  And when she reached them she was petting Checkers' nose and chin, nuzzling him with soft words of sympathy.

[Zero]

Well, she didn't know much about horses, but she didn't think the beast would ever like her. The last time she'd even been on a horse had been before her master had taken her away from her family. Alison turned to watch Christer slide out of the saddle, looking only slightly distressed that he was leaving her alone up there.

She gripped the saddle and just did her best not to look scared of falling.

At least until the plump woman appeared and ran towards them - and started petting the horse. Well, it wasn't as if she wanted any sympathy. With a little effort she managed to climb down from Checker's back, only to hide behind Christer, clutching the back of his shirt lightly.

"Ma'am, there were bandits. They attacked our caravan." Her voice was barely a squeak. "Are there guards we can tell?"

[Lion]

As much as it was nice that Checkers was getting the right amount of attention he deserved, Christer had to reach forward and gently grasp the plump woman's hand to bring her attention closer to him. "Please, stop. Just for a second."

She hissed and pulled her hand away.  "Sorry. I just love darling ponies."  She glanced up and looked between the pair, furrowing her brow and frowning. "Bandits you say? Oh, no that's terrible. I...don't know if there are any guards here that can help you. But if you keep going down that way, you'll reach Watership Keep. There's soldiers there. But they don't bother us too much here in the village," she explained.

"Who are you anyway?"

"Names Almira," she said. "And you?"

"I'm Christer Theirn.  And that's my...friend. Alison," he said, gesturing up to Alison.  Slowly he reached around and helped her down from the saddle.

[Zero]

As soon as her feet had hit the ground, Alison was hiding behind Christer and clutching his shirt, barely daring to peek around him at the pony-obsessed woman. The woman's answer was hardly encouraging and her face fell a little. No guards?

"Christer, we can't keep going now. Your horse needs to rest and you haven't slept all night." She whispered softly, looking up at him with those wide, pink eyes.

[Lion]

"You're right. Don't worry, Checkers deserves some rest," Christer agreed, looking at Alison then back to Almira. "Madam, would you be willing to help out a few strangers. I can pay you for you trouble." With what little gold he had.....on his belt.  A stray hand touched at the light purse and the woman raised her hands up, waving him off.

"You two look like you've waded through shit to get here. Whatcha need?"

"Can you take care of Checkers for me while we go up to this Watership Keep?" he asked and pursed his lips thoughtfully. The woman squealed and gasped.  She reached up to run hands along Checkers' face, brushing off the little pieces of leaves and crusts of dirt that were stuck there. "I'd be happy to. No charge. I can take care of your pony.  Don't worry."

Christer gave a deep sigh and nodded to Alison. "We should at least try to meet with the holder of this Keep? Checkers' will be all right."

[Zero]

Alison nodded her head slowly, still clinging lightly to his shirt. It was silly to be hiding behind him, there was no one but this woman - who seemed weird, but harmless. Still, she remained where she was, feeling safer just tucked so close to her master.

She made a soft sound when Christer made his request, but held her tongue. It wouldn't do to contradict or question him in front of this stranger. Although she was worried that if they left Checkers with the pony woman that they might have a hard time getting him back. Maybe she was just being paranoid after the whole bandit thing.

More importantly, she looked up at him owlishly when he suggested they try to meet the guy in charge of the keep. Alison tugged gently at his sleeve, her voice still a soft whisper. "Christer, you haven't slept."

He was right, of course, they needed to warn about the bandits, but she looked up at him with a concerned frown.

[Lion]

Yes the woman was a little weird, but she was also their best bet on having Checkers properly cared for. And the fact that she was willing to do so for free was a bonus. Truthfully Christer didn't at all feel tired until Alison mentioned that he hadn't slept. And that was the truth of it. Now the ache was present in every muscle and bone and he sighed, looking back to Almira.

"Um...before we leave ma'am, you wouldn't happen to have any room for two more would you? My friend and I have rested as much as the horse. We haven't slept in two days. Would you have somewhere for us to sleep?"

He said 'us' but he wasn't sure if Alison needed sleep at all. He was content to let her rest though, just in case. It wouldn't be very kind of him to simply let her stay with all of his stuff while he got to a siesta. He turned her and nodded. "Thanks for the reminder."

"All right. I have a little room with a cot. Just one. No funny business, and ....don't touch anything," Almira glowered only to smile when she pet Checkers again.

[Zero]

Alison had slept a little on the ride, not long or well, but she hadn't needed to guide Checkers, and it had been warm against Christer. She pressed her head against his arm and nodded when he thanked her for reminding him. He was her master, she had to look out for his well being. Plus he was kind to her and she just wanted to.

"No funny business, and we won't touch anything. Promise." She said quietly, looking between Christer and Almira shyly for a moment.