Veguard was still curious, but since she seemed done with the conversation, he simply nodded. "Goodnight..." He spoke softly, feeling little tiredness in his veins. He only slept a few hours near the break of morn, still sitting up, ever vigilant.
The next day and Veguard was again slowly following behind Valeska. It was a pleasant day, the sun filtering down through the trees onto the path, keeping it shady and cool but not too dark. Beautiful was really the only way to describe it...
Until the shriek broke the serenity.
Veguard was jarred from his observations, only having enough time to register that Val was in trouble before his legs began to move him forward.
Vines.
Must cut.
The sword was out in the blink of an eye, and before he had even stopped, he was slicing. One cut, the vines were gone from around her ankles, second cut, the one from her left wrist was gone, the back of her dress was sliced open, and the vine that had snaked its way up that path was cut. Third slice, and the vine dropped from her right wrist, as well as that same fifth vine from around her thigh.
He may have damaged her dress, but the vines were no longer able to grasp her bleeding form.
Veguard all but tossed the sword to the ground, gingerly taking Valeska around the waist. Without really worrying about it, he quite smoothly jerked the front of her dress up with his right hand, and dislodged the vine carefully, but quickly, from between her breasts and across her shoulder. He threw it away and then carefully moved and set Val down on the bare earth.
"Lady Valeska, are you alright??"
