Cheers Darlin' [M][DragonSong]

[Lowen Thorn]

"I don't just see you as a woman," he said honestly and defensively. "I see you as a thief. I see you as a warrior. I see you as a criminal-for-hire. I see you as everything that is wrong with this gods-forsaken place, and I see you as a symbol for everything I'm against."

He looked away while keeping up his pace. "Yet for some reason I also see you as a friend," he muttered. "I don't have anyone else right now. You're it. I'm sorry I kissed you."

[DragonSong]

She considered that for a few moments before giving her answer.

When she finally did speak, it was only to say, "I...appreciate the apology."

She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about his perception of her--not that it really mattered, it never did. Still, it was something she turned over in her mind as she guided them ever nearer to the edge of the city. They were in the less populated districts now, the slums of Zantaric... Which she supposed was sort of like saying "the underbelly of the underbelly".

[Lowen Thorn]

In when he thought Zanataric couldn't get any worse, it did just that. His entire perception of the city was basically just a very large trash can, but now he was in what he thought was probably their version of the slums. What was worse than living in a trash can? This would be it.

"How much further do you think," he asked, keeping his face shielded from stray passerbys here and there.

[DragonSong]

Jynx shot him a look. "Considering I'm not the one who got robbed at this place so I don't actually know exactly where we're going, I'm not sure," she replied, droll. "Best guess is about a day's walk. We'll have to camp outside tonight."

Which she hated doing, but she didn't see that they had much choice.

[Lowen Thorn]

He shrugged in response. Regardless of who was robbed, she still would have a better idea of the area than he ever would.

He got the point, though.

"That's not too bad," he continued. "Let me know when you want to stop and I'll set up camp. It's the least I can do."

[DragonSong]

"No. That's alright. Thanks," Jynx replied shortly. They were moving out of the city entirely, into the strange, ramshackle clusters of abandoned huts and sheds that were starting to be taken back by the wild around them.

They should probably get a little further into cover before camping--something that she honestly didn't trust Noah to be in charge of, not by himself.

Aw, Jynx. No faith in the lad?

"No, actually," she growled under breath, then winced and shot a furtive glance toward her companion, hoping he hadn't heard.

[Lowen Thorn]

Noah shrugged off her decline easy enough, but then she said no again. No, actually. He tilted his head slightly and looked to her as they walked. "Actually what?" he asked.

[DragonSong]

"Ah--nothing. Just talking to myself. Bad habit," Jynx replied quickly. She ducked her head and sped up slightly, trying to stave off more questions with, "C'mon, we've probably only got another hour or two of daylight before we should make camp."

[Lowen Thorn]

Noah's response was a cocked eyebrow and to pick up his pace. Something about that was just odd to him, but he shrugged it off. This is Zantaric, after all. People were odd. She wouldn't be any different.

"Right," he agreed. Camp. Hopefully this time the devil spawn of a dog wouldn't sit on him.

[DragonSong]

Jynx lapsed into silence as they continued to walk. She kept her hood up and her eyes forward, not bothering to so much as glance at the rare occasional traveler they passed--most people heading into the city rather than away from it.

She did shift subtly whenever this happened though, hand moving toward the blade strapped to her thigh.

By the time the sun was dipping to the ground, however, it had been a few hours since they'd really seen anyone. She figured it might be safe to start scouting for a campsite soon, and told Noah so.

[Lowen Thorn]

Jynx had decided to remain quiet sometime in between the transition from day to night, so Noah did the same. Finally, she was ready to make camp, and he couldn't be more grateful. It would be getting too late to see anything soon, and he was tired. He really wasn't cut out for this lifestyle, even if all that had really been doing was walking and watching over their backs.

"Whatever works," he suggested, looking at their surroundings.

[DragonSong]

Jynx tilted her head and stared at him. "Do you...have any idea what makes a good campsite?"

She tried to keep the exasperation out of her voice, she really did, but she was tired, and her head was starting to hurt, and this poor little lordling had no idea how to survive on his own so it seemed like it was up to her to keep them both alive.

"Okay, just...try to look at the level of the earth." She indicated with a broad gesture. "Flatter is going to be better for sleeping, and some place with a bit of natural cover is extra protection, right?"

[Lowen Thorn]

Noah stopped and looked at her with a tired smile.

"Yeah, flat earth is good. Natural cover is also good. It's best to be relatively near water for cooking, cleanup, and setting up our water supply for tomorrow's journey. We should also find something with not only cover, but that hides us from anybody that may be passing by."

He let his eyes fall from her and peered around again. "If we were expecting bad weather overnight, we would probably need a little higher ground than what we have now, but I don't think we're expecting anything bad."

[DragonSong]

"Even if we get rain, there's not much we can do about it now," Jynx replied brusquely. "It gets dark quicker out here in the trees. We don't have time to find somewhere else."

She set to work pacing out a border around the small campsite, marking first with just her footsteps, then finding a suitable branch and dragging it along behind her as she walked the circle again, drawing a line in the earth. 

[Lowen Thorn]

Noah shrugged before folding his arms over his chest as he watched her. He wasn't sure if nothing he could do or say would gain him just the least amount of respect in her eyes, or if what he said went completely over her head.

"I use to camp with my parents," he said. "So I'm not completely useless. Tell me what you need me to do and I'll do it."

[DragonSong]

Jynx shrugged. "Mark out a spot to sleep, if you want to clear the ground for it. And a pit for a fire is probably a good idea," she said as she began pacing out a wide circle around the makeshift campsite.

[Lowen Thorn]

"Sure. Easy enough."

Noah was grateful to feel even somewhat useful around Jynx, and his confidence was becoming increasingly visible the more time he spent with her. It probably a combination of getting used to being around a particular person, and she chided him enough to rip all the remaining nerves he had from his skin.

Marking a sleeping spot was easy - there wasn't a whole lot to choose from regardless, and setting up a pit for fire took a little time but was still an easy task.

[DragonSong]

"You know how to start a campfire? Or can you just use magic?" Jynx asked as she finished pacing her circle and took a few steps back toward Noah, peering over his shoulder into the fire pit.