Only The Blessed [m]

[Draconian]

"I do not prefer to walk, thank you." Sunniva said, grabbing his hand and accepting the help up onto the horse. Despite being blind, most of the motions were practiced ones and she had her leg on the other side of the horse in one smooth movement. "It isn't close proximity, by the way, it is skin contact. You weren't being facetious when you said I was blessed by Ansgar. I've more skills than just being an Adhara." Then, she went quiet, sitting up straight with her hands resting on her thighs.

Still, those people could be on the road. They knew what she looked like. It wasn't exactly a rare colour but the blood in her hair was telling. One look at her and they would know the blind lady they'd be escorting hadn't been killed. There was no mention of that, instead Sunniva stayed quiet and touched as little of the Priest as she could. The last thing she wanted was one of his memories. Yucky.

[Lion]

Mercuxio was mindful of the rider behind him.  He knew he couldn't go back the way they came.  Her assailants could still be there, a possibility he acknowledged.  A deep frown set in then at the thought that the only possible form of civilization was the village with the mage posing as a divine healer.  Despite wanting to get rid of this Lily - a blind one at that - what other decision was there. 

The village was still a distance away.  "Get comfortable back there," he said with a sigh.  "It's going to be a long ride."

[Draconian]

Sunniva also gave a sigh when he told her to get comfortable. How could she get comfortable? This was awkward and even if they went to the village, how exactly was she going to get back home? Sunniva knew that most people considered her a nuisance. No one wanted to deal with having to lead around someone who was blind, she barely liked dealing with it.

A hollow feeling in her chest and she dropped her head down, her face crumpling slightly. She missed her dog. If Pillow was here, he'd lead her back to safety. Or worse, he'd have been killed too. Today was just a bad day. Humbling in a strange way, how easily she could have died.

The aches and pains were setting in and she supposed she should be glad for Father Mercuxio's quick thinking on helping with the worst of the bruises. Also the wound at her neck. Sunniva sighed again and reached her hand back to scratch at the horses rump gently, "Thank you. I know that having to deal with me is probably the last thing you want to do - I know well enough from everyone else - but I appreciate you doing it anyway." Maybe not a terrible priest after all.

Blugh. Sunniva pulled a face, wishing she could see simply to get rid of the image of... Boobs. Terribly funny looking things. Who would want to put their face on those? Strange people, that's who.

[Lion]

What an odd thing?  To be thanked in such a way.  If she felt he considered her a nuisance because she was blind, that was simply not that case.  Mercuxio did not appreciate being interrupted in the midst of a task he'd already been set on.  And yet he decided he couldn't abandon her.  So apart of his predicament was entirely his fault.  But what kind of priest would he be if he left her behind to wander these woods?

"What talk is this?  Humility from a Knight of the White Lily?" he asked, amusement dancing in his voice.  He chuckled.  "You were in need.  And as you said, God favors you.  Why were you surprised that you managed to find the help you needed when you needed it?"

[Draconian]

Sunniva scoffed loudly and unashamed. "I'm simply a blind woman on her way to a miracle healer," She corrected, an eyebrow raised in challenge - though he wouldn't see it since she was seated behind him, "There are no Lilies here." Silently, a hint to go along with the general idea she'd been sent out with. Be blind. Catch the fraud. It was an easy job, except that there had been some sort of plot against her life. Perhaps it wasn't even hers, just her abilities.

"I was not surprised to find help when I needed it," Her voice had gone quiet, "I'm surprised by few things," the boobs from a priest were a surprise, "I'm simply expressing my gratitude towards you, Father Merc-" Sunniva's voice died and her fingers grabbed for the nearest steady thing, the back of Mercuxio's shirt. Going stalk still, Sunniva watched them from a distance. The voices were washed out, a hiss of air but she could see them on the horse. As black and as beautiful as she imagined Titus to be.

Gently she tugged on his clothing, leaning forward to whisper "We're being followed, right flank. A ways back," Slowly she frowned, "I don't know if they wish ill or if they're only traveling, I can't see it."

[Lion]

Thank god for the interlopers.  Merric never was a fan of small talk.  Much less with a woman that seemed to thoroughly enjoy the sound of her own voice.  He'd been focused on the path through the trees, and had heard someone nearby.  More than the sound of hooves stepping softly over underbrush.  Titus kept walking, though his ear flickered to indicate that he heard it too.

"I know," Merric muttered between them.  "We keep walking until they indicate their intention.  For ill, I'll round about a tree closer to my right."  He stayed quiet after that.  By his guess at least two hundred yards.  Far enough to remain hidden, but close enough to see.

And just when he heard the sound of an arrow in flight, Mercuxio smacked his heels into Titus' sides and the horse bolted.  The arrow embedding itself into the bark of the tree on his right.

[Draconian]

He knew?

Sunniva frowned at that. He was a Priest. What sort of Priest knew to ... A quiet huff and she went quiet, moving her hands from clinging to his back to wrapping around his midsection. The last thing she wanted to do was fall off the back of a damn horse. Sure enough, after much silence and easy walking the horse bolted and she clung to Mercuxio for dear life, giving a startled gasp and tucking her head against his back.

Which she vainly pulled back almost as quickly, he smelled awful. Like a sweaty horse, which was a fine smell on horses. Not so much on a human man.

Still there were more important things to attend to and Sunniva made sure she was appropriately clinging so she didn't fall off. "What sort of Priest are you?" She finally snapped, though the subject was quickly changed, why could she see the front of the horse from above? "I see-!" There was no time though, instead she reached up past Mercuxio, grabbed the horses reigns and gave it a jerk, sending them right. The bolt that surely would have hit the horse in the face plunked into the ground they'd turn from.

This was all her fault. The horse and the perverted Priest were in danger and it was all her fault. Maybe they were after him?

They must have been after him. Sunniva resumed clinging to his back and kept as silent as she could, though she kept more alert. Waiting for other views. Voices. Anything.

[Lion]

[Look. She's so prickly. Everything repels her. XD]

Now was not the time for explanations.  Not from him and certainly not from her.  For a second it struck him as odd that she said something about "seeing".  A peculiar set of words for a blind woman, and certainly even one that claimed her gifts extended beyond that of an Adhara.

The horse was turnes roughly aside, Mercuxio nearly slipping off the saddle and taking Sunniva with him.  He corrected just in time, pulling the reins back before him, Titus stamping the ground in fury.  Merric pulled the mace from his belt and when he saw another man coming from the brush with a crossbow, he rolled his shoulder, arm coming back around and connecting with the man's jaw, smashing it and sending him to the ground.

There were more men in the trees, two bolts flying off in front of them, both tracing the ground in fire.  "Titus!"   The horse did leap, as the flames spread across a line, bounding over the fire and landing hard on the other side.

[Draconian]

[ if she isn't prickly I may start to like her and if I like her I'll want her to be a good person D= ]

The familiar sound of a mace connecting with someone's jaw. Sunniva could appreciate that. In this situation could she ever appreciate it. In fact she wished she had her own and for a moment was tempted to ask Mercuxio for his. Still, it wouldn't be her mace. The leap of the horse caught her off guard and she tightened her grip. "We can't fight all of them," Sunniva finally gasped out, "I have no weapons." Also she was blind, but that went without saying.

Were they protecting that fraud? They didn't want to lose an easy way of money? Or maybe they didn't want to lose one of their few sources of healing. Either way, Sunniva wanted to find out later. This ambush would only work if they got caught and Sunniva prayed to God this Priest had more tricks up his sleeves or that Titus was a very fast horse.

[Lion]

Titus was a fast horae.  One of the fastest Mercuxio had ever owned.  But even fast horses could be slowed when the way was blocked and no clear exit opened up to them.  The mount chuffed in desperation, steam forming from his nostrils as he intended to carry his riders to safety.  But there were too many, and no matter the skulls crushed by Merric's mace there was always more.

And suddenly, a net was sprung around the pair and they were ripped from the horse's back.  Titus too was pulled down and quickly commandeered by another.  Merric lost his breath on the way down, gasping for air as he landed hard on the ground.  The mace fell from his hands.  And the net tightened around the pair.

"My my, what a catch today!" exclaimed one of the men.  And another stepped forward, clearly in charge.  "A priest and what...a nun?  Having a tryst in the woods eh?"

"What should we do wif 'em Edd?"

"Why...we take 'em to safety.  Only one town up ahead.  Crane'd like to know who be snoopin' about."

[Draconian]

Falling was never a fun sensation.

Sunniva's hands shot out to grab something, anything. There was nothing and she landed hard on her side, the one with the dent in it. Right on her bruise. A pained moan burst out of her and she curled up in a ball, hand pressing as close to the bruise as she could. Keeping her hands as close to herself as she could.

The last thing she wanted was to see these peoples memories. "He was being kindly, I stumbled on my horse. I was on my way to the town to be healed." It hadn't hurt too badly before, but the added bump made all the pain flair up at once and she had to give short quick breaths to keep the pain from her side. "Please, I'm but a blind woman, the priest was only protecting me."

The sound of something being picked up - his mace no doubt - and Sunniva tried her best to paint a picture of where everyone was based of their noises.

"I was only seeking to get back what God so cruelly took from me," Sunniva gave a gasping sob, pressing her hands to her face as well as she could in the net and began to cry. A weak willed sobbing mess of a woman. Usually always played well in her favor.

[Lion]

"Father will want to see you.  Both of ya.  Don't be frightened.  Father will make it all better."

"He won't be happy to find them bleedin like this.  He don't like rough housing."

"True," Edd replied, turning Merric's mace in hand, admiring thw handiwork.  "We'll have to get ya fixed up.  Snoopers or no.  The Father will want to see you."  He smiled a rotten grin at Merric and the dragged the pair along until they could get them righted and were soon stumbling along, cords wrapped around their wrists.

[Draconian]

Well, at least they were being lead to where they wanted to go. Sunniva strained her hands agains the cords as she stumbled along. This was an extra awful day. The blood she'd gotten on her skin was itchy. The sweat was getting itchy. That stupid wool shirt left a rash around her neck and that was also itchy.  Slow steady breaths. Deep breaths.

"Is Titus okay?" Gently she gnawed on her lip, not wanting the only innocent creature here to have suffered at all. There was no guilt for the Priest getting involved. The horse was another matter.  Sunniva yelped when she was poked harshly in the side, "no talkin' Red. Y'all's can do plenty'o'that when we get you to Father." Sunniva made a noise that sounded something like a whimper, then she became quiet.

[Lion]

There would be no response from the priest.  Not for fear of being reprimanded, but because it would do no one any good to speak.  But one thing did gnaw at him.  In fact it was that notion that was the only thing that broke his silence.  "Why do you call him Father?"  His tone waa addressed to whichever one that would listen, but it was Edd that turned around.

"Because he's Father.  All our father.  Ansgar, in the flesh."  He sneered at Mercuxio then to Sunniva as if the blind one could see him.  You never knew who could be faking after all.  He certainly wasn't buying that crying snot woman guise.  The only one that didn't seem to have tricks was the priest.  But maybe he was the sneakier snake.

Edd sniffed and started to sing a hymn, loudly and soon all his men joined him.  The horse being ridden along behind.

[Draconian]

Ansgar in the flesh?

Sunniva kept her head down, letting her long hair hide her face while she went along. Being ignored was a little needle in her back, but then questioning the people that caught them made her wish she had eyes to roll. The hymn sent shivers up her spine - not because it was beautiful - but the sounds... It sounded more like a dirge to her and something primal in her was frightened, a feeling that she didn't acknowledge.

At least none of them had touched her.

A moment passed and she lifted her head, "That was beautiful," the words trembled out of her and she pushed her hair from her face with the backs of her hands. Slowly Sunniva turned towards the voice of the leader Edd and let out a careful breath, "Can Father heal everything? Is there a chance for me? Please? I just want to see again. The world is dark and empty without the light of Ansgar to grace my sight."

[Lion]

He was Father.  He took care of them all, just as Ansgar always did.  But he was real.  Really real!  A living form that could heal the sick and mad.  He was everything the people of this village had been waiting for.  And he would protect them.  And they would walk with him in turn to the very gates of Heaven.

Mercuxio thought about this and felt his stomach recoil in disgust, that this mage had somehow manipulated these people into believing he was some divine being sent from above.  It was blasphemy!  It was...worse!  Somehow, the blasphemy was only a small part of it that turned the Confessor's stomach.  He knew he'd been sent to bring in Crane, but as far as he knew the Order had not been made aware just to the extent of the mage's activities.

Merric's thoughts were momentarily interrupted by Sunniva's continued pretense.  One Edd had no intention of buying.

"Snoopers only slits and lashes.  You can pick which one.  Now, don't interrupt the Hymn.  Tis Father's tune," he snapped and spit at the White Lily.  "Sodding snooper."

[Draconian]

Anger flared in her gut and her fingers tensed for a moment. Instead of lashing out though she leaned away and simply hung her head again. Mercuxio smashed one of their men in the head with his mace and she'd just been a passenger and they were treating her like... Deep breaths. Sunniva had to stop talking. Apparently they weren't buying the weak willed blind woman bit and while part of it was true - She was indeed blind - the rest was as far from the truth as could be.

So, she hunched her shoulders forward and let her head droop down and she thought.

They wouldn't need a way out until they were in that town. With that false prophet. She would show them the light of Ansgar. Take Mercuxio's mace and light them right up the sides of their heads, maybe take it all away if they yet lived. A hand touched her arm, wrapped around her forearm and she jerked away quickly, "Don't touch me!!" was snarled moments before she rammed her shoulder right into a tree.

Children. That man had children. Two little girls giggling and running into his arms. A kindly man who was doing this because that town was his home, these people were his family and Sunniva felt sick for a moment. The warmth of that memory had her frowning and quick enough she fixed her footing. He'd only been helping her avoid wandering in front of a tree. That memory meant nothing. There was no context and should it come to it, she would feel nothing if she had to end their light.

Sunniva was prepared for it. Their screams would be as much a dirge as their song was.

[Lion]

"They have to touch you," Merric hissed to Sunniva.  "And they will touch you whether you like it or not.  Scream again, and it may be your last.  Be silent.  Say nothing unless directly addressed."

"Listen to your friend," Edd said, snickering as he watched Sunniva.  He leaned down and didn't touch her, but she'd be able to feel his breath on her cheek, and he sniffed the scent of her hair.  "Blossoms.  That's what we'll call you here.  Blossom."

Merric glared up at the man, but Edd didn't seem to notice.  They were taken then to the chapel.  A large, tall building, well cared for it seemed even when many other homes seemed mere shacks compared to this. 

[Draconian]

No.

Panic jolted through her and Sunniva just wanted to curl up, there was a job to do though. Stubborn. Sunniva had to be stubborn. She said nothing to Mercuxio and while her insides churned with the idea of having to see more of these peoples memories she would remember they were just that. They didn't affect her. They wouldn't change her mind. Slow steady breaths through her nose and it wasn't until she heard Edd's voice so close to her ear did she recoil slightly.

A wince.

Again, she said nothing.

It took every ounce of willpower not to turn her head and bash her forehead into his nose. It would break so beautifully, one good whack and there would be warm blood on the both of them. Not yet though. Deep breaths. Steady breaths. They didn't know she was an adhara. They didn't think her anything other than a simple nun. A nun that was having a tryst with a priest of all things.

There were so many cards in her hand and it would be a waste to just throw them away to break someones nose. A glimpse from behind them, her long mess of red hair, her head down. The chapel in front of them the shacks of the homes beside it and Sunniva couldn't quite help the gasp that fell from her mouth. Despite the conditions of the rest of the town the Chapel was grand and indeed beautiful.

It was also probably where the target was. Good.

[Lion]

Mercuxio fell with a grunt, when a boot was planted into his back and he rolled onto his side.  They'd both been shoved through the doors, and before him he could see the rows of pews, and the pulpit up ahead.

"Don't just shove them through the door.  You nit!" Edd exclaimed as he helped Merric off the ground.  Another man came for Sunniva.  "Father will have your head!"

Once on their feet again, ahead of them, a man had turned around, coming from off to the side, and closing the door gently behind him.  He was fully-bearded, his hair curly and though brown, had some hints of silver in it.  He had a kindly look to him, and though he was taller than Merric, he was neither thin nor overtly built.  "Oh?  Guests!  Please, help them in.  Welcome, welcome to our village."

They were ushered inside, and presented before Crane, but not close enough.  Crane remained by the altar of the chapel and he smiled kindly at the both of them.  "And who might you two be?"

"Snoopers, Father Crane," Edd announced walking around the pair and bowing to the mage.  Crane held out his hand and Edd kissed his ring, as one might do to a Bishop or a member of the clergy of higher rank.  "Found 'em wandering the woods here.  I thought you'd want to see 'em."

"Oh?" he murmured, turning to Mercuxio and noting his clothing.  "A fellow priest?  I welcome a brother in the house of God."

Mercuxio didn't know what to say.  He hadn't been expecting such...hospitality, even after being sent through a chapel door.  That being said he wasn't about to buy into it.  "Thank you," he muttered, though his tone was lest than gracious.  "You've been quite...hospitable."

"And your names?" Crane asked, his tone very much like an old grandfather's speaking softly to his grandchildren.

But at that Merric held his tongue.  And simply looked at Sunniva.