Spirits of the Earth

"Coin."  A gloved hand shot out expectantly, rubbing thumb to finger tips.  The owner of said hand gave a smart smirk and if it weren't for the fact that this pair had proved useful more than once in a jam, he would have smacked that smirk right off her face.  Thankfully today he was in a good mood.  Tenran reached down and plucked a gold piece from his pocket and smacked it at the center of Bex's gloved palm and he took a seat across from her.  He looked over his shoulder and saw her brother casing out a few marks in the room while flirting shamelessly with a bar wench, all the while slipping a hand into her purse and pulling out a small handful of coins himself.

Tenran watched for a few seconds longer when the girl reached down a hand and stilled his slick fingers, her knee rising up to strike him hard in the nuts.  Baland paled and immediately loosed his grip on the coins, dropping them back in the purse and he receded his hands.  Or tried to anyway before the barmaid gripped his hand as it slipped into hers and she promptly planted a kiss on his cheek, smiling sweetly nonetheless, and saying something that made him blush.  Tenran laughed, watching Baland return to his spot at the bar, bringing a round of drinks for the table.

Bex put her feet up on the table and flicked the coin in the air before placing it into her own coinpurse.  She was a scrawny little thing, and was the splitting image of her ugly-ass brother, well with the exception that she was better looking and just a little smarter than he was.  But it was a small consolation and Tenran had never been one for semantics.

"Now tell me what you know, I don't have all day," Tenran said, shaking his head when Baland offered him a beer.

"Aw, c'mon, Tenran, can't we have a drink, sit back and chat like all friends do," Bex said with a quirk of her eyes. Tenran scowled at the sarcasm therein.

"We're not friends, you know that.  I paid you, now give me what I want."

"Tenran, just how come you always assume we know sump'm useful.  We're bandits, not gossip-mongers." Baland chimed in, turning a chair backwards, to sit with the back to his chest and taking a mug to his lips.  He gave a hearty drink before sighing ecstatically and crossing his arms over the headrest.

At that, Tenran actually laughed and sat back.  "I still have a hit for both of your heads, and  I could always do with the extra coin.  I just came here about the letter.  I know you know something, your kind always do.  And don't try to be smart-ass Baland, I could always kick the other nut the barmaid failed to strike.  I thought she leaned a little to far to the left and you are so conveniently located on your right.  If you feel your tongue begin to itch, I suggest you bite it."  Tenran smirked and placed a boot on the table beside Baland and the young bandit took another swig of his beer.

"All right, Tenran, what's the big deal about this letter?" Bex asked, ignoring her stupid brother.

"It's a letter of import to some young lord from up north.  One accidentally sent to another of import down here in the south.  Now my job is to intercept that letter before it reaches it's destination.  That's all I can really spare."

"Not much of a help are ya.  I'm afraid I'mma need more than that."

"Lord Elryn, young bastard, just reached his seat.  The exact contents of the letter I'm unsure, but it contains some very sensitive material concerning a certain young lady of interest to him.  Something I'm guessing he doesn't want to get into the hands of a Mr. Jaimie Rastognlir.  Someone, I'm assuming is of relation to the woman in the letter, but like I said, I can't be sure.  The only details I needed was that was who he sent the letter to and that it's on it's way as we speak.  Now I need from you are courier schedules and specific roads of those couriers.  Your bandits, you know roads better than anyone.  I don't consult amateurs."

"Well, when you put it like that, there are two roads leading into town on the morrow.  One's the main road, the other's a little off kilter, but a straight shoot to the city.  Merchants often take the side road 'cause it's faster and they can avoid some of the tax patrols.  Bandits like it too.  If your courier is on the way to town now, and I'm guessin' they're runnin' late what with all the rain we've been havin' lately, it's my guess that they'd take the short cut.  And hey...if you're looking for a little back-up, me and Bal could always use a few more shinies to line our pockets with," Bex grinned widely and Tenran gave a laugh.

"I don't give cuts into bounties.  Here, take an extra for your troubles.  And your brother's sore nut," Tenran said as he stood and flicked Bex another gold coin on the table, nodding to her in thanks and stepping out of the tavern door and into the rain that came down on the city of Galdersby.  Tenran knew the location of Mr. Rastognlir and knew he wasn't expecting any mail from Mr. Elryn, and if Tenran had anything to say about it, he was going to make sure it stayed that way.

He couldn't help but wonder just how the letter got sent in the first place, or maybe Elryn wanted to send it to someone else, or maybe had written it out to get it off his chest with every intention of destroying it, either way Tenran was pretty sure he didn't want to know.  He was paid to intercept the letter and that was just what he was going to do.  The rain was coming down fairly hard this afternoon and he suspected the courier was running late just as Bex had said it would.

Tenran drew his collar up and put his helmet on when he reached the road, a knight's helmet with some modifications made over the visors, namely tinted shades fitted into a leather band to wrap around the helmet itself and keep rain from seeping inside the eye-slits.  It never hurt to have a little more head protection anyway and with that Tenran set down the path, knowing the courier would come in a few hours if his calculations were correct.

OOC:I wasn't sure what to post, but when listening to:Requiem for  Dream (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEe9sXO1M-I) on violin, the post sort of wrote itself. I hope it works for you <3
I'm assuming a lot of time has passed since our two threads, maybe a year or so? Hope that works D: To clear up time line order, I updated the time line on the info page found here (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=14741.msg136439#msg136439).

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The rain would not stop falling in cold grey sheets.  The sun hadn't come out for days, and the winds were as dead as the town. Carts were left abandoned in the streets and candle light still burned in the windows from the midnight raid.  Hot candle wax dripped onto the floor, the last flickering light of the gold flame in the shop window flapping until finally it too, stilled into smoke. It's wax slowly began to chill, like the corpses strewn about the floor, the shop keep; with his eyes wide open, staring clean into death, and his wife, face down on the floor, black blood staining the ground beneath her; and their three children, all dead, upon the ground.

And the building had the mark, painted in red. Mages...
All of them were mages, a city almost full of them just North of the boarder at Serendipity, and rumors had spread like wild fire. No one knew who started it, but the God of War had come through, wielding a massive army of men. No survivors were to be taken. They said the killer o the former Grand Duke was amongst them, and they moved like rabid dogs. An entire city of mages... even if it were true, it did not matter. The trap had been set, the buildings painted long before their arrival. The hunger for vengeance... It spread like wild fire as the bell was clamored into the night.

"The mages are here! They are here!" he heralded, and even now, he and his bloodied copper bell lay still as death upon the ground, many stocks of arrows jutting out from his head, the words still echoing the horrors from the night, which still lay around him, as scattered corpses. The blood had long since been washed away in the cobblestone streets and the only living things that remained were the rats in the streets, and the black birds perched high upon the building tops, staring down to the rain soaked streets below, their eyes ever alert, ever watching, and she could see it all, through visions, channeled in song.
Stepping back from her room, this mysterious woman let the vision fade while a few hot tears slid down her cheeks.
"The city of Havanlaar has fallen."


~~~~~~~~~~~


She had seen it for herself. There were no words to describe it, but a cold fear swept silently across all of Connlaoth. So far, this had been the first real blood spilling, the annihilation of an entire town. And as far as her sources had told her, they were unarmed. It wasn't even that large of a city, of no consequence to the capital as it lay so far away. But there it was, in empty abandon; and she wanted to find out why. Rumors spread like wild fire, and the warning was clear: Do not mess with us. For if the mages were to try something, they would fall, just like Havanlaar.

The laws were ludicrous, no one could challenge them as the new Grand Duke kept instilling his more iron grip upon the country. In North, the mages were kept in camps, like cattles set to slaughter. And it was freezing up north, especially with the approach of another winter. Had it truly been so long since the new Duke had taken the throne? Had it been so long since the people were suffering in silence? Something had to be done, and she wanted answers. Her brother and sister-in-law had been in Havanlaar when it happened, moving North to help the cause in response to her letters she has regret sending. She had tried to warn against it, but it was too late. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and had become part of the rotting bodies all thrown into carts to be burned. They weren't even allowed a grave.

So now as she walked down the forested street, she moved with purpose, gun at her hip, blade readied beneath her sleeve.  Jinai had to stop the courier; he held the news, a secret that would destroy the one edge they might have on this war- a courtesan in the north who could see everything through the visions of animals, and she had become an integral spy for the Free Folk, warning them of what was to come and seeing paths fit for escape.

Through her sight, this courtesan had connected with Jinai's haw... and help avoid another slaughter. Another town could hve fallen, but unlike Havanlaar, she had heard their plans and halted this God of War from the slaughter. Though the town had been decimated, there was no one there to kill; just a small city, another near the boarder, called Rastarr. If this woman were to be found out she was a mage... with her close connections to the men at court...
How else would the Free Folk, those people suffering, ever know what's going on behind the closed walls in the Grand Duke's palace?

They heard the laws now well before they were passed, and increasing evidence supported there to be another potential attack; another city, possibly this one to the West, near the mountains. The question was, where and when? And were they able to stop it?

All of Connlaoth held it's breath, waiting to see what was to happen next. And she held her breath from where she was perched within a tree, eyes upon the helmed figure coming up the road. She drew out her arrow and bow, taking aim. A helmed figure.. probably working for the soldiers, the government. Her mouth tightened into a frown, her eyes growing cold as she drew the bow back, arrow steady in hand. She needed to make this count. And as she drew the bow back, she drew in a breath, keeping both eyes trained coldly on the figure; and as she studied him, a familiar metal brace came into view upon his leg and she paused, hesitating in her attack, just as another figure came down the road.

The horse down the road was moving fast. Shit.. the courier...

Moving the bow and aligning the arrow to the rider, she pinned her vision upon him. Was that Tenran? What was he doing here? Was he here to stop him? Either way, this was her mark, and she wasn't about to let the bastard bring more ruin to the people by dragging out this war. War, for that's what it was, Connlaoth against it's own people, people the government had no right to fear, hundreds and thousands that were innocent. And for those, dying in poorly maintained camps up North, she let loose the arrow...

And it sunk right into the messenger's head.

If the helmed man wanted to get into her way, he would be next, as she dropped out of the tree, another arrow knocked and aimed directly at his chest.

"Hands where I can see them," she said, her face cloaked behind her hood, shadow over her eye and nose, as she stepped out onto the road. "Or I'll give you a reason to limp in your other leg." And she lowered the arrow, pointing it at his thigh.

Tenran knew he couldn't approach this particular task with any small degree of stealth.  If anything he knew that the courier would be barreling down this way in a hurry and if he tried to just jump him, the chances of him being rundown would no doubt be infinitely turned in his favor.  And he didn't plan to get his ass chewed off by a tired horse and a desperate rider.  So as the rain pattered down on them, Tenran kept it casual even as he felt eyes on him.  He felt his hair perk up and knew there were bandits in the trees.  Maybe even bandits that were in particular interest of this courier.

He was beating down the road at breakneck speed and Tenran waited along the side, not before an arrow came whizzing out from the trees and struck the man directly in the head, knocking him clean off the horse.  The beast spooked and whinnied wildly as he ran off into the rain, directly toward Galdersby where Tenran came from.  With the man dead on the road and the bag splayed on his waist, Tenran paused just as he was about to make his move.

He saw the figure coming out of the trees and paused as the woman's voice was directed at him.  He peered up at her through the rose-tinted lenses of his helmet and he smiled, recognizing her voice.  But it was a short-lived happiness as he saw her point the arrow down to his knee.  Right, all talk and small action.

Tenran didn't waste any time when he dropped low and scissored her legs between his and he tripped her up, locking her on the ground.  With legs still locked onto his, he twisted over so that her ankles would get twisted in the motion and he turned up on his knees and pulled out one of his boltguns, quickly firing a bolt into her right knee, left thigh and right shoulder respectively, before getting up and quickly reloading.

He put his gun away and kicked the bow from her grasp.  "High talk, no action," he remarked irritatedly and cut the belt from the dead courier, throwing it over his shoulder as he headed back down the road, running for a horse he had hidden off in the trees.

Blood was everywhere, and she was too stunned in the moment to feel the pain. But as it came back, it bit liek a bitch as she winced and sat up, watching Tenran's fleeting form. No action, eh? She reached inside her cloak, wasting no time wiht the preloaded dart gun and blew into it.
One with poison at his head, the other, with sleep poison at his ass.

Damn son of a bitch. If he thought he was getting away with this, he had another thing coming. ANd as she struggled to stand, she was about to whistle for her bird when she recalled their last rendez-vous and paused, shouting after him.

"YOU STILL OWE ME ONE OF THOSE BOLT GUNS, YOU ASS!"

Tenran heard the whistle of her darts, of something flowing near him and he darted directly into the trees, hearing the darts smash into the bark of the wood and he grit his teeth as he momentarily looked back but didn't waste any more time with this woman.  She'd stalled him long enough before and there was no way he'd let her get the upper hand.

The letter was his.  And he ran through the wood again, reaching the tethered horse and cutting him loose, just quick enough to jump on it's back and beat down the road.

One bullet.
One gun.
It was time to make this count. Whipping it out as the man ran off on his steed, she pulled the trigger, hoping to hit either animal or rider, cursing all the while.

[It's not really a bullet.  It's a lead ball stuffed into a highly inaccurate flintlock pistol.  And he's at least already a hundred yards away.  Good luck with that.]

Tenran grunted at the sensation, feeling something sharp sink into his shoulders.  It teetered him to the side a little bit, but not enough to knock him off his horse.  He leaned forward and kept riding, off into the rain.

OOC: Yeah I know XD

STOP TROLLING ME, YOU'RE A LION DX
A LION *stomps foot*
MAN-ANIMAL
XD

but yeah, I didn't expect it to hit. It was a desperate act of Sheer 'I'm going to lose right now' SHIT-ness

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Pissed, Jinai threw down her gun and let out a noise, then collapse to her knees. The pain was unbarable. GOd damn him. Tenran was going to pay.


OOC: AND FOR THAT YOU GET SHORT POST XP

[Just making sure you know even more.  It worked.]

As he disappeared from the road, it wasn't long before Bex and Baland appeared just, emerging from Galdersby to move on to the next town.  They took the road less traveled, finding a horse run past them when suddenly as they ventured down the road.  "Oi, ye think that's got something to do with Tenran?" Baland muttered, still rubbing his nuts.

"Probably.  You know him.  Just stay out of it.  And quit touching yourself, you're disgusting!" Bex snapped and shoved her brother to the side.  "Whoa...look at that up ahead!"  Seeing the two bodies on the road.

Jinai heard the siblings approached and swore beneath her breath. She kept herself low, making it appear as if she had been a casualty of the Tenran scenario, all the while keeping her blow dart clenched tightly in her hand. Should we act now? Or later. It was hard to tell if they'dbe friend or foe..
Though most people these days were nothing but foe.

Bex and Baland approached the fallen body and Baland knelt beside it, inspecting the body of the courier while Bex walked around it to look over at Jinai.  "Oi, Bal!" she pointed out.  "We got a live one here!"

Baland moved and stood over her.  "Damn, looks like his work all right."

Jinai didn't waste anymore time. IN a flurry of motions, the dart was spat out from it's blower and sunk right into Bex's leg.
"Don't move, don't talk, don't breath," Jinai hissed. "That dart is laced with poison, and if you want the antidote, I suggest you keep quiet and listen to me." And her eyes looked over dangerously to Baland. "The man that just took off with the letter from the courier, where is he going? And if you can't tell me, I'll shoot both of your legs, then you," she narrowed her gaze to Baland. "I'll blow one right into your face." nd she was already working on loading the blower as she rose hereslf off the ground as best she could.
"Now tell me what I want," she growled. "You've got three seconds to explain."

"H-How the hell are we supposed to know?" Bex growled no sooner than when she was on the ground. "He never tells us anything! Ansgar's dick!"

Baland just stared at Jinai as she tried to remain strong and was about to blow yet another dart.  "You kill both of us and you still won't know where he went.  It doesn't help anybody," he sputtered, kneeling down by his sister.

"Why didn't you shoot Baland, first?  He's the idiot!" Bex snapped and kicked her brother with her good leg.

"I'm just trying to help!"

"You bloody piece of pig shit!  Just shut up!  Listen here, we were just coming to see what pickin's were left!  We were gonna take you to a healer!  Then you go and shoot us!  We don't know anything!"

"Looters who would take a wounded woman to a healer?" She kept a firm grip upon her blower. "I think I'd rather take my chances with wolves. Tell me what I want, and you'll get what you need. It's as simple as that. Not.."s he aimed the thing right at Baland's head. "Start... talking."

"If you're gonna shoot him, just get it over with already," Bex moaned from the ground.

"Bex!" Baland cried indignantly.  "We're supposed to be a team!"

"We are now shut up, big mouth!"  Bex looked at Jinai with sweat dripping from her brow.  "We really can't do much to help like this," she explained.  "He don't tell us much!  We don't know where he went.  Something about the letter not getting to where it was supposed to go!  I reckon you were after the same thing!  Only women pissed off with Tenran are his ex-wife and that other bitch that nailed him in some whorehouse!  Oh shit...you're that bitch, ain't ya?  Look we don't mean nothin' by it.  I can see why you're mad.  No matter, I guess.  I wonder...what's so important about that letter?  Can't be too hard to discern bout where he's goin' if he needed to counter it's destination!"

Jinai narrowed her gaze, but smirked.
"So his name is Tenran?" she inquired, her smile growing. Not that she didn't already commit that one to memory, but truthfully, she never considered she'd see HIM ever again, let alone have him try to kill her for his prize. God damn him. She'd have to find a way to pay him back.
"And I'm only pissed at him since he owes me a bolt-gun," and a dark sparkle lingered inside her eyes. "And if you can't find me that information out now... then be clever about finding it out soon. Your clock is ticking." She said through clenched teeth, hands snapping off the ends of the bolts still jutting out from her legs.

"We don't know!  But we might be able to help you figure it out if you just give her the antidote!" Baland said in a panic and immediately put a hand over his sister's mouth to keep her shut up before she could say anything to ruin it.

"We swear to it!  I do!  If you don't trust us, just kill us now then," he argued.  "We don't need you wasting anymore of our time.  Just collateral damage for your own troubles.  Here!  Take all our gold, and our weapons too, to prove it!"

Bex muffled angrily underneath his hand, swearing obscenities at his foolishness so hot that they could burn his hand as if it were dragonfire.  Baland just threw his body on hers anyway and looked at Jinai pleadingly.

"Please, she's the only family I got.  Give her the antidote."

"Tell me.. how will you help me?" she asked, raising her head cooly and quirking a brow. She wasn't about to relinquish the antidote so quickly.

Baland searched his memory and looked over at Bex, who was sweating and eyes burned red.  She still struggled but was hopeless under the weight of her brother.  "Rastognlir...that was the name Tenran said!  Something about keeping the letter from getting to a man named Jaimie Rastognlir!  He was taking it back to where it belonged!  The original sender, something about a woman who would suffer if the letter got into the wrong hands.  We'll take you to the next town!  We'll help you find him!"

[Baland, you snitch!]

Jinai smirked, and reached into a pouch at her side, before tossing a small vial at the girl.
"Drink that. It will make you drowsy, but the potion will deflect the poison long before it can settle into your heart." And she stared at the boy, giving him a once over. "And who says I might need your help?" She narrowed her gaze. "What other information can you give to me? And be wise in what you speak, I have other poisons I can use without an antidote..."

Baland caught the potion as he smashed his sister and when he finally got off her the roar of obscenities blinded his ears and he muted her only with the potion that he promptly shoved down her throat.  Turning back to Jinai, Baland finally stood and helped pluck his sister off the ground.

"You sure do like to contradict yourself," he grumbled and put his sister's arm over his shoulder.  "First you don't want our help, then you ask for it.  Don't make any sense.  Just a fool like the rest of us.  I meant what I said when I says we don't know much about nothing!  Tenran don't tell us more than we need to know.  Now I know why.  He just wanted that letter real bad, y'know.  He wasn't even gonna share the bounty with us!  That bastard!  Just follow us."  Baland scowled and held onto Bex tightly as he dragged her off down the road. 

"If you can walk on your shot knee, you might want to hurry.  Tenran can move real fast when he wants to, even with a gimpy leg.  You'll be gimpy just like him."

"I know. That damn gimp better pray to the stars I don't find him soon. I'm pissed off more than a shaken hive of bees." Then he gestured. "Lead the way," and she grunted and followed after, but each step was filled with unspeakable pain, which only made her smile after a time as she contemplated how Tenran must feel each time he walked. Was it a painful limp, or one he just dealt with now on a natural stride? Either way, she had a lot of questions to be asking him once she got a her hands on him (or maybe not, a dagger to his head might do well after what he pulled today).
ANd he had NO idea of the consequences of that letter...

Bastard.

Bex limped along beside Baland and the younger man did much of the same, waiting for Jinai to keep up.  He looked at his haggard sister, still very much dazed and in no mood for banter as she growled at him to keep his eyes averted and just focus on walking.  One could never trust that dumb mutt to negotiate deals, and Bex was fuming at the ears that he gave in so easily.  Even if it was to save her!  All that hard-stolen gold, gone and wasted!

As they reached the bend in the road, leading back to the main path, Bex and Baland looked out to the road and Bex made a noise, pointed to the ground.  "Blood.  Didn't think there was even blood in that bounty hunter," she grumbled.  "What'd ya do to him?  Shoot him?  I thought only Mordecai were allowed them flintlocks?"

Jinai smirked at the comment.
"When there is a will, there's a way. I have some interesting connections." Though her eyes hardened on the pair just them as she pressed, "Just keep on moving. We haven't gotten all day. And I highly doubt you want me to use that gun on either of you."

Bex growled in response and Baland paled.  Even though they both knew fat chance at that - she hadn't even reloaded the thing.  And in the five minutes it would take her to do so, the pair of them would have beaten her to a pulp nnd been off with their gold by then.

But they both decided to be good for the moment and treaded on down the road until the reached a well-hidden fork in the path, obscure by under brush and trees.  Bex and Baland stopped here and motioed for Jinai to follow them as they both headed off the main road.  "There's an old bloke that lives off in these woods, names Cartwright.  He'll take care of those nasty wounds," Baland explained just as his sister grunted along beside him.  "Ain't much farther."

"Just keeping walking. And stay far enough in front of me that I can see ya." She looked around to the woods. These were a familiar path, though she wasn't too familiar with the name Cartwright. He might not be one of 'the folks'. Either way, she was wary, even of their help, but she had little choice in the matter, but kept her weapons close at hand as she limped along, all the while internally cursing Tenran.

Bex and Baland kept stumbling on until they were at the door of the squat cabin that was halfway in the dirt with a carved set of stairs made into the ground itself.  Bex yelped as her brother helped her descend the stairs and struck his knuckles against the door in a coded knock.

"Who is it?" a gruff voice squealed from inside.

"Bex and Baland you old coot!" Bex answered.  "And we have a guest."

By now, Jinai was sweating something fierce. She had lost a lot of blood, and her legs were aching from the journey. She kept her distance, however, hoping to the gods these two idiots didn't try to trick her. She wasn't sure what sort of strength she had in reserve, but if she had to, she'd have to pull a miracle out of her ass to take a few of these idiots down. She did, after all, have a few more poison and illusionary darts. Both of which proved to be quite effective in these dire situations. So silently, she remained back, eyes taking in the two siblings before looking to the door.

"Ain't got no room for guests, cretins!  Git!" Cartwright growled.

"Please!" Baland begged again only to be kicked by his sister.  "Bex is hurt,  Got herself hit with a dart that you'll need to tend to.  And the guest can barely walk."

"Ya got gold?"

"She's got our gold."

"Hm, fair nuff."  The door slid open to complete darkness and Bex and Baland stepped inside.

Jinai hesitated. Pah, of course they'd take her to a healer who wanted gold. Drawing in a breath, she steeled herself and came inside, but not without keeping her hands ready to her weapons hidden at her sides.

The place smelled of mold, which was the first thing she noticed as she entered. And it was dimly lit with a lot of apothecary items hanging down from the ceiling and walls.
"Impressive," she said, slowly walking down alongside a table with a bunch of drying herbs and flowers.

"First the gold," Cartwright growled at their 'guest' who apparently had just gone through tell with all the blood seeping from her wounds, particularly the nasty one that still jutted out from the side of her knee.  He held his hand out to her expectantly.  "Three pieces should do it.  Gotta keep up the business you know.  Nothing in life is free."

Baland set Bex down on a cot in the corner and gestured to Jinai.  "Pay the man," he said softly, before tending back to his sister.

Jinai turned around from where she had been limping through the man's shack. She stared down at the hand, then up at his face, before reaching down and unhitching a bag. She pulled out five gold, and slammed them down onto the table.

"I'll pay you five gold, and a sixth if you don't try anything funny," Jinai stated, looking at the man as if daring him to question her before she slipped her hand away from the pile of gold and limped on over to a chair and had a seat a she sighed. She only chanced one glance over at the siblings before looking to Cartwright. She eyed him over with some mild suspicion, one hand itching over a dagger as she leaned to one side He wouldn't notice it at his angle. But Jinai trusted no one anymore, and was still reeling from the news of her brother's death, and all of the cities that had fallen under this supposed 'God of War'.

He scaped the coins off the tabel and just gave a grunt, putting them into his pocket.  "I'll do whatever I damn well please.  Tis my house it is," Cartwright grunted.  He grabbed a chair and shoved it under her ass to make her have a seat while he looked to the siblings by the cot. 

"Hey, don't be bleedin' all over me sheets!  Okay you, stranger, I'll get something to clean those wounds!" He ground something in a mortar and pestle and handed it to her.  "Put that in the holes, cover it completely.  Ignore the smell."

"And may you remain the king of your court," Jinai replied smartly as she was forced to sit. She rolled her eyes at his demands, and used a nearby bowl of water and clothe to clean out the wounds, that of which she took her sweet time doing, shaking her head and inwardly cursing up a storm at Tenran. Then, at the ointment he had offered, she stroked her fingers lightly across the surface to gather a light film upon her finger tips and began to cover her wounds, wrinkling her nose but obeying the order to ignore the foul smell. It smelled similar to something she'd seen another healing apothecary do. She just hoped the man wasn't try to poison her, though it hardly smelled like the mixtures she was used to- and she used quite a few.

It was a strange concoction of sedatives, aloe vera, and just a touch of nightshade to dull the pain.  "Oh, quit buggerin' would ya?" Cartwright said and he walked over to her administrations and knelt at her knee.  "This one is quite nasty, yup.  Who'd you piss off anyhow?  Never mind, I don't wanna know.  Ain't no business of mine, ayup.  Look, ya gotta get a wad of it and cake it on there.  None of that dilly dally, sissy stuff.  I'm an apothecary, not a babysitter, eh?  Damn."

Cartwright stood up and moved out toward the shelves on the side before pulling some dried leaves from the rafters at the top and grinding them into a mortar and pestle.  He powdered it into the bandages he had pulled out and moved back to her.  "Ya can't walk or run on this thing for at least a good month, yup," he grumbled.  "Looks like I might have to splint it.  Hope yer not a screamer."

"So I'll be walking around with a limp...."
She'd be almost as gimpy as Tenran! Wouldn't Mursh get a kick out of that?
And a month? Damn, she sort of figured that anyways. God damn Gimp. She'd make him pay, one way or another. But after she was treated here, she had to warn Renna as quickly as possible. If she got discovered... She didn't want to think of the consequences. The girl was around nobles all of the time. If they found out about her abilities...
they'd either hang her for being a mage, or witch. Either way, time was wasted away here as Jinai sighed irritably ad simply leaned back in the chair, hoping Cartwright would just hurry this the hell up.

"You'll be lucky if you can walk around at  all.  Somethin' tells me you're the more outdoorsy type.  This kinda injury ain't the sweetest one of the bunch. You could just as well be bitching about it for the rest of you're life.  You're all ready starting now."  Cartwright laughed amusedly once the wound was bandaged and looked out to her with a smile.  "There ya big baby.  Now you should probably rest before you do any extensive traveling.  Unless you wanna render yerself a complete invalid."

Jinai let her words simmer within, saying nothing as Cartwright prattled on and mocked her.
Rest? Who had time to rest when she had an important mission to complete and that damn gimp had gotten in her way! She should have killed him back when she had the chance, not that she had any real reason to kill him...

For she hadn't been much of a killer back then. And now..
Her anger had been getting the best of her, and made her sick to the stomach at night from all that was going on..
and what had happened to her brother. Drawing in a careful breath, she forced a smile for Cartwright. "Thanks for the suggestion." and she curiously looked over towards Bex and Baland, wondering how much coin it would take to get them to chase after Tenran for her....
that was to say, if their alliance could be bought... It migh tbe just as well she run on her injured leg. She'd have to warn Renna...
but how? She had no idea what Tenran really meant to do with that letter...

Cartwright looked at Jinai with annoyance of his own and just made a face when he had his back to her.  He turned and handed a cup of water to her.  "All that attitide ain't gonna make that knee heal right so relax," he commented.  He shuffled more stuff around, looking for something he found behind her.  He made a noise of discovery and reached around her.  Once he had it in hand, he bashed her hard in the head, in the hopes to knock her out.

"Take a nap and shut ya yap," he scowled at her as he tossed the heavy holy symbol out to the corner.  "Ansgar be damned."

The knock to the head was only felt after Jinai awakened several hours later. And it hurt like hell. Groaning, she sat up and looked around, spying a familiar face that made her bare her teeth.
"YOU!"


OOC: Short post is short *lazy*

Tenran looked over to Jinai from where she was as he streched out on the cot across from her.  The old man Cartwright lingered in a chair in a corner, puffing on a pipe in front of his fireplace, paying her not heed.

"Yeah, me," he said with a sigh.  "Sorry about the knee, but you know how it is."

Jinai scowled at him.
You know how it is. Is that all he could say!? Her hands tightened into fists and she was about ready to lung at him and strangle that scrawny-ass neck of his, and would have, but she had already forgotten about her knee, and fell face first onto the ground. Picking herself up, she growled up at Tenran through a curtain of her hair.

"I'm due an apology for more than my knee," she spoke bitterly, managing to sit up as she cast a glare over towards Cartwright, before looking towards Tenran again. A hand went for her dagger, only to realize, it was already gone. She narrowed her eyes upon him.

"It seems you have nice friends," she said, using the wall to help herself stand as she leaned into the wall. Gods, did her knee ache like a thousand hells.

"You really shouldn't put pressure on it.  You did just get it after all, or you could render it completely stiff for the rest of your life.  That wouldn't be good," Tenran said with a nonchalant shrug.  "You might as well just calm down and lay in bed."  He sighed and got comfortable in his cot as he stared at the ceiling.  "And exactly what else do you feel you need reparations for?  You were in the way, you would have done the same thing.  You understand."

Jinai found her way back to her cot, her eyes never leaving Tenran's, and staring around suspiciously to the others than back to Tenran again.
"Where are my things?" she hissed in a low voice, ignoring anything else he had said.

"The hole, where else?  Pfffft!" Cartwright said.  "Ye can't get 'em yet though.  Hole's far away.  It'd take you weeks to find it.  And on that bum knee of yours, you might as well crawl on your belly like a yellow snake."  He laughed and puffed on his pipe once more.

"Just get some rest Jinai, you have a long journey ahead of you," Tenran said to her.  "You won't get far with your wounds or your attitude."

"What makes you think I have a long journey?" she asked, testily. She was in no mood for Tenran to be barking orders. He was just lucking she wasn't throwing herself at him right now and trying to strangle the life clean out of him. The same went to Cartwright.
She might have had time to play with Tenran before, the last time they had met, but so much had transpired since then, she had little time for these games anymore.

"Because I'm taking you in of course," Tenran said with a sigh, as if it was taxing that he even had to explain it to her.  "There's a good price on someone matching your description to a T.  And if alive, all the better.  I shouldn't have to spell it out for you.  You've got half an unfried brain left, don't ya?  Hmm."

"Hey don't look at me," Cartwright said, putting his hands up.  "I ain't no snitch.  Neither are the twins!  Tenran came on his own for some musket ball wound in his arm.  You just happened to be here when he came.  I'm just a healer, old cow."

Jinai set her jaw, staring back at Tenran with an iced over gaze. She ignored Cartwright. But it figures they'd both end up at the same place for wound care they had given to each other.

"Well, if you take me in, I want half. Or no deal."

"Certainly," Tenran said, finally looking over at her with another nonchalant shrug.  "I wouldn't expect you to come along for anything less.  But, you'll need to pay your way.  I'm not lugging around any invalids on my back.  This ain't a free ride.  Then again, that is you're specialty."  He laughed and relaxed further into the cot.  "We'll leave come morning, get some rest."

Against her better judgement, she moved right on over to Tenran's side and kicked the rickety, layering of mouse traps that had supported one side of his cot, thus dismanteling it's only means to keep the damn thing propped up, and the cot went toppling to the ground. And although her leg hurt like hell, and her shoulders ached from even that brief little action, she sure felt like a million bucks right then, and even paused a moment to laugh as she collapsed back onto her own cot.

"There, I think I can sleep a whole hell of a lot better now,"she said with a sarcastic roll of her eyes.

Tenran gave a grunt when he rolled to the ground and looked up at her with a growl and a snarl.  He stood up when she laughed and stalked over to her cot before leaning over her and slamming his foot down onto her bum knee, smashing it into the side as hard as he could.  "There.  How's that for pleasant rest.  Good night," he grumbled as he stalked back to Cartwright and leaned by the mantle, watching the fire instead.

Jinai should have seen his childish, and unkindly tactic coming from a mile away, but as it were, she was too late to perceive it and found herself doubled over in pain. Oh the things she would do to Tenran if he decided to sleep... but instead, glared daggers at the back of his head and clutched her  knee. For now she might have been defeated, but the whole scenario was like rubbing salt into her wound. Too much was at stake and she was wasting so much time here. And it was only now she was realizing she should have tried a stealthy approach instead of the latter, but none of that mattered now.

She'd have to think of something clever, later.
"Don't sleep tonight or I'll piss on your face," she said, and winced and drew her leg back into the cot, staring away from him and Cartwright now as she frowned and looked down at her wounds. Gods...
Blinking back her tears, she sighed.
This was going to be a long night.

At that, Tenran whirled around and leaned over her with tight lips and rage in his eyes.  "I should kill you with all the hell you put me through over my gun," he growled.  "And don't think I don't know you were after that letter.  But you lost.  It's already at its destination as we speak, so don't  even bother looking for it.  Just keep your hands to yourself and your trap shut.  Harboring mages, their secrets...trying to make me feel sorry for them.  I should have let that poison kill you.  That's a mistake I won't make twice."

He could have been glaring at her using the fires of hell within his eyes, but that didn't mean she was going to give him the time of day. Instead, she ignored him, didn't even bother to look up at him as she stared over at the wall where the yellow light from the hearth was flickering off the wall.

But after a time, her lips twitched and she found herself simply asking, "And where did that letter go?"

"Where it belongs," Tenran answered simply, pushhing himself off her cot and moving back toward the fireplace.

Jinai didn't even look at him as she smirked, albeit a hollow one.
"And you have no idea where it belongs," she muttered, still staring at the wall.

Tenran said nothing in response and would not stoop low enough to turn his gaze to her either.  All that mattered was that she didn't know where it really was, where it was going.  All he needed to know was that it was going back to it's original destination, as it was, the one who'd mistakenly sent it in the first place.   From what he knew, Jinai favored the mages and if what the contents of the letter were what he thought they were, then somebody high up knew something they weren't supposed to know.

Well, it didn't matter now did it.

After a time of silence, Jinai looked back down towards her leg. The wound had opened up again, and she stared at the bubble of blood that was trickling down it and staining the cot. Not about to ask for any help from anyone here, she simply tore at the clothe blanket they had offered to her and she began to bind it around her leg in hopes to clot up the wound. It seemed her and Tenran were at an impasse, and she had no idea how to get out of this one. She knew Tenran fully aimed to turn her in...
little did he know the consequences of his actions once word got back to the Folks. But she had to bide her time, she needed to figure out how to foil this plan, and how to trick Tenran into giving her the information she needed..
and maybe abandon him in some discarded alley with a lump on his head. The ass deserved it. Perhaps more. But she was feeling bitter, so terribly bitter that it didn't matter.

So once her knee was bound up, she stood up from her cot and hobbled away from the fireside and away from where Cartwright and Tenran stood to lean against a window nearby the door. Was it already evening by now? Long, dark shadows stretched across the world. She would have sighed, but refrained from doing so and stared longingly out the window. If she could run, she'd totally try to make a getaway, but as it were... she'd have to think of something else.

By then, Tenran decided he'd gotten enough rest and pushed off from his spot on the mantle.  He smirked at her freshly bound leg, as she waited by the window.  "Don't bother, Cartwright keeps the windows nailed shut.  Keeps out pests," he said and stalked toward the pack he had on the side by the overturned cot.  He threw it over his shoulder and tossed a coin to the old man, the clang of it landing in a pot on the side ringing out.

"Thanks for the work, old man," he said and the old man just nodded to him before he headed for the door and opened it.  Tenran offered his hand to Jinai to help her out the door.  "The dark is better for this kind of travel.  Let's go."

Jinai kept her back to Tenran, and although she was smiling, it never reached her eyes.
"Don't I get to take my things?" she asked, turning around and raising her brows at him. Though she knew the answer, she supposed it didn't hurt to ask.

"Here," Tenran said as he reached behind the door and offered a travel pack much like his own.  "Just the basics.  Some bread, jerky, a blanket and bandages. I have some extra salve for your wounds.  Sorry about that.  We should head out now."  He didn't mean it of course and it was enough that he apologized anyway.

He grabbed her by the arm nonetheless and pulled her along with him as he shut the door to Cartwright's hut.

Well, that was awfully kind of him. Too bad it wasn't her pack. She doubted this one even had any good supplies. So when he took her by the arm and pulled her outside, she gave the back of his head a soured look and let him guide her, but not without childishly dragging her feet. She wasn't about to make this easy on him, and she wasn't buying any of his lame apologies, either.
"You apologize but you still owe me one of those bolt guns. ANd when you give it to me, don't worry, I'll be sure to pay you back in kindness."

"I owe you nothing except a good kick in the ass," Tenran snapped.  "You put me through as many hoops as you could just to get mine back.  You wouldn't even know how to use it properly, you lowlife wench."  Tenran shoved her foreward into the path.

"That's right, I forget dogs don't keep promises," she said, walking a bit lighter in her step, and a bit quicker, despite her leg hurting like hell. She just didn't want to be closer to Tenran than she had to. She also wished her bird was nearby. If anything, Feather'swing could at least swoop down and poop on his head.

"That's right.  And every dog has his day," Tenran muttered as he let go of her at last.  "Your head will fetch a hefty price ith the local magistrate.  Any mage sympathizers are rounded up for the weight in gold."

As they walked along, she rubbed at her arm that was now free. He didn't have to hold her so roughly. Now she'd probably bruise. Though she perked up at his words, and only smirked over her shoulder at him.
"You really have... no idea do you?"
Did her face being plastered ALL over Reajh never make it into Tenran's line of sight? She had quite the hefty bounty on her head. Pity for him it was ALIVE only. No one wanted her dead. After the fiasco with Torak at the Grand Duke's coronation, they were unsure what to make of the woman who had all but vanished from the scene since that day. But she had a ton of work to do... and hd been visiting her family to inform them about her brother's death.. even though she didn't care too much for them in the end. They still had a right to know.
"How do you know I'm not just worth a bag of coals?" she said playfully, walking a bit faster now to keep infront.

[So much for effective disguises.]

Tenran looked at her and gave her an obvious glare.  Of couse he knew she was a wanted woman and knew exactly how much she was worth, value going up a little bit day by day.  He'd gathered that much the moment they met.  But wasn't going to let her know that.  He just shrugged and scratched at his beard.  "Even coal is valuable, wench," he replied.  "Or maybe I'd be better off selling you as a piece of meat on a slave block."

OOC: lol
He could hide her face in a book or something? XD that is, if he wanted to creep around with her B|

---------

"Oh, so you ARE into the slave thing,"s he said, turning around and grinning at him coldly as she hobbled along swiftly. "Kinky."

"Only when it brings good coin," Tenran muttered with an eye roll.  "Keep your eyes in front of you.  Never know when a noose is waiting for you on the road."

Jinai raised her brows at him,but kept on looking. "I thought I was staring at my noose?" and she looked him over as her grin grew wider.

"Knowing you, you won't stay noosed for long.  Your kind never do," Tenran replied and nudged her forward.  "You'll find a way to get out and try and seek revenge.  But you'll fail like you always do, and then I might not be so nice as to shoot you in the leg then.  And I might not be so lucky.  I never am."

"I don't know, seems to me you were quite lucky when you were able to get that letter. And who's to say I'm ever that lucky? I mean, if you think about it, I'm acquaintances with you." ANd her grin remained upon her lips, eyes still looking right at him as she walked.

He frowned at her, quite irritated.  "Luck had nothing to do with it," he growled and grabbed her injured shoulder to try and turn her back toward facing the road.  "It was skill and skill alone that's carried me this far, and will continue to do so for as long as I live.  Skill will last you a lifetime.  And when you rely solely on luck, as you do, eventually your luck will eventually run out."

Tenran shoved her forward and purposefully hooked his right foot in front of her nearest ankle in order to trip her up and stepping away once more.  "I'm surprised you're not screaming from that knee right now," he snapped.  "Pick yourself up, soldier.  It's a long road ahead."

As much as it hurt, as much as the pain jolted through her like a bolt of lighting, Jinai didn't scream. Even when her face was first in the dirt. For a while, she remained there, spitting rocks out from between her teeth as she pushed herself up, but found it difficult. Her legs were weak from the pain, and the injuries were now throbbing.

But she drew in a careful breath, before, after great effort, found herself back on her feet again. This would be a long walk indeed.

Tenran watched her struggle, but there was no satisfaction in it.  He'd never been the kind of man to want to watch another person suffer, and gain pleasure because of it.  Instead, he did the only instinctual thing he could think of and grabbed her by the back of her shirt, as she helped herself nonetheless.  He didn't ask her permission, didn't even care that she would protest before grabbing her good arm and throwing it over his shoulder to help her along the road.

"Keeping the scream in doesn't make it hurt any less," he said matter-of-factly, looking straight ahead.

Jinai released an angered sigh through her nose. She had tried to protest what he was doing, but just made a soured expression, avoiding his gaze as he helped her along. SHe was getting really tired of men stabbing her int he back, then trying to help her ten seconds later, only, you know, to try to kill her or stab her again.

OOC: Short post is short XD

"We both have every reason to pummel each other into the dirt, but where would we be if that happened?" Tenran said, not expecting her to answer as he helped her limp along.  "You took my gun, sent my on a wild goose chase throughout the capital, then drugged me and now here you are trying to disrupt my work.  I take my work very seriously.  What would you know about commitment anyway?  ...Ansgar's beard...what would I know?"  At that thought, Tenran shook his head, remembering his divorce and the details therein.

He supposed some things just couldn't be helped.

She just ignored him, his words only seeking to raise the temperature in her blood. He had no idea. He was right. He had no fucking idea. ANd if she could drug him right now and make a get away, she would. ANd because she couldn't, she felt even more bitter. Perhaps she had been spoiled all of those years, easily slipping in and out of the scene...
but now that shit was hitting the fan and all of Connlaoth was turning into a blood bath, it seemed her luck was running out. But then again...
why did she even care?
But this wasn't about her, it was about everyone else, the mages suffering, just like her brother had and...

Renna..

If anything, she'd find a way to get her revenge for her brother's death. The Grand Duke would fall, and Renna would find all of the answers.
That was.. if she could keep her alive. THe only question was, how was she to know where the letter had gone? Tenran sure as hell wasn't going to tell her and she was pretty sure, since he knew her well enough, probably almost all of her drugs were plucked from her person.. even the hard to reach ones.

Tenran had never been one for words.  He'd been a soldier, a captain, and now he was taking in his latest catch to cash in at the magistrate's office.  But he couldn't help but feel as if there was something lurking in the back of his mind.  "Why were you after that letter?" he found himself asking, turning to look at her with hardened eyes.

"To stop it from reaching it's destination," she said coldly, not even bothering to look his way.

Tenran stopped and turned to face her, holding onto her jaw with a powerful hand, but not pressing in just yet.  "Why?  What is so important about that letter?" he pressed.  "That was my job.  Headed for a man named Jaimie Rastognlir.  But...I get the feeling you were trying to stop it for a different reason than I.  Why?  Tell me!"

Her eyes widened whens he felt him pull her face in his direction. And she snapped, letting out a noise of frustration as she socked a fist clean into his face.
"Don't you touch me!" she shouted, tearing herself away from him now and almost falling onto her own ass int he process. "Gods, if you touch me again I swear to God I'll make you regret it." And her eyes were burning with hot tears. GOD DAMN IT. Now was not the time for her to lose her cool. Especially not in front of him.

"And what is it to you? A job is a job. Well, I don't take jobs." she cut back at him, and turned away, simply walking down the path, ignoring the pain in her limbs, I her leg with each step she took. She could walk on her own. She dind't need god damn Tenran to help her out. God damn pathetic men. All of them were pigs, crazy bastards only looking out for themselves!

OOC:.... lol
angst from her other thread is coming out here 8D

Tenran followed behind her, holding his cheek where her fist had landed quite hard.  He looked at her with narrow eyes, but his rage had yet to come out.  "It matters!  What was in that letter!?" He turned to stop her path, body block her in the least and paused.  "You may not answer to a job, but I do.  I was paid to retrieve that letter and return it to its sender.  Does the name Elryn mean anything to you?  Someone who may know something that they shouldn't have?"

Jinai looked back at him, glaring daggers from where he stood. But at the names, her eyes widened, but she set her jaw, determined not to talk.
"You and are I not from the same world, Tenran. Telling you anything I know would only put others in more harm than good." Considering, Tenran, despite having seen a few of the things Jinai had done for the mages, was someone she just could not trust. And in fact, she trusted nobody. Not even her closest allies sometimes.
"Now move past," she said between her teeth. "We've go ta long way to go before you're going to turn me in."
And if she had to, she'd turn it into a road of Hell.

"No," Tenran said, blocking her path again.  "I think we both know something more is at stake here...  And I know you know something you shouldn't.  What is it?  What does Elryn know that he shouldn't!?"  Tenran didn't care to kick her while she was down, but nor was he going to let her get off that easy.

Jinai narrowed her gaze upon him hatefully. Her blood was really beginning to boil.
"Cut out my tongue and make me speak then," she told him curtly, getting just a few inches into his face. "Because there's a war going on Tenran, and this isn't a game. And I'm not about to tell you just anything you want." And her eyes looked him over, before they returned back to his face before she sneered. "Tch. I don't even trust my own allies, why would I tell anything to you?"

"I'm quite well-aware where your loyalties lie.  I've seen enough to have you hanged," Tenran said, but he clenched his jaw and resisted the urge to slap her.  "And you know me enough to know that I take well to playing games.  But I do understand the meaning of business and this goes beyond business.  Someone like you wouldn't be after a mis-sent letter if it wasn't of some dire importance.  If you tell me what is so important about it...I'll give you the letter."

JInai was about ready to clock him, when her face fell at what he said. Her eyes widened.
"You still have it?" Then she grew angry and shoved him away, angrily. "YOU LIE!"

Tenran stumbled backwards.  He peered at her and reached into his jacket.  He pulled out the crumbled scroll, but held it in an iron fist.  "And you believed me," he said.  "How could I make it sheer across Connlaoth in a single night?  Don't be a fool.  You shot me after all, and it was a nasty wound at that.  Cartwright said he'd have to hang the musket ball  on his wall in commemoration.  But that isn't the point.  Now I'm going to ask you one more time: What is in the letter?  And how is Elryn connected to it?"

Jinai grit her teeth. He was right. How could she be so stupid? SHe almost could have smiled, almost. But she kept a hardened glare on Tenran after she tore her eyes from the letter.

"Lord Elyrn is a mage,"s he stated simply. "You don't need to know more than that."
And a mage that was too powerful and too stupid to be in such the precarious position he was in. Renna was just another one of his customers, but the man played another vital role, and someone Renna had to appease in order for them to get closer to their enemy. It was a horrible situation for the girl, considering Jinai knew she was still young and pulling her heart strings elsewhere but...

This wasn't the time to think about it. She'd keep quiet about the courtesan for now. But even still, what did Tenran care?

"I had a feeling," Tenran breathed. He scrunched the letter harder in his grip, still keeping it out of her reach.  "But if Elryn is a mage, and he sent this letter by accident, how does that tie into the woman that this letter is about.  Elryn gave me some information, but not enough.  Or shall I just break the seal and open the letter for myself?"

Jinai narrowed her gaze.
"Because Elyrn is an idiot and men are fools with love. He wanted to slander the courtesan he is seeing. But I think he had second thoughts when she came back to him. I was sent here to intercept it after I found out what that dog did." She hardened her gaze on him, setting her jaw before looking him over then letting her green eyes meet to his. "He was playing a dangerous game, as are you. How many know about this letter? ANd who really sent you after it." She narrowed her gaze upon him suspiciously. "It had to be worth a ton of money for the shots you put in my legs."
And if she turned int a cripple over it.. so help the Gods, Tenran would pay.

Tenran narrowed his eyes and shook his head.  He scratched his beard with a confused hand but he inspected the letter soon afterward.  He didn't understand....  He was trying to slander the name of a courtesan, but why?  When he was a mage himself...  And in the high court of the government.  "Elryn hired me," he said.  "Face to face.  I was hired to take it back and return it to him.  The look about him when we spoke.  He was nervous somehow...as if somebody was after him and only told me as much as I've told you.  I don't know who this woman is, but obviously this was a mistake.  And he sent me to correct it.  If he was trying to slander her name...someone else got to him first and had enough proof to make him want to take it back."

"I don't know the reason behind it, I just know the girl didn't want that letter getting out."S he paused, hesitating before admitting, "She's a friend. A friend of the cause. Not that it matters.. to you."

OOC: Yeah.. TO YOU
STINKY
XP

"You're right, it doesn't matter to me, but I see now that if someone is after Elryn because of this letter, I see now it can't be the same person who sent you after it.  Someone else knows, and I don't think it was the person this letter was addressed to.  The question is who, and how did they know?"  Tenran moved back beside her after stuffing the letter back into his jacket.

He pulled her arm back over his shoulder and nudged her to get moving.  "Here's the plan: You'll get the letter after I deliver you to the magistrate's.  I'll give you a few picks, even your blow dart gun back to help you make your miraculous escape: AFTER, I've been paid.  I'll even keep my word on splitting the bounty with you.  Then you get the letter.  But you have to help me find out who is after Elryn.  Is that a deal?"

Jinai heard him loud and clear, but found herself simply glaring at his head as he pulled her in close by throwing her arm over his shoulder.

"Why do you care about Elyrn... " Frankly, she herself could care less for Elyrn, except he held a most precarious position in this war. He was an ass, that was for sure, and only thought of himself, the arrogant prick. Even if Renna didn't love him, was he really willing to risk his own life? He probably didn't realize the consequences, but then again... he groaned a lot. And she, too, was curious as to who mght have known about the letter and she drew in a careful breath.

"You have a tempting offer, but I'm not a fool. I could never escape a prison in this condition. and I'd bet you'd leave me there to rot to sell that thing to somebody else the moment you have me behind bars. So how about you swallow your own piss and leave me out of whatever money schemes you have."

Tenran wouldn't admit it to her, but he knew there was more at stake than just what money, Elryn had promised him.  There was a mole in a position of power, and with the faint news that there had been slaughter in Havanlaar, Tenran knew it was only a matter of time before it got worse.  And he feared in that moment what would happen to Liana.

Tenran looked at her with a frown.  "It's not about the money..." he shook his head.  "But you know more than I do when it comes to this..."  He sighed.  "But I guess, I'm asking too much from someone like you...  What's important to you anyhow?  You don't even trust your own allies."

Jinai grew quiet at his words. He struck a nerve, and felt her eyes prickling with tears. But she was not about to cry infront of Tenran. She was not about to let him see her so weak. She she swallowed the knot away in her throat, and hoped her bangs were hanging over far enough down before her eyes to mask the faint beginnings of tears.

Tenran didn't see anything in accordance with tears.  But he heard a sniffle and he looked down discreetly, seeing faint moisture glittering on the side of her eyes.  He kept walking, feeling awkward and if he didn't know any better, he might have paused to slap some sense into her.  But who would have that helped.  Instead he paused and with the arm he had around her waist, he raised it and put it around her shoulder, pulling her in for an awkward hug.  At least for the moment.

Jinai didn't know what Tenran was trying to pull, so when the hug came,s he tensed up,a nd after a moment, instincts kicked in as she pushed him. UNfortunately for her, they were too wrapped around one another so that hwen this happened, it not only disrupted his balance, but her own as well. And with a yelp, the pair went down, Jinai falling unceremoniously ontop of him with a wince. And then, looking down into his face, she grit her teeth and sat up upon him.
"What are you trying to pull!?" she said, getting defense right quick, and wish her leg didn't feel like a thousand flames were scorching and pulling it right now, or else she would have crawled right off of him. They were far too close for comfort and the pains shooting up her legs brought more tears to her already prickling eyes.


OOC: So much win loool

When Jinai fell on him all the breath came out of Tenran as he fell hard on the ground.  He grunted with irritation and moved up to lean on his elbows, frowning at her, and her indignation.  "I-I was trying to comfort you," he said,  "Sorry for doing so, it won't happen again.  Now get off me."  He didn't waste anytime taking her leg and moving it off of him so that he could stand.  He held out a hand to help her up, though he knew she probably wouldn't take it.

Jinai said nothing to his words, and winced, holding onto her leg as she pressed her forehead down upon it as it was shooting out pain. Gods, there was no way she could walk on it in that moment, or even begin to describe the pain. Hot tears bubbled up, slipping off and onto her skin. Thankfully, her hair fell over her face, hiding it so she hadn't seen the hand offered to her, and he probably couldn't see the pain on her face.
Gods... how did anyone ever deal with a wound like this? God damn, Tenran! The hell she'd let him just get her bounty money if she could help it. He could rot in hell!

"The hell you could comfort anything!" she snapped bitterly, her voice choking and dried. SHe tried to draw in a careful breath to steel herself, but hte pain was unimaginable, so she was waiting for it to pass.

He knew that pose, he knew that position and didn't need to see her face to know that she was in pain.  He remembered he was very much the same way when he found he couldn't walk no more than a few feet before tears came boiling into his eyes.  It wasn't until his leg brace that he found himself moving with ease anywhere.  Even still there were ghost pains that sparked up on occasion.

He pursed his lips and knelt down beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders and the other under her legs, before plucking her up from the ground.  "That's what my ex-wife used to say," he muttered, adjusting his hold on her.  "Thankfully, she said I was at least good at sex and listening.  But the comfort, not so much.  But that didn't stop me from trying."

If the pain wasn't debilitating, she would have fought him tooth and nail;a nd truthfully, she didn't know why he even bothered.

"Your.. your ex-wife,"s he sputtered out between winces, "Sounds smart. Guess she wizened up when she left you." she then added bitterly, a cruel smile hanging on her lips as she kept her head lowered, tears still staining her eyes that were half hidden behind a thick curtain of her bangs.
Then as she thought over the last comment, she smirked.
"I don't know if I could agree on the sex part. I was high."

"Well, drugs do amplify everything.  I'm not sure I enjoyed it either," Tenran said with a humble laugh.  "I'm man enough to accept I'm not every woman's cup of rum.  My ex-wife though, I guess I must have been doing something right, we were married for many years.  No children, though, sad enough.  But we were happy, once."  Tenran kept walking, minding the wounds he'd given her and didn't give her the humiliation she was trying to avoid.

"But she was a smart broad.  Still is too," he said with a reflective smile.

Jinai went quiet, his story keeping her mind off her wounds.
"Can I ask why she left you?"

"Hm, well, that depends on who you ask.  Between the two of us, we agreed to divorce mutually," Tenran went on, walking gently along the road so as not to disturb her wounds.  "It was the children...the ones we didn't have, that finally broke the horse's back, so to speak.  Safe to say, what child we did have didn't survive beyond it's first month...  The stress was too much, among other things: my discharge from the army, traveling constantly, and no contact with my family, put a strain on things.  It was best to break things off.  We figured we were better together as friends than married.  It works out to this day.  What about you?  I figure you're not the kind of gal to get married."

Jinai kept quiet, wincing only now and then when the wound would shoot up her leg. Gods be damned, it hurt.
But at his story, she frowned, and stared down at the ground moving beneath her.

"No, I don't prefer the collar of marriage,"s he stated simply. "I'm not meant for it."
And never had she considered it before. Marriage was taxing, and Tenran proved it.
"Did you want kids?" she asked, even surprising herself at the question.

"Well, you'd be smart not to get in it in the first place.  It's not bad to vow yourself to the one you love, but it just ain't for some people.  You and me both.  And for some, you can be just as loyal without a ring as you can with one.  The love is in your heart, not in some words you say in front of a priest."  He sighed and then glanced at her once she asked that question, but turned his gaze back to the road.

"I did actually," he said with a laugh.  "I wanted a little girl, that I could spoil rotten and make her love me more than her mother."  He laughed again.  "But I guess being a captain in the army wouldn't have made for a very comfortable life.  We were always moving around, and it would have been difficult for the child to have any stability.  But I'm just as fine without one.  I don't feel as if there'd been something missing.  Still, it would have been nice.  Regardless, there's no hard feelings between me and her.  I love her just the same."

Jinai grew quiet for a good long while. His story was.. charming, to say the least; which she hated admitting since she was suffering now in that moment because of him. She was also still recovering from the heart ache of her brother's death, and from the psychological effects from Torak's attacks when she had gone to Arca to bury her brother's body.

Love.. a family.. that sort of thing, even being able to laugh and talk openly this way were just... strange and foreign to her. Growing up, messing around with boys and tumbling about int he hay were just natural.. well, for her. Then again, when she had foolishly told her brother's friend, the one that had first got her introduced to the world of sex and drugs well.. she thought it was love. And well..
when he laughed at her..s he knew it would never pan out.

And love... ha! She could laugh right back. She didn't need it, and was fine on her own. Sex was just as good without love, and sated that part o fher that needed to be quelled. But at Tenran's story, she began to realize what she might possibly be missing and reflected on what she knew.

The only person to love her truly, was her brother; and even she knew that just wasn't right. Yes, she had loved him, but love... evne if she could love her own brother, was just not for her. Though she couldn't help but realize what she had been missing for not seeking it out... It made her blink back the tears. It was foolish to think she ignored love becuase someone laughed at her for getting lust and love confused.

It had been so long ago.. but even still, just as scarring.

"I'll never have kids." she added lamely, not knowing what else to say. Though that part was probably obvious. Considering how much she slept around, and the drugs she kept taking, her body was a wreck. ANd right now, she wished she could go back to her drugs.. it had been a while, but even as she itched to bury herself in a high, she sighed, knowing full well she no longer had a single potion on her.

"Well, some people just aren't meant to be," Tenran went on.  The road was getting long and at this rate they'd have to make camp by nightfall.  The city was much farther away and he was getting low on funds. Any money going toward an inn would have to wait.  "I'm not much a fan of other people's children.  But any child of mine, I know I'd love.  You just know, when it happens, you just know.  Well, it is what it is."

He stumbled from the main path a little, stepping lightly into the brush before resting on the carcass of a fallen log, sitting softly it and pulling her to sit down beside him.  He reached down by his side and pulled out a flask from his boot.  "Here," he said, opening it up for her.  "Take a swig."

She listened to Tenran. It was strange she was being comforted by his words. It was almost like listening to her brother...
Retkin...
Remembering him, she sighed through her nose, becoming lulled by Tenran's voice, and even through the pain on her leg. She was exhausted. So when he set her down and offered her the drink, she took it out of instinct and opened it up, though hesitated as she brought it to her lips.

"Er.. you got any water? I don't think I should be drinking this." she admitted, hesitating as she kept the bottle near her lips.

"Why not?" he asked with a furrowed brow.  He gingerly took the flask from her hand and took a swig of the brandy for himself.  He sighed in relaxation at the stiff drink and handed it back to her.  "Tastes okay to me.  What?  You didn't think I drugged it did you?  I mean...I think that's more your speed than mine.  It'll help you relax is all.  And not to mention the pain."

Jinai stared away from him, trying to steady her breath. She didn't know why she felt so claustrophobic all of a sudden as she pushed the drink away when offered.
"No.. it's not that," she said with a shake of her head. "I'm getting tired of this shit, and I'm too irritable to get drunk." She grit her teeth. "I think you'd like me less for it.
But why did that matter?

Tenran frowned at her and kept the drink on his thigh.  "I don't want to get you drunk.  Just take a swig, you'll feel a lot better.  I know what it's like to have your knee fucked up.  I feel from a three-story building when I was seventeen, smashed the damn thing to pieces.  If it wasn't for this brace I made, I wouldn't even be walking.  Your wound will heal a little better now that the bolt is out of it.  Sorry about that by the way.  But I couldn't have you following me...  I didn't know then what I know now."  He looked down at his hands as it flipped the flask over and over in his hands.

Jinai kept her face averted of his, feeling angered by just about everything he said.
"I don't care if I feel better. The pain reminds me it's there." Then she paused, realizing how silly that sounded before she sighed.
"Are we going to make camp soon? I'm exhausted."
And she didn't want to deal with him any longer.

"Fine," Tenran said with a shrug and closed the cap, slipping it back into it's slot along his trousers.  He nodded to her and saw the daylight was beginning to wane anyway and stood up from the log, seeing a small clearing behind a thicket of trees.  It was as good a place as any to make camp and the brush would give them some cover from the road, but still be able to see it. 

"Yeah, right here's good."  He bent and plucked her up again, moving through the brush before setting her down again on the ground.

Jinai was getting annoyed being carried around like some damn helpless damsel. And once he placed her down again,s he pushed him away.
"I can take care of myself. I should be able to stand now." Though when she went to try, her entire leg was shaking as she braced herself against a tree, but pride kept her standing, despite how hard it was for her to swallow the pain.
She'd have to make a mental note never to get injured on her leg AGAIN.

"God... how did you survive a leg injury when you were so young?" she groaned, finally letting herself collapse beside the small tree.

Tenran let her fall, watching her with mild interest as he collected various twigs and branches and some smaller sticks around to start a small fire.  He set them in a small spot on the ground and surrounded it with stones.  "I had the luxury of healers attached to my regiment.  They set my knee straight as best they could, but there was only so much they could do.  They gave me a shitty leg brace that helped support the weight," Tenran explained as he took his shirt sword and struck the back of his flask to spark it and make the branches begin to smolder.

"I took the pieces of an old clock and put them together, gears an all fashion a better functioning brace.  But like I said, your wound will heal much better than mine did, if you don't stress it too much."  And that was all he said, feeling the tension growing in the air.

Jinai clutched a hand over the wound.

"What were you doing to injure your leg anyway?" she asked bitterly, blinking back a few tears, whcih again, she was thankful her bangs had grown so long. They were working well to hide the brewing tears.

Tenran gave a laugh at her question when at last the branches and leaves took to fire.  He put his short sword away and gave another swig to the flask, even splashing a little on the fire to get it going stronger.  "Believe it or not, I was saving the young woman that would be my wife," he said with a small grin, staring as the flames caught.  "I chased after a brigand that took a blade to her neck in a flaming building.  The place was coming down around us.  I dashed for her in time just as the ceiling fell on him, killing him.  And I jumped out a window, with all exits blocked.  It wasn't really an option not to jump.  Yeah, yeah, I'm stupid, I know."

Jinai was silent as she listened to his tale, and now with the fire crackling, it began to sooth her nerves, even if her leg was still throbbing.

"I'm not one to say it, but it sounds damn romantic." And she honestly wouldn't know. "It's a shame you didn't work out. Though I suppose those are only fairy tales you here, the man rescuing the woman to live happily ever after..."

She stared at the growing fire, giving a sniff.
"I think I'd like some of that drink now."

Tenran looked at her quizzically and gave a soft laugh.  "Well, it wasn't like I think those were wasted years," he said with a nod.  He tossed the closed flask to her, to let her drink of her own accord.  "We worked out in our own way.  We still love each other, we just couldn't stay married.  We live our own lives and when it's convenient, sometimes we...come together again.  No big deal."

He was tempted to ask about her, but didn't want to pry.  It was none of his business anyway, and he knew she'd probably lie in response regardless.  So he said nothing and just stoked the fire with a stick.

Jinai uncorked the thing and took a long, deep swig. Gasping, she wiped her mouth off on the back of her hand. Boy did that ever burn going down. She made a face, then took another swig again. If she was going to survive this night, might as well fall back to alcohol. It always helped to numb the pain away, and soon, she was feeling hte effects warm her face and mind as she laughed.

"So you're saying you still bang her?" she said, smirking and laughing a bit through her nose before taking another drink . "And what is this anyways? Sort of tastes like burning piss."

"A combination of whiskey and brandy.  Only the best I can buy.  Not like I can exactly keep a keg strapped to me, but it helps when I have a head ache."  He laughed.  "Good stuff.  Don't drink it all.  I don't want you drunk and if you are drunk, I'll be sure to be extra loud come dawn.  Now pass it over!"

He didn't want to answer the question and just poked at the fire some more.

She smirked and decided to be an asshole, and took a huge swig of the drink before blowing it at the flames, making it roar to life.
Laughing, she handed the drink back over towards him.
"Just be quick. I want to be drunk enough to sleep, and if you wake me in the morning, I'll find a way to turn your leg brace into a mechanical doll."

Tenran scowled at her but shrugged anyway and took a swig of his own, appreciating the oaky taste of it and tossed it back to her.  "You certainly are taking to hospitality now," he muttered.  "Just rest and relax.  We both could use some rest."

"I'm trying to," she said, catching the bottle. "Relax that is," she added with a grin, tossing her head back as she took a long swig, and kept on drinking.

There hadn't been much in the flask to begin with, but watching her down so much so quickly, and with the added combination of it being whiskey and brandy, made even Tenran sick to his stomach.  He just laughed and let her have it, having got his own fill of it.  Instead he reached into his jacket and pulled out a cigar, snapping the end off of it with a blade from his waist and proceeded to light it with the fire.  He took a few relaxing puffs of it and sighed out another.  "This is the stuff," he said with a smile.  "I don't suppose you'd want one either."

Jinai groaned and tossed the empty bottle aside.
"Just hit me up with whatever you got."

Tenran got up and retrieved the empty flask with a sigh, dusting it off with a little bit of frustration before slipping it back into it's place on his leg.  He puffed on his cigar before taking another one from his jacket and clipping off the end of it much like before, then lit the end in the fire.  He handed it off to her and sat back, puffing off another one.  "Enjoy."

She took the cigar, leaned back against the rotting log and took in a nice, long drag. THe smoke burned in the back of her throat, and she released her lips, 'o' shaped as she blew out smoke. She remained quiet, content now as she chewed at the end of the cigar, it's smoke drifting lazily as she stared over at the fire as it crackled and glowed.

"So... how much am I worth?"

"Enough," Tenran answered simply.  He too was staring at the fireplace and giving another simple shrug.  "Enough to pay for proper supplies, buy your gear back from the Hole, and pay the right people.  You know, expenses.  And whatever's left over, well, that goes for more work.  But you know how it is."

Jinai only smirked, simply nodded as she puffed away at the cigar. She hadn't had one of these since the last time they met, and that had only been a fleeting, spur of the moment sort of thing. She took in another drag, blowing it leftward out of her lips as she studied him.

"Yes, it's always about work." she said. "Always about survival."

He chuckled abd chewed on the end of his cigar.  "That's how it usually works.  But I think this time I'mm give part of my share toa lucky few who might stand a chance getting out of Connlaoth country.  I heard there was some sort of bloodshed in Havanlaar," he said with a shrug.  "So what have you been up to since last we met?"

Jinai visibly turned colder at his mention of Havanlaar, and all the memories that came with it. She had been holding a drag of smoke within her mouth, and coughed a little before expelling it out.

"Why would you care about Havanlaar? Shouldn't an incident like that give your sort of job the edge? Oh.." then she paused to realize, smiling coldly. "Perhaps that's what you were getting at."A nd she kept the hollowed smile on her lips before resting hte cigar beside it, but was too far focused to take any more of it in.

Tenran frowned at her.  "Maybe you misunderstand me," he said with a glare at the fire.  "Havanlaar isn't a concern of mine, it's what might happen because of it.  If it's going to happen again, I'd like to get the people I care about out of this country.  It's wretched anyway.  It always was, and likely always will be.  But an entire town slaughtered, and the Grand Duke doesn't even care about it - then it's all going to shit anyway.  Likely because he's the cause of it."

He puffed on his cigar a few more times before slipping the pack off his shoulders and rifling through it, finding a blanket and some of the rations they had.  He plucked out a piece of bread and some jerky and tossed it her way.

Jinai grew quiet for a good long while. When she recalled the cigar at her lips, she breathed it in, then exhaled the smoke through her nose.

"If you need to get people out of the country, and safely, I've got connections in about every corner, from Hellvion to Uthlyn, to the southern boarder." She smirked. "I even know men in Allar." The duchy the Grand Duke hailed from.

"Thanks but no thanks.  I've seen the people you run with.  Nothing I care to get involved in.  But for now I need the money, and so do you.  You'll need a better healer than Cartwright to deal with that knee and make sure it heals right.  He's an old coot, long gone off his rocker.  He's lost his touch years ago."

Tenran looked at her at the mention of Allar but thought nothing more of it.  She would know people just about everywhere.  Her kind always did.  Thankfully so did he.  The best part about being a bounty hunter allowed him freedom of movement where other officers of the law would have more difficult places getting in.  Trust was only as good as the reflection of his coin.  And he always polished them the brightest.

Jinai shrugged, then nodded to his statement, simply nursing on her cigar as she went quiet, staring out at the woods.

"You should eat.  At least to help you from waking up with a headache," Tenran gestured to the bread and jerky.  "You'll need your strength."

Jinai nodded, taking the food in silence. She did't eat them at first, still letting herself take in a few drags before setting the cigar into the grass and then moving to rip a piece off from the bread and popped it into her mouth. She ate everything she had been giving, then resumed nursing the cigar, her eyes drifting out and focusing on a world far away from her, where the world met on the horizon- against the trees and a sea of stars.

Tenran stood up from where he sat and took the blanket and moved to cover Jinai with it, to at least keep her warm from the sudden incursion of wind that gusted at the fire.  "It's the least I can do, to make you comfortable," Tenran said with a frown, moving back to his spot.  He peered at her after having his own fill of bread and jerky and frowned again.  "What happened to you?" he asked softly.  "You probably won't answer.  And if you do, it'll probably be a lie, but it's worth asking.  Since last we met...what happened?  You seem so...different."

Jinai was surprised when the blanket came around her. She hadn't expected it, and sat there a moment before moving beneath it to readjust it on her shoulders so it wouldn't fall off. Her eyes kept to his, listening in silent to his words, but as the talk fell back to her, she looked away, staring back at the fire.

"There wasn't a war before." she stated simply. "And before, you hadn't caught me." She said, sticking her face up towards his with a grin, but it was hollow, and the flames of the fire danced across, mixing shadows and orange glowing light from the fire across her skin.

"What about you? Before you wouldn't give a damn.."s he said, looking away and staring bitterly at the fire.

What had happened?
A lot... perhaps too much to recount.

"Nothing to note," Tenran said resolutely.  "Nothing worth fighting for.  I just think I become more and more bitter every day.  Or the world is just getting worse and worse.  My thoughts are both, I guess.  Nothing changes for the better anymore.  And frankly I'm sick of it.  I'm probably better off expecting nothing."

Jinai went silent, staring deeply at the flames.

"I used to never feel this bitter," she commented, but shrugged it off, wearing the same shallow smirk as before.  "Perhaps you're right, this country is going to Hell, and damn fast." Her smile began to fade. "I'd leave if I was smarter, but.. I'm too well invested here, and I'm not about to run away from this place. I've already staked a claim, might as well see it to the damn end." She shrugged. "Besides, I've got nothing to run away to. Might as well die here like the others, working against a cause that's like swimming against the current in the river after the spring thaw." She sniffed, shifting her weight uneasily. Why was she telling him this anyway? Though she supposed it didn't matter if she spoke or not. Her fate was what it was. And it seemed her life direction was in his hand. WIth a damn gimped knee almost as fucked up as his, she really couldn't get too far on her own, and it made her all the more bitter on the inside.

She piqued his interest at her words, but Tenran wasn't about to press an issue she was already ornery about in the first place.  But he did furrow his brows at her as he finished up the last bites of his portions of rations and pulled out another flask, this time filled with water and took a sip.  He tossed her some to help wash down the dry food.

"I guess it'd only be a matter of time before we'd have something in common, even if we both hate each other for it," Tenran said as he peered at her.  His eyes didn't speak of hate however, and by firelight, they were quite warm, as if he understand her very words.  "I guess it's best we get some sleep now.  I'll see you in the morning."

As far as she could tell, they'd never have anything in common, and was silent when she accepted the water. And despite being exhausted and worn to the bone, she didn't sleep well and it took over three hours of her to finally drift off into sleep. And her nightmares were terrible, pained filled reminders that her brother was dead, and that each day she fought, she was tempting fate to put her one step closer to her own grave.

Tenran kept watch for a while, mindful of their surroundings though he didn't know just who could be watching them at this particular moment.  But he'd never been the kind of man to just leave things to chance, not when such a big hit was at stake.  And though he couldn't help but feel lingering guilt for leaving Jinai with such dreadful injuries, he knew it was only a matter of time before she'd come and even the score with him.  He wasn't much tired himself and was too anxious to sleep.  He closed his eyes only when morning came and awoke to the fits and grunts coming from Jinai's side.

He leaned over her, just a bit and nudged her shoulder.  "Hey," he said quietly.  "Wake up...  You must be having a bad dream..."

Startled, Jinai woke with a jerk; and seeing an unfamiliar face in the haze, instincts had her slugging Tenran across the face. It wasn't until after the fact she knew what was going on, as she sat up, propping herself up on both her hands behind her that she shouted, "Tenran!?" and her face twisted in confusion, her chest rising and falling quickly with breath while sweat slicked her skin.
"What the hell-" she groaned, then recalled her leg and winced when she attempted to move it. She muttered a few swears between her teeth as she raked a pained hand through her own hair.
"I guess it's morning now," she said after a time, keeping her eyes on her leg. "I suppose it's time to move on."

Tenran fell back on his ass, holding his cheek and flexing his jaw.  Good hit for someon delirious with pain and every reason for rage against him.  He just cracked it back into place and sat up beside her.  "We'll get going in a bit," he frowned.  "Let me look at your leg."

Jinai said nothing, but tried to move away from him, shielding a hand over her leg defensively.
What did it matter the state of her leg? They had to get moving didn't they? And she was still riled up from the dream, her mind and heart still racing as the memories of it faded away.
"Pretty sure my legged is as fucked up as it was before." she said, giving him a bitter look. "Let's just move on."

"Do yourself a favor and keep your mouth shut before I shut it for you.  Smart girl," Tenran said.  He said nothing more as he went abot unbinding her knee and resalving it where it needed.  It didn't smell that great but at least it had fresh bandages.  He moved over and helped her up so that they could get moving once more.

Jinai kept quiet, glaring at Tenran's head as he tended to her leg, but did resist when he moved to lift her off the ground. Once they were walking again, she felt stiff and sore, and grunted at first from the pain of having pressure reapplied to her leg. But after that, she swallowed down whatever pains were felt and jolting through her leg, and just kept on walking, kept on moving.

There was no need for mild minor conversation and Tenran was thankful for it as they took to the road once again.  Time passed quickly and soon they were deep in darkness,  the Magistrates's office just nnother day away on foot.  Tenran made camp, a little deeper in the woods this time and made sure she was comfortable before taking a seat himself.  He watched and listened and suddenly he could hear the faint echo of hooves pounding against the road.  A rider coming this way?  He wondered who it was and immediately threwaa blanket over the fire to smother its light.  His eyes gently adjusted to the darkness and he waited as the hooves got closer on the road, eventually slowing down and walking nearer to them.

"Looks like more people are coming to join the party," Jinai said. She hadn't spoken up in a while, and her smartness cut through the air. Though like Tenran, she felt anxious too, and part of her wanted to cause the pair of them more trouble as she smiled and shouted towards the approaching riders, "Hey! Over here! We could use your help!"
Take that, stupid Tenran, gimpy leg. NOw the men would know they were there whether he tried to hide it now or not.

OOC: loool
not sure who you intended to approach so there :P
now they can't avoid them unless Tenran becomes quite clever XD

Tenran could have slapped Jinai if it hadn't been too late and the riders were drawn to their neck of the woods by her call.  Tenran scrambled up to quickly collect their gear but soon it was too late.

"Hold it right there!" a voice cried.  There was a flare of light and a torch was lit and there appeared a soldier with a smirk on his face.  Behind him were three other soldiers and a few others on the road still while the other men inspected the call.  He stared at both Tenran and Jinai  and approached the wounded woman with a scrutinizing gaze.  "Don't I know you from somewhere?  That face is mighty familiar.  Though I say your nose is a lot bigger in real life."

"No," Tenran said, standing up.  "She doesn't.  This is my cousin!  We were hunting and she had an accident, being thrown from a horse!  They got spooked and we're trying to make it to the next town for proper care.  So go on about your business."

"I think you should keep your mouth shut if you knew what was good for you!" the soldier shouted.  The men behind him grabbed at their swords, tense at the situation.  "And what makes you think I believe you for a second?" the soldier pressed.

"Because my cousin is an idiot, and he thought you'd buy that for a second. He's a lousy shot with a bow, see my legs? We were hunting and he tripped, and his damn cross bow took a bite out of my leg."

The men examined it in silence.
"So believe what you want, but I'd like us to get into town without trouble. I called for help, not for blood. These wounds hurt like hell. And to think..." she gave a dramatic roll of her eye. "My parents want me to marry him." Sighing, she looked at the men. "So you going to help us get to town or not? If not, I suggest you put those swords away. I'd hate to have my cousin try to defend my honor and I end up losing an eye.

The humor sunk into the men as they chuckled, and it seemed as if they were ready to lower their arms. Thank Gods it seemed as if they were buying it. Thank the GOds she was quick with her tongue.

Yes, thank the gods, if it was any consolation to her wit.  But Tenran would settle for thanking Jinai.  It was bad enough these guards were quick with their hands, but he hoped they weren't nearly as quick with their brains.  Aaaaaaand-

"Sorry, ma'am," the first guard said, putting his arms out to calm his men and they put their arms down.  "The roads aren't safe these days.  Bagged a pair of ruffians with loud mouths not too far up the road.  They had with all manner of poisons and opiates.  You never know just who might be hiding out in the brush."

Bex and Baland? Tenran thought and internally blanched.  And being caught with Jinai's gear no less.  Well, he just had to see how this would play out. 

"Well, if you please," the guard said.  "We could at least escort you to the next town over.  Riding horseback will likely be less painful than trying to walk on that leg for the rest of the day."

"Sounds good to me. My leg hurts like hell.
And the men laughed at that.

"Well come on, let's get the pair of you moving."

Jinai didn't even spare Tenran a glance as she was helped onto one of the horses.

Once they were finally on their way, Tenran could breathe a small sigh of relief.  But it wasn't enough to soothe the aching tension in his gut.  It was only a matter of time before the soldiers finally wisened up to the whole ruse. The last thing he needed was to end up in jail again with Jinai for "aiding" a wanted criminal.

Jinai hadn't ignored the  part about people being bagged with drugs. In fact, she was hoping to get more information, but how to be subtle about it? Though travel was quiet for a time, it didn't take long before the men opened up to some light conversation, and she even got a few of them to blush with a few innocent flirts. Though as they were nearing a city, Jinai grew uneasy. Tenran wasn't the only one worried about what might happen in town. It wouldn't take long before the guards might realize who she was, and she asked the group to halt just a mile outside the city path. The men helped her off the horse. It was better they aid her as she told them she had to 'relieve' herself, and she was soon hobbling off into the forests.

She needed a plan, and she needed one fast. Not only did she want to out smart the guards, but Tenran as well. There was no way in hell she'd let him turn her in for money. He owed her a bolt-gun besides. It wasn't like she owed him anything!

"I've got to go too," Tenran said as he got off from behind one of the riders and lingered just a moment behind Jinai.  The soldiers mumbled amongst themselves when Tenran approached her.  "We've got to get to the city," he hissed.

"Hey can't the lady piss in peace?" the lead solfier asked.  The rest of them laughed and Tenran gave a mock laugh before he stepped away from them further.

"We've got to get the twins.  I can't leave them rotting in jail..   In exchange, I'll help you get your gear back."

Jinai eyed him poisonously and hissed, "You owe me more than that."

Tenran glared at her.  "You're still going on about the gun?  I thought you were over it by now," he rolled his eyes and hissed right back.  "All right. You'll get your damn gun too.  But only after we're through with all of this."

Jinai pinched his arm, and refused to answer him.
"Didn't those men warn you? I can't piss with you watching." she said, giving him a dark glare as she worked at loosening her skirts.

Tenran only momentarily turned up to look at the men and saw them still talking amongst each other.  One of them cast a glance down at the pair as she began to undress.  They dismounted again, and one of them approached Tenran, motioning him to come forth.

"Say my good man, uh, you and you're cousin aren't exactly...betrothed yet are you?" he asked suspiciously.

Tenran made a face and peered back toward Jinai.  "What are you implying?" he countered.

The soldier just laughed and his companions followed suit.  But not shortly after did the first soldier suddenly strike Tenran across the face, spilling him to the ground as two of the other men rushed downhill after Jinai.

"Jinai!" Tenran wailed as he tried to stand only to be kicked hard on the side. 

A lady really couldn't piss in peace, though thankfully she had just finished up when the men came at her. Hiking up her skirts, she backed away defensively, but found herself wincing at each step from her leg wounds,a nd soon found herself surrounded.


Well, she had wanted Tenran to get his come uppings and a way for her to escape both the men and jail, but it seemed like another risk was thrown into the mix.
And here she was, without any weapons.


Shit.

Tenran growled and grabbed at the foot of the first soldier kicking him and promptly twisted it, making the man yelp as he went down.  The two other men that went down hill toward Jinai closed in on her and one man tackled her from behind.

The other soldiers dismounted and one joined The other two while the other tried to tangle with Tenran.  "You don't know when to stay down boy!" the man chattered.  He pulled out his dagger and tried to slash at Tenran.  He jumped back, avoiding a slash to the gut.  "If you're good, we'll let you watch!"

"Oh I'm good.  But you're not laying a hand on her," Tenran growled.  He stepped in and rammed his shoulder into him, knocking the knife out of his grasp.  He pulled out his boltgun and shot one bolt at his neck, blood spouting up and out at him.  While there was still time, he pulled the other gun from his side and launched it into the air.  "Jinai, catch!"

Jinai let out a cry as she was tackled, but instead of going down into the dirt, the man roughly restrained her arms. She let out another growl and tried to fight him, but the other man was there to assist, but she wasn't going to be taken without a fight.

"Fiery one, ain't she?"t he one man commented as Jinai continued to struggle and buck, the two men having had to press her up against a tree to get her to become restrained. SHe sneered as they were rough with her, her cheek getting cut against the rough bark, and her body, no doubt, becoming bruised from her rough handling. But she wasn't about to let them get her so easily, so when the one man came in real close, she head butted him, hard, and he was seeing stares as he screamed out, and stumbled away. It was then Tenran tossed her the gun...

but the other man saw it and instead of he or her catchin git, he threw Jinai at it, and the gun smacked her hard across the jaw and she crumpled to the dirt.
Gods did that ever hurt, and she hadn't the time to recover, but still tried desperately to reach for the bolt gun when the man's boot came down upon her wrist and she let out a cry of pain. The man picked up the gun, flipping it over before pulling the trigger, and he watched in startled fascination as one of the bolts shot out into the forest.

The man grinned wickledly and pointed the gun directly at Tenran.
"Stay right where you are."
And Jinai, not about to let this man just get the upper hand, gave a light, trio of whistles, and suddenly Feather'swing appeared, snatching the gun from the man's hand.

Tenran had shot the other soldier, downing him with another bolt to the neck as he did the first one.  He paused when the third soldier pointed his own gun at him.  He cursed under his breath and gripped the handle of the gun in his hand.  He still had one shot left, but he wasn't going to get it at this rate.

Then he heard the whistle...and just when he never thought he'd be happy to see that bird.  Well, there it was, snatching the gun out of the soldier's hand.  In that moment of distraction, Tenran shot at him, dead-eyed shot right to his eye.  The soldier fell at last but they weren't through yet.

"Behind you!"

The warning came a second too late, for the man behind Jinai whacked her hard across the back of the head, rendering her unconscious as she fell into a heap upon the grass.

"You son of a bitch!" Tenran growled.  He didn't have time to reload.  And in that split second of forgetfulness, Tenran rushed at the man, pulling out his own sword and gutting him through.  The last soldier stood there wide-eyed for a good long moment before slumping to his knees and keeling over.

Tenran knelt beside Jinai and turned her over.  "Please be alive," he grumbled, taking his gun and putting it back in it's holster and watched as her bird came swooping down toward them.  "Chicken, give me back my gun!"

At his command, the bird dropped the bolt gun...
right ontop of his head. But Jinai remained unmoving on the floor, blood trickling down from a gash on her temple.

Tenran rubbed his throbbing skull and took the gun, reloading the bolts before slipping it into its holster. He carefully picked up Jinai and motioned for the bird to meet them my the horses.  He carefully situated her over one of the saddles before he moved aack to the bodies to collect his bolts.  As he did so, he stared down at the bodies and frowned.  "Another fine mess to clean up.  Dead soldiers....fuck," he said as he began to roll the bodies down away from the road.  Once that was done he returned to collect what supplies he could from the remaining saddlebags.

Jinai remained unconscious, though her bird remained close, and after a time she eventually came to perch upon Tenran's shoulder and cocked her head to one side, giving him a side long glance.

"What?" he said as he looked at Feather'swing.  He reached up and tried to pet her chest feathers when she tried to nip at him.  He cursed a little and moved back to Jinai.  He found a waterskin and opened it to splash some water into her face, hoping to wake her up.

The water was surprisingly biting cold as Jinai sputtered and gasped awake. Blinking, she looked up at Tenran, then noticed her bird on his shoulder as her face scrunched quizzically at the sight.
"Feather'swing?" The bird simply tilted it's head to the other side as it observed it's owner floundering, and wet.

"This is not a good time," Tenran said only to have the bird peck at the side of his head and ruffle her feathers in disdain. "Gods be damned!" he growled.  He put the waterskin away and readjusted Jinai on the saddle before climbing up behind her.  "Dead soldiers on the side of the road is never a good thing!  Please, Jinai, I'll do whatever you want... just please help me get the twins out of jail!"  He couldn't believe it.  He was begging with a mage-sympathaizing whore-junkie.  But beggras couldn't really be choosers.

Jinai grit her teeth, rubbing now at her throbbing temple as she glanced over at Tenran as he posed his question.
"You sure know how to treat a girl after she's been knocked over the head. Let's just get the hell out of these woods and we can talk about that on the way." and she sat up more straight now, and put out her arm, Feather'swing quickly landing on her forearm before crawling up to perch on her shoulder. "So did you really kill all of those men?" she asked with a laugh.

Tennran gave her a soured look.  "Not all of them.  There were five riders, but only four dead bodies.  I reckon one of them must have got away when I wasn't looking.  Which is why getting out of here is the best plan you've had all day."  Without further adieu, he kicked the horse and the animal bolted off down the road, sticking closer to the wilderness and taking the deviating path when the road split in the direction of town. 

"You let one live?!" She couldn't believe this but she supposed they had bigger fish to fry. "You'd think you'd go after him for more questioning on your friends." Then again, he'd probably rather be discrete.

Tenrnn hated when she hada point but he supposed it was much too late for that.  "Maybe I should have.  But I think it's safe to say where they are now.  The Hollow isn't diificult to find out where the local military camps are.  They'd hold them in the brig long enough to get information out of them,..then execute them.  The army is notorious for its shortsightedness.  Luckily for us," he went on, "I know the location of most of these camps.  I was a soldier, once.  The nearest one is about six or seven miles due west."

Jinai grew silent and thought this over. This little outing might prove useful to her after all.
"Sounds like you've got a plan, though I think it needs more thought. You aim to waltz just up to one of their military camps and expect them to just let us in?"

"No," he grumbled.  "But I suppose I'll cross that bridge when we get to it."  Yet a cold stone in the pit of his stomach made him squeamish and wondered if he ought he ought to be so quick to dismiss ber.  "It's not like you have any ideas do you?"

"Because of all the mage stuff and the army being recruited for internal attacks, all places like that are heavily guarded. You mean to honestly tell me you don't have a plan?" Jinai just stared at Tenran as if he were crazy, or perhaps stupid. Or both.
Then of course, he asks HER for a bright idea and she simply rolled her eyes.
"Well, if one of us was injured enough, we could stroll in begging for supplies. Claim we were attacked by mages. They'd sympathize with us right quick."
Then realizing she was the more scuffed up of the two... she backed away slowly.
"And I refuse to be the victim. How about we find a hill side with sharp rocks i can push you down? That way, we can make you looked scuffed up enough to warrant some peaceful treatment by the camp."

"Oh we vertainly could, but I doubt you'd find nearly as much enoyment in tossing me down a cliff,"Tenran glared at her but found his lips smirking involuntarily.  "But your plan may just be crazy enough to work.  But we'll need to look like we were assaulted by mages."

He stopped the horse short and slipped off the rear of it.  He helped her down and instructed her to lean against the horse.  "Okay...hit me.  I know you want to.  Now let's kill two birds with one stone!  Put up your dukes!"

Jinai just looked at him lamely.
"Mages wouldn't leave bruises from fists." She gave a roll of her eyes. "How about we make a fire and I toss you into it?" The idea made her grin wickedly as she looked him over, her green eyes dancing at the idea.

Tenran made a face at her.  She would really fight him on this.  What difference did it make what their injuries looked like?  He'd been a soldier, he'd fought a mage or two in his time, and one thing was for sure in a time of great tension like this, small encampments wouldn't take lightly, anyone that just came barging in on them.  Even if they had been attacked by mages.  Soldiers were fodder for the war machine, did what they were told, and trained to fight and kill, not babysit stray travelers.

"This isn't going to work," Tenran said after a moment, putting his hands on his hips.  "We need a better plan.  It's one thing getting in, but it's a whole other story finally getting out.  You're already injured and it won't make a difference if you throw me into a fire or down a cliff.  I was a soldier once, and I know they won't cater to us as if were just attacked by bandits or mages.  I heard about the attack on Havanlaar and you and I both know they're on high alert now more than ever.  If we're getting in, it'll have to be through stealth.  Thankfully there are still pieces of gear on this horse and some other stuff I collected.  But now we'll have to decide just how we'll disguise you as a man...since you obviously don't want to be a victim."

Jinai raised a brow.
"Sneaking in?" A smile grew across her lips. "Why, Tenran, seems like you finally are able to get a good idea inside your head. And if we fail, we'll be killed." Her eyes sparkled. "I like it. So.. where's this gear we'll use to hide? And how well do you think you could hide me as a man?" she said, waltzing clean up to him with an extra sway to her hips.

Tenran frowned and shook his head, crossing his arms tighter over his chest.  "For one, you'll have to lose the skirt," he said, ignoring her obvious display.  "And soldiers always carry some change clothes with them for down time.  But we'll get strarted first, by taping your breasts down.  Get naked."

Jinai raised her brows at him, her smile ever present.
"Get naked? Don't I get dinner first?"

"No, you're a dirty peasant.  You don't get dinner.  Now please, cooperate!" Tenran said as he moved to the saddle bags and pulled out rolls of bandages to wrap her chest in.

"Dirty peasant?" she repeated, raising her brows as she smirked. "That's a new one. About as petty as your so quaint nick name as 'gimpy'." ANd her smile broadened as she began to slowly unlace her leather corset, the piece of clothing dropping slowly to the grass. Then she slipped off her skirts, then the rest of her armor before wearing just the last layer of her clothes-
a simple, off-white chemise that hugged at her curves. Her nipples, now hardened from the cold, pressed out against the fabric, and below, the sex between her legs, were barely covered the bottom of her shirt. Just a few more strings and she'd be fully exposed.

Yet she took her time, letting one sleeve fall off, exposing a shoulder, a bit of her cleavage, before lifting a hand and, as slowly as she could, began to unbind the final bits of leather string.

Tenran rolled his eyes again at all the clothes and layers she had to pack on.  Once it was all off, he stepped in and spread the bandages just around and underneath her front.  "Okay hold that under your arm," he instructed and moved around her as he knotted it underneath her arm before proceeding to wrap around her the rest of the way, stepping in close.

Smirking at their close proximity, Jinai leaned in closely so that when she laughed, he'd be able to feel her lips vibrating against his neck.
"Sure, I'll hold whatever I need to," she spoke, so now her breath would splay hotly and tingle across the skin of his neck.

Tenran made a face at the display and rubbed his shoulder against his ear like a child getting over something icky.  In this case, he was trying to wipe her cooties away and he made a face at her.  "You can hold your breath," he said.  "How about that?  Just hold still."

When at last the wrappings were finished, and he stuffed the final tendril deep into the folds of the rest the wrappings.  "Okay that looks good," he murmured.  "Your breasts don't look so obvious."

Jinai raised her brows at him casually and asked,
"And were they so obvious before?"

Tenran rolled his eyes yet again.  "So let's see about you trying these pants on," he said, annoyed.

Jinai kept her grin, her eyes never leaving his as she slipped the simple pair of pants on. They were baggy, but they'd fit.
"You didn't answer my question."

"Because there is no answer to give," he replied.  "Now just focus on getting this disguise as effective as possible.  Your big nose will be a huge help in making you look more masculine.  But your eyes, I'll need to blacken them."

Jinai jutted her chin out, keeping her nose to the air.
"Oh, jealous?" she said, as if unphased by his comment as she stared at him through half lids.
"And you got some make up on hand? It's not like I go around, spending all my coin on coal and rouge."

"No, but I have two hands and ten knuckles," he said with a smirk.  "Brace yourself!"  He reared his arm back and shot it out toward her face, a full-on punch aimed at her left eye.

OOC: LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

Jinai gasped, but it was too late and she was seeing stars, and before he'd be able to stop her, she threw her own fist back into his face, then a knee to the groin.
"ASSHOLE!" she said, wincing as she clutched a hand over her face. "Try that again I'll cut your damn balls off." And she winced,her head still in a spin. "And your dick, too."

Tenran grunted and backed away when she kneed him in the groin.  "Hey!  I'm doing you a favor!" he growled.  He rubbed at his nuts before straightening and stepping back at her.  "But good, it'll swell up nice and ripe before long," Tenran said, examining her eye.

Jinai growled back at him.
"Want me to help you swell something of your own in return?" she asked, batting her eyes prettily at him, even as her face carried that soured scowl. "If I would have known your turn ons are beating up women, I would have given you the name of a whore I know..."

"Oh stop whining you giant blonde baby," Tenran growledaas he stalked over and grabbed the shirt up from the pile of clothes.  He outstretched her arms before slipping the soldier's shirt on her.  "Ansgar's balls it's a little too big."

Jinai just looked at Tenran as she rolled her eyes.
"You know what else is also big?" Her eyes went down to his crotch before she smirked and turned away from him.
"Your head and ego... now help me find a stick I can beat you with it. Unless you enjoy whips, then we can serve your punishment the kinky way.... then we'd have to wait until we've got into town."

"I'll beat you with a tree if you don't shut that rat trap of yours," Tenran growled.  "I've got to take it in just a bit around the edges."  He tore the shirt from her shoulders and sat down.  He busied himself with cutting the shirt open along the seams and resewing it with extra thread he found in the saddle bags.

Jinai sighed impatiently, folding her arms across her wrapped chest as she waited for Tenran to finish sewing the clothes up, giving a tired, bored yawn.

"Finally, some silence," Tenran growled when at least he had her shirt fixed, raggedly at best but it would at least fit her or so he hoped.  He stood and held the thing out for her to try on once more before tying it roughly back over her chest.

Jinai only smirked at his comment, keeping her arms folded, but moving them only when directed. And she kept her eyes on him - but said absolutely nothing, even as she believed she saw some figures moving in the dark.... instead, the look in her eyes simply became more smug and playful, as if she were keeping some sort of secret.

Tenran was completely oblivious to the approach of a stranger's shadow behind him.  He only saw Jinai's smirk when he came around to face her again and he said nothing, only making a face before turning his head out toward the darkness.  The figure must have hidden away for he saw nothing once more.

Jinai saw where they had gone, and her expression became more blatant as she stared up at Tenran in silence, but kept her tongue to herself.

Tenran calmed his nerves but turned to look back at Jinai.  He frowned at her.  "What the hell are you smiling about?"  But it was a short lived thought when he suddenly felt something sharp prick his neck.  Tenran stared at her funnily before his breath hitching and he suddenly fell down on the ground with a dart sticking out of his neck.

Another quick whistling sound and another dart that landed right into Jinai's neck.  And the figures, three of them, cloaked in black, emerged from the trees to collect their prizes.

"Well, we can't kill them..." came a voice.

"No, of course not. Jinai is one of us," came another.

"Just wonder what she was doing out here."

"Well, not all of her missions are always known to us. She's a scout for Home, after all, and we can't just assume we know anything."

"Well, there are the letters.."

And then a hushed voice had them silent as they realized Jinai began to stir. Sitting up, Jinai flinched at the head ache that hit her like a brick wall and grabbed at her temple before glancing around to the fire nestled inside a camp.. and then around to note..
It was night time, though morning was clearly on it's way. Looking then towards the shadowy figures nearby, she took her gaze from then, then down to Tenran, who.. the sight of him in ropes, made her smirk.

"Mornin' Jinai, hope you slept well!" said Meriwether, a bit TOO happy and large woman who was working at stirring up some stew over a giant kettle. "Sorry about the poison dart, but you and your friend will have the effect worn off in no time. In the mean time.. care for a cup of soup?" She grinned, her rotting teeth glistening off the orange crackling glow of the fire. "It's deermish- my own special recipe!"

If Tenran thought his head would hurt like he'd been struck in the head with a stone, he would be right.  He was hanging upside down of course and the sensation of blood rushing to his head did nothing to help him feel any better, or anymore at home.  Whoever had struck him, the poison had done well and worked quickly and he could hear the faint chatter of friendly voices - they just weren't friendly to him. 

He groaned and opened his eyes, watching Jinai and some other heavyset woman sitting down at a small table  - well it was really a fallen tree stump - eating something out of small carved bowls.  He frowned and felt his head throb all the more from any kind of expressive motion of his face.  "Hey," he muttered, surprised to find his own voice devoid of anger.  "Could I have some of that?  Smells awful good."

It was then Meriwether turned to the sound of the voice, as did Jinai.

"Landsake's! We had this bloke all tied up cause we weren't sure what to make of him. Even if he was with you, we couldn't be certain if he be friend or foe.." the large woman began.

"Well, he was taking me to the nearby soldier camp to sell me for my ransom," Jinai began.
Meriwether gasped. "Well, you know, for that hefty price ontop of my head.."

And the large woman turned from jovial, to imposing.
She began to suddenly mutter in another language, "Then we keep him in ropes!" the woman said frantically, gaining hte attention of the rest of the camp.

Jinai just observed.

Tenran groaned at his quickly increasing headache from being hung upside down.  He flopped uselessly and wiggled his boots a little, to no use.  "Aw, come on!  I just want a bite!  Maybe some water.  You can keep me in ropes!  I'll eat it with no utensils either!"  He frowned at Jinai, but it quickly grew bitter.  One thing was for sure, he knew he had this coming.

Jinai peered over at Meriwether when Tenran was making his requests, and she pointed her big spoon at him and wagged it dangerously close to his head.
"Don't be barking out requests to me!" she said. "We'll keep you in ropes all day, all week, or all month if we wish!"
Jinai's smirk grew as she watched the woman berate Tenran, and before she went ahead to bash Tenran over the head witht he spoon, Jinai simply replied, "Give him at least some water. I bet our friend here has quite the head ache." And she kept the same smirk as she looked Tenran directly int he eyes. What was the little gimped- ex- soldier going to do now?

Tenran just frowned at the woman and chewed on his lips after being smacked with the spoon.  He kept his mouth shut, as there was no use in begging.  It was a shame these people were her friends, whoever they were, for it would have been a grave blessing if Jinai was strung up the same way he was.  But what else was there to do.  Now that he was silent and the other woman had turned away from him, his eyes shot to his surroundings, quickly studying and taking in anything that might be useful.

They'd searched him, and taken what weapons they could find, but they'd made the mistake of leaving him in his armor and Tenran could still feel the small blade he'd stuck up his sleeve for emergencies like this.  "Fine," he grumbled.  "Keep your stew.  I knew you weren't going to share anyway."

He sighed and breathed, though his head continued to hurt.  "What's your name anyway?" he said to Meriwether.

As Meriwether glared at Tenran, Jinai casually stepped in between them.
"What would it matter to you?" she inquired, looking over Tenran's form before smirking again. "You should just be happy to be alive." And turning from him, she looked over Meriwhether, whispered something Tenran was sure not to catch, before the larger lady cast another glare his way and left the room.
So it left him alone, in this small room-
with a crackling fire, a delicious smelling stew..
and one angered woman with her arms folded over her chest.
ANd Jinai didn't waste a moment before socking Tenran clean in the gut.

"That's for my leg," she said, then hobbled over to a chair and picked up a chopping knife. Looking it over, she glared back over to Tenran before moving to where he was tied- and cut him free of the ceiling, which allowed him to land so thoughtfully upon his head.
ANd while the poor man was recovering from that, Jinai hobbled over towards the pot of soup and stirred t before filling up a bowl and taking a seat beside him. she licked some remnants from her fingers before dropping the bowl on the floor before him and commanded,  "There, eat it like a dog."

With the wind knocked out of him, it left little toom for response and by the time Tenran was on the floor, he was barely recovering from the blood flooding back to his feet.  But he blinked at Jinai with a fired glare when the stew was tossed at his feet.  He receded his legs against him and rubbed his aching limbs.  "No thanks," he muttered.  "I'm good.  But thanks for offering."

Jinai quirked a single brow at him.
"You could have fooled me. Not a moment earlier you were begging for it." Though her tone sounded a jest, it was bitter, and so was the gaze she kept locked upon him.

Tenran shrugged nonchalantly and just rolled his eyes at her.  "I wasn't talking to you.  I was talking to your friend over there.  The nice looking one," he shrugged again.  Rubbing his wrists, Tenran felt if his legs could stand.  When he could, he just walked around Jinai and sat in the nearest chair he could find.

Jinai looked over at a mouse on the floor, then back to Tenran. SHe kept her eyes glued to him now. They were the only two ones in the room, and for now, she requested to keep it that way.

"If you leave now, they'll let you go without a fight. Two of the men will escort you south. If not.." she shrugged. "They have no reason not to leave you gutted out to die on the road." And as she spoke, her fingers idly traced over a discarded pile of playing cards on the table.

Tenran did not meet her gaze and instead stared at the fire, watching the flames leap up at the kettle above it.  He swallowed hard on a dry throat.  "I guess so," he shrugged again.  "I just want my things and I'll leave.  I want nothing to do with any of you.  I guess I could let this bounty go.  The next one will come along soon enough anyway."

Jinai said nothing for a time as she looked at him.
"You won't get your things back. Your only option is to leave."

"No," Tenran replied plainly, leaning back in the chair.  "I want them back, and then I leave.  There are no options in between."

Jinai kept her eyes upon Tenran, her voice hardening.
"And I just told you..." and her eyes flickered towards the door, before looking back at him. "The door's right over there."

Tenran finally peered at her.  "It's of no consequence to me except for the fact that I won't be leaving without my gear.  It's my livelihood.  I need it.  I certainly didn't take anything away from you that you needed," he said.  "You get to keep your life, stay out of prison.  Just return it."

Jinai sighed.
"I don't make the rules here." she said, implying more in her tone and expression than with her words. "You've stumbled into something far deeper than you can think, gimpy. I don't even know all the quirks about it, but if you don't get the hell out of here- that woman will kill you."

Then after a time of staring at the wall, she added in a softer voice.
"I could bury some of your equipment for you near town... or, exchange it with you later for that promised bolt gun..." but even as she mentioned it, she didn't bother to look his way.

"Jinai!  I just want it back, now.  All of it and I'll be out of here faster than you can say 'he's gone!'  I haven't seen anything!  What good would it be to kill me anyway?  What would it matter to you?  And why would you even bother warning me after all I've done to you?" he sat up and moved toward the door.  "I expect you to keep your word.  It could be the only good thing you've ever done for me.  And maybe we'll even be even."  And went out the door.

It might have taken her some time, but she eventually was good on her word. Never mind how she found out where he was, but Tenran would awaken one day- all of his equipment returned- minus a bolt gun. For that, she left a small note.
'Now we're even.'


OOC: Not sure if you want to add any more, but I think this thread is now complete? Lemme know XD

"No, we're not," Tenran managed to mutter.  Much like her, he too had his resources and managed to track down the location of a woman fitting her description and when he found her, he too found his weapon and snatched it back from her possession, leaving a note behind that read: Nice try.

END!