Scrub a Dub Dub...

[Winters-Feather]

Akenu wrinkled her nose in distaste as the elf rejected her medicine. It was bad manners is what it was, but she made no more fuss about it.
I'll just keep it to myself, she thought as she bottled the paste up and locked it in her box after she was done attending to herself. The woman didn't even know why she bothered, really. She had no business helping out a man  of his stature out!  Akenu sullenly watched him quietly make his way into the woods. She had felt her belly grumbling; was it possible he left because of that? No; he probably just left to continue on his journey.

However, curiosity got the better of her within the next ten minutes. Bored, Akenu lifted her head towards the wind and tried to get a connection, a hint of his whereabouts.  It took her a few tries, but, eventually, she got a quick image of him hunting down a rabbit. So he really was getting them food. The baffled woman looked at her dragon, thoughtfully. She was pleased he was at least a bit of a decent creature, though that doesn't excuse his past actions or his dishonest occupication. Besides, who asked him to hunt? She could take care of herself. Content at that thought, she waited by the fire for his return.

By the time he came back, the  pot was removed and the fire was open to cook the meat. Akenu watched as he skinned each rabbit, unflinching. He made a mass, and the stench of blood filled her noise, but she ignored it. Marik, on the other hand, went practically berserk with glee and went for bits Dram discarded.
At least it won't go to waste, she thought, grimly.
Akenu caught the rabbit and began to cook it on a spit.
"Thank you," she said.
As they cooked, the woman noticed that he was staring at her body. No, not her body- her tattoos. She watched out of the corner of her eyes  as his gaze traced the lines on them; the sun on her chest, the leaf on her hip, the wings on her back, and the others. He seemed to want to say something about them, but didn't.  As he began to speak her head turned, almost sharply, so she could catch his words.

She hesitated before speaking.
"I do," the woman replied, cautiously. If there was another thing she hated the most, it was being taken advantage of. Akenu wouldn't mind sharing her name if she wasn't being conned or would be because of the information.  "What's it to you? What's your name?"

[Lion]

Dram turned the skewered rabbit in his hands like a spit, cooking the animal all around.  He reached out and plucked some meat off the leg of the rabbit and put it in his mouth, chewing it lightly.  He didn't realize how hungry he was too.  Usually he made sure that he ate before going on the job just to make sure that he wasn't distracted by anything that wasn't stealing or breaking and entering or getting away.  But his stomach rumbled furiously too and he took another piece off his rabbit.

At her words, the way she spoke, it was so unusual and he barely understood her.  But he made an effort.  He nodded.  "Only to know who it is I have to pay back for stealing your horse...and kidnapping.  I am Dram, if you wish to know.  That is it, just Dram.  If you do not, then forget you read my lips...  If you can read lips that is."

[Winters-Feather]

The corners of Akenu's mouth twitched, as if to almost smile. He didn't really apologize- he didn't say 'sorry', after all- but it was some effort. It would have to do. The woman nodded, curtly. She was still upset. After all, an apology couldn't fix what had happened in the city today. Besides, he was acting kind, now, but he had been hostile back then. And the name he had given her..Dram. It was simple of a name enough, but who knows if it was his real one or not? Still, she saw no reason to not tell hers.
"As you should. It's Akenu Felit," she replied, a little amused at his confusion if she could read lips or not.
"And I can read lips."

She said this last bit almost smugly as she, too, tasted the rabbit's meat.  It was good, but not quite done. Marik tried to get a bite, but the woman swatted him away; he had enough and there was more for him in the forest. Elyin was grazing on a patch of grass nearby; Akenu didn't have to worry about her picking at her food, at least.
"What's the tattoo on your shoulder mean? " she boldly asked as she finished cooking her food.

[Lion]

"It is good to meet you Akenu Felit," Dram said after a while, unsure if she heard him or read him, whatever it was that she did.  The circumstances between them weren't so good and Dram knew that there wasn't much he could do to pay her back for everything that he took from her.  Which may as well have been her whole livelihood.

When the rabbit was finished, Dram tore into it without a second thought and paused when she took it upon herself to speak to him.  But he only narrowed his eyes at her.  "That's nothing," he said sharply.  "None of your business that is.  Just a tattoo, means nothing to you, woman.  Now just be quiet and eat your food.  If you're too prideful to eat, then give it to the dragon."  He didn't like being asked questions that were too invasive and if he didn't know any better, he'd say she was trying to ruin his evening just as much as he'd ruined hers.

He was about to eat again when he paused midbite, he heard something in the air, like a quick whistle and he felt the hackles on the back of his neck begin to rise.  In less than a second he dropped what he was eating and threw his arms around Akenu and yanked her to the ground, falling with her as an arrow zipped over them and dug into a tree behind them.

"Gods be damned.  Bounty hunters!  They must have seen the fire!"

[Winters-Feather]

As the rabbit finished cooking, Akenu blew on it a bit before carefully eating. The meat wasn't bad; it could use some spices, but this would have to do. She was famished.  It was lucky she was for she would have snapped otherwise at Dram's rude response. "Just a tattoo"? The way he responded looked like it did mean something. It really was a pity, because her mood was lightening up some, but no, he had to go ahead and be such an ass. Akenu supposed it really wasn't her business and that she would have responded the same way, but that only seemed to put her off in a worse mood.
No way I'm like him, she thought, stubbornly.

The woman was too busy eating to notice that Dram had suddenly hesitated. Thus, she let out a muffled cry of alarm as he pounced and pinned her to the ground. Her heart started to beat faster....There's no way that he was that low and stupid? No, that thought was quickly dismissed as her eyes observed his face. His body was blocking her view of the arrow, and she couldn't clearly lip read him. However, she could guess, and what she guessed wasn't pretty.

"Let's go," she grunted, squirming her way out of his grip.  At most they had a minute and a half. Without  hesitation, she ran for her  medicine box , pot, and scarf, and shoved it all into her merchandise bag. The woman was lucky she hadn't removed the saddle off of Elyin. Akenu hissed as she tried to hook it up, trying not to reopen her wound. It pained the woman to know that she would have no time to hook up her second sack to the mare; there was no time. Actually, it was stupid of her to salvage what she did, but if she lost it, she very well might have lost her livelihood.
There's no way I'm leaving this behind, she thought, stubbornly.
Not to mention the items were too valuable to leave behind for the guards to take.  With a curse, she opened  the second sack and salvaged the most important items; her bow and quiver and her cloak. A second arrow came whizzing by, followed by the arrival of one of the bounty hunters on a horse. He was about to shoot another arrow directly at Dram when Akenu swiftly drew one of her own arrows and shot it.  

The man howled in pain and fell to the ground. The woman silently cursed; now she had marked herself as a fugitive. She quickly prayed to his soul for forgiveness. Though they had to keep running; that man couldn't have been alone. Without another word, Akenu mounted her mare.

[Lion]

Dram let her go, knowing explaining things would only take time.  Luckily carried everything he needed on his person without the need for too much baggage.  There wasn't much time to grab everything and go and certainly the rabbits he'd hunted only for a short moment would go to waste.  What a shame, but there was no time to worry about food!

Dram's heart beat out of his chest and he felt adrenaline rush through him as another arrow whizzed past him.  Horse hooves were nearby and Dram only watched Akenu draw her own bow and aim it in his direction before he had time to register someone was behind him.  He heard the groan as the arrow tore through him and Dram whirled about.  "Shit!" he yelled before he grabbed up Akenu's second sack, threw it over his shoulder and ran after her.

Just as the horse was about to take off, he put one hand on Eyliin's rump and vaulted himself up behind Akenu, kicking the mare to begin escape.  Just then the sounds of more horse hooves came up behind them in hot pursuit.

[Winters-Feather]

Fly, Elyin, prayed Akenu as the mare galloped hard.  into the shadow of the forest. Her night eyes were good, but Marik's was better. They moved down the road, though the woman knew they would have to divert into the forest in order to avoid the bounty hunters.
Isn't there a cave a mile or so off the road, she thought, her mind swirling, unable to think clearly. The woman didn't want to keep on killing just to save their skins.  However, it was very likely that there was someone already waiting to close them off further down the road.  She tried to use her wind speak, but the circumstances prevented her to.

The woman gritted her teeth. The trees near the road were near impossible to ride through. However, there was a path that lead deeper into the woods that she knew of further down the road.
Just a little further, she thought, gritting her teeth.

[Lion]

Dram couldn't say he didn't know what had set these bounty hunters off.  Was the price of the amulet really worth the price of his head?  Or maybe the owner was just a greedy bastard that would pay twice as much just to have the head of the thief that took his prized amulet.  Dram almost reached into his belt to pull out the jeweled amulet, wondering if tossing it would bring the bounty hunters off their trail.  But as the horse was bounding off as fast as she could, there was no question in his mind that he would toss away all he worked so hard for.

"Ride, come on, horsie, ride hard!"  he held onto Akenu as she steered her horse masterfully, but the trained arrows of the bounty hunters seemed to be far better aimed than the guards had been.  One embedded itself right into his back and he yelled out and seethed in pain as the arrow entered his shoulderblade, right where he couldn't reach it.  He held on tighter with his his good arm and buried his face in her back.

"Please," he pleaded in a fashion so unlike him.  "Please!"

[Winters-Feather]

Akenu didn't dare to look back, but she could feel the elf shudder and cling to her harder. She didn't have to hear or see to know that he was in pain; the bounty hunters were getting onto them. The woman hardened her jaw and dug her heels in tighter and turned to her dragon. She hated to do this but they needed a diversion. Akenu pointed the opposite direction.
"Go that way and make some noise. Catch up with us later. Do you understand me?"

Marik gave a sad coo before he zipped through the trees. The woman prayed for his safety; she wasn't sure if what she was doing was the right thing, but the dragon was agile, dark, and small. He would be impossible to hit in the darkness.  
Besides, he'll meet up with us later, she thought, determinedly.
The path she was looking for in the road came up, and Akenu drove Elyin straight into the woods. She tried to lay as low as she can to her horse to avoid branches; cutting them down would only make a more obvious trail. She hissed as the occasional branch brushed past her, causing herself to scratch her face or arms.
"Almost there," she said, reassuringly.

[Lion]

Dram thought he could get used to pain, but getting stuck in the shoulder blade with the arrow as deep as it was only made his eyes roll back in his head and he sucked in breath sharply as he put his head up.  There must have been something on the arrow because he was starting to get dizzy and the trees were spinning around them.

"Hurry," he breathed against her back.  He didn't know how much longer he could hold onto her.  The sounds of hooves compounded in his ears harshly.  "The hunters....they're..."  He didn't register that the hooves were gradually fading away at the sound of a disturbance nearby, and their yells and whoops only echoed deafeningly.

[Winters-Feather]

Without Marik by her side, Akenu couldn't tell if the hunters were still on their trail or not. However, there weren't  any more arrows trying to hit them, so she assumed they were falling behind more and more. All she knew was that they needed to get to their destination quickly; she could feel Dram's body becoming slacker. He needed to be treated as fast as possible.

They got there faster than she had anticipated. The 'cave' wasn't really impressive; it was a small den that was abandoned by bears a long time ago for some unknown reason. The hunters wouldn't be able to find it so easily, for it was sheltered by the neighboring trees. Akenu gave Elyin  a pat to slow into a trot towards the stone entrance. Once they were in the back corner, she drew into a halt. Finally, she turned around to face the elf and hissed. He had an arrow in his back and he looked sick.
A poisonous sleeping drought?, she wondered, cursing their bad luck.
Slowly, the woman slipped off Elyin before hoisting down the elf. She let out a grunt as she tried to support his weight in her arms; Akenu was strong, but men were so heavy.

Akenu set herself to work over the course of the next few minutes. She laid him on his back on her cloak so that she could yank out the arrow and begin to treat his wound. After she got the wound to stop bleeding by applying pressure to it, the woman wiped her hands of his blood before rushing for her medicine box. She pulled it out, as well as a water skin, and quickly returned to his side. With skill and practice, she mixed an antidote, which she hoped would worked, with the water. The drink was supposed to be taken down hot, but they would just have to improvise.
"Here, drink a little of this," she coaxed firmly as she held the waterskin up to his mouth.

[Lion]

Everything was so blurry and the trees looked like they were dancing.  No, not just dancing.  Twirling around and swinging their branches and leaves in a mamba.  Oh yeah, a mamba and Drams' blurry sight only made him smile in humor.  "Oh how pretty.....such pretty leaves," he muttered before he slumped completely against her back, knocked out.

He came too here and there and there were flashes of action before his eyes, faintly registering that they stopped by a cave somewhere and he saw the horse and Akenu moving around in the background.  And there was a great sting in his back.  He didn't know if he was still holding that sack that belonged to her, and murmured something incoherent about big breasts.

"cows, y'know...  Oi," he said.  He was dizzy and he didn't know what was going on after that.  Only that something was at his mouth remotely spout shaped and someone told him to drink from it.  He did, though some of the liquid came out of his mouth.  "Oiiiiii.....I don't feel good...  Who, are you again?"

[Winters-Feather]

Akenu tsked as Dram started to sprout nonsense. She ignored it for the most part; she had to take care of him, not try to decode every little thing he said. The woman quickly felt his forehead; it was a bit clammy and hot.
"Just relax. Drink more," she mumbled not really sure what to say to him as the woman tried to help him take a few more gulps down. She wasn't a doctor, after all; this was the first time she had treated someone else other than herself. After that, she got to work on treating that wound a bit more. Shamelessly, she removed his belt, set it aside, and began to pull his tunic up over his shoulders.

I need to clean this, she thought and once more ran to Elyin's side.
Now that some of the urgency was taken care of, Akenu hastily removed the sacks from her horse and the saddle.
"Good girl," she muttered as she clutched her own wound.
It hurt badly, and she couldn't afford to let it reopen. The woman needed rest, too, but first she needed to treat Dram.  
At least I have some luck, she thought as she rummaged through the sack.  In it was a small jug of beer she had been saving.
Not the most sanitary thing in the world, but it would have to do.

She brought over and popped it open. Akenu swung a gulp, thirsty, before pouring it over Dram's skin to clean the blood. After that was done, she  brought out the paste the elf had previously rejected. The woman couldn't help but to give a smug grin at her small victory as she gently placed some over the wound. Remembering he had bandages, the woman reached out for his belt, and began to rummage through his things for it.  The first bag she opened contained the amulet. The woman took in a sharp breath.
So this is what he stole, she thought with alarm, giving him a swift, curious glance.
Deciding to inquire about that later, she moved on until she found the roll.

Triumphant, the woman sat in front of the elf's head and turned him around so he could face her.
"Try to sit up," she ordered as she tried to help him with the process by hoisting him up underneath the arms.

[Lion]

Whatever was in that crap he drank, it was starting to work.  Well it must have been because Dram's vision was staring to clear.  He could vaguely feel someone undressing him.  And if he'd been in a normal state, he would have quickly been alarmed at such a thing, but he had no way of knowing who it was or why they were.  Only that suddenly something stung in his back and he yelped outloud at the burning of alcohol in his wound.

"GAH!"  He seethed and sucked in air sharply through clenched teeth and bolted up when she tried to help him.  His head hurt massively and he groaned as he slouched over.  "Aye, aye, I'm up.  W-where am I?  How did we get here?"  Dram looked over to the side and noticed his things were scattered around.  "What are you doing with my stuff!?" he growled angrily.

[Winters-Feather]

Though it was a little too dark to tell, Akenu's face grew  a bit red as the elf seemed to gain compete cautiousness so quickly. She knew the medicine worked fast, but she never known it to be this fast. Without meaning to, she slapped him across the face as he growled at her, both flustered and embarrassed. It wasn't a full force blow, for she was too weak at the moment, but it was enough to sting a bit.
"I was trying to find your bandages," she snapped, "Now  stay still!"

 The woman began to wrap the man's torso with the bandages. Every so often, Akenu would yank at it as she cringed in pain from her own wound. She gritted her teeth as she felt her face become hot with anger and frustration.
"Look," she said slowly, "You got hit by an arrow and it had poison on it. I was just...helping...Ugh."
With a sigh, Akenu had finished wrapping his wound.

She sort of wanted to wait, but now that he was so jumpy about it, she might as well address it. Akenu reached for the bag with the amulet in it, and dangled the jewel in front of her.
"What is this?" she demanded as she squatted by his side, "And don't  you damn well tell me it's none of my business, because  after what just happened, it is, now."

[Lion]

Dram was incredulous at the slap and looked at her like a complete idiot, not knowing what to do and just let her do her work.  She worked fast and was good with her hands and he just sat there like a dumb child, unsure of what he did wrong exactly.

Ahh, the arrow.  Now he remembered.  He reached back a little and glanced over his shoulder to inspect her work.  The wound was tightly secured and he could still move.  Maybe he was wrong to doubt her before.

But then she pulled out the amulet and his heart suddenly leapt into his throat.  Immediately he lunged for it.  "That-that's mine!  Give it back!"

[Winters-Feather]

Akenu gave a mischievous smile and held the jewel out of his reach. She took a little pleasure out of knowing that she had some power over him. It was about time she got some answers, after all. Instead of immanently replying, however, she placed the necklace around her neck and slowly began to get up. The woman bothered to tell the elf to not move; he should have enough wits to know not to. Instead, she walked towards the sack with her personal belongings in it. She was grateful that the elf had loaded it on for her, despite his attitude. The woman found a warm, dark blue tunic that fell to her knees, and carefuly pulled it on, without bothering to adjust the lacing at the neck, yet. It was cold outside, and she had so generously rested the man on her cloak.
I want that back, she mentally noted.

Cloathed and warm, she pulled out another cloak, this one older and worn thin, to rest her head on for the night. Now that she got her things taken care of, it was time to deal with him.
Akenu squatted next to the elf, letting the amulet dangle over her clothes. She played with it with her fingers as her eyes kept steadily on the elf.
"Tell me," she demanded, "Tell me what makes this jewel so important that we almost died? The reason that I killed a man, that now I'm a fugitive in my own kingdom...Shit."
The woman hissed as she could feel tears building up...Tears! She quickly wiped them away, and bit her lip, her eyes never leaving Dram's.
 He was going to have to fight her to get that thing back, which would probably just reopen both of their wounds.

[Lion]

Dram narrowed his eyes at her.  She was toying with him and he couldn't say that he liked it.  "What's your game woman?" he said with a clear and utter frown.  It was not difficult to see that he was upset.  And it made him even more uncomfortable to see her play with the thing.  A bad feeling squirmed inside his guts and already he forgot about his headache.  He kept his eyes on that amulet, watching her like a hawk.

He waited until she sat down beside him and he still had that nasty look on his face.  "It's mine!  And you have no right to wear it!  I took it and that's that.  If you got in trouble that's your own fault.  If you'd have just given me your horse, I would have been over the horizon and beyond instead of sitting here talking to you.  I would have given her back!  But no, you gotta give me trouble.  Now give me that amulet that I went through all this trouble to steal.  Or I'll beat it outta you!"

[Winters-Feather]

OOC: I realize I didn't have her remove her quiver or bow from her back while she was getting dressed...Not really an important detail but w/e. It's fixed..magically. XD

IC:
Akenu let out a broken, hollow laugh. Did he really have the audacity to say such things? She should have known.  
"'Given her back?' How would I have known, with a sword at my throat, that I would have gotten my friend back? And besides..."
She picked up her medicine  box, closed it, and got up to put it away in one of the bags.
"If I haven't gotten through the trouble, we both would have been dead. Or did you want to be  killed?"

The woman reached for her own belt in the sack and and gently placed it down  next to her other cloak as she slowly sat down again, making sure to keep it within her reach, next to her bow and quiver. Akenu took in another breath before speaking again. She hated repeating herself and speaking for such a long period of time. However, Dram was so stubborn. Akenu observed the necklace's details. It was masterfully crafted and would have been worth a fortune...Either a wealthy rival wanted it for sentimental purposes or for magical purposes.
"In any case, just because you're feeling as lively as ever doesn't make you in a fit condition to beat others for your toys. That'll just undo my entire work. So you will tell me what this amulet is. Is it magical? Cursed?"
She arched an eyebrow.
"Or are you so stubborn because you don't know?"

Just then, a rush of wind approached as Marik flew into the cave. Akenu had watched him out of the corner of her eye, and gave a broad smile as she embraced her little friend, overjoyed that he was safe.
"Thank you, little one," she said as he nipped at her hair.
The woman quickly scanned his body; there were no injuries of any kind.
Thank the gods.

[Lion]

[Lol!  There's no harm.  Don't worry about it xD]

Dram glared at her with his red-eyes.  His dark skin was now beading in perspiration and his heart was beginning to pick up speed.  Even though he knew she was deaf, he still feared  that she could hear the compounded echo of his heart as it did so.  He was so cool under pressure, or so he thought he was.  He took interrogation beatings without so much as a whimper.  But this!  This was torture, watching her wear that amulet he worked so hard to get, wear it like little more than ballroom jewelry, easily discarded for next seasons fashions.  Dram wished just looking at her could kill her, because then he could just take the amulet and run.

That had been the plan all along after all.  And he'd run, ran fast until he knew he needed a horse to get away.  Sometimes escape wasn't so easy...  If only he had Bane with him now.  But that stupid giant eagle was probably grooming his feathers back at base instead of being with his rider!  Oh if he got out of this, he'd strangle that bird with his bare hands.

Dram grimaced at her question and didn't even want to give her the time of day.  Why should he!?  It was his and that was that!  Didn't she get it?  Was she thick-skulled as well as deaf?  "I could still beat you with my good side," Dram growled at her again.  "I don't need both hands to kill you, though it certainly would be faster.

"And I don't care if it's magical or otherwise.  What matters is it's worth a buttload of gold when I sell it to the right buyer.  But until then you better give it back now before I make your life a living hell.  Last warning."  Dram got up on his knees and perched himself as if he was ready to pounce.  He'd been in enough fights to know he didn't always need both arms to win.