Lest we Forget

[Anonymous]

It could have gone worse, it really could. River could be dead or missing a limb, beheaded. He blinked back the heat from his eyes, remembering the two guards that had traveled with him for a quick round the camps. Make sure there weren't any poachers or bandits. Of course, with Rivers terrible luck, there were bandits and there were five to Rivers three. River had gotten stabbed in the shoulder, thrown right off his horse, the screams of Lythallyss would haunt him for a good while. He'd gotten up, fought, killed and when the blood haze had lifted River stared at the carnage before him, his guards were dead, the horses were dead. The bandits were dead.

And there was a searing pain at his shoulder. The iron had been chipped, exposed and there was a slice along Rivers arm the edges of it were black and the inside was red. Being of a more pure fae lineage the iron seemed to have burned along with just cutting. The exposed iron was making River feel a little sick, his cheeks went red and sweat dripped down the side of his face. He had to go back, get patched up and send out troops to gather the bodies of the fallen guards. It was only right and it was all River could do, it was amazing he'd gotten out alive. If he lasted that long. Rivers helmet was long gone, which left his hair down in a long pale braid.

The wound didn't look like much, but already the iron was getting to his system. Water would help, cleaning the would at least a little bit would help. River had walked for a while, looking obviously ill while blood dripped down off of his fingers, the slash from the blade refusing to clot so that it could try and heal itself. If he were anywhere else he would have removed the armor, as it were he had to keep it on, for safety.  The estate was nearby, someone would be home to help him. Unfortunately, nearby was at least a two hour horse ride away, who knew how long it would be walking.  River took a deep breath and let out a shaky sob of air, falling to his knees and letting his forehead rest down against the dirt path. It felt cool to his fevered skin and it was unlikely anything but the loud trample of hooves would catch his attention unless they poked him with a stick.

[Lion]

"Where are  you going?" the bird in the tree asked him.

Theon looked up at the hooded crow with a glare in his violet eyes.  With the glare of the sun on them, they gave off a strange reddish hint, like rust had tainted the deep purple there.  But within those eyes was no ease of annoyance.  He did not know why Jouzan followed him, only that he did, and while he was thankful for the talking bird's company, some of the things he said were not readily welcome.  Yet he liked the bird and did not see any reason why he should make a soup of him at this moment.  "For the hundredth time, Jouzan, I don't know," Theon said, shaking his head, and managing a scoffing laugh in the face of the question.

"Am I a crazy man for talking to a bird?" he asked, walking along the dirt path.  No, he didn't know where he was going.  He didn't know why he was here, and if he thought he could find any answers to his visions in Darken Vei, he'd been wrong.  There were no clues, no leads, nothing that could tell him where he came from really.  He knew only what those sailors on the ship told him and that was hearsay.  He didn't like not remembering where he came from...or even who he was.  All he had was a name, a sword, and a talking bird.  That wasn't much at all, now that he thought about it.

However, thinking about it would only defeat the purpose of having them at all.  It didn't matter if he didn't have anything really substantial for now, he did have those few things to hold onto and they could be enough if he just let them be.

"You're no crazier than any other man I know," replied Jouzan with a squawk.  "And who else do you have to talk to?"

"Good point."

"Listen."

Theon stopped walking for a moment and listened as the hooded crow commanded.  He heard the sound of wind through the trees, and the faint noise of battle not too far away...but it was a battle quickly over and done with.  He became increasingly alarmed and began walking briskly down the road.  A brisk walk that abruptly turned into a jog.  He saw the body in the ground several yards away and he slowed his walk, approaching with caution, spotting someone lying face down in the road.  "Goodness," he breathed, at the sight of the blood and the bodies in the dirt nearby the collapsed body.

Theon looked the side and spotted a branch.  Picking it up he stepped closer to the body nearest him, the one that seemed to have the least amount of blood spewing from it.  Holding the stick out, he nudged the body when he was close enough.  "Hello?  Are you alive?"  In case the body really was dead or just didn't hear him, he poked it again, this time harder with the stick, and right in the shoulder too.

[Anonymous]

A quiet groan and Rivers arm snapped up to grab the stick. "I would appreciate it if you did not poke me." River used what little strength he had left to lift himself up off the ground, sweat dripped off his chin and his head flopped down again. River struggled but eventually he brought himself to his knees, his long hair had falling from its braid, tangling with his armor and trailing into the ground. The silver white strands looked like spider silk and where it stuck to his face it held a blue hue.

"You... You have to help me." The words were breathy and River gently let go of the stick. "I'll reward you handsomely if you can get me back to my home. It's... I'll direct you to it, but if I don't get there before the sun goes down then I'm going to die of iron poisoning." Big blue eyes looked up at the strange man, and River indeed look like a sweaty almost-dead thing. The heavy armor seemingly swallowing his body.  A tremble shook his frame and his good hand went to press at the would before just hovering. The last thing River wanted to do was shove more iron into his system.

"We made a mistake. The group was too small." River struggled to his feet, "my name is River, I'm the High Lord of Northwatch. I can give you more alive than I can give you with me dead." There. A prize. Stuff motivates people, and if this guy was as down trodden as he looked he needed a nice prize.

[Lion]

Theon stared at the man who looked so delicate in the armor.  He'd seen people die before, sure that it couldn't be a good feeling, but he'd never seen them look like this.  The man was a mess and looked like he wouldn't live longer than a few hours.  He just eyed him, not sure what to say if there was anything to say at all.  Why would he do this anyway?  The last timed he helped someone, he just got into more trouble...  Was this detour really worth it?

Theon knew one thing was for sure, if he helped him it wouldn't be for the money.  He dropped the stick and stalked over to this man who called himself River.  What kind of name was that anyway?  No time to argue semantics, this man needed his help!  Who was he to let another die like this!?  And without honor.  "Why....why don't you just take it off?" Theon suggested, looking at River with clearly perplexed eyes.

But he didn't wait for an answer long before he stepped closer and threw the high lord over his shoulder.  "Which way do we need to go?"

[Anonymous]

Shit! River felt the panic pass his face before he just glared at the traveller. No. Couldn't fall into that trap, he wasn't about to take off his armor in a place where more enemies could lurk! It would be suicide! Even though this guy wasn't decked to the chin in metal armor like River was and he appeared to be just fine. "Too difficult. It would be a pain and I can't leave it behind." River gave a quiet grunt when he was tossed over the mans shoulder like a bag of feathers.

"This is so not dignified." River grunted, pressing his hands against Theons lower back to move himself up before the bolt of pain ran through his wrist and he fell back again. His long white hair fell down to Theons calves and River felt his eyes roll back into his head before he grunted and shook his head. "You any good at following trails? Should be horse tracks somewhere. Worse comes to worse, follow the sun."

His voice dropped away and there was a gasp of pain, which sounded pathetically girly when coming from a grown man. " It'll get  us out of the forests, my home is huge. You can't... miss it." His arms went limp and rested against the back of Theons legs.  Awake, but barely, enough to know if this fellow was going to flop him down and rob him blind.

[Lion]

Theon only nodded at the directions.  And what terrible directions they were.  Theon held the high lord's weak body.  He was surprisingly light for a man.  He honestly expected him to be heavier and certainly fit better into that armor.  Maybe that certainly explained why he looked so small in his own armor.  Well, that was that and he put the thought in the back of his mind.  Time was of the essence.

Theon looked around him, looking for proper horse tracks.  Damn the battle that occurred here.  The blood and guts of torn open men covered the seen and the it was difficult to find tracks that went straight instead of in circles.  But he was diligent and proved to find the right track in the end.  Theon began a walk-run, so that his legs wouldn't smack River in the head but that he'd get there quick enough to possibly save this man's life.

Possibly.

Jouzan flew back, from tree to tree, looking ahead to guide the way and Theon followed where the crow led.  It wasn't that long before he saw a huge house in sight.  That must be it.  It was the only answer.  "How are you feeling?  Can you hold on just a bit longer?  We're nearly there."  And with that Theon began to jog faster.

[Anonymous]

It took an effort to keep a strong expression.  His shoulder hurt, his men were dead. He was slung over a strange humans shoulder like a sack of flour. A quiet croaky 'yeah' was Rivers only answer and if he could see that his savior was following a crow River would have been worried. The bandits had gotten so close to his home which in its self was worrisome. He would have to tell the dead soliders family. After passing out a few times, River felt his body shift and he knew they were at the manor.


Knew he was be shuffled off to his wife who was probably buried into a good book. She would take care of him, she always did. Then he would press his face to her shoulder and lament about his dead men because there was nothing he could do to make it better again.

Theon on the other hand got escorted to the sitting room where a girl with long silver-white hair who looked a lot like the man he'd just saved offered him tea and food. "We insist you stay here for at least a day." She smiled brightly and gave a little hum of interest while she looked him up and down. "You have saved River and I'm sure he would like to thank you himself when he is well. It shouldn't take more than a few hours, but it will be late by then." Her name was Vivika, she was Rivers younger sister.

"We will ready the room for you and River can thank you over breakfast." She smiled, gave him a nod of her head and whisked herself out of the room with a flurry of skirts and long hair.

River on the other hand was having his wound rubbed clean with much yelling on his part to his wife while she healed him. It was magic healing, which made it much faster but the infection had spread quickly and as far as River knew his wife could only take care of superficial wounds. He was right and the wound was wrapped up with plain cloth to be cleaned while the wound healed its self, it was a slice along his shoulder so it would heal quickly.  Of course, River couldn't wait until morning.

A quiet word to a main and River went and knocked on the door his guest had been assigned to. Rivers hair was down, pulled back into a simple braid. He was wearing a simple white suit and needless to say he looked like a small man compared to most grown men, but he made do with his speed and the sharpness of a blade.

"Hello?" a quiet rapping at the door, maybe he wasn't asleep? Or maybe he wasn't there at all.

[Lion]

Theon did not help people with expectation.  He did not always think to gain from another's misfortune as so many others did.  He knew this man called River had promised reward for his safe return and though he could have just as easily left him there for the crows to eat, but reward certainly was the last thing on his mind.  As he delivered the supposed nobleman safely to his home, he was suddenly and very quickly thrust into a world he did not comprehend and was making him increasingly uncomfortable.  

Apparently when this man said he was a nobleman, he certainly wasn't kidding.  Everywhere he looked, the people that spoke to him, quickly and with a small down turn to their voice, was drenched with money.  Pah, what the nobleman expect to give him?  A pat on the back?  He doubted the young white haired, milk-heart could be expected to be a generous soul.  And in truth Theon wanted nothing from him.  He didn't like nobles in any way shape or form.  They were bullies and thought they could use their money and power to buy or bully people into doing what they wanted.  He knew then that though he saved his life, but if the noble intended to pay him off, with the intention to own him, then he would be dead wrong.  No amount of money could buy his honor, his pride, no matter what good he'd done with it.

He said nothing the entire time, directed to delve further in this place of such staunch superiority.  They put him in a room and locked him in there like he was some kind prisoner.  What did they expect him to do in here?  Sleep?  Theon looked around him and took a seat in the simplest chair he could find.  He sat there for a moment, almost nodding off himself when he heard a knock at the door.  He just stared at it.  Hell, this wasn't his house.