Grazed Palms are the Least of our Worries.

[Haze]

She finally took his hand, and hoisted herself clumsily up behind him. She looked down to the ground, and let out a little yelp. "Oh sweet jelly it's high up..." she whispered, both arms going around him a clinging on for dear life. She was feeling a little dizzy, heights not being her forte, and the arms around him tightened as she pressed her face into his back. Never mind that she was convinced he probably still out to get her.  

"Mmmph. " She mumbled into his shirt, "Atlas Verde. Or anywhere as far away from here as possible, please."

[Juno]

Rolling his eyes at her apparent fear of being on the horse now, Zane let her get settled in even though she was squeezing him pretty tight around his ribs. "Mm," he grunted, trying to get a deep breath in as Riley side-stepped a bit, unused to having two people on his back. "Alright, alright, I'll take you 'far away.'"

After he got the stallion headed in the right direction, he clicked his tongue to get him going into a faster walk, not wanting to startle her more than they already had. "So...if you're heading 'far away,' what are you going away from? Having problems with your family?" he guessed, not missing at all the obvious fact that she was definitely on the younger side.

[Haze]

"You don't even want to know," Gena said quietly, grimacing. It wasn't nearly so bad as she'd thought, being up on the horse, but she didn't move from her death grip, or her face shield. Not until they were back out on the open road, at least. "Problems with the family are the least of my worries, right now."

She could feel some sense of composure coming back to her, as she thought back to what she was running from. No, he definitely didn't need to know about that right now, she decided. It would only complicate things. To tell him she had a finace that she was running from? No, he'd probably only just turn the horse around and take her right back.

Once they were out of town her grip finally relaxed, and she leaned back just a little. "I hope... I hope you're not going out of your way for me. You could have just let me go, you know?"

[Juno]

When she finally loosened up a bit, Zane took a few breaths while he could, he'd been getting a bit lightheaded. He figured this skittish girl was likely to put him in a vice grip at just about any small scare, so he breathed easy while he could.

She was evaded his questions, which was fine, but he was still curious. He hoped she'd be a bit more at ease as they went along, as they would be stuck together for at least most of the day if they only kept at this pace and wanted to reach the border.

Zane smirked at what she said, though, she obviously didn't know much of him. This was good. This was very good for him, it was tiring trying to tell girls after his family's money from any good, honest ladies out there nowadays. "I actually live out there...in Atlas Verde, I mean. It's no trouble taking you along."

He glanced over his shoulder, then, at this odd girl. "So you're really not going to tell me anything? Not even a lie? I really am who I say I am, you know...not a liar, or a thief, or going to hurt you...what's the harm in telling?"

[Haze]

"Oh, well that's good then," she replied simply, slowly becoming accustomed to the bouncy feel of the horse. Not that it was completely comfortable. Her posterior was already starting to go numb.

But he was pushy! Gena blinked her eyes at him owlishly. He sounded genuine, and she could feel that sooner or later she was just going to have to tell him something.

My... brother died and now I'm sole heir? No... I wouldn't be running away from that. Stole Mam's jam tarts? Nope... too simple. I know! Haha!

"Fine. I... I accidentily ran over my Nonna's grave, and knocked her urn over, while I was out riding my horse." She was quite proud of her little lie, until it hit her that she'd just told him that she'd never rode a horse before. She flushed bright red, and ducked her head, hoping that he wouldn't connect the dots.

"Anyhow," she carried on quickly, "enough about me. Tell me about you, Zane. How is it that your horse has no saddle?"

[Juno]

Oh, he'd definitely caught her lying. Quirking a brow but not saying anything immediately, he carried on letting her get all flustered. Let the caught liar squirm, he figured.

Clicking to Riley, he nudged the horse into a slow trot as they continued along the road. "Ah, the saddle... I lost it and everything else I had for him yesterday. Before we found you, it was. I was betting and...was having a losing streak," he explained before circling back to her. "But you know, Gena, I distinctly remember you saying you hadn't ridden a horse before, back in town."

Zane gave her a moment as he paused, grinning proudly for himself. "Why don't you just tell me the real reason? And stop all this beating around the bush, hm?"

[Haze]

She could have rolled her eyes. Of course he'd been gambling. Only reasonable explanation, really. He obviously cared for the animal, so we wan't going to go and just ride bare back for the fun of it. She was about to say as such, but all that escaped her was a tiny squeaking groan. Her arms left their safety belt positioning, and she crossed them over her chest, wobbling just slightly as she did.

The way her luck was going, she'd probably fall off. With a huffy sigh she pouted. "Why are you so interested, anyway? Why can't you just be happy with knowing you're doing me a huge favour?"

No, she didn't think he would. Still, she dug her toes in for a moment longer, clinging to a rash shock of stubbornness. It was a little too uncomfortable to bear though, holding up all this emotion. Why shouldn't he know? Should he? Shouldn't he? The words whirled round in her head at a million miles and hour, until she finally exploded.

"Because I'm supposed to be getting married, okay!? Happy?!"

[Juno]

Her antics were getting a bit ridiculous, especially for talking to someone truly interested in helping her out. He tried not to let it bother him, what with how huffy she was getting, and was about to tell her to just forget it when she finally came clean to him.

What? Married? She's upset because she's getting...married? Am I hearing this right? Zane couldn't help but look back again to peer at her in his curiosity. "Getting...married? But I thought that's what most girls your age wanted," he pointed out. "All their dreamy looks as they talk with one another...'I'm getting married, I'm getting married!'" Zane gave a disgruntled huff for this, as he honestly envied them quite a lot. To be so content and oblivious and unaware of so much of the world around you; now that was a wonderful idea.

Most of the noble families he'd seen were more concerned with a marriage for status, growing wealth and bragging rights more than the happiness of the couple. That was certainly another thing he envied for the girls of town, the girls who didn't have to worry about house names and honor and prestige.

Realizing he'd been quiet for a time, Zane continued. "All I'm saying is...shouldn't you be happy you're getting married?"

[Haze]

His words made her want to laugh. The picture he painted was far from what she had experienced. He had absolutely no idea. Krajeck was detestful, old enough to be her grandfather and cruel. She winced inwardly at the remembrance of what had finally got her to leave.

The curtained carriage. Raised voices, a fist flying at her, hitting squarely in the stomach, rough hands yanking her hair as she cried for him to stop. And then the fine necklace he placed around her neck, and vile kiss on her lips. "Now, remember," he'd said with a wicked grin, "I am your father's best friend. He'll never believe you over me. Come now, sweeting. Another kiss."

She shuddered, feeling repulsed and slightly sick to her stomach. "No. No, I'm not happy to be married. But unless I can... unless I can get away, I'll have to. Father has demanded it, and I cannot say no." Her voice was a hoarse whisper, the fear of failing, the fear that all this would be for nothing, was choking her.

"If I get married, I know I'll end up dead. Now... can you stop asking questions? Please... She closed her eyes tightly and hugged herself hard with her arms, hoping that he'd drop it, but knowing he probably wouldn't. She felt her bottom lip begin to wobble, and she bit down. Crying was the last thing she wanted to be doing.

[Juno]

It was surprising, what she told him. A soft "hm" was all he said for a while, wanting to obey but still so very curious about what she told him. He figured he could let her settle down a bit, she seemed so...upset, sad, hurt. It was definitely not the things he was used to seeing among friends.

He figured his assumptions had been correct as he reflected, but he now also thought she was just being dramatic when she said she'd end up dead. If her father's demanding she get married...and so young...I guess her family must be very poor. Maybe she's just scared... It was the only conclusion he could come to with the information he'd gotten out of her, wrong as it may be, but still he felt a bit bad for her.

Most girls would be so excited to get married, he kept telling himself, hand tightening on the rope he held onto.

"Um, Gena," he began again, unknowingly trying to encourage her now. "You know...from what I've heard it isn't that bad to be married... A scary prospect, sure, but...well, I've hardly seen a couple married around here that was all that unhappy."

[Haze]

"Pfft. You obviously don't know my parents then. They were an arranged marriage. They are miserable."

Genaaferr rolled her eyes. "I know it isn't a bad thing. He is a bad person. You have no idea, Zane." How could she explain it to him? How could she say explain that her father was a greedy, conniving man who thought nothing of his daughter. How could she say that to him and her brother she was just a bartering tool, and that the man they'd decided to give her to was twice as bad - and all just for money. Krajeck was paying a handsome bride-price, that was for sure.

"You know, Zane, I am like every other girl. I would love to be married one day. But for love. Not for a ... a... business deal!" She spat the words out, starting to feel a fire burning within her. "I'd like to be able to meet a man, get to know him, feel the thrall of love, be giddy with excitement... but no. No happiness for a De Soliace-"

She bit her lip again with her outburst, and shook her head, not realising she'd given away a part of her identity. "You just don't understand, okay. Just... I don't want to get married. Shouldn't I be allowed a choice in the matter? I think I should. And this is my choice."

[Juno]

Zane frowned, suddenly unhappy that he'd said what he'd said as it only led to more sad information. A business deal? So I am right. Poor girl...

It was definitely saddening to hear, though. He knew what most girls wanted for themselves and hearing her say something similar just made it that much worse to know she was in a predicament with an arranged engagement. But what was this? He recognized that name from somewhere...

"De Soliace...? You mean, the De Soliaces?" Zane blinked. The rest of her words were heard, but not much paid attention to. "Wait, you're from here, aren't you? Are you..." He tried to recall the name he'd heard before. "Gena...Genaaferr? That's it isn't it? You're-" Zane bit his tongue, knowing he was about to get a bit wound up.

How rare to meet a noblewoman sleeping in...rocks. It explained her clothing, though, at least. "Ah...this is interesting," he mused, looking straight ahead as he gave Riley a quick tap at the ribs, the simple gesture all the encouragement the horse needed to swing into a gentle canter. "So you're not poor... Here I was, thinking all the wrong things. Interesting, indeed.

"So, you really are on the run, hm? And...may I ask who you're supposed to be marrying but now are not?"

[Haze]

Gena let her head thump into his back with an explosive sigh as she realised she'd given herself away. Yes, he definitely knew who she was now. His mumbling worried her though, she could tell there were thoughts churning through his mind, and she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Please, sweet Kia... don't let him turn me around. It was the first genuine prayer she'd thought in her whole life. As he kicked the horse, she slipped in her stance and her heart leaped into her throat. Her arms once again went around him in a vice grip, her hands grasping onto her wrists, and her knuckles turning white.

"Please - tell me when you're going to do that!" She yelped, her eyes closed tightly now. "Yes, I'm really on the run. Why on earth would you question that!? How many girls do you know that actually choose to sleep in the rocks!?" Her voice was rising with a mixture or fright and frustration. She wished she'd never met him after all. That he'd never found her. This was just becoming so complicated.

"Lumire," she said shortly, "Krajeck Lumire. I suppose you've heard of him too? Zane... please... I beg you!" She pressed her head tight against him,  "Please don't let him take me, don't turn around. I know they'll be coming soon. I've been gone 3 days now. Please!"

[Juno]

He winced at her grip. Goddamn, this woman was strong. Or desperate, or fearful. Or all of the above.

The name definitely was familiar to him, as Krajeck was an infamous fellow here in Serendipity. "Ah...yes, I have heard of him unfortunately, but-" That was when he felt her head pressed into his shoulders and he turned to try and look at her hunkered form over his shoulder.

Gena apparently thought he was about to turn her in. "I'm not going to turn around, just relax... Um...three days? That's quite a long time, they might be searching for you." Things began to click a bit more then.

"So that was why you were hiding? And you wanted to leave...you think he'll kill you if he finds you out here?" He pondered this for a moment. "Seems a smidge too cruel, to me," he teased, knowing he probably shouldn't be unkind to her now that he knew what he knew.

"What do you plan on doing in Atlas Verde? Just hiding out?"

[Haze]

"Cruel!? Do you not know anything?! I will be his fifth wife, Zane. And you know how a man of sixty goes through four wives? He kills them, that's how. I know it's all just hearsay, but I know the truth. If any of them didn't produce an heir in five years they... they just disappeared." She shuddered. "I'm not going to be number five. I swear it!"

She sighed then, with his question. In all honesty, she didn't know what she was going to do. At all. "I ... I guess. I just thought I had to get away. I could, change my name and get a job doing something, or just keep travelling. Go into Connlaoth or Adela. I don't know." With a shrug she leaned back again, realising that all this grabbing and pressing her face to him was probably not the best thing to be doing.

She cleared her throat for a moment, loosening her hold marginally and then said, "what would you do? If you were in my shoes?"

[Juno]

The rumors he heard, admittedly, did not paint a very nice picture of the man she spoke of. The women were very young. The stories he'd heard ranged from fairly tame to simply outrageous, but nobody seemed to really pinpoint exactly what had happened to any of this mysterious man's wives over the years.

Her desire to flee, though, he really could understand, even though she didn't seem to have any real direction to go in.

Zane wasn't really sure what to tell her as far as advice. He wasn't a woman, he'd never been in a situation like this, and hell, he'd never even been engaged before. He didn't want to scare her off, though, and decided to actually put some thought into his words.

"Well, Gena... Maybe there's a way out for you. I mean...there has to be, right? Maybe you could just hide out for a little while, just get things under control and wait it out a little while. He'd stop...searching, right? After a while? You think he might?"

[Haze]

"If he does stop, Papa wont." She sounded defeated. "Papa is counting on this deal to go through to keep his coffers nice and plump. Not that they're aren't already." A disgruntled snort and the shake of her head accompanied this. Her father was the greediest, most spendthrift man she knew. Oh yes, his home and wife and children were bestowed with lovely things, but that was where it stopped. Greedy and selfish. Genaaferr hated it.

While she may have been naive, Gena was quickly trying to decide upon a plan that would in fact keep her safe. So far, hiding out was the only idea she had. "I just have to face the fact now that I'm ... I'm on the run. For the rest of my life, I guess. But I will stop in Atlas Verde for a while... I think I might be able to draw on some funds there to keep me going. The news shouldn't reach home for a good week or so."

"How long do you think it'll take us to get there, anyhow? We're almost at the border, right?" She shifted uncomfortably, definitely numb now. "I mean... I don't want to stop just yet but ... I ... I need to stretch my legs."

[Juno]

"Well, I can do my best to help you hide," he offered, figuring she might accept being that he lived there and knew the people and the land so well. "And keep you as safe as I can..."

What was he doing? Just what in the world was he doing? Here he was, offering to help a runaway who just clearly told him she had both her fiance and father to fear. As it was, he'd probably have to explain why he was with her in the little border town, but beyond that? He was meddling in the matters of two men, both of higher status than he alone. Sure, he had his family's name, but a name wasn't everything. He figured he'd have a high social price to pay when the word got out. It was bound to happen, there was no way they would get from point A to point B without someone noticing them.

"We're almost to the border, yeah," he answered, patting Riley's neck with his free hand. "My house is kind of...on the outskirts of the village near the border, you see. On the other side, of course. You're welcome to stay...I have spare rooms..." What a dangerous offer. This girl, in her desperation he assumed, would probably take off with some of his things. No, it isn't right to assume she'd be a thief...even if she wanted to take Riley...but she did say she would've returned him...

"So you can get some rest... I could help you, you know... Maybe at least help you gather some things up if you're wanting to leave Serendipity all together." Ah, he was being too generous again, too helpful. It would be the death of him one day, he supposed.

She'd said she needed to stretch, though, and slowed Riley a bit for this. "We can take a break if your legs are tired," he suggested. He'd forgotten what it was like to not ride regularly, he was already so used to spending so much time in the saddle.

[Haze]

Gena was surprised at his offer, though she ought not to have been. He had after all, taken her somewhere safe to sleep, and had escorted her thus far along the road. She smiled slowly, for the first time feeling the smallest part of the burden lifting from her shoulders. She only hoped she wasn't going to cause him too much trouble.

This made her frown again. She couldn't have people getting themselves into trouble for her sake. "Oh, you don't have to. Honestly, I can take care of myself, you could just -" The offer of a bed though - how could she turn that down? She closed her mouth, and digested his generosity. So there are decent men in the world, she thought with a little half giggle.

"I appreciate your offer," she said, completely humbled. "Thank you. I'd really like to sleep at least one night in an actual bed." And her traitorous stomach let out a huge growl.

"Oh sweet jelly. I'm sorry - please excuse me," she groaned. Even though she was getting sore, she was pretty sure that the gurgling of her stomach wasn't going to get any quieter. "Maybe it'd just be best to ride on to your home?"

[Juno]

When she finally began to accept his offer, Zane smiled to himself knowingly. He knew she must have been through quite a lot if she'd been hiding out already for three days. By the look of her, she'd hardly slept, and how she'd reacted earlier? She probably hadn't had much of a chance to relax. "All right, then, it's settled...and yes, we can do that if you'd like."

Wrapping the rope more firmly around his hand and grasping a big hunk of Riley's mane in the other, Zane readied himself. "Ah, I'm going to have him pick it up...a lot, so just hold on. Hold on tight if you have to, it'd be bad if you fell."

And with that, he tapped at the horse's sides, gripping with his thighs so as not to slip back as he jolted forward. Getting up faster and faster, the stallion eventually smoothed out into much more stable gallop. Zane knew that he knew the way home, so he was careful to let the stallion do as he pleased, cutting through fields to go over hill after hill as they went instead of keeping strictly to the path.

It wasn't long until they reached the top of the final hill, the one Zane recognized. "We're here," he said as he gently pulled at the rope, letting Riley know he should take it easy now. Gradually slowing as they went over, the horse headed down this final slope into the little valley Zane's house occupied. It was a small thing compared to the expansive estate of his family, this building made of a mixture of stone and logs with a barn and a couple of crudely fenced pastures branching off at different sides of the main structure.

Inside, there were a few bedrooms, all but the master usually intended for visiting relatives, a humble kitchen, and a large fireplace in the main room for added comfort on the colder days at this altitude. The barn consisted of a few simple stalls, but it sufficed for Zane to maintain a few horses at a time.

Knowing he could get to the animals later, though, Zane guided their mount to the house first. Finally coming to a stop, the sweaty beast huffed and turned his head to look to his riders, as if urging them to get off.

Sliding down, Zane offered a hand help Gena off. "I'll just go let him loose," he said, gathering the rope up as he stepped away to begin walking off. "Um..you can go ahead and go inside, there should be some things in the kitchen, cheeses and such, and you can go ahead and pick out whichever room you want, too, while you're at it."