Takes Two to Tango[wolfie]

[wolfie]

"I don't understand why you'd want to split the money. As for without dying I can do that well enough. Why should I have your assistance in capturing this man?" She asked knowing she had walked into the ambush. Now that she knew about ambushes though she would be more careful.

Alerri didn't understand. This man wanted her help and was willing to work together. She didn't know him nor did she trust him either. It didn't help matters that he didn't believe her at word value. She sighed wondering what more he could say.

[Looshi]

She was making it awfully hard to cut a deal. The main reason Jonas had been wanting to team up was because he was dreadfully inexperienced in how to stay alive. It was a wonder he wasn't dead all ready. He needed the coin, even just half of it. It would serve him for a while.

But it looked like he was getting nowhere.

He sighed.

Up from the brush he heard a shout, and chills ran down his spine when the words reached his ears.

"There they are!"

[wolfie]

Alerri knew she was making it difficult on him. He was a stranger who could make a deal and then break it two minutes later for all she knew. She was waiting to see what he would say to make this happen. He seemed to be the type who had an answer for everything.

It seemed she would be waiting forever when the words reached them. She sighed wondering how stupid humans could be. She wasn't up for trying to run away and change into a dragon.

"I suggest we head for the hills and fast," she said trying to also make her story about the dragon seem true. If she didn't change again it might make him doubt that.

"Looks like we have no choice for now we stick together," she said as she turned to run. It wasn't long before she was heading away from those chasing her.

[Looshi]

They looked angry.

Really, really angry.

Jonas couldn't make out their faces as they rushed towards them. Thick beards covered their features, and in his head he quickly gave them names. Beard one, Beard two...

He wouldn't argue with Alerri's idea. Running was a good choice. The brief check he made of their arsenal assured him that they wouldn't have arrows soaring into their backs. So, he ran along with her. Jonas' heart pounded in his ears, and his breathing was quick; always on the edge of losing his breath but not quite. After some minutes they took a detour through the brush in hopes to slow their pursuers down. Leaves and twigs whipped at his face and tangled in his stark white hair, but they couldn't stop.

The dragon coming out and gobbling up the men would sure seem useful right now, he thought to himself as his legs grew weary. Alerri was ahead of him, moving through the brush far better than he was. And all it took was a falter from Jonas for the bandits to be on him.

A blade dug into the back of his shoulder. The pull out was worse than it going it. Blood spilled down his clothing, and the pain made his adrenaline race. His left arm was useless, but it hardly mattered as he gave a good crack to one of the bandits' face. Literal crack. He broke a nose.

[wolfie]

Alerri heard him behind her. She wasn't getting tangled up too badly. The detour didn't seem to work though. She sighed glancing back. Things went from bad to worse. She knew going dragon would solve this quickly, but she was learning sometimes the quickest answers weren't always the best.

She heard him slowing down behind her wondering if he wanted them to get caught. She didn't like this one bit. She heard the bandits catching up to at least him. Thoughts of leaving him behind that she didn't need him crossed her mind quickly. She looked back seeing the sword go through him.

She stopped wondering if perhaps she should help him. He wasn't anyone to her - yet. She wasn't sure what she could do to help him she was no solider or fighter. Sure she could turn into some really scary creature, but right then wouldn't be good. She wouldn't want anyone knowing she could do that. He thought he knew, but if she didn't change it might prove to him her story before was right after all.

Alerri was beginning to think he didn't need her as she hit the goon in the face. She sighed and went back for him. There was no way he was going to make it hurt like that. She would be surprised if he did.

"Come on we need to find some place to hide and quick," she said sounding like she was scared. She knew in this form they could hurt maybe even kill her. She didn't want that. Perhaps teaming up isn't such a bad idea after all.

[Looshi]

The broken-nosed bandit stumbled down to his knees, cradling his broken facial feature. In the end, the man wouldn't have much to worry about; it wouldn't make him any uglier in the least.

Jonas stepped away, barely missing the blade of the other man. Pain surged through his shoulder, and he could feel his warm life's blood spilling out from the wound. It was  unnerving. He heard Alerri's footsteps coming up from behind them, quickly.

"Alerri, stay back!" He tried to shout; to warn her. The uninjured bandit had a glint in his eyes that told him he wanted revenge for his partner, but would settle at taking a jab at the woman with the pointy-end of his sword as she became in arms reach.

[wolfie]

She had been thinking it would be easy to get him and get out of there. She hadn't seen the other guy nor knew where he came from. She heard the warning and stopped immediately. Watching this she wasn't sure what to do.

Again thoughts came to leave him behind. She couldn't do that though. Saving her own skin or scales seemed to be the last thing she wanted to do. He needed her help, but the problem was she wasn't sure how to help him.

Alerri didn't want to change into the scales. There had to be another answer. She just wasn't seeing one. She carefully looked around to see if there was anything she could do to distract the man with the sword. Nothing was coming to mind.

[Looshi]

She wasn't moving. Didn't she realise the man coming at her with the sword could kill her?  Jonas set his jaw and lunged at the armed bandit, using his weight to knock him to the ground. The man's sword hand smashed on a rock and he let go of the weapon. Jonas was not as strong as he would have liked to be, having his arm momentarily out of order, but it was enough to disarm.

"Grab the sword!" He shouted, knowing that time was pressing down on both of them as the bandit struggled underneath him. The rasping bloodied voice of the one with the broken nose was close by and not unarmed.

[wolfie]

Alerri wasn't used to seeing someone fight. It was a first for her. Nobody had bothered to save her before either. She didn't like the new feeling all of this was giving her. She saw Jonas lunge at the guy and pin him down. She heard what he was saying and acted on it.

Once she had the sword she was completely at a loss though. Was she suppose to give it to Jonas? Was she suppose to keep and use it? How did one use a sword? Too many questions and not enough answers.

"Now what?" She asked not sure what he wanted from her just then. She thought maybe it would have been best to just leave him after all. It would have been less trouble for her.

[Looshi]

Relief filled him when Alerri grabbed the sword, but it was fleeting; it left as quick as it came. She wasn't doing anything with it except for standing and letting it lay in her hand. He wasn't used to fighting, and it didn't look like she was either. What a team they made.

"Alerri-" His voice was cut off as the man he had pinned freed an arm and caught him in the chin. The alien anger swelled in Jonas, cutting off his natural line of thought. With a quick movement of his right hand, magic crackled on his skin and blue hued smoke rose out from it. A blinding light flashed in front of the bandit's face, and less than a blink he was knocked out.

"Don't move. Or I'll do the same to you!" He shouted, his voice taking on an eerie hollow echo. His arm was stretched out to the other bandit raising to his knees, and he stopped mid action to stare at Jonas. What a sight he must have been. A deep wound to his shoulder, the blood running down his side and down his lip where it was busted. His eyes held an unnatural glow to them, like a monster.

[wolfie]

She heard him say her name but not much else. He was tangling with the guy pinned again. In an instant there was a flash of light. She sensed the magic that was around. She noticed what Jonas looked like right after he was done with the one man and threatening the other. Any normal person would be afraid.

"I'd ask to look at that shoulder but I'm certain I won't need to. You could have said something about being magical," she said sounding a little hurt in that. She wanted to be of some help now she knew she would just be a burden.

I should have just left him. He didn't need me, and I only made matters worse. She thought leaning against a tree. She still had the sword in her hands.

[Looshi]

The bandit held his broken nose as his eyes grew wide with panic. He shuffled quickly to his feet and began to run in the opposite direction, stumbling along the way. Jonas still felt the heat of the anger rushing through him as he watched the man's backside disappear into the brush.

"You!" He shouted, and turned to Alerri. He sat atop the bandit he still had pinned, and the eerie hollow tone to his voice was not making a point to fade away. His heart beat ran in his ears like the hooves of a dozen horses.

   "You did nothing!" He said, the kind and calm man was there no longer. "What a wry remark, assuming that I don't need help."  He struggled to his feet, using only one arm to help him up. The blood loss made him dizzy but the magic inside him was quick to kill the pain in his shoulder. It left him more time to steep in his rage.

[wolfie]

Alerri wasn't sure if she should chuck the sword, hand it to him, or keep it for later. She wasn't sure she liked what he was becoming. He hadn't shared anything at all about using magic himself. She should have seen it or at least felt it had she been concentrating on him. That bothered her.

He had turned on her. Her eyes became more slit like but not completely as he was blaming her for doing nothing. At least she hadn't done something and ended up getting him harmed.  It took her by surprise that he could hear her thoughts. She would have to sensor those or block him if she should. She had a feeling since she never did it before she wouldn't be able to block him now.

"Well from a lady who has never fought in her life I figured you were doing fine. Perhaps this is why its such a bad idea to team up after all. As for my thoughts stay out of my head," she said not happy about this at all. She waited to see what he wanted to do. As for her she was ready to call it quits on this little alliance.

[Looshi]

 His anger simpered down at her words. Completely rational words. She had never fought before, it made sense that she didn't know how to use a sword, or what to do when two brazen men came at her ready to kill. Despite being a dragon, she was a rabbit. Why in the world did she agree to go after bandits?

Another thing struck him odd, though. Not just her lack of prowess.

"Out of your thoughts?" His voice was returning to normal, and the magic was fading away. His brown eyes were staring at her in disbelief. "I meant...I meant my shoulder. Like you said."

Was she that naive? Where in the world did she come from?

He stepped over the unconscious man at his feet and took a few paces towards Alerri. His free hand gripped onto the arm he couldn't use. The bleeding had stoped, but it would be a while yet before he could move it.

   "Or...Did you think I didn't need you? At all?" He said, the expression was sad as the old Jonas seeped back into control.

[wolfie]

Alerri sighed. This was turning out to be one huge mistake. She had been in this for only one reason - to make some money so she could at least eat. She wasn't sure how else humans made money. She had no idea she would need fighting skills to get the money.

"Oh," she said realizing how embarrassing this was. She hoped he wouldn't ask her any questions. She wasn't prepared for anyone to ask her about her past. Alerri wasn't sure she would know what to say no matter what was asked.

"That's exactly what I'm thinking. I'm just in your way," she said still feeling useless. The only time she had done any good was when she transformed into her scaled self. She wasn't about to do that though on a whim and not in front of anyone. It was the last thing she really needed. Someone to be afraid of her just because she was different.

"Am I wrong?" She asked noticing he had come closer to her. The man who was lying on the ground didn't even stir. She knew he wouldn't be trouble for them for awhile.

[Looshi]

"Yes, you're wrong!"  He said, if a little too forceful. "I mean...No, that's exactly what I mean."

She wasn't good at fighting. He got that. But neither was he. It would be a miracle if they made it out alive with such little wealth of experience. He got mad too quickly at her. And he regretted every moment and cursed the magic flowing in him. Jonas shifted his wait to a different foot, and the movement jarred enough of his shoulder for it to hurt.

"I can't fight either." He said, his eyes looking at her, wishing for her to believe him. "You just...y'know, tackle them and hit them, and hope they stay down."

[wolfie]

Alerri hadn't expected the outburst. She was feeling sheepish at being wrong, which was weird for a dragon. She had a feeling he wouldn't be doubting her dragon story much longer. If she had done that again she would have lost all credibility as a human.

She heard him say that and wanted to laugh. He had just done it before her eyes. He actually knocked out one guy and scared the other one away. She wasn't sure she should believe him on the part where he didn't know how to fight.

"You could have fooled me. I thought what you were doing was fighting. As for me, well I've never done anything to anyone before. What is this tackle? Hit them? I don't know these words. What am I carrying?" She asked her curious nature coming out again. She couldn't help it.

[Looshi]

"Trust me. I was surprised too." He said, grinning sheepishly at her. He still held onto his arm with a hand, half-afraid that if he let go it would fall off. Jonas looked like a wreck standing there, covered in his own blood, like he shouldn't be walking upright at all.

"You don't...Know these words?" He echoed, dumbstruck. She truly was naive. But he didn't have time to teach her. No doubt the man that ran off would be back with others. They wouldn't leave a threat alone. They had to move while they still could.

"It's a sword." He said hastily, his eyes darting to and fro trying to look for signs in the brush around them that told them they were not alone. "You stab people with the pointy end."

[wolfie]

Alerri listened to what he was saying. Being surprised did make humans do some strange things. She noticed how bad he looked, but figured his magic would heal him it must have before. He didn't look happy that she didn't know these words. She never had to use them before nor had any other dragon used them. Her human experience was limited at best.

"No sorry," she said wondering what they meant. She knew what he had done, but she didn't know the words for what he had done. She felt very unlearned wishing he would teach her. She had a feeling though he wasn't going to.

She listened to what he said about the sword in her hands. She kept it thinking it wouldn't be a bad thing to have considering bad men were coming after them. He was watching the bushes for some reason. She sighed.

"We should get moving that guy we are after isn't getting any closer," she said shaking her head. It was a wonder that he hadn't suggested such. She looked at him again, "unless you aren't able to?"

[Looshi]

The tingling of magic beginning to heal his arm reached up to his shoulder. It was an uncomfortable feeling. Like having your foot fall asleep, only worse. But Jonas had no right to complain. He wasn't dying.

"Yes," He said. "We need to keep moving. But I have no idea how we're going to do this. Lets lay low to the brush and keep out of as much sight as we can."  He paused and added with a sheepish smile: "I don't know how well that will work considering your orange hair, and my white."