Spirits of the Earth

After yet another Lord Knight Commander had been replaced, Adalia just couldn't see how she could force herself to serve under such a floppy person. Well, floppy looking. She did want to quit, maybe after this mission. Not back up, but a smaller platoon of mage-knights to meet up with some normal soldiers. Adalia wasn't leading, but she was one of the better trained mage knights so she kept on her horse and kept her fingers tingling.

It wasn't until half a day later that they got closer to see a fight going on, it was almost over, Adalia held back, it was a forest sure, but she wasn't really all that keen on uprooting a bunch of trees for stupid soldiers who were winning anyway. The group she was with had maybe twelve mage knights, they also sat back. It was just a group of rogues the soldiers were fighting, and like any battle there were wounds and disturbing images for Adalia to later try to get out of her mind. Maybe not the best solider.

Adalia turned her head away and tuned out the noises, waiting for the last of the rogues to get round up or killed. When the noises stopped it became apparent as to why the soldiers attacked them. They weren't just any rogues. They were slavers. Her blood boiled when she saw a blue haired little girl cower behind an older woman. Lady? Girl? Adalia frowned and nudged her horse to go forward, it did without complaint. Quickly she got off, her hands on her hips.

Out of uniform, but still with a strange style, Adalia wore a dark blue shirt, skintight, with a same coloured corset. On her arms up to her elbows were metal gloves, the tips were pointed to double as a physical weapon. Her skirt was short in the front and as it went behind it got longer, stockings were pulled up to her thighs, her boots to her knees.

 She was a mage.  She didn't need a bow and arrow for long range combat. Licking her lips, she eyed the captain and then wandered over towards the girls about to be sold off as slaves. A quick exchange of words brought the older girl over holding Adalias hand, where she gave them over to another female mage knight.

The opal haired woman didn't want to think of what might have happened between them getting captured and now.  The rogues looked the same, nasty, missing teeth, so one captured prisoner caught her eye. Looked almost like a drow. Walking over she nudged him with her boot. They had been made to sit, their arms bound and their feet bound.  "You don't look like your friends." She flicked her green eyes towards the other rogues, to be brought to trial. Probably to be killed. "Were you stolen to be a slave too? What's your name and where are you from."

The smoke arising from the herbs tickled his nostrils and he did not think for fear that he would distract himself from his current activity.  It wouldn't do now to have his thoughts stray from what he was supposed to be doing and to do otherwise was to go back on his training.  Any setback, no matter how miniscule would surely drive his father into a despondent rage.  He was always more fearful as to what his father didn't say as opposed to the words that were uttered by others.  But he was used to verbal abuse and, therefore, he focused more on what was performed symbolically as opposed to direct verbal communication.
 
The smoke clouded the alcove he occupied and though he was so far away from home, he was accustomed to his standard solitude.  Before he could surround himself with the company of others and return to the village, he had to learn to endure the psychological hardships of loneliness.  But, actually, he rather liked it.  There was a lot less noise out here other than the chirping of birds and rustle of trees and the occasional growl from one animal hunting another.  It was so different than back home, others of his clan striding back and forth, making so much noise and racket that it was hard to concentrate.

But he was concentrating now and was doing a damn good job of it.  He'd made a small camp, one that was easily concealable near another camp that was at the bottom of hill near the rise of the mountains.  Hysaeda hadn't been this far north before in the longest time.  He was used to the southlands, the mountains that bordered the country humans called Adela.  That was where his home was and in that land, he was home wherever he went.  As he meditated now, his mind drifted back there, to the life and the fire that spewed from the mountain tops intermittently.  But as he wandered, he did not focus on the sudden racket that exploded from the camp below, a thunderous shouting that made him jump from his cross-legged position.  "What the," he breathed to himself and wiping the sweat form his brow.  Stamping out the burning herbs, he crawled out of his alcove soon enough and looked out down the hill, the incline steep and deadly with one false move.

Down below he saw lots of people shouting, several robed figures with makeshift daggers and blades running back and forth as several more armored figures came in.  Many were cut down and many more were dragged along the ground.  The uproarious outburst tinged at his curiosity and he slide a little ways down the hill, his sandals doing well to grip on the loose dirt.  Stopping at a jutting boulder and gripping a tree beside him, he looked down and continued to watch the burning fray.  Ragged men and women were driven out of what looked like huts and many appeared chained.  Some of them were dragged off with the rogues that seemed to try to make their escape, but were immediately cut off by more armored fighters that blocked their way.  Maybe some successfully disappeared into the forest, this Hysaeda did not see.  Yet a sudden wave of arrows blackened what view he had and a few hitting the rockface in which he occupied sent him jumping back.  But just when he thought his footing was firm, his foot slipped in the loose dirt and sent him tumbling down the jagged path of the hill.  His body struck several pointed rocks on his way down and as he tried to stop himself, his flesh skidded against the stone, scraping it in many places.  He grimaced at the pain, but was quick to curl his head into his chest and rolled to a very uncomfortable landing at the bottom of the hill.

He was hidden in a cloud of dust momentarily, dizzy from the fall and feeling his head and body throb where they were pierced with rocks and even feeling a bit of blood trickle along his temple.  Thankfully, his bone-and-leather armor, fashioned from the hide of savage beast, protected his most vital organs from receiving the brunt of the fall.  Hysaeda got up dizzily, holding his head carefully even as the fury around him swallowed him whole.  It only took a second to realize he was in immense danger.  He stared wide-eyed as one of the armored riders rode at him with his sword drawn.  He screamed and was intent on driving the blade at his head, but Hysaeda ducked just in time to dodge the blow.  He scrambled away now, running headlong and looking back at the rider that doubled back.  The skirmish was dying down now and the battle was coming to a close as the riders rounded up the last of the rogues, killing some and dragging some of them back to camp.  Hysaeda was caught between two of them, who both charged ahead with their weapons drawn.  "Wait!" he had tried to call out in Common, but his words were lost on deaf ears and their weapons were intent on coming down on his head.  Only his arm was cut as he moved out of the way, then successfully disarmed another and knocking him out with the hilt of his own sword.  He did not want to draw blood, not now.  Instead he made his way toward the center of the calming bustle, looking around him to see which way he might make a better escape.   Yet he did not see another of the soldiers approach from behind him and club him on the head.  Suddenly his vision went black and he collapsed on the ground.

Whether it was several minutes or several hours that passed, he couldn't tell.  All he knew was that his hands were suddenly bound as well as his feet and he couldn't move too well.  His limbs were heavy, like as if he were wading through muddy water.  Grunting lightly, the fog over his eyes lifted when he felt a sudden nudge.  "Gah!" he breathed, sucking in air sharply then trying to get into a comfortable position.  He opened his eyed and glared at the woman with the amber-red of his eyes.  "I don't belong here," he said quietly, keeping his eyes glued to hers.  "I slipped and I fell.  And now your men want to kill me.  I wouldn't tell my name to you; you are my enemy.  Why don't you tell me your name first?  And what the hell is going on here!"

Giving a long sigh, Adalia stared back, a little creeped out by his eyes. Being from Serendipity, Adalia was used to more... Fair people. The opal haired mageknight rose a single eyebrow before her lips drew into a thin line, obviously not impressed with his defiance. Putting a hand to her hip she watched him for a moment, her green eyes never leaving his amber ones. "You don't belong here?" Adalia spoke softy, she wasn't cruel enough to make his head pound with a loud voice. She imagined his wrists and ankles hurt, that the cut on his arm throbbed.  

 Taking a dagger from her belt, Adalia reached down to cut the rope binding his feet together. Adalia moved back and stood, still holding the dagger out. "I am your enemy. I've giving you incentive to cooperate, but I won't hesitate to stab this dagger into your throat if you do something I don't like." Adalia wagged the dagger at him in her clawed gauntlets before slipping it back into the sheath.

Putting her hands on her hips, her shifted her weight to one foot, glaring down at him. "My name is Adalia. I'm a mageknight of Serendipity. We were sent here to investigate a group of rogues. Turns out they were doing illegal slave trading." A dark look passed her eyes and she eyed the strange man up and down, "But you know that, don't you. My men were trying to protect innocent young girls from brutish heathens like you." Her voice was fire and her eyes stared into his, accusing. Adalia pointed a clawed finger at him, jabbing it at him a few times before continuing. "Slipped and fell. Right into that? I saw it. Who would run into harms way on purpose let alone want to see it bad enough that they 'slip' into the middle of it."

Adalia was careful to stand a few arms lengths away. "Your name, Rogue. I know you have one, and if I have to cut off your fingers to get what I want to know out of you then you'll just have to figure out how to rape little girls without working hands to hold them down." a moments pause and she tilted her head to the side before leering at him, her hand returning to the hilt of the dagger, caressing it with her fingers, the metal of the claws making little noises against the metal of the hilt.

"Your name and where you're from."

A mageknight, huh?  He'd heard of them, but he had enough sense to stay in his own lands and away from what was deemed as 'civilized life.'  He'd been to cities and knew what they did to people...  He'd seen many of his own kind that deviated to the kingdoms of men, and the other fairer races indigenous to the eastern parts of the continent.  Cities melted away the will to survive, providing to one what they should have sought for themselves, like hunting material, water, and the like.  Cities turned mortals into soft things that were easily conquered, things that were crushed beneath the weight of what was Wild and Untamed.  Hysaeda frowned at the thought and softened his gaze on the woman for a second.  Well, he was not from any city; he wouldn't cripple beneath her threats so easily.

He watched as she freed his legs, but he stayed seated and kept looking up her.  He wouldn't stand up just for sake.  Maybe his defiance was just idiotic, but giving in just an inch, meant having to surrender more and more until there was nothing left to surrender anymore.  Hysaeda sighed briefly listening to her prattle and speech and as she waved her blade around, he smirked just a little.  "Don't worry, whatever you intend to do to me, will be all I need to render you helpless.  Even with these brittle ropes around me.  They're nothing more than frail strings.  I don't even know why you bother with them." Hysaeda wasn't sure he meant what he said, but the important thing was to make sure she believed what he said, not whether it was true or a lie.  If the enemy knew that one's forces were greater than they could handle, sometimes fear would cause them to turn back....sometimes.

Looking back up at the hill for a brief second, he recalled his falling, the rocks bashing against his skin and the scraps and scabs he had about now.  Dust covered him and his bare arms, though the tattoos were creeping out from his shoulders and his facial tattoos were all the more visible and were still stark against the dirt.  The fall hadn't marred him completely, but if he hadn't known how to fall with grace, he might not have survived so easily before.

Hysaeda locked his eyes on hers.  "You surrender your name so easily Adalia.  You think that your empty threats are just going to convince me to do anything?  I already told you the truth.  I slipped.  Do you think I'd willingly be here if I could help it?  I don't know anything.  You're doing nothing more than wasting your time.  So if you're thinking that I'm just going to tell you my name, you're wrong.  You are my enemy!  You understand nothing, so go back to your kingdom and live out the rest of your life like the weakling you were born to be!"  And with this he spat at her.  But as other soldiers began to close in around them, he now felt that perhaps that wasn't the best move for the current situation.  Well...he'd just have to see what happened.

Adalia rolled her eyes. Empty threats. "Brittle? We'll leave those on then." A smile as she took a few steps to the side to eye the ropes binding his hands. "Those are there to give us a false sense of security, Rogue. As long as we know you're tied up your threats fall on deaf ears." Another shift of her weight as she moved again to stand in front of him, hands on her hips. "What can you do while you're tied up? Even if you could break the ropes you'd have to spend at least a second to get your feet under you." A pause " You may be larger than me, but that doesn't mean you're faster or more intelligent. The fact you got caught proves that I'm smarter than you." A smile.

Licking her lips she frowned slightly when he went and looked over at an incline, feeling her frown grow deeper. Well, shit. Adalia looked back at the man and then over at the slope. Probably running away and didn't want to admit it. Slipped and fell while running away. A slowly forming snarl pulled at her lip while she looked back down at him, not at all impressed. Adalia couldn't help but stare when he locked their eyes and she kept her face a frown. Obviously displeased with his lack of cooperation.

While Adalia might seem to be stubborn, she was still a good listener, and she stared at him, too entranced by the funny coloured eyes to back away when his spit landed on her thigh. She'd drawn closer while he was talking, so it didn't take much effort to lift her leg as a 'knee-jerk' reaction and kick him in the chin. Adalia moved to step over him, her foot pressing against his chest, her body weight behind it as she pressed her boot into his chest. One arm was out to ward off the few soldiers that had gathered around them, and her other hand, the tips of the metal gauntlet slowly turned red with the heat from her magic.

"My threats are not empty. I may not enjoy killing living creatures but there's always the expection to that rule." Another forceful push with her foot to get him on his back and Adalia moved to sit on her chest, her knees on either side of his arms, eyes narrow, a nice way of describing her would be 'pissed'. "You disgusting heathen. I was trying to be nice, then you go and spit on me." the hand without the heated glove grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her. "I'm obviously more civilised than you are, and weak I may be but that is none of your business, considering the position you're in. I'd kill you now, but that would be illegal." Adalia moved and stood up dragging him into a sitting position.

"You know what? I'm going to take you back to Arca myself. Aren't you just lucky." Her voice dripped with sarcasm and she took a deep breath before glaring. "I'm not impressed, Rogue. Not impressed at all. Now would be about the time you'll be wanting to break free of those ropes."

He certainly was not in the mood for this!  She was putting up a good fight in trying to convince him to be cooperative, and he could see his defiance was not pleasing her at all.  Oh well, it wasn't meant to.  Hysaeda grimaced in the face of her explanation that he would remain tied up.  Well, that was something he saw coming.  No soldier in their right mind would dare let a prison go unchained unless they were stupid.  She claimed she wasn't, well, he'd just have to prove her wrong, now wouldn't he?  He smirked a little at the thought, but just then, he felt something hard collide with his chin, forcing his head to jerk up and teeth to clamp down hard on his tongue.  His mouth feeling raw, he spat again to the side this time and watched her in silence.  Yes, she would be a tough one.

It wasn't long before he felt her foot collide into his chest and nearly knocked the air right out of him.  If he wasn't so good at breathing, it just might have squeezed the last breath from him.  But he hardened his jaw further and held his breath, fighting against the pressure and making the red of his eyes burn hotter than before.  He could have sworn he nearly saw steam rise from one of her gauntlets in addition to turning red.  Well, that wasn't the oddest thing he'd ever seen in his life.

But the final breath was squeezed out of him when she took a seat on his chest.  Damn this woman!  Was she trying to turn him on or something?  Hysaeda grunted and snarled at her, but refused to give her the satisfaction of a struggle as she kept speaking.  He was forced to look at her soon enough and he sneered at her words.  "So, you admit you're weak," he replied back.  "Position or not, your admission is proof enough that perhaps you are not fit for the lifestyle you live; nor for you mark as a soldier!  I don't believe that you could kill me.  You wouldn't have it in you; only a murderer can kill without looking back."

She let him go and dragged him back into his former sitting position somehow and spat more words at him that seemed vaguely threatening.  Hysaeda would not be moved.  Instead he cursed at her in Sevic, the language of his people, words that would not be so pleasant to reiterate their meaning in Common.  He knew that she wouldn't know what he said, but that mattered little.  He now climbed to his feet warily, easily towering her, but still not presenting himself in a hostile manner that needed to be dealt with immediately.  "Well, I'm not here to impress you," he muttered, glaring at her with all the hate he could muster.  She would not hold him if he had anything to say about it.

Nearly barking out a laugh at his come back. "Ah. My admitting I'm weak is simply me being honest with my faults. You can't overcome them until you admit them. I'm short. I'm quite weak physically." Adalia rose her hand and looked at the burning metal tips of her fingers, "I can do things you can't." She tweaked an eyebrow upwards before she blew on her hand, the metal tips rapidly cooling. When the man went to cursing in a language she couldn't fathom let alone understand, she bent over slightly and pouted, mocking him. "I'm afraid I can't be properly insulted if I don't know what you're saying."

Then he stood up.

As a natural reaction, Adalia wanted to take a step back. It wasn't that he scared her, but the natural intimidation of someone a good neck and head taller that her was intimidated. Adalia kept her footing though, turning the step back into a change of weight. His height wouldn't make her play nice.  Adalia reached up, her hand going on his chin again, the tips of the gloves pressing into his skin enough to feel, but not enough to cut. "You're not here to impress me, but you should have been cooperating. " She let go roughly and crossed her arms over her chest"You realise, that if you had given me your name and where you're from, you wouldn't be in this position. You could be off on your merry little way slipping down more hills. Unfortunately for you, you've dug yourself a hole."

Adalia looked towards another of the soldiers and then nodded towards the stranger, "Tie that one around his neck. We'll see how he likes being lead around like the dog he is." Adalia sneered up at him, lifting her head before turning away for a moment. She was still set on him being one of the rogues, a kidnapper, a rapist. His calm made her want to assume otherwise, but that would be a bad mistake, the other rogues that had been caught had been playing the innocent game too. The mageknight pressed a hand to the back of her head before she looked at Hysaeda. "You know what? Since you won't tell me your name, I'll give a new one to you."

The soldiers had finished tying the rope around his neck and Adalia grabbed the end of it, playing with the slightly frayed end. "Lets see... Shall we save it for when we're on the trail? We'll be out there for a few days. I'd tell you to gather your things but we've already taken the little girls away." Adalia tossed it towards a solider before leaving for a moment and returning with the horse she'd been riding. "Since I'm not strong enough to pull you." Adalia smiled brightly at the drow-like man and pet the horses neck, a strong gelding. "Atras here will do it. Maybe if you're a good boy we'll let you walk like a real man instead of a dog." The rope was returned and tied around the horses middle, it was long enough for about seven feet between Hysaeda and the horse.

"You screwed up, you didn't cooperate, or give the needed information to prove yourself innocent while you could. Now you're in big trouble, Rogue."

No, this was not going to be a good day at all, this he could determine as much for himself.  No he wasn't a genius, but nor did he look like a complete idiot either.  Immediately his mind begged his instincts toward fight or flight to hold back for now, for this was neither the time or the place to even think about running away.  Right now, the moment seemed quite inescapable, only in the prospect that he would probably be killed if he tried anything remotely rash around these soldiers.  So he'd have no choice but to abide by these strangers' rules until he stumbled (or was it kicked?) upon a more opportune moment.  But despite Adalia's attempts at intimidation toward the contrary, Hysaeda knew he was quite lucky.  It was better to be captured by these godless heathens and suffer what punishment he might gain through the technicalities of their courts, than to be apprehended by an enemy tribe and possibly made a slave.  These enemies were far more lenient than any of his own breed would be.

So Hysaeda, in a morbid way, looked forward to this; he was determined not to remain captured for long and if he could humiliate this arrogant woman—HELL!—that would be a bonus he could live with.  But his thoughts for future victory were forced away when Adala's voice penetrated his concentration.  She continued to insult him, figuratively of course, but his visage was no less displeased by her actions and outlook.  "You can claim what you want," he said, determined to be unmoved, but her words egged him on.  He set his jaw; he was above taking the bait.  He wasn't ten years old anymore.  Goddammit!  He was old enough to be her great-great-great-great grandfather.  Or so he assumed.  Her blatant lack of respect was starting to get on his nerves.

It was now that he tired of listening to her prattle and tried to think of wayshe might get out of this.  Despite his previous thoughts to remain calm, he wanted to set everyone here on fire.  But he wasn't all that powerful yet.  The art of mysticism was a dangerous one and to use it unwisely would set upon him the wrath of the spirit of Umbra.  Though a dead god he may be, Hysaeda wasn't about to test the thunders.  He'd have to suffer his fate, roped and stressed as he was, just like everybody else.  His patience would pay off in the end and he'd teach his captor a lesson if and when he found the chance.

She grabbed his chin with vehemence and he fumed even more, flaring his nostrils.  She then tossed his head away roughly and he back up as a result of that.  He didn't like the feel of her claw gauntlets.  He was sure they could break the skin, not that Umbraeons didn't have a high pain tolerance, but that didn't make the thought any more pleasant.  "I have a name," he said rather bitterly, saving the venom for when they were more alone.  But it didn't really seem like he had any power right now since he didn't want to give up in the first place.  Maybe when she earned it, he'd tell her his name.  But for now, he'd be gagged and collared as if he was some type of animal.

Soon a rope was knotted firmly around his neck, and a damn good knot it was too.  Hysaeda just glared at her, saying nothing that was worth saying except: "Let's just get this over with.  I have things to do."  And gulped against the rope around his neck.  Yes, this was not a good day at all.

" I know you have a name, Darling." Adalia purred, inches away from him, looking up at his glare with a smug look on her face. "Unfortuantely, until you give me your name, I'm going to call you something you won't like." She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth before she grabbed the rope, trailing her fingers along it until getting to the horse putting her foot in a stirrup and looking over her shoulder. "You get to walk. I'm sure you can manage." A smirk and she nudged the horse, stopping momentarily by a superior to inform him that she was taking this prisoner back to Arca. Deal with him herself. Strong magic, claws. It worked out.

Just because he was bigger than her didn't mean he could beat her.

"Come along, Rogue, just like you wished, we're going." And they were off. The first few hours would have been tough, a good few days away from Arca if they were moving quickly, but Adalia was no slave driver so she turned around and watched him quite frequently. The opal haired knight didn't exactly want her Rogue to die. That would be bad. That would get her into trouble. The last thing she wanted was trouble. Adalia kept her hand on the rope to make sure the tension was there so she didn't have to crane her neck around and stare at him. Licking her lips she pressed a hand to her forehead, the sun was going down.

Adalia had let the short journey be silent. Even if he had been talking she wasn't listening. "C'mon Rogue. Have to get camp ready before the sun goes down. I'm not a Drow like you, I can't see in the dark." She cast the man a glance before hopping off the horse and walking him into a clearing, dragging Hysaeda along behind him. Adalia hadn't given her prisoner any breaks, it had been quite a few hours of walking and if he wasn't walking he was getting back up again.

A soft sigh and Adalia took a flask out of her side saddle and walked towards the tall man. "C'mon, sit down, you must be thirsty. That was quite the walk and even if you don't deserve this," Adalia wagged the flask at him, "you're not my slave. And even rapists like you need to survive so we can watch you twitch and flail while you're getting hung. C'mon, tilt your head, I'm not stupid enough to untie you so you'll have to suffer with me hand feeding you. Unless you're stubborn. Then I guess you can go thirsty and starve."

The least they could do, even if they could not tolerate one another, was to be civil.  Hysaeda wasn't sure how civil this one was actually willing to be.  But he wasn't given much time to think before he was dragged off his neck, the rope somewhat taut and yet he moved so that it was slack.  Though he could travel for miles and miles on end without so much as breathing hard, he could not perform such a feat if he was being strangled along the way.  The knot was not a masterful one, but it was one that was done with excellent skill.  Maybe that one soldier was part Umbraeon.  Hysaeda chuckled to himself, trying to keep his mind occupied away from the current situation.

He did not want to speak to her; this woman infuriated him just by looking at her and so he didn't do that either.  He hated that she called him a rogue and even more so that she wasn't so educated in the various races of the land.  His kind weren't exactly scholars, but they were smart enough to know that it was better to know their enemies than to remain in ignorance, because chances were, something worse would happen to you if you couldn't see it coming.  Taking time to look at his surroundings, he was fairly astounded as to what he had failed to see.  It had been so long since he'd last come here; because he spent most of his life in the south, he'd not seen just how far north the forest stretched from the base of the mountains.  He could faintly hair the rushing of water off in the distance.  That only pressed him further that perhaps he'd need to relieve himself in a few moments.

He soon forgot and didn't feel that need arise again until a few hours later when the sun began to fall behind the horizon.  The soft red glow clamored up into the sky as darkness came over like a shadow falling over the world, and soon the glow was seen no more; nothing more but the ashes of a dying fire.  Yes, his eyes could adjust fairly well to the darkness as all of his kind could.  But he found himself growling slightly at the mention of the word Drow.  He frowned at her and said calmly, "I'm not a Drow.  Those monsters are nothing more than the pigs and spawn of hell.  I am of a different breed and you'd do well to educate yourself a little more, woman."  Hysaeda took his place beside her horse immediately, stroking the animal's hide softly as with his elbow as if unused to the feeling.  And he wasn't; horses were unreliable creatures to him, but they were still majestic all the same.

It was when she tried to entreaty him again that he looked at her with curiosity.  "Would you please stop assuming so much!  Damn, you know nothing about me.  I'm as much a stranger to you as you are to me!  You're just upset that I won't submit to your sanctions.  Besides, I'm not all that hungry or thirsty, but I do have some business I need to take care of.  So if you would just untie my hands that would be nice.  And if that's too much trouble, you can just take down my pants and hold it, because I have to pee with great earnest.  Please, make your decision quickly."  The last words came out like something injecting venom into his tongue.  He didn't like the taste of it.  And he didn't like having to say them to her.

Adalia looked down at her feet and crunched some of the dirt and bits of rock against her feet. Nope, that didn't sound like it. Green eyes slowly looked up the Rogue's chest to his neck, then to his mouth. Well, that was an interesting discovery. Mr.Not-A-Drow Rogue could growl. And wasn't a Drow. Having took a few steps backwards she frowned, watching him, eyes rolling. 'You would do well to educate yourself,' Adalia mocked in her head putting her hands on her hips. "Yeah? On a race that looks like wanna be drow?"Adalia tilted her head, smiling, knowing which buttons to push now. "Well, we'll put that in with the list of things to know. Your name, where you're from and just what the hell you are."

After she'd suggested the water and something to eat, Adalia stepped back with her hands out at his outburst. After he was done and Adalia went pale, she stared up at him, resisted the urge to stare somewhere else. Of course the way he'd said it was lost on her, the suggestion however, "You want me to do what!?" Of course, Adalia was refering to the last option, but she took a moment to 'save' the situation. "Like hell I'm going to untie your hands! Your hands are free, then your neck is free and then I'd probably be –" Adalia cut herself off to purse her lips and glare off to the side before taking a breath and grabbing his sides, the clawed gauntlets still on.

"C'mon. I'm not going to let you relieve yourself in the spot where you have to sleep and I have to stare at you." She'd forcefully steered him to the end of the rope around his neck, tugging on the horse to get them a few more feet away from camp. Adalia took a deep breath and moved behind him. "Okay, Rogue." After removing the gauntlet of her right hand  - Adalia figuered claws on both hands would just be cruel and unusual, - she went about untying his pants. It was at the last moment, when her fingers were just about to reach down that her hand jerked back up. "I can't do this. I'm a woman, you're a man, you sure as hell are not my husband, I have morals, I'll be just a moment." Quickly she replaced her glove and took the dagger out of her belt, cutting the knot out of the rope on his hands.

"I'm going to stand right here, and if you so much as shuffle off to the side you'll have ten burning metal claws dug into your chest, do you understand?" With that, Adalia all but plastered herself to his back, her legs against his, her cheek against his back and the claws of her fingers hovering above his chest, not quite hot yet, but warm, for sure. Adalia was pretty sure she just screwed herself over, but at least she wouldn't have to touch his junk. Eugh. "Way to make the first night awkward, Rogue." Adalia mumbled against his back. Stupid.... People and having four limbs.

He didn't expect her to act like that!  Hysaeda watched in faint disbelief at how she put it and then attempted to save herself with a reference to the ropes around his wrists.  But he grinned slyly; he knew better.  Actually her sudden reaction made him laugh internally, for he had too much pride and confidence in himself to give away his amusement outwardly.  Instead he raised his brows expectantly and tried to keep the pressure in his bladder at bay for at least a moment longer.  He knew it wasn't good to hold it, but after a long walk with no breaks, what was he going to do.  He certainly wasn't going to soil himself, and let alone, in front of her.  That would be more humiliating that how she paled and nearly said the wrong thing.

A smirk graced him momentarily that disappeared before he would let her see it.  Then his eyes became brooding once more, putting on a face of the utmost seriousness.  He really had to pee.  He said nothing as she moved him away from the camp that she set up and a little ways into darkness.  His eyes changed immediately, absorbing the night.  "You don't have to stare," he said bitterly.  "Though I wouldn't be any less flattered," he added, under his breath.  Just when she was about to untie him...she untied him.  Hysaeda blinked at his hands, stupidly for a moment, then said, "So much for not wanting to release me."  He scoffed.

But her hands were still dangerously close.  While his armor could defend against the damage caused by claws and jaws, he wasn't so sure how it'd fare against magically heated claws.  Just as he got his pants undone, he was starting to sweat a little bit, were they hot already?  He couldn't tell, and he didn't want to find out.  So he went about his business and began to urinate, his bladder screaming a sigh of relief.  Hysaeda leaned his head back a little and sighed too, feeling himself become lighter.  He watched where he was aiming, not minding her at all and doing his best to keep still.

"Awkward? Me? Tch, you're the one being immature.  Now, no peeking and keep your hands where they are.  This isn't a peepshow.  I'm almost done."  And finally he finished and began to put tie his pants back together.  "Finished.  Now what?  You're going to tie my hands again?"

It took a lot of effort not to squeal and shuffle away. She was a solider, damnit! Some man peeing in front of her giving a sigh of relief wasn't going to make her wriggle away and cover her eyes like a sissy girl. Adalia wanted to, oh how she wanted to run away and complain about how gross it was - because, y'know, being a lady Adalia never had to urinate - "Yeah, shut up." Adalia snapped pressing her hands to his chest, a quiet warning.

With her face burried against her back, it occured to her that he could be untying the rope at his neck. The idea of him trying to run away with her clinging to his back didn't fill her with any sort of enjoyment, so right at the word 'peepshow' she craned her neck around, looking at his groin - she quickly went red before glaring up at his neck. Rope was still there, hands were where they were supposed to be and the mageknight got more than an eyeful of something she didn't really want to see.

Adalia didn't give a sorry, and she had her head craned to stare at everything for a good five seconds. The red on her cheeks would be pretty obvious, Adalia was quite fair. Quietly she cleared her throat and bent to the side to pick the rope up off the ground, knowing if she'd kneeled down directly she'd have her face pressed to his behind. Damn him being so tall. "I am not immature. I was raised as a lady, I am a solider out of need, not of want." Adalia grabbed his wrists and pulled them behind his back roughly, pressing the metal tips into his skin while she re-tied the rope.

Rougher than she needed to be, and the ropes a little tight, she went a little overboard with the knot before pulling him along again to the clearing. "I have dried rations that will last for a few days between the two of us. You may be a disgusting heathen,"she eyed him up and down before sneering, "but I still need to take care of you for my own image. So, you will drink, and you will eat and you will not bite my fingers." Adalia moved about the horse, pulling a strip of deer jerky out of sack. "C'mon, sit down, Rogue, you're too tall to shove food into your mouth without me hurting you with my claws." Adalia looked up at him, head tilted to the side, eyebrows up.

For just a brief moment, he could have sworn he felt a small pressure leave his back.  And for just a brief moment, he figured that was where her head had once been, her cheek pressing against the leather of his armor.  But when he left, he suddenly wondered where it went.  There was a faint shifting to the side, but nothing like a scuffle or the sound of dragging cloth.  Her hands had stayed where they were; or rather, pressed deeper to show she meant business, so there was no change there.  But what was that?  What was she doing back there that was so interesting?

He was just finishing when she abruptly pulled his wrists behind his back again and tied them again.  "Gah! Damn!" he muttered, furrowing his brows in displeasure.  "You don't have to be so fucking rough.  Tch, unless that's the way you like it."  And with that he laughed a little even as he was dragged back to camp, the leash still on his neck.  He continued to gulp against it for it was tough on his skin.  He hoped he wouldn't have to get used to it for the next couple of days.  If he got a welt, he'd have to give her one in return.

He wasn't so sure if taking the food was the best idea.  For all he knew it could have been poisoned; who knew if this woman was trying to trick him, just to make sure his escape never happened.  He didn't and he'd take precautions against anything that threatened his life.  But despite his previous words, he felt his stomach growl and he suddenly took the jerky into his teeth, working his jaws to shove the whole piece into his mouth, chewing at the same time.  But as he chewed he just stared at her, looking at her choice of outfit.  No, there was no way in hell, she was cut out to be a soldier...But her legs, they were—uhh! Wait!  What was that on her face!?

The light around them spread the closer they got to the fire, and he took a glance at Adalia's face, which was pink from what he suspected was flushing.  She was rather fair-skinned and so the details were easy to see...  Then he thought back on the brief moment where the pressure of her head was missing.  His eyes widened in realization and he glanced at her as he forced his bum on the ground.  "So....did you like what you saw?" he said, immensely flattered and partly embarrassed, but only in the fact that moments like these were sweet and rare.  "If you don't know what I'm talking about, you're pale and red all over, an easy tell."  And he smirked again slyly.

"Disgusting pig." Adalia muttered after his comment and he laughed. Stupid bastard. Adalia was a lady. A lady who wanted to show all those stupid men that she could play their game. Regretting it now, Adalia groaned quietly and pulled her hand away when the rogue snagged it and ate it all in one ... chewy bite. "You know, I would have ripped it into piece for you." Then he stared at her while he chewed. Adalia frowned, her lower lip going out, slowly turning around to look behind her. Creepy.

Adalia returned to the pack and pulled a peice for herself, leering at him before taking a bite and ripping a piece off before chewing and staring back. One hand on her hip, her head high, it was then that he sat down and spoke again and Adalia stared in horror before choking on her food. After a few moments of a coughing fit, in which she beat herself on the chest and scratched her neck, she stared at him, fuming. Oh so, very angry.

"How dare you say that to me!" Her voice was an octave higher than normal and she took a moment to breath heavily and calm herself down. He was tied up, he couldn't do anything to her. Besides egg her on and get her very, very angry. Never had she met a man who did that it so wonderfully. A single phrase and she wanted to kick the smirk off his face.  Adalia took another bite of her own jerky and glared at him, cheweing and swallowing her food this time. "And for your information, Rogue, I did not enjoy looking at... at..."Adalia flung her empty hand at him, glaring, cheeks still red. "I didn't even want to see my future husbands let alone some... Strange looking rapists. Take that smirk off your face before I kick it off."

An angry noise left her mouth and she sat close to the horse, taking a bit of the loose rope between his neck and its chest and putting her foot on the ground so she'd have to be moved if he had plans on sneaking off. With her knees tucked to her chest, Adalia carefully removing her gauntlets to place beside her as she chewed on the jerky. Another grumpy huff "Going to tell me your name yet, Rogue? I can keep it up all night. I get to sit on a horse while we move, I don't really need my energy as much as you do." Adalia played with her food for a moment before she spoke to him without turning her head. "I didn't look on purpose. I wanted to make sure you weren't undoing the knot at your neck, I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable." Adalia took a small piece of jerky and shoved it into her mouth, more than half still in her hand, before stretching her arm out and pointing at him with it. "And you'll never mention it again if you enjoy being able to talk!" Adalia frowned at him before carefully shoving the jerky into his mouth and standing up, dusting off her bottom and moving to get a flask of water from the horse, taking a deep drink before sighing happily and moving to stand beside him. "Are you thirsty yet, Rogue?"

He furrowed his brows in interested perplexity while she gagged on her food, coughing harshly for several moments before regaining some sense about her.  But it was a while as she suddenly burst out.  He could almost feel the fury in her when he glanced into her eyes.  It was almost as if she wanted to murder him.  Well, even if she did, at least he wouldn't be captured anymore.  There was always a bright side to a situation even if the subject was touchy like death.  But he continued to observe her and suddenly felt himself laughing aloud as a result.  It was a pleasant surprise to know that his captor could make him laugh, even if it was just a little.  Laughter would make the journey to the city much less of a burden on his part.  No he didn't like her anymore at this moment than he did five second before his humor subsided, but it made the situation a little less awkward and a lot more personal.

It was hard not to judge one before he knew them, and though he tried to practice such an ideal, he had extreme difficulty in not seeing this woman as a soft, pale thing.   Humans, if she was as human as she looked, had a tendency to have more weak spots than a house of cards, figuratively speaking.  He heard somewhere that the more one knew about a person, the easier it was to take them apart.  Well, this was one fact that spawned that considered taking advantage of.  It was always good to have the right amount of modesty, but there were also certain points that should just not be crossed.  Her not wanting to even see her own future husbands caused him to frown; so she would never want to have children?  Not even he could consider the subject for himself, but he was not a woman and never thought long on the topic.

Hysaeda readjusted his sitting a little more comfortably and threw his shoulders back to sit up straight.  "Really?  You say you're a woman of morals.  That's admirable.  I can't blame you, but don't you think you take it a little too far?  I have a feeling you'll remember this moment for a very long time.  Maybe even your future husband will be disgruntled with your reactions.  And then, I can't say I would blame him either, for choosing a woman like you as a wife.  I would pity the man."  He spoke solemnly but nodded in all seriousness.

At the next instigation, he sighed and thought for a moment.  He was still smiling a little from the way she'd reacted.  "You are very brave, Adalia.  And for that I think because you will remember what you saw—and you will—you have earned at least my name.  I am Hysaeda, surname unnecessary, I think.   And stop calling me Rogue, or I'll make you eat those words...among other things.  I'm not some petty criminal.  And gimme some of that damn water, if it wouldn't be too much to ask."

It took a lot of effort not to let her palm smack up onto her forehead. Adalia resisted a groan and put a hand over her mouth, then she glared and held her hands at her side. If she wasn't wearing gloves her knuckles would be white. The flush on her cheeks went a few shades darker and she quickly turned around to take a few deep breaths. "That isn't what I meant. I'm from a good family, I'll probably be married to some gross old man anyway." Adalia kicked a rock against a tree before she turned around, "I'm sure a heathen like you wouldn't have to worry about something like arranged marriages though, would you?" Her voice was bitter before she turned around and unscrewed the flask again, walking towards him to stand over him, eyes slits as she glared.

Maybe she wouldn't feel too bad if he died.

Adalia was quite surprised when he finally gave her his name. Then a dark smirk returned and she put a hand on her hip, holding the flask of water with her hand and the smirk turned into a smile. "Yes, the image of your hand around your penis will forever be burned into my eyeballs, just like all those broken and torn bodies from past battle scenes. Congratulations, you've traumatized me."  Adalia took another drink of water before pushing some of her hair behind her ear, revealing a bit of a point - enough for perhaps a half-breed . "Hysaeda. That's a pretty name. Nicer than Rogue but..." Adalia grabbed his chin and put the flask to his lips, tilting it slightly so Hysaeda could drink without being overwhelmed by a rush of water. "I like Rogue better, and it suits you. We'll pretend it's a nickname, hmm, Hysaeda?"

After a few moments of slowly giving him water so he didn't choke she capped the flask and sat down behind him, knees draw up again. The horse, deciding it was bed time, decided to lay down behind them. Adalia took this as an indicator he wanted to be used as a pillow. "Get some sleep Rogue. You'll need it." Adalia kept her eyes open, watching the fire, her fingers reaching out flicking, feeding it, making it slightly bigger before the hand returned to her lap. "I know it's early, and I know you're probably pissed. If you weren't such an asshole I'd probably believe your story. Unfortunately, you are and I don't. Sweet dreams." Adalia reached up and over and pat the top of his head.

He thought about what she said for a while.  "As a matter of fact I don't have to think about arranged marriages.  Most marriages that I know of are done of free will.  Some don't even get married at all.  It's not a necessity, where I'm from..."  He paused for a moment, thinking about his words carefully.  "Don't you think you deserve to choose your own husband, a young one preferably?"

He watched the flask expectantly, licking his lips and hearing little of what she said.  Damn his throat was dry, feeling a little like dry ashes in the middle of a desert storm.  If only he had his gear with him and maybe a little extra length on his rope, he could forage for water, or make a calabash of some liquor his father had taught him how to make in times of need.  He didn't think Adalia would be much of a drinker, and neither was he, but there were times when a good drink went a long way.  And perhaps he was listening subconsciously as he felt himself reply, "It means star runner.  I prefer my real name to anything else.  But...well, whatever."

The time to drink came a little forced that he nearly breathed in the water that tumbled down his throat.  It was cool and a little bit spilled from the side of his mouth.  He didn't like not being able to fend for himself.  He severely disliked being helpless like he was, having to rely on some woman to provide for him.  Such an idea was not meant in a sexist fashion, for even the women in Umbraeon society were expected to be able to take care of themselves.  Everyone had to work for what they needed; there was no gender-biased exception to that.  If one was not capable, they would generally not be awarded a position of prestige.

He licked his lips as his thirst was finally quenched.  He rolled his eyes and shook his head.  "I'm not a dog...but you sure know how to treat me like one."  The horse had laid down along with Adalia to get some sleep, but the hunter was beyond sleep right now.  In fact he was quite restless and he breathed heavily.  I need to calm down, he thought to himself.  Hm, maybe I can keep her up.  It was worth a shot.  "Hey, woman!  Adalia...so why aren't you married anyway?"  If he could keep her up, maybe she'd be too groggy to watch him in the morning.  That would be a great time to make his escape then.

Did this man ever not talk? He didn't speak on the road, maybe this was him getting it out all at once so he wouldn't have to speak while they walked tomorrow. Correction. While he walked.  "Star runner, hmm? That's pretty. Mine doesn't mean anything." Giving a nod she turned her head towards him and stared while he kept talking. Staring, eyes half closed. An annoyed noise left her throat and she kicked at his leg with the side of her foot. "Shut up. I'll stop treating you like a dog once you stop acting like one, Hysaeda." she spat his name out like it was something funny tasting in her mouth.

Then he started talking some more. Adalia wasn't tired per say, she just didn't want to put up with him anymore and his strange questions. The mageknight sat up fully and pressed his fingers to her eyes before giving a rather loud sigh and staring at him, one leg drawn up so her arm could rest on it. "I'm not married yet because I'm serving as a knight. If I chose my own I'd probably be disowned and have to live somewhere besides my home, and I'm not adventurous enough to do that." A deep frown was on her usually bored expression, "I don't recall you being a woman, Rogue"

A pointed look towards his groin and back up to his face, a slim pale eyebrow raised as she pressed a hand to her face to rest her head on it. "Why so interested in me, hmm? Going to try to pull a fast one?" Adalia looked upwards, pursing her lips, "Lets see, what else is there to know about me... I'm a virgin, make sure you remember that one," Adalia used her free hand to hold out a finger, "I'm quite talented at hydro and aero magics, that's good to remember too. I can heat those metal claws up hot enough to leave very bad burns." She lifted her head and pulled one of her gloves off, showing off a bad burn over the top of her left hand, "But, I managed to help someone." A small shrug before she placed the glove back and began to think of all the other things again. "I'm an only child. And yes, I do want children one day." Adalia smiled at Hysaeda, reached over and pat him on the head again.

"Now, is that all you want to know Rogue or are you going to annoy me with more idle chatter? You forget, you're the one who's walking with a rope around their neck." A smile, and a cute wink before she fluttered her eyes and rested her head on her hand again, her elbow against her knee, watching him.

She mocked his name, but it wasn't the first time.  In fact the action made him smile just a little and he cocked his head to the side before shaking it from the old memories of successfully outrunning the persecutor of his childhood days: Radek.  He certainly didn't want to think of that bastard right now.  He had worse things to worry about than some old enemy.  He'd almost forgotten that she was behind him for a moment and he almost went back to his younger days.  But even for his kind, he was still young.

He was forced to roll his eyes again after he found himself jumping when she pulled his hand back and his fingers were pressed against something that felt like an eye socket and a round organ that he recognized as an eye.  Geez, this woman was an odd one.  But he didn't question it nor think on it further, for she was starting to answer his question and give him even more information than he deemed necessary.  But he listened anyway and nodded at the right intervals to show her that he was.  "A virgin, huh?"  Now, why would she choose that specific detail to tell him first, and say it with such gusto?  Not that he didn't think it was hard to believe.  She was overbearingly modest, or had too many morals if he had an opinion to say about it.  "Look, don't get any funny ideas.  My interest is purely philosophical.  I wouldn't rape you if you were the last woman in the world."  He hoped she wouldn't take that as an insult; oh wait, that's right, he didn't give a shit.

"You seem to have some pretty nifty tricks up your sleeve...or rather on the end of your gauntlets...or, whatever.  Hm, don't think I'm defenseless just because I've got my hands tied up and I have this rope around my neck.  If I really wanted to, I could set your hair on fire or command the wind to lacerate your throat.  But I'm not so cruel.  I'm a hunter by trade and by wisdom; I have enough respect for life unlike what you think I have.  Keep your fears to yourself and we might even be friends, Adalia.  You wouldn't want me as an enemy."  He said all this as he glared into the fire, placing all his emotion into the void of his concentration.  It sucked down into the pit of his stomach, suddenly making beads of sweat drip down the end of his brow and making his hair moist from the heat that was rising from the fire.  He had seen how she played with the tips of it, to keep it from dying out.  But he stared harder until the flames suddenly leapt up in an inferno that nearly touched the trees.  Then the fire leapt out at them like a monster emerging from a portal from hell and one could almost see a demonic face inside it.  The fire threatened to consume them all if he hadn't, within the next second quieted the flame and set the fire down to rest as it were before.

"Get some sleep.  You might even need it more than I would."

Adalia gave a solid nod, "Good. Rape is bad. You would woo your woman before ..."she gave a pause, "Or man. You should woo your woman or man before you bed them." Adalia fluttered her eyes again, "Only a rogue rapes. Rogues and lesser humanoids." Bright green eyes gave Hysaeda a pointed look before she tucked her knees to her chest and she stared at the fire again. "That's a neat trick." Adalia said, lifting her gaze to leer at him, "I don't recall saying I'm afraid of things." A smile before she reached out a hand and held it out. "You fail to remember that you're my prisoner, I don't want you for anything. You'll probably be found guilty and killed anyway, the evidence is agai–" Adalia visibly frowned, her mouth opening slightly.

Well, maybe he was sick?

Not constipated. Adalia didn't want to think of that. It then occured to her that she felt hot. Not any special kind of hot either, but hot. A quick glance towards Hysaeda, then at her hands, then at the fire. It was scary, so, Adalia shoved a hand over her mouth to quiet her squeal of fright when the fire leapt out and looked well... Scary. Panting slightly, afraid, her heart racing, she watched as the fire quieted down again and she stared for a full minute before turning towards Hysaeda, eyes wide.

Well, shit.

Maybe he wasn't a big physical lug head after all. Or maybe he was just a magically inclined lug head. "Okay I take it back, that was a little scary." She swallowed before taking another breath and blinking her eyes again. Yeah that happened. Maybe she'd make Hysaeda sit farther away from the fire if he could make it eat her. "Yeah." Adalia leaned back, taking the rope between him and the horse into her hand and curling it around her leg before leaning on the horse - who was apparently quite tired (or dead ) because he hadn't moved at all.

Cooing sweet nothings to the horse, Adalia leaned back, her legs curled under her off to the side and her torso and head resting on the horse. "Being exhausted will get you dragged around by your neck. Get some rest, Rogue." It would then be assumed that Adalia had fallen asleep, or was at least trying to sleep. Either way, she was quiet and her breathing was soft and even.

It wasn't long before he heard the summoning of even breaths that consisted of Adalia, the horse, and him, although the first two were breathing evenly due to sleep.  Hysaeda couldn't sleep.  He rested through different means, simply though a method of breathing and clearing his mind of any mental thoughts, especially those disturbing ones that caused him to remember the events earlier in the day...all starting when he slipped down that hill...  Goddammit!  If only he didn't check the disturbance, maybe the soldiers would have just killed everybody and left him the hell alone!  And he definitely wouldn't be here, with his despicable woman who was going to drive him insane over the next few days if he didn't think of something remotely effective soon.  He sighed lightly, not wanting to wake her or that damned four-legged beast she rode on.

If only he'd meditated like he was supposed to and practiced his divination... But damn, those 'if only's were going to get him nowhere if he kept his up.  He had to think of a plan.  Something, ANYTHING!...Come on! Stupid brain, think! he commanded himself, focusing hard enough that another threatened to arise from the already ashen fire.  She said she was a virgin...maybe she was remotely curious about some things...  He wasn't a virgin himself with there having been a few instances between himself and a broad he met in a forest one horrible night.  He swore he would forget and with a cringe, he certainly didn't.

Forcing the memories of that night away, he came back to the moment.  Hm, maybe he can convince her to be curious.  It was an idea and it was better to try it than to sit here and be plagued by erotic terrors.  Looking over his shoulder, he observed how she had the roped tied around her let, obviously to feel any movement on his end that he might show.  Instead of making the rope slack, he crawled closer with what movements he could muster with his legs.  He saw how quiet she was and carefully rolled onto his back and shuffling his arms out from under his butt and legs until they were in front of him.  Well, that was easy, he stared blankly at the ropes, wondering why he didn't do that sooner.  Though his hands were still tied, he used his fingers to summon slight command of the wind and went to work on the ties and straps of her armor, using the tendrils of air to loosen them until they could easily come off with the slightest movement from her.

Just in case she woke up again, he quickly pulled his feet over his bound wrists and forced his arms back behind him.  He cringed as his shoulder joints moved.  And now he leaned over what he was sure was her sleeping form, neared her face, then with a shuddering breath, pressed his mouth to hers.  Seduction wasn't easy, especially with a rope around his neck, if that could be called seduction at all.

Adalia shifted in her sleep, an arm over her waist. A quiet noise left her slightly parted lips and she curled up into a ball, obviously exhausted after a day of nothing but crap. The tendrils of air went unnoticed by Adalia, who just gave a soft sigh and shifted to the side, a number of the metal bits on her moving to open but still on her. A slight frown, soft breath.

It would have been better to stay awake, if she knew he could practically undress her with wind she would have. Adalia was ignorant to this fact though and simply rolled over again, facing Hysaeda, her knees curling up more, licking her lips and frowning.

It wasn't until she felt something press against her lips that her dream started to change to accomodate what was going on outside. It wasn't an unpleasant pressure, but it was unfamiliar and she moved her hand over her side in her sleep, the armor loose, being pushed down. The white shirt underneath her blue coat wasn't revealing, but it didn't leave much to the imagination. Adalia pressed closer to the warm pressure against her face and woke up when it didn't go away.

Then she opened her eyes, her lips forming into a pout and her eyes groggy. That was funny, it was kind of like a face was in front of hers. Adalia formed her lips into a kiss shape once again and when she felt someone there she let out a shrill noise and jumped backwards, the ties of her armor loosened so her corset fell down around her waist and her skirt dragged down. Adalia was mortified.

It was night though, so she didn't actually yell. "You said you wouldn't rape me if I was the last woman on earth!" She said in a harsh whisper, her hands alternating between pulling her skirt up and moving her corset back to it's proper place. "What's this!" A heart beat of a pause before both her hands flew to her mouth. "My first kiss! Stolen by a rapist rogue!" Adalia's face fell and she stared, legs curled up and arms holding either of her shoulders before she shuffled to the other side of the horse and retied all the ties while crouching. "I knew I shouldn't have slept. I think you're a decent humanoid for a moment and you try to rape me. That will go against you too, Rogue." Her voice was harsh and she glared at him over the horse who had since woken and looked passively between them.

Once Adalia was finished redressing, she stood up and walked towards him, hands on her hips, a stern look on her face before she made a point of wiping the back of her hand over her lips. "Explain yourself. What exactly were you planning, Hysaeda?"

He didn't allow his lips to linger on hers for long and just when the pressure might have been too much and he would have been compelled to go any further, he pulled away, which was after a few mighty good seconds.  He wasn't used to kissing  especially since he had to spare his time for so many other things.  Being the solitary fellow that he was, it just wasn't like him to want to actively seek out such acts.  There were more important things in life than having to worry about mates and what not, and being the son of the second most prestigious rank in his tribe didn't give him much choice to do anything else but train.  So the sensation of her lips to his were still something of a shock and left his skin tingling when he finally pulled away.  It was a fact that the lips were some of the most sensitive and receptive parts of the body, one that Hysaeda seemed well aware of by this point.

For a short second or two, he stared in stupid surprise at what he'd just done.  But then he remembered himself and fixed his slumped, limp positioning as he had leaned over her on his knees and forced himself back on his bum, as awkward as that motion was.  His knees hurt a little from having sat on them for some time, but soon the blood returned to his limbs and he looked at her expectantly.  There was no one way he could have expected her to react.  One possibility was that she would knock him down and proceed to give him the beating of his life, of which he would only be partly helpless against.  Another was that she could attempt to choke him with the rope that still left him at her mercy.  Or she could scream then cry out and run away...

But she did none of those things, instead she just whispered harshly at him, struggling mildly to pull up her clothes around her.  At her attempts, he actually had to force himself not to laugh. It was funny now to see her disgruntled the way she was.  But that didn't change that her words were so accusatory.  It was starting to annoy him now that she kept calling him a rapist and a rogue, of which he was too well mannered to be either of the two.

"Now wait a minute.  By the spirit of Umbra, I wasn't trying to rape you.  Don't jump to any conclusions!  I was just doing what you told me to do.  You said I should woo a woman before I bed them; well, that's what I'm doing?  Why do you think I wanted to rape you?  I never raped anyone in all my life!  And don't think I'd wanna start now.l  Look, I only wanted to kiss you and I thought you needed one so I gave it to you," he said as calmly and as rationally as possible.  "And besides how did your clothes get all loose anyway?" he added in.  "How could I possibly have gotten you naked?  My hands have been tied up the whole time and the ropes are still tight.  You can check them yourself if you want."

Grr. He'd go and deny it. Adalia checked the ties of her clothing and put her hands on her hips, a frown drawing her eyebrows together and pushing her lips out in a strange looking pout. A huff, she blew air out of her mouth and she stomped her foot. "You're despicable! I didn't want kisses! Let alone ones you give me." Adalia slowly walked towards him her shoes making a crunching noise when she placed a foot down. "You're only trying to woo me so I don't take you to get hung like you deserve and–" the reminder that her clothing had almost fallen down around her sent her cheeks aflame again.

A green glare was focussed on Hysaeda, slowly turning into a leer. "Yeah, sure you didn't and I'll look myself!" Adalia glared at him before kneeling down and grabbing his shoulder, pushing him to the side so she could see his hands neatly tied up and slightly off colour. Her jaw dropped. "Your hands!" Adalia got up again to move behind him, pushing him forward so she could see better. "Why didn't you tell me I tied the rope too tight?" Her fingers brushed against his and she took the dagger from the belt at her side and quickly cut the ropes.

Completely.

It would take a moment to sink in.

"Surely they were cold or going numb or tingling or something!" Adalia told him while running her thumbs over one hand, trying to get the blood going again. When she moved in front of him still holding his hand, thumbs still working at his palm, she stared at it, then at him, then at the fragments of rope and gasped. "Oh... Dear." Quickly his hand was let go of and her hand was full of a dagger handle, the blade shining. "You try anything stupid and this goes into your heart, do you understand?"

Adalia looked towards the fire then at the ground quickly, "Or at the very least your thigh."

His hands?  What?  Maybe he was too busy being methodical and conspiring to even notice that his hands were going numb.  The entirety of his body was already cold to the touch because of the night air, not because of lack of circulation.  Just moments before he had noticed that his legs were starting to fall asleep until he crawled back onto his butt in a seating position, and now he was beginning to realize that there was little to no feeling in his fingers.  He didn't think she was capable of tying the rope that tightly.  He have to show her a better way some day.  Well, scratch that.

He didn't have any time to explain himself further until she suddenly leapt toward him and pushed him aside to see his wrappings.  A grunt escaped him and his face snarled.  This was only before she nearly knocked him clear to his knees!  Geez, what was with his woman!?  Hysaeda scowled grimly wanting to knock her sideways, when she suddenly cut the rope that bound his hands.  Now was his chance...but he still couldn't feel his hands.  It wouldn't be proper vengeance if he couldn't even feel her bones cracking beneath his palms.  So he would wait.  But he was quite surprised to find she was suddenly rubbing his hands to get the feeling back in them, and the prickly needles of blood flowed back into his fingers.  But the surprise was not pleasant.

And just when he was about to retract his hands from hers in what he took as an insult from captor to the captured, she pushed his hand away when she realized what she'd done.  Then the glint of her dagger intent on imbedding itself deep within him somewhere met his eyes.  "You don't have any right to care about my hands.  They're fine," he said in a neutral tone, his eyes still on hers and watching the blade carefully.

Well?  What was she waiting for.

"Are you going to use that?  Or just sit there like you have fertilizer for brains?  If you're going to be a murderer, then just do it!"  And with that he grabbed for the blade blindly, but not enough to rip the handle from her hand and pulled it to his throat. "I'm not going to sit here and suffer any more than I have to.  If you're going to kill me, then let's just see if you have the guts."

"I have the right to care for your hands if I deem it. It's my fault you're hurt, the least I could do was try to fix it." Her voice was stern and tough and she stared right back at him before looking in mild horror when he grabbed at the dagger, her hand still on it and brought it to his throat. Confusion wandered across her face like a slow animal and she stared at the dagger to his eyes, to his lips then back to the dagger.

"What the hell are you doing?" Adalia didn't bother keeping her voice down, she just stared before licking her lips and putting on a strangers face. Eyebrows drew together and her lips thinned, the multiple headbands on her head had remained in their spots, amazingly, and the little jewel that hung from the only straight one swung back and forth with the quick forward movement. Pressing the dagger in slightly while she seated herself on his lap, her knees on either side of his hips, grabbing his shoulder with her freehand she pushed at him.

"Why are you so keen on me killing you, hmm?" Adalia pressed the dagger in, it wouldn't be more than a scratch but blood still welled onto the blade. "Does it wound your pride to be tugged around like a dog? For me to call you by Rogue instead of Hysaeda? Are you one of those," Adalia eyed his pointed ears, "Elves that look down on half breeds or lesser humanoids?" The hand on his shoulder squeezed, pinching at the skin while she snarled and glared, her face rather close to his.

Maybe he'd forget about running away if she sat on him. That'd mean she'd cling. Can't exactly run away from your captor if she's clinging to you. "Stop playing these head games, dammit! You don't like me, so don't kiss me, or pretend to woo me, or anything. I know you want to live so," Adalia pulled the dagger away from his neck to show the blood at the edge, "So don't tell me to kill you just to prove something." Adalia moved the dagger to his side, the tip poking at him. "I'm not a murderer, I'll never be a murderer and I'll refrain from killing anyone as long as I can. But if I have to drag someone kicking and screaming to Arca to keep women and young girls safe from being pulled out of the country as slaves that's exactly what I'll do and I'm going to cling to you like a tick until we get there and they pass judgement on you."

Adalia didn't move from him, and she had herself a pretty good grip, legs wrapped around his middle, an arm around his neck, a dagger at his side. "Now, are you going to get some rest or not?"

Her snarl was quickly met with one of his own.  "You understand nothing," he said in a low voice that was edging on a growl.  "Death is not punishment in a situation like this.  You are not attacking my pride or my name.  You may call me whatever you like, though some things are more pleasant than others.  In this case, death would be a mercy, a mercy to me, to you, maybe even that beast you call a horse over there.  Death means but one thing: The end.  The end of everything that's worth living for.  But being here is a punishment worse than death.  I'd rather be dead than sit another minute here with you.  I'd rather be dead than stalk closer and closer to be punished for a crime that I didn't commit."

He felt that she was pressing her weight on him, whatever that was, and felt a faint stinging on his neck where tip of her knife lingered.  It was just above the rope, the rope he'd failed to realize was still around his neck.  Hysaeda grunted a bit and took a breath to keep his anger at bay.  "I am an Umbraeon," he admitted at last, though the word might mean nothing to her.  "I don't look down on others if I don't have to.  In fact, I'd much rather keep to myself.  I don't know what half-breeds or lessers you're talking about.  What, do you mean to include yourself in this?  Is that what you're saying?  I'm loyal to mine and my own; I don't need anything from you.

"I could like you, if you weren't so damned insufferable.  How could you hope to catch any man with an attitude like yours?  I tried not to judge you, bit it's kind of hard when my hands were tried the way the were and this rope still being around my neck."  He barely recalled that she moved the knife away and down to his sides as he slowly was starting to come to now about just how they were positioned?  Looking her up and down he frowned slightly before saying, "What are you doing?"  And then he tried to work her off him, shifting his hips to move her to the side.  "We both need some sleep.  Now go back to your spot!  And stop trying to give me an erection."

"Catch? Catch!?" Adalia leaned in so close their foreheads were pressed together, glaring at him. "I'm not some fisherman trying to catch a husband." she bonked their foreheads together - which she regretted moments later - and sat back, the frown still on her face. A spot on her forehead growing slightly red from the head-bump.

Adalia had never heard of Umbraeon's before. So while she stared at him and resisted the urge to rub her forehead she stared at him. Well, while he looked like a Drow, he was a bit bigger than she heard them being. Whatever. Adalia huffed again and clung tighter, moving back slightly when he began to speak again. "Are you never disgusting?!" Adalia took a patch of skin at his neck and pinched it instead of smacking him.

"I'm not moving! If I move you'll untie your neck while I sleep or..." Adalia dug her foot into his back and glared, "I'm not trying to give you anything you disgusting rogue. It's not my fault a few brushes against you makes you aroused, and I'm not moving! If your hands touch me anywhere this dagger goes into your leg." Adalia pressed the dull side of the dagger to him and kept her breath even. "If you get a little problem you'll just have to be a man and sit there and deal with it. Maybe even feel ashamed by it, hmm? I'm not moving because if you get away I'll never be able to show my face in Arca again."

Taking a small breath she closed her eyes for a moment, "Get some sleep. You'll be warmer like this anyway." Adalia said, grudgingly, obviously not too happy to be in this position either. Adalia wasn't very big, but she was warm and currently clinging to Hysaeda's chest like a hungry tick. "I'm not moving." Her free hand moved to his neck and she just frowned and glared at him. "You'll have to suffer until morning, Rogue."

"I'm not trying to be disgusting," he explained blandly, pissed and bored all at the same time.  "I'm being realistic.  It's not that often a woman trying to keep my hostage practically crawls in my lap!  I thought you were a modest woman.  What happened to you?  Why do you suddenly think that I'm just going to get up and run?"  he tried to reason with her and moved his hand to grasped hers that carried the knife.  His grip was strong and he wrapped all his fingers around her hand.  "I'm starting to find that you are rather helpless when it comes to finding your way in this forest.  If I left you, you'd be eaten alive, you can bet on that, no matter what provisions you have.  If I stayed, it'd be only to get you to your city, then I'd leave you to your own devices."  Maybe reasoning with her would work to get her off his legs.

Then she threatened him again.  "You'll never be able to show your face if I have half a chance at tearing it off," he muttered in a tone so low that only the wind could hear what he had said.  "Look," he resumed in his normal voice, "If you're going to keep your word, you insufferable woman, then the least you could do is let me get into a comfortable position.  This rope is starting to dig into my neck."  And with that he lifted himself up with his arms and shifted himself over the side, closer to the horse.  "Resourceful little munchkin..."

His face became grim again, seeing that escape was probably nowhere near the horizon of his future this night.  He knew that he could easily overpower her (well, he assumed), but he was starting to tire of fighting with her.  She was persistent in her efforts to tame his will for the time, and for that he commended her.  People were so weak of will and spirit of late.  So he leaned against the tree behind him, folded his legs and laid his hands to the sides, closing his to meditate himself to sleep.  He kept his breath steady and felt himself gradually drifting off, until his head drooped to the side and his entire body was lax.  Hopefully tomorrow would be less stressful.

Well, maybe not.

"You're a bush man, you don't have to try. You do it naturally." Adalia glared at him before she puffed out her cheeks in anger, not wanting to scream or yell at him since it was night time and little forest creatures were trying to sleep. Her cheeks were red again and she took a deep breath, "I ruined the rope to tie your hands!" Then she felt his hand on her own and she looked away, frowning still before she moved her hand and put the dagger away, with a click back into it's sheath.

"Fine. Sleep." When he began to move, Adalia shuffled back off of his lap on her bottom. Only about a foot away, Adalia tucked her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them to watch him. Moving closer over a course of a few minutes so she was just barely brushing his side. He deserved some sleep, she supposed. Adalia figuered he could have been an even bigger pain in the ass.

While Adalia had intended to stay awake all night to stare down at him, she did eventually fall alseep, her head cradled in her arms with her mouth slightly open to breath quietly. Sometime while sleeping, she half woke up enough to lay down, her body curled up to the side with an arm pillowing her head from the hard ground.

Obviously Adalia wouldn't make a good night watchman.

( >_< little short! Sorry)

And perhaps she wasn't that bad of a night watchman in the first place.  The first few hours that passed after he'd fallen partway asleep were very uneventful.  He dreamed dreams that could hardly be called dreams at all, just strange messages that were intertwined together, the true context of which he really couldn't decipher.  So far they were just pictures of burning herbs that invaded his nostrils and Adalia's laughing face somewhere.  Was she high?  He hoped not, if she stole his herbs, he'd string her up by her toes and beat the snot out of her.

But then when his eyes shot open, he realized it was all just a dream.  Which then he breathed a sigh of relief and leaned his head back against the tree.  For a moment, there was no rope, no Adalia, and he was back in his alcove with all his gear and his weapons.  He was free to roam and hunt, to meditate and practice his various arts.  But then he swallowed hard and found the air passing through a partially-constricted throat.  And something slightly tugged at his neck.  What the heck was a rope doing around it?  What?...Then his eyes shot wide and the memories and arguments with her all came flooding back.

He looked up into the stars and saw what was written in them and knew that dawn would be coming soon.  Why should the remainder of the night be wasted without some instance of revenge toward his captor?  He grinned smugly and looked at her in her sleeping form.  She seemed at peace and content to remain that way.  Then his hands moved to untie the rope at his neck.  The masterful knotting took some time to work through and he had failed a few times before he ended with rubbing fully at his neck in relief.  Then he dropped the rope and disappeared into the fading darkness.  He reappeared later with a few thin trees, young ones that were just settling roots before he plucked them up and worked to fashion rope from their trunks.

It wasn't long before he was able to forge several feet of rope that would hold even an ox back.  He hid the remains in some vegetation near by and crept near her as stealthily as possible.  His movements were so gently as he carefully wound the handmade rope around her ankles and tied it in a complex knot, doubling over itself so that it would be too thick to cut.  The then tied her revealed wrist to the rope that had once bound his neck and then proceeded to tie that same rope around her neck.  It was now that he saw the knife she had...that wouldn't do at all.  He felt it best if he took that too.

By this time, the dawn was rising through the trees and he saw across from her with a smug grin on his face.  Let's see how she likes a taste of her own medicine, he thought.

Adalia didn't wake during the gentle and well thought out procedure. She did however wake when she went to move her arm and it tugged along her head. A soft frown and she tried to move her hand again. Well, something wasn't working and it appeared to be her neck. Adalia took a breath and rolled onto her back, her other hand still under her head. It wasn't until she opened her eyes and sat up that she saw the rope.

It was a better wake up call than fresh coffee.

Sitting up, her one arm stuck at an odd angle because it was tied to the rope tied to her neck. Fighting the urge to freak out she quickly scanned the area for Hysaeda, finally spotting him and his smug grin. "You know..." Adalia said before clearing her throat and stetching her one arm. She'd pretend this didn't bug her. "You don't look like a dog when you grin, you should do it more often." Adalia took another breath to calm herself down before she tried to move her legs to find out those were tied too.

For a moment she just stared at what they were, not all that keen on finding out incase it might be something yucky. "You forgot a hand, Rogue." Adalia flung her hand out at him and sat up, carefully tucking her legs under herself to glare at him, lips thin, her face slightly puffy from just waking up, one side of her face red, a few leaves in her hair.

Adalia cleared her throat and placed her free hand on her lap. "Are you going to kill me? I know I deserve it. And I know I'm not acting tough now that, well,"Adalia looked at the tied up hand, "You're free and I'm sort of like a fish in a net." She moved her free hand to her knee, "Just don't do anything funny to me before I die. You can do whatever you want after, okay?" Inside her chest her heart was pounding, and Adalia had to fight back the urge to fling her legs and tear at the knot. She knew that wouldn't work though, so, for now, she was going to try and remain calm.

That wasted less energy, too.

Yes, revenge was very sweet indeed.  A laugh threatened to echo out of his mouth, but he bit down on his tongue because he knew that now was probably not a good time to get cocky.  Besides it wasn't like him; but the grin remained on his face nonetheless and he crooked the corner of his mouth as a show of his amusement.  When she flipped her remaining free arm at him, he nodded to her in acknowledgement and said, "I know.  But it would have been rude to wake you just to pull your wrist out and tie it to your neck.  So I left it like it was.  I thought it would be nice to surprise you and it's a pleasure to see that you're taking this so well!  I wouldn't think any less of you, pissant.  Now bad for a rapist rogue, huh?"

He twirled the ends of her dagger between his fingers, the callused tips of his fingers doing well to prevent any further lacerations on his hands.  His fingers caressed the blade before gripping the dagger and sheathing it within a protruding fold at the edge of his armor where a small leather packet might be held.  He got up from his sitting position and walked around her toward her horse, who had since stirred from his sleep and rose to his hooves.  Apparently, he wanted to be brushed and fed.  Hysaeda graced the horse's hide and wondered about the animal; he'd never rode a horse before.

But then she piped up again and he looked at her with hard eyes.  "Relax, Adalia.  I'm not going to do anything to you, except give you exactly what you deserve.  Our journey has not ended here; I will not give you the mercy of death, that's not my job.  I'm going to do what you were trying to do to me: I'm going to take you to your City, and leave you there to wallow in humiliation.  I have been to many cities, I do not like them, but I don't fear them.  And since you seem so intent on going, go you shall and I will lead the way.  When we get there, I'll abandon you on the border and your commanding officers will take it from there.  Now, are you hungry?  How about some 'breakfast,' as I hear you people like to call it?"

Hysaeda walked over and searched through the contents of her saddlebags, pulling out the jerky he'd been fed just the previous night and tore a piece off and handed it to her free hand.  "After 'break fast,' I'll be tying up that other hand."

[She should totally just blast him with magic ._.]

"You seem to forget that death means the end. You may think there's a fate worse than death but there isn't. If you're strong you can get over humiliations." Adalia gave Hysaeda a withering look before raising an eyebrow, "Only weak people crave death." the opal haired mage rose her head and closed her eyes, resting her hand on her lap. After a few moments she lowered her head to see him rifling through her stuff.

Adalia waved her arm at him. "Get your dirty paws out of my things!" And her words fell on deaf ears and before she realised it she had some food in her hand, which she stared at it, frowning. A noise left her slightly parted lips and she just glared before taking a bite cheweing thoughtfully before she looked at her hand. Hm.

Her gauntlets were still placed somewhere near the horse, but that didn't mean she couldn't use magic. A wicked smirk drew across her lips and she cupped her hand, her pupils dilated and she took a shuddering breath before the wind picked up around them. In a swirling mass, a 'hard' cluster of air swirled in her outstretched hand. Adalia took a deep breath and made a noise which roused the horse and he waddled to her side before she stood up, using the horses neck as a help for balance.

With the ball of air in her free hand she gave him one good look and threw it at him. It would probably act like a big rock, at the very lest it would be like a nasty burst of wind, rip the air from your lungs and push you back, nothing dangerous, just enough to spook someone out. Adalia wasn't about to try and pull the water out of the air to make ice darts, too much effort and Hysaeda wasn't worth it.

"Untie me!" Leaning on the horse as she was she began to use her free hand to pick at the knot at her neck, glaring at him before hopping around a little to catch her balance again. "There's more I can do with the air. I can make you suffocate if I want to, I can't turn it into blades but I can sure make you suffer. Now, get these damn knots out."

"On the contrary.  Only the weak fear death," he said very calmly.  He was not going to get technical.  He was a little hungry for that and so he proceeded to tear a piece of the jerky off and stuffed it into his mouth.  He chewed slowly, savoring the meat for a moment before swallowing.  It wasn't the best jerky he'd ever tasted, but his own venison was back in his alcove several miles away near the rogue camp.  He hoped, for his own sake, that his reserves and travel items would stay untouched until he could get back to them.  But until he could get back, this meat, as strange as it tasted, would have to sate him for now.

At this time he had brought out her dagger and was too busy slicing off bits and pieces of the meat that he didn't notice her conjure a ball of air in her free hand.  And just in a moment, he felt something lugged at his head as hard as a brick and suddenly his entire vision turned white and his body tumbled to the ground.  He felt as if he'd been hit by an entire oak tree that had been ripped up from its roots and used as a vicious club.  He sucked in sharply, gasping for breath.  His fingers dug into the soil and little did he realize that he'd dropped the knife at her feet when he was flung the other way.

The saw the blade so within her reach when he suddenly came too.  "Let you go?   No!  I don't care what you do to me!  I'll make the earth swallow you whole!"  But he had to get to that knife first before she had a chance to cut herself loose.  And so he scrambled to his feet and lunged for the fallen dagger at her feet.  His body plunged into the dirt once again, but just who would reach the weapon first was just a matter of desperation.

"Then I'll drag you down with me!" A wicked smirk was on her face when it knocked him over and she didn't even notice the dagger leave his hand until he was going for it. Adalia dove for it too, her teeth landing painfully on her tongue as her arm shot out and grabbed the dagger blade first, cutting her hand in the process through her glove. Quickly she scrabbed back, moving her hand to slice the rope connecting her to the horse, then slicing the part that connected her wrist to her neck, the rope was still knotted around them though.

Adalia shuffled back, her feet still stuck together. Still staring at him she turned her head to the side to spit blood out of her mouth from the gash her teeth made, blood stained the glove and dripped through the hole onto the hilt of the dagger which she now held out. Breathing harder than need be, blood stained her lips and she looked at Hysaeda. The rope still tied around her neck and wrist made things a little awkward. Her tongue hurt, her hand stung.

Quickly closing her eyes, she snapped them back open to watch. Stare. He was sort of scary when he wasn't tied up. Adalia swallowed, the metallic taste of blood heavy on her tongue. "If you want to go back to where ever you were you'll have to wait. They probably made camp there and you'll just get tied up again if you go there." Still a little scared, the dagger still poised for a slash if he got too close. "They'll come the same way we did." Adalia would rather help him than die. She didn't fear death, she feared that she would miss so much if she died too soon.

He was stock still, as if one motion might be the end of him and with the way she held the knife as if her life depended on it.  Maybe it was now that he regretted not becoming a warrior of his tribe, if he had he probably wouldn't be in this position.  Indeed, it wasn't like he couldn't defend himself when the moment really counted, but he didn't like the way she had gained the upper hand so easily.  How could he have been so stupid?  How could he have been so slow?  He knew then that he should have seen the air blast coming.  He was becoming drunk with dizzying stupidity.

The amber-red of his eyes flashed and his pupils shrank revealing more of their color just as she spat the blood from her lips.  He stared at her, finding strength somehow to move slowly and cautiously, his eyes stayed as a droplet drizzled from the edge of her lips and to her chin.  She'd bitten her tongue it seemed.  "Now wait, just wait a minute...  Watch that knife.  I'm not afraid to get cut, but..."  He didn't even want to finish his sentence before he made a lunge for her, hoping to grab the knife even if it cut him.

He launched himself toward her, aiming to tackle her first before bringing her down and wrestling the blade from her.  But it seemed he was doomed to make one mistake after another.  Prospects, whether he was successful or not, were not looking good.  If what she said was true, there wasn't much time to overpower her then make his escape.  His hopes for revenge would be crushed, but he'd just have to live with that...

Wait, that was funny.  It looked like the knife had cut open a length of his arm while he was trying to tackle her.  Damn, that was fast...  Maybe this wasn't over just yet.

[Let him have it! D< ]

Quickly she switched the hands the blade was in, flexing the wounded hand with a quiet hiss of pain before she got tackled, the blade easily slicing his arm by the angle she held it at. Adalia hadn't intended to actually hurt him. It too her a moment to notice this but once she did she moved her legs from under her bottom and planted both feet on his chest, effectively pushing him off of her before she sat up on her knees and threw the dagger into the thick of the forest before jumping on him and sitting on his chest, hands on his arms in an attempt to keep him from lifting himself up..

Out of breath, bleeding from the corner of her mouth she glared down at him. "What is with you and starting shit?!" Adalia bellowed this time, very irritated, her voice an octave higher than what it normally was. "You can't be a good little prisoner for five minutes and you go and start something that gets us both hurt." The slice on her palm stung badly and she knew she was bleeding all over his arm.

"I don't like fighting. I don't want to fight. I realise you want to leave but you'll be a wanted criminal if you don't stand trial because all of those people back there saw you. Do you want a bounty on your head so badly?" Adalia was sitting awkwardly, her ankles still together by the rope made out of... Whatever it was."Just, come with me to the city. If you're convincing I'm sure you'll be cleared of charges." Adalia sat back and tore the ruined glove off her hand before flexing it again and wiggling her fingers. It wasn't a deep cut, it just hurt. "Calm down for fifteen minutes so we can clean your wound. Please?" Her voice grew softer and she stared at him in the eyes, a distinct look of displeasure on her face, tired, frustrated. She wasn't enjoying her bad guy role at all.

He wanted to disappear.  And suddenly all his regrets came flooding back to him, if only he hadn't, if only he hadn't, IF ONLY!  "Dear Umbra," he breathed, silently praying to his dead god for some strength of hope to survive.  This woman was unbearable.  How could he possibly make it to the city of Arca without her driving him completely bonkers first?  He had a feeling that by the time they got there, he would already by speaking in tongues.  And furthermore, he'd be skimping on his training.

Hysaeda, despite the throbbing on his arm and the blood that leaked from it, glared at her harshly, as if staring at her would make her drop dead right then and there.  "I can disappear!" he exclaimed.  "If I escaped, and I will, then I'll leave and never be seen again, you can be sure of that.  Even if they hunted me, they'll have to watch out for my brethren who don't like Outlanders in our territory.  You'll be killed before you'll ever find me; that I swear to it!"  He tried to make it sound like a threat, but the sudden reminder of the pain in his arm, which arose when she pinned his hands down the ground.  His heart was in his throat and if he channeled in his rage, he'd be able to throw her off in an instant.

But perhaps, the incident had drained him if only a little.  Umbraeons were notorious for their energy capacities.  He didn't want to concede to her wishes, but he wished she didn't put up such a fight.  Her jerky had fallen to the ground...  I was innocent in the first place he thought...  Frowning, he sighed and nodded.  "Get off me..."

Adalia gave a passive nod and slid do the side making noises at her horse who waddled closer and laid down so she could go into the packs. Wiggling closer to the packs to get cloth, to look back at him with a bemused look on her face "I wouldn't go out looking for you. I'd probably get into big trouble and be kicked out of the military." Adalia pulled the cloth from the saddle bags before she grabbed his wrist and pulled his wounded arm across her lap, bleeding side up so it didn't get on her stockings or skirt.

She tried to be gentle, but the aftershock of the scuffle left her hands shaking slightly, but she still did a decent job of wrapping up his arm. Gentle, not too tight. While she had his arm she examined his hand for any possible damage by the rope. Then she looked at her own wrist and let go of his arm. The blood had dried on her hand and she hissed when she had to bend it as she picked at the knot giving him a grumpy pout before looking back down. "I can't undo the knot." Her voice was quiet as she picked at it, irritating the wound enough for it to open and start bleeding again.

Adalia stuck her arm out. "Can you undo your knots please?" She had the decency to keep her head down, knowing that he'd probably think her beyond pathetic for her inability to undo a simple knot. Adalia was in the military because she was good with magic, not her for physical power or great wits. "So, you're name is Hysaeda the Star Runner and you're an Umbraeon. Why couldn't you have told me that in the first place?"

It seemed like an uneasy truce.  As if two outcast tribes who had been enemies for centuries and constantly warred for the same century, had suddenly decided to lay down their arms and unite to fight against their common enemies.  Except in this case, she and he were not tribes and they didn't have a common enemy, not even a common interest.  She didn't want her ass on the line, and he didn't want to be carted away to a city to be tried for a crime he was completely innocent of.  But they were fighting a war as a result of these conflicting interests, each had their own desires and neither of them wanted their head on a pike, or so he assumed.  There was certain shame in submission to one's enemy, but only if it resulted in their demise.  If he survived...if only, he would live to see the dawn, then perhaps there was a little honor in what she proposed.  Yet there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he could trust the system in which he would be judged.

He did not make a pained face despite his bleeding arm which she had yanked toward her and cleaned all there was and bandaged all that was needed.  He didn't like how she fixed his wound, but then again he didn't exactly have his gear or any of his medicines.  All he could do was meditate to encourage his body to heal faster.  And with all the stress exacerbating his thoughts right now, meditation was out of the question.  He just wanted to get a move on.  "You're helpless," he muttered without passion, merely remarking on something he noticed.  But he reached forward and quickly undid the knot without any issues.  He stretched the rope across her eyes and showed to her what it was made out of.  "Juoda saplings.  They're rare in this area, but abundant where I'm from.  They make strong rope, even when they're young, but unfortunately don't grow to be very formidable when they get older."

He didn't want to answer he question about why he didn't tell her in the first place.  He had his reasons and they were reasons of tradition he knew she would never understand.  Sure he could simply say that, but there was no use; so he said that instead.  "You're an Outlander," he said quietly.  "Part of the reason, I had given to you when you pushed me down: You are my enemy.  If you are a soldier of any merit at all, you'd know that enemies should be left in ignorance if it's better for yourself.  At the time, it was better for me.  There is no use in explaining more than that to you.  You are not where I'm from."  And he didn't want to her understand.  To be in his society was something like an exclusive membership.  It was better that people didn't know; the less they knew, the less people there were to bother them.

Hysaeda stood up now and nodded to her.  "Am I to be your prisoner again?  If so, it is best that you act like the soldier you present yourself to be and tie me again.  You wouldn't want your officers to think otherwise."

Feeling very put out, the spark of absolute loathing had somewhat diminished and she remained quiet while he untied her ankles. You're helpless. Instead of burning anger Adalia just sighed, she knew that. Shoulders slumped forward she watched his hands, his eyes, as he explained what he tied her up with. Of course. A tree. Damn heathen. Adalia glared off to the side before standing up and walking to get her dagger.

Her fingers were grasped around the hilt and she stood up and watched him when he explained why he didn't just tell her all that in the first place. Outlander. Adalia frowned and played with the edge of the knife before she put it back on her belt and wandered to where her gauntlets were laying. Quickly she placed them back on, the cool metal uncomfortable against the hand with the ruined glove. "I was never cut out to be a soldier. Why couldn't you have just said you were kidnapped too? This would have made everything easier." A quick glare towards him and she wandered back to the horse, untying the rest of the rope from around it's middle and turning back to Hysaeda.

"Of course, you're right." A exaggerated sigh and she closed her eyes for a moment before getting onto the horse, walking it towards him with a hand up. "We'll get there faster if you ride too. You can get on behind me." Adalia shuffled up the saddle, leaving the stirrups empty. "Put your right," Adalia patted her leg, "leg into this one." She pointed. "Then swing your leg around." With the rope in hand, she looked him up and down again. "When you're on the horse I'll tie your hands up."

It'd only been a day and Adalia was rather tired of the fighting. She imagined she'd be able to kick him in the chin again if he put up a fuss, he seemed to be good at pissing her off. Maybe it was a talent. She'd never met anyone so... infuriating. "C'mon. The sooner we get there the sooner you're off and you can go back to making out with your juujuu saplings or whatever they're called."

He was busy studying the intricacies of the lines of his hands, something he often did when he didn't want to look at someone, and it was a curious thing to see if he could palm read like he'd seen some blind woman do it one time.  Of course he didn't know a thing about palm reading, but it was fun to pretend he did.  "I could have.  But it seemed I was a little more inclined to tell the truth than to lie directly to your face.  I have a little more tact than that, thank you.  Though I'm not above it if I must."  His voice was solemn and filled with the seriousness that he regarded all strangers.

He was so busy looking at his hands that he didn't even notice that she climbed onto that beast she called a horse.  He looked at the four-legged thing as if it were a deformed creature.  "He looks like a buffoon," he said plainly, frowning wryly.  The horse flashed his teeth at him.  Oh gods!  Those teeth!  Long, flat, squarish and awkward.  He cringed in severe distaste and thought of the rows and rows of the razor-sharp teeth that Averians had, medium-sized feathered-reptilians that were as fun to ride as they were valuable to kill.  Their teeth could easily shred skin if they bit down hard enough.  But this horse's teeth...it looked like it could take his whole arm off if he didn't watch himself.  "I don't like horses," he remarked trying to get out of riding the thing.  "I don't know how to ride one anyway.  I don't ride horses."

[Blah! Short, but I didn't know what else to add. Keeping up the irritation though 8D]

A leer before she rolled her eyes. "Great, you don't lie to keep yourself out of trouble so you could later explain yourself. You're an idiot." A huff and she squared her shoulders and waited for him to get on the horse. And waited. Adalia looked back down frowning, licking her lips before sucking the lower one into her mouth so she didn't say anything further that would cause unwanted trouble. The last thing she wanted to do right now was sit on his chest to get his damn attention.

Adalia reached down and grabbed Hysaeda's chin. "He is not a buffoon, He is a well trained horse." The claws on the gauntlets poked at his skin but didn't cause any lasting damage. Irritated. A soft breath and Adalia closed her eyes and shimmied up further until she was almost sitting on his neck. "Now, get your ass on the horse." Adalia turned around to face him, fluttering her eyes and smiling. "Unless you're afraid of the plant eating horse. I was under the impression that you were male but..." Adalia eyed him up and down, "I've never met an Umbraeon before, so, for all I know, you could really be a deformed woman."

Nudging the horse, he began to walk slowly, Adalia moved him in a gentle circle around Hysaeda. "We have to find a stream, Atras deserves a break." Adalia leaned forward and cooed to her horse, saying things quickly in a quiet in a gentle voice. "C'mon, Hysaeda, please. You'll make things a lot easier for yourself if you just sit on the damn horse. I can understand if you're afraid of it but.." Adalia glared at him for a moment, "It's sort of pathetic to be scared of an animal that eats nothing but plants and that's trained to have people on it."

Hysaeda rolled his eyes; he couldn't help it since this wasn't the first tim eh ewas accused of being less than an Umbraeon male just because he refused to do something.  Back then it was because he didn't want to be goaded into a fight with his childhood enemy, a bastard and bully that need his head kicked in, and now it was because he didn't want to ride a stupid horse.  Again, he fumed, furrowing his brows together and forcing air out through flared nostrils.  He glowered at her and said sharply, "I am not afraid."

But of course words were nothing if one did not have the will to back them.  It was one thing to refuse a challenge against one person whom he knew to be a complete imbecile , and another to be degraded by a complete stranger.  Now, quite suddenly, he felt like he needed to prove her wrong.

He added a feigned chuckle to her comment, then backed away a little bit, putting some distance between him and that damn horse.  "You and your straying eyes should know better than to think to call me a woman," he remarked before he suddenly ran forward when the horse had turned away form him and jumped up at the right time.  He vaulted over on the horse high enough that he landed flat on the saddle behind her.  The landing was a clean one, if hurting his butt just a little upon the impact.  He found he landed a little too close to her and scooted back to give his groin some breathing space.  It seemed a little awkward now as Atras turned his head to look back at the newly added weight to his back.

"I'm just not used to the massiveness of beasts like this.  But I will tellyou one thing, he will make good meat.  I know just the right method and what spices are needed to make some deliciousness horse jerky.  If I'm not killed, I'll have to make you some one day.  But that's no promise," he said.  Soon he crossed his arms over his chest and clasped his legs tightly around the horse where he sat.  "Water is to the east.  Hurry up and tie me up so we can get this whole thing over with."  At least, he hoped, now that he was on the horse, he wouldn't have to have anymore of her lip.

Pursing her lips she looked at him from hooded eyelids and rose an eyebrow, about to retort something about to show her that he wasn't afraid. He did what she wanted him to do though. Prove to her that he wasn't by getting on the horse. A delighted grin grew on her face and she sat up straighter, only to stare at him with a frozen grin when he mentioned something about straying eyes. Like she wanted to look for her pleasure. Pfft.

The frozen grin turned into a bored look when he finally got onto the damn horse. Adalia reached forward and pet the horses neck, freezing when he spoke. A horrified look was on her face and she slowly turned around to stare at him. "He's my pet. I love Atras! I'm not going to eat him!" In an effort to back up what she was saying she reached back and pinched his thigh. "No eating my horse." Her voice was stern, angry.

"Fine." Adalia snapped, taking his hands and tying the rope around his wrists, glaring at him in the eyes before she scooted backwards a little to steer the horse better. "To the east? Okie-Dokie." A soft nudge and the horse began to walk, "You might want to hold onto something, you'll need to keep your balance. Or you'll fall off."

 Almost an hour of riding forward and slowly going east before the reached the river, Adalia swung down first giving a stretch before holding her hands up for Hysaeda. "Your butt will probably hurt, I'll help you down." An evil glimmer was in her eye. He's supposedly never ridden a horse before, so he'll probably be walking funny for at least a little while. She'd get twisted delight out of that.

No, he'd never ridden a horse before in all his life.  He'd seen others ride and learned from their actions (and mistakes), but he'd never taken it upon himself to care to learn.  Umbraeons didn't ride the cumbersome creatures that were horses.  Instead they relied on the speed and agility of the averians.  Since they were larger than people, but a little smaller than horses, those two legged animals with their saurian features and tendrils that extended from their heads and sometimes stood in tall rows on their skulls, resembling warrior stripes.  Sitting on one usually required an excellent middle balance and the willingness to sit on your knees for long periods of time.  Different sizes of the creature, required different riding methods, but usually never had to completely straddle the creature as was involved with riding a horse.

Hysaeda shook his head at her and said with confidence, "It's worth a try to get down myself.  Or else, I'll never learn.  Even if I fall, I can still get back up."  He said this with no sharpness of tongue but with the sincerity of his willingness to learn.  He still didn't like horses, but at least he wouldn't have to be prejudice against them.  They still made good meat, but he knew that some people were quite sentimental about their animals that they wouldn't want to eat them; even if it meant surviving another day or starving to death for the sake of the animal.

Carefully, he swung his leg over and landed with a little less grace than he had when he vaulted onto the horse.  She was right; his butt was very sore, but it had been a long while since he'd ridden any sort of animal lately that he had to take some time to stretch his legs.  And so he did, though he was partly tied, making the act of extending his leg nearly parallel to the tree a bit awkward.  But he did it anyway and with little real exertion on his part.  Once his joints were back in their familiar places, he began his walk toward the sound of water.  As he passed her, he took once glance back at her once and scoffed.  "You might have been expecting me to walk like I had a stick up my ass, but despite your prejudices, I have ridden before.  Just not a horse.  Now come on before your beast dies of thirst."

Honestly, Adalia was a little dissapointed when he didn't waddle around like a duck. She didn't show it though and just watched him walk, a little amused that he knew what she wanted. "You're so positive." She remarked, her voice bored and monotone before leading the horse to the small river. Atras went gleefully and she removed the bit from his mouth and removed the reigns while he wandered into the water to drink.

Adalia pondered for a moment before sitting on a rock and removing her boots, rolling her stockings down her thighs and off her legs placing them both beside her before she wandered into the water to stand beside Atras, petting his side and smiling slightly. "So, if you didn't ride a horse, just what did you ride?" A dragon? Adalia looked over her shoulder towards Hysaeda, an eyebrow raised, curious. "I hear gossip about Adela starting a dragon army." One hand held the bottom of her long trailing skirt as she stood beside her horse and leered at Hysaeda over her shoulder.

"Or something different?" Genuine curiosity. "I've only ever ridden a horse. Atras is mine. I've had him since he was a little baby." She rubbed the horses neck and smiled fondly before giving a sigh. "Do you keep pets? Y'know. Umbraeons?"

I have to be, he thought with a wry frown.  Or else I'd drown in my own misery.  It's not every day that I'm dragged along with some one to some city that will determine my sentence.  Hysaeda sighed and stepped into the water with his sandal-boots still on.  He didn't mind getting his feet wet and the shoes had a way of gripping even the slippery rocks underneath.

"You ask many questions," he remarked looking at where he stepped in the widening stream.  He looked away toward his left where the water stream extended far into the trees and around a bend where it disappeared from sight.  "Why the sudden interest?" he resumed, taking the time to look around him and survey his surroundings.  If he could find a map of this area, maybe he could better explore the area.  Speaking of which.  But wasn't sure if he should let her questions just hang like that.

A distinct frown was on her face when she turned to glare at him, her hair falling over her shoulder before she pushed it behind her ear again and let out a soft breath. Ducking her head she dragged her foot through the water before shrugging. "Well, I figured I'd ask questions you probably knew since I'm so... Uneducated." A leer towards him and then A pretend brightness and she gave a stretch and pet the horses neck again.

Adalia gave a quick glare over her shoulder. He probably didn't even know how to read. "What were you doing where we found you if you're not a rogue?" An eyebrow raised and she took a step closer, legs planted somewhat apart so she could keep her balance better. Adventuring? Running away? Atras lifted his head, flicking his ears, listening to the surroundings. He gave Adalia a look before walking back out of the river to lay down, watching.

"We'll head out when you're ready. And once I get my stockings and shoes back on."

"It's not because I don't know.  It's just that information is a sacred thing.  Even simple things like riding.  Wisdom, similarly to knowledge, is earned.  What would the world come to if everything was just given away for free?  Your questions were simple things, but I was wondering what made you worthy to know.  I don't mind answering...but anything you learn should be held with the utmost regard, even small details....  Especially the small details." He said as he washed his feet as awkwardly as he did with his wrists bound as they were.

"I've ridden averians before.  They're smaller than horses and much more maneuverable.  Less weight means more speed, or more potential for speed.  Have you ever seen one?  I haven't seen many dragons except for my cousin's; he can understand them better than I can for he has the gift to tame them.  Where he is, there's a whole camp of the, each one loyal to their respective rider.

"What the burned Outlanders do in their borders is no one else's business but their's.   Dragon army or not, I could care less."  Hysaeda kicked a rock up and tossed it to the shore with his foot.  It was then that he walked out and sat on the streams edge before dipping his hands in for a drink, sipping with his lips outstretched and breathing harshly through his nose.

Hysaeda stalked back to the horse after looking around him and for a second it was almost as if he could feel the heartbeat of the earth.  He closed his eyes for a second and breathed in for a long time, slowly and with emphasis.  "I was meditating, training.  I am as unremitting as you to my duties," he said slowly before waiting by the horse.

It was strange, being spoken to like a simpleton. She was an educated woman dammit! Adalia kept her head turned away from him so he didn't see her expression, but her hands were folded across her chest and she frowned, her eyes closing before glaring at the river.  "Can't say I've ever seen any averians." Adalia confessed before turning back around and sitting on a large rock, pulling the sheer stockings up her legs and wiggling her toes before replacing her boots.

"Burned Outlanders...?" An eyebrow drew up her face and she stared at him confused. That was a funny name for Adelans. Then what he said previously really sunk in. "Understand them? Dragon's talk now, too?"  She followed after him, giving the horses nose a pet before she got up onto the saddle. "C'mon, Rogue." Adalia smirked before shuffling forward and looking down. Meditating. Yeah sure. "Ah huh. You'll have to show me this meditating thing. I'm not buying it. You seem like a decent sort of..." Adalia paused, "Man."

"You should care about what the people on your boarders do. It's when you don't care that wars start, and I'm pretty sure Adela could wipe you guys out in no time. They're a large country and you're... well." Adalia pursed her lips forward. "Bird riding... People." The opal haired woman paused for a moment, looking off to the side. They were still people if they weren't human right? It was humanoid that made them people.

Adalia looked at Hysaeda, frowning slightly. He looked like a people. "So. Do you speak a special language? I know Serendipity used to, but only old people speak it." Adalia spoke up, waiting for him to get on the horse before she wilted a little from her soon to be confession, "Old people, royalty and scholars. I never bothered to, but now I sort of regret it."

Hysaeda smiled in her direction, clearly amused.  "They might, they might not.  But I don't think we have any serious ill will toward them.  Maybe they can find trouble with a small clan or two that might have problems with an army outpost or some traders, but I don't believe many more will care unless there was an invasion of some kind."  He sniffed harshly before studying the different designs nature had carved into the trees around him.  There were interesting things to be noticed all around.

"Yes, meditating.  You know, the art of concentration and breathing.  To better become one with yourself.  Or the world around you.  Whatever you might think it is.  I might show you, someday.  If you earn the right."  Hysaeda closed his eyes again for a moment before catching an itch along his neck and scratching it generously.

"I do.  And most others of my kind.  We can speak many languages, usually those general to the area where we're from.  It's called Sevic, it's out ancient tongue.  And usually spoken only when necessary.  Common was a hard one to come by, but we can speak it fluently, just as easily as I'm talking to you now.  We have other languages that let us understand certain things, things that you normally wouldn't understand.  Like dragons, as you said before.  Maybe they don't talk to you, but they talk to us."  He climbed up behind her, jumping and vaulting over from the side instead of from behind as he did at first.  "I don't think it's too late for you to learn your old tongue.  I mean if you really want to."

"Sevic." Adalia tasted the word on her tongue before she settled back, shifting back onto the saddle to put them closer together. She'd shuffled closer to the horses neck on the way here, and she'd been uncomfortable the entire time. Sitting on the edge of the saddle wasn't peachy keen in her books so Adalia would suffer being too close to him until they got to the next stop.

"It's too late for me to learn." A nod and she grabbed his hands. "Sorry." Before she pulled them over her, shuffling back again and she took his hands. "You might have to do this. So I'll teach you." A solemn nod and she took his bound hands and put the reigns inside them before closing his hands. Her heels nudged the horse and Atras began to walk. "So, pulling on this one." Adalia moved his hand to the side, "Makes him go right. The other way does the same thing."

After getting comfortable, putting her back to his chest she made sure his hands were safely in front of her and she tucked his arms underneath hers and nudged the horse again. It was one thing to walk, another to trot. "Better hold on, Rogue." Adalia looked over her shoulder and held his hands to her stomach. On a spur of the moment, Adalia gave Atras another push and he was out on a full gallop.

It didn't last long and her one hand was holding his tightly, pressing them close together so that Hysaeda didn't fall off. "Horses run fast, too. Bumpy though." Adalia licked her lips and turned to look over her shoulder. "If you're tired you can sleep." Her back was straight and she turned back around, the horse wasn't galloping anymore, or trotting. It was a slow walk, almost a dawdle.

It all happened so fast that he didn't even have time to protest, or to grab onto to anything worth holding for that matter.  She nearly knocked him from his position on the saddle when she yanked his arms over her head and forced the leather reins into his hands and locked them together.  His wrists felt like they were gonna break while they were bound and forced as they were.  But his body was resilient and he forced his body to slide closer to hers.  Growing angry and tense for a bit he cried out in indignation.  "WHAT THE HELL!?"

Hysaeda held on for dear life and nearly wrapped his legs around her waist, but he did find one hand slip as the horse suddenly ran faster and he grabbed her breasts in desperation.  Was she trying to kill him!?  He didn't notice until they suddenly slowed down and he grabbed the free reign again.  "I hate horses.  They're better as food," he said quietly, trying to regain some sense of calm.  "I hate horses...and I hate you!"

Hysaeda forced his hands away from her and scooted his himself as far back into the saddle as possible.  "Just keep steering the beast.  I'll be fine on my own back here.  Brute."

His complete and utter indignation made her throw her head back and laugh, a wide grin pulling at her mouth while she turned around. "Too much for you, Rogue?" Adalias voice had a saucy tone and she shifted to the side, "I hate you. I sure as hell wouldn't want you in my mouth. You wouldn't make good food at all." She glared before she reached forward and pet at Atras' neck and making noises at him, saying words of encourangement she knew he couldn't understand.

"It's okay that you're afraid." Adalia turned to the side to look at Hysaeda over her shoulder and pat his knee then she opened her eyes wide and removed her hand from his knee like it was too hot and she'd burned herself. "You just touched my breasts!" She accused, mouth open, cheeks bright red. "What did you do that for? You weren't going to fall off you Chicken-Shit! You can talk to dragons but you're afraid of a running horse!" Adalia covered her chest with one arm and leaned away from him, "What the hell is wrong with you?" It wasn't that she felt terribly violated, but this was how a lady was supposed to react when being touched.

Horribly and like she just got abused. Couldn't really blame him, Adalia was sure she'd grab on the closest thing if she'd just been scared, but still! Couldn't let Hysaeda know she wasn't really bothered, that would be bad. It would ruin her reputation. Adalia wouldn't be marriage material anymore if she didn't scream bloody murder when someone touched her.

"I'm quite sure that I wouldn't.  Forbid that you're the victim of clan warfare.  You would be chopped up, cooked, then sent as rations to the enemy.  A traditional insult, if you will," he replied resting his hands comfortably in his lap.  He rode better now that he didn't have the reins in his hand.  He didn't like horses for their cumbersomeness, not because he deemed them difficult to ride.  As a matter of fact, they looked a lot easier to ride than averians were, for there was much more strength behind the beast to press onward.  He still didn't like them, and he was damned sure that he never would.

"I'm not," he repeated.  "I just don't like horses.  I'm on one now aren't I?  I was just surprised when you grabbed my hands.  You should have warned me first.  That would have been the nicer thing to do, even for your prisoner."  His voice was solemn and he meant every word he said.  He looked at her once and smirked a little when she seemed offended.  "You're more indignant than I am," he said.  "You confuse fear with dislike.  Don't do that.  That'll get you killed someday.  Like I said, I was surprised; that's all.  I didn't do it on purpose and if you have any sense, you'd understand that.  I was right about you being uneducated.  Some lady you are."

Undoubtedly, he'd never understand the traditions and methods of her culture.  And he didn't really want to, but he had little choice now that he was with her. I should strangle her he thought briefly.  But then refigured the thought; he'd never really killed anyone out of malice before and though he didn't like her, there was little that he had against her other than her treatment of him.  Her resentment however, were little need for death.  He was not a murder after all.  He only ever killed in self-defense.  "How far are we from the city anyway?"

At the mention of being cooked up, Adalia went a little green and pale. Swallowing thickly her back went a little straighter and she just stared ahead. Sent as rations to the enemy? "That's disgusting." Adalia said quietly, her head turned down. She didn't like war and fighting. It was wrong. It killed people and made the ones who survived act like ghosts or monsters. Obviously tense by now, she kept the horse going at a steady pace while Hysaeda explained himself.

Fear with dislike.

Adalia was pretty sure he didn't fear her. "I'm sorry for not warning you." Her voice was quiet and she kept her head down. Embarrassment kept her head lowered and her back straight. Some lady she was. Some soldier she was. Not crying, but certinally feeling full of self pity, she took a deep breath before pulling the horse to a stop and sliding off the side to continue on foot. Things had taken a turn for the worst and she kept her sights to the ground as she walked.

"We're a few days from Arca still. I..." Adalia stopped talking and  frowned again. She kept walking. The rest of the way until the next place they'd camp she kept walking. Mind reeled. Horrible captor, horrible lady, horrible soldier.

 When they finally got to the camp site it'd been a few hours of Adalia not talking before she dropped the horses reins and went about pulling things out of the saddle bags. It wasn't close to sunset yet, but there were dark clouds rolling in. "It's going to rain." Adalia said simply, sucking her lower lip into her mouth. "There's a make shift tent. You can use it or we can share it."A soft shrug. "I know you don't like me much, so, I'm giving you first dibs. They'd probably rather have me die anyway. An unlady like failure of a solider who's also uneducated." Her voice was venom before she took a deep breath. "Don't know how I got trained in the first place."

Adalia went on grumbling as she made the 'tent' if it could be called that. It was basically a tarp to keep the rain off.  After she hefted the saddle bags off of the horse and rubbed her hands along his sides. Wanting nothing more than to go out for a walk, Adalia curled up with her knees to her chest and closed her eyes. When this crap was done with she'd quit the stupid army and settle down to have stupid babies for someone she didn't even like. "You make everything so troublesome, Rogue."

Quiet...everything was quiet.  As much as he was relieved to have her finally stop talking, the silence was just as disturbing.  It was sort of eerie too.  For silence between two people, especially those that didn't like one another from the start, was an often foreboding thing.  Silence always made way for time for reflection, brooding, sulking, conspiring, and ultimately even thinking up plots against the other they were traveling with.  Not to imply that that was what Hysaeda was doing, but he couldn't help but think that that's what Adalia was doing.  She'd grown uneasily quiet and in a sense, he could feel it, if only from her body language.

It was hours before they spoke again.  Along the way, he said nothing, not wanting to further exacerbate her current mood, whatever that was, depressed or vengeful or whatnot.  He instead occupied his time by looking around them and wondering if the sky would look the same when they reached the city.  He figured it wouldn't be long upon arrival that he'd be thrown into a cell with nothing more than a tiny hole by which to view the outside world.  He'd read about things like that, in various scrolls that passed through his hands from traveling merchants, stories of bandits and thieves being captured and killed by small military forces.  This also led him to wonder if he was going to be thrown into a military prison, or one led by the city guards.  He was sure there was a difference...but seeing how she was now, he didn't think it was a good idea to ask.

Hysaeda focused his sights on the nature around him, on the hills and the trees and the way the sky was rolling over them with black clouds like a blanket.  It was not even close to evening, at least, from the way he read the earth around him.  Animals that flourished in the nocturne were not emerging from their underground burrows and roosts.  "Yes," he agreed, nodding when she said that it would rain.  Then she offered the tent to him and his first reaction would be taken aback with disgust; he didn't need anything from her, not even things she offered.  But he didn't say that.  Instead, he saw the way she constructed the cloth in what looked like a tarp.  He wouldn't be warded off by a little rain, but he didn't think now in his prisoner state would be a good time to get drenched.

He'd slid off the horse not long after her and reached for shoulder.  With his hands bound he patted her, or rather nudged her, and pointed with his head, "This is not a tent and won't do much to protect you.  Look, it leans funny on this side.  I'll help you make it better."  And with that he disappeared from off to the side for a while and emerged back with a large pile of several sticks and dropped them at her feet.  After that, he began to weave the sticks together in a make-shift net that curved around and would serve as a solid frame for the tarp to hang over.  After about fifteen minutes, he ripped down the tarp and dug four ends of it deep into the ground over the structure.  In the end, a dome-shaped figure with the tarp covering over it that was wide enough for two, was presented to her.

Hysaeda shrugged.  "You're right that I don't like you. But it just wouldn't be right to leave you out in the rain.  Get inside, start a fire and warm yourself.  It'll be wide enough for the both of us.  And then we can discuss just what kind of trouble you mean, for your awfully depressed, and if I'm going to travel a few more days with you, then I'm going to need you to have a clean head."

A heaved sigh. "I didn't mean a real tent." Her voice hissed, quietly and with no real intention for him to hear it. Of course he'd help. And by help he meant show her how stupid and uneducated she was. Adalia stared at the sticks in front of her feet and looked back at Hysaeda, watching him, frowning before she sighed again and put her hands on her hips. In the end, it was better than anything she could whip up.

It was official. The only thing she could do better than him was wear a dress. A dark look crossed her features while she watched him. Adalia wouldn't be surprised if he could do that better than her, too.  

"Yeah." Adalia was quiet before she reached for him, tugging at the ropes. "Take the stupid ropes off," After a few moments of trouble she did pull the ropes off and put them aside before getting up and wandering into the forest to gather firewood. Adalia came back with an arm full which she dropped off and lit on fire. The way she lit it on fire was interesting. She took a shorter piece of wood and blew on it, the tip smoking before it lit on fire.

Placing it back onto the other pieces of dry wood, she blew on them and it caught fire and Adalia removed her gauntlets. "What I meant by trouble? You're not even a damn bad guy. I'm going to look like a fool because you didn't even do anything wrong. I can't survive the wilderness alone and I need my damn prisoner to take care of me." Adalia picked up a rock from the ground before throwing it behind her, grumpy. Back to her usual self pity position, her knees were drawn to her chin and she rested her head on them, her arms wrapped around while she stared at the fire. "I'm still taking you to Arca. The last thing I need is the guilt of you becoming a wanted criminal when I know you shouldn't be."

"Oh, very clever," he remarked, looking at how she lit the fire.  He wished he thought of something like that.  Normally, he would practice the hands-on way with whatever sparkable rocks he could find.  It was a practical skill.  But magic was useful when one had it, so he commended her for it, though his tone might have been taken as sarcasm.   But he didn't mean anything by it.

"Look, you're wallowing in self pity and it's really unbecoming.  You probably don't give a damn about anything I have to say, but you're not gonna get anywhere with an attitude like that.  Just wait a minute, you're just doing your job are you not?  I was there in a place where I didn't belong and I paid the price for my carelessness; why should you be bothered of whether or not I'm innocent."  Hysaeda sat down by now and stared at her with hard eyes, letting the dislike simmer into something that resembled disgust.  "You pity your enemy; you shouldn't do that, at least no now, when you'd make yourself vulnerable.  Don't feel guilty for something you should be doing anyway.  You have your duty to fulfill and I have mine.  While mine isn't as simple as a soldier's, I'm not going let myself get down given our current situation."

Hysaeda crossed his legs now and fingered a stick in his hands.  "You sound like you don't like being a soldier, so why are you a...mageknight anyway?"

A funny noise left her throat and she glared at Hysaeda. "Unlike some people." Adalia gave the umbraeon a look, "I'm not even remotely a warrior. I can't fight." She sighed and jumped slightly when the first fat raindrop hit the tarp she looked up worriedly before she remembered that it was rain and they were safe. " I don't pity you! This isn't pity! If it was pity I would be nicer." Her fingers brushed through her hair and she sighed again.

"Look. This isn't all about you, y'know." She licked her lips and looked down at the fire, her hands going out, fingers moving slowly to manipulate the tips, making it grow slightly and weaken. A loud sigh and turned to the side to lay down, her arms up over her head, fingers in the rain. Adalias eyes were closed now and her legs were bent slightly to the side, the skirt falling down the side revealing more than enough leg not that Adalia noticed.

"I'm a mageknight because I'm talented at magic." Her voice was soft, fingers wiggling as the raindrops hit them, "I'm an only child. So, Father wanted us to have a good name. A talented daughter mageknight. She'd get rich husband and have talented babies." Adalia scoffed and let a smirk fall on her face, " I think he just wanted me to start having sex with some politician so I'd get pregnant we'd have to get married."

A very obvious frown drew over her lips and she turned towards Hysaeda, "I don't like being a soldier. I don't like keeping people against their will, I hate killing, I hate seeing people be killed. I hate being wrong." Sitting up again, she sighed and kept her head down, "I'm sorry for kicking you in the chin and hurting your arm. Your hands. It's not pity. It's guilt. You didn't deserve it. If I wasn't so keen on impressing the superiors I ... " Adalia licked her lips and closed her eyes. "I very rarely get to help people. I still hate you, you're annoying and enjoy showing me up when there are things I can't do, but it's still partly my fault you're in this mess. I'll help you clear your name and image and then you can go off and chase butterflies and meditate again, promise."

Hysaeda was committing one of the worse things he could do right now.  There was no possible way he could come out of this alive and free from shame.  It was imperative in the life of an Umbraeon to die without shame, and to forge it in the first place was something that he rather not be reminded.  It was better to live with shame than to die with it, for one always had a chance to redeem themselves as long as they worked toward their honor.  To die in honor, was to be honored forever by one's descendants.  And right now, Hysaeda didn't think, that if he had any descendants, they'd care to honor him when he died because of this moment alone...  he was starting to feel pity for her, his enemy.

But it felt instinctive, to look upon her with a strange mixture of sorrow and understanding.  He knew what it was to carry the burden of expectations, though his was not that same as hers.  He wasn't looked upon to defend his country, or carry babies, he was just to take his father's place when he left this realm, and that could take a while.  But he was in no hurry to rush the processes.  In that time, he would do his best to train and prepare for that day, there was no need to rush, since he'd rather live each day to the fullest.

"Marriage..." he scoffed, and added a small laugh to it.  "You can make a difference if you really wanted to you know.  You could have chosen your own life.  But I think I see the problem: You  have no will, or at least no sense of your true self.  You're far too busy working to please others; what about what you want?"  He tried his best to ignore the skin she revealed, but stared for a good ten seconds before she started talking again.  He cleared his throat, and forced his eyes back on her face.  "What?  Um, yes.  Don't worry about me; those were nothing compared to what I used to get.  Listen, just do the job you were given to do.  Then when you're finished, just quit...and go your own way, you'll be the better for it, trust me."

He favored his wrists and rubbed his hands together.  "Stop feeling guilty.  You will learn to help yourself.  By tomorrow, I will whip you into shape.  That I promise you."  And with that, he got up and crawled out into the rain.  "Let's go, you have a lot to learn."

Just quit and go your own. Adalia had to bark out a laugh at that. Quit and go her own way. Alone. Adalia didn't know how to survive alone. When it came down to it she didn't even own her own clothing, the wages she made as a mageknight went right to the family account. Her palm pressed to her forehead and she took a deep breath of air. She loved the smell of rain.

Then Hysaeda was moving and she rolled onto her stomach to watch him. Whip her into shape? A lot to learn? Green eyes widened and she could only stare for a good few moments. What was he planning? Adalia got up to her knees and watched him for a moment before looking down at her clothing, while most of it was shades of blue the part that was closets to her skin was white. White went see-through. Whatever, unless he was some twisted man he wouldn't try to ravish a woman he hated.

Adalia chose not to remember waking up to him too close to her face.

Obediently Adalia got up and followed him, blinking and shaking her head against the raindrops that hit her cheeks, looking up at him. "What on earth are you going to make me do?" Already the top of her shirt was sticking to her chest. Nothing was showing, the small blue jacket hid anything that could be taken as risque. She still looked up, making a funny squeaking noise when a big fat raindrop landed down the top of her shirt. "It's cold, and it's making me wet." Obviously.  "Whip me into what kind of shape."

What he was planning was, almost literally, to whip her into shape.  She knew how to defend herself on the magical level, but it seemed she needed to learn how to scrap, if she was gonna make it in this world.  "Take this scenario: you leave the military, you get married to a disgusting man that you absolutely loathe and therefore refuse to have sex with him.  What will you do if he attempts to take you by force?  You must learn to be resourceful, or you're going to die, despite your dislike toward death.  The grave is a very welcoming thing.  So first, you will learn how to box."

Hysaeda stepped back when she finally emerged.  "Don't mind the rain, it'll cool you off the harder we work.  And I'm sure you have some blankets or what not to dry you off if you are that insistent."  A few droplets fell on his white hair and he brushed back a few braids behind his elongated ears.  Knowing that his armor would only encumber him, he pulled at the straps that held it together and quickly took off his cuirass and tossed it into the tent.  He swiped away a few droplets of rain that struck his bare chest.  Now he could move much easier.

It was then that he interlocked his fingers and stretched his arms over his head, pulling all his torso with the motion.  After that, he assumed a fighting position, bringing his fists up by his head and loosening his knees.  "Okay," he began. "Are you ready?"

Adalia looked down at her hands before removing the other glove. One was ruined, might as well get rid of the other one as well. It would leave her hands vulnerable to any fire she might try to conjure, not that she was any good at that. Licking her lips she listened to Hysaeda. Husband take her by force? If she didn't want it? She'd just suck the air out of his lungs and teach him a lesson. Who the hell would piss off a mage? Adalia didn't consider the fact that she might be too afraid to consider that though. Of course she didn't voice this idea.

Box. The first thing Adalia thought of was well, a box. How would he teach her how to be a box? It then occured to her that, oh, it was a fighting style. Looking up again all she saw was bare chest and she quickly shot her gaze up to his. "You're a lot taller than me. Don't know how beating me to a pulp will teach me anyway." her voice was small while she watched him, quickly making a small effort to mirror his body and moves.

Magesknights were magical. While they got basic physical training, most of what they learned was how to not let distractions get them. Adalia didn't use incantations for her magic, so that gave her a head start, but she still needed to concentrate. "I'm bad at fighting." She sucked her lower lip into her mouth to chew on it for a moment before taking a breath and jumping up and down slightly.

The rain grew a little harder and Adalia swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue. Her hands went to her head to pull of the criss crossing of headbands, the ties that held bits of her hair together and tossed them onto his cuirass. "Ready, Rogue." She forced a smirk onto her face, eyes narrowing, her opal hair taking on a more pink hue where it got wet and stuck to her face. Adalia could do this! She could light a fire by blowing on it, surely she could 'box' with a giant umbraeon man.

"I know that perhaps my own training and physicality will give me an advantage.  I have been fighting for much of my life, but only in self defense.  Now you will do the same.  Mind your opponent, focus on my movements.  When I expand, you contract, and when you expand, I will contract.  Don't focus on my size, only my openings and try to find weaknesses in my guard.  Cast no magic, and more importantly, don't hold back, or I will hurt you."  He stood adamantly by that final rule and shifted his feet along the ground, steadying himself and assuming one of the simpler, basic forms of Gien-Kai'ran.

And with that he launched himself at her, aiming for a blow at her head and coming in fast like a large black-skinned arrow coming straight at her.  He placed his right foot forward and attempted to knock her off balance if his blow hit home.  She'd trip over his foot and splash into the quickly forming mud.  Maybe getting a little dirty, would show her how to be a little more humble.

"The point is," he tried to explain, reserving his breath, "not to beat you to a pulp, but to teach you.  You will learn how to fight, you will learn endurance, and most importantly, you will learn tenacity."

Honestly, Adalia had been expecting a little instruction. Expand, contract. Just made her think of curling into a ball and hoping it goes away. Adalia gave a little nod and simply stared at the elbow. What the hell? While she had moved to duck it, it smacked her in the side of the head instead and she stumbled and did indeed trip and land in the mud. What should have been humiliated only irritated her and she quickly stood up, hands going up again.

"You're a horrible teacher." Adalia didn't bother wiping the mud off of her skirt, it was a lost cause and she watched Hysaeda closely, hands up, head throbbing. She stepped around slowly, staying out of arms reach, ready to duck or dodge if he'd throw another punch or elbow to her head. Quickly she looked him up and down. Too tall to punch him in the head, though she'd love to dearly.

"Didn't even explain what boxing is!" She didn't let down her guard, could feel her clothing wear more by the second from the water absorbed, didn't remove anything though. Getting rid of the jacket would leave just about everything she had up top out for Hysaedas viewing pleasure. Adalia shrugged her shoulders forward to pull the jacket up more. This sucked. She didn't want to fight him, let alone while getting drenched in the rain.

"Hysaeda, you're too damn big. The most I could do would be to try and kick you in the side, but if you really wanted to rape me that would be like me asking for it because I'd be giving you my leg to pry open." Adalia didn't stop watching him while she complained, the last thing she wanted was another bump on her head. Dirty clothes were okay. Those could be fixed. Bruises hurt for days. Her heel came down on a rock and she stumbled slightly before stomping her foot and glaring, growing angry, knuckles white. "I don't even know what tenacity means!"

"Stop thinking on the outside!" he exclaimed, losing his temper for a second.  "Think on the inside!  Think with your body.  If you can't reach my head, aim lower, my ribs, my chest, my legs.  Strike me swiftly and with no mercy.  What are you, just a weak little brat?"  He hoped sharpening his tongue on her would spark the fighting spirit in her.  He could tell by her motions that she was reluctant to defend herself, but if she gave up, even he would be ashamed to call her his captor.

"You're my first student, really.  I'll admit it, I don't know what I'm doing exactly, but I need you to concentrate.  Look at my movements, see where my weight has shifted and throw me over.  I stand in your way between here and salvation, if you believe such a thing.  C'mon, knock me down, you godless coward!"  He worked to egg her on.  "Block my hits upper hits with your arms and counter-strike with your other hand, then follow in with a combo.  Like this!"

And just then he came at her again, trying to come at her head with his left elbow this time.  His joint swiped in from an upper angle and would hit her chin if her own arm didn't come up soon.  "Block it!"

Sort of like a puzzle you had to do without thinking first. She could do that. The rain was making her cold and she took a steady breath, heart beginning to thump faster with anger. Finally some instruction. Adalia figured this fighting thing would be far easier against someone who didn't know how to fight like this. Mageknights. Normal guards. Adalia doubt they knew hand to hand combat worth a damn.

The basic instinct to keep harm away from her face had her arm moving to block his elbow just before he told her too. Block. Counter-attack. Combo. Adalia didn't want to be in pain, she knew that hitting him would hurt her hands. There was a heavy doubt in her mind that hitting him would cause him any pain at all, and Adalia wasn't about to cheap-shot him between the legs in a spar where she was supposed to be learning.

Instead of counter-attacking she simply used the energy he was using to go forward and pushed him past her while she moved the other way, careful of his feet. Adalia wasn't keen on falling into the mud again. "You're too damn big! I can't hurt you!" Adalia was getting frustrated. "I'm a mage, dammit! You can teach me how to block and dodge but there's no way I can actually hurt you without you being tied up or on your knees." Adalia took a few steps back to stand beside a rather large mud puddle before kicking a wave of it at him, splattering a good amount of her legs while she was at it..

" I am a weak little brat! I'll break my elbow on your stupid stomach as it is!" This was stupid. Adalia was angry now, her cheeks and nose were red from the cold, but she got back into the stance she saw him make and glared. " You can't expect me to use brute force to get you into the mud, Hysaeda! I can use your energy and body to get you into the mud, but not mine." All this thinking out loud felt far nicer than thinking inside.

"I'm not trying to trick you or test you.  Merely to show you how to defend yourself against an oppressor.  I'm not that big, honestly.  Stop being such a big baby!"  Hysaeda said frustrated, but at that moment she sent him hurling into the mud.  His body twisted at an angle and landed shoulder first just before his head was covered.  The landing did hurt him, but he used the momentum to roll back to his feet then twisted around to face her again.  "Excellent!  That's exactly what I wanted you to do.  You can still fight if you believe you can!  Believe in yourself!  Bring your fists back up and toss me again.  You don't have to use your strength, but you must use your brain, which I knew you have, as undeveloped as they are!"

He couldn't help but smile at her, prideful of that one instant.  He could see the anger rising in her, her pale face turning into shiny tomato.  "Don't think of can't!  Never say 'can't'!  Or you'll fail yourself every time.  Fight like your life depends on it.  You're a woman, use your hips to shift you in the right direction." It was then that he neared her and grabbed at her hips, pushing them to even out her weight on her feet.  "There."  Hysaeda stepped back and tried to get loose again.  For a second, he brushes his fingers through his hair and shook the mud loose.  "The key is to aim for my unprotected sides, like my ribs for instance."  He flattened and stiffened his fingers before gently nudging her on the sides.  "Strike me between the ribs and you'll cripple me.  Or in my neck, and I'll drop.  Strike my vulnerable areas and you won't need brute strength.  Fighting is more than strength; it trains your intellect as much as it does your body.  Now, come on! Hit me!"

Hysaeda now stepped backwards and prepared for anything she might have to throw at him.  He was determined she would learn something that he had to teach her, whether she liked it or not.  And he could tell immediately, that she was not liking this at all.

She'd never seen anyone so excited about being throw into the mud. Almost made her want to laugh at how delighted he seemed to be at her throwing him into the mud. Slightly shaking her head, of course the second of not paying attention and his hands were on her waist, it took a lot of effort not to screech and slap at his hands. When he went to position her hips, the rest of her torso went with it, frowning, Adalia looked down and stared at the blue corset. Well, for this to be a proper lesson, it looked like that would need to come off.

Luckly that didn't mean the downfall of her skirt.

Adalia quickly went about untying the corset while he spoke, keeping her eyes on him before she tossed it under the tent as well. Now she shifted her hips to balance out the weight, and took a deep breath. Already the white fabric was sticking to her skin and her heart was pounding. It wasn't fear or adrenaline, anger probably. Excitement? Someone she loathed just told her to hit them. That was something to be excited about.

Giving Hysaeda a quick once over she quickly went in, a hand out intending to punch him in the gut to distracted him with her other arm bent, ready to elbow him in the thigh. She'd gotten kicked in the thigh by Atras once, hurt like a bitch and left a bruise for weeks. Her elbow wasn't a hoof, but she hoped it could do some damage.

Maybe something that would make him limp. She could dream.

He'd never been kicked in thigh before, but he had nearly broken his shin by the repetitive kicking a tree.  But there was a difference between that and this, since this was free sparring, no holds barred.  Of course he wasn't trying to kill her or do anything drastic, but he was trying to anticipate anything she had to throw at him.  It wasn't every day that a prisoner got to fight with their captor one on one.  This was a small chance for him to get back at her for all the things she did to him.

And he thought he was above vengeance.

He trained his eyes on her face all the while she undressed from her corset and tossed it back into the tent.  That was well enough, she was learning about encumbrance, and maybe would learn to be a little less ashamed of herself.  It was like she was bad looking or anything.  And yet again, despite any inclinations toward the contrary, his body betrayed him again and he found his eyes straying to her chest.  He burned a little and brought his vision back up again to her face, he saw that she was watching him.  Thank Umbra for his darkened skin, or else she might have seen him blush...  Well, maybe.

By watching the shift of her hips, he anticipated her punch to his gut and rebounded it at the last second.  But the feint caught him off guard and he felt her blow to his thigh.  He stumbled backwards and fell on his ass.  Clutching his thigh, he laughed and smiled at her again.  "You're learning fast.  I like that."  And just then, he lunged forward reaching out to grapple her legs, yanking them out from under her.

A triumphant smirk at getting him down, a well of guilt at making him land on his ass. Butt bruises hurt. She'd learned that while learning how to ride a horse and was doing it badly. Sitting was a pain, laying the wrong way ached. Being the greenfighter that she was, Adalia assumed Hysaeda would get up and start over. No such luck and she was on her back, face contorted in pain.

Along with her head hitting an exposed root, the sheathed dagger had dug into her side. Landing on it made her yelp out in pain and her back hitting the ground knocked the wind from her. Water quickly soaked her hair and back, and she closed her eyes for a moment and gasped for air, her hands going to her chest to press at it, to grab for air that wasn't there. "I.." She gasped before she let her hands drop and still gasping for air pulled her leg back to kick him.

Anywhere.

As long as it made him piss off she'd be a happy breathless camper. After she flung her leg at him she rose up on her elbows and tried to catch her breath, not all that keen on having to dodge anything. Her head hurt, her side stung, her chest ached. Adalia didn't get up, but she was ready to try and kick him away while she tried to get her breath back. Glaring. Pissed. What an asshole! Dragging her through the mud when he didn't even know if she had extra clothing. Adalia hoped she at least had a pair of pants.

He didn't know if she had extra clothing or what not, but he knew that there was something to be learned about getting dirty.  And aside from getting clean, getting dirty was fun as long as one didn't make a big stink of the whole mess.  But what a mess they made, slopping in the mud like two scrapping pigs.  Hysaeda thought the rain really was a nice touch, but it was making getting a decent amount of footing quite the chore.

She made a move to kick him, desperately and swiftly, and succeeded in colliding her heel into his chin.  He was knocked back into the mud again, but doubled back before he scrambled back again to his feet.  Oh damn this woman!  He didn't want to say that she was a prime example, but he was starting to think that all Serenians were stubborn, sniveling snobs.  But damn, she might not have been much of a fighter, but she sure could try.

He stood straight now, pulling his feet from a pool he'd made when his body had slammed into the ground much earlier.  "This isn't working, you're too much of a novice to learn anything like this.  But you learn fast, and I will make you learn until you at least know when to anticipate a punch.  You got my chin, don't know how, but you did.  Congratulations, your first unmeditated blow.  Come here,  I'll show you the basic stances and striking points that's better than just throwing each other in the mud.  If not, I'll just have to wrestle with you, which, being as you are, you probably won't like very much."  He tried to conceal his irritation and the soreness of his chin; he rubbed it gingerly then caught his breath.

"I got your chin." She rolled over onto her hands and knees facing away from Hysaeda panting slightly still with her newly returned breath before she turned to look at him over her shoulder, "Because I kicked you," She got up onto her knees then stood up, wobbling slightly.  Turning around slowly she stuck her leg out at him, "With my foot." Adalia wiggled the limb at him before placing both feet on the ground. She looked down at herself. Her back was covered with mud, the white fabric that wasn't hanging lose and dripping was clinging to her like a second skin.

Obviously Hysaeda could see most of her middle. The corners of the coat hiding her breasts from view - thank gods - but she quickly positioned herself to keep as much of herself hidden as possible. Adalia did not want the first manseeing her naked to be a jerkish heathen that was supposed to be her prisoner. Quickly she went pale then shook her head. This was past playing Captor and Captive. If the situation were different she wondered if he'd still be teaching her how to fight.

"No, I wouldn't enjoy being in the mud much. Let alone wrestling in the mud." Adalia sighed and wandered over, her arms moving to her side before she glared at his chest. "That isn't fair. You can just take off your shirt." The words were mumbled, and she gave a slight shiver. Her hair stuck to her face and neck, she could feel the tips of her slightly pointed ears sticking out of her hair. Adalia assumed she looked a lot like a muddy drowned kitten.

"Okay Captain." Adalia shook out her limbs and took a breath before rubbing the growing lump on her head. "I'm your puppet. Show me basic stances and striking points so I can force you not to look while I change, it's getting dark y'know. " Standing beside him now, she pointed up towards the sky. A genuine smile was presented on her face and she shivered again, her hair making little drops of cold water in all the wrong places. "Okay, I'm ready." Hands up by her face, knees apart and bent, hips moved to hold her weight properly. Her position summed up everything she learned today. That and flailing kicks were a good idea.

He thanked the earth for the shower of rain that poured down on them.  Sure he was cold, but it made wiping off the mud all that much easier.  He took a moment to scrape off some of the mud that clung to his chest, shoulders and abdomen.  When he was mostly clean, he felt something odd-tasting in his mouth, something that tasted a bit like metal.  Soon he found that it was blood and though his teeth remained solid, her kick had probably caused his lip to be cut back into his teeth.  Absorbing as much of the blood as he could into a wad of saliva, he turned his head and spat to the ground, then wiped his mouth and the corner of his lips with the back of his hand.  "I know," he said, nodding and continuing to clean his mouth.  "And a very good kick it was.  But don't get too cocky, or I'll knock you into next week."

He chuckled a little as a result and at the fact that her hair was just in a disorderly mess.  Of course he'd noticed the state of her clothing, but he merely cleared his throat nervously when she paled and shook her head.  Again he laughed, if only a little louder this time.  "I actually don't like wrestling much at all," he said bitterly.  "But it does train your body to deal under some rather uncomfortable positioning.  If you ever feel like you'd want to try it, I wouldn't mind to oblige you."  He took a few more steps back and rearranged his footing, just when he heard her say something.

"What?  My shirt?  Well, if you have a problem with it, you're more than welcome to take your shirt off as well.  There is nothing stopping you and you have nothing worth being ashamed of."  Hysaeda said this in all seriousness, obviously missing any hidden embarrassment she might have been harboring.  "Okay, here is the basic stance.  It is Juyo, beginner's stance.  You spread your feet evenly apart, you got that down.  Then you hold your hands to about your middle, not by your head like you have them now.  Keep your dominant hand forward so that you may respond with quick strikes if need be and keep your other hand close to your body to dodge or block when necessary."  Hysaeda stepped toward her to correct her positioning, pulling her arms down and in front of her mid-waist; pulling them gently forward, he angled her elbows so that they were slightly away from her body, then worked his hands to loosen her fists so that her hands were flat, with palms-facing down, relaxed not rigid.

"There, that's much better.  Now you're hands are ready.  There are few punches and kicks that are simple enough, but the more powerful ones are set in the third and fourth tiers which involve grappling and more maneuverability.  In Juyo, you don't thrust your fist forward to punch, you snap it, to make it as quick as possible and to get out of the way just as fast."  It was then that he launched his fist forward toward her face, but stopped just when he was but a hairsbreadth from her nose.  His knuckles were like daggers that would have impacted her face had he not withdrew his punch just as quickly.  The movement was meant to be so fast that she'd barely realize that there was something in front of her just before it was gone.  "Now try the same on me.  I'll try not to blink."

Well, he had that going for him. Wrestling taught you how to think when you have someone's face in a very odd place. That train of thought made Adalia's brain move to other things and she went bright red and stared down at the mud to get those images out of her mind. No no no. That was gross and wrong. Then her head snapped back to look at him, nothing worth being ashamed of?  Slowly Adalia looked down and covered her breasts with her hands before frowning at the mud.

Did he just tell her she had no tits?

Well, if she had no tits -Adalia thought she had a nice pair, but obviously she was a bad judge of that - she'd take the stupid muddy jacket off. Adalia did, she moved her hair to cover her chest and flung the messy jacket on a branch to let the rain soak it.  Under the blue half coat was a boring white t-shirt, the shoulders weren't wet yet but that would be fixed shortly.

Juyo. Okay. She blinked down and waited while he repositioned her arms, opened her fists. Well, this was an odd way of fighting. Always figuered there was some rhyme or reason for brawls, but it never occurred to her there was actual styles to kick peoples ass. Her heart skipped a beat when his fist came flying towards her face, her eyes widened and she twitched her arm to block it or flail but as soon as her mind reacted to what she saw and almost felt the hand was gone and she stared up at Hysaeda.

It was then that she realised just how easily he could kick her down. Tie her up. Drag her through the mud, but instead he was teaching her how to fight. Her own incompetence made him want to teach her how to fight. It was obvious then, who the better person was. Adalia thought she was being too nice just letting his hands go untied. She'd make it up to him later. Her face crumpled a little before she took a deep breath and fixed her stance. Okay. Try it. Adalia did try it, she snapped her fist out and back in quickly, not checking to make sure the distance was enough to not hit him.

Of course she wouldn't check, he thought grimly as he held his chin again.  "You're good, but you could be much better.  Unless you wanted to hit me."  His voice was throaty and he turned to the side to spit blood out of his mouth yet again.  "I'm going to have to sew the inside of my lip back together if you keep hitting my in the chin.  Just don't knock out any of my teeth and we'll be on good terms."  

He rubbed it generously, trying to get the soreness out in some manner before continuing on to the next lesson.  When numbness started to set in, he assumed the same pose that she made and said, "Okay, lesson number two.  Different ways to strike; number one is the fist, which you just did.  Number two is the palm, and number three is the elbow.  Use your palm to hit larger surfaces like the abdomen or the back of the head.  When you strike, put all your body behind your blow, twist with your hips and put all your heart and will into it.  That is one way to develop explosive power without having to exercise like a beast."

He spread out his hand and placed it firmly at the center of her belly and put pressure with the heel of his palm.  "That is the palm strike."  Then slowly demonstrated where his elbow would hit next to her jaw.  "The elbow strike, to the jaw or chin.  You may even use it to shatter your opponent's collarbone, a potentially deadly move.  Make sure to move your hips like I'm doing, watch, and move your body along with your elbow.  There are several weak points on sentient bodies, especially with humans.  First of all, there's the throat, then the center of your chest, between your breasts."  He felt his face burn a little, and forced himself not to look down.  "Then the spaces between your ribs.  Your legs have several weak spots, but I'll tell you those later.  Now do you think you know enough to fight with me?"

A gasp and her hands moved to her face. "I'm sorry!" It was his fault for standing so close! Guilt welled up her throat and she stared at him like a kicked puppy. Then he continued on his way and Adalia frowned, a little confused. Okay. Back to the lesson. Clearly soaked now, she watched him move, and then felt his hand on her stomach. In all honesty she didn't want it to leave. His hands might have been cold, but to her they felt like mini-heaters and Adalia was very cold now. Practically naked and suppressing shivers.

Then his hand left and she smoothed her hands down her front, picking the shirt off of her chest. Adalia followed the movements. Thrust her fist out. Palm. Elbow. Not hitting Hysaeda or trying to hit him, just to get used to the movements. It made her even more cold and she shook herself out a few times, sweeping her hair up off of her neck and wringing it out.

She took the position, hands at her middle, hands relaxed. Her teeth chattered for a moment and she quickly shook her head out and took a deep breath. "I won't be much of a fight, but I can try." A solemn nod and she pushed her hair behind her ears quickly. More mud. Yay. The worst part of this was that she knew the only thing she had to look forward to was to sit around a fire and shiver.

Now that he thought about it, he couldn't wait until this was over.  The rain was making everything all the more difficult, but he did his best to stay his temper and patience from rising by her 'accidental' hits.  Whether they really were accidents, he'd scoff at whatever reasoning she'd try to offer him.  Hysaeda would fight and fight like his life depended on it.  He wouldn't go easy on her just because she was a woman or a novice, but show her how it was done because that was the way thing were.

He watched her train a little bit, but kept his distance for his own sake.  He assumed the position, doing the same basic one she made and with his feet spread a little farther apart in case he might loose his balance.  He intended to keep himself out of the mud from now on.  No matter the rain, falling on your ass still hurt as getting hit in the chin repetitively did.

"Good," he breathed, not taking his eyes off of hers in the hopes that he could anticipate her first move.  "That is all that I ask of you.  Try, and don't quit, never quit.  Or it will be the end of you."  But instead of waiting for her to strike first, he went ahead and did a snap-punch to her gut, before going ahead and launching an elbow to her cheek.  "React on instinct!" he shouted, trying to keep his breathing stores high.

Okay, no quitting!

Adalia easily blocked the punch to her gut, but unfortunately an elbow collided with the side of her head and she stumbled, eyes rolling into the back of her head. Her arm shot out to regain her balance, the sheer will of not wanting to land in mud was keeping her up. Everything looked sort of blurry, her face drew into a distinctly displeased look at her hand grabbed for anything.

Instinct was telling her to sit down.

Hell no in the mud through.

Movements were sluggish and she couldn't really see details. She knew Hysaeda was Hysaeda because well, he was a large man. Her hands reached out, first at his chest and then grabbing his bicep as her forehead pressed against his chest, breathing deeply. Something was wrong and her head hurt, her fingers squeezed on his arms before they loosened their grip completely and Adalia's legs crumpled under her, falling backwards into the mud. It didn't count as quitting if your body shut down on its own!

It was a little like the world slowing down on you, though he was not the one that had received the brunt of the blows.  He was used to hitting harder surfaces, not that she wasn't adequately structured for a woman of her size, as he deemed, like trees and stone, so perhaps he was accustomed as well to putting all of his pressure into an object so that it collapsed beneath him.  She successfully parried his jab to her stomach, and it was that motion that he believed was too sluggish and it was obvious that he wouldn't get it in.

But it seemed that she had little sense to expect a follow up blow to her head.  His elbow came in at an angle, colliding with her cheek that made her skin jiggle in the aftershock.  That was funny, she looked like it was too much for her.  Her eyes rolled back into her head and her hands flailed out as if they were reaching out for something.  He resisted the instinct to grab her to keep her from falling. Instead he just watched, stepping back as if he expected her to regain herself and come back at him, or thinking that the whole dizzy scheme was a distraction attempt.

It didn't take long for her to come tumbling forward at him, grabbing at him desperately.  He gasped in surprise.  "Damn!  I didn't think I hit you that hard!"  He didn't think she heard that either.  The rain made his body slippery and soon enough she was on the ground, her body splashing in the mud.  Then real-speed returned.  "Wow...you fainted," he stared at her blankly.  Kneeling down beside her, he didn't think it was right to leave her out here to drown in the rain, so he propped up her body and lifted her up into his arms, angling her oddly as she was a small woman.

He ducked and shifted into the dryness of the tent.  The fire was dying low, so, without so much as having to concentrate, he simply threw more of the fuel on there instead of summoning magic.  Drat, well, she'd be pretty useless if she got sick, so the first thing to do was to get her out of those wet clothes.  Hysaeda cringed at the thought.  Lord Umbra knew that getting them off her would only be half the battle; the other?  Well, that involved not getting murdered when she woke up and found out he had undressed her.  He took a few more moments to contemplate before summoning up the will and tossing away his disgust; quickly his hands went to work.  He reached down and pushed her muddy shirt up, and just when he got to her chest, his face burned all over again despite being drenched in water.

Swallowing hard, he proceeded to push it over her head, careful not to even grace them in anyway....Not that they weren't nice.  It was okay to think they were nice, right?  Crap!  What the hell was he thinking!?  Get her undressed! his mind raged.  "Right!  Dammit...why did you have to faint?  I couldn't possibly have hit you that hard."  And without hesitating about it, he took off the rest of her clothing, finishing with peeling off her stockings.  Then started to rub her body back to feeling, staring with her arms and so on.  "C'mon, wake up..."

Well, at least there wasn't anymore rain on her. Still cold though. Sort of felt... Naked. Frowning she moved the arm that didn't have something strange rubbing it to her chest. One hand pressed against a naked breast and she frowned before pursing her lips and moving her hand down patting at her hips. Nope, no clothing. Adalia would have cared if she hadn't been planning on undressing as soon as they were out of the rain. Maybe she did it herself.

Was the hell was rubbing her arm?

A frown and she tried to open an eye. It only half worked. Adalia paused for a moment, trying to feel where the movement was coming from. Must be whats-his-name. The Drow-that-wasn't-a-Drow. Hysaeda. Nope. Wasn't getting raped. Her arm felt nice though. Half instinct, half the urge to have something warm where it counted made her move towards the hands and she recalled some words she heard probably a few minutes ago "Did so hit me hard. 'M cheek hurts." Adalia mumbed before taking his arms and wrapping them around her torso so she could squish herself against his chest, it was mostly cold which bugged her, but soon enough the skin was warm and she cuddled closer.

Dazed still, it took her a moment and a few minutes worth of hugging to realise what she was doing. Once she did, there was bright red cheeks and she jerked away quickly with her hands up. "I'm sorry!" Well, that sure gave him an eyefull. The hands were crossed over her chest and she went even more red and curled up, a leg up, one crossed. Looking like a pretzel she quickly turned away from him. "Um. There are some blankets in the saddlebags." She pointed towards the saddle bags to the side with a finger and quickly looked away.

While she wanted to scream and rage at him because how day he take off her clothing to keep her from getting ill... It didn't make sense. So she kept her humiliation to herself and hoped he'd get the blankets. Couldn't be like those cool warrior girls who had no trouble being naked in front of a man. Or a woman of the night. Adalia went another shade of red at that thought and ducked her head, chewing on her lip.  Nope, a lady of the night wouldn't have any trouble being naked in front of a man. Or anyone.

Looked like the first person to see her completely naked was a heathen after all.

Well, he didn't exactly mean what he said.  He didn't really want to wake up even though he was warming her up.  He saw how she had reacted when he kissed her, and nearly went apeshit on him when he grabbed her boobs out of sheer instinct on the horse.  It seemed that he had a bad habit of groping her at the least opportune moments.  He'd really have to stop doing that, or at least not do it while she was awake. Wait, what?  No!  He meant he's just stop altogether, not molest her or something.  He wasn't like that!

Hysaeda closed his eyes and just kept rubbing at her limbs, bringing the feeling back into them.  He moved quickly, finishing one arm in no time just as she began to stir, then moved on to the other.  Oh dear Umbra, she was waking up!  His eyes widened and he hurried, just knowing a slap was coming to him when she opened her eyes.  Shit, shit shit!  He paused just as he felt her fingers starting to twitch.  Damn the gods, here it comes!  Wait...what was this?  Was she doing what he was sure he thought she was doing?

At first it was just his hands.  Well, she was kind of woozy, so he could understand that.  But what in the world possessed her to hug him.  Hysaeda blinked stupidly, too mortified and doubly horrified to do anything about that.  Like a rag doll, he was yanked down on her as she nuzzled her face into his faintly damp chest.  Eyes still wide, he found himself muttering, "I guess I hit you harder than I thought," though he hoped she didn't hear anything.

Apparently, she did because the next thing he knew, she flung herself away, face as red as a sunburn (though he would probably never know what that was like), and curled up with her limbs all jagged and whatnot.  And still he was just as surprised as she was and was still taking in the whole hugging moment thing.  Like an idiot, it was all taking a while to register.  "Sorry?" he began, coming too for now.  "Oh...oh yeah!  You better be sorry.  That's not a very nice thing to do, you know.  I was just trying to help you out.  But...er, just keep your panti—"  That's right, she wasn't wearing any.  "I mean, just hold on and relax.  It's not like I haven't seen a naked woman before."  And shifted to her bags to get the blanket she requested.  Bringing it to her, he sighed a little wondering just what she might have done if he'd undressed completely too.

Well, at least she didn't kick his ass...yet.

Adalia looked up and her face fell. "Did I hit you again?" It was a geniune question, her eyebrows were drawn together, her face in a semi-pout. Already busted the inside of his lip twice. "I'm sorry I kept hitting you in the chin." Adalia sat up and rubbed her sides, taking a deep breath and making sure the important bits were covered.  At his declaration that he'd seen naked women before - probably seen more than Adalia's dared look down at herself - she gave a small 'okay' and opened her arms out for the blanket and quickly took it, shuffling away a little gently before standing up and using the blanket to sit and curl up in.

It was then that her teeth began to chatter, her hair still dripping. "That was a b-b-brilliant idea, R-r-r-rogue." The side of her face where he elbowed her was throbbing and she moved a hand to gently rub it, "Lets f-f-f-ight out in the rain." Screw the pants. Adalia held a hand out to the fire, fingers twitching, willing it to grow slightly. Then she stopped. "There's an-n-nother blanket. You should," Adalia could feel her cheeks heat up and she quickly turned her face away, lifting a hand for good measure, "Get out of the wet clothes. It would be bad if you got sick, even though this was your stupid idea"

Now she felt extra horrible, that was the only stuff he had. She didn't give him a chance to get his things. What did he leave behind? At least she had pants in the saddle bags, wouldn't put those on until she had some semblance of warmth besides the arm he'd rubbed. Most of her leg showed, but that didn't bother her because the fire was there to keep her warm. Back was covered, the important parts were out of sight.  Her hand moved to her cheek again and she rubbed it, her tongue prodding the inside by her teeth, she found a gash but it wasn't bleeding. Must have swallowed it all while she was passed out. "You can't count that as quitting. I didn't want to faint."

Sitting there trying not to blush or embarrass himself anymore than he already did, though she was the one that flushing red already, Hysaeda rubbed his hands together to occupy himself.  The blood flowing back into his fingertips where he worked them raw when he massaged her arms back to feeling.  Without looking at her, he replied, "Um, no, you didn't.  Thought you could have anytime if you wanted too.  But it seemed you wanted to be a little more physical than that."  He smirked now, hoping to pin the whole thing on her.

When he heard her teeth chattering, shivering from the cold and manipulating the flames idly with her fingertips, he glanced at her, then said as he wiped off excess water that still lingered on his arms.  "Actually I thought it was a pretty good one.  Get some exercise aside from just sitting around on our asses.  I don't know, but I like physical activity every now and then.  Training; you should never let your body rest unless you're sleeping...or dead."  He didn't have much more to say on that.  "Tomorrow, the lessons will get harder.  Be prepared to be thrown into the dirt.  But don't fret now, now just stay warm and get some rest.  The rain's really coming down hard, eh?"

Hysaeda chuckled lightly at something at amused him.  His hands started to feel better and he wiped the stray dirt off his soaked pants, he almost didn't hear her second to last statement.  And his face paled a little despite his dark skin, but he'd never let her have the pleasure of seeing it.  She was turned away anyway.  "You have a point," he muttered.  First he took off his boots, unlacing the top then unwrapping them on the front before loosening them and tossing them to the side.  Then he stood up, untied his pants, then pulled them down slowly.  He made sure to turn away, knowing that her seeing his front (again) would only cause more lashing remarks from her.  But he wasn't so sure he wanted a blanket.

He wiped his hands over his butt, swiping off the moisture that collected from the hide of his pants.  "I didn't say anything about quitting," he said, leaning down to dig through her saddle bags to pull out the second blanket.  But he didn't wrap himself just yet, but took some time to stretch out and inspect the cloth, making sure that nothing inconspicuous crawled in there.  "You fainted because you weren't used to the pain, I'm guessing.  That's okay, I can get you used to pain."  And still took his time about covering up.

Wanted to be a little more physical. "It was just a damn hug!" From what she could remember. He was warmer than her, she had been cold. It made sense! Still, she was embarrassed, letting herself do that without thinking. He was still a stranger! That wasn't ladylike behaviour at all! Adalia noisily scoffed at his 'good idea'. Her head snapped up and she glared at his back before turning away again. Thrown into the dirt! What a bastard!

A quiet noise and Adalia sighed, growing bored. What was taking him so long? Taking the blanket, she stood up and side stepped, still not looking at him holding it over her shoulders . "What's taking you s—" Her foot fell down onto the blanket and it pulled her forward, her stance was already wobbly after taking the elbow to the head.

The blanket fell first, then her forehead smacked against a broad back and quickly her arms wrapped around his middle, one hand on his chest, the other smooshed against his lower belly. Her face and the top of her chest was pressed against his back. Adalia could feel an entire body blush growing and because she wasn't all that keen on falling on her face she held on tight. "Um." She swallowed and burried her face into his back. "I think I did that physical contact thing. Can you back up a little? If I move I'm going to face plant into the ground." Her breath was hot against his back and she tightend her grip. Don't turn around. Don't turn around.

He was just about finishing beating out the dust in the blanket and the bugcheck when he heard her address him.  Then something slammed into his back.  The blanket in his hand half-cushioned his own half-stumble forward.  Hysaeda caught himself just in time before he got a full taste of the ground, but apparently, he hadn't yet noticed that she was practically chained to his back, with her arms locked around his waist and hips.  It was only then when he looked down at her hands and exactly how close the latter one was near his parts below, did his eyes widen and nearly flew into a rage.

"What, are you drunk or something?!  I mean, do you have to be so handsy!?  Gods!  Did you want another hug so badly!?"  The questions were meant as rhetorical but chances where they wouldn't end up that way.  Then he turned around, too busy getting her away from him to notice that he was still stark naked in front of her.

He grabbed her hands first before wrenching them off and nearly shoving her back to the other side.  But he reached out in time, grabbing her shoulders to keep her steady as she still seemed inadequately wobbly despite herself.  "What's wrong with you?" He muttered, putting his hands on her hips and looking at her sternly.

It all happened a little fast and while her brain was digesting his angry words he spun around - Adalia was staring up thank the gods - and put his hands everywhere! Well, not everywhere, but her shoulders, then the rested on her hips. Now she was just angry at him, her face hurt and everything was all his damn fault. "I don't want another damn hug! I tripped, sorry for landing on you!" Her hands were balled into fists at her side and the fact she was naked was out the window when he asked what was wrong with her.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me!?" Her hands went to his wrists and pulled them off of her while she starting to poke him in the chest, angry now " I'll tell you what's wrong with me. My life sucks, I hate to babysit a stupid heathen who doesn't know how to keep his dirty hands to himself. First you kiss me, then you undress me - I know you did it. Don't know how, but I know you did I'm not completely stupid and I saw what you did with that stupid fire -" Adalia stopped poking him in the chest to put her own hands on her hips, fuming.

"Then, you decide it would be a good idea to teach me how to fight in the rain." Her hands were back down and balled into fists and she took a deep breath, "And now I'm cold and wet and naked and it's all your damn fault. That's what's wrong with me!" Adalia took a half step forward and because she could, she flung a fist at his chin.

All he asked was a simple question regarding her problems, like, for instance, her clumsiness, and chronic need to touch naked men.  He couldn't blame her that much for the latter, she was a woman after all.  But still, there was a little thing as tact and it was her decision to come to his side of the tent anyway.  But just was he was about to cool off, feeling his temper quickly fade with the same speed in which it arose.  He was certainly taken aback though by her own sudden burst of anger.

Her poke in the chest certainly hurt a bit, and he just thanked that she wasn't wearing those damn gloves of hers.  "Hey! Now wait a goddamned minute!  I was trying to help you!  First of all, you look like you need a damn kiss, and I don't know how you got undressed, I was tied the whole time."  The guilt from the lie had yet to set in, even now.  "And secondly, you need to learn how to defend yourself.  Face it, without me, you'd die out here in the forest.  But now at least you have a little sense of self, don't you?

"And what, you're suddenly afraid of a little rain?  I helped you in this is how you repay –"  But he paused, he had to say that he saw that coming.  Her fist was in fine distance from his face, ready to make contact with his chin and expose a cut along his flesh, yet his opposing hand caught her by the wrist just in time, yanking it to the other side.  "Don't do that!  That hurts, damn woman!  I'll tell you what you're problem is, you're just a pretentious bitch, and that's just your fault!"  He wondered if it would be okay to hit her again...maybe knocking her out would be the best for the both of them.  But as long as her other fist didn't fly in his direction, he would refrain from knocking her lights out for as long as possible.

Knuckles were white and she glared for all she was worth. She was surprised when he caught her wrist and she tugged at it a few times before giving up and snarling at him, "How does someone look like they need a damn kiss! And you're a liar! They were tied! Corsets don't just undo themselves!" Adalia tugged at her hand again and took a deep breath, "I can defend myself. Just because I don't live up here doesn't mean I can't survive!"

Positively fuming she glared up at him when he called her a bitch. "You didn't help me with anything! You elbowed me in the face! You keep calling me woman instead of my damn name! And I may be a pretentious bitch, but you're an insufferable bastard!" Her voice rose and tears of frustration and anger rimmed her eyes but she didn't stop there, oh no.  Adalia's free hand balled into a fist and it went flying to his face again. Screw him! She hoped he got his head chopped off for being such an asshole!

(Short! ): )

He'd bring down the heavens with his rage!  He'd shock her until her charred corpse wasn't recognizable to anyone!  He'd summon the spirit of his god, himself, to reap horrible vengeance on her until she learned her lesson.  Yet there was the thought that she would never learn her lesson.  She'd just keep wanting to piss him off over and over again.  He didn't mean to call her bitch, but he wasn't about to let himself get hit again just when his chin was starting to bruise.

Hysaeda was just about to let her go when her other fist came flying at him and made him see stars.  Yes, his eye would probably be bruised in the morning.  He was flung to the side but didn't let go of her wrist, instead he gripped it harder and wrenched her other wrist as well in clear frustration.  He should throw her out in the rain for that!  He built this tent after all!  But instead, the anger, getting the better of him and not willing to risk letting her hands go, he launched his head forward and headbutted her square in the skull.  "There, that ought to make you limp!"

After that he dropped her, then plopped himself down onto the ground.  He didn't want to move her, touching her was the last thing he wanted to do, next to covering her with slime and feces and sending her down the river.  But he couldn't do that right now, the rain was not calming anymore than his temper was, but he could let it go.  He grabbed the blanket that was to be his before she tried to rape him, wrapped himself in it, then proceeded to sleep.  The night quickly passed and turned to day.  He knew she needed to relax.  By tomorrow...he knew the perfect way.

Limp was a good word for it. Thought the best way to describe it would have been 'fall like a badly made wall of bricks.' Her head hit the ground harshly, and luckly for her she didn't fall in any sort of strange display of her parts. Before she completely let herself pass out she curled up into a fetal position and froze there until morning.

Everything ached. She was numb and cold. Her cheek was puffed up and the skin was bruised. The fact she was naked didn't alarm her like it should have, her legs were together - a good sign -. Head throbbed though. Blurry eyes, Adalia pressed a hand to her head and pulled it away just as quickly when it hurt to touch. Her knuckles her. The opal haired woman gave a quiet whimper and her face crumpled slightly.

What the hell.

She took a moment to listen, no rain. That meant it was nice out... Or at least not raining. Where was Atras? Bright green eyes stared at nothing before her vision began to clear. Where had Hysaeda gone? Why did everything have to hit her in the head? The tree root when she fell, his elbow, his forehead, the ground when she fell after his forehead hit it.  Another whimper and she gently put her hand to the other side of her head. With great effort and noise, Adalia sat up, sitting with her legs folded nicely under her.

Forget being naked, where the hell had her prisoner gone? Because she was slightly freaked out that maybe, just maybe, he'd run away Adalia quickly got up took a few steps and gently lowered herself back to the ground, leaning forward with her hands on the ground. Dizzy. Shaking her head gently she looked up slowly, careful not too move to fast or she'd probably fall over. Vision went blurry again "Hysaeda?" A note of panic in her voice. "Are you here?"

Blows to the head could often be like that.  Hysaeda had experienced more than his fair share during his younger years, not that he wasn't still quite young for an Umbraeon, but the fact remained that his head had been bashed several times.  He knew what it was like to wake up dizzy as if he'd been drinking scravat all night.  The herbal drink was notorious for nasty hangovers worse than those offered by the beers and ales that were popular in the human kingdom.  So it was this comforting thought that motivated him to get up early and sneak out of the tent.  He wasn't exactly running away, because well, that would be odd dashing through the forest completely naked with nothing but a blanket to cover him.  His pants weren't dry yet, and the first thing he did was hang them on a branch.  He took the opportunity to dry her clothes as well, knowing she'd probably like to be dressed when she came to.

And still the guilt about hitting her had yet to crawl upon him, even as he resided off to the side in a crouched position, the ends of the blanket around his waist hiked up to keep out of the still moist ground.  He didn't feel bad because she deserved everything she got, and he hated her guts.  If he was a depraved murderer and maniac, he might have even got a little pleasure out of ruining her night and pleasant morning.  A blow to the head sure...but drinking the scravat he was cooking up would knock her out for days if she drank too much.  But how could he get her to drink it...?  Well, he'd worry about that when the serum was finished.

Hysaeda stirred the herbs that boiled in a container he found lost nearby.  Maybe a caravan had come through here and dropped it; whatever the reason, it was coming in handy.  Now only if he had some of that old rope he made.  Ah, there was strip.  He dunked it in the container, something that resembled a helmet maybe and was heated by a small fire he quickly threw together.  He breathed into the flame, willing it to strengthen and leap up into the pot.  It nearly engulfed the whole thing when the voice of that woman interrupted his concentration.  Crap, what did she want now?

But he didn't even look in her direction when he began speaking, stirring the various herbs and plants that went into it.  "I'm over here, Adalia.  And your beast is grazing on the other side.  I'm sure you were wondering if I'd run off?  No, I'm cooking, that is all."  Yeah....he was "cooking."

Relief washed over her and she let her head flop forward, eyes closed. Well that was good. There would be no end to the amount of shit she would be in if he ran away. Adalia would be sure to never mention that, she was sure he would run far, far away just to get her into mounds of trouble. A deep breath and she grabbed at the other blanket blindly, frowning at how cold she was. How cold it was. Stupid blanket.

Pulling it around her shoulders anyway, she dug through the saddle bags for the extra pair of pants. Riding pants. Normally she'd be a little shy about wearing these, even if her normal outfit showed off most of her legs, this was different somehow. Normally she would be shy, but considering he'd seen her naked and pulled off her clothes it was stupid to be shy now. Fighting in vain to keep the blush off her face she quickly tugged on the pants and pulled the blanket over her shoulders.

Well, now she did feel like a bitch. Green eyes stared at the clothes that were hanging to dry. She punched him in the face because he called her a bitch and her clothes were still hung up. He may not have been feeling guilty, but Adalia sure was. It hung in her chest, under her ribs, made her duck her head as she wobbled and walked slowly to stand behind Hysaeda before carefully sitting down on her knees, not really careing if she got the pants a little wet.

Making sure the blanket was covering her chest she kept her head down and licked her lips before taking a deep breath. "I apologise for hitting you. I..." She knew she was about to start another fight, she picked at grass idly head still down. "You're the first person I have ever met that has infuriated me so much. I dealt with that badly. I'm not asking for you to forgive me, I just wanted to let you know that I regret my actions and... Thank you for teaching me... uh... Juyo." Clearing her throat she lifted her head and pressed another hand to her face, "Am I bruised...? "

Oh right, cooking.

"What are you cooking?"

Hysaeda heard her shuffling by the tent, probably dressing or something, he thought, but he still refused to look in her direction.  If she was coming so be it, but he wouldn't let her see what he was doing just yet.  He crouched his form a little further to the ground and shifted so that his broad back blocked the pot from her view.  He kept stirring, letting the flame get a little stronger then summoning it back to rest.  A few more motions like that and the mixture would finish cooking for a while.  Then in a few hours it would have to be enclosed without contact for daylight for at least ten hours.  He'd have to work it a little more before it was ready to drink.

Hearing her come closer, he flexed his ears back and then relaxed them before nodding in acknowledgement to her presence.  He listened to her, determined to be silent until she was done wagging her jaw.  He sniffed unpleasantly here and there, then concentrated still on adding the rest of the herbs that were beside him.  "Don't apologize," he began.  "There's nothing to be sorry for.  You had every right to hit me, just know that with that in mind, I have every right to hit back.  Don't forgive me and I won't forgive you.  Whatever ill will you harbor for me, you will have a chance to relinquish it when we train again today.  Today I will teach you kicking and combinations.  Then, if there is time, I will teach you grappling and throwing.  Just the basics, Juyo is not very complicated and even the youngest of my kind can learn it with efficiency."

She made some other noises, but he didn't hear them.  Something about a bruise was it?  He still wasn't convinced that he struck her hard enough to bruise her.  But he turned around and inspected her face a little bit.  "Just a few scratches," he muttered.  "Nothing dreadfully serious.  Just wait until tonight, then you'll have some bruises to whine about."  Still, he continued to stir.  "I'm making a serum.  You see those herbs I was putting in the pot?  I found those around here.  It will be a long time before it's ready, but I assure it is very good for you.  Would you like to try some when it is finished?"

Freaky. His ears could move. It was tempting to reach out and poke one. Adalia stared at them while he stirred his pot of Weird Elf Potion. Why did this big jerk always have to say things she didn't expect? Don't apologise? What the hell? Why not? Probably so he wouldn't feel inclined to apologise. "I had no right to hit you. I had a temper tantrum and I had no right to hit you. I still think you're a stupid oaf, don't worry, but I understand why you hit me back. You didn't do anything that I would have to forgive. You've already gone past my opinion of you, the very fact that you didn't take advantage of... The position we were in last night has already made you better than most men."

Adalia gave a soft nod, and it made her angry because it was true. She had been completely passed out and naked and instead of being a total right asshole and putting that situation to his good use... He just went to sleep. At least Adalia was sure he did, would she notice if something like that happened? A distinct pout pulled at her lips and her hand moved to gently poke at her face before eyeing his own mouth. His chin. His eye. Adalia didn't lean to look, but she did briefly wonder if anything on his face ached too.

Maybe he got hit a lot and was used to it. "It wasn't a whine. I didn't whine about it. I was asking a question." A disgruntled huff and she glared off to the side and was about to get up to get them breakfast - jerky, surprise, surprise. - when he finally told her what the hell he was making. Of course he found them around here. A quick roll of her eyes and she listened, standing now, one hand on her hip and the other crossed over her chest. Try some? Making a face she looked off to the side before giving a shrug he probably wouldn't see. "Um... Sure." For all she knew it was poison.

A fitting end.

Adalia got up then, wandered back to the saddle bag that held the bits of food. Tempted for a moment to just grab her own but she grabbed two and wandered back towards Hysaeda, standing behind him and holding it beside his head and wiggled it. "Hungry? I know it tastes like shoe leather covered in salt but you should eat something besides your plants."

He was just finishing up his stirring.  Not that he didn't like a good verbal thrashing every now and again, he wasn't really in the mood.  When he cooked, he was normally at peace and the smell of all the ingredients all coming together to a single end.  To be honest, he usually carried a good sized pint of scravat with him in a leather drinking pouch in his bag.  But, well, his bag wasn't with him right now, and this was the next best substitute.  He wouldn't be consuming this right now that it wasn't ready anyway.  He's store it in the pot until the next day.

Yes, his face throbbed, but he wasn't going to tell her that.  He was used to getting wailed on, at least when he was a kid.  He avoided getting hit as many times as he could, but the bruise on his chin was partly visible with a purplish hue that tinged his chin.  There was a little swelling around his eye, but nothing too noticeable.  When he'd awakened, he caked some ice cold mud around it, cooling the swelling down severely, not it just looked like he didn't get enough sleep in that one eye.  Still, his plans for revenge were more prolonged than he'd like them to be.

He put the twig he'd been using away and would let his mixture thicken for the time being.  It was then that she wiggled the jerky at him.  Turning to look over his shoulder, he glared at her for a moment and then proceeded to snatch it from her.  "How much of this stuff do you have?" he wondered, standing full length now and also wondering if his pants were dry yet.  It wouldn't do to train naked; she might get the wrong idea all over again.  But he chewed thoughtfully on the meat, slicing it with his sharpened teeth and downing it as if it had no flavor.  "The serum won't be ready until tomorrow though; you'll have a taste then."

Something moved...but it wasn't her.  What the?  Eyeing the treeline oddly, he looked over his shoulder and thought it was her horse, but no...the beast's hulking from was on the other side by the tent.  "Hey," he whispered to her.  "What is that over there?"

"You don't listen do you." Adalia chewed some of her own before sighing and crossing one arm over her chest. "A few days worth. I won't have to go find fresh meat until we run out, which we probably will." Her face went dark and she leered at him, "Because someone decided we're staying here for today."  A nod and she rubbed finished off her portion of food and licked her lips, pulling the blanket tighter to her body.

"Hysaeda, you really should tell me before you decide we're going to stay parked for the day. " She sighed and moved her hand through her hair, fingers pulling harshly at the knots and tangles of the opal hair, "If we're not back they'll send out a search party and they'll likely kill you. Just a wa–" Why the hell was he whispering of all things?

Adalia didn't get the hint, so she plunked her hands on her hips and looked around, blinking owlishly and looking towards... Where he was watching. Frowning. "What is what over where?" Tapping her foot against the ground she looked around again and then huffed. "Why are you whispering?"

(SHORT D8 sorries )

"Shhh!" he shushed fiercely.  "Just hold on, I hear something...someone over there by the trees.  Stay quiet and get over here."  He didn't even ask when he grabbed her empty hand and yanked her off to the side.  But he didn't prolong the contact (touching her still made him sick) and crouched off to the side.  And soon enough he heard another shifting about, the cracking of a twig and as he turned around he saw a black shadow move across the space between bushes.

"Kavita!" Hysaeda whispered harshly and backed up further into the bushes.  "Back up, hide.  We're being watched."  And then he saw three of the figures, clad in an unprofessional array of leather armors, finally emerge from their spots when they thought there was no one around.  But something moved around him that he failed to catch and before he knew it a club was about to come down on his head.

"They're here!" One of them yelled in a gruff voice that hurt his ears.

Immediately, instinct over took him and his arms flew up to catch the weapon.  He held onto it with a vice grip, but the brute was huge, almost bigger than him and flung him while he held onto the club and out he flew from the bushes, rolling on the now hardened dirt.  Hysaeda now saw all five them as they came out of the brush, surrounding them.  "Adalia!  Get your ass out of there!"

The brute that flung Hysaeda now turned his attention to the girl and snarled with black teeth at her.  "Well, hello, hello deary.  What have we here?"

The shush made her heart skip a beat, her face grew pink and she looked worried towards Hysaeda. She had to keep her self from meeping when he yanked her to the side, a moment of cursing him for having warm hands and then the fear sunk in. When the umbraeon told her they were being watched she stared at the side of his head before looking forward. Watched? Did things have to keep getting worse?

Apparently.

Hide? Must have been before they were naked. Couldn't exactly ward off attackers with her tits hanging out. Oh shit. Quickly she tied the blanket around her top, under her arms, tucking the bottoms into her pants as her breath quickened and fear made her heart beat faster. She jumped and turned towards the noise that grated on her nerves. They're here. That didn't sound good.

Before she could fully react there was a scuffle and Hysaeda was thrown from her side and she stared in horror. If this person could throw Hysaeda. It never occured to her how safe she felt before, she'd been intimidated by the umbraeon, but safe. The surge of terror in her gut made her breath quicken and she quickly took a few steps backwards, hands out to keep her balance. Out of there? Where the hell would she go.

The only difference between now and before was that she was basically naked. Still had magic, knew how to punch people in the chin, so she carefully backed up, one hand behind her as she glared at the person who just addressed her. "What do we have here?" She repeated, carefully holding her hand at her side while the other was held at her middle, palm down, hand loose.

"Well, for one, you stink, your breath stinks and you're likely as smart as a sack of rocks." Slowly she lifted her hand, showing him the swirling ball of air, glaring. "We may not look armed and if you leave peacefully we won't have to kill you." Could punch one in the face. Elbow them somewhere. Adalia didn't think Hysaeda's lesson would pay off so quickly, she'd have to say thank you again.

It didn't occur to that she might have made things worse, she did know that if she had to kill these gross bandits she would.

Immediately he scrambled to his feet, taking three seconds to knot the end of the blanket tighter around his waist.  And in that three seconds, one of the bandits, a smaller woman with a short axe that had a spearhead tied to the end of it, came charging at Hysaeda.  By the time he was finished, he already had the edge of the weapon coming at him.  He wasn't going to waste time with negotiations; kill or be killed was the basis for all Umbraeon diplomacy, and he was certain it was them that were going to die, not him.

Hysaeda jumped back from the axe-spear thing she had, but she feinted viciously and caught him along the arm in a small slash that might have otherwise severed his bicep tendon.  "Whoa, shit!"  And he took three steps back, quickly rendering the woman when she thrust her weapon at him in a second attempt.  He caught the spear tip and reversed the force of it, striking her several times in the gut with the handle.  Off to the side, he saw the previous brute take several steps toward Adalia.  "It's time to put what you learned to good use, woman!"

And the brute quickly launched his club at Adalia's head in an overhand strike, ready to break through any guard she might put up.

"Dodge!  Go for the gut!"  But that moment of distraction set the woman he was wrestling the ax with enough time to take out her dagger.  She dropped her old weapon and instead came at him with the blade.  He launched out with his fist and dropped her after dodging several slashes aimed at his own guts.  Anger filled him, brimming over and spilling into the sea that drove his need for survival.  He quickly disarmed her, before plunging the dagger deep through her armor and into her left breast.  A little blood squirted out and splattered his face, but the snarl that over came his features and the satisfaction of the death of his enemy.  Adrenaline filled him now and his sight burned red, his amber eyes practically on fire.

Hysaeda watched as the other three bandits closed in on Adalia.  Driven not by a need to protect, but to kill, he dashed forward, covering ground almost superhumanly and he jumped upward, high enough to knee the largest one in the back of the head.  His mind could not concentrate long enough to summon the ground to open up beneath these heathens.  The man was thrown off to the side, eyes rolling back and dizzying as if he'd been hit with a tree, and he dropped his club.

The brute charged to his feet and toward Hysaeda just as one more of them left the last two to deal with Adalia.  The odds were two to one each.  Hysaeda backed up looking around him, watching the brute and a smaller bandit close in.

Well, that was off.

The ball of air in her hand slowly gained more speed, her fingers curling around it. Enough time and it would have enough force behind it that when aimed correctly it could take off the top of someones head. Only when aimed correctly though. She would have to be careful. She didn't notice the club swinging for her but with his words, she reacted instantly. Jumping to the side, she quickly moved forward and elbowed him in the gut, moving past him to breath more life into the growing ball of air.

Apparently that was the wrong move, because now she was surrounded. Her hand went back slightly, ready to throw the ball at them, enough to daze them so she could get away, maybe knock one out. She may not have had the finesse with her magic to create blades with air, but she knew how to make it act like a bullet. Adalia hissed as blood dripped down her fingers, the ball of air having opened the wound on her palm when she dove for the dagger earlier the day before.

Didn't have to throw it though. Sort of like a bat out of hell she saw Hysaeda knee one of them in the head - Adalia forgot herself and she stared. Two left. Panting softly, looking between them, she felt her arm grow tired at holding back the powerful ball of air. Almost felt like her fingers were breaking, the blood dripped to the ground, landing on the leaves audibly as she took a few steps back while they drew towards her.

One of them needed to open his big stupid mouth.

There.

The taller of the pair opened his mouth, probably to say something disgusting and lewd, she saw how he eyed her top. Fear made her move quickly, practice aided in her accuracy, and when she threw the ball it hit him in the head, half of it going into his mouth. The force of the tight ball of air expanding inside his mouth made half his head explode, still connected by a hunk of flesh on the other side as he slumped down and a rain of blood fell on both Adalia and the other bandit.

It would sink in later, just what she did. What she could do to other people.

He stared at his fallen friend a moment before he gave a scream of rage and charged at her, a small dagger out ready to jam it into her middle. Green eyes went wide at the dagger. Well shit, Hysaeda never taught her anything about dodging sharp things. Magic she could work with. Physical stuff wasn't her forte.  It would take too long to get another compacted ball of air to blow this ones head off, taking her sweet time thinking and the man jumped forward, he was a good head taller than her.

Instead of dodging properly, she moved sloppily to the side and the sting of dagger was horrible. A noisy cry of pain left her lips and she stared at her side, panting softly fingers twitching and quickly pulling the dagger out. It literally got her side, nothing dangerous - except for the fact that the dagger was disgusting and probably lead to infection. What the hell was she supposed to do now. With the dagger in hand she kept backing up, ignoring when she stepped on something sharp or almost tripping over his dead friends body. Adalia wanted to see how Hysaeda was doing, but she knew that if she looked away from the one following her slowly would probably steal back his dagger and jab it into her throat. Just to make sure he was alive, she pulled in breath, "Hysaeda! Are you okay?"

"Whoa!"  Hysaeda performed a rolling dodge just in time to miss getting knocked to the side again as he'd done on his first encounter with the brute sized bastard.  "GAH! SHIT!  How do you think I'm doing!?" he yelled frustratedly as he was tackled.  Landing hard with his back to the ground, the wind was nearly knocked out of him, but he worked his legs underneath him and launched them hard into the chest of his attacker, the smaller man being sent flying in the opposite direction of the kick.  Hysaeda rolled to his feet as swiftly as possible and assumed the seventh tier of battle, the final and most advanced one that nearly didn't incorporate an upper guard at all.  He knew that Adalia would be alright.  He just hoped she would stop trying to distract him.

Rolling again, he parried another blow and leapt to knee the brute once more in the head.  In a fury, the motion of his legs quickened and it wasn't long before he disarmed the clumsy movements of the oaf that swung again and again.  But that wasn't enough, his enemy was on the ground, yet he was still able.  And it was then that he cried out as he smashed his right foot into his knees and wrapped his elbow around his neck in a chokehold.  The adrenaline was still very much alive in him, purging all his inhibitions, all his weaknesses until he heard a snap of a neck breaking beneath his hold.

With the brute finished, Hsyaeda went back for the smaller man that attempted to pin him, and, grabbing the nearest weapon, the discarded ax-spear, plunged it deeply into his head.  His actions were done without thought or regard, without passion but anger; he fought with the will to survive, one that drove that current in every Umbraeon since the first.  It was like being blinded by rage, and yet he was conscious during every motion he performed, even the final burying of the axe into the bandit's chest, ensuring his demise.  Blood had made a fine mess around him, covering most of his arms, part of his face and chest.  The fury of the storm in him was carefully passing as the battle was coming to a close, and not a thought on Adalia even crossed his mind.

Well, he was talking. That was good. Unlike a certian dark-skinned somebody, Adalia was more than able to think of things while trying not to die.  The chance was small now, she had his only weapon, he saw what she did to his friend. A desperate lunge for his dagger, he'd gotten foolish. Quick look towards his friends, dead. Rage filled the bandits eyes and he gave a cry before moving towards her he got the dagger, but he fell onto his back and Adalia quickly took advantage of that.

The dagger went into her thigh but she quickly kneeled on his arms and grabbed his mouth, his teeth bit down hard enough to break the skin and she hissed before she felt her hand heating up. Without the gloves and gauntlets to channel it she could feel her fingers burn but she quickly and gently for the situation blew air. It would do to his insides what it did to the stick, slowly heat it, light it on fire. She could feel his torso getting hot, his fingers clawing at her legs his mouth opened in a voiceless scream.

By the time she was done, he smelled extra horrible, his mouth was charred and the tips of her fingers were burned. She quickly crawled backwards, giving a scream of pain when the dagger moved in her leg as a knee jerk reaction she quickly pulled it out and stood up, eyes closing as she ran - ignoring the pain in her leg, side and hand - she didn't run far. She stopped at the camp and stood, her head down her hands at her sides.  Slowly she held up the abused hand, her palm was bleeding, her pinky wouldn't bend, her fingertips were raw and red looking. While Hysaeda looked like he was swimming in blood, Adalia was covered in a fine mist. She didn't say anything to him, didn't know if he was okay, or hurt. She hoped not.

That would be bad. Moving hurt, so Adalia stood in the clearing, staring at the ground slowly regaining her breath. Maybe it was a bad thing she ate, because her breakfast felt like it was going to come out and say hi.

It wasn't exactly an excursion on the prarie or a painting of a gorgeous valley.  In fact the scene about them was quite gruesome and should a witness have been nearby (save for the fact that Atras still wandered nearby, munching on some fresh grass) they probably would be too sick to relay most of the details.  The five bodies, some mangled, all contributing to the rivers of blood that soaked the soil.  Where the ground was partly dry before, it was now drenched with the moisture of these rivers, each flowing down and down through to the bedrock.

Hysaeda observed the scene around him and was conscious of the brutality both he and Adalia had committed to their attackers, but there wasn't an ounce of guilt or regret to be weighed on his conscience.  He was satisfied with the result and it took a good couple of seconds before he realized the slaughter Adalia managed on her own.  There was a half exploded head in one part and charred body in the other...  He'd have to remember how she managed that later.  And yet, there was small sense of pride in him growing.  Good girl, he thought for a second, before drowning the thought aside.  It wouldn't be long before that thought too made him grow mad or sick.

After regaining some sense of self, he wandered back to Adalia, walking slowly and forgetting about the serum he'd made.  He left it there and as long as no blood got inside it, it would be fine.  After a moment like this, they would both need something to relax them.  But she looked strange, as if she were sick or something.  "Adalia," he managed to mutter hoarsely.  "Are you alright?  You don't look so good."  He said these words as if he was recovering from a daze, and indeed he was, for the frenzy was something like that.  But he made his recovery quick and ignored the growing throbbing of his arm.

Adalia wanted to swear. A lot. Really nasty words that would send her straight to hell. Her stomach settled while her mind raged. Didn't swear though, instead she just held her hand and breathed calmly. Hysaeda's voice made her jump, and when he called her name instead of 'woman' it grounded her, of course that wasn't until she looked at him. Blood. So much blood. Her breath hitched and she reached out with her good hand, pressing it along his chest, down his arm, stopping at the cut before going to the other side to look at his back.

"Are you hurt? Besides the cut on your arm?" Her hand moved to gently rest under the cut. If he was she was screwed. Adalia kept her hand at her side, not moving it. The entire thing stung. Her side stung, her leg stung. "Do you know how to make anything to prevent infection? And how to fix broken fingers?" Not really wanting to lift her hand, everything done to it was her fault. She knew she couldn't use magic without the gauntlets. They were made of metal for a reason.

To keep herself calm she started to explain them. "I...When I use my magic without the gauntlets I can ruin my hands." She held out the red hand, the pinky that was bent funny, "the metal helps my fingers from bending wrong, the little gem at the top of them helps keep the heat off of my skin." She flexed her fingers, biting her lip, ignoring the blood that dripped down her side and down her thigh. "The wind is dangerous. I... Blew his head up. With air." She gave a humourless laugh and looked up at Hysaeda, "You can slice necks, but I can make heads blow up. And break my finger."

Slowly she turned back to her hand, the fire had closed the cut on her hand, left her fingers raw. Quietly, dazed, she stared as she kept wiggling her fingers.

They looked a little like pale, thin sausages waving in front of him.  He noticed the blood on her, but wasn't alarmed.  He was trained to be a healer and there was much he could do for her if she let him.  Unlike the moments of earlier silence, this one seemed much more at peace, for there was little anger left him in him right now to really channel at her.  They both slaughtered their attackers, and in a way, that made them comrades in battle, a strange thing to say for two that were enemies.  Or well, she was his enemy.

But he was capable of some sympathy for a devil, and quietly brushed her hand from his arm, still unused to the contact.  At least he didn't smack her like he would be wont to do on a normal occasion.  "I just have a few scraps and cuts.  Nothing too serious, I'll be fine.  Most of the blood is theirs not mine.  But let's see what we can do about your hands...and your leg.  You'll have to be mature about that latter.  I hope you realize this means I'll have to touch you.  You can take my hands off later.  Come."  With that he walked back to his serum and pulled it up from it's whole in the ground.

"I have training in medicines and herbal elements.  I'm sure I can fix any problem that you have...physically that is.  I don't think you'll need to summon any spirits."  Hysaeda tried to smile, but the somberness of the moment came over him.  "Let's go find the right plants.  And maybe use a little scravat later."

Her unwounded hand fell away, and she watched it. That wasn't very nice. Adalia was tempted to keep putting her hand on him until he just gave up pushing it off. That'd show him. Maybe later. Adalia frowned down at her hand, it throbbed and wiggling her fingers made it worse. Why would she be angry about touching to fix her. "You're the one that doesn't like touching me." A distinct pout and she rubbed her hand against her side lightly, picking at the ruined blanket.

Well, mostly ruined. It was still useable. Just two holes and blood. Pants were ruined though. Adalia looked down at her thigh and poked around the wound, wincing when poking it that way sent a small gush of blood down her leg. "Gross." She visibly brightened when he said that he was trained in... Healy things. That was one magic she couldn't even brush upon. Healing. Tiny air bombs that broke her finger? Yeah. Mending wounds? No.

For the most part, the pain was just dull throbbing. Nothing she couldn't live with. Like a little duckling she followed after Hysaeda, her wounded hand cradled at her chest, her leg seeping blood when she moved to fast, the wound at her side had dried already, she knew it would become infected if something wasn't done about it. Adalia didn't care though, past that point. What she really wanted to do was curl up and cry.

Maybe vomit.

Maybe just curl up and sleep.

It sucked because she had just woken up too, the sun wasn't high. It was barely noon. "I'll follow you..." A pause. "What's scravat?" Distractions were good though. Another destraction when her fingers pulled through her hair, when she looked closer at him. "We should bathe. You're covered in blood."

"You're right about that.  I certainly don't, but rest assured that I wasn't in any particular situation to refuse to have to touch you, like pulling you out of the rain.  I couldn't very well leave you out there, but well, I guess I could have, but that wouldn't have been very tactful, now would it?"  Hysaeda wiped away the blood that leaked from his bicep, though it wasn't very much and kept down the path he set on back to the serum.  He yanked it out of ground and carried it over to the tent to rest inside of it.

"The stuff I'm making.  It's sort of like a healing drink.  It will make you feel a whole lot better once it's finished." he replied blandly, covering it with some underbrush.  Hysaeda stood up and took notice again at the state of his body smeared with the incarnadine lifestream of the bandits.  He cursed several times and didn't want to look helplessly at her as bathing would mean having to be totally exposed again in front of her.  Thus far, there seemed to be no end to the nudity, but they were really in no position to complain.  They both had some cleaning up to do.

"Um," he found himself blushing a little, but nodded in acceptance.  "Right."  He listened for water.  When he thought he found it, he gestured his head in that direction, his free hand still holding the cut on his arm.  "Water's that way.  We can leave the stuff here, I think with the bodies all around, nobody will come near here.  Let's go."  At least his pants would be dry enough to put on when they got back.

Right what?

Adalia stared up at him, wide eyed. Oh, he was listening. For water? He could do that? The urge to reach up and pull on a pointed ear overwhelmed her, but - like a good little lady- she resisted. Her own pointed ears didn't do anything like his did, maybe because she was just a watered down version of the elves and faeries. That way.

Didn't have to tell her twice. Adalia started to move forward, before pausing and closing her eyes, her hand moving to her stomach. No doing that. "Okay. Water's this way?" She nodded her head in the same direction he indicated and started to walk. Blindly, quickly. The single thought of 'get clean' ran through her head. It took a few minutes of walking, but sure enough he was right. There was a river.

She wasn't thinking of being naked when she peeled the blanket off her top, showing the red slices on her side that was already looking raw and angry.

Wasn't thinking about what horrible things Hysaeda would do to her if he saw her naked - in an odd way she trusted him. The pants rolled off her hips, whimpering and hissing when it passed the wound on her leg. Once naked she all but jumped into the cold river, gasping and curling up as she sat rubbing her arms and rocking back and forth. Water cupped in her hands and down her hair. She was quiet and kept splashing water in her face to hide her tears. Killing wasn't good in her books, and she blew someone's head off.

He minded the positioning of his arm and took breaths to pass off the pain.  He didn't want to give Adalia the satisfaction of seeing him in a state of weakness, not that the arm disabled him much.  But still, he was far too prideful to allow himself to mutter even a whimper of pain.  Even if they survived this trial together, he still didn't trust her anymore than he ought to; she was still his main adversary no matter how many bandits or beasts came their way.  He'd help her so long as doing so would help him as well in the process.  Even teaching her how to fight was going to help him if it meant also warding off any enemies that threatened the both of them.  Until they got to the city that was; then his fate would be in the hands of her officers.

The river came in sight soon enough and he tried his best not to watch her get undressed.  He had a lot more washing to do than she did.  He tried to put up an adequate wall of modesty by going a little farther upstream of the river to stay within view but without have to view too many details.  And then he unknotted the blanket at his waist and slipped into the water.  Gasping a little from the temperature and the sudden liveliness it gave him, he waded a little further until he was waistdeep and the blood there washed away immediately.  He still felt a little surreal even as he crouched and started to wash the blood from his stomach and his hands.  His hands slowly moved to his chest and he cleansed it from his entire upper torso.  Arms being last, he was mindful of his cut and slowly washed his face.  There was no understanding just why his movements felt so languid; usually he'd be in an out of the water without a second thought.

And then it only just occurred to him now that what's her face was still around.  "Er..woman, I mean Adalia...Do you need me to look at those cuts now?  Let's go back to camp.  Let me know when you're ready."  Hysaeda averted his gaze toward the flow of the water when he called out to her and waded a little toward her and to the bank where the blanket was.  Hopefully there was a tree around to hide behind while he shook the water off him.  But when he found one, it was only then did he hear the faint sounds of what seemed to be sobbing...  "Um, Adalia, are you okay?"  Dear Umbra, please don't let her be crying!

Even if the sun was bright and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, the warmth from the sun didn't cool her chill and before long she was dripping wet, trembling, teeth chattering and she kept pressing water to her face. The blood was gone, though the movement opened her side again. Everything was pretty numb by the time Hysaeda was finished and she was still splashing water in her face. The last thing she wanted to do in front of him.

Quickly she wiped at her eyes and took a deep breath. Wasn't entirely sure why she was crying. Fear? A 'thank gods I'm alive' reaction? Scared of herself? Because her leg, side and hand hurt like a bitch? A quiet shuddering breath and she cleared her throat. "Yeah, I'm fine." She stood up then, swaying slightly, fresh blood running down her leg from where the dagger went into it. Adalia knew she'd be limping later, for now it was a dull throbbing pain underneath the numbness the cold water offered.

Once she got to shore she stared down at the pants, ignoring them and grabbing the blanket, pulling that over her shoulders. Picking up the pants in one hand and slowly returning to the camp. Sort of moving like a wraith, steps soft. It took her a few minutes, but when she got there she sat down, holding the blanket to her chest, her side and leg out, her good hand pressing the blanket to her chest while her wounded one rested on her lap.

Waiting. Hysaeda seemed like he wanted privacy.

He followed her soon after, a little reassured that she wasn't crying, though he knew better than to simply take her word for it.  He wasn't going to pry it out of her if it wasn't really all that necessary.  She seemed like she had her own problems to work through, it was the best that she work through them without any aid from him.  Hysaeda had shook off the remaining water that lingered on him, his hair being the last part then reknotted the blanket around his waist.  It didn't bother him that there were a few stains of blood still left on the cloth.  A reminder that it might have been his own.

He returned to the camp and stepped over the bodies.  "I suppose I still have a few of the herbs I found.  I'll cut them open and mash them together to make an ointment.  I'll rub it on your wounds and the bleeding should stop after a few minutes.  Then I suppose that you have some needle and thread?  I'll sew you up.  Then, I'll work the healing magic."  Hysaeda did just that, not taking long to weed out the best parts of the herbs then smashing together with his hands and sitting beside her to first attend her side.  He made sure that he had enough for all three parts of her body.  "Okay, open up for me."  And he rubbed a little bit into each gouge, spreading it.  "This might sting a bit."

Then he moved on to her let, making sure to keep his eyes where she could see them.  He couldn't help the little heat that moved to his face, but he put on his face of professionalism and rubbed it clean as well.  "Now your hand please."  It couldn't be said that he admired the state of her hand, but she did bring it upon herself.  Her hands were a sorry state, even the better one.  But he rubbed the ointment on it gently, trying not to exacerbate the pain too much.  "Now where can I find that needle and thread?"

A distinct frown on her face, leaning to the side. Wincing when it did sting. She sucked her lower lip into her mouth and just concentrated on breathing. His fingers sent shivers up her spine and she tilted her head away to stare at a tree. Her side was sensitive and not only having gouges there but someone rubbing their hands there... Adalia let out a breath and closed her eyes, wincing and leaning away.

This was needed. The last thing she needed was to get infections.

When he went down to her leg she jumped a little, leering at his head. His ears. She'd seriously have to poke those. While she stared at his ears, he went about his business. The cut on her leg was rather deep, she knew that if she wasn't careful she'd probably limp slightly forever. When she handed over her hand - the one she used for her magic - she winced when he touched it. No matter how gentle he tried to be Adalia winced. Whimpering once or twice, and was more than ready to snatch her hand back.

A moment of horror. "Thread? Needle?" Her hand moved to protectively cup the wound at her side, the other pressing the blanket tighter to her chest. "Why the hell do you need that? Fix your arm first! I don't want you to sew me closed. You'd have to pull the thread back out." Adalia curled away from him, holding her wounded hand out as if to keep him at bay. "There's a needle and thread in the front pouch. Smaller one. But don't you dare use it on me!"

Ignoring most of what she said preceding the directions to the supplies he needed, he soon shipped of in that direction, rummaging through her things before finding exactly what he was looking for.  Nodding and smiling at the small shiny needle and the thin black thread, he made his way back just as quickly and knelt beside her.  "You know, it's a little difficult for me to sew myself up.  I am currently more able than you, so shut up and stop being such a whiny little baby!  I swear..."  And he rambled off while he threaded the needle.

When that was ready, he was still determined to dig it into her.  "I promise it will be fast.  And it won't hurt that much.  I need to close your wounds before I begin the healing process, please.  Or I'll just leave you like this.  Take your pick.  Or would you rather I cauterize your wounds by turning them.  I too can make my hands very hot."  He looked at her as if he wasn't going to take anymore shit.  And damned straight that he wasn't.

[Pah! So short, sorry! Dx]

"You could still try." Adalia whimpered, "And I am not a whiney baby. I just don't want you who hates me and probably loves seeing me in pain, to poke me with a gods damned needle!" It would make everything start hurting all over again. She held the blanket to her chest and lifted the wounded leg to try and shuffle away from him. That of course failed and she just held her hand out.

Her eyes went wide and she stared at him, her mouth dropping open. "You can do that too? Does it make your hands hurt?" She leaned forward and tilted her head, looking at him. He seemed intent on poking her with that needle. He said please. He seemed... Honest in his want to heal her up. Adalia really hated him. He didn't scare her, not anymore. Not after that. If Adalia would be honest with herself, she'd be more afraid of what she could do to other people.

Her eyes went blank for a moment while she stared at him. Then both her hands went to his and she gently grabbed his wrists, the blanket was rested on a shoulder so it didn't fall down . "Hysaeda. I blew his fucking head up." Her hands trembled on his arms and she stared, "I did that. Me. Those people had families. They were probably family and we slaughtered them like animals.  I cooked one." She leg go and put her hands to her head, to thread through her hair and stare at her feet. "I don't think I'm a good soldier." she gave a humourless laugh and turned to him again. "I'm sorry I'm not a good captor. That I don't know how to fight, or protect myself."

"I... Thank you for teaching me how to fight. I'll.. Stop being a whiney baby." She turned, showing off her side, her other hand moving to press the blanket down between her legs against her chest. "Do you need help with your arm after?"

She was right, partly.  He did like to see her suffering, but only in the sense that she got what she deserved.  Who was to say that she deserved her current wounds?  Certainly not him.  Such a wound was gained by miscalculation, by a misstep that she took when she let her enemy gouge her.  It was a sorry wound, and he was sympathizing for his small, albino devil, his would-be captor that was far too mild, to really capture anyone.  And thus he pitied her even more and he hated her for it.

It was a vicious cycle; and seemed would continue for the course of their journey.  He would not say if it would ever end, nor would he want to mess with such a terrible thing.  Whatever sentiments he had for her, they were biased and untrustworthy.  He knew that he didn't like her, and he made it very apparent to her that he'd rather see her drown than to make a raft to save her.  This was different somehow, since they both shared survival in battle.  He's fix her up then suggest they be off to the next camp.  Chances were there more bandits out there and he didn't want to be around when they went to go look for their buddies.

He said nothing to her remark and watched her with hard eyes.  Silence was better until she was finished.  Looking down at where her hands grabbed at his wrists, he almost missed the seeming desperation in her eyes.  But he frowned from this, at her words and what he thought she meant by them.  It went against everything he knew.  "You are apologizing out of what, guilt?  If it is, I feel sorry for you," he said plainly.  "You are powerful, and it's wrong that you don't develop your power further.  If you really want to make a difference for yourself.  There are ways you won't get hurt...but, like always, there is a price to be had.  Where I'm from, your first kill is something you don't easily forget and you're honored for it.  Even if this isn't your first kill, we will celebrate.  And I will show you the value of it."  His hard eyes softened a bit just as he set to work.

Just like he said it would, he moved fast, determined not to cause her as much pain as he wanted to.  The needle went in and out of her side adeptly and before she would know it, the thread was cut by his canines as he bit it.  He rethreaded the needle and quickly went to work on her leg.  This one was a little more difficult due to the thickness of the skin there, and the threatening of blood to gush.  When the needle finally entered into the last notch and was yanked out, he tightened it, knotted it, then bit it in the same process.  "There," he said.  "Finished.  Now what did I tell you?  Come then, don't stand on your leg."  He acted quickly, scooping her up from her spot and carrying her to the drier ground of the tent.  He laid her inside then pointed a finger.  "I'm going to put my pants on, be right back. Stay."  Hysaeda commanded her as if she were some kind of dog.

He returned as he said, dressed and with the blanket folded over his shoulder.  He laid it across her legs then folded his legs beneath him and placed his hands on her leg.  "Are you ready?  This will feel like it's burning, so I want you to be prepared."

It wasn't her first kill, but it was the first time she'd ever killed someone. It was the first time she'd seen the reaction by a loved one. The rage, the pain. "Maybe I would think like you if I was raised like that." Her voice was quiet and she did try her best to hold back her gasps of pain. He was a liar, it did hurt, but the throbbing pain from the stabs actually outweighed the poke of the needle. It was done quickly though and she appreciated that. She did suck in her breath and squeeze her eyes shut until he spoke.

Well, that either meant she was dying and pain was just a word, the wound hurt more than she thought it did, or she was still numb. Adalia wiggled her toes experimentally. Before she could prod at anything she was being carried. Green eyes wide and she stared at Hysaeda like he'd grown another head and four pairs of horns. Him? Touching her on purpose? Was he sick too? A quick moment and Adalia brushed the back of her hand over his forehead before dropping it back onto her lap. Nope, no fever.

Must have felt like being nice. Or freaking her out. Both worked. When he told her to stay she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Good. Don't think I could stand seeing that again." A quiet mutter, but she poked her tongue out at his retreating back before she sat and waited like he told her to.

Then the blanket and his hands on her lap. Confusion drew her eyebrows together and she held the blanket to her chest and stared before looking down at his hands. "O-okay..." Burning. Adalia wiggled her burned fingers, couldn't have felt worse than that. "I trust you." A solemn nod before she leaned away, squeezing her eyes closed and waiting for the 'burning' to start. What the crap was he supposed to be doing anyway? Burning? Breaking her leg?

No, there was a blanket. Maybe she'd ask once he's done.

The blanket was there only because he was done using it.  Luckily for her, he didn't hear her snide remark, or he might have torn open the stitches he just fixed for her with his bare hands.  Subconsciously, the thought occurred to him and he was doubly that she wouldn't like anything like that.  Lots of bloody, a mess, screaming and pain, nothing pretty that was for sure.  Hysaeda cleared the space of the wound and held his hands hovering just above it, staring at it as if that would do the trick.

It took a moment, but as he started escalating his breathing, right through his nose and out through his mouth and his jaw muscles clenched, a faint white glow started to appear at the center of his palms.  At first they looked like small orbs, faintly vibrating, but as his concentration dug deeper into the pits of his psyche, they grew brighter and hotter.  He did not need to touch her for the heat to be felt on her end.  The heat would rise and it would feel as if her vision was growing white, or at least that was how he felt when he had a nasty break on his leg as a child.

Hysaeda let the heat grow and for a second, if she listened carefully, she could have heard veiled chanting under his breath.  The words were soft and gently uttered, but were still poignant to the ears of a keen listener.  Even if they didn't understand what he was saying, they would be caught by the tone of his voice.  Still his hands grew hotter, until the orbs were the size of his hands altogether, reaching the boiling point where flesh might be boiled off.  A white flash occurred, blinding him and sending him hurtling back a little off balance. Catching himself, he looked at his work and saw that he wound on her leg were scars...almost as if years had passed after it had been cut...  Maybe he didn't need the stitches after all.

Satisfied at his work and determined to go on with his original plan, he wasn't about to get too caught up in the moment.  "Well...that worked out.  How do you feel?"

The heat was odd. It didn't make her cringe. She watched his hands, though she wanted to twitch her leg she kept it still, her hands crossed over her chest.  It took a lot of effort not to jerk away when it started to heat up. Not to press her hand to her face when she started to see white, her own breath left her lips in hot puffs and her fighters tightened around the blanket.

She didn't stop staring at his hands but her eyes drifted closed when she heard the chanting. Something to focus on. To keep her from pulling her leg away. Adalia decided he could have a nice voice, soothing almost. The heat got to be too much and before she got a chance to push him away for burning her there was a flash of light and she quickly looked down.

Healed. Her mouth dropped open and she stared at it before his voice made her head snap up. How did she feel? Adalia moved forward to pull him into an excited hug - she didn't have to wait for it to heal! Since it was a magic healing the chances of limping where none! - but as her arms went up, she pulled at the stitches at her side quickly hissed and pressed her hand over them gently.

Stitches.

Adalia went pale and looked at the pieces of thread stuck in her skin. "I told you so." She gently tugged at a piece of thread and frowned before caressing the scar. "Aside from having thread stuck in my leg, It's... Wonderful. Thank you, Hysaeda." small smile, a nod and she quickly turned back down to examine the scar. A deep wound a moment before, an old scar now. Tender, but it wasn't bleeding anymore. Or open. Or a wound.

A moment and she leaned away, looking him over. "Can I get dressed yet? Or are you going to do that to my side, too?" It would be hard to wear a corset with a wounded side, she paused a moment, "Can you take the stitches out before you do, if you do? I don't want to have to cut string out of my side too." She poked the thread and frowned at it. Adalia didn't really believe in silver linings to clouds, and having to get stitched up for no reason just to have the stitches healed into her diminished that belief even more.

Adalia leaned away and held up a hand, a finger out, "And no, I don't know when to not make comments."

The stitches worked, he knew they would, but they were no longer necessary.  Yes, the magic healed the wound on her leg, but he wasn't sure he wanted to touch her side since that was much closer to temptation than he'd like.  He glanced at her chest then back at the stitches.  "Don't worry," he scoffed.  "I can take them out, but that'll probably be painful too."  Haha!  There would be no end to the pain he could cause her!  This was just getting better and better.  But he would say nothing right now; he'd heal the other scar first...or take the stitches out.

Hysaeda tried to lean away when she rose up to hug him.  His instincts told him to put up his guard, that it wasn't safe to be this close in proximity to her.  With eyes wide, a fist was about ready to slug her a good one in the jaw when she was pulled back by the anger of her stitches.  He smiled; maybe the stitches were good for something after all.  "Yeah, sure, I'll take them out.  And get your damn finger from out of my face."  He smacked her arm out of the way and set to work again, working out the thread from her side.  The wound was still nasty and he had second thoughts about it, but she requested it and it meant keeping her from nagging him to death, he wouldn't mind obliging her this time.  "Okay they're out.  Now stay still and be quiet."  He meant that last one.

Again he performed the spell once again, heating up the side of her skin until it boiled.  This time sweat dripped from his brow a little, drizzling down the side of his head until the blast occurred again.  He rubbed his eyes harshly, trying to regain his sight.  "Ow...there, better.  You're hand, now."  And did the same thin to her hand, keeping his own on either side and careful with the burns.  He was starting to feel dizzy from the third and final white blast before his eyes, but he knew that it was better to have her able than wandering in pain.  This time, he hadn't realized it before, but he was thrown all the way to the ground, his back sprawled along the dirt.  Catching his breath and blinking stupidly, he didn't bother to look at her.  "Er...yeah, get dressed...we should leave as soon as possible."

She'd been glad when the stitches pulled. She saw his fist. Adalia couldn't exactly explain why her chest ached, was he afraid of her? After pointing at him and getting her hand slapped away that was enough of an answer for her and she kept silent, her gaze away from him. Hurt her feelings a little, being so loathed. Adalia decided she might as well get used to it, maybe stop trying to talk to him. Hmm. She swallowed before squeezing her eyes shut and leaning away when he started to do his magic again.

The stitches were out, it took a lot of effort not to smack him in the head in the first place for suggesting them. Useless. Stupid umbraeon bastard. Here, lets stitch you up onto to heal the damn thread inside you so we have to rip it back out. Adalia peeked once he was finished with her side and then gently pulled her wounded hand out, a bored look on her face, her eyes hooded.

Magic was used again, it still amazed her. It annoyed Adalia that she would probably never learn how to channel her magic like that, but for the most part she just wanted to smack Hysaeda over the head. She didn't squeak, but when he was throw back, her arms reached out to grab at him, to help keep him up. Of course she missed and she quickly retracted her hands to her middle, to hold them in her lap to look up when he spoke.

"Yeah, good idea. Hold these for me." Adalia's voice was monotone and she stood up on wobbly legs before dropping both blankets on his face,  quickly wandering over towards her clothing. Getting dressed quickly, replacing the headbands, pulling her stockings up and putting her boots on. She returned to the small tent a few minutes later, lacing up her corset tightly before grabbing the metal gauntlets and putting them on her hands. "Are you okay? You know, you shouldn't have done that if it was going to take so much out of you. My magic may break my fingers when I'm not wearing these," Adalia wiggled the clawed metal fingers at him, " but it sure as hell doesn't make me sweat or daze me"

"I'm fine!" he snarled at her, grimacing and looking at her gravely.  His expression pretty much explained the rest of his mood, considering her took her words as an insult.  Her gauntlets.  They still looked pretty threatening to him, but he wasn't afraid of her.  Hysaeda caught his breath then rolled onto his feet, throwing her blankets away from him.  He saw his cuirass again, and smiled; reaching for it, he immediately equipped it on him, glad to have the familiar feel of it against his skin.  The ties were knotted and he yanked on the bottom of it to ensure it's security.  He didn't have fancy gauntlets like hers.  He did make some leather bracers...but they were back with the rest of his stuff...  Maybe he could take one of the bandits' weapons.

Hysaeda nodded to her idly.  "I don't get sweaty or dizzy normally; those were not grave wounds.  It's because I have had some scravat in a while; I told you, it's a healing serum, it makes you feel a whole lot better.  You should try some when it's finished.  It should be finished by either tonight or tomorrow night...then you will know."  He turns his back to her and made sure that his devious grin had gone unnoticed.  And also he made sure that his movements were slow that they too had gone unnoticed.  He spotted the dagger the only female bandit had tried to run him through with.  Bending down as if to inspect the body, he removed the dagger and tucked it into his cuirass, where it opened up for his arm.
When that was put away, he stood up and kicked some of the bodies, sidestepping the sinking rivers of blood that still remained.  He returned to the tent and reequipped his boots that he'd forgotten about since last night.  His attention then turned to the pot where the scravat serum resided.  There was quite a lot of it and the leaves covering it would not do.  And just as he was about to ask if she had a spare strip of leather with which he could cover it, his attention came back to the armor of the bandits.  They seemed to have a lot of resources that could be used for small things here and there.  And he did just that.  He cut a strip of leather from one of the armors with a stray dagger, then came back with a long thin rope he found on one of them.  He quickly made a cover for the pot, tightening it securely so that spills would be kept to a minimum.  "Adalia, would you mind if I put this in your saddlebags?  The big one.  I want to keep it safe before it's ready."

"Sounds like drugs." Adalia expressed her opinion, looking at him through hooded eyes. "Can't do something without your 'scravat' first?" She went about taking the tent down, folding up the tarp neating and shoving it in it's saddle bag. Didn't pay attention to him while he wandered around, took intent on getting Atras saddled up again. He nudged his face into her head, more than happy to be around Adalia. "Well, at least someone likes me." She held on to his face before giving his nose as kiss and rubbing her hand on his cheek.

Atras gave a huff of breath and nudged Adalia again for more pets which she gave to him. Apparently she'd been petting him longer than she thought before the voice made her jump. Slowly she looked over her shoulder and eyed Hysaeda. "Do whatever you want, Rogue," her voice was cold, the ends of her words clipped. Going back to the old 'nickname'. "Just don't make a mess of my things."

Her things didn't consist of anything important, the pants had been shoved in a smaller pouch. Useless, but still of value - she could use them as a pillow or something. Quickly she turned away from him to stand on the other side of the horse, still petting his face and cooing. Adalia hoisted herself up onto the horse, not careful to not kick Hysaeda if he was too close and she kept the horse steady. "Have half a day to travel. We'll set up camp at sunset. Get on the horse quickly once you're finished with your task." Pah, she could put on a cold shoulder too! Her face was in a constant frown, her lower lip poked out. Sooner they got to Arca the sooner she could get the charges against him dropped and then he could leave her the hell alone.

Something to look forward to.

It didn't occur to him that he hadn't made any attempts at escaping recently.  The last several hours between them, captor and slave, had been somewhat peaceful if a little tumultuous.  There was without a doubt an increasing amount of tension between them that one could slice through it with a cold dull dagger.  Hysaeda didn't exactly feel at ease with her around anymore than she did him though she had said that she trusted him, he still didn't have any reason to believe her or return such sentiments.  Things were still raw between them, the fact that he helped her changed nothing.
   
Hysaeda put the pot away in her pouch, as thin and slender as it was, but still very valuable to him.  "A drug?  No it's nothing like that, it's a drink.  Very good for you.  You'll feel revitalized when you taste it later."  He tried to smile at her but rolled his eyes in annoyance when he turned away.  When she dismantled the tent, he took down the sticks with it, scattering them as if they had never been the structure they were just a moment ago.  Nature was quite a useful when one knew how to harness it in exactly the right way.

When the horse came near, he jumped on again, wrapping his arms around her waist involuntarily without thinking, to hold himself for a moment.  When he realized, a blush came to his face and he ducked his face into another direction, moving his hands to his sides.  "C'mon, we're wasting daylight." And he slapped Atras on the behind a little to get the horse moving.

[I propose magical tiem skipz ._.]

"Don't smack my horse!" She snapped before the horse took off at a gentle walk. It wasn't that she didn't smack him to get him moving, it was just someone else smacking him that made her snap. His arms around her middle was a half-unfelt, half-forgotten sensation. The corset helped keep any real feeling to her middle. A grumpy huff and she focussed on moving.

Another ride to the next campsite. Adalia was quiet, tense, actually falling asleep once or twice, her head ducking forward before jerking back upwards to give a soft sigh when she wasn't falling.

The sun was brushing against the horizon when she finally made Atras stop. Of course the horse was more than happy to stop and rest. Getting off the horse woke her up, and she frowned. Sleeping tonight would be dificult, she knew she had napped half the day away in quick tired spurts. Stretching briefly she went back to her horses head to pet him and nuzzled at his face before Hysaeda got off the horse.

"You remove the stuff on Atras, put those arms to use." Adalia flashed a large fake grin and fluttered her eyes before walking off and gathering fire wood which she quickly set up and sat down beside. Then she frowned and stared at the umbraeon, "You're not going to make me fight again, are you?"

Hysaeda was somewhat tired too.  The previous night being as uneventful as it was except for the fact that he'd taught Adalia how to get knocked out and how to aim for people's chins, there wasn't much else to be learned.  He wanted to make sure that she knew at least some things that she could use in case she was in some situation where she could not use her magic.  They made camp sooner than he thought for he was lost in thought, wondering just what fate resided in the city for him.

"Huh?....Huh, yes, sure."  He looked at her oddly then slid off the horse too, still unused to the bulkiness of the beast.  He did as he was told, finding the straps and saddle on the animal to be very odd.  But with little struggle he did his best and took them off, settling them to the side, careful not to spill his scravat.  "I'll smack whatever I wanna smack," he muttered with attitude, putting all her junk aside and patting the horses shoulders.  Atras looked at him curiously.  "Look you bulky beast, you just be good and I won't have to eat you."  The horse chuffed at him and revealed his huge teeth.  Hysaeda shuttered.

"Well, all that's done.  What?  Make you fight.  Of course, we didn't get to finish with you falling asleep in the middle of the fight and all."  He smirked knowingly.  "This time we don't have rain to interrupt our training.  You don't have to learn to fight like a man to be strong.  I'll just skip the other stuff and go ahead and teach you grappling and throwing.  You might find the former more enjoyable; a lot of women do."

A distinct frown. "His name is Atras. A-T-R-A-S. Atras. Call him by his name. He's not like you. Atras has feelings." She jabbed the stick into the fire and glared, "And you're not going to eat him! Ever!" Her fingers tightened around the stick and she jammed it into the fire before standing up, putting her hands on her hips and leering.

Then he went on to talk about fighting. Felt like a teacher. He didn't look that old, but he was an elf-type-thing. "I didn't fall asleep! You elbowed me in the face, you asshole!"Sure they'd been fighting and he was trying to teach her to block, that didn't count right now though, oh no, she was snarled and quickly pulled the gauntlets off of her arms to ground and stretched before also going to unlace the corset. That wouldn't help with moving, it would probably suffocate her before it'd be helpful.

"What do you mean 'more enjoyable'?" Adalia frowned, confused, "Grappling doesn't sound enjoyable at all, and since you're teaching me I imagine I'll enjoy it less." An annoyed look crossed her features and she moved away from him a good distance away from the fire - didn't wan anyone to get cooked, that would be bad - and waited. "C'mon, Rogue. Lets get this stupid, grappling and throwing thing over with so that I can get some decent rest." She shot Hysaeda and stood, her weight shifted to one foot and a hand on her hip.

Hysaeda laughed out loud at her anger and protest.  Oh it was a pleasure to get his opponent all riled up before a fight, even if that fight was just a lesson.  Oh well, he would treat it like a real fight, but first he'd teach her a few key grappling motions and lead her a little into wrestling the Umbraeon way.  He didn't particularly like wrestling, fighting with all limbs free to move was his preference over knotted positions and uncomfortable motions, but it did teach a person different ways to lock a joint, or how to get out of potential breakages.

Hysaeda shook his head at her and nodded to her, not keen on taking off his cuirass anytime soon.  A sneer graced him at the thought that he might want another gander at his body again.  Well, he wouldn't give her the pleasure.  But of course, such delusions were not beyond him since he was the type to keep his person safe at all times against anything he deemed to be threatening.  "You'll enjoy it as you're learning it.  I'm sure you'll like throwing me around.  The first is quite simple.  You just grab another's wrist like so, then twist them around and toss them to the ground."

He stepped to her side then grabbed her wrist with intent then swung her over as if he was spinning a rope.  "Like that, except, if we had mats, you wouldn't hit the ground as hard.  Now here try the same on me."

She could feel an eyebrow twitch when he laughed. At one point in the day she'd thought he was a somewhat decent guy, that went out the metaphorical window and know she just wanted to punch him in the chin again. Maybe once she got kicked out of the military she'd go and work in Adela's sanctuary as some sort of nun. Sounded good to her. No kids, no stupid men to have to put up with. Nun. Adalia made a mental note to look into that once she got home.

Home. There was a bed at home. Adalia felt all happy and tingly just thinking about it.

Then she looked at Hysaeda and her mood dropped ten degrees below zero and she glared. Her green eyes went icy and she sneered when he did. Bastard. Grab them like so, twist and toss, sounded easy enough. In theory.

Adalia gave a loud 'oof' when she hit the ground and stared up at the sky, her vision blury. Instead of a calm 'okay, I'll try it now,' she got up into a crouching position before tackling his legs and pouncing on him, sitting on his chest, hands on his shoulders. "Gods damn it. What the hell is your problem, huh? I realise you've never taught anyone anything before, but the least you could do is give some warning." She squeezed her legs against his sides so she'd be a little harder to pull off while she snarled and glared.

"I'm sure you get some sick pleasure out of seeing me in pain, but what the hell have I done to you besides untie you and put crappy-but-needed in your mouth and let you ride my horse so you wouldn't get tired? I didn't have to do that. I could let your starve. I could have left you tied up, freezing in the rain. I could drag you behind Atras like the mutt you seem so keen on acting like. I realise this little trip is an inconvenience  for you and I apologise for that, if it wouldn't get soldiers and bounty hunters on your ass I would be more than happy to let you run off and prance in the forest with your faeries and spirits. As it is, stop acting like such an asshole! You may think I'm hell spawn but for a minute there? I actually thought you were a decent person, but, congratulations for making me realise how horrible a judge of character I was." She pushed herself off of him and quickly scrambled up and backed away, angry, insulted. "I'm done with your stupid lessons. I don't need to learn how to fight physically. If I ever choose too I'll be sure to find a better teacher than you. Y'know, one who actually teaches instead of just throwing me into the dirt and hoping I learn something from it."

While she was run her mouth, then she lifted her arms and opened her hands, taking slow steps backwards, "This? Is all your fault. If you had just pretended to be a damn kidnapped slave - which was a plausible story other than 'I fell down the hill' - then I'd be back with the main troops and you'd be on your stupid hill!"Adalia moved slightly, in a 'ready to run like hell' position. Not a total moron, she wasn't exactly keen about any reaction she'd get out of him.

She suspected laughter. In which case she'd want to punch him in the chin again. At least Adalia knew there was something besides her he didn't like.

If she was keen on bringing out the hellhound in him, she would have very likely succeeded.  He was accustomed to reacting on instincts first to the things that came at him; that was usually either fight or flight.  Sometimes the latter was always the best.  But he didn't exactly have a chance to turn and run or even to kick her in the chin just as she was about to tackle him.  He hoped he didn't have to warn her; but she purged his expectations yet again.  A frown struck him as she began her little speech, even as his hands were free to fight off her legs.  He could break her like a little twig and he knew that she knew it.  But there was no fear in her now, and this little thought made him grin a little toward the middle of her words.

By sheer instinct he had grabbed her arms at her elbows, ready to snap them forward in a nasty breakage if she intended to grab his neck.  And in a way, he was sort of surprised she didn't.  Hysaeda listened with the least amount of pleasure possible.  And when she was done, crawling off of him then backing away, seemingly ready to make a run for it, he climbed to his feet.

His eyes were cold, meting what should have been annoyance with an apathetic understanding of her words.  "You think I do this for my own health?  If I had any other choice, do you think I would honestly waste my time with you?  Dare not to think such a thing.  I said what I said because you asked me a question and I was giving you the right answers.  Perhaps I am nothing more than an insufferable bastard, well, you're no different.  I've never met such a weak woman in my life; and maybe you think that's a sexist comment to make.  Well, to hell with you!  I'm trying to help you, to give you something beautiful that will help you for the rest of your life. And you don't realize what I'm risking by showing you these things.

"I don't exactly dream to be in your glorious presence, you strange albino woman with limes for eyes.  I act the way I do around you because, I don't feel as if you are worthy to know who I really am.  I am defensive around you and antagonistic toward you because I follow you to my death!  I don't believe that whoever you plan to speak to on my behalf will believe in my innocence.  My people are animals and savages to your kind.  Give me a reason to prove you wrong, because I have none.  I have no reason to show you that I am better than I seem, because you are my enemy and you deserve no such thing."  Hsyaeda sighed and shook his head, collecting his thoughts.  He looked at her solemnly and without humor.

"I take a great risk in teaching you how to fight like an Umbraeon...  Most of my kind are not exactly magically inclined, but we still know how to channel minor spells when the moment is right.  You do not realize that the teaching of Gien-Kai'ran, our martial art, is a forbidden practice.  If anyone found out, I would be killed.  News runs in all directions.  Just by showing you the forms, I risk my life for you.  To show you how to defend yourself...  You say it doesn't work for you, you complain that I surprise you.  As I very well should.  I want you to learn something that will benefit you.  Now can we please get back to the lesson?"

The bridge of her nose was pinched and she listened intently while he gave his retort. Her heart slowed down from his rapid pace when he didn't move forward to hit her and her hands were crossed over her chest and she stared at him. Everytime she went to bark at him about something he said, she got her mouth open and it quickly shut because he continued on speaking. By the end of his speech she clearly angry and she kept her eyes downcast.

Adalia left most of her comments to herself, looking away from him when he called her out on her appearance. Eyes were quickly down to the ground, her arms moved from being crossed to holding herself in a loose 'hug'. Everything he told her made her feel a little worse. It also made her more and more angry. Once he was finished she took a breath.

"No. Because we need to straighten things out first." Adalia didn't move from her spot, but she did look him in the eyes, "For one, I'm not going to let you die. If they don't think you're innocent I'll save your sorry ass some how. Unlike you, I actually care about the well being of others.. Two, I'm sure we wouldn't think you were animals and savages if y'know, you didn't act like it to strangers." She leered at him for a moment, "And if I'm such a damn enemy, why risk your life to teach me your marial arts, hmm?"

"Where's the thinking?" Her tone dipped lower when she spoke, mocking him "'Oh, Adalia, I hate your guts, I think you're weak and you have limes for eyes, but hey I'm going to teach you how to fight like us Umbraeons even though if I get found out they'll kill me.'" she snarled softly, "you know, maybe I would have actually taken your lessons as much than a way to get away with beating on me if you had mentioned that little tid-bit. But oh, no, can't tell Adalia anything about me, but I can teach her a sacred art while she walks me to my death."

"The very fact you think I'm weak shows me how many real women you've met. Sorry I'm not one of your stupid tribal Drow-Umbraeon-Elf-Things that was raised barefoot and on the bloodshed of others. I didn't start fighting until well into my teens. I was not raised to be some sort of magical warrior. I was raised in dresses, tight shoes, tighter corsets and so far? My best talent is playing the damn violin. I can blow some poor bastards head off with a tight ball of air and cook one alive with a broken finger after being stabbed twice." She snarled at him, glaring, cheeks flushed with angry, "Just because I am not like your ideal fighting elf woman does not mean I'm weak."

She gave him a mocking bow at the waist, one hand to her chest and the other off to the side. "With that said, please, Master Hysaeda, continue the lesson." A small, almost mocking smile and she grabbed the headbands from her hair, pulling them off quickly and tossing them to the side. Eugh, she actually thought he'd been a good person.

She didn't understand, she didn't understand anything.  And now he was starting to think she never would.  For the life of him, he sighed exasperatedly at the fact that she did not look beyond her own little world.  Perhaps she really was hopeless; here he was trying to show her something useful, something that would allow her to survive, to do more than just be a soldier who could wield magic, something that would allow her to cultivate a belief in herself that no obstacle could stand in her way.   Hysaeda looked at her again with a growing pity, but a pity that no longer sickened him as much as it used to.  The pity in his eyes looked more like a scoffing annoyance, but he would say nothing to the notion.

"If that is how you really feel," he nodded solemnly.  "You're mocking me, I see.  Quite intelligent.  I see now that we have the same goals, just different ways of going about them.  I'm not trying to teach you how to be like me, or my way, I just thought perhaps you could be the one to help change sentiments.  I will not alter my behavior, but if you think this is all a waste, then you are a waste.  I was going to teach you something beautiful, but you do not want to learn, then you will fail.  Your dresses, and shoes, and violins, will be all you know of life, maybe a little more, but not much. S'hin tah mah-kin'tin.  Azhet kata.  Old Sevic, means something like 'Go beyond your own expectations.'  But useless now, forget I said anything."

Hysaeda narrowed his eyes as he assumed the juyo fighting position.  "Another way to grapple and throw is to pretty much work off the momentum of your opponent, just like you were doing to me last night, which was good.  You knew without knowing.  This will be our final lesson."  He smiled snarlingly.  "I'm going to run toward you then you use my motion to throw me to the ground. Simple.  Ready?  Here I go."

It took a lot of effort not to scream with her teeth clamped shut and flail her arms in a very immature temper tantrum. "Can't you figure out how to word things in a way that doesn't put me down!?" Her foot stomped into the ground. Then she calmed visibly and just watched, disturbed by how... Not pissed off he was.

Well, that killed her little flame of passion. She felt her hands drop to her sides and while she was breathing unevenly, she just stared. Didn't feel very nice, having a one sided yelling match. Shame and embarrassment rose up her throat and she swallowed thickly before looking away, looking back quickly when he started to speak another language. She was about to throw up her arms and scream - the last thing she needed was for him to go off on her in a language she didn't understand - but him telling her what it meant quickly remedied that.

S'hin tah mah-kin'tin. Azhet kata. Adalia repeated it in her head, frowning while she remembered that. Probably be some sort of stupid test later. "How is it useless if you've never said anything remotely like that before? That isn't fair! You can't just tell me something like that then go 'it's useless, forget it.'"

Go beyond her own expectations.

There wasn't much for expectations, so going beyond them was fairly easy. Call her weak, pah. She threw him to the ground easily when he came running. A happy smile bloomed on her face and she stood by his head, looking down, "I can't get you down on my own, but it's pretty easy when you help me. I know your 'S'hin tah mah-kin'tin. Azhet kata' stuff is all about expectations, but even if you expect me to be able to throw you down while standing, the sheer fact you're still twice my size and I'm a small woman sort of cancels out those expectations."

He was thrown down alright, like a barricade.  And when his head hit the ground and the wind was knocked out of him, he smiled smugly at her, as if he wanted her to do such a thing.  And in fact, he did.  The smile remained even as he looked up at her when she stood by his head.  He had half a mind to trip her down into the dirt in an attempt to show her another move, but of course that would only cause another romping apeshit form her.  "If you think that your expectations are canceled, then you truly don't know the meaning of the saying.  Go beyond them.  Beyond what you see, what you feel, what you think you can do.  And just do it.  It's quite simple."

Hysaeda climbed to his feet then and bushed the dust off of him.  He was wrong, the cuirass was starting to become a nuisance.  Tugging at the straps again, he took it off and folded it before throwing it to the side.  "Okay I'm ready.  This one is without running or twisting.  Come closer."  Stepping a little further, he continued, "Okay, two opponents are to close to do either of the two, no room for running, no room for over launches, but you can still drop you opponent by unbasing them, like so."  He tapped her ankle lightly with one foot and then switching to demonstrate the kicking of the knee inward.  "At this point, you'd be dropping yourself as well, but it'd give you an opportunity to climb on him and finish him.  Would you mind if I dropped you?"  He wasn't accustomed to giving warning, but her nagging would just stretch his nerves even further."

A nod. "Okay. Go beyond them." Remember that. She closed her eyes for a moment. Adalia made sure to look away when he removed his cuirass, backing up slowly then moving forward when he told her to. Listened. She was nearly floored when he asked her permission. She stared at him with wide eyes, surprised, blinking for a moment before clearing her throat.

"You don't have to ask permission. I'm sorry I snapped at you. You have permission to do any.. Sort of demonstration unless it causes me massive amounts of pain. Then I'll probably scream at you to stop." She swallowed and shifted her weight, rubbing her arm awkwardly. While now probably wasn't the best time for sorries, she kept her face straight. After.

Clearing her throat she looked down at their feet and then frowned. "Can you not elbow me in the face today?"

( Dx bah. Short. Sorries)

Oh now he didn't have to ask permission!  Shit, he ought to have just slug her a good one right then and there, knocking her out for the night as he did last night.  Well, at least it wasn't raining and he didn't have to peel wet clothing off of her.  Not that that part was bad all that much, but he didn't like being hugged or risk being murdered again.  He's how her these moves, check on the scravat, then go to sleep.  That was all and he wanted to get it done as painlessly as possible on his part.

"Right," he muttered, rolling his eyes in response and going ahead and dropping her.  Hysaeda nudged her ankle and kicked her knee in at the same time, tripping himself as well as her.  He fell with a nice sounding oof but it was one that didn't take long for him to regain himself.  Rolling to his feet, he reached down to help her up.  "I won't elbow you in the face as long as you are a good little human and pay attention to what I'm trying to show you.  Appreciate it, even if you don't like being flung around, trust me, I'm only enjoying it as much as you are."

That last part was sort of a joke and he found himself chuckling aloud, finding the thought funny.  "There are many ways to grapple your opponent and drag them to the ground.  But the key is, not exactly to get dropped yourself.  It's easy to just hit someone's basepoint and trip them, but you also have to know what direction to shove them in.  Like say, I trip the weight on your right foot, all I have to do is grab your shoulders and throw you back and you'll fall like a dead tree.  See?  Simple.  If you can drop me, then maybe you will be worth a little something after all, and not just a simpleton."  He would try to rile her up, put some passion into her.  "Drop me, then I'll share my scravat with you.  You'll really like it."  He smirked at her.

After getting up, she fixed her coat, dusted off her butt and huffed. Clearing her throat and listening. Adalia could complain all day about this. Stupid physical fighting. Wasn't good enough that she could explode someone oh no, she had to learn how to trip people twice her size too. Eyeing Hysaeda up and down, she shifted her weight between her feet and frowned. Best way to go about this.  

Worth something. Adalia was tempted to just turn around and walk away. She didn't have to prove anything to this stupid egotistical man. It would be nice to shut him up though. Make him eat his words. Make him see her as something other than a stupid weak albino woman. Adalia snarled lightly as his last boast. Share his scravat? He said it like it was a treat.

His smirk pissed her off. He pissed her off. So she gave him a push, hooking his leg, ready to hop back so she didn't get taken down with him. If he went down. With her luck and upper body strength her push would just nudge him. Beyond expectation.  She'd have to remember that for next time.

( T_T )

That was the goal wasn't it?  To prove him wrong, to push her to edge of abuse until she was tired of his antagonism enough to do something about it.  There was something in the desire for her to have this desire that would give her a little of the fighting spirit that he had.  Hysaeda could see the passion to throw him over in her eyes, he saw it brewing in her like a small volcano waiting to explode.  But he wouldn't just give her an easy way of tripping him up.  He'd make her earn it.

Things were always better when one earned them.  Hysaeda never would have learned to survive if he wasn't attacked and thrashed by Radek and his gange on numerous occasions.  If he'd always told his father of the beatings or had his cousin intervene for him, he never would have learned to fight back.  Some would argue that meeting violence with violence never solved anything, and he would agree that occasionally it only exacerbated things, but he was able to thwart his opponent on several instances.  Even as he grew older.  But he worked for everything he learned for there were no stable Gien-Kai'ran masters anymore.

In a sense he wanted her to feel the anger of what it meant to be terrorized, but not in the sense that he wanted to completely thrash her.  Sure if he rendered her unconscious again, that would just be a bonus to it all, but it would be better if she learned to harness all her emotions into something productive.

Hysaeda came at her fast, stepping forward with intent to strike her in the chin, but she caught him in the trip as he'd taught her.  He'd misstepped somewhere... but where?  Before he knew it she'd throw him to the ground, against the force which he'd originally come at her with.  With the wind knocked out of him, he looked at her with eyes that didn't focus.  "Liar...you said you couldn't take me down.  Looks like I proved you wrong yet again."  Oh damn his head hurt!

The second he went down, Adalia stood like a lump before she moved closer and fell to her knees beside him, a hand hovering over his face before touching the back of his head. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. I thought you were expecting it!" Quickly she jumped backwards, remembering how ill he always looked if she touched him. Well, maybe not ill, but he didn't like it. Adalia could figure out that much.

Still mad at him, but not cruel enough to leave him if she hurt him, Adalia hovered nearby and watched. Frowning for a moment. "How old are you, anyway?" It occured to her that he was of an elven species. She went a little pale with the idea that he might be old. She punched him in the chin, screamed at him and he could very be her much elder, elder.

Annoyed. Even if he was old that would just make him the more immature. Call her immature. Adalia felt her gentle expression turning into a darker one before she got up slowly and dusted off her legs. Clearing her throat and stretching before fixing her shirt and then looking away and stepping farther than an arms length away. Just in case.

He groaned a little, trying to purge the dizziness from his head.  But he looked at her with gleaming pred.  "I was expecting it.  Just because I was doesn't mean it doesn't hurt any less.  But luckily for you, I am accustomed to pain.  I don't enjoy it, but I have quite a high threshold."  Inside, he cringed a little as she tried to reach out and touch him.  He wasn't yet convinced that she didn't have cooties.  Why did she always seem keen on touching him...?

Hysaeda shook his head, brushing the dirt from his short hair.  But then she said something that made him look at her curiously.  "My age?  What has that got to do with anything?  I'm older than you that's for sure.  I've been alive for a little more than two and a half centuries; two hundred-fifty six to be exact, and still young.  Believe me, that's very young compared to most other elves...  Er, now that you brought it up, how old are you?"

He didn't think she'd give up her age so easily.  Most of the women he'd met were sensitive about their age, but he didn't think she had anything to be ashamed of.  At least she looked young.

Too nice. Adalia figuered that was her main downfall. Frowning at Hysaeda she cleared her throat. "If you were expecting it you should have done something to break your fault. I don't want my superiors to think I was beating on you on our way here. That would reflect badly upon me." This whole fighting thing was a stupid idea. Adalia mentally chastised herself to not think like that, it wouldn't do. Can't go beyond expectations if she thought the thing was stupid.

Of course, then he told her his age. And she stared, went pale and then instantly felt bad. "Two-hundred... f-f-fifty six?" Here she thought her parents, who were in their early fifties, were old and good looking for their age. Because of them she was a little more pure blooded, which she supposed was good for her. Made her look like a strange albino with lime's for eyes though.

"That's old." She quickly covered her mouth with her hands before lowing them and looking away politely. "I'm twenty-one." Now she felt like a little baby. He was two hundred freaking years old. "You're old enough to be my great-great grandfather." Adalia observed out loud, moving closer and leering at him. She gave a dry laugh and rubbed a hand through her hair, poking the tip of one of her ears. "I'm only part elf...ish. I don't think I'll live to be two hundred." She leaned in and looked at him with wide eyes. "How old do you guys get?"

Here she went from potentially dangerous opponent, to inquisitive caretaker, to curious...child?  Now that he realized the age difference between them in actuality and not just looks, she did seem somewhat childlike to him, and she looked at him as if he was some kind of ancient spirit instead of the living, breathing, young elf that he was.  "Er, yeah,  Two hundred-fifty six," he nodded to her as if confirming her dumbfoundedness.

He leaped back a little at he world old and couldn't help but grin, amused.  "Excuse me!  Actually I'm a young man of my breed.  We're quite formidable when it comes to aging.  And I think I'm pretty lucky to be as old as I am."  He looked at her with narrow eyes.  "You're great-great grandfather?  Well...um, thanks?"  He didn't know whether he should have been offended or to look at her with great pride in himself.

Then her curiosity got the better of her.  "We can live for thousands of years if we take good care of ourselves...  The oldest ever known was about forty-five hundred years old; he died of old age.  But...well, only some can ever hope to live that long.  I suppose I should be one of them.  We do not have a long life expectancy with the way we carry out things."

Adalia couldn't fathom living for sixty years, let alone two hundred. Her lower lick went into her mouth and she chewed on it gently, thankful for the distraction from the fighting. Even if it made her feel lonely for him. Two hundred years. "Young! Maybe for your Umbraeons, but for short lived people like me? You're old. I thought my parents were old! Yours must be ancient."

Now that he was definitely her elder. Her parents elder. Her grandparents elder. Adalia rubbed her forehead with the heel of her hand and put a hand on her hip while she huffed and frowned. "Way you carry out things?" She frowned and let the hand fall from her face. "You talk to dragons, if your entire species is as big as you are you're probably wonderful fighters. I've never heard of Umbraeons before so I doubt the countries are after you... Do you try to climb up mountains and fall on your way to conversations with dragons or something?"

Now she was curious. She could understand why humans died all the time. A long lived species? Two hundred was a lot? He expected to g-"Fourty five hundred? As in, four thousand five hundred? You expect to get that old? Wouldn't you be lonely?"

There were some times people were better off not knowing.  For Hysaeda such things were what really went on in the upstairs of taverns that weren't really taverns, or the business of the kingdoms that occupied the Outland.  His thoughts stayed usually to the things that he knew and that was enough for him.  He could care less about the business of others, or what their plans were, or even if he encountered them.  He was a hunter where he was from and where he could live contentedly with nature, become one with his environment, he could live fairly happy.  There wasn't any thought on being lonely, or exactly what the true meaning of isolation was.

Hysaeda could see the conversation change, turning a little more personal, to details that he'd rather not give away, but he couldn't exactly leave her questions unanswered.  That would only encourage her curiosity, or so he thought.  "We understand dragons; we speak their language, but only a few are actually chosen to command them.  It is by the spirit of Umbra that such gifts are distributed.  We prefer to remain a secret...I think it would be...really bad if we were discovered."  His tone was somber and he looked at the ground when he walked over to her saddlebags and pulled out his container.

"One can only expect to achieve what they think might happen.  We don't all live that long...we, um...we fight with each other a lot.  Fight for territory and spoils.  It's our way of doing things.  We don't like you outlanders too much for the most part.  Tend to think you're very strange.  I don't understand how you're kind survived as long as they did.  I don't mean that in a bad way; it's just that, it's hard to understand."

Quickly she followed him, putting a piece of dry wood onto the fire before moving her hand over it gently to feed it. 'Wake it up', so to speak. Adalia licked her lips and listened. Smirking when he didn't answer her last question but listening intently when he did answer. Dragons. Adalia closed her eyes and tried to picture a real dragon. Nothing. Drawn images, written descriptions, but she'd never seen a real dragon.

That would be cool. Adalia decided just then that she'd make it a life goal to see at least one real dragon.  

She held up a hand, "Promise not to tell anyone about the Drow-Looking-People who can communicate with dragons. Adela might try to steal you all and learn the ways of your... uh..." She lifted up her hands and wiggled her fingers, "Magic tongues." Then she stared. Fought amongst themselves? They were their own worst enemies?

A distinct frown drew on her face and she stared. "I can understand why we get into fights with Connlaoth. They kill magic users." She frowned, "And not only do I look like one, I am one. I can understand that. But you?" she pointed at him, slightly disgusted, "You fight yourselves? And, and kill one another? Really? Territory and spoils?" Her hands went to her hips and she shook her head slightly, "No wonder we think you're savages. Fighting is a last resort, something to turn to when diplomacy doesn't wor– you know, this is probably falling on deaf ears. You're too old to understand something like that."  Her hand went up and she nodded towards the container he was holding, "How's your stuff? Is Someone going to be a happy camper later?"

Hysaeda glanced at her and smirked at her remark of the 'magic tongues.'  Draconic could be described as something like that, but he didn't want to explain it to her.  There was already so much to talk about already.

"No, it's not that I'm too old...  It's that I am too young, I know only what I've been taught, or what I have taught myself.  We have no real word for diplomacy, not in the sense that you mean it.  Xhism.  That's like to 'make talks' with.  But can end in any manner of speaking.  Usually xhisms end in a submission or a surrender.  But, I'm saying too much.  I shouldn't be speaking of this with you," Hysaeda, gently shook the container and listened the thickened slosh and swish of the liquid it contained.

"But for future reference, our ways are not exactly something we appreciate delving into with your kind and I know that you'll just make me a bit upset if you keep talking about it.  Such actions were constructed out of necessity; it was a different time back then.  But it's not like now.  Yet we see no reason to change, it is our way.  We don't interfere with your schools and markets and common currencies... we just prefer to be left alone."  As he spoke, he unraveled the rope he tied around the canister after setting it into the dirt.  Then he slipped off the leather top that kept the liquid from spilling.

Taking it into his nose, he sniffed gingerly then rubbed his nostril.  "It is getting sweet, it is almost good to drink.  Maybe ten or fifteen more minutes when it as thinned.  Here you have a smell.  I have a feeling you'll like it."  He stood up and held the tea-colored liquid holding canister to her nose.  "Smells good, like plants, but with a bit of sugar too, no?"

'Lime' eyes rolled and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Of course, something else they can kill you over. I'm going to assume your species ages slow mentally...?" It was a possibility. Just like those strange creatures who grew years in a matter of days. Adalia couldn't understand why, maybe a natural thing? "Nevermind." She smiled and shook her head before wandering over and standing beside him, blinking at him.

She nearly laughed at him when he told her speaking of this upset him. From what she could tell everything upset him. Ooh, touch his shoulder? Upset. Cry after blowing someone's head off? Upset. Ask about his species? Upset. With a roll of her eyes she voiced her thoughts. "Everything upsets you. Gods, Rogue, I'm tiny, you treat me like I'm some giant monster. Doesn't make me feel very nice, y'know. Having a big scary man look at me like I have six heads and act like my eyes turn them into stone."

She went crossed her eyes when he held the canister to her nose and she took a tentative sniff before turning quickly, bending over and sneezing. "Very... uh... Full of scent. What's in that? Is that the...Scravat stuff? Or is it something else?" She turned around slowly, her elbow to her mouth before shaking her head and giving a shiver after the sneeze before hugging herself.

"You shouldn't assume anything, little one," he teased, frowning.  "We're no dumber, nor smarter than the average human.  We're capable where we apply ourselves.  Look, we're just different, you and I.  That's it.  Simple enough for even you to understand."  Hysaeda listened to the bubbling in the container, measuring the seconds between each pop carefully before switching ears to make sure everything matched and was up to par.

"Not everything.  It's just the scravat.  It's taking some time to ferment that's all.  It doesn't taste as bad as you think it smells.  Actually it is quite good, makes you feel good.  I know I keep saying that, but there really is not other way to describe it.  It relaxes you, so to speak, and I promise that in a few minutes, I won't be upset at everything anymore.  You just need to calm down a bit more and have a seat.  But I don't suggest you eat anything before it's ready.  You might vomit.  Wouldn't want that now would we?

"It's just herbs, some flax, a few strands of grass.  Hermedecine, gravinite, dandril, nightwash, and a few others.  Of course, most combinations of those can be poisonous, but the right concoction of scravat, makes it a very potent drink."

Hysaeda sat down close to the fire, sliding the container carefully close to it and crossing his legs.  He folded is hands in his lap, knotting his fingers in a strange rune-like fashion as he began to slowly chant.  The odd and ambiguous words he uttered made the liquid in the container react to it, causing each rising bubble to rise in a rapid snap, as if a small keg of gunpowder exploded.  Each small verse took about ten seconds then he would reach forward and exhale into the canister, then breathe the scent of it back into him.  After about then minutes, he smelled it carefully, then nodded satisfactorily.  "Yes it is, ready.  It's thin enough to drink."

"I don't think we're all the different at all." She stuck her nose up in the air and held her hands at the small of her back, rocking back and forth on her heels. "You just said you're not any smarter or dumber, then you go and tell me we're different. You live longer, you look different, but I'm pretty sure I could learn whatever you know. Well," she frowned, "Maybe not the stuff that takes a hundred years. Don't know if I have enough time for that." She stuck her tongue out at the back of his head before following him to the fire.

She made sure to sit off to the side, a good five feet away. Watching him. Staring. Jumping everytime a bubble snapped. Okay, she didn't want to learn how to do this little trick. Pass on the... Drink magic.

While he did his chanting, she watched intently and was expecting something bigger than, 'it's ready.' For a moment she just stared at him, waiting for more. "What happens when you drink it too thick?" She leaned in, moving onto her hands and knees to watch him, looking from it back to him. "Why do you want me to try it so badly, anyway?"

He sighed.  "I don't mean that kind of different!  I mean culture, our cultures are different.  Physically, we are quite different too.  But we are mentally capable as anyone.  But, the fact remains that we are very different."  Hysaeda stirred the serum one more time and rolled his eyes.  He sighed a little and shook his head, moving the container a little ways a from the fire and leaning over in a crouched position.

"If you drink it when it's too thick, it can be rather poisonous.  Not enough to kill you, but you will be in a large amount of pain for quite some time.  You see, the bubbles release the toxins that make it thick and undrinkable.  You have to 'talk' to it.  Not, talk-talk, like how you and me are doing right now.  But you must...encourage the toxins to be released.  But don't worry, this is safe to drink, I've made it several times before.  I'm a professional."  Hysaeda poured a little to his palm and licked it gingerly, savoring the flavor before moving on.

"I want you to try it because I believe it will help you relax.  You seem a little high strung sometimes.  C'mon, I thought you said you trusted me.  Go get a cup or just have a sip here."   Hysaeda held the canister out to her and leaned in a little closer.

Simply rolling her eyes and shaking her head, she decided against telling him he was delusional and that just about every humanoid had something in common and weren't all that different at all. Screw it. "I don't think we're that different," she shrugged, "Sorry." A smile and she watched him, he seemed irritated. It gave her a dark pleasure and she watched him, entertained.

When he went to tell her about the drink? Potion? His stuff. She stared, swallowed. Then eyed his container then looked at him and tried not to laugh. 'Don't worry, I'm a professional.' She grinned widely and rested her chin in her hand, watching, curious.

Then he decided to speak and she leered at him. She should have figuered those three words would come and bite her so she lifted her head. High strung, help her relax. If he didn't act like she was dirt under his shoe she probably wouldn't be so high strung or tense. Then she realised she'd gotten out of the rest of the 'training' and had to keep herself from smirking.

The earlier verbal battle returned to her head as well and she scooted closer. She'd been meaning to apologise, but that would have to be later. After. Adalia gently took the canister and brought it to her lips, squeezing her eyes closed and taking a little under a mouthful, swallowing quickly and holding it back out to him and then cracking open an eye. Well, it could have tasted worst.

Adalia could think of things that tasted worse. Like the food at the barracks. The jerky still in her saddle bags tasted horrible. A second or so after handing the canister back she swallowed and then looked at him intently. "Now what happens?" Her voice was quiet and looked from him to the fire and then stared at the burning wood.

Scravat wasn't supposed to be the tastiest thing in the world.  In fact, any tastier and she would very likely have thrown up.  The flavoring was supposed to be like that of plants and with a little sweetness from the nightwash herb with the combined taste of alcohol.  Hysaeda didn't know that she'd never drunk much alcohol in her life, he just assumed that she would be accustomed to the taste.  But the very fact that she didn't spit it right back out upon first sip made him grin.

"You're more resilient than the others," he remarked nodding in satisfaction.  He didn't often share his scravat with those that had never drunk it before.  It was an amateur's drink, but a sacred one nonetheless, it was the starting point before the drinks of an Ankuman got progressively stronger and more mind-bending.

Hysaeda had watched her savor the flavoring for a bit then leaned in closer when she swallowed.  "Well, now, you let it open your mind."  He smiled then downed a bit for himself.  The enhanced fermentation singed his throat and he shuttered a little bit, closing his eyes and letting the aroma waft around him.  "Damn the gods, that's good!  But of course, because I'm more used to it than you, it won't be as effective on me.  Here, have some more."

Quickly her tongue was out, licking her lips and she frowned, quickly changing how she was sitting for the best way to stay up right. Clearing her throat she felt the dirt underneath her hands and then looked at Hysaeda, eyeing the canister before breathing slowly. "Better tasting than that damn salty shoe leather I've been eating for the past two weeks." Adalia licked her lips again, staring at him and his over reaction.

"You shouldn't damn the gods."  Adalia frowned before recoiling slightly, "that's bad . They'd be angry." Then there was a moment pause, "I don't have any gods. I wish I did. That would be neat." Before long her legs were tucked to the side and she breathed slowly before taking the canister again and taking another sip, this one a little larger than the last.

This mouthful didn't taste as good.

Still better than shoe leather.

"So..." Adalia scooted closer, looking out into the forest while talking to him. "What's this gonna do? Is it like alcohol? I've never had alcohol. Have seen the guards with it." She shook her head before continuing, her face growing dark, "But then it's bad to be around them. They get away with lots of bad things. Some of them are almost as bad as the Rogue I thought you were." Then another pause and she turned to stare at him, "You know. You have pretty eyes. Never met anyone with Apples for eyes." A pleased smile drifted on her face. Ha! Limes for Apples. Eat that, Rogue! Even though they weren't completely red. Details.

"You keep telling me no, but I think I will have to make you eat horse jerky sometime, it tastes much better than what you're carrying.  Now, don't start blowing up, I'm not going to kill your damn forsaken beast over there.  Just maybe some other day, when I nice and dead, I'll come back from the spirit world to bring it to you."

Hysaeda adjusted his seating to sit across from her, but increasing the distance between them.  He didn't want to be near he when under the effects of the scravat.  He took back the canister when she'd had her fill and took another hearty sip for himself.  Luckily there was enough in the small pot for both of them to have several more drinks.  "I shall damn any gods that I please.  There is only one god that I follow and he's been dead for a very long time.  But perhaps, if you are good, you might find a god you think you should follow.  But!  Even if you find this god, never forget to honor your ancestors, for they are just as important as any other deity.  Maybe more."  Hysaeda sipped away again, swallowing the drink hard this time as part of it got stuck in his throat.   But a good cough soon remedied that.

"Hm! I'm feeling more relaxed already."  Hysaeda followed up those words by loosening up his shoulders and turning his head from side to side, cracking away the tension in his neck.  "Never had alcohol?  That's a shame.  I wouldn't recommend it unless you're ready for it.  You're a young one, you should stay healthy as long as you can.  Booze can make good men bad and bad men worse, so I believe what you're saying.  But this....this is beyond just any alcohol.  This is a healing drink.  It will make you see things.  Good things, bad things.  Things you don't want to see.  Soon you'll see."  But he grinned at her with the knowledge that the concoction was already taking effect.  She'd feel like her head would explode in the morning.  Her next words caught him off guard though.  "Apples?"  Then he understood.

"Apples, eh?  Heh, well, they sure as hell taste a lot better than limes.  And my eyes are not pretty.  They're normal Umbraeon eyes, amber-red if you're seeing right.  Which obviously you're not.  How are you feeling by the way?"

Her lower lip poked out and she frowned at him. Then she reached out a hand and waved it lazily, "You can get horse meat from other horses. Just not my horse. He's my pet and friend. When he dies he's going to be..." She blinked slowly and then pursed her lips, trying to remember just what happened to horses after they died. Didn't bury them. "Well, I don't know what, but that's what's going to happen to him."

Then he moved and she frowned. It hurt her feelings that he thought she was that repulsive. Carefully her fingers went to her face, to poke her cheek, trace over her lips. Quickly her tongue darted out and she watched him with her tongue stuck out, blinking owlishly, her fingers still on her lips and her tongue out. "Your god is... dead? Oh. Promise never to forget, my great-great grand father was a pure blooded fae." Adalia smiled, "I have his hair. No wings though, not pure blooded enough for that. He wasn't much of a fighter. Guess I take after him a lot. Oh, sorry." Adalia went quiet and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

Intently, like a little kitten she tucked her legs under her and placed her hands on her lap while she stared at him with wide green eyes. "I'm not young! I'm quite mature for a humanoid and almost to spinster age." A disgruntled huff and then she went quiet again and watched him, of course the moment he mentioned that scravat made you see things she began to notice the strange things bouncing around.

"Stop moving, you may think I'm albino, but I'm not ugly. You don't have to keep cringing away from me." Adalia huffed and moved them closer, still on her hands and knees as she crawled closer. There may have been tiny things floating around her vision, she could see them, like her vision was going, not all that creepy. Once she got close enough she moved her head to stare at his eyes again. She squinted slightly, "Maybe not apples. Blood oranges. They're like oranges but their insides are all red. You should learn how to take a compliment, you do have pretty eye–" Adalia went quiet before her hand gently pressed against his ear, fingers moving to either side as it to grab something. Sliding off of it before taking her hand to her face and opening it slowly, then frowning. "It.. There was something on your ear." Her eyes went to his ear again.

"Is this that 'seeing things'... Thing? Will it be scary? Will that person who I blew up start screaming at me?" Adalia went a little pale before starting to look over her shoulder and then snapping her head back to stare at his neck. "Can you help me if I start seeing that? Please?"

Hsyaeda blinked at her when she told him to stay.  "I'm not moving because you're ugly," he muttered to himself, looking away for a moment.  He was moving because he didn't like her.  It was as simple as that.  But he stayed where he was, gripping the arm that was nearest her and scratched at it idly as if there was an itch caused by her presence.  His skin felt like it wanted to melt off his muscle and bones.  "And I'll move if I want to move, goddammit!  You just....ugh, whatever."  Hysaeda instead focused on the scravat that warmed his belly.  He didn't need this, he didn't need to be stressed out just when he was trying to get settled in.  He'd be damned if he let her ruin this moment for him.

But kept up her little weird habits, obviously not used to the effects of the liquor.  And he couldn't help his smirk as he was realizing she kept 'seeing' things.  "I'm going to keep protesting it as long as I know what I'm saying is true.  I don't have pretty eyes, so keep your damn distance. Goodness!  Hey, what are you doing!?"  Hsyaeda was knocked a little off balanced when she reached over and grabbed his elongated ear nearest her.  "What!?  There's nothing on my ear.  You're seeing things!  It's the scravat, for all you know, I could be trying to make advances on you, which I'm obviously not.  But...well, at least you're enjoying what you're seeing."

He rubbed his ear where she grabbed it and tried to feel for something there, as if nervous that there really was something there.  Then she mentioned the man she exploded.  "Hm....no, you probably won't be seeing that.  Scravat is a hallucinogen.  You'll see things from deep within your subconscious, maybe desires, things you want, things you haven't done yet.  Maybe even a little guilt, but I have had anything bad like that happen to me.  But if you start seeing that, um....sure.  I guess I could help you."   But the answer was forced; there was no active desire to help her at all.  She'd have to undergo the scravat just like he did.  Then he looked at her lips, which in his vision now became a dog's muzzle, and he stared at it, coming closer, wondering just how in the world she talked like that.  He'd never seen a dog talk before.

"You have pretty eyes!" Adalia snarled, leering at him, "And you have a nice face and an attractive chest. Learn to take a damn compliment or I'll shove them at you until your face turns blue! Or.. Purple! Whatever colour you go." She huffed then snorfled when he went on to say he could be making advances on her. Pahahaha. "You? You're a prude!  More so than I." She sat back on her heels and pressed a hand to her chest, fingers out before her hand moved into her shirt to feel her heart beat.

Cool.

Then he told her what it was and she carefully sat back down sighing and then staring. "You drugged me!?" Her lower lip poked out and she stared at him, oblivious to how he was seeing her now. Probably have a mini fit that his brain turned her into a dog. A dog.  As it was, she had no idea and she moved closer still, blinking before her face turned into a frown. "Why do you hate me? I said sorry. I'm not a bad person, really."

Stupid stubborn bastard that was slowly growing cat ears. Her fingers itched to touch the imaginary ears. She'd seen a cat person before, they'd sniffed her and told her she smelled like books.

Hysaeda couldn't argue really with that.  He wouldn't really call himself a prude though.  "I'm just reserved, if you haven't noticed yet.  There's no reason to take a compliment if I don't want to.  You don't have to take everything I say so seriously, either!"  he snapped, feeling his face growing warm.  "And to think I have an attractive chest..well, that's just creepy.  I'm not supposed to be attractive to your kind.  That would be unnatural."  He averted her gaze, looking away so she wouldn't see the sudden agitation in his face.  When another sip of the scravat found it's way in his throat, he shuddered a little bit at it's effect.  "There's more in there, you should have some more.

Hsyaeda, not wanting to look at her directly, instead, focused his gaze on the fire ahead of them.  He sat up and inhaled sharply then blew out with ferocity, watching the fire leap up and dance higher than it had been when she'd been playing with it.  But then she said something interesting.  "Drug you?  No, not quite.  I just gave you a little something to cool off, like I said before.  And how do you talk with those lips, seriously?"  It was now that he turned to her and reached across, pulling at her lips, then letting them go with a snap.  "Weird....  And you're eyes are on fire....now.  That's a little strange too."

Curling his legs up, he hugged his knees slightly, more like resting his elbows against them.  "Hate is a powerful word.  And it is used unwisely.  But in this case, I have every right to hate you...  But before I answer that, answer me this.  Why are you afraid of men so much?  You have so many fears like of being raped and such.   Did something happen to you?"  Oh great, now she was growing fur.  He thought it best now that he kept his gaze focused on the fire.

Cheeks puffed out and she glared. "Well, I must be unnatural then. And that's stupid. Not supposed to be attractive to 'my kind'. You're a humanoid, pretty sure you can still be attractive." Adalia frowned, "Who said you weren't? Was she mean?" Adalia leaned forward and her voice dropped a little lower, "Were you trying to pay her?"

Her eyebrows went up but before she couldn't prod for more information he pulled on her lips. What the hell? Because she didn't want to stare at him and make him uncomfortable. After his fingers let go her own drew up and she traced them herself. Same way she always spoke with her lips.

A quick look over and she decided to follow suit. Her own legs curled up and she instead hugged her knees to her chin. A little afraid, she knew what was going on. Every movement made her twitch but she tried not to look at it. Knowing it was a figment of her imagination. Or at least she hoped it was. While she felt 'good' as Hysaeda had said she would, rising anxiety at seeing weird shit made her twitchy and jumpy.

Before long the fire was making faces at her. Adalia quickly turned to watch Hysaeda as he spoke, but the cat ears and the weird things and... Adalia decided the fire that was making faces was a safer thing to watch. "Well, I wish you wouldn't hate me. I know you think I'm weak, but maybe you wouldn't think I'm so awful if you gave me a chance." Her voice took on a distinct pout, but her back went straight and she turned slowly to stare at him when his second question hit.

Did he just ask her if she'd been molested?

"No. Nothing happened to me." Adalia went quiet, "When we find girls who've been kidnapped to be thrown into slavery... Sometimes they've been used brutally." Her eyes shut as the images in the fire turned more risque and she squeezed herself tighter, "They like me, I'm small, I don't look dangerous, I'm a woman. They tell me things, ask me to make it better." She gave a dry laugh, "I can't. The only thing I can do is try to make them feel better until we get back to town. Then I leave and go back to my squishy house with my mother and father."

It then occured to her that she wasn't that great a person after all. It took a lot of effort not to sniffle, not wanting to annoy Hysaeda anymore. "The fire has...interesting.... images in it...What are you seeing?" Her eyes were still squeezed shut and she was careful to just listen. Adalia decided that she didn't like scravat, that alcohol was safer, because as far as she knew it didn't make you see dirty images in the fire.

"I didn't pay her!" he blushed indignantly.  "....She wouldn't let me.  She insisted that she wanted to...  And...." He gulped, recalling the sweaty details.  "Well, it seemed she wanted to really badly.  That's all I'm going to say about it.  And you are pretty unnatural; you're one of the palest humanish people I've seen in my life, and that's saying something.  I couldn't ever find you attractive.  Even if I do like the stargazers."  Looking away, he was determined to say nothing more on the subject.

He listened to her story of the kidnapped women and nodded in slavery.  Good thing Umbraeons won all their slaves fair and square, not quite so much as kidnapping people against their will, but rather taking what was left of a battle, any survivors of an enemy camp were cuffed in the enchanted slave bracers and carted away to be sold and/or put to work.  The way she described it...made it all seem barbaric.  "They abuse them...  Slaves are meant for work, not...that kind of work.  I can't imagine why they would do such a thing...  No offense, but you don't seem like the kind of person people would want to confide in.  But I see what you mean.  I guess I understand a little better now."

He was growing somber now and the scravat took a darker turn for his mood.  He saw little crawling things on the ground, like worms that were as thick as a woman's fingers.  She clawed upward from the soil.  He watched her, staring and eyes moving as if there was actually something there.  Then the fire leapt up and consumed her, but she didn't scream and instead danced in a fall of blood that showered down from the trees.  His eyes traced upward as if following some invisible spiderweb and his jaw dropped in fascination as the canopy and the stars changed into the rafters of a cave, whose stone structures often held many mysteries.  He heard a voice calling out to him, a familiar one as if it was right next to him.

Then he turned to his side and saw Adalia's features covered in black blood.  His eyes went wide, but he did not shriek...  "You look really really ugly," he murmured in fascination.  Then his hands reached out and graced her cheek, the vision summoned by the scravat still lingering and his fingers crawled to her temples, feeling something smooth and moist along his fingers.  "Like, slime or something on your face.  First....first...you had doglips, then your mouth turned into a flower that told me to eat it.  Can I eat the flower?"

It was stupid to feel insulted because one person decided she wasn't attractive enough. What the hell was a stargazer? Adalia popped open an eye to look up, she hadn't looked up at the stars in ages. With the scravat in her system she wouldn't be doing that tonight anymore. The sky didn't look like a sky at all, and the stars were tiny eyeballs all blinking at her. Adalia swallowed and tucked her head into her lap again, concentrating on his voice.

Again with making her a bad guy. It made her chest ache and she just sighed. She wasn't a good person to confide in, hardly able to sympathsise with their situation. Only able to be a shoulder to cry on, to give some of the burden to. Couldn't help though. Slowly, she hoped she could remember this tomorrow, if it was like alcohol... Help more. Adalia gave herself a nod and was about to ask what a stargazer was when Hysaeda told her she was ugly.

Quickly she sat up and turned to stare at him. Her eyes went wide and the snappy retort on her tongue fell off, her mouth open. This scravat stuff was weird.  She swallowed slowly, too afraid to move away. His god damn eyes were glowing! Adalia knew they weren't really glowing, but they sure as hell looked like they were glowing and she felt her breath hitch and she cringed away with a freaky clawed hand moved to the side of her face.

First she was ugly and now he was touching her. Adalia felt her mouth open. At least Hysaeda with weird glowy eyes was better than strange imagines in the fire. Slime? Her hand moved to the other side of her face and she turned to look at her hand, quickly slapping it down onto her lap because it didn't look like a hand anymore and more like a decayed dead claw.

Dog lips? A flower? Adalia was going to ask him what drugs he'd taken and if she could help him but the small part of her mind that wasn't tripping out told her she was on it too. Adalia carefully cleared her throat before leaning forward to stare at him funny. "You want to eat a flower? Go for it, eating a flower won't kill you." Eat a flower. Because his glowing eyes were freaking her out, Adalia closed her eyes again. She could feel good without seeing eyeballs, claws and glowing things.

He couldn't understand it.  The scravat was usually never this powerful with him as it was supposed to be the milder of the many herbal alcoholic drinks he could prepare.  But here he was whipped out and staring at her as if she were a rare metal or the freakiest insect he'd ever seen.  But he sighed even more when he realized that she wasn't a giant praying mantis that was going to eat him.  And suddenly the blood melted away and he saw the flower.  It was right there staring him in the face, mocking him with its leafy, planty goodness.

"I'll get you!" he snarled, grabbing Adalia's head between his hands and shoving his face right in front of hers, so close he could feel her breath.  But the flower disappeared inside her mouth, coming out occasionally to taunt him.  Little bastard, he thought grimacing.

The flower burst out again and looked at him with black beady eyes.  "What are you waiting for!" it shouted at him.  With that as motivation enough, he smashed his mouth to hers, opening his teeth to chew on the outside of her lips.  He chewed gently knowing that flowers were not all thick or strong; a quick clip with his teeth and he'd be done with it.  But it kept eluding him.  When he didn't find it the first time, he pulled away, inspected her lips, then went to chew on them again.  He still didn't chew very hard.

"Dammit!  Where did it go?"  Then he knew!  "Inside!"  On the third time around, he shoved his tongue in her mouth, looking for the flower.  Where the hell did it run off to?  Stupid flower.  He didn't pull away until a good ten seconds of looking.  He sat back surprised, staring at her with wide eyes like a drooling idiot.  "I didn't find it!"  His face was horrified, as if finding it were the most important thing in the world.  "Can I look again?"  It didn't occur to him that he just tongued her only moments ago.

Adalia stared in mild horror when he grabbed her head and snarled at her. What did she do wrong? Fear was crawling up her back and her breath grew faster, honestly a little afraid. Here she was thinking he was a good guy and now he was snarling at her and chewing on her lips.

Wait what?

Then her heart was pounding for a whole different reason. Also realised where the flower was. It wasn't a flower at all. Was this a kiss? Adalia didn't really care, she leaned forward, slightly entertained that was trying to get an imaginary flower out of her mouth. Partly amazed at how gentle he was being with his teeth, chewing on her lips. Heat rose up her cheeks and she breathed through her nose, half curious about what strange kisses felt like and half afraid that moving away would make him want to look for a flower somewhere else.

The first time he pulled away she was flushed and breathing lightly. Still not moving. Another round at chewing on her lips - Adalia didn't mind it too much, pushing him away still seemed like a bad idea though. The snarl was pretty scary. At least he pulled away and Adalia breathed a sigh of relief before opening her eyes to stare at him.

"Inside whe–" Then he shoved his face at her again and she nearly gagged. Oh, gross. His tongue. She didn't know where his tongue had been! Since staring at his was her safest bet, she didn't let her eyes wander during the ten seconds he shoved his tongue around in her mouth. Maybe that would be a little more erotic if it had some build up... Or if the tongue in her mouth wasn't moving around like a blind digger. She'd heard a few of the luckier married women talk about these kinds of kisses. Adalia tried to think of it as sexy but nope, it was just a mans big tongue wagging around in her mouth. Kinda grossed her out.

When Hysaeda was finally done looking for the flower, Adalia was bright red, her hand went over her lips to wipe away the drool. Then he complained. Didn't find the damn flower? Adalia wasn't about to let him wag that freaky thing around in her mouth so she quickly jumped to change the subject. Even if he looked like a poor lost child when he asked her to look again. She was tempted to say yes just because he looked so pathetic. Adalia moved forward quickly, tucking her arms under his and resting her head on his shoulder, holding tightly incase he spooked like a frightened horse and tried to whip her off. "Uh... I ate the flower. That might be why you didn't find it? I'm sorry, I didn't know you wanted it so badly."

Oh, no!  The flower was gone, what in hell's name did it run off too.  Wait!  Flower's couldn't run.  Oh no, oh no, oh no!  He had to find that flower.  He knew that if he ate it, all the secrets of the universe would be told to him.  Including the best secret of all, the most precious of secrets that even the greatest king would be after it if they knew of it's existence:  The secret of the hidden block of bloody cheese that dangled over head.  It was the flower of knowledge and he had to have it.  If he didn't find it—

Hysaeda's heart was pounding in his throat and small beads of sweat ran down his forehead as if he'd just undergone some kind of deep and dark struggle.  Dammit!  And he did, the search for the eternal flower that lurked inside of Adalia's mouth.  He'd find it, even if his life depended on it.  And even when she hugged him, he was still quite dumbfounded.  And his hand reached for the scravat canister at his side, taking another quick sip of it and trying to make an effort to calm himself.  He certainly couldn't find the flower if he was becoming hysterical and this he was certain he was becoming.  "Okay," he breathed to himself.  "I feel a little better."  And the scravat settle once more in his stomach, settling his whole being.

But the desire for the flower didn't leave him that easily.  She rested her head on his shoulder, holding on to him as if he might disappear or runaway.  "Adalia!  ....What?  You...you ate it?  How could you!"  Hysaeda turned his head to look at her.  "I don't believe you.  You dare lie to me like that."  He suddenly saw all sorts of flowers growing on her but wasn't sure which one was the right one.  "I need that flower!"  And he forced her head to look at him.  "I'll just have to get it out myself."  And smashed his mouth to her once again, thinking that eating through her lips might lead him to it.  Perhaps some part of him told him to keep his tongue inside his mouth because if he let it out, he might not ever get it back again.

[He's just had a little too much to drink]

Not one for swearing often, when he exclaimed his horror at her eating the flower, Adalia breathed a quiet but audible, "oh, shit." Wrong words. She only had time to breath in quickly before he turned her head, she breathed out a quiet 'I'm sorry' but not fast enough because then his mouth was on hers again and she gave a muffled squeal. Gods damn it!

Not only was she sitting very awkwardly now, she had another face pressed up against hers. Glad his tongue wasn't shoved down her throat this time. It was less of a 'holy crap, he's kissing me,' and more of a sobering, 'he's looking for a pretend flower that lives in my mouth'. Maybe doing something would help him find it Wouldn't kill her. Or it wound her and she would lose her tongue. Slowly she moved her hand to press it gently to his eyes, covering them, her hand. Couldn't see flowers in her mouth if he couldn't see, it wasn't pressed against his face, resting there in case he decided to freak out and smack her arm away.

Since moving her head was next to impossibly, she quickly shifted her position, moving to sit on his lap before moving closer and 'helping him look for the flower.' Her mouth opened and she kept the hand over his eyes, wincing when he bit her lip a little too hard. But she pulled back slightly, trailing her tongue over his lips before pulling him into a kiss - Adalia wasn't sure how to start one on the basis of looking for something. Her other hand moving to the side of his head, gently rubbing her thumb over his cheek. Distraction, distraction. Adalia kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see anything strange crawl out of his ears, but she pulled him closer.

Her own buzz wasn't as strong, she still felt good and lethargic and her arms were heavy and she wanted to curl up here and nap. He never said anything about freaky hallucinations that made him stick his tongue down peoples throats. The opal haired soldier was getting kind of worried, maybe distracting him from looking for the magical flower in her mouth would keep her lips free of bites.

The excavation had begun.  Though he still very much had the spins, he was only vaguely aware of exactly what he was doing.  It was like the moon and stars and planets all made a home of the inside of his mind.  At first his eyes were busy gazing up at the stars, however awkward the view was, and he saw that they became huge balls of fire as if they were ready to rain down on him.  His breath caught, even as his lips worked on her mouth, and he was about ready to have a panic attack when something came down over his eyes as if to shield him from the view.  The panic left him as quickly as it came when the view of the fireballs disappeared.  Okay, maybe covering his eyes would work.

If he couldn't see it, it wouldn't hurt him right?  His hands grabbed on to her head and the back of her neck as if letting her go would let the flower escape.  Couldn't have that, now could he?  If it got away then he knew the entire world would fall apart.  The stars were already intent on falling down anyway, as several of them were already hurtling themselves toward the earth.  His sense were drowned and behind the darkness of his closed lids, he saw the universe again, and the planets quietly aligned in his mind's vision.  The scravat opened up his senses further.

There was something on his cheek, but his trembling body couldn't quite make out what it was.  It was like a giant thumb that might have been trying to eat him.  "Dear Umbra," he breathed when he found his lips free for a second before something moist struck them; yet to realize it was Adalia's own tongue.  It was slimy and smooth, even a little bumpy in places.  The flower!  His own tongue reached out to it, brushing against it, before moving to bite it, but it slipped away.  He sniffed harshly, distressed, and pressed his mouth a little harder to hers.

He didn't quite understand it yet as the scravat kept trying to attack his senses but it sort of felt like he was kissing someone.  Little did he know he was kissing her back, her attempts at distraction working as he felt his hands wrap around something that felt smooth like hair but were really snakes in his mind's eye.  They were awfully thin to be snakes, but he clamped down on them when the visions of them worsened and found his hands at the base of her skull, body coming in conflict with the mind.

Things could get worse! Adalia felt her heart beat quicken and her breathing grow harder and her mind reeled. Kissing wasn't working. Distraction wasn't really working, her lips were probably going to be bruised tomorrow, and she was getting more and more worried for Hysaeda. Should he be freaking out like this? Everything she did freaked him out, he was as skittish as a cat and she didn't know what to do.

With the hand still over his eyes, she pulled away from the 'kiss' panting softly, bright red with her own eyes still clamped shut. Maybe talking. Talking didn't get warped, right? Still sitting on him, her hand still placed over his eyes. "Hysaeda. Are you supposed to freak out like this?" Why didn't she think of talking sooner? Kissing. He's going to want to beat her if he ever found out ( or remembered ) that he'd just shoved his tongue down her throat.

Eugh.

Her hand went to his shoulder and she rested it there, her voice soft and gentle as she leaned away so that she wasn't speaking to his nose. "I'm getting worried. You didn't tell me anything about acting like this. I won't hurt you, nothing here will hurt you. Just take a few breaths and calm down, okay?" Adalia tried not to move, afraid that might set off a new bunch of hallucinations or something.  Adalia opened an eye and quickly clamped it back shut, not things were still glowing.

As the scravat was dying down and he felt his stomach growing cold, the shuddering of his body subsided and he clenched his eyes closed despite her hand, feeling a throbbing pain take the back of his head.  Then his lips felt raw when the opposing pressure of her mouth left him and he breathed heavily through his mouth.  His heart was pounding a thousand beats a minute, threatening to burst out of his throat or mouth or chest, like a nasty monster trying to come out of him.  His chest heaved as he took a breath, but he let it out slowly, trying to reclaim what was left of his mind.

He heard someone near him say his name.  "What?  Who?"  Hysaeda shook his head as he remembered that it was only Adalia, not some weird snake lady with concrete lips hiding flowers in her mouth.  He suddenly forgot all about the flower.  "Freaking out?  I'm not freaking out, I'm fine.  I...I don't want the flower anymore."  He was still trying to catch his breath even as she proclaimed that nothing was going to hurt him.  Nothing, that's right, nothing was there.  It was just the scravat.

"I am...I'm calm, okay?  I just gotta go.  I gotta go."  Hysaeda tried to stand, trying to push her away from him.  He found his legs were wobbly and barely able to support his weight, but they managed.  He wandered around the fire a little bit before collapsing and passing out on the ground, his head turned to the side so he could breath.

Never had to heared such nice words. Didn't want the flower anymore. Adalia licked her lips and listened. Her hand fell away from his face and she quickly scurried backwards when he started to push her. Things were back to normal, he thought she was disgusting. That was good. Things were normal. Adalia made sure to keep her eyes clamped shut but they quickly snapped open when he collapsed only to clamp down again when it didn't look right.

Following suit, she layed on her side and curled up. Adalia didn't like scravat. Even though she was curled up, her eyes clamped shut. It took a good hour of laying there for her to doze off. Listening intently in case Hysaeda woke up and decided there was more strange things he had to eat. Wouldn't do well if he tried to eat a real flower. Or a tree. Adalia pressed a hand to her temple and clasped at her head.

As if sensing her distress, Atras moved from his own sleeping spot and laid down behind Adalia. Something to keep her back warm, he nuzzled at her head before going back to sleep and she eventually dozed off to.

There was never more a horrible noise than birds chirping. Well, she was sure there was, but right now it made her head throb and she quickly clamped her hands over her ears. Green eyes opened and she groaned softly. It was daytime? Her side ached, her head ached, her mouth was dry. Atras had moved from her side, grazing happily beside a tree.

It took at least five minutes for her to sit up, which she groaned and huffed about while she was sitting, her eyes closed again. Felt like something was going to explode. Adalia bet it was her eyes first. She hadn't looked over to see if Hysaeda was still asleep, and with the way he was tripping out she didn't really want to be the one to wake him up.

Unfortunately, the urge to vomit tickled the back of her throat and she scrabbled up to dry heave behind a tree. Having digested the scravat and not having anything else in her system, it was just alternating between gasps of breath and spitting out bile and saliva. When she was finished she stood up and walked back to her patch of dirt where she laid down again, an arm behind her head and she closed her eyes again. "I want to go home." A whimper and she groaned and moved her other hand to her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Hysaeda never had good ideas. She'd have to remember that for the rest of the trip to Arca. A day or two left. Or was it three? Either way, it was too long.

He'd woken up when it was still dark, the dawn sun not quite rising  high enough to pierce through the thick canopy of trees above.  There were animal sounds nearby and Hysaeda had to take a good second or two to realize just where he was.  That's right, he was on the trail to a city where he'd probably be killed.  A sigh escaped him;, maybe if they were courteous they'd let him choose his own method of death.  Death by...poison?  That would probably be fun since he'd just had the scravat last night.

His headache returned ten fold and he felt like he was going to die right there.  But his limbs ached to get up, forcing his waist to sit up then the rest of his body.  "Dammit," he whispered to himself.  "I don't wanna get up yet!"  There was no helping it.  The scravat was gone from his gut and he now had full sense of himself, where he was and, more importantly, what he was gonna do.  Adalia was still asleep it seemed and he might see if he couldn't freak her out, make it seem as if he'd run away.  Yet his limbs had other ideas.  It became apparent to him now that he had a large amount of energy at his disposal.  If it all occurred to him that he could run off now and be miles away before sunlight came, he would have gladly run away.

Hysaeda climbed to his feet and spat out beside a tree.  Following the sounds of the birds and animals, he disappeared into the forest for a short time.  His limbs needed something to wail on so the first medium sized tree he saw, he started to kick it, thrashing it mercilessly with his shin.  Kicking trees wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do, but it did have it's purpose.  It would make his shins sore at first, but over time, skin would heal over the wounds and they would be fortified for the better.  He grunted into his work, making sure he folded his pants up knee high and then switched legs when the other was all bleeding and bruised.

By the time he was finished, the tree was snapped in half and both of his shins were cut and dripping with small streams of blood.  And by that time, the sun was already up and he was sure Adalia was too.  It was probably a good time that he made it back.  The journey was a slow one, taking fifteen minutes where it only should have taken five, but when he made it back, he saw her and nodded in her direction.  "You wanna go home?  That makes two of us.  But don't worry, good morning to you too."  And he held onto a nearby trunk for support.

His voice made her sit up quickly and stare, quick to cover her hands over her head like it would make the headache go away. It didn't, but she still pressed her hands to her head before looking over and getting up slowly. Swallowing after she stood up, it took her a minute to gain her balance and wander over. "Good morning," If it could be called that, hardly. Adalia snorted softly while walking over, her footsteps wobbly.

It took her a minute to notice the blood on his shins. Quickly she knelt down and stared. "What the hell did you do to yourself? Are you still freaking out? Are you okay?" Her hand moved out to hover over the self inflicted wounds before she stood up quickly, staring up at him. A nasty throb in her head made her wince as she stood up, breathing softly and rubbing her head. Frowning.

A small smirk and she closed her eyes for a moment. "Did you ever find that flower?" Would he remember anything? Adalia couldn't figure out why he liked scravat so much if it made him freak out like that. " Do you always freak out like that? You said it was a weaker one, but... you made me kind of worried."

The pain in his legs was a numb one and not one that he wasn't used to.  He'd done such a thing several time in the past as it was all apart of his recreational training.  Even those training to be warrior-priests couldn't forget about the warrior part because then they might as well forget about all their other duties as well.  He limped a little away from her when it looked like she was about to touch them.  "I was kicking a tree," he said simply, knowing little of what she really meant.

"I was working on my shins.  The cutting and bleeding really depends on the tree.  The sharper the bark, the higher chances of getting slashed.  I don't do it to get cut if that's what you're implying, I did it because I'm testing my pain threshold as well as the amount of damage I can do with a single kick.  It's all apart of the training.  But not really something I'll make you endure."  He could go on and on about the conditioning of the body and the combination of the spirit and mind into one and so on, but his body was still a little wobbly from the night before, even with his expendable energy.

Then something quite strange happened, and yet was simultaneously familiar.  Hysaeda paused in his motions heading toward his tossed cuirass and looked at her mid-step.  Flower?  Why did that one word alone bring strange thoughts to mind.  "Excuse me?" he questioned, eyes wide.  "I-I...don't know what you're talking about."  He could feel his face grow a little pale, or as pale as dark skin could manage,  and he recalled only the visions of the planets he saw when something dark came over his vision, nothing else.  "I think I added something in the scravat that made it too strong.  It usually is very mild and usually I don't get any visions at all because I'm used to stronger drinks.  I'm sorry for making you drink it, it seems you're still getting used to the after affects."  And he laughed uproariously, simultaneously trying to make her forget all about flowers, and worsen what hangover she had.

"Kicking a tree." What sort of moron kicks a tree? Adalia frowned after repeating him, rolling her eyes when he stepped away like a skittish kitten. Geeze. "You're going to –" No he wasn't. He did this all the time, he just said so. Adalia pressed her hand to her face before letting it drop again, breathing softly.

Quietly she chuckled when he froze.

A sigh and she pressed her fingers to her head while he went on about that he didn't know. She snorted when he told her he had made it stronger than he intended. Her hands clamped over her ears and she snarled softly at him, walking past him and following suit, pulling her corset back on and lacing it up quickly, leering at him over her shoulder.

"Do those hallucinations mean anything?" She lowered her hands before groaning and sitting down, her legs bent and her elbows resting on her knees. "And you really don't remember anything about a flower?" Adalia smirked before she pushed her arms high about her head, "You were so intent on finding it."  The idea that she knew something he didn't make her squishy inside. Even if he never remembered, Adalia knew he'd probably make a show of throwing up if he ever recalled it.

Adalia ignored the throbbing headache, whining about it wouldn't do anything, and she went about setting up the saddlebags, making noises at Atras to call him over. "We'll leave as soon as possible. The sooner we get to Arca the better." Adalia tilted her head to the side, wincing at another painful throb, "How's your head?"

Listening to her talk all the while he bent down and grabbed his cuirass, he pulled his arms through it, fixing the ties along the sides, pulling them tight and then working on the ones along his sternum.  When that was finished, he pulled it down, adjusting where it was needed then looked at her with languid eyes.  Why did she keep mentioning that flower?

He paused a long moment before he answered.  Mulling over the details that he did remember which was a little before taking his third sip, he still didn't register exactly where the whole flower gig fit in.  Maybe she was still on that scravat.  He'd check her temperature later to make sure she wasn't poisoned by any remaining toxins within the fluid.  Speaking of which, he walked over to where he left the open pot and looked down, seeing there was still some left.  He worked to contain it, he crouched and finally decided to answer her.  "Sometimes.  Sometimes they just don't make any sense and other times they make all the sense in the world to the specific individual.  It depends on what the scravat finds in you, if it senses something that ought to be contained or release, it will show it to you.  There's a drink that let's you see dead things, y'know, a drink that opens up your mind all the way.  Scravat was just an inch in the door."

Hysaeda stood up now and walked over to her saddlebags, standing beside her and stuffing the canister into one of pockets.  "I can still use that for later.  But, why do you keep mentioning a flower?  And why in the hell do my lips feel so raw!  Damn, feels like I was kissing something rather hard."  Hysaeda reached up and rubbed his lips, thinking the scravat must have done something funny to his sense.  He did recall feeling numb all over his body. Maybe that was apart of it.  "My head...my head is fine."

It wasn't, but he wasn't going to tell her that he'd been ignoring his own hangover too.  "Come on, let's get ready to head off.  Maybe I'll figure out this flower thing of yours."

That was scary. Adalia went a little pale at the idea of seeing a dead person, she didn't want to learn anymore than that. Killing someone was already scary enough, seeing a dead person would probably make her faint. Well, maybe. If it left with the same hangover she'd probably try to stay awake as long as possible.

Then he walked over and put the remaining scravat away, when he mentioned his lips she had to bite her own to keep herself from laughing. He really didn't remember anything. While she chuckled she huffed and heaved the saddles onto Atras who stood there, looking at her sleepily. Her hand rubbed on his forehead. "Like I said," Adalia adjusted the saddle and the saddlebags before pressing her face against Atras' chest, looking at Hysaeda through tired hooded eyes.

"You were looking for a flower." The same entertained grin was on her face and she shook her head chuckling before she got onto Atras, realising her own lips were raw. He'd been chewing on hers. Her tongue drew over them before her fingers reached up to press at her lips. Frowning softly. "So, what do you remember? If I may ask, do you think what you remember means anything or was this just one of those... Senseless visions made to make you have panic attacks?"

"Looking for a flower," he repeated after her, pondering over for a while.  Flowers, flowers?  What did this have to do with flowers?  Did a flower pop up somewhere?  "Well, I'll think about it a little bit and maybe I'll figure it out."  He stood by Atras' hind legs and looked the horse up and down, still not quite understanding why anyone would want such a beastly creature.  He patted the place where he slapped before to get the animal going and felt that the coat was soft and somewhat glossy as if it had just gotten waxed.

His hand roved over the horse and he patted his side.  He still didn't think he'd ever get used to the cumbersome creature, but at least he wasn't so opposed to him as he was at first.  Continuing the strokes he took a deep breath and said, "I remember feeling something wet on my lips, like trying to get my attention, then a voice telling me things were gonna be okay.  Though I don't know why.  I guess I was thinking of war or battle or something violent.  And I do distinctly remember seeing planets swishing through the stars, weird spherical things that all lined up together.  And something else was really close to me too...  Strange things scravat does to your mind.  No wonder it's an amateur's drink.  What did you see?"

Ehehehe. Adalia did go bright red when he mentioned something wet on his lips. It made her happy that he could remember it as a distraction, her plan worked! He'd still kill her when he remembered what the flower thing was. The moments entertainment would do well to keep her spirits up, even after he gave her a good smack in the mouth.

"Well, first you had weird things crawling on you, then you had cat ears. Then the fire started to make pictures. Then I closed my eyes for a while." Adalia frowned and wrinkled her nose and moved to step up onto Atras, moving forward to make room for Hysaeda, leaning forward, "Everytime I looked at you after I opened my eyes, your eyes glowed white." She frowned and shifted before waving her hand behind her.

"C'mon, get on. Lets go. Oh!" She pointed up, "And the stars were tiny eyeballs. I didn't have as much as you." She turned her head around to look at him, blinking slowly, "If scravat is the one for amateur's, why doesn't it let the hallucinations be more obvious? You really don't remember the flower? Really?"

"That's interesting," he intervened.  "At first you looked like a dog, you had a face that was very muzzle.  Then you started growing fur.  I remember that much.  And then you had blood all over your face for some reason.  I just thought that looked really ugly on you.  You covered in black blood; like a vampire died on you or something...or maybe you were the vampire.  Anyway it wasn't pretty."

Hysaeda followed her up on the horse, holding the sides of the saddle in the back and still managing to put distance between them.  "Scravat is designed for beginners.  Hallucinations aren't supposed to be obvious; slowly you're mind begins to take realization of what's extra that's floating in your body and summons it up to use it.  At least that's how I think it works.  I never looked much into the facts of it.  It works off of what you already know....  And—"

Okay, first it was just a curious thing, something that made him wonder, but now he was just getting annoyed with the whole thing.  What the fuck was up with her and flowers!?  So what if he was looking for them!  Flowers were abundant everywhere, apparently, one flower mattered more than the other and he was trying to eat it!  Hsyaeda narrowed his eyes at her and fumed, feeling metaphorical steam pour out of his ears.  She seriously wasn't well if she kept talking about this flower thing.  Maybe he could knock some sense into her.

He kept looking at her for a moment, staring at her lips.  Then as the horse began to move, he reached around with his arm and poked her in the lips.  The felt oddly familiar...but why?....Flower....  Flowers....   Then it hit him...  A gasp escaped him that was unusually loud for a gasp and his jaw hung open.... "Oh....gods......THAT WAS YOU!"

It didn't do much for her ego. A dog, a bloody vampire killer. She rolled her eyes when he felt like it was needed to mention that it wasn't pretty. Of course it wasn't pretty. It was her. This man did wonders for a woman's ego. Her fingers tightened on the reins and she took a careful breath, tempted to elbow back and push him off the horse just for being a jerk.

When he didn't take a decent seat, Adalia moved back a bit, glaring over her shoulder carefully. Tired of being uncomfortable because he was acting like a stupid child. He may have been over two hundred years old, but he sure as hell didn't act like it. Adalia wasn't sure if she was disapointed that he still hated her, or dissapointed such an ancient man could still act so immature. Either way it annoyed her and she got comfy in her saddle.

"Don't get your leg blood on my horse. I see. So, scravat is... Used to get you used to seeing weird things and the more... Potent? Drinks? Show you the important things you'd be used to seeing because of the scravat?" Adalia blinked and went slightly cross eyed, tempted to bite the finger that touched her lips and she jumped went he gasped, about to ask him what was wrong, if something hurt him.

Nope.

Carefully her hand reached and pushed his mouth shut after he yelled at her. Wincing slightly. Instead, she chose her initial reaction and she smiled and shook her head, "I take it you remember the flower now. Thought you were going to bite my lips off." She turned around briefly before nudging Atras to go a little faster, still walking, but at a faster pace. Her tone took a darker turn, "Don't worry, it wasn't really a kiss. If you're so disgusted that you're going to lose your stomach contents, let me stop so you don't get it on anything. I don't want to smell your bile all day." She turned side ways, "If you have scravat close to me again and you're looking for a flower, I'll be sure to direct you towards Atras, I'm sure you'd have liked that better, hmm, Hysaeda?"

It wasn't because he was uncomfortable.  It was because he'd rather be in a position where he didn't have to touch her.  The blood on his legs streamed down a little further but the small shredded mark started to scab by now and the bleeding eventually would stop.  He'd clean it up the next time they stopped.  The other good thing about scravat was that it was also a healing agent by the time it was good to drink, but he wouldn't tell her that.  It was about time she suffered whatever wounds she gained in the waning days of their journey together.  Soon, he assured himself, he would be thrown into a prison and free to forget about her...  Well, except for the constant reminder that she was the one that would put him in that place anyway.

Hysaeda, holding on with one hand, rubbed his chest as if something burning was going to come up and he threw his head back in mental despair.  "Oh no!...oh no....I knew something was wrong, so horribly wrong, but I didn't no what...I felt the pressure and went with it...My stomach is...okay.  I don't think I'll throw up, not here, not now."  Leaning forward now, his head hung downward, staring at the saddle and the moving ground, feeling his face burn in shame.  He didn't understand it.  But then he knew it was all in the scravat for he would never consciously pretend to want to kiss her.  His stomach bounced over with the motion of the horse.

Hysaeda shook his head, no long rubbing his chest, but his guts now, then returned to holding back on to the saddle.  "Oh, Adalia, I'm sorry.  Well, I didn't exactly test it first like I should have.  Crap, I really do apologize; I guess it was just as strange for you too..."  He frowned.  "Gods, and I think I almost wanted to have sex with you too."  Hysaeda blushed so hotly, he thought it was possible to use his skin as a good skillet.  Reaching out, he pat her shoulder, then went to rub his head.  "I'm really sorry.  I think I learned my lesson with the scravat.  I don't think I'll be drinking it around you anytime soon.  I'll have to clean out this batch...goddamned nightwash."

Shouldn't have been surprised. Every moment with this man was a blow to her self-image and ego. Could punch someone in the nose easily, couldn't feel good about herself though. Adalia stayed looking forward, frowning, her expression growing dark. "Well, that's good, guess you're not such a child after all." Adalia shook her head and frowned. Now he didn't want to throw up. Maybe later. A quick roll of her eyes and she pursed her lips before turning her head to the side to watch him.

The urge to turn around and smack him was overwhelming, but she didn't do it. Strange was a good word for it, probably wouldn't have been so weird if he explained what the hell went on better. Then he had to mention sex and she went pale and she tensed, turning slightly to stare at him. "Sex." She felt a laugh bubble out of her mouth before she could stop it, "Luckily I said stuff then, hmm? If I was still playing your version of distraction you probably would have tried to look for a flower somewhere else."  She smirked and shook her head, "You'd have probably chopped off your parts if we had sex."

Adalia tensed when he pat her shoulder, but soon relaxed and reached behind her to grab his hands putting them on the curve of the corset. "Put your hands on my waist. I know you hate me, but the way you're sitting is awkward and since you're heavier than I am it's probably uncomfortable for Atras too. Putting more weight on his butt than the...Just. Keep your hands there. I can't feel it, the corset is too thick." Adalia smirked and turned her head before wiggling and getting comfortable. "Anything to say before the hours of silence until we get to the next camp?"

She was entitled to her opinion, Hysaeda could respect that despite him being adverse to any and all of her views.  She thought him immature and a child, but he couldn't blame her.  The dislike he felt for her gave him bodily ailments.  And where he wasn't bruised or beaten on the outside, his stomach churned around that dislike.  He knew she thought he was just being an asshole because it seemed like the real thing to do.  Well, he didn't care what she thought of him.  She thought of him as childish, well, he thought of her as ignorant and pretentious.

Still he stared at the back of her head hotly, eyes burning, but when he closed them and took a deep breath, he calmed.  Hysaeda instead focused his eyes on the view around him and laughed when she laughed.  "You're right.  It was ridiculous and stupid, because it would never happen.  I wouldn't go that far though as to chop off anything I had.  If we did...ah, well, we didn't, so what does it matter?  I don't know if any husband of yours will exactly be called a lucky man.  I'd hate to deprive you of your virginity."

Then she said that word again.  Hate.  Hysaeda rolled his eyes internally and shook his head.  "You might not be able to feel me, but I'll be able to feel you."  But he only let her grab his one hand and left the other to rest on his own thigh.  "Let's just keep going.  I have nothing more to say to you, woman."

Adalia felt her eyebrow twitch, and she rolled her eyes. "I come from a good family, I have good genes. I'm not a total bitch like you seem to think I am. I'm sure I could be a good mother. I may not be your kind of woman, but I'm sure I'm more than attractive to real gentlemen anyway." Her tone was snappish and she frowned, back straight.

"Oh boo hoo hoo. You have to touch my corset." Adalia sighed and closed her eyes, nudging Atras to move a little faster, bumping them up and down, shifting in the saddle before she closed her eyes briefly, "Good, your voice was grating on my nerves, Ro-oh, shit." It took her a moment to realise what had happened. The path had crumbled under Atras' front feet and he stopped suddenly from his fast paced gait. With her eyes closed she wasn't prepared so Adalia was lurched forward and tossed to the side.

Eyes snapped open and she felt her ass hit the ground before those rocks broke free of the cliff too, leaving her to claw at the ground as she slowly slipped off the cliff. Atras backed up into the forest to be safe and before she could really grasp what was going on she was dangling off the side of the cliff, her feet looking for foot holds as she tried not to scream. This was great.

Her head hurt, her heart was thumping. Fear crawled up her back like icy spiders. "Hysaeda!" Her voice was surprisingly calm, more out of fear than being calm. Managing not to scream or screech. "Take Atras' reins, tie them to a branch. Then help me. Please." She spoke slowly, trying to take even soft breaths. Her foot had managed to find a sturdy root to press against, and her fingers were digging into dirt that slowly crumbled under her hands. He'd let her drop. The fall would break her legs at the least, leave her there to die. He didn't have to help her, and it annoyed her that she'd be greatful to him forever if he did.

Oh shit, indeed!  He was just about to grab onto her with both hands, that was, around her neck, when suddenly it felt like that damned beast nearly fell from under him.  The horse's stability was crippled for a brief second and it seemed a blur came over his vision and suddenly he found Adalia was on the ground and...what the!  He was too!   Hsyaeda shook his head and looked around him and the horse that was running into the wood.  Fuck the horse, she was about to be made mincemeat down below if she let go.

But there was little thinking when he called out Atras' name in Sevic, a strange thing that he'd never done before.  The horse paused and stayed where he was, trembling obviously from the misstep and he commanded the beast to stay near.  When that happened, Hysaeda did as he was told, grabbing the reins and strapping them to a nearby tree.  He told him to stay then turned his attention to Adalia who was literally crawling in the dirt.

If he was really as childish as she thought he was, he would have laughed at her predicament and let her hang there, hopefully to rot and die like she would leave him in the prison cell.  But there was no time to think about petty revenge right now.  Instead, he leapt, literally, into action, throwing himself on his belly and crawling nearer to the edge.  Looking over he peered into the darkness below.  The jagged rocks spoke only of death, as if he was back on the scravat, he thought he saw beastly tentacles reach up from the bottom of the chasm.

Hysaeda was careful about the distribution of his weight on the ground, finding that the soft soil was quickly crumbling beneath him.  "Okay,okay."  Reaching down, he wrapped his hands around her smaller wrists.  "I got you.  Now hold onto me.  I'll try to pull you up.  Just stay calm, and whatever you do...don't look down.  Now hurry!  This thing's gonna crumble."

He moved faster than she expected him to. Before long she was panting softly and her fingers were growing tired. Unable to really hold onto anything. This wasn't supposed to happen. They must have taken a wrong turn, they'd have to backtrack. Maybe lose a day. Adalia squeezed her eyes shut while the foot not resting against the root looked for another foot hold.

The feeling of his hands around her wrists was a feeling she wasn't expecting to be so wonderful. Still scared, she wrapped her own hands around his wrists, pressing up against the root her foot was on to gain some leverage, which was quickly lost as the root broke. A startled yelp and her fingers curled around his wrists tighter. Since he told her not to look she didn't. The way she was positioned made looking down difficult too.

The tops of her thighs stung with small cuts, her forearms hurt. Adalia clung, knew her fingers were digging into his arms. Talking seemed like a good idea. "I'm sorry. This is my fault. I wasn't watching where Atras was going." Adalia gave a sobbing breath, feet still looking for footholds. "Please don't let me fall."  Then a pause and she took a few deep breaths to keep calm, "How can I hurry?! There's nothing to hold onto!"

Her fingers were like vice fangs digging into the flesh of his arms.  His teeth bared, jaw clenched as he struggled to pull her back up the cliffface.  "Don't...waste...time...apologizing.  Just stay quiet and for the love of Umbra, don't look down!"  And he was glad that she obeyed something for the time being.  He shifted a little so that his legs would be pulled under him, but just when he thought he was going to get her head above ground level, his footing slipped on something that resembled mud and he was launched forward nearly letting her got and plummeting down the hole with her.

"CRAP!"  But he caught her just in time, reasserting his grip and sliding his arms down further, holding her by her shoulders.   "Put your arms around my neck."  When he got her partway up, he got a better view of the chasm...and the nasty fanged creature that lurched up a tentacle partway up the hole, knowing that prey was nearby.  It was a blackish-red, and had a bulbous head, and a circular mouth on the top of its head.  Through the dark mists below, he saw it open up and reveal rows and rows of very unpleasant looking teeth.

With eyes that went wide, he glared downward and said but two words: "Oh. Shit."

Hysaeda wrapped his arms around her waist when he reached that part and shifted back on his legs again, this time making sure of his footing.  He pulled her up as he stood, dropping back on his bum several feet when he thought he had her up all the way.  He sat there like an idiot, holding Adalia loosely in sore arms.  He didn't have to look down, only listen, to know that whatever was down there was surely climbing after them.

"Yeah, yeah, love of Umbra" Adalia swallowed her fear, clinging for dear life. Someone was actually saving her. Clinging, she tried to stay calm, to not flail. Her breath was coming out in hot pants and she let out scream that sounded like his name when he slipped, tears of fear made her eyes glassy and she was truly and well afraid now.

When he told her to, at the nearest possible time her arms wrapped themselves up around his neck. Panting heavily now, when he pulled her up high enough she tucked her head against his neck, freezing when he cursed. Oh shit? What was oh shit? Who cared, she was so close to being up and away from falling. She clung all the tighter.

Then they were on solid ground and she was clinging to Hysaeda like she was still about to fall. Her forehead pressed to her neck while she trembled and clung, her legs wrapped around his waist. A few minutes passed with her like this before she realised where she was and slowly pried herself off of his torso, her legs on either side of his waist. "Thank you." Adalia shook her head and closed her eyes, "I don't know how to repay you. I pro–" Then she heard it too.

Adalia turned around slowly, the tops of her thighs were bleeding slightly, the tops of her breasts her collar bone and the underside of her chin. She stared at the cliff and quickly whipped her head back to stare at Hyasaeda, still seated on his lap. "Is... Is the 'oh shit' ... Something? At the cliff? Did you see it?" Her hands went to his biceps as she turned to watch the cliff edge, nothing was there yet, but she could ear it.

Fear gripped him for a moment too long as Hysaeda finally let go of her.  The moment was far too serious to fully realize that was more than within discomforting distance.  Right now, it was do or die, or eaten, or was it mulched up in that mouth-thing of the creature that lurked below.  It was like a veil of circumferencing smoke ascended up from the hole in the ground, the beast's rising from below certainly sending up the billowing clouds.  By this time, Hysaeda was ready to leap into action.

Pulling her up with him, Hysaeda held onto her as it seemed the earth was starting to quake beneath their feet.  His free hand reached out to grasp a nearby tree for extra support.  "There's a godsdamned tentacled thing! down there.  C'mon, I don't think I want to be around when it makes it's grand appearance.  I saw it alright and it's coming at us quick.  Let's go now!"  He grabbed her arm just as a howling was heard from the smoky depths.  Suddenly a barbed tentacle shot out from the edge of the cliff, rising up with the shrill cry and lashed out at them.  It was larger than both Adalia and Hysaeda combined, and whipped the tree that he'd just held on to.

Gasping, Hysaeda dodged just in time as the tree fell over as if cut down by axmen and smashed to the ground right where they had been laying.  He grabbed her hand and yanked her mercilessly after him.  "Too late!"  Apparently Atras was busy fighting the reins that bound him, and soon Hysaeda paused only to pull out the dagger he'd concealed in his armor and sliced the extra lengths of the reins loose.  "Come on!  He can run faster without us on him.  You get on my back, quickly!  And don't question me.  I can run just as fast as any horse.  Hurry, that fucking thing is right behind us!"

Hoping he'd just laugh it off. Say no he didn't see anything. That wasn't to be though. A tentacled thing. Adalia wanted to laugh now. Tentacled? Something with tentacles? Here? Adalia was about to roll her eyes, saying that it couldn't be something that weird when she heard a howling, felt him grab her arm. Her heart stopped and she sucked in a breath before the barbed appendage smacking a tree like it was made of clay.

No one he said oh shit.

Adalia's mind was reeling and she let out a pain filled yell when he yanked her arm the wrong way. Things happened in a blur and before she realised anything Atras was cut loose from the tree and while her shoulder ached terribly now she could only stare. It made her chest ache, knowing that all of this was her fault. She hadn't created the monster that was probably trying to eat them.

Had taken the wrong turn though. Forced Atras to go faster, screamed when she fell. Adalia swallowed the lump in her throat, staring at Hysaeda before she climbed onto his back, her arms holding onto his shoulders, her legs around his waist. Adalia watched helplessly when Atras ran away, unable to find her voice. Better for him to live, if he really ran away he'd go out and... Father children or something.

The moment at hand was scary though and she ducked her head down. "C'mon Hysaeda! Atras is already out running you." She clung to his back tighter, "Run or that thing is going to freaking eat us."

She didn't have to tell him twice.  Despite his inclination to stay away from the horse, he figured the animal would probably know where he was going, despite his fear and all the dirt he was kicking up with his hooves.  Hysaeda was already after him, trying to dodge the trees that kept being thrown down in his wake.  He had his hands gripping her thighs to make sure that she stayed on him at all times.  If he felt her slipping, he'd jump her back up on him because the last thing they both needed were stragglers.

He ran as fast as he could manage with a woman hanging on his back, trailing the horse and soon catching up, running alongside the shining beast.  Yet little did he know that the beast tailing them was faster than he thought.  Trees were being thrashed aside all around him and he nearly saw a tentacle flash beside them.  With eyes wide, he pushed his body faster, darting in an opposite direction.  Atras was quickly following behind them, seemingly unable to bear the thought of being separated from Adalia.  Well, maybe.

The forest around them became a blur and Hysaeda couldn't be sure of where he was going exactly.  For what seemed like miles and miles, they had run, several minutes passing before his heart felt like it was going to explode.  He slid down a hill, catching himself on the side and then stopping just at the opening of a jutting alcove next to them.  That was it, it was over, he no longer heard the sounds of the creature behind them and he let her go.  Leaning back, possibly against her or the ground (he couldn't tell which), he caught his breath then rolled over.  "I....I think it's gone."

Like any normal person, Adalia did her best to hide her head and keep herself from hearing the noises. Heart was thumping rapidly and she clung tight to his back before releasing so she wouldn't be choking him. The urge to kiss him was overwhelming when he kept her from sliding off his back. Not really thinking, she just cringed against his back and made herself seem as small as possible.

One peak over his shoulder showed him running as fast as Atras. Quickly she ducked her head again.

Adalia didn't open her eyes or lift her head until he let her go, and she unceremoniously fell back onto her butt with a squeek and pressed a hand to her chest panting softly. Once he rolled over she got up onto her knees and leaned over him, staring. Her eyes were wide and her lips were parted before a large grin spread over her face.

"You really can run as fast as a horse." Her hand hovered over his torso before she quickly returned it to her lap, concern on her face. "Are you okay? Did you see Atras before coming in here?" Adalia blinked twice before looking around. "I... Think the journey to Arca might take a little longer." Her hand went to her chest to gently rest against the scratches.

Hysaeda's mind was racing as well as his heart.  It took him several seconds to review where everything was, including where and the hell that damned horse went.  Atras was his first thought as he thought he heard the sounds of hooves vanishing in the distance.  He couldn't have been far away.  If anything, he observed that some horses could become blindingly attached to their owners and wouldn't abandon them even if it meant saving their own hides.  For what it was worth now, he considered that Atras was a pretty smart pony, despite any hard feelings between them.

His head was turned away until he heard Adalia hover over him and looked a little like a crazed maniac.  "What?"  he managed before he heard her comment on his running ability.  "Oh...yeah, huh....  Well, it saved our skins.  .  Let's go look for your damn horse.  He can't be far.  I heard him over in that direction."  Hysaeda rolled to sit up, before pushing himself to his feet and staggering a little bit.  He held on to his chest for a second, reclaiming his breath and listened for the horse again.  An ear twitched and then he knew.  "He's...he's this way. C'mon, up!"

Hysaeda, reached down to help her up.  "Atras!"  he called out, staggering like a drunken man.  Apparently, all the running had taken a lot out of him.

If the man wasn't going to throw up, Adalia would have given him a big kiss. Saved their skins. Now she really had to bust him out of jail once they got to Arca. Adalia gave a startled gasp when he helped her up and she quickly followed him. Her hand went to Hysaeda's back and she frowned at him. "You should stay and rest. I'll get Atras, he is my horse." Another pat at his shoulder and she left the alcove.

Atras was off to the side looking around wildly before he spotted her. Like a trained puppy rushed over, quickly pressing his face to her chest. Adalia kissed his head and ran her fingers over his cheeks while he breathed heavily. "You're just as tired as Rogue, aren't you?" Adalia laughed lightly and pet him again before she took a breath and looked around.

After calming Atras down she spoke again. Loud enough for Hysaeda to hear while she was calming Atras down. "Thank you. I owe you my life. When we get to Arca, if they don't see you as innocent then I'll do anything I can to help you. Since I doubt I can really save your life any other way." A moments pause before she gave Atras another kiss, "Hysaeda? Do you know what we should do now? I don't know where we are."

He didn't say anything before she walked off, he merely slumped his tired, worn body against the tree he tried to support.  Bleh, she was touching him!  Now he felt the need to vomit, but he felt it was best to do so when she was out of view.  And when she was out of view, he suddenly felt bile rise up from within and he retched hard on the side of the tree, feeling the final dregs of exhaustion drip form him.  Of course, he vomited only because he'd run so hard and for so long without eating anything, that his stomach forced him to clean out any contents he had in it from the night before.  So there was the scravat...and some of the jerky.

Hysaeda moved away and lied down in the dirt, wiping his tongue with a dry leaf to get the taste of bile from his tongue.  His heart was calming now and he finally had some sense about him.  Sitting up, he slumped over when he heard the sounds of hooves approaching and Adalia's voice.  Dear Umbra, well, at least she found the beast.  He looked at the creature's eyes and read a quiet thank you from them.  With a nod, he smiled at the horse.  Maybe the beast wasn't so bad in the first place.

He stood up now, wobbling little and feeling cold in his gut as he approached them.  "I...hm..."  What could he say to her owing him her life?  He didn't want her to owe him her life, bad things happened that way, like unnecessary sacrifice.  "You doubt things too much," he finally said at last.  He would leave it at that, since saying anything negative would only make him feel worse.  Clutching his head he tossed his head around, glancing at their surroundings.  "I...I think I've been here before.  Um, a few years ago...A few merchants were passing through here, there might be a village up ahead if you want to stop there, but, I wouldn't recommend showing off any regalia, they don't seem to have much love for your country.  It's a little further east, over that hill they called Cartac's Drop."

Atras wandered over to Hysaeda, looking at him with big brown eyes. Atras wasn't an extrodinary looking horse, big, a nice chestnut brown. He wasn't from the Duhjari plains people south of Adela, he didn't have any sort of amazing heritage. He was a big brown horse who loved his 'mommy', so to speak, and was slowly growing used to the scary Umbraeon man who wanted to eat him.

Adalia watched as Atras wandered over to stand beside Hysaeda, slowly following. Listening to him, shaking her head slowly before rolling her eyes and putting her hands on her hips wandering closer to him before her hands dropped to her sides. "Cartac's Drop?" Adalia frowned when he told her to hide anything that made her look like a proud country woman. "This is Serendipity. We're in my country."

Her fingers ran over her scalp and she breathed slowly. "Well, first things first. You look sort of sick, maybe you should rest before we go? Atras is no doubt scared still, I don't think he'd like not seeing me, you can ride him and I'll walk if you tell me where to go." Adalia slowly looked over her shoulder before licking her lips and frowning. "We should stop at that little village." A dreamy look crossed her face and she moved closer to rub at one of Atras's ears. "Do villages have inns?" Her lips pursed and she nuzzled her face against the horses neck, sighing.

Things weren't going to plan. Not that there was much of a plan in the first place, it irritated her that this one man could ruin so much in barely a week. Already she could tell she wasn't the same person, she was taking him to Arca just so he wouldn't turn into a wanted criminal. Adalia would have been home by now and curled up in a big chair drinking afternoon tea if she had just let him runaway.

Hysaeda shook his head.  Finally all this thoughts were coming into order and the realization that he'd delayed their trip to Arca but even and extra day was somewhat satisfying, especially in the fact that he didn't mean to do it on purpose.  He didn't exactly plan for them to nearly fall off a cliff or to be chased by a hungry, tentacled monster.  Though the thought was amusing as if he did.  There was nothing quite like an amusing joke right after vomiting up the contents of one's stomach; it really lifted the somber veil from the moment.

Finding himself smiling, lost in thought, he almost didn't hear what she had to say.  "Dammit, I know we're in your country!  Sheesh!  They're like, well, people that just don't like the country they're in.  That happens sometimes, you know.  People get restless.  Just act natural, and don't try to start anything if some indecent talk going on.  Don't do anything stupid, that's all."

Despite his preferences and whatever his inclinations told him today, he didn't protest her wishes and climbed atop the saddle of the horse.  It was different now that he was sitting more in the middle of the animal, and felt that it was rather funny to have his legs so slack on either side of the horse, his boots in the stirrups.  He was tempted to sit with his legs closer to together, but the broadness of Atras would not allow such a thing.  Hysaeda grunted and wrapped his fingers in the animal's hair.  "I don't feel too bad, but I think you're quite right."  And it barely dawned on him now that that was the first time he'd ever said such a thing to her.  And hopefully it would be the only time.

"Most villages don't, just a cluster of houses and well of some sorts.  But this one does.  It's a small, one story squat; I've only stayed there once before.  Here, it's that way."  Hysaeda pointed and slumped forward on the horse, feeling the empty coldness in his belly grow.

Her gaze unfocused for a minute, Hysaeda wasn't the right person to ask, so instead of directly asking him, she instead just voiced her words so they could entertain the trees. "What's wrong with Serendipity?" Adalia didn't blindly view her country as the best, she knew it had it's problems, mostly with corrupt nobles and higher military officials. Still, it was a good place to live.  "Yeah yeah, I'll let you do all the talking, Silvertongue."

Adalia gently grabbed the reins, petting Atras' nose while Hysaeda got comfortable on the horses back. There was no comment on him agreeing with her, obviously he wasn't as stupid as to not accept the offer to calm down and regain his energy. The description of the 'inn' left a funny look on her face but she started to walk in the direction he pointed.

Humming a tune to keep herself distracted she didn't notice him slump and it took quite a few hours to get to the little village. It was in a clearing, obviously. Her legs were tired and her mouth was dry, didn't complain though. Too tired to complain. Atras glared at her - at least she thought he was glaring -. It was a village. Moderately sized with people still milling about.

Adalia was glad it wasn't a complete hell hole. Didn't smell bad. Green eyes looked around and she chewed on her lower lip. Obviously is was a permanent residence for these people. The sun was still in the sky, people were doing the last minute chores before it started to get dark out. "So, I keep my mouth shut and you do the talking. If they accept money here there's some in the pouch on the right, in the front. I'll try to not look intimidating."

He was a little groggy but he managed to hear her question.  "I don't think there's anything wrong with your country.  I can't say that I like it, but then I don't like any country.  The nations of the Outland are just strange to me.  There are some people that find problems and think they are festering more than others, and those people tend to either want to bicker about them or conspire.  I think this village is pretty safe...  Just keep a low profile and you'll be fine."  He rubbed his gut that continued to growl louder over the hours of travel.

The uneven, rocky gait of Atras didn't do well for him either, but he didn't say anything to her if he was feeling sicker.  He just wanted something good and warm to eat.  Enough of that shoeleather she called jerky.  He'd really have to show her how to make something that wasn't so salty or dry.  Perhaps a fresh-kill... Soon the village came into view and he looked up from his slumped position, readjusting his vision and returning to reality.

Indeed it was a quaint settlement, and most of the houses had thatched roofs and well-constructed walls.  He had a feeling the inn would be a warm one and that sure as hell being laying outside in the cold as he had been in the previous nights.  He shifted into a more alert position and slid off the horse's back, standing beside him and directed them to the inn.

It was as he said it would be, small and not very wide.  Chances were there wouldn't be very many rooms in the building, but it was the most promising thing he could find.  Luckily for them, there was a small stable nearby and one that clearly read for paying customers only.  Hysaeda helped with the saddle and threw her bags over his shoulder.  "It won't do if they see you're helping carry stuff.  I heard they like their women delicate.  Maybe you'll make some friends in here, who knows."  Laughing, he smirked at her and walked around to the front, entering in through the slated wooden door.  The anteroom was so busy with drink, laughter and smoke, that it was a wonder no one turned to stare at the strange pair that entered: an ebony man and an albino woman, as if you couldn't get anymore polar opposite than that.

He approached the desk, or what was really the bar, and rapped his knuckles on it.  A woman, plump and only half as attractive, emerged from the storeroom door, fixing her red hair up in a bun and laughing at something.  She spotted the two of them and put on a matronly smile.  "Oy, welcome.  Can I get you two a drink?"

Hysaeda cringed at the word...  Made him think of strange flowers.  "Er, no," he replied.  "But we do need two rooms.  You got some available?"

"You's a strong fella.  I think I can work ye in."  She pulled out a scroll from the bottom of the bar and flipped through it.  "Uh, unfortunately, I only have one left.  So, I'm afraid you'll have to share, unless you want your woman here to sleep in the stable, but I'm sure you wouldn't want that since you've left her burden-free right?"

"She's not my woman.  Um, whatever, we'll take it.  How much is it?"

"A silver moon.  And an extra shil if you want hot water and extra sheets."

"I'll take it."  He rummaged through the bags and found the right coins, throwing in an extra shil as a tip.  The woman walked around the bar and showed them to their rooms which was down a very a narrow hallway.  Opening the door, she led them inside which was little more than a small room with a bed tucked away in a corner and small wash basin opposite of it.  The windows were grimy and certainly not in the best condition.

"Have yourselves a good night."

Hysaeda nodded to her and walked inside, setting Adalia's bags on the bed.  "Uh.  Well, yeah.  If you wanna bath, the hot water should be coming soon and the food isn't bad if you want to eat with all the men out there.  Your choice."

Liked their women delicate? Here? Adalia blinked a few times, frowning slightly. Wouldn't they like women who could... Do things? Like she promised, Adalia kept her mouth shut and just nodded before running a hand over Atras' face and giving his nose a kiss. Green eyes stared at Atras' brown ones before they rolled. Make friends. Pfft. Couldn't make friends back home, doubtful to make friends here.

Unless he meant friends.

At that train of through her cheeks turned pink and she followed closely behind him, feeling extremely out of place and awkward. Adalia made sure to half hide behind Hysaeda, he was a good foot taller than her, it would work. Like Hysaeda, Adalia also cringed at the idea of a drink. Tasted horrible, if the hang over was anything like with scravat she'd swear off alcohol before she'd even taste it, even if it was probably cleaner than the water.

Sexist? They'd get a room because Hysaeda looked strong? Adalia kept her mouth closed. Mostly. It fell open when they had one room. Which meant someone got to sleep on the floor. She sent a freezing look to the back of Hysaeda's head when the woman mentioned her sleeping in the stable. Was there some sort of running joke her that she didn't get?

Delicate? Wouldn't want her to sleep in the stables because he left her burden-free?

Damn simple people.  Warm food, Adalia visibly perked up at the mention of hot water and she was still half behind Hysaeda, tempted to grab the back of his cuirass. This unfamiliar dirty environment tormented her senses but she made sure to smile at the nice lady after she told them to have a good night.

A good night.

It wasn't a good place. But Adalia knew it could be much, much worse. There was a floor that didn't have rocks and looked relatively clean, it would be easy to sleep on after all those nights in the forest. Maybe. Adalia's eyes snapped towards Hysaeda before she ran her fingers through her hair. "The food isn't bad if I want to eat with all the men out there? Oh, now I really want to go eat. I think I'll opt for the bath." Warm water.

Adalia rubbed her arms before sighing, "Thank you for your help. Why did you really take the bags? And what the hell does 'burden-free' mean?" Her eyes fell onto the bag before she ran a hand through her hair again, "Are there any secret words or phrases I should know to blend in better? I'll be honest and say I'm pretty damn uncomfortable here." She eyed the floor again before resting her hands on her hips, "Oh, and you can take the bed."

He knew forests caves to be cleaner than this dump, but he was sure he could clean it up a bit.  Or maybe not.  It wasn't as clean as he remembered in the last few years that he'd been here.  It was a lot less dusty and the rafters were freshly cut then.  The slanted roof looked more like something one would find on a barn or a shed, not in an inn.  But it was suitable for the time being.  He wouldn't mind sleeping indoors this time despite his love for the outdoors.  And what was better was that he'd actually have some insulation, and free of the wind.  And for once a good night sleep might actually come to him.

"I knew you were going to say something like that." He muttered something to himself then dusted off the sheets.  "To be honest, I don't know.  I think I just wanted something to carry.  I mean you've done a lot of the work along this journey and it just seemed like the thing to do.  Sorry, if I disappointed you, but the moment's passed.  Look I'll go outside and grab some food.  I'll bring the water too.  You, just take your bath thing or whatever.  And I'll not be having the bed.  You need it more than I do."

And without giving her a chance to protest, he walked out of the room and headed to the main room again.  He asked for two bowls of something warm.  When they returned to him, two bowls were filled with a pale chowder that made his stomach growl viciously.  When he returned to the door, he as quite surprised to find a bucket of steaming hot water right next to it.  He nudged the door with his foot.  "Open up, and grab the bucket.  Unless you want me to eat out here so you can do your..naked thing."

Cheeks puffed out as the door closed.

Didn't even give her a chance to tell him off. Oh well, all the more time to come up with something for when he got back. A lot of the work? Doing what? Guiding the horse? Kicking him in the chin? Confused, Adalia sat at the edge of the bed, slightly afraid of possible critters that lurked within it's sheets.

Father always said not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Was there a saying not to check it for ticks? Gently she poked at the blanket, expecting a giant bug to crawl out. There wasn't anything in there like she expected there to be, but it made her appreciate the bed she had at home all the more.

The nudge against the door made her clamp her hand over her mouth and stare at the door like it was going to eat her. Then Hysaeda's voice drifted through and she gave a relieved sigh and stood up to open it. Bucket? "What bu-oh." Bending down she picked it up and then held the door open for him. "Why would I make you eat out there?" Adalia frowned before her cheeks turned pink, "It's not like you've never seen me naked before." After she was sure he was inside the room, she shut the door and wandered over to the wash basin, looking inside of it.

Sticking her tongue out and making a rather disgusted noise, she put the bucket down, taking her ruined pants out of the bags. "And hey, you find me positively revolting! Even if I'm naked you wouldn't do anything." Adalia smirked as she wiped down the inside thing. No way in hell she'd put hot water into something that looked dirty. It was bad enough she could probably not fit in it and would have to kneel to wash herself.

"Eat your food." Pouring the water into the wash basin she made a happy noise before pulling the blankets out. The one she'd used had dried blood on it. That went on the floor. The second one piled on top of it. A bit of rummaging found her a bar of soap and a cloth. Screw it. Adalia stripped her shirt off first, the corset hit the ground, then her coat, then her shirt. Face first. Then hair. Topless she leaned over the small tub, splashing warm water on her face then leaning backwards to wash her hair.

She gave a all too happy groan at the feeling of hot water on her head. Doing that quickly she sat up and got undressed the rest of the way. Once she was naked and kneeling in the tub, what had seemed like too little water was almost going over the edge.

If she was a bigger woman she wouldn't have fit at all. Quickly she washed herself, not really caring if she splashed, hell, maybe it would help clean the floor. Embarrassment made her movements quick, unable to enjoy sitting in a small tub of hot water. As fast as she'd undressed and got out, she had the second blanket wrapped around her middle while she drip-dried onto the blanket on the floor.

"That felt nice. How was the, uh..." Adalia blinked a few times, trying to remember what it was "Food?" A nice general word for it. Snapping her fingers as if remembering something she pointed towards him, "You are sleeping in the bed. It looks like you're getting sick, and you did that running thing today and kept me from going into giant monster mouth. The least I can do is let you sleep on the freaking bed. Just because I'm obviously a woman doesn't mean I can't sleep on the floor." Her chin tilted up and she looked down at him, "If you care to recall, I went through an entire rainy night completely naked. If I can survive that I can survive not having a bed to sleep on for an extra day." She gave a bright smile and finger combed her hair, eyeing the clothing piled on the floor. Should probably clean that up.

His fingers were growing hot beneath the temperature of the bowls and when the door opened, he stepped tentatively through as if she might be tempted to slam the door in his face, unsure if she really meant what she said exactly.  Well, that and the heat on his fingers prompted him to be careful, knowing full well what would happen if he spilled it on him...or the floor.  By the time he was through, he breathed a silent sigh of relief and was found a little comfort in the idea that perhaps he scared most of the prudeness out of her for good, or at least the constant accusation of trying to 'rape' her.  Suddenly, the name Rogue was sounding a whole lot better.

"You're partly right," he admitted, setting down the food by the low, flat dresser, and cradling his own in his chest when he sat down on the floor, not wanting to ruin the dusty sheets of the bed.  His stomach roared angrily again as the scent of the chowder tickled his nose.  He'd never been a big fan of the thick soup, but right now he could care less.  "But what I meant by it was that we both deserve some sense of privacy.  The last thing I want is to see you naked without necessity.  Just take your bath."

It seemed they each involuntarily obeyed each other's orders as she prepared to bathe and he slowly ate his soup, savoring the flavor of every spoonful.  It was thicker than he imagined and it seemed there were many potatoes and thick hunks of pork floating in it.  It looked cooked all the way when he bit into a chunk, and juicy too.  He caught himself just in time as a sound of glee almost escaped him at the taste.  "I don't know about their rooms, but they're food is very good.  You better hurry before yours gets cold.  It's a hell of a lot better than that jerky you have."

And for a second he almost forgot to stare at her.  But he pulled his eyes away before he could be noticed and focused his attention on the chowder.  The warmth of it filled his belly and extended to his extremities.  Stretching out his legs, he leaned back against the wall and sighed contentedly, rubbing his guts.  Then he turned to her when she finished, eyes glazed over and hooded as if thinking about something he shouldn't have been right at that moment and smiled deviously before turning away.  Hsyaeda chuckled and shook his head.

"I am not sick.  I feel fine.  I'll take the floor and it's not because you're a woman.  I didn't have to save you and run, but you seem to forget my life was very well threatened too.  And yes, I'm going to be stubborn about it.  If you sleep on the floor, I'm going to throw you on the bed and that's that.  Eat your damn chowder and shut up."  Hysaeda then busied himself licking the inside of the bowl.

"Yes, I do recall that night, with pleasure.  But I am adamant that you will have the bed.  I don't like beds anyway."

"Everything is better than that jerky. I didn't make it. It's rations. There's enough stuff there to be okay eating it for a about a week. Nothing stopped you from getting your own food Mr.Cavedweller." Adalia stretched her arms above her head and leered at him, frowning. Carefully she went and took the other bowl and sat down, legs crossed and looking down at it.

Adalia chose to ignore how he looked at her. Tentively she poked at the chowder a few more times before taking a piece and eating it. It was only warm now, but it was still better now and Adalia brightened up considerably. Of course, Hysaeda licking his bowl made her pause mid chew and stare at him for a moment.

"You really are a forest man. I don't think I've ever seen someone lick their bowl before." Adalia chuckled quietly before distracting herself by eating. Not dressed yet and still wrapped in the blanket, her hair was still wet and bits were stuck to her face. "Of course you recall that night with pleasure, and it looks like you're going to have to either suck it up and sleep on the bed or throw me onto it because I'm not sleeping there. You deserve it more and who the hell doesn't like beds? That thing is probably as hard as the floor anyway."

Adalia ate another few bites of the chowder before licking her lips, "Look. You deserve it more than I do. It's warmer than the floor. Can't you just humour me and sleep in the damn bed?"

And just when he thought he was going to get a chance to relax, there she went having to go and open her yap again.  "You can't make anything easy can you?  I don't want it, geeze.  I save your life and this is how you repay me, by bickering.  Just get fucking dressed then, fine, I'll take the goddamned bed.  Move."  Hysaeda was abruptly irritated and stood up, shoving her aside.

"You're an idiot, I don't know why you're being so nice to me in the first place.  It's one thing to be civil it's quite another to be condescending.  I've never slept in a bed before.  Not even when I stayed here all those years ago.  I slept on the floor like a real cave dweller.  I don't think the floor's all the clean to be honest.  There are some things that live in a little corner of the room by the basin, they like to nibble on your toes.  After that I thought it was better to sleep in the rafters."  Hysaeda looked up and saw the space between the divide and the ceiling support.

Tiredly, he slumped on the bed and looked down at his shoes.  His face burned red, as well as his eyes, before he finally looked up at with some sincerity.  "Do you know what it means to a male of my kind to offer him to sleep in a bed?  It means that you're going to sleep with him.  I don't think that's what you want to do with me, and I hope not.  But I'm just letting you know that's how it goes.  If you need me, I'll be up there."  He grabbed the pillow and threw it up on the empty space above him, then jumped a little, grasped it and pulled himself up.  "Good night."

Apparently a certain opal haired woman had an astounding ability at screwing things up.  Adalia had just placed the empty bowl back on the dresser before Hysaeda shoved her, and she ducked her head, having the good graces to feel bad. Her shoulders slumped forward and her head dropped down, Adalia held her hands at her front while she winced and listened.

Then he informed her about what she'd been saying. Her jaw dropped and she glared at him as he slowly climbed up to sleep in the... Ceiling. Or something. Frowning she dropped the blanket before putting her clothing back on, leaving off the coat and corset but rolling up the stockings and adjusting the skirt. Patting down the front she sat on the bed and finger combed her hair.

"Look. I'm trying to be nice, because if both of us acted like you do we'd probably kill one another." She cleared her throat and threw both blankets onto the bed, bunching them up and turning rather pink, "And The only thing I knew about your kind was that you like killing one another and you have lots of secrets that you kill one another over." Adalia leered upwards, glaring slightly, "Honestly, this is a bed. I'm sure it only counts if it's my bed. No need to get all twitchy and irritated at me for doing something insulting to you like mistakenly asking you to have sex."

Adalia ran her hands through her hair again, her eyes closed and her lower lip between her lower teeth. "You know, you're a god damn pain in the ass and you should really start acting your age, or at least acting my age. Good Night" A distinct huffing noise and Adalia laid down, curled up and distinctly irritated. She was right, the bed was very likely just as hard as the floor.

Hysaeda puffed the pillow and plopped it right between the divider and the support beam, finding the wideness of the wood all that more comfortable to sleep on as it would give him room to stretch his limbs.  He would have hated it if he was forced to sleep curled up like he did once before in a small hole he'd found in the ground.  As it turned out, it was some small animal's burrow that was roughly the size of a crouched man.  And unluckily for him, he woke up to find nasty teeth to face upon the rising dawn.  But adversely, he escaped with only a few scratches.

He groaned tiredly and finally laid down on the hard, dusty wood.  "Oh, just give it a break.  I have to admit, my desire to kill you has kind of dulled over the last few days.  Don't take it the wrong way, but I just want to be rid of you.  I don't like you and you don't like me.  Can we please just stop getting at each other's throats, just for the night.  You're as much to blame as I am, trust me, I have every right to kill you if I wanted to."  Hysaeda rolled onto his stomach and glared down at her from his spot in the ceiling.

"And you're wrong about one thing.  It doesn't matter the bed.  When a woman offers a man a bed, it means she's willing to lie with him.  Umbraeon women, well, wives in general, are not forced to sleep with their husbands at the man's whim.  They are considered on equal grounds and expected to contribute to one another."  He sighed and turned his head to look at the blurry figures moving around through the dirt-smudged window.  "We might have to leave early in the morning.  I will wake you up.  For now, get some sleep, then we'll find a way to get to your damn city."

With that he turned his head and within minutes he was out, his arm hanging down and the pillow less comfortable than the rafter that held him, it gradually became a fitful sleep, with him grunting and becoming angrier with every hour.

The only thing Adalia did before she managed to curl up for good was stretch to stick her tongue out at him and blow a raspberry then open her mouth for one last comment, "Well, I'm not an umbraeon. When I said take the bed, I meant take the bed. Not take me to bed. Unlike you and yours, I'm quite literal when I talk about beds." Another huff, a smack against the mattrass and Adalia curled up, frowning.

No mention of a thank you for waking her up early. Not that she'd want to wake up early.

The noises that woke Adalia up had her paralysed in fear for a good few minutes. It took that long to figure out where it was coming from. The hell was he doing up there? Tired and miserable she balled up one of the blankets and threw it up into the rafters where it missed and fell back on top of her, jumping slightly every time he made an angry grunt. Scary.

Couldn't see him either.

He'd be a good spy.

Making her own angry noises she balled up the blanket again, a little tighter this time for better throwing distance. Then threw it at where she remembered his head being. "Shut up!" Her voice was a quiet hiss and once she finished throwing it she layed back down, glaring up into the darkness.

The images that ran through his mind were not pleasant.  And what made it worse was that his sleep was so deep, he barely stirred a muscle except for the occasion spasm when an angry grunt had him in its grip.  His brows furrowed together as he remembered fists coming at him from all directions.  He couldn't have been more than six at the time and the awful names that entered into his ears.

Dear Umbra!  There was blood, so much blood.  Most of it was his own, he felt the return of old wounds: the splitting open of his eye as a barbed bat came into contact with his head, the feeling of knuckles against his jaw, the sting of joints being jammed into his ribs, and the hands at his throat.  Damn!  There were too many of them, too many of Radek's cronies that took joy in his demise, his misery, his near death.  He wanted to kill them all, to summon spikes up from the ground and stab them all, but he wasn't strong enough.

Hysaeda cried aloud in the darkness once something soft but projectile-like struck him in the head and suddenly he felt his body tip over and drift lazily to the side, like a cat sleeping and not knowing they were slipping off the edge.  Like a slow motion creature, he suddenly fell from his spot on the support beam and fell down to where the bed was or rather right on top of Adalia.

The impact surprised him but he did not awake yet.  "Ah!" he murmured.  "Gah!  Don't, you son of a bitch!  Back!"

Adalia had been expecting a blanket.

Not a full groan man. There was no time to scream but there was time to grunt and shift herself to be more comfortable while huffing and puffing for air. Of course that left the position to be rather awkward. One leg was on either side of his waist and his head was on her chest.

It took her a moment to realise that he was probably having a nightmare. Nightmares. Were those thing things you didn't wake them up from or was that sleepwalking?

Whatever.

Carefully and slowly she moved a hand to his forehead to pet his head. Fingers trailing along the ridge of an ear. Swallowly, Adalia tried out whispering. "Hysaeda. You're just dreaming."  One hand stayed on his arm and rubbed at it slowly. After she spoke, she shifted again so she could breath before she started to say senseless gentle words. The same thing she did to Atras. The were real words, simple phrases in old Serenien. Couldn't speak it. Knew phrases though. As long as they sounded gentle.

Adalia didn't really have any idea of what they meant. There was no way to get out from under him, too heavy, sleeping meant dead weight. Waking him up violently would probably make him smash her in the face and break her nose.

So for now, it was gentle coo's a hand going through his hair and another one gently rubbing at his arm.

Within his mind, the violence escalated until the pain was so blinding that he almost lost sense of himself.  His sights went white with both rage and pain.  His will to fight back was almost sapped and he found that his body was on the point of trembling.  With eyelids clenched tight, he found sheets beneath his grip and pulled them a little.  There was something under him, but as he fought to remember, his mind carefully sank back down from the depths of the visions before him.

He forced himself to breathe, to calm down, and remember where he was an what he was doing.  Adalia's voice reached his ears and he didn't quite understand why she was so close all of a sudden.  "Huh?" he murmured when he found himself again, still partially asleep and partially aware of the world around him.   "What does that mean?" he found himself whispering.  "Adalia?  What are you doing?"

Finally, he tried to move, finding his body far too lethargic, limbs heavy with sleep and his head even heavier.  But with enough strength, he managed to drag a free hand away from his former grip on the sheets and placed near her chest, finding something soft and grabbing it.  It felt familiar, but when he let go he didn't think anything more of it.  His mind moved so slowly and his neck strained to raise his head.  Apparently the sleep was still heavy on him, but he felt a smile stretch across his visage and it was almost as if he was managing some strength now to move and his hand reached above to caress her face, feeling the details as if he was a blind man.

"Stargazers," he whispered softly, fingering her lips, and laughed slowly as a result.

Busted.

Carefully she moved her hands away from his head and arm, quite awake now. Though she knew once he calmed down and finished beating her for touching him she'd go to sleep and complain about having to wake up early. The beating never came, and she was rather surprised when he whispered. A hushed tone answered back, thinking he was awake "I don't know what it means. You were having a nightmare or something a–"

Adalia stopped talking when he just laid there.  Staring down into darkness at a slightly illuminated white haired head when his hand landed on her chest. Then it moved from her chest and she squeezed her eyes shut when she felt his hand on her face. What the hell? Did he go blind? Trying to make sure she wasn't who she was? Maybe it wasn't a nightmare after all and he was double checking the appearance of his dream lover.

 Better not poke her in the eye. Why couldn't he just roll over and sleep like a normal guy?

Oh! That word.

"What's a stargazer?" Why was it funny? Adalia was tempted to bite the finger on her lips but for the time being she just shifted again. Damn Rogue better not be wanting to look for anymore flowers.

He was drifting in and out of consciousness, in that dusky, in-between place between awake and sleep, where the memory of his dreams lingered and the events of reality played through.  He knew she was there, but was not yet realizing what she was trying to do.   He lingered on that word that she said, 'nightmare.'  Right now it really meant nothing to him.  Nightmare?  Why on earth would he be having a nightmare.  He was tempted to ask her, and was just about to when she commented on what he just said.

He chuckled again at the mention of the word for he knew what it was all about.  And yet, it surprised him that she didn't.  They were hers after all, wouldn't she know.  "They're beautiful.  A lot smaller than what I'm used to, but I think I just like them more because of it.  Thank you for not killing me when I saw them.  I tried not to look, but I couldn't help it..."  He didn't say much more and found himself leaning up and with his mouth pressed to hers yet again.  Would he even be conscious and sane the next time he kissed her?  Would he string himself up by the neck when he found out?

It was a fast one, but one that consisted of direct contact with her lips, no biting, no flower excavation, a peck at worst.  "Your breasts," he said quietly and solemnly.  "They're stargazers.  I like them."  His tone was plain and simple and a very matter-of-fact kind of way.

Again with the chuckles. Even half asleep he was irritating. What are beautiful? Stargazers? A lot smaller than he was used to? Was it something she wore? Maybe her eyes. Those were gazers, so to speak.  Adalia frowned and rolled her eyes when he went on about being happy she didn't kill him, how he had to look.  About to snap at him to get to the damn point when she felt something on her face.

The simple peck on the lips did more to her body than all his strange flower searching did. Instantly her face heated up and she swallowed, instantly a little more nervous. It went a few shades darker when he finally told her what stargazers were. That meant he thought here breasts were beautiful. And smaller than he was used to.

Of course he couldn't help looking. He was a man. Well, his revulsion of her couldn't be him being interested in men. He liked tits. He liked her tits.

And they were stargazers.

Still didn't understand why they were stargazers. Maybe because she was so pale. Or something. Maybe smaller boobs meant they weren't so heavy and, "Oh gods." Stargazers. Had to look up to star gaze. Hahaha. What a great word for it.

Adalia slowly moved a hand to cover a breast before returning her hand to his hair. "You should sleep." Her voice was soft again, intent on just getingt him to sleep, couldn't very well smack him for doing something while he was half asleep. "Sweet dreams, Hysaeda."

Probably smack her for it.

Giving out a drawn out sigh she closed her eyes, feeling herself relax before she could really help it. Shifting occasionally at the strange weight on her, one of her legs curled up around his, but the feeling of person was not enough to combat exhaustion or wake her from her slowly deepening sleep.

He was tempted to drop out right then and there, just plunge his down on her chest and go to sleep.  But something else was prompting him to get up, that he had a bed elsewhere and while it was wonderful to find himself on top of a woman after sometime, this really wasn't the time, nor the place, least of all in a place as unclean as this.  Even a bear's den was cleaner than this dump.  Luckily they'd be out of here by morning.

Morning.  That reminded him that he had to get some serious sleep.

Hysaeda nodded to her prompting, patting her on the cheek, and then rolling off of her to the other side.  Apparently he couldn't remember just where he had slept previously to falling on her.  He turned on his side, shifting a little and finally drifting off into a dreamless slumber than was only slightly more pleasant than a beating.

[Bah! Shortness! D< Time skip, yes?]

[yes!]

The rest of the night was uneventful. The previous interaction replayed its self in a dream, making Adalia confused about what just happened. Didn't bother her though, not really, too tired to think about it and too content with something that wasn't dirt at her back.

Loud laughter woke her up in the morning. Her face looked sleepy when she sat up suddenly and she slowly rubbed her eyes and swayed, eyeing the window. While the window was disgustingly grimy and being able to see the room made Adalia proud that she could sleep in just a mess when she was used to maids and butlers.

Back to her pampered usual self though, Adalia didn't check to see if anyone was awake. Instead she groaned loudly at having been woken up while still tired and flopped back onto the bed, curling under the still warm blanket and trying to fall back to sleep.

Didn't fall asleep, but she could sure as hell close her eyes and pretend. It was warm. Adalia made a funny mewling noise before moving an arm under her head. "It's too early." A whine, while soft and breathy, was still a whine. "I dun wanna wake up." despite her words she still stretched out all her limbs but the one under her head.

Eyes were still closed though. Couldn't count as being awake if your eyes were closed.  "Hysaeda, s'mornin'. You awake?" Didn't he say something about waking up early? Was it early? There was light, couldn't tell how early it was though, considering how grimy the window was.

What he had really hoped to do was to awake in anticipation of the rising sun, to open his eyes to morning darkness all around.  But while his sleep was uneventful, it wasn't as restful as he'd hoped it would be.  Something from the back fo his mind, kept taking it upon itself to irk him and prod him incessantly.  An uncomfortable grunt escaped him here and there, but when his eyes opened, they were bloodshot as if he hadn't slept at all during the night.

His lids were heavy and when he recalled his surroundings, eyes drifting upward to find a pillow still up there.  How in the world did he get down here?  There was no immediate answer that he could find.  Faint, dim light managed to flood the room through the murky window.  There was something squishy beneath him, like a mattress, and then he suddenly found himself laying partway on Adalia, her one of her legs curled slightly around his.

"Damn!" he cried out, face pale with horror.  In an instant, he scrambled up against the wall, mindful of the way she was sleeping.  His mind reeled.  Had he really been sleeping in the same bed with her?  Oh no!  Did something happen between them?  That couldn't have been as he was still clothed.  Hysaeda reached for the rafter, jumping then hoisting himself upward, then throwing the pillow down to her as if it were vermin.

Maybe she didn't know anything about it, but surely he'd fallen right?  He saw as she spoke sleepily trying to get warmer.  "It's time to get up," he said, slipping from the beam on the opposite side.  "Adalia, put your clothes back on, this is no time to be naked."  He shook her shoulder, patted her cheek harshly, just before he reached down and ripped the sheets from her body.  Oh, thank the devils she wasn't in the nude.  For all she knew, he might have fainted on the spot if she was.

"Grab your things and let's get gong!" he shouted, hoping to wake her up this time.  "We should get an early a start.  We need as much sunlight as possible."

The quiet 'fwump' of a pillow didn't irritate her. However, it hitting her head made her grumpy and Adalia glared up with tired eyes and gave a deep sigh. Only a few more days, then she could finally rest, really rest. Sleep in, not have questionable things sleep in the same bed and not be worried about possible horrible critters that lurked in the corner.

Grabbing his pillow she quickly lifted her head and put the pillow under it, curling up again. About to whine how the pillow was cold, her shoulder was shaken and Hysaeda had the gall to 'pat' her cheek then her blankets were whipped off and she curled up and whimpered. "I only sleep naked at home." Adalia grumbled as she sat up and pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes, stretching widely before looking at the floor.

Sitting with her feel under her she soundly slapped Hysaeda's thigh after he told her they needed as much sunlight as possible. Sleeping on beds while traveling was bad, it made her more tired. Rubbing the backs of her hands over her eyes she quickly scurried across the floor with a disgusted look on her face before slipping her feet into her boots.

It took her a few minutes to walk up before she looked at the bags and making sure everything was nice and secure, the blankets put back into their pouch, she hefted it up and turned to look at Hysaeda. "I'm awake! Don't hit me to wake me up. Geeze, can't you go an entire day without hurting me?"

Turning to look at him, she stared at him for a moment before recalling his half-dazed state and turning away. Cheeks were flushed and she was careful to duck and hide her head when she recalled the stargazers. "Lead the way, they like big strong men here, remember?" Clearing her throat she made sure her hair made a curtain around her face, even though the tips of her ears were as red as her face.

He leaned against the door, glaring at her through his amber-red eyes, waiting and crossing his arms over his chest.  He was already ready before her, especially since he slipped well away after she slapped him on the thigh, hitting hard muscle.  It'd be better to wait over here anyway since he could verbally jab her without getting smacked.  "That's good to know," he said as he rolled his eyes in response.  "Like I really want to know how you sleep at home."

And just before she was ready to sling her bags over his shoulder, he was already part way out with the door ajar for her to exit too.  "I didn't hit you!  I lightly tapped you. Look you're fine.  No harm done, right?  Just cool it; we'll be out of here soon.  And don't say anything dumb; I don't mock their customs and you should either.  Show a little more respect if you will."   When she blushed, he didn't notice.  He grabbed her hand and led her down the hall, letting go when he was sure they were to be spotted.

Looking around the corners to make sure nobody had risen yet, he slipped through the main room quietly, knowing full well that the matron that sold them the room would expect them to pay extra for staying any later than morning.  "We're already late," he whispered just as a few people started to rise from their houses, some carrying axes, others working on various jobs.  The village was a quiet one, but he still didn't want to be caught not paying the rest of the bill.

He made it through the door and beckoned Adalia to come quietly too.  "Let's go while we still can.  I'll tell you all about it later.  The stables are this way."  Walking around the building he saw Atras and rode toward him. "Saddle the horse and let's get out of here."

An offended gasp left her lips and she glared at him. "I wouldn't mock their customs. I'm not that dissrespectful." A quiet huff and she lowered her gaze, "If I decide to mock them I'll do it well outside of ear shot." Obediently she followed him when he took her hand, staying quiet and looking grumpy. If any of these stupid villages tried to strike up a conversation though...

Following like a docile lamb she nodded when he spoke and was quick to wander to Atras, giving him a customary good morning nuzzle against his nose before putting his saddle on, tightening it and doing a quick wander around him, checking for things that are off. "Can't give you too many pets, we gotta go!"

A quick pat on his rump and she got up on the saddle, back straight. "C'mon, Pokey. We'll go fast and hurt your butt on our way out." A wide grin, Atras would like a good run after these past few days. "You'll have to hold on, hell, once you're on you nudge him. Squeeze his sides hard with your heels, he'll take off." The reins were tight, much smaller, so she couldn't keep a good hold on them, a quick leer towards Hysaeda before her nose went into the air again.

Hysaeda looked around warily just as Adalia was busy saddling Atras.  He was tempted to tell her to hurry up, but it wouldn't do if the horse was improperly saddled and then he'd start to complain and probably buck Hysaeda off, knowing full well that the whole thing would be his fault.  Well, he didn't have to think on it soon as the horse was readied and saddled before he knew it.  With one quick take around, to make sure no one saw them, he hopped onto the back of the beast, nodding to her.

"Don't be such a jackass," he commented, wrapping his arms around her waist and dong as he was told, squeezing hard with his legs.  "Let's move!"  Hysaeda felt Atras bolt at the indication and off they way, making a hard right.  "Shit!" he cried and felt his arms tighten around Adalia and held on tight, not caring how close he was to her as long as he didn't fall off.

They went a good distance, traveling far off away from the village and in the direction that he thought was south.  When things got a little smoother, he let go of her and rested his hands on his thighs as the horse swayed.  "We're only a few days travel from your city now.  We should go south from here.  Probably reach it in a bout three or four days."  Hysaeda leaned a little backwards, flexing his torso forward and stretching after not having done so when he'd wakened.

"Well, at least that saved you some money.  I'll have to pay you back when I get the chance...if I get the chance, for your spendings."

Adalia had to keep herself form laughing when Hysaeda kicked Atras into a run. Then clung. After he swore. Obviously someone wasn't ready for it. The biggest grin was on her face once they got far enough away from the village to slow down, Atras was breathing heavily and Adalia leaned forward to rest against his neck, cooing the words she spoke to Hysaeda to calm him down the night before.

Three or four days. The big grin slowly melted off her face and she sighed. They were originally only supposed to have two left. What had turned into a few day trip was now a week. Adalia groaned and let her head drop back before closing her eyes and turning around and letting out a laugh.

"Saved some money?" Her face turned into a frown and a pale eyebrow drifted up, her lips pursed, "I'm sure you would pay me back. Look, we'll pretend it was my treat. Besides," Adalia made a pleased face and closed her eyes, "I got a bath." She shivered before grinning widely, "And I found out a new word! It was a good night." A solid nod and she turned back around, intent on leading Atras even though there was little to no reins left.

"Yes," he nodded.  "I saved you from getting ripped off.  It may be the only inn in town but they'll charge you for an extra day and a half just for staying till dawn, and throw in the use of the beds and anything else they can put on your tab.  They got to make money somehow.  I was quiet surprised that the woman didn't remember me since that's what happened to me last time.  I only got out of it by promising her a little something extra, if you know what I mean.  Of course, I skipped out before dawn.  The windows weren't bolted then."

Hysaeda kept his gaze down, staring at the saddle.  Sighing he nodded and shrugged absently.  "I guess, though I prefer to owe you nothing.  But yeah, at least you got a bath.  Speaking of which."  Hysaeda felt around and knew that he probably needed one too.  He didn't like the feeling of dirt on his hands if he wasn't training (and he'd neglected it for several days now).  And he knew that he probably smelled like a sweaty man, though he wasn't sweating now.

Upon hearing of last night, he coughed harshly and looked at the back of her head and frowned harshly.  "What did you learn?  What are you talking about?  How good was it?...."  Then his face burned.  "We didn't do anything...did we?"

"Consider my paying for the night indoors as a sliver of repayment for saving my life earlier. No way in hell am I worth so little, so there's plenty of payment left." Something was nagging at her though, he said 'extra'. But she didn't know what he meant. A tip? Her fingers went to her lips and she tapped at them for a moment before he inquired about the night.

Slowly she looked over her shoulder and gave a small secret smile. Again he didn't remember, it sort of hurt her feelings that he only seemed to like her when he was half asleep and not on guard. Made her curious, was he like that normally and when not on constant guard? Adalia was curious, she did want to know, but she knew she'd never get the chance to find something like that out.

They'd have to get along first. Which Hysaeda was making impossible.

Before she turned back to look ahead she shifted in her seat and ducked her head, "Well, I found out something really interesting about you." Adalia stretched her arms up high above her head, dropping the reins before she put her hands on her lap. A breathy chuckle and she was quiet for a moment, "You're really cheap! You jump out on extra costs? And no, I don't know what 'extra' means. Is that like a tip? All she wanted was a tip? What's so horrible about that?"

Turning around again she blinked at up, her expression half curious, half teasing.

Not all she was worth.  He couldn't be sure about that, but he wasn't going to start being one to judge the measure of a person's worth.  He knew as well as anyone that one's worth was something only they could measure themselves, it was a philosophy ingrained in the culture of his people.  You were only as valuable as you made yourself become; to do any less would surrender your rights to life and happiness.  Or at least that was how the old adage went in an odd combination of Draconic and Common.  Hysaeda reiterated it to himself and blinked back into reality.

Hysaeda looked at the back of her head impartially, staring at her when she turned to look at him.  "Interesting huh?  Well, it can't be all that interesting, you don't know much about me," his voice was solemn and he started to push back the braids on the right side of his face, placing them behind an ear and ruffling his hair, feeling the oils beneath it.  Rubbing his fingers together, he brought his fingers to his nose, sniffing, and shrugging to the scent of natural hair oils.

"Hey!  I'm not cheap.  I'll gladly spend what I must and more if I had the money.  As it were, at the time I only had the few funds that I traded for.  And even then it wasn't enough.  Seeing as I was tied for cash, she offered to cover the rest of the cost if I did her a favor.  Y'know, shook the sheets, that sort of thing.  Slept with her, in short.  I agreed to the idea, knowing that she'd be easily duped.  I didn't sleep with her, thank Umbra."  Hysaeda grinned at her and nudged her in the ribs.  "Are you serious that you don't know what any of those euphemisms are?  Wow, you really are a virgin."

Blinking at him, she watched his run his hands through his hair and her eyes went wide. Hysaeda didn't get a chance to bathe. Shook the sheets? Adalia's first mental image of that was someone hanging up laundry, it took her a moment and him telling her he meant sleep with her that her cheeks went pink and she carefully cleared her throat.

"Oh... Oh. I..." She went a bit more pink and shifted in her seat again, " I see." Would he really use that like that? Slowly she turned back away and kept silent for a few seconds, trying to gauge the man behind her. He wouldn't really sell himself would he? If he couldn't skip out of the room in time would he have...

While she was thinking her blush deepend and she could feel her ears burning. The nudge made her squeak and she whipped around to stare at him, cheeks bright red.  "I... People don't talk like that around me, I don't stay in the berricks with the other soldiers." She swallowed and turned around again, slowly, ducking her head before clearing her throat.

"You had a nightmare last night and fell off your brilliant sleeping area." Her voice turned soft before she lifted her head and turned around to look at him, "The nightmare wasn't my fault was it? I haven't apologized yet, for tying you up and kicking you and treating you horribly." Another pause and she turned her someone somber expression into a small smile, "Want to stop at the next river so you can wash up? I'm sorry I forgot to offer new water for when we were at the inn-thing."

"Ah, you don't?  Smart woman.  As you should know by now, men are pigs and are only good for bacon and rations as are all swine.  Use those smarts and find yourself a good worthy man, or marry a pig and become the mud he rolls himself in."  Hysaeda laughed and leaned back a little, stretching his sore shoulders as he listened to her talk.  He really did sleep funny and his joints were sore to show for it.  Maybe he was better off on the floor.

"Hm," he nodded, "I did have a nightmare.  It wasn't so pleasant.  But it had nothing to do with you.  Believe me, you weren't even in it.  I, uh, used to get beat a lot when I was a kid and it felt like I reliving those moments.  I learned from it all, but sometimes the memories really get to me.  I'll be fine though, I wouldn't worry about it.  If I were you, I would worry more about what you're gonna do about getting to your city late.  Three or four days is going to be a very long time."

He sat silent for a moment, staring at nothing and lost in thought.  Whatever coursed through his mind, it wasn't pleasant.  Perhaps he was just replaying the events of the dream in his head.  Or the sudden peace he felt afterwards.  It was strange because Ankuman were supposed to have meaningful dreams, not visions of the past that were not spirits.  For all he knew, Radek was still alive and well.  And that thought alone brought fury into his blood.  With his fist clenched at the thought, he set his jaw in anger, frowning.

"I don't think there's a river that isn't too far off.  Stop apologizing, honestly.  I can take care of myself and back there, somebody had to get the food.  I'll wash the blood off and tend your chest and leg wounds soon.  They're probably scabbed by now after that slip you had.  We're headed in the right direction.  We should hit the river by nightfall."

No way in hell would she mention cooing at him to calm him down. Or the stargazer chat. Or the kiss. Though it would make the ride more entertaining to hear him lament his half-waking mind. Yeah, maybe she would.

The story of him being bullied as a child made her heart ache. Growing up as an only child never left much room for other children to bully her, private tutors, Adalia can't recall a friend that wasn't nearly three times her age. Maybe her parents were over protective. Just a little. Even when she began training to be a mage knight, friends her age were only a concept, Adalia could meet people, but she could never keep friends. Couldn't interest bully's either, instead trying to get to know them.

A quiet laugh drifted past her parted lips."You don't have to tend to my chest or legs. They're just scratches, they'll heal soon enough. Thank you though, I appreciate the concern." That was only yesterday, after that horrible sleep on the crappy bed it had felt like longer. Adalia couldn't wait to go home and sleep in her own bed, assuming guilt about Hysaeda being in jail didn't keep her awake all night. "I tried to calm you down, after you fell. You went sort of lucid." A sad smile drew at her lips and she turned to look at him, "You like me fine when you're out of it. Gave me a peck on the lips. Made compliments on my... Stargazers." It took a lot of effort not to turn away and go beet red.

Curious, Adalia moved her hands and cupped her breasts, looking down and squeezing them a few times before looking back at him, "I don't see why you like them so much. They're just breasts. They're just going to feed babies one day." Completely serious, she gave him a blinking stare before turning back around again to watch the trail, the reins hanging on either side of Atras' face, too short for her to grab back. Oh well.

"I don't have to, but I want to.  They might just be scratches when these scars on my legs will be soon, but I won't have my captor look like the Rogue she's dragging back to the city.  Er, well, having sit on the same horse with her."  He mended his words quickly and frowned at her significantly, hoping to curb the grin that pulled at the corner of his lips.  Then she went on to start talking about the previous night again.  Damn, didn't he just change subjects?  But she seemed preoccupied with a particular topic: when he fell from his perch and...apparently he said some things.

But at this sudden realization, when she reiterated what he said with such calm, he found it somewhat disturbing.  As dark as his face was, it was apparent that he went pale.  Even his eyes dulled somewhat than their usual flaring of irritation whenever she spoke.  "I...um...I said that?" he asked, finally finding his tongue.  "Um...I didn't know I would say such a thing.  Why didn't you wake me up?"

Hysaeda then transformed from paleness to extreme embarrassment, his amber-reds flaring again.  "Oh, dear Umbra.  I did it again.  Maybe I should have slept in the stables!  I didn't realize.  This is so humiliating!  I really need to start meditating again, I haven't been able to think straight in days.  And now I can't even sleep right.  I'm so sorry; I don't know how you tolerate such behavior, I mean with being a prude and all.

"But..." he sighed, calming down and scooting a little up into the saddle.  "I can't deny it.  I'm still feeling guilty but I know it's true.  I do like them...they're...they're nice and round.  Not so bulbous as a man might find on a whore in a brothel.  But, well, they're just the right size and angle."  Hysaeda buried his face in his hands for shame, knowing full well she'd never let it go.  "But don't you dare tell anyone I said anything about this.  Or I swear that I'll track you down and beat the crap out of you.

"Now if you can't grab the reins, at least wrap your fingers in his hair."  It seemed he came back to himself again and he scooted forward and wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands on hers, directing them to grab Atras' mane.  "Grip them good, just like that.  And turn the same way you would if you had reins.  I'll make some new ones for you if given the chance."  He let her go and scooted back.  "C'mon, let's just get to the river.  I can hear water a few miles away."  He lied.  He could smell the moisture it in the air.

Stumped. He wanted to help patch up the scratches. Maybe it was a slip of the tongue, but Adalia was pretty sure this was the first time he wanted to do anything for her. Even if it was patching up scabbed over scratches. Chewing on her lower lip, Adalia made sure to look ahead after she mentioned him being half awake the night before.

Adalia hadn't expected him to freak out about it. Felt sort of bad now, however, after his bout of humiliation it was her turn to go red after he solidified the fact that, yes, he did like her breasts. Swallowing she let out a quiet chuckle and turned around to look at him, "Well, thank you, I suppose. Never been complimented on having nice breasts before, I think." Adalia paused, pursed her lips, looking up, trying to remember. "Nope! You're the only person to see them naked too." A big mocking grin drew at her lips, "Aren't you lucky. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

The feeling of him so close made her freeze and her breath was stuck in her throat until she realised he wasn't going to grope her. Then she visibly relaxed, leaning back a bit and letting Hysaeda manipulate her fingers into Atras' mane. "I tried waking you up, sort of, but I just calmed you down. You started talking." Turning a little so she could look at him while he scooted bakwards, "I thought you'd be more freaked out about the kiss, honestly, you mentioned my breasts. But you did kiss me." Adalia turned around and made kissy lips at him before sticking out her tongue and turning back around.

Soon, soon the familiar silence while travelling would come and then things would be back to normal.

"You better keep your word," he warned.  "Or there'll be hell to pay."  He meant every last syllable he uttered.  He didn't want it getting out that he saw some albino woman's chest, let alone actually admitted to liking them.  Unlike most men, or men that liked women, he found chests that were too large to be cumbersome.  They sagged and looked all stretch-marky.  He blushed at the though and turned his face away from her.  He didn't want to indicate anymore than what he already told her.

She continued to talk just when he thought the silence was just about to settle in.  Hysaeda rolled his eyes beneath dark lids and felt his breath pause for a second. "Kiss you!?  ME?  Kiss you.  You can't be serious.  I did not kiss you.  I remember hearing a nice voice, and now it's comforting to know that was you.  But I do not remember pressing my lips to yours.  How was it that I kissed you?  I mean, did I come in hard and aggressive.  Was it soft?  How could it be that I kissed you?  Don't start lying to me now."

Hysaeda stretched his arms overhead and caught himself just as he felt himself slip a little.  "C'mon.  You got to be joking."

"When have I lied to you?" Adalia huffed. Not being able to think of a time she actually lied to him, even if he was a jerk. Her chest puffed out and she tilted her head up, eyes hooded. "It was a very light kiss. More of a nice good night kiss than a ...a ... Romantic one. It was cute, reminded of when my mother kissed me on the forehead before tucking me into bed."

Reaching back she patted his knee before moving her hands back to Atras' mane.  "Not joking! It's not like I want you to kiss me! Why would I joke about that? Just to get you riled up? Come on." A noisy huff and she slumped her shoulders forward, closing her eyes, head rolling forward. Her breath turned even and light and her back pressed against Hysaeda's chest. Fingers rested on her thighs.

Her head tipped back onto his shoulder and her eyes were closed. While she hadn't seemed tired before, it seemed her body decided for her and passed out in moments. So, Atras was meandering down the trail, keeping to a steady pace and Adalia had falling into a dead sleep against Hysaeda.

Hysaeda stared at the back of her head, blinking stupidly.  That was great, now he kissed like some matronly woman putting her kids to sleep.  How could he live with that on his conscience?  No, no, now that would not do at all.  He would have to correct his mistake.  Though he wasn't so sure he wanted to do that on her.  "Thanks a lot," he sniffed sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"I don't wanna kiss you either.  So don't think I'll be doing it again any time soon, shit."  Hysaeda shook his head trying to get this thoughts together.  "You think I actually like the feeling of your lips on mine?  Hell no.  I'd rather be dragged into the soil by a basilisk or burned alive."  He brushed it off like nothing until he felt her lean back.  The action surprised him so much that he didn't have time to react to her laying against him, letting Atras lead himself and plopping her head onto his shoulder.

He was tempted to throw her off, steal her horse and take off toward the south where he belonged.  But that was mean, he wouldn't be so heartless.  But he couldn't exactly understand why she was so tired?  Oh right, he fell on her last night.  "Umbra, what did I do to deserve this?"  He scooted closer and adjusted her correctly before she slipped off and grabbed Atras' mane in her place.  "Adalia, rest just for a minute or I'll throw you off, I swear I will."  Supporting her with his arms, he led the horse toward the river.

She was only half faking it. A noisy grumble left her lips and she snuggled back more, seeing if he really would push her away. Adalia didn't doubt it. Maybe he wouldn't though and she could steal a nap against a large warm person. Instead of on a lumpy bed. "You kept me up all night." Her voice was sleepy, slightly slurred when she spoke from his shoulder. Her head rolled to the side so she was facing his neck.

As a precaution, she hooked her feet around his ankles and gently wrapped her arms around his. Just incase he did decide to throw her off. "Just until we get to the river, please?" Her breath puffed against his neck and she snuggled closer again. Better than a blanket! Her front was chilly now by comparison, but Adalia wasn't about to complain. Eyes hadn't opened yet, and her breathing was just as slow. Drifting off slowly but surely.

( T_T )

"I did not.  Don't start with me, I'm not in the mood," he muttered softly, turning Atras a little to the left as he thought the direction of the river was.  "Just take your nap."  He didn't want another word from her.  The woods gradually gave way to a thinning clearness that meant water was near.  He supposed it wouldn't be for another mile or two down this way, but at least they were headed in the right direction.  Didn't suppose Atras knew where they were going, chances were, he hadn't eaten much recently nor had much water.  This would give them a chance to all get replenished.

"Will you just go to sleep, dammit.  If you promise to stay quiet, I won't throw you off and I'll just dump you in the river instead."  All instinct told him to get the hell away from her as quickly as he possibly could.  But that wasn't much of an option now that she chained herself to him, as he would be thrown too.  Chances were the horse would bolt off at the surprise.  Well, this was just great.  Not only was he now plastered to her in a position that was perpetually sexual, she very well near buried her face in his neck and he had to try hard not to shudder in response of the sudden contact.  But he managed well enough.  He let go of with one hand and wrapped it around her waist.

The sound of flowing water soon came nearer and Hysaeda was now over his desire to throw her down as if she were a barricade in his way.  The air got cooler now and he looked up at the sun reaching it's peak in the sky.  Atras reached the river in no time and Hysaeda let go of his mane and nudged Adalia a little.  "Okay you can wake up now.  Adalia?....Adalia!"

[*cuddles* ._.]

It was blissful. A 'mhmm' at the promise to stay quiet and she drifted off on his shoulder with her  face against his neck. Adalia didn't dream, but she did make a funny noise when his hand wrapped around her middle. It wasn't uncomfortable, in fact it was too comfortable. So comfortable she didn't want to wake up.

Then she heard a voice, nuzzled into Hysaeda's neck before she lifted her head and winced. " M' shoulders hurt." Her hands went up to press against her neck and shoulders before she wriggled forward and hopped off of Atras, taking a few steps before falling onto her bottom and yawning widely, a hand moving to cover her mouth. Her hands stretched above her head before she stood up and patted Hysaeda's arm.

"You go bathe. You..." Adalia's nose wrinkled, "Smell like a man. There's some soap and a cloth in one of the saddle bags."A small smile, "You're welcome to use it." Once Hysaeda got off the horse, Adalia went about pulling off the saddle bags and removing the saddle, taking the headgear off the horse and running her fingers over his body. The old serenian words she knew drifted past her lips while she pet him and she gave Atras nose a kiss and pat his rump.

He meandered to the river to take a drink before having more than a little snack. "We'll take a little break, for Atras. And so I can wake up." She stretched and then made a shooing motion, "Go bathe, and patch up your legs!" her own hand rubbed at her chest before she looked at the tops of her thighs. Another yawn and she turned around to look at the pretty trees, giving him a pretend sense of privacy.

"That's what you get for thinking you can just lay on anybody you want," he muttered, slipping off the horse.  "Yeah I'll take it."  And he went around searching through her bags for the soap and cloth.  He had used soap before but didn't like its tendency to slip around.  So when he had it firmly in his grasp, he wrapped it in the clothe and headed down a little away from her to the river.

The air was much cooler here than he suspected and he shivered a little before placing the soap and cloth off to the side atop a nearby stone.  He worked on the laces of his boots, taking them off and lining them up.  The cuirass came next and he put that in a place that was easily visible then his pants.  Once he was bare, he slipped into the water and jumped a little at the cold rush it gave him.  He worked quickly with the soap, wanting to get clean as fast as possible.  Going over his legs first, he scrubbed where necessary, wiggling his toes, then washing his torso, liking the feeling of clean the soap offered.  His arms and head were last and when he washed his hair, he doused it with water first, scrubbed away any oil that remained and disappeared beneath the surface of the river.

He remained there for some time, managing to hold his breath for quiet some time.  But before his lungs started to hurt, he sprang back up and gasped for air.  Filling his lungs, he shook his hair free of the water simultaneously and swiped the excess water from his face.  He was soothed now and any thoughts on Adalia or her beastly beast were gone.  For once he thought he was alone and walked out of the water to dry off.  Resting by a tree, he placed the soap back in the cloth, scraping off the water that clung to him.  The wounds on his shins had already scabbed, so he left them to finish their healing.

Once clothed, he returned to where Adalia was and sat by her.  "Here's your soap and cloth.  Um, thank you.  Why don't you go clean your horse now?  Aren't you supposed to brush your animals every now and then?"

Bah.

Adalia wandered towards Atras and brushed him down with a handful of grass while Hysaeda bathed in the river. She imagined it was cold. Stretching her neck she nuzzled against Atras' neck and once she was finished rubbing him down with the grass she resaddled the horse who now smelled like grass and sat back, quickly laying down with her arms above her head.

The Hysaeda came back smelling much nicer. "I did! Go sniff him, he smells nice." She sat up with a large stretch and stood up, wiping the dirt off her butt before looking at him and smiling. "Thanks for letting me nap. I really appreciate it."  Pressing a hand to Atras' side she turned around and then lift her eyebrows.

"I really don't need you too patch me up. They're just a few scratches." Her finger poked at one that was scabbed over and she smiled again. "Ready to go?"

Hysaeda did.  Getting up, he walked over to the horse and sniffed the fine silky hair, getting a nostril-full of grass scented horse.  Well, at least he didn't smell like fecal matter, that was a very comforting idea.  He couldn't imagine staying on an animal that stunk worse than a muck pit, because, well, it just wasn't pleasant.  He could deal with harsh situations, but some he'd rather just avoid.  The grass scent was actually kind nice.  

Finding himself smiling, he stroked Atras and figured he could get used to the animal after so many days.  It was a reliable animal and strong.  Most horses were just idiots, but he would admit Atras had a good set of brains on him.  "You're smarter than you look, beast," he whispered to the animal.

"Your nap was a little unfair.  You didn't even warn me.  Don't think I'll be so nice next time, woman."  Hysaeda sighed and rubbed at the place where she nuzzled into his neck, still feeling a source of heat there.  He strode closer and inspected the scratches on her chest and chin.  "You're right," he admitted.  "But that was only because I waited this long to look at them.  I wouldn't worry about them now.  It's the concern that counts though."  And with that he hopped onto the saddle when it was ready and nodded.  "Off to the infernal city."

Adalia smiled brightly, "Yes, and I appreciate your concern." Really she did. Not at all used to it, with the soliders it was patch yourself up or risk having something strange start living in the wound. Rubbing her chest for a moment she watched as he got up onto the horse, blinking slowly. This had to be the first time he'd ever gotten onto Atras before her. Hmph. "Promise not to nap on you again." Whiner.

A quick movement and she was seated in front of him and they were off again. The remaining days of the journey were relatively silent. Adalia was quiet because she knew he'd be throwing him into a jail the second they got back. Swallowing she kept her temper short and ate the little bit of rations left quietly after sharing. Even if he hated it she was sure he'd still eat it, no sense wasting energy killing something when there was only a few days left.

The rest of the day went without a problem. The night passed without a problem. The following day the same. Quiet. Distencing herself from her prisoner. If she seemed attached they'd probably think he did something to her. Mentally. Possibly physically. Adalia frowned when she realised that. Nearly a week together, or would it be over a week? Could easily frown against Hysaeda being the good person she wants to portray him to be.

It was easy to say the last day of the trip was complete silence. Adalia used the bits of rope she tucked away to tie his hands together and the second she got to the city the guards were on them and she kept silent while they dragged Hysaeda off the horse and away. Indifference. They would react better to her plea to let him go if she didn't freak out about him going in.

Swallowing she gently escorted Atras to her home, walking slowly. Give Atras a well needed rest, then get a different horse, check in and then... wait a day. Or two. Not too desperate. Pressing a hand to her face she gave a sigh and went about her business. They'd have to listen to her.

[End thread =D you can start the next one. It can be a day or two days or a few days after this. Hysaeda would only really be allowed in his cell and what not. >;3 be imaginative but not too uncharacteristic of the guards and what not]