Needless to say, Itachi and Jaela escaped Ketra without fail. It was an easy walk to the Craol who were waiting and then a ride to the forest where they set up camp. Jaela had decided they should stay at least a few days so that Itachi could heal, his wounds something she made the first priority as soon as they were out of harm's way.
Zamik had stayed behind with a bit of the loot, instructed to meet up with them after picking up a few supplies from the city. It wasn't like Jaela and Itachi could go strolling through town considering they were supposed to be rotting away in some dungeon somewhere. But that did not mean Zamik wasn't given clear instructions. The largest bottle of Rum that gold could buy lay at the top of the list.
Already the group had managed to set up a few tents and a fire had been struck. The camp illuminated the space in the forest they took up with laughter and story telling. They were celebrating the largest haul in Craol history. Jaela and Itachi had managed to get away with so much more than his bounty, but jewels and gold fit for a king. They really were quite the pair, two crazy minds constructing the greatest plans.
"You should have seen him! Itachi was lying in that cell all upset while I was practically twirling the lock in my fingers!" Jaela was sitting around the fire with a few other members of Craol, retelling the story of how they had escaped for the hundredth time. Of course, each time she told it the story got more and more elaborate. If she kept going, she was sure to pull in a demonic beast that blocked their path at some point.
Itachi was supposed to be in 'his' tent tending to his wounds. Jaela had opted to give him some privacy and also a chance to put his real pants on. Zamik had just arrived with their supplies anyways. The celebration hadn't even started yet...
"So as I was saying... Itachi killed that guard just by looking at him!"
Itachi sat in his tent, in his own pants, with one leg rolled up so that he could view his sprained ankle. It was purple, ugly, and quite swollen....it seemed as if his career would be put on hold until he could walk again without help.
Well, who cared, anyway? They'd come away with the biggest haul ever, bigger than Itachi thought any of them had ever managed combined. This was...really something else. This was incredible.
After he'd finished wrapping his foot up, he stepped out of the tent, garbed in his normal clothes sans boots and coat. With his elaborately designed tunic, he hardly looked like a bandit.
And so, he stepped out of the tent, using the jeweled sword he'd looted from the Adelan treasury as a sort of crutch. Luckily, he'd found a suitable scabbard amongst their remaining equipment, so he wouldn't go stabbing it through his foot.
When he stepped up to the campfire....
"So as I was saying... Itachi killed that guard just by looking at him!"
Itachi grinned and settled himself next to her, intentionally bumping her knee with the sheathed sword.
"Eh, bird, tell'm the truth, like. I didn't jus' look at 'em. I fuckin' set'm on fire wit' me fuckin' eyes."
He grinned a bit, running his hands through his freshly washed hair, having scrubbed the blood out of it and patching up the nasty cut on his head. He brushed it all to one side, and looked to Jaela with a wink. "Bu' really. Couldn'ta done it wit'out her. If it wasn't fer her, I'd be hangin' by a rope by now."
"Yes! He set them on fire with his eyes!" Jaela held her hands out dramatically, gesturing towards the fire right in front of her. She would have gone on, but Itachi then turned the story on her and it almost made her blush.
"All I did was get us out. The Treasury was your idea."
It was true, Itachi was the one who hatched the plan. Jaela was only the one who helped him carry them out. She wouldn't have made it past that door without him, well she wouldn't have been able to make it look like they were never there at least.
Jaela then turned on the stump she was sitting on, facing Itachi completely. She hadn't forgotten about that little stunt he pulled right before he left. It was time to get even....
"If it wasn't for Itachi..." Her voice was soft and her expression anything from crazy as she leaned in towards him. Again, to anyone else it probably looked like she was about to kiss him. But even more surprisingly, she seemed completely enchanted with the very sight of him.
Leaning in even closer her lips were almost to his. "If... if it wasn't for you...." even her cheeks had begun to flush.
"... We would have gotten out of there so much quicker." And she was up, breaking the eye contact with a wiley smile as she stepped around him towards Zamik who was strolling up with the rum.
She was so....close. Jade met peridot yet again, even closer than when he'd pulled the same trick the day before. Hell, he very nearly just grabbed her and crushed his lips to hers...
Beware, that little finger, and it's magnetism.
When she was suddenly gone, he realized that when she'd spoken, he hadn't even realized what she'd said. His only cues were the incredulous stares from the other Craol, and their raucous laughter.
"What'r you lot lookin' a' ya sorry buncha bandits? Eh?" He gestured with the jeweled sword at the lot of them, and grunted. After a moment, he pushed his way to his feet.
"I'mma gonna go an' get some damned air. Some'un bring me a damned drink."
He grunted again and stepped away, disappearing from the light of the fire. He stepped away from the ring of tents, and found himself some distance away.
He set himself on a fallen log, leaning forward on his knees with his chin rested on his arms. He stared into the trees, not blinking. His mind was positively humming as he puzzled out his issues.
This was...new to him. Rarely did he bother with relationships, but then again, his only peers were typically the men he shared camp with every day. He'd had girls, sure - most any bandit worth their weight in gold like him would have to have, at some point.
But he didn't want just that. He felt the need for something else. Something meaningful, fulfilling. You didn't get that from a girl at the Peach.
He sighed derisively, his eyes narrowed and face twisted into a scowl.
What a situation he'd put himself in.
She would be lying if she said that she didn't feel something when she did it. It was almost as torturous for her as it must have been for him. So badly she wanted to just close the distance and let the sparks fly she knew would be there. It had been like this ever since the two came to know each other, the 'real' other.
They were constantly pushing and pulling at one another, always at a game of who was going to get the best of the each of them. Part of her even regretted it, but then again things would be less fun if she hadn't.
Happily, she took the large bottle from Zamik and uncorked it, immediately bringing the lip of it to her mouth and taking a swig.
"I've got this..." she laughed to the other bandits still sitting at the fire. Holding up the bottle she signaled what she was going to do and the majority of them clapped. "Beware the butter witches!" she yelled before taking off into the woods in the direction Itachi had gone.
When she found him he was sitting on a log bent over onto his arms, clearly deep in thought with something.
"Thinking of when we can go back?" she joked.
In the darkness, he wouldn't be able to see the seriousness in her expression as she approached him. "Next time we need to have a wagon at the ready." By now Jaela was nudging at his shoulder with the bottle of rum.
When she came up behind him, he had to fight the urge to sink into his own arms. Itachi sighed, and reached over his shoulder to take the bottle from her. Before he said anything, he took a long pull from it, savoring the burn down his throat into the pit of his stomach.
He held the bottle back over his shoulder for her to take again. "Nah, we'd 'ave a fuckin' wagon if'n we didn't lose th' fuckin' 'orses in th' fuckin' desert." He sighed, and sat straighter, still staring into the trees.
"I'm jus' havin' problems...figurin' sommat out, bird. I'm no' used ta that." Itachi leaned an elbow into his knee, his cheek in the palm of his hand.
Wryly, he smirked as a thought occurred to him. Why not add a new rule to the game?
"Y'see, there's this bird I know...."
She stayed behind him while he took a drink and happily took the bottle when he was done. At first, she thought he really was just trying to figure some complex plan out, but then he continued.
"Oh a bird?" she smiled, taking a seat next to him on the log.
Jaela thought she knew what he was getting at, but then again this was Itachi she was thinking about here. This was the only time that she regretted the games she played. It led to this moment where she thought he may be getting at something, but then again it could be something else entirely.
Lifting the bottle to her lips she took another drink before nudging it back towards him.
"Birds are so complicated sometimes..."
Itachi grinned at her as he took the bottle. "Aye, 'specially this 'un. She's all ov'r th' place, may be a li'l crazy...bu' then again, maybe no'."
He took a long swig from the bottle, and handed it back. "So many diff'rent sides ta th' same girl ta learn, an" I'm tryin' ta figure ou' how they all fit together, y'know? Who is she, really? An' why does she drive me so damned crazy?"
He smirked, and gave her a sidelong glanced. "Bu' I'm sure ya dunno th' type."
"That bird sounds awful." Jaela paused not really sure what to do. She had never been in this situation before. Never had she met someone who made her think the way he did. Everyone else was just so boring and typical... but not Itachi.
Itachi was unpredictable and funny, and most importantly almost too much like her. They were two minds that thought almost exactly the same. It was refreshing, to say the least, to know no matter how deluded she acted that he didn't see a permanently scarred mind.
"... but I bet this bird isn't as crazy as you think. I bet sh-... I mean the bird is really quite simple."
Jaela then looked at him, her eyes trying to read what he was actually thinking. And then it hit her... Itachi was probably trying to do the same thing. He was probably staring at her with the same eyes trying to figure out what it was the other was getting at.
"Itachi I..." she couldn't say it. Couldn't bring herself to say the words she knew she felt. "I wanted to kiss you just as badly as I'm sure you wanted to kiss me." Finishing the words in her mind that she couldn't say out loud.
There it is. That's new.
He noticed the tiny imperfection in her speech, and his gaze flicked to her more fully. From behind him, the firelight danced across his face, brightening one eye while the other was bathed by the waning moonlight, both gleaming at her.
"Ah, bu' ya jus' may be right, princess. Maybe it's no' her what's crazy, but me instead. An' anyway, she really ain' awful. It's refreshin', really, findin' someone ou' in this weird world o' ours tha' c'n actually keep up wit' me. Stump me, even."
When she cut off her words, his eyes softened, and that grin turned into a genuine smile. He dropped the accent.
"Wanted to kiss me, too?" He found himself leaning forward, slowly.
"....maybe you're not so hard to figure out, after all."
And then he was there, pressing his lips against hers, expecting either a mutual response, or a rock to the head.
Either way, it'd be worth it.
The way he took the words right out of her mouth shocked her. So she wasn't crazy... he felt it too. It was a relief to know that all of the feelings she had been holding in were not one-sided and that instead, the sparks she had been feeling were not just her own.
And then his lips were upon hers and Jaela was beside herself. Mirroring his actions she kissed him back for all it was worth, even bringing a hand up to wrap behind his neck as she pulled herself in closer.
Eventually, though she would have to breathe and so she pulled back, staring into his jade eyes with complete confusion. So what now? Where were they supposed to go from here? It wasn't like either of them could drop the act that they had been carrying around the Craol. It was what made both of them who they were, the two crazies that just pulled off the largest haul in history.
It was then that it clicked, the thought surfacing with the sly smile appearing on her lips. They could still play their games but with more of a twist.
Bringing her hand away from behind his neck Jaela then flicked him on the forehead as she scrunched her nose. "No scorpions out here to steal the horses..." she was getting at something. Another game already forming in the back of her mind.
Leaning in again she held her lips just off of his again, playing the same strategy she had just moments before they found themselves secluded in the woods. "... means they won't steal you either since I am sleeping in my tent."
Grabbing the bottle of rum she stood up and started walking towards camp, stopping and turning to see if he was following. "... You should taste what they made for dinner. Enough horseradish in that stew to knock your socks off."
It was bliss. Completely wonderful - and crazy, but hey, fuck it - bliss. Those precious few seconds of intimate physical contact spoke volumes to Itachi, and for the first time in....years, at least, something felt right.
He thought he'd always been lucky. Thought he had the luck of the devil himself. But this...this took the cake. And ate it.
And then, just like that, it was over, and she pulled away. Sight returned to his eyes in a flash and she was flicking him in the head, her nose wrinkling in a way that made him smile. And then again, she was in his face, but the way her eyes were smiling, he knew what was happening next. He stood with her, just narrowly missing grabbing the wine himself.
"Yer tent, eh?" he said, grinning devilishly. "Ya mean my tent. An' methinks yer th' only one what's gotta worry 'bout scorpions in the night, so far from th' desert." For a moment, he watched her walk away, and he couldn't lie to himself - he was watching pretty hard. When she turned around again, he began to follow after her.
"'Orseradish, eh? Fuckin' wonderful. Yer gonna scare off all th' butter witches, an' I was gonna make milk me next conquest, too."
He caught up to her, despite his limp, and muttered as he matched her stride. "Mebbe I'll make an even bigger heist outta you, bird."
He winked at her as he walked toward the fire again.
"Boss's comin' back, boys! Get me 'an th' princess 'ere somma whatev'r slop yer servin' up! Onna double, like!'
Stuck in her tracks Jaela watched as Itachi walked up to the fire. It was her turn now to look and it was guaranteed she was watching just as intensely as he just was. It was like they both had just unlocked something and now they just had to watch it all play out.
Eventually, she would make her way up beside him, sitting down on the same stump she was at before. Everyone else was already well on their way to finding the bottom of their own bottles of liquor while Jaela had barely scratched the surface with hers. Some of them were laughing at literally nothing while a few were sharing stories of their own. Jaela though commanded an audience because it was story time again.
"So as I was saying.... Itachi was as good as dead. You should've seen his eyes when I was sitting in the cell next to him! I thought they were going to pop right out of his head! It got even better when I showed him my little trick!"
"And then there was the treasure room! So full of anything sparkly and shiny that your eyes could burn at the very sight of it!" This part Jaela was not exaggerating on. It really was quite the sight.
"We stuffed our pockets and waltzed right out the back without any of them battin' an eye! They were too busy having a party of their own." Jaela then turned to wink at Itachi before letting her eyes fall on each of the Craol.
"But it's nothing like our own celebration!" All the men lifted their bottles in a 'here here' motion. In the meantime, another member of the Craol had brought both Itachi and Jaela a bowl of horseradish soup. She thought she was seeing things at first, but it seemed the man who cooked it had a piece tucked behind his ear causing Jaela to giggle a bit.
With a spoon in hand Jaela then took a sip of her soup, sipping it carefully so she didn't burn her lips. It really was quite strong, but good nonetheless. The entire time she kept stealing glances of Itachi, not able to get the kiss they had just shared out of her mind. How would the Craol react when they found out? Part of her assumed they already thought something was up by the way the two acted around one another. They had to know it was only a matter of time.
And then another thought crossed her mind. How would Kaida react? Immediately Jaela's face flushed as she thought of how she would explain it to her and worse... how Kaida would respond. How on Earth was she supposed to bring it up on how they met if she was supposed to be at the Citadel this entire time. This, of course, led Jaela to an idea... one that she would have to discuss with Itachi later in private.
"So as I was sayin..." Jaela then dove back into storytelling, reliving the day over and over again.
Itachi gave her a conspiratable wink as she sat down beside him, but chose to remain silent for the minute. He didn't want them to treat her any different than they were now, and for them to know they were involved in any sort of way....
Well, he didn't want that. He sat quietly, gamely eating his horseradish soup, noting that it burned nearly as much as the rum he'd drank not too long before.
Ugh, horseradish. Really?
At the mentioning of the guards celebration of their apparent demise, he had to lift a hand to his mouth to keep from spewing soup as he laughed rather mirthfully.
When he at last choked down that particular mouthful, he grinned. "Aye, no' like ours at all. 'Specially when they fin' ou' we're no' there anymore. I almos' wish I was there ta see th' looks on their faces. It'll be fuckin' priceless."
He grinned again, and deftly snatched the bottle of rum from it's place beside her, taking another long drink.
When he lowered the bottle from his lips, he couldn't help stealing a glance in Jaela's direction, noticing that she'd gone quiet for a moment. Something seemed to be going on in that little head of hers.
Something troubling, perhaps? He mused for a moment, noting that she typically wasn't a quiet person. The moment only lasted for a short while before she dove back into her stories, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
He was sure it was nothing important. He made a note to ask her about it later.
"Well, boys an' girl, I think I'mma turn in fer th' night. I feel slightly like I been trampled by a fuckin' 'orse as it is, an' ain' slept fer shit these las' couple days."
He finished his soup, and deposited his bowl with the others. He glanced to Jaela with a wink. "I'll be in my tent if'n any'un needs anything."
With that, he hobbled off toward the tent in question.
So this was how he was going to play it?
Jaela only tilted her head as he walked away before picking back up again with her story. It was only an explanation of how she managed to get locked up, to begin with so it was rather short.
When she finished Jaela stood up and walked over to the stack of bowls that had begun to pile up and discarded her own on top. "Aye Zamik!" Jaela had been demanding things of him all day, especially after she heard how he drug Itachi by his hair to the guards. It was her own form of personal torture for the member, a special Jaela esque way of getting him back.
"Think you could take care of these before you hit the sack?" She didn't even wait for him to respond before she cheekily smiled at him. "Thanks so much!"
From there Jaela skipped towards Itachi's tent, stopping just outside the front flap before plopping down in the dirt. She then laid back and made herself comfortable in the dirt before letting out an all too loud sigh to make her presence known.
"Guess I'll just sleep here then. Goodnight"
Itachi had entered the tent, spending a little bit of time rearranging the sacks and various boxes of supplies to make room for a second person in the cramped quarters. Generally, his tent was the largest out of all of the Craols, but this was less for his rather inflated ego, and more for practical purposes.
So. Many. Damned. Supplies.
Eventually, he thought there'd be enough room, and noted the haphazard pile of supplies toward the back. They'd still need a second tent, whether for her or just for their stuff.
Eventually, he gave up on trying to organize, and settled with making himself comfortable and simply resting. He removed his tunic, lying on his bedroll with his arms folded underneath his head. After a while, he thought he heard movement outside, and then definitely heard Jaela's voice just beyond the tent flap.
"Get'cher ass in 'ere, bird, an' get ou' o' th' cold." He grinned and lifted his head slightly.
"Come 'ere an' lemme warm ya up, eh? 'Sides, we got some talkin' ta do, anyway, yeah?"
At first, it was funny, the very thought of her laying in the dirt like this just to get him to invite her in. However, when he mentioned warming her up her eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed. Thank goodness it was dark enough that no one would notice.
Jaela lay there for another minute as she considered her options. She could continue to lay there and ultimately freeze to death or be whisked away by scorpions, or just get in the damn tent. Both equally as terrifying and for a second, Jaela thought maybe she would face the scorpions instead but eventually, she pushed herself up off the dirt.
Stepping into the tent Jaela then noticed how Itachi had actually set up it up so that two people could easily sleep inside. She was rather impressed with his organization despite the mound of supplies now pushing at the back of the structure.
As she moved to sit beside him Jaela tried her best to act as calm as possible, well as calm as Jaela could be that is....
All of it though fell apart the minute her elbow hit a waterskin sitting at the top of the pile and it fell forwards, and by her luck had managed to open and pour all over her. So now half of her body was soaked.
"I meant to do that" she laughed as she fell back, strands of wet hair clinging to her face.
Itachi eyed Jaela as she made her way within the tent, noting the small amount of trepidation she seemed to carry with her. He offered an easy smile, more than prepared for a simple night of easy company - she'd find he could be patient in all things. Most of his life was a waiting game, anyway.
He slid over just slightly to offer her a bit more room when she sat down, and it seemed as though this ended up being a good idea.
Just as soon as he'd moved, she brought a waterskin falling down on her. He brought a hand up to his mouth to cover his laughter.
"Ya sure 'bout tha', bird? I think ya took me offer ta warm ya up a bit too literally, yeah? Cuz now yer jus' makin' tha' job harder." He smiled and sat up, reaching over for his coat - currently devoid of all its weapons, it'd keep her quite warm.
"'Ere. No need fer ya ta freeze ta death on me, bird." He winked a bit as he handed it to her. "Go on, then."
"Thanks" she giggled as she slipped her arms into the sleeves of his jacket. It really would have been a long night combined with what she was already wearing and wet skin if he had not offered it. It wasn't like they just hauled around super thick blankets, too impractical.
Wrapping the coat even tighter around her Jaela pulled the collar of it up cover her mouth and nose leaving only her green eyes to stare at Itachi. This could actually be fun now that she thought of it. All he would have to go on was her eyes and nothing more. No facial expressions able to be seen behind the collar.
"So what's next? Where do we go from here?" Her question could be taken a multitude of ways. Either she was talking about where the Craol would go from here, or the two of them. This was already fun and Jaela would enjoy watching Itachi try to sort it all out.
Itachi watched her as she slid his oversized longcoat on, smiling a bit while also wondering if it swallowed him the same way it swallowed her. He didn't usually have access to a mirror, and he knew the modifications he'd made to it over the years had certainly made it bigger.
He arched a brow when she covered all but her eyes, thinking momentarily that she looked like she belonged up by Hyoite. She certainly seemed dressed for it. He chuckled a bit, and sat back.
"Wha's next?" Hmm. A double pronged question, it seemed. It took him only a moment to formulate an answer that would deal with both sides of her query.
"Well...usually when we pull a job like this 'un, we split up. All o' us'll take our share with us, plus a bit more ta deliver. There's a li'l village, ou' there onna Serha. Called Pickham Grove....looks like a reg'lar li'l frontier town, bu'....well, tha's where mos' of us call 'ome."
He laid back on the bedroll, hands folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.
"Now, this is where I gotta problem. I can't walk all tha' way wit' this foot o' mine by meself. I gotta 'ave some'un go wit' me."
He just glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Now, I wonder who would be in'trested in some free time wit' yours truly, away from all o' th' other boys for a week or so? Hmmm..." he brought a hand to his chin as if in thought, a small smile tugging his lips.
"You could sit on the cart." Jaela's tone not only muffled by the jacket but also hinted with a bit of sarcasm. It did sound nice to go to this little town of Pickham Grove, but Jaela knew she was already pushing her luck with how long she had been gone so far. But this didn't mean she didn't want to.
"I can't" Her eyes softened from the brim of the jacket, the remorse in her words evident.
"But..." Her eyes shifted. This was where she was torn. Jaela didn't know if it was a good idea to bring Itachi to the Citadel. She was still unsure of how Kaida would react to him because lately, she had been all over the place on an emotional scale. But then again Kaida did like smart people and Itachi was definitely one.
Opting for distraction instead Jaela laid down on the bedding and scooted a bit towards Itachi, blinking at him with large peridot eyes as her face was still covered by the neck of the jacket.
"I can't."
Itachi's face fell at those words, and for a moment, he couldn't come up with a response for her. Surely, she couldn't be expected to drop everything for the Craol. She had to have some kind of life, obviously. His men did, too, but...to them, the Craol were a job, of sorts. A paycheck.
Despite their notoriety, the Craol did what they had to do for the best of reasons. This was simply something that was kept very carefully hidden.
But then, she started to say something else, and those clear jade eyes of his darted to her as she settled down beside him. Automatically, he raised an arm to accommodate her, wrapping it around her and pulling her close.
Again, he dropped the accent. No games, here.
"But what, Jaela? If you've something else to do...by all means, do it. I won't stop you. Believe me, if could....I would, too."
He offered a small smile, and reached up with his free hand to tug down the collar of his coat, revealing her face to him.
"Just promise to me that I'll find you again."
When he pulled down the collar he would see Jaela's face was serious at his lack of accent. Something really was bothering her.
"I promise..." she whispered as she again scooted closer towards him if that were at all possible. Jaela then nuzzled her face into his neck, letting the warmth of his body radiated onto hers. By now she was quite happy he offered her the jacket or else she truly would be a popsicle laying there.
She could have fallen asleep like this, easily the warmth of being in someone's arms a feeling she would now forever want, well only Itachi's arms that is. It was something she had never experienced before. I mean Jaela had of course been with a man before, but never like this. This was something completely different, something far more personal than just killing time and blowing off steam.
Pulling her face from his neck she let her eyes meet his once more, staring deeply into them as she tried to muster the courage to tell him why she really couldn't go. "Tomorrow we will figure it out okay? Because I honestly don't want to leave."
After that she buried her face in his neck once more, savoring every moment of this that she could.
Itachi smiled at her, resting his head atop hers, silver and purple hair meshing together. "Of course. I'm sure we can figure something out..."
His hand lowered from the collar of the coat, fingers brushing aside the opening to rest on her waist, a warm pressure meant to reassure. His hand remained just there, as he held her to him.
As much as she wanted to do more, and push things further with Itachi, the warmth of him there with her relaxed her almost too much. So much in fact that she fell asleep just like that, in Itachi's arms while he rested a hand on her waist.
____________
Morning came too soon and Jaela's eyes fluttered open at the sound of birds chirping in the trees. Turning her head she could see that Itachi was still asleep and actually looked quite peaceful. She lay there for a few more minutes, just taking in the face of the man when things were not constantly weighing on his mind.
Eventually, though she would have to get up, and so she did. However, she kept his jacket on as she quietly slipped out of the tent. It was still chilly, the sun not yet warming the earth in its early state, so she was happy she decided to keep that jacket on. Yet another thing she would claim as hers if he let her.
The rest of the camp seemed pretty quiet, no doubt the member of Craol sleeping off their hangovers in tents of their own. So it was just Jaela, strolling through the camp towards the fire... except she stopped dead in her tracks.
"The places I find you in sometimes are quite appalling." The all too familiar voice breaking the silent crackle of what was left of the fire. It was Kaida, sitting there at a stump staring into the embers looking very... not happy.
"Well, you know me." Jaela giggled, trying to hurry and pull up the charade she kept around the young dragon.
"You're right Jaela I do know you. And I know that I gave you very clear instructions." By now Kaida had stood up and was standing there accusingly staring at her.
"Well you see Kaida there was this... uh... scorpion incident." Jaela then reached down to pull up the leggings beneath her skirt. Beneath it was the soft and still healing pink flesh the showed where the scorpion had gotten her.
"I don't care what kind of incident there was. If you were where you are supposed to be then that would have never happened! I swear you are the stupidest...." Kaida couldn't even bring herself to finish the statement. "Are you done playing now... can we just go?"
"But I love playing" Jaela's voice almost sounded like it belonged to a child.
"Then let's play get your shit and let's go. And where is your jacket!? Get that hellacious thing off and put on some proper clothing. You look like a fucking peasant!" Kaida was clearly beyond agitated at this point. "I can't associate myself with such a horrid looking creature! Come on, let's go. You can take a proper bath and scrub the grime off of you once you get back to the Citadel that YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING!"
Jaela was now speechless, not really knowing what else to do. She didn't want to leave, not like this.
There's something about Itachi that was perhaps the greatest ability that all thieves and bandits should like to have. One thing that had saved him countless times during his hard life, one thing that allowed him to be proud of the multitude of scars that littered his body.
Itachi was, and always had been, and always will be, a notoriously light sleeper.
So, when Jaela slid from his grasp with a subtle rustling of fabric, he'd awoken quite quickly, mind more than alert as he listened intently. He heard her exit the tent...
And then he heard the exchange outside. Less than three words in, and he already had his bowie knife in hand, typically his last resort weapon yet one he always kept in easy reach. Deciding not to make his presence known as of yet, he bided his time, noting the girls placement by the sound of her voice.
He was confident he could make the shot. If he could bury a throwing star in a flying dragons eye, he could certainly hit this angry sounding woman who sat less than twenty feet away. And if not, the little beauty in his hand, the knife of his father, would always give him a second chance.
When the other demanded Jaela return to this 'citadel,' that's when Itachi decided to make his presence known.
"She ain' goin' anywhere, ya hear me?"
He brushed aside the canvas flap of the tent, holding that knife in a white knuckled grip. He stepped out, wearing nothing but his pants and a dangerous gleam in his eye. Over his tanned skin, his scars appeared almost like an intricately crafted spiders web, his tapestry of flesh glowing in the early sunlight.
With a movement almost too fast for most people to see, he launched that knife with a force strong enough to pierce plate. It flew, spiraling end over end, direct past that the white haired girls ear, burying itself in a tree some feet behind her.
"Tha's yer only warning. Next toss goes in the back o' yer head, an' I guarantee ya I won' miss. Now, wha' in th' holiest o' fucks are ya doin' in me camp. I'll give ya abou'....ten seconds. Startin' abou' eight seconds ago."
The bandits voice was low, dangerous, and absolutely full of venom. Despite the fact that he carried no weapon anymore, he was more than ready to follow through with his threat.
He could feel the power of the knife, pulling on his will, ready to return to his hand and rend anything in its path back to it.
Itachi's voice broke the silence being exchanged between the two. His words making Jaela want to smile, but she knew she couldn't. If she did then Kaida would know what was really going on here.
Kaida on the other hand barely even reacted to Itachi's threat. Even as the weapon flew past her ear she didn't even flinch, let alone blink. In fact, at first, she didn't even acknowledge him as she looked on to the scene in front of her.
"Another play thing?" Kaida's crimson eyes were set on Jaela now, who was standing there still not able to say much. "Don't you ever get tired of these things? I mean seriously Jaela... when will enough be enough?"
"I wasn-" Jaela wasn't even able to finish before Kaida cut her off.
"I don't care." Her eyes then shifted to Itachi and Kaida shot him a devilish grin. "It's nice to know that you can count... honestly it's a skill most humans like yourself don't possess." She then mockingly clapped her hands before taking a step towards the two.
"So what did she do this time? Don't tell me she has convinced you that she is leading you on some amazing venture. Or what was it last time... oh yes! She is taking you all to the home of the 'butter witch' so that you may smight her and gain glory." These things, of course, being something Jaela has done in the past. The very mention of them even made Jaela giggle.
"Butter witches are real Kaida! One day you will see!" Jaela finally breaking her silence.
"I'm sure..." Kaida's tone showing she was less than amused. Her attention then turned to Itachi once more. "Listen, you can waste your time throwing things at me but I assure it is a waste of both our energies. I just need her back where she belongs." Kaida really was trying to be nice... she never succeeded at it very well though.
"I'm sure you are a great guy... I mean really. But Jaela has other obligations. She belongs to me you see, and right now I need her doing more... important things. So let's just pretend none of this every happened and we will be on our way... okay? Great!"
Kaida then turned around, motioning for Jaela to follow her.
"Wassat, woman?" He reached a hand up and cupped kt around his ear, as if he was hard of hearing. "I though' I 'eard ya insultin' me intelligence." He broke into a wide grin for a moment, before those jade eyes went narrow and furious.
"Big fucking mistake."
He eyes his knife, it's hilt still quivering slightly from its recent impact. He clenched his fist, feeling the magical tether within his psyche.
And then he pulled on it. As if thrown by a giant, it flew with even greater force, fueled now by the bandits sheer force of will - that said, the speed and force was rather substantial. The knife spun end over end through the air once again, toward Itachi's outstretched hand.
....just as Kaida turned around to walk away, putting her right in it's path.
What Kaida thought would be the end of the conversation quickly turned in another direction. The weapon running right through her stomach before returning to his hand. It caused her to pause, quite literally stopping the very motion of moving forwards as the clone grinned again.
Jaela, on the other hand, was at first growing nervous with each passing second, fearful that Itachi or Kaida would break out in a brawl at any second. So when it was exposed that it wasn't Kaida at all standing there but just a clone Jaela visually relaxed.
"Look Kaida! He's smart see!" Jaela then pointed at her own head to insinuate the question. "Just like me!"
Turning around Kaida at first looked at Jaela with a confused glare and then back at Itachi again. A light then flashed in her mind as she was struck with an idea.
"How about this instead then? Jaela clearly is quite fond of you, otherwise, she would have just DEFENDED me." Her eyes trailed to Jaela for a second as if she were insulted that it wasn't the case. "However, I was wrong about you.. umm... what was your name again?"
"Itachi!" Jaela chirped, jumping up and down with excitement. She knew where Kaida was going with this... she was sure of it.
"Right... Itachi. So Itachi how about we strike a deal instead? One that could perhaps work out for both of us?" The clone was visually much less 'aggressive' than before. It was like she was genuinely pleased with the compromise she had come up with. "Go to the Citadel with Jaela. Keep her company because gods know she needs it. Poor thing... never had much of an attention span." Jaela only giggled again at the mention of her name. Boy was she good at acting like a fool when Kaida was around.
"All I ask is that you aid her in protecting it from intruders. Oh, and that you don't destroy it." Her eyes again trailed to Jaela as she remembered the broken chandelier in the grand room. "In return, you will, of course, be paid graciously, have a lovely place to stay for a bit and of course... get to spend as much time as you desire with Jaela. What do you say?"
Upon its return to his hand, Itachi brought his arm back for yet another throw. A mere millisecond before the knife would have been flung from his fingers though, the other spoke. He held his attack, straightening again and looking between Jaela and this other woman.
This....Kaida.
"So...lemme get this straight, then. Ya wan' me ta...go wit' her..."
He blinked, slightly puzzled by the sudden change. Hadn't he just been trying to kill her?
"....sounds...wonderful, I suppose? Bu'....wha' abou' me men? Ya 'ave any idea wha's gonna 'appen aroun' 'ere wit'ou' me ta tell these louts wha' ta do?"
This was....something else. Apparently now he knew why Jaela couldn't have left with him, and yet here an answer presented itself. But he couldn't just up and leave his men behind....they, and Pickham itself, depended on him for it's very existence.
He thought for a moment, and came up with an answer to her compromise.
"Well....alrigh'. Bu' I go' one condition, like. I can' stay, no' forever. I go' other responsibilities, mind. Things....too personally importan' ta jus' ignore, y'know? It's either tha', or all o' th' Craol come wit' me. An' I mean all o' them."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "I can't jus' abandon them. They's me responsibility, like."
The young dragon weighed her options for a moment. This could work... it really could.
"Fine, you and a few come. The rest can go back to wherever they came from" Kaida was actually quite pleased with this arrangement. She was not only practically guaranteeing that Jaela would finally stay put, but now there were more eyes on her precious home than before. And this Itachi fellow didn't seem completely incompetent either. It may be nice having at least one level headed person there.
"Jaela... I am currently headed to Zantaric and won't be returning for a few weeks at best. I expect to see you and my Citadel in one piece when I return." Kaida's clone then turned to Itachi again. "It was.. umm... until next time." And then the clone combust, a cloud of ash and amber floating towards the ground.
The moment Kaida was gone Jaela's crazy switch turned off, as none of the Craol had even exited their tents yet she saw no need to hold up the charade for the time being. Jeez, they must be really hung over.
Looking at Itachi Jaela half smiled as she tried to gauge how he was feeling. "I really don't see anything wrong with this jacket. I mean.." Jaela paused to wrap the jacket tighter around her small frame. "... it really is quite warm."
When the woman burst into a cloud of smoky detritus, Itachi didn't even bat an eye. Truth be told, he'd seen weirder things in his time. But, as soon as she was gone, he turned to Jaela with a rather odd look.
"....well, it looks like you'll be going with me anyway...or, rather, the other way around, I suppose." He didn't even bother with the accent - his mind was going full tilt, racing as it tried to wrap around the last couple minutes.
"...and yeah. I like that coat. Even more than my tent. That's something that I think i need to hold on to. But....seriously. What the hell was that, Jaela? Kaida? Who is she?"
He looked back towards the spot the woman had occupied before she vanished. "....and just what am I getting myself into?"
Okay so maybe Itachi wasn't going to let up the coat so easily. It would be a conquest... just like the tent was.
"I told you I work for Kaida Black-Hearth. Well..." Jaela then motioned to the pile of ash on the ground. "Tada!" Maybe it wasn't as funny as she had hoped it would be but still, he had to at least give it to her for trying to lighten the mood.
"I am supposed to be guarding her family home which just so happens to have a lot of important stuff in it. I figured it was so high up that no one would show up, to be honest. I am guessing someone either did, or she checked in and saw I wasn't there." Jaela then started walking towards Itachi, closing the distance between them as she continued to explain.
"Kaida has a special... eye. She likes people with unique abilities. Like me!" Jaela then pointed to herself again and then back at Itachi. "Like you!"
"I don't even know her plan but she has always had a soft spot when it came to being unique. If she didn't think you were she would have never offered. Probably would have come and gotten me personally if I didn't leave. But honestly, she really isn't that bad." By now Jaela had closed the distance between them and placed a hand on his arm.
"It means a lot to me though that you were willing to fight for me." She then leaned in her lips just inches from his ear. "Did I mention that the Black-Hearth family is very well off?" Leaning back Jaela then looked into his eyes, clearly teasing him again. "Imagine having an entire Citadel to do whatever we wanted to in." Again Jaela lacing multiple meanings behind her words.
"But seriously, if you're going to come with me we will have to leave today. It's all the way in the Kilanthro mountains, quite a distance from here."
Itachi weighed his options for about two seconds.
On one hand, he could, rather stupidly, turn the offer down and let Jaela go her own way all the way to the Kilanthro Mountains, all alone with nothing, and possibly never see her again.
On the other hand, he could go with her, with basically a caravan full of supplies, and get paid to do basically nothing if he didn't want to, not to mention spend all the time in the world with her.
In the end, the answer seemed rather obvious.
He reached both hands toward her, grabbed the collar of his coat, and yanked her toward him to press a hot kiss against her lips, holding her there against him for several seconds.
When he finally broke contact, his eyes were smouldering, a playful glint more than apparent. "Been wanting to do that since last night. Guess I'll get the boys up." He grinned at her, pressing his forehead against hers.
And then he suddenly turned his head away so as not to render her ears useless.
"'EY CRAOL! TIME TA GET UP! ME AN' TH' SUN AN' TH' FUCKIN' PRINCESS 'ERSELF BEAT YA! NOW GETTUP AN' GET SOME FUCKIN' FOOD COOKIN', BREAK CAMP, AN' LET'S GET OUTTA 'ERE!!!"
He turned to Jaela with a huge grin. "Cuz we're goin' north. An' it better be a good Gods damned adventure, too, fer all th' fuckin' walkin' we'll be doin'."
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