Wrong Place, Wrong Time? I Think So. (Lion!)

[Anonymous]

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.

[Lion]

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.

[Anonymous]

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?"

[Lion]

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."

[Anonymous]

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."

[Lion]

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."

[Anonymous]

"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?"

[Lion]

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."

[Anonymous]

"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."

[Lion]

"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.

[Anonymous]

"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)

[Lion]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Lion]

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 ._.]

[Anonymous]

"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."

[Lion]

"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.

[Anonymous]

"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.

[Lion]

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< ]

[Anonymous]

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.

[Lion]

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..."