Something like home (Highway!)

[Zero]

The sky was lanced with pink and purple as the sun lazily began to sink below the horizon. There were only a few wispy clouds and the smoke rising from chimneys of nearby Arca. It was one of Nisha's favorite times of day. Uniquly beautiful. It was also one of her least favorite times of day. It hearlded the coming of night. Night was a dangerous, lonely time. With a shudder she also reminded herself that it was a very cold time.

Turning away from the sunset she moved back through the ruined farmhouse. A fire had gutted it months before and little remained. The property had been mostly abandoned, the house certainly had, at the very least. Most of the small house was now open to the sky, but a smallish room with a hearth remained mostly intact. With some effort she had managed to get a small fire going and had even managed to sift through the piles of rubble to find a few things.

A kettle was bubbling with a meager meal. A couple carrots and a potato that a local farmer's wife had given her out of pity. There was also a partial loaf of bread. To her it seemed a feast. She'd found a simple, ill-fitting dress with slight singeing around the hem among the rubble of the house, it was of plain grey wool, but it was better than nothing. A couple blankets piled on the floor was the make-shift bed.

Her long, black hair was twisted up in a bun on top her head. A few coughing fits interrupted a string of soft humming as she stirred the pot. Despite how poor her situation might seem to someone on the outside, Nisha found herself in a rather bright mood. This was almost something like normalcy. A very poor normalcy, but it was better than sleeping under a bush with nothing but cold water for supper.

OOC: I hope this is okay. x.x

[TheHighwayman]

Kyt, on the other hand, was not in a good mood. He was largely lost, convinced that he was on a fool's errand, and hungry. The young man sighed, shifting his feet and wishing for the comfortable sense of direction that a road gave him. Out here, he could hardly tell one thing's life force from another's (plants were largely all the same, and animals weren't exactly good landmarks), and it was a simple matter of turning a bit too far or losing track of his steps before he'd get completely turned around. He'd heard rumors of someone who'd decided to take up residence in one of the abandoned farmhouses just a ways out of the city and had decided to help, but he'd underestimated just how difficult it was to find something like that when one couldn't see. Now it appeared he'd be spending another cold night in the open, and while it probably wouldn't kill him, he could already feel his teeth chattering.

Kyt brushed those thoughts aside. He'd come to do something, and gripes and regrets wouldn't make any difference. The young man tightened the tattered cloak about his narrow frame, adjusted the fit of the sash across his eyes, and trudged onwards. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do, and for all he knew whoever was there might very well kill him and take the handful of coins he had, but this place was no proper shelter. Someone had to do something to help.

The young healer soon heard a cough just off to the right, and shortly thereafter he found himself cautiously approaching the small camp. "Hello there," he called out- uttering a light cough of his own. He lifted the sash across his eyes for a moment, revealing his blindness, and asked, "Is there room for two around your fire?"

[Zero]

With her spirits so high, Nisha had let her guard down. Something as simple as cooking a hot meal had let her forget, however briefly, that she was alone and vulnerable here. Gavin was not there to protect her. Not from large predators, bandits, or other unsavory people. At first she did not hear the approaching footsteps. By the time she did, they were so close there would be nowhere to run or to hide. Immediately she cowered down and froze, eyes wide. They couldn't miss the fire. There was no chance of them simply going by without noticing her presence.

A moment later she heard the young man's voice calling to her. Sense would tell her to be wary, even as she let her eyes rest on him, took in his sightless eyes. It could be a trap. Then again, what would bandits really want with her? She had absolutely nothing for them to take anyway. Caution told her to send him away, or ignore him. He wouldn't be able to see her. That was quickly dismissed. How could she turn him away? The poor guy, couldn't see, out here in this abandoned old house. Was he lost?

Her initial fear was forgotten. Rising from her cowering position she cleared her throat softly and took a step towards him. At first she wasn't really sure what she should do, the rubble might trip him up, should she offer him her hand? Her voice was soft and timid, but welcoming. "H-hello, Sir. Are you lost? Please, let me help you get settled by the fire. You'll catch a cold out here like this."

[TheHighwayman]

Kyt gave a faint smile, shaking his head. "I can seat myself well enough. Don't trouble yourself." Drawing closer, careful not to startle the girl, he sat down. He remained silent for a moment, just enjoying the respite the fire gave him, but then he figured he had to give her some form of answer. "As for being lost... well, that depends on how you look at it. While I doubt I could easily find my way back to the road, I am not exactly wandering aimlessly out here." Kyt held his hands out towards the flame and took a deep breath- he still hadn't managed to figure out exactly how he was supposed to be of any assistance. Not only that, but it would seem he was the one in need of help here.

"My name is Kyt," he said, figuring that was as good a place to start as any. "I'm a healer of sorts, and I'd heard that someone had taken refuge out here... so I decided to see if they were in need of any help." The young man shifted a bit, trying to keep his stomach from protesting at the smell of hot food. He'd come to help, not to steal her dinner! He still had a bit of stale bread from that morning, and he pulled it from his cloak. He broke it in half and offered the second piece to Nisha. "It... hasn't exactly gone as planned."

[Zero]

Nisha frowned softly when he declined her offer to help him get seated, but didn't argue. She watched him sit, tilting her head to the side, simply observing him curiously for several moments. When he began to talk she settled back down, folding her legs under herself as she analyzed what he'd just said to her. All in all she found him quite curious indeed. If she had been blind she certainly wouldn't have been wandering around by herself. Even able to see she would rather not have been wandering by herself!

Idly she mused that her brother would have found him extremely suspicious. Especially when he continued to speak and said he'd come actually looking for her. Sort of. She frowned at the offered piece of bread. The expression was more confused than anything, not that he would be able to see it. There were a dozen questions going through her mind, but she couldn't ask them all at once. Would it be rude to refuse to accept food from him? He didn't look all that well-fed himself.

"I'm Nisha...You said you came out here to offer help? I...not to sound rude, but...why?"

[TheHighwayman]

Kyt observed the changes in her spirit as she thought about what she said, and he supposed she took it rather well. "Because this isn't exactly the safest place, and it certainly isn't good for one's health. Besides, I know full well what it's like to be left outside in the cold, and I'd rather not have to see others put through it." He stopped then, his mouth full. His other hand still held the small bit of food out towards her. "And I know what you're thinking about the bread- consider it payment for using your fire."

Kyt slipped the last bits of his half back into his cloak, figuring he might need it later, and took hold of his walking stick. He absentmindedly began to drum on the ground as he spoke. Tap, tap, tap, pause, tap, tap, tap. He spoke slowly and methodically, careful of the words he chose. "Besides, do I really need a reason to lend my assistance where I can? I'm a healer, it's what I do, and if I shirk that duty there's not much reason for my existence, now is there?" A small smirk followed this last bit. The smirk was soon replaced by shivering, however, and the young man crept as close as he could to the fire without burning himself. As much as he tried to sound dignified, he made a somewhat pitiful figure sitting there hunched over with his cloak clinging to his slightly emaciated form.

[Zero]

Nisha could think of about a hundred different things to say to that. To her, Kyt still wasn't making much sense. He did not know her, there was no real reason for him to care what condition she was living in. Then again, she had to remind herself that she also cared about people she didn't even know. Some people just hated to see others suffer. That made her feel a lot better, actually. If he was compassionate and empathetic, then surely he was at least somewhat trustworthy. At the very least she did not feel at all threatened by his presence.

With a sigh she took the offered bread. Only because she didn't think he was going to take no for an answer. It didn't seem right to take it, though. There was no need to pay her for using the fire. Truthfully, it was just kind of nice not to be completely alone out here. As he tapped the ground with his stick and spoke she tentatively nibbled on the bread. It was stale, but it didn't really matter. She always ate what she could get without complaint. Beggers couldn't be choosers, after all.

"I suppose I should thank you for your concern. Not a lot of people care about strangers. I still don't understand why you would think to come out here and offer help to a stranger you knew nothing about, though." Her grey eyes watched him shiver and scoot closer to the fire. She stood up and went to her "bed" and brought back a woolen blanket. "What if I had been some kind of criminal? You could have put yourself in danger. Or what if you really had gotten lost?" A momentary pause. "I'm going to touch you, just so you aren't surprised."

Carefully she draped the blanket around his shoulders. "There, that should help you a little. Hot food will too. Hold on." She put the piece of bread with the small bit she had been given by the woman earlier, then picked up an old bowl and spoon that she'd found. There were a couple chips and cracks around the edge of the bowl, but she had cleaned them up and they would do. She put one of the carrots and about half of the potato chunks into it. "I really wish I had something better to offer you to eat. I love to cook, but there's just...not much to cook with."

[TheHighwayman]

Another smile crossed Kyt's face, and he seemed somewhat amused by her concerned questions. "I'm blind," he said with a light, somewhat raspy chuckle, "but not exactly helpless. Had you been a threat, I'd have known before making myself known." The young man paused after that, still trying to think of how exactly he could do anything for the woman. He frowned and scratched at his chin, and barely even noticed she had said anything until he felt the heavier blanket across his shoulders. "Thank you." He muttered.

As she mentioned the food, Kyt's stomach let out a growl. "It's quite alright- I shouldn't really take any of it anyway, as I expect you have little enough for yourself." The healer fought a momentary war between his mind and his stomach before his stomach won out, and he took the bowl with a grateful nod. "Now, clearly I didn't end up hopelessly lost, and you are hardly a merciless killer, so it wasn't a horrible plan after all."

Kyt didn't tear into the food as quickly as one would expect based on how starved he appeared. Instead, he ate slowly, taking the time to savor the feeling of having food that was actually hot. He stopped in between bites to add, "Well, I suppose I didn't think far enough ahead to actually figure out what I could really do for you, but at least it hasn't ended in disaster." Kyt stared- sort of- absentmindedly into his stew for several seconds. Shortly thereafter, he let his breath out in a hiss, muttering, "Well, now I feel stupid."

With that he stood up-bowl still in hand- halted to decide how he was going to phrase this, and smiled. "I know at least one way I can help, but I need you to trust me. I need you to take my hand for a moment." Kyt somewhat hesistantly set his walking stick aside to free his right hand and held it out to Nisha. He was fully aware it was an odd request, but it was about the only assistance he could give, so either he could try or he'd come all the way out there just to eat her dinner. The expression on his face- though without his eyes to go by it was rather difficult to read- seemed earnest enough, and for once the young man seemed somewhat excited- an oddity for the usually tranquil man.

[Zero]

Nisha tilted her head when he explained that he would have known if she were a threat before making himself known. How would he have known? Her curiosity about him grew. She tended to keep her interaction with strangers as brief and superficial as possible. Not that she didn't want to be around people, just that she had been warned constantly not to trust people she didn't know or that Gavin didn't approve of first.

When Kyt protested taking food from her, she wound herself up to argue with him over it. He was obviously cold and hungry and no matter how little food she might have had for herself, she wasn't going to have him going hungry when she had even a scrap of food available. Nisha would have gone without first. It was an unnecessary tension, she smiled happily as he took the bowl, despite his initial objection.

"That makes no sense, you know. There was still no way for you to know it wasn't a horrible plan." She thought about getting a bowl for herself, but even though she was painfully malnourished she didn't find she had all that much of an appetite right now. She was more interested in her strange companion than food.

Grey eyes watched him stand and offer his hand to her, there were a torrent of emotions running through her: confusion, nervousness, but most of all curiosity. Standing slowly she extended her hand hesitantly. The fingers that grasped his were thin, delicate, and frosty cold. Nisha was always cold. "What are you going to do?"

[TheHighwayman]

"I'm a mage, and I should be able to do something about the cold... at least for you, anyway." With that Kyt took a deep breath and turned his attention to the magic. Just a little bit of his strength, that's all it would take. Kyt felt his spirit stirring within his blood, as well as the life-force of the girl. Slowly he began to transfer his own into her, bit by bit. Soon he had created a thin wall of power just beneath her skin. The wall should keep her warm enough, he thought, albeit it was far from perfect. She would still be able to feel the cold air, but it would be as if under a heavy jacket- awareness without the true discomfort.

When his work was done, Kyt's grip on her hand more slipped then released, and he sagged back a bit. Even light use of the magic always left him tired, and he himself could feel the cold more acutely. Determined not to give her any more reason to be concerned, he sank back to his seat and refused to show any signs of his weakness. "Well? Did it work?" he asked, holding the bowl to his lips. The young man was fairly successful in hiding his own state- or at least the worsening of it, but the resolute set of his jaw would indicate to Nisha that he was fighting something.

[Zero]

Nisha still didn't fully understand why Kyt wanted to help her at all. Even so, she continued to grasp his hand, a shiver ran through her as his life energy passed into her. Magic was so strange, with the proper ability a person could do just about anything with it. She found herself in awe of mages and the power they held. To think that he was using some kind of magic on her was somewhat frightening. He said it was to help with the cold? It was a strange sensation, hard to truly define at first.

She let his hand slip from her grasp, holding her hand up to study it intently. As if maybe she could understand it better somehow just by looking at her hand. She flexed her fingers as he asked if it worked. The joints were still cold and stiff in her knuckles, but there was something strangely different about the cold at the same time. "I'm not sure. It feels strange. I can feel the cold, but it's different."

Frowning she turned her concerned grey eyes on him once again. Her eyes traveled over him, studying his posture, expression, every detail she could. Sighing softly she dropped down beside him, sitting close, but not touching him. "You should finish your dinner. I have more blankets, I can make up a kind of bed and pillow for you. Hopefully you'll be warm enough. I wish I could offer you more comfort than that."

[TheHighwayman]

The young man nodded and resumed eating, his conscience satisfied that he'd provided enough in return. His gift told him of her confusion, and as he quietly consumed the soup bit by bit he tried to think of a way he could both dissuade her from any guilt over his own condition and to explain. He'd never been very good at expressing his own thoughts despite his empathetic ability. He did manage to find a phrasing that might make some sense to the girl, and he held a mouthful of the broth in his mouth pensively while he considered if it was really accurate. Swallowing, he looked back at Nisha and began, "I understand your difficulty in comprehending my motivations. This isn't exactly the kind of world where one can expect a stranger's aid. I came because the difficulty for my body of yet another night out in the open is a good deal less than the difficulty for my soul would be if I were to consign another to the same without trying to lend aid. Think of it in terms of practicality, if you must."

Kyt continued on with a small smile on his lips. "Besides, I was born with both a curse and a gift. If I had wanted to squander that gift or to use it for personal gain, I'd hardly be a man of healing, now would I?" He drained the last of his bowl in one long gulp before handing it back. "So don't worry about what you can do for me- I was the one who decided to come, not you. And the bedding would be greatly appreciated." It was at times like these that Kyt wished his gift had included a stronger build- it wasn't easy to feign toughness when one looked half as gaunt as the dead. Still, he'd handled far worse nights before, and this would be nothing new.

[Zero]

It wasn't his explanations that were truly lacking. Nisha simply had a hard time grasping the concept that someone, anyone, would want to help her. Except Gavin, of course. He was her brother and had taken care of her for as long as she could remember. Until recently, that was. To coop with the abandonment she had convinced herself that something horrible must have happened to him. That was the only reason he would not come back. Deep down she didn't believe it though. She had been a burden and he had relieved himself of it. Those thoughts were quickly squashed. Her brother would never do such a thing. He loved her. There was a perfectly reasonable explanation for his absence.

"I guess I understand. What if you'd come all the way out here and I didn't need any help? Or hadn't wanted it?" She didn't like the idea of begging others for help. Nisha hated feeling so hopeless and helpless. What was the point when she couldn't take care of herself? It hurt to think about, but she knew that for her entire life she had been, and always would be, completely dependant on the kindness, generosity, and care of someone else.

Putting all those thoughts aside she got up and gathered up all the blankets she'd collected. There weren't a great deal of them, but enough to make Kyt comfortable and warm she hoped. Busying herself with making him a bed, she let herself hum softly again. She tried not to feel bad about accepting help from a man that seemed like he didn't have a lot of himself to exactly spare. Two blankets were folded into a long narrow cushion and a third was rolled into a makeshift pillow.

"There, that'll have to do. Along with the blanket you've got already there's one more you can use to cover up with. I made it up close enough to the fire to hopefully keep you warmer without being dangerously close." She tilted her head and tapped her chin thoughtfully. In the morning it would be excellent if she could offer him breakfast before he left. Well, she would think of something better than cold, crusty bread.

[TheHighwayman]

By this point Kyt's mind had been made up- he'd thought of one more way he could help the woman, but he hadn't been entirely certain before. Now the only question was how to do it without Nisha protesting and refusing. He remained silent, observing her while she gathered the blankets. As soon as he could tell her back was turned, he slipped a small coin purse out of his cloak- largely empty, but it had enough coin to buy a decent meal or a night or two at a cheap inn- and slipped it underneath the first of the blankets she'd laid down. It was close, but his hands were empty and away from the blanket just a split second before she next turned back.

The healer took the time to compose himself and remove the satisfied smirk from his face before turning to answer her question. "Well, you didn't really need my help as it is, it just happens to be useful. If that weren't the case, I'd probably have turned back and that would be that." Kyt offered a shrug and a small smile with the simple explanation. "But as it is, I'd like to think I've done something worth a few chills."

Kyt had felt the short torrent of emotions that had passed through the woman, and he almost cursed himself for it- as useful as his gift could be, it also had the drawback of not exactly being good for respecting the privacy of others. He shook his head and attempted to forget what he "saw" and turned his attention towards Nisha's offer of more blankets. "No, no, that won't be needed. You'll need some for yourself, after all."

Kyt toyed for a moment with the idea of trying to get to sleep there and then, but he decided he rather enjoyed the company. "Do you mind if I ask you something of yourself? Have you seen much of the world?" The curiosity in his voice made it clear that it was a genuine question, and not simply to make conversation.

[Zero]

Kyt was right about the coins. Nisha would never have accepted them. It was bad enough that she'd let a poor blind man use up some of his energy to put some kind of spell on her. At least, she considered it a spell, it was the simplest way to try to describe it. Still, by the time she had turned back to finish her work on his bed, the coins were out of sight and for the moment, she was blissfully unaware of their existance as she finished making up his bed.

She liked listening to him. It felt good just to hear someone talking. Out here the nights were loney and quiet, with no one to talk to. With a smile she shook her head at his comment of turning back if she'd not have needed or been open to help. Well, he didn't really know her, but she would have insisted he stay regardless. It was late and cold, going back could have waited until morning, at least. "Well, I'm glad you did come, not for whatever it was you did, just for the company. It's nice not to be totally alone for a change."

Wrapping the last blanket around her, the one he had refused, Nisha settled back down to watch the fire. She did not talk about blankets for herself, she didn't want him to know she hadn't really left any for herself. Nisha did not sleep much, and they would provide her little comfort. Besides, once he had gone to bed she would simply slip away to find something that could be used for breakfast.

"Oh." She hadn't really expected to be asked questions about herself. She didn't think she was particularly interesting. "I don't guess I really have. Even when I go places, I sometimes don't really see them, if that makes any sense at all. Have you seen a lot of the world?"

[TheHighwayman]

Kyt smiled at the somewhat poor choice of words. "Well, I can't exactly travel very far given my circumstances- I know the roads around Arca like most people know their own homes, but beyond that I'd run into difficulties."  Once again he began tapping his walking stick on the ground. "I often wish I could, but that would require I find a travelling companion to burden." The young healer could tell she was hiding something, but he decided not to press the issue. "Though I suppose I've ...seen... things very few others ever will, so it's a fair enough trade."

Shivering again and realizing if he tried getting any closer to the flames he'd probably light the hem of his cloak on fire, Kyt crept over the the small bed of blankets. He set his walking stick down beside him and untied his blindfold, leaving that on top of the staff. He lay perfectly still, for once actually rather warm, and for all intents and purposes would have appeared asleep were it not for the two bright gray eyes still looking towards Nisha. "You know, it's odd. One would think I'd mind being blind, but aside from being unable to travel it doesn't bother me much. I guess sight is one of many things you can't miss unless you've had it.

[Zero]

Nisha really hadn't thought about his blindness when she'd asked the question. He seemed to get around so well without sight that she'd nearly forgotten he was blind. Embarrassment welled up in her as he spoke, and something else. It wasn't pity, something much more close to empathy. She knew very well what it was to have a handicap. Even walking slowly for too long could leave her winded and exhausted. It wasn't the same as his disability, but it was still a physical weakness. His comment of having seen things few others ever had did make her curious though. How did he seem to get around so well?

As he lay down, Nisha curled up in her blanket nearby, watching him with interest. Interesting was probably the best word she could use to describe him. His company was a welcome respite from being left alone with her own thoughts. What would it be like to have never seen a sunrise, she wondered. "I'm sorry that I...I mean, well, it was cruel of me to say that. I didn't think about you not actually being able to see things."

At the risk of sounding rude she continued. "Have you really never seen anything your whole life? Not even colors?"

[TheHighwayman]

"I've been blind since birth- or at least as long as I can remember. And I can remember further back than most," the young man replied. "And there's no reason to dance around the issue of my blindness," he added. "It's just a fact of life. So no, I've never seen colors. Though I was given something in return for my sight." Kyt's eyes gleamed in the darkness as he spoke, and most would find the sight just a little unnerving. "You see, I have a sort of sixth sense. I can... I'm not sure how to best describe this, but I can detect the spirit, soul, life-force or whatever you wish to call it of others. It permeates my other senses- I can feel them in the air, I can hear them beneath the ruckus caused by the physical world. Sometimes I even smell something that I think might be a part of it. "

Kyt paused then. This was the part that he would have preferred to hold back- it tended to drive people away, to an extent, and he didn't wish to do so to Nisha. Still, she had a right to know, and dishonesty had never been his policy. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "It tells me something of what others are thinking, of their natures, their emotions.  I can't read minds, exactly, but I can tell if someone is hostile or friendly, lonely or comfortable, joyful or furious- you get the idea. It's how I knew you were safe to approach, for instance." Kyt found he was almost holding his breath, waiting for her reaction.

[Zero]

Nisha's face flushed a little more than usual. She had been trying to politely skirt around the issue of his blindness. Then again, he seemed to fully accept that it was just part of who he was. Idly she couldn't stop herself from wondering if she would have handled it so well in his place. Considering her own problems she supposed she would have dealt with blindness about as well as she did with everything else life had thrown at her. If nothing else, she could say she was too stubborn to die, even when they said she shouldn't have lasted this long in life.

Now this sixth sense he was telling her about, that was very, very interesting. What would it be like to feel a soul? To understand the intent behind a thought? It gave her chills, to think that he had been experiencing all these things about her this whole time and she hadn't even known. How would she have cooped with being able to "see" emotions? It would be an awful burden, she decided. "That sounds...um. Like a blessing and a curse. I can see how being able to sense good or bad intentions would be...useful. Still, to see the hearts of others. To know what they are feeling..."

She shuddered slightly, her own curiosity would not let her to leave the question unasked. "So...what have you "seen" about me since you've been here?"

[TheHighwayman]

So far so good. She'd not recoiled immediately, at the very least. Kyt composed his thoughts carefully. "A good deal of curiosity, for one," he began. "Understandable enough. I've also seen well enough that you're a kind young woman- though I'd hardly need magic to do that- perhaps a bit more concerned with my own health and not worried enough about your own..." Kyt trailed off, not wanting to bring the next observation up. "And you've experienced some significant sadness, something that has left you doubting yourself." Kyt regretted his decision to say it almost immediately- as comfortable as he was with his own state of being, he sometimes underestimated the effects the truth could have on others. "But whatever you've lived through, you're certainly a gentle soul who I'm glad I had the pleasure of meeting."

Kyt shifted in his blankets, feeling a little awkward. Then he thought of a way to shift the conversation away from his gift. "So... what do you think of myself, I wonder?" That was one of the few things his gift couldn't tell him- aside from the general curiosity she'd shown so far, her opinion of him was largely a mystery.