A Treasure that was Never Yours (Ghosteh)

[wolfie]

Here again. He wasn't sure if he should have left the forest area for anything. He sighed wishing he hadn't decided to travel out and see what people were up to. Animals were much simpler in life. All one had to do was make sure they weren't around meal time when it came to animals, and that was kinda like the same thing for humans.

He was just down the road when he came to a couple who were sitting beside it. He wondered why they were sitting there and scratched his head.

"Excuse me, is there some reason you are there? Is that woman bothering you?" He said wondering who she was and what she was doing. For all he knew that could be their daughter or someone trying to harm them. He wasn't going to allow the latter if that was the truth of it.

"Who are you?" He asked keeping an eye on the woman.

[Ghosteh]

"Hey," Risl stomped her foot at the stranger "I'm not bothering them! i was trying to help them!" she said angrily shaking a finger at the stranger "That was very rude you know!" Risl huffed at the man "You should just go back home, or where your from, and remember to take you manners with you when you next leave, Ok?" she glared at him finally remembering he asked for her name, "Oh, I'm Risl, And who are you?" she said the last part in a rude way.

[wolfie]

"Oh good helping is always good. Manners?" He said having heard the word before. It hadn't sunk in when he was younger he doubted anyone could cure him now of not having manners. He sighed and shook his head.

"I'm from the forest area. My name is Hael," he said then turned back to the couple looking like he was waiting for an answer.

"We were robbed young man, couple of hooligans who took off down the road," the woman said sounding very sad. He had a feeling this wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded.

"Don't worry I'll punish them and get your stuff back did they head into the forest?" He said and the woman shook her head. He had just come from that way and hadn't seen anyone. He sighed realizing this just got complicated.

"Risl, do people often stomp their feet in greeting? Or shake their finger like that?" He knew that wasn't true, but it helped to play the dumb forest boy. Sometimes.

[Ghosteh]

Risl stared at him blankly for a couple of seconds "Um, no, i'm express my frustration and dissatisfaction with you!" Risl glared at him again but the turn to look down the road "So," she sighed "are we going to catch the thieves or not?" she turned back to face Hael "not like someone as clueless as you would be any help."

[wolfie]

He heard her and gave her a big grin one that showed innocence and maybe idiotism. He heard what she said not liking it one bit. It made his smile disappear and him sighing again. She wanted to go with him. Yay.

"You'd be surprised what I can do. I don't need to be civil to catch and punish some thieves. Yes, I have learned some things, but I'm sure there are many things I never caught like manners. My adopted mother was always horrified by my dinner etiquette," he said not sure how else to tell her she wasn't coming with him. He wanted to be nice about it, but the words needed just weren't forming.

"Thanks, but forget it. Ladies stay at home and sew things. I'll do my job no problem."

[Ghosteh]

"EXCUSE ME?!" Risl yelled a fiery feeling boiling inside of her "Stay at home and knit you say? I don't even know how to knit and, also, i don't have a home!" Risl clenched her fists "I have good skill in combat, I was professionally trained!" she paused to take a deep breath, " I'm a hunter! I will go with or without you!" she huffed and turned her back to him.

[wolfie]

Wow she got angry quick enough. He heard her words and sighed again. Why the world couldn't be easy he had no idea. He did know that animals had certain females that hunted. He figured she was like that. He wondered what she would think of next.

"Alright sounds like I don't have a choice. Did I say to knit? Besides neither of us have a home for you to 'stay at home'. You're a hunter? Okay so how many hunter and how far?" He said taxing her. Sometimes that was the best thing when it came to these situations. Besides he liked pushing her buttons.

[Ghosteh]

Risl turned back to face Hael, "If you ask that many questions at once i won't be able to answer them!" she sighed and started to rub her forehead This guy is so stressful! she thought to herself.

"Besides," she stopped rubbing her forehead and looked Hael straight in the eyes. "we don't have time to ask, or answer, any questions! we need to help these people!" she said waving her hand toward the couple.

[wolfie]

"I agree time is of the essence," he said and started walking toward the way the bandits had gone. Getting their things back was the top priority before the thieves sold or destroyed what they had taken. He had a feeling a cart was part of the things stolen.

"Are you coming? Besides can't you walk and talk?" He called over his shoulder.

[Ghosteh]

"O-Of course i'm coming, Geez!" she said angrily as she ran after him. as she came in next to him she slowed herself to match his speed. "Sooo," she said after a couple seconds of silence "Do you actually know where the thieves are? or are you just guessing?"

[wolfie]

He heard her catch up to him. She wasn't exactly the silent type either. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Not one for being observant are you? The woman told us this way. They are a farmer and his wife so I'm betting on a cart full of things to trade. It would have been loaded down to bear which leaves ruts in the road. The ruts are going this way. Tell me when I might be wrong in this," he said as he walked.

[Ghosteh]

"Well, I'm sorry that observation isn't one of my greatest skills!" she grumbled under her breath and looked in the opposite direction of Hael.

After a couple seconds she turned her attention back to him, "Well I'm just glad that i'm not as blunt a person as you, Mr-whatever-your-name-is." she said glaring at him again.

[wolfie]

"Ah yes my name. I knew I forgot something I'd say my manners but we already know I forgot those. As I said before I'm Hael. As for blunt I like keeping things short and sweet," he said knowing that sooner or later someone was going to ask him what Hael stood for. He just hoped it wasn't today.

"I can't say much for your skills haven't seen them yet. I do tracking very well mostly animals though."

[Ghosteh]

"Well, Hael, i'm one of the best archers you are ever going to meet!" Risl said in a very prideful way, with a rather smug look on her face. "I also so can wield a short sword but i'm better at archery." she added just cause.

"So, Hael, how did you end up living the woods?" Risl questioned as she like to listen to the interesting stories of others.

[wolfie]

Hael wanted to groan. She just kept talking lucky for him though he was able to keep listening not only to her but the surrounding area as well. He didn't want an ambush even if it was one of his animal friends.

"I'll take your word on that. I haven't ever met an archer so you'll be my first," he said wondering what was next. He had a feeling he shouldn't even ask knowing it might be worse. There it came the worse part. She wanted to know his background.

"My mother was killed while I was away at school. Since I had no home I went to the forest to live nobody wanted me around any ways or I wouldn't have been sent away. Easy enough story sorry if it's not too long. What about you? How did you become the best archer ever?"

[Ghosteh]

"Eh, me?"she said slightly surprised, "Well, my parents got eaten by wild beasts and i escaped into the woods the confusion, I then wandered around for awhile until i was found by a wandering knight. He adopted me and taught me how to use a bow and also how to fight with a short sword. and after several years of training i set out on my own to explore the world and help people."

[wolfie]

"The knight just let you leave? He wasn't grooming you for anything?" He said surprised. When he was younger he was being groomed to be his brother's practice dummy. He was also being groomed to be his brother's servant. If it weren't for the training sessions though he wouldn't know how to handle a sword in the first place. Not that he used those skills often.

Hael heard the noise around him. He could tell where the birds were an wasn't worried when one sounded close. They weren't close to the cart yet, but they were closing in.

"Any ideas on how to capture them once we do reach them? We should take them in the next day or two if they stop for the night."

[Ghosteh]

"Well he didn't really let me leave i kinda just wrote a note to him, put it on the table and left." she said with a guilty sigh.

"for capture... i have no idea, honest i never have plans i just do what feels right." she said in a slightly embarrassed  voice.

[wolfie]

Hael knew how that was. He had practically done the same thing. The Lord and his son had been hunting when he left. Nobody really said anything. Nobody had been on his trail either to find out where he'd gone and why. It was that important to them just like he wasn't.

"What were you being groomed for?" He asked knowing it was a bit of a personal question. He would understand if she didn't want to talk about that. He also thought it might get her worked up again.

"I've seen animals caught in traps. Perhaps we could get ahead of the cart and rig some sort of trap for them?"

[Ghosteh]

Risl shrugged "Truth is i can't really remember what i was being groomed for, i think it had something to do with being a guard of something or maybe a personal servant of some noble. I didn't really care to remember, either, i was just doing this until i got the skills i required to survive on my own." she said in a slightly nostalgic tone.

"Sounds like a plan to me!"she enthusiastically chirped, happily changing the subject away from her past.