Spirits of the Earth

Read First:  Dark Currents I: At the Mouth of Secrets  (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=20223.new#new)

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The current was swift and cold, growing colder as he struggled to the surface for air. He couldn't tell if it felt colder because of the blood loss or if he was being swept upstream somehow. Dimly he thought that hands were carrying him along, taking him up streams and rivers instead of out to sea.

The time that passed was agonizing, as his body hit rocks and logs, and he struggled to catch his breath. The little bit of nymph magic from his ancestry was all he credited to his survival. Eventually his body washed into a great lake in Ravensway (though he did not know he had traveled so far), where the water slowed enough for him to swim himself to the shore. Spluttering and shivering, he clawed his way out of the water and through the rocky and muddy shore, his black hair plastered against his face. He just barely made it to a clump of grass, collapsing into it with his hands gripped to the pulsating wound in his side before passing out, a fog descending upon his surroundings.

Fog. So much gods-damned fog.

Glowering and grumbling to herself, Maka picked her way along the shore of the lake, eyes peering into the gloom as she worked desperately to keep her footing on slippery rocks and mud. "Stupid lake," she muttered, feeling damp and chilled. "Stupid mud. Stupid fog."

She was so intent upon her own misery that she almost tripped over the body sprawled out along the shore before she saw it, hidden in the fog. Yelping and cursing, she managed to stop before she stepped on the man- she could make out that he was a man now- but lost her footing and nearly landed on her butt in the mud.

Swearing colorfully, Maka caught her balance and glowered down at the dark shape. "Oi! What the hell? If you're gonna get black-out drunk, at least have the decency to do it-"

Her voice choked off as a scent somehow managed to reach her nose through the fog. Blood. Her eyes narrowed and she took a closer look at the man, saw the dark pool spreading from his side, the barely-there rise and fall of his chest.

He was hurt. Shit. Muttering a few more curses, she knelt and reached her hand out to touch his shoulder. "Hey, uh, sir. Can you hear me?" He wasn't dead, that was certain, but he was pretty damn close. Gods, what was she supposed to do?

Grian dimly heard the voice calling out to him, his eyelids heavy. He felt cold, too cold to bear. The cold air hurt his lungs, so accustomed to the warm coastal breezes, but he couldn't feel the wound in his side even though he knew he should. This was not the first time he'd been stabbed, but it was the first time he had not been tended to quickly. As the heir of Rivers Ward, his safety was the priority of his men when he led them into battles and skirmishes. It was his leadership that had led them to countless victories... Where were his men now?

His eyes squeezed shut more tightly against the dim light of dawn. He had been laying here all night, and was surprised he still lived. Despite his dim awareness of his surroundings, when his eyes painfully opened he couldn't make out anything of the young woman kneeling over him other than her dark hair. Perhaps it was one of his sisters? His voice was paper-thin, "Elina? Elora?" The effort caused a spasm in his side, bringing on a harsh, gritty cough which produced droplets of blood across his blue lips. He gulped in air like a drowning man, clutching his side as the coughs encouraged a new welling of blood to come up through his wound. His consciousness, if one could call it that at all, was short lived as his dark blue eyes rolled back in his head. Shallow, labored breaths barely made it past his lips as he lost consciousness once again.

Who? Great, he was delirious, he must be mistaking her for someone else. "No, I'm not- Listen, you need help-"

And he was unconscious again. Damnit. Her eyes skated over him. Other than the wound to his side, he didn't appear to have any serious injuries. She'd have to take care of that first then. Ripping a strip of fabric off the hem or her tunic, she pushed his shirt up so she could properly see the wound, trying  to be gentle and work quickly at the same time.

She winced. Stabbed. That had to hurt like a sunovabitch. Maka wasn't a healer by any stretch, but she knew enough first aid to be able to stop his bleeding at least. She wrapped her makeshift bandage around his torso and tied it as tight as was probably safe, putting her hand against the cut and leaning to apply pressure.

"Oi, mister. Come on, stay awake. Open your eyes." She reached for the flask at her hip with one hand and flicked the catch on the lid, tilting it to dribble a few drops of water on his lips, hoping he might swallow some instinctively.

A rather pathetic sounding moan escaped his lips as the pressure applied to his side woke him again. He swallowed hard as the water passed his lips, coughing again. If he hadn't been raised to not curse around women, he would have been slinging the foulest sounding language he could muster. He opened his eyes, squinting in pain as he hissed in pain, shivering in his wet, cold clothes. Groaning, he looked down at his side, seeing the blood soaked through his undershirt.

For the first time he focused on the woman at his side, unsure of what to make of her. She looked uncertain, an unfortunate passerby. Well, unfortunate for her. Fortunate for himself to have a kind enough stranger willing to help a man in need. He really didn't have any way to help himself... He could barely stay conscious. "Who...? Where...?" The questions were hard to get past his dry throat, though her water had helped. How was it his throat was still dry, when he must have swallowed nearly half the lakes and rivers on his way here?

Oh thank gods, he was conscious. Well, mostly.

"Here." Maka slipped one arm around his shoulders to help him sit up, offering the flask again. "Drink, you probably need it."

"My name is Makani," she said softly, not wanting to overload him with information in his current state. "I'm gonna help you, okay? Try not to move too much." She returned her attention to his wound, ripping off another strip of fabric from her tunic and using it to pad the bandaging. The bleeding was slowing at least, so that was a good sign.

His forearm shook as he used it to keep himself propped up, feeling a tenderness in his shoulder from where he'd been pummeled against the rocks of the rivers. Wincing, he backed himself so he could lean against a rock and took the flask with battered shaking hands. Taking a drink, he nodded grimly and offered his own name. "Grian. Thanks."

He glimpsed down at the bandage job, thankful for the somewhat dry material against his cold skin. This was by far and without a doubt the coldest he had ever been. "Where am I?" He set the flask down, his arms feeling too heavy to hold it any longer. He felt the familiar prod of his hilt into his side, close to the wound. His fingers too cold to make quick work of it, he fumbled with his sword belt before loosing it and letting it drop to his side. Thank the gods his hilt had somehow managed to hold his sword securely for all that distance!

"Hey, hey, take it easy," Maka urged, frowning a bit as he moved himself back against the rock. With a sigh, she ran a hand through her hair and reached out to take the flask, holding it against his lips. "Here, you really need to drink more of this."

Glancing around, peering through the fog, she muttered absently. "You're in Ravensway." Eyes flicking back to him, she tilted her head and asked, "Did you take a blow to the head as well? Lose some memory?" That might explain why he didn't know where he was.

He took a few solid gulps from the flask before turning his head, his breathing still strained and wheezy. The sound of his breathing reminded him of the death rattling breaths men took in their last moments, and he wondered how much longer he could have made it without this woman finding him. He also wondered if he was going to make it now, even with her help. It was quite a lot of blood he'd lost, and...

His eyes darted to her face, incredulous, "Ravensway?" He looked at his surroundings, felt the coolness of the air. "Are you... How..?" How the hell did he get all the way to Ravenway from the coast of Summervale? How far into Ravensway had he traveled via the river systems? Better yet, how had he traveled upstream so far?

His memories were foggy and the face of his attacker seemed fuzzy in his mind. The last thing he could recall clearly was leaving the Highwater Inn and his betrothed behind. His betrothed... It almost came as a relief that she might think him dead. No, no, those thoughts weren't going to help him any, and were not proper of him. The poor woman was probably beside herself with worry. Perhaps not for his safety, but at least for the future of her people and land.

He gave her a grimace of a smile. "Something like that." He pressed a hand to his side to add pressure, shivering again. "Is there a town nearby?" He needed dry clothes, something to stitch his wound, somewhere to heal. He needed to find a way to clear his head. His need to survive overrode his generally trusting nature, at least until he could remember who had tried to kill him. 

Instinctively Maka drew her hand back when he pressed his own against the wound. She frowned when he shivered and shouldered the pack she carried to the ground, digging around in it for a few moments.

"Here," she said, dredging up a blanket and leaning forward to wrap it around his shoulders. "Sorry, I should've done this sooner. Wasn't thinking." Adjusting the cloth so it covered as much of him as she could manage, she jerked her head over her shoulder and said, "There's a village about a half mile back that way."

Leaning back again, she gave him a considering, up-and-down kind of look. "Think you can make the walk? You need a healer- a proper one- but I don't wanna move you if it's just gonna make you bleed out."

"Apologies." He had not meant to make her feel uncomfortable by moving his hand on top of hers, it was just that the extra pressure felt good. Made it hurt more, but comforted him to know that he had a bit of control.

The blanket felt blissful. "You are too kind, miss."

He let his eyes drift towards the direction she nodded in. Half a mile felt like a thousand miles, and if he was honest with himself, he knew it was unlikely he'd make it. But he wasn't going to get any better lying here as he was, in soaked clothing and in the cold. And he was relying on the kindness of this stranger, who he didn't want to burden.

Closing his eyes again, a line creasing his brow as another wave of pain hit. At least he knew he wasn't going into shock. "Perhaps... You could send for help?"

Maka furrowed her brow at him. "I...could," she said slowly, biting her lip in an unconscious, nervous gesture she'd thought she dropped the habit of years ago. Shaking her head, she muttered, "I'm not sure I like the idea of leaving you alone, though."

What if she went to get help and he died? She did not need another ghost following her around, and this man would definitely be one of those irritating spirits that refused to move on. With her luck, if he died he'd end up latching onto her for the foreseeable future.

And...she just really didn't want to leave him by himself. He was wounded, in shock, probably had hypothermia- she may be a mercenary, but she wasn't totally heartless.

"Here." She stood, brushing mud off her breeches and what was left of the hem of her tunic. "I'l get a fire going, make sure you're settled and not- you know, on the verge of death. Then I'll go see if I can find some help."

He tried to give her one of his classic reassuring smiles, but wasn't certain how effectively it came across. "I'll be fine, nothing stitches and rest won't fix." He knew he wasn't being too convincing, what with his arms limp at his sides and head listlessly rolling in his effort to move it normally to watch her.

Though his situation was rather dire at the moment, he told himself he was just taking a rest to regain his strength. Maybe then he could walk a bit. He might be brave and hard-headed, but he physically didn't have an ounce of strength left in him. "I will be forever in your debt, Miss Makani." If she started a fire, he could perhaps cauterize the wound. He'd run a higher risk of infection, but at the moment he felt it more crucial to stop himself from losing anymore blood.

Her nose wrinkled a bit at that. "Just Makani," she told him quietly. "And no need for that debt stuff. Couldn't just leave you lying here after I almost tripped over you." Looking around, she let out a sharp sigh and planted her fists on her hips, muttering, "We'll be luck if we can find anything that actually burns in this damn fog."

Her eyes flicked back to him. "You should get out of those wet clothes, if you can manage it," she suggested. "Use the blanket to keep warm. I'll be right back." With one last, concerned glance at the injured man, she set off in search of anything that might fit the term "firewood".

She was right, and although he did not feel right being near naked in front of a lady, Grian struggled out of most of his clothes until he was in his underwear once she left. The effort was quite pathetic, and he felt weak and useless.

The struggle of removing his clothes alone left him so exhausted, that he soon found himself unable to stay conscious waiting for her return. With the blanket resting against his clammy skin, he fell prone to the darkness of sleep or unconsciousness.

Finding anything that didn't fall somewhere in the range of "damp" to "soaked through" took longer than Maka would have liked, and when she did return to where she'd left Grian she had a rather pitiful armful of sticks and twigs. Still, at least it would burn.

She dropped her bundle and started, "Just hang on a minute, I need to find my flint-" before she actually looked at him and realized he was asleep again.

At least she hoped he was asleep. Suddenly worried, she let a thread of her power reach out, searching- alive. He was definitely still alive. Good. Reassured, she decided against waking him and set about digging her flint out of her pack, trying to keep as quiet as she could.

Eventually she managed to get a small flame going and she sat back as her handiwork slowly started to eat away at the fog. Her eyes flicked to her unexpected patient and she bit her lip again. She really didn't want to wake him- the poor man probably needed the rest- but she didn't want to go for help while he was still asleep and have him wake up alone.

Make turned her gaze to the fire, frowning slightly. This wasn't like her. She wasn't normally so trusting- for all she knew, Grian deserved that stab wound. But she couldn't make herself just walk away.

The fuzzy face of his assailant taunted him in his sleep, unwilling to make itself clear through the fog. The docks at Rivers Ward creaked beneath his feet, alerting his attacker to his presence. He'd overheard something, something important, but it still evaded him.

The faces of his sisters, his mother, swam through his dreams, too. How innocent and vulnerable the twins were and something nagged at his heart, telling him that they were could be implicated in the danger he'd stumbled across. A plot. An unexpected enemy. His sisters with their long black hair and lavender eyes were captive, and then they were burning... They were burning! They were burning and he couldn't save them.

A hoarse scream lit in his throat, but as he came to his eyes landed on the small fire and the young woman tending to it. No. No, his sisters were not burning, it was just the smell of the campfire weaving its way into his dream. They were safe, safe in Jadenshine with his mother. Pulling the blanket closer around himself to protect her modesty, Grian wondered why she remained. Surely she would want to send for help so he did not delay whatever journey she was on? He felt guilt for being a burden, something he was entirely unaccustomed to. Others had always depended upon him, but that was usually because he'd never let his injuries get as serious as this one had.

"Thank you for the fire..." Leaning cautiously forward, he took one of his daggers and rested the blade in the fire until it turned red with the heat. As it did, he let the blanket drop into his lap to expose his bare chest which was covered in bruises and cuts from his passage down the rivers. Tentatively he peeled her makeshift bandages away, blood welling up again, before gripping the sheath of his dagger between his teeth. Taking up the hilt, he quickly pressed the hot steel against the wound, a strangled growl emerging as his teeth cut into the leather of the sheath. He pressed the hot blade against his skin again and again, leaving it long enough to cauterize the wound, but not so long as to damage the healthy skin around it.

With the task quickly complete Grian fell back, chest heaving as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to pass out again. All he could think to himself was Damn! Damn! Damn!

Maka started a bit when Grain began to stir, then just nodded at his thanks. "Yeah, no problem." She started to get up, to tell him she was going for help, but then he laid his blade in the flames.

Oh shit. She flinched and looked away, knowing what he planned to do. It was a good idea- better than her makeshift bandages. Still, she'd cauterized wounds herself before and she knew how much it hurt.

When he collapsed back she moved forward automatically, kneeling next to him. "Here." She grabbed her flask and sifted through the abandoned "bandages" to rip off a few clean pieces of cloth. She placed the fabric against the mouth of the flask and tipped some water onto it until it was cool and damp.

Reaching up, she pressed the cloth against his forehead. "Try to keep still," she said gruffly, withdrawing her hand. "I'm gonna head back to the village, bring a healer for you, alright?"

His skin pasty and clammy from the effort, he opened his eyes and gave her a tight-lipped smile, blue eyes bright with the pain. "Now you don't have to worry about my bleeding out while you're gone, right?" It was meant as a joke as serious as it was, but the way his voice strained with the pain was rather pitiful. Nope, not funny at all.

The cool cloth felt nice against his forehead, despite the rest of his body feeling cold. There was little doubt in his mind that a fever was starting to set in, and prayed that the wound had been clean enough to prevent a serious infection. The idea of reopening the wound to clean out any infection made his stomach churn. Although he'd seen greater men than himself caterwaul much more over wounds smaller and less serious than his, he felt pathetic not being able to carry himself to the town... Perhaps, if he had been alone, he might have felt inspired enough to push past the pain and go for it. Or he'd have perished. Funny, how one stab with a sword and a drift upriver could do so much damage to a man.

"I'll be here, unless I have something better to do." He replied with another joke, still trying to reassure her. He'd been surrounded by family, friends, and his loyal men all his life, and was surprised by the kindness of this stranger.

When he lost sight of her, he allowed the tension in his muscles to go slack, burying himself deep into the blanket. Dimly he thought about how he owed her a new tunic and a great deal more before he slipped into darkness again, his sword hilt clasped tightly in his hand should he be able to defend himself against what might come across him.

Shaking her head with a small, wry smile at his attempts at levity, she stood and set off at a steady jog back in the direction of the village she'd passed through before.

Getting there didn't take too long, at least not as long as she would've thought. Finding a healer and convincing them to come back with her took longer than she would have likes. Eventually, she managed to get a rather thin, older man to believe that she was telling the truth.

Of course, he couldn't go with her- apparently he was nearly blind, and was too elderly to travel such a distance on his own even if he could have seen properly. But his granddaughter apparently had inherited his knack for healing, and she agreed to follow Maka back to the lake.

She barely waited for the woman's agreement before she was jogging back the way she'd come, hoping Grian hadn't done something foolish int he time it had taken her to find help. The fire was spluttering, but at least it had cleared enough of the fog for her to make the site out fairly easily as they drew closer.

Grass and dead leaves crackled beneath Leon's feet as he walked along the side of the river, heading upstream. His eyes darted from left to right, a sigh exiting his lips as he analyzed the thick fog rolling around his feet and floating mere inches above the moist ground. The cold wind stung his skin as a breeze rolled through, and Leon knew almost immediately that starting a fire and setting up somewhere to camp would be a chore. One that he was frankly too exhausted to carry out.

The man hated heavily populated areas such as villages and towns... Not only were they noisy and obnoxious, but the heavy scent of humans was too much for his sensitive nose to handle. This was just how he preferred to live. One with nature, away from society. It was easier this way as well, as creatures such as himself would be lucky to not get found out and killed almost immediately while amongst townsfolk or villagers. Sure, as long as he didn't cause trouble, there was a chance he'd be fine. However, trouble just seemed to like following him around, therefor, it wasn't a chance he could take.

Leon stopped as he found a large, flat area of dirt, just large enough for a bedroll and fire. Maybe if he was lucky, he'd be able to sleep for the first time in days. Away from bandits and bothersome trolls, away from rewards that needed to be collected... Just him and the peaceful sounds of nature. His nice thoughts were interrupted by the sight of three people, not too far up ahead. Two women, and a rather weak-looking man. It was easy to tell by the pale, bluish skin and various bruises and abrasions that something bad had happened to him, but this was none of Leon's business. As long as he didn't bother them, they wouldn't bother him. And with that, he began to lay down his bedroll.

 

Grian barely roused himself when Makani arrived back at the small fire with the healer, allowing the healer to uncover him to see the wound without much protestation. Even though he would normally try to protect the modesty of the women, he was far too weak at this point to be able to protest. He grimaced as the healer spread the burnt and blistered skin where he had cauterized the wound, knowing she was checking for infection.

The woman poured something that burned over the wound, and then gripped his chin in her hand and poured something down his throat, rubbing his throat with her hand to force him to swallow it. When she was through with that, she seemed to think him incapable of cohesive speech... Well, she'd be right.

"His clothes need drying and he needs to be kept warm and kept out of the elements. With the amount of blood loss, he is likely to grow feverish and weaker. This wound is hours old, I'm surprised he's survived at all. Likely to have his insides bleeding. Can't do much about that. If the blood loss and internal bleeding doesn't kill him, he's still got infection and fever to fight. For infection, you'll have to open the wound and express it. He'll need herbs for that, which I have, but I can't go giving you things that our people might need for free."

Ah. That he understood, even in his weak state. Grappling with the damp pile of his clothing (that he would have spread out to dry had he had half the strength), Grian produced his coin purse, heavy with money. Pulling out a silver (which was certaintly more than whatever she could give him was worth), he offered it to the healer. She took it and doled out the medicine for the fever, blood loss, and infection, along with fresh bandages and a few staples, before taking off again, commenting on her fear of nightfall and strange howls from the woods.

Grian was surprised by how much she had given him for the coin, expecting her to give him the bare minimum and take advantage. Taking up one of the flasks, he gave it a whiff and took a swig, recognizing the whiskey as it passed down his throat. Looking at Makani, he gave her a grim smile. "Not very optimistic about my survival prospects, was she?" He'd always heard that the people of Ravensway were more aloof than those of Summervale. It made sense. Summervale, every resource felt bountiful. Here, even from his short time suffering on this lake shore, seemed like a struggle for survival. Of course they would be wary of sharing resources with strangers.

"I could give you coin enough to replace your tunic and blanket, and set you up in an inn for the night, if you might just build the fire and leave the blanket. No reason for you to stay out here just because I'm too weak to travel." Plus, he suspected there might be something that went bump in the night from the look on the healers face as soon as the sun had begun to descend in the sky.

Maka hung back as the healer did her work, not wanting to crowd her or get in the way. She frowned a bit as the woman began to list off all the things that were likely to kill him- quite an impressive list, actually- but didn't say anything.

She kept silent when the healer took her money and left, only giving a brief nod and a twitch of her lips that might have been a smile in thanks. Her eyes flicked back to Grian and she smirked a bit.

"No, she didn't" she agreed, kneeling beside him. Without thinking she reached out to adjust the blanket around his shoulders, trying to keep him as warm as possible. That's what the healer had said to do, right? Keeping him out of the elements wasn't really an option at the moment, but at least she could do this.

Shaking her head at his offer, Maka murmured, "I appreciate it, but I'm not just gonna leave you. I was planning on sleeping in the wilds tonight anyway, it's not as if it's any real hardship." Voice lowering a bit, she added, "And if I leave now and you die I'll be left with your ghost on my conscience, and that's one more ghost I really don't need."

It was hard enough to ignore the spirits that followed her around already.

With a sharp breath she sat back, eyes flicking to the woods and then back to him. Lips quirking up on one side, she muttered, "Besides, what are you gonna do if whatever scared the healer off comes by hoping for a quick meal. Think you can defend yourself, with the state your in?" She shook her head.

His eyebrow quirked at her comment about ghosts, not quite sure what she meant by it. The way most people said something like that would be flippantly, but she said it in a way as if a real ghost might appear to follow her about.

He shook his head, "If I were to become a ghost, I'd have bigger fish to fry. I'd be haunting the one who gave me the wound, not some innocent young woman." Surely his ghost would have a better memory of his attacker than he currently had.

He weakly grabbed the hilt of his sword, lifting it and then letting it drop with a thump to the ground as if this would be enough to prove his capability in protecting himself. "I'm a decent swordsman." That was true, but at the moment probably not. "And if it comes at me, it won't get much of a meal. My meats all bruised." He nodded to her. "But I could not bear to see you risk yourself trying to fend off a beast while I lay here prone and useless."

Grian conceded, "But if you do stay, promise to distract it by feeding me to it while you escape. At least that is more noble a death than rotting away in fever."

As the healer did her work on the man's injury, Leon listened in, able to hear almost everything with his sensitive ears. He felt somewhat disgusted at how nosey he was being, but it all truly intrigued him. Who, or what could have caused such a wound? Was it something that could earn him some profit if he decided to deal with it? The chance was slim, but being a mercenary meant that he couldn't pass up any chance to make some quick coin.

He finally decided to get up once the healer had walked off, going to gather firewood. He came back moments later, dead leaves, twigs, and small branches in his arms. Not much, but enough to scrape by for one night. He placed them in a small hole he made in the dirt before lighting it with his flint, which he always kept in his rook sack to use when nightfall approached. After much trial and error, he finally created a small flame with the somewhat damp materials in front of him. It was a miracle, to say the least.

He removed his gauntlets, rubbing his cold, numb hands as the flames expanded, giving off much needed warmth to his whole body. He stared at the fire for a long time, the fumes stinging his eyes and filling his lungs with every breath as hee looked back at the two, still not too far away from him. He shrugged, standing and leaving his weapons, not wanting to seem like a threat. He pulled a small hairband from his sack, tying his long, black locks back into a bun on the back of his neck as he approached them. He probably didn't need to seem too professional around them, but he felt as if it was necessary, given his track record with people.

"Pretty nasty wound. What could've done that to you?" He asked as he walked up, his voice quiet, yet gravely and rough. His bright, yellow eyes darted from Grain's wound to his face, a brow raised in obvious curiosity. He glanced at Maka, giving a greeting nod. He hated people... He was sure to hate these people too, but it was better to not make enemies now. Especially when he was the one who approached them to begin with.

Maka watched him fumble with the sword and felt her lips curving in a bit of a smile. He probably was fairly accomplished with the blade, but that wasn't exactly going to do him any good if he could barely lift it.

Then she scoffed. "Death is death," she said bluntly. "There's no such thing as an honorable way to die."

She might have said more, but that was when the newcomer appeared. In an instant she was on her feet, her staff whipped off her back and in her hands as she took a guard position in front of Grian, eyeing the stranger warily.

"Who the hell are you?" The words may have been a little belligerent, but her tone was flat, calculating rather than aggressive.

Grian shook his head, "We live through our legacies, and a death without honor is more final than death itself..."

He was prepared to continue but was cut off as Makani leaped to her feet. It was sad to say, but Grian had not yet noticed the dark featured man approaching until he was upon them. Blood loss often led to tunnel vision and hard hearing.

As best he could, Grian took his sword and used it to balance himself as he pushed himself to one knee, black hair plastered against his face as the blanket fell to his feet and exposed him to the cold air. He knew he probably made for a rather pathetic figure, not imposing at all like he might have been in peak health.

Makani's sharp questioning of the newcomer reminded him, again, of how socially out of his element he truly was. Offering the other man a smile, though it was clear he, too, thought to use his sword if necessary (and possible), Grian shrugged. "Better question is who."

Leon raised his hands, taking a small step back as he eyed the staff. "Whoa, now... The weapon. Lower it, before you hurt someone." He murmured, his eyes narrowing and his voice as calm as possible. "If I wanted to hurt anyone, I would've brought my blade. The name's Leon. And you?"

He can't say he was surprised by her reaction. After all, he did appear from what seemed to be thin air. Not only that... But just look at him. He was clad from neck-to-toe in steel and looked like he hadn't seen a warm bath in days. Not a very trustworthy image.

He held out his armored hand, hoping to settle the tense atmosphere by any means necessary. Even handshakes... Another dislike of his.

Maka gave him a quick, up-and-down look. "I've seen men kill with less than what you've got on you," she pointed out, but she released one hand's grip on her staff and let it fall to her side, pointing at the ground, though she didn't let go completely.

She didn't move to take his hand either, her nature far too distrustful for such a thing. But...well, she supposed a name couldn't hurt. "Makani," she said briskly, giving him a sharp nod. Not like he could really do anything with that information.

Still flicking wary glances at this Leon person, she turned most her attention to Grian. "Damned fool," she muttered at him, bending to grab the blanket and drape it around him again, pushing lightly at his shoulder as she did to urge him to sit. "What part of rest is unclear to you?"

She was trying really hard not to pay attention to his state of undress.

Grian didn't particularly like the other man's tone, but for the moment he appeared to not want to cause them harm. At Makani's comment, he gave a weak smile and sat back down. "The 'rest' part. Cannot say I am familiar with it."

Still, he reached for his sword and laid it across his lap where he could access it. As she had said earlier, it wasn't as if he could use it at the moment unless the man or whatever was going bump in the night decided to just fall into it. And that just wasn't the sort of streak of luck he'd been hitting in the last 24 hours or so.

With the tip of his sword he clumsily spread out his damp clothes from where he sat, hoping to have them dry quicker. The man's appearance had given him just enough adrenaline for that task, but breathing was beginning to feel difficult again. Stilling himself, his body shuddered, the corners of his eyes crinkled and strained in his pain and exhaustion. He felt lethargic. Nothing a good bit of rest might not fix? Wishful thinking, he knew.

"True... But I have nothing to gain by killing you two." Leon answered, lowering his hand awkwardly. Quite the cautious one... Again, he could see why, but it still annoyed him to an extent. He gazed at the staff of hers for a long time, almost analyzing it and making little inferences in his head. A magic user? So even if he DID want to knock her block off for her bitter attitude, she'd have him dead in a heartbeat. He couldn't compete with magic.

His gaze shifted to Grian, seeing him in little more than a blanket. He took a whiff of the man. Reeking of river water and blood, as expected. "Little cold to take a dip in the river, isn't it?" He asked, his face showing no emotion, even at the joking remark. "Though, I bet that nifty battle scar of yours has something to do with you being in the river to begin with. Trust me, I'm a lot of things, but I'm not TOO stupid." He explained himself, realizing at the last second that these two might not've been too warm when it came to teasing jokes. At least... Not from him.

Maka frowned in concern as she watched Grian shiver and she shuffled a little closer, pressing her shoulder against his through the blanket in a rather pathetic attempt to share body heat. She simply looked at Leon when he spoke, face expressionless. She could hardly answer him- she didn't even know what had happened herself.

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" she asked bluntly, one hand still firmly gripping her staff. His interest in two random strangers- one obviously not able to fight back- was suspicious to her, to say the least.

Leon crossed his arms, looking at her with a cold expression. "I'm passing through Serendipity, looking for work. I'm not the biggest fan of villages or towns, so I decided to camp out along the riverbank." He replied, getting into his usual, aggressive mood as soon as his attempts at friendliness had worn out.

"But since we like asking questions so much, why are YOU out here? Because it's pretty strange for guys like me to see a half-naked man with a hole in his torso next to some random mage. Much too far from that village up there, mind you." He spat, suddenly realizing how weird their presence seemed.

Grian felt more comfortable with Makani closer to him, both for the warmth and human comfort she provided and for the proximity she would be in should things get hairy. At this distance, he might be able to help her if things came down to it, and this newcomer certainly seemed over-curious about his wounds. Or perhaps the man was just trying to joke with them and doing a poor job of it? He'd had his fair share of men fight for him with similar gruff attitudes and off-color humor.

Sizing the man up, Grian came to one of several conclusions. Mercenary was his first bet. Second, and less likely seeing as the man's armor seemed in rough state and he was off on his own, was that the man was a soldier or guardsman of some sort. Mostly, Grian found the man's eyes unnerving as they appeared to glow in the growing darkness. He hoped that the man wasn't somehow behind the villagers' fears of night, though certain legends from Ravensway travelers and other northerners spoke of beasts disguised as men.

Flexing his hand on his hilt, he addressed the man. "Somebody had profit to make of my death, and as my head is a bit tumbled from my wash in the rivers, I'm not too keen on sharing what I do know of it." He glanced at the man's hand, the callouses from sword use evident in his assessment. "As a fellow man of the sword, I'm sure you would also be wary if you were stabbed and tossed in the drink and left for dead. You might also expect those who did the tossing might be invested in ensuring you actually did die." He gave an almost apologetic smile to the man. "Only fair to be suspicious of your interest in myself and the lady."

To alleviate the sharpness of his words, Grian nodded towards the flask the healer had left with the whiskey. "Now, as a gesture of my good will, you are welcome to the whiskey in that flask. That is, if your intentions are of a good nature. Which I am certain they are." This last bit he said with gravity, dark eyes settling on the other man. His current state could not prevent him from feeling the need to make his opinion known on the matter. And, in his opinion, this man was edging on offensive and aggressive with his tone in front Makani. He was not one to start a fight, and would prevent it if necessary, but he sure as hell would make it clear he did not approve well before anything came to a head.

Maka kept quiet, letting Grian speak for them (them, since when had that happened? No matter, she'd be gone as soon as he was healed). She preferred to wait and watch rather than say something rash and pay for it later.

She didn't correct Leon's assumption about her being a mage- though she supposed it wasn't entirely incorrect, she felt no need to enlighten him, or Grian, about what exactly she could do.

Her eyes flickered watchfully between the two men, her grip on her staff tightening subtly. She wasn't gong to attack without cause, but it was always better to be prepared.

Leon narrowed his eyes, saying nothing for a long time. He liked the man a Hell of a lot better than Maka, simply because his tone was a bit more polite. He slowly reached towards the flask, flicking it open and tipping it back against his lips, the whiskey flooding down his throat. He closed it, placing it back on the ground where he found it before crossing his arms with a sigh. "You want to know why I took an interest, do you? Fine. I'll tell you."

He looked up, seeing the moon now visible in the sky. His skin began to itch and crawl at the sight of it, but he was able to control himself, for the most part. At least long enough to explain himself. "I'm a mercenary from Adela. Like I said before, I came to Serendipity for work. I overheard that healer talking about your wound, and the first thing that came to my mind was coin." He said drily. "I thought that maybe I could hunt this person down for you. Or people. Or thing. Or whatever it was that tried killing you and tossing you in the river." He looked at his feet, feeling that it was a slight mistake to reveal himself as a mercenary. Just another reason for these people not to trust him...

He shrugged, looking back up at Grian. "Say what you will... But it is my source of income. I'll look for contracts wherever I can find them." He said honestly. "But considering that you truly don't know who did this, that leaves us at quite the impasse."

Grian was not surprised, nor did he judge the man for his vocation. Every man had to make a living somehow, some more honorable than others. Mercenaries were not honorable, but nor were they dishonorable. The few he had come across seemed to operate on some moral code, though it was often on an individual basis rather than in relation to any type of culture or society.

In all the battles he had fought, Grian had never been one to hire on mercenaries. He much preferred to fight beside the men who were loyal to him and his, and found that loyalty won battles more than paid soldiers. Quality over quantity, though mercenaries certainly had their place in the world and were often better trained than the bulk of most armies. The thing about those lowly soldiers, though, was that they were fighting for something other than money. They fought for the lives of their families, for their own livelihoods, and that meant much more than fighting for the self and for money.

He respected the man for his straightforwardness, because although Grian has suspected something of the sort, he still liked men to state their business instead of masking it. "Can't say I can promise much in the way of coin at the moment, even if I had a clear purpose. I figure if and when I heal I will head towards home and try to suss the situation well out first before any action... That amount of time is not something I could promise adequate coin for, and you would surely find jobs before." Grian, though weakened, could still play every part the commander and lord as was concerned with business dealings. He never lied nor tried to pull the wool over others' eyes.

To be honest, through all of this he felt exhausted. Here he was, still knocking on deaths door, and this man was a bit like a carrion swooping over a battlefield as the fighting neared the end. His natural need to be there for the woman, who he already easily felt a loyalty to for her selfless aid, was all that kept him animated at the moment. If not he'd have been passed out, getting as much sleep as would be possible before the next challenge presented itself.   

"You need to rest," Maka said abruptly, frowning at Grian. She knew the signs of a person pushing himself too hard. Her eyes flicked to Leon and she said briskly, "If you really want a job, why don't you two discuss terms in the morning?"

She paused a moment, then added a little reluctantly, "You're welcome to share the fire until then." If he tried to pull something, she'd be on him in a heartbeat.

Returning her attention to the wounded man, she reached out as though to lay her hand on his shoulder, paused, then drew back. "That healer said you needed to clean out your wound," she muttered. "You should do that now, the sooner the better. Then rest. Gods, it's like you have a damned death wish."

He was grateful for Makani's insistence on his rest. It almost felt like he needed permission from somebody else to rest before he could give himself permission to rest. The other man, at least for the moment, didn't seem like he wanted to do them harm. The worst the man could try was to steal the little coin Grian did have, or his weapons. All, to Grian, were replaceable with the exception of his sword. Other than that, the man could have at it. Hopefully, he'd be merciful enough to leave him his sword and clothing. Grian very much doubted it would come to that. Though mercenaries were known for killing for coin, they weren't known for stealing outright.

"You know, my mother always said the same of my father." The comparison was something he felt proud of, though his father's noble death did not feel worthwhile to his family. Makani might have been onto something with the whole 'no such thing as an honorable death' bit. Checking the wound, he cringed and scrubbed it, quickly pasting a poultice over it left by the healer. Placing one of the clean bandages on it, he carefully wrapped it around his waist.

Which left him to question whether or not she had just the one blanket. It would be improper to ask to share it... Prodding his clothing, they were still damp. Most likely would not dry until the sun came back up again. In only his underwear, he still reached out and draped the blanket over her shoulders. From what he knew of the woman, she would call him foolish again. Perhaps, yes, but to deprive a woman of a blanket on a cold night was not knightly.

Head beginning to spin from his actions, he took his now only slightly damp cloak and pulled it over himself before lowering in front of the fire. The time between giving her the blanket back and his descent to the ground happened in mere seconds, so if she protested he wasn't conscious to hear her. Despite not trusting the situation, there wasn't anything left in him to keep him awake. Fingers curled around the hilt of his sword, he had it hugged in its sheath close to his chest, sleeping on his uninjured side.

Leon took her offer, sitting cross-legged by the fire silently. He looked over at Grian, sighing slightly. Maybe he could help find out who did this to him... Then again, that could take days. Months. Was it really worth the money? If he would even cough up money to begin with?

Leon cast frantic glances at the moon, his skin itching and crawling more and more as the time went by. He eventually got up, speed-walking away from the little camp and towards the cover of the woods as he felt himself begin to shift.

"What're you-" Maka barely had time to protest being given the blanket before Grian was unconscious again. With a sigh she shucked the fabric and spread it out over her, muttering halfhearted insults under her breath.

She took up a guard stance, still sitting but ever watchful. Her eyes kept flicking to Leon as he started to fidget, but she didn't say a word when he got up an left. She was mercenary herself, when it suited her; she figured he'd weighed the pros and cons of possibly taking this job and decided against it. she couldn't, and wouldn't, blame him for that.

She shifted a little closer to the fire. Her back to Grian as he slept, she propped her staff on the ground and leaned absently against it, alternating between watching the flames and scanning their surroundings.

Leon ran into the woods, stumbling to his knees after a while. He trembled, grunting and growling painfully as his bones snapped and reshaped into something inhuman. He began to shout in obvious agony, fur sprouting from his tan skin and his mouth extending forward into a long muzzle. His ears stretched to the top of his head, pointed and erect as claws shot from his fingertips, with soon morphed into huge paws.

In only a couple of minutes, he had taken the form of a colossal wolf, his mouth salivating as he stalked aimlessly through the woods, rage and bloodlust in his eyes. Any trace of man had left Leon's body, and all that remained now was a wild, uncontrollable animal. A beast with no sense of logic and reasoning.

A wolf on the prowl...

A long, strange, and rather stressful day was catching up with her in spite of herself. Yawning, Maka forced herself to stand and began pacing around the little campsite in an effort to ward off sleep. She twirled her staff absently from hand to hand as she moved, shaking her head every once in a while.

But, finally, the exhaustion won out. Just for a minute, she decided firmly, letting her body sink down next to the now dying fire. I'll just...rest my eyes for a minute...

And she was out.

Screams pierced the night air, all of pure terror. Leon, in his wolf form, had stalked through the woods until he came upon a village drunk that had strayed too far from the tavern. The man sprinted for his life, panting and stumbling over roots that stuck out of the ground, looking back at the charging, snarling, jagged-toothed Lycan with wide eyes.

Leon had done this many times before... At the first sight of a human, he would attack and kill. This time was no different. After only a few short minutes, Leon had caught up with the drunk, biting onto his shirt. The drunk turned, punching and kicking at Leon's face, only to have a set of claws get raked across his chest. Blood sprayed into the air, a few strained screams escaping his throat as Leon's muzzle dived down to tear into his throat.

It seemed to be right at that moment that Leon's eyes shot open, the light of day greeting him as he sat up. He looked around. A dream...? No... The blood covering his mouth and hands ensured that it wasn't anything of the sort. He was also very much naked, his armor laying where he had taken it off before transforming the night before. He turned, wincing at what he saw... The drunk's mutilated body hanging from a tree by his intestines, his face gnawed off and his ribcage opened up. Leon had seen this image many times before. He sumply turned and walked off to find his clothes.

A few beams of sunlight slanting across her eyes woke Maka and she grumbled, blinking back to consciousness. Then, suddenly, she was wide awake.

She'd slept until morning? Gods, that wasn't like her. Groaning, she sat up, looking around. Well, no one had tried to kill them in their sleep, luckily, and it seemed that Leon person hadn't returned. Cursing herself under her breath, she stood and glanced over at Grian.

He should probably have some more water, maybe something to eat. "Hey." She knelt and shook his shoulder lightly. "Come on, get up. Let's take a look at your side, yeah?"

Grian didn't have much in the way of dreams, and morning came too soon for him. Blinking blearily up, he was confused for a moment about the woman leaning over him. He was accustomed to being woken by one of his men, the old head maid, and on occasion his cousin or uncle. But being woken by a beautiful woman?

The events of the past day or so came flooding back as the wound in his side throbbed, hot with what he knew was infection setting in. He was also made more aware of his near-nakedness, laying as he was beneath his cloak with only his underwear on and the bandages around his abdomen. And again he was noticing the attractive young woman with her hand on his shoulder, looking at him with anticipation.

It took him a moment to process what she was saying, and he wondered if he had a fever. Pulling his hand down his face tiredly, he then ran it through his black hair to push it out of his face. At least he didn't feel like a vampire victim, no longer bleeding out and having some of his blood replenished. It would take at least two weeks for him to get completely back to normal, blood wise.

Slowly sitting up, he cringed and gave her a pained smile, taking care to at least keep his lower body covered with his cloak. He'd dress once she tended his wound, which felt like it needed to be cleaned and drained of any pus. He could do that himself, though he wasn't looking forward to it. "Morning... I hope you were able to sleep some?" He looked around at their surroundings, the fog having lifted overnight. The lake he had been washed in on looked cold and still in the morning, surrounded by dense forests. He looked around, noticed the man from the other night absent. "Has he gone?"

It didn't take long for Leon to gather his clothing from where he had left it the night before. He grunted painfully, getting his trousers, chainmail, vest, and armor plating on before strapping on his belt and sheathe, his sword still locked neatly inside. He then grabbed his shield, holding the handle tightly in his left hand. He did this before every transformation. He'd strip out of his clothes, making sure they wouldn't tear and snap as he doubled in size and changed in shape. After all, he only had one set of armor to spare.

He then began walking through the woods, using his smell to guide him to animals that he could bring back to Maka and Grian for food. Rabbits, squirrels... Things like that. His body was killing him, no doubt from being punched and kicked by the drunk from last night's... 'Hunt.' He walked off the pain, however, at least long enough to catch a few small animals. As soon as he caught scent of a rabbit, he pursued it, hiding behind shrubs and bushes and waiting for the right moment to strike. When that moment came, he leaped from his hiding spot, stabbing his blade into the tiny creature's body just as it began to dart. He repeated this process once more, bringing the two killed rabbits back to the camp.

As he returned, sweat rolling down his face and panting, he overheard Grian's question. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" He asked, dropping the creatures before sitting down somewhere to take a breather. A small gash above his eye was clearly noticable, dried blood caked to it and highlighted by a faint bruise. His mouth was also covered in faint traces of human blood, but Leon hoped they wouldn't notice. His hands had this same feature, but they were covered by his gauntlets, fortunately.

Opening her mouth to reply to Grian, Maka was cut off by Leon's sudden arrival. She glanced up with an arch look, taking in his rather battered appearance- and suddenly she froze.

Her eyes widened and blood drained from her face at the figure hanging behind him, a mutilated corpse with its insides more outside than anything else. A small, instinctive cry rose up in her throat and she whipped her staff off her back, sinking into a defensive crouch as she fell back a step.

Then she blinked and the image was gone. A ghost. It was just a ghost. Obviously haunting Leonnfor some reason, but that really wasn't her business. Letting out a shaky breath she dragged one hand down her face and forced herself to relax, her staff hanging limply in her hand.

"You hunted," she said briskly, nodding at the game he'd brought. "Thanks." Taking another deep breath, she knelt back at Grian's side. "How do you feel?"

The man was incredibly defensive, a trait that made Grian untrusting of the man. Usually the level of defensiveness the man had  been displaying meant one of two things. One, that the man had been betrayed badly, and probably on several different occasions. But were those betrayals caused by something the man had done? Or two, that the man had something to hide. Something dark, given the way the man carried himself. In the light of a new day, Grian took his time in appraising the man, though he was not conspicuous with his appraisal as Maka's quick defensiveness distracted the man. Faint traces of blood could be found on Leon's mouth, hands, and various other places... Though Grian saw the rabbits, something made his stomach clench.

Ignoring Makani's outburst so he could try and smooth things over quickly, though he certainly felt it had been appropriate given the other man's demeanor, Grian shook his head. "I don't know where you got that impression, I was only thinking you might decided on hunting down a better job with a more certain promise of adequate coin."

He looked at the rabbits. "Those rabbits look nice and healthy. Now, I don't recall, but do we have a name for you?"

Glancing back at Makani, he offered her a smile. "Not unlike a man with a hangover from the blood loss, but also less like I'm being bled dry." He cringed and bit the inside of his cheek as he peeled back the bandages. Carefully he picked off the poulstice, revealing the puffy red burn scar. Where he'd missed the opening of the stab wound was oozing a bit, and he squeezed at it with his fingers. It didn't take long for fresh blood to come through with the pus, which was a good sign that it was still a minor infection. Sweat beading his forehead, he favored her with another, albeit strained, smile. "I should be back on my feet in no time."

He didn't mention how much his body ached from his journey down the river, nor that he still felt as if he was weaker than a newborn kitten. Deciding to let the wound breathe, Grian pulled his dried breeches on with some difficulty as he tried to stay covered. The cold air felt good on his bare chest and back, though, and he pressed the back of his hand against his forehead. A mild fever had set in, but nothing as bad as he thought. He felt fortunate enough just to have woken up. All his time being washed her in the rivers and lakes must have kept his wound cleaner than he imagined.

"Leon, right?" Maka said, throwing a quick glance in the other mercenary's direction. Giving Grian a dry look, she muttered, "No time, right." Shaking her head, she reached out to touch his forehead.

A frown furrowed her brow and she pulled her hand away. "You're hot." With a sigh she stood, gathering her flask and moving toward the water. "If you can manage to stoke the fire, I'll biol some water so you can clean out that wound properly."

Leon ignored Maka's jumpiness, walking towards the stream whilst wincing in pain. He kneeled, cupping the fresh water in his hands and splashing it onto his dirtied face. He took off his gauntlets, dipping his reddened hands into the water and cleaning them off. His nails were grayish in color, tapered to sharp points and each about a half an inch long. He brought one up to his teeth, digging around and getting a piece of hair out. Human hair. He dropped it in the water, standing and dragging his tongue over his teeth. It was noticeable that his canines were much larger than most humans.

He glanced over at the two, hoping that they weren't too suspicious. But for all he knew, they had already figured it out. He put his gauntlets back on, sighing heavily. "I can get some more firewood to roast those two rabbits. We'll need to gut and skin them, first." He told them, cracking his neck and jaw. "It was quite the hastle to get a hold of them... Especially when some drunk decided to pick a fight with me. Had to beat the living hell out of him if I wanted to get anything done. Gave me a few nice scrapes and bruises."

The lie rolled off his tongue easily, even though it was right on the spot and out of pure desperation to save his image. Hopefully they wouldn't decide to venture into the woods... After all, that body was still there.

He must have been too delirious the previous night to recall the man's name, and felt grateful that he at least remembered the woman's name. She, he felt, was somebody he might potentially be spending a good deal of time with. The gods must have sent her to his aid, though where they had been when he was stabbed and tossed into the river was questionable. The woman had been going out of her way to help him, a stranger, and his gratitude for her grew with every hour. He already felt he could rely upon her, and his trust in her fostered his loyalty to her.

Leon, on the other hand, was a different story. The man was definitely behaving questionably, still overly defensive. He'd been gone all night and returned with cuts and scrapes, though that didn't explain the amount of blood. Now he was explaining himself to them without their asking him any questions, trying to make excuses before they had the opportunity to ask him anything. While Grian was trusting and loyal, he did not give it without good reason. And if anything, this man was digging a hole for himself.

The sooner Grian healed and he could distance himself, and hopefully Makani, from this man, the better.

Standing slowly, Grian suppressed a limp on his approach to Leon. "I'll take care of the rabbits, then." He took the rabbits from the man and watched him walk off, waiting until he was a good distance before taking up one of his daggers and making quick work of the rabbits. Laying them on the rock he'd leaned against earlier, he sat to pull his socks and boots on. He felt a chill from the fever, grabbing up his undershirt, vest, and cloak and dressing himself. The weight of the material against his wound felt unpleasant.

Working on sharpening two heavy sticks to roast the rabbits on, Grian made sure to keep a close eye on Makani and the direction the man had walked off in, grateful that he had a clear view of the lake from where he sat working.

Maka returned with a full flask and rummaged in her traveling back for a moment, pulling out a small, carved wooden bowl. She didn't address Leon's story, simply giving him a considering look as he walked away. She didn't know what to make of him.

The image of that ghost flashed in her mind's eye and she shuddered briefly before moving closer to the fire, setting the bowl over it and pouring the water from her flask into it. "that should be safe to use to clean your wound in a few minutes," she said briskly to Grian, glancing at him as he cleaned the rabbits.

"So you really don't know what happened, huh?" she said after a moment, letting her head tilt slightly to the side as she looked at him

Leon paced back-and-forth a few feet away from the camp, his eyes trained to the ground and his hands behind his back. After a little while, he walked back over to them, kneeling down as he gazed at Grian's wound. He sniffed, trying to keep himself from gagging. Infected... Definately infected.

He looked at Maka. "How bad do you think the infection is?" He asked out of curiosity, honestly not able to tell very well, as he wound had been burned closed and was appearing to scab after being wrapped in bandages for so long.

Leon's behavior was becoming increasingly worrisome. Instead of going to fetch more firewood, the man paced back and forth within site of the camp. Grian kept glancing between his work with the sticks, Makani, and the man, spending more time with his attention to Leon than anything.

Briefly glancing at Makani, his voice measured, he responded, "I have some theories and I can recall nearly everything up until the moment, but exactly who, what, or why is unclear to me. I need to return to investigate before making any accusations." He dug more aggressively into the stick he was working on, frustrated with the mental fog still blocking his memory of the event. "And perhaps my lazy brain will catch up and start doing its job again." 

Since he had regained consciousness in the morning his brain had been running background checks of the last few weeks and months, searching for any clues. The closest thing he had was how he'd discovered some irregularities in the trade books, and had begun to ask questions around the docks over the past few weeks.

Grian watched Leon approaching, clenching his knuckles around the hilt of his dagger reflexively when he knelt down in front of him, stared at his wound, and noticeably sniffed. Grian watched as Leon's face puckered in something that could only be described as disgust before the man turned to ask Maka about his wound.

Keeping as neutral of a face as he could, Grian spoke instead. "I am conscious at the moment..." He stopped himself before he became truly snarky. Blood loss and fever often made men irritable, and at the moment he felt strained from skinning and gutting the rabbits. His skin felt clammy and pale, but he forced himself to remain alert. "Infection is mild, just need to reopen it a bit to flush it out." Gods forbid it got so bad that he'd have to resort to using maggots to clean it out. He'd heard tales of men being forced to do that when far from civilization and its medicine.

Maka let Grian answer the man's question, simply keeping her eye on the water. When it started to bubble, she fished the bowl out of the fire with the end of her staff and placed it aside to let it cool.

"Do you want some help with cleaning it out?" she asked mildly, not looking up from her task. She couldn't imagine it would be a pleasant experience- he might actually need someone to do part of it for him. She knew how hard it was to force yourself through pain.

"Well... At least it isn't life-threatening. Not yet, anyways..." Leon stood, stretching his arms before looking off towards the woods. "Ah... Firewood... Nearly forgot." He walked off towards the woods, collecting small branches, sticks, twigs, and even dried leaves to use as kindling. He came back in no time, setting the collected materials on the now smoldering embers of last night's fire, using his flint to light the dried leaves. In no time, the fire was up and running again.

He looked down at the rabbits, then at Grian. "You don't need to be wasting valuable strength on preparing food. Let me set them up to roast. Conserve whatever energy you have left." He urged. Leon didn't know this man very well, but he could relate to his situation. A wound such as his wasn't a fun experience. Especially when infection sets in... Then it becomes utter Hell to even stay awake.

He reached down, taking the butchered rabbits in one hand. "I'll give you one thing, you've got quite the resiliency. Most men wouldn't even be able to form full sentences at your state." He remarked, walking to the fire. He picked up a longer branch that he didn't throw in the fire, shoving it through one of the rabbits, stabbing the other end into the soil, the raw meat hanging just over the flames. He'd cook the second one next.

"Stubbornness. It's a family trait." He didn't mention his father's fight for his life, how he remembered hearing about how his father had been fatally wounded in the battle and then fought for his life for several days. Awake and chatting one minute, gone the next. Grian had witnessed his paternal grandfather do the same, giving their family hope for his survival during an illness before dying quickly when nobody was watching. Like faithful dogs, it appeared that the men of Grian's family held onto life just long enough until others would not be witness to their deaths.

Grian could recall his father bragging that his grandfather would never die because he was just too stubborn. It seemed likely, because his grandfather nearly broke the record for oldest man alive in the region. The Aros family did not welcome death easily.

Grian did wonder, though, if it was the remnants of the water nymph blood in their line that had saved him, perhaps healed him a bit on his way upriver. He dimly recalled the wound being much more severe than the one he had now. And at this point he was certain that it must have been nymphs or some similar water fae that had carried his body this distance upstream.

The man was right, though. He should conserve his energy, because he was beginning to feel the effects of his activity. He didn't bother to tell Leon about the sticks he had carved just for the purpose of spicketing the rabbits after he watched the man use the blunt end of a stick to shove into the first rabbit.

Rolling his undershirt and vest out of the way, he looked between his wound and the bowl of hot water. Taking his other dagger which was clean, he held the flat of the blade and offered the handle to Makani. He didn't know if he could handle opening the wound a bit to squeeze the  beginning of the infection out. "If you wouldn't mind... I would be grateful, Makani." 

She nodded and took the blade, moving forward slightly as she looked at the wound. Reaching out to lay the tip of the knife against the edge of his healing skin, Maka paused and suddenly drew back.

"Here." She fished around in her pack until her fingers closed around a cloth- an extra shirt- and she passed it over to him. "Bite down on this," she said briskly, hardly pausing for him to do so before she dug the tip of the blade into the wound to open it up just less than an inch.

She was good with a knife, and she did her best to make it as quick and painless as possible, but she knew it still had to hurt like a sonnovabitch.

Grian was more than grateful to bite down on the offered shirt, and Makani took his momentary distraction to reopen the wound. With the shirt just barely between his teeth, Grian's hands fisted into the grass at his sides, pulling up clumps out of reflex as he yelled and grit his teeth against the cloth.

Though she made quick and effective work of it, the pain still made his vision swim. Chest heaving, Grian's head rolled to the side as he fought to remain conscious. Swallowing heavily, he stared hard down at the ground, voice strained, "Go ahead... Clean it..." His manners left him, just wanting to be over with it. He almost felt nauseous from the pain, hot spit filling his mouth as he wondered if he would puke. Not that he'd have anything but bile to throw up.

"Sorry," Maka murmured, wincing as she grabbed the bowl of water and flushed out the wound as best she could. Grabbing for the supplies the healer had left behind, she smeared some of the concoction meant to fight infection over the wound and then reached for the shirt she'd given him, setting about tearing it into strips for fresh bandages.

She found herself mumbling apologies as she worked, knowing just about every move she made would bring more pain. "Well, hopefully the worst part's over for now," she muttered as she leaned forward to re-bandage him.

Gods above it hurt! Certainly more than the initial stabbing, in his opinion. Why she was apologizing was beyond him, though. It wasn't as if she could help it- cleaning wounds was always a painful process, and this one certainly was far worse than any he'd experienced previously because it hadn't been tended to quickly enough. Again, he reminded himself that he was fortunate to have been found at all.

Between her apologies he gave her a tight-lipped smile, nodding and willing words from his mouth. "Not... your fault." He sat still under her minstrations, though he could not help the drastic rising and falling of his chest and abdomen in between her work. Each time she began to work on the wound he'd hold his breath, abs strained in the effort and sweat beading his skin.

After what felt like decades, though it was most definitely only a few minutes, she finished bandaging him up. "Thanks." He heaved out the word, though he felt the wound stretching in his side at the action. Trying to get his breathing under control, he attempted a compliment. "You could... be a healer." By the looks of her, though, she was most likely far scrappier than most healers were by nature.

She snorted and gave him a wry look. "I'll keep that in mind," she muttered, sitting back to look him over. "Here, hydrate," she ordered, grabbing her flask and holding it out to him.

He really needed some food, if he could keep it down. She glanced over at the fire and Leon, wondering how cooking was going. "Think you can stomach rabbit?" she asked, flicking her eyes back to Grian. "If not, I'm pretty sure I have some bread that might be easier to keep down."

Grian reached out for the flask with shaking hands, putting it to his mouth and carefully drinking it. His stomach turned at the mention of food. He could barely keep the water down, and either type of food being offered sounded untempting.

Although his first instinct was to turn down the food, he had a feeling that Makani was not the type of caretaker to let him refuse. If the roles were reversed, he knew he wouldn't let her go without eating. "I'll try my chances with the bread..." The rabbit, he knew, was very unlikely to stay down.

In the back of his mind he was keeping track of all of the things she was giving to him. Her tunic, her shirt, her food, her time, her protection... For the moment he wouldn't bring it back up again, but he definitely owed her. When he had enough strength to make it on his own, he'd be sure to repay her. He had enough coin on him so far to manage that, and would make sure to let her know that she could always come to him in the future for a favor. A rather large favor. Heck, endless favors! He owed her his life, after all, and it was least he could do.

Leon had set one of the cooked rabbits on a small slab of stone, cut neatly into many pieces. He took the second rabbit off the fire, setting it on the same stone and slicing it up with his sword. Living out in the wild meant that you had to know how to prepare food. Even though he had never been taught the proper procedures, after much trial and error in his life, he was able to butcher almost as well as the professionals.

He tried to keep himself from looking in their direction, figuring that the sight of an open wound full of infection would make him lose his appetite. "Either way, food's done. If Grian can't eat it, then hopefully you and I can." He told Maka, flashing her a smirk.

Nodding to both men, Maka told Leon evenly, "Take what you want first, I'm not all that hungry."

She turned to her pack and managed to fish out half of a small loaf of bread. "Not much, but it's better than nothing," she said, holding it out to Grian. "Don't try to eat all of it at once." If he did get sick, at least he'd have some left to try again later.

Grian didn't need to be told not to eat it quickly, his stomach turning again when she handed him the bread. Breaking off an even smaller portion, he set the other down where it could be kept clean. From his portion he pinched off a small portion with his fingers, placed it his mouth, chewed slowly, and swallowed.

It was taking all his effort not to just throw up the one bite, let alone go to town on the rest of the bread. Every few minutes he attempted another bite, until the small portion of bread was finished. He eyed the rest of the bread, deciding against trying to eat anymore.

He wondered what Makani was doing out in the wilderness on her own, wanted to ask her, but thought better of it. He wouldn't ask in front of the other man, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable in answering.

Leon blinked at her. Not hungry? When was the last time she had eaten all day? Perhaps she had some bread while he was hunting... But still. That was quite a while ago. Or maybe he was just a glutton who could never turn up food, therefor, he just couldn't understand the concept of, 'not hungry.'

He shrugged, eating as much as he could stomach, that being... Almost the entirety of the first rabbit. Not only did he eat it, he tore it to pieces, just as any common beast would. As soon as he had his fill, he took a rag from his rook sack, wiping off his mouth and hands before placing it back and sighing heavily. "Seems like it cooked well enough to me... A bit scorched, but still decent enough to eat." He reviewed his own cooking.

His words were interrupted by a distant sound that no normal ear could pick up. Screeching... Cawing... Something looking for food. He whipped his head towards the direction of the woods, eyes narrowed in concern. He didn't bother telling the others... For all he knew, it was just crows picking off that body in the woods. But he had a sneaking suspicion that it was much more than that.

Maka's eye flickered between the two men, eyeing Grian with concern and Leon with wary interest as they both ate.

She cast a glance at the food that was left and decided against it. She normally didn't eat much, and the image of that horribly ravaged ghost was still taunting her from the back of her mind. Yeah, not exactly an appetizing thought.

Standing, she grabbed her staff and gave Grian a quick look, saying, "You should drink some more water." Without another word she moved a few paces away to a patch of relatively flat ground, swinging her staff absently through the air in front of her as she started to stretch. She was jittery, anxious, and not entirely sure why. Maybe working through some forms would calm her down.

Both of his... companions? acquaintances? Appeared jittery, as if they sensed something he couldn't. While Grian didn't have any special abilities or senses to speak of, he was decently fair at reading other people. Well... An image flashed in his mind of his assailant, somebody he knew and trusted... Shaking his head, he blamed it on the fever. Well, he was decent at reading people, so long as they weren't people he trusted and didn't suspect could ever betray him.

And he had to be good at reading people, what with being a knight and heir to Rivers Ward. Some called him too noble and overly willing to put his life on the line for those in need, but that meant he had to be ever-vigilant for the sake of those he felt depended upon him for safety.

Taking Makani's suggestion, he took another drink and watched the two. Leon standing as if he heard something he did not like, and Makani wielding her staff as if loosening up for a fight. Grian made a quick assessment of the area, bringing his sword closer to him, though the weight of it seemed unbearable. With his weapon closer, Grian let his eyes close, not quite sleeping, but resting.

Leon remained standing, his eyes trained on the woods as he kept listening. Buzzards? No... This was bigger... The sound wasn't very bird-like. It sounded... Human. Leon's eyes went wide and he immediately drew his sword. Harpies... He decided to keep the word to himself. Harpies in Serendipity? In the Riverlands, no less? Stranger things had happened, but this was weird enough to instigate a raised brow or two.

Leon turned to Maka, the grip on his sword becoming tighter. "We need to leave. Go farther downstream." He said with a stern growl. The sounds of screeching and flapping wings were now barely audible. "Hear that? Those aren't crows. We're in severe danger if we stick around." He said, his yellow eyes burning into hers.

Maka looked from Leon to the trees, grip tightening on her staff automatically. "And how do you expect to move him?" she asked evenly, nodding at Grian. "He can barely stand."

Almost unconsciously, she moved toward the injured man, staff held in a defensive position as she put herself between him and the direction she could now faintly make out what sounded like...screeching.

Grian opened his eyes when he heard Leon's voice raise, something about danger and moving. Makani was then moving in front of him, saying that they might have to stick around to face whatever danger it was because he couldn't move... Having them nurse his wounds was one thing, but having them risk their lives for his was an entirely different matter. He'd had men give their lives for him in the past, but that was when he could fend for himself and wasn't completely useless. He'd saved many men's lives in return.

But laying around being worthless was not something he felt comfortable doing. The sound of screeching in the distance reached his ears, and he wondered what in the world it could be... No matter, whatever it was didn't sound good and it was approaching quickly.

Mustering his strength, he got himself up into a kneeling position, leaning heavily against his sword hilt for support. "Go. Don't stick around for me, you've done enough for me. I can handle it." They all knew it was a lie, but he had to at least try. He did genuinely want them to run to save their own lives, because he knew he wouldn't be able to run any distance. Just as Makani stated he could barely stand or walk, though it pained him to admit it to himself.

Glancing back over her shoulder at him, Maka gave him probably the truest smile she'd yet shown, though it was really more of a smirk than anything else. "Like hell you can," she said mildly, and turned to face the trees again.

"I'm a tough girl, Grian. I can handle myself," she tossed back, spinning her staff maybe a little showily to make her point.

She wasn't stupid; if the big mercenary Leon thought they should go, whatever was out there was probably pretty damn nasty. But neither of the men knew what she could do. There were plenty of dead animals in those woods. If she played her cards right, that was all she needed.

"Then I guess that means we're fighting? If that's what needs to be done, than so be it..." Leon growled, eyes narrowing. He got into a sturdy stance as large, winged creatures shot from the treeline. Their bodies were thin and emaciated, almost skeleton-like in nature; their eyes glowed a bright blue, their mouths wide and sporting jagged, sharp teeth. The feet of the creatures resembled hawk talons, razor-sharp and perfect for tearing flesh.

The mercenary gritted his teeth, instinctively raising his shield as a screech pierced his eardrums. The harpy dove directly at him, raking its talons against the steel and creating a sharp ring, a new set of scratches present on the metal. Leon grunted, swinging his sword upwards and tagging the harpy across the chest. Blood spilled onto the blade and ground, the creature shrieking in pain as it tumbled to the ground, limp.

In no time, they were flying around everywhere, just like an angry swarm of wasps. Leon continued to defend himself, too preoccupied with slicing and dicing away at the foul beasts to check on Grian to see if he was still alright. "Don't let those things grab you! They won't hesitate to carry you off!" He warned his companions.

The creatures appeared and the world faded around her as Maka slipped into an almost meditative battle state.

She didn't bother with her "staff". It only took her a moment to realize that a blade was going to be needed to deal with these things. A sharp twist of her wrists and the smooth column of wood separated into two long, thin blades.

She fought almost like it was a dance, blades whirling through the air around her, hair whipping around her face. It would have been easier if she hadn't been so aware of Grian behind her. She twisted and spun around him, killing harpies when she could but mostly just doing her best to keep them off the injured man.

A rush of adrenaline pumped through his blood at the appearance of the harpies, creatures he had only ever read about. They descended from the sky in a swarm, pelting at all of them... For what purpose, Grian couldn't be certain. Were these animals just aggressive by nature?

The harpies seemed to be focused on his healthier companions, but Grian could tell that it would be easy for the beasts to overwhelm them. His eyes caught on one of the beasts as it dived through the air towards Makani, taloned feet outstretched as if to grab her up by the hair. While the woman seemed capable of defending herself, she was currently preoccupied with another pair.

Taking up his sword, Grian waited until it was near until he stepped in behind her back. He slashed the harpy's feet off and then thrust upward with his sword, the momentum of the beast's flight effectively gutting it against his sword. Pulling his sword down to him, he found himself staring into the enraged eyes of another harpie changing its course to come at him. Backing himself up, he set himself up so that he was essentially protecting Makani's back, and she his.

Adrenaline and pure survival instinct fueled his need to fight to defend himself and his companions. He was a skilled swordsman and his blade sliced through the harpies as if they were soft butter on a warm day. He could feel his wound reopening, but the energy of the fight streamed through his blood. Guttural snarls and roars escaped his throat bolstered his will to continue fighting with hardly a moment's reprieve.

Leon stabbed at a bigger harpy that had come down and begun snapping at his face, the blade piercing its chest over and over. He turned, eyes wild, his pupils just thin slits as he hacked off another's right wing, the severed limb flopping to the ground. He bashed away other approaching harpies with his shield, trying his best to cut them all down to no avail. They crowded around him, his entire body consumed by plumes of feathers and sounds of hideous squawking.

Leon thrashed, growling and shouting angrily as he dropped his shield and sword. He had his gauntlets off at this point, using his claws to rip and tear at the creatures, managing to carve a few open. He grabbed harpies that were within his reach, throwing them to the ground or tossing them away into the air, the beasts just flying back to him with ease. He fell to his knees, feeling the harpies gnaw at his skin and rake at his face with their sharp talons. He fell to his stomach, growling in an animalistic fashion as his fangs began to grow, thick fur starting to sprout from his skin.

With a distorted howl, Leon burst free from the swarm of harpies, in his wolf form with his clothes scattered around him. In anger, he bit into harpies that flew too close to his jaws, shaking them madly before slamming them to the earth. Using his claws, he swatted them as they dove towards his massive figures, ripping them to pieces with his teeth as they laid helpless under his weight. Soon enough, the beasts had fled back to the woods, Leon roaring after them, fresh harpy blood staining his dark grey pelt.

Surprised that Grian was able to stand, let alone fight, Maka found that she was nonetheless glad she had him at her back. She wasn't used to fighting as part of a team, but she learned quickly, melding her style to his as best she could.

Then the harpies suddenly fled, shrieking back to the trees, and she felt an icy chill run up her spine. That was not a good sign. Turning slowly, blades crossed in a guard position in front of her body, her eyes went very wide.

"Stay behind me," she hissed at Grian, facing the creature that had suddenly appeared in the midst of the fight, jaws matted with blood.

Was that...Leon?

The sound of growling and snarling of a wolf appeared to attract the attention of the harpies attacking them, and Grian turned to find a giant wolf where Leon had been. The beast tore into the harpies, shredding and ripping and breaking. Feathers, fur, and blood flew where the fight had moved to, but soon the harpies were taking off to the woods, driven by the uncanny wolf.

He scoffed at Makani's suggestion, "Not likely." Chest heaving from exertion, Grian stepped up beside her and rested the tip of his blade in the dirt, ready to lift it if need be. The eyes... The eyes of the beast were what gave him away. That, coupled with Grian's earlier suspicions about the man. Grian stood ready, but was not sure how much longer the adrenaline would keep him on his feet. He could already feel his arms trembling and his legs beginning to buckle as he remained on edge. The blood from his wound and his sweat making his shirt stick to his skin, and his dark hair stick to his face.

Leon turned his head to the both of them, snarling and barking as he slowly walked towards them. His thick pelt was messy and tangled from the fight with the harpies, his tail swinging from side-to-side slowly and threateningly.

Before the wolf could pounce, he yelped, all four limbs buckling as he began to transform back into a human. "No... You... Don't..." Leon's voice came through, the beast flopping to one side as he slowly went back to his original form. Leon laid there, panting and sitting up, little scratches on his skin where the harpies had clawed at him.

Maka immediately took a step back as the wolf approached, then froze when he collapsed. She said nothing, but she kept herself between Grian and the newly transformed Leon, blades still drawn and held at the ready.

"Seems we've found ourselves in some interesting company." Grian commented, swaying a bit on his feet. Taking a knee, he quickly gave up the pretense of having any fight left in him, his hands unsteady as he released the grip on his sword and let it clatter into the grass.

Even though he still perceived the man as a potential threat, Grian knew when to throw in the towel. After watching Makani fight he felt confident that she could handle herself against the beast-turned-man, though his sword wasn't too far away.

His body shuttered, and he felt the warm wetness of the blood of his reopened wound. Drawing up his shirt to inspect it, he pressed both his hands into his side to staunch the blood, hissing in pain between. Even though he had not fought now in several minutes, Grian's chest still heaved with exertion. Something deep inside him refused to give out until the tension of the situation was over, but the effort of it was exhausting.

"Seems so," Maka agreed, keeping her eyes warily on Leon. She felt more than saw Grian go to one knee behind her and glanced back.

Swearing under her breath, she locked her blades back into a singular staff and turned slightly, kneeling beside him but still keeping an eye on the werewolf (at least she assumed that's what he was).

"Let me see," she demanded, nodding to his side. One hand kept her staff up, slanted diagonally in a protective stance in front of them.

Leon crawled over to his scattered clothes, snatching up his trousers and painfully putting them on. His body was sore and spent after his transformation, unsurprisingly. He pushed his sweat-drenched hair back out of his face, sitting and panting heavily. He looked over at them.

"You alright? What about him?" He asked, trying not to strain himself. Even talking was a chore, straight out of a transformation. He looked down at his arms, which were covered in scrapes and scratches from the harpy talons. His next question came after a long silence, his tone lifeless.

"Be honest... Was anyone here surprised? I'm not exactly what humans call, 'normal.'" He stated bluntly, standing slowly. His knees trembled, trying to get used to being human once more. He sniffed around. "Good... Harpies went back towards the woods... Long gone."

"Just... Reopened it a bit, s'all." Gods he felt nauseous as he forced himself to peel back his hands for her inspection. At least Leon didn't seem to be driven nuts by the scent of his blood like some other beasts might.

Shrugging himself out from under the weight of his cloak, Grian tore off one sleeve of his undershirt to wad up against the wound. "Might check to see if the healer... left needle and thread... to stitch it up?" He nodded towards the sack that the woman had left behind.

Grian looked to Leon, who was being rather blase about the whole situation. "Can't say... I was expecting exactly that. Something, though." Grian also suspected that Leon was the reason for the villagers' fears of the night, and he wondered what horrors the man might have enacted upon the village. Had he killed? Their flocks of sheep? Their livestock? Their people? By the way the man had needed to actively stop himself from killing himself and Malkani, Grian suspected  that there wasn't much he could do to control the beast within.

Maka nodded and moved to rummage through the bag, emerging with a small cry of triumph and a needle and thread. "Here, sit," she urged Grian, brandishing the healing supplies.

She glanced over at Leon, the memory of that ghost flashing through her mind. Well, she supposed him being what he was answered more questions than it raised.

Leon honestly didn't know how to explain his little ability. Ability? No... More like a curse. That's what he thought it was, anyways. After all, it wasn't anything to be proud of. Especially not after what he had done to that drunk the night before. "It's a... Disease. I'd like to say it's genetic, but I don't remember my mother or father ever being a Lycan. Maybe my mother was mounted by a dire wolf, or something... Who knows?" He sighed, getting the rest of his armor on sluggishly.

"And before you get all jumpy, I've been around long enough to know how to control it. Neither of you are in danger. Well... Except for midnights. That's a different story. It gets... Harder to control at midnight." He explained, closing his eyes as he remembered the drunk... And the various livestock he had eaten and the wenches he had terrified since he had been there. Luckily, no other humans had died. That was the important thing.

Grian kept his eyes on Leon, still not trusting the man after what he had seen. A mercenary and some type of werewolf? Even if what the man said was true, and he knew how to control it now, it didn't mean that he hadn't killed innocents in the past. And it didn't mean that he would always be able to control it around them, especially if every midnight was an exception to his control. Grian had been brought up to protect others, protect his people. He was struggling with the idea that he was currently in the company of a man who took coin to kill and was by nature some type of beast capable of indiscriminate killing. If he was to ever trust the man, it would take a great deal of time.

Pulling up his shirt and removing the bloodied wad of cloth, he eyed the needle and thread Makani held up. Stitches were definitely not his favorite, though it was better than cauterization. "Can you do it, or do I need to?"

Maka nodded, tearing her wary gaze away from Leon to focus on Grian's wound. "Yes, I can do it," she murmured, shifting closer and threading the needle.

She bent her head to set to work, then glanced up at him. "You, ah, may want to bite down on something again," she recommended in a mumble. She cast another glance over her shoulder at the other mercenary as she hesitated, reaching out with her free hand to pull her staff closer so it was easier to reach should she suddenly need it.

Leon sat, looking out towards the other side of the river. Well, it had been an eventful day. They were all attacked by harpies, he had caused the only two people he had any contact with since he left Adela to distrust him, and now he was battered and tired beyond belief. Yep... All generally things that seemed to happen to him on a regular basis. Make enemies, get bludgeoned by monsters, sleep, and start the process over again. He laid down against a rock, trying to tune out Grian's muffled screams of pain as he attempted a nap. Hopefully his comrades would still be there by the time he woke.

Grian took her advice and used his belt to bite down on against the pain, gritting his teeth into the leather as he tried to take his attention elsewhere. He thought of his twin sisters, tried to picture how they were, wondered if he would get to see them again. He thought of his hunting dog who was probably still waiting loyally for his master to return. Through all of it there was the background of the pain in his arm, despite Makani's adept hands. Well, at least the pain meant that his skin had not deadened around the wound.

When she had finished he let the belt fall from his mouth as he panted, wiping the sweat across his forward onto his shirt. He gave Makani a half-hearted smile, "Thanks." He paused and amended wryly, "Again."

"So..." He tried to draw the conversation away from how pitiful he felt. "How did you become so adept in combat?"

A small, wry smirk curved at the corners of her lips and Maka gave him an arch look. "The same way and for the same reasons you don't- and shouldn't- trust him," she said, nodding toward the sleeping werewolf.

With a shrug, she elaborated, "I'm a mercenary, Grian. Combat is how I make my living. I learned from a man who used to do the job when I landed in Serendipity as a child. Mostly grew up with it."

She shrugged again, giving him an almost wary look, rather surprised at herself for sharing even that much. Then she cleared emotion from her face and nodded at his wound, murmuring, "You should bandage that up again."

((Sorry for the long wait! I had some beer spilled on my laptop, and I've been waiting to get it back from the repair center!))

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Grian's attention had indeed been on her, and not his wound. He was grateful for that temporary reprieve, at the chance to discover more about this woman who had so graciously saved his life tenfold over. Turning his gaze from her, he muttered. "R-right. Of course." He pulled the last bit of bandaging from the satchel the healer had provided along with some salve, smearing the mixture over his newly stitched wound before wrapping himself up again. It felt almost silly to say, but he did. "I feel nearly human again..."

Well, he felt like having the wound stitched was a step in the right direction at least. Still, he felt weak. Easing himself back so he was leaning against a stump, Grian considered what she had told him. It was true, he didn't trust the mercenary man... But Makani? She had gone so far out of her way to protect him, even though she could not know that she would ever be repaid. The man, however, had been in it for the coin. He'd said as much from the beginning... Though why the man was sticking around even after Grian had told him that he could not guarantee any coin was beyond him.

"I've known enough mercenaries in my day." Grian mused aloud, and then nodded towards the sleeping Leon. "That is a mercenary, which I might add, I had a few extra reasons for not trusting than a regular mercenary. Sort of feeling like prey."

He continued, looking straight into her eyes. "You, however, do not seem to me like a mercenary. You certainly might do the job when you come across it, but at heart I doubt you identify with the job. If you did, you wouldn't have stopped to save a washed up, wounded man with little to his name. You certainly wouldn't have reason to risk your life. You behave more like one of the knight's order."

It was something he was familiar with, and took great pride in. Being knighted had been the greatest accomplishment of his life thus far. It meant more to him than his family's lands or his title. He knew that the sons of nobility would take the sword and shield only for bragging rights, but Grian had trained with valor. As a squire... He smiled, nostalgia and loss of blood making him feel drowsy.

Maka actually laughed, though the sound wasn't as clear and happy as when there was true emotion behind it, more grating and bitter.

"You think too highly of people," she informed him, quirking an eyebrow. It was probably what had almost killed him, but she decided to keep that to herself.

Still, she found her gaze locked on his. He had surprisingly open eyes. "I- I saved you because...well it was the right thing to do. Doesn't make me all that noble," she muttered.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he recalled his uncle telling him that, and how the trait was one his father had also exhibited. A flash of memory darted through his mind, and the smiled faltered, leaving him feeling hollow. A heavy sense of dread weighed on his mind as he felt, more than remembered, something of the tragic incident that had lead him to this. He must return to Rivers Ward as soon as was possible to warn his uncle and cousins... Something about that thought did not sit well with him. Perhaps he should travel to his mother and sisters to make sure that they were safe.

Forcing the smile back to his lips, he returned Makani's gaze. Her eyes were rare amethyst color, something of note. "The mercenary's I have been acquainted with were not the type to do the right thing simply because it was the right thing." He remembered the oath he had taken as a knight to protect the weak and shelter the poor. "As a young squi... As a lad, a mentor of mine once told me that those who are moral in the face of death, and those who protect the weak at the potential cost of their own lives, are noble of heart." It also meant that he should not hide his identity from someone who had risked her life for him. He amended his speech. "As a squire."

"See, now there's where you've got me wrong," Maka muttered, finally able to glance away. "I never helped or protected you when there was risk to myself." She seemed to have conveniently forgotten the harpy incident.

Shaking her head, she huffed out a breath and added, "Once you can move about without help, you're on your own, Sir Knight." Even without his admittance that he was a squire, she could have pegged him for a knight from snippets of conversations, and his overall demeanor.

Grian's grin was real in response to her attempt at gruffness. Or perhaps she was naturally rather aloof, and circumstances had uncovered a level of compassion she was unaccustomed to exposing around strangers. He knew her words weren't true, he'd seen her place herself between him and any danger they had come across. Makani had placed herself between Grian and Leon, even when the other man had turned into the beast. She'd also defended him from the harpies, shared her supplies, and sacrificed her own clothing.

"Grian." He corrected. "My friends call me Grian." He paused briefly. "I owe you my life many times over. You know, once my brain is unscrambled and this mess sorted out, I'm certain you would fit in among my soldiers. I could use a fighter of your talents to train them... I could certainly learn a thing or two from you." He gave her a genuine smile. "Or you could do whatever you like. I can accommodate you... I believe I will have need of trusted counsel at the end of all this." Perhaps she would call him foolish again, but he was not a man to let debts go unpaid. Especially not a debt of life. He trusted this woman, even more so after she said she wanted to simply leave without compensation after all she had done for him.

She blinked at him, caught rather off guard by the offer. "You...don't have do that," Maka said slowly, eyeing him almost warily. It was a better job than someone like her could ever expect to get, and she wasn't used to good things coming without a price.

Shaking her head, she said almost wonderingly, "You don't know anything about me. Why offer something like that?"

"One must trust in order to be brave and to truly accomplish things. Certainly it leads to instances such as these," He gestured to his current state, "but it also leads to meetings such as ours."

"First and foremost, I owe you my life. Such an offer is the least I can make, and from what I have observed, you are both extremely capable and just." He paused, a crooked grin gracing his lips. "Plus, if I am too trusting, then you must not be trusting enough. We could balance one another out."

Maka chuckled a bit at that, shaking her head at him. "I'll...think about it," she relented. Trust and everything else aside, it was a great opportunity. She'd be foolish not to at least consider the possibility.

Putting the thought to the back of her mind, she glanced at the ashes of what had once been a fire, frowning slightly. "Think you can eat anything else? You probably should, if you can keep it down."

"That's all I can expect." He answered easily. Any sane individual would need time to think about such a large offer, but he could imagine that work among the ranks of his fighting men was better than work as a mercenary. It meant guaranteed pay, food, and shelter, and a large band of men and women who would support her should she ever need aid. His closest guards and soldiers in his armies were like family to him, men and women alike. He wasn't certain he would place his full faith and trust in those outside of this inner circle, but even those not close to him were loyal for the most part. Like his father, Grian found it easy to inspire trust and loyalty in the men and women who fought under him. Perhaps it was because he believed their lives equal in value to his own and treated them as such...

Despite this, his faith in them began to waver. Somebody must have betrayed him somewhere down the line for him to end up in such a predicament. Surely not all of his men had turned on him, but at least one would have needed to turn on him. Grian rarely traveled without at least one of his men-at-arms by his side, so whoever had attacked him had to have known he had elected to visit Lady Keren on his own...

Lady Keren. He also had to wonder whether or not the older woman was safe, and if she was concerned about his well-being. While there was no love shared between he and his betrothed, the well-being of her lands depended greatly on her marriage to Grian. What would she do now?

Makani's suggestion brought him out of his thoughts again, and he looked at the unfinished food he had been given earlier. He was feeling oddly well, given his current condition. "Yes... You're right." He finished off the loaf of bread, though held off on the heavier fair for the time being to see if the bread would sit well. "You were saying earlier that you came here... Where are you originally from?"

Her reflex was to shut down as memories of her home- her real home- flitted to the surface of her mind. "Thanatos," she said bluntly, looking away from him. "But it doesn't matter. I don't belong there anymore, so Serendipity will do."

She fell quiet for a moment, then added, not quite sure why she did, "My father was Serenian though. So I suppose your land is partially mine as well."

"Thanatos, I've heard it's rather beautiful there..." He mused, though her sharp tone did not invite much leeway for conversation on the topic. If he had been a less polite man, he might have added that he had also heard of the beauty of the women there. A beauty she most definitely had.

"I do not mean to pry. Just trying to learn a bit more about you, seeing as you've claimed I don't know enough about you to offer you work." Grian tentatively began to try to eat some of the other food, but was overcome with exhaustion. "I think tomorrow I might be able to move. Perhaps get to the town, find some horses or a boat to take downriver... Seeing as that is how I came to be here."

"Yes." Maka glanced at him and nodded once. "Well, rest up then. The sooner you can move, the sooner we can be on our way."

Glancing at her hands folded in her lap, she mumbled, "It...is beautiful. Thanatos." She cleared her throat, looking away. "Look, sorry. I'm not- I didn't mean to snap, I just- not something I like to talk about."

With a sigh, she stood and brushed at her breeches. "You try to get some more sleep. I'll keep watch." Maybe she could practice her forms to pass the time."

"No need for apologies." A yawn crossed his lips as he nodded in agreement at her suggestion. "Wake me in a few hours... I may not be able-bodied enough to do much at the moment, but I can keep watch. I can wake you should anything occur, but you ought to try to sleep as well. We may both need strength in the coming days."

Grian lowered himself to the ground, pulling his cloak up to cover himself, grateful at how dry it was in comparison to the other day. A dreamless sleep took him quickly, and if she said anything he would not hear it.

She nodded at him, murmuring an agreement but privately deciding to let him sleep as long as she could manage. She didn't mind staying up on guard, and he needed rest more than she did.

Grasping her staff, she rose and moved a few paces away, keeping one eye on the still sleeping werewolf and the other of Grian before flicking about to take in their surrounds, then repeating the cycle as she took a slow, even breath and sank into one of her forms, moving fluidly through the motions.

He woke up from the cold in the crispness of dawn, the inactivity of sleep lowering his body temperature. Something made him shove himself to his feet, taking him down towards the water of the lake.

When his boots touched the water, he felt... Better. Refreshed. Not strong or healed, just rejuvenated. Why? He couldn't quite place it, but he felt as if something, or several things, were watching him from further out in the lake. Staring hard out into the water, he tried hard to place what it was he was feeling. Were his memories trying to come back to him?

A loud splash in the water brought his attention around, but he was too late to see anything. Pursing his lips in moderate frustration, he turned to go an find Makani, who was surely not far off. Hopefully try to convince her to get a few hours of sleep in the early morning hours before they headed off. Perhaps his walking about would help in convincing her.

He spotted her, but stopped short of drawing her attention. He watched her for a while, moving through her combat moves as if she were dancing. Eventually, he cleared his throat a bit, feeling rude for watching without her knowledge. "Makani... Why don't you lie down for a while? Get some rest before we move out."

She felt more than heard Grian stir, watching out of the corner of her eye as he approached the water before refocusing on her forms. If he was well enough to walk, he was well enough to look after himself for a few minutes. Perhaps he was just thirsty.

If she heard a large splash, then she'd worry.

Hearing him call her name made her pause. She swung her staff through the air in a wide arc before slamming the butt against the ground and turned to face him. She was quiet for a moment, looking him up and down.

"Maka," she said abruptly, leaning against her staff. "Call me Maka." Glancing at the sleeping Leon, she pursed her lips and considered rest. "I suppose...a few minutes won't hurt," she relented eventually.

He grinned at her, pleased with her response. "Might even help." He teased lightly before adding, "Sleep well, Maka."

He waited until she went to lay down to sleep before he sat down, keeping a keen eye on his surroundings as the sun made its slow ascent into the sky.

She gave him a brisk nod and settled down, staff clutched loosely in one hand as she pillowed her head on her other arm.

Blessedly, Maka's sleep was dreamless. At least mostly- there were some flashes of flame and shadow that made her frown and shift in her sleep, but for the most part she was still and silent.

As the angle of the sun changed, she murmured quietly and curled up a little tighter, resisting her body's urge to wake up again with an unconsciously mumbled, "Few more minutes..."

Nothing spectacular happened as she slept, other than the beauty of the sunrise. He always enjoyed being still in nature... He didn't often get the opportunity to just sit outside, alone and in peace. No, he was always required to complete this duty or the other, and even when he had spare time he was often shadowed by his men-at-arms.

After perhaps only 2 hours he heard Maka's muffled voice. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled to himself as he watched her try to fight waking up. It was a very human reaction to the new day, especially after a long night of watch.

He wondered if the werewolf would wake, or if they would need to wake him.

With a few more grumbles, Maka sat up and stretched her arms over her head, arching her back as she yawned and blinked her eyes against the sunlight.

She glanced around and saw Grian, looking much better than he had before. At least he didn't look like he was about to pass out. "Morning," she mumbled, standing and starting to gather up her things.

Her eyes flicked to the werewolf and one eyebrow went up. "Still out, huh?"

He watched her as she prepared to start the morning, gathering up her things. He'd already placed what few belongings he had on him in a small pile by the rock he'd leaned against, still smeared with his blood. Now he had a small satchel with a few herbs from the healer, his coin purse, and his weapons. Most importantly, he had his sword, which he had placed unsheathed in front of himself during his watch over the night.

"Morning, Maka. I would suggest you sleep longer, but the sun is surprisingly bright today. Much clearer out now, not as much fog." He looked towards where she gestured at Leon. "Suppose so?"

"You are far too awake," Maka informed him in a sullen mutter, crouching beside the ashes of the fire and drawing flint out of her pack to spark a new flame. Flashing a quick smile in his direction, she added, "I don't need much sleep though, really. I'm fine."

She sat back with a soft sigh, glancing around for something to eat.

"Waking up for the first time after a near-death experience and feeling like I can move is, in my opinion, a good enough reason to feel grateful for the morning." He stroked a hand down his chin, running his fingers through his now unkempt facial hair.

Returning her smile, his eyes lit up, "I'm sure you don't... But next time we settle down for the night, I'll take first watch." He knew that she hadn't yet agreed to accompany him and take the job he'd offered, but he hoped she would. "You know, when I don't have a hole in my side I'm quite useful."

He stood up slowly to move closer to the fire, picking up a log to place on it, the slow way he placed it  the only indicator to his wound. He sat down next to her, though he left a comfortable space between them, as he looked out on the lake. "I ought to have enough coin to purchase a small boat and supplies... Probably some new clothes, too." He grinned, tossing a twig into the fire. They'd both torn quite a bit off of their garb in the process of bandaging and rebandaging his wound.

Maka tilted her head at him, watching carefully. Well, he didn't seem to be in too much pain, which was a good sign.

"You're planning on traveling by water then?" she asked, bringing her knees up to her chest and tapping her fingers rhythmically against the staff at her side. She decided not to ask where he'd been keeping coin, despite her curiosity. For some reason she rather liked that he didn't think she was only after his money, and she didn't want to ruin that belief in her.

"Yes," Grian nodded, "It will be the quickest way back to Rivers Ward. And I trust my skills on the water more than on horseback, at least given my current state..."

His brow furrowed as he thought about it a moment. "Though it might leave me exposed if whoever tried to kill me has men on the lookout for me. I'd be passing by some cities where I'm well-known the further south we go." He considered this a moment. "Might trade the boat for some horses the closer we get to Rivers Ward." Again, he included her in his plan.

Leaning over, he took the vest he'd been wearing out from the satchel. Turning it inside out, he checked the larger inner-pocket to check on how much coin he had left after paying for the healer's supplies. Yes, he should have enough for a small boat, supplies, clothing, to last them until they reached Rivers Ward. But just barely. He was banking on the small size of the nearby town, and how isolated it was. The prices of items would be much lower here than they would be closer to the coast and in larger cities like Rivers Ward. There was no way he'd be able to purchase such things in Rivers Ward with what he had...

If they wouldn't sell him the boat for the coin he had, he could always sell some of the stones from his daggers... Never his sword, of course. And even after that, perhaps he could provide some labor to earn the boat. He shared his thoughts with her. "And if what I have is not enough, I can trade in some of the gems on my daggers. Or perhaps provide labor or some service to the people of the town until I have enough." He ran a hand through his dirty black hair, starting to feel stressed now that he was well enough to think about what his next moves had to be. "I'll need to get back to Rivers Ward, see if I cannot decipher what transpired. Then, dependent on that, I will need to travel to Jadenshine to ensure that my mother and sisters are safe..."

Now he dragged his hand down his face, his features unmasked, open and vulnerable. He looked towards her. "You do know that I am not offering you the position purely out of repayment of the debt I owe you for my life, correct? I suspect that what I cannot remember is vital, and that my people, my family, and my life are in danger. This is no task to tackle alone, and I am likely to need support for the foreseeable future."

She nodded slowly as she listened to him, turning his words over carefully in her mind. "I...understand that," she said after a moment, glancing away.

Should she? It was hardly a guaranteed job. Whatever kind of lord or knight he was, he obviously had enemies. Did she really want to get tangled up in that?

But...well, with great risk came great reward. And if he could really pull this off- with her help- it might turn in to the best opportunity she'd had since stowing aboard that smuggling ship as a girl.

"You won't have to hawk your gems," she murmured, looking at the fire. "I have some coin, should be enough to make up for whatever you're lacking." She fell silent, biting her lower lip and frowning. Well, she'd committed now. She couldn't help wondering if she'd made the right choice.

A quick smile lit his features, trusting and optimistic as he reached out and grabbed her hand, shaking it. "I'm honored to be able to have you by my side, Maka. You will not regret this decision." And he genuinely meant it. "Any sacrifices you make now will be repaid with interest in the future. And with honor."

A more serious look shadowed his features as he continued. "Though I cannot promise this road will not be fraught with danger. I obviously have enemies... When we arrive at Rivers Ward, I cannot be certain who among my men are enemies and who will be allies. Up until now, I believed them all to be loyal. Who can say that those truly loyal to me are not now, themselves, dead, imprisoned, or dying?" Now that he had her agreement, he would not hold back any information he had from her. That was the way of the knights... True knights. She had given her word, in a roundabout way, by showing trust in his endeavor. She was facing risks by agreeing to follow him, and so he must risk himself by confiding in her.

He glimpsed over where Leon was and lowered his voice, unsure if the man's keen hearing might pick up their conversation. "What I do remember, however, was some nefarious business occurring in my city. I was in the process of investigating it and tracking it to the source before I ended up here... So I must have been getting close to the truth when I was attacked. As a port town, Rivers Ward is where much of our country's resources travel through... Including illegal resources. Now, my father had a great deal of infrastructure set up to prevent these illegal transactions from occurring within Rivers Ward, but something has begun to shift in the infrastructure. I believe it to be compromised. I began to suspect something when I discovered a shipment of weaponry being shipped through our port... While I caught this, I believe there to be more."

"When we arrive, we will have to do so undercover. I will hopefully be able to access some of my own resources at that point..." He paused. "Maka, you are not sworn to me in any way. You in no way have to see this through should things become too dangerous... "

She quirked her lips up at him in a smirk. "Believe me, Sir Knight, you don't need to tell me that twice. I'm not nearly as honorable as you want to think."

Maka was saying that a lot, but she was starting to believe it less and less. And that could be a very dangerous thing for someone in her line of work. Shaking her head, she let out a sharp breath and muttered, "Well, I'll at least see you home, or as close as I can manage. Can't very well leave you to fend for yourself, not until you've healed a bit more."

She was really trying to sell him into believing she wasn't honorable, but all of her actions thus far had been nothing but. She could leave him to fend for himself. "I think you're as honorable as you want to be. Even if you have not always been so, you can always become it."

He stood up, walking away from her and towards Leon. Kneeling down next to the man, he gently shook his shoulder. "Leon, wake up. We're readying ourselves to leave shortly."

Leon had slept in the same position for what seemed like an eternity. His breathing was slow and peaceful, his arms crossed and his head leaning against a rock. He was fortunate enough to be a deep sleeper, so when Maka and Grian decided to converse loudly amongst each other, he stayed in his relaxed slumber. In an ironic turn of events, it wasn't Grian's hand or his words that woke him, it was a large, blue butterfly that landed on the tip of his nose. A growl emitted from his throat, the butterfly immediately taking off. Leon's hand suddenly shot up, grabbing the butterfly and crushing it. He proceeded to wipe his hand off against the rock, his eyes opening as he sat up.

He grumbled, rubbing his eyes as he checked to make sure his sword was still sharp enough to defend them. "We finally heading somewhere new? Staying near this filthy river was about to drive me nuts..." He murmured, leaning against his shield for support as he stood. Gaining the feeling back in his legs, he gathered up his rook sack and prepared to head out with his companions. Untrusting and rather annoying? Yes. But companions, nonetheless.

Maka gathered her own pack, slinging it over her shoulder and moving up to stand beside Grian. "The lake's actually quite clean," she pointed out mildly, because she really couldn't seem to help herself. "When I was in town I heard someone mention that water nymphs protect the place, keep it pure."

She cast a look between the two men before her eyes settled on the injured knight. "You sure you can move? It's probably going to be a bit of a walk to get anywhere we can find a boat."

Grian looked between Maka and Leon, and then to the lake beyond. He knew, from experience, that there were certainly water beings present in the lake. And that it was a lake. Being washed in from river to river had made him grateful for the gentle waters of this lake.

He smiled and gingerly secured his sword and the satchel, shrugging the cloak on over. "Yes, for the moment at least... Since you've both spent some time on foot around here, you might have a better idea where we might find a boat." He hoped he'd be able to walk wherever it was... It would be fairly embarrassing if he couldn't.

She shrugged. "There's always the town back that way." She jerked her head to indicate direction, hefting her pack a little higher on her shoulder. "Not sure how likely we'd be to find someone with a boat who'd be willing to part with it though," she mused. The town wasn't exactly on the shores of the lake, and from what she'd seen they seemed to subside more on farming than fishing.

"Hmm..." Grian considered this. "Are you familiar with the area? We could always purchase a map, and depending on that decide a plan of action. Perhaps purchase horses to make it to the nearest town where we might sell the horses and purchase a boat... And then sell the boat for horses again later." He was definitely certain that he wouldn't be able to make a journey anywhere further than the nearby town without significantly slowing them down.

Leon crossed his arms, huffing as he listened to them decide where to venture in order to obtain a boat. He had walked throughout these woods for quite a few days; he had gone up and down the length of the river enough times to have the sound of the rushing water etched in his brain. He knew this area almost as well as home by now, so he knew where to go to get a boat, although it wasn't the nicest place to set foot in.

He pointed down the river, placing a hand on Grian's shoulder without a word. "Down that way. There's a dock. They have all kinds of boats, rafts, dingys, and so on. It's a fishing port, but some of the people there are... Shady, to say the least. It isn't as far as the town, and you have a better chance of finding what you're looking for, but I suggest if we go, everyone keep their heads down and don't give the people any strange looks." Leon advised, knowing very well he might be putting them in danger. But, hey... Grian needed a boat. It was still an option, even if it was somewhat dangerous. Besides, they had a mage, a lycan, and an experienced knight, so what danger could the thugs at the dock really pose?

"So... What are we doing?" Leon asked, looking between the two of them. He honestly didn't care what they decided, but his mind leaned more towards going to the dock, so he wouldn't need to walk as far. Pretty selfish, but then again, he was most likely alone in the small group anyways.

Maka shrugged, looking between the two men before subtly slipping forward to stand just a bit in front of Grian, putting her body mostly between him and the werewolf instinctively. "You're the boss, Sir Knight," she said with a shrug. "Make a call."

Grian looked in the direction Leon pointed, where the river met the lake. It would put them closer to Rivers Ward at the very least. He nodded at the man, and then at Maka. "We have our direction then." He turned to pick up the satchel, throwing it over his shoulder and then ensuring his sword belt was secure at his waist.

He felt determined now that he had at least the loose constructs of a plan. Kicking dirt over the last of the fire, he responded to Leon's description of the people. "Good thing we're a capable group that don't look worth much on first look." He looked at himself and his companions, clothes dirty, bloody, and torn from the road and their battle. If the people of the river town were the seedy type, they wouldn't be paying special attention to the group. At least not if they were looking to steal coin.

Although it would be easy to follow the river to keep from getting lost, Grian figured that there might be a quicker way down a path or a road that Leon would know. Riverbanks were often obstructed by fallen trees and bushes. He nodded at the man again. "We follow your lead."

Leon, upon hearing Grian's decision, didn't hesitate as he took the lead. He walked from their original campsite, assuming his comrades were behind him as he headed down the length of the river, soon coming to a huge, fallen log. He looked back at them, his face revealing no emotion. "Watch your step." He said dryly, hopping on and beginning to slowly cross the body of water. The tree this log came from must have been huge, spanning at least two times the width of the river. Of course, rotting and petrifying reduced the size of the log significantly as years went by. Leon narrowed his eyes, bouncing up and down slightly to ensure it was sturdy before giving a nod to Grian and Maka. "C'mon. It's safe."

Hopping off at the other side of the river, he looked back to make sure they got across safely. He really didn't want to jump into the freezing cold waters to save one of them from drowning... It would be a waste of time for not only him, but them as well. As soon as he was sure they were okay, he continued to trek on, this time down a small deer trail in the woods. Birds chirped and squawked around the group as they ventured deeper, Leon not seeming too afraid, simply because he had lived his whole life throughout the wilderness. After about 30 minutes or so, they came out of the dense forest, onto a small ledge that overlooked the sparkling lake. "Ah... Here we are..." Leon murmured, crouching and looking at the rather large dock that lay in front of them.

It looked like any other dock, really. Sure, it was bigger, and quite a lot of people were here, but it was as common as any other. There were small houses and buildings, fishing boats and canoes anchored to the barnacle-encrusted posts that were embedded into the mud below the water, and workers who talked amongst each other and hauled loads of fish onto waiting caravans, perhaps travelling to a village nearby. He looked at Grian. "Remember what I told you. Keep your eyes to yourself." He advised, standing and jumping down from the ledge, landing onto the gravel below with a thud. He then headed towards the docks, his grip on his kite shield becoming tighter.

Maka did not like this place. She flexed her fingers anxiously around her staff, following after Leon with no small trace of reluctance.

She didn't say anything, but she automatically started to flank Grian, more like a bodyguard than a traveling companion. She fixed her eyes on Leon's back, trying not to look at the people around them too obviously.

Grian was nimble as he crossed the log, though not as nimble as he would be had he been in a better state of health. Before reaching the town he wedged a thumb beneath the hilt of his sword, loosening it in its sheath. He didn't need to be reminded to take care by Leon, but he was fairly accustomed to it. His men-at-arms often advised him, ad nauseam, to take care. Their reminders weren't so much about them believing him incompetent, but out of concern for his well-being. His safety was important to them because the people of his territory were dependent on his leadership. However, he didn't think Leon shared the same concern.

As they reached the docks, Grian relied on Maka and Leon to remain on alert as he inspected the various boats, trying to decide on the type of boat that would work well in both narrow, quick rivers, as well as survive the pull of the tides as they neared Rivers Ward. Something he could easily maneuver alone or with a crew... He actually found himself quite excited by it all, intrigued by the different types of boats these Ravensway folk built. The vessels of his people in Rivers Ward in Summervale were crafted for maneuverability and strength, capable of surviving both rivers and oceans.

While there weren't any vessels here that were perfect, there was one of approximately the right build. He eyed it across the dock, seeing that it passed up to a visual inspection. It didn't look like much, but the hull was suitably broad and . The nature of the boat was long and slender, set up with oars. Not as well-crafted as one of his own boats, but it would suffice. He noted to his companions, nodding in the direction of the boat. "I'll need a closer look at her, but that looks like that boat we'll want. The rest of these boats here were built for gentle lakes and slow, deep rivers."

Maka nodded, carefully looking around before her eyes lit on the boat Grian indicated. She shrugged. "I really don't know anything about boats, so I'll take your word for it," she muttered, eyes flicking around.

"If we can get this over with quickly though, I'd be much more relaxed," she added quietly, indicating two men who had been giving them rather ugly looks with a jerk of her head.

Leon narrowed his eyes as they headed down the docks, looking from side-to-side at the dockworkers and customers, all of which who gave dirty looks in their direction. He had a tight grip on the hilt of his sword, stopping as Grian finally seemed to make his decision. Leon knew virtually nothing about boats, so he trusted what the man said, just sharing Maka's sympathies of wanting to get out of this place. He turned, spotting a muscular, bald man walking towards them.

"Find the one you like?" He asked, his voice low. Leon looked up and down at him, noticing his dirtied tunic and tattooed arms. He was the type of man who could intimidate most, but Leon didn't reveal any sort of fear towards this guy at all. Just another tough guy, in his eyes... "Yeah. We think we did." Leon finally replied, looking over his shoulder at the other men who kept staring rather hatefully. "Those boys your own? No offense to you, or anything... But they're making the lady nervous." He made the excuse, looking back at Maka in hopes that she would play along.

The man looked between Maka and Leon, scoffing before looking at his men and giving a nod, all of them seeming to go back to whatever they were doing. "Forgive me... They're not too fond of outsiders. Especially a team as peculiar as yours." He stated dryly. Leon said nothing, just pulled a bag of coins from his sack, placing it in his hand. "That should be more than enough. A little extra to ensure we won't be hunted down by these thugs." He spat. The man stood up tall, taking a step forward at the insulting remark. "Thugs...? You come up with that disgusting Adelan armor, some shady girl and a guy that looks like he's on his last leg and hasn't bathed in months, and you have the nerve to call us thugs? Watch your tongue, boy."

Leon and the man exchanged glares for a long time, Leon finally deciding to speak up. "Just take the money so we can be on our way. I wouldn't want to have to bloody this nice dock of yours." He murmured. The man bared his teeth, but then simply sighed, ordering two men over. They unlatched the boat from the dock, Leon waiting for them to be done before getting on. He nodded to Maka and Grian, thankful that they got out without a fight. Until the man uttered something cryptic... "Doesn't matter if I snapped your neck and gutted you like a fish or not... You go out far enough, and the serpents will have you for lunch!" At these words, the men chuckled, Leon just gritting his teeth.

Serpents? What was he going on about? Whatever it was, it couldn't be anything that they would get by easily. Leon looked out towards the lake, which was now misty and ominous, the trees on the other side just barely visible through it all. This was going to be a long day, indeed...

Grian kept his ear to his companion's dealings as he continued to eye the boat in question. While Leon's method of negotiation wasn't necessarily the way that Grian would go about things, it was effective.

When the other man seemed to accept selling the boat, Grian stepped onto the vessel and began his inspection. Sturdy hull, decent balance, light enough to get them over the shallows. While it left something to be desired in regards to its probable swiftness, it would still be suitable enough for their journey. Although it seemed as if he was otherwise preoccupied, he was keeping his ear open to the commentary of the others. Serpents? Well, he had dealt with sea beasts before and he was prepared to do so again.

As Leon and Maka untied them from the docks, Grian took hold of the tiller to direct the rudder. He narrowed his eye as he sought out the subtle current in the lake, directing the boat seamlessly into it without the need of any manpower. Once on the current, the boat creaked and settled into the rhythm of the water. He kept his hand on the tiller as he looked out across the lake to where the river picked up, the river that would deliver them downriver to Rivers Ward. A smile broke across his features as he leaned over to scoop up a handful of water, sprinkling it into the boat and drawing a line down his face to his heart with his wet thumb in an almost ritualistic manner. Something about being out in the waters made him feel reinvigorated, alive and on the path to healing.

With his wet thumb he tested the air before raising the sail on the boat, letting it scoop up the air and propel them forward even faster. Out on this lake they would be fine using the sail, as they would be on wider channels of the rivers up ahead, but he knew that they wouldn't be using it for most of their journey. Once the currents picked up in the rivers, they would have no problem getting downriver. Grinning at his companions, Grian tossed his head to displace his dirty hair from his face. "Well, seems a good day on the waters. What should we name our vessel?"

Though still wary of "serpents"- and the lake itself if she was being honest, though for the life of her she couldn't figure out why such still waters were more disturbing to her than the surf and waves of her childhood- Maka threw Grian a half incredulous, half amused look.

"You're awfully chipper all of the sudden," she noted wryly, but her lips curved up in the barest hint of a smile.

She shrugged. "Call the thing whatever you like, we're only going to sell it again when we're done with it."

Well... That went smoother than expected. Leon sat on a small bench built into the side of the craft, sighing relaxedly as he raised a brow at Grian. He then looked at Maka, giving a slight chuckle at the girl's words. He shrugged, smirking. "She wouldn't be wrong." He remarked, hoping to get on the girl's good side. "There's only so far that a boat can take us. This thing will fetch a nice amount of money, once we get back on dry land. Maybe even enough to get you both horses." He said, the idea of wasting even more money on travel items making him cringe...

Leon was a werewolf. A lycan. One transformation later and he could be all the way to the capital in a mere five hours. His legs in his wolf form were sturdy and quick... Able to carry him for miles without tiring at all. They could just climb on his back and they could be where they needed to be in no time. However... Something told him they really didn't have any desire to climb on a werewolf's back. It made sense why they wouldn't...

"Doesn't matter, all vessels need a name if you want it to hold up for you." Sure, it was superstitious, but why chance it? If his companions did not care about naming the vessel, then he had full rein on the decision. "I'll call her Síþfæt, then." He patted the side of the boat, which seemed to speed up just a bit at his declaration. "She likes it!"

Grian and his people were sea-faring folk, descendants of water nymphs who believed in honoring the waters of the rivers, bays, and oceans. In turn, they believed that one must name their vessels to ensure its loyalty... It was said that unnamed boats would be more suspect to destruction and sinking.

They had been sailing for a few hours, off of the lake and onto a river before finally reaching a great, dark and uninhabited lake. Their boat slowed as the waters deepened, the winds dying down and hardly catching in the sails at all. Grian frowned, leaving the tiller for a moment and walking to the bow of the boat to look out on the lake. "Seems we might need to do a bit of rowing... I'll keep her on course if you two will take up the oars."

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((OoC: Snakesies?))

[OOC: works for me!]
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Maka couldn't help chuckling slightly at Grian's apparent delight in naming their little boat. She tried to do what she could to help out as they sailed along, but she really knew shockingly little about sea-faring, considering her background.

"I don't mind rowing," she said with a shrug when it was suggested. She moved to take an oar, tapping Leon's shoulder as she did. "Go on, you take starboard side. We're listing a little too far that way anyway."

Well look at that...maybe she'd absorbed a bit more from her sailor father's stories than she'd thought- at least in terms of terminology.

"What in the Hell kind of name is that...?" Leon asked, raising a brow at Grian and chuckling. His gaze snapped towards Maka as she tapped his shoulder, giving a swift nod before standing and making his way to the side she assigned for him. Picking up the oar, he dug the flat slab of wood into the choppy waves, churning it slowly through the water and eventually straightening the boat as they were propelled forwards by sheer manpower. He kept alert as they made their way into the misty, vision-imparing part of the dark lake, not liking the atmosphere one bit.

He sniffed around, hoping to guide them through the eerie waters by scent alone. Everything had a familiar smell, so Leon would know if they were getting ready to smash into some rocks, or hit the shore. He needed to be 100% focused on his navigation, his attention turning in many directions in the span of a couple minutes. It was evident that he hadn't been too worried about his rowing, the man just barely keeping his strokes in sync with Maka. Nonetheless, they continued on at a decent speed, the front of the boat cutting through the white fog like butter.

Leon suddenly dropped the oar, standing and sniffing multiple times, his sharp teeth bared as he looked around. "Both of you, keep quiet!" He barked at them, his voice a slight whisper as he reached for his sword, locked neatly in its sheathe. "Some kind of animal is circling the boat... No... Two. Three, maybe? They have been for awhile now..." He explained, crouching as he did his best to stay away from the sides of the boat. "The scent is fuzzy... Something reptilian, from what I can tell. Big, too." He continued, suddenly remembering the man from the dock's warning about serpents. Leon didn't think he was lying, but he still never thought they'd actually be in this scenario.

His eyes widened as the sound of water splashing echoed behind them, Along with an ominous hiss. Turning slowly, his eyes locked onto those of a massive snake, its head and part of its long, slender body coming up from the surface of the lake, its scaly body dripping and glistening as a black, forked tongue flicked from its closed jaws. Leon stood, shield and sword held defensively, the snake opening its mouth to reveal a pink, fleshy chasm outfitted with two deadly fangs. All around them, the heads of two more snakes burst forth, hissing and snapping as they examined the vessel that lay before them. "Dammit... I was hoping I wouldn't have to shed any blood today..."

Although Grian couldn't smell his way through a fog, he could certainly navigate one. Years spent on the open ocean and in the bays had prepared him for this sort of weather, and it wasn't difficult for him to keep the rudder effectively directing them away from the shore and any rocks and towards the river that would lead them downstream out to the ocean and to Rivers Ward. What he wasn't familiar with were the great serpents Leon was able to detect just moments before they burst forth.

Grian kept one hand on the rudder to try to maintain their course towards the river, where the shallow waters and narrow banks might provide some level of protection. His other hand went to the hilt of his sword, clearing it of its sheath in one pull, cringing at the sharp pang of pain shooting up his side from his wound.

He aimed the boat at one of the beasts, the boat swinging around and hitting the serpent as he used his sword to slash at the beast. He wasn't able to cut as deeply as he would have if he had been in good health, but at least he was able to do a bit of damage as he continued to steer the boat to their best advantage.

Maka had an idea. It was probably rather mad, but she didn't see many options- she couldn't fend the massive serpents off with just her staff, not for long.

"Hold them off, give me a few minutes!" she shouted to her companions, bracing herself in the middle of the boat and holding her staff out in front of her, parallel to the water. She closed her eyes and took a breath, tapping into the power swirling in her core.

She hated doing this. It was so cold. But she pushed through the discomfort, reaching out with that freezing mental touch, down down down into the water. There had to be something she could use- there!

Her eyes suddenly snapped open and rolled into the back of her head. With a sharp gasp, Maka felt every muscle in her body tense and she intoned, "Rise." Her voice seemed almost doubled, shivering through the air.

For a few moments nothing happened. Then the water started to ripple, then roil as suddenly things burst through to the surface. Dead things, the remains of the serpents' previous victims, human and animal alike.

With a flicker of thought, Maka sent her necromantic summonings to attack the creatures.

Leon gripped his shield tightly, spinning his sword once as the snakes dove in for the attack. He gave a grunt, rolling out of the way to evade the snapping jaws. He turned quickly, swiping the sharp blade at one of their bodies and leaving a huge gash. With a scream of pain, the snake sunk back into the water, the other three snapping back around to lunge at the boat yet again.

Grian's skillful maneuvering of the boat truly helped in avoiding the serpent's erratic attacks, even going out of his way to make the risky move of ramming one of them head-on. As it screeched, sinking back into the water, the other three came straight at Grian. Leon quickly stepped up, blocking one of the lethal bites before wildly slashing at the other two snakes, managing to get a hit on the tip of one's snout. The little gashes and cuts only served to anger the creatures... Leon knew that. Still, what else could he do? These things were huge.

He sighed in relief as Maka finally stepped into the conflict. He had been glancing at her every now and then, noticing her doing her little magic thing. From how long it took her, he could only assume the spell was something big. His guess was right, looking around at the old, waterlogged bones rising from the lake around the serpents, who were all examining their surroundings in confusion. As the corpses flew at the snakes, they began hissing, slamming the flying bodies away and even gobbling a few up.

Leon, smirking at the distraction, leaped off the end of the boat straight at the nearest serpent. Clinging onto the beast's head, as well as many other corpses, he continuously bashed the snake's skull with his shield, nearly falling off as the beast shook around frantically. Letting out an animal-like growl, Leon thrusted his sword through the snake's skull, killing the first out of the entire bunch. However... Things, while looking up at first, quickly went south as the carcass of the snake began a quick descent right on top of the boat. Leon gritted his teeth, clinging on for dear life and wincing as the snake nearly crashed through the small vessel. Something stopped it, though... Another blade. A long one, wielded by a cloaked, lithe man with bright red gauntlets. The type of image that Leon could never forget.

Leon, jumping from the thing's skull and turning towards the man, narrowed his eyes. "You..." He spat. The man, tossing the carcass into the water and off of his sword, turned to Leon, pulling down the hood of his cloak to reveal his messy, red locks. Around them, the other serpents had already begun to retreat, overwhelmed by Maka's corpses. The man narrowed his eyes at Leon, sliding his sword into his scabbord as he tossed the cloak to the side. "Always nice to see familiar faces." The man murmured.

"Hello, Leon. Long time, no see."