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Post by Zakari Skinner on Aug 8, 2012 20:49:10 GMT -5
As the sun creeped over the top of the mountain, Zak stirred in his little canvas shelter. He didn't particularly want to drag himself out of his 'bed', a layer of pine needles covered in a blanket, but he knew he must. In a few moments he was up and stark naked, heading over to take a quick dip in the stream.
It was summer; though it was warm elsewhere it was still rather chilly up the mountain. The stream wasn't just chilly, it was down right cold. Zak only took a moment to wash up and then he was out and bundled up in some traveling clothes.
The area he was currently in was rugged. It was one of the few areas where trees grew alongside the stream; secluded and just right for a night out. Being a psychic, he could feel evil presences of demons and other such creatures. His natural ability gave him a false feeling of safety, one that he often took for granted.
Not only was the area rugged, but Zakari's face was as well. It was high time he shaved the stubble from his face, but he vowed he would do that later. He had to be on his way now, or he would never make it into Valspara by night fall.
A loud, clear whistle rang throughout the area. Seconds later, heavy hoofbeats could be heard coming near him. Three seconds later, a large, heavily built Percheron horse appeared, fully saddled and ready to be on his way. Zak quickly loaded everything onto the horse and smiled to himself.
The large dapple grey creature was one Zak treasured; if anything ever happened to that horse he would cry. Beast may have been slow, but he was dependable and strong. A rock to sit on during a storm. That's what had attracted the young dwarf, any way.
It took Zakari a moment to get on top of Beast; standing at 17.3 hands tall, the horse was larger than most. Once he was aboard, he carefull maneuvered the horse onto a narrow trail that would take them safely down the mountain. [/blockquote] (Beast is his horse's name, of course. c:) |
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Post by Ith Faera on Aug 8, 2012 21:07:35 GMT -5
Ith urged Mar down the slop. The horse was breathing heavily and Ith knew that they should stop to rest but she wanted to make it to the next village before they did.
Mar stumbled down the mountain, kicking up small rocks as he went. Ith looked around, the trees didn't provide much cover and ahead she could just make out a gap that could easily have been a path. She steered Mar towards the path, not that she wanted to take it, but for her horse's sake she would risk it.
As they moved onto the path Ith pulled up her hood looking around before spurring the horse on further. Mar mistook her nudge and attempted to break into a fast canter and immediatly stumbled on the uneven ground and fell, throwing Ith from his back and crashing to the ground with a shrill scream. Quickly Ith dusted herself off, nothing broken, just a bruise on her side, and ran over to where Mar lie squirming on the ground. He squealed in agony and Ith saw that his front leg was broken. She cursed loudly, not caring if anyone was nearby to hear. Pulling out her knife she quickly put the animal out of its misery and sat dejectedly on the edge of the path. Now she had no ride and the closest village was miles away.
"I guess this is Karma getting back at me..." She mumbled to herself. After a few moments she stood and started walking on down the path. She hadn't gotten a hundred yards when she heard a shrill whistle carry across the air. Ith's body tensed and she looked around, hand ready to pull out her knife. But no one was there, at least not in direct line of sight, but Ith knew that there was someone out there and she had to stay alert.
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Post by Zakari Skinner on Aug 8, 2012 21:21:38 GMT -5
Zak could have sworn he was hearing things, but soon there was something upon him. There had to be something nearby. Something eerie. No, not something. Someone. Instinctively, Zak placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. He stayed aboard Beast and allowed to horse to continue down the hill.
It was Beast who first sensed the blood from the dying horse; the stench of demon was overwhelming all of Zak's senses. Well, it wasn't actually the smell that was getting to him. It was the nagging signs at the back of his consciousness that urged him to steer beast away and head for the hills.
That wasn't Zakari Skinner. It simply wasn't. Ignore the premonitions and his instincts, he soon came across a slim figure and a dead horse.
Beast wanted to keep going. Zak had to jerk on the reins to get the large horse to stop, and even then he pawed at the ground, snorting at the scent of the other horse. Zak pondered the situation for a moment. He knew the slim figure was that of a demon, but did she know what he was? Chances of that were slim, so he wasn't going to blow his cover.
What he wanted to learn about was how this horse died, and what this creature was doing on the mountain. Then and only then would he find the best way to dispose of her and her evilness. Demons were evil, after all. All of them. It was in the definition of the word... right?
Keeping his tone as calm and as sincere as possible, Zak decided to speak to the figure. "Pardon me for the intrusion, but are you in need of assistance?" [/blockquote] |
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Post by Ith Faera on Aug 8, 2012 21:32:06 GMT -5
Ith heard the sound of a horse coming, but she did not move from where she was. Even after the stranger had asked his question Ith had not looked at him. But when she felt that he wasn't going to move on she turned and looked at him. "Oh, no thank you kind sir, I am fine thank you," She said in her sweetest voice. Then she turned on her heels and started walking. The suddenness of her movement caused her hood to slide off her head, but she didn't care, she just kept walking.
Ith had only caught a glimpse of the man on the large horse but she had seen enough to know that he was handsome. However, she wasn't going to let on that she had noticed, the last think she thought he needed was to think he was rescuing a damsel in distress. She would appear as capable as possible, even though her horse had just broken its leg and she had had to kill it.
She hoped that the horseman wouldn't follow her, but she had a feeling that nothing was going to go her way, recent events had proven that.
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Post by Zakari Skinner on Aug 9, 2012 9:23:06 GMT -5
The man wasn't quite sure of what he was supposed to do in this situation. Usually he would chase after the girl and use his attitude to help him get another woman under his belt, but this case was different. She wasn't your run of the mill desperate elf girl who needed a ride to the nearest village.
This dark haired lady was a demon, who probably wasn't completely innocent. Though Zakari had no fear of his soul being devoured, he didn't really want her on the horse with him. She could bite him.. or something...
Bah! What was he thinking? She didn't know he knew she was a demon. As long as he didn't threaten her in some way he doubted she would strike. If he could get information out of her, he would have a better chance at taking her down in the long run, right? Seconds after he discovered this he was urging the large white gelding forward, and Beast had no problem with that.
"Wait, Miss! You cannot possibly hope to walk to the next village alone! You're nothing but a raven haired twig, and most bears do not care for beauty. They just like fresh meat. So please, m'lady, allow me to escort you to the next village." Zak felt rather awkward at the moment, though he didn't let that creep into his voice. He'd never actually spoke to a female demon; as a matter of fact, the only demons he had ever spoken to were now dead, normally not slain by his hand.
There was a distinct difference between him and the ruthless group he had once been traveling with; they were a bunch of antisocial 'demon hunting' men who wanted nothing to do with anything but demons and their weapons. Zakari had never been able to desensitize himself and give up the hopes of having a wife and children some day... in the not so near future. [/blockquote] |
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Post by Ith Faera on Aug 9, 2012 11:06:33 GMT -5
Ith continued walking, arms crossed over her chest. "You are nothing but a raven haired twig," He said and Ith had had enough, she whirled around to face the man, a dark scowl on her face.
"I am more than capable to take care of myself!" She pulled out her knife and pointed it at the soldier. "And bears are no problem for me." This time she glared directly at him, looking over with her dark eyes. He was as handsome as she had thought when she had just caught a glimpse of his face. She felt a blush rush to her pale cheeks when her eyes caught his for a moment and she quickly looked away.
Again she turned around and continued on down the path, walking a little faster than she was earlier. Ith just wanted him to leave her alone. She slide her knife back into its sheath. While she was distracted her foot slide and Ith fell to the ground. Quickly she shot to her feet, her face red with embaressment and she glared at the rider, daring him to say anything.
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Post by Zakari Skinner on Aug 9, 2012 11:30:20 GMT -5
Zak raised his hands in his defense as innocently as he possibly could, cracking a smile. She was a feisty woman; one that would have been his type assuming she wasn't a demon. But she was, so he doubted a relationship would ever work out between them.
The heat that rose to her face only made Zakari's smile grow. This was going better than he expected. He chuckled and followed after her. "I suppose you could be capable..."
Zak was a bit of an arrogant ass at times, but it was all geared toward a good laugh. Constant teasing and picking were expected from him, along with the usual jokes and good humor he tried to bring into a situation. Along with a dash of chivalry here and there, he was quite the package, assuming you could get over the first bit. His pride was perhaps his biggest weakness.
As the woman fell, Zak winced. That probably wasn't healthy, and he wasn't exactly walking where it would do much good at the moment. He weighed his speaking options testily, trying to figure what route would be safer for him to take. "You alright? Might want to watch that gravel. I mean, there could be a bear nearby and he could potentially see a mistake as an opportunity to strike." He nodded for extra affect. [/blockquote] |
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Post by Ith Faera on Aug 9, 2012 11:38:34 GMT -5
Ith stuck her tongue out at him, her arms crossed over her chest. She had to fight the beginnings of a smile so she turned away so he couldn't see her face.
"What is it with you and bears? You think that they roam around all over the place...you must be obsessed." Ith slowed her pace, watching the ground for any uneven spots, picking her footing more carefully.
"I would be more concerned about wolves, and demons. I hear that they are more common in these parts." She looked up at him out of the corner of her eye. By the stars! was she flirting with him? Her face contorted into a scowl, she couldn't believe her behavior. She walked on without saying anything further. After a little while Ith looked up and saw dark clouds rolling in over the trees, just great, the last thing she needed was for it to rain on her as she walked to the village.
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Post by Zakari Skinner on Aug 9, 2012 12:05:33 GMT -5
Zak beamed at the gesture. Clearly things were going better than he had originally anticipated. Opting for a more casually setting, Zak dismounted and led Beast behind him. He was glad to see that the woman wasn't taller than him. They appeared to be around the same height, which helped his case. In most cases, he didn't do as well with the taller ladies.
Curse his heritage. It was taking down his beautiful face.
"An obsession with bears? I might eventually take that up, but right now they're pretty well the only thing I'm worried about." A lie, but a well told one. "As for the wolves, they're smaller than bears. I haven't seen one, and I'm sure this big guy would help me in that fight." He nodded in Beast's direction; the horse was following along obediently and silently. That was a first.
"Demons? Poppycock! There's no such thing." Another well told lie. He was getting good at lying, and it was probably for the best. Any suspicions about him should have blown the coop. Hard telling if they did, but he was going to stick to the ignorant approach.
Zakari paid no attention to the incoming clouds. There was no sense of it. Rain was actually something he didn't mind, until it started freezing. Luckily it was warm enough that freezking wouldn't be possible. [/blockquote] |
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Post by Ith Faera on Aug 9, 2012 12:48:12 GMT -5
This time Ith couldn't hel p bu tlet out a small laugh. Poppycock? Was he serious? - He really thought that there weren't demons in the woods? Well besides her, Ith knew for a fact that many demons prowled the forests of this region, you just had to know where to look.
She quickly wiped the silly grin off her face, she was being too nice to this guy, she couldnt' allow herself to get close with anyone because she was always travelling. She knew that she especially shouldn't be making friends with dark handsome strangers in the woods, she had learned not to do that a while ago...it hadn't turned out so well for that stranger.
Ith needed to turn back on the irritable bitch that would get this guy to leave her alone. "Wow, you really think there are no such things as demons? You must not travel very much." It was a weak insult and Ith knew it, it was getting hard to be mean to this guy.
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Post by Zakari Skinner on Aug 9, 2012 13:05:23 GMT -5
Laughing was a wonderful sound when it came from someone like the dark haired woman. It meant he was weaseling his way inside her mind, attaching himself there like some kind of a little tick that one does not simply just ignore. Being sure he had proper posture, Zak began to formulate a response to the woman's statement.
"To be honest, I travel rather frequently. I actually used to run with a band of men who tried to hunt demons. They weren't the brightest crayons in the box and, after a while, I learned that they reason they failed at hunting demons was because there weren't any. At least, that's how I had it explained to me by the leader of the group." Zak combined elements of the truth and a lie into that stretched on statement, and it seemed to work rather nicely. It pleased him to know he had come up with it.
Beast snorted behind them, and Zak turned around to look at the huge creature. He held up one finger to his lips as if 'shushing' the horse, and turned back to the demon. She didn't seem to be that bad of a person. He figured she wasn't that bad until she decided to eat someone's soul. [/blockquote] |
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Post by Ith Faera on Aug 9, 2012 13:20:27 GMT -5
Ith's eyebrows furrowed together at the mention of the demon hunters. He had hunted demons but he didn't believe in them? Ith felt that she was being lied to. She pursed her lips together as he continued talking, she had to decipher his words. Glancing side long at him she sent him a fake smile.
"My stars, I don't even know your name," She said sweetly when he had finished talking. "My name is Faera, Ith Faera. What is yours?" Her dialogue was laced with fake sweetness and false curiosity. Overhead the clouds rumbled and she looked up at them warily. It hadn't started raining yet but she could tell that it was going to storm hard.
Pointing to the ominuous clouds she stoppd on the path and turned towards the soldier, her face painted with genuine concern. "Do you think we should find a place to get out of the rain? ith personally didn't mind rain that much, but she wasn't fond of storms, especially when she was walking around during a strong one. She wanted to find shelter, and fast.
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Post by Zakari Skinner on Aug 9, 2012 13:32:05 GMT -5
"My name isn't very important, but If you feel you must know, it's Brian." Zak hated that name. He felt it didn't suit him at all, but maybe she would feel otherwise. That was the name he was actually given at birth, and the reason he actually changed his name. Zakari Skinner was much better than Brian O'Brien. It disgusted him just to think of his family's name.
Ith was an odd name, to say the least. It sounded like the noise a snake would make. Ith Faera was certainly fitting for a demon such as this one. Zak gave her a warm smile. "That's quite the interesting name. Did your parents name you after anything?" Maybe a snake charmer, or an evil temptress? Perhaps your Aunt Sissy? If they were both lying, they were both perhaps the biggest scoundrels in the land.
Zakari had nothing to hide, but he liked hiding it anyway. His lying ways didn't need to be spread about the land. If that happened then he would have no chance getting anyone to marry him but a poor scullery maid or a tavern wench. He wanted an amazing girl... like the lady of the lake or some random fairy princess who sparkled when she walked, but he'd settle for a normal woman. [/blockquote] |
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Post by Ith Faera on Aug 9, 2012 13:56:28 GMT -5
Ith was slightly surprised that he had asked about the meaning of her name. She let a sigh out of her nose, like hell she was going to tell him what it really ment. Ith didn't need him to know that her name ment Demon Flower in the ancient demonic tongue, besides he didn't believe in demons now did he?
"It doesn't really mean anything." She said with a smile. "My parents just like the name, my mother, she was part elf and she loved the ancient elfen language, so that's where it came from. I have no clue what it means." It was a huge bold faced lie, but he didn't know that and he couldn't prove it, for all he knew it was the truth. She had a slight feeling that he wasn't telling her the truth about his name either, but again, she couldn't prove it.
"Now, Brian, where are you headed? Or are you just a lonely traveller looking for some company?" Ith slipped her hands behind her back and clasped them together, trying to look interested in his response, what ever it may be. If he was headed to the village too then she could use him to lead the way, if that wasn't already what he was doing. She would need to get a new horse when they got there and more supplies. Just let it not rain too hard... Ith thought to herself as she felt a rain drop hit her nose.
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Post by Zakari Skinner on Aug 9, 2012 16:28:06 GMT -5
Zak nodded in response to the question as some sprinkles began to dash across his face. If the sprinkles turned into a full on storm, he would probably throw up his canvas cover and they could bunker down under it. However if it just continued to sprinkle, he wasn't going to stop moving.
Where was he heading? Well, that was a tough question to answer. "Well, I don't really know where I'm going. To the next village and then off sight seeing." He felt compelled to respond to the second question as well. "Oh, trust me, I've never been lonely." He winked cutely and tried to move off of that particular subject.
It wasn't long after they continued down the path that Beast nickered softly behind Zakari. He turned around only to find that it had started to downpour in a sheet behind them. Not wasting one second of the sprinkling, Zak jerked the canvas cover from the saddle bag and quickly draped it over a couple of tree branches. This would sustain them for a little while, at least until the rain died down. [/blockquote] |
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