Shattered Bow, Splintered Wood (open)

[Shena'doah]

She turned her back to him since looking at him frustrated her right that very moment. Her thoughts immediately went out to Emi who was hopefully out of this place and back at camp. That will be the first place I go and the last time I’m there when I get out of this city. It was a sad thought but a true one. Emi would be there waiting for her and possibly know that they would be relocating again. Labran was saying something but she wasn’t listening to him so most of what he said at first was filtered out and never reached her mind. The statement about taking her out of this city did get her attention and she turned around quicker than she thought she had and nearly teetered over.

”I appreciate that and I’m not sure I’d like to hear that story unless you deem it absolutely necessary.” she said brazenly, wanting to sit down but didn’t feel comfortable enough with her surroundings to do so. Instead she fought the urge by crossing her arms over her chest and pacing tirelessly. Her gaze flickered to his face and down to what was in his hand and recognized immediately what he was holding. There was no way to fasten it since she’d ripped the tie off of it but it would make a suitable blanket or she could use it to make something else. ”Thank you…”

The bow caught her attention and she stared at him for a long moment of silence as if trying to figure out where he got it but she already knew. ”Nice bow…” she said rather than stating that was the guard’s bow and risk being heard by anyone passing by. ”And when and how exactly do you plan to get out of here?” Shena was certain that the fatigue would begin to set in soon and if she wasn’t going to get time to rest, then she really wanted to keep moving.

[Hirem]

He noticed her shuffling impatiently and realized that staying on the move was likely a good idea. He pushed himself up, and stretched his arms, groaning with exhaustion. "Well, first thing I can do is inform you of my real name. My name is Hirem." He grabbed the uninjured leg by the toes and pulled it back, testing his calves.

He glanced down at the bow, and shrugged, handing it to her. "Next thing I can do is give you a bow." He smiled slightly at the offer, and almost shoved it into her hands, as he did not need it. He started to walk down the direction she had been walking, angling his body so he could watch her.

"We'll sneak out at nightfall, and eventually I'll find a 'how'. With your help, Shena." He took a slight frown, and stared into her eyes. "I will need yor help, Shena. We need to work together to survive this."

[Shena'doah]

She paused to lean on a shadowed wall of a building, the cool texture of it supplying mild comfort for her. Actually it was very comfortable for her to just pause lean again something – no matter how cold and unforgivingly rigid it was. Exhaustion made a bed of needles feel like a bed of feathers and this was no different. Shena realized that ’bed’ was a nice thought, even if it were just a blanket on the sand, a bed was a bed in this case. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment as she tilted her head back and tried to not succumb to the heat and exhaustion from completely outdoing herself in a short amount of time.

One eyelid lifted and she gave him a curiously thoughtful look. Labran wasn’t his name after all, it was Hirem. With the hope that he had a good reason to do something as petty as disguising a name, Shena made no remarks and just studied him. Though she would thoroughly enjoy pouncing the man right then, silence would probably get more of her questions answered at this point. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be asking even more questions later in a very interrogational way. It was becoming obvious that they would be stuck with each other after what had just occurred so she’d at least like to know who she’d be accompanied by.

His next statement surprised her enough to have her lift her head slightly and look at him point blank. ”That’s the guard’s bow…” she said warily then shrugged. She didn’t really have to work hard to get it from him either; seemed as though he might have thrown it at her if she hadn’t eagerly taken it. The bow was nicer than her old one had been and possibly cost more than she would have been able to afford at the moment so she wasn’t going to complain. Actually, Shena rather liked the darker wood.

Her brows made a museful quirk and she pushed herself off the side of the wall as they began to walk again, glad that they were at least moving no matter how slow the pace. ”Of course you’ll need my help. But no more stealing…” she said as she held up the bow and showed it to him, giving it a little shake. ”And no more fighting if at all possible. I’d like to not be noticed…” she paused and glanced at his leg, ”… or hurt.”

[Hirem]

Hirem knew that Shena was carefully observing and judging his every action, as would he once forced together with a strange individual in a life-or-death scenario. He dearly wished to tell her the honest truth and be done with it, but that was impossible now. All he could do was to make sure they both survived this, safe and well, and then he could answer all her questions and give her a clear idea of what he was like.

Once they started walking, he felt his pace slow as well as hers, knowing the full wave of their exhaustion was hitting them hard. He toyed with the idea of finding a place to rest before settling on a slow walk that relaxed his muscles at least a little bit. To help soothe his mind, he continued his talk with her, letting his posture slack as he fought weariness.

"Don't worry, I'm not fond of either of those options. We'll be safe if we think this through." He glanced over at her, and watched her walk beside him, almost as tired as he was. Still, she had a certain strength that he admired, one that bolstered her body and inadvertantly drew attention to her amongst common women. "We should continue walking, though we may have to hide if any patrols come close to finding us."

A sound that sounded suspiciously like the crackle of boots on stone echoed down the alley from the other end, and his head whipped about to check the area. Silence however, ruled the street and he slowly turned his head forward again, blaming it on nerves. "So, do you have any ideas on what we should be doing?"

[Shena'doah]

She shook her head and was beginning to no like the idea of walking until nightfall. It would help to keep moving since there weren’t many places that were safe on the street for long periods of time. Any other day they might have been safe for her but not anymore. That reminder alone was enough to put an irritated look on her face. Didn’t help when he said they should keep moving and hide whenever patrol got too close for comfort.

Thoughts flew there her mind at a dizzying speed and she finally just stopped in her tracks. She had heard what he had heard but didn’t seem overly concerned about it – though she probably should have. ”That is a long time to be walking.” she said flatly without trying to hide the complaint. ”Honestly I would rather find a good place to hide and stay there until nightfall. Allow ourselves to rest because I really don’t want to stick around too long once we reach Emi.” she said a little quietly.

”This city is still decayed in some places and not all the buildings are repaired. I know some abandoned buildings but I have to figure out where we are at now unless you know of any.” Shena glanced up and down the street, not completely fond of the silence. ”It would probably be good if I look at your flesh wound if you aren’t against such a thing. But I don’t have any herbs on me so do try to at least keep it covered well.”

[Hirem]

Hirem shrugged, keeping his eyes on their surroundings. Something about this place just rubbed him the wrong way, keeping him alert and paranoid. "Like you, I'd have to get my bearings." He sighed, and kicked his foot at the ground aimlessly, letting his shoulders hunch over. Right now, he was simply abiding by her wishes, as she was the one that he was truly worried for. He felt stabs of doubt about whatever his purpose was to be in this world, whether the Eypharians really were the enemy he was to fight, but she was certain. Shena was definite, and someone that needed his help.

"I would appreciate the look at my leg, but we should probably find shelter first. I have it covered well enough for now." With that, he began to walk once more, keeping her within arm's reach. They walked for a few minutes in silence, and when he tried to intiate small talk, the tense air between them slowly dissolved any conversation they had.

The alleys started to look more and more alike, and Hirem could tell he was becoming lost. The heat that started to rise in the cramped streets definitely did not help his mood, and he would touch his palm to his brow to find it slick with sweat. He rubbed his throat uncomfortably as they travelled onward, looking desperately for any sign of shelter.

Finally, they found one. There was a short little hovel at the corner of two alleys, with a large hole in the weak clay that led to the inside. Hirem took the intiative, stepping close to the wall and peering inside. It was very dark, and he could barely see anything inside the ruined house, but it seemed abandoned, and quite cooler than out in the open. He took a step inside, finding the floor to be sturdy enough to walk on. He smiled as he glanced about the house, motioning for her to follow him. "Yahal certainly has been kind to us this day."

[Shena'doah]

She gave him a sidelong glance but decided not to argue that that was what she had meant by looking at his leg. Shena supposed he was lucky she knew a thing or two about herbs. If infection set in, and it probably would if it got dirty, it would most likely smell bad let alone be bad for his own health. But infection did smell bad and if she was going to be around him for any lengthy amount of time, then she didn’t want to smell something rank. Of course Shena made no mention of this and just kept silent.

From that point on they just walked endlessly without even a hint of there being an end to this voyage. In spite of many attempts made to start up a conversation if only to fill the dead space that had fallen between them, they were drown out by the silence. Every now and then Shena looked at Hirem curiously, beginning to question if he had any idea of where he was going. To her it seemed like the two of them were lost, which couldn’t be a good thing in any situation.

Relief washed over her and she sighed heavily when they did find a disheveled looking house. It looked abandoned and possibly a bit uninviting but given the circumstances, it looked like home to her. Hirem went right on in the check things out and she followed – probably would have with or without his motioning to follow. She couldn’t help but snort slightly at his comment, ”Indeed.” Shena replied in stark amusement.

For a moment she stood there in the darkened building, sure that she couldn’t open her eyes any wider as she tried to make them adjust faster. ”This is perfect.” As she glanced around and details finally began to come clear, she smiled. The place was certainly deserted, if only to be inhabited by a rodent or spider here and there. ”I want to see your let before you or I fall asleep.” she added, turning to face him and waving in his leg’s general direction. It would be hard to see anything but it wouldn’t hurt.

[Hirem]

Hirem nodded when she pointed out his leg, too tired to stop her, and let his back hit the wall near the hole, allowing a bare amount of light shine on his wound, letting his legs sprawl out on the ground. He pulled up his injured leg, and carefully undid the strip of cloth, throwing it away as he peered at the wound. He was no surgeon, but it didn't take a genius to realize he probably kept it in bad shape.

The blood had crusted over by now, but still looked fresh and raw. He wasn't able to judge its medical situation, but it still looked bad. That arrow must have been barbed or made to inflict extra damage to the victim. He grunted, and glanced at her inquiring face. "Well, there we go."

As she peered in closer to observe the wound, he took the time to examine her. Dirt and dust matted her face and hair, but she still retained that regal beauty despite her face's condition. Hirem supposed that other men would have been smiling like a braindead fool, but he supressed his physical urges regarding women due to his profession. There was no place for intimacy on his path, and so he had simply turned cold to wild passions. Still, he was only a man, and experienced intense bouts of lust from time to time, like any other. However, now was definitely not one of those times.

[Shena'doah]

Shena glanced up at him once, twice, then three times before she began to get irritated with him. With a fixed gaze on the gash, she reached out with a finger and pressed at it a little harsher than was necessary and enough to make it hurt. ”I’m not so interesting as to be stared at.” she said in a prickly tone, one brow lifted in apprehension as she looked around then started to undo the red sash around her that had no real purpose aside from looking pretty. It was a bit dusty from her adventure thus far and she gave it a brisk shake. ”It looks gruesome but it’s in better shape than you might think. Still pink and easily bleeds if provoked, doesn’t sound good but it is. I don’t have anything to clean it with but it can wait until later tonight when we have some water to rinse out anything that doesn’t belong.”

She took her sash and eyed him a moment to see if he was going to complain before she actually began wrapping his leg. ”Try to keep this from getting wet…” she requested but obviously didn’t fully believe he was capable of such a thing. The wrap was done quickly and she was quickly wandering around room they were in, perusing it of things she might find. Hopefully she didn’t find any critters crawling about and thank goodness she didn’t because her reaction might have been embarrassing for her.

”So tell me what you plan on doing once we get out of this forsaken place? Obviously I intend to relocate as that would be the smart thing to do but not the easiest.” The idea of moving somewhere else was utterly annoying but it wasn’t something that Shena was completely unfamiliar with and she would simply have to make do. Maybe she would venture other parts of the desert. The other cities weren’t a huge competitor to this one and far less appealing. Bloody hell.

OOC: sort of at a loss for the time being so i may have her just fall asleep soon and we can get straight to business with this grand escape. XD

[Hirem]

Hirem winced as she stabbed the finger into his wound, knowing full well the cause of such an action. "That's rather unnecessary, don't you think? I don't mean to anger you." Complying with her wishes, he turned his gaze to the face the outside. He smiled slightly at her frustrations, but made sure that she did not see it and therefore give the wound another stab.

As soon as she was finished, he let his body slide down against the ground, using his arms to create a resting place for his head as he gazed out the hole and into the sky. No matter where he was, in the slums, desert or jail, the sky was always there to provide hope for the disillusioned warrior-priest. It was relieving to say the least. Somewhere up there, Yahal was watching down with his ever so patient gaze, and Hirem closed his eyes, sated of his last views of the world before drifting off into sleep.

"I'm not sure what will await me once I leave... I really have no idea as to what my fate is." His words were awkwardly spaced, the mark of one exhausted and happy to lay down and rest. "First, we should concentrate on escaping. Then we'll figure out our paths." He sighed comfortably, or as comfortably one could get in the decaying hovel.

The air was silent for a moment before he tried to talk to her one last time. "Shena... I need to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for dragging you into this, and I promise I'll do my best to get you out of it." He didn't look at her at all, just sounded off the words into the empty room, body falling limp with weariness. He knew that the woman didn't seem to like him much, and would probably bear a grudge for this moment in time that would probably never quit, but there a certain close nature that emerged from two beings caught up in the same side of a life or death struggle that evaded explanation. Hirem thought about this for a few more moments before he finally fell asleep.