The Ground You Break (private)

by **Denn Liobhan** on May 29th, 2010, 10:05 pm

Timestamp: Season of Spring, Day 89, 510 AV

The cove on the northeast shore of Sylira was a pretty place, the ocean a vivid blue in late spring's bright light. Denn had spent several days in the region, combing the beach for kelp and diving for the variety of seaweeds in shallower waters. Taig the pack pony enjoyed the salt-grass, his long mane and tail blowing in the ocean breezes and at night, they camped near the shore so Denn could fall asleep listening to the waves.

But time enough had been spent in one place; if she was to catch a caravan headed back west, Denn needed to start prowling the main road that went from east to west Sylira. The plains further inland were mostly grass with the occasional lone elm to break up the monotony of the prairie, and it was below one of these sentinels of the eastern Wildlands that Denn found a suitable spot to camp for the evening. In full view of the road, she was more likely to spot or even hear a load of wagons passing through -- a sheep farmer, perhaps, taking the winter wool to market or grain wagons of wheat bound for a mill. Even the occasional military company would be a welcome sight; they often did not object to a lone healer tagging behind... as long as she could keep up. Denn was an able walker and besides, Taig was too small to carry her and the supplies together.

It appeared to be a clear warm evening so the woman didn't even bother breaking out her tent. A simple blanket laid out would be her dinner table and bed, and as she laid out the last of her bread, a bit of cheese she had to scrap the mold off of, and an apple, Denn grinned over at the little pony. It tugged hopefully on the staking line, ears pricked forward as it spied the apple. "Not on you're life," the healer called, waving an annoying fly away. "That's my last one... I'll be on short rations tomorrow. You have a world filled with grass. Shoo."

by **Daust Greywind** on May 30th, 2010, 3:37 am

The good thing about being a mercenary was that at the end of the day, someone always wanted someone else dead. Normally that would mean a mercenary would never lack work and would never go hungry. That was not the case with Daust, it seemed. A whole week now and not a single job, neither straight or crooked, there simply was no work to be done, dirty, clean, nor a mix of the two.

This thought hung in his mind as he trudged down the road, nothing but a common citizen, really. Perhaps he could go to Sunberth and search for more work there, it was unrealistic for there not to be something for him. Of course, he still wouldn't get paid until he completed whatever task and he had the problem of still being quite hungry. The problem with being famished was that when the body weakened from lack of food, the muscles grew weak, and his aim got unsteady.

Perhaps he wasn't to that point yet, but things could get dire for his career should he not find a solution- While the lone archer was so busy sauntering along the road, his eyes had nearly skipped over the woman seated at the base of a solitary tree. Actually, it had been the movement of the pony that had drawn his eye, but it was lucky for him, as he'd been space out in his own thoughts. Daust felt tremors shake beneath his feet and the world itself grow disheveled at the thoughts of attacking, torturing and pillaging the lone traveler of all her valuables.

Whispers seemed to echo from the long fields of grass of the prairie. Everything so familiar, but disgustingly alien as he remembered nothing of what attempted to beckon his attention. No, it was much easier to focus on the voice of rage that was building in his head. Quickly turning off the road, Daust eyed the woman as he approached. His bow was held in his left hand, but not brandished in any way. He saw no weapons on her, and with her common clothing, he suspected her to be of little threat. Boring... But, she would serve a purpose, so long as he could scrounge some money or valuables off of her. Daust didn't wave, he didn't hail her, he only ever stopped his constant forward movement when he reached the blanket she sat upon; He sat down himself, sitting across from the food, and glancing aside to the pony.

He first thought to watch her face, to see her reaction. He didn't have his mask on, as he often didn't when he wasn't sure if he'd be performing something illegal or not. He likely would be in this case, but if he did, she probably wouldn't survive to tell anyone of the scarred-up wreck that stole her belongings. The tremors stopped, he knew it was only he that could feel them, but once they did he felt a bit more control, and turned his attention back to the frail woman. He spoke with a voice of... concern. "It's a good thing you're not out here alone." The marksman nodded towards the pony, before smiling and asking. "I hope I'm not interrupting your meal?"

by **Denn Liobhan** on May 30th, 2010, 4:21 am

Denn probably should have been watching the road. It was something she thought on later but it in all likelihood it would have done no good. In this expanse of grass and nothingness, there was no place to run. Hiding behind the tree might have been an option but her things were strewn about, and Taig was nearby in his furry, short-yet-bulky glory.

As it was, the man was almost to her before she raised her head and noticed. Denn startled with a sudden jerk as his shadow cast across the blanket. She stared up at the ruined face, noting his dusty, ragged clothing, the wild mess of long matted hair, the leather armor, and the bow in his hand, but it was that scarred, destroyed face that held her attention. Denn was ever used to seeing the ravages that injury and war could leave on the human body but this.... this had her eyes narrowing in careful examination. It was obvious to her professional eyes that the man lived a terribly rough life. An ex-warrior perhaps, or a bounty hunter of savage beasts. Violence was etched in his very skin.

But when he spoke, his voice was friendly enough, his face twisting in what she supposed was an attempt at a smile. And trusting creature that she was, that she had always been, Denn began to relax. This is no bandit, for one bent on robbery would not approach so openly. "No... no please! Sit and be welcome!" The woman gestured to where he sat, returning a smile of her own. She was determined to look this man in the eye and not let her gaze falter -- it had been her experience that those who had some openly visible physical defect were most dismayed by others who turned away, as if they could not stand the sight. The healer would not be such a person.

"Yes, you have interrupted my meal, but it does not mean the interruption is a bad thing? Share what I have." Denn fished in her bag for more cheese and a cloth of berries she'd been saving for breakfast, for she was not of a miserly nature and openly gave of her food to those in need. And this fellow looked in need. "I am called Denn," she added pleasantly, feeling all the awkwardness of first-meetings. "And my companion in travel over there is Taig. We are looking for anyone bound west; perhaps you are headed that way?"

by **Daust Greywind** on May 30th, 2010, 8:17 pm

Daust rolled his gaze over the woman for moment, observing the body language more than her words. She was definitely harmless, but he was wondering exactly what she thought. When Daust met anyone, it was usually an awkward occurrence. Well, it was only awkward if he was trying to speak to an employer, otherwise he easily ignored all the little thorns that raked at his patience.

She had seemed like one of those weak women the first time he looked at her, she was no warrior or anything of that sort. But yet here she was, looking over his face like it was something to be read. Perhaps there was, but he didn't like the uneasy feeling that settled in his chest. No, he wasn't self-conscious about the scars; Something about being stared at really bugged him. But the question kept being raised: Did she look him in the face out of some notion of respect or because she thought he was some freak on display?

Daust felt the sudden urge to leap upon the woman and remove her eyes. That would stop her staring and there would be no more reason to brood over the question. It would truly be a problem solved. But, he was invited to sit and to take of her food. The food would be a nice distraction while he inquired about her trade. If she happened to be a traveling jewelry merchant, he'd have to wonder if his dementia had finally got the best of him.

"-I go by Daust." He couldn't be completely certain that was his name, but when he was asked his name, it was the only word that came to mind. "What could you possibly be doing out here alone in the Wildlands? Having horrible luck hunting?" Daust flicked his bow down next to him after he sat. He always traveled light, so he wouldn't be able to convince her that he was a professional hunter, but maybe make her think he did it for sport or as a side-hobby. Peaking over the food, he was hungry, but wasn't terribly urgent in eating a stranger's food.

The woman seemed nice enough, but Daust simply too paranoid sometimes. Probably a trap, waiting out here all day for me, poisoned my half of the food. The thoughts didn't feel completely of his own creation, but were enough to make him reluctant; At least until he got some answers.

by **Denn Liobhan** on May 31st, 2010, 1:02 am

Denn laughed softly at the question; the idea of her being a hunter was fairly amusing. "No, I am not a hunter - unless you count one who collects wild herbs, roots and berries as a hunter. Then I am ever on the prowl." Still shaking her head in amusement, Denn finally dropped her eyes away from the stranger -- Daust, he said his name was -- to her hands as she divided the food evenly, reaching to her belt to draw out the small, very worn utility knife. It was no weapon but the kind used by cooks and gardeners. The apple was split in two and half set before Daust, the knife left absently laying on the blanket.

"I am a traveling healer and herbalist," Denn replied to his question. "I search the fields, streams and woodlands for those natural ingredients growing around us that can ease sickness and injury, then fashion them into usable form. On the way, I try to help where I can in exchange for a bit of shelter or a meal." The woman shrugged in an off-hand manner, feigning nonchalance but there was something just off going on here, something odd about this man. His vivid green eyes were so restless, roaming about the area, searching out everything, searching all details. For some reason, Denn felt like she was under some sort of examination or test -- for what, she had no idea. All she could do is be what she was to everyone else; open, honest and completely without guile.

One thing was for sure -- Daust seemed keenly interested in the reason for her being out here alone. That interest did not set her at ease. "I travel mostly on foot, and let my pony carry my provisions. Sometimes if I have a surplus of herbs, I can sell them for a few silver mizas if the village is big enough, so I make my living by doing that and by providing my meager healing services. I was collecting some of the rarer herbs down by the shore when the caravan I was traveling with had to leave." Unwilling to admit she had been willful and decided to stay on her own despite the trail boss' insistence it would be too dangerous, Denn shrugged again and chewed thoughtfully on a bit of coarse bread. "I have hopes another will happen along soon, and if it doesn't, well.... I still have two good feet."

Having given up a bit about herself, Denn turned curious about what Daust was doing out this far as well.... and obviously so poorly provisioned. He seemed to have precious little else other than the large long bow at his side. "Did you get separated from your hunting party?" she queried innocently, thinking perhaps he had been unhorsed and had to walk to his destination.

by **Daust Greywind** on May 31st, 2010, 3:10 am

A herb collector? The image of the woman prancing about picking flowers was the first thought to jump to mind, but he wondered why anyone would choose to do such a thing. Plants grew slowly. Plants rarely did anything. Plants were incredibly boring. So why would one devote their life to finding, harvesting, and working with such a boring item?

He wasn't keen on asking quite yet. Watching the woman cut the apple, he peered at the half for a moment before scooping it into one hand. The leather armor upon his arm covered all but the fingers. While it could be stifling in the heat, Daust found it very unsettling to touch the filthy world with his bare flesh. As if the world and all it's faults were contagious. Not that he was some beacon of perfection, but there was no reason to allow himself to be effected by it.

Giving the apple a single sniff, he smelled nothing that hinted at some obvious poison, so immediately bit down into the fruit. Chewing for a moment, he looked the woman over and thought her question over. "No. I work alone, there will be no separation when one is already solitary. I was actually just walking the road towards Sunberth, looking for a kind, helpless person with which to assist me." Daust let his tone rise to that of the more cunning deviant side that he very rarely indulged. "Feed a bandit an apple, and he'll be happy for a day..." Though, he had more long-term plans in mind. Unfortunately, it didn't appear that she had much in the way of money.

He could still kill her, strip her of what meager valuables she had and be done with it. However, there was also the option of putting in a bit more effort and taking her and her pony to Sunberth's slave trade. Daust had already decided he would watch her reaction and decide from that. If she simply put up too much of a fight, he'd just kill her. The green eyes were mindful of the knife rest on the blanket, but he could easily reach for his own daggers if it came to that. He doubted he'd have much trouble overpowering her, but seeing as he was humoring his cunning side at the moment, he'd not underestimate the woman.

Another bite of the apple was taken, Daust mimicking Denn's nonchalant manner.

by **Denn Liobhan** on May 31st, 2010, 1:38 pm

Denn watched curiously as Daust examined the apple, his manner a suspicious air of someone who didn't trust what they were eating. What could there possibly be wrong with it... it was only an apple! Again that powerful feeling of something being wrong enveloped her, and on hearing Daust mention Sunberth, sharp prickles of fear shot down her spine.

"Sunberth?" she said carefully. "Oh.... oh no. I have heard it's a terrible place! Rough and lawless, everyone knows you just don't go there." She pointed. "That's why I'm going back west. Safer that way." There followed an extremely tense silence. Denn tried eating but her appetite had fled with her unease.

The way in which Daust had described kind people as 'helpless' was beyond disturbing. Of course, it could just be the flip way that warriors had in speaking of those who did not live by the blade but it still had a condescending, even insulting tone to it. Denn's eyes flickered to the knife she'd left on the blanket just inches from her fingers. The thought of trying to defend herself should the need arise came and went quickly -- the woman had no training in that sort of thing, and besides, she could never raise her hand in violence against another, even in defense of her own life. Denn had been assaulted several times in her travels -- once at the hands of a group of military deserters who each took turns in her violation -- and in all cases, they let her go in the end. Perhaps it was her lack of resistance or fight that baffled them into releasing her. It was an explanation she clung to.

But one thing Denn was sure of -- violence only beget violence. If she tried to fight this man now, things would turn ugly very quickly.

Swallowing down the bile of terror, Denn stared down at her hands, unable to meet Daust's intensive, calculating stare. If his intent was to rape her, steal her things, she knew there was precious little she could do to stop him. A glance about the countryside as the sun sank to the west showed her they were still very much alone. At this late hour, it was doubtful anyone else would be on the road. Denn felt a trickle of sweat bead down her back. "What do you want?" she whispered.

by **Daust Greywind** on June 1st, 2010, 2:03 am

Daust though for a few moment at the healer's question. She didn't seem like one to panic, then. As he began to realize he wouldn't have to kill the woman, a very real pang struck against the front of his skull. Daust turned his gaze from the woman, trying to focus a bit as waves of stabbing prickles washed over the front of his brain and what felt like the back of his eyes.

Whispers for blood formed, faded, and dissipated all in a few seconds, and Daust had to take a moment to second-guess his decision to allow her to leave. But the pain ebbed in the short period of time, and he wasted no more time replying to the woman. "I would tell you to to finish eating and we'll head towards Sunberth..." Daust paused mid-sentence, having returned his eyes to the gentle healer and observing her body language once again.

"But you've probably lost your appetite. Pack up all your things- Now." He had a length of rope with which to bind her hands, but he'd probably have to use one of the belts securing his leather armor to keep her constrained to the pony. The idea would be to keep her tied to the beast, and should she try anything stupid, it would only take a quick slap across the beast of burden's flank to send it bolting forward and taking the woman for a rough trip. In that event, maybe she'd get away for a minute or two, but it was easy to track a rampaging pony in this terrain and the thrill of the hunt wouldn't be so bad.

The thought of rape, or really abusing her in any manner outside of retaliation for disobedience, had yet to cross his mind. She was no different than the pony, there was a price tag for both of them. This was his first personal foray into the slave trade, but there was a first time for everything...

Removing rope from his satchel and unbuckling a belt from about his torso, the armor loosened slightly about the neck, revealing the edges of windmarks at the left side of the man's neck. Picking his hunting knife from the belt, he shoved it under the belt at his waist and moved to collar the woman after she'd packed up her things. He wasn't rough, but he wasn't gentle either. Before anything, he took a shorter length of rope and bound her hands tightly, before fastening it to the straps that secured the saddle bags to the pony. Placing his hand to her chin, he forced her to raise her head, looping the belt about twice through the metal strip and securing it with the metal tongue. It was spaced well enough that the end didn't stick out too much, but was tight enough to prevent her from pulling it over her head, at least. Tying one length of rope to the belt, he then secured that to the saddlebags as well.

Looking over the quick work observantly for a moment, he shrugged the thoughts away and figured it was good enough. He didn't expect much fight from her now if there had been none earlier. "I hope you don't cause me too much trouble, Denn." He gave her a pointed look for a moment, before tugging forward at the pony's withers and clicking his tongue. Daust doubted he'd kill her if she annoyed him a bit, but he could definitely find a way to discourage her. Torture was always a fun way to pass the time. A sadist? Perhaps...

by **Denn Liobhan** on June 1st, 2010, 3:11 am

Stay calm.... whatever happens, you must remain calm... Denn silently repeated the litany to herself, even as Daust casually stated -- in hard fact, not a question -- that 'they' would be going to Sunberth. Sweet Caiyha, no.... not Sunberth! Mind too full of turmoil, her body obeyed his commands for the moment, seeing no option to do otherwise. Stay calm...

With the few things not already packed on Taig's back added to the animal's load, Denn turned woodenly to Daust. "Please," she said carefully. "You don't have to do this. We can come to an understanding..." But clearly, the bandit was no longer listening to her opinions. Owl-eyed, she watched him approach, her terror growing as he casually unbuckled his belt. No... Denn stopped breathing as a swell of panic tried to bubble up, sure of what would happen next, and when the man stopped directly in front of her, she flinched. That was why, she supposed later, that she had stood dumb and frozen when he tied her hands, put the belt around her neck.... she was expecting much worse. He was so close, Denn could smell him now, a mixture of leather and male sweat. Repulsed, she tried leaning away as far as she could but he only yanked on her arms hard as he tied rope to her wrists. The rough fibers bit into her flesh.

Denn had been expecting the worst, so when Daust instead took the pony's lead and started them down the road, the woman was left standing in place in shock -- momentarily only, for the pull on the rope yanked her forward. "What....?" It was only a small utterance, but it bespoke her confusion.

What, by all that was holy, was Daust doing? Denn had expected to be attacked, tied down with the rope, whipped with the belt and raped. When none had occurred, it left her in a state of stunned confusion. Stumbling beside Taig, Denn stared at Daust's profile where he walked on the other side, the wind shifting his mat of hair away from his neck. It was then she saw the windmarks -- Drykas! What had been terror before tried to roar into full-blown panic. Denn knew little of this race beyond rumor that the Drykas were fiercely patriarchal. It was whispered that women had little or no status in their society, that they bought and sold their females like cattle....

....Like slaves. Suddenly, it all became clear. Daust had no interest in assaulting her, he was going to sell her.... in the one place in all of Sylira that allowed open slavery -- Sunberth. Panic slammed into her body, muscles tensing, her voice rising into a pathetic mewl. "No!" Denn cried, pulling on the rope. "No... you, you can't do this...! You can't sell me!"

by **Daust Greywind** on June 1st, 2010, 3:35 am

Why was this woman acting so damn strange? Daust knew he wasn't any authority on human behavior, but one second she seemed to cooperate and the next she was pulling at the leash, metaphorically speaking. The way she pulled away from him when he'd placed the belt about her neck as a collar, he didn't fully understand. He understood she didn't want him so close, touching her, as such forced contact from a dominant male to a female usually had sexual implications, but he didn't understand why she had changed her behavior so quickly.

Perhaps it was only now that she realized what control he had? Fear turning to hatred, he supposed. It mattered little, she was bound, and if she didn't like being raped, that was fine with him. There was little more disgusting than touching the bare flesh of another human being, but was easily surpassed by the exchange of bodily fluids. The thought almost made him cringe.

The Drykas way of handling women was completely lost to the marksman. His memories of his origins were probably the most hazy and clouded of all. The windmarks meant nothing, they hadn't for a long time. The marksman heaved a sigh and grumbled back to the healer. "You're telling me what I can't do? I'm not the one with a collar about my neck." The pang struck the front of his skull again, the back of his eyes throbbing and forcing the eyelids to close for but a moment.

Pulling a dagger free from his side, he held the assassin's blade before Denn's face threateningly. It was a distraction. The other hand had released Taig's lead, coming about to punch the healer in the side of the head, the ear actually. Daust liked to hit someone in the ear when he could, it threw off their balance for some reason and caused a great deal of pain, without there being much threat of brain damage. At least, none that appeared in the short-term.

Reclaiming Taig's lead, Daust clicked his tongue against and began to move the pony onward once again, whether or not Denn was prepared to continue walking or just get dragged along down the road. Daust was never one for mercy, especially not now.