Flashback [The Seaside Market] And so they met

[Fallon]

69th Winter 510AV

Fallon kept her step fast. She had to keep on her toes in this city, she could not allow herself to slip up once. Slipping up could cause a multitude of problems. If she slipped up, they would know she could do magic. If she slipped up they would hunt her down, a true witch hunt. Her weak arms gripped around the supplies she had grabbed. She would no doubt have to make a second trip at some point, once her body had recovered. She glanced briefly, watching the crowd mull about in the winter light. She had to keep an eye on them, she had to make sure they were not one of them. That they were not working for him.

It was not safe here. Too many eyes, too many hands, too many mouths. If it was not them finding out about the magic, then surely it would be the hand of Sahova that would grab her. It was too soon to believe herself free just yet. The girl hoisted up the canvas of the tent, feeling the weight of it settle on her arms. The last few days had turned into a struggle, starved muscles being forced into life once more, aches and pains having to be ignored. All in the name of survival. Fallon gave a cough and dragged her feet onwards. She cautiously stepped round a group of men that had swarmed around a stall. There was the odd angry words here and there, accusations flying through the air, talking of being cheated out of their money. But it was not of her concern. She lowered her load for a moment at the side, catching her breath as she looked out across the docks. It was currently low tide, but even from this simple distance it was clear that the water was coming back in – and rapidly too. She placed a hand at her side before hauling up her things once more, feeling the strain of secrets that had been carved into her. She gave a grunt, and set her feet across the still planks, hearing the groan of wood beneath her.

How much further is is? she gave a heavy sigh This place is like a maze.
She felt the rough shoulder of another crash into her, pushing her to one side. She felt the grab of something, the pull on an article she was holding onto tightly. She saw the man who pushed past her turn his head as if dumfounded by the vice grip she had managed to produce. He gave a firm pull on what it was he was holding, and her form followed after the would be thief. Or at least until a hand shot out. She jerked away, instinct screaming at her not to be touched by them, though they still managed to. She felt the shove, her footing was lost. She watched the grey winter sky soar above her the weight of her load pulling her back. It was the definite crash of noise that marked her fall, the provisions that she did manage to get being ripped from her. By the time she managed to sit up though the thief was gone, and all she was left with was her more weighty articles and a distinctive bitter taste in her mouth.
“Petcher.”

[Ximal]

Xi Strode across the roof tops of sunberth, the elevation of most buildings a little more than two feet above his own head height, at leas outside the gated community, there the buildings were much taller...There Xi had spent a lot of his younger life...There Xi hated with a burning passion that couldn't be matched by anything. Well other than his hatred for slavers and men who take advantage of women. Xi continued to stalk across the roof tops his eye's canning down below, he was using this time to learn his way around the roofs. Rolling his eye's across the ground something caught his eye a small person hugging a tightly bound bundle to their chest. Xi followed this person across the roof tips using their low heigh ad the fact that no-one ever bothers to look up to his advantage. Trailing her he watched her pull up along side a large group of men all complaining about being ripped off, Xi just shook his head and then caught sight of someone trying to seal from this person. She'd clearly latched hold of him and he'd just pushed her over like she was nothing. Well given the way she was struggling, it may well have taken little to no effort. Xi watched the man racing toward his position and just called out from the roof tops. "Oi, suszie!" The thief looked around him in every direction to see where the voice came from but not the one that mattered, Xi leapt off of the roof tops and drove his knee firmly into the thief face. Using both falling momentum and his own weight to drive his knee deep into the thief's face. Xi caught sight of a pair of flying teeth and broken nose. Towering over the now unconscious thief Xi just relieved him of his taking and neaded back towards the person he'd been following. Leaving that thief in the middle of a busy street Xi pulled up along side the shorter female. Offering out his hand Xi spoke again looking over the woman. "You better watch your back here boy, not everyone is as friendly as i am here. And most everyone'll snatch the food out of your mouth soon as talk to ya. " Xi smirked and kept his hand there hoping that the now splayed woman would grab hold of his hand. Xi had no idea that this was a woman before him which by this point was fairly obvious. Glancing back over her he spoke lightly, not maliciously but in a helpful manner. "On second though once you get up pass us the gear here you look like your about to keel over from exhaustion."

[Fallon]

Fallon stared. A little dumfound to say the least. This man had leapt out from what had seemed pretty much nowhere, the thief having quickly been dealt with in a rather unexpected display. She watched the man come over, returning what was taken from her to begin with. He reached down a hand, which she simply stared at with surprise. She looked upon the strong features that defined them, the broad fingers that led up into the tendons and the arm, before settling upon the face of the man. She blinked, her expression growing vacant. It seemed all a bit foreign to her, this momentary act of kindness that this stranger did not have to commit. It was after all out of his way to do so. She leaned back slightly on the spot, and tried to summon out some words.
Should I thank him? Should I take his hand and smile? Can I smile? I should say thank you.

“Who you calling a boy?” was the first thing that escaped her. She gave a frown and shook her head, her own hand raising to her face as if to hide her expression. She let out a groan “Sorry. I meant to say thank you.”
She glanced at him through a gap in her fingers, before proceeding to push herself up. Her eyes however returned to the hand, almost as if transfixed to it. If anything she looked almost nervous with it there, hovering so closely and within reach. At the gesture of the man though she simply shook her head.
“I’m fine,” she gave a sigh as she reached back down for her things. She had to get moving again and soon. The sooner she got out the market, the sooner she could set up a place to rest. With a place to rest she could tend to herself out of the prying eyes of others. She gave a wince as she hauled the bag onto her back, and with a quick hand took the rest of her things “Seriously, I’m fine. But…” she gave a shrug. Words had failed her for a moment, or more words of a more social nature did. How long had it been since she last spoke to someone on this basic level?
“But… thanks anyway.”

[Ximal]

Xi looked down at the woman before him and heard her snap at him. So evidently she wasn't a boy. Xi listened to her snap at him and felt some what confused as she lifted her hand to cover her face. Xi leant back as she thanked him and didn't snap at him a second time. He could dee her acting with a nervousness towards him as he pulled his hand back that nervousness seemed to fade some what. Well if nothing else she was alright, yea right he could see plainly that she wasn't ok, she was exhausted he'd been to that point more times than he'd like to count and so as she lifted her bag up he snatched it mid lift and took it off of her. "Look I'm no genius but i can see plainly that your exhausted and trust me if i can see that a lot more besides me an see that it's not safe here alone." Xi watched her and d before she could argue he scooped her up and carried her in the direction she was walking. The heavy foot falls now replaced with his much lighter ones. "Don't argue your headed in the same direction i am and most thieves don't even come near someone my size so don't worry for the time being it's safer with me than by yourself, after all I've not got any ulterior motives." The small smile flickered across his face against he carried her out of the market district. Though glancing over her, he couldn't quite tell was she male or was she female ? After-all the way her voice sounded he was edging on female but then again eh couldn't be utterly certain. And he really wasn't about to check. "I take it you haven't been in sunberth long or you'd have better sense than to walk around in a state like that. It's not a safe place here. As you've quite evidently seen." Letting the bag of hers shift lightly across his shoulder he jumped her up in his arms a bit to re affirm his grasp. He wasn't being malicious but rather trying to be helpful.

[Fallon]

For all the things in the world that the man could have done, picking her up could have been the worst possible choice to have made. If there was anything the girl hated it was being picked up. To have no control upon her movements, to be prevented of her own free movements. At first she went rigid, stiffening up at the touch as she was scooped up into his hold. Even with the smile upon his face, panic shot through her. She squirmed, moving wildly as she was carried on down the street.
“Put me down!” she gave a shriek her hands turning into fists. A weak series of punches flew out in all directions, a desperate attempt to try and get put down as soon as possible. She did not care about her weakened state. So what if it gave her lift and lightened her load? “I said put me down! Please! Don't you understand Common!?”

A fist struck against him, and she tried to force her way out. Even with his words of reassurance on her new apparent safety she still wanted to break free. She gave him a thump on the back, an action meaning she was at least trying to be true to her words. At least now she knew she was getting out of the market in one piece, an advantage many would have accepted in this situation. She could feel the eyes of some of the members of Sunberth looking at her, but for the most part they seemed not to get involved.
“Please! I hate being picked up!” she finally admitted with a slight whimper “I’ll go with you! Just please, put me down.” Her face had screwed up firmly by this point, her form having now simply turned solid and unmoving – save for the slight tremble in her. She felt her bag be shifted from her shoulder, the man having now shuffled it onto his own. She knew behind all her panic and fear he was indeed trying to help, it was just more of a shock to the system that I had happened “Yes I’m new to Sunberth! Yes I know it isn’t friendly! Just for the love of the Gods put me down!”

[Ximal]

As Xi lifted the woman in his arms within about fifteen steps she suddenly flipped out throwing her arms all over the place and flailing in his grip. Shrieking out loudly for him to puty her down. He tried to but as she was jostling about he was more liable to drop her if he didn't hold on which earned him a hammering of punches and knees to the chest as well as a punch or two in the face. Xi held on tighter as she struggled mostly out of instinct and want for her to calm down even as she flailed at him questioning his intelligence, and whether or not he understood common. She carried on complaining she hated being picked up but Xi was still walking and trying to get her to simmer down by wrapping his arms tighter. eventually she stopped and Xi missed her words. Xi took the opportunity to cough and note the fact she'd split his lip lightly. He coughed again before responding. "I was trying to put you down but you were flailing about so much i was more likely to drop you on your ass than put you down on your feet." Xi tilted his arms slightly before sliding her out of his arms and settleing her onto the ground feet first. Jeez, she can really put up a fight when she want's too...I suppose it's not just me then... Xi tilted his head a little as he walked along side her now. Her gear now being carried by him. "Well if your new to sunberth then you should also know it's close to suicide to go inside the city in a near exhausted state. Especially with the snow around. " Xi swung his head around looking at the thick layer of heavy snow that had fallen. Xi sighed. "Look it might be best if you come and stay with me for a little while, it's not safe here alone at the best of times. So boy what do you think?"Xi smirked but couldn't help feel he was missing something...Then it hit him like a brick out of no-where. "Sorry i forgot to introduce myself. I'm Ximal...Just call me Xi. Mind if i ask your name ?"

[Fallon]

Fallon took in a deep breath as she composed herself, her shoulders hunching in. She glanced up at the giant of a man, before her eyes darted away. Sheepishly Fallon pulled at her coat, feeling her things being taken from her properly this time. She would have objected, but in honesty she was not quite sure how to go about it. He seemed to set in his mind now anyway, and somewhat too blind in recognising gender still it seemed. She averted her gaze, her hand squeezing her arm, a small nod barely coming out. She could still feel the adrenal work its way around her, her leg twitching as she became accustomed to the ground once more. Her eyes looked about herself for a moment, adjusting to the common sights of winter. Snow, ice, cold, a bitter wind that cut through the air and worked its way under layers. She stamped her feet, feeling herself slowly being pressurised into a position.
“I’ll go with you okay,” she gave a mumbled but kept her sight away.

She glanced briefly at the load that Ximal had taken, before her hands sheepishly reached out to it. She remembered something of importance kept strapped to the side of the bag. She grasped at the buckles, her fingers working over it before they took what she wanted. She met the eyes of him for a moment as her small hands tightened around the sheath that held her kukri. Caution, worry, it was unspecific. Either way she was not about to let the blade get out her sight. This stranger may have been friendly at the moment, but if the city was as he described, she was not about to let her guard down either. She cleared her throat as she attached the weapon to her belt, feeling her security return to her.
“Fallon, that’s my name,” she gave a shrug before turning away “So where are we going? Or… or is it just going to be a wild chase now you have my things?”

[Ximal]

Xi lifted his hand slowly to rub his jaw where her hand and kneed had connected with it. Stroking it nothing was broken but it was sore. Xi sighed slowly ad let her walk behind him, half watching her off to his side and striding forwards. He saw her reaching into her bag and thought nothing of it as she spoke saying she would go with him. For a half second as she pulled back from the bag Xi's dark black-blue eyes latched onto hers and then down he saw her holding a strange knife of sorts. Xi trudged onwards not saying anything for the moment...At least she was armed, that was a good thing in sunberth...Xi learnt that very early on, his weapon was himself...Better to have a weapon with you at all times which is always readily available. He heard her cough and shot a quick glance back over his shoulder at her. Before she spoke...Fallon...A fair enough name, he couldn't say much about them after all his was nothing tremendous. Then she spoke asking something that made him smirk lightly a simple smile but stil it was enough to say that he wasn't going to do anything sinister. "I told you i'm taking you to my place it's a little out of the way but that just means less chance to be stabbed or stolen from." Xi lead fallon out of the market and down past the "tent city". Out a little further west from where it would be considered safe. His tent peeking up from the blanket of snow looking like a triangular mound. Trudging through he snow was slow going but still enough pace that they'd be there before the sun parked it'self below the horizon. Xi held open one of the tent flaps and allowed fallon to enter before stepping inside himself and placing her belongings upon the floor of the tent. Xi shrugged his cloak off the thick blanket of material fell from his shoulders in one motion onto the floor as Xi sat down at the edge of the tent. Making a hand motion for her to sit as well. "Well this is my place, it isn't much but it's enough that I don't really have to worry about the people within the city. Your welcome to stay for as long as you wish, or at least until you get some strength back you look, well like you've just been fifteen rounds in a bar brawl at the pigs foot...That's bad by the way. So boy, just hang about here for a while. The tent's big enough tat you don't have to worry about space issues." Xi smirked and ran his hand through his hair pushing the still fallen white flakes from it, melting them and now making it look damp and jet black.

[Fallon]

Fallon followed him. It was not like she had much of a choice in the matter anyway, her was already marching off with her things. She waded through the thickening snow after him, throwing down her feet in places to confirm that she was not about to go over onto her backside. She felt the glares of others as they worked their way through tent city. Her fingers curled around the top of the kukri, her shoulders hunching in as she readied herself to draw. Or at least mentally. She was not about to let her guard down, but as those of Sunberth were more notorious for their hatred of magic she was left to look after herself with a blade instead. At least she knew she could use it, even if it was only at the level of a novice. She breathed, letting out a plume of warm air escape as she was lead onwards to his place of residence. If it could even be called that.

She ducked into the tent space, and watched him carefully go about his way inside of it. She followed his gesture, and quietly parked herself down on the opposite side. She cocked an eyebrow at his comment.
“Must have been one hell of a bar brawl,” she adjusted herself where she sat, and pulled her coat even tighter around herself. In honesty she still felt cold and chilled, but she was not about to admit to it. She curled up into herself, knees reaching her chin as she tried to keep all the warmth in. She adjusted to the new environment with caution, her eyes looking about for hints and signs to look out for. Ximal for the most part, had remained true to his words. He had indeed led her to a safer region of sunberth – if it could even be called safe – and had helped in carrying her load. Yet she was waiting for him to suddenly make demands of her, to call in a debt for his assistance. That and he kept calling her boy.
“Well… as long as it is alright,” her gloved hands came together and stayed there “I mean, if you want me gone you know…” she shook her head and let her words fail once more. She still felt out of place in this town, but if this Ximal was planning to at least allow her to stay here it meant she gained a small, temporary foot hold in the city. Still she made the mental plan to at least try and get out of there as soon as possible. It was for the best at least. Yet how long that would be still remained as a mystery to her. Yet there was still a question that came to her mind though “Uh… why do you keep calling me boy?”

[Ximal]

Xi looped his cloak over it's self and redoubled it into a basic form of pillow. Twisting himself around he tossed it onto the ground before lifting his arms up and lacing them behind his head. Xi still watched the woman infront of him. her comment about the bar brawl made him smirk a little. Xi spoke back a tone akin to brushing something off lingering in his voice. "It wasn't anything much...Just a bunch of idiots thinking they were better than everyone else...That and they were hitting on the waitress ina drunken stupor...So i have a "word" with them." Xi took a deep breath but it was exaggerated quick uncontrolled. Almost like a wild animal. Un-tempered unsettled. Xi was happy just to have someone to talk too, most of the people in sunberth gave him a wide berth. Xi just smiled and closed his eyes leaning back. Xi listened out hearing the small murmurings of his own mind before she spoke up again in regards to his offer for her to stay there. trying to think of something to say in argument towards it. Xi sighed lightly and spoke in response quietly. "If you want to leave at any point your welcome too. I'm not forceing you to stay I'm just saying it's the safer option in this city." As Xi finished he heard fallon ask him why he kept calling her a boy and to his mind she was a boy as far as he could see with the amount of clothing she was wearing. "Well you are a boy aren't you ? That's why i keep calling you a boy. Or would you prefer i just called you fallon instead ?" As he finished speaking XI stretched out his arms allowing his shoulders and elbows to crack with the extension. Opening his eye's slowly he spoke towards fallon. "Y'know it's alright to take the cloak off. The snow id good at keeping the heat in and the cold out, give it a little while and it' warm up a lot in here. It's something i learnt from the time i've spent living in this." Xi smirked and laced his hands back behind his head yet again, but now his eye's were only closed to where they would appear shut when in fact they were open just enough for him to see.