You Reap What You Sow [OPEN]

[Rhian]

20th Day of Summer, 510 AV

A faint heartbeat sent a stream of blood into Rhian's vital organs, a second heartbeat gave back her consciousness with a gasp of a man who held his breath underwater for too long. She was alive, praise no one, but it took the young woman a whole minute to remember how she got to be like this in the first place; lying on a stony surface, her eyes not piercing deep enough into the darkness to see the caverned ceiling above, bleeding from half a dozen wounds and aching in at least twice that many places.

Not feeling like braving an upright position for the next hour, Rhian took stock and reorganized her thoughts. She guessed that the rider from which she'd stolen the document had sent some of the dregs of Wind Reach after her, to retrieve what was his. That particular piece of paper could be used to great effect by his political opponents. Rhian was not a fighter, not for the last seven years, but she probably could have outrun or outwitted one or two, but never six. It was all she could do to lie through her teeth. Alas, those dek were out for blood, and once they overpowered her, they took turns kicking her like a rabid dog, like one of their own.

Rhian's hand reached for her waist, fumbling for the small leather pouch she always wore about it. Inside she kept the talon of her lost eagle, killed by her arrogance, her vanity. My crime. Her long fingers patted at her waist, groping, finding nothing. Gone. At least the tattoo that depicted that day was still there; her skin was never flayed, at least while conscious, and she didn't feel like anything apart from a punch-bag.

The realization of why she was beaten in the first place finally set and Rhian's fumbling fingers crawled like spiders over her body, searching for the valuable paper. Please let it be there, she found herself wishing. Finding it safely tucked inside her clothing, she breathed a sigh of relief, and never bothered taking it out. At least the rider would not have his property back, which will surely buy her several points of innocence. If she were to sell it, the goons might return or they might not. Either way, she'd be ready this time.

Her breath finally settling to a normal pace, Rhian groaned and lifted herself of the floor, igniting what seemed to be a score of wounds aflame. Clutching at what felt like a broken rib, she reflected on what to do next.

She will find these scum, she will pay them in kind, and she will have her talon back. Rhian was patient and meticulous, they will not escape. The rider... the rider will fall, eventually. Her weapon was sharper than any sword, and deadlier than the truest arrow.

[Kellan Lucia]

It had been an eventless day to say the least. Nothing to memorable had transpired since Kellan had woken up to spend some time at the aeries. Boring days never really bothered Kellan though. Yes, they were hard to get through at times but at least nothing bad had happened. These boring days usually lead to one thing, Kellan taking a stroll through the Wind Reach Tunnels. Today his leisurely walk was going to end his boring day. As he walked his golden eyes had caught something, or more correctly someone moving. He turned to see it was a young girl about his age. She was covered with cuts and was clutching her ribs. He was a little bit apprehensive about involving himself with her because where there was blood there was always conflict. Kellan liked to keep a neutral stance on things. He hated to be on one person's side against another. His brotherly instincts kicked in though. If it had been Toran he would have been at her side in moments. Even though Toran was gone he could not keep himself from helping this girl. He walked to her side and bent down next to her. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked. She looked even worse up close. "You have to let me help you. I cannot let you stay here hurt. Come back to the Aeries with me and I'll patch you up." he said. He knew this was an odd thing to say to a girl he had never met but he needed to help. He worried that the girl could not walk. He didn't know how he felt about carrying a stranger to the aeries but why not? The gods had given muscles, he might as well use them for good. "Can you walk? I'm Kellan by the way. What is your name?" he asked. He really hoped he was not involving himself in something bad. Kellan could not resist a damsel in distress though.

[Rhian]

Night's Mistress help her, it hurt. As Rhian gritted her teeth against the tears of pain, it occurred to her that it might have been a mistake to neglect the things so many of her people excelled at, like wielding a blade. It might be wise to acquire protection in one form or another. She could hire it, if she had the resources and the willingness to depend on anyone but herself, which she didn't.

A young man approached Rhian, offering his help. The woman's eyes quickly scanned him from head to foot, trying to take in everything from clothing to posture. Likely a Rider. My very own prince charming. She gave him a mildly contemptuous grin. "Are you sure, Rider?" The words came strained, and every breath invited a sharp stab of pain. "I am a mere commoner. 'till be shameful for you to be seen helping me. Besides," She added as an after-thought, "Do you know how?" She might be holding a unique grudge against riders, but she was not about to turn away help readily offered, not in her condition.

"I will walk," Rhian insisted, preferring not to ponder on her capabilities to do so. "Kellan it is. I..." She hesitated, Riders were a tight bunch, and she wasn't sure at all that her name wasn't known in their circle, considering her past and made enemies. "I'm- gah it hurts. I'm Nova" Absent-mindedly, she brushed the tattoo of concentric circles on her arm, reminding her of what was.

[Kellan Lucia]

Kellan knelt next to her. "I'm sure that I'm sure. I don't care much for class. If you need help then you need help. It doesn't matter if you are a commoner." he said. He knew that his disregard for the caste system was looked down upon but he could not follow the rules. He had hurt enough people, he didn't need to hurt anyone anymore. He had treated Toran like eagle droppings and never treated him like his equal until he died. Toran, Kellan's late twin brother, was never going to follow in his jet setting brother's footsteps. He was destined to become a Chiet if he was lucky. Kellan had put the angry guy he used to be behind him. He no longer judged people by their caste. It was the least he could do for Toran. Kellan helped her up and smiled at her. "Yeah, I actually know a little about medicine. I know it doesn't look like it but I think I know enough to patch you up." he said. He noticed that she was going to say something but stopped herself. Kellan really didn't like that habit. He was always was one to speak his mind. Still, he could not expect everyone to be like him. He wondered if he should say something. He decided against it though. Some things were better left unsaid. He watched as the girl held onto herself in pain. He really wanted to help her. Seeing her all covered in cuts reminded him of the day Toran died. Kellan had found him laying in one of the tunnels gasping his last breaths. Kellan never got to say sorry. Toran just reached up and placed his hand on Kellan's cheek. He whispered his last words and then died in Kellan's arms. His last words were what hurt the most. "You were a good brother Kellan, I love you". Kellan never felt even to this day that he deserved to be the topic of Toran's dieing words. Even more so, he didn't feel like he was ever a good brother to Toran. Kellan noticed that he was reminiscing about Toran a little too much for the situation at hand. Kellan looked over at the girl and sighed. "Please let me help you. I can't stand to see a beautiful girl in pain." he said. He was a huge flirt but when he flirted he was sincere. He never said things he did not mean. "How did you get so beaten up any way?" he asked. He noticed she still had not told him what her name was. He worried that there was a reason she was not letting him know her name. He had already offered her help though. He could not leave a girl in distress.

[Rhian]

The young rider seemed to be deaf to her contempt, which made it all the more interesting and entertaining. A good thing considering her situation. Rhian forced her smile wider, squeezing a trickle of red ooze from cracked lips. "Dangerous words," She continued the façade, voice genuinely hoarse, "when one considers your status. You are not making friends and you don't need to look at me to know what kind of enemies are Riders."

"Fine," Rhian relented through an artificial sigh. Already, the young woman was entertaining the notion of using him to discover the dealings of other Riders; her ring was not large, and every source was valuable. The information he could provide her will fetch a nice price and will give her the means to make sure she will never become a human punch-bag ever again, not to mention make her one of the more influential people in this backwater city.

"Beautiful, am I?" She flirted back, knowing how much easier it is to manipulate people by approaching their self interest rather than good nature, which they might not have. "One of your lot did this to keep their good name." Pain gnawed at her like a toothless dog. Rhian hated weakness, especially her own. It shamed her, and shame made her angry. "Fine," She repeated, "lead and I will follow. Leave the dalliance for later."

[Kellan Lucia]

Kellan led the mysterious girl through the long tunnels that connected the city. He knew she most likely would not answer his questions but he asked them anyways. "Well, while we are walking I might as well debrief you." he said jokingly. "I don't think I caught your name or what you did to my fellow riders to get this beaten up." If he was going to help this girl he wanted to know what he was getting involved in. He had enough of spending his free hours with people who had nothing but poison on their mind. After a short walk they reached the aeries. He was sure after whatever she did she would not want to go into the aeries and no one in the aeries wanted her there either. "Wait out here. I'll get my medicine and be right back." he said and then dashed off. He searched tirelessly through the aeries to find his medincine kit. He was not the most organized person alive so it truely could have been anywhere. He was known to just leave his personal belongings where ever he last was. After about ten minutes of searching he finally came across a small bag where he kept his medical supplies. He dashed out to meet Rhian and then led her to the Tisuma Baths. When they got to the baths Kellan pulled a cloth out of his bag and then tossed it to Rhian. "You are going to need to clean off first. We don't want your cuts to get infected." he said. He waited until she was done washing her cuts and then he moved to her side. He may not have been the best person to help her with her laserations but judging on how she was acting around him he may have been the only one willing to. He put a leansing herb mixture on his hands and rubbed it togather. "This might sting a little but it is nessisary." he said with a sympathetic look. He cleaned out her wounds and then after he was done he pulled out his bandages. "So tell Dr. Kellan about yourself. I need something to keep me entertained while I am dressing your wounds." he said with a smile. He was somewhat worried about the answer but as his personal motto entailed, he just needed to do what he could to live the current day as well as possible.

[Rhian]

Some words change everything. They come, shuttering plans and dashing expectations to the ground. People... people rarely noticed what they were saying, but such subtleties did not escape the wounded young woman. They gave invaluable glimpses into a person's true nature and this man... whatever he might have said about classes, was still a Rider, and considered other Riders his fellows. He will give her over in an instant, if he knew. Rhian would be wise to remember this, and refrain from trusting him.

Even as another lance of pain shot through her chest, the little spider was doing her best to show a firm composure and a placid disposition. "You'd do well to pay attention, I have given you my name. 'tis Nova, and it's only because you are a Rider that I bother repeating myself." The words came with difficulty, and some did not come at all. "As for what I did... I will keep that to myself, for now in any case." Keep him curious enough to stay in her company, always giving a little and promising a little bit more.

They were approaching the aeries, and every step that Rhian took was an effort. It was fear that held her back, fear and pain. She didn't want him to leave, Kellan was her only protection, and the looks other Riders were giving her as they passed crawled under her skin like fire ants, sending shivers through the places she did not know existed. I should leave. He's calling his friends to finish what they have started. Her knees betrayed her, though, and every effort to leave ended up with her standing in front of the path leading to aeries again. Perhaps Rhian just preferred to see the dark side of things. The glass is always half-empty. And cracked. And she just cut her lip on it. And chipped a tooth. Silently, she prayed; asking for the Night's Mistress' favour.

Kellan returned, and he returned alone, which brought a genuine smile to Rhian's broken lips, which were now turning a new shade of purple. Her eyes roamed to his kit, and she relented, letting her prince to lead her where people wore nothing but their skins. When they reached the baths, the young woman gave him a small, judging look before beginning to unwrap her clothing.

Every twist of cloth she unfolded from around her torso was rewarded with a pained hiss, and when she finally entered the hot water, her cuts burned as the water cleansed her wounds. "Fire is good," She whispered to herself, "pain is good. I'm still alive, still human. Still lucky." Unconsciously, her fingers went to her waist, and then her neck, searching for the talon that was her luck. Gone.

Cold tunnel air came as Rhian pulled herself from the water, brushing her wet skin, soothing and reminding her of nakedness, and the man watching. There was pain as well, but she did her best to ignore that. She dressed, keeping most of clothing on the floor to save herself pain. She'll have enough of it soon enough. Kellan warned her, but the poultice did more than just sting. It traced a line of fire all the way across Rhian's abdomen, back and chest, and twisted a burning poker up her cut cheek. Her fingers clawed his forearms and she sucked in her breath, somehow she managed not to scream. "What?" She grunted, having difficulty concealing anything, lest of all annoyance, "Is seeing and touching a naked woman not enough to keep you entertained? Are Riders forever hungry?"

[Kellan Lucia]

Kellan felt her nails digging into his skin. It hurt but he knew that she was hurting more. The cleansing of the wounds did tend to hurt more than the wounds themselves. She was putting up a good fight though. She was not screaming which showed she was a trooper. He had felt the sting of his herbal mixture before and he knew how hard it was not to scream out in pain. Kellan could tell this girl was something different than he was used to though. She held up this defense that he could not break through. It almost seemed that she was afraid that if she let him in he would leave. Leaving was not Kellan's style though, not anymore. Kellan gave Rhian a small smile and kept cleaning out her wounds. She was feisty and Kellan didn't know if he liked that. He usually liked feisty girls but there was very evident fire in her words that did tend to sting. He did not like how she seemed to prejudge him just because he was a rider. He may have been a rider but he was not like all of the riders. He was his own person and he was a little hurt that she was refusing to see that. As he cleaned her wounds he commented about what she said about him needing entertainment. "It is not that Rhian. I was saying that out of kindness to you. I do not know you and I wanted to get you talking to keep my mind off of you being naked in front of me. It was common courtesy. If you were say, my girlfriend or my wife then I could understand your frustration but I do not feel comfortable gaping at a stranger while she is unclothed. You may think us riders are a lowly group but I do have manners and standards." he said kindly. He really was telling the truth. He really respected women and even though he did like seeing girls naked he only saw them naked when he was in a committed relationship. He found no joy in sneaking peaks at the baths. It was dirty and unfair to the women. One could call him old fashioned but he liked to keep his standards.

[Rhian]

Such a long winded fellow... Rhian thought as Kellan went on and on and on, explaining himself. The young man struck her as a nice, naive little boy. Strangely, she felt a pang of pity upon realizing that his small bubble would shatter, and sooner rather than later. Something will happen to him that'll change the man to his very core and when he'll try to fit it all back together, like a broken mirror, he will cut himself and the reflection would be flawed nevertheless, with a scar that will haunt him forever. It was that realization and the knowledge that the survival rate of ingrates was remarkably low, that made her reach forward with her palm and cup his smooth cheek. His flesh was warm. She brushed it with the side of her thumb. Easy. "I am sorry," The lie came swiftly and easily, her voice soft. "Please understand that I do appreciate this," And she did; Wind Reach bred hard people, and nothing was free. Somehow, the young Rider managed to escape that fate. She pitied him, she envied him, and that stirred dregs of self loathing that Rhian managed to bury long ago. Despite the throbbing pain and Rhian's uncomfortable nudity, she lifted the no longer bleeding arms above her head to help Kellan wrap the bandages around the bruised torso. She graced him with a smile and a bat of her eyelashes. "How have you come to know medicine, practised it on blushing maids in the past?" Peace offerings which will give her glimpses to the man's personality and help Rhian manipulate him to her cause.

[Kellan Lucia]

As Kellan continued to work on Rhian she did something unexpected. Her hand came up and he felt her cool hand rest on his cheek. She muttered out an apology to him he felt her thumb graze across his cheek. He was not sure how he felt about that. He understood that out of the two of them he was in fact doing more of the touching and obviously she was naked which put her in a position where if she wanted to touch his face she could. It was much less uncomfortable than having some strange Endal tending to your wounds while naked. Of course, that was only his understanding of the matter. His first reaction was to pull away from her touch. Although most Endal would have welcomed the female touch he was a little more apprehensive. He knew with unknown women who were being flirtatious there was more often than not a catch. While most Endal grew up very care free, Kellan did not. He never gave much thought to romance or fornication. His thoughts were always in the sky. He dreamed of flying but his mind was also on his twin brother a lot. Toran, the only brother he would ever have and he was gone. That fact alone made him shelter himself. Kellan let her keep her hand on his cheek though. It was the least he could do for a lady in pain. Even if she was doing it to mess with him letting her keep her hand on his cheek would not kill him. When he finished cleaning her wounds he started to bandage her up. As he wound the bandage around her torso she piped up with a question. She asked how he got into medicine. Kellan gave a small smile "It's just something I picked up when I needed to find something better to do with my time. I have not worked on a lady before. I mostly just tend to my own injuries and the injuries of the few people who know I can work with medicine." he said simply. He left out a lot of details. He really got into medicine because of Toran. He wanted to make sure he never had to stand idly while someone died again. He did not want to bring up Toran though. It hurt far too much. After a few minutes he had gotten her all bandaged up. "Okay Nova, it looks like you are all good as new. Just make sure to clean the wounds daily and to change the bandages each night. If you need any help or the wounds start to flare up just come find me and I'll fix you again. I live in the aeries and what is usually where you can find me." he said. He was not aware that she did not want to go anywhere near the aeries. He gave her a smile. "You were a very good patient." he said handing Rhian her clothes. He held out his hand to help her up and then walked out of the baths to let her dress. Weather she would follow him was up to her.