An Enterprising Excursion (Kryos Coal)

by **Fiora Radacke** on September 20th, 2013, 12:03 am

Fiora

She'd forgotten she'd said she used to be Benshira until Coal asked her about it, his tone puzzled. Looking down at him, Fiora plastered a wan smile on her face.

"I only meant that I used to be generally content like the Benshira...and even though, yes, I am still of that race, where you're wrong is that I am still the same. I have changed a great deal since coming here. I have been changed a great deal," she corrected herself.

Reflecting on Coal's comments, she marveled at his lack of memory of his childhood, though it was true that he had been in Kenash for three decades. Still, she couldn't imagine having a prolonged life such as his. She would rather it end sooner, especially if it were going to be as tough as this. Then, because she felt guilty for being so miserable when she was the one married to a wealthy man and this Isur was a slave with no personal freedom, she chided herself mentally. Be grateful, she thought, for what you do have.

"I do not know why I am so melancholy today," she apologized to Coal. "I didn't mean to be. I am truly thankful for the life I lead and especially the children I bore. Oh!" Swiveling her head around to see why her horse had slowed she spotted a small low bridge that had been hastily built over the marsh. The bridge was quite narrow and would not take both of them abreast as they had been riding, so she urged her chestnut mare forward until they were in front of the mule and cart. Her horse had only taken one step on the rickety boards when it whinnied and jerked back suddenly, whipping its head. Fiora tried to keep hold of the reins, but her horse was spooked and reared up on its hind legs, sending Fiora sailing off its back.

She landed with a hard thud in the swamp on the left side of the bridge, her head hitting a fallen tree trunk and her leg curled up at a painful angle beneath her. Hearing something rustling to her right, Fiora lolled her head in that direction, trying to blink away the bright spots that danced in her eyes. A large alligator was rapidly approaching her, its scaly head taut with anticipation of its next meal.

Fiora screamed and tried to push herself up but her head was throbbing and her leg was stuck in the mire of the marsh. She clawed at the bank to get a grip of solid ground, but the dirt was damp and soft. She was yanked back as the gator snapped her scarf in its jaws and pulled. The fabric tightened around her neck, and quickly cut off her air supply. Eyes bulging, she frantically tried to scramble out of the swamp as she choked.

by **Kryos Coal** on September 20th, 2013, 12:42 pm

She had seemed a little sad, though Coal wasn't about to be the one to bring it up to the lady. She missed home that was clear, and from the way she phrased her words it sounded like she hadn't stayed upon Whiplash entirely willingly...

These mysterious were best left solve by a more curious slave bent on sharing all the whispers they got from a household, however, and Coal was not one of those, so he tried to relax his grip on the reins and watched as the horse began tortting cautiously over the short little bridge...

And then it all seemed to fall apart.

Coal had leapt up and off the cart as Fiora fell sidways into the mire, his bare feet hitting the ground with a dull thump. No Plantation member should have to sit in such an ungracious position for very long, and if Bice heard of this? More than a whip was going to bite into his shoulder.

The Isur stumbled forward, his leap and intentions not lining up well with the actual coordination of his body as he sprinted toward Fiora...only to see the open maw of a crocodile coming towards her. As Fiora struggled a shadow passed above her, one shining leg and then another working through the mud to stand in between her and the croc. The two beings seemed to size each other up in the shallows, and Coal kept moving forward towards it through the mud and muck, his shoulders wide, his arms out to the side, ready to catch any attempts on the reptiles part. The creatures around plantation land were surely used to human meals, which made it second nature for the beasts to move in fast less someone else get their prey. Just as Coal was thinking about how well he could actually take a monster as large as this the crocodile lunged at him, the mass of bulk moving a lot faster than one might expect.

It was extremely hard to simply dodge the jaws when you were thigh deep in mud, so Coal moved as much as he could, the full force of the reptile landing upon his legs and sinking him down even further. His arms wrapped around the creatures throat, not precisely sure where to go from that action, and as the creatures legs clawed against his he simply held on for dear life.

It wasn't that Coal had never been in the fighting pits the Radacke's were so proud of...but he had never been very good, a mentality of obedience and thoughtfulness, amiability and all that didn't seem to translate well to kicking the shyke out of another slave. His arm made for a good weapon, but one that he'd rather create with then destroy, leaving him in a bit of pickle now as the croc snapped and snarled towards Fiora, Coal keeping him down with the sheer weight of his body and power of his arms.

But there was only so long he could keep the best from charging forward, and could already feel his body slipping in the muck towards the Radacke. He raised his dark arm, his namesake and smashed it down upon the crocodile's head. The beast seemed to shiver, but his claws still dug painfully into the Isur's legs, and without the hold of his stronger arm began getting closer to the woman. He raised his fist again, slamming it down again, and this time got a more visible result, the creature ceasing it's attack enough to give Coal one last chance, this time he dug his other arm out from beneath the creature and raised them both, hauling them down with all of his weight right in between the croc's eyes.

And suddenly the reptile seemed to want to go anywhere but near Fiora. It turned swiftly, finding a stretch of open water and diving down into it after clumsily crawling over Coal's body to get there. Calculating eyes watched its departure until the ripples in its wake had disappeared before Coal tried rising out of the mud.

"Mistress, are you alright? Are you hurt?" He found a stable enough stump to push himself off of, slowly bringing his body upright, and began walking towards shore, lending a black, silver veined arm to Fiora.

"I should have been more careful, should've gone first." He said, his voice starting to slide together. He felt light headed all of a sudden, and glanced downward slowly to see his legs covered with mud...but a darker wetness seeping through the grime. His free hand traveled down to wipe the dirt and water away...to see the deep gashes the beast had inflicted into his legs and thighs, and as he took away the mud that had been filling the wounds...a steady stream of crimson began to seep out of them. He looked up worriedly at Fiora.

"I am sorry, Mistress."

by **Fiora Radacke** on September 23rd, 2013, 12:52 am

Fiora

The reptile released her scarf when Coal stepped in front of it, surprised at the bold movement and Fiora gulped in thick, humid air. The Isur slave wrestled with the crocodile and began smashing his fists down onto its head while Fiora grabbed at tall weeds and began pulling herself as best as she could out of the swamp. At one point, she got her legs under her and her feet touched something solid and she tried to stand. A sharp pain shot up her left leg from her knee and she fell forward again, losing much of her precious progress. Her head ached from where she had hit it but it was no longer threatening to envelop her into unconsciousness.

Looking back, Fiora watched the crocodile swim away in defeat and her body went limp with relief. She gladly accepted Coal's outstretched hand, gripping it with both of hers and dragged herself forward, balancing on one foot only. When she was finally upright, she collapsed against the slave, her arms wrapped around his middle, her body trembling uncontrollably. Coal was saying something but all Fiora could do was shake her head in response, her face in his chest. She clung to him for a few ticks, willing herself to pull it together. She bit her lip to keep from bursting into tears because she was already embarrassing herself enough, and probably Coal too.

After a chime, she was able to pull back from him, though she still gripped his forearm to help her stand. She tested her left leg, sinking it down in the shallow mire and trying to put some of her weight on it. The pain still existed, but it was not as severe as it was moments before. Looking down, Fiora stared at a trail of blood that swirled in the murky water. She quickly glanced up at Coal, who, she now realized, kept apologizing.

"No," Fiora said to him, as firmly as she could manage. "No." She hobbled up on the bank, favoring her knee, and he followed suit. Once on dry land, she bent down to examine his leg, taking the bottom of her skirt and wiping at his thigh to get past the grime. Since her skirt was soaked in the same stuff, it didn't do much good. "This was not your fault, it was all mine," she said when she was finally able to utter a full sentence. She wiped at his leg some more and she could see some deep gashes, but they really needed proper treatment.

"Okay," the Benshira said, "alright." We have to get to the clinic." She unwound her scarf from her neck, which she never would have thought could be so deadly to wear, and wrapped the fabric around Coal's leg. She tied it as tightly as she could to stop the flow of blood but in a few ticks the red was already seeping through. Taking a deep breath and trying not to look worried for the slave's sake, Fiora stood back up and tilted her head to peer into his eyes.

"We need to go quickly, so we will take my horse. Both of us." Fiora nodded at the chestnut mare who had stepped back from the bridge quite a few paces and was still prancing around nervously. The mule was standing calmly on the road, as if none of their lives had just been in grave danger. Fiora had no idea what to do with the animal or the inventory in the cart, but it didn't matter. They had to get to the clinic as fast as possible and they were still a couple miles away.

by **Kryos Coal** on September 25th, 2013, 1:16 am

She leaned against his chest and sobbed, and the slave found himself unsure of how precisely to proceed. The action in itself was not entirely unwelcome, but it seemed the slave was more off put by the Dynasty woman's behavior than she herself was, and his muscles tensed, arms hanging limply at his sides, unsure whether he should comfort her or push her away.

Decision made for him, Fiora had noticed his legs as well. She seemed injured, a limp in her leg, he noticed even as the world began to spin around him. If his fellow slaves who thought him as hard as rock could see him now...well probably best they couldn't. He coughed, and pulled away slightly as she wrapped the scarf around his leg.

"Mistres-" His voice stopped when she gave him a look that would broker no argument, and it was strange, but Coal seemed to notice more of a fire in her now as she puzzled out what to do than he had since their meeting that morning.

But her suggestion was...

"I will not ride the horse." He said promptly, gazing at her, then lowering his head quickly. She didn't seem to understand her place in the world, it was upon her horse above him, yet more than once today she seemed eager to bridge this gap between owner and slave. It made the Isur uncomfortable to say the least, and he liked to think that is what brought on the rude and clipped response...after all, he was not in the wrong...was he? His gaze flicked between the cart and mule and the horse, then back again. Slowly he tried again. "I should not ride."

"I will guard the goods." He said, ignoring her stare, pretending she was not carefully assessing him. "You should go to the clinic." The words left a sour taste in his mouth. Arguing with a Dynasty member? It would be rewarded with harsh punishment, but if he got cared for and all of her goods were taken? He would bear the scars of such failure the rest of his life.

He walked stiffly, but upright over to the cart, placing a hand on the side for balance, part of didn't dare look at her face, which must have been contorted in rage for his insolence.

by **Fiora Radacke** on September 25th, 2013, 2:51 am

Fiora

Detesting the way that he viewed her so much higher than himself, Fiora was shocked when Coal actually denied her demand. She had scared him with her actions chimes before, but she hadn't been able to help herself after the near death experience. Now, she put her hands on her hips and waited for Coal to look at her, the silence between them thick with uncertainty.

Fiora knew that he was a slave, but she was not going to let him suffer out here or even die from loss of blood. Coal was swaying on his feet, weak from his battle with the crocodile, and Fiora took a step toward him, causing his eyes to jump to her face. She tried to smile at him, but she was afraid it was more of a grimace because of the pains in her knee and head. She rubbed her neck where the scarf had dug in and tried to fix Coal with a firm gaze but she wasn't sure if it was very successful.

"You need medical attention," she said simply. "You can barely stand. Forget the goods. If you're worried what others might think, just look at us! We're covered in mud and soaked to the bone. No one will even recognize me as Dynasty." Fiora limped over to the horse and, stepping on tiptoe, grabbed its reins and pulled its head down to try and soothe the animal.

"You will ride with me," she said, her back to the injured Isur. "Or you will have condemned me to a horrible fate when I return to Whiplash minus a valued slave. Bice's whip will find a new victim and my skin isn't nearly as tough as yours." Rubbing the mare's nose, Fiora managed to calm it down enough to prompt the horse to walk forward. She turned on her heel and used the animal as a crutch to help her walk.

Fiora raised an eyebrow at Coal as she moved the horse closer to him. "Now, do you need help to get up on her back?"

by **Kryos Coal** on September 25th, 2013, 12:38 pm

His will snapped like dried kindling. The longer he argued with her, the longer she went without seeking proper medical attention, the longer this whole thing took, the more suspicious Bice became...the worse it would look for him. Sure they wouldn't recognize her now, but what of after the blood was cleaned off? And after they saw the brand in Coal's neck and put two and two together? He still didn't see the goods as more valuable than he himself, but shook this thought away as well. Coal continued to keep his gaze penetrating downward, his light headed-ness proceeding into something else...something worse. He stumbled over to the horse, placing one muddy hand on its rump and shook his head at the offer of aid. Bad enough she had to sit through a ride with an Isur who knew nothing of sitting atop a horse while bleeding out of the leg that she would stoop so low as to offer him aid.

He managed to get one foot in the stirrup, and lift himself awkwardly into the saddle by sheer force of his arms if nothing else, shoving his rear back to allow room for Fiora, who would be guiding the confused horse. Each of his hands gripped whatever part of the saddle he could get ahold of, still nearly losing his seat when Fiora started the horse off at a mere trot.

It would be a miracle if he made it to Kenash without tumbling off.

by **Fiora Radacke** on September 25th, 2013, 11:21 pm

Fiora

Watching Coal struggle to get up on her mare, Fiora became aware how serious his situation was. The loss of blood was greatly effecting his movements and his eyes appeared to be glazed over. She could tell he wasn't happy that he had to be on the horse, but she would not deny him the chance to live on if anything could be done to fix his leg.

Fiora hurried to the horse's side and tried to pull herself up on it as best as she could with a rider already in the saddle. Her skirt got caught around Coal's boot and she reached down to untangle it, making the horse lurch to the side. Finally, she settled her bum in the small space Coal had left for her and leaned forward to grab the reins. She felt him slumping behind her and she was afraid that he was close to losing consciousness.

"You should hang on," she said as she urged the horse into forward motion. When she didn't feel his hands, she turned her head to look over her shoulder at the Isur.

"Coal, hang on," she said, softly this time, after glancing at his face. He was very pale and drained looking and her words now held a double meaning. Fiora took each of his arms and wrapped them around her waist. "Lean against me," she commanded and when he didn't obey, she pulled at his arms until his chest was against her back. She could tell he didn't want to put his weight into her, but she couldn't have him falling off the horse in this state. If he blacked out on the ground, she wouldn't be able to lift him back up into the saddle. His head kept dipping and Fiora's heart began to beat faster with rising panic.

Digging her heels into the sides of the horse, she prayed to Yahal that the two of them would make it safely to the clinic and that it wouldn't be too late for the injured man behind her.

by **Kryos Coal** on September 27th, 2013, 3:16 pm

The world took on the grey quality of the skyline and landscape just before the break of dawn. When everything had the hint of color, but was still largely the hue of greys and blacks. Coal wasn't sure if this was because of the blood loss, or the way his vision was spinning, but he suspected all of it was interrelated. He lowered an arm to help Fiora up into the horse before realizing she was already on it, and grabbing his arms, putting them forcefully around her waist.

His mind rebelled against this idea, but the only part of it he could really hear was how soft her clothes were, even covered in mud as they were. He found his head falling comfortably in between her shoulder blades, and as the horse jolted into movement his grip around her waist tightened, his body quivering over the haunches of the horse, making his stomach roil.

Darkness came over him for an instant, but a distant memory of staying awake came to him and he focused on the road beneath the horse's hooves, like miniature avalanches of stones clattering beneath the nicely shod hooves, grey, darkening...darkening.

To keep himself from drifting into slumber the Isur began humming to himself. He was not a singer, nor a whistler, and by this time Fiora had learned he wasn't much of a talker, but the tune had a strange melody to it, it was deep and spoke of caverns and mountains...at least that was what Coal pictured as he hummed, focusing on the sound and the mud covered hair of Fiora guiding her mount towards the city of Kenash.

He had been born in the mountains.

by **Poppy** on October 30th, 2013, 8:28 pm

...because you've EARNED it!

Fiora :

Coal :

Notes :

Please PM me with any questions, comments, or concerns!

Completed An Enterprising Excursion (Kryos Coal)