Where Things Fly and Crawl(Hyacinth)

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden gave a short nod as she corrected his phrase to more than just her no longer being hurt. He then leaned back, resting his hand along Red’s shoulder as he gave a small smile. “It’ll be fine, especially after getting it healed in Syliras.” Jaeden then said, making it seem less than it really was to ease her worry, “It didn’t go to terribly deep. Hurts, but I’ve had a sword go through me in the stomach before.”

“Yeah,” Jaeden said as he red began to tear at the fabric of shirt he had given her before binding his wound. “Two more should remain, but keep your nose sharp for any of the other participants they were trying to get to compete.”

He grunted slightly as she began to tie it tight at the side of his waste. It wasn’t the most delicate of touches when it came to healing, but in the end it was important to her to try, and that was enough of a reason for Jaeden to allow her to do so. He released a slow exhale of relief after she had finished before he reached over, picking up his sword. He dragged the blade along the fallen hunter, wiping it clean before slipping it back into his sheath. Taking a couple of steps off to the side, he reclaimed his composite long bow, slinging it over his shoulder before taking a moment to breath through the pain that started to increase in his gut. A quick look to Brok and his fallen hunters soon saw him reaching to one of their quivers, plucking arrows from it to restock his own supply. He then looked over to Red as she spoke of her kin, avenging those that had fallen and rescuing those that still remained before she began sprinting towards the direction of the camp. Jaeden raised his brow for a moment watching her run. “She wants me to run with a gut wound?” Jaeden muttered under his breath before turning his head and giving a quick whistle. Only fifteen seconds passed before Fortunado came galloping back to where Jaeden was, coming to a stop beside him. A soft grunt was exhaled as he climbed into the saddle, giving another look down towards Brok and the two other hunters. “Pity, if you weren’t a slaver and murderer, we may have gotten along.”

Jaeden then gave Fortunado a light kick along his sides as he began galloping towards the direction Red set off in. It only took about a chime for him to catch up before he slowed Fortunado’s pace, riding up along side her. Reaching down, Jaeden snagged her by the back of her shirt, yanking her up onto Fortunado’s back behind him as he continued to rid. “Let me know when we get about a three hundred yards away, we’ll hop down from Fortunado’s back then and approach on foot from there.” Jaeden asked of Red before looking back at her and giving her a smirk. “By the way, my name is Jaeden. Human is a little to classified for my tastes, since I wouldn‘t want to be put in the same boat as some other humans out there.”

-----------------------

By the time they had reached their destination, Jaeden slowly slid off of Fortunado‘s back and set him off to roam on his own again. More branches and leaves were snagged from the foliage as he passed by it, approaching the camp slowly in a crouched posture beside Red. The gather foliage was then stuffed along areas of his armor and clothing it would slide beneath, covering the parts of him that didn‘t blend in too well with his natural surroundings. Lower still he crouched, dropping to a knee as he observed the two hunters and their on goings for a moment, noting the crates they kicked and the noises that came from within them. His hand slowly reached up, rubbing his chin slightly before looking down to Red. “Okay, here‘s the plan.” Jaeden then said, speaking in a whisper, as he slipped his bow from his shoulder. “I‘ll move in about another ten yards, but I‘m going to do it at a real, real slow pace.”

Jaeden then motioned to towards the camp as he fought the urge to scrunch his face in pain, his free hand grasping at his stomach for a moment. “I want you to circle around to the other side and move in quietly and as unnoticed if you can. You‘ll likely be able to do so better in your animal form. I’ll give you about ten chimes to do so go ahead and take a wide birth to avoid detection when your circling around.” Jaeden explained as slight grunts paused his speech for a moment, sweat begging to form along his brow. Jaeden gave a slow exhale once again, pulling an arrow from his quiver. “I’ll fire on one of them first. Hopefully the shot will be lethal and you won’t have to worry about that one. When I do fire, though, that’s when I want you to jump the other one. He’ll look to where the shot was fired from and his back will be to you. He’ll most likely try to duck behind some sort of cover and look to fire his bow in return, so he’ll be less of a danger to you when you get in close. If you don’t think you can kill him right off, go for his primary arm first. Make sure he can wield his sword or fire his bow effectively. I’ll be approaching the camp myself when you’re doing this.”

Jaeden then nocked an arrow into his bow before wiping a layer of sweat from his brow. “Now, there could be a chance my first arrow won’t kill who I’m aiming for right off, so be weary of his movements.” Jaeden warned. “I’ll keep firing at him as I approach if that happens, but keep the one your going after between you and me, that way he’s shielding you from the arrows I fire.”

He then let a moment of a silence pass before offering another smile to Red, a look of confidence appearing on his face as he did so. “So, you have any questions or something you would like to say before we do this Red?” Jaeden then asked looking into Red’s eyes.

[Kelpie]

Red didn’t enjoy that horse, they normally frightened her, and the constant thumping made her feel uneasy, but the moment they had stopped and climbed off, she lowered herself onto the ground, eyes locked on the two culprits in front of them, listening to Jaeden intently. Indeed, the hunters were unaware of their existence just then, having decided that Brok and the rest must have gone on a detour to grab some grub. They took to playing with cards, until five chimes later the large of the two began to pile wood on a dug out ditch to begin a fire. Red nodded at Jaeden’s words, noting the pain that wracked through his body from the wound, and mentally kicking herself for not knowing enough in medicine to ease his pain. It was heart wrenching, meeting a human she finally had come to accept and having him suffer right before her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to care for him, to give him whatever he wished, but she knew that at the moment, it was not time yet. When at his final remark she turned to look at him, a few seconds passed before she leaned forward quickly and planted a kiss on his cheek, smiling when she leaned back. “You’re amazing… and thank you.” With that said, Red tugged the tunic off and quickly shifted into her fox form, scurrying off into the brush. She was taking careful, quiet steps, making sure to take his direction by making wide turns to come around the opposite of the clearing. She crouched then, ears slicked back, watching through foliage at the man still sitting on the chair. Jarred still wandered about until he crouched near the stacked pile of lumber to begin the unpleasant process of lighting it. A flick of her ears signaled Jaedan that she was ready to strike when he signaled.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden’s eyes went wide for a bit when he felt Red kiss him along the cheek before she thanked him and headed off into the foliage to circle around. The pain that seemed to throb in his stomach disappeared for a moment as a goofy smile appeared on his face and a silent schoolboy giggle escaped his lips. A sharp pain in his gut brought him out of his perverted fantasy as he gave a quick wince, holding his breath for a moment. A slow shake of his head followed a slight exhale as he realized now was more of a time for focusing. It wasn’t just his life riding on the line, or Red’s for that matter. Several other Kelvics remained locked up in crates, just itching to be free from their cages and collars.

So Jaeden’s eyes once again fell to the Jerrod first, who currently busied himself with preparing the camp for a fire. His eyes then fell to the other, still seated down and passing the time in idle silence. Jaeden simply waited then, observing how he shifted in his seat, the openings in his armor, the casual movements that might suggest how well he moved in the midst of battle. He was the closest to his weapon at the time, so he would have to be first.

When Jaeden finally saw Red’s ears flick slightly, he then released an exhale, raising his bow slowly. His arms went taught in a flex as he drew back the string, bringing the arrow level with the lower curve of his chin. The bow string was drawn back to the rear of his jaw as his thumb came to rest just under his ear, steadying his drawing hand. His left index finger, as his hand gripped the bow itself tightly, extended, resting under the shaft of the arrow itself to keep it level with where he aimed. His eyes narrowed, bringing Hamel more into focus as he began lining up the tip of the arrow head with him. He would want to go for the sure kill, putting an arrow into Hamel‘s head or neck, but at the same time his injury along with the distance and own lack of serious experience with the bow made that possibility dismal. Instead, Jaeden aimed for Hamel’s chest, hoping the arrow would be able to penetrate past the armor and into either Hamel’s lung or heart.

His signal for Red would be simple for her to spot as Jaeden exhaled that final breath, ignoring the pain and focusing on his aim. His finger’s then relaxed their grip as the string of the bow suddenly shot forward, sending the arrow hurtling through the air, a whisper in the wind telling of it’s lethal intent left in it’s wake. The moment the arrow was loosed, Jaeden’s hand was already reaching for another as he came to his feet and began approaching the camp. The moment the first arrow would strike would be Red’s signal to leap into action on Jared.

[Kelpie]

Jaedan’s arrow struck just below Hamel’s heart. His body rocked to the side on impact, but he had jolted to a start, wailing from the pain that racked his body. Jarred had turned, cursed loudly and stumbled up, fumbling with his weapon to unsheathe it, however, upon the shot, Red had leaped from where she hid and clamped down tightly on Jarred’s leg, tearing, clawing and gnawing through the cloth that covered the flesh, eager to shed blood. It was a frenzy that continued as both men yelped in alarm. Jarred was shaking his leg, until he knocked Red aside with his sword. She cried out, rolled on the ground then bounded on him once again. Using what strength she could, she had pushed her back legs against the ground as hard as she could and landed with her forepaws clinging to his shoulders. Her maw was clamped tightly on his face, clinging with her canines, tearing at his face, his eyes and cheeks. Hamel had stood, pulling the arrow out with a meaty fist until he caught sight of Jaedan. Jarred’s howls of agony fell on deaf ears, as the man’s face turned red and he grabbed the bow and arrows that lay by his side. He shot clumsily, which Jaedan had easily been able to avoid, seeing as it fell halfway to it’s mark, but the next was pulled back and aimed for Jaeden’s chest. All the while Red had been torn off Jarred’s face and nearly hacked in half by a furious hunter. He began to chase her, stumbling, colliding with crates and the caravan, as he had been made blind by Red’s merciless fangs. She yelped at the slice the sword made to her rump as it passed along her flesh, yet it wasn’t long before Jarred had completely collapsed onto the ground, clawing at the soil and howling obscenities into the air. Red made a round about, jumping onto his back and scratching what she could.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden began moving forward more quickly, covering the distance between him and the hunter. Another arrow was drawn back as he quickly aimed and loosed it towards Hamel, not looking to hit Hamel anywhere specific, but just to hit him. “Red, take refuge.” Jaeden shouted as he ducked behind a tree, making himself less of a target as he took the time to pull another arrow free from it’s quiver.

His stomach was practically burning now, and he could tell that the makeshift bandage Red had wrapped around his waist was now failing to contain it as blood began seeping through the torn away fabric of the shirt. He figured he had maybe ten chimes at best before the pain would seriously start affecting him, if not make him pass out. He had to end this and rest, otherwise he might not make it back to Syliras for healing.

As Jaeden nocked another arrow into the string of his bow, he let a slow exhale creep out from between his lips as sweat dripped off his brow. The salt from his sweat certainly didn’t help the pain of his wound either, as it seemed to mix together under the bandage. Jaeden then slid his fingers along the string of his bow, poking his head out quickly to check if Hamel had moved from where he previously was.

[Kelpie]

The arrow Jaeden shot sailed through the air and grazed Hamel's arm, but failed to meet it's mark. Hamel had still scowled obscenities into the air just as Jarred did, but his shots were clumsy from the pain of the wound caused by Jaeden's arrow. There was a growl as he tossed it aside, grabbed his sword and charged toward Jaeden's location, blade raised and ready for a strike. But Jaeden was ready, with arrow nocked and aimed, his arrow had shot across the distance and didn't take long for it to sink directly into Hamel's chest, puncturing his heart. He careened to the side, his grip slackened and his sword landed on the ground with a dull thump. There was a moment before he too, finally collapsed. Red had followed Jaeden's direction, hiding in a brush as Jarred lay breathless and suffering, wallowing in his own blood and drool. There was only him left, but he was dying, so the kelvic simply focused her attention entirely on Jaeden. She could smell the blood on him, distinct from that of the hunter who attacked her, and in a split second, she had arrived to his side in human form once more, her forehead creased in worry. "You don't have much time, rest here... I'll go free the rest." She caressed his cheek softly, then turned quickly to rummage through the hunter's belongings for the keys. Several chimes had passed as she released each and every one of the remaining kelvics, who scattered in droves into the shadows of the Wildlands, grateful for freedom. Red returned to Jaeden then, with several bottles of ointment and other substances in hand and bandages in another, placing it on the man's lap where she had left him against the trunk of a tree. "Will these help? I don't know what they do but you must know... Please I don't want you to die because of me.. " Her voice cracked at the thought, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry.. I shouldn't have dragged you into this, you're hurt and I made it worse..." She turned her face away, ashamed. "The first human that doesn't hurt us... and I hurt him.." She wiped a hand over her cheeks, then grabbed the bandages she had set down, tearing off a long strip to tie around her upper thigh, where Jarred's sword had cut deeply. She winced but tied it as well as she could before tearing off another equally long piece for Jaeden.

[Jaeden Kincade]

As soon as the second arrow had been fired, hitting lethally into Hamel’s chest. As Hamel staggered for a moment before finally falling to the ground, Jaeden’s frame finally felt tension rise from his body as his frame fell back, leaning into the tree behind him. His body slid down the tree as his hand gripped his stomach, wincing slightly. “Ah, that feels a bit better.” Jaeden said, relaxing slightly as he kept pressure on his wound. His gaze finally floated up to Red as she stepped up next to him, chuckling slightly as she told him to rest there for a moment. “No worries, Red. I’ll just lounge for a bit.”

Jaeden then simply observed, his gaze following each of the Kelvic’s as they were released from their cage and went running into the wild. It made him wonder if he had, in his youth, accidentally killed one of them himself when he hunted beside Olevar. His head slowly shook at the thought, knowing most Kelvic’s had the intelligence enough to avoid hunters if not first enslaved to be sport, as these men had did. His gaze then moved back down to his wound, raising his hand to check on it for a moment before letting frown cross his features. “Calyna’s going to dock me a weeks worth of pay for healing this.” Jaeden thought to himself as he pondered if she might trade for free bath service.

Jaeden’s eyes then observed the bottles of ointment and bandages laid in his lap before looking up to see Red standing before him again. She then questioned their use, fiddling with them before moving on to tear away some bandages. A slight smirk crossed his features as he slowly shook his head. “The only skill of healing I have is Massage Therapy, Red.” Jaeden then answered her, looking up and down her frame for a moment, thinking she might enjoy one herself. “Just bag them up to take with us, and bandage my stomach tightly. Such should be sufficient enough to reach Syliras.”

Jaeden then leaned forward, giving Red sufficient space between him and the tree to wrap his waist in bandaging if she chose to. He slowly turned his head, pausing for a moment. “Cover your ears for a moment Red.” Jaeden said, giving her warning before a loud, tout whistle was echoed through the forest, calling Fortunado to their side. “Okay Red, search their take for the day. No sense in leaving coin about for just anyone considering we bled. I’ll unhinge their horses, I’m thinking the Windmount Stables in the city might buy them.”

Jaeden slowly rose to his feet, wincing slightly as a grunt escaped his lips. “Care to tag along with me back to the castle city?” Jaeden then offered to Red. “I certainly wouldn’t mind the company for the trip back.”

[Kelpie]

Red nodded at Jaeden when he relayed his orders about what to do with both the items in his lap and the various weapons and coins just waiting for the taking. When he promptly leaned forward, she was quick to wrap the bandage five times around Jaeden’s abdomen, tightening it as best as she could and tucking the remaining piece inside the folds. She even padded it down softly, so as Jaeden would be as comfortable as possible on the way to Syliras. Her face lit up when Jaeden asked if she wished to come, and she nodded and remarked with a, “Yes! I would love to!“ Once Jaeden called for his Nightwalker, Red gathered up the items in her hands and walked back to camp, where she tugged out a loose bag from one of the hunters and stored it. It didn’t take long for her to rummage the corpses, the crates and the caravan itself. She knew what coins looked like, and she even found a dagger with a gold hilt and elaborately carved, wondering how anyone would wish to use it as it glinted beautifully under the light. Either way, it all went straight into the bag, and once she was finished, she lugged back to Jaeden, where she settled it down next to Fortunado. “This is all I found in their caravan.” Jaeden had returned with the two horses from the caravan, and strapped them to either side of Fortunado’s saddle. Not 5 chimes later and they were off toward Syliras. The journey wouldn’t be a relatively long one, but Red had kept silent as she held onto Jaeden from the back of the Nightwalker. There was a battle raging in her head. Confusion, want, desire, the bond. She wanted to bond with him! The threads of the kelvic bond were wounding around Jaeden as they rode. She couldn’t help it, it was as natural as it was breathing for her. She had found someone she truly enjoyed to be with, how could she not wish to bond? Whether Jaeden accepted it or not was another question, but Red was incredibly worried, even as she muttered a soft, “I’m sorry…”

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden slipped the reigns of the other two horses along Fortunado as the horse gave a subtle gruffed exhale, looking back and forth between the other two horses. “Don’t get temperamental,” Jaeden said, letting out a little cough, “it’s just for a short time.”

Jaeden the took a lean along the Nightwalker, giving a slow exhale as he pressed his hand along his stomach for a moment. Red had done a good job. It wasn’t a healers work, but certainly far better than he could have done. She soon approached, and he was both relieved and disappointed at the same time oddly enough to find her clothed once again. A backpack full of spoils were held up to him as he peered into it, giving a slow nod as he closed up the top, tying it tight before strapping it to Fortunado’s saddle. “Alright then. I saw you eyeing that gold hilted dagger, by the way. If you want it, it‘s yours.” Jaeden said before climbing slowly up into Fortunado’s saddle. He then reached down, picking Red up and pulling her up onto the saddle behind him. “Let’s head home.”

The ride wouldn’t be far, but at the same time, he kept it slow to avoid aggravating his wound any further. The ride became a revealing one, however, as Jaeden sensed all of Red’s desire to bond. It was generally something he didn’t allow when with a Kelvic. Helena had been the first he had come across to try, and he near death protecting him made him fear such. Miharu was the second, and she had come the closest, seeing her face when he was rejecting her bond was almost as painful emotionally to him as it would have been to see her injured protecting him. Now there was Red, so close to it, driven by what she was. She had no control over it at all, and Jaeden knew this, so it was up to him to make sure the bond didn’t happen. He had done it twice before. Those time, however, with Red in constant contact with him, Ranuri hadn’t been influencing his decisions in the matter. This time, he was compelled to let it happen, and he wasn’t even sure if he was actively trying to resist Ranuri’s urge. If Red continued to bond, Jaeden would let it, not seeing any reason to not allow such on that day. As her head pressed along his back, and she whispered an apology, Jaeden gave a slow chuckle, his free hand coming down to rest along Red’s hand where she held on during the ride.

“Don’t be sorry,” Jaeden then said, looking over his shoulder and offering her a smile. “I’ve never been fond of enslavement, no matter who it is. I’m certainly not sorry about it all, and it was well worth the wounds. We freed those who were being held against their will, punished those who were enslaving them, and we earned a little something on top of it all. We did good things today, Red. If there’s anything to be sorry about, it’s that we couldn’t save all of your kin trapped in those cages. Perhaps, if we encounter this type of group again in the future, we’ll save more the next time. That is, if you want to stick around with me?”

[Kelpie]

The tendrils of the bond wrapped around Jaeden like soft silk, tying him to Red and Red to Jaeden. The acceptance had lit up Red’s face in joy, and she tightened her hold around him nearly in an embrace. Although there had been horror this day, in the form of murdering the innocent and those that had no means of fighting back, there had been great rewards in the end. Jaeden had found a Kelvic to bond with, one that was strong willed, determined, and understood what she wished and what Jaeden wished as well. Through the bond, the kelvic would do as Jaeden saw fit, helping him capture and apprehend slavers, or simply there to learn medicinal properties and tend to his or anyone else’s wounds any way she can. In her animal form, they wills till be able to understand each other, with Red’s thoughts echoing in his mind, relaying what she wished about a situation. They had arrived in Syliras without any trouble, but what would come for the rest of the summer was a mystery.

Jaeden: +5 Longsword, +5 Archery, +5 Unarmed Combat, +5 Leadership, +4 Tracking Lore: The Horrors of Mankind, Careful Aim, Knowing When to Keep Your Hands to Yourself, Analyzing a Situation, How to Keep Your Cool in the Face of the Loud and Obnoxious, Kelvic Bonding, Red Jaeden has received the following: -100gm -2 Zavian Horses -Medicinal Poultices & Supplies -Set of jewelry -Set of daggers -1 Shortbow Red (Kelvic Bondmate): 10 Medicine 10 Hunting 10 Unarmed Combat Received gold-hilted dagger. Mod Note: Thanks for the thread, Jaeden, was super fun! (Even if I was terribly slow).