{flashback} A light in the darkness (Ronan)

[Ginchoeri]

Winter 37, 510 AV

Gin was still running even though she knew the Zith wasn't following her, she was leaving a trail of blood, a LOT of blood. She wasn't sure how long she had been running all she knew is that she had been attacked the day after her birthday and had been running with very little sleep, and even that sleep was restless. She was just glad she had been in her horse from and was carryining her stuff, she hadn't lost her mother's harp. But she knew that at anytime the strap that was holding her things to her could snap.

She slowed her pace feeling quite dizzy, "I've lost to much blood, much longer and I'll faint and get eaten, though i'm surprised I haven't been attacked since then. I'm a pretty easy target," she thought. Gin stumbled over her hooves and then forced herself to stay up and keep herself together. She felt if she stopped now, she wouldn't find help, though she could have been just going insane since the afternoon sun was beating down on her back where her horrible wound was. Five deep claw marks, within them, rotting flesh, her own and something elses, and oozing still with blood.

As she walked she thought she was seeing things, a spread of tents appeared in front of her eye's, she thought she was hallucinating but still whinney'd weakly with joy. She was ready to start running when she collapsed to the ground and whinney'd in pain. She had to get into her human form, she didn't know what these people, if there were people, did to animals. So she focused the last of her strength to changing back into a human. She shifted her items in front of her, which meraculously had little blood on them. She could feel the wound extend from just under her neck to her middle back, and now that she was on her side the blood oozed out of her faster and her sight faded as she used her weak voice for one more plea, "Help.... me.... please..."

[Ronan]

Ronan watched the grasses with care. He did this for a long while each day, pondering, contemplating, lost in his own dark reflection. He was a sullen man, consumed by the bitter past. He hoped that one day he could change that... but for now.

There was a cool wind, and sitting just outside Endrykas, he turned his head to watch the breeze billow at the cloth tents of the Drykas city. He felt somehow detached, as if there were a thin, dividing line between him and the city he had once called home.

He was pulled from thought by the thundering of hooves - not unusual in a nomadic city of Drykas and Strider. But when he saw the glorious white horse fall in the grass, his eyes caught sight of a terrible wound. He shot up, gazing out towards the fallen equine, then broke into a run.

He could not bear to see people suffer. His inner turmoil ensured that.

[Ginchoeri]

Gin used her hands to drag herself towards the sound of something large moving in the grass. She stopped though, when she started to get a pulsing headache. Her vision started to tunnel and tears fell from her eyes as she felt the pain for the first time in days. She screamed in agony and layed flat on her stomach. She got the feeling back on her skin as she feel blood trickle down in.

She cluthched at the dirt and the grass and took deep breaths. She had to stay awake a little longer, she had to keep consiousness, but she new she didn't have long her vision was slipping and her blood, or what was left of it was rushing in her ear. She tried to think of what to do, but her thoughts jumbled to quickly to keep a straight thought. Her heart was going to give out soon if she didn't do something.

[Ronan]

As the horse fell, the form shifted into that of a woman before Ronan's eyes. He noticed her height as she tumbled, and her pale hair shimmered in the sunlight.

He stumbled himself, as he tried to rush towards her. But he caught himself, and finally came across the woman. A Kelvic, by the looks of the transformation. He recoiled. She was cut up badly, blood gushing from wounds. For a moment he was unsure of what to do.

That devilish soul inside him wanted to pull him away - to ignore the pain before him. But he couldn't. He pulled out his small kit bag of herbs and looked down at the pained Kelvic girl. She was still awake.

"What happened?" he asked quietly. He did not find talking to others easy. As he waited for a response, he began to grind and tear some petty herbs, ones that would effectively dull the pain that would be wracking the Kelvic's body.

[Ginchoeri]

She heard a mans voice and her heart lightened. She turned her head to look at him, she was glad she could still see even if it was a little, she could barely make out her saviors soft green eyes and brown hair. She finally realized he had been waiting for an answer and said the one word that could explain it all, "Zith...." her voice was hoarse but still had the air of sweetness it normally had. She cringed a little as another pain stunge through her but she gritted her teeth and bared through it.

She shifted a little as to not let any of her limbs fall asleep, but it sent a huge surge of pain through her body and she had to forse herself not to scream though it was evident by the look on her face how much pain she was in, her deep blue eyes were losing their luster. When the worst of the pain was gone she managed to smile at the man, she wondered if she should ask him his name first or say her own. She chose the later, "My... name is Gin..... what... is yours," she was trying to distract herself.

[Ronan]

Pressing some of the herbs to the silver haired girl's nostrils and tongue, he finally allowed her to reply.

"Zith," she said. The one word was enough. Glassbeaks were a constant terror in Cyphrus, his own brother had died by their treacherous beak, but the Zith were an even greater threat. Shadowy, winged beasts, stalking the grass in the darkness, hunting for blood. They were much more unpredictable than the violent birds.

The identity of her attacker explained the extent of her injuries - it was miraculous that she was still alive. He tensed up, realising her gaze was upon him. Gin, she called herself. Her smile... so many memories. It pained him deeply.

"My name?" he asked faintly, returning to his herbs half to distract his mind from conversation. "I am Ronan." He did not mention his pavilion's name, for it's existence was transitory.

"My knowledge of herbs... it's basic at best. I should get you back to Endrykas."

And there I can leave you. It will be best that way. Best for both of us.

[Ginchoeri]

Gin looked at him, the emotions on his face told her a story that she knew he wouldn't want to tell. "Ro....nan...." she tried his name, she liked it, rolled of her tounge. She smiled as best she could, "Thank you .... for doing..... this.. much," she choked on something in the back of her throat, she swollowed, she didn't want him to leave her but it seemed that he wanted to do something else. Or at least not be there. "Sorry... for... putting something.. so troublesome.... onto you."

She breathed deeply, letting her eyes rest momentarily then she snapped herself out of it, she couldn't fall asleep yet. She wasn't in the clear she knew it, she could barely see any more, only what was right in front of her, she couldn't tell depth, so when she reached out slowly to find her savior, whom she couldn't see anymore. Her icey fingers felt what she thought was his scruffle of a beard and she blushed slightly and she started to move her hand way appoligetically her voice giving way to a small appology. Her almost sightless eyes trying to see him, but it was in vain.

[Ronan]

Ronan looked away awkwardly. He could not be the hero - for he was a coward to the core. He pulled back when she touched at the stubble round his jaw line.

"I could... carry you back," he said. It wasn't really an offer. He couldn't abandon her here, and once she was in an Opal Clan healing tent, she wasn't his problem anymore.

He bent down to try and scoop her up. She was heavy, but that was owed to her height. And besides, she was a Kelvic. There's a whole horse in there, he thought with a frown. He began walking, trying to avoid her gaze.

The whole situation made him think though. It had never been proven what had killed his parents. Glassbeaks were assumed. But Zith prowled these Grasses, and he couldn't bear to think of those winged beasts murdering them in cold blood. It was worse in his mind. A Glassbeak was a predatory bird. A Zith seemed more humanoid, it had more capacity to think and calculate.

"What were you doing out there?" he asked slowly, "do you live in Endrykas?"

[Ginchoeri]

She winced as he picked her up and blood gushed over his strong arms. "Lost family.. have.. no home.."she answered his questions in a calm but pained manner. Her unclothed body layed perfectly in his arms. She looked up to him calmly though she couldn't see anything anymore and gave him a sweet smile, even in the worst of times she was able to bring out her smile. She leaned towards his body, knowing that dirrection was safe. "sorry... if... awkward... can't... see anymore..." She shivered, it was slightly cold, though normally even in her human for she'd barely feel it. The loss of blood leaving her empty of warmth.

[Ronan]

You lost your home... I know what that feels like.

The plan had been to simply deposit her in an Opal Clan tent, and leave her to the healers. But now he felt a personal connection. It was a spark, nothing much, but he felt guilty at his planned abandonment. And now, she leaned into him, shivering, pale, her voice becoming lifeless.

Her injuries were worse than he thought. He looked around, heart fluttering with panic. The Zith could still be near. The Zith... he nearly growled with rage. They had taken too many lives in these Grasses.

"I... I'm going to lie you down again. I think we need to do something now. You've lost so much blood."

In reality, he was scared.

He was scared of losing somebody else.