Closed [Bronze Woods] As Wild Things Grow

[Litani]

Timestamp: 25th day, Spring season, 509

The Gildling had been impatient all morning. Litani’s horse carried her, albeit begrudgingly, out into the Bronze Woods as her teacher had bid her to go, but the creature was none too happy with her for withholding the carrots that he KNEW she was carrying. Any other day, she would come to Ansem early and groom him, talk with him about the day before, feed him carrots and see that he was taken out to graze for at least some time during the day. Rare was the occasion that she bridled and saddled him without going through their morning ritual and he was irritable at having his routine interrupted.

“Ohhh relax,” she soothed quietly, patting his neck as he noisily picked his way through the underbrush and whickered at the tiny branches that snapped his legs. “Shhh... you’re fine. There’ll be carrots at the end. I promise.” He snorted indignantly and trudged on, prancing to the side a little as if to purposefully try to throw her off balance. A clipped, surprised laugh escaped her and she steadied herself with the strength of her legs, hissing a low chide to the creature for its moodiness. Ansem soon settled and the rest of the short journey continued uneventfully.

***

“There’s a glade,” he’d said, pointedly answering when she asked where to get more supplies for the philters that the pair were hard at work with. They’d run short and, in her instinct to help, Litani had asked her mentor how she could make sure that there was enough supply for the future -- both for their patients and for her trainings. And he’d replied by sending her into the woods. Great. NOT what I was looking for but... fine... I did ask, My own fault.

She knew next to nothing about herbs, truth be told, yet she hadn’t told him that. She hadn’t wanted to. If he gave her a task, she was going to do it as independently as possible... just to show him that she could. That was how their relationship started, that was how she maintained it, and that was one of the many reasons that they ‘worked’. They knew and trusted each other, flaws and all. Case in point, he must’ve been able to read her face when he told her to go into the wild because, despite her efforts to nod knowingly and take note while he rattled off the names of the specimens they needed, Alder started to make his way toward his store room. He produced an example of each as he said the name -- “Chamayo, iwart, mandrake, krolar, Lillian root,” He’d placed them in her hands, showed her the way the leaves turned and pointed out helpful suggestions on how to recognize what she was after. He told her how to cut them, where to break the stem, and how to secure them for the journey back so that they did not crush. Not for the first time, Litani thanked Laviku and Avalis for such a breathtakingly talented and caring mentor.

***

And now she was here. Finally. With a deep breath, Litani swung down out of the saddle and lead Ansem over to a likely patch of good-looking clover grass near a tree. “Here,” she said with a smirk, “breakfast.” She briefly considered hobbling him or tying his reins off on a tree branch but, with a single eyebrow arched, she simply gave him a challenging look. “You leave me here and I’ll eat those carrots myself!” she promised, grinning, before turning to regard the area before her. Not to be talked to in such a manner without retort, Ansem swung his head and butted it against her back to catch her unawares, nudging her forward with his nose. Litani laughed, shook her head, glared briefly at him, and then set about her work with a smile.

[Rhuryc]

Petch! Petchpetchpetch! Rhuryc ran. His food was somewhere behind him now. All of his gear. All he had now was his shield and his blade. Neither were brandished. He was too busy running. His boots thudded along, crunching and crushing the underbrush, his legs straining as he made every bound count. Thud thud thud. His heart beat along with his stride. He could feel his blood pounding. Faster. Faster now. He leapt over a branch and slammed his foot into a thicket that cut and tore at his pants, going so far as to draw blood. Not that he cared. Maybe later! No time now. Leaving the city was never a good idea, but it was never a bad either. Not until today. All he wanted to do was eat. One meal. Easy. Yes? No. Half way through his meal the thing came from nowhere and nearly got away with his head. How delightful. And now? Now he was running. What direction? Who knew? Who cared. This way was away from whatever the thing was. Oh sweet Tyveth, what a day. Crunch. Thud. Rustle. Rhuryc slid away from a tree, ducked a low branch, then burst out into a clearing. He slammed his boot into a thick patch of clover then came to a sudden pause. There was a horse. And a girl. A girl? Blond. She was attractive. Glimmering skin. Scales? Scales. Konti! Huh. Rhuryc had a thing for Konti, the way their hair seemed to just glide down- he balked at himself. Thing. Right. He was running for his life. He stared for a moment before looking behind him, then back, then behind. He bowed. His clothing was somewhat torn, but the heavy leather jacket he wore did well to hide most of the damage. Except for the bright red line across his left cheek. That was blood. "Good morning. I'm woeful to interrupt your day, madam, but I suggest you join me in running away. Right now." He nodded, eyed the horse, then leapt back into action, his long legs launching him into another dead sprint away from the clearing. Behind him he could hear it. A heavy, cascading thunder. The thing was catching up. "Faster! Please!

[Litani]

At the outset of the cacophonous invasion, the Konti's eyes darted up and she took well enough notice not to be particularly surprised when something burst out of the underbrush. When she saw that it was Rhuryc, relief flashed through her eyes... at least for a moment. There'd been an instant where she thought perhaps neither the flight of her steed nor the Suvai in her hand would be needed. But then she heard it. Closer.

With a quick glance over him, Litani nodded to his words and slipped the Suvai back into its sheath at her hip, turning in the same motion toward Ansem. Her movements were not those of a graceful Drykas, born to the saddle, but certainly the imminent threat of death or mauling provides its own motivation and, in a flash, she was mounted and moving toward him. She came up alongside and slipped her foot out of the stirrup nearest to him, shifted herself forward as well as she could, and offered down her arm. Her opposite leg tightened about the creature to give her a stronger anchor and she looked into his eyes for just a handful of seconds.

"Get up here," she said simply -- not the barking order of a command, but rather a gently insistent invitation to go on living. "He's strong enough to carry two." At least for a while. Unconsciously, Litani bit her lower lip and glanced over Rhuryc's shoulder warily, then looked back at him. She could've taken off, singly mounted, and left him to whatever he'd angered. But she remained, waiting. Perhaps she was too trusting by half but... something was coming. And whatever it was, it didn't sound likely to give either of them quarter.

[Rhuryc]

Oh sod it all! Rhuryc pumped his harms harder when he heard the hooves join the fray. He exhaled sharply and did what he could to control his breathing, but his legs burned now - how long had he been outrunning this blasted thing? Too long. He caught the Konti ride up to his side and mentally balked at the horse. He hated horses and they hated him. Well. Not that he had ever ridden a horse that didn't die while still under him. Still, he was getting tired. Her voice was silk. Compared to his own she was an angel. What in all the void was he doing thinking like that? Decisions. Horse, or death? Well. Damn it. Rhuryc cringed then reached out. He grabbed the woman's hand and shoved a foot into the spare stirrup then launched his leg up over the back of the horse. He settled back into the saddle then pushed against the Konti, allowing his grip to all free to give her greater control over the mount. If this horse died it would not be his fault. "I'm on, go!" His voice was frantic, yet oddly calm. He was stiff, sure, he felt in control as if running from unknown evils was common place event. And yet his hands were shaking. Despite the unease, Rhuryc wrapped an arm around the Konti's waist and held the saddle with the other, doing everything in his power to keep balance.

[Litani]

As Rhuryc reached up, Litani's hand clasped strongly around his wrist, leaving him to take hold of hers and vault himself onto the Gildling. Once she felt his weight behind her, she didn't need an engraved invitation - her heels had only to tap the skittish Gildling and the trio were off. Away. Quickly. Ansem didn't need to be told twice either and the direction didn't matter - away was all that was important. She let the beast have his head, leaning forward only for a moment to whisper an urgent encouragement. Whatever that was, the Gildling had heard it too and was having none of it. If anything, he was bolting a good deal faster than either rider was necessarily prepared for but Konti was stubborn and clung to the creature fiercely - almost as fierce as she held the arm that slid around her body.

She could tell by the feel - by the sense - of him that he was uncertain on her mount. It was actually specific enough to pick out over the din of his adrenaline rush, a fact that somewhat surprised her. Indeed, she could tell a great deal more but there was no room in her mind for the Gift... only for the flight. She blocked all the rest out and concentrated on getting the two of them out of there alive, hoping that her hold of him and the horse would be enough.

Branches and leaves whipped around them all in a flurry and Ansem snorted his irritation more than once; the ground was uneven, wild, and constantly changing. The intelligent, cunning creature was keenly aware of the fear of his riders and it made him clumsy and distracted - once, he nearly missed clearing a fallen log and Litani closed her eyes, cringing... but the hooves came down on the other side and crushed the ground beneath him as he pounded out their escape.

It felt like far too long before the sounds behind them started to lessen. By the time she felt at liberty to slow up, Ansem was worked into a lather and both horse and rider were covered in sweat. Litani twisted in the saddle, palmed her hair over one shoulder and looked back. A gentle word told Ansem to drop to a walk and she used the nudge of a knee to get him to turn around. He wickered slightly in protest but did as he was told and the Konti waited, just watching. Her body was still tense, but she was motionless and silent... Almost long enough for it to be awkward, really, but the rules of social graces are suspended when one is in fear of one's life.

After a few moments, when certain death did not come crashing through the trees to finish them, Litani swung a long leg over Ansem's head and dismounted. The movement was unusual, perhaps, but swift and graceful all the same. Once on the ground, she took a step back and looked up at Rhuryc, pressed her lips together... and extended a hand again, should he have need of it. Almost unconsciously, her free hand took hold of Ansem's bridle. Just in case.

[Rhuryc]

Rhuryc felt his stomach churn. The horse was worse than a boat. He held on for what he could, his legs latched to the animal's flanks with all their strength while he kept one arm around the Konti's torso. His attention was focused behind them. Through the morning chill he could feel the thing, he could hear it's vigorous approach, its desire to hunt. Rhuryc did not enjoy his presence on a menu. He shifted a hand to rest on the hilt of his blade. Almost at once his breathing slowed. His hands ceased to shake and fear turned to resolve. A cold, steel exterior replaced despair. Not even the violent trembling of the mount distracted his stare, nor did the erratic balance sway him; should the beast overtake them he would not make its breakfast a simple matter. "Thank Tyveth." He whispered to himself as the horse slowed. When the Konti turned to watch for their aggressor Rhuryc removed his hand from both her and his blade - whatever it was the lack of ease had denied its interest. He did feel awkward, for once, held to the back of a another's saddle. The common exchange found him gallivanting as some kind of savior and yet here he was, in full retreat, at the mercy of a Konti and her mount. A small part of him liked the idea of being rescued. Another balked. He watched, despite the internal conflict, and only eased his attention at his newfound companion's peace. She shifted. One leg came about the horse's head and Rhuryc twisted his torso to allow her more room. Graceful. Of course she was. Blasted Konti. He watched her dip down and leaned too far into his own interest. The feeling of falling was a familiar sensation to the young man. And this was no exception. By the time the woman offered her hand Rhuryc was already mid tilt. He flailed in a childish manner and lashed out for aid to no avail. The ground was harder than he remembered. He rolled on impact out of habit. Thud. All that was man now laid in a heap of himself, his limbs sprawled out about his person in a none-to-pleasing fashion. Always impressing the ladies, he was. "I'm fine." He grunted. Horses. Damnable, insidious creatures. He raised his torso and glanced up at the Knoti. "Ah. Thank you. For the rescue. It was faster than I thought."

[Litani]

She wasn't quite sure what to have expected. Certainly the morning had gone nothing like what she had planned anyway, up to and including the dismount - one moment, she was standing beside her Gildling, bridle in hand, the other offered to the knight or hunter or whatever-he-was, intending to help him down. The next moment, she got a brief flash of interest and then THUNK. He was on the ground. ON the ground.

Litani looked down with softly amused concern, apparently too well raised to laugh outright but the dignified part of her was all too aware of how embarrassed she would feel in his shoes. With a gentle clear of her throat, she returned her attention to the line of the forest from whence they had come, feigning interest in whether or not that thing might yet surprise them. Maybe she was still concerned, or maybe it was just a ruse to give the man time to recollect himself without the weight of a woman's blue eyes on him. It showed trust, this turning away she did. Trust or foolishness. Maybe the two were interchangeable. She appeared young, but then most Konti do...

After a moment, judging it enough for Rhuryc to have clambered back to his feet again, she glanced back at him and gave him a cordial, light-hearted smile as if nothing had been amiss. An eyebrow tilted slightly in question and she asked with a smooth contralto, "Just what the petch did you piss off?" She smirked, hoping her rough-tongued humor, so at odds with her feminine appearance, might lighten his mood, make him more comfortable. She herself suddenly seemed as serene as a sunset, just watching him quietly while the day's light glinted off the tiny rivers of scales that flowed up and down her arms.