Completed Fallen from Grace (Matthew)

[Sagitta]

Fallen from Grace Summer 16th, 513 AV She did not remember how she had fallen. Whether she was thrown out of the sky or not. She did not know why but she could not remember the fall. All she knew was the water which enveloped against her in its rough embrace, the stinging chill that threatened to freeze her bare skin. There was nothing on her to shield her from all the water – she was completely bare. Her mind drifted, moving sluggishly as her body drifted under the swishing currents. Her eyes were only half-open, unseeing, not really. The Ethaefal could only see the clouds, the sky, the stars. Where she had belonged up there. Up there. There was not supposed to be water. Who was she? She could not collect her mind enough to think. Where was she, that she did not know either. Her physical lungs screamed for air and it snapped her mind out the mild trance. Every sense went alert and she could tell she was about to drown if she did nothing about it. Desperately, she tried to move up. Up. Up. Up. Where the water ended she went. Another wave pushed her head down and she barely held her breath in time. She was tossed and she was turned and she could not find the surface. Fear and panic enclosed around her, making her limbs thrash erratically. She needed the air. She needed to breather. But there was only water. Water. Upon some miracle, she pushed with her arms and her legs and her head broke through. The air welcomed her and she gasped. The girl pushed her panic down and tried her best to stay afloat. It was impossible. Water slammed against her face, forcing her eyes to shut in pain, before shoving her down again. This time, she forced herself to stay calm, to open her eyes under the water. Unfortunately, there was nothing to see. Her dark hair swirled around her head. It was dark. Very dark. By Leth, she hoped she survived. She kept moving her limbs in effort to stay afloat. She needed to calm down and get her bearings. She wasn't about to die here. Not in the middle of the ocean like this. Her head whipped around trying to get a sight of anything. Something. Leth’s light shone down on her, giving her a slight calm though it did surprise her. Leth’s light? She glanced up and saw the silvery orb hanging from the star-spotted sky. The sky. How long had it been since she last saw them? She was not supposed to be here. No, she was not supposed to feel all these struggle and pain. What had happened? By the grace of Leth, she finally spotted bursting green in the middle of the darkness. Trees a distance away from where she was. Hope surged through her veins. Trees means land. She would swim. Swim as hard as she could even if she had no idea how. The water had started to tug her down once more, but she did not give in. She needed to move. Move now. Move there. For bells she tried to swim. She could not be sure how much time had passed, but it felt like forever. Currents tossed her around, propelling her to and away from her salvation at the same time. She felt like she had not moved an inch. Her limbs sore and her body wrecked with exhaustion, she paid no attention to what was happening. It was a mindless work of her limbs, trying to propel her toward the lights. She did not notice the moon slipping down the horizon, did not see the sun peeking from the sea. She did not even notice the change of her body. The mortal form she would be masked in. Her thick black hair was bleached into a pale blonde, her silvery skin turning into an earthly light tan. Her horn was nowhere in sight. She did not realize she had turned into a human. At least not yet. The sun rose higher and higher but she barely regarded it. She only needed to reach the the land. It was getting closer, definitely. But she was getting closer to her limit too and she was about to drown any moment. The sea glimmered with a beautiful blue under Syna's light, but she could only think of how this blue would soon swallow her whole. There, she could spot the glimmering shore and the white sand. She was near. Near. Not as near as she would like but near. She needed to move. To move.

[Matthew]

A toe gingerly touched into the water, and Matthew instantly flinched back, his entire body breaking out into a shiver. Not only was it cold, but it was scary. He didn't know how to swim at all.

But then again, that is why he was out here, right? It would be handy to know how to handle one's self in water. He lacked a good number of survival skills, and had one day randomly decided that he should work on that. After a bit of mulling, he had decided it best to start with the basics. Swimming and hiking without the use of a boat, carriage, or horse. Every single time he had ever been out in the wild, he had been with multiple people, and had brought along plenty of supplies. They had only been travelling as well, not actually staying anywhere. If he did ever have to end up somewhere in the Wildlands and depend on his own skills to survive (Yahal forbid), then he would need to know some of what to do. He grimaced, then gingerly stuck out his toe again, only to let out a soft yelp and jump back. This could always wait until another time, couldn't it?

He was a sight to see. He had been out here since early morning, and the sun was finally starting to peek out. Syliras could be seen in the distance, only a quick hike away. He was well aware of the dangers that the wild held, and didn't feel comfortable going beyond the sight of safety. He honestly doubted if even this far out was safe, but it wasn't like he had anywhere else he could learn how to swim. The castle didn't really have any pools. The ocean had been his only choice. This was the ocean, correct? Or was it the inland body of water? He paused for a moment, trying to recall maps he had studied in school. He actually wasn't so sure where he was. Just outside of Syliras. Near some water. Some very cold water.

Blue eyes rolled at the sky and he grumbled, flopping down on the ground. He was shirtless, defined muscles shimmering with sweat, a small symbol of Yahal dangling from his neck. Black shorts were low on slim hips, and a golden tattoo of Yahal's belt could be seen peeking over the muscle lines. He was a good-looking man, more a feminine-beautiful then a manly-handsome. He had to be, for his job. However, he didn't have to swim for his job. Did he really need to be out here?

His sky-blue eyes roamed the surface of the water in front of him, and by pure luck, he noticed a splashing hand. He blinked, slowly uncurling his sitting body, muscles lightly flexing in slight alarm as he stared out across the water. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled Djed from deep within his stomach, focusing his mind to his eyes. It took little thought to see, but focused thought to see. He inhaled again, sucking Djed from somewhere within himself, and tugging it flow through his brain. His hands slowly lifted, and he touched his fingers to the sides of his temple, attempting to guide the force inside of him. Dimly, something in the ocean flickered, and he barely could make out the color of silver. It was flickering, like a lightbug about to breath its last. Another splash, and he knew for a fact that he had seen a hand now.

He didn't even think, moving out into the water, diving into it the moment it got too deep to run in.

The man swam, though he didn't realize it. Swimming was easy, if you got over your fear of the water, and your distress over the cold. If you didn't think too much, you could swim, and that was exactly what Matthew was doing. He had cast aside all thoughts of himself, and was now focused on what he had seen. The hand he had seen. The hand that seemed like it was drowning. Worry and panic blurred his mind, and he swam faster, one hand in front of the other, legs kicking in time. He cut through the water naturally, the stilled ocean allowing him to move through it freely. He reached where he had saw the hand, and was shocked to find a girl. For a moment, he paused, treading water, staring at her. She was beautiful, just the same kind as any other beautiful human woman... but there was something different. Something was causing him to stare longer. It wasn't that she was bare, as that was a common sight for him now. It was something... supernatural.

With a jolt, he started, realizing he had to help her. Her eyes were dazed, she was confused, and she was in the cold water with not a string of clothing. He reached down, a strong arm wrapping around her slim shoulders, tugging her form to his so he could keep her close while he swam them back to shore.

Swim.

Finally, the fact that he was deep in the cold ocean water hit him, and panic set into his mind. He had got out here on pure desperation alone, and now that he had someone that needed saving, desperation was replaced by panic. He couldn't swim. He instantly started to sink, his free arm flailing about, his other arm letting go of the girl to try to keep him afloat. This only served to let her sink back down, and completely panicking now, he grabbed for her again. He tried to swim, but she was practically dead weight. He was practically dead weight at this point. Feeling his muscles quickly grow tired, he grabbed onto her, covered her mouth and nose with his hand, and dropped his weight to try and touch the bottom. He wanted to find ground, and hopefully walk it back towards shore. It was his last chance.

A current caught his legs, and he realized he had made a mistake. Clinging to the girl, feeling that he was the only chance she had, he let the ocean take him away. It yanked them both, sending them flying whichever way it pleased, their heads breaking water only to dip back down again in an everlasting struggle. He was either going to die with the mystery girl in the ocean, or the ocean was going to have mercy on them both.

[Sagitta]

The man had came out of nowhere. She had wasted the last of her energy and was just flapping her arms and legs in order to keep afloat. The water soon claimed her again. She would've drowned if it wasn't for the strong arms that wrapped around her so suddenly. With the saltwater and sun in her eyes, she could barely tell who it was or what it was. All she could feel was the heat of a body, pressed against her skin. It took her a few short breaths to see that it was a human and it was a he. Still dizzy and dazed, she could not process the face of the man. Just his blue eyes. Honestly, she had thought that she was saved. That miraculously this man would somehow bring her to shore and save her from all the sea. Unfortunately she was mistaken. The change in his face was clear and soon, she realized what the man knew about swimming was as much as hers. He must be mad. Why would he go this deep when he can't even swim? The girl thrashed in panic when the man's hand went over the lower part of her face. It cut her off from the precious air and she was scared. They slowly sank beneath the water. He was purposely doing it, she could tell. Was he trying to drown her? Weakly, she tried to push away from him. It was no use, his grip was strong around her. Even though the warmth of another human soothed her, at the time she feared he was killing her. Was he mad? No, he wasn't trying to drown her. If he was, he wouldn't be sinking with her. He seemed to be as scared as she was - not surprisingly. Stinging water filled her nose, her mouth, her ears. It was madness. Even underwater, she had choked and coughed, allowing more water to force its way into her body. She forced herself to stop panicking. To think clearly. But she couldn't, there was too much water pressing her. Finally, she gave up and let herself sag against the man who seemed like he had no idea how to seem either. Mindlessly, her arm went around his neck, clinging to him. It was a desperate gesture of fear. A prayer that if it did end for her, she would not be alone. She braced herself as a strong current tossed them aside. Underwater, they twisted and turned and pulled and pushed. Still, she held on as long as she could. A part of her mind noticed that the current was pulling them to a particular direction, but between resurfacing and drowning, she had no idea where it was taking them. For all she knew, it was taking them further away from the shore, from their salvation. How long they had been at sea she could not fathom. But it was long enough. She had inhaled and swallowed to much water. The pain in her chest was getting unbearable. There was no more panic. Her last breath came in bubbles and the world started to blur. She was losing consciousness.

[Matthew]

He had no clue what to do. The water was surrounding him, the ice and the salt were filling his lungs and coating his skin, and he couldn't tell which way was up. The girl in his arms was the only thing there was among all the crashing water. She struggled against him and he held on as tight as he could, refusing to leave her to her fate. Then she would cling on for dear life, and he would struggle a little himself, suddenly filled with the fear of her dragging him to the bottom. Did it really matter though? It wasn't like they were in control anyways. He didn't even know what sort of current had caught him, and where it was actually pulling him to. All he knew was the girl, her arm around his neck, his arm around her shoulders. Should he propose to her or something? Or tell her his last wishes? Could he even get a word out?

I don't want to die.

A boulder came out of nowhere, jutting from the ocean surface. He curled and turned, taking the rock upon his back, a gurgled cry echoing out as he bounced off of it. Through all the random thoughts that had flooded through his head, there had been one true one. One honest one, filled with utter desperation. He wasn't ready. It wasn't his time.

The rock signaled nearby land, but he didn't make that connection. He barely noticed it as they were tossed upon the shore, bruised and bleeding. He let the girl slip from his arms, his shaky muscles lifting himself up barely enough to give him some room. His stomach twisted, and he spit up water, throwing up the entire contents of his stomach over to the side. It all looked like sea water to him. He collapsed again, down into the wet sand, his body tired and torn. His muscles screamed from all the useless fighting he had done in the water, and he wondered how long it would take him to actually get up. His crystal blue eyes lifted, and he glanced around where they had landed, soaking it all end. They were in a small sanded clearing, a cliff face in front of them with a cavern or two littered upon the surface, and then trees beyond that. He had no idea where this was.

Remembering the girl, he turned his head, seeing her to his side. He examined her, trying to figure out if he had been successful in his "rescue" mission. Weakly, he slid fingers across the wet sand, bringing them to lightly poke into her shoulder. His lips opened, scarred with sharp salt water, his voice trembling from the pain in his muscles and back. "Miss?"

[Sagitta]

Just when she was about to let go, to let the darkness claim her. An impact jarred her awake for a moment. It took her a few seconds to realize that it the man who slammed against something hard. She heard the cry, but could not bring herself to see what had happened. Yes, she was aware, but it was just about time before she drifted into the world of ignorance once again. That impact was probably had saved her life. Before she knew it, she felt her skin scraping across a gritty surface. It took her some time to realize they've been tossed onto a shore. Relief swept over her. She wasn't about to die to day. Silently, she sent Leth a prayer of thanks. Gentle waves splashed against her legs, the cold snapping her awake. She simply laid there, her eyes staring up at the blue sky. It was clear and bright, yet she felt like it was mocking her. She could feel the man who had apparently saved her life touching her, but she couldn't exactly tell where. He also said something. Something short. Unfortunately, her mind was to muddled to make sense any of it. Upon some deep instinct, she turned her body sideways , making her retch and choke. Her body was trying to expel every last bit of salt water that had forced its way in. When she was done, she was left weak and uncomfortable and thirsty.The insides of her mouth was parched. The salt must have dried her mouth. With a grunt, she pulled herself up. Her head felt like it was going to fall off, her limbs were sore and it was hard for her to move, but she managed. She was in a much better condition that the man. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, noticing that they were in a shore of some wilderness. During that moment, she did not realize what it meant for them. For the first time in this world, her earthly mind worked clearly, piecing things together. She had fallen. That much she knew. Fallen from the divine realm. Stripped away from Leth's grace. The awfulness of her situation struck her for the first time. She was in a shore somewhere, her body covered with numerous cuts and bruises, with nothing on her. Nothing but memories. Memories she knew was hers filled her mind in patches of images. Memories that had left her a long, long time ago. But the most vivid was of a pain. A pain so intense that she nearly blacked out. There was a voice calling to her. Familiar. Dear. Ari. Arivia. Was that her name? It wasn't much of anything really. She could grasp none of it. The girl shook her devastation away, willing herself to think rationally instead of weeping of something she could not get. She turned her head at the man, her silvery eyes watching him carefully. She wrapped her arms around herself, finally noticing that she had not a single fabric to cover her. Her face flared with a heat. She let her hair against her torso, trying to cover herself as best as she could. "Who are you?" she whispered harshly. On a second thought, she added, "Thank you for saving my life."

[Matthew]

Her eyes were almost silver. He stared into them, not quite piecing together whatever puzzle she was. It really made no sense to him at all. He had never seen eyes of that color before. They were gray really, but quite shiny. That, and she was bare-skinned, out for a drowning the middle of the ocean? For some reason, it seemed silly to him, and he gurgled out a little laugh. It soon gave way into a coughing fit, sea water spitting out of his cracked lips. His body shuddered on the ground for a few moments as he laughed and coughed, completely caught up by the absurdity of the entire situation. This only lasted for a few moments, as the racking pain caused by his amusement deterred him from indulging in it too much. He quickly cut off his choking laughter, deciding to spend his time spitting up as much water as he possibly could. How much had he swallowed, exactly?

Whispered words reached his ears, and his blue eyes slid over to regard hers once more. He couldn't help but sputter out another laugh, his voice coming out hoarse and shaky. "I don't know if I would call it that. I think I nearly helped the ocean kill you, and offered myself up to it as well." He didn't seem at all distracted by her body. She might as well have been wearing clothes. He didn't glance at it, didn't hesitate when staring into her gaze, didn't mention it or act like it was out of the ordinary. For him, it wasn't. In his recent seasons, he might have seen more bare females than clothed ones.

"I am Matthew Wayne. I live in Syliras, which was near where I found you. Now... I have no idea where we are." He found the strength to hoist himself up, fingers digging into the wet sand, muscles in his arms screaming as he pushed himself to his knees. He knelt there, breathing heavily, noticing that he had managed to keep the necklace of Yahal around his neck. Glancing down, he remembered the golden tattoo on the lines of his hips, and he smiled wearily. "I work as a pleasure giver, at the Herald's Arms. Certainly not a lifeguard or anything. I was actually out here trying to learn how to swim. How reckless of me, eh?" His blue eyes twinkled at her, then gave way to pain. He doubled over again, spitting out another stomachful of seawater. He was almost sure his body wasn't actually capable of handling that much. Groaning, he looked back up, noticing her red cheeks.

"Oh." He glanced back down over her, noticing that she was bare, also noting all the cuts and bruises with some concern. "Hm." Without a second thought, he reached down, tugging at his shorts, yanking them down his hips and legs. He wore a pair of nice silk undershorts underneath, keeping him fairly covered, though the wetness did little to keep them from clinging to him. He offered her the wet shorts, turning his blue eyes away to give her privacy. "You can wear these for now. We'll see what we can do about your upper half. We probably should find out where we are, and how to get back." At least they had plenty of daylight left. The sun was already shining brightly, beating down on them with waves of heat. They would no doubt be dry soon, and at least they wouldn't have to try and survive out here through the night. At least he hoped they wouldn't. He grimaced as his back lit up in pain again, but ignored it for now. He had to focus on getting up, and finding out which way Syliras was. Wasn't the rising sun supposed to be in the southwest, or something? And wasn't Syliras... east?

He was pretty sure that was completely wrong.

[Sagitta]

The man had laughed all of the sudden. It surprised her, but soon she found herself joining him. Crazy. She had probably drank too much saltwater and ruined her brain - if that was somehow possible anyway. "Well as bad as it went, we're both alive," she pointed out. She wasn't sure where that light comment had came from. The Ethaefal did not realize her earthly form was taking over, over her mind, over her personality, shaping her into the cheery girl who used to find danger thrilling. The change was subtle, letting her notice none of it. As the man introduced himself, questions grew in her head. "My name . . . My name is," she hesitated, the words failing to form in her mouth. She knew for a fact she had had a name, even when she had been living with the stars. But for reason, her tongue could not seem to pronounce it, or even mimic something close to it. Sighing in lost, her mind reeled for her own name. Arivia. That was her name the last time she had lived in this earth. But somehow, it did not feel quite right. The girl, Arivia, was dead a long time ago. She was not her, not really. "Sagitta," she replied decisively. "My name is Sagitta." She did not know why the name of the constellation had popped into her head. The Herald's Arms? "Syliras?" The question had slipped out of her mouth uninvited. The name sounded familiar. She had heard of it, somewhere, somehow. And for a fact she knew that deep in her mind, there was a memory of that name. All she could remember was a castle. Frustrated, she gritted her teeth. There were so many, so many blurry images in her mind, yet she could not make sense of them. Only small pieces that meant nothing to her. It was infuriating. She barely noticed that she was clenching her fists. Why couldn't she remember? Not her time in this world, not her time in Leth's realm. Nothing. Nothing but colors in her mind like an abstract painting she could not make sense. Her thought was pulled back to the man only when she saw that he doubled over. He spat more water, seemingly in pain. "Are you alright?" She was concerned for him. Him hitting the boulder must've been worse that she had thought. She didn't move closer to him, still unsure of what she should do. Unsurprisingly, Matthew noticed her obvious discomfort. What surprised her that he instantly took of his clothing and gave it to her. It was a thoughtful gesture in an odd way for her. Sagitta accepted his shorts gingerly, utterly grateful that he had the grace not to stare.It made her slightly less awkward. Her fingers wrapped around the wet fabric and she found herself marveling at the feel of it. It was odd, as if she was just remembering how cloth felt like. "Thank you." Sagitta decided that the man was alright, letting herself trust him a bit. Awkwardly, she put it on, feeling only slightly better. Her arms automatically crossed in front of her chest, still trying to cover her body. When she noticed the man glancing around, trying to find the location of this Syliras, Sagitta let herself worry a bit. She stood up carefully, but her legs buckled. The Ethaefal slammed back unto the ground, cursing internally. She nearly couldn't feel them at all. Guess she shouldn't have been surprised. She had been trying to swim for bells, since the sky was still dark. Trying not to look like she was too exhausted, she looked up at Matthew with a small smile. She simply need a bit more rest and she would be fine. "You can't find your way back, can you?"

[Matthew]

He peered at her with some level of curiosity as she struggled for her name. He was worried for a moment that the water and rocks had done something to her memory, but was relieved to find she did remember it. She said it with a bit of force, and he raised an eyebrow, repeating it softly. "Sagitta." It sounded familiar to him. He wasn't very sure why. She spoke the name of his city with a question to the word, and he nodded, not finding it at all odd that she didn't know if it. If she was from a ways off, it wasn't uncommon to have never traveled this far. Then again, why would she be in the ocean this close to the Syliras shore? "The capital of Sylira. Perhaps you have heard of the Miza mint? A lot of coin across the nation is made there." He smiled softly, not phrasing it as a question she had to answer, just trying to help jog any memories of the place that she might have. "The Herald's Arms is a pleasure house in Syliras. You can find drink, music, dancing, and people to indulge in pleasures of the flesh. For a price of course." He explained it matter-of-factly, as if it was a normal thing.

Testing out his arms, he flexed them side to side, making sure they were in working order. Trying out his legs and head next, he was happy to find out that everything seemed to be in good shape. His back hurt and he was waterlogged, but he was pretty sure he would be able to move after a moment of rest.

He noticed her tension, but wrote it off to the experience they had just shared, as well as the fact that she was bare. He waved his hand at her concern for him, nodding. "There was a rock I hit, but I think it just bruised me. Otherwise, I just need to digest all of this water, and I should be fine. Bunches of bruises and cuts, and a new fear of water. That is all. Yourself? You look fairly banged up. You were in there much longer than me." He left the obvious question out for now. What was she doing out there in the water in the first place?

Standing up at about the same time she did, he buckled right as her knees gave, both of them tumbling to the ground in unison. He peered at his legs, looking rather analytical of them, as if trying to see through the skin to why the muscle wasn't operating correctly. Reaching down, he started to massage the cold skin, hoping the sun would help warm them up quicker. He glanced back at her as she asked him about Syliras, his blue eyes studying hers for a moment. He answered slowly, words measured and precise. "I might can. I doubt I can. I am not sure. I have... never been out that much. I usually stay in the city. If I go out, it is usually with other people who have horses or carriages. Or who know how to find their way back." He frowned, glancing up at the sky, then glancing around again. "If we could just find a road, that would be good. I don't know how safe the Wildlands are."

He did know, he just didn't want to word it. They weren't safe at all. After all the destruction that had happened so many years ago, things had changed. He wasn't there to see the change, but he had heard stories. The Wildlands would kill them much quicker than the ocean could, if they got so unlucky.

Another attempt was given to staggering to his feet, his legs trembling underneath him. His body was fit and defined, but only in an athletic way. The muscle felt useless to him after being at the mercy of the sea. He offered a hand down towards her after a few moments rest, keeping his eyes up and away, still aware that she was trying to cover herself. He wasn't so sure if he would be able to support her, but he would try. If he collapsed, hopefully it wouldn't be too ungraceful. "Do you happen to know how to survive in wilderness, should it come down to us having to camp for the night?" It shouldn't come down to that. They had hours. That would be plenty of time, wouldn't it?

[Sagitta]

Even with the sun beating down on them, the ocean breeze was cool, chilling her to her bones. A shiver went through her, but she tried to ignore it the best that she could. They had more serious problems than getting cold – her body will dry sooner or later. “I’m fine. You’re the one who slammed into a rock,” Sagitta pointed out, “My whole body hurts but I’ll live.” Now that she paid visible attention to the rest of her limbs, she noticed the soreness everywhere. The side of her torso stung and when she looked at it, she realized it reddening. She must’ve scraped herself as they were tossed unto the sand. The next she noticed was a thick black pattern across her skin, just above her hip bone. A tattoo. It was beautiful, the strokes elegant she reached, trailing her finger across it. Her forehead scrunched in effort to remember where she had gotten it. Again, her mind refused to cooperate. It’s alright, she reassured herself, you’ll remember at some point. Truthfully, she felt completely torn. She was that girl, Arivia, but at the same time she wasn't. How could she be her when she barely remembered anything about being a pretty, blonde-haired human? She cleared her throat, hoping that her internal confusion didn't show on her face, her eyes darting around trying to analyze their location. It was a good distraction, thinking about an impending danger. She could feel the worry already from Matthew, but she didn’t know enough to start worrying herself. They were near a cliff and if she saw right, there was a cave. There was no way to know if it was safe but it was a form of shelter. They might need it. Their bodies were beaten up and they needed a place to rest. But she wasn’t sure if they could risk it. What if something lives there? It’s not like they had any weapon to fend for themselves. For the first time, Sagitta let herself scrutinize this savior of hers. He was certainly toned and good-looking – fitting for a pleasure-giver. But it did worry her. She doubted he spent time in the wilderness a lot. Carefully, the Ethaefal took his hand, using it to support a fraction of her weight. She was starting to get a feel in her legs, her muscles finally tensing and stretching. It was working better than a few chimes ago. Sagitta found herself standing on her feet, slightly out of balance but ready to walk. She tried a step forward and then back, barely realizing that she was still clutching on Matthew’s hand. “Do you happen to know how to survive in wilderness, should it come down to us having to camp for the night?” he had asked her. Dejectedly, Sagitta shook her head. She couldn’t remember if she had spent any time in the wilds without any supplies before. Something told her she hadn’t. “I . . . I don’t know, really. I can’t really remember. Maybe? I’m not sure. I used to travel a lot, I think.” Arivia used to travel a lot - at least that's what it felt like. But Sagitta wasn’t sure how much of her memories would help them survive like this. With nothing but Matthew’s shorts and undergarments. It didn’t exactly spell out survival kit. “What do we do now?”

[Matthew]

As she grabbed his hand and lurched up, he made a small noise, steeling himself and wobbling a bit. He was weak from the "swim", but managed to keep himself upright as she slowly got to her feet. She hobbled off, and he watched her with concern, knowingly keeping a grip on her fingers to make sure he could help her if she fell. Or he would fall with her. He supposed either would work, though it would certainly leave a better image if he actually managed to be a pillar of support. Her question caught him preoccupied with keeping an eye on her hobbling steps, and he answered instinctively. "Nope, not a bit." He paused and blinked as he realized what she had asked and how he had answered, and quickly corrected, flaring up in a pretty shade of red. "I mean. I can... probably... start a fire. Or catch... deer." His summary of survival skills pretty much gave her a summary of just how much skill he had in that particular field. Absolutely none. Still red, knowing he wasn't doing a good job of being a handy survival partner, he glanced to the cliff face to examine it again.

Yep, rocks and caves and then some trees. Same as before. He took his time analyzing it, not wanting to meet her eyes and see any disappointment that might be there. A rich boy turned pleasure giver. What a savior he was.

When she told him she couldn't remember, he nodded, apparently seeing this as normal. "It has been a crazy couple of minutes for you. No doubt my head would be jumbled as well." He started forward, testing his own walking legs, brushing past her as she asked him her final question.

"We walk! In the direction we think is correct. Eventually that direction will lead to something that is correct, right?" He cast an optimistic look over to the girl, keeping a straight look on his face as his heart sank. If his own mind didn't trust in the words that were coming out of his mouth, how was the girl supposed to? He tried to look convincing though, somehow feeling a slight bit responsible for her, and also a small bit protective. He couldn't help but wonder if she might have made it to shore without him. He doubted it, but still. What was the term the cooks used? Out of the fry and into the fire? He continued to hobble along, still holding her hand, both to support her if she fell and to cling onto if he fell. He would have no shame in desperately grabbing for her if he started to topple over.

"It is still early in the morning, it seems. Shall we forgo the caverns and try to find a place to get up into the forest? Or do you think we should wait here and see if anyone comes along?" His feet shuffled in the sand as he moved, glancing back at her for advice.

She was doing a good job hiding her confusion, she might notice. Either he was unaware, or hiding that fact that he could tell she was a bit dis-oriented. Or perhaps it was just the fact that they had nearly died, and he was accounting that as the cause for her confusion. Logical enough.