Closed [Pavi Lake] By The Water

[Eada Vine]

Eada smiled at his explanation. Nice and vague, she thought, but then again, she wouldn't explain her every move to a stranger. She pulled her fiddle onto her lap and looked down at the strings when he complimented her. She had worked in her parent's restaurant enough to have received her fair share of compliments, but they were always from men that had rosy cheeks from too much to drink.

"Yeah, I'm not a fighter." She smiled at the thought. Her best tactic would be to run under her attacker's legs - she was probably small enough, especially if it was someone Robert's height after her. "I got a ride with a caravan, traveling from Ravok to Syliras and they dropped me off not far from here, just a few hours ago really. They took good care of me." She glanced at the lake and the ripples that ran over the surface. "They didn't want to go into the city and said I had to see the lake before I went. So here I am." She smiled. "They said I should be safe enough from here to Syliras. It's not too far to walk - is it?" She added, realising that she had no idea.

She hoped she could reach it before sundown. Although she felt fairly safe in these parts in daylight, after dark it would be a different story. She shivered.

[Robert]

Listened to her. Oh so she was in Ravok? Now he was slightly jealous. True enough he knew almost nothing about the city, but then again he was bound to Syliras for the past two decades. He nodded. He then mused at the thought, wondering how far it actually is to the city. Doubtful she'd manage to get there until sunset. Unless she'd run. Or maybe he was simply a slow walker. He stood back up, the metal around him clinging once again. He'd turn in the general direction the city was. "Well. It's not that far...But you'll have to walk a while. Hope you have a tent with you." He added, turning back around. Now without the shield on his back, she could notice the backpack he wore. "That, or you do something less smart and travel with the night." He said that in a bit of a teasing manner, but he shook his head all the same. That wasn't a good idea. At all. His right hand slid behind his backpack, hooking the straps off his chest, and hurling the mushed backpack infront of him, to the ground. He'd kneel down next to it. "Anyways, hungry?" He asked, looking back up at her, and offering his new friend a smile. This day just got a lot better.

[Eada Vine]

Eada put her fiddle in it's case and chewed the corner of her lip. She sighed. She thought her travel companions would have warned her it was a fair distance to the city, or even dropped her off closer. But then again, maybe they didn't know. She looked across the strange lake with it's knobbly structures and sighed. "I don't have a tent," she admitted, pulling her backpack and fiddle case closer, as though they could keep her warm at night. "I didn't realise it would take so long to get there."

Robert knelt by his backpack. "Anyways, hungry?" He asked and Eada nodded. His smile was warm and, at least for now, enabled her to forget her nerves about being out here at night. Getting dropped off so early meant she hadn't had breakfast. She had a few rations in her bag, but if he was offering...

"So are you planning on staying out here for long?" She asked, gesturing to the trees around her and the lake to her side.

[Robert]

Dug his hand into the backpack, taking out a spall package, bound together in a thick linen cloth. Inside of it, was some dried meat and a slice of bread. He'd pass it to her nodding. He didn't have a lot, but what he had he didn't mind sharing. The food he got was a gift anyways, so he thought it would be only fair to share. "Here you go." He said as he shuffled himself closer. He looked around as she gestured, nodding once more. "Well. If you want, I'll keep you company until tomorrow? I got a tent you could use." The man's dyed white hair waving in the breeze as he moved his head. "You know how to get back, though? You have a map or anything?" He was curious if she knew the path, seeing how she didn't even know how long the travel might be.

[Eada Vine]

OOCDo you have any plans on when this thread is going to stop? Not that I particularly want it to now, but if we have an idea, it will be easier to keep it from fizzling out.

She took the bread with a thank you, suddenly feeling guilty that she didn't offer her own. She shuffled across the rock, making room for him. He smelt of the woods, or maybe that was her imagination. "That sounds nice." She would like the company, especially from someone who had a sword and a tent. Oh God, what if it's a tiny tent and he wants to share? The thought suddenly struck her. Maybe he was being too nice. Her parents had warned her when she was thirteen, the first time she had started waitressing, that when men are too nice, they're often after something else. Besides, Eada had always been that tiny bit too trusting. She scoffed inwardly; although, she had assumed he was a bandit.

"You know how to get back, though? You have a map or anything?" He asked and Eada relaxed. He wouldn't try anything, she was quite sure. Although, you don't know him, a tiny voice in the back of her mind reminded, but she ignored it. He was genuinely looking out for her.

"I don't have a map, but my friends told me I just need to head south west and I can tell the direction from the sun." At least, she knew the sun rose in the east. She supposed she should be more concerned about losing her way, but for whatever reason, she felt quite relaxed. She had always been a fairly laid back person. Some times it was good, like she didn't get stressed too easily, but other times it wasn't so good: she should be concerned about getting lost. She ripped off a mouthful of bread.

[Robert]

Whatever malefic intensions the man had with the girl, he was good at hidding them. As she moved slightly over and given him room on the rock, he'd slowly sit down, letting his legs relax from the pressure they were put under. Tilting his head to the side and letting a cracking sound escape his neck he leaned back, supporting himself with his hands which were placed behind him. So she knew the way back. Good enough, he thought. Friends would be bad if they wouldn't at least given you some directions before leaving you at some random lake. That is, if they were good friends. "That's good." He added, confirming it with a nod, as he closed his eyes and sighed. There was still the beads of sweat all over his forhead from hauling weight, and he tried quite hard to keep his chest from rising and lowering in a slow manner. It's true he just met her. But he wasn't going to show anyone that it's hard wearing a tincan suit. "Well, if you want an escort back to the town, you let me know." He continued, before slowly going silent, his attention taken by the lake next to them. For what it's worth. It was at least nice to look at, he thought.

[Eada Vine]

She watched him lean back and smiled. "Thank you. I want to get to Syliras as soon as possible, so if you're heading back today, that would be great." She didn't want to rush him out of his rest - she didn't know how long he'd been walking - but if he was right about how long it took to get to Syliras, she wanted to get moving as soon as she could. She stood up, wiping her palms on her trousers, and shrugged on her backpack.

The sun was very low, still rising, and she twisted her lips. If that was East, then that way was West... "It's this way," she pointed into the trees, glancing back at the lake and Robert. She sighed, hoping that she was making the right decision to stay with him, but he seemed trustworthy. Unless she was an awful judge of character.

[Robert]

So much for his resting. It was his own fault, really for trying to act kind. He nodded and stood back up, slowly walking back to the pile with his weapons, as he started to strap them back onto him. First his backpack, then his shield. Followed by the sword and the spiked gauntlets. Once he was armed again, he flexed his hands. He wasn't that tired. Suppose if they took some breaks before dawn he'd be good to go. "Yes it is." he added, slowly walking to her. His step was slow yet firm, and his dyed hair began waving again with every step he made. "Then we best get going, so we find a nice way to stay the night." He smiled, now stepping next to her, and motioning for them to move. This is going to be quite a trip. So it would be best if he found a topic for conversation. "So, Eada. Did you see anything special on your travels?"

[Eada Vine]

They began walking and chatting. Eada enjoyed the feel of her muscles stretching and the cool air breathing against her skin, not so much the pain of stubbing her toes repeatedly on rocks, but the more they walked the less that seemed to occur. They stopped frequently for rests and Eada was careful to ration her water.

"Doesn't walking in all that metal hurt?" She asked, watching Robert. It must have been heavy. "It looks so uncomfortable." Eada could easily jump over branches and rocks as they moved through the mountains, but in something like that, he must be having trouble. She supposed that explained their slow pace.

Eada told him about her journey from Ravok, carefully maneuvering around the topic of her parents. It was still a raw spot in her chest and any mention of either of them was worse than the blisters she was beginning to get on her feet. She told him about the people she travelled with, the odd scuffle with bandits,although they tended to avoid her caravan. It was a fairly boring topic as she was protected when they came across anything dangerous - as part of her fare to Syliras.

It began to get dark as dusk clung to the air and Eada shivered beneath her coat. Her feet were aching and her legs and most of her body, despite the frequent rests. Truth be told, she was kind of dreading stopping for the night. While she was awake, she felt more protected. But when she slept she would be defenseless. Stop it, Eada, she cursed herself. I thought you'd already decided you trust Robert?

But she didn't know how the sleeping arrangements would go. Already the hints of darkness was making her check over her shoulder more often.

"Do you think maybe we should stop soon?" She suggested.

[Robert]

Ah they did walk. Luckily not encountering anything other than a glimpse of game running in the distance. He listened, not helping but smile at her expressing of concern regarding his armor. Truth be told at that moment he was hating to hate it with every fiber of his being. "You get used to it." He responded. Hoping he wasn't lying. He couldn't imagine how the knights could be in their armor all the time unless they got used on it, too. He just needed to walk it in. "it's padded underneath. At least it doesn't get that uncomfortable. It's just...heavy." He enjoyed the stops they did. But he did try to catch her pace, just so she wouldn't feel like waiting for him every so often. His dyed white hair was already becoming more and more greasey from the sweat on his forhead. 'Way to look presentable, Rob.' He muttered. He noted that she wasn't particullary enchanted by the caravan topic. maybe she just wanted something more to do other than being hid under someone's wing. He couldn't blame her. He wanted freedom himself. Even though he did nothing with it to begin with. He still had it. And at least he looked like he could take care of himself. He didn't tell her a lot about himself on the yourney, mostly listening and asking about her trip every now and then. He tried to be polite about it, as he really had nothing much to tell her. I doubt she'd be interested how you hammer down a nail or a horseshoe. But that's about all he did know about. Chatter aside, the man noticed it was getting dark. He was around these parts sometimes, but night time was always a dangerous time. From bandits to wildlife. So you should be cautions and careful. He did notice she was getting more and more cautions with all those looks over her shoulder. Couldn't blame her. He nodded at her question, looking around for any suitable place to put the camp on. There was some flat open ground to their right, just a couple steps away from them. "What about there?" He asked and pointed to the spot, next to a big tree, waiting for her answer. "Well, all we need is set up the tent, and go gather some firewood for the camp fire."