[Agar]

It was late morning when Agar was close enough to hear the soft trickle of the brook again. It was partially cloudy but the sun was present. Raising a hand, he could wager he was still a good ways away from being 'late' to this meet-up. Thankfully. His camp wasn't exactly close to Rivian's and he wasn't going to break his base down until it was bright enough. 

Agar was a large man for sure, and certainly made larger when carrying his belongings. There was plenty he picked up in the place he would set up, some larger logs and whatnot, but he still carried all he needed for his hide-made tent now bundled and strapped to his back. Two bows carried, the larger one unstrung and among the supplies on his back while the smaller of the two was simply hooked around one shoulder and quiver at his hip, ready to be used if necessary. The rest of his smaller supplies were either among the supplies gathered on his back or added to his belt. 

It wasn't the first time he carried these supplies around and today would not be the last day either. He was no sprinting pony but nevertheless hiked to the destination without trouble. 

He was eager to arrive and for the duo to start their journey. There was a sense of optimism at just the thought of that first step together on this. Upon arriving at the brook, Agar kept checking the sky and the placement of the sun. Time felt slowed by the anticipation.

[Charley]

Sexual innuendo, emotional abuse, exploitative sexual dynamics

R I V I A N
Human // Young Adult

actions - “speech” - thoughts

"nonoNO."
...

"Those people you're going to... They aren't yours. Don't you know that? Didn't we already talk about that?"
Her eyes filled with tears and spilled over his hands as he kissed her forehead. Of course, how could she be so blind, she perhaps had been born to humans but they had never treated her like one of them. Even Agar had reacted with awe when he saw her. Even Agar admitted that he was unworthy of her.

"I came back, Rivian. I keep my word. Can humanity do that?"
He did, he did eventually come back. It had been nigh a year or longer. She was silent as he held her, feeling ripples of endorphins from the contact. How she craved touch so much it hurt.

She looked into his face, alien and strange, enchanting and ethereal. She brought her hand up and brushed a lock of his long white quills away from his face. She hoped one of their kids would have eyes like his.

---
She swept away a branch and let it whip behind her.
---

"It was such a long time..." She finally said quietly, her voice just above a whisper, "I can't go that long again." She didn't know if admitting that to him was safe. She felt needy, clingy, desperate again. Like she couldn't survive without him.

"I'll be with you like the sun chases the moon."

---
She looked back, her hand on a tree as she caught her breath. Finally a moment to put on her cloak again properly and swing her bag over her shoulder.
---

"Why were you marked? What magic is that?" he said while she placidly let him inspect her. "Was it done to you, or did you do it yourself?"

Marked? Her brain fumbled at the words trying to make sense through the fog of the spell he was weaving over her. She opened her eyes and followed his gaze to her arm where the unfinished ritual was still healing. It gave her a shock of clarity. Suddenly giving her the strength to push against him, to try and roll away from his inspection and teasing.

"It is my own." She said, her voice full, much stronger than it had been before. With energy she would suddenly stand at her full height. She would gather her cloak in a flurry. The shout of the wild power of prey ran through her, casting his spell aside like cobwebs. She was intent on bounding away into the woods.

---
Oh if Agar knew what her frame of reference was for who already believed was worthy of her perhaps his answer last night may have been very different. She jumped and started as she heard a snap somewhere in the woods and continued her flight. He should still be sleeping...
---

"Is that so?" The rabbit was not yet beyond the fox's grasp, and like ivory fangs, his fingers would grasp her. But this time he didn't pull a rabbit back into his fox den. He pulled a wolf. No, it was her turn. She was done being his play thing.

"Rivian," he growled. Was it an aborted order? A pleading cry? Who knows.
"Rivian." This time, it was probably a warning.
"Knock it off." Was that... it was slang! So, he did know it! He could speak informally!

---
How much further to the brook? She looked back again trying to peer through the trees. Good it didn't seem like he was following.
---

"Be still."

Late, so very late, panting she finally saw Agar at the brook. She nearly sobbed with joy she was so happy to see him there.

Rivian stumbled into view, the sun was past noon, her eyes were red, her white hair tangled and half fallen out of its bun, wispy and trailing around her face. Her shoes were on the wrong feet.

"Agar! Thank the stars! I'm ready lets go!" She said offering him a nearly half crazed smile and nervous laugh. Trying desperately to wrap her loose strands back in the bun. She'll have to take care of it later. She started off north, anywhere but here. Obviously in a hurry to leave everything behind her. If he suggested a different course anywhere other than back to the cottage she was all for it. He probably thought she was crazy by now for sure.

ooc:

[Agar]

Like she had just escaped a wolf pack, Rivian arrived in a hurry and a huff. Agar didn't have the time to greet her or drum up some casual conversation before she was walking off, journey started. "Vell, okay!" Agar bumbled out in surprise but without question followed. His initial thought was just that the young woman was excited to get going and to reach whatever their destination was. He didn't question her direction, he didn't really know where to start in terms of a village anyways. So any direction was about as good as the next, right? 

It wasn't he was walking side-by-side with her, direction picked and steadily headed that way, did he look down at his travelling companion and take in her whole appearance. And she looked like crap. She really did look like she had just escaped some wild animal but still tried to fix her hair while fleeing or something. She mentioned a ritual the night before. He wasn't privy to these things, was it really so strenuous? 

"Vhat..." He hesitated. Maybe it had been a while since he was in proper society but implying anything against a woman's appearance was definitely something ingrained in any human's skull for all eternity. Agar decided to rephrase his question. "....Did you sleep okay?"

[Charley]

Sexual innuendo, emotional abuse, exploitative sexual dynamics

R I V I A N
Human // Young Adult

actions - “speech” - thoughts

"I'll be with you like the sun chases the moon."

Her thoughts were scrambled. She held onto her wrist as she walked and flexed her hand. Her gaze fixed ahead of her, barely seeing where she was going. She was starting the day already exhausted.

She jumped and whipped her face up to his when Agar started to ask. Oh no, she thought. He asked if she slept well.

"Oh!" She breathed, obviously relieved, "Yes, I think so. Thank you. Did you?" She asked, her voice was somewhat strained. She couldn't help but glance behind them to see if anything was following.

"What uh..." She started, trying to come up with better conversation, trying to shrug off her nervousness, "What kind of place should we settle in?" She brought her hands to cover her arms, giving herself a hug and keeping her eyes on just ahead of them. Maybe she should ask more about him, she barely knew him. Where was he from, the like. He probably did more traveling than her, maybe he already had an idea of a good place to settle.

ooc:

[Agar]

"Mmh, I slept fine." Agar answered half-heartedly after she answered his little question. He narrowed one eye at her, and only glancing away momentarily after she shot a look behind them.

There was nothing there. It was as if she had a run-in with a ghost in the night. Agar wouldn't consider himself the smartest of men, but he was also not foolish enough to not notice the continued terribleness that was the current state of his travelling companion. She fumbled with her hands. The man opened his mouth to point something out, only to shut it without saying a word. 

She brought up the subject of where they could settle and Agar's mind was clearly elsewhere. Elsewhere being, clearly, Rivian. He was reluctant for a swift conversation change. When he did answer, it was on the rigid side, absolutely aware she was keeping something from him and he made no effort to hide that perception from his tone. "Somewhere strategic. To make you feel safer."

[Charley]

Sexual innuendo, emotional abuse, exploitative sexual dynamics

R I V I A N
Human // Young Adult

actions - “speech” - thoughts

He wasn't buying it. When Agar replied in a decidedly perceptive tone, "Somewhere strategic. To make you feel safer." Rivian swallowed and half stumbled. Making her realize her boots where on backwards. She flung out her hand to steady herself from her stumble, hopefully catching Agar's sleeve, and when she was upright again she felt her cheeks where suddenly wet with tears. She didn't know how to start. She knew he wasn't going to let it go for very long. And without giving him the story he understood. Safe...

She was silent for a moment, struggling on how best to begin as she was walking beside him.
"I... My..." Husband? That didn't quite feel right honestly, though he had frequently called her bride and wife. Lover? In a way it was more accurate from her point of view...

"He... After more than a year...." She started, her voice quiet, perhaps too quiet for Agar to even hear her. Why was she leaving again? She was suddenly unsure, how could she tell Agar when she wasn't so certain herself? All she knew was that she had to leave, she just had to. She couldn't convincingly say why and how could she convince this genuine man she couldn't lie to? She was a terrible liar to begin with, but this man beside her... She certainly felt a lot more safe with.

Her wrist started itching to remind her of how her small self inflicted wounds were healing into a sacred tattoo.
She took a breath and with a stronger voice than she had before: "I can't go back." She pulled her arms again to embrace herself but this time she had set her shoulders and made her stride more sure and solid. But Agar already knew because he said somewhere strategic, to make Her feel safer. She looked back up at him, her pace and features softening, hopeful he understood and yet knowing that he did somehow.

Some seer she was.

ooc:

[Agar]

Agar was at a loss of words for a while as he looked down at her. His expression had softened, and he did look behind them again while she spoke. She was far from giving a full story, or even a proper description of who this person was. But it was someone Rivian knew and clearly no one good. She battled with herself internally in order to bring out a stronger tone.

"Alright. Let's go." He replied with conviction. A hard look returning, but this time with some direction. He stormed forward after her, but hovered close while encouraging a faster pace. She was in no shape to hurry but if she fell he could at least catch her by the scruff. There was no time right now, apparently, to fix the poor girl up.

In his head, Agar had decided that the reason the two had set out on this journey had become second priority for the time being. Apparently there was someone truly worth looking over your shoulder for out in the woods, and Agar was keen on just taking whatever paths got them out of here before Rivian's fears literally caught up with her.

Eventually the two would have to stop to make camp. Or just take a breather. Rivian was a mess, she looked exhausted, hurt, twitchy, and didn't even have all her boots on right, stopping would undoubtedly happen sooner opposed to later.

As soon as a direction in the woods started to slope up, Agar favored it and insisted on Rivian following. He kept picking directions based on finding them open high ground. He didn't stop until they reached it; the trees thinning out over the increasingly rocky terrain, leaving the two on top of a large open hill overlooking the forest as it petered into open grasslands below. 

He stayed fairly silent during that hike, only speaking up once they had reached this place.

"Good high ground. Ve'll be able to get good lay of land here. Get good idea of vhere ve should go to settle." He explained. Voice a little rigid, on edge, but equal parts relieved to be out of the thick woods. He wasn't going to put the hammer right on this nail's head before she did, but still he confidently assured her, "ve could see anything coming from here, good place for break."

[Charley]

R I V I A N
Human // Young Adult

actions - “speech” - thoughts

Rivian was ever so grateful of his command of the situation. She really wanted to just be done crying while she tried matching his pace with her already tired and tiny legs to his monster sized stride. He was continuously so considerate of her, she hadn't experienced that in so long and she had no idea how she felt about it.

As they hiked she couldn't keep her mind from wandering. How had she come to this place in her life, feeling so sorry for herself. How had she gone from a happy life among the village, respected among her people as a gardener and healer... to... crying every five steps because one person was finally showing her kindness and deep trust in her visions that she had never truly trusted in herself.

The ascent was hard, half way up she finally stopped for a brief moment and swapped her boots back around, feeling like a child, then hurried to catch up with him. It was much better on her feet.

He finally spoke up when they reached a good high spot for a rest. She wanted to lay down and sleep for a million years. She knew it would only be a matter of time before he caught up with them though. Rubbing her arms she walked to the top most part of the hill, overlooking the forest. Silent as she surveyed her home for the last several years. She knew every nook and cranny, every turn of the river, game trails, fox holes, every rocky outcropping.

She sighed and turned to help Agar make camp, when suddenly a sickening clap of what sounded like several quick strikes of thunder came from behind her. Her eyes wide and staring she glanced at Agar, her pupils were pinpricks. She knew exactly what that was.

Slowly she turned and looked back across the forest to her small lonely hill. Her dark complexion going ashy grey as a billow of black smoke started to climb into the sky where her cottage would have been.

Her knees crumpled under her. Everything. Everything was in that cottage. Every last thing she ever loved. Every broken piece of pottery she had found from her last home, the charred remains of one of her brothers carvings. Everything. Her hard work from the last few years, her herbs, her wine and cordials, the beers and other brews.  

For the third time she lost everything she loved in a flash of fire and smoke. She should have known. She should have seen it coming. She did in a way... Was she destined to play this dance with fire for the rest of her life? He had promised her castles, he had promised her babies, he had promised her subjects, and jewels, and pets. But it wasn't enough, it was a fools dream and she could only be swayed for so long. None of it was what she had truly wanted. With Agar next to her what she truly wanted was almost within reach.

She wanted community... She wanted... love.  

Neoptolemus wanted her.

She wouldn't respond to Agar's words right away if he said anything. She was stunned into a dry silence, staring as all her work went up in flames. As the initial shock wore off, her body started shaking as if cold, her body tense and shivering, but this time her eyes were dry.

She balled her hand into a fist and started hitting her hip to a steady rhythm, while she cast her eyes to the ground searching the top of their grassy hill. Suddenly she was a buzz of activity. Her jaw set, determined, she dug into her bag and pulled up a sachet. She bounced it in her hand to find the weight and opened it to make sure it was what she was looking for.

She searched through the grass again, her hand skimming the tops of the blades as she searched among their roots. She found what she was looking for and grabbed it quickly, tossing the rock and catching it with a quick victorious grunt.

She let down her long hair with a quick glance at Agar, an almost wolfish look in her eyes. Disregarding any words he spoke her way if they were unrelated she began to tell him a story as she sat down in front of a large flat stone, laying out the small reddish rock and carefully laying out a collection of small darker stones.

"There once was a girl..." She began in a low and powerful voice, her long white hair descended down her back and over her cloak in waves, easily lifting and catching the breeze, "Who was told she wasn't allowed to play with the other children. "Changeling" they said, "Fairy" said others because her hair was the color of the moon. "Cursed" was the whispers among her tribespeople. They sent her away to become the shaman's apprentice. A hateful hermit that hated the fae even more than the people." She set up, on the large flat rock in front of her, a ring of smaller black stones around the central red one. "She warned them of a coming doom. They didn't listen, and they all perished in the fiery doom she warned them of. The girl escaped with her brother. Unsure of her abilities, not knowing if she was truly lucky to have survived. She came upon a new village and started a new life among strange people. Her brother got engaged. And she felt a new doom coming to call. She tried warning them too but eventually she lost them all as well to the rivers of fire from the volcano. She was alone." She said, she knew she had told Agar this only last night. She looked up to the smoke gathering in the sky, the wind started to pick up around her, the smell of burning alcohol and wood was starting to find them on the wind.

"She was alone and desperate and scared. She started to lose all hope. All hope in her self, in the idea she would ever find love, in the thought she would ever find a community." Rivian continued, grabbing a strand of her sacred long white hair she had never cut and pulled it from her head. She brushed the strand over her unfinished tattoo and then began to wrap it around the rock. "One day, seemingly out of nowhere a strange and charming man literally came knocking on her door. He had strange prickly white hair that changed hues in the light, strange white skin you could almost see through, horns atop his head, enchanting purple eyes, and even a tail with an arrowhead at the end. He said he was fairy, and she couldn't help but believe him. She thought maybe he had come to bring her to her own people, to save her, to accept her, to help her feel like she belonged. He spun wild tales of castles and subjects. He promised to take the girls pain away. And she was so desperate and alone that she took that promise thinking it was a dream or she was already dead. It was neither. He then called her his bride and told her he would find a people for her, a castle, give her children to care for, provide for every need. She was always anxious he would leave her. That the dream would end and she was blind to how he truly made her feel. Deaf to how he twisted things. Until he left her for a time and she was forced to find her own way, nearly dying in the interim, and finding a new will of her own in the process. So when suddenly he finally re-appeared she no longer needed him, and she could see him for what he was..."

She took the rock, now wound with a strand of her white hair and kissed it. She placed it back in the center of the circle of small black stones. And the wind grew stronger around them, ash starting to fall around them.

"Neoptolemus will feel the effects of his actions and come to face the consequences or he will lose everything he possesses." She said with finality pressing her thumb into the reddish stone until it crumbled like the clay piece it was. A gust of wind blew over them, blowing her moon kissed hair wildly behind her as the wind washed through her.

She waited until the wind died down to stand up. She carefully gathered her small black rocks back into her satchel. She blew the crumbled bits of dried clay off the rock.  

She spun on her heel to face Agar again, who undoubtedly watched the whole thing, turning her back on the billowing smoke.

"So when the girl found another option, she took it, and left him behind. He apparently decided to blow up the last vestiges of everything she ever had." She finished with a lot more strength and a light in her eyes, she had lost absolutely everything.

But now she was truly, deeply exhausted, but the worry started creeping back into her features as she studied Agar, realizing she had one last thing to lose now. A brand new friend.

"I hope you're still willing to take me along." She asked softly, her hair still loosely falling down her back and floating on the wind, wondering how he thought of her now. Wondering if he would call her cursed as well. Wondering if he would run and leave her.

ooc:

[Agar]

It was just shortly after arriving on the hill before Agar was undoing the binds of his luggage, resting them down on the ground. His initial plan was to rest, and if needed, find the supplies they'd need to set up his tent for two. This wasn't a hidden out cove, but the man felt safer there, his eyes glancing down the path they had come from more than once to see if anyone was coming. They'd see them by no less than forty feet if anyone stepped out into the open. 

He only kept his eyes on the nearby treeline, and disregarded far off sounds. Rivian was the first to notice the smoke. Agar didn't look up until he heard the girl shift and fall to her knees. What she was looking at was hard to miss. The smoke towered over the trees and into the sky. Anyone would like to think that it was anything else, but it was most definitely back down where Rivian's cottage had been. 


"No... "he" did dhat...?" Rivian didn't answer, her mind elsewhere, but Agar really didn't need a clear yes anyways. It'd be nice to think some things were coincidences, unfortunate events, but the fate of Rivian's home was not that. A fact that Rivian only drove home with the telling of her tale, the details of her life up to this point. 

Agar hadn't stayed still and shocked while the woman spoke. He listened, quiet, but the man had gone to his belongings. He took up the larger of his two bows and strung it before gathering up its bigger arrows and quiver onto his back. Agar was most definitely prepping to pay Neo, the cretin who did this, back. He sincerely hoped whatever Rivian had just done was some kind of storm spell to strike a beast down. 

When their eyes met again, Rivian's train of thought had seemingly changed. Her voice softer as she uttered her hopes. Agar didn't have much to say, his own mind hardened on other thoughts as well. Still, the man gave a small shrug and sternly assured her, "ve vould not make great village if ve do not look out for each other." 

He paused, face scrunching up as he thought, and looking over Rivian's appearance for something. Agar failed to see what he had hoped for, and reached for the stone hatchet on his belt. He extended it out to her. 

"Keep, for now."

[Charley]

R I V I A N
Human // Young Adult

actions - “speech” - thoughts

Agar had been busy while Rivian was busy herself. He was protective, not alarmed, he trusted her, and he handed her an axe to defend herself. Neo would not have done that.

Her face flickered into a smile at Agars response but then faded as she stared at the axe, then his huge bow, and the arrows, knowing how crazy she was going to sound.

"That's... I don't think that's going to work." She glanced at the smoke.
"That's not how he works. He did that to show me. He's not going to come out in the open. He saw you last night. He's not going to pick a fight in the least. He's probably going to tail us and pick his own time to show himself."

She glanced back at the axe and the bow then into the man's eyes.

"I... Please... Please don't kill him..." She asked in a quiet voice. Ridiculous that she would request it after all he had done to her, all that he had taken. Putting her hand on the top of the axe to gently push it down. "I don't... I don't know what he'll do if he saw me with it. He wouldn't... Hurt me... Really... He'll just..." She looked back at the smoke, unsure of what he would really do, only knowing he was absolutely furious. She was honestly more scared of what Neo would do to Agar if Agar didn't kill him first. Ugh, why was this such a complicated mess?

ooc:

[Agar]

"He vouldn't hurt you?" Agar sounded baffled by the words coming out of Rivian's mouth. His bow-wielding hand extended out, gesturing to the smoke, "dhen VHAT is DHAT?!" 

Showing her. That's how she put it. Agar could think of few physical pains to match the one that this Neo had just dealt to the woman. His brow was wrinkled up, the man shaking his head at her. He huffed more than once, frustrated, angry. Whatever the case of her and Neo's relationship in the past, or what he perceived of her decision to walk, she had certainly done nothing to deserve the burning of belongings and memories. It could give a man whiplash thinking she wouldn't want to make things even. 

But to him, it wasn't entirely her decision either. Where Rivian stood today, as Agar's village, oracle, and friend, Neo couldn't exclusively cross a line of Rivian's without also crossing one of Agar's. It took a moment of huffing and puffing, grumbling before Agar could consider the compromise. Reluctantly, he conceded with a strained "fine."

While glowering, Agar turned the hatchet in his hand. The sharp end pointed down, and Agar raised it for a second to show it. "Two sides to ax, and if he doesn't apologize on knees to Rivian, dhen he vill meet ax's blunt side." 

Agar sounded absolutely stubborn on promising no less than that much. He slipped the hatchet back onto his belt and turned away from Rivian. His attention returning to the distance between them and the treeline. If Neo was only just leaving the cottage then it would still be a while before he could walk here, if he intended on showing himself. Agar wasn't going to take any chances.

"Rest for now, Rivian..." Agar advised in a low tone, "maybe ve make more ground today if He stays hidden."

[Charley]

R I V I A N
Human // Young Adult

actions - “speech” - thoughts

The girl swallowed as Agar gestured back out to the smoke. She silently looked back at it, tight lipped and sniffing. That was pain... and it was the type of pain Neo inflicted that she was familiar with. It wasn't until this moment, though, that she really realized it was a real type of pain. Though he had never... oh. She brought her hand to her shoulder... This was different though wasn't it? It had started to throb painfully. In her rush this morning to escape she hadn't taken the time to put salve on it. At this rate it was probably going to scar, his own reminder, his own branding mark.

How did she come to be owned?

Seeing Agars disappointment shot its own arrow through her, somehow it struck her worse than everything she ever owned blowing up in smoke.  How could she have been so stupid as to let herself into the mess and wrap Agar up in it as well. She'd be less of a burden to Agar, who would have to protect her, barely knowing her, from the monster on her heels, if she just... went back. She had no idea what she was doing, or where they were going, or how long it would be before they found a place to settle. She had forgotten what it was like to be in a village, to have problems within a community.  

When he presented the axe again, proclaiming that if Neo wasn't on his knees apologizing, there was another way to retaliate without killing him. Neo would never apologize, but hopefully the spell-curse she laid over him might prompt him some. She nodded, wiping a tear away from her face with a sleeve, she wouldn't be able to stop Agar.

He then directed her to rest and she nodded again, failing to stem the silent tears of shame from disappointing him. Before she could make even more a mess of herself near him she walked back to where he had dropped his luggage. She found a rock and slid her back down it to lean against. Her body was shaking from every kind of exhaustion out there. Physical, emotional, spiritual. She was drained in every sense of the word.

Rivian dug into her bag and found a salve. She glanced between her own and Agar's pack as she gently rubbed the salve on the bite marks she could reach under her cloak. Her supplies and pack were meager in comparison. She looked down at her water bladders and remembered she had brought Agar a gift. She unslung the only beer she had left, and placed it silently on top of his pack, thankful she at least had this to offer him.

With a shuddering sigh the healer pulled her hood up. She'll have to put her hair up later, she didn't have the energy now. Maybe after a rest she'll have a better idea of how to handle everything.

Slumped against the rock she quickly passed out, occasionally twitching in her fitful half sleep. She would rise sleepily if Agar roused her. It had been a long day and they had barely started.

ooc:

[Agar]

Agar glanced back once or twice, but just briefly. He could hear Rivian shifting and messing with something. What he saw was the girl wiping something onto her skin, where he hadn't been able to see. It was in a different spot than where he had previously seen her struggling. He had ignored her scratching and twitching before in the face of bigger problems, but as Rivian rested, Agar was left to think about it. He didn't know if he ever wanted to see it outright, but he was sure it was all wounds done by this Neo. 

The sun slowly passed through the sky. Noon had long passed. It was sometime in mid-afternoon. Agar raised his hand up, checking how long they would have until sunset. There was still time to get moving if they wanted to make some more distance before nightfall. It seemed that the bastard wasn't going to show his face just yet either. Agar had made sure there had been plenty of time, to get this over with, but alas, that wasn't the case. They were going to need to move if they were going to make progress with anything.

Unstringing his large bow, Agar watched Rivian carefully. He kept waiting for her to stir herself awake but she was still asleep as a stone. She didn't stir when he gathered up his belongings or when he hummed in surprise and approval when he found what she had left on his pack. He sniffed it just to be certain before taking a healthy swig of it. 

He only debated for a short while what to do, and how it was best to travel. He'd already left behind a few of his belongings, but he ended up mulling over a few more. A pack of good trapping supplies he'd have to make anew wherever they headed next, he could live with leaving those behind to hopefully drop this creep's trail for a while. 

Agar put back on his pack, shouldered one bow, and carefully scooped up Rivian into his arms. He imagined she might not thank him later for it; he had decided he could equal out the mild extra heft of the tiny girl by just, putting all his belt belongings, the hatchet, his knife and bag, on top of her while he walked. His legs were freed up and she was a convenient human-shelf. More importantly, as Agar headed off, there were no small foot prints walking beside him. There was no immediately visible girl. Maybe it would be enough to fool Neo for a while. 

Heading off, Agar kept his eyes alert for trouble, and ever-looking for the next high point to reach. High ground to high ground, defense point to defense point, it was the best choice he could figure for the time being.

[Charley]

R I V I A N
"It is little by little that we find the courage for it all." - JH Hard

actions - “speech” - thoughts

Hills and hills and hills and hills... A strange landscape stretched out beneath her feet. In her dream she was out of breath and running. Suddenly she was lifted up into the sky and she was soaring over the landscape. Small white dots that moved like animals clustered around a central figure nestled among the hills next to a lake. Her flight took her further to the top of a low lying mountain. A hollow in the center. An ancient volcano. In a flash she could see it had once bubbled and spewed lava, the same kind that had swallowed her and her brother's old home, then cool and hollow out through the ages... Her dream flight took her down into the center of the mountain where suddenly she felt like she was falling into a sky filled with glowing stars. She was looking up at the opening getting further and further away, a face on the rim, a pale hand reaching to catch her. She couldn't make out the face. They were too far to catch her. She turned to face her landing finding a sea of out stretched arms to catch her. Was that her brother? Her mother? Agar? So many faces she did and did not recognize, some from her past and maybe some from her future. And central to them was a cold figure she did not want to catch her but she was plummeting towards him regardless. Just as his pale fingers wrapped around her waist she woke...

Rivian woke with a sharp intake of breath, throwing her hands up to catch her self as if she were falling, truly feeling like she was unsteady. The movement was probably enough to startle Agar but he most likely had a good enough handle on her to keep him from dropping her. It took her a moment to assess the new situation, the things on top of her had kept her from flailing about. Agar was carrying her?? The thought that he would be strong enough had never crossed her mind but she was certainly small enough. She really didn't know how to react. How long had he been carrying her while she slept? He must be getting tired!

"Um..." This certainly was a brand new feeling to her. She certainly couldn't remember ever feeling this... safe? "I can... I can probably walk now... Thank you, I hope I'm not making you tired." She honestly didn't want him to put her down. Ever. Stars, she could probably sit on one of his shoulders if he'd let her she was so tiny compared to him. Was Neo close behind? Had he appeared while she was sleeping? She started to strain to look over his arm to see if she could catch a glimpse of the cretin off the path. He would be sticking to the shadows since the sun hurt him. Or he'd wait till night fall to track them.

ooc:

[Agar]

Agar had been walking for a while. As much as he kept an eye out for any danger, there was plenty of time left to just, watch the sky. The one herd of deer he saw had fled into the trees as soon as they caught the scent of Man, and so Agar was left alone in the open plains and patches of trees. As alert as he was, he wasn't expecting anything out of Rivian. He really would have taken her for one of those gentle, angelic sleepers. 

She woke like a startled cat and the large man stiffened right up, startled with a yelp. He certainly didn't let go and drop her, if anything he gripped her tighter. His instinct still very much set on Neo pouncing them. As she stilled and composed herself, he calmed as well. 

"Da, sure, of course." Agar agreed to her request, his voice sounding still a bit on edge. He collected his things off of his Rivian-shelf before setting her down feet-first. He didn't go walking off immediately or anything, instead putting his belongings where they ought to be on his belt and giving Rivian a moment. Giving himself a moment. He couldn't resist stretching his arms now that he had them back. 

He didn't responded to the remark about being tired or not. He wasn't all that sure what he'd say about that to someone like Rivian anyways. His main concern was getting her up to speed, however mundane it had been. 

"Have not seen hide nor hair of dhis Neo. It has been quiet." He scratched his neck and looked behind them again, squinting. There didn't look like there was anything out there. "Don't know if he is following even..." He didn't sound all that confident about that, he took Rivian's tale with some gravity.

[Charley]

R I V I A N
"It is little by little that we find the courage for it all." - JH Hard

actions - “speech” - thoughts

As he put her down she mentally marveled again at how gentle and considerate he was. Even though she had disappointed him, he hadn't woken her to continue. While they took a moment she shifted her clothing back into place, from being rumpled, winced as her shoulder throbbed, quickly wound up her long loose hair into a messy bun, and watched Agar curiously while his back was turned. They way he had treated her from the start was a complete 180 from her experience. Yes, sometimes he looked at her with awe, once already with disappointment, but it was never fear filled like her tribespeople, or hungry like strangers and traders looking for someone exotic to take home with them. Neo was her only other experience and he never looked at her with either fear, or awe. He looked at her with hunger, well and disappointment but also... Ownership...

With Agar it was a completely new look in his eyes, a completely different vibe that she had never felt before, and she didn't know what it was. Whatever it was though... It was more than when she let down Neo in some way, she could hardly figure out how she was constantly disappointing her fae husband. With this bearded man though, with his rich accent and his mountainous stature, and his gentle hands... She never wanted to disappoint him again.

Rivian nodded as he mentioned not seeing Neo, wondering if he was even following. She wouldn't be surprised honestly if he was giving them a head start for some purpose. Maybe to let their guards down, or simply to wait until nightfall.

She pulled her lips into a flat line, thinking about her dream. Sometimes her dreams were just dreams or even skewed miasmic memories. Sometimes figures would appear with significance and sometimes she dreamed nothing at all. She didn't know how much to tell Agar, she needed to be careful how much she shared with him. She didn't want him to have any kind of blind faith in her, the easiest route to disappointing him.

"Before we start up again. I may have an idea of what we're looking for..." She started, bringing her arms up to hug herself against the cold and anxiety. With a steading breath though she drew up the land in her mind's eye, closing her physical eyes to the world around her. She slowly turned her body to face a direction, pause, then continue to turn, pause again as she faced each cardinal direction. Then turned back once to orient herself to the pull she was trying to discern. She opened her eyes to the horizon and didn't find anything of note. No tall mountain anyway. It might be a few days before they find it.

"I had a dream. It was confusing and vague, so I could be wrong. There where these little white dots on some hills that ran around like animals around a person. But I don't know what they were. Something about being inside an old hollow mountain I think." She paused and glanced at him, peeling her gaze from the direction she was intending on going. "Sometimes it's just dreams though. They're not always..." she was going to say magical, but she couldn't find the actual word she was really looking for and that wasn't quite she wanted, "True. Not always true, I guess. I think we should go that way though." She said as she lifted her chin in the direction she stopped at, "Might be better than just walking aimlessly... Unless you have a better idea?" She was open to suggestions honestly. She never thought of herself as a leader.

ooc:

[Agar]

She pointed out a direction and Agar looked. Squinting and raising a palm over his brow to stare out into the distance. It didn't look like much was out there, but he supposed there was no telling what would beyond the next forest. Although he certainly wouldn't have guessed what Rivian explained. He looked quizzical at her description before mulling it over for anything that sounded familiar. Anything he'd recognize. 

"No..." Agar answered her offer for input slowly, pondering mostly. "I am not one having visions." 

He brought his hand down and scratched his beard as he thought. Old memories turning over in his head, and he mumbled "white dots..." 

At first, to him, it sounded more abstract, like a person surrounded by stars--some kind of astrologist perhaps. But he could just vaguely remember someone that used to fit that description in his life, from long ago. 

"Like animal keepers, a herder? Those white dots... could be dogs or reindeer?" Agar guessed, not entirely sure. Although he also wasn't sure Rivian was used to the idea of dogs and other animals being kept like that. "Back in my homeland, dhey vould keep animals in laaarge fields." The man slowly gestured his arm out over the horizon, offering an idea of the size. "Could be people herding in big field, dhat way." Hand pointing out to where Rivian had suggested.

He shrugged, growing more confident as he thought about it. "If ve find, dhen ve ask vhich way ve go to find hollow mountain." Agar nodded at that idea. "Da, reindeer herders know land very vell!"

[Charley]

R I V I A N
"It is little by little that we find the courage for it all." - JH Hard

actions - “speech” - thoughts

Oh? People keep animals more than dogs? Rivian had only been a part of hunting and gathering societies, just starting on the journey toward agriculture. She had learned a lot on her own from experimenting in her own garden at her... now smoldering ruin of a cottage. It was nice he was taking her direction and he seemed fairly confident in it!

"I've never seen a reindeer! Or a herder!" she was trying to be optimistic as she looked ahead, fighting the urge of looking back to see how far they had come. She was sure they would still see the smoke from here. She took a swig of water as she started moving forward and saw her gift to Agar slung on his own side. It made her smile a little to see it. She wondered what his homeland was like to have animals in such large fields and how they kept an eye on them. Why did he leave?

She looked back.

After a few days of traveling they had invited a new member of their growing village to travel with them. Rivian liked Ginko. He seemed easy to laugh with. When she first met him she paused at his strange features but quickly shrugged it off. He seemed like a resident of these lands as much as the wolves, as much as Neo. She was wondering if Agar was starting to feel like the odd man out.

She couldn't wait to settle somewhere and start making more beers and brews, since Agar and Ginko drunk the last of it.

Almost every night Rivian would sit close to the campfire and use its light to continue silently adding on to her tattoo before she finally headed to sleep. It was almost done and she would start on her other arm soon. She was careful about keeping the quill she used sharp and sterile with fire. And placing more healing salve on her work everyday. She was getting worried though. There was a wounded spot on her back at shoulder blade she just couldn't reach to treat effectively. She felt awkward asking either male to help her with it, knowing they would recognize what made it immediately. She would try not to wince if anyone tried to thump her back but it was getting to be a dangerously long time to go without treatment.

She was helping to set up camp again in the woods, she was only a little ways from their set up gathering firewood. Surely Agar and Ginko were close by, either hunting or fetching water. She was sure she could see either of them if she looked around. She was placing the sticks in her strong arm, starting to baby her shoulder and the arm connected to that side.

ooc: Come on in Alue/Ginko @Alue and @Gothy ! I hope that's a good opening for you two! Let me know if you want anything changed or swap posting order!

[Little Liam]

Ivan:
He drew his bow and arrow and aimed for the doe i front of him. The sound of talking made the doe raise her head and Ivan missed his shot. The arrow hit a birch tree and bark flew into his face.  The taste of wood and dirt filled his mouth, it’s was awful. He looked back at the doe and scoffed
“I've never seen a reindeer! Or a herder!" He heard someone say.
“Ack!” He exclaimed. “Ugh, it was scrawny anyway”
Ivan heard his brothers laughter behind him.
“Oh shut up!” He grimaced.

His head turned towards the sound. A young lady and a beastly man could be seen, his eyes widen.
“Excuse me! Hey, helllo?” He yelled. Ivan grabed his brothers arm and rushed him and himself towards the fair lass and the man.

Bjorn:

Bjorn watched as the arrow missed its target. He laughed. Was this Ivan’s first time hunting? No, that’s what makes it funny. He thought to himself.
“Better luck next time, brother.” He replied.
“Oh shut up!” He heard Ivan say.
Laughter ripped at his ears, and his eyes followed the sound. He turned his head around and looked at the lass and the grizzly looking man.

He felt his brother finger’s wrap around his arm. With a jolt, Bjorn was being pulled by his brother towards two strangers. What a surprise, he thought.
When the brothers were almost there, of course there was a rock. His two felt as though it instantly broke and he tripped and fell over. Bjorn’s face scraped into the ground. Mud filled his nose and mouth, he half died on the way down. Why mud, WHY!?

[Ginko]

    Ginko reacted about as much as anyone expect to alcohol. Once Agar had gave it to him, he had a taste for the nasty stuff. If it didn’t taste bad, how could he know if it was actually good? Rivian seemed to know how to make more, and Ginko was ready for some more. She was nice, as well. He understood why Agar seemed to have taken so well to her. Still, Ginko almost felt out of loop, being the only not actually human. Sure, he wasn’t some wolf, but he wasn’t exactly human, either. Neither seemed to mind, though. It made him happy, tail wagging sometimes.

    The group had been going about doing their own things to prepare. Ginko, not being a big meat eater (if at all) had chosen to get water. He carried everyone’s water packs to the creek, filling it up with the cool water. He also carried a little bucket, slinging the packs over his shoulder and carrying the bucket back to their camp at the moment. One thing he liked to do by the fire was watch Rivian prick her skin with a needle, seeing the patterns and images she created. So far they hadn’t spoken about it, but it was probably obvious that the little fawn man was watching in some kind of awe.

    Actually, he might as well speak to her about it now. He carried everything towards where the fire would be, placing everything down in order of person, with the bucket more off to the side. From there he would wait patiently. Rivian had been gathering fire, and Agar was probably hunting or getting food. As he waited, he pushed stuff around, trying to make a nice clean pit and sitting area. Clean it up some. Once Rivian would come around, he’d speak. “Hey.” Perfect way to start a conversation. “You’re giving yourself tattoos, right?” People in his home village weren’t big on tattoos, but some had them. When he figured out they used a needle of sorts, he put two and two together. “Whatchya making?” His eyes would go across the few spots she had started on. Part of him wondered if Agar had tattoos he hadn’t seen.