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The Hunted Hawks

Started by Dray, January 31, 2006, 11:22:50 AM

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Griznuq

Laren pulled another cloth napkin from his pocket. The vandals had stitched a logo into a corner of this one that looked just like the one on the sign outside of the Thornhedge inn.

"Here," he said handing the dry napkin to Kit. "You can keep it, I've got dozens."
=]V[=

Dray

Kit looked up at Laren, her hair disheveled, eyes red, and face soaked with sweat and tears.

"I'm so sorry Laren, that's all I want to do of course," she said. She looked to almost say more, but hesitated and cleared her throat.

She paused a moment, then finally looked down at her lap while raising a hand to comb her fingers through her hair.

"Paladine, I must be a mess."

She got off the ground and tried to straighten her long skirt, attempting to brush off the dirt from her fall, only to discover a large rip in it. A six inch long gash in the fabric revealed a large bruise with surface scratches on the right side of thigh.

"How many times am I going to hurt myself today?" she mumbled to herself.

Griznuq

Laren sighed and hung his head as he let his hand fall to his side. After a second, he rubbed his temples. With his eyes closed tightly he said in an softer tone, "Look, what's done is done. I cannot undo it, but maybe we can help each other figure out what it's all about."

He opened his eyes and watched her sob for a moment.

"The gods know I could use the help." Laren remembered something his father had said about woman always wanting to help. Maybe that would make her feel better. Truth of the matter was also that he could use the help.

He stretched his hand out again, "Would you please help me with all this? I don't think I can handle it on my own."

He congratulated himself silently. That was a good line. Part of him wanted to roll his eyes at having to say it, but he knew it was the only way to put all this awkwardness behind them and get back on the road.
=]V[=

Dray

As she sat up, Kit hesitated at the outstretched small hand. Tears still streaming down her cheeks, but she had at least brightened to a light shade of pink, which was better than red or purple Laren thought.

He could see the truth of his words finally take hold of her mind, for the face that once conveyed shock and a bit of anger turned became reproached. He knew his scorn reached her when she suddenly looked at the ground, looking like a hurt bunny.

She didn't take his hand, and started fiddling with her own in her lap, sniffing away the last of her sobs.

Griznuq

Laren's eyes continued to glare out from under heavy eye brows. He was boring holes into Kit's face.

Great. Now she's going to cry... he thought. Well, damage done I suppose. No sense raking her over the coals any more than I have already, Laren argued with himself, and ultimately lost. No, you know what? I'm not done yet!

"There are reasons this thing isn't worn on a necklace or some ornate piece of headware! These are not times for brash actions."

Laren let his face soften a bit, but only a bit. "Come," He said quietly as he extended an arm. "We really must be going."
=]V[=

Dray

When Laren calmed down enough to look at Kit again, he found her staring at him, tears still streaming from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she said with a heavy sob.

"I didn't mean to touch it after you said not too, it merely rolled into my hand before I could pull it out of the bag then my mind wasn't my own...I uh...I was in the middle of some great battlefield with strange creatures shaking the ground and the jewel was there I was admiring it, but it wasn't me, it was Markell, no, that ain't right, but it felt like Markell was with me or something...oh, I don't know, something similiar to that it was all so dreadfull..." Kit couldn't finish her rambling as another bout of tears caught up to her.

Griznuq

"Bahhh!" Laren growled as kit lurched forward in a dramatic expulsion of her breakfast. "God it still looks like eggs!"

The disgust was plain on Laren's face, though even he didn't know whether he was offended by the vomit or angry at the whole situation. He though it might be the latter, but he never was good with vomit.

"Ahhhh!" he growled again. He turned his head against the wind and took a deep breath. Letting the air out slowly he turned back as Kit calmed. He looked at her face, now red as an apple, tears streaming freely.

He pulled a cloth napkin that some vandal had stitched the words "The Screaming Eagle" onto when he wasn't looking from his pocket. He handed it to her, or more put it on her hand as she wasn't quite coherent yet.

"Always acting without thinking, you humans! I told[/b] you what it's done to me! Did you think I was lying??

Again he forced himself to calm down. He took the napkin which she was still unaware of back and wet it down. He put the water skin down on the ground within her reaching distance incase she was of a mind. He took the napkin and began wiping her face. He could feel the blood boiling beneath his own face and wondered if he was as red as she.

"We're not playing with dolls here! There are groups of people coming after me for this damned thing, and just as many trying to help me get rid[/i]of it! You think they'd care so much if it was just some toy[/i]?! This blasted thing's gotten my whole damn family killed, and now it's my problem, not yours! Last thing I need is another loved one getting killed over it, and here you go pawing it like a child's ball! I don't need that on my shoulders too!?

Laren's breath came labored and heavily, his eyes glaring out from under furrowed brow. He could feel veins protruding from his neck and forehead. He forced his hands to unclench and his teeth to stop grinding.
=]V[=

Dray

Kit became lost in a sea of sensations and imagery as the world of psychic vision collided with the combined chaos of memory and reality. Scenes of war and savage conflict juxtaposed with recollections of her own personal tragedies, overlaid with the all too familiar despair of helpless servitude. The very ground seemed to shudder, lending the sense that gigantic warriors, felt but unseen, tromped nearby and heightened Kit's fear and anxiety, and the touch of a friend's attempted help (or was it an old enemy come to reclaim her?) exacerbated those senses. Her self descended further into the depths of her mind, searching for escape.

Laren was on the ground, trying to figure out a way to get Kit off the horse. 'Why wasn't I given a smaller horse?!' he cursed inwardly.

Kit, her hand still over her mouth, and clutching her stomach tightly, started to convulse. The fair white skin of her face turning purplish blue.

"Not again!" Laren cursed. He did the only thing he could do, he pulled her quickly off the horse by her leg. Watching both of her hands as she collapsed to the ground.

'The jewel must still be in the bag' he thought with relief.

"Breathe!" he yelled as he clumsily lowered her to the ground, leaning over her, his hand already uncorking a waterskin.

With a great cough, as if she had surfaced from some great depth, Kit expelled the contents of her stomach on the ground. With a cry of anguish she sucked in a painful breath.

Laren dodged the expected vomit and moved to her other side. He placed his small hand under her head, and tried to calm her enough to drink water.

As she continued to take in quick ragged breaths she began to cry hysterically.

"Not again...no...Not again." She repeated over and over.

Griznuq

Laren turned as Kit went into some sort of trance. Her eyes had rolled up and all he saw was milky whites. He tried to turn around on the horse, but nearly fell off...

"Awe, now see?? I knew this was a bad idea!!" As she held her mouth and stomach laren hopped off of Starsprinter, and reached up to help her off the horse.

"Don't barf on the saddle... The ride's long enough without having to sit in that."

Laren was vexed.
=]V[=

Wildfire

A blinding flash of light overwhelmed Kit's vision and a shot of energy tingled through her. The flash slowly dissolved and she could see a battle field with various flaring colors. She heard haunting death cries echo across the fields. The blood of montrous, mutants spilled to the ground creating crimson puddles of gore. At once, all sound stopped and a great explosion nearly overloaded all of her senses. It was as if Kossuth itself had rained down upon the frenzied chaos.

Again the flash faded and she could see herself holding the crystal... admiring it's beauty. She felt as if she had an affinity to it...like it was somehow part of her. Yet another part of her knew that it was not her hand that held it. It was not her admiring it. It was not her that felt akin to it. It was someone else. This detached feeling reminded her of the time with... Markell.

Kit's vision snapped back into the moment and she realized that she was holding her stomach with her left arm and clasping her mouth with her right.
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Dray

The moment Laren had sad the words saddle bag, Kit had turned and reached into it with her left hand. As she held his shoulder with her right hand for balance, she rummaged through the foodstuffs and travel gear with her left.

Just as he said "...maybe you should not open the bag..." she noted the real concern in his voice and steadied her hand. She turned towards him, he had half turned and was watching her.

"...Maybe just feel it....you know, through the bag" he finished.

The blink of a moment passed as they rode, her hand still in the bag, she too had a second thought about touching the thing.

Then it rolled into her open palm within the bag, and her slight fingers reflexively closed around it.

Griznuq

Laren chewed his lips nervously. He looked side to side seeing nothing but open space. He scanned the skies for ... something?

"Yeah, ah... I..." he scratched his head and cleared his throat. "Awe blast, sure go ahead. It's in the left saddle bag..." Laren shook his head in resignation. "If you don't mind though, I would be just as happy not seeing it. In fact, you should probably keep it in the bag. Yeah, just open the top part of the bag and peek in. Just a quick peek... That should be ok." Laren nodded at the thought.

"Better still, maybe you should just not open the bag... Maybe just feel it... you know, through the bag." He nodded again.

"You know, maybe I should just describe it to you! That should be ok, right?!"
=]V[=

Dray

"So what do you think Laren? Shall I have a look at this thing?" Kit asked.

Wildfire

Kossuth had slid across the sky and was was nearing the western horizon. It had spent the day behind the two riders making the journey easier for their eyes. Kossuth had danced among the passing clouds playing a game of hide and seek and was now tired and looking to rest. As it hung above the horizon it splashed a full spectrum of reds and oranges across the sky and clouds. The closer to the horizon were the deep, flaming, crimson reds and the further the sky got from the blaze it faded to orange and finally a deep blue to indigo in the east. It looked to be an ocean of liquid fire painted upon the sky canvas. Kossuth was such a dramatic artist.

Ahead lay the mountains that cradled Threshold. Both Kit and Laren knew there was still a great deal of traveling before their arrival to the nestled town.
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Dray

Kit gave her short friend a hug from behind him.

"It's good to hear you laugh again Master Laren."