Lover

[MissCellaFane]

Aislin pushed open the barn door and peeked inside, looking for her horse, Mage. She had arrived in the small town of Farren the day before yesterday after her horse threw a horseshoe and injured his ankle in the process. Thankfully, though the town was extremely small and didn't have a large population, there was still a local blacksmith, where she had taken her horse. She had known he would need a few days to recover. Which was fine. She needed to rest, herself. After being on the road for two weeks and not being any closer to finding Martin's killer…Aislin had begun to lose hope. Perhaps if she rested and was able to look more often at the killer's whereabouts, she could get some indication of where he was. She only knew the general direction he was heading. Northwest, away from the capitol.

Stepping into the barn, Aislin closed the door behind her, her fingers cold in the fall mist, the gray, cloudy sky outside threatening to unleash torrents of rain at any moment. She pushed the hood back on her cloak and adjusted her green head covering, pulling the light material up over her head as it had slipped back some. Her brown eyes scanned the interior and caught sight of her horse, in one of the back stalls. The blacksmith had been kind enough to let her horse stay in his barn, free of charge.

She made her way to the stall that Mage stood in and smiled wide, reaching up and smoothing her palm over his nose. He nudged against her hand. "Hello, Mage." She said softly and then reached into her cloak, pulling out a small pouch of salve. "Look what I brought for you." The stallion sniffed the salve and then let out a snort, shaking his head violently. Aislin laughed softly and then unhooked the latch, the door to the stall swinging open with a creak. "I know it doesn't smell very good, but it will help that ankle." She had prepared the salve yesterday, letting it sit overnight and then all morning before bringing it over that afternoon. "And at least I smell better now, right?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "You didn't even notice I'd bathed, did you?" The horse gave another shake of his head and Aislin grinned. She'd definitely noticed the difference. Being on the road for two weeks without a bath and then finally getting one last night? She'd scrubbed the dirt and grime off her until her skin practically shone. Oh, it had felt so good!

Aislin stepped into the stall and then crouched down near Mage's left front hoof, opening the bag of salve and scooping some out with her fingers. Gently, she began massaging it into Mage's ankle. The blacksmith had told her the horse should have all four shoes replaced, and even though she knew he was probably only saying that because he wanted the money, honestly she would rather have all four shoes replaced and not have to worry about Mage throwing another one and getting injured again. More holdups meant more chances for the killer to get away. When she was finished, she stood, wiping her hands on a cloth she'd stashed in her rope belt. She then patted Mage on the neck and stroked him. "Get better now, all right? We have work to do."

The horse went back to munching on some hay and Aislin stepped out of the stall, closing the door behind her and latching it. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head again and tucked the salve back into her cloak. It was time to head back to the inn and she was not looking forward to the walk across town. She'd never gotten used to the cold weather here, being raised in the desert. And she didn't think she ever would.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Town of Farren​

In all honesty, Thalion wasn't too impressed with the village of Farren. Probably because every blasted town they had been in during the past couple weeks looked exactly like it. All the way from Ronault where they started to Ginleigh sometime last week to now in Farren. It was beginning to become an eye sore, and he could only hope the lead they had gotten would be the last before they found this Aislin Hatar.

He hesitated, glancing down at the block of wood thumping against his hip with the jarring of the horse. Knock on wood. Gently he tapped it with his knuckles. Couldn't be too careful.

Atreyu's voice ahead of him snapped his attention back up. "Get those lucky charms ready!" He glanced over his shoulder then jerked his head towards the building they were coming upon. "This is it."

Thalion breathed a silent sigh of relief. Finally! A source had told them they'd seen the young woman come and go often at the West Way Inn in the past couple days; her foreign appearance being what caught their attention. They didn't know, however, if she was still there or not. That had sure put a damper on Thalion's spirits. But now? He hardly noticed, his heart was pounding too loudly with the rush of adrenaline.

After they'd tied up their horses, the brothers made their way into the inn. It was small, the lobby only a tiny box of a room where all they had to do was take a few steps and they were at the other side of the wall where the tiny desk was situated. While Thalion was a little uncomfortable being in such a tight space, it was good for them. It meant this place was small enough that the innkeeper would no doubt recognize the woman they were seeking, having such little business to attend to.

A woman stood on the other side, older with greying roots in her dirty blonde hair and a particularly large wart at the edge of her cheek near her thin lips. Thalion had a hard time not staring at it, but what was just as interesting as she seemed to be having a difficult time not staring at him, her eyes flickering to their weapons then to Alassiel then finally to their faces.

"Can I help you two?" She asked cautiously. Good lands! Did they look that frightening? Thalion looked himself over once. Well, he didn't think so.

"Indeed you may!" Atreyu exclaimed, holding up the parchments he'd carried inside. "We're looking for a woman. Goes by the name Aislin Hatar." Without waiting for a response, he unrolled the parchment and laid the sketch down on the counter, turning so it faced the woman right side up. "We were told she might be staying here. Or had stayed here."

The woman hesitated for a moment, her eyes not even going to the sketch before she leaned forward and squinted at the drawing. Raising his eyebrows, Thalion shot a look towards Atreyu. His brother smirked. Great. She probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between that woman and them! Though as she studied it, her eyes widened significantly and she froze, unmoving. Now Thalion smirked. Gotcha! That was definitely an expression of recognition.

The woman looked back up at them, straightening slowly. "Yes. She's staying here."

Thalion's pulse spiked. "Now?"

She nodded and Atreyu took over. "At this moment?"

At this, she looked unsure. "Well..." She began slowly, her small eyes flickering between the two men. "She has a room available, yes, but she's not here at the moment."

Of course not. "Where is she?" Thalion asked.

She shook her head. "I'm not sure." Pausing, she tapped a finger on her lips. "But she's been leaving often and is usually only gone for a little while before she comes back."

"How long ago was this?" Atreyu asked, rolling up the parchment.

The woman watched. "Maybe ten minutes ago?"

Thalion's jaw about dropped. Ten minutes?! That figured! But before he could say anything, Atreyu continued as he nodded up to the stairwell where the rooms were. "Which one is her room?"

Again, she went silent, no doubt wondering if she should withhold such information or freely let it out. "Has she done something wrong?" She asked.

"Quite," Thalion responded, crossing his arms over his chest. "She's a wanted fugitive of the Namor Guard."

The woman's eyes widened as Atreyu leaned forward on the desk. "Right, so..." He grinned. "...where's her room?"

This time she didn't even hesitate before ducking out of view underneath the desk, talking as she did. "Third on the right." She appeared, brandishing a key. "Here's her room key."

"Perfect," Atreyu said as he took the key and turned, giving Thalion a light push to get him moving towards the stairs. "Don't worry. We won't be much trouble."

Thalion fought the urge to roll his eyes as they climbed the stairs. Right. They'd probably end up destroying the room. Or at least destroying something. They could never get by without doing so, a fact that annoyed Thalion and amused his brother.

They reached the room, and Atreyu inserted the key, obviously excited. Thalion could tell with the grin on his face, like he could hardly contain himself from bouncing off the walls. Thalion was excited, too. Just for different reasons. Another criminal caught, another gold piece earned, another wrong set right in the world. The balance of humankind depended on it.

The door was pushed open, and immediately the two men scanned the room just in case the woman was in there. When it was pretty positive she wasn't, they entered through the archway slowly and Thalion closed the door behind him as Atreyu made his rounds about the room, searching everything. Why though, Thalion didn't know. It wasn't as though she'd be hiding in a pillowcase or anything! Still...

"Find anything?" Thalion asked. Might as well humor him.

"Depends on what I'm looking for," Atreyu answered, obviously having not found whatever it was for he surveyed the space with his hands on his hips. "But so far, no."

Thalion walked over to the window and peered out, flicking an annoying curl away from his brow. It didn't face towards the front. He frowned. Then, was he really expecting anything different? "Maybe we should wait downstairs for her," He suggested, looking over at Atreyu.

The older man shook his head, calmly making himself comfortable as he laid down on the bed, lifting his legs to rest the back heels of his boots on the foot board, and placed his hands behind his head. "And miss this opportunity for a bed? Never!"

Thalion wrinkled his nose. She slept on that bed! Bad luck indeed! But he didn't say anything as he moved to lean back against the dresser with a sigh, placing his hands on either side of him on the edge of the wood. "Then we wait?"

"And wait."

Thalion's shoulders slumped as he glanced to the door, muttering, "I hate waiting."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Aislin entered the inn and immediately closed the door behind her, rubbing her palms together. It wasn't really that cold, but her hands always seemed to be cold. No matter what time of year it was. Especially in the fall and winter. She glanced at the innkeeper and gave her a small nod of the head.

The woman quickly looked away and began rummaging through her desk, though Aislin could tell there really wasn't anything there that she wanted, the woman's eyes flickering up to her and then back down underneath her desk. Aislin frowned. What was that all about? The woman had never been very friendly, but right now she looked almost...scared. Was something wrong? It took all of two seconds for Aislin to scan the interior of the room. No one was there. And the woman still wasn't looking at her. Strange. Very strange.

Shaking her head, Aislin climbed the stairs to her room. It was midafternoon now. She hadn't checked on the killer today. It was time. Her heart began to pound as she strode down the tiny hallway and reached into her cloak for the key to her room. Maybe today would be the day she'd get some clue as to where he was. He'd been on the road for days now, not stopping at any establishments. All she'd been able to see around him was forest, and road, and rocks, and dirt. That was it. It was becoming very frustrating.

Aislin shoved the key into the lock and turned it, pushing open the door. She attempted to retract the key, but it stuck. Not again! She'd been having trouble with this key every time she went to open the door. Stepping around the door, her back to the room and her eyes on the key, Aislin stepped inside, jiggling the key. Come out, blast it! Finally, she gave a little turn and a jerk and it slid out. There. Satisfied, Aislin shut the door, turning around as her eyes searched for the wash basin...

And she yelped, her hand flying to her mouth and her back pressing up against the closed door, one hand still on the handle, eyes wide. Two men! In her room! Her wide eyes flickered between the two, one man actually laying on her bed and the other leaning against the dresser. What the...!? Swallowing hard and taking a deep breath, Aislin dropped her hand to her chest instead, assessing them. They were both taller than her by quite a bit, and they looked rugged and unkempt, as if they belonged in the wild instead of here in a room. Or maybe it was the fact that the one leaning on her dresser had a hawk on his shoulder. Nevertheless, Aislin didn't like the look of them. Something about them spelled trouble.

Not that it was anything Aislin couldn't handle. Unless they were sorcerers themselves, she could pretty much defend herself against them if need be. She fingered her ruby necklace, preparing herself if she needed to cast a few well-worded spells their way. Her jaw set. "Who are you?" She demanded, her voice coming out more shaky than she had intended. She tried again, looking to the man standing near her dresser. "What do you think you're doing in my room?" That was better. "And on my bed?" Aislin turned her icy stare to the other man, sprawled out on her blankets, her confidence growing as she spoke. Whatever they wanted, they weren't getting it. Not a chance.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Atreyu heard the key jiggling in the door and his head immediately snapped to the side, though he didn't move. There was really no reason to. If it were really her, she'd probably be too surprised to do much of anything at first. Of course, then they'd have to move, depending on how she responded. He knew of necromancers and their power, having hunted them numerous times before, but he also knew how to evade them. Tire them out. All magic wielders used their own energy to cast spells, a simple fact that meant bad news for them, good news for him. He could go for hours with his sword and bow without becoming exhausted enough to stop. Necromancers and the like couldn't, or else they'd pass out and die.

Finally the door opened, and his eyebrows rose slightly as his heart skipped. What would she do? Apparently fight with the lock for the key, her back towards them. Definitely not something Atreyu had been expecting. Well, that's interesting. He lifted up just enough to see his brother over the foot board who was also watching the woman, unmoved from his spot, quite amusingly. Turning his attention back to the woman, Atreyu fought the urge to laugh. It was a pretty humorous scene.

Then she freed the key, Atreyu wanting nothing more than to congratulate her, and shut the door before turning towards them. Immediately she spotted them, her hand flying to her mouth with a cry of alarm as she backed up against the door, her hand still on the doorknob as though she was going to run for it. At this, Atreyu grinned. Now that was what he was expecting! Though he had to admit, the short show beforehand was awfully entertaining.

But she still didn't run. Or begin attacking them. No, instead she started questioning them, trying to gain her wits about her. Looking as serious as he could get, Atreyu sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, and began patting down the mattress on either side of him with a thoughtful expression. "Well, you see..." He began calmly, giving a small bounce on the bed as he studied it. "...I really just couldn't help myself. It's been quite awhile since I've had the pleasure of lying on anything besides the cold ground."

"I agree there," Thalion said slowly, rubbing his chin with one hand as he watched Atreyu, crossing the other arm over his chest. "And how does it feel?"

Going back to the bed, Atreyu began poking around the covers as though studying it once more. "Not bad, dear brother. Not bad," He responded before giving a shrug. "I mean, it could use a bit more fluff and downy and all that. But who am I to complain?" Averting his attention back to the woman, he raised an eyebrow. "Of course, I haven't been the one to sleep in it. So, what do you think about it?" He asked conversationally. No reason to be forceful and rude, after all! As long as she didn't ask for it.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Whatever Aislin had been expecting them to say, it wasn't that. Completely confused, and wondering if she were somehow hallucinating, she could do nothing but watch the two as they spoke, her eyes darting back and forth between them, her brow furrowing more and more with each word. They looked perfectly serious, but from their words, Aislin concluded they must be teasing. They must! Right? There was no way they came up to her room just to test out her bed! Though, generally, that's why people came to inns in the first place...for the beds. But not hers! There were two other empty rooms! The innkeeper had just told her that last night, complaining how the inn was never full.

The one on her bed began giving his assessment of it and Aislin eyed him warily as he looked up at her and raised his eyebrow in a curious expression. "Of course, I haven't been the one to sleep in it. So, what do you think about it?"

She blinked. Her? Think about the bed? Was he serious? She glanced over at the other man, but he didn't seem like he was going to be very helpful, just standing there watching her with a mildly interested gaze. She allowed her gaze to travel back to the man sitting down, her eyes narrowing as she clutched the ruby in her hand. It was...surreal. He was still looking at her expectantly as if he truly wanted her to answer. But that was ridiculous! Who cared what she thought about the bed!? She wanted to know what they were doing in her room!

So, Aislin chose to disregard his comments about her bed. "That still doesn't answer my first two questions." She said, her hand gripping the doorhandle tighter, ready to dash out if she needed to. Though that wasn't entirely true. She had learned one thing about them in all that mess. They were brothers. And she could see the resemblance now. Both with dark hair, though different in style, and slightly tanned skin, their eyes almost the same color as well. Though they most likely remembered what her first two questions were, she repeated then anyways. "Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Seeing this woman so flustered at finding them in her room and then assessing her bed, truly made Atreyu's day. It was always interesting to surprise them right before they were caught, but that was usually when said fugitives realized the Riel brothers were after them. Aislin didn't even know that yet! Simply beautiful. And while he had the urge to continue on in their playacting, there really was work to be done.

Pushing himself off the bed, Atreyu advanced a couple steps and stopped, resting one hand on his hip and the other he laid flat against his chest. "I am Atreyu Riel, mighty hunter for the masses!" He then gestured towards Thalion who come to stand beside him. "And this is my brother, Thalion Riel, devious tracker extraordinaire!"

Thalion gave a dramatic bow, pressing one hand to his middle and flung other out to his side, causing Alassiel on his shoulder to become disturbed as she outspread her wings, flapping them a bit, and screeched. "Pleasure!" He straightened and Alassiel calmed.

Atreyu's eyes flickered back over to the woman, a slow smirk forming on his lips. "And we're here to bring an Aslin Hatar to the capitol on the Namor Guard's orders."

"It truly is a nice place!" Thalion exclaimed.

"Indeed, it is," Atreyu nodded thoughtfully, crossing his arms over his chest. "Any criminal should be proud to rot away in their stockades!" He hesitated, grinning. "But then, as a necromancer, you'd be banished to Necromion."

Thalion gave a few nods himself, tapping a few fingers on his chin. "And I've heard that's a nice place, too." He shrugged. "A little dreary in certain parts, sure, but what would a landmass be without a bit of those, eh?"

 

[MissCellaFane]

Inside a wooden building or not, Aislin was ready to cast a fireball at the man that stood from her bed as he stepped towards her. She backed up into the door and began slowly turning the handle so as not to draw their attention to it as they introduced themselves. They certainly did give themselves fancy titles. Proabably hadn't earned them either. That's one thing Aislin noticed about the people of Namor. Generally, only those who were lacking in great accomplishments and wanted to draw attention to one or two mediocre highlights in their careers called themselves by such names. Or showmen. And these two? Seemed they might actually be a little of both.

That was, until they mentioned why there were there. For her. Aislin swallowed. To bring her to the Namor Guard. As a necromancer. Her pulse quickened. And...banish her to Necromion. No! No way was she going there! They'd have to send more than these two bumbling brothers if they wanted to catch her. She'd have to leave her room. Her bag with her money in it. All her clothes. Thankfully, though, she did have her jewelry, her cloak, her drawstring bag and her book. That was really all she needed. Money would have been nice, but she could always make do without it. Right now, she just needed to get the hell out of there.

Narrowing her eyes, her jaw set, Aislin made her move. She'd already turned the handle. All she had to do now was pull the door open and slip outside. Which she did, in one fluid movement, half expecting one or both of them to grab her as she did. Somehow, she made it out the door, slamming it behind her. There was no time to mutter the incantation as she knew the brothers would be trying the doorhandle at any second, and was honestly surprised they hadn't yet. Her heart pounding, Aislin lifted her ring to her mouth and blew. A stream of white issued from her mouth as her breath hit the ring, passing over it to the door handle and causing it to freeze. When she had let out all her air, the door handle was completely frozen, even part of the door frozen to the doorframe. Perfect. Now they'd have a hard time getting out, considering the door swung open inwards and they wouldn't exactly be able to bust through it.

It hadn't taken much out of her to freeze the door handle and Aislin barely felt any fatigue at all as she turned and raced down the hall to the stairs, taking them two at a time to the bottom. She glanced at the innkeeper on her way out, realizing that's why she had given Aislin that strange look earlier. She knew the brothers were waiting for the younger woman.

Aislin burst out the front door, hesitating for a moment. Where was she going to go? She didn't even have a horse! She couldn't ride Mage. If she did, he might hurt himself further. Not only did she not want to do that to the poor animal, but if he suddenly collapsed and threw her, she'd be hurt as well. She glanced around wildly. The forest. Yes! She'd passed near a thick forest on her way into town a few days ago. It was dense and seemed to go up a mountain. If she could just get to the treeline and disappear before the brothers found their way out of that room, then they wouldn't know where to find her! Wouldn't know which way she had gone!

With a surge of adrenaline, Aislin picked up her skirts and began to run towards the entrance to the town, heading for the treeline, the hood of her cloak falling back onto her shoulders and her head covering whipping in the wind, threatening to come off as well. It would be a good run, but she could make it. She just had to hope her frozen door handle would hold them off long enough.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

And she ran. Quickly, too. What took you so long? This is the part Atreyu absolutely loved. The chase. The challenge. Seeing the lengths someone would go to keep their freedom. It never worked, of course. They were always caught, but the adrenaline rush never failed to impress. For a moment, neither Atreyu nor Thalion moved, watching with mild interest as she slammed the door behind her. Then Atreyu advanced for the door.

As he did, he heard Thalion's sigh behind him. "Why do they always run?" He asked, sounding annoyed.

Atreyu grinned, grabbing the handle. "If they didn't, what would be the point?" He pulled. Nothing. Raising an eyebrow, he tried again, a little more forcefully this time, but the door didn't even budge. Strange. But then, should he really be surprised? She was a necromancer, after all. God only knew the types of spells she could cast on a door.

Leaning in, he pressed his ear to the door and listened intently. Running footsteps as she reached the stairs. "And there she goes," He announced, glancing over his shoulder with a smirk. "Like she's being chased by two crazed men, if I do say so myself."

Thalion looked less than amused, frowning. "Well, that's just great." His eyes flickered down to the handle. "And we're waiting here in hopes she decides to grace us with her presence because her conscious told her to?"

Shaking his head, Atreyu turned and passed Thalion to the window on the opposite side. "She locked the door," He said as he pulled back the curtains and peered out, barely catching a glimpse of her figure darting down the street.

Behind him he could hear Thalion wrenching on the door, trying to pry it open. No, that definitely wasn't going to work. Atreyu had no idea what she did, but whatever it was, they weren't getting out of the room through the door. Thankfully, while that was the most preferred source of exiting a building, it wasn't the only one. His eyes scanned the window sill until they rested on the latch, and he flipped it up with his finger, shoving at the glass with the side of his fist to swing it open. Cool air hit his face as he leaned out, looking down to find the best way of climbing. There was a wooden beam rounding the entire building between the second and first floor. It wasn't big at all, barely a few inches wide, but it would do.

Ducking back inside the room, Atreyu stepped away from the window and turned to see Thalion grasping the handle with both hands, pulling, giving it a few shakes. "Hey," Atreyu called, getting his brother's attention. He jerked his head towards the open window. "Send Alassiel."

Grinning, Thalion strode over to the window while reaching up with his gloved hand to his left shoulder, nudging the hawk's legs slightly as she jumped onto it. Then he leaned out the window himself, giving off a high pitched whistle. On cue, Alassiel took off, beating her wings against the air and soaring into the sky after Aislin. While the bird wouldn't catch the woman, she'd stay high above and follow her so when the brothers finally got out of the building, they'd know exactly where to go.

The two men watched Alassiel for a moment before Atreyu gave Thalion a gentle shove on the back. "Now let's follow her," He suggested.

His brother shot him a look, puzzled. "Sure and how?" But when all Atreyu did was grin wide, grabbing onto the wall above the window, and swing his one leg over the ledge to the outside, he swore softly under his breath. "I knew it." But he didn't complain. Until Atreyu had his other leg over on the outside side of the window sill. "Would it honestly be too much to ask to leave a building like normal people?" Thalion asked, clearly unsure.

"Of course!" Atreyu stated as though that was the most ridiculous question he'd ever heard. "As long as there's a perfectly good hole in the wall, why not use it?" Carefully he stretched his leg out until the heel of his boot made contact with the wooden beam. Then he did the same with the other, scooting his body completely off the window sill now with his hands clutching the ledge, and slowly turned so he was facing inside the room. Thalion's furrowed brow met his gaze, and he chuckled. "Just get ready."

Without another word, he glanced down at his boots, crouched as much as the roof would let him, and dropped his hands to rest on either side of his feet on the wooden beam. Thunder roared overhead in the darkening sky just as he jumped back, gripping the edge of the beam to hold his entire weight as the rest of his body now dangled from the roof. That was the hardest part. Now that he had succeeded in that, he let go and fell the rest of the way, landing on his feet. Taking a few steps back to regain his balance, he looked up to the window where Thalion had moved to sit on the sill.

"Hurry up!" He called urgently before racing towards the side of the inn where their horses were. They had to catch that blasted female.

~*~​

Thalion frowned as he watched Atreyu disappear to the side, his heart hammering in his chest. Hurry up. Right. Well, that was all good and well for him since he was already on steady ground! But he reluctantly did as he was demanded, shaking his head while he followed his brother's suit. Maybe a little too quickly. For as soon as his feet touched the wooden beam and he crouched to steady his hands, he slipped. Piece of! His heart skipped a beat in alarm as he fell, his fingers scraping against the wooden beam before losing hold, and he landed on his back. Hard.

Winded for a moment, his skull slammed into the dirt path and his eyes instinctively squeezed shut. Man! Grunting, he blinked a few times to regain himself, trying to ignore the growing headache creeping into his temples. Up! Get up, you idiot! His brother would never let him live that down. He stumbled to his feet just as Atreyu raced passed on his horse, kicking up dust as he did. Thalion sprinted to the side, skidding to a stop next to his own horse, and began clawing at the knot on the reigns. Come on! Finally he loosened it and mounted, pulling up on the reigns to get the beast to turn before thundering after Atreyu.

He wasn't that far ahead, and Thalion could see Alassiel in the dark clouds, screeching as though calling to him to follow. The wind tousled his curls as he was jarred on the horse, but he imagined it wasn't just from the ride. Despite the pounding of the hooves and his own head throbbing, he could still hear thunder from where a storm was brewing. Even swore he felt tiny droplets of water hit his face.

But at the moment, his focus was on catching up to Atreyu and getting that woman. His horse barreled down the road, dodging startled civilians who had stopped to look on after his brother. The older man was still ahead, but now Thalion could make out the figure of the woman as they came up on her. He smirked, wrapping the reigns around his left wrist. They were almost there! And no doubt would need to slow her down and make her unconscious.

While trying to steer the horse and look after his surroundings at the same time, Thalion shakily opened the pouch at his side, pulling out a poison tipped dart. His eyes flickered up to the road for a split second before going back down as he shoved the thin dart into the wooden blowgun. There. Again he looked up, squinting. She was too far away. But soon, very soon, he would have his clear shot.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Halfway to the treeline, Aislin heard it. The screeching coming from above her. She turned her head, looking up. The hawk. Following her. Blasted bird! It would give her away! But then, that was the point, right? Follow her and then let the two brothers know exactly where she was. She turned her head back around and looked forward to her destination, her legs beginning to burn with the exertion and her lungs heaving. But she couldn't stop. She was halfway there! She'd deal with the bird once she got into the trees.

Thunder rolled overhead. It wouldn't be long now and the sky would begin pouring rain down upon them. Which was good. It would help cover her tracks. But it would also mean she would be cold out here tonight in the forest. There really wasn't another town around for miles and she couldn't go back to Farren.

But then another sound reached her ears. Above the pounding of her heart and the thunder overhead, and the hawk's incessant screeches, Aislin heard the sound of hooves beating against the ground and it caused her stomach to drop. Glancing over her shoulder, her wide, brown eyes caught sight of the two brothers chasing after her on horseback. No, no, no! They weren't supposed to have gotten out so quickly! How did they do it!? Facing forwards once more, Aislin pumped her legs faster, her head covering finally giving up the fight against the wind and her running as it fell to her shoulders, exposing her black hair to the first few raindrops. Her lungs screamed for air and her legs felt like they were on fire, her nose and lips red from the cold air being inhaled so rapidly. Her feet pounded out a steady rhythm and with each footfall, Aislin pleaded with her gods to save her. Please. Help. Please. Help. Please. She couldn't go to Necromion! She hadn't done anything wrong! All she wanted to do was find Martin's killer! She was on their side and they didn't even know it!

Finally, she reached the treeline, just as the sky opened up, droplets of water cascading everywhere, pelting her face, head, and shoulders. She darted into the trees, weaving in and out among them, spotting a large boulder just up ahead. If only she could get behind it! She could slip out of sight and then possibly find somewhere to hide. Behind a log, in a tree stump, beneath some ferns. Whatever! She took one last quick glance behind her as she reached the boulder. She could see the two brothers. They were almost at the tree line. But maybe it was dark enough in the forest here for them to have lost sight of her. At least temporarily.

Aislin ducked behind the boulder, her eyes scanning the space behind it for someplace to hide. Anywhere! Oh, god, please! Her chest heaved as water droplets collected on her eyelashes. She blinked them away, leaning against the boulder. The horses were coming closer. Think! Think! She turned around, intending to lean around the other side of the boulder when she saw it. A few footholds. In the mossy rock. Her heart skipped a beat in its pounding rhythm. Yes! She could climb on top! They wouldn't have a clue where she'd gone!

Using what little strength she had left after her run, Aislin began to pull herself up onto the boulder, her feet and hands slipping a few times on the wet moss from the rain. Finally, she was on top, her arms and legs burning from the exertion and her lungs feeling like they might explode. She pressed herself down prostrate on top of the boulder, her ears catching the sound of the horses' hooves pounding even closer still.

But she had forgotten one thing. The bird. As if reminding her that it was there, the hawk gave a loud screech and Aislin's head snapped up to look at it. It was sitting on a tree limb not far above her, flapping its wings and looking directly at her. Shut up! Go away! The brothers were almost upon her! She didn't have time to look for the incantation, or use the right object from her drawstring bag to aid her. Remembering the words by heart, Aislin began breathing them through her lips in between gasps, her brown eyes staring at the bird. And suddenly, the bird fell silent, its wings relaxing along with its talons as the bird slipped from the branch and fell into some soft ferns underneath. Paralyzed. Not dead. Aislin would rather not kill anything. But definitely paralyzed. She felt some of her energy leave her and her vision blurred for a moment, lightheaded. Her grip tightened on the rock, her fingers clawlike, and she pressed her forehead to the wet stone. There. Now at least it couldn't give her away.

Raindrops pelting down onto her, soaking her hair and cloak, Aislin held herself as still as she possibly could, her nose to the boulder, trying to calm her racing heart and control her breathing so she could hear what was going on around her. Please don't find me. Please.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

It turned out Thalion didn't have time to use his blowgun after all, though he kept it loaded just in case. By the time he had almost caught up to Atreyu, they were nearing the forest, and the woman disappeared into the trees. His brow furrowed. That wasn't good. It would be harder to find the woman in the forest. But just when he thought that was bad, it got worse. What had once been a few droplets sprinkling down onto them, soon turned to pouring rain. Perfect.

His curls clung to his brow, drenched, and he wiped at the water dripping into his eyes in order to see clearly. He didn't look to his brother, but kept his eyes on the sky where Alassiel was flapping her wings high above. She would lead them right to the necromancer. However, once the horses dashed into the trees it became harder to see. Thick branches hung overheard, both an advantage and a disadvantage. It kept the rain at bay but hid most of the sky from view.

And somehow even Alassiel could sense it, for she let out a screech, showing them the way with her cry. Thalion grinned to himself. That's my girl! Straining to hear among the thunder and hooves pounding on the ground, Thalion followed closely behind Atreyu. He dodged a wide tree, quickly ducking a low hanging limb at the same time while leaning forward on the horse. Come on. Come on! They had to be getting close to the woman! No way she could have outrun horses!

Then, just as he heard Alassiel's close screech, they raced into an open area where a large boulder was situated. Atreyu pulled up on the reigns, slowing the horse, and Thalion followed suit, his eyes scanning the sky. It had been as clear as day, Alassiel's loud screech had come from here. But where was she? He couldn't see her anymore! Until his eyes traveled down to the land around them, his gaze resting on a dark spot in the wet grass with red feathers on the tail. His stomach dropped. Alassiel!

Hastily he had dismounted, sprinting over to his darling bird, and knelt beside her. As his heart pounded in his chest, he looked her over but didn't touch her at first. Was she...dead? He swallowed hard. Oh God, no! Tenderly he picked her up in his hands and cradled her against him, searching her eyes, her body, everywhere for any sign of life. If that woman had killed her...! Carefully he lifted her up and pressed his ear to her front, listening. And then, with a wave of relief, he could hear it. A steady heartbeat. She was still alive.

~*~​

Atreyu's eyes darted about the area around the boulder and nearby trees, determined to find even a flicker of movement from the woman. But he couldn't see anything that came close to a human figure. However, Thalion had caught sight of something--Alassiel. Lying on the ground with the rain pouring onto her feathers, lifeless. He hesitated as his brother knelt beside her, his attention flickering from their surroundings to Thalion.

If the hawk had indeed died, it would no doubt depress Thalion to the point that Atreyu would be upset. But they still had a job to do--finding Aislin Hatar. And she was no doubt close as she had been the one to hurt Alassiel and if the hawk had let out one final screech right before they showed up then there was nowhere else for her to run.

Atreyu urged his horse forward before looking back at Thalion as the man stood. "Is she all right?" Before he responded, his eyes went ahead of him again, alert.

Thalion walked to his own horse, setting Alassiel on top of the saddle before rummaging through his saddlebag. "She's still alive," He said and pulled out a blanket, draping it over the bird so it laid on either side of the horse's saddle evenly. Probably to keep her from being pelted with rain.

Atreyu grinned and moved closer to the boulder, riding around to the other side. Sometimes that man could really baby the bird. But now his full attention was on looking for the woman. He had to admit, with her ridding the bird like that and locking them inside the room, she was one of the more interesting criminals they've chased. Usually they either ran and attempted to hide in vain or attacked them outright. Very few used cunning techniques to keep them away. It intrigued him.

As he circled the boulder, looking for any trace of the woman, he felt himself smirking. Oh, it couldn't be! Had someone actually been able to outrun the Riel brothers? Atreyu almost laughed. Leave it to a young, foreign girl to do it, too! While it would disappoint him, it would also amuse him. And, of course, she couldn't stay away forever. They'd find her trail again.

Atreyu came back around to where Thalion was scanning the area near his horse and their eyes locked for a moment. "Any sign?" Thalion asked.

Shaking his head, Atreyu looked to the boulder. "I'm almost willing to believe the little minx might have-" But he stopped short, raising his eyebrows. The moss on the rock had been smeared, showing it had been slick when someone leaned on it or...He looked up, blinking against the rain pouring onto his face. Climbed it. Sneaky fox! But that only meant she was stuck, unable to get away unless she came down, if she was really up there.

Thalion had noticed his sudden change in mood and tried to follow his gaze to the sky. "What is it?" He asked.

But Atreyu didn't answer. Instead he moved a little back away from the boulder, still staring up at it and trying to get a nice view of the top. But it was hard. Much too high. "You know-" Atreyu began, calling out loudly. "-it's not very considerate to attack an innocent animal. Haven't you ever been taught to appreciate the creatures of the world?"

 

[MissCellaFane]

Aislin heard the horses stop near the boulder, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she strained to hear anything else. Voices. But she couldn't make out what they were saying. She had the overwhelming urge to peek up over the edge of the boulder so she could see where they were, but she didn't dare. She closed her eyes, water droplets running down her face, dripping off her nose onto the rock. Go away. Please, go away.

Then all was silent for a moment. No voices, no clopping of horses' hooves. Just the steady patter of raindrops and the rolling thunder overhead. And then, "You know-" Called a voice, though which man had spoken, Aislin wasn't quite sure. Her eyes flew open, staring at the cold, gray rock beneath her, her stomach dropping. "-it's not very considerate to attack an innocent animal. Haven't you ever been taught to appreciate the creatures of the world?"

Aislin's eyes narrowed. Innocent animal, my foot! That thing was trying to do me in! Not kill her, obviously. But tell the brothers where to find her. And that was essentially the same thing. She'd die in Necromion; the unspeakable horrors she'd heard were there. She blinked back a few drops of water as she lifted her head. He wasn't speaking anymore. Was he only calling out to her to see if she would respond and give away her position? Or did he know where she was? She swallowed, her breathing a little more steady now, not so rapid. Her hands felt like they'd been dipped in ice buckets, the sensation of the rough rock against her fingers heightened by the cold and actually made painful. Should she look? Maybe if she just stayed silent, they would go away, thinking she wasn't really there.

But they were being silent as well. Silent for too long. Wiping one hand over her face to clear the water away, her hair hanging in drenched strands around her face, Aislin took a deep breath and then peered up and over the rock in the direction she'd heard the voice come from. And froze. He was there. The one that had been on her bed. Atreyu? She couldn't remember and honestly didn't care. The only thing she cared about was the fact that her eyes had met his, meaning he knew she was indeed there. Crap! She felt the blood drain from her face. Aislin, you fool! You shouldn't have looked! But it was too late. He'd seen her. And she'd seen him. Her eyes left his and darted over to his brother, who was on the ground next to his horse, having thrown a blanket over the saddle. Odd. But that didn't surprise her. Both brothers seemed to be quite odd.

Her eyes went back to the first brother, still on his horse. Well, there was nothing for it now. She was trapped, and all three of them knew it. But still. She was a sorceress! And these two didn't seem to have any magical skill or else they would have used it against her by now. So, she did the only thing she knew to do...threaten them with it. "The bird's not dead!" She called down to him, trying to keep her voice steady. "But you will be shortly unless you leave now!" It was a bluff, as she wasn't really prepared to kill them. But she could definitely do some damage. And that she was prepared to do.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

At first there was absolute silence. Atreyu sat still in the saddle of his horse, unmoving as he stared up at the boulder. Come on. I know you're there. His horse shook its head, backing up a step, and Atreyu began to lose hope. She wasn't there. However, just when the peek of disappointment was settling in, he saw movement. A head. The woman. Gotcha! She looked surprised to see him, which he thought was a bit odd. He had been the one to call up to her, after all! Still, she was found out now, and he couldn't have been happier! That adrenaline began racing through him again.

Then, to his immense amusement, she threatened them. Threatened them! He just couldn't help himself. A wide grin spread across his face as he let out a deep chuckle, and leaned forward, crossing his forearms on the front of the saddle with the reigns dangling in his right hand. "I didn't say the bird was dead," He called back then glanced over his shoulder at Thalion. "Did I say the bird was dead?"

Thalion tapped a finger on his chin as he leaned a shoulder on a nearby tree, crossing his ankles. "No, no," He finally said, shaking his head. "I don't believe you did."

Giving a swift nod, Atreyu looked back up at her. "So you see..." He wiped at the strands of hair clinging to his forehead before straightening. "...that only leads me to believe you are bluffing." Raising an eyebrow, he explained. "If you couldn't even kill a tiny little bird, how exactly are you supposed to kill us?" While he wasn't entirely sure, it's what he was willing to bet. She could have attacked them in the inn, but didn't. She could have killed the bird, but didn't. She could attack them now, but didn't. Unless she was too exhausted at the moment, the only reason why she hadn't killed them was because she wasn't going to.

Feigning thoughtfulness, Atreyu rubbed his chin with his left hand, brow furrowed as he continued slowly. "Of course, you did kill your teacher, so I could very well be wrong in that regard."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Now Aislin had a dilemma. She could either pretend that she had killed Martin, and make herself out to be more dangerous in hopes that the brothers would be sufficiently convinced of the sincerity of her threat. Or...she could tell them the truth and try to convince them of her innocence. Neither prospect looked very bright. In fact, if this man before her was willing to laugh at her threat, even though he believed her to be a necromancer, then she was willing to bet that he'd pretty much laugh at anything she had to say. So she really didn't have anything to lose by telling the truth.

She blinked, lifting herself up onto her elbows so she could peer down at him. "I didn't kill Martin!" She shouted down to him, nervously fingering her ruby in her right hand. "And I'm not a necromancer." She added, glancing to the other brother, who was leaning casually up against a tree as if this sort of thing happened every day to him. But still. It had been his bird and she had paralyzed it. Maybe he'd be a bit more willing to believe she'd actually harm the two of them. She spoke to him instead. "But that doesn't mean I can't still kill you both! And if you try to harm me, I'll be forced to defend myself!" She swallowed, the cold beginning to seep into her skin as her clothes got damp, even underneath. "So leave! Now!"

 

[Nella Fantasia]

While Atreyu seemed perfectly content thinking this woman wouldn't kill them, Thalion wasn't ready to believe that. Not entirely. It didn't really matter that she hadn't killed Alassiel; she'd still harmed the hawk in some way, which meant, she could do it to them, too. And he was more than willing to bet she would if she felt she was in danger.

But did this mean Thalion was afraid of her? No way! Honestly, him and Atreyu have faced many other opponents quite more frightening than this one before them. Actually she reminded him more of a frightened girl than a blood thirsty necromancer, and he'd seen his fair share of both. In a way, it made him pity her. Enough to show remorse? No. After all, she had attacked Alassiel.

Thalion caught Atreyu's glance back at him, the older man's eyebrows raised with a small smirk on his lips despite the fact his face was being pelted with rain. Thalion knew that look well. He was having too much fun with this one. And Thalion could see why. The woman was either confused or not thinking clearly at the moment.

Atreyu went back to looking up at her and Thalion allowed his gaze to flicker up as well. "My sincerest apologies for any inconveniences we might have caused-" Atreyu said sarcastically. "-but, if you've so forgotten, you're the one making threats. We have made no move whatsoever to harm you, and we don't intend to."

Nodding, Thalion pushed himself up from the tree and took a few casual steps forward with his arms crossed over his chest. "In fact, we were perfectly content having a pleasant conversation at the inn until you were ready to depart," He said.

Atreyu gave a few excited nods himself. "Quite right!" He exclaimed and Thalion caught a smirk on his face. "Conversing about the comfort of beds is always a personal favorite of mine!"

Thalion averted his gaze back up to the woman. "So there's no reason to go off on such threats!" He moved his hands to his hips, attempting in vain to flick a few damp curls sticking to his forehead. "We can all be a little civil, eh?"

 

[MissCellaFane]

Honestly? Aislin couldn't believe these two! Didn't know what to make of them! They were obviously intent on catching her, as they had pursued her into the woods on horseback. And yet here they were, standing in the middle of the rain, talking about having civilized conversation about the comfort of beds! And they made no move to capture her now. Probably because they knew they couldn't get her all the way up there. That was fine with her. It gave her time to figure out how the heck she was going to get out of this situation. She couldn't get down or they'd catch her.

Of course, the one on horseback had just said they had made no move to harm her and didn't intend to. But did Aislin believe it? Not for a second. "Oh, right!" She called down, becoming a little sarcastic in her response, herself. If they were going to treat her like she was stupid, making her out to be at fault, she could play their game. Anything to stall them. "And telling me you're taking me to the Namor Guard so they can banish me to Necromion for something I didn't do isn't a threat!"

She raked her left hand through her hair, gathering it around to her left side so it wasn't sticking in heavy strands on her neck, the wind blowing drops of rain into her face. "I suppose next you'll tell me that if I were to come down right now, you wouldn't try to capture me?" She gave a loud "hmph" and raised one eyebrow, trying not to look as scared as she actually was. These brothers may act all friendly, bantering back and forth, talking about the comfort of beds, but Aislin knew better. They were here on a mission. To bring her in. "You don't fool me!"

 

[Nella Fantasia]

The fact that this woman was now switching tactics, insisting she was innocent in killing this Martin and not a necromancer as they believed, intrigued Atreyu. She was definitely going for every aspect, wasn't she? First she tried running, then hiding, then threatening, and now she was playing the martyr. Did she honestly think they would believe her after that display? They would be foolish to! She was the one who ran, making herself look guilty from the very beginning! Not once had she proclaimed her innocence. Until now, when she was trapped with no other way out.

Atreyu tilted his head to the side, brow furrowing, and nodded slowly. "No, actually we will capture you."

Thalion's voice from behind. "That we will!"

"But that doesn't mean you have to go and twist our words around." Confused female. Atreyu shrugged, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the front of the saddle, his horse shifting slightly underneath him. "There's a drastic difference between threatening and harming. I didn't say anything about not threatening you."

"And we will!"

"But I did say we won't harm you."

"And we won't!"

"Exactly." Atreyu quirked an eyebrow, looking up at her. "So far, you're coming across more deceitful, for we have done nothing whatsoever to give you a reason to disbelieve us."

He saw Thalion in his peripheral vision, rustling at his soaked curls with one hand. "And to be perfectly honest-" He began slowly, sounding thoughtful. "-you're in a bit of a dilemma. All you're really accomplishing up there is getting wet and cold. You'll be sick by the morning!"

Atreyu shook his head, looking concerned. "And we really don't want that." He began swinging the horse's reigns in his right hand back and forth. "So, how about you come down and we can get the inevitable over with?"

Actually, he would be disappointed if she did give up. It was always much more fun when they were captured forcefully. Though how he was going to get her down without going up there himself, he honestly had no idea. If he climbed after her, she'd most likely defend herself with a fireball. Of course, they could always just wait until she grew tired and fell asleep. She may be a necromancer, but she was still human, which meant she still needed sleep. And food! Thalion and himself could have both, since they had food in their saddlebags and while one slept, the other could watch. So really, it was either a matter of trying to lure her down or waiting. She couldn't last up there forever.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Aislin was having trouble keeping track of their conversation. First they came down on her for threatening them, telling her to be civilized. And now they were saying that it was perfectly all right for them to threaten her? She wasn't twisting their words around! They were! Right in front of her! Twisting and confusing and making it impossible for her to make a point. It was frustrating. Even more so because they were right. She was getting cold and wet up there, freezing actually. She was surprised her teeth weren't chattering. Her lower lip was certainly quivering and her fingernails had turned purple with the cold.

And she couldn't get down. They'd catch her. If Aislin were a weaker woman, she'd probably break down crying right about now. But she didn't. Instead, this only strengthened her resolve. If she was cold and wet, she was willing to bet that they were too. And if she stayed out in the forest tonight, they would have to as well. They'd have to suffer right along with her. If they could wait it out...so could she.

Aislin reached for the edges of her sopping wet cloak and drew them around her shoulders, closing it in front. "You may not harm me yourselves, but you've made it no secret you're going to turn me in to those who most definitely will!" She called down, her gaze switching from one to the other. "So forgive me if I'd rather be cold and wet up here than cold, wet, starving, and bleeding in a cell somewhere while I'm waiting to get branded and sent to die in Necromion!" She reached up with her right hand and pulled the dripping hood of her cloak over her head, peering out at them from beneath it, her jaw set. She wasn't coming down. No way.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Atreyu did nothing for a moment, simply staring up at her silently with Thalion in much the same manner. Finally, the brothers locked eyes and the younger shrugged. Atreyu gave a nod, and looked back at the woman. "Well all right," He said. "You're forgiven." Honestly, if she wanted to melt away up there on that rock in the middle of a thunderstorm, Atreyu was perfectly happy seeing where the night would go.

A few hours later, he found so far it was going in their favor. Him and Thalion had backed away from the open space to the cover of the trees. They tied their horses to a branch and made up a small fire where Thalion had taken Alassiel, wrapped her in Atreyu's dry blanket, and set her close to the flames so her feathers could dry. Then they both had huddled close to the fire themselves, trying in vain to dry their clothes and hair. It wasn't working all that well, but at least they weren't getting pelted with rain. Just by a few droplets that managed to break through the trees and find them underneath.

Eventually they'd agreed on Atreyu taking the first watch, and Thalion poked around on the ground amid the twigs and rocks before finally calming down long enough to fall asleep. Atreyu sat on the opposite side of the dimming embers, stealing a few nibbles of the dried biscuits they had stashed away in their saddlebags. They actually held no taste, and the only other things the brothers traveled with was salted pork, but it got the job done. Really no reason to complain in Atreyu's opinion. He glanced down hesitantly at the cracked bread. Still, wasn't anything to celebrate either.

He tossed the last bit into the flames before turning his head to take a look at the woman on top of the boulder. Yep. Still there. Atreyu had to wonder if she would last through the night. If she did, they would be ready to start all over again in the morning.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Aislin's brilliant plan of making the two brothers wait out there in the storm with her wasn't actually working out so well. For they were able to seek shelter under some of the trees and build a fire, while all Aislin could do was sit up on the rock and get pelted with rain until her clothes were completely soaked through to her skin. And as the sun went down, and the temperature dropped, and the wind picked up, Aislin found herself curled on her side into a ball, her cloak spread out over her as best as she could, hugging her arms around her middle and her knees against her arms, trying to keep in her body heat. It was a difficult task. She could create fire, of course. But as there was nothing for her to burn on top of the boulder, then she would have to keep the fire going by her own energy. So whether the fire drained her until she passed out or the cold did, either way the brothers would catch her.

Therefore, Aislin attempted to do without the fire, since she knew she wouldn't be able to make it if she passed out from using too much magic. She might, however, be able to last the night if she braved the cold. Shivering, her teeth chattering, Aislin gazed down over the boulder to the crackling of the fire down below, wondering if there would be any chance of escaping now that it was dark. One of the brothers had to sleep sometime, right? And when he did...there would only be one brother watching her. She might have a chance. Might. That was, if she didn't die of hypothermia first.

Finally, after what seemed like years, the curly-headed brother finally laid down to sleep, leaving the one that had been stretched out on her bed to guard her. The rain wasn't coming down as hard now. More of a sprinkle than a shower. And Aislin? Wasn't shivering as hard. Which was probably a bad thing, considering she was still just as wet and it was still just as cold out and the wind was still blowing. Mostly she just lay still, an occasional violent tremor rushing through her body before she stilled once more. She felt her body wanting to give up. Wanting to sleep. Her breathing had slowed considerably and she could no longer feel her feet or fingers.

Her vision blurry, Aislin watched as the brother on guard tossed something into the fire, looking up at her for a moment. A couple hours before, Aislin would have felt anger rise up in her chest against him. For making her stay up here this way. For putting her through this when all she was trying to do was find Martin's killer. But now, all she felt was calm acceptance, her head fuzzy. Her eyelids drooped and she forced them open with a sharp intake of air. No! Don't go to sleep! Don't! But she couldn't help it. She could feel her body shutting down, her will to fight crumbling. No, Aislin! Stay awake! Her mind screamed.

The brother on guard looked away from her and Aislin's heart skipped a beat. It was now or never. The other brother was asleep, this one wasn't looking at her. And if she didn't get down off this rock and at least attempt an escape, she had a feeling she wasn't going to make it till morning. Go, Aislin! Now! Go! Forcing her body to move, she slowly pushed herself away from the edge so as not to draw attention. She then pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, backing towards the side of the boulder she had climbed up earlier. Her feet and fingers were numb but now that she was moving, exposing more of herself to the air, she was shivering again, the cold fabric sticking to her skin. Come on! You can do this! Go, go, go!

She was at the edge now, her foot desperately searching for a foothold. But as she couldn't feel her feet, that task was proving somewhat difficult. Steadying herself, Aislin looked back over her shoulder, trying to see in the darkness. There. That looked like a foothold. Placing the toes of her right foot into the crack, she began lowering herself, putting her weight on her foot. And then she slipped. Her foot came out from underneath her and she was sliding, her numb hands clawing frantically at the slippery rock face, panicked. Oh, no! Giving a whimper of fear, Aislin slid off the boulder and began to fall, her arms and chin scraping against the rock face, landing hard on her back in the grass beneath the boulder with a thud. Her head struck the ground and for a moment she was disoriented, her vision spinning.

With a groan, Aislin turned over onto her stomach, pushing herself to her hands and knees, one thought racing through her mind. Run! She was down now. She'd have to move fast. But her body wouldn't cooperate. Her mind was screaming and her heart was pounding, but her limbs were too cold. Even though it really didn't take that much exertion, she found her lungs were gasping for air, her eyes wide. Get up! Get up and go! She was trying! Oh, she was! But it felt like she was trying to move through quicksand, the ground sucking her down. Finally managing to scramble to her feet, Aislin took a few unsteady steps, not wanting to glance behind her for fear of what she might see. Please, let me get away! Please!

 

[Nella Fantasia]

The thunder had long since quieted, and for that, Atreyu was grateful. Mainly because if it hadn't, he probably wouldn't have heard the sudden commotion coming from the boulder. But as it was, he did, his head snapping in that direction, fully on alert. And he saw it, the woman skidding down the rock and landing on the ground, tiny pebbles rolling after her as they knocked against the over sized boulder. His heart leaped to his throat and at the same time he heard Thalion's grunt of disturbance from the other side of the fire.

But his eyes were fixated on the small form as she struggled to her feet. Well, well! So she is going to run for it. As much as Atreyu appreciated a good chase, he was awfully tired that night, and it was still wet out, so he'd rather not have to do much work. Even still, he jumped to his feet and sprinted after her, leaving the cover of the trees and allowing rain to pour over him once more. He didn't have to make much of an effort at all. The woman was clearly on the verge of passing out, weakened by the cold and wet, and that wasn't good.

Well, at least in a general sense of the word. At the moment, it was, because Atreyu had reached her in several large leaps. He reached out on instinct, grabbing her arm with his right, and spun her into his chest, wrapping his left around her waist firmly to keep her from running. Though he doubted she could and probably couldn't do much damage if she decided to fight back either.

At the same time, he glanced down into her face and gave a small shake of his head. "I told you it was inevitable," He said as though it were a simple fact. Then crouched down quickly, using his right hand that had been at her arm to slide to her legs, and stood, hefting her up and over his shoulder like a rag doll before turning and trekking back to the trees.