Fable - Ask An Escort to Vel Anir

[Varo]

"Anything delicious." Varo said as he crouched along the bank beside her, pulling off his tunic as she suggested that he clean the wound on his side.

The gash was not completely healed, but had instead turned into an ugly thing of bright red and yellow. He glanced down at it with a frown, though looked back towards Colette to finish his answer. "That's my favorite."

Anything he could stuff into his face and find pure bliss in.

Cupcakes, scones, croissants. The mere thought of them made him weak at the knees, particularly when all he'd had in two days was some berries and her wonderful blueberry loaf.

"She was." He said quietly about his mother, scooping up some of the water and washing the wound on his side. Varo wasn't entirely sure it would do anything at this point, but it seemed a good enough idea.

"Less interesting." Varo mused. "But maybe more...normal, and that's not so bad."

Not bad at all. It probably helped Colette be a bit more normal.

Something he'd often wished for as a child.

A smile touched his face for a brief few moments, and then he glanced over to Colette who was seemingly staring at him. His eyes met hers, and he flexed his bicep. "Like what you see?"

The Half-elf asked with a teasing smirk.

 

[Colette]

Liking, 'anything delicious,' meant the half-elf wasn't picky. That was great news since half the fun of baking was experimentation. It'd have been a pity if he didn't like citrus or specific spices. Would've really hampered Colette's options.

"No one is normal," she said firmly. The idea of 'normal' meant that some people weren't. That didn't sit well with her. "Some people just live much more exciting lives." A smile tugged against one cheek around the time she realized she was staring.

Unfortunately, her realization came too late for the thief-in-reformation to not notice. The modest smile she was wearing grew as a beet red blush formed on her face. "I didn't mean to stare," she tried to laugh it off.

She guessed that it wasn't working.

Staring back at him she opened her mouth to answer but then closed it tightly. Her face felt hot with embarrassment but she wasn't going to leave the conversation to awkward silence.

"And maybe I do."

It was probably foolish. She'd likely never get to see Varo again when they got back to civilization. She couldn't just abandon the guard. She wouldn't be able to bring a half-elf home to her parents. Although maybe if it kept him out of trouble, kept him on the right side of the law, maybe it would be worth it. Maybe.

 

[Varo]

Varo smirked at her, though some of the cockiness had drained from the expression.

The young half-elf was more than aware that he was easy on the eyes. It was a gift that he used on a regular basis back in Alliria. His good looks were what allowed him to get away with half of what he did. It was something he'd discovered early on when dealing with humans.

Though for some reason it felt somewhat...wrong, with Colette. "It's the hair."

He said as he reached up and splashed some of the cool water through it. More of his ears poked out through the coppery locks, their point now more obvious than before.

"Right?" Varo teased as he leaned down and took a bit more of a drink from the stream.

As he pulled back he leaned slightly into the Guardswoman, wearing a more easy smile.

 

[Colette]

His ears poked through and she got a good look at them for the first time since they'd met. It was odd, the few elves she'd seen in the past were within Anirian territory so they kept their ears hidden. She'd heard stories of how disturbing they were, heard the references to, "knife-ears," and such.

But to seem them for herself... they looked perfectly fine.

"Definitely the hair." Colette's porcelain face allowed a grin to form.

She tensed up however as the half-elf leaned in closer. The nervousness was normal, she knew that, had experienced it a few times before the guard. Never in any serious way. And never with butterflies forming like this.

For her part, Colette leaned a bit closer as well and said, "I'm glad I met you." There was a piece of her that wondered if maybe they could just stay lost. For a bit longer at least.

 

[Varo]

Much of his life over the last few years had been spent in chaos.

His move from Ivladrin, his time with the gang, everything else that had seemed to swoop over him. Most people would have said it was his own fault, most people would have said the decisions had all been his. Varo would even had a hard time disagreeing.

Yet a few of his choices, a few of the screw-ups had turned out well. Finding the gang in the Shallows had been one of those. That time with Jace in Oban too.

This though this he thought might take the cake.

"Me too." Varo said as he leaned in to give her a soft peck on the cheek.

It was a modest touch, by his standards, but in that moment it felt right.

 

[Colette]

It was a funny thing. Yesterday morning she had never had a meaningful conversation with a half-elf. This morning one was planting a kiss upon her cheek.

Normally Colette would be in a panic in this situation. Running from a group of brigands, unarmed, hungry, a boy had just kissed her... all manner of stressful things. Yet somehow she felt completely safe.

Completely flustered, too.

After the idea jostled around in her head for a second she reached out to place her hand atop Varo's and gave it a squeeze. A nervous smile faded into a serious glance towards the man. He was quite the looker.

Colette closed her eyes and tilted forward, lips pursed together to brush his. Nothing passionate or long-lasting but a first kiss all the same. She pulled back but remained sitting, her face flush with color and hot.

"W-we should probably... get moving."

She really wasn't all that good at this.

 

[Varo]

His lips brushed against hers for the briefest moment, but for him it seemed to last a lifetime.

It was a moment of peace in a life that had been nothing but chaos.

Varo was used to kissing. Was used to...other things. Despite the scars that ran across his face he was considered handsome, his charm drew women to him, but this...this was different. It was something else, something he couldn't put into words.

A breath left him as Colette drew back, his eyes flickering over to see the rosy cheeks he had almost gotten used to now. A smile touched his lips. "Yeah."

He said softly.

His fingers squeezed hers.

"We should." He agreed with a slow nod, though he didn't move to let go of her hand.

 

[Colette]

Shaky knees and a dizzying sensation made standing harder than Colette had anticipated. Was the forest spinning just a moment ago?

Fingers tightened and she clung to Varo's hand even after she was back to her feet.

Next time she'd have to let the kiss last longer. The thought of it was almost intoxicating. But for now she'd need to settle for holding his hand, savor his palm pressed against hers. They had to put space between them and their pursuers. It was for the best, to keep him safe. Keep them both safe.

A few cautious steps through the creek was all that was required given how shallow the water was.

Once across she stepped as silently as she could, rustling leaves grew softer. There wasn't a need for words just yet. It was pleasant to just soak in the moment, be here and now.

Though after not nearly long enough she simply longed to just hear his voice. "How far do you think we are from that town?"

 

[Varo]

Varo quickly followed after her, the river seeming to not even splash as he moved through it.

The Half-Elf should have been watching the trees, the space behind them, everything, but his attention was on Colette. It was a foolish stupid thing, and if he'd listened to his fathers lessons he might have been able to do it.

Yet he found himself foolishly captivated. "Maybe a day?"

It was a guess.

He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious, how long they had dragged him in that cage. He remembered that she had said a day, but the Anirians set a quick pace. Perhaps through the forest it would be a bit shorter...or a bit longer.

Fingers softly squeezed hers.

"As long as we head east we'll find something." He was confident in that at least.

 

[Colette]

A day.

Once they arrived in that town then what? Varo would head back to Alliria, Colette would make her way back to the guard.

Just a day.

”Oh, her voice slightly deflated, ”about a day.”

Steps were kept in tandem with his as they marched through the woods. Trying not to think of what would happen next so as not to sully the now. Colette bit at her lower lip in anticipation.

”So, we’re heading east,” small talk was better than dwelling on her thoughts.

Colette knew you could navigate directions based upon the location of the sun but she’d not been paying enough attention to any of that. ”I guess that means back towards the village where,”

She went quiet as she heard something else off in the distance. Her feet froze, hairs stood on end. There was someone else in the forest with them. Though whom she couldn’t say. She gripped Varo’s hand tightly but she dared not move.

 

[Varo]

Varo was about to open his mouth to speak when suddenly the snapping of a twig echoed through his ears.

Head immediately whirled around, fingers tightening on Colette's to offer some form of comfort. Bright blue eyes flickered through the wood, his lips thinning as he noticed not one, but three figures trudging their way through the wood.

Before he spoke Varo quickly began to move. His hand still held Colette's, his touch practically dragging her along through the thick forest.

The figures were not following them directly, but the path they were set on was close enough that they would soon meet the fleeing pair. Varo quickly moved, gaze flickering over the different trees until he found what he needed.

With an almost unusual amount of strength Varo reached out, grabbing Colette and practically throwing her into a narrow nook of a large tree. A second later he slipped in besides her, practically pressed to her form.

His hand came up, finger coming to rest over his lips.

"Swear I fucken saw something over here."​

The voice echoed out, distant, but close enough to be heard.

 

[Colette]

This couldn't be happening. They hadn't slept in late enough for them to catch up to them. They hadn't spent that much time by the creek. Panicked breaths were all Colette could muster until suddenly she was being whisked away by Varo's pull.

There wasn't any time for questions or thought she simply moved with him. Dodging a wayward rock or tree branch as best she could manage.

And then, suddenly, she felt Varo's hands grab her and fling her into the opening of a tree. Her back pressed against bark and her front was soon pressed against the half-elf. Being so close to him was the only thing to bring her any comfort as her eyes filled with terror. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, until a gentle finger pressed upon her mouth.

It was enough to calm her down until she immediately tensed up at the feral voice from one of their pursuers.

"Well let's fuckin' have a look ay?"

Another voice. There was more than one? Colette pressed both hands against Varo for no reason other than a sense of comfort. She tried to ignore whichever insect or rodent scampered across her foot as the voices drew nearer.

Muffled voices rang out, difficult to hear through the tree's interior but she could decipher one phrase for certain. "We'll have the rest of that gold 'efore long boys."

 

[Varo]

Varo kept his finger gently against Colette's lips, his eyes darting towards the opening of the tree.

The voices seemed to be drawing closer, the sound echoing a bit further. He frowned for a moment as the sound of crunching leaves and broken twigs rang out, the voice of one man seeming louder than the others.

"Little fuckers broke Jeff halfway to sunday, but he said he got one of em with a knife. You'd think there be some sorta blood trail."​

Varo glanced down at his wound.

Someone murmured something which he assumed to be agreement, but he did not quite speak loud enough for Varo to hear. Lips thinned for a moment, and his other hand reached up to gently settled on Colette's hip as he softly maneuvered her so she was tucked further into the alcove.

If they found them, at least they would see Varo first. Maybe that would give Colette time to get away.

 

[Colette]

Heartbeats thumped against her chest as the voices drew nearer.

One of them made a good point about the blood trail. Why wasn't Varo still bleeding? Colette's shirt was still stained crimson from all of the blood he had lost last night. Today it was like nothing had happened at all. Maybe elves just healed much quicker than her kind did.

His hand graced her hip and settled her into a deeper section of the hole to a point where she could barely see out of the tree now. Forcing a smile was impossible, her features a stark white from fear. And then, her heart sank.

"You seein' this? Over here!"

Footsteps grew louder. They had been spotted. Colette retrieved the dagger from her waist band and gestured down at it. As soon as Varo was out of the way she could strike at the thugs.

It wasn't likely they could take down three armed assailants but maybe if the first one was attacked, stricken down, they stood a chance.

No matter how bleak.

 

[Varo]

Varo didn't move, but his eyes flickered down to the dagger in Colette's hand.

The voices were closer, deadly close now. He could hear each trudging step through the fallen leaves as the bandits moved up the slight incline that Varo had dragged Colette up. His fingers tightened for a moment on her hip, hand slipping over her cheek.

"Wait." Varo did not speak, but instead mouthed the word.

There was no sense in jumping out of the tree, not when the Bandits needed both of them alive. As far as they knew anyway. His heart thundered in his chest though, and gently he squeezed himself right against Colette, his body flush with hers.

Perhaps their luck would hold. Perhaps they'd only spotted a broken branch or a print in the mud.

"Thinks they came this way…"

The voice came from almost right besides the tree.

"Musta headed east back to town."

"Aye. Down the hill, good thing Fogel runs the place."

There was a third voice that echoed with laughter.

"No need to chase them then, we'll just get on along the road and meet em there."

Varo's chest burned from the breath he'd been holding. The laughter faded as the three thugs began to trudge back down the incline, their voices growing quiet as they spoke about what they would do with their gold.

 

[Colette]

Muscles relaxed as Varo mouthed the words to wait. The voices and the footsteps kept getting louder, nearer. Her limbs were shaking like the tree’s they were hidden away in. Varo came closer and she could feel his racing heartbeat as she buried her face into his chest.

Then, right as she was certain it was all over, they turned back. Their voices lingered before fading away. She didn’t want to move, didn’t want to speak, didn’t want to breath.

Exhalation came only after she couldn’t hold her breath in any longer.

Only after she could no longer hear their voices or footsteps she dared to ask, ”is it safe?” in a whisper while pushing closer into him.

Who was Fogel? Was that the same town they were headed to? It had to be. ”Where do we go now,” she thought aloud. They couldn’t just stay in the wilderness forever. But if these grunts were awaiting them at the only town within miles then what?

They had evaded death or servitude too many times to count in the past twenty-four hours. Now it felt like all hope was lost, they’d just die a slow creeping death out here in the wild.

 

[Varo]

Varo took a long breath.

Doing so was a mistake.

Not because he felt ill, no, just the opposite. Being this close to Colette was torturous in a way. As he breathed in her scent caught in his nose, and for a few seconds he found himself somewhat dumbfounded. His lips thinned. "Uhh."

He felt like he was drooling, though a quick check confirmed that wasn't true.

"I'm not sure." Varo said, taking just a second more to collect himself. "But there must be other villages."

He didn't know this road that well. "Or..."

Lips thinned for a moment.

"We could head south?" Colette would know what lay to the south, what he was talking about; The Falwood.

 

[Colette]

For the first time since she'd met him Varo seemed uncomfortable. It must have been their proximity.

That was an increasing wrinkle. But their safety was currently taking precedence in her mind. Other villages sounded good, made sense, would be small enough for them to keep a low profile and get fed. But then he mentioned the south.

Towards the Falwood. She chewed on her tongue as she thought of how best to word her concerns at that. "You're sure it's safe there? In the Falwood, you're sure I won't," she averted her gaze away from the man.

Which was a challenge given how tight the space was but she didn't want to look at him. Didn't want him to know there were still lingering doubts about elves and the Falwood spinning about in her mind.

"If you think it's safe," she said as her gaze re-affixed upon his, "then ok. Let's go south."

 

[Varo]

"You'll be safe. I promise." Varo had never been as sure of anything.

There were parts of the Falwood that she would meet some hostility, but he would be with her every single step of the way. Though he did not like the idea, he would even use the name of his father to keep her safe. That much he was sure of.

For a second Varo paused, his hands slowly drifting over her body in a soft touch. "I'll keep you safe."

It was an oath he would keep no matter what.

Varo played over the map of Elven cities in his head, and he knew which one they would be able to reach first. It was an outpost that had been built during the first war, but one that had managed to stay untouched by the ravages of Dreadlords and Guardsmen since then.

Valerom. He would be welcome there, and he would make sure Colette was too.

 

[Colette]

Colette nodded her head and shivered when Varo's hands touched her.

"I know you will." Fingers ran along the half-elf's side until her hands found themselves behind the man's back. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

There was a time in her teens when she thought she may enter into the Falwood. If she had been assigned to the southern guard it was almost assured. It frightened her, kept her up at night as the exact assignment loomed nearer. One or two times she had even been near a nervous breakdown at the very concept of it due to the tales told in Vel Anir.

But now she was going for real. Without her armor or bow or blade.

She'd be defenseless aside from Varo's words. That was enough though, she didn't need any further convincing or arm pulling. His word was enough to assure her that she'd be safe. That he wouldn't let the elves do what they do to the other Anirians.

"Um, as nice as this is," she said while still clinging to him, "can we get out of this tree?" Colette willed herself to ignore whatever insect was crawling up her leg.

 

[Varo]

Varo let out a small laugh. "Yes."

The bandits were gone, he hoped at least, and thus the danger had passed.

'Yes we can." With his arms unfurling from around her body Varo stepped back and then slowly shuffled out from the small alcove. His eyes flickered around the forest, searching for anything that might harm them before motioning for Colette to join him.

It would take two days to reach Valerom from where they were now, but if they were traveling South then at least they would not be followed by the bandits.

A breath entered his chest.

"Maybe we can have a fire tonight." He said quietly, though added. "But I think with the cold...I might need to be close to you still."

 

[Colette]

He stepped out of their hideaway before signaling it was ok for her to join him. She couldn’t help but think how fortunate she was to be with him, of all the prisoners it could’ve been, on this particular journey.

A delicate hand braced the side of the hole they had lodged themselves into as she carefully climbed outwards.

Colette smiled once she had rejoined him outside of the tree. ”A fire would be nice.” Nicer still to be close to him.

”We can’t be too careful,” she said coyly, ”it’ll probably get really cold tonight.”

Her pace sped up to match his. The Anirian grabbed at his arm and held it tight as they moved towards the Falwood. Her stomach still churned with fear of rabid, wild elves.

With a joyous glint in her eyes she added, ”maybe we can find something to roast on the fire too.” No reason to ruin the rest of their day with her insecurities surrounding a place she’d never been to.

 

[Varo]

The trip down the forest would take two days, and then once in the Falwood they would have to find the city.

It would be easier than most humans would assume. The Falwood was a living thing, a creature just like any other. It provided, guided, and spoke in it's own sort of way. If you knew how to listen, finding what you required was easy.

Something his father had always told him. "We could."

He said with a smile, his hand folding over hers.

"Might be more filling than berries." Varo joked as they continued their trek.

It was hours that they walked. Both of them were still careful, quiet. Eyes were watchful and steps were more measured, but eventually the worry of being chased melted away. The further south they went the further they got away from the Bandits.

By the time the sun begun to plummet of the horizon Varo and Colette found themselves by a massive fallen tree.

It had a hollow in it large enough to fit ten men, towering over the two companions.

"Think this might be a good place to settle for the night." He offered quietly as he looked over the tree.

 

[Colette]

Their walk was pleasant. Got a bit too warm as the sun reached its apex and began to get a bit too chilly as it started to flirt with the horizon.

The time they were making was good though, all things considered. They only stopped one or two times and there was no indication they were still being followed. All good signs.

Another tree to settle into. So, it was true then that elves loved trees.

"As good a place as any," she said in reply. "I'll gather some firewood while there's still light." The Anirian plunged the dagger into the ground just outside of the tree's entryway.

She didn't stray far and collected just a small amount of brush and sticks before returning to their temporary living arrangement. Setting the materials down as orderly as she could she looked over towards Varo with a disappointment in her face. "I've um, never started a fire without flint."

 

[Varo]

Varo set about making the space more comfortable to sleep in.

He cleared old fallen debris and leaves, shifting the ground and digging down a bit to create something of a bed. Briefly he wished that they had some sort of rolling-mat, or perhaps even a little bit of straw. The thought was a ridiculous one, but...well he'd never much liked sleeping on the ground.

By the time Colette returned, she would find that Varo had dug out a small space just beneath a large curve of the hollowed out tree.

It would keep them out of any rain that came, and at least hold in some of the warmth of the fire they would build. "Really?"

He wondered how the Guard got by at all if they didn't teach their soldiers how to survive in the Falwood. Perhaps it was simply because they never planned to be alone, or perhaps they had simply forgotten since the last war.

"Here. I can teach you a trick." Varo said as he went over to her and gently grabbed her hand. Together he helped her set about creating a small pit, piling the firewood into a camp with plenty of breathing space. Then he grabbed one of the extra sticks. "I can't do magic, my father can but...i guess I got more of my mom in me."

His head shook. "Anyway, I read in one of her books once..."

He picked up the knife that she had stabbed into the ground earlier, taking it to slowly carve a small symbol into the tip of the stick he had picked up. "It's called the Runes, an old form of magic."

It was the most basic form of Rune Magic, four lines joined to one. As soon as he drew the last line there was a sudden spark at the end of the stick. It caught into a flame, small as it was, and Varo carefully set it into the kindling.

"That's about all I can manage though." He said with a chuckle.