Private Tales Born to Die

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Some time later. Ingrid woke from her fevered dreams. He skin was coated in sweat and dust from the wooden planks she had fallen on. A grimace crossed her lips, followed by panic as she searched for the stone. She froze, realizing just where it now rested, her eyes narrowing into anger and distrust. She retraced her hand from the empty pocket the rune had rested, her head turning slowly, her eyes resting on Rhenn with a controlled anger.

She knew full well he could have killed her, still could. He didn't, but that earned no trust from her. She thrust out her palm, not even having stood yet from her spot on the deck. "The Rune." The words came out with a dangerous hiss of anger, her eyes locked on Rhenn with intent if he did not comply.

She assumed she should be grateful he had taken the stone. It would have hindered her, but in the same breath, the fact that even now the Stone sung to him, trying to reclaim him, this was unacceptable. She didn't know what she'd do if he refused, and she hoped she wouldn't have to find out.

Rhenn Willowood
 
By the time Bohnes awoke, they'd already reached the end of their short boat trip; Rhenn had already docked the small vessel and unloaded any of their belongings onto the dock. Now, he simply lounged on a wooden bench perched at the edge of the dock, head lazily tilted down and waiting for his new charge to rouse from her exhausted slumber.

Rise she did, but perhaps even more moody than before. Naturally, the first thing she did when regaining her self was to reach for that which was most important: The Stone. The moment her palm felt the emptiness of her pocket, all of the anger she had left in her weary body was sent directly to Rhenn in the most lethal of gazes.

"The Rune."

It was all Willowood could do not to roll his eyes at the scorn in her voice. It was almost as if he hadn't just saved her from a death in her sleep by taking it. Fine, it wasn't as though he expected her gratitude, the little brat she was. Reaching into his cloak, Rhenn pulled out the Rune in question, wiggling it in the air for a second.

"Down, girl. I didn't steal your toy. Just making sure you don't die on my watch. There aren't enough hours in the day for that lecture from old man Regis." Smirking underneath his mask, the Commander underhand-tosses the stone back to Ingrid. "You're welcome, by the way. Gave our mutual friend a little talking to."

True enough the Stone called to him loud enough for even Ingrid to hear, but it didn't seem to bother Rhenn in the least. If anything, the Runestone almost seemed exhausted and desperate; that intangible voice held a weakness that wasn't usually there.

Ingrid Bohnes
 
Did he enjoy being unsufferable? Was it his goal to be a complete asshole, he wasn't going to get gratification out of, that was for sure. Though, she had been rather prickly herself, so maybe she wasn't helping. The stone playing tricks with the two of them certainly helped fuel her hostility towards him. She could only glare up at him as he toyed with her.

She continued to glare as he tossed the stone to her, feeling the drain almost immediately. She used all her might to suppress it, trying to keep her glare from faltering from concentration. I'd strangle you to death before I'd let this rune take my life. Still, he had done something to make the rune behave a little, and she knew she should be grateful.

Ingrid stood, catching her balance as she moved from boat deck to dock. Her movement was sluggish, but she was determined to not ask for his aid. She stood before him, letting out a huff as she swallowed her pride. She used to be such a sweet girl, the stone had twisted and corrupted her in such a short span of time. If he had met her sooner, it would be the difference between light and day. "I know this is just a chore for you, and that you aren't exactly happy...not that I've made it any easier." She paused, staring down at the man everyone thought of when the Disease stone was brought up..not her, him. The greatest wielder that had held the stone in an extremely long time.

"Thank you for helping me." She tried to keep the bitterness from her voice. She wanted nothing more than to rip into him like a rabid dog, but she knew it was just the rune. It wound its' way through her brain, her heart. A cancer that that there was no cure for. It was killing her. She had no future after, not like Rhenn. This tool would be her death.

Rhenn Willowood
 
Rhenn merely stood upon the dock with his arms crossed as she lazily made her way off of the boat, his expression unchanging as Ingrid struggled to regain her senses after the episode she'd suffered. It sure as hell didn't help she'd made him return the stone so soon, but what was he going to do, tell her no? It wasn't like he wanted the cursed rock any more than she did.

He felt his brows raise only when she forced out a little bit of gratitude. Willowood hadn't been doing this for anybody's thanks, least of all some pipsqueak with a death wish. Even so, he'd have been lying if he claimed her appreciation, begrudging or not, meant absolutely nothing to him.

Beneath his mask, a small smile formed on his lips. Not that he'd ever admit that to her, of course.

"Don't get too sappy now." Rhenn stepped back to give Bohnes room to stand up, before turning to collect the bag containing the rest of their belongings and slinging it over his shoulder. "We haven't even done any actual work yet. I could still change my mind about all this." So far, all they'd actually managed was talk. Sure, he'd tried to impart a little wisdom to the girl, but whether she could put it to practical use remained to be seen.

The sound of Rhenn's boots on the dock echoed as he slowly walked away from Ingrid, ready to get on with his miserable assignment and see what she had to offer him. Near the edge, where the wood met land once more, Willowood slowed and turned his head halfway back to his unwitting protege.

"But, you're welcome."

Ingrid Bohnes
 
Ingrid was exhausted, but she didn't let on just how much it had affected her. Rhenn was no dummy though and was likely very aware of her current weakness. She really couldn't decide if she hated him or was grateful to him. It was like her personality was split in two, but it seemed he received the sharper side of her tongue for the most part.

She bit back a retort as he moved back for her and collected their things. It would be the exact opposite of what she just expressed if she let herself slip back into bitterness so quickly. "Somehow, I don't think you're the quitting type." She let silence fill the void, her eyes drilling into his back as she followed him quietly. She looked down into the water as they crossed the dock, she knew if she fell into its grip, she would die a watery death. It was almost enticing in a way.

She paused as he slowed, her eyes widened in surprise as he acknowledged her. Maybe she was the problem, maybe they wouldn't be at such odds if it weren't for her. It didn't seem to matter, the stone would create that paranoia again, would alter her again. There was nothing she could do. She stood in a daze of confusion, between her feelings of distrust, and her feeling of wanting to be accepted by Rhenn. She looked for something to say in return, but there was nothing. All she could do was continue to chase his shadow.

Rhenn Willowood
 
They travelled in silence, for a time. Daylight had begun to wane, most of it burnt waiting for Ingrid to wake from her little midday nap. Now the orange glow of the sunset lit the path ahead of them; a lonely, empty road, the only one out of the docks that wasn't being travelled. The farther they walked, the denser the trees around them became. A chill danced in the air around them, One that Ingrid would know all too well.

They approached death.

"Do you feel that, Bohnes?" He spoke without turning to look at her, his voice monotone and flat. "That thrumming in your ears? The way your Rune pulses against you like a second heart?" They were going to a place where Ingrid would be only a dot amongst the plague, an icon in a vast desert of death. It was where Rhenn had learned, and now she too would be tested.

"We approach the Ixmus Graveyard." By now the trees were thick enough to blot out the remaining sunlight, casting darkness over them, embracing them with the shadow as they plunged further towards the heart of death itself. "Enjoy. You'll be more alive than the majority, for once." Willowood smiled at his own joke, and stopped in his tracks, spinning to face her.

"You're right about one thing. I'm not a quitting type. And in the Ixmus Graveyard, we're going to find out whether the same holds true for you."

Ingrid Bohnes
 
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