Completed Burning Bridges

[Silver Romani]

The trauma to both her body and mind had her clinging to consciousness for hours. She’d taken the precaution of pulling Raksha’s reins over her battered self as she drifted in and out of darkness, securing herself to her horse as she rode hard in aimless escape against the night's storm. Cold wind and rain stung her face, though she lay slumped and motionless, waking for no more than a few seconds whenever she felt her carrier jump an obstacle, and again when the lightening struck or a tree branch whipped at her skin.

The level of her exhaustion was such that her her mind and body were forced to shut down and give way to sleep before long. She could no longer hold on, physically or mentally, and she’d have to trust Raksha not to throw her, and her reins to hold her up. “Go, Raksha..” She mumbled as darkness took her, and she felt nothing more for the remainder of the journey.

Silver's lashes flickered opened and closed a few times to adjust to the light. Morning, or early afternoon it seemed. The storm had passed, and she listened, though it seemed quiet, nothing but trees, birds, and a stream somewhere nearby. She was lost. But how lost could one be without a place to be?
When she'd failed to respond to Raksha’s nickering, the horse squealed at her, forcing her to accept her awakening and make the attempt at sitting up, but pain sought vengeance with her, and with a furrowed brow she groaned.

Silver hissed at the movement of her right arm, freeing herself of Raksha's reins and casting a grimace down at the crossbow bolt protruding from her shoulder. "Shit." she growled, and gingerly slid down from the shuddering horse with a quiet yelp in pain as she staggered into a tree, a tear or two escaping her tightly closed eyes as reality felt like an iron grip on her heart. Panic pulled rank to pain and she cried so hard that she threw up, her black mare's hooves stomping anxiously as she watched her blood-soaked rider sink to the ground at the base of the tree, shaking relentlessly. What had she done? She'd asked herself over and over, like a woman possessed, a mind unhinged.

A sharp reminder of the crossbow bolt still stuck in her shoulder caused her to flinch as she attempted to wrap her arms around herself. Her teeth bared and she clenched her jaw hard, her bloody hand shook as she lifted it to gently grip the quarrel, pulling a deep breath in through her nose before making a futile attempt at snapping it, but her strength had gone with what blood she'd lost. She threw up once more, and passed out without a fight, ignorant to the impatient nudges of her worrying Raksha.

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

Ye'svonne was full of vigor and contentment after his journey to Annuakat. The drunken spectators offered his bag almost more coin than he could carry. But that is what he did. He'd taken most of the way back to Alliria via horse but it had unfortunately passed from an encounter with a bear not far behind where he was now. Which he was unsure as to where that exactly was, but that was his life! Often lost and often worrying Violetta silly with no way to send her a letter.

The weather had been terrible ever since his mount had perished. He thought it some ominous sign that things of an uglier nature were to come soon. The alchemist tried not to think about too hard as he had a great deal of time to travel left. Or perhaps he didn't. He didn't know where he was, so.

As he pushed through his way, the rain finally let up. It was a slight drizzle still but nothing that would cause him to fall ill. He was chewing on a daisy, his favorite after meal snack, when horror and urgency struck across his eyes. A woman asleep in her own blood and vomit and a horse in dire straits trying to get the woman to wake up. A sadness pouring from its desperate neighs.

Ye'svonne was a professional and as such he did not utter a word; he just got straight to work. His sack flung from his back to the ground in seconds, unfolding into his traveling alchemy table. He had unfortunately sold out of his stomach cures and would need to make them from scratch.

"Tch." The lizard muttered coming to the realization that he was out of marigold flowers. He doubted there was any nearby either. Water would have to do for way of her stomach. Her wounds would be easy, luckily. Liquid agent, lavender, and yarrow. Why these potions turned crimson he'd never understand. Must be the agent. He made it in a jiffy but would not be able to get her to drink it as she was asleep.

That was when he noticed the crossbow bolt in her shoulder. Well, he knew one thing that would wake her up.

"Forgivvvvvve me." He said quietly to her subconscious, as he gripped the bolt and tore it out with all his might.
Silver

 

[Silver Romani]

Raksha neighed at the approaching creature with unease, her hooves slamming into the muddy ground in warning, albeit backing away all the same. The girl heard nothing of the horse's irritation however, she remained out cold, and for how long now she would never know.

A strange voice caused her mind to stir slightly, though she had no time to think about it before her eyes shot open in response to searing hot pain that threw a curdling scream from her lungs. Raksha reared with another squeal and kicked her front legs frantically in response to her rider's pain, and Silver's response was not much less aggressive. She didn't know where she was, who or what had found her or what the fuck was happening, and impulsively she threw out a fist in attempt at punching whoever was near her square in the face the moment her eyes had opened, even if it took all the strength and adrenaline she had left. It hurt though, and she growled deeply and drew her arm back in against her, holding it firmly against her chest with the other.

She was a mess, her hair and cloak were matted down with mud and rain, she couldn't see straight, nor could she think straight enough to get a comprehendible word out "Wadyathinkya.." and "G'backafucka!!!!" would have to do to get her message across as she blinked hard to clear her vision through her tangle of red hair, panting madly in pain and panic and pressing back hard against the tree.

Ye'svonne Airileth

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

Ye'svonne took the light punch on the chin, literally.

"You have to remain calm." He spoke as soothingly as he could. "You are goooooooing to be okay. Save your strength for this." He set the potion in her hand gently and tried to breathe slow and deep in hopes her breath mind would help her breath match the same. He moved to his alchemy sack again and pulled out a tourniquet for the now reopened wound he'd created.

"That potion will clear your wounds in minutes, you haaaaaaaave to stomach it." He said quietly as he wrapped her arm up. The lizard shook his head at his own actions. The oath he swore to help whoever was in need was eventually going to get him killed. Not all people reacted well to a stranger approaching them even to help. This was a reminder of that.

Once the bleeding was stopped he beckoned to her once again.

"It is bitter but not to a horrible degree. Drink."

 

[Silver Romani]

She had nothing left to fight with, fortunately enough for them both.. The instruction to remain calm, she agreed with, but how could she possibly? She had no idea what this creature was, and she was confused and disoriented as it was. Whatever he was..he hadn't struck back when she'd hit him, and he appeared to be helping her. Normally, she'd have put up one hell of a fuss, but right now she didn't have the energy to do so and focussed on trying to slow her breathing, hushing the nickering Raksha.

Silver frowned in disagreement with his words, she wasn't going to be okay at all. She'd live, it seemed, if she could call it a life. A trembling hand lifted to sweep the sodden hair away from her face to see him properly, her dark amber eyes narrowing over him, scrutinising the lizard-like creature. Silver had a few cuts and dark bruising on her face, she'd clearly been dealt a bit of a beating before she'd fled, but it was nothing serious. She'd been taught to distrust anything that wasn't human. He certainly fit that category. But her curiosity was a thing her family were never able to tame.. "Are you a dragon?.." she rasped quietly, her throat raw.

She dipped her gaze to the bottle he'd given her, though done nothing more than look at it for a few moments, flinching back a little as he started tending to her shoulder. She'd accepted now that he was some sort of healer, and he had a calming way about him, and so she wouldn't resist. Now that the bolt had been removed, her wounds would heal quick enough over the next few hours..she didn't trust the lizard enough to drink the tonic, and she could deal with pain, but it wouldn't cure her mind. "I'll take your word for it.." she refused again upon his insistence.

"Thank you.....for helping." she mumbled emotionlessly, she wasn't totally void of manners. Yet she offered no apology for the punch she'd landed, it'd fucking hurt.

Ye'svonne Airileth

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

"I wish I had the annnnnnnnswer to that." He chuckled at her question. Really, he didn't know. He know he was of reptile descendants but if he was unlike any other draconic folk he'd met. Both he and his wife were. He didn't hail from Arethil and had not met anyone else from his island.

Ye'svonne could sense her scrutiny of him. Something he was very used to. His appearance and his strange olden alchemy made a lot of people feel uneasy. He had absolutely no doubt in his abilities though so when she looked at her eyeing the potion he shook his head.

"Be wary if you must, but believe it or noooooooot I am a professional. Not one of my concoctions has failed in almost twenty years now."

The alchemist didn't need an apology. He has had much worse blows to the face during his days of piracy. He did smile at her gratefulness, no matter how reluctant it was. He stepped back to give her some air and sat across from her. The lizard reached into his bag and pulled out a roll, which he promptly started eating.

"Wah one?" He said, mouth full of doughy bread. He swallowed. "I imagine you're hungry."

 

[Silver Romani]

Her brow creased in confusion at his answer, what kind of creature didn't know what they were? She didn't push it, he wasn't trying to hurt her and in this moment, she didn't care much otherwise. Besides, she wasn’t so sure of herself these days, she’d be a hypocrite to comment.
Still shaking from everything but cold she carefully pulled her cloak around her, though it was rain-soaked and caked in mud and blood and offered little comfort. Raksha, however, still nickering away anxiously, had danced herself to Silver's side, her head dipped to tussle affectionately at the woman's hair with her lips and Silver's head tilted back to nuzzle back at her, and the horse eased her worrying.

"Aye..I believe you." she huffed and turned the bottle in her hand, and at once it was gone, slipped into a pocket in her cloak by a slight of hand trick, a skill that earned her the majority of her living, and one that had always been appreciated by the children of her community. “But I can deal with the pain.” she added. She needed the pain, in fact, without it all she would have to focus on was how entirely fucked she was. Besides, the concoction wouldn’t return the blood she has lost, for now she would have to rest and recover.
The scent of blood was overwhelming. She’d need to bathe, and she only hoped that Raksha had taken her far enough and fast enough to gain a day or so’s head start from those who hunted her. They’d track her by blood, no doubt, but it would take much longer thanks to the storm. So she hoped.

Silver eyed the lizard creature as he sat opposite her, her head shaking in silent response to his offer of food. The thought of eating turned her stomach. Her eyes wanted to close so badly, but she wasn’t trusting enough to let them in the presence of a stranger, no matter how helpful he appeared, she’d made enough money working similar cons to know better. “Where are we?..” she asked, clearing her throat and trying to wake herself up a little, her eyes blinking hard to keep focus on him.

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

It didn't make much sense to Ye'svonne why anyone would want to just sit there and suffer, but he was done arguing the point. She had the potion and could drink it at any time she chose to. He did his job as a doctor. He chewed on his roll as he put the other away with a shrug when she declined the food altogether. He wasn't really sure how much more he'd be able to up someone so unwilling to receive it.

"Ummmm..." He said, swallowing his last bit of food. "Outskirts of Vel Anir, likelyyyyyyyy. I'd say about two weeks worth of walking to Alliria."

He put his hands to his face and leaned forward. "So what exactly happened to you?"

 

[Silver Romani]

“Gods..” she muttered and lifted her head to the horse, still stood by her side, watching the lizard very closely... or more likely that roll that he was currently eating. “You ran fast Raksha.” she managed a slight smirk of pride for the mare, who trotted to where the stranger sat to sniff at his meal and age her nose in his bag, sniffing out the snack. The one time Silver was not trying to rob a stranger, her bloody horse was.

Silver considered the creature for a moment as he seemed childlike in his eagerness for a story. He didn’t seem to be armed. Not that it meant he wasn’t, Silver didn’t appear armed either but she had six knives on her person and she wouldn’t hesitate if things went sour. Her gaze clouded for a few moments as she considered, and finally she leaned forward too, telling the most unexpected of tales.. the truth.

“A few months ago I was attacked by a wolf the size of a bear...” she paused for a moment. She had never told anyone, but only because she was afraid of being hunted and killed, and right now she was already being hunted and this creature didn’t appear to have the means of killing her so, what was there to loose? Did she care at all if he did?..

“My family tried to kill me rather than heal me so a friend got me away from them and took care of me, then left me alone, so deep in the woods that I never saw another person until this happened.” She shrugged and winced. “My father and brother had beaten my friend to within an inch of his life, and brought him along as a bargaining tool. They killed him in front of me when I refused to put down my bow. I didn’t believe they would, I loved him and they had loved me before but I was no longer a daughter or sister to them the moment they saw the bites. I had to be killed for the safety of everyone else.. So they hired hunters to track me down.. I warned my brother not to come closer, but it seemed like nothing to him to kill me, regardless of how I pleaded and reminisced with him. I was still me. I am.” She growled, but the tone of it said otherwise.

“I disarmed him so he tried beating me, and when I got free I shot him in the throat.. he seemed surprised that I was strong enough to throw him off.. more surprised that I could shoot a bow and you can imagine how surprised he was at being shot In the throat by it. By me.” Her jaw clenched, and if she’d had any more tears to cry she’d have cried them in private.. “One of the hunters too.. the other stayed to try and help her.” But she knew from the way the man had cried out that he loved the woman she’d killed, he’d be tracking her down and she knew it.

“So now my parents have no children.” She muttered and reached a hand to press to her throbbing shoulder..her father’s doing. “And I really must get moving.” she nodded, and fixed her tired, amber eyes on him for even the slightest movement as her free hand discreetly slipped a blade from the inside of her cloak, keeping it ready should the lizard man decide to do anything silly.

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

Ye'svonne listened intently to the story he was told with a look of awe and fear in his eyes. He didn't know what he expected when he asked what happened but he was thinking something more on the lines of bandits or ruffians as was usual. Not a werewolf woman being hunted by her own family. What horrific tragedy she laid before him. He reached behind his ear and pulled out a daisy from it, placing it gently on his tongue and chewing softly.

"I think it'd be best if you kept awayyyyyy from Elbion. I can't speak on how forgiving their monster hunters are to werewolves." He scratched his head with a smile, feeling awkward and unsure of really what to say in the moment.

"Do you have a current destination?"

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver had watched him carefully for whatever his reaction might have been, she noted the fear, half expecting him to brandish a weapon or to make a run for it, either of which would have been some form of amusement. Yet he still continued to offer her friendly advice, even offered a smile, and she was dreadfully confused.

“Don’t... call me those things.” She grimaced. Talk of ‘monster’ hunters and ‘werewolves’ caused a shudder in her. “I’m afflicted yes, cursed perhaps but not, that.” She denied “I’m still a human, I’m still alive. Flesh and blood.” she huffed, clearly irritated by the insinuation that she was some sort of monster. She had never killed another person other than her own brother and the woman hunter but she did that as a human being and with a bow, not with tooth or claw.

“No.. it wasn’t much of a priority, but I take your warning.. Still I must move and find a safer place to rest.” . Silver groaned and clicked her tongue at Raksha, who may or may not have been able to steal a snack from the lizard’s bag. The mare trotted to her side and she lifted her good arm to take hold of her reins, pulling herself to her bare feet.

“Your kindness was unexpected... but appreciated. Thank you..” she nodded to him, offering a polite smile.

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

The lizard grimaced when she denied what it was she'd become. It wasn't up to him to make her see that, however. She would have to come to terms with it on her own.

If there was a cure for lycanthropy, he hadn't heard of it yet.

He found it easy to empathize with the distaste of being called a monster. Many in Vel Anir and other human cities treated him and his family like one. But, she was right. She wasn't one. He didn't think her affliction made her one either.

The lizard jolted up when he noticed the horse eating his last roll. "Hey!" He called to it, putting his hand to his forehead. He couldn't be actually mad, but he moved his belongings regardless. He swung his pack around his back and gave a big yawn as she mounted her horse.

"I suppose that ssssssshould make two of us then. I've a long way to go myself. If you find yourself in Alliria, feel free to find me! I can't offer too much hospice, but I could convince the wife to let you stay a night if you neeeeeeeeeded it."

 

[Silver Romani]

It was a struggle to get onto the mare's back and she managed only just, the pain in her shoulder biting back in defiance as she did so. Raksha was a Clydesdale in breed, and Silver was tiny in comparison, but she was usually a little more lithe than she was at this particular time. Even with the exhaustion clear on her features, she couldn't help but grin at the fretting creature as he realised his snack was gone, and the horse grunted with a few nods of her head.. It might have been a thank you, or just amusement. "Well..She deserved it more than me.." she smirked, affectionately patting her neck, and the horse's head rose proudly.

Silver had never known such kindness from an 'outsider'..then again she hadn't really known any outsiders, she was warned against them, and yet it seemed now that she too was an outsider, she didn't have much choice, and her first real encounter had been a surprising one.

"Alliria?.." her brows rose. She'd seen it once, but she was very young and her memory of it was foggy..perhaps she would make it back someday. Her lips curled as he offered her yet more assistance, even on his wife's behalf. "You've done more than enough.. I'm in your debt it seems." she frowned, rummaging in her clothing and producing something wrapped in cloth. It had been her prized possession almost as much as her bow had been. She gestured to him, and threw over the package carefully. "It might come in handy.. If not, make sure you get a good price for it.." she smirked sadly. It'd taken her a few days to get the dagger once she'd had her sights set on it. It had belonged to a dark elf, the blade twisted like a serpent and the handle carved bone, inlaid with gold and silver design. The last time she had attempted to use it, the silver design had burned into her hand.. "I've no use for it now. It's all I can give you." she lifted her good shoulder in a shrug.

"Until next we meet, Little Dragon of Alliria." she smiled, warmly for the first time, pulling up the hood of her cloak and kicking gently at the mare's sides.. "Onward, Raksha.."

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

He took the dagger with curious glee. The shape, the make, all of it was beyond exquisite. Much more than the cost of his kindness and a single healing potion. Ye'svonne did not find himself deserving of this just because he helped her. Having been a healer for so long it's just like breathing for him now. The weapon was a gift though and he wouldn't turn it down. He put it in his jacket and waved to her as she left.

"Hopefully soon, new friend!" He called back to her with joy. Pity, he didn't even get her name. But he was happy to have alleviated a bit of the tragedy she was dealing with. He was going to keep his journey going but boy was he tired. When she was out of view he found himself setting up camp right where they had met.

It had good vibrations attached to it now. It would be safe.