Private Tales Forgotten but Not Broken

[Vesper]

She sat down next to Thren, stretching out her legs with a soft sigh. "Mmm... I've never left actually. There's been no need." She explained idly.

It felt strange to sit without a task in her hands. There was always something to be done, some chore that needed seeing to. But, she made an effort to relax along side her companion.

"Why do you ask?"

 

[Thren]

"I think I am from those Mountains." He said calmly with a frown on his face.

He knew that the words weren't based on any logic or even memory. It was like a pull, like something there felt familiar. He did not know what the mountains were called, nor truly how far away they were.

Then guessed it was hundreds of miles, the peaks seemed tall and went on across the horizon. It was a wonder that they could even see them now, but he supposed these lands might just be flatter than most.

"I suppose that sounds silly." He admitted with a frown. "I have not the least bit of evidence."

He could only feel it.

 

[Vesper]

Vesper followed the man's gaze towards the mountains, pursing her lips in thought. It only took her a few moments of consideration before she made an offer. "Would you like to visit them? Perhaps it would bring back more of your memories?"

Her attention turned back to Thren, tilting her head curiously.

"It would be a journey, for sure. But, one I'd be more than willing to make?"

 

[Thren]

Thren slowly glanced over towards Vesper and nodded his head. "Yes."

The memories were not what drove him. His past seemed so far away that it was almost unattainable, but whatever called him towards those mountains was strong. Identity didn't seem to matter, but a future could be found where he had once walked.

"Yes I think that would be good." His hand brushed over her thigh. "I think I need to step into the past to see the future."

The barbarian said quietly. "Even if it's just a feeling."

 

[Vesper]

An understanding smile touched Vesper's lips and she dipped her head once to him. While she couldn't quite understand him feeling pulled to a place he believed he was from; she could fathom what it would be like to rebuild your future.

If that's what he wanted, then she was all too happy to help.

She leaned closer to him, his hand still touching her thigh, and nuzzled into his shoulder.

"I will take you, once you feel ready to travel."

 

[Thren]

He smiled. "You don't have to."

Thren knew that she had already done much for him, more than was decent. Vesper had saved his life, and without her he would be little more than a rotting corpse. He already felt indebted to her. A journey like that? It would only bring more trouble.

"It will be dangerous." Thren knew nothing of these lands. Not the roads to take, not what was lurking in the darkness, but there was an impression of danger he couldn't quite explain.

For whatever reason there was a remnant within him, something in the back of his mind that wanted to keep her away from the dangers ahead.

 

[Vesper]

His warning of danger earned a genuine laugh from Vesper. She sat upright, wiping at her eyes with the back of her fingers, shaking her head. "Obi, life is dangerous in and of itself."

After a few more moments, her chuckles died down and she met his gaze. "I want to help you. And besides, it will be safer with the four of us, instead of just you."

She gestured towards the raptors and then between the two of them.

 

[Thren]

He supposed that was entirely true.

The travel by himself would have been dangerous, he probably wouldn't have made it in fact. With Vesper and the two Raptors he actually had a chance.

"I don't even know what I'm looking for." Thren said quietly, glancing around the small clearing before his eyes settled on her. "It's just a feeling."

The very idea of that seemed silly, that he would traipse out into the jungle and face both man and monsters for just a feeling. Yet he felt like he had to do it, like something was pulling him along on a string. "But I'm glad you're coming with."

Thren said softly as he stroked his thumb over her thigh.

 

[Vesper]

Vesper affectionately placed her hand over his and smiled once more, gazing up through the trees at the mountains in the distance. Her thumb idly brushed over his knuckles, enjoying the feel of his skin against her own.

"Of course. Someone has to make sure you don't get lost." She said teasingly.

"I wouldn't leave you on your own so soon. I'm more than happy to go along with you." Vesper added in a more serious tone.

"For now, you should rest and gather your strength. The mountains certainly aren't going anywhere."

 

[Thren]

--

It took another two weeks for Thren to actually feel well enough to stand up and walk on his own. By the end of the fourteen days he was taking small runs daily, exercising and ensuring that the wound in his chest would not open back up the moment he moved a bit too much.

The ability that he had discovered himself capable of helped with that. It turned out that a bit of rock was harder to peel open than flesh.

At the end of the two weeks the Barbarian was beginning to fidget. The call of the Mountains was growing stronger, and his will to stay in place slowly began to erode. On the dawn of the day Thren stood at the doorway, his eyes fixed on the distant mountains as his fingers slowly flexed.

"It's time." He said as his off hand gently stroked over the wound on his chest.

Thren didn't care if it had only been a short time. He couldn't sit around anymore. He simply wasn't built for it. He had to move, go...fight.

That much he knew of himself. Even if he didn't know his own name.

 

[Vesper]

While Thren kept himself busy regaining his strength, his caregiver spent her time hunting and putting together a set of proper clothes for the man. The process was tedious, but the results were well worth it. She was rather pleased with herself once she was finished.

The leathers were dark from the additive dyes that she'd used on the hides while curing them. It left her fingers black for nearly a week. Remarkably, the clothing was still breathable and was designed to wick away sweat. Vesper would say that it was an old trick that she'd learned from the wise women -- but anyone outside of the Wilds would have simply called it magic.


With Thren standing in the doorway, Vesper rolled onto her side in the small cot that she slept in. The side of her head was propped up in her palm as she watched him. There was a knowing smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She got a sense the man was something of a nomad. A wandering soul that struggled to sit still for long.

"I have something for you." She said softly, swinging her legs out of the bed and making her way over to a row of shelves on the other side of her small hut.

Moments later, she approached Thren with a bundle that was wrapped in a shockingly lovely fabric. She held it out to Thren and nodded from him to take it.

The wrapping turned out to be a fine cloak with a silver-fur collar that lined the shoulders and hood. Inside were the clothes that she'd spent so much time putting together for him.

"If we're going to the mountains, you will need something warmer."

 

[Thren]

To say he was startled would be an understatement.

She must have hidden her work from him in secret, for he had not seen her work on it for even a single moment. A broad smile crossed his features as he slowly unfurled the cloak, fingers slowly folding alongside the lining. "I don't know what to say."

The Barbarian said with a smile, slowly following along the stitching with his hands.

He could tell that she had spent time on her, and a piece of him couldn't help but feel guilty. Vesper had saved his life, had taken care of him when he couldn't walk, and now she'd crafted a garment twice as beautiful as anything he'd had before.

All he could offer her was more trouble.

"Thank you." He said quietly. "I'm only sorry that I can't return the favor."

Yet.

He made a decision there and then that he would figure out a way to pay her back. Not just for the cloak, but for everything.

 

[Vesper]

Vesper shook her head, smiling softly. "You don't need to return any favor."

Her hand lightly pat his shoulder before she stepped away to find her boots, tugging them on as she sat on the edge of the cot.

"I'll saddle Sjorn and Avo." She said, nodding once.

"Did you need anything else before we leave?"

 

[Thren]

He slowly shook his head. "No, You've done more than I could have ever asked for."

A moment of hesitation crossed his features, and Thren bit his tongue to stop himself from telling her not to come with. He knew this trip would be dangerous, but she did too. She had done so much for him, who was he to decide what she could and couldn't do?

His fingers tightened for a moment, and he felt...strange in that moment. He could not have said what, but almost as though he were setting out with something missing.

The Barbarian shook his head, then reached out to gently cup her chin.

"Thank you." He repeated softly.

 

[Vesper]

The tender gesture brought a smile to Vesper's face, her eyes lighting up. For some time now their relationship had been something of a muddled mess. But she couldn't help the giddiness that fluttered in her belly when he touched her so.

"You're welcome, Obi." She murmured in reply, hesitating a moment longer. Holding eye contact was not unusual for her people, it was a sign of respect. But for some reason, she found it difficult to hold Thren's gaze for more than a few seconds. It felt like he could see through her, right into her soul.

Softly clearing her throat, she finally slipped away from his hand and hurried out of the hut. She still needed to saddle the raptors and pack the supplies for their trip.

As usual, there was so much to do that she didn't have time to linger on the strange feelings that were taking root within her.

 

[Thren]

Thren moved decidedly slower than Vesper did.

His movements were far more lethargic. Everything he did was deliberate in avoiding pain or straining his wound. The trick with whatever his magic was helped, but he still didn't want to take any undue risk. He moved carefully, knowing if he hurt himself the trip would only be further delayed.

As Vesper took care of...well mostly everything, Thren gathered the belongings he had and bundled up the cloak that she had given him. It would be necessary in the mountains, but here he would die of heat exhaustion.

After a few moments he stepped out of the hut. "Will this place be safe with you gone?"

The Barbarian asked as he stepped up to her and helped to finish saddling the strange lizard creatures.

He would not see her home damaged on some quest for him. Not if he could help it

 

[Vesper]

She glanced over her shoulder when she heard Thren's question, her fingers automatically finishing the last few hitches on the saddle. Sjorn grunted softly and shifted his weight, clicking his jaw once.

"I'm not sure." She answered him honestly, but she sounded confused as to why he'd asked in the first place.

"Probably not. I imagine nature'll do what she always does and retake what is hers. I was just borrowing it for a time." She added with a soft chuckle, patting the raptor's neck.

"We can leave whenever you're ready."

 

[Thren]

A sigh escaped him. A part of him did not want her to come with him. He was weary of allowing her to give up so much just to get him his memory back. A home was a home, even if you were just borrowing it for a little while.

His head shook. "Alright."

Thren knew that if he began to argue Vesper would likely just take offense. She was still stronger than him. If she really wanted to do she could throttle him, tie him to the back of a Raptor, and not give him much of a choice in who went where.

Quickly the Barbarian mounted up on the larger of the Raptors, deciding it was probably safer.

"Lets be off then." He said with a smile.

 

[Vesper]

Vesper climbed up into her own saddle with a soft grunt, turning the raptor towards the path that led to the mountains. She twisted slightly to peer over her shoulder at the home she was leaving behind, taking in one last look of her little camp. For reasons she couldn't explain, she knew that she would not see this place again.

She wasn't sure if that was a bad thing or not.

Clicking her tongue and gently nudging Avarl forward with a nudge of her heels, she set off. Sjorn, the raptor carrying Thren, followed along after.

It wasn't too long into their journey that their trail turned to a game path, and then disappeared all together. The thick overhead canopy blocked out the view of the mountains and sky; but Vesper seemed to know where she was going.

The jungle was filled with noises all around them. Insects thrumming and chirping, colorful birds taking flight and singing their song, strange mammalian creatures hooting from the tree tops. Everything felt incredibly alive.

"Let me know if you need a break. We have only time at our hands and there is no need to rush."

 

[Thren]

"I assure you." Thren said with a smile. "I can last for days at a time."

Despite the joke he made Thren knew that he had to take it easier. His wounds were not yet fully healed, and the magic he used wouldn't exactly last forever either. Yet he wanted this. He had set them on this path. So he would fully see this through. That much he knew.

They traveled for what seemed like days.

For some reason Thren did not count the time. The sun rose, it set, and that was that. He never tried to keep track of how many days they spent on the move. Each night they would camp, and each day they would travel as far as they could.

Their trek through the jungle was sometimes slow and sometimes fast, but it was a week later that they found themselves making camp alongside the banks of a river. The mountains were looming above them now, their peaks fully visible.

"I wonder how far we are now." Thren said as he pulled the saddlebags away from his Raptor and placed them on the ground, petting the lizard on the neck.

Over their travels he had grown far more comfortable with the creatures, something that he was rather proud of himself for.

He glanced up above the canopy of the forest. "Seems like we're close."

Though with how Massive the spine was it would be hard to tell. Not that Thren knew such a thing.

 

[Vesper]

"Closer than we were." She replied quietly, glancing up from the bedroll that she was laying down on the jungle floor.

"Just another day or so and we'll be in the foothills." She added a moment later, moving over to grab Thren's bedroll from his saddle once he removed it from Sjorn's back.

"From there though... I suppose we'll have to follow whatever it is that's pulling you in this direction." Vesper said with a soft smile, nudging his shoulder with her own.

 

[Thren]

Thren shook his head slightly. "I'm not entirely sure what direction that would be."

Whatever was calling him into the mountains, he was pretty sure that it wasn't anything magic. As the forest had thinned out more and more things began to feel familiar, calming. There was still danger, but for some reason he was no longer really worried about it.

"But." He assured her quietly. "I'll make sure not to take us anywhere stupid."

That much he wanted to assure her of at least.

His hand gently brushed over the small of her back. "Thank you."

He said one more time.

 

[Vesper]

"How many times do I have to tell you, you don't need to thank me?" She scoffed playfully, shaking her head. It was a decent distraction from the excited burble she felt in her belly from his touch.

"As for stupid places, I find the places don't tend to carry much animosity one way or another. It's the inhabitants that make a place the way that it is." She added, tucking her hair behind her ear as she smiled.

Taking a breath, she looked towards the darkening sky overhead and her brow furrowed slightly. "It'll likely storm tonight though... I've a cured skin that'll repel the rain though. We should stay dry, if we sleep close enough together."

 

[Thren]

Vesper
​

He smiled. "That won't be a problem."

The injuries to his body were slowly beginning to heal, but he knew that they would not be gone soon enough. Unconsciously he traced his fingers over his chest, lips thinning for a brief few seconds as he took in a deep breath.

A part of Thren wondered if he would ever be back to normal again.

He was feeling stronger and stronger with the passing days, but there was still an ache to him. A slow pain that spread out from his chest and seemed to linger when he overexerted himself. A breath filled him, and he shifted.

"I'll be more help when we get to the Mountains." He said quietly, considering for a moment. "Though I have no idea why I think that."

 

[Vesper]

Vesper almost seemed to sense the discomfort that Thren was in, but she never made any comment about it. If he needed to rest, she would simply suggest that they take a break. Their journey was a long one, but there was no need to rush.

Many a night was spent huddled together beneath the shelter of cured pelts, hiding from the cold and rain... but also taking comfort in one another's presence. The wild woman was quite fond of the barbarian, and she never once considered him anything less than a partner. If he worried that he was a burden, the thought never once crossed Vesper's mind.

Days stretched into weeks as the pair continued their travels together, accompanied by the two enormous raptors. As they reached the mountains, however, it soon became too cold for the creatures to endure.

With a sad smile, Vesper pulled the bridles and saddles off her beloved companions, lightly scritching each one beneath his chin. "You two do not belong on a mountain range. Best get back to the Wilds. I am sure we'll find each other again."

Sjorn, the raptor with which she shared the link, hesitated as they turned away. He pressed the top of his head against Vesper's brow, chittering quietly.

She lightly pushed on his neck, ushering him along after his brother. "Go on now."

As the daylight faded, Vesper and Thren were left alone on the mountainside. The sound of the crackling fire filled the silence that hung in the air. Taking a ragged breath, Vesper turned back to Thren and she managed a strained smile.

Saying goodbye was never easy.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, moving to take a seat next to him by the fire.