Private Tales The Withering - Part II

[Aster Tiernan]

Aster cursed at him as he hauled her into a sitting position. He was hurting her and she did not appreciate it. She would have tried to find some bare skin on him but he continued to speak…no growl…into her ear.

She immediately went rigid and nodded at Baen. She would do as he said only because she did not have a choice really.

Aster quickly dressed and was rubbing the spot he had gripped on her arm.

“Why would anyone follow us?”

 

[Baenon]

"I do not know..." Baenon replied at length. He could see nothing outside but an empty town road. It was far too early in the morning for the majority of the citizens to be awake and roving about, but his instincts had never lead him wrong.

"My contact was to meet us here at noon but it is not safe for us to linger. We will ride out and find them at their home." That a human would follow them was absurd. His guise was a known entity here with no enemies, so that left only the alternative: something else entirely. Baenon was not a fan of moving blindly or dealing with unknowns, but that was simply a risk fae took when entering the mortal lands.

Checking to see that she was fully dressed, Baen moved to take up her travel cloak and placed it over her shoulders then pressed her bag into her hands before picking up his own and leading her out of the room. Having already paid for their lodging, he spared no time in making a hasty exit of the inn - stopping abruptly as he strode out onto the front porch.

There, tied to the waiting post, was a large, white horse with rather ornate tack and armor. Far too ornate to be of anyone living here. It set the shuck's proverbial hackles aflare and he quickly ushered Aster down the steps and off down the lane, "When we reach the village limit I will shift. We're going to move very quickly."

 

[Aster Tiernan]

"Okay," she said in response right before Baen wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and handed her her bag.

She walked with him as her guide in silence. She trusted him completely even if he pissed her off a lot. He would never let her fall or walk her into a wall. On purpose, at least.

"Am I shifting too?" Aster asked. There was either riding him or flying.

 

[Baenon]

"Can you keep up with me at a full run as a raven?"

One week spent in each other's company a year did not make for a great deal of varied circumstances. Never before had they a need for both of them to take their beast form and then test the limits of their speed against one another. Baenon wasn't the competitive type.

"Give me your bag," he hissed as he hurried them along, taking her bag from her and magicking it away into the collection of his unseen saddlebags along with his own pack.

 

[Aster Tiernan]

Honestly? Aster was not sure if she could but she did not see any reason why she shouldn't be able to keep up. She was not blind in that form so that did make things easier. She also did not have to worry about pesky obstacles that slowed down ground animals.

"I don't see why I wouldn't be able to, Baen," she answered as he continued to drag her along. She knew her blindness drove him nuts sometimes but there was nothing she could do about it.

Aster handed over her bag without comment and then waited for his next instructions. She assumed it would be shift and keep up but it was rude to assume.