Mary (Closed)

Marcus nodded at her words that neither option was going to be good for them. "I fear you are right with that, and both options will require us to go to the fire." He told her. He hoped the fire would have gotten rid of most evidence of the death and destruction caused there, but he feared they would still see some members of the former militia of the town.

"I suggest we make a fire when we are closer to the town. I don't think they will pay much attentions to their surroundings but I don't want them to get the idea there are more people around they can take prisoner." Of course he didn't suggest they used the fire of the town.

"Once we reach the town, the road will go to the east but we will leave it and head a bit more to the north. It will give us a bit more cover and get us quicker to En'bani. Two things that aren't very bad" He told her, trying to keep her informed on his decisions so she wouldn't blame him for keeping secrets on her.
 
"I fear you are right with that, and both options will require us to go to the fire.
I suggest we make a fire when we are closer to the town. I don't think they will pay much attentions to their surroundings but I don't want them to get the idea there are more people around they can take prisoner."


His words made sense of course.

"Once we reach the town, the road will go to the east but we will leave it and head a bit more to the north. It will give us a bit more cover and get us quicker to En'bani. Two things that aren't very bad"

She picked up her carry sack and set off with him.

"It seems so ... evil ... to set fire to people's homes like that ... "

She looked towards where the fire had been burning.

" ... I had no idea such people even existed.."

She commented betraying her sheltered upbringing.

"Given that such people are around, I think keeping under cover definitely sounds like the best move ..."

She shuddered.

" ... you seem to understand the lay of the land ... you must be much travelled Marcus?"

She observed casually.
 
He nodded to her words, it was very evil to do such to people's homes and sadly it was just one of the things these people were capable of. He even felt somewhat saddened that Mary's first experiences out of her town were of this nature. A pretty girl like her was supposed to get drunk in En'bani, watch theatre shows, experience things she had never imagined experiencing. Instead she got to deal with this. With everything that had happened the previous day, Marcus no longer was very sure he was to blame for the things that had happened. He had thought the men had followed him to her town, but now it seemed there was another reason for them being there.

Perhaps they didn't even know he was around... or even alive. It was very likely he had died from their attack. Lord Darkfire wouldn't believe such until he actually saw Marcus' body, but his men might be less careful. Maybe they would have a chance after all, but Marcus was scared to hope for such.

Slowly he came back to the here and now and again nodded to her. "Yes, I have seen a lot lot of this part of the world, although I know the roads between the cities better than the small towns." He shared with her. The truth was that he had no idea what her town was called, but he could name most of the brothels in En'bani. Not that he really had needed to make use of their services.

The walk to the burning town didn't take very long, although most of the morning was gone nonetheless. And although Marcus would never admit it, he was hoping Mary could do something for his shoulder.
 
"Yes, I have seen a lot lot of this part of the world, although I know the roads between the cities better than the small towns."

She smiled at his words.

"I know our woods well ... I've foraged and collected herbs and plants there since I was small. I've often been called upon to tend to the sick of our village..."

She hesitated before continuing.

"I was taught from a young age by the old lady others referred to as the 'wise woman'. Many seemed to fear her, but she was kind to me and taught me so much .. "

Others had accused them both of magic, but Mary had never given those words any thoughts ... until now ...

"When she passed away, it seemed natural that I take her place ... "

She did not tell him that many of the old woman's possessions had been hidden in the woods. Even now, not knowing just what her companion's motives were Mary had not dared take those possessions out of hiding. Better they remain undiscovered than fall into the wrong hands.

"You said you thought I had magic. I know nothing of the magic you seem to speak of, but some referred to 'the healing' as magical ... "

She confessed.

"Yet, I never considered it so."
 
He listened as she spoke and at times nodded in understanding. He had heard similar stories and was happy she was opening up to him. "I don't know if I would believe in magic under different circumstances but I know there is more than just the superstition and rumours. Sadly your story is far too common although with different details. People, especially women, that don't fit the crowd are seen as witches or magic users and get ignored, ridiculed or sometimes even killed. Some go into hiding, others find people like Lord Darkfire that promise protection or revenge." He told her

He thought for a moment. "I don't know if you really have magic or that I was just happy with the help you have offered me. Either way, I will gladly accept all kind of healing you can offer magical or normal. Like a sword or any tool, magic is not good or bad. It is what it is used for. It can be dangerous, but everything can be dangerous when used without thought."
 
"I don't know if I would believe in magic under different circumstances but I know there is more than just the superstition and rumours. Sadly your story is far too common although with different details. People, especially women, that don't fit the crowd are seen as witches or magic users and get ignored, ridiculed or sometimes even killed. Some go into hiding, others find people like Lord Darkfire that promise protection or revenge."

She was curious to know how magic was thought of beyond her village.

"I don't know if you really have magic or that I was just happy with the help you have offered me. Either way, I will gladly accept all kind of healing you can offer magical or normal. Like a sword or any tool, magic is not good or bad. It is what it is used for. It can be dangerous, but everything can be dangerous when used without thought."

She found that they were speaking much more easily and that although she still had concerns had certainly let her guard down more as they travelled side by side.

"If only I did have magic... perhaps then we'd have something with which to fight Lord Darkfire..."

She mused.

"It seems that he has far too much power and all used for bad."

She surmised.
 
"Even with magic I fear Lord Darkfire would be a tough one to defeat. It is said that good and evil are always in balance, but as far I can tell it are always a few that have most of the evil power while the good people only have a little power. Of course I don't know if the saying is true, nor who it is that would say such things." Marcus said with a smile, and yet with a serious undertone.

"I don't know if Lord Darkfire has always been evil or that a certain event lead him to become so. And evil people hardly ever consider themselves evil but believe that what they do is for some purpose." he shared with her.

Arriving at the flames of the town it was easy to tell that most of the wooden structures were heavily damaged and would soon disappear completely by the flames. It didn't look like anything would survive the fire. Marcus could see the spots where some serious fighting had taken place but luckily there were no bodies around to give Mary nightmares. He figured the killed town's folk had been placed in one of the larger wooden buildings so that the flames would hide what had going on here.

"So... do you want to take a look at my shoulder now or do you rather continue our travel?" Marcus asked her. This was as far as asking for help he would go for the time being.
 
Mary walked beside him as they approached the town. She listened to his words of Lord Darkfire and of good and evil and returned his smile even though she did not quite understand the things he spoke of, she felt that things were somehow easier between them and that at least he was just less than a total stranger.

"I don't know if Lord Darkfire has always been evil or that a certain event lead him to become so. And evil people hardly ever consider themselves evil but believe that what they do is for some purpose." he shared with her.

She considered his words.

"I suppose everyone believes in what they do and have their own purposes. Why else would people act the way they do?"

She queried, but then again she knew little of the world.

"But you did speak of what Lord Darkfire's men might have done to my family, to my community ... if that isn't evil, then I don't know what is ...."

She stood and looked at the burning village which they were now approaching.

" ... burning someone's homes, putting their life to flames ... how can there be a purpose to that?"

She asked Marcus.

"How will they rebuild, carry on from that attack?"

She asked him not realising that most of the inhabitants would already be dead.

"So... do you want to take a look at my shoulder now or do you rather continue our travel?"

She shivered at the sight of the ruined town.

"Would you mind if we got out of sight of this place first?"

She responded.

"It feels so ... wrong ... here ... strange ...."

Despite her words her eyes ran over the blackened buildings.

"The people here really suffered...."

She murmured almost as if she could feel their fear, their pain ...
 
Marcus listened to her words and just nodded in response, there was not much that could be said and surely not anything that could make the situation any better. "Luckily most people were already lead away before the town was set on fire." He answered, although he knew better than her that the fire might have been the more merciful situation. He was quite sure he didn't want to know what Lord Darkfire had planned for the prisoners.

"But yes, let's leave this place and head to En'bani. When there is some more distance between us and the men that did this, you can take a look at my shoulder" He decided and watched in the direction that the men were going. He was very happy he and Mary weren't going to follow them, but En'bani might very well be more dangerous.

In the distance the sound of thunder could be heard and Marcus did his best to keep the curse inside. The winter hadn't arrived yet, but with their lack of protection rain and storm could be very problematic. On the bright side, it would be give even more trouble for the men of Lord Darkfire. "The storm is still far, hopefully we can make enough distance."
 
"Luckily most people were already lead away before the town was set on fire.
But yes, let's leave this place and head to En'bani. When there is some more distance between us and the men that did this, you can take a look at my shoulder"


Mary looked around nervously as the thunder sounded. It was the wrong time to confess her fear of storms.

"The storm is still far, hopefully we can make enough distance."

She nodded.

"I hope so ..."

She commented nervously.

"This isn't the best time of year to travel like this."

She observed.

" ... without my home, my family ... belonging nowhere, nowhere to go ... "

She took a steadying breath.

"I guess I'm not used to this kind of life ... "
 
"Sometimes going on a journey isn't the choice, but where the journey leads to." Marcus spoke and could understand her feelings very well, even when his life had been completely different. "But I have to say, you are doing better than most people in your situation. Some people would just sit down and refuse to stand up." He had seen enough people give up on life when they didn't have to.

"And yes, I agree that early summer is a much better time to travel than early winter. I just hope we can reach En'bani before the nights get too cold. I don't worry too much about the days although I hadn't taken rain into consideration." His eyes ran over her body as of course he knew various ways to stay warm during the night but he doubted Mary would be happy with those. A cave or some other form of shelter might be better.

He gently touched her shoulder as a sign they should start walking again and went in the right direction.
 
"Sometimes going on a journey isn't the choice, but where the journey leads to. But I have to say, you are doing better than most people in your situation. Some people would just sit down and refuse to stand up."

She smiled at his compliment, encouraged by his observation of the way she had tried to cope at least.

"And yes, I agree that early summer is a much better time to travel than early winter. I just hope we can reach En'bani before the nights get too cold. I don't worry too much about the days although I hadn't taken rain into consideration."

She shivered at the thought. The weather was on the turn and they both were on the road and would have to search for shelter.

"I hate storms..."

She shuddered, but stopped short of confessing her fear of them as they set off again.

"You must be used to living like this, though ... "

She asked curiously.

"... though it's more a man's way of life, I imagine... "
 
Marcus smiled gently at her. "What is not to hate about storms, so yes I hope it will go in another direction or will have ended before reaching us. And yes, I have more experience with being on the roads in most kind of weather but winters are mostly only suited for being indoors."

With his hand he rubbed over his painful shoulder. Most likely he was using it too much, but he rather had a painful shoulder than not doing all that was required to survive this. "We shouldn't be seeing too much trouble on the way we are taking. The men of Lord Darkfire as well as bandits will stick closer to the normal roads. So as long we are not unlucky enough to stumble into a bandit camp, we only have to worry a bit about animals. And most animals are more scared of me than you of them." He tried to joke.
 
"What is not to hate about storms, so yes I hope it will go in another direction or
will have ended before reaching us. And yes, I have more experience with being on the roads in most kind of weather but winters are mostly only suited for being indoors."


He was being kind to her. His words did make her think of all that she had lost.
Mary sighed wistfully as she continued to trudge. She noticed him rub his shoulder and wished that they would reach their destination soon so that they could rest.

"We shouldn't be seeing too much trouble on the way we are taking. The men of Lord Darkfire as well as bandits will stick closer to the normal roads. So as long we are not unlucky enough to stumble into a bandit camp, we only have to worry a bit about animals. And most animals are more scared of me than you of them."

Even though he joked, she moved slightly closer to him looking round anxiously.

"Animals ... what animals...?"

She hadn't even thought of that!

"... they may be scared of you, but ... "

But with an injured shoulder and accompanied by a girl perhaps the animals would have the upper hand?

"This morning I knew what my future was to be and now ... everything has gone..."

She murmured sadly.
 
He shook his head and gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry about the animals. Most we will see are the same animals you normally have around your town. The bigger creatures like bears will be sleeping and it is not the season that other dangerous animals have young ones to protect. Most animals don't attack unless provoked so we just have to stay calm when we see something and keep our eyes open when we don't see anything."

He paused for a moment. "I take it that as a healer you know some remedies against the poison of snakes and flowers?" It was a dangerous world, there was no denying that but knowledge was a powerful weapon against most of the dangers.
 
She allowed his words about the animals to calm her initial panic. It was the idea of the unknown that scared Mary the most, but it seemed there would be very few animals that they had not had to deal with in her village, although of course there was only the two of them travelling alone now should one decide that they were a threat and attempt an attack.

"I take it that as a healer you know some remedies against the poison of snakes and flowers?"

She nodded slowly.

"Yes, I've studied for many years and practiced for the past 3."

She told him unguardedly.

"It would have been usual to study until I was 21, but my knowledge was needed earlier, so ... "

She had continued to study independently, which was why she had her woodland 'hideaway'. She had salvaged everything of importance when her mentor had died suddenly and developed her own methods of practice beyond those which the old lady taught. Whether her methods could be termed as magic, she had never truly considered until Marcus had asked that question. Even if she had some 'power', she had never been trained to develop her talents in any way and so all she could claim knowledge of was the use of plants and herbs for healing ...
 
Marcus nodded as a simple yes would have sufficed this time, but it was a good thing the girl was starting to get more comfortable around him to share things. "Good, it are mostly the plants and snakes I worry most about and the main reason why we should keep our eyes open. The other animals are big enough for us to notice in time, but one easily steps upon a snake or touches the wrong flower."

He smiled. "My own knowledge about poison is mostly that it is best not to get bitten or stung, so if one of us gets poisoned, it better be me."

Luckily the day went by without any incidents, although Marcus kept looking nervously at the dark clouds that were approaching faster than they were travelling. "We better start looking for a suited place to spend the night, and by the looks of things the storm will hit us shortly after dark."
 
She'd laughed as he told her that it had better be him who got poisoned.

"I have herbs with me. If I get into trouble I could tell you how to make the remedies."

She had told him as they made their way onwards. Although they seemed to cross ground at a reasonable pace, they were spurred to move more quickly by the approaching storm.

"We better start looking for a suited place to spend the night, and by the looks of things the storm will hit us shortly after dark."

They seemed to turn back more into the woods. Mary wasn't sure if that was a good idea if lightening was threatening to strike, but of course they needed cover and shelter and if possible warmth. Despite herself she was slowing up as the cold seemed to seep into her body. The thunder began to rumble adding to her anxiety and making her draw instinctively nearer to Marcus as they continued their search.
 
Marcus was sure that with her living in a town near the forest, Mary had enough experiences with storms. So he didn't bother to explain his reasoning to what kind of place they were looking for, but just looked around for something suited. Of course a cave would be perfect as long there was not a sleeping bear in it, but it didn't seem such a shelter was around for them. A ditch or some low bushes would have to do as the higher trees were more dangerous with the lightening around. Naturally the ditch shouldn't be too low, or all the rain water would cause problems.

Eventually they managed to settle on a spot. "I think this will be the best place to spend the night. If we look further we risk getting caught by dark and the storm without a more suited protection. We will be secure from the lightening and hopefully the trees keep most rain out. My main fears are that the storm will make the temperature drop even lower." He said to her and sat down. Immediately he felt his shoulder again and it was getting harder and harder to pretend nothing was wrong.
 
"I think this will be the best place to spend the night. If we look further we risk getting caught by dark and the storm without a more suited protection. We will be secure from the lightening and hopefully the trees keep most rain out. My main fears are that the storm will make the temperature drop even lower."

To her eyes it was far from ideal; a shallow ditch with ample shrubbery around and trees at a distance which seemed safe, whilst offering them some shelter. Carefully she followed him and picked her way down into the surprisingly dry ground within that hollow.

"You should rest."

She told him as she saw him wince.

"Building a fire is probably not a good idea, but I think I should take a look at your shoulder ... "

She offered, her hands working deftly to assist him in easing his clothes free of the injury and examining the state of the wound.

" ... it's not infected, but it's not healing as it should."

She pronounced drawing her carry bag and searching through it to locate the items she needed.

"It'll feel better soon ... "

She pressed cloth to the wound drying the surface and then thickly applied a paste all her concentration focused upon drawing out the surplus fluid and ensuring that his skin could begin to heal over. She topped the paste with a few leaves which she also carried and applied slight pressure as she looked anxiously into his face.

" ... this may feel warm ... or even uncomfortable, but it's important that you leave this in place overnight. I can check it and dress it again before we set off tomorrow."

She instructed him.

"In the meantime ... "

She repacked her bag and then reached in to take out fruit and bread sharing it between them.

"I came prepared."

She told him simply. She did not have much bread and the fruit would soon run out, but it was important that they attempted to keep up their strength as much as they could.
 
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