Hidden heritage

[Gaias_child]

She would not go back,she would die first. She lay forward on the back of the white steed,letting the horse lead the way. Deeper into the forest surrounding the kingdom, a kingdom she wanted no claim to. Shunned by most of her family,accosted by her uncle after her father died. Forced to sit beside him on the Kings throne,a princess of Adalore. She hated sitting there as he smugly ordered her people around. Taking the throne through thievery and murder,she knew he had something to do with her father's death. But yet couldnt prove it.

She had fled two days prior,denouncing everything until she could reclaim her throne as it rightfully should be. She hated to leave her people under his cruel leadership but right now it was all she could do. She needed to survive until she could return. A stray limb caught her shoulder length flaxen hair bringing her out of her daydream,her hands tightening around the steeds mane. Her heels digging into the sides as she pulled the lathering steed to a halt.

Sliding from the bareback,her eyes surveyed her surrounding,still in her kingdom but far enough into the forest it would be hard to track her. She was not only a princess but her father had taught her the skill of hunting. Taming the white wolf at her side when it was a pup. Her bow custom made to fit her hand,her aim truer than most. she turned her sky blue eyes toward the sky,watching the rolling clouds as they came in from the shore line.

"Come, Aki. We need to find shelter soon."She spoke to the wolf as she took hold of the steeds reins. Turning towards the small village she had seen from the hilltop. She pulled her cloak up around her body and over her head. Most on this side of the kingdom didnt know who she was so to them she would simply be Bria,not Princess Brianna Julianna Adalore.

She walked to the edge of town and looking down at the wolf by her leg,giving a nod. the Animal seemed to understand and loped off into the forest. He would come if she whistled. She tied her steed to the post outside the Inn and walked inside. Several heads turned but quickly returned to their own. She walked over to the Innskeep and placed a silver coin on the counter.

"A room for the night,and a hot meal if you could."She said in an even tone. The Innskeep looked at the silver coin and nodded,turning to a serving girl."Prepare spare room..then a hot meal for our guest."He growled before turning back to Bria.

"Your not from around here...you new?"He said trying to get information from her. Bria smiled as she pushed her hood back. Her eyes meeting the Innskeeps firmly. "I am from the North coast,just passing through."She answered him as she turned and went to an empty table. Sitting down,propping her bow up against it. She felt the daggers on each thigh as she sat and felt more safer for now. She needed to eat and get to her room as quick as she could.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x56/freebird77_2007/fantasy/wolf1.jpg

***Looking for one male rper to play the role of the knight sent to find her,not by her uncle but by her brother she didnt know she had. He would be living in another part of the land and wanted her brought to him so he could make sure she was safe until she could ascend the throne. He was unable to since he was a bastard. The knight will have to either convince her to return with him or force her..how much he reveals about her brother is up to cowriter..must write at least a paragraph per post and at least once a week since my own schedule varies each week. Send me an IM and an intro post and we will decide from there***

 

[nladisha]

Sir John the Coward rode into the village just as the clouds rolled in. He was lucky enough to reach the shelter of the village before the storm set in, and with enough time to give the place a good search. Sir John dismounted, trying to control his landing, but still taking a shock from the wieght of his armor.
'Perhaps I should travel for a while without my armor,' he thought. His horse seemed pleased it no longer had to bear the full wieght of Sir John, his armor, and his weapons. He sighed as he looked around the dusty village he'd come to. It wasn't so much that this place was so idylic and peaceful - much like back home - but more that instead of slaying dragons and rescuing damsels in distress; Sir John found himself off trying to search for Royal princess. Not because she had been abducted, but because she had simply ran away. That meant she'd no doubt be one of those girls: a foolish tomboy, whom he'd probably have to lash to the saddle just so he could deliver her safely. Fortunately, his plate armor would protect him from her finger nails without breaking them. The count had specified he wanted the princess unharmed as well as alive.
"You're a knight, Sir John, not a mercenary," the count said. "Treat her with respect."
'Don't know how long that is going to last if she's as headstrong as I think she's going to be,' Sir John thought. He removed a pair of papers from the saddle bag. One was a text description of the girl, Princess Brianna Julianna Adalore; and the other was a charcoal sketch of her made by one of the count's spies in the king's household the day after her disappearance. According to the count, it was 99% accurate.
Sir John spotted an inn up ahead. He'd start there. It was bound to be a meeting place. Hopefully, someone would have spotted the girl in the drawing and he could investigate. As he approached, something caught his eye: a horse without a saddle was tethered to a hitching post. It looked similar to one stolen from the king's stable around the time the princess disappeared. Either the stable-hand had an unusual habit of removing tack before they took away the horse, or someone had ridden without a saddle. Possibly the princess? Rumor had it she had a way with animals, even raising a white wolf as though it were a dog. Sir John wouldn't put it past her to ride the horse without a saddle. Then again he was taking no chances with her. Worst case scenario: she hung out with the former king's knights and learned sword play. Without armor, she'd be ten times as agile as Sir John, able to overpower him even with the added protection of his shield. Maybe she wouldn't be able to penetrate his armor and his mail, but a good sword was heavy enough to be used as a bludgeon.
Sir John tied his horse to a post beside the one with the saddle-less horse, and entered the inn. Once inside, he removed his helmet and lowered his mail and leather hoods. He casually looked around the inn, surveying the people inside so he could get an idea of who was sober and who were not.

 

[Gaias_child]

Bria watched the room from her table,the bar wench haivng brought her stew then leaving. She lifted the mug of ale to her lips and drank lightly,spooning the stew into her mouth. She watched the man that had just entered,his armour telling her he was not a hired mercenary. His armour spoke of stature,a knight. She kept her eyes lowered as she ate,her free hand lying on the table close enough to grab her bow if needed.

Her bow was also made sturdy enough to also use as a staff if needed. Her daggers resting on her thighs in close range also,her body tensed. She felt his gaze moving over the room,scanning. She jerked her head around as the wench returned and told her her room was ready. Bria nodded and slid her a silver coin before standing. She swayed slightly and shook her head. Weird she thought to herself as she walked to the flight of stairs.

She didnt look back as she moved up the stairs,her head began to spin. Her eyes burned and blurred,reaching up she rubbed them thinking she was more tired than she thought. She pushed open the door to the room and quickly scanned for anything odd. She moved over and looked out the window always good to have an escape plan ready in case needed. When she was satisfied with the room she dropped down onto the bed. Her bow lying across the well worn mattress. She blinked quickly as her sight threatened to fade on her,then it hit her.

She had been drugged,either by the food or drink. She wrapped her hand around her bow as she struggled to her feet. Her legs refuse dto work as she tried to get to the door. The room spun as she fell to her knees,one hand bracing herself up with the wall. She could faintly hear footsteps moving into the room among the roaring in her head. Her eyes turned,trying to focus on the men advancing on her. She reacted,slower than usual,but her bo knifed out to connect with the stomach of the first man reaching for her. His grunt brought a slight smile to her lips as she struggled to stand.

She swayed on her feet as she held her bow in front of her,watching the two remianing men circling her. "Dont hurt her,she will be worth her weight in gold on the slave block."Came the first voice. "The keeper wants her unmarred."

Bria tried to keep her focus on the men,spinning into a low crouch as her bow caught one behind the knees,sending him sprawling backwards. Her reaction was getting slower,her vision dimmer as she struggled to stay awake. The drug working deeper into her system,finally she couldnt fight it any longer. Her body slumped to the floor in a heap.

One of the men moved over to her,this one holding his stomach from the jab of her bow. His eyes filled with anger as he lifted her head by her hair. "Stupid,bitch. Not so tough now,are you."He sneered into her unconcious face as he reached down with his other hand andtilted her face for a better view. He finally smiled when he saw her unmarred features,the defined angles."this one will get us rich."He said as he looked at the others,one moving forward to lift her up and toss her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

The men laughed with each other as they turned to leave the room,not bothering to hide the fact they were carrying an unconcious girl out of the Inn.They moved to the bar and nodded to the Keep as they headed for the door. the Keep returning the nod,drying his hands,he followed them out. he called out to another behind the bar as he left.

 

[nladisha]

Sir John caught sight of a girl sitting in a corner. She seemed to fit the princess' description almost completely. She even had a bow beside her, proof she was headstrong and self-sufficient; just like he imagined the princess. Still, he couldn't jump to conclusions. He watched her ascend the staircase to the accomidation floor. He'd investigate her later. As a knight, all he had to do was say he was acting on the interests of the King. That would get him almost anything. If it didn't, at least he could get away with murder in the name of the King. That was the plus side of having a rutheless tyrant as a king - something the Count hoped would change. Sir John decided to have a drink before going up to confront the girl.
"Hey! Bar tender!" Sir John demanded. "Get me some ale!" He slammed a few coins on the bar.
There was the sound of stomping coming from upstairs. No one took any notice of it. A few minutes later, several men emerged from upstairs, one of them carrying the girl from earlier. The barkeeper guestured for Sir John to wait, summoned a replacement, and joined the ruffians.
'What in the name of the Goddess?' thought Sir John. He understood there was a thriving sex trade going on in many of these small villages where civilian women traveling alone tended to disappear, then reappear in some whore house. Under the old king's reign, such transactions were rare and done in secret. Now that the men were doing it in the open, Sir John could only imagine how much the realm was deteriorating under the new king. The Count would not be pleased. With a groaned, he stood up and planted himself in front of the door.
"Excuse me, sirs," he said. "I am a knight of the King. I am searching for the King's niece who has disappeared from the castle several days ago. This young girl seems to fit the description of the princess. I demand I get the chance to investigate. If she is not the one I seek, you may do with her as you wish. If you do not comply, then I will execute you right here, right now for obstructing the King's wishes." To prove his point, Sir John replaced his helmet and drew his sword and shield.

 

[Gaias_child]

The men looked at Sir John then at each other as he spoke,they burst out into laughter as the one holding Bria dumped her onto thee floor. Several other patrons moved away from them as they saw the fight building.Her body hit with a hard thud,the sound traveling across the room as the men began to circle Sir John. "Now what makes you think we will give up our prize to you. You are but one Knight,maybe one noone will miss."The larger of the trio grunted as his hand lifted his sword free from its scabbard.

The other two men follwed their leaders suit,the Inn keep blanching at Sir John's claim to the throne. He trembled at the thoguth of the King bringing this down on his head. "Mayhaps we were a bit rash, the girl did not claim no rights to the throne. She acted as a common trollup."he quickly spoke trying to cover his own ass as the thugs began to close in on Sir John.

"We had a deal,Keep. You owe us for the girl,if not we will take her for ourselves. This lone Knight is not cause for concern. We will handle him easily enough."The leader sneered as he slammed a large fist into Sir John's chin taking the fight out into the dusty street.

Bria stirred slightly on the floor,her head clouded from the drug. She tried to move but couldnt. She heard part of the conversation and gasped at the name of Sir John. She was in deep shit if he got ahold of her. She listened as the fight fell out of the tavern and into the street. She struggled to sit,her body sluggish and weak. Using the wall she lifted herself up and shook her head. Her bow was gone and her daggers had been removed,one of the thugs must have all of her weapons.

She couldnt dwell on that for now,she had to get away. She staggered into the tavern and got looks from those around her. Looks of fear,people looked away from her as if in fear for their lives if they helped her. She groaned and then cursed under her breath as she staggered towards the rear of the inn and towards the back door. Pushing out into the night,the cool air revived her somewhat but not enough to hold her own in a fight. Her head pounded form the drug they had used and her stomach lurched. Looking around she made her way across the small expanse towards the forest line,thinking she would be safe if she could get into the trees and call for her wolf.

 

[nladisha]

If there was one thing Sir John hated, it was thugs. They were all the same: stupid, clumsy, and arrogant. Sir John especially didn't like getting hit in the face. It seemed like all thugs were all fist and no brain. He thrust his shield out and pushed the lead thug against the wall. He parried a clumsy sword swipe with ease, and brought his blade down into the man's arm. He screamed in pain. Someone jumped on his back and tried to prick him with a dagger. Fortunately, it didn't penetrate the armor plates. Sir John whirled around, trying to dislodge the attacker. He managed to throw himself backwards to the ground, using the weight of his armor to add to the force of the fall. That surprised his attacker long enough to let go. However, this left Sir John vulnerable. The third thug capitalized on this to lunge at him with a club. The blows hurt, even through the layers of armor. One particular blow to the helmet stunned John for a second. The vibrations rang painfully in his ears. Even as Sir John crawled to his feet, the blows would not stop. One hit to his wrist caused him to drop his sword. The thug laughed triumphantly, and tried to make a grab for it. Sir John swiped at him with his shield, and managed to trip him. He drew his dagger, crawled forward, and plunged it into chest of the thug. A rock suddenly smashed into his helmet. Sir John felt a sharp pain and a spell of dizziness. Behind him, the second thug raised the piece of rock for another blow.
"Ain't so tough now, bitch!"
Trying to think straight, Sir John estimated when the thug was taking his next swing. At the right moment - Goddess willing - Sir John rolled around and swung his shield. Much to his satisfaction, the edge of the shield connected with the thug's arms, knocking the rock from his grip. He attempted to kick the thug in the chest, but the man's reflexes were too quick. He caught Sir John's leg and twisted the armor in such a way the joints in the plates became locked together. Sir John's leg was now immobilzed. The thug started to push Sir John down the street - or was he trying to break his leg? Sir John tried to kick with his free leg, while he groped around for his sword. Finding it with his fingers, Sir John struggled to get a grip. The thug again acted quickly, and stepped on the blade, and stomped on Sir John's fingers. Sir John didn't feel the stomping - his metal gloves protected his hand - but he would certainly feel the kick in the head the thug was getting ready to deliver. He swung his shield again, and struck the man in the thigh again, this time with the corner of the shield. The man screamed and staggered back, giving Sir John time to grab his sword and swipe at the man's legs. His blade sliced through the man's boots and flesh, coming to a stop in the bone. It severed the tendon connecting the calf muscle to the ankle. The thug went down in agony. Sir John managed to free his armor plates, stumbled to his feet, and mercilessly planted his sword in the man's chest. Looking down the street, Sir John spoted the lead thug lying face down several feet away. He must have been trying to reach a healer before loss of blood made him collapse. Sir John staggered over and stabbed him in the back. It was unnessacary, since the man was probably a few minutes from death anyway, but this fight had been a waste of Sir John's time, and he was not in the mood to be getting into any fights at the moment.
'Stupid bastards.'
Pausing only to collect his dagger, Sir John stumbled back to the inn. He caught sight of the inn keeper trying to slink back into his private chambers. The little shit had been watching the whole fight the entire time. He froze when Sir John spotted him.
"Enjoy yourself?" he asked. "Good. Now: where is the girl, because, so help me, if you snuck her off into a cart with another one of your friends, I won't kill you, I'll torture you until you beg for me to kill you."

 

[Gaias_child]

The Innkeep went white,his body trembled under Sir John's gaze and words. Trembling he lifted his arm and pointed towards the rear of the tavern. "She...she went that way. Drugged...but..but..she went."He stammered as he cowered in the corner. He fainted dead away when Sir John walked slowly past him and out the back.

Bria stumbled into the trees,her feet tripping voer the roots of the trees,her head swam as she tried to gather enoguh thought to call for Aki. She cried out in frustration as she tripped and tumbled to her knees. The rocks biting into her skin,she could feel the blood begin to seep from the cuts. her hand reached for the nearest branch to pull herself up.

She stood,shakily,as she heard a faint sound behind her. It was faint but her trained ears picked up on it. Footfalls. She took a deep breath and lifted the nearest branch to use as a weapon. She slid behind the nearest wide tree and waited. When the footsteps were close she swung out from behind the tree,the branch hitting solid. The force caused her to cry out and fall backwards. Her arms stinging from the impact,her head threatening to rip apart from pain as she hit the ground hard. She looked up and muttered a string of unladylike curses.

 

[nladisha]

Sir John ignored the fainting inn keeper, and headed out into the woods behind the inn. He hoped he wouldn't have to go back and make good on his threat. The Count would not be pleased if Sir John had to stoop to such base measures as torture.
'This girl better be the princess,' he thought. His head was still throbbing from the trauma. Just trying to interogate one girl was becoming an ordeal. He hoped this wasn't a complete waste of time.
Suddenly, a tree branch appeared out of the blue. 'My Goddess!' Sir John braced himself and raised his shield to block the blow. He was glad his reflexes still worked. If that branch had been a sword... Sir John swung his shield around to knock away his opponent's weapon, and at the same time swung his sword, using the flat of the blade instead of the edge. He cut open air. 'Huh?'
Looking down, Sir John spotted his attacker. It was his target, the girl from the inn. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but her lips seemed to suggest the most vulgar oaths and phrases imaginable. Perhaps the inn keeper was right and she was nothing more than some random wench suited for a whore house. Still, even in this low light, she looked very much like the spitting image of the missing princess.
"Finally," Sir John said. "I've been meaning to talk to you, ma'am. You are not hurt, are you?"

 

[Gaias_child]

Bria looked up at him from the gorund,her head pounding as she tried to focus on what he was saying. She shook her head and scrambled backwards across the ground before standing trying to appear fine in front of him. "I will not go back. I will find a way to avoid it."She said in a hard whisper as she narrowed her eyes at him. Her hand reaching for daggers that she remembered now being gone.

She stepped backwards as if to turn and flee,her legs chose that moment to collapse. She sank back to the ground and groaned as her hands went to her head,trying to ease the pounding. What had they given her,she wondered as she looked up at Sir John,who had now become a burried image. "Did my Uncle mention that he will have you killed once you return me."She said softer and groaning." He has done it too each man who has returned me to him."

 

[nladisha]

Sir John was taken by surprise. Was this girl admitting she was the princess? She was sure acting like it - running away from even him, muttering about not going back, even referencing an uncle she was running from...
"Um... You aren't Princess Brianna Julianna Adalore by any chance, are you?" he asked. He stepped forward when she fell over. "Maybe we should talk in the morning. You ought to sleep that stuff off. Don't worry, I don't molest." He crouched down next to her and reached out to pat her on the back in an attempt to calm her down.

 

[Gaias_child]

Bria almost jumped when he reached out and patted her on the bak,then relaxed slightly when he did nothing more than that. Her eyes tried to focus on him,shaking her head trying to clear her mind. "I am Bria...That is all you need to know."She said simply,learning that the least anyone know about her true identity the better for now.

"Even if I were..I cant go back."She whispered softly not sure if he heard or not. Standing up slowly with his aid she looked around them. She couldnt chance going back to town,but she had no idea where they were at the present moment.

She looked around once more and then gave a sharp whistle,soon the brush around them shook and Aki pounced from them. The white wolf growled and moved to place himself between his Mistress and Sir John,ears flat on his head as he pawed at the ground. Bria reached a hand out and stroked his head softly. "Aki...down."She said in a level voice,the wolf rising its head to look at her then lick her hand.She blinked quickly and staggere slightly.

Her face went white,then she quickly looked around. She made a stumbling dash for the bushes closest to her and bent over. Her stomach rebelled and forced the vile drug up. She retched and heaved for several minutes before simply sitting down on the ground where she was and moaning as the headache started. She felt Sir John approaching to one side of her and Aki on the other. "Sorry..." She whispered softly.

"This is Aki..."She said explaining to Sir John as she continued petting Aki. "He wont hurt you...unless you hurt me or knows Im in danger."She added as the wolf moved slowly around Sir John as if checking him out. He sniffed and then head butted his thigh as if seeing how he would react to the nudge. Bria watched,smiling at her friend and pet sizing up the enemy per say.

 

[nladisha]

A white wolf. A white wolf that seemed to respond to "Bria" as easily as a dog responded to a hunter. 'Nice doggie,' thought Sir John. The animal was sizing him up. He could tell by the raised hackles on its back and the way its ears were flattened. He looked again at Bria, now slumped on the ground, barfing up the drugs the ruffians had given her. As far as he could tell, she looked like the princess. She had a tamed white wolf, just like the princess. She let her tongue slip and said something only the princess might say. But Sir John did not want to react too hastily. He'd have to wait until morning, when the drugs had worn off and the light had returned. Then he could better examine the girl.
"Perhaps you should just rest," he suggested. "Try sleeping the drug off. I don't think Ack-ee would let me do anything to you anyway, and I can take care of whatever he can't." Rest sounded like a good idea to him too, but Sir John was too smart for that trick. Chances were, he'd probably sleep in, only to wake and find the girl and her wolf long gone. He sat down against a tree directly across from "Bria" and watched her. This was going to be a long, sleepless night.

 

[Gaias_child]

Bria slumped against a tree across from Sir John and let her hand rest in the scruff of Aki's neck. He made her feel safer but she knew she was still in danger from this man. He meant to take her back and she couldnt do that. She stared at him as the night grew deeper,her own eyes burning as her fatigue grew heavy. She blinked and shook her head as she fought sleep,the drugs in her system making it harder. Finally she gave up and with a tight grip on Aki she slept.

How long she slept she didnt know as she slowly opened her eyes to total darkness around them. It was deep night and she turned her head to look at Sir John,he seemed to be dozing. She touched Aki gently in a series of pats letting him know of her plan. The wolf lifted his head and let out a soft snort before rising and placing himself between the two humans. He dropped back down and rested his head on his paws watching Sir John.

Bria feigned sleep once more for several long minutes before moving slightly. Her head still pounded but she was thinking clearer than before. She shifted to her feet lightly,almost so quiet noone would hear. The hunter instincts kicking in as she stepped lightly back into the shadows. Once the shadows swallowed her up she turned and ran. Her steps barely making a sound across the forest ground. She gave a high whistle letting Aki know she was running. The wolf stood and shook himself,looking back at Sir John before issuing a growl and bounding off into the forest after Bria.

 

[nladisha]

Sir John just barely managed to stay awake. So far so good, the girl eventually fell asleep, by the sound of her breathing. The night was unusually dark, compounding the difficulty in seeing. He was aware of movement, but it didn't register in his groggy mind. It was only when he heard a whistle and saw a flash of white did it suddenly hit him. The brat had ditched him, just as he knew she would! John leapt up in alarm. Fortunately for him, the white wolf was a noticable shape in the dark woods. Where ever it went, so went the girl. As long as Sir John kept sight of it, he knew he would sooner or later find the girl. He took off after it.
'She runs from me,' he thought. 'She must be hiding something. She has to be the princess. Cunning, fierce, independant, crafty... Sounds just like her. I'll probably have to tie her up, just to get some sleep, if I'm going to fulfill the Count's wishes.'
Unfortunately, his armor was making it difficult and clumsy to run. Tree branches smacked into his face and chest. Most of all, his armor was making a goddess aweful racket. No doubt the girl would hear him, and she'd only run faster and harder. Sir John would have to outlast her with endurance, if he was to catch her. Then there was that wolf. Sir John's armor might protect him from its teeth, but it would only delay him. And if the girl got too far ahead, she might run into more trouble from which niether him nor the wolf could save her from.

 

[Gaias_child]

Bria ran...hard. She could hear Sir John behind her,his armor a giveaway. Her breathing was strained due to the drug still in her system. She pushed her body harder as she ran,each jump and turn drawing more and more form her. She whistled again and heard Aki turn off into another direction from her,seperating into two trails. She stumbled once and cursed herself under her breath,her lungs burned.

She felt the branches hitting against her body but cared not. She was not going back to the castle or the Count. Her life would be for nothing then as the Count had told her times before. She felt the ground change into rocky terrain as she neared the cliffs,her will pushing her forward. She was so intent on the run towards freedom she failed to notice the ground sloping..then nothing.

Her cry was cut off as she fell into the opening of air,the rocks cut at her as she rolled down the steep decline. Her body hit the botom and the rock that grazed her forehead knocked the wind from her. She lay there gasping for breath feeling the trickle of blood run down her face. Too tired and hurting to call out for Aki,she struggled to her feet. Her ankle cried out in protest when she put weight on it. She sank back down to the cold ground.

Her hand reached down to feel the tender joint and bit back a cry as she moved it. It was not broken but wrenched pretty bad. She looked up and scooted backwards to hide herself under the outcrop of the ledge she had just tumbled down over. Trying to calm her erratic breathing. She looked up listening for any sound of Sir John's approach,the pounding in her head,now made worse by the knck she had just took made it hard to focus.

 

[nladisha]

Sir John skidded to a stop as he reached the rim of a rocky ravine.
'Goddess damnit!' he thought. He'd lost her. He hadn't taken into account that she could have directed the wolf to lead him away from her deliberetly. Now he'd reached a dead end. This assignment was a nightmare.
Suddenly, he heard a loud squeal. It wasn't an animal. It was human - a girl's cry. It came from somewhere in the ravine. Whoever it was, she sounded hurt. How long she'd been in there, Sir John didn't know. Though he probably should have gone looking for the girl who looked convincingly like the missing princess, Sir John was moved to pity for this new girl.
"Ma'am!" he called out as he cautiously started down the slope. "Are you hurt?" His foot skidded on some loose rocks, but he managed to keep his balance. He slowly made his way to where the cry had come from.

 

[Gaias_child]

Bria pressed her body up and under the outcrop as tightly as she could when she heard his voice approaching. She couldnt run,her leg throbbed painfully and she wasnt sure if she had broken it or what. She felt the trickle of moisture running into her eyes,thinking it was sweat she took a quick wipe at it. She frowned when her fingers came back stickly with blood. She must have struck her head on a rock as she fell. The dull ache was now noticeable but not painfully so.

She looked quickly around fo anything to use as a weapon but found nothing as he got closer. She wanted to whistle for Aki but thought better against it. She did not want her friend harmed in any way. Se held her breath as she saw him move in front of her hiding place. Hoping he would continue forward,the soft touch over the back of her hand made her look down.

The soft cry from her lips gave her away as she quickly shook the spider from it. Her head jerked up hoping he had not heard her. She held her breath,her eyes wide as she watched him through the gap in the rocks. Biting her bottom lip as each time she moved sent pain through her leg.

 

[nladisha]

Guided by the pitious moans, Sir John made his way toward a rocky outcropping in the hill. He paused briefly to try and pinpoint the location of the injured girl. She had fallen silent by now, making locating her in the darkness all the harder.

"Ma'am?"

A soft yelp from behind him caught his attention. Sir John whirled around to search for the source. He spotted a humanoid form trying to crawl underneath an overhang as though it were trying to hide. Sir John had found the person he was looking for.

"Ma'am?" he asked, moving closer to the girl under the cleft. "Are you hurt? Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I want to help you. Don't be afraid."