The Midnight Forest

[Ravenloft]

Thomas Albert Housler:

Pushing on through the night, the lone man traveled. Traversed upon his gypsy breed steed. Its black coat was well groomed, its long mane curled over to one side as it strode along a hoof worn path. The man started to hunch forward in his saddle, his eyes drifting closed, only to flicker open again and again, he was trying to keep himself awake. A dark, silent forest loomed before him and he gave a weak smile at the sight of it, even though he was starting to see doubles... He'd been riding for more than 24 hours, he thought, things were so blurred... Thinking felt like a fire within his head... He just wanted to stop, but the nagging fear of being caught by his fathers men pushed him on. And the memories set in...

~ They'd been mercilous when they came riding into the gypsy camp... Killing several of the good men and women he'd called family for more then five years... Then they called for him to be brought to them... He was hiding in his vardo, too afraid to even look out... The lady mother of the gypsies came forward, saying he would not be given up to the likes of them, twenty gypsy men drew arms, prepared to fight off the mercenaries... ~

Thomas shook himself out of the thoughts just as his steed entered the forest. He felt sure he would be safe here, he remembered something the lady mother had once told him... "Spirits of good nature dwell there, protecting all of good heart..." He just prayed he was of good enough heart for those spirits...

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie Iris Hawthorne:

Gathering her coat closer around her body, Marie continued on, closing in on the forest. Her grandmother, a Gypsy had always told her that the forest would protect her, if she was good of heart. She always strived to be good of heart and good of deed, and she hoped that she would one day be as good a person as her grandmother. She pressed onwards, her figure clothed completely in black, from the boiled wool of her coat, to the linen of her shirt, she never wore anything besides black. Even the horse she road was black, save one white sock on the left foreleg. She tried to stretch out her weary muscles. She'd been on the road all day, and even though she was awake in mind, her body protested. She knew that if she made it into the forest, she would be safe. She just didn't know how safe.

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

Forcing himself awake, Thomas looked about as the forest enveloped him in its darkness. His steed was showing its fatigue as well... Reaching forward, Thomas patted the impressive beast along its cheek. "I know..." He yawned. "We can stop here... Feed, and rest my friend..." He whispered as he slipped off the horses back and took a rag bundled torch from the saddle pack, then patted the beast on the flank to send him off for the night. Reaching into a small pouch, Thomas pulled out flint and tinder. He slumped down and held the torch between his legs and began trying to light it. He was clumsy with lack of sleep but somehow the torch caught to light... He held it before him and looked about, Telarus, the steed was still within sight, lowering his head to eat. With a sigh Thomas sniffed. "Smoke?" He asked himself aloud. Looking down, he saw a small flicker of fire at his feet. A spark must of caught while he was lighting his torch. He jumped, nearly dropping his torch. A moment later he stopped at the flame, putting it out. Standing there for a moment, he looked about, feeling a little sheepish. If what he heard was true, he wasn't making such a good first impression... "Heh..." He laughed nervously, suddenly every little noise he heard was something ominous and forboding.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie:

Squinting, Marie caught a flicker of light not to far ahead of her. She urged her horse to move a bit faster, wanting to see what the light was from, but not willing to risk what could happen if she met the wrong person. It was cold, dark, and frankly, she was too tired to go running over Hell's half acre.

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

Hearing a twig snap not to far away, Thomas jumped again, whilring about to face in the direction he thought it came from. He was about to call out, but thought better of it, what if it were one of the mercenaries??? He snuck behind a tree, peering out, trying to hide the torch light the best he could... He was loath to put it out...

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie:

Slowing down a bit, Marie guessed that the person or whatever had been creating the light must be moving far faster than she was, since the light had gone out. She looked around and sighed, letting the horse slow to it's walk again. She was so weary, and her horse needed a rest soon. Hopefully, she would find a place to sleep soon.

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

There was another snap of a twig, Thomas was sure he heard it this time. He looked out toward it nervously. Something moved, it was black on black, but there was something out there... Just then, Telarus walked out into the open, whickering toward the moving darkness in greeting. Thomas frose as his heart lept into his throat.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie

A small shriek of startlement escaped Marie as the horse and rider stepped out of the darkness. The horse she was riding reared up a bit at her sudden tensing on the reins, and Marie barely stayed on. She got control of the horse again and slowly began backing the mount away from the person. "Wh... who are you? What do you want? Don't hurt me, please."

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

"Hurt you? I would do no such thing!" Thomas said as he looked the girl over nervously. "I am Thomas Housler, of the Vilhoun Gypsies... And you are?" He asked as he held the torch out to get a better look at the girl, it gave his face an eerie look, which he didn't realize.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie:

Looking at the man, still scared out of her whits, Marie kept backing her horse away slowly. "I'm Marie, my grandmother was of the same Clan as you. Please, all I want is to travel safely."

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

"Oh... Oh lord..." The memory of the night, three days before struck again, watching as the man who led the mercenaries lifted a cross bow and fired a bolt into the lady mother... She fell, dead, even though he had not seen it, he could see it, in his mind, it felt as though it were his curse for having been such a coward. He pushed the memory down into his soul with all his might and focused his eyes upon Marie. "Your grandmother... Was she... The lady mother?" Thomas asked hesitently.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie:

Nodding, Marie looked at Thomas. "You know her? I'm on my way to meet her." Marie pulled her hood back, revealing a younger, thinner version of her grandmother. Always nagged to eat, she just could never seem to put on flesh, a grandmother's dispair.

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

Frowning, Thomas lowered his eyes, not able to look at her when he spoke his next words. "She's dead..." It was like a blow to the chest for him to actually say it out loud for the first time... He slowly lifted up his eyes to Marie's own, then, a tear streaming down his face.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie:

Feeling like her chest had collapsed in on itself, Marie brought a hand to her throat. Her grandmother was dead, the Forest hadn't protected her, and she was dead. "How? When?" Marie barely managed to get the words out before a tear escaped her eye. She had thought for a moment that it wasn't true, but looking at Thomas' face told her that it was. Her only family was dead.

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

His voice faltering, Thomas spoke. "A band of mercenaries hired by my father were hunting me down to return me to him... They killed several of the Gypsies outright... Then demanded for me to be delivered to them... Your grandmother, the lady mother, she denighed them my return... And... And they killed her without a thought... I... I ran..." His face turned away in shame.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie:

Pressing a hand to her mouth to keep sounds from escaping, Marie cried. She felt so lost without her grandmother, and now she would never have the safe presence again. Her dear grandmother, who never hurt anyone, and who had raised Marie, had passed on in a violent death. She felt her tears overwhelm her. "When?" she whispered.

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

"Three day's passed, I have been running from them ever since..." Thomas said in a hushed tone. "I am so very sorry Marie..." He added as he extended a consoling hand toward her.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie:

Tears still streaming down her face, Marie looked up at Thomas. She blinked, trying to see him better through her tears. "Please, did you bury her? Can you take me to her grave? Please?" Marie looked like a woman who was barely hanging on at that point. She was so tired, and in such pain over the loss of her only family.

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

Frowning, Thomas looked up into Marie's eyes. "I... I did not... I ran... From them... They would have captured me if I stayed... I regret having left them... Left them to such disgraceful deaths... I know it is something I must atone for... Some how... Some way... Returning to them, to give them propper burials... Yes... That is all the is left to me now..." Looking up at her still, he reached his hand closer to her. "Come, you look exhausted, and the blow of this knowledge does neither of us any good... I will make a fire, we may rest the night here, in this forest, then, on the morrow, though it means much danger for me, if you would accompany me, we could return to them... And give them the rest they deserve..."

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie:

Unable to speak at the idea of her grandmother going unburied, left to the hands of her murderers, Marie nodded and dismounted, clinging to her horse for support. She realized she was shaky from the shock, and being on horseback all day. If her grandmother had trusted him, then this man, Thomas, was all right.

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

Coming up behind Marie as she dismounted, he supported her. He'd noticed how much she looked like the lady mother, but had not thought on it till the moment he touched her. "There you go m'lady he said as he unconciously took a breath of her hair. He stepped back, giving her space to move. Pausing for a moment he reguarded her with a slightly odd look, then set about building a place to set a camp fire. Looking up at her as he fixed up, first a circle of stones, he asked. "Are you hungry? I have some dried, cured meat if you are..."

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie:

Waiting until her muscles could hold her weight up, Marie shook her head at the offer. "No, thank you," She managed. She felt as if she was going to be sick, and the thought of food was enough to make her pale. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, walking over to the circle of stones slowly, leading her horse to a tree nearby. She tied the reins securely, leaving enough loose for the horse to be able to graze. She turned to reguard Thomas. "Why were they after you with such passion as to kill?"

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

"My father... He is a powerful man, with an almost endless supply of coin... He pays these men to bring me back to him so that he can punish me for my disobedience in not following in his foot steps as was planed. The gypsies took me in, gave me a place where I felt I belonged and was not just required as a pawn to buissness affairs... Slowly, over the years, the mercenaries he has sent have become more and more blood thirsty. I swear the man searches for the cruelest he can find... Why, I don't know... He simply will not let me be..." And with that, Thomas had arranged a bed of twigs and brush and other dead wood together, placing the torch to them to set them ablaze.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Marie

Jumping slightly at the bright blaze of the fire, Marie listened to Thomas' words. She looked shell shocked, and very tired. "I'm sorry. I don't know how that feels, but it seem awful to me." With that, she sunk to a crouch, trying to warm up by the fire. She was running on instinct and common courtesy mainly, her mind still swimming in the fact her grandmother was gone. She looked over at Thomas, studying him as she thought.

 

[Ravenloft]

Thomas:

Poking at the fire, Thomas frowned. "This won't stay burning more then a few hours..." He sighed. The one thing he never quite got very good at while with the gypsies... Building a lasting fire... He rubbed at his brow, it could just be that he was dead tired, as the ache in his mind just to focus grew stronger. He looked over to Marie. "Its got maybe three or four hours I'd say... I'd... I'd offer my body heat if you like..." He stammered.