Wanderlust, An Immortal's Tale (Closed for SerenityRaine)

[LucianDevine]

Lucian let out a soft sigh of content as he stepped out of the shade of the trees and into the sunlit clearing. He closed his eyes and lifted his arms on either side of himself, fully basking in the feel of the sun, the smell of the grass, and the sounds of the forest around him. He'd been to a lot of different places, and few of them made him feel as free as he felt right now.

Anybody who spent a lot of time outside, especially in the forest, knew the sounds of the forest, and if you listened hard enough, you could even pick out specific bird calls. Lucian was doing just that when he heard the most unnatural sound known to man, the sound of metal hitting metal. The sound was so loud and unexpected that it actually startled him, something that didn't happen often. The obvious sounds of a battle clearly involving multiple combatants followed and gave him the direction he needed. He let out a low growl of frustration before starting off at a brisk jog in that direction. He was more curious than anything else, curious about who or what was disturbing one of his rare moments of peace.

 

[SerenityRaine]

Serenity...

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7c/55/f9/7c55f9ed6bc0dd6ce138be7008862d5a.jpg

Serenity sat quietly next to the flicker of a flame from a lantern. The shadows cast across her bruised and injured face. Her head downcast and her hood pulled tightly over her head as she lay on the cold hard ground. She remained silent as the men and women hurried around the forest. Sounds of wood and leaves snapping beneath their feet as they shuffled around. Metal hitting metal and wood being chopped not a short distance from her. It was chilly in the forest at night, but she barely noticed. Her bright red hair whipped across her face every so often and she didn't attempt to move the strands from her face. Her beauty hidden beneath her hood and the temporary wounds, on her face, her eyes flickered a bit at an attempt to open.

Was she still with her small trusted group of friends? Usually a very good judge of character, she fled from her sheltered but privileged life no more then a few weeks ago. Knowing that in just a few short years she would be married off to the best name with the best advantages she could ask for. She knew she would be miserable. Silently and in secret she trained with the best guards to fight and defend herself. Serenity learned to use a blade, bow and dagger well. She had heard the rumors and stories from as long as she could remember. As a little girl, she knew the world around her was changing and not for the better. As much as her father tried to shelter her, she was not naive. Something was happening. Secretly she met with a group of other warriors to fight, train and prepare for what was coming. Although, only one of a few girls, she stood her ground and could fight with the best of them.

With sadness, she left her father and fled in the middle of the night. The first few weeks were without incident and she still wasn't sure exactly what they were looking for. But as time wore on, their numbers dwindled. Either wild animals, weakness, or something else took the group members one, by one. The last thing she remembered was a few high pitched screams, fighting, and the haunting sounds of the forest. It was just a few hours ago that she woke up, with her feet chained and the taste of blood freshly upon her lips. She tried to sit up and found her hands also bound in front of her. Her head throbbing and body aching she sat up as best she could in the makeshift tent. Trying to see beneath her hood, she simply listened to sounds of distant voices, construction and the sounds of hurried feet. Where was she? Who had her? She tried to lick her dried lips as she groaned very quietly in pain.

 

[LucianDevine]

It didn't take long for Lucian to find what he was looking for. The sounds got louder with each of his long strides. The trees were thinning out as he went, telling him that he was nearing a clearing. He couldn't be sure exactly which clearing in the woods he was in at this moment, being as distracted as he was, but he was far from worried about getting lost.

When Lucian reached the clearing, and the battle within it, he couldn't help but groan at the bleak sight. A full dozen cloaked figures were fighting three scraggly looking individuals. The three of them were good, and seemed to fight well together, but their fatigue was obvious to him, especially when he climbed a tree for a better vantage point.

Some would ask Lucian why he didn't immediately run to the aid of the few, but that answer was simple enough. He knew nothing about either of these groups, and as such, it was not his concern. In fact, he was just about to turn away from the battle and leave them to their fate when he spied something at the far end of the clearing.

It was a small tent with two guards posted on either side of the opening, guards who were quite interested in the battle taking place, but not leaving theirs post. They were guarding something, likely a prisoner. If they were worried about the safety of their leader, they likely would have pulled back with their charge. It was at that exact moment that Lucian's sharp gaze caught sight of something that he would never forget, an emblem hanging from the neck of one of the people fighting against the cloaked men. He would have recognized that emblem anywhere, and the second he saw it, his hand moved over his own chest out of reflex. It had been a long time ago, but some things just couldn't stay buried.

Just as Lucian was about to leap down from the tree to help the three people that were left standing when he saw the man with the emblem get struck down from behind. He cursed himself for his hesitation and tore his gaze from the sight of it, looking now towards the tent. He made the choice in an instant, only hoping now that they two people still standing could hold off the cloaked figures until he could get the prisoner to safety.

Lucian leaped from the tree, pulled the hood of his own dark cloak over his head and hurried towards the tent, taking the long way around the battle, hoping that only the two guards at the tent would see him.

"Stop right there and pull your hood down!" One of the guards shouted as Lucian got close. He kept his hands up to show that he meant no harm, wanting to get closer to his spear-wielding targets before they got suspicious.

"I need to have words with the prisoner..." Lucian started as he continued to get closer, his hands already twitching in response of what was to come.

"Not before you identify yourself you don't!" The man stepped forward, thrusting his spear at Lucian's torso. This was something Lucian had expected, and with the second man hanging back behind the first, it made things easier. He side-stepped the lunge of the spear, dropped his hand to his hip and drew his blade with his left hand. He grasped the spear with his right as he slashed with his blade, keeping the unsuspecting man off balance as his slash cut the man's throat. He then wrenched the spear out of the falling man's hands as he spun around, the man, taking the spear with him to crack the other man on the side of his head with the butt end of the spear. He then let the weapon fall and dropped to a knee, stabbing the man in the stomach before pushing the flap aside.

Lucian saw what he expected was the prisoner inside the tent, feet bound with shackles with the hands bound with rope. He cursed softly and turned looked out from the tent, checking first on the battle and then at the guards on the ground. He fumbled around the pair of them until he finally found a pair of keys. He sheathed his weapon and kept his ears tuned, hearing now the sound of both the battle and the sound of axes crashing behind the tent. He didn't know what that was about, but he didn't have time to find out.

"Can you walk?" Lucian asked the woman whose hair he could see, but face he could not. As he spoke he dropped down before her, moving his hands to try and unlock the shackles that bound her.

 

[SerenityRaine]

Friend?

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.NjUvuEKOCYgRgkAwNJL-KwHaHa&pid=15.1&P=0&w=300&h=300

Serenity could hear the fighting outside the tent and sat up more the best she could. Her body ached with each move she made, but she kept her lips shut tight. Struggling to try and sit up, she wrestled with the binds on her hands and feet. She didn't know what to make of the fighting outside, but her heart raced as it grew closer. Her wrists bled as she tried to free herself, and she let out a soft moan.

As she sat struggling intensely to free her hands and feet, the mysterious man entered the tent in a flash. She quickly looked to him, from beneath her hood. Her green eyes sparkled with intensity and she gave him a slight glare. In a hushed whisper she groaned, "Who are you?"

She struggled more to try and stand. With her feet bound, it was hard to do anything. She didn't know if she should let the man help her or not. Without having much of a choice, she simply shook her head no. The light from the candle flame flickered across face again, showing bruises, cuts and dried blood. She looked into his eyes with intensity.

 

[LucianDevine]

Lucian's hands worked deftly with the lock and the manacles, even as the woman tried to stand. It was a painful thing to see, not just for her sake, but for their sake as well. He heard her question, and while it was an understandable one, he had more pressing concerns at this exact moment. It was one thing for him to fight his own way out, and another thing for him to do it with somebody in tow. It was a very different thing, though, for him to try and orchestrate an escape for the two of them when he was literally going to have to carry her.

Only when the shackles fell away from the woman's ankles did Lucian finally move his violet gaze to meet hers. The red hair was naturally a familiar sight, but the sight of her face sent a surge through his body. It wasn't bad enough that she looked like a woman he'd known long ago, but the scratches and bruises that marred her pretty face only empowered the feeling that already had his entire body on edge. He turned his head away and cursed softly to himself, knowing already that this plan was as stupid as it was crazy. When he finally met the woman's gaze, though, her green eyes sparkled as they set upon him with a glare.

"I'm nobody..." Lucian finally said at last. "I heard the battle and came running, and while I have no idea who you are or who your friends are, I know enough about this world to know that people don't sacrifice their lives fighting near-impossible odds for no reason." He didn't give the woman much time to respond to his admittedly cryptic words, before drew one of his swords again and brought her hands up as he did. The sharp blade made quick work of the rope, before he set it on the ground before her. "Begging your pardon Ma'am, but this has to be done, is going to hurt, and needs to be done as quietly as possibly, okay? Good?" Though he phrased it as a question, he didn't give her any time to respond or object before he took a step forward, dropped his head, reached for her hips and pulled her over his shoulder. Both of his hands started on her lower back until he had her balanced with her hips resting on his shoulder. Then his left hand dropped around her knees and held on tight. His right hand scooped up his sword before he rose to his full six foot height. He did the best he could to be careful with the woman over his shoulder, but there was only so much he could do about the jostling that was going to happen.

"Hope you're comfortable Ma'am, cause now comes the hard part." Lucian turned towards the side of the tent and brought his sword up, slashing the material in a tall diagonal before making another similar slash down, making a make-shift door that he could step out of. It wouldn't buy him much time, but it was a hell of a lot better than stepping out facing the group of men he'd avoided in the first place. He then took off at a diagonal into the treeline, moving towards the sounds of the chopping wood as little as he had to while still moving away from the clearing.

Progress through the forest felt slow and torturous, but for the moment there was no other way. Lucian kept the sounds of the wood-cutting to his right. Even when he heard the shouts of alarm coming from behind him, he still stuck to his pace and direction as best he could. Only when the chopping sound he heard got softer did he finally alter his direction. He didn't turn away from the chopping though, but rather turned towards it. He knew that there was no way whomever was chopping was planning on moving that wood by hand, and if he was lucky, he would be able to procure a horse for them. It took several more minutes for him to see what he was looking for, and the sight of a pair of pack horses strapped to a couple of wooden wagons made his heart leap.

Lucian stopped a few layers of trees from his target, not wanting to be seen until it was absolutely necessary. He took the slight break to sheathe his sword again, hoping that he wasn't going to need it in the minutes to come. He kept his eyes on the workers that were loading the wagons, and only after their latest trip to drop wood off at the wagon did he finally make his move. He stepped away from his cover, eased his way closer to the horses. He let them see him coming so that he wouldn't spook them. He saw the animal's heads lift, and he met eyes with one of them. He was normally pretty good with animals, but now was the last time to test that. He kept his arm as tight around the woman's knees as he could while he lifted that hand, still moving agonizingly slow as he it forward to eventually stroke along the animal's nose. It uttered a soft nicker, and it brought a smile to his lips. He slid his hand up the nose, over the ears, and finally down the side of the head as he lifted his other hand to the buckles that kept the horse strapped to the wagon. His ears picked up the sound of their pursuers, as he undid one of the buckles, and as he started to work on the second, he heard the sounds of their pursuers. The added sound made the horse beside him stir, making his job harder, but there was nothing to be done about it.

The last buckle seemed to take forever as he heard the stomping of men through the underbrush getting closer and closer. When at long last he felt the last buckle give way, he let out a soft sigh of relief. That sigh was cut short, though, when he heard the wooden beams that the horse had been strapped to fall to the ground with a thud. The sudden sound startled the horse a bit, and it let out an audible neigh. If not for Lucian's quick reflexes and grabbing the reigns with his free hand, the animal might have tried to make a break for it. With the reigns securely in his right hand, he lowered himself slowly to one knee so that he could set the woman down.

"Just one last step, I know it hurts, I know, just a little more." Lucian said softly with as much comfort in his voice as he could muster just then. He helped her stand and turn around, giving her the reigns as he did. "Hold on tight, almost there." He said before dropping his hands to her hips and lifting her up onto the animal. He waited until she got her right leg around the animal before he made to get on.

It was at that exact moment that he heard the twang of a bow. Lucian felt the breeze of the arrow over his head. It had gone high and wide, and looked like it had missed the woman as well. He turned to try and find the archer, and while it took him only moments to do so, he saw the man lining up another shot. In the moment it took him to realize that fact, though, the man fired. Lucian was faster than most people, but the speed with which that arrow crossed the distance between him and the shadowy figure in the trees was impossibly fast. It hit him squarely in the heart and all but exploded on impact. Despite the armor protecting him, the sheer force of the blow made his entire left arm go numb for a few seconds. The breath was driven from his lungs so fast that he dropped involuntarily to a knee for a second before he forced his body into motion once more. He groaned in pain as he forced his arms over the horse and clumsily pulled himself onto it behind the woman. He then set his feet into the flanks of the horse to get it moving as he reached around her to grab the reigns with his good hand. He turned back to see if the man was lining up another shot, but couldn't see him.

Despite the fact that he couldn't see the man who'd fired at them, Lucian pushed the horse for speed, despite the terrain, wanting to put as much distance between their pursuers as possible.

 

[SerenityRaine]

https://78.media.tumblr.com/5bd69df6b63ff52464eb4e75b683dbee/tumblr_nfmf8oXEYM1r0x8pno1_500.jpg

She barely had time to utter a word as she felt him lift her almost effortlessly off the ground. If she wanted to resist, she didn't have the time or strength. She moaned softly as he lifted her aching small frame over his shoulder. Her hood fell over her face more and she couldn't really see anything from under it. She instantly moved her arms around his neck a bit to hold on. She took a breath and blew a few strands of hair from her face. At this point, she was too sore and tired to do anything but hold onto him and bury her already hidden face against his neck. Her breath a bit hard and fast against his cool skin.

With each move he made, her body screamed in pain. She bit down on her lower lip to keep from making any noise. She didn't want to bring any more attention to them then they already had. She could hear the noises around her, but couldn't see a thing from under her hood. The ground crunched with each step he made and she could make out the sound of horses neighing in the near distance. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment and listened intently.

The jolt of the arrow that hit her shoulder, nearly knocked the breath from her, and she let out a shout of pain. She wasn't even sure that he noticed she was grazed by the arrow. Instinctively she grabbed her shoulder, and let go of the man. Luckily his strength kept her in his arms and he was still able to get her onto the horse. The blood trickled through her fingers as she held her injured shoulder. Unable to hold onto the horse or reigns, her body went nearly limp against him.

He may have been surprised with how easily he moved her around. From the ground to his shoulder and now onto a horse, her body moved fluidly and with a great amount of grace, even while in an intense amount of pain. Her eyes fluttered shut and everything went black....

 

[LucianDevine]

Lucian noticed immediately when the woman sitting in front of him passed out. His first instinct was to wrap his left hand around her waist, and when he moved his arm to do so he felt the surge of pain once more. He forced himself to push past it, though, because he didn't go through the trouble of saving this woman just to let her tumble off of the horse.

Despite the distance that he seemed to have put between himself and their pursuers, Lucian pushed the horse hard for the remainder of the day. Before it got too dark for the horse to safely navigate the difficult terrain, he was already looking for a place to stop for the night. He knew these woods fairly well, but given the erratic turn of events, he wasn't certain exactly where they were just then. He slowed up a bit and kept his ears tuned, and he let out a soft of relief when he heard what he was listening for, one of the many streams that cut through the forest. He turned the tired horse towards that sound and let it pick it's own path after that, knowing that it would make it's way there soon enough.

It wasn't until just then that Lucian noticed the blood on the woman's clothing. He closed his eyes for just a brief second as he remembered the first arrow that the assailant had fired. He'd thought that it had missed completely, but it had clearly grazed the woman. After recalling the incident, he opened his eyes and studied the wound as best he could. Judging by the amount of blood, the wound wasn't bad, more of a scratch than anything, but it would still need to be tended to.

The sight of the small stream was a welcome one, and as the horse neared it, Lucian reigned it to a halt. His violet eyes studied the surrounding area on both banks of it, and only when he didn't see anything out of place did he urge the horse further.

Though Lucian was in a hurry to tend to the woman's wound, he still took great care in dismounting the horse. He had to keep her supported as he did so, a task that wasn't exactly easy. He did manage it, though, and moments later he had eased her off of the horse. He let the horse go and drink from the stream as he laid the woman down a bit farther up the bank so that she wouldn't be lying on any rocks. He undid the tie that kept her hood on and pulled it away. Once it was out of the way, he got a better look at the wound, and he was relieved to see that it was in fact a minor scratch. It bled through her shirt, but only on a small portion of it. He pulled the dagger from his boot and used it to make a small cut in the fabric of her shirt just below the shoulder seem. He then carefully peeled the bloody fabric off of the wound and then slid the blade all the way down the sleeve. When he reached the end and both sides fell free he finished up by cutting that entire portion off, leaving her entire left arm bare from the shoulder down. It was then a simple task of cutting off the bloody fabric and using the rest, he folded it over itself, wrapped it over the wound, and tied it in place. It would be tight enough to stop the bleeding, but not tight enough to cut off circulation.

Lucian's last task of the night was propping the woman up against a tree so that she could sleep as comfortably as possible. He undid the clasp that held his cloak in place, pulled it off, and placed it over her. He tucked one side of it behind her good shoulder and did as much of the same to her injured shoulder as he dared. His main priority was keeping her warm, but he didn't want to aggravate the injury any further if he didn't have to. He then called the horse over and had it lay down beside her, giving her something warm to rest her good shoulder against if she chose. He sat down on the other side of her, facing back into the woods, his violet eyes constantly scanning back and forth for any signs of movement. He wasn't worried about the cold or a need to sleep. Her safety was his only concern.

 

[SerenityRaine]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9c/14/d6/9c14d69b2e9cb2aa7c5ca6609d3023ef.jpg

Serenity slept for several hours propped up against the tree. Exhaustion had set in and she was out, not from the pain of her shoulder, but from the events of the last few days. She tossed a bit in her sleep and pulled the cloak around her tighter as she tried to get comfortable and warm. Her teeth chattered a bit from the cold and she moaned as she tried to get comfortable against the tree. Reality started to set in as she remembered the events from the night. She sat up quickly and looked around a bit dazed from sleep, Serenity winced and grabbed her wounded shoulder. She closed her eyes and set back against the tree, holding her shoulder. Breathing a bit hard she finally opened her eyes and looked around.

The night was cold and silent. The only sounds she heard were the breathing of the horse beside her and the running of the water not too far off. Holding her shoulder with one hand, she tucked a few strands of hair from her eyes and behind her ear as she finally focused in on the man sitting a few feet away from her. She studied him for a few silent moments then said very quietly, almost a whisper, "Thank you." She wasn't sure if he was awake or not..... But for some reason she felt safe.

 

[LucianDevine]

Though Lucian tried to keep his focus on the trees behind tree that the woman rested against, it was impossible to keep it from the woman he now protected. His mind flooded with thoughts that he thought he'd long since put behind him. Whoever she was, she looked so much like Lena that it was unsettling. Unlike most people though, he didn't focus on the things that the two women shared in common, like the fiery red hair and the intense green eyes. No, his attention was caught by the subtle differences between them. A slight difference in the angle of her jaw or the definition of her cheek bones.

Lucian's reminiscing was interrupted several times throughout the few hours that the woman slept. The forest around them was alive with night sounds, and it was not an easy task to separate those normal sounds from the sounds of the pursuers that was likely still chasing them. The most notable interruption though, was certainly the woman's subconscious actions while she slept. It might have been a touch chilly, but between the lack of wind, her clothes, his cloak, and of course the body heat of the horse beside her, there was no logical explanation for her to be shivering that much, or for her teeth to be chattering. His violet gaze was watching her when she started awake, winced in pain, grabbed her shoulder, and collapsed back against the tree.

The woman was not a weak individual, this much Lucian knew from their frenzied escape, the determination in her eyes, and the way she'd fought through the pain of her injuries. With all of those other injuries, aches, and pains, the wound on her shoulder that was barely more than a graze from the arrow should have been almost negligible...unless...

Lucian turned away from the woman as his thoughts consumed him once more. The symptoms were the same, that much was true, but the circumstances couldn't be more different right? It wasn't possible for the past to be repeating itself, not like this.

The woman's soft words pulled Lucian out of his own head. His eyes closed briefly before finally opening and turning towards her once more. There was a softness in those eyes now, something that he was barely aware of.

"You're welcome..." Lucian started softly before hesitating. He swallowed hard once, flicked his tongue across his lips before speaking once more.

"I know you're tired and hurting, but do you think you're rested enough to keep moving? I don't know who had you captured, what they want with you, or how far they'll go to get you back..." Lucian stopped there as he turned more fully towards the woman. His hand reached down and into of the pockets of his cloak. He pulled out a limp waterskin and pushed himself slowly to his feet. He stretched for just a moment before turning to walk towards the river. His ears were still tuned as he knelt to fill the water. The moon was shining brightly down through the gap in the trees created by the river, and it's gentle light caught on the dark blue breastplate he wore and caused a gentle glint like he was just another star. It caught on his blond hair as well, cut short as many soldiers kept it. It was dusty from his time on the trail and their flight through the forest.

When the waterskin was full, he brought it back to her, but not before the moonlight revealed the mail he wore beneath the breastplate. It was of the same color, but naturally flower more freely around his muscular arms and torso, making only the faintest of sounds.

Lucian approached the woman once more and knelt down before her, offering her the waterskin, fully prepared to hold it for her so she could drink if he needed to. "There is some jerky in one of the inside pockets. I can get it for you if you need me to... " He said softly.