Open Ways to Run Away

[Bellarhy Rieade]

14th Day of Spring 514 AV

The city of Ravok was...unique to say the least. Her first opinion was to do with the weather. Wind, wind and more wind. Dry and heavy wind. Really strong wind. Wind that helped her distract the crow and allowed her to slip into the gates with relative ease. It was floating on a lake quite literally and although the city was somewhat pleasant to Rie's eyes, the people on chains were quite of some concern to her.

She hadn't had much experience with slavery, much less know about it but it was to her belief that those people were slaves. She did hope she wouldn't become one.

Shrugging her darker thoughts away, Rie thought about the benefits. First of all, she was fairly sure crime was pretty much allowed which to her, sounded amazingly great. There wasn't any others that concerned her but she didn't mind.

A heavy pressure pressed on her shoulder causing Rie to turn around and see her monkey friend situated right on her shoulder. She gave out a soft smile.

"Hey Rel," she cooed, lifting up one hand to gently pat the monkey's head. "It's a shame Ava couldn't come into the city isn't it? She's on the Lakeshore so don't worry too much,"

After the monkey seemed to have calmed down a bit, Rie let a sly smile slide on her face. Oh she did wonder what her fat nanny would be screaming right now. Probably something along the lines of where did that stupid girl go.

She was accurate though. RIe had slipped off quietly while the woman had been busy haggling away about something Rie didn't believed concerned her. Now if the woman wanted to find her, she'd have to literally push through all the people and then jump over some canals which Rie believed her incapable of doing.

She laughed lightly as she imagined this, her fat nanny attempting to waddle across the river. Unlike her as she jumped gracefully over a small canal and landed on the other side. That old hag would have fallen in the river.

Feeling the urge to suddenly do a cartwheel, Rie created momentum for herself by leaning on one foot then quickly transitioning the weight to her other while it lifted off the ground. Placing her hands on the ground, she felt a rush of air as she landed back on her feet lightly and continued walking.

If she had did that when fat nanny was around, boy would she be in so much trouble.

And what would be another thing that could get her in so much more trouble? Thievery.

The prospect of partaking in the act was extremely beckoning. Should she? Rie bit her lip as she thought. Well, she might as well.

[Johdin]

Johdin started at a run in a back alley. His legs pumped him foreward until he reached the wall. With a graceful leap he propelled himself up and grabbed onto a windowsill. Though it was difficult, he did not stop until he reached the roof of the small store on the docks. It was about two stories high and gave a great view of the surrounding area. It was there that he caught his first sight of her. Her long hair billowed as she passed by the Slavers and his catch of the day. Johdin crouched low and watched. She was coming off of a boat, so perhaps she was new? As he continued to watch, he saw her do something he hadn't seen in a while. A cartwheel. Instantly, visions of his mother came to him. Of her teaching him how to do that very same thing. What a useless thing to do here. Too conspicuous. She almost reminded him of himself. And it was that thought in mind that he did what he did. As he moved down from the roof he noticed some of the city guards and Ebonstryfe watching her. He had to move fast. Johdin bobbed and weaved in and out of the crowd and made his way behind the girl. With his cloak open and his hood down he approached behind the girl. He moved swiftly and silently behind her until he was almost on top of her. He moved up beside her and put his right arm around her shoulders. "Be quiet. And play along," he whispered urgently. "You're new here right?" His eyes bored into hers intently. "Bringing too much attention to yourself is dangerous here." Then louder he said, "Welcome back. It's good to see you again."

[Bellarhy Rieade]

14th Day of Spring 514 AV

Rie was just about to slip away towards the throng of people she spied a few ten metres away when an arm made it's way around her shoulders and dark blue eyes bore into her. Stiffening immediately, her hand immediately shoved itself into her coat onto the weapon she had no idea how to use.

"Who are you?" she asked furiously, whirling around to glare at the person who was at least a good 3 inches taller than her.

How had he sneaked up on her without her realising it?

As he began to speak, a skeptical raise of eyebrow enough to tell him that she wasn't particularly interested in what he was saying. Nonetheless as he continued on, she did listen with a deadpan expression spread on her face.

Why in Sylira would she ever listen to this person? She didn't know him much less trust him but yet...she guessed what he was saying did make sense...to some degree. But why would he be saying such a thing to her? She didn't understand...oh. Eyes flickering all about, she spotted several of the guards around averting their gazes from her to another place.

The rebellious side of Rie really wanted to go against the unknown stranger and loudly protest to him that no, she did not know him but the smarter side of her managed to un-stiffen her shoulders and plaster a sweetly fake smile onto her face. She didn't want to become some prime suspect for the guards or anything.

"Oh sorry, I didn't recognise who you were! You know me, always forgetting people's faces!" she spoke matching her previous loudness, attempting to sound surprised, all the while unwrapping herself from under his arm.

"It's great to see you too," she continued before leaning in to give him a hug and standing back again, clasping her hands onto his on the way out. "How have you been?"

As the words left her mouth, she smiled prettily up at him, her slightly glaring eyes showing her hundred questions for him, while she hooked her arm around his and tugged him into a random direction.

"Who are you? And why are you telling me these things?" she whispered harshly so only he could hear her as she glared ahead.

[Johdin]

Johdin was relieved. For a moment he feared that she would reveal him, endangering the both of them more than what she had. But he relaxed immensely once she began to play along. He allowed his arm to drop when she moved, realizing that it must be making her uncomfortable. At first, he began to shy away, ashamed for being so forward with the girl. Johdin was a gentleman at heart, and didn't want to seem impolite. Which was why his face reacted so surprised when she hugged him and grasped his hand. This turn of events made him stiffen slightly again. His muscles hardening beneath his clothes as he looked down at her. The romantic in him began to admire the beauty of the girl. Her lithe frame and gentle features. To Johdin, she was very beautiful. A feature amplified greatly when she smiled at him. For a moment, he forgot. Forgot that he was here to help her. To keep her from ending up dead, a slave, or worse, in some Ebonstryfe testing chamber. His delusions of romance were quickly shattered by her final question. The true seriousness of the situation returning to him. "I'm no one but a vagrant here. My name isn't important. But I'm helping you, because it would be a shame to see such a pretty girl in shackles."

[Bellarhy Rieade]

14th Day of Spring 514 AV

Rie rolled her eyes at the young man who she saw was practically gawking at her. Her exasperation was no less amplified when he finally responded.

Fluttering her eyes upwards, she opened her mouth and spoke softly in a sweet tone, not particularly caring if what she was saying could be considered rude or not.

"First of all, I'm not about to call you 'no one but a vagrant here'; that's a tad long for my tongue. Second of all, I don't get why I need helping. Tell me and I might listen. Thirdly, why would I ever be in shackles? And lastly, I know I'm pretty but if you're pretending like you know me well enough to put your arm around my shoulders, there's no need to gawk as if you don't know me. It's not like I'm gawking at you,"

Smiling up at the random stranger, as she had decided to call him judging from the fact she had no name to call him, she decided to wait patiently for his answer until a faint robust voice that sounded vaguely familiar reached her ears.

Stiffening slightly, she allowed herself to look backwards slightly and saw her lovely old hag guardian that she thought she had left behind at the port calling 'Bellarhy' really loudly into the crowd of people.

Thank the gods, this person didn't know her name. Turning back after a few seconds to look up at the nameless person, she smiled somewhat freakishly, tilting her head up at him and started to drag him with an urgency of a chicken trying to get out of the way of a stampeding cow.

"My name's Riea for future reference! Let's get away from this random person screaming a name shall we? Don't want to draw any attention right?" she said cheerfully, her facial expression telling a completely different story. She had decided a few chimes ago when she first escaped that saying her name was her surname would be better than her actual name.

Mentally wondering where Rel went, her eyes darted back and forth, looking for a place that seemed obscure.

There!

Spying a place that she thought her fat nanny would never go into, she flashed a quick smile up at random stranger before her serious expression melded it's way onto her face and she resumed dragging him with her towards the spot.

She didn't even know why she was dragging him...maybe she just was because he seemed like he knew Ravoc quite well. That seemed like a reasonable reason.

[Johdin]

Johdin listened until the girl was done asking her questions. A small blush crept onto his otherwise serious face as she made her statement about him 'gawking'. The blush went away about as quickly as it came when she made that last statement about 'her not gawking at him'. He was just about to speak when his train of thought was interrupted by a very loud individual behind him. He turned around the same time his walking partner did to see the woman, franticly shouting a name. Beverly, was it? Johdin didn't know. But what he did know, was the reaction the young girl beside him had. He was eyeing her quizzically when she began to drag him toward one of the odd shops around the Docks. Her odd expressions and statements, as well her sudden urgency to get out of the area only confirmed Johdins suspicions. This girl, Riea, knows that screaming woman. Instead of going inside the store, Johdin took the lead and took them around behind it, into the alley. As they passed into the alley, Johdin decided that if he wanted this girl to trust him, he would have to give a little. "Call me Johdin." he said reluctantly. The thief pulled up the hood of his cloak and peered out the alley. The screaming woman had stopped just outside the alley, looking around and yelling that same name, over and over. "This city is beautiful. But with all its outer beauty, there is evil, and darkness here. Like an apple. Shiny and ripe on the outside, but rotten and decayed within," Johdin began his explanation with a dark, ominous tone. "Ravok is ruled by the Ebonstryfe. A nefarious organization that enforces the law yet has no respect for it. Citizens are granted full protection by the Ebonstryfe. While non-citizens, if they aren't careful, are killed, enslaved, or worse. I am helping you because I am a gentleman, and a friend. And if you want to survive, you will want as many friends here as you can get." Johdin stopped for a moment, made eye contact with Riea, then turned back to the screaming woman outside the alley. "Too much of a disturbance, will result in intervention by the Ebonstryfe." His words were heavy and meaningful. If she knows this woman, and cares about her in anyway, she will go out there and save her. Johdin turned his gaze back to the girl. His deep, oceanic eyes peering into hers.

[Bellarhy Rieade]

14th Day of Spring 514 AV

Rie suppressed her slight annoyance at being dragged instead of to her destination to an alley. She wasn't sure if her lovely guardian wouldn't go into an alley or not. If she didn't, she would be just fine but if she was, well, Rie was toast. Burnt to a crisp and fried alive into a very much juicy piece of meat ready to be eaten by cannibals.

She knew that she certainly didn't want to latter outcome to occur and thus hid herself behind the young man whose name she still didn't know. At the very least he was taller than her which provided her some sort of coverage from the woman's laser vision.

As deep into her own thoughts as she was, she lifted her head abruptly to the stranger's, whom she now knew as Johdin, voice telling her that his name was...well Johdin. She'd never heard of that name before...but then again, there was a lot of things she didn't know. She'd admit that much.

She ducked her head once more as the resonating sound of her actual name bounced about the alley way. The only thing she was thinking of was how to escape the constant sound that made her feel as if her insides could turn to mush.

It was due to this, she immediately stuffed her personal thoughts and concentrated intensely on the words of Johdin. She escaped didn't she? She wasn't about to fill her head with useless fear that was the only reason why she had wanted to leave in the first place (although confinement and boredom certainly played their part too).

"You know, you're tone isn't fooling anyone," she said, her expression melding into an unimpressed look.

However, as he continued, she heeded his words and felt slightly scared from his description. She didn't let it show on her face though. She knew she was careful when she needed to be. She was smart.

"Glad you're my friend then," Her voice was casual, giving off a sense that she wasn't particularly bothered by his words although the truth was a bit more on the reverse side.

She held his gaze when he turned to make eye contact and followed it when he looked at her former guardian.

"Too much of a disturbance, will result in intervention by the Ebonstryfe."

The words echoed in her head and she couldn't help but stare at the woman as Johdin's eyes returned to stare at her. She knew he was basically telling her the woman would get killed, enslaved or worse if she continued the way she was.

Frankly, she didn't particularly care about what happened to the woman so thus, staying put was her favoured option. Yet at the same time, she did feel a slight hesitation at her quick decision. The woman was the one who had cared for her after her parents died.

But still...

It didn't change the fact her caring skills weren't good at all. Resentment began to flare in her eyes, turning them stone hard. Rie turned her gaze back to Johdin.

"If you're indirectly asking me whether I know that woman or care about her, don't bother. I do know her nor do I care about. To be perfectly honest, I'd be much happier if she was in a place that I knew I would never see her fat and ugly face again," she said, her voice a picture of cold steel.

She was then about to whirl away to goodness knows where when a cold feeling echoed it's appearance behind her, sending shivers up her spine.

Oh great.

She was sooooo loving the way this day was turning out.

OOCSorry about the extreme delay in posting I was busy for the previous round about 3 weeks. Also, the cold feeling is my NPC ghost. You can make him do whatever if you want actions wise, he's fairly unpredictable