A Dispute on the Bank Side (Cicatrice)

[Talbot]

"You're not the best at taking a tent apart?" Talbot tried to hide a look of amusement. He continued, with a note of sarcasm, "That's alright, we all have our strengths and our weaknesses." Half of the tent had already been pulled down, so he did the rest on his own. Once it was deconstructed he put the components away and packed them onto his horse along with his other items. With his horse prepared for travel, he took a hold of the rope around its neck and began leading it towards the inner part of the city. He could sense the girl's anxiety to get back home, with the night starting to cloak Sunberth in its darkness. After a moment's hesitance, he put his hand to the back of her shoulder with the intention of soothing her, but this was apparently amiss with her. He felt her flinch under his touch. He sighed inwardly, letting his hand drop back to his side. He decided to take her mind off the worry with conversation. He cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable with the prospect of making things worse between them. "To answer your question, I didn't intend to come here. If you've been beyond Sunberth, you'll know that the roads can be unforgiving. I guess I was sort of pushed towards this place, in a way." He tugged the rope a little harder behind him, with the horse trying to resist moving as much as possible. "I've been travelling aimlessly for nearly three seasons now, just trying to find someplace to call home." Talbot found that he didn't really enjoy talking about his own life, so he opted to bring light to the girl's. "So, why can't you leave Sunberth?"

[Cicatrice]

Cicatrice could feel her cheeks burning brightly in embarrassment as the man took her words and turned them back on her with a sarcastic twist. She didn't like admitting that there were things she wasn't able to do. "Excuse me for never having to pitch and deconstruct a tent." She mumbled darkly, huffing and diverting her eyes away. Maybe it would have been better if she had just flat out refused to help him pack down; save herself some embarrassment. Her violet gaze drifted back to the man as she watched him pack up the rest of his items, placing it all on his horse. The poor thing looked as if it would collapse under the weight at any moment. Cicatrice gave the animal a sympathetic smile, patting the horses neck gently.

With all the items packed up and placed on the horse, the pair began their way inside of the city. Cicatrice tried her best not to stumble on the uneven terrain on the way in, but she was having a hard time seeing much in the ever growing darkness. Her lack of vision, and the heavy silence that had accumulated over them, was making her anxiety grow. The unexpected touch made her flinch, though when she realized that the man was just trying to ease her nerves, she felt rather guilty over the reaction. The silence seemed to grow thicker between them, and she was very thankful that the man began to talk. She wasn't sure she could have taken another minute of silence.

Cicatrice listened to the man's story of his travels, a soft surprise on her face as he spoke of wandering for three seasons with no where to be. She thought of a scenario if she had lost her home, and found that she probably wouldn't have been able to continue on for as long as he had. She hadn't actually been outside of Sunberth, so she didn't understand everything that he had been through, but she could empathize with the strain and hardship he had been through. She smiled lightly, laying a hand gently on his arm in a form of comfort. "It sounds like you've been through so much.." She said softly. Her hand lingered a moment on the man's arm, before she dropped it down to her side, her gaze drifting back in front of her.

"I want nothing more than to get out of this city, but there are a few things chaining me down.." She started, thinking on her answer to the man's question. "I've never left Sunberth, I don't know what to expect out beyond here in the other cities. I'm not sure if I could even survive the trip.." The girl gave a bitter laugh. "But I think the biggest reason I don't leave is because my mother can't take care of herself anymore. And it would probably shatter what little sanity she has left if I suddenly wasn't there to hold on to.." A deep sigh left the girl's lips, falling into a sad silence.

[Talbot]

Talbot softened as she placed a small hand over his arm, mirroring the way he'd attempted to comfort her earlier. At least he knew that she'd appreciated the sentiment behind the action. As they passed the main gates, Talbot honed his senses for danger. The streets were still lined with a couple of townspeople who'd refused to retire for the day, although the stars were already streaking the heavens. He could feel their gazes stick to them like glue as they passed by. Uncomfortable being within their line of sight, Talbot's hand curled around the hilt of his weapon in case they encountered any unpleasant surprises. He returned half his attention back to the girl as she spoke, listening to her make mention of her mother once again. It seemed to Talbot, who'd never understood how it felt to be close with family, that this woman was a complete and utter shrew of a mother. "I say you leave her to her demise. She clearly hates you, forcing you to take care of her and putting you in those clothes, so why don't you just up and leave?"

[Cicatrice]

It always amazed her how many people just refused to go home at night. Yes there were people who worked late into the night, but they were usually those who tried to avoid being see. The people they passed were drunk, or planning on indulging until they were. Cicatrice had never understood why people found it so fun to drink poison, cause really that's what alcohol was, until they were sick and spewing their stomach contents. It all seemed so pointless. Though she had heard once that apparently it brought feelings of elation to most.

She had let her thoughts run away from her, almost forgetting that she was meant to be leading this man to a safe place for the night. Bringing her attention back, she listened to what the man spoke, a look of shock crossing her features. He made it sound so easy! "I...I don't believe she hates me..." Why couldn't she make her voice go any louder? She reasoned it was due to the fact that she didn't believe her own words.

"Besides that...even if she does hate me...She's my mother." Cicatrice gave a tired sigh, frowning deeply. "I can't just leave her to be swallowed up by this shit hole of a city.."

[Talbot]

He laughed quietly at her eloquent choice of words, noting the way her voice didn't carry louder than a soft mumble when she denied her mother's hatred. "Well, just because she's your mother, doesn't mean she deserves an easy life at the cost of your suffering." The kelvic was insensitive to her feelings about her mother, being foreign to the power of familial bonds. "You can't choose your family, but you can choose to leave them."

[Cicatrice]

Cicatrice stopped walking, turning to face her companion, a small frown gracing her features. "...You make it sound so simple." She mumbled, her thoughts a muddled mess over her situation. It wasn't in her nature to just walk out on someone who needed her. And her mother definitely needed her...or did she? For as long as Cicatrice could remember, her mother had been this way, so she must have been able to take care of herself before Cicatrice had become her caretaker.

...So did she really need her daughter?

The girl shook her head. Those thoughts were for later, when she wasn't meant to be focused on something else. But there was a curiousness inside of her that willed itself to be satisfied. "...So what were your reasons for leaving?" She asked, breaking the silence between them.

[Talbot]

"Ever heard of a place called Denval? It's an independent city in Kalea. Long way from here. That's where I was born raised." Talbot's expression went visibly sour at the thought of his next sentence. "I left because I didn't want to work for my brother in the family trade. I know I can be better than that..." Talbot went on to string together a number of creative insults that Cicatrice may have found odd or extreme. When he was done, he sighed. "I wanted to do something more with my life than live in his shadow."

[Cicatrice]

Cicatrice gave the man a soft smile, listening to him talk about his home, far away from Sunberth. He didn't go into any vivid detail about the city, but from the snippets he did speak of it, it sounded wonderful. Though, anything would sound wonderful when you've lived in Sunberth your whole life. She didn't say anything as the man began to tell of why he left, wanting to live outside of his brother's shadow. She didn't have any siblings of her own, but judging by the colourful vocabulary he was using, the topic was a sore spot for the man. She waited for him to finish before finding her voice again. "Well, I am glad that you had the courage to step outside of the limits thrust upon you. It's not so easy as many think...I'm sure you'll find your calling, and come out his equal, or more."

[Talbot]

The two of them arrived by the designated tavern. Talbot led his horse to the stables beside the building, removing the rope from around its neck and closing it inside. When he returned to the entrance to the tavern, he addressed the girl. "Thank you," he said with a genuine smile. "You've done a lot for me in the short time I've been here. You've been a saviour, a companion, and you've been the bearer of my past. All three things I never thought I would have. And yet, I don't even know your name..."

[Cicatrice]

Cicatrice waited patiently as the man tied off his horse, feeling happier than she had in a long while. Though she knew that she had a lot of thinking to do once she got home. She wasn't looking forward to the next few days, because she'd either break and let her mom walk all over her, or everything was about to change. She would have been lying if she had said she wasn't nervous, she'd be lying. Pushing those thoughts away, she smiled brightly when the man came back out front.

The gratitude that the man expressed caught her off guard, blinking in surprise. Though she soon found her heart warming from the words he spun, her smile matching the one on his own lips. "I wouldn't call myself a savior, I didn't do much.." She interjected, rubbing the back of her neck, a flush touching her cheeks. Had she really been so rude not to give him her name? Though now that she thought of it, she didn't know his either. "And my name is Cicatrice. May I know your's?"