A Dispute on the Bank Side (Cicatrice)

[Talbot]

Fall 25, 511 AV The horse advanced in a slow, weary trot towards the edge of a bank as his rider, Talbot, struggled to maintain his balance in the saddle above. The latter swayed, his grip on the reigns faltering with every uneven stride. He hadn’t been able to sleep a wink in days; the roads from which he came from were long and hazardous, with no place safe enough to comfortably stop for some rest. The horse came to a halt once it reached its designated location, grinding its snout against Talbot’s leg when he made no move to climb off. The young man lifted his head with a start and registered his surroundings. He was a small distance away from settlement, hidden at the base of a steep hill adjacent to a river bank. With an affectionate pat to the steed's neck, Talbot dismounted and unpacked his resources. He pooled his inventory onto the ground and began to build his tent. Some time later, his temporary home had been fully assembled. He picked up the flint and steel and produced a small fire to keep his body warm in the cool weather. Safe and cosy, Talbot closed his eyes and was almost immediately enveloped in darkness.

[Cicatrice]

Cicatrice sighed, placing her tarot cards back into their holder. She hadn't had much luck in bringing in any customers today, and those who took an interest were searching for specific answers. They didn't really want to have their fortune told. Violet eyes turned towards the skyline, checking to see how much time she had left. Her mother would throw herself into a paranoid fit if she wasn't home before the sun had completely set and the city was plunged into darkness. Deciding she had a little time before she had to go home, Cicatrice set off for a walk around her city.

She rarely got time like this to herself, always finding herself so busy with taking care of her mother, or working on her lessons. A small smile found it's way to her lips, sticking close to the outskirts of the city; she didn't really want to end up walking through the slave market. It was on this particular walk that she spotted smoke drifting up from beside the river. This intrigued her; had a fire started, or was something going on just beyond the city limits? Cicatrice stole a glance at the sun, and seeing that she still had some time, decided to quickly go investigate.

She kept her steps quiet, not wanting to alert her presence to whatever it was she was approaching; just in case they weren't altogether friendly. It was strange, she had never been this far out of the city, and while she was sure nothing wild would come this close to a settlement, it still put her a little on edge. Creeping up over the grassy hill, she spotted the source of the smoke easily. A lone man and his horse had set up camp by the river. A small frown crossed her face, the man didn't look like he came from Sunberth, so he was probably unaware of just how dangerous it was out here.

She didn't try to mask her noise anymore, coming down the hill towards the riverbank. Cicatrice halted her advance only when the man's horse gave an agitated whinny, violet eyes trained on the man. He seemed to be asleep, though how someone could sleep on the ground like that, she was unsure. Her frown only deepened when she saw all of his belongings sitting out. "Its almost like you're begging to be robbed!" She exclaimed, folding her arms across her chest.

[Talbot]

The sudden outpouring of noise woke Talbot. The first thing he noticed was his items carelessly strewn about him. In his tired state, he could scarcely remember why he'd left them like that, but he supposed he'd forgotten they were there. He got up on his feet to retrieve his items, thankfully all still there, when he noticed the presence of a boy. He paid him a brief glance, taking note that he was fairly small and looked to be of no harm, before returning his attention to his items. If the boy had plans to steal anything from Talbot, he was bound to lose a hand. He'd moved his things out of sight to prevent attracting petty thieves and put out the fire. When he looked at the boy again, he was still regarding him with frown. Talbot mirrored his expression. "Is there a reason why you find me so intriguing, little one?" he said in a bitter tone.

[Cicatrice]

Cicatrice watched as the stranger went about packing up his items. His movements suggested he didn't think of her as much of a threat, which was good. She didn't want to give off the impression of danger, that would be the easiest way to provoke the man. Still, he could show a little bit of wariness. Being this comfortable out in the open around Sunberth was just plain idiotic.

Though any amount of concern she had for the man quickly disappeared as soon as the man spoke. Little one?! "I am not little, you're too tall." She hissed, an embarrassed flush coming to her cheeks. So maybe she was little; she didn't need a complete stranger pointing it out to her. Taking the few steps forward, she came right up to the man, have to crane her neck back slightly. Damn, why was he so much taller than her?

"And the reason I find you so intriguing, as you put it, is because I find your lack of thought astounding." Her tone was flat, meant to be as insulting as possible. A slim hand reached up, flicking the man in his forehead, almost not able to reach. "I mean, what was going on in your head?! You're camped outside of Sunberth with a fire going, practically calling every slaver, murderer, and thief to this spot." It was amazing that the man was still alive.

[Talbot]

Talbot's amusement with the boy's flustered response was short-lived. His face quickly took the physical manifestation of arrant rage, the muscles of his jaw squirming under the flesh, his hands curling into tight fists, and his eyes narrowing. Talbot truly looked dangerous, like a jaguar poised to strike. It took every fibre of his being not to smack the back of his head hard enough to disorient him as he listened to the little imp speak. Each word bruised his dignity; Talbot knew the boy was right, he'd practically thrown himself into harm's way. But he wasn't about to admit it. "I could say the same about you, little one," Talbot seethed, stabbing a digit into the boy's shoulder hard enough to make him wince. "Sparking off a brawl with someone much larger and stronger than you is a good way to get yourself killed."

[Cicatrice]

Cicatrice could tell she had gotten the man angry. Angry might have been an understatement, given the tenseness the man had about him now. He almost looked ready to hit her, and she wouldn't put it passed him to do it. But her annoyance was clouding her judgement at the moment. He had called her little, again, and it was starting to get to her. She didn't converse with people much, so she didn't have the heart to take an insult.

A small squeak of pain left her lips as the stranger dug a finger into her shoulder, causing her to step back slightly to relieve the pressure. Violet eyes glared sharply at the talle male, rubbing her injured shoulder. There was deffinately going to be a bruise there in the morning. And maybe a few others, considering the man seemed as though he wanted to start a fight.

"Only an idiot believes his size wins him battles." her voice was laced with venom, though she was, in her own mind, speaking truth. "And you should be thanking me for coming out here! Had you stayed asleep any longer, you'd probably be dead! Sleeping out in the middle of the wildlands; only a fool makes mistakes like that!"

[Talbot]

Talbot was slightly taken aback by the boy's stubbornness. He'd clashed heads with many people along his travels, sending most away whimpering like frightened puppies, but despite his small frame, this peculiar individual seemed to hold no fear. He was either too proud or too stupid. Again, the boy made a point of addressing his mistake, which Talbot still chose to ignore. He was getting rather tired of hearing this little, inferior brat talk about him like he didn't know what he was doing. "Keep calling me that, then we'll see who's the fool," the Kelvic hissed. "You may have the guts, but don't kid yourself to think you have the brawn to take me on."

[Cicatrice]

Cicatrice hissed softly under her breath, not enjoying how this man continually underestimated her. She may not have wanted to seem like a threat, but she could be one if she truly wanted. And this man was pushing her closer and closer to the point where she wouldn't mind giving him some physical damage. Maybe then he wouldn't take her so lightly. And be more wary of the people around the area. If she justified her actions in that she was teaching him to be more careful, then she didn't feel so adamant about hurting him.

"It's not just courage, I think that's the word your looking for." A teasing smirk crossed her face, though it didn't stay long. She didn't move away from the man; that would show fear. She'd be lying of she said she wasn't a little bit wary, but it was more for the fact that she knew if it came down to a fight, she'd probably end up getting hurt. She wasn't the biggest fan of pain, though it wasn't a though she ha never been hurt before. Training came with physical abuse.

"If you had a thought in your head you'd understand that brawn alone doesn't win fights." She was proud of herself for keeping her voice from wavering. Blame it on the Sunberth background; to show weakness was to become a target.

[Talbot]

At yet another implication of his low intelligence, Talbot's hand impulsively shot out and grasped the boy by the throat, lifting him into the air. "The only thought in my head right now is how I'm going to kill you if you don't run back home to Mummy. I'm sure she's really worried about her poor little cretin of a son, especially at this time of day." He threw the boy back a few feet away, watching as he landed painfully on his back. Talbot huffed, only realising now that he had no intention of getting the boy's blood on his hands. He was tired and grimy from long voyage, all he wanted to do was close his eyes and get some sleep, and he didn't want this troublesome brat around when he did. He hoped he'd shaken some fear into him and would send him running back to whatever hole he came from.

[Cicatrice]

Cicatrice choked as a rough hand closed around her windpipe, hands grasping on to the the man's wrist. Just from the feel, she knew she couldn't forcibly break the man's hold on her, but she was able to hold herself up enough that she could draw in breath. Now how in the world was she going to explain finger bruises, on her neck, to her paranoid mother, while still be allowed out of the house? And then the man went and actually brought up the woman, though that wasn't what had caught her attention. Cretin son?! Aw hell, again with the gender confusion.

And suddenly she was thrown back, landing hard on her back, the impact knocking the wind out of her. She'd admit, she hadn't really expected the man to be that fast. She knew she should probably pick up what was left of her pride and head home, but if there was one thing that she absolutely couldn't stand, it was when people mistook her gender; however often as it happened. Wheezing, she forced herself to sit up, taking deep breaths to try and get air back into her lungs. She hadn't noticed that her cap had fallen off.

"Really!? Do I look like a boy to you?!" Cicatrice hissed, though she paused afterwards. "...Never mind, don't answer that. I know how I look." The embarrassed flush had returned to her cheeks. She really hated how easy it was to make her blush. "...But do I honestly sound like a boy?!"