Open Who Goes There?

[Lexa Maze]

4th Day of Spring, 513 AV “Haa~” Lexa yelled as her fist hit the open air. Her moves were swift and powerful. She ducked under the blow of an imaginary opponent and then stepped to the side to deliver a low kick followed by a higher aimed for the centre of her imaginary foe’s face. Pivoting on her heel she faced the other direction and blocked her next invisible foe‘s strikes retaliating with a couple of quick open hand jabs. She ducked and yelled and spined, striking with enough ferocity to ward off a bear. Her heart was racing and her breaths were short and ragged, and her face was a mask of focus and plain exhaustion. She was so tired she ended up stumbling as her knees buckled. She stopped for a second to retie the fabric she had wrapped around her fists, then went on punching, only to find out she was at her limit. She hadn't have a break in a long time, hours and hours. She wasn't quite sure why she still did this to herself, after all, she had nobody to please but herself. Maybe it was just the simple truth that this was the only thing she knew. Lexa stilled herself, and calmed her breathing which was not an easy task. She wore a white tunic that had been cut at the belly button, and a pair of baggy brown trousers. She was about to continue again but something made her stop. "Who's there?" She said into the tree's, looking around with narrowed eyes. She had felt someone's eyes on her, she was sure of it. Could it be a threat? Lexa closed her fists and waited, guard up. Sweat ran down her forehead and she feared she may not have the strength to confront anyone who meant her harm, be it a bandit or a monster, she was so worn out she felt she could fall over at any given second.

[Hallina lec Talu]

Hallie jumped at the voice. She hadn't expected the girl to notice her; almost no one could spot her when she was in this form. Be it sixth sense or some other sinister method, the stranger had caught her watching, and this made Hallie nervous. Hallie scurried quickly from her branch and darted into the forest.
Even as she hopped her way back to her campsite (and her trusty shortsword- just in case) she couldn't help but admire the strange fighter's build and strength. This girl is a force to be reckoned with, Hallie thought to herself.

[Lexa Maze]

There was no reply. Instead, out of the corner of her eye she saw a furry animal leap out of sight. It was just a critter, no threat. Paranoia is getting the better of me out here she thought to herself. Lexa sighed with relief, and let herself fall onto the soft grass below her, exhausted. She swatted at the beads of sweat that had collected on her forehead and closed her eyes. After about thirty seconds, she opened them again, and began to unwrap her fists. She decided that was enough for today, she would need her strength to keep traveling tomorrow. As she lay there, she wondered what her destination would be like. Zeltiva. She hadn't heard much about it, other than its renowned university. That could be fun she though maybe I could learn something there. She sighed, not quite knowing what to do with herself now that training was over with. She sat upright, and untied her hair, letting it fall about her face like a curtain. It was getting longer. She thought maybe she should cut it eventually. "I wonder if something interesting will happen today." She thought aloud, looking ever so bored. Suddenly she felt her stomach growling. Shyke, it's lunchtime and I didn't eat breakfast. Lexa thought. Her arms and legs ached, but she stood up again anyway. She had camped here in the first place because there had been an apple tree near by. She walked over to said tree and stood on her tiptoes to reach for one. Sometimes her height was frustrating. Lexa ended up having to jump up and swat at one until it fell into her arms. But when she bit into it it was worth the effort. Lexa enjoyed the juicy fruit so much she had to grab a whole lot down, saving some and putting them in her pack for later. With that, Lexa sat on the ground again, and ate in silence.

[Hallina lec Talu]

Hallie was anxious. She wasn't as worried about the stranger she had seen now that she had dressed and armed herself, but still her blood boiled. The wildlands are a dangerous place, after all, Hallie reassured herself. But it wasn't worth much. She contemplated what she would do once she had found her way out of the deep forest. Maybe she would see the big city, although she wasn't sure what she would do once she got there.
The idea struck Hallie suddenly that maybe she should have come up with a plan before gallivanting into one of the most dangerous parts of the world alone. Hallie felt a small chill as she realized that maybe, just maybe leaving home wasn't such a good idea after all. For the first time in years, Hallie felt lonely.

[Lexa Maze]

Once Lexa was full, and happy, she decided to take a look around to see if she coulf forage any more food. Of course she took her katana with her, and strapped it across her back. She walked slowly through the undergrowth, but the trees here didn't look like they boar any fruit. After minutes of fruitless (ha ha) walking, Lexa found herself bored again. Maybe it was time to set off again soon... Finally she stumbled into what looked like a small clearing... and a camp... and a stranger. Whoops. She had caught the girl looking miserable before Lexa had accidentally walked into where she was camped "Sorry to bother you. I was just taking a walk. Have you seen any fruit trees around?" Lexa said, not really know how to respond to the unhappy look on the girls face.

[Hallina lec Talu]

"Ahh, uhh..." Hallie stumbled over her tongue. Surprises abound with this stranger. Not only had the other girl caught her watching in her animal form, she had also sought her out.
Intriguing!
"Yeah! I saw lots of fruit trees. We're in a small grove of them actually, but they can be a bit hard to see among the branches if you don't know exactly where to look. There's a couple there and there," Hallie pointed out a couple of trees with slightly drooping branches,"But I also gathered a lot already, far more than I could possibly eat before they rot."
Hallie settled herself onto the mossy forest floor next to her pack and grabbed a fruit off a small pile for herself. But before she took a bite, she thought to mention, "Don't eat too many, though. These fruit are all sugar and fiber, no good for traveling."
She smiled to herself. With another person around, Hallie didn't feel so bad anymore.

[Lexa Maze]

As Lexa looked closer at the girl, she noted her appearance. First of all, she was shorter than Lexa, that was a first. Her hair was short and deep red. It was the colour of fall, and surprisingly close to that distinctive red fur she had seen on the animal. Something about the girl made Lexa feel she should be gentle with her Anyway, she told Lexa where the tree's were. Lexa even gave her a rare smile and thanked her. She was in a good mood, and this girl who Lexa just naturally assumed she was younger than herself, made her feel like she should play nice. The girl had seemed to cheer up now. Lexa felt good about that fact. She had cheered someone up. This was defiantly a first. But Lexa still hadn't said anything. "Well, if you have too many maybe we could share. My name is Lexa, what's yours?" She said walking slightly trying not to be threatening. Lexa wondered if this girl was all alone. Maybe she was stronger than she looked, but Lexa thought she shouldn't really be out here by herself "Are you going anywhere specific?" She asked her, then to reassure her she added "I'm headed to Zeltiva."

[Hallina lec Talu]

"My name's Hallina, but you can call me Hallie." She took a bite of the fruit. "I'm not sure where I'm going. Have you ever been to Zeltiva before?"
The question was a clever ruse in Hallie's opinion. Here already she was about to learn something new, but if she played her cards right, this other girl might believe Hallie knows more than she does about the world. For what purpose this would serve, Hallie wasn't sure, but she knew it would probably become important sometime in the near future. Surely. Probably...?

[Lexa Maze]

Hallie. It was a cute name. Fitting of her character, or of what Lexa had seen of it. The girl asked her if she'd been to Zeltiva before. "Nope. I've heard a lot about it, but its completely new." She wondered if Hallie had "Have you been there Hallie?" She asked She thought a while and then decided that it would be okay to say this "You know, it is a little dangerous out here, do you know how to protect yourself?" this would come off as concern. Really Lexa was just wondering if she was strong or not. She looked so tiny. Maybe she was the type who was good at flight rather than fight.

[Hallina lec Talu]

Uh Oh.
"Ah... no. No I haven't been to Zeltiva." It was worth a shot, Hallie thought to herself.
She carefully considered Lexa's second question before answering. Making herself sound well-traveled was a bust, so maybe confidence was the way to go. But, Hallie wasn't confident, not in the least, and her acting skills weren't that good.
Wait. What do I care what a complete stranger thinks of me? I may not be big, but I am definitely confident.
"I'm perfectly safe out here. I know my way around a tree or two, you can take my word for it. And besides, I could ask the same question of you! Are you able to fend for yourself if you get attacked?"
Ohhh. That was a bad question, and Hallie was already regretting it. Hallie wondered if the gods would be ashamed of her if she called it quits and ran for it. But no, Lexa was already answering. She kept a confident face, deciding that she would deal with the consequences of her mistake in stride.