Completed [Sukina Geysers]Stalker...or escort?

[Raven Nightfoot]

31st of Summer, 509AV The sun shon brightly, it's golden rays lighting up the cloudless blue sky on another warm summer day. The beams broke through the forest canopy, countless pillars of light which only served to make the lush green wilderness seem even more enchanting than it already was. Birds could be heard singing in the trees and in the open sky above, accompanied by the peaceful rustling of the leaves in the gentle summer breeze. Raven could barely believe it, she had FINALLY convinced her family to let her leave Syliras on her first lone adventure. She had been nagging for years, but even though she was a young woman now they had refused...until today. She couldn't believe that after years of begging and refusing any escorts they had allowed her to go so calmly, it was as if something had instantly put their minds at ease. She couldn't help but be grateful to them for finally allowing her some independence, she was ninteneed for goodness sake, a grown woman, old enough to be married with kids even, not that she planned on doing that anytime soon. Besides, she had already moved into her own apartment in Stormhold Castle, it wasn't like she still lived with them, but since her parents were retired from decades of servitude to The Knights, they were highly respected by the younger members and that was where the problem was. Even though she hardly saw her parents, their influence insured that they still controlled her life with a very protective grip. Knights everywhere recognized her as the daughter of the respected Nig htfoot Knights and so everyone felt the need to look out for her, which was very restricting. Now, with her new-found freedom, Raven had set out for the Sukina Geysers, she had heard that they were an amazing sight and were not too far out of Syliras, so she decided they would be the perfect destination for her first venture out into the real world. Her black whip was coiled up and latched to her side, it bumped against her as she walked, hips swaying as she made her way through the wilderness just outside of Syliras. She wore her usual attire, tight black leather pants with matching boots and corset and her lips blood red, her amber eyes taking in her surroundings curiously. It had only been about a bell since she'd left, the day was still young and she had a long way to go, but she didn't mind at all. "So this is what it's like to have piece and quiet." she said to herself thoughtfully as she enjoyed the feeling of being alone.

[Markus Andres]

There was a lone figure trecking through the wilderness behind the girl or woman in question, Markus did not know her age nor did he actually care that much. It was a petching nightmare following her. He wore a backpack with the basic survival gear. A wooden shield graciously lent to him by the knights was strapped over the backpack. He was even carrying a petching tent on his back. It was a beaten and battered wooden shield, but hey, better it than Markus' arm. On his left hip he bore the good ol' Bastard, a name the blade would not be given for another four years. He also carried a quiver with a dozen arrows in it and a composite shortbow all borrowed from the knight's armoury. To claim that the squire was in a good mood would be to spit in the face of Tyveth, for the squire had done little more than grumble all the time he had been tracking the bird-named girl. Rarely did the girl get farther than a couple hundred meters ahead and she did not seem to make a fuss about hiding herself, so it was easy enough that even a completely inexperienced tracker like Markus could follow the woman. "Markus, go track that woman. You are to remain hidden, even though you're a six foot tall and 200 pounds heavy squire wearing protective armour. Easiest job in the world, ser. I'll just don my invisibility cloak and ..." Markus grumbled under his breath as he did his darnest not to step on any fallen branches or slip and fall. Would be excellent if he failed his assignment by being a clumsy fool. The armour her wore was of the lighter kind, mostly just plate and leather mixed together to form a cohesive protection for the squire. Problem was, although it was quieter and much lighter than the plate armour, it was not any less hot. The few glimpsed he had seen of the woman, she had worn considerably less clothes than him, that observation had given him a considerable amount of energy and desire to continue the assignment. Worst part was, how was he to protect her if he had to trail her at a distance and not be discovered. Not like he could suddenly sprint the several hundred feet before she had been horribly mauled by some starved creature. Nonsensical assignment. Markus sighed and continued undeterred. Sooner or later this girl ought to get tired and sit down and take a break. Then think that it was high time she returned home and Markus could be back inside the walls again. But as the chimes turned into the first bell, Markus realized that this girl was walking a little too direct path for someone just walking around without a goal. Though the only thing in this direction would be the... Geysers? "Petch my life..." He mumbled and shook his head. Markus' longer legs must have meant he had caught up to Raven, for suddenly she was within fifty meters or so and Markus looked startled before he darted for cover behind a particularly thick ... tree. Petched if he knew what sort of tree it was, all he knew was that he had stepped on something that had snapped rather loudly. 'It was just a deer stepping on a branch, Raven, carry on like you're still alone. All alone. No squire ordered to protect you hiding behind this tree. Markus thought as he stood very still, only the light breathing indicating that he was there.

[Raven Nightfoot]

Raven had been calmly walking through the peaceful wilderness uninterrupted for quite some time before she'd heard the loud snap of a branch coming from somewhere behind her. She turned around calmly, amber eyes examining the forest floor for anything that looked as if it could be a threat to her, the contrast between the shade and the spots of light where the sun shone through the holes in the canopy made it more difficult to spot anything and after about a chime Raven decided it must have been a deer or some other harmless woodland creature. She spun around and returned to her walking, completely calm and assured of her solitude, her hips swaying carelessly as she walked. Every now and then she would absent mindedly reach for her whip to make sure it was still there at her side, which it was, she was calm but she was not naïve enough to think that she was completely safe out in the wilderness by herself. By noon, the temperature had risen to a rather uncomfortable degree while in the shade below the forest canopy it was getting increasingly humid. Small beads of sweat slid down the back of Raven's neck as the heat rose, strands of her dark hair sticking to her skin. "Maybe exploring in the heart of summer wasn't the greatest idea." she told herself as she walked on, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She reached for her water skin in her pack drawing it out and taking a swig, the cool liquid quenched her thirst like rain in the desert. Another bell passed and the heat was unrelenting, the forest air had become even more humid, making a simple task like breathing more difficult. Raven reached once again for her waterskin and took a swig, but, to her dismay, only a small trickle of the precious liquid streamed into her mouth. "Well, that's...not good." she told herself with a loud sigh. Some more time passed and Raven could endure the heat no more, her throat was dry and her hair clung to her skin as she heaved on through the heat of the forest. Luckily for Raven, only moments after, her ears were greeted with a very welcome sound, the sound of running water. Nearby, somewhere, there was a stream, Raven looked around eagerly for any sign of it, slowly making her way in the direction of the sound. As she followed the sound it began to get louder and louder and sure enough there was a river, only a few meters thick and the current looked calm enough. Raven couldn't believe her luck, only a moment ago she'd been dying of thirst and now she'd been blessed with this stream of the heavenly liquid. She knelt down beside the running water and splashed her face with it, cupping her hands and drinking from them. As refreshed as she already was, she was still sweaty and dying of heat and so she decided to go for a cool swim. Slowly Raven removed her clothes, first her tight black leather corset, which required her to wear no upper undergarments and then her boots and leather pants, leaving her in only her lower undergarments. She kept her back to the forest the entire time as she slowly waded into the cold river, the cool water washing away the sweat and heat. She stopped near the center of the river, the water now reaching just above her bust, slowly she submerged her entire body for a few seconds before resurfacing. She pulled her now wet hair our of her face and relaxed in silence as she enjoyed the refreshing feeling of the river on her bare skin.

[Markus Andres]

Markus was surprised to find that his heart had begun to pump faster and he was actually excited whether she would catch him or not. For a chime or two he stood there. Back against the wall, too afraid to peek over the edge to see if she were still there. If she was still trying to find the source of the sound. As the seconds ticked away and Markus started worrying if he was perhaps waiting for too long. What if she had not turned at all? She would be moving out of sight and he would lose her into the forest. He had to risk it, or he'd fail the assignment because he had lost the woman in the wilderness. He could just imagine the look on his master's face. Bitter disapproval. Markus took a deep breath and peeked out from the tree to where she had been standing. Saw nothing. She had moved on. "Petch." He spat as he moved out from the cover, eyes darting around, looking for any signs of the woman. She could not have gone far he concluded. He immediately started moving in the direction she had been standing. His longer legs could cover a larger distance... But he had to remain stealthy enough to not be notice. Risk vs reward. More important that she was kept safe than he remained concealed. With determination he set a high pace, trying to catch up to the woman before she were irrevocably lost to him. His eyes shifted between the ground and between the trees. Looking for clues as to her whereabouts. Markus did not consider himself a great tracker, his greatest accomplishment thus far had been tracking down a sock he had lost one of the days (it had been found under the bed), so he did not really rely on any tracks he found on the ground. Not that he was confident that he could even read them should he spot one. "No no no no... She can't be gone... Wysar guide my path." The whispered under his breath as the growing panic set in. His pace quickened and his head darted around. Trying to look for natural paths she might have taken or anything that might indicate her whereabouts. No howls of a confirmed kill in the air, so she ought still be alive and when Markus made it up a small hill and got a little further range, he saw the figure moving between the trees. Recognizing the black hair, the attire. Markus' racing heart eased and he let out a relieved sigh. Crisis averted and Markus fell into routine. Maintain a distance where he could move to cover should she stop. Much time passed with this, her occasionally stopping for a drink of water, Markus using the occasion to do likewise as Syna baked the duo under the canopy. Time passed slowly this way. Markus saw the woman stop up, her head spinning as if she was looking for something. Markus was quick to move behind the nearest tree and peek his head out curiously. Had he stepped on something again? But no, she moved slowly, yet oddly determined in a direction. Her pace quickened and Markus followed warily. Only when he came closer did he hear the occasion. He sneaked closer to her when she drank from the water and splashed it in her face. This was the first time he had gotten close enough to actually appreciate her female features and it was hard not to appreciate them. Especially with her leaning forward to drink from the water. He felt a little guilt at spying on her like that, but he could in good conscious just say it was his duty. Markus could only look on amazed as the mesmerizing woman started undressing. Revealing more and more of her delicious body. Piece by piece removed and he stood there, staring - forgiving his master for this previously disliked assignment and a mischievous side of him contemplated hiding her clothes, but then she would undoubtedly see him. So he stayed in his hiding place watching her slowly descend into the water, hiding more of her body for each step. Until her entire body was submerged. His eyes staring eagerly for her to reappear and he was not disappointed when she did. Syna's rays catching her as she emerged. He had to move closer. He simply had to. Moving to a tree closer to the shoreline. Had to see her when she turned to the shore again. See everything.

[Raven Nightfoot]

Raven relaxed in the cool refreshing water for a few chimes when an uneasy feeling washed over her, as if she was being watched. She had no proof to warrant this feeling of paranoia but it was too heavy for her to ignore, female intuition perhaps. Her bright amber eyes scanned the surrounding area calmly, if she was being watched she didn't want to alert the creep that she was weary, especially while she was naked and mostly helpless. Although she seemed calm a nervousness was igniting within her and now she was almost certain she wasn't alone, could this be the same thing that had made that the loud noise earlier in the day? She hoped not, the thought of someone or something following her for that long made her all the more uncomfortable, because that would mean whatever it was, was determined. Slowly she made her way out of the river, using one arm to casually cover her chest, or...as much of it as she could, as she made her way over to where her clothes had been unceremoniously abandoned. First she took her pants with her free hand and turned to face the river again as she slid them on, her body still wet, it made sense that if anything had been following her, it would be on the side of the river she had come from. Once her pants were on she reached over and pulled on her boots and finally her corset. Once she was done getting dressed she refilled her waterskin and slid it into her pack. Her dip in the lake had washed away all the sweat and cooled her down completely, infact she was feeling a bit cold now. After she'd gathered all her belongings and was ready to get back to her travels she made her way back in the direction where she'd first heard the river, calmly walking until she passed a rather large bush. The moment she was behind the bus she crouched and went into full stealth mode, making sure not to step on anything that would make a noise. Was she going to find and confront her stalker, if there even was one, or should she just disappear? She could stealthily make her way back home...no that wasn't her option, imagine coming home without completing her adventure, it would only re-enforce her parents ideal of it not being safe for their daughter to go anywhere unaccompanied. So confrontation was the best option. Now that she'd decided on how she'd approach her problem she had to find the creep, if there was one. Having seemingly disappeared behind the bushes she snuck cautiously to the cover of the closest tree, repeating over and over again, every time she hid behind at tree she'd poke her head out and scan the area until finally she saw the edge of something wooden looking hidden behind a tree nearby the river. Slowly she snuck around until she was behind the peculiar object and saw now that what she had seen was a battered looking wooden shield strapped to someone's back, the shield blocked most of the person from view leaving only his, yes a man, legs and a weapon hanging from his side. She snuck closer until the creep was only about ten feet from her and stepped out from her hiding spot. From her new closer position she could see that the man was actually quite massive, causing her to take a precautionary step back as a pang of panic ran through her. She took a quiet breath as she straightened up deciding to stand her ground and confront her stalker. Her arms crossed before she spoke, her amber eyes watching the man cautiously, "Why are you stalking me?" she asked assertively. It was time for her to prove to her parents that she could look after herself.

[Markus Andres]

Markus shortly contemplated whether the act of spying upon a lady as she was bathing nude in the river was in a way dishonourable or against the tenants of the knighthood. For obvious reasons he tried justifying his action with it being duty and naturally he had to be ready to step in should she be drowning. With a firm nod he had convinced himself that it was for the sake of duty that he was standing there, hidden behind a tree looking at a rather attractive, oh who was he kidding, a smashing hot lady bathe naked. He could feel his heart beat faster when she turned around. Markus' mind was too preoccupied with the view to notice if her behaviour was off, from his point of view, nothing was wrong. Rather the opposite. It was good to be a squire. There was few details he overlooked as she got dressed. Getting a full view of Raven. But unfortunately things were not to last and soon she were completely dressed and soon thereafter she was backtracking a little and Markus remained in hiding. Following her straight away would be a foolish endeavour as she might turn about if she thought she had either forgotten something or if she heard him. Best to give her half a chime head start and then follow after her. Perhaps use the time to refill his own waterskin. As the time ticked away and she patiently awaited the woman getting some distance between them. He suddenly noticed that she was very much gone. He had kept an eye on her and looked briefly away and now she were gone. Had she gone back to the lake? He peeked out from the tree and saw that the water was still somewhat undisturbed. Something perked his ears and he felt as if they had picked up something behind him and he felt a shiver go down his spine. His right hand instinctively moved straight down to his sword as he turned. But before he had turned to see who had snuck up on him, he heard the female voice and upon turning to see her he realized that he was very much busted. A stunned sheepish look appeared on his face. This woman was amazingly beautiful. Her clothes, luring his eyes to peek at the exposed skin. Her amber eyes looking at him hard, but with a hint of caution or perhaps panic? Markus raised to his full height and looked back at her, trying to fake a smile but only a grimace appeared as the thinly veiled frustration manifested itself. "Right... Stalking. If I was a stalker, would I have followed you through a dozen of miles of wilderness, just to watch you bathe naked - thank you by the way, you look amazing - And not seize the opportunity?... I am a squire assigned to protect you and was it not for your skinny dipping, this would be one of the dullest assignments I've ever had." Markus was not worried if she should take offence. He was carrying out orders on behalf of the knights and he could hide behind those all day if needed be. Her parents might take offence that he had seen their daughter naked, still, duty was duty. What amazed him the most, aside from her looks, was that she had managed to sneak up on him with such ease.

[Raven Nightfoot]

Raven couldn't believe what was happening, blinked a few times to make sure it wasn't all just a huge nightmare, but unfortunately it was all too real. "WHAT?? Your from the knights, that's way worse!" she said in disbelief, anger evident in her voice. She would honestly have preferred it if he had been a stalker, that would have been far less painful than facing her parents betrayal, it slammed into her like a massive wave, followed by rage. She was breathing heavily now, trying to calm down, "And as if that's not bad enough they sent a petching pig!" she shouted at him, hands balled into fists now. This man wasn't even pretending to be sorry that he'd been watching her bathe, the pervert, his attitude only made things worse. Raven had no ideas about what to do now, she felt dizzy from the anger, she wanted to hit something, beat the anger out of herself but she knew that never worked. Her hands were at either side of her head as if to prevent it from splitting open, she had to calm down, there was no point in being angry now, it wouldn't accomplish anything. She turned her back to the large squire, taking slow deep breaths until her anger had died down to annoyance and then she turned to face him again, a devious plan to turn this back on her parents already forming in her head. "I don't need your protection." she said firmly, her arms crossed again. "BUT...we both know you aren't going to allow me to go alone, so here's how it's going to go, pervert." she emphasised the last word to make sure that he knew what she thought of him. Finally her glare turned to a mischievous smirk, "I'm still going to The Sukina Geysers and I will allow you to continue to follow me...from a distance. BUT, when we return, you WILL report that your assignment was successful and that I had no idea you were following me AND that I was more than capable of travelling on my own...OR...I'll just have to 'report' how you violated me so grossly." Her expression was now confident, her usual sultry smirk adorning her face, she was quite proud of her plan, she doubted he had any choice but to comply. With her new plan she would use her parents betrayal to turn the tables, surely they'd have to trust her if their escort reported that she was capable. Raven's mood had switched completely now, instead of angry and annoyed she was feeling rather happy and confident in the change of events. "You should get some water, your no use to me if you die of dehydration." she said dismissively as she went to lean against the trunk of a nearby tree, watching him expectantly. It was only now that she had calmed down that she took the time to take in his appearance, he was massive and well built, broad shoulders and large arms, he towered over her like a pillar of muscle. His dark blonde hair suited him, unfortunately, in the dim light of the forest she couldn't quite make out the colour of his eyes, but regardless of that this man was quite handsome. She sighed wondering what he looked like beneath his armour, curious as to exactly how muscled his body was. "Perhaps you should take a dip in the lake yourself, it was exceptionally refreshing." she said suggestively, after all it only seemed fair that she be allowed to look at him in return.

[Markus Andres]

Markus let patience temper his anger at her insulting him like that, let him stay his hand and not backhand her across the forest floor for such disrespectful words to a man of duty. His teeth were bitten together and his breath a little harder. But a part of him, perhaps the training his master had put him through in the years he had served under him, meant Markus had finally developed a bit of tolerance for disrespectful people. A thicker skin. Or perhaps it was her beauty that allowed him to tolerate her insults. He could understand her anger, not at being peeked at, Markus had absolutely zero qualms about being naked - But rather the deceit of him following her. So he took the verbal abuse with a somewhat calm exterior. Markus nodded when she mentioned the geysers, so his guess had been correct - unfortunately. Though he could follow her logic, he could not lie, not to her and he could not follow her request and lie to his superiors when returning. Which meant he had to take a confrontation with her here. His brow raised when she said he violated her. That alone spurred him into action. "That won't happen. I am not a dishonest man, so I can't and I won't lie because it suits your needs..." Markus said openly without hesitation. "And if you have to report that I did my duty and made sure you were safe, then feel free to do so, but-" Markus said with a raised hand to stop any protests from the mesmerizing young lady. "Consider this. I am a big guy, stealthy is not the word I would use to describe me. Would it not put you in a better light if you were capable of finding out if someone was shadowing you and confronted that person successfully? Prove to them you are capable through your actions, not through nothing happening." Markus argued to her logical side and so he might avoid a situation where he was forced into lying to his superiors, even though he found it hard to think he would do that. Tyveth strike him down if he tried. Markus' ability to convincingly argue was hampered by her stunning looks. Having seen her naked did little to help his brain move over the hurdle and when she got that sultry look on her face, Markus just about lost it. The sudden shift in her mood caught him by surprise and the almost sweet remark that he should get something to drink seemed almost unreal to him. The way she went over his armoured body with her eyes had him feel like a horse at a market, being appraised. Markus understood her parents a lot better now, their protectiveness. A woman like Raven, beautiful and well-shaped body was more than enough of a lure for lesser men and their foul temptations. But the mind behind that delicate body, the sultry look spawned foul thoughts in Markus' mind. The suggestive remark had him stunned. Nudity was not the problem. But that she asked for it, although indirectly and the prospect involved with her. "I... Sure could use a bath. Syna has been scorching me all day-" Markus moved towards the edge of the water with a strange determination and although the armour felt a little restricting in areas because of the alluring woman, his movement was swift. The backpack and bow was placed against a tree. Quiver as well. He placed the shield with the inside up. Markus first order of business was to remove the tunic and placed it carefully on the shield so it did not touch the ground. The mail was removed and placed on top of the tunic and Markus only wore a simple black shirt underneath. It too was removed and finally his upper body was naked and Markus looked at the water. Would be good to get a moment of refreshing coolness after a long warm day. Just a quick dip and they could continue to the geyser. Markus turned to look at Raven and her alluring leather as he removed his boots and pants and stood naked before her in all his muscular glory before turning to the water again and stepping in carefully first, then he just rushed in several steps and jumped under the water head first, splashing water to the right and left as his massive form disappeared below the water. Moments later emerging from the water. - Raven was right, it was very refreshing to get into the water. The soothing coolness of the lake rejuvenating his tired limbs. Although not as warm as the Soothing Waters, this coolness was excellent. He slid a hand through his blonde hair and looked looked to the shoreline where Raven, presumably, still stood. A large smile on his lips as he lifted the other hand and motioned for her to join him out there. "You were right, the water is great. Going to join me in here?" Markus asked innocently in his tone, but the glint in his eyes suggesting otherwise.

[Raven Nightfoot]

The large squire took Raven's verbal abuse quite well, he looked calm, too calm, she found it very unnerving. She watched him curiously, waiting for his response, surely he would agree to her proposition, it was either that or tell his superior that he'd failed to remain hidden on his assignment. Unfortunately for Raven this was not the case, the squire turned out to be annoyingly honest and loyal to the knighthood(which he didn't even belong to yet), this was exactly why Raven hated the Syliran Knights, they were far too...rigid. Raven ran a hand through her damp hair with an agitated sigh as her master plan fell to pieces only moments after it was created thanks to the 'loyal' squire, more like brainwashed. A moment passed and then she had regained her composure, her trademark sultry smirk on her face as she watched him with amber eyes. As much as she wanted to argue with him she had to admit he had a point and so, for now, she let go of her original plan. Another moment passed and he seemed to like her suggestion that he take a dip in the lake to cool down, to which Raven felt a spark of excitement although her face made no changes. Soon he began to remove his belongings placing them neatly on the ground, followed by his clothes. Raven was leaning against a tree disinterestedly, she shot him glances now and then sizing him up. When he removed his shirt her eyes were greeted by the sight of his bare well built upper body, strong muscles covering every inch of it and then he was totally naked. The handsome squire stood in front of her. proudly displaying his body in all it's glory. Usually Raven would have kept her eyes locked on his to show that his body didn't interest her in the least, but this man so clearly wanted her to size him up and so she did. Her eyes looked him over, examining his beautiful skin, bulging muscle covering its entirety and then there was his, manhood. She unknowingly bit her lip as the full beauty of his manly body hit her like a wave of heat, this man was perfect, well, his body at least. After a while she realised what she was doing and quickly averted her gaze, looking off at the river instead as if she weren't interested, but it was too late. Finally the man turned around and made his way toward the water allowing Raven to steal a look at his firm backside as she released a breath that she didn't know she had been holding. She watched as he waded into the river before disappearing beneath the cool water. Raven made her way to the tree closest to the riverbank, she had considered running off while he was distracted and naked but decided against it, the squire had a point about proving she could handle a problem responsibly. When the squire reappeared from the water, Raven couldn't help but gasp again in shock at his stunning beauty. His now wet skin glistened in the light, adorning every inch of his muscled form and the way he ran his large hand through his blonde hair and then he looked at her with those dazzling green eyes. Once again Raven realised she had been biting her lip and that she had become flustered by the mere sight of him. Another deep breath was taken as she relaxed herself and her hormones. She needed to calm down, it was not like her to swoon over men, although this man was clearly superior. "You were right, the water is great. Going to join me in here?" He innocently gestured for her to come in but there was something in his eyes that was more, suggestive and as much as Raven wanted to join him she could not. She wanted him, that was undeniable but not like this, if this was going to happen they would be on her terms. She smirked mischievously before she spoke, " Ha! You should be so lucky." she said teasingly as she crossed her arms still leaning against the tree as she watched the handsome squire in the water. Raven's uneventful trip to the Sukina Geysers had just become significantly more interesting, "This, is going to be fun." she said softly to herself.

[Markus Andres]

Markus hid the irritation of her rejection with a smirk and threw himself forward in the water with a splash. One last dive under the water before he would return to the shore. As he emerged again he looked to shore and Raven was still observing him. Those incredible eyes of hers following his every move like she had been hypnotised by his looks. Markus had to hide a childish smile from his lips as he returned to shore. He avoided swimming for he was a terrible swimmer and with both feet touching the ground he might as well walk. A hand slid through his hair to keep a semblance of control over his blonde hair as he smiled widely to the attractive woman as he emerged from the water. "Your loss." He shrugged confidently before stretching out as he looked at the recently undisturbed water. A slight shiver went through his body before he shook excess water off of his body and started getting dressed again. It had been like submerging oneself in a pool of nice refreshing energy. Chasing away weariness and sore muscles. Watching Raven before that, however, had been very effective in getting him to forget those things had been sore in the first place. Markus was soon wearing his clothes and armour again. Piece by piece less exposed skin for Raven, who seemed just as bad when it came to looking at naked people. With a sigh he got to put the gear on his back, the bastard sword being the last thing he fastened to his hip before looking to Raven. "Well, should we go?" He said with a light sense of impatience. Always had bothered him how long it took to get the armour on from scratch. Always left him a little annoyed. He looked to the amber-eyed woman with a raised brow. "Oh, and petch your rule of me keeping a distance - although a lovely view, I tire of walking behind you. But of course, this is your grand adventure, so lead the way, miss." He gestured for her to start off.