Into The Woods [Aider]

[Amon Torque]

Fall 17th, Noon, 514 AV Amon was lucky to be able to hear the waves crashing against the coast, usually, at this time of day, moving through the crowd would be as challenging as swimming across the ocean with a hundred bricks tethered to your torso. Make that a jellyfish infested ocean, for the customers of the Seaside Market had no interest in turning their shoulders to dodge another citizen, and were happy to clash up against anyone who dared to run into them. The salty breeze that came along with the market swept through Amon's dark brown locks, which were shining slightly in the bright overhead light of the noon sun. Waves danced across the ocean's surface in a graceful swaying motion, pushed forward by the erratic gusts of wind that flew across the ocean everyday. Faces of people passing by were highlighted, shadows forming in every indent and crevice, giving a dramatic look to everyone. His feet led him toward the center of the market, where vendors waited in tents all night just to save a spot, it was the heart and the busiest area. The fact that this was the most heavily populated area of the market was humorous, considering the booth Amon had arrived at was deserted all but one customer. Amon perked up immediately, having rarely seen another herbalist. He started conversing immediately, choosing the question that he always asked first, "Hows the harvest right now?" He asked it rather loudly, talking over others at nearby stands. The other customer turned, holding a basket of assorted plants stacked to the brim. "I just got back," the woman said, "best all year, spent only an hour out there." That excited Amon to an extent unsurpassed so far that day, if it truly was a good harvest Amon wanted in. It was not necessary to discuss any more, and why would he shop for herbs when the harvest was great in the forest, for free. Now all he needed was a companion, just in case something happened, it was always better with another set if eyes to watch for savage dogs, and to help find the way back down the trail. He pondered how to advertise his need, and decided upon waiting at the stall to see if anyone came along, through curiosity or need, and would ask them then.

[Aider Silander]

Aider slid around the market, his clock wrapped around his body. He was looking for some to do, the days had been slow after the summers end. A look of sheer disappointment showed on the Nykians face. The market was usually a good place to people watch, but today it was full of hustle and bustle. People rushing this way and that, loud and more obnoxious then usual. "I just got back" a voice called above the crowd. With an arch brow Aider moved again, closer to what he assumed was the origin of the voice.

"Best all year" the voice called again "spent only an hour out there." What is the best of the year? Spent an hour out where? he wondered to himself. He pushed into the crowd again, knocking into anyone that would stand in his way. He came to stand next to a man, shorter then himself with curly brown hair. He looked over at him and spoke "Do you know whats got everyone in such a craze?" His eyes scanned the crowd and the few baskets and buckets that he could see. He crossed his arms under his cloak, his quiver pressed against his bag as they both rested on his shoulders.

"Is there something in the wilds?" he asked, leaning back on his heals. The mans beard had began to grow again. The fine coat of stubble lined the edge of his jaw. He was looking older and older as each day passed and it was bothering him. His hand emerged from under his cloak. Rubbing against the bristle of hair on his jaw. "Money? Is that it? Some rare plant that cost a lot?" he mumbled to himself.

[Amon Torque]

Amon was in such a great mood that he was not even skeptical of whatever evil intentions the man could have had and simply informed him in a upbeat, happy tone. "Well sir, apparently it is the best plant harvest of the year out in the woods. " His mouth moved more than usual, using no one word answers, it was strange, especially considering he was talking to someone bigger than him, who was wearing a cloak hiding who knows what underneath its black folds. Amon grinned, the atmosphere around him cheery and inviting, for a man to be curios enough to blurt a question to a stranger had to have some thirst for excitement, and only pure hands on experience would quench the thirst. "I am heading out there from here, want to join me in my endeavor into the woods? It does not matter if you know about herbs or not, but searching for herbs alone is tedious." His eyes turned back to the herb and plant shop, scanning over greenery and berries, enjoying the serene salty scent of the ocean filling his nose to the brim. He looked up at the sky, a near match of the sapphire blue sea, white clouds dotting the sky like sea foam from breaking waves. He watched as a bird let out it's cry over the market, calling to the others around it and listening for the returning call that always returned. Several shrieks called back to it, a brigade of birds flying up to join it on its escapade to wherever the birds disappeared to. Maybe the sky is just another ocean, and birds are fish. Amon turned his attention back to the man he had asked to help him out, still with a happy aura surrounding him, although his smiled had died down to a smaller closed mouth grin.

[Aider Silander]

His eyes continued to watch the hustle of the crowd, the people darting from one place to another. Like ants swarming onto a creature that had disturbed their mound. "Best harvest? Of what exactly?" he asked. Listening to the young man talking beside him. He turned just in time to see a wide grin spread across his face like he was planning something. Aider raised an eyebrow as he began to spoke. "Want to join me in my endeavor" he asked like it wasn't a big deal. "You trust to easily" echoed in his mind, a voice from the past reminding him of how easily he had trusted her. He shook the thought out of his head. He shrugged and turned his head back towards the crowd.

"I could spare a few bells." he said simply. As he turned his entire body to face Amon. "Perhaps you can teach me a little about the herbs that we are searching for while we walk. What they are used for and such" he said, as he pushed his cloak over his shoulders. He gestured for him to take the lead and that he would follow. Perhaps he was to easily trusting, for all he knew this character could try to kill him once they left the market. "The names Aider" he said, "And yours?" His eyes still scanned the rest of the horizon, the peoples heads coming and disappearing into the crowd.

[Amon Torque]

Amon grinned, thrilled to have a partner. "Amon. You want to learn about some herbs then?" He had been expecting a no, but when he got a yes, his feet immediately began to lead, taking his excitement and letting it out through a quick pace and plenty of movement. A few of the most common herbs went through his head, the ones that would be helpful for someone without a specific purpose. A few that could clean wounds flashed through his head, as well as blood clotters, all of which would be of some use to the man next to him, no matter who he was. Amon fumbled for some small talk, not a necessity in the busy crowd, but in the quiet forest it would be imperative to have something to talk about if he wanted to avoid complete silence. "What do you do around here?" He asked this with thoughts flying through his head, his mind as busy as the people among him. All Amon could hope for was the man would not say 'crazy axe murderer' or something along those lines, for if he did, Amon would end up sprinting away at maximum speed, and most likely lose control, which would lead to the inevitable trip that always occurred Amon tried to run. His eyes focused forward as the crowd slowly thinned and the run down homes slowly became more and more inhospitable.

[Aider Silander]

"Something. It could be useful or I could never use it" Aider said with a shrug. Following behind Amon, he remained quiet watching the crowd move and thin as they left the market. A memory came up in Aider's mind, so fresh that it could have happened yesterday. You trust to easily. Its going to get you killed echoed in his mind. The Nykians eyes wandered to the man in front of him. He did not seem like much of a threat, in fact he did not seem like someone Aider would not be able to pick out in a crowd. He did not seem like someone Aider would actual see in the city. He looked to innocent and young. "Why are you in this city?" he asked. The curiousness that had filled his mind made it's way to his lips. Refusing to hold back, the rather rude question escaped his lips.


"Excuse me. That maybe a bit more personal then it should have been" he said. Not wanting to cause any unneeded tension before the two left the city. But keeping his question inside his head was not something the man was incredibly good at. Even more so when the person he was traveling with was someone he did not know. The last thing he needed was someone taking him into the woods to try and kill him. He wondered if it would be possible for him to get away from Amon. He did not seem like much, but the man did not have much on him besides his Knuckleduster. He wondered if it would be enough, if this man did try to attack him and if he would have the strength to kill him if he had to.

He shook his mind clear when Amon asked him what he did. "I gather and sell information." he said and that is all he planned on saying on the topic. His job was one with dangers. The last thing he needed was the chance that someone would remember who he was and what he did. The chance of death because of misinformation was not something that the Nykian looked for in his life. Besides in a city of rumors real information was only for those who were willing to pay. There was no such thing as free when it came to his line of work.

[Amon Torque]

The description did not help Amon sift through his stockpile of herbs that he knew of, thinking over leafy greens and berries in the surrounding forest. The question slipped from the man's mouth and into Amon's ear, resulting in a small chuckle. "I am in here because I was born here, don't have the funds to leave, and have lives to save." A sigh escaped his lips, slightly distraught at the truth. He wanted to leave, wanted to escape the city of crime. Maybe move to somewhere he could help people without getting his pockets picked by the same people he saved. "Not personal, fair question. I wonder the same thing, but it always seems to circle,back to the fact that I can't leave." His eyes wandered, looking from collapsed roof to destroyed wall. These homes were on the very outskirts of the city, nearly destroyed but still inhabited. He looked forward to the patch of forest over the hills, hopefully where he would find some good herbs for the day. The sun was hidden behind a cloud at the moment, ground darkening and lightening sporadically as it peaked out from one cloud and was quickly covered by the next. He listened attentively to the man's job, nodding his head as he ended the short explanation. Amon shrugged, not pressing any further on the clearly sensitive topic, making sure to maintain a brisk pace so he would reach the forest sooner. The more time to look for herbs with a companion the better, doing so alone was maddening and the same petching awful song always played on repeat as he did so. The ground began to turn upwards, Amon's hands laid on his knees as he pushed upward with each step, climbing the first and steepest hill. He reached the peak, looking into the forest in front of him. It moved as one being, swaying left or right as a whole, in sync with the wind. Leaves danced from the tops of the trees as they fell, swirling down with extravagant curtsies and bows. It was noticeably cooler in the forest, the breath of wind ruffling through bushes and into the pair as Amon glanced around, searching for any herbs that he could find. Luckily he spotted a common herb that often came in handy, belltor, peaking out of a pile of leaves. He approached it, kneeling down and using his index and pointer finger to grip the very base of the plant and give a swift tug, uprooting it. "This is belltor, if you mix it with a bit of oil and beeswax, you can rub it onto wounds that have been stitched up or simply stopped bleeding to help it heal faster. It also helps prevent scarring." Amon dropped it into his basket, hoping to have similar luck for the rest of the day. He stayed close to the edge of the forest for the moment, sticking to where he could see the city. Later he would venture deeper into the depths of the forest. "If you see anything that looks different than a normal bush or tree point it out to me, alright?"

[Aider Silander]

Aider followed behind Amon. "Save lives? Are you a doctor? Do you believe that their lives deserved to be saved?" he asked. Looking around at the people who ignored the two as they walked. "Thieves, murders, drunks, gang members. Do they really deserve to be saved? They have not tried to make the city better. Have not tried to show that there is some hope in this city" he added with a shake of his head. "This city is waiting to sink into the dirt that it came from. Those who accept their past and push for the future are the only ones who get anywhere in life. The choice's made the people here show that they deserve what they get. Its the logical way." he shrugged. It did not matter, none of it did. The entire city was a giant mess. Murders happened all the time, nothing was safe unless you had the coin to afford a fancy safe. But even then people would just steal the safe and crack it later. Nothing was secure in this lawless town and everything deserved to burn.

A loud sigh escaped the mans lips. "But then there are some people with good hearts, who wish to help those who can not help themselves. "I can not offer you advice on the funds, truly I am no better in that aspect myself. Maybe one day the city will change eh?" he said. A fake smile spreading across the mans face. It was common for him to rant. He had done it before with other company. It was his way of outing his frustration with something he alone could not change.

He followed Amon out to the woods, the lands unfolding before the two in an odd sense of winding beauty. The leaves were changing color and falling from the trees and the grass had slowly begun to die. Though still some green to it. It painted a very real picture to Aider. Change was something that happened in the world. If one wanted it to or not change would always come. "An act of fate" he mumbled under his breath as he looked at the trees.

His attention turned quickly as he heard Amon begin to talk. He nodded as he listened to the descriptions of the herbs. "Understood" he said as he began his own search for anything that looked different to him. He picked some random black berries and strawberries as the two searched through. Pulling out a few more of the belltor that Amon had pointed out. A lot of the plants did not really stand out to him. He would often turn to see what Amon was looking at and then his reaction. If he pulled it out then so would Aider, if not then he would move on.

[Vanari]

Aider

Observation	+3 XP
Interrogating	+2 XP
Socialization	+2 XP
Philosophy	+1 XP
Rhetoric	+1 XP

Lores :

• A Doctor Named Amon
• Morality and Medicine
• Something Valuable in the Woods

Notes :

Too bad it couldn't be finished Good job all the same!

Please don't hesitate to PM me with questions, comments, or concerns! Also, remember to edit your grade request as "graded."

Cheers