Closed Are We There Yet? (Aren, Isolde, Orin)

[Sayana]

Sayana watched as Isolde spoke of her daughter with both uncertainty and warmth. The latter was apparent through the nuit’s fondness of the memory of her child and the smile that lighted upon her face. And the former was apparent in the fact that it was just a memory and that Wyn was no longer alive. There was still that motherly love and Sayana couldn’t help but wonder what her own son would be like. Would he be daring and strong? Stubborn? Would his laugh fill the spring air or would he be more collected and reserved? Still, the Eypharian was eager to race and soon enough she was off. For several ticks she didn’t look back, simply keeping her gaze focused on her goal, the distant fork ahead of her. There was a nagging feeling as she remembered how she had fallen off her horse in this same stretch but this time it wasn’t going to happen. She was better than that now. She made a curious glance over her shoulder to see how Isolde was doing and with surprise Sayana saw that the nuit had hardly moved, or so it appeared. However, there was another form fast approaching and for a moment she thought it was some knight until she heard the cook’s scream. What under Syna’s rays was he doing? Whatever it was, he was approaching fast regardless of her own quickly trotting horse. She realized that if she didn’t speed up he’d just sail past her and she gave her horse a strong kick to speed up. The stallion was now at a canter and she was also holding onto her saddle and reins for dear life having never gone this fast on a horse. In just a few moments Orin galloped past at full speed while yelling at her for help. “Pull on her reins! But gently! You don’t want her to rear up!” Sayana shouted back as she fought to keep up the pace but was becoming out distanced by the cook. She was riding bent over to try to help her balance and she was standing partially in her stirrups to reduce the bumps and jostling in her saddle. Fortunately his horse had taken the middle path. She didn’t really want to have to chase Orin down some other path and retrace their steps. “Orin! Just hang on tight with your knees! Hold the horn! Don’t kick her by mistake! She should slow down eventually.” Sayana called to him and she hoped he could hear her advice. He was so far ahead that there was little she could really do. She kept up her own reckless pace hoping to eventually catch up with him but in the meantime he was on his own. But she knew that a galloping horse wouldn’t gallop forever. They got tired too and once the perceived danger was gone they’d slow down if no further encouragement was given. At least Isolde knew which fork to take. Or Sayana thought she had told the nuit that. When Orin’s horse finally began to slow a little, Sayana managed to catch up to him. “Tug on both the reins, gently gently. And sit back on your seat as you hold the horn of the saddle.” The Eypharian said hoping to get his horse to a full stop. She was tempted to try to weave in front of him, but she was afraid it would only make his mare rear up at the sudden obstacle rather than simply slow down. She also began to do the same with her own horse and as it slowed, her heartbeat gradually began to slow as well. They were now very far ahead of the others. Eventually Sayana slowed to a stop and got out some hard boiled eggs and some cheese from her backpack. “You might want a bit of food to calm your nerves,” Sayana said as she offered some to the cook. Quite honestly, she was hungry herself and when the others caught up she’d happily dole out the eggs, cheese, bread and even some raisins that she had packed. “I think I should travel with Aren,” Sayana spoke up loudly. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to trust him with Isolde or with Orin and she was the one who had invited him along in the first place. ----- The next couple of bells ended up being a lot of hard riding, or running in the case of Aren. Fortunately, the road was fairly good and there were only a couple patches of mud here and there. The woods loomed menacingly around them but the only sounds were of animals and birds. They passed by a knight on patrol and a couple people with a wagon but that was all. At last they came to a bridge with the rushing Avitar river flowing under it. Again Sayana had some memories of this place, and not particularly good ones either. Still, judging by her map they should turn off the road at this point and follow the river towards Sunset Falls. “I still have a bit more cheese and bread if anyone is hungry. Then we’ll cross the bridge and follow the river.” OOCIf I assumed too much, let me know and I'll edit this post. I just wanted to continue progressing.

[Aren]

The Akalak's lips curved noticeably upwards as his gaze followed the trajectory of Orin's runaway mount. Turning his head towards Isolde once again, there was a gleam in his eyes that seemed to suggest nothing less than devilish intent, "Horses can be so unpredictable, wouldn't you agree?" Aren's somewhat sympathetic mannerism towards the Nuit having seemingly vanished, the voice and demeanor of the man that addressed her now was distinctly different. He made no effort to hide his lack of concern for the chef's predicament, and in fact almost appeared to suggest -from the inflections of his voice and the look on his face- that he might even have been the cause. Of course, this was entirely the point, and Seros had taken the opportunity to use Aren's somewhat excessive response to Orin's insults as a way to try and ensure that Isolde was on her best behavior. Uttering no other words, the Akalak merely smiled and offered Isolde a polite bow as he retreated back to his place at the rear of the convoy. From there, he could see everything the corpse-woman was doing, and that suited him just fine. He could also enjoy Orin's "ride" well enough, from back there. "Its a shame Sayana will probably save that little shit, isn't it?" Seros commented, the question being more rhetorical than anything else. His brother did not answer, however, and the darker Other could sense that Aren had quickly come to regret not just his actions, but the overly harsh words he chose to employ on the boy. Orin had had every right to defend himself as vigorously as he had; his only crime was standing up for his friend, for which he was rewarded with anger and threats. The Akalak understood that the urge to keep his family safe may have temporarily overridden his sense, but that was no excuse. Isolde may or may not have been a threat, but the truth was that the real reason Aren was angry had very little to do with her, or even with Orin himself. The cook had been the trigger and the target of his rage, but he was not its cause. Though he was scarcely unable to admit it to himself, the warrior knew deep down that the person he was most upset with was Sayana, herself. She had lied to him. She had lied, right to his face, and not given the matter another thought. As Aren saw the Eypharian approach him, he bit his lip because the only thought in his mind was that, even now, it felt as if she was concerned as to what he might do to this Nuit. Did she think him some back-alley thug that would cut down a defenseless woman -lifeless or not- from behind? Even as angry as he had been with Orin, what he had done had been to avoid any further conflict between them, despite how reckless and ill-conceived the notion may have been. It hurt, to imagine the idea that she couldn't trust him enough to simply say that she had promised to keep a secret or not to hurt someone she clearly didn't want him to. When Seros had asked Sayana who had told her of his magic, the possibility that she was lying had been a distinct one in the darker Other's mind, but Aren couldn't really imagine what it would feel like to know for a fact. He didn't think it would cut him this deeply, but here they were, and he hated himself for being angry at something so silly. So she lied? So what? Everybody lies. "Except you, to her." Seros' words were like needles in his brother's mind and it almost felt like the old days when he would try to mess with his head, but Aren understood that he wasn't the cause of that feeling now. Hours later, Aren didn't have the will to even pretend to have an appetite, nor to pretend much of anything else either. He did not bother rejecting Sayana's offering of food with neither word or gesture, and instead continued looking ahead as if lost in his own reverie.

[Isolde Seibold]

"Horses can be so unpredictable, wouldn't you agree?"

Relief and horror, perhaps the oddest mix of emotions she had ever felt, blended together to create a sharp edginess in her gut. Relief that he hadn't inquired about her past and she hadn't had to say anything about it. Horror that... horror at those words, at that tone, at the implication that he seemed to have purposefully incited Orin's horse to run.

Even before Isolde had finished talking, Orin had let out a scream, and her head had whipped after him, then back down at Aren when he'd made his little comment. That same... deviousness, darkness that had seemed to overcome the Akalak before now again showed itself, and Isolde was reminded forcefully of her husband after he had been driven mad. That had been overgiving madness, caused by magic use, or so she had begun to suspect in the last few years, though she had not known that Kale had known magic. So then what was this? A chill raced up her spine. She didn't know what her face looked like, what emotion it betrayed. She just said, curtly, "People too. I need to see if Orin's okay," and then she was gone. The sympathy she had felt for Aren had curled in her gut, though its wisps remained like a scattered ghost. The repulsion she felt now spurred on her horse.

She didn't kick Gretta too hard to get her moving faster, but the trot had soon sped up, and again and again in small increments, until Isolde had reached a speed where it felt like she might fly off the seat, that she couldn't bear to overtake, even though Orin and Sayana seemed to be going faster, lost somewhere far up ahead. It wouldn't help anyone if she herself fell off her horse, but her concern for Orin made her wish she was better at riding. The Nuit had leaned forward in the saddle, hands clutched tightly to the reigns and legs clamped to the sides of her horse, an instinctive posture for riding at this speed.

She didn't know how Orin had managed to slow his steed, but when she finally came up to the others they were not moving, and Isolde looked closely at Orin as she rode up, pulling back on her reigns so Gretta would stop. The black-and-white mare --or filly? she didn't know the titles of horses-- came to a halt not too far from Sayana and Orin, and though she had just ridden faster than she ever had before, Isolde could sense that Aren was not far behind. She tried to ignore the creeping sensation on her spine, and asked, "Are you okay, Orin? Is everyone okay?" They seemed to be, but she wanted to hear it for herself.

--

Some bells later and the situation had not much progressed. Throughout the ride Isolde kept shooting Orin glances to make sure he was still alright. She would have normally tried to start up a conversation with him, but a new worry had risen in her mind, causing her to become withdrawn. She didn't know, not for certain, that Aren was insane... it just seemed that way. Still. Sayana was pregnant. If Aren acted so erratically, who was to say that she and the child were not in some sort of danger? Especially if his mind had indeed been poisoned by his manipulation of djed.

At the impromptu picnic, Isolde just held up a hand and gave a wan smile. "None for me, thanks." While the others ate, if they indeed decided to partake --Aren hadn't-- Isolde would slide stiffly off Gretta and bend and twist and stretch. There was a low pain in her back, butt, and legs --especially the knees-- that preoccupied her, and that she was trying to work out before the next portion of their journey.

Like Sayana, there was something about this place that the Nuit felt she recognized, and it was not a welcome recognition but something foreboding. The river looked familiar, and it must be the Avitar, that main waterway that fed into the Mithryn fields. But there was something more. She felt spooked. She didn't know if she was just imagining things, likely caused by the sore start they'd had, or if the feeling was feel. It felt real.

Regardless, she wandered down closer to the waterside, urging Gretta along with one hand high up on the reigns near her bridle. She wasn't certain if the horse could drink with the bit in her mouth, but she seemed willing and able when led to the water. Afterwards they walked back up the spongy slope towards the others on the bridge.

Isolde would stand without remounting for as long as possible to give Gretta a short break, though she kept watching the river as she tried to remember what it was that was causing her odd feelings. A flash of insight lent her only a fuzzy memory of washing and wrapping her feet down by the waterside. They had been blistered from walking. But why she had been walking or when she couldn't recall. Still, the memory strengthened her ill ease.

She was happy to climb back onto the horse and get moving again after they were ready. As they rode her eyes searched the surrounding area for signs of... of what, she didn't know. Familiar landmarks? If that was indeed what she was looking for she didn't find anything of use. It was all just a bunch of trees and the small beat-dirt trail they followed and the river. Some large rocks here and there. Nothing helpful.

[Orin Fenix]

Desperately, Orin listened to what Sayana had told him. She and her horse physically seemed to have trouble keeping up with Marigold, but her voice was plenty strong and carried to where Orin was, racing ahead of her. Marigold showed no signs of slowing which Orin had secretly been hoping for. It seemed that it would be up to Orin, with his complete lack of horseriding knowledge to save himself in this scenario. Cursing Aren with every fiber of his being, Orin focused in on Marigold. He was already holding on tightly with his knees, but the reminder not to kick was a good one. He definitely didn’t want to have Marigold go any faster. In his frantic state it took Orin a moment to identify what exactly the reins were. The term was too fresh in his mind and in his current state Orin almost didn’t remember at all. He wasn’t sure how much longer his strength would hold out, and he could already feel the hold his knees had on Marigold loosening. It was now or never.

Tugging on the pieces of leather with as little force as he could manage, Orin was dismayed to see that Marigold had no response. He was terrified she would rear up but at this rate Orin would fall off soon anyway. Gulping, Orin added a bit more force to his pull. Shockingly, Marigold actually began to falter in her stride a bit. Her speed dropped, although she was still going at a pace that was far too fast for Orin’s comfort right now. It was enough to let Sayana catch up with him. She repeated her earlier advice. Nodding, Orin pulled on the reins again and blessedly, Margiold dropped into a walk before stopping completely, sides heaving. Orin sent up a prayer of thanks to whoever had let him survive this. His terror had only dimmed slightly, although he was past the immediate danger.

As the adrenalin, rage, and fear faded, Orin took stock. Every single muscle in his body hurt. Orin had no idea that horseback riding would be such a strenuous activity. Then again, he’d gone straight from walking to an uncontrolled gallop without any warning, so that was probably where most of the issue lay. Still, Orin couldn’t imagine he’d be useful for anything important. Every time he shifted slightly there was a twinge from somewhere that made him wince with the intensity. His body felt like one giant bruise and Orin was sure that he actually would look like one too tomorrow. And he had at least one more day, probably two, of riding ahead of him. His behind was arguably where the worst damage was. He was also drenched in sweat, as was Marigold, although it was drying quickly in the Spring air. Still, there had been no permanent damage, as far as Orin could tell, to his body at least. The same could not be said of his relationship with Aren.

Once Orin had calmed down and caught his breath, he gave Sayana a look of gratitude. ”Thank you for rescuing me. You probably saved my life.” The fear was still lurking, but mostly it had been replaced with a burning fury towards Aren. When Isolde rode up, Orin gave her a tense smile. ”Just a bit bruised. Nothing too bad.” His words were terse. Orin didn’t really feel up to much talking although he did accept Sayana’s offer of food. He chewed and swallowed. It didn’t sit well in his stomach, although Orin was unsure if that was from his early exertions or if it was from his anger that also was sitting in the pit of his stomach. Aren was even worse than Orin had thought. He’d been giving the Akalak the benefit of the doubt, but no longer. Aren had destroyed any chance that Orin might have thought existed of fixing their relationship. No longer. Orin wouldn’t ever make the mistake of thinking there was even an ounce of goodness to be found inside the mercenary. He said nothing to Sayana as she mentioned she would drop back to spend time with Aren. He simply took up with reins and kicked Marigold forward even though the action sent a wave of agony through his body and each step the pony took was torture. Orin just channeled the pain into the same place he was keeping his anger.

Orin didn't talk for several bells until Sayana called a halt and a break for food. Orin wasn't hungry. The little he'd eaten earlier had almost come back up. He had no intention of adding puking his guts up to the list of the day's adventures. Orin had thought long and hard on what he would eventually say to Aren. He'd hoped he could do it in privacy, so as not to upset Sayana and Isolde any more than he already had. But Orin's control wasn't that good and when he saw Aren standing there Orin lost it.

Staring at Aren, Orin spoke. His tone was carefully inflectionless. He'd decided to make a clean cut. That way he wouldn't leave any doubt in anyone's mind as to how he felt on the matter. Ignoring the others, Orin fixed his whole attention on Aren."We're done. That's three times now you've endangered my life needlessly." It might be a bit of an exaggeration to call Aren choking Orin into unconsciousness that but Orin felt entirely justified in his assessment. "Don't touch me, don't talk to me, don't even look at me unless it's absolutely necessary." With that Orin kicked Marigold back into a walk. He had no intention of saying another word to anyone until they made camp for the night. He was beyond caring what Isolde, Sayana and Aren felt about him. His world narrowed to the pain, rage and anguish that he felt with each inch of ground Marigold covered. It was a mix of physical and emotional that blended together until Orin wasn't sure where one stopped and the other started. His feeling rose until Orin would almost be willing to say they were palpable. Hopefully the other's would sense his mood and give him a wide berth. Orin wasn't sure how he'd react if anyone tried talking to him now.

Orin felt perfectly comfortable taking the lead for this portion of the trip even though Sayana had the map. Following the river would be easy enough. Orin crossed the bridge, taking in the rushing waters below him and the woods before him. Orin knew this area almost intimately. It had only been a season since he'd departed Mithryn and the forest trails were as familiar to him as the winding streets of the outpost. If all they had to do was follow the river to get to the Falls, Orin could probably get the whole party there without any more mishaps. Of course the trio was already ruined. Orin was only continuing for the sake of the contest. He had no intention of enjoying the break from his regular routine or socializing with his companions.

[Sayana]

Sayana was relieved that Orin had managed to slow down his horse. His gratitude was well received even though she believed it was all his doing to control the horse and she had simply told him how to do it. It didn’t take much to tell that Aren had been the cause, either directly or indirectly, by the way Orin glared in his direction. And she rode the next while alongside the Akalak. What was up with him today? She knew Orin and Aren had their differences but she had thought they had gotten over it. They had even gone training not too long ago, but maybe it hadn’t resulted in a positive experience. Was it Isolde? Yes, the nuit had been a surprise for them both and Orin had been the one to invite her but Aren still seemed to be acting oddly. And then there was that comment, the threat that Seros had made. She rode in silence trying to run through the events of the day and not sure if she really wanted to speak to her lover. Aren for his part seemed equally distant. At the arrival of the bridge, Sayana noticed Isolde dismount to lead her horse to the river. The Eypharian hesitated for a moment, thinking of the rushing water but then followed suit thinking that it was a good idea. She slipped her feet out from the stirrups and brought one leg over before sliding down off her horse. Her legs were stiff and her rear was slightly numb from all the riding and she took a moment to stretch out her legs. Sayana then carefully stepped down to the bank of the river to give Cinnamon a drink. At the same time she filled her own waterskin. By the time she was back, Orin had lost it. All his energy and rage was against the Akalak and even though he wasn’t quite yelling, Sayana could feel his built up anger. Even though the Eypharian would like for them to get along, there was a sense of finality in Orin’s voice and when he kicked his horse into a walk it was clear that he was best left alone. She now started to wonder if she should have brought two tents. Still, at least the cook knew where they were headed, as she assumed he had heard her instructions and he set off along a trail alongside the river on the other side of the bridge. Sayana followed suit and mounted up before moving her horse into a walk and crossing the bridge. She gestured for Isolde to go on ahead of her since she wanted to hang back and ride with Aren at the back. They had a lot to talk about. Oddly, she found herself uncomfortable breaching the topic and for the next half bell she simply rode in silence. The river rushed alongside them, babbling and splashing against the rocks. The path was actually rather scenic with wild flowers and bushes lining the banks and tall leafy trees to the right. Occasionally Sayana had to tug on the reins to keep her stallion from nibbling at the grasses but for the most part the ride was pretty smooth with the gentle rocking of the saddle. It was quite narrow though, and most of the time they had to go in single file. At last Sayana spoke to her lover. “Aren, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting strangely all day. I know you weren’t expecting Isolde and I know you don’t get along so well with Orin, but…” Sayana let out a soft sigh feeling at a loss. “But even Seros lashed out at me and it felt like it was out of nowhere.” She was quiet for a time wanting to hear what had gone so wrong. However, after only about fifteen chimes she realized that they were catching up to Orin and Isolde. For some reason they had stopped. The Eypharian frowned and looked up ahead. The trail had ended and the river, instead of going along one continuous line like on her map, instead forked and this second branch was now blocking their way. Sayana momentarily recalled what Intarus had said about not getting lost along the way to Sunset Falls. If you’re trying to get to the falls and you’re going downstream, then you’re going the wrong way. Clearly they couldn’t just follow this other branch in the river since they would be going downstream along it, and the only way to go upstream would be to first cross it and then carry along the main part of the river. Sayana dismounted and joined the other two. She took out her map and glared at the single smooth line that represented the Avitar River. “Petch,” she said loud enough for the others to hear. “I didn’t know this was here but we’re definitely not at the falls and we have to keep going upstream. We’re going to have to cross.” She squinted with dislike at the river branch ahead of them. At least it looked smaller and shallower than the main river but it was still probably at least knee or even hip deep. Probably knee deep for Aren and hip deep for her. It was an exaggeration but she often found herself amazed at how tall he was. “And once we cross, I think we should set up camp,” Sayana added. “I think we’ve pretty much had it for one day and at least we’ll be able to dry off.” Even though the sun wasn’t setting yet, it was probably better to get settled before it started to grow dark. Her stomach was also starting to growl and she wasn’t sure how long it would take to get ready for the night.

[Aren]

Seros' comment to Isolde had produced the desired effect, and he was glad to see that even a corpse could feel something resembling fear. The Nuit's response, however, seemed to belie the unsure demeanor which she had earlier presented. The darker Other already suspected that she was even older than her wrinkled exterior suggested, by virtue of what she was, but the notion that she had had hundreds or even thousands of years to perfect all manner of skills was worrisome. Just as the Akalak had predicted, Sayana had helped Orin out of his equine-related predicament, and unsurprisingly, the cook had reacted to his little scare with hostility towards Aren. "You shouldn't blame others for your... inexperience, boy," That had been Seros' condescending retort to the chef's admittedly justified accusations, as the giant was in no mood to give him the satisfaction of conceding that he was absolutely correct in his assessment of the what had happened. Some time later they had managed to get on with their journey absent too much melodrama, and Aren found that the pleasant scenery served to distract him from dwelling overlong on the unfortunate events so far. Sayana was by his side, so he didn't need to concern himself too much about what Isolde was doing, but things were tense even with the Eypharian. Aren hated his sudden inability to feel at ease around her, no matter the reason, yet still found that he was unable to shake the desire for silence. Even when Sayana spoke, he couldn't bring his throat to produce a reply until she mentioned Seros, "Out of nowhere?!" And it was obvious from the Akalak's reaction that the brothers were of one mind in this, whatever "this" was. Aren immediately found himself regretting his lack of control, but the events of the day had taxed his ability to keep a better balance between the two souls within him, and consequently the darker Other found himself with a lot more influence than usual. "I'm..." Aren's natural inclination was to apologize, but he could feel his brother's disapproval for the notion that it had been him who had done something wrong. Sayana had lied, and as far as Seros was concerned, they had every right to be angry at her for it, especially considering whom she had lied for. In the end, the Akalak couldn't find the resolve to say any more, and silence once again filled the space between their steps. Once they had come up to the crossing, however, the Eypharian's suggestion prompted him to use the opportunity to put some distance between himself and the rest of the party. He was at odds with every single member of it now, and perhaps it was best if he wasn't in such close proximity to them for awhile. "I'll scout ahead," The giant uttered in an obviously somber tone, turning to give Isolde a wary glance which seemed to suggest that he would be keeping an eye on her, no matter how far he was. Stepping into the thigh deep water, Aren seemed to ford it with little difficulty, emerging on the opposite bank momentarily. With a single look back, he took stock of the situation on the other side, but was soon lost from sight as he headed deeper into the brush that would eventually serve as their campsite. The experienced warrior's eyes scanned his surroundings using both types of sight available to him, and he wandered in a circular pattern to make sure there were no hidden threats lurking in the wilds beyond were they planned to camp for the night. Sometimes he would look in the direction where he had left Sayana and the others, but even with his infravision he could no longer make out their forms.

[Isolde Seibold]

Everything had fallen apart and once again it seemed it had happened because of Isolde. Because of what she was.

Orin was remote, and the glances the Nuit kept shooting at him seemed to show some dark well of emotion that had risen within him. She wanted to talk to him. But she didn't know what to say to make him be himself again. To be happy again.

Sayana she could hear murmuring behind to Aren, though Isolde didn't know about what. Perhaps she was trying to placate him. Out of all of them Sayana seemed to be holding up best.

Aren was... Aren. Or he wasn't. He was strange. She was still unsure of his sanity.

Added to it all was the feeling of dread --yes, that was what it was-- that built up inside her the further they rode along the riverside. Worse than that was not knowing why she felt this way. Something was wrong. That was all she knew.

Isolde grew quiet, not even daring to breathe, and jumpy. Her hand automatically strayed to the hilt of the dagger at her waist. Dim hazel eyes darted this way and that, looking for some unknown danger to appear. Nothing did, and yet every time Gretta flicked her ears the Nuit feared that the horse heard something she didn't.

When they came to the water, the Nuit shifted in the saddle, curling her toes in her boots. The others soon came upon them waiting at the break in the river, and Sayana, though she didn't seem happy about it, said they'd have to cross. "Yes," Isolde agreed, though she didn't like it either, "A-And camp sounds like a good idea." In fact, the Nuit was almost happy they wouldn't be traveling any further today. Something bad was at the end of this river. She didn't know what or how she knew. She just did. She dismounted from Gretta, laying a soothing hand on the horse's strong neck, and wrapped her hands securely into her reigns.

"I'll scout ahead." That was Aren. He gave Isolde in particular a look, and her heart, if it could have, would have jumped up into her chest. But not for the reason she'd have thought. A protest leapt to her cool lips, "No! Aren, I don't think you should--"

Too late. The Akalak started to power through the river to the other side.

"--go alone." She turned to the others, obviously anxious, and said with a grimace, "Something doesn't feel right. I don't know if it's just in my head because of... of how we got started. Or if it's something else. But we're pretty far from the city now and we're off the road. I know Aren is probably pretty capable, but..." She darted a look back towards where she'd last seen him, and was dismayed to find he had vanished into the trees across the other side. "Shyke," she muttered, then said more loudly, "I don't know much about living outside the city walls. But I do know that it's not smart to break up. We should try our best to stick together." No matter if he creeped her out, no matter if he was insane or not, the Akalak was one of their party, he was Sayana's lover, and he mattered. She wouldn't want to see him hurt.

So the Nuit steeled herself, and then started splashing into the water. It was shockingly cold, and the current was relatively fast, pushing against her lower legs. Gretta seemed reluctant to cross, and Isolde had to tug on the reigns to get her to begin to walk. After that the horse kept close to her side, nose practically nudging her.

It was slow going, as the Nuit didn't want either of them to find loose or uneven ground and trip or fall in. She tested every step before leading Gretta forward. The water level continued to rise after the first dozen steps, soon passing thigh-height, as it had been on Aren, and eventually reaching nearly to her waist. Maybe usually this would have alarmed her; she typically wasn't too fond of water. But having to watch out for Gretta gave her something else to focus on, as well as getting across and finding Aren as soon as possible. She gritted her teeth at how slow 'as soon as possible' was turning out to be, and kept going.

Finally, finally, she and her horse emerged on the other side. Isolde petted Gretta's neck, shivering slightly at the cold and wet, and checked to make sure everyone had gotten across without any trouble. If there was any, she would loop Gretta's reigns to a nearby branch and try to help. If not... she would turn and try to spot the Akalak, though she didn't know how far he'd ranged.

[Orin Fenix]

Orin stared at the waters before him with dread. After his experience with Marigold before Orin didn't want to think about forcing the horse to try and ford a stream. Still, the alternative wasn't any more appealing: backtracking all the way to the bridge. They'd lose quite a bit of time that way. Orin was pissed, although he couldn't tell if it was at himself or Sayana. They were probably both partially to blame for this latest debacle. Orin had vaguely known that the river forked but hadn't mentioned anything even as they headed up in the direction of the area where the river split. It was knowledge most of the brats who grew up in Mithryn who ventured into The Bronze Woods would know. But Orin had trusted Sayana's directions and not his instincts, probably because his negativity was telling him to avoid talking to people in general. Also, Orin knew the woods around Mithryn, it was true, but the farther they got the less familiar the woods became. And Orin didn't know the exact location of Sunset Falls, so silence had seemed the best approach. And now that inaction had brought them to this.

Orin hung his head. It was a broiling mix of anger and shame and self-loathing. As time passed Orin realized that no one in this trio really wanted him here. Even though it had been his idea in the first place to come, Orin was regretting it. They'd all be better off without him. Aren certainly had made his disdain and distrust of Orin known and Sayana obviously would agree with his judgement. As for Isolde, Orin had exposed her to people who brought back the pain of isolation to her in their rejection of who and what she was. Orin just hoped that some day she'd forgive him for what must be days of torture for her. And on top of all the emotional trauma was the ever present physical pain. Pain that brought tears to Orin's eyes that Orin was too stubborn to shed lest his friends use it as more evidenced that Orin was weak in mind, body and spirit. Orin didn't have any ideas about how to salvage this situation.

Orin was startled out of his misery when Aren darted ahead of him. Glancing over at the others, Orin saw that Isolde was filled with an unease with the situation that even Orin, in his present state, could see. Her distress just spiked farther with Aren's departure. Orin scanned the opposite bank but couldn't see anything that would cause such an intense reaction in the Nuit. Orin's concern for Isolde broke through the miasma shrouding Orin's mind. His voice came out brokenly and hesitantly with a rasp that belied Orin's pain. "Isolde, I, I don't see anything." Orin didn't think it was Isolde's imagination and he didn't necessarily trust in his own ability to detect danger so Orin have the woods another look, trying to scrutinize them as well as he knew how. Still, nothing popped out. "Aren's fine. He's used to taking care of himself. I'm more worried about us without him." Orin grimaced. He had one more comment that he couldn't resist saying even if it was in rather poor taste under the circumstances. "Besides he wouldn't trust me to know danger if it was right in front of my eyes so I'm not surprised he wanted to go hating off on his own." It was a bitter, almost hateful statement. However, that didn't mean it wasn't necessarily true.

Following Isolde's example Orin urged Marigold to walk into the water, despite her reluctance. The water rushing past hurt, sinking freezing tendrils into Orin's already injured legs. The water also came up higher on Orin and Marigold then it seemed to on Isolde, presumably because Marigold was a shorter horse. At its worst, though, it only reached close to Orin's knees. Marigold seemed surefooted enough, so Orin let her pick her way across, letting Isolde lead the way.

Finally they emerged on the other side, dropping but still whole, or as whole as they had been before. Orin realized guiltily that he'd been riding Marigold who hadn't done anything wrong and had put up with far too much from a beginner rider like Orin to be treated as she had. There was no sign of Aren and continuing without the Akalak was pointless. Besides, after having gotten misled and lost once already, Orin wanted to have a look at Sayana's map for himself. And perhaps have a long discussion about their route as well. Purely professional. Orin didn't expect any of their party to be feeling particularly charitable towards Orin still.

So, Orin dismounted, fully intending to let Marigold drink and relax for a few times. At least, that was the plan. Unfortunately, Orin had been underestimating the extent of his injuries, or rather, his weakness. Instead of taking a few steps towards the river, Orin's knees gave out and slammed into the ground. Agony exploded up and down Orin's legs. Orin let out a cry that he bit off as soon as he realized what he was doing. The sound would probably carry and reach Aren's ears. Orin didn't want the warrior to come back with the shame and derision he would express towards Orin. Orin at least had the presence of mind to hang onto the reins as he had fallen, and though Marigold was upset at Orin's new positions she didn't react much. Orin was eternally grateful towards his horse at that particular moment but there wasn't much he could due to express that, since he had a large problem on his hands. No matter how much Orin strained to get back to his feet, his legs simply weren't accommodating him. Orin could feel them, so it was paralysis. It was simply too much riding in too short a time and Orin's legs were protesting their abuse. Orin tried to rub out some of the knots he was feeling with his free hand but just trying to knead them cause excruciating pain. Orin didn't think he was going anywhere in much of a hurry and it rankled that he'd be holding the others back.

[Sayana]

The Akalak’s outburst only made Sayana more troubled and confused. He clearly thought she was in the wrong and also thought it was obvious as to why. And yet his lack of explanation left her nowhere closer to understanding what was wrong. What was clear was that he didn’t want to talk. And she felt tense with the silence between them. At the river, Aren was first to move and crossed the flowing water with ease. There was a pang in her heart as he left so abruptly to scout ahead, particularly since there was the river still blocking her path. She stared at it with dread as Isolde attempted to call Aren back and instead reiterated the importance of sticking together. Yes, Sayana was more than happy to stick together but her lover seemed to think otherwise. With frustration she racked her brains as to how she could have gotten so in the wrong with him. Sayana watched anxiously as Isolde led her horse on foot through the water and Orin began to follow her while mounted on his own horse. The Eypharian was sorely tempted to mimic Orin and safely ride her horse above the current but she was afraid something might go wrong and they’d both get splashed into the flowing water. She took a slow breath trying to clear her mind of memories of gulping down mouthfuls of water, all the while choking and spluttering. It’s going to be okay. The water is not moving that fast. With another deep breath pulled on the reins of Cinnamon and led him to the bank of the river. She carefully stuck her boot into the water and for a moment it was alright until the bitter cold swept into her boot. With another step her second foot was just as cold and her mid hands clenched the reins tightly. The stallion clopped into the water with a splash and she took another couple of steps so it wouldn’t get too far ahead. The frigid water stirred around her legs and with every step her heart raced and she found herself lagging behind both Isolde and Orin. She hugged her horse’s body close with her high arm and walked so she was on the downstream side of the horse, hoping it would take most of the force from the river. But by the time the water was up to her thighs and moving on to her waist she was nearly at her breaking point. “Aren…” She spoke softly in a quivering voice. Obviously he wouldn’t be able to hear but there was no reason or rationale in her thoughts right now. The next step brought her even deeper into the flowing water and Sayana stopped a moment and wiped at her eyes before closing them. “Please Makutsi,” she spoke softly. “I want to cross. I need to cross. Don’t let me get swept away. I will honor you and all the life and freshness you bring.” After another shuddering breath, partly from the cold and partly from fear, Sayana began taking firmer and more decisive steps through the water. She gave a quiet yelp as the water reached her belly button but after that it steadily grew shallower and she was able to increase her pace. When at last she got to the other bank, she hugged her stallion’s neck with all six arms and stood there trembling for a moment. She needed to make amends with Aren and she now had a suspicion as to what had caused it all. Despite being out of the water, her legs were just as cold or colder due to her dripping pants. Brightly, she recalled that she had packed a second set of clothes. And they were… in the bag that Aren carried. She noticed that Isolde was busy looking for a place to tie up her mare and Orin had already plopped himself down. She hadn’t even noticed the cook’s earlier cry since she had been too busy overcoming her fears of the river. “Orin, do you want to start digging a fire pit and getting the food ready?” Sayana suggested since he was already down on the ground. “I think it just has to be big enough so we don’t burn down the forest and ideally, if you make a second smaller pit right next to it. Upwind I mean. Then it’s supposed to burn really well.” She took off her backpack and rummaged around for the tinder and flint and steel. If Aren didn’t come back soon, they might end up needing it. “Isolde, would you like to get the horses settled and then go get some water for Orin to cook with?” Sayana asked as she offered Cinnamon’s reins to the nuit. “I’m going to go gather firewood,” she continued as she pulled out an axe from her bag. “And hopefully find Aren too. Once the fire is going then we can set up the tent.” The tent that the Akalak still had. And the one that they would all be sleeping in tonight… As the Eypharian set out, it was easy to see that the forest was littered with dead sticks and leaves. It would be the larger pieces of wood that would be harder to find. “Aren… Aren!” She called but to no avail. However, she did spot a large branch that was mostly snapped off. Raising the axe she swung it several times at the weak point, each with a thud, and eventually it broke. She found another point where it got a lot thinner and hacked at that too. The log she ended up with was a lot heavier than she thought but she was able to lug it under her left arms. “Aren, please. I’m not sure but I think I know why you’re angry. I… I shouldn’t have lied to you. Even though I thought I was protecting a friend.” It had taken her a while to come to that conclusion but she couldn’t think of anything else that she might have done wrong in the Akalak’s eyes.

[Aren]

The day's journey had begun to take its toll on the Akalak some time ago, but Aren's anger had pushed him to ignore it for far longer than he should have and now he could feel exhaustion creeping up on him; its tendrils snaked around every part of his body, making him sluggish and dulling his senses. That was why men rode horses, he figured, but he always thought it made more sense to put his trust in his own body and what it could do rather the whim of an animal whose actions you often had no way of predicting. Aren knew how far he could push himself; how much force his limbs could produce, how long he could run at full speed before he got winded, what kind of threats would urge him to run and which might incline him to fight. He knew exactly what he was capable of, and the same simply couldn't be said of some beast of burden that had been taught to do more or less what its rider wanted using carrot and stick. As far as he was concerned, there was no horse, no matter how loyal or how well trained, that was a better alternative to trusting in the abilities that practice and experience forged within a person. As the sun began to set, the Akalak wandered the perimeter of their would-be camp on the lookout for signs of danger. He didn't have much experience detecting animal burrows or identifying tracks belonging to dangerous creatures, but Aren did trust in his own senses. Currently, they were not exactly at their best, but seeing as he had little choice, he continued to rely on them in the hopes that they would not disappoint him. Suddenly, though, he turned to look back towards the original direction from whence he had come; the giant could have sworn he had heard a faint, but familiar sound emanating from just beyond the treeline. As he focused his hearing in an effort to estimate whether he had actually heard something or if it was merely the wind playing tricks on him, a rather distinct cry of pain filled the air, prompting the warrior to break into an adrenaline filled run towards the riverbank. Having immediately come to regret ever having let his own mood distract him from his responsibilities to his family, Aren ran seemingly absent fatigue or signs of weariness. He felt his heart pounding in his chest with every step he took, and his mind raced through a thousand different scenarios which simply got more ghastly as they progressed. In the middle of his gallop, the Akalak was just barely able to make out the feint voice of his lover shouting his name, which prompted his heart to sink into his stomach. Whilst dread filled every fiber of his being, he didn't dare stop or even call back as he clung to the feint hope that he would reach her side in time. With every long, striding step he took, however, his legs threatened to give out from under him, and it was only sheer, stubborn determination that kept the giant in motion. "Sayana!" The Akalak finally screamed, unable to contain the mix of worry, fear and rage that fueled him. Yet, even as he did so, he cleared the last tree obstructing his vision and looked upon the Eypharian's form, completely unharmed, struggling against nothing more dangerous than the weight of a log. Skidding to a halt, Aren's eyes were wide with confusion. His breathing was ragged and his chest heaved up and down like a great tide as the distressed Akalak tried to make sense of the perfectly ordinary scene before him. The sound of his own heart drumming away inside of his rib-cage felt like it drowned everything else out, however, and soon the azure warrior found that the strength that had propelled him forward mere moments ago was quickly leaving him. Falling to his knees like a great lump of flesh, Aren felt a flood of relief wash over him as he began to realize that whatever he had heard probably didn't have anything to do with Sayana. After a long, exasperated sigh, he smiled at the Eypharian like a giddy schoolboy, even as his body began to tilt forward into the dirt. "You'll be the end of me, woman." He couldn't help but think, as tree and sky and sun rushed past his quickly blurring vision in a vertical procession of abstract colors.