Sellsword/Criminal
Hetero.
Single.
Human
Authored by Weasel.
Offline.
I'm not a bad man, I'm just not a lucky man
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Post by Yngvald on Dec 4, 2017 7:42:40 GMT
Wherever the wind blows Well that's where I'm headed. He grunted, but didn't say anything. He didn't know any elves, either. That was how the world was. Her question, however, took him off guard. He laughed and scratched the side of his head. "Oh, it's not something I keep track of. I think I'm at least thirty." His eyes turned toward the sky as he ran the numbers in his head. "Aye, that sounds right." There was a pause as he eyed the lithe little lady. "About how old are you?" She didn't look much older than him; in fact, she looked younger. He noticed how she looked at the blanket. What was wrong with it? Didn't elves use fur? Well, maybe they used something else in its stead. Or, maybe she thought it was stolen, too.
But then she held it out to him. He was dumbfounded. "Oh, no, I - um - You're not scared of me, or something?" He glanced at Bran as if seeking help, more out of habit than anything else. The horse was fine, of course, and completely ignoring them. "I mean, I figured you'd want me to stay away from you." After all, the first thing she'd seen him do was kill a bear. ... template by Sammy @ Adox 2.0
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Bookworm
Hetero.
Single.
Hybrid
Authored by Rook.
Offline.
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Post by Larkin Silvaris on Dec 4, 2017 8:31:50 GMT
Thirty sounded so young to her. An adult obviously but still young. But with humans it really wasn't and that made her frown, they were given so little time. Larkin tilted her head in thought, rattling off her age as if it were nothing. "I ammm....one hundred and forty-one." To her aging slowly wasn't surprising. Nearly everyone back in Aelfmenn was elven. She had offered him some of the blanket then and he ask a question that obviously confused her. "No....am I supposed to be?" He had saved her life, why would she assume it was only to harm her later?
Her gaze followed his to the horse and she looked back at him quizzically. She should be afraid of him...because of the horse that did not bite? "I don't mind." She said after a few moments of silence. Still not entirely sure just what the human was wanting her to think. She scooted to the side and left some of the blanket hanging at her side just in case he decided to join her. Honestly, his warmth would be welcome. Larkin wasn't someone who would immediately assume that contact was a bad thing. Or even an insinuation of other things. She was a creature that thrived on physical contact, something she had been deprived of for a few days now. But humans, she had noticed, weren't like her in that respect. Elves either...maybe it was a werebeast thing.
"Why did you come here to hide? Instead of with family or even in the forest?" Larkin asked while rubbing her legs beneath the blanket to warm them. Large blue eyes moving to the horse who seemed so unbothered by the cold. "Does the cold not bother you? I had always heard that humans were somewhat delicate..." It wasn't meant to be offensive of course, but it might sound that way to a prideful man.
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Sellsword/Criminal
Hetero.
Single.
Human
Authored by Weasel.
Offline.
I'm not a bad man, I'm just not a lucky man
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Post by Yngvald on Dec 4, 2017 22:22:13 GMT
Wherever the wind blows Well that's where I'm headed. He raised his eyebrows and whistled. "That's a lot of years behind you."
When she seemed confused by his question, a confused expression crossed his own face. He hesitated a few more moments. "Well, if you don't mind." Something in his subconscious wondered if he was the one afraid of her, even as he crawled into the crude shelter and gingerly pulled the blanket around himself. His arm brushed against hers. He wasn't sure if that would bother her or not, so he didn't say anything about it.
"First of all, I am not delicate." he began, "I have this coat, so I don't think I'm as cold as you are. As for hiding out here," he paused, wondering how to put it, "It's not likely anyone's going to follow me out here. The forest might have been a different story. Bran is - well he's the closest thing to a family I've got." Under the warmth of the blanket and the somewhat wind-blocking shelter, Yngvald began to think he'd been colder than he realized. Gods knew how long it would take before he could show his face in the major cities again. Maybe he'd be better of just freezing. He sighed. ... template by Sammy @ Adox 2.0
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Bookworm
Hetero.
Single.
Hybrid
Authored by Rook.
Offline.
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Post by Larkin Silvaris on Dec 4, 2017 23:05:17 GMT
Larkin shrugged at his comment about her age. "Not really...I don't really know how old I can live to be. I don't know if I will be more like my elf side or more like wereb-" Her words cut off abruptly with a frown. So much for keeping her hybridism under wraps. "-werebeast side.." She finished, her words softer now. Hopefully, he wouldn't think lesser of her for it. She had met a few people who couldn't care less. But then she had also met others who were violent with her, taking advantage of the fact that she wasn't protected by law. Humans in particular.
He sat down with her, his arm brushing her own. Larkin, being the odd little beast she was immediately wriggled closer until she was practically snuggled into his side. Strangers didn't stay strangers for long with her, although her touchy nature wasn't always received well. She shrugged her thin shoulders when he said he wasn't as cold as she. "I am wearing a skirt...but I do freeze easily." The mention of the horse pushed her attention back to the equine. "He seems like good family." She said with a small smile. Not having any family to depend on must have been hard. Larkin was lucky to have her brother even if she hadn't seen him in several months. She knew he was there, knew she had someone to run to if she couldn't handle it all anymore. Yngvald had no such luxury.
"My brother is back in Aelfmenn. He is all I have left now. I should have gone back to him instead of wandering but...." She breathed a sigh. "It doesn't feel fair that he should have to deal with the consequences of my actions. He always worried as it was, having one hybrid around. Always afraid something would happen to me...which I guess it did. But I don't know what the babe will be and I don't want to stress him out even more." The words had just spilled out and to a perfect stranger. Her blue eyes widened a bit as if realizing she had been blubbering on and and made a quick apology. "I-I'm sorry...I haven't had anyone to talk to and I guess its all just coming out." One of fingers made little patterns on the arm of his coat absently beneath the blanket. Larkin appearing lost in thought for a moment.
"I never expected to end up where I am, how I am now." She was staring straight ahead at the snow when she spoke to Yngvald again. "If you had a sister...would you want her to come home? Even if it would mean a lot of trouble for you and she had been gone a long time?"
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Sellsword/Criminal
Hetero.
Single.
Human
Authored by Weasel.
Offline.
I'm not a bad man, I'm just not a lucky man
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Post by Yngvald on Dec 5, 2017 3:11:27 GMT
Wherever the wind blows Well that's where I'm headed. "Werebeast? So you're an elf, and and a werebeast?" He supposed a hybrid was not unheard of. But what was she? A wolf? A cat? A bear? But no, she was too docile for it. Besides, he hadn't had any reason to fear her before. He should do his best not to let the new information bother him. He decided to let it go.
"Yes, he's a good horse. He shares my burdens." The horse was really all he needed. Bran was built to carry loads, built for cold weather, and gentle to boot. What more could Yngvald possibly want? At least that was what he told himself when the thought crossed his mind. In his silence, he listened. It was surprising how much she could talk. And how close she got to him. He was a bit uncomfortable at first, but there was no reason to push her away. She was almost like a child.
He leaned away a bit to look at her, but not to push her off. "Okay. So you're part elf, part werebeast, and you're expecting a child?" He whistled again. What had he gotten them into? "Well, little Larkin, if I had a sister, I'd definitely want her with me. Wherever home was." He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth, but they were out and he couldn't take them back. ... template by Sammy @ Adox 2.0
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Bookworm
Hetero.
Single.
Hybrid
Authored by Rook.
Offline.
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Post by Larkin Silvaris on Dec 5, 2017 4:23:35 GMT
"I...yes...Is that...you aren't going to be mean to me now...right? I know a lot of people think we shouldn't exist and all that.." Back in Cendra there had been a few people that thought just that. One human woman in particular who yanked her around by her arm until she had shifted from fear. That was when things had really gone downhill. Thankfully she had encountered Ezra at that point and he had saved her.
She stared up at him when he leaned away to repeat what she had said. She didn't answer but instead bit her lip and looked down. "I said too much." She said softly, giving a small nod of acknowledgment when he gave her his opinion. "I hope he feels that way." A tiny stretch made her back arch, the little woman twisting strangely before settling back against Yngvald's side with a sigh of contentment. Her knees leaning on his thigh and arms hugged around his arm. It would be very easy to see why some people disliked her touchy nature. It could very easily get aggravating. Especially now when she was not only cold but lonely as well.
"It must be nice to have someone to share your burdens." She repeated with a yawn that ended with a little squeaking sound. She did have someone, someone she could confide in. But now he was the source of her pain. She appeared a little crestfallen after that, her thin shoulders drooping and her cheek resting against his shoulder.
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Sellsword/Criminal
Hetero.
Single.
Human
Authored by Weasel.
Offline.
I'm not a bad man, I'm just not a lucky man
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Post by Yngvald on Dec 5, 2017 19:41:56 GMT
Wherever the wind blows Well that's where I'm headed. He sighed and shook his head. "I see no reason why I should. Not my place to say whether or not you should exist." And since he'd just saved her life, he figured she might as well keep on living. "What do you, um, turn into?" Could there be prey animals? That was the only kind of thing that suited her.
He shrugged. "Don't worry about it." He let her snuggle up as she wanted, not really sure what to do about it. He didn't mind it, truth be told. He was cold, after all. And besides, he hadn't known anyone to snuggle up this close to him. It was nice, and he'd never say that out loud.
Her comment about sharing the burden made him nod, and yet again he sighed, only this time it was a content sound. There was a silence, just the wind around them and the little horse foraging for grass. Yngvald chewed his lip, lost in thought. Finally, he knew what he wanted to say. "If you have a brother, I think you should return to him." He fell silent again for a moment. "I'll tell you what: We'll wait for this wind to die down a bit and then, well..." Out with it, he told himself, "I'll do my best to get you to him." He'd probably have some coin to pay Yngvald, and the girl would be safe. Everyone wins. ... template by Sammy @ Adox 2.0
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Bookworm
Hetero.
Single.
Hybrid
Authored by Rook.
Offline.
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Post by Larkin Silvaris on Dec 6, 2017 1:25:42 GMT
Yngvald seemed a little unsure about her race in general but his words were kind. She smiled and replied to his question. "A dwarf rabbit." She wasn't some big terrifying predator or even a prey animal that could be of much use. She basically transformed into something that could be killed by a large rat. But it could be handy when she needed to hide, she was basically small enough to sit on someone's palm. Being that size left lots of hiding places at her disposal when the need arose.
Yngvald mentioned her brother again and Larkin didn't reply for a few minutes. She could have headed home when Felix had wanted her to leave his home. But she hadn't. Now though with the reassurance of a perfect stranger, she felt a little more confident. "I....that would be nice." She said softly. She was tired though. Her little body not only tired from all the walking but also growing another little being inside her. "I don't want to bother the two of you though. I could make it on my own, I think." She might be slight and delicate but she was hardier than one might expect.
Her eyes were growing heavy. The warmth and the contact a strong combination. But sitting upright wasn't the easiest way to sleep. She rubbed her eyes to try to keep the sleep at bay. "Could we...nap first? I'm pretty tired."
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Sellsword/Criminal
Hetero.
Single.
Human
Authored by Weasel.
Offline.
I'm not a bad man, I'm just not a lucky man
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Post by Yngvald on Dec 9, 2017 4:53:51 GMT
Wherever the wind blows Well that's where I'm headed. He couldn' help but grin. A dwarf rabbit wouldn't have been his first guess, but it definitely suited her better than any other creature. He didn't respond, but it didn't seem to matter. The conversation had turned back to the matter of her brother.
"I don't have anywhere else to be. And spending time with a lovely lady will hardly bother Bran." In fact, Yngvald was almost certain that nothing bothered Bran. Himself, on the other hand, well that was a different story. He was almost always bothered by something. At that particular moment, the thing bothering him the most was the fact that he'd just volunteered to take this stranger back to a home she may or may not have, and there were still people after him. If he was caught, then Bran would be in danger. And so would Larkin. But he couldn't take back what he said. Besides, he had a feeling this brother of hers would be grateful to have his sister back. He'd probably have plenty of coin for Yngvald. And the sellsword's reputation would benefit, too.
She was obviously getting very tired. Yngvald was bad at things like this. "Sure, yes. I've got to feed Bran, anyway." He gingerly uncovered himself and rose to his feet, trying his best not to disturb her. He looked over at the skin in the snow. Still there. He looked at Bran. Still there. He was running out of geed for him, but there was enough for a few more days. Hopefully they'd find somewhere for the horse to graze on their journey back out of the snow. ... template by Sammy @ Adox 2.0
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Bookworm
Hetero.
Single.
Hybrid
Authored by Rook.
Offline.
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Post by Larkin Silvaris on Dec 9, 2017 9:18:57 GMT
Larkin's brow furrowed at the mention of a lovely lady. "We are stopping to get someone else?" She asked curiously with a little tilt of her head. Exhaustion has set in then and at his agreement, she would happily sleep. Sadly he moved away, taking with him all of his delicious body heat. She frowned but wrapped the blanket around herself and curled into a small ball. Before long she was softly snoring.
Larkin napped for a short time. Waking less than a half hour later with a sudden start. She sat up straight with a loud gasp. His name on her lips. Briefly, she looked around to get her bearings and then climbed to her feet. Her body ached all over and she was still so tired. But she didn't think she could fall back asleep now. That dream...it had been full of scenes she didn't care to revisit. Larkin gathered her long ivory hair over her shoulder. Her blue eyes eventually falling to Yngvald.
"You didn't rest.." She commented slowly. Concern obvious on her face. She hoped he wouldn't get too tired. "Are we off then?"
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Sellsword/Criminal
Hetero.
Single.
Human
Authored by Weasel.
Offline.
I'm not a bad man, I'm just not a lucky man
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Post by Yngvald on Dec 10, 2017 2:36:18 GMT
Wherever the wind blows Well that's where I'm headed. Yngvald chuckled, shaking his head. He didn't say anything in response. She seemed upset that he was leaving the blanket, but he did have to feed Bran. He poured a portion of feed into a bag and tied it around the little fellow's muzzle. He'd eat without Yngvald having to keep such a close eye on him. With Larkin fast asleep, Yngvald leaned against the saddle and pulled his coat tighter around him. He'd close his eyes, but rest wouldn't come. He gave Bran about half an hour to eat his feed before removing the bag from his face. As he was rolling it up and putting it away, Larkin woke with a start, which startled him, which startled the little horse, who jumped and snorted at Yngvald. He was about to ask if she was alright, but she spoke before he did.
"I'm fine. Let me saddle Bran up." Truth be told, he pretty much never slept for more than an hour at a time anyway. Part of a life on the run. He started saddling the little horse. It wouldn't take him very long. He also rolled up the fresh bear skin and frowned at it. It'd be a shame if it didn't keep well, but he couldn't be sure if it would.
After Bran was saddled up and there were a few things packed in the saddle bags, Yngvald turned to Larkin. He paused, considering something. "Have you ever ridden a horse?" She certainly couldn't weigh that much. Bran could carry a few things on his back, plus Larkin, and Yngvald would carry the rest. Simple. Not fun, but simple. ... template by Sammy @ Adox 2.0
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Bookworm
Hetero.
Single.
Hybrid
Authored by Rook.
Offline.
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Post by Larkin Silvaris on Dec 10, 2017 9:17:55 GMT
She apparently startled the two of them pretty badly. Both jumped in surprise which caused Larkin to fall back a step herself. She had nodded when he said he needed to saddle up the little horse and waited patiently. Idly fiddling with her coat and watching his progress. He eventually turned back to her with a surprising question. "No, I haven't." She was aware that many people rode horses. But she had never had the chance nor really strived too. It seemed so uncomfortable to have someone sitting in the sway of your back. Kicking your sides and jerking your head about this way and that.
She stepped closer to the horse and scratched the soft fur beneath his chin, her other hand cradling his cheek. "Were you wanting me too? I-I'm afraid I would hurt him..."
"You should, he's your horse. I've walked this far. It won't hurt me." She smiled tentatively, hoping her words wouldn't anger him but she didn't feel comfortable getting atop the horse.
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Sellsword/Criminal
Hetero.
Single.
Human
Authored by Weasel.
Offline.
I'm not a bad man, I'm just not a lucky man
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Post by Yngvald on Dec 10, 2017 11:05:40 GMT
Wherever the wind blows Well that's where I'm headed. He nodded, checking the straps one more time to make sure everything was in order. Her gentle protests hadn't much changed his mind. He was used to keeping Bran in tow, making sure the little horse was safe at his back. It would be easier to travel if the girl was on Bran's back. Besides that, he wasn't sure if she should be walking so much if she was carrying a baby. He tried to stay patient with her. But he sighed. "You're smaller than I am. If anyone would hurt him, it would be me." He scratched Bran's mane.
"I'll lift you into the saddle. I'll be carrying more of the heavy things so he doesn't have to. It's alright, I promise." He'd ridden Bran several times, of course. He was an easy horse to ride and just to be around. A quiet, gentle fellow. For a second, Yngvald wondered how old he was and how much longer he'd be around. "I just think it would be nice for you to get off your feet. I won't make you." Even though he really wanted her to agree to this idea. As he spoke, he'd been stroking Bran's furry neck absently. ... template by Sammy @ Adox 2.0
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Bookworm
Hetero.
Single.
Hybrid
Authored by Rook.
Offline.
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Post by Larkin Silvaris on Dec 12, 2017 16:03:00 GMT
Larkin hesitated even in the face of his sound reasoning. She frowned and reached out to gently stroke the horse's shoulder. "If you think that its best..." She said softly although the worry was still obvious on her pale face. She turned to look at Yngvald again. "Won't carrying so much weight be hard on you?" He was just human after all. What if she shortened his life even more than it already was? That was worrisome. He seemed so kind, the thought of hurting him was bothersome.
She reluctantly stepped closer to him and held her arms up from her sides a little awkwardly. If he would sit her in the saddle she would cling to the saddle nervously, afraid of falling off. It didn't help that the saddle was very cool against her unprotected bum either. Her short skirt doing very little to keep her warm. She shivered from atop the horse while hoping he didn't mind her being there.
"You are sure going to Aelfmenn won't be a problem for you? Since you are running away from people?"
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Sellsword/Criminal
Hetero.
Single.
Human
Authored by Weasel.
Offline.
I'm not a bad man, I'm just not a lucky man
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Post by Yngvald on Dec 13, 2017 22:49:23 GMT
Wherever the wind blows Well that's where I'm headed. "I used to carry all of it before I got Bran. Not to worry." Of course, he'd only been alone for a few months before he stole Bran. And he'd been a bit younger. But that was besides the point. Yngvald was no old man, and he still had the strength to carry what he needed. His survival depended on it, and now so did hers. If nothing else, they'd need to take a few more breaks than normal.
She wasn't terribly heavy; Yngvald hardly had any trouble lifting her off the ground. But getting her over the horse's back was a bit more demanding than he would have liked. There was no time to doubt himself. He looked up at her where she clung to the saddle like a frightened kitten (or bunny). "Alright. It might be scary the first few days, but you'll feel better after a while." Next time he put her up there, he'd put a fur down on the saddle first. He forgot that she'd been wearing a skirt, and those were probably terribly uncomfortable. "I started riding when I was a boy. Those horses were much more fiery than little Bran here, so I doubt you'll fall off." Yes, where the horses of his youth would be pawing the ground and tossing their heads to get moving, Bran's head was low, relaxed. He'd hardly moved since Larkin was placed in the saddle.
Yngvald gathered up what he needed and secured it to his back. Not too heavy after all. That is, he'd carried worse loads. Her question caused him pause as he tried to recall where all the kingdoms and major cities were in relation to each other. "As long as I don't go back to Mir, I think I"ll be alright. I figure we can head west to avoid the Naihan Mountains, and then south to Aelfmenn." ... template by Sammy @ Adox 2.0
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