Leaving the far north, In search of a better life

[Raefn Rook]

It was the setting of another autumnal day; the pale watery sun slipping below the horizon and stripping the land of the faint warmth it had graciously delivered. Clouds threatened sleet, steadily boiling over the sky and turning it to a steely grey. Bitter wind whipped across a frozen mud track, whereby a lone figure trudged wearily. He was dressed in a thick fur coat, of which the collar was turned up high around his neck, the wolf fur lining tousled this way and that. Pale eyes rested on the road ahead; eyelids tired and drooping with fatigue. Pallid cheeks were tinged pink from the cold.

Suddenly, a rogue gust grabbed his legs and sent him slipping, luckily he held fast and regained his balance, adjusting the bag he had slung at his side; checking nothing had gone amiss. Relieved, Raefn pulled the thick folds of the coat around him tighter, shivered and pressed on, this time looking ahead at the bleak horizon. Some time soon, he would have to stop and find shelter, and this was a dim prospect - he did not fancy sleeping in some frosty hollow only to awake damp and freezing, with joints that had seized up.

Why was he on this journey you may ask? It was a simple enough reason; disease had come to the village in which he had grown up, and numbers were fading fast. Raefn had escaped as soon as it had broken out, and thankfully, he had avoided it, only to find himself stranded on a road south with no money, little supplies and no shelter. His only hope was to find a new home and lend his knowledge of herblore to folk.
The man sighed bitterly - who would want his remedies now that people could visit the healing mages? Where he came from, folk were wary of magic and had learnt to use the plants that grew around them, but Raefn knew only too well that further south dwelt mages of extraordinary power. A power he had once dreamt of owning, but now was nothing more than a futile hope.

A lull in the wind caused him to look up and reach for the bone amulets that hung around his neck. A supersitious person - he was always on the lookout for signs that the ancients might be nearby; he both feared and hated them, though he would never admit to it.

[Akedhi]

She hates the cold. Despises it. Probably that's because she takes after her father's reptilian side. Maybe she's cold-blooded.

Anyway. She's wandered off from the caravan again--she can't handle too much of a dose of the purebloods at a time, and most of them frighten her. She thinks they'd hurt her if they dared. She's probably right--and is picking her way along the road with the vague idea that she's going to go and find Roberto.

There was an... incident... with a handful of the Miar children. It involved dirt clods, sticks, and a couple rocks. That was the part where she ran.

She's a pretty little thing, in a strange kind of way, dressed in autumnal colours that stand out brightly against the dreary landscape. Golds and reds, mostly; they suit her. The cloak is a dark rust red and thick wool. It doesn't help much, though, because the wind is whipping it around.

She's gotten too far from the caravan again. She should do something about this bad habit of hers. And this time there's no barn in sight.

[Raefn Rook]

Though his pale eyes watered from looking across a windswept landscape, they picked out another lone figure in the bleak landscape, not too far away at that. Hand shielding his view, he tried to make more sense of it, but alas, he was too far away. Hitching his bag higher up onto his shoulder, Raefn called out, cupping his hands over his mouth - perhaps whoever it was would have been able to offer him directions? He would not admit it, but he was somewhat lost.

The wind blew his call away, and sighing, he began to walk towards them, hoping he would not scare whoever it was away. The last thing he needed was to ghost someone.

[Akedhi]

Well, he's scared her, but that's not necessarily his fault. And she isn't running, because that's just an invitation to be chased. She learned that the hard way, I'm afraid...

She freezes instead, huddling into her cloak and watching the stranger come closer with wide golden eyes that catch what little light there is and reflect it in a strange fashion.

It's the snake thing.

[Raefn Rook]

He came up and finally saw who it was; a young lady. Raefn had never been noted for his chivalry, but nonetheless at least he was polite. Immediately he picked up she was afraid of him, and this caused him to pause briefly before speaking - it was something he had learn to expect, but it was something he could not help, and it had always disheartened him slightly. Sighing, he decided to just go ahead and ask his question

"Do you know if there's anywhere safe to stay around here? Only..."

Raefn trailed off, indicating by this that he wasn't hopeful the answer would be yes, they were in the middle of what appeared to be a completely empty landscape, though if she was here to, apparently on business, perhaps she had come from a small hamlet. Who was he to know?

[Akedhi]

"I don't think ssso," she answers softly. Her voice has a sibilant quality to it, light and breathy and rather strange. She's very careful not to show her teeth when she speaks, too.

There's a reason for that.

"There'sss only the caravan, and Misstresss Ingsssley-Miar would be angry with me if I tried to bring sssomeone back with me."

You think?

Maybe just a little bit angry. After all, this one looks mostly normal. He isn't as obviously an abomination as Yannick was. Or as much as Sana herself is.

Not that she wants to take him home, but that's another matter.

[Raefn Rook]

He nods in understanding, pulling his hood around him tighter in a feeble attempt to keep warm. The fur does a good job, but he can still feel the bite of the wind as it forces its way through the seems - it is an old garment, but it has stood the test of time well.

"Ah I see," The man replies, his voice slightly lilted. The girl has made it clear that there would be somewhere to stay; but not for him. Containing his mild disappointment, he continues, trying not to sound desperate - it is quite possible one could die out in this cold weather "Is there anywhere at all?"

[Akedhi]

She looks apologetic.

"... there'sss half a barn... sssomewhere. But I don't remember how to get there."

Yannick would be furious with her, she thinks. But this man is so... She feels sorry for him. And Yannick was nice to her, maybe he would be nice to someone else, too.

No, I don't know where her optimism comes from. But it's refreshing, in a way, isn't it?

[Raefn Rook]

Pallid eyes close for a moment as Raefn exhales through his nose - living on his own for so long has given him little patience, and at the moment it is wearing thin. A thumb absentmindedly polishes the jet stone set into the ring on his finger, it is something which has always calmed him down. He reminds himself that this girl is probably being as helpful as she can possibly be, but the promise of half a barn, somewhere, yet somewhere she cannot remember...

Summer is drawing to a close, and it seems as though winter is already rearing his ugly head. He does not fancy spending another night outside under the stars; particually as he has heard strange tales of this area. Being a superstitious person, Raefn has always been wary of travelling through unknown lands. He lifts his gaze to meet hers again with a small smile

"Thankyou for your time m'lady," He manages to say, "I'm sorry for wasting it - I shall try searching for the barn you speak of,"

And with that he turns, ready to leave, preparing himself for a few more hours trek

[Akedhi]

And I'm afraid Sana watches him and lets him go.

She doesn't like prolonged interactions with strange men. Usually she ends up hurt.

After a moment, she turns and runs back the way she came from. Logically, sooner or later, she'll get back to the caravan, right?

[Raefn Rook]

He had walked until his legs burnt with fatigue and his head swam. He had to rest soon; it was impossible to cover more ground until the sun had risen. Hands clenching the thick folds of the coat, he surveyed his surroundings. Anywhere, anywhere at all to sleep...even just a small scrape in the ground. Finally, his eyes settled in a place where the ground dipped; somewhere he deduced, which would offer some solice from this terrible wind.

Yet it did not offer as much protection as he thought; after a few minutes of huddling down, trying to find the most comfortable position. For once he wondered if shifting would have offered some benefit - at least then he could try to eat this dry, stiff grass that grew everywhere. But of course, it would happen at a most difficult time, not one that was conveniant. Shivering, and arranging his bag at his side, he felt his eyes drooping, and soon slipped into a dreamless sleep.