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~*~ TDT2: The Blood Debt ~*~

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Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
*~*~*~*
The sun beat down mercilessly on Krystal, making her shirt cling uncomfortably to her back. Her sword harness felt as though it weighed a thousand pounds, dragging her shoulders into a hunched position. This was the last wave of summer heat, she guessed, before the autumn cold set in. She did*’t know for sure – she had no sense of time any more – but it made sense. And she’d be ****** if she’d ask Rivera.
She glanced sideways at the thought. The woman carried herself with perfect poise. Not a bead of sweat was visible on her milky skin, she sat tall and easily in the saddle, staring ahead with a small smile. Her shirt and trousers, despite the days on the road, were spotless, and not a hair was out of place. Krystal looked down at her own hands and imagined how awful she must look. Her fingernails were long, almost like claws, others she had bitten and were uneven; all were covered in dirt. Her clothes were loose – she’d lost a lot of weight. Her skin had bronzed in her days on the island and in the boat and there were knots in her hair she feared would never disentangle.
Her thoughts wandered in the stony silence, sadly, back to Rivera. Who was this woman? What did she want from them? She claimed to want to help, but how much did she trust someone who had kept Bond prisoner for no reason? How did Krystal know she could trust Rivera, that Bond wouldn’t be ripped away and thrown into captivity, and maybe herself too? It could all be a trap, and Krystal could have played right into it. They were so desperate, so helpless, anyone could use them.
As if Rivera could hear her thoughts, out of nowhere she said, “I’m not going to betray you.”
Startled, Krystal looked up. “And I know that…how?”
Rivera kept her eyes glued to the road, but her back stiffened. “I wanted to help. I refused Bond because I did*’t think there was anything I could do – my father – Well, with his escape…if I find him I can…” she trailed off, shrugging.

09-Dec-2007 00:15:33

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Krystal stared. *I don’t understand,” she replied bluntly.
Rivera turned to look coldly back. “You can just trust me,” she snapped. “I promise you that.”
So, more of the line about her father, Krystal supposed. Something about his authority over her, Rivera had mentioned it before. That was her story and she was sticking to it, and throwing in a bit of tortured emotion for good measure. Krystal resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Nothing would make her trust this cold woman who *rescued” an innocent man only to imprison him again. The woman was an outlaw, a bandit, a born liar, with plenty of ulterior motives. Krystal, on the other hand, knew she could be read like a book. All she wanted was to save Bond, and Rivera could exploit that any time. How could Krystal ever know what was true, if any of these feelings shown were real?
The forest passed slowly by on either side. Krystal scanned it carefully, then glanced at the sky. Directly in front of them the sun had begun its descent, and the shadows lengthened around her.
“We should probably stop and search for a bit,* Krystal suggested. “We made a lot of progress, we’re in an area he could be near, right?”
Rivera shrugged. “Maybe.” But she dismounted all the same. Krystal heard her whisper, “Stay,” to her horse as she tied her own reins carefully around a tree. The roan horse whickered softly in reply to the words.
“I’ll search north of the road, you search south. Yell if you find anything.” Krystal stalked off.
Rivera watched Krystal go, then turned and crossed the road to the other half of the forest. She drew her bow and reached for an arrow. It slipped through her fingers and landed in the loamy earth. Rivera stared at it, then at her hands as they trembled. Shocked, she fell back against a tree and sank down.

09-Dec-2007 00:15:48 - Last edited on 09-Dec-2007 01:21:33 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
What was happening to her? She was enraged for no reason other than a fierce dislike for Krystal. The woman treated her coldly and distantly, and Rivera could see the hate boiling underneath it all. She couldn’t blame her, really, Bond had been her prisoner. But in her days spent at his side, the words he said to her – she’d changed, or so she thought. She knew she wanted to help Bond. She no longer saw him as currency for power, that might help her gain control, as she first had…but a person, in need of help and caring.
In need of Krystal? She asked herself. It had been clear how he felt about her. And once they were reunited…Rivera would just be the criminal, the one who took him prisoner. Any sentiments he might have had would be gone.
She sighed and slipped her bow onto her back. She had little need of it anyway, Bond wouldn’t require slowing down. Then, carefully she climbed to her feet. If Krystal wanted cold and distant, that’* what she’d get. They’d have to work together, but if Krystal couldn’t give an inch, neither would she. Some things hadn’t changed, she thought to herself with a smile.
Then she heard a yell.
It was Krystal. She drew her bow again and consciously relaxed, letting her warrior’s side take over. Every muscle was tensed and ready, every sense alert. Arrow smoothly noc*ed this time, she set off across the road in the direction of the sound. Moments later she found Krystal between the trees. As she approached, she put up her weapons once more.
“I don’t know if it’s anything,” Krystal began uncertainly, “But I thought maybe – you said he stole a horse. A black one.”
“Yes…he did.” Rivera gazed calmly at the dirty black mare, eyeing the two white bands around her feet, and smiled inwardly. “But that’s not it.*

09-Dec-2007 00:16:03

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
*~*~*~*
Kzahar opened the door of the store and stood there, surveying it. The one-room store was dimly lit through windows of broken or dirty glass, with shelves either empty or laden with odd goods like fishing hooks and pillows. The sun at his back cast a long shadow across the dusty floor, and the man behind the desk looked up. “Can I help you, ser?”
“I’m looking to buy some supplies,” he replied, approaching the counter. “My companions and I have been on the road quite some time, and we need to replenish our stores.”
“Can’t help you none,” shrugged the thin man, scratching his long beard. “We’re clear out o’ goods.”
“Why?” Kzahar demanded.
“Plague wiped out all of our farmers. Ain’t no grain, no vegetables, no pigs, no cows…nothing, mate. No food at all,” he said apologetically.
Kzahar leaned close, causing the man to step back in fear. “Then why the hell is this place open?” he demanded.
“Sellin’ what I can,” he stammered. “Tradin’ all I got for whatever I can get. That’s a fine-lookin’ sword at your waist, ser, I’ll offer y’ some clothes for it.”
Kzahar chose to ignore the pathetic offer. “What about the Duke?”
The man’s eyes narrowed with distaste. “Oh, the Duke. Locked hisself in his pretty castle, those gates are barred nice and tight. They got food in there, all right, but they don’t share none with us.”
The warrior stiffened. “That’ll I change, I promise you.” He swung around and stormed out of the room, back up the road to where his companions waited in the cover of the wood.
Maston greeted him with a glare and, “Where’s our food?”
“There isn’t any. Plague killed off all the farmers.”
“D**n Corynn!” he swore angrily. Arwing stroked his arm soothingly, but her worried eyes were on Kzahar as he spoke again.
“Any of you know if the Duke of Lumbridge happens to be related to our good king?”
Emmaris frowned. “Why?”

09-Dec-2007 00:16:21

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“We could start this whole thing, right here, right now. Doesn’t matter if it helps that or not, we’re storming his castle.” At their questioning stares, he continued, “Because he’s got the food, and locked it up tight behind those walls. We go in there, bash some heads, take what we need, have a nice chat with the Duke about sharing with his starving people, continue on our merry way. Good practice for breaking into castles.” He grinned cheerfully.
There was silence for a moment, then Emmaris asked, “But if the gates are locked up, how do we get in?”
Maston shared Kzah***s smile. “That’* what we need to learn, isn’t it? I have an idea, though.”

Twenty minutes later, after much debating and plotting, the group rode through the dusk towards the castle. At the gates, they halted, and a guard peered through the bars from the other side. He squinted curiously as Arwing dismounted and approached him.
“What do you want, miss?”
“I need to speak with the Duke,” she demanded.
“And why do you think you can?” the man sniggered.
She gave him a haughty look, full of contempt. “I’m an emissary from his Majesty, you should know,” she sniffed. “I have important news for his Lordship.*
The guard laughed some more. “You don’t look like no emissary, lady.” He scanned her, then the group, for effect, with a critical and disapproving eye.
Arwing rolled her eyes. “We were attacked by bandits on the road down here. They took all of our belongings. Our clothes, our papers, some of our horses, our food. A chest containing a thousand golds for his Lordship, and some for his loyal guards as well.” The man shared a look with his partner, who had come up beside him.
“We’re gonna need some more proof,” he insisted after a moment.

09-Dec-2007 00:16:41

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Emmaris jumped down and approached, pulling something from his belt. “I managed to keep my papers,” he announced, and handed them through the bars. “I’m an official scholar of his Majesty, those are the documents proving it. Sorry for the smudges…we were caught in some rain.”
“Scholar…Evans…” the man read. Emmaris had smudged away the old words and written in a fake name, just in case the guards could read. It seemed the Duke was most careful these days.
The soldiers shared another look. “Fine,” he grunted. “I’ll send for him, Cory here will show you inside,” he explained, as he unlocked and swung open the tall gates to the manor courtyard.
Arwing walked past him, trailing a finger across his uniform. “Thanks so much, boys,” she drawled. Then, suddenly, she spun on her heel and jammed her fist into his stomach. He doubled over with a groan, and as she removed her hands blood spurted from the dagger wound in his stomach. He staggered to his knees. The other soldier reached for his sword, only to have it knocked away by Arwing and snatched up. His cry for help was cut off as Kzahar galloped by and smoothly beheaded him.
“Close the gates!” he yelled. “Nobody gets in or out!”
By then, guards had burst from the garrison nearby and piled into the yard. Maston swung down from his horse next to Arwing and motioned for her to mount up – she could fight better on horseback than he. A muttered word and fire burst into his hands, only to be hurled at the approaching squad. They dove for cover as flames splashed across the stones. Then he was amongst them, booting one in the stomach and picking up a fallen mace. He twirled it in his hand, whirled, and allowed it to collide with the nearest head. The soldier dropped like a stone. It was good to be fighting again, he thought with a grin. He scanned the fray as his companions swept death among the group. Issavan did*’t stand a chance.

09-Dec-2007 00:16:55

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09-Dec-2007 01:18:39

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