Browsing the Isle: Aden

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"I'd think you would know, since you've obviously encountered so many people at this point in their lives." There wasn't fear- his own display of bravado was there, again, firm and unshaken if only by virtue of his belief in his own strength, and the strange sensation that the sword provided him with. "But since you seem to be forgetful, I think I'll play along."

He rested his hand, still, upon the pommel of the blade. "Where am I, and how do I get out of this place," he gestured about the circle of trees. "And, by 'this place', I'm not only referring to the grove." He pondered for just a moment, and then nodded, with finality.

"What do you know of Sorcha and Dorch?" Aden was rather nervous, asking such questions- he didn't want to seem a fool, but there really was no other alternative. The queries needed to be placed, before he could get back to Pan's Isle, where things actually made sense. "And why is this woman crying?" He pointed at her loosely, as if it were not a real concern, but only a curiousity.
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Post by Shaeliana »

Still smiling, the man crossed his arms back across his chest and nodded, seemingly pleased or perhaps entertained at Aden's questions.

"Of sorcha and dorcha, I know what all know, that I am of one and you are of the other," he answered slowly, almost deliberately. A shudder flowed up the sword once more, this time accompanied by a feeling of alarm as the tendrils and roots pushing up from the ground continued to creep higher up the blade, surrounding it tightly.

"As to how you leave the circle of life, that is as easy for surrender is the road to peace and contentment. Surrender to the seasons, the ebb and flow of life around you, surrender to the inevitable," he offered without emotion, then shook his head.

"She cries for lack of surrender," he added quickly as he reached down, grabbed hold of her hair and jerked her head back eliciting a shrill shriek. The face the young man beheld had little in common with the soft pale skin of her hands, the rich shiney mane adorning her head or the soft folks of pink silk that surrounded her. Brown and wrinkled like tree bark, it had a look of age and abuse. Golden brown eyes glanced sadly at Aden before the leathery lids closed and the weeping began anew.

"Trapped between two worlds, she will not let go to what must be," he shook his head forlornly.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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Aden tried his best to ignore the man's apparent cockiness and certainty in everything he did- it was readily apparent that the man was more aware of what was going on than Aden was.

"Well, then I suppose it makes sense that you'd be of Dorcha, and I'm of Sorcha." He supposed that was true- Dorcha had been a bad place, filled with shadows and strange creatures. Sorcha had had the warm woman- and the little fae that had saved him from the mists of the shadowy place. Even if it was because of that woman that he had ended up on this journey in the first place.

He saw the plant matter growing around the blade, and idly attempted to pull it free- if it was stuck, he wasn't going to make a fool of himself trying to yank it out... but he was certainly not going to let the earth just -swallow- it.

"Surrender? To what? You?" Aden laughed lightly, though he felt none of the humor himself. What inevitability is there? None. Destiny is our own to shape." He narrowed his eyes, feeling frustrated about the fact that this man wasn't making coherent sense. "What is so inevitable that we must surrender for its sake?"

He looked at the woman, eyes filled with sympathy. "But worlds are not made up of black and white- they are made up of greys and colors." Aden's confidence dropped just a little bit, wondering how far out of his depth he really was. "Why can't she decide? If this world is really as simple as you say, then she can come with me, and I will show her Sorcha." Oh yeah, Aden was most certainly out of his depth and sense of confidence. Most importantly, though, he was definitely bluffing.

Definitely.
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Post by Shaeliana »

A frown quickly replaced the man's smile as Aden began to tug on the blade, the roots tugging back as they attempted to claim the blade for their own.

"Do you scoff at fate then? That which the gods have slated for you? That which is destined to be? You would fight against the logic of retreating when the odds are against you or surrendering when that is the only hope?" he questioned the young man.

"You see what resistance has earned her?" he added as if that were proof enough of the truth of his arguement. "Do you think she can just leave here, that Sorcha will make her less or more than she is? Or do you think at all little one? Are you like so many of your kind that simply act without thinking?" he heckled as the roots attempted to pull the sword from Aden's hands while new ones began to sprout around his feet.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
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As soon as Aden noticed that the act of pulling on the sword caused this strange man discomfort, he redoubled his efforts, using both hands and straining against the resilient tug of the earth. He continued to speak, though, as he worked, so as not to concede any element of his own bravado and confidence. He'd not admit to any mistake in sticking the sword into the ground.

"I don't scoff at anything. Humanity has free will, and whatever plans the gods make can be broken at our behest. They protect and shelter us from harm, perhaps, but no god that I follow would take away my ability to choose." That was about as eloquent and philosophic as Aden got, to be quite honest. He wasn't sure of the truth in his words, but was rather sure of his own conviction that they -ought- to be true. "I'd fight for my freedom against fate, even if it meant my own death."

That, however, he was decidedly less sure about.

"As for her," he shrugged carelessly, though his innards railed against his lack of caring. "She can either come with me or not, it is of no consequence. The fact that she can't accept fate doesn't mean that I must."

Aden yanked forcefully at the sword, by now, lifting his feet and shifting from leg to leg in an attempt to dissuade the creeping vines from rising any higher. "Stop trying to ensnare me with your lies and with these roots. If all you have is deception and reliance on fate, then there's no reason for me to remain here."
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Post by Shaeliana »

Though it took some effort, the blade did slip free of the creeping vines rooted about hit, the sharp edge slicing through many of them. The movement of his feet dissuaded any further action of those that had sprung up round his feet and as quickly as they had sprouted, they wilted and shrank back into the grasses.

"You were not brought here against your will and you are free to leave at any time," the deep rolling voice offered peaceably. Behind Aden the wood groaned as it parted, recreating the same hole he had entered through.

"She stays with me however," the man warned at which the woman held out one pale delicate arm, crying loudly.

"No, please don't le...," her words were cut off by a root that wrapped itself across her mouth.

Outside, the young lad could hear Buster calling his name, asking if he was alright and safe.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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"Who is she?" He asked, staring at the woman. Why was this man so determined to keep him there? He called back to Buster that he was okay, hopefully not doing anything so ostentatious as neighing- that might be more than a little unheroic. Was this lady perhaps some important person from Sorcha? Or something? Or maybe she was an enemy of Dorch-- and any enemy of Dorcha was no enemy of Aden's.

It was then that the farmboy realized that it scarcely mattered who she was-- she was a woman, and she was in need, and regardless of the oddness of this strange place, there were some things that remained constant. The able should protect the unable, and the strong should shelter the weak. As odd as it might seem, in this circumstance, Aden was the strong one, and he was obligated to protect her.

Noting the ease with which the sword cut the creeping vines, Aden stepped over to the girl, focusing on his confidence and hoping he was not making a mistake. He cut the vine holding her mouth shut, and turned about on this strange man.

"You might think yourself in charge of the situation, but the woman is coming with me. I'll not leave any creature to Dorcha that rightfully belongs in Sorcha." The young man's eyes narrowed further, and he brought his blade up into a threatening position. "I don't think you want to test this blade's mettle, nor my own."
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Post by Shaeliana »

All trace of pleasantries left the face of the metal clad man, replaced by an ugly sneer as Aden quickly and effortlessly cut the root from the woman's mouth.

"She is not yours anymore than that sword is yours!" he roared. "You should leave what is not yours alone small one. There are things older than you, things that have forgotten more than you'll ever know. This is not your concern," he growled as he reached over to grab the woman's arm, his feet never moving.

In Aden's hand, the blade felt light and almost as if it had a life of its own. Energy arched up through the hilt into his hand and flowed up his arm, making it tingle slightly.

One hand grasping the arm of the woman, the man slowly drew the long silver blade from its sheath with a soft low hiss.
Last edited by Shaeliana on Sun Jan 30, 2005 4:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
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"This sword is more mine than it is anyone else's. I earned this blade, and I will keep it." Aden's voice was quiet, now- perhaps terrified but feeling that familiar pulse of adrenaline, still. "And since it is obvious that the woman wants to depart, I think I shall assist her. You don't own her, and you don't own this sword. Most of all, though, you do not own me." The words were bold, and stemmed from somewhere deep inside of Aden, though his insecurities threatened to topple the sensation.

Forcing them out of the way, though, the farmboy acted without thinking. The instant the man's hand touched the woman, his own blade swung in an arc, aiming for the man's elbow- or at least his lower arm. He hoped to sever the limb, enabling the woman to get free and out of the way before the real trouble started.

"Get up! Go!" He said, in a choked whisper, staring down this man who was undoubtably more powerful than Aden himself was, and was more than likely far better with a blade. Aden lifted the sword once more, making another broad stroke toward the creature of dorcha, provided that he was not prevented from doing so. "Return to Dorcha where you came from. I am of Sorcha, and I'm not afraid of you." A lie, perhaps, but then people said things they didn't mean in times of passion.
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Post by Shaeliana »

Once again, the man threw his head back and laughed at Aden, this time a rough unwelcomed sound. A sound cut short by the quick snick of the magical blade as it sliced cleanly through metal and flesh, except that it wasn't flesh. The arm that fell away showed no blood, nothing red. Instead, it thudded to the ground solidly and heavily, the severed face showing what looked to be tree rings. The laugh turned into a groaning growl as the man-like treething brought his sword up.

"I can hardly go back to where I already am!" the creature bellowed as it made a swing for Aden's head. "Perhaps you are the one that needs to go back!" it screamed in anger.

On the ground, the woman began to crawl away, seemingly encumbered by her skirts.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
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Aden blanched visibly, at the realization that the man had no blood. What he had supposed must be a human was apparently not, and much of his confidence began to falter. He stammered a little, keeping his blade up to the best of his ability.

He held the sword at what he hoped was the right angle to deflect the shot at his face, and held the blade solidly, but found himself incapable of retaliating in kind. "You can come to sorcha," he said with his quiet determination, hopeful and perhaps a bit too naive. "You don't have to live in dorcha. There is always another way." Aden smiled with fear and uncertainty in his eyes, praying that the man might be put off-balance somehow.

The farmboy was no fighter, but he could at least parry a bit, if the attempts were obvious. "I will go back, though. I don't want to be here. I want to go back to wherever I came from- sorcha or Pan's Isle or whatever you might call it. But I will not let you take the sword or the girl with you- and I will most definitely leave when I'm ready to, not because you insist so." Once more, the bravado started to build itself up, hindered as it was by the feelings of uncertainty.
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Post by Shaeliana »

Easily Aden parried the swing of the tree-thing, the energy of the sword rushing up his arm as it aligned itself properly, almost as if it were created for this very thing. Not deterred so easily, the man-thing brought the blade around again, this time from the other side with a backwards slash aimed at the young farmlad's left hip, his feet never moving from their shoulder wide stance.

On the ground, the young woman still clambered across the grass shrieking now and again as if she were the one being swung at with the sword.
Last edited by Shaeliana on Sun Jan 30, 2005 4:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
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"Hurry up! Get away! I'll protect you!" He tried to say it with confidence as he shouted after the girl, hoping she'd get out of there and calm down before anything bad happened.

Aden was delighted by the way the sword seemed naturally capable of defending him, though the young man's own experience with a blade was extremely limited. He willed the blade to counter the slash, and concentrated on immediately striking, thereafter. He didn't know exactly how he would pull an action like that off- again, he was inexperienced- but knew it could be done. Aden could only hope that the sword was more capable than he himself was.

He'd try to lower the blade in time to parry the stroke and then slash at the man's legs- hoping that knocking him off-balance would help, somehow. Especially since trees seemed rather... attached to their roots. He smiled, then, despite his fear- he had to, in a way. If he didn't, the fear would take over- and there was no time for self-doubt. Not now.
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Post by Shaeliana »

Indeed the sword seemed to respond to the thoughts and energy of the farmlad and cleanly swung into place deflecting the blow from his hip, before coming around in an arch that sliced diagonally into the legs of his opponent. All illusion vanished suddenly and Aden found himself facing a squat tree with an arm sticking out of its side, am arm which held the sword that now arched overhead and came down solidly, aimed for the top of the young man's head.

Around the tree's "feet", vines had sprung up out of the grassy surface and were coiling themselves about the trunk where the blade had made a deep gash. Sap dripped lazily from the wound. Meanwhile, the woman had nearly made it to where the opening had been, an opening that was no longer there.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
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Aden was too focused on the illusion and its sudden fading to notice that the opening had vanished, his eyes wide and mouth agape as he attempted to rationalize how the heck this tree could possibly be moving. Then, of course- and not a moment too soon- he recalled precisely where he was... and that there needn't be a logic to everything.

Even as he cut at the leg he tried to bring the blade up to parry the blow aiming for his head, even as he lowered himself by bending his knees to give the sword extra time. After his attempt to block it, Aden's arms- which would by then be lower in placement than the other swordsman's arm- would try to swing upward, to slice the other arm off- in the hopes that without a sword, the fight would be much easier.

Failing that, Aden would move into a defensive position, waiting for an opening to cut the man's other arm off, so that he might finally cut the trunk in two, and end this thing once and for all.
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Unable to hold the false human form any longer, the tree-thing was slower and considerably less agile in this form so the farmlad had little trouble moving into position to deflect the blow aimed at his head. Trouble was, the thing seemed stronger in this form and the act of stopping the blow drove him to his knees. His attempt to cut off the tree's arm fell short. Instead, he felt a jolt of power as the blade arched the base, inflicting a line as long as his arm and two to three knuckles deep.

With a growl that had the sound of old stressed wood more than anything, the beast brought it's blade down from overhead once again, a vicious attempt to cleave the young man into halves.

At the edge of the grove of trees, the woman sat watching the two, squealing each time the tree launched another attack at Aden.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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The squealing was growing increasingly distracting, and Aden called out, taking just an instant away from focusing on the tree. "What's the matter?" He, of course, had no way of knowing if the woman was in real danger or not- but his protective nature led him to wonder about her safety. There wouldn't be much point to fighting this thing if he had already failed as an aegis.

He was surprised by the thing's sudden strength, and as the blow drove him to his knees, Aden gasped- he certainly had not expected that. Trying his best to keep his sword up, Aden tumbled himself to the side and away, trying to slide away from the inevitable strike of the mighty treant's blade. He needed some time to get away and contemplate a strategy-- and he hoped that now that the thing was anchored by its roots, it would not be nearly as mobile or agile as it had previously been.

Should he manage to tumble away, the farmlad would take a moment to breathe and check on the woman, before lifting up with all his strength and swinging the sword down in a wildly screaming arc- treating it like it was an axe of some form- pointing at the first cut he had made. Aden's eyes were filled with electric hope, as he whispered- praying to every god he knew that the blade sever the arm completely.
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Post by Shaeliana »

The creature's elated howl of victory as he brought the blade down was cut short as the young man rolled away and the blade plunged deep into the ground instead. An angry growl boomed as the one armed tree tugged at the sword buried over halfway up the blade.

With a moment to catch his breath, Aden's glance at the woman showed her in no distress, huddled up on the ground with her back pressed against the unyielding wall of tree trunks.

With the tree thus disabled, the young lad's next move was easy. Jerking his arm back from the sword at the last minute, Aden's blade swung easily, powerfully into the trunk, gliding through the wood as if it were butter. A pittiful groaning sound erupted around them and the wall of trunks began to move creating openings everywhere.

Outside, Buster was still hollering for the farmboy but at the commotion fell silent. After a few flickers of silence from the horse, he started yelling again.

"Aden! If you can hear me you have to get out of there now! This place is coming apart! Move!" Faintly at first, but now with more force, the ground began to tremble and move.

On the ground, the woman began to crawl towards the opening nearest her.
Last edited by Shaeliana on Sun Jan 30, 2005 10:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
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Aden was startled at how effective the simple move had been- but supposed that without the presumably enchanted blade to guide him, it would have been far more difficult. He smiled with triumph, but his elation was cut short an instant later, as the place began to open up- and not in any regular or defineable way. Turning one last time to the trunk, Aden spat on it- irritated and proud of his own victory. He sheathed the sword and turned toward the grove walls once again.

"I'm fine, Buster! Hold on!" He shouted, looking for the largest opening before making his next move. Once he had ascertained which of the holes was the largest- that is, which one could fit him through- the farmlad ran over to the woman and hoisted her over his shoulder, as if she were a sack of potatoes on the old family farm. Hopefully, his adrenaline would still be lending him strength.

Running with the girl over his shoulder to the opening he had previously selected, Aden tried to force her through the opening as gently as he could, making sure she was completely on the other side before he would even begin to exit himself. "Buster! Hurry!" he would yell, hoisting the woman over his shoulder- assuming the both of them got out without much more difficulty. He intended to get on the horse's back, riding away before whatever happened ended up making him regret his sluggishness.
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Post by Shaeliana »

Behind him, the tree began to totter forward slowly, then picked up more speed as it threatened to land on him. As the wide spread of branches crashed to the ground, the earth shuddered more violently and a gust of air blew dirt, leaves, hair and clothing about as the creature settled and died.

Grabbing up the female revealed more surprises as she was considerably heavier than her small frame would have implied. Over his shoulder, his hands gripping what should have been the backs of her legs unveiled the mystery. Her face wasn't the only thing that had turned to wood. Her hips bent just fine, her legs were stiff and heavy.

Underneath them, the ground began to sink and by the time Aden made his way to an opening with the woman it was nearly waist high. Stuffing the top half of the woman through the hole, she pulled herself through with her hands struggling with the weight of her bottom half. Outside, Buster pranced around whinneying what sounded like "hurry.. hurry". By the time she had cleared the opening, it was nearly chest high to Aden, the ground sinking more quickly now.
Last edited by Shaeliana on Sun Jan 30, 2005 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
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This place just kept getting more and more unusual, and no matter how carefully laid Aden's plans were, there was always something there to surprise him.

He was shocked by how heavy the woman was, but felt relief when she finally cleared the ring of trees. The soft earth was a distraction, and he tried to jump in it and kick his feet against the tug of the earth, pulling his sword out so as to prevent it from being swallowed by the ground. Whatever happened, Aden knew that the sword was somehow something -important-, and he couldn't risk losing it.

He tried to get a hold of the rough bark, trying to use the trees or their roots (presumably felt beneath the ground) as leverage to push himself out of the clinging earth. "Buster! I'm sinking!" He didn't know why he said it, but it felt appropriate. "If I don't make it out, take the girl away from here. And the sword, too!" If he did start to sink further, he would force the sword out of the ring of trees, not willing to let it get lost, even if it would mean his own doom.

It was surprising how a little bit of danger and illusion could change one's priorities, wasn't it?
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Post by Shaeliana »

Aden found himself a bit less than halfway through the opening of the trees, arms braced against the large trunks on each side, feet dangling helplessly in the air with nothing to brace them against to provide leverage. Cold strong hands grabbed hold of his arms and started to pull, dragging him through the hole, scraping him against the rough bark of the trees on each side. The woman grunted as she yanked the last little bit to clear the young man's hips, then released him to make the rest of the way himself.

Laying in the grass outside the circle, the sword glowed a soft yellow. Things seemed to be going well when the farmlad felt the wood began to squeeze his hips as all around him the openings in the wall of trees began to close once more. Buster stood beside the sword, waiting.

"Hurry hurry," he snorted. "We need to be gone!" the horse warned.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
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What a turnabout it was for this woman whom he had felt the need to protect to be pulling him, now, saving him from the grasp of cold and dreary earth. Nonetheless, despite his own pride, he wasn't going to argue with her salvation- it was, after all, infinitely better than the alternative.

The farmlad frantically gripped onto earth and roots and whatever was beneath his hands, not caring about how much it hurt, only desiring to pull himself out- frantically embedding fingers into whatever he could reach, yanking and pulling against the pain of the closing partition.

"I'm trying, Buster! I'm trying!" He released the sword for just an instant, pushing it away so that he might be able to better yank himself free, though his hand stayed near it in case the earth should try to swallow the blade as well.

If he were to get free without dying first, Aden would attempt to rise to his feet, sheathing the sword and trying to get both he and the woman mounted upon Buster's back-- though he wasn't sure if the horse could support both of their weights.
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Post by Shaeliana »

Bruised, scraped and bloodied a bit at least the lad was intact as he stood to his feet. As he hoisted the wood-woman up onto Buster's back in a side saddle pose, the horse grunted, turning his head around to eye Aden critically without saying anything. Beside them, the circle of trees continued to sink into the ground, the top now even with the horse's head and a vast hole in the center. A few steps from the grove, the fog sat dense and cold. A quick retreat would not be possible but once Aden was seated, the horse did manage to make his way back into the fog.

"Where to now?" the horse asked, "and next time put her in the back. My hindquarters can handle more weight than my middle," he nickered his complaint. Meanwhile, she sat grasping handfuls of mane tightly lest she fall off.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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"Sorry, Buster. I was kind of in a hurry." He sighed, considering his options. He was lost and confused, and without the immediacy of the danger, had no idea where he wanted to go. "I suppose I want to go back to Sorcha, but I don't know how I would do that." He idly peered at the sword, to see whether it was still glowing, running his hands gently along the blade.

"Do you have any suggestions, either of you?" He peered interestedly at the wooden woman, eyes tired and suddenly weary of all this chaos and illogical action. "What about you? What's your story?" He inquired of her, resting a hand on her to protect her from falling off, and hopefully inspiring something of trust in her. After all, she probably -owed- him that much, being that the farmlad had just saved her life, in all likelihood.

"I'm lost, and I don't have any idea what's going on. Unless one of you has a better idea, I suppose we have to just wander and look for something to happen."
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