Stolen Bones [Alakazam & Grungeknuckle]

She frowned and raised a brow when he moved away from her touch. Between the two of them she would have thought she would be the one more uncomfortable with her staying there, not him. Though she couldn't say she was hurt by it, the surprise of the rejection stung perhaps a little. It wasn't often she extended a helping hand, so when she did she preferred to not be met with resistance.

But then after a moment he seemed to change his tune, and he asked for a couple bottles. As she moved to get them a small satisfied smile replaced her disgruntled look she had been wearing previously. She then set the ingredients down in front of him and moved to lean against a wall, sinking against it considerably as she watched and listened to him.

Briar dead was actually good for her. It meant that him or his people wouldn't come looking for her, which was a small comfort. There was still her house to worry about. If the castle guard went into investigate the ruined door and they looked hard enough they would find enough evidence to mark her as a thief. She was planning on leaving, but still she preferred to avoid a wanted poster when she could.

The woman grimaced when he spoke of the necromancer wearing Briar's skin. "How pleasant," she muttered, watching him more closely now that he sounded worse. Before she could ask again if he needed help he had pressed the bandage to his skin. The elf grimaced again at the smell of burning flesh and then raised a brow when he fell to the floor. Perhaps she would have been able to catch him had she had more of her wits about her, but either way she barely moved a muscle when he fell. Instead she sort of twicthed as if the thought of catching himwas there but the effort just wasn't worth it in the state she was in.

Once he was on the floor she pushed off from the wall and walked over to him, staring down at him for a moment before bending down to pick him up. With a grunt she had set him right on the bench and she then moved to finish tying the bandage. Her hands then moved away from him, finding herself feeling a little awkward extending such kindness, but she stayed behind him, letting his back rest against her body in case he fell back again. "So...another necromancer is not a good thing? Shouldn't it be? I doubt it is something most publicize. Couldn't you learn something from him? The best ways to capture souls or something of that sort? Even thieves have friends and teachers and we are certainly not the most honorable bunch."

Samuel was vaguely aware of floor cascading away from him, Aria's hands at his back. When the when his vision stopped tunneling, he found himself on the bench once again. And there she was, at his back, supporting him, offing some minor comfort.

And yet...

"You think we are that similar, then?" He went back to work, mixing feverishly. It was not just weariness that make his shoulders sink. "What I did to you... what I nearly did to you..." He paused, before pouring a mixture into a small clay cup, shakily lifting it over his shoulder, offering it to Aria. He did not bother telling her that it was a healing potion, or how bad it would taste. He had enough ingredients to make it work, but not enough to make it pleasant.

"I was afraid. And angry. More angry than I've ever been in my life. Angry enough to believe that death was an appropriate means to an end, a way to protect myself." A second cup was poured, and Samuel quaffed that down, coughing and choking at the taste. He now wish he'd taken the bottle of mead down with them, it'd make the appropriate chaser.
"But this..." he cleared his throat, "this other necromancer, to him death is both means and end. He was willing to kill hundreds, and blast a hole in the city, ruin and blight it, to get what he wanted. For all I know, that is what he wanted."

His body had stopped shaking, and at last, breathing became easier. The elixir hadn't fully healed him, but he was well on his way, the pain in his knee slowly shifting to a dull warm throb. He may have a limp for the rest of his life, but in a few days he'd be walking normally again. Samuel let out a sigh, the worst was over, for now at least. On some instinctual level, he wanted to lean back into Aria.

Aria frowned slightly and looked to the floor. She hadn't meant to equate him to the necromancer. Her intention hadn't been to offend, only understand, but she could see why he would be defensive about it. What he did wasn't exactly something people could easily look at with an open mind. She was really only able to because she lived in the gutter of society, and had at points been even lower than that. Filth and hatred were two things she understood well, and she had learned to not turn her nose at others who she could not fully understand. Everyone and everything had a purpose, and it was better to profit from it then ignore it.

Her thoughts were broken when he handed her the cup, and she took the mixture, hesitating for a moment before throwing it back. At this point whatever it could do to her couldn't be that bad in comparison to what had already occurred. The taste left much to be desired, but as it settled into her she began to feel better. Glancing down at her shoulder she noticed the skin seemed to have healed over,though she expected a small scar would remain, and the overall ache in her body seemed to recede. Even the dull throb from where the creature had assaulted her had lessened, but she preferred not to think about that for too long. If her thoughts lingered on that Aria feared what was left of her composure would vanish and she would be reduced to a shaking, sobbing mess. Which was the last thing she wanted. Her careful confidence wasn't just a front to others but also to herself. It made living her life easier if she didn't let things affect her on more than a surface level. Unfortunately it seemed this damn man had managed to break past it in a variety of ways, both with horror and pleasure. It all made it harder to shake it off, to avoid crumbling, and also to keep her hands and eyes entirely to herself.

Amber eyes returned to look at the top of his head now, resting on his silver hair. Samuel's shaking was gone, and he seemed better now that he had drank that awful mixture as well. "I did not intend to suggest that you are like the other necromancer, but it's good to know that you don't regularly use this basement to torture others." The woman paused then before leaning down, her hands on his back and her head by his. "And I'm sorry about the knee...and the ribs....and the stab wound though the last one wasn't exactly what I had intended to happen."

She then moved back to stand straight, though one hand lingered on his back. "I don't imagine the necromancer will be pleased that you released the urn."

Samuel's jaw couldn't help but tighten as Aria touched him, spoke to him. How dare he rebuke her.

Though they may equally share the blame for this whole catastrophe, the truth of the matter was, she had been dragged, unwillingly, kicking and screaming into his world. They'd both been tainted, both done wretched things to each other, but the difference was, from the start, Samuel had known what he was getting into. He'd willingly paid that price, freely waded into those black waters.
With Aria, though, she hadn't known until it was too late, and by then, she'd already started drowning. And she'd never be able to go back. The veil had been pulled from her eyes, what had been seen could not be unseen, what was felt could not be untouched. For the rest of her days, she'd be looking over her shoulder, knowing that something down there had gotten a taste for her.
This was his fault.

He slid a hand across, and behind his shoulder, taking hold of her's. "Aria... I've made a lot of stupid mistakes. I'm sorry you were involved in one of them." Samuel didn't look at her, not now. Doing so might cause him to do yet another stupid thing, like tell her how much she meant to him, how much she had changed him, try to caress her, comfort her...
All things that would inevitably hurt her more.
All a waste of time they didn't have. He gave her hand one last squeeze, before letting go.

"Bone arrow heads should be simple enough for you to make yourself. If you can afford it, look into silver-plated weapons as well. And stock up on blessed water. Get your hands on a holy pendant or charm, preferably one from a god of protection. " These weren't orders, or directions. They were guidelines, on surviving encounters with more things from Samuel's world.
Without Samuel.
"Go home. Gather what you can, and get out of the city. Get as far away as you can." The other necromancer would be sending something to kill them, if they hadn't already. It'd be able to pull Aria's face from what was left of Briar's memories, and it would take much longer to track down Samuel, the Urn's original master.
A cold feeling started to settle in his stomach, as Samuel realized that they couldn't leave together, he'd just slow Aria down. She'd have to go ahead, and he'd...

He'd have to get as far as he could.

When he reached for her hand her body relaxed and her gaze softened, admitting to herself that it was nice to have some amount of physical contact. His apology served a different purpose, and while it was a comfort it almost made her break down. Of all the kindnesses he could have given her she hadn't expected an apology and the surprise of it and the sincerity of it made a part of her want to curl up and cry, preferably with him holding her. But Aria wasn't about to indulge in that and instead bit her lip and swallowed hard.

When he let go of her hand hers lingered over his shoulder, not sure where to put it. It fell back to her side out of indecisiveness, but began to curl into a fist when he began to speak again. Yes his information was useful and it didn't go ignored, but what was implied with the instructions was what made her anger flare. Surely if he was explaining how she would protect herself there would be something she had to protect herself against. Something dead. And he didn't seem to be apart of that protection. Which in a sense was reasonable since she could pack up and go quickly, plus she was in better shape then him. Aria would be fast. But she would be alone and be facing things that she had yet to best by herself. Those things were truly terrible and though she would not say so aloud she was terrified of them.

Now after she had helped him, and stayed when she didn't have to, he was going to just leave her alone. Let her fend for herself. "I...I apologize," she stammered, stepping around him and the bench so that she was standing between him and his work table. "I must not understand because surely you can't be implying that I am now a walking target." One of her feet rested against the bench and tipped it back while she grabbed him by the arm to hold him there halfway between falling and sitting. Her other hand was still clenched in a fist and for a moment she just stared at him.

Aria was used to alone but she was not used to unprepared and the idea of facing the dead without him or his spirits was hard. Especially the urn wasn't her creation. All she was was a messenger. She felt like she did back when she was a child and her people were scattered. She had been left alone then without much know how and it was happening again.

Something in her facial expression shifted, as if something had broken or come loose, and she pulled him back forward. She stepped away, still watching him until her back pressed against one of the walls of the basement. After that she just sort of crumbled. The elf was crouched down on the floor against the wall, her hands laced behind her head which was partly between her knees. Panicked gasps and sobs racked her body as her mind raced from one idea to the next. All she kept imagining was the damn skin weaver clawing its way back up and ending her.

A minute in she seemed to find her composure again, but when she looked up to Samuel she looked far less confident than before. "The living I can handle Samuel, but the dead I am ill-equipped for. Do you really believe I can defend myself with a few arrows and some blessed water? Because so far I haven't exactly done all that well against them."

When Aria came around to stand between him and the table, Samuel couldn't look her in the eye. He either gazed off guiltily to the side, or stared somewhere at her stomach. Why was she still here? Didn't she know that they didn't have time for this, didn't she understand that he was trying to save her?
And then she kicked the bench out from under him. Or nearly did, anyways. "Wh-shit!" Samuel yelped, grabbing wildly as he teetered backwards. Aria snagged his wrist before he could grab hers. He dangled on the edge, looking up at her, not scared, just surprised. "Aria... I'm sorry, I can't do anything about that. We're both targets, that's why I'm trying to get you out of the city!" Part of him wanted to go on the offensive, point out that if she hadn't stolen the urn, none of this would have happened. She didn't seem to be in a very stable place at the moment, though, and giving her another push would be counter productive. Behind her, Deayojee rose up, it's spike's rising up like the hair of an angry cat. Samuel gave a barely preceptible shake of the head, and it backed off. Everyone's tensions were high, even the dead things.

And when she set him back on his feet, and backed away, her composure breaking down, Samuel just stared, caught up in the surreal nature of it all. He'd broken her before, but somehow seeing Aria fall apart again didn't seem real, like it couldn't be happening. Maybe that was just him, though. For the past few years, everything had just been one long slog through the mud, things got worse, you lost everything, you pressed on, you buried everything and let yourself go numb without even thinking.
No, she couldn't break down like this. She just couldn't.

"No, no..." Samuel whispered to himself. He grabbed his staff, and half stumbled, half crawled over to her, before kneeling down in front of her on his good knee. He didn't say anything, just leaned forward, put an arm around her, and pulled her to his chest.

"You are stronger than you know," He told Aria, trying to dispel her doubts. It would be an uphill battle, but not impossible. He needed her strong, and to know that she could be strong. "You said it yourself, you faced your people's boogeyman, and you not only survived it, but you beat it. You saved my life, and you pulled me out of the very jaws of the underworld." He kissed her on the forehead, then looked into her face again. "Go home, and grab what you need. I'll meet you at the northern inner gate, where the lower city meets the middle level. We'll get out together. I'm not going to leave you, I promise."
Samuel almost didn't make that promise, and some part of him was intending on not to keeping it.

Aria was vaguely aware of him coming toward her, and when his arm pulled her close she didn't fight it, but didn't make a move to welcome the comfort other then letting her head rest against him.

Though her composure had returned when he began speaking she still listened halfheartedly to his reassurances. She would do it. Get the bones, holy water, whatever it took, but in that moment it all felt so daunting. Perhaps she had gotten too comfortable with being comfortable. Maybe that was why she originally took the risk of taking the urn. That at least was a better explanation than just her own greed. Even still this all felt like so much to do and she was so tired.

Feeling his lips press against her head she looked at him the ghost of a smile on her lips. Now really wasn't the time to revel in small kindnesses but a part of her couldn't help but find the action endearing. She nodded as he promised to meet her, to not leave her, but she was all to aware of how fickle a promise could be. The trust she had in Samuel didn't run that deep, and she had been through enough to be distrustful of almost everyone she knew. There were a very select few that she was completely trustful of. While she was fond of Samuel he was far from that.

One of her hands moved up to cup his cheek and she smiled at him before standing up. "Samuel...thank you," she said before walking to the stairs. If she didn't keep going and keep moving at this point she was afraid she would stop entirely, but as she started up the stairs she lingered, considering a hundred different options before looking back at him once more. The she was gone, up the stairs and out the door.

The moment she was outside relief washed over. Despite all the danger she was in seeing something other than his home, being out where she had dozens of places to escape, was incredible comforting. Aria lingered a moment at his door, taking in the city. Morning was just starting for the few who rose with the sun, and she knew she needed to be quick before the crowds were out.

-------------

Less than an hour later she was back at Samuel's house, crouched on the roof of his neighbor's house, aiming an arrow into his bedroom. She fired the arrow, and the note attached to it, into the wall. It was only a small scrap of parchment with the words 'Just in case, you can send word for me here' and the name of an inn that was near the western mountains. Aria had no permanent place of residence where people could leave her messages, so for a prices the owners of the inn took messages for her that she came by and checked every couple of months. It wasn't a wonderful system, but it worked, especially since she had several contacts all over the region.

Once the arrow had stuck into the wood she had slipped back onto the still almost empty streets.

----------

A short while after leaving her message she stood near the gate where had instructed her to go. Aria had traded her torn and ruined clothing black breeches and a dark tunic and hood which was up, obscuring her features. The woman also had her heavy traveling cloak on though it was thrown back over her shoulders so the pack that was slung across her body was visible. It held what was absolutely necessary...as well as a few bones she had nabbed from the butcher on her way to the gate. She was already whittling a piece into an arrow head though not with her favorite dagger. That had been missing from her home when she had returned along with some of her other valuables. Thankfully her bow had remained untouched, as well as most of her hidden goods. If she had been able to she would have stayed to find her dagger, but it didn't seem that was in the cards.

The woman appeared to be back to her usual demeanor, her eyes scanned the people around with the sort of practiced awareness she had become so accustomed to, and her movements were fluid and quiet. Her mind was still a little lost, but it was screaming at her to leave. The elf still doubted her necromancer would show, but she was quite concerned about the other, the one that wanted her dead. If Samuel didn't come soon she would just leave, her fear and anxiety winning over any desire for his support.

With labored, limping strides, Samuel made his way through the darkened streets. He was rushing, as best he could, hurrying while trying not to look like he as hurrying, forcing down the almost overwhelming need to look over his shoulder. Since Aria had left, some things had changed. New insights had come to light, as it were, and his once semi-noble idea of sacrificing himself so that she could get a head start had evaporated. The calm had dissipated into dull panic, as Samuel had been hit by the realization, rather late as it was, that he was very attached to living, and wasn't quite ready to give it up yet, especially considering what might happen to him once he'd relinquished that grasp. He had an obscured vision of what could come to pass when you were in the grips of another's necromancy, suffice to say, death was not the worse thing that could happen.

The strap of a heavy sack was slung over one shoulder and across his chest, though the weight was being supported by one of his servitors. Like Aria, Samuel had changed as well, switching his bloodied clothing for something more suitable for travel. Dark crimson linen and hide breeches, heavy leather boots from his military days, a simple dark brown tunic with a roughly made, pocketed leather vest over the top. A cowl wrapped around his head managed to obscure Samuel's features fairly well, and of course, to top it all off, that familiar possessed coat of his. He had his staff with him as well, but not in the usual way. The top had been snapped off, and reattached as a horizontal bar, turning the bone and metal rod into a makeshift crutch, held together with leather strips and a few nails. All in all, it looked cumbersome.

It was. But it was also all he could manage at the moment.

Samuel paused in front of the gate, huffing, trying to keep his breaths as calm and even as possible. His eyes went right past Aria's form a few times before recognizing her, and even then it wasn't until he got closer that he was certain.

"Aria," Samuel said with a hushed tone, nodding to her, "It truly warms my heart to see you still here. Shall we?" He began hobbling his way down the main road, towards the northern outer gate.

"I, ah, feel the need to inform you that our situation may have changed slightly." Somewhere behind him, in the city, a trail of smoke was billowing, issuing forth from the lower levels. Various shouts of fire could be heard, muffled, as several of the guards rushed to the site. Samuel didn't look back, and kept on pushing forward with his awkward gait. "I wouldn't say things have changed for the worse, nor for the better, just that... certain circumstances have altered."

The city was already waking up, and the alert of a fire in the lower levels was expediting that process. Though the blaze was small, and contained, panic still arose. As people rushed to and fro, it made excellent cover for escaping the city. This was not part of Samuel's original design, but he was willing to be flexible. "Do you want the good news first, or the bad news?"

Aria saw Samuel well before he saw her. He was easy enough for her to pick up, his limp enough to make her glance his way and paired with his coat he wasn't entirely discreet. Even though she knew it was him she didn't make herself known to him. Despite how anxious she was it was amusing to watch him struggle to find her for a few moments. Besides that the woman was pleasantly surprised to see him. The elf had entirely expected him to never come.

Watching him walk wasn't exactly comforting, and despite the relief of seeing him, she frowned slightly as he approached. When he said her name she pulled back her hood slightly and nodded before pulling it back down. The woman than sheathed her dagger and put the arrowhead in a small pack attached to the belt on her waist.

At least at the pace Samuel was walking she didn't have to worry about straining herself, especially considering her lack of sleep was starting to catch up with her in spite of the adrenaline running through her veins. "Perhaps we should steal a horse or two," she muttered, settling into a pace next to him.

Though he was speaking her attention was momentarily distracted by the smoke and the shouts of people around them. The woman looked back and narrowed her eyes before looking back to Samuel. He didn't seem to be reacting...had he set his house on fire? She was about to ask when he instead asked her if she wanted to know the good or bad news. Aria had thought by circumstances changing he had meant him actually coming to be with her, but apparently that was not the case. Her frown deepened and she let out a frustrated huff. Though she considered herself adaptable more things to worry about weren't entirely welcome.

"I suppose the bad news first," she said as she stepped to the side closer to Samuel, avoiding someone bumping into her in their rush to check on their own home. Her hand moved to wrap around his upper arm in an effort to keep him close as the people around them rushed about. Now that she had an advantage Aria wasn't about to let it get trampled.

Samuel looked down at her momentarily, as Aria took hold of his arm. Her grip did not speak of fear, just a possessive intent, though he could see the lines of stress and exhaustion on her face. The evening had worn and frayed both of them, and even without wounds, they would be hard pressed to get too far.

Still, he wasn't keen on stealing horses.

Odd, for someone who had seemed to jump at kidnapping and torture just last night. He took the chance to adjust Aria's grip on his arm, so that they were linking elbows, to look over his shoulder. No suspicious characters following them. Then again, they wouldn't look suspicious, now would they. "Right then," he said, hobbling forward, Aria at his elbow, "I discovered something... disconcerting when I was about to leave my house. I attempted to...ah, I suppose the only way to describe it is to desaturate, any dead matter in the house. Hair, skin, old bones, blood, all reduced to ash and dust. It'd keep the Other One from tracking us the same I found you. Imagine my surprise when nothing happened."

They climbed one of the many large, wide sets of stairs that were spread throughout the city, connecting the various levels, an awkward task for Samuel. He momentarily looked over at Aria, grateful for her help, though he would never had said so. "At first I though it was just the staff, it's spiritual essence had been consumed in my battle below, but it's more than that. They were... ripping off pieces of me. I didn't know what effect it would have on my body, didn't really consider it, but it seems that, to some extent or another, they ate my magic." He looked down at Aria again, trying to gauge her reaction. "I"m not sure if it's permanent or not."

This was not insignificant. Samuel was well aware that Aria was, at least partially, keeping him around because of his usefulness in dealing with the undead and necromancy. He still had spirits of his own, but that was it.
For some odd reason, staying useful to her seemed important to him. Maybe he saw in her what she saw in him, a useful traveling companion. Or maybe it was because he had finally found someone that he could be a little more open with. She already knew his secret, there wasn't much else to hide.

"There is an upside to this," Samuel quickly added, trying to reassure her. "The Other One can't use my own necromancy to track me. There's just not enough of it left to sense. It's like trying to listen for a mute bird."

When he moved her hand so instead they were linked at the elbow she looked down in surprise. She hadn't expected him to even come and now he seemed to be willingly draw her closer to him. Aria vaguely wondered if he noticed her face flush just ever so slightly. It wasn't as if the action had been particularly affectionate, but it wasn't as if she often walked arm in arm with anyone.

As he spoke she nodded, not entirely understanding what he was insinuating. So his spell hadn't worked...is that why he left? And why the fire had started in the lower levels? Aria did note that was how he had found her. The thief never would have thought that would be a way someone would be able to find her. She would have to remember that though she wasn't sure how she would avoid that.

She took the stairs slow with him, not minding helping him if it meant going a little quicker. While she was tired his health potion her and occasionally supporting his weight didn't take as much effort as it did before.

When he did explain himself further she paused for a moment and looked to him before turning her head away and focusing on what was ahead of them. He must have thought more of her than he should have if he felt he could share that with her. In her mind he was quickly shifting from an asset to a liability. If he didn't have his magic he was much less useful to her. The idea of just leaving him right now passed through her head...but she couldn't. He still had knowledge that she didn't. Plus he had said he wasn't sure if it was permanent, perhaps it would come back.

"That is a small comfort," she said, looking back to him again. Aria didn't look upset, just worried. He had eased her worries with his presence...and she supposed that was still there. If anything she wasn't alone, and if she died she wouldn't die alone. That was also a small comfort, but she wouldn't admit that either. "Well...you still know more of this than I do," she said, pulling him closer to her momentarily to keep a person from bumping into him. He didn't seem particularly stable at the moment considering his knee. "But what about me? I don't imagine your magic or lack thereof affects him being able to find me."

"Or, ughn, her. The Other could be female as well," Samuel corrected, grunting a little as he climbed the last stair. Sky, real sky, soared above them, no longer obscured by bridges and walkways of upper levels, a sky becoming brighter with the oncoming day. The air was fresher, cooler up here, free of the stuffy dust of the lower levels. Ventilation shafts only helped so much.

"Directly? Not much. Briar only knew your face, and maybe your name. The Other could try putting up wanted posters, but I think that would draw too much attention for their taste." With the main Northern gates ahead, Samuel could feel an excitement building within. Just being outside of the city meant one more obstacle between him and the other necromancer, one more layer of defense on his part.

"Our adversary seems like the type to hide in the shadows, manipulate others to meet their goals. They didn't even use their own weapon to try and attack the city, just waited for me to finish the Urn, and waited for you to steal it." Samuel bit his lip. It was a big assumption, the Other could have just gotten lucky. He was just thinking out loud at this point, and as he looked over at Aria, realized he probably shouldn't be burdening her with this. Already, he could see her eyeing the stables by the main gate, and was hoping to steer her away from that.

"You know, we'd draw a lot less attention if we caught a ride with a caravan, or maybe..." A small series of crude shrines, well used and with many offering laid out before them, caught his eye. His grey eyes glinted as an idea popped into his head.
"... or maybe we could go on a pilgrimage?"

She nodded at his correction, but didn't seem to take much heed of it. Aria hadn't realized how nice the sun would feel after the night she had had, and the fresh air was a welcome change from Samuel's musty basement. Breathing deeply she tilted her head back just slightly to let some more of the sun hit her face.

This only lasted a moment though before she tilted her head back down, letting her hood shade her face once more and obscure her features. She was pleased to hear that the Other would not be able to find her as easily, and that they probably were more prone to staying in the shadows. That felt more reassuring than somebody who was more aggressive. The image of someone rushing toward them with an arsenal of death and spirits was enough to make her shiver. A more subtle approach was more easily swallowed.

Aria had been eyeing the stables as he spoke, and when he suggested the caravans she rolled her eyes. But when he brought up a pilgrimage a small chuckle escaped her lips before it bubbled into a full blown laughing fit. The idea was absurd. Just hours before they had been having sex to ensure he could come back from the underworld and now he wanted to go on a pilgrimage? It took her a moment to compose herself and when she finally did she looked to him with a bemused smirk. "A thief and a necromancer on a pilgrimage together? Samuel that is truly ridiculous."

She shook her head and looked back to the shrines, and as she turned her head back to Samuel she paused, spotting people she did not want to be seen by. People from the guild. Though she was not officially a part of it or any of the guilds in the region she had enough contacts and connections to have a little pull and a decent relationship with most of the guilds. Even though the relationship was a good one, she didn't need them knowing she was leaving. Aria had been sure to leave a note in a place they would find it, but not this early. They must have been here y coincidence. Still, the less people knew about her disappearance the better, and she certainly didn't want people knowing who she was leaving with and when she left with them.

Her pause was just barely noticeable though and when she turned her head back to him she moved her whole body to face him. Her arms wrapped around his waist and her body pressed lightly against him. The less they saw of her the better, and she thought she looked less like a person running from death and more like a woman embracing her lover. She even moved a hand up to his cheek, cupping it lightly. "There are people here who I would prefer not to be seen by," she said, the smirk still on her face as she stroked his cheek with her thumb. "A pilgrimage would be the last place anyone would suspect us to be," she then added as she glanced slightly to the side. The man and woman from were speaking with a merchant that had just got into the city, probably somebody who had less than legal merchandise with there usual wares. They didn't seem to be taking notice of her, but she didn't want to risk it. Aria looked back to him and shrugged. "Shall we, then?

Samuel craned his neck to the side, silver eyebrows high and pale eyes wide, as he stared at Aria, a look of shock and confusion on his face. He'd reacted as if she's suddenly grown a few extra heads, when, in fact, she'd simply laughed. After all the horrors they'd been through, the pain they'd caused one another, his mind had deemed anything other than sarcastic snorts and grim chuckles an impossibility. Laughter simply didn't have a place. And yet, here it was, bubbling forth like beautiful music from her lips.

It wasn't just Aria's laughter that surprised Samuel, but how beautiful she looked doing it too. The merry sparkle in her eyes, the upturn of her soft lips... why, she even got dimples when she laughed. Dimples for gods' sakes! Watching her, he couldn't help but smile himself, his heart pounding a little bit faster, and an appreciative little smirk at the corner of his mouth.

Which of course he forcibly stifled once she looked back at him.

"Well, no, I mean yes, from a plausibility standpoint, but that only helps us," he argued, a touch irritated. His defensive nature was getting the better of him, and though the image of how Aria looked just moments before was still playing at the back of his head, his ego was doing it's best to supersede that. "I don't make this suggestion lightly, or for your amusement, Aria. The fa- Ugnn, ribs, ribs..." Samuel's complaint was stopped short, as Aria embraced him. His own wounds were healing well, so it was the fear of pain, rather than pain itself, that caused him agitation. That didn't mean he wanted her pressing into him any tighter.

Again, Samuel looked down at Aria with surprise, gingerly placing his free hand on the curve of her waist as she explained. Instinctively he wanted to look in the direction she kept glancing, but her hand kept his face in place.
"You... you mean, go on the pilgrimage, or..." He wasn't totally sure what she was asking. It was either that, or have him try and sell their "lovers" cover a little harder. Maybe both? Samuel leaned in and pulled his cowl back a bit, just enough to let their lips press into a light kiss. The gentle peck was broken quickly.
"I... yes, well, it would also help hide us a little better. If we go from shrine to shrine, the holy ground will make it that much harder for the Other one to find us. Might I suggest Celedan?" He nodded to one of the small shrines, dedicated to the hart-eyed god of nature. "His followers tend to be a lot less... eh... vindictive when it comes to seeking out those who practice darker arts. And I doubt anyone would question an elf on a pilgrimage to his shrines. No offense intended, of course."

Aria had rolled her eyes at his continued defense of his idea. It wasn't as if she didn't believe, but the idea was just too strange for her to take completely seriously. Additionally, it didn't help that she was tired, both physically and mentally. Almost anything absurd could probably send her into laughter at this point.

Or at least it could have until seeing members of the guild had turned her focus back to what was at stake. Their lives. And she needed to be alert and aware, especially considering her necromancer was now just a man with a great knowledge of necromancy. Without magic she wasn't expecting much out of him in terms of combat. Plus with his leg still healing it seemed to solidify her as the muscle...which would be less worrisome if she had slept at all recently.

He was smart though, and quick to catch on. Feeling his hand on her waist she couldn't help but grin a little wider. Aria did look confused when his or trailed off, but when he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers she understood his own confusion. Still she was surprised by the subtle boldness of the move, and by the fact that she returned the pressure willingly, leaning into the kiss just slightly.

Aria followed his nod to look at Celedan and nodded. Of course the elf was familiar with the god, probably more than Samuel would guess. Elves lives varied just as much as humans, and her people were more deeply connected to nature than others. Though she wasn't gifted with magic and didn't draw any power from the forests or fields she often felt in much better health when she was out of the cities.

"People have said many offensive things to me. I would not count that as one of them," she said, patting his cheek in some form of a playful move. "Not sure how well you will fit in with that complexion," Aria added, smirking at him. The woman then slid her hand away from his cheek and moved to link arms with him once more, making sure he was still in between her and the guild members. They were engrossed in talk with the trader, but she wasn't going to try her luck. Aria kept herself closer to Samuel, wanting to keep up the physical closeness until the ruse wasn't needed. "Would you like to give an offering at the shrine before we leave or leave now," she asked, nodding up to the sky, where the sun had fully risen. Though the day was still young Aria was very concerned about how long she had before collapsing from exhaustion.

"Ah... the sooner the better, I think," Samuel pressed forward, past the shrines, to the gates. "I suspect we'll be making offerings aplenty, in the days ahead."
The days ahead. He was trying not to think of them. They'd be an ugly blur of exhaustion and hunger, interrupted by fitful, brief sleep. And if the two of them didn't move fast enough, those days would be cut short. What they had wasn't a plan, it was a panicked impulse, given vague direction.

Even so, Samuel felt comforted that the days would be spent with Aria by his side. She gave him hope. And though it may be for no better reason than she was simply there, that he didn't have to make this journey alone, it still gave him the feeling that he was finally moving towards something. A light at the end of the tunnel, as it were.

The two of them slipped into the slow-moving crowd, a collection of caravans and peasant farmers, filing out the main gates. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, they were just two more travelers. Outside the gates, the crowd began to disperse, picking up pace, and breaking off down the various roads. Their fellow travelers became more scarce, and it wasn't long till Aria and Samuel were nearly alone on the road, a wagon a head of them, slowly becoming more distant, and a small troupe of mercenaries behind them, who stopped regularly to check their maps.

It didn't take long for Samuel to notice that Aria appeared to be... wilting. Exhaustion was eating away at both of them. "Aria, tell me... how did you get those tattoos?" Though he was interested, the question was mostly to meant to act as a distraction, to keep their minds off recent events, and current fatigue.

Aria was glad to get out of the city, away from prying eyes. Her associates had thankfully not noticed them as they melted into the crowd. She seemed a little perturbed being stuck in such a crowd for so long, mostly because it was harder to pay attention to what was going on around her when there was just so much going on.

Relief flooded her face once they were out on a more open road. Sure there were some people around, but not a crowd full of possible threats. Normally that wouldn't seem that daunting, but she was so tired from the past night's actions. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes felt heavy. What she wouldn't give for a bed and a bath. Damn she needed to think of something else. She hadn't had to travel in a state like this in ages. Clearly she was out of practice.

Samuel seemed to want her to keep her mind off of things as well. She scowled at his question, unaccustomed to sharing such things with people so freely. Though she supposed her wasn't really just anyone. Out of habit she immediately said, "I rather not," but that was followed by a sigh. It wouldn't do any harm to share at this point, and she did desperately want her mind off of everything else. "Hm, fine. I'll share," she bit her lip and looked out into the tree line, trying to find the right words to use. Her past wasn't something she poke of often, and she didn't know quite what picture she wanted to paint.

"The ones on my shoulder...the brown tattoos. Those are from my youth, back when I lived with my people. They are marks of a hunter. I received them young at my father's insistence. He was an excellent hunter and an amazing archer. I hadn't been sure about getting the marks at my age, but I was good enough with a bow...and they made my father so proud. After I didn't think much of them. They were there...and they helped improve my hunting since the ink they used had been enchanted. I guess I'm happier to have them now than I was back then though. It's nice to have a piece of my people with me," she looked back to him, looking more wistful now then tired. Aria often thought of her old life, and missed it dearly. In a way she could go back, but she felt too distant from that life to ever really go back.

"The black ones are just tattoos from a guild. I've never really been a full member of one, but I have connections with many different sects of the thieves guild. I stuck around in one city for a while, and one of the members told me every true thief had tattoos like that. So I got them. They're enchanted too. I'm not apt with magic in the least so I suppose my fondness for enchantments comes from that. Besides the extra edge was useful for a while...though no my skills can stand on their own. You were the first person in years to actually manage to catch me. The last time I was actually in such a situation I was practically still a child. The guy who caught me was much worse with knots than you, and much less intelligent," after the last word she yawned and then shook her head as if to shake away the fatigue. "I should've known stealing from a necromancer would lead to trouble," Aria said, smirking slightly as if she found the predicament they were now in humorous. "Though you not quite what I picture a necromancer as...you don't exactly ooze death and destruction."

"I... thanks. I suppose." Samuel wasn't sure if Aria had given him a complement, or not, or something halfway in between. Trying to figure that out was too much for his exhausted mind, and he just ended up giving her a quizzical look.
"Though, I'm not really a typical necromancer. At least," Samuel tried to suppress a yawn, "I don't think I am. Never actually met another necromancer before. I mean, you hear stories about people being tried for necromancy in the border towns, but the last time I remember hearing about a real one... well, that would have been back in my grandfather's day. And you always have to wonder."
Though he was looking at the ground, Samuel's eyes gazed past it, almost as if burrowing his vision to something far off, buried beneath the earth. His brows were knitted, his face drawn down into a perplexed scowl. "How accurate could those tales be? How much were they demonized and vilified?" Samuel seemed to come back for a moment, and glanced at Aria. It'd been the first time he'd ever gotten a chance to discuss this with someone openly before, it was liberating to get this off his chest, but at the same time... He'd been wrapped up in his own thoughts for a long time. What might make sense to him might not to others.
"What I mean is... I can't believe that an entire group of people can be utterly evil. That in all of history, every single one of them went down the same path of darkness. That not a single one of them touched this power, and thought that they could do something..." Samuel grasped for the right word, but couldn't find it, and so settled for the next best thing. "I don't know, something better?"

A deep sigh escaped him. The whole arrangement was frustrating, and his leg, once healing so well, was beginning to kill him, aching from over use. Samuel and Aria might be able to push through the sleep deprivation, but if he didn't rest, the knee might never heal fully. As loath as he was to ask more of her, Samuel eventually gave in, and motioned off the road. "Aria, I... I'm sorry, I just need to get off my leg for a bit."

Her face looked somber as he spoke about necromancy. She really didn't feel as if she knew enough about it to comment on it. Perhaps of asked two days ago all she would have said was to each their own, but now...in all honesty it terrified her. Her experiences with the dead had all been unpleasant, and when it came to mind she still felt as though she could feel the cold of the blights he had placed on her. Samuel was truly the only remotely positive thing about it to her, and even then she had to wonder about its effects on him. Still she supposed it was...sweet enough of him to hope he could use it for good. She settled on looking to him and shrugging, "a lot of terrible things stem from good intentions."

She had been lost in her own thoughts on the subject when he suddenly stopped. Aria followed suit and stopped, her eyes looking to where he motioned off the road. For a moment a look of anxiety flashed across her face. It felt better to be moving, as if somehow that in and of itself would keep them safe. Even so as she glanced down at his leg she frowned, remembering the sickening sound of bone cracking when she had kicked it. The elf swallowed hard and then smiled weakly at him. "It isn't a problem. Besides, I am the one that broke the knee."

With that she offered him her arm again before leading the way off the road, going a little ways away from the road to ensure they would not be easily seen from the road by anyone passing by. Once she stopped she sunk down against a tree and pulled out one of the half carved arrows she had been working on before. "How bad is it? Your knee?" she asked as she blinked hard to stave off sleep.

"Don't... Stop apologizing for that." Samuel sounded more irritated than he actually was. Only a bit, though. Pain and exhaustion were gnawing at his nerves, and Aria's regret did nothing to help the situation. In fact, it was making it worse for him. The guilt here was... muddied. She's struck him, yes, but it hadn't really been him. And only because he'd displaced himself, and allowed something else to crawl in. He'd tied her up and tortured her, she'd stolen from him, he'd toyed with forces on the very edge of his power and understanding, she'd taken a job from the wrong person. Faults and indiscretions layered and piled upon each other over and over.

For someone so used to walking a grey line between dark and light, this lack of clarity was infuriating.

As to her question? Samuel was too tired to lie. "It's not good." He let out a long, pained groan as he lowered himself onto the ground, lying against a hillock, his back to the road, Aria to his right. "I have most of the supplies to make more salve, the remaining herbs shouldn't be hard to find, once we get further into the wilds." His eyelids blinked slowly, staying closed for longer and longer periods. Samuel had given up trying to stay awake, both body and mind were at the breaking point. If he willed it, Samuel might perhaps be able to go on. He just didn't want to any more. His eyes were closed now, and he had no intention of opening them again, until he was good and ready.

"Though, best chance now is the path we're on. We're bound, sooner or later, to find an acolyte, or a druid, or some such servitor of Celedan. Nature, growth... life. These are his domains. His priests make good healers. I should know." Another long sigh escaped Samuel's lips, a hiss of someone passing into sleep. "I tried to become one once."

A priest, that was. Not necessarily a priest of Celedan, but he had been trained in the pantheon, he had known the basic rituals and rites that all shared. He'd just never been called, as it were.

Aria huffed when he implored her to stop apologizing, but she said nothing. Honestly she didn’t know why she kept bringing it up. Certainly she hadn’t been wrong to defend herself against the demon that had taken over his body, and she had not known what sort of consequences would come from stealing from him in the first place. Perhaps their entire situation would have been better if they had just parted ways when they had the chance, but he knew more of the dead than she would ever care to know. Even without his magic he wasn’t entirely useless and his presence kept her from breaking down into a nervous wreck.

Once she had settled into the tree she let her concerns over their…relationship of sorts drift away as she listened to him discuss finding help for his leg. Her brow knitted in slight annoyance as she realized his voice was starting to drift, and when she looked up from her arrow to find him drifting to sleep she groaned. Aria wasn’t sure both of them sleeping out in the open like this would be the best idea, but he already appeared lost to his dreams, and it wasn’t as though he would be getting all that far with his leg.

Still, she was worried about falling asleep, the idea of being left so unguarded making her stomach twist in nervous knots. Every time she closed her eyes she feared feeling the skin weaver’s hands on her again, or worse, opening them to find her captured by whoever was hunting them. Aria doubted that necromancer would be as merciful as Samuel had been. Unfortunately seeing him sleeping only reminded her of how heavy her eyes were. She felt as if she could sleep for days. And her fatigue did win; sleep overcame her fairly quickly, just as the sun started sitting lower in the sky.

The next time her eyes opened the world around her was dark. It had to be late into the night considering how quiet the world sounded around them. Except for the snap of the twig that had woken her. Aria was a light sleeper out of necessity, and even such immense fatigue could not mask her natural inclinations. She blinked hard as her eyes became accustomed to the darkness. Had that been movement near her? It was hard to tell. The woman began to lean forward, hands inching toward her bow. Once she grabbed that she would wake Samuel. Or she would have had it not been for the arms that suddenly wrapped around her from behind.

Whoever it was pulled her to her feet, and she heard the sound of a knife unsheathing. Wasting no time her feet found the ground and she grunted, pushing her torso forward and knocking the man off-balance. He flipped over her, landing hard on his back. Her foot slammed down on his wrist which held a dagger and then she grabbed for her bow, getting it just as he began to recover. Before he could make another move he was staring at the tip of an arrow pointed right between his eyes. Her eyes flashed to Samuel, sure he was awake by now, before they went back to the man. Now that she saw him she knew who he was. “The guild sent you him?”

“The guild sent us,” said a voice that slipped through the darkness. The figure of a woman stepped closer, brandishing a knife in her hand. “And if you shoot Agmund I’ll send this through your friend’s throat.” The woman’s dark eyes shifted from Samuel to Aria. “Really Aria? You skip town after Peter Briar shows up dead, and this is what you bring with you?”

Aria merely grunted and looked to Samuel. Did he still have his spirits? She hoped so because their current situation wasn’t exactly the best. Her eyes moved back to the woman and she sighed. “I didn’t kill him.”

“See, even if you didn’t you still left at an incredibly opportune time. Two of our associates thought they saw you leaving today, and after we learned of Briar we put two and two together. What do you know? Or would you prefer to wait to answer till I start playing with your toy?” she asked, drawing nearer to Samuel, the knife reflecting what little light the stars gave them.

Lying on the grass, Samuel's body did not move as he slept. He did not fidget, twitch, or shift. Absolutely still, utterly motionless. Except for his jaw. Though his body rested, his mind found no such ease. In his dreams he was back in death. Back in the River.

Though the river ran fast, he floated gently, bobbing in place on the surface. The utterly inky black water was ice cold, the air above was just as bad, and suffocating in it's stillness. It was not the cold water that bothered him, but what lay beneath it's surface. Speading out his fingers along the surface, Samuel could feel them down there. He could feel the dead, writing against the current, struggling against the flow, some giving up and getting dragged back down, down past the range of his senses.

This was more than a dream. This was his mind, letting go of the mortal coil, and reaching down to what was left behind. Half of him was still below the depths. That place was part of him now, and though Samuel's raw power had waned, he'd gained a previously un-achievable insight. He could feel them.

And more importantly, he could feel them coming.

And they were.

Something massive writhed by beneath him, and lingered. Two others moved along the horizon, on other side, with ripples of even more ripping through the dark waters. Samuel held his breath, and clenched his jaw. It couldn't feel him, not from down there. There simply wasn't enough of his spirit left. But should it reach out in the right direction...

Samuel was dimly aware of a hushed argument, but it wasn't until the woman with the knife that he was well and truly awake. As the blade glinted in the moonlight, a raw, guttural snarl burst forth, that in the dark sounded like it came from Samuel himself. The sleep faded, and with it's passing, the pain in his knee returned. He let out a pained grunt as he tried to sit up, stopping abruptly upon the sight of steel. Samuel could barely make out Aria's form in the night's dark, but he could see well enough to tell that she was struggling with someone, or rather, on top of someone.

The woman had drawn back, no surprise there. Deayojee had reacted like the guard dog it was, snarling a warning to the thief. Had she pressed on, the hound would have tasted her with it's spikes.

In his own way, Samuel was glad that she had not, and was desperately hoping that this would not lead to combat. Death, or undo undead activity, would only attract the thing below. He had no certainty of what it was, but Samuel had his suspicions. They were not comforting suspicions. So instead of lashing out, Samuel stayed very still.

"Aria? Friends of yours?" He asked tentatively, already knowing the answer.

Aria's eyes widened in surprise when she heard the low snarl come from his coat. Of course she was the only way to realize that, and she smirked when Esme backed off a little. Unfortunately right after that Samuel made a pained grunt, a significantly less frightening noise. His knee must have still been bothering him. Great.

"I think friends would be a stretch," she said, her eyes moving between the three of them in the dim light. Agmund shifted slightly, and she pulled back the bow that had previously begun to relax a little. "Agmund I wouldn't," she said before a tsk from the other woman cut through the air.

"Aria I really will kill your companion here if you threaten Agmund again." The dagger once more glinted in the dark, but she didn't make any move to use it, not wanting to use it if she didn't have to. Especially considering how little she knew about the man travelling with Aria.

Aria merely scoffed and looked back to the woman. She was tall, much taller than Aria, but also thinner. It would be hard for anyone to believe she was much of a threat, but Aria knew better. "You know I wouldn't kill a customer...especially one as consistent and powerful as Briar."

"I know you're not that stupid, but you must know that it was enough of a coincidence to look into...so what? You just up and decided to leave the day Briar dies?"

"I have business that's taking me out of the city."

"And you don't know why Briar is dead?"

"Of course I don't fucking know. He was a powerful guy. I imagine he upset the wrong people."

Esme rolled her eyes and twirled the knife in her hand. With a sigh she rolled her head to her side to look at her companion. "And who is he exactly?"

"Someone to keep me entertained in my travels," Aria said as casually as she could manage.

"Mhm, he's certainly tall enough, but I can't say he's quite your type," Esme said, her head moving back to look at Aria.

This time Aria laughed a little and shrugged, "People can change. I'm adaptable...flexible."

Esme grinned at the last bit and nodded. "That you are," she said before her eyes moved down to Samuel. "I'm sure you enjoy that...but now I'd like to hear from you just who you are and why you're willing to travel when you don't look to be in travelling shape," she said, gesturing to his make-shift cane. "I doubt Aria is that good in bed to make pain that easy to swallow."

Aria's lip twitched slightly as Esme questioned Samuel. She knew it was odd enough that she was travelling with someone, and she was right, Samuel didn't look to be in good enough condition to really be walking the roads with her. Gods she hoped he would be able to lie well enough to get her to leave. She doubted the woman would be fully convinced of her innocence, but she rather have the threat of prying eyes over hands around her neck any day.

Samuel gritted his teeth, sizing up the woman standing over him. He knew he could probably just yell "Necromancy! WoooooOOOOOooooo!" and have Nas and Toth float around a bit while wiggling his fingers menacingly, and it would be more than enough to send these two packing. Spiritual magics like this tended to be a weak spot for those with a less than clean conscience. When faced with a necromancer, good men ran for their lives... but guilty men would run for their souls.

The thought almost brought a smile to Samuel's lips.

However, it was a terrible idea. Not only would he be exposing himself to two other people, and faced with yet another choice of whether to kill them or not, any disruption of the Veil, whether it was Samuel stirring something up, or these two heading down, would just attract the attention of the Thing Below. And though he couldn't be sure of it, Samuel had a fairly good idea of that it was. An Exmortus. A hunter, designed to be able to move and kill freely on both sides of the Veil. Something that had to be crafted and built by a master necromancer.

The Other Necromancer must have gotten desperate, to enact such extreme measures. Which meant Aria and Samuel's plan was working perfectly.
Except for the part where they were sitting on top of this thing, with a few of Aria's guild members ready to slit their throats.

But other than that? It was a good, solid plan.

The woman, Esme, leaned a little closer, the point of her knife leading the way. Everyone was getting twitchy, and if this thing wasn't diffused, someone would make a wrong move, Agmund would get shot, he'd get stabbed (again), someone would surely die, and what was probably an Exmortus would rise up and dismember anyone still standing. So all in all, not really favorable.

"Easy, easy..." Samuel blurted out, trying to inch back from the woman and her knife. "Aria... she's telling the truth. Mostly. She does have a job taking her out of the city, and she doesn't know why Briar is dead."

By now, Samuel had backed away from the woman enough to sit up, with a little help from his crutch. He placed a hand on his chest "I'm the job that's taking Aria out of the city. I'm paying her to sneak me out of the city, and help me get as far away from the thugs who did this to me." Again Samuel motioned to himself, spreading his arms out, motioning towards his legs, especially his knee. "The same thugs, I'm willing to guess, who killed Briar."

Lies with a touch of truth. The easiest to tell, and the hardest to detect.

Aria had to fight to keep from smiling in pleasure at how well he was answering Esme. Her eyes watched Esme carefully, pleased to see her shift to a less menacing position, her arms moving to cross over her chest as she listened to Samuel. When he finished explaining she looked as though she might ask a question, but Aria could already guess what it was and headed her off. "He makes potions. Uses ingredients from Briar. Or rather he used ingredients from Briar. Maybe these guys are going after Briar and his known associates. The guild better watch their back."

The woman scoffed and shrugged her shoulders. "Don't we always," she said. "We won't kill you two yet. The guild doesn't really want you dead Aria, you're a valuable asset, but we will be watching you, both of you. The eyes of the guild extend farther then you know. Though if we do find reason to kill you, neither of you will be able to talk your way out of it." She then nodded to Aria, and Aria got off of Agmund. The man grunted and got up from the ground, grabbing his discarded knife before he and Esme retreated, disappearing into the night.

At first Aria was relieved that they were gone, she sunk down to the ground, putting up a hand to indicate that she didn't want Samuel talking or really moving until she was sure they were gone. They couldn't be too careful, and she didn't want him saying anything that could change Esme's mind. The last thing she wanted was too tempt fate after so narrowly missing a fight.

Once they were out of ear shot Aria's eyes flashed to Samuel, who had seemed to move slightly in his effort to put distance between him and Esme. A sort of wicked grin spread across her face and she crawled over to him, straddling his lap before he could make a move to get up or really do anything now that Esme and Agmund's foots steps could no longer be heard. "You're not doing a very good job of getting away from the thugs who hurt you," she said, her face, even in the dim light, wearing an expression of amusement. Her hand moved up to his face, and she moved it under his chin to tilt his head up to fully look at her. "In fact I would say you're doing a fairly poor job. They're practically on top of you." Perhaps now really wasn't the best time for her to be teasing Samuel, but at the moment it was calming her down, and she really desperately to stay sane. Paranoia was okay in small doses, but if she let it get the best of her she would be putting both of them at risk.