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The Two Adventurers (ZodiacDragon1014 and Karo)

Her fingers interlocking with his own made him feel at ease. Whether it was wise of them to share a moment like this in a place such as the forest they were currently in didn't matter to him, or at least it failed to cross his mind at that particular moment. He was happy to let her know that he would be there for her, in what ever way she wanted or needed.

"You are most welcome."

Jerik says with a smile. With their fingers still interlocked, he brings her in closer to give her a gentle and playful nudge. He dared not release her however, as if he were afraid to lose her the moment he were let her hand go. In fact, in order to assure to himself that he wouldn't lose her to the forest or anything or anyone else, he gently placed his other hand upon the back of Arastine's hand. She was important to him, despite the short amount of time they had been with each other. Still, it was enough to get to know her, and know that she was worth being with, worth having as a friend, and worth protecting.

"I am not going to let anything happen to you."

His smile faded slightly at these words, unbeknownst to him. These words along now with his actions were more serious. He knew how much he cared about her, but she didn't, at least not yet.
 
Once again, she smiled ever so slightly at the touch. She had truly forgotten how nice it felt, a genuine sign of affection from another. Again, she didn't pull away, but instead returned the affection, her fingers tightening around his just ever so slightly, enough to be sure he wouldn't mistake it for a coincidence.

At the nudge, she laughed amiably, and leaned back against him. It was strange, having someone nearby who legitimately seemed to care about her. She couldn't help but be somewhat wary, genuine affection something somewhat foreign to her, but...it was different with Jerik. She doubted the man was capable of telling a convincing lie.

"Thanks." she replied with a smile, giving him a playful nugde back, though she didn't pull away, and instead leaned in against his shoulder, her weight nearly negligible against him. Perhaps she was just starved for affection; the thought did cross her mind. They had only known each other for a few short days, after all, but she had to admit...this was nice.
 
Jerik too had forgotten the familiar feeling of another person next to their side. As a warrior, Jerik had lost many friends, fellow warriors, and a lover or two. It was the price of battle. The price of war. Connecting with Arastine here like this would be yet another risk. He would be risking both his life as well as hers.

Jerik began to get lost in the moment. At Arastine leaning in against his shoulder, he removed his right hand from her hand, wrapping it around her body, his hand finally settling on her right shoulder. His left hand remained interlocked with her hand still. With her now in his embrace, he uses his right hand to pull her ever so delicately into his own body.
 
It was nice. Arastine sat with him for what seemed like a long while, his hand on her shoulder and her fingers laced with his. Really, she knew she shouldn't be letting herself get attached. But, really, what was the harm in this? It was natural to want a little human affection.

"What are we doing?" the thief laughed quietly. "This...this isn't going to help us get out of here." she teased. It was true, but still, she made no move to pull away from him. If anything, she found herself moving just a little closer to him to get comfortable.
 
Jerik smiles at her comment, feeling her movement towards him despite her words. Neither one of them seemed to mind much at that point in time. Jerik himself felt comfort and warmth embracing her the way he did, and having those feelings only made him want to keep her there longer and closer. Finally, he spoke with a soft chuckle.

"Maybe so, but I do recall us deciding on staying here for the day, and there's plenty more time left in the day."

Jerik says with a chuckle, his hold on her not letting up.

"I think we deserve a rest and some time to ourselves for the moment."

Jerik could only hope that this day could be set aside for themselves. They had been fortunate enough to not run into anymore trouble since the initial attack against them. With some more room to breathe, the thought of a possible interruption crept into the back of his mind.

If something were to come and attack them however, protecting Arastine now would be his top priority. Not that she was incapable of handling herself. She wouldn't have gotten this far in life without skills, but she was no warrior, and Jerik could not be sure of just how much fight she actually had in her.
 
(Ugh, sorry. Dx I didn't get a notification that there was a reply x_x)

She nodded to him. "Yeah. Rest." she said quietly, then a grin spread over her lips again. She doubted he had seen it, with her attention turned to their campfire. Still, it was there, though. Interacting with another traveler on such a personal level like this was almost completely unfamiliar; she had almost forgotten how to do so without any ulterior motive to her kindness. She couldn't remember the last time she had been genuinely kind to someone without expecting something in return, whether willingly or not.

As they sat there, Arastine jumped suddenly, at once on alert, glancing around nervously. "Did you hear that?" she asked. "Or was it just my imagination?"
 
((It's alright. No problemo. =) I don't actually receive notifications at all, despite being subscribed to it. =( ))

Jerik wanted to embrace her all the more, but no sooner was he about to do so, something had caught Arastine's attention. He had to admit that he hadn't heard anything, though that wasn't surprising considering the time they had been spending together. His attention had for the most part been focused on her, so even if he had been partly aware of his surroundings, it would still be difficult to hear anything. Nevertheless, the fact that Arastine had managed to hear something sprang him up off of his feet, going straight for his sword and shield.

"I didn't hear a thing, but if you feel like you did heard something, I'm here and ready."

Jerik whispered, his sword grasped firmly in his right hand while his shield was mounted on his left arm. He was now in full blown warrior mode, ready for whatever may present itself to them. He only wondered how Arastine would fair. She had knives, sure, but depending on what was coming, they would only get her killed. Finally, Jerik whispered to her again.

"Are you proficient with a bow?"

Jerik asked her, moving in close to her, putting her just slightly behind him.
 
She was on her feet in an instant, already reaching for her daggers. She gave a sideways glance to Jerik. Though admittedly not the best with reading people, she knew his stance, standing between her and the direction she was scanning for any sign of an approaching enemy in. Even without knowing what was coming, he was trying to protect her? It was a little insulting, but at the same time...

"I haven't shot a bow in years." she muttered in return. "Too cumbersome to take around." She said.

She hushed him almost as soon as she had finished speaking. In the distance, there was the sound of rustling branches and leaves, like a great wind was pushing everything towards them, despite the air being completely still otherwise.

"We...should probably move." she said quietly.
 
Jerik nodded at Arastine's words, his eyes and ears now honed in on the rustling of the bushes. He took a step or two back, waiting for her to lead them away. His eyes never left the brush. He tried to gauge what it was that could be coming their way. Was it some sort of creature, or monster? A goblin? An orc? Or was it something not of the physical? Was it similar to what they had encountered before, with the forest seeming to come alive on its own. There were any number of possibilities, and as the list kept growing in Jerik's mind, so too did the risk.

Jerik raised his shield, readying himself for either some sort of projectile like an arrow or throwing dagger, or for a charging enemy, all the while still stepping back ever so slowly, making sure that there was an adequate distance between him and the bush.
 
Arastine scrambled back a few steps only to jump again as the same sound started to close in from behind them, then to their side, closing in from all sides.

"Jerik..." she started, almost hoping that it would be something more simple, even a horde of bandits would be a tangible thing to fight, instead of swinging wildly at branches and vines as they had before. However, as the sound grew closer, no monster or attacker was visible, just a wave of branches and vines that dwarfed the attack from before.

Despite the size of the literal wave of foliage, it was near impossible to avoid, overtaking them in an instant. It was an attack from all sides, thrashing vines, swinging branches and creeping plants trying to wrap around their legs to trip them.
 
At his name, Jerik's attention broke from his previous spot only to realize that the bushes on all sides of them began to come to life. His heart sank at the realization, and cursed to himself at the situation. The first encounter that Arastine and himself had survived before seemed to have been replicated, only now on a larger scale. It wasn't long until the vines and brances lunged for them both with incredible speed.

With his shield raised, Jerik was able to block the first wave of incoming foliage. The mass of green impacted his shield hard, a blow that would have shattered a lesser man's arm. As soon as his shield had absorbed the brunt of the blow, Jerik immediately turned his attention to his flank, his long sword following close behind. He fell the mass coming for him in one swing, but the fight was far from over. Arastine and himself were in for one hell of an encounter...
 
Arastine let out a sharp cry as she raised her knives in defense. Unable to use the same quick footwork that had helped her before, she had to duck and dodge the best she could in the quickly constricting space.

Whatever had launched the attack had intensified the onslaught; not only were the numbers far higher, but the blows stronger, and now many of the vines were laden with thick, sharp thorns.

"Jerik, we need to get out of here, now!" She snapped to him. This was a losing battle, she could already see that.
 
Jerik continued to do his best to defend himself and Arastine from the malicious assault on them made by the vines and branches. Between bouts blocking and attacking, several vines and branches had managed to strike him, and continued to strike him. His armor managed to lessen the blows made, but it was surprising just how much of the pain managed to make it through to him. As Arastine yelled to him that they needed to get the hell out of there, he nodded, yelling back to her.

"Grab what supplies you can!"

He hoped she'd be able to grab something, mainly their rations. If they were to lose those, Jerik and Arastine would be in even deeper than they already were. Jerik did his best to fend off the attack, trying his best to give Arastine whatever time she could take in order to grab their stuff. All she needed to do was grab the rations.
 
Even with being only a few yards away from their things, even with Jerik covering her, Arastine was knocked down several times trying to grab their bags. Her fingertips brushed against the handle to Jerik's pack. She was able to grab it and duck back as a heavy spiked vine swung over her head, leaving her own supplies where she had left them.

The vines continued to close in on them, even the bushes and trees creeping closer, closing in on them.

"I hope your bag's waterproof." Arastine said quickly. "I think we're going to have to hit the river to get out of this."
 
Jerik could barely find an opportunity to yell back to her. The vines and branches continued their attack, seeming to pummel him into submission. With every block with his shield, with every slice of his sword, there were just as many, if not more strikes from the plants that seemed to make contact with his armor. The river was not too far behind them, but a full retreat to make a break for the river would mean certain death for him. No, he had to hold the plants off just a little more before he could get himself to safety. What remained to be seen however, was how much more of this could he take.

"Go! I'll be right behind you!"

Jerik finally managed to cry out to her as he blocked, struck, and got struck himself, all the while making his way back toward the river, trying to keep the brunt of the assault on him. Arastine was still in danger of being struck, and a lethal blow was always a possibility, but she stood a much better chance of making it to the river safely than he did. He only hoped that the degree to which he was holding off the attack would be enough. Jerik could feel his ability to do so beginning to dwindle.
 
She nodded, using the cover provided by Jerik to scramble over to the riverbank. The onslaught from the animated plants had yet to reach that far. It was a safe spot, at least for the time being. A quick glance around, and she swore under her breath. Trying to cut across the bank itself would put them dangerously close to the tree line. A dive into the river would be their best chance to escape.

"Jerik, c'mon!" She called. It had been a long time since she had felt the need to wait around for someone like this, usually thinking of her own neck first and foremost.

She remained at the edge of the river, watching as he inched his way closer, silently urging him to hurry up.
 
Jerik couldn't afford to hold out for too much longer. The longer he stayed, the more energy he spent, which meant that he wouldn't have the energy necessary to follow Arastine in the river with his weapon and armor weighing him down. Luckily however, Jerik found his break. The vines and branches seemed to be going for one final push, but the attacks they were making were easy to see. He couldn't possibly block and slice each bundle, but he could prioritize which ones to take care of before he made a break for it.

Jerik opened up first with a slice of his sword off to the right of himself, the bundles of vines and branches attempting to hit him on his right flank. Immediately after, Jerik brought his shield up and bashed a bundle of incoming foliage, snapping and splintering all that was there. Smaller bundles now had come through and struck his midsection and his chest. Jerik winced slightly, the damage from the previous attacks taking their toll on him. With one final swing of his sword, Jerik cut down the last big bundle of greens and finally wheeled around towards the river in a full retreat.

Arastine could be seen waiting at the water's edge for him. He ran as quickly as his weighty armor and shield would permit him to run. The rampaging greens behind him went for one last attack to prevent their escape, however the distance now between them was too great, and Jerik was only several feet from the water's edge.

"Let's go!"

Jerik called, knowing all too well that the vines and branches were well on his tail.
 
He didn't need to tell her twice. She had secured the pack over her shoulder and as soon as Jerik began to bolt towards the water, with enough distance between himself and the vines that she had no doubt that he would make it to the water. Going too soon would mean they'd be separated, but waiting too long would certainly lead to death.

The thief turned and dove into the river as Jerik approached. At once, she was caught up in the current. She wasn't the strongest swimmer, but would at least be able to keep her head above water, and hope that Jerik was able to do the same.
 
Once the distance between himself and the river had been closed, in one swift motion, Jerik sheathed his sword. The weapon clicked in place, ensuring that it wouldn't go anywhere even as the water would carry him. Soon after, Jerik dove into the water after Arastine. His equipment of course weighed him down, but he was quite powerful as a swimmer. Soon enough, the river swept him up as well. It was difficult, but he was able to keep his head up above the water. It was fortunate that the river wasn't violent and swift. He only hoped now that a safe part of the river bank could be found quickly. Jerik's energy slowly was depleting.
 
Thankfully, it was only a few minutes before the river curved, branched off to a smaller stream, thankfully in the middle of a large, open clearing. It would be enough to keep them out of the way of the branches and vines that she was sure would find them once more. She had the feeling that, no matter where they were, they weren't entirely safe.

"Jerik, here!" She called. She had pulled herself onto the bank, completely soaked through.

She scanned the river for any sign of her companion. She hoped the worst hadn't happened.
 
Jerik had been doing his best to keep his head above water so that he could see where Arastine was. He could see that the river branched into a smaller stream. No doubt the current would be much less there. It took some energy in order to alter his course toward the small off shoot of water, but he managed to do so. He was getting tired, trying anything just to get closer toward the bank of the stream. Finally, his attention was brought to Arastine who had just called out his name. Relief fell over him knowing she was safe.

"Coming!"

He called out to her. Jerik struggled to reach the bank. Finally, the bottoms of his boots touched the sand beneath the water. He tried to walk out, but instead stumbled and fell. Working up all his strength that he could, Jerik hoisted himself back up, making his way slowly out of the stream. Water slid effortlessly off his dented armor, dripping every which way. Jerik made two or three steps completely out of the water, then fell to his hands and knees. He remained there for a while, panting and catching his breath.
 
Arastine offered a hand to him to help pull him onto the bank. Shit. At least they had gotten to somewhere that seemed safe. For now, at least.

Once they were both safely on the bank, she sunk down to the ground to catch her breath and go through Jerik's bag to check the damage the water had undoubtedly done. Even the most secure packs weren't often meant to be completely submerged for any period of time.

It was starting to get dark, as well. Late in the evening, and the tinder and flint they had to start a fire were both too wet to be of any use to them. Arastine already caught herself shivering lightly, trying to hide her chattering teeth as she stood and shed her leather armor, her underclothes all completely soaked through.

"Now what?" she asked with a sigh.
 
Jerik took a few moments more to catch his breath before being able to stand on his own two feet. Jerik surveyed the area. Good. No damn plants... Jerik walked closer toward Arastine. First he dropped his shield and sword off of himself, then went to unclasp his armor and shed it off, his underclothes clinging to his body like a second skin. Placing his gear in a pile, he takes a seat next to her, surveying the water damage done to their rations and supplies in his pack. What food there was wasn't too badly soaked thanks to the pack's pockets and the extra packaging he had encased the food in. At least it was all edible. However, a fire would be near impossible to build. As Arastine had already seen, their supplies for a fire were far too wet to make a fire.

Looking toward her now, he could see that she was soaked just about to the bone. What clothes she had worn under her leather armor showed off every beautiful curve that she possessed, and Jerik couldn't help but just admire her for a short moment. Finally he spoke, answering her.

"I...I don't know. We just got royally screwed..."

Jerik sat for a moment more before speaking once again, looking up into the sky.

"We definitely need to keep ourselves warm. We won't survive the night like this..."
 
She nodded. "Yeah." she sighed. "Screwed is pretty much the right word; if the plants don't catch up with us, I'm pretty sure the cold will be the end of us." she sighed. Alright, so it wasn't that cold out, but more than enough to be dangerous. Not immediately deadly, but neither of them could really afford to spare any time recovering from hypothermia.

Arastine pulled out a portion of the rations to eat while she thought, once again moving closer to Jerik, this time for the added warmth of his body. As she ate, she let out another quiet sigh.

"We should probably get out of these wet clothes." she said finally. "They're not doing us any favors right now."
 
Jerik too pulled out some food from the pack. It was a little damp, but not enough to not eat it. After the effort he had put in just moments before, he needed some nourishment for his body. He sat there a while next to her, letting what body heat Arastine and himself both had to warm each other up. When Arastine spoke, Jerik nodded as a response, following it up with words.

"Agreed. It'll get much colder once night falls."

Despite Jerik being in agreement with her, he made no move to shed off his clothes, at least not yet. He was still eating whatever portion of rations he had pulled from the pack in order to fuel his body. Staying warm was important, but so was keeping his body energized.
 
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