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The Journey (EvaRose & Rage)

The fairy waved some of the younger ones to him, telling them to get some fruit for the knight, since they couldn't do anything about getting the man meat. The white fairy looked back at Haine again, sitting down on the hilt so that he could relax. It was a little thing that could stand on the tip of the man's finger easily without having to balance. The fairies that he spoke to started to fly away, going off to get fruit for the man to eat. The white fairy glanced over to Jyade when the knight inquired about her, growing silent for some time before calling out to the white wolf.

The wolf looked at Haine before getting up, getting to his paws before walking over to them. The beast laid down on the ground only a foot from the man, looking at him while the fairy repeated the question. "Ten winterrrrs," the wolf growled. It looked at Haine with narrowed eyes, not really trusting the man. The only reason the wolf didn't kill the man was because the elf seemed to trust him.

"Ten years!" The fairy said. "She was so young that the wolves took her in, and so did us fairies." The white fairy looked up as the others returned, carrying nothing but a basket of blueberries. It was a large basket for them though, so big that a woman could've made it. They fluttered to the man and placed the basket beside him. "There aren't many fruits in the forest beside these. The wolves won't be hunting until sun down either." The fairy looked at the man again. "I remember it was almost as hectic as it was today. A volcano nearby went off and ash was falling everywhere. It was nighttime and the ash seemed to make everything bright. Her hair was short if I remember right, and she was about half as small as she is now. I guess I can't say she was small, because I am... well... me." The fairy laughed a bit then flew off the hilt of the sword, going over to the white wolf and landing on his head. "This big guy found her. We have to go for now." The wolf got up and turned away, going back to the other wolves with the little fairy on his head.
 
Haine watched the wolf trudge away, "Thank you." He said, taking the basket from the fairies and setting it down on his lap. He ate through the berries slowly, not much of a fruit fan. Here he was, eating fruit and talking to wolves and fairies... oh, and he was still covered in blood. The fact that the wolf spoke had really surprised him... he heard that some of them could speak the human language, and it really took him back. Well, that and the wolf looked like it was ready to bite his head off if he made one wrong move. Haine shrugged, leaning his head back against the tree and taking a quick swig of water from his canteen. Where did they go from here? The lands were still far away, and there was much traveling to be done. Maybe they could take a ship to make the trip shorter.

He looked over at Jyade. She was still completely passed out. It wasn't like he was in a better condition... his body was still completely drained, and he didn't feel like moving for a while. Haine sighed, reaching his hand up to rub at the three scars over his eye. They stopped throbbing, but the memory of the pain was still clear as day. Out of all the scars he had obtained over the years... the ones over his eye were the ones that still hurt. He frowned, taking another handful of berries into his mouth. With his large body, it would take quite a few to completely energize him.

Haine spotted the gryphon not too far away... with its mother asleep, he wondered if it needed some kind of... attention? Haine reached his hand back into his pouch and pulled out another piece of jerky. "Here." He said, holding it out to the gryphon. Man, why was he doing this anyway?
 
Hunin looked at Haine, at the piece of jerky in his outstretched hand, then at the man once again. The little gryphon chirped lightly before moving forward, moving to the man slowly and unsurely, remembering the man's earlier hatred but also wanting the jerky offered to him. The gryphon stopped at the jerky and got up on its hind legs suddenly to take the jerky in his beak. Hunin sat back on its hind legs after, reaching up to hold the jerky with its talons, mimicking humans. It ate more and more of the jerky, looking at the man before him.

Jyade sighed softly as she woke up a bit, moving a bit on the wolf so that she was on the middle of its back. She turned around slightly, opening her eyes just enough to see Haine and Hunin. She was too sleepy to stay awake though, needing the sleep to recover after a days work. The gryphon looked at Haine once it was done eating, chirping lightly before moving toward the man slowly again. The gryphon didn't stop until he was less than an inch away and looked at the human before setting his head on the armor on the man's thigh. The elf couldn't help but smile when she saw this, thinking it to be cute. She watched the two, wondering what Haine was going to do. He changed his mind about her after all, maybe he would change his mind when it came to Hunin as well. She knew that she couldn't keep her hopes up, but hope was one of the few things she had left.
 
Haine watched Hunin slowly make his way over. Small flashes of bloodthirsty gryphons flashed in his mind, and a small twinge of pain where a gryphon had scarred him long ago started to ache. But Hunin was small, and he wouldn't grow up like those bloodthirsty things... right? Haine didn't make any sudden movements but watched the small aerodynamic carnivore continue to make his way over. When it was just an inch away Haine visibly stiffened, wincing as he looked down onto the flying creature. They made eye contact for a small instant before Hunin laid his head on Haine's leg, causing the knight to slightly flinch. He wasn't expecting something like that... he was sure that the little gryphon wasn't going to get closer to anybody besides the elf-girl.

Haine watched the small gryphon before relaxing. Okay, it obviously wasn't going to try and bite him or anything... but he was certainly starting to warm up to it. He didn't think he could touch it or pet it yet... old instincts and his hate for the beasts were quite strong. Haine sighed, laying his head back onto the trunk of the tree. He was about to get up and look around, but now he didn't think he could move with the little gryphon's head on his leg. If he didn't have a horrid past with gryphons, he might have thought the thing to be a little adorable.

"Truce, huh?" He said, half of it to the gryphon and half of it to himself. "Man, this trip is changing my mind about a lot of things..."
 
Jyade watched as Haine stiffened, almost reaching into her skirt to draw out her dagger. The wolf beneath her even went quiet, as did the other wolves, just watching her and waiting for her to do anything in an effort to protect the gryphon. When he did nothing though she relaxed a bit, and the wolves and fairies carried about their business. Hunin looked at Haine for a moment then closed his eyes, actually beginning to relax near the large man and fall asleep.

The elf looked at Haine for a moment then turned over onto her back, lifting her leg up so that she could look at her twisted ankle. It was starting to look better by then, as were the multiple cuts on her body. Elves didn't normally heal that fast, it was actually the fairies touch and magic that made her wounds heal so fast. A soft sigh escaped her before she turned around, sliding off the wolf and onto the ground. She was still tired, but after questioning Burle she wanted to get going, wanted to get to the poor girl as fast as they could go. Still though, how fast could they really go with her ankle being twisted like that?

Jyade stood up, making sure to take the cloak with her, and started over to Haine. Hunin looked up where he heard her start to walk, though the creature was too tired to move. She went to Haine, ignoring the pain in her ankle, and sat down on the ground beside him, stroking the back of the gryphon chick lightly. "Animals that are young like this one are simple. They learn not to bite the hand of those that feed them. Today, I learned that Burle loves elven women enough to trade a little princess for them," she practically spat, feeling rather angry. She looked at Haine now, glaring at him. "You know what? I actually jumped threw a window and twisted my ankle because you're so slow. You don't have to know how to fight to know that a knight like you can't run from bandits. You may be strong but you are one of the slowest men I've met." She paused for a moment and looked away. She didn't want to talk about him, knowing what was really bugging her but didn't want to admit it, didn't want to tell him that she was worried about him. She was never one to keep her mouth shut though.

"Anyway, he didn't know where the elves who took her are, just that they're in my homeland. He helped them to get into the castle so that they could send him elf women. Of all the things he was mad about, it was that they didn't send the men. Man said nothing about the poor girl, probably didn't care." She wrapped the cloak around her shoulders, holding it tightly around her to keep herself warm and him from seeing anything. "I still have to thank you for staying alive I guess. I was... I guess... I was worried about you." Her cheeks flushed red from embarrassment at what she said and she stared at her feet, refusing to look at him after that. Her heart was pattering so fast in her chest that she almost couldn't breath. It was the first time that she actually worried about a grown human or elf, and the fact that it was a man made it all the stranger. He was so nice to her though, she couldn't help but care about him.
 
At first, Haine grew rather heated at Jyade's insults. Sure, he knew he wasn't that fast, but she was making him sound like a snail! He was fighting them off for her sake anyway. He was the armored one with lots of experience fighting battles with multiple opponents. While she was light on her feet and stealthy, it was obvious that he had to be the distraction. If he had gone after Burle himself, he would have most likely alerted him and Burle would have ditched the city in a heartbeat. Haine's fist clenched, his teeth grinding against one another. Was this how she was thanking him?!

However, when she said that she was worried about him it all went away. Haine blinked over at her, watching her clutch his cloak tightly around her body. He couldn't read women very well, but something told him that this wasn't the time to be angry. Haine sighed with a smile, reaching his hand to rub at the back of his neck. In the end, he was the reckless one. Haine leaned his head back against the tree and looked up, seeing the sunshine peak out through the leaves. Sometimes it looked like he could just reach up and grab it.

"Worried about me?" He smiled softly, looking over at her. "To be honest... I can't remember the last time somebody said that they were worried about me. Hearing you say it is kind of... well, nice." He chuckled, his words making him feel stupid. "But I promised you that I wouldn't die... and I'm glad that you're back here safe and sound now. We got a mission to complete... and you're my companion. I've got your back, and I trust you to have mine." He turned his head forward, suddenly feeling sentimental. They been through quite a lot together, and she already felt like a comrade in a time of war.
 
Jyade's cheeks turned a shade redder as she listened to him, though ahe was sure he was too inexperienced to think anything of it. She wouldn't normally think it, but she thought that this man was the purest one she had yet to know. Well... he seemed pure when it came to sexual things, but when it came to fighting he most certainly wasn't. He was slow, especially when compared to her, but he was also the strongest man she met since she ever started fighting. She looked at him, her heart pounding in her chest as even though she tried to calm it. The elf returned her gaze to her feet though, knowing that she had to get these thoughts out of her mind. He was a human, a knight, and entirely different from her. These... stirrings in her heart was nothing but hope, a hope that would never grow into something else.

"Of course I do. If I didn't then these wolves would've killed you by now. Speaking of which..." She trailed off and turned around, looking in the direction of the group of wolves. Her eyes darted from one to the other until they landed on the white one. "Alpha!"

The giant wolf lifted its head almost immediately, turning around to look at her and Haine before rising to his paws and trotting over. His steps made the earth nearby shake a bit, scaring away the smaller creatures and insects. They could be quiet when they wanted to be, but there was no need for silence right now. The wolf went to her, nuzzling her head softly with his nose though his black eyes were watching Haine. She reached up and scratched the beast's head lightly, not at all scared of it and the sharp teeth that filled its mouth. It could've eaten her in one gulp if it wished to, but the white wolf did nothing of the sort. "Alpha? May you hunt for my companion?" The wolf went still then growled softly, only for the girl to hit it on the nose. "We are you guest!"

The white wolf jolted back and began to rub his nose on the back of his paw lightly, looking at her instead of the man she was sitting beside. "Fine," he growled, though he still didn't want to do that.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry about hitting your nose. But feeding this man berries is like feeding you berries." She knew she was strange when it came to the wolves, since no person would probably do what she did, unless they lived with them the way that she had. The wolf gave a light snort before turning and starting to walk away. Even as it went further away, she could hear the fairy on his head laughing. "That's my papa," she said softly, looking over at Haine. "He and his mate are the ones that found me. She lost her pups to humans recently and took care of me because of it, I think. I'm not really sure actually. But they took care of me, and I'm still alive so I guess that means something." She turned slightly to lean on the tree his back was currently against. "I've told you about my past and heard nothing of yours. Is it painful to talk about?"
 
Haine couldn't help but laugh in reaction to the whole scene... watching Jyade bop the giant wolf on the nose was rather funny. The wolf had been giving him looks the entire night, and he knew that they both found each other as somewhat of a threat. But thanks to Jyade's little intervention he managed to relax a little, and he noticed that some of the wolves did as well. Jyade was the one common link they had, and she was helping to ease the situation whether she knew it or not. "Your dad seems like a nice guy." Haine chuckled, adjusting his back on the tree trunk. His hair was similar in color to the wolf's coat, with the knight's strange shimmering locks being the only difference.

Haine winced a little when she mentioned his past. He had tried what he could to move on from it, but he knew that it made him who he was. He gave her little bits and pieces, but he completely neglected to tell her the parts that really marked him. But she told him so much while he told her so little... maybe this was a good time to tell her a bit.

"Well..." He frowned, "I... I hate digging up old wounds, but I think it's only fair since you've already told me so much about your life." Haine took in a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "I've... I've never told anybody about this before, but I think if anybody should learn this about me... it's you." He sounded a bit silly saying it, but he truly felt that way. Their pasts weren't identical, but what they had in common was suffering and pain.

"My mother... well..." Haine started, his eyes on the ground. "There was an attack on her village and... she was raped by one of the bandits that killed her friends and family. Her village traditions and beliefs didn't let her kill the baby, and... well... here I am." He ended it softly, looking away. He just started, and already it hurt.
 
Jyade looked at him as he spoke, taking in his words without thinking about what she used to think when it came to this knight. She had to keep an open mind and an open heart when it came to things like this. He trusted her enough to tell her about his when he wouldn't tell others, and she could kind of see why. She never would've thought that this knight was the product of rape, especially because he did his best to be so knightly and was...welll...he was Haine. She looked away when he did, turning her gaze to her bare feet for a moment. She turned back to him after some time, reaching down to pick the gryphon off the ground so that Haine could move when it wanted to. "That is a sad beginning," she said softly.

The elf was silent for a moment as she laid the gryphon chick on the ground between them, not wanting to hold it but not wanting it to wake up either. Hunin opened his eyes for a moment, gave a weak chirp, then closed them again. Jyade began to rub the top of the gryphon's head once again as she thought about what he said. "It is sad that you're the product of rape," she said softly. "If it was different though, you wouldn't be how you are I suppose." She was trying her best not to insult him anymore, or to make him feel sad. She knew it was the same for her own history. If the things that happened didn't, then she wouldn't be here right now. She hated her past, but everything happened for a reason.
 
"I guess not..." Haine said softly, looking up to glance at the wolves. "It's how I was born... I keep telling myself that it was better this way because of my existence, but my mother and the village surely didn't feel that way. I didn't learn that my father was a bandit who raped my mother until I was fourteen... so I didn't know why everybody hated me when I was a small child. My mother ignored me, the children beat me, and the other adults wanted nothing to do with me. I... sorta grew cynical and unattached when I was young." He reached up and scratched the back of his head, a sad smile tugging lightly at the corner of his lips.

"So I bet you're wondering how a little beat-up child ever became a renowned Imperial Knight, right?" He chuckled lightly, "Well it's kind of a long, bloody story. I don't mind telling you, but I think it's something for another time. Thinking of the past is kind of giving me... unwelcome feelings." He shifted awkwardly at the base of the tree, his eyes still on the wolves. He wasn't sure how he felt about telling her all of that... a part of him felt relieved, but another part of him felt like she would judge him like all the others in his village. He kept that part of him completely secret, and letting it all out was just... weird for him.
 
Jyade listened to him then looked over, noticing the way he kept his eyes on the wolves. What he said made her feel sad, but it wasn't for herself for once. Sure she felt sad for animals and children, but she never felt sad for another person who was... well, near her age. Her tongue flicked lightly over the roof of her mouth before she got up without any warning, ignoring the pain in her right ankle as she moved over to him. If anybody else had seen they probably would've thought the worse, at least if they didn't understand. The wolves didn't jump, not feeling any air of anger coming off of her, and so they stayed were they were as she went behind Haine and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck in a hug. "You are still Haine," she said softly. She didn't care of about anything right now. She didn't care if her breast were against the back of his head, if he was a man, or if some of the wolves were watching. In all truth, the only reason she hugged him like that was because he had all that armor on. "They were wrong to do that because of how you were conceived. It was not of your doing, and you could do nothing to change it."

She leaned forward slightly to kiss his forehead before pulling away. She couldn't stay like that for long. "If you'll excuse me, I must go to the lake and bathe. One of those disgusting men touched me and now I have to wash his filthy scent off my body. Filthy, filthy man called me a whore and a demon." Jyade looked down at one of the nearby fairies and motioned it to her. The fairy had already heard what she said and started to lead her in the direction of the lake, asking her questions about where she went. More fairies began to follow, eager to inquire as to what she did and the places she went to since she left the forest. And she answered their questions eagerly, wanting to get what just happened out of her mind. She couldn't forget what he said though, and hoped that the rest of his story was happier...or that it would end as so. A person like him... she hoped that person like him would like to be old and happy, with a wife and kids, and no worries. That though, was an ending that could only be made in the mind of the ignorant, and she wasn't ignorant.

By then, the white wolf was returning, its pelt sticking out from everything else as it walked back to the group. In its jaw was a dear carcass, almost small enough compared to it that the wolf could eat it in two gulps.
 
Haine didn't flinch, stiffen, or push her away when she hugged him. He didn't even flush when he felt her breast press against the back of his head. When she wrapped her arms around his neck and loosely pressed her body against him he... well, he wasn't quite sure what happened. He almost completely froze, his thoughts completely evaporating from his mind. It was totally unexpected... he would have never imagined that she would intentionally touch him, let alone embrace him like that. It was... comforting and oddly pleasant. Yeah, he had been hugged before, but it wasn't something this genuine. Even with her dark past, here she was comforting him through it all. He wasn't sure what to say, and could only look at her with a slightly dropped jaw when she pulled away.

He couldn't say anything to her when he watched her go, a small group of fairies crowding around her to speak with the elf-girl. He was starting to see her in a whole new light despite their rocky beginnings. With her help... they may actually rescue the princess and return home safely. Haine waited until she disappeared before placing his hand on the tree to assist him in getting up. He felt a few satisfying pops run up and down his spine, sighing in relief. A bath didn't sound like a bad idea, but he wasn't going to try until Jyade came back. He needed to get the blood off of his body and he seriously needed to clean off his armor as well.

He felt the ground lightly quake and turned to see the giant wolf return, a dead dear clutched within its powerful jaws. There was definitely some kind of tension around him, and with Jyade gone it only grew stronger. Haine would have to be careful not to anger or upset them.

"Thank you." Haine nodded, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want a fight to break out that would leave him wolf food.
 
((Of all things I spelled wrong, it had to be 'deer.'))

The white wolf looked at Haine, his ears turning in the man's direction as a light growl escaped him. He stepped towards the man though, not wanting to get into another confrontation with Jyade, and placed the deer carcass on the ground near him. It was only because of the whispers of the fairy on his head that the wolf did not try to drive the man off then and there, reminding the giant wolf what Jyade might think. The wolf thought of the girl as his daughter, as his deceased mate had, and still part of his pack. The wolf ended up grunting lightly before grabbing the carcass by a leg, setting one paw on the rest as he turned the bone. The sound of cracking and breaking bones could be heard as the beast tore the leg from the rest of the carcass. Within seconds they were in two pieces. He dropped the leg and picked up the rest of the deer, looking at the man as he did so as if daring him to object to his taking the biggest piece.

Jyade was at the lake by then and getting undressed as she answered the fairies questions. "They are not nearly as big as wolves. May one of you mend my top? It was torn recently, and I'd very much like it to not be so." A few fairies took her top and looked at it before going into the forest to get what they would need. As more fairies asked her about gryphons and Gryphon Canyon she stepped into the water, enjoying the way the cool water seemed to soothe her twisted ankle. She stepped in until her chest was submerged in the water, some of her hair floating on the surface. For a moment she ignored the fairies, thinking about how it was when she used to live there. If she tried to get this far into the lake she would've had to swim. She grew, in more ways than one it seemed. She turned back to the fairies, making sure that they weren't trying to take anything in their usual playful manner. The others had returned with something and were starting to fix her top. Sure that they wouldn't hide something for now, the elf turned back around and proceeded to wash herself.
 
Haine watched the wolf rip the leg off of the deer, glaring at him for the duration of the process. "...You don't expect me to eat this thing raw, right?" He frowned, looking at the wolf with the same tenacity that he was receiving. They were locked in a stiff stalemate, and neither of them wanted to budge for sake of their pride and alpha authority. Haine reached over and grabbed the leg, frowning at the trail of blood and gore that leaked out of the ripped open socket. "Right..." Haine winced, standing up and looking around. He was going to have to start a fire for this somewhere, but he had a feeling that these wolves didn't want him to start one in this sort of territory. Maybe there was an easier place to do this.

"I'm just going to... go over there." Haine pointed, holding the deer leg in his hands. "Thanks for the food, though. It's much appreciated." He started to make his way through the forest, glancing back every once in a while to make sure that he wasn't doing anything to piss them off. He was sure that in a fight he could at least take a few of them, but an entire pack was just suicide. He sighed, reaching down and gathering up a few sticks for the fire... the deer leg might be done cooking by the time Jyade was done with her bath.
 
The white wolf watched as the man started to walk away, turning and started to walk away. The wolf didn't feel like staying there and watching the knight go about the forest like an idiot. The alpha wolf made his way to the lake, carrying the rest of the deer carcass with him. The wolf only stopped once he reached the lake, laying down next to Jyade's clothes. He laid the deer on the ground before looking into the water at the elf. The fairies were all at her top now, working diligently to fix it.

Jyade gasped for breath as her head shot out of the water, her hair now soaked and clinging to her body. She was enjoying herself by then, just relaxing a bit now that she didn't have a knight waiting for her to get out. The elf turned around, smelling the blood easily, and looked back at the white wolf. "You gave some to Haine too, papa?" The wolf looked over at her, tearing off a piece of meat before nodding his head in a quick response. There was some blood on his muzzle but he didn't mind, and neither did she. The girl turned back around and dunked her head into the water yet again, letting each strand of hair get wet before getting her head out yet again.

"I don't trust that man," the wolf stated.

She turned around to look at the large creature, blinking a few times as she did so. The elf started to make her way to the water's edge, looking at the fairies as they moved away from her top. "But I trust him, Alpha," she said softly. For her to say something like that was strange, but she meant it. She actually trusted him. She didn't have a reason why, except for the fact that he was so good. It was his personality that made her trust him so much. Jyade looked at her ankle, glad that the cool water seemed to soothe it. The wolf continued to eat as she walked over to where her clothes had been placed. "It doesn't matter anyway, since he and I have to travel together no matter what. Like I said earlier, there's a little girl that needs saving."

The wolf grunted lightly but that was it, and she didn't want to continue the conversation. Just when she stopped thinking about the knight here she was having to do it again. And she was thinking about the way she hugged him of all things. Her cheeks flushed a light shade of red as she started to get dressed. She hadn't thought about it at the time, and now it was an embarrassing thing to think about. Still though, with him being the way he was, she was sure he wouldn't hold it against her. Hell, he might just decide to forget about it.
 
Haine finally found a small clearing that would be acceptable to have a little fire in. He wasn't too far away from the wolves, but he almost felt like he needed to be a mile away. They made him nervous, and he wouldn't be surprised if they felt the same way. Haine crouched down, preparing the sticks for the fire. He laid them down and stacked them, with another pile at his side that he would use to make the fire bigger. He would have to start small after all. Haine grabbed the flint and his knife, scraping his blade to fish out the sparks onto the dry leaves and twigs. When they finally lit, he calmly blew onto the small flames to make them bigger. After a few moments of tweaking and monitoring his small fire, he finally started to add the rest of the sticks onto it, making it bigger.

Satisfied, he sat on the most comfortable rock he could find and took a look at the deer leg. It was torn off pretty well, but there was no way he was going to eat it with the skin on it and everything... it was time to skin it. With a sigh, Haine grabbed his knife and got to work. His mind wandered through the boring process, ultimately going back to Jyade's hug. It seemed like such a strange thing for her to do... she had told him she had some sort of fear of men, right? But she went ahead and embraced him anyway. Of course he appreciated it, and it was rather heartwarming. It was something that he didn't know he needed.

Haine glanced back at the wolves. They didn't seem to be too disturbed by the fire, but were probably a bit annoyed that he'd rather cook the meat than eat it raw. Well, they would have to deal with it.
 
Jyade finished getting dressed, putting her top on before looking at the white wolf to see that he was still eating. He saw that she was done though and ate what was left of the deer carcass, watching her as she picked up the cloak, her bow, and quiver before walking over to him. The white fairy was still on the wolf's head, and the fairies that mended her top were around the area, hiding underneath leaves and behind any trees that were around the lake. The girl looked at the wolf and kissed his forehead softly, getting up on his back afterwards. She knew that she didn't have to, but she wrapped the cloak around her shoulders anyway, liking the way it helped warm her up a bit.

The elf gripped the wolf's fur with one hand as he rose to his paws, glad that she could ride him instead of having to walk on her twisted ankle. After all, if she kept walking on it then her ankle would never get any better, unfortunately. The wolf started to make his way into the forest, following the scent of burning wood instead of going in the direction of the rest of the wolves. "Once you two leave the forest, you'll be careful around him though, right?"

Jyade didn't expect the wolf to say more, sighing softly in frustration before nodding. "I'm careful around everyone," she said softly. "It's a sad life, but I'll do that still." The wolf nodded, pleased with her answer, and picked up the pace. It wasn't long before the two were in the small clearing that Haine and his fire was in. The wolf snorted softly as he looked at the small fire, laying down on the ground. "Don't act like I never used one myself." A soft chirp reached her ears before the gryphon chick ran over, Hunin rubbing against her legs. He had woken up not too long ago and the poor thing got scared when he didn't see the two humans around. The white wolf looked at the armored man before starting to make its way to the other wolves as Jyade went over to Haine. "Can I have the skin once you're done doing that?" Haine ran over to them, looking at the deer leg.
 
Hearing heavy footsteps pad the forest floor behind him, Haine glanced back to see Jyade riding on top of the massive white wolf. He was almost finished skinning the deer leg, and the fire was blazing brilliantly on its own. It wasn't out of control though, and Haine made sure it wouldn't spread to the rest of the forest. Haine kept it far enough away from the underbrush and trees, and he knew that a simple fire like this would have a hard time igniting the watery life of the plants. In any case, he made sure not to upset any of these wolves, fairies, or any forest spirits that were watching him. He wasn't paranoid, but he didn't feel like he could ever be alone in this forest since things were watching him all the time.

"The skin?" Haine asked, cocking his head at Jyade. He was conscious of her ankle, but she seemed to be alright for now. He didn't mind resting in the forest for the day, but he wasn't keen on staying for too long. They had a mission to complete, and their journey had barely begun. Haine shrugged, lifting the deer leg to slice at it with his knife. "Sure thing. I'm almost finished with it anyway." In a few moments he was done, and he handed the bloody skin over to the elf. He took the leg of venison and hung it over the fire, releasing its scent throughout the forest... no doubt a few carnivores would start to get a little hungry from this.

"What do you plan to do with it?" Haine asked, keeping his eyes on the leg of meat. Although the berries were nice, he was needing something a little more filling... and this deer leg would definitely do the trick.
 
"I want to see if the fairies can make this into a blanket," she said softly. The elf looked at the hide before laying it on the ground, now on her knees beside it as she took one of her daggers out of her skirt. She took the other two daggers out, laying each on the ground beside her before doing the same to her bow and quiver. The elf picked up his cloak and looked at it for a moment before going over to the knight and laying the cloak over one of his shoulders. "So I won't need to use your cloak anymore. You won't believe what the fairies here can make. They used to make my clothes when I first came here."

She turned and went back to the hide on the ground, kneeling down on the ground near it before picking up one of her older daggers. Hunin moved to her side, looking at her as she slowly ran the blade of the dagger along the hide, sliding off any pieces of meat that was left on it. Once the meat was on the ground the gryphon chick moved to the pile and started to pick out the real pieces of meat using his sharp beak. The fairies were back with them, all of the ones that mended her top earlier coming back and watching as she slid the meat off the mide, leaving only the layer that separated fur from the meat inside the leg. As soon as she was done the fairies moved to the hide and looked at it while the elf moved back from the skin, laying her legs down straight and relaxing her ankle.

"Burle couldn't say where the elves that took her are exactly. For all we know they could be hiding on the other side of the country." Jyade looked at her ankle, reaching down to rub her sore ankle lightly with the tip of her fingers. She didn't know how big the country was in the first place, and she hadn't been there for a long time, she couldn't remember much about it.
 
"A blanket, huh?" Haine asked, feeling the cloak drape back over his shoulders. He didn't mind that she used it, but he had to admit that it was good to have back. It kept him warm through fierce winters, and to have it drape over his shoulders and cloak over his armored body was rather nice. He latched it back onto the armor and the cloak took its normal position of covering his body from his shoulders down. It also worked it make people feel more comfortable by hiding most of his armor underneath... most people didn't like being in the presence of a knight covered in armor.

"I didn't know that fairies were excellent crafters." Haine replied, watching the meat sizzle over the fire with a small smile. The venison was starting to smell great, and he could already feel his mouth water. He didn't have deer very often, but he liked what he had tried.

"The other side of the country, huh?" Haine asked, looking over at Jyade. "Where do we go after this? I have a feeling that it's just going to get worse from now on. I don't want to say we're in a land of barbarians, but the stories I hear from soldiers doesn't make this land sound very pleasant." Haine pulled the leg of meat away to blow on it, taking a closer look at the deer leg. It still had a ways to go before it was fully cooked.
 
"It isn't at all a pleasant place," she said softly. "I was young when I first came this way, and I was made into a whore, so..." The elf lifted her shoulders in a lazy shrug then let them fall. Jyade looked at the man then down at Hunin before picking up the gryphon, holding him in her arms as she stroked the back of the chick's head lightly.

"And most don't know that fairies are good with clothes, but they are. They make their own clothes, people just don't notice because it matches the color of their bodies. They would've made me blankets before, but I used to sleepy with the wolves all the time." She looked down at Hunin as the gryphon started to fall asleep, moving a bit closer to the fire now. Her clothes and hair were starting to dry up quickly because of it, and the heat coming off the fire made her feel a lot better. She was trying her best to think about what she knew when it came to the area. After ten years of not being there and trying to suppress any memories she had of the time she spent there, there wasn't much she could remember.

"I remember there is a city on the other side of the forest, maybe a day or two away on foot." She looked down at her own and frowned, knowing that walking on it would only make the situation worse. She already ran on it too much that day after all. "I'm not so sure after that though. We might be able to find somebody in the city that could help us, or maybe you. I'm not sure how they feel about elves after all."
 
Haine let a bit of a pause linger in the air, mindlessly turning the deer leg around over the fire. He said... horrible things to her before, and he didn't feel like he truly apologized for it. Even if he did, he couldn't take back the fact that he said them. Now that he was starting to get to know Jyade, it was bothering him... he had no right to insult her the way he did because of the clothes that she was wearing and because of her race. Haine pulled the meat off of the fire and blew on it, happy that the venison was nearly done cooking.

"Hey," he frowned, "I don't think I've apologized yet for calling you those sorts of things when we first met... I'm sorry for saying such things to you without knowing anything about you. I... I just completely assumed something, and I was wrong. I don't expect to be forgiven right away, but I just wanted to let you know that I feel bad about the way I treated you initially. I don't remember if I said I was sorry about that, but I just want to make sure that I feel this way now." He waited a few moments with the venison over the fire before pulling it off, satisfied with how it was cooked.

He glanced around the forest, hearing the rustling of the leaves and the noises of the animals creeping about. It was peaceful but it was also very restless... he wasn't one for forests, but he could recount countless battles he fought in woods like these. It didn't leave a good impression on him.
 
Listening to him apologize again, the elf began to feel a bit bad for having brought up the subject again, as well as angry because he said sorry about. It wasn't like it was mean of him to say sorry or anything, it really wasn't. Every time he said sorry though, she felt bad for letting him even say it. "You already said sorry before," she said softly. "And you don't have to say it again. It's not like I'm some delicate woman whose feelings are hurt by the smallest of insults." She wasn't sure why she said that really. It felt so strange though, having somebody be nice to her was a new thing for the elf. She was so used to being frowned upon, it was like she couldn't stand somebody being nice to her now even if his apologies touched her.

Jyade looked at Hunin as the gryphon fell asleep, shifting to the side before laying the chick on the ground beside her. The soft whispers of the fairies reached her sensitive ears, making her turn and watch them as they worked on the hide. "Anyway," she continued, "you've been forgiven some time ago, so don't let it bother you." She fell back into the grass with a sigh, looking up at the starry night sky. "We'll start moving in the morning, right? I can ride one of the wolves, so we can at least get somewhere before nightfall." She was starting to relax a bit, but there wasn't sadness in her eyes. There was nothing really, but it was a good kind of nothing, not the cold look that was once reflected in the green orbs.
 
"Right..." Haine nodded slightly, blowing light air at the steaming leg of venison clutched tightly in his grip. "I'm a bit worried about that ankle, but I'm sure you'll bounce right back. You're tough, and that's one of the things I really respect about you." He had the impulse to say something like that, and he wasn't going to hide it. She had more guts than he had seen in an entire division of soldiers, and she did more than most warriors he had fought with or against. He would hate to have an enemy like her... and to be honest, he couldn't think of her as something like that anymore. Comrade? She definitely was. Friend? He wasn't sure, but there was some sort of strange bond growing that he wasn't familiar with. Maybe as they went on, he could place a word on it.

He took a bite out of the deer leg. He would prefer it to have some sort of seasoning or spice, but he wasn't going to complain about it now. The big white wolf got it for him and it was a good source of energy, and that's all he needed. He wasn't going to start being incredibly picky about something like this. He took another bite, relishing the meat that slid down his throat and into his stomach. He didn't realize how hungry he had been throughout the day... all of his energy was completely burnt out. The running and fighting he did drained him, and he was sure it was basically the same way with Jyade.

He took another bite and handed over the deer leg to Jyade. "Want a bite?" He asked after a quick swallow.
 
Her lips curved into a small smile at what he said, laughing a bit. She liked the fact that he said that though. It was could of nice, knowing that he respect her at least a little bit. She stared up at the starry sky, breathing in the smell of of cooked deer as she stared into the darkness. This was relaxing to her. Laying down in the grass and listening to nothing at all while she enjoyed the smell of cooking deer. The smell drifted through the air, reaching the noses of hungry predators and attracting them while the smell of the wolves made them want to stay away. She didn't feel the need to grab her dagger and throw it in an attempt to scare anything off. To her, it was nice and she was enjoying it.

Jyade lifted her head slightly to look at Haine when he asked the question, not having thought about eating. She forgot about the fact that she didn't eat at all that day. "Just a small one maybe," she said softly. She turned to where her daggers were, picking one up before looking at the deer leg. "Do you want to know something? Your strength amazes me, it truly does." She held a part of the deer leg and slice a piece of meat off before eating some of it. "You are a very inhuman human. You're strength is just amazing really... and so is how nice you are. The only reason that I haven't tried to kill you is because you're nice." She didn't mind if she was saying that in front of him, especially since they were getting along so well lately, and she hadn't thought about actually killing him since the cave incident. "When we get to the next city are we going to keep the same story that we had here? With you being my bodyguard while I'm trying this lovely little gryphon so it can be a pet for the king."
 
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