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The Two Adventurers (ZodiacDragon1014 and Karo)

She paused for a moment in her tracks, and made a slightly worried glance back to Jerik. She didn't like the tone of his voice, whatever he was about to say, it worried him. But, any information he might have, anything that might help them along and to help them escape, would be welcome. There would be no point in his speculating if Arastine was left in the dark about their situation, even if it was only one possible foe.

"What is it?" she asked him quietly before starting down along the river again, slower this time so they could walk and talk together.

Already, the anticipation had her slightly on edge, not to mention constantly scanning the treeline for any sign of the plants that had been attacking them, or anything worse that might be in store.
 
Jerik took his place next to her, walking at her same slowed pace. He didn't want to deliver bad news, especially since it was only speculation, but at this point, it was better than nothing. Preparing for the worst may very well save their lives. Taking in a deep breath before releasing, he spoke.

"Given all that has happened, I believe it possible..."

Jerik paused for only a moment, finding it more difficult than he thought to actually come out and say it.

"I believe it possible that our assailant is a dragon... a Green Dragon."

Jerik didn't elaborate much more beyond the reveal. He was still trying to come to terms with the possibility, considering everything that had happened in his mind, and the environment they were in. His survival skills may not be the best, but he knew a thing or two about monsters... dragons in particular.
 
"A dragon?" she asked as she walked next to him.

She went quiet for a while. On one hand, they had both come out here to seek out a dragon, right? Or something like that, at least? In which case they'd have found what they were searching for. On the other, though...if that dragon knew they were there and was already trying to kill them, then there was a much bigger problem at hand.

"We'll just have to keep our guard up." she said finally. "Just...keep sleeping away from any plants, and hope we can make it out soon enough."
 
Jerik nodded, hating to admit that was what he felt was behind the attacks. The connections seemed to be there to indicate that, however he found it curious that Ari didn't press the issue. He wondered if she maybe had seen the connections as well, and Jerik had managed only to confirm it in her mind.

He worried about her, though. She was clearly on edge, and not just because of the news he had just broke to her. Ontop of the two encounters with the plants and the news about a possible dragon attacker, no doubt their relationship had some pull on her thoughts. Their relationship was certainly on Jerik's. He rested a hand on her shoulder, gripping it just enough to hopefully comfort her and make her feel just a little better.

"I'm sorry."

Was all that Jerik could think to say.
 
"For what?" She asked as she looked to him. She was tense, even with his hand on her shoulder, perhaps even more so now that he was so close to her. Of course the fate of their relationship was on her mind. Shit, she didn't think she'd be falling for anyone, and definitely not a knight, who in theory stood against her entire livelihood.

They really had more important things to be worried about, though; there was potentially a dragon trying to kill them, they were likely to either starve or worse out in these woods, and here she was worrying about her feelings for Jerik?

Had her priorities really shifted so quickly?"
 
He didn't know how else to respond to her. He felt like he needed to be sorry, though he wasn't sure what all for. He felt maybe that most of what was happening was his fault. The attacks against them, the now incredible amount of stresses placed on the both of them. Were they because of him? Did he draw the attention of this possible dragon? Was it because he pursued the legend of the Order of Bahamut? All of a sudden it seemed like Jerik had everything to be sorry about.

"I'm sorry... because I feel much of this may be my fault..."

He was sorry because now, she was one of the single-most important people in his life now, and she along with him, were likely in incredible danger, danger that was likely a result of his own goals and ambitions.
 
"I don't see how it is.' she said. "We're both looking for something out here, you with your order, and me to find a dragon's treasure. Both of us have reasons for a dragon to be after us." she said.

She brushed his hand off of her shoulder, only to take his hand in hers as they walked, their fingers laced together.

"We'll...just see what happens. We'll fight if we need to and until then, we'll just keep going forward."
 
Ari's words seemed to comfort him, making him believe it may not be entirely his doing. A small smile crossed his face as they walked together, Ari taking his hand into her own, their fingers now interlocked. It was a little invigorating, to say the least. Arastine had said it several times over. They made a good team, and he knew it too. Only now however did he begin to believe that there was almost nothing they couldn't accomplish together.

Jerik and Arastine walked through what seemed like the thickest of the forest, even with sticking to the bank of the stream. Jerik's eyes and ears scanned the area for all manner of visual and auditory stimuli. All the while, he had managed to keep his hand holding Arastine's, only ever willing to let it go when she wanted to do so. Soon enough however, a small rustling in the bushes further into the forest from the stream could be heard. Jerik slowed his pace until he stopped, stopping Ari in the process, his eyes scanning their surroundings. Something was watching them.
 
She paused at the rustling, hearing it just as Jerik had stopped them. She heard the rustling, and at once her attention snapped over to the treeline. If they had been spotted, they were in a bad place, indeed. Hopefully it was only their imagination, or a rustling in the wind that Arastine told herself was there.

She finally dropped Jerik's hand, and drew her knives, her gaze on the bush the sound had come from. "I'm gonna take a look.' she said, and, though she knew he'd probably protest, as he seemed to have grown extraordinarily protective of her, she crept towards the source of the sound.
 
As soon as Ari had dropped Jerik's hand, his hand went straight for his sword, drawing it, the sound of steel on steel echoing through the wood. Jerik readied his shield as well, putting himself in a stance for defense. As soon as he had readied himself, Ari started for the bush. Jerik of course objected but was given no time to let her know. As soon as he was about to say anything, a javelin shot out from the bush, right in Ari's direction. Jerik's eyes widened. If she was quick, Ari would be able to dodge without so much as a scar, but if she was too slow, the javelin would surely skewer her.

"Ari! Down!"

Jerik yelled at the top of his lungs, sprinting toward the direction of the bushes that had thrown the weapon, his shield up and ready to deflect. This was not like the two prior attacks they had endured by plants. This was an ambush. Several more javelins, seemingly thrown almost blindly came out from another line of bushes, followed by a line of goblins erupting from them, storming both Ari and Jerik, ready to meet them head on. The goblins' morning stars were raised ready to strike.
 
The whip of the javelin as it launched, the rustle of branches as their attacker moved. Not too subtle, and it gave Arastine plenty of time to ready herself for the attack. Though she avoided a full-on blow that would have most likely ended her, she couldn't do much to stifle her yelp as the sharpened point caught her arm, tearing a hole through her clothing and opening a large gash on her arm. She hissed in pain, but couldn't do much as the goblins came pouring out of the woods.

"Shit!" She swore loudly as she tried to wheel back to Jerik's side, but was cut off. It was all she could do, defending herself with her two daggers against the brutal-looking weapons the goblins wielded.
 
Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. The one aimed javelin whizzed by, having made contact with Ari's arm. Dozens of goblins poured out of line of green fast enough to effectively cut Jerik and Ari off from each other. Jerik could see that Ari was armed only with daggers. Though a goblin on its own didn't present much of a fight, their numbers did. He needed to clear a path to Ari in order for them to fight at their peak.

Several goblins began to surround Ari. Two goblins made a lunge for her with their morning stars, both goblins underestimating her ability to defend herself. The rest stood back, making sure to block any sort of escape route.

Jerik on the other hand in the eyes of the goblins seemed to pose the biggest threat. The goblins charged and swung their morning stars about in a futile attempt to attack and kill him. Jerik made short work of any and all goblins in front of him, cutting them down and bashing them violently against his shield. The goblins only proved to slow his progress toward Ari.
 
Even with her injured arm, Arastine did her best to fight. Cut off from Jerik, she had to rely on her quick footwork to keep their attacks at bay. Each swing was a narrow miss, and all she could do was whittle away at them with her daggers. Though she managed to fell the two initial attackers on her, there were others to replace them.

She knew she couldn't keep fighting like she was. Her arm was bleeding heavily, and she didn't have the strength to keep fighting like she was. She needed to get to Jerik, to have him at her side to help defend her.

Another swing from a morningstar was narrowly avoided, and she faltered in her step. Though she rolled with the blow, the spiked mace made contact with her shoulder, an awful crack sounding as the blow landed, sending Arastine to the ground.
 
Jerik had just about reached her, however not reaching her soon enough. As soon as the morning star had made contact with her shoulder, Jerik's sword came down on the unfortunate goblin that happened to be behind the attack. He was with her now, but all he could do to help her was stand between Ari and the attacking goblins. One by one they fell, their attacks now growing much less numerous, no longer willing to throw themselves into the fray just to be cut down by a warrior. However, they didn't move into a full retreat. They almost seemed to be waiting for something, but what?

"You alright, Ari!?"

Jerik managed to ask, his attention still trained on the goblins. He was waiting for more to come. He had fought and killed many goblinoids in his time, and these goblins proved to be absolutely no match for him.
 
"I...yeah. Yeah." she said quickly as she pulled herself to her feet. The blow had been deadened just slightly by her thin leather armor, but her clothes were torn and bloodied, and she winced whenever she tried to move her injured arm.

She managed to get back on her feet, keeping behind Jerik. It seemed she owed him her life yet again.

They held back, Arastine visibly tense as they watched the goblins, waiting for one of them to strike. At the very least, if they were going to go down here, they had brought a good chunk of their attackers with them, and undoubtedly would take out a few more.
 
As the goblins continued to back up, some of them eventually parted, as though they were making way for something to come through. Jerik had an idea of what was about to come next. Goblins didn't often attack alone. In fact, they were often led by hobgoblins or bugbears, or both. Jerik took the moment to better position himself, effectively shielding Ari better from the attack that was just about to occur.

No sooner had he positioned himself, a hobgoblin burst from the bushes, its sword swinging and shield ready to deflect. It came barreling down at them with incredible speed, and soon several goblins followed in the hobgoblins wake, though they faltered as they were not nearly as fast as their larger counterpart. Jerik readied himself for the attack. He knew Ari was injured, but he hoped that at least for the moment, she would be able to hold her own. He would not lose her. He absolutely would not lose her today!
 
Arastine readied herself for the attack. At the very least, she'd be able to help pick off the smaller goblins. The hobgoblin...that would be a problem. The smaller goblins had already proved themselves capable of landing a painful blow, and the larger one...she really didn't want to be on the business end of his blade.

She stayed close to Jerik. For the first time, she was ready to admit that she needed his protection. She was hurt, vulnerable, and at a severe disadvantage.

As the goblins charged, Arastine slipped by the larger one, effectively cutting down a few of the smaller ones before returning to Jerik's side.
 
Arastine's speed surprised even Jerik. What few goblins that had decided to accompany the hobgloblin's charge had been cut down by her. The feat was made all the more amazing since Arastine had suffered an injury to her arm. She was a hardy one to be sure, hardy and swift.

As near as he could tell, the rest of the goblins stood their ground by the bushes. They needed to see just how well the hobgoblin would fair against him. Whatever occurred within the next few seconds would determine their next actions. Retreat, or attack.

However, the hobgoblin's fate had effectively been sealed. No sooner did it attempt to swing its blade down onto Jerik, he deflected the strike with a power swipe of his shield. The hobgoblin's sword arm was sent off to the side, effectively breaking its arm. What immediately followed was Jerik's sword being jabbed into the goblinoid's neck, blood splattering every which way. Jerik dropped the goblinoid to the ground and looked ahead toward the line of goblins. All of them stood there for just a few moments, before moving in a full retreat back into the bushes.

When Jerik was sure the goblins had retreated deep into the forest, he sheathed his sword and turned to face Ari. His armor had blood splattered all over the front of it, but he paid no mind with his appearance. His attention was focused on Ari's injured arm.

"How bad is it?"

Jerik asked, his hand resting on her uninjured shoulder.
 
Thankfully, the other goblins held back after she had downed the first couple, though the attack had done little for the state of her injuries. Even as the goblins retreated, she found herself faltering. She should have thought twice before trying to overexert herself like she had.

She looked over to Jerik at the touch to her shoulder.

"Hurts." she said with a bit of a shurg. obviously, without actually looking at the injury, it would be hard to tell the damage. however, her shirt was already partially soaked through with blood
 
"Let's get you cleaned up."

Jerik wrapped one arm around her, leading her toward the stream. Wading into the water, he stops til the two of them stood about waist deep in the stream. He turns to face her.

"Let's get this armor off you."

Jerik moves his hands to Arastine's leather armor, doing his best to remove it without aggravating her shoulder and making it worse. All the while, his eyes scanned the area, making sure that the goblins didn't attempt a second attack.
 
Arastine hissed in pain as he helped her remove the armor. She tried not to complain too much; they needed to do this quickly, or they risked another ambush.

"It's...not too bad.' she insisted, despite the obvious pain she was in. Once the armor was off, she helped shrug her shirt off so he could look at her shoulder; the wounds were deep, still bleeding heavily. If they hadn't been bad before, attacking the goblins when she was already injured must have aggravated the wounds further.

"Just clean it up quick." she said. "We shouldn't hang around here long if we can avoid it."
 
Jerik went straight to work on her wound, using the river's water to wash what blood he could to get a better look at what he was dealing with. It didn't look like her arm was broken. Her armor must have taken that part of the impact, but the spikes embedded on the morning star had certainly managed to get through. Working quickly, Jerik ripped off several pieces of Ari's undershirt so that he could dress the wound and bandage it up, also taking care of her injury where the javelin had made contact. With limited supplies, and no access to magic or potions, this was the best he could do with what they had.

"It's a risk, but I think it best for you to hold off on donning your armor again."

He prescribed to her, leading her out of the water, picking her armor up and carrying it with him. He kept her close to him, the water's edge to her left so that if another ambush were to occur, she would not be harmed.
 
She nodded again as he finished. The water stung, but it was necessary to stave off an infection. That was the last thing they needed then, another problem to put them at an even more severe disadvantage than they were already in. Ari couldn't fight, not to her fullest, at the very least. And without armor, she was far more vulnerable.

Shit. She swore to herself. As it stood, she was almost completely relying on Jerik for protection, at least until she was in fighting shape again, and who knew how long that would take?

After a while, she put her hand on Jerik's arm. "Can we stop for a bit?" She asked. The bandages on her shoulder and arm had soaked through with blood. "I'm kind of tired. I just need to sit down for a while."
 
At Ari's touch, Jerik stopped to look at her, wondering what it was she needed. Upon looking at her, he could tell she was running low on energy, a result likely from the blood loss due to her wound. The bandages that were once parts of her undershirt had almost completely soaked through with her blood. He nodded in response to her and spoke.

"Yes of course."

He tried not to baby her too much. He was almost certain that her being in this type of position was dealing a blow to her. She was heavily dependent on him right now due to her injury, where in the past she had only ever been dependent on herself. He took great care to help sit her down, backing off when he needed to so that she could do it herself.
 
She sighed a bit as she sat on the ground. For a moment, she just sat there to catch her breath. She appreciated Jerik's help, and was well aware that without him, she'd likely be dead. Even if she had made it as far as they had on her own, that ambush would have been the end of her. Still, she didn't like this position, of feeling weak and vulnerable. At least she was with someone she trusted, and they had built up their bond already.

"You think we should change the bandages out?" She asked after a while. She could tell they were heavy and tacky with her blood. At the very least, they were uncomfortable and clinging to her skin awfully. She tried to not let her annoyance at the situation show. She wasn't exactly in a situation to play the arrogant thief she so often did.
 
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