Kialaan kept a close eye on the man --Seth-- as he listened to her. She couldn’t see him very well, but she was not foolish enough to trust him, even though he seemed more helpful than harmful. He admitted to being a medic, albeit reluctantly. Kialaan had not visited many churches, and, as such, she had seen few priests, but what little she knew made her think he very much did not fit the profile. This made her curious, though it did worry her a bit. One could generally trust priests, and they always seemed to want to help. Someone who potentially was not one of such people could still be dangerous. Not that she really had the choice to worry about that now. She had elected to trust him for now, and he had given her no solid reason to think otherwise.

He repeated her name back to her, as if it sounded odd to him. He commented on how unusual it was, which she took as a sign that he did not recognize it from any of her worshippers. As she had hoped. She knew she would have likely forgotten if she were to give him a fake name, which would only cause her more problems in the long run by creating suspicion. She needed him to heal her, which meant she would need him to stick around for a little while.

Such a thing meant that she would need to give him a reason to stay --hopefully helping her would be enough-- and avoid giving him any to distrust her, dislike her, or otherwise want to leave her to her demise. She’d just learned that she should not show any hints of her divine blood. That didn’t go well with mortals, particularly those who would declare her a heretic for even suggesting the god of passion, war, and chaos was, in fact, a goddess.

He turned his questioning to her mention of hunting, talking about why he couldn’t do it, then asking about how she hunted. “Bow hunting is easiest, but obviously not an option. Spear hunting is potentially easier, but it takes a while to craft a suitable weapon. Making traps is relatively easy with sticks and rocks. If you’re really desperate, a large enough rock on its own will work. Pretty bloody, though.” She informed him.

He seemed almost sheepish when he thanked her for the warning about the berries. That was fair, she supposed. Most anyone would have tried to eat them; they were everywhere and looked and tasted lovely. Were she not warned about them in advance, she knew she herself would almost certainly have tried a few of them.

He went off to look for food for a short time, but she heard him returning quite quickly, citing a desire to not get lost in the darkness. An inconvenience, but one she could live with. Then came the question she had been hoping he wouldn’t ask her. Why was she out there? How had she ended up like this?

“I’m…traveling.” She answered after a moment. “I ran into bandits…got angry when I told them I had no money…” It wasn’t a lie. Merely an omission of information. She was traveling after all.

Eventually, he brought up the idea that he would stay with her until she healed. That was what she was hoping for. He had ‘some people’ after him? That was a problem, but she was sure she would also have a few enemies were the bandits to find out she was still alive, and capable of identifying them. His offer to keep her wounds from becoming infected was a cherry on top, which she greatly appreciated.

“Keeping watch…” She murmured thoughtfully. “Might be wise, but I’m hardly in any state to fight anyone should the worst happen. And you…” Her eyes scanned his body. “No offense, but you aren’t exactly built like a warrior.”

He was a little surprised how informed she appeared to be at hunting, but he listened closely. It could very well be what kept them from starving in the near future. He hadn’t paid enough attention when he had been training with weapons. It was counterintuitive for a medic to learn how to kill others, and ye they had placed him in that position. Even worse, they brought him to a place who hated his kind, unless he were going to be part of a holy order. “I think I might be able to take a few people out, if they aren’t expecting it,” he tried to sound encouraging, but he wasn’t sure if he had the stomach for that.

He would probably knock them out or wound them hopefully, and be able to keep them alive. He knew he could probably manage something with a bow and arrow, but he was far from the best, and it might take him hours. He might be a little better with a spear, but he normally didn’t use that for hunting. He also wasn’t sure if he should mention his skills. She was a woman, but at the moment he wasn’t up to fully trusting anyone anymore. “You’ve used a rock?” his exclaimed with a questioning tone. “On what? How did that work out?”

He remembered a third option. Slings were rather easy to make, but they seemed rather hard to learn how to use. It would be very easy to rap his knuckles or knock himself on the head. For that reason slings were not a popular, if you could afford something else. He had heard of a far off country that used a yoyo, but that sounded unrealistic. He knew nothing about how to create traps, but it sounded very useful, nor did he know how to craft weapons at all. The berries had been so plentiful, he definitely would have tried some if they were by himself.

He wasn’t completely stupid, and he’d only try one or two, since he wasn’t starving, but he didn’t have time to lose time and what little strength he had retching. When he returned, he asked her another question that had popped in his head. He wasn’t surprised at the vague answer. Most women had to be more cautious after all. The corner of his mouth slightly widened, into a very small knowing subtle smile, that she wasn’t telling him the complete truth. He wasn’t either. They was both being more closed off than normal people. He wondered what she was hiding, and he wondered if he should be more honest, and see if that got him more information. He decided he had better figure out more of her religious beliefs, before he did that, but he wasn’t sure how to open that conversation without sounding completely nosy or like he was going to try to convert her or something.

He didn’t mind religious people in the slightest until they started talking about their gods. If they started praising their gods, and telling him why he should convert, it quickly became extremely tedious. Religion sounded silly. Their gods seemed silly, and unworthy of worship. He nodded his head in acknowledgement, and stopped pressing his point there. He at least knew the other group they would be facing, but he wasn’t sure why she was out here still. “Do you have a home nearby we could return you to?” Why hadn’t he asked that question sooner. It would be much simpler, if he didn’t have to care for her.

He hadn’t known her long, but he realized he would be slightly lonely once he left her. If he were by himself he might consider stealing from farms along the way, but he wasn’t sure where her moral compass lay. Selfishly, he realized he would have to return her to her home first, before he could start heading for his. If she had been beaten by bandits, clearly she wasn’t safe by herself, even though he doubted he would be much help. If he asked for her religious beliefs now, she would probably pretty quickly guess why he was being chased. He couldn’t ask her how she felt about assisting a prisoner of war, because she would also guess that was what he was, and she could very well lie to him to survive, and betray him later.

Seth wasn’t so secure in his charming manner to believe that he could win her over, so she wouldn’t betray him. If experience had taught him anything, he was pratically the opposite of charming. He also couldn’t promise that he wouldn’t do questionable things to survive, which could make her trust in him erode. He wasn’t totally sure about the culture here, but he realized he should be a little surprised that she knew how to hunt. Should he press the question? It might give them something to talk about, or she might consider it a forbidden topic. It was really hard not to ask where she was traveling from, and to where, if she wouldn’t answer why, but he decided to try to respect her privacy. He doubted she would answer anyway. He probably shouldn’t have said he could keep her wounds from becoming infected. Without his usual store of items that could be used, he wasn’t sure how well he could complete the task.

He frowned at her and shrugged. If he mentioned he might not be a warrior, but he was a soldier, it would only lead to more questions. It was tempting to point out that he might not be a warrior, but he wasn’t the one who had been bleeding on the ground for quite a while. “I think I am more capable than you think, but I am less capable than the people who are chasing us, so it doesn’t make a difference,” he admitted. “Since you can’t move, I think I’ll take the opportunity to get a full night’s rest. Sounds like I’ll be having a lot of not much sleep nights ahead, so I better catch some z’s now. I’m a fairly light sleeper, so I should wake up if you need me. If I happen to wake up during the night, I’ll probably check on you. I can’t be leaving you, and if we had to fight we wouldn’t win anyway, so I might as well not be miserable with sleep deprivation, if we’re going to be caught.”

He stated his opinion on keeping watch this night. If she disagreed she could stay awake, however, he did have something to add, “You’ll be needing a full night’s rest. You’re injured and nothing is better for you than rest and sleep. It seems to help people heal quicker.” Ready to end the conversation, he effectively had a not very tactful way to do it, “I’d love to chat more, but my lids are getting weary. Hopefully, talk to you in the morning,” he refrained from his originally more negative idea.

He was ready to end this conversation. He flopped backwards onto his back with his arms spread outwards. After a while he started feeling self-conscious. Was she judging him the way he was sprawled out? What if something stepped on him? It was a little uncomfortable, but if he moved would she realize why he was moving. After a while of circular anxiousness, he realized he was probably overthinking it, and he dared to flop over and curl up on his side. He tried to relax, and eventually he fell asleep. The ground was surprisingly comfortable, and he slept through the whole night.

~~~~~

The sun was peeking through the trees, and beginning to shine light on his face, effectively waking him up. He stretched still tired and sleepy not quite ready to open his eyes. After blinking a little he remembered Kialaan. He winced remembering he should have checked on her. What if she had taken a turn for the worst? He also didn’t have the energy to carry her anywhere, but he didn’t like this area. The random place she had been left to die was hardly the best camping place, and they hadn’t had luck on their side to be near an ideal place. He headed off to do his morning business before he returned to check on Kialaan.

“Hey, you survived through the night. I’m impressed. You’re made of hardy stuff,” he winced again at his negativity. He had heard that was unhealthy for other people, and he didn’t want to risk it with Kialaan while she was wounded. He would worry about it less if she healed properly. “Did you sleep?” He was really getting hungry now. They also needed water, and it would only be safe if they made a fire and purified it. He had nothing to start a fire with, and nothing to boil water in. He would have to try to get her to tell him how to make traps, but he had nothing to bait the traps with. Things weren’t looking up. He supposed he could look for herbs to try to help Kialaan. However, he wasn’t a native, so he didn’t possess a lot of hope. He wondered how long it would take her to realize that he wasn’t from here.

"Sorry to make you think so first thing, but I could really use your help if you feel up to teaching me how to make traps. We're probably going to go hungry today also even if I learn how. I think I should be able to search for edible vegetation. Also, how do you feel about stealing food from farms?" he knew it was a risky question. Depending on her answer, he might be able to trust her with more.

Kialaan eyed him when he stated that he could fight if he wasn’t expected, and bit down on a snarky reply. She didn’t have the energy for a verbal sparring match, and she couldn’t be angering her savior. So, she just gave a slight nod, then proceeded to answer his other questions.

“Yeah, I’ve used a rock before. It’s…not a pleasant experience. Only viable on…rabbits and such.” She explained. “But, like I said, if you’re…desperate enough, it’s an option... I may be able to make a trap of some sort, though. Provided…I can move at some point soon.” Right now moving seemed like a distant desire, as everything was painful. Hopefully she could rely on her quickened healing process to keep that from being as much of an ordeal as it was for mortals.

Of course, that brought another question to mind. How would she keep that hidden? If he was a medic, doctor, physician, whatever he called himself, he would surely notice it when injuries that should take weeks or even months to heal only took her a handful of days. How would she explain that?

She considered it briefly, but the exhaustion pulling at her mind clouded any rational thoughts and problem solving, and she eventually decided that sleeping was the better option. Before that, though, he seemed to have more questions to ask. A home? Ah, right. Mortals liked having homes.

“Not nearby. I was traveling, as I said…” She answered. “Supposedly, there’s a town not too far from here…but it would’ve taken all afternoon to walk there…and I doubt it’s much more than a few farms…maybe an inn.”

She looked him up and down once more when he stated that he was likely more capable than she expected. She supposed she didn’t exactly look how one expected of a warrior either, so she decided she ought not judge. “Yes, sleeping is probably good. I’m...exhausted…” A yawn punctuated that last bit.

His very obvious discomfort didn’t go unnoticed, but Kialaan was growing weary enough that she honestly did not care. She shifted slightly, but a sharp pang of pain caused a sharp gasp and a realization that she should not, in fact, try to get any more comfortable. So, instead, she settled down, closed her eyes, and tried to drift off.

She did not entirely remember falling asleep, but she woke up the next morning to another sharp twinge of pain as she’d attempted to roll over in her sleep. She cursed a few times as she instinctively reached to touch the injury. That, obviously, didn’t help, and just resulted in another muttered curse. She laid there on the ground for a few minutes until Seth spoke. He was surprised she’d lived? He wasn’t very optimistic for a medic. Usually, they were kinder about such things.

“Yeah, I slept. Til I turned over, but I suppose that’s my own fault.” She answered with a halfhearted chuckle. “Yourself?”

After a few minutes, she did attempt to sit up. She cursed again and bit down on her bottom lip, but managed to shakily prop herself up on one arm as she listened to his next request. Traps? She could probably teach him that. Then he asked about stealing. One red brow arched as he asked about it, but she thought it over for a moment.

“I wouldn’t normally support such a thing, but, desperate times and all that.” She answered. “Long as no one gets hurt, I don’t see a problem with it.”

Seth realized he shouldn't have said anything. He wasn't reassuring her at all, and it would have been wiser to say nothing. He was glad she kept her snappy retort to herself. He didn't feel like he could antagonize her, because he was supposed to keep her alive, not annoy or pester her to death. He thought he had a decent chance of winning a fight if it was fair to both sides, but he knew he wouldn't be taking on a group anytime soon without weapons.

"Makes sense," he grunted, fairly used to blood between being a healer and a soldier. If he couldn't kill for food, then how had he survived as a soldier. He figured she couldn't tell him how to set a trap, because you'd have to be particular where you set it, and she would need to be there. He needed her to get well, or he would be going very hungry. Soon he stopped questioning her so they could sleep.

~~~~~~

"It was a pretty serious wound, but if blood loss didn't get you, then I think you are definitely on the road to recovery," he didn't mention that they would have to be careful to avoid infection, but he didn't want to worry her. He had really thought it was a possibility that she could take a turn for the worse during the night, but even though he wasn't the most encouraging soul, he knew that she needed to think she could live, yet he didn't want to lie to her, so he would choose to keep his silence.

He shrugged, "I suppose you're used to not being injured. It takes a while to figure out new habits, so you don't hurt yourself. It was hard sleeping." He wasn't sure if he should mention that even though he had blacked out for the first two-four hours, after that the fear of someone finding them, had lightened his sleep.

He thought that maybe her answer was a good chance to try to segue into religion. "I wasn't sure if I should even mention that, but it's better than starving. I know that many people around here are religious," he hoped she would open up a little bit about her beliefs, or if she sounded tense, he would avoid the subject. He hoped they would be able to subsist on the wild vegetation, because he didn't want to try stealing from farms until he knew that they could escape and travel away.

He gave an awkward grin, "I know it'll be hard to convince you of that, but I don't normally steal stuff from people. I'd only be taking what is necessary, and won't be ransacking their farm like some people might, or threatening anyone." He supposed that he could be doing this out of necessity, because they didn't want people following him. Why did he care if she believed he was a thief or not? Perhaps because he didn't want to be reported as soon as she didn't need him. Hopefully, by then they would have been together long enough that they would have enough loyalty toward each other where she wouldn't be inclined to turn him in.

~~~~~

It was a rather cloudy day, and he had a feeling they would be drenched later on. He had been scouring the area for a nice shelter, but hadn't come across a decent place. At least they could clean off a bit, or it could soak the mud deeper into their clothing. Trying to think on the bright side was an unusual effort for him. Was he really that low where he needed to lift his spirits? It never worked anyway. He wondered that Kialaan hadn't thought of taking shelter at a farm instead of taking from them. What did she have to hide? Or had he forgotten that he had told her he was on the run, and she had gathered that stopping where they could be witnessed wasn’t an option? Did she know what he was hiding from?

She was doing better now, and she could get up by herself for short periods of time. They really hadn't been here altogether that long. Plenty of time for their stomaches to remain empty almost all of the time, but not as long as he had anticipated. He shook his head from his thoughts determining that he should try to do something useful. He had had nothing to bait the traps with, but Kialaan had recently gone out with him, giving plenty of time for rest breaks, finding suitable places to make traps. Once they were set up, it wasn't hard for him to reset them. He wished that he had known this earlier, but he was used to a barren desert. "I'm going to check the traps. Hopefully, I won't be too long."

He wasn't sure what good warning her would do. If he didn't come back it wasn't good news at all, and there was little she could do about it. He was surprised that he hadn't seen too many of the soldiers in the area. Had he been forgotten? Had something big gone down? Perhaps their two groups had run into each other and caused some trouble. Or that could mean they would start working together. The enemy of the enemy was your friend. At least it had worked out for Kialaan and himself so far. He returned with a small hare, and he had taken the time to bring back some edible vegetation, along with a few berries. He had nothing clean to carry them in, and it had been hard bringing it all back. He was thoroughly out of breath.

Taking a brief moment to study her, and make sure she appeared to be fine, he found he had caught his breath enough, so he went back to work preparing the food. Soon, he had the fire blazing again. It had taken him two days, but he had finally managed to sneak a knife away from a nearby farm. Since he wasn't spotted, they weren't sure what happened. He made sure to not touch any of their animals, not wanting to draw attention to himself, the unwanted visitor. It made cleaning and dressing the small prey they managed from occassion to occassion much easier, and it was quite necessary for this rough living. While he waited for the fire to die down, so he could slowly roast their rabbit, he headed off to wash his hands.

When he returned, he gave her a slightly warning, “I’m going to check your wound,” he announced before he walked over from his spot, and knelt by Kialaan checking her bandages and wound. Unlike before when there was a slight awkwardness, and he moved slowly as to be non-threatening, they had gotten used to each other. There wasn't anything to concern him, and he was amazed that her skin wasn't inflamed with infection. They had been in some of the least sanitary conditions. He found himself unable to contain his comments, "Wow. Your wound is doing very well," he nodded approvingly. “I don’t know anyone who has ever healed that fast,” he thought to himself, she hadn’t even been guaranteed to survive that, especially since she had lacked the proper care.

He had become weaker with hunger, and he didn't move around except to get food or water, or help Kialaan, or personal hygiene, conserving his waning strength. "I think we can consider getting food from a farm now, and traveling.” Should he call it stealing, and remain totally truthful, or did he really feel that guilty about it that he needed to use other wording. "We'll have to move slowly of course, but I think it's about time we moved on." He left her alone, and went back to preparing the meal. There wasn't much he could do besides ensuring the meat was cooked thoroughly, but wasn't burnt. He had no seasoning, so the leafy greens wouldn't be appetizing. He handed her a handful of berries as an appetizer, even though they normally would have been considered dessert.

Perhaps he should have left them for last, so that they had a reward after eating their greens. None of their food lasted. While a wiser traveler would save their food for times when they couldn't find food, they had to eat all the food that they had at one time before it could spoil and would be wasted. This was one of their better meals. He had nothing to cook the greens in or flavor them, so they tasted bitter, and they were raw, yet he insisted that she eat them, because people were healthier if they had a balanced diet.

"Perhaps we should try moving on today. This is one of the best meals we've had, and it'll help sustain us since we'll be walking." While they were waiting for their meal, it made sense to distract them from their grumbling stomaches with an important conversation. He valued her opinion assuming she was a native here, unlike himself. "You can also help yourself to the greens," he gave her a wry smile. Luckily, their hunger made even raw bitter greens tasty. While they snacked on the non meat items, he slowly cooked the rabbit. He was sure that she would be thirsty, but they had no water container. Once they were traveling, he would have to wait until she was strong enough to carry something before they could consider looking for a cooking pot. At the moment, he would have to be helping her.

The fat would drip onto the fire creating a sizzling smell, and a literally mouth watering fragrance. His stomach immediately growled in demand. If they left here, they would continue their journey, but would they always be able to find the next water source they needed. What if they starved on the road? Perhaps if they made it far enough, they could work occassionally, so they would have money to trade for things.

Kialaan listened to Seth’s explanation of why he’d been hesitant to ask about stealing from people. Religion, huh? She supposed that was a reason for some people. She’d never seen it as too much of an issue. Survival was survival, and sometimes that was what someone had to do to survive. A lot of others would see it differently, but Kialaan wasn’t as weak as most of the other gods were.

“One does what they must to survive. Some of the gods might agree, and we’ll just hope the others don’t exact any horrific form of revenge.” Her lips shifted into a vaguely playful smile as she said that part. She gave a little nod when he mentioned that he wouldn’t normally steal from or threaten people. “Good. Violence is no bother, but without a capable adversary, it is…dishonorable. Wrong, I suppose.”

~~~~~~~

Recovery was a difficult process, and took far longer than Kialaan would have liked. Even after the time they’d spent together, she was not yet capable of moving freely without aid, though she could walk for short periods. Perhaps she had overestimated the capabilities of her divine healing, or perhaps what strength it had was taken up by her body’s attempts to stave off infection. Either way, she was healing far slower than she would have liked and it was growing more than a little irritating.

Thankfully, she was at least able to set up some traps for her and Seth. He was capable of checking on them without her, as she had hoped. He wasn’t entirely helpless out here, though she knew he most likely needed to be told most of what to do. Speaking of said traps, he mentioned going out to check the traps, which prompted a nod from her without another word. She briefly considered attempting to test her fire while he was gone, just to see if it would work after cutting out the previous day, but ended up deciding that she should conserve as much energy as she possibly could, and not risk him returning earlier than expected.

This turned out to be a wise choice as he returned only a few minutes after she decided against trying. He appeared to have already begun working on the rabbit he’d found which earned a small smile from Kialaan as she watched him return to camp. She nodded when he stated that he would check her wound, but eyed him as he worked, her green eyes focused on him intently. His comments made her tense ever so slightly but she shrugged it off.

“Guess I’m lucky.” She chuckled softly, though her laugh was a bit awkward. “Right, the farms. That’s probably a good idea. You any good at stealth or anything like that? I’d really rather not get involved in any more trouble than I’ve already managed the past few days.”

After that, she went quiet and watched him cook. She ate the berries he handed her without any complaint, as well as the greens as she waited for him to finish cooking the rabbit. Her hunger only grew as the scent of the meat reached her, and she soon decided that she needed to distract herself somehow.

“Yeah, yeah. We should definitely consider leaving soon.” She agreed. “I’ve no idea if the bandits who attacked me are still around. It’s possible they all stay around this area and rob whoever is unlucky enough to come through. I’d like to not stay around long enough to find out if possible.”

He nodded his head not disagreeing with her, but his lips were pursed in a way that suggested he was trying to come up with a logical explanation. Since he didn't believe in the supernatural, he had no answers. He raised a brow at her laugh? If it was going to sound so forced, why do it at all? "Luck has nothing to do with it," he thought he sounded a little harsh. Trying to look apologetic he added, "Do you believe in luck?" Fate, destiny, it was a lot of balderdash.

Kialaan gave him an odd look when he shot down her comment about luck. He seemed to realize what he’d done, though, as he quickly covered it with a less harsh approach. She shrugged when he asked if she believed in luck. “I’d just call it random chance, it’s just an expression.” She answered. “Evidently you take issue with the concept.”

She raised an eyebrow when he stated he would need tips on how to steal from a farm. “I said I had no issue with taking what we need. Not that I had any skill in doing so.” Granted, she’d realized quickly that she had far more grace than he, developed by centuries of training and fighting her fellow deities, but that did not mean she knew anything about how to steal from people.

As he figured out what he wanted to do, Kialaan went quiet. She was not used to the feeling of mortality, of not having an easy way out of anything she did. It was intriguing. He, however, appeared to be somewhat adept at figuring his way out of problems. Perhaps that was simply a human thing. She accepted his aid when he helped her to her feet, leaning on him far more than she actually needed to in an attempt to give the impression of a mortal’s slower healing rate. Surely if he had as much medical knowledge as he seemed to, he would eventually realize something about her was strange, but perhaps she would be free of him before it became too obvious.

She had to fight a smile when he suggested setting the forest on fire. An unconventional solution, but one she certainly appreciated. It took a moment for it to click that said fire would most likely kill him as well. She was not yet sure if it would harm her. Fire had been her companion her entire life, and the thought of it harming her was more than a little strange. Ah, but she didn’t have time to ponder that now. Or test it, for that matter.

“As much as I appreciate the idea of burning down an entire forest for our escape, it is probably not a wise one.” She smirked, though only for a moment as her expression turned serious again in an instant. “Perhaps simply staying off the main roads will give us some measure of cover. And if they do cause us problems again…” She trailed off. “I’m unsure. I may be able to handle that problem if it comes up.”

She said little as they began to make their way out of the forest, until they came upon the farmhouse. It seemed like an easy enough place to raid, not that she knew much about such practices. Seth gave her the job of locating shelter, then quickly excused himself to scout around the farmhouse. So, she began to walk around and search for a nice place to make their camp. It wasn’t a difficult search, and she soon enough found a small clear space for them. As a precaution, she began to wander around the area to check for any potential threats. The familiar warmth of fire heated her fingers as she prepared to incinerate whatever might come out and attack her.

A frown creased his brow. "I suppose it depends on how luck is used, but I certainly do not agree with the concept that you can get more of it." Trying to be polite he held back a disgusted shudder. "Very well then. I shall take what luck I can and wish good luck upon you as I am able." His head bobbed once curtly. "I see. I shall...improvise, as I go along." Perhaps he wasn't as dependent on her as he had thought. He didn't know this area well, so he couldn't plan ahead too well other than obvious things like avoid being seen. Hopefully, he was able to think quickly when he needed to.

Kialaan found no immediate threats near the clearing, and soon let the warmth of her magic leave her fingertips. She did, however, hear the bubbling of a creek nearby, which was a good sign. Thirst was another new sensation her mortal body bothered her with, and she wasn’t particularly fond of it. She did, however, know that creek water was unsafe to drink, so she figured they’d have to start a fire and boil it. That was a bit of a risk, considering how easy it would be for them to be found by the smoke, though.

Figuring it would be best to find out the exact location of her creek, she walked from the clearing and in the direction of the sound. It seemed oddly peaceful, after the hell that had been their past few days. Her injury still hurt significantly, but she was able to walk without insufferable pain. There was no sign of her earlier attackers, although she did keep keenly aware of every sound around her as she walked just in case they decided to come and make her day a little worse.

The day was calm, with only the occasional bird chirping in the trees. Sunlight poured through the spaces between the leaves and warmed her skin, and the entire forest seemed calm. This was enough to keep her relatively calm as she followed the sound of running water. She even found some small collections of mushrooms that may be edible. She wasn’t entirely certain if they were actually edible or not, but they vaguely reminded her of some species that were. She wasn’t an expert by any means, though.

Soon enough, Kialaan found the creek she was looking for, and marked her way there. She didn’t have anything to collect the water in at the moment, but she was pleased to find a place to wash her hands and face to the best of her ability before she began to start on her way back. She began working at collecting twigs and branches for a small fire as she went, and cleared out the bigger rocks and such from their area when she returned. Hopefully she could make a nice place to spend their night. An odd part of her wanted to please Seth with her efforts. Perhaps it was just her growing tired of feeling as though she was doing none of the work in their sort of…partnership, so to speak.

All seemed fine and calm, and she was actually beginning to relax slightly, although she was a bit worried about Seth’s attempt to steal from the farm. Said worries turned out to be reasonable, as she soon noticed that he was running towards her. He began to pepper her with his panicked thoughts, and pulled her with him as he began to run. What caught her attention more than that though, was that ridiculous smile on his face, which he tried to fight off. She returned it with that same smirk, but didn’t comment on it yet.

So, she began to run with him. She knew her ability to keep up with him would seem strange, but figuring out a lie to explain that wasn’t her main priority at the moment. Plan. Plan. He was asking her for a plan? She cursed silently to herself. Alright…plan.

“I’ve…some ideas.” She murmured. “There’s a creek down that way. Run.” She began to slow as she pointed towards said creek. “I’ll catch up with you.”