The Bonds That Tie Us

Ara felt like she could finally breath again as Isaac's eyes flicked open. His attention wasn't on her though, he went straight to his father. The father had died. The marks on his chest, had magic killed him? Had the offender attacked Isaac too?
"I was trying to help."
She felt like she was listening in to a private conversation. He had tried to help, the marks on the chest, the secret he held, the kinship she felt.
"Y-You have magic." She whispered more directed at herself than the boy.
She didn't fear him in her revelation like some might, she only felt pity. He was alone and persecuted like her.
She didn't know what she should do... Approach him? Comfort him? Or perhaps leave.. His father was gone and nothing she could do would change that. She had no right to intrude on them, she knew neither the father nor the boy. He was better off with someone who could share in his sorrow.
"Should I get your brother?" She managed in a small voice taking a hesitant step towards him.
It felt so wrong to encroach on the boys mourning and she cringed a little at her voice's breach.
 
"No!" Isaac hadn't meant to scare Anna, but he couldn't help but shout when she offered to get his brother. Carson wouldn't even wait for the Mage Hunters now, he would kill Isaac himself. The situation looked bad and he knew it. An unregistered spellcaster had been left alone, and now there was a body with handprints seared into its chest. "No. I- I have to run. I have to leave. Now."

He turned to Anna, unable to meet her eyes. "If Carson finds me, I'm as good as dead. He isn't on my side. And the same goes for you. I'm sorry, Anna, b-but I know who you are. I saw the scars. You can't be found here, they'll lock you back up. You need to run, deny you ever met me. The Lawsons are good people, I don't think they'll turn you in, but even still, you deny everything, do you understand?"

But where would he go, himself? Not to any of their neighbors, that would be the first place Carson checked. The city was equally dangerous. There would be numbers to hide amongst, but Carson had known of Isaac's dreams to study in the city, he would look there, too. Besides that, Isaac balked at the thought of moving even closer to the Mage Towers. None of that was Anna's problem, though. He would not drag her further into his own mess.
 
Ara jumped violently at Isaac's yell, scuttling back instantly. He hadn't meant her harm, she knew that, but she had been so conditioned by a man's shout that she could not help herself.
His brother sounded like her father. Ara had never hated him for doing what he needed to with her but what he had done to her sister and mother was unforgivable. Isaac didn't seem out of control like she had been. He wasn't a monster and he didn't deserve to be locked away. He wasn't a danger to others like she was but the evidence left behind here certainly suggested otherwise.
He said he knew what she was and he still seemed to accept her. How much did he know? He didn't seem afraid of her and he suggested that others might turn her in. She had been given her freedom though. She wasn't on the run, but she would sacrifice that if she stayed with an unregistered sorcerer who had evidence to suggest he was a murderer.

She had stood there staring at him for too long, unable to leave him.
"I-I don't want to leave you." She announced finally.
Her thoughts flickered to her sister, wishing she was here. She would protect them both but the burden was far too great to place on her. Ara had to pull her socks up, be like her sister and stop depending on others to fix her problems for her. She made her way over to the boy, sliding her hand into his. The contact was both a thrill and insanely uncomfortable. She was not used to physical contact that wasn't violent but this felt right and she could feel the vibrating inside her in sync with his own.
 
Isaac startled at the cautious touch. It felt like an electric shock, Anna's powers meeting his own. Part of him wanted to pull away, feeling vulnerable and exposed with his secret out in the open, but another part, proving to be stronger, made him give her hand a gentle squeeze. Anna understood a part of his world he had never been able to share before. How could he shut her out now?

"You have to," he told her, ignoring the dark part of himself that wanted to not be alone, no matter the cost. "Anna, I'm not registered, and you know how this looks. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm not coming back." He let go of her hand then, rubbing his face to keep his composure. "I can't come back."

Why hadn't he kept his head? Pa had been gone when Isaac ha first found him, there had been nothing Isaac could have done to heal him. The power had been too strong, like a beast beyond his control, and the thought made Isaac feel sick. Carson would have managed to pin Pa's death on him anyway, he knew. Still, Isaac had made the job all that much easier.

Closing his eyes, Isaac turned back to his father's body. With a bit of effort, he stood, ignoring Anna's shocked look, and hefted his father from the floor to the bed. It felt strange, using his sorcery when someone else was there to see. "I use the power to help me move around," he explained distractedly, not waiting to be asked. "When I'm alone, that is. Pa never knew." Everything felt tight, like there wasn't enough air in the room. He arranged his father in a position that mimicked sleep, gently closing the eyes and pulling the covers up. It would buy them some more time before Carson realized something was wrong, and besides, it would have felt wrong to leave Pa sprawled out on the floor as Isaac had found him. Pressing a soft kiss to his father's forehead, Isaac lingered a moment more. "I'm sorry I wasn't here," he whispered, intending it only for his ears, Pa's, and whatever lay beyond's.
 
Ara watched in awe as Isaac used his magic to allow himself mobility. It was amazing to see such control and she wished she had power like his. This boy was remarkable and Ara was unwavering in her decision to stay despite his attempts to convince her otherwise. Her mind was made up and once it was, Ara was a stubborn girl. She watched as he rearranged his father lovingly, knowing that she would not be leaving his side. It felt good, to have someone else there sharing in her experiences. but then, that was a horrible way to think wasn't it? It was wrong to wish her life on anyone else. She frowned to herself, feeling guilty for her despicable thoughts. It was too late, what's done was done and though it was wrong to wish these horrible events on someone, Ara was glad she had someone who could understand her and who she could understand in return.

Once Isaac's solemn moment with his father was over, Ara once again grabbed his hand and tugged him gently towards the door.
"I'm staying with you." She told him firmly, "Come quickly, grab anything you want to bring but keep it light."
Ara lead him out of the room, attempting to channel her sister's authority and leadership.
 
Isaac hated the relief he felt when Anna refused to leave him. She was dooming herself, he knew, dooming herself to a life asa fugitive with a boy she hardly knew. He shouldn't be glad, he should keep trying to convince her to run now, while she still had plausible deniability of ever knowing him. But even though he had known something like this was coming, even though he had told himself he would be ready for it, Isaac wasn't too proud to admit he was absolutely terrified. The thought of having a companion in this whole mess seemed to make everything feel a little more manageable.

"I have a bag packed," Isaac managed to answer. "I knew this was coming, didn't know how much time I'd have to make an escape. There's a loose board in the siding of the house. I've got food, water, a medical pack, and a change of clothes. I'm ready to go."

He hesitated before grabbing the crutches, which had fallen in the hall. "It gets tiring to constantly use the power," he explained at Anna's questioning look. "I can strap them to my bag and walk most of the time, but I would rather have them than not." Though the crutches could fold in half for easier travel, courtesy of a small wooden joint, Isaac knew they would add weight to his load. But truth be told, he wouldn't feel safe without his mobility aids close at hand, unweildy as they were.

He felt a little guilty, almost as if he had decieved his new friend. "I'm still lame," he confessed quietly. "Nothing can change that. The power is only a different kind of crutch." As he loosened the siding to grab his emergency pack, Isaac glanced up to check Anna's face. Would she leave him now that she knew he really was a useless cripple as he had originally seemed?
 
"It takes a special kind of sick to torture a man to death.... Bloody Mage scum will pay for this... Erran was a good man I tell you, didn't deserve this one bit... "

Stavros sighed hearing the men guarding the door outside of the murdered Mage Hunter's home, they could just as much be shouting it in the street. Not that Stavros believed it was a secret any more to begin with. The Mage Hunters were a powerful organisation and their influence ran far, especially in the cities around the Mage Towers like Braedon. When a Mage Hunter was murdered the entire city would know of it in a matter of hours.

Stavros had arrived at the west gate, right next to the river where they dragged Erran Fentir, the murdered Sentinel, out of the water just as he and Illian entered the city. It was quite the welcome to Braedon and Stavros had started the investigation before even heading to the Tower. The local Hunters had assisted him well enough, but the two men outside the apartment were nothing more but glorified militiamen barely fit as soldiers, let alone Mage Hunters. It told him allot about the local chapter... The home of the murdered Mage Hunter didn't help the image that was forming.

The scene of the crime had already told him the torture was not planned, the improvised means of constricting the victim was enough to deduce that. Someone planning this would at least have taken a rope. The traces of blood suggested a certain carelessness, but he had already gathered that much from the body, the burn marks were very specific and the stab in the heart was meant to kill the victim quickly. A crime of passion, emotions overriding rational thinking. A professional would have strangled him and left the apartment clear of clues.

The loose floorboard was promising, perhaps he had been killed over something hidden there. What he found nauseated Stavros slightly. Golden teeth, wedding rings, pendants with pictures of loved ones inside.... The sort of thing you'd expect finding on a common criminal, not a Sentinel to the Mage Tower. With a grievous sigh he confiscated the "loot", perhaps he'd find a way of returning g some of it to their right full owners.

He looked over his shoulder, Illian was leaning outside the window looking around with the focus of a hawk. It surprised him once again how much the boy had grown in the last years, changing from a scrawny lad to a striking young man in three short years. The look of Illian's face cut his realisation, he knew that look.

"Found anything Illian?..."

The disruptions had been less obvious then expected, Illian couldn't quite express how it felt but he "tasted" it in the air where magic had been used. It was like a bit of sand blended in a meal, untraceable until you crunched it between your teeth and then the feeling couldn't be shaken no mater how hard you tried.. Magic was like that for Illian, something that shouldn't be there...

The Magic had been drawn through something or someone, leaving a far less obvious trace then more vulgar applications like spells. Illian felt proud he had picked it up all together, his skill and control over his abilities had been steadily increasing ever since Stavros had found him and explained how he was different, special... He inhaled sharply and looked back almost startled when Stavros spoke to him. Illian nodded and looked back out of the window, his voice was light, still hinting at his youth.

"The murderer used magic, he came or went through the window here... It's different, not like the others... It's like the magic was used less obviously.. I can't rightly tell but I'm sure of it...."

Stavros sighed, Illian's information was helpful but nothing he wouldn't be able to deduce by himself. Illian had grown increasingly eager to use his powers and it was a matter of concern to say the least, especially so close to a Mage Tower. Stavros rose to his feet and joined Illian at the window, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I think we found everything there is to be found here... Let us go down to the alley there and see if there any other clues, after this I suggest going to the tower and see if we can get some information on known rogues in the area, accomplished practitioners generally were know prior to their illicit use of magic...."

It would be a short visit and Stavros would make Illian wait outside while he dealt with the Mage Hunters, his rank would facilitate the process of gathering information significantly without question. He was reluctant to speak to the local Bishop, if he found the murderer himself he might learn something that might otherwise be hidden and concealed. He was sure his presence would allready be noted regardless, he'd deal with that later... Hopefully.
 
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Ara was unfazed by Isaac's confession. He seemed so uncertain and unsure, but Ara did not see the issue. There were certainly more pressing concerns at hand. Ara could almost hear ticking of time counting down, and her anxiety began to grow. She needed to get this boy to safety, if he could walk without aid, everything would be that much easier.
"Please let's get going now, okay?" she said, her leadership and authority failing miserably.
She couldn't help but look around as if she was sure she'd find someone sneaking up about to attack, and the indoors began to feel like a death trap. She needed space and she needed air. How could she go so long without these in the Mage Tower and suddenly have them be so necessary to her sanity?
Ara stuck close to Isaac, feeling safer next to him but unable to remain still, antsy to get away. Ara was uncertain and unwilling to breech personal space again by grabbing his hand and pulling him along, though that is what she wanted to do more than anything. The contact with another human felt so reassuring and the thrumming of their magic together, trilling. Instead she would stick close to the young mage, instead surrounding herself in anxiety and uncertainty.
 
Anna was near shaking with anxiety, and Isaac wasn't going to delay them any longer. He'd had more than enough time to prepare for this day, both physically and mentally. There was no excuse to linger, at least that's what he told himself. He was luckier than he'd ever dared to hope he'd get, to have a traveling companion, even one he had met mere hours before. With one last glance around his childhood home, Isaac nodded crisply. "Okay. Let's." True mourning for all he'd lost would have to wait. Grief and panic would cloud his judgement and therefore were luxuries he could not afford. "Follow me."

Carson had taken the horses out that morning to plow, and Isaac cursed the luck. They would have to travel on foot. He could handle the walking, at least he thought he could, but riding would have been far faster. Their speed, or lack thereof, would put them at a distinct disadvantage. Still, there was nothing to be done about it. The sun sat high and heavy in the early afternoon sky and soon it would be falling fast. It would only be hours before Carson returned. When night fell, Isaac thought grimly, the axe would fall with it. Or perhaps the blade had already fallen, and he was waiting for the blow.

They set a hard pace from the start, leaving the open fields of farmland for the cover of the forest. It was a predictable move, Isaac knew, but a necessary one. Travel along the main road was out of the question, for obvious reasons, and the irregularities of people were all too easy to spot against the even rows of crops, as Isaac's discovery of Anna had proved that morning. Had it really only been that morning? Everything was moving so fast, Isaac was having a hard time keeping up. He wasn't sure the day had fully hit him yet, but he knew he didn't want it to. Once it did, it would hurt, and Isaac didn't know he could stand it.

"We won't be safe anywhere in Lorr," Isaac said grimly, pulling his mind back to a problem he could actually do something about. This was bigger than him. Now another person was involved, an innocent girl he had made a fugitive. "Fastest way to the border is straight north, to Nordholm. We can work our way west to safer lands once we cross, but for now, I'm more afraid of the Mage Hunters than I am of orcs. At least the orcs won't be looking for us specifically."

By dusk, Isaac was ready to collapse. His head still throbbed dully from where he had hit it, and even using the power to brace, his legs were unsteady beneath him. His secret practice hadn't nearly prepared him for this type of hard march. He looked over at Anna, trying to gauge if she was as tired as he was. "We should start looking for a place to set camp," he said, breaking the anxious silence that had accompanied the pair on their journey. Dark was falling faster than Isaac had expected out under the leafy ceiling of the trees. On the farm, the sun's last red rays lingered for hours before finally being sucked below the horizon. Here, they were swallowed up almost immediately, and Isaac wondered exactly how dark it would get before morning broke. "Unless you want to try to push through this first night, get some ground behind us?"
 
Ara pushed herself hard since they had left. She was not fit, far from it, after the years locked away, but she wanted to prove herself. She could not be the one to slow them, allow them to be caught. Truthfully she was exhausted and her bare feet extremely sore. She was sure they'd be covered in blistered and cuts, but she had to be strong. Isaac knew the land far better than she did so she let him lead although the sound of Orcs was terrifying to her. She wondered what Elise would think if she knew where her sister was headed. The North. Would she be concerned for Ara, or revel in their distance and relinquishing of responsibility?

As they walked, Ara had far too much time to think. How foolish she was to leave so ill prepared for a life out here. She had left Braedon with little to eat, no water, no warmth and not even shoes on her feet. Even Isaac had a pack prepared and ready to go and he didn't have a choice nor notice. She was so naive. If Isaac knew it was her choice to be out here with the little she carried, he would think her a silly child. For some reason it seemed to matter what he thought of her. She fidgeted with her scarf as they walked, becoming a nervous habit. She was not a beauty and covering some scars wasn't going to change that.

As the evening fell, Ara could hardly bare putting one foot in front of the other, so when Isaac suggested they make camp Ara jumped on the idea instantly.
"Camp? Yes I think we should stop." realising she sounded a little too eager Ara added, "I mean if you feel you can't go on..."
 
"We both need rest if we want to keep up this pace," Isaac said decidedly, scanning the surroundings through the fading light. "Let's look for a stopping place." Despite his fatigue, Isaac's gut was screaming at him to keep moving. By this point, Carson would be well on the way to the Mage Tower, set on turning Isaac in as an unregistered sorcerer. Maybe he was already there and the Mage Hunters had already set off after them. Pa had taught Carson to hunt when he'd been young, and as a child, Isaac had always wished he could go along. He had only wanted to be part of the family. He had never expected that when he finally went hunting, it would be as the rabbit.

It didn't take long to find a relatively sheltered spot in the thick of the forest. "Here." Isaac pointed towards a small grove of trees, surrounded by a dense underbrush. There was no room for a fire, but the night was warm enough it was not necessary. With the cover of the darkness, the brush would make a nearly undetectable hiding place. "We should keep watch shifts," Isaac realized aloud, bending back the low-hanging branches to let them into the small clearing. "I don't mind being first." True, he was exhausted, but it was more than physical. Isaac needed time alone to think and breathe and process what had happened, and if he was going to cry, he didn't want Anna to see it.

Settling himself in with his back against a big tree, Isaac finally noticed the tender way Anna avoided putting weight on her feet as much as possible- her bare feet. In all that had happened since that morning, Isaac had completely forgotten to try to find shoes for her. Now Anna's feet were a mess of scrapes and cuts, after over a day's hard march through unfriendly terrain. "Stars- Anna, your feet!" Isaac grabbed for his bag, looking through it to find something he could tie up for rags. The shirt would do. Foot protection was more important than a change of clothes. "Why didn't you say anything?" He already knew why she hadn't, and he regretted the question as soon as it had left his mouth. After who-knew how long in the Tower, Anna was used to discomfort and all the more incentivized to fear capture. Isaac couldn't blame her. "Here. We'll wrap your feet, that should protect them some, at least."

Isaac considered how tired he was. Did he have the strength to heal the scrapes? He would have to, he decided. Walking on those cuts would slow them down and leave a trail. But... he paused. "Do you trust me?" he asked, hesitant to touch her. "I-I know what you saw earlier, but... I can heal these cuts. It'll sting a little, like cleaning them out with alcohol, but I know I can do it. I've healed worse before." He glanced up from her feet to check her reaction.
 
Illian waited with the horses outside the Mage Tower with his head tilted back, it looked less of a tower then he expected but it was still a remarkably tall building, far bigger then any he'd seen. The Chapter headquarters in Braedon was one of the largest in the kingdom and its heavily fortified position made it one of the utmost important strongholds in the region. Illian could notice the Mage Hunters held a lot of respect here, the way people had looked at Stavros suggested as much, and a healthy dose of fear. Illian longed to take up the mantle, it was his purpose to seek out those who warped the laws of nature to do their own bidding and bring them to justice. He reflected on his time with Stavros, as he usually did when they were separated, and realised how far he had come. He wanted to show he was capable of more, Stavros had been reluctant to speak about him joining the Mage Hunters formally, perhaps it was a test? Illian sighed and tugged the reigns of Stavros' mount slightly to calm it down, the animal was getting impatient without his rider, which had been gone for nearly two hours.

[Illian]"I know I know... He won't be long..."

The horse snorted and tapped its hooves impatiently.

[Illian] "You're telling me! I'm supposed to be his squire, to be at his side at all time and he has ME waiting outside like a damn stableboy!...well... it is a squire duty to tend to his master's horse isn't it?

The sentinel at the gates nearby shifted his attention to Illian.

The Squire sighed and noticed the guard scrutinising him, he looked confused for a moment and then looked at the horse and back to the sentinel. Illian realised some magic allowed people to talk to animals and Mage Hunters had been trained never to dismiss odd behaviour no matter how trivial. His eyes went wide and he shook his head , waving a hand in denial frantically.

[Illian]"huh?..oh..Nonono. we're not...talking...really....." Illian's voice started lowering mid sentence as he became aware of how silly he must sound, the sentinel probably wasn't even thinking anything like that. Stavros walking through the gates and prompting the sentinels to salute was a huge relief.

Stavros walked with an angry frown on his face and anger in his steps. A leather satchel slung over his shoulder containing the paper he had "loaned" from the archives inside the Tower. Braedon's chapter was worse then he feared. A lumbering bureaucratic mastodon with its priorities completely misplaced. Stavros did not enjoy using his rank as a bludgeoning tool but he had been forced to. Petitioning to receive articles from the archives alone would have taken close to a week not counting the obligatory audience with the Bishop... which he really wanted to delay as long as possible.

[Illian] "Did you find anything?"

Illian's voice snapped him out of his brooding and his expression lightened, albeit slightly. He nodded and took the reigns from his squire's hand and mounted his steed. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before answering.

[Stavros]"I found information on our man's next of kin, they might tell us something on what he was up to. Be that as it may though the list of people wanting to hurt him might be very long so I also had a look in the wanted listing of known apostates and rogues rumoured to still be active in the area, a shorter list at least... "

He handed over the satchel to Illian who opened it and started looking through the parchments after he rested the satchel on his saddle. Illian studied the wanted listing and the sketches of said subjects carefully.

[Illian]" Anything that could be tied to Erran?"

Stavros looked thoughtful for a moment as he mulled over the bits of information. He sighed a little and leaned over the side and flipped through the papers Illian was holding, he tapped a particular poster. Illian took out the piece of parchment and placed it on the front. He frowned.

[Illian] "Pretty....."

The young man's cheeks suddenly flushed red and he cleared his throat, quickly stammering out...

[Illian] "Pretty... Pretty uhm thin... Thin lead ehm... W-why her?..."

Stavros gave a half smile and raised an eyebrow before chuckling amused, he didn't say anything on the matter to prevent embarrassing his companion any further. He took the page Illian and looked at the sketch for a moment. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

[Stavros] "This chapter keeps records on practically everything... Her sister was released recently, I'd not consider that a motive on its own but "Erran' was a Sentinel, one of his charges was guarding prisoners and from the looks of it he did anything but treat the fairly.

Perhaps he harmed her in some way or took something of hers, theirs... An heirloom or something that reminded them of their mother.... It's allot of conjecture but it's the only thing I came across that got me thinking it might me something more then a random retribution... It felt to personal to be just that, he was tortured for a reason... If it was just out of cruelty then he wouldn't have been killed painlessly in the end... and we know our killer may have been remorseful... Remember? The vomit in the alley?.... It's a start, but a difficult one... She's slippery... "

Stavros handed the parchment back and nudged his horse into action, calling for his squire to catch up. Illian called out with indignation after having to wait so long and fumbled with the papers before hurrying after Stavros. The Hunt was on....
 
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Ara was very relieved when they had found a place to rest. Her feet were killing her and she was keen to get off of them and rest. The darkness was growing and as it did so Ara's anxiety slowly grew with it. She feared the dark, anything could happen in the dark. She dreaded when it would be her turn to keep watch, surrounded by it...alone, but she had a duty to Isaac and to herself. She was an adult and her fears were childish. Ara slumped to the ground, feeling she could fall asleep in an instant.

"Stars- Anna, your feet!"
Click to expand...

Ara blushed hard at the boys reaction and quickly attempted to hide her feet underneath her. He would think her so foolish and she did not want to cause fuss. She refused to appear weak, she could and would do this, and without help.
"I'm fine!" She said quickly, a little too panicked.
She scuttled away from him, as much as she could in the confined hiding place, but his eyes were full of concern and... guilt? His continued plea to help was crumbling her resolve. He had seen her feet and he wasn't about to let it go. Ara was used to pain, her feet hurt like blazes with every step but she would manage. His concerned confused her. The only concern she'd received in years was from Elise and Ara knew this was out of duty. Isaac had no duty to protect her. She had been the one who insisted on accompanying him, probably to his detriment.
His concern must be about her slowing them down, and Ara considered this a fair point. She could continue to walk but their pace may suffer. She trusted him, she could see the honestly and sincerity within him. She would let him heal her but not because she was weak; it was necessary for their escape.
Slowly, Ara brought her feet out from under her. Offering them cautiously over to him.
"It's Ara by the way," She muttered, unable to meet his eye, "not Annabel."
 
Isaac had known 'Anna' wasn't his new friend's real name, but he hadn't been about to press her for it until she was ready to tell him herself. "Ara. I like it." Isaac gave a bit of a smile. Ara trusted him. He couldn't remember the last time someone had done that for anything, and here Ara was on the run with him, trusting him to keep watch, with her injuries, with her life. He wouldn't let her down. "Thank you for telling me."

Laying gentle hands on Ara's feet, Isaac took a moment to steady himself. He knew he had the energy he needed somewhere, all he had to do was find it. Concentration was difficult at first, but he managed eventually. The palms of his hands grew warm as healing energy flowed through Isaac's body and into Ara's torn feet. The process stung a little, he knew from personal experience, so Isaac held tight in case Ara instinctively tried to jerk away. The pain of the healing process was temporary, lingering only a few seconds after it was finished, and would do her no real harm.

Isaac worked slower than usual due to his exhaustion, but he was satisfied to see the cuts and scrapes on Ara's feet gradually melt away like snow in the spring. When he had finally finished, he released the excess power with a relieved breath it felt like he'd been holding and closed his eyes. Maybe in trying to help, he had drawn energy from too deep. The fatigue was so deep it felt like ice in his bones. "Next time, you tell me if you're hurt," he said after he had caught his breath, opening his eyes to look seriously at Ara. "I mean it. Even if it's too big for me to fix, I want to know." He couldn't believe he had gone all day without realizing Ara was in pain. What sort of healer was he?

Taking the strips of his extra shirt, Isaac showed Ara how to wind them around her feet so they wouldn't come off as she walked. It wasn't as good as a real pair of shoes, but it would do. "We didn't always have the money to afford shoes," Isaac explained as he worked. "Especially as we grew. It wasn't worth it to buy shoes for them only to be worn a year." He finished and sat back on his heels. "Those ought to keep you from the worst of it, although I'm sorry I don't have anything better to offer you."
 
He liked her name, she couldn't help but blush. She had gone so long without the name that it felt good to have another person call her by it. It made her feel normal. If only that were true.
Ara resisted the urge to pull her feet away even at his gentle touch, so unused to contact, she felt incredibly uncomfortable from it. She felt the warmth wash through her feet, flowing through the cuts and blisters. It stung but Ara did not flinch. His magic seemed to awash with hers and it was soothing and thrilling all at once. She had never felt anything like it. Ara was almost disappointed when he had finished and she her feet healed. Ara's feet remained in his hands a touch too long after he had wrapped them. Too little too late she reluctantly pulled them away, bringing them to herself and hiding her blush in the guise of inspecting her newly healed appendages. Although still filthy, her feet were smooth and unmarred. She couldn't help running her fingers over them in awe. Why anyone had to hide a talent like this was beyond her. It was wrong, he should be celebrated not hunted.
Finally she looked back at her healer. He looked exhausted, far more than he seemed just moments before. The magic must have exhausted him and she couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt at this.

"Thank you," she managed finally "I -I'm not used to anyone caring whether I'm hurt. I'll endeavor not to slow us down again, I promise."
She didn't mean to imply that he cared about her well being and she hoped he was not offended. She knew she deserved no one's worry. She felt a warmth swell inside at the imaginings of him caring for her, but she was aware it was a child's dream. She had been taught her worth in the Mage Tower and it was not something easy to forget. This boy was nice, and obviously a compassionate person but she was not foolish enough to believe he felt for her personally. Besides, if he knew what a monster she really was, he would not be so kind, he may even fear her.
 
"Of course I care." The smile faded from Isaac's eyes as he studied Ara's face. "It isn't about you slowing us down. I want to help." Why was that concept so hard for Ara to understand? What had they done to her in that tower? "I... I really appreciate you coming with me. I know this isn't ideal." That was the understatement of the night. As awful as everything was, though, Isaac wasn't alone. Ara, a complete stranger, had decided to become a fugitive with him when she had had multiple chances to walk away.

Isaac pulled his waterskin from his bag, taking a long drink before offering it to Ara. The water was stale and warm, but after the long day of travel, he wasn't about to be picky. "How long were you in there?" he asked suddenly, before he could stop himself. "I mean- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have- you don't have to answer that." He busied himself checking the straps on his pack. "All I meant to say is. I can't imagine what's happened to you, what you went through. And I know it's gotta be hard to unlearn what they taught you. But not everyone is like them. Sometimes people help each other because it's the right thing to do, without any ulterior motives." He nervously looked up, hoping he hadn't overstepped.
 
Ara was taken aback by Isaac's remarks. He... cared about her? But why? Ara felt incredible happy and warm but also profoundly confused. She knew her mother cared about her. That was one thing she was sure of, even if it ended in her death, but this boy barely knew her. He had no obligation to care for her well being. Yet he did, at least he proclaimed to. Ara would not let this end the same way. She would protect him.
She took the water Isaac offered her without thought, absently bringing it her mouth for a drink while studying him intently.
"How long were you in there?"
Click to expand...
The question startled her and she choked a little on the water. Honestly, she had no idea how long she had been there. It felt like always and certainly it had been years, but she had no idea how long specifically. The boy continued to prattle but she barely heard him. She did not even know how old she was.
"I-I'm not sure." She whispered finally, "I think I was about 8 when they took me."
Surprisingly, she did not feel sad or angry recalling this, simply numb. That day her mother had died, her sister became a fugitive, she was imprisoned and her father had condemned them all to it. She should feel something. Perhaps she was too exhausted to feel the strength of those emotions.
"I was released a few days ago." She finished.
 
Years. Ara had been their prisoner for years. Isaac let out a slow, shaky breath. He couldn't imagine what that had been like, and there was no way he was going to ask. All he knew of the Mage Tower was from snatches of whispered stories at the marketplace and almost-threats from his brother. In his experience, everyone would much rather prefer to pretend the Tower didn't exist. Easier, he supposed, than acknowledging the poor souls locked inside. As young as eight.

Something about her story struck him as strange, though. Ara had been released? Isaac hadn't ever heard of that before. Once you were taken by the Mage Hunters, Carson had told him once with a knowing smirk, that was it. You were locked up for good, never to see the sun again. It wasn't safe for everyone else, the normal people, to be around you. Then again, maybe Carson had been lying. Isaac wouldn't put it past him. And he had never known someone who'd been taken before. It was probably best he didn't ask. The day had been hard on both of them, and Isaac didn't want to push Ara too far.

"You should get some sleep," he said, wishing he could shake off the dark aura that had settled over the campsite. "I'll wake you in a couple hours. We should be moving at first light." It was near a hundred leagues to the border. If by some miracle they kept their pace steady, they would be out in a little over a week. It was possible, Isaac told himself. It had to be possible. He would be damned if he let them catch Ara again. If they did, it would be his fault.
 
The door to The Black Flagon swung open violently, startling the few odd regulars that hung around that early in the morning. And Mama Kerr, who was none to pleased a second after as she stared at Elise's delicate face, twisted and flushed with anger. The young woman's boot hit the dirty floorboards harshly and Kyra skittered off through the door which led to the kitchen, suddenly not wanting to be around. Before Elise could well open her mouth, the wizened old Halfling lifted a hand with a warning in her pale eyes as she spoke. "Now, ye calm down and hear me, Viola..."

Elise's fist hit the solid wooden counter and it mugs and pitchers bounced up at the strength of the hit. Her magic was starting to leave her control. Her voice was like a cold knife as she said between her teeth. "Where's my sister?!" A sudden quiet followed, it hadn't escaped Mama the use of magic and an unbound sorcerer was a dangerous thing, the Halfling was well aware for it was the reason why she had picked up the teenager off the streets when she was caught picking a Guild member's pocket. A sharp look to the side and the three older men who were around a table left, closing the door and remaining outside, in an informal sort of way, keeping guard.

"The young'un must have slipped out when Connor... wasn't around. We've got most our eyes and sum of our best agents trying to find the trail, but it was dark and raining, there weren't many out to see." And then she narrowed her eyes and asked what Elise didn't want to hear. "Where were ye? Why weren't ye there?"

Lis breathed shallowly with barely contained rage, she could feel the thrum of magic all through her body, barely contained, threatening to burst out, and wondered for a second if that is what Ara felt as a child and how terrifying it must have felt. When Mama Kerr asked her those things she hit the counter again and there was a crack. Stuck between pressing the matter and telling Elise off for her outburst, risking a furious, uncontrolled sorceress going off on her, Mama's shrewd mind came up with a third option and she said. "All the Guild's resources are being used to find her. If she's anywhere in the city, we'll have her before the day is done." Sliding a mug with mead over the counter, the Halfling added. "Drink and calm down, ye're in no state to go after her. Get yerself together for yer sister, the git. She needs ye..."

It was certainly the better option. The fury was still in her honey-colored eyes, in her gritting teeth and the tense musculature of her jaw. Her nails had dug into the wood as if they were blades and for a moment she just stood there. Then with a sudden move she snatched the mug and drank it in large gulps, the liquid burning its way to her empty stomach. "Now, ye get out there and find her. Come back here for news, we'll get her, don't you fret."

The mug hit the counter and Elise said coldly. "You haven't seen me fucking fretting yet, Mama. You tell Connor he should try and avoid me at all costs, I'll do more than slap him when I see him." Mama gave a small grimace, not appreciating the threat, and huffed. Connor had already been told to keep his distance, but refused not to go after Ara. At that, Elise left. She'd try home, maybe Ara went where it is familiar. Then the graveyard, yes, I found her there, maybe again...

________________

Elise laid on her messy bed, late at night. The day had been busy, but she could no longer infuse herself with magic to keep her fatigue at bay. It was always a last ditch effort anyway, the physical tiredness subsided, but then came the magical one in time. And now she was thoroughly exhausted. She needed a bath, she needed changing, eating, resting... All she could do was lay and stare at the ring she'd given Ara among her previously clean and organized home, now a mess... And wonder where her sister might be, if she was alright, why she left... "Why?" Heartache and exhaustion soon took her and she drifted to a much needed rest after nearly 48h awake.

________________

"Aye, that's what old Reynor down Birch Street told. Scrawny, ragged dress, but pretty scarf. Left through the north gate in a hurry." Mama Kerr's voice was grave, she knew them to be bad news, so she was quick to add. "We have a few agents going around, asking by the farmlands already. She was on her feet, she can't have gone far."

On her bare feet. thought Elise. She pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes still sunken by lack of rest, pale and disheartened. The woman had at least had a slice of bread, freshened up, gotten a clean shirt on and brushed her hair back into a ponytail. Mama Kerr clearly didn't know her sister. Ara was the most stubborn person she'd ever met and capable of surprising things when she had her moods. Besides, the things she must have suffered in the tower... Ara was never dainty, more tomboy, she'd not stop for scrapes and bruises. Elise sighed. She wasn't sure whether it was better or worse that Ara wasn't lost within Braedon's myriad of streets.

"Fine... I'll go after her."

"You should stay. What if we find her, she needs you here."

"Like you found her so far?"

"We know where she went..."

"And she's a day ahead, Mama. I know my sister. I can't stay here twiddling my thumbs hoping the people who lost her in the first place will find her back!"

There was a lingering silence. Mama knew better than to point out Elise wasn't blameless in this, the young woman's voice was already raising and the counter wouldn't survive another magical smack. The Halfling ran her tongue over her teeth and then nodded. "We'll get lil' Dana to send a whisper in case we have news." Little Dana was not more than 9, Elise had taken a shine to her, she looked nothing like Ara, with her mop of red curls, mismatched blue and green eyes and pale face full of freckles. Her gift so far was very useful, but not at all threatening. In all truth, Dana could be registered and not risk being branded Apostate, but no one trusted the Mage Hunters to get a hold of a child who could communicate with people's minds even at great distance and not use her to their own ends. The orphan was a carefully protected secret of the Guild, who didn't abuse her, but would come to her in times of great need. Elise was for a moment slightly reassured Mama Kerr was taking the situation that seriously. A shame Dana hadn't met Ara, she could then try to send a message.

"Keep me informed then." Elise was about to leave when Kyra came with a package of wrapped cloth. The smell of lemon cakes hit her first. "In case you find Anna, she must be hungry." the waitress said with compassion in her eyes. Elise looked at the package for a moment, stomach sinking at the idea of a cold, half-starved sister who was already skin and bones to begin with. She then picked it up with a nod, and left, saying. "Her name is Ara."
 
Ara could feel sleep clawing from behind her eyes. She felt exhausted but couldn't help but think Isaac would be feeling much worse after all the magic he had used that day. The darkness of night was closing in but Ara, instead of panicking, felt safe knowing Isaac would be watching out for her, because... he cared. It was such a foreign concept, but she knew they would look out for each other. Keep each other safe, just like Ara and Elise used to.
The thought of her sister quickly pushed all happy feelings away and she wondered what her sister was doing, if she was safe, if Lis...missed her. It was better if she didn't, she needed to get on with her life without Ara to worry about. Ara couldn't help but miss her sister back though.
It had felt so good to be back together for that short time. Why couldn't Ara have just let it be. Perhaps they would be happier together. If Ara was worrying about Elise, Elise was surely worrying about Ara. She had always been her protector. Their mother insisted that Lis keep her out of trouble and the older girl always took that duty seriously. It used to annoy Ara; Lis never letting her mess around, but now, Elise would surely feel like she failed, for Ara was certainly in trouble; wanted once again by Mage Hunters and about to enter Orc infested land. Ara almost regretted leaving, only she would never had met Isaac and for some reason Isaac felt important. He felt like family.

Ara pulled her bag off, settling down for rest but keeping it close. Reverently she pulled out the glowing crystal, staring into it's warm comfort for several moments before glancing to Isaac and offering it to him. He would need it more, while she slept.
 
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