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Post by Max452 on Jul 31, 2012 23:07:10 GMT -5
"What?" Sam turned around sharply to face Eron at her declaration of only one kiss per day. "That's not what I meant! Hey!" He frowned as she pushed him toward the stables. "What! Wait wait!" He called after her with a pout. "What about my kiss?!" His pout turned into a frown.
***
The moment her feet sliced air, Jack let out a low primal growl of annoyance. Thane was messing with her! She manuevered herself so she was back on her feet, just as she sensed Thane behind her. She soon felt his hand grip her wrist and pull her arm back. She hissed with a feral snarl, but not as much ferocity as she usually did when in a real battle. "GRUNT!?" She cried out, mostly out of irritation than pain. "Thane..." Her voice was dangerously low. "Are. You. Calling. Me. Slow?" She uttered each word with a deathly voice. She turned her head sideways so that her right, yellow eyes were eyeing him with menace. Then with speed that could be proudly match a young elf, Jack flicked her right hand out behind her, knocking Thane's hand that held her left downward to ease the pressure, as she twisted her body to the left, causing her held, left elbow to naturally fly toward Thane's stomach.
***
Tomas was the supposed name that he used in this town. Tomas was a merchant traveler that sometimes appeared in the area for a break or two. Tomas had a little daughter that was staying with some distant relatives while he was away on business. And now, Tomas was back, just to check on his daughter. Tomas was indeed a kind and private man, but Aramas was anything but kind when it came to Samara's identity. The young black hand member was sitting at a table in the dining hall of the inn he had procurred for the night, gathering information and a nice meal. He had just finished a job for the Black Hand, and had managed to sneak away to see if Samara was all right with the family he had hired to watch over her. He only planned to watch her from afar and would leave the following morning if all checked out for the young girl. He adjusted himself in his seat, awaiting the warm meal that he had ordered.
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Post by Tismri on Aug 1, 2012 8:12:58 GMT -5
Eron glanced over her shoulder and winked at Sam as he whined for a kiss. She waved as she continued to walk away.
"You said it, not me," she told him. "Don't worry...I'm sure you'll get one eventually today." She went off, starting to think of all the duties she had to perform today. Tali may be playing as acting captain for today, but she didn't hold the enormous responsiblities of that rank on her shoulders.
~~~~~
Thane could tell Jack was getting rather vexed by his words and counter-attacks. Her annoyance was evident on her face for all to see. As a result, her movements because even faster than normal, her attacks more fierce. But during the pause when she asked her question, he had time to analyze her actions and predict what she was about to do. That was one reason why she would never win against him for as long as he was physically capable: he watched everything, and was able to process it at a speed humans could only envy.
He allowed Jack to move his hand a few inches, and as her elbow launched toward his stomach, he spun away, still grasping her hand, almost like dancing. Except that as he spun around, he kicked one foot out toward her ankles to knock her off her feet and back on the ground.
"Not as such," he replied to her comment as if they were having a regular conversation. "You are quite fast for a human. But your techniques are better suited to his, and his strength is a good counter to your speed. Also, I would like to tell you," he showed her his free hand, the one not holding on to hers, "that while you were replying to me, I could very easily have broken your neck."
~~~~~
Samara skipped her way into the inn and glanced through the dining hall. In only a few seconds, she spotted Joshua among the guests and made her way over to him. She always wondered why he never came to see her; she always had to look for him, and usually seemed almost annoyed at first when she found him. It must have had something to do with the fact that he killed people, but she failed to see the connection.
In just a few seconds, she was in front of him. She put her arms around him in a hug. "I knew you were here," she told him, smiling up. Then she frowned. "Why can't you stay?"
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Post by Max452 on Aug 3, 2012 0:00:56 GMT -5
"I'll be expecting a nice long kiss later!" Sam called out to Eron as she walked away. He sighed, not looking forward to mucking up the stable stalls. Well, he was a man of his word. He happily headed over to the stables, eager to get his task done, and a bit happy that he didn't have to stress over being the Captain for a few minutes; he missed the hands on work - being a Captain was more about delegating and politics.
***
Jack hissed in surprised as she realized that she was on her back, staring into the clear blue sky, and Thane holding her arm outward to subdue her. What. Just. Happened? She asked herself as she glanced over to Thane, who was talking to her now. Was she still slow? She listened carefully to Thane, desiring any advice to become better. She had to be to survive. She arched her eyebrow at Thane. Oh, so that was what Thane meant when he mentioned Grunt. Maybe...she shouldn't have acted so hastily. "All right, all right. I get your point." She uttered, trying to sound indifferent. "Now, let me up!" She demanded.
***
He sensed it! Her presence! He did his best to withhold a growl. How did she find out that he was here? He looked at her disapprovingly as Samara appeared before him, acting innocent, and then her next display suprised him, as it always did. She embraced him in a hug. Awkard, Aramis wrapped one arm around her to act like the father he was supposed to pretend to be, while the other hand patted her back awkwardly. Why were children so....touchy? "How did you know that I was here?" He asked her as he still patted her awkwardly; he was definitely not use to this. "Samara...you know why." He whispered to her so that no one else could hear her name.
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Post by Tismri on Aug 4, 2012 0:53:23 GMT -5
Thane watched as Jack seemed to give up. He was pleased to see that his words got through to her. She could learn a lot more from Grunt, or even Tali, through these sparring sessions than she could from him.
"Very well," he replied as he helped her up. "Now, if you will excuse me, I shall return to my meditations. This sparring has left me quite...winded." That was a light description of it. His lungs were starting to give him spasms as he breathed, and his heart fluttered painfully. He left Jack and returned to his place, gazing out across the encampment and beyond to the hills and plains of Alagaesia, admiring their beauty.
~~~~~
Samara shrugged at Joshua's question, settling across the table from him. "I think I heard somebody mention you were in town, and I knew this was the inn you would be staying at, and I knew it was dinnertime, so I just came along." She kicked her feet against the chair thoughtfully. She couldn't remember exactly who told her he was here. She just knew it.
She frowned when he told her she knew why he couldn't stay. "I know what you told me," she said, "but I still don't get it. Why can't you just find something to do here and watch after me? It seems like a much better way than to always be leaving..." She shook her head. She really missed him when he wasn't around. She could tell by the way he talked to her and acted around her that he really did care what happened.
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Post by Max452 on Aug 5, 2012 0:20:04 GMT -5
OOC: I love how I totally gave up on Einar. lol
Jack was grateful for Thane's help, although she would never admit that out loud, as he helped her up from the dusty ground. She eyed Thane suspiciously as he announced his "light" condition. He may hide it well, but Jack knew better. She quietly, well, besides her own panting from the spar, followed Thane to his spot on the hill. She watched him critically before speaking. "Thane, how are you, really?" She asked him.
***
Aramis sighed at Samara's questions. "You know I can't. If I stayed here all the time, people will get curious and look into things they should not." He told her, eyeing the other patrons in the inn for a moment. He didn't trust anyone but himself. "You will be more in danger if you stick with me." He told her quietly as his meal was delivered. He paused, watching the barmaid for a moment; you never knew what an assassin could pose as, before she walked away to deliver a few pints of mead to another table. He glanced back at Samara and gestured for her to sit in the chair next to him. "You'll understand when you're older, but as of now, I need you to do as I say. I promised you that you will be safe, and I intend to follow through it." He told her as he scooted his warm meal to her. "Eat." He commanded, not wanting her to be hungry.
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Post by Tismri on Aug 7, 2012 22:50:57 GMT -5
Thane did not mind Jack as she followed him to his spot. She seemed to have a key interest in learning from him, although he never thought himself a good teacher. He thought of his son, and how he had practically abandoned the boy after Irika died, so intent he was on tracking down her killers.
He heard the concern in Jack's voice. He was touched the she cared about him enough to ask. Still, he spoke in a very matter-of-fact manner, almost as if he didn't care much about what he was saying.
"I am dying, Jack," he stated. "It is a fact I came to terms with long ago. My life is measured in a matter of decades now. I only wish to leave the world a better place than I found it."
~~~~~
Samara sighed, her frustrated young mind unable to understand what her friend was telling her.
"You could just change your face like you did mine," she told him. "And then we could go to another city where nobody knows us. No one would ever find out." She sat down on the chair next to him, thumping her feet against the legs of the seat. She looked hungrily at the food that was brought to Joshua, and when he offered it to her, she picked up a fork. Then she looked at him. "But this is your food. And you're bigger and need to eat more than me." She pushed the fork to him. "Besides, it'll take a lot of energy to keep me safe."
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Post by Max452 on Aug 16, 2012 1:44:06 GMT -5
Jack squatted next to Thane as he explained to her his known predicament. She played with some twigs on the ground, carving an abstract image into the dirt. "We all die, Thane." Jack began after she had listened to him in silence, pondering on his words. "Whether in battle or by natural causes, death comes to all of us. Despite the circumstances, I'm glad to hear that you want to do something good with yourself before you pass..." She continued to doodle. "...I'll miss you when you do go, Thane." She told him truthfully. "Have...have you thought about trying to find a cure?" She asked him, having heard a little about his situation during their tenor together.
***
Joshua sighed. Samara was ever the thoughtful one. "No, my dear, you are still growing. Eat. I'll just order another plate." He waved over the barmaid and ordered another platter of food. "And, again, we've discussed this, Samara. It is too dangerous to be around me; I will only further attract attention to you by my enemies..as well as yours. It is best that you continue with those that I have fostered you under. You'll get a chance at a normal life." He told her as he nudged her to eat.
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Post by Tismri on Aug 16, 2012 2:03:26 GMT -5
Thane smiled slightly. Jack really could be mature when the situation called for it. He was glad of her company as he stared across the expanse of the world.
"I searched for the first couple of decades after it was discovered," he explained to her. "My mate, Irika, was very supportive through it all. She searched even harder than I did, finding all the best healers among my kind. But none of them was ever able to do anything. Not even magic can cure me. I've spent the last century coming to terms with it." He glanced back at Jack for a moment. "I have lived a good, full life, if perhaps one a bit short of my kind. For all that has happened, I only truly have one regret." He folded his hands under his chin and returned his gaze to the horizon.
~~~~~
Samara quietly ate her food for several minutes as she thought about what Joshua said. She still didn't understand, but by now she was pretty sure she never would. But as long as she knew where to find him, she knew everything would be okay.
"I don't think my life is very normal," she complained. "I'm living with strangers who don't know anything about me, and my face feels all weird like I'm not me anymore."
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Post by Max452 on Aug 17, 2012 0:40:18 GMT -5
Jack listened quietly, which was a rare thing for her, as Thane expressed his thoughts. It must have been hard, coming to terms with his own death. He may seem very calm about it, but Jack wondered how much emotion he was truly concealing. Knowing that you were going to die without choosing the time or place, well, that was a bit unfair. Jocelyn knew that death claimed everyone, but that didn't mean it wasn't going to be by her terms. It was her life and she was going to choose how she lived it and how she died. Her thoughts were more focused on Thane once he alluded to a regret. "What would that be, Thane?" She asked with sincerity, for once.
***
Aramis sighed. How was he going to get Samara to understand the danger she was in? He sighed. He might as well be blunt about it; this was a serious issue and he needed to get his point across or she'll be dead. "That is the point. You're not suppose to be you, Samara. Your father will stop at nothing to have you dead. As for the time being, he thinks you are, but if you go about telling everyone or reverting back to your appearance, well, he'll try to kill you." He paused for a moment as the barmaid came back with his meal. He quickly paid her for both meals and watched her and the other patrons cautiously before speaking again. "I don't want you hurt, Samara. So, bear with these changes and you'll be fine." He told the young girl, wondering if she understood him now.
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Post by Tismri on Aug 18, 2012 0:29:55 GMT -5
Thane contemplated in silence for several long moments, deciding whether or not to tell Jack what she had asked. Few in the Varden even knew he had a son. The way he'd abandoned the boy was not something hew was proud of.
Finally, he spoke in a quiet, measured voice. The tone was the same he always used, but to those who knew him well, they could hear the decades of sorrow ringing through the words. "I regret not spending more time with my son," he told her. "I left him after his mother died, and since then I have only ever seen him once, from afar. I...I am certain that he despises me for leaving him, but I could not drag him into the blood-frenzy that had consumed me. I left him to learn a better way to live life. But I wish I could have taught him myself."
~~~~~
Samara listened quietly as Joshua explained everything, frowning unhappily the entire time. She knew, of course, why he had taken such measures to keep her safe. But perhaps the source of her confusion lie in the danger itself.
"Why?" she asked quietly, looking down at the floor. She felt tears starting to fall. "What did I ever do to make him hate me so much? Aren't parents supposed to love their kids? What went wrong?"
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Post by Max452 on Aug 19, 2012 21:33:00 GMT -5
To say that Jack was surprised would be an understatement. The young female warrior felt no shame when she looked at Thane with a wide eyed, unbelieving look. "You have a son?" She finally spoke after her initial shock. She hadn't known that about Thane. Yes, she heard rumors that he had a lover, but a child? That was news to her. Shaking off the shock, if only for the sake of her friend, she blinked in his words. "You did what you thought was best, Thane. No one can fault you for that, and I'm sure that your son doesn't hate you. He might not understand the reasons why you left, but perhaps one day." She tried to comfort him. She glanced back down at the swiggles she made in the dirt. "Why don't you speak to him?" She asked.
***
Aramis withheld a sad sigh at Samara's questions. "You're father is a coward, Samara, that is why he hates you. His greed and desire of the rich life is the reason he wants you dead. Your father made many mistakes, and thus, made many enemies. If word got out that you exist, he risks losing the money he has. It is not that he hates you, Samara...it is just that he loves his money more." He placed his fork aside, neglecting the warm meal for a moment to comfort the girl before him. He bowed his head so that he was eye level with her and brought his knuckles up to her chin, tapping beneath it affectionately. "You have done nothing wrong, okay? Remember that." He gave her chin a final tap before ruffling her hair affectionately, the only rare times he showed that he cared. "Now, finish your meal; your caretakers will start to wonder where you ran off to."
***
Captain Riker sloshed out of the stables with an amusing grin. He had just finished muking up the stalls when he had run into some children playing nearby. Amused, he had join in on the fun and was quite delighted to find out that they were playing mudball. It was a game, that involved throwing mud at your opponent, much like a snowball fight. Well, needless to say, Sam's team had won and now, he was going to go and take a nice warm bath.
Ignoring the quizzical looks he received from his comrades, Sam made way to his tent, where a bath would be heavily ordered. He glanced up at the sun, noting briefly what the time was. He would have to hurry soon if he was to finish Tali's orders...and pet that bird of her's...weird werecats... He thought idly has he continued to slosh in fresh mud into the campsite.
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Post by Tismri on Aug 24, 2012 23:42:40 GMT -5
Thane continued to stare off as Jack gave her comforting thoughts. He appreciated the words. It seemed she could be a thoughtful woman when she tried.
"I don't speak to him because I am ashamed of the life I have lead, rather than being a good example for him. I am afraid that the only thing he could learn from me would be the arts of assassination and war, which I would rather him not know." He sighed and bowed his head slightly. "Perhaps you will understand one day when you have children of your own, Jack. You learn that you will make any sacrifice, even so far as having them despise you, to give them the very best."
~~~~~
Samara frowned as she stared down at her plate of food while Joshua explained everything to her. She still had a hard time understanding it all. Wouldn't it be easier for her father to just accept her as his daughter and welcome her to his family?
She thought of the copper circlet she had stored among her possessions back at her foster family's house. It was an exquisite piece, set with flawless rubies. She'd had it for as long as she could remember, and it was the only gift she had ever received from her father. She wondered why he even bothered to give it to her if he was going to just turn around and try to kill her.
She smiled slightly when Joshua tapped under her chin and ruffled her hair. Her father might not care about her, but she knew Joshua would risk anything to make sure she stayed safe. She nodded to him and started back on her food, then looked at him questioningly.
"Can you stay for a while?" she asked him, the longing for her most trusted friend evident in her voice. "I don't want you to go yet."
~~~~~
Chikita ruffled his feathers and moved to perch next to Tali's desk. Although she was a junior officer among the Varden, her main tasks of designing weapons and war machines allotted her the necessary extra furniture. To the werecat's eyes, his human companion seemed to simply be scribbling and doodling on the paper.
What are you working on now? he asked, preening a violet feather on his back.
"It's an idea of defense for the tribes. I'm hoping to perfect it by the time I return from my pilgrimage." Her eyebrow arched slightly, showing her intense concentration.
Have you decided which tribe you'll join when you return?
"I'm not sure," Tali said, putting down her quill. "Probably the Neema. Not many Rayya have joined them, and we're starting to lose relations. Plus, I think they could benefit most from my talents."
Still...that will mean seeing even less of your family than you normally would. Neema and Rayya wander in vastly different circles. Tali frowned slightly at that. She had to agree, but she still believed the Neema tribe would be more than accepting to her. She glanced outside to check the time.
"Where is that silly captain?" she wondered aloud. "He's probably rolling around in the mud just for fun." Chikita cawed in laughter at that.
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Post by Max452 on Aug 25, 2012 13:56:23 GMT -5
Jack let out a sigh as she got up from her squatting position. She dusted herself off and stood to her full height. She understood Thane's thoughts on his son, but apart of her disagreed with it. She grown up amongst warriors and was raised by them as well. She only knew how to kill and found peace and hardpressed ideal...and ideal that she yearned for but knew she would never have. She placed her arms above her head as she stretched them out. "I dunno, Thane. I would rather have my father than a mystery and who better to teach a boy peace, than a man who knows the exact opposite?" She left her question dancing in the air as she walked off. "I'm going to see if Grunt wants to spar. I'll talk to you later, Thane." She waved behind her as she left the elf to his thoughts.
***
Pleased that Samara was listening to him, Aramis retreated back to his own space. He turned toward his food and took a quick bite. He paused briefly at her request, hand dangling spoon, as he thought about it. He could hear the plea and desire for him to stay. He knew he didn't have any pressing missions to complete, but he also knew that the longer he stayed the more danger he placed on Samara. However, the young girl desired a familiar face in this unfair world he had placed her in. He gave a short nod. "I'll stay for another day - that is all I can promise." He told her. "Now, eat up." He placed another spoonful of food in his mouth before ruffling her hair again.
***
Freshly cleaned and dressed, Sam wandered about the campsite as he made his way to Tali's quarters. He greeted soldiers here and there, and even stopped to talk to a few. He had always desired to want to know his men, for unity was the key to success. He had learned that from his father. He wondered briefly about his Father. He was a General in the Surdan army, and was actually stationed with Lady Nasuada's main encampment. Pride swelled within him for his father. The man was the most honorable man he had ever known, and he hoped, one day, that he would be like him.
Sam finally reached Tali's tent. The aimable Captain knocked on the tent pole. "Hey, Captain Tali!" He greeted as he poked his head inside the flap, a kind grin on his face. "Hey Chikita!"
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