Wrong place at the right time.

[Calcifer]

She nodded at him as he left. Helena then stared at the sack she had been given. She sighed as she would be no good at finding supplies. Helena kept her eyes on the shelves, not daring to even look outside. After a while of searching, she found a small loaf of bread that had been burnt around the edges. Then Helena found a small container, full of water. It wasn't much, but it would help so she put that in he sack too. Unfortunately, she couldn't find anything else so she sat down on a scorched chair and waited for Killian to come back.

 

[TorvusVulpes]

After about half an hour of searching only suceeding in finding a tinderbox, an emtpy canteen, some simple tin silverware that wasn't melted into slag he lets out a sigh. "Not much... hmmm" He shifts through where the counter was seeing the corpse of the shop owner. He lifts the collar of his shirt and looks around the counter in hopes he might find something else. He spots something in the corner a small lock box. He doesn't see a key anywhere so he decides to pull out one of his daggers and forces the lock open. He finds a small pouch with what he would assume is maybe a small mix of silver and gold coins. "Looks like you handled yourself pretty well old man..." He says looking further through the box seeing various things particularly a picture of the man and what he would assume was his kid. He lets out a sigh feeling terrible for the kid. He rustles through the bag for two copper coins and set them on the old mans eyes. "May the river styx guide you to peace old man..." He gets up tying the pouch of money to his waist and returning to the bakery.


"Well how did you turn out?" He asks the store keeper still weighing on his mind.

 

[Calcifer]

She was glad he had come back as it was un-nerving being in the town she had grown up in, with nothing left in it. Helena handed him the sack, full of everything she could find. "Not much. A few loafs of burnt bread, some containers full of water." She said, "I don't think it is enough... It is not much at all..." Helena continued. She was used to eating full meals with anything that they wished for. Never had she had to ration or worry about how much to eat and survive. "How can we survive on this?" Helena asked him worriedly, not knowing the answer herself.

 

[TorvusVulpes]

He looks around the shop for anymore possible supplies. He finds one more piece of bread, along with a little cheese and a couple apples in the back room. He stuff them into the sack. He also found a water barrel with he fills up the canteen to the brim before putting it into the bag. He comes into the main room. "I found a little more, i wont be much on it's own, but i know how to stretch it..." He says giving a reassuring smile. "not sure there is really anything else we can manage, i'm gonna swing over to a couple other places wait here." He hands her the bag with food and makes his way to the blacksmiths and the fletches hoping he might find some better weapons hoping the soldiers hadn't sacked the buildings. He was fortunate and found a pair of daggers at the smiths and a nice sturdy composite bow with a large quiver of arrows. He tucks as many arrows as can fit without ruining the quiver or the arrows taking an assortment or bobbin and broadhead tips as needed. He made sure that the arrow fletchings looked different so he knew exactly which arrow was which. "This will do..." He says to himself before making his way back.


He comes through the door and takes a deep breath. "Alright time to go..." He says putting his lucky bandanna back around her eyes before leading her back out the door so they can leave.

 

[Calcifer]

Helena was glad that it was time to go as this was her home and it was now all rubble. There were too many memories, too many horrible smells, too many temptations to find her family's estate. She moved the bandana into place after he had put it on her, so it covered her nose as well as her eyes. Helena then gripped his hand tightly with hers for both comfort and stability. As they walked out, she heard crunching sounds coming from underfoot and grimaced. Helena did not want to guess what it was, just in case of it being something rather distressing.

 

[TorvusVulpes]

He pulls her a little closer as to guide her better. He rests one hand on her waist in attempts to keep comfort for. "It's alright... it's just some of the burnt wood..." he says speaking in a soft tone. He guides her out of the shop as they make their way out to the edge of town.

 

[Calcifer]

In most cases, she would hate men holding her waist as it was very ungentlemanly to do so and unladylike for her to let the. But in this case, Helena was alright with it as it was just to help guide her and comfort her. She sighed in relief when he said that she had just stepped on a burnt piece of wood. It took them a little while to get out of the town as she walked slower blindfolded. But then the footimg changed and Helena had a feeling that they were now out of it and possibly in the woods again. "Can I take the blindfold off now?" Helena asked him as it was a way to check that they were actually out of the town.

 

[TorvusVulpes]

He takes the blindfold off carfully. "Sorry for the indecency mlady, it was easier to guide you around with both my arms than simply holding your hand." He says as he wraps his bandanna back around his neck. "Well... now that we have something to work with its time to figure out where we are going..." He rifles through the bag and pulls out the compass and looks at it for a moment to get his bearings. "If north is that way... then we go... this way..." He says pointing down the road. "Its best we travel through the woods though, soldiers will be patrolling the roads for survivors and honeslty i'd rather not have my entrails dangling from a Kerish pike..." He say tucking the compass into his pocket as he makes his way for the edge of the woods.

 

[Calcifer]

"That is quite alright. It was appropriate." She answered wirh before listening to what he had to say. His plan seemed good, although she didn't really appreciate the vivid image of the deaths they would most likely get if they were found. Without another word, Helena started walking towards the direction he pointed to. But like he said, she started walking into the forest, expecting him to quickly follow.

 

[TorvusVulpes]

He was surprised that she could keep pace so well. "For a noble you really can keep pace." He says in a joking manner.

 

[Calcifer]

She looked back over her shoulder and laughed at his comment. It was nice that he didn't treat her like a noble all the time. It made a change for her. "I guess i'm all full of surprises." She winked at him in a joking manner, for a moment forgetting that what she had just done was unladylike. Helena then turned her head back around to watch where she was going.

 

[TorvusVulpes]

Honestly she impressed him. "guess i shouldn't judge people before i get to know them." He says laughing as they make their way to a clearing near the middle of the woods. The day had already been long for the two of the. "We can make camp here for the night..." He says taking the pack off his back and setting it on the ground.

 

[Calcifer]

Helena was glad that he thought that as she wanted to be known as having a personality and not just a title. She smiled at his first comment before stopping at the clearing. "I think it would be nice to rest." Helena agreed before sitting down on a log, resting her legs from the long walk.

 

[TorvusVulpes]

He pulls out a metal cup and pours some water into it handing the cup to her before taking a swig from the canteen. "Do tell me... why did you stay in the house..." He isn't looking at her directly as he asks the question. "No one was keeping you locked in so why stay?" He needing to understand her more if she was going to be a temporary traveling companion.

 

[Calcifer]

She took a sip of the water first. "It was the only thing I knew. The only thing that I was brought up with was staying in the house to make sure that I was safe from the commoners." Helena started to explain. "They said that I would be safe and then when it wasn't, it was too late to leave." She elaborated and took another sip of the water. "I don't expect you to understand the first part." Helena told him, now looking straight at Killian.

 

[TorvusVulpes]

"i guess i couldn't understand... but i can imagine..." He closes his eyes for a moment. "when i was really little my father was killed on his way to the market, he was a farmer just transporting some crops to earn a little money so he could afford the taxes on the farm... but bandits had ambushed him.. the killed him and took everything the cart had... it was just me and my mother from that point on... i was only five so i wasn't much help with anything... my mother tried her best to keep me safe from the outside world because she saw it as nothing but a place full of murders, and thieves... he didn't want me becoming something horrible..." he looks at his hands as his memories pooled in his mind. "The nobleman who owned out land refused to accept that because my father died we couldn't pay the taxes... so he gave us three days to leave... my mother refused to leave the home and her and father had worked so hard to raise and nurture... so he had his guards execute her right in front of my eyes... then i was grabbed up and thrown in and orphanage." He looks up taking a second swig from the canteen. "i lost my innocence that day..." he says before putting the canteen away.

 

[Calcifer]

Helena didn't know what to say. She was speechless at his heartwrenching story. Being a noble, she had forgotten about the hardships of the commoners as she had never had to worry or even think about it before. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know..." Helena now felt bad about what she had said, eventhough she didn't really say anything to offend him so. "I didn't know." She repeated, now looking away from him, talking another sip of the water.

 

[TorvusVulpes]

He shakes his head. "dont worry about it, you and your family had nothign to do with it," he looks at her with a smile. "and i dont think you ever do such a thing either... you dont seem that type of person." He stands up and takes a deep breath and exhales. "well i better go look for some firewood, wont be much longer till nightfall and it's gonna be cold tonight." he says patting away the dirt from his pants.

 

[Calcifer]

Helena did not want to be left alone by herself, especially out in the countryside where theives, bandits, or soldiers vould be roaming around. She immediately stood up and rushed over to his side. "I will come with you." Helena blurted out, rushing the words and making sure that he heard it so he would have to let her tag along. She walked with him to get some firewood, not really knowing if she would be able to carry any- perhaps some kindling or small branches...

 

[TorvusVulpes]

He doesn't object so he just lets her carry some sticks so they have starter for the fire. after some time has passed they make it back to camp with enough wood and starter to keep a hardy fire going most of the night.

 

[Calcifer]

She placed the firewood down on the floor once they had got back to their camp. The only thing was, she didn't know how to make a fire as servants did it for them. "Umm...How do you make a fire?" Helena asked, slightly embarassed.

 

[TorvusVulpes]

He chuckles. He find a nice solid spot a ground and digs a slight pit with his hands, from there he places rocks in a circle around the pit. He forms some of the wood up like a teepee then grabs a smaller piece putting a little grass on it and starts to swirl a stick in the center. After a short time a fire spurs from the small piece of wood and he sets it into the firepit. he places some mroe bits of fry grass and small pieces of wood to ensure it will burn not enough to catch the rest on fire and he blows into it to make it whip to life.


He stands up brushing the dirt from his pants. "and there yah go, nice cozy campire." he say chuckling.

 

[Calcifer]

She smiled at him chuckling and his tone made her forget that she was embarrased. Helena then sat on the floor next to the warm crackling fire. She then smiled blissfully as her body started to warm up. Helena held her hands out near to the fire to warm them up quicker as it was getting colder now. "So have you always lived out in the streets or forest?" She asked him, wanting to know the little details of his life.

 

[TorvusVulpes]

He leans back on his palms as he looks at the flames flicker and whip and spur. "ever since i was seven... couldn't stand the orphanage, mostly because it felt more like a work house then an actual orphanarium... so i left as soon as i got the courage to ever want to get out on my own, at first i didn't know what i was doing, i was cold, hungry, and alone... granted i was use to that anyways so i almost found this to be an improvement because i wasn't being beaten for slipping off to sleep from exhaustion..." he says as he crosses his legs. "At first i thought i was just going to die there on the streets, but someone found me, a man much like me, no home, no friends, just himself... he taught me a lot of things, most importantly how to survive." he says thinking about his old mentor.

 

[Calcifer]

She stopped watching the fire and looked over at him. Helena nodded at his story before speaking. "You seemed to have really had a harsh life." She thought outloud before continuing. "He seems like a kind man. You were so lucky he taught you that. I can't even begin to imagine what you must have gone through. After all this time, I never truly thought that life as a commoner was that bad as I was kept away from all of it." Helena said to him before turning her head back to look at the flickering embers of the warm, bright flames of the fire in front of her.