Yrantan adventures (Completed)

[Ezri]

Battle was, somehow, a worse experience than Anna could have dreamed of. The air was thick and smelled like rust, and there seemed to be no end to the sounds of clashing metal and desperate shouts. It couldn't be an enjoyable thing even if they were on the winning side of it, but right now they didn't even have that. 


The wall crumbling felt almost numbing, like it was the beginning of the end. They'd been given their orders, which were essentially to just stay put until they were given more orders, but at this rate she wondered if anyone would be around to give them. But if she had to improvise, then how -- it seemed unlikely that her ragtag recruits would last long alone against the better equipped and organized Ulmo soldiers, and throwing them in with the main troops unannounced would lead to crowding that she was meant to avoid. The best they could do was, maybe, organize an ambush in case the main army gave way and the Ulmo forces would head this way. It wasn't an appealing thought. 


"I don't know about this, Nate... should we really just wait here?" she confessed as quietly as she could while still being audible, not wanting the recruits passing by to hear her. Councilor Tavish hadn't given them much reason to be optimistic, but the last thing they needed was to see their commander having second thoughts. But they were eating her up regardless, and while Nate didn't seem at all confident either, she couldn't help but want to speak to him honestly.

 

[ArcticFox]

With another crack and then another, pieces of wall begun falling on the troops underneath it. The gate was torn open, the troops storming through even though they were pushed back. As they overtook the barracks they were able to secure their position and now more Ulmo soldiers joined them as they charged through the gate.


"I don't know, Anna! I don't like this." Nate whined, his hands now visibly trembling. He did not look encouraging at all.


"We should move, Miss Penrose." Nerith said. "The enemy forces are eating through the Yrantan army. A couple of thousand recruits will not stop them." At his words, the closest soldiers turned to look at him, eyes wide. "I suggest we round up any civilians and get out of the city."


"We cannot!" Nate said, voice desperate. "The only gate is the one where the battle is happening! And there are no more ships in the harbor!"


"How do you think we entered the city?" Nerith said, eyes narrowing. "We can scale the walls to the far east end of the city. However, this will be a difficult feat for any civilians and we would progress slowly." He sighed. "You have two other choices. Fight a desperate fight, or surrender."


- Leave the city.


- Stay and fight.


- Surrender.

 

[Ezri]

As the enemy soldiers marched into the city, it felt like each they drained more of what remained of Anna's optimism. At first she could only watch in shock, and then resignation -- following orders was now out of the question. She could send her troops in as planned, but for what? In the end, the only difference would be fewer people left for Ulmo to take prisoner -- just the thought made her feel a bit sick.


So should they just try to go? It felt wrong to consider it somehow, as if she was abandoning something, but that wasn't really true. If they couldn't protect Yranta as a city, all they could do was try to protect its people. That was all she wanted, and allowing themselves to be killed wouldn't help anyone.


"We'll have to risk it--" Anna announced, trying to ignore the muffled sounds of battle as much as she could. "I can't just send these people on a suicide mission! And I doubt Ulmo will treat us very kindly if we surrender..." She shuddered; Ulmo had already made their feelings on attacking civilians clear, and as a councilor Anna's own fate would not be promising. Levon's haunting warning from his letter flashed in her mind, and she shook her head. "We have to get as many people as we can and try to leave as Nerith said. That's the best hope we have..." 

 

[ArcticFox]

There were many holes in the old outer wall now. Ulmo soldiers were pouring in like ants. They were all better armored and probably trained exactly for this moment. They swept over Yrantan veteran troops like locusts, cutting their way through them too easily. There was clear panic in the lines of the recruit army now. Many of them just turned their back and ran deeper into the city, screaming and cursing. Their captains and Nerith's man managed to bring some kind of order to the men that were left. Finally the recruit army along with Anna turned around and left through the many gates of the city, to the resident district. They made sure to close all the gates behind them, which would slow the enemy troops down.


In the next hour her army spread out commanded by some of their own members and dark elves who all provided to be equally capable at working together. Soon they had a mass of civilians following them, some carrying valuables, but most of them running with only the clothes on their backs.


"Follow me." Nerith said as he made his way to the head of the column, leading them toward the place where the wall could be scaled.


The east side of Yrantan wall was slightly damaged and thus shorter than the rest of it. There was a part around five meters wide and two meters tall where they should be able to climb and get across. Nerith first sent half of his men across it to secure the area. As the elves gave them the all clear, he begun transferring some of Yratan recruit soldiers along with their families and those civilians they brought along. Their whole gathering now amassed to around three thousand people, considering that half of the recruit army just escaped never to return. They could have pulled out more people, but they just didn't have the time.


Anna stood some ways farther from the mass underneath the wall, watching them progress. She had left her horse in the city, unable to maneuver with the animal through the wild crowd of soldiers and civilians, less she stepped on someone. The whole process of getting people across was a mess, but somehow they managed to progress. Sounds of battle could be heard on the other side of the city, but they weren't very close. They should have enough time. Just when Anna was about to join Nerith and Nate and help them out with the people, a hand slammed across her mouth, strong arms pulled her deeper into the shadows behind. She was hauled into a side alley, struggling, but unable to make a noise, pushed against a wall, that hand still on her mouth, making her suffocate. Then, a familiar voice in her ear.


"Gods below, woman, how did you get yourself into this mess!" String of brown hair came into view and a face with that mischievous smirk that never seemed to go away. His hand was pulled away. Zach grinned at Anna's baffled expression. "Yes, I'm alive." Then he leaned in more closely. "But, don't think I forgot your little promise. This is a perfect chance to get Chloe."


- Go with Zach.


- Go with Nerith and Nate.

 

[Ezri]

For a moment Anna only felt pure terror as she was grabbed -- she fumbled for the sword at her waist but had no chance of getting it. Once she saw it was Zach, however, she was too surprised to think or do much of anything other than stare. The reality of what she was seeing finally hit her, and when it did it was as if a switch flipped. 


"Do you enjoy scaring me half to death?!" Anna hissed, too overwhelmed to be really angry. Seeing him again, acting the way he always acted, she actually felt a wave of relief; it was a very odd sensation, and she wasn't sure whether she wanted to hug him or slap him. "I really thought you were... I thought I'd gotten you killed! It was horrible!"


She placed her hand on her chest and took a breath, trying to calm herself and get her thoughts together. After her disasterous journey and the preparation for the war, Anna hadn't been able to do anything for Chloe. The idea had crossed her mind, when she thought about him, but there was no way she could have asked the courts for a trial at a time like that. Ironically, with the city now mostly empty and in such a panic, they might be able to just go get Chloe themselves. Although it would be incredibly dangerous, she was sure.


With a small frown she looked down the alley -- when Nate and Nerith realized she was gone, who knew what they would do. Leaving them was tough to think about but she could hardly turn down Zach's request now, after everything. All she could hope for was that they wouldn't panic, and that they could both escape safely with everyone else. Decided, she gave the thief a small nod. "A promise is a promise. But I hope you have a plan..."

 

[ArcticFox]

"I always have a plan." Zach said with a snarl. Anna gave him a sceptical look. "Well, alright, I have a plan most of the times." His snarl turned into a grin. Still not moving away from Anna, as his gaze turned softer and smile faded, he whispered barely audible. "I'm glad to see you are safe."


Some fifteen minutes later they were making their progress toward the opposite part of the city. Anna realized that this must have been the farthest she ever went in terms of exploring Yranta despite all her years spent there. From the musty military quarter, through the residential district, and now making their way through the elite part of the town, which was very much empty. It seemed that most of the nobles, if not all, left the city. Anna wondered if the rest of the Council was still in the Duke's palace contemplating what to do. It was obvious that the battle was going worse with each passing moment and the distant sound of screams and clashing arms now grew louder as the invading forces probably pushed the Yrantan troops further into the residential district. They were fighting street after street and she could not even begin to fathom the bloodshed that must have been at work among the soldiers. It had gone so terribly wrong in such a little time. Ulmo must have been preparing for this for a while. A part of Anna regretted leaving the field of battle and pulling back with her soldiers, but that decision might have saved a couple of thousand lives. Hopefully, Nerith and Nate were capable enough to lead them to safety.


"Careful." Zach warned as they sneaked past a group of guardsmen. They were concentrated around a couple of villas, which meant that there were still some nobles around. A larger group stood by the House of Healing, one of them seemed to be giving them a speech. Hopefully Ulmo troops would not disturb the sick and wounded, it wouldn't be humane. But, even so, Anna's improved guardsmen would be able to put up a better defense should it come to that.


Sunset came into view as they exited thorough the Gate of Money and were nearing the shore. It was almost empty here too and eerily silent. Zach led the way up to the rounded walls of the prison tower, still careful to stick to shadows. But, once they were close, it was obvious that no guards were around the prison. Zach gave her a surprised look as he walked to the main gate and pushed it open. The heavy doors swung in, revealing a dark deserted hallway. No checkpoints to pass this time, the prison was abandoned. As they walked inside, they saw thin forms reaching with their arms through the bars, begging to be let out. Some of these men and women have been in here for decades. Some were half mad. Some were dangerous. But some were as helpless as Chloe.


- Go straight for Chloe.


- Stick around to release other prisoners.

 

[Ezri]

As they'd hurried through the city and away to Sunset Anna stuck fairly close to the theif, the sight of abandoned streets paired with faint battle cries more than enough to keep her on edge. The inside of the prison was even more unsettling, with numerous hands and desparate cries reaching out at her, and without thinking Anna moved closer to Zach's side as she avoided them. 


Immediately Anna's reaction was a mix of horror and sympathy, but she tried to suppress it. Ulmo was steadily pushing their way into the city, so she and Zach couldn't have much time to retrieve Chloe and make their own escape. Trying to open every cell would be lengthy diversion -- and who knew how the prisoners might react once they were free. Most of them would be grateful or just eager to leave, she hoped, but it was Sunset after all... Yranta might have a questionable legal system, but not everyone here could have been wrongfully convicted. Having no way to tell who was truly dangerous and who wasn't, releasing them all would be risky and chaotic. Even though she wanted to help, with only her and Zach to get it done there was no way they could confidently save anyone but Chloe.


"I feel awful just leaving them here, but we can't..." She told Zach as they continued, her voice low and uncertain. As someone who was so adamant about helping others just an hour ago, she couldn't help but feel hypocritical and selfish by focusing on protecting herself and her companions instead. She bit her lip, trying not to think about it. "Let's hurry..."

 

[ArcticFox]

"I wouldn't stick around that long, either way." Zach said with a simple shrug. He then grabbed Anna's wrist and pulled her along as they climbed to the upper levels of Sunset. The desperate screams of the prisoners had only gotten worse as they realized they would not get any help from the two.

The situation was somewhat calmer on the upper level and the two of them hurried up to where they knew Chloe's cell was. As they approached the bars, small, famished female rose her gaze and a look of astonishment played in her big eyes.

"Zach!" She jumped up, which caused her to stumble. "What are you doing here? I heard the guards. They all left. What is happening outside?"
"Yranta is under attack." Zach explained, fumbling with the lock. He produced a lockpick from his pocket and his knife and was hurriedly working on getting it undone.
"What? How?" Chloe asked, confused, as she gripped the bars of her cell.
"Ulmo attacked us." Anna explained.
"And I hope they burn this damned city to the ground." Zach hissed, still focused on his work. The lock finally clicked. As the doors opened, Chloe weekly leaned against Zach who support her weight.

- Try to find Nerith and Nate.
- Try to find a ship.
- Hide in the city.

 

[Ezri]

As Zach pulled her along Anna felt her fear subside, just a little. But once they reached the top, seeing Chloe in such a state, her thoughts were swiftly replaced by guilt. The prisoners here had been in awful shape even before the invasion, but there was little to be done about it now. Anna had made a choice, even if it would be a haunting one.

With nothing to do while Zach worked on the lock, she shifted anxiously from side to side until a panic-inducing thought struck her. "We should go back--" Anna started, almost as soon as the door was open; when she and Zach left them, she hadn't considered her own escape route. At the time she had hoped they would make it out safely without her but now she had to hope that they were still at the wall. Ulmo could descend upon the city at any moment, and every ship would be long gone by now. "My friends, they'll help get us out. We have to go, quickly!" she told them both, her voice steady but urgent.

 

[ArcticFox]

The two siblings nodded at her suggestion, both as eager to leave the city as she was. They quickly made their way through the tower and back to the streets, the sounds of battle just behind the closest of the city's inner gates. This caused their stride to turn into an urgent run and after just a couple of moments Zach had to take Chloe into his arms and carry her as she was too weak to keep up. The banging on the city's inner walls continued as they ran through the streets, hearts beating with fear and anxiety. They needed to get out of there quickly. The siege turned out to be a complete disaster. How it went so wrong so quickly, it was impossible to say. After all, Yranta had a large army and their troops weren't inexperienced, well, not all of them. But Ulmo ran over them in a couple of hours. Now that afternoon was turning to dusk, the city was filled with smoke and dying screams of men and women. Yranta had fallen.

"There's no one here." Zach stated as they neared the walls up to the spot which Anna indicated. It was completely deserted much like the streets in this part of the city had been.
"They must have escaped." Anna said, with all hope that it was true.

Still, even if there was no one around, they could clearly see the lower part of the wall and protruding stones which made it scaleable. Chloe was very tired now, her eyes half closed, mouth open in desperate gasps. Zach looked down to her worriedly and then back to Anna.

"You need to climb first. I will hand Chloe to you and then climb myself." He said, the look in his eyes more pleading than commanding. It was odd how his manner seemed to change when close to his sister.

Anna nodded and grabbed the nearest stone in the wall, careful to find a gap wide enough to sneak her fingers in and then pull up her weight to find support for her feet. It took a couple of minutes and it was a perilous experience, she slipped a couple of times, which made Zach quickly move beneath her to try and catch her. Finally she managed to pull up on top of the wall with a smile of relief. Having no time to rest she extended her hand down to grab Chloe. Zach propped her on his shoulders and Anna pulled her up, eventually managing to get her on the wall next to herself. Zach followed, climbing quickly and effortlessly, and it was no surprise, after all he managed to scale the walls of her manor once.

They did not linger any longer than they should have, quickly jumping down on the other side, finding themselves in a line of trees, not so dense to be called a forest. Here were clear signs of a large group of people walking through not so long ago. But it was strange that they were not able to see them. Surely an army would be clearly visible even among the trees.

"Look." Zach said, crouching to the ground and examining tracks. "A bunch of feet trampled the ground here. But here." He moved away a couple of steps. "The tracks lead in two directions. It's hard to see, since one part of the tracks is much larger and very messy, but the other is subtle and careful." He smirked. "It's obvious that your men went one way and the elves the other. The question is, who do you want to follow?"

- Try to find elves.
- Try to find soldiers.

 

[Ezri]

Anna would not have imagined that she could haul herself up a wall like that without help, but it was hardly the time to feel proud of herself. Even though they'd only made it a few feet outside of the city just being over the wall felt like a massive relief, and she couldn't help but beam at Zach in tired triumph for only a second.

Stepping forward to look over the footsteps on her own, Anna's expression quickly turned more thoughtful, her brow furrowed. She was worried about Nate, knowing how frightened he was throughout that whole ordeal, and he probably went with her men. Nerith and his archers were undoubtedly headed back to their home... Anna was sure that they'd welcome the three of them, if they could catch up. Her soldiers were mostly not made up of guards or military, so it was possible that they wouldn't recognize Zach or Chloe in particular as criminals... still, the thought made her nervous.

She took a breath, stopping herself from becoming too overwhelmed. Nerith and his men would be fine on their own, she reasoned, but she was responsible in part for her recruits. Part of her wanted to just run away and forget all about this war, as Levon urged her to, yet she couldn't ignore that she'd gotten her people and Nate into a terrible mess. It wouldn't be right to leave them if she still had the choice, whether she was officially their leader or not.

"Let's go after my men." She said hurriedly, as if to get the words out before she changed her mind. "They can't have gone far."

 

[ArcticFox]

Zach seemed reluctant to agree with Anna's proposition. "I do not function very good in large groups." He said, wrinkling his nose. "And judging by their tracks, there's more than a thousand people in this army of yours." He shook his head. "It's beyond me how you will manage to control an army of scared and confused men. It is likely that they will simply turn against you." With a step closer, his index finger lightly touched Anna's chin. "And what if Ulmo proclaims a bounty for your head? Which they most certainly will do, considering you are part of the Council. How will you manage your little army then?" His smirk was taunting.
"Zach, please." Chloe put a hand on his upper arm softly, her big eyes looking up at him. "We have a better chance for survival in a group."
"No, we don't. Chloe. Don't be stupid." He hissed. "The two of us can move quicker, hunt easier and be stealthy. That is impossible with a couple of thousand useless men on your back."
"We are not leaving Anna." Chloe said, slightly raising her voice.
"That depends of her." Zach now looked Anna straight in the eyes. "I don't want to leave you, girl, but I know that you can be stubborn. If you insist on being in a group, I'd rather take my chances with the elves, they are not as incompetent as Yrantans." Then, he sighed tiredly. "But, if you insist on finding your army, we will leave you to it."

As he spoke, there was a slight waver in his voice. It was clear that he did not wish to follow the Yrantan recruits, but it also seemed that with a bit more pleading and the right words, he could be swayed, despite his resistance. However, considering his stubborn and umpredictable nature, no one could know how he would behave among the Yrantan men and what kind of trouble he could cause. While going after the recruits alone was a big risk for Anna, going with Zach might prove to be worse.

- Still try to sway Zach to follow you.
- Go find the elves.
- Go find the army by yourself.

 

[Ezri]

Chloe's kindness was touching -- Anna wondered for a moment how such a sweet girl could have such a cruel brother. "You don't have to be so condescending!" She huffed, her temper flaring up as it usually did around him, but she refrained from saying any more than that. Zach was uniquely frustrating, but often she found that it was because he meant to look out for her.

And now that he'd laid it all out, she could understand his position. Even if she could ask Zach not to make trouble (a difficult proposition on its own), there was no guarantee that her army wouldn't abandon them if things got difficult. She wanted to believe that they wouldn't just hand her over if they encountered Ulmo, but they were scared and disorganized...

"... fine." Anna finally said as she lessened her glare, not terribly happy but resigned. She was hardly much of a leader, anyway, and didn't know much about survival skills or anything like that. Maybe it had been naive of her to think she could help them. "But we should go after the elves, then. They're good people, and it will be safer than going off on your own."

 

[ArcticFox]

Zach agreed, albeit reluctantly. Chloe seemed to be getting weaker by the second and she now leaned on her brother for support. They needed to give her some food and water and soon. As a matter of fact, the two of them will also need necessary supplies very soon or they will also start feeling weak. And who knew how long had it been since Zach ate. He was lost in the camp of Ulmo soldiers and somehow managed to get away. Anna still did not know how he accomplished such a feat.

The three of them moved with urgency, relying on Zach to follow the tracks, while Anna helped Chloe move. The woman was weary light and she barely felt her weight. They traveled through the line of trees, moving further east from Yranta's walls and slightly turning north. If Anna's memory served her, the plains were on that side and then the great desert further north, the residence of Nerith's people. The elves were returning home.

A frustrated growl from Zach and the two women caught up to him. He stood hands folded on his chest, as he kicked a rock in frustration. "Screw it." He hissed in his usual angry manner and then turned toward them. "I cannot see the tracks." He gestured to the ground. "They were getting lighter and now I have lost them completely."
"Can we take a break, please?" Chloe's exhausted voice. Zach approached her worriedly.
"Yes, we will. Sit down." He gently helped her to the ground. "I can hear a stream near by. I'll get water. You stay and watch over her." He said to Anna before moving toward the sound.

Fifteen minutes passed and Zach was back, carrying a small flask, which he gave to Chloe. She drank eagerly and then gave the flask to Anna to drink. Zach walked around them anxiously, clearly unhappy with their position.

"We'll need to stay here. It's getting dark." He squinted toward the continuous line of trees ahead of them. It continued slightly up the slope from there. The elves could be anywhere now. They were clearly stealthier than them and did not want to be followed. And elves are always good at covering their tracks. They would have found the Yrantan army by now had they gone in that direction. But, with night slowly falling, they couldn't just continue their path. All of them needed rest and food.

"We won't light a fire, just in case." Zach said as he lowered himself down on the ground, opposite the two women. "You two should sleep. It will be easier to do so now, before your stomachs start growling. Unfortunately, no food for us tonight. We'll continue tomorrow."

- Go to sleep.
- Stay awake with Zach.

 

[Ezri]

The walking was difficult, and as the elves' tracks started to fade their journey began to feel a bit desparate. What would their plan be if they couldn't catch up with Nerith? March into the desert by themselves? It would be hard, especially on poor Chloe, but Anna wasn't sure where else they could go... for the sake of her optimism she instead focused her thoughts on each step forward, following Zach's lead without complaint.

Their rest was simultaneously a relief and something worrying -- for now her muscles were thankful, but this couldn't be a sustainable way to travel for any of them. As she forced herself to lay down, getting as comfortable as she could on the bare ground, Anna didn't expect that she would be able to sleep. Before now she'd been too busy to even think about resting; every spare moment she had from strategizing had been overshadowed by anxiety. Even now it still lingered a bit in the back of her mind, and she would have preferred to stay awake anyway.

But with no immediate threats in sight, even if they were still lingering in the shadows somewhere, Anna felt calm and safe enough to finally let the exhaustion hit. Even through faint pangs of hunger, before she realized it she was out like a light.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Chloe? Chloe!" Zach's panicked voice woke her up. Anna looked toward the sounds, eyes half closed. Zach's voice rose higher and higher. He was shaking Chloe's limp body, calling her name. His motions were clearly distressed, desperate. "Wake up, Chloe!"
"What's wrong?" Anna ran up to them quickly, whole body numb from the uncomfortable ground. But Zach did not look at her. He continued maniacally shaking Chloe and yelling. The little blonde woman was like a rag doll in his arms. When Anna approached she saw that her eyes were completely open, staring upward lifelessly, her head bobbing as Zach shook her.
"Wake up, please!" Zach's yells now turned into sobs.
"Zach, she..." Anna tried.
"No!" He cut her off. "She is not dead! She can't be!" Tears now streamed down his cheeks. "I just found her."

--

It was an unimaginable scenario. Just a day after they managed to get Chloe out of Sunset, she died of exhaustion among the trees. They did not notice that her state was that bad and that was something Zach would never forgive himself for. Even though he did not say it, Anna knew that he blamed it all on himself. The guilt and grief were eating away at him even if he quickly regained his composure and took Chloe's body to bury her near the stream. He did not let Anna join him and he returned to her when night fell the next day. Anna had to wander, would things turn out differently if they went after the Yrantan soldiers? Or if she managed to stay awake for just a little longer to notice the state she was in. Of course, the guards of Sunset were the ones at fault, they did not feed her, they kept her in a cold cell and disregarded her health, like they probably did with every prisoner. But, one had to wonder was there something else they could have done...

--

A rabbit carcass plopped down next to Anna. She looked up seeing Zach's tired, yet emotionless face. He was too quiet, it was disturbing. Without a word he crouched down and took to skinning the animal. Only after finishing he spoke in a monotone voice. "Get some firewood."

- Prepare dinner in silence.
- Try to talk to Zach.

 

[Ezri]

It had come as such a shock -- even though she knew at the time what had happened to Chloe, it took a little longer for the grief to set in. She hadn't known Chloe very well at all, but even from their first meeting Anna had wanted to help her. She didn't deserve to die so young, out in the wilderness, running from threats that had nothing to do with her. But she did know Zach, and he was a wreck. Of course he was -- that was his sister, who he cared about more than anyone else. It was strange and painful to see him act so distant and lifeless, but...

"Zach," she started quietly, although she was uncertain that there was anything she could really say. There were so many things they could have done for Chloe, any number of choices that might have saved her, but there was nothing they could do for her now. As crushing as the fact was, neither Anna's words or regrets would bring Chloe back.

She got to her feet, prepared to go about helping in solemn silence, but she had to say something. Even if he didn't want to hear it now, he could at least be angry with her -- that would be better, somehow. "I... I'm sorry. She meant so much to you..."

 

[ArcticFox]

"How would you know?" Zach's answer was more of a snarl. As was to be expected. He stopped with his work, hands bloody up to his elbows, holding a knife in one. His golden eyes were just slits as he glared at Anna like she was the cause of his grief. In truth, he needed to vent and he never was a very subtle person. With bags under his eyes, face inordinately pale, he did not look like the arrogant and rowdy man that once broke into her bedroom.

"You don't know anything about my feelings and don't pretend you do! You are nothing but a spoiled little brat who never had a hard day in her life! While you slept in your big bed, Chloe and I had to scrape by just to have enough food!" He stood up, gesturing angrily. "Why is it that life was so different for you and Chloe?" He now stood in front of Anna, knife raised toward her. "Why did you get to have such an easy life?" A cold blade touched Anna's throat, the already bloody knife leaving streaks on her throat.

- Talk to Zach.
- Try to get away.

 

[Ezri]

Anna certainly got what she wished for. It was like a switch had flipped, and then he was upon her, the sensation of the knife at her throat enough to freeze her in place. Zach could always be frightening, but there was none of his usual calculation in this attack. He wasn't thinking, he was furious, but... he wouldn't hurt her, would he? She believed that, so despite her heart threatening to beat out of her chest she made no move to escape.

"No, I-- I don't know. I can't know what you're feeling." She replied, her voice wavering. Her family was, as far as she knew, all still alive and well somewhere. She had never lost someone so dear to her. "And why, I... no one gets to choose how they'll be born! Not me or you or anyone."

"Zach, please--" As calm as she tried to be while talking him down, she was sure she must look like a startled rabbit. Maybe even like the one on the ground, killed by the same knife aimed at her now. "You can yell at me all you want. I know none of this is fair. I... maybe this is all my fault. But please don't..."

 

[ArcticFox]

"Shut up, woman!" He cut her off abruptly, hand still holding the knife to her throat firmly. All the while he moved toward her Anna had to back up, so she was finally pushed against a tree trunk, unable to move further backward. "Don't say a word!" Zach's eyes glinted with rage and sorrow in equal parts. He did not seem able to control his emotions, so they all flooded outside and crashed against Anna like ocean waves. But, she held on. This caused his rage to waver, his shoulders relaxed and the hand holding the knife finally moved. He jerked it back, the blade ominously glinting as he thrust it forward, only to stick it into the bark of the tree right next to Anna's face. Zach exhaled and with each passing moment his anger seemed to deflate.

Still very close to Anna, Zach weakly collapsed forward holding onto her, head bent down and leaning on her shoulder. She could feel the warmth of his tears wetting her tunic. In the complete darkness that was now around them, Zach moved his head and Anna felt his breath on her cheek and soon after his lips touched hers, softly at first and then giving more force to the kiss. His right hand found its way to Anna's hips, while he leaned on his left one against the tree, rendering her unable to slip away. His kiss was desperate and longing and it was clear that he needed comfort that night... but that comfort might lead a bit further than Anna wanted.

- Spend the night with Zach.
- Push Zach off.

 

[Ezri]

Once Zach collapsed Anna was flooded with relief, along with the sadness and guilt. The last thing she saw coming was a kiss -- she tensed up reflexively, her mind a total blank, but with his forcefulness it was hard to keep any barriers up against him for long. Before she knew it she had given in, accepting it all almost in a daze. If she had thought about kissing him when they met the idea might have been repulsive. She felt strange now, almost pained, but not out of anger or disgust.

The move felt so sudden, yet it wasn't really. Zach had always been upfront about his interest in this way; he had never directly acted on it, but definitely not for lack of trying. Since he must have been acting in his grief, Anna couldn't imagine what he was thinking or if he was thinking at all. She could tell where this might be going, however, and the realization was sobering almost to the point of panic. Even though he cared about her in some way, though he was relying on her now, they were always fighting and Anna couldn't just go on if she didn't love him. She didn't... did she? Her own emotions were such a mess in the moment, it was alarming to her that she questioned the notion at all.

Her hand was at his chest, and abruptly she gripped at his clothes, pushing him away enough to catch a breath and speak. "This isn't--" This isn't what I want? Or this isn't the right time? The right place? Even Anna didn't know what she meant to say then, other than that it... wasn't, somehow. Her hand raised slowly from his chest to his hair, her touch gentle. "Y-you're not thinking straight. Let's get some rest. I won't go anywhere."

 

[ArcticFox]

Feeling Anna's hand on him, Zach looked down in confusion, like he did not understand the situation he was in. Her push seemed to be sobering him up. Eyes still watery and red, he blinked a couple of times, his expression once again turning numb, while he shook his head.

"Yes." He managed to speak, voice hoarse. Finally his hands moved away from Anna as he took a small step back, now scanning her flushed expression, eyes used to darkness. There might have been a small mocking smirk on his face, or it was just a play of shadows. Either way he turned on his heel quickly and crouched down to use the firewood Anna collected.

Some moments later, the fire was crackling and the rabbit carcass was propped on a makeshift spit to cook. Zach had left to the stream to wash his bloody hands and returned with another flask of water. Now he sad by the fire, turning the rabbit, the sweet scent of meat spreading around their little camp. Zach's expression did not portray much, but hopefully at least his rage was out of the way now.

"We are not going to be able to catch up to dark elves at this point." He spoke suddenly, tone distant, but it was good to hear him say something coherent. "We should think of another destination, or if we even want to travel together."

- Find your parents in Odessand.
- Go to the elven desert together.
- Split up.
- Go elsewhere.

 

[Ezri]

Anna got herself together as quickly as she could and took a seat, trying to put that entire event out of her mind. It wasn't something to dwell on, she told herself -- Zach was emotional, she was emotional. It was just a thoughtless, uncharacteristic interaction. That was all. Besides, it wasn't her first kiss or anything like that...

But as always, they had to move forward. They'd together all this time (a lot of it against her will, at that) for Chloe's sake, but now they were just left with each other, in the dark woods with no homes to go back to. And since she had no real hunting skills or anything of the sort, if they stayed together Zach would have to do most of the hard work. It wouldn't be surprising if he thought of it as a burden.

"I should go to Odessand. I know people there." She piped up, unsure if going into detail about who right then would be be sort of cruel. Nerith would take them in if she could find him, but in the state they were in a desert journey sounded like too much to bear. Other than her parents, there was no one else she cared about that she could find easily, or that wouldn't just try to kill her. "If you want to go somewhere else on your own I can't stop you, but... I could use your help." Honestly, the idea of travelling by herself was horrifying, and lonely. The thought of leaving Zach after the tragedy he'd just befallen was even lonlier.

 

[ArcticFox]

Zach looked up from the fire. "I..." He paused, then sighed. "I really don't know where else to go."

--

Their journey to Odessand lasted for two weeks. They managed to catch a ride with a traveling merchant, which shortened the length of their travel for quite a lot. In this time they passed through the plains on the east and then turned south toward the lush green forests. Just behind these forests and across a river lay Odessand. It was a big city, yet smaller than Yranta in a central area of the continent, surrounded by mountains. Thus, the climate here was fresher than in Yranta. As the merchant let them through the city gate and left them inside, they both felt a chill down their spine. Some warmer clothes will be needed here for certain.

"Hey." Zach spoke up, just when they said their goodbyes to the merchant. He placed one hand behind his head, shifting nervously, gazed lowered. "Thank you." He spoke words that no one expected to hear from him. "You know, we didn't meet on the best terms, but you still helped me." A small, genuine smile appeared on his lips. "I appreciate that."

- Find your parents.
- Find accommodations.

 

[Ezri]

It was surprising to see Zach so earnest. Even when he meant to be kind before, it was usually under a veil of harsh sarcasm. It wasn't an unwelcome change however, and his uncharacteristic sheepishness was sort of endearing.

"Well, you didn't give me much choice." she laughed, feeling light and relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever. "But I'm glad that I did. And you helped me a lot, too. Thank you."

She went quiet, not sure where to go from there. Now that they'd arrived, were they really just going to part ways? If they didn't see each other again, it would be like her whole life before was something distant, a memory. It had been difficult and even awful at times, but the thought of letting it go completely was... sad. Maybe she should just try to forget it all and make a new life, but she didn't want to.

"I'm going to find my parents." She explained, frowning a little as she looked out into the busy streets. Hopefully the search wouldn't be a long or difficult one; after spending so long in the wildnerness, it would be a dream to sleep in an actual bed. "I'm sure they would let you stay or find lodging for you, if we come up with a good story."