Bad luck charm (closed, for Nouh-Bdee)

[Nouh_Bdee]

Rowen seemed to be...overreacting a bit to what he’d said.

“Whoa, I’m not carrying a rope toward a tree, woman. Calm down.”

It was odd, having this conversation while she sat in front of him on their horse. Yes, he did feel like it was their horse, at least a bit. He’d paid for it, but she was the only reason he’d been able to buy it at all, much less for so little. Whenever she got...worked up, her arms would flail around and Bin would have to move them out of her way. Fortunately the slow canter they were at wasn’t too taxing.

“Just because most humans, elves, and dwarves are assholes doesn’t mean that I wish I were dead. By chaos, Rowen! Come on!”

They’d been riding for a while, and Bin idly wondered when they should stop. He had enough stores that if they decided to ride until dark they’d be fine, but he enjoyed a fresher meal, and he wouldn’t say no to taking the time to hunt and gather.

 

[Evayla]

"Well, tha's exactly what I'm sayin, doofus." Was her very unelegant retort. "I'm SAYIN yer not gonna dangle an I'm SAYIN ya obviously have reasons to wander around an I'm just curious what gets you up in the mornin! An I don't even mean that as the REALLY bad innuendo it sounds like!"

Hah, lessee him deal with that one. Rowen would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying herself. It was great to have an all out discussion with someone who wasn't shying back or threatening to incarcerate her. He stood his ground. That was nice.
Refreshing.

"Ey, ya hungry? I'm hungry. Ya thinkin we can score somethin around here?" She looked around eagerly, wondering about what would grow around these parts to gather up.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin didn’t know why Rowen was so focused on that question, yapping after it like a terrier with a bone. He ignored her joke, because he was annoyed about the rest of her words. “What do you mean, what gets me up in the morning? I can’t just lay there all day! I keep going, keep living, because the alternative is... unthinkable. I’m just trying to survive, Rowen. Just live each day and try to make my life a little better than yesterday. That’s all.”

Then a thought occurred to him. “And as for the thing you didn’t mean, that’s just biology.” Ha! She seemed speechless for at least half a second. That must have been a record! He continued, a half-smile on his face that she couldn’t see. “I’m just saying: we’re traveling together. You’re probably going to notice it some morning. You should remember that I can’t control it, and it certainly doesn’t mean anything.”

Good, that should help keep her from getting any ideas.

“But yeah, this looks like as good a spot as any to camp for the night.” He hopped off the horse. “I’ll try to get us some fresh meat. Let’s see what you’re good for.” As soon as Rowen got down, Bin would tie the horse’s lead to one of the trees nearby and set off with his bow.

 

[Evayla]

She sat up straight in front of him. Gods, that annoying man! She was just trying to figure out how people *did* that! The girl was so incredibly fed up with having to live according to other's peoples ideas of how she was supposed to live that she had no clue how to change her patterns!

"Alright, alright! Don't bust yer balls! Just askin. Sheesh. "

Then he actually jumped on her stupid joke. She groaned. "Owh man...NO worries. Wasn't thinkin of jumpin yer bones."

Rowen slid off the horse. Bin wasn't short on initiative. That at least was a nice change from the wussies at the stables. The girl patted the horse, brushing him down with some cloth. Horsey deserved some attention after carrying the both of them. Next she filled the cup of her hand with some water. She'd need something more substantial soon, but for now it would do. They needed this animal!

While the red man was on the hunt the girl gathered some dry wood and fixed a little campfire. She actually had no idea if he was used to having his meat raw or something, but she defnitely preferred a little sear.

Such an odd day this had turned into, from getting sacked to almost being dragged home, back into freedom. Bin wasn't half bad either now that he wasn't constantly telling her to get lost.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

The road northeast of Alkor would slowly change from oaks and elms to maples and pines, but they were still days from that transition, maybe a week. It was still warm enough that Bin knew he would be uncomfortable in his chainmail while out hunting, but without scouting for large predators he wasn’t willing to risk removing it. Instead, he just grabbed his bow and walked off, after making sure his sword still hung from his belt.

A few hundred yards to the south, Bin found a stream. Checking the banks, he found fresh deer tracks. They weren’t running, so Bin trailed them east, making sure to stay downwind as much as possible. After about an hour, he saw them: five healthy adults grazing at the edge of a copse of birch and elm. Readying his bow, he crept closer before taking one of them in the shoulder. It bounded away, but didn’t make it very far before he found the young stag and granted him mercy.

The meat would give them a good meal that night, and enough jerky for a week. Wait, no. Bin needed to start planning to feed two, now. Three or four days of jerky. Plus, the, uh...week’s worth he had strapped to their horse… Well, at least he didn’t have to carry the extra weight of more food himself. With that in mind, he started dragging the creature back toward the stream. Better to clean it away from their camp, and he could clean up in the running water afterward.

He pulled the deer to a stop near a large tree that sat just off the stream’s bank. He was no novice hunter, so he strung the animal up with rope to keep it out of the reach of scavengers. Then, he undressed and put his gear in a crook of a different tree. It felt good to lose his clothes and feel the air against his bright red skin. He sighed in relief and took a bar of lye soap out of his pack, wading into the stream.

Bin washed his body, cleaning deer blood off himself efficiently. Once his body was clean, he lathered his black hair and ducked his head under the water. When he resurfaced, he heard an ominous noise that was much too close nearby for his liking...

 

[Evayla]

Scavengers were one thing.
Predators quite another.
From the growl that broke the soft splashing of water it was very clear to which category this beast belonged.

A large, black shadow emerged, feral teeth exposed as the massive dog slowly moved in. It might have been attracted to the scent of blood, but right now it clearly was more interested in a moving target than a dead one, eyes fixated on the very naked half-demon in the stream.

Another snarl as the beast got ready to jump!

---
Rowen was biding her time, doodling in the sand with a stick. Of course she knew hunting took time. Not that she was much of a hunter herself, but some things simply did not happen within a second or two.
Didn't mean she liked it.
Also didn't mean she couldn't do anything.

Another look at the horse. It seemed peaceful enough. If there was anything threatening them around here, there would have been a more skittish...

whinny...

Rowen tensed.
Did that horse just...

The gentle beast shook its head, moving to and fro restlessly.

"Oh shit." The girl mumbled and grabbed her sling, looking around.

Nothing to see.
Nothing to hear.
Then what?

A low growl.
Further up ahead!
Near the stream!

"FECK!" Now she was on her feet and ran! Up ahead she noticed a big, black beast.
And something red in the water.
Blood?
No.
Bin!
Yep.

"HEY! UGLY! Over here!" A stupid move, no doubt, but from the looks of it the red man had not thought to keep his weapons close, so which one of them was more stupid right now? The girl whirled her sling around and released the pointy pebble!

The monstrous canine turned, momentarily confused, then got hit by the rock straight between the eyes! It shook its head, then switched targets.

She got its attention.
SHIT!

The girl ran as fast as her legs could carry her towards the trees! If she could get in, the beast might not be able to follow! The wonderful downside of being a dog.

At least she was buying the guy some time!

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin knew the wolf was hesitant to start swimming in the river, especially where he was standing at the gentle current was waist deep. Still, he had no idea how he was going to get out of this. The wolf was between him and his weapons. He should’ve been more careful! It was growling, saliva dripping from its massive canines. Bin was frozen, desperately trying to think of a solution. He never imagined that one would present itself when he heard Rowen yell from the opposite bank.

The wolf flinched, and then he saw the rock fall into the shallow water and the creature lunge toward shore.

“Shit.”

The die was cast, and Bin’rahl moved quickly. He followed the wolf out onto the grassy riverbank and ran, naked, toward the tree where he’d stashed his gear. He’d never make it there and then to Rowen in time, so he grabbed his bow, turned and let fly.

Ffft!

A yelp. Blood. Another growl, higher this time, pained. Bin had hit the animal in its left flank, but it still had eyes for the woman fleeing for the trees. At least it was limping now, but if it reached her that wouldn’t stop its fangs or claws from cutting deep into her soft flesh.

Bin jumped again to grab his sword. There was no time for armor or anything else. He just took off toward the wounded animal. Luckily, his arrow meant that he was now faster than the wolf, but the animal had a head start…

 

[Evayla]

The dog was indeed big enough to be mistaken for a wolf, but it lacked the right eye colour. How the girl had noticed that in the middle of her flight? No clue, maybe when she aimed right in between those right before!

At this moment checking colours was the last thing on her mind. She ran for the tree with all her speed.

A sudden curse. A typical sound of an arrow whizzing. A yelp! Now Rowen dared look back. There was blood, definitely, but the damn dog was still chasing her!

She squeaked and threw in the last of her reserves to climb up the first tree she encountered!

One branch up.
Two.
Cracking sounds! "Ohhhhh boy!" Quickly she moved to the third while the second snapped, even under her small weight. She balanced and grabbed one just a bit higher, lifting herself up by the arms and holding on to the branch for dear life while the nasty beast reached the tree, barking, snapping, growling and drooling like there was no tomorrow.

A little up ahead she saw Bin storming in, sword out.
Well, everything out.
Rowen's eyes grew big.
The man was stark naked!
Even under the insane circumstances she could not help but look him over. A good thing she was already flushed from the sprint for her life.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

As he got a better look at the thing, or at least a more armed, less vulnerable look at the animal, he could see it was just a large, black, bushy-furred dog. Still, it certainly seemed to be feral. It would need to be put down. The half-demon grit his teeth as he stepped on various pebbles and twigs. It slowed him down a bit, giving the dog a chance to start scrabbling at the trunk of Rowen’s tree, claws cutting into the bark.

Bin reached a patch of grass and sped up, sword still in hand. He got to the tree just as the creature was beginning to find purchase, its front paw hooking on the lowest branch. With no fanfare, Bin stuck his sword straight through the animal’s side, pushing it hard enough that it fell from the trunk of the tree. When the dog landed, it whined and struggled for only a few seconds before it stopped moving.

Now empty-handed, Bin looked up at Rowen. She looked unharmed, so he held out a hand to help her down from the tree. “Thanks, Rowen.” He didn’t say anything else, mostly because he was ashamed that he’d let the animal get the drop on him like that. He couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t made sure he could reach his blade. He’d been living out here on his own more than long enough to know how to bathe safely.

 

[Evayla]

"Ahhhhh SHIT!" Rowen squeaked as the damn dog actually got onto the first branch! Silently thanking the branch that had broken off the girl still pulled up her legs, looking for ways to get up into the tree a little higher!

Getting the attention of a wanna-be-demondog?
Bad idea.
REALLY bad idea!

Right then the sharp metal ran through the damned beast, making it fall down a lot faster than it had climbed up.

Her heart still racing Rowen just looked at the writhing animal on the ground, not moving until it had stopped any twitching.

"Owh man..." She breathed in relief. The hand was noted. It felt symbolical somehow. Even if it would be easier to climb down without taking it, she grabbed his hand, jumping down the last bit and landing right in front of him.

Naked him.
Very, very naked him.

Immediately she took a step back.

"Welcome." She mumbled, unable to keep the flush out of her face. Was it the adrenalin or just a healthy reaction from a healthy girl that got her to sneak a peek at his physique? Alright, red. But otherwise...pristine condition.
On all accounts.

She scraped her throat and looked over at his gear. "Um...better...gear up? Or somethin?"

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Rowen seemed shaken by the attack, which made sense. Bin was sure she had seen her share of violence living in town, but what happened in the wild was a different flavor. In the cities, a wild dog like that would have everyone fighting to stop it, but even the kinds of violence that people didn’t step in to stop were always noticed, witnessed. Out here, they were alone. Well, except for each other.

She had a point about gearing up, though. He didn’t want to be caught unarmed and unarmored again. “Yeah, I’m going to keep my gear in reach now.” He shook his head, embarrassed at needing the suggestion. He needed to do better. He was supposed to be the one who lived this life, and now he had someone tagging along, who needed looking after. Or at least, she was supposed to.

“You want to wash up?” He pointed behind himself with his thumb. “I don’t know if we’re going to be near a stream tomorrow night or not.” Bin hadn’t left Alkor toward Luftig before, so this was unfamiliar terrain. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. Rowen had an odd look on her face, and he didn’t think it was just the stress of the dog’s attack. Had his blunder made her wonder if she would be safe with him out here? That would be embarrassing.

Bin stood in front of her and laid his sword on the ground so he wouldn’t have to hold it while they talked. He would get his gear and finish bathing in just a moment. “What’s wrong? You seem...I don’t know…You’re not looking me in the eyes.”

 

[Evayla]

He wasn't hurrying.
Rowen didn't quite know where to look.
Why did the guy not just move already! Geez! It was hard to ignore that physique, especially after being curious enough already!

"Wash..uhhhh." Now that was sound advice. She blinked. That would mean undressing, ey? Well, she could ask him to look the other way. Hopefully. She really did want to clean up after all the sweaty business of the day.

Bin looked at her.
She blushed.
"Nothin wrong! Washin! Good plan! Be back in a bit! Will keep my stuff close! Yep!" Rambling much? Away she darted, feeling warm all over. Gods, what would he be thinking of her now?

She took a quick peek over her shoulder, found a relatively sheltered place close enough to be able to dive from the cover of some bushes into the water and back and followed suit. Off went the clothes and *splash* went the girl for possibly the speediest clean up ever, swiftly washing off the sweat from her wiry body. Rowen thanked her foresight in enjoying baggy clothes. Naked she would never pass for any kind of boy with her normally hidden curves.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Rowen was acting strangely, but he didn’t really understand it until he saw how far away she walked/swam to do her washing.

Modesty! I forgot about that. Bin had mostly grown up alone in the wilderness, but even in the brief time when his mother was raising him he was fairly certain he’d never seen her wear clothing. She was a demon, a creature born of chaos itself. Why would she wear clothes?

Bin didn’t really get it, but he knew humans could be weird about other people seeing them naked. That must’ve been it. She wanted to bathe in private and was embarrassed to say so. Shrugging, he grabbed his gear and put it on a flat rock near where he’d been washing before. He picked up his herbed lye soap and resumed scrubbing, making sure to get the mud off his feet from his fight with the dog.

He heard some splashing and rustling from Rowen’s direction, but he didn’t see her while he was washing, or when he walked out of the water and started getting dressed.

 

[Evayla]

It was nice, really, of the guy to behave and stay at a distance. Rowen wasn't sure what she'd expected. Having to fight for a little privacy? Having to swear at him?

None of that.
She enjoyed the moment.

Freshly washed, even if her clothes were still dusty enough, she felt a lot better. Her usually braided hair hung loose over her shoulders in order to dry properly. Much to her relief Bin was getting dressed too. Even if it didn't hurt to see those muscles move under his skin it confused her quite enough to be glad she did not have to think on that anymore!

"Good suggestion. Thanks. So, wild dog then, ya figure?" She frowned. Somewhere in her mind the girl was very aware an accident never traveled alone. "I mean...safe to actually eat some of the meat ya caught or...should we pull those belts a li'l closer and keep movin?"

He was the experienced traveler here. The only thing she knew about, was going hungry for a while!

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin’rahl strapped his sheathe to his belt and turned to Rowen. A flicker of a smile crossed his lips as he realized that she...actually looked pretty good with her hair down. Bin hadn’t been attracted to a human before. He tamped down those confusing feelings and nodded.

“Um, yeah...uh, I tracked that deer for a while. I’m not sure about the dog, but the deer’s not rabid. And the dog didn’t bite it, so let’s roast some for tonight and make jerky of the rest. How does that sound?”

He pulled the animal by its antlers and dragged it back to their camp with Rowen. Suddenly their sleeping arrangements seemed like a more fraught decision than it had before. All Bin could think was thank chaos he didn’t see her bathing. To keep his mind off her, he started butchering the animal and preparing the drying rack with fresh limbs from the nearby trees. Staying busy should keep his dick from thinking for him, at least that was his plan.

 

[Evayla]

The girl blew a strand of hair out of her face, or rather, tried. The wet hair was too heavy. She grimaced and moved her hand through her hair instead, then caught his smile.

Rowen grinned in return. "Wha? Did I catch a fish in my hair?"

A rabid dog, though...that was cause for concern. Her grey eyes moved over to the tree where the corpse remained. It had been a black dog. Coincidence? Goosebumps traveled over her arms.

"Right. Deer. Roast. Jerky. Good." A decisive nod.

Back at the camp the girl followed his movements, clearly intent on learning how to handle a fresh catch. "Why d'ya bleed it out first? How do ya knot that dryin rack? Whaddayado with antlers an skin? Tryin to keep it whole?" A million questions and then some as she tried to be helpful instead of being a useless addition.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

“Um…” Bin trailed off, unable to think of anything to say. He just kept working, beginning to clean the animal.

He started out answering Rowen’s questions patiently, but Bin hadn’t said so many words in his entire life. He was used to lonely nights on the road or out in the wild, not having someone constantly chirping in his ear about the best weather for drying jerky, or what kind of cuts to make with his knife.

He didn’t snap at her, didn’t refuse to answer her questions, but his mood soured. His answers got shorter and louder, less helpful. His face settled into his grumpy frown. Subverbal grumbles would come out of his mouth between words.

Once the meat was set up to dry, with the fresh portions set aside and thrown into stew, Bin pulled out his canteen and took a deep swig. His mouth was dry from so much speaking. Once he was done, he wiped his mouth on the back of his wrist and screwed the cap back on his canteen.

Part of him wanted to ask about the stew, since all he’d contributed to it was meat and water, but instead he sat down to see how much silence he could get.

 

[Evayla]

Uh oh.
She knew that shortening of sentences.
That politeness.
She'd seen it often enough.

Talkin too much again. Shit.

Rowen fell silent, stirring the pot and adding what herbs and berries she had managed to forage. She may not be a hunter, she'd gone without steady income or place to eat often enough to know what she could eat and what she should leave for the animals.

This was an entirely different kind of tension.
Not one she enjoyed.
But definitely one she could handle. She'd stayed silent often enough to avoid her father exploding on her.

The evening descended in silence. She sniffed the pot, then decided it was ready, handing the ladle to the guy. She'd not gone out to leave the city. The girl had no travel bowl and no clue if he did. He probably did. He looked like the kind of guy who was prepared for just about anything.

Anything but an idiot following him around. She almost giggled, shooting a stealthy look at the surly red man.
Almost.
What if he'd explode on her too?

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

When Rowen fell silent, Bin’rahl visibly relaxed, the tension leaving his shoulders. He finished the rest of the work with a smile, laying out the jerky, getting his tiny tent set up, and taking the ladle from Rowen to dish up the stew. He pulled out his bowl and was about to spoon some stew into it when he noticed that Rowen was just sitting there, waiting.

She doesn’t have a bowl. Of course she doesn’t.

Bin didn’t have a spare, but he did have enough in his belly to wait a few minutes. He didn’t want to, though. He paused, considering what to do. He was used to traveling alone, but part of him already wanted to accommodate her. Was he getting soft? Maybe, but she’d helped him with the dog. He could afford a little gratitude. He handed her his bowl without a word and bent down to pick up his empty canteen.

He walked off toward the stream, still not interested in breaking the silence.

 

[Evayla]

Okay, nothing about this was even remotely planned. Shit. Rowen grimaced at seeing the size of that small tent. She didn't mind sleeping under the stars. She usually did. Yet together with the bowl it made for another bit of discomfort she might be causing her red companion.

The girl blinked at the offered bowl. "Thanks." She mumbled. He still did not talk! He gotta think I'm terrible, heh. Woops. Sorry, mister demon, ya got stuck with the gal from hell.

Quickly the girl ate her fill to be able to hand the bowl back. Her eyes moved with Bin, though, wanting to make sure that this time around he did not get ambushed!

Once he got back she couldn't stand it anymore. "Am I really that sucky?" Curious eyes on the man.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin froze on his walk back into the camp. As soon as he got close enough to talk, Rowen looked up at him with wild eyes and pink cheeks. She sounded aggressive, almost accusing, and Bin didn’t know what she was even talking about. He gulped, brows lowered, eyes narrowed.

“Suck? E?” He shook his head. “Woman, what in chaos are you even talking about?”

Had he said something? While he waited for her to respond, he went about his business, laying his canteen by the tent and taking his bowl out of her hand.

 

[Evayla]

"NEVER mind..."

Alright, that settled it. The guy was clearly not suitable for any form of communication. Well fine, she'd manage! Next city or vaguely inhabited area they could split up without either of them having to feel guilty over it.

Except then she'd still not know if he would survive whatever stupid black dog owner was around wherever.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"Gnite." Rowen grumbled. She had no clue how to get through this night, really. They were out in the wild!
Well, semi-wild at the very least.
Shouldn't they set guard duty or something?

Well, he's so damn experienced. If he wants somethin like that, he better well tell me. I'm done tryin to read minds!

She took a spot near the tent and curled up in her cloak, back to the red man so he could eat without feeling disturbed by an actual living being.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin stood frozen, his mind trying to make sense of both of Rowen’s outbursts. She asks a question that doesn’t make sense, and when he points out that it doesn’t make any sense, she gives him the most sarcastic ‘nevermind’ he’s ever heard. What did he ever do to her? He blinked and shook his head to clear the fog.

Rowen was lying down next to the tent, curled up into her cloak. Well, that wasn’t going to work. Rowen didn’t want to start a conversation yet, though. Not after the last one had gone so poorly. Instead, he ate dinner and then went about preparing the campsite. He put everything from their meal, along with any supplies--anything that had a scent, in his pack and hung it from a nearby tree with their jerky, out of reach of most predators. Bin cleaned the campsite and put everything else they had in his tent, making sure his sword and bow were accessible. There were two things he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with, though. He wasn’t used to traveling with either a horse or a Rowen.

They would have to trust that the horse would make enough noise to wake him if anything attacked, but the Rowen was a different matter entirely.

Once he was ready to lie down, he walked next to her sleeping form and nudged her leg with his toe.

He felt awkward even saying anything, which didn’t really make sense. They were just trying to survive, so any awkwardness was just something they were both going to have to accept.

“If, uh, you’re not going to share the tent, then you should probably strap yourself to a branch. You know, just in case.” He ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair. “I’d just share the tent, though, if I were you.”

Should he tell her that he wasn’t going to try anything? Would that ease her mind, or just make her start thinking that he was lying about it? He tried to think of what to say if he did mention it, but for now he just stood there, mute and dumb.

 

[Evayla]

Rowen was not asleep.
She heard him go about the make shift camp as she pretended, feeling more guilty with every passing second. Not only was she complicating matters, but now she was apparently not using her brain and had him do all kinds of stuff she had not even thought of to take care of!

Once he poked her, she blinked and sat up. "Wha?" The girl half expected to be scoffed at.

The offer to share the tent came as a surprise. But it was an offer! Even advice! And she didn't like the branches idea!

"Okay." Quickly she scrambled to her feet and dove into the tent, rolling to the side as far as she could so there was room for the big man.

Should I say somethin? Meh. He don't like talkin. It just pisses him off. Geez. Just my luck.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Rowen had climbed into the tent so fast that Bin’rahl’s head spun. Or at least, it seemed that way to him. At least she had left him some room. He chuckled to himself. Having her around was...interesting. She helped take away the boredom of traveling alone, even if he didn’t know what to say, or even how to listen to so many words, especially when so many of them didn’t make any sense. Still, he was glad she was here.

He was in his leather pants and linen shirt, with his vest, armor, belt, and everything else on the floor of the tent. He got on the ground to crawl into the tiny space. There was no way to avoid touching Rowen. His arm slid up her body as he crawled, and then his hips. When he turned on his side, he was still pressed against her, with his back against the canvas of the tent. She had a pleasant smell to her, warm and earthy.

Bin wondered if he should turn around, to face away from her. He didn’t know what would be better. In the end, he just awkwardly said “goodnight,” and closed his eyes, trying to sleep.