Post by Amanita Vernia on Jun 16, 2005 22:23:22 GMT -5
The merchant and Venor are hunted in the Marsh
Amanita Vernia: There had not been a single night, since her arrival in Schendi, that nightmares had not found her. Even lost out in the marsh, sleeping in a nest of tall grass with Venor near, she was waken suddenly by a pinch in her stomach. Still dark, the three moons still somewhere above them and a fog lifting from the banks. She was covered by a sheet of sweat and it took a few moments to remind herself what had happened... to remember that her house was gone. She pulled her knees in tightly to her chest and pressed her chin against them, and that was when she saw it.... a light. At first glance it might of just been a firefly floating aimlessly, but as she followed it she realized it was no such insect. In silence she moved closer to the sleeping man and nudged his shoulder, keeping her voice soft. "Wake up.... there's something out there."
Debauched Caper: He awoke with only a slightly-deeper inhale, bringing those glassy reflections of his eyes open to turn them up to her, as he reached back over his shoulder, stretching his fingers through the grass partitions till his fingertips touched-to, and soon-wrapped the hilt of that Gladius, bringing it low by his hip as he rocked over onto the balls of his feet and a set palm, to breathe back at her. "Where."
Amanita Vernia: Her hand lifted slowly to point in the direction she'd first seen the light. I was not visable at first as something blocked it from view, but a moment passed and the glint of a lantern could be seen. "There.." Fear was removed from her words, though the way she fell back, she was not as fearless as she had claimed to be within the walls of Silenti. Listening closely one could hear the movements of at least a dozen men and even the snout of a tharlaion. "It's Krakatoa... his men have tracked us." It was only a theory, but even so, the coming party would less likely be friendly even if she was wrong.
Debauched Caper: Nodding slowly, he thought about it. And...thought about it s'more, leaning further on his palm to eye that lantern, and try judging the distance, a tricky thing in the dark. "Okay. As I see it, they're either wading the waters, or on the shore. We can either move deeper into the marsh and risk moving away, or sit here, and risk getting found. Or, I could start running like a jit in the open and draw them off while you sit here or make a break." He glanced to her, grimacing a bit. "I'd just grab a reed, and sit under the edge of this island in the mud if it were just me."
Amanita Vernia: Those were the choices? As he announced them she saw the outcome of each ending unpleasantly. The Tharlarion would track them into the marsh, perhaps catch a few scratches by Venor's blade, but likely have them both for dinner. The only difference between running and staying put would be the amount of energy to fight them off. Venor could sacrifice himself, but they would still catch up with her, torture her until she gave up the journal and then kill her. Then there was the reed plan. She looked towards the bank, then back to Venor. "I've heard woman of high caste pay a great sum to be covered in mud in bath houses." She didin't even grimace when she said it, but started to crawl towards the edge of the little island and pray to the Kings nothing slithered into her robes while she was under... then again, Amanita wasn't the one who was squeamish to slithering creatures.
Debauched Caper: Feh, he shrugged, turning after her to move in her wake on that trio of limbs. "Women do crazy things; this can't be much worse..." And with a turn to a hip, he slid down into the water, taking his time about going in to the shoulders before wading out a pace or two, and taking two reeds under the water, scything the blade across their stalks with a bare quiver of the feathery tops, before he waded back, sinking the blade into the soft mud before he broke the heads off. "Alright...Both of these go in your mouth, and if you breathe slowly, you should be alright...It won't be much, but if you panic, it won't even help." Thus, he handed her both. "I'll go fetch mine while you settle in."
Amanita Vernia: "Why two?" The woman wasn't one to just accept his know-how without an explination, maybe she was stalling a little, but she had her eye on the lanterns and could tell from the sounds that the men were having just as much struggle getting through the marsh as they had, plus it was dark. The moons light gave some aid and Amanita was starting to slide into the mud at least to her neck making sure her robes didn't float up to the surface and give them away. They would never be white again, but that was the least of her worries.
Debauched Caper: "More air, now down!" He hissed at her, turning to glance over his shoulder to check the clear, before he waded out again and grabbed up another pair of reeds, snapping them off with a twist beneath the water's surface before he eased back in his wading, breaking off the tops to shake out the water, and tuck them in his teeth, pushing the mud aside behind him as he watched and waited.
Amanita Vernia: For a man who couldn't remember who he was, he sure sounded like an older brother. The hiss of irritation, the condescending tone of his voice and that feeling in her own stomach that made her want to take the reeds and stab him... but this wasn't the time for a sibling brawl. She gave her own snort before the reeds were placed in her mouth and slowly she lowered back into the muddy waters. Stay calm... it wouldn't take much to make a person panic. It was dark, even more than the simple dark of night, it was pitch black and the sounds of any movement echoed in her ear drums. She could hear Venor moving and whatever else was under the surface and they'd both have to wait long enough to be sure the danger had passed them by. Even run into the chance that the group might decide to camp where they had just been sleeping. Maybe they should of just given up... but that was one thing they had in common, determination.
Debauched Caper: Determination, and a good streak of stupidity that dulled good-sense and reason. Still, once he heard them wade nearer, he dipped lower, digging his hands back into the bank with a flinch at the tugged root on a nail or knuckle, till he had a firm grip with one hand, easing himself down with a light press of that other limb to the top of her chest as he pinched his lips shut, and eased down, blinking at the murky half-stinging waters while he settled. And waited.
Amanita Vernia: Waiting was a bitch and there was no way to see their enemy. They were literally stuck in the mud. It also wasn't the easiest thing keeping yourself underwater and breathing through two straws. Amanita had one hand over her nose so she wouldn't accidently breath in the mud and the other gripping the mushy ground below her, holding onto the plantlife that rooted itself in the marshy land. Her mind was racing now, from that somber of sleep to this, her heart was also racing as she heard the ground shaking. The tharalarion was getting closer, so were the men.
Debauched Caper: Thomp...Thomp...Thomp...Thomp...If only they knew how close indeed those massive feet had come; atop the island, those tre'-toed claws came to end, sinking into the soft dirt of the hillock they'd only just left, so it's rider could stand in the stirrups and sight along in the wan moonlight, squinting at the surroundings. Muted voices trickled their way down through the waters, mere murmers of the low yells a mere four paces behind their heads. "See anything?" the first yelled up to his comrade in the seat of the Tharlarion, shaking his head at the negative cut of the mans hand through the air, as if to clear a table. "Well, that isn't going to make the boss happy. How much further have we got before we quit this?" The latter of the two turned his head down, shrugging negligently before a yell from the shore broke the reverie. "You two! Stop slacking and look for signs of that damned woman. Our hunter can't make out anything more than they cut their way there. Any signs of a boat having come by?" The first man sneered, leaning back from beside the beast to yell back over the tail. "You tell me what to look for in a boat's wake, and I'll let you find it! Nobody's been here...Your hunters been had." Mm...A fortunate turn of events for the two. Beneath those waters, Venor's hand turned, holding to the woman's far-shoulder, helping her stay down and, with a light squeeze, calm as well as he watched the faint flicker of the lamp on it's staff roam out over the waters...The disturbed mud clouded them well-enough from below, but one step off the edge..
Amanita Vernia: That hand on her shoulder might of been mistaken for some critter trying to burrow it's way into her robes, luckily Amanita wasn't as jumpy as some and though blind to tell what it was at first, she didn't react. She kept breathing trying to calm her racing heart, but she also felt the adrenaline starting to intoxicate her body. It had come during the attack on the house, though she was blind to see most of the damage until they were running into the marshes and the fire spotted. They were on the run now, only a matter of time to get to the river where Arculieus would hold the boat as long as he could. He wouldn't leave her... would he? A cloud of doubt seeped into her mind as she lay under the surface with the hunters of Krakatoa lurking over them on the hill's peak. There were also men walking along the edge poking the water with their spears. The stabbing sound could be heard, getting closer and closer. She tightened her grip on those weeds below. The spear shot down so close, but missed her by some miracle.
Debauched Caper: A miracle, Venor himself wasn't privvy to. The spear sunk, and bit into him with enough force that he tightened, slamming those eyes shut as his fingers spasmed in a clench on her shoulder, biting deep as his teeth bit into the reeds....But it came out from low on his side soon enough, not leaving the waters before it sunk again, further along in the muck and mud, leaving him to bleed..."Alright, enough of that. Our hunter says he might know the trick they pulled, so we'll double-back. Walk the animal out into the edge of the marsh and yell it you see anything." The returned "Aii, Sir,"'s was brief, and caught in a groan...But the man atop the hillock turned the beast, stepping it off with a deep splash of waters back along their cuttings, well off to their side, to make it's way off, the man aside it grumbling as he slid down the bank in it's wake, to slog his own way, doing much the same as they had with his own blade through the grasses...As for Venor, he was already coming up, forcing himself to move slowly despite the hard sting of that stab till his head broke water, and he could get his eyes clear, blinking at the fresh sting of the air, before he could rise his nose out, tugging at her robes before resting his hand on her shoulder, limiting that rise to 'slow'....Last thing we needed was for the woman to ruin a good hide, by splashing around and gasping.
Amanita Vernia: Just as she was breathing a sigh of relief she heard the spear stab again and while the trained man was able to keep himself quite so the hunter above didn't detect that his spear had sliced into anything more than some plantlife, she felt his finger tips clench her shoulder and knew it had struck him. The urge to console him was resisted knowing that it would give them away and cause them both even more pain. She might of been impractical at times and stubborn, but she wasn't stupid. When the men of Krakatoa finally cleared the area she waited for Venor's signal to come up and did so slowly. She had to wipe away the mud from her eyes before she could see him, keeping low just incase and spitting what mud had gotten in her mouth out without much sputtering or splashing. She was a free woman, yes, but she was not unfamiliar with the outdoors. These marshes had been her backyard, same as his, growing up. Looking over the grass she watched the lanterns move back the same way they had come, then back to Venor. "How deep?" she asked softly looking to see if there was any blood yet. It was one thing to escape the humans, it would be another to get through the marsh leaving a blood trail and not having any animals be able to follow it.
Debauched Caper: "Too deep," was all he'd say at the moment, before he glanced behind them the way they'd be going, before he flinched, tentatively probing about the wound beneath the waters, sighing..."We need to get on the dry land and make a run for it. I can't stay in these waters without bleeding out. As it stands, these dirty waters aren't going to help matters...I should be fine for the next few ahn', but after that." He just seethed a sigh through his teeth, shaking his head. "We need to get somewhere soon with something to stem the infection." And he rose up a bit further, clearing his waist from the waters in his crouch to show the wet wrap about his hips seeping an almost instantaneous line of watery crimson, pushing the heel of his palm to the gaping rent..."I think if we just, keep our legs under the water and move carefully, we shouldn't attract attention." And he fell into his own words with a turn from her, dipping lower into the waters to begin wading ahead in an angle for those shores, using his hand beneath the waters to speed himself along.
Amanita Vernia: That wasn't the answer she wanted to hear... too deep and he didn't even have to look at it to know. While he dictated the plan to move she pulled what she could of her robes out of the mud and started ripping a long strip off the the bottom. She wouldn't remove them to make it easier on her to get through the marshes, but she would use the fabric to help keep his wound from bleeding as much. She could see he was already shifting gears, turning back into the beast who broke into Silenti and killed the two guards. Instinct told him to move or he would die out here... in truth, he might die either way if the wound got infected. "Wait.." before he would take off she squeezed all the water she could from the torn fabric and stepped in front of him to wrap it around his torso.
Debauched Caper: Glancing down on her as she came around, he frowned....This was a waste of time, in his mind; but, still, he lifted his arms somewhat, giving her the room to do what the thought needed doing. "Make it tight...Tighter the better." Not that he really needed to say as much, but once she finished, he thumbed it a bit before nodding, just lifting the blade from the waters with a flick of the main wet from it's steel, before he thumbed one side loose, pushing it through as an impromptu belt before stepping around her, making for the shore. "How far are we from where we need to be, do you think."
Amanita Vernia: She had it snug when he instructed tigher, she gave it another yank before tying it off. Maybe it seemed like a waste, but a few drops of blood here and there would have them being chased by more than just the hunting party. She didn't bother adding any words to console him, not even a pat on the back for coming up with the plan that saved them, but that just wasn't her way. She expected Venor to know his way around the jungle and his question as to how far they had left to go brought her brow to crane. "If I had to guess... I'd say we're about halfway. If we move fast we can make it to the river before midday."
Debauched Caper: Nodding contemplatively, he glanced overhead...The cloud-cover didn't help, but he got a general idea of the time, heaving a sigh as he came to the banks and, glancing behind them the way they'd come...He climbed, digging through the mud before he could get topside, and step out a bit into the solid mass of land. "Then, mid-day...Something close to, seven pasang, you'd say? Walking?" Turning his eye to her.
Amanita Vernia: The last thing Amanita would admit was that she didn't know so she just nodded in agreement. It felt more like 14 pasangs that they walked already, but this was from a woman who'd not left her home in nearly six months. She had planned to take an expedition, but most of this was to be done on the water or with slaves to carry her, not on foot. They had at least gotten some sleep, but now it was time to start moving and hope that the hunters didn't decide to turn back around as soon as their trail in the opposite direction grew cold. She climbed out of the mud, but didn't bother trying to wipe any more of it off, she just couldn't wait to get to the river to wash, maybe that would be some added incentive to walk quickly. She should be able to at least keep up with a wounded man.
Debauched Caper: "Then we jog. We've two ahn' left of dark before the sun comes up; we need to be at least half of the way out from here." And, without another word in edgewise, he fell into that gentle lope...Though it was severely cut back to let him glimpse back occaisonally, and check her own progress. The woman likely couldn't run to save her soul, but this...Well. We'd see how far they got at the dawn.
Amanita Vernia: There had not been a single night, since her arrival in Schendi, that nightmares had not found her. Even lost out in the marsh, sleeping in a nest of tall grass with Venor near, she was waken suddenly by a pinch in her stomach. Still dark, the three moons still somewhere above them and a fog lifting from the banks. She was covered by a sheet of sweat and it took a few moments to remind herself what had happened... to remember that her house was gone. She pulled her knees in tightly to her chest and pressed her chin against them, and that was when she saw it.... a light. At first glance it might of just been a firefly floating aimlessly, but as she followed it she realized it was no such insect. In silence she moved closer to the sleeping man and nudged his shoulder, keeping her voice soft. "Wake up.... there's something out there."
Debauched Caper: He awoke with only a slightly-deeper inhale, bringing those glassy reflections of his eyes open to turn them up to her, as he reached back over his shoulder, stretching his fingers through the grass partitions till his fingertips touched-to, and soon-wrapped the hilt of that Gladius, bringing it low by his hip as he rocked over onto the balls of his feet and a set palm, to breathe back at her. "Where."
Amanita Vernia: Her hand lifted slowly to point in the direction she'd first seen the light. I was not visable at first as something blocked it from view, but a moment passed and the glint of a lantern could be seen. "There.." Fear was removed from her words, though the way she fell back, she was not as fearless as she had claimed to be within the walls of Silenti. Listening closely one could hear the movements of at least a dozen men and even the snout of a tharlaion. "It's Krakatoa... his men have tracked us." It was only a theory, but even so, the coming party would less likely be friendly even if she was wrong.
Debauched Caper: Nodding slowly, he thought about it. And...thought about it s'more, leaning further on his palm to eye that lantern, and try judging the distance, a tricky thing in the dark. "Okay. As I see it, they're either wading the waters, or on the shore. We can either move deeper into the marsh and risk moving away, or sit here, and risk getting found. Or, I could start running like a jit in the open and draw them off while you sit here or make a break." He glanced to her, grimacing a bit. "I'd just grab a reed, and sit under the edge of this island in the mud if it were just me."
Amanita Vernia: Those were the choices? As he announced them she saw the outcome of each ending unpleasantly. The Tharlarion would track them into the marsh, perhaps catch a few scratches by Venor's blade, but likely have them both for dinner. The only difference between running and staying put would be the amount of energy to fight them off. Venor could sacrifice himself, but they would still catch up with her, torture her until she gave up the journal and then kill her. Then there was the reed plan. She looked towards the bank, then back to Venor. "I've heard woman of high caste pay a great sum to be covered in mud in bath houses." She didin't even grimace when she said it, but started to crawl towards the edge of the little island and pray to the Kings nothing slithered into her robes while she was under... then again, Amanita wasn't the one who was squeamish to slithering creatures.
Debauched Caper: Feh, he shrugged, turning after her to move in her wake on that trio of limbs. "Women do crazy things; this can't be much worse..." And with a turn to a hip, he slid down into the water, taking his time about going in to the shoulders before wading out a pace or two, and taking two reeds under the water, scything the blade across their stalks with a bare quiver of the feathery tops, before he waded back, sinking the blade into the soft mud before he broke the heads off. "Alright...Both of these go in your mouth, and if you breathe slowly, you should be alright...It won't be much, but if you panic, it won't even help." Thus, he handed her both. "I'll go fetch mine while you settle in."
Amanita Vernia: "Why two?" The woman wasn't one to just accept his know-how without an explination, maybe she was stalling a little, but she had her eye on the lanterns and could tell from the sounds that the men were having just as much struggle getting through the marsh as they had, plus it was dark. The moons light gave some aid and Amanita was starting to slide into the mud at least to her neck making sure her robes didn't float up to the surface and give them away. They would never be white again, but that was the least of her worries.
Debauched Caper: "More air, now down!" He hissed at her, turning to glance over his shoulder to check the clear, before he waded out again and grabbed up another pair of reeds, snapping them off with a twist beneath the water's surface before he eased back in his wading, breaking off the tops to shake out the water, and tuck them in his teeth, pushing the mud aside behind him as he watched and waited.
Amanita Vernia: For a man who couldn't remember who he was, he sure sounded like an older brother. The hiss of irritation, the condescending tone of his voice and that feeling in her own stomach that made her want to take the reeds and stab him... but this wasn't the time for a sibling brawl. She gave her own snort before the reeds were placed in her mouth and slowly she lowered back into the muddy waters. Stay calm... it wouldn't take much to make a person panic. It was dark, even more than the simple dark of night, it was pitch black and the sounds of any movement echoed in her ear drums. She could hear Venor moving and whatever else was under the surface and they'd both have to wait long enough to be sure the danger had passed them by. Even run into the chance that the group might decide to camp where they had just been sleeping. Maybe they should of just given up... but that was one thing they had in common, determination.
Debauched Caper: Determination, and a good streak of stupidity that dulled good-sense and reason. Still, once he heard them wade nearer, he dipped lower, digging his hands back into the bank with a flinch at the tugged root on a nail or knuckle, till he had a firm grip with one hand, easing himself down with a light press of that other limb to the top of her chest as he pinched his lips shut, and eased down, blinking at the murky half-stinging waters while he settled. And waited.
Amanita Vernia: Waiting was a bitch and there was no way to see their enemy. They were literally stuck in the mud. It also wasn't the easiest thing keeping yourself underwater and breathing through two straws. Amanita had one hand over her nose so she wouldn't accidently breath in the mud and the other gripping the mushy ground below her, holding onto the plantlife that rooted itself in the marshy land. Her mind was racing now, from that somber of sleep to this, her heart was also racing as she heard the ground shaking. The tharalarion was getting closer, so were the men.
Debauched Caper: Thomp...Thomp...Thomp...Thomp...If only they knew how close indeed those massive feet had come; atop the island, those tre'-toed claws came to end, sinking into the soft dirt of the hillock they'd only just left, so it's rider could stand in the stirrups and sight along in the wan moonlight, squinting at the surroundings. Muted voices trickled their way down through the waters, mere murmers of the low yells a mere four paces behind their heads. "See anything?" the first yelled up to his comrade in the seat of the Tharlarion, shaking his head at the negative cut of the mans hand through the air, as if to clear a table. "Well, that isn't going to make the boss happy. How much further have we got before we quit this?" The latter of the two turned his head down, shrugging negligently before a yell from the shore broke the reverie. "You two! Stop slacking and look for signs of that damned woman. Our hunter can't make out anything more than they cut their way there. Any signs of a boat having come by?" The first man sneered, leaning back from beside the beast to yell back over the tail. "You tell me what to look for in a boat's wake, and I'll let you find it! Nobody's been here...Your hunters been had." Mm...A fortunate turn of events for the two. Beneath those waters, Venor's hand turned, holding to the woman's far-shoulder, helping her stay down and, with a light squeeze, calm as well as he watched the faint flicker of the lamp on it's staff roam out over the waters...The disturbed mud clouded them well-enough from below, but one step off the edge..
Amanita Vernia: That hand on her shoulder might of been mistaken for some critter trying to burrow it's way into her robes, luckily Amanita wasn't as jumpy as some and though blind to tell what it was at first, she didn't react. She kept breathing trying to calm her racing heart, but she also felt the adrenaline starting to intoxicate her body. It had come during the attack on the house, though she was blind to see most of the damage until they were running into the marshes and the fire spotted. They were on the run now, only a matter of time to get to the river where Arculieus would hold the boat as long as he could. He wouldn't leave her... would he? A cloud of doubt seeped into her mind as she lay under the surface with the hunters of Krakatoa lurking over them on the hill's peak. There were also men walking along the edge poking the water with their spears. The stabbing sound could be heard, getting closer and closer. She tightened her grip on those weeds below. The spear shot down so close, but missed her by some miracle.
Debauched Caper: A miracle, Venor himself wasn't privvy to. The spear sunk, and bit into him with enough force that he tightened, slamming those eyes shut as his fingers spasmed in a clench on her shoulder, biting deep as his teeth bit into the reeds....But it came out from low on his side soon enough, not leaving the waters before it sunk again, further along in the muck and mud, leaving him to bleed..."Alright, enough of that. Our hunter says he might know the trick they pulled, so we'll double-back. Walk the animal out into the edge of the marsh and yell it you see anything." The returned "Aii, Sir,"'s was brief, and caught in a groan...But the man atop the hillock turned the beast, stepping it off with a deep splash of waters back along their cuttings, well off to their side, to make it's way off, the man aside it grumbling as he slid down the bank in it's wake, to slog his own way, doing much the same as they had with his own blade through the grasses...As for Venor, he was already coming up, forcing himself to move slowly despite the hard sting of that stab till his head broke water, and he could get his eyes clear, blinking at the fresh sting of the air, before he could rise his nose out, tugging at her robes before resting his hand on her shoulder, limiting that rise to 'slow'....Last thing we needed was for the woman to ruin a good hide, by splashing around and gasping.
Amanita Vernia: Just as she was breathing a sigh of relief she heard the spear stab again and while the trained man was able to keep himself quite so the hunter above didn't detect that his spear had sliced into anything more than some plantlife, she felt his finger tips clench her shoulder and knew it had struck him. The urge to console him was resisted knowing that it would give them away and cause them both even more pain. She might of been impractical at times and stubborn, but she wasn't stupid. When the men of Krakatoa finally cleared the area she waited for Venor's signal to come up and did so slowly. She had to wipe away the mud from her eyes before she could see him, keeping low just incase and spitting what mud had gotten in her mouth out without much sputtering or splashing. She was a free woman, yes, but she was not unfamiliar with the outdoors. These marshes had been her backyard, same as his, growing up. Looking over the grass she watched the lanterns move back the same way they had come, then back to Venor. "How deep?" she asked softly looking to see if there was any blood yet. It was one thing to escape the humans, it would be another to get through the marsh leaving a blood trail and not having any animals be able to follow it.
Debauched Caper: "Too deep," was all he'd say at the moment, before he glanced behind them the way they'd be going, before he flinched, tentatively probing about the wound beneath the waters, sighing..."We need to get on the dry land and make a run for it. I can't stay in these waters without bleeding out. As it stands, these dirty waters aren't going to help matters...I should be fine for the next few ahn', but after that." He just seethed a sigh through his teeth, shaking his head. "We need to get somewhere soon with something to stem the infection." And he rose up a bit further, clearing his waist from the waters in his crouch to show the wet wrap about his hips seeping an almost instantaneous line of watery crimson, pushing the heel of his palm to the gaping rent..."I think if we just, keep our legs under the water and move carefully, we shouldn't attract attention." And he fell into his own words with a turn from her, dipping lower into the waters to begin wading ahead in an angle for those shores, using his hand beneath the waters to speed himself along.
Amanita Vernia: That wasn't the answer she wanted to hear... too deep and he didn't even have to look at it to know. While he dictated the plan to move she pulled what she could of her robes out of the mud and started ripping a long strip off the the bottom. She wouldn't remove them to make it easier on her to get through the marshes, but she would use the fabric to help keep his wound from bleeding as much. She could see he was already shifting gears, turning back into the beast who broke into Silenti and killed the two guards. Instinct told him to move or he would die out here... in truth, he might die either way if the wound got infected. "Wait.." before he would take off she squeezed all the water she could from the torn fabric and stepped in front of him to wrap it around his torso.
Debauched Caper: Glancing down on her as she came around, he frowned....This was a waste of time, in his mind; but, still, he lifted his arms somewhat, giving her the room to do what the thought needed doing. "Make it tight...Tighter the better." Not that he really needed to say as much, but once she finished, he thumbed it a bit before nodding, just lifting the blade from the waters with a flick of the main wet from it's steel, before he thumbed one side loose, pushing it through as an impromptu belt before stepping around her, making for the shore. "How far are we from where we need to be, do you think."
Amanita Vernia: She had it snug when he instructed tigher, she gave it another yank before tying it off. Maybe it seemed like a waste, but a few drops of blood here and there would have them being chased by more than just the hunting party. She didn't bother adding any words to console him, not even a pat on the back for coming up with the plan that saved them, but that just wasn't her way. She expected Venor to know his way around the jungle and his question as to how far they had left to go brought her brow to crane. "If I had to guess... I'd say we're about halfway. If we move fast we can make it to the river before midday."
Debauched Caper: Nodding contemplatively, he glanced overhead...The cloud-cover didn't help, but he got a general idea of the time, heaving a sigh as he came to the banks and, glancing behind them the way they'd come...He climbed, digging through the mud before he could get topside, and step out a bit into the solid mass of land. "Then, mid-day...Something close to, seven pasang, you'd say? Walking?" Turning his eye to her.
Amanita Vernia: The last thing Amanita would admit was that she didn't know so she just nodded in agreement. It felt more like 14 pasangs that they walked already, but this was from a woman who'd not left her home in nearly six months. She had planned to take an expedition, but most of this was to be done on the water or with slaves to carry her, not on foot. They had at least gotten some sleep, but now it was time to start moving and hope that the hunters didn't decide to turn back around as soon as their trail in the opposite direction grew cold. She climbed out of the mud, but didn't bother trying to wipe any more of it off, she just couldn't wait to get to the river to wash, maybe that would be some added incentive to walk quickly. She should be able to at least keep up with a wounded man.
Debauched Caper: "Then we jog. We've two ahn' left of dark before the sun comes up; we need to be at least half of the way out from here." And, without another word in edgewise, he fell into that gentle lope...Though it was severely cut back to let him glimpse back occaisonally, and check her own progress. The woman likely couldn't run to save her soul, but this...Well. We'd see how far they got at the dawn.
