In a hurry }{ ~OPEN~ :)

[Kilaray]

When there was no initial response, Jarrah turned to head back in the direction he’d come from. He hadn’t expected to find the lad, so he supposed he might as well figure out what he was going to do for the night. Now that this entire group of mercenaries was taken care of, he didn't have to be in such a rush to get out of here. It would be at least a couple weeks before the next band caught up to him.

A moment later he came to a stop, a bit startled when he did hear the familiar voice. He glanced off in another direction, but he couldn't see Kit anywhere. It was a little unnerving how the sound carried in this forest once dark began to settle in. He couldn’t tell which way to look for the boy, since the words sounded like they came from several directions and had an odd disquieting echo to them.

Even so, he tried to brush it off. It was still proving tricky to stay on his feet in his weariness, and he had to ready himself for flack from the kid for his earlier behavior. “It’s Jarrah, Kit,” he called. “Can you come out, please? I need to talk to you.”

[boomdeboom]

".....Jarrah?"

Saying to himself, becoming quite confused, he didn't doubt that it wasn't Jarrah, it was definitely his voice. The only thing that troubled him slightly was why he was here. Hadn't he gone off in the opposite direction? Perhaps he was the one who had helped him when he was attacked by those men.

Hesitating at first, Kit then stepped out of the shadow of the tree, standing it front of the medic. By now his shaggy sandy brown hair now had random twigs and leaves sticking out of it, and of course his once clean face had now become dirty once more. And his green eyes, the pupils were now wide with both fear and adrenaline. Dropping the rock he had in his hand, letting the echo of its fall to break the silence before he spoke slowly, the confusion easy to find in his tone.

". .Why are you here? I thought you left?" Being careful not to show any emotion, besides confusion, Kit was slightly glad he had returned. He wasn't sure of why, since he tried not to get emotionally attached with anyone, but it seemed like he was meeting a close family member after a good few years, even though it had been only hours since he had last seen Jarrah.

[Kilaray]

Had the situation been different, Jarrah might have made a wise-crack at the boy's appearance to loosen him up. But he knew when such a thing was inappropriate, so he held his tongue. Instead, in answer to Kit's question, he tried to force a smile but failed to completely mask the guilt he still felt from pulling the kid into this.

"Yeah..." he said quietly, waiting for the anger he was sure the other was hiding, "but it's kind of unfair to dump my messes on you, isn't it?" He wasn't going to mention the only reason he came back at first was to finish what he came into town for in the first place - he could just about imagine what the kid would think of that.

He winced as he moved to dig in his bag, the discomfort in his shoulder and side growing from the recent physical exertion. Bringing out the boy's dagger, he approached Kit and held it out. "That, and I forgot to return this. It's yours, right?"

[boomdeboom]

"Psh, I can handle myself. . .heh, just look at me." Deciding to break the slightly awkward atmosphere that seemed to surround the two, he stretched out his arms, giving a bright grin, although a pain which shot through him made him grimace slightly. As he was bringing down his arms, he felt something in his hair, and to his surprise and embarrassment, he felt the several twigs which were embedded in his locks, to which he began to pick them out rather quickly.

Pausing, a twig in his hand, Kit looked towards Jarrah and spotted the familiar dagged in his hand. Taking a few steps forward, breaking the distance between the two, he slowly took it. Holding it up, he examined him, a smile on his lips. Placing it casually in the rim of his trouser line, he gave his thanks, a firm smile on his lips.

"Thanks, it looks great." Although he should have been slightly angry at the way he had left him when he was in no condition to fight, he wasn't. Kit wasn't a person to hold grudges against anyone, and he understood why Jarrah had left. It was for the best, just that it had gotten complicated.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he then raised an eyebrow as he asked curiously, since the question had been on his mind for some time now.

"Hey. . .was it you that stopped those guys earlier?"

[Kilaray]

This was...strange. Jarrah was so accustomed to negative reactions in similar situations, whether it be the cold shoulder or getting his head chewed off, that he didn't know how to react to the boy's lack of anger. It surprised him, and he didn't bother to hide it.

When Kit asked his question, he nodded, smile still absent despite the other's attempt to lighten things up. While he appreciated what the lad was trying to do, it didn't make him feel any better.

"Yeah. Though they're after me, I knew they'd settle for you just because you helped me out yesterday. That's why i - " He cut himself off and glanced elsewhere, suddenly unable to keep eye contact with the boy. "That's...why I behaved like I did. I was hoping if I made you angry enough, you'd want to leave town and be gone before the hunters could catch up."

[boomdeboom]

Nothing that he was acting rather odd, almost surprised, Kit couldn't help but ask why. Did he expect him to get mad or something? It was something which puzzled the teen, making him scrunch his eyebrows together in confusion.

Of course, his reply made his eyebrow raise. Needless to say he was rather surprised. Then, with a laughter, he said, a grin on his lips.

"Well, you did make me pretty angry at first I have to admit, 'couse I didn't hold it against you for too long. Heh, guess it was my own bad luck that I got caught out with those two guys then." Feeling weary from the days events, Kit sat down on the ground, leaning his back against a tree bark. Scratching his scalp, thinking to himself that he needed to have a wash soon, he then gave a soft sigh as he closed his eyes.

"Thanks, you kind of saved my life there, I don't think I would have held out for very long if it wasn't for you. I suppose that's what I get for skipping breakfast today." At the mention of 'breakfast', his stomach gave a loud growl of hunger, causing a slight flush to appear on his cheeks as he chuckled, patting his stomach as if by doing so it would no longer be .

[Kilaray]

If the lack of negativity caught Jarrah off guard before, the laughter really threw him for a loop. He didn't understand - why wasn't this kid getting angry with him? It wasn't a reaction the medic was completely inclined to believe, as it was the first time it had happened in the ten years he'd been on the run.

Sure, sometimes folks' behavior towards him was more mild. But they always expressed at least a noticeable hint of frustration or resentment whenever something occurred involving the hunters. Hell, sometimes he had needed to ward off acts of physical violence when people got really upset with him.

But the lad wasn't even showing that much. For heaven's sake, he laughed! This was completely foreign territory for Jarrah, and he hadn't the slightest idea what to make of it.

His thoughts wandered when Kit spoke again. As far as he was concerned, the lad shouldn't be thanking him - it was the medic's carelessness that got the boy involved, after all. Even so, Jarrah gave a short nod to acknowledge the remark before glancing off in another direction. Kit's talkative stomach had drawn his attention back to the situation at hand.

It wasn't quite dusk yet, so Denidra should still be up, right? It had been a couple years since Jarrah last swung by her place. He tried not to frequent her residence too often, lest Alaron find out about her and try to use her to get to him. But it should be all right to stop by a short while. Kit could obviously use a place to crash for a bit, and Jarrah knew she wouldn't turn him away.

The medic was well aware he should probably spend the night there, himself. Exhaustion was creeping up on him rather quickly. It wouldn't be long and he would just have to pass out. But while it was true he didn't have to be in a rush to get a move on, he didn't want to hang around the boy any longer than necessary.

Not because he didn't like the kid. Rather, Jarrah knew his self-imposed solitude would at some point cause him to unconsciously break the rule he had set for himself about staying emotionally disconnected with people. In a sense, such was the case already with Denidra. He couldn't let it happen again until something was done about Alaron. His situation was too dangerous to risk the safety of anyone he might otherwise have befriended along the way.

He could drop the lad off at Denidra's, stay himself until after darkness set in, then sneak off once the other two turned in for the night. Kit probably wouldn't much appreciate being ditched a second time, but...

Turning his attention back to the teen, the medic managed to work up the slightest of smiles, though his uncertainty of Kit's earlier reaction still impeded his usual cheery demeanor. Motioning behind him he said, "If you don't mind a bit of a walk, I know someone who lives a short distance from here. You could clean up and get something to eat at her place. She lives alone, so I know she won't mind some company."

[boomdeboom]

Staring up at the medic whom seem to be thinking quite hard, he felt slightly confused. Was it something he said that caused him to go into such deep thoughts? Trying to remember anything he said, Kit decided that it couldn't be what he said, as he said nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps it was something he did? But, what did he do? These thoughts made a slight frown appear on his lips as his own thoughts began to deepen, but he soon snapped out of it as he heard Jarrah's voice once more.

Slightly surprised by the offer, since he was planning to go to sleep out in the forest somewhere, he still was quick to accept, the thought of a bed being quick tempting at the moment, and since it was somewhere reasonbly safe, it appealed to him all the more. So, slowly he raised himself from the ground, brushing off his backside which was probably dirty from the earth. He probably looked like a right mess, and this person whom Jarrah was taking him too would probably think the same. Being usually quite sensitive to what people thought, Kit almost wanted to go to a river and have a quick wash, but he decided against it. For one, he wasn't sure how long his legs would continue to carry him for, so it was probably best he went to the strangers house.

Stretching his numb arms, letting out a loud yawn, Kit gave a nod, giving a small smile towards Jarrah as he once more thanked him.

"Sure, that would be great, thanks."

[Kilaray]

The house was less than a mile away, so it didn’t take long to get there. It was a simple little place nestled in amongst the trees, not easily visible from the main road yet at the same time not really hidden. Behind the house one could see a small barn with a stable, the occasional whinny hinting at the presence of at least a few horses inside.

At first there was no response when Jarrah pounded on the door. It didn’t surprise him. Denidra tended to spend quite a bit of time in town. But he knew she was home - he could hear shuffling around inside and a lantern was faintly visible through the front window. She was simply choosing to not to answer. That wasn’t unusual, either.

Smirking, he pounded on the door one more time and called out, “Come on, Deni! Stop being such a recluse! It’s me!” This was how he almost always ended up letting her know he was around, as she had told him once she didn’t like to answer the door if she wasn’t expecting company. He no sooner finished speaking than he heard the footsteps pick up speed and the door flew open.

The individual who came barreling through the doorway might have looked like a six-year-old human girl had it not been for the butterfly-like wings protruding from her back. Her hair and eyes were an odd color - a light blue so pale they were almost white - but otherwise she appeared fairly normal and childish. She wasn’t very tall, either, maybe half of Jarrah’s height. Her blouse and skirt reflected the faerie race’s tendency to favor bright colorful clothing, making her easy to see in the increasing twilight.

With a high-pitched squeal, Denidra plowed into the medic with such force she almost knocked him backwards off the porch. He kept his balance only because his hand caught hold of a post. At the present moment she didn’t seem to notice there was a second person nearby as she hugged him with a strength unexpected of her small frame.

She also couldn’t see the bandages wrapped around his midsection since they were hidden by his shirt, so he did his best to keep from wincing when she hit the injury head-on. She liked to put up a fuss whenever he “got himself in trouble,” as she put it. A lecture was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now.

“It’s about time you showed up. I was starting to think they got you.” Before Jarrah could respond, she pulled away and jumped up to hover in midair and get right in his face. Her expression shifted into one of irritation and maybe slight anger. “Next time don’t make me wait so long!” she spat. “Visits don’t require an invite, you know!”

Jarrah could only offer an uneasy apologetic grin and shrugged. He knew better than to offer any kind of rebuttal. Denidra may have been childish in appearance, but she could be scary when she felt like it.

Her attention averted, anyway, when she finally noticed the teenager nearby. Curious, her irritation faded in a flash as she glanced the boy over. She flew around him a couple times, taking in his disheveled appearance. Other than curiosity, her expression remained indiscernible as she hovered in front of him, invading personal space as she had with the medic. Clearly it didn’t bother her if she made anyone uncomfortable. “So who’s this?”

[boomdeboom]

Once they arrived at the house, Kit couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, thinking that he wouldn't have been able to walk for another minute. The house seemed rather friendly, which calmed his nerves slightly, as he was usually nervous when meeting new people. Also, the faint sound of what he presumed to be horses in the stable behind also gave him a sense of comfort, as he remembered the days which he had borrowed a horse to travel with. Those days seemed a long time ago. How long was it now. Two, maybe three years?

He put a stop to his random thoughts as he saw the door swing open. Of course, what he saw surprised him immensely. Perhaps it was because he had pictured a middle aged woman since that was what he got from the surroundings and the fact that it was a lone house. But to see...a six year old? To see such a young girl out here on her own, well it surprised him quite a lot to say the least. Of course, the fact that she also had wings made his mouth drop slightly. This had been the first time he had seen such a person. Was this a fairy of some sort?

Again, his thoughts came to a stop as he found his gaze followed the girl, whom flew around him quite a few of times. And then coming rather close to him suddenly, he backed away, stumbling over a rock as he did so but managed to regain his balance before he fell onto the ground. With a bright red blush on his dirty cheeks, he gave a quick bow of introduction, saying quickly.

"M-My name's Kit m-miss...I-I hope you don't mind me staying here for a bit!" Keeping his head bowed, he was not sure why he was so nervous. Maybe because after all that happened today, his nerves were on edge, and since he had become so surprised in the past few moments it just made him like this. Although, he was usually like this with new people. And it always embarrassed him later when he thought back to it, and no doubt he would also cringe at this.

[Kilaray]

Denidra raised an eyebrow when she was called ‘miss.’ Usually a person addressed her as ‘kid’ or some variation if they didn’t know her name, though many had no way of knowing that they were way off in assuming her age. So this human teenager struck her as a little strange, yet his manners - nervous though he was - were refreshing.

She started to respond to his remark about staying at her place. It wasn’t uncommon for Jarrah to stop by when he was in the area, so she figured the medic must have mentioned her tendency to offer travelers a place to crash for the night. However, her thoughts were cut off when she felt a tug on her collar and she was no longer supporting herself in midair.

Her wings’ movement came to an abrupt halt as she turned her head to give the medic a mock death stare. At the same time her limbs flailed about in a manner befitting the six-year-old she appeared to be. “Hey! Come on! What’re ya doing? Put me down!”

He decided to ignore the rant and simply held the girl up by her collar at arm’s length. Within a few seconds the faerie got the message. She knew he wouldn’t release her until she settled down and quit pestering the teen, so she stopped flailing but did cross her arms over her chest to pout, waiting to be put down.

Jarrah turned his attention to the boy, chuckling a little as he spoke. “Don’t let Denidra intimidate you, Kit. She’s kinda pushy, but she means well.”

The faerie poked her tongue out before turning to the stranger as well. Though she still hadn’t been released, her childish temperament evaporated quite quickly and she was all happy-go-lucky again. It was a little too obvious she was prone to mood swings. “Of course you can stay here! I like having company!”

[boomdeboom]

After feeling that her close presence went, he brought up his head and his gaze turned upwards, only to find that the faerie was now being held by Jarrah, acting rather childishly. It brought a smile to his face and caused him to laugh very softly under his breath. It still surprised him how such a young looking girl could survive out here on her own. She looked rather fragile. And weak. Of course, he had a feeling that she was not nearly as weak as she appeared to be. Having lasted out here in these woods, someone would need either a lot of luck or a lot of power.

Now straightening himself to his usual pose, Kit made himself less nervous and took slow breathes, again not really used to meeting anyone new. And to stay with them only a few moments after meeting them, well it didn't really surprise him how he felt so on edge.

"R-Right, sorry, I get a bit jittery around new people. ." Ending with a soft laugh, he rubbed the back of his neck, as if to comfort himself. He was sure Jarrah would remember how Kit acted when he first laid eyes on the medic. Quite shy to say the least.

Relieved that the faerie girl did not protest his presence, he again cracked a friendly smile and dipped his head slightly once more, his long bangs covering his eyes in the process. Once again, he thanked her. Yup, he was definitely going to bury his face in shame when he would think back at this.

"Thank you, I'll try not to be of too much trouble."

[Kilaray]

Denidra gave a subtle tug against the medic’s grip, a hint that she wanted him to release her. This he did with no further argument since it seemed she had brought her innate curiosity about Kit under control. For the moment, anyway. If it got the better of her again, Jarrah knew too well how numerous and intrusive her inquisitions could be. The questions weren’t meant to offend - she just didn’t seem to understand the meaning of the word ‘tact.’

Once her feet were back on the ground, the faerie all but skipped back into the house through the open front door. Spinning around, she put on a look of mock irritation, though the smirk and a quick flutter of her wings gave away that she was mostly teasing. “Well come on, boys! What are you waiting for, the apocalypse? Get in here!”

Jarrah couldn’t help laughing quietly as she turned again and disappeared further into the house. It was good that she was in such a bouncy mood - but she could stand to tone it down a notch. He did indeed remember Kit’s awkward shyness when speaking to someone he didn’t know, and Denidra could be a little overbearing. Hopefully she wouldn’t embarrass the kid too much.

Turning his attention to the teen, he gave a nod towards the open door before heading inside himself.

[boomdeboom]

Needless to say, in the short amount of minutes in which he and the faerie were introduced, Kit was quite intrigued by her. For someone so small, whom had the appearance of a child, she certainly had a rather large personality. Of course, she may be a good thousands years old or so, and she only appeared as a child, not actually being that age. This is what he assumed, since he knew faeries did live for quite a while, however he didn't ask her her age himself, mostly because he had a feeling it wouldn't go down well.

Hesitating at first, Kit sucked in a deep breath before he followed right behind Jarrah. Once inside the house, he couldn't help but feel at ease already as the warmth suddenly caressed him gently. he didn't realize how cold he had been, since the adrenaline had blocked out little things like that, but now he realized with a startle that he had been rather cold, and so his teeth chattered for a moment and a shiver ran up his spine before the warmth soaked through his body, causing his tense shoulders to relax slightly. The warmth also made his weariness grow, making his need for a bed, or somewhere to sleep on grow.

But, since he was curious, Kit began to look around the small house, always wondering what the house of a faerie looked like. Of course, he had always assumed that faeries lived in bushes or in the woods, which was what was said in stories about the species back at home all those years ago. He felt like an idiot for having such a foolish thought.

[Kilaray]

Once inside, Jarrah let the bag slip from his shoulder and drop to the floor. He leaned back against the wall with a quiet sigh to avoid simply flopping on the sofa and passing out. Denidra would start asking questions if he did that. A quick glance around the place proved that it was just the same as he had left it last - simple, furnished with the necessities, and surprisingly plain-looking. A complete contrast to the faerie's attachment to bright colors.

There was one exception, and it stood out very much against the bland wooden walls. A "painting" that hung over the fireplace that Denidra did herself many years earlier. She always acted so darn proud of the thing...when really all she did was toss buckets of paint and splatter it in the most random fashion possible. No art enthusiast would ever give it a second glance, but it was amusing to hear the faerie try to convince someone how many hours it took to do and how difficult it was to get just the right splatter.

He turned his attention towards the kitchen when he heard a series of loud clatters and Denidra rattling a bunch of curses in what he knew to be her native faerie tongue. She did that often, for she was quite the klutz when it came to cooking. Oh well. At least she hadn't burnt the place down. Yet. Give her time.

He chuckled a bit when she flittered back into the main room. One of the pots she had knocked over was resting upside down over her head almost covering her eyes. With her empathic abilities she had probably sensed earlier both his and Kit's weariness. The faerie had a tendency to act like a complete a goofball - more so than Jarrah ever did - to perk people back up. She wasn't embarrassed to make a fool of herself, that much was certain.

"You boys ?" she squeaked, all happy-go-lucky despite the fact she could barely see her visitors at the moment. "You're timing's perfect - I was just finishing dinner when you got here!"