Leafblade & Freelight: The Barracks

ooc: I'm horrible at coming up with female names by the way. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Rehan stared at her for a few seconds with his mouth slightly agape. Feeling his cheeks redden he looked away quickly and thought of what to say. She wants me to name her... I'm no good at this, she'll probably just laugh at me... Coughing a little at the awkward silence, his gray eyes looked at her again. "Well um... what about Acacia? I've heard stories that it is a beautiful tree that's covered in thorns." He didn't comment that the Acacia Tree was the name of the small golden tree around his neck.

[mistral4543]

"Acacia." The syllables tripped off her tongue comfortably, and already she felt at one with the name. "I'm so glad I entrusted you with this task, my dear. Couldn't have come up with anything better than that."

Clearing her throat after a momentary pause, she continued. "Well then, now you'll be happy thinking of me as a thorny tree rather than a bristly woman." And broke into another of her crooked smiles.

"What is your purpose in life, Rehan? That is, apart from flinging your life into the wheel of fortune, seeking your share of fame and glory."

Perhaps one day, he would reveal his story. But she would not press him to, not when she was unprepared to share her own.

His face reddened again when she mentioned that he could now think of her as a thorny tree. ...or a beautiful one that uses her thorns to keep to herself. He thought with an amused smile.

When she had asked about what his purpose in life was, Rehan could only look at the trail ahead with doubt. His life had always been a simple one. Back on his farm he would have inherited it, gotten married, and continued on his small line of family. Now it was just picking odd jobs here and there to survive, and hoping his reckless behavior didn't get the best of him.

"I... I don't know." He said truthfully and avoided her gaze.

[mistral4543]

There was something maddening about the way he spoke, that continually drew her away. Away from the desire to remain aloof.

You were like that, once upon a time. She did not know whether to laugh or cry at this realisation.

And the continual tug of war taking place between mind and heart was draining her.

Maybe there's no harm offering a little more than these superficial remarks. Indeed, clamming up was proving to be a draining task, especially in the face of his red cheeks and stammering.

"Oh, that's quite common, I assure you." SHe replied casually, looking ahead. "I don't think I can safely say that I've a grand plan myself, and I've had the benefit - or is it curse - of at least a decade of experiences more than yourself."

That had been the closest ounce of truth she had uttered since she first laid her eyes on him. The light in her eyes flickered furiously as she grappled with the enormity of what she had said.

Relief and regret raged on as she held the reins of her horse tightly and clucked her teeth to urge it onward. This is too tiring... maybe I should just leave. But almost immediately, she could hear an echoing laugh - not a pleasant one at all. If you had wanted that, you shouldn't have asked him to name you.

Yes, there was something irresistible about being named by someone that one couldn't just walk away from. That, and his boyish mannerisms.

With a sigh of fatality, she rolled her eyes at herself and shook her head, as if the vengeance of doing so would eradicate her inner turmoil.

"Are you any good with maps?" She thrust the parchment to him the captain had shoved at her earlier. "How far do you reckon we are, away from our destination?"

[ 06-15-2006, 02:30 PM: Message edited by: mistral4543 ]

Using one hand to unroll the map with a shake, he quickly scanned it for the trail they were taking. "It looks like we'll reach it by tomorrow night." Frowning, he started to grumble about how he shouldn't have trusted the man who said it was five days away.

As the sun started to set in the sky, Rehan picked up the sound of rushing water nearby. "We should make camp early today. There's a stream close by and I really need to get rid of this bandage." He pointed up to his lopsided handiwork with a sheepish grin.

Finding the clearing to be decent enough, he made a quick fire pit then rushed off to the stream. The setting sun caused the water to glow a golden orange as Rehan approached. Removing his boots and rolling the ends up his pants up to his knees, he sat down at the bank and dropped his feet in. The water was cold and caused him to inhale sharply. Reaching up for the bandage, he started to slowly unravel it. Dried blood caused the cloth to stick a little to his wounded ear, forcing him to slowly peel it off. He dunked the clean end of the bandage into the stream to quickly clean off his wounded ear. Satisfied with it, he glanced down at his reflection in the water.

A young man of eighteen stared back. His sandy blond hair was shaggy and he briefly thought of what his mother would say. Smiling sadly at the memory of her, he remembered how she would comment that he had her eyes, gray tinged with blue. Leaving his feet in the water, he lay back in the grass and watched the sun set.

[mistral4543]

She watched him make his way toward the stream, breathing heavily at the thought of what the morrow might bring. This was probably a game to him, just like it once had been to a young girl of sixteen. The naive child had crossed a stream similar to this one, splashing among the waters shamelessly and chasing away the poor unsuspecting ducks that had trespassed her little holy pool. Artless was the laughter of that lass as she pranced about, flitting her glances at her companion. How tall he was, and how lean! The fact that he was six years older only raised her estimation of his wisdom. Oh, he was everything to her, and she was sure the world applauded each time her heart soared into the air, whenever he returned her smiles.

Blinking, she realised that her gaze had shifted to the skies, which carried a sheen of orangish pink. Heartachingly beautiful, indeed. Involuntarily, she sighed again.

Rehan woke up with a start as he glanced around quickly. It was the middle of the night. I must have dozed off... Picking up his boots, he walked barefoot back to camp and gave his companion a rueful smile. "Sorry about that..." He sat down across from her and looked up at the night sky. "We'll be at the village tomorrow. I wonder if we'll actually run into anything out there."

[mistral4543]

The night air caressed the two huddled figures; its fingertips alternated between iciness and warmth. Above, the stars played hide-and-seek amidst the drifting clouds. What was it about companionship that triggered her raw feelings so?

"You seem very eager to run into something, Rehan. Ever stopped to consider if you're up to the challenge?" What was she doing here? Why had she even left her village? How on earth could they ever achieve their mission? Doubt suffocated her viciously, no doubt taking its revenge where it had failed many years ago. Help me, Grandma. Show me a sign that I'm doing right.

But there was no sign. Not in the stars above, not in the surrounding darkness.

"I'm sorry if I'm such a wet blanket." Dolefully, she turned to look at him. "I'm not the sort of companion a young lad like you would fancy." Wryly, she picked up a twig and started drawing circles on the sand. "I'll bet you never expected to bump into a person like me. Not on your maiden adventure, anyway."

As an owl hooted its agreement in the distance, she snickered softly.

He watched her thoughtfully, wondering why she was being so hard on herself. "I'm honestly not sure if I am up to it, but I know I'll try. That's what makes life so exciting. You never know what it'll throw out at you, or what twists and turns will open before you." Reaching inside of his shirt he pulled out his amulet. The firelight reflected brightly off it and appeared to give the golden tree inner life. "I got this with my father ten years ago. The gold tree in the middle is the Acacia tree." Blundering ahead, he continued. "It is a beautiful tree covered in thorns like I mentioned, much like yourself." He watched her across the fire and then realization crossed his mind. "Not... not that I think you're thorny... just you seem to like keeping to yourself." Groaning inwardly, he fell back into the grass and stared at the stars overheard. She must think of me as a dumb child...

[mistral4543]

I have to try and see things from his point of view. Toying with the twig, she twirled it between her fingers. That shouldn’t be so hard, considering I once felt that way.

Then, at the sight of the accessory that dangled before her wistful eyes, she snapped back to attention. This time, the laugh was more genuine. “So that’s the culprit behind my latest name.” The golden hue of the trinket, combined with the glow of the crackling fire before them, highlighted the blond streaks of Rehan’s hair. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t get a moose head pendant back then.”

Staring at the fire, she continued. “You’d keep to yourself too, if you’ve gone through what I have.” Why do I feel so old? Anyone would think I were a decrepit octogenarian. “When you make mistakes like I have… mistakes that you’re not sure whether you should forgive yourself for… “ Her voice trailed off wearily. “… you’d try your best to talk less, and do more.” Her face contorted slightly before she uttered her last words.

“Not that I’ve talked less… look where my few words have led us.” The caustic laugh won, and bounced off the swaying trees.