ROLEPLAY HQ - beguiling-bounty

This was certainly an.. unusual job for him, but definitely not outside of his skill set. Vice, as he called himself when doing his work, had been working on repairing a run-down tavern that he had been given as repayment for saving a nobleman's son when a messenger had approached him. Apparently he was being summoned to the house of the Naepeiros family, as the head of the prominent merchant family had some work for him, likely as a result of his most recent work. Either someone had stolen from the family and they needed an independent bounty hunter to deal with the thieves for whatever reason, or someone had gone missing and they needed someone with experience in finding missing persons. When he arrived at the building, it was clear that he stood out like a sore thumb with his darker, more rugged clothing. And the fact that even among tieflings, he stood out with his unusually dark blue skin and bright lilac eyes. The looks of suspicion and curiosity that he got from the merchants and higher class individuals were something he had gotten used to, and ignored. Tieflings were disliked in many places, but people who hired him knew that he did the jobs they paid him to do. Once he was inside, he was taken to a sitting room- which he promptly did not sit in, instead choosing to stand while he waited. Only a few minutes later, an older man entered the room, looking quite worried and relieved to see him. It didn't take long to get the details of the job he was being given: Find his daughter, who had disappeared from the home a couple weeks back. There were other groups searching for her, but they had failed to find her up to this point. If he managed to find her and return her home, he'd be paid handsomely. After several minutes of questioning, Vice was able to figure out the general direction the other groups had been headed, as well as the general information that he'd need to identify her. It had taken some persuading, but he had convinced the father to allow him to inspect the building and her room for anything useful for the search, which had led him to taking a small ribbon and pocketing it. For tracking, of course. After gathering everything he could from the city, he set out, using the path the other groups used and his intuition to head down the road out of the town. Then, he used his enhanced sense of smell to catch her scent with the ribbon, fine-tuning his path to catch up with her at a quick pace. After all, she's a merchant's daughter who lived in a fancy house. It's unlikely she would have moved at the same speed as an experienced adventurer. Now, a week later, he was walking into a smaller town, his hood pulled up over his head to hide his race. The daughter's scent had been growing stronger, which meant that he had almost caught up to her. If she wasn't in this town, she wouldn't be too much farther than here. He'd check the tavern first, see if he spotted her there or heard anything. Stepping inside, his eyes scanned the tables for anyone matching the description of the daughter. @enchantednymph

Three weeks prior. "You are to marry..." The words left her father's mouth throwing everything Verrona Naepeiros had been concocting for her future out the window as if her hopes and dreams meant very little. "E-excuse me?!" Verrona dropped the teacup she had just lifted to her mouth, it's contents splattering all over the tablecloth. She blinked dumbfounded as she looked wide-eyed at her father. "The Kairys heir is a gentleman, and he is quite handsome I am told-" "Papa! No!" She stood, her thick waves of chestnut hair shaking too and fro like an unruly sea. Her bright emerald eyes filling with tears as she stared her father down. "I don't want that! He's an oaf! A bafoon, an overly confident tail end of a donkey!" Her father sat down his tea and sighed. "I will not hear another word. We are to have a meeting of the families over dinner in a weeks time. Do prepare yourself my chestnut." He said with affection though in this moment Verrona held no affection for her father. If she had anything to say about these plans only one person would be getting their way... She had planning to do and quickly.

15:27

Present day. The tavern was packed and for once in Verrona's life she was nervous for a good reason. She had convinced the owner to let her sing to earn some coin, offering to split the coin earned with him before she parted. It had always been a dream of hers, to sing, to live a life by songs yet she had always been told no. No longer. Not now as the band she'd managed to scruff together in the small town to accompany her for coin. She was going to do everything she had ever wished and there would be no one to stop her. It had been two weeks since she had left home and still no one had managed to find her and with each passing day Verrona began to let her guard down little by little. Now though, the only thing on her mind was the masses before her as everyone hushed as the instruments began their tune. She would begin then, turning to face the crowd that waited for her song. Someone had just entered the tavern but she didn't let that distract her as she began to sing on her cue. https://open.spotify.com/track/2ndOmFhaKmShfKd0BynFu9?si=7b75974f4a2a4e49

15:27

@Cecowl Hoovey

Vice moved into the crowd, slipping through swiftly and taking a seat at a table close to the stage. He knew that it was better to speak to her when there was less of a crowd, as someone could mistake him for a common thug or criminal- And in these smaller towns, he wouldn't put it past someone to try and call him such. Smaller towns were much more suspicious of his kind than the larger cities, where they were slightly more common. It was better to remain inconspicuous until absolutely necessary. And so, he found himself seated alone at one of the tables, lilac eyes a sharp contrast to his darker skin, and one of the only things visible beneath his hood. They were.. almost like a beast's, with an unnatural edge to them, yet they were full of cunning and composure. He wasn't worried about the job, not one bit. Finding people and getting them back was one of the many things he was good at, and it was one of the reasons that people sought him out. But discretion was an important part of the bounty hunting trade, and this wasn't a kind of job that he could just go running in and solve it like he did other jobs. He'd avoid bloodshed if he could, and it wouldn't hurt to try and.. ease this town's troubles slightly in the process, if necessary. A couple criminals disppearing here or there wouldn't draw too much attention, and it'd allow him to remain composed. Although.. It was drawing close to the worst night of the month for him in his current state. It might be best to wait until after then before going in for the girl. After all, it would take a week to return to the city, and she'd be in unnecessary danger if he tried to take her back until after that night. He didn't need an angry merchant sending bounty hunters after him for killing his daughter. So, for now.. He'd sit and watch. Learn. Find the best time to 'strike', metaphorically of course. @enchantednymph

The song finished and for a brief moment there was nothing but silence and Verrona worried that her song choice had been bad, or perhaps that her voice had not been as great as her mother had once claimed. One heartbeat later and people began to clap, tossing coin in the box she had placed at her feet. Suddenly she broke out into a beaming smile that rivaled the rays of the sun in the sky. She curtseyed before picking up the box. Verrona hadn't even managed to leave the stage before shouts for an encore rumbled through the tavern. Her heart was so full in that moment as tears threatened in the corner of her eyes. She sat the box back down and chose another song, one that someone had kindly shouted from the back. It was a common sea shanty but she knew it relatively well. Her own mother had taught her it few years prior. The night continued on and by the time Verrona had managed to make it off stage she was out of breath and starving. But thankfully for all the songs she sang she earned a decent sum of coin. She sat at the only table available left, closest to the fire and relatively warm but she didn't mind it. Verrona flagged down the wife of the owner and placed an order of food and drink before she started to divvy up the shares she owed. When all was said and counted she actually had a heft coin pouch and for once she could rent a nicer room before she headed out in a few days time. Verrona thanked the owner when her food was brought and gave him his shares, a smile on both of their faces as he left. Nothing could really spoil the high she was riding currently and she hoped that when she ticked the next thing off her list that she would feel exactly as she did now in this moment. @Cecowl Hoovey

He stood up after she had finished, reaching into his coin purse and pulling out a single gold coin. Walking past her table, he set the coin down with the ribbon underneath while she was distracted. It sent a simple message: That someone knew who she was, and was in the area. But, he still had some respect for her she had done. It was rare for someone like her to be performing in a tavern like this, and as someone working on building up his own tavern, he could appreciate what she was doing. However, that didn't change the fact that he was sent to look for her and intended to bring her home, as he was the kind of man to finish the jobs he was assigned. Placing the ribbon could possibly make her nervous. Nervous people were more likely to make mistakes than those who were completely calm. Those mistakes were what he would exploit in order to finish this job. No matter where she went or what she did, now that he had gotten her scent, it'd be hard for her to lose him. Especially if she was untrained when it came to avoiding those following her, which is what he expected. Though, considering she had evaded those following her for several weeks, it was possible that there was more to her than meets the eye. None of those groups had the same kind of tools that he did, of that much he was sure. Vice sat down at the counter of the bar, ordering a plain ale and paying, keeping a keen ear out for the woman's reaction. @enchantednymph

Verrona shook turned back around in her chair, moving to rest her arm on the table when she had noticed the gold coin. Her eyes fell to the ribbon underneath is and her eyes went wide as she glanced around the busy tavern. She had not been aware someone had approached, and what was even more unnerving was the fact that she had not sensed anyone approach her table. The more she looked around however the more she realized no one was acting outright suspicious. She picked up the ribbon and stroked the silk material in her fingers, the familiar color and craftmanship of the embroidery on the ends confirming the fact that it was indeed her ribbon. It had been one of the last gifts Verrona had received from her mother before she had fallen ill. She finished her ale and left a coin on the table for whoever cleaned it before she collected her belongings. There was no use in running outright, she had new clue who or what was on her trail, it had been two weeks since she had ran away from home and time after time Verrona had managed to run from those her father had sent to find her and she had faith she would be able to do it again. She just needed time, time to think and plan her next course of action. "Smith, can I get a bottle to go?" She asked as she slid up to the bar unbeknownst to her, right beside her hunter. .

04:13

"Yeah doll, you wanting to switch rooms again?" The barkeep asked, his older face looking worn and about ready to call it a day. "Aye, if ya got one available." She slid her old room key and the coins towards him as well as exchanging them for the bottle and new key from the table. "Thanks. Have an easy night and thanks again." She made to turn but in her peripheral vision the eyes of the man beside her caught her attention. They were...different, almost as if they were calling out to her in some way but surely not, the man was just trying to enjoy his own meal. Brushing it off she headed up the stairs beside the bar looking for the room that held the same number as the piece of wood attached to the key. @Cecowl Hoovey

Vice watched her retire out of the corner of his eye, sipping his ale underneath the cowl of his cloak. The reaction was exactly what he was hoping for, he could smell the confusion and concern on her, and all he had to do was keep calm and focused. In order to succeed, he needed to stay hidden and carefully track her actions in order to stay one step ahead. It was good that she wasn't able to tell exactly who placed the ribbon there, since his anonymity was his strongest tool when dealing with her currently. Not too much longer later, and he had requested a room as well. He didn't need anything super fancy, preferring to rent a cheaper room to save on money and to be closer to the stairs, and now he was seated alone at the foot of his bed, his sabre laying in front of him as he seemed to be meditating. Such a task was necessary to keep his composure as the full moon approached. Not only did it calm the monster deep within his mind, but it allowed him to focus the other powers in his blood. He remained like this for half an hour before retiring to bed, waking at dawn and returning to the common room of the inn to keep an eye out for the girl, sipping a cold ale all the while. @enchantednymph

The night passed by with ease, the food and ale that she'd had before retiring for the night helped Verrona get a full nights sleep and she woke feeling refreshed. Birds had begun to chirp outside her window and she yawned as she slid from the bed, her feet touching the cool floor as she began her morning routine. Stretches to awaken her muscles, a quick wipe down with a rag and a little of the perfume bottle she had brought with her from home to make sure she remained smelling fresh. A change of clothes and slipping her traveling boots back on she headed down the the main floor. "The normal please, Smith." She said with a yawn, her hair still a wild tangle of curls as she sat at the bar. Verrona ran a hand through it to get it out of her face as a bowl of steaming oats with chunks of sausage was placed in front of her as well as a mug filled with warm cider. "Got plans today?" Smith asked, curious. "Ah, not really. Going to the market, replenishing my supplies...maybe get an outfit or two, I didn't bring many with me before leaving home." She took a sip of the warm cider and sighed happily. "Thanks." She lifted the mug and gave a short nod as she looked around the tavern. Seemed it was a slow morning, or perhaps she woke up earlier today than she normally did, either way there was only two other patrons beside herself. She returned her attention back to the meal before her. "You have a good day then young lady, you deserve it." He looked at her fondly before he went back about his business. @Cecowl Hoovey

Vice was seated at one end of the tavern, his back against the wall so he was able to see both the stairs and the door, seeming like he was just a tired patron eating a simple meal before setting out in the morning. Of course, however, any keen-eyed viewer would be able to see that his eyes were sharply open and scanning, though it'd be hard to see under his hood. Of course, an even keener eye would spot the hilt of the sabre barely visible from the inside of his dark green cloak and the studded leather armor that he was wearing, and the way his skin seemed to be a very strange color for people in this region. And his eyes.. He was watching her, taking note of the fresh scent for tracking purposes, doing his best to remain unnoticed. @enchantednymph

True to her word, after she had finished her breakfast Verrona headed put to the small market the town had. There were only a handful of stalls to browse but she took time at each one, admiring the craftsmanship that you couldn't really find in the city. Sure there were the well known artisans of specific crafts but most items seemed to be mass produced for the common folk. It had always been something thst bothered Verrona. Even though she was of a wealthy family she felt that everyone deserved to have quality goods. It was a topic she had tried to bring up frequently with her father but was always brushed aside, after all she was a lady and ladies were not supposed to be about business. Had her mother still been alive she wondered if it'd have been different. "I'll take a dress out of this blue fabric...how in the heavens did you manage to make it so rich?" She asked curiously, her fingers stroking the intricate floral pattern. "It wasn't so easy ma'am, wouldn't want to give away the secrets of the business... anything else you find of interest?" Verrona took a few steps towards the more feminine colors, yellows pinks, and purples a variety of shades that she didn't particularly care for. However as she was about to declare that she had not her eyes fell to a soft green and gold fabric. "That one..." She pointed to it, the silky material felt divine and she smiled. "Oh lovely choice. Best fabric there is, soft on skin buy durable." Nodding in agreement she smiled. "A pants set I that if you would. With a matching coat." She paid the coin she would owe and gave the address of the room she was staying in before heading off to the next stall. Two hours later after visiting all the stalls and even a few of the shops she decided to take a break in a nearby park. Taking up residence on one of the benches that overlooked a pond she hummed a tune to herself. She could get used to this life, not having anyone dictate what she could or couldn't do.

05:28

@Cecowl Hoovey

The bounty hunter had been tailing her throughout the day, using this as an opportunity to replenish some of his own supplies. These weren't the kind of crowds he blended into the best, but travelers replenishing their supplies were common enough that most people wouldn't pay him too much mind, although he kept getting looks as people noticed his very strange appearance and his weapons. With his supplies fully restocked, he was now leaning against a tree not too far behind her, his cloak gently blowing in the breeze. Three more days.. After that night, he'd be able to move in to complete the job. Although, it had been some time since his last killing job.. He could feel the urges in the back of his mind, that beast wanting to just feel its claws tearing through flesh- A defenseless merchant's daughter would make a fine victim- Vice quickly shook his head. This was always the worst time of the month if he wasn't able to kill anything, with monstrous urges threatening to take control getting stronger and stronger every day. If only he could grow his power to the point where he could undergo the ritual to fully control the curse. He'd get to that point soon, he was sure.. But until that day, this was what he had to deal with. His attention returned to the girl on the bench. @enchantednymph

Verrona had an inkling she was being followed, she had seen that same familiar cloaked figure several times throughout the day, and even the night before. Her mind raced with thoughts as she sat on the bench, the image of her ribbon appearing on the table at the forefront of her mind. She needed...a plan; she realized she needed at least one more day before she tried to leave town. Having just placed the orders for her clothes she did not want to leave before getting them, no matter if it wasn't a necessity or not. She would rise from the bench then, taking an outlandish way back to the tavern to make sure that he was indeed following her. Sure enough every ridiculous turn she took the figure would follow though at a safe distance. He either thought she was not smart or he was over confident in his ability to keep himself hidden. It wasn't like he was an inconspicuous type of person, in fact she caught glimpse of his skin at one point, the blue reminding her of the fabric she'd purchased just hours prior. Back at the tavern she paid for the night and for food to be sent up to her room. As much as she had wanted to perform again she couldn't risk it. Now that she knew who, sort of, was following her she finished fleshing out her plan as she ate and packed her bags. The next day her purchases arrived at the inn and she added those to her prepacked bags. .

12:14

The plan was simple, spend the day acting as if she had not caught on and well into the next night she would leave town before dusk and before she knew it she was taking one glance back at the town that had been her home for the last week. Verrona had liked it, though in hindsight she realized that staying in one place was simply not feasible when one was on the run. She had grown too comfortable and in that error she had been found. She had made good time after parting from the town and she even managed to catch a ride on the back of a wagon belonging to a traveling merchant for some coin. Being a heavier set woman there was only so much she could do on her own feet before she'd need a break so she was very thankful for the luck the fates had sent her way. Verrona smiled, hopping onto the back of the wagon, a happy tune in her mind as she hummed. However the luck would soon turn sour as the day went into the evening. There seemed to be a blockade of some type in the middle of the road right before the road forked into two paths. Bandits...

12:14

@Cecowl Hoovey

Gods be damned. That was the thought running through Vice's head as he followed behind the cart, moving swiftly through the forest. The girl's scent was easy to follow, and the cart gave her a considerably faster pace than he was able to deal with on his own.. But he had a tireless pace. However.. It was getting too damn late. And he could smell the scent of dirty clothes and rust on the air. There were bandits ahead, and if he didn't do anything.. It was likely that she'd get hurt, or worse- Killed. He was running out of time. The sun was starting to set.. And the clouds were quickly moving on. Damn it, damn it! Taking a deep breath as he watched the bandits prepare to approach, the guards drawing their weapons.. He felt the effects of his blood quickly taking root. The transformation was always the worst part, with bones cracking and flesh tearing to adapt to the more beastly form, the bounty hunter grew to well over seven feet tall, dark fur sprouting all over his body. His armor, which had been specifically designed to be able to handle this kind of transformation, remained intact, but his clothes around his limbs were quickly shredded. His face, very much that of a wolf now, still had his lilac eyes.. However, they seemed to glow with a murderous rage. Strangely enough, he kept his horns, which made the wolfish head seem very, very strange.. A deep howl startled all those involved in the coming battle, as it was so very close.. Not even fifty feet away. Panic struck the bandits as a dark shape tore out of the woods to their left, taking out the one in the front in one swift motion, his side shredded by the massive werewolf. The guards, hoping to protect the merchant and passenger, prepared their weapons and moved into the fight. The horses, on the other hand, sensed how dangerous the threat was and bolted, dragging the cart into the trees on the opposite side. They didn't make it too far before the cart got caught, causing an even greater panic as both passengers and some of the cargo were thrown off. Screams of the guards and the bandits could be heard, and Verrona still had a view of the battle. The wolf was surrounded by four of the men, having killed another bandit just then by tearing his throat out. Axes and swords slashed, catching the exposed limbs but failing to pierce the armor, but only managing to enrage the beast more. With a roar, it spun and caught one with its claw, sending the bandit flying into a guard, sending them both several feet back in a daze. Then, it pounced on the remaining bandit and mauled him, his blood-curdling screams dying out suddenly as his head was crushed. The remaining guard, seeing how easily the beast had dispatched the other foes, attempted to run, but was quickly caught up to and thrown against a tree, his spine snapping on impact. Then.. Verrona could see the merchant cowering beside the cart, doing his best to remain hidden, as the beast jumped onto it, snarling down at the two of them. In an act of terror, the merchant drew a knife and stabbed up at the monster in an futile attempt to protect himself, which did very little but slide off of the firm leather across its chest. A clawed hand grabbed the merchant's throat and tore it out, which the beast proceeded to then eat. And then it was looking down on Verrona, locking eyes with her. It leaned forward and sniffed her, dark blood dripping onto her face from the small wounds on its body, and she could see the murderous rage slightly leave its eyes. There was an.. oddly strange intelligence to them, for a lycanthrope on the night of a full moon.. Then, it leaped from the cart and ran off back into the woods, leaving her alone with the terrified horses and scent of blood thick in the air. @enchantednymph

The howl of a wolf.** One that Verrona felt in her *bones just moments before the beast tore through the woods at a frightening speed as it took out the first of the bandits. A cold sweat broke out across her skin as she watched in terror as the thing went after another. The guards moved in to fight as well and the horses freaked at the same time and all Verrona could do was hold onto the cart for dear life as the horses ran off towards the woods. The cart crashed, one of it's wheels falling into a nature made pit promptly throwing her and the merchant off with some of his wares. A scream escaped her as she tumbled in the mess of rotting leaves and roots that scattered the forest floor. Her legs scraped against a small rock that stuck out from underneath some leaves and she cried out again. She sat up, scurrying backwards until her back hit a tree as she watched, mouth agape as the werewolf mutilated the remaining men in the fight. It's massive form came at them and Verrona became frozen in her spot. The merchant at her side pulled out a knife and a sob escaped her as she watched in horror as the kind merchant who had offered her a ride was picked up off the ground. His very throat was ripped out and some of the blood splashed across her face. She was going to be sick, and what made it even worse was the fact that the beast was eating what he had ripped from the merchant. . (edited)

13:03

It turned it's head towards her and their eyes locked for what felt like an eternity, black blood dripping from its maw. The murderous intent was there but just as quickly disappeared as it growled down at her before darting off into the woods. She remained frozen for a moment, her eyes still wide and mouth agape as she watched until the massive figure disappeared from her sight. It was then that Verrona felt the meal she had happened to eat earlier came up. She let the contents in her stomach come up and spill across the forest floor before she felt herself grow weak, ultimately passing out from the shock of it all. @Cecowl Hoovey

The next morning brought a headache and sore muscles from sleeping on such uneven terrain, and the smell of.. Cooking meat? Opening her eyes, Verrona could see that she wasn't too close to the cart any more, instead laying on a bedroll about thirty feet away from it. Five feet from her was someone sitting beside a fire, tending to some kind of roasting meat. His skin was a deep blue, with darker horns protruding from his head and twisting forward again. His iron-gray hair was being gently blown in the breeze, and his eyes were focused on the flames. It was a tiefling, and the man who had been following her. His clothes were torn and slightly bloody, especially around the chest, and she could see a sabre and a hand crossbow sitting within arm's reach of him. "So." He spoke as he noticed her stirring. "The girl finally wakes up. Are you hungry?" @enchantednymph

Head pounding Verrona flinched as she woke, all her muscles protesting the position they had been put in all night. As she tried to open her eyes the morning sun was bright and she groaned, with heavy arms she pushed herself into a sitting position. Blinking a few times the things going around her slowly began to register. Peaking with one eye, her face scrunched up in pain she rubbed her temples. "What?" She ran a hand through her hair and opened her eyes fully, the smell of the meat wafting towards her and made her stomach rumble. She was indeed hungry, though she wasn't surprised after the events of last night..." At the thought she looked around frantically her heart beat going erratic. "Who-" She turned back towards him, her hand moving to lift part of the bed roll to apparently protect her from the man across from her. Her eyes fell to the cape and then to his weapons and slowly things began to register in her mind. Oh. She frowned. "You're the one who's been following me..." @Cecowl Hoovey

"..Yes, I have been. You've led me on quite the chase last night alone. I had wanted to wait to approach you until after the full moon, but too late for that now." He sighed, shaking his head quietly. "Your father hired me to return you home, not like that'll happen any time soon. Not in your current condition. Now, like I asked before, are you hungry?" There was a calm annoyance to the man's demeanor, and as he spoke, she could see how unusually sharp his teeth were. And that they were slightly stained with blood. "You're lucky I showed up when I did, girl, or else you would be either dead or chained in some bandit's basement, where him and his friends did what they wanted with you until your father paid a ransom for you. And even then, they might not've let you go." The tiefling stated bluntly. "Even if you had to see me in that form, you're alive now." @enchantednymph

Her eyes grew wider at his remarks, the fact that he so openly spoke his mind was refreshing but also highly infuriating as to the contents in which spewed forth from his mouth. "I- I have a name you know!" Verrona crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "It's Verrona. Ver-roh-nah." She moved a bit backwards, her bottom leaving the safety of the bedroll only to end up in a patch of dirt. "Th-that werewolf was you?" Her eyes went wide again and her face went ashen as she noticed his teeth. "I think I'm gonna be-" She rolled over on her hands and knees and dry heaved a few times as the waves of nausea coursed through her. Once she calmed down she turned back to face him. Wiping at the edge of her mouth she spoke. "What do you mean... the condition I'm in?" @Cecowl Hoovey (edited)

"I know your name. Your father was very clear on what it was." He replied, tearing off a chunk off the cooked meat and tossing it to her, wrapped in some clean leaves to avoid it coming into contact with the dirt. "And yes, that was me. I was trying to avoid you finding that little fact out, girl, but you had to go run yourself into some bandits. Left me with no choice." Her reaction didn't surprise him in the slightest. In fact, he had expected it. Not only was he a tiefling, but a werewolf tiefling? Gods forbid. "You're a werewolf now. Or, in the process of becoming one, at least. I'm not sure how it happened, considering the fact that you hadn't been bitten, but you're now becoming like me. Be grateful it didn't happen sooner, or else you would've gone on a rampage in the middle of that town. I can't take you back to your father like that, so looks like i'm stuck trying to get you cured. Now, eat up. We need to get going." @enchantednymph

"That's n-not h-human is it?" She looked down at the meat he'd thrown to her. The smell of it wafting up into the air and teasing her. Her stomach rumbled and she flushed a shade of pink, embarrassed she picked it up and unfolded the leaves of it. "If my father told you my name then you should call me that, not girl! I'll be twenty-six this year. I'm a woman. Not a girl!" She huffed before ripping off a small piece of the meat to give it a taste. For all Verrona knew he could be trying to poison her. "Who says I'm going anywhere with you?! And you're nuts! I am not turning into some...some...type of beast! I am a half elf if at best!" @Cecowl Hoovey

"Of course it's not human. I'm not some monster who'd feed you human flesh." He motioned to the edge of the clearing, where a butchered deer lay. The meat wasn't the finest she'd ever had, but it was servicable enough, considering the situation. "Calling someone by their name implies friendliness. I'm just trying to get this job done so I can get paid and get back to work on my tavern." He tore off a chunk of the meat and stuck it in his mouth, chewing. After a few moments, he responded. "If you'd like to test that theory, we can wait a month for you to end up raging out on some innocent town or village, slaughtering several and injuring several more. Or, you can trust the sense of smell of the lycan who tracked you through your scent and found you in a week when multiple groups failed to find you in triple that time. Up to you." @enchantednymph

"Calling someone by their name implies common decency!" She swallowed the bite she'd had in her mouth the look of irritation remaining on her face. She felt relief it was deer, though it was terribly cooked it was still better than nothing so she ate it. Between a couple of bites she stared at him, a frown forming on her face at the imagery he placed in her mind. "You act like I should be grateful. When clearly, if anything, you're the cause of it all!" Verrona huffed, angrily ripping a piece of the meat off and chewing it. She was quiet for awhile before she spoke again. "Why would you even want to help me anyways...you don't seem the type." @Cecowl Hoovey

"Do I really look like the kind of person who deals in common decency?" He replied plainly. "You probably don't have to deal with my kind- Tieflings, that is- but we don't get the luxury of 'common decency'. "If you're becoming a werewolf when I didn't bite you, and there were no other lycans in the area, then there's some other factor. There aren't any undead in the area, nor do I sense any fiends.. I don't know exactly why you're changing, but do you see any bites?" He tore off another chunk of meat and chewed. "As for why I would help you," He swallowed the food, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "As someone who has to live with this, it is better to have less people afflicted than more, and I would rather return you when you aren't going to be a danger."

04:11

@enchantednymph

A snort escaped her at his comment about himself. "Not everyone is a bigoted asshat." She rolled her eyes and continued to eat. "What's your name, anyway?" If she was going to be stuck with him she might as well know it, or at least she thought so. "Otherwise I'll just call you whatever I want." She threatened, setting the bone down once all the meat was gone from it. "I don't have any bites, just scratches from falling off the wagon yesterday. Thank you...by the way." She wiped her hands with part of her skirt before standing. Her legs protested but once she was up she stretched a bit to let her muscles breathe. "For saving me, not for murdering the kind merchant... though I suppose I'm to blame for his death just as much as the beast in you." Tsking she looked around. "I'm going to go relieve myself." She turned and headed behind a big tree to do as she'd stated, though the idea of trying to run did cross her mind. Verrona honestly didn't want to turn into whatever kind of were creature but he had a point. She couldn't just go about her plan if there was a risk of hurting others. And if he truly was going to help her that meant they'd have to find a cure... after that she could try and run. There was no way she would be returning home to be forced to marry. She'd rather die. Once done she returned to the fire crossed her arms. "What did you do with my things?" @Cecowl Hoovey

"I am called Vice." He replied, standing and brushing himself off. Now that he was standing, she could see that he was a solid six feet tall, yet didn't have an exceptionally large build. He was lean and agile, showing confidence in his abilities. Picking up his sword and crossbow, he buckled them on and put the hood of his cloak up. "Either he would have resisted and gotten killed and robbed, or the slim chance that his guards managed to do something. Unlikely, since the bandits had backup nearby, but it could've happened I suppose. But, you're welcome." Now that she was so close to him, she could see how poorly the hood fit those horns, and how much damage his clothes had been subjected to, with large amounts of skin showing on the arms and below the knees. The boots, suprisingly enough, had survived. "Don't try to run," He called out to her as she walked away from the camp, "I tracked you once before. I can do it again." When she returned, the fire had been doused and Vice was over near the cart, adjusting the harnesses on the horses. "Your things are near where you woke up. Get ready to go." He climbed up onto the cart after that, disappearing from sight. @enchantednymph

She sighed and moved to collect her bag as well as roll up the bedroll. Verrona wasn't sure where it'd came from but figured there was no point in leaving it behind. "What kind if name is vice anyway..." She mumbled to herself and making her way over to the wagon. "We're not seriously taking this with us. Are we?" Did he not have any scruples what so ever? She huffed as she looked up into the wagon. "Where are we going anyway? Do you have an idea of where to go?" Verrona moved to put her hair back, tying it with the ribbon he had returned to her. @Cecowl Hoovey

"Vice is a fairly standard tiefling name." He replied from the seat of the wagon. "I was under the impression that you'd prefer to not walk the day and a half to the next town. Besides, these goods would be better to take with us and sell instead of letting it sit out in the middle of a forest for bandits to loot or animals to destroy." The wagon had some minor damages to it, but nothing that would prevent it from continuing its journey. The horses seemed to be nervous, but they were far more calm than they were last night. "And as for where we're going, there is a group in the next town over that might be able to give you a chance at being cured." It was clear that this 'Vice' character had very little in the way of standard morals or ethics. He had his own motives and ways to deal with situations that put him at odds with her own moral compass. It seemed that in all reality, he didn't give a damn about what 'society' thought. Or even what she thought. He seemed to have a strong will and a pretty damn good idea for how he wanted to handle anything he came across. "We don't have all day, girl. Climb on." @enchantednymph

"The merchant's blood in me says it would be a waste so I agree with that much. But we should donate it to the less fortunate. I bet you will call me a dolt for that ideas. So I say donate the food at least. There's plenty of bolts of fabric to sell. You know, since you killed him." Verrona observed the wagon and it's condition as well as checking on the horses. She patted their noses and gave each an apple from her bag. It helped some but she knew the reason they were so on edge, poor things. She glanced up at Vice with a scrupulous look. "Do you know these people? What if it's just a waste of time?" She sighed, returning her attention to the horses for a moment. Verrona hummed a soft medley trying to imbue some strength into it in hopes that it would reach them. If anyone were to observe they would notice that the space around her glowed a soft gold for just a moment, but faded just as quickly as her song. "My. Name. Is. Not. Girl." Verrona crossed her arms, her eyebrows furrowed even more so than before. "I'm not getting on until you call me by my name." She stated matter-of-factly, giving him a look that could have been daggers. (edited)

16:36

@Cecowl Hoovey

"Someone else would have done it if it had been any other night. Do you know anything about lycans, girl? Very few can control themselves on the full moon. You're lucky that I was able to keep some of my mind, or else this conversation wouldn't be happening right now." After a few moments, he sighed. "The cloth will likely fetch a decent price in the town, and the food supplies would be useful throughout our travels, but if you insist on giving it away, fine." The tiefling remained where he was, watching her go around the cart and horses with a bored expression. "These people know far more than the commonfolk about these sorts of things, as they're the ones who protect you from them. They're the ones who taught me what I know and are giving me the ability to control my curse. So yes, I know them, and no, it will not be a waste of time." He took notice of the way she glowed- Likely from some sort of magic. "..Is that so? So you'd prefer to walk if I called you 'girl'. I see." The way he looked down on her from his seat with such indifference.. "Your glares do not scare me, Verrona. If I wanted to, I could gut you in an instant if you threatened me. Now get in here so we stop burning daylight." @enchantednymph

It annoyed Verrona that he kept calling her girl, her arms crossed over her chest and she glared up at him on the cart. "Thank you." Her response to him allowing the food items to be donated came our rather sharp but she didn't care at the moment, even if he did give in to her request he was a jerk. The way he spoke to her was just outright rude and it completely rubbed her the wrong way. His mention of her wanting to walk had her jaw drop and she scoffed. "You-" When Vice said he name she narrowed her eyes, he did in fact say it so she begrudgingly got on to the cart and took a seat. She wasn't one to go back on her word and she wasn't about to start just because of him. "No one said I was trying to scare you..." She mumbled under her breath as he directed the horses back to the road. After awhile of silence Verrona glanced over at him. "What was it like...the first time you turned?" @Cecowl Hoovey

Vice got the horses moving as soon as she climbed in, staring off down the road as they moved. Now that they were on the move, he seemed much less annoyed, though he didn't seem willing to start talking. "..The first time I turned?" His brow raised, though it was hard to see from underneath his hood. "It was when I was far younger, maybe around four years ago. I had gotten attacked by a wolf on the road while traveling, and didn't know what was happening. Later in the month, I felt myself feeling agitated and full of an unrelenting hunger. I started smelling things far greater than I ever could before, and soon enough.. The full moon came. I don't remember everything from that night, as lycans rarely remember their first transformation. All I know is that I was in a barn, hands and mouth covered in blood, all the horses and cows torn apart, with a stablehand's body mangled in the corner, a broken pitchfork through his chest." He told the story in such a monotone, matter-of-fact tone, showing how desensitized he was to the memory. "I couldn't stay there after that, not with being a tiefling, so I left and eventually found a branch of these people we're headed to, who'd be willing to help me find a way to harness that beast and prevent it from taking me over again in the future, if I joined their Order and learned their magic. I decided that it would be better to work towards controlling it than getting rid of it, since I could use it to my advantage, like I did with finding you." @enchantednymph

The way he described the first time had left Verrona unsettled. The idea that one could simply not care about taking a life...the desensitization of losing one's humanity had her worried about what her future might hold. She would not voice these things. However, she would at least acknowledge that he had told her. "That..." she paused to think of how to best word her thought. "It had been too late for a cure for you? What dictates if it is too late or not?" A worry had begun the more she thought about it. If she had not been bit or scratched...why was she becoming a monster and if there was no bite could she truly be cured? Verrona pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to dwell on the darker side of her mind. The sun was well into the sky now, it's bright rays of sunshine poured through the clouds offering a small comfort to her as she leaned her head back. Her eyes shutting for a moment. "I guess I should be thankful. While it is not a matter to be joked about or happy with, it has at least given me more time before I am to face a fate I do not want." Her eyes opened then, their bright green hues staring at her newly acquired, albeit temporary, companion. "There are some fates that are worse than death." Her mother's face appeared in her mind briefly and she let out a whistle. "Anyway, how far is the next town over again?" @Cecowl Hoovey (edited)

"..It was not 'too late' to cure me, I just choose not to be cured. When you accept the curse as a part of who you are, then it becomes incurable. I accepted it as another part of me the day they told me that I could harness it, and that I could control it instead of letting it control me. There are ways for a lycan resisting their curse to get cured, either through the power of a priest, or through the study of a wizard or other such magic user. The people we are headed to, my Order, will have the connections needed to get this done quickly." He was frowning underneath his cowl. Vice, someone who has watched people change under the full moon and fought monsters far more dangerous than he, could understand how someone more mundane could be so terrified of it all. That's the reason he took up the sword in the name of his Order in the first place. To protect those people, and make some money doing it, all while controlling his curse. "..Indeed. There are fates far, far worse than death. Returning home to your father is among the least painful, however." He flicked the reins again, encouraging the horses to move a little bit faster, since they had slowed due to him focusing on the conversation. "By this point, it's around a day away. We'll camp tonight, and get to it by noon tomorrow." @enchantednymph

"Oh...well, interesting choice you made..." She puffed up her cheeks feeling rather awkward. "How...quickly are we talking?" Verrona chewed her cheek eyeing what little of him she could see because of his cloak. His comment about returning to her father had her scoffing. "I disagree, but won't explain it... You either wouldn't understand, or probably don't care." If she had anything to say about it before the end of this... She would not be returning to her father, but he didn't need to know that. He sped up the horses and she leaned back onto the bench, closing her eyes. "I'm exhausted...I guess wake me up when we stop. Or don't, I don't care." She yawned, resting her head on her arm as comfortably as she could. The conversation promptly being over. @Cecowl Hoovey

"Hmph. I made the choice because I saw merit in the abilities, but wanted control over it. These people know what they're doing when it comes to these ailments, so I suspect you'll be cured within the next two weeks or so, depending on travel times and who's available." He rolled his eyes about her saying that going back home was worse. He had seen people succumb to magical insanity, turned to stone by monsters, and other such terrible fates. She'd probably run again at some point, and then he'd have to drag her kicking and screaming all the way back to the city. That was normal for runaway kids. Several hours later, around five in the afternoon, Vice stopped the cart suddenly. He quickly grabbed Verrona and roughly pushed her into the back of the cart, hissing to her: "Stay hidden and keep your head down. I smell blood." Immediately after, he donned his shield and deflected a crossbow bolt with it, leaping over the horses with a roll. Drawing his sabre, one thing that she could notice was how when he drew it, it cut against the inside of his left arm, drawing that dark blood and running down it. Then, after a second, the blade buzzed and seemed to erupt with electricity, which coated the sword. Vice sniffed the air, and then raised his shield to deflect another bolt. @enchantednymph

"Hopefully the rest of them aren't as much of..." She yawned again, snuggling into her arm. "An asshole as you." If he commented after she wouldn't have heard it, promptly drifting off to sleep on her arm as the cart rattled on. Being shoved into the back of the cart was not the best way to wake up, however, hearing the warning in his words Verrona had very little time to do much more than register what was going on. The fight or flight response already taking hold of her, adrenaline coursing through her body as she watched wide eyed. The fact that he leapt over the horses. She winced as he cut himself on his blade though the reason why was shortly discovered as bolts of electricity erupted over the blade he held. Vice had not been joking when he had said his senses were heightened and the fact that he had realized before anything had even happened made her curious about what else being a werewolf afforded someone. Sure there must be drawbacks but the more she watched him the more she got to thinking that perhaps this curse would be enough of an excuse that she could call off the engagement... Vice had said he was taking her to get cured, but if she didn't... he couldn't outright force her to take whatever the cure entailed. @Cecowl Hoovey

With another crossbow bolt bouncing off of his shield, Vice rushed forward, slamming his shield into the bandit hidden in the bushes, who let out a shout of surprise. There was a sickening crunch and a scream as he did something with it, then silence. Then, he dove out of the brush again, and she could see blood dripping from the bottom of his shield. Two men were chasing with with axes drawn, looking very, very angry at what he had done. They were shouting curses at him, calling him a 'blue-skinned demon', among other things. From the other side, a crossbow bolt flew out of the brush and grazed his cheek, tearing a chunk of cloth from his cloak and staggering him. One of the men rushed up, raising an axe with both hands, only for a silvery mist to come over Vice as he disappeared, reappearing behind the further back axe-man, slashing him across the back and sending him to the ground, spazzing out from the electricity. The tiefling slammed the edge of his shield down on the side of his head, letting out another sickening crunch as he rushed forward. The bandit turned and swung his axe roughly, slashing Vice's arm pretty deep, only to receive a headbutt and a slash across his chest. Quickly turning his blade, he shoved it into the fresh wound and between the bandit's ribs, watching as the electricity flowed through his body, his muscles spasming. Vice sniffed the air for a moment before quickly turning, another two crossbow bolts slamming into the quickly dying bandit, hitting him in the back before the tiefling shoved him off with the shield. Rushing into the brush, Verrona could hear something snap and a scream, one of the remaining bandits being thrown back into the clearing with a broken arm, and then she could hear a grunt that sounded like it came from Vice. Soon after, the bounty hunter came back into the clearing, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his side, with blood running down it. He stabbed his sword down into the head of the last bandit, cutting off his pleas for mercy with a scowl and a grunt. Finally, with all the sounds of battle quickly diminishing, Vice sheathed his sword and walked over to the cart, climbing back inside with only a slight wince from the crossbow bolt. "It's all clear now. You can come out." @enchantednymph

The whole ordeal was...eye opening as she watched from her hiding spot inside the cart. Her heart thumping wildly inside her chest as she gripped the edge cart's edge tightly. When Vice had gone out of her line of sight she was worried at the sounds she had heard but was put to ease when he had stepped out, though the blood on his shield made her a bit squeamish. He was skilled that was very evident as the fight continued on, the one lone man going up against all those bandits with an amount of confidence she herself couldn't imagine having. The crunching sound of the shield going into the guys skull made her dry heave for a moment but she couldn't bring herself to tear her attention away from the fight. Once again the fight went out of her line of sight and more sickening sounds could be heard and once again her heart thundered inside of her chest...what if it was he who had been wounded. Verrona raised herself up out of worry, trying to get a better view but he came back out just then, a bolt sticking out of his side. "Vice-" The worry in her voice was evident as she called out to him though he still went about finishing off the remaining bandits, almost as if his wounds didn't hinder him at all. When he came back over to the cart she rushed to his side, the amount of blood pouring out of his side concerned her. "Y-you...have a thing sticking out of your side..." @Cecowl Hoovey

"It's nothing major." He replied, glancing down at it. "Just a crossbow bolt." Now that his clothes were torn up more, she could see just how many scars were on his body, all over it. Especially on his left arm, the place where he had slashed upon drawing his sabre. The blood there seemed to be clotting incredibly fast compared to the rest of his body. "..You're suddenly very concerned about me there, Verrona. I'm not a common soldier who'd be taken down by that."* He reached down and snapped a good chunk of the bolt off, leaving about two inches of shaft left. He didn't want to tear the bolt out, since he didn't have healing magic or supplies with him, but he also wanted to avoid it getting caught on anything while they were walking around. Vice reached down to grab the reins, unabashed about how little the wounds seemed to be bothering him. A handful of minor wounds from mundane weapons wouldn't do too much to him, nor would a bolt to his side. It hadn't been the first time someone had shot him, after all, and it wouldn't be the last. "Shall we set off?" @enchantednymph

"Nothing major?!" Her jaw dropped as he seemed to brush off his wound. That was in no way not major. As he bent to grab the reins she smacked them out of them out of his hands. "No! We need to treat that." She pointed at the wound in his side before she went into the back of the cart and rooted through her rucksack. "I've got-" She tossed things out, mainly her clothes and things that wouldn't help in these situations. Grabbing the small kit she moved back up to the front and took a seat beside him. "Take off your cloak and shirt." She ordered, her attention anywhere but on his face. "We need to clean the wound, there's no telling what could have been on the head of that bolt." She thought about what he'd said about her being concerned about him. "I-it's not like I care about you...but you did save me so this is the least I could do." There was a faint blush on her freckled cheeks. "Now just do it, please. I want to clean it." @Cecowl Hoovey

"You sure you want to do this?" He raised a brow. "If it was exposure to the blood of a lycan that caused this, which could be a possibility, it might effect the curse in unusual ways. Your situation isn't normal in the slightest either way, I suppose.." Seeing that she was serious, he sighed and removed his cloak, throwing it beside him on the seat, and proceeded to unstrap the chestpiece of his studded leather armor. Before removing it, he reached down and tore the rest of the bolt out so it wouldn't get in the way of removing the armor, leaving a pretty nasty gash, with even more blood pouring out. Discarding the bolt, he fully removed his chestpiece and removed the shirt underneath it. That alone let her see just how many scars covered his body, looking to be from all different sources. Some looked to be arrow scars, others were long gashes from swords. Some were deep, and appeared to be from claws. "I doubt that there's anything too dangerous on it. But do you have enough medical experience to actually treat these wounds effectively?" @enchantednymph

Her eyes went wide when she saw the amount of scars that littered his body. What kind of life he must have led to get to this level of damages... Without thinking she reached out to touch one of the nastier looking ones, her hand slightly shaking as she did. Verrona mumbled to herself as her finger traced the gnarly pattern of the scar. "There's...so many." Face pale she removed her hand before he possibly said anything, clearing her throat. "A-as for my proficiency...I'll l-let my work speak for itself." She swallowed as she uncorked a dark brown vial, a very potent smell similar to alcohol wafted from it. "This may sting." She held a clean cloth underneath the wound as it bled, tipping the bottle over and letting the liquid inside pour onto the wound. She dabbed at the wound and pressed the cloth against it. "Hold this there until I say otherwise." Verrona ordered, rifling through her box until she picked up a small jar with a powder in it. "This will help with the bleeding but it'll feel like the tissue is dying and then you won't feel anything at all. It's normal." With that out of the way she tapped his hand away with the cloth and opened the jar, pouring half a handful into her hand before she quickly pressed it against the wound. The affects of whatever the powder was already beginning to work. @Cecowl Hoovey

"I have been in this life for several years. Of course I have many scars." He didn't seem bothered by her touching his scars. He just watched her from where he sat, chuckling softly at how she seemed to scared of his wounds. He took the cloth and held it against his side, barely even seeming to flinch at the stinging. It was by far one of the weaker feelings he had ever experienced, having felt the bite of the blade or axe several times throughout his years as a bounty hunter. Once she had placed the powder on his sound, he simply nodded as it went about its work. "Hm. I hadn't expected you to have this kind of supplies or knowledge. Perhaps you'll be more useful than I had initially expected." @enchantednymph

"Perhaps you'll be more useful." Verrona mimicked his words, even made sure to note the tone of his voice. "You know, not every heir or well to do person is incapable." She shook her head, wiping her hands clean of the blood with her waterskin. "Sure, I can't fight like you can, and my experience out in the rough world is extremely limited but I do know some things..." She dried her hands on her clothes before she put up the rest of her first aid kit.m, a look of annoyance on her face. The least he could have done was thank her, instead all she had received was a backhanded compliment. "You know... before I ran into you, the whole time I had not ran into bandits like at all." She arched a brow at him. "Sure technically the merchant and I ran into those bandits before you arrived but my point is still valid, you were following me already. You're like...a bad luck charm or something." @Cecowl Hoovey

"Most merchant's children tend to be.. less than skilled in many aspects of living out here." He shrugged, unconcerned with her annoyance. He had saved multiple noble's family members throughout the years, and many were annoying to escort, with very little to offer when it came to dealing with the aftermath. There was a quiet scoff that came from him as he lifted the reins again and set off. "Typical human, calling the tiefling a 'bad luck charm'. What else are you gonna call me, a mutt? A monster? An abomination? I've heard it all. Rural towns are not kind to people in my profession, especially ones with my particular skills. That's why I typically stick to the bigger cities." He flicked the reins, speeding the horses up as they set off. It'd be a few more hours before he pulled the wagon on the side of the road and hopped off, quickly setting up a camp as if he had done so hundreds of times in this area. He laid out the bedroll from the wagon, motioning for her to use it. "Rest up. We set out again at first light." Taking a seat at the edge of the firelight, Vice drew his sabre and a whetstone, sharpening the blade with a sharp rasp of the stone on the metal. @enchantednymph

A half laugh, half scoff left Verrona at his words. "Typical human?" She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I don't give two shits that you're a tiefling." With that statement made the conversation fell to nothing and only the sound of the horses hooves along the dirt road could be heard with the occasional call from a wild animal as they traveled. If she was being honest with herself she was actually thankful for the silence, it gave her time to process everything that had happened up until that point. Verrona had a feeling if they had continued the conversation her annoyance would only have rose to a higher level. Hours passed and then Vice had guided the horses to pull over and she assumed it'd be for the night. He made record time setting up the fire and everything. "I'm not tired." She stated simply as he pointed at the bedroll. "Shouldn't we find some water for the horses? They've had a full day..." Verrona arched a brow, her arms crossed as she stood next to the wagon. @Cecowl Hoovey

"I wasn't planning on sleeping for a few hours yet. Once you had gone to sleep, I was going to tend to them. I'm not oblivious- I know you'd have no intention of sticking around if there was no reason for you to do so. The only reason you're sticking with me for the time being is because you don't know how to deal with the situation." He replied without even looking up, continuing to sharpen his sword. "If you'd rather I tended to them now, you're coming with me so I can keep an eye on you." He examined the edge of the blade before nodding and sheathing it. Standing, he looked in her direction. "I was planning on going hunting soon either way, but I don't plan on doing so until I know i'm not going to have to chase you halfway through the night." @enchantednymph

""Where would I even go?" Verrona shook her head. Her eyes rolling as she tried to gauge which direction to go. "I'm not that idiotic. I know that if I tried to run that you'd catch up to me before I even got far..." She sighed, dropping her arms to her side. "I can just go by myself you know, I promise I won't run." Yet. Verrona moved to the cart and grabbing the buckets. "The least I could do is thank the horses for carrying us this far. They are living creatures too." She moved back to where he stood and arched a brow at him. "I'm not going to accompany you on your hunting expedition if that's what you're expecting... " @Cecowl Hoovey

"Of course I don't expect you to come with me. You balk at any sign of blood, and you'd scare everything in a half-mile away with your inexperienced thrashing about through the brush." He replied plainly, shaking his head. "I was expecting you to sleep before I went out to do anything. But, if you insist you're not gonna run.." He walked over to her bag and grabbed it, slinging it over his shoulder. "Then i'll just take this for insurance. You'll get it back when I return. You can tend to the horses if you want to. It'll just save me time later." Then, he grabbed his crossbow and started walking away from the camp. @enchantednymph

Rolling her eyes Verrona headed in a direction of the water. She could just barely see the bank of a river through a line of trees. "I'll just take this as insurance... I swear if he damages my new clothes I'll-" She paused, what could she do at this point? She was over powered, possibly cursed and just...stuck. "Well, whatever... build his trust, then..." She trailed off again. Talking to herself had been a habit she'd had since young, having no true close friends she had been left to her own devices or she would spend time with her mother who also had the same habit. In all honesty she was more like her mother than she had ever realized. Once to the rivers edge Verrona filled both buckets with water. Though instead of heading straight back she sat, removed her shoes and stuck her feet into the cool water, a sigh escaping her. Resting her head on her knees she stared out across the river into the forest on the other side. For a moment she thought she had seen movement but when she glanced back where it had been there was nothing there. Shrugging it off she spent a few more minutes at the edge of the water before slipping back on her shoes and heading back to where Vice had set up camp. @Cecowl Hoovey

It was some time later before he returned, carrying a deer over his shoulders, a crossbow bolt sticking out of its side. As he passed by Verrona, he dropped her bag beside her- Only a little roughed up from the brush and such, though nothing inside would be danaged, she could guess. Then, he carried the deer to the other side of the camp and threw it down, quickly setting to work on retrieving the bolt and then getting the useful meat and hide off of it. It was noisy, bloody work that he did silently, unfazed by the work. Not too long later, he had retrieved an iron pot from his bag and was starting to prepare a venison stew, using wild herbs and vegetables he had found while hunting. While he went about this evening routine of preparing the food, he didn't even look in her direction or speak to her. Either he wasn't used to having someone in the camp with him, or he just didn't care enough to make conversation. Either way, food was on its way and he sat down near the pot, his eyes closing as he breathed in deep. @enchantednymph

She had been resting with her eyes closed on the bedroll when Vice had returned, the crackling of the fire barely doing anything to mask the sound of his footfalls as he approached. He dropped her bag beside her but she didn't open her eyes. "See? I didn't run away." She held up a hand as he moved to the other side of the camp and waved it around. "Shocking, I know." Verrona sat up then, grabbing her bag and looking through the items until she found what she was looking for. The books spine looked well loved, almost as if it had been read so many times that the binding looked like it could fall apart at any moment. She cracked it open to where a ribbon had held her page. As he worked in silence she didn't mind it, lumping it to the fact he wasn't a people person. It was fine this way, the less he talked the more she could focus on the story in her hand. The book had been a gift from her mother and it brought her comfort when she was struggling with things. A momentary escape from the harsh realities of her world. Sure Vice had been correct about most well off children of merchants but for Verrona...life hadn't been sunshine and rainbows, of no cares and free will. @Cecowl Hoovey

After a while, the smell of the stew spread throughout the campsite, and Vice went over to his pack and pulled out a mess kit. He spooned some of the stew into it, and then walked over to Verrona and held it out to her. "It's hot. Don't burn yourself with it." Once she had taken it, he sat down at the other hand of the camp and crossed his legs, staring at a point in front of him on the ground. In said space appeared a wooden stick, sticking three feet out of the ground in front of him. He didn't do anything with the stick, instead just staring at it intently, silently. The stew that Vice had prepared smelled.. Alright, for something prepared over a campfire with only wild herbs and meat. It wasn't anything fancy by any means, but it was definitely going to have more flavor than just meat cooked over an open flame, at the very least. Quietly, as he stared at the stick, Vice started humming some kind of melody, the deep sound spreading over the camp. @enchantednymph

She accepted the offered bowl, glancing down at it with a curious look. It didn't smell terrible... his comment however had her scrunching up her eyebrows. "I am not a child, so stop treating me like one... like I'd burn my tongue on food." Verrona stirred the contents of the bowl, blowing on it as she did. When he went back to the other end of camp and sat she arched a brow. "You're not going to eat?" Shrugging as he continued to stare at a stick she sampled the first spoonful, finding it quite palatable. Seeing as how Vice continued to stare at the stick she went back to reading her book, taking intermittent bites as she read. However as time ticked on and he began to hum she looked up, watching him curiously to see exactly what it was he was trying to do. It was during this time that Verrona had taken another bite, only to miss chew and accidently bit her tongue. "Ow." @Cecowl Hoovey

The song that he was humming quietly seemed to be a lullaby of sort, though it was one that she hadn't heard before. Once she looked up, he stopped. "I only have the one bowl. I'm not normally travelling with people who don't have their own supplies, and I doubt you'd want to share a bowl with me while you're eating out of it." The stick remained there as he looked away from it, but its form seemed to waver slightly, as if it wasn't actually there. "..And you may not have burned yourself on it, but you still managed to hurt yourself." He commented off-handedly, standing up and walking to the wagon, digging into his bag. He pulled out a small kit, walking back and sitting down with it, pulling out sets of vials and ingredients and supplies, creating a small little lab where he was sitting. Then, he pulled out his knife, cut his hand, and dropped some of the blood into one of the vials. After setting that vial aside, he walked over to her, drew a different knife, and held it out to her by the blade, so the handle was facing her. "I need a sample of your blood." @enchantednymph

She finished the bowls contents as he spoke and she nearly choked on the last bite as it went down, his comment irritating her. "Biting my tongue was an accident, and besides the point I still didn't get burnt." She sighed setting the bowl down, his generosity about the bowl urging her to be thankful even if his words were...irksome. "Thank you, for letting me use the bowl first." She watched as he went to the wagon, digging through his things. Curious what the kit was she watched as he pulled things out one by one until cut himself with a knife. Eyes wide she watched as he offered her the handle of another. "You've got to be kidding me..." She looked from the blade to his eyes. "You expect me to cut myself...ha!" @Cecowl Hoovey (edited)

"Not without purpose." He watched her reaction, his eyes narrowing. "I was going to run some alchemical tests to try and determine where your curse came from, comparing your freshly-turned blood to my own. It's the first of many avenues to explore in order to figure out how to cure you. Either we can do this now, or someone from the Order can do it, and i'd rather not get in trouble for attacking my employer's daughter." He set the dagger down with a vial on a piece of cloth beside her, taking the bowl to back to where he sat before, cleaning it out with a little bit of water before getting a serving of stew for himself, taking a bite and setting it aside, watching her. @enchantednymph

"I-" She glanced down at the knife and scrunched her face. His words going in one ear and out the other as she dealt with the inner turmoil that was her own mind. Images flashed in her mind and a dark look crossed over her face for a moment. Her knuckles white as she clung to the knife handle. "Fine." Verrona moved the blade until the sharp edge was against her palm. Pressing it into her hand she closed her hand around it, pulling quickly but keeping her hand shut until she dropped the knife. A hiss escaped her and she quickly picked up the vial and loosened her grip, watching the blood drip into the vials mouth. "Here." She pulled out one of her ribbons and wrapped her cut hand tight, tying it off as best she could with the one hand. "Don't ask me to do something like that again..." She said short of a response. Holding out the vial for Vice to take. Once he did she would put up her book and the rest of her things before rolling over, her back towards the fire. Her mind still stuck on the images she had seen. The memories of her mother that she had tried so hard to forget. @Cecowl Hoovey

He walked over and took the vial, nodding quietly, understanding her disapproval. It had been strange his first time going through this situation, but it was necessary to try and figure out what all was going on. Taking the blood, he sat down and began going through his sets of tests to figure out exactly what was going on with her. What he was seeing was.. concerning, to say the least. It seemed to him that this was.. deeply rooted into her core, for whatever reason. Something about her had.. activated as a result of something. Could it have been exposure to his blood? But.. Why would something in her activate from simply coming into contact with his blood? That wasn't how lycanthropy spread. It spread through bites. It spread through blood-to-blood contact. There was no blood-to-blood contact, nor were there any bites. Something was different about her, something was absolutely fucked up about her blood, and he was starting to become determined to figure out exactly what it was to prevent it from happening again. Nobody needed to go through the same shit he did. Nobody needed to fight this inner beast like he had for several years at this point. And her, being a merchant's daughter, was by far the person least in need of suffering like that. Glancing in her direction, he frowned. How would it all manifest for her? Would she start getting the hunger? How far would it drive her down the path of death? Letting out a quiet sigh, he packed up his supplies and put them back in the cart, taking a seat at the edge of the firelight with his bowl of lukewarm stew, watching her as she laid there and silently hoped that she would have it easy. That this could all just be over and done with, and that she would never need to transform. By the gods.. Was he actually pitying someone? @enchantednymph

As much as she had wanted to sleep in these moments she couldn't bring herself to. In fact, every little crackle from the fire and snap of a twig seemed to be amplified in her hearing. Eventually she gave up trying to sleep, rising from where she lay. Verrona stared at where Vice sat and grabbed her back, standing up. "I'm not running, but I need a moment to myself." She pulled out her money pouch and dropped it by his leg, the large coin pouch making a very audible thud on the ground from how heavy it was. She winced from the sound. "As insurance I won't leave, I won't be able to do much with no coin..." She pointed in the direction where the river was. "I'm going to wash up, so if you demand to follow me because of your 'lack of trust', then you better not look otherwise...be back in a few." The heat of the fire at her back had a bead of sweat travel down the nape of her neck. Not waiting for a reply she headed towards the rivers edge, the further away from the campfire the more her anxiety slowly seemed to come down. With a quick glance behind her she headed behind a large bush and stripped down to her slip, tossing her muddied and dirtied dress to the ground next to her bag. She undid the ribbon in her hair placing it with the rest as well as her shoes before she dipped a toe in the water. It wasn't outright freezing but it wasn't really warm either. Sighing she took the plunge and hurriedly entered the water shivering as she did. It was dark but oddly enough with the moon as large as it was she could see relatively well as she sunk into the water. Her slightly tanned skin becoming covered in gooseflesh. Sighing she dipped her head beneath the surface of the water. Verrona remained under, holding her breath for as long as she could before she resurfaced, her hands running over her hair and face to remove any excess water. "What have you gotten yourself into, Verrona?" Her emerald eyes stared back towards the camp, the faint glow of the fire a small light

06:21

flickering in the darkness. She wondered if she could be cured or if like most things in her life things would only worsen from here. Verrona had taunted Vice with her comment about being a bad luck charm, but truth be told she felt like perhaps it was she who brought bad luck... The image of her mother popped into her mind again and she groaned, falling back into the water and just floating. @Cecowl Hoovey

He watched her leave, closing his eyes for a few moments before taking a deep breath and standing up. He gave her around three minutes before he followed. He stopped at the edge of the treeline, leaning against a tree and glancing in her direction. "..Something's different about you. I'm not sure what caused it, but something in your blood seemed to.. activate the curse. I don't have that many theories as to what could have happened to cause it. Is there anything in your family's history that would have caused you to come into contact with lycanthropy? If there was, it's possible that there was some kind of latent ability transferred to you. If that's the case, maybe you'll be more naturally in control of the curse. Or, maybe you were just incredibly unlucky and you just happen to be the first person i've ever met who didn't need to be bitten to become a lycan." Did he care if she yelled at him, or called him some multitude of terrible names? No, not particularly. He had questions for her, ones that would help him try and figure out what the hell was doing on with her. Not to mention the fact that didn't really have an interest in people in that way, nor would she have any interest in him, so it didn't really matter if he saw her in the river. He was on a job, and she just needed to get cured so she could go home. Nothing more, nothing less. @enchantednymph

At the sound of his voice she stopped floating, her body going back underneath the water as her hands moved to cover her chest. While still wearing the slip provided some coverage there still wasn't much left to the imagination. Verrona hadn't heard him approach but she assumed that it was because she had been under the water when he had. Glancing in his direction she shrugged her shoulders. "In my family's history?" She paused in thought, glancing down and watching the water ripple the reflection of the moonlight. A thin layer of fog surrounding her from the different temperature in the air versus the water. "Not...that I can think of." Her mother's mental illness couldn't have been related, could it have? Her father wasn't much in the way of discussing her mother after her death, and even before he had been tightlipped about a lot of things. "I'm sorry, I can't really think of anything that sticks out outright." She dipped back underneath the water to her chin and sighed. "I am an unlucky sort." She stated, her head dipping back so that her hair became soaked again. @Cecowl Hoovey

"..Your family has no history of curses or other dark magic? That certainly makes things more complicated.. Those of my Order would be able to do some information-gathering and further tests, more than I can do with my simple alchemy kit. We'll get this figured out, and then you won't have to worry about it." When she glanced over at him, she could see that he wasn't looking at her for her body or anything like that. He was just looking at her to actually talk to her. So either he wasn't interested, or he just didn't care enough to look away. "Many people are unlucky." He just shrugged. "Some moreso than others. Be glad that you weren't born a tiefling, or else your life would have been far, far worse. Count your blessings where you have them. You were born in better standing than most, being a merchant's daughter, so you have money to work with. Others have to claw their way up for even a single gold coin." @enchantednymph

"My father isn't the talkative type, so I don't know much about his family. As for my mother..." She paused, her lips turning down into a frown. "She died a few years back and she wasn't...capable of telling me anything really." Verrona didn't want to elaborate, the memories honestly were hazy for her and relaying false information wouldn't help at all. She scrubbed at her arms, her legs and neck, behind her partially pointed ears. "I am thankful for what I have, you don't have to tell me. However, don't assume to know about me and lump me with all the other wealthy folk. I'm by no means...never mind." She stopped, why was she trying to explain things to him? It wasn't like he would care or even be able to fathom what her childhood had been. She was a tool, an item her father had decided to use to better himself and his business. Before that... sure she was well off, never left wanting when it came to material things but the lack of affection from her home life left her wanting. After her mother's death it had only gotten worse. "I'm getting out now." Verrona stated, moving to the edge of the water and wringing out her slip as the water dripped from her. She went behind the same bush, pulling off the slip and tossing it with the other dirty clothes. She slipped into a pair of tight fitting pants of sturdy material and a plain off white tunic with a bodice, though she left the bodice off for now since she would be sleeping soon. Grabbing the rest of her things she stepped out from the bush and glanced at him before heading back towards camp. @Cecowl Hoovey

He seemed lost in his own thoughts as she looked at him. His own childhood had been rough, being born to two human parents yet coming out like.. this.. They had all assumed that he was an omen of things to come. That he was a curse on their town and all that they would know. And because they assumed, it all began to happen. Their luck went down rapidly, with misfortune following at their heels, and there was only one thing to blame. So he was given a choice. Leave, as a child no older than six, and take his curse elsewhere, or die. He chose to leave, and was thrust into a world that hated him because he was different. Because his eyes were strange, and horns sat on his head.. It had been a rough life growing up that ultimately led to him becoming cursed with lycanthropy. So he couldn't understand how she'd want to leave her life behind, but he could understand parents who couldn't, or wouldn't, talk to their child. But not talking was better than calling then a curse. As she started walking away, she could see him starting to undo his armor. It seemed like he intended to clean himself as well. @enchantednymph

Back at camp Verrona had settled back on the bedroll, now that she was clean she felt clear minded enough to try and sleep again. She had barely just closed her eyes when she heard the crack of a twig and the rustling of branches from a different direction than where Vice was currently. Sitting up she glanced around only to see two figures emerge from the shadows.

"Well well well, looks like the beast left the bounty alone." His voice was smooth, articulate as he approached, his left hand holding the hilt of his sword. Blonde hair so pale it faintly reflected the moonlight. His blue eyes narrowed as Verrona quickly tried to get up from her laying down position. "Now now, there's no way you think you can manage to run away with the size you are, do you? Especially since I'm not alone..."

"Oh, but she just might. Edric, use the scroll already. You're giving her a chance to-"

Verrona opened her mouth and began to scream, only for the blonde male, apparently named Edric activated the scroll in which he had pulled out from somewhere. Instantly her voice cut off as she felt herself falling. Even though she was awake she couldn't move on her own, she just hoped the sound that had managed to escape her mouth was heard by Vice...surely his hearing was well enough being what he was.

"Help me get her to the horses. I don't think I can carry her...she looks heavier than was listed on the paper."

"For fucks sake Edric. Do I have to do everything." The elf rolled her eyes moving over to join him as she grabbed an arm lifting Verrona up. "Let's get her to a horse before the guy comes back. He was getting naked last I saw but that doesn't guarantee he won't try and rush over."

"Yeah yeah." Rolling his eyes he grabbed Verrona's other arm and they carried her off a distance where there horses had been hidden, waiting. With a bit of a heft they managed to get her limp body on the back of one of the two horses, the one in which seemed to belong to the human.

Clicking her tongue listened for a moment before they took off, already she could tell that they would soon be pursued. "He's already noticed Edric. For fuck sake lets go! I want that reward!" Slamming her legs on the side of her horse they were both off.

10:01

@Cecowl Hoovey

They were definitely being pursued, with the sounds of another horse quickly approaching. Vice, with little more than wet clothes and his sword, was quickly riding to catch up with them. He was shouting something in his native tongue, urging the horse to ride faster. The fact that Verrona wasn't struggling meant that they had either knocked her out, or affected her with some kind of magic, which meant that they wouldn't care about her well-being. Vice brought his free hand up and bit down on it hard, barely registering the taste of his own blood and he shoved his hand forward, targetting the horse that the elf was riding and speaking an incantation. A wave of lethargy would roll over it as the curse took effect, slowing it down considerably, giving the tiefling a chance to catch up, even if it was just to the elf. @enchantednymph

"Shit, Edric! He's fucked with the horse, don't stop. I'll meet you later at the designated spot!" She had felt her horse begin to slow and with a swear under her breath she pulled the bow from her back, nocking an arrow she swiveled with ease on the back of the horse. Pulling the bowstring back Lastra let loose the arrow watching it whistle through the air as she saw the man who had been accompanying their bounty.

Edric glanced back when he heard Lastra call to him, swearing under his own breath he kept a hand on Verrona, his other gripping his reins tight as he urged the horse to quicken it's pace. "Got it!" He shouted back, his blue eyes narrowing as he dug his heels into the side of his horse. The horse neighed in protest but quickened it's pace regardless.

She couldn't turn her head, instead only being able to see the side of the horse's tanned hair. She'd heard the exchange and prayed that come what may that Vice would be able to catch up to them... if they were willing to treat her like this all for the money her father had offered there was no telling what else they might do. Even as she was thrashed about on the back of the horse she couldn't do anything, her limbs still restrained by whatever sort of spell the man had used. @Cecowl Hoovey

She could see the arrow slam into Vice's shoulder, jerking him back slightly, but that just seemed to anger him more. He drew his sabre with his free hand, slashing it against his arm as lightning burst forth along the metal. As he got closer and closer, he raised his hand again and a piece of the earth seemed to just.. appear in front of her horse, further spooking and slowing it. As he continued to approach, he disappeared in a thin silvery mist, only to appear beside the Lastra's horse and slashing at its haunches, lightning coursing through the blade and into the flesh, trying to get it to rear up and buck her off. @enchantednymph

The events which followed her arrow hitting Vice in the shoulder happened all too quickly. One moment she was smug in the fact that she'd landed the blow, the next astonishment at the fact it had not slowed him down at all. Lastra swore under her breath as he seemed to disappear from out of sight. She swore even fouler as he reappeared beside her horse, his weapon slashing at it's hind legs causing it to buck. She had barely had time to register what was happening as she spun in the air. Thankfully her dexterity was well enough that she managed to land on her feet. She slipped her bow back to where it lived on her back and pulled her rapier. "So you want to dance. Huh?" She spun the rapier in her hand getting a feel of it as she waited. Lastra wasn't sure what all Vice could do, but she knew he was more than just a tiefling. They'd been trailing them for awhile, having planned to jump in when the first set of bandits had attacked the girl only for him to have before they could. It frustrated her that Edric had taken too damn long at the last town, his dalliances having been more important to him than the gold. He did it for the thrill, Lastra? Lastra did it for the money. Gritting her teeth she readied her weapon, backing up a bit as she did. He was larger than her, but surely he wasn't quicker on his feet as she was on hers, she was nimble and with the help of her enchanted boots she was even faster. All she needed to do was slow him down enough for Edric to get to the rest of the group. If stalling was what was needed... she'd do just that. @Cecowl Hoovey

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, elf." He hissed. "That girl needs to come with me, and now, unless you want people to die." The crackle of lightning continued to shine through as the tiefling cautiously approached the elf. "I'm not afraid of you or your little sword, girl, but you don't want to see what'll happen if you don't return her to me." It was obvious from his movements that he was incredibly skilled and quite hardy for someone of his size, seemingly unfazed by the arrow sticking out of his shoulder. It caused pain every time he moved his left arm, but that pain would just keep him focused on the fight, and wouldn't let this fight devolve into anything less than him trying to get this damn girl back so she wouldn't lose herself to the beast. Putting her under too much stress could cause a transformation, after all, and she was far less in control than he was over it. He closed the distance in a few large steps, swinging rapidly with his sabre, lightning arcing from it as it grew closer and closer to her. @enchantednymph

"Sorry, but your warnings are falling on deaf ears... That's out bounty and we will be claiming it." She laughed as he came in closer, the static from the electricity on his sword sparking in the air as he approached. She needed to keep him from landing a blow. As he charged at her she would roll to try and avoid his attack, her plan being that she would keep a distance between them as long as she could. Once she was on her feet again Lastra narrowed her eyes, the distance once again just a few feet between them. "She's just a merchants wayward child, shouldn't you be off...I don't know, eating a corpse or something?" She paced in a circle around him, every time he would take a step forward she would take two or more back. "Surely you have better things to do, no? Let this bounty go." @Cecowl Hoovey

His eyes narrowed as she laughed in his face. "There's more to her than you'd understand, elf. Not to mention the fact that I had her first." He hissed. Not only were they putting people in danger by taking her away, but they were getting in the way of him doing his job. And nobody got in the way of him doing his damn job and getting paid. As she continued to back away from him, he was just getting annoyed. She wasn't interested in fighting, and she was stalling for time. That much was obvious. Vice wasn't interested in wasting time. He placed a hand on the ground for just a moment, and then rushed forward, cutting his hand on his sword and flicking it forward, and Lastra could feel her body slowing and becoming stiffer as a strange, dark magic came over her. He ran forward and attempted to slam his shoulder into her to stagger her, followed by a slash along her sword arm. @enchantednymph

Lastra swore under her breath as he cast some sort of spell, it seemed he had caught on to what she had ben trying to do and actual fighting would have to happen. What she hadn't expected was that her body was so sluggish compared to his. Her muscles behaving as if they were stiff and it was during this that he slammed into her and then slashed at her arm. She barely had time to react, the sword coming in contact with her flesh. The warmth of her blood as it started to pour from her wound made her hand slippery and she moved to hold her empty hand over the wound. Growling she slashed at him in retaliation though there was half as much force behind it. She stumbled backward trying to gather herself. "More to a simple girl from a well to do family?" She laughed bitterly. "We've been following her for a week, there is not anything special about her save for her families money..." @Cecowl Hoovey

Vice leaned back, the rapier grazing his other shoulder as he barely didn't avoid it completely. "Then it shows how ignorant you are." He growled back, raising his sword again. "I'm surprised you didn't come onto my radar when I was tracking her. Elves tend to stink of the woods, causing them to stand out in cities. Oh well. I'll get you out of my way either way." With that, he closed the gap and slashed twice again, once at her free arm, once at her sword arm, before kicking at the side of her leg. @enchantednymph

"Ignorant?!" Lastra growled, her eyes narrowing as she let go of her arm and readied herself to go on the offensive. "I'm not your average elf, tiefling." His taunt of getting her out of the way made her scoff though as he rushed forward she braced herself for his attack, assuming he'd go for her wounded arm again. Only this time he went for the free one and she'd just barely managed to avoid the attack when she slashed at her other and she hissed out in pain, stumbling as he kicked at her leg. She fell down then, her knee falling to the gravel beneath. Gritting her teeth she tried to retaliate, slashing at him with her rapier. "Fucker!" She shoved herself up, stumbling backward. She dropped her sword and used her one good arm to loot through her pouch on her side. Pulling out a vial she smashed it on the ground, black smoke began to spread smelling of sulfur and something else. Lastra hoped this would give her a minute to recoup, or at least retreat. @Cecowl Hoovey

He approached slightly as she fell, deflecting the rapier with his sabre. "You're outclassed, elf. Ignorant, ineffective, and you can't even use that weapon right. You've hit me what, twice? I guess elves are truly better with their bows than their swords. Good to know." With that, he reached up and snapped the arrow shaft and threw it down at her feet. "It's been a long time since i've had elf.. Do you think you'll taste like the forest?" A darkness entered his eyes as he watched her, and then the smoke quickly spread out as she shattered the vial. He covered his mouth and nose with his shirt, the wet cloth helping to filter the smoke and whatever else was in there out of the air. He used the smoke as an opportunity to back off. This gave him an idea.. Pointing forward, an image of him appeared at the end of the smoke, making it seem like he was entering the smoke again to look for her. Hopefully she took the bait and ran off.. And then he'd return to the camp, suit up and hide the horses and wagon, and go after her. That human had about a minute's head start on them, and her horse wouldn't be any use to her now, not with its injury, so she'd have to leg it. Her blood would make an easy enough track for him to follow. He'd follow, fully equipped, and kill her and her companion. @enchantednymph

He was entering the smoke in search of her and Lastra used this opportunity to slip into the line of trees to her left. Using what strength she had to head in the direction her companion had taken. She needed to get to the group but it would take her awhile. The more she bled the woozier she was and after tying the wound tight with an ripped part of her shirt she felt a little better. The meet up point was about an hour on foot away, by the time she got there she hoped Edric wouldn't do anything stupid...

While Lastra was left behind distracting the tiefling Edric had done as he was told, heading to the rendezvous point them and the rest of their team had set. There were three more waiting back at the rundown inn and when he arrived the others came out and helped him carry Verrona inside. They had tied her to a chair and placed her in one of the empty rooms in the back off of the kitchen, each one would take turns guarding her in case she tried anything funny after the spell had worn off, per Edric's recommendation.

She could feel the beginning of the effects wearing off, starting off with the tingling in her toes and tips of her fingers. Verrona wondered where Vice was, and if he had managed to take care of the elf or if perhaps he had been bested... though the image of him fighting appeared in her mind and she didn't think he'd go down that easily. She could hear the group outside of the room she had been shoved in, talking and laughing as if death soon wouldn't be on their door. The idiots. She had just closed her eyes to focus on the tingling sensation in hopes she could speed up the process when she heard the type of things the men outside were saying. Dread filled her veins. Hadn't they been after the money her father was offering? Then why...

"I'm telling you, those curves... did you feel that ass?" A bunch of laughter quieted down as Edric entered, his bright blue eyes narrowing. "If Lastra was here and heard you say that you wouldn't have hands to feel that ass, let alone anything else." He pushed past the rest of the men and entered the room shutting the door promptly behind him. "Now then, shall we have a talk Miss Verrona Naepeiros?" A wicked smirk appeared across his face as he pulled up another chair, straddling it as he stared at her. @Cecowl Hoovey

Vice was tracking the scent of the elf's blood at a rapid pace, moving through the trees with ruthless efficiency. It was a long trip, that much was certain, but he was suited for such things. It certainly didn't help that she was moving at a slower pace than he would've liked. When they reached the destination, his eyes narrowed. An old inn.. There were several places to hide a girl in there, though they likely would be lazy, thinking they won when they saw their elf companion arrive. With the state she was in, it was likely that they would wait a while before setting out, so he had a moment to scope the building out and decide his angle of attack. @enchantednymph

She could see the outline of the building through the trees, her breathing already ragged as she shoved forward. Lastra's arm was still bleeding even with her makeshift bandage and she wondered if she'd even make it in or if he was perhaps following her. If the roles had been switched she knew that she would have, the opportunity was there... but that was a problem she would have to deal with later. Right now? She knew she needed a healer. Using the last bit of strength she had Lastra kicked open the door and startled the few crew who were in the main room. "Lastra! Holy hell, what-" "Just fucking heal me, Dru or so help me I'll fuck you up." "A-Aye, sit, sit!" The shorter of the three in the room ushered her into an empty chair that creaked underneath her weight but didn't break. As Dru began the process of the spell Lastra narrowed her eyes and glanced at the others. "Where is the bounty? And Edric?" She grit her teeth as she felt the effects of the spell work at sewing her muscles back together and she hissed. "In the other room." "Get him."

The tall one rushed from the room, throwing open the door where Edric was toying with a dagger, the tip of the blade tracing the line of Verrona's thigh. He turned as the door burst open and his eyes narrowed. "What?" "Lastra's back- but she's really banged up." "Fuck." He turned back to Verrona and turned his lip up at her. "Seems that bounty hunter of yours really wants you back." He shoved off from the chair, kicking it backwards as he did. "How bad is she?" The other man shook his head. "She looked...you should go. She called for you." "Alright." He glanced down at Verrona who was still tied up, sweat beading around her forehead, a few droplets already making their way down her chin to fall on her chest. His eyes following them as they did. "Hold this for me, will you?" With a wicked smirk he shoved the dagger into her thigh giving it a small twist. Verrona cried out as he removed his hand, her eyes shutting tight as he let out a wicked laugh, turning on his heels and leaving the room. @Cecowl Hoovey

The tiefling stuck to the edge of the woods for now, assuming that they'd have someone keeping watch for him. He mentally marked every window he could see, as well as both doors. The distance between the edge of the woods and the inn seemed to be 60 feet or so.. Maybe more, maybe less.. No matter what he'd do, they'd have a chance to see him approach. The plan would involve him having to run half of the distance and then teleport the other half, and then he'd go through the back door and kill anyone in his way while he sought Verrona. If they hurt her at all.. He'd make sure they felt twice as much pain, over a much greater time. He circled around to the other side, preparing to break cover. @enchantednymph

He had expected her to be wounded, but Lastra, seeing her there bleeding all over the floor had set a rage in his cut as he came over while Dru worked on healing one of the wounds, from the looks of it he had already healed one. "Did you at least kill the bastard?"

"No, he was..." She gritted her teeth, the healing was necessary but feeling her muscles and skin begin to close hurt like hell and she had nothing to ease the pain. "I used the smoke bomb you'd given me. I'm- Fuck Dru, stop for a gods-be-damned moment!" She turned to Edric. "He'll be coming for the girl." There was a nervous shuffle from Dru and he cleared his throat. "You'll...have some permanent damage from this one. Some of...your tissue was literally cooked somehow..." Lastra gritted her teeth and turned back to Dru. "The fucker had some sort of lightening ability on his blade. Just do what you can."

It was during this discussion between the other two that Edric had heard enough, fuck the money, no amount would make Lastra be able to use her arm to full capacity again and gods-be-damned if Edric was going to just be fine with how things were. If he was coming, and sure as shit he'd bet the blue skinned freak was then he was going to have a little fun first. There was nothing in the bounty request that said the girl had to be whole. He spun on his heel and headed back into where Verrona was still tied, he was happy to see the dagger was still sticking out of her thigh, the blood slowly dripping through the fabric of her clothes to fall on the floor beneath. "Things just got a little more rougher for you, bounty." He shut the door, locking it behind him with a chair so that no one would be able to interrupt what he was about to do. Checking if the door would hold he turned and quickly closed the distance between them and violently yanked the dagger out of her flesh. "Your little friend seemed to think it was alright to wound mine, and well...an eye for an eye, you understand right?"

He knew she still couldn't speak, so why he was talking to her like she would was beyond her, not that she even would if she could. The pain was radiating from her thigh now that he had pulled the blade out of her leg and the sadistic fuck was looking at it like he wanted to cause more harm. Sure enough within a heartbeat he had pressed his thumb into her wound, twisting at the tissue so that the pain shot small jolts through her and she felt the tears sting in her eyes. She felt her fingers twitch then, her mind beginning to growing hazy.

"Oh, like that do we? Let's make another, shall we?" He cackled, his hand hand with the dagger movingto her other thigh as if he was going to stab her again. Except he didn't, no he wanted something else...something to cause the girl to wish she had never ran away from home, to wish she'd never even came into existance. He trailed the dagger higher up her leg, over her wide belly and over her bellybutton, tracing it before moving even further up. "Where shall we put the gift, hmm? Lastra's good arm is now ruined so..." His eyes narrowed as he moved the dagger to her arm. "Perhaps..."

Her heart was beating a thousand miles a minute and Verrona felt the fear begin to pour into her heart only for it to suddenly be replaced by a feeling she'd never experienced before. She hadn't even had time to register before the man Edric began to place cuts all over her arm, the sharp edge of the blade cutting into her skin as if it was nothing but soft butter. One, two, three cuts and she let out a blood curtiling scream of rage and pain as she felt every bone in her body begin to contort, to change into... Oh fuck, oh fuck Everything went red in her mind, her inner thoughts now silent as she ripped herself from the chair, no longer was she the half elf girl with the olive skin tone. Replaced in her spot and twice her size stood a were wolf and the look of terror on her assaliant's face was one of terror as he fell back, scrambling for the door he himself locked. She roared, this time there was no fear or pain...just a blood red rage and the need to kill what had tried to hurt her. To feed on his flesh and rip him to bits. She rushed forward, though a bit wobbly at first, her new limbs strange to navigate but it didn't take her long to cross the room and open her mouth wide, her new sharp teeth sinking into the shoulder of Edric who let out a blood curtling scream of his own. Verrona could hear his companions outside the door rushing to come and see what had happened, though it was already to late... Crunch. There was an almost euphoric sense as his life blood spilled out over her tongue and slid down her throat so easily. She bit down harder on the lifeless body as even more flooded her mouth and she shivered as banging on the other side of the door grew louder, more violent now that the man's cries had been silenced. @Cecowl Hoovey

Vice heard the screams of the girl and knew something was wrong. He could smell the blood in the air, faint from within the inn, but then there was another scream.. One of anger. Whether it was from the elf's injuries or whatever, he knew that there'd be issues. The tiefling broke cover and quickly rushed forward, getting within thirty feet before disappearing in a puff of mist, reappearing at the wall. Navigating over to a window, he leaned slightly so he could see inside. He couldn't tell if the blood was Verrona's or not, but surely they wouldn't hurt their mark? If they did.. Well, they were terrible at their job. He drew the sabre again, lightning sparking to life on it again as his blood magic activated again, and then he listened. @enchantednymph

Lastra swore under her breath, throwing her somewhat good side against the door. Whatever the hell had happened on the other side of that door Edric had gone very silent. She knew the man had a temper but surely he wouldn't have done something stupid again, would he? Swearing again she called out. "Edric! Open this damn door and answer me!" Nothing but the sound of heavy breathing on the other side until there was a crash, the sound of something wooden being thrown against a wall and shattering to pieces. Then a growl that didn't sound anything human... Her gears started turning and Lastra quickly backed up. "Move. Move!" But it had already been too late.

She could smell them, the meat on the other side of the door. The smell of more fresh blood on the other side of the door and Verrona growled, the banging growing more frantic. Large wolf eyes narrowed as she looked down at the door. She wanted to eat, wanted to taste the warmth of blood on her tongue once again she just needed to remove the obstacle in her way. Angrily she threw her large clawed and furry hands at the chair and it had flown with shut ease, as if it had weighed nothing and it gloriously smashed into the wall, splinters of it flying everywhere and she growled again before backing up and barreling into the door. The wood had been old and with her new found size and weight it smashed just as easy as the chair had and she was now standing on top of it, one of her captors crushed underneath it, the shorter one barely having moved just in time. There was a sickening snap as her mouth ripped off the head of the taller one.

"Oh fuck, that's what the bastard meant! Dru, run." Lastra dug her hand into the pouch on her side hoping for another smoke bomb though she came up empty handed. Swearing under her breath she turned on her heel. Dru had been smart, running as soon as she had said and Lastra quickly joined him.

A roar rumbled in her chest after she finished her snack, her head swinging upward to look for the other two who apparently had thought they could run. She leapt forward following them at twice their speed and had easily caught up. The one called Dru screamed, scurrying for the door though he managed to trip over something. "L-lastra! H-help!" He cried and Verrona looked from the one to the other. The short one had more meat, but the thin one had been the cause of her pain. She smelt of blood and the temptation was too much, she turned just slightly and began to go for the elf.

"Oh, you want me do you, you ugly bitch?" She grabbed the crossbow that had belonged to one of her companions, trying her best to quickly get the bolt ready to be shot. It didn't take her long and she let it loose at the bounty now turned werewolf. Had that idiot turned her? There was nothing about this shit in the missive she had received. The beast let out another roar as if the bolt had barely phased it and it leapt at her but she quickly ran for the old staircase in the corner just a few feet away. @Cecowl Hoovey

He heard the shouting and cursed under his breath, slipping into the back door and quietly moving over to the fallen hunter. Grabbing him roughly by the collar, he hissed in the man's ear. "You run away, and I will hunt you down and gut you like a pig. You try and fight, and your fate will be the same. Sit there and be good, we have much to talk about." Then, he roughly threw the man to the ground and quickly stalked after the elf and what he assumed to be Verrona, turned and out of control. Damned fools had gone and done something to put her in enough stress to turn her, despite his warnings. Now he needed to fix this mess.. @enchantednymph

Verrona had only slight difficulty clamoring up the stairs in her strange new form. Her sharp claws digging into the weak wood as she chased after the elf. On the last step she was too wild with her rage to be aware of the whole on the floor. Her huge weight causing one of her legs fall into it, momentarily keeping her trapped. She snarled her displeasure at having been kept from her pray and she yanked her left free, clawing at the floor as she did. She did hear the noise behind her but she didn't care. She needed the meal in front of her. To feel the blood in her mouth and the meat in her teeth and eventually her belly. Eating made her feel good and she wanted that feeling again instead of the pain inside of her. She backed Lastra into a dead end, she knew it though she couldn't see the elf. Her nose picked up her scent just fine, the blood from her wound like a beacon. She was hiding somewhere in this room, and she could hear. Oh how she could hear all the sounds of the thumping hearts in these humans. She hadn't tasted a heart yet, and the thought had her drooling with excitement. Her tongue licking at her chops as she growled and slowly entered the room. @Cecowl Hoovey

"Verrona!" He shouted as he reached the top of the stairs. "You need to calm down! Get control of yourself!" He sheathed his sword as he continued to approach. "This isn't you. You're not like me. You don't have to get stuck with this curse, you don't have to be a monster like I am. Forget the elf. I can patch up your wounds, and we can get out of here." His tone of voice was unusually soft, since he knew that she needed to become calmer if she was going to revert back to her original form. "Breathe. Breathe, Verrona. Deep breaths. Look at me, over here. Not in there. Over here." @enchantednymph

She whipped her head around at the one yelling behind her, her upper lip rising as she growled in his direction. He was shouting things at her and while she registered them partially she didn't care about the nonsense he was spewing. She needed to find the one that smelt tasty- His words went softer, almost tender and her chest rumbled, her eyes narrowing as she took him back into her sights. She took a few steps forward towards the blue one, her body quite larger than his currently and she looked down at him, her head tilting as he directed her to breathe. She was breathing, but she did as he asked, taking a deep inhale before releasing it. It was during the second inhale that she had smelt it, one she hadn't come into contact with before. She had only a moment to register it as the man rushed forward, his mace raised high as he swung at her. A snarl escaping her mouth as the metal weapon came towards her. @Cecowl Hoovey

He smelled it too, shoving Verrona out of the way and raising his arm up, a harsh snap being heard as the weapon slammed into his limb and he felt his forearm snap. Letting out a hiss of pain, he looked at the mace-wielding bounty hunter and let out a beastly growl as his body began to shift. The werewolf grabbed the man by the face, slamming him into the wall a few times before slamming him onto the ground, his screams being cut short by his head being crushed, Vice breathing hard as he glared down at the corpse below him now. "Fucking.. bastard.." The hissed voice could be heard from the bounty hunter, and then it was clear that he was doing his best to calm down, taking several deep breaths as his body started to revert, his left arm hanging at his side. Vice looked over at Verrona, nodding. "..See? It's possible to get control of it. Deep breaths, focus on yourself.. And stay here. I have some.. unfinished business with the elf over here." He stood slowly, walking over to the door and shutting the door behind him. "..You just had to go and push your luck, huh?" @enchantednymph

She watched everything as it unfolded, Vice diving to take the blow that had been directed at her. Her heightened hearing picking up the audible snapping of his bones as the mace made contact with his arm and Verrona growled her displeasure but continued to watch as Vice himself shifted, pounding the man against the wall and ground. His own bones being crushed from the force of Vice's attack. As he turned to talk to her again a whine left her throat, reaching her head over to sniff at his wounded arm. He told her to stay so she did, reasoning slowly coming back to her mind after what had just happened. Verrona focused on her breathing, her large chest rising and falling as she shook in her spot, her body trembling as she tried hard to calm down. Her eyes staying on the door that Vice had just shut.

At the sound of the door closing Lastra came out from her hiding spot behind a armoire. She was clutching her harm, her face contorted in distaste. "Did you turn her? That was very stupid of you to do. I'm sure her father won't want her in that condition." Lastra stayed her ground, her feet planted firmly as she held up a sword, though her arm trembled as she did. "Forget being paid. You'll like be executed knowing her father." @Cecowl Hoovey

"No, I did not turn her on purpose. There's something different about her, which I plan on figuring out and curing her of, which is why I was headed the direction I was." He hissed. "I know her father wouldn't want her back in that condition, which is why I wasn't taking her back. But you fuckers had to come and fuck it all up. Do you see why I said that you'd regret it? Now all that's left of your men is you and that other dude downstairs. Now, here's what's going to happen." He said, pointing his sword at her. "You're going to drop your weapon and leave, taking your dumbass companion with you, and you're going to forget about me and the girl. It should be clear to you now that you're outmatched by me, and the girl's not in any condition to return home yet. I'm going to fix that and return her home. And if you end up doing something else to fuck this all up.. I won't hesitate to hunt you down and kill you where you stand. The only reason I'm not killing you now is because I have no reason to." Taking a deep breath, he shook his head, turning back to the door. "Know when you've lost, elf." And then he walked back out of the door, looking towards Verrona. @enchantednymph

Clenching her teeth she listened to his words, it was true what he had said... they had been heading a completely different direction than towards the town where her father was. She swore under her breath, dropping her weapon as he finished. Lastra visibly relaxed as she watched him turn and head back towards the girl. Fine, she knew when to cut a loss...

Verrona wasn't sure when or how but eventually she had shrunk back down to size. It didn't hurt like when she had originally shifted and she was sitting on the floor near the hole in the stairs shaking. Her clothes were in tatters as she sat their, her hair wild around her, no longer pulled back and loose around her body having curled up as if to protect herself. Tears streamed down her face as she recalled everything she had done, the taste of the coppery tang of blood still in her mouth. As the images flashed through her mind she started to dry heave and hyperventilating at the same time. She... ate people and had enjoyed it. The dry heaving eventually turned into actually vomiting. Verrona clamoring closer to the hole so that she wouldn't have to see exactly what she was spewing out of her mouth, her eyes closed shut. @Cecowl Hoovey

Vice walked over to her, taking his cloak off and putting it around her. "..You'll be alright. We'll get this cured as soon as possible, and you won't have to go through that again. Take all the time you need, but we need to get going soon, if we're going to meet with people from my Order." He was kneeling beside her, understanding how she was feeling. It had taken well over a year to accept how it felt when he transformed, and how much you lost control when you were under the control of the beast, but he also knew that there'd be others coming after them. This elf and her group wouldn't be the last one on their way, and they needed to get her cured as soon as possible to avoid this happening again in the future. @enchantednymph

She was still shaking as he draped the cloak over her, the last contents that her stomach had been willing to release dropping with a very wet splat into the darkness below the hole. Verrona took deep breaths, the acidic taste in her mouth overpowering the taste of the copper that had been there moments before. "D-do you...have any water?" She needed to get the last remnants of the taste out of her mouth or she didn't think she could remain sane. Her eyes fell down to her hands that were covered in blood and she retched though there was no longer anything left to come out of her. She needed to wash, to scrub her body until it was raw to remove the evidence of what she had done. His words had barely registered in her mind but she knew the gist of it and knew he was right. Verrona knew she needed to get off her ass, to make her weak legs lift her from this decrepit floor to get out of here. "I" She shook her head, the tears still streaming. "My legs won't budge Vice..." @Cecowl Hoovey

He pulled out his waterskin, handing it to her, gently rubbing her back as she sobbed. "Drink up." He looked down at his arm, hanging loosely by his side. He couldn't carry her due to the broken arm, at least not easily. Either way, he needed to get her out of here. Disappearing into one of the rooms, she could hear something wooden being broken and cloth tearing, and then he returned with a makeshift splint around his arm. Then, with some difficulty, he got her on her feet, supporting her with his good arm. "..Come on. It's time to go. I've got you." @enchantednymph

Before she could even think about drinking she poured some of the water on her hands to remove the blood that was on them. Wiping them off on the cloak even though it wasn't her own, she'd feel bad about it later but for now she just wanted her hands to be clean. As Vice walked off she took in some of the water, swishing it around in her mouth before spitting it down the hole. After the taste was gone Verrona chugged the water that remained in the waterskin. He came back with a make shift splint and she was racked with guilt, he hadn't needed to take that blow from the mace for her but he had... She wiped at her mouth to dry the small bit of water that had made it around the mouth of the waterskin and closed it. "O-okay." It took her a bit to get up but with his help she managed. They were slow going but they were going nonetheless. @Cecowl Hoovey

He took the waterskin back from her, putting it on his hip. "You don't need to feel guilty, y'know. You reek of guilt. In my line of work, injuries happen all the time." His was still stained with blood from his arrow wound, but he didn't seem bothered. It was just another scar. Once they were downstairs, he looked at the man he had left down there. "Don't get in our way, and you'll live. The elf's still alive upstairs. You can leave with her." Stepping outside, he went to where he smelled the bounty hunters' horses, climbing on and helping Verrona up. It wasn't the most comfortable way to ride, but she likely couldn't ride back on her own. Then, they were on their way back to their camp. @enchantednymph

She shifted her attention away from him, her eyes focusing on some unimportant thing as they made their way through the building. Verrona was surprised to see the man downstairs, thinking he would have run away terrified though Vice could be intimidating so I kind if made sense the man had stayed. She watched as he ran up the stairs in search of the elf. Gods, Verrona hoped she'd never see her again. Once outside he led her to horses and she was pretty sure they weren't theirs but she didn't say anything, instead accepted his help up onto the back of one of them. What did the dead need with a horse anyway? The thought made her sick... she'd killed them. Verrona shoved the thought away and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Vice and resting her head against his back. It was the closest the two had ever been but she didn't have the energy to honestly sit up right at the moment. The tears had stopped at some point but as they began trotting down the path she couldn't stop them from one again spilling from the corners of her eyes. The journey was a quiet one but she didn't mind. Her quick tongue was far away at the moment and would remain gone for some time still as she mourned her humanity in which she had brought almost to the brink because of some stupid bounty hunter with a vendetta. @Cecowl Hoovey

It didn't take nearly as long to get back to camp as it did getting to the inn in the first place, though it was a bit of a rough ride. Controlling a horse than he was unfamiliar with using only one hand was.. annoying, to say the least, but he managed. He was good at adapting, after all. When they got to the camp, Vice climbed off of the horse and helped Verrona down. "I'm going to guess that you want to go clean yourself up and get into some actual clothes. I'll get the horses on the wagon, and then we can go. I'm not going to risk staying here any longer." With that, he began to pack up the camp, having to go slower than he would've liked due to his arm, but there was no way in hell that they'd be staying here again. She could get some rest on the wagon, but he had no intentions of stopping until they made it to the town with the other members of his Order. Something about his demeanor had changed, that much was obvious. He didn't seem as.. pissed as he was before. Instead, he just seemed.. Well, it was hard to place the exact emotion his face was showing, but it definitely was less of a resting bitch face than it normally had been. Was it that he was worried about her? Concerned for both of their safeties? It was hard to tell. @enchantednymph

Her whole body was sore by the time they had made it back to camp and after he had helped her down from the horse her legs were pretty much useful now though they were sore. Verrona knew she had no reason to complain though, his arm was the one wounded she was just feeling the after effects of having changed the way she had. Sure she had the wound in her leg but that was something she'd worry about at another time. Vice had been correct in his assumption she would want to be cleaned. "Alright." She gave a small nod and looked around for her bag, rooting through it until she grabbed a set of clothes, just a simple pair of pants and a tunic, the color of it had probably once been white but after so much travel it was anything but. It was larger than her size but she didn't care. Right now she wanted comfort, she looked around in her stuff a little longer until she found a bar of soap taking it with her as she hobbled her way down to the river. She was careful with Vice's cloak, setting it down after she had folded it up neatly beside her clean ones. The remaining rags of her old clothes she tossed in a discarded pile elsewhere. Verrona stood there staring at them for quite some time as if staring at them would burn a hole through them. When nothing happened she shivered and turned her back, heading down towards the edge of the water. If she'd waited just a little longer she'd see them actually become catch flame, becoming nothing but ashes in a flash. .

14:47

Once she was in the water she was hyper focused on scrubbing herself clean, careful of her wounded thigh. Everywhere else though Verrona scrubbed herself until she was practically red and raw. The moon was still large enough that she could see herself and see the damage she was doing but she didn't care, she had to do it. She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she was finally satisfied, her skin stinging and sensitive as if stung by thousands of bees. Verrona headed back up to where she had left the clothes, She wrung her hair out before she dressed quickly. After she slipped on an old pair of boots she made her way back to camp slowly, not in any hurry. By the time she had gotten there Vice had already packed up camp. "Ready." @Cecowl Hoovey

Once she said she was ready, Vice climbed up into the wagon and pulled her up, and then they were off. She could see that he had forgone putting his armor on, and was still wearing the bloody clothes from before. He didn't push her to talk at all, the wagon moving at a decent pace. After several minutes, he spoke. "What did they do to you in that building? You wouldn't rage out for no reason, especially this soon after the full moon." @enchantednymph

When Vice broke the silence Verrona slightly winced, her fists tightening as she looked from her thigh to him. She knew she needed to answer but it took her a minute. She swallowed the lump in her throat, "When I first got there the men made...comments and things. Which, nothing like that happened but then Lastra came back..." She looked back down at her thigh. "The guy, Edric; he stabbed me with a dagger in my thigh before going to check on her, it hurt like hell... but that wasn't it." She took a breath and looked the opposite direction. The trees were comforting as they passed by. "When he came back in. He yanked the dagger out, saying an eye for an eye-" Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. "He used the dagger to cut up my arm which...wasn't bad either but the fear had begun to grow. He didn't stop, just kept slicing me. He moved back to my thigh shortly after that, letting the dagger go through my wound to the hilt. That's when I-"She couldn't finish the sentence. @Cecowl Hoovey

"Pigs." He hissed under his breath. "Disgrace to the profession if that's what they're talkin' about.." As he listened to her tell the story of what happened, he let out a quiet sigh. "He was fuckin' nuts. At least things turned out.. Well, moderately well. All the injuries we've both sustained'll heal with time, though unfortunately you'll have some scars if you aren't healed by magic. It's obnoxious to have to try and drive the wagon with only one arm, but i'll manage. Do you think you'll be fine?" It was strange for him to be asking about how she was feeling. It almost seemed like he might.. care. Who would've thought? @enchantednymph

"I'll be fine." Verrona said, though her voice barely held any conviction. While she had experienced a lot of things in her life despite being a merchant's daughter none of those things held a candle to the affect of having killed someone before, even if it was a justified death. Eating them? Definitely not something one should be alright with and she was definitely not okay with it. She shrugged her shoulders as if he had asked her something else. "I think I'm going to go and rest in the back...if that's alright." She quickly glanced at him as if she was asking for his permission though she already began climbing over the back of the seat. There wasn't much room to rest comfortably so she pushed a few things around and using her bag as a pillow she laid down, her hurt leg laying out straight while the other one was bent. @Cecowl Hoovey

She didn't sound very convincing, but he didn't press her on it. She needed some time to rest and recover, they both did. He wasn't going to get his rest until after they made it to the Order, though. It was too dangerous to stay in the open now, even if the town was still a day and a half's travel away. He nodded as she climbed into the back, not stopping her as she went to get some rest. It was better that she had time to herself for now. Besides, it helped him stay focused on the ride. He stopped every couple of hours to give the horses some time to rest and eat. He kept this routine up throughout the entire night and through the early morning. It was exhausting for him, but the pace was absolutely required. Now they were only a couple hours outside of the town and moving steadily closer. @enchantednymph

When she'd finally woken up Verrona wasn't exactly how long she had been asleep but she could tell that the sun was higher in the sky. "Are we almost there yet?" She asked solemnly. Rubbing at her eyes to try and remove the last few remainders from her slumber. Verrona climbed back up to her place beside Vice on the bench. Wincing as she rested her wounded leg down. "Are you...sure they're going to be able to cure me?" She'd thought about how she'd changed, the events that had followed that and above those the thought of how she had contracted the curse. It wasn't like he had scratched or bitten her, he had barely even breathed on her in his werewolf form. She rubbed at her unsliced arm and yawned. @Cecowl Hoovey

"Just a few more hours. How'd you sleep?" He glanced over at her as she climbed back onto the bench. "..Before we can think about curing you, we need to figure out why you became a lycan in the first place, so it won't happen in the future, but yes. I'm sure they'll be able to cure you. This is what they do- They fight monsters and save people from darkness. You won't be the first unfortunate soul that they'll have cured. Hell, I had the option to get cured myself, if I wanted it." They continued moving steadily closer to the town, which was now in sight. @enchantednymph

"Why didn't you then?" Verrona asked as she turned to look at him, a spark of interest showing in her eyes though she tried to feign indifference. She rolled her shoulders a couple of times and rubbed the back of her neck, her muscles tense from the stress of the last night. Verrona waited for his answer before she reached for her waterskin and took several large gulps. @Cecowl Hoovey

"..I realized that the abilities that it'd given me could be put to good use, if I could only harness it." He seemed indifferent about it all.. Though, there was a slight edge to his voice. "It's been.. a long time coming, but I believe it's nearly time to go through the Taming, and finally gain control over the beast."

17:34

@enchantednymph

"The taming?" She cocked her head slightly, wondering what he was talking about. Verrona couldn't deny that the abilities he had shown had been strong, and if it hadn't been for Vice when that first set of bandits had attack she would have been captured or wounded and while the bounty hunters from the night before had hurt her, and the things she did... he still managed to use his curse in a way that he had helped her. Clearing her thoughts she arched a brow. "You can't control the beast after you transform?" It was curious, sure while she had changed her thoughts had been nothing more than heightened feelings and urges. The way one would imagine an animals mind to think, to be able to control that fully? But at the same time, even though she had done those...things she had still partially felt like herself in her mind. She shook her head and stared at Vice. @Cecowl Hoovey

"I have very limited control over it now, though it takes a lot of mental fortitude to even control it as I do. Undergoing the Taming will give me full control of its abilities without risking losing myself on the full moon or when I lose my temper." He explained. "Though the specifics of it are something I can't share. It's an Order secret." He could see her interest, but didn't know if that interest would take her places she didn't want to go. "Of course, in order to undergo the Taming, it takes a lot of honing your body and mind through the Order's magics." @enchantednymph

"Makes sense...won't be a need if they give away their secrets..." She concluded, the interest slowly slipping away for now. He tacked on a little more to the conversation and Verrona turned her head, leaning back and glancing up at the sky as she thought on what he said before braking the silence once again. "That electricity thing you do...is that from the curse, or something else?" @Cecowl Hoovey

"That's another thing that the Order taught me. We have the ability to infuse our weapons with elements using the magic we obtain through the Order. There are many things that people can do, such as infusing their weapon with fire or ice, but I chose lightning. When I grow stronger, i'll be able to use more elements." The tiefling explained. "When I gain the ability to control my inner beast, I can channel the same energy to my claws." @enchantednymph

"That's..." Verrona shook her head, "A bit overpowered though, yeah?" She arched a brow and let out a small laugh. There was barely any emotion in it but she could appreciate her way of thinking right in the moment. "What all...does curing me even entail? Do you know?" @Cecowl Hoovey

"Not necessarily. We're using our own lifeblood to use these abilities. If we overuse them, we risk weakening ourselves to the point of death. I'm sure you've noticed that the magic only activates whenever I draw my own blood." He shrugged. "..I don't know exactly what it'll entail. It would depend on who ends up removing the curse, I suppose. If a priest is the one who cures you, it'll likely come through prayer. If a more bookish caster does it, it'll likely be through ritual in the middle of the night. There's no way to truly know." @enchantednymph

"That sounds dangerous, why would...using your blood even be a thing? Would you have to cover your nails in your blood then? Like how you did with your sword..." Verrona paused, the thought of Vice scratching himself just to coat his werewolf nails in his blood. She shivered though it was barely noticeable. His explanation on what might or might not happen was pretty straight forward, but somewhere deep down in her gut she felt like this would be a lot trickier than from someone who had been bitten. They weren't even sure how she had contracted the curse in the first place. A sigh escaped her as she crossed her arms. They seemed to have reached the outskirts of the city. Her eyes turning to focus on their surroundings now, the conversation she decided to push in a different direction. "Do they have rooms and board? Or should I expect to be locked up?" She glanced his way for a brief moment. The thought that she was a danger was very clear in her mind so it wouldn't surprise her in the least. Verrona knew she wouldn't fight them about it if they insisted on it, but she'd at least like to know beforehand. @Cecowl Hoovey

"The types of things we fight.. Demons, monsters, lycans.. Mundane weapons are rarely the best option against them. In order to combat them, we use the power of the elements to do so, but in order to do that, we need to channel the dark magic in our blood. It's a sacrifice every member of the Order is prepared to make in order to keep the civilized world free from these monsters." He noticed her shivering, and understood it. There was a reason that very few in the Order talked about their abilities to the uninitiated, and why they tended to work in the shadows. Their methods were.. unconventional, compared to most other kinds of adventurers, and could very well be reviled because of its use of dark magic. The tiefling had similar concerns about working toward curing her, but he wasn't about to show it. His people would be able to do it, without a doubt. This is what they did, after all. "They'll give you a room and feed you, especially since it's not approaching the full moon. If it was perhaps earlier in the week or later in the month, that'd be another story." @enchantednymph

"You've fought...all of those type of things?" She asked, her eyebrows rising near her hairline. She thought back to all the scars that had littered his body and could see it in her mind. The thought of him putting his life on the line like that, all the time? Verrona let out a huff of air causing her hair to move slightly as she shook her head. "How do you...even stay sane? Like, you have this... I don't give a fuck attitude in your life and it seems..." She paused, trying to find the best word for what she felt as she imagined. "How can you put your life on the line for the way people treat you?" @Cecowl Hoovey

"I've fought quite a few different types of monsters, yes." He nodded simply as they started passing farms. "..The fact that I get paid helps quite a bit. I'm a bounty hunter first and foremost, even if i'm a part of the Order. Before I was coming after you, I was working on repairing an inn to open up for when i'm not on the job, so I'll eventually have that to look forward to." When she questioned why he put his life on the line for the people that seemed to despise him, he glanced over at her. "..A few different reasons, I suppose. To prove people wrong. To have a way to feed the beast without killing innocents. To have a purpose in life and avoid becoming a criminal myself. To have people who see me as more than a blue-skinned devil. That kind of thing." Now, they were reaching the town proper, the tiefling having reclaimed his cloak from Verrona and pulled it up over his head, and started taking them to the other side of town, only stopping outside of a large home. @enchantednymph

"That...makes sense." Verrona thought about his words for the rest of the ride through town, contemplating what she would have done if she were in a similar situation. Which technically they were, though there were differences for sure Verrona couldn't help but feel like maybe... Her thoughts trailed off as they arrived in front of a large house and she looked up at it. Out of all the things she had expected a house was not one of them. When he had mentioned his order she had to admit she had imagined a grand building bustling with all sorts of people. Like one would imagine a guild she guessed, but this had definitely not been it. "Is this...it?" She hadn't meant to sound disappointed, but the question was already out, her rich kid vibes clearly shining through. @Cecowl Hoovey

He chuckled. "Expecting something more? We're a secretive order of monster hunters, not your traditional adventurer's guild." Stepping up to the door, he knocked, with a gruff voice responding. "Who goes there?" "Vice, ward of Farryl Battlegift, along with a traveling guest, Verrona Naepeiros, who is in need of the Order's assistance. May we be granted entry, and our horse and wagon cared for?" After several seconds of silence, the door opens, revealing a medium-sized dwarf with dark hair, speckles of gray in his long, braided beard. He wears a breastplate, with a longsword strapped to his back. "Melius, my boy! It's been a long time. Come inside, i'll send someone out to grab your horses." He looked past the tiefling and to Verrona. "Ah, and this is your guest? Pretty little thing, she is." He sniffed the air for a moment before frowning. "..Hm. I can see why she needs our help. Come inside, both of you." He turned and led the two of them inside. @enchantednymph

"Riiiight." She cleared her throat and nodded her head. "I should have realized that." Verrona followed him up to the door and waited as he knocked on it. Her eyes taking in the surroundings. The gruff voice on the other side made her jump slightly, moving closer to Vice without even realizing it. She turned her full attention back to the door and watched as it swung open. Her eyes trailed down from the top of his head down to the dwarf's face. Melius? Her eyes went wide and traveled over to Vice. A look of surprise and slight confusion on her face. She felt like the name she had given him fit him better. She wanted to poke fun at him but her attention was brought back to the man before them. His compliment had her cheeks flush slightly, though she didn't particularly think she was flatteringly pretty. All her father ever did was point out each one of her flaws and how she should go about fixing them. When the dwarf sniffed the air she winced, lifting her shoulder to sniff at it to see what exactly he was smelling. Not that she could smell anything herself. Shrugging she lowered her arm and followed the two inside. @Cecowl Hoovey

"Thank you, Master Battlegift." The tiefling nodded as he followed him inside. The building was a decently-sized house, furnished quite extravagently. It wasn't all that unlike her father's home, honestly. "Yes, yes. You both look a little worse for wear, I can have one of our healers tend to your wounds if you want. Some magic'll fix you right up. Of course, if you want to let it heal normally, that's perfectly fine as well." The dwarf seemed to have a warm, fatherly way of talking to the both of them, something that Verrona likely wasn't used to. The dwarf brought the two of them to a small sitting room and took a seat in the big chair near the hearth. "It's been a while, my boy, and i'm sure you've done quite a bit since we last met. Why don't you fill me in on everything that's happened, and i'll see what we can do about your little friend there." He motioned to Verrona. Vice, or Melius as the dwarf had called him, began to describe the things that he had done recently. As the two of them listened to his adventures, it became quite clear to Verrona that he.. really did fight a lot of different creatures, and did help a lot of people through his exploits. Then, he got to the part of the story where Verrona had been turned, and to that, the dwarf frowned. "You know we frown upon turning the uninitiated, Melius." "..Yes, Master, but this wasn't a typical turning. She had not been bit, nor did any of my blood get in any wounds. I was hoping that you'd be able to help me cure her, as she cannot go home until she is cured." "Hm.. It will take some time to find someone strong enough to deal with the curse who is free, but I'll see what we can find." @enchantednymph

She followed them to the sitting room, taking one of the left over remaining seats. Verrona couldn't help but notice how well the interior of the house was. It reminded her of home, though this place seemed to hold more of a warmth somehow versus her father's. The dwarf, whose name appeared to be Battlegift went on to ask Vice about his adventures she found her own curiosity back at the forefront as she turned to pay attention to her tiefling companion. As he told his experiences she listened with rapt attention, her eyes staying focused on him the entire time. It amazed her that he managed to fight those many creatures on his own. She knew he was strong, but doing all of what he had told them was... a lot for one person and she found herself begin to admire him just a little. When he got to the bit about her, and how she'd turned she let her eyes drift to Battlegift. "Is it possible? To contract the disease...er.... curse; without being bitten? I double checked myself for wounds, and Vice was correct in his statement that no blood got on me." At the mention of blood her face went a little whiter, a small bead of sweat dripping down her brow as flashes of what carnage she had wrought on her captors. The snapping sound of Edric's bones as her jaw had closed down on him with a force that was inhuman. Verrona dug her nails into the bottom of her thighs, clearing her throat as she shifted around her weight on the chair. @Cecowl Hoovey

"..It's certainly a strange and unusual situation." The dwarf commented. "But.. I believe it may have happened a few times throughout history. More often than not, it is a result of some mad wizard's experimentation or some spiteful god cursing someone. With what you've told me, Melius, I don't believe that either of these things happened. I'm.. Not entirely sure what caused your transformation, Verrona, but I can get in contact with some of our experts and look into the matter. If we can get some of your blood, that'd make looking into the cause of your transformation much easier." Vice looked over at Verrona, raising an eyebrow as if to say 'I told you so' at the comment of needing her blood. "As for the healing, I would appreciate both of our wounds being treated." He motioned down to his broken arm. "It's hard for me to fight with a broken arm, after all.. And Master, I was wondering if you thought I was strong enough to undergo the Taming." Battlegift turned to Vice again, narrowing his eyes as he scanned him over. "..Maybe you are, after everything you've gone through. Let me convene with the other leaders of the Council, and we'll see what they think." @enchantednymph

She listened to the old dwarf, showing him the respect that he deserved as he went on to explain and she couldn't help but be slightly disappointed that things weren't going quite as easy as she wished it. Though she couldn't fault him nor Vice for it. Nothing about her life ever really seemed to be straightforward and once again there was another tally to add into the column of thing in her life that would take time to understand. As much as Verrona wanted to be able to be mad at him making the decision for them to be healed...there was no denying that she needed it. She didn't want to scar...and her thigh was still aching so bad that she was sure even after it was in fact healed that she would have phantom pains for months to come. She listened as he asked about the taming, and her curiosity once again was tugged, her eyes traveling between the two men. She wondered what exactly it would entail, but the time frame in which Battlegift has said had relief flushing through her body. Two weeks, and who knew how much time it would take them to figure out her curse and if she could, in fact, be cured...that meant more time away from home and Vice couldn't just pull her back to the dreaded fate that awaited her there. "Your help...is very appreciated sir. Thank you." @Cecowl Hoovey

The tiefling nodded. "Yes, Master." There wasn't much he could really do about it but wait. It would take time for the members of the Order to convene and come to a decision, which meant that it would be some time before he'd be able to undergo the ritual. Annoyingly enough.. It had been so long, but he'd finally be in control of the beast. Looking at Verrona for a moment, he nodded slowly, before turning back to the dwarf. "It's been a long road for us. Is there a place for us to sleep?" "Don't mention it, lass." The dwarf smiled at her, before looking back to Vice. "Of course, Melius. We have a few other members in the Order staying here for now, so we only have the one room free. You'll have to share it with your friend here. It's upstairs, down the hall. You know the one." The dwarf explained, motioning to the stairs. "Get some rest, i'll call you down for food and when I have the healers here." Melius simply nodded and stood up, motioning for Verrona to follow. The stairs weren't particularly hard to climb, but there were a few more stairs than expected, likely due to the shorter man living here. The halls were lit by candles, filling them with a dim light. Reaching the bedroom, Vice opened the door and walked inside, revealing that there was a single bed, along with a wardrobe and a desk, with a large chest at the foot of the bed. He kneeled down and began putting his belongings in the chest, but pulled the bedroll out and unrolled it near the side wall. "Take the bed. You need it more than I do." @enchantednymph

Any other time the steps up the stairs wouldn't have bothered her, but with how bad her thigh hurt there was no way it didn't feel twice as long with each one she took. By the time they'd made it completely up the stairs she had a little sheen of sweat along her brow and she worked at wiping it off before she followed Vice the remaining way to the room. What she hadn't expected was that there was only one bed in the room, and as much as they had been in each other's company these last few days this...this was not okay. She looked around the rest of the room until she heard Vice tell her to take the bed. "You're kidding." She looked at him dubiously as she hobbled the remaining distance into the room and plopped herself down on the bed. The bed wasn't terribly small, but it wasn't really large either. She moved further back until she could feel the cool touch of the wall at her back before she kicked off her shoes and let them fall off the edge of the bed. "Sleeping on the floor is way too uncomfortable and honestly your arm is broken..." Because of me. She tacked on in her mind and glanced at the bed. "This should fit us both just enough, unless you think you toss around in your sleep. But even then we are both wounded." @Cecowl Hoovey

He turned, looking at her with a raised brow. "You're saying I should share the bed with you?" He chuckled for a few seconds. "A merchant's daughter offering someone like me a space in her bed? You're certainly different from the rest, Verrona Naepeiros." The bounty hunter stood and brushed some dust off of his pants, walking over and sitting on the bed, beginning to undo the laces on his boots, although it was difficult to do with one hand. "It's probably just because of how much i've done for you in the short time you've known me. I've saved your life multiple times at this point." That's the only reason she would even put up with him, honestly. That, and she was cursed and he was her only way to become normal again. She wouldn't have stayed with him if she had any other choice. Once he got his boots off, he glanced back at her, eyes narrowed. No, if she had gotten the chance to leave, she would've. Turning his attention back to his own clothes, he just shrugged and laid down as he was. He wouldn't be able to get his shirt off on his own, so he'd deal with it. He couldn't remember the last time he had shared a bed with anyone, even if it was just to sleep. Most people tended to avoid him because of him being a tiefling, and those who didn't avoid him only sought him out so they could pay him to do a job. Close relationships.. weren't a thing that he had, nor did he expect any. The life of a tiefling was a solitary one. @enchantednymph

She thought about responding to his comment, to correct him and point out he was making assumptions about her just like people did of him just because of what he she was. Verrona bit her tongue, turning so that her back was facing him. The head from her body radiating through her shirt as she tried to remind herself that she was just a job to him. He'd told her as much before and she needed to not forget. Verrona would wait, bide her time and try to figure out some way to get out of the engagement that was waiting for her back home. Would Vice be disappointed if she ran? If she decided to leave after all was said and done? It wasn't like he cared what happened to her, he wanted the pay and to get it she had to be returned in one piece, no extra bits of missing bits. Staring at a speck on the wall Verrona settled in, her eyes closing as she listened to him breathe. She let the silence remain for a a breath longer before she spoke. "It's because it's the decent thing to do." She could have told him that she knew what it felt like to sleep on a floor wounded. To feel the aches and pains after a long night. How it made bones feel cold and no matter how much arms were rubbed you couldn't warm yourself. Her thoughts kept drifting down a spiral that she had fought long to stay out of. Digging her nails into her thighs she forced her mind to quiet. It would help to sleep, to worry about everything else later. Verrona focused on her breathing in hopes that the promise of darkness would soon grasp her. @Cecowl Hoovey

He was quiet for a time before speaking up again. "..There's a scar on my back. The worst one there. You want to know what gave me it? It wasn't a monster. Not a ghoul, not a ghost, not even a vampire. No, the thing that gave me that scar was the father of a girl who had gotten lost in the woods. This was the morning after a full moon, so I was on the bloody side. "She had gotten her leg torn up by a rocky ledge that she had fallen down. I found her by the scent of her blood, and was about to help patch up her wound when I heard a shout from behind and suddenly had a longsword slashing open my back. This was back before I became a part of the Order, so I didn't have any of my special equipment to protect me, and I was much weaker. I went down like a sack of bricks." This was one of the few times that she had ever heard any kind of emotion in his voice. He sounded.. hurt. "If I had been a human, there would've been a chance that he would have talked to me to see what was going on. But no, because of what I am, I was seen as a monster and attacked." He knew what the silence had been about. Or, at least had a pretty good guess as to what it was about. "So, forgive me for not really believing that people'll do the right thing when it comes to me." @enchantednymph

She paused mid inhale as he began to regale his story. Her head turned to look at the back of him for a moment, her lips turning down in a frown. Verrona held that breath until his last word ended and she only released it after she turned her head back towards the wall. Her head resting in the crook of her arm, she let the silence once again consume the space around them. She wasn't sure what she should say, wondering if he would take her sympathies was ridiculous. Verrona knew it wouldn't change anything but something needed to be said. Eventually she settled on something simple, direct and one hundred percent the truth. "Then maybe you need to stop thinking of me as people" She took one more deep breath and released a small yawn. "Goodnight, Melius" @Cecowl Hoovey

"..Goodnight, Verrona." He closed his eyes and laid like that for more than an hour before he actually managed to fall asleep. Several hours later, he was sitting up in the bed, eyes closed and a harsh frown on his face. It had been a long time since his dreams had turned dark, something that he often had experienced early on as he was first getting used to the powers granted to him by the Order. Perhaps it was him being back in this place for the first time in a long time? The dreams were too vivid to be a coincidence. Looking over at the sleeping form of the woman beside him, he frowned. Some of the Order believed these dreams could be omens, though he had always taken that with a grain of salt. Getting up from the bed, he walked over to the window, opening one of the curtains and staring out to the street below. If what he had seen was indeed an omen.. @enchantednymph

Her own dreams were plagued of horrors though some were new and some were old. Her stomach was a storm of pain swirling and tightening inside of her. Memories once long forgotten beginning to unblur and become crystal clear. Images of her mother weeping as she stared at her, her voice eerie as she mumbled curse over and over while pulling at her hair. The sound of her mother thrashing things around in her room when the moon was full and bright. Her father sending her away as her father tried to calm the storm that was her mother. That hadn't been who she remembered her mother being, how could she have forgotten such things. Batting away the dark things her mind was whispering to her in her sleep Verrona rolled over. Her hair falling out of the cloth tie she has put it in. Her chest rose and fell with each uneven breath that she took as she fought of her nightmares. Unlucky unlike Vice who had been woken from his own, held into her own mind instead of her mind awakening her and setting her free. @Cecowl Hoovey

He noticed her tossing and turning through her own nightmares, and his frown deepened. Walking around to the other side of the bed, he kneeled down beside her. "Verrona. Verrona, wake up. You're having a nightmare." ..He wasn't sure that he'd be able to do anything to wake her up, but he gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Verrona. Don't worry, you're safe. You're here, in the Order's base, with me." He tried to make his voice as soothing as possible, though.. He wasn't sure how soothing it actually was. Either way, he was trying to help her wake up from her nightmares. @enchantednymph

She didn't in fact hear the tiefling calling her name. When Vice placed his hand on her shoulder she still for just a moment before turning in her sleep, fulling facing him then. When his voice went smoother, more gentile it finally began to register in Verrona's mind that someone was calling to her. It was then that she realized she was dreaming, that she was stuck in a loop of her nightmares and shot up on the bed. Verrona looked around the room wide eyed, taken momentarily by surprise by the unfamiliar surroundings. It took her a moment to realize where she was but when she did she took a shuttering breath, her head falling into her hands as she tried to calm her overactive heart. "Vice?" She turned her head to glance at him, his hand had fallen off her shoulder when she had shot up but he was still crouched beside the bed and she stared at him in the faint light that was afforded them from them moon outside. "Sorry. I- I guess I had...a bad dream." She cleared her throat after realizing her voice had cracked, it made her sound vulnerable but that was exactly what she was right now. @Cecowl Hoovey

"..You're not the only one." He sighed, standing up slowly and brushing one of his pantlegs. It was clear to her that.. something was on his mind, though what it was.. It was hard to tell. He walked back over to the window and peeked out of it again, a frown on his face. "..I'm just going to get to the point. I don't think you should seek a cure. Those of us who enter the Order.. Sometimes we get dreams that can be viewed as omens. Some believe what they see more than others, but I've never been one to really put stock in them." He turned away from the window to look at her. "Something bad will happen if you're cured. I don't know what it is, I don't know why it'd happen, but there's just a feeling deep in my bones that something'll happen." He let out a sigh and shook his head. What the hell was he even talking about? Why would he even give a shit about what happened to her? She was just some merchant's daughter that he was being paid to bring back home.. But.. She was one of the few that didn't look at him like a monster. That actually tried to see him as a person, and show any kind of kindness. "..You could join us. Learn how to control the beast, like I am." He shrugged. @enchantednymph

His words took her by surprise, she wondered what his nightmare had been about but Verrona couldn't bring herself to ask him that. Instead she watched as he walked over to the window, her eyes taking in every little detail she could. Of course something bad would happen, she would be sent home to live a life that would no longer be her own, though she was sure that wasn't what he had dreamed. Verrona ran a hand through her wild mess of waves and pushed the sweat soaked hair out of her face, turning on the bed to let her feet touch the floor though she winced when she did. The ache in her thigh reminding her once again of the events from the night before. She searched the profile of his face trying to decipher the emotions he actually had on display and she swallowed the knot in her throat. 'You could join us. Learn how to control the beast, like I am.' The closet sentence had taken her by surprise and she inhaled deeply, had she just heard him correctly? He wanted her to stay? "I wouldn't be able to go home if that were the case..." She began, biting her lip she waited a breath before continuing. "My father would..." Verrona shook her head and began again. "You'd forfeit the bounty if that was the choice I chose. There is no way that I could return home...cursed." Her father would either lock her up like he had her mother, or he would kill her for ruining his plans. At that though Verrona buried her nails underneath her thick thighs, her nails digging into her flesh through the fabric of her pants. The pain was something she helped use to stabilize her spiraling thoughts, though lately it did little to actually help. @Cecowl Hoovey

There was a storm of emotions behind his eyes, which she was only getting glimpses of due to the dim light in the room, even if his eyes were almost glowing. "..I've already thought about that." He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "And I don't care. I'll make up the loss through other jobs. Most events don't cause me to get these dreams, so getting one of them now?" He opened his eyes and looked at her from his spot in the room. "People consider me a monster. You though? You don't, so I have no intention of sending you to your death. "And I can tell that you have no intention of going back. I'm not oblivious to how you get nervous whenever I mentioned you going back. Even if you weren't cursed, you'd fight me the entire time on the way back." This was stupid, and so unlike him. What did it matter to him what happened to her? Letting out a sigh, he just shrugged. "It's not my decision. What you do here is up to you. If you want to get cured, I won't stop you. I just don't think it's a good idea." @enchantednymph

She sucked in a breath as he said he'd thought about it. A look of shock overtook her face when he informed her he didn't care. For a moment she was stuck with disbelief, how many times had he told her he would chase her down and take her back home? About how she was a task to be delivered...yet here he was throwing away that amount of money. She shook her head right as he turned to look at her. "You don't know that I'll die..." It was ironic that she was saying that, but it was the truth. Just because he had a nightmare he was willing to just...change his mind like that? "You yourself said you didn't put any stock into those premonitions." Verrona blushed when he admitted she knew she would have continued to fight him, to try and run. There was no point in denying it, they both know he was right, instead a faint blush spread across her face as she gave him a sheepish grin. "I'll...think about it." @Cecowl Hoovey

He wasn't surprised by her reaction. It was such a sudden change in his demeanor, something that was unlike him. Turning away from her, he nodded. "I don't normally consider these premonitions as things to guide my path, no. This.. This is different." Frowning as he had his back to her, he closed his eyes. It hadn't been a good idea to bring it up. Maybe he should've talked to Farryl first.. It wouldn't change her mind. If she chose to get cured, that was her choice. "..Get some more rest. You'll need it in the morning." He turned and walked out of the room without another word. He walked out to the backyard of the home, where various training dummies were, and was hitting one of them with a practice sword. The physical exertion helped clear his mind and focus on himself. @enchantednymph

'This... This is different.' Verrona couldn't help but wonder why it was that it was different, and she wanted to ask him but as she stared at his back she bit back her question, her brows furrowing together as the silence seemed to go on for awhile. When she had finally opened her mouth to say something Vice had begun to speak so she shut her lips quickly. He left her in the room alone and as the door shut she let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Running a hand through her hair she laid back down, her head falling to the pillow behind her. For awhile she just stared at the ceiling and counted each breath she took. After awhile she realized Vice probably wasn't coming back to the room any time soon and she shut her eyes, carefully rolling onto her nonwounded leg. Wrapping her arms around herself she lifted the blanked over her shoulder and sighed, whether her sleep was restful or restless would be left up to the fates. @Cecowl Hoovey

The tiefling stayed out there for several hours, doing various exercises he could do without using his injured arm. Mostly swinging a practice sword around and running laps around the yard. He could ignore the thoughts in his head through the physical exertion. Eventually, however, he'd have to go back inside and get some more rest. When he did, he left the training gear as he had found it, slipping up the stairs like a quiet breeze through the tall grasses, and returned to the room. Sitting on the bed, Vice glanced over at Verrona, frowning. It was better to leave her be, let her make her decision without worrying about him. After a few moments, he got up off of the bed and laid down on his bedroll, falling asleep quickly. The next morning, when Verrona awoke to the calling of the dwarf from downstairs, she could see him at the other side of the room, laying on the floor with his eyes open. His injured arm laid across his chest. When he heard his Master calling out, he got up and quickly rolled up the bedroll, depositing it in the chest and glancing over at her from the door. "Good morning. Food should be ready by now, and the healers might be here." After that, he turned and left the room without another word. @enchantednymph

The sun wasn't kind when Verrona was woken up by Battlegift calling up to them. Wincing away from the sunshine that had been beaming across her face she groaned, rolling over slightly before sitting up and rubbing at her sleep ridden eyes After blinking a few times she noticed the bedroll on the floor and she frowned. She hadn't even fully woken up as Vice mentioned breakfast and the healer before he left the room. To say Verrona wasn't a morning person was not an understatement, but add on that her night had been haunted by nightmares and foggy memories of her youth meant she was even more in a foul mood. Her thigh throbbed as she tried to encourage herself to get up from the bed. Her feet finally touched the floor after several moments and she stretched, a yawn escaping her as she put her hair up in a loose and messy braid. She saw no need to change her clothes yet, wanting to see the healers first so that when she did actually change clothes she wouldn't get blood on any of them. "Come on Verrona, off your ass." She mumbled to herself as she shoved up from the bed. Her wounded leg protested, sharp shooting pains spreading from the wound all the way up her back and she hissed. After a moment to steady herself Verrona slowly made her way out of the room and down the stairs to find the others. @Cecowl Hoovey

The two of them descended the stairs. The dwarf motioned for them to follow him, "Good morning, you two. You look.. still worse for wear, but we'll get you fixed up." He commented, bringing them into a room where a man in light gray robes was standing. "This here is Ivonos, one of the healers we often work with." The tall half-elf nodded his head to the two. "Greetings. Farryl has already informed me of your wounds. We'll start with you first," He turned to Verrona. "If you'll just have a seat." The man motioned to the large armchair beside him. Vice stepped aside to let Verrona through, whispering something to the dwarf, who nodded and stepped out of the room with him. There was concern on the tiefling's face as they left the room. @enchantednymph

"Oh..." She glanced between the guy in the robes and Vice, wishing the man had healed him first but as he stepped out of the way for her she just sighed. "Alright then." She shuffled in uncomfortably, wincing as she took the seat that had been indicated. Her attention going back to Vice as he bent over to talk to the dwarf. A frown on her face she watched as the two left the room. @Cecowl Hoovey

"This won't hurt a bit." He laid a hand on her shoulder, the other doing some kind of strange set of motions as he spoke a prayer to his god, and then the pain in her leg, as well as any other wounds she had, quickly faded. "I won't be able to deal with your curse quite yet, unfortunately. I'm still gathering the supplies that i'll need for that. I should have everything I need by the end of this week." The half-elf smiled at her. "It's unfortunate that you got stuck with it, but Farryl knows how to deal with these kinds of situations." - "..I'm just unsure of what to do, Master." The tiefling let out a quiet sigh as he leaned against the wall, having informed Battlegift of what he had seen in his dreams. "It's not your usual work, is it?" The dwarf said with a hearty chuckle. "The fact that you're having these visions means that you're getting more in-tune with your powers. You should trust them. After all, they're your greatest asset in our line of work. Don't push the girl too hard, though. If she decides to get cured, that's her decision." That response made Vice frown, but he nodded. "..Yes, Master." If Verrona decided to get cured.. Then he already knew what he planned to do. @enchantednymph

The instant relief in her body was almost tangible as her shoulders relaxed, a sigh escaping her as she rolled her shoulders and testing out her legs. The half-elf man had been right, it hadn't hurt at all and she gave him a genuine smile of her own as thanks. "It's...no big hurry." The conversation she had with Vice in the early hours of the morning before the sun had risen replayed in her mind and she moved around uncomfortable. "I...trust the people Vice trusts. Thank you for your help." She rose from the chair then giving him one more small smile and a slight bow before she headed from the room. Her hand fell from the doorknob and she instantly looked at Vice. "All done...your turn." Turning to address the dwarf she flushed slightly. "Is there...a place a girl could shower around here?" @Cecowl Hoovey

"You're welcome, young one." He smiled again and nodded as she left the room. The two looked over at her as she walked out. Vice nodded a greeting to her, that worry gone from his eyes, replaced with a determination that she had seen when he was first hunting her down. He disappeared into the room without a word, leaving her alone with Farryl. "Of course, lass! We have a simple bath over here." He turned and led her down the hall to a small room with a basin and a tub. He then left her alone to clean herself up. @enchantednymph

She followed the older man to the designated area and Verrona took a look at it before heading up to the room to grab a clean outfit. With one of her outfits having been completely torn to shreds her options were dwindling and so she pulled out the blue outfit she had purchased before all of this adventure had begun and grabbed her own bar of soap before she headed back down and got to work on cleaning herself. It didn't take her long at all, mainly she just wanted to get the remaining blood from her wound off of her and to detangle her hair. For a moment Verrona thought she might be sick when she found a bit of bone in her hair but she quickly discarded it though she stared at the trash bin the whole time she raked her fingers through her hair. Eventually she would re-emerge from the bathroom in search of Vice. @Cecowl Hoovey

She found him in the back yard, in a fresh set of very similar clothing to his old clothes. His arm was obviously healed, as he was wearing his shield and was wielding a practice sword in his other hand, going through various combat stances. His motions were simple, efficient, and quick. They hit the training dummy with just enough force to have an effect, but not enough to break anything. He seemed.. calm. Very calm. @enchantednymph

She stayed back, though she was sure he could tell she was there. Verrona watched him for awhile, her arms wrapped around her abdomen. Without even realizing it she was taking mental notes on each move he did. It was almost like an art form as she watched him go through the different stances. When he seemed to be at somewhat of a stopping point Verrona cleared her throat and made her way over the remainder of the way over. "Sorry I took longer, I've kept you waiting?" @Cecowl Hoovey

He lowered the practice blade and looked over at her. "You had things to take care of. Can't blame you for that." He walked over to a shed, disappearing for a moment as he put away the weapon before reappearing, taking his shield off. "You've been watching for a while now. I thought this kind of thing would be too barbaric for someone like you, you're too jumpy around blood." He raised a brow at her. "Or maybe you've seen me in action too many times, and now you're curious about where I learned it." @enchantednymph

Verrona watched as he disappeared to put up the weapon he had been using. His comment made her snort and shake her head lightly. "I don't know if I should be insulted by the first half of that statement." She placed her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Not that it's any of your business but I would have learned how to use a blade if my father had allowed me. However, being a woman meant I was supposed to do other duties in his eyes." Clearing her throat she turned and headed back towards the large house not waiting to see if he was following. "One would assume you learned it here, unless you want to tell me differently." She rubbed at her thigh absentmindedly as they made their way up a set of stairs. It didn't hurt but that didn't stop her from remembering the feel of the blade as it had been twisted inside the tissue there. "I...wouldn't be opposed if you would be interested in teaching me a thing or two. I'm not sure how else I'd pass my time while we're...stuck here. But maybe after breakfast, I'm starving." @Cecowl Hoovey

"That's one thing I've never understood about merchants and nobles." He commented as he followed. "What's stopping their daughters from getting stabbed in an alleyway if they have no idea how to defend themselves? It'd be less expensive than hiring a ton of guards." He caught up to her quickly, walking beside her. "I learned some things here. Some of the finer points of swordsmanship and combat. I learned how to swing a sword through having to defend myself when I was younger. As I'm sure you can imagine, the life of a tiefling without any particular home wasn't an easy one." Vice raised a brow at her as she talked about learning some of how to fight. "There's plenty you can do instead of fighting. We have all kinds of books on magic and monsters here. But, if you're interested in learning, I'll see what I can do." He nodded as they went inside to eat. @enchantednymph

"Not everyone has that kind of logic, but I felt that same way when I was younger." Though after her mother had passed it wasn't like she was allowed to leave their home without at least three guards. Her father putting a fear in her that something would happen and just generally being over dramatic...or so she had thought back then. Now? She had more questions than anything else. "With the way you view people? I'm not surprised." Her lips turned into a frown as Verrona let Vice lead her to where they would eat. "I hate that people are prejudiced." She tacked on, giving him a quick glance as they entered the room. The dining area was pretty much like at home though there was more than one table and Verrona was pretty impressed with the spread. She grabbed a bowl of fruit and some type of oat, staying clear of the meat for now. Whether it was because of her nightmares or the events of the previous day only Verrona could say but she looked happy with her choices as she took a seat. When Vice joined her she continued their conversation. "I..." She paused stabbing some pre-sliced melon and staring at it. "I would like to learn how to protect myself, yes." If she had known how to do that then perhaps nothing would have happened... Shaking the mental flashbacks away she bit into the green melon and chewed thoughtfully. @Cecowl Hoovey

"I hate that people are prejudiced too, but that's from the view of the 'victim'." His breakfast was quite varied, actually, with different kinds of fruit, grains, and breakfast meats. There were some other warriors in the room, getting their own meals, but there were a couple different tables. Vice and Verrona were able to sit at one of the smaller ones alone. When the tiefling took a seat, his eyes were closed for several seconds before he opened them and began to eat. "..Learning how to protect yourself and learning how to fight are two different things. Protecting yourself is all about getting attackers away from you and getting out of there. Fighting is where you actually attack. So, would you want to protect yourself or fight?" He replied to her request calmly as he took a big bite out of some sausage. @enchantednymph

"I-" What did she want? Verrona wasn't sure she could see herself fighting like Vice did. To go on the offensive and take the life of another, no matter the species into her own hands. Though that wasn't truly right was it? She had taken a life and that left a sour taste in her mouth as she placed her fork down. The guy Edric had hurt her, but had he deserved to die? Who was she to make those kind of decisions? "I'm not sure." She settled on the answer, her green eyes glancing in his direction as she shuffled the food around on her plate. "I guess I'll think on it some more." Verrona stabbed a piece of fruit and brought it to her lips, pausing a moment as she spoke. "What are the plans today? You said something about a library?" @Cecowl Hoovey

"There's still a couple weeks before I can undergo the Taming, so I will be training a lot." He replied between bites of food. "Other than that.. I don't know what i'm going to do." He took another bite of food and nodded. Vice replied after a few moments, "It's less of a library and more of a study, with journals and records of various monsters and magic we've encountered throughout the existence of the Order." If she decided to get cured, however, it wouldn't matter what she learned here. She wouldn't end up dealing with anything she'd learn about. Vice closed his eyes for a few moments to think. @enchantednymph

"Right... they had said that it would take a bit." There were things she wanted to ask Vice. Yesterday he had spoke of his exploits to Battlegift and she had been given a glimpse into what his life had been like and the fact that Vice seemed to be so skilled, so... solid. Her eyes drifted to him as she chewed her food thoughtfully. He was the master of his own life, getting to choose and dictate what he did to the day to day and Verrona couldn't help but see the allure in that. Her father would loathe it, would probably try to drag her back kicking and screaming and beating her until she conformed to his wishes. Feeling a sour taste in her mouth she swallowed the bite of food that had been in her mouth. Quickly moving to pick up her glass of water and downing it. There were questions she had for herself to, after those dreams she couldn't ignore how much she knew deep in her bones that they hadn't been an actual dream but a glimpse into her memories. "You think they would let me look at the books in the study then?" @Cecowl Hoovey

He nodded, taking another bite of his food. The tiefling didn't seem to notice her looking at him so closely. He seemed a bit on the distracted side, staring off into space at times. There was a part of him that was worried about.. well, everything. The Taming was kept secret from the less experienced members of the Order, which meant.. he had absolutely no idea what he'd be getting into, and only vague ideas of what it'd do to help. It'd grant him control over the monster inside him- But what exactly did that mean? He had never seen Farryl let his beast out during the early stages of his training. Only one way to find out, he supposed. And that was to wait, hone his mind and body, and be ready to go through whatever he'd have to go through. Not to mention the fact that Verrona had yet to make a decision about if she was going to stay or go. He didn't blame her if she wanted to leave, given everything that had gone wrong since she had met him. She had nearly died several times, had seen him injured and killing people. She had even taken a life herself. What person in their right mind would agree to live such a life? He blinked a couple of times as he realized that she had asked him a question. "Oh. The books in the study? As long as you're here, you should be able to at least read some of them. I doubt you'd be allowed to read all of our records, though." @enchantednymph

"I'm not interested in records, just..." She stabbed the last piece of fruit in the bowl which was a type of berry and popped it into her mouth. Chewing it thoroughly before she reworded her thought in a better form. "I mean, I can't like, it would be an interesting read no doubt. But hearing your stories yesterday, about the things you've fought and killed on your own. I want to learn more about them." He would be able to see that her words were honest, the look of intrigue in her eye was there as she glanced at him before working on the oats she had gotten. "This is the farthest I've ever been from home, and honestly when I did travel with my father on excursions they were all just in well populated cities so I honestly have never seen many beasts. I knew that monsters existed but hearing about your encounters has brought me just a bit of clarity that I want to expand." Verrona stirred her oats, the heat of them no longer present since she had focused on the fruit first. They were still warm though and they were rather enjoyable. Taking a sip of water to clear her mouth she nodded her head finally. "Though I think first I'd like to explore the grounds first. We came in so late yesterday... if you aren't terribly busy maybe you could show me around to the areas allowed? If not I understand and I don't mind doing so myself." @Cecowl Hoovey

"We certainly do our best to have detailed reports on the monsters we encounter, yes. Their strengths, their weaknesses, things to be wary of when dealing with them.. How to treat wounds dealt by them. It is quite interesting, and something that every novice member should read. I'll see what I can get you." When he saw how genuine she was being, he relaxed a little bit.. And was that the hint of a smile on his face? It couldn't be. "Most of these things aren't things normal people ever want to see, let alone face-to-face, but we'll see what'll happen, yeah?" After finishing up the rest of his food, he looked over at her. "Well, there's not too much to really explore here. You've already seen pretty much everything this place has to offer, the bedrooms, the dining area, the backyard.. The only thing you haven't seen is the study, and the basement. But we're not allowed in the basement. I suppose if you want to take a look around the town though, I can oblige." @enchantednymph

A nod of her head and Verrona went back to working on the remainder of her breakfast. She could see how what Vice had said was true. Who in their right mind wanted to face terrifying monsters? Perhaps if it had been her a few weeks ago she'd have declined, never even thinking of the possibility. But now, after she had experienced what had happened at that run down inn? She never wanted to feel helpless again... She was curious about what was in the basement but decided to push that curiosity aside. "Yeah, I wasn't really paying attention when we went through the town... I need to find some clothes and other things I need to stock up on." At the reminder she glanced at Vice. "Speaking of...please tell me you still have my money pouch." Otherwise, she would be royally screwed. That had been all the money she had to her name. @Cecowl Hoovey

"It's not a super large town, so you can't expect anything too fancy to come from any of the shops here. But considering this is a common stop for adventurers, i'm sure they have some varied goods here. What all do you need to stock up on?" He reached down and tossed her coin pouch on the table. "You could've grabbed it out of the chest at the bed, but I had a feeling you'd forget to grab it out of there. All your coin's in there. Whenever you're done here, we can go." @enchantednymph

"Oh, thank you. I didn't really think about it." She offered him a small smile in thanks as she took the pouch back, placing it on her belt. With her second bowl empty Verrona finished her glass water and stacked all the dirty dishes. "I'm done now, are you sure you want to go right now? I figured you'd be busy..." Verrona looked around to determine where to put the dirty dishes, she was sure someone would wash them but she wanted to not leave a mess and once she figured it out she took them to the designated spot and turned to Vice. "As to what I need...well feminine items, and I wouldn't expect extravagant clothes, yes I am used to wearing those but if I'm not going to be returning home..." She trailed off for a moment, "for awhile... then I need to get clothes that are comfortable and not gaudy. Things that would be practical." @Cecowl Hoovey

"I have plenty of time to train." He took care of his dishes and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'd rather you get everything you need figured out first so we don't have to worry about it later." The tiefling turned and walked to the door. "I know a good tailor who can help out with getting solid clothing. Come on." @enchantednymph

"Ah, alright..." Verrona followed Vice out of the dining hall and out into the fresh air, her eyes taking in the building that she hadn't really paid much attention to when they had first arrived. The outside matched the interior and Vice hadn't been wrong, to any regular passerby it looked exactly like a normal home. Verrona couldn't help but wonder why it had to be a secret organization. What about them made them need to hold so many secrets, and would wanting to join be worth it? Tucking her hair behind her ear she took in the sights as he led her to the road, her arms behind her back as she walked beside him. "So..." @Cecowl Hoovey

He walked very casually, which was a strange sight to behold. He really seemed to feel at home here. This town, this house, it had been his home for several months off and on throughout the year, whenever he was busy training under Farryl or getting specific jobs. Even if he couldn't really call it his true home, it still felt.. Mostly safe. Safer than most places for someone like him. "So?" The tiefling raised a brow and glanced over at her. @enchantednymph

So? Why had she said that, it wasn't like she had anything to say. Really Verrona just wanted to talk with him, to see this different side of him that he had began to show in the last day. Especially here where he seemed to hum with a pleasant energy, as if her were home or something like. She glanced at him and chewed on her lip for a moment before asking the first thing that popped into her head. "Do you...ever get lonely?" The hell had she just asked? Blood rushes to her cheeks tainting them with a pretty shade of pink. Verrona looked away from him hurriedly, staring at the clouds as they slowly rolled past. The crunch of the gravel beneath their boots the only sound besides the vibrant birds sporadically chirping. She wouldn't expect him to answer. @Cecowl Hoovey

"Do I ever get lonely?" His brow raised even higher, if that was even possible, before he shrugged. "I guess you could describe what I feel as loneliness. When i'm out on a job, or in a big city, I don't make close relationships with people. I get what I need from them, get them what they need from me, and then never see them again. Not to mention how i'm viewed due to my race and profession. You'd be surprised how many people look down on bounty hunters like me, since we don't tend to be picky about our employers." He didn't know why he was telling her this shit. Maybe being here put him in a good mood. Maybe he just liked talking to her. Who knew? "Keeping up the cold, calculating appearance keeps my reputation intact. It helps me stay focused on the job, too. Doesn't exactly make it easy to make friends, though." @enchantednymph

"I never really understood that..." She huffed and shook her head slightly. "Why would people look down on others who put their lives on the line like that?" Verrona paused and shrugged. "Suppose you're right...some do take questionable jobs that are...not law abiding." She glanced at Vice and wondered if he took those kind of jobs or if he had some sort of moral code. She thought about asking but decided against it at the last minute. Hearing the bit about his reputation had her pause a moment, a frown lightly crossing her lips. "Does that mean you'd never...work with a partner?" She tried her best to sound nonchalant, like it was just a question that didn't pertain to her in any way. Whether he took it that way or not she couldn't be sure but she would keep up with the airs. "I just imagine it's a lonely profession is all..." @Cecowl Hoovey

"..No, if you're wondering, I did not take jobs that would've gotten me in trouble with the law. My usual jobs involve eliminating bands of thugs in the city, usually violently. They never take kindly to someone breaking down their door and telling them to leave." He looked away from her when she asked her next question, taking a deep breath. "Well, that depends on who it is. I've worked with people in the past on some jobs because I wasn't given a choice, so it's not like I can't work with others. I just tend to work alone." A glance back to her, and he spoke again. "It can be. That's why I don't wish it on people who have a chance at a normal life." @enchantednymph

It wasn't like she was going to agree to his proposal from the night before about her not getting cured. She had...a lot of spiraling thoughts inside her mind but his answers helped her lean partially in one direction opposed to the other and that actually surprised her. Her own life had held a bit of loneliness and she always had craved companionship, though more than that she had always craved her own freedom. It was a strange mix but one that also made sense with what she had gone through. "Oh...kay." Is that what she wanted? A normal life? One where she didn't have to worry so much about bandits and monsters and things trying to dictate her life? Clearing her throat Verrona shrugged. "So where is this tailor?" She definitely was switching the topic. @Cecowl Hoovey

She was thinking too much. He could see it on her face. He had several years of experiences with loneliness. After all this time, he couldn't even remember who his parents were. He hadn't had any friends growing up, and that certainly carried over into his young adulthood. This was the closest he had ever had to having 'friends', them being Farryl and Verrona, and his relationship with Farryl was more master and apprentice, not so much a friendship on equal grounds. "..The tailor is this way. So you're aware, she's one of the little folk, so don't make any comments about height, yeah? She's a damn fine seamstress." He turned down onto the main road, quickly walking over to a store tucked between two others. If you weren't looking for it, it'd be very easy to miss. The sign outside claimed it was "The Singing Silk". "After you." @enchantednymph

"Little Folk." Verrona repeated, blinking a few times as she followed him down the main road. When Vice stopped and opened the doors to the small shop she honestly was surprised it was even there. It didn't look like much on the outside but she knew that everything shouldn't be based on the outward appearance. "Thank you." She flushed slightly and entered before he followed her inside. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for, having always shopped for things more elegant and more for show than not. The bell jingled as the door shut behind them and Verrona looked around. @Cecowl Hoovey

The tiefling followed her inside with only a nod. The shop, while unassuming on the outside, seemed to be overflowing with a variety of different clothes. Simple dresses or tunics. More intricate dresses, not too far off from what you'd see a noble's wife wear. Sturdy-looking traveling clothes. There seemed to be something of everything here. A handful of customers were wandering the store, inspecting pieces of clothing. When they walked in, a head poked out from under the counter. The shopkeeper looked like a child for a few moments, until Verrona realized that she was indeed a halfling. Her dark hair was long and tied into braids, several different colored silk ribbons into it. "Ah, welcome welcome welcome!" A cheery voice cut through the store. "Come, come, over here!" The halfling called the two of them over. "I don't think we've met. Name's Kymma Swifthands. Ooh, I really like your hair! I'm sure I have several ribbons that would really pop against that brown. Is there anything you're looking for? I think a nice silk gown would fit you quite well. It'd be sure to turn heads!" She then glanced over at Vice, the excitement leaving her eyes for a few moments. "..Oh. You're here. Let me guess, another outfit suited to your friends? Give me some time to help the pretty lady here, and I'll get what you need." He just nodded to the halfling. @enchantednymph

"Hello, Verrona Naeperios. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." She held out her hand to shake the woman's much smaller hand, a smile alighting her face at the mention of the ribbons. "Thank you for the compliment." She flushed slightly and cleared her throat. "But, I'm actually not here for silks... I need more things that are practical for traveling and..." Her eyes cut over to Vice for the briefest second before looking back towards Kymma. "possibly fighting." Verrona let her eyes then shift to glance around the store, her eyes sparkling around at all the variety of items. "But, I would totally take you up on some ribbons. I can never get enough for my hair. It's one of my favorite past times...braiding them into my hair. It's a habit I picked up from my mother when I was young." She admonished with another flush of the cheeks. @Cecowl Hoovey

The halfling glared at Vice. "What're you doin', trying to get a pretty lady into your bloody business? Ugh, whatever. Just don't ler her get all roughed up, got it?" Vice was not surprised by her reaction to Verrona's request. Not many people were huge fans of him, and with how much work she had to do to custom make his clothes.. Even if she earned a lot from him.. Turning back to Verrona, Kymma smiled again. "Some leathers, some more durable cloth, hardy stuff that'll protect from the weather. Do I need to make it like his?" She jerked her head over to Vice. "And what kinds of ribbons do you want?" She reached below the counter and pulled out a large box, opening it to reveal many, many different kinds of ribbons of all different sizes and colors. @enchantednymph

"He's not-" She began to correct the other woman but stopped. Kymma named a list and when she mentioned making them like his she wondered exactly what that mean. "I- I'm not sure what you mean by like his..." When she pulled out the large box full of ribbons Verrona gasped, her eyes sparkled and she excitedly moved closer to look at all the varieties. "These are... oh my gods." Verrona picked up one that was a dark crimson and was about as thick as two of her fingers, the silk material felt like heaven in her hand and she sighed appreciatively. "I'll take this one...and maybe six other colors, your recommendations." @Cecowl Hoovey

The tiefling leaned over the Verrona, mumbling to her. "Kymma knows that the members of the Order are shifters. She's the one who makes our clothes where they can mostly withstand our transformations." Kymma watched Verrona's eyes light up with a wide smile. "Excellent choice! I personally like these as well." The halfling picked out a thick turquoise ribbon that seemed to shimmer in the light. "This one's a rare one. The cloth has a reflective property to it. Very beautiful." Verrona was presented with that turquoise one, as well as a violet, scarlet, cobalt, pine green, and a very shiny black. "What do you think?" @enchantednymph

"I'll take them all. Oh! These are so stunning." Her heart did a little summersault inside her chest and she danced in her spot forgetting her troubles for just a moment. Ribbons were her favorite and the fact this woman had such a variety...it was a dangerous game. The ribbon that shimmered nearly took her breath away and she stroked the material. "Vice...could you... ah give me a moment with her for a moment?" She chewed her lip and waited for him to go before turning back towards the woman. "I- I think the clothes..." She lowered her voice more, knowing that Vice's ears picked up more than most. "For now, I'd say they would... need to be like his. I'm not...one hundred percent on being cured yet but..." Her eyes glanced towards Vice. "Yes, like theirs." If she ended up deciding to be cured it wouldn't matter, but for now it was better to go with just in case in her mind. Verrona still had questions she needed answered, and things she needed to figure out about the dreams she'd had. "I think I would like a dress as well. To match this ribbon." She offered a wide smile as she stroked the shimmering ribbon one more time. @Cecowl Hoovey

The tiefling just nodded as he stepped away from the two women, leaning against the wall by the door with his eyes closed. Kymma frowned as she explained the situation. "You want my opinion?" The halfling hissed out. "Don't trap yourself in this life. You'll end up with no friends, like him." Her head jerked to Vice. "But if you want the clothes, i'll give 'em to you. Just don't become like him." The halfling leaned back. "I can get you the dress. It'll take a bit of time to make, though. Can you come back toward the end of the week?" Vice let out a quiet breath. It was possible that she wouldn't get herself cured, and then he could ensure her safety moderately better.. Of course, there was nothing certain in this line of work. If they encountered something impossible to deal with, then it'd be entirely possible that they'd meet their end. Better than whatever would happen as a result of his dream.. Why did he care so much about what happened to her, anyway? Did he just feel responsible for what happened to her? A thought crossed his mind that he frowned at. @enchantednymph

Verrona wondered what he meant by not like Vice but she had some sort of inkling to what exactly Kymma meant and only nodded her head. "That would probably be best to make them like his. I am pretty sure I can return later in the week... Do you need to get my measurements?" Getting fitted for clothing was always a tough topic for Verrona. Being heavier set than most women she had always been judged for her curvy nature but there wasn't much she could do about it because having clothes that fit right was better than clothes that weren't. After she was done talking with Kymma Verrona made her way over to where Vice had moved. "Is there an apothecary in town that I could visit?" She asked next, a flight flush on her cheeks hoping that he wouldn't ask for her to elaborate as to the why she would need to see one. @Cecowl Hoovey

Kymma looked her over for several seconds "..No, i've got a good eye for these things. I'll see you at the end of the week." She smiled, though it was less enthusiastic than it was before. When she walked over to Vice, he pushed off of the wall and walked out, motioning for her to follow. "There's an apothecary over here." It was a building that had several strange scents coming from inside. It was almost intoxicating, and nearly overwhelming for Verrona, due to her newly sharpened senses. Vice stopped several feet from it and motioned to the door. "There you go." He didn't seem all that happy about being here. @enchantednymph

Outside the apothecary Verrona winced from the smell, but there was something she needed and she wouldn't ask those of the order for it. She hadn't seen another female there and asking a male was... Mentally steeling herself she nodded at Vice before heading in herself. She tried her best not to breathe in too much, the over stimulation in her sense of smell made her want to sneeze as she made her way to the counter. There was an elderly woman behind the counter looking rather upset about something and Verrona was worried she might set her off in some way so when she finally spoke she tried to keep it straight to the point without making any sort of face, using her mental image of Vice in her head as a reference. "I need a feminine monthly kit... Where would I find such?" The women grunted and looked Verrona over before giving a curt nod to the left. "Bottom shelf, though we ain't got but two." Her voice reminded Verrona of an angry beehive and she turned, biting her tongue as she went. After grabbing both of them she came back up to the counter and made her purchases before taking the bag and heading back out to where Vice was waiting. "All set." Being back outside she could finally breathe again and she let out the breath she had been holding. "I think that's all I need for now...unless you need something?" @Cecowl Hoovey

He wasn't standing where she left him. He was down the street, talking with a blacksmith as they worked. "My shield's in poor condition. Would you be able to make me a new one?" The tiefling asked. "Simple enough. It'll cost ya five gold. Anything else you need?" The smith responded. He thought for a few moments, eyes narrowing. "..Yeah, actually. Can I have a dagger and a shortsword?" "Sure thing. For all of that, twenty." Vice nodded and passed over the gold, looking over at Verrona. "..Well, this was the only stop I needed to make. I was thinking about grabbing something to eat and then heading back to the house." @enchantednymph

"What do you need those for?" Verrona was curious, he used his own weapons. "Something to eat? Any place decent to eat around here?" She hummed to herself as she looked down the street. "If you know anywhere with something sweet I could totally go for that. My sweet tooth is demanding compensation. She turned to the tiefling and cocked her head to the side. It was actually a nice day out and Verrona didn't mind spending more time with him. In fact as they walked down the street, even with the occasional glance from a passersby she was enjoying herself. This was the most relaxed she'd been allowed to be since first coming into contact with Vice. @Cecowl Hoovey

"It's always good to have spare equipment in case something breaks." Was his response for the first question. "There are a few different shops that sell good sweet breads and candies. They're a little on the expensive side for this town, but I think they're worth it, personally." He said in response to the second one. All in all, he seemed slightly more guarded now. Maybe something about how the apothecary smelled set him off, or maybe it was something else. @enchantednymph

"It's not like I'm strapped for cash right now... so." She could tell something was up, but what had set Vice off...she wasn't sure. Verrona wasn't sure if she should say anything so instead she settled on, "Lead the way then, I'll buy." Things were quiet for awhile but eventually as they walked the nagging feeling only grew and eventually she felt like she had to address the problem. "Are you okay?" Her hand reached out to stop him from continuing to walk, forcing Vice to either turn and face her or pull his arm from her grip. @Cecowl Hoovey

The tiefling turned and walked when she said to lead the way, his hands in his pockets without another word. When she grabbed his arm, he stopped and glanced back at her. "..I'm.." His eyes narrowed. "..just trying to figure out what to do. It isn't right for me to keep you in this place, but I also don't want to send you to.. whatever'll happen to you if you go home, so i'm in a very weird situation."

@enchantednymph

Hearing his words Verrona's hand tightened ever so slightly and her eyes went a little wider in surprise. "Who says you're the one keeping me here, Melius?" She hadn't ever really used his name but in the moment it had felt right to use it. To let him know that she saw him and that he was more than the sum of his job and lifestyle. The complex emotions that had been plaguing her since she had killed her one captor seemed less important then and she looked at him earnestly. "I am the one making the decisions here when it comes to me and come whatever may it will be me that deals with the consequences whether they are positive or negative." She loosened her grip on his arm a bit. "The question is... Do you want me to stay or go?" @Cecowl Hoovey

He turned away, a frown appearing on his face again. Of course he was the one keeping her here. He was the reason she was stuck here in the first place. The tiefling felt her grip tighten on his hand and a part of him.. No. With a quick shake of his head, he pushed that thought out of his head. When her grip loosened, he looked over at her out of the corner of his eye. "..That's.. not an easy answer." There was a part of him, deep down, that wanted her to stay. But was it right for him to ask her to stay and live this life when she had a chance at a calmer, better life? This was dangerous work, and while it paid well, it also took a lot out of someone. "..Only if you want to stay. It's up to you what you want to do." His response likely wasn't what she was looking for, but he didn't know what else to say. He pulled his arm away from her and started walking again. How he felt about her was.. complicated, to say the least, and not something he wanted to think about. A part of him felt responsible for her situations. Another knew that getting close to someone would just cause trouble in the future. He wanted her to live the life she wanted, not what he wanted. If that meant staying here with him, then that'd be just fine with him. If it meant going her own way.. He'd just have to deal with that when it came. @enchantednymph

She hadn't known what sort of answer she had been looking for, but the one he gave her left a tiny bit of disappointment after he finished. Verrona felt like she hid it decently enough as he turned to walk away, her following just a few paces behind. Did she want to stay? To put her life on the line like she had seen him do time and time again in the past few days? Vice had told her about his dream, and the dream of her own had been...confusing. Trying to understand her emotions right now was nearly impossible. For now, she would table the question and hopefully she would eventually come up with what it was she truly wanted. She was content taking it day by day and right now meant going to get tasty desserts with her companion who's emotions were perhaps more complex. Hands behind her back she hummed to herself as they walked, only stopping once they arrived to the destination he was leading them to. "The treats will be on me, as a thank you." Verrona stated before entering the establishment. @Cecowl Hoovey

The shop, a little bakery by the name of 'The Sweetest Scent', had a few patrons inside, mostly older folk, purchasing various kinds of pastries. As soon as the two of them walked inside, the scent of fresh creams and cakes filled their noses. It was very clear to Verrona that this had some high quality sweets for sale. "Well, what're you interested in getting?" He asked, looking over at her as they walked in. @enchantednymph

Walking inside her mouth instantly watered and she had tobwipe her hand over her mouth to make sure she wasn't drooling. The name truly did match that of the scents she was being surrounded by. "Preferably something not tart. I prefer my desserts achingly sweet. A habit I picked up from my mother I suppose. Before she was...sick she used to make sweets all the tine. Sugar was her favorite ingredient. If I had to pick something specific? Fruit filled pastries or chocolate. Or both." She chewed on her lip a moment as she looked at all the desserts on display. "What do you like?" @Cecowl Hoovey

"I prefer chocolate." He replied simply as he motioned for her to move into the shop. "Though I don't often have a chance to buy a bunch of sweets." The one running the shop was an older man who looked to be in his 40s, who was currently handing over a chocolate-covered pastry to a woman with a wide smile. The air in this shop seemed to be very friendly and welcoming. @enchantednymph

"Well now is the chance, but you're not buying." She smiled at him, following him up to the counter. Verrona's attention turned to that of the woman behind the counter. "Good day!" Her smile was still on her face as the man greeted them. "Hello, good day to you as well...everything smells so divine!" She beamed at the man, her excitement almost palpable about getting sweets. Verrona was practically bouncing on the heels of her feet as she took in the menu and listed off several fruit filled pastries as well as a few chocolate ones. "And whatever my companion here wants as well." She added, turning to Vice to state his own items. (edited)

The older man smiled at Verrona as she walked up. "Ah.. welcome young lady.. Yes, my wife's an amazing baker." When Verrona went through what she wanted, he wrote it down in a chicken scratch that was nearly impossible for her to read. When he looked at Vice, he nodded to him. "Ah, yer one of them warrior folks. Don' think 've seen you 'round too of'en." Vice nodded slowly and looked over the menu. "Just some chocolate-filled pastries. Nothing all that complex." The old man nodded, taking the list and disappearing into the back. @enchantednymph

"Just chocolate, huh?" Verrona arched a brow as she stared at Vice. She was trying to gauge if he was still in a mood, hers having been lifted with the promise of tasty treats. Though she couldn't really pick up on much, she still hoped to see him cheer up at least some. "Do we have time to sit and eat them? Or should we just eat them on the walk back?" She asked, earlier she was sure he had been uncomfortable, but the owner here seemed nice enough. @Cecowl Hoovey

"..Do I really look like someone who'd get more than chocolate?" He raised a brow at her. Now, it was hard to tell what he was thinking. It wasn't like before, where she could tell that something was on his mind. It was more akin to when they first met, when his expression was unreadable. He didn't seem pissed, at the very least.. She had seen him angry in the past. There was a specific way that his body tensed when he was angry, and it wasn't there. He more seemed.. neutral. Or like he was guarded again. "We can stop and eat them here, yeah." He nodded. @enchantednymph

"I guess not..." Her words trailed off as the older gentleman came back with their treats in boxes. After being told what she owed she handed more than enough. "Please keep the change. They smell amazing, thank you!" She offered him a warm smile before heading towards a few of the open tables. She took the one in the far corner with darker lighting, sitting in the chair where her back was against the wall. There was a small window to their left so they could see outside but it was still a relatively cozy feel. Verrona opened her box and pulled out one that was filled with some sort of cream and blueberries, her mouth watering as she brought it to her lips. The first bite was...more than she could have imagined. The smell alone hadn't done the flavors justice. She could taste the subtle hint of butter and what seemed to be cinnamon. She wondered if she was able to taste all of the things due to her heightened senses and she chanced a glance at Vice as she chewed. Once swallowing her bite she asked. "Can you taste all the ingredients or am I just some freak of nature?" @Cecowl Hoovey

He took his own treats and nodded to the man as Verrona paid. Moving with her to where she chose to sit, the tiefling sat across from her, taking a bite out of his own sweet treat. The chocolate was delicious, it always was here.. Though it was hard to tell that he enjoyed it. It was hard to tell anything when trying to read his expressions right now. Setting the treat down, he looked up at her when she asked the question. "..You're not the only one who's able to taste all the ingredients, though i'm not one of those people. Senses are sharpened by the curse. Some people get some senses sharpened, like a sense of taste, while others get their sense of smell heightened. It varies from person to person." @enchantednymph

"Are there any who have more than one sense heightened?" Verrona didn't like that his wall was back up but she didn't think there was much she could do about it. Whatever it was that had set him off...the more she thought about it it had probably been because of the woman back at the clothing shop. Her words must have triggered him and she hated that there wasn't some way she could ease his worries, whatever they were. The blueberry and cream tart was devoured all too quickly and Verrona found herself picking up another. This one a mix of strawberry and chocolate. Her blue eyes taking it in and admiring the artistry that went in to making the pastry. There was no doubt it would taste just as good as it smelled and she took a large first bite, not really worried about if it was proper for a lady to do so. She was no longer under her father's oppressive thumb, though in the back of her mind his voice was loud and clear with the taunting. 'I didn't know I had a pig for a daughter', 'Should I get you a trough?', 'Don't make me lock you up and starve you again.' She sat her tart down, moving to wipe at her mouth in case there were crumbs or filling there. Her lips turned down in a frown. "Is there anything else the...transformation causes?" She had almost called it a curse, but she was beginning to wonder if some people saw it more as a gift than a curse. Surely there were those in the order with that sort of thinking and she didn't want to offend anyone, but more importantly, Vice. @Cecowl Hoovey

He nodded. "Usually it's smell and the one other sense. For you, it might be your sense of smell and taste. For me, it's smell and hearing." It was, in fact, not the halfling at the shop that had caused him to close himself off again. It was his own worries, which he hated to show. Worrying brought weakness. Weakness would get him killed. That was a lesson he learned early in his career, and he carried the scars to prove it. Vice didn't eat much, that much she could tell. He had the one pastry and didn't pick up another, instead quietly watching her eat her second. When she asked her question, he closed his eyes for a few moments. "Other than the bloodlust, hunger, enhanced senses, increased strength and endurance, the transformation itself, with those harsher things being controlled by the Taming.. there are also the other things that the Order teaches you. Controlling the dark power for the greater good, manipulating your own life essence to weaken your enemies and strengthen yourself.. Although, it's not unheard of to have more animalistic urges even after the taming, often encouraging you to spend more time out in nature, among other things." @enchantednymph

"More animalistic...urges?" What urges were considered animalistic she wondered? Could she see herself as a werewolf? The memory of Edric's blood filled her mouth and instantly she lost her appetite again. Verrona replaced her pastry in the small box and shut it, turning to him and she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I'm ready to go...if you are?" She glanced down. He'd only eaten one treat but if he was done then there was no reason for them to stay. She rose from her chair if he gave her an indication and would wave goodbye to the older man behind the counter, offering him a friendly smile. She would come back here, Verrona liked sweets too much to not but for now she'd let Vice go and do whatever it was he had planned for the day, he had closed himself off again and she honestly had some things she needed to think about while she was alone. @Cecowl Hoovey

He could see how she tensed slightly as she thought of something, likely related to the events of the past few days. The early days had been rough for him as well, so he could understand her anxiety. There wasn't much he could really do about it, though. He wasn't really.. good at talking to people. She'd have to work through it on her own. When she stood, he did as well, nodding to the old man. The two of them walked to the door, and without a word, he began walking back to the Order's home. He had studying and training to do, with the Taming approaching. If Verrona decided to join.. He'd have to start training her as well. Get her knowledge of the monsters they fight. Teach her how to use weapons. Get her equipped. There were a lot of things weighing on his mind about the next week or so, and it wouldn't be a simple time for him. His fist clenched as those damned images flashed through his mind again. Ultimately, there wasn't much he could do about them. What happened was in the hands of fate. @enchantednymph

The walk back to the Order's home was a quiet one, both seemed to have retreated into their own minds inner workings. There was not much she could think of to say to get Vice to come back out of his walls, and if Verrona was being honest with herself she kind of needed the silence for now. When they made it back they both parted ways, her excusing herself claiming to be tired from the lack of sleep the night before but in truth she just wanted time to herself to think. Back in the room Verrona removed her boots before laying back on the bed staring at nothing in particular at the ceiling as she replayed the events of the day, and further back still to the night before. She couldn't remember everything but what she could of her dreams had her concerned and eventually she grew restless. Verrona left their room in search of someone of the order, in hopes to find pen and parchment to send off a letter. She had realized then she should have asked Vice if there were any carrier pigeons in town or at the order itself. @Cecowl Hoovey

"He cares for you, kid." A familiar dwarven voice came from one Farryl Battlegift, who was seated near the door with a book in his hands. "He just doesn't know how to show it. And he's scared that if he gets close to you, that'll be used against him. He had a rough childhood, after all." The dwarf motioned to one of the studies. "You'll find pen and parchnent in there. A courier's only a copper a mile." As for Vice, he was in the backyard again, practicing his battle tactics by sparring against another one of the members. He seemed.. distracted, however. The tiefling wasn't using all of his powers to their fullest extent, his strikes were weaker than normal, and he was getting hit more than usual. Whatever was on his mind, it was distracting him quite a bit. Battlegift watched from where he sat, looking out the open back door. "There's a lot on the poor boy's mind. You see how he got hit there? That's a easy blow to dodge. He's not able to focus, and if I had to wager a guess, it's because of your little situation. It's not normal, of course, and we have rules against turning innocents. That leaves a sort of gray area as we try to figure out what happened." @enchantednymph

She was startled at the voice that called out to her and Verrona stopped mid step in the direction she had been headed. Battlegift had a book in his hands and was sitting, she was surprised that she hadn't noticed him the first time she'd come down the stairs, though she supposed he could have only recently sat there. When he indicated the parchment and paper Verrona nodded. "Thank you... I need to write a letter to family." It was mostly the truth, though the person she was going to write was more family in name than in blood but sometimes those were the ones that mattered the most she was coming to find out. "A lot on his mind?" She asked curiously as she turned to look out the back door with the old man. She could see Vice practicing with another member and he got hit, her eyes went wide for a moment. "Why would my situation cause him to be getting hit like that? Vice isn't that careless...at least from what I've seen." At the rest of Battlegift's response Verrona turned to stare at the much older male. "He didn't turn me, didn't so much as breathe on me when he had been shifted..." She didn't think she had to clear his name but she did it all the same. "I didn't have a scratch or anything like that either." Verrona concluded. "I...had a strange dream last night." She stated, her eyebrows scrunched up together. "Though he had one as well mine felt...more like a memory but not my own." @Cecowl Hoovey

"You're welcome." The dwarf said. "And it's not him being careless. In fact, it's quite the opposite. He feels responsible for your situation, even if he didn't actively turn you. Which I know he didn't, no need to preach to the choir. It's the others that'll need convincing, not me. Anyway, he's distracted by his concern for you, even if he tries to hide it. I haven't seen him like that for a long, long time." Vice glanced over at the house and saw the two of them talking, and his expression straightened again, and he turned to his opponent and began to fight normally, pushing his worries deep down. It wouldn't help anyone, especially himself, if he let those damned thoughts prevent him from doing what he needed to.. His mind and body needed to be at their strongest, with the Taming very quickly approaching. "Yes.. He's told me of his dreams. A normal thing for someone touched by our magic, even if he wanted to disregard them. They're a major source of anxiety for him, you know. What was your dream like?" @enchantednymph

Her eyes stayed on Vice even when he glanced towards the house and saw them talking. Her heartbeat faltered a moment as she watched him turn back towards his opponent. When they started again he seemed to do better and she wondered what he had been thinking then. When Battlegift spoke again Verrona turned and faced the man. Hearing that it was a normal thing had her questioning if it was the curse that had triggered her dream or if it was something else. She crossed her arms over her abdomen when he asked her about her dream. "It had my mother in it, but things were so jumbled. Things that logically make no sense to me with the timeline I know to be true. In my dream... it had to have been a dream." She recollected, trying to comfort her self. "In the dream my mother seemed mentally compromised, a mess of a woman that I do not remember from my childhood. Images flashed that made no sense to me. My mother was mad in the dream, thrashing things with a moon high in the sky. I myself was but a babe watching my mother angrily break things around my nursery." She shook her head. "My mother was sick. My father would care for her but she had never hurt me like I saw in my dream." @Cecowl Hoovey

The dwarf nodded as she explained her dream, a frown forming on his face. "Maybe she never hurt you. But maybe she carried a curse of her own.." The dwarf closed his book and stood, motioning her to follow. "Several years ago, we treated a curse similar to yours. Lycanthropy. The victim was a pregnant woman who looked somewhat similar to yourself. I have a rough theory as to what happened.." Battlegift sat down at his desk with another book. "..Perhaps a piece of that curse remained in you, dormant until you were exposed to a transformed lycan." Vice lowered his practice weapon after a while longer, slipping inside and entering the library, grabbing several books and beginning to read them silently, ignoring the bruises and aches that came from practicing. @enchantednymph

"Wh-" She had begun though she stopped as she listened intently to what Battlegift had said. Could her mother have been cursed? But there had never been a time that her mother had shifted. She'd have remembered surely. Her lips pursed and she shook her head. "It would, I suppose but my mother... she wasn't a lycanthrope. She was...." Verrona paused again her eyebrows rising. "I suppose I would have questions. If it was my mother then could I perhaps see records for that case? Or well, if you keep the cases that is." She shook her head again as if it was a hard concept to wrap her head around. "I- I suppose I need to write this letter. Thank you, Battlegift for the enlightenment." @Cecowl Hoovey

"Lesser curses exist. Someone who isn't cursed with true lycanthropy can show signs of mood swings, aggression, unusual hungers, among other symptoms, as the full moon approaches. On the full moon, they might thrash about, be incredibly irritable, or even attack someone as they feel like a monster in someone else's skin, trapped with nowhere to go. I will speak with some of my colleagues, see what I can turn up about your mother." He smiled kindly to her. "What is her name? That'll make it much easier for me to look." @enchantednymph

"Vianola Naepeiros" Verrona ran a hand through her hair, her eyebrows scrunched together as she wondered exactly what might turn up. To learn more about her mother...about her father and the dynamic they had. She had so many questions and she knew some of them couldn't be answered by the men and women here of the order but there was one person she could reach out to, and she had every intention of doing so now. "If you'll excuse me now..." She bowed her head as she headed into the room he had indicated. She had no problem finding the materials she needed then to write her letter and as she sat there choosing every word carefully she felt an increased beat of her heart and her head throbbed a bit. The letter was coded, the true message on the paper hidden underneath what appeared to be just pleasant conversation and mundane updates on her life. The true message would begin with the word that she was taught from a young age. Why her mother and uncle thought to teach her such a thing was beyond her but in this moment she was thankful for it. As she pinned her name and sat back observing her work as the ink dried she wondered if perhaps they had known all along that something like this could have happened. Maybe her uncle held some answers to the intimate questions her memories elicited. Whatever it was she hoped that it wouldn't take terribly long to hear back from him. With a sigh Verrona folded the paper neatly before tucking it between her breasts and leaving the study. She thought about looking for Vice before she headed back to the city but she didn't want to interrupt him in his training so she just decided to head out herself, the time alone would give her time to just...be. @Cecowl Hoovey

The dwarf nodded simply as she walked out and started looking into the matter. It'd likely take a couple of days for him to turn up anything, but if it meant easing the mind of his ward and his newfround companion, he'd do whatever needed to be done. At this time, Vice was deep within the library, books stacked on either side of him. Monsters, magic, weapons, fighting techniques, military battles, history.. He was delving into many different subjects that the Order had books on. They were more than just monster hunters, they were experts in manipulating dark magic and their own life force. They were warriors, mages, scholars, historians.. Somewhere, there had to be more in-depth books on many different creatures. These books were just on the monsters here, as well as in the wider region and the magic that they used to fight them. He had his own natural talents, given to him by his blood as well as his independent studies of magic in the world. His blood gave him magic suited to trickery, which was an irony that wasn't lost on him, as a very blunt and straightforward person in most cases. Illusion and disguise, manipulation and lies. His studies brought him magic for discovering knowledge and manipulating his position. His teachings here gave him powers over his blood and the blood of others, infusing his weapons with elemental power and one day, controlling his curse entirely to strengthen his body and mind. And then.. He'd return to the field, providing Verrona the training she needed to control her own curse.. His hand clenched into a fist as he thought about her. He felt like it was his fault that she was stuck here. If she hadn't met him.. Would she have been fine? Would she have ever encountered a lycan and be infected? What would she have done without the Order? Letting out a harsh sigh, he shook his head. These thoughts weren't important right now, not with the Taming coming up so soon. He needed to prepare himself. @enchantednymph

Her trip to the town was uneventful though she took her time going and returning, enjoying the walk and the cool breeze in the air. It had been...too long since she had a moment to herself and just be relaxed. She liked Vice's company now, though whether it was some sort of complex because he had come to save her or something else she would ponder about for quite awhile. She knew what his opinions were on people, he so clearly had told her previously before his walls went back up and she couldn't blame him. On the returning walk Verrona came to a decision, at least until she either heard back from her uncle or Battlegift found the answers she was looking for she would train. Even if she decided to go ahead and go through with the cure...it wouldn't hurt to at least learn some of the things. By the time she returned to the house where the order made their home it was well into the afternoon, the sun high in the sky added a nice warmth to the breeze and Verrona sat outside on a bench and just observed what nature she could see from where she sat. The wind bristled the trees and flowers that decorated the grounds, her hands absentmindedly reworked her braid as she began to hum a song. @Cecowl Hoovey

With the house at the edge of the town, the members of the Order had the forest's bounty on its doorstep, with all manners of unusual herbs and flowers growing in the backyard. Other than that, there were several kinds of trees that grew within sight. Vice suddenly sat down next to her, some bruises able to be seen forming on his blue skin. "..You've been away most of the day. How was your journey into town?" His tone.. It wasn't aggressive, or even all that guarded. He just seemed.. distracted. Maybe a little concerned for her. It was weird. @enchantednymph

Her eyes opened when she'd heard him take a seat, the relaxed expression on her face a different tune to what he had been able to see of Verrona thus far. She nodded her head in acknowledgement of his statement. "You look like you've been busy... As for me, the trip to town was decent. I got done what I wanted and the walk helped to clear my head a bit." Verrona turned her head back towards the trees where a bird sat perched on a low handing branch. The blue feathers were freckled with spots of white and she couldn't help but compare it to Vice and his coloring as she watched it. "I think..." She paused, her lips turning down at the sides a bit. "I have decided not to get a cure....yet. There are things I need to discover, things I want more clarification on before I make my final decision. Battlegift...is looking into something for me and until then I don't think I can make it." She let the silence stretch for a bit while he chewed over what she'd just said. The bird glided down from the branch to the ground below, picking at something in the grass, perhaps a caterpillar or worm. Verrona watched it intently for a bit before turning to look back at Vice. @Cecowl Hoovey

"Of course i've been busy. The Taming's approaching quickly, and if i'm going to undergo the ritual, I need to be strong enough." Deep down, Vice was worried about this closely-guarded ritual. He didn't know how it worked, what was done in it, or what would happen if he wasn't strong enough. Would he lose control of his curse and go mad, killing everyone he could before he was struck down? Of course, he wasn't one to let his worries show around Verrona. "It's good that you've been able to find some peace here. It's a quiet little place." When she said that she wasn't going to get a cure, a part of him let out an inward sigh of relief. If she didn't get cured, then she'd likely stay here- And his visions wouldn't come true. ..Then she said the yet, and that possibility creeped back in, which placed a seed of worry in the back of his mind again. If she got cured, then he'd have to fall back on his other plan, in case those visions came true. His only response to what she said was a simple nod, and in his usual tone, "It's your decision in the end." @enchantednymph

"Battlegift says you're worried about me..." Her face remained neutral as she waited for his response, to give her any inkling of the emotions he was feeling beneath the surface. Verrona stared at the tiefling for a few more moments giving him time to speak. Depending on if he opened up or not his choice of response had every chance of affecting the choice she was to make in the coming days. She wanted a friendship with Vice, not having been close to anyone but the servants back home it was different this time. It was something she had to earn and she would prove to him that it would be worth it. "I know you've trained but would...you mind beginning to teach me the basics?" @Cecowl Hoovey

The tiefling seemed to tense slightly as she brought up what he said to Battlegift. "..I'm not heartless, you know. I've got one beating in here." He tapped his chest before sighing, turning his gaze to the forest. "..I prefer to keep those kinds of things to myself. Showing concern creates openings that others can exploit.. But yes, I'm worried about you. Your life got completely turned around because of you running into me, and now you're stuck here, trying to figure out what you want to do with yourself. Whether you want to stay what most would call a monster, or return to a 'normal' life. You didn't have years of living like this to come to a decision, unlike me, and you didn't choose this willingly, like many in the Order who did." He closed his eyes for several seconds. "So of course i'm worried about how you're takin' it. It's rare for people to see me as more than a monster or a 'blue devil', so it's been a nice change of pace." And then when he finished and she asked for training.. Vice seemed to relax a bit more. So she.. she'd likely be staying. Why else would she want training? His visions wouldn't come true. "..Yeah, I can do that." @enchantednymph

She watched as he spoke, her eyes moving from his face to where he beat against his chest. It wasn't that Verrona thought he was heartless, it was just as hard for her to accept that someone could actually care for someone like her. Though Verrona supposed that it would make sense... They'd both been through so much in the last few days that if they hadn't grown close in any capacity that she might have questioned it. "I know I have a decision to make...and I will. I promise whatever that may be, I won't regret having met you despite the circumstances. I don't see you, nor have I ever, seen you as a blue devil, a monster... Okay I admit that when I first saw you as a werewolf-" Verrona shook her head. "But I didn't know that it was you, and we hadn't really known each other and that was the first time seeing-" She bit her lip to stop herself from rambling. "Thank you. For accepting. I don't like being-" Her voice cracked and she looked away back towards where the bird had been but it was no longer there, possibly having flown away or under some tall grass. Taking a deep breath she finished. "I don't like being left defenseless... I... never want to experience that again." @Cecowl Hoovey

TW: violence, blood, gore, mentions of abuse and (fantasy) racial prejudice

He nodded slowly as she spoke. Most people were lying through their teeth whenever they said he hasn't a monster, but Verrona? She was being genuine, he could tell. "See? Change of pace. You don't see that every day." With that, his gaze swept through the forest again. There weren't that many people who saw him as a person. His wealthier clients, people like Verrona's father, always saw him as a means to an end. The poorer clients saw him as their savior, but that was it. Once he did their job, he disappeared from their minds. He was a faceless blade, moving in the shadows of society, surfacing only to strike his targets only to fade again. His profession never really allowed him to form friendships with people. Everyone kept him at arm's length. But not Verrona. Not Battlegift. There were people out there that wanted to know Melius. Not Vice, the bounty hunter, but Melius, the tiefling. Not that anyone called him by that name.. Vice looked at her when she spoke again, nodding slowly. It made sense. Verrona had seen freedom, of course she'd want to protect it. And he could understand the fear of being left defenseless, it was something he worked to protect people from a good chunk of the time.. "Well," He stood up, turning to her, "We should get started then. No reason to wait." @enchantednymph

She watched as Vice stood before rising from the bench herself. Verrona gave a short nod and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I would need to change into something more...appropriate beforehand but I can meet you in the training yard after?" She wouldn't outright admit she was nervous. It wasn't that she didn't think she was capable but Verrona didn't want to disappoint him. She would wait for his response before heading back to their shared room. What one was to wear when training was beyond her she had realized, and without having the right things herself she ventured back out from the room and sought out Battlegift or someone else who might be able to find her something. Thankfully it wasn't too hard to find someone and before long she was led to a spare trunk full of miscellaneous clothes. After getting what she could, a pair of trousers and a very loose fitting top she headed back to the room and changed. She undid her braid, opting to put all of her hair up, the ribbon left behind on her bed after slipping back into her boots. Satisfied she was as prepared as she could be Verrona headed down to the training yard where Vice was waiting. "Sorry, took a minute. But, I'm here and I am ready." @Cecowl Hoovey

His response was simple: "Training yard. Fifteen minutes." Turning away, he led her back to the Order's house, nodding to her when she said she needed to get changed. Fancy clothes were too restricting, they weren't flexible and didn't let a fighter breathe properly. He had similar issues with anything heavier than studded leather, at least for armor. When Verrona stepped outside, Vice was standing in the yard, two long wooden staves in his hands. At the edge of the yard, several wooden practice weapons sat on racks, usually in pairs. The tiefling tossed one of the staves to her. "If you're going to learn how to fight, it's best to start with the easier weapons to learn. The quarterstaff is considered to be one of the simplest, but don't underestimate it. Hold it like this," He held it in two hands, essentially splitting the weapon into three separate sections, "in order to make use of both ends effectively." He swung the top of the staff in front of him, then swung up with the bottom to demonstrate his point. "Now you try." @enchantednymph

She caught the quarterstaff as he threw it to her though she slightly flinched expecting to fail. She watched Vice intently, listening to each and every word he spoke and as he went through the motions Verrona made mental notes of how he positioned his hands, his foot stance and the way in which the staff swung through the air. When he told her to try she mimicked Vice as best she could, only make a few slight errors. Scrunching her face in disappointment she looked at him. "Like this? I feel like it's wrong..." Verrona was used to making mistakes, of being chastised for each and every error she made throughout her life and as she looked at Vice she wondered if he was disappointed in her. Sure they had just started out but Verrona wanted to be good, to show him that she was serious about this and that she could amount to something eventually. "Can you show me one more time?" @Cecowl Hoovey

"You're gripping the staff too tight, your movements are too rigid. Think of the weapon as an extention of yourself, loosen your shoulders and relax." As he spoke, he showed her what he meant using his own weapon. "Let the attack flow, almost as if you're dancing. Every step, every swing, should feel natural and smooth." He demonstrated a series of flowing attacks, showing a controlled dexterity that Verrona hadn't seen much of. "Don't be hard on yourself if you don't get it immediately, it's only your first day. It'll come to you in time." @enchantednymph

"How is one supposed to relax if you're fighting for your life?" She'd asked, though her eyes paid attention to the way his body flowed and moved. Vice had been right, her moves had seemed more rigid, while his were swift and smooth, flawless. "I was never a good dancer when my parent's had me do lessons...Two left feet I was told." Verrona pursed her lips as she watched and when he finished she tried to mimic it as well. "You haven't fought like that in the time we've been together..." Granted, she'd only seen him go into beast mode and the other time she'd been... She shivered. "Okay. I want to try again." She got into position again before she attempted the same moves that Vice had shown her. Of course, she still seemed rigid and she'd repeat the steps over and over again until she worked up quite a sweat. @Cecowl Hoovey

"Ideally, you won't need to be relaxed during a fight- The moves'll be second-nature to you by that point. But learning them requires you to relax. You're not fighting for your life- yet." He frowned in response to her being told she had two left feet. That kind of mentality was detrimental to her growth as a fighter. "So you just have to prove them wrong now." He'd just have to put the work in to get her more confident in herself.. Then, she commented on how he hadn't fought like that before. "Well, you haven't seen me in a one-on-one duel before. It's different when you're on the battlefield with several opponents, since you have to be focused on more than one target." Not to mention that he was an entirely different kind of fighter when he was fully shifted.. Though it was often that he didn't remember much of what happened on those nights. Such was the curse of lycanthropy. As she repeated the steps, he'd give her pointers on how to flow from step to step smoothly, correcting mistakes with her posture or positioning when they happened. He was a no-nonsense instructor, but he wasn't mean about it. It was a simple correction, and then he'd have her continue. "Alright, let's take a break. Get some water, let your muscles relax for a minute or two, and then we'll get back to it." The tiefling said as he grabbed a waterskin and handed it to her. @enchantednymph

His words were sound and while she knew what he said to be true it wasn't that simple. So long in her life she had been told what she did wrong, how she needed to improve things that were out of her control... It was easier said than done, to prove those who had been detrimental in her growth in her childhood. "I guess that makes sense. It's...amazing, watching you move like that." She admitted openly, her weight leaning slightly to one side as she held the staff before going through the sequences again. It would take some time, but by the time she'd worked up quite a sweat she felt she had improved just a tiny bit, which was honestly more than she had been expecting. Vice telling her it was time for a break she nodded a deep sigh escaping her as she rested against the staff. Her other hand wiping at her brow before she accepted the waterskin from him. "Thanks. I...could use it. I think that's the most I've ever exercised in any capacity in years." She admitted, uncorking the water skin to take a deep drink. The water was refreshing and when she drank her fill she wiped at the corners of her mouth to get the few droplets that had escaped. She offered him the waterskin back before moving to a bench to sit, her thighs very much thankful for the moment of respite. @Cecowl Hoovey

"Somehow, I was born with natural grace for someone like me. It ended up making learning this kind of thing easier, but trust me when I say I had my fair share of bruises early on, especially once I started really sparring." He nodded as she continued to practice, and noted- with some pride- that she had improved, even if it was just a little bit. For a merchant's daughter with no combat experience, she was learning well. "You're doing well, all things considered. For it being your first time ever wielding a weapon like this, you're getting the hang of it faster than I expected." Vice nodded as he took the waterskin back and strapped it back to his belt. While she sat, he leaned against the storage shed. "If you're going to get better, though, you'll need to practice every day. Once you've got the basics down, I can show you some of the fancier tricks you can do, and then i'll look into finding you a sparring partner. I'm sure Battlegift knows of a few others who need a partner." @enchantednymph

"I can see it, the grace. That's...honestly really amazing. But thank you, your words offer ease when my mind wants to do nothing more than be negative." She sighed and wiped at her brow, her eyes turning to look at where they had been practicing. His praise hadn't been expected but was very welcomed as she tried to picture the moves he had done once again. Her eyes drifting shut as she tried to think of how it had felt when she'd tried to do them. "Everyday..." That seemed daunting, but she knew he was right. Not everyone had a natural talent for certain things, and while she loved to sing and had a gift for it in no way would it ever be good for something like combat, at least she didn't think so. As far as she was aware she didn't have any magical talents, so her singing was more of a hobby than an ability like the bards she had met. She sucked in a breath. "I'd- I'd have to practice with someone else?" Her face went slightly paler. @Cecowl Hoovey

He nodded as she accepted his words, taking a deep breath of his own. "I'd be watching. We don't let recruits spar without supervision, at least until they have some experience under their belt. But yes, you'd have to practice with someone more akin to your experience. It's the only way for you to see your limits. It'd do you no good to fight against someone like Farryl or me, people who have years of experience in fighting, if you want a fair challenge. Besides, if I'm watching, I can correct mistakes in both of your stances, the way you hold your weapon, how you do a swing, things like that." He explained as he started putting away the training weapons. "But, we can worry about that once you have the basics. Come, food's probably gonna be done soon." @enchantednymph

Three days had past since their first training session and true to Vice's words there had been a new recruit who had needed a sparring partner. The young gentleman seemed just as unsure about it as Verrona but she had a feeling it was for different reasons. Vice had indeed stayed with them, monitoring each of their training sessions. He'd coached, guided and praised when need as well as correcting or getting on to Verrona and the recruit when he felt like they were intentionally slacking and she was actually thankful for it. She had grown used to the work outs over those passing days and she had honestly been in awe of Vice. He had his own things to worry about and yet he was there for her, it spoke volumes and each moment longer they spent together Verrona questioned what choice she would make less and less. One afternoon after a particularly brutal sparring session where she had been knocked on her ass more times than she liked, Verrona had been heading up to the room wanting a very hot and needed shower when one member of the order had stopped her. "This came for you." Heart beating wildly inside of her chest Verrona accepted it. "Thank you!" The thought of the shower quickly dashed as she ran up the stairs to the room her and Vice had been sharing. Once inside she shut the door, leaning against it for a moment as she took a shaky breath. Vice was off doing his own stuff this afternoon and she wasn't sure when he would be back making that moment the best time to open something like this. Moving to sit on her bed she undid the top of the letter, unfolding it to reveal the contents which were underneath. blankspace

04:45

...

04:48

There was relief in learning that he was coming for her. That her uncle would be there to support her... Tears filled her eyes, while the letter didn't contain any information that would help with the unease she had felt it did make one thing clear. He knew about her mother, knew about whatever it was that transpired. She sucked in a breath as she wiped at her eyes. Folding the letter she tucked it under her pillow. Moving to the trunk at the end of her bed she grabbed a change of clothes, using the sleeve of the shirt to wipe away her tears before she exited the room and headed to the showers. No need to let anyone see that she had been crying. @Cecowl Hoovey

These past few days had been.. pleasant for the tiefling, all things considered. He was back in his element, with his own people. His own training was going well, taking place mostly in the early mornings before breakfast or late at night after dinner. Verrona had been improving faster than he had initially expected, though she still had a long way to go. They all did, really. But now that this training session was over and he was cleaning up, he glanced over to see a member of the Order give Verrona something and she rushed up the stairs. That was.. strange, to say the least, but with a shake of his head, he returned to cleaning up. Best not to pry into her business right now.. Especially since he knew what tomorrow night was. After so many years of training and trying to control this curse.. The new moon was coming, and with it, the Taming. He'd finally reached the strength needed to undergo the ritual and learn how to control the beast. But he'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous.. All of the lower-ranked members were kept out of the ritual, they weren't told what it entailed, what would happen during it, and how it would affect them, outside of growing stronger and being able to control the curse. Of course, to most people, he looked as calm and collected as always. Vice didn't let his worries show. When Verrona returned from her shower, Vice was in their shared room, standing over a table and what looked like an alchemist's kit. He seemed to be brewing some kind of potion, or set of potions, with a large book open on the table beside him. @enchantednymph

Freshly clean and feeling better after hearing from her uncle Verrona headed back up to her room humming a soft tune. Sure answers still hadn't been given but that didn't mean that she wasn't looking forward to a visit from her uncle he'd always been a bright spot in her childhood. He was about one of the only people her father truly feared for reasons unknown and after her mother had passed Garekk had become a vital part of Verrona's healing process. That was until he had to leave for some sort of mission. But now, now he was coming to where she was and all she had to do was wait just a bit longer. It wasn't until she pushed open the door to their room that she was hit with the reality of what was supposed to be happening tomorrow night. Her eyes falling on the expanse of Vice's back as he worked on some sort of potions. The fumes from whatever he was making traveling to her nose and making it crinkle but entering nonetheless, the door being left slightly open to let some of the fumes out. "Should I...come back later?" She asked, moving over to where he was to get a closer look. Curiosity having gotten the better of her despite her words. @Cecowl Hoovey

"No, you don't have to leave." He replied without even looking at her, focused on the book beside him and the potions in his hands. "I'm just making some brews to help with the Taming tomorrow night. This book supposedly has potions that'll help with getting through the ritual without getting roughed up too much, whatever that means." He had a wide variety of herbs and several small vials in front of him, confusing smells and fumes coming from the alchemy supplies. "I don't know exactly what they're supposed to do, but that's the deal with the Taming being so secretive.." Letting out a quiet sigh, he glanced over at her. "So what had you so excited earlier?" @enchantednymph

"So you're going to drink those...and you have no idea what they do or how they're supposed to help? Doesn't that seem a little...too risky?" She moved away from the alchemy stuff and moved to her bed, sitting down on it before scooting back so that her back could lean against the wall. Vice sighed and she looked at him with a hint of worry clear on her face. Would he survive it? What happened if he possibly didn't? Verrona liked to think they had gotten close over the last few days, or at least as much as he would let his guard down around her. His question had her draw in a long breath, her hand rising to play with one of her curlier waves that were still damp. She hadn't thought he was around when she had received it and clearly that had not been the case. Biting her lip she leaned over so she could reach underneath her pillow, pulling out her letter. "I wrote to my uncle when we first got here after that conversation with Battlegift... and well, he responded." She glanced up at him from the parchment and shook her head. "I thought perhaps he might have the answers, at least some of them, to the questions he had but he didn't say anything. Instead he said he was coming...here." @Cecowl Hoovey

"I have rough ideas of what they do, but without knowing what exactly the Taming involves, I don't know if they'll help or not. But if they're going to help, i'm going to take the chance." He could tell she was worried, and truth be told, he was worried about it as well. But there wasn't much he could do about it other than patiently wait for the night to come. "Your uncle's coming here?" He glanced over his shoulder at her. "You don't seem super excited about that." @enchantednymph

"Well I haven't seem him since the week after my mother's funeral..." She looked down at the letter again, reading over each word before she continued. "I just thought that perhaps I wouldn't have to wait for answers...so that it would help in my decision on what I should do." Verrona bit her lip, her eyes flicking back up to look at Vice. "He said he'd arrive in two weeks, but knowing him it will be less than that but I-" She twirled some of her hair around one of her fingers. "He could possibly help...with my father situation." The statement was put in the open now, the real reason she was so worried about him coming. Would he let her remain here? Would he urge her to get the cure? Would he blame Vice? All those doubts bubbling inside and she didn't know the answers to any of them. She didn't want to think about those things though, not now. Not when there were bigger things to worry about like if Vice would make it out of the Taming. "Ah...I-is there anything I could do to help?" She asked, clearly looking for a distraction as she let the letter fall to her pillow before sliding off the bed to stand at his side. @Cecowl Hoovey (edited)

Her uncle could help, but he could also make things worse. Neither of them could really know how he'd react to everything. The Order didn't exactly have the most positive reputation, especially since they often took in those who didn't entirely agree with the law. So, who knew if this man was going to be disapproving of her being here? He let out a quiet sigh to himself, since he could tell that she was worried. The problem was that he didn't have any of the answers. Not related to her uncle, not related to the Taming. He didn't know enough to calm her nerves. After a few moments, he looked at her again. "I'm.. not sure. I don't know what the Taming's going to have, and I don't know enough about your Uncle. The next few days are full of too many unknowns. I'm sure i'll be fine with the Taming, though. They don't have us wait so long if it wasn't for a good reason." @enchantednymph

"I... I'll leave you to it then, I don't want to bother you. I might go for a walk to town... I think my dresses were ready. Can I pick you up anything while I'm there?" She fidgeted with the fabric of her sleeve. Clearly neither of them knew what to say to comfort the other and it didn't really seem like he wanted her comfort, at least on the outside anyway. With an inhale she moved to her trunk, pulling out her gold pouch. Maybe getting some new ribbons would give her the mood boost she needed...or more desserts from that place Vice had taken her to a few days ago. One thing Verrona did know out of all of this was that she was beginning to feel like she couldn't breathe, the anxiety of too many unknowns like a weight that was pressing down on her. Practicing with the staff had been a great distraction, but that distraction had become the norm and with the Taming happening tomorrow night where gods knows what would happen to Vice? She couldn't even tie her shoes properly. "Maybe some chocolate cake?" She attempted one more time, standing in the doorway as she awaited his response. @Cecowl Hoovey

He glanced at her when she said she was headed into town. "Would you be able to pick me up some pine incense? Apparently it's supposed to help soothe the mind after the Taming, if this book's anything truthful.." He narrowed his eyes at the book as he flipped through it, clearly doubting parts of it. Anything that had a chance of helping though was important to try. He could tell that she was anxious, and really, he couldn't blame here. There was too much going on. Too many unknowns. Maybe the fact that the Taming was kept so secretive was a way to prepare recruits to deal with the sheer unpredictability of day-to-day life in this business.. How was he supposed to know, though? Turning his attention to her when she suggested cake, he closed his eyes for several seconds. There was a silent whirlwind in his mind, making things too confusing for him. Finally, he opened his eyes. "Yeah, that'd be nice." @enchantednymph

Nodding her head she made a mental note, she would get him both things, one because he had asked and the other because she didn't now how else to comfort him. "Alright... I'll be back soon." Verrona would look at him one more time as he worked before she would leave, making sure the door was closed on her way out. The whole way to town Verrona chewed on her bottom lip, her mind all over the place as she thought about The taming, her father, her own curse that had sprung forth for who knew what reason and then there was Vice himself. Always closed off from the moment she had met him has slowly begun to let his walls soften, or at least she liked to think so. The problem was that she had begun to care for him and with the uncertainty of the taming she wasn't sure if she should voice that before or after or even at all. She hadn't realized the state of her heart until she had talked to Battlegift, the old man seemed to see everything even if it wasn't physical. Getting the pine incense had been easy, Verrona just following her nose to the appropriate store. She wasn't sure how much he needed so she just got a bunch, probably too much she'd realized after she had left the store with the small box in hand. She stopped by the store Gideon had taken to her before, the old woman greeting her with a lot more enthusiasm, Verrona equated it to Vice not being with her and that kind of irritated her but she bit her tongue not to say anything that might upset the woman. blankspace

13:19

They'd talked for a long time about a shipment she had just gotten in of ribbons and fabric, the tailor showing her all of them as both of them gushed over each and every one, Verrona bought five different colors, one even seemed to glow, the color changing depending on the temperature around it. It was a fascinating thing and one that rivaled the shimmering ribbon that she'd gotten last time. It didn't take her long to finish her purchases, though Kymma had wanted her to try on the special made dress to make sure it fit right. As soon as she had put it on Verrona had felt beautiful, perhaps for the first time in her life and she had been almost reluctant to take it off. With Kymma's final approval the dresses were neatly put in bags to keep them from getting dirty and then Verrona headed to the bakery. @Cecowl Hoovey

After she left, he let out a quiet sigh. What could he even say to her? There were too many confusing thoughts and emotions behind his eyes, and he was terrible about expressing emotions. It didn't take much longer to finish the brews, which he stuck in his bag (wrapped in cloth to protect them, of course). Then, he stood at the window and stared at the faint reflection in the glass. What did he really want? Obviously, he wanted to pass the Taming and further his standing in the Order, but beyond that? He really didn't know what he wanted to do. Vice knew that he'd stay by Verrona's side, that he'd fight tooth and nail to keep her safe, no matter who he had to fight to do so, but.. What caused that feeling? Why did he feel like that? His eyes narrowed at himself. Why was he like this? He was a bounty hunter! A member of the Order of the Lycan! He was supposed to be brooding and mysterious, dammit! Not just.. Whatever the hell he was feeling. Getting attached to people was what got people like him killed! But.. For some reason he just couldn't help it. Damn it all. He stepped away from the window and descended the stairs, going to the library to return the book he had gotten before stepping into the back yard and drawing his sword. One swing. Two. Three. Follow through smoothly. Repeat. Exercise and swordplay always helped to clear his mind. It's one of the many reasons he joined the Order. What would the Taming bring? What would happen to him? To Verrona? Was her uncle going to cause problems here, or would he actually come to help? Would he have to fight him? Too many questions. Not enough answers. Dammit, this is why going solo was so much easier on the mind. @enchantednymph

The bakery had been just as busy as the time Vice and Verrona had went, to her surprise there was a special sale going on so she managed to get two slices of the chocolate dessert that Vice had liked so much as well as two of strawberry shortcake. She paid and asked that it be put in a container for her to take with her and then Verrona was on her way back to the house. The closer she drew to the house the lower the sun dropped below the horizon, the coolness of the night already coming into the town offering a pleasant experience. As she walked Verrona the more she thought about what she could do to help Vice and the more she realized that perhaps it would help him to just take his mind off of it completely. It didn't take her long to come up with a plan though in truth it caused her own nerves to come to the forefront but tonight wouldn't be about their worries; it would be about them. Verrona arrived back just in time to run into Battlegift who looked to be in a good mood, his eyes falling to the box of treats. "Something special going on?" She bit her lip and shook her head then paused. "Ah- maybe? I just wanted..." She looked down at the box. "I want to do something for Vice, to help him." Battlegift nodded and rubbed his chin. "Wait here child." blankspace

18:37

Verrona obeyed, looking around as he went into his office, he'd appear a moment later with a small box with a winding mechanism on the side. "Here, I'll tell the boy to meet you at the gazebo a little ways in the forest..." He eyed the treats again and Verrona smiled. "I hadn't realized there was a gazebo...and what is this?" Battlegift pointed at the little piece of metal sticking out of the side. "Wind that and then open it, it'll play a tune." Verrona's eyes lit up. "Thank you!" She could have hugged him in the moment but she refrained, instead she added, "I have an extra slice of strawberry shortcake if you-" She hadn't even finished her statement and she could tell he was interested. With a smile she offered him one of the small boxes. "Enjoy! Goodnight!" Verrona headed upstairs, if she was going to do this then she'd make it extra special, or at least in her mind it'd make it better. Up in the room she changed out of the simple trousers and tunic she'd come accustomed to wearing and slipped into the turquoise dress that shimmered. She didn't have a mirror but she didn't need it, not for this. There was no lacing or anything needed and she felt blessed for it as she sat on the bed and nervously braided her hair, replacing the simple blue one with the matching shimmery turquoise one. She exchanged the shoes she'd worn to practice with the ones she'd came in with, simple feminine boots. Carefully she picked up the boxes and the music box and headed to the gazebo, she wasn't sure where exactly Vice was but she was sure Battlegift would have no trouble finding him. The gazebo itself was gorgeous, the light of the moon was faint but added just enough, fireflies danced around. It was almost picturesque and it only heightened Verrona's nervousness as she set the cake sup on the little bench beneath it. The music box she sat on one of the railings and then all she was left with was to wait...

18:37

@Cecowl Hoovey

18:39

The Gazebo

18:39

Her dress

He had been in the middle of training, going through the moves faster and smoother than ever before. To the casual observer, his steps and swings would've all been rehersed and practiced for several hours. To those more experienced, however, it was clear that this was all spontaneous. When Battlegift stepped outside, Vice lowered his weapon. Apparently there was something going on at the gazebo in the woods? Something that he needed to get out of his gear for? What was he even talking about? Letting out a sigh, Vice nodded and went about getting ready. Setting aside his bag and armor, he dressed in simple leather breeches and a plain white tunic, taking several minutes to clean up his hair. Which, to be frank, was something he tended to neglect because of the conditions he tended to be in. Why was he even going through all this effort? Honestly, it was probably just because Battlegift had suggested it to him, and the old man often knew what he was talking about. That's why Vice listened to his advice all the time.. Well. Now that he was dressed, he put his sword belt aside (with great hesitation, mind you) and stuffed a dagger in his boot (just in case). Finally, he was ready, and departed the house. Through the streets of the town. Past the farms and outskirts. Through the trees at the edge of the forest. Finally, he made it to the gazebo. When he stepped into the gazebo and saw Verrona, he stopped. He blinked several times, caught completely off guard by her appearance, and it showed. His normally stony, cold expression finally showed some form of awe. "You look.." He paused for a moment, before just deciding to say it. "..Beautiful." Then, he walked in. "What's all this?" @enchantednymph

She'd heard him before she had seen him, the sound of his footfalls reaching her new heightened senses. The smell of the damp earth and pine too great for her to to have caught his scent, especially since he was down wind of her. Verrona now a ball of nerves more than ever took one last breath before slowly turning around, the light of the moon catching on the shimmering dress. She thought she had felt beautiful when she'd tried the dress on in the store but the look on Vice's face... that had made her feel like she was flying, like she was truly was. He had done his hair, his clothes clean and the fact that he had put effort into it...that he had made himself presentable gave her heart hope as she nervously held her hands behind her back. Her heart got caught in her throat as he spoke, his words confirming what he had felt, what she had thought. He found her beautiful and Verrona was truly in awe. She was beautiful, and he had said so. Swallowing her heart back down Verrona took a step towards him, her hands falling to her sides as she did. "I- I thought...since tomorrow... I just, wanted to...do something for you. You've don't a lot for me, and over the time we've been together I-" Did she tell him, did she admit to the things that she had realized? Her heart told her yest but her mind told her no. There were already so many uncertainties, there were too many unknowns to know what the future held. One heart beat. Two. "Melius, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I would have been dragged home, hurt, or worse. I'd not have discovered the things had to offer and despite the curse, despite my father having been the one to hire you... I wouldn't change it. Not a thing." It was in this moment that Verrona had realized she'd already made her decision. Staring into the eyes of the man she had come to care for. She would keep the curse, she would stay by his side for as long as he'd have her no matter what. @Cecowl Hoovey

There weren't words to describe what he was feeling in this situation. She had done all this.. to help him relax before the Taming? And.. He stared at her as she spoke. As she explained how she felt about him, and all that had happened. What did he feel? It only took a few moments for him to respond, as he decided most of that.. Well, a long while ago. "When I first got the job to come find you, I didn't think that it was anything all that unusual. A simple job to return a missing person. By the gods, I was wrong. You're the first person outside of the Order that's seen me as a person. More than just a monster, even after you saw me in my wolf form.." He took a deep breath before he continued, having to mentally prepared myself. "Since the moment I had those visions, I decided that I'd fight through anything and everything to keep you safe- Nothing would stand in my way. I'd fight from one end of the world to the other if I had to." He.. hesitated for a moment. "I.." Deep breath. "I care about you, Verrona. And if I make it through the Taming, then I won't let anything happen to you." @enchantednymph

Her heart was beating impossibly fast as her words came to an end, she had poured her heart out to Vice as he stared at her. Seconds seemed like an eternity before he began to speak, the butterflies in her stomach were running rampant, her breath caught in her throat the moment he began to speak. 'By the gods, I was wrong...' Her heart clenched, those words causing Verrona's hope to soar impossibly. Was this happening? Was he actually- 'Nothing would stand in my way. I'd fight from one end of the world to the other if I had to.' Verrona still wondered what those visions had been, he'd never told her in the days since but she knew they had been eating at him. Knew that it bothered him only because Battlegift had told her so. What had he seen? What had him so terrified that he would make such declarations? She could sense his hesitation and for a moment her lips parted as if she was going to say something only for him to begin again, her lips instantly shutting so that he could finish what he wanted to say. 'I care about you, Verrona.' Did those words mean what she thought they did? Did he care about her the same way or was she overthinking things like she always did? Her feet carried her forward, her hands nervously shaking at her sides. "Melius..." Heart in her throat she took a shaky breath as she closed her eyes for a moment. She needed to calm down, to remember what tonight was supposed to be about. "I-" Why couldn't she do it? Why couldn't she just pour her heart out like she had wanted to? The words were on the tip of her tongue and yet... Verrona turned, the train of her dress shimmering in the light as she went back into the gazebo. She picked up the tiny box that Battlegift had leant her. She winded it until she heard the soft click, her trembling fingers lifting the lid as she sat it back down. Though the box was small the melody began to play loud enough to be carried by the wind. @Cecowl Hoovey

As the music box began to twinkle softly, slowly rising into its melody, Vice's eyes went wide. He.. He knew this song. "..W..Where did you get this..?" It was something Battlegift had given him when he was younger and less in control of his curse. At that time, it was one of the few things that could calm him down when he went berserk. How had Verrona found out about it? Had Battlegift told her? And the fact that she had brought it out here to try and help him stay calm before tomorrow night.. "I.. haven't heard this song in.. Well, in years. I don't know where you got this.. But thank you." He said, the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. She.. really cared about him. He could tell. @enchantednymph

She had not expected his reaction to the music box, and as he moved to join her beneath the gazebo she looked at him in fascination. He had smiled. An actual genuine smile and it brought a blush to her cheeks. "I- I had said... ilI wanted to do something for you and Battlegift gave this to me. He's the one who told me about this place..." Flustered and her heart beating ever wildly Verrona said the only thing she could thing of, the one thing she didn't think he'd ever agree to. "Would you care to dance with me?" He could refuse, and part of her worried he would but the larger part of her wished he would dance. That for once in her life things weren't just dreams or fantasies that played out in her mind. @Cecowl Hoovey

He nodded his head slowly. Of course Battlegift had helped set this up- Who else would've? Damn that old man, he knew him too well. Shaking the thought out of his head, he turned his attention to the woman standing in front of him, hesitating for only a moment. "..Of course I would, Verrona." This felt like such a cheesy romantic scene out of one of those novels young women bought for a handful of coin. The stuff that happened in plays. In all honestly, Vice hadn't expected that he'd be in this kind of situation.. well, ever. He had been so used to being on the fringes of society, dealing with the muck that came with it. But this.. this was nice. Offering his hand to her, he met her gaze. "Shall we?" @enchantednymph

He'd agreed and as he offered her his hand her own nervously lifted, placing itself in his palm. Did he know how to dance? Was her palm too sweaty? So many things ran through her mind and none of them had to do with the unknowns both of them had. In that moment as they began to dance to the song the music box played the only thing that ran through Verrona's mind was about the man before her and the way he had come to make her feel. Fireflies fluttered and blinked around them, a light breeze blew causing the leaves rustle around them and add to the atmosphere as if the gods themselves wanted the two to have this moment together. She wondered if he could hear her heart, her cheeks so flushed that she could feel the heat radiating off of them. She nervously held her breath, her eyes focusing on his shoulder as they danced. "I-" She cleared her throat and glanced up at him. What would she even say? What could she say? "This is nice..." Obviously Verrona had no clue what she was doing, so new to this just as much as Vice. @Cecowl Hoovey

In all honesty, he had very little idea how to dance. Dancing wasn't exactly something that he'd ever needed to learn. However, that natural grace he mentioned before? It certainly helped in this situation. The tiefling simply.. let his body carry him in tune with the music. With it being a song that he remembered fondly and knew well, it was considerably easier for him to do so. As he moved through the song, each step graceful, yet careful, he could feel the atmosphere around them. Her hands in his own. He could hear the rustling of their clothes as they moved. The stars and moon above seemed impossibly bright for just an evening. In short, Vice was acutely aware of nearly everything that happened around them. The thing that caught his attention the most was the beating of their hearts- His finely-tuned hearing made it quite clear to him. And he hadn't expected his own heart to be beating this much. It wasn't like he was that much of an emotional person, right? Maybe she caused him to feel things that he otherwise wouldn't.. A deep breath cleared the encroaching thoughts. This wasn't the night for that. "..It's very nice." @enchantednymph

"Very." She parroted, her cheeks flushed as they danced around the small gazebo. Those few minutes that the song played seemed like an eternity to her, in the best kind of way and when it finally had ended and she hesitantly slipped away she chewed on her bottom lip. What were they supposed to do now? Dance again? She'd read little books before but she didn't think they were anywhere near any point to do what they'd done in those stories... The cake! Sucking in a breath she cleared her throat and looked away. "I ah... got a couple slices of the chocolate cake." She moved to tuck some of her hair behind her ear before moving over to the small bench that was near the far side of the gazebo. "A-are you hungry?" Smooth. She wondered if he felt as awkward as she did. Biting her lip she picked up the box and turned to look at him. "I made sure to ask for disposable forks... so we could eat them together and not in the hall...with everyone else." She looked down at the ground, her cheeks still radiating heat which meant her blush was still there. "Are you hungry?" You dolt, you've already asked that! Verrona's voice in her mind yelled, if only she were in wolf form right now she could dig a hole and bury herself in it to hide from her embarrassment. @Cecowl Hoovey

As they finished dancing, and she pulled away from him, Vice found himself wanting to pull her back in, to prevent her from leaving his grasp. Scolding himself inwardly, he moved to follow her as she mentioned the chocolate cake. It'd do him no good to be too clingy, or too forceful, or anything of the sort. "I could eat some cake." He couldn't help but chuckle at her nervousness- Though that was partially to try and dispel his own anxieties about the night. This was supposed to be a time for them to relax and enjoy each other's company, and damn it if he was going to let some simple worries stop that. "Come on, let's sit down." He motioned for her to sit beside him, taking a few moments to just take a deep breath. "Well? Are you going to join me or am I eating all this cake myself?" @enchantednymph

"O-oh. Right!" Why was she so nervous? They'd spent so much time together and it'd never been this awkward before. Clearing her throat she moved to take a seat next to him. "You could eat both of them yourself?" She raised an eyebrow while turning her head to look at him. "I'd think you wouldn't want a stomach ache before-" She bit her tongue, not wanting to finish that sentence. "A-anyway." Verrona took a deep breath and picked up one of the small boxes. As soon as she opened it the smell of the chocolate overtook her senses, her mouth instantly watering as she picked up one of the forks. She'd need to be careful, not wanting to dirty the dress she'd only just recently put on. "I... know that you don't know much about any of it... But, Melius. I'll be here...when it's all said and done, no matter what." @Cecowl Hoovey

"Maybe I could. But we won't have to find out, will we?" He raised a brow, chuckling as he grabbed the box holding his cake and opened it. He took one big whiff of the cake, another small smile creeping onto his face. Despite his rough outwardly appearance, he was a sucker for sweets. A quick glance to the woman sitting beside him made him amend that statement- Sweet things. "I know, Verrona. I know you will be. I've been around a handful of people throughout my years as a bounty hunter.. But you, you're different from them all. I don't know exactly what's different, but I can tell. So.. I wouldn't have anyone else by my side." @enchantednymph

The first initial bite of the cake was way sweeter than she'd expected. The richness of the chocolate practically exploding across her tastebuds causing Verrona to let out a small noise of pleasure. It was likely the best chocolate cake she'd ever tasted and she wasn't sure if it was because of the actual dessert or the company and surroundings that they were eating in. Regardless the statement still remained in her mind. He's smiled again, it was barely noticeable if one wasn't paying close attention but she was most certainly paying attention. Every little thing about him seemed to stand out to her as they sat there on the bench, close enough that if she just moved her arm a slight bit... Her arm brushed against his and she felt those same butterflies fluttering inside of her and the flush of her cheeks deepened just slightly. However, it was Vice's words that had those butterflies going haywire, her heart nearly in her throat as she paused with the fork in her mouth. She was different indeed, and so too was he but it was for those reasons that she had found herself drawn to him. That impenetrable wall of a tiefling man was actually so much more and she prayed to the gods that whatever was supposed to happen tomorrow went smoothly. He deserved it, he deserved so much more than what life threw his way, even if everyone else didn't see it. She did, and she'd never stop. Pulling the fork from her mouth she pursed her lips slightly. "Just wait until another spoiled rich girl needs to be saved for a handsome amount of coin." She jested, though in truth she'd hoped not. It'd been a rough adventure of it and she wouldn't have wished her fate on anyone... Yet somehow it'd all become worth it in the end. Her eyes fell to where the man had stabbed her thigh, the wound was truly gone but the memory of it remained. How he had come to save her... inhaling deeply she glanced back at Vice, her eyes have hidden beneath her lashes. "How's the cake?" @Cecowl Hoovey

He could tell that she really enjoyed the chocolate. Despite the small nature of this town, its food was very, very high quality. And believe it or not, Vice thought that the chocolate was the best food here, especially when it was put into a cake. Something about how the baker mixed the chocolate in with all the other ingredients made it feel so much creamier, and like it melted in your mouth. Yes, Vice had a sweet tooth that he didn't exactly show all that often. He leaned back in his seat, holding the plate in one hand and the fork in the other. His lilac eyes seemed to glitter in the moonlight, and his hair shined bright with the moon. Yes.. He understood his purpose in life, finally. He knew where he belonged, and it was here. Whatever the Taming brought.. He'd overcome it. Deep down, he knew it to be so. Almost as if he could sense what was on her mind, he just chuckled. "Trust me, i've saved plenty of pretty young things in my years as a bounty hunter. None of them ever came close to this." He was like her, once. Every wound on his body had once brought him anxiety and made him fear for his life. Now, however.. Every wound made him who he was. Especially those he used to channel his power, something that the common person couldn't understand about him. His blood contained limitless power, it was just a matter of unlocking it. And that'd be what he'd do tomorrow. "..The cake's perfect." @enchantednymph

That blush on her cheeks became one of a deeper crimson, her heart nearly in her throat as he spoke. Whatever this was between them, no matter where it would take them in the future... Verrona couldn't help but be thankful for everything that had happened up until that very moment. She toyed with the fork, scraping it over the icing of the cake. As she watched it leave marks she thought back to the first time she had seen hm. Really seen him, if someone had told her this was where they would have ended up she might have laughed, but not for the reasons one might think. Vice believed in her, and she saw him for what he was. A man; not a beast or a demon like other people. He would go through the taming tomorrow, gaining control of that aspect of himself and then... Whatever had triggered her curse, they would figure it out together. She just hoped that whatever it was that he came out stronger. Verrona couldn't help but worry, there were so many unknowns and that fear for a moment creeped back into her mind though his compliments on the cake brought her back to the warmth and light he had begun to make her feel. "Indeed, perfect." She smiled, bringing a bite to her lips, enjoying the sounds of nature around them. For awhile they would eat in a comfortable silence, every so often she would glance in his direction and feel her heart skip. Why was she so nervous? Releasing a breath she took the last bite of her cake, setting the empty plate down on the bench before she rose up from it herself. Verrona walked across the gazebo and stared up at the stars, so far away yet twinkling so brightly. The night was truly perfect and she hoped that it helped him at least a bit for the uncertainty of tomorrow.

17:32

@Cecowl Hoovey

There was a lot that he had gone through within the past few years. He had fought against his monsters, fought against innumerable different foes ranging from giant monsters to the smallest criminals. His body showed the sheer extent of his struggle through the number of scars covering it, though most of it was hidden by his armor and his demeanor. Looking at him from a distance wouldn't show the true Melius. It would only show the bounty hunter, Vice. Despite his previous worries.. He didn't feel anxious. Not one bit. Not when he had someone he needed to protect now. Someone more than just himself to worry about. Verrona needed his concern far more than he needed it. Whatever the Taming had for him.. Whatever the higher ranking members of the Order were planning.. He'd face it and overcome it. The cake was delicious, but unfortunately it didn't last long enough. He set aside the plate, watching Verrona move across the gazebo and look up to the stars. He.. felt an unfamiliar feeling in his chest as he watched her nearly glow in the moonlight.. Then, he stood up and walked up beside her, hesitating for only a moment before he put his arm around her. It felt weird to show such a sign of affection.. But it just felt right in the situation. @enchantednymph

She had heard him approaching but it hadn't stopped her from sucking in a breath of surprise. He was warm as he wrapped his arm around her and that warmth traveled straight through her down to the very tip of her toes. A small smile played on her lips as she let her gaze fall from the twinkling stars to the man at her side. Those butterflies in her stomach still fluttering but nowhere near as violent as they had been earlier. It was a comfortable silence, one filled with the sounds of crickets chirping, owls screeching off in the distance along with the leaves rustling in the breeze. Verrona found herself leaning into him, her head moving to lay against him, her eyes losing as she focused on the sound of his heartbeat. The soft thumping sound was the most beautiful song she'd possibly ever heard in her life. Verrona might not know what they were or what the future held but she did know that she cared for him deeply and there was nothing that could change that. Her own heart thumped loudly still as she tilted her head to look up at him through the thickness of her lashes. She wasn't sure how long she stood there just staring at him underneath the faint moonlight but when she finally spoke it had felt like an eternity. "Melius..." Her voice was low, barely above a whisper from her lips. Verrona offered him a small smile, her hand moving to press against his chest as she lifted herself up off of him. With a bashfulness that seemed to become more common now that her feelings had been on display she sucked in another breath, exhaling it slowly. "It's getting late, we should probably head back for rest." Her eyes glanced down at her dress, the sparkling gown twinkling with every small move. "I..." She bit her lip and gathered the bit of courage she had inside of her to lift up on her tiptoes and place a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for tonight, for allowing me to do this for you."

04:14

@Cecowl Hoovey

It didn't take an empath to understand what was going through Verrona's mind as she rested her head against his chest. Despite everything that had happened, how little emotion he seemed to show most people, there seemed to be only two people he could truly show himself to. Battlegift, his mentor and father figure, the man who had guided him through the most difficult parts of his life.. And Verrona, the wayward noble's daughter who didn't want to go home for whatever reasons she had.. Someone he had grown to care for, despite himself. Before, he didn't think he ever really understood why he did the things he did. Did he fight for justice? For the sake of fighting? Or to find a way to control this curse of his? Did he seek to protect the weak, and fight the strong? The tiefling didn't view himself as a hero. Heroes fought for the good of all, when he really only fought for the good of himself.. Doing things just for the sake of being good was only found in those damn storybooks that children read.. But now he understood. When Verrona said his name, he looked down at her. That smile made his heart skip a beat. Yes, this was what he'd fight for. Quiet moments like this, where he wasn't Vice, he wasn't a blue devil, and he wasn't fighting off a monster deep inside him. He'd fight for moments where he could be Melius. "What, getting scared of the dark?" He chuckled. When she kissed his cheek and looked back at him, it could've very well been the lighting.. But there might have been a faint change in his color, and he nodded. "Thank you for doing this." Turning, he offered his arm to her. "Shall we?" @enchantednymph

"Mm." Verrona nodded her head and looped her arm in his. If she had noticed the slight change of color in his complexion she made no inclination of such. As they made their way back a thought had crossed her mind and she let out a small chuckle. "Why would I need to be afraid of the dark when you're by my side?" She looked at him from the corner of her eye, the sound of their footfalls were quiet save for the few twigs they stepped on underfoot. Her dress almost magically not getting caught on the flora around them as they followed the path back. "Also, I feel like I'm getting the hang of what I've learned in training. I can kick some butt too." She offered a small smile, her head shaking slightly. "Not that I could win against you, but a smaller, less intimidating foe, maybe." She scrunched her nose a bit, her arm still interlocked with his once the doors to the building came into view. "I'll get better I promise." Her steps slowed, almost seeming reluctant to return now that they were actually back. "I... want to be able to help you to the best of my ability." Verrona stopped and pulled him to a halt with her and waited for him to turn and face her. There wasn't much more for her to say that she hadn't said already back at the gazebo but she couldn't help the small bit of anxiety she felt as they stood there in front of the large building. Tomorrow there was no telling what the outcome would be and what Vice would go through and with a moment of weakness Verrona squeezed his arm. She searched his face for a moment, her arm slipping from his as they stood there. "You might not need it or want it, but you'll always have me regardless of what happens in the future."

05:22

Before he could add anything she sucked in a breath and rambled on. "I need to go and get changed before you come back to the room. I'm sure you'll want to see Battlegift..." She held out the music box and pressed it against his chest. "This is yours, it may have been lent to me for tonight but I know it's important to you." Once she was sure he had a firm grip on it she swiveled on her heels and headed inside, only taking a glimpse at Melius as she entered the building. Verrona didn't stop until she was back into their shared room, the flush in her cheeks and the wildness of her heartbeat the only thing that accompanied her as she shut the door firmly behind her. It didn't take her long to slip from the dress and into something more familiar, a pair of loose fitting trousers and a plain white tunic to sleep in. She wasn't sure how long he would be until he returned to the room but her nerves were now fully flamed with her what she had done tonight. Cheeks still warm she tucked her dress into her trunk before sliding into bed and facing the wall, her hands gripping the blanket tightly as she replayed the events of their tender moment inside her mind.

05:22

@Cecowl Hoovey

Her comment brought a small smirk to Vice’s face, but he didn’t say much about it. She was right, after all.. She had nothing to fear from the darkness. He fought the darkness every day of his life, especially within himself, and won. She knew that he wouldn’t let her get hurt, due to all the effort he went through to protect her.. Before, it had been because of him not wanting to lose his reward. Then, it had been because he felt responsible for her becoming like this. Now.. He fought to protect her because he actually cared. Which.. to be honest, was still a strange feeling for him. Caring was dangerous, but he didn’t care about the danger. “Everyone needs to start somewhere, and for someone who didn’t even know how to hold a dagger a handful of weeks ago, you’re doing quite well, Verrona.” He felt the hesitation in her body, the nervousness about actually returning to the Order’s home base.. “Don’t push yourself too hard. You’ve gotta remember, you’ve been training for a handful of weeks. I’ve been training for years, and lived a much harsher life than you did. Fighting was my only option.” Melius glanced down at her, his hand squeezing her arm slightly. “Don’t let that become your life, okay? You still have a chance at living a normal life.”

05:50

He had stopped when she pulled him to a halt. She was still nervous, likely worried about him.. It was evident in her face, in the tension in her shoulders and arms.. The way she moved was more rigid than normal. “..You don’t need to worry so much about me, Verrona. I’ve been preparing for this night for years. I can handle whatever the Taming holds, yeah?” He did his best to give her a reassuring smile, though it was partially for him. As much as he wanted to say that he was ready, he was still nervous. The mysteriousness and secrecy surrounding the Taming caused him to feel incredibly nervous, even if he was good at hiding it. Of course she was going to be there for him, he’d be confused if she just suddenly left after all this. When she shoved the music box against his chest, he held it in his hands as she turned and went inside. Well then.. How was he supposed to respond to that? With a small chuckle, he shook his head, pocketed the music box, and went inside. She was right, he did need to talk to Battlegift about tomorrow.

05:50

Moving inside, he sought out the dwarf, who was sitting in the study with a book in his hands. “..Battlegift.” “Ah, Vice. I trust your night was nice?” “..It was, but I need to-” “I know, I know. You’re nervous about tomorrow. You’ll be fine, my boy. You’re strong, and are one of my finest students.” Battlegift set the book aside, stepping forward and patting Vice’s side. “Get some sleep for tonight, have a good meal in the morning, and prepare your mind for tomorrow night.” “..Okay. Thank you.” “Any time, Vice. Now go.” The tiefling turned slowly and went up the stairs, stopping outside the door for several seconds. While he was nervous about tomorrow.. A part of him was more nervous about being beside Verrona tonight, after everything that happened. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and went inside. He set what gear he still had down and got ready for bed, something that didn’t take long considering his current outfit. Then, he slipped into the bed and stared up at the ceiling for quite a while. @enchantednymph