It's one of THOSE talks...(Rayl x Karina Support?)

[Rayl Torien]

It was late at night as the camp was set up and everyone was fast asleep...well, with the exception of Rayl and possibly Ralph, The Paladin wouldn't know. He had wandered off from the camp to go on a walk of sorts, having left Elibe at the camp's edge.

It was one of those things he would do on occasion, when he had a lot of things on his mind, and one of those things, the usual things such as the situation in Etruria, what was going on with Richter and his mission and yet some new things were on his mind. these were Karina- wait what? He wasn't why she was on his mind on this particular walk, maybe it was that awkward scenario from last night...and the dreams...and this morning, or maybe it was something else, he wasn't sure. Finally he came to a stop to lean against the tree, and looking up the plentiful stars above.

[Karina]

Karina had been doing her usual nighttime stretches, only this time she had chosen to wear nothing but her undergarments. She knew it was not the best idea, but she longed for the cool, mountain air against her skin as she loosened her muscles after a long day of riding.

She heard rustling from the bushes, and, knowing it was some kind of peeping tom, she grabbed she cloak, which she had slung over a nearby tree, and hastily threw it over herself. A figure came in to view, the moonlight revealing no peeping tom, but a familiar face, leaning up against a tree.

"Rayl!" Karina smiled, "I did not expect anyone else to be up at this hour. But... This is how we usually meet, is it not?" she said with a laugh. "But all things aside, how are you? Did you ride well today?" she asked.

[Rayl Torien]

"Hm?" turning his head back he caught sight of the cloaked figure, and turned around to catch a better sight of the figure, the voice being obvious,"What? Meeting without our armor in the middle of the night, all alone? Yes, I'd say that's in the norm, Karina." The irony that she appeared in the middle of the night when he was just thinking about her, he looked down to her bare feet, shaking his head to himself, eyes closed momentarily with a smile on his face: it was an odd way to always meet someone," Well, it was nice that the ride was uneventful, as it's doubted that anybody would really attack the camp, especially considering it's occupants. But- I'm alright." it was odd, rarely did people just ask him how he, it was usually questions, compliments, orders, questions about orders, things of that nature...it was as much a breath of fresh air for him as it was to be out in the middle of nowhere: he missed being informal.

"...you sure seem comfortable out in this breeze...I'm sure you're used to the wind from you know, up there." he proceeded to point briefly to the night sky, stretching an arm back, relieved to not be wearing his armor: it was strange how it would at one moment feel light as a feather, and then feel hard as a rock on his back...as he thought this his hand moved to his side as he shifted a bit on his sore leg.

[Karina]

Karina held her arms out and spun around a few times. "I do love the wind. I feel so liberated with a good breeze!" she said. She stopped and looked at Rayl, thinking about what had happened in the past few days. She wondered how he thought of him... But why? She never really thought so highly of someone. She must have just hoped he saw her in a good light as well.

She moved a bit closer to the cavalier, again gazing at his leg. "Is it any better?" she asked Rayl, "Your leg, I mean. Riding must have been hard on it."

[Rayl Torien]

Rayl stared at her blankly as she spun around, cloak flowing about her frame...which he could see the intricate details of, and in the moonlight it was...well. When she moved a bit closer, he took a step back on his sore leg, stumbling ever so slightly,"I've been hurt on this leg before...it's a good thing I'm still young, or it wouldn't heal up so well or so quick...and I'm sure you must be feeling...err...liberated." he wasn't about to point out her clothing situation, as she was either:

A) Well aware of it or

B) Sleep walking?

He decided to stick with A, however. With this he moved a hand down to his leg, and rubbed it a bit," Just a bit stiff- err sore. It'll be alright soon enough."

[Karina]

"That is good to hear, Karina said. A less-than-happy expression crossed her visage at Rayl's tone, however. He stumbled on his words more than usual, and he had jumped back from her as though she was a cougar. She knew why... She was probably coming off to strong. Maybe Rayl did have a lover or something along the lines of that back home. She pulled her hood over her head, letting part of it obscure her face in shadow.

"I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable. I just didn't plan on meeting anyone this late, or in my current... State of dress." She fiddled with the cloak a bit, trying to make sure she was completely covered. "But I am still worried about your leg. I have seen injuries like these cripple completely fit men. I fear even a man of your physique may even fall prey to such a fate.

[Rayl Torien]

"That's alright Karina, I wasn't expecting anyone to catch me out here in the middle of the night, that's all." he gave a her a smile (and would have placed an encouraging hand on her shoulder, but given the situation...) which soon faded as he looked back down to his leg, before moving over to a large rock and sitting down,"Such injuries are expected in our line of work Karina. Being a soldier...or anyone who fights for that matter, lives a risky life of present and future. You could lose limbs, lose your mind, or worse..." he trailed off a bit as he rubbed his leg again: the pain flared up for a moment before settling down again:

"You could lose your friends...those you love."

[Karina]

Karina looked at Rayl. He seemed very pensive. She thought about asking him about his last comment, but decided against it. She knew it would not be good to ask Rayl to recall perhaps rather bad memories.

"Well, that only proves my earlier point that you should see a healer. Your wound would be gone in a moment. I might sound like I'm picking on you, but I... I just feel responsible, and if anything bad happens to you because of your leg... I do not know if I could bear such self- blame." she looked down, trying to avoid Rayl's eyes.

[Rayl Torien]

Rayl wanted to both smile and frown, but instead he stared at the young girl and her downcast eyes, so instead he just stood up and put a hand below her chin, lightly lifting up her head," Look Karina, it wasn't your fault that I'm no rogue and can't sneak across a carpet without hurting myself!" he lowered his hand, which accidentally (and noticed by him) brushed the front of her cloak on it's way back to his side,"...that and...well...I-ahem..." he paused and looked over his shoulder as if someone was there, though there obviously wasn't, as he leaned forward to whisper into her ear:

"...I'm afraid of healers."

[Karina]

As most girls do when boys accidentally tough them and freak out about it, Karina didn't notice the fluke at all. She did however, linger on his hand lifting her chin a bit. She wondered why he would assure her like that when she was being a worrywart... And then there was the whisper. Rayl was afraid of healers? Rayl, the man who had fought so many battles, winning most? This confused Karina to no end.

"Why," she started at normal volume, then noticed and lowered her voice, "Why would you be afraid, if you do not mind my asking? All of the healers I have met are nice and caring people. Not really ones to be afraid of..." her voice trailed off a bit at the end, unsure if she should have opened her mouth to begin with.

[Rayl Torien]

with this, Rayl kept his mouth shut, and shuddered. Not from the cold mind you, but the flashbacks, thoughts, and nightmares of Alcibie. He could understand why she would have been so...so...the way she was makes sense now that he met her child and all, but still...moving back out of Karina's personal space ( considering their position and all...that and he was worried he might stumble on his leg and...yeah.), he moved back to the rock and looked upwards,"...you ever think about those you love? Family? Friends? A Significant Other?" he was watching the stars and gazing upon the moon as he spoke these words:

How was his sister doing on her travels? Was Richter and his other friends safe? What about Guinevere? That last one left him wondering, distracted as he leaned back until it was took late for him to realize he wasn't in a chair, and promptly fell over.

[Karina]

When Rayl fell over, Karina burst out laughing. "There is never a dull moment with you, is there?" she said between laughs as she helped him up. After w few moments, in which they calmed down, she decided Rayl should know what he was dealing with "I... I do not have any family," she said, her voice losing its mirth, "It is a long story, which I will shorten for you. A blizzard hit my village, killing most of the people who lived there, including my parents. I lived alone, in the wild, living on hardly anything. I even forgot how to speak. Five... No, it was six, years after the blizzard, I was found by some travelers, who took me to a sage. The old, childless sage taught me how to be human again. he loved me like I was his own. He is the closest thing I had to a father. And he died while I was in pegasus training. I... I don't have any friends. Pesasus training wasn't the place where you made friends... And the same goes for a significant other." She had not told the story to anyone she had met during her travels. She was visible shaken by recounting it, and even more so that she had found someone she was confidant enough to tell it to. "But... That is in the past. I'm sure you have a story to match, Rayl," she said with something of a gleam in her eye, "So, do you have any family?"

[Rayl Torien]

after getting helped up, the fall having knocked him back into the present, as Karina began telling him her story, and well...the look on his face was clear what his opinion was, as he put an arm around her shoulders, ignoring the fact of the lack thereof beneath the cloak,"I...I am sorry, but...Are you sure about that? I'm sure you have someone who cares for you right here." a nice warm smile here, as he looked forward in thought: "I have family, yes. I've lost some due to time, but that is natural. I have a sister out there somewhere, traveling the land...sometimes I get letters and...well...I have my friends, who are always like family to me, people I care about...people I love."

OOC: hurr hurr decided to leave that one comment uncertain.

[Karina]

Karina had never really dwelt on her past. But with Rayl's arm around her, she found herself longing for similar warmth from the family she couldn't remember. Before she knew it, her face was screwed up in anguish, and tears were streaming down her face.

She had never cried over anything like this before, seeing any hardship as another hurdle to jump. But now all she could think about was how it must have been to have a family. And what a horrible time she had had without one. "I..." she gasped, "I'm sorry. I don't know why... Why I'm crying. I don't cry." She wiped her face off with the cloak and sniffed back more tears. "Ah... Thank you. I am blessed to have someone like you beside me."

[Rayl Torien]

The moment Karina started crying, Rayl almost jumped in surprise and, unsure of what to do, put his other arm around the crying girl, giving her a pat on the back: he wasn't sure what to do, it's what he used to do when his sister was upset about something," Now now Karina, now now..." what was he supposed to say?

...no really, what was he supposed to say, he honestly had no clue as he sort of held her then in that odd embrace before removing his arms from her sides and while still standing close, reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief, should she need it instead of her cloak.