Tending One's Wounds [Tamaya X Roin C]

[Roin Valor]

It had only been a short ride after the fight on the streets, Tamaya's horse resting outside in a nice, warm stable. The town wasn't too far from Arphen, but Roin had set the horse to a rather brisk pace. He was a Sacaen, which meant he could ride fast, but he knew full well that she'd likely scold him for taking her horse at such a speed through the cold air of Ilia. However, they had arrived at his mother's old village quickly, and in turn the home she had built. It held well, cast of hard stone, and the stable had once housed her Pegasus long ago.

Roin opened the door carefully, shoving it open the rest of the way with his foot. He carried Tamaya on his back, but it was only a short walk before he sat her on the old bed in the place. With a sigh, he took notice of her wound. It had healed shut, no doubt, but the riding had prevented the Elixir's powerful magic from preventing the soreness of such a wound. Moving to the door, he shut it and stopped the flow of wind. It was chilly in the house, but warmer than out in the snow. He moved over to the pit in the room, carefully lowering and pulling free a match. Lighting it, he mumbled a Sacaen praise for warmth before sticking it into the dormant log pile. It took him a moment, but he finally felt a singe of heat as he pulled his hand free. He kept plenty of dry roots and such at the bedding of the pit, the logs only needing the warmth below to glow and house the fire. Once it was started, he gently blew a few breaths within to spread the pit, finally standing up with a sigh as the room's chill faded to a pleasant warmth quickly.

"Nothing to do but hope she stirs soon..."

Moving to a mirror on a nearby wall, he frowned at the sight of himself. His hair was out, but the plate he had taken from one of the fallen mercenaries made him seem more like an Ilian than before. Moving a hand to his hair, he instinctively prepared to fix it back into position, only to frown a moment after. The band had snapped, which meant he was going to have to get used to this look for a while. Few bands could hold his ponytail that weren't made by a good tailor. Sighing, he moved a hand to the cut fabric below his new shoulder guard, touching the now sealed-cut. It was red, but it would finish healing sooner or later.

[Tamaya]

"...?!"

Tamaya awoke suddenly, her body sore and aching all over. As her eyes adjusted... WHERE WAS SHE?!

Trying to get up, a spasm of pain racked her side and she collapsed back onto the bed, breathing heavily. Her bow... Where? On the floor, near the bed. Shikoba?! Nowhere in sight. But... She remembered... They'd won, hadn't they? Where was the axeman? Where was... Oh. There.

The Sacaean had his back to her, and so she spoke to him, her voice coming out raspy and soft from exertion and her state. "Thank you. I... would have been in a bad situation if it was not for your help and that of the thin axeman. I am in your debt for your kindness... And now you bring me somewhere to rest? I cannot thank you enough," Tamaya said, emotional over the kindness this stranger had shown her.

"I am Tamaya, of the Cathecassa."

[Roin Valor]

Roin had been quiet, but at hearing her voice, he finally looked back to her. She had woke up, which was good, but it was clear that she wasn't going to get up quite yet, thanks to her injury. Roin turned back to the mirror with a sigh, removing the newly found guard from his shoulder as he gently touched his own cut.

"You need not thank me, Tamaya. I did as any true Sacaen would...even if I am not full-blooded, my father taught me the principles of any proper Sacaen."

He winced as he tested his finger against the mark, finally grabbing at his bandolier and tugging off the other plate. He dropped it to the ground beside his other one, finally turning back to face the Sacaen woman, his lack of armor and hair making his Sacaen blood immediately obvious.

"My name is Roin. I...was raised by my father, a tribesman of the Lorca, but I am not one to carry their name, as I did not truthfully undergo the rights of passage that a true tribesman would."

Moving over to a chair in the room, he carefully grabbed at his belt, pulling it off carefully. It let his robes open, the green shirt and pants more exposed as he put the swords and the belt that held them down beside it. Next, he dropped his quiver and bow on the opposite side, letting out a sigh as he fell back into the chair. It was clear he was still exhausted from before, no doubt also from moving her.

"Relax as you wish...this place is old, but I tend to it every few months to ensure it's still sturdy...your horse seemed rather pleased with the pegasus stable outside...I figure my mother must have made quite the warm place for a horse to enjoy it so much..." Closing his eyes, he gently moved a hand to cover his face. His gear dismissed and his robes not pulled shut, it was clear that unlike at the bar, the Sacaen finally felt safe here, which meant they had nothing to worry about.

[Tamaya]

Tamaya turned onto her side, curling slightly to get more comfortable. Her side ached, and she was curious. She watched as Roin took off his armor and slumped in the chair, listening to his words.

"Thank you, Roin. If...you don't mind my asking, what...happened to your mother? I don't mean to pry; if you would rather not talk about that, I understand."

Tamaya was remembering her experiences as she spoke, recalling her time in the City of Heroes and her encounter with the hero Kenshin, and reflecting on his wisdom that he passed on to her.

[Roin Valor]

It wasn't too long, but Roin finally lowered his hand, looking to Tamaya once more. The question was no doubt a good one, but Roin hadn't truthfully expected it. "She was killed by rogue Wyvern Knights. I was young when she was alive...but she taught me much. She even gave me my tattoo..."

He motioned halfheartedly to the black ink, leaning back a bit more in the chair as he tried to think of how he'd explain the rest of the story if it came up. However, he thought of a way to avoid it for now, finally speaking up once more. "What brought you here? To Ilia, I mean? My mother was Ilian, hence the curious nature I have here...but why would you wander here?"

He looked to the fire for a brief moment, distant as he shoved his own concern aside before turning his gaze to Tamaya. While he'd need to listen, he'd have to no doubt bring up the news that the business with these mercenaries wouldn't end their hunt with this...

[Tamaya]

"I... Well, it all began when there was a fire on the plains. We were displaced and moved near the border with the country of Lycia. Once I saw the outside world... I fell in love with the mystery of it. I couldn't bring myself to stay."

Closing her eyes and curling tighter into a ball, wincing slightly, Tamaya continued her story with a wistful edge to her voice. "I guess... I abandoned them, Roin. I fled to fulfill a girlish curiosity. And now here I am. Far away from home, only alive and with honor and dignity intact because of the kindness and compassion of a stranger. The men were right. I'm not deserving of any title above savage."

Tamaya's head was beginning to throb, and she was struggling to contain her emotion. She had to look strong. She couldn't appear weak. But it was all so hard to deal with. She wasn't sure whether or not she'd made the right choice, and now... Now she was in even more of a rough situation. Undoubtedly, their misfortune hadn't ended. And in Roin's eyes, she must seem solely like a liability. She didn't want to be a liability.

A small noise escaped her throat as she set her lips firmly, trying to control her feelings. Not now, please! Why now?!

[Roin Valor]

Roin heard the noise, but he'd no doubt surprise the other Sacaen, relaxing back in his chair with a rather sober look. "You are more deserving than you know. As I said...I did not take the Lorca's name as my father did. I, too, left behind my own friends. Not to mention I no doubt made an enemy of my father. He taught me all he could of the bow and sword...but then I turned away the teachings to seek revenge for my mother."

Quietly, he got up from the chair, moving over toward one of the small windows to peer outside quietly. They'd be pursued in time, but he figured it'd be better to avoid the thought, prompting him to try and change the topic.

"The Elixir worked well, did it not? I don't think your horse much liked my riding style...considering I haven't rode since my training with my father, I suspect it wasn't the best."

She thought she appeared as a liability, but she was wrong. In Ilia, numbers alone were powerful in their own rights. And weakness didn't turn a Sacaen away from aiding another Sacaen, no matter how weak they may be.

[Tamaya]

"The Elixer...?" So Roin must have used his own medicine to treat her wounds... She owed her life to this man.

"I... I cannot thank you enough."

Slowly, she sat up and then gingerly shifted her weight forward, until she was standing. Her side was still sore, but it had diminished to a dull throb, much as if it had only been a bruise. She twisted, gently feeling the tender, pink skin that showed through the slash in her robe. She then began to stretch, trying to alleviate the residual aches and get back in business.

[Roin Valor]

Roin was quiet for a while, but finally gave a small nod, looking back to Tamaya.

"You need not thank me. A Sacaen must tend to their own. Who else would look out for us if we cannot trust one another with such a task?"

Carefully turning about, he motioned to the door before to the bed to sit down beside her, sighing before tossing her a small smile. "You don't need to leave...but I know how to evade the foes we may have made. If you wish to get a headstart, by all means...if not, I do not mind sharing my bed with an injured friend. Try not to think anything of it, though...there's only one bed in this whole house."

Looking to his boots, he reached down to tug them off, drop them on the ground, and then turn to crawl onto the opposite side of the bed before flopping down, giving an exhausted, yet relieved, yawn. He had exhausted his own energy during the fight and then trying to ride her horse. Now, clearly from keeping most of his clothes on, the half-blood was quite tired to not mind.

"It may get cold, though...the fire shouldn't go out during the night, if you wish to remain..."

[Tamaya]

Hearing Roin's invitation, Tamaya at first made no answer, simply acknowledging the words with a nod. Continuing to stretch, the young woman finally began to feel the aches becoming manageable. But the prospect of a restful night to recuperate was a highly appealing one; it would allow her body time to finish healing her wounds and abrasions.

"Thank you," she said, slipping off her own boots and then curling up on the bed, her hair again falling over her face. Within minutes, the regular subtle movement of the strands indicated that she had fallen asleep.