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Post by Richter Abend on Jan 31, 2014 12:02:38 GMT -6
"Yes," replied Richter, leaning forward and accepting Gabriel's handshake. "It's about all I can say. I would be a fool to turn down the help." The gesture was comforting. Sure, they had just met, but it felt good to Richter to know that there were still people out there, people besides Clair, who would fight on his side. Yes, he had left Clair behind, but he had done so because she couldn't get rid of her doubts, and the last thing he wanted was her to die fighting on a mission she couldn't fully dedicate herself to. In Richter's mind, there were few fates worse than that. If she had insisted that she come with him he probably would have said yes, but she kept talking about leaving, or of finding another solution, and Richter would not, no, he could not wait for that to happen. Not while there were more people's lives at stake.
Yes, Clair, I do value my life, and I love you and all the time we've spent together. It's what keeps me moving forward, and it's what reminds me that there are still things in Elibe worth sacrificing for.
"What are you doing?"
A softer, more girlish voice came from right behind Richter as he reflected to himself. Its interruption caused him to turn and look at the source. It was indeed as he originally suspected, a woman, a Sacaen one at that judging by her looks and...wait, that was-!
"Maiden..." Richter whispered quietly, his eyebrows furrowing in angry discomfort. Dammit, of all the people to run into in this village, why did it have to be her? He swiveled his head back around to look back at Gabriel. Judging by the tone of her question, she hadn't recognized him yet, probably because he was no longer in disguise, so hopefully if he kept his head down, she'd go away. The last thing he needed was her shouting his name all over camp.
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Post by Gabriel Zobek on Feb 2, 2014 20:18:58 GMT -6
Some might call Gabriel a fool. Years of trying to outpace or actually having to face assassins and still he was a trusting man. And Gabriel would say that you can't let your sense of trust be broken. Still, there was always some weight to showing caution at least. With Richter Abend, Gabriel knew he wasn't the only one daring enough to walk up to Kraft's face and spit in it. After shaking Richter's hand, he moved back to a sitting position once again.
"What are you doing?"
Gabriel looked over to see a new arrival on the scene. A Sacaen woman, though her clothing seemed different from the rest of the tribe. Reflecting upon his travels in Sacae, he'd guess her to be from one of the tribes that was further away. He didn't know why she was here, but it wasn't his business either.
"Well, I was just having a chat with my fellow traveler here, Richard. Turns out we were both on our way to the same destination." He gave the brunette a friendly grin, he always did enjoy meeting new people in truth. "Gabriel, by the way. And you are?"
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Post by Mana on Feb 3, 2014 4:28:02 GMT -6
Not just the voice, the face also looked familiar. The pink man had whispered something but it was too faint. Mana stared at him curiously. The pink hairs, the familiar face, the voice...he might be someone she knew. She tilted her head to get better view of his face but Richter turned around fast enough to avoid her gaze. His pink hair looked tasty...*cough*....His pink hair took her attention. She remembered a famous figure, a pretty annoying person, she had met in Bern sometime ago. Hmm....people always said Richter had pink hair but the "Richter" she remembered had black hair. Well, those people might be wrong, after all.
Mana looked up at the other man, temporarily giving up to look at Richter's face. "I am Mana. Nice to meet you, Gabriel. Well, I was just curious why you knelt and posed like that. I was just wondering if you two were doing something interesting." She then felt a little awkward. It just hit her that she might have disturbed them in whatever they were doing. The man called Gabriel didn't seem bothered with her presence, though. He had that kind smile.
Her attention returned to this "Richard". The girl stared at him, she could only look at the back of his head, actually. "By the way, do you want some? I am full," she said as she offered to share her foods with them. The girl seriously hoped someone would help her eat thse meats and fruits. Mana had another reason to stay with them, which was because she was curious about this "Richard". The Sacaen girl wouldn't leave until she had clear look of his face.
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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 4, 2014 16:42:55 GMT -6
"About as interesting as anything" replied Richter, not turning to face Mana. He tried to keep his voice calm and level, so as not to signal to the Sacaen that he was made uncomfortable by her presence, though he imagined his quite obvious desire to not have her get a good look at him already did that. "Just discussing the future is all." Richter looked straight at Gabriel, attempting to do a nudging motion with his eyes in Mana's direction to communicate his desire to not encourage her to stay. The Ilian was never very good at body language, though, other than that which made him seem stand-offish and distant, so he was unsure if he had gotten his message across.
"I, um..." Richter paused at the offer of food. Yes, he was hungry, and he did want some of Mana's food since he was quite famished, but he figured an empty belly was better than having her chew out Richter Abend in a village full of Sacaens. "I'm fine," he said putting his head down and taking the last bite of his apple.
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Post by Mana on Feb 11, 2014 12:51:35 GMT -6
"Uh-huh..." Mana didn't feel satisfied with the answer. Also, for some reason she felt like she wasn't wanted here. The pink man even continued eating his apple without bothering to look at her. The girl furrowed her brows and sighed. Gabriel had been kind and welcoming to her but "Richard" didn't seem to like her presence. "That actually sounds fun, I guess," she said weakly. This was a little awkward.
Although her offer was rejected by "Richard", the girl thought he was just being shy. Well, people normally wouldn't reject this kind offer. She smiled and chuckled a bit. The girl bent toward the Ilian to look closer. Still, it seemed she wouldn't see his face clearly if she didn't move to his front. "Are you really sure? This meat is delicious, you know. The fruits are still fresh, too." The girl repeated her offer. Now she sounded like a merchant who did some marketing. This time she also moved around "Richard", planning to sit next to him, or next to Gabriel, if he still didn't want the Sacaen swordswoman near him.
Then, she almost dropped her food when she looked at his face. Sure, looking from the front had given her the clear look of his face. It was the face of a man who had gone through a rough life and a lot of dangerous experiences, she could tell from his glare and expression. Wait...that's not the point...Surely she knew him, the girl just had a little difficulty recalling her memories. Combined with some doubt, it took a few seconds before a name of a person popped on her mind. "My eyes are deceiving me. No, it's too real. I know it!! You are......." Mana looked seriously surprised. She never really considered that Richard = Richter.
Richter only had one or two seconds to cover her mouth or do something before Mana shouted his name. He should be able to do it easily if he wanted to. The difficult part would be explaining everything to the surprised girl, though.
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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 12, 2014 15:57:54 GMT -6
Richter froze as Mana looked him square in the face. He hoped, for a split second, that she wouldn't recognize him, but immediately knew that was a fool's hope when her face lit up with recognition. It was in that moment that the Ilian knew he only had but a wink before the girl said something he'd regret.
Like a bolt of lightning, Richter leaped to his feet. He reached for Mana with one arm, attempting to grab her by the arm and pull her in closer while placing his other hand over her mouth. He didn't need her shouting his name before he had a second to get a word in edgewise. If she wanted to be a pain after that, then that was her right, but Richter at least wanted the chance to explain.
"Shh, shh!" he hissed at her, trying to quiet her down. "Yes, congratulations, you figured it out, it's me, but I'm trying to keep a low profile here. I'll explain, but you have to keep it down." Richter stressed the "have to", hoping Mana would cooperate. He was more than willing to tell her everything, it wasn't like he had anything to really hide at this point, but she needed to agree to not blurt out any "sensitive" information. "Agreed?"
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Post by Mana on Feb 15, 2014 20:44:21 GMT -6
It was clear from the look in her eyes that the girl didn't like someone's hand silencing her. Moreover, some of the foods had fallen to the ground because Richter pulled her arm, limiting her to only one hand to carry them. Such a waste, she thought. She struggled a bit was Richter was easily stronger and bigger than her. The girl looked at the Ilian commander, considering and thinking about what he had said.
They had bad relationship, not too bad actually, just including some shouting and stuff in the past. It would be simpler to just say that they had bad history. It had been some time since that day, Mana had calmed down and given it some thought. The girl wouldn't really want to make another scene with Richter. He was a friend of Wyatt, friend of a friend, but she never had time to know him enough. Well, they could have been friends, actually. It wasn't like Mana didn't feel bad for killing his friend, she just didn't regret it. Still, it was difficult to apologize to him, the swordswoman was too prideful to do it after that fight they had.
Mana tried to answer with yes but his big hand held firm around her mouth. The girl figured that Richter probably wouldn't want to release his hand before he got some guaranty that she wouldn't say his name out loud. Putting annoyed expression, she nodded as she glared at his eyes. Most of the annoyance came from the fact that Richter could easily restrain her with his quick reaction, she felt like losing to him.
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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 17, 2014 12:44:32 GMT -6
Richter loosened his grip as Mana acquiesced to his request. He hadn't meant any harm by the gesture, though he realized he had manhandled her a bit, he just couldn't think of any other way to stop her from accidentally saying something he'd rather her not.
"Sorry for grabbing you," he apologized, his voice at a normal calm level. He looked down at the food she had dropped. "Sorry about the food too. If you're still willing to share, I'll just eat the stuff that fell on the ground. So it doesn't go to waste." Richter didn't smile, but allowed his body to relax, so as to seem less confrontational. He and Mana hadn't gotten off on a good foot that last time they had met, in no small way due to her part in killing Marcus, and while Richter hadn't necessarily forgiven her for the offense, he had since come to terms with the circumstances. Whether she was as apologetic as Wyatt had been didn't matter much in the long run, so if he wasn't going to hold a grudge against Wyatt he shouldn't hold one against Mana.
"I left Bern a couple of weeks ago," Richter continued, getting right to the heart of the matter. "I stopped off at this encampment to rest and maybe get a bite to eat. The old man at the edge of camp, Pawpaw, I guess his name was, was nice enough to get me both." The Ilian looked at his apple core for a moment before flipping it up in the air and catching it. "Though not nearly as much as the Maiden of the Blade, it seems." He looked at Mana with a wry smile. "I'm just traveling through Sacae. My real destination is Etruria."
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Post by Mana on Feb 19, 2014 17:40:14 GMT -6
It felt nice to have her freedom returned, those big hands finally released her. Mana took a few step back just in case he would "attack" her again. She didn't put aggressive stance, though. The girl didn't want to look hostile, maybe a little alert but just that. "You could have done more gentle," she protested weakly. "Do what you want...if they are still edible," she said again as she started to pick up the food, looking a bit angry. Well, the food fell on grasses not dirts so maybe they could consider it clean enough. Sacaens like Mana usually wasn't as picky as those Etrurian nobles so she wouldn't mind to eat the food., not sure about Richter, though.
It was kinda flattering to hear someone call her with that name, Maiden of The Blade. For some reason, some people had called her that since she obtained Falcatta from the sacred temple. It seemed having Kenshin's sword meant more than she thought. "That again....Not that I hate it but...." she said, sighing. Mana didn't dislike her title, wanted or not. The girl just didn't know how to live up to the cool title and how to deal with the attention that came together with it. "Well, you can call me Maiden or Mana, I guess it doesn't really matter."
"That's a long way there, you know. And if you haven't realized, you are heading to someplace where people want to kill you. Not to mention that you are alone, or maybe two if Gabriel will go with you." It didn't matter if she liked him or not, she felt she had to warn him about his suicidal crusade. Etruria wouldn't welcome him with open arms but with great hostility. "Where are your men, anyway? Don't The White Lion have many men follow him?" she asked.
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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 22, 2014 19:17:13 GMT -6
Richter noticed Mana didn't respond particularly well to the use of her title. Did she find it silly? Or was she just too humble to acknowledge the prestige she'd garnered. In truth, Richter had no idea why she was called "Maiden of the Blade", but it had been her title in the arena, so he figured it had at least some small significance.
"Fine, Mana it is then," he replied, nodding his head. "And while I'm here, I would prefer if you could call me Richard. It's...safer." He then listened shortly as Mana lectured him about the obvious, about how dangerous Etruria was, but merely shook his head in disregard. Did she think he didn't know what he was getting himself into? Richter knew better than most what atrocities Kraft was capable of, and he knew the Prophet would unleash upon him if he returned to Etruria.
"Oh, I've realized," the rebel replied, crossing his arms across his chest with a bit of a scowl. "It's not like anyone with a half a brain and a dagger could just march in and kill the Prophet. If it was, he'd be dead by now." The Ilian sighed. If only it was that easy. If only this could be such a simple task. "But that won't stop me from going, just like it didn't stop you from fighting a dragon." He paused, letting the comment sink in. He didn't mean it in a mean way, although his tone may have indeed carried some scorn. He was just putting things into perspective.
"As for my men, I've left them in Bern, under the command of William Saint," Richter continued. He closed his eyes as he thought of their faces. He'd put them through a lot. "They'll get good pay for much safer work, though I use the word 'safer' loosely, what with the rebellion and all." Richter looked back up at Mana. "And what of you? Where are you friends? Wyatt and the man wearing red. They here with you?"
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Post by Gabriel Zobek on Mar 6, 2014 19:59:48 GMT -6
Gabriel noted Richter's odd behavior and was about to speak up with an excuse before the Sacaen girl stepped in with a growing intent to look at "Richard". After actually getting a good look at him, she was about to blurt it out before Richter acted quickly. At least after he stopped her she was amicable in keeping quiet about who he was.
"That's a long way there, you know. And if you haven't realized, you are heading to someplace where people want to kill you. Not to mention that you are alone, or maybe two if Gabriel will go with you."
"I do intend to go with him, as a matter of fact."
He grew quiet now, letting the two continue to speak for a moment. The mention of Mana having fought a Dragon certainly caught his attention though. If she was that same Sacaen girl to have fought the Dragon that had appeared in Bern a while back, it certainly spoke of testament to her skill. She didn't have the usual air of a warrior, but perhaps that was how most Sacaens were? A part of their normal life for hunting and traveling the plains? It wasn't any secret how a number of swordsmen in history attributed their skill to some manner of Sacaen inspiration.
"There are some potential allies in Etruria as well, while I'm thinking about it. But we'll need to be especially careful to even think about rallying support from within. Most are still brainwashed by the Prophet's false words."
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Post by Mana on Jul 24, 2014 12:46:36 GMT -6
Mana nodded as her acknowledgement to his words. Although she didn't know what actually drive the pink-haired warrior to do so, she liked how he spoke gallantly as he commented about the obvious dangers. "Maybe he wanted to finally settle the score with The Prophet?" she guessed in her mind. His "history" with Etruria was well-known around the continent so Mana could guess his motive from the facts and speculations if she really wanted to.
When he brought his deceased friend into their conversation, Mana's expression changed into discomfort. He probably didn't meant it that way but it reminded her about their quarrel. Also, fighting dragon might be exaggerated in her case, she actually had only landed a few minor blows compared to other fighters. She wouldn't deny that she had tried to kill the dragon, though. It then took her a moment to comprehend his words. "I assume you didn't mean anything by that," she said, sighing. Another fight with him was unwanted. "Anyway, I understand what you are trying to say. I simply stated my opinion. Besides....how should I say it....this's much more dangerous than what I've done." What if she was in his position? She wondered if she would decide to take the same risk.
"Well...you are too hard to yourself, you know. You could have brought two or three of your men. Now I understand why you are called Lion," she remarked. Although she wouldn't admit it out loud in front of him, Mana began to respect Richter. Her first impression about him started with negative (because their quarrel) but now it slided a little toward positive. "Wyatt and Elias? I left them in another tribe where we have stayed with for some time. Wyatt shouldn't move much with his injury, anyway." There was some sadness in her tone and her eyes when she spoke about Wyatt's legs. He probably wouldn't be able to recover completely. "I came here to do some errand. Never expected to meet you here, Richt....Richard."
"Say, I don't like Etruria and their Prophet so I will be rooting for you. Good luck in your quest and...." The Sacaen maiden paused because the next sentence was a little difficult for her to say. "....I wanted to help if you don't mind. I could talk to the elder to provide you with supplies." It wasn't like she didn't want to help Richter. Mana just realized that they weren't in really good terms so he might take it wrong when she offered to help.
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Post by Richter Abend on Jul 28, 2014 16:35:32 GMT -6
"You understand why I am called Lion, hmm?" he replied with a chuckle, one that quickly turned into a full, belly laugh. "Ha! I'm not sure to take that as a compliment or an insult." His humor was short lived, but the smile it brought him remained on his face like an echo. This meeting was taking a far different turn than their last, and he didn’t mind that. The Ilian had no trouble making new enemies, a fact that had made itself glaringly obvious given all the enemies he had lurking out there in the shadows, but he definitely had a way to go when it came to making allies. Sure, they hadn’t put swords to each other's throats, but after the events that had transpired in the arena, Richter had definitely had such thoughts cross his mind, especially considering the tongue lashing Mana had attempted to give him when he had spoken to her about it. Because of that, it was pleasant to have Mana offer her help in his quest, however small it may be.
“I’m sorry to hear about Wyatt’s injuries,” Richter continued, nodding his head in acknowledgement of her melancholic look as she mentioned the red-headed boy. Richter knew that Marcus had dealt his one-time ally of circumstance some fairly grievous wounds, but he had not known whether the damage would be permanent. It sounded now like that was the case. Sad, but what could you do. “I imagine its not easy seeing a friend take that kind of physical abuse, much less watch them slowly recover from it.” Richter spoke from experience. He hadn’t thought he would ever feel worse emotional pain than when he watched the light fade from his mother’s eyes, but there had been a different kind of difficulty in watching Clair recuperate from her botched assassination. Seeing someone he loved in such a vulnerable state for so long put him through a real test of emotional endurance.
“And I appreciate the offer of help,” the Ilian said. His smile, which had faded as he had thought about Clair, perked up again at the words. “It’s not an easy trip, and I’ll take any help I can get, even if it is just travelling supplies.” The pink haired warrior leaned forward and grabbed one of the fruits that had fallen out of Mana’s arms when he had jostled her. A pear. Good choice.
Richter took a bite of the green fruit, letting his teeth sink into its juicy meat, then leaned back a bit, taking a more relaxed pose. “So what errand brings you so far away from your boyfriend?” There was a wolfish smirk on the Ilian's face as he asked the obviously instigatory question.
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Post by Mana on Jul 29, 2014 10:14:51 GMT -6
"Yeah, it was a little painful to watch him forcing himself to walk. It doesn't affect his daily life much but...he can't do things that involves much footwork. Or something that put burden to his legs like lifting heavy tools." Well, this conversation about Wyatt made her a little gloomy. She handled it much better than before, though. Richter seemed to share the same sympathy for the crippled blacksmith, probably because they were friends. At least things had been better between them, no more fighting over that incident. Both would probably never forget that but they should at least move on with their life. "I guess he could understand my feeling because Clair is in the same state. By the way, where is she now?" she thought. The sword maiden assumed that Richter had left his fiance/girlfriend in Bern with the rest of his men. She then giggled as she imagined how the Ilian woman got mad for being left behind.
"Well, that's the least I can do. I will arrange something. Foods, clothes, or blankets. Do you have a horse? I can try to persuade them to lend one for you but it might be difficult. Horses are valuable for us, Sacaens, after all." Mana then realized that she should sit on the grass, which was more comfortable than standing while carrying the foods. Seeing that Richter had started enjoying his pear, she decided to join in by eating an apple. "This isn't my way to make amends. I am just helping a...friend," she thought. Deep inside the Sacaen girl actually wanted to apologize but of course that wasn't something she would admit openly.
"I am here to........eh?" She paused. His question probably wasn't intended to tease her but it was a "critical hit" that brought all blood in her brain down to her cheeks. "HE ISN'T MY BOYFRIEND!!!" Mana definitely brought everyone's attention toward them. Her glare pierced Richter, but if he was perceptive enough he might realize that those were the eyes of someone flustered, not someone angry. Her blushing made it even more obvious. In her outburst, Mana grabbed some fruits then threw it at the Ilian commander. He might have dodged arrows, swords, and axes before but it was probably the first time he had to face an embarrassed girl throwing fruits at him.
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Post by Richter Abend on Aug 3, 2014 22:06:29 GMT -6
Richter half-stifled a chuckle as he lifted an arm to defend himself from the bombardment of fruit. The Ilian tried not to drop his snack as the food came flying at him. Clearly, he had hit that nail right on the head. Judging by her reaction, Mana was clearly quite smitten with the young blacksmith. In retrospect, the Ilian realized he’d sensed something between the two back in Bern, but he’d been far too infuriated with Mana and far too despondent at the loss of Marcus and Clair’s injury to care about such things. Right now though? It was entertaining.
“Haha, no need to get angry!” said Richter, defending himself from the last of the fruit. He lowered his arms and looked Mana in the eye. “It’s pretty obvious you have feelings for him. Not a bad thing, though. After all, you've come all the way out here to help take care of him. That’s dedication.” The Ilian’s face shifted from a smile to a wry frown. Dedication. It was something he himself had in spades, but he probably directed too much of it towards those he hated, and not enough of it towards those he loved. His isolation spoke that truth. It was an unfortunate habit of his that right when things started to calm down, he found himself declaring another crusade. It was as if, ever since the loss of his family, he couldn't feel comfortable without throwing himself into some fatalistic mission. There was an emptiness inside him that he knew how to fill, but he was too scared to fill it for fear of having it torn open again. Clair was right: he really would need to take some time for himself when this was all over. Maybe then he could be running errands that didn't result in someone’s death.
“Anyways, it’s good to know he’s doing well enough,” said Richter, using the conversation to dispel his own thoughts. Mana couldn't read his mind, but he still felt like he was bogging down the conversation by thinking such things. No point in dwelling on things that would only serve to distract him from the journey at hand. “So, where are you headed after this?”
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