The Bear of Bern (Solo)

[Lunie]

There was bright light. The huntress could sense it on her face, but didn’t dare open her eyes. She felt warmth and comfort, sensations that seemed so alien as of late. Selunae felt a selfish desire to cling to these feelings, defensively assuming that if she opened her eyes, it would have all been a dream and reality would rob her of these simple comforts that she had been deprived of by the open road. She couldn’t decipher her whereabouts through foggy morning thoughts, her memories clouded by the deep sleep the sunlight had broken. Was she asleep? Awake? The huntress felt encompassed by a softness that offered no answers. The infernal brightness beckoned to her, demanding through no uncertain terms that she pierce the veil and awaken to whatever existence now surrounded her. Thus did her eyelids part, emerald orbs peeking through at a rustic scene reminiscent of home. It wasn’t a dream, but where was this place?

Morning sunlight trickled through the windows, the rays warming her face and eradicating any chance of going back to sleep. Ever so slowly, pain returned to the huntress’s body as her exertions over the past couple of days caught back up with her. She’d been bludgeoned, slashed, blasted with magic, and shot, among other things she didn’t care to remember. Was she really alive? A strained effort to sit up failed and immense pain wracked her torso and arm from her injuries. Yep, still alive. ‘How long have I been out? I feel like I’ve been trampled by a hundred horses.. Gods, where is everyone..? Ito! Dawson..? Where are they?’

Already forgetting how painful her first attempt to raise herself up in the bed went, she rapidly jerked upright at the thought of her missing companions. A sharp cry and a harsh curse pierced the silence as agony flared up from her distracted mistake, causing her to collapse onto her side. The huntress curled up, her breath coming and going sharply through clenched teeth as she waited for the pain to ease off to a level she could endure. Trembling fingers traced along her chest, searching for the wound where the arrow had penetrated her. The pain was no guide, everything she touched hurt. Slowly though, one of the dancing fingers came across a swollen blemish, indeed it was more tender around this particular imperfection on her smooth skin. Selunae grimaced. She so did not like being perforated, though at least this arrow wound was not self-inflicted, the scar on her right cheek a permanent reminder of that careless mistake as a child. Helplessly confined to this bed, she felt somewhat like a child even now, not that she felt the most pressing urge to leave its comforting warmth so soon.

Laying on her side gave her a broader view of smallish room in which she had been deposited. The room seemed to be mostly empty and mundane with only the most necessary functional furniture in the room and nothing to speak of in the form of decorations. Despite this, the bed she lay in seemed incomparably more comfortable than her own. Perhaps this was just due to weeks of hard earth skewing her perspective, but it felt divine compared to anywhere she’d ever slept before. A sound of footsteps tapped out against the wooden floor approaching from outside the bedroom, and her heart tensed in apprehension. She didn’t even know if the face that appeared would be of a friend or foe. When the door creaked open, the face that emerged was one that seemed vaguely familiar, though she didn’t have a name for him. A rugged man with a thick beard peered in, though he didn’t actually enter or even finish opening the door. The huntress instinctively drew away from his gaze, pulling the blanket up to her nose in an effort to shield as much of her being from him as possible. At the sight of her nervousness, the older man diverted his eyes and cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Well.. so I see you’re awake. Uh.. how are you feeling? You’ve been through hell.”

Selunae silently listened to his clumsy attempt at a greeting, still unsure which side of the encounter he had represented. Her lack of reply ended the one sided exchange in awkward silence, as she wasn’t sure of what to ask first or even if she should speak at all. The man persisted though, hovering by the door, also not knowing what else to say at this point. It was him that finally spoke up again, this time to try and address any unspoken concerns the girl’s silence withheld.

“Uh, well.. I am Roddrick Jacksel, but everyone ‘round here calls me Roddy Jacks. You were in a bad way after the battle so I brought you back to my lodge to recover until you’re able to get around on your own again. I have something to help with your pain if you need it and also brought you some food and water. I’ll.. uhh.. just leave it on the table by the bed.” Roddrick cleared his throat once more and entered the room to leave a plate and mug on the bedside table, leaving promptly after.

The huntress studied the plate, reaching first for a corked vial sitting haphazardly between several cutlets of roasted meat and a small chunk of bread. A simple vulnerary, but a desperate necessity to combat the pain if she was going to function as a human any time soon. Within minutes her misery was alleviated to an extent where she could slide to sit on the edge of the bed, a huge improvement vital to any attempt she might make at the provisions provided to her. With unexpressed gratitude, she sloppily began to munch, stuffing meat and bread into her mouth with abandon. She was like a starved animal, engorging herself as if she expected the man to return to take it from her. She gulped the water with the same zeal, the entire mug emptied within seconds. It wasn’t the best idea, a wave of nausea washing over her almost immediately after she wolfed down her meal.

After the initial queasiness passed, she forced herself to her feet, stumbling forward a step before catching her balance and decided to find her benefactor and apologize for her silence. Still sore, Selunae lumbered out of the room in a manner much less graceful than she would have preferred.

[Lunie]

The lodge, as that Roddrick fellow had put it, was a ghostly empty place framed with barren walls. The hallway that the bedroom’s doorway spilled the huntress into similarly lacked décor and featured only a row of identical doors on each side. There was a moment of confusion for the young archer, where was she to go from here? All the doors aside from the one behind her were closed, gods it was far too morning for this. Neither end of this hallway resulted in a doorway, just four doors on one side, including the one leading the room she exited, and three on the other side. Logically speaking, if the view from the window meant anything, the doors on her side of the hall would lead to similar bedrooms. That didn’t stop the intrepid huntress from first trying the door to the room next to hers. A quick peek through the creaking door revealed that not all the rooms were barren and desolate. Also, that this room was very occupied by someone she might be highly averse to disturbing. On pins and needles, she painstakingly eased the door closed but as if to spite her it seemed to squeak louder and louder ending with a deafening click. A sigh of relief escaped as her effort was rewarded with a thorough lack of response from within.

Selunae took several painful steps down the hall, her breaths rapidly becoming gasps as her energy began to suddenly fail her. Her eyes were set on a door on the other side of the hall, but her unsteady legs began to wobble and her knees threatened to buckle before she could reach it. She’d felt fine enough when she slipped out of the bed, why was this happening? An immense wave of weakness pounded at her forehead, the huntress trying to lean against the wall to her right with her entire forearm for support. It wasn’t enough, the hallway around her suddenly faded to white as what little strength remained abandoned her.

When Selunae opened her eyes once more, she again found herself in the bed she had regretfully extricated herself from earlier. Morning had passed, the light in the room already fading to evening. What had happened? The huntress glanced around in confusion. There was a new addition to the room plainly visible several paces from the bed. There was now a chair, a chair with a robed man sitting in it in fact. She looked on curiously, eyes drifting in and out of focus. The man was preoccupied with an old thick tome, poring over its contents as if oblivious of her. His presence was stifling, she wasn’t comfortable with a mage so close by. Dawson had really messed that up with his attempts to ‘help’ with the bandits that night. Not that she had been keen on magic users before being blasted with Flux in the first place. No, she’d always been distrustful of any sort of magic and those who used it. Maybe he’d leave if she waited.

An effort to turn away from the mage resulted in a groan of pain, unfortunately also alerting him to her consciousness. To her dismay, he closed the tome with a distinct clap and turned his head toward her. “Ah, greetings. You took quite a spill in the.. corridor,” the mage briefly trailed off as the huntress shyly retreated completely under the blanket to hide. He sighed. “You should confine yourself here until you recuperate. Chassington Murtaugh, at your assistance, but you may call me Chase.”

[Lunie]

The huntress remained buried under the blanket for what felt like eternity. This Chass-whatever, Chase guy was obviously a book-type mage person just like Dawson. Being nearly ended by Dawson’s Flux certainly had not won any spell-casters anywhere a shred of trust from Selunae, regardless of his intentions. Sure, his magic had come in a little handy later, but he seemed to cause as much harm to her – and Ito as well – as he had to anyone else. What good could come of such a power if it couldn’t be controlled? Such were the anxieties that hammered against her as she waited for the sounds of his footsteps to leave the room. She was truly afraid some form of magic would suddenly manifest and misfire, finishing off what Dawson had accidentally begun before.

Her patience was stretched thin as continuous attempts to drift back into slumber failed, as did all effort to outlast her mage watchman. Sleep continued to elude her, and his fascination with that tome seemed endless. He was content to carry on with his reading as if she were not there at all. That annoyed her just as much as his blatant refusal to take a hint and leave. His patience was much more serene than her patience. That is, if the tumultuous mood she was developing allowed the term ‘patience’ to still apply. She truly wanted to shout at the man now to tell him to leave her but the irrational fear of his magic wouldn’t allow her to. It was rather daunting, her fear of this force she didn’t understand.

“I’m not fooled by your false repose. If you feel so disinclined to tolerate my presence, you need merely speak.” The man’s words made Selunae flinch under the soft layer of security she’d buried herself beneath. His tone was even and calm, mollifying the anxiety of the intimidated girl bit by bit. “You have me at an advantage, you know my name but I ,as of yet, know not yours.” The nervous huntress cautiously drew back the thick blanket, submitting to the mage’s attempt of conversation. The man’s eyes reflected a mild curiosity as she quietly ascertained he wasn’t intending to turn her into a frog or set her ablaze with a misspoken phrase. “Fear not, I do not bite. I assure you I mean no harm.” The man seemed rather harmless to look upon him and hear him speak, truly what was there to be afraid of?

“I-I’m Lunie..” The girl forced out a short introduction, not really having the nerve to say anything but her name.

The man’s curiosity intensified at this sudden declaration. “You’re loony? That might explain how you landed yourself in such a predicament. Yes, I think your explanation is conducive to the results. Hmm..? Oh, you mean your name is Loony? That is curious indeed. Perhaps your parents are to blame for your recklessness, then?”

The huntress shot the mage an indignant glare. “It’s short for Selunae, you meanie!”

“Ah I see. I apologize. I meant no offense. I merely thought you were trying to explain the reasoning behind your rash course of action. It is odd to see an unarmed girl rush into archer fire, you see? You’re quite lucky to be alive.” Perhaps Chase had been a bit too rash in his response to the ailing girl. He’d not considered that she’d been introducing herself yet it seemed unlikely that she would so openly admit to being loony. Peculiar.

“..Ya still don’t have to be so mean ‘bout it. I was scared ‘kay? Plus, I jus’ wanted to not be so useless. I thought if I could grab that bow, I could help out.” Selunae felt strongly inclined to defend her actions, despite knowing that her reasoning had been so severely flawed. She had been told to stay put and keep her head down, but did the opposite the moment everyone was too preoccupied to stop her.

Selunae stared at Chase hard, wondering why she was even bothering to talk to him at this point. Perhaps she should just return to her comfort zone back under the blanket.

[Lunie]

“So, you’re an archer then?” Knowing things would grow increasingly tense if the subject wasn’t changed, Chase thought this would be the best way to segue the conversation without pushing the girl away.

“Yup, I’m a hunter. From Lucerne.” The ornery temperament began to dissolve as the girl began to speak of her background.

“From Lucerne, you say? You certainly traveled a long distance to hunt.” The mage wondered what would bring a young huntress so far out in the middle of nowhere.

“Well.. uh.. I guess that part is a li’l bit complicated.” Reluctance crept into Selunae’s tone as she threw a few words together in a hopeful attempt to dissuade the man from prying too much.

“Oh? Care to elaborate?” Chase was resolute on finding an answer. It struck his fancy to see what would lead someone so young to stray so far from home. Complicated just meant interesting to him.

“E-what?” A frown played across the huntress’s lips as her brows furrowed in confusion. The girl admittedly had a less extensive vocabulary and didn’t always grasp every word the mage said. Well, the big ones eluded her anyway.

“Elaborate – tell me more about it.” The mage seemed amused by her reaction, he’d not considered she’d struggle so much with his request.

The archer sighed at Chase’s explanation. She didn’t really want to delve into the intricate details behind her departure. So.. she didn’t. “..I guess I jus’ needed to get away from home. I wanted to go out and find a place in the world where I could be a hero or sumthin.. I had always wanted to go out and save Bern from Ilia, but the rebellion ended before I could do anything about it. Just wanted to find my purpose is all. So anyway, I was wanderin’ the forest lookin’ for food ‘n water when a buncha smelly bandits crept up on me. Then with Ito ‘n Dawson’s help, we took ‘em out. This Vargas guy says we owe him for the three guys that we killed. Guess you know the rest better’n I do.”

Chase offered a knowing nod. It was still perhaps a little too early for the girl too have wandered off alone in pursuit of adventure though. Especially so, to have crossed paths with such a dangerous foe. “Yes, well, Vargas Thragg is not an individual you wish to become entangled with. It is unfortunate that you have attracted his attention. We’ve been observing him for a while, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Roddy and Thragg have a history together. I believe they served together in the Bernese military. I believe they deserted together too, but Roddy prefers to keep his past behind him and does not converse about it unless he’s quite inebriated. So, you killed three bandits, you say?”

“Well, actually I think Ito killed ‘em all. I almost took care’a one of ‘em. Where.. is Ito?” The girl scratched her head thoughtfully. Ito did say he killed them all. Had Dawson even accomplished anything outside of friendly fire? She thought of the cross words she’d given the shaman. Had she been too harsh or not harsh enough?

“Was Ito the swordsman or the shaman?” Chase expectantly waited for the huntress’s explanation. He’d been too busy attending to his own affairs to discern that on his own.

“Ito’s the swordsman, and Dawson is the mage. Are they okay? Ito saved my life, Dawson.. well he helped too.” The huntress eyed the mage as if it were obvious which one was which.

“Ah, I see. Dawson has already resumed his journey. He visited you but you were still unconscious. He offered his regards and apologies, though,  for not being able to stay.” Chase had actually hoped for an opportunity to pick the shaman’s brain. It had been a missed opportunity.

“Huh.. guess that’s disappointing, but what about Ito? Is he here? Is he okay?” Selunae again wondered if she had been too cross with Dawson. It was too late to apologize now. It seemed unlikely that she’d cross paths with him again. She didn’t even know where he was going, after all. She was more concerned with Ito though. He’d collapsed from injury before she lost consciousness, hadn’t he? It all seemed to be a blur now. She wasn’t even sure if that part had been real.

“The blond swordsman was more seriously injured than you. He actually has yet to regain consciousness.” The man’s tone was far too calm for the words Selunae heard him say.

Ito was here. Here and hurt. She needed to find him and fast.

[Lunie]

“Where is he?! I gotta-” The huntress began to panic as the implications seeped into her thoughts. Ito was dying! It was her fault!

Chase halted the panicking girl with an outstretched palm. “Easy.. our healer is monitoring his injuries and he’s expected to recover fully. The process will take time and it is imperative that you not interfere. Rest easy, I’d prefer to not carry you back to your bed again.”

“Oh.. umm.. you’re the one that uhh..?” Embarrassed, Selunae stumbled over herself verbally as her cheeks grew flush, She’d been so much trouble for everyone ever since the bandits showed up. Even now, she was inconveniencing everyone.

“Indeed. I found you unconscious in the hallway this morning. You require more rest, just as your blond friend does. I assure you that he’ll be okay, just as you will be if you don’t push yourself.” While he appreciated her concern for her friend, Chase couldn’t stress enough that the girl needed time to recover, herself.

“I.. I guess you’re right. What should I do though?” To Chase’s relief, Selunae made no further effort to scramble out of bed. She took the mage at his word that Ito would be okay. If he was lying though, there would be hell to pay. She didn’t want to stay in bed anymore though. It was boring, and torturous to be trapped like this. She had already failed tremendously to get back to sleep. Several dull aches were returning in response to her attempt to get out of bed, as well. It seemed that any relief offered by the vulnerary earlier had since worn off.

“I have a selection of books you could read to pass the time.” With a bit of biased interest, Chase offered to allow the girl a rare opportunity to delve into his private collection of literature. It wasn’t gesture he was usually willing to make, especially upon a first meeting.

“I uhh.. well.. I don’t really want to..” The huntress suddenly became withdrawn at the mage’s generous offer. She seemed a little shy and even embarrassed.

“Disappointing.” Chase had hoped that the young girl would’ve shown interest in reading, but alas it couldn’t be helped. Her lack of enthusiasm would have been disheartening enough, but she even seemed afraid of the thought of reading a book. It was her loss though. “If your pain is too great, I have another vulnerary for you. It contains a concoction of herbs that should assist you in returning to slumber as well.”

“Well, my chest and arms are startin’ to hurt again. If it’ll help me get some sleep, I’ll take it.” Sleep seemed to be the best way to pass time if she was confined to this bed. Leaving her to her thoughts for too long would just result in her wandering. She wanted to be by Ito, wherever he was. He had been injured saving her. If this mage was to be believed, though, at least Dawson and Ito were going to be okay.

“I beg that you remain in bed, as a precaution, because this mixture will drop you wherever you are when its effects hit you.” Chase reached to the huntress a vial containing a thick syrupy fluid with a distinctly different color to the medicine the girl had downed earlier in the day. It bore a mysteriously purplish murkiness to it that the girl didn’t really trust and as she unplugged the cork from the mouth of the vial, an earthy smell emerged that reminded her of dead leaves mixed in mud.

“Well, uhh.. bottoms up?” Without further ado, the girl took in the entire mixture in a series of gulps until the small vessel was empty. An immediate grimace overtook her face, to Chase’s amusement – he knew well how bitter the concoction was. “Guh.. I think that was the worst thing I’ve tasted in my life.. You sure that stuff won’t kill me?” The huntress’s complaint croaked out with a nasal tone as her face remained twisted from the horrid experience.

“I can make no guarantees to that effect. It will make you slumber deeply for the time, though. I shall return later to check on you, but remember to stay in the bed.” Despite his smug amusement, the mage remained adamant that she was to remain where she was.

“Yeah yeah, you jerk. You coulda told me how nasty this stuff tastes, though.” Selunae shot the mage an accusing glance before settling back into the bed to wait for this strange medicine to go to work. Chase chuckled in reply and rose from the chair, grabbed his book from the table, and slipped quietly out of the room, leaving the huntress alone. It didn’t take long at all before the girl’s eyelids grew heavy, as if weighed down by stones. That stuff had been strong indeed. Her consciousness was swallowed up in darkness quickly after.

[Lunie]

Though the herbal mixture within the vulnerary did indeed put the archer under, her sleep wasn’t as restful as the mage led her to believe. Though asleep for the greater portion of the evening and night into morning, her slumber was dotted along the way with periods of stupor where she couldn’t tell if what she was experiencing were reality or dream. In all actuality, it was because she was shifting seamlessly between the two without any conscious awareness of the act. When at last the piercing light of the sun cast its glare upon the huntress’s face in the morning, the game of cat and mouse her brain had been playing with the respite she sought ended abruptly. Her eyes flickered, unable to bear the blinding rays’ full effect. Who had positioned this blasted bed so that the sun went straight for its occupant’s eyes first thing in the morning? It was down right contemptible to commit such a reprehensible atrocity. Wrapping herself tightly in the blanket, she rolled away from the unpleasant wake up call and soon found herself staring listlessly at the wall. It wasn’t that she couldn’t go back to sleep, just that her thoughts made her forget that she wanted to. Dawson had left and she supposed that Ito would as well, as soon as he was able to. Perhaps as soon as he awoke. Then she would be alone again. She didn’t like this place. It felt barren and soulless, and the people here were either strange or outright creepy. They seemed to mean well enough though, so maybe if she gave them a chance it wouldn’t be so bad.

The nearby chair was empty. It seemed that no one was watching her this time. That Chase fellow said he was coming back. Had he? Everything was a blur since he left her the evening before. She oddly couldn’t recall his presence or his absence and every detail she thought she remembered of her waking moments felt like she had experienced them vicariously. A flood of confusion swept through her mind as she tried to process the details into something she could fathom. The feeling of detachment from her senses was beyond her understanding, though, and the fruitless laborious thoughts brought only more empty confusion and doubt. She just didn’t remember anything concisely enough to piece anything together. The young girl curled her knees in towards her midsection as her lethargic introspection continued. The aches of her injuries still persisted. Would she feel them forever? Was it silly to ponder such a thing? Wait, could that really happen? She had no notion of what Dawson’s magic was capable of doing to her body. What if it was a curse that would slowly sap her of her vitality until all that remained of her was a shriveled husk? A pang of fear sent shivers down her back. Dawson had shifted to a friendlier tone as that night had progressed, but he’d been in an awful hurry to ditch her all the same. What if he knew this was going to happen? That his magic was going to slowly kill her. She would never forgive him for that now. The craven had already run off, so she couldn’t even give him a piece of her mind. The anger over this foolish conjecture stewed in the back of her mind as she danced around the idea of actually getting out of bed. Surely, she wouldn’t be bedridden forever. She wasn’t supposed to be up and about though. Chase had said so.

Well, hell with it. She’d been trapped in this room for far too long. Furtively slipping out of the bed onto her unsteady legs, Selunae paused to orient herself and test her balance. Her body reluctantly yielded to her attempts and gradually the sore muscles accepted the task of keeping her upright. Most of the actual pain resided in her chest where the arrow had struck her, emanating outward from the actual point of penetration. The arm and shoulder that bore the brunt of Dawson’s nether magic seemed fine now. That didn’t mean she would forgive him so easily, especially since he had already abandoned her without a care in the world for her thoughts on the matter. She probably wouldn’t greet him with an arrow in the knee the next time they met, in the unlikely event they crossed paths again in the future. Anyway, she was on her feet once more. It was time to find out more about this place.

[Lunie]

Clouded memories swirled in mind as Selunae crept beyond the creaking door back into the hallway she hazily recalled from her last attempt to leave. She wished for a stealth her stiff joints refused to accommodate, her steps more resembling those of a lumbering drunk than the delicate strides she intended. A long yawn escaped despite her best efforts to stifle it as she picked, at random, one of the doors in the hallway as her destination. It seemed random, at least, until she realized it was the same door she had collapsed by previously. She was silently thankful that she didn’t meet the same results. It offered no resistance, swinging open with a light squeak as she progressed into a new are of the building. A wide balcony spread outward to each side of her, overlooking an open room beneath with many scuffed oaken tables and chairs. She recognized the purpose of such a layout. It bore the appearance of many a rowdy tavern. The only thing missing was the drunks.

The sight of this den of iniquity didn’t particularly enthuse the archer. Even should she have desired to pass her time drinking in such a place as this, her age would have gotten her laughed out of the establishment first. This time of morning, it was eerily quiet and vacant, the last of the patrons having cleared out hours earlier. With a few purposeful steps and a stretch that brought equal shares of relief and pain, Selunae found herself bracing her arms against the balcony rail. A sweeping glance across the room below did little to sate her disinterest, and her fatigue gave her little in the way of motivation to move from the spot. She exhaled another yawn, casually acknowledging mentally a nearby staircase to her left leading down to the bar. Though she’d not considered before that she might be on the second floor, or that there even was one for that matter, the revelation was hardly anything noteworthy.

Sliding her hand along the rail as she went, the young huntress drifted thoughtfully toward the staircase until the click of a door opening downstairs caught her attention. She immediately shrank back from the balcony rail only to edge closer once more to peer down. A young man of ruddy complexion and with a mussed shag of light brown hair crossed the floor with lingering, sometimes awkward steps. He didn’t seem to notice her or if he did, he paid her no mind. Selunae shrugged his presence off and continued to the stairs. At the very least, she wanted to see the world outside of these walls. That would represent some degree of freedom, not that anything aside from her injury seemed to confine her here. Wherever here was. Cautious footsteps carried the archer down the staircase, her stiff knees objecting to the effort with discomfort. To the dismay of the girl, the young man approached the stairs and shot a confused glance up in her direction. He hadn’t anticipated her presence anymore than she had his. The development gave pause to the archer and a sudden urge to turn back crossed her mind. The nervous indecisiveness was settled by her still unsteady legs which decided, without the cooperation of the rest of her body, that she would indeed still continue down. That is, she stumbled and fell, a sudden gasp of surprise preceding the feminine cry that escaped as she tumbled clumsily forward.

Braced for the inevitable impact of the wooden floor, instead the young man rushed forward to catch her. The impact of the flailing girl sent the both of them careening to the floor, the man grunting as his back collided with it. Still cringing, Selunae opened her eyes to the horror that she was sprawled out on top of the poor fellow. One desperate scramble later, she found herself on the floor next to him. After a moment of awkward silence, the young man finally spoke.

“So, um.. Hi there.”

[Lunie]

“Omigods I.. I’m s-sorry..!” Selunae practically gasped her apology, flustered from the embarrassment of falling and potentially having been busted for leaving her room. Indeed, she felt like a caged bird escaping to a room of cats. Her complete lack of familiarity with this place and practically anyone who was here was more unsettling than anything. “I.. uh.. I..” She struggled for more to say, but honestly didn’t know where to begin or even if random strangers were a danger to her. Unlike the two men she’d encountered before, she was certain she’d never seen this guy before.

“Hey, don’t worry ‘bout it. You okay?” The fellow was on his feet quickly and stooped low to offer a hand to the fallen archer. She eyed him nervously and reached up tentatively.

“Sure.. I um-” The teen huntress was cut off by the stranger lifting her to her feet with remarkable ease. Though it impressed her a bit, her uncertainty twisted the sensation towards fear once more. Such strength would be futile to struggle against and the thought made Selunae shudder. However, when her timid eyes gazed upon his face, all she found was an innocent smile.

“You must be that girl what was rescued from bandits, right?” Selunae responded with a cautious nod – just once and no more. He seemed friendly enough, and that alone would have been fine in a normal situation. Selunae was a stranger in an unfamiliar place, under unusual circumstances. “You don’t have t’worry. It’s safe here.”

“W-where am I?” The archer’s voice was somewhat faint, not far from being reduced to a mere squeak. The man before her was patient enough, so it seemed. At the very least, he appeared somewhat sympathetic to her situation.

“This is an old hunting lodge. Used t’belong t’some old clan of warriors that dissolved ages ago. My uncle took it over from a buncha bandits a good while back.” He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully as he offered his explanation. “We’re a fair spell south of Larguz, if you know where that is. Not much out here ‘sides a small village a bit to the west.”

“Larguz.. where that school for soldiers is, right?” Her brow furrowed as she pieced her thoughts together.

Her response got a slow nod. “The Military Academy, yeah.” The man gestured to a table in the dimly lit bar. “Have a seat?”

Selunae shook her head dismissively, instead making her way to the door. “Sorry, last thing I want is to stay cooped up in this place.”

“Oh.. yeah. Guess you probably wanna stretch your legs a bit.” He followed suit and swung the door open as the girl reached it, sunlight spilling into the room. “After you.”

“Um.. thank you..” The archer couldn’t tell if the man was being a gentleman or not, probably was. Either way, stepping outdoors granted her a much needed sense of freedom. The fresh morning air and familiar earthy scent of the forest on the breeze put her more at ease. Clasping her hands loosely behind her back, she drew in a few deep breaths as she aimlessly strolled away from the large log building she had exited.

“It is nice out, usually pretty quiet around here. Name’s Geno.. Geno Jacksel.” Geno slumped down at the base of a tree, his back leaning against the trunk, his eyes following the huntress as she strolled around.

“Lunie, Lunie Velsonne. I’m from Lucerne. You know, out by the Rhine River?” Aside from staying within comfortable speaking range, Selunae didn’t confine her ambulating to any particular direction or destination. It just felt good to be able to move around freely finally.

“Well met, Lunie. Hope you’re feeling okay after your little tumble. I know I’m irresistible, but you could have just said hello instead.” The young man flashed a crooked half-smile at her with a quiet chuckle. Caught off guard by the offhanded comment, Selunae laughed before bracing an arm against her chest with a loud groan.

“Ugh.. please don’t make me laugh..” The teen took a slow breath and sighed.

“Hey, you sure you’re alright?” Geno frowned and cocked his head to the side. “You need to lay down?”

Selunae closed her eyes and shook her head. “Naw, I’ll be alright. Just still a bit sore. Arrow to the chest ‘n all that.”

“Yikes. Sorry, I didn’t know.” The young man instinctively stood up to go help her, but she motioned for him to stay put and held him at bay.

“No, really. I’m okay. Prolly shoulda told ya or somethin’. My fault.” Whoever said laughter was the best medicine obviously never suffered an arrow wound to the chest.

[Lunie]

“So, Lunie, what brings ya all the way out here?” Geno was settling back into his previous position by the tree, watching the girl idly stroll about once more.

“Well, I’m just a hunter.. didn’t really have nowhere special I was headin’.” A harmless bluff, really. She probably should have at least decided where she was going at some point. As things stood, this might as well have been her intended destination.

“That’s a long way for a huntin’ trip.” The man whistled to accentuate the incredulity of her statement. “Surely you didn’t travel so far just for that.”

Selunae slowly halted in her tracks, not wanting to discuss her departure from home with a man she’d just met. The means of distracting him from the subject eluded her, so the silence hung in the air. ‘If you don’t tell me, I’ll just have to assume the worst.’ The huntress pondered these words of her mother, wondering how this would reflect on Geno’s opinion of her. She didn’t have any particularly intent to stay long enough for it to matter. All of her belongings were missing though, so that would certainly complicate leaving more than he cared to admit. Ugh.

Her extended silence didn’t go unnoticed, not that she expected it to. She could hear him moving toward her already, but she couldn’t allow him to see the tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. Now wasn’t the time to worry about the reason she left home or how stupid she felt to be stranded out here like this. Deep breath. Selunae rubbed her eyes and blinked back the remaining moisture.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. You don’t have to talk about it if ya don’t want to.” Geno eased up beside her, offering a soft pat to her right shoulder. The teen turned away from him with a quiet sigh. The physical and emotional trauma didn’t provide any incentive to change the subject. The mood had been soured completely.

“Could I jus’ have some time alone? Don’t really feel like talkin’ now.” The huntress paced away from the young man, leaving him somewhat dejected.

“Oh, uh yeah. Sure. I’ll just.. be inside if ya need anything.” Reluctantly, Geno trudged back to the lodge, hesitating a couple times but not turning to look back.

“I guess that coulda went better,” the archer mused aloud. It certainly became awkward and tense in a hurry. She sniffled as the tears she fought returned. Here she was, lost in the middle of nowhere with no idea how to get home. All of her belongings she’d managed to bring with her were probably lost to bandits, not that she had the supplies for a return trip either way. She was too weak, she was wrong to leave. It seemed like it would be so easy to run away and live her own life, but she nearly starved even before the bandits found her. Her very survival was completely owed to the intervention of others. Others who put their own lives at risk to save hers – even now Ito was seriously hurt because of her selfishness and ignorance. The news that he would be okay was scant consolation when the only reason he suffered was because of her own foolishness. As the silent tears rolled down her cheeks, she indifferently sat on the ground and wrapped her arms around her knees. Mournfully peering into the distance, her thoughts returned to her home. She wanted nothing more than her mother’s embrace. To hear that things would be alright.

Even if it was only a lie.

[Lunie]

The morning passed in silence. Selunae sat in repose outside, pondering whether to simply walk away from this place or wait things out. Part of her wanted to abandon Ito to his recovery just as Dawson had done. Still, he was only in this shape because of her foolishness and her guilt wouldn’t let her leave. It would likely be easy to venture to Larguz and receive an escort home. She had to see Ito though. She had to see with her own eyes that he was alive and well, that he was safe here. It eased her worries a little that her own condition had improved but they wouldn’t subside substantially without seeing him firsthand. That and she owed him an apology.

It wasn’t until afternoon rolled in that Selunae encountered anyone else. Geno had granted her space and hadn’t bothered her once since she dismissed his company. She wondered if she’d offended him by closing herself off so suddenly, but bad manners or not, she didn’t trouble herself over the matter. After all, this place was awkward for her as was its inhabitants. As time passed though, a light cloud cover had settled across the sky and a light drizzle coerced the archer begrudgingly back inside. Still fatigued from such an extensive bed rest and feeling quite a bit peckish to boot, she hoped to find someone with a meal for her. Once inside she saw a few people she didn’t recognize were ambling about, but she recognized the woman that had cut her bindings quickly enough.

The blonde Ilian sat alone, her right elbow propped on the table while the left was in a sling. Selunae instinctively gravitated to her, being the only familiar person present. Her brain scrabbled for a name, the archer not sure if the swordswoman had ever given it. There hadn’t been much room for conversation on the battlefield. Sadly, her mind blanked on her. No name. As Selunae drew nearer, the blonde woman turned a glance eye to her, her expression sharpening. It made the redhead tense, her pace slowing as she grew more nervous.

“It’s you. That looney-girl or whatever,” the woman quipped sardonically. “Whaddayou want?”

“I.. uh.. Well.. I jus’ wanted to thank you for rescuin’ me.” Selunae shuffled nervously under the blonde’s scrutinizing eyes.

“Uh huh, and was there something else? Or are you through trying to get everyone around you killed,” the woman spat with disdain.

“Huh? I..didn’t.. I mean, I’m not..--” The archer’s mouth gaped incredulously, her bewildered eyes tearing up once more.

The woman sighed and rolled her eyes. “Just get out of here kid.”

Selunae quickly turned to leave, stumbling clumsily before hurrying back to the staircase. She didn’t know this place well enough for anything but returning to her room and for the moment that seemed the best course of action. No sooner had she rushed into the hallway, she bumped into Chase. The mage seemed unfazed but did offer a smile.

“Ah, Lunie. I see you have abandoned the respite of your bed once more.” The man seemed pleased to see her up and about despite his concerns prior.

“Mmhmm. I jus’ went out for some fresh air. I was kinda hopin’ uhh.. to find somethin’ to eat though.” Selunae sheepishly grinned at the man, hoping he wouldn’t notice her on the verge of crying.

“Of course. How fortuitous your return is, in that case. That was my purpose for visiting your room, though I was astonished to discover you missing once more.” His vocabulary still perplexed the young archer as much as before. “Shall we then?”

“Um.. yes?” Selunae chuckled nervously, trying to keep up.