Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » From Afar (1x1)

Raven smiled a little as she looked at the ground, and hoped that, maybe this time, it'd be true. Maybe this time... all he really wanted was some company.

((S'all I've got. x.x ))

He looked around and stretched, then began walking forwards on the dirt road.
"Anything you'd like to do before we leave town?" he asked with a smile.

The young teen looked around and started to shake her head, then paused. She looked back toward Nomti's feet, clearly ashamed of what she was asking of him, and inquired, 'You said... that you have plenty gold, right? C-could you... um... would you b-be willing...'

Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to finish it. Asking someone to spend money for her sake just felt so wrong. If she was provided for, what right did she have to ask for anything? What use would she have for money? She was nothing. She was lucky to even be acknowledged. She was-

'Raven. Calm yourself,' Shade soothed. 'You are precious, even to those who would take advantage of you. You are precious to me. And, if I am guessing your intent correctly... you have been precious to that woman.'

She took a breath, and only realized how tight she'd been clinging to her dress when she released the handfuls of it.

He stopped and looked towards her.
"Yes? What is it?" he asked kindly and gently lifted her chin to look at him.

Her eyes widened a moment and the pace of her breathing sped up a little when he lifted her face. She looked at him only briefly before quickly lowering her eyes. Raven found it uncomfortable to meet anyone's gaze, for much the same reason as a dog might drool when hearing a sound it has come to associate with food. She was even nervous about pulling back from his hand, despite how nice he had been so far, but managed to do so slowly.

'S-sorry. It's just... there is an old woman who was... kind to me.' Raven chewed on her bottom lip, partly still uncomfortable what what she was "saying" and partly worried that he might take offense to her backing away. 'She... she talked to me sometimes. She never cared that I'm mute, she just... wanted someone to listen, I guess.'

The girl rubbed at her arm and looked off to the side, the shame still clear in her expression.

'She's a widow and she begs to keep her home. We shared scraps while she talked... I'd like to thank her. And, well, maybe... I mean...' Raven had managed to twist part of her apron into a tight bundle already. Finally, and very quickly, she declared, 'She deserves money so much more than Madam Theshy does!'

She reddened and squeezed the bundle of apron. 'B-but of course, it is your gold to do as you wish-' Raven paused, feeling the forgotten coins he had already given to her earlier. A smile lit across her face, and she was already turning to run off. 'No, I can... I can do it!'

He listened intently and kept looking at her even while she looked away.
"I agree. That lady wasn't very deserving at all," he smiled softly, "Take me to this woman. I will give her some gold."

In her excitement, Raven hadn't really even heard Nomti's words, nor did she think to wait for him. She simply dashed away, nearly dropping the blanket and waterskin in the process. She found the woman in her usual place, sitting on the side of the dirt road and crafting a basket. Without a second thought, she ran to the old woman, startling her as the teen dropped what was in her arms and plopped down on her knees before the woman.

"Goodness! Something wrong, child?"

Raven shoved her hand into her apron pocket and withdrew the five coins. With a smile, she took the woman's hand and placed the coins in her palm, then pushed the woman's fingers closed around them. The old woman looked at the girl with wide eyes, the beginning of cataracts visible.

"Why... how? Child, this ain't stolen, is it?"

The teen shook her head vigorously, then leaned forward to hug the woman who still was clearly confused as to what what going on.

Nomti frowned a little bit when she ran away. He had never said she couldn't leave, but he had hoped she wouldn't.
"Well... Goodbye..." he said quietly after her then turned to leave. Of course, he didn't know that she was just going to give the money to the woman and assumed she was just leaving.

Raven sat back on her legs again, smiling at the woman. She looked around for Nomti, to show the woman to him - but he wasn't there. She frowned a little, then smiled once more at the baffled old woman. Raven took her free hand and held it a moment, then waved, allowing sadness to show through the smile.

"Oh. You're leaving, aren't you?"

Raven nodded and gave the woman's hand a squeeze. The woman smiled in return.

"I'll miss you, child. I hope you'll be well. And... thank you, for this, and for listen' to a silly old woman." This time, when Raven embraced her, the woman hugged her back tight.

The girl stood and gathered her things back up, lingered a moment more, then quickly headed back. Only, Nomti was no longer where she'd left him. She looked around, and in her mind she heard Shade tell her, 'He was confused and continued on. Keep going, you will find him.'

And so she did, her feet moving quickly across the hard ground to find the dog-man.

He was walking slowly down the street, his tall wars drooping down slightly.

When she finally spotted him again, it startled her a bit to see him looking rather... sad. Silently but for the soft thudding of her feet, she caught up to walk by his side. With her face half stuffed in the blanket that she still hadn't folded properly, she told him meekly, 'Sorry. I was... telling her goodbye.'

His ears perked up at the sound of her feet and he looked back, then smiled when he saw her.
"Oh~ okay!" he said kindly, "But did you not hear me when I said I would give her some gold?"

Raven stumbled a little, partly because of what he said, and partly because she just couldn't see her feet. 'Uh... no, I didn't... But it wasn't right for me to ask, either.'

She smiled a little. 'But, she did seem happy with the coins you gave me earlier.'

"You're very generous," he smiled, "I like that about you," he praised, "Most poor who come IMO money hoard it until they have very much... But you immediately gave what you had."

Her cheeks reddened, the girl unaccustomed to being complimented about anything. From a perch some ways ahead of the pair, Raven heard Shade's voice in her head, 'He's right, you know.'

'Well- I- She needs it more than me!' she told the both of them. 'She's... old. I can take better care of myself.'

Besides, having money just felt... strange.

He just smiled, "You are a good person. Never let anyone tell you differently."

Raven wasn't sure how to respond to that. In some sense, it was what she had been raised and trained to do - to serve others. Any sort of selfishness or ungrateful expression was punished.

'I... Thank you,' she managed meekly.

"You're welcome," he nodded.
The people all gave them weird looks as they left the town, but he ignored it.

Raven was uncomfortable with so many people glancing or string their way, but at least they seemed to be more focused on the dog-man than on her.

As they walked, the girl made no complaints, nor did she really say much in general, despite now having another with whom she could communicate. She kept herself unnoticeable as she could - not really intentionally, but out of life-long habit. The only real interruption came hours later, when her stomach growled - but again, out of habit, she ignored it and only hoped it hadn't disturbed Nomti.

He laughed a little bit when he heard that, but not in a mean way.
"Are you hungry?" Nomti asked and stopped walking.