Post by Solo on Mar 3, 2011 9:43:20 GMT -5
(OOC: Missing Apprentice Riley Tolan : Open to anyone)
(this takes place March Year 657)
Riley might have been lost for the past three weeks, but that didn't mean that he couldn't keep attempting to throw his persuers off his trail. So far, he'd been doing right well in leading them on a long chase across country, but the bad part was, he was only having limited success in losing them. Them, by the way, was five or so fellows who had taken an interest in him when they realized that he had witnessed their perfect knock-off of woodsman. Knock-off as in...murder.
Riley had realized that his welcome was well-wornout, and decided it was time to leave the immediate district. Of course, in trying to lose them, he managed to get himself lost. Once he'd figured that out, he'd done what any self-respecting kid would have--he didn't try to get himself un-lost, he'd simply given it no more thought and continued to handle his more immediate problem.
He'd passed a gypsy camp two days later, and had haggled his way into the ownership of a seven-year old crowbait mare. The blue roan apparently thrived under the conditions that she found herself with Riley, for she looked much better now than when he'd bought her. She was rideable, and picked up quickly on things--Riley learned just as quickly that the mare had a whole bag of tricks within her mind already and had dubbed her Tricksy for that reason. She might not have been a Ranger horse, but you surely couldn't have proved it by Riley.
The acquisition of the mare increased Riley's mobile speed, and it insured that he wasn't caught for the next two and a half weeks. Now, as he forded a river, he busily engaged his mind in figuring out how to slow down --if not altogether stop--his persuers. It would be tricky for sure, but the possibility was worth thinking about. Perhaps if he doubled back he could gain some valuable information that would aid him in coming up with a workable plan.
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Nightfall found him refording the river yet again--his plan of doubling back had almost worked...But almosts didn't count. He'd run into the men, instead of passing them. The ensuing chase had ended when he'd planted a successful tripline across the pathway. Now he just needed to put more distance between them, which meant an all-night ride lay ahead of him and Tricksy. He was glad that the mare didn't mind. She would go all day and all night if he asked her as he had just last week.
Riley rubbed his left cheek where a new sratch marred his cheekbone. It had been another close shave. The other close shave lay across the back of his neck. Riley shifted his line of thought and scanned his surroundings. The moon showed just above the horizon behind him and stars filled the night sky, some seeming so close that he could reach out his hand and touch them.
Riley nudged Tricksy into a steady jog as they came up out of the river, then asked her for her ground-eating lope. They were crossing an open space, and Riley wanted the cover of the forest as soon as possible. The tree cover meant there was less chance of anyone seeing them.
They entered the forest fifteen minutes later, and dropped down to a fast walk. Riley lowered his hood and rised his level of alertness. With the tree cover came the increased risk of someone sneaking up to them and remaining hidden. Riley didn't like that possibility either.
It was thanks to his high alert that he heard the noise of the child whimpering. The sound faded and he drew closer to the sourse--whoever had made the sound had realized that they were not alone out here in the forest. Riley brought Tricksy to a stop a few yards away, straining his eyes to see where exactly the...thing...was, as he slowly dismounted from Tricksy's back and stepped slowly forward. Curiousity is going to get me killed someday. he thought. The crossing of the three yards between himself and the... whatever it was...took an eturnity. Once he'd crossed half the distance, he ventured to speak. "Who's there?"
For a moment, it seemed as though he would recieve no answer, but then finally a small, thin, voice replied, "Me." It was a child's voice, the voice of one who is frightened, lonely, and lost.
Riley risked a lit match and found himself almost eye to eye with a young girl who couldn't have been older than five or six. He saw big blue eyes staring fearfully back at him, and pale skin smudged with dirt, and dirty, messy blonde hair. The match burned down and Riley flicked it out. Darkness came back thicker than before, and the little girl in front of him let out a frightened whimper. Riley reached out and took hold of her wrist, drawing her closer to him. Holding the trembling child in his arms he asked, "What's your name, and where do you live?"
Again the thin, small voice. "My name's Alita." a long pause and then, "I live here....Alone."
Riley fought off stunned suprise, forcing himself to ask his next question as calmly as posssible. "Where are your parents?"
"They're dead."
"Did you live in a village?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't they take you in?" They should have. he added silently.
"Because they said Mama was a witch an' they was afraid I was too."
Oh. Great. "So they drove you out?"
"Yes." The little girl, Alita, was apparently growing tired, for she drapped her arms loosely around Riley's neck and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
Riley did his best to conceal the sigh. Just what I need--to be saddled with a five year old girl with no family while I'm on the run from a bunch of bad guys who want to kill me. This must be what Uncle Josh meant by recipie for disaster. Rising, he took Alita by the hand and lead her toward Tricksy. "Looks like you get to come with me then." he told her.
"You don't sound very thrilled." Alita said.
"I'm not. I have a bunch of bad guys after trying to kill me."
Alita stopped moving and looked up at him with a solomn expression. "Did you break the law?" she asked with all the innocence of every child her age.
Riley looked down at her. "No. They did, and they saw me see them do it."
"Oh." Alita said no more but let Riley hoist her into the saddle and then swing up behind her. As Riley picked up the reins, she said, "I'm tired."
"Then go to sleep. I'll make sure you don't fall out of the saddle while we're moving."
Alita did not respond--she had fallen sleep. Riley wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her steady in the saddle and guided Tricksy on down the trail. The long night had just gotten longer.
---------------------------------------
Dawn was approaching when Riley stopped Tricksy by a stream to get a drink of water and to fill his canteen. Alita woke up as he slid down out of the saddle. She squinted at him sleepily. "Where are we?"
"Somewhere on the edge of the forest. Otherwise, I have no idea." Riley told her.
"Oh." She was silent as she watched him fill his canteen and take a drink of the cool freash water. After a moment, she started wriggling her way down to the ground. Riley watched her, ready to intervene should she lose her balence or footing. But she didn't, landing firmly on her feet and walking to the stream's edge to get her own drink of water. Once she had finished, she followed Riley back over to Tricksy. "Did we ride all night?" she asked him.
"Yes."
"Oh." She let him boost her back up into the saddle before she asked her next question. "How much further before we stop?"
"A ways." Riley grunted as he climbed up behind her again.
There was silence for a minute, then Alita asked, "What's your name?"
Riley nudged Tricksy into a fast walk again as he answered. "Riley."
"What's your other name?"
"Tolan."
"Riley Tolan. That's a nice name."
"Uh-huh."
"Can I call you Riley?"
Riley rolled his eyes. Why do you think I told you my first name? Aloud he said, "Yes."
"Okay Riley. Thank you."
In the silence that followed, Riley dared not attempt to break it, for who knew how long it might last? Besides, if he kept silent, he could make the most of it.
"Riley?"
So much for silence. He made sure that she didn't hear his sigh. "Yes?"
"My last name's Gereldine."
"Oh. That's good to know."
She remained silent as they broke free of the tree line. Tricksy picked up her pace to a steady trot, slowly incresing it until she was loping along.
(this takes place March Year 657)
Riley might have been lost for the past three weeks, but that didn't mean that he couldn't keep attempting to throw his persuers off his trail. So far, he'd been doing right well in leading them on a long chase across country, but the bad part was, he was only having limited success in losing them. Them, by the way, was five or so fellows who had taken an interest in him when they realized that he had witnessed their perfect knock-off of woodsman. Knock-off as in...murder.
Riley had realized that his welcome was well-wornout, and decided it was time to leave the immediate district. Of course, in trying to lose them, he managed to get himself lost. Once he'd figured that out, he'd done what any self-respecting kid would have--he didn't try to get himself un-lost, he'd simply given it no more thought and continued to handle his more immediate problem.
He'd passed a gypsy camp two days later, and had haggled his way into the ownership of a seven-year old crowbait mare. The blue roan apparently thrived under the conditions that she found herself with Riley, for she looked much better now than when he'd bought her. She was rideable, and picked up quickly on things--Riley learned just as quickly that the mare had a whole bag of tricks within her mind already and had dubbed her Tricksy for that reason. She might not have been a Ranger horse, but you surely couldn't have proved it by Riley.
The acquisition of the mare increased Riley's mobile speed, and it insured that he wasn't caught for the next two and a half weeks. Now, as he forded a river, he busily engaged his mind in figuring out how to slow down --if not altogether stop--his persuers. It would be tricky for sure, but the possibility was worth thinking about. Perhaps if he doubled back he could gain some valuable information that would aid him in coming up with a workable plan.
------------------------------------------------------------
Nightfall found him refording the river yet again--his plan of doubling back had almost worked...But almosts didn't count. He'd run into the men, instead of passing them. The ensuing chase had ended when he'd planted a successful tripline across the pathway. Now he just needed to put more distance between them, which meant an all-night ride lay ahead of him and Tricksy. He was glad that the mare didn't mind. She would go all day and all night if he asked her as he had just last week.
Riley rubbed his left cheek where a new sratch marred his cheekbone. It had been another close shave. The other close shave lay across the back of his neck. Riley shifted his line of thought and scanned his surroundings. The moon showed just above the horizon behind him and stars filled the night sky, some seeming so close that he could reach out his hand and touch them.
Riley nudged Tricksy into a steady jog as they came up out of the river, then asked her for her ground-eating lope. They were crossing an open space, and Riley wanted the cover of the forest as soon as possible. The tree cover meant there was less chance of anyone seeing them.
They entered the forest fifteen minutes later, and dropped down to a fast walk. Riley lowered his hood and rised his level of alertness. With the tree cover came the increased risk of someone sneaking up to them and remaining hidden. Riley didn't like that possibility either.
It was thanks to his high alert that he heard the noise of the child whimpering. The sound faded and he drew closer to the sourse--whoever had made the sound had realized that they were not alone out here in the forest. Riley brought Tricksy to a stop a few yards away, straining his eyes to see where exactly the...thing...was, as he slowly dismounted from Tricksy's back and stepped slowly forward. Curiousity is going to get me killed someday. he thought. The crossing of the three yards between himself and the... whatever it was...took an eturnity. Once he'd crossed half the distance, he ventured to speak. "Who's there?"
For a moment, it seemed as though he would recieve no answer, but then finally a small, thin, voice replied, "Me." It was a child's voice, the voice of one who is frightened, lonely, and lost.
Riley risked a lit match and found himself almost eye to eye with a young girl who couldn't have been older than five or six. He saw big blue eyes staring fearfully back at him, and pale skin smudged with dirt, and dirty, messy blonde hair. The match burned down and Riley flicked it out. Darkness came back thicker than before, and the little girl in front of him let out a frightened whimper. Riley reached out and took hold of her wrist, drawing her closer to him. Holding the trembling child in his arms he asked, "What's your name, and where do you live?"
Again the thin, small voice. "My name's Alita." a long pause and then, "I live here....Alone."
Riley fought off stunned suprise, forcing himself to ask his next question as calmly as posssible. "Where are your parents?"
"They're dead."
"Did you live in a village?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't they take you in?" They should have. he added silently.
"Because they said Mama was a witch an' they was afraid I was too."
Oh. Great. "So they drove you out?"
"Yes." The little girl, Alita, was apparently growing tired, for she drapped her arms loosely around Riley's neck and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
Riley did his best to conceal the sigh. Just what I need--to be saddled with a five year old girl with no family while I'm on the run from a bunch of bad guys who want to kill me. This must be what Uncle Josh meant by recipie for disaster. Rising, he took Alita by the hand and lead her toward Tricksy. "Looks like you get to come with me then." he told her.
"You don't sound very thrilled." Alita said.
"I'm not. I have a bunch of bad guys after trying to kill me."
Alita stopped moving and looked up at him with a solomn expression. "Did you break the law?" she asked with all the innocence of every child her age.
Riley looked down at her. "No. They did, and they saw me see them do it."
"Oh." Alita said no more but let Riley hoist her into the saddle and then swing up behind her. As Riley picked up the reins, she said, "I'm tired."
"Then go to sleep. I'll make sure you don't fall out of the saddle while we're moving."
Alita did not respond--she had fallen sleep. Riley wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her steady in the saddle and guided Tricksy on down the trail. The long night had just gotten longer.
---------------------------------------
Dawn was approaching when Riley stopped Tricksy by a stream to get a drink of water and to fill his canteen. Alita woke up as he slid down out of the saddle. She squinted at him sleepily. "Where are we?"
"Somewhere on the edge of the forest. Otherwise, I have no idea." Riley told her.
"Oh." She was silent as she watched him fill his canteen and take a drink of the cool freash water. After a moment, she started wriggling her way down to the ground. Riley watched her, ready to intervene should she lose her balence or footing. But she didn't, landing firmly on her feet and walking to the stream's edge to get her own drink of water. Once she had finished, she followed Riley back over to Tricksy. "Did we ride all night?" she asked him.
"Yes."
"Oh." She let him boost her back up into the saddle before she asked her next question. "How much further before we stop?"
"A ways." Riley grunted as he climbed up behind her again.
There was silence for a minute, then Alita asked, "What's your name?"
Riley nudged Tricksy into a fast walk again as he answered. "Riley."
"What's your other name?"
"Tolan."
"Riley Tolan. That's a nice name."
"Uh-huh."
"Can I call you Riley?"
Riley rolled his eyes. Why do you think I told you my first name? Aloud he said, "Yes."
"Okay Riley. Thank you."
In the silence that followed, Riley dared not attempt to break it, for who knew how long it might last? Besides, if he kept silent, he could make the most of it.
"Riley?"
So much for silence. He made sure that she didn't hear his sigh. "Yes?"
"My last name's Gereldine."
"Oh. That's good to know."
She remained silent as they broke free of the tree line. Tricksy picked up her pace to a steady trot, slowly incresing it until she was loping along.