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Post by Brandwyn on Sept 3, 2012 20:34:08 GMT -5
Olivia smiled and shook her head. "You certainly seem surprised to say the least. If it had come from anyone else I would have thought it an insult. But since it came from you I will take it as a compliment." She said with a flutter of her eyelashes.
Marcus looked confused for a moment, “an insult? Certainly not…why?” Then he realized that his phrase could have meant she was an old maid. “Oooohhh… No, no, I didn’t mean it like that at all. I was just saying because you’re so pretty and all… and the men must be afraid to ask you out… and… uh…” He flushed and his voice trailed off as he figured he was digging himself into a deeper hole. “I did mean it as a compliment,” he said sincerely.
“I believe we are coming up on a village now. Is this the one you were looking for?”
She nodded. "Yes it is, I should not be long, should only take a second to hand her the letter and only a minute or so to change."
“Change?” he asked wondering what she had in mind. “Change into what?”
She turned away from him and brought out her letter which she had hidden in her front. She made sure that the letter was intact then turned back to Marcus.
"Are you coming all the way in? Or are you going to stay here and I will meet you back here when I am done?"
Marcus looked at the little village that seemed to be peacefully nestled in a rather large meadow. There was a small lake down the hill behind the village that one could glimpse in between the trees. “Oh, I am coming in. I wonder if old Mara Bella is still making those wonderful apple pies and if she would even remember a hooligan like me.” Marc rubbed his hands together and smacked his lips. “I swear they are the best pies in the world! Perhaps, if she has some ready, I can introduce them to you Ladies.” He winked at Tessa.
They entered the village with its neat rows of thatch and in some rare cases slate roofed log houses. Smoke curled out from the chimneys of most of them and there were a few people going about their business on the street. A very few people, Marc noted and upon closer inspection a few of them glanced their way in alarm or with suspicion. He looked at Olivia, the smile fading from his face.
“Well, they haven’t closed up the village, but I can sure tell the plague has made its mark here as well.” Marc said gloomily. He wondered just how bad the village had been hit with it. “I am going to do some investigating while you are delivering your message, Olivia. Please be careful…” his voice trailed off. He didn’t need to remind her what to watch out for as far as the plague was concerned. However he felt a desire to protect her and hoped she wouldn’t take any risks. “Shall we meet back here in what, a half hour?” he asked her. Then he turned to Tessa, “would you like to come with me? I want to see how many people have succumbed to this plague in the village, if I can.”
The village wasn’t a really large one, but large enough that you could not see every street or house from the main road. As they got deeper into the village, Marcus could see barricades up ahead blocking off a couple of the side streets. There was black cloth tied on a pile of brush blocking two streets on their right side. As they drew nearer Marcus could see that the streets were deserted and black X’s were painted on the doors of every house down both those streets. “Damn! Looks like they have been hit pretty hard,” he scowled. “Mara Bella lives down the next street.” He hoped the sweet old lady wasn’t one of the victims.
A small group of men came marching up the main road from the direction of the church opposite of the way they had entered the village. They were all dressed in mismatched armor and carrying weapons but they didn’t look very comfortable. It was almost as if they weren’t used to wearing armor and weapons. The man in the lead looked to be in his 30’s and was solidly built. He was wielding a two-handed axe and his armor looked to be at least one size too small for his rather beefy frame. He had the look of self-importance and was leading his group of surly men straight toward Marcus.
“Here comes the welcoming wagon.” Marcus said under his breath to Tessa. “Try not to look threatening, but stay on your guard. Hopefully we won’t have to drop any more rocks on anyone’s heads here.”
“You there, in the fishy cloak, you hold up right now,” the man hollered as he and his cohorts double-timed it rather sloppily down the street. “You just hold up right there!”
Marcus paused and pretended to lean casually on his strung bow. He’d already slipped the peace tie from his throwing knife and the saxe knife. “Certainly my friend!” Marcus smiled back at him, “What can I help you with?”
“Help me?” the man sputtered as he came to a halt a good 20 paces from Marcus. “You can start by stating who you are, what you want and if you have the plague or not.”
“Hmm… well now, let’s start with that last one first, since it is a rather silly demand, don’t you think?” Marcus stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I mean, if I was sick and trying to keep that a secret, I would hardly tell you I was sick, now would I? Besides that, for anyone that has seen these plague symptoms, one could look at me and my companions and know we are not sick, so the answer should be obvious.”
The big guy glared at him and the others fanned out across the street. One of them had a bow, but Marcus wondered if the lad had shot it more than 6 times in his whole life. The big guy with the axe, however, looked like he at least knew how to chop down trees with the thing. Men weren’t a whole lot different from trees when it comes to being chopped down with a behemoth of an axe like that one.
“Okay, okay, We are not sick. Healthy as horses, as you can see,” Marcus soothed him. “I was merely pointing out the flaw in your greeting.” The man’s scowl deepened. Apparently he wasn’t too keen on having his mistakes pointed out in front of his cronies. “Anyway, I am Marcus, King’s Ranger and I am here on the King’s business.”
The men shifted, eyeing each other and a couple of them whispering something about witchcraft and not having enough trouble already.
“Actually I am here to find out how badly this plague has struck your village and what your needs are so I can report that back to the castle.”
“Greenriver is our ranger,” the leader growled, bringing his axe up with one hand to rest it on his shoulder. The huge blade whistled as it swung from the ground up to behind the man’s head. “Who are you really?”
This was not going to be as easy as I thought, Marcus thought to himself, trying to figure out the best approach with these men that were just trying to protect their village – albeit a little bit too late from the looks of things. Perhaps another direction would be successful.
“Look, I need to see your village elders. There is a large band of outlaws roaming around these parts and we were just attacked by them back at Rick’s cabin. He’s out at the Gathering and I am covering for him for a few days until he gets back.” Marcus explained. “You might remember me from a few years back. I was Rick’s apprentice.”
The man looked at him a little less suspiciously, though he shook his head. One of the men tapped him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear. The leader then looked Marcus over thoughtfully, clearly undecided as to what he should do.
“Look ole Mara Bella ought to recognize me, and your elders can decide if I am telling the truth or not.” Marcus explained. “Please take me to them so I can find out what things you people here need to survive the winter.”
“Mara Bella is in the church with the sick.” The leader scowled. “We don’t go in there and our last elder died three days ago. They never did designate successors. Most of the older people are dead or dying.”
Marcus was crushed. He hoped Mara Bella would pull through. “How long has Mara Bella been sick?”
“Oh she ain’t sick,” one of the other men piped up. “She’s tending to them. Nothing could kill that old woman!” Others echoed his sentiments. “but there ain’t many that’ll go anywhere near’s the church.”
Marcus was relieved that his old friend was not among the ill or dead, but she was taking a terrible risk by tending the sick. “Well let’s go see if she’ll come out on the steps so we can talk.” Marcus suggested.
The man conferred with his friends for a minute and then they gestured to him to follow them up to the rather large cathedral at the turn in the main road. As they went, Marcus saw more and more houses that were marked with black X’s. It looked like the village was being decimated and there were very few people out on the streets.
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Kallie
Apprentice Messenger
Posts: 422
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Post by Kallie on Sept 5, 2012 19:47:04 GMT -5
Marcus looked confused for a moment, “an insult? Certainly not…why?” Then he realized that his phrase could have meant she was an old maid. “Oooohhh… No, no, I didn’t mean it like that at all. I was just saying because you’re so pretty and all… and the men must be afraid to ask you out… and… uh…” He flushed and his voice trailed off as he figured he was digging himself into a deeper hole. “I did mean it as a compliment,” he said sincerely.
Olivia smiled and fought the urge to laugh she laid a hand on his arm. "Don't hurt yourself, I know you meant it as a compliment."
“Change?” he asked wondering what she had in mind. “Change into what?”
She shrugged her shoulders. " Guess you will just have to wait and see."
“I am going to do some investigating while you are delivering your message, Olivia. Please be careful…” his voice trailed off. He didn’t need to remind her what to watch out for as far as the plague was concerned. However he felt a desire to protect her and hoped she wouldn’t take any risks. “Shall we meet back here in what, a half hour?” he asked her. Then he turned to Tessa, “would you like to come with me? I want to see how many people have succumbed to this plague in the village, if I can.”
She nodded her head. "Of course I will be careful. And half an hour it is." She gave a little wave as went off in the direction she needed to go. Marcus was one of the sweetest guys she had ever met. She could tell that he didn't really want anything to happen to her and she thought that was so sweet. She noticed that a lot of the doors had black x's on some of the doors. She quickened her pace and felt her heart beat a little faster, she really hoped that she would find her mothers friend alive and well. She came to the house and she felt her heart stop and her stomach clench there was a black x on the door. She stood there and just stared at the black paint. She didn't know for how long she stood there for, but finally she sat down on the steps leading up to the door and finally came out of her shock. Her mothers friend, someone else she knew was dead. She felt the tears come the filled up her eyes and spilled over. She drew her knees up to her chest and put her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed it wasn't fair! This whole plague, the bandits attacks the disappearances it wasn't fair! Who was doing this? Why were they doing this? Now she was scared scared for her family that lived in just the town over, what would she do if the plague took her family? It had already taken one of her only friends, what would she do if she didn't have anyone? What would happen to her? She wasn't sure that she would recover from it. She tried to make the tears stop but they wouldn't. She desperately hoped that nobody would come this way and see her like this, most of all Marcus. She was the diplomat she was supposed to be cool calm and collected? Breaking down like this wasn't supposed to happen she was supposed to stay detached what was wrong with her? She couldn't make herself move she didn't want to go inside the house but it wasn't for fear of the plague. She finally forced the tears to stop and took a shuddering breath. She wiped her eyes and sat there staring into space trying to collected her scatter thoughts. She wished it was raining she didn't feel like being in the bright and cheery sunshine.
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Post by Brandwyn on Sept 9, 2012 21:44:48 GMT -5
“She’s not dead,” a small frightened voice squeaked from the shadows to Olivia’s right, “Least-wise she wasn’t yesterday.” A girl about age 9 poked her dirty face out from the bush next to the house. “They have taken all the sick to the church. They just mark the houses so as we stay out of ‘em,” the girl explained, growing bolder she stepped out so Olivia could see her, but she remained out of grabbing distance and poised for flight.
The girl was wafer thin with hallow cheeks and dark circles under her eyes. She was wearing a ragged muslin dress and not much else. She carried a sack over her shoulder that seemed to be half full of something. “You’re looking for that woman that lives here, right?” The girl pointed to the door behind Olivia. “She got sick a couple days ago and they took her to the church yesterday.”
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Marcus waited for a minute or two before the old woman he had visited as a young ranger apprentice came tottering out the front door. She hobbled down the steps, clearly suffering from arthritis and fatigue, and up to the red flag that was tied to a stick planted in the ground some 20 feet in front of the church.
“Mara Bella, so good to see you again!” Marcus smiled at her, “Do you have any pies?” It was his old standard greeting and he said it exactly has he had every time he’d come to call while he was Rick’s apprentice.
“You young scaliwag, I never thought I’d lay eyes on you again!” Mara Bella squinted at him. “What’d you do, graduate and never come see your old Ma Bella again?” She scolded him.
Marcus looked chagrinned and hung his head, “I’m afraid that’s exactly what happened, dear Lady.” He answered. “Please forgive me, but you know how Ole Crowley is… work, work, work all the time and this is the first chance I’ve had to get back up here and visit you and Rick.”
“Oh don’t give me that nonsense, boy, I know very well you came to see your family.” She pointed a finger at him. “I was just an afterthought. How’re yer folks doing?”
“Well I am happy to announce. They haven’t caught this evil sickness and are holed up and not letting anyone in or out of the house. They very nearly didn’t let me in.” He said in a hurt voice. He’d thought more than once that if anyone in his family does get sick it will likely be because he brought the plague with him, even though he didn’t have it and was being very careful not to come in contact with it. “But they should be okay if they keep on like they are. Pop’s business is taking a hit of course and they will be out of food in a couple months if they continue on like they are.”
Mara Bella nodded and rubbed the small of her back, “sounds like it’s the same with us here. We have had 89 deaths but nearly half the village is now ill. Some recover, some don’t. A few have had it twice. Seems to be worse the second time around.” She shook her head.
“So what do you need other than food which seems to be scarce all over the place?” Marcus asked her.
“Medicine of course, but food is the main thing.” Mara Bella answered. “We could sure use a real doctor, but we don’t know if the messenger we sent to the castle ever made it. We haven’t heard anything back.”
“Was the messenger a courier?” Marcus asked.
Mara Bella nodded, “an apprentice actually who came here to check on his family. He said he was going past the castle on his way back to his mentor and would drop off the message. That was three weeks ago and before the plague here hit us real bad.”
Marcus didn’t know if the message had ever made it or not, but he made note of the apprentice’s name and promised to find out what happened. “I doubt they will send a doctor though, the city is inundated with sick people, mostly refugees from Norgate and Marshwood.” Marcus explained, “all the doctors are in high demand and I doubt any can be spared to come out here.”
“Figured as much,” Mara Bella rubbed her eyes. “Okay, I could use the following herbs which can be found in the forest around abouts. I just haven’t had time to go looking and my store’s run out. The hyssop seems to help relieve the boils and heal them up if you bathe a person in a mixture of hyssop and lavender. Crushed oat paste helps relieve the itching, but we are all out of oats.” She ticked off several other items and Marcus wrote all the information down in his little notebook.
“Have you heard tell of any bandits roaming these parts?” Marcus asked her and the gentleman that had escorted him here.
“That we have, Ranger,” the head of the town guard answered. “That’s why I was giving you such a hard time. We had a small band pass through here a couple nights ago heading toward the city. They tried to help themselves to what little food we have left.” He said indignantly, and then pointed down the street to where a huge old oak tree stood with its arms arcing over the road and houses on both sides of the street. A body was hanging from one of the lower branches and swaying gently back and forth in the wind. “That’s one o’ them there.”
Marcus was going to need to go get a look at the fellow because he couldn’t see him all that well from the church. “Any idea who they are or where they came from?” he asked.
“The guy was screaming something about his friends from the north coming to rescue him and that anyone who was left here was going to die when they got here.” The leader answered. “We thought he was half crazed there toward the end.”
“Friends from the North?” Marcus mused, “I wonder how far north…” The conversation he’d just had with Olivia sprang to mind. Things seemed to be pointing toward Picta. Would they really be so bold as to mount an invasion against Araluen? Maybe, if the country was already decimated from the plague. Or was this just what someone wanted people to think? Who would benefit if Picta and Araluen went to war?
“Thanks my friends.” Marcus replied. “We better get back and meet Olivia. She is probably waiting for us.” Marcus looked up at the sky trying to determine if a half hour had already passed. “Come on Tessa, we have messages to deliver to the King and need to get back before nightfall.” He bid farewell to Mara Bella with a promise to send what help he could muster, then he headed back the way they’d come, his mood somber and thoughtful.
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a1ko4
Apprentice Cook
Posts: 77
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Post by a1ko4 on Sept 11, 2012 6:50:01 GMT -5
Tessa wasn't quite sure what to do, so she simply followed Marcus as he made his way to the church. She stood beside him as he talked to Mara Bella, who seemed quite nice.
“We better get back and meet Olivia. She is probably waiting for us.” Marcus looked up at the sky trying to determine if a half hour had already passed. “Come on Tessa, we have messages to deliver to the King and need to get back before nightfall.”
Tessa nodded and followed him back the way they had come.
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Kallie
Apprentice Messenger
Posts: 422
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Post by Kallie on Sept 11, 2012 10:22:00 GMT -5
“She’s not dead,” a small frightened voice squeaked from the shadows to Olivia’s right, “Least-wise she wasn’t yesterday.”
Olivia Jumped at the unexpected voice. She looked up to see a small and very dirty girl standing there in the shadows. She quickly wiped away her tears.
You’re looking for that woman that lives here, right?” The girl pointed to the door behind Olivia. “She got sick a couple days ago and they took her to the church yesterday.”
Olivia was surprised and the fear knotted itself inside her stomach again. If she was sick she wouldn't last long and if she did live then it was for sure she would lose her baby. She took a deep breath and collected herself, fighting the urge to run full pelt down into the center of the village and into the church.
"Thank you, what is your name? My name is Olivia." She asked gently her voice slightly rough from all the crying she had done. The little girl hesitated for a moment or two not sure she should tell the lady her name. But when she looked into Olivia's face all she saw was kindness and gentleness.
"My name is Arianna."
"That's a very pretty name Arianna." Olivia did her best to smile at the little girl, it was a very sad and worried smile but at least it was there all the same. She slowly got to her feet so as not to scare the little girl who seemed very timid and ready to run at a seconds notice. "Will you take me to the Church? I'm not sure I know where it is." Arianna bit her lip and for a full minute didn't say anything and she didn't move neither did Olivia. She felt sorry for the little girl, it seemed to her that Arianna needed someone to care for her and to show her love. She was very dirty and it looked like no one had fed her in quite some time. Slowly Arianna nodded.
"Yes I guess I can do that."
Olivia got off the porch and walked over to her and they started walking. "Thank you."
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Post by Brandwyn on Sept 14, 2012 8:36:38 GMT -5
Before they got very far Marcus snapped his fingers, “Oh, I need to go look at that fellow they hung,” he said to Tessa. “You might want to wait here, it is likely to be a gruesome sight.” He turned to circle around the church and approached the bandit’s body swinging gently back and forth from the tree limb.
There wasn’t anything special about him so far as Marc could tell. The buzzards had been picking at the body and it smelled worse than it looked. There wasn’t enough left to really see the man’s features. Marcus was about to go when a sparkle of red caught his eye at the man’s throat. He reached up and pulled the tunic back to reveal a pendant of a bear’s paw with tiny rubies set into each claw.
“Damn! Grizzlies again,” Marc cursed as he gave a yank on the chain and pulled the pendant free. He was all too familiar with the Teutlandt mercenary gang. “Looks like we haven’t gotten rid of them yet after all,” He muttered as he slipped the pendant into one of his belt pouches and wiped his hand on his pant leg.
Then he caught up to Tessa. He showed her the pendant, “This is the symbol of a gang of mercenary fighters from Teutlandt. They were quite a force against us in the war against Aslavia but they were defeated and supposedly driven back to Teutlandt,” Marcus explained to Tessa. “It looks like they have been infiltrating Araluen again. The King is not going to be happy to hear this.” Marcus redeposited the pendant into his pouch. “If you see anyone wearing one of these, stay away from them and report it to me or any other ranger you can. It wouldn’t hurt to send it in a report to Crowley as well,” He instructed Tessa as they headed back up the street toward their meeting spot with Olivia. Before they got to it, however, he saw Olivia walking toward him with a small child. He waved and increased his step unconsciously; anxious to make sure she was okay. He watched how gracefully she walked and how the sunlight sparkled on her hair making it look like she wore a net of diamonds. The child was a young girl who had obviously been living on the streets judging from the state of her clothing and general filth.
As they got closer, however, he could read in Olivia’s body language that she was tense and perhaps even distraught and then he noticed the faint signs of tear tracks on her cheeks and that her eyes were slightly puffy. She’d been crying. Was the friend she’d come to see dead?
“Olivia?” he asked gently as they drew close and he saw clearly that she was upset. “Your friend…” he wasn’t sure what to do or say, so he simply opened his arms and invited her closer for a hug if she should choose to allow one. He felt the only thing he could do to help was to comfort and support her and he longed to hold her in his arms and feel her lithe body pressed to his, though he would never take advantage of her in her present state of mind.
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Kallie
Apprentice Messenger
Posts: 422
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Post by Kallie on Sept 17, 2012 9:53:24 GMT -5
“Olivia?” he asked gently as they drew close and he saw clearly that she was upset. “Your friend…” he wasn’t sure what to do or say, so he simply opened his arms and invited her closer for a hug if she should choose to allow one. He felt the only thing he could do to help was to comfort and support her and he longed to hold her in his arms and feel her lithe body pressed to his, though he would never take advantage of her in her present state of mind.
Olivia stared at him she had mixed emotions she decided to act out of character cause right now she didn't really feel like dealing with reality.
"She isn't dead." She said icily. Then she pushed past him and continued on to the church. She was going to deliver that message one way or another. She wasn't sure if he was going to stop her or not if he did she couldn't trust herself not to fight back. If it came down to it he definitely had the upper hand he was bigger and stronger than she was. Most people were she reflected, she had always been small, small as a baby, small as a child, small as a teenager, and small as an adult. She had been picked on, on more than one occasion she had decided long ago that people would pick on you no matter what and the best thing to do was to not give a reaction because that was usually what the person or persons were looking for. She had learned to walk away from an insult learned to walk away from a potential fight that she knew she would lose. Although as she got older she had show her skills of word manipulation by winning practically every verbal argument imaginable. Often leaving her opponent confused and frustrated because they could break the cool clam barrier she had developed over time. She strode with purpose toward the Church she could now see.
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Post by Brandwyn on Sept 28, 2012 18:38:34 GMT -5
"She isn't dead." She said icily. Then she pushed past him and continued on to the church.
Marcus was hurt and disappointed as she pushed past him and stared after her for a moment as she quickly strode away from him toward the church. She seemed mad at him and he couldn’t fathom what it was he might have done to make her angry. Other than…offering her a hug? He had meant only to comfort her…hadn’t he? Marcus realized that wasn’t entirely true, though his intentions were good, he couldn’t honestly say that was all he’d had on his mind. He hung his head in shame for a moment as Olivia continued on. ‘She isn’t dead,’ Olivia had said…so that means her friend was still alive…so why was she so upset?
“But that’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Marcus stared after her in confusion as she marched with purpose toward the church, a set of determination to her shoulders…to the church… the church! Realization dawned on him. She was going to the church where all the sick people were being housed.
“Olivia, wait!” he called after her. ‘Damn she sure moves fast!’ he thought as he ran to catch up. She was nearly to the line on the ground in front of the church. The line no one crossed unless they weren’t planning on coming back out. “Wait! You can’t go in there!”
He put on a burst of speed and caught up to her mere feet from the danger zone. He grabbed her shoulder firmly, trying not to hurt her and spun her around to face him. “Olivia, STOP!” He grabbed her other shoulder now and they stood face-to-face. “I won’t let you go in there and get yourself killed!” He said harshly, shaking her just a little on the last word for emphasis. “What are you trying to do? You can’t help your friend if you get sick too!”
He tried to reason with her, but the words just weren’t coming out right. Normally he was quite eloquent, but for some reason he found himself awkward and bumbling like a young teenager when he spoke to her. “Listen to me, Olivia, I am not going to let you in there! I’ll knock you out if I have to!” he warned and then as soon as he said it he regretted it. He wasn’t sure if he really would strike her, but he just might if it meant saving her life. He glared at her for a moment, willing her to be reasonable. He saw the look on her face and began to understand why she was marching to her doom but this wasn’t the way to get through to her.
He relaxed his grip slightly so his fingers weren’t digging into her shoulders, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but Olivia…I know we only just met… but…” he had been looking down at the ground between their feet and now he raised his eyes which glowed amber in the sunlight and were filled with the intensity of emotion he was experiencing. He looked her square in the eyes, his thumbs caressing her shoulders now, “I…care for you, Olivia. I can’t bear to…to lose you now when we might just have a chance at a happy life…together…maybe…” his voice trailed off to a whisper and a look of near panic played across his face. He’d gone too far, too fast. He’d had no intention of telling her his true feelings already. Now he was going to scare her away. ‘Stupid! Stupid! Stupid, Marcus’ he berated himself. ‘Now you’ve done it! She’ll run away from you straight into that church, catch the plague and die and it will be all your fault.’
“Please?” he breathed, his eyes pleading and now full of tears at the thought of her body ravaged by the boils from the plague and her eyes staring coldly at him in death. “Please don’t go in there, especially since there is another way you can check on your friend. There’s another way!” he pleaded and then he let her go and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trying to blink back the tears, but one escaped and ran down his cheek.
She would never forgive him if he forced her. He knew that, but it wasn’t easy to let her make the choice. Everything in him was screaming out to protect her and to keep her from setting foot inside the church. He’d stopped her, hopefully long enough to make her listen, but he couldn’t lay a hand on her to stop her if she insisted on going inside. He already felt terrible for grabbing her shoulders and threatening her. However would he be able to just stand by and watch her walk into the church where so many people were sick and dying? “Pllleasse Olivia?” he held out his hand as he took a step back away from her and the church. The choice was now hers. “There’s another way,” he said softly once again.
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Kallie
Apprentice Messenger
Posts: 422
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Post by Kallie on Sept 29, 2012 20:40:49 GMT -5
He grabbed her shoulder firmly, trying not to hurt her and spun her around to face him. “Olivia, STOP!” He grabbed her other shoulder now and they stood face-to-face. “I won’t let you go in there and get yourself killed!” He said harshly, shaking her just a little on the last word for emphasis. “What are you trying to do? You can’t help your friend if you get sick too!”
Olivia was very surprised by the sudden movement and when she came face to face with Marcus. She was a little speechless by the intensity of his words.
He relaxed his grip slightly so his fingers weren’t digging into her shoulders, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but Olivia…I know we only just met… but…” he had been looking down at the ground between their feet and now he raised his eyes which glowed amber in the sunlight and were filled with the intensity of emotion he was experiencing. He looked her square in the eyes, his thumbs caressing her shoulders now, “I…care for you, Olivia. I can’t bear to…to lose you now when we might just have a chance at a happy life…together…maybe…”
Olivia was glad when his grip loosened for his grips and started to hurt, she was equally surprised when he told her he cared for her. And wanted to be with her. That she definitely didn't see coming. Then she saw the panic cross his face and he had feared he had said the wrong thing. But in fact he had said the right thing, it had gotten through to the cold rational part of her mind that didn't want any of this to be real. She opened her mouth then closed it again not sure what to say to that.
“Please don’t go in there, especially since there is another way you can check on your friend. There’s another way!” he pleaded and then he let her go and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trying to blink back the tears, but one escaped and ran down his cheek.
Pllleasse Olivia?” he held out his hand as he took a step back away from her and the church. The choice was now hers. “There’s another way,” he said softly once again.
She stood there for a minute just staring at him touched by all he had said. She opened her mouth and took a breath but all that came out was.
"Marcus I.." and that was barely a whisper. She couldn't make her brain work this was just to much, to many things were going on inside her head at once. It was making her dizzy and confused she didn't know what she should and shouldn't feel. What should she say? What could she say? He had a certain way about him that appealed to her friendly nature, there was just something.... Likeable about him. Her head started to hurt, if she could have cried she would have but she didn't think she could cry anymore for sometime. She took another deep breath and did something she had wanted to do for a little while. She took a hesitant step forward then threw caution to the wind. She ignored his out stretched hand and just threw her arms about his middle and hugged him. She desperately hoped he would wrap his arms around her cause that was all she wanted right now. That and some food and rest. At this point in time she didn't want to think anything. She just wanted to be comforted, besides if he was telling the truth she couldn't deny the fact that spending the rest of her life with him appealed to her.
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Post by Brandwyn on Sept 29, 2012 23:10:40 GMT -5
Marcus had been expecting Olivia to continue her march into the church and was surprised when she seemed to be listening to him.
"Marcus I...” She whispered.
Suddenly she flung herself at him and was clinging to him like a lifeline in a raging sea. Marcus couldn’t believe it and for a moment was too stunned to move. Then his arms wrapped around her and he hugged her tight to him, burying his face in her hair as a couple more tears slid down his cheeks. These were tears of relief this time. He had gotten through to her and what’s more, she seemed to be as attracted to him as he to her. Or at least she liked him well enough to seek comfort from him. It was more than he had hoped for.
He held one arm tight across the small of her back and with his other hand he gently massaged the back of her neck under her beautiful tresses of long hair. “Its okay, Livvy, everything is going to be okay,” he soothed softly in her ear, not realizing he’d called her by a nickname. It had been a long day and so much had happened. Twice they’d been attacked and now the person she had come to see, a family friend, was sick with the plague. He could understand why she was overwrought. All of his protective instincts kicked into high gear. He longed to comfort her but felt what he was doing was inadequate. At the same time he didn’t want to let her go. She felt like she belonged in his arms and with each moment they were touching so intimately he felt his feelings for her grow.
He was so absorbed in holding and comforting her that at first he didn’t notice the stares they were getting from the town guardsmen and a few others that had come out of their homes to find out what the commotion was about. When he did realize they were beginning to be a spectacle, he gradually eased up and brought her attention back to her mission. Reluctantly he let her go, but not before caressing her cheek with the tip of his thumb and then cupping her jaw in his hand. “Olivia…” he breathed, their faces inches apart. He wanted to kiss her, but this wasn’t the place and he wasn’t going to loose control with her. He broke eye contact by casting a quick glance sideways at an older couple that was watching them with a bemused look on their face. “I think perhaps we better get that message of yours delivered, but without you risking your life in the process, yes?”
He took up her hand in his and then moved up to the line in the dirt. “Mara Bella, if you have a moment, there is one more bit of business to take care of.” He called out loudly toward the church.
Mara Bella poked her head out the door again after a minute or so, “What’s that, dear boy?” She was drying her hands on a white towel.
“There is a lady in there that this courier is trying to deliver a message to. If we leave it here in the sand, can you see that she gets it?” Marc asked. “I think Olivia would like to know what kind of condition she is in too, wouldn’t you, Olivia? Didn’t you mention earlier that the woman is with child?”
Mara ran her eyes over Olivia, not missing Marcus’s claim on the pretty courier’s hand. “That would be fine. These gentlemen here can bring it to the door and I will place it in her hands. What’s the woman’s name?”
Marcus looked to Olivia, realizing he had no idea.
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Kallie
Apprentice Messenger
Posts: 422
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Post by Kallie on Oct 1, 2012 18:37:22 GMT -5
Olivia felt so much better when his strong arms wrapped around her. She never wanted to leave his warm strong embrace. Slowly she felt his arms loosen then leave he cupped her chin and she looked up into his handsome face.
“Olivia…” “I think perhaps we better get that message of yours delivered, but without you risking your life in the process, yes?”
She nodded, she didn't quite have her voice back yet. Then they went over to the church hand in hand.
“That would be fine. These gentlemen here can bring it to the door and I will place it in her hands. What’s the woman’s name?”
Marcus looked to Olivia, realizing he had no idea.
Finally Olivia found her voice again. "Her name is Mary, Mary Castern, and she would be obviously pregnant with long red hair." She brought out the letter gave Marcus's hand a tight squeeze the released it giving her letter to one of the guards. She went back over to Marcus her stomach tied in a knot of tension, the guard put the letter near the door then quickly left not wanting to be near the church and it's sick occupants.
"Thank you very much, you don't know what this means to me." Olivia gave her a warm smile but it was only a fraction of the smile she usually had.
"Could you tell me if the baby has made it or not?"
She asked, she wasn't quite sure if with the plague being on Mary if the baby had died in her and was a still born or if it was still alive and healthy even though the mother was sick. She desperately wished that this situation was not like this, she wished that Mary was healthy and not sick. She sighed inwardly she should stop wishing because as her mother had often said, wishing only ruins the heart.
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 1, 2012 22:58:27 GMT -5
Mara Bella picked up the letter and returned Olivia’s smile, “Think nothing of it, Deary. Let’s see, Mary Castern…yes, I believe I know who you are speaking about. Wait here a moment.”
Marcus smiled encouragingly at Olivia while the old matron was inside the church. “I hope she and the baby are going to be okay,” he said and then he looked around for Tessa.
Marcus motioned Tessa over and said, “Tessa, there is a stables across from the Inn just down around that corner over there. If it is not marked with a black X, could you please ask the Stablemaster if he has two gentle riding horses he can spare with saddles? Tell him that I need them on ranger business and I will make sure they are returned in a day or two when I send the supplies back here.” Marc instructed is would-be apprentice. Then a thought occurred to him, “umm, have you had any schooling with horses at all?” He fished into his pouch and pulled out a King’s crown gold piece. “Here give him that. It is more than generous to rent a couple of horses for a day. I want to get back to the castle as quickly as possible and hopefully avoid any more encounters with bandits.”
Mara came back out to the doorway then. “Mary seems to be doing fairly well. She is responding to the herbal tea and able to keep it down. I have been putting a mild sedative in it along with mint to help her sleep and settle her stomach so she doesn’t get those dry heaves. So far that seems to be working and the baby doesn’t seem to be in distress.” Mara Bella summed up Olivia’s friend’s condition. “I just hope she gets over this and is recovered before she gives birth. She is still in the early stages however, and it is too soon to tell if she will beat it or not.” Mara explained, not wanting to give false hopes. “The good thing is that she seemed to be in good health before she caught the plague and that goes a long way with this particular illness.” Mara winked. “She was very grateful for the letter and is reading it now though she is very groggy.”
“Thanks Mara,” Marcus smiled at Olivia, “She’ll be okay, especially if we get those supplies and get them back here as soon as we can.” He called back out to Mara, “I am going to see about those supplies just as soon as I get back to the castle.”
“Thanks, dear Boy.” Mara waved and then turned to go back into the church, “Did you need anything else, Miss Courier?”
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Kallie
Apprentice Messenger
Posts: 422
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Post by Kallie on Oct 3, 2012 20:48:53 GMT -5
Mara Bella summed up Olivia’s friend’s condition. “I just hope she gets over this and is recovered before she gives birth. She is still in the early stages however, and it is too soon to tell if she will beat it or not.” Mara explained, not wanting to give false hopes. “The good thing is that she seemed to be in good health before she caught the plague and that goes a long way with this particular illness.” Mara winked. “She was very grateful for the letter and is reading it now though she is very groggy.” “Thanks, dear Boy.” Mara waved and then turned to go back into the church, “Did you need anything else, Miss Courier?”
Olivia was relived that Mary was getting better and the baby was still okay. Although she still had a not of worry deep in her stomach but she shoved it away.
"No thank you that is all I wanted. Thank you very much for all you have done." She would have very much liked to hug Mara but knew she couldn't cross the line. She turned away to go find Ariana who stood a little away and was hiding behind a house. Olivia smiled warmly at her and motioned her over. Hesitantly Ariana came out into the open she went by Olivia's side.
"We are going to the castle do you want to come with us? We might be able to find your parents."
Ariana shook her head. "But i don't have any parents. They died years ago."
"Oh," Olivia was surprised then she turned to Marcus. "Can we take her with us anyway? She ride with me," Then in an undertone so that only he could hear she said. "I don't want her out here all by herself she needs proper care I have a family friend in the city that might be able to take care of them. Weather you agree or not she is getting to the city if I have to carry there myself."
Ariana thought about it then nodded. "Ok."
Olivia nodded more firmly and gave the girls very bony shoulder an gentle squeeze, her normal determination was back.
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a1ko4
Apprentice Cook
Posts: 77
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Post by a1ko4 on Oct 4, 2012 6:48:43 GMT -5
Marcus motioned Tessa over and said, “Tessa, there is a stables across from the Inn just down around that corner over there. If it is not marked with a black X, could you please ask the Stablemaster if he has two gentle riding horses he can spare with saddles? Tell him that I need them on ranger business and I will make sure they are returned in a day or two when I send the supplies back here.” Marc instructed is would-be apprentice.
Tessa nodded, "Sure," she hoped Marcus didn't expect her to know how to ride.
Then a thought occurred to him, “umm, have you had any schooling with horses at all?”
"Um...." Tessa had been dreading this question, "Not really."
He fished into his pouch and pulled out a King’s crown gold piece. “Here give him that. It is more than generous to rent a couple of horses for a day. I want to get back to the castle as quickly as possible and hopefully avoid any more encounters with bandits.”
Tessa nodded again and took the gold piece, silently revering it. She had never even seen a gold piece before.
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 7, 2012 22:18:32 GMT -5
Then a thought occurred to him, “umm, have you had any schooling with horses at all?”
"Um...." Tessa had been dreading this question, "Not really."
Marcus broke into a wide grin, “Well then, you are in for a treat! No better time than the present to start learning.” He said a little too enthusiastically. “Why don’t you have the Stablemaster give you a lesson on how to saddle a horse once he picks out those two mounts for you and Olivia. We’ll meet you down there in a little bit.”
He fished into his pouch and pulled out a King’s crown gold piece. “Here give him that. It is more than generous to rent a couple of horses for a day. I want to get back to the castle as quickly as possible and hopefully avoid any more encounters with bandits.”
Tessa nodded again and took the gold piece, silently revering it. She had never even seen a gold piece before.
Marcus didn’t miss how reverently she held the gold piece and chuckled to himself. He wanted her to trust him and he figured the best way to earn that trust was to place a bit of trust in her. Most people wouldn’t have given a ward a copper piece, much less a gold piece, figuring they would never see that money again. Marcus was a trusting soul, however, and always liked to believe that one could bring out the best in people by portraying the best of himself as well as he could. Besides, if she was going to be a ranger, she was going to have to get over any hang-ups about money in order to do her job. Being a ranger wasn’t about accumulating wealth and Marcus was curious to see how she would handle herself with all that money.
He watched her go down the street, looking after her thoughtfully with a bemused look in his eyes for a moment. He was brought back from his thoughts when Olivia walked back over to him, "Can we take her with us anyway?” she asked him and Marcus looked down at the thin, dirty girl who was looking up at him with fear in her eyes.
“She can ride with me," Then in an undertone so that only he could hear she said. "I don't want her out here all by herself she needs proper care I have a family friend in the city that might be able to take care of her.”
Marcus looked at her dubiously, “well I don’t know…” If her friend wasn’t able to take care of the girl, they would have to take her to the ward and Marcus doubted the warden would be too happy to have another mouth to feed. Besides, he hadn’t met a kid yet who liked growing up in the ward. Still, the alternative was living on the streets and she obviously wasn’t getting the nourishment she needed here.
“Whether you agree or not she is getting to the city if I have to carry there myself." Olivia warned. Marcus saw the look in her eye and sighed. He’d already had one quarrel with her and he didn’t have the heart to disagree with her now, even though he thought they might be making a huge mistake.
He knelt down in front of the little girl and smiled at her, “Hi, my name is Marcus. You don’t have any parents or other relatives?” She shook her head, hiding behind Olivia. Marcus looked at her thoughtfully, knowing she’d been living on her own for quite a while just by looking at her. If he didn’t agree to this, Olivia would be angry, but he was the one that was going to have to listen to the Baron of Araluen fife if they had to place her in the ward, not her. One could look at it however that he was taking one of their wards away and replacing her with a younger one. Marcus smiled at the thought. Maybe this Baron wouldn’t mind so much and hopefully Olivia’s friends would be able to take the girl.
He reached into his pouch and pulled out a carefully wrapped package of cinnamon sticks that had been rolled in sugar. “I don’t suppose you like cinnamon sugar, do you?” he held one out to her, not above bribing the girl in order to make friends. He held one up for Olivia too and then slipped one into his mouth before carefully rewrapping the others and stowing them back in his pouch. “I love these things. I believe I am quite addicted to them.” He winked at the girl, trying to set her mind at ease as she timidly sucked on one end of the stick. “These happen to come from my mother. She made a batch special for me, just before I left this morning.” Could it really have been only that morning???
Ariana wasn’t warming up to him all that quickly. She seemed ready to flee at any moment. Marcus decided that being straight with her was the best course of action. “Well, milady, it seems you have a choice before you. Would you like to come to Araluen castle with the Lady Olivia and myself? We can’t promise that her friends will take you in, so if they don’t you could end up living in the Ward at the castle where Tessa lives.” Marcus pointed down the road in the direction Tessa had gone. “Or we could bring you back here and maybe talk someone in this town into taking care of you. We can’t just leave you wandering the streets, though, it’s not safe.” He glanced up at Olivia and then back to the little girl, “So what do you want to do? Do you want to come with us?”
Ariana thought about it then nodded. "Ok."
Olivia nodded more firmly and gave the girls very bony shoulder a gentle squeeze, her normal determination was back.
“Okay then,” Marcus smiled at her and crunched down on his cinnamon stick as he stood back up. He smiled at Olivia and said, “I sure hope you know what you’re doing, but okay, bring her along.” He had a feeling this was just the beginning of many a time in the future when he was going to give in to Olivia’s whims and desires. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair again.
“Well, let’s go see if Tessa got those mounts lined up for us. I want to get back fast and avoid any entanglements with outlaws. You don’t mind riding do you?” he asked Olivia.
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