Catching One's Breath (Claire/Artemis/Reagan/Open at Req.)

[Deleted]

Has it already been three days since I came to this world? Three days indeed. As soon as she had the chance Reagan left the confines of the city for something a bit less crowded. The forest was the first place she could think of, it provided security and safety in her time and would suffice in this world as well. Before she had left the city Reagan had "acquired" a number of coins, enough to purchase a traveler's bag. She wasn't proud of it, but it was in her blood, she was a thief. Besides it was only a few coins nothing too extravagant.



The haven she had made for herself was in a small grove of willows, their thick coverage provided the perfect shelter from the elements as well as a decent vantage point to see anything approaching. Her bed roll was set up at the base of the tree and her supplies were neatly laid out.



Earlier that day she had located a stream nearby her campsite and was able to wash her clothing and scoured her body of the build up of grime. When she had returned to camp she went about cleaning and polishing her cutlass and daggers. She sat crossed legged doing just that on the outside of the branches. Clad only in her black trousers and cloth bindings for her chest she was enjoying the warmth in her bare feet. Her boots, shirt, and jacket hung from a nearby branch to dry in the afternoon sun.



Her strawberry blonde hair hung limply around her face as she worked, it was as soft as it has ever been and framed her face nicely with the tips reaching just above the bottom of her rib cage.

[Claire]

Claire was trudging, dead rabbits and mushrooms and other root vegetables tucked into the heavy basket slung at her side. This would be enough food to last for a while- the less she had to go into market to shop the better. Until she had better plans or more allies, she needed to stay secluded for a while. So she was walking along the river on her way home, clad in her older clothes- her fitted leather jerkin, breeches, boots, a loose shirt- no need to hide her gender way out here, even with her short-cropped hair. At least she could pretend things were normal.

Then she came across the campsite.

Claire shifted quickly to hide behind a tree when she saw the camp and the woman sitting there, polishing her weapons. A bounty hunter? It didn’t quite look it with how the camp was set up. Or she had been camping here for days to look for her… She hadn’t noticed her before so perhaps she hadn’t been here that long. Claire pulled the basket off her shoulder and left it tucked in the roots of the tree, packed with it’s rabbits and mushrooms and vegetables. She had left the sword back at the cottage so all she had on her were her hunting knives, so she pulled one from her belt and held it behind her as she stepped around the tree, moving cautiously towards the campsite.

She looked up- there was a tree close to the woman that she could manage to climb. Get close enough, maybe find out what this woman was up to before she determined if the woman was a threat. So Claire stuck the knife back in her belt and she climbed to the lower branches, looking down at the woman.

“Hello there, friend!” an all-too familiar voice called down to the woman below, “What are you doing in my woods?”

[Deleted]

Reagan was too focused on scrubbing a stubborn spot on her last dagger to notice she was not alone. Her hand slipped and she nicked the side of her thumb on the blade. A flurry of colorful words left her mouth as she sucked on the fresh wound to stop the bleeding. In frustration she decided that was enough and stood up tossing the dagger with it's twin on the ground next to her. She dusted off her pants of loose grass and debris. Once cleaned off she let out a giant yawn and stretched raising her arms well above her head to work out the soreness in her shoulder.  

I'll need to figure out a long term plan. Forest living is fine for the time being but I don't see myself going anywhere anytime soon and a real bed would be nice.

The sound of branches moving cut her from her thoughts. Reagan moved quickly to grab both daggers, one in each hand and turned quickly to identify where it came from. Her bare toes gripping at the dirt as she formed a ready stance. Hearing the voice come from above her she turned her cool eyes to meet Claire's.

Her breath caught in her throat, the woman was near identical to her dear friend. Even her voice sounded the same, like a ghost from her past. The daggers dropped with a thud as she covered her mouth in shock. "Eclair?"

[Claire]

When that name left the woman’s lips, it hit Claire like a shockwave. Oh goddess, another one? Her thoughts went back to Core, hidden in that sword inside her cottage- another one of his friends had crossed the veil, apparently. How long before the rest of them came?

How long before that woman- that her that she was supposed to be in their eyes, his woman, she thought with a degree of bitterness that shocked her- would cross over?

Caution came over Claire’s features as she lowered herself from the branch and dropped back down to the grass. She held up her hands in caution before she undid her belt, letting her weapons fall to the grass.

“I’m not-” Goddess, she was in the flesh too. This was going to be painful, and Claire grimaced hard. “I am not that woman." She couldn't even say her name. "But you are- you are one of Core’s people, aren’t you?”

Claire took a step forward, hand extended towards the woman. She felt a sting of pity for her, seeing her must have sent such a shock of hope through her. Like it sent through him. And now she stood here, a disappointment wearing the face of a friend long gone.

“My name is Claire. I’m a friend, I can take you to him.”

[Deleted]

The expressions flashing across the woman's face was enough for her to second guess herself. Maybe I'm just going crazy, but damn she is the spitting image of her Reagan watched as she dropped to the ground to join her underneath the willow. She didn't mind wearing so little out in the open but she could see Claire was slightly embarrassed for catching her exposed. Seeing her visitor drop her own weapons to show she wasn't a threat was reassuring.

Slowly she bent down and picked up her shirt and pulled it over her bindings. The navy sleeveless tunic fell just past her hips. Adjusting the collar of her shirt she pulled her necklace and hair out from underneath and let her locks drape over her left shoulder. "My apologies, you just look so much like an old friend of mine, it's silly to think she would be here." She smiled softly, she could tell the woman felt bad about their interaction and she appreciated for once someone not treating her like she was a possible threat.

Core? Is this the woman Aria spoke of? "Yes, you could say that. I suppose you are the one that red head I ran into a few days back spoke of. I believe her name was Aria." She reached out to meet Claire's hand and shook it. "My name is Kayl...Reagan, you may call me Reagan."

[Claire]

“It’s not as-” Claire let out a huff, trying to figure out the right way to word this. “...I know who you think I am. You are not the first one to mistake me.” She hadn’t been expecting such a subtle reaction. Perhaps the woman was still trying to work out how she felt too. When she spoke of Aria, however, her eyebrows shot up and her hand curled back from it’s gesture of welcome.

“...you saw Aria?” Betrayer girl, who chose the life of the castle over her morals. “How? Were you- were you at the castle?” she knelt a little to pick her belt of knives back up. “Are you sure you want to meet me, then?” she did finally shake hands though, reluctantly.

“Reagan.” Claire nodded, looking back over her shoulder as she rebuckled her belt. “I suppose you do want to see him again, then. I can offer you a meal and shelter for a little while if you repay me by telling me your story.” she smiled back to the woman, her smile clearly cautious. “I should warn you though, I’m a very dangerous woman.”

[Deleted]

Uh oh.

Artemis was starting to get really, really hungry. A hunger that pulled at him from deep within, making him break often and meditate. The Sun had risen only once since his arrival in this world, and yet he couldn’t help but feel behind already. He had nothing to his name-just the dusty black garments he had on.

He opened his eyes, breathed in deeply, and stood to survey his next move.

“What’s the point of even complaining to myself?” He muttered.

No Food, very little water, but a heaping measure of Manna. During his time in the Gorge, Artemis managed to catch and consume thirteen or fourteen little sprites, which tasted quite a lot like nothing at all. A crunchy mouthful of pulsing hot air.

He sighed.

Dusting himself off a bit, he picked up his legs and started running in place. It was now or never. He would eventually run out of Manna, which is a very poor substitute for Food.

So he focused his mind on the wind.

And as the wind blew, he let his mind fall back into the darkness of inner space, allowing the wind to come with him. It pushed his body forward, and Artemis reached deep within to channel the power of Godly Tactician. His ears and nose heightened slightly, he took off as fast as his body could allow. Avoiding nearly every branch and leaf, he was dashing silently under the speckled shadows of the trees.

Food.

He shifted left, a quick pivot that made his stomach growl.

Ugh.

His momentum was flawless, each step transferring as much energy as possible to the next, his heart beating a drum in his chest.

The Hunt.

What was he in for? And what did it matter without a weapon of some kind?

He grabbed a stone as he dashed, nearing the smell of food. He could smell dried blood. As he arrived in a small clearing, he spotted the satchel which he assumed was the culprit. Without thinking, he dropped the stone and charged forward, tearing into the satchel and nearly cried to find bread, cured meat, and various cheeses within. He stuffed bits of the bread into his mouth, ripping at them the best that a man with flat teeth could, and then taking chunks of cheese out right after.


Hunched over the satchel, he dropped down to the leaves and deactivated his Godly Tactician. He sat for just a moment. It felt like he had used about half his Manna, but he was so hungry that it didn’t matter.

The Food tasted so good. It didn’t just taste pleasant, it tasted like life. He could feel the sating of his most primal urges, a new and intense feeling for him.

He continued to tear into the bread and cheese, but slowed down for a moment as he looked down at his right hand.

The end of the bread was dabbed with fresh blood.

The dry bread had torn his mouth up, and he could taste the iron mix in with the other bits.

He put the food down, laughing lightly to himself. He was so hungry; he tore his gums to shreds. Wiping his mouth with a dusty shirt, he brushed off the bits of bread which remained and let himself fall back into the grass.

He was alive. He was so totally alive.

Artemis swept his left leg up, felt something snag it, and heard a small click.

The familiar sound of an arrow loosed itself from a notch somewhere, and he scrambled to his feet. His Godly Tactician activated, and only just in time for the arrow to avoid his chin.

He froze as it flew off and hit something very hard in the dirt. It made a very loud, metal clang, and several rocks fell down the side of a small hill.

“Crossbow.” He thought. “I shouldn’t be so careless.”

[Deleted]

Parts of the conversation with Aria and Garrett ran through her mind. Although more and more everything was starting to make sense, she still had her reservations with this world, yet she was making due with the hand she was dealt. She tilted her head curiously at Claire's reaction to Aria. Ok, so maybe it wasn't best to bring that meeting up.

"No, no I wouldn't dare step foot in that castle, even though I've been told your King is different than the one from my world and time, they still share the same face. I'm what would be called....well according to others a 'fated'. Aria's associate had found me after I appeared at some temple, he had taken me to meet with her."

She scratched the back of her head and fixed a few wisps of her that had crossed her face from the slight breeze. Ok so she isn't Eclair, but shelter outside of this grove does sound nice. I do have my reservations but if it's true it would be a benefit to see Core again.

Kaylia moved to where her weapons laid, and following Claire's example, had followed suit with replacing her weapons on her person. Pulling on her vest and slipping into her boots she quickly packed up her camp and slipped her daggers into their spots within the boots. As she went to re-sheath the cutlass she heard the faint whoosh of a bolt being fired from a crossbow followed by the clang of striking stone.

"Are you out here alone?" She looked to Claire to confirm if she had a companion who had held back. Her eyes searched to find the culprit, cutlass remained at the ready near her hip.

"Who's there?"

[Deleted]

“Not I, said the fish!”

Artemis chortled back.

Where was that reference even from? They'd know it was a joke right?

He was still frozen from where the arrow had narrowly missed him, half smiling.

His mind was Foggy, so he quickly checked his Manna stores.

Feeling a bit sick. Almost out of Manna. Stomach felt better.

He had misjudged.

Already?

Artemis turned to sound of the voice, which wasn’t but one or two hundred feet from him. He sniffed the air, awareness buzzing with senses.

Two women, both fit and equipped for battle. He stood slowly, and tried his best to look honest. He was in no shape to fight.

“I mean you no harm!”

He shot out, raising his hands passively.

"I am unarmed and will wait for you to advance to me! Let us Trade and Parlay!"