The mossy undergrowth stick to Jordyn's paws as she walked in the forest. She took a big breath of air and sighed. It was a lonely, dirty part of the woods, and she hated being dirty. Flies were buzzing around her, mud clung to the bottom of her jeans, and wet drops were falling on her from the soaked leaves above her, driving her nuts. She shook her head, sending the water flying, and hugged herself to keep warm. The only decent sound was the crickets around her, chirping and singing their quiet, mindless lullabies. She had definitely gotten lost. She was hopping to see a coastline by now, and she was positive that she was walking in a straight line, too. She then took the hint: she was walking in the wrong direction. The thought sent a hard rock of nervousness and fear into her gut. Oh no, she said,I'll never get out. Her skittishness had crawled its way out of her again. Her breathing was suddenly heavy, and her breath came out in quick breaths in front of her. She knew she had to be strong, so she kept walking in the same direction, her knees wobbling together. She closed her eyes to hopefully push the anxiety down, and kept walking.
Word Count » 208
I get all the japanese off google translate - I don't know Japenese (so anyone who does forgive me ;__
Who said that things were going your way?
Ducky fidgeted beneath her, keeping up with her mistress's nudging. The pure white Akita slave walked beside the horse, holding a basket with a small layer of purple and white flowers. His face seemed oddly serene for a slave's and he even smiled a little as he walked. Isabella. mounted on the mare eyed him carefully. Her first slave, she was being extra watchful of the new slave. But he seemed happy enough being under her thumb so long as she fed him and kept him from harm. Perhaps he was just that kind of personality. He certainly did not seem to entertain thoughts of escape. The slave suddenly stopped and he looked in a direction away from the way they were traveling. Isabella stopped the mare and eyed the tall man, who stared intently into the woods.
"愛人平和、我々は一人ではありません。" Isabella turned her head at his words, struggling slightly to understand her father's tongue. Her eyes narrowed and the slave looked up at her, no judgement in his visage. "Not arone. Dere," he said in his flawed English, gesturing to the woman wandering. "その人は1つだけの女性である. One woman." Isabella nodded and nudged the mare in the woman's direction with the slave leading the way. "Is everything alright, mademoiselle?"
Jordyn was gazing at the stars above her trying to use them to tell her location, when she looked forward from where she was standing, and turned around. She hadn't even heard them coming her way. There was beautiful horse where a woman sat atop on, with a man that walked beside it. He seemed like he was a slave of some kind. She had heard of pack member that kept slaves, but she never met someone who did. He seemed to be speaking some kind of language that she didn't understand. It was very pretty sounding, she could have listened to him talk for hours in that language, which had distracted her from what the woman had asked her. By looking at her, she seemed that she could be a woman of power, which intimidated her, causing her to twiddle with her green hoodie, and shake and she spoke. "I... um... well, am a bit...lost." Her tail tucked a little, obviously embarrassed. She was foolish to get lost like this, and meeting someone of greater power of her in these woods was dangerous. So, she knew that she would have to choose her words with great caution.
Word Count » 313 please note that any time it sounds like i'm being cocky, it's just the way Isa is. She's pretty high strung. ><
Given my reputation, you know my motivation
In the past, Isabella had an easy time of reading people, especially those who made no effort to hide their emotions. She thought herself an adapt reader or such things, considering her trade and the necessity of knowing what a client wanted. But with women, and openly emotional women, it was the simplest thing in the world. As the stranger tucked her tail in, it was as though she had written the gypsy woman a page on what she felt, who naturally assumed her initial opinion correct, no matter how untrue it really was.
Kaoru looked at the woman with his bright blue eyes, tail swishing behind him as he shifted his complacent gaze to his mounted mistress. Isabella looked down at him, then flicked her chin at the unnamed woman. Instantly, the white Akita moved fluidly to her side, taking her by the shoulders. "Help you, どこ行くの?" he asked her in his flowing language. He knew that few here spoke it, but it was far too easy to slip into his native tongue. Isabella understood him this time, remembering the word coming from her father's lips when she was young.
"Where is it you want to go?" she asked smoothly, voice like silk as she gave a reassuring smile. Isabella leaned forward in her saddle, blue-yellow eyes peering at the other female. If only she had some secret sleeping powder to lull this woman into a sleep to enslave her into the Thistle Kingdom's service. Such a lost lamb in a forest of vicious wolves - it was like passing by a freshly caught elk, blood still squirting from it's opened neck. "Perhaps we can help," she suggested, letting her sweetened tones echo off of her tongue like honeyed milk. There was no way to capture this creature, and Isabella hesitated at enslaving another woman, even one laid before her.
There were many things wrong with what Jordyn was doing. She should have scurried away from this scene by now. What she was doing would have made her mother frown in that way that she loathed, and her father would have spanked her for her unwise decisions; yet she was still standing here in the presence of a gypsy woman and a slave. The way the woman stared at her freaked her out more than anything else about her situation. The way she leaned forward toward her having a secretive conversation in her head. As if she were looking at her as a mere snack rather than as a soulful, living being. It frightened her. The woman had asked a question, and she was taking a while to respond, since she was pondering whether or not to tell her where she was indeed going, for the woman could always follow her, and capture her as her own. The slave next to her didn't seem to be under fed or mistreated, but she knew it was no way to live a life. She eventually made up her mind to tell her, she wasn't happy with it, but she had learned to trust her self, and for her well, that was good enough. She made eye contact with the woman atop that horse. "I am looking for the nearest coast," she said quietly, while still making eye contact. Even if the woman told her where the coast was, she probably wouldn't make it there quick enough to battle sleep, but it would be nice to know where to go in the morning.
Prominent brows furrowed together as the other woman spoke. The white spots on her forehead moved almost together as she peered at the stranger looking back up at her. The gaze was not as intense as it could have been to deter those thoughts of capture aside, but it was enough to settle the woman. This one would not go quietly and there was nothing she could have done about that. Resignation set into her features as she sat back on the horse, who fidgeted slightly at the shift of weight. Kaoru turned his sea eyes at his mistress from the stranger, unable to guess her next words. He had been her slave for too brief a time to know who she truly was in all situations. And it was not his place to question or to judge.
"The coast, you say?" she asked the woman. Then, without moving her gaze off the stranger, Isabella softly asked, "どこで？海?" These were the most basic words she had picked up from the slave, and the terribly faint memories of the language rarely spoken at home. Kaoru looked up through the trees, to the sun. He knew what time of day it ought to be and then pointed south without a word. Isabella only let her gaze shift for a moment before smiling at Jordyn. "Why do you want to go to the coast, miss..?" her voice fading out as she waited for a name. Surely this creature had a name.
The collie's breath whistled through her nose, and collected in front of her in the chilly air. The stars were starting to show themselves over her in the dark blanket above them, along with the fireflies, mosquitoes, and moths. Her mind was still focused on the woman atop the horse, however, who was not breaking eye contact with her. The woman spoke to her casually then to the slave in the language, while still watching her intently. It was obviously a question, and the man replied by pointing south, without a word. Jordyn shifted her weight from the her left leg to her right leg, her good leg. She always did this to ready herself for anything, but she was fairly sure that if she was going to attack her, she would have done it by now, so she relaxed her shoulders, and rubbed her elbow. As the forest got darker, she began to think that this person was just stalling, and that she was teasing her to claim her as her prize. Before she had had time to plan an escape route, the gypsy woman had asked for her name, and her reason for going to the coast. "My name is Jordyn."she said,"I am going there to rest, and continue south the next day. Why do you ask?"She had to question the gypsy woman for her curiosity. All she really wanted was the direction to her destination and she would be on her way, but there was no telling what could happen.
Isabella furrowed her brows at the name; it was one she knew as masculine and had rarely heard as female, if she had heard it at all. Kaoru's look was impassive, blank; he had never heard most of the western names before at all, more used to his Japanese origins than the Latin and Germanic origins of many of the names here. Isabella was that oddball mix with parents who named her from both descents, oddly enough. He understood only one and the other was not something he could call her. "Well, Jordan, I say you're definitely going the wrong way," she said tartly, almost as though it amused her. It was plenty easy to get lost, especially if there was no instinctual memory of the place or a knowledge of the sun and stars - not that she claimed either.
"I wouldn't suggest you follow the coast much further east though, you'll run into Inferni," she said with a warning. She herself had little cause to fear from them, even if they disliked the slaves. They had been allies in a fight, struggle, and she commanded half her blood to be coyote. No, there was nothing to fear from them. But this creature. Dog, wasn't she? Isabella knew she had just as much dog blood as coyote and it showed more. Jordyn was clearly very much dog. "If I were you, I'd avoid them. No coyote blood in you, is there?" she asked, rudely sure, but she had the upper hand here. "You're better off either finding a boat and risking the sea or just head north while avoiding them." There was a strange half grin on her face, as though she dared to imagine a dog on the borders of the coyote clan.
Each word the woman said sent strings of imaginary electricity bolts through their conversation, that she could feel with every sentence. She twitched her head, which made her playful looking ears dance and twitch, while reading the canine's expressions. The gypsy woman wore a smile on her face, yet all of her words had a tangy taste of cockiness in them, almost like they were making in fun of her, which did not please her. She had calmed herself down, and was now not afraid. What had passed was just another one of her mood changes. They were always changing, just like the wind, so unpredictable. The woman had warned her about the Inferni pack. Jordyn had heard little rumors of them, but they never really had crossed her mind, nor had she met anyone from them. The only pack that had been on her mind was the Vinatta pack, which she had been thinking about joining for quite sometime. The woman's golden mixed eyes were amused, and full of trickery, making it hard for her to decide whether or not to trust her. She decided that she must get her name, and reply before the silence got even more eerie. "Why, thank you for the information, I was not aware of them," she said, still wondering if she could trust the information, "I am not aware of any coyote blood in me... Ummm excuse me, I am not sure I got your name, miss, and I would love to know it, if you would be so kind as to say it." Her awkward talking was common, and it made her a little embarrassed, causing her heart to flutter, and butterflies to start to build inside her.
Isabella gracefully waved her arm, smiling with a crooked corner turned up. The slave's eyes shot downward, keeping his gaze to the ground. He knew his mistress enough to know that she was feeling particularly egotistical because of the way the other woman was treating her. Men and women alike elicited the same response from her, especially aided by the deference in the other woman's voice at requesting her name. For now, the slave knew that it was a coin toss on whether or not she would give the dog woman her real name or a false one. Isabella's storm eyes shot at the slave, who probably felt the gaze boring into him, but did not look up from his modest view.
Smug, the woman leaned back in her saddle, back rigid straight. Ducky blew air out of her nose, shaking her head. "You'll be thankful if you see their wolf skulls. They like to line them up at their borders as a warning. They don't much like wolves, you see." Did not seem to much like dogs either, but that was an entirely different story. As to her name, Isabella was torn. On one, it was her pride that would drive her to speak the truth, but on the other, she could expose something about her pack's culture. And there was nothing that Salsola disliked more than a blabbermouth of a member. Coy smile returning to grace her lips, the curvacious woman thought a moment, then offered, "Chihana" Kaoru looked up at his mistress, brows furrowing in confusion. Blood flower? What a strangely morbid name for the woman that was all poise and grace. Still, he shrugged slightly as he eyed the other woman. "We'd be honored to escort you south, wouldn't we, cousin?" she asked the slave, smiling with warning in her eyes. "Yes, Hana-sama..," he answered meekly.
Sorrowful, black clouds were drooping over their heads in the now pitch black sky. The clouds were carrying heavy amounts of rain, nut they seemed very isolated from each other so it wasn't something to worry about. She could, now hardly even see the woman and the slave in front of her anymore. Little lightning bugs lit their faces every few seconds, just to remind her that were still indeed there. Jordyn hardly even thought of any sneak attack moves from the woman's side, since the darkness was her most comforting back round. She had always thought of as the moon being her friend No matter where she went, it followed. Yes, of course, the sun did as well, but it never appeared in different turning points, and you most certainly can't look straight into it, and admire its beauty like the moon. As it had always promised to do, it had. The moon was right above her, giving her a feeling of confidence, and hope that only he could bring. The woman atop the horse waved her arm elegantly in the air. Jordyn could sense pride in the movement, and it confused her. After her hand wave, she explained how the Inferni pack laid skulls of wolves around their borders to warn new arrivals. The woman was obviously refusing to mention her name, which she thought was very unjust, due to the fact that she had. It made her blood boil. Sh felt a sudden rise of anger, and maniacal feelings that she could only blame her illness for. It had always taken a while to clam her perturbed feelings, just like curing an upset stomach in thirty seconds. Her arms and legs were shaking, and the moon seemed to be following suit. She tried to calm her mind with thoughts of her family and her new friends. It worked a little, but it wouldn't stay like that for long. Her heart was still beating fast when she ran a few feet away from the woman and hid behind a tree to calm herself down, while ignoring that fact that the woman had offered to escort her to the south.
Word Count » 308
Isabella is going to make an attempt but by no means do I expect her to succeed. Feel free to do whatever you want (we can wrap up soon, if you'd like?)
Given my reputation, you know my motivation
Perhaps this one was unstable, though the hybrid gypsy woman as she watched the range of emotions pass over the dog's features. Isabella's own twisted around a little here and there, slightly more sinister in one moment and a lot more innocent in the next. Suddenly, there seemed to be a panic in the other woman and she bolted like a cornered rabbit. Scoffing, Isabella nodded off to the slave to try to cut her off or at least get close enough to her.
The white slave moved off silently as he chanced a look back at his mistress, who had pulled out one of the daggers she had been armed with. It had sat on her rump in the saddle bags, and she held it to the saddle's side so that she did not hurt her precious horse. Rapidly, she dismounted, her motions fluid and grace even though her intentions were sinister. A frightful rabbit was easier to tame and capture than a stubborn elk. Isabella flipped the dagger in her hand, switching to her dominant left. Kaoru was near the tree the stranger woman had come behind, and was looking fairly grim. "Don't be afraid, little flower, I'm only here to help," she cooed, even as she approached with dagger drawn and her intent to capture the woman for Salsola's needs.
The clouds had started to chase away the day, and the light seemed to be slowly dripping away. She would have to do it quickly, if she could even succeed. She was not one to be so brutish in her ways, preferring poisons and allure to win the day. Perhaps her falsely honeyed tones would be enough to lure the woman out, and Kaoru to block her backward path when the woman approached. Now, if only they had rope..
OOC: We could end it with Jordyn running away in this post, while leaving Isabella behind, or Isabella could pursuit her, while leaving Jordyn lost in the end. Whichever you prefer. It has been a lot of fun role paying with you. We should do it again!
The canine's claws dug long pieces of bark out of the tree while she was crouched behind the tree. Her face was burning up due to her anger attack. She felt a little embarrassed about it, but she didn't feel like like for long. She heard quick movements behind her. She watched as the woman flew off the horse in one quick, blurry movement, while pulling out a dagger. How fast the two moved made her think about how many times they must have done this before with other people. It made her insides bunch up. She put her back against the tree, while giving it a backwards type hug. Her breathing became intense as she heard the woman speak softly, and sweetly to her, when she too well that she was carrying a weapon. Jordyn put her hand in her satchel, with her head to the side, her hand feeling around for her own knife. She wasn't intending to hurt anyone. In fact, she didn't even know how to use a knife correctly. It just gave a little more confidence.
Her instincts were telling her to run until her legs fell off. She knew that was an option, but the horse and slave was a con in the situation. She looked up at the moon one last time for guidance. She could then feel the woman's presence behind her. She took off running. She ran through the dark forest, her shoes hitting the ground made sounds that echoed through the forest. Everything was blurry. She couldn't tell if it was from the dryness of her eyes from the wind hitting her face, or the wet streams coming down her face. Her tears filled the cup of realization in her mind that she was running away, just like in her past, once again.
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(we can wrap up soon, if you'd like?)