[Log] Damsel in Distress
Who: Aida, Donavon (NPC), Katric (NPC)
When: Day 2, Month 5, Turn 2, 7th Pass
Where: Outside High Reaches Weyr
What: Br'ce having stepped down, the kidnappers prepare to release Aida.
How long has she been laying there? It becomes awful hard to tell, after a while. Aida has given up on attempting to get her captors to talk to her, instead just letting herself zone out as she stares off at nothing. Sleeping, most of the time -- or dozing, really, since actual sleep is pretty much impossible. Still, with regularity, there's a wiggle here and a wiggle there; a testing of the bonds that hold her. Eventually they'll loosen up. Otherwise...well, there's not much a girl in her position can do except for lay there.
Again, Katric is sitting on duty, absently cleaning his nails with a knifeblade and glancing up whenever Aida stirs. The camp is in a lull, quieter than usual this afternoon, the other men dozing themselves and leaving the youngster to watch their captive. That is, until the sound of a person crashing angrily through the underbrush becomes audible, growing louder. At once, the two men by the fire look up, as does Katric, turning to face the sound warily. "I swear, you moved the camp. I sharding swear it," announces Donavon as he steps into the clearing. Everyone relaxes at once, just slightly--until he announces: "Time to go. We're letting her go."
Moved the camp? If she had the energy to be laughing, she would. Instead, Aida just smiles a little bit. That last announcement actually has her lifting her head up a little bit, blue eyes resting on Katric's face to see his reaction to the news. Since she can't crane around to see Donavon again, anyway.
Katric, in turn, looks rather disappointed at the news, frowning as he shoots a quick glance at Aida. However, noting her own gaze to him, he quickly glances downward again, fiddling with his knife and finally putting it away, standing. "'Bout time," he announces. "You sure you didn't jus..." He trails off at a glower from Donavon, the former healer scooting sideways as the older man stalks over. Donavon kneels in front of Aida with a broad smile; he's now boasting a fading black eye that wasn't there last time she saw him. "Hello there," he greets Aida. "Ready to go home? Think you can walk back on your own, or are we going to have to carry you?"
Katric is watched until he moves out of her sight, and then Aida's eyes shift over to Donavon. She gazes mildly up at him for a few long moments, her expression still a bit dazed. The first two attempts at speaking end up with not much coming out, but she clears her throat and eventually manages, "I can walk. If you'll untie me. I'll crawl if I have to, believe me."
"Good enough for me," Donavon says. "Because Luskian's busy and I'm sure as hell not hauling you all that way." Katric opens his mouth, noting, "I could--" but Donavon cuts him off with another look. "You have to stay here and clear out," he notes, to both the healer and the other two men standing expectantly nearby. They two nod once and set about breaking camp, though Katric loiters in the way. Donavon ignores him. Instead, he notes easily, "So, just to make sure you /do/ make it back in a timely fashion and in one piece and all of that, you get the pleasure of my company a little longer. I'll take you as far as I can, all right? But don't think this means you're free just yet--you try anything and, well. I won't feel guilty, let's put it that way. Got it?" He doesn't move to untie her just yet.
Again, Aida's eyes shift towards Katric. He's studied impassively for several long moments as he moves around, but eventually she sets that gaze back upon Donavon. It's not quite blank staring, because there is certainly a measure of focus in her eyes, but...there's nothing apparent behind it. His words are measured for a good long few moments before she eventually informs him, "I am not stupid. I'm in no condition to 'try anything', and I don't even have a knife."
"Good!" says Donavon, pleased. At that, he leans down to her feet, using his own knife to slit the ropes carefully, rather than waste time untying the knots. "You'll understand, of course," he notes as he does this, gathering up the remains of rope and tossing them to Katric, "that I'm not quite convinced of your general good will toward us, so you'll just have to walk carefully or fall flat on your face." With that, he moves to haul her upright bodily, nevermind any stiffness or pain her legs might send her. At least he stays close, making sure she's steady, before he makes to step away.
That may not have been the best idea. Up Aida comes when she's hauled, but the cry of pain once she's on her feet is sharp, and the moment she's released her legs are already giving out, flat out refusing to hold her. There's not even any cursing; her eyes close and she looks like she's too busy keeping her stomach to bother with swearing. Oh, the indignity. No. Definitely not steady.
Donavon, with a heavy sigh, lowers Aida gently back to the ground, scowling. "Ready, huh? What happened to 'even if I have to crawl'?" he grumbles, eyeing her. Katric voices, "Uh, if you'd just /wait/ a few--" here Donavon rounds that scowl on him, but this time he doesn't let himself be cowed "--wait a few minutes, let her legs get some feeling back, and then take it /slowly/ for once, you might get better results." While the elder man doesn't look at all happy about this pronouncement--he's ready to go, and the rest of the world should comply--he doesn't try to drag Aida around again, instead pacing impatiently a couple of feet away. It's Katric that bends down to the girl's level again, looming worriedly. "You're okay, right? Just really bad pins and needles and stiffness, right, or is it something else more than that? Do you think you can walk it out in a few minutes if we help you?"
One hand going to the stone floor of the cave to help prop her up (the other starting to join it, but it's withdrawn promptly), Aida tips her chin down to nearly her chest, setting her jaw again. She bites back the curse that almost escaped in response to Donavon's initial words, forcing silence. There is deep and careful breathing, slow. "I'm going to need help," she tells Katric quietly, at least trying to keep her voice low enough that it won't carry. "If he wants me out of here in any reasonable amount of time, I'm going to need support if he doesn't want me to just pass out. I need something to *eat*, too. And something to drink. It's not just my legs; it's my head, too. I've been tied up for too many days."
"Don't mind him, he's just antsy," Katric brushes Donavon's impatience off breezily--though he's careful to keep his own voice lowered. "Take your time and when you're ready we'll help you get back. I think--do we have anything left over from the supplies?" he calls over. "I know there was some of that bread still, at least this morning, and--oh, thanks." Donavon has at least made himself semi-useful in his restlessness, gathering up the remaining supplies and handing them off to Katric before, huffily, seating himself next to the healer. Somebody's had a bad day, apparently. Katric ignores him, however, in favor of focusing his attentions on Aida. "Here you go. Drink this, but slowly. Just a little at a time," he tells her when he finds one of the containers of water, still half full. Pause. "Her hands are still tied," he tells Donavon. "It's faster if--" That's enough, apparently, to exasperate Donavon into cutting those ropes, too, though this time he remains closer and with his knife ready. "Don't even think about it," he warns preemptively.
"I'm not going to cause you any trouble," Aida informs Donavon quietly, spending a moment gingerly rubbing at her wrists before she shifts to plop back down onto her behind and takes the water. "Two of you was too much for me to handle when I was well rested, fed, and uninjured. Really." With that little pronouncement made, she takes to sipping carefully at the water, ever so slowly and methodically drinking most of it down. Apparently 'most' is enough, because she doesn't quite finish it all, setting the container aside and refocusing up on Katric. "Bread would be good." It's back to rubbing at her wrists, and then she's bringing a hand up and back to gingerly poke at the back of her head. "I do apologize that I am not ready to leap up and go bounding down the hill," she points out more conversationally, threading her tone with a bit of wry humor. "I should only need a few more minutes, but I *am* going to need to lean on someone. I've very little strength to my name right now."
"I'm not worried about you actually /hurting/ somebody," Donavon answers patronizingly while Katric busies himself getting out the bread and offering it to Aida as well. "I just don't want to end up 'accidentally' stabbing you in a skirmish. Be a shame, after all this work we've put into this. D'you know, I had to go talk to that sharding insufferable Headmaster of yours? Would've loved to have a chance to--" And here he mimes stabbing a person with his knife, a rather dreamy smile spreading across his lips. "They can clear up," he notes abruptly, gesturing to the two men already doing so. "Katric, you're with me. You can walk her and I'll guard. Better with two, anyway, I guess. Might as well take your time now, though I /would/ like to get back before dark. 'Magine you would, too." This, to Aida.
Taking the bread and starting to nibble on it, Aida goes overly still when the mention of the Headmaster is made. Chewing stops. Breathing stops. She sits there frozen for two heartbeats before all of it resumes again, her eyes lifting up and focusing back on Donavon calmly. Nothing is said; she simply returns to chewing the bread until she's finished off what is judged to be enough. Then that's set aside too, and without a word she offers both of her hands to Katric as if expecting him to help her up to her feet.
Donavon notes that silence, certainly; it broadens his smirk as he gets back to his feet. "He kept hedging around all these threats, like it was scary at all. Ha. I've got bigger friends than him, and, well. He's got more to lose than I do, so I wouldn't be too worried. He didn't even like the idea of us loaning him a replacement until we got you back--you must be pretty good at whatever you do for him." He leers. Katric is ignoring him, cleaning up carefully and then standing himself. Then, taking Aida's hands, he pulls her up easily, keeping hold until she's steady this time, he expression worried. "Better now?" he asks.
It's only after she's once more up on her feet -- and actually managing to stay there, this time, that Aida turns her head so she can look at Donavon again. He's stared at with cold eyes for a good long moment before she offers a slight smile and turns her attention back to Katric, releasing his hands and instead reaching to grab hold of his arm, letting herself lean. "Better enough," she says. "My legs are shaking something awful, but I think they'll hold me up at least for a ways." Her voice is more certain than those legs are, by far. And it's not really all that certain.
Donavon can match Aida look for frigid look, and does so now, regarding her evenly, with a faint hint of a smile. Finally, after she turns back to Katric, he turns back toward the exit, leaving Katric to tend to Aida. Sticking close, providing all the support she needs as he starts slowly following Donavon, the healer notes confidently, "You'll feel better once we get to moving and stretch you back out. And being back home will be better, too--but just in case, you might ought to have a healer there take a look. I mean, you're fine and everything, I'm sure, but still. Guess you're... glad to be going back, huh? Probably won't see you again after this--I'm probably not going to be hanging around the Weyr proper much, none of us will be, more's the pity," he takes up an idle conversation to keep her mind occupied.
Much to her chagrin, Aida needs a considerable amount of support as she's walking -- but she is at least intelligent enough to take it. Stubbornness died somewhere along the way in favor of actually getting out of there. So she leans, and she picks her way carefully, and she doesn't push it. "I'll have someone look at me," she promises quietly. "And...well, yes, I am. As nice as the company may have been at moments, the accommodations and the hospitality were a little rougher than I prefer." She chuckles, offers over a wry little smile. "I bet I'll see you eventually, though."
Katric wrinkles his nose, nodding. "Little rougher'n /I/ prefer," he admits. "Faranth, first thing I'm going to do is go stay in the hot springs, possibly permanently. Been too cold, too damp--now I remember why I always hated the weather here. Can't figure why anybody'd want to move here from Igen," he half-jokes. Ahead, Donavon blazes a trail, taking a more direct route than he apparently did in coming. "So you really enjoyed the company?" Katric asks after a moment, glancing skeptically at the girl.
There's an occasional stumble, but Aida catches herself fairly well, slowing down as needed, generally picking her way carefully. She's being attentive to the path, far more than she usually would be -- but even so, she does manage to let out a quiet little chuckle in response to the question. "Some of it," she says, keeping her voice quiet. "I think I would've gone mad if I hadn't had you to talk to. Always a silver lining, right?"
"I guess so," agrees Katric. "Faranth, they don't talk a lot, do they? Should've been up there when it was just the three of us, hanging around waiting for Donavon to show up. For somebody so impatient, he's never on time." He doesn't quite lower his voice enough; up ahead, Donavon makes a rude gesture toward them without pausing. Katric just grins irrepressibly. "If you need a rest, let me know and we can stop for a few minutes. It's a pretty good walk back," he warns.
Hey, look. Stumble. Aida trips, and as a result clutches onto Katric just a little more tightly. If it was planned, she sure pulls it off well. There's a little chuckle that escapes before she loosens her grip again, resteadying herself. "I'm fine," she says. "I really want to get back. And no, they don't talk a lot. But at least you were there."
E'sere's expression is concerned once more as he catches Aida again, brows knitting. "You sure? Because we can--Donavon!" he calls the other man back preemptively, pausing. "Break?" Donavon turns, stares, and finally rolls his eyes. "Fine," he agrees. "Let's swap places, though. You know the way back better than I do." This, plainly, is a lie, for Katric opens his mouth to protest, but never gets the words out as Donavon comes back to take Aida from him. "And maybe," the older man says in an amused whisper to the girl, "you can try charming /me/."
Digging her heels in, Aida wobbles on her feet a bit, but takes a step backwards all the same. "Don't touch me," she states, bringing a hand up to press her fingers against a temple. "Please. Just...don't. I'd rather walk myself. He's been kind. You frighten me." There's a definite thread of a plead to her tone, and a look to match it is given to Katric. Help.
"All right," Donavon agrees easily. "Have at." And he gestures toward the half-visible trail ahead, motioning Aida forward. When Katric takes a half-step forward to assist again, Donavon grabs him by the shirt, smirking as he watches the woman expectantly. "Me or nothing," he announces.
Oh, such a pleading look. Aida keeps it up for a few more heartbeats, then lifts her chin and sets her jaw, starting to pick her way down towards the trail. There's a little stumble after about five steps, but she manages to avoid going all of the way down. Apparently, the 'nothing' is preferable.
Donavon releases Katric after a moment, ushering the sullen-faced healer onward ahead of Aida to break the path. He, smug, watches her progress from behind, loitering a couple of steps behind with an expectant air, plainly just waiting for her to fall or give up.
It doesn't take her too terribly long to trip again, and this time she lands on her knees. The cry of pain is muffled, swiftly suppressed, and soon enough she's shoving herself stubbornly back up to her feet. "Katric..." Oh, it's /such/ a plead, her voice all hurt and frightened. This, boys and girls, is Aida's best damsel in distress. So she *can* pull it off. Br'ce would possibly be thrilled.
Mildly uncomfortable though he may look, Katric is not brave enough to do more than turn and shrug, offering a 'Sorry' before he ventures on further ahead, nominally 'clearing a path.' Donavon steps forward again, arching his brows. "Now look here. We're still in charge," he lays down the law. "And we're as ready to get rid of you as you are of us. So, you can either crawl around here looking pathetic all afternoon, or you can actually get back to the Weyr safe and sound and best of all, soon--with my help. Don't go abusing Katric like that; he's not fool enough to fall for it. And I assure you, I'm not the only dangerous person out here. /I/ don't even get any sort of particular pleasure out of abusing people."
Turning her head enough to look up at Donavon again, Aida wobbles on her feet some more. She's clearly torn, weighing it all in her mind; and eventually, she just lets her knees give out and sinks to the ground. Thud. "You can carry me," she informs him dully. "I don't think that I'm going to be able to walk much further. Please don't hurt me."
"Or," Donavon suggests lightly, "I could run back along and get the rope back, and drag you by your ankles all the way back home to High Reaches." Big smile.
"I hate you," Aida informs the man, tone petulant again. Childish. She brings her good hand up to rub her fingers against the bridge of her nose, sends one last pitiful look after Katric, then shoves herself back up to her feet. Limp, limp, over to him, and she grabs his arm. Unhappily. Because being drug, no. Not going to happen.
"S'okay, I don't mind," Donavon says, pleased by that pronouncement. Still, for all his goading, he's quite helpful when she makes up her mind, looping that arm carefully over her and offering the support she requires. "That's better. You know, you're kind of cute when you're all hateful-like, in fact. Seem like a pretty smart girl--shame you had to get yourself all mixed up in this." As though it were her fault. Still, he sets off again after Katric once they're situated, setting a pace steady and slow, though perhaps not as slow as Katric was inclined to baby Aida with.
Stone cold silence, this time. Aida doesn't bother with trying for conversation or any sort of focus on anything but walking the path, now. Donavon is ignored entirely, save for that attention which is required for leaning on purposes. She's not sullen or sulking, at least -- just numb.
In this fashion, time passes slowly, the distance slower yet, but gradually the stone walls of High Reaches Weyr start to peek through, visible in gaps between the foliage. Katric is sullen, Donavon content with the silence as much as Aida is, when finally, about a quarter-mile from the entrance to the Weyr, a few hundred feet from the main road, the healer pulls up at a word from Donavon. "This is close enough," the latter pronounces. "You ought to be able to make it the rest of the way on your own--the road's right there, the Weyr entrance there. I'm sure you've been this way before. All right?"
There's no real change in her expression when the walls of the Weyr come into sight, nor even when they draw up and the pronouncement is made. Aida simply lets go of Donavon's arm, saying not a word to him as she starts to carefully make her own way forward again. There's a glance, a tiny smile for Katric, but nothing more than that. No, she just heads for the road.
"Bye!" Katric calls after Aida as she starts off on her own. He even waves, like a proud parent sending her off on her first day of school, until Donavon hits him upside the head and drags him along back the way they came.