CRP: A Cry in the Night

[Camelia]

Camelia was finally beginning to sleep better again. Warrick had returned, and as reluctant as she'd been to face him again, he had turned out to be the one source of comfort she'd yet found in the aftermath of the possession. He understood what no one else could. He did not tell her to forgive herself or that she hadn't been responsible. He only nodded his understanding when she haltingly tried to speak about, many days after her freedom had been won. And he haltingly shared a few words of his own trying to share what he had been through. All her life, Camelia had been closest to her twin, but after the horror of the past weeks, she began to feel that only her older brother could truly understand her now. Even with Warrick she could not be at ease though, because she was always haunted by the memories of how the demon had used her lips and her breath to torment him. She knew her brother had forgiven her, but she could not forgive herself.

So it was that she began to stray outside the city, taking long, strenuous hikes around the countryside in search of solitude, since that seemed to be about the only peace she could find any more. She became incautious, unable to care about her own welfare, and walked even at night sometimes, when sleep was too hard to reach. Those nights were fewer now, but still came with some regularity, and particular on nights when the moon was new as it had been when the demon took her.

Camelia climbed a small rise, stumbling slightly as she went in the absence of even the gentle moonlight. The stars glittered coldly above, seeming more distant even than usual. A wintry chill had descended and brought the season's first snow already, and though the snow had melted away under the sun's noon warmth, a frost crept eagerly across the ground as the night deepened. She sucked in her breath as her knees hit the cold ground before she could recover from her stumble, then pushed herself upright again and forged ahead to her current goal, a twisted and bare tree at the summit of the little hill. Having reached this point, she sank down into the deeper shadow of the tree, taking care to keep her cloak between herself and the frigid earth. The silence of the place slowly lulled her to sleep, a thing she had not intended and that she would have deemed unlikely in the growing cold of night. A little ways from her, a thick patch of frost slowly melted to a small, dark puddle, and from within it a tentacle reached out as if to sample the air. The tentacle was followed slowly by a disconcerting number of appendages that surrounded the sinuous form of a well grown yvyrm. It slithered and clambered cautiously toward the sleeping girl, easing its way up on to her lap and then around the tree she leaned against until she was bound securely with its sinewy length and its head was at just the right height to be able to clamp its spindly teeth to her neck. Camelia slept on as the thing reared back its head to strike.

[Kade]

The forest was pitch black, looking up at the night sky through the breaks in the tree canopy revealed a relatively clear sky. Clouds blown by the icy cold winds were lit up by the moon, shining its light down on the world. Kade dressed in his usual night attire was completely hidden within all the trees, it was a normal thing for Kade to be out at night.

It was at this time when Kade could feel really alive, the thrill of skulking around in the dark. Being able to pass by completely unnoticed, being able to sneak right up behind someone without their knowledge of his presence. Kade stole things, the harder the challenger the bigger the thrill. He didn't steal to order, he didn't work for anybody and he certainly didn't steal for him to be able to survive. The woods is a place he goes before taking on a challenge, a place for him to sit in the darkness and listen silently to the creatures of the night. It was also a time for him to practice moving as silently as possible, avoiding making the slightest sound and to move in and out of the moonlight. Tonight Kade was on the move, weaving in and out of the trees. Moving as fast as he could without making a sound, considering the forest floor being full of dead leaves and twigs he was moving a lot faster than anyone would expect with not making his presence known.

Reaching the edge of the forest, Kade spots movement from the trail ahead and instantly sinks into a low stance and creeps forward. Seeing a figure in the night makes his interest spike, and heart bumping in his chest he makes the decision to sneak closer. Eyes locked onto the shadowy person, Kade listens to his complete surroundings as he slowly moves forward. Hearing the frost on the ground crunch with every step of the person ahead suddenly they lost their balance as they walked into a beam of moonlight. At first amusement come over Kade at the thought of someone slipping and then shock. As the moonlight shined down on the person it revealed something completely unexpected, a fair haired girl wondering the woods at night. Even more curiosity came over Kade, because this wasn't just a girl wondering around at night. Her clothes as much as he could see at night suggest her to look more like a Lady, someone who could possibly be of some importance.

Watching her rise back to her feet and regain her balance, she continues on. Kade slowly sneaks back into the forest and decides to follow her through the trees, until she decides to stop at a pretty distinct tree which sat a little away from the rest of the forest at the top a small hill. Watching the girl sink into the tree and get comfortable Kade wonders if the tree is her "special place". Like he comes to the forest to prepare himself and in a way to meditate maybe this is her spot for some purpose.

Watching from a distance, Kade slowly moves closer and sneaks up to the other side of the tree and makes himself comfortable. Getting a lot of enjoyment at the thought of someone sitting the other side of the tree without the slightest clue he was there. Deciding to see how far he could go without her knowing of his presence, Kade takes out a knife strapped onto his leg and produces an apple from a small pouch on his waist. Cutting into the apple he slices pieces off and eats it from the blade while grinning to himself. Once all but the core is left he places it on the ground and listens to the girls breathing and notices how slow it has gotten. She must have fallen asleep he thinks to himself, closing his eyes he listens more carefully. Hearing a new sound come into earshot, Kade's eyes open instantly and he concentrates on that new sound. Something moving slowly, it's coming from the other side of the tree but it isn't the girl. Wondering what it could be, Kade gets to his feet still with the knife in one hand and he places the other against the tree.

Peeking around the tree, a long dark creature is raised up. It's underbelly showing multiple tiny legs wiggling in the air, a strange clicking noise comes from the creature as its neck arches back. Eyes going wide, Kade uses his hand against the tree to swing himself around diving at the creature just as it is about to strike the sleeping girl. Knocking its aim away from the girl with his shoulder he plunges the knife up through the creatures jaw. The creature hisses and begins to compulse on the ground, moving back from the creature Kade shoves it further away from himself and the girl with his foot. Adrenaline pumping through his body and hands slightly shaking Kade turns to look at the girl.

[Camelia]

The abrupt savagery of the short lived fight woke Camelia in time to find the beast being shoved unceremoniously to the side by a man whose visage she couldn't make out in any detail on this moonless night. I ought to shriek or hide my face, she thought, knowing these were the things a well bred young lady did and that she would have done until a few weeks ago. Now though, no matter how daunting the large, scaled body a few feet away may be, she felt only a vague sense of relief rather than the horror that might have been more appropriate. She watched the creature for a long moment, her breath coming fast from the adrenaline rushing through her system as a result of this strange awakening. It didn't move, so when she was finally satisfied that it was dead, she turned her attention to the man who had apparently happened along just in time to save her.

It was the sort of coincidence she would have once believed meant that he must be her hero, and that they were destined to be together. She couldn't help but imagine for a moment how thrilling this moment would have been if only it had happened a month ago. Now she knew there would be no heroes for her, no happily ever after. Once again, she found herself unsure of how to behave. I should at least thank the man, she decided, her practical nature finding a solution that honored propriety without requiring any special virtue on her part.

"Thank you," she said softly, her words leaving a trail of mist on the air as they left her lips. It didn't seem enough. "Thank you very much," she said more firmly, but still found herself at a loss for how to better express her gratitude.

Enough of her innocence remained that it never occurred to her this stranger might be a threat himself, so after an awkward pause and with no wariness, she extended a hand to him for assistance in rising to her feet. "However did you come to be here?" she asked the stranger. She'd been sure she was alone and unfollowed, but then she'd never sensed the beast that lay dead a few feet away either.