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 Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:08 pm
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Kaine
Kaine went to another bush and checked the snare there, pulling a shrew out of the trap and resetting it. When he stood, the girl had a plant in her hand. He tilted his head, not ever having seen onions before, then leaned in and sniffed them. He stepped back at the smell. It was sharp, strange, almost sour but crisp at the same time. "Is that edible?" he asked her, skeptical. "Onion?" He repeated the word. It was familiar, but he had not heard it in a long time. It must have been something he ate at his kingdom, in which case it was indeed edible. "Hmm." He took them and stuffed them in his pack with the rabbit and shrew. He looked and saw where she got them. "Wait... they grow in the ground? Like potatoes?"
That reminded him! There was someplace else he should visit today. But... He had the girl with him. There were a number of different reasons why he didn't want to take her. It was far and she would get tired, she was slow and it would take all day, she would mess up the peace and quiet. She would ask questions. He looked at her again, his sapphires contemplative.
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Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:00 am
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CasϨandra •❀•ʅaruzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
❀Cassie nodded in response to his question. "Yes, they're edible. They're a bit tricky to find sometimes. And-" Another flurry of scents caught her attention in the breeze and she glanced over towards the bush the boy took the rabbit out of. Was there something over there?
Seemingly forgotten she was in the midst of saying something, she left the boy to go back to the bush and kneel down in front of it. Low to the ground, she found some mint sprigs. Tentatively she pulled off a leaf and chewed on it a bit before gathering up more. But wait, there was something else. Puzzled, Cassie made her way towards a nearby tree and found a large clump of mushrooms growing. Something inside her knew what exactly they were, and that they were edible.
Grabbing as much as she could, she walked back to the boy, feeling quite proud of herself. "I've got some mint, and some maitake mushrooms. Yes, they're both edible. And not poisonous at all." She informed him, finding it strange herself that she knew so much.
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Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:30 am
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Kaine
Kaine watched her gather more ingredients, puzzled. Were these things inside the walls? They had to have been, or how else would she know about them He shrugged it off and nodded when she had brought the mushrooms and mint. He knew what they were. It was only the onions he had never seen before. "Follow." He told her once again, stuffing the ingredients into his bag and walking off.
They stayed in the sunlit forest still, heading up the mountain. It would be a long walk, but he decided to make it, girl or not. He did stop so she could rest a few times, handing her the water skin and waiting. When they reached the top of the climb, he stopped and looked over the forest they had come from. There was an obvious difference in the look from above. The bit of forest surrounding the kingdom looked like it was in shadow, even though there were no clouds in the sky at the moment. The forest directly below and all around them now looked normal. There was a high contrast.
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Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 7:26 pm
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CasϨandra •❀•ʅaruzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
❀The walk to wherever they were going was more tiring to Cassie than she had originally thought it would be. Obviously she wasn't used to such a thing, the only walks she'd been on were brief, having not many places to go inside the castle. Still, she was thankful for the few stops and offers of water. Although she knew she was a burden, she was happy to see she wouldn't be completely left behind. Still, she wondered why. It wasn't like she was too much of an asset to him. Aside from her strange knowledge of plants, she was virtually useless in the forest. She did want to learn more though, perhaps he was teaching her? She wasn't sure, but decided to think on it later.
As they made it through the forest, she noticed the scenery changing. The trees were becoming less dense, and sunlight was starting to light their path more. At the top, she turned around and noticed a strange part of the forest. "What.... is that? The darkness there." She asked, puzzled.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 9:58 am
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Kaine
Kaine was silent for a short while, thinking of the best answer to the girl's question. "That is what happens when man tries to tame the forest." He spoke. "This forest cannot be tamed, but it can be reasoned with, if you know how it thinks." He spoke as if he could speak to the forest, though his words were meant metaphorically. The forest did not actually speak to him in words, but he understood it's language by watching the movements of animals around him. He had learned how to live peacefully with the forest long ago.
He turned around and continued on his way. It seemed he would not reach his destination today, as the girl was very slow and obviously tired already. He changed his course slightly and headed for where they would sleep tonight.
It was still a long walk there, but not as far as it would have been to the original destination. Kaine led the runaway into a clearing with a small pond. It was backed by a cliff, a small trickle of a waterfall dribbling into the pond. In the cliff face, there was an ivy covered piece of wall. Kaine went to it and pulled the ivy aside, revealing a hidden cave mouth. "We will stay here tonight." He informed her, but as it was only a little past noon, he decided to do some fishing. He rolled up his pants and waded into the pond. Glancing at the girl, he realized he had no idea what to call her. "Girl, what is your name?" he called to her.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 2:48 pm
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CasϨandra •❀•ʅaruzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
❀The rest of the way on the walk, Cassie contemplated what he had said. How did the forest think? Was it like the whispers she sometimes heard among the plants? She always assumed that to be her imagination. Surely sharing that information with such a person would result in them thinking she was mad. Not a pleasant thought.
Relief flooded her when the boy announced they were stopping for the night. Her eyes scanned the area, taking in the sight. It was certainly a scenic place to stay, and the sound of the water trickling was calming. Surely she'd sleep easier thank the night before, or so she'd hoped. The cave was impressively hidden as well. She was thoroughly impressed. Again, she wondered how long he'd been in the forest. He seemed to know quite a lot, and have a lot set up.
Deciding to take this opportunity to relax, she sat gracefully down on the grass by the pond. Being graceful wasn't something she needed in the forest, but after being trained how to be for so long, it seemed to came naturally. A habit she needed to break if she was to live out in the forest. Speaking of, she also needed to change her clothing choice as well. A heavy dress offered little for this kind of life, so she'd learned. Absentmindedly, she gasped the folds of her skirt and looked down with them, trying to decide what to do.
The boy's question brought her out of her thoughts, and she looked up at him. "Oh! I apologize, I should have told you sooner. I am Pri--- Cassie." She said quickly. Announcing herself as a princess was something she needed to get out of the habit of doing as well. Such a title did her no good in the forest, and if she wanted to lead a new life, she would have to abandon it all together. "What is yours?" She asked curiously.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 5:44 pm
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Kaine
Kaine wondered briefly as to the pause when she came to tell him her name. Pri... ? Was there a prefix to her name? Perhaps she didn't want to tell him her real name. Whatever the case was, it mattered not to him. If she wanted to be called Cassie, he would call her that.
When it came time to give his name, he spoke, "Kaine..." Then he paused as well. It had been so long since he had heard his own name, it sounded foreign, even when spoken by himself. "Kaine..." he said again, quietly this time, to himself. "Hm..." he looked thoughtful, turning back to the task of catching fish.
Two fish later, he waded back out of the water and stood by Cassie. He had given her enough time to rest, so he thought, and now it was time for her to earn her supper. "Come." he told her, holding out his hand to help her up.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 6:05 pm
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CasϨandra •❀•ʅaruzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
❀Cassie nodded in recognition of the name. Kaine. At least he was a bit less of a stranger now. As she rested by the pond, she went back to work on her dress situation. She fidgeted with the hems of her skirts, hoping to loosen some of the layers, if not completely remove them. She was sure it would help.
After a while of attempt, with no such results, she was interrupted by a hand reached out towards her. A bit surprised by the gesture, she took his hand gratefully and lifted herself up, careful so not to fall back over. The heaviness of her dress was so infuriating! Her eyes glanced at the fish, wondering if that was their dinner. Or was he leaving it out for animals, perhaps?
"Thanks, where are we going?" She asked as she was upright and balanced. She assumed they had stopped for the night. What did he have in mind, she wondered.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 6:16 pm
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Kaine
Kaine let go of Cassie's hand when she was standing and motioned for her to follow him to the pond. "Take off your shoes and stockings." He told her, then waded into the water. He was going to teach her how to fish. She said she had wanted to learn how to live out in the forest, and he had given her three days in which to be taught. He stood in the water and addressed her, "Stand perfectly still." He demonstrated, "Slowly bend to reach into the water. Try not to make ripples when you put your hands in. Keep them a foot apart and remain motionless. The fish will come. They are stupid." He waited, glancing at her to make sure she was watching, then, when the timing was right, he scooped up another fish. "Hold on tight to it so it won't wiggle out of your hands, but not too tight. It's harder to control the tighter you hold onto it." he explained, then let the fish go back into the water. He had caught his two. He didn't need more than that.
He motioned for her to come into the water, "You try."
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 6:37 pm
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CasϨandra •❀•ʅaruzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
❀Cassie stood by the edge of the water, listening carefully and watching his every move. Or more so, lack of moving. Luckily staying still was something to be expected of a princess, to stand during occasions and such. She supposed she was thankful for it, as far as catching fish was concerned. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips when he mentioned fish being stupid.
Once he instructed her to try, she slipped off her shoes and tugged off her stockings as he had said before. The feeling of the grass beneath her feet was nice, and welcoming after the aches of walking in her shoes all day. Perhaps she'd just ditch her shoes altogether, at least until she found something better to wear.
Sliding into the water, Cassie did her best not to move around too much. Her dress flared out a bit in the water, causing her to hate it even more. She pushed it back under the water before holding her hands out in front of her and bending. After a few minutes, something slimy touched her hand. Forcing herself not to flinch, she stayed still until the feeling returned, seemingly interested in the strange object in the water. Cassie used the opportunity and closed her hands around the fish, fighting to keep her grasp on the flailing creature. Slowly she reached upwards to pull it free from the water, getting splashed in the process.
"I've got one! Where should I put it?" She asked, holding her hands out to keep some distance between her and the fish in her grasp.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 6:58 pm
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Kaine
Kaine nodded, impressed when she caught a fish. She picked up on it quickly. He went over and took the fish from her, getting the feeling she wouldn't have the stomach for what came next. "Out of the water, the fish suffer. Kill them quickly." He explained as he held the Fish to the ground and took a fist sized rock in his free hand. He lifted it above his head and slammed it down on the fish's head. It stopped wriggling. He tossed it with his two fish and looked at Cassie. "One more." He told her, knowing she was used to eating better than he was, and therefore would also need more than one fish.
While he watched her fish, he took out his knife and began to gut and clean the already caught fish, preparing them for cooking. He expertly sliced open the belly and removed the innards that would be toxic to eat. He then set them aside and began to sharpen sticks for roasting, as well as gather up firewood. Once the fire was crackling, he stuck the fish on the sharpened sticks an let them roast.
Now that the fish were cooking, Kaine opened his bag and pulled out the small game he had collected from the snares earlier and began to do the same to them as he did with the fish. the meat he set to dry, to make it keep longer, then washed the pelts and stretched them to cure and tan. All of this was routine for him now, taking hardly any thought at all to complete. Not thinking, he began to hum as he stretched the rabbit skin out to dry. It was an old lullaby he had long since forgotten the words to, but the memory of his mother's voice singing it to him was still there.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 7:39 pm
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Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 8:52 pm
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Kaine
Kaine had been unaware that he had been humming, and the moment it was brought to his attention, he stopped, quite embarrassed. He finished stretching the furs and came back to the fire. He took the last fish from her and gave her the sticks of meat. "You can cook them." He told her when she asked what she could do.
The sun still had about two hours left in the sky, but a glance to the south told him the full moon was fast approaching. Two more days. He nibbled his bottom lip nervously. He glanced at Cassie as he began to clean the fish, then reminded himself that by the time the last day was over, she would be gone. That was their deal after all. Three days and she was no longer his problem. He would leave an hour before sunset on the third day, before he lost control.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back at the castle, servants and soldiers ran around like headless chickens. The princess had gone missing, and the king would not rest, nor let anyone else rest until his daughter was found. They had searched the whole kingdom for her, but she was nowhere to be found. A few hours before sunset, a pair of guards came to the throne room with some information. "Speak," Instructed the king, and so forth the information spilled.
"Sire, the day of her highness' disappearance was the very same day Sapphire Eyes was sighted. He was first sighted fleeing the market, but escaped. He was spotted again at night... A young woman, around the age of the Princess I'd say, was his hostage. He escaped outside of the walls, and took the girl with him. I believe the girl was the young highness."
"Who was the witness?" Demanded the king.
"We were, sire. The two of us." Spoke the guard, motioning to his companion.
The king stood, determination and fury in his eyes. "We will go after this kidnapping thief with eyes of sapphire and he shall know what it is to fear. He will fear my wrath, and he shall pay for his actions with blood. Muster half the guard. We leave at sunrise." With that he turned and left the throne room. He had to prepare.
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Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 9:27 pm
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CasϨandra •❀•ʅaruzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
❀Cassie did as she was instructed, and cooked the fish over the fire. Although she hadn't actually cooked before, she at least knew how it looked when it was finished. She just hoped that would be enough. It wasn't often she was allowed in the kitchen, but sometimes she wondered what they did. Curiosity was sometimes a bad thing for a princess to have, or so she'd heard. Not that she much cared, she wished to be who she was. Another reason for leaving. This life was obviously much harder, but she had freedom.
As she cooked, she glanced around the campsite. Things were certainly different from her old life, that was for sure. Perhaps one day she would be able to transform a forest into her home, and also living peacefully with it just as Kaine did. He certainly was a strange person to her. She wondered where he had come from before, where his family was. At the thought of family, she wondered about her own. Surely they were worried about her. Perhaps even search for her. Her eyes scanned the surroundings once more. Surely they would search. How could she be so stupid?
"Umm.. How well is this place for hiding against... predators and such. Anything of harm." She asked, trying to sound calm. Hopefully they wouldn't find her; the cave he had was certainly well hidden beyond the ivy. She hoped the guards weren't smart enough to pry further. As she spoke, she finished cooking the fish and started to take them away from the fire.
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Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 9:52 pm
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Kaine
The last fish gutted and cleaned, Kaine stuck it on a stick and joined her in cooking. He yawned, the warmth from the fire comforting and soothing. He glanced at her cooking and saw that she was doing a decent job. [b]"The cave is pretty safe from eyes, and the mist from the waterfall usually masks any scents, but the water is low, so there is no mist here. When the rains come, the pond is larger and the cave is more safe from predators." He answered truthfully. There hadn't been much rain these past few months, and the waterfall was only a trickle at the moment. When the fish was done cooking, he barely let it cool before tearing into it, much like the way he had the night before with the meat pies.
It took all of two minutes for Kaine to scarf down his two fish, licking his fingers and lips bestially. Satisfied, he stretched and fell back onto his back, lacing his fingers over his belly. The sun was close to setting now, and it felt nice on his face. After a minute of relaxing, letting his food settle, he sat back up and looked around. He had to make another bed, the one in there was old. The furs would still be good, but the leaves would be dry and pokey. Not something comfortable to sleep on. There was also the matter of Cassie. She would need a bed too. He stood. "Time to learn how to make a bed." He told her. "When you're done eating, come find me." He sauntered off into the trees to find some freshly fallen leaved for the beds.
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