Caught

[Alyssa]

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Adriana slipped silently through the bustling and cheery crowds. The fairgrounds were even busier than usual. The summer equinox was the biggest celebration of the year here, so Adriana knew she'd be able to get some good stuff today.

She pulled the hood on her cloak further forward and made sure her face was shadowed. As she walked past a laughing woman she carefully took hold of the woman's coin purse. In a swift, practiced movement she cut the bag's strap away from her belt and tucked it into a pocket. She quickly moved on to a different street before she stopped. Today's celebration was larger than most, because the new king was to be crowned this evening.

She shook her head. She needed to stop daydreaming and get back to work if she wanted to be able to eat tonight. She tucked a stay stand of dark hair back underneath her hood and glanced around once more. She spotted a distracted looking man, and moved towards him. She slipped behind him and a tiny hand crept into his pocket.

She'd done this hundreds of times and never been caught. Maybe she'd been distracted this time; maybe she'd been bumped from behind. Something happened, because the next thing she knew a strong hand was around her wrist and the man she'd been attempting to steal from was staring down at her.

 

[Finn]

Chris was walking through the fair grounds enjoying himself. His father Sir Roland was busy guarding the King and soon to be king. Being of he wasn't accustomed to walking around the fair unaccompanied like this. In fact he was surprised his disguise was working so well. Dressing like an older man and hoping out of his window had seemed crazy at the time.

Unlike most sons of knights his father was first in command of the kings army. Besides the king himself. So wherever he went he got unwanted praise and attention. It was slightly nauseating. So getting out and about with the common folk was a nice refreshing change. Until he felt the hand of someone reach in his pocket.

He turned around and grabbed the wrist of a girl not much older than himself. She seemed to have been attempting to steal his coins. He stared down at her and tried to look intimidating so the girl wouldn't know how startled he was. "And just what did you think you were doing?"

 

[Alyssa]

Adriana's eyes widened and she tried to jerk her hand out of his tight grip. She'd never been caught before, and she didn't even want to think what would happen now that she had been. Maybe she'd lose her hand. Maybe she'd be sold. As she fought his hold her hood fell back and her long hair tumbled free. She glanced around; dark eyes wide. She was already drawing a lot of attention. This was bad. She looked back at the man in front of her.

"Release me at once!" She demanded shrilly. "What are you thinking, grabbing me that way?" If she could convince the surrounding people she'd done nothing wrong, he may be forced to release her. She could hear them whispering around her. She continued to fight his grip, but he had her in a tight grip that she couldn't break. She was a little surprised at how strong the older looking man was.

 

[Finn]

The girl jerked and tried to pull away but Chris refused to let this thief go. "Release me at once!" She demanded. "What are you thinking, grabbing me that way?" What was this girl trying to do. He noticed people starting to focus on her shrill whining. He realized she was trying to make it seem like he was bothering her.​

He didn't release his grip but he started to look at the people surrounding him. " It's not what you think. This girl was trying to steal my money. I caught her and grabbed her hand." He tried to explain. The commoners around him seemed to be circling and trapping him, " Hey. Old feller. Why don't you let the nice girl go?" A big burly man started walking from the ring of fair goers and towards Chris. "Not until I bring her to the discipline court."



"Either you let her go or we are gonna have to exchange words." Chris didn't believe that the man and his definition of word was the same.

 

[Alyssa]

Adriana was about to completely panic when a commoner stepped in to help. "Why don't you let the nice girl go?" He said as he stepped closer. She sighed with relief and looked up at him. "Thank you, someone talking sense!" She said. "I did nothing, this man just grabbed my wrist, all of the sudden!" She listened to the older man try to explain that he'd caught her stealing, but it seemed that her rescuer was having none of it. It looked like she might get out of here after all, if only this man would release her wrist.

 

[Finn]

Talking sense? Chris thought. I'm the only one here who seems to have any. The Burly man grabbed him by the front of his shirt and started to shove his horribly scarred nose in to Chris's face. "Why don't you just walk away before something bad happens." Chris wasn't particularly scared of this one man when he said this so confidently. But then two other men with dark wood canes came out of the crowd to back the man up in case he needed it. He glanced at the girl. "All you needed was some coin. If only you'd have asked." He threw the money in his pocket to her and started to turn only to be hit in the face knocking off the cowl and fake beard he was wearing.

 

[Alyssa]

When she was released Adriana quickly snatched up the money he tossed and backed away. As she turned she saw that he was stuck, and his beard and hood fell away to reveal a far more youthful face. She slowed for a moment as she studied him. That explained why he'd been so strong and he'd been able to hold her. She hesitated only a moment before tugging her hood forward and moving back into the crowd. She had to disappear, before he decided to pursue things further. The growling of her stomach reminded her of why she'd been stealing in the first place, and she slowed when she reached the venders. Her mouth was watering as she looked at one of the booths. She'd hadn't gotten something hot to eat in quite a while. This was a treat.

 

[Finn]

As much as it would be a nice story to tell of how Chris overcame the four men, it would be a lie. Chris was knocked down and beaten repeatedly with canes until he was a bloody swollen mess. Thankfully someone had recognized him and stopped the men. After he was found out to be a noble people started worrying about him but he soon passed out. He awoke to the smell of incense. a strange and potent mixture. He looked around the room he was in and winced in pain. Those men had really done a number on him. He mustered up some of his strength and sat up. Painfully I might add. He started to look around the room. He saw a table with a coin sack and a crystal ball. He saw shrunken heads on a shelf covered with strange oddities and herbs. The tent was smoky and strange. It must belong to a fortune teller he thought automatically. He had heard about such things in the castle but of course he had never seen one himself. He stood up and hobbled over to the shelf to look at the books and insects in jars. there were beetles and worms and books about how to curse and '101 ways to cure magical blemishes'. But a strange jar with the picture of a flaming claw mark on the front caught his attention. He leaned closer and his heart started to beat rapidly. Closer he got and faster the beat sounded in his ear. He was about to touch it with his hand, which he hadn't even realized he was reaching for it. "I wouldn't touch that." Chris fell backwards in surprise and landed on his back causing enough pain to knock him out again.

 

[Alyssa]

Adriana bought herself a warm meal and took a seat in the middle of the fairgrounds. She was sure the man she'd seen had already left, and the others believe her when she said that she wasn't a thief, so she didn't need to worry about hiding anymore. She pushed her hood back and ate slowly. She relished every bite of the delicious food. It was bland and burned, but it was the first real meal she'd had in a while. As she ate she looked around at all the different tents. She had never really stopped and just looked at all the different things there were here. It was actually pretty interesting. A freak show, a horse seller, a fortune teller, and that was just the beginning. Maybe when she'd finished eating she'd go take a look around before returning home.

 

[Ravenbelle]

Kali stood outside the curtain leading to the back of the tent where she'd brought an injured Chris to heal with herbs she'd had him swallow while unconscious. Behind the tent entirely, was her mobile home that traveled with the fair wherever it went. Yaga was sleeping there now.
She didn't really know Chris very well, only what those who had brought him told her. But being an empath, she could tell exactly what he was feeling just by staring at him. Of course, being only 19 years old, she wasn't a full-fledged fortune teller yet, but she was almost done with her Sight education and she was already running the tent on her own for the most part. Healing with natural herbs and such had been a breeze to master so it was no surprise that the kind men had instantly brought Chris, a noble, to be treated by Kali. Yaga, her grandmother, only ever puts effort into the most important fortunes anymore. And those hardly ever come along these days. So Kali took care of him. She bandaged his more severe bruises and cuts, adding soothing herbs and salves as she went. When he awoke, she would have him drink herbal tea.
Kali heard rustling behind the curtain and turned, pulling her red hood up before entering through the thin curtain. Her green eyes observed Chris silently. The way his movements were slightly hindered by his injuries. But she was sure he was strong. His aura shined brightly in her mind. Orange and greenish colors swirled around his shirtless body. He was confused, but before she could help him back to the cot he had been laid on, he became too curious (light blue) and came too close to touching the rune stone inside the jar with the flaming claw mark, so Kali spoke up urgently. "I wouldn't touch that."

Unfortunately, he flashed with gray and then black (fright, pain) and then promptly collapsed backwards. Kali's vivid green eyes widened as she knelt to check his condition. His eyes were closed, so she sighed, disappointed in herself for her stupidity. She could only see conscious emotions, so now Kali saw him as any other human would. And he was handsome. She didn't know of his status because, though Yaga travels through this kingdom often, the pair never stay long enough to really make friends. Only the local folks know of this tent and the talents that Yaga and Kali possess, so Chris was a stranger to her.
Kali tried to move him back onto the cot as gently as she could, but he was heavy with muscle, so she had to improvise. She pulled off all of the covers and pillows on the cot and placed them on the floor so that she could drag him back onto something more comfortable. Her emerald eyes shone with concern for the handsome stranger. She hoped he would awake soon.

 

[Finn]

Chris dreamed of heat and blinding light. He was in a maze being chased by something. He tried to turn a couple of times and look but the fiery creature was too much. He ran and and ran making so many turns he couldn't keep track. After a few more turns the light had started to dim and the temperature was falling.
He thought he might have lost the creature. He made a left turn, then he reached a dead end. He looked behind him and the light started blazing towards him. The heat was rising the light was burning. Chris curled up in the corner of the dead end wondering what type horror he was about to meet.
He waited,
And he waited,
And still he waited.
What is this thing waiting for? He thought to himself. "I am no thing. I am an Alpha, and I have a name you pathetic excuse for a pup."
He lifted his head and what he saw bewildered him. An orange wolf was standing in front of him.
Looking down with what he assumed was a look of disappointment. Hard to tell with an animal face. " You cannot be the next one. My host would be brave enough to face whatever challenge came to him. Not cower and hide in a corner."
He was being berated by an animal. It was talking and glowing and scaring him. "Why did you chase me?" he asked trying to keep a level voice. " You have no right to speak to me. You will have to earn my presence and power, pup." It sounded like an insult whenever he used that word. "Now leave me and prove you deserve my presence! Now wake!" He barked and Chris awakened to the face of a young woman, with beautiful green eyes.

 

[Ravenbelle]

Kali flinched when Chris suddenly awoke with a flash of fire in his aura. What was that? The long black locks of her hair hung down, nearly tickling Chris' nose as she stared into his eyes for a moment searching...
Then she shook her head, as if out of a daze and remembered what he was here for. " Chris." She whispered. "Are you recovering? I-I'll go retrieve something for your pain. Stay still." She warned him, eyes tender.
Kali stood, heading towards the main room of the tent to grab a teapot. She poured the herbal liquid into a small cup, breathing in the scent of chamomile, which would help Chris relax. She returned to him quickly, lest he decide to wander around again, kneeling to offer him his drink. " Drink this. It will make you feel better. You are not severely injured, but you will be sore for a few days. I have cleaned away the blood and dirt from your upper body." Kali spoke softly. having little to no friends, she had forgotten to introduce herself . She hardly has any social skills, however knowledgeable about healing and Seeing as she was.

 

[Alyssa]

Adriana still had some coin left, so she wouldn't need to steal for awhile. She had the money she needed for food. She was a little lost. She wasn't used to having what she needed, and she wasn't sure what to do with herself. She glanced around, then started to wander in and out of the tents as she explored. She figured she could go home, but she really didn't want to spend the rest of the day alone in her shack. She was about to head to another part of the fairgrounds when a small fortuneteller's tent caught her eye. She thought about it for a minute, then shrugged. She'd just look around. She stepped slowly into the small tent. It was filled to the brim with strange objects and eye-catching baubles. She wandered a little further into the tent and glanced around. "Hello?" She called.

 

[Finn]

The nice girl left him to go get something to help him relax. He was glad for anything except for chamomile. He hated chamomile. Chris tried to sit up and with some difficulty completed the action. He felt a burning pain in the back of his head from where he hit the ground. There definitely was a bump and he hoped there was no permanent damage. He had seen people who fought at the ring who got hit so hard they couldn't speak in complete sentences. Somewhere else in the tent he heard a whistle. The girl must be making tea. When she returned He was moving a bit more comfortably. "Thank you very much. I apologize for being a burden." Kali handed him a cup of tea. From the smell he could tell it was a thick chamomile tea. He didn't want to be rude but he really hated it. It was one smell that made him gag, and the fact that everyone and their dog used chamomile in whatever they thought of didn't let him get away from it so easily. So to spare the young girls feelings he planned on dumping the tea his next chance.

I wonder why she hasn't introduced herself. It surprised him. Usually everyone was thrilled to meet a noble, especially a handsome one like Chris. Messy blonde hair with, light brown eyes and his high cheek bones which created an almost angelic appearance. He never had trouble making friends. Though when it came to attractive girls he had trouble handling himself. None the less he would try his best not to embarrass himself or to offend the young fortune teller.

"I've noticed you know my name but please let me introduce myself. I'm Chris Boliead. I am very pleased to meet you."

 

[Ravenbelle]

Kali listened closely to what Chris had to say, frowning a little at the way he reacted to the tea. A grayish dark green light swirled around his body like a snake, showing only her his obvious distate for the offered cup.
"You're not a burden at all. This is what I do after all. Healing. When I'm not at the front of the tent for fortunes." She reassured him. He obviously didn't know who she was so he must be slightly higher on the chain of social claases than the many peasants who visit the tent with their miseries.
Something confused him, Kali could tell because of the varying shades of orange mixing in with a different green. What was so surprising? She wondered as he introduced himself charmingly.
Oh! Kali blushed. How could she be so absentminded?! "Oh I'm so sorry! I never even told you my name! Here I am, trying to be as hospitable as possible and you don't like the tea and I haven't even introduced myself." Kali fidgeted nervously, pulling the herbal tea ffom his grasp as she spoke. "My name is Kali." She snapped her head up and glanced toward the main room for a moment when she heard a female voice calling for a fortune. "Now I know some men can be very stubborn, but please, for your own good, just rest and don't get up or touch anything. I'll return in a few moments." Kali gently pushed Chris back to the makeshift cot and stood, taking the tea with her as she ventured to the other room without letting him respond.
Kali let her hood down and let her green eyes wander toward the main entrance where a young girl about her age appraised her, light blue and pink (curiosity and hesitancr) lighting up her beautiful blue eyes as they swirled around her. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Would you like some tea before your fortune?" Kali addressed her politely, offering to her the chamomile that had been refused by Chris.

 

[Alyssa]

Adriana smiled at the lovely girl that stepped into the tent. "I'd love some tea, thank you." She said as she reached out and took the steaming cup. She smelled it with a smile. "It smells wonderful." She took a sip of it, then looked back at the girl. "I am Adriana." She introduced herself. She hadn't thought of getting her fortune told, but now she was very curious about how it would be done and what she would say. More often than not her raging sense of curiosity got her into trouble, but she thought that a simple fortune telling couldn't possibly go wrong. How could that get her into trouble? "So, how do you tell someone's fortune?" She asked curiously. "Do you use bones? Throw powder on a fire?" She was talking a little faster now as she stared to get excited. She'd heard so many rumors about fortune tellers. "Do you read palms, or cards?"

 

[Ravenbelle]

Kali smiled at Adriana when she complimented her tea and rambled on about fortune telling. The girl was hilariously excitable. Bright yellow and blue showed off her excited and curious emotional state. She was like an innocent puppy. But from her attire, she could tell that Adriana probably didn't have much money. Less so than most of her customers surprisingly. She'd discount the usual price when she was done watching her future. Kali laughed softly and led Adriana to a short, round table with cushions on either side. Both girls sat on opposite sides of the table and Kali spoke in her soft tone, staring into Adriana's vibrant eyes. "My name is Kali. Nice to meet you Adriana. The stereotypical forms of reading the future you described don't apply to my methods. I have a hereditary gift in the Sight, which I have developed quite well according to my grandmother. The only thing I need from you is silence and physical contact. If you will, go ahead and place your hands in mine. You can set the tea aside for now." This entire spiel is said proffesionally by Kali. It's a front. She only reveals to strangers what she must to survive and that has been her worst blockage. She tends to become reserved and lonely without companions and therefore, it is difficult for her to open her heart fully to the onslaught of possible futures.

 

[Alyssa]

Adriana nodded a little when Kali told her that the stereotypical methods of fortune reading didn't apply to her. This was exciting. She explained what she was going to do and asked for silence and physical contact. She set aside the tea and took Kali's hands. She wanted to as more question, but remained silent as Kali had asked her to. She watched the girl curiously as she put her hands into hers.

 

[Ravenbelle]

Kali could see Adriana was still curious about her due to the swirling blue hues dancing around Adriana's slim form. The pair had time though, so there was plenty of time for questions after the reading. Kali squeezed Adriana's hands reassuringly, already beginning to feel the tingling numbness travel up her arms. "You may feel some slight tingling in your hands, but there is nothing to be alarmed about. Now take deep breaths, and I shall begin."
Kali warned her about what she'd be feeling, then gave her simple instructions. Kali closed her bright eyes in order to see theough her mind's eye. Kali listened closely to Adriana's breathing pattern and swiftly mimicked it until their lungs and hearts functioned in sync. Suddenly, Kali's eyes began to dart around beneath her eyelids as if she was dreaming and Adriana's paths flashed in her mind rapidly. Everytime this happened, Kali is attacked with many separate futures and paths the customer could take. The better she knew the person, like Yaga, the less futures she was shown. Simply because her mind subconsciously filters out the paths she knows the person won't choose.
Adriana, being a stranger gave her hundreds of immediate visions of her future. Most were indiscernible from the next, but there were a few images that stood out among the rest. There was fire and galloping heartbeats, screaming and nervous fingers fidgeting on pale hands. Finally, Kali's eyes flied open as Green eyes, blue eyes, and light brown eyes flashed in sync in her mind. Oh my.
Kali tried to keep the shock and concern off of her features, but for a few moments all she could do was flinch her hands away from Adriana and gasp desperately as her body trembled.

 

[Alyssa]

Adriana nodded again when she was told that her hands might go a little numb. She started to breath deeply as instructed, and she instinctively closed her eyes when her hands started to go numb. She didn't know what was happening to Kali, but for her it was a calm experience. When Kali matched her breathing to Adriana's, Adriana couldn't help but peek a little. Kali's eyes were going crazy and Adriana was a little startled. Was that normal? Suddenly Kali's eyes flew open and she jerked her hands away from Adriana's with a gasp. The poor girl was trembling, and Adriana jumped to her feet. "Kali! Are you alright? What's wrong?" She hurried around the table and rubbed Kali's shoulders. "What did you see?" She picked up the still warm tea and pushed it into Kali's hands. "Here, drink. You'll fell better."