The Diplomacy of Beauty

Status
Not open for further replies.
It was Trevor! Wren was so relieved, there was no way should could be scared of him. After all he was trying to help her. The villagers though did not see it that way. One of the men had a hand on her arm, and it hurt. Meanwhile a few others were advancing. This was all so stupid, if they'd just let her go it wouldn't be a problem.

The first few men were not a problem at all in fact, but there was another that was going to be.

The man was older. Not a grandad perhaps, but defineltly not a young farmer. He had a sword belt on his hip and he walked like he was familiar with the weight. Wren's blood ran cold when she saw him steadily walking closer to the fight. "Step aside lads!" he hollered when he was close to the activity.

Wren couldn't let this happen, she just couldn't! How could she stop it though?

The man that was holding her arm had relaxed his grip. Likely in the belief that things were going to be okay or because the small princess had stopped struggling. If she was going to do this she had to do it right. Taking a deep breath she yanked her arm away and started running. She ran until she reached Trevor, but she did not look at him. She faced the old man with the sword, her arms spread wide. "You must not do this!" she screamed.
 
The hair on the back of Trevor's neck stood at its tallest when a swordsman slowly approached him. Those who were ordinary, with little combat experience just did as they were told; they stood aside. Fighting only one man wasn't usually intimidating for the beastly man, but he was concerned about that blade. This stranger wasn't going to mess around... Trevor only ever used what he was born with, so those with weapon experience could do significant damage.

As he stared down this man, he quickly formulated his plan of action. He'd have to stay a safe distance from him until he could find an opportunity to weaken his foe. If he had to, he could always pry the weapon from his hands! It would severely damage his hands, but whatever it took to--

"Huh?"

Trevor's focus was broken when he spotted swift movement behind his challenger. Eartha broke free of her captor's grip and then rushed over, her back to Trevor and her front to the person wanting to harm him. Trevor's eyebrow raised, eliminating some of the threatening features of his expression. And there was a look in his eyes... Surprise? Something to that effect. His reaction to this young woman's determination to defend him was the opposite of how other human beings treated him, so of course he was in some form of shock. For once, someone wasn't shouting to 'kill the beast!'.

For the girl's sake, and these peoples', he decided to continue with a calmer approach. Having to splatter this man all over the snowy ground would create a devastating memory. Trevor kept his battle stance, though. He didn't trust anybody.

"I'm half human, you know," he told these people, hoping they'd have the humanity to let them leave without a scratch. "I'll be a monster only if you treat me like one."
 
The older man looked at Trevor, then glanced back at the villagers quickly. He only then looked at the determined looking princess. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his words were barely audible. "Very well your ladyship."

"Human," he said in a louder voice, "or not is not the issue. You have caused a disturbance in this peaceful village and I am honor bound to defend. Thus I say to you that you are hereby banished from Rose's Well for one month. Now begone, both of you!" He then held his sword up in an over dramatic gesture that looked more like a salute then not to Wren.

Not one to look such a good turn of events in the mouth the young woman relaxed and turned to Trevor. He had to been confussed by the title the swordsman spoke, worse was the fact that she was going to have to explain that it was downplayed to what hers really was. "Wewe'd bettttter go," she told the beastly protector taking his hand. As soon as they were far from these people she was going to explain herself.
 
"Ladyship?"

To Trevor's knowledge, that was a term used only for women with honoured titles. More questions about the mysterious Eartha came to mind, then. It reminded him of how little he knew about her. Then again, she knew little about him...

The expression of the gentle beast softened when the girl spoke up again, suggestion that they leave. Trevor couldn't wait to get out of this town! While giving her hand an assuring squeeze, he turned them in the right direction to leave. He was walking quickly, relieved to be leaving this crazy place.

During that time he asked: "Did they hurt you at all?"

If she answered 'yes', that would be hell for Rose's Well. Without thinking, he'd surely turn back and terrorize the villagers. Trevor was a nice man, but that beastly side could sometimes get the best of him whenever he was upset.
 
They traveled on in the snow covered forest. The young Princess' only regret was there hadn't been a chance to get some food. She had not eaten much and she was aware, almost painfully so, of her hunger. She did not speak up about this.

Trevor at this point was looking for a good place for them to camp for the night and she dared not distract him of this, not knowing how difficult such a search would be, but feeling a safe place was worth the silence. The time did not help her figure out the right words for what she wanted to say however.

Finally, some ways back from the main road, on the back of a hill that had once had a rockslide near a creak, did Trevor declare a decent resting spot. It would not protect them from the elements nearly as well as his cave, but for the most part they would have little snow or wind to deal with and there was plenty of twigs around for kindling as well as larger pieces.

It was only once a large fire had started, before Trevor could suggest options for dinner did she finally speak up. "I.... I have kept ssssomething ffffrom you. I di-in't know you and... and...." Wren took a deep breath. "Mmmmy name is Wren Eartha, princess of Palisia, and possibly the last survivor.... ssssurvior ffffrom the attack yester....yyyyesterday."

Would it be too much? He was not welcomed in these woods, but perhaps what she was, or who should be after her, was more then he would want to deal with. She couldn't see how he would want to risk his life really.
 
Trevor was disappointed about how their visit into town went. During the first twenty minutes or so of their walk, he was thinking about the entire event. Just from the sight of him and Eartha, they turned hostile. He could understand their reasons; he looked like a monster. Additionally, he was a monster journeying with a fragile looking young woman. He made an inward smile at that thought... 'I guess I can see how that looks bad to a town of strangers.'

What happened back there went better than most visits to town! It was probably because Eartha was there to help make peace. And that is what reminded him why he was upset about this in the first place: the commotion sabotaged their plan to get her some nutrition. Sighing quietly, he reached into one of his ragged pockets and pulled out a little loaf of bread that he snatched earlier, wrapped up in a cloth. Following that was a red apple he swiped from a fruit stand when men were pursuing him.

"It's not a meal, but this bread is still warm," he said while offering them to her. He stole them for her, and only for her. Though, he'd understand if his theft might make her want to reject the food. Trevor was unaware of what the princess's morals were like.

Trevor was expecting things to be silent for a while, since the girl didn't talk often. He was beginning to plan the rest of the day; find a place to camp, go hunting, collect wood. Before he could speak up, Eartha did instead. It took him a moment to respond because he needed to repeat her words in his mind. There was a lot to process and she had that unusual way of talking...

"A princess? Really?" The beastly man smiled thoughtfully at her. This was exciting information for him. 'What an honour, my first friend is a princess!'

"Well, don't feel bad about not telling me. I understand. Because you're right: you didn't know me at first. I think you're smart for waiting to reveal your identity! And brave, very brave. You trust a beast with your name." He made a face that was a combination of scary and silly, then winked at her. "Anyway, I'll still take you to where you need to go. It's even more important that I do that now. You probably have urgent business, right?"

Given a few seconds, he went back to being serious about their current situation. He couldn't smell or hear anything that he could catch, kill and cook for them. When he took a deep inhale to reassure himself of this, his nose scrunched and the rest of his face twisted into an expression of disgust. There was nothing but death in this forest. Maybe he was thinking too much about other things, or he was just fearless; either way, he wasn't intimidated by this horrific environment.

"Ah, well. I'll start preparing a fire, and a place to sleep that isn't cold or wet. Do you want to borrow my cloak while I work? You look chilled." Trevor was already beginning to take off his cloak, which she used just last night for warmth. It wasn't the best in the world, but it was something.
 
"Thank you," she said softly as she took the cloak gladly. Then she thought of something before he turned away. "Bbut, you can ssstill call me Eartha, iiif you want too...." Some many people referred to her only by her title and even those that called her by her first name usually attached Princess to it first. There were good reasons for that, it kept everyone in their place including herself, but right now she wasn't interested in protocol and realized she would be a little sad if this man of the woods used that verbal barrier.

Finding a spot that looked relatively less wet, she sat down and tore the bread Trevor had given to her in half. It was only right to only eat half. Normally she would have frowned upon theft, but she was very hungry and she doubted Trevor did this regularly. At least she hoped not. While how the villagers treated him wasn't right, it wouldn't make any crimes against them less of a crime.

She looked up at the bare trees, unaware of how this part of the forest was different at first. Then she started realizing it was very quiet, only the sounds of Trevor moving around and her own eating were heard. No bird sounds, no shuffling of small critters. Wren wasn't very accustomed to the woods, but it seemed odd. Then she took another look around. All of the trees were bare, except those that had moss hanging or lichen attached to them. All the trees, even the skinny trees that should have been evergreens. This was not right! Wren stood up and looked around again, but all she saw was a dead forest. "What is this place?" she questioned in a low whisper, slowly.
 
Trevor didn't wander too far from Wren. There was wood scattered all over the place, so he didn't have to wander for too long. He thought about her question while collecting some branches to stack on top of some larger pieces his strong arms were balancing. He'd seen this place once before during his travels, but wasn't entirely sure what to call it. There was some idea, though:

"I might know. I heard that this forest was full of life a long time ago. I also heard that interesting creatures lived here. With their magic, they kept the forest alive, beautiful and safe."

With a grunt, he dropped the wood he gathered and began arranging it for a camp fire. On top of the branches, he piled on some dead leaves. This took priority right now; it was going to be pitch black very soon. "Anyway, some sort of evil came along and tainted this place. It was too powerful to scare off, I guess. All of the magical creatures died along with their home and it'll remain dead, and haunted forever. Sounds spooky, doesn't it?

I don't know if that's a true story. It's just something I heard as a boy, when my mother took me to that town called Rose's Well."

When he spoke his last few words, a fire was born. The man smiled at his success, which was clearly visible as the flames lit up his face. Although he seemed calm and confident, there was weariness in his features. His eyes looked tired and the smile he made was meek. He was also covered with filth. Trevor's opportunity to bathe was only when he came across a body of water.

While making a sigh, he went to sit beside the princess. He put his back to the trunk of a large, decaying tree and began to nibble on the bread she was willing to share with him. "I'll get you to safety as quickly as I can. You've gone through too much already," he told her sympathetically. She could be the only survivor of a brutal invasion and she's had to deal with the events that unfolded since meeting him. He felt bad for her.
 
Trevor's tale indeed spooked Wren. The thought of a great evil that's power still persist made her very leery of the place. She was very glad when Trevor's fire roared into life, but it caused all sorts of odd shadows on the woods around them. She knew it was just because of the flickering fire, but it unnerved her more so she tried to not look at anything but the fire. The fire and of course Trevor.

While there was no denying that Trevor was technically a monster, his actions, the way his emotions played upon his face, his words, even his body language spoke of a kind hearted man. It was hard for her to see what everyone else saw when they looked at him. They saw but a crude shell, what Wren didn't realize she was seeing was his soul.

"Thank you. It-it seems ssso empty to say, bbbut for right now I can only give my th-thanks," she smiled up at him wondering if there was more she could do. She knew there wasn't, but she did not want the greater burden of this journey on him. He would be very well risking his life helping her.

Absently she looked away to collect her thoughts better, her eyes passing the fire and ending up on the woods. The empty and dead woods. She gave a shiver that had nothing to do with the dropping temperature and inched closer to Trevor.
 
Trevor was in thought while he sat beside Wren. The mention of his Mother triggered some memories, both fond and unfortunate. That mother of his was every reason why he was alive, intelligent and kind. She raised him to be human, essentially, with hope that it would one day win over the society that continually banished him.

A quiet sigh escaped his lips and at that same time, he noticed her moving closer to him. As calm as he seemed, he was actually alarmed. The last time a human sat so near to him with the intention of touching was when he was a boy. This wasn't his mom; this was a pretty lady! A princess! Even though they had fire going, he hoped it was still dark enough so she couldn't see the blushing in his face.

Smiling sheepishly, he filled in the remaining gap so that their arms bumped together. "It's... Scary out here, isn't it?" he brought up dumbly, tugging at the cloak she wore so it wrapped around her much tighter, for warmth and security. It was only now that he realized she was probably beyond terrified of this forest. It was dark, depressing and dead.

"Like I've told you before: you're safe," Trevor reminded the girl, looping an arm around her so she'd be brought even closer. This was a matter of defending what was precious to him; that made it easier to be less bashful and more protective. "You can use me as a place to sleep if you want to. You'll feel better."
 
Wren looked up at Trevor, the way he seemed worried about her was more then reassuring. She did worry that she had taken possession of his cloak again. The princess decided that the next time they got to another village or even a homestead she would do what would need to be done. She would go alone and buy supplies for both of them. The money was doing her little good on her person, and if Trevor grew ill what then would she do? Hopefully tomorrow she could do this.

The lighting made it difficult to discern shading and Wren was unable to see that the man next to her was anything but confident. His confidence and the way he put an arm around her made her feel safe. His offer though made her hesitate. She wanted to say yes right away, but, "Ar-re you sssure? I dddon't want tttto be a b-burden."

Wren Eartha felt bitterly shy and yet at the same time surprisingly at ease. Trevor's kindness was beyond expectation and it made her desire to be a better person. That wasn't the only thing though. No, she found him important in a way she did not understand.
 
"Of course I'm sure," he answered with a soft smile. There was an affectionate side of Trevor that really hoped she wouldn't change her mind.

Trevor was about to pull her to his shoulder, but he stopped himself when he remembered that sleeping while sitting up wasn't the most comfortable. This was clearly not a great experience for the princess... This forest was absolutely terrifying, after all. So, he got a different idea.

"I'll lay beside the fire, where it's warm, and you're welcome to sleep as close to me as you'd like. We can even use my cloak as a blanket." Following his suggestion, he brought them closer to the warm campfire. Adjusting himself took a moment; he needed to be mindful of his horns when laying down. As well, he was making sure there weren't any rocks or insects that would make their sleep uncomfortable. Shortly, he was on his side with the girl tucked into his solid chest with his protective arms around her.

Nothing could possibly pry her from him.

This was very nice; she was warm. At the same time, he was nervous. His heart was beating quickly as he laid there, his eyes locked on their only source of light. Those feelings were eventually replaced by alertness, though. He heard something.

Somewhere in the distance, a large twig snapped off a dead tree and crashed to the ground. Something must have been lurking there; Trevor heard a squawk and disgruntled mumble after the branch broke. The sound made him hold her tighter while he made the quietest growl. His ears picked up more noises much similar to that one. Many more branches broke and many more frustrated voices could be heard.

They must not have been alone anymore.
 
Wren Eartha was quiet as she curled up beside Trevor, though that was not much surprise. Between her habit of barely talking because of the stuttering and being intimidated by the woods it would have been surprising if she spoke before morning. As she laid there, in the large man's arms, the small princess started to relax. Weariness from the day's activities were making it easy to slowly drift away into sleep under the cloak.

Then there was a sound. In these dead woods it was difficult for even the half asleep princess not to notice it, even if she couldn't put a name to it in her groggy state. She opened her eyes alarmed all the same, for the only sounds she should have been hearing was the fire popping and Trevor's breathing. Instead she felt him holding her closer to him and an angry noise coming from deep in his throat. There was something out there.

Beyond their fire something glowed with an eerie green light. Several somethings in fact. They were tall and lengthy. What attracted them could have been the fire, or it could have been the two warm bits of moving flesh they were after. Not that Wren Eartha could see these well for she was trying very hard not to move, unsure what to do.

Then one of the creatures opened it maw and squakked before staring to come towards the fire.
 
These creatures were unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Trevor grew up in a forest where the animals were normal, or at least mostly normal. Then, he thought about it... These mystery beasts might have been normal at one time. This forest probably corrupted them, which made him feel a bit of sympathy. Otherwise, they were just passing through like they were.

Wren's fear did not go ignored. Trevor could sense it just as well as these hostiles were. He hoped he could intimidate the odd predators, instead of having to let go of her and cause bloodshed. Nightmares were bad enough without witnessing more violence.

"Be still," he whispered. Reluctantly, he unwrapped his arms from her and sat up. He tucked in his cloak around her so she'd stay warm, and be hidden from the eyes of these critters. Trevor kept his body above hers, though. He was making a possessive stance, as if telling them she was his and another step closer would be the death of them.

Trevor let himself be seen in the light of the fire. He was scowling at the intruders and grunting another warning. As he stared them down, he wondered if they could see in the dark. That was a disadvantage for him... While he had really good eyesight, it was no better in the dark than a regular human's! If he were to wander from the fire, that could have unfortunate results.

So, he stayed close to the two things that mattered most right now: the princess and these flames. Watching, waiting...
 
The creatures, unnaturally altered animals due to the backlash of magic of the past or the ever seeping residue of the place, paced. They did not move forward, seeming to be considering Trevor. They would make hooting sounds and occasional one would take a step closer and squawk, then quickly retreat back to the safety of its kin. They were not trying to attack, but took Trevor as a real and true threat.

Meanwhile the small princess stayed where she was, hidden in Trevor's cloak. She tried to stay calm, reminding herself that Trevor was there and did not seem worried. Surely whatever was out there he could handle, she hoped. Still she worried, the unknown was too great for her not to.

It seemed a stand off, the creatures were trying to wait out the man, or at least their desire for food was great. Then one of the pieces of wood in the fire let out a great pop. The sound in the dead woods was sudden and jarring. The creatures, not use to fires, all as one squawked in fear and bolted from the small clearing. The sound of their fright heard fading quickly as they ran.
 
Trevor's stare was intense. He didn't even seem to blink. The entire time these... Things stayed around, he refused to take his eyes off of them. A confident stare asserted dominance, he learned. And if any of them dared to challenge that, it would be fatal.

Fortunately, they fled from the scene due to a startling noise from the fire. When the voices of those creatures went from faint to silent, Trevor allowed himself to relax. He was relieved to know he'd be able to go even longer without having to fight somebody.

"It's safe now," he promised her. The human shaped bundle was given a reassuring squeeze before he reclaimed his place underneath the princess. Trevor had more to say, but none of the words left his mouth. He was already falling into a much needed sleep, with his arms wrapped tightly around the girl. The intruders running away reminded him he was dead tired and supposed to be slumbering.

Thankfully for the two, nothing else disturbed them in the creepy darkness. They could look forward to a peaceful morning and hopefully, something decent to eat.
 
The next morning Trevor's cloak was damp, but it was not due to a crying princess this time. She at least had fallen asleep soon after Trevor laid back down again and due to the exhaustion of the day she quickly fell into a dreamless sleep, which was just as well since the day produced enough new imagery for her sleeping mind to add to the previous nights fright to intensify her nightmares.

The cloak was damp due to a light misting of snow that was starting to fall. The fire while lasting several hours, by the dawn's early light was completely extinguished. Wren Eartha was still sound asleep, curled into Trevor's arm, her head half hidden in his chest. It seemed she did indeed trust the beastly man, as she clung to him while asleep.
 
Like he always did, Trevor rose with the sun. Slowly, he opened his eyes to the gray sky, touched by the sharp looking branches of the dead trees surrounding them. In this daylight, he could see the forest for what it was much easier. These trees were a depressing shade of black. It wasn't your ordinary dead forest, either. He sensed something... Unsettling about these deceased trees. Trevor sensed a great sadness accompanied by a terrifying evil.

The beast sniffled as he laid there, noticing just now that it was frigid. Their fire died some time ago, it looked like, and his cloak was useless. It was already horribly damaged, but now it was uncomfortably wet. They were in the middle of winter, so there was no way to escape the snow unless they found shelter. At this, he made an inward sigh. The poor princess had to cope with these awful weather conditions while so unprepared.

Trevor's eyes looked down to the sleeping beauty in his arms. He did not wish to wake her, for he was unsure of how much actual sleep she'd gotten. So, he decided to lay where he was until she was ready. There was no need to rush right now, anyway. The morning was still young.

This gave him some extra time to think. There was a lot of that to do. He had to think about breakfast, what direction to take from here, how to acquire new clothing and many other essentials so they could survive.
 
After some time the young princess started to stir, a soft sound made just before eyes opened. There was upon her lips a gentle smile as she saw Trevor. In but two days she had already become accustomed to him, and indeed trusted him. Blinking once she glanced around, much more awake now.

"Itssso cold," she remarked as she became aware that the only warmth she had came from the one lying beside her. She then felt a bit silly, they were outside in winter and likely Trevor was much colder then her. "Ddid you sssleep well Trevor?" she finally asked. Eartha's true desire was to know if he had been able to sleep, that nothing else had tried to threaten them. The princess felt she shouldn't have fallen alseep so quickly once the one danger had past, even if there was nothing that she could do.
 
"It is cold," he agreed with a small laugh. Winter was his least favourite season of all, but he did his best to look at everything optimistically. Snow was beautiful, sometimes. And the cold weather brought people together when they needed it most. So, it wasn't all bad. "I slept well enough, yes. I hope you did as well."

Her body was given a squeeze before he unwrapped his arms and started to sit them both up. The ground was more uncomfortable than he thought; he ached in several places. Trevor's delighted expression turned into one of pain as he straightened his back, which made not so lovely popping noises over and over again. "Goodness," he mumbled to himself, rubbing one of his hips.

When he looked back to Wren, he instantly stopped his subtle complaining. There were much more important matters at hand.

With a lopsided smile, he picked up his cloak and looked it over. Wearing it almost seemed pointless now... Hiding his monster-like features was important, though. They didn't need to add any bounty hunters to the mix of unwelcoming villagers, bandits and whatever else they had yet to encounter. No human would run into them for miles, however. So, he decided to just carry the old thing over his arm during their travels until it dried.

"Will you be all right for a while? When we get out of this place, I can finally scrounge up something to eat, and maybe find us actual shelter."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.