renilda.caleb

Her fiery soul torches the very path she walks on. His gentle heart lulls the demons in his wake. Next Generation Vesperia INDEPENDENT RP BLOG

[bravingpathstogether]

herpsydaisy:

Perhaps it was! Leticia didn’t regulate her strength when it came to strangers who seemed to handle themselves very well. The look she was earned, and even the sideways mouthing were to be expected, and Leticia seemed no worse for wear. Instead, checking up on any cuts, bruises, or scars she may have gained in a short period of time.

To be taken in so quickly and have her questions answered straight forwardly was a good sign to Letti. Though Ren may not know it yet, Leticia did indeed have some formal training in her. Her father’s words loud in the back of her head about how a truly honest person was like finding a piece of gald in a polywiggle’s mouth. Which, to be honest, when Letti had been younger had seemed ridiculous! Especially when you considered a lot of people could find gald and other such miscellaneous items in monsters from the things they ate at left over or raided campsites.

Digressing aside, Letti understood now what that phrase meant. Ren seemed to be honest was the point here, and one that Letti would not look down on. Open and honest was a lot more welcoming than most.

“ I’m Ren. ”

Letti could feel a prick to her lips, smile widening to near-mimic Ren’s impish grin.

“ This is my brother, Caleb Flynn. ”

Flynn … Flynn as-in the Commandant of the Imperial Knights, Flynn Scifo? Oh. That was too good to pass up. As Letti could summarize was Ren’s entire point as Caleb threw a glare his sister’s way. Very obviously siblings, or if not, childhood friends. Letti would have placed gald on the former, however, if she were betting.

“ Flynn? Oooh, wow. Named after the famous Commandant. ”

Brown eyes sparkled in amusement, even as Leticia pulled her hand away from Ren to clasp Caleb’s own in her grip.

Firm and powerful was probably a good way to summarize it, as-was a good way to summarize Letti in general. Her laid-back, if teasing, smile not wavering for nary a second between these two.

Pulling back her hand once done, Letti let them rest at her hips. “ Headed t’Heliord myself, actually. ” She admitted, “ Food, supplies, then back t’Dhangrest. This was the last of my job. ” She gestured lightly to the fallen beast that Ren and Caleb had taken care of.

“ So why don’t we travel t’gether? ”

“Quite the name to live up to, I’m afraid.” Caleb didn’t hate being named after his uncle, but to be correlated to such a great man placed great pressure on him sometimes. As if living up to his mother’s bloodline wasn’t enough.

He shook that off and focused on Letti’s answer, nodding as they all regarded the beast they’d just defeated earlier. “Working, huh? If you’re headed to Dahngrest, does that make you a guild member?” His eyes brightened at the word ‘guild’, which Ren was quick to notice.

She didn’t waste time saying, “If you are, you’re pretty much his hero.”

“Not about to disagree,” said Caleb. “I’m planning on joining you guys soon enough once I train a little more.”

“If you ask me, I think you’ve trained enough. Correct me if I’m wrong, but they probably won’t mind if you’re a little rough around the edges. Guildfolk aren’t as uptight as the knights, you know?”

Caleb smiled. “While you might not be uptight enough, Ren.”

Perhaps the two siblings should have switched goals.

Ren waved a dismissive hand. “Uhuh, sure thing. Anyway--the more the merrier. Maybe it’s best we mosey--I’m not really a fan of waiting around for another one of those things to show up, after all.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow at that comment. “Really? Even though you’re usually the first to jump on the chance to get into fights?”

“Hey, those things snack on people like us. Now, I dunno about you, but I wanna eat grub, not be the grub. Come on, help me out here, Letti.”

[bravingpathstogether]

capelclan:

    At her rebuttal, Don paused. “…. ain’t got crackers…” he muttered, then smiled. Wait- she was joking…. With a laugh, he punched her roughly in the shoulder. “Ah, right! Got it!” He had a little hop to his step as he continued walking. It was almost admirable, how very little he seemed to be worried. Of course he was absolutely concerned about Aria- she was injured and now feverish. But it was nothing they couldn’t handle! Hell, they’d been through worse and always come out for the better! The gang needed to lighten up…

    Aria didn’t go down. It was that simple. She was fine.

    And as his seemingly arrogant and bratty little sister departed, he glared after her. Seriously, he knew that they had rooms with futons, so double beds were a luxury she was usually too pissy to afford, but she didn’t have to be so mean about it! He half-heartedly glared sidelong at Ren. “I know how t’use money.” He held out his hand as if dropping something. “See somethin’ y’want, give the money, get the thing. Simple. Yeesh, all y’all make it sound like it’s hard ‘r somethin’….”

    …. and this was why he didn’t control the coin purse, and Meg kept it on such tight strings.

    And while Don would have volleyed to join Caleb in the hotel, he paused at Ren’s call, the ruffle to his hair. Oh, with her? He smiled. “Sure thing. I got eagle eyes, y’know. I can find ‘em.” He shrugged. “‘sides, not like Ed and Alex don’t stick out everywhere they go. White hair ’n uppity glasses ain’t common neither way.” With a grin, Don got to walking- not calculated or knowingly, but with all the confidence that went with it. Honestly, he was just going to go street by street and hope they came across something…

    “Think maybe one’a the vendors’ll know where a doc is?” With a slightly quieter tone, he leaned in to Ren and said in an almost comically loud whisper, “Not that I think we need one. Aria’ll get over it, eh?” Fevers were, after all, pretty common in the family. Dad’d always had a propensity for them, and Aria took after him in a lot of ways. From what Don knew and what Dad’d always said, pump her full of water and she’d be a-okay by morning… Why expend funds on a doctor? And wouldn’t Meg be pissy about it? Like she needed one more thing…

    “'Sides, we got Caleb. Why worry?” The amount of faith he had in all of them was nothing if not endearing… and perhaps a bit impractical.

    Meanwhile, the smallest Capel’s heart pounded as she slipped through the crowd. Fleet of foot and lithe of form, it was fairly easy for her to navigate much of anywhere she wanted; though, it was significantly more difficult to get merchants to take her seriously. The balking and laughter at her form, her age, and the authority she seemed to hold herself were always so infuriating, as was the way they would dissolve into putty the second she showed her affiliation with Fortune’s Market. Deplorable… Honestly, she knew the market price, and would not pay a single gald higher ( and frankly, she swindled a few of them with a fine for mistreating her… ).

    A doctor. What they probably needed was a doctor. Caleb’s interventions weren’t typically followed by inflammation or infection, and his reaction had been nothing short of surprise. Meaning he wasn’t anticipating this. Meaning it wasn’t normal. Meaning…. she had every reason to be more concerned that average. Not to mention…

    Her stomach turned at the memory, of the way Aria had gone down, the bleeding- Ducking into a side alley, Meg pressed her back into the wall, heaving a deep breath as she slid to a crouching position. Don’t think about it, don’t think about it- don’t think about how uselessly she let that happen, about the way Don’s eyes accurately accused her, about how leaden and pitiable that blade had felt half-hearted in her grasp, about the blood, the pounding of horror in her veins…

    “… pathetic….”

    And she was only continuing the trend by shivering in the hidden stretch, chilled despite the heat and bustle of the area. She needed to get ahold of herself, to do what she was good at: get supplies, get to the others, disperse those supplies, wait for the next time she was needed. She was…. well, never much good for anything else…. never…

    With a slap to her cheeks that left them red, Meg stood. She was wasting time, effort. Get the hell over her hurt pride and move on- whether they needed her in the grand scheme or not, they needed her now, if only for the bag she carried. That was fine. At least she knew. There was a misplaced fury in her eyes as she skulked out of the alleyway, shoulder-checking ( what was more like hip checking ) a few passers-by in her haste. She’d gathered a few life bottles, some gels, a few more ingredients to at least muddle together some semblance of something edible that Edmund could whip up…. some bandages, some herbs, anything medicinal….

    She’d check in at the hotel. Surely Caleb had taken Aria there straight away- he would know whether or not to dispatch her for a doctor. She honestly was just hoping he had some margin of confidence more than her. Nothing against him, but……… could he handle this…? He’d seemed so perplexed, and that in itself worried her in a great many ways.

    Not to diminish him, but now wasn’t the time she had the energy to be worried about his confidence when Aria’s well being was at stake. She hurried up the steps to the inn, inquiring at the desk about rooms. They always put the rooms under Lowell- it was just easier that way ( a name people could recognize if they were looking for it, but otherwise inconspicuous, universal to each of them ). The rooms were ordered and paid for, occupants arrived. She hoisted the bag of goods a bit on her shoulder, then trekked along. At the door with the beds instructed for the girls, she rapped her knuckles. 

        “Coming in…"

“Spoken like a true costumer,” she said with a grin. Ren wouldn’t claim to be well-versed in the art of money-handling, but she at least knew it wasn’t as simple as Don made it out to be. The imperial knights hired a professional to manage its finances, and it seemed far from an easy task (Ren knew because she peeked—despite her superior’s reprimands.) Needless to say, after seeing a bunch of numbers clutter the otherwise white sheet of paper, Ren swore never to touch anything that had to do with math with a ten-foot pole.

Trying to look into Don’s self-proclaimed ‘Eagle Eyes’ without laughing was a challenge in itself, but she triumphed with a mere grin. “Guess it’s time to put those amazing eyes to work. Hopefully I can keep up with them.”

Ren avoided looking too serious after hearing Don’s assumptions. She was as much of an expert in medical arts as she was in money-handling, so his guess was as good as hers. Still, she placed great faith in Caleb’s confidence when it came to this topic, so for him to ask for a professional’s aid worried her a little…

Well, there was no point in being a downer (not that anything could ever dampen Don’s mood, anyway) and her brother would never let anything happen to Aria of course, so Ren shook it off.

“Caleb probably just wants to confirm something with the doctor. Let the medical know-it-alls talk it out.” She grinned. “As for finding one, maybe Natz can help us with that.” She tapped her chin a few times, bemused. “We have a lot of ground to cover, though. There’s the coliseum, the bleachers, the port, the little market near the inn… yeesh. This is looking more and more like a hassle than I thought. Maybe we should split up.”

Bet Don would choose to search the coliseum.

Caleb garnered the eyes of the entire room upon entering with an injured Aria. The stares were expected (her wounds might have closed, but her clothes were still soaked in blood) then again he was past the point of caring.  Aria felt hot to the touch even through her clothes despite looking so pale; she needed to be comfortable—that was all that mattered. So he marched towards the counter and asked for the rooms specified by Meg: double for the boys, queen and double for the girls. Aria gets queen, not negotiable. Caleb silently agreed.

He was grateful that the innkeeper wasn’t dense to the urgency of the situation. She prioritized his booking over the couple that had tried to book before him. He would have apologized, had he not been too tired and too worried to bother, but he proceeded to take Aria to her room without so much as a word, instead.

Finally, he thought when the bed came into view, cozy and with plenty of breathing room. The moment Aria was settled onto it was also the moment Caleb visibly relaxed, and he sat on the edge of the bed with a long, exasperated sigh. His gaze wandered, taking in the sight of the room—it was relatively nice compared to the ones at the coliseum, which were probably more meant for the combatants in the tournament than for travelers wanting a good night’s rest. The room he chose had a nice painting of a willow tree on the wall, albeit a little blurred. Perhaps that was intentional?

Caleb closed his eyes for a bit, massaging his temples. He looked at the painting again. The details were clear this time.

“Right… not a good sign. I can almost hear Ren’s ‘I told you so.’” He rose from the bed and ambled towards it, then took a seat. Better to pass out on a chair instead of Aria’s bed, after all. Who knew what Don or Meg would do.

Meg… he wondered if she was okay. The sight of blood never failed to drain the color from her face. She’d never told anyone, and most likely had no idea that Caleb knew of her fear. How could she when neither of them had brought it up? For someone so young, she was so reserved, so… mature for her age, and the thought saddened him sometimes. So he told her stories--happy ones. Thoughtful ones. Stories that he hoped would inspire the child or wonder in her.

But that wasn’t all, was it?

“Coming in…”

Only his eyes moved as the door swung open to reveal the object of his recent thoughts. His automatic response was to smile, but faltered upon seeing her look so… tired.

“Are you alright?”

[havocheaven-blog]

idk i was in a dumb alexren mood let me live

It’s not often the pair find time to see each other, unless it’s in passing–fleeting moments where they can speak briefly before returning to their duties; their jobs, the things they know they have to prioritize above each other. But the guild had been quiet for a few days, and Alexius took the opportunity to return to Zaphias–he’d paid visit to everybody in town before he headed to the castle. He did go to see Gil, though he was soon ushered and encouraged to stop wasting time and go to see who he was really here for. Alex was a little offended that his priorities were questioned, but a point was made–even he knew he couldn’t spend forever here when something could come up in Dahngrest at any time. 

Now they were sat together on the edge of Ren’s bed; they’d been talking for some time. Catching up and telling tales they’d left out of letters just for these times. It’d be terrible if they had nothing to talk about after all. While they talk, his hand is holding her fingertips, thumb brushing over them as he smiles and listens, simply content to be able hear her voice again. Alexius might have always been an airhead, but he listens no matter what when it matters–his attention to detail is… almost second to none. He knows he should take a turn to talk again soon, but already feels like he’d miss the sound of her voice again. Though the same could be said on Ren’s part too, huh? “I sure do miss a lot in Dahngrest,” he sighs, but there’s still something chipper in his voice–he’s disappointed, but more amazed than anything. 

Ren continues to talk, and Alex’s attention turns more directly to her face. Her features, and all the other things he misses when he’s not here with her. His gaze lingers a moment too long on her lips and Ren stops talking; “I’m still listening, you know?” he protests, tearing his line of sight back up to her eyes. She slaps her hands onto the sides of his face so hard to hold it that it might have hurt once upon a time. That’s not the point, the words she states flatly back at him, and he lets out a sigh–because of course she’s right. He brings his hands up to place over hers, peeling them away from his face. “Then, you don’t mind?” 

There’s a small streak of red beginning to line across her face as she shakes her head, and Alex releases one of her hands to brush fingertips up the side of her face before resting his palm on her cheek. He’s certain he’s not exactly immune to his own flustering either, but nonetheless he leans in to rest his forehead against hers for a moment. “You’re really, really, cute.” he murmurs, before kissing her gently. At least, that was the intention. Things like Ren are addictive, and sometimes even Alex can be selfish; so he pushes a little harder, cuts off Ren saying his name in favor of stealing more from her. He leans in further, encouraging her backwards, wanting her to lie down, and he pulls away in time to hear an almighty thud. 

For a moment he blinks at the empty space in front of him, before the realisation hits and he almost hurls himself forward to peer off the edge of the bed–almost, because Ren soon propped herself up with an ‘idiot, I tried to warn you’ before they both began to laugh. Well, Alex’s was perhaps a little more shameful, accompanied by a light rub to the back of his head. “Sorry, sorry.” he offers whatever kind of excuse of an apology that could be classed as (but he does mean it), and holds out his hand for her to take as she gets up. What he didn’t expect was the sharp yank that had him tumbling over her to the floor. 

“Rennnn.” he whines, but of course she just grins at him–offering nothing but the word ‘payback’–and he can’t even really be mad.

[bravingpathstogether]

capelclan:

    Don shrugged. If Caleb was sure, he was sure, and Don could always pop in later if he needed the help. He slid his arms behind his head, eyes darting back and forth between the two as they bantered. Eyeing Ren, he said, “Gotta agree with Caleb. You’re kinda messed up. Want me to carry you?” Okay, now someone was just trying to be useful, however possible. He smiled, saying, “Y’could sit on my shoulder- scout ahead! Like a parrot!” … oh yes, she was definitely going to be thrilled to be compared to a parrot…

    And that suspicion of Ren’s was shared with Meg, who was now purposefully leading the pack. She was thinking, if they asked why she was isolating herself. Which she was- don’t misconstrue, Meg was truly doing the math and attempting to head them off to town so that they could get the correct supplies, quickly, so that they could take care of Aria faster. If she had a fever, it was more than something that just a few gels and some sleep could handle, and she wanted to take into account how much wiggle room they had for true medicinal supplies. 

    But it was more than that. Seeing Aria in the shape she was in, dealing with Don in the him he was in, seeing that sidelong look from Ren and the slightly daft look of the boy who didn’t even know himself… she didn’t want to deal with those idiots right now. Mathematics, numbers, product, and money- simple, concrete things with finite answers and finite solutions that she could solve were much more welcoming in times of stress. As she walked, she plucked a stalk of the tall grass along the path out of the forest, folding it expertly in her gloves. Finite… solutions… clean… breaks… simple.

    Nordopolica was only a little over a half-hour walk from the forest, and they were back at the bustling merchant-quarter before too long. At the entrance of the town, Meg turned on her heel. She didn’t stop as she announced, “I’m going to fill supplies. Find Alex and Ed. I’ll be there in twenty. Here.” She tossed a bag at Ren ( the most likely of the group to catch it ), and within was a sizeable chunk of their change. “Four-hundred. Get two rooms- double beds for the boys, queen and double for the girls. Aria gets queen- not negotiable.”

    Don glared, saying, “Hey, why’d th’ boys get doubles?”

    Meg continued walking, growling, “Because we’re broke and you’re not broken. Shut up and be happy you get a bed.” And with that, she ducked into the crowd. She’d be back soon enough.

    “…. why’d we let little miss ego keep the money…?” the dark-haired Capel muttered sourly.

The parrot bit earned him a chuckle from Ren. “S’long as you keep the crackers comin’.”

Don still had plenty of energy. So did Meg, but hers seemed more from purpose. Ren thought she looked a bit tired, now that the adrenaline faded and they all were free to think. Meg practically froze back in the fight earlier–no surprise, given how badly Aria was injured–but it felt as though there’d been something more than concern swimming in her eyes. Ren wondered if Caleb noticed.

–and Caleb would have, if he hadn’t been busy with Aria, who was getting warmer and warmer by the minute. When it came to others it was easy for him to pick up on the details. Priorities were the equivalent to blinders, though, which was apparently true for Meg as well. She led them all at a quick and steady pace that they reached Nordopolica in practically no time at all.

After Meg announced her plans and bantered with Don–just like that–she left, unfazed by the glare her brother was piercing through her back. A corner of Ren’s lips lifted a little.

To answer Don’s question, she said. “Simply put, because she knows how to use it.” She then glanced at her brother. “Leave Alex and the Walking Encyclopedia to me.”

Had he the energy, Caleb would have told her to just call the guy ‘Ed.’ “I’ll be hurrying on over to the inn, then.“ Hoisting Aria up–gently–he nodded at Ren and took a couple of steps towards the inn when he stopped, glanced at her again, hesitated, then looked at her a third time but with more conviction.

“Oh, and… Ren?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Find a doctor for me.”

Well, that’s new. Caleb placed great faith in his healing spells, possibly more than his sword skills, and relied only on Estelle and medical books when he needed advice. That look in his eyes… Ren didn’t like it. It felt like something was wrong.

“Gotcha.” She spun on her heels. She stared at Don, ruffled his hair, then turned him around by the head with a laugh. “Come with. Three people’ll be tough on my own.”

[bravingpathstogether]

ambimerc:

Oh for once she didn’t have to whoop her child’s butt for being unruly, “No?” She caught that grin faster than she saw the hand move towards her. Why did that surname sound so familiar? She could’ve sworn she heard Harry speak of it before about someone from another guild with that last name.

Though the rest of Ren’s words caught up with her before she reached her hand, holding her pointer finger up in inquiry, “…..My daughter’s fiance?”

“Yes! That’s why we wanted to see ya so quickly!” Lettie was all in a fit of giggles trying to keep a straight face as well to keep the joke going.

The older woman took a moment to process this before tilting her head, “Listen, Renilda was it? You do know there are certain requirements before you can marry my little Leticia, hm? If her father hears about this he’ll flip his shit.”

“I’m not lil anymore, ma-” She made a face when her mother stated her full name. 

Ally gave her daughter a look, “Is that so? Is there a reason you’re telling me first and not your father?”

“….Cuz’ yer the first one we got to?” 

Ren squinted her teal gaze at Letti, grin still in place. Come on, Lets. Let’s not blow our cover before we even begin, she hoped to get the message across with her eyes, but they were still laced with undeniable mischief.

Although she did get a sneak peak on the mother and daughter banter, leading up to her amused face. It also made her wonder how Letti talked with her father, the Don’s successor. Possibly hilarious mental images ensued.

Enough of that, though. She needed to think of a good sales pitch. For now it should be enough to entertain the Missus’ questions about their relationship. Ren blinked a couple of times at Mrs. Whitehorse. “Requirements, ma’am? Like what?”

See that, Flynn? She could be civil with others when she wanted to be! She was just a little comfortable with you because she grew up calling you Uncle Stiff.

“Lay it on me. I’m willing to do anything.”

--Well, the civility sure didn’t last long.

[wnq-writers]

I’d waste all my ink to write a story about you, everything about you.

sharrawrroar  (via wordsnquotes)

[bravingpathstogether]

ambimerc:

@nextgenerationvesperia @steadfastxvigilante @chaoticxtrust

“Yes I’m Lettie’s mother, what’s it to you kiddo?” She wasn’t exactly sure why she was summoned in such a hurry for something so urgent though her expression changed to a rather serious expression, “If she did something wrong, best tell me exactly what she did.” 

“No, nothing like that--actually...” Ren held out her hand, a mischievous grin painted on her face. “Nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Whitehorse. I’m Renilda Lowell, your daughter’s fiancée. We’re hoping you’ll give us your blessing.”

[lettiwashere-blog]

Letti was making ready to dodge (or try,) her feet shifting backwards into a defensive position to make a quick side-step. Which would still get her scraped up, but it also meant she could–

A girl, skinnier than she was, shorter, slipped forward between Letti and the monster, slinging it over while another person jumped from the bushes and stabbed it in the gut. Leticia took a few seconds just blinking, trying to register what happened before looking to the other.

“Didn’t mean to steal your thunder …” 

Leticia’s face slowly twisted into a wide smile, brown eyes glittering brightly.

But we didn’t want to take any chances. You alright?”

She laughed. It was a loud, booming laugh. Joyful and amused as she slapped Ren’s back lightly. “Oh come off it,” she teased with a grin, “Thanks! Both’a you. Monster took me by surprise, and since I just ran outta arrows.” A soft tut of her tongue, before a sudden grumbling of Letti’s stomach and she wilted a bit with a sigh.

“And there goes that. Even at the risk of bein’ run over.” Leticia patted her stomach before glancing up. “What’cha two doin’ out here? Not a lotta people come this far from Heliord …” Leticia paused before she shook her head. “Ah, wait! Not my job t’know that.” She grinned, “And it’s rude fer me to ask questions before givin’ ya a name! Th’ name’s Leticia, Letti for short.” She held out a hand to Ren. “Nice to meet’cha.”

[bravingpathstogether]

Oof. Maybe Letti’s definition of ‘light’ differed from Ren’s just a tad. She squinted her eyes a bit in an attempt to stay cool--she did not just get the wind knocked out of her, of course not. “N-No problem. Glad we could help.” Ren mouthed something towards Caleb and all he could manage was a small shrug.

Although, she had to admit, that laughter was music to her ears. So much so that a small chuckle escaped her. Letti seemed like a sincere enough person, a happy-go-lucky one, despite her stomach growling just a few seconds ago, and maybe, judging from her built--strong. Somehow it made sense that the reason someone with a body as toned as Letti’s would have trouble against a rhinossus was, something along the lines of, lack of arrows. Plus she had been extremely calm even before the siblings thought to intervene.

Upon hearing the question, Ren shrugged her shoulders once. “It’s not some big secret or anything. We were just on our way to Heliord.” Since they learned nothing useful in Torim Harbor, they thought it best to move to another city or town.

Letti offered her hand and Ren wasted no time taking it. She gave her a firm shake. “I’m Ren.” Then with a mischievous grin, flipped a thumb over her shoulder. “This is my brother, Caleb Flynn.”

Donning a pleasant smile (but not without a brief glare towards Ren first) Caleb waved one hand in greeting. “Just Caleb is fine. Nice to meet you, Letti.” He nodded. “If you don’t mind us asking... where are you headed?”

[lettiwashere-blog]

         “Just a few more …”

Letti took a breath, leaning back on her feet, running a gloved hand across her brow. Taking out a bunch of enemies at once wasn’t really something the young guildee was good at alone, but she had ways around it. Took a hell of a lot longer and expended a ton more energy, but she did it.

But, before she did that.

          “Time for a meal!”

Heliord was quite a nice place, after all! And it was close by. A few extra gald spent on purchasing another little snack to quench her grumbling stomach wouldn’t be too much of a problem, right? Her pa shouldn’t complain … much. Chuckling a small laugh to herself, Letti began her way back with a cheery whistle, only to find herself stopping at the low-sounding growl of a monster.

Crossbow out in a second, Leticia spun on her feet, hooking a finger on an– She … was out of arrows.

         “…Well fuck.”

The monster loomed closer and Letti took an awkward step back, slowly hooking her crossbow away and rubbing her glove.

         “Don’t suppose yer here t’sight see?” She attempted to casually throw the gibe out with a grin. That … apparently wasn’t very funny for the beast as it barreled at her.

@bravingpathstogether

[bravingpathstogether]

According to Alex, they should be able to reach Heliord within the day. Fortunately, the forests in this continent weren’t nearly as dense as Quoi Woods, which meant safe passage for them (and most passersby who knew their way around fights, at least.) Ren absently fought her way through the foliage as Caleb followed suit, paving the ground with his sheathed sword and leaving a trail behind them as they walked. It should act like a guide of some sort for future travelers, in case they got lost.

It had been a few more paces ahead before Ren heard a rustling that wasn’t theirs.

Ren narrowed her teal eyes and stalked forward. There certainly was something there--although it was something of a blur, impossible to distinguish from this distance. She inched closer.

‘Don’t suppose yer here t’sight see?’

A woman--tall, somewhat muscular (with a charming sense of humor Ren thinks) and looking far from the definition of helpless--slowly backed away from what appeared to be a rhino looking just about ready to strike.

“Caleb,” whispered Ren, hand already clenched around the pole of her axe.

“Gotcha.”

It was Ren who first took off like a gunshot--she skidded to a halt in front of the woman and struck the beast with her axe just as it had barreled forward. It bounced back to where Caleb was waiting, to which he greeted with a (scarily) innocent smile. Ren slung her weapon over her shoulder as her brother ended the fight with a stab to the monster’s gut.

“Didn’t mean to steal your thunder,” she turned to the woman, smiling. “But we didn’t want to take any chances. You alright?”

[thequotejournals]

The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.

Voltaire (via wordsnquotes)

[capelclan]

    Meg was hardly thrilled with being poked on the head, and with a small yelp, she recoiled, hands flying to the assaulted spot as she glared. She wasn’t pouting per say, but that was definitely a pointed look to Ren. Honestly, she wasn’t five… “Yeah, yeah, just get moving.” she muttered, glowering downward now.

    Meanwhile, Don hurried over. So, Ren seemed okay, Caleb seemed okay, and Meg was.. well, she was Meg. Meg didn’t get hurt or anything, so he didn’t really check on her anyway ( Meg noticed ). He hurried toward his other sister, sword strewn over his shoulder. “She sleepin’? How is she?”

    Meg crossed her arms, glaring pointedly away. Looking at Aria seemed like a bad decision ( that sort of injury, even healed, was still definitely not something she wanted to make eyes with. “She’s sleeping, and probably in pain. Leave her alone.”

    Don shrank for a moment, then leveled a glare at Meg. “Like you’re doin’ so much that y’get to boss me around-”

    “Look, I don’t care about your attitude, let’s just go.”

    “Hey-!”

    Meg clearly was in no mood. Without another look, she turned and pointedly stalked away. Back toward town, right? They’d need a room– no, two rooms; two boys, three girls, that’d be… Meg could sleep on the floor so Aria could have her own bed, so two rooms. Two rooms,a bout 150 gald each give or take quality… could they spare a little more for a better room at least for Aria? Okay make that… probably about 400 gald… how much did they have- they still needed to replenish whatever supplies the others had wantonly used ( or needed, but she’d rather… just think of it as frivolous ). Okay so they were set back a few hundred gald. possibly a thousand or more depending… if she made it ahead of them by some degree she could make sure the room was ready and that they all had some food for when they got there, make sure everything was already dealt with so they didn’t have to worry about it, and-

    “We need to hurry, right? Then shut up and get walking.”

    Don watched her retreat, a hand on his hip. Pouting… just like a little kid. He tut his tongue. Honestly, she was so sensitive about this stuff; he was just being truthful. She didn’t really contribute to the fighting, so she didn’t need to be so bossy. Whatever; she’d get glad in the same pants she got mad in. He turned to Caleb, catching just the tail end of the Lowells’ conversation. “Y’need me t’take ‘er? I don’ mind. Not like I ain’t carried her before.” Aria was light, but tall- didn’t make her the most convenient carry, but Don could just hold her on his back. “Y’did a lotta work back there. I don’ mind helping.”

[bravingpathstogether]

They painted a strange picture, definitely. Two Capels arguing on the front of the pack, the other unconscious and carried by a Lowell, the other Lowell currently the complete opposite of flawless. Had Aria been awake, would she be able to draw something out of it, Caleb wondered.

People have been doing a lot of worrying today. He wasn’t really up for it being directed at him, but Ren had been rather insistent that he use his healing artes sparingly ever since he fainted a few years ago. However, even she wouldn’t think to stop him from using his powers given the urgency of the situation earlier. “No, really, I’m okay,” he smiled reassuringly at Don.

“We all’ve heard that one before,” said Ren with a knowing look.

Caleb sighed. “I don’t think you’re in a position to talk. You kind of look like a mess right now.”

“But I’m an organized mess, so it’s okay.”

“U-huh,” he chuckled, then turned to Don. “I promise I’ll let you know the moment I’m tired, so let me carry her for now.”

While walking, Ren and Caleb locked gazes for a while, hers suspicious, his rather clueless. She knew why he was particularly insistent on it, but if Caleb did, she wasn’t quite sure. All his past glorifications on the topic of ‘love’ sure hadn’t helped him when it came to his own romantic feelings. The guy was clueless. Not that Ren made efforts to point it out or anything, but it made her want to bash her head against the nearest concrete wall sometimes.

“You heard him,” she told Don. “If worse comes to worst I’ll just drag him by the hair or something. No problem.”

Caleb wanted to protest that he wouldn’t let it come to that, but Meg quickened her pace as well as Ren as if following suit, so he did the same. Just a little more until they reach Nordopolica.

Edmund and Alex are gonna flip.

[wnq-writers]

Sometimes you have to lose yourself in the moon and the stars to find yourself in the sun and the sky.

penqwen (via wordsnquotes)

[capelclan]

    Well at least Ren hadn’t taken leave of her senses. But the youngest Capel still was not going to relinquish hold on her knife. A liability- she was always such a hazard with these guys-! The situation with Aria was not on account of that, thankfully, and as worried as Meg was, she hardly took blame. But the constantly shout of stay back or Meg, go! was really starting to grate on her nerves. Everyone else could fight. Everyone else was of merit in this group. Where did she fit? She was old enough, she had lineage. The Capels didn’t back down; so why was she…

             So scared…?

     Meg watched as Ren tussled with the monster, reaching into her bag to fish for the aforementioned gels. Yes, she had a trove of them- the benefits of getting retail-price on all purchases. Yes, the group saved quite a boon from their connection to Fortune’s Market, and Meg made certain that they were stocked to the teeth. 

“Make way!”

    Oh, great, Wonder-Boy was making his entrance. Meg rolled her eyes as the two conversed. Fortunately, as vague as her brother could be, he took instruction well enough. At Ren’s beck, Don turned to his ten, swinging blindly and thankfully ripping into the beast that had come up on his side. Watching Don in battle was almost like watching a machine run- he wanted to do something, and his body would do it. The form was there, the dedication, the power- it was awe inspiring for someone of his stature to be built the way he was. And with a smile on his face, no less; it was clear that Don loved nothing more than to be dead in the center of the fight. Even with one sister in ailing form and the other going to pieces, his body would still thrill in the heat of battle. His sisters were less enthused… 

    Meg watched with irritated impatience. She couldn’t help, so they could hurry at least, right? The fight was quick, at least- Ren dealing with her beast easily enough while Donnivan made quick work of the fenrir at his disposal. Meg flit over to the girl, holding out a gel. “Gotcha, Boss.” she said with a mock salute. Ignore the slight quake in her hand- she was still trying to collect her barings, but you couldn’t tell it from looking at her face. If there was one admirable quality in her, it was her plasticity. 

    Meanwhile, Don put his boot down on the felled wolf, tugging his sword out before wiping it on the grass below. He smiled back at Renilda, giving her a thumbs up. “All clear! Y’hear that, Pinky?” He turned his attention to Caleb, motioning for him to follow. “We gotta make tracks! Y’got Aria?”

    Aria. Meg stiffened a bit at the name, dropping her jestful salute as well as her gaze to the abruptly captivating grass beneath her feet. She was… she couldn’t look back, but Aria was okay, right? Don… wouldn’t sound so chipper if she wasn’t… okay… Meg’s fists tightened at her side. Pathetic… she hated this feeling…

    As Don released his hold on her, Aria wobbled in place. It shouldn’t have been so hard, she pondered, to stay upright. Her body felt a strange combination of heavy and light, as if it were not weight that held her down, but a detachment from her form. She couldn’t move without great effort; something was holding her down… right? Or was she just… so tired…? 

    It must have been Caleb that she veritably melted against upon contact, the feeling of solid support being too much of a relief for her to endure without. Her eyes slipped closed. Why was she breathing like that? Oh, she… she wasn’t feeling well. How odd… 

    She felt something cool against her forehead, and her eyes flicked open for just a moment before shutting once more. A hand- Caleb’s-, accompanied by a voice. She could have sworn he was speaking through water; his voice sounded distorted, despite the fact that she could feel the soft rumble of speech in his chest. What had he said… she was… oh, right. That would explain why his hand was cool. 

“Did you… a fever before … fight?”

    Aria had barely the energy to huff out a small, “Mm-mm…” of dissent. It was one of the few regards wherein Aria was not like her father that she tended to appreciate company and contact when ill or injured. She relaxed where she leaned ( almost lay, at this point ), her head almost not connecting the fact that they had just been in a battle. She just… was sleep out of the question? She would really appreciate a nap right about now…

[bravingpathstogether]

Don always seemed so at home on the battlefield that it felt almost unnatural seeing him somewhere else. He moved with an energy that was contagious, that on a usual day, to go on without smiling was next to impossible for well-inspired Ren.

In any case, the fight ended with two thumbs ups on both their ends. Ren was free to take the gel from Meg’s hands, but not without returning the salute first. She then held the gel in place for a few seconds, seemingly staring at Meg as though wanting to say something, but ultimately decided against it. Her concern would be met with snark anyway, and Ren lacked the maturity to avoid returning the favor. Poking Meg on the forehead felt like much a better way of showing her affection.

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, I’ve got her,” Caleb responded from the back. Ren watched him turn to Aria with an excited smile. “Hear that, Aria? The fight’s over, so we have to… Aria…?”

Panic froze Caleb for a second—she wouldn’t respond—his wide eyes staring down at the figure that gradually lost its balance, his hold on her the only thing that had kept her standing at this point. But the rise and fall of her chest filled him with relief. “Oh,” he said, chuckling. “She’s asleep.”

The sound of approaching footsteps had him looking over his shoulder. Ren had jogged over to where he was, looking every bit the disheveled mess that he expected her to be. She seemed energetic, but the fatigue in her eyes wasn’t something she could ever hide from Caleb. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

“How is she?”

One arm on Aria’s shoulder, Caleb slid his other hand under her legs and hoisted her up. He met Ren’s gaze. “She should be fine. I closed the wound for now, but… she has a fever.” He said his next words quietly. “Might get worse if we don’t hurry.”

Ren checked Aria’s temperature and nodded. “Okay. We’ll hurry, then.” Ren started walking and Caleb followed suit with Aria. “What about you?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“Are you okay?” Caleb did cast his artes multiple times in a row. It could make a girl worry.

“Oh,” he slipped on his tough guy face. He doubted it helped much. “I’m fine.”

[spaacemusings]

              Do you think I’d abandon you?

                               Leave you to deal with your problems alone?

                                                  Oh, no, I don’t think so.

                                                                Don’t you see? We’re a team, me and you.

                                                  You and I are going to make it through this.

                               I won’t leave you. Not now.

              Not ever.

[capelclan]

    Don’s attention was captivated with Aria once the bag was caught, and he lowered her to her knees as Caleb worked with the wound. Caleb could do something; the boy was gifted, better at healing than even she was. It was in his blood- the Child of the Full Moon, a burden he’d gained from his mother, was able to heal so easily. He could help her. Don just needed to be support. He set the bag, open, in front of her, nudging it toward her and Caleb in case they needed it. “See, Aria? Y’re gonna be fine. It’s all good, Sis.” No way was he bringing Aria back to Dad in anything less than fighting-fit condition. He wouldn’t have it. Dad wouldn’t–…. Aria wouldn’t let that happen, anyway. She was tough. He had no doubts in her.

    He would continue whispering small bits of encouragement, offering help to Caleb in any way he could. Say the word, Pinky- he’d do whatever you needed.

    Meg’s attention, however, was also solely caught, like a ship tethered to a dock. Her heart hammered in her chest, hands clutching each other in front of her as she fought to try to look away. It was hopeless- like a moth to flame, her eyes refused to divert, she couldn’t look away. Ensnared as she was in terror’s claws, there was no way she would notice the guttural growl of the approaching fenrir.

    A miracle, it was, that Ren appeared when she did. Meg screamed at the contact, reeling as she and the Lowell girl landed in the soft grass just out of lunge-range of the monster. Dizziness swam over her as Meg sat up, trying to realign herself. Her breathing was ragged- “Wh-wha–?” A visceral fear gripped her chest as she heard, at last, the growl of the beast. Her eyes snapped to it- just like the one on Aria. Aria- Aria-! 

“You alright?”

    Meg’s focus shifted as Ren pulled her up, getting to her feet. She was already moving again- she was still fighting-. The world didn’t end because someone was hurt, and now that Meg’s focus had been physically dragged from the scene, her breathing was mellowing, her heart slowing to a less frantic speed. The worry and anxiety were still there, apparent in the pinch of her brow and the downward tug of her lips, but there was logic in those eyes once more. 

“Back me up. I’m counting on you.”

    With a tch, Meg pushed off the ground, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. “Back you up with what?” She dug into her bag, pulling out a hunting knife that let be did not fit her grip, but was held improperly besides. “I keep you around to do the fighting. What, do I do your job now?” The terse jest was strained, even for Meg, but it was dialogue; that was more than they’d have gotten from her moments before. “I’ll drown you with a Life Bottle if you go down. Sound fair?” And that smirk was forced, too. No, Meg was not entirely in the fight…

    The healing was less familiar than nostalgic; it was to her credit that Aria tended not to be injured very often. So while she was aware of what the warm wash of artes felt like, she was not so accustomed to it. But it was comforting, assuaging the stabbing spikes of volcanic pain in her side. Slowly, slowly, the repeated waves of pain lessened and lessened and lessened still. Caleb… she would have to thank him when she caught her breath. But for the moment, she would lean on Don and wait for the pain to subside. 

    It took a few tries; she heard Don’s soft encouragement in her ear, the quiet dialogue from Caleb in her other. Or were they not quiet? Could she just not hear right? How much blood had she lost? Likely a dangerous amount… at least she was being pragmatic about this. Oh, she would loathe burdening them, but she doubted Don would settle for anything less than carrying her back to the inn, anyway. And she would rather accept help than burden them later.

“How are you feeling?”

    She lifted her head, blearily looking over to Caleb. A weak smile was on her lips as she nodded. “I-I’ll be fine. Just… a b-bit d-dizzy still…” Caleb’s healing was reliable; this was just a matter of blood loss that was keeping her feeling so fatigued and sick. Her head swam where she sat, and she dropped her gaze and pinched her eyes closed. “Everyt-thing’s.. fuzzy…”

    Don quirked a brow. Clearly he’d been relieved to hear her talking, but… fuzzy? He looked to Caleb with concern. “That normal?” Sure, she shouldn’t have been in tip-top shape or anything immediately, but… didn’t she look kind of flushed? Her cheeks were warm..

     And Ren’s fight was skewed without some kind of backup. Meg had never been a fighter, after all. Don grumbled a bit- which issue did he attend to? His sister, or his other sister… If Ren went down, they were screwed. Not to mention if Meg got hurt– no way. He trusted Caleb. He hefted Aria to sit up straighter ( she seemed reluctant to support herself… ), holding her shoulders and demanding, “Take ‘er. I’m countin’ on ya, Caleb.” 

    He didn’t give Caleb a chance to dissent. Back into the fray he leaped, darting across the expanse and recollecting his sword before tearing off toward Ren. “Make way!” He’d try to make this quick.

[bravingpathstogether]

“I keep you around to do the fighting. What, do I do your job now?”

Ren had to smirk at that. (Glad to know you like her so much, Meg.) And no, she never meant for you to take out your knife and fight. Perhaps be on standby in case a gel was needed or, hell if Ren got pissed, maybe a limit bottle or two.

It was nice to see some of the old, cranky Capel back. The splash of vexation on her face was hard to ignore, but Ren’d take cranky Meg over terrified Meg any day. “And here I thought Alex was the brightest ball of sunshine around here,” she muttered, slinging her axe over her shoulder. No one could top Alex in the sunshine department. Meg Capel came a close… seventh--eighth, maybe. Put her and Edmund next to each other and the world would cower underneath their glares.

At Meg’s suggestion, Ren laughed flatly.  “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t let me get to that point. We do have gels--” A menacing growl cut her off mid-sentence and pulled the spotlight onto the fenrir. Ren snapped a glare, offended by the interruption. It took her around two seconds to realize that the said growl had been plural. Oh, joy.

Side-stepping in front of Meg, Ren caught the hound’s fangs with her axe when it lunged. Sparks flew. Her eyes set ablaze with purpose. “Get back! Where’d this one come from?”

Aria’s smile rinsed some of the concern off Caleb’s features, the knit in his eyebrows uncurling as he managed a smile of his own. At least she was able to speak with her normal stutter now… somewhat. “Just take it easy,” he said, coating his voice with a gentle softness. A hand moved to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear, and he was about to ask her more questions when Don posed one of his own.

“That normal?”

What, feeling fuzzy? Caleb frowned. “She did lose a lot of blood, but…” he turned to look at Aria once more, trying to gauge the validity of Don’s concern. Come to think of it… something felt off, somehow, and it killed him to not know what. Uh-oh, he was tuning everything out again. The world tended to quiet down around him whenever he focused, so he almost didn’t hear Don when he asked Caleb to take Aria. Confusion briefly writ his face, which faded when he followed Don’s gaze. Ren was still fighting out there. Squint enough and he’d see that she was filled with cuts and bruises all over, which meant she had used the “crazy method” again. Perhaps on the Treant earlier? I know you want to end the fight as soon as possible Ren, but sheesh.

“R-right,” he nodded and took Aria in his arms, careful not to jostle her too much. When Don darted off, Caleb sighed  before yelling,. “Be careful!” He’d appreciate it if Don didn’t add to the list of people he had to heal after this.

Now that things have calmed down on this end, however, Caleb’s mind was clearing bit by bit. He realized something after touching Aria.

She was warm.

“That’s weird,” he mused, pressing a hand against her forehead. Yeah, she was definitely warm. Was it normal for someone to develop a fever immediately after injury? “You’re burning up. Did you already have a fever before the fight?”

“Make way!”

Don’s thundering voice. Ren’s face lit up almost immediately. “Ten o’clock!” she hollered out to the approaching Capel, gesturing to where the other beast was while she swung in an attempt to pry one off her axe. “I got this one.” If only it’d let go.

“Arrrgh,damn it, let go!” she snapped, then kicked the damn thing with the heel of her shoes. The fenrir yelped, freeing Ren’s weapon from its fangs, flew a few feet in the air before it landed with a sickening crack. Wasting no time she flitted forward, dust flying in her wake, and swept downwards with her blade. “Heads up.” The fenrir’s head rolled away, its body left bleeding--motionless on the ground. Ren leaned against the pole of her axe with a grin. “Or head’s off, I’m not picky.”

Taking a deep, somewhat exhausted breath, Ren glanced over at Don. “You done over there, Tiger? Let’s bolt before more of these things show up.”

[thecourtofmiracles]

Ren’s smirk was all the affirmation of a job well done that Gilbert needed. When she took his hand, he helped tug her up to her feet, placing a hand on his hip as she stretched. See? You could trust him, Ren. Gilbert knew his way around the guards with absolutely no fail rate. Honestly, it was shocking how easy it was to actually trick people. A lot of people, in fact… Smile more, talk less, and you could get through just about anything. 

Gilbert gave a light laugh, shaking his head. “No, none of that.” he assured, waving his hand. “Politics certainly isn’t for me. I’ve watched Father slave for far too long to vie for being in public service. I’m just not cut out for it.” Besides, he had no love lost for the Council, and he lacked certain credentials for the Knights. So the idea of entering politics was less and less likely. Acting, though… huh,  he’d never thought of it. Recent recreation had captivated his attention enough that he’d really stopped thinking about what else he could do with his future. He was still growing, and he had already accomplished so much…

Not that anyone could see it, but at least those who needed to know could recognize him. That mattered. His duty mattered. Fame or understanding, not so much.

Her desire to bolt was met with a nod. “Right. This way.” He knew the maze like the back of his hand, so guiding her out was fairly simple. “Anything in particular you want to explore?” he asked, eyes flicking sidelong to catch hers. “Food is in great supply, you’ve got entertainment down toward the south end of Residential, there’s the Square…” Personally, Gilbert tended to avoid the Square. He wasn’t much for dancing, after all…

[bravingpathstogether]

“No politics, gotcha,” she pretended to shoot him with her finger gun and winked.

Silliness aside, Ren wondered if she was cut out for the world of politics, wanting to be Commandant and all. Not that she had been in any particular hurry to rise through the ranks, no (people should enjoy Flynn’s reign a little longer) but a person like Ren at the top, of all places? People would mock the mere notion of it—which was why she hadn’t mentioned it to anyone yet, not even to Caleb. Didn’t want them laughing until she could back herself up with experience.

Ren readily followed Gilbert out the maze; careful not to let her superiors catch her (especially in uniform) otherwise they’d have to make a run for it. Technically, only she had to run, but it’d be like any other mess that she had been dragging Gilbert in since they were kids. Shouldn’t be new to him at all.

The question had her bemusedly staring at the azure sky.  “Mmm… does ‘wandering around aimlessly ‘til we find something interesting’ sound like a plan to you?” --Mostly because she will find everything interesting, one way or another (it’s just that her brother displayed curiosity in a fashion more apparent than Ren) so they might as well be thorough in exploring and enjoy everything. (Yes, even the Square, Gil.) Festivals were a nice change of pace from the scads of rules within the castle that Ren had to put up with. You’d think with an emperor like Ioder, they’d follow his example and lighten up a little.

“Think we’ll run into Caleb?” or Alex, came her bashful thought. She hadn’t seen either person in a while. Plus it was always nice to see Alex again.

--Caleb. She meant Caleb.

[capelclan]

    It wasn’t as bad as it looked, Meg told herself. It couldn’t be. This was Aria. Aria was fine. Aria was always fine. She was a rock- dogs couldn’t level her. Caleb was overreacting, and there was nothing wrong. Her whole body felt hot, ready to sprint but arrested in fear. Why couldn’t she move? She couldn’t do anything, Aria had told her to stay back ( but when had she ever taken orders!? ), and she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe–

     That was a lot of blood–

    And Don knew exactly what that meant. The beast he and his sister had aimed for had been quelled. Caleb was a speedy guy, much faster than Don, and had reached Aria first. Thankfully he’d landed the killing blow. Don discarded his sword hurriedly, sprinting over to follow Caleb’s command. “Got her! Aria- hey, you’re gonna be alright, okay? Don’t pass out- you’re gonna give Meg a heart attack, huh?” He broke a smile, but the pinch in his brow betrayed his very real fear. That was… that was quite a hit for someone like Aria. Blue eyes flicked to Meg, and his stomach dropped. Oh yeah, that was… a great face… So Meg was compromised… He tut his tongue- no, there was no time for her to go limp noodle- “Meg,” he barked, fixing her with a look that said, for once, that he meant no nonsense. “Ya got gels, right?”

    She snapped to attention, whole body stiff. Her eyes wide- unlike her, this whole visage was so unlike her- Meg nodded absently. 

    “Then get diggin’!”

    Aria, meanwhile, was listing. She’d hardly noticed much after the beast had released her, her entire body melting into a strange pseudo-numbness that she knew meant shock. Understandable; body’s weren’t made to have bites taken out of them. Don supported her side, and she would have to apologize later for relying so heavily on him to keep her up. The entire scene sounded as if it were coming from a within a wind tunnel, but there was no missing that tone. She panted, her chest a dull roar of distant pain as she softly insisted, “D-Don, that’s… that’s no– no way to… t’talk to… M-Meg…”

    Meg’s breath hitched as she rifled through the bag, pulling out anything that she could think of that could be offered to Caleb as further help. “Aria, not now!” she demanded, her voice almost a grating shriek of anxiety. Holding the gels in her hand, Meg stood tense as a taut bowstring and eyed the scene. A step closer- no, a few steps closer. She had to. She had… to… but her eyes wouldn’t leave the slow, steady drip of crimson at her sister’s side. That… that was her sister… she was…. Aria was going to die, wasn’t she? No- no Aria wouldn’t do that to them, Aria was strong, so strong, stronger than any of them, and older, too. She was… There was a stinging in Meg’s eyes, and a marble of panic that would not vacate her throat prevented the choked whine as she reluctantly took a step back. Aria… Aria needed her… Aria–

    Meg was useless, Don seethed internally. He couldn’t blame her- not like they didn’t know the brat would go to pieces the second that someone got hur– no, no that wasn’t it. He was panicking too. This wasn’t just some warrant injury. Growling, he shouted, “Meg. We ain’t got time.” Don held out a hand. Yelling at Meg would get him no where. “Just a couple steps. I can meet you part way.” He shimmied a couple of steps closer, keeping a hold on Aria as best as he could. She was swaying- she’d hold up for a few moments, given she didn’t collapse, but Meg needed to reach–

    Or toss. Bundled in a small pouch, a small stock of supplies jet through the air, and Don caught them with a relieved smile. “There ya go, Shortstack~!” 

    And as soon as the supplies left her hand, Meg stumbled backward, wrapping her arms over her torso. Aria was going to die. There was too much blood- Caleb couldn’t fix that. She was going to die and no one could do anything about it. Pride was a sin that described Meg, but in that moment it was tossed to the wind as horrified tears pooled in her eyes. Aria… Aria, stop bleeding now….!

[bravingpathstogether]

Within seconds Caleb had tuned everything out—clashing blades, the surrounding panicked screams, even his own breathing. The slightest distraction could throw him off, and he needed to be ready to cast another spell since, judging from the size of Aria’s blood pool, one Healing Circle wasn’t enough.

As if his thoughts were taking form, Caleb felt mana surging through every nerve in his body--

“Arise, o light of life!”

--and spilling out of his fingertips like waterfalls.

Meanwhile, the only waterfall Ren was spilling was blood, or whatever fluid came out of a Treant’s body, anyways. Not out of her fingertips, but through an axe. Getting close to one of the buggers was no cakewalk given its long reach, but through sheer willpower, she managed to deal the final, devastating blow. The method used was something Caleb (and were he around, Gil) would call reckless--charge forward and suck it up--however unlike Aria, Ren’s body was built for close combat.

She cracked a small, lopsided smile as the beast fell with a thud, allowing herself one moment of triumph before turning to check how things were going on Caleb’s end…

Great. Great, as in the Capels were panicking… more apparent in Meg’s form rather than Don’s, who had his hand held out and lacked the usual chip in his voice—Ren wasn’t used to seeing him angry, if that’s what you called it. It was a little difficult to tell from this distance, but he appeared more put-together than Meg, at least. And even from this distance she could make out the ever-increasing pool of blood around Aria. Ren started to make her way towards them to gather a better understanding of the situation (and help where she could) when something caught her eye.

Another fenrir, tempestuous and looking extremely hungry, was stalking behind the youngest Capel.

Damn it!

“Meg!” The terror couldn’t be hidden in her tone. “Look sharp!”

Ren broke into a sprint, lungs burning as her widening green eyes watched the beast bare its teeth at Meg. As if she’d let another one of those nasty beast get another taste of the Capels. Fat chance! 

For fear of not making it in time, Ren bounded forward, Meg in tow, while her free hand swung at (and missed) the hound. An oof escaped her when she landed on her shoulder with Meg in her arms.

“You alright?” Concern and alarm oozed from her voice, but she shook it all off and pushed off the ground. Meg was light considering how easy it was to pull her into a sitting position.  Ren rose to her feet, . “Back me up. I’m counting on you.”

“—Healing Circle!” Caleb had cast for the third time—just in case, but ultimately he had managed to close the wound without incident. The problem was the amount of blood lost. Aria was whiter than a sheet and needed rest, so this—he glanced at the battlefield—this needed to be over, fast.

He turned to Aria once more. “How are you feeling?”