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@conteuse

The pain was muted, as far as most injuries went. If anything, what hurt more was the embarrassment over how he’d gotten bruised ribs in the first place. Focused and headstrong, Ben had been so intent on the map Caleb provided -- God, why did his handwriting have to be so atrocious? -- that he’d missed a low-hanging tree branch, the force of the blow knocking him straight from Artillery’s saddle and onto the cold, hard ground. His horse had continued on in a bolt, not even seeming to notice his sudden plight.

Some friend.

Bitter and dehydrated, Ben unscrewed his canteen and attempted to siphon any remaining drops of water. When he came up empty, he grudgingly strapped it back to his belt and stumbled along through the underbrush, mindful of errant roots and low branches (too little too late) as he moved.

After quite a while of walking, he stopped a moment to catch his breath. That was when he heard it. In the distance, the sound of horse hooves pounding against dirt rumbled, and with a leap in his chest, Ben crouched down behind a tree, uncertain if this newcomer was friend or foe. In this day and age, figuring that out was nearly impossible -- brother slayed brother, and friend fought against neighbor. His best bet was to keep his head down and assess the scene. Though the moment the stranger on horseback appeared, it soon became apparent that it was the figure of a woman.

Perplexed, Ben rose to get a better look. What sort of woman would willingly travel unchaperoned, he wondered? It was not only uncommon, but dangerous, and most especially with all the highwaymen that roamed the backroads in search of unsuspecting victims. Hopefully she wouldn’t assume the worst of him...

Driven by desperation -- he needed to get to his destination, he needed to -- Ben burst from his hiding spot and staggered over towards the edge of the path, waving his arms just as the woman drew near enough for him to spot the color of her eyes. Her horse reared up, startled, and in a panic, Ben raced forward and grabbed hold of the reins, keeping the terrified beast from throwing the woman onto the ground. Gritting his teeth, he yanked forward and encouraged the horse to lower again, shushing the snorting animal as its wide eyes regarded him distrustfully.

Ben loved horses. If he could ignore the fact that his own had just abandoned him, he considered himself quite adept at taming and soothing them. “Apologies,” he said to the woman, breathless, “but I’m lost and in need of help. My horse...” Disoriented, he turned and glanced around them, pointing quizzically where he believed she’d bolted. “We got separated, and I’ve been traveling on foot for a few miles. Do you think you could take me into town?”

With a wince, he pressed his free hand to his sore ribs and looked to her imploringly. Once he’d gotten the proper care, Ben was adamant about returning to these woods. He would not leave Artillery behind.

#conteuse #a crossing of paths #//hope this works! <3 #if ella takes him to her employer's house to give him some first aid #that could help him organically realize she has 'an in' to intelligence?#let me know if i need to change anything! :)#and ofc no need to match me i always ramble on my starters lol #long post tw