Black-Crow

Aetri watched as Black-Crow's obscured form moved towards Her horse, a Midnight Black Stallion, Mystery, that She cared.... well not cared for, that wasn't the right word exactly, cultivated maybe? Uses of emotional interaction were never appropriate, not for Black-Crow or anyone like her.

Crow wore the Dark, tightly fit Black garb that she always wore, soft as silk but strong as plated leather, Her featherweight body was smooth and springy and she almost glided along the ground on her sure feet instead of walked, Aetri did, however, see something slightly alarming, The Dark woman's usually perfect movement's become disturbed as she lurched, grasping at her flat stomach as she fell to her knees.

"Crow!?" Aetri rushed over to Her, ignoring his own injuries to help Her, a thick burst of scarlet blood flying from her lips as she hacked violently.

He crouched beside Crow, Her face obscured by the Dark hood and shawl that she always wore "Crow... black-Crow, are you alright?" He asked with concern for his friend, Crow merely held up a barring hand, wiping her mouth with her Shawl before standing weakly.

"It is nothing of Concern. Come."

"Oh no, no, no, not this shit again, Nothing of concern my ass. Come on I'll ride, Mystery, You can sit in the back." Aetri insisted, taking the coughing and sputtering woman's arm to help her onto the back of her horse.

Kara mounted Hjal's horse, looking to Aetri who nodded encouragingly to her "You ride on ahead, tell Lee we're coming, a gentler ride will do us both some good."

Kara looked worried but nodded reluctantly, she always was afraid of Lee, despite her efforts to conceal such.

The Redhead whipped her steed into a darting gallop as Aetri kept Mystery at a non-strenuous trot.

They moved briskly through the coming noon, among the cool grassland and rockey crevices layered with octagonal frost patterns. Aetri felt Black-Crow leaning limply on his back, her breath strained and tired... something that only usually occurred when she got angry... or pushed herself too hard "Wait a Goddamn second!?"

"You failed in Your mission," Black-Crow whispered weakly, beating him to his revelation.

"You were following me, again, weren't you?" Aetri growled with irritation, Crow merely nodded

"Surveillance of your progress on this task was essential," Crow spoke in a kind of icy jargon, informative and efficient but not entirely human either, but these things were normal to him now, even if she was an emotionless Vatan, She had done much for him.

Aetri was just gonna leave it at that, but Crow continued "The Girl, she distracted You. You might have completed the mission were you not so busy with copulation"

Aetri cringed harshly "What did I say about watching us?" He asked in Horror, Crow said nothing on it.

"The session was brief so I will not berate you, perhaps keep future intercourse as short as that one?" She suggested, making Aetri wish that He'd allowed himself to be lynched

"Goddess... I really don't need that kind of advice from you, Crow... ugh" He said, Crow was like family, the thought of it was awkward enough, though... somewhat stimulating. "Get your fucking head out of the gutter man, gah!" He thought to himself as Crow continued

"This girl, she wed the enemy and she wastes too much of your time."

Aetri grumbled tiredly "Yeah, Yeah, I know, Lee's lectured me enough, I don't need you to start too. I failed to get the Horn, I get it, I'm sorry." Aetri felt Crow sit up slightly, resting her arms on his shoulders to support herself

"On the contrary, Your escape from the Lynching was quite impressive, and the strategy with the wolves utilizing your knowledge of the Forest, You did well... though I suspect that Lee will ultimately be displeased." Wow... that was encouragement, very rare from Crow.

Aetri chuckled "I don't recall a time that she wasn't displeased." He said, Crow nodded

"Indeed-" Crow began to cough again, slumping against his back as her breath became hoarse and thick

"Bloody saints... sounds like another bad one, hold on tight, let's get you some help." Aetri said, pushing the Stallion just a little faster along the path.

Black-Crow like Lee was of the far East, an overwhelmingly skilled Assassin and something a little more... or maybe a little less than Human, She had always been a Vatan, He didn't remember a time where she wasn't cold and calculating, even when He was a boy, especially when He was a boy... but the sickness... that came a little later on, even since He came to Uld, Crow had gone through periods of intense illness which never quite seemed to pass.

Despite Her cold nature, Aetri had a soft spot for Crow, he wouldn't be the person he was now if not for Her and Lee, He just wished... He wished that it could stay that way, that He could stay in Uld and live a peaceful life, but his dreams wouldn't let him rest easy with that.

Aetri froze for a second, feeling Crow press more and more against him, the soft sensation of two orbs barely restrained by the thin material of her garb, her head resting on his back "Crow... Crow?"

He heard her stir "I need to... rest." she said slothfully, He knew that she was a better footpad than He'd ever be, but following after him all that way must have been difficult

"Hey, just keep those eyes open, look the Lodge is just over there."

Just ahead, along the path toward's the Gates to Uld, off the beaten path, was Lee's Lodge, a two-story building made of fierce black oak, a tall and clean presence amongst the snow in comparison to Crow's small mahogany shack, Hjal's horse hitched just outside the front door... No shouting that he could hear so far, that was good.

What wasn't good however, was the feeling of someone slipping off of the saddle!

"Shit!" Aetri twisted around quickly, reaching out to grab Crow before she could slip away, but He missed by a hair, watching her dark form thump against the ground unconscious as He rapidly halted, dismounting to rush over to Her.

Crow lay there on her back, Her Hood had fallen, the Black Shawl that covered her face slipped free. He crouched by her, holding her on his lap while staring at her face.

Pale as ice and elegant as ever, Crow's almost porcelain beauty looked up at him, Her button nose and Red lips, the roundness of her cheeks and the thin serpentine shape of her eyes extenuated her Eastern origins, Her onyx black hair was cut into a neat bob, the black hairs were strewn across her face, Aetri had to snap himself out of it, He did not often get to actually see her face and had forgotten how beautiful she was, her innate vitality and youth being slightly unnerving also "Crow, Hey, wake up." He carefully and lightly tapped her cheek, trying to wake her before black-gloved fingers suddenly tightened around his wrist, Eyes so unimaginably black that they reflected the White sky above perfectly stared at him coldly

"I am Awake." She whispered weakly, only barely being able to sit up and pull her hood back up "I... cannot walk."

"It's alright, I'll carry you inside, come on, upsy-daisy." Aetri steadied the limp woman in his arms, holding her lean legs and the middle of her back to carry her over to the lodge... He frowned slightly, accidentally brushing his fingers along the side of her breasts, though she didn't seem to care, merely staring at him with her lifeless Black eyes, unnerving him a little further.

Marching over, his body screaming at him to stop carrying a fully grown woman around, Aetri kicked open the Lodges front door, the chill of the outside rushing in only momentarily before He slammed it closed again, He knew better than to let the heat out... Lee hated the cold.

As soon as He entered the Lodge, the familiar smell of booze attacked his nostrils "Oh no." Aetri thought, looking into the living area to see a very pale and very scared looking Kara sat at the dining table.

"Hey, Kara can You help me get her to The Healing Room, She's really out of it and..." Aetri paused, seeing the fear in Kara's eyes, He understood.

One couldn't see the full space of the living area from the entrance, an adjacent wall blocked the fireplace... where Lee's armchair was.

He moved carefully into the room, rounding the corner to see just what He expected, a Woman, in a White cotton tank-top, her long wavy streaks of black hair fell down her shoulders like a mane, Her face bright red and fierce with fury, Emerald coloured eyes a little glazed over stared at him, likely on account of the Jug of mead she held in on hand... though He gulped as He saw the dusty Long sword that lay unsheathed on her lap, her free hand's nails tapping along the metal of the blade dauntingly as she stared at him... "There you are, Boy."