Testing the Limits

Verlian stood outside the small stone building with his arms crossed, waiting for Ravynne to finish changing. "Ver, are you really going to let her stay?" Dino asked, a huge smile spreading across his face. His hands were balled into a fist and he bounced excitedly as he awaited the answer. Verlian placed his hand atop of Dino's head and ruffled his hair slightly.

"We'll see."

That was as good of an answer for Dino, who smiled brightly. "I hope we can keep her! She's really pretty, like a shiny rock! Have you ever seen someone so pretty before?!"

Ashke was standing with his back leaning against the wall of the building, his short fire red hair contrasting the grey of the stone. "She's not a pet, Dino. We aren't going to KEEP her. It's up to Verlian if she'll be allowed to stay but after that it's up to her." Ashke removed himself from the building and placed himself in front of Dino, whom he towered over. "Her being pretty has no bearing on the situation."

Dino frowned and looked up at Verlian, who was even taller than Ashke, "Is that true Ver? You don't want to keep someone who's so nice to look at?"

Verlian closed his eyes and took a deep breath to suppress a chuckle, but otherwise didn't respond. It was then that Ravynne exited the building dressed in a white pelt that reached her ankles. Walking was practically a chore, each step sending pain through her body. She stopped just outside the building and leaned against it as she closed her eyes and took a few steadying breaths.

"Wow! You really are a shiny rock! You look just like an anjewel!" Dino exclaimed as he ran up and hugged Ravynne's arm. She flinched in pain.

"The term is angel, Dino. Angel." Ashke grabbed Dino by the arm and pulled him off of Ravynne to which she responded with a groan. "Let's leave them now and go do our work." Ashke nodded to Verlian and proceeded to drag Dino off down the small dirt road that led into the main square of Evania.

Verlian glanced at Ravynne who was obviously struggling. "Come along my little shadow, we have work to do." Ravynne followed behind him and did her best to keep up.

"What exactly are we going to do?" Ravynne asked as she dodged pebbles in hopes of saving her feet any more discomfort.

He continued on into what seemed to be a market-place. "Shadows don't speak." He said as he grabbed her arms. Ravynne shot him a painful look but was surprised by how he gently moved her to a wooden bench. "Wait here." He disappeared into the building next to them without further explanation.

"What was that about? I thought he was going to handle me like a freshly cut log but instead…." Ravynne's thoughts stopped in their tracks as she felt her face flush. "What is wrong with me? Why am I getting so flustered over nothing? That's how you should be treated Ravynne, get a hold of yourself!"

Just as she was about to go on her own rant in her thoughts, Verlian exited the building. "Put these on." He tossed a pair of brown leather shoes next to her on the bench and proceeded to stand in her front of her, facing the road. It almost seemed like he was protecting her.

Ravynne caught herself smiling and quickly changed her expression before slipping on the shoes. She hadn't realized how cold her feet were until she felt the warmth of the shoes. It was bliss. Now she wouldn't have to worry about all of those pesky little pebbles littering the road either. "Thank you for these." Ravynne tapped him on the shoulder to let him know that she was finished.

With one look at her feet, Verlian continued down the path. "It looks like he's heading to the forest….certainly we aren't going there right? It's already quite late." She shook the thoughts from her mind as her fears were confirmed. They were, indeed, heading to the forest. Ravynne bit her lip, fighting back the urge to complain. His clothing and hair were dark which made it all the more difficult to keep track of him.

In an instant, he was gone. She whipped her head around and squinted her eyes, searching for any hint of him that she could find.

Nothing.

"Verlian? V-Verlian?" Ravynne called out and received no answer other than the whispered language of the leaves. She continued her search, it was almost impossible to see anything through the dark veil of the night. Panic was beginning to wash over her again as flashbacks from the previous night rushed into her mind. Was it her anxiousness or the fact that she hadn't had anything to eat yet that was making her dizzy? She couldn't be sure, perhaps it was a mix of the two.

Ravynne placed her hand on a nearby tree to help steady herself while placing the other onto her forehead when she heard rustling in the bushes nearby. Her heart stopped and she held her breath, listening carefully as her eyes strained to see what was there.

A figured emerged, and while she could only make out the silhouette, she knew it was Verlian based on its size. "Ver-" Just as she was about to shout his name, he cut her off.

"Some shadow." Ravynne couldn't see his expression, but she honestly didn't need to by his tone. While his voice was still calm, it was sprinkled with anger. She didn't know how he did it, or if he was born with this amazing talent of always having a calm tone, but she found herself thinking it was attractive.

"Here, you carry this." Verlian shoved a wire with three dead hares on the end into her hand and gently grabbed her arm. Ravynne just stared up at him as he led the two of them out of the forest and back into the village. The streets and buildings were lit by torches and Ravynne could see now that Verlian had been carrying an entire bundle of sticks under his opposing arm. "Wow, he got that much in such a short amount of time?"

After the two returned home, Verlian continued to give her brief instructions and point her in all different directions. As it turned out, the bundle of sticks and the hares were for their dinner –to which Ravynne helped starting the fire and preparing them.

The two sat down to a delicious looking hare stew with a mouthwatering aroma wafting through the air. Ravynne didn't realize just how hungry she'd been until she put the first spoonful into her mouth. It was delicious! She could feel the warmth slide down her throat and into her stomach which was the perfect feeling to combat the cold air outside.

Verlian sat, watching her eat. He could tell she was thoroughly enjoying it. "You've failed my test." He said, not changing his expression. "You're not good at doing anything."

Ravynne stopped eating and slowly lowered her bowl and spoon. "I have no excuses. It's true. Today I didn't do well. I lost sight of you in the forest, I couldn't light the fire properly, I didn't know how to gut a hare, and I couldn't cut the vegetables evenly. Still, please let me stay. I'm not perfect, but I can get things done to an extent." She kept her gaze on her bowl, never once looking up to meet Verlian's gaze.

"Evania was built by the abandoned. Everyone that lives here, has been abandoned by someone. We take care of each other and protect one another. That's why I invoked a new law – no more outsiders. Last summer, my men found a group near death in the forest. We took them in, fed them, clothed them, some of us even bonded with them. As soon as they fully regained their strength, they stole a large amount of our supplies and murdered Arisa. She was Evania's first child, but she was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

This was the first time Ravynne saw emotion in his facial expression. He was so visibly pained by that, especially once he got to the part about Arisa. The mere mention of her name caused his eyes to glaze, the fire from the fireplace appearing in them as if they were a mirror.

"What is it you want shadow? Why do you want revenge?"