Rei groaned as she leaned over the neck of her horse, Petal. The dark-haired girl was almost as badly off as her horse, both having travelled many leagues in the last two weeks. The villagers in Ilia had told her that the plains of Sacae were sparsely populated, but she hadn't believed it could possibly be worse than the frozen waste that was Ilia.
She had hoped to find one of the tribes to restock with - the stories she had picked up in the northern country had all painted Sacae as the home to tribes of vicious, barbaric nomads... in two weeks, though, she had hoped to find the trade-city, Bulgar. It was supposedly a week and a half's travel due south, but between the rolling sameness of the plains and the way the too-bright sun made her eyes water, she could tell - she was thoroughly, hopelessly lost.
"If I die out here..." she whispered through cracked lips, licking them to try to coax some moisture out of her dehydrated body, "at least... it'll be knowing it was far away from you, Kojiro... ne, Petal..?"
Darkness flickered at the corners of her eyes, a twinge in the back of her mind reminding her of the treasonous nature of her thoughts, but she pressed on, her spirit buoyed by the rebellious consideration. From her mount, there came no reply.
bBreak/b
"Oh! You're awake!" Rei winced at the cheerful voice invading her conciousness. She felt... warm and comfortable, her mouth no longer felt dry and the swelling on her tongue had faded a little. Someone had watered her, somehow, and taken her in.
Sometimes, Rei hated the analytical mind she had been blessed with. Right now, she really wished she could pull whatever was covering her closer and pretend that she had never stirred at all. Instead, she cracked her eyes open, then forced them wide. The riot of colours above her made no sense, so she blinked a few times to clear the sleep from them. It didn't work, so instead Rei turned to face the speaker. A young woman, perhaps sixteen years old - a year or two younger than Rei herself - with long, teal hair tied up in a high ponytail and eyes a shade lighter. She had a kind face and a soft smile. Her clothes were rough-spun, but colourfully dyed with a yellow and red pattern made of interlocking triangles at the hems and collar.
"You must be one of the vicious, barbaric nomads of Sacae, ne...?" Rei groaned, unable to think of a more intelligent response. They were in a tent, she realised, they must be - behind the girl was a wall made of hinged wood covered by a riotously colourful cloth on the other side.
"Yes," The girl chuckled, throatily. "I'm Lyn, of the Lorca tribe. As the chieftain's daughter, it's my duty to look after any strays we take in. How are you feeling?" She asked, kneeling beside the pile of blankets and furs Rei was resting in.
"Almost human." Rei replied. "Thank you." She managed a weak smile.
"Good." Lyn smiled back, reaching to the side to spoon out a bowlful of thick broth, before offering it to the reclining girl. "Sit up, you should eat under your own power if you have the strength."
Rei obeyed, propping herself up on her elbows then tucking her legs under her in the closest she could manage to a proper seiza position in her weakened state.
"Thank you," she murmured, taking the bowl and misliking the way her hands shook. "I am Rei, of the Kurome family. I am... a traveller, from Kanhi north of Ilia." She put the bowl in her lap to bow deeply, her short, black hair hanging forwards away from her neck. "Thank you for your hospitality. Is my companion well?"
"Petal?" Lyn asked, and Rei looked up at her, startled. "Yes, she's recovering well. She's a sturdy one, she's been up on her feet for two days already."
"That is a relief." Rei lowered her gaze once more, this time to the soup that she lifted to her lips. "She has been with me for many years, and I have treated her ill these last two weeks."
"No worse than you treated yourself." Lyn murmured. "I don't recognise her lineage."
"She is from my homeland. It is... a wet, mountainous place. The islands are volcanic, so it is always warm there. I couldn't just sell her for something silly like the plains, she's a friend more than a mount." Rei explained, not quite knowing why she was so desperate to win this barbarian girl's approval as well as her assistance.
"I can't blame you for that." Lyn murmured. "You did your best, and your dester'edra will make a full recovery. Just promise me you'll be more careful in the future."
"I will," Rei agreed, putting down her empty bowl. Her eyelids were heavy. "Was that..?"
"A mild sleeping agent." Lyn nodded. "You're not yet fully recovered, so please, rest a little longer."
Rei didn't object to that idea, nor did she truly blame the Lorca girl for drugging her for her own good. She put the bowl to one side and lay back down, the strength leaving her limbs quickly as Lyn covered her in the blankets.
bBreak/b
Pain. Rei recognised it. It haunted her every day, driving her onwards. She had stayed too long in Lyn's care. She staggered to the exit, barely able to concentrate enough to pack her bag and don her cloak. It was all she could do to pause at the flap to look back at the sleeping nomad she was leaving behind. She didn't want to go. The week she'd been in the other girl's care had barely been enough to get her back on her feet, and now she was being forced to leave without thanking her properly.
"Thank you... Lyn. I'm sorry." She whispered, before stepping outside. She blinked in the early morning light, squinting slightly until she found Petal, her grullo mare, dozing softly nearby. Lyn's warsteed mare, Hunt, stood nearby. Unlike the dozing islander, the local horse was alert, her ears pricked up and watching the their surroundings warily, tail twitching. Rei couldn't see anything, but something must have spooked the warsteed as stamped against the floor and snorted, raising Petal to alertness. The smaller mare retreated to stand in Hunt's shadow, neck raised and alert. A moment later, Lyn emerged from the tent, rubbing sleep from her eyes and a heavy, curved sword held in one hand.
"What's wrong?" She murmured, not looking at Rei for the moment but instead speaking to her horse, who stamped again and focussed her attention on the nearby glacial rogues.
"Well, so much for taking you by surprise." A male voice sneered as a small group came out from behind the rocks. "Those damn horses... well, it'll only make her more valuable once we break her properly. Get them!" The speaker was a large, blonde man with a green bandanna keeping his fringe out of his eyes. The other two bandits - both muscled axemen in ragged clothing - charged towards the group in front of the ger, leaving little room for strategy even if Rei's head hadn't felt like it was going to split in half. She pulled out a throwing knife with shaking hands as Lyn and Hunt ran to meet their attackers, the warsteed rearing up and lashing out with sharp hooves to stove one bandit skull in, while the swordswoman ducked under a wild axe-swing, one hand on her sword, before sliding it free of the scabbard and gutting the bandit with one smooth movement.
Seeing that the attackers were no match for her companions, Rei gave in for a moment and let herself slide down to sit on her heels, rubbing futilely at her eyes with the base of her palms in a desperate attempt to ease the pain.
bbreak/b
"Are you alright?" Lyn asked once the fighting was over, crouching beside Rei. The Kanhi girl nodded, forcing herself to stand with a grimace.
"I'll be fine. Ne, I'm sorry, Lyn... I can't stay here any longer." Rei replied, forcing her dark eyes open to put on a brave face for her saviour. "It's not that I object to your company... I just... I have to go."
"I don't understand, but I can't stop you from leaving." Lyn frowned, slightly. "You'll only get lost again though. Where are you going?"
"Bulgar." Rei replied, stumbling over to where Petal was finally calming down after the fight. "I... am not just a traveller. I have a certain mission that I must complete. That is why I must leave, as well..."
"I see." Lyn seemed thoughtful. "I'll take you as far as Bulgar. Can you wait long enough for me to pack up the ger?"
Rei grimaced, but nodded. "Yes... I think so." She replied. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No, just rest a moment. You look like you're about to keel over again. If you weren't so determined as to try to sneak out, I don't think I'd be able to conscience moving us at all."
Grimly, Rei simply gave her a smile in return.