Chapter 5: Impressionable Stop
It had been hours since they were riding. The young girl felt bad for some reason. Maybe because she was so rude to Naomi, maybe for disappointing D in some way. Whatever the reason, she kept quiet and didn't seem so sarcastic and bold. She didn't feel strong, and she hated that.
Boredom set in. With nothing to do and tired of staring at the scenery she carefully pulled her bag into her lap, steady as not to loose her balance on the horse and pulled out some grapes. She snacked on those for a little bit and D could hear the sound of her licking the juice off her fingers.
"Want some?" She held out a small bundle of grapes to him. He politely shook his head once and gently pushed her hand away.
A few moments later, the man asked out of curiosity, "Where did you get those?"
Araydia grinned. "Just because I was in a hurry to get out of there doesn't mean I didn't have enough time to raid the fridge." She giggles and plopped another grape in her mouth.
But that didn't hold her out for long. Soon when the grapes were all gone, and Ray truly was sick of riding, boredom set in once more.
"Can we stop some place?"
"Not right now."
The horse leaped over a rock, catching Ray totally off balance and plummeting into the man in front of her.
"Please! This damn horse is rubbing my ass raw!" She shouted.
About forty-five long minutes later, the cyborg horse finally came to a stop near a stream. The girl seemed more than eager to get off. D surrendered to her idea of stopping when the stream seemed like a good place to rest and he was getting tired of the girl's complaining.
"I can't see how you can do this for a living."
D walked right passed her, leading his horse to the stream. Even though it was part robotic, it still required the natural necessities that a real horse did. Water included.
The young girl soon tottered behind him. "Do I have any legs? I can't feel them…" She said, more or less talking to herself. Not aware if she had an audience or not.
"I'm getting kinda hungry again…" the girl complained.
D sighed internally. "Ray, there's nothing I can do about that."
"Isn't there another village near by?" she asked, sitting down near the bank of the stream on a soft patch of grass. She truly didn't want to get her dress wet or dirty.
"I'm not sure." The man soon turned away from her and gently stroked the neck of the horse. Once the beast had finished drinking, the Hunter tied the reigns to the branch of a tree.
After that D simple started walking off in an unknown direction.
"Hey! D, where are you going?!"
The girl quickly got up and proceeded to catch up to him.
"Well, it seems you have faithful subjects, D." His hand muttered amused.
"Quiet."
"Me? I didn't say anything." D turned around and looked at the young girl. Apparently she was a lot closer in hearing range than he thought. 'I'll have to be more careful.'
"Where are you going, D?"
"I'm going to get some rest…"
"Oh."
Without waiting for anything further, D turned around and continued walking. It was now obvious he was heading to a spot under a mighty oak tree. He sat down on a patch of lush grass under the pleasant shade of the tree, leaning his back against the trunk. The truth was, he had started feeling groggy and the heat was getting to him. His Vampire half beckoned for sleep and not to collapse due to the temperature.
Soon after he closed his eyes he heard footsteps approaching him. Araydia sat down in the grass as well, in front of him.
"Are you feeling alright? You look awfully pale."
"I'm fine…"
"You know, it is kinda hot out here. Maybe you wouldn't be so hot if you didn't have that thick cloak on and that ridiculous hat."
Before D could say he was just fine and would like to catch some rest, he felt a current of air swish over the top of his head as Araydia removed his hat. D's eyes went straight open. His hat protected his delicate skin from the sun's rays. Not that it would hurt, being protected by the shade of the tree, D just didn't prepare himself for the look of shock on the young girl's face.
Araydia always thought he was middle-aged. An anti-social hunter who she figured woman must have been after for maybe the income he brought in. Now she saw what many other woman must have seen that she hadn't saw all along. He was…handsome. He was young. Very young. Appearing not much of a few years older than she was.
D's prestigious height and whatever frame he was hiding under that armor suit and cloak totally threw her off. Ray soon noticed she was staring and desperately had to say something before she turned crimson.
"Don't think you're getting your sombrero back. I'm keeping this." The girl said as she defiantly placed it atop her head.
D shook his head. "Do as you wish, but for now I'd like to rest." His eyes drifted close.
It seemed obvious he didn't want to talk or play 'gimme back my hat' like Ray had planned. She just looked at him dumbfoundedly as a different feeling washed over her. The kind that you know you've made an idiot of yourself, and this time you really care about the impression you've made.
She set his hat next to him and walked back towards the stream. 'The horse makes better company than stupid D.' Ray thought.
She sighed and sat back down in the previous spot she was sitting before. The poor girl didn't know what to do since D was going to take a little 'nap'. Araydia sat in her self pity and for the first time, understood what Granny and Aunt Kess had always been talking about.
It had been hours since they were riding. The young girl felt bad for some reason. Maybe because she was so rude to Naomi, maybe for disappointing D in some way. Whatever the reason, she kept quiet and didn't seem so sarcastic and bold. She didn't feel strong, and she hated that.
Boredom set in. With nothing to do and tired of staring at the scenery she carefully pulled her bag into her lap, steady as not to loose her balance on the horse and pulled out some grapes. She snacked on those for a little bit and D could hear the sound of her licking the juice off her fingers.
"Want some?" She held out a small bundle of grapes to him. He politely shook his head once and gently pushed her hand away.
A few moments later, the man asked out of curiosity, "Where did you get those?"
Araydia grinned. "Just because I was in a hurry to get out of there doesn't mean I didn't have enough time to raid the fridge." She giggles and plopped another grape in her mouth.
But that didn't hold her out for long. Soon when the grapes were all gone, and Ray truly was sick of riding, boredom set in once more.
"Can we stop some place?"
"Not right now."
The horse leaped over a rock, catching Ray totally off balance and plummeting into the man in front of her.
"Please! This damn horse is rubbing my ass raw!" She shouted.
About forty-five long minutes later, the cyborg horse finally came to a stop near a stream. The girl seemed more than eager to get off. D surrendered to her idea of stopping when the stream seemed like a good place to rest and he was getting tired of the girl's complaining.
"I can't see how you can do this for a living."
D walked right passed her, leading his horse to the stream. Even though it was part robotic, it still required the natural necessities that a real horse did. Water included.
The young girl soon tottered behind him. "Do I have any legs? I can't feel them…" She said, more or less talking to herself. Not aware if she had an audience or not.
"I'm getting kinda hungry again…" the girl complained.
D sighed internally. "Ray, there's nothing I can do about that."
"Isn't there another village near by?" she asked, sitting down near the bank of the stream on a soft patch of grass. She truly didn't want to get her dress wet or dirty.
"I'm not sure." The man soon turned away from her and gently stroked the neck of the horse. Once the beast had finished drinking, the Hunter tied the reigns to the branch of a tree.
After that D simple started walking off in an unknown direction.
"Hey! D, where are you going?!"
The girl quickly got up and proceeded to catch up to him.
"Well, it seems you have faithful subjects, D." His hand muttered amused.
"Quiet."
"Me? I didn't say anything." D turned around and looked at the young girl. Apparently she was a lot closer in hearing range than he thought. 'I'll have to be more careful.'
"Where are you going, D?"
"I'm going to get some rest…"
"Oh."
Without waiting for anything further, D turned around and continued walking. It was now obvious he was heading to a spot under a mighty oak tree. He sat down on a patch of lush grass under the pleasant shade of the tree, leaning his back against the trunk. The truth was, he had started feeling groggy and the heat was getting to him. His Vampire half beckoned for sleep and not to collapse due to the temperature.
Soon after he closed his eyes he heard footsteps approaching him. Araydia sat down in the grass as well, in front of him.
"Are you feeling alright? You look awfully pale."
"I'm fine…"
"You know, it is kinda hot out here. Maybe you wouldn't be so hot if you didn't have that thick cloak on and that ridiculous hat."
Before D could say he was just fine and would like to catch some rest, he felt a current of air swish over the top of his head as Araydia removed his hat. D's eyes went straight open. His hat protected his delicate skin from the sun's rays. Not that it would hurt, being protected by the shade of the tree, D just didn't prepare himself for the look of shock on the young girl's face.
Araydia always thought he was middle-aged. An anti-social hunter who she figured woman must have been after for maybe the income he brought in. Now she saw what many other woman must have seen that she hadn't saw all along. He was…handsome. He was young. Very young. Appearing not much of a few years older than she was.
D's prestigious height and whatever frame he was hiding under that armor suit and cloak totally threw her off. Ray soon noticed she was staring and desperately had to say something before she turned crimson.
"Don't think you're getting your sombrero back. I'm keeping this." The girl said as she defiantly placed it atop her head.
D shook his head. "Do as you wish, but for now I'd like to rest." His eyes drifted close.
It seemed obvious he didn't want to talk or play 'gimme back my hat' like Ray had planned. She just looked at him dumbfoundedly as a different feeling washed over her. The kind that you know you've made an idiot of yourself, and this time you really care about the impression you've made.
She set his hat next to him and walked back towards the stream. 'The horse makes better company than stupid D.' Ray thought.
She sighed and sat back down in the previous spot she was sitting before. The poor girl didn't know what to do since D was going to take a little 'nap'. Araydia sat in her self pity and for the first time, understood what Granny and Aunt Kess had always been talking about.