So this has got to be the shortest chapter I've ever published so far. Ain't that a bummer. And to be fair, I'm still not all that sure about how this one turned out, but hey, figured I'd give you guys something to chew on for a while. On a more positive not, things should start picking up steam in the next chapter or so. As to when that will come?

...

Let's not dwell on that detail, shall we?

Chapter 8: The Long Journey

"How much further are we supposed to go?" Raven most certainly did not whine. Oh no, she was merely raising a valid and logical question. And for the record, she did not pout like a petulant child. Ahead of her, her unnamed savior marched on without a care, not even turning to acknowledge her question.

Just like every other time she tried to ask something.

Which she did.

At least twice a day.

For weeks now.

…

Jerk.

As grateful as she was for her savior, she was getting real pissy by the silent treatment and aloof personality, especially when it concerned matters that she really ought to be informed about. One Slade-obsessed Robin in her life had been bad enough, she had no desire to be stuck with a second. Still, he seemed to at least have an idea of where to go, which was more then what Raven had. Probably the only thing that made her endure him at this point.

By Raven's estimates, it was nighttime when they finally stopped to make camp, and Raven did her best to preserve her dignity by not groaning in relief. And here she though that her old pace had been harsh. But barely had she shed her backpack before her mysterious guide was in front of her again.

"What?" she asked of him, and soon had a stick waved in front of her increasingly annoyed face. There had better be a point to all this.

"I'm sorry, but I don't speak branch," she snarked at him. Might be a bit cold of her, to treat her savior like this, but her feet were sore and her back was aching and she really, really just wanted to lay down and rest. Then the stranger held the stick in one hand and made a quick charade of picking stuff up and putting them with the stick.

"You want me to collect wood for the fire?" she asked, and received a short nod. A sigh came out of her. Well, I guess it's either that or freeze.

"I'll be right back," she informed as she trudged into the surrounding foliage. It was hard work, slogging through the ankle-deep snow and digging out pieces of wood wherever they could be found. On instinct, she reached out and tried to tear a few branches from the trees loose with her powers. She froze up for a brief moment when nothing happened, but then schooled her features and continued on as if it had never happened.

"Feels strange, doesn't it? The powerlessness, the void, the knowledge that something you've had all your life is now gone," Slade remarked from where he was leaning against a tree. Raven made a point to not even look in his general direction and marched on as if not even aware of his presence.

"Must feel terrible for you, knowing that you're as helpless as a babe in the woods now, depending on the generosity of an stranger to keep you alive," Slade continued to taunt as he casually strolled along a tree branch that would have cracked under the weight of a grown man. Raven for her part stared resolutely at the ground below her as she dug out a few branches.

"Ignore me all you like, it won't change the facts. You're alone out here, dear child, alone and powerless. Only your 'savior' is what is keeping you alive so far, but we both now that won't last forever," even as Slade appeared from behind every tree that Raven walked past, she still kept her eyes firmly locked on anywhere but him.

"I wonder what will happen when his protection finally ends. After all, there are so many wonderful ways your life could end in this land," now Slade was just walking next to Raven, hands folded behind his back and posture at ease even as Raven walked on as tense as a bowstring.

"Perhaps you'll simply freeze or starve to death out here, left behind to be buried by the snow and forgotten by the world," a sizable collection of wood was starting to take shape in Raven's arms as she trudged on.

"Maybe the wildlife will get you, striking when you're weak and alone. I can already imagine the way you would scream as they'd tear you to pieces. Or you might be so weak at the time that you can't even put up a fight, only lie there in silence as they eat you alive," her shoulder suddenly began aching, but Raven refused to acknowledge it as she kept on walking with her head held high.

"Do you remember those raiders you encountered a while back? Maybe you'll run into more of them. It would certainly be an entertaining end if they had the kind of hunger only a beautiful woman could satisfy," a chill of revulsion ran down her spine as her mind momentarily conjured up the feeling of fingers prodding at her flesh. Her steps faltered, but she just picked up her pace further.

"Or perhaps you'll meet that… now what was his name again? Ah, yes…" then Slade leaned forward to slowly whisper the last word. "Sigvald," it only took a single word, and then Raven was back at the cliff's edge, with Sigvald stalking towards her. His face, so beautiful yet so hideous at the same time, was hovering so close to hers that she could feel his revolting breath caressing her skin like a tender lover. His hand was now gripping her, pinning her in place as his hungry gaze devoured her petite form. She was helpless, helpless and without any power to defend herself as his free hand reached for her, intending to tear away her clothes and-

"NO!" Raven screamed as she hurled her collection of wood at the specter and stumbled back, only to trip on her own feet and topple over into the snow. She made no effort to stand back up at first, and simply remained where she laid. Heart beating like a frantic drummer, her breaths coming out in quick and short gasps, Raven fought back against the stinging tears or impotent rage, her buried feelings of humiliation rising to the surface again.

"Damn you," she whispered as she rolled over until she was kneeling on all four, head lowered in humiliation.

"Damn you!" she screamed with all her might, beating the snow with her fist like it was to blame for all her troubles. Raven screamed and raged until she was utterly spent, her battle to contain her tears long since lost. Eventually, when the cold began to seep through her clothes and into her skin, she forced herself back up and gathered up all the firewood she had scattered across the place. Then she made her way back towards the camp, trying to forget her outburst had ever happened, even though she knew it was a lost cause.

It took longer than expected to find her way back, but the second she stepped into view, she felt one of her eyes starting to twitch. Why? Because her companion already had a nice fire going with some local animals skinned and roasting over the flames. Not even the sweet aroma of food could quell her irritation at the sight.

"Gee, thanks for making all of my work completely pointless," she snapped at him as she just dropped her collection of firewood and walked towards the fire. Her companion did not give even the tiniest hint that he had heard her, but as soon as she got close enough, he stood up and blocked her path towards food and warmth. Had she still been in possession of her powers, he would have been in orbit by now for that.

"Now what?" she asked of him, then gave a very startled yelp as she ducked under the fist that came swinging at her face.

"What the hell?!" she managed to shout at him before being forced to dodge another swing. Then came a knee that she barely blocked with her forearm before taking a fist to the face that sent her vision spinning for a few moments. When the world finally decided to stay still for her again, she found her companion patiently waiting for her.

"What-" and then he was attacking her again, kicking and punching at her.

"What's gotten into you?!" Raven managed to shout at him, only for the lapse in concentration to earn her an elbow to the guts that had her doubling over wheezing for breath. But again, the bastard just backed off and waited for her to recover.

"You've gone mad or just taking the piss at me here?" Raven demanded to know, still bent over at the waist while massaging her tender stomach. The bastard said nothing only, waiting for her.

"Listen, I don't know what's going on, but-" then she made the mistake of standing upright again, which the bastard took as his cue to start attacking her again. But as the blows kept coming, Raven noticed something. They were slow, predictable, easy to figure out and then counter. Except every time she did just that, he would switch up the intensity of them, constantly testing her speed and reaction. Wait… is he… is her sparring with me?!

"Enough already!" she finally screamed as she backed off, which thankfully made him halt in his onslaught. "I've had a very crappy few weeks now, I'm starving and freezing, and I'm in no mood to play your games here,"

If her declaration was meant to make the bastard move aside, it failed spectacularly as he remained where he was while taking a fighting stance. Clearly he expected her to work for her meal. Someone should have told him who exactly he was dealing with.

"No, I'm not doing it," Raven declared with absolute finality, arms crossed over her chest and irritated glare levelled squarely at him. There was a tilt of his head, like he was pondering an unexpected setback to his plans. Then, he moved. That was really the only way Raven could explain it. One moment, he was standing still. The next, he moved, and then Raven found herself flat on her back, staring up at the starry sky while her head rung like a bell.

"Ow," was the most adequate response she could give. Then, the source of all her woes was standing above her, looking at her from behind his infernal helmet. As usual, he said nothing, but Raven still managed to piece out what he was telling her now. You taking the hint yet?

"You're not gonna stop until I play along," Raven remarked in a sullen mood. Utter silence from him, which Raven simply took as a yes as she staggered back on her feet with a defeated groan.

"Fine, let's just get this humiliation over with then," and so she settled into what she hoped could pass as a fighting stance, and prayed to Azar that the stranger would grow bored with this quickly.

He did not.

"I hate you," she grumbled as she struggled to keep a childish pout off her face to preserve what little dignity she had left. The bastard, as usual, said nothing. But even with that accursed helmet of his, she could tell what the look he threw at her meant. Suck it up.

Jerk.

Alas, not much else she could do but glare at him, not when her whole body throbbed like one giant bruise and her stomach kept growling like a starving beast. So, she settled for giving him the stink eye over the cooked meat that she tore into with gusto. Not much in the way of seasoning, but to Raven's starving palate, it tasted absolutely heavenly. Halfway through her meal however, she noticed something.

"You're not gonna eat?" she asked of her companion, noticing that he had not even touched his meal. He gave her a sidelong glance, but made no effort to answer her question. Gee, and here I thought I was supposed to be the brooding loner.

"Alright, keep your little secrets, but can you at least tell me now why you're helping me," still no answer, just a stare. It made her huff in annoyance. "Look, I've been both patient and trusting with you, largely because I haven't had much of a choice, but I'm getting tired running after you without having so much as a clue as to what you want. So spill it,"

And yet despite putting as much authority in her voice as she could, he remained as silent as ever, hardly even looking her way. Her temper flared at this as she rose to stare down at the still kneeling stranger.

"I do not like being stringed along, and being kept in the dark even less. Now, are you going to tell me something, or are you just going to ignore me further?" still no response from him, and it made Raven's nostrils flare in indignation.

"Fine then," she spat at him as she stormed off into the forest, fuming every step of the way. Rare was the day when she could let herself become this emotionally upset, but recent events now let her explore those paths to their full destructive potential. For how long Raven kept aimlessly walking, she had no idea. But by the time she finally stopped, the light of the campfire had long since disappeared. And still she felt like punching that bastard straight in the face.

"Deep breaths, Raven, deep breaths," she instructed herself, slowly inhaling and then exhaling to calm her temper. Losing her cool now, more than I already have anyway, would not help her current situation.

"When is still all going to end?" she asked herself as she leaned against a tree. Everywhere she turned, things only seemed to grow worse and worse for her. Stranded without friends, no means of communication with the civilized world, bereft of her powers and at the mercy of an unknown stranger. The universe must have really hated her. Absentmindedly, she reached into a pocket to grasp her communicator, broken beyond repair now but still in one piece. How in the world the stranger had known to keep it when he had discarded all of Raven's previous belongings, she had no idea. But for now, she was willing to let it slide as she drew what little solace she could from this one last piece of home.

"Makes you almost wonder how things could possibly get worse," she remarked to herself, and then felt like slapping herself in the face. Stupid! You never say that out loud!

Raven did not have to wait long for her prophetic words to become true, as the unmistakable growls of beasts alerted her of unwelcome company.

"When will I learn?" she mumbled as she turned towards the source of the noise. Three of those mutated wolf creatures, these ones even more hideous than the last group she ran into, with four twisted fusions of men and beasts taking up the rear with spears in hand. Blasted things looked an awful lot like that creature she killed a while back. On instinct, Raven swung her hand at them, as if swatting away a mosquito, but nothing happened. That… is something I never thought I would have to get used to.

"Stay back," she ordered as she tried to slowly back away, her attackers matching her step by step. Despite her best efforts, a chill of fear began crawling up her spine. Frightened by a bunch of animals. Beast Boy would have had a field day with this if it wasn't a matter of life and death.

Now they began to circle her, using superior numbers to box her in from all sides. Raven was forced to swivel her head back and forth to prevent any of them from rushing a blind spot. Not that they seemed to be in any hurry. The wolves growled, the beast men things brayed, but none went in for the kill yet. They just continued to circle up around her, then tightening the noose one step at a time.

"Get back!" Raven shouted as she frantically waved her arm at one wolf that had gotten too close. It leaped back to safety, and then began creeping closer again when Raven realized that her momentary distraction had allowed the rest to get closer as well. Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm. Whatever you do, don't panic.

Contrary to what she tried to tell herself, a cold sweat had broken out on her brow, terrified eyes swinging back and forth in a vain attempt to keep watch on all her opponents. Why does this keep happening to me?

Then, there was the sound of swords being drawn from their sheaths, and then there was another being in the enemy's midst. First creature had no time to give a warning as its head fell from its shoulders, hitting the snow at about the same moment as one of the wolves was cleaved in half. Panic ensued, but that did little to stop the butchery as Raven's protector, a bloodied sword held in each hand, fell upon them with a vengeance.

Watching the spectacle before her, Raven was stuck in a limbo between awe and revulsion. Their sparring match had proven that the stranger had great amount of skill, but only now did she realize just how far ahead he truly was. His speed, his strength, they were all on a level beyond mere humans. As it was, Raven could barely keep track of him as he moved from one opponent to the next. And his skill with a blade, it could barely be described. Each blow, each swing, each stab, each was an instant kill. Within seconds, it was all over, and Raven stood in awe at the stranger's martial skill that should easily be the equal of the likes of Robin and Slade.

And revulsion over the contemptuous ease with which he killed, something that spoke of a lifetime of practice against more than mere beasts.

"Thank you," she mumbled as she averted her eyes. He did save her life after all. Again. Then, he was suddenly in front of her, rough and calloused hands gently checking her over for any injuries.

"I'm fine, no need to stress out," Raven protested as she tried to push him away. She might as well have been trying to move a mountain with her bare hands for all the good it did. Bastard would not budge so much as an inch before he was finally satisfied that she had sustained no injuries.

"I swear, you're worse than Starfire," she grumbled as she pulled her cloak tighter around herself. He gave no inclination to have heard her as he began walking back towards the camp. Slowly, reluctantly, Raven followed him. Where else would I go?

"If you're not going to tell me where we're going, you mind at least giving me your name? It's becoming tiresome to constantly refer to you as 'stranger' or 'bastard'," still she went ignored as he just kept on waking.

"You know, if you don't give me a name, I'll just make one for you. And I'll make it a bland and silly name as payback," even her teasing threat did little to garner a reaction beyond a light glance in her general direction.

"Very well then, I hereby christen you as Bob," there was no hiding her smile at that point, and she would swear until the end of time that Bob gave a slight twitch at the name. That alone was enough to motivate Raven to keep going in this one-side conversation as they walked side by side back to camp.

"You know, I met a Bob once before. By Azar, he was as ugly as a mule. You a ladies man, Bob?" you take comfort in the small joys wherever you can find them, I guess.

Through the thick snow, a warband of over fifty marauders marched on. At their head, Ragnar walked with the confidence of a man assured of the Gods' favor. Regardless of the winds that relentlessly whipped them, regardless of the rival warbands that stood in their path, he walked on without fear or hesitation.

"My lord, the men are growing tired. We should make camp for the night," one of his underlings spoke up, but Ragnar just waved a dismissive hand at him.

"Not when our goal is so close at hand," he stated as he kept on marching.

"How do you know that? We've been marching for weeks without sign of our quarry," the same underling protested.

"I can feel it. The Gods are guiding the way for us," here, he turned to glare at the offending underling with a dark look in his eyes. "Or do you doubt the will of the Gods?"

That served to bring him to heel, as he backed off with his head lowered. Satisfied, Ragnar resumed his brisk pace again, his warband following close behind. And with each step taken, Ragnar could feel his hope swell. Soon, no one will be able to doubt the favor I carry with the Gods. Soon, I will have gained the greatest gift a mortal man could ever be granted.

"My lord!" and suddenly a scout came running towards him, a warhound at his side. "The hounds have picked up a trail!"

Elation soared through Ragnar at the news. Finally, the prize is within my sight.

"All of you, double time! I will not let this prize slip past because of your laziness!" he roared as he set off at a jog, his men dutifully following behind. Raven, you will be my key to ascension.