Ch. 17: Ryan
I have been waiting with the girls for about an hour with Mary and Audrie talking some kind of girl talk (about me and Raynor no doubt). That's when Raynor staggers in with not a scratch on him, but Helen (I think is her name) looks like she got on the bad side of a bear attack. Audrie screams and rushes over to start to try and do something. I just kind of stand there when Mary brings me back to my senses and tells me to fetch some plants for the wounds and she describes which plants to me. I leave the house and start to look for the plants when it occurs to me what attacked Helen might go for me so I pull out the hand ax I carry strapped to my back. All I find is a dead bandit with no head. So Raynor came from this way I think. I spot the plants grab them and head back to the house. I am stopped by Mary in the woods, I am confused, and then she puts her finger to her lips then points toward the house. It's on fire, and there on top of it, is a bandit chief with about 35 bandits surrounding him. I look back at Mary and she is next to me now which gives me a scare until she kisses me and points towards the way I came from. So if I know Raynor, which I do kind of, he just let these guys burn down the shack because fighting them would have endangered Helen who would make Audrie cry if she died. So we head in that direction when we meet up with Audrie and Raynor there by the stream washing away most of the blood on Helen. I hand Audrie the leaves and she begins to play doctor on Helen, me and Raynor keep watch but nothing comes. Raynor is holding out Retribution, since I have Money and on his back is Tides. Tides is a very shard red-tipped double bladed sword. Retribution is Raynor's favorite and has a curve in the blade that is as black as midnight, and I have Money which is just a plain gold sword with painful poison on it. I never understood why Raynor named his swords but I don't choose to question it because I don't want to have any of those swords hitting me again. As we keep watch nothing happens and that's when it hits me, it's quiet… too quiet. I'm about to tell Raynor when he gets pounced on by some cat mutt, then I'm pinned to the ground as well. The cat is on top of me and I head butt it. This does nothing but confuse the mutt long enough for me to shove it off then grab Money and bring it down hard into its golden colored fur. Raynor is soon next to me with Retribution in his hands covered with blood. "So I guess you got the other one I ask?" "No it's totally still alive Ryan." Raynor responds. I tell him get some firewood we should just make camp here, he nods and goes into the woods again. Mary and I watch Audrie, take care of her sister's wounds, and I put my arm around Mary. She turns at me and smiles and whispers "I'm glad you're not like that," pointing to Helen, "I wouldn't be able to keep my hands from shaking if I had to dress your wounds." I whisper back "as long as you don't change me again." She blushes and whispers in reply "just shut up and kiss me before i change my mind and want to slap you." So I do, and we hold each other while Audrie keeps all attention on her sister. When Raynor arrives with the firewood I begin to try starting the fire, while he and Audrie talk. Helen lets out a sigh of relief when Audrie begins putting the plants on her arms. As Helen drifts a sleep, Audrie turns to us. "Now Raynor and I have been thinking, we need to join the rebellion at district 13 so we can fight back against the one true enemy Nick." I stare at them for a second then at Mary, then we grin and say "were in." "So it's settled were all allies here?" "yep, sure, completely." "Alright then are first thing to do is start trusting each other like right now you guys should duck." "Wha?!", I say when Mary shoves me down and Raynor chucks Retribution at a bandit in a bush nearby. When the bandit falls to the ground Retribution is in his neck. Raynor goes over pulls it out then continues to talk like nothing happened. "So when we get there we need to figure out how we can stay together because I personally like us working together and I always have." Raynor says. After all we have been through a lot, I guess Raynor is right we have been through so much and we know each other's strengths and weaknesses. As we prepare for the night Audrie and Raynor take first watch so Mary and I, pull out the sleeping bag from the house and get in. We hold each other to keep warm and we kiss a few times then drift off. I have a really peaceful sleep till I wake up to screaming, a horrible gut wrenching scream. And I know whatever it is, we are in some deep shit.