(Lore) Recovering

Post by **Emora Deen** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:38 pm

Laya pulled her horse to a stop in front a river with a waterfall, the roar so load it thundered in her ears. She looked around, dismounting. He was gone... Good. He had escaped the hunters once more... But, in her heart she knew he wouldn't be able to avoid them for long. One day they would get what they wanted.

She walked to the waters edge and looked down. What ould they do now that she had stopped them from killing the unicorn. She didn't know. But it would be far less than what Kron had done. She turned towards the sounds of the hooves as they entered the clearing of the river.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:54 pm

Telanis arched his neck sorely back and bit onto the end of the arrow protruding from his skin, nauseated by the scent of blood in his mouth. He ripped it out quickly and dropped it to the stone floor with a clatter, too stunned by the pain to care if someone heard.

Fandir and his group came over the hill and descended to where Laya was. "You shouldn't have come," Fandir said plainly, though without any particular anger. "He can't have gone far," he shouted back to the group, and in a thunder of hooves they ran onward in the direction they suspected Telanis had run, quickly disappearing from sight.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:59 pm

Laya turned back towards where she had heard the noise come from. She didn't want to give the unicorn away... so she just waited until she no longer heard the sound of hooves except those fo Neko and Kratos, who would soon be there.

She turned towards where the noise had come from and lifted the dress up to her knees. It still dragged the water even then as she slowly eased towards the waterfall. "I'm not going to hurt you..." she said softly. For once a look of softness entered her hollow eyes. She ducked her hread as she went to go under the waterfall...

Kyosuke · Post by **Kyosuke** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 2:55 am

Tetsumaru sat on his knees in his small cabin on the outskirts of town near the forest, maintaining his katana. The larger than average single edged blade laid across his lap, the hilt sitting a few feet away with the pins that held the blade in place next to them. He slowly oiled the blade and polished it, wondering how much longer the edge would last.

The retired samurai had no idea what was going on outside his cabin. In fact, even if he did, chances are he would have forgotten it soon after. Instead he concentrated on his work alone, oblivious to the outside world.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 3:29 pm

Neko and Kratos' horses slowled next to Laya's. Neko dismounted and ran after Laya who seemed to her, going under a waterfall for no reason.

"Ah! Laya!" Neko called out softly. Kratos dismounted as well, they had seen the whole thing from a distance away and frankly, he was angry at these men. Laya was in their range of fire but they shot anyway! Kratos stayed near the horses as they walked to the water to drink after their hard run. He kept an eye on their surroundings while Neko caught up with Laya.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 10:07 pm

Laya looked back, her hair was wet now from the mist of the waterfall and her clothes were getting soaked no matter how high she held it up. "Shh..." she said putting a finger to her lips. "We don't want to frighten him anymore than what he is..."

She turned back, motioning Neko to follow her as she stepped under the waterfall, now getting totally drenched in water. She slowly stepped through, trying not to make fast movements. Horses were already skidish... but a unicorn had to be worst....

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 3:39 pm

Neko stopped and kept her mouth shut at Laya's command. 'The Unicorn was in there? Should I even try to approach it?' Neko thought but went under the waterfall anyway, getting soaked.

She gasped at the beauty of the horse up close, and despaired at the sight of his blood.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:41 pm

Telanis stood inside the small cave that opened up behind the waterfall, the light that filtered through the spring water reflecting with a moonlike glow on his coat. He lowered his head warily and stepped back into the shadow of the cave as Laya and the other girl from the day before came through the water and into his haven. A confusing mixture of emotions were emanating from the two women, but this provided little assurance that more hunters were not positioned just outside the cave to wait for his departure. For the moment, he sensed no aggression. His brown eyes met Laya's directly for an instant. He didn't know what they were doing here, but he wanted them to leave. Tossing his strong neck in agitation, he moved silently to the back of the cave and rested his good shoulder against a stone outcropping as inconspicuously as possible to steady himself.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 8:14 pm

Neko didn't know what to make of the injured creature before them. She had the distinct feeling though that he wanted them away.

"I don't think he wants us here." Neko whispered.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:47 pm

I only want to help you.... But you don't seem to like me any more. Maybe you finally understand what I am... Laya felt a great wave of sadness fall over her. She was nothing but filth it appeared. Images of how there meeting at the brook entered her mind and the feelings she had felt... of actually feeling some what better. She had felt like she was healing from what had happened.

He doesn't want me near him... She lowered her head, clinching her teeth. Then she looked up. "That's why you ran from me... and I was stupid enough to follow... I should have known... Nothing ever changes. Noting ever gets better and now look at you. It seems my curse has worn off. I'm sorry... I'm so very sorry." Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at him.

She wished they were on a cliff. She would have gladly thrown herself off. She figured it would be hard to drown herself with these people around. She felt herself shaking as she looked at the beatiful wounded creature and memories flashed in her mind. What if she really was the cause? What if she wouldn't have gone with the group. Maybe they wouldn't have found the unicorn.

She felt tones of sadness on her all of the sudden. She really didn't think it was right that all of these sad emotions should be floading in at the same time... But, she guessed her emotional and mental balance wasn't what it used to be.

She nodded softly and turned slowly away walking towards the waterfall. She wasn't half way through it before she began to shudder from crying. She just wanted to die. Why couldn't she just die...

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:09 am

Telanis watched the two girls calmly from the back of the cave, uncertain what they wanted.

I only want to help you.... But you don't seem to like me any more. Maybe you finally understand what I am...

Telanis's ears twitched forward as a voice penetrated his thoughts. He looked at Laya again, surprised by the intensity of the misery that had suddenly broken out from her. He felt it keenly now, stirring every protective nerve in his body.

"That's why you ran from me... and I was stupid enough to follow... I should have known... Nothing ever changes. Noting ever gets better and now look at you. It seems my curse has worn off. I'm sorry... I'm so very sorry."

She was speaking out loud now, but the unicorn had momentarily forgotten to care whether pursuers were still searching for him outside. He didn't know what had happened to her, but the guilt and shame radiating from her presence told him with certainty that her role in the hunt was not what it had seemed. But her soul was so pure... what cause could this person have to reproach herself so strongly?

He raised his head alertly as Laya turned to leave, standing half-hidden in the waterfall. He took his weight off the wall, already feeling a slight iprovement as his wound healed, and walked after Laya. Stepping through the waterfull, he trotted past her and looked around for signs of the hunters. The woods were quiet around them. He looked at Laya calmly, as one does when a storm has just passed.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:18 am

Laya didn't pay attention to the fact she was being followed by the unicorn. She just waded in the water, but finally stopped, covering her face with her hands and sinking down.

"I'm so tired of crying... of pain. Why couldn't he just kill me... I bet if he would have lived he would have killed me... I wish he would have..." She sobbed and choked and sobbed... She hugged herself like a child would when frightened.

She continued to sob, mumbling words as if she had lost her mind. But, misery tends to make you do crazy things. All she wanted was happiness. All she wanted was to have her pain taken away. She wanted someone to hold her... but then again she didn't want to be touched. She just wanted to end it all... But, it wouldn't end.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:29 am

Telanis looked at Laya, shaking his head calmly from side to side. The unicorn stepped gracefully across the water to where Laya crouched, and stood before her. He reached his head down and ever so lightly touched his cheek to hers, his satiny coat drying the tears that streaked her face. He was there only a moment before sliding past to rest his head across her back, his sleek neck warm beside her face, but not touching it. With all his will, he wished for her to understand, and be at peace, even if it was only for a moment.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:40 am

Laya didn't even register for a moment that he had approached her and was trying to dry her tears. She just stared off straight ahead and jerked slightly when she realized it. Her eyes closed as the rather unearthly peace that the unicorn brought her washed over her broken soul.

"Don't touch me..." she said, but her mind wanted the unicorn to be next to her, to comfort her. Then she couldn't think of anything to say. She just wanted someone to talk to... to tell what was bottled up inside of her. She wanted someone to comfort her...

She sobbed nad bent forward, hugging herself tighter. She felt she could tell him... tell the unicorn. She had even forgotten that Neko and Kratos were there.

"He raped me..." she said in a sob and made a gaspnig sound. "He wouldn't stop... I should have kept walking... I shouldn't have fell a sleep. She should have warned me. She pretended she loved him... and he raped and enslaved me. I just want it all to stop. Please... make it stop. Please!"

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:56 am

Telanis's eyes widened as Laya half-sobbed her terrible story, feeling an ache in his own heart. He stayed by her side, holding her in his way.

"If everything were to stop, nothing could be changed," a patient, ramarkably gentle male voice spoke in her mind, "It is because you are still moving that you can heal, and have hope. I cannot grant your request."