Skedaddle

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis made his way out into the yard and stretched comfortably. The stretch ended in a glow of light that left him standing in his natural form beside her. He stretched his neck toward the treetops and bucked forward, throwing his hooves into the soft snow that reflected the silvery white of his coat. He took a few moments to get it all out of his system, bolting into a gallop around the clearing before circling back to his human at a pleased trot. He knelt before her gently. *My lady,* he invited her cordially. He'd been picking up bits and pieces of human etiquette, and he intended to practice them until his manner was appropriate to his human companion.

[Emora Deen]

Laya laughed as she watched him play happily. It was a beautiful site. She took his invitation and straddled his back, making sure the bag was safe and secure on her back. She placed her hands gently in his man to hold on, it felt like silk around her fingers.

"Giddy-up," she told him with a giggle, leaning forward over his neck.

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis leaped forward, wheeling toward the direction of town and picking up into a spirited run. He was careful to keep his movements steady enough for her as he flowed like liquid between the trees of the forest. It wasn't a very long ride to reach the outskirts of town. Telanis dropped to a trot and observed the port city that stretched out beyond the treeline. The town below seemed as lively as always. *There it is,* Telanis thought to her, stepping back behind a tree as some merchants with a cart came up the back toward them.

[Emora Deen]

Laya slid from his back and dropped to the ground holding the bag of clothes. She looked around. "I think you should change and we will walk into town," she told him with a smile, giving his neck a gentle pat. She kissed his nose, and tickled the whiskers beneath his chin.

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis bobbed his head at her and took a few more steps away from the path. He stretched his neck upward and let the magic flow over him, pulling him back into his human shape. The transition was feeling less and less odd to him each time. He relaxed and glanced at the forest around him. Seeing no one, he bent down and pulled his clothes from the bag. He almost managed to get his pants on without trying to lean on a tree, but the stubborn effort left him almost falling on his face. A few moments later, he came out next to Laya on the path.

"Shall we try this once more? Our race?" he asked her, his gaze flicking to the city gates at the bottom of the hill.

[Emora Deen]

Laya smiled. "Sure," she told him. "I will count to three, and then we'll run to the gate." She got in a stance with one leg in front of the other. "One... two... three!" Laya took off running for the gate, looking back for Telanis.

She was more than halfway there when she felt a dizzy heat run through her. She slowed to a stop and took a shaking breath. Despite how she felt, her body was not yet fully recovered from the night before.

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis was pathetically far behind by the time Laya ran out of steam. Last time, she'd given him a head start! He was too focused on his coordination to realize at first what he felt radiating from Laya. When her dizziness finally clicked, his faltering attempt to run down the hill suddenly shifted to a flat-out, flawless sprint. He was at her side in an instant, reaching out to hold her shoulders. "I didn't think," he breathed. "I can carry you."

[Emora Deen]

Laya smiled softy at him, leaning into his touch. "I can walk," she told him confidently. "I think you carrying me would draw too much attention. I'll be just fine. Let's walk slow."

The streets of the town were lively, filled with people selling goods from carts that lined the shops. She tried to see if she could see Adonis through the mass of people, but there were just too many to discern from. "I think we will find it hard to find him."

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis walked through the town, following Laya's lead down the main street. He could feel a whole chorus of emotions rushing through him from what felt like hundreds of people. There was almost too much to make out separate souls amidst all the distraction. He reached for Laya's hand and took it gently to be certain of where she was. "He did not say what he wanted to achieve here. Perhaps shop?" he said, glancing around at all the bustle around them.

[Emora Deen]

Laya looked around. "That's a good possibility. We needed to go into town for supplies soon anyway," she told him. "I brought some money just encase..." She didn't want to say, just encase he left for good and they needed to by supplies on their own. She just let it go.

Laya looked around through the crowd. She didn't like all the people, it made her uncomfortable even though she knew it shouldn't. "I'm hungry," she whispered after they made it halfway through town. She looked around, and spotting an inn and tavern across the street from them she smiled. "Let's eat?"

Laya took Telanis's hand and led him through the people towards the door, but on the way she spotted a sign in the window of a shop just beside the tavern. It read, "Seeking Tutor." Laya knew well that she would need to get a job soon if they were going to survive in the world.

"Why don't you go in and get us a table," she told Telanis. "Just tell them you need a table, and I'll be right there. I'm going to see if they are still hiring a tutor." Laya leaned up and kissed him gently on the cheek. She slowly let go of his fingers and went into the shop along side the tavern.

There was an old man at the counter separating coins into piles that coincided with the amount they were worth. She smiled at him, thinking that she had to look awful and who would want to hire someone that was pale and ill looking. "Morning," Laya told him.

"Afternoon," the old man corrected, looking up from his coins. "Can I help you?"

"I was wondering, are you still hiring a tutor?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis made his way slowly into the cacophonous tavern. He stepped around some crowded tables and made his way toward a small, empty booth in the corner. A waitress bobbed over to him and smiled sweetly. "You've got a lot of hair, mister."

The unicorn glanced down at his "mane", which was spilling silver across the bench next to him. "Yes," he agreed carefully. "Is it too much?" he followed up quickly, overcome by the thought that maybe there was a rule about how much hair humans should have.

[Emora Deen]

Sadly the interview didn't go as well as planned. Laya came out feeling a little less sure of herself than when she went in, but really the old man should have specified what sort of tutor he was looking for.

She spotted Adonis in the crowd. Long sweeping black hair. "Adonis!" She called loudly. He kept walking, and Laya moved quickly after him. She pushed through the crowd. "Adonis!" She called again, but he didn't stop. Laya finally was close enough to him that she reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. She pulled hard to get him to stop.

An unfamiliar man looked back at her, brow furrowed in annoyance. She swallowed. "I'm sorry..." Laya whispered. "I thought you were... I'm very sorry." He jerked his arm away and disappeared in the crowd.

[Soran Nightblade]

His stomach shifted on itself, knotting until it was almost painful. Adonis pushed through the crowd, barely even seeing the humans around him. The horror twisting in his gut made him want to climb into an alley and just shake.

Maybe he shouldn't have lied to them.

There was still one soul he could feel, burning hot like it could put a hole through his chest. He'd felt it the instant the stone had shattered. The same instant his binds on it had dissolved.

*Where are you, Adonis? Don't you dare think you can hide from me.*

The unicorn took a deep breath and stopped. His eyes scanned his surroundings. The familiar basket shop was across from him, and behind him was a crumbling doorway he knew too well. *I'm not. I'm here.*

*You're where-...* a moment later, the run-down door slammed open and a human of about 28 years stormed out. The man had a very lean build and mid-length tan hair that fell in waves around his face. The eyes were blue, and harsh. There was something wrong with those eyes, even without the feeling of intense dread they inspired in the unicorn.

"You thought you'd just get rid of me, did you, you bastard? Just stick me out of sight in some nasty spell for a rainy day?" The man rushed him, grabbing the unicorn by the shirt, and hurling him against the wall of the building next door. Adonis moved silently under the man's grip and stared at him.

"I needed some time," Adonis said. He wanted to run. But there was no more escaping this. His vacation was over.

"Oh, you'll need some time when I'm through with you."

A few heads on the street turned, but not too many. A little violence was known to happen in this town.

[Emora Deen]

Laya turned slowly back towards the tavern. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, but she didn't understand why she felt it. It had to be the crowd, and that it was still so quick after what had happened the day before.

She noticed a group down the street had stopped moving, and usually that meant they were watching something. She almost didn't head that way, but her curiosity got the better of her.

She glanced back at the tavern that Telanis was in, and hoping he was fine with sitting she went for where the small crowd had gathered.

She couldn't see because it seemed all the tall people had gathered in front. She heard scuffling though, and wanting to see what the fuss was about, she ducked and wormed her way through the crowd to stumble out in front.

Her eyes lifted to see Adonis, and a fit man muscling him up against a wall.

"Adonis?" she asked, wondering why he just stood there. Without thinking of her own safety, she lifted her skirt and ran for him. When she was close, she grabbed the arm of the one abusing him and tried to throw him off. "Let him go," she told the young man through clenched teeth. Her gray eyes burned into him.

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis almost didn't think she was real for a second. What in the world was she doing out here?

His attacker paused and looked her up and down, evaluating her. "You're a pretty one," he purred.

"No. Not her." Adonis's eyes burned firmly into his.

"Oh? Someone you know?" Erik took another long look at Laya and smiled. "You've changed, Adonis. Taking it up with a lady while you left me to ROT?" His coy expression quickly dissolved into malice. "Get in the apartment. Both of you."

"She goes," Adonis snarled.

"Oh, I think she'll come," Erik smirked, jerking around behind the unicorn and pulling a blade just under Adonis's eye.

"Laya, go," Adonis said, very firmly. "He can't hurt me. Go."