Maverik and x_lilmissNINJA_x

[x_lilmissNINJA_x]

Tithe nodded. "We can go then, right? This place gives me the creeps..." She shivered, folding the map up again and holding it tightly. The girl glanced around, her ears perking up slightly.

"Gale... Gale, we should get out of here... Now..." Her thin hand wrapped tightly around his wrist, dragging him out quickly. There was suddenly a loud growl as large red eyes stared out from the shack, obviously not able to come into the light but staring at them with a hunger. Large claws scraped against the floor. "It must take shelter and eat people who enter when they are lost... I think we just woke it.."

[Maverik]

"Yeah... let's get going." The young man took one last look around the shack, a strange sense of uneasiness growing more prevalent as his eyes peered into the darkness.

Before he could do anything, though, he heard the panic in Tithe's voice, and followed her out without a second word. Any questions he might had were quickly answered by the fierce growl behind them, and he turned back towards the shack to see two red eyes glaring out at then. Gale carefully gathered magic, his focus locked on the beast as he stood ready.

"Do you have any idea what it is...?"

[x_lilmissNINJA_x]

Tithe shook her head. "No, I have no idea.. I didn't get a good look... But it can't come in the sunlight. We have a few hours to get away. Let's just leave it alone... sometimes leaving it alone is best..."

She carefully used a slight gust of wind to blow the door shut on the beast, taking Gale's arm. "Besides, there are more important things to worry about now..."

[Maverik]

"Yeah... You're right... There's no reason to waste time here... Besides, I don't really enjoy the idea of fighting that thing." The young man dispelled the magic he had gathered, turning to Tithe as he felt her grab him. Nodding at her words, he slowly followed her back onto the road, thankful that the vicious growling was fading in the background. "Let's just hope we don't run into anything else that wants to eat us..." He spoke, half jokingly, as they walked along the path.

It was close to evening before they sighted the checkpoint on the horizon, signaling the borders between the tainted lands and the human lands. Looking at the young fae, Gale couldn't help but ask what she planned to do. "Are you going to change back to your normal form? Or are we just going to approach them like this and try to explain why there's two people walking back from the tainted lands?"

[x_lilmissNINJA_x]

"Not yet." Tithe replied as they walked to the checkpoint. "It's a hassle to put back on and besides, they already spotted us."
The people at the checkpoint had seen them, and were now paying close attention as they approached.
"Anyways, I have an explination. So just go with it."

[Maverik]

"Well, I had one too, but... do you mind telling me about your explanation?" He looked at the woman curiously, but as they slowly approached the checkpoint, a small detachment of guards came out to greet them, and any explanation now would simply look back. Instead, he allowed Tithe to meet the armed soldiers, wondering what she was planning as he shifted his focus forward.


The guard leading the small group walked up towards the duo, his eyes curiously assessing them. They were, on the surface, unarmed. However, few people used these roads, and those that do rarely had a legitimate reason. The soldiers either side of him rested their hands on the hilt of their blades, and the guard stepped forward.

"Who are you two, and what are you doing on this road?"

[x_lilmissNINJA_x]

Tithe looked at them curiously, not having a chance to actully speak to any humans, and assesed them for a moment before she spoke.
"We got lost in the untainted part of the forest, near the fae dwellings. A few of them, those without such a mean streak, showed us to this road... We didn't know we were in the tinated lands until we got attacked and then there was nothing to do but find our way back..."

She twisted her fingers in front of her, looking worried and a bit scared. Her act was re-enforced by a small amount of magic, barely able to be felt even by the most skilled. The fae also looked like she was about to cry, which was a sight to see, since fae were not known to cry and being in a skin did not change that.

[Maverik]

The guard stared at the woman for a few moments, not entirely convinced of her explanation. He looked at his companions for insight, but when they offered his only curious glances themselves, he turned back to the Tithe.

"What were you doing in the forest? It's off limits to most everyone. Only a few guilds, actually have a permit to enter there, and even then, they wouldn't venture so deep." The man stepped closer to the woman, unfettered by her expression. "And the nearest town is half a day away from there, so I find it hard to believe that you had merely gotten lost in the forest."

[x_lilmissNINJA_x]

Tithe sighed. "Oh, you humans are such a bother with your rules. Gale, you explain however the hell you expect to do that and I'm just going to sit here."

The girl sat on the ground and crossed her arms, shimmered for a second and had shrunk back down to the size of one's hand, putting a small folded square in her tiny bag and moving to Gale's shoulder, pouting in annoyance.

[Maverik]

Tithe's words and actions drew a swift response, as the three soldiers immediately unsheathed their blades. The men watching the exchange from the battlements mirrored their guard, as archers drew their bows and battlemages conjured their energies. With their attention focused on the duo, the guard in front spoke out, his voice laced with venom. "You have ten seconds to explain yourself."


Gale couldn't help but bring his hand up, shaking his head in disappointment and facepalming himself. He figured the best thing to do now would be to try and salvage the situation by proving that they were not trying to infiltrate the kingdom. "I'm... Gale Sinclair, a member of the mage's guild. I was sent out to the Faerie Forest to harvest some herbs, and ran into this little sprite..."

The next half hour was spent trying to convince the guard detachment that the fae meant no harm, and Gale couldn't help but feel that Tithe was doing all she could to hinder the process. It took a good hour before they were let through, and as they walked away from the checkpoint, Gale stared incredulously at the Fae.

"I thought you said you had an explanation..." He stared at the sprite, expecting her to come up with a reason why she decided that plan was the best course of action..

[x_lilmissNINJA_x]

After almost 45 minutes, as they left, Tithe looked up. "What? Oh, yes. I did, honestly, but you had to be speaking to someone smart for it to work, and they were not."

She sat quietly on his shoulder, after a time falling asleep on him and tumbling back into the hood of his cloak, curling up and sleeping there instead of on his shoulder.

[Maverik]

The young man couldn't help but smile at Tithe's response, shaking his head in playful resignation as he kept walking. "Isn't it usually the other way around? The smarter ones are harder to convince?" Gale gently patted the small Fae, before continued on the road. He heard a small thump as Tithe fell into his hook, pausing for a moment to make sure she was okay, before continuing his trek.

It was well into the night when they finally made it back to town. He was thankful of the relative silence, as that meant the Fae would be her much needed rest. After taking a few moments to turn in the herbs he had collected at the forest to the merchant, Gale made his way to the Inn, renting out a small room for the night. Resting the Fae on the pillow, the young man made his way downstairs to get some warm food.

[x_lilmissNINJA_x]

Tithe curled up on the pillow, her tiny, bony body barely making an indent. Her bag fell open as she slept without her noticing, causing the skin to unfold and, when she rolled into it, forming itself around her.

She didn't notice, at all, her sleep continuing undistrubed, though it would come as a surpise to Gale when he returned from getting food.

[Maverik]

The young man returned to the room a few moments later, carrying a plate of food with him as he entered. However, as his eyes fell on the sight of the sleeping Fae-turned-woman, Gale nearly dropped the plate of food. He had planned to catch up on some reading before falling asleep, but this complicated matter, and he could only set down on the plate as he pondered what to do.

Gale knew that the rest of the other rooms were booked for the night, so he couldn't purchase another. Instead, he made way back to the innkeeper. After explaining to the man that he had meant to order a room for two, and renting a bedroll for his own use, Gale returned to the room. The young man took out a scroll, reading the words and directing a burst of energy at the plate of food, before falling asleep.

[x_lilmissNINJA_x]

Tithe woke up not long after Gale went to sleep, looking over. "Why is he on the floor?" She muttered, then realized what had happened. "Oh shoot..."

The woman slid out of the bed, picking up Gale with the help of some magic and putting him back in the bed. She then slid off the skin, packing it so it wouldn't fall out and leaving the little bag somewhere she could find it and not worry about it. Then the fae curled up next to his head to sleep again, hoping he wouldn't roll onto her.