Travel Risks

[Líknví]

{I'm going to go through and put in little edits to accommodate for the girl not being as completely ill-prepared as first thought along the road since Astir was nice enough to give her the pack and Kvasir's cloak *squees at all the feels this will mean* I figure she keeps that pretty well hidden in said pack though, by this point}

Tired, Cold and Hungry were not new things to Líknví. Yet what was new was experiencing it on the road and all of what she had done for the past few...months? Was it a year yet? How long since she had left home?

Long enough for it to be a surprise she was still "making it" and hadn't starved on the road or been caught and punished by cart drivers. It could come in any number of terrible ways! Oh sure, she had a military issue cloak, the last thing her mother had had left of her fallen brother, Kvasir, and his old pack...but she was now refilling the pack with rations she could find and more often than not kept the cloak hidden for it's own safe keeping and to not have to explain farther than need be upon discovery.

Being a stow-away already held explanation enough and her being deaf and not good with her verbal words hindered enough.


Somewhere along the way Líknví had at least turned Forty-Eight and thought she had crossed from Rhovanion to Eriador. It was lucky a lot of food got transported, though Líknví had felt bad at first stealing room and provisions.

Caravans had scared her at first (still did!) but they offered option in numbers and she could hide and spy when to move as other carts were checked. This one she'd stuck with for at least a few miles. It could never be too long, she was slowly learning. Taking comfort from their being on the move again, Líknví sat up from where she'd been alert and yet still. Years of hiding came in handy.

She'd picked hastily when startled and with seconds for the decision and trapped herself to a cart of wares, valuable but not edible. Of course she could take something and sell it off for edible next stop at civilization, but that seemed too far to the girl somehow. Plus it wasn't practical to wait until civilization.

There was more food amongst the wares, but it was one of those traveling merchant's travel pack, she knew, saved from the last stop and already somewhat diminished. She aided that along, taking a few rolls for the pack and one for now and, Mahal Be Good, he had picked up sausage on the last stop where all she had had time to snag without being detected was a bit of dried bread. Líknví tried to not take too much so as to have it be noticed even when she snuck off to another cart later, just let him doubt exactly how much he'd acquired last time. Or blame one of his traveling companions, though she felt bad about that too.

Líknví had been born in horrible, stifling circumstances (ones she was running from!) but that didn't mean the shy girl wanted to make thief exactly. Once they reached civilization which felt safe enough, she planned to try to settle low in something reputable. What exactly, she didn't know. Deaf and her most coherent speech was signing. Some Dwarves knew the signing of course, but...what could she do with that that wasn't her avoided profession option? She'd helped mend clothes back home, what female couldn't do some of that, but making...no her work wouldn't be good enough.

She could write. What good did that do? Corresponding letters was out she couldn't hear! And anyway, more high end folks got those positions for more high end Nobles and Courts, she suspected. They wouldn't trust one from the Scarlett Street to come into their home and write for them and wouldn't want to sign it out in the first place!

With hours of hiding and when she wasn't sleeping, Líknví had had time to think this over, and bar work was all she could come around to as feasible, if slightly risky. Especially if just Dwarf bars...though nothing in the description said it would be like back home, men around liquor was the source of all the trouble really. Then she heard yesterday that they aimed for Bree, the caravan, back on it's way to Ered Luin. Bree was a city of men and travelers, could that work for her? It was a better shot than Ered Luin.

These repeat thoughts as she finished up on the roll and sausage were halted as the cart stopped, a clear sign they were either halting for the night or even just a routine stop in which they would perhaps check the carts. Líknví went on alert, quickly sealing up the merchant's bag and stuffing her own on her shoulders just to know it was still with her as she did and seeing if maybe she could just drift off to sleep in the corner without having to lay low for a quick scan as she had prior nights. If it was night, in a wagon with a cover it was hard to tell though it felt like it.

Just as she thought this, the tarp at the edge of the wagon moved, someone was untying it even now! Desperately Líknví dove behind the chests and prayed she would remain hidden, though the chest felt painfully short for hiding her completely, even up against another, and the young girl held her breath and waited tensely for if she would have to make a run for it.

[Kophas]

Night was falling when the caravan came to a halt, the various carts gathered in two abreast between the road and a shallow river that swerved near it. Kophas had the unfortunate duty of taking the first watch, but first the wagons had to be secured and that meant checking the ties and getting the ponies settled. Which technically wasn’t his job – he was after all a hired sword, and half the merchants made a point of not trusting the guards near their wares. Less were picky about who looked after the mounts. Most of them put him in whichever category – noble’s son or sellsword – suited them at the time, so he ended up doing some of everything. Not that the falconer minded; it kept him busy.

 He made a quick circuit of the caravan again, out of the firelight, listening to the forest. Nothing seemed amiss. At least not until he cut back into the flickering light, threading between the caravans to untie Eir’s jesses from the front of Ce’s cart and let the bay-winged hawk settle on his shoulder.

 Some tiny noise, or the imagination of one, made the falconer glance at the next vehicle over. This one had framework supporting heavy canvas that sealed tight around the sides, belonged to a merchant named Torka. Blue-grey eyes wandered over the fabric, rippling slightly in the breeze. Torka was alright – he had been closest when Ko had taken a sudden detour off the road to catch Eir. The hawk had killed a rabbit and in the fun and games that was making sure he didn’t eat the thing and count himself out of being anything but happy and full and useless for a few days – and fine, he was sick of sausage and that rabbit was going to be supper once he had this check completed – Kophas had forgotten about the bag chucked to Torka and stuffed under the canvas. He should probably retrieve that. People didn’t tend to appreciate finding his stuff lying around after the bird food started to smell. (Bird food in this case meant dead mice.)

 Scarred hands started to undo the catches holding the canvas down and the cart shifted minutely, a tiny scuffling sound making both heads snap up to stare, as though willpower would enable them to see right through the material. Eir kept up the glare while Koph undid the next catch over, letting the canvas flap out from the corner. Enough space to lightly hop up on to the frame, step catlike into the empty space that judging from the folded bedroll, Torka slept in, and balance carefully. Not really enough room in here to hide. Must have been nothing.

 Eir chirped as he picked up the bag, left rather neatly considering that it had been chucked in blindly. And then Kophas noticed the brown hair spilling out around the chest the bedroll was crumpled against.

 Carefully, the falconer leaned forwards and looked over the container. Behind it, wedged into a space too small for her, was a girl. A dwarf lass with worryingly little weight to her, who looked slightly the worse for wear. Not the first time he’d encountered a stowaway, but the first time it hadn’t been a lad trying to prove that he was old enough to make a living or running from actually being old enough to work. It didn't make much of a difference to how he dealt with her, it was just surprising.

 “Hey there.” Eir chirped, crouching close to the falconer’s head, and a scarred hand reached up to run along the hawk’s side, quieting him. “You alright?”

[Líknví]

The whole process was laden with problems. Líknví was deaf, hiding in a covered wagon to hide herself but...blocking sight. Shadows and vibrations were all she had to go off of, and with the fading light shadows weren't so helpful.

A small, vague hint to what it would ever be like were her sight to go too

Well, then that must be guarded at all costs because this was torture. Nevermind, as it could be pointed out, she was doing just that! Off just shadows and vibrations as cues in a cart she had snuck her way untold miles! Not always unseen, with plenty of flights like the flighty, skittish dove Ástir had tagged her as...

~

The first time the word had been mouthed, or maybe Ástir used it and tiny Líknví just was unaware. Maybe she'd been tagged since infancy as Finch apparently also had been, but the first time of reading it and remembering it anyway.

"Come here little Dove", it could almost have been misread as Love, just as they all threw about, but it wasn't, the child could tell.

Used to pull her from behind the drapes that all but swamped the tiny Dwarfling. Líknví fled to the comfort, burying her small face against Ástir's skirts. She lifted her elbow to show where one of the various client's boot had caught it, like a little injured wing.

The women clucked that Ástir had given him proper, tactful Blue-Jay pecking treatment for it though!

~

The one she'd almost found the bravery to call Mother so many times and couldn't help feeling the woman wouldn't have minded...ah, but her special sign for Ástir did and had always been safe and affectionate, covering both bases. No need of undue risk.

This risk was not undue. A stolen kiss too far may have pushed her from the nest but she'd been tempting fate, to stay but a day more...she'd have probably been finally trapped and caught, fluttering against the gilded cage the women pretended it all was, but futilely and trapped as all of them were.

Caged birds died quickly too, didn't they?

Líknví pushed this thought aside, because deep down, closer than deep down, even with the woman's own permission given, she still felt guilty for running where Amadith didn't and couldn't.

But moment at hand! That needed all her focus! Lí couldn't listen for any cues, yet, again, enough was told in movement of the wood. The frame moved, Líknví feeling the vibrations run along her own frame pressed so close to the bottom of the cart.

Someone had hoped up and in...they would see her?!

For all this, Líknví still couldn't move. Couldn't give herself away prematurely yet her breath came in shortly and she strove to keep it silent. Oh but she had no idea if it even was!

Maybe she should start taking to using Kvasir's cloak and wearing it about her shoulders, she could hide under it and feign being a pile of stuff in the right light...

It was...feeling she was watched. The girl hesitantly peeked...then quickly sat up! Noting the Dwarf that stood there, hand on...the bird was puzzling but hard to take in and gauge the threat of along with all. Except it was probably used to catch stow-aways like her! A really clever guard tool and aid even, perhaps.

Oh was that why there had been a bag of mice...

The girl had thought that an odd thief deterrent upon smell thankfully clueing her in before she sought pickings from it; though it hadn't made the hours easier by any stretch!

Líknví sort of didn't expect this to be easy though.

She hadn't caught his words, still cowering when he said them and only turning after stillness stretched too far after movement.

Blue eyes widened in fear. There was no angry frown, but still...

Lí gripped almost desperately at the sides of the cart, for anything she could use to haul herself up to standing; to have any chance of flight though the Dwarf and his hawk barred the way.

Her fingers found purchase in the cloth but it was too tight a space, she couldn't raise up. Her fingers clenched for weakness in the fabric...anything, all while her caught-deer-fawn look never left her finder.  Until she glanced aside and to the hawk again, and it...you'd have thought she was an actual dove, the fear and uncertainty the animal inspired.

That all of it inspired.

With or without a standing start for aid, Líknví bolted, stumbling out upon hands and knees all but and making past the Dwarf, probably due to the shock of it all. Her progress wasn't all that much better once out, tumbling upon the ground as she did, skinning things in the process no doubt, but she paid it little heed!

Others would notice now! She--she had to--

Making sure the pack was still secure about her shoulders, Líknví stood and took off, bare-feet pounding down the road, and scanning about herself for the best part to dodge off to. Not the river, not in a skirt most assuredly, it would all just hold her up, Lí darted off the other direction (ducking past another shocked Dwarf), off across the grass and hazarded a glance back to see if she was being persued.

{As I said, take it as and as far as you will and think we should and hope all works! ~}

[Kophas]

Her response to his voice was delayed, out of rhythm. Pale blue eyes were wide and afraid, travelling over both austringer and hawk, making Kophas smooth his movements and slow them in an attempt not to spook her further. She scrabbled for purchase to pull herself upwards as their eyes stayed locked, and Kophas blinked hurriedly in order to seem less like a predator to a girl who seemed to feel like prey. When she moved he pulled out of her way as best as she could, ignoring the easy shot at grabbing her around the waist and trapping her as she shot past. He turned to follow swiftly, hearing her spill on to the ground with a hiss of mild alarm – she’d hurt herself, running so heedlessly.

 It was an easy jump out, a moment taken to find the girl’s trajectory and shoo Eir off his shoulder. The hawk wouldn’t appreciate staying there while he was running. Then the falconer was off, after the bare feet flashing at the hems of a grubby skirt. She took a sharp turn and he followed, leather boots skidding in the dirt. She had almost collided with Cephas, who stood nearby. He called over his shoulder as he bolted away – “Catch up with us!” – and almost stumbled. What you get for running blind. The girl was headed away from the camp, into the gathering darkness, where she would trip or get herself lost or find things far scarier and less friendly than him. Why was she so scared?

 Eir shot past, aiming for the girl, and Kophas swore as he realised that the hawk had interpreted this like most of the chases he ended up in, where the objective was to stop someone (usually a thief) as fast as possible, by any means necessary. “Eir! Lu’!” For a moment it seemed as though the hawk would ignore the command, but then he peeled off to slow down and land in a tree. Kophas turned his attention back to stopping the girl without hurting her.

 “Hey! HEY! Slow – down!” No response. He hopped over a stick. “I’m not gonna – hurt y-!” The falconer was interrupted by a much larger log in his path, which he vaulted over efficiently, remembering not to try and shoulder-roll with the crossbow on his back – there was a puddle anyway, lucky to avoid it. He was right behind her now, time saved by the leap, and he took his first chance to stop her by grabbing one flailing wrist, grip firm but as gentle as he could make it. Which was pretty gentle – she was like a bird, fragile and flighty, and he knew how to work with them. She’d fly into something and hurt herself, running all on her own. “I said I’m not going to hurt you! But it’s not safe, to run off into the night, by yourself.” He panted out the words, ducking his head and tilting into her line of sight to catch her attention and make her listen.

 ((OOC:  Lu’ = no. Hope this works!~))

[Líknví]

{So...I guess it's just Ko then? I shall take this however you feel Blue but feel we've got enough interaction with these two at least to press on }

She hoped they wouldn't taken an inventory of the bag she'd left. Hoped the fact that she had, off necessity, needed to take a few things wouldn't inspire a further chase and that they and the one who had found her in the cart would just let her go. Let her blend back into the shadows.

Thankfully for her, Kophas (as she would later learn his name) didn't let her do this.

Lí gave just enough glances back to ensure her need of running was still a need, but not so long as to catch any of what he tried to say. She felt she probably knew what it was anyway, wrong as she was in that and would feel bad for the wrong and quick assumptions.

The Hawk peeled off, but Líknví hardly noticed this, focusing instead on her path ahead in the dark and keeping to it and finding somewhere to duck and hide.

She thankfully ran wide of many of the logs, knowing she couldn't bolt over them quite as easily as her pursuer did without her able to see his skill at such, and time giving her just enough leeway to attempt this.

He was still faster than her, little surprise perhaps, but in a way it was and he deserved some sort of congratulations. Maybe it was the fact that the other few had been rotund Dwarves of trade without much commitment to the chase, but he was the first of her temporary cart-hosts to actually catch her...after the true chase.

A few on discovery and she'd had to wiggle her way free plenty of times, mostly from wrist grips that were usually tight with annoyance and she took some bruises away from willingly for the privilege of wriggling free and avoiding worse, she thought.

She couldn't take stock of it at the time, but, this grip was different. In a surprisingly knowing way of one who knew how to handle flighty birds (not many Dwarves did!) as Lí was so very fully.

She was left little choice but to turn, wide-eyed still, pulling backwards only a few times before realizing somehow that it wouldn't work this time. For the light hold it was so very expert and almost more so for not being just unskilled tight.

Around the failing light, the words made it past to be read, off the glint enough the moon gave perhaps.

“I said I’m not going to hurt you! But it’s not safe, to run off into the night, by yourself.”

He ducked to catch her eye, and Lí just stared back. She slumped slightly, defeated, back finding purchase at a tree trunk and eyes never leaving his, but the fight, even of just flight, leaving a bit as tears welled but for undefinable reasons, maybe mostly just frustration.

It wasn't that she believed him, she'd been lied to with the same words enough, but...running was useless. This one would catch her again. He probably couldn't see to read her hands well enough...the horrid fact made it in. That...that left...

Líknví decided to still try sign first, exaggerating to be caught in the failing light, gaze still locked.

Sorry! Only wanted room.
Travel.
Took some food, sorry!
Can't hear[/color]

She had to all but admit to this, given she was signing in the first place, and after having delivered her "words", and without any real reason for it from this Dwarf's demeanor, more just what the past left her expecting, Líknví dropped her gaze to huddle slightly, drawing her knees up and over towards herself, head dropping to her hands and just...awaiting whatever came next. Feeling she'd failed at this escape thing and not too surprised really.