Of Shadows and Swords (Chiarra)

Archer pulled a face, sticking his tongue out at them, then just grinned. "Fine. Be that way. All logical. . ."
 
That just made Melody laugh even more and she just shook her head softly, eating her food. "Do you want any water Archer?" she asked. She got up to get her some anyways.
 
Archer watched her get up, unable to really deter her, and just took a bite of his own food. "Please." He said once he'd swallowed.


Lucius shook his head, smiling a little. "Well, don't spoil him too much. He'll milk it for all it's worth."
 
She grabbed another cup and filled it before bringing it over to him. She smiled at Lucius and shrugged. "Well, he isn't supposed to move, remember?" she said. "Besides, I don't mind. After everything you guys have done for me," she said. "Would you like some Lucius?" she offered.
 
Lucius shook his head. "It's all right, Melody. I can get it afterwards. Thank you."


Archer was smiling a little, pleased with himself, and just ate another bite. "I like this. This is going to be fun." Lucius only sighed. He was going to milk it for all it was worth.
 
"Yeah, well don't have too much fun," she said. "Remember, once your better you can get your own water," she said, though in a teasing voice.
 
Archer pouted and sighed. "Oh, man. . . I hate doing things myself." Lucius rolled his eyes, smiling a bit, and swatted Archer's knee.


"Grow up."
 
Melody just chuckled and sat back down on the bed where she had slept last night and leaned back against the wall. "You know," she said. "If you are in need of something to pass the time, I'm more than happy to share my books," she said.
 
Archer made a bit of a face, almost shy but not quite, something akin to embarrassment but more like irritation. "I don't really read very well. . ." That was right, Lucius thought. Archer had never stayed long, and had spent most of his life just struggling to survive, so he hadn't really had much use for recreational reading. He could read, as it was necessary for some jobs, but he wasn't very good at it.
 
"Oh," she said, embarrassed herself, thinking that everyone could read. After all, to her it just seemed like something very simple and easy to do. "I...could show you if you want," she said.
 
Archer made an indecipherable expression for a moment, like he was deciding what to feel, or trying not to appear slighted or irritated, and finally looked at her again. ". . . All right. I can read," He insisted, though. "Just . . . not very well." Archer didn't like sounding stupid.
 
It was clear she struck a nerve when he spoke and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to offend. I could play for you if you would prefer that instead," she said. "Or we could play games." she was trying to take his mind off of a few seconds ago.
 
Lucius stayed silent, not wanting to interfere because something Archer also disliked was people acting like he needed to be coddled. Archer shook his head and pushed himself carefully up a bit straighter against the wall. "No, show me your books." He said, and Lucius bit his tongue against a comment on his friend's stubbornness. "If I can't read it, you can read to me."
 
She was about to suggest something else when he sat up a bit straighter and spoke. She nodded and reached for the few books she had brought with her and handed them over. "Very well," she said. "Here's all the books I have," and she explained what each one was about without giving anything away. Mainly about romances. She blushed when she realized that.
 
Lucius patted Archer's leg as he opened one of the books and just got up. "Well, I'll go get started looking, then. You have fun with your books." It was probably best for Archer's pride if there weren't two people watching him struggle to read.
 
She smiled up at Lucius and said, "Have fun and I hope you find something." She then watched as he left before turning her attention back to Archer. "You know," she said. "I still can't read a few words myself and don't know what some of them mean. I sometimes have to ask around, or look in this dictionary I carry with me too, just in case no one can tell me." She hoped that made him feel better.
 
Archer raised an eyebrow slightly at her, but spared only a glance before going back to the book. "I can read." He repeated to her, because it was honestly kind of annoying for someone to try and patronize him, but he did realize she was trying to cheer him up. He gave up, finally, and shook his head, just handing the book back to her. "It's too much trouble. You read to me, and I'll follow along." He would be learning that way, and wouldn't have to put forth so much energy.
 
She just sighed softly when she realized her attempts of cheering him up weren't working. When he gave up, she took the book from him and nodded, starting to read it to him where he had left off. Soon though, she stopped from hearing horses running frantically outside. Curiosity got the better of her and she got up and went to the window. Her eyes widened when she recognized them to be soldiers from the palace. "Oh no," she said, quickly moving from the window. "Palace guards are here," she told him. "Lucius is out there, he doesn't know." She bit her lip, very worried, close to panicking.


((Thought we could use a bit of excitement lol))
 
((lol Yeah, probably))


Archer's eyes went a little wide and he got to his feet, careful of his ribs but not worrying too much about it. "Don't worry about Lucius. He knows how to take care of himself. In the meantime, gather our things. I'll make sure the horse is ready and we can go and find him together.
 
"Are you sure, with your ribs?" she asked him. Though really, she didn't think they had much choice in the matter. "Alright then, I'll go gather everything, just...be careful," she said. She knew they would come after her, just...not so...like this. She gathered up everything as quickly as she could before going after Archer and the horse.
 
((I have to leave for work early so I might just disappear))


Archer shook hish ead, waving her off when she worried about his ribs, and headed out, closing the door firmly behind him. When she followed, he had the horse saddled up and got their bags strapped on, then took Melody's hand and hurried out with her. "You follow my lead. Walk when I walk, run when I run, and no matter what keep your head up like you own the ground you walk on - got it?" As long as they looked like they belonged wherever they went, no one should question them.
 
((That's okay ^_^ . See ya later))


She nodded and held onto his hand tightly. She just hoped with her haircut that the guards wouldn't recognize her. She may need another disguise, maybe a magical one to change her appearance completely, and Lucius's. If there was any such thing. She hoped so.
 
Archer took his cloak from their supplies and put it around her shoulders, pulling the hood up over her head and leading her along by the hand. They darted in between shadowed alleys and abandoned walkways, avoiding the sound of pounding hooves as they followed the path Archer thought was most likely for Lucius to take. To find day work, Lucius would've had to move away from the more metropolitan areas and find the farmers and animal caretakers, unless he somehow had luck and was cleaning a shop somewhere or repairing a roof or some such thing. Archer just kept his senses alert and did his best.


((Hmm. Think Lucius should be fighting off some of them, or should they just grab him and run?))
 
((I think grab him and run, which would cause them all to go back to the palace and Melody would have to do some serious explaining and somehow convince her parents to free him. Oh, and maybe her fiance could be there too....They'll get away some how though))


Melody didn't speak to Archer, not because she didn't want to, but she didn't want to draw any attention to themselves. She did keep an eye out for Lucius though, as well as soldiers.
 
Archer's hurt rib pulsed with pain to the best of his heart, but he pushed that to the back of his mind and just kept moving. They had covered a distance of half the town before they finally heard the commotion, the clanging of metal and shouting soldiers' voices. Archer heard Lucius' voice, no words but just a sound, like he'd been hit or had hit someone, and sped up to find him. When they came upon the scramble, Lucius was just being dropped hard on his back, even though he looked to have been holding his own up until then. The bottom of a staff cracked against his head and he went limp and dizzy long enough for them to turn him onto his stomach and tie his hands, and Archer pushed Melody back against the wall into hiding, letting out a long but quieted list of curses. Lucius. They had Lucius.
 
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