Of Shadows and Swords (Chiarra)

Lucius took an apple to eat first, letting Archer carry the food as they walked. They didn't really need anything beyond food at the moment, so they could start an early travel day after getting their horse. When he caught Archer staring at him, he frowned. "What?"


Archer gave him an amused smile, like he was trying not to laugh. "You have a very serious case of bed-head, my friend."


Lucius rolled his eyes and turned forward again because he knew he had fixed it before leaving the inn. "Sure I do."


Archer, rather than give up, used his free hand to ruffle Lucius' hair as much as he could before it was smacked away, and laughed. "You do now!"


Lucius put a hand up to fix it, smiling a little despite himself, and swept a hand at Archer that glanced off the taller boy's shoulders. "You rat! I'll drop your jewels down a well!"


Archer gave an over-exagerated gasp, looking appauled. "You wouldn't."
 
Melody paused in her eating to watch the two as they walked. She couldn't help but laugh at the way Archer was teasing Lucius. She did try not to though, but it couldn't be helped. Then Lucius threatened Archer and she couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. She stayed mostly silent though, besides the laughing and giggling, because she was afraid of saying something to upset either one of them.
 
Archer and Lucius argued back and forth, playfully, until Lucius finally threw his apple at Archer's head. Archer made a face, after wincing, and wiped his forehead on his sleeve. "Ew! That was sticky, you mongrel!"


Lucius just gave him a little grin and snatched a piece of bread and cheese. "You're welcome." Melody was laughing and not cowering anymore, so at least that was good. Lucius had missed being able to banter with Archer. The thief had been gone almost a year on this last journey of his.
 
She was feeling jovial now and in a really good mood, especially when Lucius through his apple at Archer. Those two were amusing, but...she still decided to watch herself around Archer at least. She was used to Lucius enough, since they had been around each other for a year. Strange, she still didn't now him that much, even if he did open up to her a bit when she had asked him about himself at the castle. Oh well, she thought, if he wanted to open up to her, he would. She wasn't going to make him. "Where are we headed to next?" she asked softly.
 
Lucius, dodging Archer's little jab at him, looked back at Melody over his shoulder as they got to the stables. "We're heading south, away from the castle." He shrugged as they walked in to find their horse. "Southwest, really, but it's just a general south for now." The territory down that way, though not unfriendly to Earthrite, wasn't exactly an ally either, so her mother and father would hesitate to look that way.
 
She nodded at his answer, though she was really nervous about going into that territory, knowing that they weren't allies and she wondered how they would act if they found out she was a princess. Right now, she didn't have to worry about that, since to them, they would just see her as a traveler. "I think soon, that I should try and get some clothing that will allow me to blend in more," she stated.
 
Lucius nodded and looked back at her, a little specutively, then gave a faint, apologetic smile. "You should also think of cutting your hair. . ." He knew she wouldn't want to - most women were very attached to their hair - but it would help her to look less like herself.


((going to work, sorry -_- Bye!))
 
"Cut it?" she asked, not really wanting to. She thought about it though, and...she couldn't get caught and get Lucius into a lot of trouble. Plus, he had given up a bunch for her, so...the least she could do is cut her hair to help not get him into trouble with her parents. "I'll....I'll cut it," she said softly, giving in.
 
Lucius nodded, but was interupted by Archer raising a hand and waving it about. "Oo! Oo! I'll do it!"


Lucius punched him in the arm, frowning at him. "I don't trust you with sharp objects. Ever. Especially next to someone's head."


Archer just pouted. "Hey, I only stabbed you accidentally one time."


Lucius slapped a hand to his forehead. "You're impossible. . ." It had been an accident, Lucius wandering into the place Archer had been apparently practicing throwing knives, and had thankfully caught the knife with a shadow before it could harm him. But still. Even without that, Lucius knew Melody wouldn't be comfortable with Archer having something sharp anywhere near her.
 
She grew nervous when Archer said he would cut her hair. It didn't help when they were arguing and Archer admitted to accidentally stabbing Lucius. "That's okay Archer," she said. "I'll get someone else to cut my hair." She wasn't going to let him cut her hair anyways, even if he hadn't accidentally hurt Lucius, because of the threat he had made towards her.
 
Archer only blew out a huff of air at Lucius, crossing his arms. "No fun. . ."


Lucius rolled his eyes. "Keep complaining and I'll have the horse drag you instead of walking."
 
Melody just gave a weak smile before climbing onto the horse once it was given back to them. She attached her bag back to the saddle and then grabbed onto the reins and started walking it out, following the other two.
 
Lucius didn't drag Archer behind the horse, but did make him carry Lucius' bag, intending to make him keep it for most of the trip. Lucius walked slightly ahead for the first leg of the walk, letting Melody lead the horse so that he could practice a bit with his shadows while they walked. He found that it sometimes began to overwhelm him if he didn't let off a little energy every once in a while, so he spent some time making small, black shapes in front of him where she couldn't see. His favorite was a small bird, one he could make fly and tilt its head and move like a real bird, though it didn't make sound. He had once, in a rare moment of solitude, even made a full-sized horse of shadow, but that would probably never happen again without catching a spear through his chest.
 
((I wonder who we are going to get her to find out about his shadow abilities...maybe she could look back and see him making those shapes?))


She sighed softly, thinking the trip was rather quite dull in silence, so she reached over to grab her harp and started playing some more music. It wasn't as fast paced as it was yesterday, though it was still bright and cheery, even though she was a bit sad, missing her parents and what not but that couldn't be helped. They shouldn't have forced her into that horrid marriage and she was glad she had gotten out of it in time.
 
((He's walking ahead of her, but maybe the next time they stop they get cornered by a gang of people that either knock out Archer and have too many people for just Lucius to fight hand-to-hand, or have too many for both of them? Or Archer could just be off doing something else when they get attacked.))


Lucius glanced back when she started to play again, but didn't say much. Archer had a bit of a skip in his step, even with the pack he carried now, but he always did. Lucius wondered if Melody would ever sing for them. He'd heard her do it before, and she had a nice, soft voice. It was pretty, the few times he'd been able to hear clearly. Somehow he thought it might mean she was actually happy if she did that, and then maybe some of what he'd done would be worth it.
 
((Okay then that sounds great and I think Archer should be gone doing something else ^_^ and sorry, read that wrong))


She didn't really like singing in front of others. The few times he had heard her sing was when she was in her room and he was outside of her door, but it was easy to pretend he wasn't there then. She did hum though, she didn't mind doing that in front of others and plus it was a habit she had gotten from playing, because she liked to hum along if she couldn't sing the words.
 
((Should we just skip to that?))


The walk passed with Melody's playing and, after a while, Archer's stories, even just some friendly conversation about the woods, the potential weather for their traveling, and the next town they would reach. They got to town after dark and found a room to stay in, one that Archer purchased and Lucius and Melody snuck into afterwards to avoid any inquiries about their relationships with their traveling companions. Archer, saying something about fencing some of his 'take' from the last heist, ran off on his own and left Lucius and Melody together.


Once their bags were settled and safe, Lucius waved Melody with him out of the room. "Come with me. We'll see if any shops are still open." They needed a few supplies.
 
((Yup ^_^ ))


She listened intently to Archer's stories when she stopped playing. She was still interested, even though he did scare her somewhat. When they were at the inn, she and Lucius were to sneak in and she was glad because it was awkward having people think she was his wife. When Archer left, she went to follow Lucius to the town and see if the shops were open. "I think we should also find someone willing to cut my hair," she told him. It was for the best, she reminded herself.
 
Lucius nodded and just walked out of the inn with her. "We may have to wait until tomorrow for that. Or, if we can find the appropriate scissors, I could do it." He led her out of the building, and as they walked towards the area he kept an eye out. If he noticed someone watching them, he didn't say anything, but he did keep on guard. Just in case lingering glances became actual watching.
 
Melody nodded, she would feel much safer if Lucius cut her hair. "It would be cheaper too," she said, knowing they didn't really have a lot of money and wouldn't until Archer came back from selling her mothers necklace as well as the other things he had stolen. They should have plenty of money then. There were indeed people starting to watch them and they were very curious about these new comers and if they had any money on them.
 
The usual passersby, Lucius wasn't worried about. It was the ones that he kept seeing over and over again - not, perhaps, the same exact person, but one that stood in the same way and watched them with the same expression. Like they'd tried to learn acting casual from each other. After a little while of walking around and realizing that nothing useful was around, they managed to buy a pair of scissors and left. Lucius took Melody around a different way, away from people, and hoped that the lack of crowd would keep the people following them away. He was wrong. At the first sight of someone, he took Melody's hand and made her walk faster. "Stay calm. Just keep up with me."
 
Melody wasn't really paying attention, and if she did she wouldn't have been able to tell anyways due to the fact she had no idea people were watching them, though she did get the feeling. When they bought the scissors, they took a different way back to the inn and he was telling her to stay calm. "What's going on?" she asked him quietly. Though she did speed up a little to keep up with him.
 
((Sorry, distracted by movie))


Lucius kept looking around as they walked, intent on answering her but buzy for a moment before he could. Someone started to move, then, and he knew there were going to be too many if something happened, so he pulled on her hand until they were all but sprinting. "Run!"


He pulled her forward, making sure she kept up with him, and had to make a sharp turn when someone started to emerge in their path. But when he turned there was someone else, and someone else, and it kept happening until there was nowhere else to go. They were hemmed in, in a wide enough street and not an alley, but trapped. Lucius kept Melody at his back against a building so he could shield her, but he didn't like the way this was looking. There were too many.
 
((It's fine ^_^ ))


She ran with him, wondering what was going on and was frightened as they started to run. They didn't get far before they were pinned up against a building by a bunch of men. She cowered behind Lucius, frightened at what may happen. One of the bigger men spoke up. "And who do we have here? Travelers? No doubt they have money on them and the girl is pretty too," he smirked. They started advancing on them.
 
Lucius moved forward because the closest one came from in front, hopping up and landing a kick to the man's chest that sent him tumbling backwards over his head. The others paused, but it only bought him a second. His eyes darted back and forth, back and forth, looking for ways out - there were none. Finally, he stopped and took a breath, and his eyes clouded over and turned black.


Lucius clapped his hands together in front of him, threw them down at the ground, and a puddle-like center of shadow formed beneath his feet, a half dozen thick, almost squid-like black arms rising out of it as he pulled his hands back up into the air. He hadn't practiced this one in a while and it was going to be difficult, so he took the advantage of the initial shock to start attacking.
 
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