A Journey Always Begins With The First Step

[Nayt]

"Well . . ." she thought for a moment, "It's pretty good money. Real easy money, too. Everyone everywhere needs hard labor done, and are more than willing to pay a good price for good work. Especially if they're desperate."

That was Kei's gentle way of telling Hrothgar "you'll get over it." Hroth was taking it well on an emotional level, but he seemed as unused to the physical labor as he suggested he was. It was good money, though. If he was going to be traveling like this for awhile, he'd definitely get used to it over time. Incidentally, Kei seemed perfectly fine. She'd broken a sweat, sure; that's just what that brand of work does to a person. She wasn't busted, though. She wasn't sore now, and she wasn't going to be sore in the morning, either.

But on to other topics . . .

"I doubt it," Kei shrugged, "Aiden seems pretty harmless. Like the type to only get in trouble for having a book out for too long--but with the way the library is in this place, I doubt they'd notice if a few books turned up missing."

This was said with a bit of contempt. Sure, running a library wasn't the best paying job in the world, but it was an honest and decent living and should have been treated with respect.

All these thoughts were cut short when they arrived at the inn, though. She didn't need to say anything, just stop walking and stare. At first, she couldn't believe it. When she finally came to terms with the fact that this was no joke--that it couldn't possibly be a joke--she began to wonder what the hell happened, and just how the hell anything could possibly turn up that way. She also recognized the taste of her own words.

Posted outside of the inn was a wanted poster, preferably dead, with the likeness of Aiden Rayne sketched upon it. The reward was perhaps needlessly steep, too . . .

[adi]

Hrothgar bit his lip to keep from saying anything at Kei's tone. Hrothgar knew she didn't mean that she thought all scholarly pursuits and jobs were useless or frivolous, she had met both him and Aiden in the library, after all. Despite her obvious interests in books, the statement still seemed like a bit of a dig at people who do spend so much time reading. Aiden did unhealthily attached to books, so he could see her point, and there really was no point in arguing.

Hrothgar continued walking after Kei had paused. He had already reached the door of the inn and was about to open it, eager to find his way up to the bed before he noticed that Kei had stopped. He walked back and could only bring his fingertips to his mouth when he noticed the poster, unable to say anything for a long moment.

"...Fuck," was all he could manage. It was like he had jinxed their luck the moment he mentioned Aiden and 'trouble' in the same sentence. "Do you think the owner saw it? Should we take it down?"

[Nayt]

Kei looked over her shoulder. Behind her. Down the road they came from. It would've been easy to turn on her heels and start away right here and now.

At this moment, she had that choice. She could just bail out right now. She could say that Aiden was a criminal, Hrothgar was aiding and abetting a criminal, and she didn't want anything to do with it. Kei always took legal jobs. Jobs where no one got hurt. Helpful jobs, really. She was no mercenary, no bounty hunter; she didn't hurt people for money, guilty or not. She minded her own business, looked for the book she was after, and sometimes met people along the way. Wanted men were not who she associated herself with.

In fact, she could justify refusing to pay someone like that back . . .

Kei looked to the wanted posted again. Yes, she could have left. It might have been the smart thing to do. But at the same time, it felt just about as wrong as this whole town.

I'm just curious, she told herself. I'm just going to look.

She wanted to think--to pretend--that the moment she started for the wanted poster wasn't going to take that choice away. That she'd still be able to walk away from this. It was a nice fantasy to have.

There was no indication of why Aiden Rayne was a wanted man, only that his name was on the bottom of it and there was a slight likeness of him drawn upon the paper. It was a genuine wanted sign, though. He was supposed to be found and taken to the town militia for a thousand gold reward. This was a tremendously steep reward. It almost made Kei reconsider her preference for legal jobs. But the reasons were missing. That was supposed to be below the picture, too. But nothing. No reason. Just a reward.

". . . did-- did he ever tell anyone but me his name?" Kei asked. Though, she couldn't be sure; maybe he told someone his name when they were apart. Anyways . . . to remove it or not? "I . . . I don't know. P-probably . . ."

[adi]

Hrothgar stepped toward the poster, and carefully began to peel it from the corners. It came away easily enough, the paste on the back was still tacky from it's application. He said nothing more and folded the poster in half three times, sealing the sticky sides against one another and slipping it in his pocket. To anyone watching it would appear he was taking the poster for his own reference, though he did not look at all like a bounty hunter.

"I don't think he introduced himself to anyone but us," he said, ceasing gnawing the inside of his cheek as the poster was out of sight. He did not shove his hand into his pocket along with the poster, but he gripped the hem of his shirt so that it did not fall out. "He isn't exactly social, which is good in this case."

He stared at a long time at the wall where he had just removed the poster, as if he was waiting for the wall to just sprout another one after an amounted time. "I suppose," he said eventually in a tone that sounded quite resigned to the situation, "We have to get our things from the room anyway, even if we do end up leaving. Maybe he'll be there and we'll get a chance to ask him what is going on."

[Nayt]

"Y-yeah . . ." Kei nodded.

Still, she couldn't help but keep mulling over the idea. What the hell could someone like Aiden do to become this wanted? Posters all over town? This was kind of ridiculous. He'd have to kill someone to be this wanted. Especially with the kind of money they were offering for him . . .

Wait.

. . . .

No.

Kei decided to stop that train of thought right then and there. Okay, so maybe Aiden Rayne had all the makings of a serial killer. He was quiet, backward, and introverted. He had an obsession: books. He had quirks about fiction. He could be really creepy if he wanted to be. She got all these weird vibes when sleeping in the same room with him. Okay, so what? That didn't automatically make him a serial killer or anything. Misunderstood, probably. Framed, maybe! But damnit, if she went upstairs and Aiden was all blooded up and had a knife with him or something, she was done. Through. Turning and leaving and calling it a life.

When they first entered the inn, it was almost completely deserted. The old lady was not at her desk, and most of the lights were off. The curtains were still half drawn--perhaps hadn't even been opened yet since morning. Only a single candle set upon the desk illuminated any of the inn beyond the foggy evening light just barely peering through the windows. Kei instantly had the creeps. Chills ran up her spine, and she felt the sudden urge to get the hell out of this place before it even had the chance to look any creepier.

"U-um . . . hey, uh, I don't think anyone's home," Kei declared in an awkward whisper. "Uh. Maybe we should look elsewhere."

[adi]

Unlike Kei, Hrothgar did not have such wild suspicions about Aiden. True, he was confused and intensely curious as to what would ever could happen to make the boy a wanted man, but for once his imagination was firmly held in place. If Kei were to share her fears of Aiden being some sort of serial killer, he would say that he was under the impression that it was the opposite. Charisma is a main staple of convincing lies, and a serial killer would need a lot of it, which Aiden seemed to be severely lacking.

"We-- or at least I, have to get my things from the room," Hrothgar answered in an average volume, squinting into the dim light that the candle provided. Why was Kei whispering? It only set him further on edge. He was accustomed to the low light of candles, but still this unnerved him. Having had a few dormitory partners who were unable to sleep with a lamp, he was used to flailing about his desk in the middle of the night to avoid sleep, yet this was in all respects creepy.

"You can w-wait outside if you want?" he offered, though his voice wavered enough to show that the atmosphere of the room was beginning to sink in more fully. Still, he attempted to quell his fright and walked towards the desk to retrieve the candle. There would be no bogeyman lurking behind the desk, he assured himself, and there was no way his clumsy feet could make it up the stairs without a small lick of light. "I'll be back down in two shakes of a lamb's tail. Then we can check the library."

[Nayt]

"A-ah, um . . ." Kei trailed off. Well . . . she couldn't let Hrothgar go alone, and she wasn't too keen on staying alone under these circumstances anyways. But . . . damn, did he really need to go to his room right now? Couldn't he wait just a little while? Maybe the old lady would be back soon? Kei ran all these thoughts though her head, but ultimately sighed. "N-no, it's, um, okay, I guess. I'll come with . . ."

Going up the carpeted stairs, Kei discovered spots of moisture upon the carpet. She couldn't really tell what. Probably water or something--or maybe alcohol, considering this town and all of its "glory." Drinking was probably the only way people stayed sane in this place.

The door to their room was open, but there was little more than darkness within. Kei instantly felt her heart in the back of her throat. None of her things were there (she hadn't anything on her person when she came to this village, regrettably), but she always hated the idea that a fellow traveler was pillaged. It was really the pits. She knew from experience how it felt to lose years worth of trusty gear, months worth of saving, and food to last for awhile. And reading material! Books were expensive sometimes, and she'd found some good ones over time. Having lost her things to thieves before (actually quite recently), Kei shuddered to think that potential serial killer Aiden and decent guy Hroth had lost all their belongings.

When the door was inevitably pushed open, Hrothgar would find that the room was a complete mess. It looked ten brands of catastrophe. The table next to Aiden's bed was cleared off, lantern broken (but fortunately unlit) on the floor, bed covers tossed and tussled, and a shadow was cast just beyond it.

And . . . there he was. Aiden Raine, back in their room . . .

Except he wasn't at all normal. He wasn't at all . . . okay.

Laying on his chest, Aiden was sprawled across the floor, an utter mess. The back of his clothes all seemed shredded and run ragged, and he was barely breathing at all. He had at most small, shallow breaths, with great lengths between them. In the light, they'd see how much of a mess he truly was: all run ragged. His hair was matted to his skull and clothes stuck to his flesh, all run thick with blood and sweat. He wasn't moving, stopped in mid crawl, perhaps, his right hand reached out for something, his suitcase, but he'd apparently not made it that far. Near his left hand, though not grabbed, was the shimmering edge of a knife . . .

[adi]

Hrothgar stopped in shock at the scene before him. He had never before seen anyone so grievously injured before in his life. He nearly dropped the candle, and a small whine managed to come from his throat, before he masked it with several curses. The room was in obviously in disarray, but he would be hard-pressed to notice or recall any details. His stomach tightened as he hesitantly stepped across the room to kneel next to where Aiden lay.

"What the fuck happened?" he asked quietly, more to the room at large then to the boy directly. Now that he had moved closer with the candle, he could clearly see how much of a mess he was. He could say that it was the smell of the blood and sweat that made his stomach churn, but it was more over that he could get so injured-- who could be so heartless as to beat a young man to such a degree?

"Hey, Aiden," he gingerly picked up the boy's outstretched hand, still feeling warmth. It was probably useless to try and talk to him, but maybe if his voice did reach him would bring some level of comfort. The warmth was a good sign, right? He turned and opened his mouth to tell Kei to get someone to help, but fell short. Aiden was wanted. Granted, the posters hadn't been up for very long, but Ceildh was a small place. He cursed again, and noticed the glint of the knife in the light of the candle.

"Kei, do you know anything about injuries?" he asked desperately, making a note to check the knife later. At the moment he was too worried about Aiden to care his question displayed just how sheltered his life was from very useful knowledge. "Besides bandaging a cut, I don't know anything."

[Nayt]

The wounds on Aiden's body were mostly gashes. In some cases, it seemed as if he suffered blunt force damage, but mainly in the area of his face and head. The rest of his body was ribbons, covered in gashes and cuts, and completely devoid of pattern. There must have been over a dozen and a half large gashes in his body . . .

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Kei repeated in her mind. Walking in on this scene . . . Aiden lying face down on the floor, covered in blood, knife next to him . . . it all left a horrible taste in Kei's mouth. Maybe it was the scent of blood inciting flavor, maybe she was freaking out just a touch, confusing senses in a confusing situation--but gods be damned if she didn't want to make good on her personal promise to turn away and call it done. But abandoning these two just didn't feel as right as it should have.

Maybe it was Hroth. Maybe it was how good of a guy he was. Whatever it was, Kei didn't turn away from the door like she thought she should've.

At first, though, she didn't do a thing, just stood there, staring. She couldn't tell initially if Aiden was alive or dead. What would happen if he was dead? What would they do? She hadn't a clue if Hrothgar's entire regiment of travel was built around Raine or not. Then . . . if someone saw them here, would they think they killed Aiden Raine? Then what? Would they drag them to jail as murderers or give them a reward for something? Kei didn't want either. She didn't want Aiden to be a serial killer and she didn't want him to be the victim of a serial killing!

Kei ran through all the possibilities in her head, all the while still frozen in place, staring down to Aiden and Hrothgar on the floor next to him. It wasn't until Hrothgar said something to her that she finally realized she was breathing, took in a deep gasp, and released a shaky, hesitation filled breath.

"N-no, I-- I don't . . ." Kei replied meekly--a distinct change from earlier, when she was all fired up and ready to beat a person down with her bare hands. Hesitantly, meekly, and still in the doorway, Kei whispered, "W-we-- we should get him to a hospital . . ."

[adi]

"Do you think it's okay to move him?" Hrothgar asked, though he did not wait for an answer. He gingerly stepped around Aiden and gathered his satchel from the foot of his bed. He swung the bag over his shoulder, knowing what meager medical supplies he did have would be useless to try and put to use.

He stripped the sheets from the bed next, tugging it from under the mattress without a second thought. For ten gold a night the old lady would have no trouble replacing some linen. "I know it's probably not the smartest thing to do," he admitted, walking back over to where the knife lay. He wrapped his hand in sheet and picked up the handle, using the blade to cut a strip off of the sheet and finish wrapping it. He had read enough mystery novels and studies to remember human hands left residual prints that could be found and traced if not blocked. He placed the wrapped blade in his satchel and lay the sheet next to Aiden.

"Could you help me wrap him?" he requested, seemingly calm and levelheaded for the moment. In all honesty, he was only calm because it seemed to unbelievable to accept-- as if he was having a rare lucid dream. Surely, he would wake up if he played along until the morning bell sounded and woke him up. "It will probably look suspicious carrying him, but... I would rather not arrive at the hospital covered in blood."

[Nayt]

Kei, on the other hand, was far from calm. She was, like Hrothgar, disbelieving of the situation, but for lack of proof that it wasn't really happening, she had no other choice but accept it--whether she liked it or not. It was all a slippery slope to this, ever since they saw the wanted posters. Hrothgar, disbelieving the situation as real, acted. Kei, acknowledging the situation, did not. They were, for this moment, polar opposites. One capable of being proactive and the other incapable, whilst belief and disbelief reversed in a drastic show of cosmic irony.

"I-- I don't . . ."

Know?

But Hroth would've just moved him anyways, regardless of what she said. Kei didn't know if it really was such a good idea, though. Aiden looked pretty injured and all . . .

When he asked for her assistance, Kei didn't know if she had it in her to give. She was still just a bit freaked out, and especially didn't want to get blood on her. She also had to wonder if she was even right about this place. Maybe it didn't have a clinic or any of the sort, but they had to at least look for one . . . right?

Silently, Kei did as Hroth asked, but she was exceptionally hesitant. The workmanship she showed earlier was all but gone. Finesse was forgotten. Caution, shock, concern, unease, and a total lack of self confidence dominated her every fidget and twitch. She'd follow Hrothgar's lead, but as shakily as possible . . .

[adi]

Hrothgar was no less nervous about this situation, and it was evident in his fumbling fingers and paler-than-usual face. Eventually Aiden was wrapped hastily in the sheet. It was probably the worst thing to do to move the boy when he was so injured- but the room was obviously ransacked. What if whoever had done this didn't get what they wanted? If they came back while Hrothgar and Kei were out getting help, Aiden might even be killed completely.

Truthfully, Hrothgar didn't feel much of a companionship with Aiden or Kei. He had only just met them, after all, this was not so strange in itself. But had he been told a few weeks ago that he would be doing such things, he would have never believed it in his life. And yet, there he was, kneeling down and picking up the battered boy as gingerly as he could, and positioning him some half-cradle-half-fireman's carry.

"Grab the candle," he motioned towards Kei with his chin, "I won't be able to carry it."

[Nayt]

"Y-yeah," Kei nodded quickly.

She took the candle and held it out to let Hrothgar see exactly where he was going. Kei made sure to be ahead of him at all times, with the candle by her to provide Hrothgar as much light as possible. Still nervous as hell, she nearly dropped the candle twice; her hands were shaking a bit too much, but she managed.

When they were outside, they were lucky: no one was near the inn to see them. It was only then that Kei realized how little she'd thought ahead, though. If someone did see them, and was well aware of who Aiden was, what would happen? And if there was a clinic in this town, what would they do for Aiden? Assuming they were aware of his current status as a wanted criminal--for whatever reason--would they actually help them out, or just make their lives worse? She didn't want to think about having to punch out a doctor, but if worst came to worst, that just might be her only option.

"U-um, now what . . .?" Kei asked hesitantly.

[adi]

Hrothgar was slow going down the stairs, unused to carrying anything other then books and crates and other usually rectangular objects made for easy carrying. Something as normally easy as going down stairs is made suddenly so much more challenging when you have an unconscious body to move. It probably would have been easier had he not been fatigued spending the day helping the man move, but he could hope the adrenaline rush of panic would sustain though this ordeal.

"We--" Hrothgar stepped in a circle when they emerged from the inn. While it was rather ridiculous looking maneuver, half of his vision was blocked by the young man over his shoulder. What did they do now? How long had the wanted posters been up? To how much of a degree would Aiden's notoriety stretch? Would their luck be so grand as to find someone who didn't know about it? Probably not.

"We don't panic," he stated, inhaling a breath to steady himself. Despite how calm he was trying to remain, his hands gripped tightly at the sheets around Aiden, and his face looked even paler then bookworm standards. The scholar walked with an agitated spring in his step, ready to jump at the smallest threatening noise. "And we hope to the gods that either Ceildh has a no-questions clinic or has a lot of good samaritans who don't look at wanted posters."

[Nayt]

“A-all right . . .” Kei trailed off.

She didn’t know about this. If she weren’t already so deep in the situation, she’d have considered bailing again. Now, though, it simply didn’t come to mind; part of her fully acknowledged that there was no backing out now. They simply needed to get Aiden some medical treatment and it was that simple. Kei paused and remained still for some period of time, thinking about the layout of Cieldh. She really couldn’t remember any clinics. They might have to ask around. Well, one of them would. The other would probably have to stay hidden somewhere with Aiden.

It was just as she decided to throw the idea out there that something happened. She’d just held up her index finger and parted her lips when someone else spoke. It felt like needles jabbed into every part of her spine all at once, and she was tempted to grab Hrothgar and run. Somewhere. Anywhere.

“He’s in there! He’s at my inn!”

“Your inn?” a male voice chimed.

“Yes. Please, come, come! He stormed in out of nowhere and just started upstairs. I recognized him right then and there.”

“Did he assault you, ma’am?”

“He looked awful beat up! And he was carrying a knife, too. I ran out as quick as I could!” the old woman continued.

Temptation? No, screw that. It wasn’t a matter of temptation anymore. Panic set in and she grabbed Hrothgar by the shirt. The old woman and a presumed militiaman rounded the corner and reached the road—but by then, Kei had already pulled Hrothgrar around the inn, and in panic stopped when they were nearly behind it.