Annaiel Gets Details

[Annaiel(#28909)]

Taking the time to allow the two to rest as well as look to her wound as best she can, Ana passes off her waterskin to the children. \"I have salted pork..if you are hungry. And some bread as well.\" She states, kneeling over her pack as she touches the bandage upon her shoulder. Rolling it slightly, she winces and then bows her head to look within the confines of her pack.

Keldean is sitting back against a tree, looking fairly exhausted. Liuni had fallen asleep on his back and he was more than happy to take a break and ease her dead weight to the forest floor for a bit. When she mentions food he looks up sharply. \"I\'m starved!\"

[Annaiel(#28909)]

A faint smile touches her lips. Pulling out a few fresh apples, she tosses him one. \"Seeker\'s own trees..\" She mentions lightly, tilting her head as she then pulls out the wrapped salted pork and bread. Each is carefully untied and placed upon the ground on their cloths. \"COme closer..\" she beckons him and begins to break apart the bread, resting back on her heels with a sigh. A bit of exhaustion creeps across those grey jewels and for once she does not try to appear overly certain. Aged lines crease her forehead and the corners of her eyes. Most are well worn laugh lines and though it may give hint to her years, it gives something youth will never find a deep understanding of the world around her, yet the ability to accept it.

Keldean catches the apple, taking a large bite immediately before he moves to crawl over closer, sitting cross-legged once he\'s near. The teen has proven he\'s quite adept at moving quietly through the forest, his steps soft. But now, he crunches loudly on the apple, too hungry to care about manners. It isn\'t until he\'s halfway through the apple that he actually allows himself time to breath between bites. \"You\'re good friends with Seeker?\"

[Annaiel(#28909)]

\"Well...after a fashion. I am learning of him, but he is near as kin as they can come.\" She smiles slightly, pulling out fresh cut cloth, fabric bandages. She undoes the first ties of her shirt and starts to pull at her old bandage, leaving the food for him. \"YOu may not wish to look...\" The sparrow states gently, turning slightly so that he will not ruin is appetite.

Keldean glances up once, but doesn\'t seem overly affected by the wound. He\'s too hungry. Once he\'s polished off the apple he sets into the pork and bread, eating with remarkable speed. Obviously the teen was hungry all day and too nervous to say anything about it. \"What do you mean by kin? Is he family?\"

[Annaiel(#28909)]

She gives a shake of her head. \"There are more apples inside..\" She motions to her pack and starts to clean the wound, a thick scent of camomile fills the air from a container she opens. \"He is not really family...more like distantly we share the same lineage. So I consider him kin..\" She smiles lightly and then catches her breath as she opens the axe wound. Ana takes a long breath and pulls the ruined cloth away, pressing the salve over it.

Keldean seems to accept this answer, falling quiet for a long time after that. He reaches for her pack, pulling it over to his lap to help himself to some more food. He eats his second apple at a more reasonable pace, taking time to enjoy it. \"What will you do .. if they\'re not there anymore? By the inn, I mean.\"

[Annaiel(#28909)]

\"Then I will track them..\" She states, hissing between her teeth as she pauses from the salve application. Closing the jar, she wipes her fingers on the old blood soaked bandage. Taking up the fresh bout, she begins to attempt to wrap her own wound, though it is not as easily done. \"I will not give up on him...we don\'t give up on those we protect. Which means I won\'t give up on you and Liuni too. As long as I breathe you are safe.\"

\"What do you mean by \'we\'..?\" He asks next, watching her keenly. He takes one more bite of the apple, then sets it aside and climbs to his feet, moving over closer to her. \"I can help..\" The teen offers, reaching for the bandage.

[Annaiel(#28909)]

She pauses in her attempts to address her wounds. \"We..meaning the rangers that the Breefolk shy from. We watch the roads..we try to keep the people of this realm safe..to the best of our abilities. We don\'t often converse...\" She releases the bandage to him slowly. \"Thank you.\" The woman says and looks distantly for a moment. \"I guess we do look suspicious..travelling alone, quietly, armed...I do not blame you.\" She breathes in and then looks to him. \"It was because of this wariness my husband was killed...he stopped some merchants to ask them for supplies and they shot at him..thinking him a bandit.\"

Her head bows and she gives him a smile, \"Forgive me..please.\" She motions to the bandage. \"I will hold still.\" She lifts her chin and turns her head.

Keldean is far from a skilled healer, but he manages wrap the bandage on with some basic ability. He ties it a bit more loosely than it likely should be, but the youth has no experience in these matters. \"You do act suspicious.. well, maybe -you- don\'t.. but the others like you. I asked questions and never got answers. The only people that carry swords in Bree are up to no good.\" He mutters the last, sounding very much like any Breelander.

[Annaiel(#28909)]

\"As rightly you should think..\" She says, watching him. \"For many use steel for ill will..\" She trails off and with a wince, she manages to not make a noise to alert him of her discomfort. \"Keldean, you must learn for yourself who your friends are and who your enemies are.\" She nods and rests further back on her heels. \"I would like you to meet my son one day. He rests safe with friends..he is some what younger than you, but not by more than four years.\" she nods and looks towards the east.

Keldean finishes with the bandage and moves to sit down again, picking up the half-eaten apple. \"I know who my friends are..\" He says quietly, his brow narrowing as he looks away from her. He takes a smaller bite, frowning as he chews, obviously thinking over her words.

[Annaiel(#28909)]

\"Time changes friends..and sometimes it does not.\" She sits back then, folding her legs beside her as she takes up her own apple to eat of it. Watering is thus taken into account and she begins to eat her bread. \"You must decide..what will be done eventually. I know not what we stand against unless you tell me. If you will tell me what to expect, it would help matters.\" She studies him, chewing her own food.

Keldean looks up at her again, his face growing worried again. That wary expression is there, a guarded attitude he uses to hide his fear. He looks around as if always expecting others to be listening, and lowers his voice even though they\'re seemingly alone. \"There are two.. Addie and Asht. Asht.. he\'s really good with a knife.\" The teen reaches a hand up to rub at thin lines on his neck, almost healed now.

[Annaiel(#28909)]

Looking to his wound, Ana is quiet and remains so. Finally she shakes her head. \"He will not do that again, I promise.\" Her eyes narrow and she looks againt to the east, as if she would see the man soon. \"I promise, Keldean, whoever this Asht is, he will not touch you are Liuni again.\" THe ranger touches her bow. \"My arrows are swifter than his knife.\"

Keldean gazes at her with his brown eyes, and his expression seems doubtful. \"I don\'t think we can catch them. They have horses.\" He admits after a long silence, picking at the apple with his finger. \"I shouldn\'t have left Cordelia.\" It\'s the only thing that Keldean has sounded regretful about.

[Annaiel(#28909)]

\"Cordelia made her decisions, you did what was right for you both.\" She gazes at Liuni. \"do you know where they may have been headed next, direction wise? We might want to start looking that way?\" Ana gazes past him to the younger girl, her brows knitting.

Keldean is quiet for a long time now, and it seems as if the boy won\'t answer the question at all as he picks small pieces off of the apple one at a time. When he does speak, it\'s very soft. \"She told me that they were going to take Seeker to the valley where the elves live, so that he could show them the secret way in.. or something like that.\"

[Annaiel(#28909)]

Ana gives pause at this and she lifts a brow rather slowly, \"They what?\" She breathes slowly and immediately starts to pack up, placing things gingerly in her pack. \"Can you carry Liuni? We have to go.\" She places the pack on her shoulders and then worries over her waterskin and sword.

\"Seeker said he would never tell them.\" Keldean says, hoping to stall her sudden desire to get moving again. He\'s tired and doesn\'t want to go anywhere. As much as he wants to help Cordelia, Asht terrifies him and every step east is a step closer to the man.

[Annaiel(#28909)]

\"Steal yourself..\" She watches him, climbing to her feet and shifting her back even as one strap digs into a portion of her wound. \"THere is not time..if he refuses, they may kill him.\" She gazes east again and looks to the two younger. \"Keldean..it is your choice to come. YOu have told me what you could...if it is better for you to head back to town, I understand.\"

Keldean looks down, considering her words. Finally he stands and moves to scoop up Liuni again. He carefully adjusts her weight, then sighs and starts walking again. \"They argue a lot. I\'m not sure about what, they speak a language I don\'t know. When I left.. \" He hesitates, then continues, \"They had heard me whispering to Seeker, and Cordelia wanted to know what it was about. She said that if it didn\'t match what he said Addie would torture us both. Cordelia told me to run, then.\" He looks over at Annaiel, \"That\'s why you can\'t hurt her. She\'s trying to help.\"

[Annaiel(#28909)]

\"They are dangerous, I understand. But you must move swiftly. What direction were they headed the last you left them.\" Her gaze narrows upon him, studying the boys face, not in an unkind way. Ana takes up her bow, restringing it in a swift familiarity. \"I will be ready, should we happen on them. And let me lead..just tell me where to go.\" She says softly.