Returning to Roots

A Message

Her eyes hardened, but she did back up and lower her blade, but not, he noticed, put it away. He leapt to the side before processing that it was because he heard the twain of an arrow's release. The arrow had landed exactly where the girl had been a moment ago. She was now racing into the woods with the speed of familiarity. Seeing the parbolic fletching, he realized that the arrow must've been Andreas's.

"Na bi Ag Irraidh Cluain An Cacamais A Chur Orm'', he swore loudly. He was this close to hearing news of at least some of his family. Andreas rushed over to help him up, "Are you..", he started, but Braonan cut him off. "You scared her away, you dalcop! I'd just gott'n her ta lower 'er weapon!". He had to track her down. He had to know something, anything, about his family.

Apparently, the deterioration of his Latin grammar and thickening of his accent tipped off Andreas that this wasn't just an ordinary fight. He gripped his arm and demanded an explanation. Braonan wasn't feeling particularly patient, but as big as he was, Andreas was bigger. He couldn't get free.

He quickly explained what had happened and why he needed to find her again. Wordlessly, Andreas released him and followed as he went in search of a connection to home, not giving a second thought to Felix's unconscious form behind them.

Stalking into the fir trees, Braonan began searching for trampled leaves, broken branches, and any other signs of someone travelling through. She'd had a head start, so he figured she'd probably be far ahead of them by now, so when he realized that the trail ended at an old oak tree 20 pedas from the clearing, he nearly fell over laughing. Andreas looked at him with concern. Braonan didn't laugh much, he probably thought he'd gone hog-raving mad. He gripped his arm and tried to drag him deeper into the woods, saying, "Let's just keep looking, Macpherson." He sobered up and pulled away. "I'm fine Andreas. The lass just went up the tree to wait us out.", he told him.

Apparently, the lass heard him and realized that her hiding place was compromised, because next thing he knew, she jumped down from the tree and onto his back, knife in hand. As she brought down the blade towards his eyes, Andreas grabbed her wrist, took the knife, and stuck the tip in her face. It was a beautiful blade, engraved with Jardine runes of protection.

Not a good time to admire the knife that was just in your face. Braonan blinked hard and refocused. "Look, we don't want to hurt you, we just want to talk." He grit his teeth, still trapped under the lass.

"Oh, is that why there's a knife in my face? That makes perfect sense!" She was trying to pull her arm away. When all she managed was to twist her wrist, she tried to punch Andreas. She wasn't willing to get off of Braonan and leave him unchecked, so she just got her other arm trapped as well.

Andreas countered, "Stop trying to kill us and we won't have to stick the knife in your face." He cast him a look that said 'If she does kill us, I blame you'

She spat something at him in Greek about 'Romani'. He replied, also in Greek, and said something about Athens. Her eyes widened in surprise and she tensed before growling something that he was pretty sure meant something along the lines of 'stupid Spartans'.

Braonan was starting to get bored. They'd gone from a combat situation to him listening to them argue in Greek while he was pinned to the ground.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he asked "Are y'all done yet? All I wanted was to hear about some Jardines with Macpherson blood." He then repeated himself in Gaelic.

Andreas grinned. "Sorry mate."

The girl looked surprised, like she'd forgotten he was there. She glances at his collar like she was looking for the heather again, but Braonan was pretty sure it'd fallen out by now. "Rhiannon?",a note of pleading entered his voice.

Her gaze snapped toward his face, eyes wide, lips slightly parted. She looked like she was about to say something, but she didn't.

"Please, just tell her that Braonan says hi and," he paused, "And that I'm sorry." He was starting to rise up on his elbows.

She used her knee to force him back down, but her voice shook. "Do,.. do I look stupid to you?"

Encouraged by her hesitance, he made one last push. He laid his hands flat as a gesture of submission. "I swear by the bones of Morrigan, we won't follow you."

She turned her head to Andreas, tilting it almost like a bird. He offered what Braonan recognised as an oath on the magical River Styx. Something about the underworld and 'a fate worse than death' if you break the oath. Andreas wasn't always the easiest language teacher to follow, so for all he knew it could have been something about being out of breath.

Seeming reassured by their oaths, (though the slowness of her movements suggested that she was still cautious) she rose to her feet and stepped off of him. Andreas released her hands and she sheathed her knife while edging away.

Andreas turned to help him up and she bolted, quick as a gazelle with her wine colored hair streaming behind her. A slight wind picked up and he could barely hear the rustle of the leaves she brushed by through those shaken by the breeze.

When they made it back to the patrol post, they saw that Felix was waking up. They looked at each other and nodded. They wouldn't out the village girl. Braonan felt a thrill of rebellion go through him as he turned to Felix and asked, "Did you sneak into the mead again?" He rolled his eyes and wondered if this was how Andreas always felt when he walked the line between survival and insubordination.

Felix opened his mouth to speak but then shut it as his face reddened. As expected, he didn't want to admit that he'd attempted to take advantage of a girl who'd then knocked him out. Braonan was glad he was at least ashamed of part of what just happened. No one would learn about the girl from him.

He realised that he was risking his skin and Andreas' for a girl whose name they didn't even know. Well, he didn't do that everyday.