Lost in the Middle of... Wait, where are we again?

[Christine]

Deneira smiled and laughed as her horse took the first step off the bridge leaving Tar Valon. It had been far too long since she had left the city and, while she did love the city life, she was ready to take herself back into the country side, or at least away from the bustle and hustle of the rest of the world. The fact that she was with her Teacher, Mateo, was not going to cramp her style, and they hadn’t even spoken since Mateo came and told her that they were going on a road trip to Caemlyn.

 

She had never been to Caemlyn before… heck, she hadn’t been further south than Tar Valon, and that was in the north… hardly even close to being south. It had been straight from the Blight Lands of Saldaea to Tar Valon, where she was immediately taken in. She had seen one city, then a lot of trees and wood. Perhaps she was almost naïve in her thinking, but at least she knew her way around a camp site.

 

She knew it would take a few days to get to Caemlyn, so that meant a few days not talking. But she didn’t mind- just as long as the big oaf didn’t talk to her. Honestly, Mateo should just disappear all together. No one would care anyways…

 

They stopped for the night in the middle of the woods, and Deneira got straight to work while Mateo just stood back and watched. She looked for hard, dry ground, and set about making a small fire. After, she took her saddle bags off the horse, then looked around for some water. Glancing at him once, she glared as he just stared.

 

After the campsite was set up, she set about getting some food. After hunting around, she found some herbs. She then went looking for some meat, and while climbing up a tree, looking for fruit, birds, or squirrels, she found a snake… of course, that thing lost its head and went on the dinner menu.

 

That night, Deneira felt god-awful tired. Laying back, she closed her eyes, ready for a good night of sleep.

 

Ooc: you may leave my child now!

[Elyssa]

Mateo rode out of Tar Valon with the girl that was his mentee. He’d only brought her along cause she needed the outdoors experience. If he’d had his way he would ditch her halfway through the journey just to teach her a lesson. Though it was part of the wilderness survival he’d taken when he was a trainee. He’d had such a hard time getting back to Tar Valon. Those bloody squirrels and all the torment they had put him through. He didn’t even want to look at a squirrel on this trip for fear they would remember who he was and start the laughing and taunting all over again. Finally it was getting too dark for them to travel anymore and Deneira began looking for a place to camp. Mateo allowed her to go about this task and all the rest without helping her once. She needed to learn to do all of this on her own. She probably hated him more for what he was doing right then but he didn’t care. Sooner or later she had to learn to live on her own in the wilderness.

 

 

As she lay down and began to fall asleep a thought came to him. He was going to leave her on her own to find Caemlyn but he would follow her out there. Just to make sure she didn’t get into any trouble. He’d let her think she was on her own and maybe even take some of her supplies and things when she slept and make it look as though a wild animal had taken them. He’d see how much she had learned in her time in the yards. If she didn’t catch him she’d be bloody upset when she saw him in Caemlyn.

 

When she finally fell asleep Mateo quietly got up and packed the things he would need. He left her with plenty of stuff to get to Caemlyn with. He didn’t want her to think him that mean. He saddled his horse and walked him fifty paces away from the small camp and smiled at his ingenious plan. She would hate him more the next time she saw him, but this would teach her some valuable lessons.

 

OOC: I hope that’s what you needed if you want me to change anything just let me know and I’ll change it.

[Christine]

Deneira awoke, the sun streaming through the trees, the morning dew making the grass shine. She sat up, and saw the horses, Mateo, and their packs were gone. She was in complete surprise. All she had was her knife that was on her hip and the blanket she had wrapped around her in the cool night- this was so not cool. She knew Mateo hated her, but this was going just a little too far. She quickly set about moving, knowing that she had to make it as far as she could to Caemlyn before nightfall- it would be a few days journey on foot. Perhaps a week, at most, but she knew about where to go, and she could run, so she was not worried. She noticed that there was her waterskin, and she picked it up, knowing already it would be empty.

 

She began running towards the south, or at least, what she thought was south. In truth her directions were off course, and she was headed more southwest, away from the direct line to Caemlyn that Mateo had set out for them. Midday, she only found a fruit to eat. It was bitter, but the juices felt good in her parched mouth.

 

Night came quickly, and the exhausted Deneira tried to make a fire. Of course, her luck, it decided to rain. Only would it rain on the nights she had no shelter. She climbed up a tree, and with branches above her to keep her try, wrapped up in the blanket to try and keep warm. She had nothing to eat, but she set out her waterskin, collecting water for the next day.

 

And of course, it rain some more. Thankfully, the rain water had filled her skin, and she was able to have a good drink every once in a while. She found some fruits and some herbs, and by late afternoon, there was a chance of the rain ceasing. And it did, thank the light. She had a fire, and water, then looked for food. She had to eat- the little she had had was hurting her running, and she knew that quickly, her energy would run out.

 

She took her knife, and went to a clover patch, awaiting anything that might be hungry- and by the Dark One’s own luck, she caught a rabbit. Skinning it, and taking some of the herbs she had collected over the day, she roasted it over her fire, enjoying a good, hot meal. The fruit that she had saved from lunch was also a treat, filling her stomach full.

 

No longer did she run, but walk, because she had a strange feeling that her feet were leading her off course. And she was, unknown to her. She didn’t eat breakfast, nor a lunch, because she could find nothing. She began wishing she had saved some of her dinner from the night before.

 

Her water was running out, and she knew she needed food, when darkness fell, and she heard noises in the trees. Frightened, Deneira went to look, and began to smell wondrous scents, all which made her taste buds tingle. There were two travelers, cooking a dinner, and Deneira knew she was desperate when she stepped into their area, calling to them.

 

“Excuse me, but may I join your fire?â€