Supply and Demand

[U4ea]

Mordre grinned and nodded. She felt as giddy as a girl and was eager to spend another night away from the prying eyes of the Sept. More stolen moments with Madoc! "Very well, then. Do you remember that small thicket we passed about two hours ago? Do you believe we can make it there before the sun sets?"

 

~Mordre

[_Kynwric_]

Madoc glanced at the sky and nodded. "We can make that, if we run." the rest of the day was spent doing just that, running across the Three-fold land to make use of what small bit of cover the thicket Mordre mentioned against the night.

 

Once they arrived the pattern was familiar, Madoc left Mordre to begin setting up camp while he made a circuit to make sure they were as safe as one could be out of the Hold. Once again, everything seemed safe, there was no one in sight and there were no signs of anyone approaching. The light was beginning to fail and Madoc figured that anyone else travelling was also settling in for the night. He returned to the spot that Mordre had chosen for camp and found it all prepared and a cookfire already going.

[U4ea]

Mordre settled herself into the routine of setting up camp, trusting Madoc to scout and find food while she got the fire crackling, and their bedrolls laid out. She smiled as he returned, not sure if she was comfortable with the warmth that spread through her, but she was happy enough to revel in it, anyway.

 

"Did you find dinner or are we digging into my stores? I have a bit left..." she smiled up at him, appreciating the sight of him as he came closer.

 

~Mordre

[_Kynwric_]

Madoc did the circuit of the camp, this time he was even more diligent than the night before, there was now a much greater chance that they would be stumbled upon by another group travelling since they were back into a more populated part of the Three-fold land. Still, he saw nothing that should trouble him and soon enough he was re-entering the camp Mordre had set up. He could feel her eyes on him, but he ignored it, "I see you Mordre," he said as he came in and lowered his veil. He tossed the snake onto the ground near the fire and nodded to it, "More snake, but its better than dried food." He then headed for where she'd stored their packs for the night and dug deep into his, pulling out a small bottle. "And Oosquai."

[U4ea]

She ignored the Oosquai for a moment and set about preparing the snake for cooking. She sliced the belly open, removing the bits she didn't want to fight with later and packing it with herbs before laying it into the coals of the fire. She laid a few other things she'd found around the camp into the coals to cook with it and settled back to watch their dinner.

 

After a few moments, she looked back up at him. He hadn't mentioned anything they should be concerned with, but aside from the bottle he carried, he hadn't offered much in the way of conversation. "Are you well, Madoc?"

 

~Mordre

Edited May 12, 2014 by U4ea

[_Kynwric_]

"I am well, for one who has been in the sands all day." He said with a smile, or at leas a smile for him. "and I am better now, that I am back within the hospitality of your camp." It sounded a little forward to him, but he'd said it and meant it, so there was no going back now. No retreat, let the enemy break himself on your spears. 

[U4ea]

Mordre blushed and looked away. She stabbed at their dinner until it went away. "I'm pleased that you are better." Was all she could think to add to their conversion.

[_Kynwric_]

Madoc chuckled, he didn't have much to add to the conversation either, so he tried small talk instead. "The snake is good,"

[U4ea]

She smiled. "Is this comfortable chatter or avoiding conversion?"

[_Kynwric_]

"Comfortable chatter, I believe you would be cross if I skipped the meal and instead skipped straight to trying to kiss you."

[U4ea]

Mordre blushed and looked away, her lips still twisted into a smile. "Only because you'll need your strength for what comes after."

[_Kynwric_]

"After" He said deadpan, putting a bite of her cooking in his mouth to hide his smile. 

[U4ea]

She shook her head at him and finished her dinner, setting utensils aside for cleaning. "Unless you're overly tired from running, that is. Stone Dogs aren't known for their speed."

[_Kynwric_]

"Stone dogs may not go fast, Apprentice. But they do not ever go backwards." He cocked an eyebrow at her, and nearly cracked a smile. 

[U4ea]

"Never backwards, you say? What if you drop something? What if you forgot something? There are reasons to go backwards..." Mordre smiled at him, arching her eyebrow.

[_Kynwric_]

"Then we turn around, Mordre." He said, the same smile on his face.

[U4ea]

Mordre snorted a laugh. "You twist words like a Wetlander," she poked at him. "Tell me, when you turn around, are you not covering the same ground you've already covered? Only in reverse?" 

[_Kynwric_]

"But going forward... covering the same ground is not the same as retreating. Otherwise we would have run out of the three fold land we could travel to, as everywhere would have been already covered, you must agree that would be silly." He said with an honest smile. 

[U4ea]

"Ah, but not every step backwards is a retreat, Madoc. Sometimes, you just dance backwards." Mordre cleaned utensils and stored them away again. "We should get started early in order to get back before we're too late. Rest well and wake."

[_Kynwric_]

"Rest well and wake, Mordre." Madoc tried, pulling a blanket around his shoulders as he leaned back against the rock, his spears and shield within easy reach.

[U4ea]

She did neither sleep well, nor rest, as it turned out. She was hyper aware of every movement, every breath, and every inch of the man who'd accompanied her. By the time the sun broke, her blanket was rolled up, and she was sitting straight up, chewing on dried meat waiting for there to be enough light to run by. She was tired, but kept tight reign on her irritation. At least, she hoped she was keeping a tight reign on it.

[_Kynwric_]

Madoc rose, and carefully went through the inspection that every Aiel went through when waking up in the Threefold Land, checking for dangerous scorpions, spiders, snakes, that had crept too close in the night. Fortunately none had decided to join him for the evening and so he rolled the blanket up to be ready to travel. He too, pulled some dried meat from his pack and began to gnaw on it as he moved about the camp, returning it to the way things had been upon their arrival. It was habit, not necessity, this close to the Hold, but he did it anyway. Being careless got you killed. Finally he hefted his pack and looked to Mordre, "Ready to run, Mordre? We can make the Hold by noon, even with your skirts slowing us down."

[U4ea]

Mordre felt her ire rise and chewed on her lip. She wasn't going to let him get under her skin. "Let us get moving, then," she rose to her feet, keeping her attention on the surrounding land as they set a quick pace back to the hold. At least, she tried her best to keep her attention focused on it. That irritatingly well-rested Stone Dog kept appearing out of the corner of her eye.

[_Kynwric_]

Madoc was exhausted, but he kept his face implacable, like that of stone. He continued to churn out the pace she set, but he would not let this maiden see him break, he couldn't allow her to see him fail. Now if he could just keep it up until the returned to the Hold. Every so often he caught a glimpse of Mordre running beside him, skirts hiked up to free her legs, and it galvanized his will.

[U4ea]

She didn't stop running until she'd reached Shri's hut. The Wise One took one look at her face, smirked, relieved her of her herbs and gave her the rest of the day off. Mordre scowled at her, but turned to thank Madoc for his company, vowing to spend the next few minutes grinding up herbs that would knock her out for a while. She doubted seriously thoughts of this man were going to do her any good in that department for a while to come. "My thanks for accompanying me on my journey," she said, trying to put some distance back between them. She closed her eyes and deflated a bit, however, at looking into his eyes. "Perhaps next time we can just make a journey for the company?"