RP:Shattering Lanterns

From HollowWiki

In the back of the mines, the way back past where most people dare to mine there was a cluster of boulders. The rocks formed a little nook in the mines, almost like a very cramped home unless it was a tiny person, very tiny. It was in this very spot that the farm girl whose house had burned down some time ago had taken to sleeping in during the nights. Standing there she unrolled an over sized fur and spread it around on the small space behind the boulders. With it spread out the human glanced around in the darkness, holding up her lantern to cast a light upon the shadows. A quick check to make sure that the miners were indeed gone for the night. A nervous look on her freckled features as she sat the lantern down carefully so that she could see while unrolling another fur to add to the small space on the ground. With two sets of furs down the human started to roll the sleeves to her blue plaid shirt so that they once more covered all of her arms down to just part her wrists. With her was her bow and arrows along with a leather backpack that contained what little items she owned anymore.


Tyler moves deeper into the mines, the man mindlessly wandering again just to escape the over-crowded hell hole known as the Kelay Tavern. He wasn't sure what pulled him this far out of the way, or what compelled him to explore the caves a bit, in complete darkness none the less. Having trouble traversing the terrain was a given from the beginning but suddenly Tyler is blinded by the light of Emilia's lantern. He twists his ankle in an attempt to dodge behind a boulder. He curses under his breath as he reaches down to massage the injured appendage. Had she seen him? No. She was still making her bed area. Squinting his eyes he tries hard to examine the creature to assess if they were of any danger. He can barely make out the figure of the farm girl and even though she's bigger than him and much healthier looking, she doesn't seem to carry a 'troubling' tone. He rises back up and begins to wobble over to the small camp sight. Once he's close enough he calls out in a soft voice, trying his best not to startle the poor girl. "Um, hello. Miss?" Tyler would not be in the light of her lantern. The human who has no recollection of Emilia would look far different to her from his former self. Where former Tyler was by no means a large man, he had some meat on his bones to weigh in around one-hundred and eighty pounds, and he almost always wore some type of robes or his classic ninja suit and kept his hair decently short. This version stands a sickly one-hundred and thirty pounds, in torn rags for clothing and his hair has reached just above his nose. He pushes his hair back and those caramel eyes offer a concerned stare to Emilia. "Are you alright, back here?"


Emilia had her sleeves rolled down when the sound of a voice, a male voice startled her. She’d just checked the darkness with her light. There was not a soul around, did she miss a direction. Reaching out she grabbed a hold of the lantern, shining it in the direction of the voice. It was a stranger. Skinny looking thing with hair that was long, but the color of his eyes. Odd, but familiar. Somewhere she’d seen eyes like that, but where. In the light Tyler would be able to see that once long blonde curls had been chopped short to shoulder length. She looked healthy, but beneath the fabric that clothed her form she’d lost weight since losing her way of life and home to the fire. The light shined on her freckled face that had spots of smeared dirt, bruises, and a thin slice along her left cheek. The hand that held the light source was lighted up enough to reveal that it too was covered in bruises and cuts. She was far from the girl he knew back when, but with his memories lost he wouldn’t see the changes just the pathetic human before him. “Am I alright? Yes, I am fine.” She white lied. She wasn’t perfectly fine, but alright enough to say she was. Shifting the light for a better look at him, without blinding either herself or him, “Are you alright? You look like you just crawled out of death’s embrace the hard way. I have a spare pair of clothing. Might fit you better than those rags you got on, Sir.”


Tyler tries to shield his eyes from the blinding light Emilia insists on shining in his face and eventually just places an open hand to up across his forehead to deflect most of the light. He examines the woman closely and is a bit taken back by why someone such as herself would be laying to rest here in such a crude cave. She remarks on his physical state causing a laugh to escape. He shakes his head lightly to her when he reaches out to push the lantern down a bit, getting the light away completely. He can't see anything but spots as he speaks. "I'm fine, and no, you should keep your belongings. I don't mean to intrude or anything, I was just out and about. Trying to get out of the, erm... house, for a bit, if you want to call it that." He rubs at his eyes and moves to lean against one of the stone walls. "I'm sorry if this is personal, but I'm curious, what's someone like you." He holds a hand out to showcase her. "Doing in a place like this?" He follows suit to show off the cave. "Doesn't seem like a good place for beauty sleep. Nor is it too warm as we near winters end."


Emilia slowly lowered the lantern down to setting it back on the boulder so that it would light up part of the area, but nothing blinding enough with its lower place. She listened as the man spoke with his question. As he 'showcased' her she actually had to look down at herself, trying to see what it was that he was pointing out about her. She didn't see much beyond a bruised up dirty person. "What do you mean a person like me?" She questioned him back, trying to understand better what it was he was saying about her. "Besides, it is actually more safe back here at night than it is in some other places that I could be staying for the night. The cave keeps the wind out pretty well and the circle of boulders here are good for hiding behind when the light it out. A little bit cramped, but it isn't the worst placed I've spent the night at."


Tyler pulls at the skin on his arm and then slides two fingers down his face in response to Emilia's first question. "Human. Female." He nods to her again. "Underneath the dirt and bruises I'd say you've got a cute face. Considering the perverted dwarves and rouge horde that manage to run through here, It doesn't seem like the best place for you to be hanging out at." She explains a bit more detailed and Tyler is forced to nod in agreement. "Can't argue there I guess. I've been laying my head at the Kelay Tavern, and troubles always brewing there." He looks out toward the exit of the cave and can barely see it through the ever lumbering darkness and shutters. "Not to mention whatever animals come through here can't be too kind." He turns his attention back to her and provides only a second of silence before following up. "But that doesn't answer my question, why are you here?" His tone is somewhat demanding and though he doesn't mean to come off as bossy or a jerk, he just has an odd curiosity of the female's situation.


Emilia listened to him as he spoke about having a cute face. That comment she scrunched up her nose, shaking her head in disagreement to it. Then again she couldn't much remember what her face looked like without cuts or bruises on it anymore. Then she listened as he talked about staying at the Tavern in Kelay. That alone got him a look of disgust. She'd never stay there unless it was a last resort. The mines were a better risk than that place was. "Why am I here? I am here because this is where I have chosen to take shelter for the night." She answered his question barely. "Why do you care why I am spending tonight in the mines compared to where I stayed last night at the picnic grounds between a grouping of roaring fires or the night before that when I stayed the night in Sage on a tree branch above the ground? Where is it that you prefer something like me" She would wave her hand before herself, "stay?"


Tyler raises both of his hands in surrender as Emilia takes a defensive tone. Perhaps the young woman was more capable than he initially thought. "Hey, lady, look I'm just lookin' out for your safety!" His eyes fall shut as he laughs at his stupidity and begins shaking his head. "But, then again, why should I do that, right? We don't know each other. For all you know I'm just some pervert checking into your background before making my move, and for all I know your some crazy cannibal living in dark caves to avoid the authorities." The man brushes at his legs before standing up and he offers a quick wave to the woman. "Sorry for buggin' ya'. Have a good night." The man turns to make his way out from the hidden area and cave all together. He sighs at the complete darkness. He's eyes had adjusted to the light of Emilia's lantern. Raising his right hand, he pulls his fingers into a claw shape and begins to concentrate. Blue sparks of mana begin to erupt in his palm before a barely visible flame emerges. A smirk appears on his face. It wasn't a shadow of what his former-self could do, but the illusionist was trying and so far it was working.


Emilia made the strangest of faces of disgust when he brought up the words of her being a cannibal hiding from the authorities. The image in her head of sight a sight was enough to make her cringe at the phantom taste of blood in her mouth. Nope, she'd never resort to eating people. She couldn't handle the metallic taste of blood enough to do that. Then he was turning to leave. She had no reason to stop as he was but a stranger to her. An interesting one. As he sparked up the blue flame further away to where she could barely see it she flinched, knocking that lantern off the boulder it sat on. For a moment there she honestly thought he was going to shoot at her with a magic blue ball of shit. "Damn." The single word was loud enough that Ty would be able to hear it echo from within the cave. The glass of the lantern had shattered on the ground. With the fire out she couldn't see well in the darkness as she squatted to the ground to stupidly feel around for it. "oww." she whined in a smaller voice, barely audible as she sliced her hand in the hot broken glass.


Tyler had already moved further into the cave, but not far enough to escape the sound of Emilia dropping the lantern. Eyes close as he sighs and closes his palm extinguishing the flame in his hand. Silence fall among the cave as Emilia cuts herself up fiddling with the remains of the lantern on the ground. Tyler's approach would go unheard, but in the darkness, Emilia would feel a hand take hold of hers, and then his face would illuminate once more as he conjures the flame back into existence in his free hand. "Tsk, tsk." He coos while looking to her hand. Suddenly, both of his hands seem to catch fire, the flames licking from his flesh to touch Emilia. He is quick to inform her, "They aren't real. Illusions and such. If you believe they're real, it's gonna' burn you, so don't be an idiot." He then brings both hands onto Emilia's own and he feels himself getting a bit squeamish. Tyler was no healer, hell, he wasn't cut out to be a medic but he couldn't just let her sit there with glass sticking out. His caramel eyes flash to meet her own eyes for just a moment. "Close your eyes." If/when she follows instruction, Tyler would grip the glass and pick it out quickly. The crimson flow of blood spilling down her hand bringing an all too familiar feeling in his own hands that were still healing from the blood stones in the dark temple. Reaching to his shirt he rips jerks off a piece of the cloth and quickly wraps it around her hand to stop the bleeding. It wasn't the cleanest bandage, but it was what he had. Once he's finished he remains kneeled before the girl. He's flexing his jaw as he examines her once again. "... You sure you don't want to come to the tavern with me? I'm sure someone there has some clean bandages." His tongue runs across cracked lips as he sighs yet again. "I mean, we can go to the dwarves homeland if you'd prefer. It's closer and not quite as full of... bastards." He flashes a quick smile but recollects this woman doesn't know him, probably doesn't like him, and would not understand his humor.


Emilia went wide eyed as her heart skipped a beat, almost screaming but she was too startled to even get a sound out as the man so silently appeared. Each time he created those blue illusion of fire she flinched. Besides water that was deeper than a bath magic was second greatest fear. After so many beyond bad encounters with it she avoided being around it at almost any cost. Illusions...just pretend fire according to the stranger. Real magic...fake fire. Closing her eyes as he'd suggested while he pulled the glass free from her hand that was already injuried. Bruises mostly, as if something heavy had been dropped on her whole hand. With the torn bit of shirt tied to keep the blood from falling she opened her eyes again. Nervous blue eyes staring at him within the light of his fake fires. A half smile with almost a giggle to his words about the two taverns. "I don't like taverns...too many people." she said with a sad smile, "Thank you, Sir." She added lifted up her patched up hand.


Tyler smirks at her remark about taverns. "I can't blame you much there. They are pretty crummy places but to be blunt I don't know anywhere else to go. Well... There is that nice inn in Larket, the Red Ogre or something like that, but I think they charge just to step inside..." Tyler wrinkles his nose and shakes his head. "Don't call me sir, please. I'm not that old." He places his weight backwards to sit on his rump and places his still burning hand to his chin to prop his head. "I wouldn't thank me yet. I'd say it's more likely to get infected with my dirty old shirt around it but at least you won't bleed out." He smirks as he idlely pops his knuckles on his left hand. "You sure you won't let me take you somewhere?"


Emilia watched as Tyler sat back on the ground before propping his head up with his hands. In the odd light form his fake fire in the darkness of the mines there was a cuteness about him. As he mentioned Larket she shook her head slowly, "Used to live in that town before the fire. Not going back anytime soon." She flashed a brief smile at the man. The popping of his knuckles before his question sent a shiver down her spine. Slowly standing up after he'd sat down she moved to quickly gather up her things, stuffing them all into that pack of hers. Oddly enough it didn't look any fuller with two fur rolls stuffed into it. With her arrows and pack over her shoulders she added her bow to the grouping of items. "Fine. We can go elsewhere from the mines since you seem keen on dragging me out of them, but tell me where do you plan on taking me?"


Tyler flashes a grin as Emilia agrees to let him escort her out of the cave. He grunts while standing up, his body still in a hard ache from recent endeavors. "Well, that depends. The warmest place would be one of the taverns you're so keen on rejecting. The other, well, I have a small make-shift home among the trees of sage that I've been staying in due to lack of funds... It's not quite as warm, and the drow occupation makes it a bit dangerous... Or, I could bring you to the healer in the north end of sage, near larket. It's your choice to be honest." As he rises the flames around his hands extend to creep up to his shoulders, his entire arms now engulfed in the light flames to better light the creepy cave. "...You can share the room in the tavern for a while if you want. It's erm, small, but I'll take the floor or something until we can find you somewhere -safe- to stay."


Emilia shivered watching those fire spread up the arms of the man. She had to paused a moment to remind herself that they were just pretend fires, not real and most surely not burning him as they danced up to his shoulders. There was a playful smile that fell upon her features as she turned to look at him, "There isn't a place within these lands that would ever actually be safe for me to stay. And if you took my to a healer...it would take hours there. And I don't think you'd want to share a room with me because trouble follows me wherever I go..." Timidly she then offered his hand toward him, still a bit nervous about his flames, "I'm Emi, by the way, Sir."


Tyler is eying Emilia carefully when she extends her hand. Reaching out he takes it in his own and offers a light shake. "Tyler." He gives it a tight squeeze. "And -don't- call me sir.", easing his grip he smiles in an attempt to show her he isn't a threat. He begins pulling her along with him at this point. "Oh? Well, that's just fine. Because ever since I can remember, I've been in the same damn situation." His voice is like stone, near emotionless but he speaks facts. This Tyler has only been around for a few weeks and it's been a none stop train of drama since his incarnation. "You'll stay in the room, at least for the night, I'll find you some proper healing and a better place to stay. I'll sleep in the woods for the night if you'd rather me not be present." He can't help but laugh at the idea. Strangers were odd ones in Hollow.


Emilia winced a bit as his grasp on her hand tightened for a moment as he gave her a name by which she could call him that wasn't sir. "Sorry, Sir...err..Mister Tyler." She caught herself, corrected herself. It was a bad habit she had or perhaps a polite habit using the terms miss or sir when talking to other people. She let herself get pulled along by the stranger that she'd just met. "You can stay in the room. Its your room, Sir. Don't let me have you kicked out to staying in a dangerous place that is filled with the drow lurking about....trust me. It isn't fun being their captive. I'd hate to see you get into that kind of trouble."


Tyler would continue guiding Emilia through the cave, chuckling at her until they've reached the mouth. Upon stepping beneath the moonlit sky, his head turns to face the stars - allowing a moment to treasure the night sky and take a deep breath providing a mental reset before turning to face Emilia. He let's the flames die as the moon provides more than enough light for them to venture back to Kelay. "Cut the dramatics." He squeezes again at the constant referral of sir. "I'm just giving you a place to sleep that isn't on a bed of rocks, trying to find you some proper mending and some warmth." His eyes shift between hers and to the dirt he adds, "And a bath." He's smiling playfully to her and would nudge her lightly. "Now c'mon, if something happens, it happens." He begins moving down the cliff face directed toward Kelay. "You mentioned a fire in Larket... I've never been out that way to be honest... What happened?"


Emilia winced again as she gripped at her hand over her calling him sir. Ignoring the brief bit of pain as she looked up to the star filled sky. It was much brighter outside of the caves with air that was easier to breath compared to the dusty air inside the mines. Taking in a few deep breaths to clear her lungs she listened as he spoke to her. She wasn't very sure why he showed so much care about her when they just met. If only either of them knew it was their second first meeting. His nudge got her walking along with him back toward Kelay. She probably really did need a bath having stayed in the mines a few night, how embarrassing. "I lived there, ran a farm there. Then one day there was a fire...everything got burnt away. Never bothered going back. Nothing really there in Larket for me, Sir."


Tyler halts in the middle of the path and offers a sharp exhale as she once again refers to him as sir. The man craning his neck to offer an amused look while shaking his head slowly. He doesn't squeeze her hand this time. Obviously it offered no aid in his quest to simply be called Tyler. So the human, for once, swallows his own preference and let's the dirty little farm girl call him whatever the hell she wants. As he starts walking again they come to a more crowded area in the path. Despite the night hours Dwarfs, Hobbits, Humans and a variety of more rare races can be seen making passage between the cross roads to Kelay, Craugmoyle, Xalious and Hobbit Land. Tyler makes sure to keep hold of Emilia's hand as they move. The two were quite the sight to see, and even in his battered state the human constantly felt the need to assert himself to any intimidating foe that glance in their direction. As they moved onto the rough range closing upon Kelay Way he would continue their conversation. "Farmer, huh? Sounds insanely boring." He's blunt, obviously. "What made you want to take up that kind of work? You couldn't get a claim on the farm from the city and rebuild?"


Emilia stumbled with his sudden halt in their travel toward Kelay. Her eyes wide as he looked at her like that. She tried for a moment to figure out what it was that she'd done to upset the strange man. Then it hit her...sir. As he started to walk again she smacked herself in the forehead with a mental duh to herself, "I am sorry..." She paused, closed her mouth, opened it, closed it again to catch herself again, "Mister Tyler." She finally manged without calling him Sir this time. Once they reached the point where more people were walking about she walked a bit faster to keep as close to him as she could. Her hand lightly squeezing onto his more than before. Blue eyes darting back and forth at those that they passed. How the change of location could change a person. "My family ran the farm....I didn't want to be in Larket anymore. Nothing was left there, time to start anew." It was past tense when she spoke about her family. "What do you do for a living?"


Tyler couldn't think of anything to say in response to her family's farm, he decided to leave the topic alone for now lest it cause an open wound. He snickers as she mentioned him doing anything for a living. "Oh, y'know, walk the forest. Drink some water. Eat once in a while." He finds no shame in the truth and carried a cheerful tone when he spoke. "I mean, I'm only... two or three weeks old at this point, I haven't had much time to think of a career choice. Long story." He stares with a laugh but is cut short by an on-comer as they crossed onto Kelay Way. Tyler had no time to think as they duo were approached rapidly by a tweaking human. The brown and gray haired man scratching at himself like a mad man while he inquired if Emilia or Tyler would be interested in sparing some change for his 'product'. The illusionist quickly declines and moves to step around the slummy citizen. "Wait!" The man cries as he reaches out to take hold of Emilia's wrist in hopes of gaining a few more minutes with the couple. The next bit comes as a fog to Tyler. In the time it took the stranger to take hold of Emilia he already has his hand gripped firmly around the man's throat, choking the life out of him. The stranger quickly releases Emilia's wrist and would try to mutter apologies that come off as gargled nonsense. The easy caramel eyes of Tyler have a hint of hate in them as he glares to the man in his hands. Despite his poor physical physique the tweaker can't break free from Tyler's hold. The man's complexion is well beyond blue by the time sense returns to Tyler's eyes. His expression drops from the stern scowl and his fingers release the man who drops to the ground and begins gasping for air. The illusionist is breathing rapidly as he places his arm around Emilia's waist and begins moving quickly down the way toward the tavern. "You weren't lying about trouble, huh?" He states with a joking tone, though his face carries a mixture of fear and anger.

Emilia listened as he spoke about a life style that seemed similar to her current one with lack of purpose, just doing as one pleased. She was lost he said he was but two or three weeks old. He surely looked to be a lot older than that. What race was this man actually if he was so young. She was debating these thoughts within her head when they were approached by a stranger that seemed beyond disgusting to her. She was glad that Tyler had spoke up declining whatever it was he was trying to offer them, but it seems that wasn't a content answer for the stranger. His hand grasped her wrist, pulling her to a stop as she let go of Tyler's hand. A blink of the eye and the dirty man was laying on the ground gasping for air while Ty was whisking her away with her arm around her waist now. He'd be able to feel blood on his arm as it pressed against her waist and lower back. Hidden beyond those plaid clothes was more injuries he couldn't see. She halved a smile at his slight of a joke, "Thank you, Sii.....Mister Tyler."


Tyler indeed feels the soiled garments liquid touch but he makes no comment on them. He wouldn't embarrass her in front of these people. He would wait until they were alone to question her additional injuries. A soft smile is given to her as he speaks, "Just Tyler, Emilia, -Just-, Tyler." Just then, they arrived at the steps of the Kelay Tavern. The noise from inside echoing loudly out into the streets doesn't seem to cause Tyler to faulter, he knows Emilia would indeed be worried so he doesn't give her time to think. Keeping his arm around her waist he is quick to move up the stairs and into the tavern. Paying no mind to the drunken patrons as the deafening cries of jolly drinking pierce his ear Tyler makes a b-line for the stairs at the back of the tavern and ascend them with Emilia before taking to the third door on the left, pushing it open before moving inside and then firmly shutting it. The sounds of the ruckus below are much quieter here. The human aids in moving Emilia to the bedside, where he would set her down gently and before she could react, he's lifted the back of her shirt to eye the wounds. He snickers and shakes his head. "You were doing just fine in the caves, huh?" He takes a seat beside her and tries to make eye contact. "How long have you been out there, Emilia?"


Emilia raised a brow as before they had entered the tavern he called her by her fully first name. She didn't recall giving it to him, but perhaps somewhere along the way she'd said it without paying much attention. It was a quick trip into the tavern, up the back stairs, and into the room he'd been staying it. She didn't have much time to reflect over the drunken mess they'd just travel through to get up here. No warning he'd lifted the back of her shirt to inspect what couldn't otherwise be seen. A large deep gash ran from her hip up in a curving arc around to her front side just under a breast. There were minor gashes all over her bruised back. Whatever it was she looked like she'd been through a blender under those clothes. That glance would give him enough sight to see her bones were showing more than they should. "I was...just fine..." She stated making eye contact with him for a moment before letting her gaze drop to staring at the floor boards.


Tyler kneels down in front of her so he can regain the lost eye contact. He's still got a smirk on his face as he shakes his head to her in disapproval. "Who are you trying to full, lady? Me, or yourself?" He places an open palm on her knee cap and gives it's a light squeeze before moving to the nightstand that sits near the head of the bed. Pulling out the top drawer reveals a few bandages, torn cloths, a towel and some bottled water. "I'm no healer, and I've never really done anything like this before..." He calls behind him while shuffling through the supplies. He lays most of it on the top of the night stand and turns around with a small white rag, bottle of water and a long piece of torn cloth. "Take your shirt off." He commands, moving over to the the girl and holding out the long cloth to her. "You can cover yourself with that if you want. Just tie it in the back so I can see what the hell I'm doing." He averts his eyes to the back of the room to give her privacy.


Emilia wasn't really sure there who she was trying to convince that she was fine, perhaps both of them. As he moved away to rummage in the top drawer for things that he could used to bandaged up her wounds she watched him, "If you want to patch up things...it would probably be wiser for a bath first other wise you will have to do it all over again." It was just a suggestion, one that made more sense to her. Then he demanded she remove her shirt once he'd pulled his supplies free. She wasn't shy about herself so she undid the shirt and sat it aside after kicking off her boots before stripping out of her pants as well. "Better?" She asked as she stood there. He could probably get away with tearing the sheet to shreds to wrap up all the wounds on her, but then she'd be a mummy.


Tyler hadn't thought about the bath, but Emilia had a point. When she doesn't take the cloth and strips down Tyler finds himself to be the shy one. Still trying to avert his eyes he somewhat stumbles when he speaks. "Oh, um, ahem. Yeah, better. And, uh, a bath. Yeah." He sets the supplies down for a moment and moves to the edge of the cramped room. There is a small door that looks to be intended for a closet but opening it reveals a bathroom that is roughly the size of the room itself. Truth be told, Tyler rarely used this room. He much preferred to bath in the spring near enchantment, even though it got him some frowns from the fae's that run amuck out there. Moving into the bathroom he nears the bathtub and would turn the copper handles to begin filling it. Running water was quite the luxury in Kelay and the man often found himself surprised that Mesthak didn't capitalize on it. As the bath was running he moved back out into the room where Emilia sat, his eyes locking with hers so he doesn't accidentally steal a glance of anything else. "Do you want some help, bathing?" He takes a deep breath and sighs. His face is stained red as he rubs at his forehead. "Not being perverted, or anything... I just... the cuts on your back and stuff... Y'know?" He looks to her again and the man is clearly in distress. He wants to help the woman as much as possible, and honestly wasn't trying to be some sexual fiend. But he had literally zero experience with woman excluding his interactions with Skylei. A nude woman? Never.


Emilia watched as he stumbled about the room trying to be polite and keep his eyes away from her. Men...such silly creatures. All people were born naked, what was wrong with being naked in general. Possibly the way society had set things in motion with frowning upon people who exposed too much of themselves. While he was in the bathroom starting the bath she'd slipped back into her shirt which was big enough to keep her parts hidden so that he'd have less to worry about. She glanced back at him as he carefully started at her while asking his question before defending asking such a question. Standing she leaned in closer to him before placing a very quick gently kiss to his cheek. "Mister Tyler, I think that would be fine if you helped. I surely can not reach my back all by myself." She knew he was trying to help to her out. The words came as she walked away from him toward the bath he'd drawn up. In the room she slipped out of the shirt once more before stepping into the tub after making sure the water had been turned off. For his sake she sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest, keeping things covered as best one could.


Tyler is frozen in place as Emilia plants a kiss on his cheek before moving into the bathroom. The man remaining there for a moment wide-eyed and staring to the wall with a blank stare. He shakes his head to regain composure and begins muttering to himself. "Right... Right." Moving back to the night stand he pulls out a wash cloth, a small bottle that holds some thick substance and grabs the towel from the top and moves into the bathroom. When he makes it to the side of the tub he kneels down, his knees popping as he does until he is at a rest. He is still a bit nervous and unable to speak as he places the towel at his side and dips the wash cloth in the water. Ringing the cloth out he brings it up to Emilia's neck and begins there, he would start on the major wounds later. Gently he begins scrubbing the dirt off of her neck before dipping the cloth again. Grabbing the bottle he pops it open to apply some of the contents onto the rag. The smell of the liquid soap was of sweet strawberries. He lathers it into the rag and moves back to her neck. Repeating the process until he reaches around the middle of her back. "So, are you going to tell me how all this happened, or should I just assume your an escaped slave?" His tone timid and mild while he continued to work. His right hand maneuvering the rag while his left held onto her arm gently to balance himself.


Emilia used a hand to gather up her short blonde curls so that they were all pulled out of the way as Tyler started at her neck with the wash cloth. The smell of strawberries was a relaxing smell for her as she used to have them on the farm back in larket. With her knees to her chest she lightly rested her chin on them, being careful to sit still while he helped removed the dirt to clean the wounds. Too skinny was the human female, all too skinny for what she used to be. Bruises, cuts, and burns all over the place. Trying to fool herself was the answer to his question from before, but the world as well. "I ran away from the drow that captured me....got in a fight with a lion and in a bit of a tiff with a troll." All the things she'd listed for him were true and in the correct order too. She stuck to the bigger things, not bothering with the smaller meaningless things.


Tyler surprisingly doesn't show any emotion as Emilia explains her wounds. For some reason, as unlikely as it seems, he believes her story. He's made it to the larger wounds on her lower back and nearly whispers in her ear. "I'm sorry if this hurts..." As he taps at the wound he let's out a defeated sigh as blood begins to taint the water. "It doesn't sound like you've had much luck, kiddo." He sets the rag in the tub for a second to take a small break, his right hand running his fingertips against her bareback in an effort to comfort her. He turns to face the other end of the bathroom and spots another rag, he stands up, moving over to collect it before returning to her side. He dips the cloth in a spot of clean water and takes hold of Emilia's face with his left hand his knuckles supporting her chin, turning her to face him while he wipes away the dirt on her complexion. No use in wiping her face with the bloodied one. "So what exactly do you plan on doing when you leave her? Back to the cave, hmm?" He finds himself locking eyes with her every so often before going back to work. Truth be told, the man had no idea why he was being so kind to her or why he had even offered to help in the first place. Hell, he just expected to go for a walk and here he was, bathing a farm girl.


Emilia hadn't expected her night to turn out like this. She'd never expected to be ran into by a man in rags while she was making a place to stay for the night in the mines. To that, she never planned on having a bath this night either, no she was going to head out to take one in the morning as there was no point in getting dirty right after a bath. She looked at him, not bothering to fight against the man as he turned her face so that she was looking into his eyes as he looked into hers. Her nose scrunched some as she started washing away the dirt from her freckled face. A thin slice, almost healed, hidden beneath the dirt on her left cheek. Why was he being so kind. It was beyond her. "I suppose...I mean its the normal place that I retreat back to..." It was an honest answer. She could of lied to him, but whatever reason she didn't. "What are you going to do? Enslave me to make sure I don't go back to the mines to sleep?"


Tyler is gentle as he washes the small cut and provides a smirk at her comment. "If that's what I have to do, then sure. I think we could sell that fairly well." When he's finished with her face he provides a final coat to her back before deeming it clean enough before the patching. Twisting his lips he looks back to her and nods to her front. "Do you want help here, too?" He isn't quite as nervous as he was. The man had warmed up a bit to the woman. Apart from Skylei and the little dragon girl, he'd consider her the closest thing he'd had to a friend. He makes a final idle remark before she can reply, "At least that way all cities would honor the law of slavery and not try to pick you off from me, hell even the green skins stick to that code." He chuckles lightly as he readjusts himself to sit flat, his knees aching from being on the bare floor.


Emilia blinked very slowly as he responded in such a way. She had been joking when she made that comment to him, but he seemed to have put thought into it. A more serious thought that she had. "I can manage." It was all that he got from her as she took the rag from him. She'd bathed enough times before to know that minus her back she was capable of washing up the rest of herself. In silence she listened to his words while scrubbing the dirt from her front side, careful of the numerous wounds. It wasn't too long and she was rather clean again, minus her hair which she'd not even bothered with. A nervous glance to him as she sat the rag on the edge of the tub, "...I was joking." She said softly after all that time of silence.


Tyler provides a knowing smile and wink. "So was I, kiddo." He reaches up to brush her hair back behind her ear. He picks up a small cup resting on the edge of the tub and hands it to her. "You can run some fresh water in it and rinse your hair." He places the bottle of soap beside her as well. "You've got coal dust caked in." Picking himself up he moves the towel to the edge of the bathtub and nods. "When you're finished, come lay on the bed so I can try to patch you up some." He glances around the bathroom to ensure himself he wasn't forgetting anything and then moves out into the bed room again. He arranges all of the medical supplies onto the night stand, organizing them for ease of access once Emilia had made her way back into the room.


Emilia for a moment still wasn't sure that he had really been joking with the idea fully. After he left the room she pulled the plug that held the dirty water in the tub and watched as it slowly vanished. She turned on the water and stuck her head under it since he was gone. Using the soap she'd scrubbed her hair clean then she rinsed it out. With the water off she quickly cleaned up the tub before wrapping herself in the towel to return back to the main room where Ty had everything laid out already to patch her up some. Wet curls clung to her freckled face as she met up with him. She removed the towel, handing it to him before she crawled up to lay on her stomach on the bed. Her arms were folded under her head as she rested her head on them. Her gaze falling to him a moment, but she said nothing.


Tyler takes the towel and folds it across the headboard of the bed before moving over to Emilia. The largest wound on her back calls out to him first and he decides that's where he she start. He snatches up a few of the bandages, a roll of gauze, the bottle of water and a clean cloth. He gets up onto the bed beside her and sits with his legs crossed. Popping the top on the water he damps the cloth before rubbing it lightly on her wound to get the excess blood off. "Y'know, all jokes aside... That is an open option. I mean, sure we could just hang around all the time but what happens if one of us is to be deported?" He cracks a smile before picking up the first strip of gauze and lining it on the wound and then applying small bits of bandages to use as tape to the edges. "I mean... I dunno', maybe I'm just a bit neurotic after all. I know we just met and everything, but... well, I'll be blunt. I don't have many friends, and I don't like most people. But... here we are."


Emilia managed to lay rather still as he sat on the bed next to her. What an odd way to be spending her night compared to what she had set in mind to do earlier. She shifted a little each time he pressed at the larger wound, little flinches. It was then that he brought up that joke from earlier as a serious topic once more. Turning her gaze to him yet again though wet curls were hiding her face now. She was biting lightly at her lower lip with a bit of nerves as he dared turn the joke serious again. What was she supposed to say to that...'here slap a collar on me', no. At least his blunt words proved they had something in common with each other. "I don't make friends because I don't like people." It was a blunt reply to his statement. "Yet here I am." she said in a half whisper as she rested her head back down onto her arms.


Tyler continued his work in silence over the next few minutes. Allowing silence to fall upon them. He had finished up most of her back and began massaging the uncovered flesh to ease the tension from the constant jolts of pain that he had been causing. "You don't seem like the hateful type." He mutters as his hands fall still on her back. "But I can't say I blame you. People aren't much fun." Tapping his thumb against her back three times he then nudges her lightly. "C'mon, turn over. Time to get the ones on the front." His tone isn't skittish anymore, and it seems he's come to peace with being around Emilia even in her nude state. He's already tearing at some more supplies and if she'd need it, he'd help her turn over to her back.


Emilia glanced at him from over her shoulder, "You can't always judge a book by its cover, Sir." It slipped. It was a habit that she used that word without ever thinking about it. Partly from the way her parents had raised her. His nudging got a small almost groan out of her, she'd gotten comfortable laying there on her stomach. Brushing her locks out of her face she slowly rolled over onto her back carefully to not ruin his patch work on her back. Her hands shifted to rest over her breasts, covering them up while he moved to patching up the ones that needed it on the front side.


Tyler has all but given up on breaking Emilia of old habits. As she rolls over, for the first time he doesn't avert his eyes. Instead, he goes right to work on the wounds there. One of them is giving off a bit of excess blood so the man pops open the water bottle and drizzles it on her skin. He knows it would likely be cold to the touch and whispers, "Sorry", as he wipes off the excess. As he pulls off some more gauze to stick on the wound he agrees with the farm girl. "I can see that. But, then again, I don't know much to begin with." A soft smile falls upon his face as he tapes the gauze in place and moves onto the next wound. His voice rings out in a worried tone, knowing he was treading troubled ground, "I really don't think you should go back to that dusty old cave." Before pulling apart more gauze he wipes his hands clean on a cloth and reaches behind him. He snatches one of the pillows at the head of the bed and lifts Emilia's head up to stuff it beneath her. Continuing his work he sighs and shakes his head. "But, what do I know about anything."


Emilia felt a shiver run along her spine as he used cold water to wipe up the blood that was falling free from one of her open wounds. A many of them were healed enough that he didn't have to worry too much about them now that they were cleaned of the dirt and dust from the mines. She was even nice enough to lift her head as he stuffed the pillow under it, making it easier for the caring man. She watched as he started working on another injury of hers. One might really think she was a ran away slave or a very abused woman by the number of injuries coating her body. Now she propped herself up on her elbows not bothering to cover up anymore. "You probably know more than you take credit for, Sir." She flashed a timid smile his way, "And you are right, I probably shouldn't go back to the mines, but welcome to knowing a stubborn pain in the arse human."


Tyler is taping up one of the final wounds on her torso when she begins to speak. The man turning to look at her while his hands continued working. As she props herself up, his eyes fall to catch a glance and his face turns red as all he can do is laugh and turn back to the wounds. "Yeah, well, ditto to you kiddo." As Tyler finishes his work, all that's left are the small cuts not worth covering up. He offers a self-indulgent smile of self satisfaction as he admires his work before gathering up the remaining supplies and setting them on the floor by the bed side. Leaning back, he lays out across the bed with the crown of his head just barely touching the headboard. He resists the urge to stretch his feet out across Emilia. "Do you want your clothes?" He asks, regretting the decision to lay back when he'd likely have to get right back up.


Emilia sat up as he laid back on the bed. She shifted as she looked at him as his head faintly touched the headboard. "Will you stop calling me kiddo, Sir?" It was a simple question because she didn't like being called such a term. She was over twenty years old after all, long past the kiddo age. Moving carefully she climbed off the bed so that she wouldn't disturb his laying spot. To her pack she went and dug out a pair of cotton plaid sleep pants that she slipped into along with a white shirt. Dressed she walked over with a second set of clothing that was similar to what she wore. "Bathe yourself and put on something past those rags, would ya?" She said with a smile down at him. "I'll even play nice and wash your back, Sir."


Tyler's eyes have fallen shut due to exhaustion from the trip when he hears Emilia's plea ring out. A toothy grin falls upon his expression as he's happy to have found a leverage against the woman. "Sure, kiddo, as soon as you stop calling me Sir." Caramel hues only slightly reveal themselves as he provides a playful wink before falling back shut. Though his rest is quick to be interrupted as she's thrusting clothes in his face. He only opens a single eye and stares at them, then to Emilia and then back to them. "Well enough." He mutters, taking the clothes in his hands while reluctantly pulling himself out of the bed. "I can take a hint if I stink." He's moving towards the bathroom and calls out, "That's quite alright though. I think I can handle it myself." As he's running the water he would move back to push the door too behind him, blocking her entrance. He calls out again from behind the door. "Feel free to get comfortable, make it home." Alone, he sighs and begins to pull off his clothes, taking a moment to examine his own healing wounds. The slices on his hands from the blood stone have healed nicely. "Dammit." He mutters, in the heat of everything he'd completely forgotten to take a look at Emilia's sliced hand. How could he have been so daft? He growls at himself as he shuts off the water, grabs a towel from the rack and get into the warmed water. A sigh of relief is given, his feet aching from the long walk now crying out in thanks to the relaxing bath. Once he's in the tub he takes only a moment to examine himself. Since he'd been eating at least one thing a day he'd managed to put back on a small amount of weight. For some reason this gives him a pleasant feeling of health even though he was still beaten and torn. Deciding to hurry it up before he falls asleep in the tub, he starts washing himself off, curious of Emilia's actions in the next room over.


Emilia watched as Ty took off into the bathroom, actually shutting her own in the main room. After seeing her naked and bathing her which was embarrassing enough he hid like that. She shrugged it off though. It wasn't her place to make sure he was washed, but she was content in knowing that he had at least gotten into the bath. For a time she stood there glancing from the closed door of the bathroom to the closed door of the room they were in upstairs of the Kelay tavern. Part of her was tempted to leave now while she had the chance to slip away where he couldn't easily stop her from it. Another part of her was screaming at her for how stupid that idea was as well to how rude it was to take off. He'd taken time out of his night to help her with more help than most would ever offer without demanding something in return. Sighing softly she finally choose to stay, but she wasn't about to kick him out of the bed. Bed? How long had it been since she'd slept in one of those. While he washed up she dug into her specially made pack to pull free the rolls of furs from before. He got clean and she made up a bed on the floor with two furs to lay atop, a rolled up fur for a pillow and then a blanket. All of this was done before the fire. When he'd exit she'd be laying on her stomach on this self-made bed with a book in hand, reading quietly.


Tyler finishes cleaning himself up rather quickly and would emerge from the bathroom in the clothes Emilia had handed off to him. His hair pushed to lay on one side of his face. As soon as he steps out he spots Emilia and let's out a sharply exhaled single laugh as he moves toward her. "No." He reaches her side and takes the book from her hand, laying it onto the bed before scooping his hands under her and lifting her up onto the bed gently so that he doesn't cause her any real pain or sabotage his work on her wounds. He lays her down before she has a chance to put up a fight and offers her a smile. "Don't fight it, you'll only make it worse." However, once she's laid down he takes a seat at the edge of the bed and would offer her a stare for a few seconds while flexing his jaw. His lips part as if he's going to speak but quickly fall shut followed by an exhale and a smile.


Emilia pouted as soon as he snatched her book out of her hands, "Sir! That's mine..." She quickly uttered out before he'd turned back to her. If she wasn't still pondering him taking away her book she might of reacted faster to him plucking her off the ground to put her on the bed once more. Silence for a moment as she stared up at the ceiling. Then she bolted into a sitting position pointing a slightly frustrated finger at him, "You said make myself at home!" She exclaimed in a tone mixed of confusion and frustration. "I did just that, exactly that." Her fingers spaced out of frustration before she slapped them, gently, over her face, flopping back into the bed. Teeth gritted a moment as she slid her hands from her face to sit up slowly this time to catch his exhaled smile. Of course, now she had a smear of blood on her face from her cut on her hand.


Tyler's already reaching for the supplies on the floor when Emilia sits back up. He takes his final piece of clean cloth and dampens it with the bottle of water before wiping Emilia's face clean. "Hey, if you want to sleep by the bed like a lap dog then by all means sweetheart, have at it." When he's finished with her face he takes hold of her hand, picks off the filthy shirt piece and begins wiping it clean as well. "But I think it would do your back some good to have cushion and comfort rather than a crude wood floor, do you not?" His eyes peer up at her while his head remains down toward her hand. He starts wrapping her hand with a clean strip of cloth and chuckles." Once he's finished he raises her hand to his lips and kisses the afflicted area. "All better."


Emilia found herself at a loss for words for a moment. Lap dog? How rude. She clearly wasn't any such thing, but before she could retort back he was wiping blood off her face. Sighing softly she let him work on her hand, listening to his words as he word to patch up her newest of injuries. There was a tint of a pink blush across her freckled cheeks as he kissed her hand 'all better'. Taking her hand back slowly she raised a brow to him, "I haven't slept in a bed in weeks...maybe months? I am not sure how well to handle the difference. Besides, Sir...where would you sleep then?" An attempt to a serious face would follow, "I highly doubt you are a lap dog to sleep by the bed either."


Tyler twists his lips to bite at the inside of cheek for a moment while he observes the room in order to find an answer for the woman. When he turns back to her, he smirks. "Well, I've slept in a bed every night for a few weeks. So I think it'd be a decent trade if I take your pallet by the bed, no? I mean, surely you don't want a stranger in the bed with you, kicking and tossing and turning and hurting you, yeah?" He laughs lightly to himself followed by a deep yawn and stretch. "And I'm afraid I'm not up for much debate on the topic. To be blunt, I'm exhausted." He provides another stare to Emilia and smiles in her direction. His tone is now soft and caring. "Just take the bed, kiddo."


Emilia exhaled after listening to his small rant back about the whole issue of the bed. Of course, he'd called her kiddo again with just got her to fold her arms over her chest as she bit her tongue from snapping at him for it. Blue eyes glanced around the room taking in the spacing of the place before settling to rest on him. Unlike him she was decent as sleeping without tossing around much. Hopefully, the nightmares were gone enough that they wouldn't surface tonight. She'd hate to startle him awake by screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night. "No. If I have to sleep in the bed then so do you." A serious tone, but she was stubborn enough to not back down on the matter.


Tyler offers a dull stare to Emilia for a few minutes before that same smile crosses his face once again. "Alright. Fine." Getting to his feet he would pull the cover down, wedging it beneath Emilia's weight to get it out from under her. Laying in the bed he would pull the cover over both of them and lay his head down. Once again, finding himself in a state of relaxation for the first time all day. Nearly as soon as he's laid down it feels as if he's already asleep but his eyes would flicker open a smidgen once more to look at Emilia. "If I bother you, just wake me or knock me in the floor." He pauses for a moment before the weight on his eyes becomes to much to bare. "G'night, Emi."


Emilia moved with his nudging to get off the cover so that he could pull it back before climbing into the bed himself. Still sitting for a moment she hoped that she wouldn't find herself in a nightmare tonight. She didn't want to wake him with screams or punch him in the face either. She flashed him a gentle smile as she finally laid back into the bed beneath the covers with the man. Rolling onto her side to face him for a moment as she leaned over, quickly kissed his cheek before rolling onto her other side with her back to him. "Goodnight, Tyler." Finally, she'd managed to use just his name. The comfort of the bed would have her lulled into sleep soon enough.