Fire Emblem: Soul of Heaven [IC/PG-16]

[Skaia 578]

Despite the lumber shop's owner assurance that things were fine. While Leon was always aware of the danger of having Jourans around, he had only thought about it in a sense for the business. He had known it might've been difficult to obtain jobs or that they might not have had the warmest welcoming. Never, naively enough, did he think about what would happen if the government caught wind of this. Of course, the Falcons had been around for a few months now, so he figured it likely wasn't about them. Or, at least about Rona and Ada. All the same Rona didn't seem to be bothered by it, outwardly at least, and he didn't want to make her worry either. Simply lifting the wood up as well, he nodded, and said, "right." Giving a smile he said, "then I'm sure they'll appreciate the other things we got." He gestured to the food and supplies. 

As the trio was beginning to leave the shop, Leon briefly got the glimpse of a small, delicate looking, white haired girl. Though he didn't get a good enough look at her, he was left a bit confused as the person soon turned into a white blur, moving quickly away from them. Looking to Rona he, with some confusion, asked, "was that Yue?" With a slight bit of concern, Leon began to lead the other two with him, following in the direction of the possibly Yue girl. 

Getting to the other two, Leon had realized that things were likely not any better for Raynor then they had been for them. More so, Raynor would have been able to see a bit more concerned and perhaps frightful glances then Rona had. All the same, no one seemed to confront him, likely in part because of his look and lizard. Once Leon had met back up with him, he asked, "Raynor, Yue. Is um, is everything alright?" 

---

Austin let out a sigh of relief as Layne seemed to be  willing to heal the girl. He looked to Ada, saying, "well, um, she didn't come to us. We found her, outside of town. I, well, I can't say what happened to her but she was like this when we found her." He then perked up further as Ada mentioned taking her back with them. "Oh, would uh, would you be able to? It'd be a huge help because if anyone from Rastarn were to uh...yeah, it would be a big problem." 

Meanwhile, Layne would be able to tell that the girl was indeed beginning to feel better. Her rather weak breathing began to revitalize, if only slightly, and the wounds covering her began to lessen in severity and number. Though, she was still unconscious and still seemed worse for wear. 

[LordCowCow 840]

Rona was annoyed that she wasn't able to carry all the lumber. Especially with what Leon was already handling as it was.

"was that Yue?"

"Don't think anyone else could run away that fast." Rona responded. The girl was always an odd one. For an Archer she wasn't very frightening. Though Rona couldn't help but think that if the girl ever got angry she could be in great danger. That thought made Rona want to make sure to stay on her good side.

And if the girl was running somewhere there might be a problem. "We should check it out."

Upon seeing Raynor the girl grew more concerned. These villagers had seen her around often. But Raynor, with these rumors, less so...She strode up to the man. Though it made her nervous to do so. She still was worried that he would see through her somehow. "Friend, I take it you've finished your shopping? Get anything good?" She made sure to speak loudly, trying to make sure the villagers around knew that Raynor was one of them.

As she got closer she mentioned to him, voice lowered. "Raynor, I need to know, have you heard anything unusual from Jouruun?"

[Saikazo 241]

"Th-thank you!" she finally finished, face red. The sight put a small smile on Raynor's face. He went to say something, but before he could... she suddenly ran off.

"What a strange girl," Raynor muttered before patting Gojira's side. Come to think of it, this was a strange town. Everyone was staring at him, and not in the way he'd imagine most would. Instead of admiration, it was... wariness and fear. Well, that'd be okay. he just needed to build up his legend more, and soon, they'd be glad they saw him! All he had to do was keep trucking forward.

The Jouran turned his head when he heard footsteps coming back to him, seeing Yue approaching him. "So... did you enjoy your jog?" Raynor asked.

"Raynor, Yue. Is um, is everything alright?" The boss came up, asking if everything was okay. Why would anything be wrong...?

"Friend, I take it you've finished your shopping? Get anything good?" Rona approached, speaking loudly. How odd. Maybe she thought he couldn't hear her, or maybe she was just a bit hard of hearing.

"Yeah, I got this kickass tome of Dark Magic!" He called out in an equally loud voice. "Just wait until I master this! Everyone will be surprised as hell when a Salamander charges at them, bolts of Dark Magic being fired from its back!"

As Rona got closer, she whispered to him. "Raynor, I need to know, have you heard anything unusual from Jouruun?" Raynor just shook his head in reply.

"Nothin' from there," He stated. "Why, somethin' goin' on?"

[Sethera 290]

Yue stopped short before Raynor, who looked...wholly unconcerned with the fact that he may be in VERY. GRAVE. DANGER. "So... did you enjoy your jog?" the Jouran asked.

It was then that the archer remembered her previous embarrassment. Oh no, she thought, face reddening. I ran away, didn't I? It looked bad...but I'm back at least. "S-s..." she stuttered, attempting to form the word--

"Raynor, Yue. Is um, is everything alright?"

"Friend, I take it you've finished your shopping? Get anything good?"

Oh, when had they arrived? But that was good. This meant that if something happened to Raynor, it wouldn't be up to Yue alone to do something about it. Breathing a sigh of relief, the girl was about to reply when Raynor did for her.

"Yeah, I got this kickass tome of Dark Magic!" He called out in a loud voice. "Just wait until I master this! Everyone will be surprised as hell when a Salamander charges at them, bolts of Dark Magic being fired from its back!"

"E-eep!" Yue jumped. "P-p-p-please! Don't be so loud...please." She looked around nervously. "You never know...who may be listening." Perhaps it was just paranoia, but she felt like there were even more eyes on them than before. While Rona whispered in Raynor's ear about something, the silver-haired girl turned to look at Leon. "S-s-so, Leon, w-what did you get here?" While she was addressing her leader, her attention was actually focused on her surroundings. "D-do we need to run?" she whispered.

[Kay Faraday 23]

---

"Clearly, it's not safe for someone like her. I don't know why someone with her faith would put trust in another faith's temple. Or any temple, for that matter. Maybe we should haul her back with us, if she's not waking up? I can carry her."

Layne nodded to Ada quickly, not even thinking about it as he rubbed at the back of his head. "Yeah, we're taking her with us. It's pretty likely that, well, she won't get the help she needs around here, and even if it's not the best for her... I can at least tend to her back at the base. If you can carry her, I want to make a stop and pick up a few extra things now that I know we're gonna be housing an injured party."

He was definitely more serious than he had been before and during lunch, a concentrated look on his face as he mumbled, "We need to find Leon though. I technically shouldn't be making the decision without consulting him, but even if he said no... I'd do it anyway." He waved his hand in the air as he turned back to listen to Austin again. He sighed gently as he nodded his head slowly, starting to apply bandages to some of the wounds, wrapping them up as he did, "...Alright, we definitely can't leave her here then. If you all found her outside of town, chances are she was running from someone or something. Maybe once she's back up, we can help her with whatever the problem might be."

His focus drifted for a moment as he started to put away his supplies, nodding his head towards Ada and then back to the mystery girl as he nodded. "I'm going to find Leon and explain what's going on. If you can carry her, I'll explain to him about this... And Austin, thanks for getting us. I'll make sure she's taken care of."

Layne looked over his shoulder to the boy, giving him a small grin and a thumbs up as he turned towards the exit of the small church, stepping out into the streets for waiting for Ada to follow behind him. 

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Making their way through the streets before had been awkward, sure, but now that they were carrying an incapacitated woman, it definitely felt like there were more eyes on them than ever before. Layne tried his best to direct them down streets that were less occupied, while still keeping them in a good line of sight to spot the others and hit up the stores they were most likely to have visited, it wasn't the easiest task really. The strange looks were a little bit disheartening to him...

The search was starting to feel hopeless, until finally... Gojira. Layne had never been quite to happy to see the massive lizard... And hopefully the others would be there too. Layne turned behind him to wave to Ada, "Over here! I found 'em!"

He quickly made his way towards the other Falcons, his face serious as he waved to them, "Ay, uh, so... Bad news? I'm bringing someone new with us when we head back. There was an injured woman..." Layne went off into a quick explanation of their encounter with Austin and the brief time spent at the church, before motioning to Ada, "...And I think it's for the best if I take care of her. I know I should've asked first, but... She won't get care here, and we've been getting a lot of weird stares today. I'm kinda freaked out and feel like we should get out of here."

He took a deep breath as he finished explaining, finally noticing the looks on the other's faces as he rubbed at his neck. "...Seems like we weren't the only ones with problems, huh?"

---

[Blake 312]

"I'm going to find Leon and explain what's going on. If you can carry her, I'll explain to him about this... And Austin, thanks for getting us. I'll make sure she's taken care of."

Ada nodded and, with Layne's help, managed to get the girl on her back. Leaning forward, with the girl's arms over her shoulders, Ada followed Layne out while giving a quick nod to Austin on the way out. While the girl's lack of healing before their arrival upset her, at least she had been brought into the safer space of the church. Better than on the streets, ready to be killed.

-----

While the girl wasn't too heavy, the search around town was beginning to grow tiresome for Ada. Staying half-bent over was doing a number on her back, and she was about at her breaking point... When that adorable lizard entered her line of site. She rushed over and placed the girl on the lizard's back, rubbing Gojira's head and telling him what a good boy he was. Layne explained as she made sure that the girl was safe, nodding along.

 "Ay, uh, so... Bad news? I'm bringing someone new with us when we head back. There was an injured woman... And I think it's for the best if I take care of her. I know I should've asked first, but... She won't get care here, and we've been getting a lot of weird stares today. I'm kinda freaked out and feel like we should get out of here."

"Definitely... It's been bad all day, since the inn. I don't know why things changed so suddenly, or why they're even suspicious of me... Though I would understand you two. You should probably not brag about your tome so openly, Raynor."

"...Seems like we weren't the only ones with problems, huh?"

Ada sighed as she returned her attention to Gojira, giving the good boy a headpat... And pulling a roll out of her pocket, taken from the inn, to feed to the giant lizard.

"I would've brought you some of that bear stew, but we were kinda in a hurry..."

[Skaia 578]

Austin nodded, a large look of relief on his face as the group accepted to take the Jouran girl out of here. "No, the uh, the thanks is with me. I'm just sorry I couldn't do more for you all. But thanks again!" 

---

While Rona had asked a simple question, Leon could only look on with anxiety as Raynor wholeheartedly and emphatically answered her question. Though the people of the town trusted the Iron Falcons, and ergo they were not put off by the resident shaman Ada, it was Ada that they were not wary of. The people were still obvious uncomfortable with the sight of dark magic in general, Leon not even sure where the man found the tome to begin with, and it was obvious by the already shifty glances Raynor's way were growing more anxious by the moment. Leon could see some people talking, though others trying to hush them, but the people of the town didn't seem keen on engaging the falcons and thus more dispersed away from them that moved towards them. Leon wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse about the whole thing. 

As Yue made her way over to him, asking if they had to run, the young leader wasn't quite sure he liked the phrasing and it only served to make him more nervous. All the same, he said, "well, it would probably be best if we got going, yes." Unfortunately, they were two short and needed to find them first. Thankfully, it seemed like the duo of Ada and Layne had a similar idea. Unfortunately, they had also been getting strange looks on their way over, though, this time the passerby's eyes seemed more focused on the unconscious body they had then the people themselves. Leon was no exception. 

Thankfully, the cleric explained to him what was going on and his confusion was soon replace, or rather it went back to, anxiety as he had a firmer grasp on the situation at hand. "Well, I agree it'd be troublesome to leave her alone here..." With a sense of familiarity at the girl's situation, Leon nodded and said, "alright. Let's bring her along and get ready to go." As the two also explained to him their concerns of the strange gazes they were getting, Leon realized that they too must've been uncomfortable today with the boy saying, "right, I'll fill you about what's happened." 

---

Date: 23rd of Aeis, Year  967, Fall 
Time: 11:36 AM
Location: Iron Falcon Base, Aeora

Leon had been currently outside, near the stable, wondering what to do. While he seemed ready to try and start expanding the building a bit, he was clearly lost in thoughts. Rastarn had sent out a notice to find Jourans in Aeora. He had heard stories of those in Rastarn, and he was well aware that when it came to Jourans, there was no people that hated them more than those from  there. As such, Leon was worried it was likely more a hunt then a simple investigation. The idea gave him pause about what to do next, what jobs to accept, if any, and what he should actually do with the Jourans amongst them. This all lead to Leon merely standing there, wood at his feet, deep in thought. 

Meanwhile, taking up Cassia's now unoccupied bed, the Jouran girl had spent the night on that. With more treatment from Layne throughout the rest of the day, he had been making good progress in getting her out of the near critical state that she had been in. This was only punctuated more so by the girl rustling around in the bed, making groans of pain as she slowly started to open her eyes. Wincing as she looked around, she simply let out a, "w-what...where....ow-ow-ow-" the girl cut her own questioning off as she tried to move in the bed, only to be reminded of how sore her body actually was. 

[LordCowCow 840]

"Dark Magic? But, Raynor...Do you know magic?" Rona glanced with a slight look of unease at the tome. Sure, Ada used it, she was getting used to that. But a warrior like Raynor? No, that just wasn't right.

Soon enough everyone started arriving and things got crowded. Rona was able to keep to the back and just listen without much trouble. When Layne and Ada informed them of the girl she grew more concerned. She tried asking Leon if this was a wise choice but she couldn't find a time to say it given how close everyone else was around. She didn't want to sound like she was doubting their leader. So she kept quiet and kept her eye on the girl.

---

This continued even after they reached the headquarters. Where she declared that she would keep watch over the stranger for now. She was positioned outside the door, leaning against the side, when she heard the girl making noises on the inside. So she got up and strolled in, placing her firsts on her hips and standing at the side of the bed, looking down at the girl. She didn't look threatening but...

"w-what...where....ow-ow-ow-"

bgm

"You are in the headquarters of the Iron Falcons mercenary company. You were injured and brought here. Who are you? And how did you come to be injured?"

The girl looked confused as she hears the voice, turning over to face Rona, with her confusion only being more apparent. "I-I'm..." She then shakes her head, but winces as she does so, ignoring Rona's question as she asks, "I'm in Aeora...right?"

Rona's eyes narrowed. "I'm the one asking questions here. You'd best answer them." Something about this girl seemed familiar. And it bothered Rona. Familiar, and Journan, was bad.

The girl furrowed her brow at this, seemingly frustrated as she asked, "fine." Looking briefly away she said, "I'm...Edda." Then, looking back to Rona she dismissively said, "and I was injured from my travels."

"Alright Edda. I'm...A member of the Iron Falcons." She didn't want to use her name. Not with someone who may know it. "You were traveling. Alone. In Aeora. Why?"

"Because...I was traveling. I have a place to go to. And this was the fastest route to take."

"Alone." Rona said again, doubtful. "Where were you going? Was there anyone with you?"

"No." The girl's generally sour and suspicious demeanor gave way to a brief hint of sadness before she looked back to Rona saying, "there's a city called Enta correct? There."

That seemed to have struck something. Not that Rona really was concerned. It meant there wasn't anyone, possibly, who would be looking for her right now. Still Rona didn't understand why Leon had her brought here. She was pretty, in a way, so perhaps...no, she shouldn't think that way.

Enta, a large, port, town in the south east. This girl was going quite far. "That's quite the journey to take. What's so important you need to go there?"

No answer.

Rona leaned forward. "We didn't need to heal you. We didn't need to take you here. Especially with people looking for suspicious Jourans. I should just toss you out right now. The commander is letting you stay here but I don't agree. Understand?"

She furrowed her brow more as she looks frustrated and annoyed at Rona. "I do, suspicious Jouran." She goes silent at this note. Still seeming to keep to herself.

Rona shook her head. "I'm not just some Jouran." She stood straighter, proud. "I'm an Iron Falcon. And if you bring any danger to these people. I'll have your head." She then turned to leave. As she crosses the doorway she called back once more. "If you want to give me actual answers I'll be here."

That didn't go so well. Should she have pushed more? Less? Whenever she saw an interrogation in the past there was much more....broken bones. Did she mess it up? She did, didn't she? Should she have broken something? No. Leon wouldn't want that. Still. She couldn't help be suspicious. This girl who seemed oddly familiar. Who was traveling across country on her own for some mysterious reason. It didn't sit right. She had to figure out more.

She could only hope the girl would open up later.

[The Last Occultist 16]

Aleithe Trastamara

In the HQ, Aleithe was content watching Rona interrogate the strange girl that Leon brought here, to shed a light on what her deal was supposed to be. The recent tension with Jourans and the people living nearby was a big concern too, and he knew that it was at the back of the mind of many of them right now. Aleithe himself had no idea on what to do, but he would rather not voice that. If he admitted that he had no idea, then he'd admit that he's a failure of a noble. And looking at how things went on Rona's side, it felt that she was similarly at loss, though for a different reason. She had so far failed to get the girl talking. Then again, she was here as a guest. She was an injured civilian, as suspicious as she was. The priority here was to treat her, not to dig her for information.

After some consideration, Aleithe decided to move forward.

"Rona, it's fine. I believe she will answer in due time, but let's focus on seeing her recover for now." Aleithe approached Rona and tapped her senior on the group on the shoulders with a smile. "If I may, could I take over to watch her for now? I believe that for now you can discuss what you have so far with Leon, and then we'll switch in looking over her. Does that sound fine?"

---

[Sethera 290]

Leon looked a little nervous, saying, "well, it would probably be best if we got going, yes." Soon afterward, Ada and Layne arrived, carrying a strange girl. It was agreed to carry her back, but Yue wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. A strange person...what if she woke up and tried to kill them all? Or rob them all? Just the thought of that was terrifying. Thankfully, Rona was thinking along the same lines, as she had volunteered to stand watch over the stranger. After hearing that, Yue felt more comfortable with the idea of letting her stay here. If the trusty wyvern rider was going to guard her, then they had nothing to worry about.

The next day, the archer glided over to the stables, ready to sing out her morning greeting to all the lovely animals there. "Hello, hello!" she chirped as she approached. "It's great to see you all this--oh!" She stopped short upon seeing the leader of the Iron Falcons, Leon himself, standing in place, doing...nothing, it looked like.

"H-how are you today, Leon?" she asked, moving a little slower than before. Noticing the pile of wood at his feet, she brightened. "Oh! Chopping wood today? I didn't know you knew how to use an axe. Wait..." she thought for a bit. "Oh! Silly me, you bought that. Never mind..." she felt like she was babbling. "Um...what are you using it for?"

[LordCowCow 840]

"Rona, it's fine. I believe she will answer in due time, but let's focus on seeing her recover for now."

The Wyvern Rider hadn't realized that her companion had been nearby. Had he heard all that? It must have been distressing to hear her threaten someone like that. Rona cursed herself, wishing she had closed the door, or made sure there was no one else around, before she got too into it.

"Ah, that. That was...you know, just trying to play the bad guy is all." Rona said with a laugh. "See if I can startle her into admitting something and...such."

What a stupid excuse.

"If I may, could I take over to watch her for now? I believe that for now you can discuss what you have so far with Leon, and then we'll switch in looking over her. Does that sound fine?"

She couldn't help but feel she was being belittled. Patted on the head and sent away like a child. But she had to keep her head held high. "I'll do that." Rona responded. "Careful, she might bite." She joked as she waved and went along her way.

She found Leon outside, near the stables, with a pile of wood. However as she got near she noticed Yue was there too. And that the girl was speaking. Something rather unusual for the girl. And so Rona hesitated, keeping her distance, letting the girl speak her mind without Rona barging in on her.

[Kay Faraday 23]

---

Layne had been in and out of the room that they had kept their ward in for a while now, each time it was a little more concerning, he wasn't sure if her condition was something that was going to be getting worse or better. The injuries didn't seem to be too deep to heal, but the woman didn't seem to be waking up either. Maybe he was just rushing things, it was unreasonable to expect injuries like that to be overcome so soon, right?

All the same, he kept tending to them. He couldn't help but notice that Rona was watching the room whenever he came and went, tending to wounds and monitoring the girl, it was slightly concerning to him. Someone who had been injured like that... Certainly didn't need to be interrogated right away, and he was sure that's what Rona was waiting for. He couldn't blame her, it wasn't like she wasn't at least a slight bit suspicious, but... Recovery was more important at the moment. He waited for Rona to leave the room where the freshly awoken girl was, listening in on the conversation from afar, not quite going closer to avoid letting Rona know he was even there. He wasn't going to scold her.

Once she had left the room, he gave it a bit before entering himself, a smile on his face as he bowed his head slightly to the girl in the room, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm the one who's been treating your wounds. I know this is all a bit... Well, confusing likely, but if you'd like, I can explain how you got here."

He barely even waited to explain that the town that she had stumbled on didn't have the... Resources to treat her, and he was asked to take care of her by a concerned citizen. Whether it was something she cared about or not, he was going to make that clear, "You're welcome to stay as long as you need to recover, I'll make sure you get back to full health. If you need anything, ask anyone nearby for Layne, and I'll come and hear you out. If you need anything now, I'd be happy to get it, food or water?"

He paused for a moment, considering apologizing for Rona, but... It wasn't really his place to do that, and Rona wasn't even really in the wrong. No, he would just leave it at that, for the time being.

---

[Saikazo 241]

"P-p-p-please! Don't be so loud...please." Yue looked around nervously. "You never know...who may be listening."

"Well that's not fuckin' ominous...," Raynor muttered under his breath. The hell did that mean? He had no clue.

"Dark Magic? But, Raynor...Do you know magic?" Rona had brought up a very good point, so Raynor decided to give her a very good answer.

"Not a lick. Gonna see if Ada can teach me," Raynor confirmed to his fellow countrywoman. Speaking of Ada, the girl and Layne had ran over to the group, placing an injured girl on Gojira's back.

"Ay, uh, so... Bad news? I'm bringing someone new with us when we head back. There was an injured woman... And I think it's for the best if I take care of her. I know I should've asked first, but... She won't get care here, and we've been getting a lot of weird stares today. I'm kinda freaked out and feel like we should get out of here." The group feeling freaked out in their own hometown... now that wasn't right. Was something going on...?

"Definitely... It's been bad all day, since the inn. I don't know why things changed so suddenly, or why they're even suspicious of me... Though I would understand you two. You should probably not brag about your tome so openly, Raynor."

"Awwww.... but it's sooo cool," Raynor whined, but didn't push the subject further, instead watching Gojira dig into the roll Ada provided, tail wagging happily.

"Well, I agree it'd be troublesome to leave her alone here..." Ah, whoops. it was business time. "right, I'll fill you about what's happened." 

---

Well, as it turned out, this town didn't take kindly to dark magic or Jourans in general. So it wasn't his dashing looks after all. Raynor made a mental note to make sure he was extra heroic to this town, so they would realize he wasn't a bad guy. Well, it wasn't the worst thing, but he had to make sure he didn't make things harder on the group.

As for the injured girl, well, Raynor had volunteered to watch over her, but it was quickly pointed out that watching over a girl all night long, especially with how he looked, would seem really creepy, and he didn't want to come off as a creep. So the compromise was that he would trade shifts with Rona. The two of them were becoming like watchdogs for the group, weren't they?

After making sure the mounts were fed in the morning, he headed up towards the room where the girl was being kept. "Sorry I'm a little late," Raynor commented. "Feedin' a Kinshi was a new experience, lemme tell ya," He then realized Aleithe was about to enter the room. "Ah, damn, I musta misremembered my shift," He muttered as he scratched his cheek. Come to think of it, he barely knew Aleithe... did he actually ever participate in the same fights as Raynor? Well, if he wasn't needed... "Hey, anyone know where Ada is? It's not super important, but I've been wanting to talk to her,"

[Skaia 578]

While Leon continued to think on his issue, his thoughts were soon broken up by the voice of Yue. Looking to the girl, he slowly answered her first question saying, "well, I suppose I'm fine." As she mentioned the wood, he looked to the pile then back to the girl. Though she was stammering through it, she eventually got through her question, to which Leon gestured to the stables. "These were originally built to house horses, though from what I can tell not very many and it wasn't in the best of shape when we got it. Unfortunately," the boy sighed saying, "wyverns and kinshi are much larger than a worse, or at least wider. And now with a third unique mount here, I have to make sure it can house all of them."

 Looking at the girl, then back to the wood, he said, "I'm not the best at carpentry though, so if you'd like to spot me or give any tips while I work you're welcome to." Looking at the girl again, he realized that she probably wasn't a carpenter of any kind and was more likely to run away at the sound of a hammer striking wood. "Well, only if you want to. If you were busy before, I can manage here."

---

Edda seemed to be a bit more sullen since her talk with Rona, and the girl had slowly shrunk into the covers of her bed only to then have another visitor speak with her. Not really keeping eye contact with the boy, Edda seemed to be actively trying to look disinterested in how she got here though looked to Layne with great confusion as he told her that she was brought to care by a local. The girl only seemed to get standoffish again, but as the boy asked if she needed anything. she looked away. "I'm fine," her tone was blunt and dismissive. "I don't need any food right now."  The two would then hear a brief rumbling noise coming from Edda's stomach, as the girl continued to try and keep eye contact to a minimum, though her stoic expression was broken with a hint of embarrassment. 

[Blake 312]

Despite feeling the need to take care of the injured girl, same as Layne, Ada wasn't prepared to blindly believe her, either. She had no special love for other northeners, and it was a strange situation. She was going to hang back and observe, maybe try to get some info out of the girl...

However, when she went to talk to her, it seemed Rona had already gotten to her. The tone the girl took with Rona was interesting, but not unexpected. Rona's actions certainly warranted it, after all. As such, Ada decided to leave for a bit to visit the animals, as was part of her normal daily routine.

-----

By the time she made it back, it seemed Raynor and Aleithe were outside the girl's room. Raynor, being as loud as ever as she walked up, seemed to be looking for the Shaman.

"What'd you need, Raynor?" She asked simply, glancing into the room to see Layne talking to the girl. She seemed to be in a lesser state of duress than before, so that was good.

[The Last Occultist 16]

Aleithe Trastamara

Rona didn't seem to be all happy when Aleithe took over. And soon after Layne came into the room to tend to the wounds. Well, the situation was a little more tense than necessary. Perhaps it was something that he should talk with Rona later on. There was certainly a drift now between him and the others, and this perhaps was a part of it. But for now, what was important was to talk with this strange girl. At least, Layne earlier had told the girl on how she ended up here.

"I'm fine," She was being blunt and dismissive ro Aleithe's offer afterwards. "I don't need any food right now."

Yet her stomach was clearly rumbling. Aleithe decided to let her be for now. He could get her some food a bit later, but no point in forcing her to accept it. He kept his smile, even as the girl refused to keep eye contact with him.

"It is fine if you are not willing to tell us anything yet. Just rest and recover yourself for the time being. Should you need anything, just tell me about it."

Edited March 12, 2019 by Bloom into Banana

[Kay Faraday 23]

---

"I'm fine," her tone was blunt and dismissive. "I don't need any food right now."

Layne narrowed his eyes at her as she dismissed the offer of food, surely that can't be the case. She hadn't eaten in at least a day, and probably longer considering that it seemed like she had been running from something from the little information that Austin had been able to give the- And then her stomach had started to rumble. Layne let out a little sigh, okay, she was probably just suspicious of the group and everything. That was normal, considering she didn't even really have an idea of where they were at he supposed... 

"It is fine if you are not willing to tell us anything yet. Just rest and recover yourself for the time being. Should you need anything, just tell me about it."

Was that really okay though? To let her go without having any food at all... Layne rubbed at the back of his neck briefly, "I'll be available too, if you need anything. You can ask either of us for anything you might need and if we can get it, we'll help."

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

He was going to just leave it at that, but honestly, he couldn't help but feel a little bit... Bad about it. So once he got a chance, he moved towards the kitchen and began to collect a few of their fruits, putting them into a small bowl that he could easily carry towards the room that she was left in. With no words, he set it down on a bedside table, giving her the option to eat it if she wished. He gave her a small nod before turning and walking out of the room, a small yawn escaping him as he stepped out of the room. Even if they couldn't get any information from the cold woman just yet, they could at least be hospitable enough to try and make her more comfortable...

---

[Sethera 290]

Leon looked at Yue, "well, I suppose I'm fine." He gestured to the stables. "These were originally built to house horses, though from what I can tell not very many and it wasn't in the best of shape when we got it. Unfortunately," the boy sighed saying, "wyverns and kinshi are much larger than a worse, or at least wider. And now with a third unique mount here, I have to make sure it can house all of them."

"That sounds hard," Yue replied, peering in to the stables to look at the creatures inside.

"I'm not the best at carpentry though, so if you'd like to spot me or give any tips while I work you're welcome to. Well, only if you want to. If you were busy before, I can manage here."

"A-all right. I'm not sure what good I'll be, but," she bit her lip, "But I'll try." While one wouldn't know it to look at her, she was actually quite strong in the arms. She had to be, pulling bows all day. It was one of the first things she had been told to work on when she started learning archery. That and her tendency to flinch at the slightest possibility of pain. It had really messed up her aim when she was learning.

But even with that, she wasn't sure she was strong enough to chop wood. Somebody well versed with an axe would probably be better for that. Somebody like Rona. Glancing around automatically, she drooped. Of course, Rona's not going to appear just because I'm looking for her. About to turn back to Leon, the girl froze when she spied what looked like...was that Rona?

"R-Rona?" Yue asked hesitantly, peering at the distant figure. Why hadn't she come out? Did she not want to talk? Maybe Yue wasn't supposed to notice her, was supposed to pretend she didn't see her. Oh no, she messed it up, didn't she? "I-I mean," she looked at the distance. "Rona? I didn't see Rona, nope, nuh-uh," she shook her head wildly, hoping that Leon would believe her.

[Skaia 578]

Edda continued to look away, though this time her suspicion and dismissive look was mixed with embarrassment, not making eye contact with either of the males before they finally left her to be alone. Once they had, the girl let out a sigh and seemed to try to remove the covers and get herself out of bed. Wincing in pain as she tried though, the girl let out a defeated sigh before slumping back into the bed. "This is the worst." Her stomach growled once again. 

Continuing to look at the ceiling, just passing the time doing nothing as the girl's attention was eventually brought back to the door as the wound treater boy from earlier had walk back in. While at first she didn't think to pay him much mind, her eyes were locked on the food that the boy brought in, glancing between him and the bowl but not managing to say anything. As he placed it down and left, there would be a brief pause before Layne heard what sounded like the equivalent of a starving lion feasting on its prey, coming from the room he was just in. 

---

As the boy was getting ready to begin his project of renovation underway, the demure Yonan beside him to help, he was suddenly taken out of focus as the girl mentioned something else. As he looked at Yue, she looked back to him and seemed to start denying that Rona was here. "What?" Leon was only confused by this, not sure what to make of what Yue was doing right now, as he hadn't so much as mentioned the Jouran. All the same, the girl looked to be nervous and he couldn't help but feel like she was hiding something, yet, merely said, "okay?" 

While trying to sort this out, he then figured that Rona probably would've been a good person to come ask to help him with this project. After all, she was there when he needed to make an addition for the other two. All the same, she was watching the new Jouran girl inside and it wasn't like she was just going to appear because he was looking for - "is that Rona?" Looking past Yue, or more in the direction she had been looking, he recognized the familiar form of the girl. Raising up his hand and waving he called out, "hey Rona." He then ushered for the girl to come over to the two of them. 

[LordCowCow 840]

Rona froze when she heard Yue's soft voice calling her name. Then the girl, rather obviously, tried to deny that she had said anything. The girl wasn't sure what to make of this. Did Yue not want Leon to notice her? But why? Perhaps she did actually want some private time with the commander?

She began to back away slowly as to not make a scene but then Leon called her over as well. Cursing herself for not getting out of sight fast enough the girl put on a smile. She strode over to the pair. "Well hello, Yue, Commander, funny seeing you here together. Working on something are you?" She came up behind Yue and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not interrupting something am I?" She asked, looking towards Leon.

The man shook his head saying, "no, not at all. In fact, we were just about to get started. Remember when we first got this place? Well, with Gojira, I have to make renovations again for it. Would you want to help us?"

"Of course! I'm best with an axe in my hand after all. Just point me in a direction and I'll get to work." Since she was here she realized she likely should make herself useful. So she picked up the axe.

It was much different than her normal but it wasn't as though she hadn't used a woodcutting axe before. She had even had to build her own shelter once, as a child, when she had failed a test her father had given her. Compared to that this would be easy.

[Saikazo 241]

"What'd you need, Raynor?" Raynor turned around to see Ada walk up to him, causing the Draytter to grin.

"Hey Ada. Nothin' too important, but there's two things I wanna talk to ya about," Raynor reached into his pocket and pulled out the charm he bought, lightly tossing it at Ada. "Just a token of my gratitude for helping Gojira back when the bandits took him," He said, waiting for her reaction. "It's supposed to help out in some way, something like...  'bestows a nimble grace unto its bearer,' or something like that,"

He hoped Ada didn't go running off to. If she did, that would be his signal he was in one strange group.

"And now for that second thing," He reached into another pocket, pulling out the tome he bought. "So, um... as everyone knows, I bought a tome... and well... I was wondering if you could help me learn how to cast magic," He really hoped she didn't get the idea that he got the charm to butter her up for this. That wasn't his intent, but he really didn't know what other way to ask her about all this and give her the charm.

[Blake 312]

"Hey Ada. Nothin' too important, but there's two things I wanna talk to ya about," Raynor reached into his pocket and pulled out the charm he bought, lightly tossing it at Ada. "Just a token of my gratitude for helping Gojira back when the bandits took him," He said, waiting for her reaction. "It's supposed to help out in some way, something like...  'bestows a nimble grace unto its bearer,' or something like that,"

Ada caught the charm that was tossed, opening her hand to look at the... second feather charm. The shaman stared at it blankly as he waited, gently turning the feather over in her hand, while her other hand gently felt at the charm hanging from her ear. Was he sweet on her? If so, was he so dense to not notice the one she already had? Maybe he thought they came in a pair...? Ada blushed softly as the Jouran continued talking, fidgeting softly, confused.

"And now for that second thing... So, um... as everyone knows, I bought a tome... and well... I was wondering if you could help me learn how to cast magic."

"I-is that all? I guess so..." Ada muttered, tucking the charm into her pocket. For the time being, it was probably best to not tell him his money was wasted... At least, until she could figure out his intent. It seemed strange to her that he happened to develop an interest in magic just in time for this, too... Construing the events in the opposite order that Raynor had intended. "Were you wanting to start now, or some time later...?"

[Skaia 578]

As the duo got to work with Yue spotting them, Leon and Rona managed to make some progress in beginning their stable expansion. The actual progress itself wasn't very great so far, though. So far the group had gotten to just getting the wood chopped in a way that they had needed it to be and laid out a small framework for the addition to the small building next to it. Though it hadn't been much, they had still been taking some time, as the sun showed it was a bit into the afternoon, and the summer's heat was beating down on them. Sweating, Leon said, "I think we can come back to this in a bit. For now, let's rest." Sitting himself down, underneath a nearby tree, he motioned for the others to come with him. 

Wiping his brow, Leon said, "if only this could've happened a month or two earlier." Looking at Rona he then asked, "how're you holding up with this by the way? Has the heat been too hard on you- sorry, it's just, I don't really know what it's like this time of the year...up north."

---

With her food having been devoured and having been conscious for a good few hours now, Edda had come to an all to obvious conclusion. The ceiling was a boring thing to look at. Aside from that, though she still felt sore all over, she didn't like the idea of spending any more time here then she had to. Feeling an urge to press on, and the girl from earlier only bringing troubling thoughts to her, Edda knew that she had to get going and so, picking herself up out of bed, the girl began to stand up. Letting out an, "ow ow ow," as her body seemed to rebel against her, Edda pressed on anyway. Walking to the door, the girl slowly made her way towards there, going to open it and make her way out of the building were no one there to see her. 

[LordCowCow 840]

"how're you holding up with this by the way? Has the heat been too hard on you- sorry, it's just, I don't really know what it's like this time of the year...up north."

Rona wished he hadn't mentioned it. Despite her lack of clothing she was still sweating buckets from the heat of the sun pummeling her as she swung the axe. It was vastly different in her country but even more so where she was from. "Well, Jouran is much colder yes. I lived up on a mountain and it was always snowing. This heat is...much different than what I'm used to."

It was horrible. She had half a mind to completely strip in an attempt to cool off. She wished she could hop into the pond she knew was nearby but she wouldn't dream of suggesting it. Following Leon under the shade of the tree helped slightly but it was still much worse than Rona was comfortable with. "Of course it's nothing I can't handle, I could go for a few hours more!" She had to look strong especially in front of Leon and Yue. "I'm more surprised you both were able to keep up with me, haha!"

She refused to falter here. Even if she felt dizzy and unbearably warm. She wouldn't let something so far away as the sun take her down.

[Saikazo 241]

"I-is that all? I guess so..." Ada muttered, tucking the charm into her pocket. She didn't seem to like the charm. That was noted for the future, at the very least. He shoulda went with food. Still, she seemed... kinda nervous he asked? Maybe he shouldn't have done that. Perhaps it was some secret art passed down from family to family... he didn't want to step on any toes here.  "Were you wanting to start now, or some time later...?"

"If you're not busy, I'd like to try a bit now," Raynor said. "Ah, but if you are too busy, I understand," He shrugged. "Whenever you're free," He stretched a bit and looked at the door. "So, what do you think of our patient? It seems odd we just stumbled onto another Jourian all of a sudden...," Ada was smarter than him. Maybe she had some sort of insight he didn't.