[Treth] Don't Be Gone

[Finn]

Zi’da 5, Arc 716

The hooves of his horse thudded with dull tones against the cold dried ground. The wheels of his waggon stumbled over the shapes moulded in the trodden path and Finn swayed from side to side to keep his balance. Four trials ago he left Ne’haer. Not forever, but for as long as it would take to find Telar. The man was gone for over two seasons and with Zi’da being the gateway to Cylus, Finn feared for his teacher. He was old, half blind and there was this heavy feeling sitting in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't only the anticipation of growing frost, but the darkness where his mentor would be even more lost without someone to rely on. Finn couldn’t tell whether that was the main reason for the uneasiness, but he was inclined to believe it.
So he packed his few possessions, explained in the temple why he would leave and sought an understanding from the current leaders. They gave it. Somewhat hesitantly, but they allowed him to go nonetheless. Perhaps, it was out of compassion. Perhaps, they wanted to have proof of the existence of this mysterious mentor that Finn referred to on regular basis. He left a few items behind, kept renting the house that Telar told him to set up for both of them. In his mind, there was still hope that they'd return together. Either way, Finn set out to Treth. A town not far away from Ne'haer. People were told to know things there. Moreover, farming communities were Telar’s favourites one could even say. It was only logical Finn would pick it as a starting point.
So as he was gradually nearing the city, he began passing a few farms along the road. The persistent frosty weather was trying to slither its icy fingers underneath this layers of his clothes like an abandoned lover. Finn knew that before he could even hope to start his search, he would need to find a place to stay. There were inns in Treth from what he heard and read. He brought his money. It should be enough.
And just as his mind focused on laying new base in this town, Finn relied on his horse to follow the path. For all one knows, it was a fool's idea to do so. His horse snorted and twisted in its reigns suddenly. A warning? It came to a halt. In an alert, Finn’s head jerked upwards, body tensed in anticipation, eyes looking around with harsh expectation of mischief. Some instincts still haven’t left him even after all these arcs. Telar appreciated Finn’s expectations of danger coming from anywhere and mistrust towards anyone. The latter subsided ever since they met, but the former was still strong in the priest's mind. But in this case, neither form of apprehension met with the envisioned result. His horse just did not want to walk straight into a farmer who seemed to have been chasing a cow that seemed to have freed itself from the barn where it belonged. It was quite a sight, in fact. The conversation between a dumb animal and a frustrated labourer, neither wanting to back down from their stance. Getting a better grip on the reigns, Finn would have to wait for the altercation to resolve. There was no point trying to manoeuvre the waggon around the constantly moving duo.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

The day had started out simple enough. After having a nightmare in which she had angered Thorin so much that he had sold her to a man that was even worse than he was, she'd felt the need to seek comfort from the peace of the forest. So she packed up her herbalist kit, and left, planning to spend several breaks out in the forest near her home. It wasn't her intention to go hunting for herbs this time, but as an herbalist, it was second nature to grab her tools when she ventured into the forest. She never knew when she would find a supply of something she needed...even in Zi'da.

Tei'serin wandered aimlessly, quickly losing all sense of time as she gave herself to the forest. With no destination in mind, she was able to take her time, and admire the beauty of the forest freely wherever she found it. The curl of a fern here, slowly turning brown as the cold claimed it, but stubbornly clinging to life. A bird's song there as it sang to its friends before taking to the air for another trial of flight as it made its way to warmer climes for the season.

Moseke, please let me become one with the woods for a while. Let me feel the peace that can only be found hidden with the shelter of the trees. she prayed.

And as time passed, her prayer was answered. Her troubled spirit was soothed by the calm presence of the forest. But as the lingering traces of her nightmare faded, taking her fears and insecurities with them, she slowly became aware of just how deep into the forest she had gone. She was lost.

Tei'serin continued to wander, but this time, it was with purpose. She needed to find the path back to Treth. Once there, she would be able to get home easily. Fortunately, the faint sound of someone talking caught her attention, and she was able to follow the voice back to the path. The person who was talking was vaguely familiar. Tei'serin had never spoken to them, but she had seen them around town a few times in passing. She arrived to see them arguing with a cow, of all things. Tei'serin suppressed a smile. She knew how stubborn her ox could be at times, and it seemed as though cows could be just as stubborn an oxen could.

As she watched, the farmer finally got the cow under control, and headed back to where it belonged. Tei'serin was about to be on her way as well, but a stranger caught her eye. He was a man, so she was instantly wary. Men were dangerous. Especially strange men. The latter group might have been sent by Thorin to check up on her; or worse - they had pleased her guardian enough that he had sent them to her to be...compensated for their efforts.

For a long time, she said nothing. Maybe the man wouldn't notice her. He didn't have to be looking for her, after all. The stranger could be there for some other reason completely. But if Thorin had sent him, and she displeased him in any way...Thorin would be furious. The punishment for that would be even worse than any service this man could demand of her. If she was really lucky, he would simply want a hot meal, and a place to stay for the night before continuing on whatever errand Thorin had him doing. But she was never that lucky.

"I haven't seen you around here before." she said softly.

Tei'serin hoped that she didn't sound as nervous as she felt.

"Are you looking for someone?"

[Finn]

What a show. Finn loosely held the reigns, forearms resting on his thighs as he watched the dance of a dumb farming animal and a man who appeared to have both left feet. His horse snorted multiple times as they waited. Perhaps it was in amusement or equal boredom but just like its rider, it was getting restless and cold. It wanted to move and so did the travelling priest.
Just as it appeared that the farmer has at last won the altercation with the cattle, somehow subduing its stubborn nature to wrestle it away back to where it belonged, Finn caught the sound of steps on the slowly freezing ground. He straightened his back and stretched, his eyes searching for the source of the new minor commotion only to catch a sight of another member in the audience. A young woman, alone. His grey eyes were still alert reflecting the way he was still feeling. His beard hugged his face to offer some warmth, but it obscured the surprise that gently settled in his features. It hid the kindness that was present and made Finn look somewhat distant, short of threatening, however. He noticed her look his way with a tinge of something in her eyes that he could not that easily decipher from the distance. Yet, he could hardly look away. She looked familiar if not in person than in kind. He sure would be surprised to find a Sev'ryn in these ends of Idalos, but one never knew. And if she were one...
"That's because I am not from here." Finn replied to her with a small smirk that shifted the make of his face slightly from scrutinising to intrigued.
"And yes, I am looking for someone." With a nod, he twisted in his seat to look at the girl a little more directly. His horse complaining only for a moment. It wanted the weight of its back. It has been pulling the wagon for a few days now.
"And if you are who I think you might be, you may be able to help." This time the smile showed through and it was nothing like a threat-filled grimace or an ominous promise of suffering. It was a smile of a man who thawed under the possibility of finding solutions straight away.
"What is your name if you don't mind me asking?" He spoke curiously shifting the reigns from one hand to another.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

So Thorin had sent him to her. The wariness in her eyes deepened, the only visible sign of the dread she felt at the man's words. Resignation mixed with the dread; it was best to get this over with. It would happen whether she liked it or not, and if she displeased the man in any way, she would be punished by Thorin when he heard about it. She might even be punished twice if this man decided to punish her himself.

When he asked her for her name, it threw Tei'serin for a few trills. Why would it matter to him who she was? He was only there for one thing. Most of the men Thorin had sent to her hadn't wanted to know who she was. Knowing something even as trivial as her name made the encounter more personal than they wanted. Still, if he was asking, then it was more of an order than a question. She didn't have the right to remain silent. Thorin had made it painfully clear that she understood that.

"My name is Tei'serin Nji'ryn." she said simply.

Tei'serin eyed the man cautiously. He was considerably older than she was; maybe in his thirties or so. It was obvious that he worked hard for a living, because his hands were rough, and full of calluses. But that wasn't surprising, given that he worked for Thorin. Tei'serin wondered if he expected her to ask him what his name was. In truth, she didn't really want to know. She would give the man what he had come for. Then he would leave, and Tei'serin would be left alone until the next time. Maybe, she could even pretend that there wouldn't be a next time.

"I know why you're here." she said after a few bits.

"Please follow me, sir. I live not too far from here. When we get there, I'll give you what you came for."

Tei'serin turned, and walked slowly along the path towards her farm. She knew that the man would be able to keep up if she walked faster, since he had a horse, and she was on foot. But even though she wanted to get the ordeal over with, she dreaded the pain that would come. That dread slowed her steps in an unconscious effort to delay the inevitable.

[Finn]

She was a peculiar one. A first woman from whom he got the sense that he was not welcomed. No. That was not it. He felt as if she has pulled up her defences against him even before he spoke. As if she has been guarding herself against something that he said...or perhaps did. It was a strange sense of prejudice, he felt from her. It confused him because it did not feel right. It was not the Sev'ryn way and now that he knew that she was one of that race, it baffled him even more.
Moreover, a light frown began to settle on his brow gradually as he kept looking at her, observing her behaviour, hearing what she had to say. The light dimmed in her eyes, but she still opened them slightly wider in a hint of nearing terror he did not understand. The way she dropped her head, held herself in general, spoke of defeat. Just why would she react in that way?
"You do?" Finn huffed surprised when Tei said she knew the reason for his presence. The whole situation suddenly made a u-turn and immediately gained an ominous undertone. Her behaviour could only be explained in few ways and the one that has pressed to the forefront of his mind was one he was praying would not be true. She knew Telar. She knew where he was and what happened to him. Telar told her about Finn. That's why she would know who he was and why he was here. But her behaviour...it would all make sense if Telar was either gravely ill or dead... Swallowing hard on his suddenly dry throat, his waggon bumped along the frozen way before his manners kicked in with considerable horsepower. He might be quietly gravely concerned but he was still a gentleman.
"If you know why I'm here...why don't you get on the waggon. It'll get us to the destination faster." He suggested, expression pulled into a pensive grimace. He was truly believing that she was taking him to Telar's grave and the way he gripped onto the reigns, made him look almost desperate to go faster. He was tense, but only because he was apprehensive of what was really going on with his mentor. Though viewed by others, misinterpretation was begging to be indulged in.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

The man frowned. She had displeased him somehow. Terror raced through Tei'serin's veins as she thought about what he would do to her in punishment if this man reported back to him that he was unsatisfied with his reward. But she struggled to prevent any outward signs of her terror out of fear that it would only displease him even more. Or would he be happy about her terror? Several of the men Thorin had sent enjoyed her terror and pain. But until she knew for certain, she dare not show what she was feeling.

It took several trills for Tei'serin to notice, but the man seemed surprised when she told him that she knew what he had come for. Then he swallowed hard, and looked worried. This made her hesitate. Why would he be nervous? Had she displeased him worse than she feared? Was he dreading the thought of touching her now? He was going to kill her if that were the case! Even if her guardian didn't mean to go that far, his rage at the extent of her failure could easily push him to go too far.

Tei'serin paled, as she trembled with dread, and fear. But her voice was mostly steady when she thanked the man for his offer to let her ride in his wagon. Her voice was tiny and frail as she gave him directions, and she said nothing beyond what was absolutely necessary to guide him to her farm. When they arrived, Tei'serin got out of the wagon, and offered to see to the horse's needs. It was a delaying tactic, and she knew it.

Once the horse had been seen to, Tei'serin went into her cottage, holding the door open for the man to follow when he was ready. Then she turned to him uncertainly.

"Would you like a meal first, sir?" she asked politely.

It was another delaying tactic, of course. But it was a legitimate one. He had likely traveled a long way today, and he might well want a meal, and a chance to refresh himself from his journey before seeing to his needs. And if he did want such things, she would be punished if she failed to offer them.

"Or would you rather just get to your...to your reward?" she asked, choking slightly on the last part.

Her eyes drifted towards her bedroom as she spoke. Was it clean enough to please the man? She hoped so. Tei'serin hadn't had the chance to clean it before she left earlier, but she was a tidy person by nature, so she didn't think that it was too horribly messy.

[Finn]

The sense of awkward was overbearing. This girl appeared to be so...afraid, antsy. Like a fragile animal that would rather hide in the crowns of the trees but for some reason was forced to be in the open. And now, she was either too confused or frightened to look for an escape route. What was it about him that incited such a reaction? Was it that she knew what happened and felt uncomfortable to be the one to deliver the crushing news? The only logical reason he could think of was that something terrible has happened to his mentor. In response to his own conclusions, his hands tightened on the reigns as they travelled in the heavy, uncomfortable silence towards their destination.
By the time they were crossing the threshold of the cottage, Finn's stress levels were about to shoot through the roof. The moment he came inside, his eyes darted around, looking for him, looking for anything that would shed some light on the current situation. Yet, to the benefit of the dweller in the farm, the place looked clean. It had a particular smell about it. Something that tickled his memory but the familiarity was lacking substance. There was nothing that would suggest anyone else was in the building, or that death has visited here.
He looked at Tei'serin with both eyebrows risen in clear showcase of bewilderment. A meal before the horrid news? Was she mocking him? He did not come to have tea and cake. If she knew what happened to Telar, she should speak outright. He was a man, a much older one by the looks of it. There was no need for her to be patro...
His eyes flicked towards the bedroom as she spoke of a reward. There was nothing that ever made him look more perplexed. The initial whispers of creeping outrage that deepened the blue hues in his eyes suddenly grew sheepish as his gaze darted from the doorway to her and back. She might have as well messed with his mind, telling him that Immortals were humans after all and his whole faith was a hoax.
"Reward?" He asked her with certain incredulity, frown returning to his brow with rather patent disbelief but also strong intrigue.
"What reward are you talking about?" Unless this was a cruel joke exercised at his expense by immortals knew who, Finn was not sure what he'd do next. Being stretched to the limits, he needed to cool down or snap.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

Anger flickered in the man's eyes, making Tei'serin flinch violently away from him instinctively. But there were no harsh, shouted words of fury; no painful blows...nothing she had come to expect at the hands of men who came to see her. Instead, his anger faded away, turning into confusion instead. His questions when he spoke were even more confused than his expression.

That gave Tei'serin pause. She studied him warily for several trills, trying to figure out what role she was supposed to play in order to please him. There were many possibilities to choose from; many games that men seemed to like to play. But Tei'serin wasn't yet good at figuring out which was which, especially based on the few confusing clues this man had given her. So with fearful dread, she finally gave in.

"I'm sorry, sir. Please don't be mad at me. I'm trying to figure out how best to serve your needs. I really am. But I've only been doing this sort of thing since last season. I know that...that he...that Thorin sent you to me as a reward for pleasing him somehow. He sent you to me so I could s-satisfy your needs, and...and...please you. And I will! I promise! I know better than to defy Thorin's wishes. But...it's just that...I don't know how you want to do this. Some men want to eat first to build up their strength, and stamina after a long trip. Other men like to play games first. They like it when I pretend to be different people. A captive about to be sold as a slave, o-or a secret lover. Something. Some men like to beat me first. My pain makes them enjoy..."

Tei'serin shuddered.

"Other men just want to...well...get on with it."

She shuddered again.

"I've been trying to figure out what you want of me...how you want me to act. But I can't. I'm sorry, sir...but you'll have to tell me how I can best...best p-please you." she finished in a faint, clearly frightened whisper.

Tei'serin wasn't even trying to hide her terror now. She had failed in her task. This man had every right to punish her for her failure. And if she was really unlucky, he would punish her on top of whatever this man chose to do to her once he learned of her failure.

[Finn]

He felt as if he broke her. Somehow, Finn thought that he tapped a porcelain doll and it shattered at his touch into million pieces. She almost disintegrated before him among the waves of clear panic and horror. Yet at the same time, it did not feel like it was his fault entirely. If anything, the more she spoke, the more he began to understand and the more of her story put the confusion aside and brought to life the Devout. A man of faith who in the face of a soul in need would forsake his own pressing matter just to alleviate someone else's suffering. And just from her voice, the shiver of her shoulder he thought he might have seen, but might as well just imagined, Finn's heart broke at the realisation of what this girl was expecting of him. The fact this would not be the first time. The sickening fact of this reality outraged him, yet none of that made it to the surface. He learnt of the years how to control certain emotions at certain times. Telar made sure Finn possessed that kind of discipline.
Some would say that she was but a stranger to him, that he held no obligations towards her. Yet, he felt a tortured soul call towards his own and he responded. With few steps, he stood closer to her without any threat in his movement. If anything, he looked as humble as her yet balanced, equilibrium radiating around him. His breathing was levelled and his movement measured. Gently and carefully, he placed on hand on her shoulder. The touch was light, lacking sinister motive, but it held a certain significance. It was the first connection, the first thread of compassion extended towards her. With the forefinger of the other hand, he softly placed it under her chin to prompt her to look up at him if she wasn't doing so yet. If she were, it was just to hold her still as his eyes looked at her features. His gaze was clearly examining her, but it was not overwhelming or oppressing. He was only trying to figure her out and there was no ulterior motive in that doing.
"I don't know who Thorin is." He started quietly like a soft hush of a river hidden within a forest. "I did not come to take advantage of you or your body." Indeed, he stood still with little to suggested that he was to bend her over and have his way with her.
"My name is Finn. Finn Ashbroken and I am a priest from a temple in Ne'haer." A confession that might as well see him out of the door, but that did not matter to him. She needed honest, not pretend and lies. He needed her to know that there was no danger coming from his side. That he would not treat her like an object. That as far as he was concerned, she was a human being and he would respect her.
"I did not come for and will not take advantage of you. I won't punish you and I don't want you to please me." He spoke with kindness as his hand from beneath her chin was softly placed on her other shoulder. He held her there for a moment longer before letting go but staying close. In a fraction of a trill, he offered a first affable smile.
"I am only seeking shelter for a while if you will allow me to stay."

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

When the man touched her, Tei'serin shuddered like a terrified deer. But his touch was different; he was gentle, and undemanding. So she didn't try to pull away, or resist. And when he began to talk, she suddenly had more to think about than a confusing touch.

He...Finn...wasn't here for a reward? He didn't know Thorin...? Could she really believe that? Or was this just part of the game he wanted to play? How should she respond? Did she dare trust his words? She wanted to. She really did. Finn said that he was a priest in Ne'haer. A priest wouldn't lie...would he? It would be easy enough for her to check to see if he really was a priest. She wouldn't of course. Thorin didn't like her to go to Ne'haer. But Finn didn't know that, not if he was telling the truth, anyway. What reason would he have to lie?

It took all of the courage that Tei'serin had, but she decided to trust Finn. If she was wrong...if he was lying, and he really wanted to hurt her...Tei'serin didn't think that she would ever be able to trust anyone else again.

"My name is Tei'serin Nji'ryn." she said softly.

She couldn't quite bring herself to say it was nice to meet him; she was far too nervous for that. But she hoped that he understood that she wasn't trying to be rude. When Finn asked her if he could stay for a while, she honestly had no idea what to say. He was a man, and she had grown used to giving any man that Thorin sent to her anything he wanted. It had almost become an instinct for her. But Finn had just finished telling her that he wasn't there to take advantage of her. That meant that she could say no if she really wanted to. So the question became...did she want to say no?

Tei'serin gave the matter some thought for several bits. Finn had shown her a great deal of kindness by not taking advantage of her. Another man might well have told her that Thorin had sent him even if he hadn't. It would have been easy for him; a few simple words, and she would have believed him. She would have done anything he'd told her to. Since he didn't take advantage of her, she was inclined to help him. So she nodded.

"You can stay." she said simply.

Maybe it would even be a good thing. If Finn was staying with her, maybe if Thorin sent another man to her, he would be dissuaded from doing anything. Maybe Finn would even help her if someone came. She would never ask for such a thing, but she couldn't help but hope for it.