(Open) - Return of the king

The forest sang a thousand songs, the wattlers in the canopy above delightful as they graced the morning with a cheerful tweeting. Mid way down possum like creatures returned to burrows to settle for the day, nocturnal in their nature. brightly coloured beetles scuttled to scavenge and serve their queens. The air was thick with a heavy fog, the dense greenery visible for mere meters.

the Leather stirrup straps creaked as Raphael nudged his nag along, muttering under his breath as he clutches his bow against his rightleg. The horse suffice to say was old and beyond her good years, perhaps a little past the age of which she should have been turned out into a paddock. though in these times resources were limited and a good beast hard to come by as emmanual had launched a strong stand against the small yet strong militia supporting the return of a local.

"honestly sophie you old hag what hay did you eat lately" Raphael coughed, his left hand dropping the reigns to cover his mouth as a crude stench filtered into the air from the horses backside. Purely because he had no intention of sitting still this morning had raphael opted to take the only spare horse for a hunt. he was beginning to wonder if it had been worth it until suddenly he pulled to a halt, the soft shuddering of brush in the distance catching his attention. instinctively raising his bow and placing an arrow, Raphael takes a breath, keen eyes narrowing in on the disturbed brush

A small figure tumbles from the brush, landing hard with a soft yelp. Fur full of burrs and debris, she stands and shakes it out. A voice and the strong smell of another animal, a horse coming to her sensitive nose. Her ears and tail down she is thin, and skittish. Standing somewhere in front of the traveler she thinks, her eyes ever staring. She makes no other sound, simply stands there..the voice she doesn't recognize, but instinct tells her that she is in the right place. She hopes.

Sitting down she curls her tail at her feet. Not running, but not moving closer either. The familiar sound and smell of the horse gives a twinge in her chest. She waits, for anything. To be shot, a scrap of food..or to be simply passed by like so many had before. She had left her old home, the memories too much to take alone. A small chain hangs about her furren neck...

The appearance of the small animal takes Raphael by surprise, though in his typical stance he pulls the line taught. as his fingers move to release the string at the animal, a swift hand appears, siezing the arrow.
"wait Rapha" Angel murmers, her horse manouvred next to the nag. Her eyes were not on Raphaels but the animal while Raphael grumbled.
'oh shuush its not big enough to eat" Angel murmers, dismounting after nudging the arrow back into Raphael's hands.

Angel, cloaked in her black leather hooded riding jacket steps down infront of the horses, gloved hands wiping against her cloak as she lowers in her stance. She had been out watching raphael as usual, restless in her sleep.
"Rapha....how many animals do you know wear jewellery" She murmers amusingly as raphael sits upon Sophie, huffing his silent protest

The females voice caught her somewhat by surprise, and she raises her head a little. This one, kinder and astute in her observations. Lifting her head a little more she whines softly. A small thank you for bot being shot. "You wouldn't get much if you tried to eat me.." she let the thought trickle over the woman's mind, keeping the male to brood silently. A ring falls down the chain, and dangles below her neck, normally keeping it tucked in her thick scruff fur. Her ears flatten and she stiffens a little, her lip twitches, ready to defend it.

"I did not mean to disturb your travels..can you tell me where I am?"

"Your welcome' angel replies with a simple smile, leaving Raphael to roll his eyes. straightening in her stance she unbuttons her cloak, slipping it from her form. it exposed her form though at this time she didnt mind as Angel had an idea of her own. her boots were topped with the fox fur, her pants the leather of wilderbeast. Her top glistened a crimson red, glinting from the light where here thick black curls drifted across the fabric. gathering the cloak in her hands she glances at Raphael, raising a brow
"Well....turn around!" she snaps, Raphael frowning and grumbling, taking the reigns up of the horses and turning both around, mumbling under his breath as he nudges them into a walk. angel watches for a moment before turning back, the smile still bright as she wanders a couple of steps towards the creature
"sorry, hes a typical guy...Would you like to shift?" she asks more curious as to what a skinny and vunerable type of animal would be doing in the area
"You are in the forest of Argaroth, not exactly the most favourable place for the likes of yourself might i add"
she suggests, again offering the cloak outwards.

A soft nod, and she listens to the woman carefully. Her nose working out where everything is she laughs inside at the grumbling of the male. Nodding she shakes out her fur, and begins the shift. A fluid change, and she slowly stands on her two feet, having not been in het human form for a very long timr she is a little shaky. Accepting the cloak she sons it, and covers herself. "Thank you. She turns her head toward the male. "Things aren't always as they appear." She says softly and leans on the woman a little for support. Her frame frail looking. "Please, do you have any food?" She asks, having not been successful in hunts..but scavenging on the kills of others, often being run off or wounded from getting too close. Thinking about what she had said she nods. "So I have noticed, I am glad to have come across you and not some crazy bandit..." She says and smiles a little at the woman. "Thank you for your kindness."

gladly helping the woman she nods, steadying her against her shoulder. Though she was a stranger to her, angel had been at war for long enough now to know she wasnt a threat. "We certainly do have food, I can assure you, we dont mean you any harm at all. I am Angel, and the grumpy guy ahead is raphael, we are soldiers of the true angelic king" she introduces herself.

Raphael wanders back to the two, impressed to see the animal had shifted into a small framed woman. Something about her captured his attention, though he chose not to linger on the feeling for too long. Angel mounted her horse, offering her hand down to the woman before hauling her up behind her into the saddle. By now the sun had risen enough to glimmer down through the trees, the day dawning upon them
"Where do you come from miss?" Raphael asks as he repacks his arrow

A smile when Angel says they have food, and she nods thankfully. "I am Jessa. It is nice to meet you both." She says and imbs to sit hind her on the horse. Sitting sideways she keeps the cloak close around her, having been on only one other horse ever shes a bit nervous. Blinking purely from habit she turns her head a little to the male Raphael. "I am from the Kumari lands...." She says softly, and thumbs the ring around her neck lightly in thought. She tilts her head slightly, but doesn't speak right away. "Who is the king?" She asks finally, curious about the new land she's found herself in.

As the woman mentions a very familiar name, raphael shoots angel a weary look. Both drifting to silence while the woman spoke.
"Surely not" Raphael murmers as angel cuts him off with a much more sudden and sharper tone, something said abruptly in another language.
"Jessa, that sounds nice" angel murmers, openly ignoring the question of the king. Sure she was harmless but to show up knowing intimate details of the leaders love brought more tension then relief. Angel judges the horse into a strong canter towards camp, Raphael careful to watch their six, making sure that they would avoid trouble should the woman prove to be a fraud.

Blinking she frowns a little. "Did..I say something wrong?" She asks, and then sits quietly. Thinking to herself as the horse picks up pace a twinge of fear rises in her. She notices her question goes unanswered but she doesnt push it. Sighing softly she closes her eyes to rest her eyelids. "Do you know of the Kumari?"

"not at all" Angel murmers in response to her first question, though Angel's mind worked overtime to think of how she would ask Lex. He was currently resting in the same medical tent as Malakai, both injured during the last onslaught.
"I dont believe we have heard of this land you speak of" raphael interjects as he watches the lady, brows furrowed as he nibbles on his bottom lip "care to share a little more of how you got here?' he dares to ask her

A soft frown comes to her lips and she thumbs the ring again lightly. "Okay." She says and shrugs lightly. "I'm not quite sure how I got here, I left my home a little while after Christmas, maybe a month or two..in search. That and I couldn't stand the fact that the scent of my love Lex had faded in my homelands. So I came in search for him. I wandered anywhere there was a hint of a lead or piece of clue that I might find him...though I am not sure he wants to be found now..and honestly I figured I would probably die before I would find him...I have a hard time hunting..and in human form I do not ent to be taken advantage of, so I stayed in wolf form..." She says, hurt laced in.her voice as she speaks.

"Angel" Raphael murmers after a few moments of silence as Angel glances across and sighs softly
'So it is you Jessa" she admits, nodding to Raphael as he takes lead, both horses clearing out onto a rough rocky track, the scene widening out into a large clearing. the smell of fire filtered into the air as they approached the camp, angelic soliders moving this way and that around small pitched tents.

Angel slowed the horse to a halt before allowing Raphael to offer a hand of help to Jessa.
"We have...good news for you" Raphael adds as he holds out a hand to Jessa to help her

The smell of fire makes her stomach growl, and she blinks again out of habit. Confused her brows knit slightly to Angels words..a large knot now tying her stomach up tight. Taking Raphael's hand she keeps the cloak tight on her as she dismounts. In slightly fearful hope she turns to them. "Good, news?" She says tentatively, afraid she is dreaming her mind races..."you...know where he is?" She says, concentrating on regulating her breathing so she doesn't hyperventilate and pass out.

"Please...if you will come with us" Angel nods respectively, raphael falling in behind the two of them as angel heads for the medical tent
"My apologies for earlier, I couldnt be sure until you gave enough detail ot identify yourself. Lex, he is here Jessa though not in the best of conditions" Angel explains as she approaches the medical tent, the guards pulling the drapes of the door back as they enter. Raphael moved off to see Malakai across the right of the place whilst Angel led jessa to the left, up to the back portion of the tent until at last she slowed in her pace, standing beside lex.
"He is sleeping at the moment, resting from a deep wound to his flank," she states, glancing at her leader briefly to see him laying as still as he had been for the last day or so

Stunned she follows.. "huh? Oh..its okay." She says and stops whenhe is at his bedside. She feels around for his hand, and touches him gently. She chokes back the onslaught but a few wet drops fall from her eyes. "I am here Lex..." Is al she says, and her eyes close. She sits quiet, and unnervingly still at his bedside, listening to everything. "Thank you..." She says to the others, Angel and Raphael.

Angel simply nods, placing a hand on her shoulder before she heads off to see Malakai with Raphael, leaving her to be with Lex.

As if on cue, Lex's breathing quickens, his eyes fluttering open as his muscles tense, light flooding his vision as he groans. he immediatly registers a hand over his own and he begins to look over, familiar scents filling the air

A pang of emotion hits her when Angel touches her shoulder. She looked over for a moment before something else caught her attention. Lex was waking up. She nearly panicked, but excitement took that swiftly away. Tears brimmed her blinded eyes and she blinked them away quickly. "Lex..I am here. It's me, Jessa." She said softly, in a voice barely above a whisper. She held onto his hand still, hoping he would not try and move so much, and injure himself further. She felt her stomach knot up, and her throat tighten with emotions she was holding back at the moment. She felt as though this was a dream..that she had found him after searching for so long..

"..jessa?" Lex murmers hoarsely, finding out exactly what hurt when he reached over to pull her against him. he bit back with a wince
"but how...when?" he questions, hugging her as firmly as he could without doing himself any damage

A small shaky hand wiped her face and she looked at him. "Angel and Raphael found me wandering through the woods. They brought me back here to you when I told them who I was..." She said quietly. When he embraced her everything flooded her. "I was so worried...I...I thought I would never see you again, that you weren't going to come back." She said and held him gently but with everything she had.

I followed little leads and tips I would hear from random strangers...most people didn't pay attention to me in wolf form so that's how I traveled..how I came to be here." She said softly, and drew in a heavy breath, his scent filled her nose and she wrote it all back to memory.

"i am so sorry, it amazes me that in all places and yet....look at me rambling god ive missed you" he murmers, holding her close. he had longed for her every night since his departure from Kumari territory and every dream he had had was plagued by horrid thoughts of what if's and perhaps they may not see each other again. he kissed her forehead gently, closing his eyes as he took in her presence, suddenly war feeling long long away from the moment

She listened to him, and took in every rambled word. She touched his face softly. The ring o the chain at her neck jingles softly. "I missed you too, terribly." She said softly, it hadn't been easy in Kumari without him.."but I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere." She said softly, and smiled when he kissed her forehead. She had missed him terribly, and it showed. She hid her thin frame a little, but her stomach growled rather angrily for food and she blushed.

"you must be tired from your travels" he murmers upon hearing her stomach growl with protest, he hadnt eaten himself since he had left for battle though having just woken from sleep he had no intentions of a banquet feast. he does his best to raise himself up to sit, motioning for a guard to come to his bedside
"please bring Jessa a meal, decent and with fresh water, ill have ale thankyou" he murmers, the man bowing briskly before whisking away. Lex leans back on his arm as he looks over her with a smile of relief

Smiled and kissed his cheek. "I am exhausted." She said and helped him sit up as best she could. Her hair was a little messy and she was weak from travel. She smiled at him, and thanked the guard quietly before he left. She turned her head back to lex and thumbed the chain lightly at her neck. "I've missed you. I am sorry I did not get here sooner. Are you alright? I can feel your bandages..."

He took enjoyment from listening to her voice, hearing her femininity almost angelic.
"err im not entirely sure, i think perhaps once they tell me what happened i can fill you in" he comments with a silent chuckle
"i think im more focused on you to be honest" he admits