- Shadow Lover -
Lord Huron - Time To Run
Loosely based on episode 33 of Campaign one,
"Y'know, we can tell when you sneak off like that"
"No you can't, - but I'm not going anywhere"
Keyleth skidded around the corner, putting her staff into the cobbled streets to stop her falling over. She was running, legs propelling her forward as the voices of half a dozen guards echo behind her. Her red hair tossed behind her like dancing flames as Markett's beautiful sun hits it just right. Keyleth ducked into an alley, seeing it open on the other end to the busy market streets filled with people. It was noon and crowds were bustling. Good time to get lost, she heard the guard's voice grow louder, echoing in the small winding gaps between the buildings. She caught her breath and ignore the pain in her chest, surges to the exit and back into the sun. It hits her instantly, warming her skin and making her sweat all the more. Today had been a disaster and was only getting worse as seconds past and she hightailed down a busy street. Trying to ascertain information about the person who you want to kill but also has a city filled with loyalists is harder than was originally thought. That, was what got them all in this mess. What was at the beginning a civilised conversation to a street vender ended with guards being called over and the party scattering like rats. She was originally running alongside Scanlan but he'd dodged a knife being thrown at him and that was the last she'd seen of her musical friend. Grog had Pike on his shoulders and she had transported them instantly to a nearby rooftop where the ducked and hid. Percy and the twin took off in the opposite direction she had, shouting over his shoulder about meeting at the old ruins outside the city walls. Easier said than done Percival. So now she was running, sticking out like a sore thumb with her antlers and bright green attire. She had the urge to turn into her favoured sabre tooth tiger form and fight back but didn't have the courage to look back and see how many was actually now behind her. By the noise of their voices, it was a lot.
Keyleth scanned her eyes over the streets as she slowed getting into the hustle and bustle of the crowd. Lowering her staff so it pressed to her chest, she lowered her head slight. She raised her hand to the earring -the groups main chord of communication.
"Is anyone there?"
"Keyleth?" Pike's worrried voice answered first. "Where are you?"
"I don't know, some market- I've never seen any of this before" She replied, unable to hide the worry in her voice. Anybody could be amongst the people, ready to grab her and shackle her up.
"Just -wait Grog, no don't drink that-" Pike's voice flickered away as the connection is served. She's too far away from them now. Not far behind, she can hear the guards go into the street like she had, making her legs pick up the pace from casual to a speed walk.
"Okay don't panic, just think, look around, don't panic" She mutters to herself, trying to soothe the stress swallowing her whole. "Is anyone there?" She tries the earring again.
A shakey reply of a discombobulated voice goes to her ear but she can't understand a thing. Frustration and anxiety burns into her blood and soon there's a opening that arises and she takes a chance. Not far ahead theres a small tent stall filled with fabrics and leathers, the back flap is opened reveal a dark alley. She calmly cuts through the sea of busy people making her apologies as she does. Pushing through till she reaches the stalls, she ducks into the gap, untying the tied up flap and completely hiding her from the streets and out behind the stalls were the venders are either resting or waiting patiently for a buyer. The one she hides behind belongs to a rotund man, snoring in the sunshine as a miserable young boy sits looking out at the people with his chin in his hands. Keyleth watches carefully, stepping backward into the dark alley. The guards voices raise above the human traffic and call out for a search, they split off ahead and go into different directions. She's stuck in place. One guard however starts to peer into all the stalls, demanding of the venders if they'd seen her. She presses against the cool brick of the building beside her and feet's her pulse race in her throat. A few empty barrels sit opposite her, so waiting for the right moment when nobody is looking, she dashes behind them, lowering her staff to rest on the floor and out of sight. Keyleth peeks up, only to duck down immediately seeing the guard now question the once sleeping vender and the boy in front of her. Heart racing, breath shakey she tries to think of something to do. Looking down to gather ideas only to find a mange covered rat crawling over her staff heading toward her boot with curiosity. It was bigger than any rat she'd ever seen and it looked like it seen battle and barely survived it. Not so much our of disgust but surprise from its sudden appearance, Keyleth gasps dropping her staff for a second so it clatters gently on the ground. She picks it up as soon as she does but the voices at the stall die down and she can't help but feel eyes burning down toward her. The flap that she's escaped in is flung open the thick fabric whipping as the person descends down the alley. Keyleth's stomach twists, now her back is completely pressed against the wall, chest rising and falling far too quickly. A sword is unsheathed. The sound of the metal rattling and echoing in the empty space. Keyleth feels sweat fall, trickling down her neck and back and by the sheer suspense she could crumble.
"Oi!" A voice cries out suddenly and the noise of a crowd being shoved aside grabs both she and the other guard's attention. "Captain, we've seen one down this way!" The sword is put back into it's place and his footsteps echo down the alley. She waits till the fabric of the tent is flown open and dropped again, till she breathes again. Engulfing air, her legs feel like jelly. There's a ruckus happening in the street that is heading downtown and listens carefully letting her head slowly fall down and rest against the wall. Now what? She thought.
"Keyleth?" Vex's voice came through the earing. "Are you there dear?" She sounded as though she was running, panting between words.
"Am here" She breathed out.
"Good, there's a ladder not far from you, climb up it and down the other side darling, follow the left road all the way up. Should take you straight to the Kirk-yard, we're re-convening there." Vex is no doubt smiling as she explaining.
"I thought we were leaving" Keyleth whispered, head turning to see the metal ladder on that lead to the roof.
"Plan has changed..seems our reputation proceeds us" Vex laughs. "Meet you there, let us know if you get lost dear, we'll come and save you"
Keyleth rolls her eyes and checks her surroundings before getting up and dashing to the ladder, climbing up it as fast as she could. The day's sun had heated the metal, so as she grew nearer to the top her hands struggled to hold on. She gets to the roof, the scorching summers day hitting her like a ton of bricks and she raises her hand blocking it the best she can so she can see. In the far off distance, back down on the street she sees what all the ruckus is, Scanlan. Bigby's hand is carrying him up and up as he surfs through the air with music blasting from his lute and his voice carried on the breeze. Unable to stop a laugh, Keyleth shakes her head and listens to her instructions, running almost crouching down to not gather attention, to the other side of the long roof and reaches the next ladder and begins the climb. She jumps from the second wrung from the bottom and lands with a soft thud on the cobble stone once again.
"Still with us Keyleth?" It's Percival this time and he too sounds as though he's on the run.
"Yeah, I'm heading down the road Vex told me," She replies, adapting the wavy street and almost catches herself as a sharp turn takes her by surprise.
"Good, look for signs of the Kirk yard it should be coming up soon- you might actually arrive before us, if you do just stay put." He says in his brotherly way. In the distance Scanlan begins another crescendo.
"Just be careful, all of you" she sighed out.
"That's always the plan, wither it goes right well- that's another story" Percy said before disappearing out of the ear piece. She draws further and further away from the city, the sun disappearing and she's in more shade than she'd expected. As she turns a corner a small wooden sign is pegged into the ground, painted with an arrow pointing straight on and a small temple next to it. It was the sign Percy had told her about and it boosted her courage. So in despite the feeling of her bones feeling rusted over and chest burning with sore in takes of breath, she presses onwards.
Vax sees her. He's been making sure she's been okay since she climbed that first roof. In the best way he could he's been keeping an eye trained on her position and if a few times, during his stealthy stalking through the city, he's had to stop and hide from trouble. Only to take a long way round and find her again. Even a few times, seeing a few unfriendly's almost catching a glimpse of her, he sends a dagger to deter any further investigations. He's been using the small house rooftops to travel, leaping from one on to the other nearly sliding off one or two but never enough to cause damage. He's been getting a bird's eye view of the whole situation and right now, could see a small group of guards leaving a tavern and about to exit on to the road Keyleth was charging down. There's no way to warn her without letting guards know so, in the expense of some pain, he jumps down from the short roof just head behind her getting an instantaneous jolt of pain in his legs.
From the sudden noise she stumbles in a panic and soon is speedily grabbed by the waist and pressed into the shadow in the corner of an alley she was about to pass. A hand covers her mouth, she's about to raise her staff and whack them where the sun doesn't shine when they spin her around and press her back against the brick and they're engulfed in darkness.
"Hey Kiki" Vax whispers into her ear as his covers them with his cloak and presses them the shadows. Her eyes widen, feeling his chin lean against her temple. "Sorry for grabbing you but-" He stops talking as the rowdy voices of the guards pass them by completely unawares of their presence. His hands hold his cloak all the way up , surrounding them both and he rests his hands above her head. He's panting slightly, feeling the adrenaline slowly leave his body and theres pain everywhere from their excursion across the city.
"No, thank you" She whispers, very aware of their closeness. "I just worried-erm" She flushes.
"About what?" He waits, still listening if anymore are coming.
"That, I hurt you" Her hands fiddle with her staff as she carefully tilts her head up.
"You hurt me? How?" He's smiling, she can tell even in the darkness.
"My antlers, I didn't whack you by accident" She replied honestly and she feels him chuckle, a deep gentle one that makes her stomach twist. "You'd be surprised how often it happens"
"I'm too talented at what I do to hurt you, or get myself hurt." He smirks. "I think we're in the clear" Lowering the cloak the light starts to flood back to them and surrounds him like a halo as she gazes up at him. Now out of the darkness the realise just how close they are. "Are you alright?" Vax asks unwilling to step away just yet.
"I'm exhausted" She breaths out making them both laugh a little. "But I'm glad to see you, to have someone with me. I hate when we all split up and I was on my own" Her face blushes lightly and her eyes lower to her hands that gripping her staff. Vax adjusts his cloak again.
"You were never alone, I've got your back" He reassures.
"How'd did you escape?" She asks curiously, unsure how things transpired for the rest of the group.
"Like I said, I'm talented-stealthy" He mused, casting her a wink. Keyleth rolls her eyes but she smiles none the less. "What you don't believe me?"
"I know your stealthy Vax" She mocks. "Everybody does but we do notice when you disappear sometimes, it's not like you vanish in a puff of smoke"
"So your saying you'd know when I was sneaking around?" He tilts his head amusedly. Keyleth raises her chin.
"Yes, I would"
Vax nods, jutting out his bottom lip before leaning forward with a hand place on the wall above her head.
"So you must've knew I've been tailing you since the you hid behind those barrels behind the tent vender?"
He steps back with laugh seeing her expression falter. She opens and closes her mouth a few times trying to think of something to say but he's walked away and checked if the coast was clear.
"If you did tail me then why didn't you help?" She walks after him. Vax turns around, happy with them continuing their journey.
"How do you know I didn't help?" Another smirk but this time he reaches out and grabs her hand. "Come on Kiki, you can thank me later when we get to the Kirk yard"
They run again, back down the street their hands holding each other as they weaved through the end of the city.
On a dreary field, away from the hustle and bustle of the big city on an abandoned hillside with the ruins of an old temple. No longer in use it's limestone pieces lay scattered like the faith it once held inside. Vax and Keyleth see it, hands still firmly holding each other.
"Anyone there?" Vax asks through the earring. Nothing. "Is anyone bloody alive?" Nothing. He sighs out and he and Keyleth share a look, she's worried. "It will be okay, let's just go inside and get some rest while we wait for them to either show themselves or let us know they're okay"
"But Vax what if something happened?" Keyleth's green eyes pin him and he feels himself turning into goo on the inside.
"Hey, we're talking about out friends- nothing can stop them. Not some shitty guards or even a whole city, they'll be fine no matter what. They'll let us know they're okay one way or another" He takes hold of her arms and lowers his head so they're eye to eye. "Alright?"
Keyleth lets out a breath and nods.
"Okay" She offers a sheepish smile. His hand slides from from it's hold on her arm and takes her hand again. "Let's just hope they don't run into any doors"
Vax laughs at this.
"Especially since I wont be there to pick it open for them" He helps her over a steep step leading up the hill.
"Uh huh" She drawls off. "Just not backdoors"
He deadpans, looking right at her practically beaming with amusement.
"I told all of you that it was cursed" He tugged her playfully and she bumps his shoulder with her own in response.
"Okay, anything you say Vax" Keyleth nods, making the same face he did in the alley.
"Excuse me, I opened the cell door minutes later, i'm telling you the door was evil" He pulls her in close, dropping her hand and wrapping his arm around his shoulder so she stumbled a little.
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, we all have good days and bad days" She teases further, pushing him off with her hand. "We can't all be perfect" Keyleth shrugs as she takes a few strides ahead of him.
"Oh yes, we can't all be you" He smirked. "Tell me is it a burden to be so close to perfection"
"Let's just say you couldn't handle it" She throws over her shoulder, giggling as she does.
"Is that a challenge?" He asks making her turn around. They both stop, her higher on the hill and him lower gazing up at her. "Because something tells me," he takes a few slow steps toward. "That I could handle you"
Vax is about to take another step but she clicks on and runs first. The chase is on and she's laughing as races upward and onward. They're both rather surprised they have any energy to run after the days events. But something about them, on a hill top with nothing but the sun beaming down and watching them laughing. Vax of course with a few quick long legged strides catches up with her fairly quickly. Soon Keyleth found his arms around her again, only this time she'd whole heartily expected it.
"Gotcha" He mused and tossed her up so she was on his shoulder. Now she thought about cheating and turning into Minxy and pinning him to the floor but there was no fun in a easy win. So just laughed, swaying back and forth with her forehead bumping into his back.
"Now what to do with you?" He jokes as he enters the ruins. "What to do with you?" He repeats as if creating a plan.
"Why not put me in front of a door that I could open for you? I know you struggle with that" She giggles, watching his feet come to a halt. Suddenly his hands let go of her and she starts to slide down his back. "Wait, wait Vax-" she laughs gripping on to his cape.
"Oh is there something wrong?" He smirks and spins around to face the front of the temple, seeing the whole city from where they were. Keyleth squeals feeling her waist almost slid off his shoulder.
"Wait, I'm sorry-" she laughs. "You're very good at opening doors"
Although the drop isn't very far or even the fact she could probably save herself with countless spells and magic. She plays along, forgetting the seriousness for even a minute and just being with him in the moment.
"And?" He presses, raising his arms reading to pull her back down.
"And you're very stealthy" She adds with a fawned grumble. "So stealthy"
"Good" His hands grip her waist and easily lift her off his shoulder then slides her down wrapping his arms around her frame. "See that's wasn't so hard to admit now, was it?"
"Yeah only took a few threats" Keyleth replied slightly breathless with her arms taking place on his shoulders. "It is- it is pretty cool what you can do and you know how you are with your daggers"
Vax feels himself slightly taken aback, having to take a breath for a moment to gather himself.
"Thank you" He smiles, allowing her feet to touch the ground again. But they stay close, arms still around one another.
"Just promise me something?" She asks, with a though appearing in mind. "Next time your gonna sneak off like that?" He nods. "Take me with you"
"I'm not going anywhere without you" Vax mutters softly. "I'm not going anywhere" He repeats and watches as she's presses her lips together nervously. There eyes hold on another, softening and taking in everything they could. Drinking each others presence for as long as time would allow.
"Hey Keyleth!" Pike's voice cuts between them through the earring. "We're together, we'll be headed to the temple, have you heard from Vax?"
"I'm here too Pike" He answers eyes still on Keyleth.
"Perfect, we'll be there soon" Pike replies.
Both then sigh, knowing their time alone together is urgently to be over and being thrown back into reality.
"You don't think we could use my amazing talent and stealth away?" He offers pressing his forehead against hers. Keyleth smiles.
"And let them have all the fun? Come on Vax that's not your style"
"What if we had our own fun?" He said, arms tightening around her playfully. They meet each others gaze again, ideas swirling around their heads.
"Alright you, stop tempting me and why not you go stealth your way down the hill and see if you can see them?" Keyleth clears her throat letting her hands slide from his shoulders and down to his chest.
Vax groans, leaning his head into her neck for a minute and Keyleth fells as though she'll crumble any second. Feeling his nose brush up her neck and side of her throat and for him to hover at her ear.
"Fine but I'm stealing this" and his hand gently touches her face and guides her to side so he can place a lingering kiss on her cheek. Before quickly departing and walks off before she can even register what happened.
"Sneaky" She shakes her head, placing her hand over the kissed skin.