Alidorim had been adrift in the empty warm blackness for who knew how long when he was suddenly ripped back to full consciousness. He was on his feet weapons in hand ready to defend his camp from the intruders. Taking up a battle stance he scanned about for the threat. The forest was calm and dark beyond the glow of the waning firelight. All was quiet save for the terrified squeals issuing from the tiny bundle of wool next to him.
"Pazmyr!" Yula screamed, "Oizmyr!" She thrashed about clawing at the air, repeating the same two words over and over. "Pazmyr! Oizmyr!" In between cries, her body shook with uncontrolled sobs. Rivulets of tears ran down her cheeks. Her arms reached out as if they were trying to grasp something, but every time they closed on air her screams returned anew. "Pazmyr! Oizmyr!"
Roots and rocks be damned! Nothing spoiled a night's sleep faster than a shrieking child. Alidorim wasn't sure what to do. All he knew was that he wanted her to stop yelling. It was playing hell with his nerves. Yulia sounded like a rabbit caught in a trap. Her screams might bring unwanted attention even that deep in the wilds.
Finally, he knelt down next to her. "Yulia!" he called out, "Yulia wake up!" But the sound of her name only caused her to scream those same two words again. This time she sat up, eyes still closed and yelling 'pazmyr' and 'oizmyr' at the top of her lungs. Alidorim reaches forward intending to shake her awake. The moment his fingers brushed her arms she calmed. At least when she said 'pazmyr' and 'oizmyr' again it was in hushed tones.
The Dragonborn paused before scooping the still sleeping girl into his arms and cradling her. Her tiny body still shuddered with sobs, but she no longer screamed. As he held her close Yulia continued to murmur 'pazmyr' and 'oizmyr' over and over. Eventually, the murmurs faded until only soft snoring remained.
Alidorim exhaled in relief. Stillness returned to the forest and his nerves could finally relax. He attempted to return the girl to her own bedroll but instantly recoiled when the sobbing began anew. Sighing in exasperation the Dragonborn resigned himself to a long night.
By the time daybreak rolled around, Alidorim was certain he had never experienced a worse night's rest. True, he'd eventually nodded off, but sitting up holding a tiny Tiefling wasn't exactly an ideal rest position.
For her own part, Yulia looked shocked beyond belief when she awoke in the large warrior's arms. Alidorim awoke when he felt the girl squirm out of his grip. Her expression was a mixture of fear and indignation. He wanted to be irritated but was honestly too tired to muster up the emotion. Instead, he busied himself getting breakfast ready.
Breakfast ended up being yet another trail ration. Yulia ate hers with gusto, her earlier mood forgotten. Alidorim ate a bit more sedately. The moment the girl had finished he figured it was as good a time as any to broach the subject.
"What is pazmyr oizmyr?" The way she screamed them over and over meant the words had to be important. Maybe someone important. Yulia appeared to recognize the words but was unsure of what he was asking. Thinking as quickly as his sleep-deprived mind would allow, he glanced about, trying to figure out how best to phrase the question. Finally, he pointed back the way they had come and grasped a handful of ash. "Your companion. Was he pazmyr oizmyr?"
Yula seemed to understand part of what he was asking or least what his gestures implied. "La, la," she said shaking her head, before copying the digging motion and pointing at the ashes of the fire. "Mot siw Urcis. Urcis."
Wanting to be sure he got her meaning Ulkith pointed at himself, "Alidorim," Pointed at the girl, "Yulia," then pointed behind him and then at the ash, "Urcis?"
She nodded vigorously. "Hyw, hyw. Urcis!"
At least now he had a name for her companion. Referring to him as just 'the traveler' felt inappropriate. Unfortunately, he still didn't know what 'pazmyr oizmyr' was or why Yulia shattered nature's serenity with it.
One small consolation was he was sure he figured out 'la' meant no, and 'hyw' meant yes. When he ran this thought by Yulia he was relieved to be proven right. "La, no. Hyw, yes." She confirmed. Next, she picked up her portion of breakfast and said, "Food... oaav." Yulia stared at him expectantly until he realized she wanted him to repeat the words back to her. Alidorim complied. Yulia then pointed at the sleeping mats saying, "Sleep... wdyye." Once again, the Dragonborn parroted the words back. He started to wonder, was he teaching her common, or was she teaching him Infernal?
As they went about breaking camp, the Tiefling seemed completely unaware of her nightmarish episode the night prior. She still eyed him wearily and kept a respectful distance. Her only change in posture was when her feet pained her. Alidorim growled in frustration. Without proper footwear, her legs would be bloody nubs by the time they reached the river.
Now more fully awake, the Dragonborn considered his options. Yulia shouldn't walk and he couldn't exactly carry her the whole way. Aside from needing his arms free if there was trouble, the shockingly light girl still got heavy after a while. It didn't help she refused to let him use the healing kit on them.
Going through their supplies Alidorim withdrew a wool blanket. It would have to do, and he could replace it later. After spreading it out, he folded it once lengthways. Taking his knife out he cut a straight line along the middle stopping a third of the way across. He repeated this on the other side. Lastly, he sliced two holes on the fold near the center.
This entire time, Yulia looked on with bewildered curiosity. She had to be wondering why he was destroying one of their only blankets. She was even more surprised when he gestured for her to get in the folded portion. She hesitated before finally complying. He gently guided each of her thin legs through the holes before laying the top layer over her. She looked at him quizzically. "Yulia...sleep?"
Alidorim shook his head. "No. Yulia ride." And with that, he grabbed the wool blanket and pulled it against his back. She squeaked in shock, feet kicking in alarm before she realized what the Dragonborn had done. The strips he'd cut went over each shoulder and around either side of his waist. All four 'legs' met at the front of his torso and where they were secured by an improvised brooch and a bit of rope. By folding the blanket in half one layer prevented her from rubbing against his armor, while the other kept her secure.
Glancing over his shoulder he saw that other than being shocked beyond belief the little girl didn't appear uncomfortable. He'd considered using the other pack in much the same way, but the goblins had done a serious number on it. Later on, he'd use it for material, to reinforce his 'child carrier.'
After adjusting the straps, he pulled his pack on next. It hung low so as to not place too much of the weight on Yulia. Next, he strapped his arming sword and short sword to his waist. Before setting off Alidorim looked back at his passenger and asked, "Yulia?" He got the slightest of nods as affirmation.
With the Tiefling on his back, Alidorim was able to move a lot more quickly. The redistribution of his gear took some getting used to, but he managed. Yulia didn't seem to mind the arrangement, although at first, she didn't say or do much. Olkith could feel her unease through the blanket. He got the feeling that if she wasn't staring at the back of his head the Tiefling was glaring into his shoulder. Surely, she had to prefer this over injuring her feet further.
Wanting to ease the tension, Alidorim took advantage of the time they had. The road was long, and they needed something to occupy their minds. "Yulia," he got her attention before pointing at a nearby evergreen. "Tree."
When she didn't reply right away, he grumbled before gesturing again and repeating himself. She followed his finger. "Ta-ree...tree...zryy."
Alidorim nodded. "Hyw, yes. Zryy is tree." Next, he plucked a branch off the ground. "Stick...leaf...branch," and Yulia responded both in Common and Infernal. That became their routine for the rest of the day. Alidorim showing her something and describing it in Common. Yulia would repeat the word and then give him the translation in Infernal. Every once in a while, they went back and reviewed what they'd covered. Some words she had to say a few more times before getting the pronunciation right. Alidorim's grasp on the Tiefling language was a bit more challenging.
Armor...arpar.
Clouds...tdafvw.
Sword...ssarv.
Dirt...vurz.
Blanket...kdilcyz.
And so on...
The next day was more the same, though the night could've gone better. Olkith spent the night propped against a tree holding his passenger till she quieted. Forgoing any attempt to lay her back on her own bedroll, he managed to get some sleep.
After a quick breakfast, they were on the road again. Alidorim would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed by her memory. But she was still a child, and like all children, her focus wandered. She'd tap a tuneless rhythm on his shoulder or play with one of his head tendrils, what humans and near-humans might consider 'hair.' It didn't hurt so he let her be.
Whenever he regained her attention they covered as many adjectives as he could find examples of. His red, or ryv skin seemed to fascinate her while describing his armor as 'hard,' or mirv took some doing. He was by no means a scholar but as they paused for a midday meal, he felt they'd made significant progress.
He had just started to pull the rations and water from his pack when he heard a small growl emanating from the wool blanket. Looking up he saw the Tiefling look a bit embarrassed. "Yulia...hungry," he said rubbing his stomach before pulling out the ration. "Yulia...eat."
Taking the food, Yulia nodded rubbing her own stomach which gave another awkward growl. "Yulia hungry. Eat. Tmilchaf."
"Tmilchaf is...thankyou?" he asked, and Yulia inclined her head. She sat cross-legged before the Dragonborn and began to eat. After several candle-marks of riding on his back, it seemed the girl had finally grown comfortable about him. It helped they were being more conversive. Alidorim still didn't know what pazmyr oizmyr was. If he had to spend another sleepless night over those words, he was going to be very cranky.
Stamping down his frustration, he decided to check the map while he ate. Despite the various deviations, they were making good time. Faster than he'd expected. He'd heard companions always made for a shorter road. Glancing over at the Tiefling he couldn't help but see the truth in the analogy.
Going over the route he figured they could get in the shadow of Flint Rock if he pushed himself. A day after that they should reach the Surbrin River crossing. Hopefully, there was a willing settlement or homestead along the way. As interesting as it had been Alidorim didn't need to keep Yulia with him any longer than necessary. The road was no place for children and the wilds could be merciless as Urcis had learned the hard way.
At that moment the wind changed and Alidorim felt a shift in air pressure. Inhaling, he caught the distinct scent of dampness on the wind. It wasn't that same fetid stench of the Evermoores getting caught on a northerly gust. This breeze came up from the south and the smell was of clear moisture.
"Alidorim," Yulia called out. The Dragonborn turned and saw the girl was standing and pointing skyward. "Alidorim, sky, clouds." Sure enough, through the trees they could see dark rolling clouds. Yulia had a look of concern about her. Despite not knowing common or her own species name, she knew very well what those clouds meant.
Scarfing the last of his food, Alidorim stowed his gear. He pulled Yulia into her makeshift carrier and slung his pack. Before setting out he withdrew a cloak and prepared to drape it over the girl. The sun was at its highest. Alidorim figured they had another three candle-marks before the thunderheads blocked it out. Whether she liked it or not, Yulia was about to learn the word 'storm' and all that it entailed.