Roleplay

He couldn’t handle sad people, he could barely deal with the occasional torrent of emotions he’d go through on particularly lonely and long journeys. But she seemed to perk right up at the mention of his possible aid.

The candlestick threw his vision of just slightly, seeing the dark room fairly well without any lights to begin with. There on the bed, the girl laid. Gods she couldn’t be much older than 10, if even that really. She seemed to be sleeping fairly sound despite the sickness on her, and he could see small speaking spots of rash on her arms and face even from here. Still, quiet he was.

“How has she been? Is she completely bedridden or can she still get about okay?”

Hannah looked down at the girl as she reached down and held her hand in hers as she answered him. “ I try to get her to move around a few times a day, but she is moving less and less as time goes on. “

“It would be slow going, I don’t know how fast I can get us there with her sick. I can’t guarantee lodgings for you. This trip will be risky, are you willing to accept those risks?”

Why was he even considering this? They’d ideally leave in the morning, after a quick rest for all of them, but there was a clock and it was already ticking. It had been for some time now. Gods above curse him for caring even a minute amount.

“We’ll leave in the morning. Get some rest, get her to drink as much water as you can before we go, bring only what you can carry.”

Hannah gave a smile and nodded. “ thank you, thank you so much, I promise I will pay you back for this.”

“I know you will, you’re nice to a fault so I’m not worried of you skipping out on me after we get there. But I will find you if you do, keep that in mind. There’s a path leading off of the main road about half mile from the city gates, near the signposts. Meet me there tomorrow morning.”

He’d be back sooner than anticipated at least, even if he’d just accepted a job he knew would most likely end poorly. Pay was pay though, he needed to remind himself. He was quiet in leaving from the small room, peaking out one of the nearby windows to check if anyone were in the streets near. Looked empty enough, with how late it surely was. A final look back to the woman, and he was edging outside, managing to make it out of the city without incident this time. The rest of the night was spent fetching his mount, who’d thankfully stayed nearby, and getting himself some sleep before dawn cracked and he was saddled back up. He waited out by the signposts at the start of the path, the familiar creaking of the leather saddle under him a comfort of sorts.

Hannah nodded at his instructions. “ alright, I’ll see you then.” She watched as V slowly made his way out the door and outside. The rest of the night, she packed hers and Aaliyah’s bags, then got as much rest as she could. The next morning, she made sure Aaliyah drank as much water as she could, then she packed food, and water, and she wrapped Aaliyah in blankets and headed to the signposts.

He’d have to change his initial course a bit, but he still knew of somewhere he could load off stolen goods. Didn’t pay as much, but he’d be getting..something at the end of this. He really should’ve discussed pay before he agreed to do this. The horse underneath him pawed at the dirt with a huff, and he reached down to give a few pats to the side of that broad neck.

“Easy, Fruylv. If they don’t show, we run. Because they’ve probably turned us in by that point.”

If the animal understood him, it didn’t show. It would at least be able to carry all three of them if needed, he was a big animal, and it hopefully wouldn’t be for too long. He’d been hoping a lot recently. Leaning back up in the saddle, he could see them now approaching down the road. Took them long enough. He hopped down from the saddle to wait.

“Almost thought you wouldn’t show. But you’re here I suppose, you’ll be on the horse, I’ll be leading him. So hop on, I will take the girl while you get up.”

Hannah nodded as they arrived. “ yeah, sorry we took so long, I had to make sure I had everything we needed.” Then when he said he’d take Aaliyah while she got on the horse, she nodded slowly. “ okay, just be careful with her” she then gently placed Aaliyah in V’s arms.

“Of course I’ll be careful, she’s a child. Have you ever even ridden a horse?”

His tone was a bit huffy, with the insinuation he may not be careful, but his voice softened a good degree once the girl was in his arms. He’d spend a good deal of his life raising up children younger than himself, helping where he could being one of the oldest of the little group he used to run with. Before they all grew up and wandered away to peruse their own goals. The horse gusted out another breath when Hannah was sliding into the saddle, clearly ready to set off and not shy about its impatient nature.

“Oh hush you hulking brute. Hello there dear thing, what is your name? I’m gonna be helping you and your friend there to get you something that’ll make you feel better, no more of that nasty cough and itching, yeah?”

Hannah nodded as she climbed on the horse, she struggled a bit due to her arthritis, which she still hadn’t told V about. She didn’t want him to think she was just a burden. “ Yes, I know how to ride a horse.” She then saw him holding and talking to Aaliyah.

Aaliyah gave the tiniest smile. “ my name is..” coughs. “ Aaliyah. “ then her eyes go curiously when he called Hannah her friend. “ she’s not my friend, she’s my mother.”