Uncharted treasure (Rin)

[Rin]

Rin didn’t know if she should feel reassured by that fact. The fact the woman didn’t know what kind of predators were in the woods… forest… thing meant she hadn’t been here long. Of course Rin constituted one of those predators, but it was a different kind. The line also prompted a free ticket to get closer it was like screaming it out loud. At least in her mind it was.

And so it occurred she scooted a bit closer to the woman. From here she could smell her… and she had a distinct smell of death mingled with other scents that had been lathered on over it blood was one of them. “Ok…” Rin said as if acknowledging the don’t dawdle phrase after she had already moved closer. She could reach out and touch the other woman with her elbow if she wished… very close. She could even try the arm latch on technique if she really wanted to… die.

“So uhh… why are you out here?” Rin asked non-chalantly. Probing was good. Very good. It let her know how crazy the woman was.

[karida]

"All sorts of reasons really, For one, I never cared for large cities." Ambushes, drunkards, guards, many at the same time. Plus it always looked bad when careless civilians were caught between her foes and her blade. "I always liked the quiet world that lies outside, plus I can always glean a little information from passing caravans so I'm never completely out of the loop."Not that she really cared to speak with them, most were boring and focused on their own goals. Few ever took the time for a nice drawn out conversation.

"And besides, out here is where people need help. Bandits like to sneak around the outskirts of cities, raiding parties, soldiers running from duty. Everyone is drawn to or flees from the city at some point so circling it leads to all sorts of fun and interesting encounters." Most of which end with one party fairing far better than the other even if Kari wasn't the instigator she took pride at her ability to finish any disputes.

"Occasionally I encounter a fair lady on her way to the princess. For a little compensation I happily escort her to safety." Which was far away from Karida and the city. "Call it my service to the community."

[Rin]

Well that was far different from Rin. She couldn’t LIVE without a big city to keep her occupied. After all she was all over the place the whole day… not to mention her business would probably shut down if it wasn’t in a big city. She had never done well with the quiet it was too… BORING. “I uhh… See…” Rin said nodding her head sagely. Then at the mention of Bandits Rin tensed up and looked around. She had had plenty of encounters with their kind on her journeys as a traveling merchant before setting up shop.

“Well… let’s hope we don run into any of them…” She said with a bit of a hesitant laugh. It wasn’t that Rin couldn’t fight off Bandits it was just that she didn’t LIKE them. Always saying things like give me all your money or you have a nice body. She only wanted to hear those kinds of things from the random women she found in certain areas of Sapphis… or that fancy house with the octopus woman.

“Ohh so you know about what’s going on in Sapphis?” Rin said looking over ears twitching. “Hehe I met a nice girl that was there to meet the princess…” Rin stopped at that. She shouldn’t be talking about Lumi to someone who was potential cuddle+ Material. Then again she REALLY shouldn’t be thinking about cheating on Lumi, but… but the girls and women around her just shouted ‘COME GET ME!’ it was very hard to resist.

[karida]

"Is that so?" Karida ran through a mental checklist. "Caught your fancy did she?" Karida looked over Rin again. While certainly no matchmaker, coupling potential suitors and encouraging little acts of infidelity would certainly help in limiting the chances of those suitors who sat within the city and outside of her blade.

"She isn't still after the princess, is she? You hardly seem to be one to sit on the sidelines and watch. You ought to be there wooing her. If there's room in her heart for the other girl then you aren't taking up enough of it."

[Rin]

RIn laughed a little at the question of Lumi catching her fancy. Of course in a way she supposed the Vampire did... she pipped into Rin's head more than was normal... she still struggled with that one. It was like she had a second concience. Every time she would look at a different girl Lumi would pop into her mind... it made things harder.

"Of course I've already stolen her heart!" Rin said a bit triumphantly. She hardly considered Lumi a conquest, but stating the girl was hers... was nice. So long as Lumi didn't cheat... then again she always thought about it... but being on the receiving end of it wasn't any fun. besides Lumi was hers. She didn't want to give her to anyone else.

[karida]

Karida laughed at the overstated reassurance. "Well that's good, though I don't understand why anybody would need more than one heart, it's reassuring to know your heart is right where it should be." She smiled at Rin and placed a hand on her shoulder. "In any case we've almost come to the edge of this place. If you look hard enough you can see the flatlands on the outside."

Karida whistled loudly. "And Destry should be waiting for us once we arrive, we can enjoy a nice walk to the castle gates in a group. It would be so much more pleasant than wandering about on your own. It will certainly drive off any brazen bandits who attack in the open fields, don't you think?"

[Rin]

Great… the large thing the woman called a horse was waiting for them. She didn’t know if she should be happy… or not. She had never known bandits who back down from a group of two people and a horse… no matter how big the latter was. But the woman DID seem like she could scare off a bandit or… eight. Which made her all the better company to have. Rin’s tails lashed behind her as she nodded in acceptance.

She wasn’t really worried about the bandits anyways… more those people wanting the stuff she had claimed first. They were just jelous because she got there first… and away. “Bandits… right.” Rin nodded and… since she was bored with silence at any time. “So… what do you know of the Princess’s ‘Get Together’?” Rin asked. If she had so many beautiful girls vying for her she would be in heaven… of sorts.

[karida]

"Well I expect she thought it was a fine idea, though I don't see how it will work long term." Karida shrugged. "Back home such things were not unknown in lower courts where direct line of succession were needed. However for the princess? Well I think it is incredibly selfish of her to do such a thing. A proper bloodline can be traced for generations and she wishes to cut it off. I suppose it wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't a royal heritage but it does." They arrived at the tree line and the dark horse was nowhere to be seen.

"But apart from that it is a fine idea. If you were to go through all the trouble to earn the right to take your lovers hand she'll probably have moved on to a man by the time you've returned with a title, lands, and the blessings of the Queen. Then what can you do but return home empty hearted but full of plunder?"

[Rin]

Rin… didn’t like the way the others explanation ended… she sensed a bit of malice in it… she had ways of making malice disappear. “It worked out for the former Anactoria did it not?” Rin asked rather plainly. “Or rather… I don’t know much about who she ended up with.” Rin added in with a light laugh.

Yay! The large dark thing wasn’t around. That was good… she rather hoped for the alone time with the mysterious beauty. And the horse would do naught but get in her way should things end up with a roll in the grass… as she hoped they did. Of course Rin ALWAYS hoped they did. Lumi wasn’t much of one for obscure places, but Rin liked the adventure of it. “Where the…” She trailed off as if it were obvious what should be added in.

[karida]

"So the bloodline has been snipped before. Then I suppose cutting off a proud tradition of two generations can be easily forgotten, or at the very least ignored. Still, I'd rather see something as noble as a royal bloodline flourish but perhaps I am simply foreign." This was a strange place and Karida couldn't help but think about her own past. At least Lords were well known for adopting or bringing in bastards when the man couldn't produce, but for a royal to adopt and expect the child to inherit the kingdom was simply foolish.

"We aren't far now, I believe I can see the road." Karida gestured off to the side where there was a a rather well defined path through the forest and rather quickly leaving the forest was a small caravan who seemed to be rather intent on getting away from something.

[Rin]

Yay it was in fact the road!!! That meant she merely had to pick the right direction on the road and she would be back on the way to her cozy shop… maybe with company! but she doubted it… so sad too. She was sure the girl had so much to offer… in various ways. No… wait she had Lumi, but she hadn’t seen Lumi in so long. Maybe the vampire had merely been playing with her and was off seducing some other maiden to have her way with. Wait… wasn’t she the one who had seduced Lumi the maiden… and was right that instant thinking of trying to do the same with another person… though maiden was doubtful.

Her hopes and other thoughts were dashed as she recognized one of the Wagons in that Caravan. Darnit… where was that disguise ring when she needed it most!? Of course she had left it at the shop opting for the extra snack room for the trip. Hmmm she was torn between regret and happiness. The cookie had been good. Of course they could always wait till after the caravan passed by. “Ehehe, maybe we should wait and see if something is chasing them before approaching. They were moving fast, but that could be to catch up to something rather than get away.”

[karida]

Karida smiled, though it wasn't entirely friendly. "You seem nervous my dear. No need for that." She was certain that Rin was hiding something, not that she particularly cared. Secrets are secret of course, unless they shouldn't be secret. She drew her sword, it had heard many secrets, though this time it would be doing something a bit different.

"My dear Rin, should something be chasing them then I shall cut it down without a thought. It wouldn't do for the roaming princesses to be eaten and disappear in this forest." Not unless Karida was behind it. "It's our, excuse me, my duty to make sure these roads are safe. Especially for the little merchant folk like you." She redirected the path so that they might catch up to the caravan at a bend in the road.

[Rin]

Rin had to disagree, in her opinion it would be perfectly fine if the princesses were consumed… well… it would cut down on her customers… or more importantly her eye candy. Her mind drifted to Lumi… where was she? The longer she was away the more likely Rin was to commit some… act best not done while in a relationship. Afterall… it wasn’t like she could keep herself in check forever right?

She followed the woman for the mere fact it ‘felt’ safer… and by followed she meant stared at the girls butt while chasing her… it was the more important of the two reasons. “But…” She began to put up more protest then stopped. Fine… if she was lucky the wagon she had stolen from was still stuck and the caravan had moved on. If she wasn’t well she would deal with that when he time came… or avoid it entirely and play it off as say… and evil twin… that excuse worked all the time.

OOC: I find Rin becomes more lecherous the more time passes… odd o.o

[karida]

Karida began running a bit faster so that she would have ample time to take a stance in front of the speeding wagon. She knew she was being ogled, and she liked that. People whose minds drifted to oggling were people who were too distracted to notice what she was doing with her hands, or where the dagger in their neck had come from. Simply put, Karida liked being looked at and had worked hard to draw eyes.

She stopped in the dead center of the road and held her sword aloft. "Halt there travelers, what business have you on these roads that requires such reckless speeds." Her voice carried on quiet far, loud and clear. She flashed the sunlight into the coachman's eyes as he drew nearer. She wondered if he would stop, or possibly try and go around. The other option, though she doubted he would be so foolish, was to simply run her over. She secretly hoped he might try, despite any problems it might cause, she had only returned earlier that day from the tables of her goddess and was still feeling powerful from the contact.

[Rin]

Rin had almost tripped once. The woman she was following was waving her butt in Rin’s face as if screaming for her to tackle her to the ground. And she had been tempted to on the run over, but… she was too far ahead so maybe her vision had been focusing on such a single point it seemed to be closer to her than it really was. Not that it really mattered she supposed.

Rin had opted to wait on the side of the road in the bushes. Best not to press her luck too far. She had nearly run out onto the road chasing after the prize before her, but something in her mind had stopped her. Darn thing always sticking its nose where it didn’t belong… then again her minds nose was hers as well wasn’t it… hmm.

Either way she had to wonder if the woman realized that she sounded like a bandit with her little speech. As a traveling merchant… or former one anyways she recognized this instantly and if the merchant DID stop then it was his own fault if he got robbed and if he didn’t this time he would next time. Well if she hadn’t stole from him already. She didn’t recognize the man… but the wagon was familiar… was that the one she had stolen from? Maybe it had been a different time had she took something from this man… maybe.