Melody of the Abyss

Estelle had been lost in thought when Raven's voice snapped her out of it. "Hm? Oh, YES! I am fine, thank you for asking!" she smiled at her companion. though the truth was, she was a bit tired.

Estelle wasn't the type to complain too much despite being a spoiled, babied 'princess.' It seemed that nothing could stain the girl's natural good nature.

"How far is it to Grand Chokmah?"

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"Well, we're almost across the Rugnica Plains, so we're near the Theory Forest; right after that would lie Grand Chokmah." Raven explained. Grand Chokmah... the place he first met Atwight. Not that she was there anymore. "Do you need to rest at the edge of the Theor Forest before we proceed on?" Raven held his hands behind the back of his head, tilting it with a concerned expression. He didn't want the little darling to faint on him, after all. He was no expert seventh fonist, after all.

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Not long after Raven mentioned resting at the edge of Thor Forest did she appear, at .. the edge of Theor forest. She'd just made her way through it, and seemed to be coming out of it more tired than she anticipated she would be.

Well, this was just lovely.

She placed a slender hand against a nearby tree, taking deep breaths and trying to regulate her breathing. As much as she'd wanted to pace herself, there was no time to do so; something needed to be done. Something needed to be taken care of. And she intended to do it.

She couldn't do it alone, though. She alone couldn't do much; no, she needed the aid of others ...

And what luck she seemed to have! As her gaze wandered upward from her spot beside that tree, she found that there were a couple of travelers headed in the direction of the forest she'd only just come out of.

One seemed almost regal in her appearance; she didn't look like an ordinary traveler, or someone who had been well-versed in traveling as a whole. In fact, she seemed almost ... out of place. As she herself had been all that time ago. Her companion, however, seemed to be wiser on the subject. His apparent concern over the other girl was endearing; she couldn't determine what the relation between the two was. Not that she was gifted in such observation in the first place.

After catching her breath, she pushed herself away from the tree, rushing toward the two.

Perhaps they can help me ...

Yes, perhaps.

( ooc: let me know if I need to do anything different for this. ^^;; )

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"No, I am still alright. Though I appreciate your-" Estelle turned from Raven when she heard the hurried footsteps coming towards them. For an instant, she went on her guard till she got a good look at the other pink haired girl.

"Oh dear, are you alright?" the concern in her voice genuine, Estelle hurried forward to meet the other half-way. "Are you hurt? What were you doing in there alone?" with gentle hands on her shoulders the young noble began to cast a healing spell.

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Well, leave it to the little lady to be the one fawning over another person. Another pink-haired individual, to be sure, but it was all good. Raven simply walked toward Rhea right behind Estelle, and looked around. No bandits were following her, and she seemed unharmed for the most part, but he put on a grin. "Hey there, little miss; well, Estelle here's takin' care of your wounds, but you need anything else?"

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A seventh fonist? Quite the surprise; she didn't expect the young noblewoman to know of such an art. Nevertheless, she was thankful; despite the fact that any wounds she had weren't severe, it was refreshing to have them healed by the light of a seventh fonist.

She looked first to the girl healing her, offering a grateful smile, then to the man who spoke to her. It was a perfect opportunity for her to explain what she needed to do ...

Ah, but take it slowly. A part of her was afraid that if she explained all at once, they wouldn't even think to help her. She wasn't quite certain why she felt as such, however. It was odd.

"Thank you," she finally spoke, to the both of them; "I ... actually, I was on my way to take care of something which has been left undone for a long time, now." She looked to the ground, folding her hands together.

"If I could ask for your assistance?"

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"O-oh! If...if you are in need of assistance...." she looked back at Raven for a moment before turning back to Rhea, "We were on our way to Grand Chokmah...but if there is something you need help with...we can certainly take a detour. Right, Mr. Raven?"

She knew she was asking a lot, but he had been sure to ask her where she wanted to go. Sure, she wanted to see Grand Chokmah, but this girl's trouble was much more important than her own personal needs.

"Please, tell us what you need."

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Scratching the back of his head, Raven ruminated over this situation for a moment. It wasn't like he had a set schedule in plan, and if Estelle wanted to... well, was there a point in stopping her? Besides, it'd make him look bad if they abandoned somebody in need, and he wasn't heartless. Putting on a smile, she looked at Rhea, then Estelle, and Rhea once more. "I suppose I don't mind. Whatcha need, darlin'? The name's Raven, and this here's Estelle."

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She looked up, her expression brightening considerably.

"Thank you, Sir Raven. Madam Estelle. You have my gratitude." She bowed her head a little, before her expression became grim again.

"My name is Rhea. Rhea Scarlet. I once lived with my parents in St. Binah, and we traveled quite frequently to and from other cities." She closed her eyes, as if recalling a memory from some time ago.

"Unfortunately, my parents were killed while we were traveling back to St. Binah one day."

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"K-killed?!" How terrible! Estelle furrowed her brows in sympathy and concern. The girl seemed very young for such a terrible thing.

"Why were you traveling around so much? Was it your parent's employment? How have you been taking care of yourself?" there were so many questions, but she knew it was rude to drill the poor thing.

"Please...tell us what you need of us."

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"Uh..." Raven knew that there would be no changing Estelle's mind once she made it up, and he had a very distinct feeling that this was one of those times. Not really appalled at Rhea's story, given that this happened a lot during times of war and the fact that bandits were merciless, his stomach was far more turned at the idea of them going out of their way to mete out vigilante justice. "Miss Scarlet, darlin', wouldn't it be better to take you to St. Binah or Grand Chokmah and alert the authorities instead?" he tilted his head, giving as much of a concerned look as he could muster.

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Rhea offered a sad smile to both of them.

"My father traveled around a lot due to work, but whenever my mother and I did come with him, we usually also had a stop in Engeve on the way back from wherever, for groceries. I actually had a good friend in Engeve, so it was also an opportunity for me to visit with her. Mother and Father perished as we were on our way to Engeve coming back from one of his jobs." As for how she was taking care of herself ... she didn't want to answer that.

She then looked to Raven, and shook her head.

"The authorities wouldn't do anything, I'm sure. Even if they would, I don't trust them." Her expression became stern. Determined, almost.

"The culprit is somewhere in the area. I ... I wish to eliminate it. Vengeance for mother and father."

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