"I don't trust you," Iris stated bluntly, not caring for manners. Since when has she ever? Nevertheless, she removes her hand from the sword. "But thank you." Her voice is steely, filled with disdain, contradicting the amiable words. "We will go to your village, Scur. One thing out of place, and you're dead."
Scur smiles and looks up.
"Night come. Be fast," he says but he hesitates as he eyes your humanoid legs. "Keep up." He turns and trots away from the mountains. The other centaurs follow.
“I’ll try horse dude.” Bella began to jog but quickly lost her breath due to the high altitude. Curse her lungs.
Clare sighed and hoisted Bella onto the way-beasts back jogging along side the animal, she tucked the bundle into her pouch so her hands would be free. " Maybe don't call a centaur horse dude, he told us his name so use it, we don't want to offend them." She told Bella in Craision
Huffing indigently at Scur's words, Iris jogs with the group without protest. The elf bundles her cloak tightly, casting a glance at Azriel as she could already feel the cold setting in. She runs faster. Pumping her body with heat from the exercise, feet lightly skimming over the ground, releasing all her pent up emotions into the wind.
Azriel tried to jog, as she didn't want to make everything easier for herself than for the others, but after a few minutes, she gave up and used the wind to push her along, barely moving her feet.
“Lucky! I want to control the wind. I got stuck with mind control. Yippee.” Bella grumbled from the back of the way-beast. Her teeth chattered and all she could think about was a nice, warm fire. Yes, that would be lovely. Why did she always get herself in these frigid situations? She wrapped her arms tighter around herself, but her thin arms did almost nothing to conserve her heat. She looked at Azriel and Iris. She bet that Azriel would put her wing around Iris and use the wind to sweep both of them along. She laughed softly to herself at the thought of it, if they did, their faces would be red as tomatoes.
(fourth wall who?)
The village was approaching. Not steadily, but anyone could see the notable difference. She made every step her next target, just one more, a few more, and eventually hundreds and thousands more. The wind dampened her perspiration, creating a casket of ice on her skin with every step. Iris briefly debated using her powers - yet that would only conclude with her being even colder. She eyed Azriel and Arabella with envy, breaths panting out of her body like a broken record. She could, would, make it, though. The village was approaching, after all.
Clare, who had spent the past few months traveling in a similar manner avoiding and out racing patrol groups looking for her, Was quite enjoying the run, the groups pace had been staggeringly slow compared to her usual pace.
(Ok wow Gracie I was gonna do that but now I don't wanna lmao how dare you)
(Do it)
“Clare do you want to ride with me on Mr.Fluffy? Iris, I bet your girlfriend can use her wind power to make it easier on you.” Arabella asked all things with a serious face, but inside, all she wanted was an Azris moment. (Guys the ship name fits. Deal with it.)
Daggers were wedging themselves along all of Arabella’s body, into every crevice Iris’s eyes could find. Girlfriend? She scoffed, shaking the thought to the wind. Her jet black hair streamed behind her, tangling in furious knots. The icy retort died on the tip of her tongue. The elf was panting too hard to respond, so she amused herself with fantasies of Arabella screaming in torture. Yes, much better.
Suddenly looking over with concern, Azriel's eyebrows scrunched up slightly. "Do you want me to help you?" She asked, not wanting to make Iris think that she didn't have faith that she could do it alone.
Arabella watched the couple with a grin similar to the grinches plastered on her face. It was beautiful entertainment.
Clare shook her head, "I'm fine running, I've been doing this for a while, besides I don't want to weigh him down to much." She found Iris's responses amusing but didn't show it. If there was one thing she had learned about the girl it was to not comment on her and Azriel's Relationship in any way shape or form.
Stubbornly, Iris shook her head. She was not going to accept help from anyone, even if it was her… Azriel. What was Azriel? They'd kissed, but the angel couldn't possibly trust her. Arabella had called her Iris's girlfriend, and while the thought caused possessiveness to bloom in her gut, Azriel most certainly was not her girlfriend. Her head whirled, faster than the elf's feet pounded against the ground and gasps left her body.
Crossing her arms against her stomach, Azriel nodded. "Alright, then," she mumbled. It made her uncomfortable, not being able to be helpful at all, and she could feel her stomach turning with guilt. "Are you sure?" She persisted emphatically after a moment's' pause.
She slowed to a labored jog, eyes flicking toward her angel. "I'm… sure…" she claimed defensively, heaving. "It's just… cold… and you know…" Iris's pants trailed off, unable to finish. It was lucky that the group hadn't yet consumed any food, otherwise she was prone to throw up any second. But the elf pushed herself harder and harder against the biting wind, ignoring how her insides were warring, between numbing and her palpitating heart.
It is mostly dark by the time you make it to the village. Firelight is the first sign of the village and as you draw closer you see dark shapes scattered about. There is no wall and no protection visible. The buildings, for lack of a better word, are made from dried grass and animal skins. It appears that most centaurs have retreated into their homes for the night but there are still a few pacing around the outer edges. One of these centaurs approaches the group and she and Scur exchange a few words. She sends you all a distrustful glare before she nods to Scur. He leads you into the village where you notice a significant rise in temperature. Scur turns to you and waits for you to catch your breath.
“thank the stars! It’s warm! Give me a few days to thaw and it will be just great!” Bella jumped off the way-beast and jogged towards a fire, warming her shivering body. She scanned her surroundings, they seemed a little, iffy, but she could work with iffy.
Iris's smirk was a slash of white at the human's sarcasm. Quivering, she voiced, "Your village seems… ill-suited for the environment." The elf's wary eyes traced the contours of 'buildings'. Despite the Yrnan's shaking form, her gaze was steady and intertwined with authority as she met Scur's. "And very welcoming to newcomers." A glare was thrown at the female centaur.
“Agreed. Some food and nice shelter would be marvelous, thank you.” The human flashed a sweet smile at the centaur. “The nicest place you have. We will sleep there.” Arabella looked expectantly at the centaur, her Medien spoken in a serious tone.”
Clare almost dropped her composure to slap Arabella, Had she no manners, No shame? The Elf, Iris, was also being rude but that was to be expected it was Iris after all. She spoke quickly, "Pardon their rudeness Scur, I'm afraid my comrades are weary and haven't their wits about them at the moment. Clare paused for a moment to glower at her companions before resuming, "Would you be able to spare a place for us to rest, and if it wouldn't bother you we could use some food after the run. As you know no one here could keep up with a centaur such as yourself and be unaffected by hunger and weariness." Clare may not have interacted with people her own age but she was accustomed to speaking to the adults and others among the upper class of Craisio. She knew better then to demand anything from one who had just saved them from the unforgiving night.
Arabella sighed and took out a note, a tear slipped out of her eye as she held it above the fire. “Your right father,” the human mumbled, “I will be just like you. This contract means nothing any more.” She let the not flutter into the flames as spoke clearly, “You should let me leave tonight, I would only be an extra unwanted weight. You should enjoy your stay. I will be on my way.” As much as Arabella tried to be good, her demons slipped out more and more. She was like her father. Clare’s words made her realize how she had been acting. It was time to leave.
Clare reached out and grabbed the girls wrist, "Excuse us for a moment please." Clare roughly pulled the girl off to the side out of ear shot, "Listen here, I don't know what's going on with you but, Cut.It.Out. If you leave you'll offend the centaurs even more, and risk all of us. I need you to stay calm, I need you to stay silent and I need you to please, please, please, Listen to me, Understand." Clare was doing her best to stay calm with the girl, there was no doubt in her mind that there was something troubling the girl but for the moment Clare couldn't ask about it and she couldn't help, "Arabella please just stay here tonight, Then enplane to me why you want to leave, if you think you're hurting anyone you can stay in my bag but I refuse to let you freeze to death out there or be eaten by something."
Another tear slipped through Bella’s barriers. crap “I’m becoming my flatter, just, just let me leave. It would be better for everybody. The lake. The tree. Everything will just make me spiral.” Arabella then muttered a string of curses she would’ve been whipped black and blue for.
"Well, now we're just all over the place," the elf sighed, exasperated. Her breaths came harshly and quickly. Iris met Scur's eyes head on, the pounding in her ears having now receded into a quiet echo, as she spelled out, "Shelter and food. That's all we need. Please."
Unable to handle the girls complaints, Clare untied the bag from around her waist, she listened to the girl while pulling a blanket from one pocket and putting it in another along with a few other things like a stack of crackers,water, and a pillow. "Alright get in the bag."
“Just let me leave!” Arabella’s tears fell faster now. She began to back up, turning, and running away into the snow. She didn’t deserve these people. No. She had to leave.