forum The Queen and her Bear // OxO // Open

Started October 18, 2019 by @ElderGod-Icefire

tune

"Um….yes, I suppose I am a bit famished." His stomach growled to emphasize the statement.

She nodded. "Come on, then." she started walking into the woods. After a few minutes, Rike followed after her, claws clicking on the rocks at the edge of the stream.

Riggs got to his feet, smiling to himself as he followed the bear. Gaining her trust was much easier than expected. A few more days and she will think we are thick as thieves. That's when I'll take her back to the King.

Arin led him into the woods, to a neat, pretty little shelter created from the trees. She crawled inside, and came out with a small leather pouch, opening it up. "Hm. Well, we don't have very much…" she looked at her Familiar, and something passed between the two. Rike snorted, and lumbered off again. "So he's going to catch some fish and we can cook those." she smiled. "For now, there's berries." she held out the bag to him. There was an almost child-like innocence to her.

From anyone else, Riggs would have denied the offer, just simply for his own safety. But it was coming from Arin, so he felt no fear reaching into the bag and pulling out a few.
"Much appreciated, friend," he said, giving her a charming smile.

Arin smiled back, nodding. She sat cross-legged, and ate a few herself. Her brown hair stuck out from her head a little, the chin length strands a little wild. She looked nothing like the royal she was.

"Where do you hail from, if you don't mind me asking?" he asked after the first berry was chewed and swallowed.

Arin blinked, frowning a little at the question. "Oh. I uhm…Rolanth, originally. I think." she shrugged slightly. Rolanth was the capital city, where the royals had always held court, for as long as anyone could remember.

Riggs raised his eyebrows, pulling a surprised look that he had mastered years ago. "Oh? Did you ever catch a glimpse of the old royals?"

Arin looked away guiltily. "Uhm…no." she wasn't a very good liar. She hadn't ever really needed to, so she hadn't ever learned the skill.

He raised an eyebrow, but chose not to press the issue. "Damn. Heard they were quite the sight. Have you seen the new king yet?"

She glanced over at him. "No." that was truthful. She hadn't. Or if she had, she didn't remember. After all, she had only been five years old at the time of the takeover.

He leaned in close like he was about to share a secret, a sly look on his face. "Between me and you, he's incredibly ugly."

(gtg to bed. Good night!)

Arin blinked, then laughed softly, smiling. "Isn't he like…forty? Or somewhere around there?" she asked, looking at him curiously.

"Forty seven, yes," he confirmed, returning to his usual sitting position. "Do you have any opinions on him?"

She frowned a little, and shrugged. "What does it matter if I do? I'm a nobody living deep in the woods." She shrugged again, popping another berry in her mouth.

"It is just light conversation," he explained, leaning back slightly. "I can stop, if you wish."

Arin nodded. "Please do." She replied, brushing a bit of hair back from her face. "My turn to ask questions. Where are you from?"

"Believe it or not, the same place," Riggs said, stretching his legs out. "I found that an interesting similarity, but, chose not to mention it."

"Oh. What's it like now?" Arin asked. "I haven't been back since I was five. I'm sure it's changed." she shrugged a little.

"There's a curfew now," he said with absolute certainty despite the fact he never actually lived there. "Protests against the King have gotten so violent they've put out the King's Guard to keep peace."

Arin blinked. "They…oh." she said slowly. "Okay." She picked up a few blades of grass, and started braiding them. Rike came back, and dropped two fish beside her. Arin picked up the fish, and got to work filleting them on a stone.

"Do you have anymore questions?" Riggs Orson asked, raising an eyebrow over at the bear.

"Nope. Plus I have to make dinner. Make yourself useful and light a fire." She replied, gesturing with one hand to a fire pit. Logs were stacked beside it, along with tinder, kindling, and other supplies.

Riggs contemplated starting it the normal way for a few moments, then shrugged and stood up, He walked over to the pit and packed the kindling down beneath the logs in the pit. Then he snapped and the logs were ablaze.

Arin smiled a little. "Oh, thanks." she held out the stone with the fish guts on it to Rike, who licked it off happily.

"So you're just gonna roast it over an open flame?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.