Kidnapping The Princess

[Alistair]

When he opened his eyes, some time later he felt softness under his cheek. He just laid there, drifting in and out before everything came back to him. His body tensed up, as his mind reminded him of not only where he was at but what he should be doing. His eyes flew opened as he started looking for her. However, at the same moment, other things happened.

When his body tensed, pain shot down his spine. His headache came roaring back, and he felt the weakness of sleep trying to take him again. His hand, of his non injured arm moved up to touch the fabric was he resting on, only to connect to a leg. A leg, wrapped in a rather soft fabric. SHE was still here.

His body seemed to relax as that thought hit him. His lips were dry, and his mouth felt like cotton. As much as he hated the blow to his pride, he knew he would not be able to move. "water," he whispered out, trying not to speak over the pounding in his head.

[isadora]

Isadora was good at sitting around and waiting for sick people, she'd had a lot of experience through the years. She ran her fingers idly up and down his cheek, more for her own benefit than his now, feeling calmed by the simple touch. She tried to stay awake, but found herself drifting off now and then, dozing off while sitting up, only to wake seconds or minutes later, feeling disoriented. But whenever she woke, he was still asleep, still resting in her lap, his breathing even and his temperature high, but decreasing.

Blinking her eyes, she was suddenly aware when she felt him tense up in her lap, looking down on him. She smiled, glad to see him awake, she had been worried, and even if he wasn't well yet, she felt better for seeing him awake. She nodded to his request for water, gently lifting his head out of her lap and onto the ground while she picked up the cup and filled it at the river. Returning to his side, she helped him lift his head enough to drink its contents. Then she took the cloth off his forehead, returning to the river to soak it again, and fill the cup a second time.

"More?" She asked, folding up the cloth again and putting it back on his forehead, then lifting the cup to his lips a second time. For a princess, she didn't seem to mind looking after a sick man. She brushed her fingertips across his cheek tenderly.

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[Alistair]

He rested there while she went to get water, and was slightly surprised when she lifted his head to help him drink. One would think she might have done this before. Where did a princess learn to help the sick? He looked up at her for a moment before she left to get more water.

When she returned, he drank some of the cup before shaking his head. He would want more later for for the moment, he just wanted to rest. "Moss." She spoke in a soft, weak voice. "Grows on the north side of trees. Gwent is south west from here. More west then south." He drifted off into sleep after that not hearing a reply if there was one, leaving her to make what she would of his comments.

After a while, he awoke again. Seeming to do it calmer then before. he noticed the sun was awake as well. He had little since of time, and was unsure how much was passing. "Your wrong." He spoke, but then seemed to drift off for a moment, leaving him to distracted to explain about what. "Devils are pretty. How else would they temp men into hell?"

[And Night! Wednesdays are my day off, so I am sure I will see you then!]

[isadora]

His breathing seemed to be getting steadier, and he seemed to be sleeping better, so she decided she might be able to leave him alone for a little while, after covering him with the blanket. The sun had risen while he was sleeping, and she ventured into the woods, never straying too far from where she'd left him as she searched for herbs. She completely ignored what he had said about Gwent's location, leaving the filled cup within his reach in case he was thirsty again. She knew what would happen to him if she just left him, and she wasn't prepared to deal with that. If she felt this guilty over drugging him and getting him hurt, how bad would it be if she let him die?

They'd taught her about herblore when she'd lived at the convent; making medicines for the poor was a task the sisters did all the time, and even if Isadora never so much as looked at those people, they'd spent hours teaching her about it. She'd thought it was so useless then...she couldn't find everything that she wanted, but she found enough to make him something, along with enough dead and fallen wood to build a fire.

Returning to their makeshift riverside camp, she found tinder and flint in his bag, and after a great deal of trial and error, she managed to build up a small fire. She took the metal cup, still filled with water, and set it next to the fire to warm it up, while she used two large rocks to grind up the herbs she'd found. She looked up when she heard him speak, and laughed at his words. "So I can't be an angel, but I might be a devil? How very sweet of you."

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((Good night!))

[Alistair]

He was beginning to feel less tired, and more focused, but still weak. Watching her as he lay there he began to notice things he had not when he first awakened. Like what she was doing, and the supplies she had found. Some of that did not grow by the river's edge so she would have had to go out looking for it.

How did a spoiled princess know what to find, where to find it, and what would help? Much less how to make something. He could not tell by the crushed sight, what herbs she had but he could almost guess by some of the colors and by knowing the area.

He wasn't sure why she was helping him. Had she tired to leave but gotten lost? No, then she would not have found her way back and he'd not been out that long. Had he? "How long have I been out?" He asked, watching her. "What's that going to do to me?" The last question was asked without the heat of anger, more as a joke that he wasn't laughing at.

[isadora]

Looking up at the sky, she gauged the position of the sun against the sky. "Most of the night, a little more than half the day." She answered him as she finished cutting and grinding the last of the herbs. She looked over at him when he asked about what she was making, noticing the lack of an accusatory tone, and she smiled mirthfully. "Just turn you green with purple spots." She teased playfully, scooping up the herbs and mixing them into the water and letting it heat a while longer.

"It will help lower the fever and ease the headache." She answered seriously, in case he really was afraid she was going to poison him. "I lived in a convent for a few years, the sisters taught me how to make some simple remedies." Isadora figured he would want to know how she could know that what she had made wasn't going to kill him. Once it was hot, she carefully took the cup over to him. "Drink up." She ordered tenderly, lifting his head into her lap again to make it easier for him to swallow, and putting the cup to his lips.

She was relieved that he seemed to be lucid now, with any luck he would be through the worst of it. He had scared her when she thought he was going to die, she had been so worried about him. Probably more worried than she should have been...he was young, and strong. He was certainly recovering well enough now. Maybe she should've taken the chance to run...no, she wouldn't have been able to live with herself. She cared about him too much.

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[Alistair]

He'd been out for almost a day then. Darkness had fallen last night but it had not been the witching hour yet. Or had it? Alistair wasn't sure on the time line from last night. It all seemed like a blur of fear and anger. He could see the details but he wasn't sure what time he had went to sleep. He did not even recall laying down to try to sleep. Which meant he had not done so. His pride seemed to be taking a hit these past few hours.

When she spoke, he grew confused. She had learned what from where? However before he could comment or think on it to long she had came over and was trying to get him to drink whatever she was going to poison him with now. He turned his head away, but when she lifted it he gave an annoyed sound and drank some of it. The taste alone could have killed him, he thought, but he was fairly sure he knew what was in it. The question was no longer how she knew which ones would help him, but why.

"Why did you spend years with them?" He asked after he had choked down the herbs she had made him. He was being a bit dramatic over the taste but he didn't care. He wanted to ask why she stayed, what did she hope to gain by this? He could not quite bring himself to ask.

[isadora]

She 'tsked' disapprovingly when he tried to avoid drinking his medicine, and smiled when he finally drank, laughing when she saw the expression on his face as he choked down the vile mixture. She knew it was bitter and unpleasant, but herbs usually were, and she didn't care what he thought of the taste as long as it made him well. "You're acting like a child," she teased, finding his behavior funny. For how strong he usually was, seeing him sick and behaving like a baby was kind of cute...not that she'd tell him that.

But he did drink it down, probably because of the fact that she was holding his head steady and he would've had trouble getting away from her in his current state. He seemed confused by what she said, but he was lucid enough to ask questions, so she supposed she could answer them. At least she could speak of her past without fear that he'd find some way to turn it against her, right? "I'm the only heir to my kingdom, my father doesn't have any sons." She explained, he didn't know much about her before he took her, so she expected he wouldn't know that much.

"So whoever I marry will become King of Gwent, and a very powerful man." She continued, taking the damp cloth from his forehead and using it to wipe the sweat from the fever from his face. She took it to the river and rinsed it out before continuing. "My father feared that ambitious men would try to take advantage of me while I was young, so he sent me to live in a nunnery." She finished, placing the folded cloth on his forehead again to keep him cool.

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[Alistair]

Alistair thought over that for a moment. It seemed logical from one point of view but not fair. He had not really thought about kids of his own but, he would like to think he was strong enough to protect his family. Not have to send them away in hoped that cutting ties with them would protect them.

How noble of them to do it that way. "And when you were home, did they try to take advantage of you?" He asked, trying not to not like the thought. She had nearly gotten them both killed. He should not care if people were taking advantage of her.

He did not move from where he was, with his head in her lap. It was odd how hours ago he almost hated her, and before that he had almost loved her. Now he wasn't sure what this meant.

[isadora]

She was quiet for a moment after he asked his question, disapproval evident in his tone. She didn't mention that it was also because her father wasn't sure how to raise a girl after her mother died. Isadora didn't really like this topic much; she had enjoyed living at the convent, for all that it was boring sometimes and lessons got tiresome and they taught her things she thought she'd never need to use. No one there had ever tried to use her.

"I'm a princess, everyone always tries to take advantage of me, in one way or another." She finally answered, it was true. Even if men weren't trying to marry her for the throne, they always wanted something, and if it wasn't the men it was the women who were trying to befriend her to curry favor. She was constantly on guard against whatever agenda someone was trying to use her for next, and she knew it was never going to get better. Maybe that was why she liked Alistair. Sure, he was using her to get the ransom, but at least he was upfront about it.

Holding his head in her lap, she rubbed her thumbs over his temples in small, soft circles absently, keeping her hands busy without really paying attention to it. How did she feel about Alistair? It was too confusing to decide. She didn't hate him, although she thought that she should, and when she was with him, she felt...different, from how anyone else had ever made her feel. How could she define a feeling she'd never had before?

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[Alistair]

Alistair felt him self drifting thanks to her skills. "If this is what the old nuns teach you, my next adventure will be nunnapping." He joked, trying to keep his eyes opened. He knew he had work to do. She had to be hungry. What had she ate today? He needed to hunt or fish; and then he needed to teach her how to knock the hell out of the next guy who wanted to take advantage of her.

He knew however he could not stand well. it would be late tonight before he would have the strength to be half way normal. It was a good thing he was an ass to her before, because she would need the skills now. "You are going to need to go find a thick and long stick. Make sure it's strong, before bring it back. I can't go hunting, but I can talk you though how to fish." He only hoped she could kill the fish once she got it up on land.

Women were odd creatures. Filled with things that did not make since. They liked meat, but didn't not like to hunt animals. Wanted nice things, but did not wish to work for them. The princess seemed different the most women. Which he was hoping would work out when it came to killing her meal.

[isadora]

She was hungry, but keeping busy looking after him had kept her from dwelling on her hunger so that it didn't become too bothersome. She slapped him lightly on his good shoulder when he said his next adventure would be nunnapping. "I think I'd like to see you try...those old birds are tough. I bet they'd toss you out on your arse." She teased, but she'd only learned the right herbs from the nuns. She remembered when she was little, after her father had a stressful day, her mother would sit just like this and rub his temples, and Isadora would tell him all about the things she'd learned that day, and he'd listen and laugh. Those were happy times.

She was confused as he told her to go and find a long stick, wondering what he was thinking...did she need a weapon? It made sense when he finished explaining, and she nodded. Lifting his head off her lap, she leaned over him and kissed him on the forehead softly. "Now don't die while I'm gone." She murmured commandingly, she didn't really like leaving him there, but she was hungry, and he wouldn't get stronger until he'd eaten, too. So getting food was necessary.

She headed into the trees, careful to watch where she was going and making sure she could always hear the sounds of the river, so she'd be able to find her way back to him if she did get lost. It didn't take her long to find a stick that seemed appropriately, long and thick, she leaned her weight against it to make sure it wouldn't break, and satisfied, she headed back to the campsite, finding it without too much difficulty. She knelt down next to him, holding up the stick she'd found. "So now what?"

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[Alistair]

"I will just wait right here." He promised in a dry tone as she told him not to die while she was gone. He looked over to where the bag was, planning to dig around in it but it was to far away and he was to damn tired to try to crawl over there to get it. Besides, he said he'd wait here. Not crawl away.

When she returned he, looked up at her. "In the bag there is some special string. Thicker then what you sew with, stronger. Tie it to one end of the stick, and then wrapped it a few times around the end before tieing it off again. Tightly."

He watched her work and wondered if he should try to sit up. He still felt weak but it was odd to talk to her from down here. For now he would stay here, not wanting to jar his shoulder again until the wound had a few more hours to close up. Once it was dried and closed it would be able to move easier with out fear of the sharp pain. "Then there is a iron bit in a pouch at the bottom of the bag. It's sharp, so watch you hand. Tie it to the string."

[isadora]

She smiled at his obedience, glad he wasn't trying too hard to do things for himself while she was gone. If he moved around, he'd open the wound more, and it would just take longer for him to heal. The best thing he could do was sit still and get better. She nodded at his instructions, finding the string he'd spoken of in the bag and winding it around the end of what would become her fishing pole. When she'd followed his instructions precisely, she held up the stick to examine her work. She didn't think it was half bad...maybe he could make a fisherman out of her yet.

She nodded at his instructions, and set about finding the hook and attaching it to one end of the fishing pole. Even she was surprised when she managed to do it without cutting herself, but she supposed she had to start having good luck at some point on this little trip. Once she was done, she looked at Alistair again. "...What should I use for bait?" She asked, she didn't think the fish would bite a floating bit of metal...or would they? Just how stupid was the average fish? It was never something Isadora had stopped to consider before.

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[Alistair]

He looked around, and from here he was laying he could not see much. What he could see told him there were not many bugs around them right at this moment. "Anything that wiggles, or is shinny and small." He said, trying to think of there was a button on anything he could pull off. His clothing was like most lower class men. They did not waste money on buttons.

"Check the bag for something." He told her, before starting to look around for his dagger. He did not recall where he put that thing last night. He was trying not to grow wary of her but he could not stop the words growing in his mind. Wondering if she had it. "You will need the knife, for when you get the fish to shore." He said, watching her closely, wondering where it was it. He could not see over by the rock he had been sitting by, and had only remembered using it to cut her bonds.

[isadora]

She nodded, digging through the bag for something that looked like it could serve as a tasty treat for a fish...but what exactly did fish like to eat? She never thought she'd be wondering about what a fish wanted to eat, and found herself smiling at the thought. Finding something she thought might work, she seat about attaching it to the hook. It was while she was working on that that he spoke again, mentioning that she would need the knife. Right, that made sense. She still had it from when she'd used it to mangle her dress even further this morning, leaving her with only one sleeve. She wondered if she'd have any clothes left by the time this little 'adventure' was over.

"Right, I have it." She said off-handedly, she didn't see any reason to hide it from him. She'd tucked it into her own boot before heading into the woods to hunt for herbs, not wanting to be unarmed should she run into anyone else, and she hadn't given it much thought since then. He didn't really need it back right now, she doubted he'd even be able to use it if he tried. Finally managing to get her bait attached to the hook, she smiled triumphantly and looked over at him.

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[Alistair]

She had it. Of course she did. "Do you now." He asked cynically, while watching her get everything ready. He was not able to demand it back, or get up and manhandle it out of her, he would let it go. Still, it annoyed him to no end. Why did she keep it? (And why did she admit to having it?)

"Try to get the hook away from the edge, as close to the middle as you can get it. Then wait." Sometimes fish bit with in a half hour sometimes they never did. You never knew with fish. Odd unpredictable creatures. Just like women. Yes, women and fish. Two things he should avoid, no matter how good they might taste when warmed up.

Watching her closely he was trying to figure out what her end game was. Why save him? The more he thought about it the less he could make since of it. She could have ran away at any time. There had to be knights everywhere looking for her. Unless she was afraid after last time to run away? Then again, she had the knife now, and while he did not know for sure had thought he had told her the way home. He had thought he might die and not wanted her stuck out here. Why did she stay, knowing the way home? He drifted off again, while trying to sort out of her actions.

[isadora]

She didn't dwell on his cynical statement, too busy with the thought of going fishing. It wasn't something she'd ever expected to do in her life, and now here she was, assembling her own fishing pole to catch her own dinner. There was something exciting about that, although she thought it was kind of foolish to think so. She wouldn't be telling that to Alistair. She listened to his advice and nodded, then made her way to the water's edge, taking a deep breath before casting her line out into the river.

It took her more than a few tries to get it out to the middle, tries during which she wondered if she'd ever get it right. Eventually, though, she seemed to get the hang of it, and she managed to get the line quite near the middle of the river. Then she did as he'd told her, and waited. It was actually pretty boring, once she got over the initial thrill of fending for herself, but a glance over her shoulder at Alistair told her he was asleep again, so she didn't want to bother him. He needed rest to get better, and the sooner he was well again, the happier she'd be. Which seemed odd when she thought about it for too long, so she tried not to think and stare at the water instead.

It seemed like she sat there waiting forever, the sun slowly creeping across the sky and Alistair still peacefully asleep, until finally she felt a tug on the line. She was immediately aware, giving a brief yelp of shock when she felt the first jerky movement, and then standing up and whipping the fishing pole back, yanking the ensnared fish out of the water. He hadn't old her what to do now! The fish landed on the shore next to her, flopping about on the line, and she wondered if she should use the knife. She tried to hold it down, but it was slippery, and she was afraid she'd cut a finger off if she tried to kill it that way. So she managed to get a grip on the tail and she whacked its little fishy head against a rock, twice, three times, until it stopped wriggling. Holding it up, she looked grossed out for a moment, then she smiled. She'd caught a fish! All by herself! A kind of child-like glee took hold, and she looked over at Alistair proudly. "I caught one!" She declared, seeming very much like a little kid in this moment.

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[Alistair]

Alistair was in a dreamless rest when he heard a yelp, or a sequel of some sort. His eyes flew open and his body tensed but, his head was clear enough for him to remember his injured shoulder. Looking over at her, he saw her fighting with the fish. He opened his mouth to tell her to cut the head off but before he could get it out she was beating it.

Never having seen someone beat a fish to death, he was chuckling by the time she looked over and seemed overly excited about catching a fish. Then the thought hit him; she'd never worked for her food like this. Everything she ate was cooked for her. This seemed to be something new and fun for her. Fishing.

"Now just treat it like the dear. It will not smell, or look as bad. You will be fine." He slowly used his good arm to push off the ground, so he was on his knees, then moving closer to the big rock. Once then he turned to sit, leaning against it. Near by him was some smaller sticks. He picked one up and began to pull the bark off of it so she could put the meat on it to good over her . . . . . where had the fire come from? "Where does a princess learn how to start a fire with nothing? Or do nuns teach you that too?"

[isadora]

He seemed amused by her antics with the fish, but rather than be discouraged by it, she chose to think he was laughing with her, rather than at her. She smiled and set the fish down on a large, flat rock to do as he told her and...skin the fish? Did fish have skin? She took the knife out of her boot, being careful about where she cut, the fish had a lot less meat than the deer did, and if she messed up too badly, they wouldn't have very much to eat. Well, they wouldn't have much anyways, unless she managed to catch another fish, so she didn't want to make that even less.

She looked up when he asked her about the fire. "I've seen the knights build fires before. I just...tried to copy what I remembered. I found the flint and tinder in your bag." She wasn't going to admit that it had taken an embarrassingly long time to figure out how to strike the flint right, or to get the sparks to catch on the tinder and light the wood. She was certain she'd been at it for a few hours at least, whereas most times she'd seen anyone else light a fire, it took them mere moments. She was just glad Alistair hadn't been awake during that time, or she may never have lived it down.

He was sitting up now, and she looked at him worriedly. "While the fish is cooking, I'll check your wound again." She hadn't cleaned it since she'd bandaged it last time, and she wanted to make sure the infection was looking better. It couldn't hurt to put more of the salve on it, either, and she silently thanked the other man at camp for providing it.

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