[with Thomas]

[no_thief]

[A day or two after this.]

There are five of the liveried guardsmen in the inn now, and two in the stables.

Kaya hid the night in a storeroom bin that used to hold apples, and is now peering through a crack in the wall into the common room and trying to find a way past them.

Comments

[no_thief]

Her head emerges from the carriage, eyes wary.

"I'm not going back to the town."

[vagrant_malkin]

He eyes her in return, making a soft noise of consideration.

"Alright, I suppose. I've lived on less in the way of supplies. Come on, then."

[no_thief]

She jumps down from the carriage and backs away a few steps, eyeing him.

[vagrant_malkin]

He arches a brow in return.

"Yes?"

[no_thief]

She glances back the way they came, and her train of thought is almost visible: better him than the soldiers.

"You don't have to go with me."

[vagrant_malkin]

He shrugs easily and begins to move. Otherwise the soldiers will be on their asses.

"I wouldn't have said I would if I wasn't going to follow through."

[no_thief]

She stares at him a moment longer, then shakes herself. "We have to move fast," she says, "and not leave a trail. We should try to find water to cross."

[vagrant_malkin]

"Of course," he says, canting his head in a direction. "They'll come from that way, but they'll likely follow the horses for a time. That'll allow us some distance."

Thomas lifts a hand towards the horses as he moves, as if in farewell, and the horses take off once more, leaving them.

[no_thief]

For a little while there's no talk, just hurried movement through the tangled underbrush.

It isn't long before they hear the low murmur of a creek, not far away. Kaya turns to make for the sound.

[vagrant_malkin]

Thomas follows, walking next to her and remaining alert for any extra sounds in the underbrush. The creek is welcome, though, because it should make the going a little easier, especially when he guides Kaya down a narrow deer trail.

[no_thief]

When they find it, it's broad but shallow, running swift and bright over a stony bottom.

Kaya bends and scoops up a handful to drink thirstily.

[vagrant_malkin]

Thomas gulps down several mouthfuls of water for himself before splashing some on his face and the back of his neck.

"We should go down river, maybe even stay in the water. We'd be a little exposed, though."

[no_thief]

She nods. "It's shallow enough to wade, and we won't leave a trail. We could get a long way by nightfall."

[vagrant_malkin]

He nods as well and sets to walking downriver.

"Onwards, then."

[no_thief]

At first the cool water is pleasant, soothing to weary bare feet, the pebbled riverbed smoothly textured and yielding underneath.

After about ten minutes of wading, though, it's starting to be a struggle; the chill of the water is setting in, and the shifting footing makes each step more work than it would be on solid ground.

Kaya sets her shoulders grimly and plods on. There's no sound of pursuit behind them yet, at least.

[vagrant_malkin]

For a good while, Thomas is mostly silent, wading his way through the water and listening carefully over the sound of water in case they're followed.

It's sometime later, that he notices Kaya drooping notably more than she has been.

"Here, would you like me to carry you?"

[no_thief]

Kaya shakes her head, even as she stumbles over a slight rise in the riverbed.

(It's been quite some time since she's had a good night's sleep, or regular meals. And she's been awake and moving since dawn.)

[vagrant_malkin]

He reaches out quickly to steady her, stopping them for a moment.

"There's no shame in needing help, Kaya."

[no_thief]

"I'm okay," she mutters. "You're walking too. I'm okay."

[vagrant_malkin]

"

I

, didn't try a daring escape on foot from armed guards,

and

I'm also wearing boots."

Beat.

"The size difference helps, too."

[no_thief]

She slows, and reaches down to cup a handful of water to drink.



"Okay."

[vagrant_malkin]

He smiles at her, taking a drink for himself before crouching low so she can climb onto his back.

[no_thief]

It's a little awkward, as they're both carrying bundles, but she manages it. There's something with a hard blunt edge pinned between her front and his back, briefly, before she readjusts things to get it out of the way.

Before he's gone another half-dozen steps, her head has drooped onto his shoulder and she's fallen into a doze.

[vagrant_malkin]

It's not hard to figure out that she's fallen asleep, and once Thomas does, he moves as smoothly as posible, the only sounds coming from his breathing and the slight splashing as he wades through the water.

Once the sun begins to dip low, though, and lengthen his shadow, he moves out of the creek in search of a place to camp for the night.

[no_thief]

She shifts on his back, and mumbles something unclear, and subsides.

The forest is thicker here, but not impassable. There's a natural clearing not too far ahead of him, visible by the angle of the light.