[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

[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.

[vagrant_malkin]

The clearing looks good. It even has some wood on the ground to make a small fire.

As carefully as he can, he eases Kaya to the ground until she's laying in a soft patch of grass, then lays his coat over her.

[no_thief]

Kaya tugs the coat a little closer around her shoulders, and doesn't wake.

[vagrant_malkin]

Thomas feels that it's safe enough to leave Kaya there for the moment while he goes off to search for some firewood and some food for them. It seems like she's going to be out for a while, so it should give him enough time to gather things and there should be food for when she wakes.

[no_thief]

There's some food already, but only a bottle of wine and a packet of sweet wafers from the carriage: nothing substantial. The forest is likely to provide a good deal more.

(Among other things, there are fish in the river they've been wading.)

[vagrant_malkin]

Fish is exactly what Thomas is thinking, and some undisclosed, soggy amount of time later, he has a few fish speared on a stick and roasting over a small fire.

[no_thief]

When Kaya wakes it's all at once, from asleep to fully alert in the space of a blink, sitting up and drawing a shaky breath.

And staring at him.

[vagrant_malkin]

He remains calm as she jerks awake, offering a soft smile as she looks at him.

"Hey there," he says, then extends a skewered fish to her. "Hungry?"