Tell Me (MareepBell & RyuHll)

The last thing she could remember was the sound of rushing water, as she was dragged under and pulled by the current. That and a man, his voice was clear as day when he had said “I will be waiting.” And he had smiled.

Everything else was…dark.

The woman’s hazel eyes opened slowly. A deer was sniffing at her light hair and the woman had to wave her hand to get the animal to skitter off. She carefully turned onto her side, and began to cough loudly, water spilling out from her lungs. She breathed heavily, gasping for air, as she was finally able to sit up and take in where she was. It looked like she had washed up somewhere. She looked around trying to figure it out, but no memory was jogged.

Carefully she stood up and winced as she held her head. There was still blood oozing from an open gash on her forehead and the rest of her body didn’t feel in that great of shape either. It felt like a carriage had rolled over her. She winced more, and bit her lower lip. What had happened to her? Why was she here? Where was she in the first place? She couldn’t remember.

In fact, even the smallest things were fuzzy to her. Her name, her family, or how old she was, everything was just…gone. Her gaze shifted to look around the wilderness all around her, and she just started to walk. She didn’t know where, or why, but for some reason she felt a sudden urgency to leave. There was someplace she needed to be.

She kept walking, stumbling for a few steps, but continuing to just walk. The woman didn’t know how long she had been walking or which direction, but eventually she encountered what her subconscious had been looking for.

It was a village, or it used to be. It was now nothing but ash. The woman stepped forward, looking around. There were other people here, trying to help clean up, and she could see some grave diggers in the distance. The woman looked around. Had this been her home? She couldn’t remember, and her eyebrows furrowed as she tried desperately to think. That man, that she could remember, where was he? Maybe he knew her…maybe he could help her.

She began to shuffle forward and look for him.

This was a disaster.

He couldn't say he was all that surprised, though. The village was in ruin, just like he had been told. Just like his own had been when he left it. A terrible sight, but once he was used to with the man he was following. If only he could place a name to these tregedies, he might be able to get somewhere with it.

Shaking his head, he began to walk through the village, looking over the wreckage carefully. He pulled the tattered remains of his brown cloak around himself more securely, the hood hiding his unnatural hair color from the public. He couldn't explain his appearance, but it was always better to keep it hidden than be branded something else simply for looking different.

As he walked around, he studied the wreckage of the different buildings, finding nothing but ash. Just like the others. He wasn't slipping up and there was nothing he could do to trail him. But, as he thought that, he saw a woman coming out from the surrounding forest. She looked worse for wear, bleeding and stumbling along. He thought to go to her, but then thought against it to see what she would do, having found this village.

Her head was pounding as she looked around. It was like her mind was torn and struggling to put things back together. This place, it felt familiar, but completely strange at the same time. She just couldn't understand. She stopped and just held her head, as if she was trying to keep it all together. That man...he was waiting...right? Where was he waiting? She remembered bits and pieces, she just needed more. She needed him.

She continued to walk, and look at the people passing by her. They were all unfamiliar and strange to her. How was she supposed to find him? An uncontrollable feeling of helplessness took over her, and she started to become frantic. Her gaze locked onto a man, covered in a tattered brown cloak and hood. He seemed different from the people here. She didn't understand why, but she was drawn to him. "Excuse me?" She called out to him.

The man watched her approach and sighed lightly as she didn't seem any better closer up. He placed his hand down by the hilt of his sword momentarily as she closed the distance between the two, but let go of it a moment later. She was in no condition to fight. There was no reason to be fearful of her, in that condition.

"You look like you've seen better days," he commented. Digging around in the small back at his hip, he produced some bandages. "Come, sit down. I'll tend to your wound for the time being." Once she obeyed, he went about cleaning the gash and wrapping it to staunch the bleeding. Though, an idea entered his head. "Were you part of this disaster? No one's survived these events yet. You'd be pretty lucky to have escaped it."

The woman was surprised by the kindness of the stranger, but was glad that she had approached him. She carefully sat down so he could see to her wounds. She winced and tried not to whine as he touched and cleaned out the gash on her forehead. But as she heard his question, she tensed. She looked around at the wreckage and held her breath. Was she a part of this? "I...don't know." She responded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I am just..." She paused, trying to form her words as her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "...looking for someone." She finished.

She looked up at him, trying to see more of his face as he brushed back her light brown hair to wrap her wound. But she had no luck, the hood protecting most of his features besides his nose and mouth. Was he the one she was looking for?

The man focused on her wounds for the momeent, not answering her as he finished cleaning it and started wrapping her head lightly in bandages to cover it. He sounded curious when he next spoke. "Who, if you don't mind sharing? Perhaps I can help," he told her. "I've been traveling for quite some time. And, truth be told, I'm searching for someone as well. Perhaps we can help each other in this endeavor." He smiled a bit, an action she could at least see from beneath the hood, even if she couldn't see the rest of his appearance.

The woman relaxed a bit as her hazel eyes focused on him. He seemed kind, and willing to help, and frankly, she could use all of the help she could get. She looked at the ground as she put her hand to her forehead, trying to think. Her mind was like a dark fog that she couldn't see through. It seemed like she had to fight for any possible memory she could pull from the haze. "I don't know his name." She confessed as she rubbed her head. "He was...tall, and his hair was black. He had...he had a scar on his right cheek."

The woman touched her own cheek, indicating where the scar was. "He said he would wait for me...somewhere. He's..." The woman turned quiet, and morose. "He's the only thing I can remember." Her eyebrows furrowed once more. "He seemed...powerful." She spoke quietly, but her head was beginning to hurt the more she concentrated on it.

"Powerful?" he asked, curiously. Well, it wasn't much to go off of. Was it the same one who was attacking villages? Burning them to the ground? even if he wasn't, this was the first lead he'd managed to find. Holding out his hand, he gestured towards the outskirts of the village. "I can't say I've met him before. But I have a camp a little ways outside of this village. You must be hungry after...whatever caused you to gain those wounds. I can offer you something to eat there and we can try to help you remember something about yourself."

This was probably his best choice of action. There was no guarentee that the man she was looking for was the same as who he was looking for. But there was also a possibility that it was. hopefully it might be beneficial for both. Either way, he'd be able to travel more in helping her search for him.

"Thank you, I really..I really appreciate it." The woman said softly, the relief was easily heard in her words. Right now, she had nothing but the clothes on her back. She didn't even own a name anymore. The only thing left was the memory of that man. Therefore, for someone to so openly help her, it was like a light in this new unknown world to her.

She winced as she got up, her muscles having turned sore from sitting so long. But she was able to follow closely behind the stranger. Her gaze was focused on the back of his head, still covered by his hood. Her own curiosity was beginning to grow about him. She silently wondered why he was here, and why he had his face covered. She would have been worried about following such a stranger into the woods, but frankly he was her only option of help. Where else would she go, alone? She had no idea where she was, and she wasn't about to turn away the only person so willing to help her.

The man led her out through the forest, walking off until they reached a clearing. He wasn't sure how much use he'd get out of the girl, but it was better than nothing. But first thing was first. He had to make sure she'd be alright so they could start moving afterwards. The clearing was rather small, but it was enough. A small bedroll was laid out off to the side, the only other thing in the clearing being a small firepit. It was clear it was used, but more wood was stacked beside it for the night. "Take a seat on the bedroll, if you want. I'll go see what I have for food for the two of us," he said, gesturing towards it as he walked off towards a tree. The tree was ordinary enough, but a rope was tied around it. Upon further inspection, she could see that the rope trailed up to a bag hung over the side of a branch. A means to keep wild animals from getting into his things. It didn't seem he was worried about people stumbling upon it, though.

Once he got the bag down, he began searching through it and pulled out a few smaller bags. "I hope you don't mind soup. It's really all I have unless I go hunting," he said with a sigh.