Justric — Roleplayer Guild

The reek of the animal’s fear mixed with the harsh scent of its spilt blood and fast death even as Victor shivered against the heat of the body. He wanted to swear, heatedly, but found he simply did not have the energy. The cold of the hail had sucked it out of him. He felt weary as he sat there, simply beaten and tired. The gelding had been a loyal beast in its own way, and the ex-soldier regretted doing what he’d had to; it seemed an ill way to replay the horse. There was also the fact that the cart’s axle was busted, he might not get to the dam in time to open the flood gates and prevent the damage, his high paying guest had felt obliged to drag herself out into one of the worst storms he’d ever seen and on his account, and replacing the beast was going to be costly.

Although, technically, he did not have to replace the gelding. There was another option, although it was one he was loath to think of.

Victor was brought halfway to his senses by the feel of small hands ineffectually pulling at him, trying to raise him to his feet. Looking up, he found the frightened but capable gaze of Miss Kijani staring down at him. Her beautiful dark skin seemed far paler than it should have been, even in the darkness of the night. Sighing, he nodded to her and began to get to his feet. Victor had to swallow his pride in the process, realizing that even with the aid of his cane he would need her help to navigate through the mud, rain, and howling winds. In her soaked skirts and fashionable boots she would have nearly as much trouble as the lamed man. There was little choice but for them both to grab onto each other and start out.

Torn between society’s expectations and the need for the help, Victor snaked his arm around the small of her back to rest his hand upon the swell of her hip and motioned for her to do the same. Hip to hip made their way through the storm. “Head for the mill!” he shouted over the thunder, and Victor pointed roughly in the direction they needed to go. “It’s closer than the cottage! We’ll be safe and dry there!”

As if to emphasize his point, a larger chunk of hail struck the ground at their feet. It was about half the size of a chicken’s egg and would definitely hurt anyone it struck.

It was a grueling journey in the darkness, punctuated only by the blinding cracks of lightning and deafening peels of thunder that rang across the heavens and shook the air. The oil lantern Kijani carried scarcely cut the gloom at all. Freezing to the point where his fingers began to tremble, Victor held her soft form close to try and shelter her smaller frame from the worse of the storm, even as he tried to ignore how soft her body was and how the faint scent of her perfume still seemed to linger about her. The desire to swear came back again. Victor clenched his teeth against it, determined not to vent. Not only might it offend his guest, but it would be a waste of much needed energy.

After an eternity of cold, the silhouette of the cider mill could be seen against the flashes of lightning. The tall barn like structure was black against the light. Even as they descended the hill towards it, Victor could hear the great water wheel spinning far too fast for its own good. Within, the whirl and clunks of the mill’s heavy gears were audible even above the winds! That would have to be deal with, too, he realized. The sluice gate would have to be closed, the wheel locked, and the dam’s flood gates opened as quickly as possible lest the whole affair be wrecked.

Only there were far more important concerns to be dealt with first. As cold and numb as he knew he was, his guest had to be suffering worse! The voluminous amounts of cloth and fabric that she wore were wet through and through with freezing rain water, and Victor had no doubts that she would be unused to such hardships. She had to get warm and dry as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if she stayed cold and wet longer than necessary…

“Inside!” he bawled out, trying to hurry them along. “The door’s unlocked!”

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