What's wrong with being (over)confident...

[Klara]

At Artigas words, Klara smiled at him to show him she was also happy that their plan worked and that he beat the guards. They were almost out of this camp now and she was very relieved about that. But when Artigas cut her bonds, she looked her wrists, they were bleeding more and more, she was losing a lot of blood, too much to have time to go back to TonDC actually, maybe even too much to get out of this camp.

When Artigas told her to take the guard's sword, his words sounded very distant so she understood she probably won't be able to follow him because her painful shoulder and her bloody wrists made her feel very weak. But she tried not to let it show. Maybe I won't get out of this camp but I have to give him a chance to run away. she thought as she was taking the sword. She had to fight until the end for him because he was under her responsability and he trusted her. She couldn't give up now so she gathered the little strength she had left and she followed Artigas out of there.

Tag: Artigas

[Artigas]

Artigas walked over towards the door that had been left open by the guards "We have to move now" he muttered, peering cautiously around the corner as if expecting to see a second pair of guards approaching their cell. Turning back to her, he was just about to say something else when he noticed the blood "You're hurt?" he questioned her as he quickly retraced his steps to stand beside her once again, it seemed as though her injuries were more severe than he originally thought. "We have to hurry..." he muttered as he pressed a hand to her back and began to steer her towards the door "once we are back at Tondc my father can help you" even as he spoke the words he doubted whether or not the girl would make it all the way to the village with him, she was losing a lot of blood and he wasn't a healer but he was fairly sure that blood had to remain in your body to be of any use to you.

"Stay close to me and I'll get us out of here" he whispered to her, he wasn't going to let her die here, she wasn't going to die, not today. She had helped him when he needed her and now he was going to return the favour, to be a warrior meant protecting your people, all of your people and that meant that nobody got left behind. Klara was Trikru, he had a responsibility to protect her as well as a newly established friendship with the girl that just made him even more determined to get her back to the village where she could receive the help she needed.

Klara

[Klara]

When Artigas turned back, Klara understood just by seeing his face that he saw she was losing too much blood but when he asked if she was hurt, she couldn’t answer something else that "Yes... But don't worry, I'll be fine.". She knew he understood that she was lying but what should have she said "Yes and I'm probably going to die in this camp but don't worry for me and run away as fast as you can !", he won't have done that so it wasn’t useful. Moreover, she had to try to get out of here because if she had to die, she won't just waiting her death, she will die fighting !

But Artigas seemed to worry for her because even if he said that if they hurried to go back in TonDC Nyko could help her, she understood that he didn’t really believe in what he said but he wanted to. He knew as she did that it was too late and she will probably never see TonDC again. "I won't give up now !" She said trying to reassure him a little smile on her face.

When he told her to stay close to him, Klara understood that the idea of her dying in this camp wasn't a conceivable option for him, he will clearly do everything he could to save her. He seemed determined to get out of here with her alive and this determination reminded Klara the one she had when she was searching a cure for mother years ago. But she didn’t want him to feel guilty as she did after her mother's death so she was now totally determined not to die today !

Tag: Artigas

[Artigas]

The words that were meant to reassure him did nothing, Artigas had seen his father work before, the blood would not have worried him so much but the amount that she had already lost in such a short space of time gave him reason to be concerned. "You do not get to say that you'll be fine" Artigas almost snapped at her as he led her out of the door, sticking closely to the wall so that they could avoid discovery. Already he could hear the voices of more Azgeda warriors and his grip tightened around the sword that he was carrying, when people said that they would be fine, they usually weren't in the end, that's just how it worked.

When she said that she wasn't going to give up, Artigas nodded pleased with her words, that meant that she was willing to fight and maybe the adrenaline from their escape would be enough to keep her on her feet until they were clear of the Azgeda camp. If they could just escape the camp then they'd be safe. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do... We stick to the shadows, we need absolute silence and if we're spotted we run, we do not try to fight our way out of this" he told her in a hushed whisper. If they charged out there, swords raised then they'd be cut down before they'd taken more than a couple of steps.

Klara

[Klara]

"Okay, I'm not going to be fine but don't worry for me. Just stay focus on staying alive and getting out of here, not on me." Klara told Artigas even if she knew he won't listen to her. As she was hearing Azgeda warriors voices coming from somewhere not very far from them, Klara saw her companion tightening his sword a little more so she did the same thing, at least she tried to but the sword seemed quite heavy to her and she couldn't handle it very well because of her wrists.

Then, she tried to concentrate on Artigas's plan. Sticking to the shadows, being quiet, running if they were spotted. Klara repeated these words in her head to make sure that she will keep them in mind but also to keep her mind busy so she won't be focus on her painful shoulder. "Okay, I don't think I'm able to fight anyway so let's do this!" She said nodding her head and smiling at Artigas. And she decided to just follow him without really paying attention to where they were going because she trusted Artigas and she knew he will get them out of this camp.

Tag: Artigas

[Artigas]

Artigas shot a glare at the scout, she obviously didn't know him well if she thought he could not worry about her "A warrior protects his people" he grunted, it was his duty to protect his people, especially those that could not defend themselves. Klara was a part of his clan, she was his people and he had a duty to get her back to their village safely. He'd gotten them into this mess, if he'd just watched where he was placing his feet and hadn't stepped on that twig then they would never have been discovered and they would already be back within the safety of Tondc. It was his fault that Klara was hurt and he knew that he would be an unworthy warrior if he didn't try to save her.

Nodding his head to the girl, knowing that their escape depended upon his ability to get them out of the camp unnoticed and his ability to fight off those that did notice them. He hoped that everything went according to plan because he knew that they only had one shot at this and if they failed then they would die within that camp at the hands of Azgeda warriors. As he broke into a quick jog, sword in his hand as he kept to the shadows he glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Klara was following him.

Klara

[Klara]

Klara knew Artigas will react like that which was understandable, it prouved that he will be a great warrior who will do anything to protect his people but there was something else... And Klara knew what it was more than anyone for having lived for years feeling guilty for her mother's death so she knew how it feel and she didn't want Artigas to blame himself for what happened that day "It's not your fault... It can happen to anyone... I could have walk on some twig too..." Klara hoped it will make him feel less guilty but she wasn't sure of that.

When Artigas made few steps out of their cell quietly, Klara followed him. She will follow him without asking any questions until she will no longer be able to walk because she trusted him and she knew he will get them out of this camp. So when she saw him glancing over his shoulder she couldn't help smiling at him, muttering "I'll stay right behind you like you told me to.". She knew it will probably not reassure him but she will do everything he told her, trying not ot ruin his plan.

Tag: Artigas

[Artigas]

He heard her try to reassure him that it wasn't his fault but he knew that it was, a warrior could not afford to make mistakes, a single mistake could cost them their lives and his mistake could cost him Klara's and he never wanted to be responsible for the death of one of his people. He knew that she was right and it could've happened to anyone, but it didn't, it happened to him and he had to deal with the consequences of this mistake

"I don't need you to try to make me feel better" he snapped at her, irritated with her for even trying. She meant well, he knew that but he also knew that her injuries were on him and it was down to him to try and get her out of the Azgeda camp without obtaining any further injuries.

Nodding as she told him that she'd stay close to him, he picked up the pace, making sure to stop every so often so that they would not be discovered. He heard voices nearby as he glanced around the corner of the building that they were now hiding behind "Three warriors..." he muttered, hesitating as he thought about what their next move should be, he wasn't interested in wasting time but at the same time he knew that charging out from their hiding place to confront three warriors was a bad idea. Especially with Klara's injuries, not only would the warriors overpower them but they'd probably alert the rest of the camp of their escape.

Klara

[Klara]

As Artigas seemed pretty irritated about Klara telling that he wasn't guilty of her injuries, Klara decided to just stay quiet because she didn't want him to get angrier and she wasn't in mood to argue with Artigas because her head was really starting to hurt and arguing won't help her feeling better right now. However she understood her companion's reaction, he was a warrior and she was her people so he had to protect her and he felt guilty because he thought he failed to his mission, and when you feel guilty, you can react in two ways either with sadness or with anger. It seemed like for Artigas it was with anger and she couldn't blame him for that.

At Artigas words about the three Azgeda warriors, Klara saw he didn't know what to do because they couldn't fight these warriors with her being wounded even if Artigas was alright. So she tried to find a better option than confronting them. She was trying to concentrate about this but she got dizzy so she leaned her back against the wall and let herself slide down to finally be sitting on the ground. She closed her eyes for a second hoping it will help her feeling better and it's when she opened them that she saw it. Right in front of her, on the other side of the path, behind a cloth with the Azgeda symbol on it, there was a tunnel entry. She had to tell it to Artigas but when she tried to inform him, no sound got out from her mouth so she used a part of her last strength for pointing what seemed to be their last chance to escape.

Tag: Artigas

[Artigas]

Artigas turned around to see Klara sliding down the wall until she was sitting on the ground, hurrying to crouch beside his companion he reached a hand up to touch her forehead and he frowned with concern as she seemed to be getting warmer. "Klara... You need to stay awake" he told her, knowing that she was getting weaker and as her strength faded she'd feel more like falling asleep. He'd seen his father work often enough to know when somebody was beyond the point in which they could be saved and Klara had not yet passed this point yet. His brow furrowed in confusion as the woman tried to speak but no sound escaped her, watching as she raised an arm to point, he turned to search for what had caught her attention. It took him a while to pinpoint the tunnel entrance as it was partially hidden from view but when he spotted it a smile appeared on his face.

"That's brilliant Klara!" he breathed, hope returning to the boy, he wasn't sure where the tunnel led but he had to assume that it was a tunnel used in emergences to evacuate the camp. Anyway, it was better to take their chances following a tunnel than to wait around to be discovered by hostile Azgeda warriors. "Can you walk?" he asked Klara with a whisper, he knew that she looked weak and was barely able to keep her eyes open and so he was doubtful that she could still stand, let alone walk but he would carry her if he needed to. Leaving her behind after everything she had done for him was not an option, not an option he could live with at least. Many times it had been drilled into him that sacrifices in war had to be made, not everybody could be saved and he had to be prepared to leave people behind if by doing so he had the chance to save more lives. By leaving Klara, he would have a better chance at returning to Tondc and warning everyone there of the Azgeda warriors that were in their territory, but he found that he was unable to leave her behind knowing the brutality of the Ice Nation. He didn't know what they would do to her if she was still alive when they discovered her, but he knew that they were capable of unthinkable things.

Klara

[Klara]

As she felt Artigas hand on her forehead, Klara felt a chill through her body, his hand seemed so cold but she knew it wasn't his hand which was cold, it was her forehead which was too hot. And when he told her to stay awake, she heard it but his voice sounded so distant whereas he was just next to her. But she nodded her head to let him know that she heard him and that she won't give up, or at least that she didn't want to. She opened her eyes to look quickly at Artigas while he was searching what she was pointing and when he found out that there was a tunnel entrance, she saw his smile before closing her eyes again.

At his words, Klara understood that Artigas wasn't hopeless anymore, this find seemed to have given him some hope, she gave her some hope whereas she wasn't in a good position to give hope. She opened her eyes again, she was less dizzy but she still felt very weak. But as Artigas was just next to her trying to see how she was feeling bad, she looked at him and a slight smile appeared on her face. He asked if she could walk, she took a deep breathe and she tried to answer hoping that this time the words will escape from her mouth... "I - I don't know... Let me try... to stand up..." she said surprised that the sound escape from her mouth and already trying to get on her feet.

Tag: Artigas

[Artigas]

The boy didn't like how Klara's eyes kept closing as if she was fighting to stay awake, it worried him that she was becoming so weak "We're almost home, we just need to be clear of this camp and then we'll get back to Tondc in no time" he assured her, knowing that in her weakened state that every step she took would be a struggle. Taking her hands in his, he examined the wounds on her wrists again, they obviously weren't getting any better, neither did he expect them to. He quickly ripped a strip of fabric from her shirt, shooting her an apologetic look but not really caring that he was ruining her clothes. He tied the fabric around one of her wrists as best as he could before repeating the action for her other wrist. He'd seen this done before and hoped that it would at least slow the flow of blood and buy them some more time.

As she started to struggle to her feet, Artigas quickly pulled her up, supporting most of her weight as he held her up. He knew that she'd slow their progress considerably as they made their escape, but he was still unwilling to leave her to the mercy of Azgeda. "We're going to have to make a run for it to the tunnel, are you up for that?" he asked her, knowing that even with him supporting her that Klara barely had the strength the stand, let alone sprint all the way over to the tunnel that she had spotted. However, he also knew that if they waited much longer then the rest of Klara's strength would fade and he'd be forced to carry her to safety and he didn't know how long he'd be able to keep up a steady pace with the added weight of the girl in his arms.

Klara

[Klara]

When she felt Artigas taking her hands in his, Klara opened her eyes and looked at him as he was examining her wounds. The way he looked at her as he was ripping her shirt and the fact she didn't feel anything as he was tightening the cloth around one of her wrist made Klara understand that it wasn't good at all. But she didn't lose hope, she couldn't because she didn't want him to lose hope "I won't give up." she told him as he was tying a second cloth around her other wrist.

As Artigas asked her if she was up for running to the tunnel after rising her, she answered "It's okay. Go first, I'll be behind you.". She knew she couldn't run, even walking was hard but if she had told him that she couldn't walk, he would have carry her which would have slow him a lot and it wasn't a good time to be slow by someone. But she also knew that he will probably not do what she told him to so she was already trying to find an idea to divert Azgeda warriors attention.

Klara was thinking about that when she saw a little stone next to her feet. "I think I have an idea. If we throw few stones on the tarpaulin there - she pointed it - it will make noises and they will go there to see what's going on and while they will do that, we will go to the tunnel. Is it a good idea?" she asked this question because she wasn't really aware of how crazy she sounded but Artigas was and she knew he won't do what she said if it seemed to crazy.

Tag: Artigas

[Artigas]

When he heard her say that she wasn't going to give up for what had to be the hundredth time, the boy offered her a small reassuring smile. "I know you won't" he muttered, helping to support her body weight so that she could remain standing easily. He didn't know how much blood a person could lose before their body began to shut down, but Klara had lost a lot of blood, too much for him to be comfortable with and it made him more anxious to get back to Tondc as quickly as possible. As he heard her tell him to go first and she'd follow, he immediately started to shake his head "I'm not leaving you" his tone of voice made it clear that he didn't want her to argue further, she was weak from blood loss and he doubted her ability to make it to the tunnel on her own, he would not be responsible for her death.

Artigas was just adjusting his grip on his sword when he heard Klara's idea. His brow furrowed as he tried to think about this idea. It could work, but there was also a possibility that it could go wrong and he didn't know if he was prepared to take that risk. However, there was also a chance that if he didn't go with her plan that the Azgeda warriors would see them making their escape anyway and alert the rest of the camp. "Okay... I'll try to distract them" he told her as he released his hold on her to crouch and scoop up the stones that lay on the floor. Edging slowly forward, stones in hand he carefully threw the pebbles in the direction of the tarpaulin and watched as they skittered across the floor. The Azgeda warriors became suddenly alert at the sound and looked in the direction that Artigas had thrown the stones, slowly the boy retreated so that he was sure that he was out of their view before watching to see if they would fool for the trick.

Klara

[Klara]

When she heard Artigas saying thathe won't leave her, the way he said this made Klara understand that it was definitly not a conceivable option for him so she didn't try to argue, she didn't have the strength to do it. She was weak, too weak actually and she could see that it made both of them anxious and she couldn't let her companion being anxious without saying something to try to reassure him even if she knew it won't reassure him "Don't worry... Anxiety isn't good for health." she said smiling at Artigas as she was trying to clear the air.

Klara looked at Artigas as she was exposing her idea and she quickly saw that he didn't seem very convinced by the idea at the beginning but after thinking about it, he finally decided to take the risk to follow her idea and when he told him that he will try to distract the warriors, Klara nodded her head happy that he found her idea interesting. When he released his hold on her, Klara found herself pretty heavy and she leaned against the wall and watched him take the stones and throw them in direction of the tarpaulin. Her eyes followed the trajectory of the pebbles. And as Artigas retreated before watching if the enemies fell into the trap, she muterred "Did it work?". She asked this hoping the warriors were going to check what caused the noises.

Tag: Artigas