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Talia answered for the beast of a man who had saved them, making Jacob focus his attention back to her. He gave her a quick nod and returned her smile, glad that their rescuer was not injured too badly. Jacob made a mental note to start learning how to actually fight. The one bandit that he dispatched was beginners luck, he didn't think he would be able to recreate that even if he tried. Not to mention that his sense of justice mixed with a blind fury had taken over. He hated those who prayed on the weak.

"It's only natural, I was pulling an arrow out of your skin. I wouldn't expect you do to anything else." He chuckled softly.

Standing up quickly, he placed his hand lightly against the small of Talia's back, it was a natural reaction to help steady her, though he quickly realized she would have been fine without his help.

"I wonder if anyone else needs to be treated." It was his way of agreeing that they rejoin everyone else.

His sense of direction was pretty proficient from his father sending him out to search for herbs and natural remedies from the forest. He had gotten himself lost a few times but always found his way back, even if it took a few hours. Years of helping his father with the ingredient collections really forced him to adapt and gave him a great skill of mentally mapping his movements.

He used this skill now to make his way back to camp. His feet moved methodically under him, the sickle in his make shift belt loop bouncing against his left thigh with each step.

As he was walking he felt a small cooling sensation against his bare bicep, he moved his arm and frowned, whatever had caused it was gone. He shrugged it off and continued the trek back to the others.

Only ten more steps and he felt it again, this time on his check and left shoulder. He stopped short and looked up into the sky. Without him noticing, storm clouds had rolled in and covered everything with a fluffy darkness. While he gazed up, more snow droplets fell and landed on his face, they felt cool and refreshing, despite that fact that it was already chilling outside. Jacob opened his mouth and caught one on his tongue, right after he did so, he thought to himself What a kid move. He was, after all, still in transition to becoming a man. Even though I would be considered a killer... His features darkened at the thought, he started to feel confused and his stomach twisted into knots.

Jacob pushed the feeling down and was glad to see the others he was traveling with milling about in front of him, it was a nice distraction from what was going on inside of him.

He stepped around a shrub and realized that there was someone new in among them. It was a handsome boy, one with blonde hair much like his own, though his was still stained with blood. The thought made him pull at a piece of it, just too see the color. The boy also had a hand up, as if in surrender. Jacob could only see the back of him but he didn't look too be too much older then himself.

The newcomers words made him scrunch his face with uncertainty. "Nice job on the boss man...?" he repeated "Does that mean..."His forefinger and thumb rested against his chin. He looked at the gushy corpse that was being referred to and assumed that it was of one of the bandits that had attacked. "That must mean he's another bandit?"

His heart pumped a surge of adrenaline in a pulse through his veins and he questioned himself, Should I stop him...But I don't even know what- As if a light turned on in his head he realized that, whoever it was, obviously did not mean them any harm, otherwise he would have come in charging like the rest of the bandits. His pulse slowed as he took a few more steps and sat down on a small empty log. Now he could see the green eyes that gazed back and he was unsure whether he should answer or not, he thought it might be more of a rhetorical statement.

None the less, he scanned the area to see if any of his comrades needed immediate medical attention.

Tamaro looked up at them, half wondering if his act would even be accepted. Even he had to admit it was terribly brutal the way he'd dispatched that bandit. If he were them he would be looking at himself the same way they did now, but they didn't see what Tamaro saw when he looked into that man's face. If they were him then they might have done just the same thing he did.

He was relieved when Talia smiled and moved toward him, cleaned the blood from his face, and then kissed him on the cheek. A thank you he might have expected, but a kiss was real gratitude. He just adopted a goofy smile and continued to wipe the blood from his face, using some snow to clean it which would melt as it touched his skin from all the heat he produced. He was so focused on it he hardly noticed Talia's near nudity, and he remained so until Jacob began to remove the arrow.

Tamaro watched intently, his eyes fixed on the wound and Jacob's deft hands, and Talia's pained stare and gentle cries as she seemed to be focused solely on him. He avoided her gaze at first, a little confused and embarrased, actually, regarding why she was doing this. He pondered what she could have been thinking, though it could have been anything. After all, what kinds of worries go through the mind while being treated for an arrow wound? Maybe she was thinking of what to have for supper, or how they get those model ships inside the tiny bottles, or why flightless birds have wings at all. Maybe it had something to do with fish. Fish sounded so good to Tamaro right then.

Inexplicably he began to wonder if she was really thinking about him, though he couldn't imagine any reason why she would wish to ponder such a tedious existence as his own, other than the fact that it had culminated in quite the spectacle of a slaying.

The procedure ended swiftly enough and the practiced doctor's hand finally came to a rest. Tamaro realized he'd not given his name and waited a moment in case Talia's interjection on his behalf would mean an introduction was also forthcoming. It was not. Tamaro began to pull nails from his bag and spent a while trying to spell out his name. It took a couple of attempts and much re-arranging and editing, but he finally managed to render it. ~

It was a moment too late as the other two were already going. He simply grabbed up the nails and followed. They'd gotten some distance, but Tamaro quickly gained it back running after them. Perhaps it was the adrenaline in his veins, but running felt odd. His legs felt rubbery, but sensitive at the same time. In fact, all of his skin felt sensitive he realized, especially his ears.

He followed closely, not having the same sense for direction that Jacob seemed to have. He only knew that he'd run a long way, then chased another man a very long way. He was in no mood to be doing all that running again.

Nox had stood by and watched as Darius zoned out and the man he had grabbed by the tree had, instead of running, wandered into their cam and began to praise them about the kills that Darius had made with his sweeping strokes of his two-handed longsword. Apparently the man who had his intestines and such in a pile in front of him was the leader of the bandits that attacked trying to rob the group of theirvaluables and lives. The young bandit's prescence among the camp unsettled Nox making him note the pouch at the man's side not unlike his own, it probably held throwing weapons like his own.

Darius had all the sudden sat up grumbling under his breath and began to walk out of the camp, Nox followed and quickly caught up to the hulking man. Nox could see it in the man's eyes he wanted to leave the party of villagers and go to the city on his own as soon as he could get there. Nox got ahead and stopped a few feet away from Darius, looked up at his face and said "Darius you can't leave us! We need you with us. You're the one who cares about us, Rangvald seems too indifferent about things. If you leav us what's going to keep him with this group? Without you we loose Rangvald, and without either of you I am the only fighter left. I can't take charge of them! I...I wouldn't know what to do or where to go we'd all end up dead. Please Darius don't leave us, we need you here with us, you're in no condition to travel alone at the moment, and...and I won't let you go!" The boy then held out both arms out to each side in an attempt to block the man from proceeding, the small sparrow that Nox had adopted was perched on his head mimicking his stance. The boy's face was set hard and serious his resolve unwavering.

Darius just smirked at Nox. He could not understand why nobody was as torn up over all that had happened as he was. It seemed like he was the only one loosing his mind and that worried him. He had always been logical, he had always be assured that he was mentally stable. Now everyone was acting like everything was okay, and that they needed his help, he want to yell at them. He was torn to s**t by the cuts on his body. Another battle like that would be the end of him. His head was pounding, he couldn’t help but consider just acting like nothing was happening. He knew that he was not used to such hallucinogenic events, and he doubted they were either, yet they all acted fine in that regard. He thought maybe he would feel a little more stable if he just reverted back to his old self. The warrior. The sellsword. The mercenary. He would be simply the man who he was forced to be for so long, and maybe find a bit of stability enough to go get drunk and get laid. Sure, he was pretty sure something terrible happened in Barro, but that was something he could deal with when he got there. He would meet Ragni at the Hanged Dog, buy a few rounds, get stupid and have his way with a cute little wench. He looked down at Nox.

“You will be fine without me. Look, I have been lapsing. Things have not been firing right upstairs,” he taps his forehead. “But what I do know, is that my entire life has been bloodshed, and that dying here, and now, before I get my answers, would be a waste of everything up until this point. I have had to kill, and kill and kill, and now, I am choosing to avoid any chance of battle by busting my a**, and getting down the road to Barro. If you follow me, I cannot do anything about it, we are all going the same way. But I am not going to risk my life, at least not without good coin. As heartless as it sounds, I have done enough charity. I have tried to impart my knowledge of battle upon you all. Now, the only way to hone that ability, is to not rely on anyone but yourself. You are a strong male who can kill with his bare hands, use it. “

He listened to what Alaina had to say and nodded.

“See, she has it right. The fact of the matter is that while I like you people, I believe that one must learn to rely upon themselves, and then open yourself to others assistance. Only when you don’t really need it. Now, I’m gunna hustle on to civilization. I have bad feelings about what is to come. I am hoping I can deal with whatever is ahead before it gets too out of hand. Before my mind really breaks. Don’t concern yourself my friend, if fate wills it, we will meet again.”

With that he set off again at a forced march. The pace that was always set by an army needing to get somewhere fast. Not really a jog, fast, but just fast enough to where it won’t wear you down to fast. Where you can march all day without rest. Each step was something of order. Left and right. While not perfectly uniform, the simple focus of movement kept his mind off of his visions. It kept his mind off the thought of bandits in the woods. Normally this is where he would whistle. Only now he didn’t feel like it. He didn’t want to draw any more attention onto himself then needed. Instead he just kept walking. Ignoring the tingling sensation that still ran through his body, the thousands of teeth tearing him apart. He shuddered and placed a hand on his sword. The knowledge of the weapon calmed him.

No one seemed interested at the moment in recieving any mending so he allowed himself to relax.

Jacob turned to Tamaro. "I apologize but I still didn't catch your name, after all I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Jacob was oblivious to the fact that Tamaro did not speak.

Jacob sat with his shoulders hunched, his elbows on his knees and his face towards the dirt. He pushed the granules around with the front of his sole, absentmindedly making little twists and curves. After a few seconds he saw a strangely familiar symbol. Where have I seen that before... with the thought, his eyebrows pulled together and his mouth scrunched to the right, his mind trying to find the source of what was at his feet. No answer came. He brushed away the mark with his left foot, swiping from left to right a crossed the design.

He watched as the others started packing up and heading out of camp. Each of them taking what was most important to them, mostly weapons. pulling off his own pack he looked at what he still had inside. A few bottles of pain tonic, one to quell a fever, his bowl and stone, and two empty bottles. He took the empty bottle from his pocket, the one he used on Talia, and shoved it in with the rest of his materials. Now he had three empty bottles. At some point he would need to gather more herbs to restock his medicines.

As he sat thinking of what herbs he would need, his mind wandered to what he was supposed to do next. His main goal in life was to always help others but for the most part everyone here could take care of themselves. He placed his chin on his open palm and thought about what else would make him happy. It made him feel important when he saved Talia, even if it was a stroke of luck. Maybe he could have two goals, to heal others and protect them as well. For the latter he would need someone to show him how. He was lucky to get the quick lesson from Grundis when he did. But what now?

He sinched his pack closed and stood up. He waited for Talia and Tamaro, hoping that he could travel along side the two of them. This is when he spotted Aliana. He gave her a soft smile, glad to see that she was among the living.

His heart sank when he saw who was not. Talia was crushed, he could see that. A feeling of helplessness overtook him; he knew that there was nothing that could be done now. Jacob didn't want to see any more of the death that lingered here and closed his eyes looking away.

He turned his head over to the others whom were almost out of the campsite. Almost making an escape but being halted instead. In reality he understood Nox and had some similar feelings. Jacob felt like couldn't do much on his own, maybe some survival basics, but he had nothing on everyone else here. At the same time though listening to Aliana and Darius, he understood that his worry was unnecessary, they would meet up again.

Jacob found himself looking at the ground, his pack still over one shoulder, "Learn to rely on oneself..." It was a slight whisper, not much louder than the breeze that was moving around him. Was that apart of protecting others? Hmm...

He would not mind treating Darius, in fact he internally encouraged it, but he guessed that Darius preferred to move along. If the soldier did refuse the help, maybe he would accept it later, once they actually made it to their current destination. It would be better for both of them, Jacob still needed to replenish his supplies afterall.