We're Off To See The Wizard (Adelaide and Joric)

[imageine]

The market was bustling despite the early hour, the people of the small town flowing around each other like a well practiced dance as they went about their daily business. Adelaide moved through them just as fluidly, but rather more aimlessly; she drifted from stall to stall idly looking over things, trying to find the herbs and such she might need to top up her medicinal supplies, as well as good cloth for bandages and anything else that might be useful. She lingered around stalls with more magical ingredients and items as well, looking longingly at the more esoteric things on sale and dreaming of a day she would be able to understand and utilise them all.

It was there that she overheard something of interest - a man she didn't recognise, new to town she suspected, asking one of the stall holders where he might find a particularly adept mage. She couldn't be much help to him in his search, she knew that, for she had no more information than he did in that regard - but if there was some way of, perhaps, travelling with him to meet the mage in question, she might find somebody willing to tutor her in the arts she so desperately desired to learn.

She'd spent long enough in this town, apprenticed to the healer and learning to treat illnesses and injuries through more mundane methods, never quite daring to leave because they said the roads were not safe to travel alone - with someone like this man, clearly a fierce warrior? What would be not safe about that?

"Excuse me," she said softly, approaching the newcomer "Did you say you were looking for a mage?"

Comments

[drawsblood]

He hadn't been expecting much when he entered this town, but he also knew if he never bothered to ask then he'd never find a way to rid himself of the spell laid on him. His journey had taken him down from the mountains into unfamiliar territory and he could never be quite sure how people would react to him or his request. At least here it seemed they were fine with a foreigner as well as his inquiry, though the stall owner didn't know of such a person. It was what it was. He had little hope to lose, and plenty of people to ask, until he was approached by someone instead.

Joric nodded. "I am. You know one?"

[imageine]

"I know there's hardly any in town," she admits - if there were she'd certainly have approached them before now. There were likely to be one or two, but none she knew.

"What kind of thing are you looking for, exactly? I might be able to advise..." or more accurately, she might be able to point him towards someone who actually has any kind of information - and figure out if travelling with him was a good idea, or get her what she wanted as well as him. There were a lot of reasons somebody might want a mage after all; she didn't want to get tangled up in something she was going to regret. It would be difficult to dissuade her, though, the chance to get out of here and follow her dreams was far too tempting a prospect.

[drawsblood]

"Someone who can remove a spell," he replied, knowing that in order to receive aid he would have to explain things a bit more thoroughly. If those foolish mages in the army had known anything about what they were doing to him instead of just throwing around theories then this would be solved by now.

"I suppose someone trained as a healer. It's a spell on the body."

[imageine]

"I'm trained as a healer," the words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself, too carried away with the daydream to think about the implication of choosing to tell him that fact at that moment. He wasn't just looking for any mage, he was looking for a healer. Adelaide might dream of getting out of this town and away from her apprenticeship as it is, but not because she disliked what she did, only how she did it. Well, that and the fact that she would never be more than the healer's assistant if she didn't strike out on her own.

"I don't think I could remove a spell, though, not if it's powerful enough to bring you this far looking for someone who can..."

[drawsblood]

Well now he saw why his words had caught her attention. If she was a mage then she was just the type he was looking for. Unfortunately not able to just get rid of the spell completely, but any mage with some skill was better than none.

He reaches up a hand to stroke at his beard in thought. "But would you happen to know a mage that could?" Maybe she could point him in the direction of someone.

[imageine]

"I'm afraid I don't..." she had to admit to that, at least "but I may know somebody who does, I can take you to them... if you agree to take me with you."

It was a gamble, she knew, and she didn't like to withhold information when it was important - if he said no she'd probably tell him anyway, but she had to take the chance and ask the question.

[drawsblood]

Joric looked her over with some surprise. He would have thought he was the last person any respectable young woman would want to be alone with. Not because he planned on trying anything, but he was a berserker of the mountains, and that could lead people to imagine he had very little on his mind beyond war and women.

"Traveling with me might not be wise," he stated, dropping his hand to his side. "Unless you are skilled at magical healing. I might as well say the one with the spell on them is me, and I can be dangerous if not treated." He of course had taken precautions, never entering a populated area until he had several bottles of calming potion brewed up, but he couldn't know how much potion he'd need to take on this journey she was suggesting.

[imageine]

How dangerous could he be? Maybe it was reckless of her to think that way, but she was ready to throw caution to the winds.

"I am skilled at a number of healing techniques," it's not a lie, she is, it's just that none of them are magical, but a little carefully phrased truth could be the difference between getting out of here and staying, so she was willing to put her ambition first for once - she'd spent too long putting everybody else first. Maybe if she knew him a little better she'd feel guilty, but they'd only just met and it was only a little white lie, right? What harm could it cause?

Besides, if this was something that needed to be healed maybe she still could be of help to him.

[drawsblood]

"Well, in that case, you are the best lead I've had so far." Since they were still standing there in the market, he gestured for them to walk so they weren't in anyone's way.

"I have a spell on me that changes me." He frowned, debating how best to put it. "It was meant to make me fiercer in battle, but it keeps trying to take me over. If you could hold back my rage with your magic, the journey would be far safer for you." It wasn't something he wanted to admit, because it felt like weakness to be unable to exert his will over this spell, but he had no wish to risk an innocent in his company, so it had to be said.

"I have a potion that helps hold it down, but it's dependent on finding the ingredients for it. A magical healer would be better."

[imageine]

Alright, so maybe she couldn't help, not with something like that... but maybe they could just avoid any battle, take the safe roads and watch out for bandits and reduce the risk (assuming it only takes over when he's in battle, which right now she is), and if it never takes over before they get to the mage then he never has to find out she hadn't been entirely honest with him. The mention of a potion perks her up as well.

"I'm quite good at finding ingredients for many remedies, and have a number of supplies already, so I would be able to help with the potion as well." Alright, maybe the 'as well' was starting to tip it into actual lying, but she still had herself convinced that it would all turn out alright in the end.

"I'll take you the tavern, many travellers pass through there so it's the best place for information." she told him, directing their steps in that direction.

[drawsblood]

It all seemed a little too neat and easy, but Joric couldn't stop to consider it when it was something that benefitted him like this. It might be that this mage she was taking him to wouldn't be able to cure him just like the army mages couldn't, but it was worth the trip to find out. As as they traveled he could have her heal him, since this spell kept trying to activate outside of battle too. He only had a short window of time when it started to control it with a potion, but if he could just tell her about it, she could handle it for him.

He turned towards the tavern, nodding in agreement. "I tend to live off the land as I travel. Would you need to buy supplies for yourself?"

[imageine]

"I know how to find many edible plants and things, and though I'm not very skilled at hunting I can prepare and cook any animal you may be able to catch, so I shouldn't need to take too many supplies if you're able to catch enough for two?" She suggested, hoping they could arrange some kind of shared division of labour that worked for them both. She was sensible enough on that front, at least, she knew travel would likely involve eating and sleeping outdoors, towns were quite far apart in this part of the world and if they were travelling on foot it would be at least a couple of days journey between any sort of accomodations. It was possible he had a cart or horse of some kind, which would make it easier, but she was preparing for the worst - or what she thought would be the worst.

"Oh, I suppose if we are to travel together we ought to introduce ourselves," she suddenly realised, turning faintly pink at the idea that they'd gotten so far in their agreement without even exchanging names "I'm Adelaide."

[drawsblood]

"I tend to carry dried meat. It cuts down on the hunting supplies I would need to carry." Namely traps because he was terrible with a bow. He was fine at fishing, but bringing a rod and line were just more things he didn't want to carry. On his person he carried a large rucksack, a hunting knife, and his sword in a scabbard. All he needed in life was with him now. He had no place to call home. Perhaps someday once this mess was sorted he could settle down somewhere, but for now he was always on the move.

He opened the door to the tavern and gestured inside. "Joric," he answered simply. Her name wasn't one they had in the north, while he was sure his wasn't one they used down here either.

[imageine]

"Dried meat is fine with me, I'm sure between us we can find enough to live on in between towns." His logic makes sense to her.

He was right, it wasn't a name she'd ever heard before, but it was simple enough to remember and she nodded.

"Well it's nice to meet you," she said with a smile, turning her attention to the tavern. It wasn't overwhelmed with customers, but there were still a few scattered about, and plenty of obvious travellers "Might I suggest we split up? I can ask the people over that side, and you ask the people on this? Then we can meet in the middle and compare notes?"

[drawsblood]

He took stock of the people around the tavern. The place thankfully wasn't too crowded and he'd drank a potion that morning just to be safe, so he determined that he would be fine being in closed quarters with others. There were no dark thoughts currently swirling around his head and he knew if they started he could just turn around and leave. He nodded.

"As you say." He separated from her and began his inquires the same as he had outside.

[imageine]

With a small nod to him, she turned her attention to 'her' side of the tavern... and then realised just how many strangers she'd just volunteered to talk to. She took a deep breath, summoned up some of that courage that had prompted her to approach Joric in the first place, and started towards the first table to ask the question. With any luck she'd find what they needed quickly.

She didn't have the luck. Maybe she'd already used it up getting this far - though she had one or two almost leads that were better than nothing, so she wasn't completely defeated when she headed to the central point of the bar, hoping that Joric had found something more.

[drawsblood]

Once he'd finished asking around, he easily found her by her fair hair waiting for him. His expression was rather inscrutable and on meeting her eyes, he merely shrugged.

"Some heard rumors of a wandering old woman out to the west who is skilled in many things. It isn't much to go on. She could be anywhere." The "west" was pretty vast.

[imageine]

"I've heard that as well," Adelaide agreed with a faint frown - it really wasn't much to go on, and if this woman was wandering as they said they could be looking forever "The man in the corner over there did say he'd heard from someone the next town over talking about some powerful mage who'd removed a curse from his farm. I don't know how reliable the information is, but it may be a start?"

Even travelling as far as the next town would be further than she'd been before, and perhaps they could get more information there? It was a place to start looking, at any rate.

[drawsblood]

Joric took a moment to look her over. She seemed invested in finding this mage as much as he was and he wondered if it could all be simply because she wanted to go with him. This town didn't seem like it offered much, and he could see how someone might want to see what else was out there. Still, it seemed quite a step to make.

"You really want to go with me to find this person? Are you not needed here as a healer?" A town would be lucky to have someone talented in healing magic, as long as it was a person who knew their limits and didn't go experimenting. He hated those types of mages.

[imageine]

"I do," She nodded firmly - she didn't want him to think she had any reservations, nothing that might make him think she shouldn't come "This town has a healer, I have been learning mundane healing methods under them for a few years now, they are very skilled and more than capable of continuing their work without me." Likely they'd just take on another apprentice, her leaving would open the door for someone who wanted to learn and that could only be a good thing, right?

She wished she had a reason for wanting to go with him that she could actually explain to him, but since she'd accidentally (and a little bit on purpose) lead him to believe she was already a mage, the studying magic aspect might not be so compelling an excuse - she kept quiet, though, not wanting to lie to him any further with invented reasons for needing a mage.

[drawsblood]

"All right, well." He nodded towards the door. "We should get moving for the next town and question that person who got help with his farm."

Following breadcrumbs was all he could do at this point and hopefully it would result in more than the aimless wandering he'd done before now. He couldn't say he'd planned to pick anyone up along the way, but having someone who could manage him like he had back in the army would save on finding potion ingredients. And this time he felt it wouldn't be so much like he was a dog on a leash.

[imageine]

"I will need to make some arrangements before I leave, but it shouldn't take longer than half an hour or so, if that is alright with you?" she asked - as much as she wanted to run out the door and take to the road, she would have to pack a few things and tell people she was actually leaving before she went.

It was probably a little sad that it wouldn't take her more than half an hour, but as much as she'd built a life in this town out of necessity, there really wasn't anything keeping her here, her goodbyes wouldn't be long ones.

[drawsblood]

"As you will," he replied, heading for the door. "I will be waiting on the road leading to the west." He had nothing he needed to restock and no other reason to stick around town now that he had the next destination in mind. Everything he did was in pursuit of the next step towards getting rid of this spell for good.

He looked over at her as he went. "In a half hour." If she was a little late, he would wait, but he couldn't remain patient for long.

[imageine]

She nodded, watching him leave before heading off herself - back to her home to pack what few belongings she thought she'd need on the road and then to the healer's to tell them she was leaving. It had been a little quiet lately, the town had been faring well, so there weren't any urgent cases to deal with and she didn't feel bad about leaving so suddenly. She recommended one or two younger townfolk who had shown a lot of interest who might make good replacements, promised she would take care upon the road and send word that she was safe, and that was that.

It was a little less than half an hour later that she made her way to the west road to meet him.

[drawsblood]

He was sitting by the side of the road eating some dried food from his bag as he waited for her and wondered to himself how this was going to work. He supposed he should figure out how her magical healing worked to ensure she could actually catch his rage before it went too far. It seemed like something he probably should have considered before he agreed to let her tag along, but he really wasn't good at this sort of thing. Planning on the fly as a battle was underway? Sure, it wasn't a problem. Thinking up questions to ask someone before they made a deal? It needed work.

When she arrived, he shoved the rest of the food in his mouth and stood, shouldering his pack.

"Did you leave family behind?" he asked as she approached. Her expression didn't appear to be that of a person who had just had a tearful goodbye.