[center][h2]Afruccio & Malkus[/h2]
Location: In a cave off the road, between Sarlarn and Yzewz
Actions: Resting and Waiting[/center]

Malkus looked at the poncy human who seemed who had screamed all the way to the half-orc. He defensively raised his dagger up expecting him to strike, but instead he asked Malkus if he was lost in the storm too. Truth be told, Malkus [i]really[/i] didn’t want to fight, but he couldn’t exactly trust a stranger. He didn’t even trust the stranger with his real name. [color=00a651]”Name’s Orchid.”[/color] Orchid was one of Malkus’s many fake alias, with so little history behind it that he didn’t bother to make up a reasonable backstory for it. It was just his code name’ back in the Thieves Guild. [color=00a651]”Lost… Not really. Don’t really have anywhere to go. I just wanted to get out of the rain.”[/color] Malkus wasn’t too certain what to do from here. He didn’t want to be the first one to put his weapon away (Even though right now he was the only one with a weapon out). He needed to know that this guy wasn’t going to stab him in the back the moment he turned around. Not that it wouldn’t be justified for the human; Malkus did decide to introduce himself with a big poisoned knife after all.

[color=00a651]”I’ll get to the point. I’m staying in this cave to dry off and rest. And I don’t trust you. Give me a reason why I shouldn’t try to kill you right now just to make sure you don’t stab me in the back.”[/color]

Afruccio was taken aback by this near declaration of fighting intent. All he did was shrug his shoulders and lower his hand from his hilt, [color=6ecff6]“I haven’t taken my weapon out yet haven’t I? Plus I would hope the same from you, I would rather live on then have the potential to die here. How about we move along back to my fire, side by side, I don’t mind sharing my fire, but I do mind having a weapon pointed at me, you know what, here”[/color] Afruccio puts a hand into his bag and takes out some dried meats towards Orchid. [color=6ecff6]”Let us try to befriend each other over a meal, now please take this into your dagger hand and I’ll hold my bag with my sword hand to show my sincerity”[/color] As he grabs the whole bag with his right hand with the torch in his left, showing no ability to fight back.

Malkus wasn't sure if he should be offended or just take the offer. On one hand, this human handing him food like some sort of animal was worth stabbing him over. But Malkus was also pretty damn hungry and rather not have to fight on an empty stomach. Malkus put his kukri away and took some of the meat, but didn’t entirely obliged to the deal. [color=00a651]”I’ll hold this, but you take the lead. In the meantime I’ll deal with this.”[/color] Malkus began to eat the dried meat eagerly, quickly finishing his handful in a matter of seconds. Briefly, he wondered if maybe this meat was poisoned.

Afruccio shrugs and walks forward past him towards the fire that he built. Arriving at the small fire he frowns at how it is starting to lower quickly. [color=6ecff6]”Looks like we won’t be having the warmth for long, you want some fresh water?”[/color] He says after reaching into his bag for his waterskin and taking a drink out of it. He offers it to Orchid with his left hand while scrounging around in his pack for more rations. He laughs slightly and says[color=6ecff6]”If I knew I would be feeding two I would have packed some more food. Still, I wish it were a pretty lady that found me instead of you, Orchid, but I’m sure you think the same about me[/color] He laughs again, bringing out nearly what is left of his rations as he rests he pack down with a *clink*. [color=6ecff6]”Please, go ahead and eat more, it isn’t much but it will be better than nothing."[/color] Affrucio says between bites of food he left for himself, while Orchid’s share is near the other side of the fire. He looks out into the rain again and attempts to make small talk. [color=6ecff6]”So, what brings you out here? I was attempting to make it to the town up the road, maybe find some beautiful women."[/color] He says still smiling like a fool.

Normally Malkus would be hesitate accepting food from a stranger. Hospitality was one thing, but considering their first meeting Malkus’s mind was ablaze with paranoia. That is, if it wasn’t so damn hungry. He ate the food and drank the water with great vigor, feeling a bit of his strength come back with each bite. It’s been days since he had actual food, and he was still hungry for more. However, Malkus was certain that this stranger probably didn't have an infinite supply of food. As much as he hates to, Malkus had to control his hunger. The last thing he wanted was to become dogged to get this human’s morsels.
 
While he was eating the human said some stuff, but honestly Malkus didn’t hear much of it. Something something pretty lady, something something beautiful women. Now Malkus was a horn dog, no doubt, but even he was able to think about more than just women. Of course not that food was, for the moment, not an immediate concern Malkus did think back to Sona. He still didn’t know why he felt this close to her. In hindsight, it’s not as if he’s never seen a prettier elf, or one who could play a flute better, or even one who fought harder than Sona. Malkus figured it was just because he’s been so far from civilization, that he’s lowered his standards and fallen for the ditsy elf. Because the alternative, that he had fallen in love with Sona, was a much more frightening prospect.

Malkus tried to dry out the wet wood he brought, but the minuscule flames of the fireplace wasn’t going to be enough to do more than make the wood slightly warm. Sighing, Malkus figured that he could at least make due with being inside a cave instead of the rain. Now to respond to the human. [color=00a651]”I got my own reasons, stranger. I already told you, it wasn’t as if I was going nowhere in particular. I’m just a… Drifter. Vagrant. Homeless. Though if I knew I was getting in the middle of a war-zone, you can bet that I would have gone the other way.”[/color] A fundamental flaw of traveling alone with no destination in mind; without knowing where he was going, there was no telling what sort of trouble Malkus would find himself in.

Now that he answered some of the human’s questions, Malkus shot a few of his own. [color=00a651]”Just who are you anyways? Don’t know why an human would be traveling alone in orc territory. Not unless you just like the danger.”[/color] Orcs were also a go-to foe for an upstart hero to slaughter en masses to show off their prowess. Malkus would have pitied the orcs if they didn’t bring it upon themselves for their warlike ways. 

[color=6ecff6]”As I said before, my name is Afruccio, and...I wonder why I’m here myself. I guess I just didn’t feel comfortable at home, maybe I’m searching around to be of use to others to satisfy something inside of me I don’t know of. But as you put it before for yourself, I seem to be a drifter myself”[/color] He laughs again [color=6ecff6]”You and I may be more similar than it seems”[/color] His smile nearly falters thinking back to the family he left behind, sure they were not his birth family but it is the only family he had since that one fateful night his life was put on its head. [color=6ecff6]”I apologize for not being more prepared, I would offer you some tea but I don’t really have everything together to make it happen.”[/color] He searches for thoughts looking into the rain again, trying his best to keep the conversation going. [color=6ecff6]”So, when I mentioned women before, there seemed to be a small gleam in your eye, friend.”[/color] his usual smile turns into a playful smirk, [color=6ecff6]”Has some wonderful maiden catch this drifter’s fancy? I’m no stranger to love friend, and I know something when I see it.”[/color]

Malkus grunted at the man’s, Afruccio’s mention that they may be similar. Many had said the same once… The similarities are superficial at best. Being a vagrant wasn’t unique enough that Malkus would consider it something to bond over. Indeed, Afruccio’s claim to being a vagrant actually irked Malkus, because he also said he left his own home to pursue this life. If Malkus had the option he would stay in a home and grow old and weak in the comforts of a warm bed and food, instead of slumming it everyday in the weather and being limited to handouts. Afruccio at least had a home to go to; if things turned out badly for him, there was someone who he could turn for help. For someone like Malkus, he died the half-orc would be blessed if the first person to come across his corpse at least lets him keep his clothes.

At the mention of tea, Malkus also grunted in lieu of a worded response. Though he won’t admit it, Malkus was already thankful for what little good Afruccio already offered. It was only because of Malkus’s own distrust of the human that he hasn’t thanked him properly yet. There was a short moment of silence before Afruccio, quite the talkative one, seemed to have noticed Malkus reflect about Sona. Malkus glared and snarled at the human, but his snarl slowly turned into silence.

[color=00a651]”... I don’t love. I lust. If I lay eyes on a woman it’s only for sex, nothing more, nothing less.”[/color]

Malkus said honestly. That’s just how things have been with him. Granted, most of the women he’s talked to were either prostitutes or women he was robbing, so it’s not as if he had a wide range of experience with the other gender. Besides that, Malkus wasn’t about to tell Afruccio, still a complete stranger, about Sona. Malkus didn’t know why exactly since he was trying so hard to disregard Sona as anything else but another target of his libido, and yet resist telling the human anything about her. But his willpower was weak, and he let slip something.

[color=00a651]”Besides, I couldn’t keep her company. She already has others to care for her…”[/color]

Completely ignoring Orchid’s grunts of ignorance and/or displeasure of conversation Afruccio’s grin widened, [color=6ecff6]”Ah, “lust” you say, while true it seems like that at first these things will grow on you. And she having others to care for her you mean family? A lover? Usually nothing will stop me in telling a girl my feelings….well usually. I have a girl back home myself that I never confessed to, maybe that is another reason I’m out here, I ran away from the things I knew. One day I’ll return and hopefully she found someone better than me at least.[/color] Still smiling he asks Orchid, [color=6ecff6]”So, what’s she like? This girl you fancy?”[/color] He looks out into the storm again, [color=6edff6]”Hopefully this storm lets up soon so we can get to the city, and have a real fire.[/color]

Staring at the embers, Malkus didn’t really [i]want[/i] to talk about Sona. He was trying to forget about her. And yet… He spoke. [color=00a651]”I don’t know. Barely know her. We met yesterday when I was walking through the forest. We… Spent sometime together. Nothing happened.”[/color] Malkus didn’t mention that the two spent some time playing the flute with each other, knowing that it was a setup for an innuendo and Malkus didn’t want to spoil the memory with perversions.

Realizing this thought, Malkus sighed and hugged his knees. He was a liar, but he couldn’t trick himself into believing it. He loved Sona and wanted to be with her, but he couldn’t bring himself to grow out of his fears. [color=00a651]”She… Is an Elf. Maybe a half-elf. I didn’t ask her. Hair like gold and eyes like as blue as the skies. She didn’t seem afraid of me and… Well, because I wanted her, I didn’t hurt her. Thought maybe, we would have a tussle in the bush and go our separate ways. But we talked and…”[/color] Malkus choked up. He didn’t know what he was doing, talking like this. He sighed and leaned against the cave wall. He just wanted to see Sona.

[color=00a651]”Rain like this won’t let up. Even this cave won’t keep us protected for long; the floor would get flooded within the day. I’m going to sleep, and if I wake up I’m leaving.”[/color] Malkus also took the time to replace his bandage. His wound was festering, and if the fire was big enough he would have heated one of his blades and cauterized the wound. Alas, the best he could do was find a dry cloth, try to clean his wound, and make a new bandage.

[color=4ecff6]”Is that so...well then I’ll keep watch for the two of us. You look like you need the rest. And if I could say one last thing, you should go after her. You seem to be fighting some predefined destiny of yourself that has no reason to exist, let your heart speak and not your head at some points, friend, it will do you a lot of good in the long run. You’ll have less regrets that way as far as I’m concerned.”[/color] He again looks off into the rain seeing if any dangers pass by, keeping his sword close if action arises. He waits for Orchid to fall asleep before he gets up and starts in an unusual stance and whispers to himself [color=6ecff6]”Alright, 1...2...3”[/color] as he flies into a flurry of different dance moves, some seem rather rough, mostly looking self taught but in the middle of his routine he picks up his rapier and begins his special combat training involving his dancing steps and quick, subtle movements as made to look as a feint or disarming motions. After his bout of practice he tests his cloak to see as it is mostly dry and drapes it over Orchid trying to give hopefully a new friend some well-deserved warmth after he was warm enough for now. He then hums a small tune that his mother would sing to him to sleep as he started to count the flashes of lightning crossing the skies waiting to move out.