between the light and me

--hopefully you don't mind if I jump in this




The white Knight did not often venture too far beyond his mountainous home anymore, something he’d once done with a bit more frequency months ago. Back when he’d first arrived here, and hadn’t known much about the land, or even his pack, at the time. With time, though, that had changed. He had connections now, keeping him here. The Vertok, with his many acquaintances and a few friends, but also with the land now, too. And while the mountains, with their many hills, caves, and valleys would never be quite like his birthplace, it did feel like home, now. And that was good.

Yet, that did not stop Hawk from reminiscing, especially as he calmly wandered the plains that so closely resembled the land surrounding his birthplace. He hadn’t planned it - what had started as a simple urge to stretch his legs earlier that evening had ended up bringing him here, but he was glad it had. The ghost did not try to disguise himself as he moved, for even the darkest of nights couldn’t veil him visually. But he did move quietly and with a fair bit of poise, not wishing to rouse any others in the area, that might be sleeping.

The sight of this place brought back an abundance of memories, almost all of them pleasant. He could recall playing and exploring with his sisters on nights like this, or on some of the clearer ones, reclining with his father while his sire had regaled him with stories, or recollections of all the places he’d seen.

So stunningly similar to his home was this area, that he could almost imagine the figures of his siblings and family members cresting the next gentle slope to come and greet him. That was a dream Hawk refused to give up on entirely. Maybe some day, they would find him. And he could know for sure then, that were all still alive and well. The thought of it brought a contented smile to his countenance.

The expression was not to last, however, as the sudden and distinct sound of a cry of pain and distress echoed to his ears from somewhere not too far away, off toward the area where the plains began to give way to forested terrain. At that, the Vertok Knight was set on edge. Although he hadn’t the faintest idea what he might find, or if it was any of his business, it was not in his blood to ignore such a cry - no matter the potential risks to himself. Hawk moved forth with much greater haste than before, turning his ears forth to listen. While no subsequent cries followed the first, the ghost maintained his quick pace until he had approached the tree line.

There, he would slow his speed to nearly a halt, looking and listening with bated breath, for anything else. To his surprise, there was another noise to be had. As Hawk gingerly stepped forth to seek it, the nature of the sound became more apparent. It sounded like soft sobs. Distressed, possibly pained cries. And as the lightly colored form of another came into view, the white Knight was pretty sure he could see why.

One of the young woman’s forelimbs had become tangled up in a rather nasty looking vine, causing her to fall into a rather awkward, vulnerable, and uncomfortable looking position. This time, at least, he expected he’d have an easier time helping the unfortunate girl out of the tangle, than he’d had with Maxem. Her situation didn’t look any less painful however, prompting action on his part. Immediately Hawk shifted his approach so that he’d be in full view of the other, not wishing for his approach to be interpreted as threatening or predatory. The ghost lowered his head as he neared the other, seeking to make eye contact with the female while fixing what he hoped was an assuring expression upon his face.

”Miss, I’m here to help you. It’s going to be alright,” the ghost spoke softly. Certainly not how he preferred to begin a conversation, but he didn’t intend to waste time with pleasantries and leave the girl in that position longer than necessary. Hoping he wouldn’t get snapped at for it, or tangled up himself, the Knight gingerly stepped around to the girl’s side, to begin tentatively tugging at the vine that had ensnared her, seeking to unwind it from her awkwardly bent limb.

---all good! glad to have the opportunity to thread with you, too

Thankfully, the other did not refuse his aid, but even if she had snapped at him, the Knight wasn’t sure he would have let that drive him away. It was very much apparent, with a close-up examination of the situation now, that the distraught female would’ve had an incredibly tough time getting out of this, on her own. How or why she had managed to entangle herself in the mess was another question altogether, but not one that Hawk would dwell on, or ask.

All that mattered was getting her out of it. There was one initial cry of pain, but otherwise, the woman remained silent. Though he loathed being the cause of any discomfort the female might experience, the ghost chose to work with more urgency than care - at least to the extent possible, surmising that the quicker he could help her get out of this, the less pain she’d ultimately be in.

Tugging at and unwinding the vines that had ensnared the woman proved a tedious challenge, especially whilst taking care not to become trapped, himself. But.. considering he’d helped someone out of a similar situation before, it was easier, this time around. With a few more twists and tugs, the girl was free and moving quickly to right herself.

Hawk stepped back and away, taking care to be sure he was free of the vines as well, before shifting his focus to the other. Gingery she stood, favoring her injured leg, but her first action beyond that was to turn and thank him, her voice sounding almost.. more unsteady than her stance upon the injured leg. The Knight presumed that shame and embarrassment were at the forefront of her mind as she continued, emotions he hoped to dispel with a gentle shake of his head. The other also provided a name, and then followed that up with an inquiry.

”Hawk, Vertok Knight. And, you’re most welcome, Mara. Accidents and misfortune fall upon all of us, there’s no shame in that. Not with me, anyway.” He wasn’t the sort to pass judgment on anyone lightly, and certainly not for something like this. ”In exchange, all I would ask is that you.. pay it forth, with a good deed of your own to someone else, someday.” When the opportunity presented itself, of course. There was nothing he could ever desire to gain for himself, from helping another, except for perhaps a friendship.

Alstruistic was one way to describe his actions, and it was in large measure, accurate. There was more to it than just that, though. ”So it may seem, but, I’m grateful to have been able to assist.” It was, the ghost believed, certainly one of the most fulfilling aspects of life. Being able to use any and all abilities to help or inspire others, with acts that at first glance seemed selfless, but actually provided him fulfillment, too. A sense of purpose, something Hawk thought all of their kind sought after in one form or another.

The stranger - Mara - posed another inquiry, her tone inquisitive, and also beginning to sound livelier as she went on. ”A Knight, that is correct, Miss Mara.” Hawk offered a humble smile and bow to go along with the verbal confirmation, taking the moment to recline, though he did not remove his gaze from the other.

”This.. is not the first time I’ve helped someone out of a situation like yours. The last one was.. almost identical,” the ghost admitted, hoping that might further ease any embarrassment the other felt, mirroring the smile that was offered. ”It certainly isn’t part of a typical day, though. But it is my desire and purpose to serve, no matter the task. For me.. even the smallest of things is fulfilling, if it helps someone else.”

It was not merely a belief, but a way of life that the ghost sought to follow to the best of his ability. ”Speaking of which, how does that leg feel? If it's.. bad, you’d be welcome to return to my home. We have healers that could attend to it, and you’d be welcome to stay as it recovers, if you like.” Certainly, his duty had not ended with simply helping Mara out of the initial situation, and the Knight was not sure he felt comfortable leaving the other just yet. The Vertok usually did not have an issue with loners doing exactly that, and if Mara did not feel up to the journey, he was sure they would forgive him for remaining out here with her, for a time.

There was a definite, noticeable shift in Mara’s countenance, something he could not quite identify or read. And that was both puzzling and a little bit concerning. She hadn’t anything more to ask of him apparently, either. She did smile at him and definitively state that she did not believe any further assistance would be necessary and that the leg was feeling much better.

While a part of him hoped her words were true, Hawk found himself skeptical of the claim, having seen the effects this type of injury had on his friend. It was entirely possible, he thought, that Mara didn’t want him to feel obligated to help her further or to stick around, and was lying in an attempt to be polite. And, in a bid to demonstrate just how much better her limb was feeling, Mara stepped forth.

What followed was pretty much what he’d seen happen to Maxem, as well. Hawk winced as the other cried out and fell face-first into the dirt, her limb clearly not in any condition to support any weight. He recalled what Athena had said, that there was little which could be done for a twisted or sprained limb. Herbs could help with pain, but as with most things, only time and rest could truly cure it. Unfortunately, these were quite often two things wanderers did not have on their side.

With that in mind, the ghost had already determined he’d not be leaving the woman to chance or some horrific fate. And thankfully, that was something Mara seemed to realize as well. Tearfully, before she blinked them away, she twisted her head to look up at him.

”I’m not going to leave you, like this,” the ghost assured, stepping forth to nudge the other and to provide physical support, if she chose to try to stand again. ”The journey is a substantial one, but I’ll be here, the whole way. However..” he paused a moment, letting out a contemplative breath. ”If you’d rather not attempt that.. I can remain out here with you until you are better. My pack will understand, either way.” Maybe, offering up a different option would be more appealing, if embarrassment was a factor as it had been with Maxem. Even if he’d miss seeing his friends for a while, or regret not being there to do his job - this was important, and they’d understand. He did not doubt that for a moment.