A few days after the attack on Vigil’s Keep, Anders picks his way through the forest, trying to find his way back to the road. He grimaces a few times, as Justice flares beneath his skin. It hurts, in a strange way, like his skin doesn’t fit.
Or maybe that’s how Justice feels.
“-no! No, we don’t do that. Justice, let me handle this.” Justice rumbles, sparking lightning under his skin.
Anders looks up, trying to find the noise. If it’s a beast, he’ll have fell it quickly. He unhooks his staff from his pack, twirling it carefully.
“I mean no harm!” He calls out to whatever it is.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” Anders calls, and almost subconsciously, sends out a pulse of healing energy.
There's a shocked moment of silence. And then, just audible:
"He's a mage, he's not going to-"
Then, louder: "Who are you?"
“I don’t blame you! I wouldn’t trust a random man’s voice out in the forest either. That’s how you get demons.”
"If you're uninjured, to pass. If you're injured, to help. If you don't mind the help of an apostate."
More whispers. Although it seems like the speaker is having an entirely one-sided argument. There's a few growls and snarls, but still.
"...why?" And the question sounds almost hopelessly lost, like the speaker isn't really used to people just helping.
“Because I’m a Spirit Healer. That won’t stop for as long as I’m alive. I heal.”
"I haven't ever healed for money. I know, you hear that from all the guys. But truly, I've never even...it's instinctual. I could never."
There's a pause, and then a young teenager darts into the clearing. Ey looks a little underfed, and has definitely been sleeping rough, but ey's still surprisingly clean.
Ey's followed by an older teen, who's almost skeletally gaunt. He moves with surprising grace for the fact he seems like his skin doesn't fit right, and there seems to be something wrong with his left leg. He's abruptly between Anders and the other teen, a low growl echoing off his lips.
Justice flickers through Anders' skin like blue lightning, ready to defend his from the wild looking boy.
Anders grimaces, and shakes his head. "Sorry about that, real estate problems."
He looks over the two, cataloguing injuries. "All right. You look hungry, I can fix that now." Anders swings his pack off, and removes a bundled up hunk of cheese and bread, a little preserved meat and two apples. He places it on the forest floor, then backs away. "All yours."
The boy very nearly lunges at Anders when Justice flickers through, but pulls himself up. He continues to eye Anders and the food suspiciously.
The other teens rolls eir eyes, steps around the boy and retrieves the food, throwing an apple to him. "Eat."
He catches the apple, and stares at it for a long moment before taking a bite.
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