Colin's posts

Ashley suddenly looked very happy.

"All right!" he exclaimed.

"I'll go out and get some now!" he told her excitedly.

He then looked around, decided on an area of the forest, and dashed towards it, disappearing shortly thereafter.

Little by little, Reveka was seeing what sort of rearing Ashley had.

It hadn't been a pleasant one...and it seemed that his biggest desire to be useful to... well, whomever it was that he was with.

Ashley was silent for a moment, and thought about it.

"Deer, huh?" he asked.

"Oh!" he then exclaimed.

"What about mushrooms?" he asked her.

"Mushrooms go with deer, right?' he asked further.

"I can go out and find some if you don't have any." he offered. "I even know what ones are good to eat and what ones make the belly hurt, or make you see weird things." he added proudly.

"........" Ash was silent as Reveka said what she did.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"Anything I can find in the forest, huh?" he asked.

"What about meat?" he asked her further. "Do you have any to spare or use right now?" he inquired.

"Or will I need to go out and get, myself?" he asked her.

"Because I'm ready to do that." he said, cracking his knuckles.

Ashley seemed to freeze for a moment.

"...cook?" he asked.

"I've... I've never cooked before." he told her.

"But... I've heard that it's something one should know." he then said further.

"What is there here to cook?" he asked her.

"Like, meat or something?"

Ashley looked a little down when he heard that.

"Oh..." he said.

"I see." he said further.

"...I guess I'll go... sit somewhere." he told her.

"Be out of your way and all." he reasoned.

"Come get me if there's any way I can be useful."

Ashley nodded in response.

"I do." he told her.

"It was nice to have a bath that wasn't in ice cold water." he said.

"...granted, those were less 'baths', and more 'intense temperature training'..." he then mumbled. "But you get what I mean." he said further.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked her.

"Anything around here I can get done for you?"

Ashley, of course, didn't hear her. He continued on his way, aiming to clean himself.

He returned about 10 minutes later, still kind of damp from the water, but mostly dry. The clothes were sticking to him a bit, but it seemed all right.

He looked around, but didn't see Reveka anywhere.

"Hello?" he called out.

"Miss Rekeva?" he asked, fumbling her name again.

Ashley just nodded in response.

"All right." he replied.

"Thank you." he said.

He then started to walk off, taking off his top as he did so.

That's when Reveka noticed Ashley's body and muscle structure. For one so young, he was fit. His muscles were evident, and it was clear he'd been through a lot of training.

And hellish training, based on the scars he had.

Ashley nodded in response.

"All right, thank you." he said.

"I should wash up." he reiterated.

"Just... yeah. I feel like crud, because I'm covered in it." he lamented.

"And the fish should leave me alone?" he asked.

"Are they aggressive or meat-eating or something?" he asked her further.

Ashley shook his head again.

"No." he said.

"No, that's all right." he told her.

"...maybe I should wash off, though." he then muttered.

"I'm really dirty and dusty." he said, looking himself over.

"Is there a place around to do that?" he asked her.

"Like... a lake or something? Or part of the river that's not for drinking?"

Ashley shook his head.

"I will do it if you tell me to." he told her.

"Or if you need or want me to." he went on.

"I don't like to go and pick fights with animals and forest creatures." he said.

"Well... at least, not in a 'fight-to-the-death' sort of way." he quickly corrected himself.

"Scraps and skirmishes are fun."

"I'm good to eat anything." Ashley responded.

"Berries, bear, any birds, fish, I'm not picky." he told her.

"I can go out and get it, myself, too." he then said.

"Mistress wanted me to at least be able to kill an adult bear, so I wouldn't be a complete and utter failure." he added.

Ashley just sighed.

"Yeah. I am." he replied.

"I guess I worked through the food you gave me through the night." he reasoned, scratching the back of his head.

He then looked around, actually taking in the surroundings this time, and smiled.

"This is a really pretty area." he commented.

Ashley looked at her quizzically for another moment.

"I know." he then said bluntly.

"Death is supposed to be the end." he said.

"But it's not for my brother. Mistress Encrae made it so he rises from the ashes every time." he explained.

"The blood of a phoenix will do that."