A Day For The Future - Open -

[nathanielwood]

Nate opened the purse and rummaged around inside until his fingers closed around the long thin chain of a necklace. Honestly, it was so predictable of the nobles to be worrying about wealth all the time. If he'd been in her position he would've been more concerned with the gaping hole in his leg than some trinket. He pulled the necklace free of the purse and peered at it for a second before closing his fist around it. Giving it to the lady now would only risk her dropping it, he'd wait until she was settled on the stage and then hand it over.

”Can't even sweep a damsel in distress off her feet Theo?” Nate asked grinning as his brother struggled to get the lady off the ground. He still shifted obligingly though and looped an arm around her neck and knees to help lift her. ”I think a small payment is only fair for such a chivalrous deed.” He said agreeably, the weight of the purse that he had shoved into his pocket was suddenly feeling much less of a burden. It was a tidy sum and would definitely tide the family over until the two of them could get another job lined up.

Typical nobility, like she had any say in whether the two of them kept the money. Nathaniel rolled his eyes as the shuffled forwards, through the crowd and towards the stage, he couldn't bring himself to be too annoyed about it though. It was probably hard enough to deal with the pain without having to be diplomatic to two peasants who were manhandling her onto a stage. ”It's all right, I have your necklace.” He told her reassuringly as she began to ask for it again, but the comforting words were wasted as she seemed to have slipped into unconsciousness. He looked worriedly over at Theo, sure he'd been griping, but he didn't want her to die.

[theowood]

"It's harder to sweep a damsel off her feet when she's dead weight," Theo grumbled irritably, carrying the other side of the young noblewoman as best he could. He wasn't strong at all; he didn't need to be. He cheered up a little to see that Nate was looking a little bit irritable himself, though why precisely he couldn't ordain.

"I wonder what's the deal with her bloody necklace?" he asked when he was fairly certain she'd fainted. Loss of blood or shock? Either way, it probably wasn't a good thing. He wondered if there were any medics around; they needed a physician and sharpish. He wondered if they would be stopped as they approached the stage, but then people had been lurking around the thing for ages, hoping to procure a favour from a lady as they proved their mettle or just to see if they couldn't get something more out of the nobles. People did funny things when there was the potential for money.

Theo caught his brother's worried expression and shook his head. "She ain't gonna die," he reassured him, knowing the look. "It's not that bad, just bleeds a lot. Someone'll probably just stitch her up or something."

He hoped. What did he really know? He wasn't a doctor, he made roofs. He shifted the woman up his arms and propped her up on the top of the stage when they reached it, trying to be gentle as he did so but failing a bit; probably the alcohol. It wasn't exactly helpful in such situations. He wondered if she could do with some and decided against it; she was unconcious, why would an unconcious person want a drink? He looked around, but it seemed no one was paying attention to them and he wasn't quite sure which of the milling nobles they should go to for help. The man, Lord Wotsisname, who was holding the thing, or maybe the Sherrif? Scratch that, he thought, shaking his head. That was a stupid idea.

He really didn't know what to do.

[nathanielwood]

"You can ask her when we've put her down and woken her up." Nathaniel said grunting slightly. This damsel rescuing thing was trickier than he thought, he could see why Theo had struggled to pick her up. It was a lot different to grabbing one of his sisters, this lady was all drooping limbs and of course they were trying not to jolt her wound too much.

"I should hope not!" He looked at his brother a little alarmed and not all that reassured. It wasn't as though Theo could pull the wool over his eyes, his twin was no doctor, he wasn't even that good at patching up the scrapes and grazes that came with their job, Nate still had the scar on his arm to prove it. He set the lady down and scanned the nobles on the stage, none of them looked particularly approachable and he'd long ago learnt that, with the unpredictability of the stupidly rich, even those who looked nice enough could be just as stuck up. Most of the crowd had dissipated now that the excitement was over too so they couldn't even send one of them to get help from somewhere.

”So what do we do now?” He asked looking to his twin. Theo was the idea man after all.

(OOC: So the shortest post like ever... but meh I suck.)

[Daine Merton]

Slipping between states of consciousness was a strange experience to say the least. Daine found herself thinking of notions she thought were burried at the back of her mind. She thought of the past, the old Sheriff's ways, her family; but the weirdest was Sebastian. Why was he in her mind? He was nothing but trouble, and she knew that, but he still popped up.

The twin's coversation drifted past her ears, but she didn;t really hear any of the words. The next thing she knew was being settled down onto the wooden stage. She stirred, fighting this tiredness. It made her feel so weak. The pain had numbed her leg, so why was it still a problem? She couldn't feel a thing, she should at least be conscious! Now wasn't the first time Daine regretted retrieving her necklace. It was a stupid idea, stupid! So marvelously stupid! But she couldn't have just let that theif walk away with the only piece of her mother she still had. It felt wrong.

Right, I'm getting up now! She told herself, forcing her eyes open and trying to sit. Sharp, shooting pains flooded through her leg - making it feel like she'd been stabbed all over again. Her breath came out in gasps, but she still fought to stay with it. Daine Merton was not weak! She had promised her mother that she would never be weak. Never.

"Where is that no good... theiving..." Words failed her and were replaced by cries of pain. She gritted her teeth, knocking her head softly against the stage upon which she rested. Warm tears trickled down her pale cheeks - cheeks that were too pale to begin with. Her chin shook as she stuck it out, determined not to break down.

"I need help." Her voice croaked, hardly making any noise. She couldn't believe she was about to say this - and if he, or her brother, ever found out she'd never hear the end of it. "I need Seb..." Was it the phsyical pain she felt or the mental pain from saying it that stopped her saying it? Tapping her head once more, she softened her voice even more so it was barely a whisper. "I need Sebastian..."

[theowood]

Theo shrugged. He figured it wasn’t important but it was bothering him, that was all! He was a bit of a nosey git. He watched his brother scan the dais for someone to help them out a bit – much as Theodore himself had found, no one looked like they were interested. Vaysey was still lurking around up there and Theo maintained that it was a bad idea to try and approach him; Theo didn’t want to stick around any longer than necessary in case they were blamed for the stabbing. And that Lord... what was his name? Simon? Shane?... had disappeared somewhere. There was a scrawny looking geezer biting his nails, trying to catch the Sheriff’s eye, and Theo had to restrain a snigger at the thought that the man would probably faint at the merest sight of blood. Speaking of which...

He poked at the lady’s leg, the rag of a mask now sodden with blood, although it seemed to be slowing a bit. The guy couldn’t have hit anything important then...

”So what do we do now?”[/i] Nate had asked. Well... It was a fair question, he figured. There wasn’t a whole lot they could do: try to wake the woman up, get her a physician, and leave seemed the best idea, but Theo wasn’t so keen on trying to get a noble to give them a glance, let alone listen to them, even with one of their own status bundled up in peasant arms. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure he could think of a more straightforward or better plan of action. He stood up and shrugged at his brother.

”Guess we find someone to talk to.”

Knowing her name would probably be helpful...

Conveniently, at that moment the woman woke up. Well, sort of. She still seemed a little out of it, rambling about the man who had stabbed her (or so he assumed), and then the crying (please, someone stop her crying! Theo hated seeing a girl cry; it usually meant he’d have to give someone a piggy back ride), and asking for someone named Sebastian...

Sebastian...

That was his name! The new lord! Theo started looking round, trying to see if he was about, but if he were honest he didn’t really remember what the man looked like. He’d been more interested in food than some new, stuffed up old bloke. If he was old. Theodore pushed a hand from his forehead back into his hair. He really needed to start paying attention.

”Can you see that new lord anywhere, Nate?” he asked. The sooner they could dump the woman on someone else, the better, as far as he was concerned – almost anyone would be considered more capable hands.

[nathanielwood]

Theo was checking on the lady's wound again and Nate was relatively impressed that his brother was handling the situation so well. Neither of them were particularly adept at patching people up and it was his fault they'd got involved in the first place. He was just glad the theif hadn't stabbed one of the two of them, he didn't think Theo would be too impressed if he'd got one of them hurt by being a reckless hero.

"Guess we find someone to talk to."[/i] His twin replied and Nathaniel frowned. That was fairly obvious, he'd been hoping for more of a tangible plan. He was distracted from pointing out sarcastically just how helpful Theo's idea was by the lady stirring. She was awake, that was a relief at least because it meant she wasn't dead. She seemed to be trying to sit up though, which only worried Nathaniel further because with a big stab wound he was sure moving around was a bad idea.

"Miss? Miss I think you should lie still." He said, putting a hand on her should to try and keep her from getting up. "What's your name miss?" Nate asked as she began to mumble something. Sebastian? Somehow he doubted that was her name... It sounded familiar though, maybe it was her brother or her suitor or something. At any rate it was someone they could go to for help.

Theodore asked if he'd seen the new lord and Nate spared a quick glance around before shaking his head. ”No, it's a masked fair Theo, how'm I supposed to know which one is him?” He questioned, not above bickering with his twin even when they had a bleeding fair maiden on their hands. ”Is he called Sebastian then? I wonder why she wants him for.” Nathaniel mused aloud then got his thoughts back on track. ”You go find him, I'll stay here.”

(OOC: Should I post as Sebby walking over now? Or should Theo find him somewhere nearby?)

[Daine Merton]

(ooc - Ann and me have discussed this... Tis going Daine then Sebby :{P)

Her head was swimming slightly less than before, at least now she was aware that one of the twins was checking her wound and the wound's position. She was lucky she didn't embarress easy. Though there was little she could do about it - she'd been stabbed in the thigh.

It was then that it all dawned on her. She'd been stabbed. Had she not kicked him where it hurt she may not even be alive. He was aiming for her gut, she was sure of it. What would have happened if the twins hadn't appeared? The sickly swimming feeling returned as the possibilities span round her head. What was Maggie going to say about this? She might just understand, but there was no chance her brother would.

One of the twins tried to get her to stay still, but she felt like a panicked rabbit and was now shaking uncontrolably. "What's your name miss?"[/b] She looked at him, eyes wide, trying to focus on him. His image just wouldn't stay still!

Between short and gaspy breaths, she managed to say her name. But the effort of speech made her pant. As she tried to return her breathing patterns to normal the twins bickered. She furrowed her brow and shot them a 'not-so-nice' glare, though none of her glares were particularly nice. She hoped they saw, but a fresh bout of pain errupted in her leg as they switched places playing phsyician - making her srunch her eyes in pain and cry out.

"Where's Sebby?" She had to shorten his name - saying it fully took too much energy, energy she didn't have.

[Sebastian Mannering]

Sebastian was in an exceptionally good mood as he strode across the short distance from his new abode to the main bustling activity of the fair. The whole thing had started without a hitch and he was now dressed and ready for action. His costume had no specific theme, but it was colour coordinated and outlandishly flamboyant, of course. Purple velvet and black silk adorned his body, the fabrics covered in silver embroidery so intricate he was surprised the seamstress hadn't gone blind while making it. The black silk of his mask covered a good portion of the upper half of his face, a few strands of hair falling over the top of it where it covered his forehead.

Even leaving the Hall had been and event in itself. He hadn't expected to see Lord Javier and the delightfully pretty peasant girl sitting in the entrance to his home. What had been even more surprising was that the two of them had looked far more intimate than two people sitting on a bench as the lady recovered from a faint, which was the explanation they had given. Sebastian found that he was only a little annoyed about the whole affair. Sure, he had been looking to chase the peasant himself but he could not fault that while he had been halted by Lady Liselle, Javier had kept his aim in sight and gone after her. The sly dog.

Of course this hadn't stopped him from awarding the two of them with some teasing, like a favourite roguish uncle, he thought rather pompously. This Javier fellow had potential, Sebastian would have to talk to him again, give him some advice. And perhaps a warning about where it was appropriate to conduct business of that kind. The front entrance to Knighton Hall where just about anyone could walk in was certainly not one of those places.

His musings were interrupted by a lanky peasant boy approaching even as Sebastian continued to make his way over. He hoped the scruffy lad was not going to ask for some kind of charity for a dying relative or worse invite him for a drink. Sebastian did not mix with people of such a low standard, unless they were exceedingly pretty, preferably female and he thought he was in with half a chance of bedding them. This boy did not fit any of those categories.

Besides it would be dreadfully rude of anyone to invite him for drinks today considering he, well Vaysey, was funding the whole affair. It was Sebastian's charity that was paying it even if it was technically Vaysey's money. He scoffed at the idea that these peasants actually believed this food was free. It wasn't, he may not expect payment in return but he expected the first vestiges of loyalty from his new peasants and at the very least a lasting memory that this new lord was giving and approachable.

[theowood]

Theo groaned in exasperation. It was all well and good that the woman could at least say something – it meant she wasn’t dying, anyway – but if he’d been able to hear what she said, it would have helped him when approaching the lord (where ever he was). At best, he managed to hear a “Dana” or something – she’d been quite raspy when she spoke.

While the lord was funding the event, that didn’t mean he wanted to become best of friends with every Tom, Dick and Harry (although, Theo mused, the triplets were quite fun lads). He also felt the urge to poke his brother. Why did he have to go off and find the bloke? It was Nate’s fault they’d gotten landed with the injured woman in the first place. Shrugging, knowing it was futile to argue, Theo grinned at the woman and dashed off, leaving Nate to look after her.

At first he was unsure of what sort of direction to go in. Had the lord gone back home to hide out, or was he wandering around the masses? He figured it would be easier to spot a noble, as their clothes probably wouldn’t be as mangled, but that didn’t mean he was going to be easily recognisable. The twins didn’t get out of their own community much, having enough work there and in the closer villages, so there were a number of nobles whose names they wouldn’t know, even if they did recognise them as being one of the elite. Theo rubbed his head, and grunted.

Right, might as well try the bloke coming out of the house.

Trying to get rid of his nerves, or at the least not let the other man notice them, he approached the noble with a friendly air, hoping he wouldn’t run away. Or, well, at least deviate from his apparent course and try to avoid him. Even if it wasn’t Sebastian, he was still clearly a noble – he could get someone appropriate to help them.

”My lord?” Theo walked up and asked, slapping a somewhat nervous grin on his face and doing his best to seem… smaller. Humble. Theo hadn’t realised he could do humble these days. The twins could be quite arrogant at times. ”Er, there’s kind of a problem. There’s a woman called… Dana?... asking for you.”

He felt stupid about stating the obvious, but hey, what else did you say in these circumstances? ”Hey, Sebby, there’s this bird, right, and she kinda got stabbed by a thief, but you know, it’s ok, it was only her leg, she’s not quite dead yet so you could help out and get her a doctor, alright?”

Yeah, right.

(Okay, off to do that Vaysey post I've been meaning to do~ *not been in a Vaysey frame of mind*)

[Sebastian Mannering]

Sebastian considered ducking off to the side as the boy came over just so he didn't have to talk to him, but what kind of impression would it give to the peasant folk if he refused to even acknowledge them. He was sure he could fob the lad off with some kind of excuse or errand and get rid of him in no time at all. He certainly had to start the archery competition some time soon or it would be dark before the end, which was just an unfair disadvantage to all those pathetic peasant men hoping to prove their worth.

He frowned, an expression that was mostly unrecognisable behind the mask, as the boy told him there was a problem, he didn't really see why it had to be his problem, except that he was running this thing he supposed. He also had no idea who this Dana lass was and what she wanted from him. Sebastian prided himself on knowing everyone who was everyone and their business and so it was unlikely that this person was of any importance. Maybe he'd slept with her at some point, he just hoped it wasn't the serving girl from the castle, that would be awkward.

”Did she ask for me by name?” He questioned the boy and didn't wait for answer before he began striding over to the stage, the direction from which this boy had come. His interest had been piqued now, he may as well check it out. Then he could pass off the problem onto some lesser Lord, or if it was important then he and Cumberland could handle it. Sebastian's heart nearly stopped when he saw Lady Daine lying on the platform with a boy who looked remarkably similar to the lad who'd just approached him bending over her.

”Daine!” He cried, without thinking that it was highly inappropriate to be so emotional in public. He hurried to her side, his heart beating a little faster in his chest. Sebastian reached for her hand when he was close enough and squeezed her fingers in his palm. ”What happened?” He asked taking in her deathly pale complexion and the way her skirts were pulled up around her legs so the boy could press a cloth onto a wound on her leg. He found himself frowning about the fact that a peasant would dare to touch her, to expose her in such an uncouth manner in public.

”Fetch my manservant Cumberland.” He ordered, taking charge of the situation. ”Tell him Lord Mannering sent you and that the Lady of Merton requires medical attention.” He pressed his hand to the cloth covering Daine's wound gently and sent the boy scampering on his way. ”Daine,” His voice was softer as he spoke to the injured woman. ”I'm here now.” He was admittedly shocked that Daine had asked for him personally.

(OOC: Ok so I sent Nate off to fetch Cumberland because I couldn't be bothered to post as two people in one thread. ^_^;; Theo is still about though, I just thought I should explain because I obviously suck at making it clear in the thread...)

[Daine Merton]

The situation was getting even more confusion for Daine. Had she been seeing double and her vision was now clearing? One of the guys had run off! If there were two of them, she couldn't quite decide. She hoped for her mental state that there were two of them. Elsewise her brother had been right all these years and she was actually insane. And she hated it when Brian was right. It meant the world was wrong.

Not that it wasn;t anyway. It went wrong the day Edward was over thrown. And then even more so the day she lost her second parent to the villianous tyrant who'd sent the world into this never ending spiral of dispair. She just knew he would try and take Maggie from her. Why couldn't he take her brother?! She didn't like him, the Sheriff could have him. But the world was a cruel place, and now she was going to die because of a stab wound to the leg. Just because she'd tried to retrieve the only piece of her mother she had left. And she didn;t even know if she got it back.

A fresh bout of tears fell, pooling underneath her mask. And then she heard his voice and felt his touch. It was comforting to be in slightly more competant hands - even if all he did was get a phsyician. "Sebby." She opened her eyes a touch, but she only saw his blurry form. She couldn't feel her leg anymore, numb with pain, but her head was still pretty messed up. "I don't know." She sobbed. "I've been a fool." And I'm still being one. She craved Sebastian's comfort; wanting nothing more than to curl up in his arms and forget the fact that she may lose a leg over this.

She half dazed out at that point and could have sworn he was asking for sausages. But what did sausages have to do with medical attention? The pressure changed on her wound, the new hand pressing on it making it sting a little. Sebby's words soothed her and a brief smile of relief flickered across her face. She was finally feeling safe and hopeful about the situation.

[theowood]

(OOC: XD;; Sausages...)

Theo tagged along after Sebastian (as he now assumed the lord was named) as he legged it to the noble lady over on the stage with his brother. Well, at least he knew two things now – the lady's name was Daine, not Dana, and she clearly had something going on with Peacock Boy over there. It was always nice to have some new gossip.

The lord quickly took control of the situation and sent his brother packing (and was that a glare? Theo wondered. They'd been trying to stop the bleeding, not cop a feel...), which really left Theo feeling a bit useless. There wasn't any point following his twin – they'd just confuse someone and get in each other's way, probably – but what could he do around here that would be any use?

The answer, he decided, was to get some water. Either of the nobles could drink it, or they could use it to clean some of the fabric out of her wound because it was likely something had gotten stuck in there, and Theo knew from many experiences that you wanted to get the fluff out while the wound was still open, else you'd just open it back up and it would hurt like hell. He toddled off to the drinks table and stole a few goblets, praising whoever had last refreshed the bucket of water, and wandered back to the two nobles who were... hugging? Or he was holding her, anyway. Whatever.

Daine said something about having been a fool, and Theo couldn't help but mentally agree with her. It was only a bloody necklace, after all – he was sure she could afford to have another one made or something. Instead, he ambled over to the pair, gave a small cough and a meek smile, and offered out the water. ”Er, thought it might help, m'lord. Till my brother gets back.”

And if Sebastian wanted Theo to bugger off, now he could tell him. Everything was working out.

[Sebastian Mannering]

"Shhh now." He said as Daine tried to speak, tears choking her voice and wrenching at his gut. Whoever had done this to her would pay dearly, with their life if he could arrange it. It took all his self control to hide the anger burning within him from his face. He kept his expression carefully soft as he looked down at Daine. He released her hand and moved up to touch her face, stroking back a few loose strands of hair and tugging at her mask to pull it away from her eyes. The material of it was damp with tears, be it from pain or fear.

"It's not your fault," It probably was, he knew how headstrong she could be, she would never learn that women should remain passive. "Daine, can you tell me who did this to you?" He needed to know so he could start the search and become closer to the torture he would relish in giving out to whoever it had been. He turned away from her for a second, looking for the boy that had approached him before. For a moment he could not spot the red haired peasant but then he saw him returning with a couple of goblets of water. Well at least the lad had some sense.

"Hand me one of those." He snapped imperiously, unable to contain his irritation any longer. It was taking all his concentration to remain concerned and comforting to Daine, he could not maintain the charade for this unimportant boy. Sebastian took one of the cups and turned his attention to her wound. As he lifted his fingers gently away he saw that there was blood on them and the cloth covering it was soaked through. He recalled being injured once before, Cumberland had washed the wound and bound it, he would start by doing so to Daine. If only his hands would stop trembling.

"Daine, my dear," He glanced up at her as he peeled away the fabric, a fresh flow of blood seeping from the cut as it was uncovered. "This is going hurt a little I'm afraid, but I must clean away the blood." He could not delay any longer and he tilted up the cup. A small splash of water washed over the wound, coming away from the cut stained red and dripping down her leg. Sebastian paled as he could now see the broken edges of flesh, he was not made for tasks such as these. Where was that boy with Cumberland and the physician?

"Offer her a drink." He growled out at the first lad through gritted teeth. He was hovering behind Sebastian in a most irritating manner, did peasants have no initiatives of their own? Did they have to be told everything? Sebastian was just trying to concentrate on not losing the contents of his stomach and he was becoming ever more grateful that he did not have to prepare the meat of the game he shot after he had been hunting.

[Daine Merton]

Even in the state, the touch of Sebastian's hand on her face made her stomach twirl with delight. But it triggered of the war in her mind as well; so she was still on the planet then. She didn't even bother thinking how it was bad that she felt this way; putting it purely to the fact she was half out of her mind. She told herself that she was merely touched that Sebastian cared. A concept she thought would be completely foreign to him.

The hissed words exchanged between Theo and Sebastian went unnocticed by Daine; she was too busy creating the image of the man who did this too her. The memory was blurred by pain and confusion; she rememebered dark hair and a snarling face. But that wouldn't be enough; and she didn't know a name either. Maybe one of the twins would know. "I'm sorry; I don't know. He's a dead man..." She said, not really knowing the truth in her words.

Sebastian spoke more soothing words to her, promising her yet more pain. She went to protest but she felt that oh so sickly feeling as he took away the rag putting the pressure on her wound. Then came the sting from the liquid. She gritted her teeth and rolled slightly in pain; trying so hard not cry out. Instead it came out as sharp short breaths and a few gasps. She grabbed the scruff of his collar, the action making her feel better already. "Don't do that again!" She said between gritted teeth.

The thought of a drink was a good one; her throat felt dry and cracked. Cool water slipping down her throat would be welcomed; very much so. She doubted she could keep much else in her stomach; and there was no doubt Maggie would be shoving medicines down her gullet later on.

[theowood]

Where the bloody hell had Nate gotten to? Theo snarled mentally, considering the possibility of his brother finding a pretty serving wench and getting sidetracked. He couldn’t help but avert his eyes from the scene that lay before him – were they courting or something? They could be a bit less mushy, at least, and the bloke could try to not snap at him! After all, Sebastian wouldn’t have known about his precious little bird if Theo hadn’t come and told him, would he? And he did have initiative, thank you very much, but if all he was going to get for his trouble was a hiss and a glare, then he wasn’t going to bother trying to think. Bloody nobles, thought they were better than everyone else… He felt a little bitter, knowing that if Daine had been any randomer, she would likely have been left to the care of the peasants and they would have been ignored by the lord.

”Offer her a drink.”

Theo dutifully knelt down on the other side of Daine and held the goblet to her lips, muttering ”M’lady?” as he did so. He couldn’t watch Sebastian wash the blood away, either – it made him feel a little sick. That could as easily have been him or his brother, another villager… It didn’t bear thinking about.

Theo could remember the villain, and wondered if he should butt in or not. He was amused by Daine’s comment. She was more accurate with her description than she might have realised.

”’e was an outlaw, milord,” Theo answered after Daine, but decided it wise to not say much more. If he mentioned the man not being one of Robin’s lot, he might have been asked why he knew who Robin’s lot were, and then he’d find himself in a heap of trouble. But then again, saying that he was an outlaw was a fairly obvious answer. He just decided to keep quiet again.