Bandit Run

Sophia gratefully takes the bird and daintily uses her fingers to pick at it. It wasn't like folks didn't eat with their fingers in those days. It was just more about /how/ you did so that said where you were from.

"They weren't /my/ men." she says sullenly. "They are my uncle's. And my future husband's. Or...my ex-future husband. Or..whatever he is now that I am not marrying him." She chews slowly and carefully. "I ran away because...I don't want to marry him. Never did. It was my uncle's idea." Her demeanor is that of a mix between a naive child, a brat and a sheltered young woman. Princesses were always a strange breed unto themselves.

He stayed silent throughout her mild tirade, whether that had to do with his mouth being stuffed was left up in the air. After gulping the meat down, only two words escaped Beau's mouth, "I s-see." Unable to think of anymore to say -- anything that would help her situation -- Beau opted to bite into the wing of the bird to fill his mouth once again. Regardless of the girl's marital issues she couldn't stay with him for much longer -- it'd be a danger to them both.

She's not going to let him just sit and be to himself. "Why did you try to rob me? Surely you saw all the guards. And what happened to your horse? Is she going to be alright? Are you a bandit by trade or are have you fallen on desperate times? Do you live around here?" The questions come fast and without pause, as if she's all of a sudden discovered someone who can't tell her to shut up. Or at least she's pretty sure he won't.

Beau was already beginning to regret the task he'd taken on. He tread to the forest to rid himself of the gaggle of voices in his packed home, and now he was bombarded with it on his 'off' time. But still he knew he couldn't blame the Princess; though it seemed rather monotonous to him -- aside from kidnapping the kingdom's heir of course -- his actions must've been otherworldly to the pampered woman.

"I a-a-a--" a pause there, as Beau took in a deep breath the break the repitition, "ap-apologize for that." he finished earnestly, placing down the remaining bones from the bird onto the grass. "M-My family is in-in need." was all he said, not comfortable explaining away his actions with talks of how such things were necessary, or to burden the woman with sad tales. It was simply a fact -- he stole from those who obviously had enough to keep on living.

"And Marig-gold will be m-m-more than alright." he said with a smile, as the horse looked down to the two once it heard her name beckoned from below. "She's seen many b-battles is all."

She looks to the horse then back to him, "Were you a soldier?" she asks, then thinks about what else he said, and feels bad that she doesn't have anything for him, "I...I am the one who is sorry. I wish I had something to give you. Truth is...I am likely as poor as you, except in name." she points out. "Tell me about your family? Are you married? You have children?" she asks, although she wonders at the feeling of...something...when she has to consider that the handsome bandit sitting there might actually be spoken for. Not that she had been considering, of course, but just that...well, just because.

"You-You have m-many questions." Beau smiled, his wide grin shining through thanks to the discarded cloth. That was the only move Beau made to tease the woman, however, as he leaned back on his hands and took his time answering each inquiry thrown his way.

"I am-am n-not a soldier. And n-n-no, I am n-not married." The latter was said with a hint of disdain, the thought of settling down so suddenly causing a chill to ripple up the blonde's spine. It wasn't an unheard of proposition, but one he hadn't time to put much stock in.

"I have four sis-s-sisters, all younger. They're back at home, which is far d-down the glen." A nod there to the left, as the direction of his small house struck him. "I have a question, now," he started, an impish tone in his voice as Beau wiped at his mouth with his sleeve, "what is your name? Or, sh-shall I call you P-Princess only?"

She has to decency to blush when he not unkindly points out that she is asking him a lot of questions. She holds her tongue as he answers her questions, at least, nodding in response to each. "Four sisters!" she does blurt out. "It must be wonderful to have so many siblings!" she exclaims, sighing as such a wonderful prospect is mentioned to her. Then she glances in the same direction as he indicates for his house, "Are we close now?"

Of course, he asks his question first, and she has to laugh, "Not unless you want to be hanged straight away." she points out. "I think...you had best call me Sophia." she says, her voice dropping and feeling a bit self-conscious about letting a commoner be so familiar. "I would ask you the same thing...what is your name?" she asks, her face lifting to look up at him, green eyes finally taking the time to really assess him. The smile, the blonde hair, and his own twinkling blue eyes. It must be the stammer that keeps some girl from having snagged him by now. How short-sighted.

"Sophia." Beau repeated to himself, committing the new, and admittedly pretty name, to memory. 'Princess Sophia', he mentally added, not allowing himself even a second to forget the woman's true title.

"I am B-...B-Beauregard. B-Beau is f-fine." Not only 'fine' but 'preferred', as the blonde's lengthy first name always caused a small cringe to wrinkle at the side of his nose. It held an air of regal to it, something that was ironically very foreign to him.

"Wh-Wh-When we leave in the morning, w-we shall reach the edge of town -- w-well before the s-sun goes down." he commented, pulling up blades of grass in between his fingers absentmindedly. "It's s-s-safer than traveling at n-night."

"Beau. I like that." she says. "Like a fiance." Not sure why she made that remark. Makes her blush and so she latches on to his next comment, "So you are far from home. If we are going to stay overnight in a town." Then something occurs to her, "We will be spending the nights together. Alone." How scandalous. But this might work in her favor. "That's perfect!" she exclaims, looking rather delighted at what would horrify most proper women.

Beau hardly seemed fazed at all by the notion of spending the night alone, but he supposed those of a higher class had a different set of morals. He chuckled at her enthusiasm, the kind that barely left his throat but managed to rattle slightly at his shoulders.

"It's best to s-sleep here for the night. If w-we wander after the s-s-sun sets -- it's just best to st-stay here 'til morn-mornin'." Beau offered awkwardly. He didn't want to scare the Princess too badly, but they were in a somewhat unsavory part of the kingdom. Beau would most likely be left alone from attackers and thieves, but with some a woman with him, it planted a bulls eye on each of their backs.

Eventually, there will come a time that they will have to get down to the business of actually sleeping. Sophia, as a princess has never slept a night that wasn't in some sort of bed. Usually filled with something soft, with pillows for her head and lots of blankets to keep her cozy. But there doesn't seem to be anything like that around, and she's wondering now on the practical matters...she may wish to be sent away to a convent when this is all done, but didn't want to actually be guilty of what everyone is going to assume. And she is getting chilly, since all she had was her slippers, robe and gown on. Hardly the sort of wear one would have worn when going out in the woods for an overnight stay.

"Ah. Beau?" she queries quietly, "Where am I to sleep? I don't see a wagon or cabin anywhere." she points out.

Despite his patience and understanding that question was what truly tugged the rug from beneath Beau's feet. He let out a sharp laugh, only to cover his mouth with the crook of his elbow haflway through, hoping to at least muffle what couldn't be held back anymore. She really was pampered wasn't she?

"I apol-apologize," he began quietly, straightening back up after some semblance of control had been gained once more, "but usually you'd -- sl-sleep right here." he said vaguely, ushering towards the somewhat damp ground around them. Noticing the rather appalled look on Sophia's face, Beau reached up to pull the knit blanked from off of Marigold's back, "Here, y-you have cover at le-least."

With a whistle from her master the horse knelt onto all fours, a comfortable position for the animal to sleep in as well as a giant pillow for the riders. Beau propped his back against Marigold, leaving all of the cover to Sophia. "She won't b-buck or nothin' -- you-you're w-welcome to sleep against her."

Sophia stands there, clutching the smelly blanket and glancing between him and the horse. She then takes a tentative step around the front of Marigold, and sits up against her side gingerly, glancing to the horse's muzzle now and again, as if to make sure that she is not intruding. This puts Beau at her back. The blanket is wrapped around her, and she tries to find a comfortable way to sleep, but isn't having much luck. It'd probably be just her luck that Beau can sleep anywhere at any time.

Not to mention that every little noise in the forest seems quite menacing now, to her.

Even though Marigold couldn't see the girl from her blind-spot, she could sense her unease, and made sure to scoot just an inch closer to the new traveler for comfort's sake. Surely her master wouldn't take offense -- in fact Beau hardly noticed at all. In a matter of minutes he was out like a light, his head hanging down limply as his gold hair shielded his face.

Sophia spends the next hours wide awake and upright, green eyes watchful to the forest around them. Then she braves getting up and moves around to the other side, next to Beau, and hunkers down against Marigold. It didn't really change anything as far as the danger that might be present, but she felt better being closer to him. She also finds that this side of Marigold is a bit softer, since the horse can shift her belly in this direction a bit more. She curls up along side the warmth of the horse, pulls the blanket over her more tightly, and eventually drifts off into a light, troubled sleep.

Beau was far from a heavy sleeper, and the added weight of Sophia settling down beside him was enough to jolt him awake. Thankfully, in the dark, this wasn't too obvious to the Princess. Realizing all was well he closed his eyes once more, not at all bothered by the close proximity of a female near him -- but the thought of such a woman being of royal status was enough to make the blonde stiffen a tad. Regardless, the three slept well into morning, but unfortunately what would wake them wasn't as pleasant as chirping birds or a serene sunrise.

The horse heard it first, and moved to stand, toppling Beau and Sophia to the forest floor with very little grace. Before Beau could question his companion aloud -- as though the animal could even respond -- the voices hit his ears next. They were no longer alone, from the sound of it two men were nearby and chatting amongst themselves. Whether they were friend or foe couldn't be determined, but Beau stood nevertheless, looking on through the dense trees.

Unfortunately, Sophia isn't going to be too quiet about being awakened so abruptly, "Marigold!" she scolds sleepily, trying to right herself and dust her gown off. She'd also managed to kick off one of her slippers in the night, and it seemed to be tangled up in the blanket, which she is shaking out when she notices Beau standing so still. "What is it?" she asks him, completely oblivious to anything else.

There was no time to tell Sophia to hide, not when the strangers appeared out of nowhere behind the protection of the trees, galloping up confidentially on horseback. It only took a moment for Beau to take them both in -- gaudy robes, ostentatiously polished sword blades that looked as if they had never been used -- these men were of money. Which meant they were most likely going into town, his town, to lure young women into helping them make more of it in sinful ways. A feeling of disgust took hold just by meeting one of the men's eyes, even more so when he saw the way they looked over to Sophia.

"Get b-behind Marigold." he demanded in a whisper, speaking to Sophia directly without taking his eyes off of the men galloping quicker and quicker near them.

Sophia was used to being given orders. Might seem counterintuitive, being as she is a princess, but she'd be the first to mention just how little freedom she really had. She doesn't argue, especially since she can't be sure these men had her best interests in mind. They might try to return her to the caravan! She darts over to Marigold, near the horse's front flank (on her sighted side), curling her hand into the mane and watching fearfully as Beau prepares to meet these men head-on, apparently. "Please be careful..." she murmurs, her other hand moving up to press a knuckle to her pretty lips in nervousness.

"Greetings." the bolder of the men said with a disturbingly cheerful smile, only a few feet away from the group. He stayed on his horse -- they both did -- a tell-tale sign the men weren't too naive as to drop all of their defenses. The formal conversation was dropped just as soon as it had begun, as the man's eyes flickered to Sophia and then back to her capture.

"How much for her?" he asked darkly, that same smile still pinned to his face. It was a loaded question, Beau knew -- regardless of whether he named a price, the two would try to kill him for the 'fresh meat'. So the blonde took a barely noticeable step to the right, closer to Marigold but more specifically, closer to the weapons draped around her harness.