I Hope It All Comes Back Again

"I Hope It All Comes Back Again" is a BOTGD 2 thread written on [IRL DATE].
== Summary ==
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== Full Text ==
Vox Arnason: The years had taken a toll on the man as he traversed the plains leading back to his home. What was only meant to be an excursion for a few months led to years of separation, and he knew nothing of what would await him when he returned to the house he left. He could feel his bones clicking with each step he took; not nearly as graceful as he was in his youth.
Vox took a moment to plant himself on a log that seemed to be placed by divine intervention in his path. The relief on his legs was certainly welcome, and he made sure to make room for his traveling companion.
“You know, for someone who hasn’t aged a day over twenty one, you need to keep up.”
The man in question chuckled at the slight – anything to repress the idea that his friend was still aging quicker than he’d like to see. The years had worn on the half-breed mentally, but until they were able to figure out how it was even possible, his physical appearance would never catch up.
“Think you’re funny, old man? It’s a good think you’re married. I’d never go near someone so close to the grave as you are.”
“Try a new insult, pal.”
Vox threw an elbow to his companion. Even a decade of each other’s presence didn’t seem to have any adverse affect on their ability to keep one another in good spirits.
“Well, I know where we are now, at least. I’d recognize this anywhere. We should only have a few hours before we make it back home…
…what do you say, Dario? One final push before sundown?”
Yun Milae: Two hundred-thirty seven.
This was getting ridiculous.
Milae kicked the crumpled wheel of the handcart and it splintered just a little more, causing the entire vehicle to sink down to one corner like it was bowing in defeat. He huffed and threw back his hood, letting the cool wind ruffle his fur, and clenched his fists, swinging them slightly back and forth, seeming to decide on something, and took a knee by the cart, which had rumbled over to the side of the trail before deciding to break completely. 
All I need to do is drop this off. I have to. I don’t know why I can’t…
He settled in under his apparent makeshift cover and pulled his cloak further around himself. “This had better be for a good reason,” he mumbled aloud. The sparse mountain forest did not answer him. The sun was creeping towards the horizon. He couldn’t stay here forever.
Dario Hjort: “If you’re up for it. I’ll always listen to my elders.”
Vox gave one last punch to Dario’s arm. You can cool it on the old jokes anytime, bud.
“I’m glad you’ve still got a good sense of humor about all of this. I’m probably dead when we get back.”
The man and the stag pushed forward, inching ever closer to the Andaar Forest they called home. The winds felt colder as daylight made it’s way down the horizon, and providing a sense of urgency. As the two made progress on the path, Dario could sense that they weren’t the only ones taking this path. Not his usual threatened senses, but he could never be totally certain. He reached out and grabbed Vox’s arm to impede his movement.
“Take a minute. I don’t think we’re as alone as we think.”
Vox knew his vision wasn’t as useful as it used to be these days, but it was still enough to keep him vigilant. He let his eyes glance over the forest ahead of them, and could make out a blur of a figure kneeling in the distance.
“Dario, straight on. Past the broken trunk up there.”
The stag knew instantly what he was referencing, and held his breath. They didn’t have a good track record of encountering strangers on this route, and wasn’t willing to take a chance on this one.
Yun Milae: “…and next time I won’t even bother taking the job if I’m just going to be here!” they heard a frustrated voice echoing from underneath the handcart, along with another small crack of splintering wood. “No. I should have gone back already. Leave me alone.”
Milae flopped over and landed on his back in the grass, staring up at the tilted underside of the handcart. “Ugh.”
Vox Arnason: …please, please, please don’t try to kill us.
Vox looked to his travel partner and nodded. They were this close already; no point in turning around out of fear. They could see that the fellow traveler was working to fix their cart that seemed to be worse for wear. Hearing the angry rambling from beneath, he and Dario felt slightly safer. They proceeded to approach the man… goat… man?…
“Hey there, you alright?”
Yun Milae: Milae jumped in surprise and hit his head on the handcart. “Ow! What in–?”
Peering around the back wheels, his eyes widened as he saw the older man and the half-breed come into view, his arms shifted, and before anyone could say anything else, the world went…strange. [Editor's Note: 25-30 years pass for Milae in this moment.] Dario and Vox experienced a strong sense of vertigo, as though they had stood up too quickly, and when it had passed, the half-breed was getting up from under the handcart, looking oddly at the pair of them.
“Vox…Dario.” His ears swiveled forward and then backwards as he greeted them. “I did not expect to run into you today.”
Dario Hjort: Once regaining his bearings, the stag turned to Vox, seeing that he was equally as bewildered as himself. This half-breed knew them by name, as if they were old friends… and as far as Dario could recall, he’d never met this vagabond in his life.
…do I say hello like I know him? I mean, DO I know him? This is the worst… and what just happened?
“…hello there… pal. I’m so sorry, I hate to be that deer, but have we met before? I don’t quite recognize you.”
Vox stood slightly behind his younger friend, silent and waiting to strike if the moment called for it. They had faced foes in the past who didn’t seem to pose a threat, and he wouldn’t trust this stranger as far as he could throw him.
Yun Milae: He dipped his chin briefly. “Half-breeds across the land have at least heard your names in passing, for the work you have done in keeping the cruel armies of the land in check.” He gestured at Dario. “The scout is not so familiar to me, but one could not miss your friend. Everyone knows who you are.”
Vox Arnason: Vox could feel his stomach drop slightly; the last few years had seen the pair working to lay as low as they could. The idea that this half-breed knew who they were and touted their supposed “fame” was cause for concern.
“Hold up, I’m sorry. Not only do you know who we are, but Dario is apparently some kind of celebrity? How is that even possible?”
The stag turned his head with a disapproving glare, visibly offended by the comment.
“Sorry, pal. You know what I mean, no offense.”
“None taken.”
Vox stepped ahead of Dario, not satisfied with the direction this conversation was heading. There was something strange from the moment they first approached the goat, and he wasn’t willing to lose all of the progress they had made over the last decade. He could see Dario out of his peripheral vision fixated on the cart, but he couldn’t take his attention away from the half-breed in front of him.
“Give us your word that what you speak is true… and explain, how do people know of us? Which people?”
Milae remained calm. He turned and bent over his broken wheel again, sighing through his nose. 
“I have nothing to tell but the tales I have heard of you, twisted from mouth to mouth…as for trust, perhaps you remember Perch Hall, before its untimely demise?”
Vox Arnason: How the Hel?!…
“How do you know about what happened during Walpurgisnacht? You weren’t there… I mean, I don’t think you were there. A lot was going on at the time.”
Vox stopped himself, realizing that dwelling on that detail wasn’t going to get him any answers. The goat left him feeling uneasy, but didn’t seem to physically pose a threat to the duo. Now wasn’t the time to push the matter into an altercation, though he couldn’t shake the memories of that horrid night creeping back into his mind.
“…can you at least tell us what you’re doing here?”
Yun Milae: Milae chuckled. “There were hundreds of half-breeds in the rebellion, Vox. Perhaps you skipped over me in your…ah…adventures.” His eyes flicked to the stump at the end of Vox’s arm. “I take no offense; I kept to myself most of the time.”
He gestured at his handcart, growing a little more frustrated again. “But, all that aside, I seem to have run afoul of some bad luck.”
Dario Hjort: Dario never broke focus with the cart. He felt something off; the feeling they got when they first spoke to the half-breed, the almost omnipotence of him… he couldn’t reconcile the uneasiness that kept his heart beating faster than he was accustomed to.
“Hey, pardon my change of subject, but if you don’t mind me asking… that wheel that you were working on… it was on the other side before, was it not?”
Yun Milae: Milae’s heart pounded. Two hundred forty-six and this happens. Damn.
He laughed lightly. “Before what?”
Vox Arnason: Vox couldn’t believe he didn’t notice that before. Now that it had been pointed out, it was remarkably obvious.
“No, no, he’s right. It was definitely on the other side when we first walked up to you. I can’t speak for Dario, but I felt almost… sick… when we first spoke to you.”
Dario reached out and squeezed his arm. Vox could tell that this was concurrence.
“I don’t know who you are; you haven’t even told us your name.”
Yun Milae: His scars were itching. Badly. His hooves trembled with the urge to drag them up and down his forearms but he remained disciplined and still. He looked up from his position on the ground, frowning slightly as though taking offense at their seeming hostility.
“My name is Milae…my apologies. I do not wish to bother you gentlemen with a problem as…mundane as my misfortune. You clearly have business elsewhere.”
Dario Hjort: The stag felt for the goat; the tone Vox took with him was one he was unfortunately used to hearing himself. He knew his friend didn’t mean it out of discriminatory malice, but the scout couldn’t understand the prejudice that came with being a half-breed. This wasn’t a time to interrogate – this could be a beneficial acquaintance.
“Hey, it’s not anything personal, we promise… we just haven’t been back here in a very long time. Gotta keep our guard up, especially when we haven’t had the best luck with strangers in the past.”
He knelt down next to the goat and his cart, working to figure out a solution to his problem.
“Any chance we can help you with this? I’m sure between the three of us, even if we can’t fix it, we can figure out some other way to get you where you’re going.”
Yun Milae: He visibly relaxed as the deer knelt down next to him, and he took the chance to take in the detail of his antlers, his hands, his face. His ageless face. It’s true.
“I only need to deliver this load to Longbrook,” he said matter-of-factly, staring sternly at the handcart as though it would fix itself if only he reprimanded it enough. “I have a job that needs finishing.” 
Dario Hjort: “Well, I’m sure I speak for Vox and I when I say that it would be our pleasure to do what we can to help.”
He glanced back to his friend, who didn’t look at all enthused about the offer. Dario was aware that Vox had his reservations, but it would be a hypocritical notion for the man to refuse to assist. 
We’ve been gone for this long now, Vox. A few more hours won’t hurt, and it’s on the way.
“What can we do? You reckon this wheel is salvageable?”
Yun Milae: “I have…tried.” He looked up at the sky, which was starting to darken into evening. “I was hoping to be within the town by nightfall…”
Vox Arnason: I cannot believe this shit.
Vox stopped his barrage of questioning towards the goat, but couldn’t lose the tension that kept him nearly paralyzed where he stood. It wasn’t like Dario to be so blind with entrusting a stranger, but he didn’t want to impede. He just wanted to get this show on the road so that he could see his family again.
Now, do they want to see me?…
“So, total shot in the dark here, but Dario… you might be able to help in a way that doesn’t require either of us to know anything about wheels, right?”
Dario Hjort: …Gods, yes, of course.
Dario placed one hand upon the damaged wheel, grasping what unbroken portion he could hold. He hovered his other hand gently over it, performing very calculated movements and softly mouthing incoherent whispers.
As he spoke, the wheel glowed softly, albeit not the glow that Vox remembers from their youth; this was far more tame in comparison. Dario removed his hand quickly, and allowed the light to fade from the wheel. It was noticeably improved, although not quite perfect. It would function enough to get them out of the forest.
“Alright, that ought to do it for now. It’s been so long since I’ve done that – please don’t be too upset if it doesn’t hold.”
Yun Milae: Milae clapped his hooves together; he was beyond pleased. “Of course! My thanks, Dario.” He leaned forward, inspecting the wheel. “Amazing. This will do just fine.”
Dario Hjort: He was relieved to hear those words. He intrinsically knew the work he had performed was good, but the validation never hurt. It truly had been a long time since he had performed any meaningful sort of magick. He stood up and offered a hand to the goat that still hovered next to the newly repaired cart.
“Glad to hear it, friend. We’ll let you lead the way – just to make sure you get to where you’re going with no issues, if that’s alright.”
Yun Milae: He scrambled upright between the handcart’s bar and the main part of the carriage, and he looked back at the pair, noting Vox’s exasperation. “You would not mind?” He was genuinely touched and just a little starstruck at what he had just witnessed.
Vox Arnason: Guess not now. Thanks, Dario.
“Yeah, no, it’s not a problem. Just feel free to head on and we will be sure to follow. It’s no trouble at all.”
Vox tried desperately to mask any semblance of inconvenience or impatience in his voice. He could tell that Milae’s demeanor had shifted from the beginning of their encounter – maybe Dario saw something that he didn’t. They were close enough to home, anyway… that’s where he had to hold his focus. He would see his family soon enough.
Yun Milae: The goat beamed for the first time in a while. “Thank you. I promise to be no burden to either of you.” He flipped his hood up over his horns and took off at an ambling trot, causing the handcart to creak as it began rumbling once more over the road covered in pine needles and loose stones.
Category:Events
Category:BOTGD 2
Category:Vox Arnason
Category:Dario Hjort
Category:Yun Milae
Category:Act I