Bless the broken road [Chase, anyone else]

I hated it when people lied to me. I was the son of the lord of hades. Come on, i grew up around the best and the worst liars of them all. I wanted to know what she was following him for, and i was equiped for the job. I sprang into the trees, and followed after her, staying above them so i could her them speak, but far enough away that their eyes wouldnt see my underside against the canopy.

Adabelle smiled and thought how much of a gentleman Chase was being to her. Even the most seasoned men had been known to make snide remarks, denoting her innocent beauty with their words. "Yes I believe I have. Island resider" she giggled at the term and blushed bright pink despite herself. Addy had the strange feeling that she was being followed but when she looked behind her there was nothing there.

I shifted further back into the trees when Adabelle looked back, out of instinct more then anything. The girls voice had power, but her survival skills would never be anything to match. The boy would be the problem. This girl was the only other one like me though. And I couldnt bear to see her just walk away, like I was second rate compared to him, a pretty faced demi-god

Chase stopped for a moment. "Adabelle do you feel as if someone is following us?" Just then he heard the faintest rustle, as if it was a bird, and grabbing a tree trunk, a vision appeared to him,

Imwalking with Adabelle, we're talking and laughing, the image slowly zooms out to the tree canopy. I am now watching through someone else's eyes. Their thoughts are slightly malicious, I can feel it. The picture zooms out to see the back of Keaton's head.

He snapped out of it, leaning do hard on the tree, that his palm left an imprint. "Adabelle, I think...we are being followed." quickly he glanced ahead on their walk and he gave a calm shrug. "Maybe we should keep walking though, my..." he gestured to his head, "Sometimes aren't very acurate." his voice sounded cool and calm enough, but his muscles were tense. He was ready, if they needed it.

I almost let out a shriek of anger as i heard his heart race. He was waiting for me to attack, like I was the monster i Looked like. And i couldnt stand it. I kept following, letting small sounds drift down to him, and letting my shadows grow and consume the darkness of the tree top canopy, playing tricks on the edge of his vision

Adabelle flinched away at the shadows she kept seeing. It wasn't remotely possibl so close to the edge of the forest where the sun shone brightly. The forest was an eerie place and she was quickly realizing that this place was not for her. Then she got a flash of feathers and smiled. Perhaps she had been too quick in leaving him behind. "Keaton," she called sweetly crooning as if to a child, implementing the power her voice held until she knew he'd be forced to listen. "If you wanted to join us all you had to do was ask."

The desire to listen to her voice overcame any resistance my nature gave to me, and i fluttered down to the forest floor, keeping my eyes averted from the boy,"I had the impression that my company was not desired.." I glanced at her, hoping beyond hope that maybe she would she the human side to my features

Anhura cocked her head to one side and watched him as he looked away from her. Carefully she picked up the hem of her dress that was long enough to sweep the forest floor and took a tentative step towards him. Cautiously she stretched out her hand towards him, slowly measuring each inch until it came to rest on his ferally high cheekbone. “It was not my intention. Please believe me.” she whispered. Then pulled her hand away and stepped back again slowly. He didn’t seem to want to look at her.

Chase ground his teeth but kept quiet. He was glad that Keaton had no bad intentions with them but he spoke as I'd Chase was unfriendly. He hated when people thought him to be cruel, it wasn't as if Keaton's looks scared Chase into thinking that the creature would do anything! Chase smiled, letting his natural personality flow through himself, "Well it wasn't me, I never mind talking to a new friend, especially one as unique as yourself." Chase began walking into the dense forest. "Ill let you to prattle I suppose, I feel like a hunt. So long!" he smiled and waved to the duo. If either of them wanted his company they could follow if they wished.

I looked after the hunter, wondering if i would join him. I was more interested in talking more with the Andabelle then him, but i also didnt want him to see me as some one that was weak, easy to manipulate. I looked at her beautiful face, making a sweeping bow"Im ready to go if you are," I said with a sarcastic tone"I can show you the skies, if you want to see them. To drift on the wind is like to let all worries drift away."

Adabelle blanched at his offer. "Th-the-the sk-sky? I... no the ground is fine. perfectly fine, I'll take your word for it" she stuttered. Hopelessly she tried to cover up her phobia of heights. "I appreciate the offer. Really i do." she said softly pushing a leaf around the floor with the toe of her sandal.

I huffed out a laugh as i smelled her fear. "Im sorry, but i dont mean to laugh." I walked a bit to a younger tree and jumped my way up to a lower branch. "One benefit of this wonderful body is that i can smell fear. A gift from my father Hades." I scoffed a bit of bark off the tree and started to scracth out the soft insides of it.

Chase wandered the forests, using his acute hunting senses to find animals. He saw an elegant buck and he soundlessly pulled an arrow from his quiver and slowly brought it to his bow. His trained eye looked on but his concentration prevented him from making the shot. Its her. You know you're thinking about that beautiful girl. he thought. The buck caught sight of him and pranced away. Chase leaned against a tree and sighed. Follow me. he willed her. Adabelle...follow me...

Adabelle took a step back then turned around and walked deeper into the trees. They grew ever closer together and she found herself grazing shoulders against bleached trunks. Her long widely curled hair was so smooth and untangled that it didn’t snag in the branches, but merely slid amongst them like loving fingers, picking up leaves until it seemed like she’d woven the slender golden things amongst her strands of hair purposely.

There was a whisper in the air, a thought of someone perhaps, that made her feel compelled to follow it. Because of her bloodlines she had great understanding for the secrets the winds carried although it didn’t even come close to the love and devotion she had for the sea. ”Who calls to me father Zephyrus? Is it yourself come to visit me?” she continued walking eyes closed, guiding herself with her arms stretched in front of her and by the sound of the echoes of her own voice telling her where spots were empty or occupied. Just as she tended to do when she had any strong emotion she slipped easily into song.


She repeated the last line getting quieter with each repetition until a final whisper dropped off into nothing. At the same moment her hand bumped into something softer than bark, the flesh of a young mans shoulder, Chase. She knew it was him without opening her eyes and smiled. So this is where the wind has led me she thought.

His eyes had been closed but he heard her voice clearly over the sounds of his home. When she bumped into him, his eyes opened with a start, and he looked down, surprised. "So you decided to pad along, my little island-dweller?" he asked, using the term endearingly. He took her hand and kissed it.

Adabelle blushed profusely at this. No one had ever made her origins seem so appealing. All anyone ever had for the Sirens was hate, men and women alike. Adabelle slipped her hand out of his grasp slowly savoring the brush of skin but deciding to refuse herself the pleasure of any further contact. Maybe his judgment had been clouded by the power of her voice. It would not be the first time it had happened and she cursed herself for having expressed herself so freely before him. There was something about him though that made her feel like this was okay.

His smile wavered as she slipped her hand away but he shrugged and started to walk, "This way m'lady." he said, kindly leading the way with a hand. He put a hand on her shoulder as to stop her, bringing a finger to his lips in a "hush" motion. He jumped, soundlessly except for his steel arrown clanking against eachother in his quiver, and pulled himself into a standing position, balencing precariously on the balls of his feet. The branch shook slightly under his weight but he didn't fall. He strained his eyes, looking for creatures along the forest floor. All of a sudden a vision barraled into him, transporting him to an omnipresent position in a tree canopy, watching a woman-child dance around, looking very happy. God-like him smiled and he noticed himself edging toward the clearing she was in. Seeing himself in a vision was surprising, as it didn't happen very much. He saw himself approaching the woman, as if drawn to her. The vision ended abruptly and he was back on the tree. He lost his balence and fell to the forest floor, the wind knocked out of him...

She had to get away... far away...
She had been at the Academy for longer than people noticed. The only ones that did soon forgot her after they entangled themselves in that which was her life. It was like she was one of those mediocre works of art in a museum, the one people pass quickly to get to the more interesting subjects. Sure, she was beautiful to look at. The gift of her father was never wanting. The curse of her father was also everpresent, but the arrows' poison wore quickly, leaving men to change their mind and soon wipe Helen's existance from their mind. Once lovestruck, next dumbstruck, she liked to say to herself. She moved around the trees, breathing in what was real, what was true. Nature itself never decieved. Some animals played possom, so-to-speak, and other such things, but when considered rationally, they never really changed. What was it with people then that had them completely changing themselves, look, scent, behavior, all to be seen...
or not seen.
It was in the forest, with so much open space, that Helen even felt remotely safe. It was so open and free, she felt... alone. Not the solitude of loneliness, but the peace and serenity of freedom. She twirled and skipped between the trees, pilars of nature, collumns of living strength, revelling in the time she had all to herself. She hummed a light tune, not quite fully secure with herself to sing, but her dancing movements became larger and more fluid, her lessons showing in every step. Her mask fell away as she allowed herself to truly smile, a genuine, no fakery, smile.
She was at peace.

Addy tried to contain her gasp when she saw Chase climb up the tree. After a few branches all she could identify of him through the leaves were the clanking of his arrows. She was just about to protest when she realized that might give away her fear of heights. “Chase? Chase!” shortly after he disappeared completely she heard him crashing through the branches too the forest floor. Instead of trying to catch him she dove out of the way to avoid being squished. She stood a few steps away from him with her hands over her mouth in fear, he wasn’t moving. “chase?” she whispered meekly. When he groaned silently she rushed over to him, kneeling at his side before helping him to his feet. “What were you thinking? Are you okay?” She brushed twigs and dirt out of his hair then held his face between her hands to make sure everything was still in its place.

"Relax, dear. I climb all the time. I practically live out here. But if I stand still for too long I usually get a vision and then I lose my balence. I was concentrating and I envisioned...so I fell." he got up and brushed himself off. He pressed a palm to her cheek. "It happens all the time, love. Don't fret." he smiled. Off in the distance a little bit he heard rustling...like dancing? It almost sounded like. He listened harder and heard singing. He smiled. It looks like the object of my vision is nearer than I thought... he thought to himself. He nodded his head as if to say, 'Come on' and began to walk toward the sounds.

She twirled once more before landing on the ground, sitting down among the grass and trees. Her smile remained, but she had to catch her breath for a bit. Humming and dancing took more from her than she would have liked. It took a moment for her to realise that she had a few stray tears running down her face. So few times did she have the freedom to be herself. All to often, she was imprisoned in her own chains. She wiped them away, not really caring if they were happy or sad tears. All she cared about was the dance. For now, she was free, even if it ended in two seconds. To give herself as much of herself as she could, she picked herself up again and again began to dance. Finally, she felt safe among the trees. She let her voice fly free.
"Red fern and silver waters, truth and what changes, golden sun and winter daughters, time rearranges..."
Her moment of freedom shook as she thought she heard a presence in the surrounding forest. Her voice cut off and her dance slowed a bit. It wasn't enough to take her time from her, but she already felt herself spinning in her own black web, beginning to wrap herself once more in her shawl of deception...

Chase led her deeper into his expedition which led to a less wooded area of the forest. She heard the female singing before Chase even made a sign of acknowledgement. Her trained ears could hear it being carried on the wind. Addy traced his steps carefully so as to not make a sound and before long they were facing a clearing. A girl was in the center of it dancing gracefully, her eyes closed to the world around her. Addy wondered at how she could move so fluidly and not stumble. The girl fell to the floor but it was seemingly out of her own accord with her back facing them. It didn’t even look like a fall, it looked like the fluid motion of silk sheets as they fell to the floor. She looked over at Chase who was entranced with the dancer and began quietly walking an arch around the clearing to position himself in front of the stranger (rather than at her back) and still remain unseen. His steps were still those of a hunter but his stance and stare were that of a man in a dream.

When the woman hit the floor, Chase felt compelled to fall with her. He approached, slowly regaining his senses and he looked around him, finally seeing lovely Adabelle moving to be in front of the dancer, as to probably not scare her. He decided to make more noise as to not scare her when he approached. He crunched the leaves and snapped twigs before making a full sprint toward her crouched form, flipping over her and landing square on his feet. He saw Adabelle awaiting in the trees and he waved her near. He then turned around to offer a hand to the woman. "May I offer you a hand, m'dear?" he asked with his lighthearted, helpful voice.

"Oh!" Helen stopped dancing so suddenly, she lost her balance and landed ungracefully on the forest floor. She looked up to see a red-haired man extending his hand to her. Her black web enveloped her tighter until she lost herself again. Her genuine smile was unnoticeably replaced with her false one, no difference but the emotions behind them. Her eyes searched his face for a hint of him, who he was. Already she was picking up on things, the blood of Apollo, the scent of Artemis, and even the feel of the forest rest within him. She duplicated his image, his scent, his feel into a shawled form in her mind. Added to those passing images she held close to her. She hoped she wouldn't have to weave his image with the other men, the ones she could only look at in memory. I've had so many already revealed to be brought on by my father's arrows. Each time, in the height of emotion, the only time it is visible to my eyes, the arrow shows, and I know it is only a curse. She looked at his face. Soemthing in it was... refreshing, different. Please don't shoot him, Father... "Oh, uhh... Hi," she said. "I didn't realize anyone would be out this far. I hope I didn't interrupt a hunt or something," she said, pointing to his quivver and bow.

Adabelle watched as Chase made himself seen and offered the girl help. It stung to see the way he looked at this newcomer, completely captivated. It didn’t help that the girl was so beautiful. That degree of physical perfection could only come of Aphrodite’s children. When He gestured at her she shook her head silently and took a cautious step back. She’d heard the girl sing, she’d seen the girl dance, she’d seen the girls beauty. Her mind set told her that in all these things that girl Chase was offering a hand to excelled farther than she could ever dream in all this and more. She hardly knew either of them but it still stung a bit and she kept to the trees, taking a few tentative steps at a time but leaving them in their moment.