[SRP] At Death's Door

[Lightascetic]

After Fred interjected on her behalf -which was well-received due to her stammering-, Anka remained silent on their way to the inn. Never before had she been surrounded by people that weren't trying to run her out of town because of her link to the 'occult'. She was all too used to being shunned; driven off like a bad omen that it had really affected her, It wasn't until she was shown kindness by these strangers that her nomadic life over the last six months really took root in her head. Was she truly destined to spend the rest of her life running?

Upon reaching the inn, Fred thrust his room key into Anka's hand. She'd wanted to ask where he was going, but it had all happened rather fast and she was left clutching the brass key in her clammy hand, watching his caped form vanishing into the night. Ingrid ushered her and Lantis inside, so she stepped into the glum light of the now depleted taproom. Anka was glad of the quiet lull that had settled here, for she was still mulling over what on earth they were going to do about Peter. Ingrid mentioned her temporary departure to her room, to which she nodded after identifying the room she'd pointed to.

That left herself and Lantis- the somewhat sinister man that she'd yanked from a tree all of half an hour ago. Anka absently rubbed her mid-section as she dropped into a chair at the nearest table, wincing only slightly at the bruise beneath her dress. For a moment, she contemplated rushing to Ingrid's room, not feeling comfortable alone with Lantis. Then she chided herself: he had been courteous enough thus far, even after she'd basically attacked him. A fresh shade of red graced her cheeks, thankfully masked somewhat by the gloom cast by the faint torchlight. She could feel Lantis' gaze on her, burning with his partially unanswered question.

"When my visions come true..." She began, clearing her throat so she could drop her voice to a low mutter, "... I can feel it, like a blow to my stomach. It can be days or weeks after I first see something, but it's almost as though a door is slamming shut in front of me. I have never been able to alter fate... I've never tried before. People always chase me away from their villages, their towns: nobody wants a possessed girl around, it's bad luck." Anka shook her head, long strands of her hair falling down from her shoulders.

"I should try harder: I'm fed up of feeling powerless, of being a slave to these horrible visions. I have no idea what causes them, or why I got them. Maybe if I fight to change the fates I see, they'll go away. I just want to live a normal-" Anka's last word caught in her throat, and her eyes widened. She saw Lantis- that's all she saw. Her breathing quickened and she slipped back into her chair, never taking her eyes off the shadowy man. Somehow she was able to keep her proclamations to a whisper this time.

"You have more than one shadow..." She said, craning towards Lantis, wiggling her finger enticingly so that he would lean closer to her whispering lips. "Some are scared, some are envious, and some are in awe of you. You're striding like a beast- set sure in his instincts and his tracks, and they're before you like coat-tails." Anka drew her hand forward, curling her fingers around the back of Lantis' head. Her face was close to his and her breath was warm.

"He's a strong one, your Lantis. His blades have many lives on their edges, and his eyes are full... Hahaha... They're full of the last moments of men, their last breaths. Does he kill, or does he not keep his men safe? Does he watch them be slain before him? Is he an owl, or an eagle? Both watch with different eyes... Ack!"

Anka blinked and coughed to the side of Lantis' face. As soon as she realized she was holding the back of his head, she jerked her hand away and rocketed back into her chair.

"I'm... I'm sorry." She flustered, collecting herself then standing. "Very sorry." Anka couldn't believe she'd done that. Sometimes, the loss of physical control was worse than what she said. Briskly, she fled the table and went to Ingrid's door, just in time for her to emerge.

"Ingrid, I wish not to bother you, but do you have anything for a headache? I think I need to retire." Anka tried to remain calm and refused to look back at the table. She didn't meet Ingrid's eyes either for fear of setting off another fit.