[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

-Zora

Zora rolled up her map, and glanced at the darkening sky above them. The large ruin stood in front of them, its ominous presence casting shadows around the dusty overgrowth. It was clear to her, even before she touched the crumbling remnants of what was once a proud and majestic wooden door, that this place had long been abandoned.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

-Alistair

Alistair grumbled and frowned, hefting his pack higher up on his shoulder. Though he didn't usually carry this much - his sparse belongings amounted to his armour, the large sword on his hip, and his coin pouch - he had agreed to share some of the burden that his newest client had insisted they bring with them, though he still couldn't fathom her fixation with this old ruin.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Zora smiled as a large raindrop splashed onto her nose, and pushed her way through the debris of the collapsed entrance. The old Cathedral was large, and according to the map she had purchased it comprised a network of rooms, some of which were still fairly intact - enough to withstand the weather, at the very least. "Come on," she called out to her companion, "let's set up camp for the night."

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Alistair sneered, and easily stepped over the fallen stones with little care for what they may once have been. Camping brought back memories he would rather not dwell on, and never failed to put him in an even worse mood than he was already in. That, coupled with spending what was sure to be several nights in the ruins of an old Cathedral which could come crashing down on them at any moment, made for a black mood which hung over his head like a thundercloud.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"Here" said Zora, pointing to a piece of ground uncluttered by the debris which lay all around. The ceiling of this room had only partially caved in and what remained looked to be fairly sturdy, sheltering the corner she had picked out. She waited until Alistair had passed her, and began to gather stones to make a small fire.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Alistair swung the pack down onto the ground with a large 'thump' and began to brush any stray bits of debris from where their tent would go. It was a simple structure to erect, and he soon had it finished, unrolling their sleeping bags and flinging them down inside the tent before turning back to his client, who was putting the finishing touches on a fire ring.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"Nearly done" Zora called out cheerfully, placing the last stone in the ring. She rolled the pack she had been carrying onto its side, and untied the bundle of dry sticks and kindling from its base before stacking them up inside the ring of stones the way her father had taught her. She used a tinder box to strike a small flame, and carefully added kindling until the fire was big enough to consider heating food on.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Alistair sneered as he handed her the bundle of salted meat while he placed the spit frame over the fire. "Anything that's in here definitely knows we're here now." He scowled as he heard her sigh; she hadn't seen the things he had, and there were always people up to no good to be wary of. He turned the spit, listening to the crackling of the fire and any background noises that he could catch over it.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Zora watched the spit turn and warmed her hands, letting her shoulders droop for the first time that day. The journey to the ruin had been mostly on foot, after Alistair had caught the Carriage that was supposed to take them there sawing through the supports. She had been grateful for it, but it had been a long journey and he had been in a foul mood ever since.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Alistair removed the spit from the fire and cut the meat in half with his knife, pushing half of it off the spit and onto the bowl Zora held up for him. He preferred to eat directly off the spit, his large size dwarfing the piece of metal. As he chewed, he glanced around them, finally taking in what he could see of their surroundings.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

As Zora chewed her meat and drank from her canteen, she listened to the noises around them. The wind whistled through the holes in the ceiling, though the corner they were in seemed to be sheltered from the worst of it. At the very least, she took comfort in the fact that their clothing was warm and they had prepared for the cold; even their sleeping bags were fleece-lined and waterproof, just in case.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Alistair finished his meat and used a cloth to clean the bar before placing it back on its frame over the fire. He frowned as he shifted, trying to find a less uncomfortable position to sit in; the ground was hard, and though he was generally used to hard ground he still didn't like it.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Alistair grumbled to himself as he thought about how he had been protesting loudly about coming to the old Cathedral ruin ever since he found out what his contractor had in mind. He had certainly resolved to get travel routes and destination plans out of all future contractors, regardless of the price they were willing to pay.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"Oh, stop grumbling. You're being well paid for this, and it's just an old ruin." Zora looked at him over her bowl as she spoke, facing down his scowl with a raised eyebrow. "Besides, as I recall you negotiated that I pay for all amenities, so you can look forward to a warm bath and soft bed when we get back to town."

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Alistair grumbled but did not reply, choosing instead to stand and walk away from the fire into the darkness to relieve himself. Zora sighed, and finished her meal. He wasn't unpleasant, if you could stand his attitude and general brutish-ness, but sometimes she wished that one of her brothers was with her - someone to discuss her finds with who wouldn't dismiss them as boring and forgotten.