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Vale of the White Horse
Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,304 Views)
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Is he still looking for a job? I might be able to get him set up somewhere as a carpenter, seeing what he did with that bench.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘I don’t know,’ she answered, surprised. ‘You can?’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'If he's willing to accept the offer, I'm sure I can,' he nodded. And if the man did - of which there was a pretty good chance, it'd be an opportunity to find out any number of things he'd like to know.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘I don’t know if he would,’ she said doubtfully. ‘Well. Not from you.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'There's not much work to be had here,' Rufus said quietly as they walked back to the little house. 'I'm afraid he might not have much of a choice.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
But she knew Morcant. He wouldn’t take an offer from Rufus even if it was the only option. Essylt held her pace back, chewing on the inside on her lip. She did want to help him. ‘If I would go to the caer first and ask this wife of the chieftain, perhaps I could bring the news for him. Instead of you.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Ah. The lady Briallen is currently away,' he started. 'But that doesn't mean I can't go to the caer and settle this for you.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘With her husband, then?’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'If he is well enough - and if he isn't, with the woman running the household instead of his wife. Either way, I can practically assure you he will get paid work.' And that would be another favour she owed him for. This was starting to get better with each passing minute he spent in her company.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She wasn’t at all sure that this was what Morcant wanted, but he could always decline. ‘I’ll go with you.’ Wasn’t he that had talked about her own life? She didn’t know if he did it on purpose, but wiggling even that much control from her fingers made her nervous.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'If you want.' Whether she came with him to the caer or not, it would make very little difference. Her house came into view and he wondered if Morcant was still talking with his mystery guest. And if so, what if he barged in directly and confronted them?
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Now her arms felt like icicles, as if she was back on the hill and Morcant was telling her not to stop. ‘Good day, lord Lentulus.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Good day, Essylt,' he said and was in the middle of turning around when the door banged open. A man with a fearsome-looking beard walked out. When Rufus caught his eye, the man stopped dead in his tracks.

'Cuhelyn, what -' Morcant sucked his breath in sharply as he looked over his friend's shoulder and saw the Roman standing there. 'You,' he growled.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Essylt closed her eyes. For a moment she was tempted to use one of the words she had picked up since her stay with Morcant. Instead she swallowed, then shivered so wildly that she slipped past the men inside the hut, snatching her cloak with an angry movement. The warmth that spread through her gave her a little courage. With her heart pounding in her chest, she made her way outside, not sure if she should station herself to Morcant’s side. He looked as he wanted to break something. Essylt edged a little further away, so she was more or less between the Roman and her bodyguard.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'A good day to you too,' Rufus said with an edge to his voice. The blonde man had stepped aside and was now looking at him with a threatening sort of scowl on his face, while Morcant looked positively livid with fury. Rufus could not be less impressed.

Morcant ground his teeth together. 'What are you doing here?' he grated.
'The same as you, I wager: talking.' The Roman looked at Essylt, which made him want to rip the man to shreds.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She had no idea if there was any way to mend the situation. Essylt wanted to go inside and embrace Morcant until that pained and angry expression melted off his face. Instead she tugged the cloak closer. He wouldn’t want her arms now. She had promised him not to talk with the man again. Would he hit her? His face promised anything.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I am a little surprised to see you in company,' Rufus pressed on. 'Essylt told me you did not receive any friends at home.'

Before Morcant could answer the man to go to hell, Cuhelyn interrupted: 'Ah, that's because up until today, neither of them knew I was here. You see, I only just arrived.'
Whether or not the Roman swallowed the story was anybody's guess, but at least the man had the courtesy to look on guard. 'I see. Well, I do suppose your loneliness will be at an end now, Essylt.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She turned, reaching up and kissed Cuhelyn on his cheek. ‘It’s so good to see you.’ He would understand the gratefulness of this rescue, wouldn’t he?
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I can see when I've overstayed my welcome. I shall leave you alone.' Rufus turned and made a bow in Essylt's direction. At least he knew the other man's name to be Cuhelyn. He looked like a man of the forest, or a highwaymen perhaps.

'Please, do,' Morcant snarled and glared at the Roman's back until he was well out of sight. Then he took a few moments to compose himself before turning around to Essylt. Cuhelyn had wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She looked to the hardened soil underneath her feet. Anyhing not to look up into his face, afraid that what she would see was not the gentle look he usually reserved for her. But if he was going to scold her, perhaps she deserved it.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'So... I suppose he just showed up and left you no choice but to talk to him, eh?' Cuhelyn said before Morcant could even open his mouth. His brother was mad, and even if it was not directed at Essylt, his temper could still spill over. Best to stop that before it happened.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She nodded mutely. The strong arm he had around her made her feel secure, as if he somehow steadied her, weathered her against Morcant’s anger that might wash over her. She swallowed, swallowed again. Her little test of courage was not yet over. ‘Please leave us for a bit, Cuhelyn.’ Her voice was soft, she thought. She sounded fragile.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'All right.' Cuhelyn let go of her and moved away, shooting a glance at Morcant he could not quite interpret. When his brother had disappeared behind the house, he looked back at Essylt.
'Please tell me what Cuhelyn suggested is true,' he started, his voice hoarse.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She still did not dare to look into his face. ‘Of course it is true.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Why didn't you just go into the house before he could have dragged you off?' Morcant demanded to know, taking a step towards her.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Now he was coming closer. She forced herself to stay put and not withdraw as if she had done some terrible crime. ‘Because I was trying to…’ to help him? Would he even accept her explanation?
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'To what? Tell me, Essylt.' He grabbed her shoulders, trying his hardest not to hurt her. But he couldn't control his temper completely.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘To protect you.’ His fingers dug roughly into her shoulders, but she tried not to whimper. ‘Believe me, I sent him away at first.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
To protect him? 'I'm not the one who needs protecting,' he said, a little sharper than he'd meant to.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘I sent him away and I thought he complied.’ Now she looked up, but it was hard to conceal the expression of fear on her face. ‘Then I came round the house and saw him standing close…I think he was listening to your talking. I wanted…I only wanted to…I thought, if he heard too much…’ Sweet Epona, if he kept looking at her like that, she might start to cry.
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