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| Vale of the White Horse | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,289 Views) | |
| Sonja | 1 Jun 2010, 21:33 Post #3451 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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She jumped back and tripped when the tentflap was pulled aside, falling down on the floor. Her heart beat a frightened staccato when she looked up, expecting the Roman. Instead, his face contorted with rage, fear, and myriad other things, she saw Rhywallon. He looked terrifying as never before, but she couldn't remember ever being so bursting with happiness. Gwenllian scrambled to her feet, wanting to throw herself in his arms, but his expression kept her from doing that. 'What's happening?' |
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| Marieke | 1 Jun 2010, 21:35 Post #3452 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She was alone. Perhaps, then, they did not have to die before the hour had passed. He had prepared his heart for that, but now it suddenly gave a painful, hopeful throb. Sliding one knife back in the scabbard, he grabbed her wrist, already whirling around. ‘Sh. Don’t talk. Run!’ |
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| Sonja | 1 Jun 2010, 21:39 Post #3453 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Gwenllian's stomach gave a lurch as she ran after Rhywallon, out of the hated tent. She hardly dared to hope that they'd get out alive, but it was comforting to think that even if they died, it would be in an attempt to escape instead of simply waiting for their death to come as sheep ready for slaughter. The first soldiers they encountered were too busy dragging buckets of water from the well in the center of camp to pay attention to them, but she didn't dare to hope that it would stay that way. Oh, how she wished she had her dagger! |
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| Marieke | 1 Jun 2010, 21:41 Post #3454 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Here,’ he panted as he fumbled with the other knife, ‘take it. This way,’ he added, as he dragged her on. He was going too fast for her, he thought dazed, but there was no time to slow down. If she stumbled, he’d haul her up. |
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| Sonja | 1 Jun 2010, 21:48 Post #3455 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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She had to use the dagger almost immediately when a soldier made a grab for them. The hold he'd gotten on her arm didn't last long when she drove the blade into his hand. The soldier gave a shout, but then they were out of his reach again. Rhywallon was much more effective with his dagger, killing most soldiers with just a single stroke. With every step they took from the hated tent and towards the entrance, her heart began to beat faster until she had the feeling it could burst from her chest at any moment. |
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| Marieke | 1 Jun 2010, 21:55 Post #3456 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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He coughed as he inhaled a deep mouthful of smoke. Pressing his hand against his mouth, he steered them away from it. He wasn’t going to suffocate if they made it away from the tents. There was a place on the edge where the flames seemed less. It was rather open, so the rainfall had soaked the land so thoroughly that nothing would burn. It was there that he ran to, making sure that his fingers never slipped away from hers. The trees offered them some more cover. There was still shouting, but it seemed further away. He kept running, sometimes nearly slipping. The smoke lessened. Were they beyond the border of fire already? Please, let it be so. The flames were dangerous allies. There was a hollow in the earth, where a tree had fallen. It had split open the soil, framed by rocks and overgrown with ferns so wet that he was pretty sure the fire would not eat them. He pulled Gwenllian in, following instantly. It wasn’t deep. They barely fitted in together; he had to curl up his legs until it hurt. ‘Sit still,’ he breathed into her ear. If the Romans were using dogs to sniff them out, the trail of smoke and flames would hopefully lead them off course. |
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| Sonja | 1 Jun 2010, 22:01 Post #3457 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Despite her trembling, Gwenllian kept as still as she could. Rhywallon was pressed against her, his hand not leaving hers. The space was cramped and yet it felt as though she had never had more breathing space. The scent of smoke and fire and Rhywallon might very well be the sweetest she'd ever smelled. She wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure whether or not anyone had followed them. Carefully, she shifted her head a little so that it rested against his shoulder. Something wet ran down her cheeks. |
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| Marieke | 1 Jun 2010, 22:05 Post #3458 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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They sat propped up there for hours. He didn’t even know how many had passed. His whole body felt numb. There were sounds outside the little hollow, but never close enough, though he always stiffened. The blade was still in his other hand. Finally, it was the dead of night, he dared to turn his head and whisper. ‘Gwenllian. Are you alright?’ |
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| Sonja | 1 Jun 2010, 22:08 Post #3459 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'I am now,' she croaked in a small voice. She hadn't seen the Roman anywhere, and she was still half afraid he might jump from the shadows to kill them, or worse: drag them back to the camp. |
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| Marieke | 1 Jun 2010, 22:11 Post #3460 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘I’m glad…Are you hurt?’ He moved up a hand to stroke her face. It was hard to see her in this darkness, even though he could feel her as close as his own skin. |
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| Sonja | 1 Jun 2010, 22:22 Post #3461 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Not really. I think,' she answered. There were a few bruises and sore places, yes, but those hardly qualified as being hurt. When she felt his hand against her cheek, she gave a shudder and pressed herself against him. She wanted to ask whether they were safe now; where they would go; if he still wanted to die, but none of those words found a way out. Instead, she only said: 'Thought I'd never see you again...' |
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| Marieke | 1 Jun 2010, 22:26 Post #3462 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘I promised I’d come back for you, didn’t I?’ It was hard to talk clearly. The smoke had turned his voice to a low rasping. Together with his face, which was hurting as badly as on the day he had scarred it, though it must be a phantom pain, it made him feel even more like an otherworldy being. ‘Nothing short of death could stop me, Gwenllian. And I wouldn’t have died while you were still there.’ |
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| Sonja | 1 Jun 2010, 22:35 Post #3463 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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She nodded mutely, tears still running down her cheeks. There was no use in lingering over what had happened, she told herself. Yet everywhere Rhywallon touched her, she also felt the Roman's hands. Horrified, she wondered if it would be the same for the rest of her life. If so, then she might as well die now, because she couldn't imagine never spending the night with Rhywallon again. 'I love you,' she finally said in a voice muffled because she had her face pressed against his tunic. |
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| Marieke | 1 Jun 2010, 22:37 Post #3464 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Do you? I hope you won’t forget that it was through me that you ended up in this mess.’ He shook his head; she’d be able to feel it, perhaps. ‘Forgive me. It was not up to my usual standards. I make a lousy bodyguard to you.’ |
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| Sonja | 1 Jun 2010, 22:43 Post #3465 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Part of her agreed with him; even wanted to hit him for it. It was knowing that he had suffered as much as - if not more than - she had that kept her from doing so. She didn't want to think of the guilt he must be feeling. 'It's -' she stopped. Things were definitely not okay. 'You got me out alive. That's all that matters right now.' |
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| Marieke | 1 Jun 2010, 22:45 Post #3466 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘We’re not out yet,’ he said. She didn’t tell him that she had forgiven him. Well, perhaps she shouldn’t. ‘It will be a while till we cross the river, even if we speed through the night. And we should get moving.’ If his legs were still willing to work after this long sit. |
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| Sonja | 1 Jun 2010, 22:49 Post #3467 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'All right,' she said, not really looking forward to more running. She'd been doing that for the past months now, with only a short break just after Higueid's death. Rhywallon wasn't the only one anymore who could not find peace until that man, that horrible, wicked man was dead and burnt, she thought. Gwenllian started crawling out of the small hollow, willing her numb limbs to listen to her. |
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| Marieke | 1 Jun 2010, 22:53 Post #3468 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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He knew where they had to go – more or less. The trees were friends and enemies at the same time; hiding them, hindering them. He tried to move from stem to stem, keeping a pace she could manage. It would be dawn till reached the end of the forest, he thought. And then well into the day before they’d find the river. If not longer. He wasn’t sure how much he could so before his body needed rest. |
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| Sonja | 1 Jun 2010, 22:58 Post #3469 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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It wasn't long before she started panting, her legs protesting against every step she made them take. After spending so many days mostly seated on a stool or crouched into a corner, exchanging very short periods of snoozing for long periods of wakefullness, Gwenllian really just wanted to fall down and sleep for hours on end. She couldn't, though, so she bit her tongue and went on. Time lost all meaning, and then the air around them started to turn from black to the dusky greys and greens of early dawn. |
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| Marieke | 2 Jun 2010, 10:09 Post #3470 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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As the sun moved up, he stopped and allowed Gwenllian to rest. She looked even paler now that he could see her well; her face an ashen grey that comes before collapse. The canopy of trees was no longer dense. There was no real safety yet, because he knew that Spurius Sulpicius was determined. Yet the Roman soldiers did not know these woods so well, foreign as they were to the hills and clefts of the landscape. By the time they’d reach the waterway, he did not think that they’d be chased after so vigorously. ‘Here,’ he said, fumbling with the deerskin pouch on his side. There was a little water left from his journey. He pressed it into her hands. |
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| Sonja | 2 Jun 2010, 10:12 Post #3471 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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She took the waterskin from his hands and took a small sip. It was hardly enough to quench her thirst, but she held it back out to him. He was probably as thirsty as she was. Her feet hurt, and she probably had blisters. Gwenllian didn't want to check, since it wouldn't help the pain anyway. It felt as though someone had put a hand around her throat and squeezed, it was that difficult to breathe. 'Where do you think we ought to go?' she asked quietly. |
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| Marieke | 2 Jun 2010, 10:14 Post #3472 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘East for now.’ He coughed again; the smoke was still irritating his throat. He took one mouthful of water. ‘Once we cross that river, we’ll see. I don’t think we can go back to Caer March very well.’ |
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| Sonja | 2 Jun 2010, 10:15 Post #3473 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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She tried a smile. 'No, I don't think so.' She got up, gingerly putting some weight back on her feet and wincing as she did so. 'I'm rested.' It was a bit of a lie, but she didn't think she'd start feeling any better than this without some sleep, anyway. |
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| Marieke | 2 Jun 2010, 10:17 Post #3474 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Good.’ He took her arm, steadying her should she tumble over. ‘Just a little more, Gwenllian. You’re doing fine.’ |
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| Sonja | 2 Jun 2010, 10:21 Post #3475 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Was she? She really felt like laying down and just giving up. The only thing that kept her going was his hand reaching out to steady her everytime she nearly fell. Gwenllian pressed her lips together and glanced at him, drawing strength from the look in his eyes. A little longer, she told herself. Just a little while longer and she could sleep. As soon as they were, if not safe, at least well away from the Roman and his men. |
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| Marieke | 2 Jun 2010, 10:28 Post #3476 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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If he had had a little more time, Rhywallon would have taken his horse along. But he had left it behind. No doubt it had fled the fire. It felt like an eternity of climbing hills, descending them, moving one feet after another while he tried to help Gwenllian by holding firmly on to her arm, hauling her up the steeper parts and holding her back when she threatened to stumble. There was no time to contemplate his own weary bones. As soon as he allowed himself to feel the extend of his pain and exhaust, he was sure he could go on no longer. The sun rose to a bleak midday. Finally he pointed down. ‘There, you see it? It’s the river.’ It wound through the landscape like a silver snake. |
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| Sonja | 2 Jun 2010, 10:34 Post #3477 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Gwenllian didn't want to think of crossing the river in the state they were in. It had rained so much the past weeks, it would be so swollen that even the shallowest of crossings could drag them to their deaths. She shuddered and pushed the thought from her mind. If they'd get across, there'd be just that more space between them and the Romans. 'Are we going to cross it at the same place as before?' |
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| Marieke | 2 Jun 2010, 10:36 Post #3478 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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He hesitated. The water was wild, the current strong. Perhaps they should trace it upstream until they reached the safe crossing. ‘I think that wretched Roman is anticipating on us using the bridge,’ he grumbled. ‘It’s probably best to cross here, if we can manage it. Don’t worry. I will help you.’ |
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| Sonja | 2 Jun 2010, 10:40 Post #3479 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Don't worry was easier said than done. Gwenllian was a good swimmer - in still waters like lakes, or possibly a calm brook -, but the churning water of the river scared her. Well. At least she'd be clean afterwards; there was soot and dirt on her hands, face and clothes. 'Okay,' she breathed. 'Best not linger, I suppose...' |
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| Marieke | 2 Jun 2010, 10:46 Post #3480 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Rest a bit,’ he told her. It would be taxing crossing, no matter how brave she looked with her red hair in a tangled mess and her jaw set while her eyes shone with fear. He searched for two boughs, sturdy and long enough to be walking sticks. ‘It’s just like last time. Keep a good grip on it and only let it go if you need your hands elsewhere. We’ll walk in an angle against the current – you, on my right, so if you slip and fall, I can still grab you.’ |
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