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| Vale of the White Horse | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,262 Views) | |
| Marieke | 25 Aug 2011, 20:42 Post #4261 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Keep it brief,’ he told them. ‘We’ve been gone a while, and there is no telling how Rufus has persuaded the chieftain and his wife.’ ‘You said she was trustworthy.’ ‘I believe she is. Still.’ ‘What about the man?’ Elgued asked, between two mouthfuls. ‘Heard he is trouble.’ |
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| Sonja | 25 Aug 2011, 20:53 Post #4262 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'He's rather ill,' Gwenllian put in. 'But not a danger. Keeps to himself. Briallen handles most of the politics - well, Rufus has made sure he's quite a say in things I imagine.' She was half afraid he might've stripped Briallen and Tudwrig of all their power by now. Cuhelyn's disappearance certainly hinted in a direction she wasn't quite at ease with. The Brotherhood was, by now, mostly up to date on how things stood at Caer March, and on one thing everyone agreed: Rufus had to be cut short. Preferably by a head, or so. Elgued nodded his head slowly. 'I hope she's still as trustworthy, then,' he noted before wolfing down the rest of his food. When all the food was gone, Gwenllian gathered the empty bowls to clean them. |
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| Marieke | 25 Aug 2011, 20:55 Post #4263 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Her head on a spike if she has betrayed us,’ Rhywallon began saying. Gwenllian moved over him to gather his bowl. As soon as he saw the speck of light, he grabbed her and pushed a hand over her mouth. ‘Don’t move,’ he breathed. |
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| Sonja | 25 Aug 2011, 21:02 Post #4264 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Her eyes widened briefly, then she relaxed and moved as slowly as she could to avoid making noise. Elgued, in the mean time, noiselessly got to his feet and disappeared into the darkness before either one of them could have uttered a word. Gwenllian just caught a flash of his grin. Damn him, he knew full well that they couldn't call him back or they would be discovered. Despite the gravity of the situation, she wasn't all too worried. Elgued could take care of himself - no, she was far more worried for her own sake. If those bobbing lights came this way... |
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| Marieke | 25 Aug 2011, 21:08 Post #4265 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Elgued slipped away in the darkness. Rhywallon could curse him, if he had dared to take enough breath. He let go of Gwenllian to slip his fingers around his dirk. The blade made a noisy sshk against the sheath. ‘Arm yourself,’ he muttered in Gwenllian’s ear. They had to wait in silence far too long. Then there were footsteps. All his muscles hurt from tension, but it was only Elgued who reappeared, pushing a stumbling, tied man in front of him. Why didn’t e scream? Only when they reach the firelight, Rhywallon saw the gag. ‘A Roman guard,’ he said. For once, Elgued did not grin. ‘ Silent as a wolf, my brother. There were more, but they didn’t see me.’ |
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| Sonja | 25 Aug 2011, 21:13 Post #4266 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'I certainly hope so,' Gwenllian said coldly. She'd gotten increasingly worried about him as time passed. Slowly, she loosened her grip on the dagger that was hers and leaned back. The Roman was fighting feebly. Had Elgued knocked him out first? 'How far away are they now?' 'Far enough for comfort.' Elgued shrugged, then gave the soldier a kick in the back, sending him tubling down next to the fire. 'Well then,' he continued pleasantly. 'Let's decide how we're going to get our friend here to talk.' |
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| Marieke | 25 Aug 2011, 21:18 Post #4267 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘I suggest taking the gag off first.’ Rhywallon studied the captive. He seemed younger now that he was closer. A lad, maybe in his seventeenth year. ‘Shouldn’t have left your villa in Rome,’ he told him, crawling close. His fingers tugged at the gag. There was blood on the cloth. ‘This is going off now. You will be silent as my friend the wolf here, d’you understand? It’ll be a shame of your tongue otherwise.’ He pressed the sharp of his blade against the boy’s neck. He could almost feel the heartthrob underneath the skin…. ‘Gwenllian, take the gag off.’ |
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| Sonja | 25 Aug 2011, 21:25 Post #4268 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Despite herself, she felt a pang of pity. He was hardly a man, younger than she was for sure. Gwenllian pressed her lips together. This wasn't the time or the place to feel pity. They were at war and war meant casualties - better on the Roman side than on theirs. You don't have to enjoy it, that's for sure. Necessities of life. 'Keep still,' she admonished the soldier while moving behind him, untying the knot. As soon as the gag slithered on the ground, he started coughing. Gwenllian immediately put a hand over his mouth, more to keep him from accidentally ripping his own throat out against Rhywallon's blade than for any other reason. There was a lot of information they needed to get out of him, still. Oh, she really was not going to enjoy this. |
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| Marieke | 25 Aug 2011, 21:29 Post #4269 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Oh, he was going to enjoy this. It had been a long time. He remembered when he’d first come to the settlement of Caer March. An empty place full of the skeletons of unfinished roundhouses, for sure, but with just the right man to kill. And since he hadn’t managed to eradicate everyone on his list – well, any dead Roman was a thing of beauty. He lifted the boy’s chin with the point of the dagger. A trickle of blood ran down the blade. He smelled it. ‘So, talk. Where is Marcus Lentulus and what is he doing?’ |
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| Sonja | 25 Aug 2011, 21:38 Post #4270 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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When the coughs had subsided, she pulled her hand away. In the light of the fire she happened to catch a glimpse of Rhywallon's expression. It reminded her of the night when he'd killed Marcus Iulius. Gwenllian didn't feel nearly as nervous now as she did then - in a way, she already considered the boy in front of her a dead man. If Rhywallong didn't do it, Elgued would. She could almost smell it. The Roman kept his mouth pressed together. His lips trembled slightly and his eyes flitted this way and that like that of a trapped hare. It was clear he wasn't going to say anything yet. |
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| Marieke | 25 Aug 2011, 21:45 Post #4271 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Elgued barked out a laugh. ‘Let me guess. Rather die, wouldn’t you, son?’ The boy-soldier looked as though he had already lost all of his blood. Still, he managed a stiff nod. ‘Oh. You will.’ Rhywallon snarled. ‘But not before we carve some markings into your Roman hide.’ The knife cut through his collar, but he had to pull hard to remove his clothes and protective things. ‘Now. What to start with? Your mother’s name?’ |
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| Sonja | 25 Aug 2011, 21:53 Post #4272 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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The boy trashed around, casting a glance at Gwenllian. Her heart nearly broke, but then she remembered the soldiers in Suspicius's camp and the things they had said. Many of them, too, had been but boys. And none of them had uttered any concerns about raping her. 'Best answer him,' she told him in a calm voice. 'Or it could get really rather unpleasant.' |
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| Marieke | 25 Aug 2011, 21:58 Post #4273 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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The boy coughed again, then spat out a thick phlegm of blood. Elgued must have knocked some teeth out. He grinned, hunching over the boy. ‘I’m going to saw your head off your neck,’ he told him. ‘Do you know what we do with enemy’s heads, little pig? Put them on a sharp spike and keep them as a trophy. But I imagine you would make a nice little message from the Brotherhood.’ His knife found the shoulder blade. He pressed into the skin for a long moment, then jammed the point down into the flesh. It was all muscle there. ‘Where is Marcus Lentulus?’ he hissed again. ‘Close!’ The Roman had just enough breath to whisper. His eyes were pressed shut. ‘In – the villa.’ ‘Down in the settlement? Is he searching for someone?’ ‘Always. Guards the wood –’ |
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| Sonja | 25 Aug 2011, 22:04 Post #4274 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'You don't happen to have a description, do you?' Elgued asked conversationally. The boy raised a trembling hand, feebly pointing at Rhywallon's face. 'You. And another.' His voice was a mere rasping breath, now. Gwenllian moved away, not because she was afraid but because she wanted to get a better look on the situation. Both men were fixated on their captive. If a Roman patrol fell upon them now, they would hardly stand a chance. |
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| Marieke | 25 Aug 2011, 22:10 Post #4275 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘You know, I’ve heard that Caratacus of the Catuvellauni is marching our way as we speak,’ Elgued said, as he settled his weight on the Roman’s back. ‘Soon, all your high lords would be wise to march out and meet him, if they dare. But I guess you will never walk again.’ Rhywallon heard the bone-crushing snap of his spine. The boy dropped his head into the earth, and the mud muffled his scream a little. ‘Shut up,’ he whispered, bashing a fist against his mouth. ‘You too Elgued, or I’ll hit you as hard as I hit him, brother or no. Who else did you hunt? Who have you already caught?’ He gave the soldier no time to figure out an answer but yanked his head back so hard that he might snap his neck too. ‘Was it a man, here? Did you weed him out of the shadows? Where is he, damn it?’ |
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| Sonja | 25 Aug 2011, 22:19 Post #4276 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Gwenllian thought the boy looked as though he realized he'd said too much. She recognized the grim set his mouth took on, it was the look of a condemned man determined not to say another word. He shook his head, spitting out some more blood. 'Go... fuck yourself,' he managed to say. |
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| Marieke | 27 Aug 2011, 15:21 Post #4277 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Or you, perhaps,’ Rhywallon growled. ‘I don’t think it’s our people that do that, soldier boy. Your men make no difference between breasts and balls.’ Elgued grinned. His face was whole, maybe even handsome, but the way his upper lip curled to bare a row of sharp teeth made him look like a hungry wolf. ‘We could cut them off for him.’ The captive twitched beneath Rhywallon’s hands. ‘No,’ he spluttered. ‘Please.’ ‘He says please.’ Rhywallon let him go. The boy would never get up again; not with that broken spine. ‘Pity you’re alone. I would tell the lord Lentulus my name. I would like to see his face when he hears it.’ |
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| Sonja | 27 Aug 2011, 15:38 Post #4278 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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The moment Elgued offered to turn the boy into a eunuch, he crumbled again. Gwenllian wondered how long it would take him to break down and start weeping. Part of her hoped Rhywallon would end it soon, not because she didn't want to see him suffer, though that was part of the reason, but also because there was a very real risk the boy would decide to go out on a limb and shout for his fellows. For the moment, however, he was laying very still and only breathing raggedly. There was sweat pearling on his forehead and upper lip and his face continually twisted in pain. 'He knows,' the boy managed to say between gasps, 'more than you - ow - think.' |
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| Marieke | 29 Aug 2011, 21:23 Post #4279 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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'Oh?' Rhywallon yanked his head back, taking a handful of the boy's hair. 'And now you're going to tell me.' 'No.' It was the perhaps the bravest thing the boy had uttered since his capture. Rhywallon peered down to see his face, jaws set tightly and eyes staring off into a distance. He already considered himself dead, Rhywallon realized. 'Fine. Rest well.' He broke the boy's neck with a hard movement. 'Gwenllian, my sword.' |
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| Sonja | 1 Sep 2011, 21:30 Post #4280 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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She had to look away. The snap the boys neck gave was sickening and Gwenllian was sure it'd figure prominently in her dreams. It was different from seeing Higueid killed. That she had almost relished, she had to admit. As she got up to get Rhywallon's sword, she could feel Elgued's eyes on her. Did he wait for her to faint? 'Here,' she said, handing him the weapon. Then she collected the bowls from where they had fallen and turned around. Her hands were steady. 'I'll clean these up, now.' |
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| Marieke | 5 Sep 2011, 15:56 Post #4281 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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The blade of his sword cut bone and muscle and sinew. Grimly, Rhywallon thought that whatever power was hidden in the head of this boy, he did not want it. Never mind, it was not for him anyway. He jammed the head on the nearest branch he could find; a sharp stick, thick enough to stand up straight when pushed into the earth. He glanced at Gwenllian, who had her back turned. Was she disgusted? She should be proud. Elgued was proud. His eyes shone almost as if he had a fever, and maybe he had. The fever of the kill. Rhywallon pulled back from the stick. ‘Take it down to the settlement. Make sure it’s found.’ ‘Is this your message?’ Elgued asked, for once without that smile in the corner of his mouth. ‘My signature,’ Rhywallon said. ‘I swear, Rufus will hear me whisper his name when he sleeps at night.’ |
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| Sonja | 9 Sep 2011, 12:42 Post #4282 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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When she was done cleaning up, Gwenllian turned around to put the bowls away. Her eye caught the remains of the boy and she looked at it for a moment. Would the pain, the misery, all the killing, ever stop? Maybe. But most likely not. She was sure of one thing, though, and that was that if they ever wanted to have peace, Rufus needed to die. Had she ever the opportunity she would want to stick a knife in him herself for all the evil he'd done. And that's why it'll never stop. A sobering thought. Gwenllian shook her head to herself and sat down next to Rhywallon. 'Will you be bringing the message now?' she asked Elgued. |
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| Marieke | 9 Sep 2011, 12:46 Post #4283 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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'Better now before this starts rotting,' Elgued said, heaving himself up. He took the spike, flashed a grin at the head, and disappeared between the trees. Rhywallon looked down at his hands. They were all red from blood. Not the first time that had happened, but it suddenly reminded him sharply of the night that he had kissed Gwenllian. 'Are you alright?' he asked. |
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| Sonja | 9 Sep 2011, 12:55 Post #4284 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'I suppose I am.' She dredged up a smile. 'I've built up a resilience to hardships by now, I think,' she added. For a moment, she fell silent. A few months ago she had been constantly contemplating how terrible her life was. Right now all she could think of was of how many men had to die before she'd feel at least partially rectified. Better than a depression but still, in its own right, rather depressing. 'Do you think Cuhelyn is still alive?' she asked softly. |
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| Marieke | 9 Sep 2011, 13:02 Post #4285 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Did he? Rhywallon had taken a good, hard look around. ‘If this wasn’t his shelter, I suppose he might be.’ After all, couldn’t anyone make a brief camp here, just for one night? He leaned closer to the remains of the old fireplace. The earth was hard and black, but cold as ice. ‘Someone warmed his hands here, at least. There is someone who might know.’ He sat back up, staring at Gwenllian in de falling dusk, watched how her hair lit up like a flame, and how golden her skin looked in the light of their own small fire. Why had he not thought of this before? ‘That damned man! Morcant should be here. Why isn’t he here? If Cuhelyn died, he should have reported back to us. If he knows.’ If he was still alive. |
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| Sonja | 9 Sep 2011, 13:21 Post #4286 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Didn't he have a house in the Vale himself? Cuhelyn might be living with him,' Gwenllian suggested half-heartedly. She doubted it, because how could you keep a close watch on the situation if you were in a settlement where the gates closed at night? And if Cuhelyn was dead, how could they know? If it was Rufus' doing, which was more than likely, he would have made sure the body disappeared. Just like Rhywallon had disposed of Higueid's body. Or tried to, at least. |
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| Marieke | 9 Sep 2011, 13:25 Post #4287 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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He snorted. ‘The only one living with him would be that chieftain’s girl. Frail little thing, but he seemed to keep her close.’ |
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| Sonja | 9 Sep 2011, 13:32 Post #4288 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Gwenllian nodded. 'All the same, he might have joined them for the winter.' Part of her fervently hoped it was the case. She hid a yawn behind her hand. First watch, so she'd have to stay awake for yet a little while. 'You best catch some sleep now, Rhywallon,' she said and put her hand over his, squeezing it lightly. |
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| Marieke | 9 Sep 2011, 13:37 Post #4289 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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He kissed her lightly on her lips. She tasted like forest, and the smoke from their fire. ‘Keep your dagger close.’ But she would, he knew. She wasn’t the girl who had tried to smack her enemy with a stick. She hadn’t been for a long while now. He wondered if it was his fault. |
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| Sonja | 9 Sep 2011, 14:01 Post #4290 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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His mood had steadily deteriorated over the course of the long winter months. It wasn't anything he wasn't used to: Rufus had always hated the long, bleak winters of the northern areas, but it was pretty damn hindering nonetheless. No matter how many girls he let come to his villa - sometimes even more than one at the same time -, he was still feeling like a miserable heap of human. He took it out on Briallen and Tudwrig, in a way, by brooding on plans that would once and for all get them out of his hair. Most of the things he came up with would be dodgy at the very least, should he ever have to write a report about it, but it was a way to pass time. That particular morning - a somewhat more sunny and less dismal spring morning - he decided to do his round across the grounds earlier than usual. But before he'd even gotten properly dressed, his head servant came in. The man had a consternated look on his face, and the captain of the watch stood behind him. 'Yes?' Rufus said impatiently. 'What is it?' The captain stepped forward and saluted. 'The night patrol came back with one man less, my lord,' he started. 'Their commander just came in with the news that they found him, but -' 'Well? Go on man, I haven't all day,' Rufus snapped. 'They only found his head, sir. On a stake.' It took a while before it sank in, and then Rufus groaned. 'You can tell the commander he's been demoted to soldier,' he growled. 'Show me the head and where they found it. And be quick about it.' The head had been pulled off the stake and both were laid out on a table in one of the tents. Rufus recognized the distorted face as that of one of the younger soldiers. Inexperienced. Or he wouldn't be dead. But that wasn't wat bothered Rufus the most - he'd lost many men in skirmishes, most of them he didn't even knew by name. No, what bothered him, actually almost scared him, was the why of the head on the stake. Rhywallon, his gut feeling said. He's back. It felt as someone had chucked a bucket of ice cold water on him, but he didn't let show on his face. 'I want the entire area around the settlement combed out before the day is up,' he ordered the captain of the watch. 'Do not leave a leaf unturned or a rock upright. Move, man!' he roared when the captain didn't make any move to leave. |
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