Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Kuwa- ...thingy!

This site is purely here for our own enjoyment, which means it's not open to the public. Well, I guess you can read our ramblings if you want... Beware, though. They are known to cause severe mental damage when we've been nightsick.

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Vale of the White Horse
Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,383 Views)
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She took some of the bread and fresh cheese. 'This settlement,' she pondered after a while, 'It will have fitfy men and women, and then soldiers. But if we turn out into a good fort, this will probably grow fast.' She glanced at him, remembering how his curse had scared away all the people who had lived here.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Yes,' Tudwrig said slowly, 'probably. I hope it doesn't.' he didn't care much for the soldiers, but the innocent women and children - no, he couldn't think of that. 'But it's probably for the best if I took some precautions.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She looked at him over the rim of a bronze-rimmed cup. 'Such as?'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Demand a very high fence around the settlement, for one thing. I'll think of an excuse for that. And some other things I've yet to think of.' He smiled a thin smile. Perhaps one day, fate would be on his side and place Marcus Iulius in his path when the curse was upon him. It wasn't likely to happen, and probably had a lot of consequences, but even though Tudwrig wasn't usually violent, he'd love to at least rough the Roman up a bit.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'It's not all that unusual for settlements to have a wall of poles around them, with only a gate to permit entry,' Briallen answered. Once again, she had to remind himself that this man was unusual. He could never have travelled far, or he would have known this.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I can best a fence of regular height quite easily when the curse is upon me,' he said quietly. 'Hence the very high.' It didn't feel very good to admit his murderous intentions when out of control, but it was common knowledge anyway and no good ever came from not saying something.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Before she could reply, a serving girl entered, saying: 'It is the Roman lord, he's at the gate...'
Briallen rose, smiling bitterly at Tudwrig. 'Welcome to your new life.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Oh, goodie,' he answered dryly, then said to the servant girl: 'Let him in.' For a moment he wondered if he could get away with having Marcus take a seat at the table below his and Briallen's, but then decided against it and nodded to the fireplace. 'Let's go down.'
Moments later, the doors opened again and Marcus Iulius walked in, looking even more arrogant and smug than before. Tudwrig's face tightened, and he inclined his head in the briefest of nods possible.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Still up and about, I see,' the Roman officer muttered, before his smile broadened into a foxy grin. 'And your wife...Fresh and pretty.' He intended it as a compliment, honestly. She did look very becoming: her face was flushed from outside air, her hair prettily swept up. 'I wish to inform you that the building has started. Right at once.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Your soldiers can make their camp a little further into the Vale,' Tudwrig said icily, 'because I'm afraid we'll only be able to house the officers in the castle.'
'I see,' Marcus Iulius said with a raised eyebrow. 'And yet, it seems like a fairly substantial castle.'
'Do trust me when I say that there will be no room for the gross of your men, unless they wish to sleep amongst the cattle.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Your soldiers must be weathered against the climate by now,' Briallen put in, keeping her voice as light as possible. 'Camping outside is their second nature, I imagine. Nevertheless, I have made arrangements for them, don't worry about that. We will distribute what food we can.' She stared at the Roman officer.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
If Marcus Iulius was annoyed by this, it was very hard to tell by his face. 'Yes. I understand, of course,' he said silkily and nodded to Briallen. 'I shall inform the men about this. You have my gratitude for the arrangements made.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Naturally, Briallen thought, as you should! 'I'm afraid we have just eaten, my lord,' she went on. 'But we would not have you hungry in Caer March.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Thank you, lady, but I have been well provided for already. And I have to admit that I am not quite comfortable sitting up while eating,' he added.
Tudwrig pressed his lips together. 'I am sorry to hear that,' he said perfunctorily. 'But if there is anything else you would like, just say so.'
'Oh, I shall. The rooms for myself and the officers, have they been prepared yet?'
'The servants are working on that as we speak.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Briallen had ordered that the chambers for Marcus Iulius and his lesser officers be at the other side of the castle, as far away from herself and Tudwrig as possible. She could not bear the thought that she would sleep close to any of them. 'Well, my lord. I hope we can entertain you tonight with music and tales, as is our own custom.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I have a lot to take care of still, but it would be my honour to be present,' Marcus Iulius answered in a voice with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. Tudwrig's face was impassive. It was about as difficult to keep control over his facial expression in the presence of the Roman as it was to fight for control over the curse.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Briallen's lips tightened. The way he dismissed their ancient heritage, their sense of hospitality, of what was right! She drew a tensed breath. 'Well, I certainly hope so. Please, let Eiluned show you to your chambers. I hope they will be pleasant for you.' For the serving woman had just entered.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
The officer got up and bowed slightly. 'You have my thanks,' he said and walked after Eiluned, out of the room. Tudwrig drew his breath in a sharp hiss.
'I should like to put a stake where he doesn't want one,' he growled.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Hush,' she muttered, staring after him blankly. This man was powerful and could destroy their lives; this was the truth, whether she'd want to admit it or not.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
When the doors had closed, Tudwrig got up and restlessly prowled up and down in front of the fireplace. 'I want to know what he's playing at. There must be something, Romans always keep secret agendas and whatnot.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'He wouldn't tell you,' she said, following him with her eyes. 'Nor me, for that matter.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
He shook his head and fell down on his chair again. 'You're right. Bah, I can't stand this.' And on top of it all, he was feeling a headache coming up. Headaches always marked the beginning of cursed periods, and he really couldn't use one right now. He had to be well enough for this evening.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She got up and put both her hands on his shoulders, standing behind him. 'Breathe,' she told him. 'Remember you are chieftain. You have the right to rule over your own territory...I don't care about Roman law, we have our own. Should he trespass, we can invoke the judgement of the High King.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I'll pray to the gods that he will trespass, then,' Tudwrig remarked dryly, then put his hands over Briallen's, breathing deeply as she had instructed him. 'Until that time, I guess I'll just have to grin and bear it.' He turned around in the chair and smiled at her. 'At least we made a nice trip this afternoon. I hope we can do so more often before the autumnstorms make it impossible.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Yes. We did.' She tried to sound encouraging. 'Perhaps I should go and see that our honoured guest is settled in nicely. Remember Tudwrig...the better we placate him, the more control we may get over the new settlement.'
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Yes, that is true... But be careful, please. That man is a menace.' He stroked the back of Briallen's hands with his fingers. If something happened to her, he would never forgive himself.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'I'll behave myself,' she muttered and slid her hands off his shoulders. 'Have a rest. You look tired. Perhaps you can be here during dinner. We do have bards, do we not?' She smiled and left the hall.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'We do,' Tudwrig muttered after her and took up staring moodily into the fire. After a while, he got up and went to his room. A rest was just as well taken in a bath as it was sitting in front of a fire, and he needed a bath a little more.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
He thought he had seen it wrong, but the caer was still the same. Rhywallon squinted his eyes as the low sun painted over the high poles and wood skeletons. His information clearly stated that no Caer March had no settlement, yet what was this, rising from the earth like a sidhe? A distinct Roman settlement. The sight of it offended him.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Gwenllian was definitely travel-weary by now, so seeing Caer March loom up on the horizon had been the most welcome sight to date. There was one thing that looked off, though. Why would the Romans build a settlement near to the castle of a chieftain? It was bad manners, that. She looked to the side, studying Rhywallon's face. He didn't seem happy at all.
'Well,' she started, 'we're almost there.' It was a pointless remark, but she really didn't know what else to say.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Vale of the White Horse · Next Topic »
Add Reply


Theme created by vcd of the ZetaBoards Theme ZoneStyle District