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| Vale of the White Horse | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,380 Views) | |
| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 11:20 Post #721 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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It was only past sundown. Essylt glanced at him. No one but little children would sleep at this hour. She thought of the hall in the caer, where it was time for dinner now. Her belly longed for the good food and drink, the warmth and the company. Her mother would surely worry so much that it'd affect her own health. 'Please,' she said, 'please - let me go. I'm needed.' |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 11:23 Post #722 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Isn't that nice,' he said dryly. 'I'm not going to let you go no matter how much you're needed, so stop wasting your breath on useless pleas. You'll be home soon enough if your pops just does as he's gonna be told to.' |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 11:28 Post #723 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She said nothing more and looked past him to the opening of the small cave. She smelled rain. To protect herself against the creeping chill she pulled up her legs and hugged her knees with her arms. She was glad that her wrists were bound in in front of her body, at least. Surely her father would pay the ransom. He loved her, she had little doubt, although she knew that he, together with most of the family, hoped for a baby boy. The man had ordered her to sleep, but she found it impossible. The longer she sat motionless, the colder she got. Her arms and legd felt like frozen lumps of ice. |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 11:30 Post #724 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Morcant had no trouble whatsoever to fall asleep, and soon he was lustily snoring away. It had been a busy day, after all, sitting in trees all day and chasing after a girl-fury in the evening. He wasn't plagued by dreams nor did he suffer from the chill. All in all, it was a pretty normal night's rest for him. |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 11:51 Post #725 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She noticed that she had been asleep only when she woke up suddenly, finding herself on her side with her legs and arms pulled tightly under her body. It was dark outside, but not so dark that it could be dead of night. Essylt couldn’t place where she was at first. Her hands felt so numb that they seemed to have detached themselves from the rest of her arms. There was a still quality to the cave and the forest outside. The man who had taken her here was sleeping. She saw his silent form if she looked up. With stiff limbs she heaved herself into a sitting position, tunic and skirt rustling in the movement. He didn’t stir. She could probably walk out and find her way back to her father’s caer, but as she tugged on the rope around her wrists, she knew that she wouldn’t get her hands free. The risk of falling down a slope and breaking something was too big. She closed her eyes, willing her father’s men to storm up the hill right this moment, freeing her from all of this. Instead she heard a rustle. Her eyes snapped open. A little owl had landed in the mouth of the cave, only feet away from her. She stared at it and he stared back with eyes like two luminescent full moons. It was a grey owl, with dark spots sprayed over the feathers, soft like baby hair. He blinked at her – a slow gesture. She looked down, a shimmer catching her gaze. It had rained and the rain must have swept inside, for there was a small pool on the ground now and the hem of her dress was wet. She shuffled away from it, expecting the owl to start and fly off. It didn’t. She looked down again. Something moved behind the water’s surface, as if she were looking into a pond to see the fleeting forms of fish. Only these weren’t fish. There was a hill, and a stone standing straight up, pointing to the sky. There was a girl with chestnut hair, swept by the wind. Essylt couldn’t see her face, but saw how the figure approached the stone as slowly as the owl had blinked, putting her hands on either side to bring her face close to it, as if she were going to kiss it. The water shook, rippling, and the images disappeared only to be replaced by a wan face surrounded by gold curls. The eyes had a feel of summer in them, but stared unblinkingly and lightless to an unseen roof. She thought she heard the distant wail of a newborn. The air moved out of her lungs as if she had been hit and she lunged forwards. Her bound hands hit the puddle and the face disappeared. When she looked up, the owl had gone. Essylt couldn’t breathe, only gasp and clutch her hands and close her eyes tightly. |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 12:07 Post #726 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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He awoke at false dawn, as was his custom. It would take another hour or so for the sun to rise, but the girl already seemed to be awake. Morcant came to his feet and stretched, then rubbed a hand across his chin. Soon one of his brethren would come to get the information he'd gathered thus far, like they always did. He could send him back with the good news and then get to work on blackmailing the Chieftain. It was going to be a good day; at least he'd get to do something. |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 12:11 Post #727 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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He was awake. She had spent the remaining hours of darkness shivering against the stone wall. The images haunted her as much as the fact that she had seen them. Sometimes she had slumbered against her will. When she had woken then, she had found a thin layer of frost were the water had touched her clothes. By morning it had melted away. Essylt swallowed. Her mouth was dry and she was hungry. She was afraid and reluctant to speak, but she had to know. 'Did you hear anything?' |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 12:13 Post #728 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Nothing out of the ordinary,' he said with one eyebrow raised. If he had, he would've awoken. Or at least that was what Morcant liked to tell himself. As often as not, he'd sleep through the biggest racket one could imagine. |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 12:14 Post #729 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She dropped her gaze. 'Oh.' |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 12:21 Post #730 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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She looked rather uncomfortable. Morcant frowned a bit. He'd never taken a hostage before, so he didn't really know how to treat them. But he figured Essylt had by now sufficiently paid for the harm she'd caused him - really, the wound in his arm stung like something insane - and there was no use in making her uncomfortable because of the things her old man did. So he knelt down next to her and began untying her hands. 'Remember what I told you about running away,' he said in what could be described as a good mood. |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 12:24 Post #731 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She was uncomfortable with him so close but he was untying her hands finally, so she let him. 'I will,' she said half-heartedly, rubbing over the swollen red skin of her wrists. It hurt more now the blood rushed back. She saw no point in running a second time anyway. He'd only catch up on her and then she'd be off worse than she was now. 'I will, if you promise to return me,' she heard herself add, though her voice sounded nothing like a command. 'As soon as possible.' |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 12:28 Post #732 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'As soon as possible, if your old man does what he's told,' Morcant shrugged while rolling up the rope and tucking it behind his belt. He rummaged around in his threadbare bag and got some bread and a strip of dried meat out, handing it to the girl. Then he walked to the cave's mouth and looked out over the hill. Not a sign of any of his fellows, yet. |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 12:30 Post #733 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She ate, her belly rumbling. It was not what she was used to and left her with a rather odd feeling. But it was food, it stilled her hunger. 'What do you want him to do?' she asked, standing up to stretch her legs. |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 12:33 Post #734 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Couple o' things,' he grunted vaguely. 'Getting rid of the Romans, first and foremost.' Morcant eyed her wearily as she got up. Not that she'd be able to escape, with him standing in the way. Still, better safe than sorry. |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 12:36 Post #735 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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'Get rid of the Romans?' She wasn't sure if he was joking. He must be. Everyone knew that the Romans did not leave. She walked closer to the opening, though she moved around him as wary as a street dog. Her hand touched the rock. She looked sideways, because it felt cold. There was a trail of silvery frost were her fingers slid over the surface. Her breath halted for a second, then it was gone. 'I...' |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 12:41 Post #736 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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He narrowed his eyes when the girl stammered and caught her breath as if a bucket of icy-cold water had just been thrown over her. She was looking at her fingers like they were something otherworldly. Was she a bit strange in the head, he wondered? Morcant licked his lips and leaned against the cavewall. 'Getting rid of the Romans, yes,' he repeated slowly. 'Filthy vermin.' |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 12:43 Post #737 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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What was happening? Was she dreaming still? No, that was impossible. It was this cave, surely! This man had brought her into a place of the forest. 'We shouldn't be here,' she said, hardly paying attention to his mad ramble. 'This is a place for the Folk.' She feared it. |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 12:46 Post #738 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Quit your belly-aching, girl, I've been in this cave for quite some days now and I haven't seen a single one of the Folk.' Morcant scowled at her, his good mood rapidly disappearing. |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 12:51 Post #739 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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'Bu...' Essylt swallowed the word. She wasn't going to make him angry. Perhaps she had imagined it. Perhaps the shock made her see things not present. She held her tongue and the more sunlight shone into the cave, the more she believed that it was so. Hadn't she had dreams like this when she was a child? They had passed and she had not thought about them for a long time now. |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 19:39 Post #740 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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When the sun was well up, Morcant went a ways out of the cave to check on their surroundings. Everything seemed in order. He turned on the girl and got the rope from his belt. 'You and I are going to make a little trip, now,' he said and took a hold of one of her wrists, tying one end of the rope around it and fastening the other to his belt. 'Precautions, I'm sure you understand,' he grinned. He'd have to travel at a slower pace with her, but if they left now they could make it to the meeting point in time. |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 19:41 Post #741 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She stared down to the rope, then looked up. He wore a pleasant expression but she felt humiliated. 'Am I your dog on a leash, now?' |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 19:49 Post #742 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Oh, I wouldn't call you my dog, per say. Complaining about it isn't going to make it go away, though. I'll untie you when we've arrived. Let's go.' He gestured over his shoulder with his head and started from the cave. |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 19:54 Post #743 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She just hoped that her wrist wouldn't start to bleed from another day of being wrapped by the rough material that dug into her skin. She flinched as he started to move and the leash tugged on her. There was no choice but to follow. It hurt her to leave home, knowing that every step brought her further away, but had to admit that she was relieved to leave the cave behind. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw a small grey owl perched on a tree close to the overhanging rocks. She blinked, staggered but when she opened her eyes again it had disappeared. |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 19:59 Post #744 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Morcant scowled over his shoulder as the girl nearly fell. He wasn't pulling that hard. 'Watch where you're putting your feet down,' he said curtly, 'this isn't the place to go around looking at the leaves instead of where you're going.' |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 20:01 Post #745 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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He wasn't the right person to confess what she had seen. Essylt hurried to catch up on him so that the rope wouldn't tug at her sore wrist so hard. 'I'm sorry,' she muttered, by lack of a better thing to say. Perhaps it had been just a normal owl; this forest was full of them after all. She carefully did not look back. |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 20:07 Post #746 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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If Essylt was going to sumble every other step she took, Morcant thought, this was going to be a long journey. He wasn't quite sure if he felt up to it. Indeed, it seemed to him far easier to simply tap her on the head and sling her across his shoulder. He shook his head and clambered over a rather large rock, waiting to see if the girl needed help getting up. |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 20:11 Post #747 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She still thought she knew this part of the forest. Was she still on her father's territory? She usually did not venture this deep into the forest by herself, but she couldn't be further than half a day from home. She climbed the hall in his wake, feeling his eyes upon her. He was probalby thinking she wouldn't keep up; but she had grown up here. Hardly out of breath she reached the top and turned to face their trail. Was the caer visible from here? Her eyes searched the forest, almost desperate. If only she could get a glance at it... |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 20:18 Post #748 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Eyes on the road, dearie,' he said in a hearty tone of voice. 'Or ground, rather. There isn't much of a road here. Though I'm sure you know, growing up as you did here.' |
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| Marieke | 14 Apr 2010, 20:20 Post #749 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Trust the Romans to build roads, she thought, if he liked them so much. 'You seem to know this place well,' she muttered, turning about as he had told her. |
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| Sonja | 14 Apr 2010, 20:24 Post #750 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'I'm quick to pick things up,' he said. 'But enough about me, tell me a bit about yourself, why don't you? We've got quite a way ahead of us and I've been told that talking makes time go faster.' He flashed a grin at her. |
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