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Vale of the White Horse
Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,374 Views)
Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Briallen looked at the man in wonder. 'What is so special about this settlement that officers in high rank such as yourself must supervise the progress, my lord?'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'As Tribune of the People, Lord Lentulus takes it upon himself to supervise every settlement to make sure everything is as it's supposed to be.' A crooked smile appeared on the Roman's face as he looked at Briallen, causing Tudwrig to want to rip it off by force. 'I'm sure you will enjoy his company, my lady,' he said silkily.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She blinked at him, then shut her face to a colder glance. 'How so? I try to be civil to all my guests.'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Oh, you certainly try,' Iulius said, cold grin plastered across his features.
'Was that all?' Tudwrig interrupted him coolly. 'I have other guests to receive, as well.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Oh? Will I not get an invitation for your meal and your bards? I did enjoy it last time?' The man displayed a cool sneer.
Briallen had to fix her eyes on a point behind the man. 'I'm afraid no one is invited tonight, my lord. Else you would surely be welcome. My husband and I are newlyweds, as you know.' She watched as his expression slipped into a moment of surprise. Such words must be unexpected even for him. 'Excuse me now. I have duties to attend to.'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
The Roman got up, and with a sniff and a swirl of his cloak turned around to stride from the room. Tudwrig clenched his fists, breathing steadily to keep his temper in check. 'His superior,' he growled when the doors had thudded shut behind the man, 'great.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'I'm sure he is as pleased as you are,' Briallen muttered, sitting down to relax her shaking knees.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'That's probably just the only good thing about it.' He rubbed his face and leaned back. 'That girl, was that Gwenllian?'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Yes. Don't worry, I told her.' She couldn't help the little hint of resentment in her voice as she said this. 'The Roman interrupted us before we could finish properly, but I'm sure she got it quite clearly.'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Tudwrig shook his head faintly, feeling like a complete git. Well, nobody needed to like him, as long as they stayed safe from him. 'I'm sorry it has to be like this...'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Yes,' she agreed, realizing that these were not the comforting words he hoped to hear from her. 'I am, too.'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I'll go and talk to her, then,' he said, for the first time wishing he didn't feel well. Tudwrig didn't excell at things like these, and disliked conflicts about as much as he hated Marcus Iulius.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Good,' was all she said.

-

He had made his way back to Caer March but retreated in an unused corridor, biting his lip till it almost bled. The Roman had strutted inside the caer as if he possessed the place. He had watched from a distance as he had imposed on the lady of the house, who was together with Gwenllian. He had not heard their conversation. He did not need to. All he knew was that he was here, that he was unaware yet, that he could almost smell the smoke and flames on the man, though that stench must have worn off long ago. The red veil before his eyes had very nearly blinded him into a staggering wild attack. He had not done it. Instead he was here, in this corridor, chewing the burnt side of his face and fighting for controlled breath. It was not simple to murder this man in another household, not with his name attached to Gwenllian, who sought protection. He’d have to stay, wait out his time for now.


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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
He found Gwenllian sitting in the kitchens, talking to Braegne. He cleared his throat to make his presence known and walked up to the two young women. Briallen's maid made a hasty bow and retreated. 'Briallen has already explained to you why you can't stay here,' he started uneasily. 'I am truly sorry.'
Gwenllian lifted her shoulders in a shrug. 'I understand,' she said quietly. 'I beg your pardon for arriving in such an untimely manner.'
Tudwrig licked his lips, not sure what to say. 'Well, uh, if you need anything for your journey, tell Briallen.'
'I will.' Her voice was only a whisper now, and she looked to the ground. He hoped to the gods that she wasn't going to cry. 'Please excuse me, my lord,' she muttered and quite nearly fled from the kitchen.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Briallen crouched against the wall, a fur wrapped around her. She felt very much like Tudwrig earlier, in his room. The fire was blazing too hotly in her face, she should move away. But the heat burned away the dreadful cold she was feeling inside, as if it was oozing from her very bones. She wanted to be home. She didn't know what her home was anymore. Did she truly belong here, by his side? They had not exactly shared a bed yet. He had not even returned her kiss. And gods, she had longed for his kiss at that moment, so badly that she thought she was going to break, shatter all over the place like shards of thin ice. If only he would do that, it would tell her that he wanted her. That he accepted her as a wife and not just as someone to stand up against the Romans for him.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
The sun had already gone down when Morcant and Essylt finally crested the last hill. The woodlands stopped there, opening up on a glade with tents and a few cookingfires scattered about. He glanced over his shoulder at the girl, who looked wan and tired. 'We're here,' he noted unnecessarily. For a moment he debated tying her up again, but decided against it. It would serve no purpose, really.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Essylt was glad they had arrived, but felt a string of fear at the same time. Looking out, she saw the glint of a campfire and thought she heard voices rise and fall. 'What do you expect of me now?'
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Sonja
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'It's probably best if you keep your mouth closed for now.' He didn't mean to insult her, but he didn't sound all that sympathetic either, he realized. 'Come on,' he said and started walking down the hill.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
That was alright. She did not feel like talking to anyone else; she hardly could to speak to this man. Following him down, she wondered if he was going to tie her up again, or that he would tie her for the night. Perhaps other men would insist on this. If her hands were roped, she would be an easy prey after all. No - she had to shake off this fear.
'By gods,' she suddenly heard the voice of someone. A man emerged from the trees. The light of the flames made him seem like he was partly lit. 'I thought it was your job to take down the scum there in Two Lakes and you return bringing us a girl?'
Essylt stopped moving, staring up into the pair of eyes that ran over her body with very little shame.
'Fair. Very fair.'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Coming from the man who not long ago stalked a girl for the heck of it,' Morcant said icily, stepping in front of Essylt. 'That is the chieftain's daughter, you numbskull, I kidnapped her.'
'Easy, brother,' Cuhelyn laughed. 'The chieftain's daughter, eh? I guess that's part of your incredibly intelligent masterplan.'
'Blackmail,' Morcant grunted. He reached out a hand to take Essylt by the arm - not roughly so - and brought her into the camp.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She followed him with that strange mix of fear and curiousity. Her eyes briefly trailed the man with the beard whom Morcant had accused of stalking a girl. Then they were past him, Morcant still holding her arm as if he was leading a small child. More eyes pressed on her. She didn't like the gazes.
'You are back too early,' one man grunted. 'I expected Rhywallon before you.'
'Rhywallon will not come,' another one interjected, giving a kick to a log in the fire. 'He's off being the lonely one again. Nothin' we can do to stop him.'
'Look at Morcant, he's plucked a flower.'
Essylt frowned uncomfortably.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Quite a rare flower, so you best keep your hands off it.' Morcant let go of the girl and motioned her to sit down. He threw himself down as well and dragged a leg of game from the fire, ripping it into two and giving half to Essylt.
'It's the chieftain's daughter,' Cuhelyn piped up with a big grin.
'The chieftain's daughter?' Surprised murmurs spread across the group of men sitting around the fire.
'How did you manage that?'
Morcant shrugged. 'With my incredible intellect, of course.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She looked at him with the piece of meat in her hands. Really, his amazing intelligence had lured her off? Hardly so. He must see her expression clearly, because she felt how the flames set her face aglow. And gods, she was so hungry! After days of nothing but the dried meat, this felt like a blessing. For the moment she did not mind that the men were talking about her in her presence. Besides, Morcant had told her to shut her mouth.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'What about the chieftain himself?' one of the older men grunted.
Morcant gestured with the half-eaten hind of meat as he spoke. 'There are far too many guards stationed in Two Lakes, not to mention all the Romans patrolling there. There was no way for me to get to him without raising hell, so I thought that now we have his only daughter in our custody, he might just want to do exactly as we tell him to.'
'And if he doesn't?'
He stopped in mid-chew and thought for a moment. 'Eh. Only a cold, Roman bastard would care so little for the fate of his child.'
Cuhelyn gave a snort. 'As far as I'm concerned, consorting with the Romans makes him as bad, if even worse.'
With a glare at Cuhelyn, Morcant swallowed his bite and straightened his shoulders. 'He will listen to what we've got to say,' he said darkly.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Essylt looked up slowly. At first she had eaten with little regard for the humiliating comments around her. Now as the conversation went on, she felt the blood rushing to her head. The threats in her own direction were one thing. She'd expected those, although it made her feel weak in her belly. But to remain silent as they talked was impossible, even if her silence rang out like spoken words.
'My father,' she said quietly, 'is a good man.'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
There was a silence, then the men around the fire burst out laughing.
'According to the Romans, then,' Cuhelyn chuckled.
'Aye, there's nothing remotely good about a turncoat.'
Morcant cleared his throat, but said nothing.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She looked at the men grouped around the campfire with eyes that felt like they were brimming with tears. She hadn't cried even once since her kidnap. Essylt swallowed hard. They all looked like outlaws to her. 'I judge only those I've met,' she replied. 'Insult my family if you find pleasure in it. My father, for one, would not do such a thing.'
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Sonja
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'And thank the gods we're not your father!' The comment was received with more laughter.
'All right, that's enough,' Morcant suddenly said and tossed what remained of the meat back into the fire. 'We're all of the same people, and there's no need for this.'
One of his brothers gave a snort. It was one of the men he didn't care for much. 'When did you become such a softie, Morcant?'
'I'm not a softie, I keep my eye on what's important and what's not,' he retorted.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Fine,' the man retorted. Essylt looked his way. He had a mane of black hair. Tattoos in blue circles swirled over the parts of his face left beardless. 'Then tell us what is of importance. What do we do with the girl? Tie her to a tree? I wouldn't mind persuading her daddy to listen to us.' He grinned.
She edged away from him, which only made her closer to Morcant and the other men.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I'll have your guts for garters,' he snapped. 'We're not here to rape girls of our own, we're here to free our people of the Roman yoke, you arse.'
'Calm down, brothers,' Cuhelyn interjected. 'There's no need to actually do something to the girl. As long as her old man believes it, tha'sall.'
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