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Vale of the White Horse
Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,399 Views)
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Yes - I would like to try it,' he whispered. What harm could it do? Perhaps it'd calm him. He just hoped that he could remain here, precariously balancing on the edge of losing his control, until she returned with the draught.

'I have one loaf of bread and some dried meat left as far as provisions go,' Gwenllian said, 'I will replenish it. How long will it take before we reach the next settlement?' She knew there'd be plenty of greens and edible roots, berries and other fruits at this time of the year; it wasn't an awful lot she'd have to buy, in any case.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She nodded, getting up. ‘Let me fetch it for you. Braegne?’ Her maid had been waiting at a discrete distance, silently sowing the hem of a tunic. ‘The draught – you put it in the room, didn’t you? I will go and get it, no need to get up.’ She needed to move away a little anyway, regain her composure. Braegne had put the cup on the ornamented storage chest. She held it right all the way back, not spilling a drop and finally knelt next to her intended husband. He looked as pale as freshly washed bed sheets; his eyes had a feverish gleam to them. ‘You look terrible,’ she said softly, so that only he could hear it. ‘I am so sorry. I wish there was anything I could do to help you. Try it, at least.’ She held up the cup. ‘It even tastes nice. I put honey in it.’

‘I would like to avoid settlements,’ Rhywallon said, walking back into the darkish tavern. ‘But I understand you will need to bathe from time to time, not to mention experience the comforts of a warm bed. We will take that into account.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
In the time that had elapsed, he hadn't started feeling worse, which was as good a sign as he could pray for. Tudwrig mutely nodded and took the cup from her hands, sipping from it. Whether it tasted bad or nice, he couldn't tell. All he felt was the drink sliding down his throat and then - blessed gods! - the ledge he balanced on widening until it was possible for him to relax and look around at the vista, so to say. 'That - that feels better. Thank you.'

'I can bathe in a brook just as well,' she retorted, perhaps a little more pointedly than she had meant - she just didn't want to be considered a pampered little girl. 'I'll get provisions to last us for quite some time, then.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'It...it does? I mean, that's good! Don't thank me, thank Braegne. I'm glad you feel better.'

He raised his hands. 'Very well. I'll pick spots with lots of brooks, then.' But she was a brave girl, he thought. Taking her was a trouble - though a paying trouble. Still, if she kept up this attitude of toughness, it might be an easy job.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
He was still staring at his cup in frank amazement. Then he got up and made a bow in Braegne's direction. 'You have my sincerest thanks, Braegne,' he spoke. 'And I'd be ever more grateful if you could prepare me some more of these draughts.' Tudwrig sat down again and smiled at Briallen. He wasn't going to get his hopes up too much, but this was promising indeed.

'Right. I will put my things away and get the provisions, then. Thank you for your help so far,' she added after some thought and smiled at him.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
His face had changed. Still pale, of course, and still sickly, but not as gloomy now. Briallen observed the fragile look of hope in his features. She smiled warmly as Braegne beamed from the praise and nodded, saying: 'Tomorrow morning at once, my lord.'
'I had no idea it could work so quickly,' Briallen said. 'For me, it works, but I'll need half an hour at least to feel it.'

'That's what you pay me for, isn't it?' he muttered, checking his many leather belts.
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Sonja
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'I wouldn't know why it worked so quickly,' he said with a faint smile. 'What were we talking about - tapestries, wasn't it? My great-grandmother wove the one above the hearth, the others were gifts from other chieftains to my ancestors.'

Gwenllian shrugged. Whether or not she paid for his help, it was proper to thank him. Speaking of proper... 'I hope you will join me for supper this evening.' After all, she had said that all expenses would be covered, and that included food and drink.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'They seem to be needing a bit of cleaning up,' she answered casually. She had no desire to insult him, but it must be plain to the eyes even to him. 'Perhaps you would let me, after the marriage...? I am fairly good at this; it's one of my particular interests. Weaving, that is. I think I will be able to clean and repair them rather nicely.'

He paused his fingers around the dagger he was adjusting to the belt. He had counted on taking his meal upstairs to eat alone. A dinner spent in company usually meant small talk. He wasn't the man for small talk; he had no small things to talk about. But there was something about her way that intrigued him. 'Very well. Thank you.'
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Sonja
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Tudwrig thought it over for a bit. 'Of course, they are now your rugs as much as they are mine. You do not have to wait until after the marriage for that.' Perhaps he could get a decent night's sleep, now - and maybe even take a bath? This draught opened up a whole new world of possibilities, possibilities he hadn't thought of in a long time.

For some reason, it felt like a victory - she had half expected him to say no. Not that she would've protested against it; after all, it was on his own terms that he agreed to be her bodyguard. 'I'll see you at supper, then.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She suppressed a yawn. 'Perhaps I should retire now. It's a very exciting time for me, so I expect to be slightly more weary at first.' She stood up. 'Good night, Tudwrig. I do hope the draught will keep its effect.'

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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
The draught did keep its effect, and for the first time in many years, Tudwrig had an uneventful night and awoke like any other man. Braegne had prepared more of the draughts and he had taken a cup each morning since. Even though there were still moments of almost losing control and headaches, most of the time was bliss to him; he finally had the possibility to take care of things long neglected. There was even some colour back in his cheeks; Eiluned kept looking at him in a baffled sort of way.
When the day of the ceremony dawned, he had awoken with a headache and taken a double dose of the draught, just to be sure. Now he sat in his room while Eiluned cut his hair to a more convenient length, dressed in the best clothes he possessed.

Early the next morning, Gwenllian and Rhywallon went on their way. She was clad in her new cloak and wore her 'new' boots - she had kept her old ones, worn down as they were, it was a better pair to appear in than these second-hand ones - and their saddlebags were packed with enough provisions to last them for a good month. True to his word, Rhywallon had steered clear from settlements for days now. She'd noticed he wasn't much of a talker, which she found difficult at times, but it was starting to grow on her; after all, travelling in silent company was better than not travelling in company at all.
'I'd like to halt for a moment,' she said after a spell of silence that had lasted since the morning-greetings.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
The days up to the ceremony had seemed normal enough to Briallen. It was just as well; she was breathless with nerves already. Braegne had wanted to prepare more of the drought that morning, but she had stopped the maid. ‘You have enough duties as it is, Braegne,’ she had said. ‘Let me take up this particular one, seeing as I will be married to lord Tudwrig within hours from now.’ She didn’t say how fast this made her heart beat, or how dry her mouth felt. She raised her chin. ‘Let’s make sure that this wedding dress is perfect, shall we? I heard the Wise Man arrived early this morning. Eiluned mentioned it.’

Rhywallon tugged at the reins of his broad, sturdy horse. It was not a pretty creature, but wholly capable in this dangerous, uninhibited area. Much like himself, he liked to think. He looked over his shoulder, studying her face, but she seemed fine. ‘Yes? Something wrong?’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Braegne nodded and knelt down next to Briallen. 'Of course, my lady,' she said and plucked at the seams of the dress. These were all in order; unless something really strange happened, they wouldn't spring in the midst of the ceremony. 'How would you like me to do your hair?'

She shook her head. 'No, nothing wrong. I just need to relieve myself.' There was a little bit more to it than that, but it wasn't of any use that Rhywallon should know of her period. Despite the cramps, it was a relief to her though; the very idea of being pregnant made her shudder.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'In a crown, I think...With half of it down my shoulders. Or would that be too casual?'

He dismounted, taking over the reigns of her mount. 'Go ahead. I'll be here. Gwenllian - don't wander too far. This area is known for robbers.'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
With pursed lips, Braegne lifted half of Briallen's hair to see the effect. 'No, I think it would be lovely. Your hair falls beautifully when it's down, you'd have all eyes on you - well, you would in any case, of course.'

'I won't be long,' she said and quickly dipped her hand in her saddlebag, pulling out a strip of clean linen before she retreated into the bushes. Making sure she was well within earshot, she sank down and attented to herself. It was only a couple of minutes later when she got up and made her way back to the horses and Rhywallon. 'Still a woman,' she said as a little joke, and mounted her mare again.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘Don’t make me nervous,’ Briallen said, licking her lips. ‘Where is that little mirror…oh, there. Well, you’re right. It looks…nice enough.’ She watched her face in the shining copper plate. ‘Well, we have some time left. I’ll best get some rest. Can you go and check to see how things are going? I’d like to speak to Tudwrig but he is probably in his chambers too, and I don’t know how appropriate it would be for me to see him before the ceremony.’ She heard herself talking on and on and quickly shut up.

‘Hm,’ was all he said, glancing her up from down while giving back the reigns and mounting his horse again. ‘We will make camp before nightfall, but I want to avoid getting stuck here in the dark. Can you manage another three, four ours riding?’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'It looks stunning, Briallen,' Braegne said in the tone she reserved for those very few occasions she and Briallen were alone, without anyone overhearing them. 'You'll see the lord soon enough, I imagine. Just rest some and I will find Eiluned and ask her how everything's coming along.'

Gwenllian raised her shoulders in a shrug. The cramps weren't particularly pleasant, but she thought she could manage a couple of hours still. But, as it turned out, she didn't. Barely half an hour later a pain so sharp cut to her abdomen that she couldn't help but gasp. As much as she disliked to appear weak and whatnot, she had to call out (or rather; squeek) to Rhywallon for a moment of rest.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘Thank you.’ She sat down on the bed in her wedding dress. It was a lovely dress too; the seams were all by her own embroidery: a pattern of flowers and birds. Colours that reminded her of springtime. She feared the winter ahead in Caer March. She figured she wouldn’t be seeing this bed again tonight.

He halted, clenching his jaws together. One look and he understood that going on was not an option. Gwenllian had become as pale as milk. She looked like one of the Folk of Annwn. Rhywallon glanced about. There was a steeping sort of rock, large enough to provide a small protection against the weather, if it would start to rain. He led her there, glancing about. This would mean a night without sleep for him.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Braegne found Eiluned just as she came out of Tudwrig's rooms, and asked her about the preparations for the ceremony.
'It's all going well,' she answered in her brisk manner, 'it won't be long before everything is ready.'
With a thanks and a nod, Braegne made her way to the kitchen for a cup of water before she'd return to Briallen.
Eiluned walked up the stairs to Briallen's room, and gently knocked on her door.

Shaking, Gwenllian sat down and leaned her head against the rock, her arms wrapped around herself. Rhywallon wasn't happy; she could see that in the way his shoulders were set. She opened her mouth to apologize, but another cramp cut her short and she moaned. The worst pain subsided after a few long minutes and she was able to breathe again.
'I'll be fine..few more moments,' she stammered.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘Yes?’ she got up, opening the door. There was no need for Braegne to knock, really. ‘What’s – oh, Eiluned.’

‘I can see that,’ he noted dryly, taking off the bag from the horse. ‘We’ll see, shall we?’ It would be nice if she’d be able to continue in a few, but he remembered his sister – she had never been able to do so much as whimper whenever the moon came upon her. He swallowed something and unhitched the flask at his side, holding it out to her. ‘Drink first.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Eiluned made a swift bow. 'Lord Tudwrig asked me to send you his best,' she said. 'How are you feeling?'

She took a few sips and handed the flask back, locking her arms around her waist again. Deep breaths, she thought - deep breaths and stay calm. What if that blow to the stomach on the day before she'd left had damaged something? No, that was nonsense. She'd had much worse cramps than these before. 'Sorry,' she whispered, even though it was ridiculous to be apologizing for something she couldn't help.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘Oh, I’m good. Is he alright – lord Tudwrig? Not too ill to…marry?’ It sounded mightily awkward to put it like this. Briallen quickly pulled her shoulders back, giving herself more the demeanor of a chieftain’s wife.

He sighed. For all her tough manners, he was still traveling with a girl. Rhywallon spread the oiled cloth on the ground, far against the slanting rock as was possible. ‘Sit yourself,’ he said, knowing that his voice must betray a hint of reluctance. ‘And keep that flask with you. It’s good to drink if you feel distressed.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'He has been quite all right for the past couple of days,' Eiluned answered. She still wasn't quite able to believe it herself, but it seemed the case that Braegne's herbal draught had worked a miracle. 'As things are going now, the ceremony will take place in a couple of hours.'

Gwenllian sat down, her knees pulled up against her chest; it eased the pain somewhat. It should be possible to move again in an hour, maybe. What Rhywallon had said about robbers didn't make her feel comfortable with staying here. She sipped from the bottle, wishing she had some herbal tea to ease the pain. The forest seemed to loom over her, and she heard all sorts of sounds that weren't quite natural - but that was probably her imagination.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Briallen hesitated for a moment. ‘Eiluned?’ she said then, opening the door wider, inviting the woman in. ‘Can I ask you some questions?’

‘Here.’ He drew a small dagger, one of his smallest, and pressed it into her hand. ‘I will be checking on the surroundings. Don’t worry, I will be within earshot all the time. If you are in trouble, scream. You understand that, do you? And if you must use the blade, use it.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Eiluned stepped inside and looked at Briallen for a moment, before answering: 'I shall try to answer your questions to the best of my abilities. What did you want to know?'

'Scream if there's trouble,' she repeated, trying not to sound all that wanly, and nodded. She closed her fingers around the hilt of the dagger and tried not to think of all the things that might happen. Just because there was a chance of robbers in this forest didn't mean that they would show up the instant Rhywallon was out of sight. Besides, so far she had survived on her own, there was nothing to worry about.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'You've been here for a while, haven't you?' She closed the door softly, not sure if she wanted to turn around to show Eiluned her troubled face. 'It is not much of a secret that lord Tudwrig has been married two times before. I tried to ask him about it, but the subject seemed to distress him. I...didn't want to force the matter. Losing two wifes so young, I know, it must be horrible. But I'd...I'd like to know a bit about this.' Now she did look at the older woman. 'Could you tell me what you know?'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
She was hard-pressed to keep her face straight, but she managed. 'His first wife died of bloodloss when she miscarried her baby halfway through her pregnancy; his second wife died very shortly after the ceremony, her heart stopped in her sleep one night. It has been very difficult on lord Tudwrig, indeed.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She bowed her head. 'Did he love them?'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Eiluned smiled a little sadly. 'That he did. Tudwrig has a heart of gold, if a few rough edges here and there.' She looked at Briallen for a moment, then pulled her shoulders back. 'Is there anything else you would like to ask?'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She braced herself for the next question, though the answer would be irrelevant. 'Did he desire to remarry before my uncle sent him his offer?'
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