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Vale of the White Horse
Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,336 Views)
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Not quite knowing what was going on, he took her face in his hands. 'Start from the beginning, did Rhywallon say something about Lentulus?' He had to be strong, for her sake. She looked as though she was going to crumble any minute.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘He did.’ His hands steadied her face and her mind. He reminded her of a sturdy willow. ‘Apparently the man is somewhat feared or..infamous for – ‘ Oh, this was harder to say than she had imagined. Briallen licked her lips. ‘Usurping local politics, he said. And ravaging the ladies like a wolf.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Tudwrig blinked a couple of times, then took a deep breath to calm himself. 'That's it,' he growled. 'Rhywallon's back, you say? I've another job for him.' And if Rhywallon didn't, he'd make sure the man was with him next time he turned. Slashing his claws into the Roman's face seemed like one of the few good things he could accomplish with the curse.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She dug her fingers in his shoulders. ‘I said no to that!’ The words came out as a sharp bark, and she swallowed hard. ‘I’m…sorry, my lord. I shouldn’t oppose your decisions. But…We talked about this! It would be very unwise, to say at least. You know that.’

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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I will not stand for a Roman of such a disputable reputation in my caer,' he said with a snarl, which he immediately regretted when he saw the expression on Briallen's face. Tudwrig passed a hand across his face. 'But if you said no, I will not go back on your word.' He took her hands in his and squeezed them. 'It's just that I will never rest easy knowing that you have to deal with such a - a...' He couldn't even find a word that would satisfyingly describe Marcus Lentulus.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘Our people,’ she whispered. ‘They need his benevolence. I’m afraid he can destroy us within the time of a heartbeat. He need only desire it so.’ She saw only one option, next to placating him or having him murdered. ‘We’ll need to play his game. And play it better.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Tudwrig frowned deeply, trying to think his way through to a proper plan. Briallen's had merit, for sure, but... 'If he so much as puts one inappropriate finger on you, I will tell Rhywallon to murder him,' he said then. But she was right, he knew that. He couldn't very well move against the Roman without risking total destruction for his people. 'How do we play his game better than he himself can? If he did this more often...' He left it hanging.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
He saw the reason of her words. Briallen’s heart quieted down and she licked her numb lips. ‘I don’t know….But I’ll find out.’ Maybe confront the man outright with what they knew now? It would rob him of every false sense of benevolence, surely? But what if the sheep shed off his hide to reveal the most ugly wolves’ fangs they’d ever seen? ‘We’ll have to be delicate. I’ll talk to Rhywallon again. He seemed to long for the man’s downfall, whichever way.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
That made two of them. Tudwrig nodded mutely, simply stroking the soft skin of Briallen's hands. 'Has he any idea who killed Marcus Iulius yet?' he asked after a few moments wherein he had attempted to forget about the world and all the trouble it was throwing at him.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She smiled tightly. ‘I’m sure he suspects this Rhywallon. It’s hard not to, after all. But Gwenllian testified on his behalf, saying that she and her bodyguard had been together throughout that night.’ She wondered how much of that was true. Her affection for the man with the maimed, wild face made it quite possible that they shared the darkness in one bed, but had the girl witnessed anything beyond the bare body of her hired protector? It was probably wise to ask not too much questions. ‘As to that, it probably provides some security when it comes to Lentulus’ other pursuits.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'So he'll hit a dead end there,' Tudwrig said, 'good.' The dull thumping in his head was starting to get less with each minute he was talking to Briallen, smelling her scent and holding her in his arms. He wondered how much Gwenllian knew if she was taking the risk of covering for Rhywallon. And he couldn't help but feel some envy at the implication of them spending the night. 'Right. Is he just...erhm, focussing on you two, or..?'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She shook her head. ‘Don’t know. I have to admit I never..noticed much of him. Well.’ She remembered his hand, as he had carefully placed it over her arm. ‘Perhaps one or two times. Mostly, I’ve been too occupied. With you.’ She smiled at him. ‘So much that his gestures must have slipped passed me.’ She reached forward and pressed a kiss to kiss cheek, then another one on his mouth. ‘You look pale. I’ll bring you some wine and perhaps something to eat?’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Her words made him feel slightly better and he returned her kiss. 'Some food would be nice,' he agreed. 'I'll go with you, though. Should let my face be seen, I suppose. And then I think I'll have a talk with our Roman friend,' he added darkly.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘Oh, you can’t.’ She’d forgotten to tell him, Briallen realized. ‘He’s gone away. He won’t be in the Vale for about a week, I think.’
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Sonja
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'Oh.' Tudwrig blinked a couple of times. 'What's he up to, did he say?' He got to his feet gingerly, afraid that if he rose too quickly, he'd get dizzy and lose control again.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She reached out for his elbow. ‘He didn’t say. I never bothered to ask. Duties of some kind.'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Mh. At least it gives us some breathing space.' He was grateful for her hand on his elbow, and together they slowly walked to the kitchen.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Evening fell, and the caer had plunged into a state of mourning. Essylt was in her room, alone. Her maid had been anxious to keep her company. Perhaps the girl was afraid she’d hurt herself out of grief, but her mind felt strangely clear and empty. Perhaps it was because she’d known from the start that the birth of her baby brother would snatch her mother away from her. This was hard on her. Essylt felt like some essential piece of her heart had been ripped out, but she couldn’t blame the newborn. It was she who had saved him, after all. And now she must leave him, though an insane part of her yearned to wrap him in linen and take him with her; to press him against her breast and cradle him, tell him stories and hum lullabies in his small ears. To see those dark lashes brush against his sweet cheeks as he slept. It would make the world whole as long as she’d keep looking at such a face.
But she could not. Whatever her dreams had shown her, it was impossible to think of bringing an infant out in the woods, with no shelter but natural caves and low bushes. He needed the wetnurse to feed him. Her own breasts, it seemed, were only appealing for men to fold their hands around. She wished she could feed Carwyn like a mother.
Slowly, she packed her last few possessions. The blue tunic, though still soiled with dried up mud, was in her bundle, along with an extra cloak, a comb and a flask for water. She sheathed a slim knife, binding it around her waist. Everyone would be in the great hall. No doubt they wondered where she was, but wouldn’t they understand if the daughter of the lady needed time to grieve in private? Essylt slipped to the room where her brother had been put to sleep. They’d all felt that leaving him in her mother’s room would be inappropriate. She bowed over the cradle, beautifully decorated by her father in the months of her mother’s expectation. He was asleep. ‘I’m so sorry,’ Essylt whispered, ‘that I can’t stay with you, my love. I’d protect you to the best of my abilities, but you see….going away is probably the only thing I can do for you.’ With burning eyes and wet cheeks, she pressed her lips to the soft skin. His eyelids fluttered. ‘No, sleep on,’ she breathed tenderly. ‘Perhaps I’ll see you again.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
He was completely out of breath when he arrived at the cave he'd spent his time when he was a sentry in Two Lakes. He'd run all the way, without any resting apart from a few stops to relieve himself or to shovel some food down. Night had fallen and he could hardly see a hand in front of his eyes. Morcant leaned against the rough stone and finally granted himself the time to catch his breath. He wanted to continue to the caer straightaway, but something - the wind perhaps, or the soft fluttering of invisible wings -, told him that this was where he was supposed to be. So he stayed and he waited for Essylt.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Just before the evening slipped into dark night, she left the caer. Not, like Rufus had gambled, through her window, but by slipping from the door of the kitchen, covered in a dark cloak to hide her pale skin and hair, sliding into the shadows of the courtyard until she had found cover against the stone wall. This was truly the turning point then. Her heart was hammering so fast that it nearly made her sick. Her careful steps were burning a bridge. She wanted to look back, or stand mesmerized until morning, but forced her legs to keep moving. The bridge had already been burnt, she told herself. It had happened when she could not keep her powers contained while Rufus touched her everywhere. And it had happened again this morning, when her own hands had pressed a cold death into her mother’s dying heart. This was irrevocable. She ran into the protection of the trees. If roaming thugs or Roman soldiers would find her, she would not fight.
The way to the cave was nearly impossible to find in the dark. Only when her owl flared up before her like a moonlike flame, staying ahead of her and guiding her past trees and crevices, could she make out a familiar path now and then. Hours crept by. Would she be missed already? Was she breaking her father’s damaged heart? She couldn’t think about it, and yet her head kept spinning on and on, making her heart heavy with guilt. It was only when the sun crept up past the horizon, painting the forest in the first careful, silvery shades of morning light, that she stumbled into the cave. The owl circled outside, but she paid it no more attention.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
After countless hours of pacing the entire length of the cave, Morcant halted in his tracks when he heard something move. Every muscle in his body tensed, because it could just as well be a soldier on patrol that had stumbled across the cave. His hand slid to his dagger. If it was, the man'd be dead before he could open his mouth. But there was no need for bloodshed, as he recognized Essylt, covered in a dark cloak as she was. She looked simply exhausted, as if she could fall to the ground any moment. He took a hold of her shoulders and ushered her further inside while making soothing noises.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Someone grabbed her. She hadn’t seen him. Essylt’s heart leapt right into her throat before she recognized Morcant’s face in the birthing dawn. Her legs, that had carried her all these hours through wildwood and past brooks, now suddenly left their remaining strength. ‘You came,’ she could only pant, passing an ashen hand over her face.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I told you I'd come running if you called,' he said quietly, gathering the trembling girl in his arms. 'What happened? You look like you've seen Arawn's dogs themselves.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘Perhaps I have.’ She couldn’t believe that he’d come. That her desperate hope had worked at all. ‘I’m….I’m sorry.’ It was hard to keep talking, tired and torn to pieces as she was. ‘You were the only one I could think of…’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Her words gave him a strange feeling, but he ignored that for the time being. 'Don't be sorry.' It was another chance to make up for his actions. 'Please Essylt, tell me what's going on. Was it the Romans?'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She opened her mouth, searching for a start, for words that could explain the events in a logical order. They were not there. ‘Remember when I asked you to take me away,’ she tried instead, stepping back to look at the shadows in his face. They would soon lift, when the sun came up – wouldn’t they? ‘Would you still do that?’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Of course,' he said, brushing some hair from her face. 'Anywhere you want to go, Essylt.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She sank down to the ground now, covering her cold legs with the black cloak. Anywhere – she hadn’t even thought of a place. ‘My mother,’ she said heavily, ‘died. While giving birth. It would probably have happened anyway, but…I’m the one who did it. In the end.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
He sucked his breath in with a sharp hiss. By the gods, he could not even begin to imagine what she must be feeling. Romans was one thing, though that had been wrong too, but her own mother? His mind shied away from the pain he saw in her eyes. 'I'm so sorry,' he managed to get out. He hardly dared ask the next question. 'And your little brother?'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Essylt kept staring down, though she registered very little. ‘He lives. We named him Carwyn, he’s…he’s beautiful.’
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