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Vale of the White Horse
Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,321 Views)
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
All that came from his lips was a liquid sort of gurgle, which Gwenllian found extremely satisfying. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she wasn't even appalled at her own bloodlust. Unlike the night he had killed Marcus Iulius, she didn't stare in horror, but found that she wanted to urge Rhywallon on to hurt Higueid as much as he possibly could. She hadn't felt this much hatred ever before. It was as if it took over complete control of her body and only because she was afraid she might get in the way of Rhywallon did she contain herself to do some of the hurting herself.
'He doesn't deserve forgiveness,' she said hoarsely, 'no matter how much he begs.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
He let out a wordless growl and bent down to Higueid’s ear again. ‘Tonight I’m going to sleep with your wife,’ he said lowly. ‘And I’ll love her. Do you understand what that means, dear husband? To love a girl with your body?’

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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'...Bastard,' Higueid breathed. It felt as if his body was going up in flames; he hadn't felt so much pain ever before and it drove him mad. The only thing that kept him from slipping past the veil was an inhuman anger at the thought that that nasty piece of work would get something alike happiness. 'Don't..get your hopes up.. worthless little slut...'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Rhywallon dug his dagger snugly into the skin of the man, tearing it in one horizontal line. It felt much like gutting an animal. Only he bled more. ‘You’re as disgusting as a Roman,’ he spat, kicking the corpse aside. It was still shuddering, but that would soon end. He cleaned the dagger on the torn clothes, sheathed it and turned. Gwenllian wasn’t standing far and it was easy to see how beaten she was. He shadowed her with his whole body, locking her inside his arms. ‘I’ll kick his body for every blow he handed to you.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Gwenllian trembled, curling her fingers into his tunic and pressed herself against him. Kicking Higueid's lifeless body for everything he did to her sounded like such a good idea... The fabric of her dress chafed the bruises and broken skin, and every jolt of pain it sent through her made her want to maim the dead man even more. Suddenly, she quite clearly understood what had possessed Rhywallon when he killed Marcus Iulius. She licked her lips and tasted blood, remembering again what had happened on the courtyard. The same indomitable desire she'd felt when he had first kissed her swept through her and she let go of his tunic to wrap her arms around his neck and push her lips against his.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Yes, the kill was pounding through his veins. But he also saw the same madness in her eyes, and it worried him. Stroking her face he gently pushed her off. ‘You must calm down. The body’s a danger; we’re going to burn it. Gwenllian,’ he looked down on her without blinking. ‘Do no become like me.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'But I -' she started and glanced at the still body laying bloodied and broken on the grass. It suddenly hit her how near she'd escaped, and what hate had done to her. That thought was more terrifying than what Higueid could ever do to her. 'Yes,' she whispered as she looked back, 'we should burn him.' Oh, and she had to go see Marcus Lentulus, too! Her head reeled and she put a hand against her brow to steady herself.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘Then you’re going right back at the caer and change.’ He dragged the body away from the wall, thinking where to bring it. Perhaps the hill was the best idea. Dragging would be too slow, then. With a disgusted feeling he lifted the drooping corpse, walking away from the settlement.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'But Lentulus - he'll wonder what's keeping me,' Gwenllian said breathlessly, only then realizing that Rhywallon didn't know and that her words could be explained in more than one way. 'I mean he wanted to discuss something concerning Marcus Iulius' death...'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘And who do you think has brought your late husband to our doorsteps,’ he snarled, keeping his pace with long strides. ‘Take a peek down your clothes, Gwenllian. That’s no way to appear before a high Roman official if you have his summon, or is it?’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
She blanched. 'He wouldn't,' she breathed, but knew it was the only possible explanation for Higueid's sudden appearance. But why? Still, Rhywallon was probably right. Appear before him covered in blood, and it'd be like a confession of guilt. 'No, no it's not. You're right. I'll change after this...' But how was she going to explain the bruises - oh, gods, if it had been Lentulus's doing, she didn't need to explain anything. He'd know.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
They passed the top of the hill now. The mound went down in a nearly straight slanting, collared in by the edge of the forest. Pine and elm trees cast their dismal shadows over the slope. The caer was hardly visible from here; perhaps they’d see the faint traces of smoke, and the settlement might smell a burning. Nothing more. No one would notice more of Higueid’s departing, something that caused a burning satisfaction in his chest. Throwing the corpse down, he began to gather enough wood to build the fire. A whole body was a lot of mass. Such a fire would certainly be too big. He turned around to face the girl. ‘Close your eyes.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
It was over... No more running. She didn't need to be afraid anymore - the nightmares would be gone and she'd never have look over her shoulders again. That thought felt like a weight being lifted from her shoulders, and she was so preoccupied with it that it took a while before Rhywallon's words sunk in. She looked up. 'Oh. All right,' she said and closed her eyes as he had told her.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
The sword at his side had remained motionless before. He preferred the close contact of a dagger, nearly skin to skin with his opponent. Now he drew it and, with one look at Gwenllian to see if she was obeying, cut off the arms and both legs. He saved the head for last, relishing in the sight of this human image ceasing to exist at all. One head was just a thing, after all, and a body without limbs was hardly more than a lump of meat, much like a carcass of a slaughtered boar.
Then he poked the fire until it was blazing, throwing in the arms and legs. It stank. Of course it would stink. The smell made him nauseous to the core, yet he tossed in the head. Sparks flew up; he thought he heard a sigh and a murmur of something beyond the veil. Backing away, he draped his arm around Gwenllian. ‘Now we leave.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
She had to try her best not to throw up, but was hard-pressed. The smell was absolutely awful and she had to press a hand against her lips. Rhywallon's arm around her felt reassuring, and she put her head against his shoulder. He'd said that he would love her, and right now she didn't want anything else. Rufus could trip and fall face first into a pile of dung for all she cared. 'I don't think I can ever thank you enough, Rywallon,' she said quietly.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
He smiled reluctantly. ‘This was a no-charge service.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I'm a very lucky girl, then,' she answered with a faint halfsmile and wrapped her arm around him. The cloudy grey of the sky suddenly seemed a whole lot brighter and the breeze a warming, soothing breath on her wounded body as they walked away from the merrily burning pyre.

*
Just when he'd decided that enough was enough and that he'd slit Higueid's throat himself, Rhywallon had shown up and done things to the man not many were capable of, not even in the grip of an all-consuming rage. The man was a truly formidable opponent. Rufus wasn't a weakling himself, and often quite convinced of his own superiority, but even he knew when he'd met his match. More than his match. He'd have to mind his step around Rhywallon, since this incident confirmed two things - one: that Rhywallon was the only person capable of such a brutish murder like Marcus Iulius's and two: he and Gwenllian indeed shared a bed, if he'd interpreted the man's words before he killed the chieftain of Cavern Hill correctly. Probably the best thing to do now was to stop trying to charm Gwenllian. Rufus didn't want to come up against Rhywallon, that much he knew. The day they ended up in a fight would probably the last day of his life, and he did not care much for that particular idea.
Rufus waited on his vantagespot behind the settlement wall until Rhywallon and Gwenllian returned, this time without the dead body slung across the man's shoulders. He watched as they retreated, arms around each other. When they had disappeared from sight, he clambered over the wall and dropped soundlessly to the ground below next to a damp, sticky, dark stain on the grass. He looked at it with interest. Had he been in Rome and had Rhywallon been a Roman, he would have offered him a job on the spot. As it was, he didn't think the man would listen to any offer he could make. He'd probably kill him before he'd have spoken two more words.
It was a shame that they seemed to have done away with the body, he thought as he traced their steps to the hill. But even without the body to prove it he could make life a little more difficult for those inside the caer. Gwenllian's bruises were proof enough of what had happened. Rufus's jaw tightened at the thought of it. He absolutely detested violence directed against a woman in this particular fashion. But sacrifices had to be made, and the girl had never been in any real danger. She was the resilient type, and she'd live - especially now that her husband was dead. He mustn't forget to send someone to Cavern Hill to take over Higueid's duties, he thought as he walked up the hill. There was a sickly sweet smell he recognized, and he didn't need see the smoke to realize what Rhywallon had done to do away with the body. The man was a professional. How disturbing.
Rufus turned on his heel and made his way to his tent. He needed a strong drink and a nice, mellow, harmless girl.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She had calmed down, but the sinking feeling in her belly remained. Briallen told herself again and again that there was nothing different than it had been before: Tudwrig was a man under a curse. He couldn’t help it but he did love her. All that remained her was to care for him and search for a cure. It was either that or return to Shadow Well. No one’d be glad to see her go or see her coming; expect maybe her mother. She slowly changed into her night clothes. Braegne made a warm pot for in her bed. It was cold outside. She wouldn’t be surprised to see the first frost tomorrow if she woke up early.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Gwenllian had spent a lot of time scrubbing the blood off of her. She couldn't tell which was hers and which was Higueid's; all she knew was that she wanted it cleaned as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. Then she changed into clean clothes, dropping the others in the linen basket after rinsing the blood out of it as well as she could, and walked out of her room. She needed to see Briallen and tell her what had happened before Lentulus did. It wasn't like she could hope to keep this a secret anyway. Gwenllian walked to her room as quick as she could and knocked on the door. 'Briallen, are you there? I wouldn't disturb you, but need to talk, it - it's important.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She closed her eyes a moment, then got herself from under the sheets and moved to open the door. Gwenllian’s face stared back at her, looking like she had fallen down several flights of stairs. Briallen couldn’t say a thing but stepped back, letting the girl in. Her arms, also had adapted more of a blue shade than the normal pale tone of her skin. ‘What – happened to you?’ Her heart suddenly raged like a caged wild animal: what if she’d bet Tudwrig in his mot horrible state?
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
She waited until Briallen had closed the door and sat down on the edge of the linen-chest, her hands folded in her lap. 'My husband - Higueid, he found out I was here and... well, he did what he was best at.' She couldn't smile had she wanted to. 'He was going to kill me I suppose, but then Rhywallon showed up and rescued me.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She felt herself grow pale. Something that provided the strength in her knees weakened. ‘You’re covered in bruises all over. Braegne!’
Her maid entered from the antechamber, looking taken aback. ‘Yes, Briallen?’
She hardly glanced away from the beaten girl. ‘Please bring us two cups of the herbal draught. Put lots of honey in it.’
Braegne’s eyes darted over Gwenllian. Briallen thought she saw some fear there, but before she could ask, her maid hurried away to do as she was told. She shook her head. ‘How could he have found you?’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I don't know,' Gwenllian said miserably. 'Rhywallon has a theory... Earlier this evening I got a note from Marcus Lentulus, if I would come to his tent to discuss my statement on the night of Marcus Iulius's death, and it was when I was on my way down there that Higueid confronted me.' She paused to let Briallen draw her own conclusions.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Braegne entered with the two cups. She was pale too. ‘There you go, lady Gwenllian. Drink it up, it’ll make you feel better. And this one for you, Briallen.’
Briallen took the cup with slightly trembling hands. It was still warm and it smelled sweet. ‘I don’t see why Marcus Lentulus would ask you over to the settlement. He’s been up here for the whole investigation already.’
‘That man Rhywallon told me the same,’ Braegne interjected. Briallen looked over at her maid. Her eyes were large.
‘What do you mean?’
‘When you were resting, he came up to ask for you. Or rather to ask about lady Gwenllian; I think he was assuming she was with you. But I told him no, and that lady Gwenllian had told me earlier about lord Lentulus’ summon. And he dashed away at once, Briallen.’
Briallen swallowed. ‘It’s…I can’t think of an explanation other than that. It is odd that lord Lentulus would do that, and he’s not been here to ask where you were staying. But that, in itself, was no proof that what Rhywallon said was true.’ She took a large mouthful of the draught and sat down on the bed while Braegne brought her a plaid to drape over her cold legs. This was dark. The affairs of lord Lentulus had proven to be shady… if Rhywallon knew that much – and she had no reason to distrust his given opinion on the matter – why would he be wrong about this assessment? Briallen looked at Gwenllian again. ‘I’m so dreadfully sorry for this.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I'm still alive, it's all right,' she heard herself say. The draught was sweet and warmed her, relaxed the tension in her belly a bit. If it had been lord Lentulus's doing then what was his reason, what did he have against her? He didn't seem like the type for something like this. Perhaps it really had been a coincidence? She'd find out soon she supposed. 'Rhywallon killed him. Higueid, I mean. And then we burnt his body to get rid of it.' Her voice had dropped to a whisper and she stared into her cup. 'Nobody saw us, Rhywallon was quite sure about that.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
Well, soon the area around Cavern Hill would discover their lord gone for a long time, and someone at least would know where the man had gone to. The link with Marcus Iulius’ death would be easily made. But she nodded. ‘I quite understand. You must be very upset about all of this. Tudwrig will hear about it and neither of us are going to stand for this, Gwenllian.' Indeed not, she thought while pressing her lips together. If Rhywallon was right, then Marcus Lentulus had proved far more dangerous than she had estimated. But it was intolerable.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Upset pretty much summed up her state of mind, indeed. Gwenllian nodded, grateful that Briallen didn't tell her to get out of the caer that instant. She'd been a little worried about that. 'I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused.' It seemed only right to apologize for it. 'Do you think I should go and see lord Lentulus tomorrow? Perhaps his reaction can tell us if he's the one to blame.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘Certainly not,’ she said, putting down the emptied cup with a clang. ‘Look at the state you’re in. If this is the man that willingly exposed you to such evil, I will not have you go out there like a lamb into his jaws.’ The thought of this man thinking out such a plan to harm Gwenllian for whatever dark reasons he had made her feel sick. ‘Why don’t you go to sleep early today? Any crime in this chieftaincy falls under Tudwrig’s and my responsibility…so don’t you worry about that now.’ She hoped that Gwenllian wouldn’t see the fear behind her raised chin and determined frown. She was, after all, speaking of a responsibility she’d rather not have at all. She felt so fragile; they were already vulnerable in this state - another murder was especially not what they needed to steady Caer March. ‘I will go to sleep now, too. Tudwrig will hear about this first thing in the morrow, I promise you.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Secretly, Gwenllian was relieved. She really did not look forward to meeting Lentulus face to face. 'I will,' she said and got up. 'But please tell me if there's anything I can do. Good night, Briallen.' She put the now empty cup down and walked out of the bedroom, keeping her back straight. It seemed like the best defense against her jumbled, worried thoughts; just keep a stiff upper lip. Her feet carried her to Rhywallon's room, since she needed to feel his arms around her, even if he did nothing else.

*
Before dawn broke, he sent the girl away, back to the settlement. She'd been a sweet and mild thing, which was just what he had needed. Rufus went through his morning excercizes before a soldier came in with his breakfast. He quickly finished it. Today was going to be a busy day. He didn't know what had happened in the caer after he went back to his tent, so he wasn't sure what to expect when he'd make his appearance. The settlement was finished and he had promised Briallen and Tudwrig to lead them around - or just Briallen if her husband didn't feel too well. He was hoping for the latter, of course. After a meeting with a hairbrush, he draped his toga around himself and walked out of his tent, in the direction of the caer.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘So,’ Briallen finished next day, staring into Tudwrig’s solemn face. ‘That’s all I know. But it’s enough to rob me of any sleep at all.’
Eiluned came into the hall. Her face was unreadable. Had she already heard? Gossip traveled fast, even within the small household of Caer March. Briallen looked up. ‘The Lord Lentulus desires a meeting with you both.’
Briallen nearly jumped, a sense of foreboding spreading through her belly. She looked at Tudwrig.
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