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| Vale of the White Horse | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,311 Views) | |
| Sonja | 19 May 2010, 21:39 Post #2791 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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It appeared girls who said they'd committed crimes were strewn across his path, nowadays. 'I happen to know who you were promised to. It's probably not a bad thing at all you will not marry Titius Laurentius. A girl like you deserves far better than a lecherous old veteran.' |
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| Marieke | 19 May 2010, 21:44 Post #2792 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Morcant had said quite the same thing. It had been when he had pulled her in another cave, not bringing her back home as he had promised her. He’d been feverish, wild about his plan, stroking her cheek. She shook the memory off. ‘He’s not been unkind to me those times we did meet, so I wouldn’t know. Chances are, if I’d return home someday…somehow…. he would still want me. Perhaps.’ Essylt hoped so, at least. That would greatly benefit her troubled father. ‘Though chances are also that no man will ever want me at all when they hear what I’ve done.’ She laughed briefly, but it wasn’t a very happy laugh. |
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| Sonja | 19 May 2010, 21:50 Post #2793 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'That is where you are wrong,' Rufus said gravely. The gods knew he wanted her, at least. Even if her hands could freeze a man to the core - after all, he could think of at least three ways he could get rid of that particular little problem. |
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| Marieke | 19 May 2010, 21:51 Post #2794 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She shrugged. ‘I don’t know. And it doesn’t matter. I’m here now. I’m no longer a chieftain’s daughter. That has good things, I suppose.’ |
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| Sonja | 19 May 2010, 21:53 Post #2795 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'You can do whatever you please, that must have some advantages,' he smiled. 'And you have me. You only need to say the word and I'll give you what you want. Anything at all.' |
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| Marieke | 19 May 2010, 21:54 Post #2796 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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He must be very pleased with the fact that she had him. ‘Really? Castles and horses and princes?’ |
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| Sonja | 19 May 2010, 21:56 Post #2797 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Castles and horses are no problem at all,' he said grandly. 'I might have some trouble finding you a prince, though. But there are many other good men around, aren't there?' At least she was starting to warm up to him a little. That was a good thing - he'd thaw the ice in her yet. |
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| Marieke | 19 May 2010, 21:59 Post #2798 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Of course there are.’ She thought about Morcant and Cuhelyn. They were never meant to be in her league, but she had learned to humble herself: they might, if not just as good, be better for her than any chieftain’s son, or an old influential Roman at that. ‘How about true love?’ |
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| Sonja | 19 May 2010, 22:04 Post #2799 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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A slow smile spread across his lips. 'Ah, true love. That is a rather grand thing to ask for, but I will try my best to accomodate.' Rufus shifted a little, not so accidentally placing his hand in such a way it touched her very lightly, like a bee drifting down on a flower. 'I do have some experience where love is concerned.' |
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| Marieke | 20 May 2010, 09:54 Post #2800 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She said nothing for a while. If she’d shift away, he’d probably just move along with her. It had been a stupid thing to mention, she was aware of that. ‘Then what does it feel like? To be in love?’ Would he even know? She doubted it. |
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| Sonja | 20 May 2010, 10:20 Post #2801 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Rufus fell in love three times a week on average, but he fell out of love just as quickly - when the girl who had attracted his attention returned the favour. Not that Essylt needed to know that. 'Have you ever woken up with the idea you were falling?' he asked after some thought. 'Falling on love is like that, only infinitely more pleasurable. I like to imagine it is like flying, as birds do. But I could not describe it; I am not a poet. Catullus once compared his love for a woman to a thousand kisses and a hundred more; another hundred and even more thousands, mixed together so that none may know how many kisses they had shared.' |
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| Marieke | 20 May 2010, 10:25 Post #2802 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘…I don’t know,’ she muttered. There was something in his words that made him uncomfortable. Kissing wasn’t a thing a girl like herself had engaged herself previously. Morcant had never kissed her. |
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| Sonja | 20 May 2010, 10:30 Post #2803 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Have you never felt as though you wanted to press yourself against a man and forget about the world?' he asked, leaning a bit closer to her. She had really given him the perfect opening, and he wondered if she realized that. 'To give yourself to him without a moment's hesitation?' |
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| Marieke | 20 May 2010, 10:36 Post #2804 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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This was getting too dangerous. She should get up and leave him. And it was clearly best to hide inside the house from now on, unless Morcant was with her. ‘I don’t know,’ she said again, shifting her eyes. ‘No.’ There were moments that she had wanted to embrace Morcant, and fewer moments where she had actually done so. And sometimes, in her dreams, he had done more than simply hold her in his arms when she feared the nightmares and that had made her feel odd and glowing, with shivers running through her body. But was that the same? ‘...you’re talking about lust. I don’t know if that amounts to the same.’ |
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| Sonja | 20 May 2010, 10:44 Post #2805 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Some might say it does, others are convinced the two are completely different.' Rufus smiled. 'But I don't think one can be in love at all without feeling lust. Love can do strange things to us.' |
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| Marieke | 20 May 2010, 10:45 Post #2806 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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'Probably. I...I should go.' |
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| Sonja | 20 May 2010, 10:48 Post #2807 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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He gave her a slightly hurt look. 'I am enjoying our conversation,' he said then and reached out to take her hand. Despite all his bravado, he couldn't help his heart beating slightly faster. But the danger only made this more exciting. 'Please, stay a while longer.' |
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| Marieke | 20 May 2010, 10:53 Post #2808 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Her hand twitched as he took it and she frowned awkwardly. He certainly thought she liked him enough not to freeze him. Or was he counting on her own determination to never do those things again? She just wished that she could rely on herself; most of the time, she thought she could determine when it happened and when it did not, but with him she had lost control before and those moments, she feared. ‘I have run out of things to say.’ |
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| Sonja | 20 May 2010, 10:58 Post #2809 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Then perhaps I should give you a thousand kisses, and a hundred more,' Rufus smiled. 'You wanted love, did you not?' |
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| Marieke | 20 May 2010, 11:06 Post #2810 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She had thought it would come to this and wondered how to escape if it happened. Still, Essylt felt her face glow. Just thinking about what he had done earlier made her certain that he would, quite without hesitation, do it again. She wanted to pull her hand away from his grasp and was halfway when a thought struck her. Morcant wanted to know about this man. He and Gwyddien had worried about him. He was still here to gather information – or so he told her. Wasn’t she in the perfect position to know him better than anyone in the brotherhood, who would surely never accept his company as she could, or make him believe she wanted? Essylt hesitated, aware that the silence did not speak in her favour. He’d hear whatever answer he desired in her absence of words, after all. ‘I didn’t…really…’ |
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| Sonja | 20 May 2010, 11:13 Post #2811 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Love is a very nice thing to have, Essylt.' He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. She was absolutely adorable when she started stammering, he thought. So inexperienced, so pure, like a little flower only just about to bloom. |
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| Marieke | 20 May 2010, 11:17 Post #2812 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘And what makes you think you’re safe to do this?’ she blurted out, caught between jumping up and hiding within herself. ‘I can’t promise you it won’t happen, I really can’t.’ |
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| Sonja | 20 May 2010, 11:28 Post #2813 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'It's a risk I'm willing to take. You see, that is what love is like; complete disregard for your own safety, just to be with the one you love.' Rufus slowly bent towards her. He certainly didn't want to scare her by moving too quickly. When Morcant had returned to the house to find Essylt gone, he'd combed the entire settlement. Despite the fact that he knew she needed some alone-time too, he was worried: Rufus stalked around the place, too. He went to the guard at the gate to ask him if he had seen Essylt. It turned out he had, and he pointed Morcant in the direction of the hill where the white horse was carved into the chalk. He walked up the hill until he could discern her figure, but his heart suddenly rose up to his throat when he saw a second form next to her, nearly hovering over her. There was no way he could be sure, but his gut-feeling told him this was Marcus Lentulus, or Rufus, or whatever the man called himself. Morcant quickened his pace until he was at the same height with the pair. He coughed and crossed his arms, scowling at the Roman. |
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| Marieke | 20 May 2010, 11:33 Post #2814 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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And just when she didn’t know if it was best to flee or to accept his kiss, a shadow fell over her, blocking the sun out. So turned her face away quickly, so he couldn’t accidentally brush her lips. If he hadn’t been holding her hand and if her knees hadn’t been so weak, she’d have struggled up, away from the both of them. |
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| Sonja | 20 May 2010, 11:44 Post #2815 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Rufus looked up, highly irked at this untimely interruption. Standing before them was a burly man with a scowl on his face that could probably scare the sun away. 'Let go of her,' the man grated. Ah. So this was Essylt's protector. Rufus narrowed his eyes, but released the girl's hand. Then he got to his feet and looked the man up and down. He was younger, taller and more muscular than he himself was. A good deal more handsome, too, but Rufus was not one to care about good looks. Besides, he was sure he could have a dagger between this man's ribs before he could have landed one blow on him with those fists. 'And you are...?' he inquired coolly. The one who is going to mash your face to a pulp if you touch Essylt once more, Morcant wanted to say, but instead settled for a: 'None of your damn business.' He looked at Essylt, trying to read from her face whether she was relieved or disappointed at his interruption. But she just seemed confused. 'Let's go,' he told her. |
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| Marieke | 20 May 2010, 11:46 Post #2816 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She rose quickly, nearly stumbling, and did not dare to look at either Rufus or Morcant. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. |
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| Sonja | 20 May 2010, 11:55 Post #2817 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Oh, don't be,' Rufus said smoothly before the other man could have answered. Essylt had looked at neither of them, so he figured first come, first served. 'You are her protector, I assume?' he asked then. 'Like I said, it's none of your business,' Morcant growled again, bulging the muscles of his arms and shoulders. The Roman wasn't impressive at all; he wasn't even dressed in military garb and wore no weapons as far as he could see. But he didn't look intimidated in the slightest and it annoyed him. 'On the contrary, my good man,' Rufus answered so calmly that Morcant's mind nearly went up in flames about it. 'If you interrupted us for no good reason, then I have a reason to call the guards, you see. And I do dislike misunderstandings.' |
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| Marieke | 20 May 2010, 11:59 Post #2818 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘No!’ Essylt started breathlessly, looking up to him now. ‘Don’t do that! I must be going anyway.’ She made a step closer to Morcant. If Rufus would really call the guards and trap him like that, she didn’t know what she’d do. |
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| Sonja | 20 May 2010, 12:04 Post #2819 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Fine,' Morcant growled, glad Essylt had taken a step towards him and not to the Roman. 'Yes, I am her bodyguard. And you best stay away from her if you know what's good for you.' 'Why don't we let Essylt decide where she wants to be and with whom for herself,' Rufus said acidly, annoyed at the fact that he had been interrupted when he had been so close to his goal. He took a breath to calm himself. 'You yourself would do well to realize to whom you are speaking,' he added more calmly, then turned to the girl. 'Thank you for the pleasant conversation, Essylt. I am sorry it was so rudely interrupted.' |
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| Marieke | 20 May 2010, 12:08 Post #2820 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Choices again. She was afraid of them, since Rufus was perfectly right: they should realize to whom they were speaking. Essylt took a deep breath, but it still sounded like a shudder through her chest. ‘Let’s go, please.’ She clutched Morcant’s arm with her fingers. |
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