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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 26, 2013 3:28:50 GMT -5
"Oh believe me, it's a compliment." He said, with snarky undertone that he didn't explain. It was out of character for the finest thief in Speirling to have intimidate knowledge of how intolerable the princesses of the realm were, so Peregrine kept his princely mouth shut.
He was not worried when she didn't hold onto him when he had suggested it; he knew from experience that an unexpected fast start from a fast horse was enough to make most people grab hold and he was right when he felt her hands embrace his middle and hold on tight. Needless to say he was enjoying having a pretty, quick-witted girl clinging to him and he was eternally grateful that he had been able to take a bath and buy new clothes before he had met her. She smelled like flowers and civilization. He was relieved he didn't smell like rats.
"That's an excellent question!" Peregrine hollered back, turning his head as much as he could to speak to her. Tremor was weaving in and out of the trees and running across the rocky mountainside, taking up, choosing the easiest pathway alongside the river. She was a smart horse and Peregrine let her have her head, only occasionally steering her one way or another.
Finally, Tremor slowed to a jog and then a walk as they reached the top of the small hill, which was more like a small mountain, in Peregrine's opinion. Angling her around, he was able to give Adriana and himself a view of the stunning landscape below them.
"It's beautiful." He said, not quite believing that he was saying these words about Sgaithte, which he had considered ugly and treacherous before. The sun sparkled off of a few of the bigger rocks and off the water of the river. "The river, it's blue, but not as blue as your eyes. The rocks over there are alabaster, but not as alabaster as your skin." He was laying it on rather thick, but then he was as much as an artist as he was a warrior and wasn't a lover and mixture of artist and warrior? "It's beautiful." He concluded. "But not as beautiful as you."
He dismounted, but didn't help her down from the saddle. Instead, he let her ride while he let a sweating Tremor closer to the water. Since they were high up in the rocks by the river, waterfalls were beginning to form. It was a warm summer's day and Peregrine loved to hide out in caves behind waterfalls at home, sometimes go swimming, and it wasn't long before he found one. Without asking her permission, he led Tremor under the sparse trees and into the cave behind the waterfall.
"Your hand, madam, I require it." He said, holding out his hand to her to help her down.
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Post by Adriana Dumos on Jun 26, 2013 10:06:30 GMT -5
She smiled a little when he said referring her to a storybook princess was a compliment. There was an odd tone in his voice that she was curious about, but she let it go quickly as she rode on the horse. She gave him credit, there was something thrilling about riding a horse that was so fast. The trees whipped past them and the hooves pounded so fiercely on the ground that it was easy to forget about her worries and let herself go. Let herself close her eyes and enjoy the feeling of being free. Dragons were still her favorite and she doubted anything could ever change that, but this horse was a close second.
Jack had slowed the horse and they came upon an overlook. She waited for him to turn a little so she could see. It really was beautiful. The storybook princess spoke of fields of flowers, winter wonderlands, and under the sea beauty. She wanted her rocks and cliffs. If there were no rocks where would the younger dragons grip when learning to fly? If there were no scorch marks then there must be no dragons for that was a tell-tell sign of them being in the area. If there were no flames the dragons would not be warm enough and have to move on. She would take her dragon filled country over their silly flower-laden ones any day of the week, she wanted her dragons. When Jack mentioned that it was beautiful she looked over at him. She hadn't thought many people could see the beauty in her country other than herself. The two times she had been to the market she had overheard townspeople themselves speaking about how hot and miserable the place was. It was nice to see it appreciated. She was caught off guard though when he continued to speak.
The river, it's blue, but not as blue as your eyes. The rocks over there are alabaster, but not as alabaster as your skin. It's beautiful. But not as beautiful as you.
Adrianna looked down, why was he saying this to her? Was he trying to earn the money they had bet or was he just trying to bed her? She wouldn't allow herself to think that he was serious. If he was serious then it would be too easy to fall, it would be too easy to let herself get carried away in his charms and she couldn't allow it. She replied softly " Thank you...." She then watched as he climbed down and led the horse to water. She would have some explaining to do to her father on why she had horse hair on her dress, but it was worth it. She enjoyed the ride and as much as she didn't want to admit it, she enjoyed being around Jack. Enjoyed the way his voice sounded, the way his smile broke out across his face and lit up his eyes. She was drawn to how easy it was to speak to him and be with him without having to be a mindless plaything with no opinion on anything.
She laughed lightly when he took her inside the cave. She had never been inside one of course and was surprised at how expansive it was. The sound of rushing water could be heard from the inside, but it wasn't as deafening as she imagined it would be. It was cool and peaceful.
" So...I imagine this works very well with the ladies from where you're from. Romance them then hide away in a waterfall? I think you must have forgotten where you are again Jack...here the dragons make their homes behind these waterfalls." She looked around, confident that there were none of course, but she wanted to play with him a little, " I would hate to see your handsome self shaking with fear" When he said that he required her hand she obliged and placed hers into his.
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 27, 2013 12:19:22 GMT -5
"Works every time." He said, playing along with her, figuring it was easier than denying that he had ever so much as looked at another girl the way he was looking at her. "The waterfall, the summer time, my face, all works wonders." He was cracking a joke, this time, even though she knew he would inevitably give into him: he could pull off levels of charm that would be impossible for her to resist. As long as he didn't fall, he would be okay. Besides, he needed to bring a girl around to spite Khalidah and Beardy, if nothing else.
"Oh, there are dragons here." He said, tossing his hand in the air; his signature dismissive gesture. "I know, you're wondering how I know and rightly so. What would a northern boy know about detecting dragons in caves? Not much, I'll admit that." He grinned, took her hand and lifted her down from his horse with ease. He set her on the ground and smiled at her, catching eye contact with her he felt his heart jump in his chest. Such beautiful eyes, such a long, graceful neck, her skin flawless, skin that he was aching to touch. He felt the overwhelming desire to kiss her again, but knew it would make no sense for her to lean in and kiss her right now. He contented himself with brushing his fingertips against her cheek instead, holding the moment out as electricity churned in his stomach, the exciting newness and uncertainty the source of the excitement in his chest.
"But I do know all about horses." He continued, breaking the moment and stroking Tremor's sweaty neck instead of her cheek. "And this horse knows danger and there aren't any dragons in here, at least, not the horse-eating kind."
He left Tremor to amuse herself by wall of the cave and he reached for Adriana's hand as he led her closer to the water. He took a seat on a spot of stone that looked more comfortable than the rest and motioned for her to do the same. The air was cool here, humid, but not laced with the heat. Tiny droplets of water were alighting on his clothing and skin.
"So, fair maiden, tell me about yourself."
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Post by Adriana Dumos on Jun 27, 2013 12:58:13 GMT -5
Adriana smiled at his little joke. His confidence was amusing, if only he knew that his efforts were fruitless. She wouldn't let herself go down that path. She was impressed with his logic about the horse. She supposed that would be true, she hadn't seen many horses who were calm when there were dragons around. Most dragons tended to think about the four legged creatures as meals rather than a fellow friendly animal. She couldn't explain the draw that she had to them. She just knew them. It was strange to meet people who didn't care for them, or were fearful of them. They demanded respect of course, but most didn't need fearing. The wild ones could sometimes be deadly, but their hearts were usually good.
" That's true. There are no dragons here, but if there was one you could rest assured that I could save your butt Jack the shadow."
It was true. She might be completely useless in a fight, unable to wield a sword, shoot a weapon or punch with her fists but she could handle a dragon. It was horrible being so defenseless. She hadn't thought about it much when she was in the castle. There was no one or anything to fear. She was perfectly safe no matter who she was around or where in it she was. Out here with this stranger though she couldn't help thinking how vulnerable she was. There was nothing she could do to stop him if he suddenly chose to attack her. She made a mental note to see if Ioralta had a few courses in self-defense, that could be one course she hid from her father.
She found herself gazing into his handsome face again. Why was she doing this? Why was she torturing herself with him? She knew she should leave him and find her way back to the castle, but when he led her to a rock and asked her about herself she sat down with him. A few more moments wouldn't hurt.
" There really isn't much to tell about me. I've lived in Sgaithte all my life....well..."
She looked away for a moment. Why not tell him everything? What did she have to lose? A smile began to spread across her face.
" That's actually about to change...my father has agreed to let me attend Ioralta University. It's a big deal because I've had to remain here so long and this is actually my first chance to see somewhere else, anywhere else. Sorry....I'm rambling. It's just a big deal because, well...my full name is Adriana Dumos. My father is the king"
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 27, 2013 13:16:39 GMT -5
Peregrine opened his mouth to add that he had already attended Ioralta Academy and that he was the son of the king of Eacharnach, which enabled them to legally kiss about now, but he didn't say that he was a graduate of Ioralta Academy and he didn't say that he was the heir to the throne of Eacharnach. Instead, he inclined his head in an acknowledgement of her royal blood.
"Your Highness." He said, in a weak attempt to sound impressed. He couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed. He liked the idea of carrying on with some nobody of no blood or lineage just to spit societal norms, but he reminded himself that he no longer had any claims to his birthrights, so he supposed it was all right. Still, he couldn't share what he had in common with her. He had to find other ways of making conversation.
"Your father must be a wonderful man, to send you so far away after so long." He commented, hoping she would take it as a compliment. He didn't even really know what he meant by it. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Adriana Dumos." He said, taking careful notice of her family name. "I'm still Jack the Shadow." He added, cheerfully, with a trace of bitterness.
"So...twenty-one years and not a lot to tell. Woman of mystery, I take it. I can work with that. I myself am something of a master of mystery." He murmured something, waving his hand over the falling water as he performed magic in a rare moment. Tiny lights flickered over the surface of the water, in different colors of the rainbow. Peregrine murmured something again and then the lights came together to form a heart in front of them. He smiled at her and reached for the hem of his shirt, which he tore off in one smooth motion. The muscles on his torso, abdomen and arms had once been lean and rippling, but now, they were small, wiry and he was mostly sinew, despite having surprising strength. His ribs poked out of his skin, giving him an almost skeletal quality, compliments of the fine cuisine in Riasglach.
"Come on Princess." He pulled off his boots and leather belt, dressed in nothing but his britches. "Care to go for a swim with a dirty thief?" And with that, he jumped off the edge and into the foaming water below.
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Post by Adriana Dumos on Jun 27, 2013 13:34:56 GMT -5
"Your Highness."
He had spoken it with almost an heir of disappointment. She felt momentarily offended. What was there to be dissapointed about? She was still friendly with him, she hadn't threatened to turn him in or act as if he was below her so she didn't feel that he was giving her a fair chance. When he spoke about her father she again felt a wave of annoyance. He knew nothing of her father and was wrong to speak as if he did. She looked over at him angrily.
" He is a good man. He wanted to keep me safe. He agreed now, after so long because we made an agreement. He's just looking out for my best interest."
She watched quietly as he made lights dance across the water. It was beautiful, she couldn't deny that but it did nothing to ease her irritation. When the heart appeared she almost rolled her eyes. He must really be a ladies man wherever he was from, and perhaps the silly little magic trick worked on air-headed girls wanting nothing more than to claim they slept with the amazing Jack the Shadow but it wasn't working on her.
She watched as Jack began to strip his clothing off and jump into the water. She had made sure to look away sharply when he was undressing. He must be outside of his mind if he thought she was going to strip naked and get into the water with him. She stood up and dusted her hands off.
" No thank you. Have a nice day Jack....I'll find my way back to the castle myself."
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 27, 2013 14:16:12 GMT -5
Things suddenly weren't going according to plan. She didn't gaze at his admittedly deflated torso like a lovestuck girl should be doing. She wasn't blushing up a storm like she had been. Most importantly, she wasn't stripping down to her underwear and jumping into the water next to him. Had his bare chest offended her? It certainly offended him, all skinny and bony, when it used to look so fantastic. He was already in the water when she called down to him that she would find her own way back to the castle.
So much for their first date.
Shaking his head to rid himself of the excess water, Peregrine swam to the bank of the river and clambered out, the water dripping off his body in seeming defeat. The prince, or greatest thief in Speirling, whatever he was, wasn't so easily defeated. He sprinted to the waterfall cave again and threw on his shirt, mounted his horse and took off after her. It didn't take long for him to catch up, him being on horseback.
"I cannot begin to know what I said or did to offend you, Your Regalness, and I do not begin to apologize for it, unless you took offense to my bony chest, which offends me as well, but know it is because I have taken to being on a diet of eels. It's a long story. Anyway, whatever I did to offend you, I acknowledge that it happened, nothing more. I am also acknowledging that the day is hot and you are on foot. Now, you being a princess and all that, you should have some sort of chaperon or brigade of servants or knights to accompany and transport you. You do not, which leads me to the conclusion that you are not supposed to be out here at all, especially not on your own." He smiled.
"Furthermore, you are quick to defend your father and no child is that quick to defend a parent unless their is conflict or unfinished business between them. Your father doesn't want you out here or at the academy, does he? Come on, Princess, I've been rule-breaking all of my life, you don't think I know these things from personal experience? Least I can do is offer you a ride back to your royal abode. It'll be faster and it will leave him less time to come looking for you when he realizes that you snuck off without informing anyone."
He let his words hang in the air, not breaking eye contact with her.
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Post by Adriana Dumos on Jun 27, 2013 18:28:04 GMT -5
Adriana had began to walk away. While she was walking she began to go over their whole exchange in her mind. Had she been too defensive? Should she have taken this one tiny moment to indulge in a crazy fling? Had she been acting prudish? Was he offended at her being royal? She continued to play it all over as she walked. She didn't remember the terrain being this rocky when they had come here, but then again they had been on horseback. She tried to remember how long it had taken to get here and in what direction they had come from the lake. She then thought about her father and if he noticed she was gone yet. Probably not, considering how if he did there would be patrols everywhere. She had never snuck out before and the longer she thought about it the more she wished she would have left a note or something. Knowing him he would probably assume she had been kidnapped. She laughed lightly at the thought.
When she heard a horse coming up behind her she had a moment of panic. What if it were robbers? What if it was a murderer or rapist? Suddenly every warning her father had ever given her flooded her mind. She was debating on running away or standing her ground when those all too familiar head of blonde curls came around the corner. She raised her eyebrow. He was coming after her? She hadn't thought she would see him again after she left him in anger, but there he was. She didn't have time to speak before he began talking...
"I cannot begin to know what I said or did to offend you, Your Regalness,
and I do not begin to apologize for it, unless you took offense to my
bony chest, which offends me as well, but know it is because I have
taken to being on a diet of eels.
It certainly hadn't been his chest that offended her. While she noticed how skinny his appearance had been it still was not displeasing. She could close her eyes now and still see it clearly in her mind. She hadn't seen anything after the shirt came off, but she had seen his chest and what she saw was not offensive. When he spoke of eels her face registered confusion. Eels? Like the creatures in swamps? She hadn't even known they were edible.
It's a long story. Anyway, whatever I
did to offend you, I acknowledge that it happened, nothing more. I am
also acknowledging that the day is hot and you are on foot. Now, you
being a princess and all that, you should have some sort of chaperon or
brigade of servants or knights to accompany and transport you. You do
not, which leads me to the conclusion that you are not supposed to be
out here at all, especially not on your own"
She looked away a little, so she was caught. She cursed herself slightly for not seeing that come sooner. Of course it would be obvious she escaped. The only times she had been let out of the castle she was with two chaperones and three guards. She looked back again to him as he continued to speak.
"Furthermore, you are quick to defend your father and no child is that
quick to defend a parent unless their is conflict or unfinished
business between them. Your father doesn't want you out here or at the
academy, does he? Come on, Princess, I've been rule-breaking all of my
life, you don't think I know these things from personal experience?
Least I can do is offer you a ride back to your royal abode. It'll be
faster and it will leave him less time to come looking for you when he
realizes that you snuck off without informing anyone."
So it wasn't an apology, but he was offering her a ride back which really was all that she could ask. She took a deep breath before speaking. He was right, in so many ways, but she didn't want to give him too much information on her. " Ok, fine. You're right I may have left without his approval...or knowledge for that matter.Though I hadn't planned to go very far until you came dashing me off behind waterfalls and whatnot." She smiled a little. " And no, he doesn't want me out here or there, but my mother attended the University and I just wanted to find out more about her life before she became royalty and he eventually agreed." Ok so it was a lie, but what was she going to say? Certainly not the truth, she didn't want to think about the truth herself so she surely wasn't going to be blabbing about it to strangers. She looked up into his face again. " If the offer still stands for a ride...I would be very grateful."
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 27, 2013 19:06:10 GMT -5
Peregrine grinned, obviously pleased with himself. He knew all the signs of a child with disapproving elders, having been in her position more than a few times.
"Alright then, glad we cleared that up." He jumped off his horse and hoisted her up into his arms again. He was the perfect gentleman this time. There was no longing gazing into her eyes or softly brushing his fingers against her cheek. He merely picked her up bride-style and set her on Tremor's back, before swinging up himself, sitting behind her this time and wrapping his arms around her waist to grab hold of the reins. He was considerably taller than her and was over to see over her shoulder with ease.
"I'll need some directions." He admitted, sending Tremor into a brisk walk. He maintained perfect manners and as much personal space as one could allow for when one is pressed closely together with a member of the opposite sex on horseback, but Peregrine still enjoyed the feeling of holding her in his arms, even though she was clearly adverse to his advantages...at least right now. She would relent and come back to him and he would win the bet. That's what always happened. A royal brat to his core, the prince could be counted on to get his way.
"Well, this is rather awkward." Peregrine said, breaking the afore-hinted-to awkward silence. "I suggest one of us starts a conversation to cover up this painful silence."
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Post by Adriana Dumos on Jun 27, 2013 19:39:06 GMT -5
She smiled at him, grateful for the ride. When he asked her for directions though she looked around a little uncertain. She hadn't been away much and it took her a moment to get her bearings straight. She raised up a bit so she could see a little better over the trees. She was almost certain the castle's glow was in that distance so she pointed in the direction to their left. " There I believe, but don't hold me to it."
She moved her hair over to one shoulder and absentmindedly ran her fingers through the ends getting the small tangles out while they rode. She couldn't help but notice how wonderful it felt to have a man's arms around her. It was such a strange feeling. It was new, but felt as if she had been hungering for it her whole life, even if he was a lady-chasing smooth talker. It was easy to get lost in the feeling. She noticed with a little satisfaction that he gave her some distance though whenever he spoke she had to resist leaning back and offering her neck for him to trail kisses. Every now and then she could swear she felt his breathing on her neck, though he was probably too far back for it to be his. She was letting her mind run away with her. She was too busy trying to keep herself focused from giving into him that she didn't noticed there had even been a silence that had stretched out between them until he mentioned it.
She laughed a little " Well, since you brought it up and I've already told you so much about myself how about you answer a few questions of mine. Let's start with the eels and work our way to your real name." She peeked over her shoulder and smiled playfully at him. She figured he wasn't going to give her any answers but it was fun asking. She figured Jack might be his real name, but the shadow certainly wasn't and how could he have asked her to get naked and romp around a waterfall with him if he wasn't even honest about something as silly as a last name.
She waited for him to reply and ever so slightly leaned back a little so she was resting against his chest. There wasn't any harm in it and after all sitting on the horse all the way back to the castle with a rigid back would have been torture, or at least that was how she rationed it in her mind. She hoped he didn't mind taking her all the way to the castle. She made a mental note to offer him a room to stay when they got there. She didn't know if he would appreciate the offer or not, but she thought that Tremor might.
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 27, 2013 19:58:27 GMT -5
"My real name, hmm?" Peregrine sighed, tightening his arms around her as she leaned a little into him, encouraging her. He was only going to maintain himself as the perfect gentleman until she gave him permission, so to speak, to slip back into being the honey-tongued lady killer that he fancied himself as. He debated impressing upon her that his name really was Jack and she should stop all this fuss of insisting to know his real name, as Jack was his real name, but he decided against it, as Khalidah hadn't bought it either. He really needed to get a better alias. "Guess." He said, the ghost of a grin trailing across his face. "And eels are nasty, for the record."
"So that's all you want to know about, huh? Just the name? You don't want to know how many women I've gotten to go to bed with me? How many villains I've killed? You don't even want to hear about how I'm a terrible, powerful man?" He grinned. He was no villain and he knew it, but he could not longer see himself as a hero. He was turning into something different now, something still good at his core, but darker, edgier, darker. The anti-hero.
"I, personally, want to know things like your favorite musical instrument, your favorite flower. If you would prefer love tokens the likes of hair ribbons and songbirds, or knives." He toed the line a little this time. "I want to know what you would fill your days with, should you be not a princess, not have any duties at all. What would you do if you were free to live a life of your own creation?"
Perhaps he was trying to woo her, perhaps he was speaking truths so deeply troubling that he barely realized he was voicing them. He was drifting towards the dark soul beneath his handsome facade and he needed to stop and go back to his happy-go-lucky persona. It didn't take long before what he considered to be an unwelcoming castle looming before him, built of stone, with flames burning in odd towers and turrets.
"How big of a steak are they roasting?"
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Post by Adriana Dumos on Jun 27, 2013 20:38:55 GMT -5
Adriana felt his arms tighten against her and she was glad she was facing the front where he couldn't see her face that well and hide the blush. She wondered vaguely if he could sense her breathing pick up. She felt her heart race a little and tried to push it off as a natural reaction to being this close to someone...anyone. Even though she was slightly certain that his handsome face might have had something more to do with it. When he asked her to guess his name she laughed a little " hhmmm" she looked up at his face. " You're much too rough for a name like Toby and not mean enough for a name like Ivan....what about....Aaron? Or perhaps Xander? Yes I think I'll make my guess be Xander."
She highly doubted she was right, but she could see him as a Xander. She would be mortified if his name really was something like Toby. She decided not to bring up the eels, if she had pegged him right he probably did it to prove his survival skills or impress a girl or something.
"So that's all you want to know about, huh? Just the name? You don't
want to know how many women I've gotten to go to bed with me? How many
villains I've killed? You don't even want to hear about how I'm a
terrible, powerful man?"
" Actually I said we would start with the eel question and work our way to your name. I don't plan on letting you get off the hook that easy. And as for your suggestions...first of all I don't care to know how many women you've charmed into bed because I don't plan on being one so why would I care? Second of all you don't seem to be the type to take someone's life unless they truly deserved it so I don't need to hear about those numbers either. Lastly....I thought you were a thief, not a terrible, powerful man...last I checked thieves stole to get by, they weren't very well off."
When he mentioned all the things he wanted to know about her she smiled a little. It was nice to have someone actually interested in her. She had met with a few "marriage prospects" her father had lined up and all they asked about was how many children she wanted (presumably with them) and if she would be open to using magic to guarantee producing more boys than girls. She had been nauseous after leaving that particular meeting to say the least. It was nice to have someone curious about what she fancied and not what heirs she could or could not produce.
"I want to know what you would fill your days with, should you be not
a princess, not have any duties at all. What would you do if you were
free to live a life of your own creation?"
She couldn't even imagine not having duties. She couldn't picture a day when the weight of her country and her father was not on her shoulders. A free life seemed like a completely intangible dream that wasn't even worth thinking about.
" I wouldn't even know where to being imagining something like that....my life has never been my own. I think..if I had to imagine... I would travel and read for most of it. That sounds horribly pathetic doesn't it? A whole life of freedom and the first think you can think of would be to travel and read?" And let herself fall in love, but she wasn't going to say that little nugget of information. She noticed the way he spoke about what he had just said, if she wasn't mistaken it almost sounded as if he knew something of that. She was curious why a traveler like himself would be wistful over freedom, wasn't he free everyday?
" So, like I said before you're not getting off the hook that easily. Where are you from and how did you end up here and don't give me that "thief" excuse. I don't w-"
Adriana stopped speaking and felt herself tense. There was a sudden vibration around them as if something big was coming in their direction and coming upon them very quickly. She turned a little and clutched his chest when the vibration came again. This was not good. She looked into his eyes.
" What in the Gods name is making that?"
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Post by THE ROGUE GIANT on Jun 27, 2013 20:57:45 GMT -5
She was hungry again and she had been plagued by those annoying flying things that breathed the orange stuff that burned. She didn't like the orange stuff that burned. The last time she had had an encounter with the orange stuff that burned, it had hurt and she had been cheated out of a snack, so she had every interest in getting away from them.
She was wondering aimlessly when she smelled something good cooking and so she took off in that direction. It wasn't long before she saw it. It was a dark box-thing in the middle of all the pebbles. Whatever it was, it smelled good. She briefly wondered if the box-thing was good to eat. Shrugging her shoulders, she knew there was only way to find out, so she reach a hand towards it, but it was hot and burned her fingers. Jerking her hand away, she stared at it, quizzically. It smelled so good, so why couldn't she pick it up without getting hurt?
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 27, 2013 21:19:12 GMT -5
"Xander? Never heard that one before. I like it!"
She went off, saying that she didn't want to hear about his prior conquests (and looking back, he couldn't imagine why any girl would, as he saw them as jealous creatures) and how she didn't believe he was a terrible who killed without conscious. She was right about that, of course, for Peregrine couldn't crush an ant beneath his boot and he could only kill and innocent man if it was a choice between his survival and the stranger's, and even then, he spent the nights following squirming in guilt.
"You confuse me for a petty thief!" He cried out, in mock offense. "Petty thieves steal to get by. I, on the other hand, am the great thief in all of Speirling and while I may I have started out stealing just to get by, I soon became so gifted that now I steal for sport. I only keep what I need to get by. A petty thief steals to eat or for his own greed. A con artist, which is what I should call myself, from now on, steals because he wishes to challenge himself, keep his skills sharp or merely because he is bored, but he never keeps what he doesn't need to survive. Thieving is a noble profession."
He was slightly more interested in her when she mentioned she would read and travel. Peregrine loved books and would curl up for hours in front of the fire with his nose in a book, back when he had possessed the luxury to do so. As for the traveling, he know had the perfect opportunity for that.
"So, you like books, do you? Something we have in common." He opened his mouth to blabber on about the beauties of the written word when he felt the ground tremble and he brought Tremor a halt. Had he been recognized and had the king of Sgaithte sent out a legion of dragon-knights to capture him, both for killing his own father, as the story stood, and for touching his most-likely sheltered daughter? The ground trembled again and again, and Peregrine realized that it wasn't a stampede of horses or even a flock of dragons, but something was walking towards them. Something big. He saw it, its head and torso far above the trees, making the mountains look like dunes compared to its massive size. He had never seen one before and he stood dumbly and stared, not able to believe his eyes. In the end, it was Tremor who brought him to his senses, pawing and snorting.
"Shhh..." Peregrine said, as much to Tremor and Adriana as to himself. "I don't think it's seen us yet. Maybe if we keep very, very still..." He whispered, pretending he knew how to handle situations involving giants.
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Post by Adriana Dumos on Jun 27, 2013 21:36:12 GMT -5
She never pegged a thief to be a reader. She imagined thieves or "con men" to be vicious and feral. Not caring about anyone's feelings nor taking time to appreciate something as simple as reading. She would have loved to hear his favorites and talk about genres, but now was not the time. As she clung to Jack waiting for whatever was coming towards them she finally saw it. A giant looming above the trees near them. The creature was beyond anything she had imagined before. It was easy to hear about them and dream of their size, but to see something like that in real life was completely different. There were no words for the shear amount of strength that the beast was capable of. There was no words to describe the horrible smell of death and decay that it brought with it. She held onto Jack, her breathing barely a whisper when he finally spoke.
I don't think it's seen us yet. Maybe if we keep very, very still...
She didn't have to be told twice, she was a still as a statue. She looked over as the giant tried to touch the castle which really wasn't the best idea. She didn't wait to see what happened and what it was doing. She instead buried her face in Jack's chest and silently prayed to every God she knew to get them out of the situation. She wondered if he would be the last person she would ever see. She felt the horse twitch slightly and she silently begged it to remain still so the horrible creature wouldn't take notice of them.
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