|
|
Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 16, 2013 22:11:32 GMT -5
The hot summer sun beat down on Peregrine's back as they rode through the rocky terrain of Sgaithte. They had managed to not see another soul on their journey, hence far, and know that Peregrine felt that he could more or less handle Khalidah, he needed some more diversity in his company. To his relief, the prince saw the outlines of buildings in the distance, the sure sign that they were reaching a village, and thank gods, civilization.
He stopped Tremor in a glade, not even a mile away from the presumed settlement and dismounted to give her a break and let her munch contentedly on the grass beneath his feet while he indulged in some water from the nearby brook. Standing up and wiping his mouth on his raged sleeve, he did some stretched of his own, before leaning back down to splash his face with cool water, trying to make himself look even slightly presentable.
"Okay," He said, shaking back his rat's nest of curls. "We need to get our story straight. Who we are, where we came from, how we met and what we're looking for."
|
|
|
|
Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 17, 2013 3:18:25 GMT -5
The prince's companion had been very silent since the day he had confessed his identity, loosing herself to the very world that she had been locked away from for many many years, trying to remember the faces that she had left behind... and how old her younger siblings would be by now. She remembered that the twins Dimitri and Kyran were three years younger, and Lily was another ten years younger.... but, how old was she? How old was Khalidah now? This was what had happens when she has seen the same surroundings for days on end for several years, Khalidah had lost all sense of time so she couldn't recall exactly how long she had been locked away for. She couldn't even remember how long ago it had been that the vampire had kidnapped her in the first place. Truth be known Khalidah was Twenty-Three years of age by now, and she had not seen the outside world for about two years, the vampire having kidnapped her months after she had returned home from studying at the Academy, not long after her mother had left the family.
Khalidah had been in this meditative state until Peregrine broke her out of her contemplation. “Huh, what?” she questioned, surveying the village for a moment. “Oh yes.... our story.... right”. She dropped her reins and slid down from the saddle, tripping backwards over a tree branch as she dismounted, stumbling until she regained her balance. Muttering under her breath about her current lack of grace thanks to that vampire, the Sidhe-Vampire hybrid kicked the branch aside before tying Zephyr up so that she could sit down for a moment, stretching out her leg muscles and cracking out the stiffness from her back and neck. Even her fingers hurt from holding either reins or a bowstring for so many days... hunting for food for them to feast on during their travels.
She'd managed to catch an array of birds, rabbits and even a small feral pig... and the odd fish here and there from rivers or streams they came across – they'd eaten like wild kings since they escaped, avoiding eels and rats since that reminded them too much of the hell they had endured. No, Khalidah had provided them with hearty meals. But she was tired, she didn't want to hunt today... she ached all over that even if she tried to move, her stiff moments would scare away her prey. And there was no way Khalidah could trust the wolves to bring back a rabbit or two... they'd be half eaten by the time they returned... the only reason that the rats they had given her back in the swamps were not eaten was because the wolves weren't fond of eating rats themselves. They had just been hungry.
“Brother and sister?” she mused, pondering their fake story if they were ever questioned. “No, that won't work. You don't look like me to start with, not to mention the species. Couple? No, that won't work either”. Khalidah ruffled Hania's ears as she sat pondering other potential ideas.
“Hey Pip?” Khalidah had ceased calling him Jack all together, but she didn't address him as Falcon or Peregrine either, only ever as Pip. It was a milder form of her trying to teach him that his name would always be his name, regardless of what life threw at him. “I heard about your father... King Falcon. He was a good man, and a good King.... I'm sorry”.
It was true that even though she was a common girl in the sense of society, Khalidah had been aware of the royal lines since her first day at the Academy, she knew which bloodline ruled which Kingdom.... and to a lesser extent, what scandals had befallen them. But the recent one that she had heard was the one how Peregrine's brother had taken the throne and Peregrine's was named a murder, but dead.
Khalidah had known that the prince had attended the Academy, a year behind her in fact so they had shared the corridors for several years. But at least one part of that scandal was a lie – clearly since Prince Peregrine was her travel companion. And now the fact that she was aware of his existence made her an accomplice. “For the record, if the claims about you being dead are so obviously false, I don't believe that you killed your father either....” she declared, her facial expression being somewhere between sympathy and encouragement.
“I got it!” she finally exclaimed, startling both the wolves. “Just a couple of old friends sharing the road until our desired destinations demand we go our separate ways. Sure the friends part is stretching the truth, but it may as well be as true as we can get at the current time without an outright lie. Besides, I remember you from the Academy. You were in Thunder house, I was Mist house..... I never forget a face. And you stole my tiger-eyes bracelet that had been sitting on my pile of books that I was reading in one of the courtyards. I remember chasing you down the corridors until a professor stopped us and made you give it back”.
Khalidah grinned at her own memory, walking back to Zephyr, untying the stallion and walking away from the tree before swinging up into the saddle again, preparing to set off again, hitting her head on a branch in the process. Khalidah glared at the eager reach of the tree, rubbing her head, healing the cut that had been left behind. “So how about it friend? Think that it's a good enough plan?” she teased slightly with a smirk. “Also, we should think about getting some new clothes. These uniforms will likely draw too much attention. We should... blend in”.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 18, 2013 2:34:49 GMT -5
Peregrine had been moody ever since he had dramatically proclaimed his name and title. He had been thinking about his own family, or what had been his family, until his wicked brother had torn it apart for his own greed, and what had happened to them. He hoped that Kestrel, his youngest brother, had the sense to run away and lay low. He sincerely hoped that he wasn't hidden in Riasglach somewhere. Peregrine had searched the prison-land for him, before he escaped. He had been half-hoping, half-dreading to find him there, knowing that if he found Kestrel, he would at least know that his brother was safe, but then he would have to face the fact that they were both locked up. He didn't want to think about what had happened to Kestrel if he hadn't the public eye fast enough. His sister might be safe because she was a woman, but she was a woman of royal blood, none-the-less and he knew Pandion wasn't dumb enough to trust that his reign was safe just because she was of the wrong gender to directly threaten his crown. He hoped that she had at least made it out of Eachnarnach. Their mother was the only one who was truly safe, for she wasn't of the royal bloodline and with their father slain, she could not bear any more children to threaten Pandion's rule, or the rule of, and here Peregrine shuddered, Pandion's future children and Peregrine's future nieces and nephews.
On the bright side, Khalidah hadn't appeared to show any hostility against him and she seemed to believe his side of the story. It was either that or she was a fantastic actress, but Peregrine doubted it; as he was a good liar himself, he was able to spot other good (and bad) liars and she was not lying.
"Why?" He asked, a bitter sarcasm ringing in his voice, "I killed him, didn't I? Killed my own father for my greed?"
He kept his mouth shut as she ran through a list of relations they could have to each other, but he shook his head at brother and sister. She was right: they looked nothing alike. She was distinctly sidhe, with beautiful features and long black hair, contrasting sharply against her pale-as-new-milk skin. Her beauty was not of the world of mortals, whereas he was definitely a mortal man, and one in a less-than-glorious state, at that. His usually well-groomed light brown hair was falling past his neck in a mess of matted curls and his skin as grimy and darker than it's nature light olive tone. He had a scruffy excuse for a beard and a distinctly "mortal" look about him. He was cat-like and graceful like her, and carried himself with great dignity, but there was something in the way she moved that set her apart from him. They were both tall and slender, but he towered her and probably would have considerably out-weighed her, if they had had enough to eat. She was right: they could not have pulled off brother and sister.
He was against the couple idea as well, but not so much as he was against the friends idea. "Friends" was too arbitrary, and he knew the villagers would be naturally suspicious of a man and a woman traveling exclusively together and claiming to be "just friends".
"No, not friends. That's too close to the truth." He said, too cranky to realize that he was acknowledging her as something like a friend for the first time. "Master and servant is the only believable option. I'll be master because I know how to play the part and you can be my indentured servant."
He took to staring moodily at the ground again, as if lost deep in thought, but he perked up when he heard the words, "new clothes".
"Please! Get these uncouth rags off of me!" He shuddered visibly and thought longingly of more princely garments, not wanting to think about how he wouldn't get to wear the clothes until...maybe ever. He had to blend in and look like the common man for his own safety. He didn't want to face that reality, at least, not yet.
A hint of a smile creased his lips as the memory was stirred within him. It had been glorious, back when he had been young and void of troubles and responsibilities. The world hadn't been so dark when he had stolen for fun.
"I would have given it back! ...Eventually." He smirked at her, a tad playfully.
|
|
|
|
Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 18, 2013 12:43:09 GMT -5
Khalidah visibly bristled when Peregrine's bitter sarcasm practically slapped her across the face. That was it was it? She had outright said that she believe him, only for him to twist it all because he was moody? “I was just trying to be nice...”
She looked away from him with a humph without finishing her retort, politeness be damned for all she cared now with his attitude the way it was currently. If he wanted to act like a moody spoilt princely brat, fine... she'd ignore him for the rest of the journey to wherever their paths determined they split company. Khalidah had been thinking of going with him back to his kingdom (mainly to practice her craft as a healer), but if he was dead set on acting that way when she had only been nice. Khalidah had been about to say that she had admired his father as a King, since she had studied all the royal lines... and to her King Falcon had been one of the greatest. But she wouldn't let Peregrine have the satisfaction of knowing that now.
“Master and servant is the only believable option.”
Khalidah turned in the saddle to frown at the idea her companion had suggested.
“Oh, really? So what, being friends isn't believable simply because I'm female?” she questioned, clearly annoyed by the superstitious attitudes of villagers. She was a common daughter herself, but her family had never been that suspicious. In fact her father had been quite adamant in his belief that men and women could simply be friends, and Khalidah believed the same... it was after all why she had suggested the friends line. After all, the best lies contained an element of truth within them to make them believable.
“I'll be master because I know how to play the part and you can be my indentured servant.”
Her? Acting the part of an indentured servant? And what gave the prince the idea that she could pull that part off if he didn't think she was a good enough actress already, and that she couldn't lie straight to his face.
“Shall I act the part of your indentured slut too, oh lord and master?” she shot back harshly. “How many people do you think would believe that a little lord that looks like skin and bones would have a female servant purely to serve and not entertain him with perky funbags and other such female anatomy?”
Khalidah paused for a moment to allow him to think over his logic, breathing deeply to quell her ire that he had raised within her. Now was not a good time to get angry and want to bite his neck.
“Wouldn't it be more logical if I was the master, or mistress to be technical, and you the servant? I mean, I'm in far better condition, physically, than you are currently. And it would be less suspicious for a lady to be travelling with a manservant for heavy lifting and, dare I say it, protection?”
Khalidah straightened her back to that she was sitting tall in the saddle and swapped her right leg to rest against the shoulder on Zephyr's left shoulder, adjusting her seat until she was perched in a perfect side-saddle position. It was acutely uncomfortable, but she could pull it off with ease, despite the saddle not being made for such a use. But her words were true, she was in better physical condition than the prince... having the wolves help her hunt back in Riasglach had helped ward off much of the muscle loss that would have befallen her otherwise. And since they had both had a bath in the river, she was clean and her otherworldly beauty could shine through once more. The clothes didn't do her justice, but given the right outfit she could play the part of a high lady with ease.
“Plus, there is one piece of logic you are overlooking Pip”, she said calmly, masking her annoyance with ease. She was still irritated with Peregrine's initial suggestion, but Khalidah was no stranger to pointing out his flawed logic by now. “We can not run the risk of you princely personality drawing unwanted attention to ourselves. You would be too easily recognised if you do not want to be found, purely based on your attitude”.
You had to admit, she had a point. A personality was as much an identity as a name was, and they were unique like fingerprints. If word got out of a lord riding into town with a personality that matched that of 'Prince Peregrine of Eachnarnach', then soldiers would probably be upon them within days... and possibly King Pandion would not far behind them, to see if the rumours of his dearly deceased brother was in fact alive. And Khalidah valued her own life to not run that risk of them being found... despite the fact that she was now an accomplice.
Khalidah laughed at the memory of Peregrine's thievery at the Academy.
“Oh yeah... sure. You would have given it back when I'd caught you and hit you on the head with my book...” she responded before kicking her heals into Zephyr's sides to set him into a walk, knowing full well that Peregrine was still on foot rather than horseback. “See you in town”.
The last comment would either hurry him up, or make him dawdle as he pondered over how he could poke holes in her logic about who was master in their charade, now that she had poked holes in his logic. But what were friends for if not to make you think twice? But no matter his time of arrival, Khalidah was going to go find some new clothing for herself. She rummage through a small bag that had been attached to Zephyr's saddle since Riasglach, finding a few coins... and she hoped that it was more than enough for herself and Peregrine (unless he wanted to find his own coins, which he was quite welcome to do). But first, clothing.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 19, 2013 2:05:30 GMT -5
"Calm your forever perky funbags," Peregrine said, without a trace of embarrassment, "That is exactly what I said. I'm not making a political statement that men and women can't be friends, I'm just stating what everyone else thinks, and in this situation, what everyone else thinks is important, unfortunately." He tossed his hair so his white-boy fro landed deftly over his shoulders. "And that's why us being 'friends' in town won't work. Besides, I don't think men and women can be friends," He added, as a personal after thought, "They can try, but I think that the need to copulate either drives a wedge between them or sends them off to the bedchambers." He looked rather pleased with himself. Indeed, he hadn't been pleased with himself in several days, since their escape, in fact. It was highly unusual for Peregrine to go a few hours without feeling pleased with himself.
She then went on rant and rave at him and the prince could not help but letting his tongue get the better of his judgment, per the usual.
"Oh, please be my slut." He begged, sarcastically. "I can't wait to throw you down on a magical toilet in some shifty alleyway and make violent love to you."
When she had gotten over being offended by his perfectly valid points, as he saw them, she went on to explain her side of the story logically. Peregrine did not like this at all, as he had to admit that she had a point, as much as he didn't want to. He was too busy examining the merits of derailing all of her (regrettably) more-valid-than-his points with an indignant shouting match. Instead, he just stared at her, tight-lipped and visibly irritated. Finally, he managed to squeak, "I wasn't always all skin and bones, I'll have you know! When I was a prince, I was a fine specimen of a man! I was fucking beautiful!"
Grinding his teeth, he swung back into his saddle and rode abreast with Khalidah as they made their way into town. After a few minutes, he mustered enough dignity to proclaim, "Fine. But if you think you'll have me prancing around, doing your bidding more than is necessary for our play-acting, you've got another thing coming, Madame Funbags!"
As he privately reflected on his tough lot in life as he fake manservant, they had reached the edges of the town, and Peregrine allowed himself to speak to her in something that resembled a civil tone. New clothes were being offered, so he might as well be slightly tolerable.
"So I'm guessing we're looking for a tailor?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 19, 2013 6:26:49 GMT -5
Khalidah turned in the saddle, still riding side saddle, to look at Peregrine with that 'logical' gaze of hers once more. “Yes, I'm sure you were quite handsome back in that castle of yours. But if you want to remain hidden from your brothers eyes for the time being, you need to tone it down a bit”, she said simply, a hint of sympathy tickling at her tone. It wasn't an order, but a friendly suggestion. “Now is not the time to go riding into town with a princely attitude blazing like the sun off a sword. However, when the time is right I will stand aside and let you do so, your grace.”
Granted, she had openly addressed him as your grace before they reached the border of the town to perhaps give him a little of his dignity back after she had shot down his idea earlier. “And don't fret. I will not overdo the necessary acting on my part, I won't have you doing too much”.
Khalidah tossed him half of the gold coins that she had found in the bag with a smirk. “Think that would be enough to get yourself some clothes? I've seen you pining over the tattered appearance of your precious locks, thought you might like a haircut too”.
As soon as Khalidah found something that looked promising for her own clothing needs she pulled Zephyr to a halt and dismounted, leading him to a place that she could tie him up. “Go sort yourself out Jack”, she called over her shoulder, reviving his old choice of alias to address him by, making that part seem like it was of his decision. She pointed further down the road at a particular building. “We'll meet up at that tavern later. We could use a decent meal and proper beds tonight”. Then with a charming smile in Peregrine's direction Khalidah slipped into the little shop that she had come across.
It was a quaint little shop, barely surviving thanks to the simple needs of villagers that either decided to be dressed simply, or did not have the coins to afford anything more extravagant. A older woman sat at the far end, sewing away at the hem of a dress that she was tending to when Khalidah walked in, and the Sidhe-Vampire hybrid could only assume that she was the seamstress. The woman looked up and smiled before going back to her work. “Be with you in a minute dear”. Khalidah nodded and looked around at the garments that the woman had already made; they were fine work, which Khalidah would have happily worn given her common status, but if she was to play the part of a lady, she would most likely have to hand out the extra coins.
The old woman stood up and walked over once she had finished the hem with a warm smile on her features. “What can I help you with?” she asked politely.
“Please forgive the interruption, madam, but I am in need of some new garments myself”, Khalidah addressed her politely, indicating the dresses. “These are all fine work. Did you make them?”
The woman nodded with a laugh. “You are forgiven, and yes, they are all my work. And my passion. New clothing? Let's see what I can do...”
Khalidah suddenly found herself subjected to being closely studied the woman, swallowing her nerves and praying that her guard uniform didn't draw attention. Relief washed over her however when she was simply described as tall before being led towards some dresses that were of finer quality than those she had been looking at previously. Now these dresses would have easily been worn by women of higher status, regardless of their humble beginnings. “These may still be too short for you, but I can lengthen them to suit your height if necessary”.
Khalidah studied each dress closely before selecting one that matched her own tastes. It had a dark blue body with a deep red neckline and sleeves. It reminded her of some of the fashion from the noble Sidhe ladies in her home land. And it was long enough to match her height easily. Apparently the dress was one of the more bolder designs that the seamstress had created and had not been able to sell it. Khalidah purchased the dress and plain looking grey cloak to cover it against the weather. She was glad to be rid of the guard uniform, changing clothes in a side room before wandering back into the street. Mounting up on Zephyr again, riding side saddle, Khalidah set about seeking out the tavern.
Once inside the tavern Khalidah found a table in a dark corner and sat down, studying the people that had already gathered in the tavern. She kept the coin bag hidden inside her cloak, having paid the stable boy to care for Zephyr (and Tremor when Peregrine arrived). Now all she had to do was wait for the prince to decide to join her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 19, 2013 16:01:12 GMT -5
She may have forgiven him for his brief stint in chauvinism, but Peregrine still hadn't forgiven her for pointing out how it actually made more sense for him to play the part of her servant. He hated how other people had more intelligent things than him to say and how their propositions ruined his day. He growled at her, making a bad-tempered, but not hostile, face at her, before turning his mare onto the town road and dismounting, just outside the line of shops. She was right, as much as he hated to admit it, and he had to act like a commoner. A prince would have ridden haughtily through the town road, with little care to who disapproved, and no one would, for no one questioned a prince riding down the rode. But it was almost easier for him to convince himself that he wasn't a prince anymore...almost.
He stopped outside of a small shack and glanced in to see a man and two boys in their early teens bustling about, carrying and cutting bolts of bolts while the master sat his table and sewed diligently. Clearing his throat, Peregrine instantly realized that common men knocked, instead of expecting everyone to know who they were from the sound of their throat clearing.
"Good morning, gentle--boys!" Peregrine said, reminding himself for the millionth time to cut his fancy vocabulary from his speech (how he hated dumb-ing himself down for the benefit of others).
Peregrine was helped by the boys, while the master remained on his perch, engrossed in his craft. The prince had to fight every one of his royal instincts to demand the master's complete attention, for he should only be waited on the best, shouldn't he? In the end, the boys helped him find a simple sage green tunic, form-fitting black trousers, knee-high black boots with a matching black belt and a black hooded cloak to keep him warm at night. He had wanted to buy gloves as well, but he regretfully decided that they were to haughty for a serving boy (he shuddered) to wear. When the boys asked him what had happened to turn his current clothes into rags, Peregrine said that the lady he served had gotten into a tight spot, and he had fought a dragon for her, which explained the singes on the black rags that had once been a prison guard's uniform. After paying for his clothing, which were worth the three gold pieces, Peregrine stopped by a nearby barbershop, where the barber made Peregrine look like himself again for five silver pieces (half of one of the gold pieces. Clean-shaven and relatively short-haired once more, Peregrine rejoined his companion, the remaining money jingling in his pocket.
"Okay, so I look like a dashingly attractive hero again. Now what?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 20, 2013 12:32:58 GMT -5
By the time the prince had decided to join her company, Khalidah had already bought them drinks and meals. It wasn't worth much, but it was better than nothing in her opinion, and the food had been recommended by the seamstress she had purchased her clothes from. While clutching her mead in one hand, Khalidah pushed one of the plates of food towards Peregrine with the other, a small grin playing across her features.
“You need to eat”, she spoke quietly, making sure that only he was the one able to hear her in their far corner of the tavern. “And drink. We have a long way to go yet, and this may be the best meal you will have for a while”.
The food was simple... very simple, a humble pie (literally). But Khalidah had been told that it was made from goat's meat, which was a delicacy compared to a simple sheep. There was even a pile of fire roasted vegetables on the plate – potatoes, carrots... even pumpkin. It was far more common compared to the elaborate feasts that the young prince would have been dreaming off, but it was a hearty meal... and Khalidah was determined to see him healthy; despite his arrogance and chauvinism.
Khalidah cast a cautionary glance around the tavern once more. Sure, it was an unusual time of the day to be giving the prince a pie to eat (especially for breakfast)... but it was good food and they both needed it. Plus, it was better than fish and burnt bacon which had originally been on offer. After a glance she decided to pick at her own plate.
“What we do is keep a low profile”, she suggested. “The less we draw attention to ourselves, the less people will be interested in us”.
She ate quietly, contemplating their next move. The first thing that came to mind was a map. They needed to know exactly where they were so that they had a bearing to work with.
“We're travelling blind”, she commented between mouthfuls. “A map. We need a map”.
The Sidhe-Vampire leaned back and rested her shoulders and head against the wall behind her, closing her eyes to the world if even for a moment. Not once since she had ended up in Riasglach had she thought that she would actually be free again. She had plotted several escape attempts in her head in the past, but never had she actually allowed herself to think that she'd have a slim chance of seeing her family again. There was still a long way between her and her family... but the faces of her brothers were starting to become clearer in her mind. Or at least, the faces they had possessed at the time of her abduction.
“Did you ever think you would be free again?” she asked her companion quietly, opening her eyes to look at him. “I didn't....”
Her voice trailed off when an all too familiar face stepped into the tavern, causing her to lift the hood of her cloak to hide her face in shadow.
“Pull your hood up”, she hissed to Peregrine, trying to keep calm despite the urgency behind her voice. “And keep quiet. One of the guards from our old hell hole just walked in....”
It wasn't just the guards uniform that had given away the man for what he was, but his face alone. It was the one face that Khalidah feared might create the end of their escape... a dangerous face. His dark hair cut within an inch of its existence and scars across both eyes... not to mention the missing ear. Khalidah knew his story... and she was all too willing to hide in the corner and pray to any gods that she and Peregrine were not found.
“I've seen him before. Some of the others called him Dario...” she explained to the prince quietly. “He killed one of the girls in Riasglach for the fun of it... after raping her. But he tortured her as he killed her... dragging it out slowly... piece by piece until she had bled to death.”
Thankfully this Dario fellow was on his own, having been rotated off duty for awhile to be replaced by some fresher guards that were not so predictable to the prisoners as some of the older guards were. Khalidah did everything she could not to gaze in his direction, praying softly in the ancient tongue while also trying to figure out an escape plan if the need arose. Even the wolves, who had taken to lying beneath the table, had moved further into the darkness of the shadowy corner, almost sensing the need to hide.
Please.... please.... make him eat or drink his fill and send him on his way, she repeated in her mind over and over as she prayed to any gods that might listen. There was a back door to slink through if necessary... but there arose problems. If they entered the stables they could be blocked in... if they ran for it without the horses, then they were easy targets. Khalidah could find no other solution than pray for luck... even her illusions would not work as distractions this time because she was too weak to cast any large sized ones just yet. Praying seemed like the best option just yet. Pray that they not be found.
((OOC: You can do what you like with Dario. He's a disposable NPC if necessary. Just thought I'd through a troublesome NPC their way before the playable cameo's of other members))
|
|
|
|
Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 22, 2013 0:31:02 GMT -5
Peregrine fell upon the food without reserve. He usually did, since he never knew where his next meal was coming from, so he liked to make the best of the one he had in front of him, and this food actually wasn't scrawny birds and the odd squirrel: this was actual real-people food! A year ago, he would have turned his up at a meal as simple as the spread before him, but since then, he had come to appreciate food in all it's glory.
"Did you think you would ever be free again?" Peregrine froze, mid-bite, his eyes glued on Khalidah. He blinked and then he gaze turned hard, guarded. He quietly closed his mouth, chewed his food, composed himself, wiped his mouth and cleared his throat. Ignoring her, he leaned over and whispered, "I prefer not to think about--" But she cut him off. His instinct was to argue with her, to tell her that he could keep his hood down if he wanted to, thank you very much, but by now, he knew that when she told him to put up his hood, she probably had a legitimate reason, like his safety. So, after a split-second hesitate, Peregrine casually shrugged his hood over his head and slowly turned his head around to catch a glimpse of the man she was referring to.
He recognized him too. He remembered the rape. It had been his first night, in fact. He had rushed in and tried to play the hero he was used to playing, but the man had called his friends and had savagely beat the boy who had tried to save her, knocking him unconscious as he walked the guard, Dario, or whatever his name was, set himself upon the innocent woman. The prince's temper flared and a strange, feral smile came across his face, the corner of his lip curling with an element of cruelty in it as he slipped a dinner knife into the folds of his tunic. He leaned over the table to whisper to Khalidah, the wild, feral look setting fire to his emerald eyes.
"I feel inclined to take his life." He smirked, a strange urge, the urge to kill and maim, the urge to make the man suffer for what he had done to maiden, coming over him. He had never had this feeling before, but damn, did the new novelty feel good.
((This would be an excellent time for Marcel to come in in the next few posts or so, y'know, for maximum awkwardness.))
|
|
|
|
Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 23, 2013 12:38:07 GMT -5
Khalidah had also been there the day the girl had been killed by Dario. The guards had rounded up several young women as potential “playthings” for this higher ranked guard... this, deranged man that had taken pleasure in her suffering. Khalidah had not seen Peregrine's attempt of heroics, as the girls had been blindfolded at the time. The Sidhe-Vampire had been amongst them... and once a victim had been selected, the rest were forced to watch.... from start to finish. She vaguely remembered an unconscious figure on the ground after her blindfold was removed... but she had not seen his face. After the girl had died and the other women were released, Khalidah ran... as fast as she could, and as far as she could.
Khalidah had ran to the swamps purely on the notion that very few guards ventured there... she would not stay in the settlements with other convicts if there was that slim chance of her being raped and then tortured to death. As a healer, the event had been horrific in more ways than one... a guard had physically held her back when she had begged to be allowed to heal the girl after the first cut had been made... the more cuts made the stronger Khalidah had struggled, wanting to help the dying girl. After the girl was dead Khalidah had been thrown to the ground and addressed as a “bleeding heart”.
Seeing Dario here, of all places.... Khalidah felt something that she had not felt since that day. Fear. She was afraid of him... of what he had done.... and the chance that she could have been his victim that day. She tried everything in her power not to look at him, sitting there praying to all the gods she could think off to protect her and prevent him from recognising her. Peregrine had his back to the guard, so his face would not be easily seen... but Khalidah had chosen her seat so she could monitor the tavern.... and now she was likely to be spotted.
Her hands shook, glued to her seat as she prayed that the deranged man leave without finding two escaped prisoners sitting in the same tavern as he was. Don't see me... please.... don't see me....
“I feel inclined to take his life”.
Khalidah snapped to attention, seeing the feral grin across Peregrine's features. “And what if you're caught?” she questioned of him. “What if there are more of them around? We could both be caught and dragged back to that hell hole kicking and screaming....”
The woman cast a glance at Dario and her eyes narrowed... her eyes becoming darker, dangerous.... thinking back to that innocent girl that had been killed. All sense of better judgement flew from her mind until only one thing remained – hatred. “You're right... he needs to die....” Khalidah's darker gaze fell upon the guard... how many more girls had this man raped and tortured for his amusement? How many more would die if they didn't kill him? It was a mercy really... killing him before he could harm any others.
Khalidah was distracted by a noise for a moment, but when she looked back she couldn't see any sign of the guard, Dario. She looked around the tavern again, thinking it was better to keep an eye on him, before Peregrine decided to end his pathetic life. She couldn't find him.
“Where did he go?” she whispered to herself.
((OOC: Might be a good time for Marcel Brier to pop in now... royally distract her))
|
|
|
|
Post by Marcell Brier on Jun 24, 2013 23:50:36 GMT -5
road to ruin It was a fine day in Dreos-Theine, bright, warm, a cool breeze from the west and a deep azure sky riddled with wispy mare's tails. Brier drove his big covered wagon down a wide, well-worn road, his two geldings plodding along contentedly, his dogs trotting around him. The Cat was on the bench beside him, sleeping; he was an exceptionally beautiful cat, massive and bright orange, with darker, reddish-brown stripes. The road was practically deserted today, Brier had seen hardly anyone but the occasional traveller in the last few hours, which was neither uncommon nor unwelcome. The town he was heading into was not large, but it was one of his favorites; there was a particularly lovely barmaid here, with the biggest breasts he'd ever seen, and a wit to match. Smiling wickedly at the thought of her, Brier was tempted to get his boys moving faster, but really, she wasn't going anywhere, and they weren't as young as they used to be, so he let them continue at their own pace. In a cheery mood, the goblin-nymph started whistling a tune, which briefly woke The Cat, who gave him a scowl and went back to sleep, and sent the dogs into an excited frenzy. They barked and bayed, darting around the wagon and nipping at the horse's heels; Basil and Goren snorted and tossed their heads, but they were accustomed to the dogs and more annoyed than genuinely distressed. Brier grinned and told the dogs to leave the horses alone, or he'd sell them to a fat merchant who would keep them on leashes. Two of them laughed and grovelled mockingly, but the wolfhound just fixed him with a bored expression and vanished into the trees. The rest of the journey was much of the same, and as they passed into town, Marcell was once again grateful that his only travelling companions were animals. Towns and cities were exotic, exciting, and intoxicating, but that first moment when he started hearing numerous human voices made his spine tingle; the idea of putting up with someone talking to him all the time was nightmarish. But stopping for a few days to have a little fun, get the latest gossip, and make his living, well that was always worth it. He waved and shouted greetings at those people he recognized on the streets, sometimes receiving the same in return, but more often than not, his cheer was met with scowls, embarrassment, or outright threats and curses. Oh yes, Brier had definitely visited this town before. His first stop was the stable; not just any stable, a very specific one owned by the town's horse traders. They always treated Basil and Goren right, and Brier was quite particular about how they were cared for. He helped the stableboy unhitch the geldings, rub them down, and turn them out. He left his wagon in the barn, paying an extra three silvers for its storage. The Cat promptly took off, as he always did, to do his own thing, and the dogs eagerly followed Brier as he strolled off through the town. He took a tour through the marketplace and all the shops, assessing what goods and services were new and which were the same, making mental notes of everything that struck his interest. He bought three thick, juicy cheese-filled sausages for the dogs, and decided that it was high time he paid Jillian a visit. So he made his way to the tavern, and told the dogs to wait quietly outside; the long haired bitch, a stray from Eacharnach, heaved a long, sad sigh, but laid down with her comrades and promised not to cause trouble. She didn't like it when Brier left. Moving inside, the trader's practised eye took in the room and all in it; he didn't see his beautiful ginger-haired wench, so he sidled up to the bar and waggled his eyebrows at the ugly man tending it. "You seen Jillian, mate?" The guy gave him a disinterested look, and grunted something about Jillian moving away. Oh, well that sucked. Disappointed, Brier ordered an ale and turned to examine the room once again, this time to look for a potential drinking buddy. There were plenty of locals in the tavern, and lots of strangers too, including a rather unpleasant looking fellow in a guard uniform. In a dark corner, away from everyone else, he spied two people with their hoods up, obscuring their faces. Well, that had 'interesting' written all over it, and eagerly he made his way over; from the looks of it, it was a man and a woman, and he slid into the seat beside the woman. With his most charming smile, he leaned into her, peeking under her hood; it was hard to see her face, but what he could see, he liked. "Well hello strangers, what a fine day to sit in corners and be mysterious. Can I play too?" He winked saucily at the man across the table. (( distracted yet??? I am! )) |
|
|
|
|
Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 25, 2013 12:56:17 GMT -5
The muscles in the prince's legs had already engaged and he was rising to a standing position when a man seated himself, without invitation, at their table. Out of shock and fear that he had been at their escape from Riasglach, Peregrine sat back down and bowed his head as much as he could without breaking eye contact with the man.
"Fine day to invite yourself into people's private conversations? I should think so." Peregrine shot back, a tad nastily, staring right back as the man winked in his direction. He had no concrete evidence for disliking him yet, but he did not like him, probably because he threatened Peregrine's status as the dominant (and only) male in their previously two-person party.
He fixed the bearded man with an icy stare, keeping as much of his face hidden as possible and listening for Dario behind him. "And just who might you be?" He demanded, haughtily.
|
|
|
|
Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 25, 2013 14:09:37 GMT -5
Her breath caught in her chest as a man that she would have initially described as a bearded, stinking barbarian, sat down beside her and leaned towards her, peaking under her hood to see her face. To ruin the man's ego, Khalidah's breath had not caught because of what good looks this man might have possessed, but rather in pure surprise. She had been so lost in her own lust to see Dario's blood fall that she had not seen the stranger walking over until the moment that he had slid his arse down onto the seat beside her. Then those blue eyes were winking at Peregrine. Khalidah pursed her lips and studied the man closely. Dark auburn hair, a pale complexion... and a charming smile. She would even dare to call it smug.
The fact that she could no longer see Dario removed whatever fear that had been left in her system so that she could focus on this new person – friend or foe, whatever he might turn out to be. Slowly she lowered the hood of her cloak to reveal none other than a pretty face. Long wavy locks of black hair sat in stark contrast against her own pale skin, and her own eyes were a brilliant silver-blue. Khalidah had always been considered a beauty, as were many of the Sidhe women, but Khalidah broke all stereotypes that were sometimes associated with women of beauty. She was not vain or snobbish... and she certainly didn't consider herself 'above' everyone else. She was rather down to earth in her mindset.
“Indeed, we were having a private conversation”, she addressed the stranger, more politely than her companion had. Khalidah cast Peregrine a quick glance, a blank expression than neither congratulated him nor scolded him for his behaviour.... it was more of one that said 'What have we to deal with now?' But she sent him another glance at his demand of who the newcomer was, silently telling him to tone it down with the demands. If Peregrine chose to remember, he was meant to be playing the role of her indentured manservant... not a high and mighty princeling in obvious hiding. “I do believe our game of mystery was by invitation only”, she shot back lightly. Khalidah may have been playing it calm and polite, but she had her wits about her.
Underneath the table, the newcomers feet had come close to Khalidah's pair of wolves, and the black male, Hania, in particular was baring his teeth at them, contemplating biting the stranger in a fashion of telling him to back off and away from Khalidah. She was not their mistress, but considered herself their pack mate. After all, it was what they considered her to be, a virtual pup in their eyes. The white female, Kachina, even began growling faintly at the offending appendages. Khalidah slipped a hand beneath the table to wave the wolves down, silently willing them to behave. Having them bite this stranger would attract too much attention.
Khalidah's spare hand took hold of her mead once more, occupying herself with that instead of looking at the bearded man. She had little to no interest in him to begin with, same as she held no interest in the rest of the folks in the tavern. Though, the Sidhe-Vampire had already guessed that this bearded stranger with a charming smile might have been the cause of her initial distraction that had made her loose sight of the guard. But no doubt Peregrine knew where the deranged man was lurking and see to... disposing of him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Marcell Brier on Jun 25, 2013 15:36:24 GMT -5
road to ruin Their reactions were nothing less than Brier expected; people were rarely thrilled to have absolute strangers accost them in foreign lands, especially when they were obviously trying to escape notice. But when it came to people, Brier had always been rather selfish, paying more attention to his own interests than those of others. So naturally, he felt no remorse for the discomfort he was now causing, could even be said to be enjoying it. The woman's gasp was thrilling, and sent shivers down Brier's spine. The man, who had been standing, sat quickly when Brier appeared, lowering his head and glaring at the trader from the shadows cast by his hood. Alternately, the woman seemed to relax ever so slightly, and even went so far as to remove her own hood, which was rather unexpected. She was even more attractive than he'd first thought, and clearly sidhe, or at least part sidhe; she wasn't even just attractive, she was beautiful. But weren't all of them? He smiled widely at her, a wicked glint in his eye, but before he could begin to flirt, the man spoke to him. "Fine day to invite yourself into people's private conversations? I should think so." His tone was hostile, but Brier didn't bat an eye. The woman agreed with her companion, though she was far more courteous about it, and as she spoke she cast the man a look that Brier had seem many times before. "And just who might you be?" Another, harder look from the woman. Ignoring the question for a moment, Brier took a few seconds to study them, and learn what he could; it was dark in here, but he was a professional. The clothing they wore appeared to be quite new, or at least little worn, showing no obvious signs of wear, and clearly made in the style of Sgaithte. The man's clothing, though fine, was simpler than the woman's, and despite the man's snarky attitude, Brier took the woman for the dominant partner. A merchant's daughter or lesser noblewoman with her servant, if Brier was guessing correctly; though that raised questions about why they were hiding. Maybe she was fleeing an unwanted marriage? Or had she offended someone dangerous? “I do believe our game of mystery was by invitation only” Brier was unfazed, and raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Well invite me then. I guarantee you, you'll never have more fun." Turning to the man, "And the name is Brier. I'm a trader out of Teumnach. Yourself?" A low growl caught Brier's attention, and he peered under the table to see two wolves, their teeth bared and their eyes on his legs. He was miffed he hadn't noticed them before, normally animals were the first to catch his attention. The woman gestured for the wolves to leave off, but he wasn't in the mood to get bitten, so he looked right at them and told them, "I'm no threat, so I suggest you keep your teeth to yourselves." |
|
|
|
|
Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 25, 2013 16:05:23 GMT -5
He disliked him. He disliked his confident presence, his likability. His beard. Peregrine couldn't grow a beard like that, or even pull off a beard like that. And then Khalidah lowered her hood...what the actual...WHAT?! Had she lost her mind? Dario was in the same room as them! Oh, so she thought he was cute, was that it? Peregrine rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, keeping his hood resolutely over his eyes. Everything about Beardy's presence put him in a royally bad mood, pun totally intended.
"Jack the Shadow. Greatest thief in Speirling." Peregrine spat, waving a hand carelessly at Beardy before returning it to its resting place by his ribs. He supposed that in another time and place, it would have been a handshake or a salute, but he couldn't be bothered to do more than flop his hand for Beardy.
"And you're name is Beardy." Peregrine stated, matter-of-factly. "And before you can carry on about how your parents thought Brier was a perfectly acceptable name, let me state that you might as well forget about it, as it's not going to be your name anymore, Beardy." He finished, sitting back in his chair and for once, enjoying the hostility of Khalidah's puppies. At least he and them could agree on this something. Maybe they weren't so bad after all. This Brier certainly was.
|
|
