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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jul 25, 2020 2:47:41 GMT
Kaitan offered a silent prayer of gratitude to whatever deity in the pantheon kept Valhael from questioning him further. This was made alongside a plea to make sure his own tongue didn’t run away on him again.
As the evening wore on, the rabbits cooked and thoroughly picked to the bone, the dragon’s gaze continuously flicked to the elf for a heartbeat, as if he was making sure all was well, that she wasn’t suspicious of him or his intentions. Ironically, this “fear” kept the more genuine threat of being revealed at bay.
It wasn’t like he could easily explain that, given he was of a very rare breed, that he’d grown up being able to masquerade as a human, and so was most accustomed to the two-legs even though his own form was decidedly different… he’d never met a female of his kind, other than his own mother. Once he met a male, a fire elemental who preferred hiding in the mountains with his mate compared to dealing with the two-legs. But dragons had needs too, and when a human, albeit an unusually tall, pale one, Kaitan had gotten enough attention to have experience with women. From his upbringing, he felt a very natural attraction to them. Valhael was one prime example of that, with her deep blue eyes and lithe, graceful form…
And again, the momentary glance was pulled away, ever concerned that his attention would be noticed. His tail had wrapped itself almost defensively around the rock he sat on, wings resting alongside. Again he questioned why he had been so vocal before, and so prone to the slip up. Was it because she’d stayed even though she knew what he was? No woman had ever known. Not known and not tried to kill him, anyway. Or was it that, believing her now about not trying to turn him over, he didn’t want her to have a bad impression of him? He didn’t know, and only hoped that he could do better at keeping his mouth shut.
Which, given that the food was gone and now only empty space filled the air around the campfire, was not very likely.
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Post by Kelathi on Sept 21, 2020 22:14:40 GMT
The meal was rather uneventful, or at least, it was for Valhael. Unlike Kai, she had little romantic experience in the opposite sex, so signs that might be obvious to some, such as her companion's careful glances in her direction, were easily missed. It wasn't for a lack of opportunity, but rather, any attention up to this point had been unwanted. She'd spent so long running from those that meant to do her harm, that love, or even lust, had always been the last things on her mind. It wasn't, of course, to say that she didn't find Kai attractive in this form, quite the opposite. But to think she had any kind of effect on him would not even enter her head. So she ate on, thankful to have a share in the food that had been meant for Kai, and oblivious to his attentions.
***
"Why did you end up in that camp?" She asked suddenly. It had been something she had been musing on whilst eating, and now she was placing the last bone down, she finally voiced her thoughts.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Sept 25, 2020 1:53:31 GMT
Kaitan had been idly watching the fire for the few minutes prior to Valhael’s question, finally keeping his gaze to himself. His mind had wandered too, considering what their next steps should be. In some ways, it seemed obvious… they’d part ways, safer to be alone rather than remain together. But there was always that question of what they would take with them. In her case, it was knowledge that he wasn’t a man, but a dragon, a creature that could disguise itself. And in his case, it was knowing her face, knowing she was once captured by the Templars, and was somehow connected to the green lightning, the black cracks in the sky. They were dangerous to each other either way.
It was these circling thoughts that slowed his response to her question, looking up at her with wide eyes a moment after she spoke. Another few moments to consider her question, eyes again drifting to the side as he recalled the circumstances.
“I… it wasn’t planned,” he decided, his gaze moving to her, but focusing on her arm, the same that had closed the rift before. “I was…” Kaitan paused, hesitant to tell the truth, so used to hiding it. But he pushed through it. “I was just escaping some hunters, who found me because I had to change back. I was already exhausted, but then I felt… something. I don’t know what it was, but then the sky broke. I knew people from there… the townspeople were kind, even to a foreigner like me.” A tone of fond memory, tinged in sadness. “By the time I got there, they were gone. All that was there were Circle sorcerers and Templar soldiers. It was chaos, figuring out what had happened, what needed to be done. When I was asked what I was doing there, I claimed to be from one or the other. No one ever tried to verify what I said or who I claimed to be. But to leave in the middle of that…”
Kaitan’s voice trailed off a little, taking a deep breath that he slowly let out again, barely above a whisper. If he’d left, it would have been suspicious, especially given how easily he was mistaken for a sorcerer. A hand came up to rub at his face, as if he needed the moment to distract from the memory. “So… I know why you ended up in the camp,” he began, his tone anything but accusatory. “What I don’t understand is how you’re connected to that crack in the sky.”
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 15, 2021 14:04:29 GMT
Her eyes were focussed on his face as he spoke, listening intently. She could sense sadness there, his words sincere. He clearly felt very strongly about those people that he didn’t really even know, and she thought it both strange and admirable. Soon the attention inevitably directed back to her, with his question about her involvement in this whole mess.
“Neither do I.” She answered quietly, her gaze sombre as she redirected it to the fire. “I… remember fragments. I had been running up a hill…” The sharpness of her breath, like ice in her lungs, yet they burned… “I was running from something, and at the crown of the hill there was a temple. Next thing I remember, I’m in a cell, with this great pain in my arm, shots of green electricity… of light, shooting down my arm and out from my hand…” And then they had taken her to the rift, Solas had lifted her arm and somehow, with a great surge of energy, she had closed it. The next time she awoke she had been in the tent.
She didn’t mention the voice, the bright light. It sounded crazy, even to herself, and she wasn’t entirely sure it hadn’t just been an imagining, a scrap of a dream interwoven with her memory.
“When I woke up in the tent, the pain in my arm was gone, but I can still feel…” She paused, running her hands up and down her affected arm gently. “Whatever it is… it’s still there.” She finished, quietly.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 24, 2021 17:24:27 GMT
Kaitan had watched her speak, his gaze soft if still a little confused. So, it hadn’t just been his imagination then. She had almost no idea as to what the green energy had been, nor did almost any of the other soldiers. Only a few of the leaders seemed to have any inkling. Cassandra, Solas… Alistair.
His gaze dropped momentarily as he recalled the warden’s look as his face shifted. Magic was needed to flee, but it meant sacrificing what he had put into his human form. When pale scales and dark stripes rippled across his face, the warden had been shocked. But he had seen… and as far as Kaitan knew, he’d survived.
“At least…” he began, softly, uncertain of what to say but somehow uncomfortable with the silence her words had left. “It isn’t hurting you anymore.” After such a sombre conversation, the two fell again into quiet, even after the dragon’s attempt at positivity.
Sleep was finally agreed upon by nearly nodding off by the fire. It was warmer now than it had been the night before with the heat from the flames, but Kaitan found himself curling up a little all the same. Rather than dominate the space a second time by reverting to his true form, he maintained at least this partly human shape as he finally laid out, one wing draped over himself as a sort of blanket. Despite his elvish company, and the long sleep he had already taken, he fell into dreamless slumber quite easily, his internal warmth keeping away the chill of the cave as the night wore on.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 24, 2021 19:08:04 GMT
A grim smile at his words. This was true, at least whatever it was seemed calm now.
Later, she lay staring at the waning fire, watching it lick greedily over the branches it consumed, thinking about the day’s events. Unbidden, memories of before, the reason why she’d been on the run in the first place, began to rise too. She rolled over, so that her back was to the fire and to Kai, trying to dispel these unwanted thoughts. She thought of the sun beating down on her, the days of lying in meadows of daisies. She thought of the crisp feeling of ice-cold water on her limbs, the sound of babbling brooks. But the dark thoughts refused to be chased away so easily. As she found herself slipping off into slumber, they arose again, uglier still. Memories of a cruel face. Pain. Blood.
With a frustrated sigh, she rolled over again, wrapping her arms about herself and closing her eyes tightly. After a few moments, she peaked one eye open, looking through the dying flames at her companion. He seemed to be fast asleep, one wing draped over him comfortably. With a sigh, she sat up, looking towards the cave mouth. She lifted her knees, tucking them under her chin and wrapped her arms around them, staring out into the dark. Eventually, she began to see phantom movements, her brain making up sightings of things that were not really there. And although she knew this was just an illusion caused by tired eyes and a tired mind, she had stiffened, her limbs feeling cold yet her hands clammy. She imagined him being out there right now, looking for her, the phylactery in his hand growing warmer and brighter every second…
She pushed her knees away, planting her hands on the hard ground either side of her. This was real. This was not merely fancy, unlike the visions that tried to trick her into fear. The thought grounded her, and she found her gaze drawing to her companion once more. He looked so calm in slumber, so at peace. She tipped her head to the side slightly, considering him. He looked so comfortable.
It probably wasn’t one of her best ideas, but she was exhausted, anxious for sleep, and desperate to chase away these intrusive thoughts. So, quietly, she’d crept up to him, and crawled underneath his wing. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she nestled up to him, her back pressing against his chest, her head just beneath his chin. He was warm, comforting, and for the first time in years, she felt safe. Finally at peace, she fell into slumber.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 24, 2021 23:41:08 GMT
Kaitan barely stirred as Valhael slid into his grip, his breath still slow and deep, and every so often a soft sound, not quite a rumble, would escape him in his sleep, as if soft sighs that couldn’t help but reverberate. This was a healing sleep, but it was not as desperate as his earlier had been, with no risk of his breath stopping short.
By the time the dawn had come, their fire had almost entirely burnt itself out. But it still let out a warming scent into the cave, sheltered from the outside by the curve of the wall and the greenery Val had moved. The two figures hadn’t stirred much at all, except for the notable fact that after Valhael had curled within the dragon’s grasp, he had curled around her, one arm draped over her, the other coming up to rest against her side. Even his tail had slid up towards them, cocooning her as he had done the night before within the grasp of his claws.
It would have been a lie to say that his own sleep hadn’t been improved by her presence, the way he curled into her sign enough of the need for touch, even as he was oblivious to the show.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 25, 2021 1:34:08 GMT
Valhael had awoken slowly, peacefully. Her eyes fluttered open, and it took her a moment to remember where she was. Golden light drifted in between the gaps of their curtain of foliage, and she could hear distant birdsong. When it came to her, she relaxed again, and then stretched languidly, enjoying the last few shreds of comfort and warmth before she would have to move. She was mildly amused to find that in the night, Kai had curled around her, the prison of his arms making her feel safe rather than restricted. But as she moved to pull herself out from his clutches, she found she could not, as he only seemed to wrap his arms around her tighter. “Kai?” She whispered, not wanting to wake him if he truly was so deep in slumber. Gentle breathing was her only answer, so, she relaxed again, melting back into his warmth rather than fighting against it.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 25, 2021 3:29:21 GMT
Since Val let Kai sleep, they were there for another hour. Even then, when he finally did stretch around her in the throes of waking up, he seemed as if he could have slept another few days.
Slowly he opened his eyes, taking in a deep breath, a soft rumble escaping him as he breathed in a pleasant scent… but he paused, his mild expression quickly stiffening into one of groggy confusion when he realized that the sweet scent of the elf was there because she was literally under his nose. In his arms…
Did… did he drag her over or something? He saw no marks on the ground no on her as he slowly uncurled around her, hands flexing back as if afraid that too quick a movement would bloody her delicate skin.
“Is…” How was he supposed to ask how she got there? If he had dragged her… or if she had gone to him? “Everything… ok?”
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 25, 2021 23:28:58 GMT
Valhael would have fallen back into slumber had Kai not taken that moment to shift, his body loosening about her. Instead of acting embarrassed, or even mildly surprised, she followed his movement with a stretch, unabashed and unaware of how she was presenting her form to him. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand as she yawned, before fixing her blue eyes onto his. There was a relaxed look to her gaze and her body that had not been there the day before.
“Everything’s good.” She answered, with a sleepy smile. She sat up then, taking a moment to look about herself thoughtfully, before standing and walking away a few paces, this time facing the cave entrance as she stretched again. “Did you sleep well?” She asked innocently.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Feb 6, 2021 21:15:32 GMT
It was good that she had moved when she did, otherwise she might have noticed how much her rubbing and moving against him would affect him.
As it was, she left before anything happened, although there was an ache when the cool morning air hit where she had been warm against him. Kaitan quickly pushed the feeling down, sitting up himself, if a little awkwardly for having been partially lying on his wing for warmth.
So. She must have gone to him, then, rather than his somehow sleepwalking and dragging her over, if she was so calm about waking up in his arms again. Which… was surprising, for obvious reasons. She had even looked more at ease waking up in his arms than she had since he met her. Given that he had watched her close some sort of rift, was questioned about being hero or monster, and was on the run, it… was still odd.
“F-fine,” he answered quickly once he realized she was asking him a question, watching her silhouetted form before looking elsewhere, deciding that what was needed was to test his strength again. So he stood as well, eyes closing momentarily as he tried to shift. He was pleased when he was able to change and stay in his human form, not fully recovered but well enough to travel once again.
Travel… Again he glanced at Valhael, gaze soft but dark as he looked away. If he was well enough to travel, then this was likely the end of their time together. But it wasn’t safe for either to stay in one place long, and it wasn’t safe for them to travel together. It would be twice the number of people looking for them both.
But Kaitan was loathe to bring up the subject, instead busying himself with prodding their campfire, examining its warmth and considering if it was worth rekindling or not.
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Post by Kelathi on Feb 7, 2021 0:08:41 GMT
Stifling another yawn, Valhael turned just in time to see her companion change again. She watched unabashedly, eyes shining in awe, and as he began to prod at the fire, she approached him, crouching on the other side. “Does it hurt?” She asked quietly, hesitantly, eyes on the dying embers for a few moments, before flickering back up to his. "Changing form?" She elaborated. Magic was something that both frightened and fascinated her. Her experience with it had rarely been good, not just recently but also in the distant past.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Feb 7, 2021 0:41:41 GMT
Kaitan paused as Valhael spoke, not from surprise at her approach as he had noted it without looking up, but considered her question before finally looking up at her. “It doesn’t hurt,” he began, unsure how his words would be understood. “It just feels… funny. And energy. It-it takes a lot of energy to… compress.”
Again his gaze shifted away, not used to the attention or the explanations. Then he looked out towards the sunlight of the cave opening, knowing it was probably safe to leave. He heard and scented no one in the area, and they could very easily part ways without anyone knowing.
“S-so, um,” he began again, straightening up a little to rub at the back of his neck, reluctant to speak. “The fire’s out. I mean… I guess… it’s… well, p-probably should start heading out… don’t want to stay too long somewhere. Ah… thanks again, for… your help.”
The way he said this was uncertain, an odd regret even as he tried to say goodbye before finally standing, grabbing his bag and preparing to head out, alone.
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Post by Kelathi on Feb 7, 2021 0:52:34 GMT
Valhael listened silently, her gaze intense. She pondered his words for a few moments, and had just been working out how to frame her next question when he had changed the subject. As he straightened, she stood up too, head cocking to the side slightly as she listened, her blue eyes wide and oblivious to the words that were about to come out of his mouth. Once they did, however, it was impossible to not see the impact they had. She looked immediately downcast. Not only did she look disappointed, but a flicker of fear even crossed her face at the prospect of being alone.
Alone. Again.
“Oh.” She responded quietly, as he grabbed his satchel, her arms coming up to wrap about herself, pre-emptively cold, as if he had already left.
“I understand. I’d just thought… well…” She paused, looking away towards the cave entrance for a moment before bringing her hesitant gaze back to him, wondering if she should even explain what she had been hoping for, as it seemed foolish now. “I guess I’d just hoped you might want to travel together for a while… I mean, I get why you wouldn’t want that.” A small smile, apologetic, even.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Feb 7, 2021 1:08:07 GMT
Kaitan had hesitated when she spoke, but certain of what was to happen. There had never been any discussion about staying together, from the first they had planned to part ways once they had escaped. But he had stilled as she voiced her hope, looking back to her with wide-eyed surprise.
“You’d… you want to travel with me?” he began, confused, then shaking his head a little - yes, she did because she had just said so - he tried to recover and answer, obviously unprepared for such an idea. “That… I mean… I’d… um…” was how he began, however, looking at her in snatches, a flush of red on his cheeks the less articulate he became. Finally, he closed his eyes again, as if not seeing her would clear his voice. It did… mostly.
“I-I-I would… like that… if-if you really… wanted… to.”
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