A Light in the Shadows: Closed thread

[MadameNyx]

Eiri was surprised at his words and even more surprised at his offer to train her. As she thought about his words, she concentrated, pulling her orah under control. After a minute, her hair settled and her eyes became their normal gray, watching him quietly as she thought his offer over.

"Hmm sounds interesting... Are you a good teacher?" she asked in a teasing voice, even as she noticed how handsome he was. It really was a shame he was not allowed to take part in the society. She was sure he would've found a mate long before now, and probably have a few kids running about. Pushing those thoughts out of her head, she patted Chocolat lightly along her muzzle.

 

[The_gladiator]

He smiled just a little, "It depends on what I'm teaching." he said with a slight smerk, "But when it comes to magic, yes I am a good teacher, or so I was once told." he said shrugging slightly. Patting the horse again, Veldron turned away heading back towards his house, Pausing at the side of his house, where a long-bow leaned. He had obviously been practicing earlier, judging by a target far out hanging from a branch. With a snap he strung the weapon and pulling an arrow from the quiver lifted and fired almost seemlessly, the arrow smacking into the center of the target only a hairs breath from the dot. He had walked over to see how he did but knew where he'd hit, "A poor shot." he grouced, "Come let me see you shoot." he challenged with a smile, "Unless the pull of this bow is too heavy for you." he teased.

 

[MadameNyx]

Eirian watched him quietly as he moved towards the bow and shot the arrow. Now she would be lying if she didn't admit to herself that she thought him handsome but, right that moment, she was more interested in the way he moved, wondering if he had been a warrior like her mother. Or so she told herself. Then again, he had been there when she died, so he must be.

"Oh it'll be a little harder than my own bow, I'm sure..." she replied mildly as she walked towards him, her long hair and the bottom of her dress moving lightly around her as she did. Taking the bow from him, she smoothly placed the arrow in its place, took a second longer to aim and take a breath before she slowly released.

The arrow hit the dot.

Returning the bow to his hand, she simply answered "Pity. My instructor would be disappointed I took so long to aim." she replied, even though she had only taken a second longer than he, at the most.

 

[The_gladiator]

He watched her. She took only a second longer to aim than he, which to him was impressive. It was obvious that her mother had passed that particular gift with hand-eye coordination to her. He considered for a second before he nodded.

"A good shot, but if I was your instructor, yes I would push you to do better. Acuracy comes before speed always, unless you are providing distracting covering fire... But there are times in life where you might only have one arrow, don't make the shot unless you know you'll do damage. If this means you are slower until you build your speed and acuracy together, so be it. Wouldn't you rather have 2 dead enimies rather than four injured and pissed off enemies?" It was obvious he had given such a speech before, it was obvious instruction came easily to him and he fell into the role without even thinking.

"So I call that a good shot." he concluded. Especially when you consider this is a unfamiliar bow, with a different pull than yours." he said his words adding to his compliment. "I am faster because I am older, I've been shooting since before you were born, a good bit since before then, there is no shame in being slower than I..." his facial expression showed that surprisingly he was impressed by her. Impressed in many ways.

"He fell silent taking back the bow and shooting to cover up the fact that he had carried on a little, and he really wasn't sure what to say now.

 

[MadameNyx]

"I think I would've liked you as my instructor," the young elf said as she blushed lightly at his compliments before her voice lowered conspiratorially "I think the one I had is trying too hard to emulate Elder Aidwyn, by the way he's so serious all the time."

After her words, she found herself studying him some more discreetly. How could this man be labeled a rapist or a murderer? She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but he seemed much too... gentle for that, in a way.

Tilting her head back, she took note of the height of the sun. The ride over had taken most of the morning. It was already late afternoon and dusk would fall soon. Deciding to start getting things ready, she ran her fingers through her hair as she said "Dusk will be upon us soon. I'll go wash the dirt from my ride by the river and change before helping you put everything away."

With that she headed towards her stuff, grabbing a clean change of clothes.

 

[The_gladiator]

He snorted a laugh at her comment about the instructor. "Oh, I wouldn't doubt it."

Taking not of the sun himself he nodded his agreement with her and moved into the cabbin as she headed off to wash up. He found himself alone to start putting things away and to evaluate what he should cook them for dinner.

He rolled up his sleaves and began to mix ingredients together, intending on making some bread. Soon he had flour to his elbows and found kneeding the bread was relaxing and distracting, giving himself something to focus on other than the elven female that was his temperary companion. He wanted to stay gruff to keep her at a distance but found that in all honesty he liked her company... probably more than he should.

 

[MadameNyx]

After grabbing her clean clothing and noticing him walking inside, Eirian made her way slowly to the stream. Pulling at the bindings of the dress, it felt like no time at all before it pooled at her feet, the sound of the silk brushing her skin the only sound aside from the site moving water and the mare close by. Giving a last look over her shoulder, wondering if the other elf could see her through the open window, she slowly made her way into the water, feeling it embrace her form. Remembering her promise to help with putting the supplies away, the young elf quickly washed her body and hair before she returned to where she had left her clothing, slipping the simple burgundy robes on without waiting for her skin to dry. The clothing seemed to mold to her wet form, but she ignored it as best she could, knowing it would dry rather quickly. Leaving the fancy dress to be washed later, she entered the house to find him already making something for them. "Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked in a soft voice, feeling rather guilty she had taken so long with her wash.

 

[The_gladiator]

although relaxing and suitably rhythmic, working the bread did not completely banish thoughts of his visitor. Her sliding out of that dress, the way the dress had hugged every curve, providing more than its share of glimpses of tan skin. The way her dark curls had kissed her skin, licking the tops of her breasts, full for their kind. "God you lech that's enough." he growled under his breath.

This was elder aidwyn's trap. Sending him a woman after this long, a woman who if she had pale skin and more height to her could have been the image of Lydian. Gods Lydian. There hadn't been a single day that Veldren hadn't thought of her over the past 30 years. How could he forget her. To think now he was confronted with her daughter. A daughter who was not his, but still. Aidwyn sent him her, knowing that the thought of being with her would draw and push him away. She was a beautiful woman and looked just like Lydian drew him in, and it had been so long. But the fact that she was not Lydian, and by rights should have been his daughter in all but blood, made him pull away.

He took a deep breath, needing to clear and center his thoughts, he needed to consider her for who she was, not as the reminder of his lost love that Aidwyn had flaunted to torment him, not the daughter he should have had, but as a young woman who was trying to make the most out of an uncomfortable situation. She obviously did not hate him, she in fact seemed genuinely interested in spending some time with him, he needed to focus on that.

He looked up as she entered, "You did not take that long, and I know how a long ride can make you feel. When in the military I an remember days when we rode or marched so long that at the end of the day All I wanted to do was bathe or sleep, and I could never decide which I wanted more." For someone who had resolved to not even interact with his guest when she first arrived, Veldren found talking to her easy, and found tha he wanted to open up to confide in her, to just enjoy the company, before it was stolen away from him.

"You can put some of the food away, just look around, if you have a specific question about where things go feel free to ask." he said. Again, he found himself surprised he was allowing her to invade his privacy, but the truth was what else was she going to do, she might as well make herself useful.

 

[MadameNyx]

Hearing his words, the young elf blushed lightly, still feeling guilty. Nodding quietly at his instructions, she busied herself with putting stuff away, not having much trouble finding where things went. All she had to do was find the place where she would've put whatever she was holding... it usually turned out to the the correct place.

Even while she moved, she was deep in her thoughts. Her curiosity was begging her to ask him more about the time he spent with her mother and anything else he could remember about her. She had heard very little about the woman that gave birth to her from Elder Aidwyn... But she held herself back. The way he had closed down after speaking only a little bit about her mother made her hesitate.

Once she was done putting the regular foodstuffs away, she grabbed two boxes she had brought herself. Eirian was unsure if the elders had sent him honey mead or wine before, but she thought they should enjoy themselves at least a little. It was, after all, his first festival in a very long time with some company and, though they wouldn't pertain in all the usual activities, they could at least do this.

"I hope you like honey mead or wine..." she said in a soft voice before sitting in one of the seats around his small table.

 

[The_gladiator]

He worked in silence, there was so much he wanted to say to her, so much that he wanted to ask, to share their stories. However the reserve forced upon him by his defenses kept his tongue still.

He watched the liquid grace with which she moved through the kitchen putting away the supplies. Most of them were food stuffs, but others were items such as cloth, he could make into clothing or linens. She moved like she owned the place and had been doing this for years. Veldren supposed perhaps it had to do with the fact that he was highly organized and he arranged things in a logical manner. As he watched her his mind ran through many thoughts. One trail of these thoughts took him to the festival, and again wondering what exactly her duties involved. Was she truly here to meet “all” of his needs? Would he be granted a full joining, and as with his thoughts earlier, would such a union between them be the best of ideas?

He forced his green eyes away from her form when she went to sit. However, she recaptured his attention when she spoke. “I try to make my own wine, I have not had much success, and it has been a long time since I have had true elven faewine.” He said, light footsteps drawing him to the table to lean down over her shoulder to peer into the box she held. “Being in the military, I never partook of it regularly, but it was always a treat especially during festival times.”

 

[MadameNyx]

"Well, I'm glad I decided to bring some then. I figured we should at least enjoy ourselves during the festival." The young elf replied in a soft voice, a little startled by his sudden nearness after the way he had avoided touching even her hand before. His soft voice and the brush of his long hair against her arm mad her cheeks get hot, though she was glad he could probably not tell she was blushing because of her darker skin color.

Feeling a little lightheaded, Eirian rose from her seat and gently put the boxes of mead and wine to the side, clearing the table for them. "I will go wash my dress now..." she said in a soft voice before quickly walking through the door. Once outside, she sighed softly, bent to retrieve the dress from where she left it and made her way to the stream.

Really what was wrong with her? She had come out of a sense of duty and compassion, unable to pass up the opportunity to give him a bit of company during a time of celebration for their people, but that was all. He had known her mother, loved her as he had admitted herself. She really shouldn't be getting these reactions from him.

Rubbing her mare's nose in passing, she knelt by the river edge and started to scrub the delicate fabric, shivering a little in her thin dress as a gust of wind teased her form.