Quest For Atonement (Closed For BlondeAmbition4RP)

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

After she had finished bathing herself, Myrina walked back to where she had left her things along the shoreline and retrieved one of the daggers from its harness. She then walked, still nude, over to a patch of high reeds growing beside the spring. Selecting a long sturdy reed that was about four feet long and two inches wide, she used the dagger to cut it off at its base and then used the thin leather cord that had been tied around her head to keep her hair out of her eyes to tie the dagger to the end of the reed, forming a spear.

Spear in hand she slowly walked back into the spring, searching out the rocks and crevices where she knew the river catfish liked to hide. Even in the waning light, it wasn't long before her eyes spotted one. It was long and fat, and would be more than enough for her and Lucian to share between them.

With one quick strike the deed was done, the fish speared through the head and Myrina walking back towards the shore with catch in hand. She cleaned and gutted the fish by the water and then rinsed off her hands before walking back over to where she'd left her things. Her body still damp from her time bathing and fishing in the spring, she decided not to put her clothes back on just yet and so she walked nude back towards Lucian, her things gathered under one arm and the speared fish gripped by the hand of the other.

His back was turned to her and so she cleared her throat a bit as she approached to announce her arrival, standing a little ways behind him and setting down her things.

"Loan me your tunic?" she requested, not wanting to have to remain nude while she cooked the fish, but not wanting dampen her own clothes with her still wet body and dripping locks.

"Once I'm dry I'll change back into my own clothes and I will lay it out to dry for you. It should be fine by morning when you need it again."

 

[LucianDevine]

The sound of Myrina clearing her throat made Lucian turn his head. He was completely and utterly shocked at what he saw. I mean hell, how could he possibly have expected to see her standing there naked, skin glistening in the failing light of the setting sun, her clothes under one arm with her other arm holding a makeshift spear with a fish impaled on it.

Time seemed to slow down for Lucian as he stared at the sight in front of him for what felt like hours. He finally forced himself to blink and turn away. He rose to his feet, keeping his gaze lowered and to the side. He wasn't the kind of man who blushed easily, but his cheeks felt like they were on fire as he stepped towards Myrina and offered her his tunic. He then reached out to take the spear that she held so that she could put it on. Only then did he finally turn completely away from her, trying to be as respectful as possible in this near-impossible to imagine scenario that was somehow a part of.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

The shock had been obvious on Lucians' face, and Myrina could not help but notice as well the way that he had stared for a moment at her nakedness before turning away. When he rose and handed her his tunic, eyes downcast this time, by the light of the setting sun and campfire's glow she spotted a blush in his cheeks. Clearly he had not been expecting her to join him still nude, though she was confused by why he had responded to it as he had. He had been surrounded by naked women the other day at the river after all, was this really that different?

At least that was what she tried to tell herself as he politely held the speared fish for her and turned his back while she quickly pulled his tunic over her head and slipped it on, doing her best to ignore the way her pulse quickened and her own cheeks warmed slightly at the sight of his bare upper torso and the lines of his back as he stood before her.

"Here, I'll take care of that..." she offered, stepping forward and reaching for the spear, her fingers unintentionally brushing over his as she took it from him and sending a tingle up her arm in response.

She quickly stepped back and moved away from him towards the fire. Crouching down she picked up a spare piece of wood from the pile he had gathered and began to stir the red hot coals beneath the burning wood, trying to focus on her task and ignore the confusing and potentially dangerous sensation.

She could not allow herself to become attracted to this man. They had a mission to complete and it would only distract her and complicate things. After all, depending on what they found or didn't find in the temple the next day he very well could be sentenced to death as soon as she brought him back to camp. Best not to become too attached.

Raking the hot coals into a large pile right at the base of the flames, she removed the already gutted fish from the spear. Unfastening the dagger from the end of the spear, she used it to cut a couple of deep X's on each side of the fish and then laid the fish down upon the coals to cook.

"There... shouldn't be long now," she commented, risking a glance over at him as she sat down near the fire.

 

[LucianDevine]

It would have been easy to assume that when Lucian turned around, it would have been easier to keep his body and mind in check now that Myrina was clothed. That may have been the case if not for the briefest of touches of her fingers against his when she reached out and took the speared fish back. That brief touch sent the tiniest of surges up his hand and actually had his eyes closing briefly in surprise.

When Myrina had the fish once more and was crouched in front of the fire, Lucian tried to think of something to distract himself from thoughts of her. His mind naturally went to his weapon, and it actually reminded him that it still had some blood lingering on it from the men he'd killed the day before.

Remembering the blood on his weapon was just the distraction that Lucian needed. He headed towards where his sheathed weapon was resting and pulled it from the sheathe. He took a moment to examine both sides of the blade in the light of the fire before bending down to pick his cloak up with the other hand and turning his back to the fire and heading back towards the stream once more.

The walk towards the stream was naturally short, and it didn't take Lucian long to wet the entire blade. He wasn't sure what exactly Myrina would think of him having his blade out of her sight, so he didn't linger by the river too long. He walked back towards the fire and sat back down next to his things within her line of sight. His other hand still held his cloak, and it was once he was finally settled back down that he used the bottom of the cloak to slowly wipe any lingering blood from the blade while also drying the weapon.

Lucian's hands worked slowly and methodically on the weapon, showing a sort of reverence as he took care of it in a way that he'd clearly done many times before. This was the first moment since he'd fled from his home that he was truly relaxed, something that was was unusual to the least, given how soon he might face his own execution. Such thoughts weren't on his mind at this moment though, and he wasn't even sure how much time he'd spent just cleaning and running his cloak over his weapon until he heard Myrina speak. He lifted his gaze to meet hers, and actually blushed a little bit. His blush wasn't from the sight of her nearly nude body dressed only in his tunic though, but rather from embarrassment at how lost he'd been in his task, almost unaware of anything else around him until that moment.

"I'm already looking forward to it." Lucian said with a small smile, the smell of the fish almost making his mouth water after the brutal trek through the forest.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Myrina could not help but notice the slow, diligent care that Lucian took with cleaning and wiping dry his blade. Nor did she miss how relaxed he had become as he'd lost himself in the task. Being a warrior herself, she could admire the fact that someone would have that much respect for the care of their weapon, and he seemed so at ease that she almost felt badly for having interrupted him when he lifted his gaze to hers and she noted the embarrassed look on his face.

When he smiled she found herself smiling back at him in return.

"There is some dried fruit and nuts in the pack if you need something while you wait," she suggested with a nod towards the bag he'd been carrying before.

She rose for a moment again and used the piece of wood to turn the fish over within the coals so both sides would cook evenly, the tunic creeping higher up her thigh as she bent over. It was only for a second or two though and then she was finished, moving to sit again and glancing over at him.

"The blade... it means a lot to you," she observed, "Was it a gift?"

 

[LucianDevine]

Myrina's reminder of the nuts and dried fruit in the backpack was appreciated, but Lucian was content for the moment. "Thank you, but I'm okay for now." He said simply, looking up from his weapon to meet her gaze and offer up a small smile before lowering it back to his weapon.

The second question that came from Myrina could hardly be considered unexpected under the circumstances, and when Lucian spoke, the words came easily enough. "Yes, from my brother. Everybody was surprised when I chose to try and be a Warblade like him, and none of them believed in me except him. He practiced with me for hour every day for weeks."

Lucian's eyes sort of glazed over as he continued to speak, his hands pausing in their work on his weapon. "Most warriors say that the weapon should be an extension of your body, but for Warblades it's one step further. Your weapon is an extension of your body and mind. The physical motions of the maneuvers we do are simple enough, but that's at the end of it. Each maneuver starts in your mind, and the power moves through your body and ends in the blade."

After Lucian spoke about the maneuvers themselves, Lucian was silent for a time, debating whether to finish the story. He figured there was no harm in it though, and spoke up once more. "My brother gave this sword to me after I successfully executed my first maneuver, cementing my status as a Warblade, even if I was a novice one at the time. I've carried it with me every day since, and even used it and one of the maneuvers to strike the final blow on the dragon." He turned his gaze briefly towards his armor where it lay on the ground beside him, but continued to speak. "I went to him in the hopes of convincing him to come with me on this quest when I overheard the demons talking about the temples, but when I got to his room, I saw him conversing with demons as well. He was the one I trusted most, and if even he couldn't be trusted..."

Lucian let his words trail off, knowing that he didn't truly need to finish the thought. This was his burden to bear and his alone.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Myrina's expression softened as Lucian's words trailed off. He had been dealt a terrible lot and her heart went out to him for all he'd had to suffer through. She could not even begin to imagine what it must have been like for him, to find out that his own family had allied themselves with demons and sought out the destruction of the world for their own selfish gain.

"To be betrayed by a brother, ones own family, is the ultimate betrayal of trust," she commented quietly as she watched him.

She knew it had to be hard for him. She didn't know what she would do if she were in his shoes and one of her sisters were to betray her in such a way. Her tribe was everything to her, her family. They were all she'd ever known. She wondered what he would do if he ended up having to face his brother again, if he successfully retrieved what he needed from the temples to defeat the demons. She decided to leave the question unspoken though, rising instead to check on the cooking fish.

"Our dinner seems to be ready," she observed, changing the subject.

Nudging it away from the flames with the piece of wood she'd been using, she used one of her daggers to carve it into fillets and then speared the fillets in equal portions onto two sticks. Rising she moved and handed one of them to Lucian before sitting beside him to eat her own.

 

[LucianDevine]

Lucian appreciated Myrina's words after he'd said his piece, but it was the words she hadn't spoken that he appreciated more just then. He knew how blunt of a person she was, and for her to hold back on the words that he knew were in her head meant a lot just then. He wouldn't have faulted her for asking if he was ready to cross blades with his brothers or even his father if it came down to it.

Myrain's words and movement towards the fire brought Lucian's attention to it and her once more. It was a very welcome distraction from the conversation they'd been having, and from the way his stomach rumbled, it was a meal he would be more than happy to have.

Lucian watched and waited as Myrina cut it with as much patience as his stomach would allow. The smell alone almost had his mouth watering. He gladly took the piece that she offered him. It was still a bit hot and he had to swap the fingers that were holding it to tolerate the heat. When it had cooled down enough for him to take a bite, he eagerly did so.

The taste of the fish in his mouth made Lucian groan audibly and lean his head back a bit as he savored it. The movement made his shoulder brush against hers. He barely noticed it at first, but even when he did he stayed still and simply enjoyed her presence beside him.

"There really is no substitute for freshly caught and cooked fish, is there?" Lucian asked semi-rhetorically before taking another bite. It had been a long time since he'd had freshly caught and cooked fish. His family lived near the center of the continent, making it far more of a rare treat and delicacy.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Myrina did her best to suppress a grin of amusement at Lucian's reaction upon tasting the fish. She too felt the brush of his shoulder against her as he moved, but like him she decided to let it be.

"There really is no substitute for freshly caught and cooked fish, is there?"

The corners of her mouth edged upwards and a twinkle of laughter shone in the depths of her green eyes as she watched him take his second bite.

"Definitely not," she agreed with him before taking a bite of her own portion and enjoying its flavor.

Having grown up in a rich forest full of various streams and ponds for fishing, as well as plenty of other wild game of course, fresh fish was not so rare for her. Though that didn't mean that she didn't appreciate the deliciousness of a freshly caught and cooked meal any less.

"Though it is a much more simple meal than you are used to, I am sure," she commented, figuring that as a prince he would have to be used to far more finer and elaborate meals.

She took another bite and relaxed a bit, letting her legs stretch out in front of her as she enjoyed the meal and his company.

 

[LucianDevine]

Lucian couldn't help but chuckle at Myrina's comment.

"It is simple to be sure, but sometimes you need simple. At this point I'm just glad to be able a meal today and have had a full night's worth of sleep last night without wondering if I was going to be killed in my sleep." Lucian took another bite before continuing.

"I know that my future is anything but certain, but I'm just glad to not really be on the run at the moment, looking over my shoulder, and being able to just live in the moment."

Lucian finished eating the rest of his fish in silence, even going so far as to lick his finger clean before turning his attention back to Myrina once more.

"So what's your story Myrina?" Lucian started simply. "I don't know much about you or your tribe. Were you born in the village, or did you flee into the forest like I did? Does your village take in women that they find under such circumstances? Some of your women looked so different from each other I'm curious how you all came to be in the same place like you are."

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Myrina had finished her portion of the fish as well by the time Lucian spoke up again. She was a little surprised by all of his questions about herself and the tribe, though she supposed she should not have been. If she was in his shoes she probably would be curious as well. Many of the women did indeed look a great deal different from one another, and with her bright red hair she definitely stood out from the rest of her "sisters".

"I am told that the original founders of our tribe were a small group of women that fled into the forest to begin a new life for themselves free from the dominance of men," she explained, "When women do flee into our forest they are given sanctuary with us, though it is fairly rare now that this happens and most of us were born in the village."

She shifted slightly, her gaze dropping away from his as she continued on.

"If a woman wishes to have a child she requests permission from our chief, and if approval is given the woman is allowed to venture out in search of a suitable male to breed with. She then returns back to our village and if she bares a daughter the child remains with us and is raised by the elders of the tribe once she is old enough to be weaned. If the child born is a male then he is taken back to be raised by his father."

 

[LucianDevine]

It was one thing to speculate about the way that the tribe had been created, but it was a completely differing thing to hear his speculations confirmed.

"That's...incredible..." Lucian started with a small smile when Myrina was done speaking. His head actually bowed a bit in shame as he continued to speak. "Men try so hard to hide much smaller things from their friends, wives, or even their kingdom in the case of the king. Yet they fail so miserably in the end almost every time. Your tribe though, has managed to keep it's entire existence a secret while also creating an aura of mystery about the forest while also allowing your women to venture out if they choose..." Lucian lifted his blue gaze towards Myrina to speak one final time. "That truly is remarkable."

Lucian's head lowered once more, but only for a moment before he forced himself to climb to his feet.

"I don't know about you Myrina, but I am exhausted." Lucian said with a chuckle as he bent down to pick up his cloak. When he stood back up he turned his gaze towards the fire and the area surrounding it. When he found the spot that was the most level, he moved to it and set his cloak on the ground, outside down of course. "Do you want the side by the fire or the outside?" Lucian asked over his shoulder as he went about smoothing it out and removing any rocks that were beneath it.

When he was done smoothing it out he went grab the sack and set it down for use as a pillow. It was fairly long, but if both of them were going to use it, things were going to get...cozy.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Myrina wasn't expecting Lucian to give such praise to her tribe for all that they had accomplished... nor was she expecting the confusing feeling that stirred within her chest as his blue gaze lifted up to her and she could see the flames of the fire reflecting off of them. She wasn't sure if she was disappointed or relieved when he lowered them again.

"I don't know about you Myrina, but I am exhausted."

She watched as he moved over to a spot by the fire and created a spot for them to lay down for the night with his cloak. Rising in response to his question about what side she wanted, she moved over to examine the make shift pallet and found herself impressed. Both sides seemed to be as level and free of rocks beneath them.

"I'll take the outside," she decided.

It would mean less warmth of course, but she would be alright. She preferred to be able to keep her eye on the treeline should she hear any animals approaching during the night, and his body would no doubt block her view if she were the one beside the fire.

 

[LucianDevine]

Lucian nodded in acknowledgement of Myrina's choice as he finished removing rocks from beneath the cloak and smoothing it out to be as comfortable as was possible under the circumstances.

With Myrina's decision made, Lucian happily sat down on his side of the cloak so he could remove his boots. Once that was done he happily laid back far enough for his head to rest on the sack. It wasn't the best pillow he'd ever used, but it wasn't the worst either. Similarly, the cloak felt a little cold beneath his bare back, but the heat of the fire near him helped alleviate that discomfort. As he felt Myrina settle down beside him, he couldn't help but wonder how she'd manage to stay warm since she was farther from the fire. Her situation wasn't too dissimilar from his. Where he had no shirt or tunic on, his tunic was all she had on. It would help keep her upper body fairly warm, as well as the small bit of body heat she'd get from him with their shoulders touching.

Though there were some discomforts with the current situation, sleep came mercifully quickly for Lucian. His hands were crossed over his stomach as he lay on his back with his head tilted in Myrina's direction as his breathing was slow and steady.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Myrina gave Lucian a chance to settle in for the evening on his side of the cloak before she followed suit. Since she was already clad in just his tunic and her own boots were already removed from before, she simply sat down on the mat and stretched out beside him, tugging down on the hem of his tunic as she did to make sure it was still covering her well enough. Resting her head back on the makeshift pillow that he'd made for them using their pack of supplies, she rolled over on to her side to face the treeline, examining it for a short while before finally closing her eyes for sleep.

But sleep did not come so easily.

Lucian's larger body stretched out beside her was shielding her from the heat of the fire more than she'd thought it would, and as the night drew on the air around her was quickly growing cooler. She quickly realized that the tunic she was wearing was not going to be enough. She would need his body heat to help keep her warm.

She could hear his slow and steady breathing and knew he must already be asleep. She felt a little bad about waking him, but it couldn't be helped.

"Lucian..." she whispered, rolling back onto her back so that she could reach over and nudge his shoulder a bit to gently rouse him.

"Lucian, wake up."

Once he'd seemed to stir enough to where she'd thought he'd hear her she added, "I'm cold. I need you to move closer and help keep me warm."

 

[LucianDevine]

Unlike the previous night, there were no dreams for Lucian. His mind was blissfully empty as his exhausted body tried to recover from the grueling trek he'd put it through.

As quickly as he'd fallen asleep though, Lucian felt himself being nudged awake, and he heard Myrina's voice in his ear. He heard her words but could barely believe that he'd heard her right. His eyes opened as he swallowed hard, knowing that her words were more of an order than a suggestion.

Lucian let out a soft groan as he shifted from his back to his side. He shifted closer to Myrina and then tucked his left arm under their makeshift pillow, better supporting his head. He swallowed hard once more before he closed the last bit of distance between them, pressing the full of his chest and crotch against her back and rear. His fingers flexed as he moved his arm towards her. He'd been with many a woman before, but none of them had held their life in his hands like Myrina did. He was torn on where to put right arm, but settled on the decision to drape it over her midsection. As he moved his arm into position though, he felt his arm brush against hers. That brief contact caused a tingling sensation to flow through his arm. It caught him off guard and made him lower his arm farther down her body.

It was only when his arm was pulled away from Myrina's that Lucian realized that whatever that tingling sensation was, had also come with a warming sensation as well. He felt a shiver crawl up his spine, and that shiver gave him the courage to lift his arm to once more rest against hers on her midsection. He was ready for the tingling sensation this time, and didn't react to it. He was happy to feel the warm sensation in his arm again, and even happier when he felt it spread throughout his body. It was a soothing warmth that just radiated inside him somehow, but didn't make him feel uncomfortably warm or clammy like a blanket or humid night might.

As Lucian let his head rest more fully against their makeshift pillow, he found himself wondering if Myrina felt the same thing he did, and what she thought of the strange sensations.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Myrina had tried to convince herself that having Lucian move closer to keep her warm wouldn't be an issue. After all, there had been times in the past when she'd needed to share body heat with another in order to stay warm for the night. She'd quickly realized her mistake however as Lucian had pressed himself fully against her back and rear.

She could feel the firmness of his chest pressing against her back, the heat of his skin seeping through the fabric of the tunic she was wearing and warming her almost instantly. The feel of his body against her felt nothing like having another woman lying against her, and the way her body reacted in response to his was...very different as well.

As he draped his arm across her she had to force herself not to react as the bare skin of his arm brushed hers and, just like before when she'd been taking the speared fish from him and their fingers had accidentally brushed, once more she felt a tingling sensation travel up her arm. He moved it away for a moment, but then settled it back against her again and, unlike before when just their fingers had brushed, this time she couldn't pull away.

But did she really want to?

She had to admit, his body did feel nice pressed against her own, as did the comforting warmth that was slowly spreading through her. She did her best to make herself relax and try to get comfortable for the night, shifting slightly and leaning back into him a bit as she settled in.

"Thank you... sorry for having to wake you," she whispered back to him softly.

 

[LucianDevine]

With no way to know how Myrina was actually going to respond to the feeling of his body pressed against her, it was impossible for Lucian to not be relieved when he felt her shift slightly to lean back against him. He slowly let out the breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding.

Myrina's shifting and leaning closer naturally nudged Lucian's arm a little more around her. It also caused her rear to rub against his groin, albeit very briefly. That brief movement, along with the strange, warm, and tingling sensations flowing through his body was enough to stir his member to arousal.

Lucian swallowed hard as he felt his member stiffen against Myrina's rear. He knew how it could look under the circumstances, but there was only so much that could be done about the "situation" given the circumstances. His only hope was not to address it and hope that she didn't take offense by it.

"You've nothing to be sorry for Myrina..." Lucian started as he continued to try and fight the losing battle against the sensations and circumstances. "It's the least I can do since you've been helping me from the moment you chose not to cut my throat in that clearing."

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

"I'm helping you because I believe you are telling the truth, that's all. I heard what those men said when they attacked you in the clearing," she reminded him, insisting to both him and herself that this was the only reason she continued to help him.

"As long as you were no threat to our tribe, I had no reason to cut your..."

Myrina's words trailed off as she became aware of the sensation of something shifting and beginning to poke her quite firmly against her backside, remembering her exchange with Lucian that morning and realizing what exactly it must be that she was feeling.

She was confused though. Why was it doing that now? He was just laying there talking with her, he obviously wasn't trying to breed with her, and it wasn't morning when he'd said it sometimes happens on its own...

"So...it does that sometimes at night as well then?" she asked him, unable to help but voice her thoughts aloud despite the awkwardness of the situation.

 

[LucianDevine]

Lucian heard Myrina's words but was surprised when she stopped mid sentence. It wasn't hard to figure out what had caused her to lose her train of thought though, especially when she spoke again. Her words confirmed his suspicions and he was glad that she wasn't facing him so she couldn't see the flush that came to his face.

"Yes..." Lucian started, trying to think of what would be the least "It does, but this one is a bit more...predictable. It's a hard thing to keep in check when a man is laying with a beautiful woman..."

Lucian paused there, swallowing hard. He knew how his words sounded, and truthfully the thoughts in his mind weren't far off from the clear thoughts of his body. He wasn't stupid enough to try anything though, unless... No, he shook his head and spoke again.

"I could try move a bit farther away...down there if you want. You won't feel it, but you'll get less warmth."

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

It's a hard thing to keep in check when a man is laying with a beautiful woman...

At Lucian's words it became Myrina's turn to feel her face flush and be glad that her back was turned to him so that he could not see.

He thought her beautiful?

She had not considered such things when she'd asked him to move closer. Yet despite his words and his response to her nearness he did not try to make any advances with her now, his body remaining still, aside from the one part of course, and his arms remaining where he had placed them before. He even offered to move away if she wished.

She considered it for a brief moment, but then shook her head in response.

"No, it's alright. I don't mind... Unless it is uncomfortable for you."

 

[LucianDevine]

Lucian was torn after he heard Myrina's response. He wasn't entirely sure which answer he'd hoped she'd give. He would naturally sleep easier with his lower body farther away from her, but the same could not be said for her. Similarly, they were both in a similar state of awkwardness if they continued to lay as they were.

"No, I can manage it for a single night." Lucian said as he tried to let his body relax. He closed his eyes and tried to keep his breathing slow and steady. The presence of Myrina beside him was soothing to every bit of him except that one part that was so adamantly in it's desire. Her lithe body was soft and pliable against him. The heat they produced radiated through him, and that strange tingling sensation was like a constant stream pulsing through him, distracting him from the sleep he craved.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

"Alright then," Myrina answered in reply as Lucian gave his response and she felt his body relax behind her, "...Goodnight, Lucian."

She too did her best to let her body and mind relax, trying her best to focus on the sound of his slow and steady breathing and not the feel of his manhood still pressing firmly against her backside. It was admittedly awkward at first, but his presence and warmth as he lay pressed so close against her was undoubtedly soothing as well. It didn't take long before she found her eyelids growing heavy, then closing completely as she drifted off into sleep.

~~~~~~

Warm and with a unexpected yet pleasant sense of security with his arm now wrapped around her she slept soundly throughout the night. She usually woke with the dawn, but it was a little higher in the sky than usual when she finally began to wake to the sound of birdsong, her body shifting and giving a lazy stretch against his own. The tunic had shifted higher as she'd moved in her sleep, the fabric now bunching up around her hips.

 

[LucianDevine]

Lucian forced himself to breathe slow and steady as he held Myrina. He could feel every slight move of her body as she breathed, and between that feeling and everything else assaulting his body, it took a long time for sleep to finally come to him that night. It was hard to not laugh at the irony of the situation. He'd easily fallen asleep before her the first time that night, but even as he was sure she was sleeping, he was still struggling.

While it was impossible to know exactly when he fell asleep, Lucian naturally did, and slept peacefully and void of dreams. It was completely unlike the previous night the two had shared together, right down to the fact that he didn't move at all while he slept. He held her through the entire night, and they were still cuddled so close that when Myrina shifted and stretched he felt it and opened his eyes.

Myrina was truly a beautiful sight to behold then, relaxed, comfortable, and seemingly without a care in the world in that moment. Lucian felt his body starting to react once more, and forced himself roll to his back. He let his head fall back against the cloak and tried to force his mind to think of other things. He tried to breath slow and steady, and only when he had his mind and body under control once more did he finally open his eyes with a soft sigh.

"How'd you sleep?" Lucian asked as he turned his head towards her.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Lucian's movement roused Myrina further from her sleep, and she frowned slightly as he removed his arm from around her and rolled onto his back. Her eyes opening, she shifted and peered over her shoulder at him, wondering why he had moved. With his eyes still closed and his slow, steady breathing however she thought he might still be sleeping.

It was then however that she noticed the cool morning air brushing against her backside now that he was no longer shielding her. Quickly sliding her hands down and hoping not to wake him, she tugged at the edge of the tunic until it covered her again, flushing slightly with embarrassment and hoping he had not noticed when she heard him asking how she'd slept and his head turned towards her.

"Well," she answered simply, "And you?"

In truth she'd slept very well, too well maybe. She was used to sleeping lightly when making camp in the forest and outside of the security of her own tent within the tribal grounds, but last night she had not woken or moved from her position with his arm wrapped around her once. She suddenly found herself wishing that he would place it around her again but quickly pushed the thought from her mind, rising to a sitting position and reaching for their pack of supplies. She pulled out the dried meat, fruit, and nuts that she'd packed for them.

"We shouldn't dawdle this morning," she explained, "Who knows what we will encounter in the temple. We'll want to have just a light breakfast, dress, and then make our way up the cliff-side."