Private Tales Ash and Iron

[Lorcán]

Lorcan's heart ached at the shyness in Maeve's smile. It was a poignant reminder of the distance that had grown between them. He took solace in her words however, in her presence, and in the small steps they were taking toward mending what had been fractured.

A dark brow quirked as she mentioned the gardens and he gave a pensive nod. "That would explain it.. I suppose we'll need to hire more gardeners and repopulate the deer." he smirked..

"I'm going to start building on the other side of the lake, but everything from the Beryl river and beyond, will remain untouched. We can house many more on the banks of Azura, and the meadows all the way to the Silver forest.. I thought you might like to help with the plans for the city.." he offered quietly.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve had not thought about what the dragon was eating exactly. In fact, she had tried very hard not to think about it, something that size. Though he had seemed friendly, she hadn't been able to not notice one of his teeth was the size of her. She gave a small grimace.

"Maybe some boar too..." the fatty pigs would surely fill the dragon more than deer or elk? Or maybe the choice would keep him from wondering what fae taste like.

She was just taking a bite of the deliciously roasted sea bass that had been prepared with the deep spices of the Far West when Lorcan shifted the conversation to town building. She nodded along in agreement but started when he offered her the chance to be involved. She glanced at him, both brows bumping into her hairline.

"You want my help? I mean... this place - I know you built it with your brothers. I would understand if you wanted to keep it as such."

 

[Lorcán]

A dimple appeared in his cheek as he nodded. "Fine, yes, but I meant to help with the vegetation. I don't believe that our dragon is carnivorous.."

He watched her, the surprise she so clearly felt as he suggested that she help him with such things. "I did, yes, but it's your home too, Mae. You were the reason it was built in the first place, it's only right that you should help it grow. Besides, it could do with a female touch." he smiled. "If you want to, that is.."

 

[Maeve]

Maeve was still not convinced something that size couldn't be carnivorous. She gave a quiet huffing laugh.

"I... would like that," she inclined her head in thanks with a tentative smile. "My mother used to handle the building for my father back home. He said it made his head hurt - trying to work out how people would like to live close to the Medicine Man or closer to the river to shorten their walks for fresh water," her mother on the other hand had seemed to figure out where a person needed to live to best suit their lifestyle before they had figured it out for themselves.

"I think if it had been his choice our people would have never stopped living in tents."

 

[Lorcán]

The tension around them seemed to thaw a little, though Lorcan remained on his guard, afraid of saying the wrong thing, of ever pushing her further away. he could feel every frayed edge of the bond between them, a thread that had been pulled so taught it might have snapped entirely. A thread he recalled begging his father to sever, rather than deal with the torturous pain of it for another moment. He had experienced every sort of pain imaginable, but nothing had ever pained him so much as losing her.

He offered her a light smile. "Then I'll leave the planning and recruitment in your capable hands." he nodded.

"I also hoped, you might train with me. Though if you'd prefer to do so with Raphael, that's fine too.."

 

[Maeve]

The offer caught her off guard.

"You would train... with me?" Maeve blinked at him, stupefied. "I didn't think... you would... want me to keep training...." she trailed off and looked away from him down at her plate. Awkwardly she fiddled with her fork by pushing bits of food around. "You don't want me to fight or anywhere near this. If I train... there's no excuse to stay away from it."

 

[Lorcán]

"I want you to stay with me." Lorcan cut in sharply.

"And I'm trying to both ensure your safety and permit you the freedoms to do as you want to do without feeling.. Imprisoned." he frowned, recalling her words. He swallowed, his head shaking as he toyed with his fork.

"I would rather you were as far away from danger and fighting as you could possibly be. But that is your choice to make. It makes sense that you know how to protect yourself, regardless. So yes, I will train with you."

 

[Maeve]

A tense silence filled the space between them and Maeve toyed with what to say next whilst she ate a few forkfuls of the food. It seemed unfair how good it tasted considering the mood.

"You saw what I could do just in a single spike of anger, Lorcán... this war... I could help. Make a difference," she spoke softly and with great care not wanting to start another fight.

"If that upsets you I don't want you to feel like you have to be a part of my journey in that regard. I won't... run off again."

 

[Lorcán]

"Yes. I did.." he answered quietly. It had been precisely why he'd pushed her over the edge, even if it had almost cost him his life. It had almost cost him her. But she'd be all the safer for it.

I won't run off again..

Lorcan set his fork down, his jaw tight as he drew a steadying breath. She said it as though she was a child that he'd kept grounded here, or a prisoner assuring their reconsidered obedience after stepping out of line.

"I offered to train with you." he said firmly.

"It's your choice, either you want me to or you don't. It's your choice whether you stay, or go. It's your choice whether you fight, or don't. It's your choice to sleep where you want to sleep, or if you still wish to marry me, or not. Whether you even want..."

Me.

Lorcan swallowed. "Whatever your choices are, I will respect them." he said without looking up at her.

 

[Maeve]

Maeve took a deep, steadying breath as that deathly silence crept back in to the room. Balfour raised his head from where he had been laying on the floor between them and gave a nervous wag of the tail. She glanced down at him then dutifully passed him a bone from her plate which he began to devour with enthusiasm.

"Of course I want you Lorcan," she said quietly after gathering her thoughts. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't..." truthfully she had no idea if she could break the mating bond, could turn her back on it and walk away. The fact was was that she didn't want to.

"I just didn't want you to do something because you would rather do it than your father... but be unhappy doing it."

 

[Lorcán]

He hadn't realised how much tension he'd been holding onto, until she assured him that she wanted him, and suddenly his muscles felt sore and weak as it melted away. Suddenly he felt his emotions surge to the surface and the urge to break down with relief once more. His head bowed, his fingers curling into his palms as he fought for control.

He nodded silently, his gaze still downcast..

"I am happy that you are here. That you still want anything from me at all." he frowned. "I want you to be as strong as you can be. I will train with you, and we needn't say any more about it now."