Private Tales Broken Compacts

[Cal]

She was going to get them killed.

Newlyweds passing through weren't much to speak of, it happened in every village and they were usually treated warmly. A woman crying about a piece of cake though? That was remarkable enough that it might stick out to someone. Orlaith was already receiving a few looks from the sparse population of the tavern, and Cal had to force a laugh.

"Hahahaha...hahaha…" A hand reached out and gently rubbed Orlaith's back. "I love being married too, Honey."

Cal said, trying to at least make it seem like she wasn't completely insane for the reaction she was having. A few people around the tables nodded their heads, though one opened his mouth and cracked a joke.

"Just wait a few years boy."

There were a few laughs, but Cal just shook his head and smiled. "Don't think the feeling will change even until the end of time, right Honey?"

He asked, realizing as soon as he said the words that he probably shouldn't have tried to engage with Orlaith.

It would have been better to just throw her over his shoulder and take her to the room.

 

[Órlaith]

Oh but it was so, so good. "Seriously though!" she muffled, her mouth still full of cake. "I've never been so happy in my damn life!" she whimpered and shook her head as she continued to cry into her cake as Cal rubbed at her back, but it only made her feel more emotional, especially as her plate was clean once again.

"No. I love cake today, and I'll love it, as long as I live." she proclaimed and turned to him as she swallowed the mouthful. That...wasn't what he meant.

"And you, of course, my wife. M-my, my Mister husband you.. I am Mrs Tulio and I will be the best wife - always." she shot the man who'd commented a disgruntled look and wiped at her tears. "And the best mother to our little Pascal.." she patted on her belly and shook her head with a sigh.

"Are you going to eat that?..." Órlaith frowned, noticing that Cal hadn't touched a bit of his cake.

 

[Cal]

Oh dear fuck.

The people who had been paying attention to them already seemed to cheer as Orlaith patted her belly, cups raising into the air in a triumphant cheer. The strangeness of her love of cake seemed to disappear the moment that Orlaith mentioned she was with Child.

It would have been a brilliant tactic if Orlaith had done it on purpose, but Cal knew she was just zonked utterly out of her mind. "Hahaha...Yes. The best..."

Fuck he was going to die because of this woman.

"You know, why don't we have it back in our room, Honey?" Cal leaned in and kissed her cheek again, this time a bit more salaciously. "You can enjoy it there."

He didn't wait for a response. His arm wrapped around her, and in one quick swoop Cal picked up Orlaith, his other hand snatching the plate of carrot cake off the table. There was another rousing round of cheers from the patrons of the Inn, the implication of Cal carrying off his wife more than clear.

For his part, Cal just buried his quickly reddening cheeks in Orlaith's side.

 

[Órlaith]

Oh this was far too much fun. Fun, another new thing she'd tried today. Her jaw ached from smiling and she lifted her cup along with the rest of the patrons as they cheered.

"PASCAL!" she toasted, and swallowed down the last gulp of wine before slamming it back down again. Thank the gods there was no child, it would've been swimming in grapes.

The grin was wiped entirely from her face however as Cal leaned in and kissed her cheek in a much more suggestive way. Well fuck. Her cheeks were on fire and she lifted her hand to cover the spot where he'd kissed. She leaned in, yes, absolutely zonked out of her mind and absolutely about to kiss him before she was lifted from the chair and carried to another chorus of cheering..

"Eyyyyyy!!" Órlaith's arms rose into the air as she cheered along with them. "We're going to do the sex!"

 

[Cal]

Cal buried his face in Orlaith's side, doing his best to keep his laughter...and his total and utter embarrassment hidden.

Behind him he could now hear raucous laughter and cheering as Orlaith's words seemed to echo throughout the room. His grip tightened on her for a few seconds, fingers splaying over her skin as he tried not to break into a sprint that would see them both disappear into the distance.

As he turned the corner he pulled his face away from Orlaith's skin, boot coming up to press down the handle of the door to their room.

"Fuck me." Cal proclaimed in a curse, not realizing what he'd said as he shifted his hip and threw the door shut behind them.

A second later he practically threw the cake down onto the table in the middle of the smallish hotel room. As soon as her prized cake was safe Cal deposited Orlaith down onto the bed, his hand coming up to rub against his face.

 

[Órlaith]

Órlaith made no effort what-so-ever to hide her laughter and her head fell back as she chuckled the entire way up the stairs and into the room, realising too how ticklish she was as his fingers splayed against her skin, and so she wriggled.

His words caused the giggling to stop and she lifted her head to stare at him in befuddlement, lapsed to affronted silence as he carried her to the bed. "What, really?.." she asked incredulously as he set her down on the bed.

She sprawled out instantly and groaned. She'd never laid on a bed so large or so comfortable. "Because I'm really nnnot sure I should try a-any more new things today.. It's all a bit overwhelming.."

"For Pascal too." she snort laughed, and rolled onto her stomach to hug a pillow and nuzzle her face against it.

 

[Cal]

"What?" His voice was filled with the same incredulity as her own. Then suddenly he realized what she meant and turned a shade of crimson. "No."

Cal said with a wave at her. "No no no."

There was no way in hell that he would be doing that with her. Well not that she wasn't pretty...not that...Cal bit his tongue, frowned, and then shook his head as he looked down at Orlaith who had already buried herself down into the bed.

He took another deep breath, rubbing his face as he tried to shake off some of the current embarrassment he was clinging to.

"Just..." Dear Gods. He wished the Tribunal would have spoken to him in that moment. Offered some fucking guidance in this situation. "Just go to sleep, Okay Orlaith?"

Cal half reached out to tuck her in, then stopped himself incase she got the wrong idea. "I'll take the...uhh chair."

It seemed comfortable enough.

 

[Órlaith]

She flashed him a drunken grin at his bashful fluster and she giggled - she had never 'giggled' in her life, but the wine had a funny effect.

Órlaith was already asleep by the time he'd finished speaking, a soft snore given in response to his words. Her body sunk into the soft feather bed and she felt her soul breathe in the warmth of it. She was used to a canvas cot and a scratchy, threadbare blanket. This, though probably not considered a luxury to many, was most certainly luxury to her. Her mind too, now steeped in wine, managed to rest for a few blissful hours before it sparked awake some time in the night.

Moonlight spilled in through holes in the curtain, lighting up the room enough for her to see him clearly in the dark. She rubbed at her head with a frown, still fuzzy from her bottle of wine, and her eyes remained half shut as she slipped out of bed and stumbled toward the dresser to find that extra slice of cake which she climbed back into bed to eat, trying to keep the groans of delight to a minimum. It didn't take her long to finish it, and she covered Cal over with a blanket before curling back up to go back to sleep, her face covered in frosting.

 

[Cal]

The chair, thankfully, was not too bad.

It was a plush thing, with more of a dip in the back than most would have. He thought it might have been meant for a reading room, but in truth he was just glad that it had some cushion to him.

He fell asleep not quite as quickly as Orlaith, though by the time she woke and draped a blanket over him Cal was passed out cold. The last few days riding had taken it out of him, and his sleep was a deeply satisfying one.

Consciousness however came with the dawn.

The obnoxiously loud sound of a rooster somewhere in the wayward village was what startled him awake.

Cal shot up like he had been smacked in the side of the face, his arms getting caught in the blanket as he quickly looked around in a half state of panic. "Wha-huh?"

He grumbled, eyes still full of sleep.

 

[Órlaith]

Òrlaith was truly a sight to behold. Her mouth gaping as she snored softly into her pillow, remnants of cake still pasted the betrayal of her midnight hunger on her face, and she slept on her front, her knees pulled up close so that her arse rose into the air. It was truly graceful.

The rooster was a new sound, and it penetrated her dreaming mind and caused her brow to furrow in confusion. She tried to open her eyes as Cal awoke with a start, and she groaned and the pounding in her head.

“The shit is that?..” she mumbled grittily and flopped onto her side to pull the pillow over her head, partly to dampen the sound, partly because the memories of last night’s behaviours were slowly filtering into her consciousness.

She groaned.

 

[Cal]

"Rooster." Cal said with a practically beaming smile, hearing the pain in Orlaith's voice.

He couldn't keep the amusement from his voice. "Protects the chickens."

It was a small bit of payback from the night before when she had declared to an entire common room that the two of them were 'Going to have the sex'.

He didn't exactly want her to be in pain, but perhaps the hangover would teach her from indulging a little bit too much again. Cal had tried to warn her the night before, but before he'd even really had time to argue she had downed more wine than he could account for.

Cal ran a hand through his hair as he dragged the blanket off of himself.

"Head hurting?" He asked. "Miss Tulio?"

Cal tried not to laugh.

 

[Órlaith]

"It's Mrs. Tulio." her muffled voice called back from beneath her pillow and she made a pathetic sob of a sound as she finally threw it aside and sat up, her fingers running into her hair to press against her throbbing headache.

"Why...Do I feel like this?..." she asked, her eyes squinting in the light of the morning. She frowned as her fingers found crumbs and sticky icing in her hair and she flopped herself back onto her back with a dramatic huff and held her hands over her face.

"I think I'm dying." she groaned, deciding not to mention anything of last night as she felt her face grow steadily warmer at the recollection of the cheers to which she was carried to bed. "Mh... Perhaps that's not a bad thing." she grumbled quietly to herself.

 

[Cal]

Cal chuckled, remembering once again just how little Orlaith actually knew about the world. "It's called a hangover, Dear Wife."

Drawing himself up from the chair, Cal checked his coat for a moment and tugged it down, having kicked off his boots sometime in the middle of the night. Looking around the room for a moment he walked over towards a large silver basin.

The water inside looked entirely pristine, cleaner than from some of the wells in Rhagos.

With an almost tauntingly beaming smile he picked up one of the cups off the dresser and dunked it into the basin. A few seconds later he stepped next to the bed, squatting down so that he would be eye level with Orlaith.

"Here." He offered the cup to her. "You're going to want lots of water, and probably some food."

The amusement was not at all gone from his voice.

 

[Órlaith]

She laughed under her breath as he continued with the charade, rubbing at her eyes as she tried to wake herself up a little more. Despite the headache, she'd never slept so comfortably, and had it not been for the rudeness of the rooster she'd likely have slept well into the afternoon.

Órlaith squinted at him as he crouched next to the bed, offering her water, and her cake covered cheeks dimpled with a grin at him. "Are you... taking care of me?..." she asked with a teasing in her tone to match his own. She took the water with a smirk.

It was easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. Easy to allow herself to soak in the happiness she took in the simple comforts. She'd been well fed, well rested, and he was kind. Perhaps they would just let them leave. Maybe this could be her new life..

"Thank you Cal. I'm sorry if I... drew attention." she cleared her throat and dropped her gaze into the cup. "I meant what I said, it really was the best day." she laughed under her breath.

 

[Cal]

Cal smiled.

A warmth floated through him. The kind that he had not felt in...he did not know how long. In that moment he knew that he had done the right thing. Even if he had lost his families legacies, his fathers estate, everything he could have had...

He was right.

Helping Orlaith had been the right thing to do. Thank you, Cirilla.

The thought floated through his mind, a quiet welcome of the lessons he had been taught by another woman who had been trapped by no choice of her own. The smile on his face remained, a genuine display of the joy he felt in that moment.

"It's alright." He said quietly, resisting the temptation to reach out to her with his hand. Forcing his his palm still on his thigh instead. "Let's get you some breakfast, yeah?"

Cal said. "I'm going to find out how we get over those mountains."

Then he would find her some peace. Some true peace. Away from Rhagos. From the Inquisition. From her father and everything else.

It was the right thing to do.

 

[Órlaith]

Órlaith had never seen someone smile so much. Paired with her own mood, it was infectious, and so she beamed back at him. "Breakfast sounds good." she bit on her lip to stop her grin growing any wider with the thought of more food.

She drank down her water which helped with the headache a little, and she slipped herself out of bed, washing the cake from her face in the basin after a flush of embarrassment as she looked at her reflection. She knotted her hair up and got herself ready.

There were more than a few looks as she wandered back downstairs and into the tavern, a few cheers and whistles too. She laughed awkwardly and found a table in the corner to sit at, her hand on her forehead to hide her brightly flushed face.

"Presumin' you've worked yourselves up an appetite.. Breakfast?" the woman asked, and Órlaith peeked up at her with a nod..

"Yes please.."

 

[Cal]

In all honesty it was hard not to laugh the entire way through the common room and to their table. When one of the men in the corner gave him a thumbs up Cal almost doubled over and fell onto the floor, his hand coming up to rub his face as though something were itchy in an effort to hide the absolute mirth.

As they sat themselves down he was chuckling to himself, clearly trying to do his best to hide it from Orlaith.

When the innkeeper came over Cal reached up and faked a cough, clearing his throat. His head nodded as the woman asked after breakfast. She stood, clearly ready to sweep forward and get them breakfast when Cal asked a question. "Any Rangers or foragers around here?"

The Innkeeper blinked.

"Why would you be needing that, Darling?"

"Just want to know what the passes are like the north." Cal lied, deciding it was best not to put the woman in jeopardy with the truth.

"Well there's Old Hans, he'll know. Has a little cabin up the road, you'll see it on your way out of town."

Cal smiled and thanked her, watching as she walked away. When she was out of earshot Cal slowly turned to his companion. "So...anything else you want to announce to the common room while we're all here?"

It was so hard not to laugh.

 

[Órlaith]

Only her eyes rose to his as he teased her, her face still mostly covered by her hand, but she couldn't help but grin as he was so clearly suppressing his urge to laugh at her.

"Would you stop? This isn't funny." she chuckled and groaned as she rubbed her face and shook her head. "Never let me drink wine again.." she smirked, settling a little more as people returned to their own business.

The plates arrived soon after, the bacon he had promised, accompanied by sausage and eggs with buttery toast and a pot of tea. She inhaled the salty smell of it and her stomach groaned. She pressed her fingers to her lips as she chewed on the first piece of bacon, her eyes widening and shifting to Cal with a blink.

Food was so fucking good..

"I hope you realise.." she smirked and swallowed her mouthful.. "That if this keeps up, you're going to have a very stout wife." she grinned.

 

[Cal]

The bemusement he felt was a bit too much. Every time he caught sight of someone who had been there the night before Cal wanted to bust out laughing. "Sure. Sure."

He said as she made him promise to not let her drink wine again.

Briefly he wondered how she would do with ale, or even worse...spirits. The thought of Orlaith after a shot or two of Rellgasi, the liquor made from Rell Berries outside Rhagos, made him practically giddy. She would practically be dancing on the table.

Banishing the thought, Cal shook his head as the food came. From his pocket he dug out another coin, handing it to the Innkeeper before digging in himself. "Heh."

He smirked, looking at her then leaning in to whisper.

"Hear Dwarves are famed for their feasts." The simple joy of seeing her so happy from...food, made Cal smile practically ear from ear. More so than even last night had. "Perhaps we'll see if we can't find one of those."

They had spoken of adventurers, of things far from home that they had never imagined. A dwarven feast sounded a fine way to start.

 

[Órlaith]

She leaned in a little too as he whispered, her hazel eyes staring at him, once again full of the wonderment as she tried to imagine what a dwarven feast might look like.. What an actual dwarf might look like. She'd always thought that they were myths, but she'd keep that to herself for fear of looking even more foolish than she already had done. Then again, making him smile at her so often couldn't be a bad thing.

It really did sound like an adventure though. She was finally moving, finally living, finally enjoying what the world had to offer. Her lips twisted and she whispered back to him..

"Some might wonder.. If you've a thing for stout ladies, Mr Tulio." she cracked a grin and stabbed her fork into her sausage and bit the end off with a chuckle.

"Oh fuck me." she groaned and shook her head.

 

[Cal]

What Orlaith didn't notice was that the Innkeeper had returned to the table and was standing over her as she moaned in her food wrought ecstasy.

Cal immediately laughed out loud. "Honey, honey."

He reached out and patted a gentle hand on Orlaith's leg, giving the Innkeeper a nervous look for a few seconds as he flashed his most winning smile.

"Later...heh." He looked down at the table then back up at the Innkeeper. "City girl...very forward."

The old woman let out a crow of a laugh, shaking her head and depositing what appeared to be a small wrapped package.

"Don't you worry dearies, I was worse with my Husband."​

She patted Cal's cheek.

"There's some more cake for you to take with you.​

 

[Órlaith]

She near choked on her food as the innkeeper was suddenly right there and she looked up at her with a sheepish smile..

"So forward. Heh. O-only direction I know.." she nodded, gesturing with her hand in a forward motion. "Don't even know how to go backward. Or to the side just.." she gestured ahead of her again. "Straight on down there." she nodded matter-of-factly, her lips pressed into a thin line.

The woman seemed bemused and confused by her in equal measures, and it occurred to Órlaith that she really had no idea how to interact with people. She beamed though as she glanced down at the package.

"You're so kind. Thank you..." she cleared her throat and shifted her focus back to Cal as she left..

"Heh."

 

[Cal]

Cal wondered if Orlaith even had the concept of what an innuendo was, listening to her go on and on until she finally came to a stopped.

He decided that she did not in fact, know.

The bemused expression on his face did not go away as the Innkeeper patted Orlaith on the cheek next, offered her another kind word, and then slowly walked away. Cal for his part kept it mostly together, just smiling at his 'wife' and withdrawing his hand from her leg.

He decided it would probably be for the best if they got out of here, not wanting another...memorable incident.

"Let's get you some clothes, yeah?" Cal asked her. "Then we'll see about finding our path forward."

To that Dwarven feast he'd mentioned.

 

[Órlaith]

Her throat cleared and she dropped her eyes back to her plate as she felt his hand lift from her leg, deciding to casually continue with her breakfast and tea with a quick nod at his question.

"Only direction I know, right?.." she mused without looking at him.

By the time they were ready to leave, the jolly innkeeper grabbed Órlaith into a hug and patted her hard on the back. She froze up for a moment before forcing her body to relax and she hugged her back with a warm smile and an ache in her throat. Hugs were... extremely rare. She bid the woman goodbye, and the mantic was ready and waiting outside under the soft flurry of snow.

 

[Cal]

Another copper was slipped to the stable boy, and then the two of them set off once more.

This time they did not ride, but instead Cal grabbed the beasts reigns and slowly lead it through the towns streets. The Tailor, as he had expected, was easy enough to find. With an open door and some clothes on display even in the cold weather it was a simple enough tasks.

"You're gonna need something warm, probably fur." Cal said as he tied the Mantic's reigns to a post outside.

The beast would never wander off, but it would make others feel better at least.

"Coat or a cloak." He figured that would be enough. "Even the lower passes get freezing."

Especially during a storm.