Private Tales Broken Compacts

[Órlaith]

Now she really was being spoiled. The tailor made just as much of a fuss over her as the innkeeper had, and he whipped around the place and helped her into a few different coats. The last of which was a pale grey with silver stitching, lined in white fleece and with the hood was lined with white fur. It was instantly cosy, and she pulled the large hood up to nuzzle her cheek against the fur.

She looked to Cal, her gaze narrowed slightly as she chewed on her lip. It was without question the prettiest thing she'd ever worn. "I'm not sure how I'm ever going to pay you back for all of this.." she laughed quietly..

 

[Cal]

He smiled at her. "Don't worry about it."

In truth he still wasn't entirely sure that they would even make it long enough for her to pay him back. He wanted it. He wanted her safe. He wanted her to have his own life...but he knew how the Inquisition was, the lengths they would go to.

Not that he would ever shatter that illusion for Orlaith. Not when he'd worked on building it up so much.

"It's nice." He told her as he fished the remains of his silver out of his pocket. There were still a fewer coppers, one gold piece...but it would be sparse going from here on out. "Will keep you warm too."

Cal said as he paid the tailor, motioning for Orlaith to head outside.

The faster they left the better.

 

[Órlaith]

She would worry about it. If there was a way to repay him, she was determined to find it. Órlaith rocked back and forth on her heels as Cal forked over the payment, and headed back outside. It would've been a nice place to live, she thought, had it not been so close to Rhagos. The people had been kind which was reassuring to her, and so far the little place held her fondest memories. She couldn't help but glance back as they left the town.

The cabin that the innkeeper had mentioned wasn't difficult to find, a lonely looking thing on the road out, as though it'd picked itself up and moved away from the bustle and noise. "I suppose this is Hans' place.." she shrugged as she peeked over her shoulder at the home.

 

[Cal]

"Seems it." Cal said as he slowly wandered up to the wooden door.

There were a few fur pelts sitting on the porch, most of them in the process of aging. He spotted a bow in the corner, as well as what appeared to be some sort of wood axe. A frown touched his lips for a moment, then he knocked on the door. "Hello?"

His voice echoed, and then there was the loud stomping of boots.

"Ya?!"

The cheery sound that greeted him was not at all what he was expecting, the man pulling the door open to reveal himself. His nickname was an apt one, old hans was...well old. Cal would have put him well into his sixties, perhaps even seventies.

"What Can I do ya for boyo?"

"Ah, hello, we were looking for some routes through the mountains...wanted to see the lake for our honeymoon?" He said with a smile.

"Honeymoon! That's lovely! Newly wed eh? I can remember that...three times over. Well why don't ya come in, I'll show you me maps."

 

[Órlaith]

Órlaith stayed a half step behind Cal, at least until the cheery old man offered his help, and she stepped up next to her 'husband' and snaked her arm through his to hook onto his elbow, her cheek resting against his shoulder with a soft smile as the man gushed over the good news.

The little place was cramped but cosy and her bare skin tingled with the warmth of the hearth and she breathed in the smell of fresh baked bread and smiled as Hans shifted around the place looking for maps and laying them out on the table.

"I like your home.." Órlaith commented as she looked around the place. It wasn't much, but far more than she could have dreamt of less than a week ago. "Do you travel through the mountains often?.." she asked him curiously.

 

[Cal]

"Aye I do lass, usually once or twice a year, make the stops and then..."

Cal didn't really listen as the man spoke, mostly because his eyes were roaming around the inside of the quaint little Cabin. It was nice, the type of thing that he himself would have liked to live in. Perhaps he would some time.

A smile touched his face as he tuned back into the conversation. "Seems we found just the man we need."

"Aye, let me dig out those maps for ya."

The man wandered over to a nearby desk, pulling open a drawer and shuffling some papers around. He grabbed three great big maps, turning and wandering back towards Orlaith and Cal.

That was when he spotted the poster.

It was just one, but the face on it was familiar, terrifyingly so. His face suddenly turned utterly neutral, and he gently turned Orlaith so that she did not see her own wanted poster on the desk, knowing the man had yet to recognize her.

His heart began to thunder in his chest.

He needed to be careful.

 

[Órlaith]

She had been staring up at a cat sleeping in the rafter of the ceiling when Cal turned her and she looked at him with a curious smile. She assumed that his intent had been to embrace her, to continue their charade and convince the man that they were simply unable to keep their hands off one another. And so she leaned into him with a smile which slowly faded as she felt his pulse and sensed the shift in his mood. Something wasn't right.

Her gaze lifted to meet his in mute question, wondering what had sparked the sudden change. She realised that he hadn't been intent on embracing her at all, that the shift had happened when he'd turned her away from something, and her curiosity dragged her gaze straight back.

She paled when she saw it, her hazel eyes lingering for a few seconds before she turned back and looked up at him with a flicker of fear.

 

[Cal]

Fuck. Cal swore to himself, his lips thinning almost instantly as he realized that Orlaith had seen the poster.

His stomach dropped, and instantly he reached out to gently touch her side. His thumb stroked over her skin in a soothing motion, his eyes meeting hers for just a brief second. He tried to breath calm into her, get her to remain steady.

He hadn't noticed.

Cal was sure of it. "So which path would be best?"

His voice was steady, even, as the man unfurled the maps. Cal studied them as quickly as he could, glancing at drawn lines and paths through the different spires.

"Aye this one might be best, nice and easy, leads right through to the lake."

"Mm." Cal looked, though his eyes were actually on another line entirely. One to the North, one that headed through the mountains and ended out just beneath the Blightlands. "Yes I think that's the one..."

 

[Órlaith]

Órlaith frowned softly as he tried to placate her, and instead of worrying she could only ask herself, after the training that he'd done and the life he'd grown up with, how he could be as gentle and caring as he seemed. She smiled at his tactile reassurance and tried not to panic.

"You've been very kind, thank you for showing us the way." Órlaith told him, and looked back up at Cal as the man turned to look at her. "Looks like a long road, we should get moving and make good time, eh love?.." she chuckled and slipped her hand into his.

 

[Cal]

He nodded. "Yes I think that would be for the best, do you mind if I make a quick tracing?"

There was a pause, consideration.

"Ah just take it lad, I won't be making the trip again anyway."

Instantly Cal felt a speck of guilt. They were lying to this man, deceiving him, and the Kindness he showed. Lips thinned for a moment as he took a breath and nodded, scooping up the map. "Thank you sir."

He told the man, pulling Orlaith gently with him towards the door.

"No, problems lad, have a safe journey."

"Yes, we will." He said, stuffing the map into his coat as they moved out onto the porch and beyond. The Old man watched them for a time, offering a wave before he closed the door.

"Stay calm." He told her as they reached the Mantic. As soon as they were there Cal grabbed Orlaith and lifted her onto the beast. "Everything's alright."

He pulled himself into the saddle a second later, peering back and noticing the man through the window head back to his desk.

That was when he kicked the animal to a gallop.

 

[Órlaith]

Her palms felt clammy and her mouth was too dry to offer anything more than a quiet goodbye to the man as they stepped back out into the cold. She was trying not to rush toward the mantic, but she was so on edge that she gave a quiet meep as he grabbed her. With him in the saddle in front of her, she held on to him and followed his gaze back toward the cabin, her grip tightening as they quickly set off.

She couldn't help but look over her shoulder until the cabin was out of sight, and when it was she pressed her forehead against his back and took a deep breath. "Do you think he recognised me?.." she called over the sound of rushing wind.

"They must have sent those to every town and village outside Rhagos." At least she'd only seen her own, but still, even if they weren't looking for him too, just being with her put him in danger. They had to get over the mountains, surely their riders wouldn't have travelled through them, there had to be a line drawn in how far they'd search, and in her mind that line was the spine of mountains.

 

[Cal]

His head shook

"It doesn't matter." Cal told her as the mabtic rushed forward. They were going even faster than they had on that first day. There were no trees in the way now, nothing that the beast had to run around. It darted forward like the wind, rushing across the earth like it was about to take flight.

"We'll be a hundred miles by nightfall." He called over the wind. "And he thinks we're going south."

While the villagers thought they were going north.

In reality Cal would set their path directly east, the map would guide their way, and with it he would hopefully see them safely across the lengths of the Spine. His fingers tightened on the reigns for a moment, then one hand slipped free.

He grabbed Orlaith's palm at his abdomen, giving it one gentle reassuring squeeze. "We're alright."

He assured her as their trip began again.

 

[Órlaith]

She hadn't even thought of that. She was busy getting piss drunk and crying over cake whilst he was laying false trails and planning ahead, trying to get her some place safe. She felt a pang of guilt as he squeezed reassuringly at her hand and she nodded.

The coat was warm enough to stop the cold reaching her bones, but the icy chill stung at her face and hands, and she kept her face buried against his back as she held on for dear life. She daydreamed about wine and cake and feather beds as they rode on across the vast, frozen expanse. She very much doubted that the mountains would have any cosy little inns with jolly innkeepers wanting to fuss over her. The mountains were going to be much harsher, but she was used to harsh.

Despite his reassurance, Órlaith was becoming slightly obsessed with looking over her shoulder. She hadn't felt right since seeing that poster, seeing her likeness in charcoal offering reward for her capture. Now she knew people would come after her, and it wasn't just the inquisitors she had to worry about, it was anyone who would take coin as incentive...

 

[Cal]

They traveled as fast and as far as they could, stopping only once or twice to relieve themselves and enjoy a quick snack in the middle of the day.

By the time the sun began to set on the western horizon they were beginning to slow down. The Mantic was tired, and Cal patted it's large throat as he steered them towards what appeared to be a large rocky outcropping.

To the north storm clouds began to roll towards them, though he could see no rain within the distance.

"Think here is good." He said as they came to a slow stop.

The rocky outcropping was a strange, almost as though it had been placed there by something. It was no house, nothing of the sort, and the stones were far too massive for any man to have moved them. Yet there was something...constructed about it.

Cal pulled himself off the mantic as they came to a stop in front of the stones, offering his hand as always to Orlaith.

 

[Órlaith]

Órlaith was about as tired as the mantic by the time Cal offered his hand to her. It was tiring work to travel like that and her muscles ached from exertion and cold. She gave him a lazy smile and took his hand to slip down onto the ground and groan at the ache as she stretched her legs.

"What d'you think this place is?.." she asked, hugging her arms tight to her ribs as she wandered up to one of the large stone structures to peer up at it. A brow quirked and she looked over her shoulder at him with a sparkle of curiosity in her gaze. "Are giants real? It might've been giants.."

She shuddered, and started unpacking their little camp for the night.

 

[Cal]

In truth Cal had absolutely no idea if Giant's were real or not. He'd heard stories of course, likely the same ones that Orlaith had heard. "I have no idea, but I can't think of what else would make something like this."

He said softly, marveling at the structure alongside Orlaith.

For a few seconds he seemed to stand still, happy that there was some things he didn't know yet. After a moment he turned around and helped gather some of their things, sleeping mats and the tent he had bought in the village.

"Whatever made it." Cal said as he moved towards one of the smaller structures, setting his things down. "I'm glad it'll keep the snow off us."

 

[Órlaith]

She glanced at him as he stood staring at it in silence for a moment, her lips twisting in amusement as she dropped her gaze.

"Mhmm.." she answered in agreement. The wind seemed to have a tendency to blow side-ways, and the little copse of rocks seemed to shield them like a giant claw reaching out of the ground. There didn't seem to be much of a breeze inside it's grasp at all, but the air was still frigid and Órlaith stood with her bed roll and blankets next to where he'd laid his.

"D'you mind?.." she asked, chewing on her lip. The thought of freezing to death out here didn't really appeal to her too much. "I mean we are married and all.." she laughed awkwardly under her breath.

 

[Cal]

Cal smiled at her. "Suppose it's only right."

The little charade was over of course, but it had worked rather well back in the Village. Probably a little too well truth be told. Half of that common room would remember them for the next few weeks, likely cracking jokes.

He tried to push that thought out of his mind.

"Though." He smirked. "I'm still mad you never gave me a ring."

Along with the tent he had also purchased a large fur, big enough to act as a blanket. Even with fire the Spine would be cold, and he would not take any chances with their survival.

 

[Órlaith]

She flashed him a bright smile and set out her bed roll beside his and sat down. A dramatic gasp tumbled from her lips as he mentioned a ring and she laughed, unable to hold onto her feigned affront. "Well, when I see a ring on my finger, Mister Tulio, then perhaps you'll have one on yours." she quirked a brow.

Órlaith tried to be casual rather than hesitant in effort to rid any awkwardness as she leaned in against him and bundled furs and blankets around her. A smirk played on her lips and she cleared her throat.

"I did get you some excellent free cake.." she reminded, and slowly grimaced as she realised that he hadn't actually got to eat his first slice.

 

[Cal]

"That is true." Cal said with a smile, his arm softly wrapping around her beneath the the blanket and rubbing her shoulder for a bit more warmth. "Though I don't think I ever got a piece."

She'd eaten most of it before he had a chance, not that he begrudged her even a little.

The warmth of the fire was cast over them, the cavern that had seemingly been built by giants providing them perfect shelter as the snows began to fall outside. It was small flakes at first, then slowly they began to grow larger and larger.

It was peaceful, calm.

Cal could not remember the last time that he had felt this at ease. The last time he had not been worried or concerned. Ironic, considering the fact that he was on the run for his life. "Not so bad."

He said quietly.

 

[Órlaith]

"Yeahh I'm sorry.. Though we do still have some left." she smirked. Unless she decided to wake in the middle of the night to rid them of the burden.

She seemed to share the peace that he felt as she too stared out at the thickly falling snow, her body and mind taking the moment to breathe as he attentively rubbed at her shoulder to keep her warm.

"Not so bad at all." she huffed with a smile. She'd been wishing they could turn back to the last town, stay another night in the inn, but her lips curled a little more as she considered that this was better. Órlaith cuddled into his side a little more, her head resting against his collar as her mind drifted over the last few days. Despite their troubles, she couldn't bring herself to fret. There was only one worry that crossed her mind, and she frowned softly as she looked up at him.

"If I'm dreaming.. Just, maybe best not to touch me.." her lips twisted awkwardly.

 

[Cal]

He looked down at her for a moment. Cal remembered what had happened a few days ago, the pain that had lanced through his mind. Lips thinned for a few seconds, and then slowly he nodded his head.

"I won't." Cal said quietly.

Briefly he wondered about that mark, that brand on her flesh. Was it something that could be removed? Was it something that they could take from her flesh so that she had more control? Cal simply didn't know. They had been taught about the marks, but not how to apply or control them.

Those lessons were reserved for Grand Inquisitors and those who ruled above them.

He took a breath as he dismissed the thought, not wanting to sour the mood. "Don't worry."

"I'm not a handsy husband." Cal joked, patently aware his fingers rested on her body even as he spoke.

 

[Órlaith]

She was glad that the incident hadn't frightened him off, but he never had believed that she was a monster, not like the rest of them. Still, she had hurt him, and whether unintentionally or not, she had no desire to do it again. It'd been her first night sleeping anywhere but the dark and dingy dormitory of the monastery, perhaps by now she'd feel less disorientated.

She smiled brightly at his comment, and before she knew what she was doing, she'd leaned in to press a chaste kiss against the stubble of his cheek and sent her own cheeks aflame.

"Well. You've been an excellent husband so far." she mused as casually as she could as she studied his face.

 

[Cal]

Cal smiled down at her, his cheeks coloring for just a few seconds as he let out a small breath. "I try my best."

His fingers ever so gently squeezed her side, pulling her into him just a bit more.

"A wife as fine as you deserves only the best." Cal said glancing down at her with that same beaming smile.

It seemed he'd been wearing that smile for days now, never leaving his face for more than a few seconds.

 

[Órlaith]

"Hm.." she smiled and wrapped her arm around his ribs, squeezing gently back at him as she felt him pull her closer. She didn't believe herself to be 'fine' in any capacity. She was not a suitable wife for anyone, nor a mother, nor a daughter, nor a friend. People like her were 'lucky' to have the monastery in Rhagos, it was preferable to being burned alive. But, she found herself enjoying their little fabrication and she leaned into the lie as though it were real just to pretend for a little while that she was someone who was wanted. He made her feel that.

"Night Cal.." she whispered drowsily after a moment or two longer of watching the snowfall and listening to the sound of the crackling fire. Sleep would claim her quickly then, and unless otherwise interrupted, she'd sleep as soundly against him as she had in the feather bed.