Private Tales On swift wings..

[Sidereal Penumbra]

"Because you needed the rest more than I did," his voice rumbled in the crisp, morning air. "We have to ride hard today. I want to get to the border before nightfall."

The attack was recent but the more time that passed the least likely he was going to uncover exactly what the hell happened. It was another reason why they weren't dressed in uniforms and why they wore nondescript clothing. He wanted them to pass as travelers and not citizens of Autumn Court's army.

"Do you want to continue to argue about it or do you want to saddle up?" His arms crossed over his chest as she slowly turned and gave her a half smirk. Maybe it was best to try and keep things light around her bite.

 

[Lorelei]

Lori scowled at that. Yes, sure she was grateful, but she hated that he might think her weak. And that damned smirk he looked at her with?!

"It's not an argument." she said as she strutted toward her horse. "It's simply me telling you that I don't need any special treatment. I can handle a hard ride on little sleep, okay?!" she frowned, and then felt the sudden rush of heat in her face as she realised what she said..

"I... You know what I mean." she stammered before he could say anything, and she got her horse ready.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

A low, deep chuckle rumbled from his throat.

"i'll keep that in mind," he replied, and unable to help himself he winked at her as he pulled himself up on his own mount. Digging in his pack he took out two ration bars and handed one down to Lori. He shifted in the saddle, golden-green gaze moving toward the path ahead as he went to take the lead.

"Would it help if I pointed out I wasn't giving you special treatment? That maybe you should trust a General's judgement?"

Definitely pulling the General card. He didn't look back as he called out to her. Had to hide his grin somehow. Maybe not having the uniform on was helping him to not act like the mask of the General he always had to wear among the troops. It could also just be that it was her.

 

[Lorelei]

Lori's mouth fell open with incredulity as he winked at her. She'd been about to storm away from him, but she was hungry and so decided to snatch the offering from him with a childish wrinkle of her nose up at him as she did so.

She strutted off and swung herself up into her horse's saddle to kick off after him, biting violently into her ration bar as he called back to her. She supposed she hadn't really considered that. He wouldn't have gotten to where he was if he was stupid, and so he wasn't likely to have deprived himself of sleep for her sake and risk himself losing focus in these forests. Lori frowned as she chewed and swallowed before answering.

"Whatever you say, General." she murmured, fully reminded of her place, but she was glad he was ahead of her. Had to hide her smile somehow.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

It took everything in him not to keep glancing back. To see how she was doing. Gods, he was trying not to lose his cool. Shifting on his saddle, he frowned as movement through the trees caught his attention. Then more movement.

Figures. Lots of them. And they were all coming this way.

One hand tightened on the reins while the other went to his side. Ready to grab the hilt of the sword at his back. But he didn't need to. At least not yet. As they drew closer he saw that they were refugees. Fleeing something. A few females carrying crying babes. A few young ones. But where were the males? His eyes swept the group, seeing a very old, hobbling male fae.

 

[Lorelei]

Lori tensed as she followed Sid's gaze, mimicking him in reaching to rest her hand on the hilt of her blade at her hip. It was when she noticed a child that she withdrew with a frown and slipped down from her saddle. There were a few different types of fae amongst them, all lesser, a village perhaps.

"Hello?" she said gently, and a horned woman with a child in her arms paused cautiously. "It's alright.. Where are you all going?" she asked, though the woman remained silent as she looked up at Sidereal with grief in her gaze.

More caught up to the female, and Lori's brow furrowed as she swept her gaze over them. "Where have you come from?..." That was likely a better question, and she too glanced up at Sid as she approached the group.

"Here.." she said as she offered the reins of her horse to the female and child. "Take him.."

The female stared for a moment before reaching out her hand to take the leather strap in her hand, the weariness clear as she offered a solemn smile to Lori..

"They.. came in the night.. They were too many.." the female said quietly.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

Sid followed Lori's lead and dismounted. Taking the pack from the saddle, he wound it around his back. It fit right between his wings and over his sword, though not hampering his ability to withdraw the weapon. He went up to the older fae and offered him the reins. The old one frowned and blinked up at Sid then down at the leather. His hands were gnarled and shaky. A younger female gripping the hand of a youngling came up.

Sid could tell the older one was proud and he would refuse help onto the horse. "Look after each other and share rounds on her, yeah?" Sid patted the horse's mane. The female nodded, her eyes lingering on Sid for a moment before she blushed and turned away.

"What came and where is your village?" Sid rumbled, looking to the older male.

He leaned against the horse and pointed behind them. "A few clicks back there. By the border. They...they had ash arrows." Sid gently clapped the old man on the shoulder and stepped forward. His hazel eyes locked onto Lori's for a moment.

Stay alert. Be careful.

He didn't like this. He didn't want to continue on the ground. The refugees filed on as he took the lead forward and soon he was left just with Lori again. "I want to scout ahead. See if I can get a better vantage point." His wings flexed and spread slightly to make his point.

He knew how she felt about being carried. But if she didn't want him to leave her, he wouldn't. And if she wanted to come along, he would carry her. But something he was learning with Lori is that he would let her voice her opinion and make her choice.

 

[Lorelei]

Lori peeked under the horse's neck as she heard Sid give up his mount too, her head tilting slightly as she watched with a ghost of a smile. She hadn't realised she'd been staring until his eyes locked onto hers and she cleared her throat, her brow furrowing with a silent nod.

She watched the group leave and turned to follow Sid, remaining silent as she walked in his footsteps and pausing when he spoke of going on ahead without her. Lori glanced at his wings as they spread and she nodded quickly.

"Alright." she said stiffly, not feeling entirely comfortable about being on her own, nor the thought of him being brought down by ash arrows. She hadn't realised how much the incident with the nagai had shaken her until the prospect of being left alone was in front of her, and before he could fly off she took a quick step forward.

"But I.. Don't think we should separate. In case of another ambush." she protested and her jaw tightened at what that meant.

"You swear you won't drop me? And you won't.. tell any of the others?" she asked, her voice dropping to a quiet grumble.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

His weight shifted as she came forward. He waited a moment just to make sure she was sure. Coming forward, he looked down to her face. He wanted to brush some of that blonde hair away from her cheek. Instead, he quickly scooped her up, one hand supporting her back and wings and the other beneath her knees as he cradled her against his chest.

"I promise," his voice rumbed. "And if I fail in my promise you can beat me for it later." With a wicked glint in his eyes he spread his wings. "Hang on," was the last warning she'd get as he launched them into the air and over the trees. Wings spread and flapped, gliding along the wind as easily as he'd done a thousand times before. He kept a close eye out on the woods and openings in the canopy as they sailed overhead. He could see the plume of smoke from the village in the distance.

"Let me know if you see anything," his voice would whisper against the shell of her ear as the wind howled by them.

 

[Lorelei]

Lori narrowed her eyes slightly as he walked back to her, her form stiffening as she tried to brace herself. She stared up at him, trying to read his expression and ignore the now too-familiar scent of him. Her mouth went dry, and she'd been about to falter when he scooped her up and her eyes widened. An involuntary sound slipped passed her lips at the sensation of her wings being touched. Fuck she was flustered. This was too close. Against the hard planes of his chest, his arms around her, his face this close. She might've made a point of being difficult when it came to males, but he was particularly handsome and it was only natural to feel a little flushed, right?

Her cheeks burned a furious shade of red and she avoided looking at him as he spoke. She didn't like this. Well, the prospect of flying, at least. Nor that she needed him to carry her. It was degrading and formed a knot of shame deep in her chest and her feeble wings to ache.

Lori had barely learned how to fly at all before her wings were clipped. Still, they made sure she got a taste for it, made sure she knew exactly what she'd be missing when they took them from her. A year, that was all she'd gotten in the skies and gods she'd missed it every day since. Her eyes closed tightly for a moment as his wings beat them from the ground, as though if she didn't look she couldn't remind herself of how wonderful it was.

Of course, she had to look, and she scowled as he reminded her. Her stomach dipped as her eyes slowly opened and her body tensed, an audible gasp drawn in as her fingers curled into his jacket. It was one thing flying when your wings worked, but when she had to put her trust in someone else entirely, that was another story all together.

She flinched again as he whispered so close to her ear, a shudder running through her and going all the way to the tip of her toes that curled in response. Her mouth went dry as she looked at him and gave a short nod. This was her job, she had a duty, and no fear nor whatever the fuck else was going on in her head would stop her from doing what she was bid to do.

Lori blinked her way past the cold tears and looked down, her sharp eyes flicking here and there, looking for movement.

"Looks like they're heading east." she called out and pointed to another pillar of smoke in the distance. Even in the dark she could make out the dark shapes in the distance, and her brows rose as she pointed. "There. In the valley!"

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

He grunted and held her a little tighter to his chest as his wings banked and pushed their speed. It took him a moment longer to find the dark shapes moving near that other column of smoke. There were a lot of them. And they moved...strangely.

He frowned, eyes scanning the area looking for a good spot t-

FIRE. It was like a heated-blade slicing and shredding through the membrane of his right wing. His face twisted in agony as the ash-arrow struck his leathery wing. Then a second. He bit back a scream even as they started to drop. His good wing heaving to try to balance them. At least level out to get her somewhere.

"You'll...be...okay," he grunted, voice drowning in pain even as they spiraled downward, the wind rushing around them. Teeth gritting with one final heaving flap of his good wing he flipped them and wrapped that wing around them, his back hitting branched and trees as they crashed downward.

 

[Lorelei]

She felt the whoosh of the first arrow and flinched, gripping onto him a little tighter as she felt them fall. Her head whipped around to see why and panic rushed through her and she paled as she looked at him, fear and concern etched on her face..

"Shit."

She could practically feel his pain, and in effort to try and help she opened her wings what little she could to try and slow their spiralling fall. Her heart tried its best to rattle free of her chest as she watched the ground rushing toward them, knowing that even if they survived the fall, whatever had shot those arrows would be coming to meet them.

Her eyes closed tightly and she buried her face against the crook of his neck with a quiet whimper before she felt his wing wrap around her and his body crash through the canopy and onto the forest floor. They rolled to a stop, and for a moment she was still other than her heaving chest as she held fast to him beneath his wing.

She was alive. They were alive. He was hurt.

Lori lifted her head, peeking up at him. She wanted to ask if he was alright, to help him if she could, but right now wasn't that time. She pushed herself to her feet and drew her blades, standing over him defensively as the first of them made their attack.

It wasn't the nagai she'd expected. They were fae, all sorts of them. The first to attack her was a Puca male, and she didn't have time to let her confusion set in before their blades clashed hard and she grunted as her bones rattled. Two quick slashes tore across the male's chest and stomach and he fell before a a shuck met the end of her blade.

"Fucking. Rebels!"

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

He hadn't felt this much pain for almost a century. He cradled Lori tightly as they fell until his back cracked and hit the floor. For a moment, he blacked out. Sheer will and experience drew him back to consciousness. Lori's voice did too.

The lack of her against his broken form.

The sounds of battle that he was missing. Sweat began to bead along his brow. His wing was no good. And he couldn't heal with the fuking ash in his skin. Grunting with pain and effort, he rolled to his side and drew out his long-sword along his back. He managed to get to his knees before curling into himself.

A low growl left the base of his throat as he forced himself to straighten, staggering to one foot. Then two. His blade swing as he tried to maintain protection for their rear as Lori held them off from...well, everywhere else.

"Gods, you're beautiful when you fight," he breathed more to himself as the delirium of pain and survival made his tongue a lot looser than it should be. Fuk he was going to black out again soon. But not before he gave them time. Not before he made sure she would be okay.

He realized he would always make sure Lori was okay - no matter what.

A sluggish swing of his sword stopped the blade of a satyr. Lowering his shoulder he staggered forward, knocking the horned beast in the face.

 

[Lorelei]

Lori could only spare him a second's glance with a look of incredulity as he spoke. Of course she was listening, her senses were finely attuned to her surroundings as it was, but she was always prepared to pay attention to orders and honed into the voice.

The head of a redcap thudded to the ground before she whipped around, slashing open the throat of another winged male and stabbing her blade into the chest of a hooded female before she could reach Sid.

Another ash arrow flew at her, missing her face by mere inches as she moved aside. "Cunt!" she snapped, locking eyes on the male who'd fired it as he nocked another. Lori lifted her blade high and whipped it forward, the metal glinting as it flew end-over-end to strike the male's chest, taking him off of his feet before he could fire.

The barrage slowed and Lori backed up toward Sid again, her gaze shifting through the trees. A few more hid, and she supposed by the amount of bodies that were currently strewn around them that they were backing off.

"Come on." she breathed hard and turned to pull his arm around her shoulder to support him as much as she could. They had to move.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

One wing hung limp and useless on his side, dragging half open. He couldn't close it with the arrows in. His other wing was painfully tucked into his back. He looked down at Lori mildly amused she tried to hold his weight. He used his sword to like a crutch, keeping himself supported and not dragging her down with him.

Golden-green eyes darted at the rusling in the woods around them even as they stepped through bodies and blood. He shuffled along with her, nearly blacking out a few times.

Hells, reminded him of the time with Raphael on the border of Samskaya.

"My wing," he heaved, growling in pain. "Can you get the arrows out?" He might be able to get to his magic then. With them free. He hoped he'd be able to start healing with them out as well. Even as he asked, he craned his neck to look behind them, readying his arm to bring his sword up if any of the rebels were foolish enough to try an ambush from behind.

 

[Lorelei]

Lori was stronger than she looked for her size, but Sid was a struggle, even as her adrenaline coursed through her. She grit her teeth and huffed through her nose as she took as much weight as she could manage as quickly as she could.

"Mhm." she growled out, glancing back at his wing. "As soon as we're some place safe enough to stop."

And that place wasn't far off. Through a thick copse of trees, tall, smooth rocks would at least give them protection from one side should there be another ambush. She struggled the last few steps and let him sit, kneeling next to him and wincing at the sight of the arrows in his wing.

"Bastards." she grumbled and reached to take hold of one, only to hiss and recoil. "They're.. Ash. What sort of fae use ash arrows on their own kind?! Sick bastards!" she amended with a growl. His poor wing, she could only imagine the pain he was in.

"Hold still." she sighed, and reached to snap the first as quickly as she could, her jaw clenched tightly as she yanked it free.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

"FuUCK," he growled and leaned forward, his forehead brushing across her shoulder for a moment. One strong arm snaked around her waist, steadying himself. His dark hair damp with sweat near his temples. His wing shuddered and cried out even as a momentary feeling of relief shot through where the ash arrow had been freed.

Gods her scent.

It was the only thing that kept him from blacking out. His grip tightened on the handle of his sword. Just in case those fucking rebels tried anything. Head lifted only slightly to look behind her as she continued to work to get that second arrow out. He watched their backs.

But there was no movement.

Lori had successfully scared the shit out of them. "Remind me," his voice rattled against her. "To never get on your bad side." Another shudder. Another inhale through his nose, her smell permeating to his broken bones.

 

[Lorelei]

Lori grimaced, almost feeling the physical pain he was in at the way he swore. She'd been about to speak when he leaned into her, his damp hair brushing against her cheek as she felt his arm curl around her waist. It really wasn't the time for the sort of thoughts that she found suddenly racing through her mind, and her cheeks flushed violently and her wings gave an involuntary shudder.

There was something so terribly fucking wrong with her. She cleared her throat, refraining from the urge to comfort him and got on with the task at hand. His voice caused her to pause and she shot him a side glance, her lips twisting with a quiet puff of pride. "I will." she agreed. "Now hold still."

She tried desperately not to touch his wing, but the angle made it quite difficult and the feeling of the leathery skin against her knuckles only made her more flustered. She muttered a quiet curse to herself under her breath as she carefully snapped and removed the second arrow.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

A low growl left his throat as her knuckles made contact. And suddenly he wanted to lean all his weight into her. Wrap his arms around her and explore every inch of her body and wings. Make her writhe and beg for more beneath him. Put his mouth...

OH FUCK THAT HURT

His grip around her waist tightened for a moment, a breath against the side of her neck as he fought the urge to pass out. "Look who is giving," a shuddered breath, "orders now." A low, rumbling, pained chuckle left his throat. Head lifted slowly and he couldn't help it as one hand lifted to brush some of her blonde hair away from her blood-spattered face. His forehead dipped, leaning against her own.

"Lori," he breathed.

Right now he just needed permission to hold her. Even as he felt the slow process of his wounds beginning to heal now that the ash was out of his body.

 

[Lorelei]

Lori's stomach tightened as she felt the shift in him. The growl he made by her ear, the subtle shift in his scent. Her heart was pounding harder than it had done in the midst of the ambush they'd just faced, and she became hyperaware of every place his skin touched hers, the breath agains there skin and the husky quality of his voice as he said her name.

She didn't laugh as he found the strength to make a joke, and she stared at him as he combed her hair from her face and leaned close enough to kiss her. This was..much too close, much too familiar. Lori wasn't the tactile sort..

Her mouth went dry and she swallowed audibly. Why wasn't she shoving him away? Because he was her General? No. She wouldn't care if he was, if he overstepped then she'd have had no problem telling him to fuck off. Then why? Because he needed her? Because she was inexplicably drawn to him? Because the sound of her name tumbling from his lips like that send a shudder racing up her spine and called every one of her senses to attention?

Fuck.

"Just rest." she murmured, her hand lifting hesitantly to return the gesture of combing back his damp hair.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

A rumbling sigh left his chest at her touch. Gods her fingers through his hair. If Lorcan was here he’d know the Prince would laugh and make a comment about never believing the day Sid settled for one female. Was this what it was like between Lorcan and Mauve?

It made all those nights with other females seem like shadows in comparison to Lori being the sun.

FUCK

The hand from her hair moved to gently cup her cheek. Maybe when he was fully healed he’d wonder what the hell he was doing. He was not being a good General right now. But he wasn't thinking with the feeling of her against him. Her voice. The beat of her heart he could almost feel.

He moved forward, going to capture her lips with his own. But always slow enough to give her a choice. He would always give Lori a choice. Even if it killed him. If she allowed a kiss, he’d try to keep it short. Then he’d settle down to rest, that arm around her waist staying around her as he was not readily willing to let her leave his side. Even as he slept and his shattered wings healed.

 

[Lorelei]

The weight of his hand on her cheek caused a quiet sigh to tumble from her own lips, she smirked, about to mutter some snarky remark about saving his ass again, but as he moved toward her, her expression paused. She didn't move. She most definitely should have, but her instead she found herself returning a kiss that felt like a branding iron against her lips. She wasn't entirely sure if he'd hit his head, or if she had, but her heart stumbled over itself and something deep in her chest sparked it back to life.

Lori's senses flared, and whether rightly or wrongly, she had no desire to stop kissing him now that he'd crossed that line. She breathed him in, suddenly all-too-aware of the scent of petrichor and pine that was him. She blinked as he lay down, pulling her with her, and she tucked her wings against his chest, aware of his arm around her waist and the feel of him breathing against her. What the fuck had just happened?

She wouldn't sleep. She couldn't. Her fingers touched to the tingling skin of her lips as she lay there, listening in silence to him sleep.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

He slept soundly and hard. And as he woke, he felt a dull ache in his bones but his wings were fully healed - if a little sore. No longer muddled by adrenaline and pain, his mind was clear. Even as her scent hit him. As he felt her warmth against him.

Raphael would surely be awkward and stumble awaiting, muttering some kind of apology.

He was certainly not his brother.

First, he listened. Making sure those rebels from before weren't around or about to ambush them. Then his full attention went to the female wrapped up in his arm. "Morning," he breathed against her and with the boldness he'd had since the day he was born, his lips brushed against her temple in a light kiss.

 

[Lorelei]

She wasn’t entirely sure at what point she’d fallen asleep. The last thing she remembered was his arm pulling her tightly against the warmth of his chest and being very aware of the slow rise and fall of it against her, as well as the strong pulse of his heart that seemed to reverberate into her bones. And now his husky whisper and the feel of his lips against her skin woke her from the sleep she’d tried so hard to deny.

It was a pleasant way to be woken, wrapped up in warmth with a little affection, but it took her mind a few long seconds to wake fully and realise that she hadn’t imagined it. He’d kissed her, held her, and just kissed her again. Her brow furrowed as she fought off another moment of weakness and unwrapped herself from his arms as she sat up. “Stop that.” she murmured, her wings ruffling and attempting to stretch out without much success.

Her hands rubbed the sleep from her face and she huffed, turning to look over his wings, avoiding his gaze entirely.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

Sid couldn't help the smug smile that crossed his mouth as she pulled away quickly. He'd already crossed a line. A line he couldn't go back over.

Hazels swept to where her eyes looked.

So stubbornly looking at anywhere but him.

"I'm fine," he rumbled and sat up, then stood up. Stiff. A little pain. But nothing compared to the worst he'd ever experienced before. His wings stretched as if to prove it to her. Fingers rubbed at the dark stubble on his tan face. His other hand lowered to help her up if she needed it. If she took it, his fingers would linger far too long against her own, smaller ones.

"A bit flustered this morning, are we?"

The question asked with a glint in his eyes and his signature, lopsided grin.