Private Tales On The Hunt

[Skyler]

"Thank you," she said, pulling her shirt down the rest of the way. Fingers flipped her long, rusty curls free of the collar and back down her back.

"For giving me a choice. But you're right. Elbion might be the best option."

Fingers fell back to her hips.

"I wish I could hug you." A crooked grin as she eyed those blue marks that were still exposed. He made no move for his own shirt. And she was surprised he'd left his pants on.

 

[Myrdin]

"Ah well." Myr said with a shake of his head. "It's a problem I've had most of my life."

The only way he had to get rid of the marks was by triggering them. Doing so was incredibly dangerous, and he would not want to while she was close.

As if taking the hint Myr reached over and snapped his shirt from where he had hung it up, drawing it over his head and pulling it tight. The feint smell of smoke clung to the cloth, holding to him like an old familiar calling.

"There." He told her with a smile.

 

[Skyler]

She took a small step forward and then another until she stopped right in front of the man. She was tall, so she didn’t need her eyes to look up too much.

“There,” she repeated, that same crooked smile on her lips like a crooked root.

Arms would loop carefully around his torso, knowing marks that could very well end her life lay separated only by thin pieces of fabric. Her cheek and head would nestle carefully into the side of his face that didn’t have a mark, rusty locks tickling his skin as she gave him a squeeze.

 

[Myrdin]

His arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace, softly squeezing her.

Myr's eyes closed for a few seconds, and he tried to remember the last time he had actually been held by...anyone at all. It seemed long before he could remember. Lips thinned, and his eyes fell shut as he took in a deep breath.

She smelled like wild-flowers.

It was a scent that he could remember from the isles, one that he had missed more than he could have said in that moment. He drew her in a bit tighter, fingers softly drawing over the small of her back in an almost unconscious thought. "There."

Myr said in soft agreement.

 

[Skyler]

Her own hands traveled in a small circle, fingers lightly tracing the muscles along his back and broad shoulders. He smelled smoky and something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Since she'd left the island she hadn't had much touch. Her father and mother were always generous with gentle touches on the arm or shoulder. Enveloping hugs. Back-rubs at night.

She hadn't realized how much she missed it until she was hugging this hunter.

Months since she'd left the island.

Weeks on the run.

"Thank you," she whispered into his ear, fingers carefully trailing up the back of his neck, fingers brushing gently against his hair. And she meant it. For not dragging her to Alliria. For promising to see her to Elbion. For letting her make a choice. For making her feel...safe.

And a few more things.

 

[Myrdin]

It was a struggle not to break down in her arms.

He did not know how long it had been since someone had actually held him, touched him. There was a comfort in it that he had not remembered since the smallest moments in his childhood. His eyes closed, and as she drew small circles on the back of her neck he felt goosebumps draw up her spine.

Myr's mouth opened briefly as he drew in a deep breath. "I..."

The Sea-Elf fought the urge to draw her further into him, to kiss her neck, pull her into his embrace and do a thousand things that ran through her mind.

"I would..." Myr trailed off. "I'm going to make sure you're safe."

To Elbion, beyond if she asked.

 

[Skyler]

She wondered as she held him how she got so lucky.

Any hunter could've found her first. More violent ones. Ones that wouldn't have given a shit about her story. Ones that would've dragged her dead body back. And yet it had been him to have found her.

Isla felt as though she fit into his arms like a puzzle piece. And it was hard to let go. Hard to relinquish the touch she so craved. His arms around her and trailing along the small of her back. The reverberations of his voice along her chest.

She sighed into him and squeezed him once more.

"I feel like I've known you beyond these past two days," she leaned back so she could look him in the eyes, her fingers moving from around his back to come rest at his sides as she pulled back. "I wish I'd known you when I was younger. I think you would've liked sailing around our shores."

 

[Myrdin]

"I would have." He remembered the isles around Minaris, Sheketh and those beyond. They had been beautiful in their own way, but he had not sailed there until he'd been well into his later years. Just before his exile in fact.

His fingers slipped to her hips, dragging slowly over her skin almost as if he were savoring the touch.

Most of the time women, anyone for that matter, were too afraid to even let him get near them. Once they found out what the marks on his body were fear was almost always the reaction. Especially when he told them the harm it could do.

"It..." He bit his lip for a moment. "It's nice that you're not afraid of me."

The admission was a difficult one, but one he felt he could make due to hers.

 

[Skyler]

One of her hands lifted to gently press against one of his cheeks, edge of her thumb traces dangerously close to the border of the blue spot near his eye.

"I hope you don't think me foolish for it," she said quietly. Letting her thumb smooth across his skin. A part of her wondered if she could take some of these spots away. Her magic with the healing touch of water. She was tempted to try but wouldn't do anything without his permission.

His fingers sent little tingles upon the skin that he touched and was able to find just beneath the fabric of the clothes she'd just put back on. Then she found herself distracted by his mouth and wondered what he tasted like.

 

[Myrdin]

There was a moments of hesitation as she drew her thumb over his face, coming dangerously close to the mark over his eyes.

He could remember the mage that had left it there. A man by the name of Fren Islet. He had tried to kill him with a spike of black energy. It hadn't worked of course, but the mark was one that had always ached more than he others.

Myr watched her, his gaze catching hers.

Fingers tightened for a brief moment, and then he did something stupid.

Without any of the hesitation he felt at her touch, without thinking about it. Myr leaned down and slowly leaned down and kissed her.

 

[Skyler]

She didn't hesitate.

Perhaps she felt a little foolish. She hoped he wasn't just kissing her to appease her. But as her lips met his own she didn't care what his reasons were. Lips parted and she darted her tongue into his mouth. There were undertones of salt and smokiness.

Her hand on his cheek froze but didn't move away.

Consequences be damned.

That grip he had on her skin grounded her. Drew her to him. Refused to let her float away even though she felt like she would as her kiss deepened.

 

[Myrdin]

His arms wrapped around her, Myr taking delicate care not to touch her with any of the marks upon his flesh.

He was almost hyper aware of each of them in that moment, the pain of them burning into his flesh as he took in a deep breath against her lips. He felt fire slowly burn down his spine, the touch, the taste, the smell of her utterly intoxicating as he drew her closer.

Fingers slipped beneath the hem of her tunic, touching, caressing, worshiping in their touch as he enjoyed the simple sensation of her against his palms.

It was a greater rush than any drug he'd ever tried, any magic that had pierced his skin. Myr felt a heady rush of something come over him, and he could have sworn that the very air around her was warped with ecstasy itself.

She would feel his fingers slowly slip lower, tighten, and then pull her from the ground and up against him as he furthered their kiss.

 

[Skyler]

His touch was a warm fire along her skin and she wished she could do the same to him. Explore every ridge and dip his body had to offer. She knew those hands of his had caught so many dangerous quarry before. Set so many traps. Fought in many battles but they were gentle and light along her skin as he explored beneath her shirt.

Then dipped beneath the hem of her pants.

A groan filtered up from her throat as her feet left the ground, legs easily wrapping around his torso. Elbows propped along his broad shoulders. And in that moment? She completely trusted him. Trusted him to be careful with those blue marks she was starting to hate.

Trusted that he would do as he said; that he was the man he said he was.

Lips pressed against his own, teeth raking across his lower lip as she gave the smallest of tugs.

 

[Myrdin]

His fingers tightened against her skin, grasping, softly kneading as he held her against himself and felt her teeth drag over his lip.

A shiver ran up his spine, eyes closing for just a brief second as he simply reveled in the moment. He could feel his heart thunder in his chest, could feel himself slowly lose every little ounce of control that he had hoped to maintain.

She would feel him shift, a press of his hands, and then she would feel the flat of cold rock against her back as he softly pressed her against the cavern wall.

The weight of his body kept her up, one hand softly exploring her flesh as his lips finally trailed away from hers and down her cheek. She would feel peppered kisses down her skin, slowly sliding onto her neck and lingering there as his hands pulled away the cloth she had only just donned a few seconds ago.

He tore at her clothes in desperation, nearly ripping them to shreds within his grasp.

 

[Skyler]

He certainly had a talent with removing another's clothes.

The thought made her lips curl in amusement. Even as she heard a small rip and then another of fabric. Hopefully they would still be wearable after this. Those were the only clothes she had.

And unlike before, she was completely nude. Legs shifted around him, her foot brushing against his backside as she kept from sliding down.

Breath hitched in her throat as she felt the tickle of his beard and lips travel down her neck. That rock at her back. One was cold and the other was warm. He'd feel her heartbeat echo in her throat as his lips traveled there. Her hands would curl around the back of his head, fingers massaging across his scalp, tugging lightly at his hair.

Husky, low voice breathed across his temple, one hand falling to tug lightly at his shirt along his shoulder.j

"This is entirely unfair," he'd find the soft nibble of teeth on his ear.

As his fingers slid across the body tattoo that ran from her leg up the curve of her hip and side, she'd miss the way it responded. His touch seemed to elicit a glow of magic.

 

[Myrdin]

His fingers strokes over her flesh, trailed over her body, touching, seizing whatever he would.

Everywhere he moved the magic soon trailed after, drawing into his flesh and pulling a mark upon them that cause a pleasant and soothing tingle to run over his skin. His eyes closed as he took a breath in the crook of her neck. "Sorry."

The word was barely a rasped whisper, croaked from his throat as he pulled back for just a few seconds. His eyes sailed over her with intent, teeth sinking into his lower lip for just a brief second before he leaned in and kissed her.

The soft patter of rain continued as Myr lay on the ground, fingers wound in Isla's hair as she lay atop him, carefully positioned as not to touch any of the marks on his skin.

His fingers slowly ran over her skin, brushing softly as he took in small breaths of satisfaction. The ground beneath him was cold, but it did not seem as though he minded for even a single second. His hand splayed across her backside, a calm touch.

He did not notice that one of the marks that had been on his forearm was now gone, the once dangerous mar on his flesh vanished by her touch.

 

[Skyler]

Heartbeat from exertion was slowing gradually. Soft curves pressed against his torso. Toes flexed but she didn't dare move too much more. Face nuzzled against the side of his beard, lips pressing against his ear. Lips moved to his temple as she pressed a gentle kiss there.

She smiled against him.

"I'm glad those you hunted did not manage to hit...certain places."

That vine on her skin seemed to shift and move just slightly...a tremble, whenever his fingers caressed the leaves.

 

[Myrdin]

Myr let out a chuckle, Isla moving up and down as he laughed. "Lucky, I guess."

He told her with a smile.

"Would certainly have been...unfortunate." Not the least since the marks usually brought him no small amounts of pain. His fingers slowly drew small figures eights on her skin, his eyes closing as he enjoyed the sensation of simply laying there.

"The one on my eye is the worst." He said softly. "A shaman in the Tundra."

Myr's eyes opened. "Some sort of entropy magic."

 

[Skyler]

His laughter warmed her on the inside.

She propped herself up on one forearm carefully, head moving from the side of his face to the other, where he had his mark. Long-neck shifted as she gently trailed kisses around the border of that mark, her long, rusty hair falling to the side.

She paused and pulled back, looking down at him.

"Entropy? So the shaman's magic decayed things it touched? Or caused...explosions?" Isla was unsure.

 

[Myrdin]

"It took life itself." He explained softly. There had been pain with it, more so than he had ever felt before.

A part of him still shirked at the very thought of it, remembering just how much it had hurt. Even now it was the mark that burned him the most, though he could handle it well enough on most days. On bad days though he could barely keep his eye open.

"He was a nasty one." Myr explained. "Kidnapped children for experiments.'

His head slowly shook. "But he's dead now, so no longer a concern to anyone.'

A shiver ran through him as her lips pressed softly against his face, fingers trailing up and down her spine.

 

[Skyler]

A hint of anger and disgust crossed her olive features. Another monster of men. It was hard to stay angry at injustice as his fingers trailed across her skin. Expression smoothed out.

Then she remembered something.

A small smirk on her full lips as she looked down at him, her thumb trailing across his lips.

"Earlier I felt something." She'd felt A LOT of things but this was different. "Did you take some of my magic?" Teeth chewed lightly on her lower lip.

 

[Myrdin]

A frown touched his lips for a brief moment. "Your magic?"

Myr sounded almost confused, as if he hadn't noticed any sensation. Lips thinned for a second, and slowly he looked up at his arms. A frown touched his features as he noticed something. There was no ache in his arm, no constant burn from where the pyromancer had.

"Great Sae." He invoked his gods name, glancing at Isla for a brief moment before he slowly ran a hand over his arms. "It's gone...one of the marks that was there..."

His eyes flickered to her. "It's gone."

Was it the healing magic? It had to be. Had to be.

 

[Skyler]

She sat up slowly so she could get a better look at his arm, sitting beside him. Her fingers ran over the clear skin. She didn't know what it was. If it was the healing magic or if it just had to do with her ancestry. Perhaps the way his touch seemed to elicit a response to her magic.

Strange because no one else ever had.

"This has never happened to you before?"

 

[Myrdin]

"No." He said with a rather shocked expression.

Lips thinned for a brief moment. Myr had never been touched with healing magic before. He had always assumed that it simply wouldn't work on him, and thus it wouldn't matter if someone actually did touch him with such a thing.

Yet...if it took away his marks. Gods would that change things.

"The marks only disappeared when people touch them." He said softly. "And even then it is usually...violent."

The magic remaining in his flesh reacting to the touch. Almost like a trap being triggered.

 

[Skyler]

Lips pursed.

Then her face lightened. "I suppose this is a good thing." Perhaps they didn't need to understand. And she noticed that instead of her creating another mark with whatever magic he'd brought forward as he touched her, one of his had been taken away.

Curious.

The rain was still dripping slowly beyond their little overhang.

"Do you want to stay here awhile longer or do we need to break camp now?" She was worried at the number of hunters he'd earlier mentioned. Were they close? Were some closing in on them now? She looked down at him, still perched next to his hip but made no move to get her discarded clothes.