Private Tales Read between the lines

[Zana]

Zana was breathing hard as he dipped her to the ground. She actually felt the brush of marble against the skin on her back. Her arms were draped about his neck and her leg was wrapped around his waist but she was almost entirely reliant on him to hold her up in that last move. Their faces were so close to one another she could have kissed him but someone this was far more intimate. Desire rolled through the bond in waves. If there hadn't been a thousand eyes upon them she would have taken him here.

"Well..." the dance seemed to have helped sober her up a little bit and as he helped her back onto her feet she smiled. "Now my dress is burnt and torn, I hope you weren't too attached to it," she laughed softly, her cheeks flushed with drink and the exertion of the dance.

"I think... food is a good idea," she put a hand on her churning stomach.

 

[Talus]

"I'll get you another one." His lips pressed against hers as he finished speaking, and everyone the Hall broke out in a renewed cheer.

His fingers tightened on her skin for a moment, a wash of lust slowly falling over him as he drew back just slightly. Then everything seemed to snap back.

Crimson washed over Talus' face as he pulled back, somehow having clearly forgotten in the heat of the moment that they'd been surrounding by hundreds of people.

"Yeah." Talus agreed quietly. "Probably a good idea."

It was very clear that his mind was entirely elsewhere, consumed by thoughts of that luxurious bedroom in the manor Zana now owned.

"My gods!"​

Thror's voice rang out above the crowd as Zana and Talus moved back towards one of the tables that had now been moved to the side of the Hall.

"Who knew humans could move that way!"​

A laugh echoed from those around the King.

 

[Zana]

His kiss was like adding spirit to a fire and her hand came up to cup his cheek when he kissed her. Like him she had forgotten for that brief moment they were not alone. Not least of all the King.

Zana felt like a naughty teenager whose father had just caught her kissing the stable boy as they made their way back over to his table. Grey had not left the kings side and was sprawled out at his feet like a loyal pup. She slid into her chair gratefully and grabbed a bread roll from the basket in the middle. It was like the drink had made her appetite double what it had been.

Or perhaps it had been the fear of death in dragon flame.

Clearly all concern of being presentable had gone out of the window for she seemed quite relaxed sitting in her sooty, singed state in a ripped dress.

"I thought you said you knew my people," Zana gave the king a sly smile. The Gypsies were known for their way of dancing. Some of the few memories she had of her parents were of them dancing in their tiny little house. After a moment though her face grew serious.

"I hope you do not mind about sealing up the forge..."

 

[Talus]

"Aye lass, I was referring to Talus. Clearly you're some sort of Angel!"​

Laughter erupted from the table once more, though Talus found himself choking on some ale as he glanced towards Thror. "Hands to yourself, Dwarf!"

Another round of laughter, amusement and mirth playing across those at the table as banter was thrown back and forth. Thror patted his chest as he nearly choked from his laughter, smiling even still as Zana began her apology.

The Kind waved his hand.

"Six Hundred years lass, most of us gave up hope to ever see the forges lit again. I am happy to see them one last time, and if a price had to be paid for it...this seems a fair one to me."​

As Talus listened to the Old King it struck him just how...just he actually was. He could not help but think that in Vel Anir Zana likely would have been executed for what she'd done, but here? Here it was being celebrated.

"Do not burden yourself with worry. Enjoy your new home, just as I'll enjoy my new armor!"​

 

[Zana]

Zana was beginning to realise why Talus felt so... at home here. As people laughed and joked, some of it at Talus' expense, she realised they were more than just a people with their king. It was like a family and they had opened their arms first to Talus and now to Zana. The rush of emotions was so unfamiliar and yet... and yet they felt right. She smiled and simply watched it all play out as she ate.

Clearly her thoughts had gone in a similar direction to Talus' however with her next comment.

"Where we are from... what I did would be... frowned upon," she didn't know how much they knew about Vel'Anir or the Dreadlords but she felt it would suffice by way of an explanation - an apology for her apology. Zana popped another piece of bread in her mouth.

"I don't think that is the last time you will see the flames though," a knowing smile crossed her lips then her thoughts turned back to the manor and that beautiful kitchen. "As for my new manor," a cheer and she grinned. "When we next return you have to let me cook for you," her eyes drifted to Talus and she put a hand on his leg. "Have you ever had pasta before?" she sounded amused.

 

[Talus]

Talus put hand over Zana's knee, not taking his own advice as he began another mug of ale and mostly ignored the food that was splayed out in front of them. He kept one ear on the conversation between Thror and Zana, but most of his attention was on the dwarf in front of him.

"No no nO Siegrif." Talus said as he placed his ale down and reached over to grab a knife from the dwarf. "It goes like this."

Placing his palm on the table with his fingers splayed Talus began to slowly place the tip of the knife between his digits in an odd sort of pattern. He laced the knife between them in a rhythmic pattern, speeding up every single time he reached the beginning.

"See?" Talus said as the knife nearly became a blur in his hand.

Thror meanwhile smiled at Zana. The old King was clearly pleased about everything going on. The feast, the dragon forges, Zana and Talus. All of it brought a smile to his face, a wide grin that seemed to stay no matter what anyone said or did.

"Aye I know Lass. I may joke, but I seen what the Boy was like when he first came here. Like a beaten dog."

A scowl flickered over his features for just a moment, deep and grim before it was replaced by that same warm smile. He patted Grey on the head.

"I've not. We don't get much foreign food under the Mountain. Is it spicy? I've always enjoyed spicy foods."

 

[Zana]

Zana watched Talus in mild amusement as the dwarf attempted to copy him and nearly cut his own finger off in the process. Her eyes lingered on him, pride was a warm comforting weight in her heart and her hand fell over the top of the one he rested on her thigh. She turned her gaze back to the king and gave a shake of her head and a small laugh.

"Pasta isn't, but I can make you a curry that will make you believe you were being consumed by dragons flame," the dwarf gave another angry shout as he sliced another one of his fingers and her lips twitched. This was who Talus was meant to be really. He was still young and clearly his mentor had been a good person to try and expand his horizons in such a way. It made her more determined and almost absentmindedly she took another sip of the ale in front of her.

"Thank you, for helping him before I could," her voice was soft and she put her hand over the Kings.

 

[Talus]

The dwarf let out a loud curse as he missed with the knife again. "Sieg, maybe you should stick to hammers."

Laughter erupted loud enough that Talus did not hear Zana thanking the King. Had he done so it might have brought a flash of embarrassement. He was too drawn into the moment though, enjoying himself among the few people he could consider friends.

Thror gave Zana a warm smile, nodding his head as he reached up and softly patted his great white beard.

"There's no need to thank me. He's a good lad. Reminds me of my son."

There was an empty look in the Kings eye for just a brief moment, and then he quietly added.

"In fact I'd be happy to call him such."

Thror smiled, glancing at Talus for a moment before drawing his gaze back towards Zana. There was a certain amount of pride in his look.

"I am happy he has found someone to live with, and not just have a cause die for."

It was clear that Thror had known of Talus' drive the way hed pushed himself. The last time he'd been here Talus had still been an Apprentice, but his goals had been clear. Now Thror saw life in him, a new breath of air that he knew had come from Zana.

 

[Zana]

For a moment there was a twinge of pain and her vision shifted. Time reversed. The images of the Dragon Wars flicked across her mind at speed. The deaths, the pain, the destruction. They vanished almost as quickly as they had appeared and she pressed a hand briefly to her temple trying to ignore what she had just seen.

"I know he thinks of you in much the same way," Zana said softly. She could feel it through the bond every time Talus looked to Thror. Like a father. He might not have remembered his own but he had found a soul to fill the void.

"We both share a vision for our home, maybe one day it will be like it is here," she truly hoped so, she thought as her eyes swept back over the table. Then she shook her head slightly and abruptly stood. "You do not seem a King for sad talk, how about a dance instead?" she curtsied with what she could of her skirt and held out her hands with a smile. "I promise I will go gentle."

 

[Talus]

The old King let out a laugh, and shook his head slowly, though he did move to get out of his chair.

Talus glanced up at Zana for a moment, looking over to Thror with a smile before looking back. He smiled at his love, sending a feeling of adoration and companionship through their bond. "Don't break him."

He told her with a smirk towards Thror.

The Old King let out a laugh.

"Oh aye lad I'll fall to piece if she tries to move me like she did you."

Near seven hundred years old any sort of dancing was tough on Thror, yet it was clear he was intent on following through. The Old King took Zana's hand, gently allowing himself to be lead to the dance floor.

As they went Talus spied Vorak stepping through the entrance of the hall, his eyes searching for a few moments until he caught Talus gaze. The dwarf nodded at him, and Talus smirked before offering a thumbs up.

 

[Zana]

There was only even going to be one man Zana wanted to break like that and she blew him a kiss as she left towards the dance floor with the king. She made her footsteps shorter but it didn't look at all like she were the one keeping pace with him but that he was keeping pace with her. Once they made it on to the dance floor the music slowed to a much smoother and calmer song. She one hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand as his came to rest upon her waist.

For an elderly dwarf he certainly hadn't forgotten the steps and Zana found herself being led about the floor as if she were a princess. There were a small odd jokes and comments made but the two seemed to simply enjoy the moment as it was. After a while other couples joined them and they all weaved in and out together. It was... peaceful.

 

[Talus]

Talus watched the two dance for a while, Vorak coming to sit beside him and ribbing him on how he would lose his woman to a decrepit King.

He took the jokes, threw a few back, but most of his attention was simply on Zana. It seemed surreal that two months ago he had not even known her, had only ever seen her in passing glances. It all seemed so odd that he would now love her more than life itself.

Through the bond he could feel her joy, the mirth she felt surrounded by all of this.

He was happy to see her here. To see her beyond the walls of Vel Anir and in an element where she didn't have to hide. In that moment he wanted nothing more than to stay here forever, to keep them both in the home they now had here. It was a dream, but a pleasant one.

"Lad, you remember this."

Vorak said as he pulled out a deck of Dwarven cards, nudging Talus by the shoulder. "Oh Aye. I remember."

By the time Zana and good king Thror returned to the table Zana would fine Talus in half a drunken stupor, slamming down a card onto the table and shouting.

"FRINGA!" His hand yanked away and revealed the card. Everyone groaned, or maybe cheered, and then downed their entire mug.

 

[Zana]

How had she ended up with another mug when all she had done was walk from the dance floor to here? She was beginning to suspect that Dwarfish magic was that to make ale appear in empty hands. They had smashed their mug against hers and downed their own then waited for her to clearly attempt to do the same with her own.

She wasn't entirely sure who was helping who back to the table in the end.

"What's the game?" Grey ignored her entirely for the king when they returned and put his head back in the old mans lap so she averted all her attention to the cards. She leaned her chin on Talus' shoulder to peer at the cards in his hand curiously.

 

[Talus]

Talus kissed Zana's cheek. "Goblins hoard."

A rather off color and insensitive name but...dwarves didn't really like goblins.

"You each draw a card Evey round, then place one down. The goal is to place the highest card each round or you have to drink, but at the end of the game you need to have a total of twenty points still in your hand or you lose." There were some other side rules, but Talus couldn't explain those. "Really no one wins because..."

"FRINGA!"

Talus sighed and reached for his mug, downing it in one go. "You just all drink."

He hiccuped.

 

[Zana]

Zana watched intently for a few more cards and then once she felt like she had gotten the grasp on the rules she nodded slightly and banged her hand on the table twice.

"Deal me in," she bumped her hip against Talus' to shift him a little further down the bench so she could sit in the wobbly circle proper. When she had her cards she bit into her lower lip and watched their hands with growing amusement. It was probably a little unfair to play with a woman who could see the future.

They were into the fourth round when she slammed down her card again.

"FRINGA!"

 

[Talus]

Talus cheered, the dwarves cheered, even Grey seemed to cheer.

By the time the drinking game finished Talus had no idea how much ale he'd had or just how drunk he was. He could not quite remember when the feast had ended, or even if it had, but he found himself walking through the Palace gates with Zana draped of his shoulder.

One arm looped around her, palm directly resting on her rear to hood her in place, as he slowly made his way in an odd zigzag pattern onto the street.

The festivities were still going on outside, but one could tell the time by the amount of utterly drunked dwarves laying around on tables, floors, and half in chairs. A good time had been had, and was still being had by some, but Talus had known to call it a night when Zana had nearly climbed up onto the table screaming about how she could drink any dwarf under the table.

"Jus-jus a little ways away to your new manor, my love." Talus slurred as his fingers squeezed gently, eyes focusing on each step to ensure he didn't fall.

 

[Zana]

"I couldaduni- hic -" Zana slurred from somewhere behind him. She was a dead weight against his shoulder as she slumped there with her eyes closed and tried to focus on making the world stop spinning. Or, at least, she knew that was what she should have been trying to focus on. Instead all she could focus on was Talus's backside as he walked which just so happened to be in her direct line of sight. The only hesitation between thinking it and doing it was the length of time it got her drink addled mind to get her arm to work.

Then she slapped him across the arse.

"Hurry up! I been wan'in to ride you alnite."

 

[Talus]

Talus suddenly jumped up slightly as he felt the slap of her hand against his backside.

"Ah!" The shocked noise escaped his throat before he could stop it, his eyes suddenly popping open as he skipped a step and came down onto the balls of his feet.

He glanced backwards for a moment, frowning ever so slightly as his fingers gave her another squeeze.

"Ya?" Talus answered, eyes half lidded as he traced his steps back to where he knew the Manor was. "Bedder be careful Missy."

He slurred as he turned the corner towards their manner. "I've my own ideas."

 

[Zana]

Giggles followed them all the way down the street as did Grey who was staring at his two humans with his head tilted to one side and his ears twitching back and forth as if he couldn't quite work out what was wrong with them. Zana held her arms out for the wolf who barked then jumped up, hitting Talus square on the back and managing to get a solid lick up Zana's cheek before they all went sprawling to the floor of the foyer.

"Good boy!" Zana's giggles turned into full blown laughter at how she had landed, face first on his backside and helped herself to a bite before attempting to roll off of him. Grey ran around the pair barking like it was the best game in the world.

 

[Talus]

Talus gaped. "Hey!"

He shouted as Zana went rolling off of him, his backside aching from the teeth sunken into it. Lips thinned and he suddenly turned around and jumped.

"You'll pay for that." In a comical imitation of wolf the Dreadlord pounced forward and grabbed after Zana.

His hands were quick and he moved to restrain her and then plant dozens of tiny, obnoxious kisses on her face.

 

[Zana]

Zana had attempted to move in the way all drunks attempted to move. That was by rolling onto their stomach and attempting to drag themselves down the hallway. He landed on her back and she yelped then laughed as he spun her round to her front and littered her with kisses which were definitely as bad as Grey's tongue. The wolf, not wanting to be left out, shoved his wet nose between the pair and administered his own thorough kissing lesson on both of them.

The Dreadlord was laughing so hard she ended up clutching at her stomach as the ale threatened to make a reappearance.

"Stop, stop, stop, I'm going to be sick," she was still laughing but she managed to get both boys off her. "G'damn the men in my life."

 

[Talus]

Talus rolled over and off to the side, splaying out on the cool stone floor and letting some of the heat wash away from his body. A long sigh escaped him. Head spinning slightly as he closed his eyes.

"What a nice trip." He said with a self satisfied tone.

This entire voyage had been everything he'd wanted it to be. A calm night of camping, an experience Zana had never had before, and then something to be remembered. He couldn't help but feel glad, couldn't help but let mirth and love flood into the bond.

His head lolled to the side, and he smiled at Zana. "I love you."

He said as Grey suddenly licked his face.

 

[Zana]

Zana turned her face to the side too so she could watch his face as he said those words. Her whole face broke into a smile and she rolled over onto her side.

"I love you too," as his feelings flooded her mind she hoped he could feel the mirroring of love and affection she felt for him, how grateful she was that he had brought her here. Her hand slid along his cheek slowly and then she leaned down to claim his lips. She poured all the fire she had been feeling for the evening into the kiss. The love, desire, the pure lust. A soft groan escaped her throat as she broke from his lips to trail kisses down his jaw... his neck...

They got slower and slower until they stopped altogether as her drunken state finally gave out and she passed out on his chest, her face buried in the crook of his neck.

 

[Talus]

Talus would be the first to wake up the next day, though not on the stone floor. Before passing out himself the young Dreadlord had managed to scoop Zana up and bring both of them up the stairs to the luxurious bed.

Once he'd gotten there Talus had deposited the love of his wife like a sack of potatoes and simply passed out besides her.

The morning came not with the sun, there was no sun down here, but with a light from an odd sort of gem in the ceiling. It cast illumination on Talus' face as though it were purposefully trying to get him up. A groan escaped his lips, head shifting from side to side. "Ugh."

His eyes opened slowly, hand raising to his head.

There was a surprisingly lack of pain aching there, but he felt woozy, like he'd just been knocked on his ass by a particularly dickish instructor.

His lips thinned as he looked towards Zana.

 

[Zana]

Zana had at some point woken in the night and managed to tear her way out of the rest of the dress which had been irritating her before bundling herself up into as many of the blankets as she could manage to get her hands on. As such the light had not disturbed the snoring bundle that had replaced Zana the Dragon Charmer of the night before.

If Talus dared to try and pry her loose from the blankets he would be met with a series of growls, curses and threats against not only his life but certain parts of his body he might be particularly attached to. All before she rolled over and buried her head back under the pillow to promptly fall asleep again within minutes.