Private Tales Read between the lines

[Talus]

"Oh I'll find something." Talus told her with a smile, realizing that his joke had suddenly become serious. As soon as she had mentioned waking up something had clicked in his mind. Another way to help her, another way to ensure she would be comfortable with him.

He smiled for a brief moment, and then suddenly focused on her next question.

Truth or dare.

Talus remembered the game. He was pretty sure that every Apprentice at the Academy played it at least once or twice. He remembered Hal daring him to streak through the training grounds, he remembered daring Urahil to jump from the watch tower.

That one hadn't worked out to well. "Done."

He said with a smirk.

"Flip to see who goes first?" Talus asked.

 

[Zana]

Zana nodded and stole another cookie off the plate as her feet swung back and forth from her perch on the counter. Her eyes flicked around the room looking for a coin and landed on the one he had brought back with him from Karak. She took another bite of the cookie and reached out her hand. The golden coin shivered for a second then flew to her hand where her fist curled about it. Then, she flicked it in the air.

"Heads," she called as it went up and then she snatched it out of the air and put it on the back of her other hand, cookie safely clutched between her teeth to do so. Peeling her hand back she revealed that it was actually Tails.

Zana gave a soft curse.

"Fine, Truth," she smiled innocently as she finished off her cookie.

 

[Talus]

"Wuss." Talus said with a smirk, snatching a cookie for himself as he ran a hand over his chin in thought.

Truth was always easier than dare, everyone knew that, but he wasn't going to make this a fun experience no matter what.

That would defeat the point. "What was your most embarrassing experience at the Academy?"

They all had them. Despite the torture, the beatings, everything else there had always been moments that almost reflected as...normal. The times in a class where you nearly set yourself on fire, when you stabbed yourself in the training field, or god forbidden got caught masturbating.

Everyone had a story.

 

[Zana]

"Oh Gods," Zana put her hands on her cheeks which were already beginning to heat. She already knew what story it was, she didn't need to think in the least. It was the most embarrassing moment of her whole entire life let alone at the Academy. She started to laugh even before telling it and ran her hands up and into her hair.

"This goes without saying it cannot leave the Cabin," she glanced to him and then shifted her position on the counter a little awkwardly. "Well. It was at the Academy, and I won't use names, but the first guy I ever fooled around, with as you kids say, and I were in our Dorm. We had both somehow got a free period together after lunch and you know, the usual was happening," she slowly drew her hands out of her hair. "Well I was," her cheeked heated, it felt a little awkward talking about a past lover but she sensed no jealousy down the link so she continued. "I was putting my mouth to good use. ANYWAY. I didn't really think what I had had for lunch would have had any impact. But we had had those super hot chillies, you know the ones they liked to put in the slop on a Friday to make it seem more fun, and well... all of a sudden he starts absolutely screaming. I'm thinking yeah, I'm doing such a good job," she started laughing at the memory.

"But then he starts screaming his dick is literally on fire so I jump off him and he's writhing in agony so I just... threw an ice spell at his dick," her whole body was shaking with laughter now. "But now he's howling because his dick is in a block of ice right? And I couldn't remember the reverse spell so I had to help this poor boy down to medic bay and explain we had been training and one of my spells had gone wrong. But to make it convincing I had needed to throw another ice spell at him so it was all over his breeches too. Oh I was mortified. I didn't speak to him again, even now we just awkwardly avoid eye contact."

 

[Talus]

Talus broke out into raucous laughter that echoed throughout the cabin. Tears began to stream from his eyes, hands rubbing at his face as he nearly toppled over.

"Dear god!" He said with disbelief.

Talus couldn't even imagine such a pain. The very idea of it made him want to throw up onto the floor. A cringe ran through him, and he couldn't help but shake his head as he starting to come to terms with the story Zana had just told.

A breath filled his lungs. "Poor guy."

He said with a shake of his head.

"Ahhh." Talus let out a breath. "Not sure how I feel about those icy lips of yours now."

Talus said as he shrank back slightly.

 

[Zana]

His laughter was much more welcome than the cold crushing pain he had felt earlier. She smiled to watch him laugh so, her own laughter still bubbling away in her chest though a lot more controlled now. She wiped a tear from her eye.

"Look, I was very young and I panicked!" it had been her first real sexual partner aside from the odd make out session. It must have been about 10 years ago now, gods she was getting old. She rubbed a hand through her hair fluffing it up and then grinned as Talus backed off. She slid off the counter and pursued him, taking his hands in hers and pulled him close.

"Don't worry, I've mastered my elemental spells now," her lips twitched. "I just promise not to eat something spicy before I do that again," she winked. "Your turn - Truth or Dare?"

 

[Talus]

Talus smirked at her. "Yes, I would hope not."

He couldn't even imagine the pain the poor man must have gone through. The idea of it was enough to make him want to slap any spicy food out of Zana's hand before it ever reached her lips. In fact, maybe that would be his tactic in the future.

"Dare." Talus said with a smirk.

He had embarrassed himself enough in front of her with stories. He didn't want to recount the time that he'd fallen off the ramparts during a siege, nor the time he'd accidentally gotten stabbed petting a hedgehog.

 

[Zana]

Zana bit her bottom lip and gave a sinister smirk as he announced his choice, her finger tapping at her chin as if she were giving it a good deal of thought. Which she was. Then her eyes twinkled and for a moment she disappeared from the room and came back holding a bit of fabric in her hand.

"I dare you to wear these," she let the underwear he had brought from Karak suddenly drop from her fist and swing from just the single finger. "For the rest of the day," her eyes wandered down his body then back up before she lent against the counter so he would have to come and take his dare from her.

 

[Talus]

Talus turned as crimson as a cherry. His features coloring to a shade that they had never even thought about turning before. "Z-Zana!"

He sputtered for a few seconds, swallowed.

"No." The Dreadlord stared holes in her. "No no no."

He denied again and again, and then a thought occurred to him. This was the beginning of the game, just the start. "No..?"

There was an odd inflection to his tone, and then he huffed.

"Fine." He was aware she had not said a single word, but he didn't let her. He crossed the room and snatched the cloth from her hands before disappearing into the bedroom behind her.

 

[Zana]

For a man who had hurled her against a post and demanded her in a way she would never give herself to anyone else, she was pleasantly surprised by his adorable reaction to something like this. It gave her an odd sense of power and she only grinned more as he began protesting in a squeaky voice until finally he gave in. Her eyes shone with joy as he disappeared out of the room with her underwear and she leaned round the door frame to watch him go.

She gave a whistle before falling apart laughing.

"Okay, okay, I'll go dare next," she called down the hall, excited to see how exactly he fared walking back in her thong. Served him goddamn right for buying it in the first place, cheeky shit.

 

[Talus]

Talus pulled himself up, glancing around the now open living room and kitchen as if seeing it for the first time. A frown touched his features for a moment, though only because he was trying to remember of the wall had been load bearing.

After a moment he glanced up at the ceiling, deciding that it probably hadn't been. "Well, if you like it we'll keep it this way."

Talus said as he slightly adjusted himself, glancing down and then shooting a glare towards Zana before he turned around and went to fetch a broom.

"But you're cleaning up all this Ash." Talus told her as he returned holding the broom, kissing her cheek as he offered it to her. "And I'm always hungry when you cook for me."

He told her softly.

 

[Zana]

Zana couldn't help the laugh as he adjusted himself, debated pinging the waistband of the panties again, before she took the broom from him. She glanced down at her own state and then briefly disappeared back into the bedroom to put one of the lighter summery dresses on she had brought with her to lounge about it.

"Ok, well let me just go about cleaning then cooking for my darling husband," she took the corner of her dress and curtsied mockingly. The Dreadlord joked but in truth she enjoyed doing such menial tasks anyway and she was trying desperately not to feel guilty for having taken out his whole wall with one blast of magic. She wasn't even sure how she had did it...

With the broom and her magic it didn't take long for the room to be spotless once more.

"I really hope this calms down soon," Zana was stood outside in the garden where they had been gathering all the broken bits of furniture from the course of her stay.

 

[Talus]

Talus practically went weak at the knees when she curtsied and spoke, an emotion he immediately tried to somehow shut out of the bond.

A cough left his throat and he mumbled something as she began to clean, Talus of course helping as he could. When she was finishing up he disappeared for a short while, throwing on some trousers and a new shirt, though keeping through with his promise.

When he went back outside he found Zana standing in front of the garden. His arms wrapped slowly around her belly. "It will."

He said confident, kissing her cheek.

"We went from the whole place falling down to just one wall. That's a marked improvement." He said with a smile. "Plus you like it better this way
"

That's all that matters.

 

[Zana]

Zana sighed and wrapped her own arms over his, leaning her weight back into him and swaying them slightly from side to side.

"Yes, but now it's turning things to ash," she plucked another piece of it out of her hair and let it float away on the wind, watching it go. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath; more things she had to hide. There was a part of her that doubted Ashur would assign her to the Guard if he knew how vastly her powers were growing like this. She shoved those thoughts aside. If she could hide her visions from the world then she could hide this.

Unless something threatened him. There would be no controlling it then.

Grey came and delivered another part of the porch to the pile with a pleased look and Zana's heart sunk a little further.

"Food," that would distract her. "Now... do you want the same pasta I cooked you or do you want something called Lasagne?"

 

[Talus]

Talus frowned. "La-sag-ne."

The word sounded so foreign in his mouth that he had struggle pronouncing it properly. A frown touched his face, lips thinning as he considered.

Of everything she had cooked him so far the first pasta had been his favorite, but at the same time he'd only found that because he'd tried something new. He considered a few seconds more, then finally decided.

"Let's try the Lasagna." Talus said, definitely not pronouncing the word correctly. "You can...make the other thing when you come back next time?"

He asked sheepishly.

 

[Zana]

So much thought that my love puts into things, even food, Zana thought quietly to herself as she watched him mull over his options. There was a small line between his brows and when he pressed his lips just so she wanted nothing more than to kiss away the seriousness. She wriggled impatiently in his arms waiting for his verdict.

"La-sa-gn-e," she repeated how she had pronounced it slower this time with gentle patience then cupped his cheeks and squished them. "My darling I will cook you whatever you want whenever you want," she rocked onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. "When we are next alone I will cook Bolognese for you. Don't worry, I'll still make the garlic bread today," and with that promise she slipped past him and back into the cabin.

Grey watched her go then fished one of the sticks out of the pile and dropped it at Talus' feet with a sharp bark.

 

[Talus]

Talus smiled, glancing back at Zana before quietly saying. "I love you."

He didn't know of she would even hear it, but the bond was there. Zana would never fail to feel his love, not even for a second. He smiled at her as he watched her go, letting out a contented sigh as he turned back to Grey and patted him on the head.

He reached down, and then quickly whirled the stick across the open field. It spun head over head, Grey snapping after it like an arrow.

They played for some time as Zana cooked, Talus throwing the stick, rubbing the Wolf's ears, even the two of them racing each other across the field. Near an hour passed by the time Talus stepped inside of the house, skin covered in a sheen of sweat.

 

[Zana]

As she thought, as soon as Zana began cooking a sense of peace settled over her. She could feel through the bond the simple joy Talus was getting from playing with Grey and it made her heart full, made her smile. Not for the first time she wondered how she could have gone from being on her own and feeling so alone to feeling so loved and secure with this man who had approached her first to demand answers about her soul.

How had she not seen it coming when he now littered every vision she had about her own future?

By the time he stepped back into the house she was just pulling the lasagne out of the oven. The bread wouldn't be much longer and it would give the hot dish time to cool. Talus ate so fast she wondered at times how he didn't burn his mouth. It was probably safer to just dish it up at a temperature he could eat it.

"Nearly ready," Zana announced when she felt him draw closer rather than saw him. She was busy finishing up a bowl of salad for the dish.

 

[Talus]

Out of muscle memory more than anything else Talus walked over to where the door in the wall had once been. He could have just cut directly left, but for some reason his brain just didn't allow that.

"No need to rush." He told her softly.

There was something about watching her as she cooked that pleased him immensely. A natural attraction that bloomed every time he watched her zip from one end of the kitchen to the other, carefully doting over what she was preparing for him.

It made his heart soar.

Talus smiled. "I like watching you like this."

The confession came without much thought.

"Caring about me, showing me." He felt silly saying it, but he wanted her to know he appreciated what she was doing. "I love you, thank you."

 

[Zana]

Zana almost chopped her finger off.

The comment was such a surprise and so sweet that she just hadn't been expecting it. She glanced over her shoulder at him and threw him a smile that could have been the subject of several poems and songs, before returning to what she was doing, wrapped up in his love.

"I love you why wouldn't I want to take care of you?" If she could she would wrap him in bubble wrap and keep him in her sights at all time. Once she was finished with the radishes she started on the carrots. Grey came in a moment later panting and flopped himself down on the cool wood floor. "Did you two have fun?"

 

[Talus]

He smiled. "I know."

Why wouldn't she care? Why hadn't anyone else?

There may a deep seeded insecurit at his core, one that he was sure all Dreadlords shared in one way or another. To love was foreign, to be loved nearly impossible.

The bond had lifted him up more than he could ever have said. The constant knot and feel of emotion that rushed from Zana at all times was like a blanket wrapped around him. He never had a reason to doubt, never had a reason to fear. She loved him, so greatly and deeply that it felt like an ocean.

Talus knew that, he'd even known it before the bond, but some broken part of his mind had found it hard to accept.

Not now though. Not as he stood there and watched her. "I can't wait."

Talus said quietly, though he knew Zana wouldn't know what he truly meant.

 

[Zana]

Zana wiped her hands absentmindedly on her skirt as she moved to get the bowl she had been using for Grey and filled it up with his food and water then set it down beside the great grey wolf before rubbing his head. He was warm and tired and happy. Zana knew it would confuse him when they went back to the city and she toyed with the idea in her mind again of trying to leave him here.

"One hungry man at a time!" her eyes flicked up to him, green eyes so light in contrast to her dark skin meeting his icy blue ones. Given what she was doing in the kitchen she had simply assumed his comment was about the food. Stepping over to him she stole a kiss then skipped back to the oven to check on the bread.

"Fix us some drinks?" she pulled the garlic bread out and stuck her finger in her mouth after catching it on the hot tray. Carefully she did them two plates then carried them outside so they could eat it by the fire as he'd suggested earlier.

"Ok, tell me what you think," Zana passed him the plate as he joined her.

 

[Talus]

Talus smiled at Zana, watching her for just a moment too long before he finally did as she had asked.

A few seconds after he finished the drinks Talus quickly followed Zana outside, sitting himself down on the ground besides her as the fire sparked just ahead of them. He took the plate, from her, as well as a fork, and began to dig in like a ravenous dog.

"Itsch wreally gfood." Talus once again said with a stuffed mouth, and then added. "Schimilar to Boglonese."

As he continued to eat.

Talus wasn't entirely sure what he was going to do when Zana left. He supposed he was going to have to go back to gruel, but the idea of doing that was almost entirely too painful to even really contemplate.

Instead he just shoved his face.

 

[Zana]

There was a certain smug satisfied feeling that filled her when he dived into the food she had given him and groaned. It was almost as good as sex.

"But is it better?" Zana pointed her fork towards him as he ate, her eyes narrowing slightly. In the firelight they seemed to catch and hold the flames turning them to a more vivid emerald colour. Despite everything that had happened this week she hadn't lost track of her main aim when she had come here which was to try and understand a little better what his favourite meal was.

She put a forkful in her mouth after she had shifted herself on the grass so that she was facing him and not the fire. She wanted to watch him enjoy every mouthful.

 

[Talus]

Talus thought about it for a few seconds, mouth still full. "Nwo. Sowrie."

It was close, and in fact he noticed many of the same flavor profiles, but...it just wasn't quite as good. Talus couldn't have really explained why, but as he swallowed his last bite he was almost entirely sure of his opinion.

Perhaps he'd have to try more just to check.

Slowly his fork began to wander over towards Zana's plate, sneakily stabbing after the some of the food that still remained there.