Private Tales Read between the lines

[Zana]

It took a while to remember she didn't have to hide the smiles anymore, didn't have to keep the mask on. It was like peeling off a uniform. She hung up the jacket and her sword and as her eyes swept over the amount of fur on his clothes she let herself smile properly for the first time all day.

"Someone has been making the most of you," Grey ran back and forth between the two excitedly, obviously hoping this meant another adventure of some kind. Once her boots were off she made her way over to him, gently pushing him back into the chair and climbing into his lap, her head tucking under his chin with a soft sigh. "This is the first time I've sat down since that meeting." It was still playing in her mind and had been all day, looking back over what had been said to see if she had missed anything important.

"Did Yarl fix his window?" there was a curl of mischief in her tone.

 

[Talus]

Talus planed soft kisses against her jaw, closing his eyes and simply enjoying the scent of her.

There was something demonstrably pleasant about being able to finally touch her as he wanted. His fingers played over her body, gently sliding beneath the ham of her shirt so that his thumbs could stroke across her skin.

"No." Talus smirked wide.

The General's expression had been priceless, and surprisingly enough he had heard nothing of it before he'd left the Compound itself.

Another soft row of kisses landed against her neck.

"I would be careful with him." His words weren't stern, just a soft reminder. "He's more than he appears to be."

All the generals were, really.

 

[Zana]

Zana practically preened under his loving assault, shifting in his lap so that he had more room to pepper her with all the kisses and caresses he wanted. She still felt raw after their first fight and it was a desperate clawing need to feel him against her skin to heal that wound. She worked deftly on undoing the buttons on his shirt so she could have free rein to run her hands over his chest and the taunt muscles in his stomach as she saw fit. Every bit of skin to skin made her calmer, settled her, grounded her in who she truly was.

"He yelled at you," her words were almost a growl. Zana wouldn't forgive nor forget that. She gently placed her own kiss to his throat over the faintest bit of bruise that remained from the mark she had gifted him a few days prior. "But I will be careful, he has a Dreadlords Heart," there was something about him that felt familiar in the way he acted and planned. But, he had been in agreement with burning her records so she would play nice.

For now.

"Aldwaith is a good man, but..." Zana frowned. "Do you think he suspects?"

 

[Talus]

Talus kissed her again, this time softly brushing his lips over her temple as he enjoyed the touch of her hands upon him.

He had been aching to feel her for hours, the simple caress, the embrace of her arms. After their fight it had been hard not to keep them in that closet, not to just stay there and hold her for an eternity. This moment was one to be savored.

A great sense of irony fell over him as she mentioned Yarl's yelling, but he bit back the thought that crept through his mind.

If she could endure torture, he could endure a little yelling now and again. "I do."

He said in answer to her question.

"He's...astute." That was something he had learned about the man within minutes of meeting him. Aldwaith had a way of measuring people, weighing them, seeing into their very soul. It was something he'd learned leading the Homeguard. "He's played the game of Houses for years but..."

He trailed off for a second. "I trust him."

Talus trusted all of them, but Aldwaith the most. The man had saved him from execution, backed his every play. That deserved loyalty. "Even if he knew he would not give us away."

 

[Zana]

Uncertainty wound its way through the bond like a poisonous snake. She wanted to trust these people because Talus did but she had been burnt too many times in her life, including by a woman she still considered a friend and as close to a mother as she would ever have. If this man threatened what they had there would be no hesitation in her to execute him.

"As you wish," she slid her arms around his waist underneath his shirt and pressed her cheek to his bare chest. Zana was becoming used to the idea she was going to always be the one that teetered on that edge between humanity and Dreadlord. Talus was her guiding moral compass.

"There are people in my House who are... unhappy about the decision to work with the Guard," a small frown settled on her face. It hadn't gotten violent yet but it might spill into that soon. Tensions were high. Other Houses were moving their forces North but Ashur had ensured Luana stayed in the city on the basis of Zana's vision. A lot of the Dreadlords were feeling as though they were missing out on the glory of extending their boundaries.

 

[Talus]

Talus considered for a moment, his arms wrapping fully around her as she gently pressed herself against him. A breath slowly filled him, his heart steadily beating in his chest as one hand slowly stroked through her hair in a soothing touch.

"Is it something you have to worry about?" The intent behind the question was more than clear.

Did she fear for her safety? Her life?

Talus wouldnt allow someone to hurt the woman he loved, at least without consequences. He had made his promise earlier that day not to interfere should they try to stoke her visions again, but that promise did not hold to others attacking her.

He couldn't suffer that. Not ever.

His fingers slowly played through her hair. The rise and fall of his chest steady as he waited for her to tell him.

 

[Zana]

His fingers through her hair made her eyes close and a small smile play about her lips despite the seriousness of the question. She was so tired she could have fallen asleep in his arms right then and there.

"Not yet," he had asked her not to lie or block him out again so she wouldn't. "Ashur has made it clear that it was his decision, if they attack me they will be punished," some of them might risk it even then but if it came to that then Zana would handle it as well as she could. If not then she would give Talus their names; she wouldn't deny him that. It would probably be a good reminder to the rest of them that the Guards were not a soft target anyway.

"But, if I do I will tell you," she leaned up and brushed her lips against his. "I know I am asking a lot of you already," a soft sigh escaped her as she rested her forehead against his shoulder.

 

[Talus]

He took a breath. "Thank you."

A part of him wanted to ask her the names now. Wanted to strike before they ever could and take care of the problem before it even started. There would have been satisfaction in it, seeing Dreadlords stare at him in fear as they realized even a thought of hurting Zana was enough to be rewarded a fate they had never thought possible for themselves.

"I trust you. I'll wait until you tell me what needs to be done." It was the darker side of him that thought in such a way. That wanted to kill those who would harm the woman he loved. The side which lurked deep down and would tear apart all of Vel Anir if it meant keeping Zana safe.

He didn't ask though. As much as he wanted to know, as much as he would have liked to kill them now, he knew she was already trusting him much more than she had. He would not risk jeopardizing the agreement they'd made just hours earlier.

"I missed you." Talus said as he drew the subject towards something else. "More than I could say."

His thumbs softly stroked over her skin.

 

[Zana]

When he breathed out she could feel the tension that he had held within him from earlier ease a little more. It relaxed her too. Silently she promised that it would only be when it came to her visions she put her foot down. He could put as many Dreadlords in their place as he wanted in order to satisfy that hungry need inside of him to protect her. Closing her eyes she settled back down into the crook of his neck and went back to exploring his body with her hands. If she wasn't so tired he would already be undressed.

"I missed you too, you're becoming quite the distraction," Zana leaned forward and gently nipped at the skin against his neck to bring out a red mark. Satisfied with her work she then reluctantly pulled herself out of his arms as her stomach growled. "I assume the real reason you came over was because it was bolognese night?" she threw a smile over her shoulder as she padded to the kitchen.

 

[Talus]

Talus felt a pang of regret as she slipped from his lap and turned towards the kitchen.

Even a single second of missed opportunity to hold her was like a knife to the heart. He knew the though was ridiculous, knew that expressing it would have made him a fool. But he was a fool in love. All he wanted was her in his arms for as long as he could have her. He lingered in the chair a moment, watching the sway of her hips as she walked towards the kitchen.

A smile touched his lips as she teased him about his favorite food, pushing himself out of the chair and following after her.

"Well I won't lie." Talus said as he stride behind her, his hand salaciously running across the small of her back as he moved to the other side of the Kitchen. "I have been thinking a lot about eating something."

The briefest most innocent smile touched his lips before he continued. "Your cooking is what keeps me going now."

Not told far from the truth. In fact even after only a few days he'd worked his way through nearly all the meals she'd prepared and left for him. An accident of...well, no he'd done it on purpose.

The food had been too good.

 

[Zana]

Zana didn't think he entirely meant food with his comment and the way his hands roamed across her lower back and slid further down. A smile dimpled her cheeks but she didn't make a comment on it as she went about preparing the food. When she had returned from the cabin she had ensured she had the ingredients ready and pretty much prepared for whenever he might show up in the week so it wouldn't take too long. Her gaze slid to him as she caught him settling down on the other side of the kitchen where a bar stool was. Grey trotted after them to sit in front of him with his head on the man's lap.

"Dare I ask how much food is left from what I left you?" she rose a slender brow before bringing out the pots and pans she required. It wasn't long before the rich aroma of food began to fill their kitchen. It was so easy to slip back into this, this peaceful coexistence of two people living together. A part of her had been concerned what they had had in the cabin was just a blip of a week but no, everything else was the blip. This was reality.

"Did your men say anything more about the training before you left?" she was curious how she had come across to them. The lesson she had done was one she ran with actual students in the Academy when they were a Dreadlord down and needed a trainer to cover a lesson.

 

[Talus]

Talus reached down and absent-mindedly patted Grey’s head. ”Only if you don’t want me to lie to you.”

The young Dreadlord said in answer to her question about food, offering her a quick and cheeky smile as he scritched the Wolf’s neck. Grey made a happy panting noise, his leg kicking slightly as he enjoyed the attention.

He wondered if he’d gone for a walk yet.

”Not to me.” Talus said with a shrug. ”But they never speak about that sort of thing when I’m around.”

Most of the Guardsmen trusted him, but...he was an Officer. The divide between enlisted and Officer was about as far as Dreadlord to anyone else. Troops just shut up when someone of a higher rank was around, though of course there was always a way to get information if you knew how. ”But…”

He began with a smile.

”Lola was singing your praises, as were some of the other women.” She would feel a certain amount of pride through the bond. ”The men weren’t quite singing, but most were impressed. I think they appreciated the lesson they were taught today.”

That and there had been some...lewd comments had been made, but Talus wasn’t going to share those. Mostly because those who’d made them had already received a harsh slap from some of the Guardswomen.

 

[Zana]

"It is a good thing your partner has a touch of gypsy foresight then," Zana smiled mysteriously. She hadn't actually known for certain if this future would be the one that came to pass but she had seen him visiting long before their eight day limit and as such she had been making extra portions of food and stocking her own cooling box for him to take back with him. She would ensure they were all packed up in one of her spare bags for him in the morning.

The pasta was underway as was the bolognese which she stirred occasionally and turned down the heat a little to let it simmer. She half turned as she did so so that she could face him as he spoke. A small ghost of a smile played about her lips.

"Lola has a bright future," she had seen medals and ranks, an older woman with the respect of her unit. "She just needs to work through her emotions, she fights with her heart and not her head," a danger on the field. "It was definitely a slower pace to how I usually go but I didn't want to break more than a few noses on my first day, I think Ashur would have been... cross."

 

[Talus]

Talus shrugged. "I cracked three ribs and broke four arms on my first day training them."

That was partially why he'd begun to teach the Medics especially Rune Magic. Training could be harsh, and there was no two ways about it. The people in his regiment were well aware of that fact, and they had volunteered for the duty almost because of it.

"Don't worry about Ashur." He frowned a second, then corrected himself. "When we head to Fort Tirel don't worry about him."

Here in Vel Anir there was likely someone watching her, but in Tirel? If a Luana spy was caught there he'd likely end up in the sea. Same for any other House really, even the minor ones. "Don't be cruel, but a part of why I need you so badly Zana is that they need to learn the reality of what...we are."

Dreadlords.

"My own magic hasn't really been able to show that. At least not..." He frowned, clearly uncomfortable. "At least not until these new abilities cropped up."

The Tendrils, how he'd pulled them into a different depth. It was obvious that his newer powers made him nervous. "We need them to understand."

A sigh escaped him.

"I think today was good. They saw how strong we could be, but you also showed them a bit of hope." He ran a hand over his jaw. "That's the line we need to walk."

As hard as that was, he was confident they could achieve it.

 

[Zana]

Tendrils of worry, fear and sadness crept through the bond. His words made the most sense; Zana was a destructive force of power and something that created such a physical and obvious display of might would definitely put things into perspective but it would also no doubt wipe off the smiles of the people whose respect she had earned today. Today she had just been a soldier. A very, very good one who could wipe through a unit with barely a sweat, but still a soldier. As soon as she used her magic they would fear her.

A soft sigh and she stirred the pots of their dinner. It was nearly ready.

"I will show them what we are capable of," her eyes held his for a moment then looked away. "But I do not think that will show them hope. How do they hope to fight against me let alone a unit of Dreadlords?" she shook her head. Of course as Dreadlords they had all learnt how to try and avoid or overcome one another's magic but it would be a hard lesson for those who had no magical inclination.

 

[Talus]

"Numbers I think. That's their primary thought." A frown touched his features for a moment, both of his hands scratching at the side of Grey's face.

Dreadlords were forged to be weapons. They trained for twenty years before they officially claimed their title, with most of them standing high above even the mages of other cities. There was no denying that, but with that knowledge came arrogance.

"The Guard has been gathering artifacts for years." Some were sanctioned for use by the Anirian Knights, others not so much. "Weapons, armor, trinkets."

The problem was no one knew how to use them, at least most of them. Aldwaith carried one of those artifacts, a sword named Wraith. Though Talus had no idea what it did. "I think that's the plan. The soldiers we train will be given those artifacts, and the hope is they'll outnumber the Dreadlords willing to fight us."

Talus did not sound all that confident, something Zana would not even need the bond to see. Even with all the magical artifacts in the world, a regular soldier would be hard pressed against a Dreadlord.

"The Guard outnumbers us mages ten to one, but..." He did not need to say it. A single Dreadlord could kill fifty, a hundred maybe. "I don't know the answer, maybe we'll find something in the Keep. Maybe there's something in the storehouse."

He rolled his shoulders. "I just know we have to try."

 

[Zana]

There was a myriad of different emotions that went through her. Shock, first of all, that the Guards had been clearly thinking of this long enough to start stockpiling artefacts that could injure or kill a Dreadlord. Was that what the files were for? To try and figure out which objects would work against what Dreadlords? It filled her with a sense of unease and an overwhelming sense of pain. Zana had never considered the Guard her enemy before. She didn't think any Dreadlord saw them in such a manner. Despite her changing loyalties it still... stung.

Then there was the feeling of hopelessness at what they were striving to do. At least the Guard had two Dreadlords now but... they needed more.

"I know a little of artefacts, if they trust me enough to have a look I might be able to tell you what they do," there was a reluctance to her voice. It still didn't sit well with her they would be used against ... well against their people. It was clear Yarl saw the Guards and the 'people' of Vel'Anir as separate and different to the Houses and to the Dreadlords, and she didn't think it was just him that held that view.

She plated the food up once it was done and set the plates down on the table. At one end she had propped up the carving of his crest.

 

[Talus]

He nodded at her suggestion, glancing at the food for a moment.

Talus stopped the gluttonous greed that sat in his heart. He wanted to reach out in an instant and began to gobble up the food that Zana had served him, but instead he restrained himself.

As she placed down the meal Talus took his seat, but instead of reaching for fork or spoon his fingers slowly wrapped around Zana's. He felt her pain through the bond of course, the aching hurt at his own words. He understood them well.

Talus had felt the exact same thing once. The strange sense of betrayal, the confrontation of what it meant to carry the title of Dreadlord. It had all hung over his head like a weight. His fingers squeezed hers. "None of this is easy."

He spoke softly, a hitch to his voice.

"None of this is fair." They had to make impossible choices, choices that would see friends and family dead. "And I'm sorry to have dragged you into it."

Talus knew that he had, knew that if it wasn't for their meeting that Zana might never have done what she was doing now. "But...I couldn't ask for a better partner."

That was what she was. More than a lover. More than the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She was his lifeline. The person that bound him to his goals, and he hoped that he was the same for her.

 

[Zana]

Zana looked at his hand over the top of hers on the table as he spoke. It was a comfort to feel that he had felt the same, still did to an extent, as she was feeling in that moment. Slowly she turned her hand so that the palm was facing up against his and then she pulled his hand up to her lips. She pressed a kiss to his knuckles then turned his hand and met his eyes as she kissed the soft inside of his wrist. Zana held his hand there against her cheek for a moment and gave him a smile that was soft but full of love.

"I would rather have nobody else by my side," she gave his hand one more squeeze then let his hand go and turned her own attention to her food. She was starving having only managed to eat a few of her homemade oat and berry bars throughout the day.

"Okay, no more shop talk tonight," Zana smiled as she twirled the pasta about her fork. "How's the cabin coming along?" she popped her forkful in her mouth.

 

[Talus]

Talus smiled at her as his own hand withdrew and picked up one of the forks. "Afraid I can't divulge that."

A smugness came over his face, as though he knew something that she did not. He took his first bite, something sparking in his brain as he did so. It was like embracing a long lost friend, holding something you had not held since childhood.

Tears nearly came to him.

"Itfs a suwprise." He told her with a mouthful of pasta. "You hafto wvait and shee."

Would he ever learn manners?

Probably not.

 

[Zana]

Grey wriggled his way under her small dining table, clearly hoping for some scraps, as Zana raised a brow at the expression on his face. He had mentioned that he had wanted to add in another room - had he decided to add in more than one? Maybe he was expanding her kitchen? The idea excited her and she shook her head with a showing smile that dimpled her cheeks. She didn't want the surprise spoiled so she wouldn't ask any questions.

"You're lucky I love you," she mused, watching the way he shovelled the food down his throat as though he had had his throat cut. "I won't pry, but I also won't tell you about the surprise I have for you in that case," she stood up after a few moments when he had decimated his first helping and brought over what she had left in the pan, scraping the rest onto his plate. Grey gave another low whine and whilst she was up she filled up his bowl. The wolf almost moved the entire table as he rushed over to it, tail wagging.

"I've been doing a little reading on wolves and I think he might actually be an offshoot of the Direwolf," Zana said as she sat back down, straightening the table absentmindedly. "He's only a few months old and he's still growing."

 

[Talus]

Talus squinted his eyes at her with a frown, not entirely sure what she could be trying to surprise him with. Lips thinned for a moment, but he figured that if he had three secrets to keep from her...he could allow her one without prying too much.

"A direwolf?" He slowly reached under the table and patted Grey even as he scarfed down the food that Zana had given him.

His gaze briefly flickered down.

"I suppose that makes sense." The little bugger was pretty big. "How has he been doing while back here?"

Talus reached out his off-hand, holding Zanna's free palm as he used his other hand to continue to shovel food steadily into his face.

 

[Zana]

Zana's face fell at his question and she squeezed his hand.

"He doesn't like it, he wants to be out or with me all the time. I took him with me the last couple of the days but I didn't dare bring him with my to the Guardhouse today - I thought turning up with a direwolf would not add to my less than cuddly demeanour," she sighed softly and put another forkful of pasta in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. It did upset her that he wasn't happy but he hadn't wanted to stay with Talus. As much as the wolf loved the man and seemed to hate any other male who came within a foot of Zana now, Grey wouldn't leave his mistresses side.

"I guess it might give me the excuse of moving further out of the city some time soon. Ashur spoke about a house he has nearer the Luana training grounds," which sat quite far out of the city, closer to the Luana manor than the barracks within the city. "They're keen to get our cavalry units trained up sharpish so I think when I'm not at the Guard I'll be working mostly there so it would make more sense."

 

[Talus]

He nodded his head in understanding. "Take him with to the training grounds."

Talus didn't think it would be a problem, and the Guardsmen would at least have something else to whisper about. A dreadlord with a direwolf? That was something that could invent a dozen stories before the day was even out.

His lips thinned slightly at the idea of her moving closer to the Luana training grounds. Not because the idea of her getting more space upset her, but mostly because it would mean getting to her would be slightly more...difficult.

At least until he figured out the new extent of his magic.

"Do what you think is best for you and Grey." Talus said the words in an attempt to be supportive. He refused to argue with her, he refused to put himself first. Not this time. "The Cabin will always be there when you can get away."

That much he would always promise. "That and the manor."

He offered her a quick wink.

 

[Zana]

Zana rubbed her thumb across his hand and set back in her chair once she had finished, pushing her leftovers towards him with a loving smile.

"What is best for me and Grey is to be with you," that was the truth of the matter.

She had made no comments about whether she had wanted the house near Luana's training grounds and Ashur hadn't pushed her. For now, until he got larger, she would stay here and see how things developed. "But I will bring him to the training grounds from now on, I'm sure he'll enjoy tormenting the Guards as much as he does my Dreadlords," she laughed. "I thought one of the new apprentices was going to be sick when he knocked them flat on their back," she glanced down to the side where the wolf could be seen just poking out of the table on his back, tongue lolling. It was hard to imagine being scared of him.

"You know, I actually had a dream where I just cooked... all day in that kitchen in the manor," Zana sighed. It still hurt she hadn't had time to get her hands on it.