Private Tales Read between the lines

[Zana]

Zana laughed softly under her breath and then cupped his cheek. Lifting her head to look up at him her eyes caught the firelight sending them a deeper and richer green but what really made them shine was the obvious love for him that simmered there.

"You're tired, and you're still thinking of how that might be tiring for me," she would have more energy at the start of the day fully rested than after a few hours of walking. A niggling part of her still wasn't sure if she could manage it but she ignored it. She leant up and grazed her lips across his, lingering there to savour the taste before pulling back to look up at him with a fond smile.

"Let's go up in the morning, perhaps we can save downriver for another day. When I'm less round and in danger of rolling down rather than walking down."

 

[Talus]

He nodded his head. "Good thought."

It would at least make things a bit easier. They could stop when she needed to, and the trek back would be simpler. He smiled softly, and offered her a small kiss in return.

"I'll carry the heavy stuff." He told her. "You just carry them."

Someone would have to take the picnic up the hill, and he would prefer it to be himself rather than Zana. "But for now maybe we just get some sleep."

His arms wrapped softly around her. "The bed, I've at least managed to build."

Talus said with a smirk.

 

[Zana]

Zana's only answer was another kiss full of laughter.

The next morning she packed the picnic backpack full of meats, cheeses, sweet treats and a fresh loaf of bread along with a blanket. And of course a few hidden blades: it was hard to shake everything about being a Dreadlord. Grey was a frenzy of activity as the pair prepared, sensing that today would be something different from the usual milling about the fields. She laughed and curse him when he got underfoot, or stood on his hind legs to lick Talus' face. By the time they were ready to go and opened the door the direwolf was so excited he went racing off ahead of them.

Zana shook her head and secured the handkerchief around her head. She'd piled her hair up to keep it from her face for the walk.

"You'd think he doesn't always have over 100 acres to go racing about in," she tutted and picked up a large branch Talus had whittled into a walking staff for her. "Have we got everything?"

 

[Talus]

Talus shouldered the pack he had put together. "Aye."

The former Dreadlord confirmed with a nod, glancing down the road ahead of them with a slight smile before turning to his beloved.

"We do." Packing had, of course, been overseen by Zana. She had needed to ensure that the proper food and bread was put together, plus drinks and everything else. Talus might have gotten it wrong after all.

One did not mess with the cravings of a pregnant woman. A lesson he'd learned about two months ago when Zana had told him to get some cheese and all he'd had to offer was from a goat.

Apparently it hadn't been the right kind. "Not too heavy either."

He commented, ignoring the fact that carrying the pack reminded him of some of the gear he'd trudged into war with back home.

 

[Zana]

Zana gave him a look that all married women seemed to inherit on their wedding night. It was the type of look that made a man feel uneasy if it went on too long. The type of look that made a man feel as though a hole were being bored into their very skulls and prying into all the tiny little thoughts that went on in the back of their mind. It only lasted for a few seconds before her gaze softened and she offered him a crooked smile.

"Good," she sniffed and set off down the path after Grey. The direwolf was nowhere to be seen but that didn't mean he would lose them; he knew their scents as well as his own. The horses came cantering along the edge of the fence when they walked past and watched forlornly as the two set off on their own two feet. Zana sighed once they were out of sight.

"I might have to ask some of the boys in town to come and give them some exercise. They need a good gallop," and Talus had proved that he turned into a sack of potatoes when riding. She struggled not to laugh at the memory of the first time she'd pulled him onto Zandors back and galloped. "And I'm not sure when I'll be on my feet after..."

 

[Talus]

"I'm sure they'd enjoy it." Talus mused as they walked by the fenced in part of their little farm.

"There's a lot of work to do." He had never much minded horses, but that didn't mean he was much for riding them either. They were fine animals, good for work and the like, but he'd never been trained as Cavalry. His magic hadn't suited it, and the Proctors knew it. "I'm sure it would help some of them out too."

They were practically a third of the towns economy already, something he felt somewhat uneasy about.

For a few moments the former Dreadlord only mused, then they continued down the path. "Maybe it would be a good idea to get a tad more...involved in the town."

He told Zana.

"So we can see things don't get out of hand." Talus was painfully aware he sounded like a politician, but this was their home. He wanted to see it protected.

 

[Zana]

Zana's head whipped towards him with both her brows disappearing into her curly bangs that had already begun to escape the handkerchief.

"You were quite keen on us keeping out of the town," she hadn't exactly disagreed with him when they had moved here. It had been a month after the rebellion and she had barely been able to feed herself in her grief. The last thing she had wanted was to make nice with complete strangers who would never know what they had had to do for the freedom they had had from birth.

Grey burst out of the treeline ahead of them trying to snap at the tail feathers of a bird he had scared into flight.

"Maester Haern actually offered me work when I had had the children," she admitted slowly. The gruff man had done so quietly and stressed there was no rush to give him an answer. "And I am concerned us sitting up here makes us seem... snooty to them. It would be a twisted irony if we became this places version of one of the Houses," she said drly.

 

[Talus]

Talus shook his head quickly in dismissal of the idea. He did not like the idea of taking up a position of some sort of Noble.

That was so paramount against everything he believed in that the very thought made his stomach twist slightly. Lips thinned and he corrected himself. "I don't mean something like that."

He told her.

"The village isn't Vel Anir, and it shouldn't be." Not that it even could be within the next two hundred years or so. There were barely a hundred people living within the place. "I Just..."

Talus frowned. "I just don't want the place to become something we don't want to be a part of."

He explained.

"We can offer our help, explain some ideas. Maybe even give a little coin to help out." There wasn't any need to rule, to be overbearing. None of that would actually do them any good, but they could volunteer where it would help. They could offer help.

It was the...neighborly thing to do. "I just want our children to grow up in a place that's good. Not a tourist trap for dwarf treasure."

Talus said quietly.

 

[Zana]

Zana ran her hand down his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze in understanding. The village had never entered her visions once when she still possessed the gift. She had found the spot because of the view after a lot of research and failed expeditions. But since arriving and meeting the people here she had often found herself dreaming of the future how normal people must have dreamed about it. There were other young women pregnant in town and when she spoke with them they included her children in the talks of how they might all play together.

"I agree. And it's not like we don't have enough money..." she flashed him a brief smile before her brow furrowed back into that thoughtful knot she so often took on when thinking a plan through. "I'm just... not sure what we could suggest. You were far closer to the ordinary people than I ever was," a treasured, coveted weapon.

 

[Talus]

There was a difference between setting a revolution off, and governing. It was a fact which had not escaped him, nor had it escaped the Generals whom he’d joined. They had all been keenly aware that they were not meant for ruling, and had chosen to let others take up that mantle.

Carefully conducted of course so that none of the Houses could instantly grab power.

A few had of course, worming their way into the New Republic, but that had always been inevitable. Talus had known then that he would in no way govern, had known that he would not remain in Vel Anir at all. The idea of getting involved in things now was...funny, in a way.

Though it left him questioning things.

A hand came up idly to scratch at his chin, rubbing at some of the stubble there. ”I’m not sure…”

He told Zana in all honesty.

”Probably start out by organizing things, making sure those treasure hunters don’t overwhelm what resources they have.” The Former Dreadlord frowned. ”Ensure there’s a fair market.”

Not that he knew exactly what that would look like, but in truth neither of them really needed to. They would be offering help, not to take over. Most of the villagers already knew how things should run, Talus and Zana would just be there to help with what they didn’t know.

 

[Zana]

Zana blew out a long breath. Helping to organise the chaos in town would be a mammoth task and their plate was already piled high with the work on the house and preparing for twins. But... she couldn't help agreeing with Talus about the need to step in in some capacity. What they had seen today was a lot of fraught looking people and the Hunters had only been there for a day or two. How long would they stay and disturb things?

"We have enough space here that we could offer they set up their tents on some of the land," she suggested and tugged at the water bottle she had tied to her belt. She brought the flask to her lips and took a long drag before offering the skin to her husband.

"And now the fields are all done I can probably help out with the market, if they want my help," the Mistress of the Cloth who organised the towns market could get a little touchy about people encroaching on what she saw as her job. "Maybe we could pay for some extra supplies to come from Alliria to make sure the people don't get eaten out of house and home."

 

[Talus]

Talus nodded. Those ideas all sounded phenomenal, and it wasn't like any of them were particularly difficult. In fact the endeavors might fund themselves.

"We could charge the nobles to stay in the tents, as long as they're decent enough." Most of them would be pressed for space in an Inn anyway, and he doubted that they would offer too much argument. After all sleeping in a tent was part of the experience of treasure hunting.

One could hardly go without.

"Use that money to pay for the supplies." The Former Dreadlord pointed out. "Then put whatever is left to developing the town a bit more."

Though not grow it.

Talus was entirely positive that they could do both, and drawing away the nobles from the town itself would let them keep what they had now. Which ultimately as the most important thing.

 

[Zana]

Zana nodded slowly. She hadn't thought about charging the nobles for money, she had simply been thinking of a way to get them out of the hair of the townsfolk but Talus' idea made sense. Making some money and then feeding it back into the town would be more acceptable no doubt to the working men and women who lived there and didn't want to take a lord and lady's handout of cash.

"They're always going to get travellers coming through so helping things expand a bit more might not be such an awful thing. It would just help them cope, though I hope your father puts an end to all this silly treasure hunting," she sighed. If Thror staked a claim on the treasures there it would make most of the Hunters turn back or at least pause.

Their conversation had passed the time by quite efficiently for it wasn't long before they had made it through the crop of trees to the slim river. This was as far as Zana had explored their lands and an eagerness came over her now at the thought of seeing something new. They turned to begin walking upwards which brought their pace down significantly.

"Have you thought what you'd like to do when the House is done?"

 

[Talus]

Talus shrugged. "Not particularly."

Most of his life had been determined for him.

At first he'd been a student, then a Dreadlord. There had never been a question of choice, and even when he had made them...it had never been about what his day to day looked like. Even as he'd worked for revolution things had always been...laid out.

Trying to figure out what to do on his own was difficult. Before there had always beena purpose, something to drive him forward, now? Now it seemed like there was nothing.

Save for his family of course, but that was a given.

"Maybe start on a barn." He said with jest, chuckling slightly.

 

[Zana]

Zana shook her head with a smile.

"As much as the animals would love you... I meant, do you want to.. do something?" She knew that she needed a profession to keep her focused not only because that was how she had been raised and indoctrinated but because of the storm of grief that was always threatening to break on the horizon. The twins would be a distraction but as they grew and found their own lives she knew there would come a time where she needed more.

"Lucille, the baker in town, was commenting how lovely the plates I was using for the bake sale last month were. I told her you had made them and she asked if you were a carpenter..." she trailed off, letting the idea seed in his mind.

 

[Talus]

He chuckled. "Carpenter."

Talus would hardly have called himself as such.

He was good enough of a woodworker, sure, but as much trouble as he was having with the house proved that wasn't true. Perhaps in a few years, if he gotten an apprenticeship or something, but there was still quite a bit for him to learn.

That much he knew.

"I don't know.' He told her quietly. "I was...well, we were trained for a purpose."

It was something both of them had wrestled with of course. "I guess I'm still finding it hard to break that mould."

A shrug rolled over his shoulder.

"To make a choice." Even though he'd fought for one for half his life.

 

[Zana]

Zana stopped and took his hand.

"I understand," she said softly and gave it a squeeze. Dreadlords were brought up to believe they only had one purpose in life: to fight. She wondered if that was why she had found the Rebellion so much easier than she did this life with the crops on their farm and tending to the chickens. It seemed... provincial. But it was what she and Talus had dreamed of going to after the fight. Maybe they just hadn't thought they would ever make it through to the other side of it.

"If we stay at home and use the twins to anchor us, I think we will... damage them," she rubbed some sweat from her forehead and then took another sip of the waterskin. "They need their own lives which means we need ours too. If you enjoy woodwork maybe it's something to explore. Clearly the townsfolk think you're good enough."

 

[Talus]

Talus nodded. He was in full agreement with what Zana said. They did need their own lives. Their own way of being. That had never been contention, not even for a second. Talus had been as sure of that as any number of a thousand things.

The only problem was that he didn't know what. "Perhaps."

He said softly with a nod, though only in regards to what the townsfolk thought. A hand stroked across the stubble on his cheek.

"Maybe..." The former Dreadlord considered. "Maybe I'll just let them decide."

His shoulders rolled. "When we offer them our changes. I'll see what they have to say."

Talus wanted to fulfill a roll, do something. Perhaps it was best to let those who had come to know him decide what would help them most. He liked the thought, the idea. Perhaps it would be enough, and if not...well he was bound by no oath nor collar.

 

[Zana]

Zana's eyes flickered over his face and she seemed to debate saying something more before deciding against it. Instead she stoppered the flask of water and then set off once more up the hill at a steady pace for a pregnant woman - or a snail.

Grey burst from the bushes up ahead chasing a bird of some kind that was struggling to get off the ground quick enough. It was the river itself that saved it in the end and the large wolf watched with a sad expression as his dinner escaped to freedom. Slowly he turned around and trotted back to them, bumping his large head affectionately against Zana's bump. Suddenly, there was that tingle of magic and Zana froze though she didn't have time to say anything.

But nothing happened. At least, nothing obvious. Grey's ears were pricked to the point of trembling though and he stared intently at her bump.

"I think... I think the twins are talking to Grey," she whispered. There was the faintest sense of whispers that she couldn't quite describe.

 

[Talus]

Talus blinked, glancing down at Zana's belly and then towards Grey.

The twins had already shown themselves...more than magically capable. It had only been guesswork of course, confirming it was all but impossible. Yet since Zana had lost her magic and Talus' own abilities had come near enough their limit things were becoming more and more clear.

So when Zana spoke he wasn't exactly surprised, but he did wonder just what the limit would be. "Well.."

He said quietly.

"Could be worse." A frown touched his lips. "They could bring the mountain down."

It was a joke, though a hint of truth lay to the words. So far their magic had been fairly innocuous, small things, but Talus couldn't help but wonder what would come next.

He knew his children would not harm anyone, not on purpose, but there were always accidents. Especially with that much power.

 

[Zana]

Zana watched them use her own lost gifts next as a branch rose in to the air and then flew. Grey gave a barking howl and charged after it whilst she rubbed the back of her neck with a nervous laugh. The worries and concerns bubbled to the forefront of her mind as they always did when the twins displayed a competency for magic that far outranked some four level Dreadlords. She didn't air them though. She already knew what Talus would say when she asked how they would deal with it.

Together. Like everything else.

She took a breath and started up the hill again.

"What do you think we'll find up here?" she asked to divert her own mind and attention from the concerns about the future.

 

[Talus]

"Snow." He answered quickly, half his mind still considering the twins.

It was a problem that they would have to face eventually. Though they would do it differently than any child had ever known in Vel Anir. They had resources, they knew people...even a few from other cities. Perhaps that would be enough. All they needed.

It would have to be. "Maybe a few rocks."

He shot Zana a smirk.

The truth was they had absolutely no idea about the wider range of this place. The villagers had explored of course, but even they didn't know. Some had ventured out as children, other times as hunters, but these were small town folk. None of them were exactly map-makers, nor cared to be.

 

[Zana]

Grey returned the stick and Zana waited to see if the twins would throw it again before taking it from the wolf's mouth and throwing it herself. It didn't go as far as it had with magic but the ex-Dreadlord had hurled spears a lot heavier than that and it went further than most could throw. The direwolf charged after it with glee. The hill was beginning to grow steeper now and the river was thinning as it was forced to squeeze between larger rocks and boulders.

"So smart, husband dearest," Zana panted but shot him a grin. Stubborn determination kept her going though her feet and back began to protest. She was close to calling for a break when suddenly the hill flattened out onto a wide wild meadow. The trees fell away and the river which had begun to be little more than small waterfalls falling into one another ballooned into a wide lake half frozen over with the early winter freeze. The view around them with nothing to hinder it was breath-taking. The forest flowed down before them before it turned into the farmlands Zana and Talus did have maps for. If she squinted she could see the house.

"Wow," she breathed as she massaged the small of her back.

 

[Talus]

A whistle escaped Talus' lips.

His hand fell on the small of Zana's back, slipping beneath her palms as his thumb took on the very same motions she had done herself. His gaze swept over the countryside around them. It was a view that many would have killed for, one that even the Nobles back home would have desired.

A smile touched his lips.

It was what they had wanted, what they had dreamed of. This was the place that they had seen. Where their children would be raised, where their family would come together and where they would grow old. "It's enough."

He said softly.

"It's enough." The words were repeated quietly, and something in his mind settled into place.

Talus could not have said what. He hadn't even known he was waiting until now, and yet here it was. The sight of where he knew he would one day have it all, if he didn't already.

 

[Zana]

Zana's eyes left the scene before them to take in the look of wonder and contentment on her husbands face. The sight was far more beautiful than anything the countryside could provide. Talus had endured so much and wanted little in exchange. Just a corner of the world to call his own and a family to enjoy it with. She lay her head on his shoulder and looked back at the picturesque landscape before them.

"Let's have lunch here," she wasn't sure she could climb any higher though when she turned to look at what lay further before them she realised it was the true beginnings of the mountain proper. There would be no climbing those passes until she had had the babes almost certainly. Oh but she longed to go. Her mind flickered to the vision she had had with a baby strapped to her back and one to Talus' as they climbed a mountain not too dissimilar to this one. The adventures this home of theirs would give them.

"I brought one of the maps with me, we can mark this on there."