Private Tales Read between the lines

[Zana]

Sunlight began to light the canvas and alert the two within to the presence of day. Zana felt groggy as she turned her face away from it to bury into the bedroll beneath her, drawing the blanket up and over her head. Good nights of sleep were becoming a luxury he somehow afforded her and she wanted to make the most of it not have it disrupted by some cosmic thing like the sun. That was simply cruel. She mumbled something incoherent in the way of those still half asleep and rolled over onto the flat of her stomach, taking the blankets with her and in essence cocooning herself entirely in the thick wool and robbing Talus of any such warmth.

She gave a blissful sigh and was drifting back off to sleep.

 

[Talus]

"Aaaaaaaah." Talus said as the cold morning air touched his skin, goosebumps rolling over his flesh as Zana stole the blanket from him.

Toes curled, and he suddenly shivered as he realized what was going on.

His body seemed to slowly roll and inch towards Zana, his arm slipping beneath the blanket to catch some semblance of warmth. Cold had slipped beneath the hem of her trousers, landing on her rear and squeezing slightly. "Mmm warm."

The Dreadlord said, half his body still freezing.

 

[Zana]

Zana half jumped out of her skin when his icy hand slid into her trousers and rested on her very warm skin. There was a series of choice curse words that followed before she tried to worm her way away from his offending limbs.

"Monster," she attempted to throw a kick at him through the wad of blankets and after a trail of tired laughter. She didn't attempt to give him back the blankets though. If anything she snuggled down inside of them even more and gave him a flash of a very sly smile before she sunk into them until all but her eyes were showing. It seemed as though she were going to leave him out in the cold when the purple energy formed a small bubble inside the tent. She hadn't actually shown him this side to the magic before so she was waiting for his reaction as the air inside it began to warm to a much more pleasant temperature.

 

[Talus]

As she tried to kick him the effort was almost comical. There was so much padding from the blanket it mostly just made her wriggle around. The warmth made his entire body tingle for some reason, his arm tightening as he refused to loosen his grip on her behind by even a little bit.

Having their souls connected afforded him certain privileges, this was one of them. "Oh."

Talus said suddenly, as he felt the shiver that had been running up his spine suddenly completely disappear. A satisfying sigh escaping him.

"Aren't you just full of surprises." He said quietly as she would suddenly feel herself pulled close to him.

 

[Zana]

Zana's laugh was muffled by the layers of blanket as one of his hands shifted to her hip to pull her closer to him. With one of his hands still on her arse she simply wriggled herself deliberately against the front of him when her back hit him flush. Purely as punishment of course. Still, she was awake now and she found it almost impossible to go to sleep after waking up straight away.

"I try and keep a few tricks up my sleeves," as their small bubble warmed up she released some of the blankets until it laid over the top of them in a single layer once more. She gently tugged one of his arms so it wrapped around her stomach and then she kissed his arm gently.

"Good morning."

 

[Talus]

"Good morning." Talus said as he gently nuzzled his nose against the back of her neck.

The peace he felt was almost intolerable.

There were no thoughts of home, no thoughts of a mission or duty. All that he could think about was himself and Zana. Arm tightened slightly, and he snuggled up against her. A breath filled his lungs, taking in the scent of her as he lay there with his eyes closed.

"Are you ready to meet some dwarves?" He asked with a smile. "I promise you the experience will be...unique."

It certainly had been for him.

 

[Zana]

A happy and content noise from a sleepy woman was all he got as he nuzzled into her neck and her eyes drifted shut briefly. Maybe she would be able to sleep again. She could feel how relaxed he was through the bond and it was only adding to her own feelings and making her limbs heavy once more. But then he spoke of dwarves and adventure and a current of excitement ran through her. She felt like a young child on St Nicholas' Day when they peeked in their shoes to find sweet treats which had been left by the Saint himself.

"Yes," her voice was quite but it trembled with the excitement that made her whole body tremble. She hadn't actually ever met anything other than an elf up close and personal. The Empire had had a myriad of different cultures but she hadn't gotten the chance to speak to one. "Will they be happy to see you?" another odd quirk. Nobody was ever usually happy to see Zana turn up in her Luana armour.

 

[Talus]

"I would think so." It had been almost two years now since he'd been to Karak.

The last time they had seen him was at the end of his trip with Finn. They had landed just outside the hold, Finn barely clinging to life when the Dwarves had happened upon them. Three weeks had been spent there, Finn recovering and Talus making friends.

He was looking forward to seeing them all again. The Chief of the Hold in particular had been kind, a man of deep principals who had spent nearly all his time teaching Talus about his people.

It had been he who had given him his sword when they'd left. "Though I will warn you, they'll want you to drink some ale."

He smirked at her, fingers gently trailing over he belly.

 

[Zana]

Zana groaned when he mentioned drinking and turned her head further into the bedroll to hide her face. She had only had a few sips of wine in Talus' presence but she really didn't fancy letting him see her when she was drunk. She was known to get on tables and take things off. Florinthe was a horrific influence on her.

"Alcohol makes my visions go backwards," she mumbled, playing that off as an excuse for why she didn't want to drink though he could probably feel the shame and humiliation in her even if he couldn't see the memories that were triggering it. "It's is definitely safer for everyone if I don't drink," especially for the tables.

After a moment more laying like that together she couldn't take it anymore and wriggled out of bed. She wanted to see everything and they only had a short time to enjoy it. Zana took a step out of the tent and nearly went flat on her face as she tripped over the wolf who had lain protectively outside of their tent all night.

"Gods damn the men in my life today."

 

[Talus]

As Zana complained he could feel the shame through the bond, an amused smile touching his lips. "You know...it's hard to keep things from me now..."

He pointed out as he pushed himself off the bedroll.

Talus swept up behind her, kissing her cheek as his hands gently ran over her hips. "Just a few sips here and there when they toast."

The young Dreadlord assured her, stepping over Wolf and moving away from her. The embers of the fire were still going, though it was almost entirely out now. In the distance he could see the solitary peak that Karak was buried deep in, though it would take them half a day to reach it.

"Let's pack up quick." He told her, stopping for a second before he turned back to her. "And what's that supposed to mean."

Grey also picked up his head, staring at Zana. "We bring life and joy to you like nothing else."

A hint of a smirk clung to the edge of his lips.

 

[Zana]

"I don't think you quite realise what you're letting yourself and your friends in for..." Zana grimaced as she began to rummage in her bag to get some new clothes out. Hers were covered in mud from the road the day before and were still a little damp from the lake. She stripped off quickly and then changed into fresh riding breeches and a shirt before stuffing the wrecked clothing into a different pouch of her bag. At his comment on being the joys of her life she laughed, tugging the blue shirt down and tucking it into her white breeches.

"Yeah, that's the problem isn't it? I can't get mad at either of you," she leaned down to ruffle Grey's ears with a fond smile before she helped him dismantle the rest of the camp. For two Dreadlords it took very little time before they were on their way again. She wisely didn't offer him another ride on Zandor.

 

[Talus]

"Well, My love." Talus said as they finished packing. "I will never ask you to do a thing you do not want."

He reached up for a second, touching her hip so she would lean down and kiss him. "That I promise."

If she did not want to drink, then they would find a way around it. Dwarvish custom was odd, but there were ways to skirt around everything. Maybe she would pretend and he would just have to drain her tankard when no one was looking.

As they walked, Talus began to explain how he'd first come to Karak. He told her about finding Finn, meeting the young inventor after his mission to Belgrath had gone awry. He told her about the balloon Finn had built and the demon they'd encountered in a village near the spine.

"She was injured, and I eventually managed to steer the damned thing to Karak's peak. That was where the dwarves found us." Talus finished.

 

[Zana]

Zana held the promise in her heart as they began walking.

"A balloon?" her eyes flicked to the skies as she tried to imagine it. She had read about the dwarfs having great big Air Ships at the height of their power but most of them had been lost in their wars with the legendary Avariel. The ships had seemed to vanish when the winged elves did. She remembered how it had felt when Talus had flown them through the sky and she thought that perhaps a balloon ride couldn't be much worse than that. Fear that gave way to pure wonder and awe.

"You've lived a whole lifetime," Zana shook her head as her eyes returned to him and then the road in front of them. There was a little envy every time he told her a story of this adventure or that. He had lived so much and she so little. She wondered if it would have been any different if she hadn't been groomed by Luana from the moment she had stepped into the Academy. If she had had the freedom to choose... if she had been able to have these lessons. Would she have been brave enough to do what Talus had?

"But they just took you in and helped you?" she shook her head in mild disbelief. Vel'Anir would have left them to rot. Or if they had taken them in it would have been to find out how the ship had worked to use it for themselves.

 

[Talus]

Talus reached you and gently put a hand on Zana's leg. He touched, smiling up at her as he spoke. "The only lifetime that matters is the one im going to spend with you."

The words were once again so genuine that it was almost like they were walking through one of Zana's novels. Talus didn't even think about it, only said what came to the forefront of his mind as she'd feel love and adoration pour through the bond.

Every word he said, he meant.

"They did." Talus said with a nod. "Didn't even question us. Just patched up Finn, offered shelter and..."

He chuckled, remembering Thinlen as the Dwarven doctor had spoken to Talus at length about...well pretty much everything. The man had been been unable to shut up for even a few seconds. "Started talking."

It was at Karak that the last bit of Talus' xenophobic nature had been shattered.

He'd never hated other species like other Dreadlords, but after years of Proctor's instilling fear and the like it had been hard not to be weary. Karak had changed that overnight.

 

[Zana]

She realised, as his hand came to rest on her leg, he could probably feel her emotions - even the negative ones. Zana banished them from her mind and ran her hand through his hair down to his cheek then under his chin. Zandor came to a stop with barely a visible command from her so that she might steal a quick kiss from him before they were walking again.

"They sound..." Different from everything she had ever been taught. "The only conversations I've had with someone who wasn't human have not been pleasant..." she shifted uncomfortably in the saddle. Zana had never fought a dwarf but she hadn't hesitated for a second in separating an elf's head from her shoulders for the simple fact she was an elf. Who had she been to ignore a command?

"But if you trust them that is all I need to know," that she was absolutely certain of. It might take her a while to get used to something so different but they couldn't be evil if Talus was taking her to their home.

 

[Talus]

He smiled up at her. "You'll like them. I can almost guarantee it."

The rest of their walk was filled with similar conversations. Talus offering small insights into his travels while Zana asked him questions. He spoke of his missions to Alliria, his journey into the Blight lands, and briefly the travel he'd done in the Tundra.

It all eventually came to an end however as they reached the foot of the mountain.

Two massive statues stood flanking what appeared to be a miniature valley leading to a thick stone gate. Each of the statues depicted similar beings in appearance, though there were subtle differences between the two. One wielded an axe while the other held a hammer. Their helmet were also different, though the armor they wore was exactly the same.

"Thringmar and Thror the first." Talus said as they walked up towards the massive statues. "They founded this hold after they slew the Great Dragon Gralim."

At least that was what he'd been told by Thror.

 

[Zana]

Zandor came to a stop and tossed his head as Zana gazed up at the statues with wide eyes. Vel'Anir was an imposing city with its fortress design but this was something entirely different. She sat there for a while as Zandor pranced sideways, impatient to get going again, and took it in and ran her hand in soothing strokes down his golden neck.

"They build all of this don't they, they're not geomancers?" her eyes followed the curves and intricate details. It must have taken them an age to do or a team of dwarves. She wondered, briefly, if they had used ropes and pulleys to do the bits right at the top of if they had scaled it like a mountain goat. She couldn't imagine someone doing something so extraordinary with their own two hands.

"No wonder you chose woodwork," she mused, her lips lifting into a crooked smile as she glanced down at him. Her hands itched to make something just looking at it.

 

[Talus]

Talus shook his head. "I don't think I met a single mage among their ranks."

There had been a man they called a Rune Carver, but from what Talus had been able to tell he hadn't even known Rune Magic. The statues, the gate, and the city beyond had all been built through the lifetimes of the dwarves who lived beyond. It was part of why he loved it so much, why he saw the true splendor in it.

"Come on." He said with a wave of his hand as they slowly descended into the small artificial valley.

Though the small alcove had its own beauty to it, Zana's eye would be able to tell that it had been built for defensive purposes. It was clear that the passage was meant as a funnel, allowing the dwarves to narrow the field of combat. Murder holes sat above the gate, though what was behind them was impossible to tell.

Nothing moved as they approached the gate, no one called out to them.

Talus continued to step forward, motioning for Zana to remain a few feet back. "Did I tell you my sword was made here?"

He asked as the blade left it's sheath.

Oddly enough there seemed to be a strange vibration in the air as the blade left it's scabbard, a soft almost inaudible ringing resounding within the air. Grey tilted his ears back, clearly not enjoying the sensation it brought. Talus gave the wolf an apologetic look.

"They told me..." He trailed off as he searched the gate for something. "It was a sign of friendship and a...ah here we go."

Talus swept the sword up, then suddenly slid it into a small slot within the door. In an instant the vibrations stopped.

For a second it appeared nothing would happen, and then the a sudden wave of dust fell from the doors. Loud mechanical clacking rang out, and slowly the massive gates began to pull themselves open. Talus withdrew his sword and quickly jumped back as they did.

 

[Zana]

Zana had been in sieges on both sides and as they descended into the valley she couldn't help but put a hand on the hilt of her sword. She was impressed with the strategy behind it but she felt quite exposed wandering down the middle of it with no armour on. A crackled of purple energy ran over her skin as her agitation rose but she took comfort in the fact that Talus looked perfectly at home as he strode forward.

"No, you didn't..." her eyes flicked to the sword as he drew it and her hand tightened more on the hilt of her own blade as he stepped forward, confusion mounting in her. Was it a sign of friendship here to rush at a door with a weapon drawn? She had heard the dwarfs were a warrior like people but she couldn't imagine...

The doors suddenly groaned and the earth shook with the vibrations and movement. Zandor shied but she brought him down with only a hint of irritation on her face before backing him up a few more paces. Grey shot away from Talus' heels to join Zana further back where he then bravely gave a bark, ears still back.

"Sshh.." she slid her hand through the horses black mane and played the silken threads through her fingers but her eyes never left the door and Talus, making sure that he wasn't about to get hurt. "That is quite impressive," Zana spoke once the doors had come to a stop and then dismounted from the horse, deciding it would be better to lead him underground rather than ride him down.

 

[Talus]

As the doors fell open a massive bridge was revealed before them. Huge support struts reached up from the masonry and connected to a cavern ceiling. Huge statues, each depicting a different dwarf, lined the two hundred meter bridge, and down below lay a massive lake of molten lava.

"Here." Talus said as he slid his sword back into it's sheath and reached out a hand to Zana.

His fingers enveloped hers, taking the other side of her and reaching down to pat Grey's head in reassurance as well. A smile flickered over his features, and he tried to exude confidence and reassurance through the bond.

He knew this place, there was no danger here.

Slowly Talus lead them over the bridge, his eyes set forward as they traversed the massive strong construct. In the distance another gate came into view, though this one held a massive opening at the top. There stood four men, each one half the size of Talus and teach one wielding a crossbow the same size of them. As they drew closer Talus called out. "Lok'draric! Talus, verkon Thror!"

There was a pause, nothing happened as one of the men disappeared below. Then slowly the gate fell open.

"TAAAAAALUUUUUUS!"

A heavily accented voice booked through the tunnel, a dwarf in heavy plate armor breaking through the gate and sprinting directly towards Talus and Zana, weapons cast to the side.

 

[Zana]

Zana's eyes grew huge as it took in the vastness of what lay within. She hadn't realised she didn't take a step forward when Talus did until he came back to get her, taking her hand in his. Nerves pulsed through her and she hesitated a moment more before finally, slowly, she stepped after him. As they walked her eyes darted around the entrance way, glancing over the other statues and then down into the molten lava bit. She stepped a tiny bit closer to Talus and Zandor practically stood on top of them both, eager to get off the bridge that kept them suspended across their near certain death.

As the gate loomed closer Zana's hand tightened more on Talus' as her eyes noted the figures - and weapons - pointing directly at them as they approached. A tiny crackle of purple energy rippled between their hands as the tension built inside of her. When he shouted she almost jumped out of her skin.

"What did you say?" she whispered in his ear but he didn't get much time to reply before the gates opened and a man began running at them.

There was something to be said about having a man half your size charge towards you in full armour, Zana thought and as Talus let go of her hand she grabbed Grey quickly by the scruff before the wolf lunged at him.

"No," she trapped the wolfs muzzle with her hand and gave him a stern look. "No," the wolf was fiercely protective but his ears flattened and the snarl became a grumble in the back of his throat. She didn't take her hand off his scruff until the man and dwarf embraced so that the wolf could see he was a friend.

 

[Talus]

"AHAHA got yourself a guard dog eh?"

The dwarfs voice boomed out as though it was a giant speaking. The tone of his voice was low, boisterous, but there was a gleeful mischief in his eyes as he embraced Talus. A laugh echoing from his throat as he stared passed Talus at Zana and Grey.

Talus pulled back with a grin. "It's good to see you Vorak."

Standing to his full height the Dwarf appeared to rise to about Talus' upper chest, but if he minded looking up towards his friend Vorak certainly didn't seem to show it. A wide grin set on his face.

"Aye it is lad. You only waited long enough. It's been two bloody years."

Talus rubbed at the back of his neck, smiling apologetically.

"And whose this now? Keeping me from being mauled to death?"

Talus looked back at Zana with a smile, taking a few steps to reach out to her so that she could walk besides him. Other dwarves were now walking out of the gate, most of them Talus recognised, though a few were strangers.

"Vorak this is Zana, she's my..." Talus suddenly found himself lacking for a proper word. 'Partner' did not seem right, friend was certainly not enough, and the term Girlfriend did not even exist in his or the dwarfs vocabulary. Sputtering for a moment, Talus suddenly just blurted out. "Wife."

 

[Zana]

Zana wasn't sure what she had been expecting from a dwarf but it... was not this. She found that his laughter had her own lips pulling up into a smile; it was infectious. As the tension eased from her too Grey seemed to relax fully though he kept himself pressed against her legs like a heavy weight. When their eyes met she gave a curious incline of her head but otherwise stayed back, her fingers of one hand in the wolfs fur and the other in her reins. She tugged on the wolfs ears to try and ease his tension some more but the wolf only licked his muzzle and looked up at her with a small whine.

When she heard the others question about who she was she was about to step forward and introduce herself when Talus promptly dropped the title of wife.

For a moment she was dumbstruck; it wasn't exactly a big leap. They were joined far closer than any normal man and woman who claimed such a title would be but she felt wrong lying to his friends. She made her face soften as she finally managed to take the step forward and put a hand on Talus' arm.

"Not... quite yet," she raised up her hand to show no ring and gave Talus a bemused look. "We haven't got around to making it official yet. It's lovely to meet you, Talus has told me a lot about you," she held out her hand. Coming to just below Talus' chin she wasn't much taller than the dwarf. How was a race notorious for being short nearly as tall as her?!

 

[Talus]

The dwarf took Zana's hands and shook it, a wide smile on his face.

"Ah lass, down here in Karak. If you're fightin and fuckin' together you may as well be as good as married."

There was a slight chuckle from some of the Dwarves behind Vorak, and Talus gave Zana an apologetic look. He hadn't really known what else to say, and a flurry of embarassed feeling flittered over the bond between them.

"Yeah well." Talus cleared his throat and then gently reached up to put a hand on the small of Zana's back.

"Yeah yeah. I have a filthy mouth, or so the wife keeps telling me. Come on you long legs, let's show this pretty girl of yours what a real city looks like."

Talus was grateful as Vorak and the other dwarves turned away, motioning for them to follow.

He leaned into Zana. "Sorry...I didn't know what to say."

An apologetic look flickered towards her, and then they began to follow after Vorak and the others.

 

[Zana]

"I suppose in that case we are married then."

Zana found a blush spreading across her cheeks in a decidedly un-Dreadlord like fashion at the mans comment but it was said in such an easy manner that she didn't feel awkward in the slightest. Still, she couldn't help but feel like the two purple bruises either side of her exposed neck were an indication they fell into his description. She had had fouler things said to her in Taverns and on the streets when patrolling. When her hands were released she looped her arm around his back and followed after the group, her eyes flitting from one to the other curiously, trying to work out from his stories who was who. When he leaned in to apologise a wave of amusement flowered with love came back down the line.

"If you plan on proposing to me, I really hope it is a little more romantic than that," she replied in something just above a whisper. Then she stepped on to her tip toes and pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. Grey, relaxing now, loped ahead of them to curiously sniff at the dwarf who had been speaking to his two masters.