Private Tales The Lost Sjælden

[Arryn Cross]

Arryn couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation as Jiya and Archimedes dashed past him, the sight and sound of her laughter was likely worth a few new bruises. He watched with a mix of amusement and mock indignation as she saluted him.

"Oh, just hanging around, enjoying the scenery, it's quite lovely thank you.." he answered with a lopsided grin, his voice strained as he pulled air back into his lungs. He swung gently from the branch like a wayward pendulum before he let himself drop to the ground with an oof.

"I still win though, right?" he asked, reaching to take Onora's reins with one hand as the other rubbed at his bruising ribs with a grimace.

 

[Jiya Luana]

Jiya handed the reins back with another musical laugh.

"I think Onora won the race, not you," her brows rose as though to challenge him to disagree, before turning her horse about to walk at a steady pace back towards the river. She hadn't let them stop to drink in case Arryn had actually been seriously hurt but now seemed a good time to do so before continuing on their way. She patted the stallion's sweat-slick neck affectionately when the reached the rivers edge and dismounted to allow him the time to properly rest after the hard gallop.

"Are you truly well, though? Nothing broken?" she asked, turning to him to run her eyes over his abdomen where he had winced to touch.

 

[Arryn Cross]

Arryn's throat cleared, but there was little hiding the way his lips twitched in amusement at the way she looked at him, daring him to challenge her word. Of course, he dipped his chin as any guardsman should to a Lady of such standings, but he let out a breathy laugh in doing so.

"Very well.. Then I suppose we are both forfeit." he mused absently as he pushed back his jacket and lifted his shirt to survey the damage. Bruising bloomed across his ribs and stomach, but nothing seemed out of place at least.

His eyes rose to her as she turned to him, and he smirked again, holding up his shirt for a little longer than necessary. He'd let her look.. for science.

"Thank you kindly for your concern, but a few more bruises to my ego is nothing I can't live with." he dropped the shirt and rolled his shoulders as he followed her to the river's edge, patting Onora's neck as he stopped beside her.

"Well played, girl."

 

[Jiya Luana]

Jiya rolled her eyes but once again found it hard not to smile at his light banter. She had to give him credit where it was due, but he had taken her order not to treat her so formally to heart. As they watched their horses drink it felt more as though she stood with one of her fellow peers from Elbion than a man who was here to protect her life because of her surname. She much preferred it that way. If only she could convince her own guards to treat her as such.

"Have you considered breeding her? She's a very good horse, her foals would be worth a pretty penny," she nodded to his mare coming to stand against her own horse. From the saddlebag she drew out the map where careful directions had been plotted beforehand in her distinctive handwriting.

 

[Arryn Cross]

Arryn took the time to wash his face in the shallow water and tried not to wince as he stood.

Arryn chuckled softly at Jiya's suggestion, a fond glint in his eyes as he regarded Onora standing proudly beside Archimedes. "No, I can't say I've thought about it. I doubt I'd ever find a stud worthy of her.." he smirked.

He reached out to stroke Onora's mane affectionately, and he glanced back at Jiya, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Besides, I've grown rather attached to her. I'm not sure I'd have the heart to part with her offspring."

His shoulders rose and fell in a shrug as he turned his attention back to the mare nibbling affectionately at his shirt. He rummaged in the saddle bag, producing two ripe, red apples. Rubbing one against his shirt as he made his way to Jiya's side, he offered it to her, his eyes running over the map she studied..

"So. Where exactly are we headed?.." he asked before crunching into the fruit.

 

[Jiya Luana]

Archimedes stamped his hoof and Jiya patted the stallion in an effort to sooth his wounded ego.

"Rhea's and my ancestors diaries are not specific, I suppose in order to stop them being found," far from looking annoyed or discouraged, an almost feverish light seemed to make her eyes glow as she showed him the map she had plotted out. "But the clues I could decipher suggest that they were hidden in a place that has been abandoned by both the elves and Anirian's due to the amount of scarring in the land. That limits it down to only a handful of spots," she pointed to the dark circles she had marked.

"Rhea spoke of twisted men stalking the lands nearby, and when I saw the images of the wolves in the caverns below it got me thinking of the werewolf pack that has taken over this area of the Falwood," she pointed then to the red marked spot, a good two days journey from their current position.

 

[Arryn Cross]

He watched, or rather stared, as her eyes lit up with fervor, her passion for exploration and discovery evident in every word she spoke. Realising that she was pointing to the map, his throat cleared and he turned his attention to it.

"Ah. Abandoned lands, twisted men, werewolf caverns... sounds like quite the adventure," Arryn remarked, a grin spreading across his face. The thrill of the unknown beckoned to him, and he found himself eagerly anticipating the journey ahead.

He studied the map she had plotted out, tracing the dark circles and red markings with keen interest. Each spot held the promise of untold secrets waiting to be unearthed. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us," he said, his tone filled with her infectious enthusiasm. Arryn met Jiya's gaze with a spark of excitement in his eyes as his hand settled on his chest.

"My most precious life is in your hands, My Lady." he taunted with a smirk.

 

[Jiya Luana]

"I thought my life was in yours?" Jiya quipped, but there was a nervous flutter in her stomach. She hadn't pressured him into coming but he had come all the same because of her. Whatever happened to him would, technically, be her fault. Aside from the tree branch; that he should have simply seen coming. Shaking her head she mounted up again and tucked away the map.

"I think we can cover a bit more ground before stopping for the night, if you're fit to ride?"

 

[Arryn Cross]

Arryn laughed quietly. "Ah, right.. So it is." he dipped his chin in a quick nod, his eyes following her as she mounted her horse.

"Aye, I'm fit." he answered, twisting slightly to be sure. He could do with a jug of wine and a hot bath but if covering more ground was what she wanted, then who was he to let her down when she was so adorably fucking excited about it.

He managed not to grimace as he pulled himself up into his saddle and tugged at the reins. "Lets look out for obstacles this time, eh?.." he murmured to the mare as he gave a gentle kick to get her going.

 

[Jiya Luana]

Despite his reassurances he was well enough to ride, Jiya kept the next leg of their journey noticeably more sedate. The fastest she urged her horse was into a collected canter but for the most part they stuck to a brisk walk. They cut across bubbling brooks and meandered through lush meadows; picked their way through overgrown thickets and cantered over undulating hills.

As dusk drew in painting the sky in vibrant reds and bruised purples, Jiya finally called an end to the journey when they reached a small stream for the horses with nearby woodland cover should it rain. Dismounting, she saw first to her horse before setting out her own bedroll on the hard ground.

"It's probably a far cry from the inns your liege spends time in but... at least it looks like we're in for a clear night."

 

[Arryn Cross]

He felt as comfortable in their moments of silence as he did chatting to her. It had been a long time since he had felt so... at ease. The tranquility of the countryside was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of court life, and he found himself savouring the simplicity of it.

He tended to his horse alongside Jiya, smiling at her words and silently reflecting on the days he had spent camping with Lynus so many years ago. It was a nostalgic reminder of simpler times when their only concern had been the adventure that lay ahead.

"This suits me just fine," Arryn reassured, his gaze drifting upwards to the periwinkle sky and the stars that had already started to fight their way into view.

He set his bedroll a respectable distance from hers, though a mischievous glint danced in his eyes "I hope you have some decent bedtime stories.." he said, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he offered her a wineskin.

 

[Jiya Luana]

Jiya laughed as she accepted the wineskin, taking a sip as she cast her eyes about for firewood.

"I keep telling you I am rather boring, unless you enjoy long lectures on history and science," she passed the skin back then went to collect some of the pieces she had already picked out on the forest floor. She brought them back to their small circle and then went to rummage in her satchel. Usually travellers would use flint and rock to light wood but Jiya had rather taken to the firesticks that had grown in fashion in Elbion. "Like these for example," she returned to the pile of woods with the small box and took out one of the thin firesticks.

"A boy in my alchemy classes discovered this by happy accident, if certain substances are struck just so," she flicked the firestick across the rough surface of the box, setting the firestick alight. "It creates fire," Jiya carefully set it against the thinner twigs until they caught, then tossed the firestick into the rest of the timber.