Private Tales The Market of Wonders

[Trevan Soithiel]

"It was a jest, and I see now that it was a terrible one to make." Trevan says, an attempt at a scolding yet a small smile lingers at the edges of his lips. He began to understand something about this woman, and perhaps all women of the surface. Where a drow priestess can simply demand attention and receive it, up here it had to be asked for. Or more to the point, teased about. This was going to be an interesting transition, but Trevan has played the game of houses, and he knows a thing or two about manipulation.

"I do not recall our agreement mentioning clothing, only that no harm would come to you. I could march you naked through these woods." He uses a rather convincing authoritative tone, yet the smile lingers.

 

[Ashryn]

Her eyes grew wide as she realized she hadn't even thought to mention something of the sorts. Surely he was teasing? She gave a sharp tug of his cloak, she gazed up at him as rose-colored lips were shaped in a soft 'o' of shock as mischief glittered in her eyes. Part of her wanted to tear off running through the woods, giggling and allowing the feel of earth and rocks to guide her through the night. With a smattering of stars beginning to fill the sky and the moon peeking from behind the cover of clouds, she had something resembling light. She had wandered through the woods enough times at night to be comfortable tearing off.

What stopped her was the unknown and this other. She had no idea of what she would walk into, let alone what he could be taking them both into. Biting gently on her lower lip she fought against the urge to play a little game of cat and mouse. "You could but where would the fun in that be? That would be purely for your pleasure and you don't strike me as selfish. Besides, we still have this other. " Her eyes darkened momentarily for she knew this playful banter would soon be coming to an end and the potential for deadly consequences could rise sharply.

 

[Trevan Soithiel]

This elf woman insisted on playing a game of words and wit, it seemed. Trevan obliged her further.

"I have rarely tasted the pleasures of being selfish, perhaps I should indulge? Though it is interesting that you assume I would derive pleasure from your nakedness." His eyes gaze at her, and it would be quite clear that he is fully in his element with the darkness settling over them. His stride is sure and true, his confidence strong and he does not seem concerned with her attempting to flee.

"Perhaps it wouldn't be for my pleasure, but for the pleasure of the other, yes?" And now the smile returns, a half smile that teases against the edge of his lips.

"I will not do this thing, unless you give me cause to. Mind this warning, Ashryn."

 

[Ashryn]

Both brows shot up at his words and she was instantly silenced. Stuck somewhere between amused, curios, and out right shocked her mouth moved up and down, nothing but air coming out. It was extremely rare that someone manage to silence her with words and this damn drow had managed to do it. It was only but a heartbeat or two before she recovered and she managed to speak.

"My sincerest apologies Sir Treven. Shame on me for presuming such a thing." There was slight hint of sarcasm though her words were light and teasing. She peered up at him, frowning as she still tried to puzzle out if he would make good on that threat.

 

[Trevan Soithiel]

In the moment of shocked silence Trevan barked a quick laugh, pleased and grinning now. With her snide comeback he turned his gaze on her and remained grinning.

"Everyone is guilty of presuming, even myself." He says, with a small admission. They approached a cliff face with a difficult flat surface that they needed to scale. Trevan stopped at the base of it and eyed her. "One of the reasons I did not yet bind you." He then up nods toward the top of the cliff face. It was perhaps fifteen feet up.

 

[Ashryn]

She stood there, with hands resting on the delicate curve of her hips as she started at the cliff face.. With a huff that sent white strands of hair flying around her face she turned to him and laughed softly.

"So this is the real reason you didn't strip me down and march me through the woods naked. Why go through all that effort when you can just climb up behind me and look up my skirt." She was only partially teasing him, and the soft laughter that laced her words portrayed her teasing though she did wonder if there wasn't some truth to the words. Drow or not he was still a man.

"You can go first and then I'll follow up behind you? As long as there are enough foot holds I should be able to climb that even in the dark. It's far less about seeing what you're doing and more about feeling the path you take. "

 

[Trevan Soithiel]

Trevan gave little in reaction to her words, not confirming nor denying her accusation. Instead he simply turned and began climbing the cliff face.

She had come this far unbound, should she flee now he would likely catch her, though nothing was certain. Except he certainly didn't want to have to chase this woman through the woods. They had quite a ways to go, yet.

"Mind the loose rocks. Test each hand and foot hold before you commit your weight."

As he got near the top he also says "I wear cloaks to conceal my butt from prying eyes. These pants are quite form fitting."

Two can play her little game.

 

[Ashryn]

She started up after him almost as soon as he began his ascent, testing the placement of her hands and feet as made her way slowly upwards. The moon had begun to creep across the sky and clouds scattered and the night sky became clear. His words pulled a grin to her lips and she rushed the last few feet, popping over the edge and standing rather abruptly.

Struggling to hold back a grin, she feigned a shiver as she wrapped her arms around her chest, hands sliding up and down her upper arms in a mock attempt at getting warm. "Why... I feel it's suddenly getting cold out. It's such a shame I don't have a cloak to keep me warm." Her words were dripping with a light, teasing tone as she snaked a handout, fingers wrapping gently, loosely even, into the fabric of his cloak as she gave a playful tug of it, the fullness of her grin spreading along rose painted lips.

 

[Trevan Soithiel]

Trevan was beginning to see the value in binding and gagging a captive, but he did not express those thoughts out loud. Stepping back and pulling his cloak with him, he would extricate the fine cloth from her grasp.

"I find it difficult to understand just why you traveled alone to Alliria." Ohhh there was a lot of sarcasm laced in that sentence. His eyes shone with mirth, his smile broad, reaching nearly ear to ear. He turns and starts to walk once more, the moonlight a welcomed one. It's reflection of the sun a much cooler and more acceptable source of light.

"Do you torment all men, or am I just lucky?"

 

[Ashryn]

She blinked at the sarcasm laced words and frowned for a brief moment before falling into step once more beside him. She wasn't sure how to take him at the moment. Was he joking with her or had she possibly pushed things a little far? She frowned deeper at the thought and kept her eyes forward.

"I... you.... but..." She stammered for a few moments, huffing as he'd one more thrown her off balance. Usually she was full of quick wit, snark, and a good dose of sweetness but it would seem tonight just wasn't her night. She wasn't sure how to answer his question. It's true that she wasn't usually this playful with men, or women, but she was also rather.... quirky. "You make me curious." It was the absolute truth and the only answer she was willing to give him.

 

[Trevan Soithiel]

A decisive victory, to be sure, but Trevan did not think the war was won. He mentally checked off a tally in his mind and then turned to regard her.

"As I have already said, you are an enigma to me, so I am equally curious. Shall we amend the agreement that your clothing will remain on? That might be the best course of action." The way he says his words would feel like he finds the whole thing rather amusing.

Trevan led them along the path that skirted the top of the rocky cliff side. Down to their left was the coast, it's dark waves crashing against the rocks below. To their right, a dark tree-line of an encroaching forest.

 

[Ashryn]

She gave a soft laugh as she rolled her eyes ever so slightly. "I had no intentions of offering you my clothes but I'm not going to turn down such agreement especially when they seems to be benefitting me so nicely." She smirked up at him, remembering his agreement to allow her to play with his hair. She hadn't intended to give the impression that she was willing to offer him her clothes or anything else for that matter.

She paused at the crossroads before them and took a moment to simply admire the night, the sky, and all the was nature. The sound of the crashing waves acting as a beat to the melody of crickets and insects that sung through the night. She turned back towards him and perked a brow, curious as to where they would go next, still not knowing of this 'other'.

 

[Trevan Soithiel]

"Then we have struck an accord, Ashryn of the woodland elves." Trevan says, with formality. He would then do an unusual gesture for his kind, but had seen it among the slaves in the underrealm. He holds out his hand for a handshake.

Whether or not she would shake his hand, Trevan would then pull forward the tome that rested at his hip and hold it up. "Are you ready to be bound? We are nearly there and now would be the time."

 

[Ashryn]

Reaching out, she placed her hand gently within in, her eyes peering into his as they shook her hands. "I'm pleased to know that not only do I need not remove my clothes but that I also get to play with your hair." She teased him lightly, knowing it could be the last moment she could allow the playfulness.

Her eyes were pulled to the tome, filling with wonderment as she marveled at the leather-bound curiosity. She knew that now was not the time to ask for questions about the tome and so she pulled her eyes from it and back to his face. Nodding her head she replied softly. "Yes."

 

[Trevan Soithiel]

Trevan gave her a firm quick, only slightly awkward handshake before giving her a *look* regarding her comment about playing with his hair. "It seems to me that we have the same hair." He would remark.

As he held the tome up he smiled, then flipped through the pages until he came across the spell he was looking for. To any eye that knew what rune spells look like, it would immediately become obvious that this book was filled with hundreds of simple spells that required little else but the runes and the energy of the caster.

At her consent, which he did find humor in, he began to cast the spell from off the page, and wove it into the air. Ashryn would feel her arms be pulled behind her back by the wrists by invisible bindings, woven from the air itself. The air bindings lock her wrists together and Trevan finishes the spell, tying it off for the time being so that it would hold without his concentration. A nifty trick, though not indefinite. Without repeat treatment throughout the day it will eventually fail.

 

[Ashryn]

She stood up on her tiptoes and peered over the edge of the tome. Sweeping her eyes amongst the pages she smiled before rocking back onto her heel as she gave a soft huff. Shivering slightly at the feel of the magic, its tendrils wrapping along her wrists and locking them together. As they were pulled behind her back she gave a slight frown but said nothing, her body becoming tense. For appearance's sake, this might be best but for her own safety, she'd have preferred to be bound upfront. She was beginning to wonder if she was actually going to make it out alive. At least she could take comfort in the fact that she would die fully clothes. She gave a snort of laughter as she shoved the thought away with a slight shake of her head. Taking a slow, deep breath she circled back to his comment on their hair.

"It's really rather odd actually. Mother and Father both have... I wouldn't even call it black. It's the darkest of dark, so dark it seems to almost swallowing the color around it. There's not a single member of our House that has white hair but they all have some variation of black. " She paused, she knew the rumors that surrounded her but that's all they could be rumors. For a brief moment, she wondered if she should have spoken of it at all and hesitated for a moment before a slow, mirthful grin slid across her lips. For a moment, she had forgotten she was bound and tried to reach up and tug at his hair, a low growl leaving parted lips as her features settled into a pout.