Private Tales The Mountains Ahead

[Aviana Sabel]

"I can teach you." She remarked, leaning back and taking a deep breath.

"Or at least, I can teach you the way we fight in Minaris. I'm not sure how well it will fit with your previous training." She corrected, wrinkling her nose slightly as she smiled.

Besides, it made sense to teach Kasim what to expect. If it came down to violence, she wanted to give him the best chance at winning. She hadn't seen many female fighters here on the mainland, and she wondered if they were uncommon here. If that was the case, it was certainly an overlooked resource.

"And I need to practice this... new magic." She added, glancing down at her hand while the other absently reached towards the knots at the crown of her head. They itched now, more than hurt.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Might help, but I suspect the styles won't match up well." Anirian fighting tactics were all about overwhelming your opponent with complete and total onslaught. The very basic principals of many basic Anirian Sword Techniques were about always being on the attack.

The Guard of course learned some different tactics, but for the nobles? For the Nobles it was only the one way. The best defense was a good offense.

It had proven effective enough over the years, though it often lead to a multitude of scars, bruises, and broken bones in the process. His brother had always been better with a sword than he had, though their teacher had been better than both combined. She'd been a fierce woman.

Aviana might have been surprised that Vel Anir did not shy away from giving women weapons, though other places on the mainland were not the same.

"When my wounds heal." He suggested. "Until then I'll work through the forms."

Less of a chance of getting hurt. "As for the magic...I doubt it's similar to what I know."

He wished they were closer to Elbion, they would have been able to help. He was essentially useless when it came to knowledge of Dragon's. Aviana knew a libraries worth more than him and from what she said...she didn't know much either.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"Maybe finish the runes first." She suggested, then stood up and made her way over to the edge of the pool.

Still a little shy, for some inexplicable reason, she pulled off her clothes with her back turned to Kasim and then slipped into the warm water. Once her lithe frame was hidden away beneath the surface, she turned back to face him with her arms propped up on the stone edge. There was a light smile at the corner of her lips as she watched him.

"We didn't come up with much of a plan though..." She mused, resting her chin on top of her forearm.

"At the next village, I can see if I can send a few ravens to those contacts. I'm not sure if we'll get an answer in a timely fashion, however."

 

[Kasim Areth]

He seemed amused as she moved away from him, hiding herself from his view even though...well. It was a bit hard not to chuckle to himself, though somehow he managed to keep it in check.

Instead he nodded to her comment about the rune.

Once he'd finished the inscription his fighting style would change anyway. An ordinary blade was fine, but with the rune he would be able to do more, much more. He only wished that he'd had access to a forge, he could have done even more. Though it would take weeks to do it properly. "Do what you can."

Kasim said quietly.

"We don't want to walk in blind." He paused. "Sail...sail in blind."

They had to at least know what was going on.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"I'm... afraid of learning the truth." She whispered, not wanting to admit the fact; but she felt as though it needed to be said. Out here, she could hide beneath the veil of ignorance. Her lips pressed together and she glanced down at the water, watching the necklace as it glowed softly just below the hollow of her throat.

"I know that's a cowardly thing to say but... well. There it is." She murmured a moment later, then slipped beneath the water. The warmth surrounded, comforting her. She could feel the faint current pulling at her, but it was easy enough for her to stay in one place.

They could stay here long enough for Kasim to heal and for him to finish the runes on his sword, then she had no other reason to hide away. She would have to face the reality that her home was likely changed forever. If they wanted her dead, however, that had to mean she could do something. It meant she was a threat.

She pushed to the surface of the water.

"I'll get it done. Don't worry."

 

[Kasim Areth]

"I know you will." He said with a smile, keeping himself perched on the rock.

There was still a lot to do.

He had to heal, carve the sword, and they had to plan. It was relaxing staying here, enticing in it's own way, but...he knew that it would have to end eventually. He frowned for a brief moment, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath for a few seconds before he looked at Aviana again.

"There's going to be a lot of scary things in our future." His words were quiet. "But we'll face them together."

It seemed a silly thing to say, like something out of a story, but it was the truth.

His fingers idly played against the half-healed wound in his side. "Come here."

The words came with a smile.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

With a somewhat dubious expression, Aviana pulled herself out of the warm pool of water and wrapped herself in a towel. Drops of water still dripping from her hair and limbs, she padded over to Kasim and came to a stop in front of him with a raised brow.

One hand pushed her wet hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind a slightly pointed ear. There was a shy smile playing at the corner of her lips as she held his gaze. He was up to something, she was sure of it, but she would just have to wait to see what it was.

"Hmm?" She asked with a sound in the back of her throat, not actually putting the question to words.

 

[Kasim Areth]

His lips pressed against her stomach, eyes closing for a moment.

The Jester had never truly been sure about his future, not since he'd left Vel Anir all those years ago. He'd spent his life bouncing from one place to another, moving around and taking on different stories just for the fun of it. Now? Now it seemed like he had something to do.

His hands landed on her hips, holding her there gently. "This will be a long and interesting road we walk on."

Kasim mused out loud as he looked up at her.

"I wonder what will be made of it." He was at heart still a Bard, a man after a story. He'd never thought he would be in them, not after he left. He didn't even want to tell them anymore truth be told, but he couldn't help but muse on it as he pulled her down into his lap.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

For once, she could touch him without fear of causing him pain. There was a small amount of comfort in that simple act, and it brought a warmer smile to her features.

She nestled into his chest once she was settled in place on his lap, tucking her head beneath his chin. The steady beat of his heart thrummed soothingly beneath his skin, accompanied with the sound of his every breath. He smelled warm and vaguely of sweat.

"I'm sure someone will write quite the sonnet about the secret nobleman bard with his keeper of dragons lover." She mused quietly, tracing her fingers along the curve of his collarbone. She used the word 'lover' carefully, hoping that she didn't overstep her bounds.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Secret?" He mused on that for a second.

Kasim supposed it was true. He'd hidden his identity for the last five years, and even now he had hardly embraced it. A chuckle left his lips. "Would be even better if I came back to claim the throne."

The King of Vel Anir was for all intense and purposes a puppet propped up by the Seven Great Houses, but that could change if the right person stepped in. His sister had always talked about it, had always bragged that she would be the one to change things. He and his brother had always mocked her for it.

He kissed the top of her head gently.

"I suppose we won't be around to find out." There was no sorrow in his voice. "They always come a hundred years after or so."

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"I say we give them something to talk about." She teased softly, easing herself against him while she gave a quiet chuckle. "Might as well make it an interesting story for them."

"Two happenstance lovers unite two kingdoms and bring peace to all the land. Has a nice ring to it." She added, laughing at the absurdity of it. It certainly was suitable for a mythical tale to be told by the firelight. That was a pleasant thought, that maybe all this could have some sort of happy ending.

She tilted her head back so that she could press a tender kiss against his lips, fingertips lightly brushing against his stubble-covered cheek.

 

[Kasim Areth]

He smiled.

It was a nice dream, though one that Kasim knew was impossible. Even if he conquered Vel Anir, even if he could somehow topple the walls, it would be all but impossible to change it.

Thousands of years had shaped the culture of his people. Xenophobia, hatred...it ran as strongly through the commons as it did the Nobles. He'd heard that supposedly others were now allowed inside of the city. Elves, Orcs, and even goblins wandering through the Inns.

He could only imagine the arguments that had caused.

What wars would be started eventually. "Maybe."

The Jester mused as his fingers brushed over her belly.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana chuckled softly as Kasim teased his fingers across her stomach, the light sensation tickling her flesh.

She tucked her head back down, nestling her cheek against his shoulder as she closed her eyes. It was comfortable here, snuggled against the jester as he casually traced his fingers across her skin. The susurration of the stream lulling her into an almost trance-like state, finally able to relax after weeks of being on the road. With Kasim ambulatory again, much of her concerns were put to rest and she could ease herself into the moment.

"No? What do you think would make for a better story then?" She asked with a slight grin, idly trailing her fingers across his forearm.

 

[Kasim Areth]

He mused for a second. "Not sure."

Kasim was a bard, but in truth he'd never really been much for the composition of stories. That was why he always took from real life or told those stories that had become legendary in their own way. Creation was...tough.

"Though..." He trailed off with a smirk.

The story would have to wait.

"Maybe we don't focus on the story." His fingers trailed over her. "And instead we focus on us."

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"And how exactly do you suggest we do that?" She murmured quietly, not opening her eyes just yet as she was basking in the peace of the moment.

It was a strange thing for her, to think about an 'us'. For as long as she could remember it was thinking about what was best for Minaris, think about what her parents wanted, think about how she was going to survive; but then she met Kasim. The two of them had been traveling together for months, but it hadn't been "us" until recently.

She liked the sound of that.

Us.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"I've a few ideas." Most of them not too far in the future.

There was something to be said about focusing on the here and now, looking towards a point in the world that wasn't too far away.

It was how he'd lived most of his life over the last few years, how he'd managed to keep himself going. It was a foolish thing to do sometimes, ignoring the world around you and just looking at the parts you liked...but it was also a way of keeping yourself alive, of looking past the dark.

His lips pressed against her neck.

"I'll share them tonight." Kasim said with a smile. "Maybe a bit sooner."

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She raised an eyebrow and looked up at him with a puzzled expression. "Maybe a bit sooner, hmm?"

A coy smile flickered across her lips as she tilted her head to the side to give Kasim a bit more room to explore her neck. She'd known the jester long enough to suspect what he had in mind. The man was one to pursue his passions and pleasures, whatever it was that he enjoyed. Not that she could blame him, if she'd had that kind of freedom, she probably would have done the very same.

She'd found some liberty on the road, but now her and Kasim were on course to return to Minaris. What would happen to them once they got there? It might have been selfish, but she didn't want to give that up.

Especially now that there was an "us".

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Maybe. Depending on how good you are." He said quietly, though in truth his mind wandered in the same direction as hers.

For now they had quiet, they had a little bit of peace, but if their course remained the same it wouldn't stay that way for long. Eventually they would hit a wall, a wall shaped a lot like politics and nobles wanting things for Aviana that at this point...Kasim simply wouldn't allow.

Not that she couldn't make her own choice of course, there was always that...but he would fight for her every single step of the way.

"I'm going to head back to the cabin." He said, nuzzling her. "Get a fire going."

Something to dry out their clothes.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She gently kissed his cheek and gave a soft smile.

Judging by the expression on the jester's face, she could tell that his mind had wandered to a more serious topic; but she just didn't know what it was.

"Everything okay?" She asked hesitantly, worried that he was upset about something.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Of course." For now anyway. There was no reason to shed concerns about problems that lay in the future, specifically ones that they couldn't really effect now.

Best to focus on the positive.

"I want to finish that sword." He mused. "Maybe see if I can't remember some of my old forms."

The words weren't a lie. The idea of going to Minaris, of the danger presented there and the new found inspiration he held made Kasim want to practice. He'd never much liked the sword, but the Runes wouldn't be effective enough on their own.

Besides, practice made perfect.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She nodded quietly and set about gathering the wet clothes that had been scattered about the bath house by the little dragon; who scurried around after her and helped pick up anything that she dropped. The little creature was startlingly intelligent to anyone who watched him interact with Aviana; but she herself never noticed. All she had to do was think about something, and usually the dragon either took care of it or helped her accomplish the task in some way. It was never intentional, it just happened naturally.

"I'll meet you back at the cabin. Me and Kiovec can grab all this." She called back to the jester.

Wait. Kiovec?

She blinked and paused as she picked up one of Kasim's shirts, then she looked down to the dragon. He was carrying a sock in his mouth and was staring up at her with what she would have sworn was a smirk in his eyes. Perhaps the link between them flowed both ways?

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim raised an eyebrow, glancing at the Dragon. "Okaaaaay."

There was a lot of this that neither of them really understood, and the Jester couldn't help but chuckle.

"Ah." He wiped a hand across his face. "This is going to be great fun over the next few weeks."

A hand slowly ran through his hair and he looked down at the two of them, taking in the girl and then the dragon as his head shook from side to side. The Madness of this situation was not lost on him. Not just what they planned on doing, not what they'd been through, but just the moment.

He couldn't help but find it funny.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She hadn't heard Kasim laugh in days. It caught her attention and she looked back to him with a warm smile.

A chance for the both of them to recuperate from their ordeals on the road had done them well. She held his gaze for a brief time, then turned back to gathering the laundry with a quiet chuckle of her own.

"It doesn't really make sense to me either, Kas, if that makes you feel any better. It just kind of... happens." She said, picking up the bag of wet clothes and the dragon hopped up onto her shoulder.

The dragonling, Kiovec as he'd come to be known, purred contently.

Just what was she supposed to do with him when she reached Minaris? She couldn't hide him forever, and there was little doubt that whoever had seized control of the city would try to claim the dragon for themselves. They had already sent someone to retrieve the egg... what would happen now that he had hatched?

She padded over to the jester, pausing to kiss his shoulder playfully before she continued past him and up the stairs that led back up to the cabin. Best to leave the 'what if' thoughts for later. For now, she could let herself relax.

 

[Kasim Areth]

He didn't understand it, but in the end he supposed that he didn't need to.

There was a lot of this world that he didn't know.

His education growing up had been near complete, better than what most people could even dream of. Through his travels he had learned even more. In a way he was a scholar, different than those found in Elbion or the college at Alliria, but still in his own right.

Yet even he could not know it all.

His head shook slightly and he quickly began his trek after her. The steps Kasim took were shorter, his walk was still a bit hobbled. The wound in his side still ached, but that was something he would simply have to deal with.

For now anyway.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Back in the cabin, Aviana set about taking care of the nightly chores that she'd been doing since their arrival. Normally, Kasim slept through them since he needed his rest to recover from his injuries. Not even thinking about it, she hummed a song to herself as she strung up the wet clothes in front of the hearth, occasionally singing a few of the lyrics under her breath. The pendant that she wore glowed softly in the dim lighting, warm against her throat.

I’ll swim and sail on savage seas
with ne'er a fear of drowning.
And gladly ride the waves of life
if you will marry me.

No scorching sun, nor freezing cold
will stop me on my journey.
If you will promise me your heart.
And love me for eternity.

My dearest one, my darling dear,
your mighty words astound me.
But I’ve no need of mighty deeds
when I feel your arms around me.

It was a song that her father used to sing to her at night when the storms rumbled off the coast. One of her fondest memories as a child was sitting by the fireplace with her parents, listening to them each sing a verse.

Kiovec sat nearby, watching Aviana intently.

A wave of homesickness washed over the young half-elf and she paused in her work, glancing down at her feet. One hand brushed her fingers against the amulet as she bowed her head, sighing softly before she finished the song.