Lover

[Nella Fantasia]

Atreyu could tell this was incredibly hard for her. Not just going to the capitol to be branded as a deadly criminal, but to lose her dignity and give in. To see she had no other choice. To admit defeat. She looked defiant for awhile, switching her gaze from him to Thalion and then down to the rope, brow furrowing. Come on, girl. You know you can't win. And she did know it. That's why she finally spun, throwing down her cloak to the ground angrily, and placed her hands behind her back while closing her eyes.

That's better. Atreyu looked to Thalion with a grin, but his brother wasn't looking at him. Nor was was he looking happy. He had dropped his hand back to his side, staring at the woman with a frown. Hesitating, Atreyu eyed him curiously for a moment before stepping up behind the woman. What was his problem? Ah well. Thalion tended to have a lot of problems, and it was difficult to keep track of each one. Especially when they had a fugitive to consider. As quickly as he could, Atreyu wrapped the ropes first around her upper arms so it tied securely against her back and chest, then moved the end up the rope down to lock her wrists together.

He grabbed each side of the coiled ropes, giving them a tug on her hands to make sure they were bound correctly and wouldn't loosen before looking up to her head, and gripped her elbow. "Let's go," He said to the woman, but also to Thalion as he turned to lead the way back over to the horses.

Thalion bent to pluck up her cloak she'd tossed, and then raced ahead of them, mounting his horse, and draping the fabric over the mane of the beast. The younger man held onto the reigns with his left hand, but kept his right hand free as he looked down at them.

Atreyu glanced at the woman and nodded to the horse. "Go ahead and mount in front of him." Unless she wanted to ride with Atreyu, but the man doubted it. Most of the time, they preferred the younger brother. His grip tightened slightly on her arm. "I'll help you up."

 

[CJF]

Kaira watched her husband leave, her heart still a bit heavy, but also excited at the idea of having dinner that night. She sat where she was for a moment, looking around her room absentmindedly. She closed her eyes and sighed, wishing they could have finished out the morning together. Still, they would be having dinner together. She smiled and opened her eyes, moving from the bed to her walk-in closet. She grabbed a simple, modest gown and dressed, her mind rolling over the things she had to do that day.

There wasn't much in the line that could be considered work; just a lot of meeting with the townfolk, going over some minor changes in the work schedule and the like. As she brushed her golden blonde hair and began to braid it, she made a mental note to herself to be finished with whatever tasks she had awaiting her before six o'clock. She wanted to prepare the dinning room herself and oversee the cooking of her husbands favorite meal. After examing herself in the mirror she walked out into the hallway, heading to the kitchen. She wanted to let the cook know that Jadir and her would be having their dinner together that evening, late. She smiled slightly and sighed, feeling quite content. She couldn't remember the last time she'd prepared something special for her husband, outside of a holliday or celebration. And it felt wonderful.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Atreyu could tell this was incredibly hard for her. Not just going to the capitol to be branded as a deadly criminal, but to lose her dignity and give in. To see she had no other choice. To admit defeat. She looked defiant for awhile, switching her gaze from him to Thalion and then down to the rope, brow furrowing. Come on, girl. You know you can't win. And she did know it. That's why she finally spun, throwing down her cloak to the ground angrily, and placed her hands behind her back while closing her eyes.

That's better. Atreyu looked to Thalion with a grin, but his brother wasn't looking at him. Nor was was he looking happy. He had dropped his hand back to his side, staring at the woman with a frown. Hesitating, Atreyu eyed him curiously for a moment before stepping up behind the woman. What was his problem? Ah well. Thalion tended to have a lot of problems, and it was difficult to keep track of each one. Especially when they had a fugitive to consider. As quickly as he could, Atreyu wrapped the ropes first around her upper arms so it tied securely against her back and chest, then moved the end up the rope down to lock her wrists together.

He grabbed each side of the coiled ropes, giving them a tug on her hands to make sure they were bound correctly and wouldn't loosen before looking up to her head, and gripped her elbow. "Let's go," He said to the woman, but also to Thalion as he turned to lead the way back over to the horses.

Thalion bent to pluck up her cloak she'd tossed, and then raced ahead of them, mounting his horse, and draping the fabric over the mane of the beast. The younger man held onto the reigns with his left hand, but kept his right hand free as he looked down at them.

Atreyu glanced at the woman and nodded to the horse. "Go ahead and mount in front of him." Unless she wanted to ride with Atreyu, but the man doubted it. Most of the time, they preferred the younger brother. His grip tightened slightly on her arm. "I'll help you up."

Aislin had expected to feel the hopelessness of the situation wash over her as the ropes bound her. But instead, as Atreyu began tying her up, she felt anger rise. Anger and resentment. For the two brothers. Stupid idiots! Fools! Nothing but paid muscle. Men the Namor Guard paid to do their dirty work. Not caring in the slightest whether she was guilty or innocent. Willing to tie her up like an animal so she couldn't escape the horror that would be pressed on her without mercy. Heartless pigs! She tried to tense up her muscles so that maybe the ropes wouldn't be so tight and she'd be able to wriggle out of them later.

But Atreyu was good at tying ropes, something she should have expected. He tied around her upper arms, back, and chest, before locking her wrists together, one arm over the other, and then giving the ropes a firm tug. She winced, the rough rope sliding against her wrists. Well, so much for that thought. It only made her more indignant, however. More determined than ever to get away from these callous morons. She clenched her jaw, opening her eyes. "Let's go." Atreyu said, gripping her elbow and leading her over to the horses. She went with him, not having much choice, staring at the ground instead of him, having a hard time not screaming at him. Though she didn't know exactly what she'd say. And even if she did, he'd probably only laugh at her.

Thalion had already mounted his horse when she and Atreyu reached them. "Go ahead and mount in front of him." Atreyu's grip tightened on her arm and she looked up at Thalion, meeting his eyes briefly, glaring at him. So, she'd be riding with the man who had seen her crumble, who had seen what freeing that stupid hawk had done to her and then refused to even listen to anything she had to say. To go along with his brother anyways. Either he was a coward who didn't want to stand up to his brother, or he agreed with his brother in his assessment of her. Aislin wasn't sure which, and she didn't particularly care. It didn't matter, in the end, why he was acting in accord with his brother. But that didn't mean she wanted to ride with him. Of course...her only other option would be to ride with Atreyu. And she didn't want to do that either. So really, she was stuck.

Which was why, when Atreyu told her he'd help her up, she allowed him to. She had a bit of a difficult time and almost fell off the horse, but managed to stay upright. It was uncomfortable though, her hands bound behind her back so she had to keep her back straight constantly. She couldn't lean back against Thalion at all because her wrists were locked at her lower back. Not that she particularly wanted to, but that wasn't the point. The point was, she'd basically be bouncing all over the place all day long, having no hold on the horse and nothing to lean against, her legs on either side of the horse the only things steadying her. And they wouldn't do much if the brothers decided to run their horses for a bit. She looked down on Atreyu, meeting his eyes, wanting to say something to him. To say something that would hurt him or degrade him like he was doing to her. But there was nothing. No words. He'd just scoff at her. Instead, she just narrowed her eyes and gave him the most hateful glare she could muster. I will escape, you jerk. You'll see.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Thalion was honestly at a loss at what to think. While Atreyu seemed to be completely oblivious to this woman's feelings, something he taught himself to do when dealing with criminals, Thalion had a hard time swallowing down the gnawing ache in his gut that this wasn't right. It really had nothing to do with whether she was innocent or not, but that she might be innocent and they didn't know it. And the reason he thought this? The night before, for one, when she'd saved Alassiel. And then right before Atreyu tied her up, when Thalion had caught a brief glimpse of tears in her eyes. Did blood thirsty necromancers cry? He didn't think so.

But as he saw the glare she gave him before mounting, he began to think maybe it had been angry tears because she no doubt looked irate. Not that he was expecting anything different. He grabbed her other arm as Atreyu helped her up, pulling her to sit in front of him. With his left arm on one side of her, he moved his right to her other and grabbed the reigns in both hands in front, steadying her in his arms. He shifted on the saddle and looked over her right shoulder in order to see ahead of the horse. She was incredibly tense against him, and he had to wonder if she was uncomfortable. Just please don't put a curse on me. It wasn't his fault he had to be so close to her, after all.

Atreyu untied the reigns from the branch of his own horse, mounting, and moved the beast to trot back the way they had come the day before. As Thalion followed behind, his thoughts turned back to the woman in his arms. The warmth of her body seeped into his chest, and he was reminded of the similar feeling last night. Which also reminded him of what she did for Alassiel.

And now that they were alone, without Areyu overhearing, he could express his gratitude. Turning his head slightly towards her, his lips brushed her silky hair next to her ear. "Thank you," He whispered, keeping his eyes on the ground for any holes or overgrown roots. "For last night."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Without a word, Atreyu simply strode over to his horse and mounted. Aislin found that a bit interesting after the glare she'd given him. She figured he'd say something smart or witty or arrogant. But he didn't. Which actually made her feel worse. She wasn't even worth responding to anymore. Just property. Their property. Property of the Namor Guard. Soon to be Necromion's. They were in control. And that was all that mattered.

Aislin felt Thalion's arms on either side of her and tensed as he shifted to look over her right shoulder. She could feel his breath on ear and realized with a start that her head covering had slipped off around her shoulders in the struggle to get on the horse. Who cares, Aislin? Nobody cares. So, why should she? The only reason she wore it now was as a sign of her people and to cover her birthmark. It didn't matter where she'd come from now, and as her hair was still mostly gathered over her left shoulder, that would cover her birthmark just fine.

But still, his closeness wasn't welcome. Whereas last night it had felt really good, to have someone there with her, now she didn't like it. Now that she knew how he really felt about her. He hadn't had a heart at all. He was just trying to make sure she didn't die so he could turn her in. It didn't explain the softness in his voice that she'd heard as he'd held her steady. But then there were a lot of things about these brothers that just couldn't be explained. So that didn't really surprise her. It did upset her though. To think she'd been that much of a fool to believe that he actually cared for her wellbeing. That maybe he'd actually been a little grateful to her for freeing his hawk. That maybe he was considering the possibility she was a good person and not what the Namor Guard said. But she was wrong.

And as the horses started moving, heading toward the capitol, Aislin felt that hopelessness that she'd been expecting to feel as Atreyu tied her up. Now it caught up with her and covered her. In waves. She took several deep breaths, trying not to cry as the horses went into a slow trot, feeling as if she were almost falling off the horse due to the way she was sitting.

Then suddenly she felt Thalion's head move next to her, turning his face slightly towards her ear. Her brow furrowed and she stiffened, wondering what he was doing. "Thank you." Came his soft whisper, his warm breath against her ear causing a shiver to run up and down her spine. Her frown deepened. He was thanking her? "For last night." For the hawk. So...he was grateful for that! It surprised her. Had she been wrong? Even though it was a whisper, it was a soft one, one that conveyed he really meant his words. Like last night. When he'd told her she needed rest. And, truly, if he only thought of her as his next catch and not as a human being, he wouldn't be thanking her, would he?

Don't get your hopes up, Aislin. He still went along with his brother. True. But that could change, right? Not likely, at all. And it probably wouldn't happen. But if there was even the smallest chance of it, she would be a fool to reject his gratitude by coming back with a smart remark or simply not answering him at all. She needed to keep her options open.

Turning her head slightly to the right, she caught sight of his face in her peripheral vision. She lowered her gaze to the ground as her heart picked up its pace, realizing how truly close he really was, the only thing separating his chest from her back were her arms, his own arms on either side of her. "You're welcome." She whispered back, momentarily unsure. Should she say more? No, probably not. It might just get her into trouble. So, she turned her head back to face in front of her. But now, she relaxed a bit, not so stiff. It was going to be a long ride till sundown if she sat ramrod straight light that. Better to allow herself to settle back against Thalion, even if it was uncomfortable with her hands behind her like that, than to have muscle cramps that night from being tense all day long. So she did. She shifted her shoulders and hips a bit, trying to get comfortable. It wasn't easy. But finally she got into a position where she could lean back against his chest so she at least wasn't feeling like she was going to fall off the horse anymore, still feeling a bit awkward. However...his warmth did feel good. Her cloak was too wet, so all she really had was her dress to keep her warm. And Thalion. Taking a deep breath, she let out a sigh, prepared for a long and uncomfortable ride.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Thalion felt a little better when the woman responded with a whisper of her own, and even managed a small grin. But she wasn't looking at him anymore, and had turned to face ahead. Well. That's that then. He straightened, moving back to his original position in order to get ready for the long ride ahead. He sighed softly. Boy, did he hate sitting on a horse all day! Just once. That's it. Couldn't they just walk once?

Suddenly though he felt the woman in front of him stir, shifting on the saddle...and then leaning back against him. He hesitated, her hair at the side of her head brushing his jaw as her scent drifted into his nose. He tried ignoring the effect it had on him. He really did. But it was hard. He wasn't quite sure what the scent contained, but whatever it was, it was heaven compared to smelling his brother and the back of a horse for weeks on end. Swallowing, he fought the urge to look down at her and bury his nose into her hair. Then he had to force down laughter. Oh yeah. That would go over well! He'd be lucky if she didn't kill him right then and there.

Of course, she couldn't. Not with the anti-magic ropes binding her. Knock on wood. His brow furrowed as he released the reigns with his one hand, tapping lightly on the block of wood at his hip before replacing his grip. Well, even though he wasn't going to dive into her hair...it was still good to be safe. And with Atreyu's whistling cutting through the trees as they rode along, he only doubted it a little.

~*~​

Despite it being a clear night with no rain, it was still fairly cold, the air getting deeper into the autumn season. It struck an involuntary shiver into Atreyu as he shifted a bit on his horse to accommodate it, gripping the reigns tighter. Might be time to stop now. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught sight of Thalion with the woman, riding behind him as he had done all day long. And the look on his face told Atreyu what he had already thought. It was time to stop. The younger man was looking to the ground, his brow furrowed, disgruntled. It's the expression he always held on his face when he'd been riding on a horse for too long.

Atreyu called out to catch his brother's attention. "You keep frowning like that and your forehead will be sagging with wrinkles by the time you're my age."

Thalion's dark eyes flickered up to him, his brow relaxing a bit. "Well, I wouldn't have to worry about that if my dear, considerate brother didn't place situations upon me that resulted in this sagging of the forehead," He called back sarcastically.

Atreyu gave a low chuckle. Yes. He'd definitely had enough of the ride. Turning back around in his saddle, Atreyu guided his horse off the main road to the patchy grass nearby. There was a cluster of rocks and boulders with a few trees that they could use as camp, which he rode over to before dismounting. He began tying the reigns to a tree branch as Thalion rode up next to him, following suit.

As soon as the younger man stepped down onto steady ground, he looked up at the woman, resting his one hand on her knee, and reaching up with his other. "Come on," Thalion said, wiggling his fingers.

 

[MissCellaFane]

About an hour into the ride, Aislin had realized that no matter what she did, she was going to be uncomfortable on that horse. While helped a little to lean against Thalion, the fact of the matter was...her arms and wrists and hands were in a fixed position. She could move her shoulders, but only slightly. And she found her arms straining against the ropes at times when she tried to keep her balance or shift her position, causing the ropes to cut into her wrists. And even though she had been riding Mage for two weeks, her position on her own horse was quite different from sharing a saddle with someone else. Her legs took turns falling asleep. First one leg would go numb, then she'd shift her position so it could wake up and wait until the other leg went numb, and then she'd shift back. Add to that, her tailbone was throbbing, having to lean back on it. If she leaned forward off it, she felt too unbalanced, like she was going to fall at any moment. All of that made the trip torture for her.

So when darkness fell and Atreyu finally showed signs of stopping for the night, Aislin almost felt like hugging him...almost. Atreyu was the first to stop, dismounting his horse and tying it up. Thalion stopped next to him and slipped down, Aislin's legs gripping the sides of the saddle as he did, so that she wouldn't get knocked off. She felt a hand on her knee and looked down to see Thalion staring up at her. "Come on." He reached up with his other hand and wiggled his fingers.

Aislin's brow furrowed in puzzlement. What did he want her to do? It wasn't as if she could reach out and grab his hand. She looked down at his wiggling fingers and then back into his eyes. Maybe he was waiting for her to swing one leg over so he could lower her down. That had to be it. Because there really wasn't anything else for her to do. She couldn't get down by herself. Not with her arms tied behind her back.

Shifting, Aislin placed the heel of her foot into the stirrup on Thalion's side of the horse, trying to steady herself so she could lift her other leg up and over. Slowly and shakily, Aislin raised her other leg, lifting it up and over the saddlehorn. And she was doing just fine too. Until her skirt got caught on said saddlehorn. Her heart skipped a beat and she stopped, her thigh and knee on the correct side and her ankle and foot still across the beast's neck. Crap. She was stuck. And quite off-balance. It caused her pulse to pick up its pace, her heart beating against her chest. She swallowed, her eyes darting down to her other foot. Planting her heel firmly in the stirrup, she began leaning heavily onto it, practically standing in it, her body bent at the waist as she lifted attempted to lift her skirt up and over the saddlehorn using only her knee. The foot in the stirrup jerked back and forth a little and her shoulders twisted as she used every muscle in her leg and torso to try to keep her balance. She felt the skirt give a little, her other leg beginning to shake a little at the unsteady pressure she was putting on it. Success!

But only for a moment. At that particular second, her foot still caught on the horse's neck, Thalion's horse shifted. Oh, God! Caught off balance, she felt her heel slip from the stirrup and, because she had been leaning so heavily on it, she began to fall. She gasped, panicked, her arms straining against the ropes even though there was no way she'd be able to break them. Nope. There was no stopping her momentum. Slipping off the horse, her leg she had been attempting to lift over the saddle now bending at a strange angle, Aislin could do nothing but close her eyes and wait for the impact.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Thalion watched as the woman stared down at him from atop his horse for a moment, brow furrowed as though she was confused. His own eyebrows knitted together slightly. What's wrong? Unless she was disgusted, not puzzled. His eyes flickered to his outstretched hand; his left one which didn't have the glove on. All right, so it wasn't very clean, dirt trapped under his fingernails. And it definitely wasn't smooth! More rough and calloused than anything. But was he really that revolting?

However, his focus was soon drawn back to the woman as she made to move, struggling to swing her one leg over the saddle horn. He raised his eyebrows, staring down at her skirt where it had gotten caught. Well, at least she was attempting it. Though it was a bit comical to watch.

That is until the horse stepped forward a bit, clearly perturbed with this commotion going on on his back. Blasted horse! Thalion's eyes widened at the sight of the woman's leg shaking violently from her foot in the stirrup, trying in vain to steady herself. Aw crap. It didn't work. Before he knew it, she was falling forward. At him. He gave off a low curse, reaching out on instinct with both hands now as she came plummeting right into his chest. But the weight and momentum in which she was falling was too much. Although he succeeded in grabbing her, the only thing he accomplished was getting himself knocked down along with her.

He took a step back, but that was all the far he got before he lost his balance and fell. Vaguely aware of the woman in his arms, he clutched onto her tightly as his head slammed into the ground, causing a shock of pain to rocket straight up his temples. Ouch. Having squeezed his eyes shut, he slowly opened them only to stare up into the night sky. He blinked. The bad news was, Alassiel was flying above, screeching up a storm, annoyed at being disturbed from her spot on his shoulder. The good news was, the sky was clear that night. Oh good. No rain.

But really...why was he thinking about this?

Atreyu's face suddenly appeared above him from where he had crouched down next to them, his brown hair hanging about his face and his eyes alight with play. Oh boy. "You know..." He started slowly. And here it comes. "...it really isn't very polite to drag a woman off a horse, brother."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Aislin felt Thalion's arms close around her, clutching her tightly to his chest and for one moment, thought he had caught her and she wasn't going to fall. But then, as soon as the relief from that thought hit her...it was turned to panic once more as she felt him collapse beneath her and she was falling forward yet again.

They landed hard, though Aislin imagined his landing was a bit harder than hers, for she landed on his chest, her nose smashed painfully against his sternum. And then all was still. His arms still around her, Aislin was acutely aware she was pretty much on top of him, their legs tangled together. Lifting her head from his chest, she opened her eyes, attempting to straighten up. But she couldn't gain enough leverage. She was stuck, once again. Only this time, instead of being stuck on a horse, she was stuck on top of a man. Turning her head, she laid it against his chest, his heartbeat sounding in her ear.

Looking up, Aislin saw Atreyu's face above them out the corner of her eye and through a few strands of hair that had flown over her face. She could barely make out the mischievous smile on his face and was momentarily annoyed. Glad you find this so amusing. She wanted to say, but didn't. Instead, it was Atreyu that spoke first. "You know...it really isn't very polite to drag a woman off a horse, brother."

Neither is tying her up. Aislin flicked her head while blowing out the side of her mouth, attempting to fling her hair back from her face. She eyed Atreyu scornfully. "Well, maybe he wouldn't have had to if you didn't insist on keeping me tied up like an animal." Honestly! How else was she supposed to get down?

But as she laid her head on Thalion's chest again, with no choice but to wait until he got up, it came to Aislin's attention for the first time since being captured that she really was helpless like this. Two roguish men and a young woman who was tied up. She had never thought of herself as beautiful, but she knew she was somewhat attractive. Swallowing, Aislin's heart began to beat faster. It had been required in her tribe that women remain pure for their future husbands. And since arriving in Namor, she really hadn't had any time for romance. Therefore, Aislin was still very much a virgin. What if...these men decided they wanted to have a little fun with her before turning her in to the Namor Guard? They had said they wouldn't hurt her, but could she really trust them?

At the moment, she had no choice, completely at their mercy. And that...was a scary thought.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

At the woman's response to Atreyu's sarcastic remark, Thalion frowned slightly. She made it sound as though he really had drug her off the horse! Well, if she wished to be technical about it, it was the blasted horse moving and her own confound dress getting caught that made her fall! He had only been the one to catch her! And do I get a thank you? Not exactly. Instead he gets a sarcastic brother and a disgruntled fugitive.

Thalion moved his hands to her arms, pushing her up slowly off of him so he could sit up as Atreyu spoke beside him. "Well, maybe we wouldn't have had to if you didn't insist on running away." Though his tone was light, he was obviously mocking her.

Thalion scooted back on the ground, setting his one hand in the grass while keeping the other on her arm, and pushed himself up, taking her with him. "Or use magic to lock doors, paralyze living beings-" Thalion paused, glancing down at her with a raised eyebrow. "-and anything else you can do." Though I really don't want to know.

"Quite right!" Atreyu exclaimed as he hopped to his feet as well, giving a shrug and looking innocent. "So really, you brought it on yourself."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Aislin was glad to be on her feet again. But she definitely wasn't glad to be talked to in that way. Why did Atreyu insist on mocking her all the time? Trying to make her feel stupid? He treated her like a child and she didn't like it. Especially when Thalion joined in. While Atreyu annoyed her, Thalion confused her. At times he seemed genuine. Like last night with the hawk and then that morning, thanking her. But now? Now he was once again joining his brother in making fun of her and trying to make it look like it was her fault she was tied up.

Which was essentially what Atreyu said next as he hopped to his feet next to them and giving an innocent shrug. "So really, you brought it on yourself."

She frowned, looking back and forth between them. What had they really expected her to do? Drop to her knees, hold out her wrists to be tied and beg them to take her in? When hell froze over! There was no way she was going to let herself be brought in by these two, especially when she'd done nothing wrong! And they knew that! They had to! They said they had dealt with many, many fugitives. How could they not know that's how she was going to react? But then, they hadn't said anything about not expecting her to react that way. Just that she had. So...

Aislin raised her eyebrows, looking directly at Atreyu. "Does that mean if I hadn't tried to run, that you wouldn't have tied me up?" She asked, knowing full well the answer. She shook her head slowly, relaxing her expression, "Don't insult my intelligence. You would have tied me up regardless." She turned her gaze onto Thalion. "And I didn't lock the door. I froze the handle. There's a difference." She raised her chin, furrowing her brow slightly in a meaningful look. "Just as there's a difference between killing a hawk...and letting her live." Twice Aislin could have killed his precious bird. And she hadn't. But did these brothers see that? No. All they saw was a magic wielder. Automatically making her a dangerous criminal. "And just as there's a difference between a sorceress and a necromancer." She looked once more to Atreyu. "Something you, and everyone at the Namor Guard who wants me captured, apparently aren't aware of."

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Although Atreyu preferred people to be sarcastic and witty back with him, he didn't mind when they became angry instead. It was just as entertaining to watch, and he liked to see how far he could push people. Which honestly? Was a huge flaw of his. That's how he had gotten the black eye from the barbarian; that's how he had gotten the scratch marks on his arm from the farmer's daughter; and that's how he had gotten a broken arm...from an unknown source. And that's how he had gotten the hundreds of other things he'd gotten. People just...didn't like him too much.

And the one person who disliked him the most at the moment? This woman before him. Though where she had assumed he had insulted her intelligence, he wasn't quite sure. He'd only been teasing her. Of course they would have tied her up regardless! We aren't unintelligent either.

"Actually," Atreyu said, crossing his one arm over his chest, resting his elbow on top with his other, and rubbed his chin while taking a leisurely step forward. "Anything that is fixed in place where escape or movement isn't possible or engaged securely so it is immovable, is considered 'locked'." He tilted his head to the side, looking at her. "So really...you did lock the door by freezing it to the wall."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Atreyu chose to disregard her implied statement that she wasn't a necromancer, but a sorceress instead. And really, Aislin expected as much. So she couldn't say she was surprised. Neither was she surprised that he came back with a witty retort that once more attempted to make her look stupid. What was it with him?

Either that or he was trying to make himself look smart. But if that were the case, who was he trying to impress? His brother? That didn't make sense. The two of them seemed close enough to where that wouldn't matter. Then...her? Why in the world would he try to impress her? Unless...could he possibly be teasing with her? But there again...why? To him, she was a criminal, not a friend. Not even an acquaintance, really. Just a criminal. Someone to be brought to justice. Why tease? Because he got pleasure out of taunting those whose lives were already over? Give them a few last stabs? He really was a puzzle. Both the brothers were.

Well, if he was teasing her, he had a funny way of going about it. She briefly wondered what would happen if she teased him back. It couldn't hurt, could it? Of course, if she did that, she might encourage him. In more ways than one. But he said they wouldn't harm her. At least, not themselves. The Namor Guard? Sure. But not them.

Aislin raised both her eyebrows in feigned surprise. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "I wasn't aware I was being held captive by a scholar!" If he could mock her, then she was obliged to mock him back. "No doubt you're aware, then, that while it seems I certainly did 'lock' the door...I didn't 'lock' you inside. Not entirely." She smirked. "For by your own words, you defined locked as 'fixed in place where escape or movement is impossible', and yet..." She looked him up and down once. "...here you are before me. You escaped my 'locked' door. Therefore, you must ask yourself the question...was it ever truly locked? Or simply fixed in place?"

 

[searchingsoul]

Jasmine Aiko was walking the streets, observing every-day life for the people there. How easy it must be to have no attachment to your actions! She longed, in some way, to have what they had. She may be wealthy, but her personal treasures were what she kept close to her heart. Her longings, her values, and her secret self. She was taught not to be easily swayed by a man. To get to know him as a person before considering a life with him. While she knew this would keep her safe, it also confined her to no end. She still remained a virgin, and had never had a relationship in her life years as a woman.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

At first Atreyu thought the woman was, once again, angry at his words, and was going to apply some snide remark about how callous he was hauling an "innocent" person back to the Namor Guard. But then he saw the smirk on her lips, and it caught him off guard. Was she...teasing back? No! It can't be! He couldn't believe it! She still sounded a bit perturbed, and he doubted she was doing it to have fun and get on his good side. But that wasn't the point. She was doing it regardless, and it absolutely thrilled him!

He couldn't help the grin that appeared on his lips as he continued to run his fingers over his chin. So! The minx has a sense of humor after all! At least a little one. His eyes flickered to Thalion for a moment as the younger man cocked an eyebrow then turned and began searching through the saddlebags on the horses. Atreyu looked back to the woman, removing his hand from his chin and raising a finger. "Firstly, my entire definition included 'engaged securely so it is immovable'." Pausing, he raised another finger. "Secondly, we didn't leave through the door."

"Heh," Thalion said sharply, looking over at the two as he offered one of the horses some food from his palm, a frown on his face. "That's an understatement."

 

[MissCellaFane]

The smile that spread across Atreyu's face told Aislin she just might be correct. He was indeed teasing her. Why, she had no idea. Neither did she know what he got out of it. But he seemed to be enjoying the fact that she had come back with a witty retort. Well, if that were the case...she had a lot more where that came from. She may be from a small tribe in the Migua Desert, but she was no fool. Especially as her lessons with Martin were sometimes much more than just in the area of sorcery. He was a scholar, himself, and he and Aislin would often discuss and debate issues.

Aislin shifted her arms in the ropes, wincing slightly as they cut into her skin at her wrists. She couldn't see them, of course, but she had to imagine that after the bumpy ride she'd had all day with those ropes constantly moving against her skin...it had to be pretty raw by now. "Firstly," Aislin mimicked Atreyu's tone, stepping back and turning to the side a bit so she could see both brothers. "That door was not 'immovable'." She raised one eyebrow. "There's more than one way to open a door. Taking it off the hinges being one. Which you could have done. Would have taken you longer, of course. But it's not impossible. And had you done that, the ice on the doorhandle would surely have snapped with the proper application of strength." She gave a small shrug, looking Atreyu over. He certainly looked strong enough. Not a mountain of a man by any means, but definitely strong. Thalion as well, though he was more wirey than his brother.

"And secondly," She continued. "The fact that you escaped through the window, as I assume you must have given you didn't use the door, only proves my point. Not yours. That you were never truly 'locked' inside." She raised her chin, looking back and forth between the two brothers for a moment. "Therefore, once again...I froze the door. I didn't lock it. And once again, as has now become incredibly clear...there is a difference."

 

[Nella Fantasia]

All right. So Atreyu was more for witty comebacks and bantering back and forth, not debates, but he could go with it. Especially if it meant having the woman express more than viciousness towards him. However, he decided to disregard her first statement, as going over the definition of 'immovable' when he was already debating over the definition of 'locked' didn't quite appeal to him. Besides, he honestly didn't care if the door was locked or frozen. It could have sprouted wings and flown away! He just enjoyed pushing her. See how she responded.

Atreyu gave a light shrug, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he stared at her. "I didn't say anything about being locked inside the room. If I had?" He raised his eyebrows. "Then it would have proven your point. But because I said the door was locked-"

"Blimey!" Thalion exclaimed and Atreyu caught him frowning, his hands in the saddlebags once more. "The door was locked, the door was frozen..." He muttered, mocking them, pulling out a few of their blankets. Then his voice grew. "Well, I can tell you what is frozen. And that's me. Your useless debate is fine and dandy and all that..." Pausing, he gave Atreyu an exasperated look. "...but can we please set up camp now?"

Atreyu grinned. While it seemed like he'd gotten the woman to calm down a bit, now he had his brother all riled up. Can't please everyone. He gave a single nod. "I'll gather wood for the fire." Then with one last glance at the woman, turned and trekked further down to a larger group of trees.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Aislin was almost disappointed when Thalion interrupted Atreyu. She was already thinking of a few comebacks to his statements. But as it turned out, it was probably a good thing that he did interrupt. She hadn't noticed it, as she had been too intent on out-smarting Atreyu, but now that she no longer had Thalion's body heat from which to draw warmth, she was quite cold. She had been chilled all day from last night's storm. But now, she was cold. She could feel goosebumps on her bare forearms as a gust of wind blew.

Atreyu announced with a grin that he'd go get firewood. It intrigued Aislin. That he grinned at his brother's exasperation. That was definitely odd. He had grinned at her own exasperation and at her anger before, but she figured that was because she was, in his eyes, a fugitive. Someone unimportant. Someone he could tease and insult without worrying what she thought of him or if she was angry with him. But his brother was a different story. He should be concerned if his brother was upset with him, right? Unless Thalion wasn't really upset. Just acting like it to get Atreyu moving. Which could be. The relationship between these brothers was interesting.

As was the fact that they had left Aislin pretty much unattended. She was tied up, of course, and it was dark. So there really wasn't anywhere she could go. But still. Thalion was busy getting things out of his saddlebags and Atreyu was off gathering firewood a ways from where the horses were. She briefly wondered how far she'd get if she just took off running now, but as soon as she'd thought it, she dismissed it. That was stupid. They still had a few days before they reached the capitol. If she could behave and maybe get them to let their guard down, she might have an easier chance of escape.

The wind blew another gust and Aislin shivered, wondering if she should ask for her cloak. It was bound to be dry by now, right? She didn't, however, deciding instead to see just how attentive these two brothers were to detail when it came to her. Thalion had seemed so last night, rubbing her hands and wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. Atreyu seemed like he couldn't care less...though he had been the one to get her food. It would be interesting to see which one noticed she was wearing only her dress in the cold night air and come over with her cloak.

Not wanting to alarm Thalion with too much movement, Aislin slowly made her way over to sit underneath a large tree, her back towards the trunk, allowing it to block some of the wind. She pulled her knees up to her chest, attempting to trap some of her body heat so she wouldn't freeze while she waited, watching Thalion as he set about making camp. She wondered if he'd say anything to her. When they were alone, or when Atreyu couldn't overhear, he seemed to talk a little more openly with her. First last night about the hawk, and then this morning, thanking her. Maybe she should say something? Get him to talking?

Aislin bit her lip for a moment, narrowing her eyes in thought. "So," She started, trying to catch his attention. "Any suggestions on how I might get down from the horse next time without flattening you and almost breaking my nose?" Which was still throbbing a bit, though the cold air had managed to numb it somewhat.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Thalion was used to his brother's antics. He understood Atreyu's need to banter back and forth with people, and often times, encouraged it for him. Hell, he even found it entertaining! But it was when said people took his comments seriously, and began egging him on like that into a neverending debate that it began to annoy Thalion. Because Atreyu could turn anything into a disagreeable subject for people. Even if the opposing person was right, he'd still go on about it just to push them.

And honestly? Thalion would rather be stretched out, warm next to a fire, and eating food than listening to those two at the moment. As Atreyu walked away to get firewood, Thalion went back to the saddlebags to take out the food, water, and flint. Then he draped the blankets over one of the boulders, and scanned the area for a clean spot to make the fire and sleep. Which wasn't too hard. The forest floor had been covered with twigs, leaves, roots, mushrooms, and other numerous things. But this place? Was more out in the open. The only thing he had to be wary of were rocks. When he found it, he crouched down, tossing the flint and pouches of food and water next to it. Hmm. Well, there wasn't much he could do now. Not until Atreyu returned with firewood.

But around this time is when the woman spoke up, asking him how she should get off the horse from now on. His brow furrowed, Thalion looked over at her, wondering if that was supposed to be a sarcastic question directed at him since she hadn't disagreed with Atreyu when he teased about him dragging her down. However, she actually sounded sincere. He hesitated. Was she warming up to him? She did seem a lot calmer tonight than last night. Who knew?

Now that he realized she was serious, he smiled at her question, remembering how she'd collided into him, and his only thought had been to cling onto her and hope to God he didn't gain a concussion on impact. "Well, let's see," Thalion started, tilting his head to the side in thought. "You could sit sidesaddle, but I don't know how well that would work with two people." A slow grin spread across his face. "You can wear breeches. I've never known anyone to get caught on the saddle horn with those on." Shrugging with a chuckle, he stood and ran a hand through his curls, walking closer to her. "Or you can allow me to help you get untangled before struggling yourself."

Bending down, he grabbed her one arm gently and tugged her to her feet, jerking his head in the direction he had just come. "Come sit over here," He suggested. "The rocks will block the wind from hitting you, and it'll be more comfortable."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Aislin wasn't sure if he was going to answer at first. He simply looked over at her with his brow slightly furrowed, studying her. Though, when he did answer, smiling and actually chuckling a bit, Aislin found that he actually looked...normal. Not like a power-hungry bounty hunter, but like a regular guy. His smile was even a little bit...attractive. She felt a curious heat rushing to her cheeks at that thought. Good grief, Aislin. He's your captor! Yes, that was true. But that didn't mean he still couldn't be attractive. Right?

She concentrated on his words instead as he stepped over to her and she tilted her head back to look up into his face. He bent down and his fingers gently closed around her arm, pulling her to her feet. She went, unsure of what he was doing, what he wanted of her. Did he not like her sitting there for some reason? Maybe too far away from where he had decided to make camp. He wanted her close to make sure she didn't try to run. And indeed, he did jerk his head over to where he had been crouched before. But his reasoning wasn't what she had anticipated. "Come sit over here. The rocks will block the wind from hitting you, and it'll be more comfortable."

Though he hadn't offered her cloak to her, he was thinking about her comfort. That wasn't something that was necessary to her survival. Her comfort. So, in essence, he was showing her kindness. Again. As he had the night before. Yes, Thalion certainly seemed to be a different person when she got him alone, away from Atreyu.

Aislin stared up at him for a moment before she allowed herself a tiny smile back at him, giving her head a small shake. "I don't think I'm ever going to be comfortable with these ropes on." She rolled her shoulders a bit, wincing again, her smile fading. "My arms are killing me. In more ways than one." Not only were her forearms and wrists probably raw from the rope, but her arms were becoming cramped at being tied in that position all day long. And she had a sinking feeling that they probably weren't going to take the ropes off anytime soon.

She allowed him to lead her over to where he had dumped the food and water, a few larger rocks and a couple boulders scattered here and there. She sank down next to one of the larger rocks that would block the wind, making sure to keep from leaning back against it as the stone would be cold. She bent her knees in the air once more, pulling them towards her chest, allowing her gaze to meet Thalion's once more. Though his suggestion of riding sidesaddle was absurd, and the one about allowing him to help her down seemed the most logical, Aislin was actually considering the second option he mentioned. Breeches. There was a thought. She didn't have any, of course. And she doubted the brothers would lend her a pair. But it would make riding a lot easier. And running, when she finally did make her escape. She wouldn't have this heavy skirt weighing her down.

With another small smile, Aislin tilted her head to the left thoughtfully. "Well, it looks like I'm going to have to go for that third option, letting you help me off the horse. Because..." She shrugged. "...I don't own any breeches, myself. Or a tunic, for that matter."