Crystan: Dawn of War

I heard her yawn and felt her breathing fall into the steadyness that signified sleep. I smirked and put the hand of the arm she wasn't holding and held her tightly as I drifted slowly off into sleep, her warm, body against mine.

 

Kee grinned at him, “everything is hard when your first learning it. What makes things easier is when there is a fire inside to want to learn them. Here,” Kee Gave him a little push from behind. Grimacing at the pain in her chest that it caused. She cursed, this was going to be a difficult wound.

 

Aida got his other leg in the opposite stirup, thanks to Kee. But he noticed her wince or a slight twitch on her face.
"Did I hurt?" Aida said, "Did I make something hurt? I'm sorry...if only I took direction more easily you wouldn't feel pain."

 

“No,” Kee replied you didn’t hurt me, “I‘m just a little unwell today. But never mind that your on the horse now it‘s my turn.”

Another wince formed briefly across Kee’s lips as she hauled herself up upon the horse and settled into the saddle behind him.

“There now that was easy enough.” She lent into his back reaching under his arms she took his hands. How strangely feverish it was being close to him like this. Placing his hands upon the reigns she put her hands over his.

“Now squeeze the horse gently with your inner thighs and tell him to walk.”

 

"Oh be careful then," Aida said.
Aida looked at her with concern. But as she sat beside him and got close to him he seemed to melt. It was a peculiar feeling.

She means I have to touch this thing with my armor, it smells bad enough, but at least I get to be close to her.

Aida squeezed his thighs into the creature.
"Walk," Aida said.
The horse just sat there and did nothing.
"It didn't work," Aida said.
Now I look dumb.

 

Kee smiled and leaned closer to Aida’s ear, “I don‘t think he likes you Aida,” she whispered. “There‘s something you‘ve been hiding from me. You‘re not very big on horses are you? It‘s okay Aida even if you don‘t like them I still like you. But you have to show this horse respect even if you don‘t want to. Accept him for the very fact he is marvellous at moving people and speak to him with command in your voice. Like this, walk horse.”

The chestnut horse snorted then began to walk. Kee gently pulled on the reigns, “wow.” the horse stopped and buried his nose within the green grass at his feet.

 

Aida turned hot pink as Kee whispered in his ear about the horse.
"I'm not a big fan of smelly animals in general," Aida said truthfully, "But I'll try."
Aida got his serious face on. He did as Kee had taught him.
"Walk," Aida said.
The horse started moving.
"I did it," Aida said.
Its still disgusting though and it still smells terrible, but whatever as long as it listens to me.
But being close to Kee made the experience a little better.

 

Kee took her hands from his and hugged him tightly, “See I knew you could. You don‘t have to like them but they need your respect. Now pull the reigns gently and tell him Wow remember to hold that tone of command.”

This was great Kee felt like the pain in her chest had lessened just by being with Aida. She frowned thinking of what Riana had said to her the previous night. She’d promised to help her try to control them. She shivered, she couldn’t bare that to be taught again to run the risk of killing another mentor. No, she corrected herself she hadn’t killed him she had brutally slaughtered him and there were others, many others. In a time of dire crisis she was the first to be called upon when there was piece she was an ugly thing that had no place with anyone.

 

Aida nodded at what Kee said.
Aida pulled on the reigns.
"Wow,"
And the horse stopped.
"I did that as well," Aida said.
Aida then noticed something, maybe something Kee hadn't realized herself, but her eyes were different. They had these deep pain and this deep thought in them. A sort of loneliness Aida could barely understand, but he understood deep pain.
"If something is bothering you please tell me," Aida said, "I want us to be truthful to each other."
Aida smiled at her.
"Because we are friends so I worry about you,"
Aida looked at her and looked deep into her eyes.

 

"If something is bothering you please tell me," Aida said, "I want us to be truthful to each other."

Kee tried to smile, “Promise you won‘t laugh. I‘m afraid, I‘m not sure if I can do this anymore. It‘s not that I‘m afraid to die, or to fight for others. I,…I just am. Seems weak of me I know.”

She wondered how much she could tell Aida, she wondered if perhaps she should after all Aida had said little of himself it would be unfair to. “Aida I went to find you last night before I fell. I thought…that you were crying.”

 

Aida looked at her.
"I wouldn't laugh at you, I don't know why, but you're the only person I would never laugh at," Aida said.
Aida looked at Kee.
Even when sad she is really pretty.
"It doesn't seem silly, we all have a point in our life when we think we can't do it anymore, that we cannot handle all of this," Aida said, "There will always be a point in our life were we hate ourselves and find ourselves disgusting...I understand and I'm sure everyone in this group understands, but maybe not as much as I do because I tend to feel the others person as well...and when your in pain I feel that pain."
Aida stares at Kee with a smile.
That sounded so lame
"I was crying last night....but its manly to cry," Aida said sharply and quickly.

 

Kee, looked at him tenderly, “I‘m glad that I‘m not doing this alone Aida, I‘m glad I have you.” she gave a bitter smile, “and I know too well that men all cry. I‘ve made a few cry before and a few have cried because of their weakness to my crystal. However it takes a stronger man to understand that it‘s alright to cry. The men I knew of that had, only cried because it had built up for so long it reacted powerfully with my crystal. You cried because you needed to. I really like you Aida, please don‘t think that I would consider you weak for crying. When this is over I wanted to know, could I go with you. I‘m not really needed any place else.”

 

Aida smiled at Kee. His heart fluttered as her tender words came out of her mouth.
"Well I promise that if I cry it isn't because of you...its because I worry about you," Aida said, "And yes everyone where I live will love you...they would understand you more then anyone else, we never want anyone to be lonely and I don't ever want you to be lonely because we are friends and I like you Kee."
Aida smiled at her again.
He really could speak the truth to her.

 

She hugged him again he was so vibrant to her, so full of life and kindness. Surely Chaos had been wrong about him. She rested her head on his shoulder, “I think I like you a little more then a friend should, I hope I‘m not out of line by saying I find you truly attractive. You appeal to something deeper within me. Don‘t ever change Aida.”

 

Her warmness was like a fire in his soul. She had her head on his shoulder and was telling him these things he wanted to hear.
"I won't change if you won't change," Aida said, "And you are not out of line because I too have the same...."
Aida wondered off a little.
Was it okay to say? Was it something all right to say? They new each other for a few days?
"I have the same feelings of liking you more then a friend,"
Aida turned bright red for blurting it out like that, but he was nervous. He had never had a situation like this, but it warmed. It gave him a blanket far warmer then any fire he had experienced.

 

Kee had been holding her breath while he said those words, she gave a sigh of relief. “I‘m glad I was worried for a few moments you‘d think I was crazy and I promise not to change. I‘ve been thinking Aida. The Aelin have been quiet today, I think something is going on. I‘m a little cautious of them, like they have some strange ulterior motive.”

 

Aida smiled at Kee.
And then his expression changed a little to being a little more serious.
"I had noticed, I also had noticed that we were being recorded by a fourth as well," Aida said, "We are in a diamond shape being controlled by all sides...if we hadn't followed Chaos plan we would have gotten more information out of these boneheads...I feel like a dog on a leash and unlike him I think they are taking us to meet our doom not to make allies."
Aida while walking on the horse hadn't noticed the tree branch and didn't think of ducking. He was hit square on the forehead.
"Owww! That hurt," Aida said.
Aida rubbed his head.
Great I ruined my cool mode. Now I just look like idiot.
"Now I'm going to bleed of blood loss," Aida said, "I mean die, die."

 

Kee took the reigns from Aida, “Show me.” She turned his head towards her a little. It was bleeding, using the sleave of her borrowed robes from the Aelin she wiped his forehead with it. Turning her nose up at an Aelin that gave her an appalled look.

“What do you want me to do idiot let him bleed to death.” She snapped at the man. He looked ahead again and Kee rose her finger in the rudest gesture she knew. “It’s not so bad Aida, we’ll have to wash it out and pull out any stray pieces of wood that are in the wound other then that you’ll be fine.” She looked back at their captures, “I would have liked to have taken them out when we had the chance. But for now I guess we shall follow them and if it turns out they are leading us to our deaths, I‘d like to see them try,” she said with a laugh.

 

Chaos had been silently riding a little behind Aida and Kee. The female Aelin guard in the front and Chaos is in the back. He watches the interaction between Aida, and Kee.

.......Sorry Arven, but it looks like it won't be long until Aida completely plants his flag into her.......

Aida starts to say something to Kee, and appears to be trying to look cool, when a low tree branch nails him in the head. After falling off the horse, Chaos and the female Aelin guard, couldn't help but to burst out laughing at his misfortune.

 

"ITS NOT FUNNY! IT HURT!" Aida yells at those who laugh at them.
Aida looks at Kee.
"Its just like a giant splinter in my head," Aida says with a smile.
Aida takes back the reins and seems to be smiling.
"Thank you Kee for not laughing at me...I was never really careful of where I step and all the people laughed at me," Aida said, "So thank you for not laughing at me...I really appreciate it."
Aida rubs his forehead a little.
"This is going to be a funny question...did the tree that hit me in the head hate me?" Aida asked.

 

Hawk

Hawk tore off from his group, making a decent trail for their pursuers to follow. He led them off on a wide tangent away from their real destination, and then slowed, careful to leave no sign as he doubled back to the road. He heard their frustrated voices as they followed his makeshift trail. He ran through the brush on the left side of the road, keeping silent.

He came up on his group silently. Piesca spotted him first. His breathing was heavy, but he was still functioning fine.

"We're safe for now," He said. "But we need to keep moving. The forest's edge isn't far, and we'll need to put a lot of distance between us and our pursuers." He strode forward, his head hanging just slightly, but his eyes up and alert. Piesca fell into step near him.

"You're a marvelous hunter." He said to her in her own language. "I'm grateful you decided to come."

 

Hawk burst from the bushes and rejoined them. He fell into step with Piesca, still alert for dangers and she saw with approval that he had exerted himself without total exhaustion.

They were close to the edge of the forest. Piesca heard this with a little disquiet. What would the land beyond be like?

"You're a marvelous hunter." He said to her in her own language. "I'm grateful you decided to come."


"Thank you," she replied, blushing a little, "but I made a mistake. I am sorry for that."

It was a little intimidating to know that the others probably all had more experience than she did.

"I am curious, why did you want me to come?" she asked him shyly.

 

"Sorry, I'm late." Standing under an oak tree, Arven Dol shouted and waved his hand. Yeah he was too late already, Aida and Kee already on a horse, umm... together. He looked down a moment but it's already time to go so he had to find himself a company. Only 5 horses but we have here 10 people, so 2 people on each horse. Shouldn't let Riana ride with the guards. Thought so, called one of the guards he had talked to last night.
"Excuse me Sir, could you help me get on the horse, a bit too high for my height."
The guard rode the horse to him and lifted him up with one hand.
"Thank you, you're really strong." Arven Dol gave out a compliment.

And they're on their way again. Watching Kee and Aida not far from him, he felt sad. An very uneasy feeling but he could not figure out what it is. Looked back the oak tree now getting smaller and smaller, he said vaguely and it seemed only for him to hear "Not anymore, not necessary anymore.". Near the trunk, a red flower started to wither in the wind.

 

Raymus: "Let's mount up!"

He watched the two young ones and their passionate exchanges, smiling and sighing wistfully. Leaning up against the tree he, too, drifted into a quiet slumber, unheeding of the horses sniffing at his face.

He awoke some time later, the bright sun bathing him in warmth. He blinked his eyes and got to his feet, stretching. He turned to Sharp and Rani, curled up together nearby.

"Alright you two. We have a couple days' ride to get to Maeril, and we'd best start now. Let's mount up!"

And so they did. The next two days were hard and long, but they rode swiftly and made very good time. It was early in the afternoon when they rode into Maeril. The city wasn't as large as most ports, but it was very active. People were all about the streets, on their various errands and business. There was a large variety of cultures represented there, but none so prominent as the Aelin and the Lennira. The Aelin presence in particular seemed to be one of control. Several soldiers roamed the streets and stood at the corners, watching.

The smell of the sea air was refreshing and delightful, and Raymus enjoyed being back in a center of civilization for a change.

As they passed, the two primary conversations on most tongues were the arrival of the Shale ships that had arrived, and the imprisonment of one of their captains.

"We should make our way down to the docks," Raymus said. "And find a place to start this little mission of ours."

 

Hawk

He looked at her.

"I admire your people. Their strength, their will to live, their respect for both life and death." He paused.

"I chose you in particular because you had your own will; you chose to break free from that which was expected of you. That, and you have a desire to know and feel new things. You are the cream of your race, and, I hope, the future." He sighed, knowing that she felt uncomfortable with him knowing so much about her. They all did. Personally, he had never met any of them before last night. All he had was what he heard from the people he could trust.