Post by Arwen on Jan 1, 2005 11:21:59 GMT -5
Efion was just laying herself down to sleep when Fionan suddenly entered her room, sweeping down over her body and kissing her forehead quickly. “Come quickly, you should see something.”
She lifted a brow, then moaned and stood, stepping out onto the balcony with her brother. The sight of a man immediately caught her eye, and she gazed curiously out at the forms on the field below their rooms.
One was of a man, and the other, a none too calm horse, snorting in anxiety. The man was holding out one hand in front of the large creature, whilst the other rested gently on its neck. The man was Lord Aricin.
After a long while—though the time was uncounted for the young sea-bred lass who watched, awestruck at the sight, it could have been an eternity—the horse calmed, and the man began to quietly stroke the horse’s neck and sides. She managed to hear the softest of whickers from the beast before the elf was suddenly upon his back. No response from the horse but to whicker again tranquilly.
An aura of joy seemed to flow from the man at this, and suddenly, the pair was off with lightning speed—across the field in what seemed like seconds. Efion gazed at them in bewilderment, and then smiled, watching as the two crossed the fields over and over again together, Aricin’s silvern hair and the mane and tail of the pure white equine flowing backwards elegantly in the wind.
After a long while, Aricin dismounted the large beast. The creature shifted from one front leg to the other, and the Elven Lord stroked either of the large cheeks, forehead pressed midway up against the horse’s long face. Kissing the wiggling nose, she felt, more than saw his smile, and then watched as he jogged back towards the citadel, and the horse retreated off back into the fields.
Sometime in the middle of the splendour, Fionan had left her side. She pulled back, gazing around as she reentered her room, and quickly left the room, knowing that he would have to pass through the corridor to get to his own sleeping chambers.
And not a few moments afterward, Aricin nearly rammed into her, and nodded apologetically. “Why are you out this late?” he inquired after she’d accepted his apology via a nod of her own.
“I could inquire the same thing of you, Milord,” she responded with a wry smile. “But I won’t, as I saw what you were doing.”
Aricin’s eyes widened in shock, and then narrowed slightly as his brows furrowed. She gave a soft tinkle of laughter at his reaction, and placed her arm through his bent one, leaning ever so slightly against him as he offered with a nod of his head to walk.
“The way you were with that horse,” she began softly before allowing him to speak, but then trailed off.
He cocked a brow, gazing down at the slightly shorter woman with a curious expression. He smiled slightly, still questioning.
“I never thought I’d see a side like that in you, Aricin,” she murmered softly, smiling. “Then again, I haven’t known you very long, now have I? Still… I lost myself watching you. It was beautiful.”
“And?”
“And… I don’t know, it was just… delicate, tender… Like…”
“Like with you?”
Her eyes widened suddenly in surprise, and she pulled away slightly. But she did not fear Avalbane’s Lord. So she simply continued to gaze at him curiously, the surprise still resting in the sea-blue ocules. “Milord, I do not believe it is quite that way,” she whispered softly, lowering her gaze to the floor.
“Oh really?” he asked softly, but he did not press. He had probably pushed it too far already in that former phrase, but there was no turning back. He knew full well that she was attracted to him, just as he had immediately fallen in love with her the moment she entered Avalbane’s gates. “I believe you may be wrong.”
She gazed up at him again, start flickering across her features once more. Her thin, elegant lips pursed lightly, and she stopped walking, pulling her arm out from it’s twining with his. He lifted a brow in response to her action, worried about chasing her away. But he had not, as she simply gazed at him like that for a few moments, then smiled lightly.
In response, Aricin faced her and placed a hand on either of her shoulders, but moved them to her neck and cheeks, brushing lightly at her elegant cheekbones with gentle movements of his thumbs. And he kissed her gently on the lips, causing her to tense slightly.
As soon as she tensed beneath his touch, he pulled away. “I apologize for causing you discomfort,” he stated after a moment, clearly feeling it himself.
“Perhaps… Perhaps, Milord, your treatment of the horse and myself do coincide,” she murmered softly, eyes passing his face and taking in the sight of—well—nothing in particular.
Aricin smiled slightly, and asked softly, “May I inquire in what way?”
Efion was indeed uncomfortable, and this had been his plan this time. She flushed deeply, and instead of answering, tilted her head upward and kissed him, less tenderly than he had first kissed her and more hungrily, though there was no lust in her movements.
He broke the kiss this time, deep eyes taking in the sight of hers a long few moments before he took her arm back into the curve of his and walked her back towards her room. “Good night to you, M’lady, and I bid you sleep well,” he murmered before turning towards the stairs and his own room.
She leaned against the door a long moment, gazing after him with an enigma of emotions before she opened the door slowly and moved back into the chambers. Just as the door closed behind her, a pair of arms swept her up and spun her around. She squealed in surprise, but was silenced by a quick kiss on her lips.
“Fionan!” she exclaimed, slapping his chest until he placed her back on the ground, fighting his hold on her. “What are you doing, you fool of an elf, let me go!”
“You wish me to let you go and not show my happiness for you!?” he exclaimed in mock surprise, and at her look of confusion, he continued. “Efion, look what you have, girl, you love someone and it’s obvious he loves you in return, silly, what are you waiting for?”
She flustered in both embarrassment and anger, voice rising to a high pitch. “You were spying on me? You, you… Why you!—“
He laughed in response, spinning her again and shoving her back down to her bed. “Go to sleep you, we wouldn’t want to keep Aricin waiting in the morning, now would we, ‘M'lady’,” he teased before dashing across the balcony back to his own room.
"You wouldn't," she called angrily after him, slamming her head into the lush pillows.
She lifted a brow, then moaned and stood, stepping out onto the balcony with her brother. The sight of a man immediately caught her eye, and she gazed curiously out at the forms on the field below their rooms.
One was of a man, and the other, a none too calm horse, snorting in anxiety. The man was holding out one hand in front of the large creature, whilst the other rested gently on its neck. The man was Lord Aricin.
After a long while—though the time was uncounted for the young sea-bred lass who watched, awestruck at the sight, it could have been an eternity—the horse calmed, and the man began to quietly stroke the horse’s neck and sides. She managed to hear the softest of whickers from the beast before the elf was suddenly upon his back. No response from the horse but to whicker again tranquilly.
An aura of joy seemed to flow from the man at this, and suddenly, the pair was off with lightning speed—across the field in what seemed like seconds. Efion gazed at them in bewilderment, and then smiled, watching as the two crossed the fields over and over again together, Aricin’s silvern hair and the mane and tail of the pure white equine flowing backwards elegantly in the wind.
After a long while, Aricin dismounted the large beast. The creature shifted from one front leg to the other, and the Elven Lord stroked either of the large cheeks, forehead pressed midway up against the horse’s long face. Kissing the wiggling nose, she felt, more than saw his smile, and then watched as he jogged back towards the citadel, and the horse retreated off back into the fields.
Sometime in the middle of the splendour, Fionan had left her side. She pulled back, gazing around as she reentered her room, and quickly left the room, knowing that he would have to pass through the corridor to get to his own sleeping chambers.
And not a few moments afterward, Aricin nearly rammed into her, and nodded apologetically. “Why are you out this late?” he inquired after she’d accepted his apology via a nod of her own.
“I could inquire the same thing of you, Milord,” she responded with a wry smile. “But I won’t, as I saw what you were doing.”
Aricin’s eyes widened in shock, and then narrowed slightly as his brows furrowed. She gave a soft tinkle of laughter at his reaction, and placed her arm through his bent one, leaning ever so slightly against him as he offered with a nod of his head to walk.
“The way you were with that horse,” she began softly before allowing him to speak, but then trailed off.
He cocked a brow, gazing down at the slightly shorter woman with a curious expression. He smiled slightly, still questioning.
“I never thought I’d see a side like that in you, Aricin,” she murmered softly, smiling. “Then again, I haven’t known you very long, now have I? Still… I lost myself watching you. It was beautiful.”
“And?”
“And… I don’t know, it was just… delicate, tender… Like…”
“Like with you?”
Her eyes widened suddenly in surprise, and she pulled away slightly. But she did not fear Avalbane’s Lord. So she simply continued to gaze at him curiously, the surprise still resting in the sea-blue ocules. “Milord, I do not believe it is quite that way,” she whispered softly, lowering her gaze to the floor.
“Oh really?” he asked softly, but he did not press. He had probably pushed it too far already in that former phrase, but there was no turning back. He knew full well that she was attracted to him, just as he had immediately fallen in love with her the moment she entered Avalbane’s gates. “I believe you may be wrong.”
She gazed up at him again, start flickering across her features once more. Her thin, elegant lips pursed lightly, and she stopped walking, pulling her arm out from it’s twining with his. He lifted a brow in response to her action, worried about chasing her away. But he had not, as she simply gazed at him like that for a few moments, then smiled lightly.
In response, Aricin faced her and placed a hand on either of her shoulders, but moved them to her neck and cheeks, brushing lightly at her elegant cheekbones with gentle movements of his thumbs. And he kissed her gently on the lips, causing her to tense slightly.
As soon as she tensed beneath his touch, he pulled away. “I apologize for causing you discomfort,” he stated after a moment, clearly feeling it himself.
“Perhaps… Perhaps, Milord, your treatment of the horse and myself do coincide,” she murmered softly, eyes passing his face and taking in the sight of—well—nothing in particular.
Aricin smiled slightly, and asked softly, “May I inquire in what way?”
Efion was indeed uncomfortable, and this had been his plan this time. She flushed deeply, and instead of answering, tilted her head upward and kissed him, less tenderly than he had first kissed her and more hungrily, though there was no lust in her movements.
He broke the kiss this time, deep eyes taking in the sight of hers a long few moments before he took her arm back into the curve of his and walked her back towards her room. “Good night to you, M’lady, and I bid you sleep well,” he murmered before turning towards the stairs and his own room.
She leaned against the door a long moment, gazing after him with an enigma of emotions before she opened the door slowly and moved back into the chambers. Just as the door closed behind her, a pair of arms swept her up and spun her around. She squealed in surprise, but was silenced by a quick kiss on her lips.
“Fionan!” she exclaimed, slapping his chest until he placed her back on the ground, fighting his hold on her. “What are you doing, you fool of an elf, let me go!”
“You wish me to let you go and not show my happiness for you!?” he exclaimed in mock surprise, and at her look of confusion, he continued. “Efion, look what you have, girl, you love someone and it’s obvious he loves you in return, silly, what are you waiting for?”
She flustered in both embarrassment and anger, voice rising to a high pitch. “You were spying on me? You, you… Why you!—“
He laughed in response, spinning her again and shoving her back down to her bed. “Go to sleep you, we wouldn’t want to keep Aricin waiting in the morning, now would we, ‘M'lady’,” he teased before dashing across the balcony back to his own room.
"You wouldn't," she called angrily after him, slamming her head into the lush pillows.