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 Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:13 pm
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The prince chuckled at Darlin's 'maybe', eyes glancing towards the elf as the other pulled off his own bits of hard-padded armor. The light skinned elf looked pretty good 'naked' of the padding, though Nor had been building of the opinion that the elf looked good most of the time. Grimy from the road or otherwise.
"Oh, I'm broad alright. But you should see my eldest brother; taller and just as wide, if you can believe it. The perfect image of a king-to-be," Nor said, eyes on his metal as he scrubbed and rubbed at it strongly. It too a lot of elbow grease to get the road dust and sweat off of the armor before it could be polished with another substance to help keep the metal protected against water and rust. He didn't mind the close inspection, smiling a little as the elf looked him over and touched his arm. Invaded personal space wasn't so bad when the invader was as good looking as Darlin was.
Though ... it was more than just a little distracting. Especially when the other started moving the finger from shirt to the naked skin of his neck. It made Nor wanted to turn from his work and return in kind, but instead polished his armor all the more strongly. "Hey," he chuckled, feeling the elf's fingers going up into his hair, "trying to get some cleaning done here! H-hey!" Nor said, feeling the other's fingers going down his neck making a shiver go down his spine. It had been ... well, a while since he'd felt another's hands on him. Not nearly as long as Darlin had, sure, but Nor was a healthy man with healthy needs.
"Curious. Curious?" Nor couldn't help but laugh as the flexible male slid around front. Armor pretty much done, Nor watched the elf looking him over; just touching and observing his body and the human had to admit ... it was more than a little sexy. And of course once the elf bounced up and went over towards the tub, stripping as he went. "Don't fill up that tub too high!" Nor called, giving one last polish with his rag to his armor before standing and following after the elf, tugging off his own tight shirt. After all that, of course the man was quick to trot on over, grinning and tugging off his pants as well. The tub, of course, would be a bit ... cozy, with the two of them. But at least Nor grabbed the sponge with a grin, offering silently to scrub Darlin's back ... among other things.
The naked man knelt and heaved the buckets of heated water into the tub for Darlin, large muscles making the task of lifting heavy, full metal buckets as easy as tossing pillows around. He was used to carrying his armor around most of every day, even sleeping in it when traveling, so once free of the extra weight Nor seemed a bit faster and more flexible when out of that protective wrapping. Speed he put to good use, scrubbing Darlin's smooth skin to wash the dirt and sweat of the road away ... though far more gently than he had with his armor.
"You know, we humans can be curious too. Not quite as curious as you elves but ... close enough. But with our curiosity ... we like to try new things as well. It's the excuse we use to do all sorts of stupid things," he chuckled, finished with Darlin's back and moving to the elf's front and neck, brown eyes gazing warmly into Darlin's ice-blue ones. "Luckily for me, you're hopefully wise enough to keep me from doing stupid stuff, huh. Though, I think I've got a good one," he said, smiling teasingly and gently moving the sponge along the elf's thigh and moving in close to give a light kiss on the other's lips. No need to steamroll; Darlin had lined things up clearly enough that he didn't want to go hard and rough. No, Nor reigned his hormones back and was all for taking it sweet and slow.
Pulling back with a grin, Nor plopped the sponge in Darlin's hands and then moved to get into the tub as well. "My turn!" Okay, slow and sweet and maybe a little playful too.
*
((Gottcha~ Joy it tis >D )) |
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:50 pm
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Darlin was filling up the tub when the other came in, covered in a simple towel around his waist, but he gladly handed the task over to Nor when he came in. Darlin chuckled as the other hauled the water to the tub, using that muscle and giving the dark haired elf quite the nice view, before Darin was the first into the bath. He slid into the warm water, the heat seeping into his muscles and relaxing out tension he didn't know he had, before he felt Nor start running the sponge over him. He grinned at the others words and chuckled "Oh no, never, not a single stupid thing… well beside me of course." Darlin gave a small kiss back, finding the notion quite enjoyable and actually very easy.
Most of the time when Darlin tried to go slow with people it was awkward and stiff till they got to the sex, people always wanted to be so serious, but Nor was… different. He was all smiles and even as he all but jumped into the bath, causing water to slosh over the edge even though they had been careful with how high they filled it, it was not forced. It all seemed so easy and light hearted. Darlin started scrubbing the others back, fascinated by the sheer amount of muscle packed into someone who was not much taller than him, he liked that they could both fit in the bath without crushing one another. Or well without Darlin being crushed because even Dwarves had a habit of that with their mass.
"I don't think I would enjoy someone like your brother. I don't like height to be honest, it doesn’t appeal, if you couldn’t tell I am rather short and I would rather have someone who doesn’t tower over me like a giant…" When Nor turned around Darlin placed himself in the others lap happily. "Giants with their big stupid faces and big stupid sticks that like to smash things." He gave a playful thud to Nor's chest with the sponge then chuckled as he cleaned his chest. He hadn't bothered to pull his hair up before the bath so the ends hung wet in the water while the rest was dry but pulled out from it's usual braid.
The long locks now hung in his face making his blue eyes look even bluer, if possible, and the grin on his face was a mix between playful and lavacious. He ran the sponge over Nor's chest a few times before running it over his arms then lower. "Have you ever seen a giant Nor?" Darlin was certainly trying to make a distracting conversation while he was down the others body. |
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:47 pm
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Nor relaxed as Darlin cleaned him off, careful with where he rested his weight. He'd had slim bed partners before, and had learned to be mindful of his muscle. Sure, human women were likely more delicate than an elven man, but the habit remained. Though it was nice to know Darlin certainly preferred Nor in more ways than just being an available man. He chuckled as the sponge squished wetly against his chest, letting the elf do his front and enjoying having Darlin on his lap as much as the elf liked being there.
"Giants?" Nor asked, eyes trailing down the strands of Darlin's long dark hair. It wasn't exactly easy to ignore getting washed, but Nor smiled and replied. "No, never. The closest thing I've seen to that was a troll skull on a trophy shelf. No, in my father's kingdom we only have a few pockets of orcs, goblins, spiders ... the usual rabble, including wargs howling in the far wilds and bandits on the highways. But giants? No ... Not that we know of, at least. We kinda didn't know about a whole, massive dragon so who knows whats really walking around when we aren't looking," Nor chuckled before reaching out and gently stroking Darlin's smooth cheek, marveling at the other's lack of stubble as much as Darlin had marveled at his possession of it. Though, Nor had hair on his chest, under his arms ... all the usual places for a man, making it all the more surprising for Nor to see Darlin so smooth in so many places when the elf had such long hair on his head.
"What about you?" Nor asked as the sponging was finished, grinning and looking curious as he leaned forward for another smooth. "Ever seen a pack of hunting dogs after a run, playing and tumbling all over each other once the day's work is done? Like a school of fish on the ground, all tongue panting?" Darlin always seemed to have quite the unique things to say; the prince wanted to know if the elf had seen 'usual' things too. The man put one arm around Darlin's waist, just comfortable holding the other as they spoke and got to know one another's bodies in a casual way. At least until moving past the fun banter and foreplay. |
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:02 pm
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Darlin finished his scrubbing as the other was describing how he had never seen a giant. Just spiders and the sort, which was something that Darlin had dealt with frequently when living in the old kingdom, he would not belittle what Nor had seen though because Orcs could really cause problems for kingdoms no matter how small the kingdoms were. Darlin let the sponge float behind him after he was done then tilted his head to the side as Nor spoke, that curious look back on his face, because they did not have 'dogs' in the elvin kingdom. He had heard of them but it had been a long while since he had ventured out and he had not seen them so he did not know what the other was talking about for once. It was a foreign concept to him.
"Do you… do you mean the smaller wargs? I had thought they were vermin…" Darlin rest his hands on Nor's chest then looked down. "I admit they are not something I am accustomed to. Last time I saw humans you had wolves by your side not these strange creatures that now lurk at your side. They are dogs you say? I would like to see more of them… different types." Darlin smiled up at Nor, a little excitement in his eyes. "To be honest there is a great deal I would like to see of your people, a lot I do not know, I would like to see more of your towns and your kingdom…" Darlin slid his hands up to Nors shoulders.
"I know only what is of around my home now, not so far out, and I would love to know more… You will need to tell me." Darlin slid himself closer as he pressed his torso to Nor's and his lips just barely brush his "You must tell me… is it common for you to bed a stranger? Or an acquaintance? How about a friend? Elves take no preference for the matter… what would you call us after these few days? I would indeed like to call you a friend." Darlin rose up a bit, a hand on Nor's jaw and keeping them so close that as he spoke their lips just barely brushed but they didn't kiss.
((Lets hope we are not getting to bold.)) |
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:41 pm
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((Haha, so long as we don't go below the belt it's all good. And the scrubbing had no detail at all so it should not count~))
"S-smaller wargs? Vermin?!" Nor's chest shook with withheld full-belly laughter, a large grin on his face before he calmed down. "Oh, I know at least one houndmaster who would punch you in the face for saying that. But I would love to show you them ... especially the puppies. They're adorable. And so soft ... there's nothing softer than the warm fur of a young furry animal." Nor trailed off as Darlin smiled up at him, a warmth fulling his belly at the look more than the scrubbing had. And as the elf spoke on, shifting closer in more ways than just physically, Nor was happy enough to hold Darlin around the hips as the other took his shoulders.
"Need ta tell ya, huh?" Nor replied, heart beating strongly in his chest as his lips brushed lightly against Darlin's as he spoke. "I'll tell you all 'bout it; and show you what I can along the way. As for who I bed ... nah. It's not common for me to bed a stranger. Tried it once or twice, but ... what good is it if you can't smile at the person afterwards? An' laugh and joke, and have a good time? Nah, nah. I'm much happier with friends ... like you are, Darlin'. Ah; oops," Nor chuckled sheepisly, lightly moving his head forward, so thier foreheads were lightly touching. "Did it again; called you darlin' instead of Darlin. Sorry about that."
The human man kept on smiling though, hands lightly caressing Darlin where they rested as Nor admired the other's eyes. "Forgive me?" he asked, even as he stole a kiss. Less light, and more lingering this time; even washed, the dark haired elf seemed to taste lightly of woodlands and dark nights, somehow.
((Though, might need a skip one we get going~ Good thing Nor has stuff to get to doing like letter writing xD Far less fun that playing with Darlin, that's for sure)) |
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 9:15 pm
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Darlin felt something in his stomach give a flutter and he chuckled as Nor spoke, taking the chaste kiss lightly before giving one back, the common human nickname didn't seem to bother him coming from the others lips and Darlin couldn’t help but lean into the caresses. He ran his fingers through Nor's hair and smiled a smile that was filled with something far sweeter than he meant it to be. He wasn't one to be sweet and kind, he was joking and stern contemplative, he dodged around sweet. Right now though he couldn’t help the sweetness and the small amount of affection that bleed into the smile on his face. "I'll forgive you… I think I actually quite like the way you say it." Darlin leaned down and sealed his lips over Nor's before leaning back. "I'd prefer if you call me that actually."
Darlin grinned then chuckled and gave a lighter kiss to Nor "So Noran… do you want to see if you can keep pace?" Darlin grinned a little wider then kissed him again and slid his hands below the water.
*Some time later*
Darlin had released a rather exhausted Noran from his hold after quite a while and they had both fallen asleep at some point during the night. If the human had thought that Darlin was joking about the stamina then he knew it was no joke now though Darlin had admitted the next morning he had quite played it up for the other. He was in fact, when he woke up, still utterly exhausted while Noran seemed to have already bounced back. Then again they had gone through a warm bath and to the bed with a bought on the desk as well and Darlin was re-assessing his thoughts on the stamina of dwarves being better than men after that night.
It had been a bit… odd though, for Darlin at least. He had never had sex like that before where it was so slow and sweet. He had never had someone to seem to care so much about if he was actually enjoying it, even though he was, and even when they were laying down to sleep feeling beyond tired they had still laughed and smiled about silly things while tangled in sheets and a few feathers that came from the pillows they laid on. It had been the most pleasant sexual experience that Darlin had ever had and it had just felt… right, just like a lot of things he had done with Noran over the past week, and it was a bit worrying.
Darlin was currently stretched out on the bed, still naked since they had another day to let the horses rest after their push, and he was watching Noran write a letter to his father as he asked him questions about where he lived. "Do you have a lot of archers? Female archers? How about female warriors?" Darlin had one leg sticking out from under the covers as he twirled a feather between his fingers. "Tell me about your guards… do they interact with you often?" Darlin hummed and reached out, running his fingers over the others arm distractedly, the room was rather small and the desk was close to the bed. |
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:02 pm
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Dipping his quill into the ink pot, Noran smiled to himself, pants on as he scratched a few more words down onto paper. It was easy enough writing while speaking to Darlin; he had been thinking of how to word the letter for the past week, so all he had to do was put them down onto paper now. It was the replies to Darlin's questions he thought about as he carefully wrote each letter. "A decent amount; but less than half the guard are really proficient at it. Most of the time, they're part of the regular guard. We don't need archers alone for much, so they aren't really separated out into their own group or anything; they're all just guards. As for females, we do have a few on the roster but not nearly as many as the men. My brother always says being a guard takes balls of iron and intimidation; I've met loads of woman with the first. Not so many with the second. Though in guard armor nearly anyone can look pretty intimidating ..."
Nor put his quill down to stretch on arm, stretching his jaw in a yawn and feeling quite content. After last night he was extremely happy they got to laze around one more day. The horses weren't the only ones who needed a bit of a extra rest. "They hang around my oldest brother more than me, but I see them on a pretty consistent bases. They've always got the most interesting and horrific stories," Noran said, got back to writing before chuckling at Darlin's fingers ghosting against the skin of his arm. "Now, now Darlin'," Nor chuckled in his 'incorrect' wording of the others name, glancing over his shoulder at the elf, "let me finish this up and I'll join ya shortly."
With a chuckle the man got back to his writing, a little surprised at his own playfulness with the elf but at the same time feeling anything else would've been too formal and stifling for the two of them. Even if the short time they'd known each other Nor could feel almost like he was chatting it up with an old friend when he hung out with Darlin, despite their differences. The two of them seemed to fit well together, and Nor wasn't about to argue with good chemistry. The rather serious letter was soon signed and closed; sealed with a bit of wax and Noran pressing his ring into the still-soft wax to create his seal before leaving it to cool and harden as he got up from the desk seat and easily moved his butt back to bed, but only sitting on the edge and playfully patting Darlin's exposed leg.
"You always such a tease?" he asked with a smile, eyes bright before reaching down to grab his shirt and pulling it on. As nice as it would be to just lay around in bed naked with the elf, he had a letter to send via bird post, and a horse to feed. Because the man knew his warhorse wasn't about to be nice to the local stablehands and the poor lads might need a bit of help even getting some hay to the temperamental stallion. But Nor was a man used to work, even if he was not always the best at getting up at early hours. "Anyway, I need ta get going. Letter to deliver, horse to check up on. Alright?" Nor added, eyes on Darlin as if the elf's opinion on the matter was important to him. Which it was; Nor was no guy to have a roll around and then run. "I could grab you something warm from the inn kitchen on my way back," Nor added with a smile, to sweeten the deal. |
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:31 pm
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Darlin chuckled at the replies, finding them so strange, because the notions really were odd that a woman had to wear armor to be intimidating. Darlin had met many a woman who had simply just needed to glare at a man to get him to scurry back to whatever whole he had crawled out of. Of course the tutting and displeasure at his stroking only made Darlin want to run his fingers over the others arm again just to tease the man. He knew Noran had to finish the letter bu he also knew that the other had other things to do and that once he finished the letter he would be off to do those things. Darlin watched him fold up the letter after signing it and he sighed a little.
He didn't shift to make more room, knowing that Noran wasn't going to join him, before he chuckled and felt his skin break out in goose bumps as Norans slightly warmer hand ran over his leg. Darlin tilted his head a little then ran his hand from the others elbow to his fingertips. "You can… you have travled with me for a week now… go ahead and guess what I like." Darlin grinned his fingers sliding to tangle with Norans for a moment before he pulled them away and rolled onto his side. The covers were just barely covering what they needed to until he pulled them down and sat up. His hair was a bit of a sleep mess, unkempt and hanging over one shoulder, but he looked refreshed.
Darlin gave Nor a gentle nudge then pushed some hair behind a pointed ear and stretched with a yawn. "Go on then! I am going to lounge about some more! It's been decades since I have had the privalige!" Darlin chuckled then once Noran was standing and at the door he dramatically flopped back on the bed. The wide smile he had on his face fell the moment Noran left the room though. Alone for once and not in a cell where anyone can see him Darlin can't help but finally let everything was down on him a bit. He took a deep breath and pressed the heel of a palm to his forehead as he closed his eyes tightly… he didn't need to be falling for a human on top of everything else right now.
He knew what love was, he wasn't an idiot, he had been told about it since he was a kid and he could feel the way everything in him was currently pulling toward the fool that was Noran. A human that was brilliant and amazing, that seemed to know just what to do and say, and it was exactly what Darlin did and didn't need at this moment. He didn't want to be like Salin, waiting around again and again, but if this what he was thinking it was… he would and he didn't want to think about it. Darlin sighed and dropped his hand as he stared up at the ceiling. Well what did he have to worry about anyway? He could never go home, not without the prince, and most likely he would never have Noran because the other was set to marry a princess so he would just have to let this adventure be their time and when it came to what it came to he would have to take his OWN advice and let what happened be in the past and forget about it. |
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:43 am
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Noran just grinned at the sleep-rumpled elf, inwardly quite happy to see Darlin looking refreshed and revitalized after their time together. "You know, you elves really need to work on letting yourselves have some off time!" the man said as he stood, grabbing the letter and heading for the door. He didn't don his armor, opting instead to just go out in a plain shirt and pants. Once they left tomorrow he would suit up properly, but for now the man enjoyed the freedom of movement and lack of the extra layer as he gave Darlin a parting smile. He wished there was more time to just keep the dark-haired elf lounging for more than just these couple of days, but unfortunately they had work to be done that was more urgent than one man's desire to pamper an elf.
Nor closed the room door behind him and walked on to the stables. He didn't bother checking in with the others, knowing Rilion and Sakrin were likely to be lazing about or ... otherwise engaged. And the rest of their party could likely take care of themselves, so Nor focused on heading to where the horses were stabled comfortable and found his bay stallion quickly. The warhorse raised his head and gave a rather happy nicker in Nor's direction, knowing he was going to get some attention. "I know, I know; can't have you biting the stable hands and getting us thrown out," the man explained needlessly, soon having the stallion settled with hay and oats to munch on happily while Nor himself gave the horse a courtesy brushing. As he got the horse more comfortable and gave the animal's hooves a look over, the man couldn't help but chuckle to himself while wondering if brushing Darlin's long black hair would be anything like the careful unknotting and neatening of the stallion's long mane.
Shaking his head, Nor finished caring for his steed before leaving the animal to rest and eat while the man left the stables and walked through the small town until he came on the local messenger pigeons were kept, and handed over his letter for delivery. He paid extra for something a little more expensive than any old pigeon, wanting to make sure the message was delivered with haste. Prince or not, you get what you pay for. Once the letter was sent on its way to his father, Nor stepped out and just strolled around a little bit, smiling and wondering what his brothers were up to. Well, the eldest was still home rallying up the men, though that would all be for naught with the letter he was sending. And his other older brother had been sent north, towards the mountains and where the supposed descendants of dragon slayers still lived. Oh, he was likely not having a very good time; the middle brother was more of a scholar than anything, and not used to long trips saddle-back like Nor was. The man chuckled just thinking about his brother's face at being stuck on mountainous terrain, freezing his sore backside off, and all for sons of long-dead slayers that likely weren't half as helpful as his own elven friends when it came to knowledge not only about dragons, but about their own particular dragon.
Nor made his way back to the inn, more than ready to follow Darlin's lead and just laze the day away until they had to leave on the 'morrow. "Well, that's that done," Nor said as he stepped back into his and Darlin's room. "So, think up any more questions while I was gone?" Nor asked, turning to look towards the bed where he expected the raven-haired elf to still be. |
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:44 am
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Darlin may have said he enjoyed the peace of a day of but in all honesty.. he hated laying in bed. He was quite tired of lounging around with no one there to talk to and while his muscles where still sore and he was still worn from the night before he wanted to be up and about. So after a brief moment of contemplation the elf jumped up in a flurry of movement and pulled on his shirt and pants, he would need to wash them soon, before pulling his hair back in a lazy bun and heading out of his room without a care in the world. More often than not elves were careful about what they wore out in public, they wanted to look right and proper, but Darlin wore his shirt loose with the ties still pulled open from the night before and his hair seemed to just barely stay in place with all his movements.
His pants were in accord but the many layers that were often worn were all but gone and Darlin was sure if the king was to see him he would most likely hear the ocean call to him! Darlin chuckled at the thought, grabbing his coin purse so he could go look through the market. One good thing about having lived in a city of gold was that Darlin had a heavy stash of human currency that was very old and worth much more now… all gold. He had traded a few old gold coins in for a good three or four bags of the new stuff to the old mans delight, Darlin had told him to only give him half what they were worth, so now he was searching to see what foods the market had.
Unlike the rest of his kin who still had a sick fondness for gold they had to control Darlin had grown sick of the stuff after Aerion and the dragon. As he ventured the market he was not even remotely interested in the yellow color, only slightly fascinated by the cleverly spun silver that the craftsmen had made into small designs, but as he ventured further he realized the artifacts on the shelves were less and less from humans and more and more other races. He started stopping more to look, intrigued by what he saw, asking questions about where things came from and how the people selling them got a hold of them.
Most of the people just found them in run down home, long forgotten by their owners, a few bragged about finding a troll stash and Darlin didn't doubt them that. It wasn't until he reached a table filled with Elvin jewelry from the mountains that he paused and stared down at them. "Where did you get these?" The old woman sitting there was rocking back and forth on a chair, watching him quietly, and she pulled a drag from her pipe.
"The dark mountains to the north that get no snow." Darlin stared down at the dark colored trinkets, his heart seeming to hammer in his chest. "I used to go up there when I was a young girl, few knew the path, but the last time I journeyed there was no one there. You look a great deal like the man who ruled atop that mountain…" Darlin felt his whole world tilt on it's axis as he stared down at the table and saw his mothers favorite necklace laying among the silver. He placed a hand to his forehead, his eyes burning with unshed tears, he had planned to go home now that he was not part of the guard… he had wanted to go home but there was no one to return to. "He… he was my father a long time ago. No one was there?" The woman looked down sadly when she heard his voice crack.
"No one alive my boy. The entire city was slaughtered in their sleep. A few may have made it out but where they have gone no one knows." It was like a punch to the gut and Darlin had to support himself on the table in front of him for a moment, just take a few deep breaths, when he came back to himself he shook his head and grabbed the necklace he saw. "I want to buy all of this… but I want you to send it somewhere for me." Darlin looked to the old woman and she nodded.
Darlin came in the door just after Nor, running into his back actually, and he still looked rather distraught from what he had learned. The necklace he had found hung loose on his neck, a simple silver chain that seemed to twist with darker colors, and the pendant was small curved almost like smoke billowing from an active volcano with little curled of what seemed to a stone of some sort mixed between the metal. Darlin looked up at Nor then down at his feet "I didn't know I would be gone long. I…found out some distressing news." |
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 1:25 pm
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Darlin let himself be steered toward the bed then sat down with a heavy thunk. He was trying to be okay, he really was, but it was hard with what he had learned that day. Darlin stared down at his hands for a moment then shook his head and went to run his hands through his hair but was stopped by the bun and pulled it out in a bout of frustration and irritation. Darlin didn't want to tell the others because he didn't know what to think of the information, his kin had been killed in their sleep, what did you say to the men you have lived so long with to make that not sound… so bad. "Don't get the others Nor I can't… They can't know." Darlin sighed heavily then leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and shook his head.
The only ones who can kill and elf in their sleep is an elf, only they know how they sleep, so one of the other families killed his own and Darlin had a feeling that he knew which one but he did not want to imagine Sandril would do such a thing out of spite because his son could not be controlled. "I went to the market and there was an old woman selling a great deal of jewelry from an Elvin kingdom… my kingdom, the snowless mountains in the north. My father sat on top of those mountains, the reached above the clouds and even when the rest of the world was covered in rain we were never touched by it. I grew up there, till I was shipped away as the youngest son to another kingdom to be a guard, I still remember it though. At night it felt almost like you could reach out and grab the moon." Darlin felt his throat tighten then pulled at his hair.
"I guess you could say I am now the king of a dead kingdom. I reside over the dead… the youngest son is always sent to another kingdom for exactly this reason, to keep him safe, at least that’s what my people had intended but they did not think they would all be slaughtered in their sleep. I had hoped that old woman was lying, just going mad, but then I saw my mother necklace laying on that table among so many other jewels and I knew it was th truth because the only way it came off her neck was if her head was rolling on the floor." Darlin swallowed thickly and stood, crossing his arms over his chest before shaking his head.
"I say don’t get the other Nor because the only ones who knew how to reach my kingdom were elves and the only ones who know how to kill a kingdom of elves in their sleep are elves… I dread to think who did it but I fear I already know and I do not want my men running to their homes to find dead bodies of the ones they loved. Not the snow in the south, the rivers to the east, or god forbid the desert lands Salin came from. I do not want them to leave only to come back broken when they thought they could return home." Darlin took a deep breath and clenched the pendant. "No… instead I will finish my current duty to his "majesty" then I will figure out what to do from there." |
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 2:26 pm
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Nor's mouth opened, but no words came out, just pure dread filling him. To loose one's family ... kin ... kingdom ... all of it. The man did not even dare to imagine what Darlin had to be feeling. Nor knew if he lost his brothers ... his friends, his family ... well, he sure as hell wouldn't have the same strength Darlin had to keep from breaking down completely. The real shock was hearing this wasn't just something done by enemies in the night but ... but by the very elf king Darlin now served.
"Oh Darlin' ..." Nor finally got out, standing and embracing the raven-haired elf, refusing to let go. As admirable as the other's composure was, Nor had the feeling if Darlin didn't at least let some of those feelings properly out, really let them show, the raven haired beauty was likely to pop from the bottled pressure sooner or later. Nor lightly ran his fingers through the other's tangled hair, gently stroking and neatening. He wouldn't tell the other elves; but this was something that was going to weight heavily on his mind for a good long while. An entire kingdom gone ... just like that. And the gods knew how many more as well.
"We'll figure it out Darlin'. Once we've saved the prince whether he likes it or not, we'll figure it out." Nor didn't consciously register the 'we', but it felt right to say. Even if, really, once they reached the dragon's den, they would likely be parting to their own ways. He had to get back to his father's kingdom; not get involved in something that didn't concern him ... even if he felt it did. |
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 2:54 pm
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Darlin felt the warm arms wrap around him, warmer than any other he had grown so used to over the years, and he closed his eyes. It was a horrible feeling in his stomach that made him turn around to press his face into the others chest, made him press his eyes closed tight to fight back the tears, because he didn't want to break down like he knew he rightly should be. His whole kingdom was gone, all those people dead, his brothers and sisters as well just… nothing more than bodies with no one to bury them and most likely killed by the very man he had been given to to serve. He had served Saldrin for his the majority of his life loyaly, had given him so many years without protest, and this was the repayment he received when the king lost control of his son.
Darlin clutched onto Noran tightly and tried not to sob with the weight of all that he had found out. He didn't want to think about all the kingdoms that could be gone, about the dwindling races that could have been wiped out by Sandril, the man knew the elves were leaving and instead of letting them live out their lives he killed them as if they were nothing more than scum. Darlins only hope is that a few of his people, a few smart people, were able to escape the slaughter and get somewhere safe where they could hide until all of this could blow over.
Darlin took a few moments to collect himself then when he pulled away he wiped at the few lingering tears. "Alright I don't have time for this pity party. I have to make sure I can stay stable enough that my men can see me as a leader, not watch me like spun glass… I need a drink to drown this out a bit." Darlin sighed and tucked the necklace into his shirt before pulling his hair back and grabbing Norans hand to lead him out of the room. "Lets go drink till we can't walk yeah? Not the best way to deal with problems but it's what I have right now." Darlin glanced back at Nor and grinned a bit but it still held that uncertainty from when he first walked into the room. |
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 4:16 pm
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Nor just held Darlin and whispered reassuring nothings, patiently waiting for the other to get what he needed to out. Nor gave Darlin a small smile as the other pulled away from him, wiping away the tears and composing himself again. The prince was a little surprised as Darlin took his hand and decided he needed a drink. "Drinking, huh? I didn't know elves drank ... well, beer. For some reason it makes more sense for you all to just ... drink fancy wine, or something like that; or so most folks say," Nor said, letting the black haired elf lead him out of the room. "You elves can get drunk and unruly as well? Say it ain't so!" Nor lightly joked, hoping to turn Darlin's mind to something other than the tragedy. And human ignorance did seem quite a subject of amusement, along with those false elven stereotypes.
"I saw a bar none too far down the way; should give out better stuff than what the inn's service has to offer, and more of it to boot. I can drink quite a bit, you know," Nor informed the other, keeping Darlin's hand in his own and leading the other to the building down the way with a carved sign proclaiming it to be the: "Creamed Cat". The large man opened the door so they could walk in, the bar thanfuly not too crowded considering the time of day. It was a nice quiet atmosphere to get sloshed in, Nor decided, pulling out a chair for himself and letting Darlin sit next to him before raising a finger to get the bartender's attention. "Two pints," the prince said, grinning at Darlin and moving to pull out his coin-purse to pay for their coming escapade. It might not be the brightest idea but Nor couldn't think of anything else to try helping Darlin.
Nor, being a large man, had quite the ability to drink deep for a good while before getting completely wasted ... the downside being he came to forget his size and strength when inhibited. "Hey," Nor said before the two of them began, giving Darlin a challenging smile. "Lets say we make this fun. Whoever empties the most cups wins ... and the looser has to to the winners laundry for the next month of travel. Muddy boots included. Deal?" |
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