Post by Exemplar of Demacia on Feb 10, 2014 13:51:54 GMT -5
Eric grinned, thinking his suspicion confirmed. He took soft bread and hard cheese out of their wrappings, slicing an apple that's smell perfumed the cabin in moments. The horses cantered on at their own pace, weaving a bit without a hand to steady them. Hurrying to get back to them he put a portion each in two cloth wrappings and closed the door behind him. It was simple fare, but fine. He could eat easily with one hand on the reins, and time was precious.
Eric handed Tianna her parcel, an apple sliced with cheese and bread, and went quickly to his own seat. "It's nothing special, but promise we'll have better meals tomorrow." That thought brought to mind an angry father with wealth and power, one that would likely be searching for them both with no good in mind. Maybe they would wait two days before stopping for any real length of time. Distance from Lord Daysworn would be a greater comfort than a warm meal.
The Knight drove on with a measured pace, careful not to push the horses harder than needed. He stole glaces at Tianna as she ate. This was surely a strange "meal" but then she did say a light supper would be fine. He was as much concerned for her happiness than any of his worries. The rest mattered little if she was uncomfortable. Her happiness was his, the way his life was hers and their futures were one and the same.
He let his thoughts wander to the future, and the thousand questions he wanted to ask her. It left him with uneasy feelings that all their plans were yet to be made, that they had yet to agree on where their journey would end. He broke the silence with a small cough. "I hear there are many small towns just south of the snow covered lands in Freljord. I know that they are tribes, but people say the Avarosan have a fair life there... I don't know much about these things, but if their Queen can tame the barbarians, I imagine it to be a safe place... Do you think you could see us living on a farm, or in a town there?"
Post by Liliana Daysworn on Feb 12, 2014 6:49:55 GMT -5
Tianna would have happily offered to take control of the horses' movements but inexperience kept her mouth shut. Instead, she simply eyed the animals wearily as they champed on the bit in their mouths. But they seemed fairly tame, for they did not stray off the path nor did they try to break free from their bonds. In some way, she felt sorry for them, then felt sorry for herself as she had suddenly realized that she was much like those horses. Except now she had finally broken free from her father's clutches - even if she did love him dearly, no one could deny that he had been exceptionally harsh on her and Liliana during their teenage years.
The wagon rocked again and the knight was back, once more holding the leash in his hands and she could not help but feel pity for the horses who had immediately stilled their restless tossing of the head. "Thank you," she said, managing to sound cheerful enough and accepted the food with a nod. It was... modest, to say the least. Cheese and bread was the staple of most suppers, but the portions were larger and the cut and quality were... more expensive, to say the least. But paying more didn't necessarily mean that it had to be better, and when Tianna nibbled on a rough corner on the grainy bread, she found that she was right.
The bread was plain but fresh, the cheese salty and rather satisfying and with the refreshing taste of the apple, Tianna was more than satisfied with it. Perhaps it was simple excitement from having never eaten a supper so small before, or perhaps it was because she knew that she would have to get used to this life now. Nevertheless, she ate every morsel happily, careful to wipe her fingers on the wrapping. It was somewhat embarrassing to still act so proper, but she was aware of the knight's eyes on her and it made her all the more self-conscious.
When she was halfway through the hunk of bread, Eric spoke again and she chewed slowly as she listened. Tianna wasn't sure what she thought of Freljord yet. It would certainly be different, but she didn't know if it would be a good different. "I've heard of the Avarosans," she said after swallowing, licking her lips as she did so. "Are they not locked in a battle with warring tribes constantly? I worry that we will... not be safe," she glanced at the knight, "Though I am confident that you are more than enough to stave off an attack, one must still be careful." In truth, she was weary of these people who called themselves "barbarians". The word had a rather negative connotation to the prim life of Demacian courtesans, more so to the daughter of Lord Daysworn who despised anything that wasn't proper.
Tianna smiled despite it all. "I can see us living anywhere, so long as we're together." She wrapped the package into a tight ball and held onto it, quiet at first. "Even if it does seem a little fast..." Her confession came as a surprise, even to her. She realized how tired she was now, the excitement remaining as a pleasant buzz in her system but was otherwise unable to stave off the tight yawn that escaped her. She settled back against the wagon, her eyes drifting shut. However hard she tried to keep them open, the ambiance and the warmth that radiated from what she dimly realized to be the knight's shoulder as she leaned on it was more than enough for her brain to simply sigh in contentment.
Lying in wait on the outskirts of the city were four horses and their riders, cloaked in brown and black with nary an emblem or symbol to give their allegiance away. Their horses were moving restlessly but their reins kept them steady. They were stationed between the thick trees, banking on the foliage and the darkness to keep them hidden.
"Do we have to do this?" One of them whispered, nervous and soft.
"Lord Daysworn's commands." A gruff voice replied.
"Sir--"
"Shut up."
Their Lord had been quite a sight, all but barking at them about some knights who plotted to steal his eldest daughter away to deny the Lightshields of their son's future wife. That this slight should not go unpunished at that through his own means, he had determined the place and time from which the wagon would depart with the knight and his daughter. They were to intercept the carriage as quickly and as quietly as possible. They were to handle his daughter as gently as possible while they delivered the knight to the Lord's brother. They were given a location but they were not told what was to happen to the knight. Lord Daysworn had assured them that it was none of their concern. He would be there to retrieved Tianna Daysworn and that would be the last of it.
They were Daysworn men but in truth, none of them wanted to be here. But they would do as their Lord commanded.
Post by Exemplar of Demacia on Feb 22, 2014 13:14:01 GMT -5
The man, not yet realizing he would have to relinquish his title of Knight, steered the small wagon through the night hours. The air was cold, but sheltered from the wind by the embracing canopy of the forest and with his fiancé settled beside him he felt no chill. Under a blanket, warmed by fond thoughts and future dreams he drove them absentmindedly. The wagon wheels clattered along, metal bands tapping against the uneven stones. It was a well maintained road, free of ruts or mud that less used paths developed. The wagon springs transformed the tap-tapping into a gentle bob, the horses hooves beating their own rhythm. The moon still shone, half-obscured by thin grey clouds that drifted quickly across the starry sky.
What would it be like to live as a farmer? He'd cultivated land in his youth, but that was a long time ago. There was a certain satisfaction from growing your own living, that came from being dependent on nobody. Still, his concern for the colder climate and the safety of such a place consumed him. If they were to make a life together, Eric would need a new income. A Knight of the Royal Army, he felt confident that he could defend himself, and deal fairly with people that he might find allies in the north. Perhaps he could find employment in Freljord's armies, but he kept his eyes set on a life different from his past. If he could live like his father had lived, he could find pride in it. One son, and he would be content.
He thought, and the more he considered his future with Tianna, the more questions arose. There was love there, strong and more pure than he'd ever felt, but there was so much uncertainty. The differences in their upbringing left gaps in his future that love alone was hard pressed to fill. She had needs, and he was willing to work hard and to sacrifice for her. The way she looked at him gave pause to his fears, but what he knew of her life, of her desires was painfully little. Did she want children? Could she grasp the future that he saw, or would his dream pale in comparison to hers? How long before she missed comforts left behind, and if so, could she change her expectations to fit what he was able to offer? He was still afraid that this dream would come crashing down around him, and leaning he kissed her forehead gently.
Eric had fought beside northerners before, some who emigrated to Demacia, and a few allies of coincidence. They were rough, but had been honorable. Would it suit Tianna, to live among them? It was a poor representation of a country to be sure, but for a country that could band together under Royal law, he held some hope. Ashe was cold, and what he had read of her statements in the post or from the Institute made her seem fair. She knew what duty meant. Surely her rule would exert a control over the formerly wild peoples of the north. Freljord tribes had codes of their own, but a unified rule would be suitable for honest living, wouldn't it?
Plans swirling in his mind, the light of city gates recaptured his attention. The quiet forest road would soon turn again to bring the tall southern gate into view as they joined the main highway. He glanced at Tianna, lying softly against his side. Eric couldn't bring himself to wake her. There was still such a long way to go.
Post by Liliana Daysworn on Feb 23, 2014 9:16:19 GMT -5
Liliana couldn't sleep. She had been pacing around her room for a while and her current round would make it a grand total of twenty-eight. She was beginning to feel dizzy, but something urged her to move. It was as if something terrible would happen if she stopped and though she knew that was a bizarre thing to think, she still did it. Maybe she would hit thirty and Tianna would be back home. Maybe at forty, she would wake up and it would all be just a dream. Maybe...
But there were no maybes. There was no time.
She twirled around, her hands groping for the doorknob and twisted... only to be met with a cold, unrelenting force. A shiver shot down her spine and Liliana felt the room's temperature drop. She tried again, but the deafening click of something barring the way was enough. No, this wasn't right. Her heart began to beat faster, her breaths coming a little shorter as she tried again and again and again. Every time the click resounded was another beat added to her growing anxiety.
Liliana snapped. She slammed her fist against the wood, the impact shocking her limbs but doing nothing to stop her from doing it again for the second time. "What's going on!?" She yelled, "Hey!" Unladylike and the exact opposite of what her parents had instilled into her for her entire life, the mere thought of being locked in her own room was enough to make the younger daughter absolutely furious. "Let! Me! Out!" Every word was punctuated with another vicious punch against the door and it was only when she saw the smeared blood did she notice the throbbing pain in her knuckles.
She bit the inside of her cheek to stop the tears of both pain and helplessness. Liliana couldn't remember the last time she had been stuck inside. But it wasn't just that - she knew that Tianna was in danger, and they knew she would do whatever it took to help her older sister. It was sick, twisted and wrong. And she was unable to do anything about it.
Tianna's dreams were nothing but an endless sea of cloudless sky and slight winds drifting against her cheeks as she breathed in and out gently. There was warmth all around her and she snuggled closer to the source. She wavered between being awake and asleep, her thoughts far away and her lashes fluttering but for the most part, she remained utterly oblivious to the approaching knights.
When the gates came into view, the guards simply looked at the caravan, then at the pair seated on front. It was strange, then, that they did not ask to check the contents of their carriage and it was even stranger that the guards waved them through without another word. Tianna would have alerted Eric to this, if he was not aware already, but she was in no state to alert anyone of anything. In fact, all she felt was a hint of bleary gladness that they were on their way so soon and that the suffocating walls of the city was behind them.
Before the carriage would have anytime to react, the gates were closed with a definite clang behind them.
The road before the city gates was a stretch of lined soil, worn from use but sturdy for that same reason. It was an open plain straight ahead but with the mass of trees and foliage surrounding them it would be easy for the knights to flank and ambush. They waited, man and horse anxious from the cold night and the realization of what they were about to do. Real knights don't steal their Lord's daughters, they reminded themselves. Real knights would not shirk their duty as Sir Stonewatch did, they reassured each other.
So when the city would be barely out of view, the knights attacked.
There was no mess. They did not ransack the carriage nor slay the horses. One man drove his own steed to the front, cutting off their slow pace as the carriage horses reared back. Two other knights flanked the carriage, one on the left and one on the right while the other remained hidden - just in case. They stopped the knight and the lady, one hand grasping the reins and the other touching the hilt of their swords.
"We trust you'll come quietly," one of them said.
At this point, Tianna had been jolted awake. The second the dark riders had come to intercept them, her head had snapped up, narrowly missing Eric's face in the process. Her eyes were wide, dark with fear and she drew her hands closer to herself. She could not see the rider's face and his voice was too low for her to tell who was speaking. She had an idea (that slow tingle of fear that had followed her from home) but she was too afraid to say a single word or scream.
"Get down. Now." It was an order.
Tianna looked at Eric. She had never been attacked before and so she turned to the man who had seen countless battles and would undoubtedly know what to do. She turned to Eric for his help and safety and her eyes spoke volumes of her fear and trust.
Post by Exemplar of Demacia on Feb 28, 2014 19:48:56 GMT -5
The reins lay loose over the backs of the horses. Eric saw the city gates as he turned the corner, and soon enough the doors parted in a growing line of luminescent cityscape. If he hadn't been distracted, lost in his musings and worries of his future, wrapped in the precious warmth at his side, he might have noticed it. The gates opened too soon. No one was expecting a carriage, and never would the gates open so long before the watchtower could get a clear view of sought entry. No one came to check their cargo, to ask their destination, even to ask his name. The carriage passed into the gates without a momentary hesitation or doubt. Lost in thought, he missed the warning signs until it was too late. Men came from all around, cutting off his path and swarming the road in a blur of steel armor and sudden movements. The soldiers were holding hands to their swords before Eric could even reach towards the handle of his own.
He still reached for it, out of instinct or emotion as the reins were snatched away from him, but as he pulled the length of steel free from his scabbard the sword points of two soldiers appeared at his neck. He paused, hand frozen as he tried to back away from them, but drawing his blade further only served to prick his neck as the city guard shouted warnings all at once."STOP! COME QUIETLY! DEAD OR ALIVE! HOLD! BUT QUIETLY!" Horses shuffled slightly side to side, rocking the carriage as one of the soldiers kept their attentions. Fingers slowly released their grip, a spike of despair gaining hold as his life teetered on the edge of their weapons. When the steel cross-guard rang shut against the scabbard, the truth of it hit him. Everything was lost.
He turned abruptly to face her, drawing small rivulets of blood as Lord Daysworn's men withdrew their swords and pulled him bodily from the carriage chair. "I love you!", was all he said, repeating it several times as he struggled against them. "I LOVE YOU!". Tears streamed down his face in a rush of guilt and sadness. Already fragile dreams were shattered beyond recognition. The thoughts that passed him in the lonely forest seemed as foolish and surreal as any fairy story. He writhed against the guards as the forcefully subdued him, against the pain to come and Tianna's pain, for her's was as real to him as any. The soldiers reached for Tianna.
Eric Stonewatch was raised never to lie. When he had lied, his father always whipped him twice. Once for the lie caught, and again for the lie hidden. His sense of honesty was only one of the things that made him, but it was one. He had broken oaths in planning this journey, broken vows to law and country that few would break. Through it all, he held that his unfaithfulness was in the service of a greater truth.When he turned to her, her eyes full of fear and pleading, he wanted to lie, to comfort her and say that everything would be alright, that they would see each other again soon. Instead he said what was true, knowing all too well that it could not change his fate. There was no resisting the punishment now. "I love you." He watched them take hold of her, only glimpsing as he was wrenched around by firm grasp of their captors, but they grew tired of him. They struck him hard, and he fell into unconsciousness.
Restless, a man sat at his desk, preferring the soft light of a candle to the bright white of the arcane lamps. It was a forced dimness. Everywhere else and even in the hall directly outside, the lights were on and strong, shining in all the public spaces. In front of him sat a gold circlet. It should have been lighter than the helm he wore on the fields, but as a symbol it outweighed any burden that Jarvan IV Lightshield had ever known. Tonight, even sitting on the desk before him, it felt as if a man was standing over him, pressing down on his shoulders with all the weight he could spare.
He held his pen, the ink long since dry as he read and re-read the message. You have a responsibility to yourself, and to the people, to lead this country and ensure that its future is secured. They give you everything, so you must give everything in return. This is not a bargain. This is a duty. One day I will be gone, one day you will be gone, and then who will lead them? You must father a son. What comes before must come. I will not live forever, and though I have been patient thus far it is clear that you will wait as long as I allow. Do not disappoint me. The last phrase was punctuated with a clear and flowing pen, as much an indicator of his fathers frame of mind as the tone of his voice. He was already disappointed.
With a practiced care he lit the corner, turning and holding it as the paper was consumed, but the message could not be silenced. His father would speak his mind again and again. One day, his son would have to listen.
Post by Liliana Daysworn on Mar 1, 2014 12:32:23 GMT -5
The soldier's voice was soft first, dangerously so but as the seconds ticked on so did the volume of their speech. Their tunes were urged louder and louder until only the canopy of the trees around them served as a blanket over the cacophony of noise and steel scraping against leather sheathes. Tianna watched, mouth open in a silent scream of warning as Eric moved to draw his weapon - don't do it! - but her mind was a blank slate wrought with spider webbed fear. There was a sword at the knight's throat and none at her own - was this what she wanted? To be protected and to be loved? Was she worth dying for?
The Princess always sacrificed herself in the stories she read. They proffered their lives for their love to the evil king or the wicked witch, holding their wrists bare to be slit or their throats to be hacked at. Those were never her favorites, but it was quickly becoming a fairytale come true. But she couldn't move. Her limbs were locked in paralysis, her hands clasped close to her thudding heart as the guards swarmed the carriage. Tianna watched with fearful eyes as Eric turned to her, time moving as slow as the blood that dripped like tears from the sword point. She saw the tears mingling with crimson droplets and suddenly, time restarted.
Tianna lurched forward, "NO!" She screamed, her arms outstretched even as Eric's body was hauled out. Her fingers scraped against the rough cloth of her knight's shirt and it was the last feeling she remembered as a heavy sack was thrown over her head. She was dragged back by rough, unrelenting hands. Her back hit the dirt and Tianna could not help but whimper at the pain that shocked her spine. Spirals of white sparked across her pitch black vision and the thunder in her heart beat wildly across her ears. She tried to move. She forced herself to yell for help, for Eric, for her sister or her father or anyone but there was nothing.
She heard Eric and the guards wrestling, the frantic hooves of horses as they danced around the trodden path. Tianna twisted herself around to the source of the yelling, hellbent on crawling her way over as adrenaline took over. But that was all she could do as a pair of hands were suddenly upon her shoulders and she could hear, faintly, a murmur - "Forgive me, my lady." She had only enough time to feel the cold ice that trembled through her entire body and her heart skipping two, three beats before something hard and heavy connected with the back of her head and her entire world went black.
The soldiers looked inside the carriage after the two had been detained. Though they had been told explicitly to only do what they were ordered to, curiosity got the better of them. Inside they saw nothing that would point to a kidnapping or a plot to overthrow. There was food, blankets, clothing, weapons... everything a traveler may need. There were no signs of merchandising or assassinations. Yet, Daysworn men were loyal and so they simply shut the door and turned away.
"One of you, take Lady Tianna back to her father." The man's voice was tight and strained, as if the scuffle had taken everything out of him. He had not taken a good look at Sir Stonewatch's face, for fear of recognition and looks of betrayal. The soldier who had knocked the elder daughter out nodded, mounting his horse and gesturing for the girl to be handed to her. Their Lord would not be too happy that the soldier had resorted to physical violence but she proved to be a little more louder than they had anticipated. Nevertheless, what was done was done.
He turned to the knight, who was tied up and unconscious. He motioned for another man to lead the horses and the carriage back to the City discreetly while he and the other soldier remaining brought the knight to Lord Damien Daysworn. As the wagon was taken away, the man's body was flung over one of the horses' back and strapped to the saddle. One of them mounted the last horse while the other kept an eye on the knight to make sure he did not awaken. Their journey through the forest was a short one but it was fraught with high tensions and nervous twitches. They knew next to nothing about this Lord Damien, only that he was the brother of their superior and the one that would take the final step. On all accounts, their job was done.
They found him in a clearing, garbed in what one would expect from royalty and completely out of place in the mass of trees and brown foliage. He had his own steed, reins tied to a tree nearby and a small fire contained in a pit of twigs and stones. He had been waiting for a while and still he said nothing, simply gesturing for the soldiers to place the body where he could see it. There was little resemblance to be seen between Lord Devrin and Lord Damien - in fact, the only similarity was the color of their hair and the way they held themselves.
"Thank you, gentlemen." His voice was gruff but soft and the two men bowed as they slid the unconscious knight to the ground. "A fine job." Damien complimented, but it was empty. He did not look at them or the knight. His eyes were on the sword he held, almost at arms length as if concerned that it would bite or turn on him. The soldiers glanced at each other uncertainly but when Lord Damien did look at them, his steel blue gaze bore into them like arrow points. They bowed again, mounted their horses and left.
Damien did not watch them leave. His attentions had found the knight that lay just shy of shadow's reach. His hand withdraw a note from the inside of his jacket. The crease lines on the paper showed just how many times he had opened it, read it, and folded it in a different way. When he opened the letter, it looked just about ready to fall to pieces but it remained intact for his final telling.
Dearest brother,
It is not often I write to you and I do so now with a heavy heart. You do recall my oldest daughter, Tianna? Bright, cheerful, innocent. I regret to inform that a knight of Demacia has dared to take advantage of such qualities. Her purity was taken in the blink of an eye and quite against her will, for her eyes were full of tears when she returned that night.
Of course I cannot allow such a vile monster to run free. My men have discovered a plot. The knight wishes to spirit my daughter away, most likely for his own disgusting devices. Fortunately I was told and so I ask this of you. No one must know of what he did to my daughter.
You are my only hope.
The letter fluttered into the flames as Damien lifted his gloved hands. Fiery tongues leaped up to devour the paper, flames snaking across the surface as the ink quickly melted together with the yellowing parchment. No one must know. His brother was right. Damien stalked over to the body, Lord Devrin's words ringing in his ears as his boot connected with the body.
Post by Exemplar of Demacia on Mar 23, 2014 0:55:55 GMT -5
A criminal was captured. That was all that mattered to the night guardsmen at the south gate. Whatever came next would be none of their concern. Lord Damien Daysworn would see to that, and they had their orders. The few manning the wall could see little in the dying light, and then it was settled and done. Their thoughts quickly returned to their posts, to the quiet forest outside, and to the places they would rather be.
Their wagon would probably never see the Freljord. Its contents would be scattered and lost, like the dreams they were meant to sustain.
Eric jolted awake from a sudden stabbing as a boot connected with his ribs. A crunch of cartilage and that familiar pain of bodily trauma cut through the throbbing signal in his head. He felt cold, the back of his head slick with blood. None of it could distract him from the memory of his last waking moments, and the consequences to come.
Full of emotion and renewed adrenaline, his hands found the dirt and he drew his knees beneath himself to stand. “You are supposed to tell me the crime I've been accused of. I want you to say it.” Eric stood, facing his attacker.
Post by Liliana Daysworn on Apr 4, 2014 5:21:05 GMT -5
"You know of your own crimes, knave." Damien Daysworn responded unkindly as he watched the man recollect his strength, standing on bent knees. Their eyes met, a challenge and a hint of defiance sparking but Damien was not an impatient man. He looked amused almost at the lengths to which this injured, broken man go in order to simply catch a glimpse of the person who would take his life.
He would have gone so far as to say that he would have respected the knight, had Damien not known why he was here. So with his expression once more hardened to stone, he took one step forward and his free hand darted out to clutch at the man's dark, bloodied hair to wrench his head back.
"To defile such an innocent girl... you are a monster." He growled, his blue eyes darkening in rage as Damien spat in his captive's face. He may not be as impatient as his elder brothers, but perhaps his pride for his family suppressed anything and everything -- and it was obvious now as he threw Eric back onto the ground with an almost herculean strength. "That is your crime, and you will pay for it in blood."
The only honor to be had here was the knowledge that he had done his brother a favor. Damien drew up his sword and flicked the steel sideways as the fire danced around the edges. "Any last words?"
The soldiers with the body of the scarcely breathing girl arrived at his Lord's abode and swung himself off his horse before pulling Tianna into his arms gingerly. He was careful not to bring that warmth closer to him and he was especially careful to make sure his hands were placed somewhere visible. With an audible swallow, he made his way to the designated meeting place, knowing at once the figure who stood there stoic and still. The soldier took a couple of paces forward, enough for the light to shine into his eyes and face but he did not flinch as some maids hurried forth to take the bundle from him.
"What of the knight?"
"We did as you ordered, my Lord."
"Very well. You have my permission to leave."
"My Lord..."
Lord Devrin Daysworn's face turned towards the soldier, slow and pointed and his hands moved to clasp behind his back. The soldier knew it without a single word being spoken and he quickly nodded, bowed, murmured a hard apology and mounted his horse to flee back into the dark. If his Lord commanded silence, then silent he shall be lest he meet the same fate as that knight.
Liliana did not hear the soft rattle of the doors as they were being shut, but she did hear the muffled thumps of footsteps up the stairwell and the hushed voices and whispers. She darted towards her door, almost tripping over the things strewn about her room, falling against the wood only to press her ear into it. She could not make out the sounds, but she heard the tell-tale click of a lock.
"Tianna..." Her whisper was filled to the brim with something akin to dread. There was no other word to describe it, for she knew that Tianna would not have returned home out of her own accord. Liliana's face paled further and her knees buckled beneath her and she found herself sliding down the surface only for her hands to rest on the floor beneath her. She pressed her forehead against the door, the different scenarios running and fleeing through her thoughts and hyperactive imagination.
Though her heart ached for her sister, Liliana could only pray that it would be alright.
Post by Exemplar of Demacia on Apr 5, 2014 22:28:05 GMT -5
The pain in his side, the sadness of loss, and the guilt he felt toward Tianna, they were washed away in the sudden fear of death and a burning indignation that took hold of his breath and set his aching head into motion. There was a sword pointed at his throat. His bonds cut painfully into his wrists, thick and tight. He tasted blood and iron on his tongue. The ground sapped the heat from his legs. These people thought he had mistreated her. They'd been told something... no, they had been lied to. He remembered the face of Lord Daysworn, but there was no point wondering who. He had seemed like any other noble, haughty and charming and knowing wouldn't change things. The guards were... they were protecting her from him, from scandal and disgrace.
They were doing as they were told. He knew the role, had played it well time after time. In the firelight, the man in front of him had a look that seemed somehow familiar. Perhaps it was the scowl that held no pity. Eric wondered how many times he himself had looked down on another mans life with disdain. His hands tightened to fists. If it didn't end here, word would spread. They would accuse him, defame him, spread the lie until it destroyed Tianna's reputation. He looked up, away from the fire, the sword, and toward the open sky. He searched the stars, hoping to see something, anything, but he knew it was pointless. There were no signs, no final beauty to be understood. They were just lights in the dark, nothing more meaningful than the sound of breathing in the darkness or the noise of insects in the woods around them. Eric shut his eyes tightly.
"She is more beautiful and more innocent than anything I have ever known. She still is." The firelight played across the length of steel in front of him, casting his captors features in a wavering glow that went unnoticed. "My love is clean, if I have done wrong it was believing I didn't have to hide it." He saw only with his memory, the sleeping face of a girl. It seemed like moments before that she was leaning against his side, the night silent but for the gentle rocking of the carriage and the steady, nervous beating of his heart. Maybe she was dreaming of him. He took a deep breath.
Post by Liliana Daysworn on Apr 8, 2014 8:29:45 GMT -5
His attempt to blind himself from his captive's gaze, not at him but at the sky, was useless. "Pretty words will not save you now," the man snarled, uncertainty trembling his sword-hand. He was shaken more than he would have thought by the impassioned words of the knight... no, knave. He pinched his tongue between his teeth, nipping the smooth muscle until the taste of iron flooded his mouth. It was his own silent thanks when the knight shut his eyes that gave him the strength to finally finish what he had come here to do.
There was no warning but the flash of steel and the blade bit into soft skin and flesh and drew a bloody curve straight across the knight's throat.
"My brother would have your tongue torn out for those lies," he muttered as he allowed the body to drop to the cold forest ground. Damien Daysworn felt sick to his stomach; there was something clawing in there, guilt perhaps or the monster of regret. The last time he remembered feeling this way was years ago and yet that situation was not unlike this one.
He moved his foot as the blood began to seep through into the soil, a pool of crimson blossoming and staining the pale flesh and the man looked away if only to avoid looking at what he had just done. He wrenched a large piece of rough cloth up and threw it haphazardly over the body. His job was almost done -- his brother would take care of the body, he need only leave it somewhere where it would not be found and he must take lengths to be certain that it could not be traced back to his family name.
With a heart heavier than the life he had just taken, Damien gingerly wrapped the body with the cloth and wound some string around the ends to be certain the corpse would not slip and fall. After, he cleared the camp and put out the fire. He scoured every last inch of the clearing before finally finding it in satisfactory state. He wasted no time in bringing his horse forward before moving to lift the body up and onto the saddle -- his guest of honor, he thought with a grimace. Perhaps tonight would be the last of it.
With one last glance behind, Damien Daysworn whistled softly and lead his horse deeper into the forest.
Welcome to Maelstrom, Original Characters, Summoners and Champions alike. We are a divergent setting roleplay forum for the ever-popular MOBA by Riot, League of Legends. This means we are based in Riot canon, but your characters' actions can have a real, lasting impact on the world. Together, the Maelstrom community endeavors to bring the League of Legends setting and characters to life through collaborative storytelling and meaningful development. We welcome you along for the ride.
Hang out in a citystate, visit the Institute of War, explore the uncharted recesses of Runeterra. Whatever you decide, good luck, have fun and happy writing.
hello new skin yes. gonna work out some kinks but let me know what you guys think. it's not all that flashy but i didn't really like the tabs so the side bar is back. oh and the cbox has also made it's appearance. -rurin.
Maelstrom was created by Swain. Written content is copyrighted to their creators on this site. The skin is created by Wolf and mini-profile template by Kuroya of Gangnam Style. The board and thread remodel is by Kagney and has been heavily edited by Rurin. League of Legends is owned by Riot Games. Maelstrom does not claim ownership to any images used unless stated otherwise.
cbox
Chat box has been removed for the time being. Please contact me at Wyerden@gmail.com, or skype name DearCryophoenix with for any questions or concerns.
