Darts of Pleasure

OoC: This RP is for myself, Cookie and insaney. If you post here and your name is not one of those, I shall hunt ye down and smite you with my paw. HAR!

IC:

Kyralie braced herself against a tree, half within the shade of the forest and half in the dawning light of morning. The shadows clung to the chill of the as yet sunless morning, seeming to keep her from warming up beneath the sun's tentative rays, yet she was oblivious to the discomfort, intent only upon the little cottage nestled in the clearing. It was small, cozy and the first home the Valkyrie had ever had, a blessing considering she shared it with someone who she loved more than she thought possible. Just thinking of her luck in meeting her regal partner, in the feelings that had blossomed between them made her tingle with warmth. Yet, beneath that love a little shadow of guilt dwelt.

Larena, as much as she wished it to be true, was not hers alone. The truth, as much as she wished it to be otherwise, was that she had taken Larena from someone else.

Seth. The knight who had been out fighting for a noble cause, leaving behind his lover in good faith only to have that faith betrayed upon his return. Kyralie shook her head slightly, a convulsion at the pain and trouble she had caused so innocently. If it was a matter of love alone, Kyralie was willing to stand up to Seth, to pit herself against this accomplished warrior just so she could stay close to Larena who was like a beacon to her of the goodness and beauty of life. Seth had left Larena alone; Kyralie had been there to comfort her when no message had ever been received on whether he lived or not.

Things are never that simple though, not in life. It was something Kyralie was slowly beginning to learn in her brief time on the mortal plane.

There was a baby to think about. A child fathered by Seth.

With that thrown into the equation, it wasn’t difficult for Kyralie to suddenly see herself as the antagonist, the one who had intruded upon a couple’s life with her own selfish wants. Going along with that thought, Kyralie even considered leaving, to let the two reconcile as though she had never been… but no, she couldn’t leave and hurt Larena in much the same way Seth had left. She couldn’t leave Larena at all.

A glint of light, the sun finally emerging fully from beyond the mountains, broke through the Valkyrie’s brooding mood. Turning her brilliant eyes towards that new dawn, she let it warm her face as she stepped from the clinging shade of the trees. The sun was like an affirmation, a new bright beginning chasing away doubts of the previous night to replace them with new hope.

Sighing, Kyralie sank to her knees and reached out a hand to pat the wolf that had crept from the forest to stand beside her. The pack was ranged behind her and the alpha male, giving her unquestioning support for whatever lay ahead and reminding her exactly what a family was for.

A family was there to support each other, to care and do their best by one another. Larena was Kyralie’s family here, and no matter what the future held for them she was certain she would support whatever Larena wanted.

The sky seemed different today. It looked no different--there were still clouds slowly crawling around in their shimmering bowl of blue. Some were painted on; an artist dipped a brush in white paint and just ran streaks along the blue canvas. Some were made as if they were thick smoke coming from a nearby fire, set by someone mischievous enough to lay waste to the forest below. The birds, however, were content, flitting in and out of the thick clouds with utmost ease and carelessness.

But something had changed.

The wind was cold and harsh, even as the sun poured its warm rays down unto the Earth below. The coldness bit at the skin and burned the nostrils; it made the ears feel numb, but still able to hear the fluid beats of large scaly wings from either side. In one hand, the knight held the famous red lance, in the other he held the reins which was attached to the straps of leather around the wyvern’s snout.

Seth grinned. He was going home. What made him ignore the pain of the bandaged wounds on his torso and grin even more was that he was sure that someone, a very special someone, would be waiting for him. He loved her, with all his heart, like how the rose loves the morning sun. And she was pregnant, too! To think, soon, they would be joined by a little boy or girl--or two little boys or girls--twins! Oh, the thoughts were too much; his imagination almost blinded his senses from reality when he thought about the times they were going to have. How he wished that he did not have to leave so frequently. The only good thing about leaving would be coming back, and by then, he couldn’t help himself--Home! Fly as fast as you can!

Ebony, as always, had no objection to this. She would move with all her might and speed, taking to the skies. High, above the ceiling of clouds or just over a forest’s canopy, skimming the waters of a placid river or lake with her talons; there was no place above the ground where she refused to go. Today was no different, she howled as she twisted her whole body around before abruptly diving below the ocean of clouds. Ebony descended rapidly, as if she was knocked out of the sky by a catapult, but in truth, she knew it was close.

The wyvern’s screech echoed throughout the sky. It was close now; the knight could see it as they got closer. The little clearing in the forest, and the little cottage in that little clearing. With a final screech, the wyvern descended behind the miniature building with a loud thud, raising an immense amount of dust and leaves. The beast snorted as her rider got off and petted her snout before turning to walk toward the house. The fresh morning grass, still glistening with dew, crunched beneath his boots while the cool shadows of the whistling trees sheltered his path. With a smile, he slipped his gloved hand around the doorknob and grasped it.

Seth was home, and he was happy. Nothing can change the way I feel, he thought as he turned the doorknob and gently pushed the door open.

Early spring was her favourite time of the year; the winter frost was still biting yet subdued enough so that only a couple layers of covers were adequate to keep the cold at bay. She smiled softly and pulled the single sheet tighter around her in response to the shiver which crept down her spine. It was not a nippy chill that left a raw numbness, but rather felt as if her whole body was being prickled with myriad pinpoints of condensed frost. It was an exhilarating feeling that made her feel so incredibly alive, and the sensation of the silk covers against her skin was like the softest caress.

Yet it wasn't as soft as the caress of the one who had been at her side until just a mere hours ago, and Larena smiled wider at the thought of her. When she had felt so utterly alone and abandoned with a baby in tow, Kyralie was the only one who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and offered her everything she could ever want. A warm bed, compassion, understanding, support and, most importantly, someone who loved her with all their heart and would never leave her, no matter what.

Her thoughts suddenly drifted over to the person who had left her, and her smile faded somewhat. She had begged him repeatedly not to leave her again for those campaigns in the name of whatever ideology or cause. The truth is, she didn't really care about any of that, she had just wanted him to love her and be there to help raise their child together. That was the tragic part about it all; even though he knew she was preagnant with his child, that didn't stop him from leaving again. It had been a bit more than three months and still there was no word from him whatsoever. She didn't know whether he had found someone else in those forsaken lands he travelled to, or if he didn't really want her and the baby and had sought an easy way out, or maybe he had even gotten himself killed in the process.

Part of her wanted to hate him with all she had, part of her wanted him back in her arms, and part of her didn't care anymore. She had Kyralie now by her side now, and that was all that mattered to her at the moment. Her promise to stay with Larena and help her raise the child resounded fondly in her memories, and that thought alone was enough to return the smile to her lips.

As she heard the doorknob turn, she opened her eyes softly and turned over onto her back, sitting up slightly as she anticipated Kyralie's return. The Valkyrie had gotten out of bed early as she usually did, and had gone for a walk outside. Larena had stayed to sleep in, seeing as huddling in bed during these still-frigid mornings was one of her fondest pleasures. With any luck, Kyralie would be willing to snuggle up close and warm her up, and that made her smile widen.

The person who walked in, however, was not Kyralie and Larena froze, her jaw dropping slightly and her eyes widening in surprise. Just past the threshold of the small cottage there stood Seth Phyre, the father of her unborn child. For several long moments she could only stare at him with stunned bewilderment, unable to either speak or move. When she had finally managed to snap out of her stupor, her first reaction was to pull the covers higher up and hide her exposed shoulders.

"...Seth?"

“…Seth?”

It’s kind of a funny thing. Not funny ‘ha-ha’, but funny ‘odd’: to see someone you loved so much after months of being away. Her reaction was completely unexpected: she pulled the blanket over her shoulders as if she were hiding something. As if the person who had just walked in was catching her in some lewd act.

At first, he didn’t notice, so he just stood there with a small grin on his face. But when he did realize what she had just done, he moved a little closer.

“Larena,” he smiled sweetly, speaking softly as he walked toward her, “I know it’s been a…long time.” His voice was apologetic now; he moved to sit down beside her, but when he found that the bandages tightened around his torso as he bent over, he cringed slightly, letting out a small whimper, and chose to stand up instead.

“Ah…” he looked off to the side, at the sheets and not at her, “I’ve… I’ve missed you.”

All that anger she thought she should have towards him just wasn't there now that he was in front of him. She wanted to reach out and pull him close to her, hug him tight and bury her face into his shoulder. Instead, she just stayed in stunned silence.

His small grunt of pain softened her expression as a hint of concern clouded her features.She had weakly reached a hand towards him as had tried to sit down, but as he was looking away now he missed the gesture. Larena retracted her hand and looked at him for a few moments.

He was still as handsome as ever, their long time away from other making her find him even more appealing. Thoughts of him she hadn't had in quite some time resurfaced now that he was right here before her. For a brief second, she had forgotten about Kyralie.

"I've... I 've missed you too, Seth..." Her voice was weak and lacking the usual confidence she exhibited.

Kyralie stared in shock at the descending beast - its landing shaking the land beneath her feet. The wolves behind her all snarled, hackles rising as they stared in the direction it had landed.

"Hush," she whispered sharply, her hands going for the sword that should have been at her waist. Feeling nothing but cloth, she realized she had left it in the room, thinking nothing could ruin this hope filled morn.

Edging around, Kyralie watched as a man dismounted and made his way into the cottage.

"Larena...!" Ignoring the beast she made her way behind the man, silently cursing her weaponless state as she clung to the forest for cover. Larena had been abed, clinging to its warmth rather than venturing out into the still chilled morning. She would be expecting only Kyralie to enter, not this stranger!

Kyralie could see the man's back as he stood in the doorway. He stood poised to enter and in that pause she heard the one thing that shattered her confidence.

"...Seth?" Larena's voice sounded as stunned as she herself was.

Kyralie blinked. No, it couldn't be. Just as she was thinking on this man he couldn't just appear from the heavens! Shaking her head silently in denial, the Valkyrie bit her lip as the man walked within.

She watched in silence as he greeted Larena, watched as he made to sit down and cringe. Watched as Larena's hand, so graceful, reach towards him as though in aid before falling to the bed once more.

"I've... I've missed you too, Seth..." such innocent words. Words not intended for her yet they caused so much pain.

Seth had returned. The father of the child, come home to his beautiful lover. The Valkyrie could see them together, a perfect couple soon to be perfect parents.

But where did that leave her? She had no place in that tableau. It would only make Seth uneasy to have her there, a constant reminder of how Larena had strayed from him in his absence. Larena herself would no doubt want her gone, she thought sadly, forgetting their vows of love to one another.

I was only ever the interloper, Kyralie thought with sudden despair. She had committed a wrong in being together with Larena and taking her away from her rightful companion. For Seth to return was clearly a sign that the two were not meant to be and that her Karma was being returned. The scales were being set.

"I have to make it right..." her voice soft, and her heart torn by the choice she was going to make, the Valkyrie made her way from the trees to the door. Raising one hand she summoned The Reaper, the crystal scythe glowing pure in the morning light.

"Who are you and what business have you with my Mistress?" the words came out more confident than Kyralie herself had imagined as she pointed her weapon towards Seth.

Her eyes only flickered towards Larena once - she wondered if she understood that by declaring Larena her Mistress she had just relegated herself to the position of lowly body guard.

Ignoring her inner anguish, she leveled her gaze on the soldier who had just thrown her world apart.

"Who are you and what business have you with my Mistress?"

Mistress?

All of a sudden, this odd…woman burst into the room and demanded to know who he was. She was a pretty lady, but that glowing scythe in her hand made her seem like the devil to dance with: threatening, dangerous.

“Ah…ah…” Seth put his hands out with his palms facing the woman. He glanced at Larena, as if that would explain the situation. “Uhm…No one’s going to fight here. My name’s Seth. And…who are you…?”

It was a question that brought with it a little, uneasy silence. As if the information would shatter some worlds. Or just one.

Larena's heart skipped a beat and a pang of guilt shot through her as she heard Kyralie's voice. How could she so easily forget the woman who had been at her side all this time? Her eyes were wide as Kyralie locked gaze with her for the briefest of moments, and her new title filled the elf with a sense of dread. The Valkyrie had never addressed her so formally, and Larena suddenly realised the torment her beloved must be going through.

She met Seth's gaze uneasily as an inner struggle began to overwhelm her, and she couldn't find words to speak. It seemed that Kyralie had offered her the cue to present the situation any way she preferred. Would she tell Seth the truth of her betrayal, or would she fabricate an affiliation with the Valkyrie to conceal it? Either choice seemed to cause pain to the two people she cared the most for.

Yet as her gaze swept over Seth and along his blood-stained bandages, an almost childish sense of shame began to creep over her. He had been risking his life so far away with the only thing giving him hope being the thought of her, and she been busy finding a warm embrace to substitute for his. Part of her didn't want to hurt him even more and the rest of her just wanted to avoid the responsibility.

"Seth... this is Kyralie. She's my..." the voice caught in her throat as she looked into Kyralie's eyes with a profound sense of guilt, "...my assistant..."